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

"Oh, right, and this Holy Grail War. You seem to have a high opinion of that Lancer guy. He's just a nobody who can't even withstand one of my sword strikes."

“Dirmund… is not a minor character.” Suddenly, Artoria interrupted Mordred very seriously and said, “Admittedly, his strength may not be among the best in this Holy Grail War, and as you said, he couldn’t withstand your Noble Phantasm’s full-force attack. Even I, when I first faced him, underestimated him.”

"But the reality was that Diarmuid skillfully used his tactics, seized my underestimation, and took the initiative, leaving me with an incurable injury from his Noble Phantasm, and completely sealing away my Noble Phantasm's release," Artoria said. "His desire for victory and his will to fight with all his might even against the strongest opponent, coupled with his adherence to his honor—even in his pursuit of victory, he never acted despicably, but with dignity... it was these things that moved me and forced me to submit."

"On the first night, I lost to him, and I accepted it wholeheartedly. This is something you, Mordred, will probably never understand. What you're thinking is probably the same as what you did on that first night. You believe that force can solve everything." With that, Artoria raised her sword and charged at Mordred, leaving behind her final words, "Your strength may kill me, but you will never defeat me!"

"Ha... How foolish!" Mordred cleaved the holy sword that Artoria was thrusting at his chest with a single strike.

"Yes, I don't understand, I don't comprehend this bullshit logic! But so what?" A flash of red light appeared, and the dazzling King's Sword directly knocked Artoria back more than ten meters away, leaving a deep dirt scratch at Artoria's feet.

"Such strength... This guy's strength has increased to a whole level." Artoria felt the tingling sensation in her hand, took a deep breath, and stared at Mordred, who was likely to rush towards her.

To Artoria's surprise, Mordred did not rush towards her. Instead, he stood still, raised his right fist high, and unleashed an unimaginable aura. For a moment, the earth trembled slightly around Mordred.

"Gah—!"

Mordred then slammed his magic-infused fist into the ground.

"boom!"

The earth shook violently, the mountains and forests trembled, and centered on Mordred, the earth churned and mud and gravel flew everywhere after Mordred's punch hit the ground. A huge crater with a radius of 10 meters and a depth of 1 meter was instantly blasted out by Mordred's punch.

This powerful force put Artoria under immense pressure.

"King Arthur, if that's how it is, then so be it! In my eyes, force is everything! Everything else is useless! What will, what dream of Britain, what knightly glory! Those things are utterly worthless in the face of absolute power! Just like your laughable dream! In the end, it was completely destroyed!"

"I won't bully you, King Arthur. Since your Noble Phantasm has been sealed, I will no longer use it. I will use my proud strength to prove to you once again... that in this world, everything is impure except for power!"

"call out--"

"Boom!"

Mordred threw out the King's Sword, which flew like a startled swan and cut through everything in its path, heading straight for Artoria. Mordred took a deep step, her voice booming like thunder, her speed no less than that of the flying King's Sword.

Artoria's intuition activated, and after predicting Mordred's trajectory, she rushed forward, slashing horizontally with her sword, carrying the gale of the Wind King's barrier, towards the flying King's Sword and Mordred.

"Chong-"

The sword tip clashed with the blade, and Mordred's king sword pierced through the Wind King's barrier. The powerful force made it difficult for Artoria to cope.

At that moment, Mordred gripped the King's Sword and thrust it forward, simultaneously punching Artoria in the abdomen. Because Artoria's left hand was still injured, she had no way to block Mordred's attack and could only retract her sword and retreat.

"Want to escape?"

Just then, Mordred sensed her opponent retracting her sword and instantly changed her thrust into an upward slash, deflecting Artoria's Excalibur. Mordred then sidestepped and delivered an elbow strike, sending Artoria flying.

Losing her balance, Artoria gritted her teeth and performed a lazy roll to dodge the next slash while looking for an opportunity to get up.

