A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

"Mr. Archer, who initially aroused our suspicion, quickly won our respect and trust with his words, actions, and subsequent behavior. But who could have imagined that the unknown events that happened to our senior would soon turn that trust into suspicion."

Hearing Mashu's reflections, Ritsuka understood what Mashu meant. She sat up straight, nodded slightly, and said, "Indeed... Even I'm a little unsure about how my relationships with everyone will turn out in the future. Human emotions are just that complicated and ever-changing."

"However... rather than saying that our emotions are fickle, it's more because we don't understand each other well enough and that we ourselves are always changing."

"Is it because we don't understand each other enough, and because we ourselves are changing?" Mash couldn't help but ask.

“Yes, we don’t understand each other enough, and we are all changing.” Ritsuka nodded and said, “There is always an invisible barrier between people. If you want to touch and understand each other, you will inevitably bump into each other and get hurt.”

"Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry. Sometimes we're harmonious and friendly, sometimes we're at each other's throats... It's like a shoe that's about to deform meeting a foot that's slowly growing. We're both changing. Maybe we're a perfect match at this moment and get along very well, but the next second it'll be uncomfortable and chafing."

“…Hmm, I think I understand now.” Mashu nodded thoughtfully and said.

"...It's alright, Mashu. Take your time to think it over and witness it all with your own eyes. This is also proof of your growth."

Ritsuka patted Mashu on the shoulder, offering words of comfort. She knew perfectly well that her companion possessed the identity and past of a homunculus, and that Mashu lacked and could not fully empathize with human emotions.

Fortunately, as Mashu follows him and witnesses the scenery of their adventures, and comes into contact with more and more people and things, perhaps one day Mashu will be able to possess the true emotions of a human being.

"Ritsuka...can you hear me? Ritsuka."

Just then, Archer's voice entered Ritsuka's mind.

"I'm here, Mr. Archer. Have you arrived at your destination?" Ritsuka immediately established a connection with the remote telepathic communication formed by the Servant Contract and then responded.

"Yes, it took about two hours in total, which is considered a fast result. If it were a procession entering the black mist in a line, they would need to slow down their movement speed in order not to attract the attention of the surrounding magical beasts. This process would probably take two or three times longer."

archer replied:

"Furthermore, as the number of people migrating increases, the duration and uncertainty will only increase indefinitely. Therefore, I do not recommend taking everyone from the city; only dispatch soldiers and Servants capable of fighting the monsters to provide support. Of course, this is just my suggestion."

"I'll tell you the specific time and the ratio of people once I've compiled the statistics. Let the Roman emperors decide for themselves how to carry out the migration, but time is running out, so you need to be mentally prepared for that."

After giving some instructions, Archer temporarily cut off communication. About ten minutes later, Jing Ke brought back a similar message. After Archer informed Ritsuka of the approximate time conversion, Ritsuka immediately went to the palace to relay the information to Nero.

Upon receiving the information, Nero immediately went deep into the palace and convened the third council of emperors that day. After a brief period of debate and discussion, the final plan was finalized.

Since there are only two people who can help with the relocation, the six countries and regions are divided into three levels based on their distance from the capital, Rome. The first level is Rome, with the capital as the endpoint. The second and third levels are the two countries that are closer to the capital, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels are the three countries that are furthest away.

Currently, Archer and Jing Ke are located in areas four and five, respectively. They will first relocate the soldiers and civilians from area four to area two, and from area five to area three.

Archer then relocated the weaker civilians and soldiers of the second unit to Rome, while Jing Ke quickly went to the sixth unit to oversee the relocation. Afterwards, Archer swiftly moved to the third unit, while Jing Ke led the civilians and soldiers of the sixth unit to relocate there.

At this point, the military and civilians in areas four, five, and six have all been evacuated. The remaining three kingdoms can directly face the challenges of tomorrow and advance directly.

The only problem now is whether doing so will directly lead to Wang Chong's trial. But for Rome at this point, they have no other choice.

After the resolution was finalized, the various countries quickly began to implement it. It must be said that the Roman people were fierce and the entire population was a soldier. Even ordinary citizens had an extremely high level of discipline and obedience.

After the arrangements were made, the soldiers and civilians, each carrying three days' worth of rations, lined up and came to the wall of black mist. Archer and Jing Ke, following their previous plan, had them put their hands on each other's shoulders and slowly enter the black mist as instructed.

