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

Meanwhile, during the mental battle, Ritsuka remembered many things. She remembered why she had persisted, and how she had passed Wang Chong's three trials during that ordeal.

"If your only goal is to destroy all of humanity and the way of human history to destroy human reason and the power of the Alaya-vijnana, why did you go to the trouble of setting up such a test for me? Even in a state of mutual hostility, what are you trying to teach me?"

"In fact, even you yourself have doubts deep down. It is because I got the answer from those three trials, and it is because you were the first person to teach me this answer, that I have to do everything I can to stop you! To stop all of this."

Ritsuka covered her head, enduring the shock of regaining her memories while making her final decision.

Clang—

"thump--"

The sound of metal hitting the ground rang out, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

Ritsuka was interrupted by the sound and looked up, only to find Nero lying on the ground, her sword lying to the side. Her body was covered in black patterns and mist, and she had completely lost the ability to resist.

"It's even simpler than I imagined, Your Highness~ Even the influence that was attached to her has been completely absorbed by me~"

Sajou Aika, as if seeking credit, threw Nero to the ground, and the 666 beast beneath her let out a loud roar.

"It's almost time." Wang Chong pulled the greatsword from the ground, pointed it at Ritsuka, and said, "Stay or go."

“There’s no need to confirm anymore.” Ritsuka knelt down and smoothed Nero’s pained expression with her hand. Then she picked up the Primal Flame that had fallen beside Nero.

"I should have struck with that sword not long ago. Mr. Wang Chong, please allow me to address you as Mr. Wang Chong once more. Regardless of what you just said, I will not agree with it!"

Ritsuka took a deep breath, then raised her sword to her shoulder and said, "Whether it's revenge or personal motives... I only know that countless people will try to stop you from slaughtering the innocent like this."

"Even if you can destroy Rome, destroy me... even destroy Chaldea... there will still be countless people standing in your way... countless gods worshipped and the heroes recorded in history standing in your way!"

"This path is definitely wrong. Just like now, you can't scare anyone away, and you can't make anyone understand you anymore—no matter what expectations you had of me before. The answer and the trial I'm about to give will not change!"

"Even if it costs me my life, I will stop it. I will not run away, nor is there any need for me to. I will uphold this answer to the very end!!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Ritsuka rushed towards Wang Chong. Seeing this, Sajou Aika snorted coldly, and was about to gather her strength when a voice interrupted her: "After transforming into a beast, have you forgotten what I said?"

Sajou Aika was startled, as if she had remembered something, and her face turned somewhat ugly, but her remaining rationality ultimately suppressed her madness.

Wang Chong calmly watched Ritsuka arrive. He saw a white, silvery light emerge from Ritsuka's body and flee as if trying to escape.

"go."

A stream of light resembling an axe appeared in Wang Chong's left hand. It then locked onto the white silver light, and before it could reach it, it swallowed it up. The light then returned to Wang Chong's hand as a stream of light.

At that moment, Ritsuka had almost reached Wang Chong. In an instant, Wang Chong raised his sword high, ready to strike.

Ritsuka naturally realized how fast Wang Chong raised his sword. She was afraid that before she could even hit him, she would be killed by his sword.

"Goodbye, Doctor, dear Da Vinci. I failed to meet your expectations; perhaps I am more stubborn than you imagine."

"I'm sorry, Mashu, I'm sorry that you collapsed here. I promised to show you different scenery and to help you understand those very complicated emotions for you."

“Your Majesty Nero, even though you comfort me that I have fulfilled my duty, I still regret that I could not ensure the continuation of Rome. Although its spirit has been passed on, the original vessel of Rome could not be protected before my eyes, and I could only witness its demise.”

"Finally... Mr. Wang Chong, how I wish time could turn back to the first singularity. If only nothing had gone wrong..."

Ritsuka closed her eyes; she no longer prayed for a miracle and charged straight toward where the sword had struck.

"puff--"

The sound of metal cutting through flesh rang out. Ritsuka thought that she might either be cut in two or beheaded. She had heard that after a sudden fatal wound, the body would instinctively block out the pain, only plunging the consciousness into permanent darkness.

Perhaps for myself, this ending is gentle enough...

But the next second, Ritsuka's thoughts changed, because she felt that she was still moving forward, and she could clearly feel something blocking and bumping into her hands.

"I...I'm not dead?"

The moment this thought popped into her head, Ritsuka opened her eyes. She found herself still standing, but in front of her was a familiar face.

The opponent's greatsword stopped above his head, not falling any further, while the primordial fire he held pierced through the opponent's body.

What...what happened? Why am I not dead, and why did I manage to stab Wang Chong? This was Ritsuka's first thought after opening her eyes.

"boom"

"pain!"

Ritsuka felt something hit her head, and then realized that the other person had turned the greatsword into a blade and slammed it on her head.

"Congratulations, Ritsuka, you have passed this test. You are now a Master who can stand on your own."

"Huh?"

