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

After spitting out several mouthfuls of blood onto the ground, Kiritsugu Emiya managed to stand up again. At that moment, he heard an explosion coming from the direction of the castle.

"Damn it, have they already breached the castle? Irisviel..." Kiritsugu Emiya forced himself to continue towards the castle, using his willpower to keep going. On the way, he dialed Maiya's contact information. After finally getting through, Kiritsugu immediately asked, "Maiya, how are things on your end?"

"It seems a powerful enemy Servant has infiltrated the castle. There are two Masters involved. One is the enemy Servant's Master, a blond man I've never seen before. The other is Lancer's Master, Kenneth El-Melloi. The two seem to have formed a partnership. The Master with the Servant has approached the Caster Group, while Kenneth is searching for our whereabouts," Maiya's voice said over the communicator.

"Kenneth? He actually entered the castle too? Wait, where are Kenneth's Servants? Doesn't he have any Servants with him?" Kiritsugu Emiya asked, frowning.

“Yes, Lancer is currently fighting alongside Saber against that Heretic Servant Mordred, so he isn’t with Kenneth for the time being,” Maiya said.

"I see..." A deep glint flashed in Kiritsugu Emiya's eyes. After understanding these few simple pieces of information, he quickly figured out his next strategy to break the deadlock. So, suppressing the pain in his body, he continued to rush towards the castle.

Chapter 104 Three Fierce Battles (Part 1)

"They're like fleas, scurrying around everywhere, these damned ghosts."

Kenneth was walking down a dark corridor in the castle. Because the surroundings were filled with black mist, and because Kenneth had wrapped his entire body in Moon Spirit Essence, he couldn't see his surroundings at all and could only walk slowly.

Fortunately, Kenneth had the Moon Spirit Essence's ability to locate and target enemies, so he wasn't too worried about stumbling into traps. However, the sheer number of wraiths swirling in the surrounding black mist, coupled with the occasional careless wraiths bumping into Kenneth's Moon Spirit Essence, easily interfered with its location tracking. This was the real reason why Kenneth could only proceed slowly.

"Those ghosts are all heading in one direction. If I'm not mistaken, they should be that Caster Servant. Hmph, let them fight, let them fight. It would be best if they both suffered heavy losses, then I, Kenneth, can kill two birds with one stone."

Kenneth was using this outcast Servant and her Master from the very beginning. In the Holy Grail War, only the last survivor wins. Since that's the case, everyone's positions are naturally opposed. Any so-called alliance is just a ploy for personal gain. If you can't even see this, and you're still fighting this Holy Grail War with a sense of mutual respect or even friendship, then in Kenneth's eyes you're either as stupid as a pig or so evil that even he can't see through you.

"Hmm? Why is there a strange fluctuation behind me? Could it be that the Black Knight's Master is running this way?" Suddenly, Kenneth stopped in his tracks. His Moon Spirit Essence sensed someone approaching from a great distance behind him.

"Who is it?" Kenneth didn't move, but waited quietly for the person to arrive.

……

In another part of the castle, a major battle has officially begun, with Wang Chong, disguised as Caster, shaming the match against Jeanne d'Arc Alter.

"The more vengeful spirits you throw out, the more they will be used by me! Hahahaha, with this ebb and flow, you will eventually be defeated again, just like on the first night!" Jeanne d'Arc Alter attacked with her sword and spear simultaneously, the two weapons clashing repeatedly with Wang Chong's Broken King Blade, producing a pleasant sound.

"Is that so? How about this move? Blade of the Ruined King!" In an instant, Wang Chong wielded the Blade of the Ruined King in a double strike. Just as he finished the heavy thrust, he quickly raised his sword again, completing a fierce and swift slash. However, both attacks were easily neutralized and blocked by Jeanne d'Arc Alter's superhuman reaction speed.

"Haha, is this all you have... uh!"