To ensure the smooth passage of these soldiers and civilians, Archer and Jing Ke chose routes with minimal detours and changes of direction. They weren't afraid of taking longer routes; their only concern was making a mistake that could alter the course and disrupt the entire route.

And so, the massive migration began under cover of night. Little did the Romans and Chaldeans know that their every move was being watched by a floating island in the sky.

……

"Master, those Romans have indeed started to move. In addition, several monster locations have begun to shift intentionally or unintentionally, deviating from the route taken by the Roman soldiers and civilians who are crossing the wall of black mist."

On the throne, Semiramis sat beside Wang Chong, holding the Thousand-Mile Eye Observation Bead, projecting the changes below.

"Hehe, it's so late, and Alaya is still working hard and shining brightly. Let it do whatever it wants. After all, it doesn't come without a price."

Wang Chong smiled lightly as he surveyed the changing fortunes and galaxies of the entire land below. The Roman army and civilians faced immense uncertainties in successfully crossing the wall of black mist. And often, at such times, the fate of a nation was at stake, to see if it could withstand the test.

It is clear that Rome, having become a singularity, should not have such a national destiny, but Rome's national destiny was insufficient, which could be completely filled by the will of the world. After all, the ultimate operation of the Alaya-vijnana system of restraint is itself a symbol of "destiny".

Now, under Wang Chong's observation, those torrents of fortune are constantly changing, turning from red to white, then from white back to red, over and over again. Alaya is continuously expending its power so that the Roman soldiers and civilians can pass through the wall of black mist without serious danger.

"Let it drag on, let it drag on. When the game ends on the seventh day, let's see if you still have the strength to deal with all of this."

Wang Chong smiled and said, "Semiramis, make those magical beasts a little more agitated, and deplete Alaya's power as much as possible. But don't completely break the balance. Just like boiling a frog in warm water, slowly consuming its power."

"Also, tell Jeanne Alter and the others that they don't need to be in charge of the three areas where people have migrated tomorrow. Let them allocate manpower to the remaining three countries. They migrate, we migrate too, let's put more pressure on Rome."

"understand……"

Semiramis immediately made communications, informing the Servants who served as divine punishers. She then began to mobilize her magic, using magic circles to control the magical beasts lurking in the black mist, causing them to stir within the wall of black mist.

After Semiramis began his actions, a massive torrent of fortune began to surge across the entire Roman Empire, churning like boiling water.

Wang Chong squinted, carefully observing and contemplating the insights gained. Utilizing the high comprehension granted by his passive ability [Spell Sensitivity], he meticulously comprehended the law known as "Destiny."

Chapter 146: The Sixth Day of Trial

Around 4 a.m., perhaps because she went to bed early the night before, or perhaps because she was worried about the situation, Ritsuka slept very lightly this time and woke up very early.

The first thing she did upon opening her eyes was to check on the migration progress. The final result calmed her anxious heart considerably.

Although several unexpected situations arose last night, such as the monsters becoming agitated and a path deviation, thankfully none of them escalated into major disaster. The group ultimately passed through the wall of black mist safely and reached their respective areas. Mei, are you there? Are you in the empty space? Lin, are you there? Are you not there...?

The final time was much earlier than expected. There were still four hours before the official operation. Although it was still possible to complete one relocation, it would inevitably lead to exhaustion of personnel.

Now, all Roman soldiers and civilians need a good rest to prepare for the intensified trial that is about to take place today. Fortunately, all three regions are incredibly powerful at this moment.

Rome goes without saying. Although they dispatched Archer, Jing Ke, and Lü Bu to Region 3, Rome itself still has Ritsuka, who can use Shadow Servants, Mash and Boudica for defense, and Nero, who inexplicably gained the power of Heroic Spirits.

Not to mention, Rome also took in the second group of soldiers and civilians, whose corresponding emperor servant Caligula and his servant Spartacus were also very powerful berserker servants.

With the combined power of six Servants, even if they cannot achieve the complete victory they had yesterday in facing the two Divine Punishers who are about to attack today, they should still be able to hold on.

As for the third area, it goes without saying that it has three emperors and six followers. Although their strength is not very strong, they are still numerous and powerful enough to deal with the challenge from the Gods.

As for the fourth group of soldiers and civilians who temporarily rested in the second area, although they consisted of only one emperor and two followers, they were Romulus, the god-ancestor with a boss-like appearance, El-Melloi II (Wave), possessed by Zhuge Liang, and a younger version of Alexander.

