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

She didn't know what she could do to turn things around now that things had come to this point.

"There's no way we can win..." This was the first time Nero had lost confidence. Faced with such a formidable enemy, Nero had almost lost the will to continue fighting.

"Mash, Boudica, and Mr. Waver... prepare... for battle!"

But just then, a voice rang out from behind Nero. Ritsuka stood up and looked at the figure in the sky. Although her expression was also sorrowful, the determination in her eyes made her resolutely choose to continue fighting.

"Why... we've already lost, why must we continue fighting?!"

Nero, seeing Ritsuka still standing, shouted in a state of emotional collapse, "We no longer need to fight an enemy we can't win against! Do you understand?!"

"There's no way to win, I don't understand..."

Ritsuka took a deep breath, her eyes slightly red, and looked at the man in the sky who had brought them despair, and said:

"All I know is that the Divine Ancestor used his own life to sever the connection between the world and Wang Chong for us. Now we have no more concerns about the world and can fight on with all our might."

"Therefore... even though the God Ancestor is dead, I will take his place and continue the fight! Even if the hope is slim, even if there is almost no chance of victory, I will fight with my life to provide more hope for those who come after me."

"The patriarch made me truly understand why Rome is eternal... It comes from his pioneering spirit and the hope he gave us. And that hope has been entrusted to us by him."

"And what we need to do now is just like what our ancestral god did: to create hope for those who come after, and to make them understand that even though Rome may perish, its spirit, its soul, and the hope it pioneered will be passed on forever!"

After saying that, Ritsuka walked up to Nero, extended her hand, and said:

"Come, Your Majesty Nero. As a Roman, you should know this better than anyone. Do not let fear consume your heart. Fight with me to the very end."

Nero stared blankly at Ritsuka's outstretched hand for a moment, then a hearty laugh rang out. Nero smiled and said:

"Hahaha... I, the Roman emperor, am really somewhat incompetent. I can't even see the most important thing left by the Divine Ancestor as clearly as you, Ritsuka. Ritsuka, you truly deserve to be the future of our Rome."

Nero took Ritsuka's hand, stood up, and said slowly, "Ritsuka, I'm sorry to have shown you such a humiliating side of me. Now... let's begin the final battle!"

"it is good."

Ritsuka nodded in agreement, and then led everyone toward Wang Chong.

"Has it finally happened? Now even your last hope has failed. Do you still want to persevere?"

Wang Chong looked at the people who had come before him and slowly said:

"Especially you, Ritsuka... you've already come to this point, aren't you going to admit defeat and go back to Chaldea for refuge?"

"Admit defeat? Can admit defeat and only lose half?" Ritsuka asked slowly.

"Hmm?" Wang Chong was slightly taken aback, then chuckled and said, "Of course not."

"Will admitting defeat stop you from destroying singularities and Rome?" Ritsuka asked in a deep voice.

“Of course not,” Wang Chong replied slowly.

“If that’s the case—then why should I admit defeat?” Ritsuka shouted. “I’m here to stop all of this! Whether I can do it or not, I will continue to do it.”

"Even at the cost of your life?" Wang Chong asked calmly.

"Even if it costs me my life!" Ritsuka clenched her fist and said.

"Alright. You've all heard what she said, so I don't need to say anything more about what to do next."

However, Wang Chong did not make a direct move. Instead, he waved his hand, and the surrounding dust was completely dispersed. It was then revealed that Wang Chong's followers had already surrounded them.

“Your strength is not enough to warrant my personal action. Mordred, take your men and eliminate them all, leave no one alive. Attila, destroy the last remaining main city of Rome. End this singularity.”

Wang Chong issued the order directly, and with a flick of his finger, black mist adhered to the servants, making their aura even stronger than before.

"Yes, sir." Mordred nodded expressionlessly, then raised the silver-white royal sword in his hand and led his Servants to slash at the opponent.

The situation quickly turned into a one-sided affair. The Chaldea side, which was already nearly wiped out, was quickly defeated after being surrounded by so many Heroic Spirits.