Jeanne Alter's smug laughter didn't last long before she suddenly let out a muffled groan of defeat. A golden sword aura appeared out of nowhere and struck Jeanne Alter's chest, knocking her back.

"How is this possible? I should have blocked that sword attack just now. Even if sword energy was generated, it would have had to pass through my weapon. How could this be..." Everything happened too fast, leaving Jeanne Alter feeling somewhat bewildered. Although that attack only caused her a minor injury, the unknown is often the most dreaded and feared thing.

However, Joan of Arc, who had been secretly watching the match from the shadows, noticed something amiss. Wang Chong's final sword strike seemed to be blocked by Black Joan of Arc, but a golden power flowed from the tip of the sword. That power completely ignored the object the sword tip touched, passing right through it before forming a sword aura that struck Black Joan of Arc.

"It seems Wang Chongjun has many trump cards up his sleeve... As expected of him, he's as cautious as ever," Jeanne thought to herself. "But speaking of the other Master, how did he suddenly disappear? And where did he go?"

"How was that? Not bad, right?" Wang Chong planted his greatsword in the ground, staring at Jeanne d'Arc Alter, and said, "You do have the strange ability to absorb my ghosts and black mist. But that doesn't mean you've completely defeated me. I have many more tricks up my sleeve. Do you want to try them one by one?"

"Don't get cocky, you bastard!" Jeanne d'Arc (Black) gripped her spear tightly and slashed at Wang Chong. The two clashed once more fiercely, the clash of weapons growing increasingly deafening. Sand and gravel rained down, as if the surrounding buildings could no longer withstand the magical aftershocks of their battle. Jeanne d'Arc (Black)'s fire bombardment and Wang Chong's "Decree of the King" continuously ignited the ghosts, blasting craters into everything around them.

"If this continues, I'm afraid that guy will use his anti-military Noble Phantasm, which will bring utter destruction to the entire castle. I wonder if Mrs. Irisviel and the others have escaped yet." Jeanne d'Arc began to worry as the fighting between the two intensified.

Not only Joan of Arc, but Wang Chong, who had been fighting against Jeanne Alter, also frowned, thinking to himself, "Could Jeanne Alter really get angry? I remember that the Count of Monte Cristo, as an avenger, also had his will constantly be driven mad and controlled by the will of revenge due to continuous high-intensity battles. Could it be that Jeanne Alter is doing the same thing now?"

Meanwhile, Jeanne Alter's thoughts were somewhat unexpected: "Although I don't know exactly what constitutes 'fake' turning into 'real,' I can always just go all out. Hmph, does she really think I'm easy to fool? Do you think I don't know when she's doing 'that' with those three brats every night? Hmph, I'm just too lazy to bother with it, not because I'm upset or envious! Now that I've been given this opportunity, I'll teach your philandering Master a lesson!"

If Wang Chong knew what Jeanne d'Arc Alter was thinking at this moment, he would probably be both amused and exasperated.

……

In the Mirror Forest, an equally fierce battle was taking place. At this moment, Artoria and Diarmuid joined forces to fight against Mordred. With Mordred not using his Noble Phantasm, the two sides were truly locked in a fierce and evenly matched struggle.

"What astonishing martial arts and strength! Knight King, how exactly did you manage to kill this beast atop the Sword Hill?" Diarmuid said after thrusting his twin pistols at Mordred's face, forcing him back once more.

“Hmph… Mordred’s power is strange now, almost reaching the level she had in life. I wonder what kind of artifact her Master used to manifest her.” Artoria spoke slowly, then said, “However, Mordred’s strength is not unexpected. Everyone in the Knights was very strong back then, and there were many people stronger than me. What I relied on was only the power of the Holy Sword and the sharpness of the Holy Lance.”

"Is that so? Then I'd really like to see what the other Knights of the Round Table are capable of," Diarmuid said.