The Stone Soldier Formation used by El-Melloi II alone was enough to hold back these chaotic monsters, and dealing with Servants was also a piece of cake.

"Gentlemen, you're up really early."

Nero looked at Ritsuka, Mash, and Boudica, who had finished resting, and came to him, saying with some joy.

“Your Majesty Nero, you look a little tired,” Ritsuka asked, noticing Nero’s dark circles under his eyes.

“Hmm… There’s no way around it. The relocation is a huge undertaking. Even though I finished taking my uncle and the others in a while ago, the follow-up arrangements and the work of understanding other countries still need to continue. After all, I was the initiator and I have to be responsible for the entire plan.”

Nero stretched and then said, "Fortunately, things have come to a temporary end, and I can finally get some rest. *yawn* But let me take you to the military camp to prepare first; I'll also take a break there."

Ritsuka and the others nodded and followed Nero and the ceremonial guard out of Rome again, heading towards the military camp in the suburbs.

“Actually, not everyone chooses to migrate,” Nero suddenly said. “There are many people who were born and raised in the city and the surrounding villages. They can’t bear to leave their homeland and ultimately choose to stay.”

"Such people are not many, but they still make up a portion of the population. They are like Roman citizens who voluntarily became abandoned, only able to wait for their lives to enter their final countdown."

"Why do this? They could have survived," Mashu couldn't help but say.

"Yes, I've been wondering why this is. Sometimes I want everyone to live better lives, but I always get opposition and refutations. In the end, after talking with that emperor who was once very successful in his civil administration, he made me understand a principle: what is precious to everyone is different."

Nero spoke slowly.

“Precious things…aren’t they the same?” Mash repeated the question.

“Yes, just like I like to sing, like to take holidays, and like to bathe. So I want Rome to hear more songs, give its people more holidays, and build more bathhouses,” Nero said with a smile.

"Please allow me to join His Majesty's kingdom," Dr. Roman suddenly pleaded.

"Doctor, don't interrupt! And what time is it now? Still thinking about vacation! If we fail, forget about vacation, we'll lose our lives!" Mashu said quite seriously.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just wanted to lighten the mood and make you all feel a little more relaxed," Dr. Roman said apologetically, scratching his head.

"Alright, alright, then I'll continue. Although I have these ideas and have taken action, the results have been less than satisfactory. The reason is simple: not everyone likes to listen to my singing, not everyone likes an overly leisurely holiday, and not everyone likes to take a bath every day."

Nero said:

"Similarly, the reason those people choose to stay is simply because there are things there that are more important than their lives. That's all. We should respect their choice."

"Is that so? Something more precious than one's own life." Mash pondered, glancing at Ritsuka at times, and then at her own shield.

"Alright, we've arrived. Uncle's camp is on the other side, so don't get confused."

After the brief conversation, Nero led Ritsuka and the others to the military camp. As usual, he arranged for Ritsuka and the others to have their own separate tents, and then went to rest in his own main tent.

And so, Ritsuka and the others began to wait and rest until morning. After Nero had rested, he began to assemble the army and march onto the battlefield. Caligula's side arrived at the battlefield around the same time.

"Are you the empress's entourage?"

A seemingly honest and simple voice reached the ears of Ritsuka and the others. If it weren't for the strange clothes the person was wearing, they would probably have mistaken him for an ordinary servant with a normal personality.

"Hello, are you Spartacus?" Ritsuka had already heard about this ally's Servant name from Nero and asked.

"Yes, hello everyone, I am Spartacus. Let us rebel against that oppressive ruler! Tear off their hypocritical faces, break their rules! Rebel, liberate those who succumb to the oppression of the gods!!"

Spartacus brandished his iron bar, emitting a near-roaring sound that surprised everyone present.

"She seems like someone who's hard to communicate with... She's always talking to herself and stuff," Mashu couldn't help but remark.

"Yes, it's a pleasure to fight alongside you. Please take good care of me in the battles to come." Although Ritsuka also felt that the Servant in front of her was strange in both spirit and clothing, she still chose to respect him.

"You seem to be a very good Master. I hope you can always maintain this mindset." Spartacus looked Ritsuka over and finally nodded. After speaking, he returned to his original position and began preparing for battle.

Seeing that Spartacus had no intention of continuing the conversation, Ritsuka did not press the issue and began discussing the next battle plan with the other two.