Mash's shield was knocked away by Mordred and Jeanne d'Arc Alter, and she collapsed to the ground, dead, after being pierced by a sword and a spear. Boudica's Noble Phantasm ultimately could not withstand the ranged Noble Phantasms of multiple Servants, and she was finally pierced through the body by Medusa's spear and fell to the ground.

Without a massive army, Weber's skills were rendered useless, and he was easily won over by Elizabeth.

As for Nero, the moment he saw the seven-colored Noble Phantasm destroy the capital of Rome, he lost his composure for a moment and was seized by Tamamo Cat, who pounced on his back. Then, Mordred arrived and pierced his body with a sword.

"Rome... ultimately fell to my hands? It's truly heartbreaking..."

Nero's consciousness began to blur. She saw Ritsuka running towards her unwillingly, calling out something, but unfortunately, she could no longer hear her.

“Ritsuka…it’s okay, Ritsuka…you’ve done enough.”

Nero wanted to utter those words, but he could barely manage it. In the end, he closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground.

“Your Majesty Nero…” Ritsuka came to Nero’s side. Looking at Nero, who had already stopped breathing, Ritsuka lowered her head and shed a few tears. “I’m sorry… I ultimately failed to save your kingdom and let you down.”

At this moment, the Servants surrounded Ritsuka, leaving her all alone. This was a desperate situation and an inevitable end that anyone could see.

Wang Chong watched the scene indifferently as the black mist began to cover the fallen followers, as if burying them.

The world seemed to plunge into absolute darkness at that moment. The entire world began to tremble, seemingly because of the complete demise of Rome, and this world would become an unchangeable singularity, indelibly etched into human history.

In Wang Chong's eyes, who observed the fortunes, there was almost no fortune belonging to Rome in the whole world. The influence of Alaya seemed to have been completely exhausted at this moment.

"It seems to be over. Only the influence within Ritsuka's body remains. Alaya won't let herself fall here. As long as it is forced out of Ritsuka's body, everything will be over."

Wang Chong thought to himself.

Chapter 177: The Power of Love

Wang Chong looked at Ritsuka, who had already lowered her head. He knew very well that Ritsuka had done more than enough. After all, his strength was no weaker than Goetia's, and several months ago, he had already been able to withstand a Human Cannon attack without dying.

In a sense, Ritsuka is currently at a stage where she has just passed the beginner village and is directly fighting the final boss.

Yet Ritsuka, despite all this, was able to work with other Heroic Spirits to first destroy the "Human Evil" summoning circle she herself had set up, and then forcefully allow a Grand Servant like the Roman God Ancestor to manifest.

Ultimately, he successfully severed his connection with the world, severely injuring himself and temporarily sealing his immortality. If he hadn't had several trump cards up his sleeve, he might have truly suffered a devastating defeat.

It can be said that Ritsuka's current achievements are certainly due to the support of Alaya, but they are also inseparable from Ritsuka's own all-out efforts. This can be considered the first time that Ritsuka has squeezed her potential to its limit.

Even now, she has not given up.

"Originally, in order to deal with Alaya, I had prepared a trump card to harm Him as a precaution, but I did not expect Him to be so incompetent. In order to enable that god ancestor to successfully use the treasure, He almost completely drained Himself."

"I can tell from the black mist I left in Ritsuka's body that it is trying to influence Ritsuka's thoughts and make her decide to run away to save her life. Unfortunately, after undergoing three trials, Ritsuka can no longer be influenced by you, who are now just a nobody."

As Wang Chong continued to break through Romulus's still incomplete seal, he headed towards Ritsuka.

"It's all over, Ritsuka. Now you only have death to face, and that is the choice you have made."

Wang Chong raised his greatsword, pointed it at Ritsuka, and said:

"Considering your utmost effort to get to this point, I acknowledge your will. I will no longer mock or ridicule you, and I will ensure that you, like those fallen heroes, have a dignified death."