"Heh, you want to test your skills against others? I've really been underestimated." Mordred's cold laughter came from the other side. At this moment, as if she had made a decision, she pointed her sword at Diarmuid and said, "Hey! Lancer, you deliberately used tactics to deceive King Arthur, causing him to carelessly remove his armor, and then used that yellow spear... what's it called again, Yellow Rose, to stab King Arthur, causing irreparable damage and leading to his defeat, right?"

"So what if it is?" Diarmuid narrowed his eyes slightly. Although they had only fought briefly a few times, he already knew that Mordred was not the kind of person who liked to talk nonsense. What was she trying to do by saying these things?

"Hehehe, hahahaha, then it's simple, isn't it?" After Mordred finished speaking, his whole body trembled, and all the armor on his body turned into spiritual particles and disappeared. Just like Artoria before him, he abandoned his heavy armor and pursued the ultimate attack.

"Then, let's go again, and see if your yellow rose will pierce my flesh first, or if my sword will sever your head first! Hahahahahaha!" After bursting into wild laughter, Mordred transformed into a streak of red light in the next instant, and with lightning speed, pointed her sword straight at Diarmuid.

"So fast!" This sword strike was more than twice as fast as before. Diarmuid barely had time to defend, while Artoria, whose strength had been enhanced by activating her Intuition, managed to swing her sword just in time to block the attack.

"boom!!"

Mordred actually knocked Artoria back with a single sword strike, and seeing Artoria at a disadvantage, Diarmuid was about to use the special effect of the Yellow Rose to force Mordred back, just like before.

But in the next instant, Mordred neither dodged nor evaded, completely ignoring the yellow rose that was aimed at her lower abdomen, and struck first, slashing straight at Diarmuid's face with even greater speed.

"This guy!" Startled by this reckless fighting style, Diarmuid instinctively used Red Rose to defend himself, while Yellow Rose involuntarily retreated.

As expected, Mordred was also sent flying by Mordred's monstrous strength, and a bloody gash appeared on his shoulder, which looked quite gruesome.

Chapter 105 Three Fierce Battles (Part 2)

With a deafening "Boom!", the force of the impact sent Diarmuid flying. A bloody gash appeared on his shoulder, staining the grass red. Mordred's offensive wouldn't stop there; she leaped forward to chase after Diarmuid.

"Dirmund..." Seeing that Dirmund was injured, Artoria didn't even have time to catch her breath. She quickly stepped forward with her sword and blocked Mordred's next attack for Dirmund once again.

"Bang!" The two swords clashed, and a violent impact erupted, causing both figures to stagger back several steps.

"Ha...ha..." Artoria gasped for breath. Just now, in order to save Diarmuid, she was not fully prepared and was forcibly collided with by Mordred, causing her magic power to become disordered and a tearing pain to emanate from her body. For a moment, she froze in place and did not move.

On the other hand, Mordred was in excellent condition. After unleashing her armor, in addition to the increase in strength and speed, Mordred experienced a significant mental release. It was as if she had broken free of her shackles and could do whatever she wanted without restraint.

It was this indomitable spirit that not only allowed him to defeat Diarmuid in a life-or-death struggle, but also enabled him to remain undefeated after a head-on clash with Artoria, defeating her once again.

"Heh, it seems you're nothing special after all, unable to even withstand one of my moves." Noticing Artoria and Diarmuid's somewhat disheveled state, Mordred mocked them without any politeness.

"Huff...huff...what a madman, coming up with such a reckless answer. But...as the saying goes, in a narrow encounter, the brave prevail. In this contest, I admit defeat." Diarmuid pressed the burning wound on his shoulder, recalling the defensive stance he had just taken, and shook his head at himself. How could he have backed down in a life-or-death struggle? What was wrong with him?

"Ha, it's just the natural outcome. The way you wield your swords and spears has already told me one thing. You have too many messy things on your minds! Hesitant and indecisive, only knowing how to look before and after!"

After saying that, Mordred raised her sword and slammed it down again. This time, she took the initiative to step forward, and her longsword was once again aimed directly at the two of them.