Mordred, however, was not about to let such a good opportunity slip by. She relentlessly attacked Artoria with lightning speed, trying to prevent her from getting up. But as soon as she took a step, Mordred immediately stopped and then swiftly turned around to slash behind her.

"Chong-"

"You're quite perceptive, Mordred." A male servant's voice reached Mordred's ears.

"Heh, I've been looking for you! Die!" Mordred unleashed a burst of red light, directly knocking Diarmuid, who was wielding dual pistols, flying backward.

Fortunately, Diarmuid used the momentum to his advantage, somersaulting several times in the air before landing on a dead tree trunk, thus stopping his backward movement.

At this moment, Artoria also managed to stand up, somewhat surprised and wary, and asked, "Dirmund, why are you here?"

"Heh, that's quite unseemly, Saber. If you don't wield your sword more beautifully, it will tarnish the name of the King of Knights." Diarmuid leaped down from the tree, brandished his twin pistols, and then said, "Rest assured, my orders this time are only to bring glory and victory. Therefore, I will not take your head until I have dealt with the other intruders who are interrupting our duel, Saber."

"Furthermore, I believe that fighting side by side is the best option at this time. We both have a score to settle with her. After we've settled that score, we can have a fair competition. What do you think?"

"Lancer... well, but be careful, her power seems to be stronger than last night." Hearing that the other party was not an enemy, Artoria breathed a sigh of relief. With Diarmuid's help, even if she couldn't defeat Mordred, at least she could hold her own.

"Understood." Diarmuid moved slowly toward Mordred, like a wolf poised to pounce, waiting for the moment his opponent showed a weakness so he could hunt him down quickly.

Chapter 102 The Show Begins

Einzbern Castle

At this moment, Irisviel, Wang Chong, and Jeanne d'Arc were all observing the battle unfolding within the crystal ball. So far, Diarmuid's appearance and intervention to help Artoria had somewhat surprised Irisviel.

"With Lancer's help, Saber should be able to hold off the enemy Saber without any problem. The main concern now is whether other people will get in," Irisviel said with a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

“No, Ms. Irisviel, now is truly the time to go on high alert,” Wang Chong suddenly said.

"Huh? Why is that? Isn't Mordred currently being held back by Saber and Lancer?" Irisviel asked, taken aback.

"The real problem isn't Mordred, but Lancer's arrival. Lancer himself isn't the problem, but the key issue is the Master behind him... Kenneth El-Melloi. He's not like Lancer, with that so-called heroic honor and chivalrous restraint. He's a true magician. Guess where he's headed now?" Wang Chong said in a deep voice.

"Wait! Caster, you mean that Lancer's Master allowed Lancer to move freely here to confuse us and lower our guard, and now he has already stormed into the castle?" Jeanne quickly grasped the key point and spoke up.

"So that's how it is." Irisviel quickly began to adjust the crystal ball's perspective, trying to find Kenneth's whereabouts. However, Wang Chong shook his head and said, "It's too late to look now. He's probably already near the castle. Even if we call Saber, she can't move there for the time being. But don't worry, if it's just him alone, we're not afraid. Don't forget, I'm here."

“That’s true, and Caster is here too. But it’s only just begun tonight, and it’s already this intense… I wonder what will happen later…” Irisviel said with a hint of worry.

"Let Miss Wu Mi come back quickly. The enemy is already here, and we need to prepare her," Wang Chong said.

"Hmm." Irisviel began to connect with the crystal head, linking the castle's magic spell to inform them of the situation and summon Maiya back to the conference room.

……

Outside the Magic Mirror Forest

The battle between the two men continued, and they had already exchanged more than a dozen blows in close combat. Kiritsugu Emiya was barely able to block Kirei Kotomine's fists by relying on the steel-forged gun in his hand and by occasionally accelerating his body briefly. Occasionally, Kiritsugu Emiya would even hit Kirei Kotomine's body two or three times.

For some reason, Kirei Kotomine, with his Bajiquan advantage and the enhancement from the black mist, should have been able to defeat Kiritsugu Emiya with ease. But for some reason, they appear to be evenly matched.