"Take up your sword; you are worth my time."

Looking at the Servants surrounding her and the many Heroic Spirits lying on the ground, Ritsuka knew that she had reached the end of her road.

Ignoring the doctor's advice and the voice in her head that kept urging her to escape the singularity immediately, she picked up the Primal Flame from Nero's hand and raised it high.

She opened her mouth, as if to shout something to bolster her courage. But no words came out; perhaps everything was understood without being spoken.

Finally, Ritsuka gritted her teeth, looked at that invincible figure, roared, and charged forward with her sword.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Wang Chong's eyes narrowed. He sensed a shift in the surrounding spacetime, making it difficult to even move. Golden light began to emanate from the area, and a profound magical formula was being constructed. (The remaining text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

“Ritsuka, you’ve done your duty… No matter what, you shouldn’t have let your Master fight to the very end…”

A familiar voice rang in Ritsuka's ears, and Ritsuka's hands, which were about to raise her sword to charge, were grabbed from her sides.

“Your Majesty Nero, weren’t you already…” Ritsuka looked at the figure beside her and said in disbelief.

"Even if the sun sets three times?" However, the answer she received was not from Nero, who had "come back from the dead," but from Wang Chong, who was looking at the two of them.

"In one of the legends about Nero, it is said that three days after she committed suicide, when the Roman soldiers who found her covered her with a cloth, she briefly opened her eyes and spoke words of comfort to them. It is because of such a legend that you can continue to live even if you suffer a fatal injury."

Wang Chong slowly explained, "But you are not a Servant. To be honest, your state has been strange to me ever since the Singularity appeared. You, who should have been a mortal, have gradually acquired the power that you possess after becoming a Heroic Spirit."

“That’s right…and thanks to you, I remembered all of this.”

Nero took the Primal Flame from Ritsuka's hand and then said:

"At the moment when my kingdom underwent tremendous changes, I, as a heroic spirit, sensed it all. In order to put history back on track, I manifested in the world by possessing and manifesting, just like Mr. Weber."

"Perhaps it's because I chose to possess myself. As a result, my consciousness has temporarily fallen into a deep sleep, and my power as a Servant has not been developed immediately."

"Fortunately, through days of fighting, I gradually became familiar with that power. And the fatal sword strike just now completely awakened me. I also learned about everything that had happened during this time..."

With that, Nero turned to Ritsuka beside him and said, "Thank you so much for everything you've done for Rome, Ritsuka. Now, leave the rest to me."

With that, Nero turned to Ritsuka beside him and said, "Thank you so much for everything you've done for Rome, Ritsuka. Now, leave the rest to me."

"What? Emperor of Rome, do you think you can take care of all of us by yourself?"

Mordred drew his sword and pointed it at Nero, saying...

“Hmm! Why not?” Nero smiled confidently, then said, “Turning the impossible into the possible is what Nero Claudius—the fifth emperor of Rome—is trying to achieve!”

"Praise be, sing be, for I, having received all the love and favor of Rome, return here once more, carrying the will of all its people. I will surely repay Rome's love, and repay the love that Ritsuka has so steadfastly protected."

"Because the power of this love is limitless!"

Nero plunged the Primordial Flame into the ground, which then shone with a brilliant light. Huge magical runes began to spread outwards from Nero, and an invisible force forcefully pushed away the Servants surrounding the two of them.

"Witness my talent! Hear the thunderous applause! Feel the glory of the ruler! Bloom like a flower! Open the curtain! —aestus domus aurea 'Inviting you to the Golden Theater of Exhilaration'!"

All around them, buildings rose up, enveloping everyone present, and a magnificent and luxurious theater came into view.

However, what surprised everyone even more than the theater was that their bodies suddenly became extremely heavy, as if the gravity under their feet had suddenly increased dozens of times.

"This suppressive force... how is this possible?" No one could escape this suppressive effect, which meant that even if they wanted to fight, both their physical strength and attack power were weakened invisibly.