It was the same reckless fighting style, but this time Mordred's primary target was Artoria. He swung his King's Sword, creating a sharp vortex of energy, towards Artoria! Seeing Mordred's fierce attack, Artoria's mind sharpened. Without thinking, she immediately raised her sword to meet the attack. The two swords clashed fiercely once more, erupting in blinding sparks! The blades collided with a deafening roar, and two shockwaves exploded outwards simultaneously, toppling the surrounding trees!

Artoria gritted her teeth and endured the recoil, shifting her weight several times before barely managing to regain her footing. Mordred, however, was unharmed, a smug expression on his face. Artoria felt a sharp pain in her arm, and her magical energy became even more chaotic, but she did not back down. Instead, she gritted her teeth and confronted Mordred.

At the same time, Diarmuid did not stand idly by and took the initiative to attack. Although he was still injured, his eyes remained firm. This time, he had to wash away the shame of his retreat.

"Saber, leave it to me!" Diarmuid shouted, brandishing the yellow rose as she charged toward Mordred.

“Lancer, I’ll hold her off. You handle this!” Artoria said.

"Stop dreaming!!" Mordred twisted both swords aside and then headbutted Artoria. With a "bang," the unsuspecting Artoria was forced back by the headbutt, and her head spun for a moment.

"Come on! Let me see if you've improved since before! Let's fight! Hahahaha!" Mordred's madness deepened, making one wonder if her class was Saber or Berserker.

In the same duel as before, their weapons clashed several times. This time, Diarmuid seized an opening and stabbed Mordred in the heart. Mordred, in turn, raised his sword and once again slashed at Diarmuid's head.

Mordred had never shown the slightest fear in this regard. After all, on that hill of swords, she had done just that, even when the Holy Lance pierced her body, she still managed to strike Artoria's head, sealing Artoria's death.

However, having faced countless life-or-death situations himself, Diarmuid, after his previous reflection, was no longer timid. As he had just said, in a narrow encounter, the brave will prevail. This time, he would surely take his opponent's life and bring victory.

"Hmm!" But suddenly, Diarmuid's gun stopped. It wasn't that Diarmuid was afraid, but rather that a very bad feeling entered his body. However, it was this sudden palpitation that caused him to miss the best opportunity to kill Mordred and was about to fall into a life-threatening crisis.

"hateful!"

In an instant, the instincts accumulated from countless battles were fully unleashed, and Diarmuid turned his head and leaned back as far as he could. But even so, the sharp royal sword, imbued with a fierce aura, not only tore Diarmuid's head to a bloody pulp, but also cleaved deeply into his shoulder.

"Drink!"

However, Diarmuid did not give up. He first lay down on the ground to stop the blade from penetrating further, and the time he created finally allowed him to successfully stab Mordred's hand with his right red spear, forcing Mordred to withdraw his sword.

"Teng!"

With a powerful downward kick, Diarmuid was propelled backward like a slingshot, trying to distance himself from Mordred. Just as Mordred was about to catch up, she sensed a golden light approaching. It was Artoria, who had successfully shaken off her stun and was now engaged in combat with Mordred again.

"My lord, what happened to you... why did you suddenly feel such a tremor?" After seeing Artoria hold Mordred back, Diarmuid was able to catch his breath and stand up. His left shoulder was severely injured, and he probably would have difficulty using his left hand to attack flexibly.

Diarmuid paused for a moment because he sensed that something had happened to Kenneth, that he seemed to have suffered considerable harm. However, since Kenneth hadn't called for him yet, Diarmuid didn't leave the battlefield.

"What a terrifying guy, and so lucky... We should have taken him down just now... But who would have thought it would end like this?" Diarmuid said with some resentment, then, holding his gun in one hand, he charged back into the battlefield.

……

Rewind a few minutes. Inside Einzbernburg, Kenneth was waiting for the person he had detected to arrive. However, just as the other party was about to reach his position, the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid gave him a different feedback.