"Hmm? Have we arrived already?" Hearing the voice from the black mist ring, Kirei Kotomine's lips curled into a smile. Suddenly, his fists became fierce, first cleaving a mountain with a single punch, directly clashing with the steel spear, and even knocking Kiritsugu Emiya back more than ten steps. Then, Kirei Kotomine's figure flew forward like an arrow, his fist under his waist gathering power, as if he intended to take down Kiritsugu Emiya in one fell swoop.

Seeing the sudden burst of power from his opponent, Kiritsugu Emiya was secretly alarmed. It seemed that his opponent had been fighting him on equal terms just now, but was simply conserving his energy. Now, Kirei Kotomine had realized that his stamina was running low, so he planned to unleash his full power and take him down with lightning speed.

"I can't continue fighting head-on. Irisviel is waiting for me. I have to get there!" With this thought in mind, Kiritsugu Emiya hardened his heart and, ignoring the strain on his body, activated the long-duration Inherent Time Control once again.

"Let's settle this once and for all, Kiritsugu Emiya." Kirei Kotomine, with an excited smile, stomped forward, his punch about to shatter Kiritsugu's ribs. But at that moment, Kiritsugu, who had already anticipated the situation, kicked out with all his might—using the black key that Kirei had just dropped—and sent it flying towards Kirei.

It's obvious that the inspiration for this move came from a certain Lancer.

Kirei Kotomine frowned, changed his fist into a palm, and blocked all the flying black keys. However, this block temporarily stopped his advance and gave him some time.

"puff--!"

The sound of gas ejection rang out, and a smoke grenade spewed out a large amount of smoke. It was Kiritsugu Emiya who seized this brief moment to quickly throw out the smoke grenade, then hid his figure in the smoke and used his acceleration to quickly escape in a certain direction.

"Emiya Kiritsugu, is running away the only strategy you have?!" Kirei Kotomine questioned. Enveloped in smoke, Kirei did not act immediately, but waited for the smoke to dissipate before noticing that Kiritsugu had disappeared from his sight.

"He escaped? Hmph, I was wondering how to get him out of there, but it turns out that Kiritsugu Emiya is quite admirable when it comes to running away. Is it because he was constantly being chased by the Assassins that he trained himself like this? Heh, Kiritsugu Emiya, he's quite an interesting fellow." Kirei Kotomine said with a slight chuckle.

"Well, the mission is now complete. I'm just waiting to see what kind of sparks will fly between Kenneth and Kiritsugu Emiya."

It turns out that the seemingly evenly matched contest just now was merely a pretense by Kirei Kotomine. His purpose was not to conserve energy and exhaust Kiritsugu Emiya, but simply to allow Kiritsugu Emiya to enter at the right time.

Now that Kenneth has entered the Magic Mirror Forest, and one protagonist has made his appearance, it's time for the other protagonist to take the stage.

"Hehe, I'll go in and witness this good show too. After all, I need to give an explanation to my teacher." Kirei Kotomine dusted himself off and then slowly stepped into the Magic Mirror Forest.

……

Near Einzbernburg

Deep in the dense forest, a blond man in a blue formal suit approached the castle with a faint smile. Gazing at the illuminated castle, he pulled out a test tube and chanted, "Fervor, mei sanguis" (Boil, my blood!).

Then, the liquid in the test tube was poured onto the ground. The liquid seemed to come alive, all of it gathered together and began to absorb magic power and expand, turning into a hemispherical shape like a slime—Mystic Code: Moon Spirit Essence Liquid.

The man was Kenneth, who was preparing to launch a surprise attack on Einzbern Castle. After arriving at the city gate with the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, he suddenly stopped, and the relaxed and carefree look in his eyes turned into a solemn one.

“I thought you’d just barge in like that, Lord El-Melloi. Looks like you’re not all talk and no action.” A deep male voice came from behind Kenneth.