"Because we don't have as many people as before, and we can't possibly command Caligula, the Servant Emperor, and Spartacus. So this time, we'll focus on defense and try to drag out this trial war as much as possible."

Upon hearing Ritsuka's words, Mash and Boudica nodded in agreement, as they were indeed more skilled in defense.

"When two Servants arrive, we will continue to deal with our old rival Mordred, and leave the new Servants to Caligula and Spartacus."

Ritsuka said.

Then, Ritsuka activated the summoning once more, resummoning the shattered Shadow Servant Siegfried from yesterday. Now, all they need to do is wait for the Judgment War to begin.

Time passed slowly, and soon it was time for the war to begin. The wall of black mist began to surge, and one after another, magical beasts emerged from the black mist, just like yesterday.

"Wait... this reaction is... something's not right! How can there be four!?"

Just then, Dr. Roman's communication device suddenly rang.

"What's wrong, doctor? What happened? What does 'four' mean?" Ritsuka couldn't help but ask.

"Servants reacting! There are four Servants reacting this time! This is completely different from what was agreed yesterday, that only two Divine Punishers would be conducting the trial today!!" Dr. Roman said immediately.

Chapter 147: The Great War Begins

"Doctor, are you sure? There are four Servant reactions this time?" Ritsuka was also surprised by Dr. Roman's words and asked.

“It’s absolutely true, my investigation is infallible. At least four Servants reacted near that wall of black mist, and two of them had astonishingly high magical energy levels!”

Dr. Roman said very seriously.

"If both have extremely high magical energy, one of them should be Mordred. As for the other, could it be one of Mr. Wang Chong's top Servants?" Ritsuka said.

"That must be it. I can't think of any other Servant besides the one with the Holy Grail that we've encountered before. Anyway, be careful, Ritsuka."

Dr. Roman gave his instructions.

"Mash, Miss Kara, please keep an eye on the battlefield. I must immediately inform His Majesty Nero that four Servants are being tried!"

After finishing her sentence, Ritsuka immediately began heading towards Nero's central army. On the way, she also informed Archer and the others of what was happening there via telepathic communication.

"It seems our migration has been discovered. I guess the Servants in charge of those three areas have been dispatched to these three regions where we migrated. Heh, that was to be expected. The other side isn't stupid; they won't let us off so easily."

archer couldn't help but say:

"The question now is whether the other side still intends to eliminate the fighting force in at least three regions. If so, either their main target will be you and that God Ancestor, or our region where the three emperors are gathered."

"Let's take it one step at a time. I'll leave the rest to you and Miss Jing Ke, Archer."

After Ritsuka finished speaking, she temporarily ended the communication. She had already arrived near Nero and, led by the messenger, approached him. Ritsuka then immediately informed Nero of the movements she had detected.

Nero was well aware of the seriousness of the situation. She immediately sent someone to inform her uncle Caligula, and then adjusted the army's formation to prepare for a war of attrition against the monsters.

Meanwhile, Ritsuka returned to the front lines. At this time, the monsters had already clashed with the Roman vanguard, and Mash and Boudica had begun fighting against these monsters.

Based on the numbers provided by Dr. Roman, the number of monsters this time is at least four times that of yesterday, which corresponds to the number of monsters each of the four Servants is responsible for. (The remaining text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the initial statement.)

Without a word, Ritsuka immediately manipulated Shadow Siegfried into the battle against the monsters, hoping to relieve the pressure on the Roman legions. However, she hadn't been operating it for long when she felt sharp, stabbing pains all over her body.

"Ugh!" Ritsuka realized that this was because she had temporarily contracted too many Servants, and too much magic power was being supplied through her body, which served as a transit point, causing her magic circuits to overload.

She understood that the Archer's side was now engaged in a fierce battle, and from what she sensed, there were at least six Servants besieging them, and the number of monsters had increased sixfold.

From this perspective, it still appears that one emperor and his power correspond to two divine punishers, which seems to maintain a fairly balanced system.

Therefore, Archer's deduction is somewhat invalid. The other side did not intend to deliberately increase the difficulty in order to eliminate any faction; the trial was still conducted very fairly.

It's unclear whether, once the three regions are safely traversed, the evaluation will be based on the regions themselves or on the power represented by the emperor.

Ritsuka didn't have time to think about these things right now. She endured the pain in her body and continued to control her Shadow Servant in battle. As long as she could bear it, even if her magic circuits exceeded their limits by just a little bit, it wouldn't be a problem, right?