Chapter 183: The Truth Revealed

Looking at Wang Chong, who had been pierced by her primordial fire and had a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, Ritsuka felt as if she had fallen into some unknown illusion, and murmured:

"Did I die too quickly and experience hallucinations before I died?"

"Boom-"

"pain!"

Feeling another tap on her head, Ritsuka involuntarily loosened her grip on the sword hilt and clutched her head.

"Do you still think it's an illusion?" Wang Chong took the greatsword off Ritsuka's head and put it into his system space. Then, looking at the sword that was stuck in his chest, he pulled it out.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, some even splashing onto Ritsuka's body. Ritsuka instinctively tried to dodge to the side, but felt as if her body was out of control and frozen in place.

"Don't move around, it'll be good for you. Treatment."

After spitting out so much blood, Wang Chong, whose self-healing ability was temporarily sealed, turned pale. Fortunately, his summoner skills were still usable.

Thanks to the healing skills, Wang Chong's face regained its color, and his fatal wounds improved significantly, with the spraying blood disappearing.

Therefore, even with his self-healing ability sealed during previous battles, he wasn't afraid of losing half his life. He had various recovery methods besides his body's self-healing ability.

"What...what's going on? What kind of test is this?" Ritsuka couldn't help but ask.

"It's a test that means exactly what it says. Ritsuka... From beginning to end, I never intended to destroy human history. It's a very simple principle: if I really wanted to destroy this world, would it be difficult? Let alone seven days, even three days would be too slow for me."

Wang Chong spoke slowly.

"Otherwise, why would I have dragged this out until Chaldea entered this world to stop me? Because from the very beginning, I had other purposes in mind, which is why I deliberately set up this scheme."

“A test, you call this a test… but what about those dead Roman soldiers, civilians, and followers?” Ritsuka couldn’t help but ask.

“Those residents did not die, so with each divine punishment, I only took away the heroic spirits that did not belong to this era. As for the common people, I put them into the black mist and sealed their five senses, keeping them in a state of suspended animation.”

"Even the soldiers who died in battle, the summoned monsters were imbued with a trace of black mist by me. After inflicting sufficiently fatal damage, the black mist would strip the soldiers of their five senses and then be taken away by my black mist."

"Even if Mordred and the others use their Noble Phantasms to kill a large number of soldiers in the area affected by the attack, my black mist can quickly engulf and carry them away, creating the illusion that they have all been slaughtered."

"You think that every time those soldiers died and were swallowed by my black mist, they were used as sacrifices... Ha, but in reality, they were all hidden away."

As Wang Chong spoke, he began to direct the black mist of the entire world toward himself. At the same time, on the battlefield outside Rome, the black mist began to spread again.

Wherever the black mist passed, all the Roman warriors who had fallen on the battlefield and been swallowed by the black mist reappeared in their original positions.

The only difference was that those who had previously stopped breathing and showed no signs of life were now breathing, their chests rising and falling. Their vital signs had returned to normal.

Ritsuka stared at this scene in utter astonishment. Could it be that Rome had never been destroyed from beginning to end, and everyone had been deceived by the man before her?

"The only thing I can't guarantee is the soldiers' injuries and the deaths of some Servants. However, regarding the injuries, their physical condition can be restored once the singularity is restored. As for the Servants..."

Wang Chong lightly released the black mist, which entered the bodies of Mashu, Boudica, and Waver. Their fatal wounds had healed, and their breathing had returned to normal; they didn't look like they had died from severe injuries at all.

At the same time, a cloud of black mist drifted down from the sky and landed on the ground. Ritsuka looked closely and found that the black mist contained Jing Ke and the others who should have died in the battle to destroy the summoning array.

"Wait...didn't Miss Jing Ke and the others already start to dissipate as spiritual particles? Why are they still appearing?" Ritsuka couldn't help but ask.

"It's just a matter of technique... Don't forget there's a Holy Grail right there, and with the power of the Third Magic and the large summoning circle on the ground used for disguise, I'm perfectly capable of sending fallen Servants back to their original bodies."

Wang Chong spoke slowly.

"After all, they are Servants, and they have already been considered dead once. I have no need to keep them around to hinder me. If I can eliminate them, I will do so without hesitation."

"However, you don't need to feel too much pressure about this. Firstly, I made all the decisions on my own without your knowledge. Secondly, my original intention was not for this test. This test was just a side effect. My real purpose was simply to capture Him."

Wang Chong then showed Ritsuka a stone shaped like an axe in his left hand.

"What is this?" Ritsuka couldn't help but ask.

"Do you still remember those noisy voices in your head?" Wang Chong asked.

"...!? Is this Alaya's consciousness?" Ritsuka immediately realized what was happening and quickly asked.

"That's exactly right. Even if I didn't set a test for you, I would pretend to destroy the Rome singularity just to force out the self-preservation mechanism of the restraint."

Wang Chong's words turned cold, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, before he said, "The information you got from those children and the three sisters is all true. I have a score to settle with Alaya."