"Hmph, Master of the Black Knight. I'd like to ask you what's going on here, why there's still a Servant's aura inside this castle." Kenneth turned to look at the other party and said coldly.

Behind Kenneth was Wang Chong, who had previously proposed the collaboration to Kenneth, disguised as Dior.

“Otherwise, why would I have suggested cooperation? Isn’t it precisely because I’m worried about such an unexpected event happening, Kenneth?” Wang Chong said with a slight smile.

The Wang Chong appearing before Kenneth at this moment was merely an avatar. Wang Chong, currently inside the castle, was remotely controlling this body to offer Kenneth some small assistance.

"For some reason, that Saber's Master managed to get the Caster group to join forces. Well, that's also something I'm considering. After all, the Saber group is currently in a state of being eliminated at any time, and they desperately need a powerful ally. So, it's foreseeable that some additional opponents might appear on the second night. Alter."

After Wang Chong called out, Jeanne d'Arc Alter appeared, slowly emerging from the dense forest and standing before Kenneth and Wang Chong.

“To show our sincerity, let my servant lead the charge and face that Caster. What do you think? And Kenneth, you should be able to take down that Einzbern representative, right?” Wang Chong said with a smile.

"Hmph, then please." Kenneth didn't presume to be arrogant. Servants should fight each other, while he would deal with the magicians behind those Servants.

The author says:

Author's Note: As I mentioned before, there's been a funeral these past few days, so updates have been a bit late. But I'll be back to my normal update schedule tomorrow. See you at 5 PM! qwq

Chapter 103 The Battle of the Castle

As Kenneth stepped aside, Wang Chong led Jeanne Alter to the castle gate. With a wave of his hand, Jeanne Alter drew her black longsword. Purple flames roared on the sword, and with a hearty laugh, Jeanne Alter swung her hand, sending the purple flames on the blade transforming into a pillar of fire that hurtled towards the gate.

"boom!"

A huge explosion rang out, and the door was blown open. The black mist in the hall was startled by the flames released by Jeanne d'Arc Alter, and the ghosts hidden in the black mist began to let out sharp roars.

"Hahaha, hatred? Fear? Your screams are laughable. But it doesn't matter... because I'm going to wipe out all your hatred right now! Come on, let all evil and malice burn away here...! Let them all be completely consumed!! Hahahaha!"

Jeanne Alter used her spear to swirl the black mist, drawing all its power into her body and absorbing it completely. After all, Jeanne Alter herself was a physical body constructed from the black mist, and thus had a very good affinity for Wang Chong's destructive power.

Then, she waved the flag again, and the entire hall was set ablaze. Crimson flames began to burn fiercely all around, and the electronic equipment and traps were burned to ashes by Black Jeanne's flames before they could even be used.

……

"The enemy is here!" In the conference room, Wang Chong, playing the role of Caster, opened his eyes and immediately said. Then, the entire castle trembled from the explosion, and everyone knew that the enemy had begun their attack.

Hisayu Maiya had already returned to the conference room, but upon discovering that the castle had been attacked, she immediately stood up, prepared her equipment, and said, "There are still many traps inside the castle that can be used. I'll go and draw the enemy's attention. Madam, you two escape from the other side."

Before Kuyu Maiya could even step out the door, a figure blocked her way and said, "The enemy is a Servant, and a very powerful one at that. You should save your traps. They won't buy you any time; you'll just be throwing your lives away."

"So what do you plan to do?" Wu Mi asked, frowning.

“You take Lady Irisviel and retreat. Master and I will first test the enemy's strength and lure them away. We will then shake off the enemy and rendezvous with you, guided by the black mist on your bodies.” After Wang Chong finished speaking, he looked at Jeanne and said, “Master, prepare to attack.”

“Yes! Ms. Irisviel, you should avoid a direct confrontation for now. We will try our best to see if we can defeat them. If that doesn’t work, we’ll find a way to escape.” Joan of Arc also stood up, preparing to follow Wang Chong to meet the enemy.