"Hmm? The black mist has actually dissipated? It seems that to deal with that black knight, we have to collect all the black mist that has spread within the castle? Hmph! That's fine too. The black mist disappeared in the direction of the guy who followed us from behind, which means I will gain the upper hand."

Kenneth then released the Moon Spirit Essence from its encirclement and began walking in the direction where the black mist had receded. The Moon Spirit Essence also went into standby mode, ready to attack the guy who emerged from the black mist at any moment.

"They're here!" Kenneth's pupils contracted slightly as he saw a figure emerge from the black mist. He could tell that this wasn't the Master of the previous Black Knight. That meant it could only be an enemy!

"Dilectus incursio (Automatic Attack)!"

Without any hesitation, Kenneth unleashed the Moon Spirit Essence into an attack. The Moon Spirit Essence transformed into several tentacle-like entities, which swiftly attacked the figure within the black mist.

"Time Control!" The black mist dissipated in that instant, revealing a slightly gloomy and serious face—Emiya Kiritsugu. Faced with the attack of the Moon Spirit Liquid, Emiya Kiritsugu did not hesitate to use his Magic Crest once more, accelerating his movement and quickly dodging the Moon Spirit Liquid's attacks. He then swiftly bypassed Kenneth and fled in the direction he was facing away from.

"Hmm? Whoa?" Kenneth was surprised to see Kiritsugu Emiya suddenly run at a speed completely beyond human capabilities and disappear behind him. However, with his magical insight, Kenneth quickly figured out what was going on.

"You turned your body into a Reality Marble and manipulated time to accelerate it? It seems you did learn some magic." Kenneth said with a hint of approval, but then shook his head and said, "You're supposed to be someone who received some magical training, yet you've become a despicable person who relies on underhanded tricks. Death will make you realize who you are, Kiritsugu Emiya."

Indeed, even in a brief moment, Kenneth recognized the man who had escaped from his side. This man was the one he had to kill. Whether it was in cooperation with the Black Knight Master or to avenge the destruction of the magic workshop last night, he could not let him go this time.

"[ire:sanctio] (tracking and erasing)!"

Chapter 106 Three Fierce Battles (Part 2)

"[ire:sanctio] (tracking and erasing)!"

Kenneth issued the tracking order, and in the next instant, countless tentacles appeared from the Moon Spirit Essence, stretching out in all directions like a spider web as they chased after Kiritsugu Emiya, searching for his whereabouts.

“Manipulating time within the body must put a considerable burden on the physical body… Hmph, it won’t get very far.” Kenneth crossed his arms, tapping his arms with his fingers, slowly waiting for the results of the Moon Spirit Essence. Soon, the Moon Spirit Essence trembled and immediately located Emiya Kiritsugu’s position.

“Found you… So, with your body, how long can you run? Hehehe…” Kenneth followed the movement of the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, chasing after it in a certain direction.

……

Meanwhile, Kiritsugu Emiya sprinted towards the area free of the black mist, quickly reaching a corner where he began to pant heavily. He nearly coughed up blood again. However, Kiritsugu remained vigilant, even activating his Magic Crest once more: "Time Control: Triple Stasis!"

In an instant, Kiritsugu Emiya's life processes began to slow down, even his heartbeat slowed and stopped for a long time. At that moment, a drop of Moon Spirit Essence quietly fell from beside Kiritsugu Emiya, emitting a slight magical fluctuation as it sensed its surroundings.

Kiritsugu Emiya had already investigated the characteristics of the Moon Essence Mystic Code. The Moon Essence's ability to locate enemies is not based on observation, but on sensing fluctuations and heat sources in the air. If Kiritsugu Emiya slows down his internal time to one-third of its original speed, reducing all life reactions, including heartbeat and breathing, to their limits, then the Moon Essence will be unable to detect his location.