Even Wang Chong was no exception, but with his strength, he was still able to remain calm.

"No wonder he was able to fight the White Giant. The true Servant Nero's hidden rank and strength are far higher than I imagined."

Wang Chong felt the oppressive force and stared at the blonde girl who was now bathed in light.

"Is this what they call the power of love? How idealistic... No, to be more precise, this is the last trump card you, Alaya, can rely on, isn't it?"

Wang Chong's gaze passed through Nero, landing on the incredibly faint, silvery-white starlight, and he thought to himself:

"As expected, Alaya still had a last bit of power left. It seems that he originally intended to use that power to help Ritsuka escape back to Chaldea and to hide the spatial coordinates of Chaldea. It's just a pity that Ritsuka refused to go back, so he had to gamble everything on Nero."

"Very well, let me see if you, the fifth emperor of Rome, are as powerful as your ancestors!"

Chapter 178: Nero, the Heroic Spirit, Charges Forward

"These buildings are not indestructible. Your condition is not suitable for high-intensity combat. Go outside and destroy these buildings as well. Also, Attila, take good care of your War God Sword."

Wang Chong immediately used the power of the black mist to secretly transmit his voice to everyone, and then unleashed a large amount of black mist to envelop everyone, allowing them to resist the suppressive force from Nero's Noble Phantasm.

If Nero's Noble Phantasm is destroyed, his power will no longer accumulate so irrationally. Of course, even more important is preventing Nero from obtaining Attila's Sword of War.

If someone manages to exploit a loophole and creates an overpowered character like Venus Nero who is completely unreasonable, then he'll really have no choice but to run away.

Even so, with the blessing of the power of love, Nero's strength is still visibly increasing.

Wang Chong dared not be negligent in the slightest. When he saw his Servants immediately leave the theater and Nero was about to stop them, Wang Chong immediately shouted, "Za Warudo—!!"

"Om-"

The golden filter unfolded once more, freezing everything in place by the "world's" time-stopping ability. This time, Wang Chong didn't hesitate at all, slashing his sword towards Nero's head.

"Clang—!"

However, the imagined scene of being cleaved in two by a single sword did not occur. Instead, Nero moved through the frozen spacetime, holding the sword horizontally above his head, blocking Wang Chong's attack.

This surprised Wang Chong quite a bit, not only because Nero could move in a world where time had stopped, but also because Nero's power was now able to rival his own by a third.

"Are you surprised? The words of the gods have already told me about your abilities... especially the God Ancestor, who has already passed on that authority and the combat experience from his previous battles with you to me. I will inherit the God Ancestor's will and completely defeat you, this Outer God!"

Although Nero struggled to block the sword, she still managed to express the emotions in her heart:

"Rome is eternal!"

As soon as he uttered those words, Nero's aura intensified considerably, seemingly about to push back the greatsword that Wang Chong was pressing down on.

Wang Chong narrowed his eyes. In his eyes, Nero's own fortune had changed from the original yellow fortune to crimson. This was a unique fortune of a protagonist destined for heaven, just like Ritsuka's.

It was precisely because of this that Nero's idealistic power was fully displayed at this moment, giving Wang Chong the feeling of facing the chief god Romulus once again.

"Hmph, Alaya has indeed found a good candidate. But it's a pity, I had already anticipated all of this. It's just the right time to reveal the last trump card."

Wang Chong began transmitting his voice towards a certain direction, then looked at the invincible and confident Nero with a cold smile and said, "Is that so? Then I'll shatter this immortality completely today! I'll start with your Noble Phantasm!"

The next instant, Wang Chong released the time stop. He then resumed his usual combat style, relentlessly attacking his opponent. After using his passive skill [Ruthless Combo] to increase his attack speed, he began to use his speed advantage to exert pressure.

It's worth noting that while Nero was able to move during her time-stop, she couldn't actually use the power of time freeze. In fact, most of the power boosts she granted herself were inherent skills that ordinary Servants could master.