“Alright…you two, please be careful.” Irisviel knew that there was no point in being coy at this moment, so she chose to follow their advice and retreated with Maiya.

After the two left, Wang Chong looked at Joan of Arc and said, "If my senses are not mistaken... that Servant, that is, another you, has appeared."

"As expected? I sensed a familiar Servant aura just now. Lord Wang Chong, what do you plan to do?" Jeanne asked.

“Just as I said, I’ll go first and probe their strength. Joan of Arc, if possible, you’ll have to make your move tonight,” Wang Chong said slowly.

"Hmm? But didn't you say before that it was best not to reveal my strength?" Joan of Arc asked, puzzled.

"I only asked you to keep your situation a secret for the first night. But things are different now. As our strength is gradually revealed, and their actions are becoming increasingly rampant, we have no choice but to rely on Jeanne's strength. It's only a matter of time before our identities are exposed. But for tonight, you just need to fight those other Servants in an environment where no normal Masters or Servants can see you. Like this castle, for example," Wang Chong said slowly.

"Anyway, those other Servants and Masters already know our identities. If more enemies appear later, Jeanne, in order to protect Irisviel and the others from being eliminated, you might have to stop that other you. I'll go protect Irisviel and the other one."

“Alright… let’s settle on that then. I’m also very curious about what kind of face lies beneath that mask, and why I’m experiencing this negative summoning phenomenon. These are questions I absolutely must figure out.” Joan of Arc took a deep breath and said quite seriously.

“I’ll wait for them in the corridor. I’ll lead them away from Irisviel and the others. Jeanne, you stay hidden.” With that, Wang Chong walked out of the conference room and into the corridor, standing like a gatekeeper, waiting for the “enemy” to arrive. Jeanne, meanwhile, remained hidden, observing the battle that was about to unfold.

……

"What a pitiful sight." Enveloped in the Moon Spirit Essence, Kenneth slowly walked into the burning hall. Looking at the surrounding ruins, Kenneth snorted. How come other people's Servants are so terrifyingly powerful, with such a wide range of attacks? But his own Lancer, apart from the special effect of his Noble Phantasm being somewhat powerful, is mediocre in every other aspect.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. But they keep saying they'll bring victory to themselves, yet they often completely ignore their commands. Look at other Servants; their Masters just wave their hands and they immediately create such a huge spectacle.

“Wave… if he hadn’t stolen my relic, I wouldn’t have had to put up with all this. After we’ve dealt with Saber, you’ll be next, Waver Velvet,” Kenneth thought to himself.

“Kenneth, I suspect they’ll send Caster to fight us later, while the two Masters will take the opportunity to sneak away. So we’ll have to split up.”

"After we fight Caster, those Masters who have run away will be yours, Kenneth El-Melloi. Don't keep us waiting too long, and don't let them escape." After saying this, Wang Chong's clone, who was playing the role of Dio, slowly walked deeper into the area.

"...The same goes for your side, don't let Caster come over." Kenneth walked in another direction, using the Moon Spirit Essence to envelop himself, preventing the black mist from touching his body.

"AutonlatoporIunl quaerere" (Automatic target acquisition).

The incantation was chanted again, and the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid transformed into countless threads that surged into various rooms, searching for any living beings by sensing fluctuations and heat sources in the air.

……

In the Magic Mirror Forest outside the castle, a figure is rapidly moving towards the castle.

"Cough...cough cough cough!!" Suddenly, the figure stopped abruptly, then leaned against a large tree and kept coughing while covering his mouth, with blood seeping from between his fingers.

"As expected, was using the Infinite Time Control repeatedly too much? My body is starting to feel the strain," the figure muttered to himself.

It turned out that after finally escaping Kirei Kotomine's clutches, Kiritsugu Emiya rushed towards the castle at top speed. Unfortunately, due to his excessive use of his Time Control ability and the strenuous exercise, his body could no longer withstand the strain and began to suffer the consequences.