After the Moon Spirit Essence Fluid receded, Kiritsugu Emiya dispelled the spell, nearly losing consciousness due to cardiac arrest. Immediately afterward, Kiritsugu prepared for anything. He had already thoroughly studied Kenneth and knew how to kill him.

Emiya Kiritsugu took out the modified Thomson competitor pistol, loaded it with highly penetrating bullets, and then tucked it into his pocket, waiting for the other party to arrive.

The reason why the fatal Origin Bullet wasn't used immediately was because Kiritsugu Emiya first needed to find a way to lure Kenneth into activating all of his magic circuits. Only when Kenneth was at that point would the Origin Bullet hit him, thus destroying all of Kenneth's magic circuits to the greatest extent possible and turning him into a complete cripple.

"They're here." Upon hearing the footsteps, Kiritsugu Emiya prepared himself and secretly awaited their arrival.

Kenneth also stepped out from behind the wall and began looking to the left to see if he could find Kiritsugu Emiya's location.

"Kenneth."

A sound suddenly rang out from the right. Kenneth was startled and immediately turned to the right, whereupon he heard the intense sound of bullets firing, "rat-a-tat-tat-tat..."

However, with just a split second of reaction, Kenneth was able to use his magic circuits to activate the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, deflecting all the bullets aimed at him. Kenneth then taunted, "Fool, you actually dared to warn the enemy. Do you think you can hurt me with such inferior stuff? You will pay the price for your arrogance!"

But Kiritsugu Emiya seemed completely unconcerned and continued firing at Kenneth. Kenneth, seeing Kiritsugu's unwavering determination, shrugged lazily. In his view, such weak attacks could not break through the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid's defenses. He even continued to mock, "Knowing that this kind of attack is useless, you still refuse to give up. I really don't know if you're stupid or just stubborn."

At this moment, Kiritsugu Emiya sensed that Kenneth had lowered his guard, so he threw his Calico M950 submachine gun to the ground, pulled out a Thompson Competitor from his pocket, aimed it at Kenneth behind the Moon Spirit Liquid, and with a slight smile on his lips, fired the shot.

"boom--!"

"Uhh—!!"

An unimaginable pain shot through Kenneth's left shoulder. He clutched his wound, and had it not been for his exceptional magical abilities that allowed him to stop the bleeding and prevent further spread, this blow would have likely crippled him. Along with the pain, a burning rage ignited within Kenneth's chest.

"Scalp!" Kenneth immediately manipulated the Moon Spirit Essence to slash at Kiritsugu Emiya, but Kiritsugu easily dodged it. While dodging, Kiritsugu picked up the submachine gun again and launched a further attack on Kenneth.

However, the Moon Spirit Essence once again transformed into a shield, protecting Kenneth from the barrage of bullets. Upon witnessing this, Kiritsugu Emiya ceased firing and immediately fled, escaping Kenneth's sight.

"Ha...ha..." Kenneth was panting heavily, his forehead covered in large beads of sweat. He couldn't believe that his proud Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, with its self-regulating defense, had been breached by the opponent's strange pistol.

"No! I was just careless with his childish attack! Yes, it wasn't the Moon Spirit Elixir that was the problem, it was that I didn't use my full strength!" Kenneth thought through gritted teeth. He vowed that if he ever encountered this strange pistol again, he would use a stronger, faster, and more efficient defensive method to intercept the bullets. Even if it meant using all his magic circuits, he would wash away this humiliation!

"Disgrace to the magician! You despicable scum! How dare you make me bleed! I will make you pay an unimaginable price!!" Kenneth continued to manipulate the Moon Spirit Essence, destroying everything in its path, as if venting his rage.

However, little did he know that the moment Kenneth used his all-out effort, he had completely fallen into the trap that Kiritsugu Emiya had carefully prepared for him.

……

Meanwhile, outside the castle, Irisviel and Maiya had already escaped from somewhere. According to Kiritsugu Emiya's recent communication, he instructed Irisviel and Maiya to find a way to leave the Mirror Forest first, while he would stay behind to handle everything.