"Moreover, I did this so that when dealing with more singularity events in the future, I won't be interfered with by that Alaya. You can go to Roman for details, and he will explain everything to you."

"...Wait, doctor? Explain all this?! Does that mean the doctor already knew all along?!"

Ritsuka understood Wang Chong's implied meaning and immediately questioned him:

"Doctor!? You've been silent since just now. I was wondering why you've been so quiet. In a situation like this, you'd be the most talkative person, right? So you already knew about this all along, didn't you!?"

"So all that shouting, all that desperate persuasion, and all that final dejection and helplessness—was it all an act?!"

"Um... Ritsuka, calm down."

At this moment, Dr. Roman's communicator finally sounded softly:

“I did receive advance notice from Mr. Wang Chong. He said that this would thoroughly temper my will and allow me to grow quickly to the point where I can stand on my own.”

"But what happened later was genuine! Mr. Wang Chong didn't seem to be arranging any kind of trial at all; it felt like he was really going to destroy the world. He even brought out the evil in humanity. I had already started to take Mr. Wang Chong's previous words as a deception!"

“Those desperate cries were no lie, I was genuinely scared and worried about you… It’s all your fault! Mr. Wang Chong! Who uses human evil as a trial? What kind of trial is this?! You’re trying to kill Ritsuka?!”

Wang Chong just chuckled and remained silent. He had to admit that Dr. Roman had a talent that he himself lacked: he could easily lighten a tense atmosphere, although the result might be that someone's composure would crumble and they would start to vent.

"But you still haven't told me about this... So what is everything I'm doing now, just a joke to you all!?"

Ritsuka's eyes turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes.

It's no wonder that Ritsuka's mental state was somewhat emotionally broken. Not only did the two people she trusted most conspire to deceive her, but she also experienced great sorrow one after another. Suddenly, she was given a reversal. Her emotional string was already stretched taut and she was already very fragile.

As a result, Dr. Roman's almost atmosphere-disrupting remarks completely broke Ritsuka's composure, and her emotions, like a riverbank bursting, became uncontrollable.

“Ritsuka, you are no joke. You are a hero that even I have to admire, and who is willing to take a sword from you.”

At this moment, Wang Chong came to Ritsuka, pointed to the sword wound on his body where Ritsuka had just stabbed him, and said:

"Whether it was a test or a personal vendetta, I never felt that what I did in Rome was particularly right."

"But it is precisely because of this that, Ritsuka, you can carry out your will so thoroughly. No matter how desperate the situation, you always hold fast to what you believe in, and continue on the path you choose to walk, without retreating or regretting." (The rest of the text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.)

"To be honest, although there was a design element involved, your performance far exceeded my expectations. In the end, you even relied on your own strength and will to overcome the influence of Alaya."

“Courage, integrity, and loyalty. You have embodied these three qualities to the extreme. It is this courageous attitude that makes me feel ashamed and willing to accept this sword as punishment. You should know that even the God Ancestor could not make me willingly accept this sword.”

Wang Chong took a deep breath and said:

"So Ritsuka, no one can laugh at you, and no one has the right to laugh at you. If you still have any resentment or dissatisfaction with my actions, I will let you stab me again as punishment to quell your anger."

"So Ritsuka, no one can laugh at you, and no one has the right to laugh at you. If you still have any resentment or dissatisfaction with my actions, I will let you stab me again as punishment to quell your anger."

After saying that, Wang Chong handed the Primordial Flame back to Ritsuka.

Chapter 184: The System's Task

Upon receiving the Primordial Flame, Ritsuka took it but did not choose to stab Wang Chong. She took a deep breath, seemingly lost in thought or hesitant, before finally speaking:

"The thorns and all that don't matter anymore. I just want to know one thing: what will happen next?"

"Everything in Rome will return to normal, since the vast majority of the people and soldiers are still alive. Therefore, Rome will only transition smoothly, just as it has in history. Of course, because of the restoration of the singularity, their memories will also be erased."

Wang Chong said slowly, "You should be aware of this as well."

“Okay, I understand. So, the rescue of this singularity is complete, right?” Ritsuka asked.

"Hmm." Wang Chong flicked a finger, and a black mist ring reappeared on Ritsuka's wrist.

"I can keep the Holy Grail for a while longer, so that this singularity can be maintained for a while longer."

Wang Chong turned and brushed past Ritsuka, stepping towards Nero who was still lying on the ground, and continued:

"I will give you time to explain what happened to them, and let you spend some more time together before saying goodbye. When you feel that everything is ready to end, come to me in the old way, and I will give you the Holy Grail."

As he spoke, Wang Chong used the Summoner Spell [Purify] to completely remove the power that had corrupted Nero and was continuously driving him to depravity.

Afterwards, Wang Chong summoned the little Medusa, then looked at Ritsuka and said:

"I need to take care of human evil and that guy's business. Also, if you have any further questions about this matter, Medusa will be responsible for explaining them."

"I'm so sorry, Ritsuka-neechan. I've caused you so much suffering and fear this time," Medusa said, bowing to Ritsuka.