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

Now that they had finally left the castle, Irisviel looked back at the castle that was still making explosions and couldn't help but worry, muttering to herself, "I wonder how Caster and Miss Leticia are doing now."

"Don't worry, that Caster isn't a reckless person. He never does anything without being sure of success. Once we retreat and inform them, they'll probably start to leave," Mami said.

"Moreover, according to that Ruined King's plan, the commotion here is getting bigger and bigger, and soon more Heroic Spirits and Masters will come here to observe the situation. At that time, we can completely blend in and successfully escape. Who knows, we might even be able to deal with that recurring intrusive heretic Saber."

“I hope so… um!” Irisviel had just taken a step forward when she suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong, Madam?"

"Maimi...it seems there are new intruders ahead. If we continue, we'll run into them." Irisviel sensed the approaching figures because she had already set up various spells in the Magic Mirror Forest.

“I understand. Then let’s detour to the north and leave.” After saying that, Maiya was about to turn north when she suddenly realized that Irisviel did not intend to leave. On the contrary, Irisviel continued to walk in the original direction.

"The person who came is Kirei Kotomine..."

"!!"

Mai's pupils contracted; she immediately realized what Irisviel was planning to do.

"What a coincidence, it seems we're on the same page... We absolutely cannot let that man head towards the castle." Irisviel chuckled, and seeing Maiya's expression, she understood what she was thinking.

“Kirei Kotomine, that man is undoubtedly Kiritsugu’s greatest enemy. Whether it was Kiritsugu’s high regard for him before the Holy Grail War, or the fact that he has kept Kiritsugu and us at arm’s length since then… Although we don’t know exactly what he’s planning to do, there’s no doubt that if we let that man continue to entangle Kiritsugu, he might face unimaginable danger,” Irisviel said.

“Let’s stop him here, okay, Maimi?”

Wu Mi hesitated for a moment, but finally sighed and said, "Alright, I'm sorry, please be prepared, Madam."

“Yes, don’t worry about me. Just do what you should do. It’s not an order from Kiritsugu, but something you think is necessary,” Irisviel said with a smile.

"Yes." After saying that, Maiya began to organize her equipment. Suddenly, she noticed that Irisviel was staring at her. She asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Hmm..." Irisviel shook her head, indicating that she didn't mean anything by it, then smiled faintly and sighed, "Human hearts are truly unpredictable, aren't they?"

Chapter 107 Emperor's Privileges

Einzbern Castle

The battle between Wang Chong and Jeanne d'Arc Alter had reached a fever pitch. The corridor they were in had its ceiling completely pierced by their fierce fighting, revealing a sky full of stars through the broken hole. Even the floor was riddled with craters, bearing the scorching marks of embers, shrouded in black mist, and echoed with the howling of ghosts.

The two at the center of the battlefield had clashed countless times, each exchange generating massive energy shockwaves that swept through the surrounding buildings. If the fighting continued, the area within a 15-meter radius of the two of them would likely be reduced to rubble.

"Again! Again! Again!" Jeanne Alter seemed to be addicted to the fight, constantly hurling flames from her hands. However, compared to the repeated explosions caused by the flames thrown by Jeanne Alter, Jeanne, who was secretly observing the battle, faintly heard the roar of dragons coming from outside. It seemed that Jeanne Alter had summoned all the wyverns that were her attendants.

As the wyvern drew closer, Jeanne Alter's power seemed to increase. Using her True Name Recognition skill, Jeanne knew this was the effect of the dragon witch, allowing her to absorb the wyvern's power. This not only enhanced herself but also amplified and strengthened her companions; she had used this skill previously the night before against the Conqueror's army.

Moreover, if the Servant is associated with dragons, the bonus will be even greater. In Jeanne's eyes, the other party seems to possess the innate power to command dragons.

“But… I myself have never had any connection with dragons… Could it be because of the saintess? Because of the reversal, did I gain the same reversal phenomenon as the saintess Martha or Saint George, who possessed the anecdotes of saints who could dispel dragons? Did this ultimately forge this professional skill?” Joan of Arc pondered.

After gaining this enhanced power, Jeanne Alter suppressed Wang Chong even more, her tone becoming increasingly fierce: "Hahaha, what's wrong? Is this all the strength you can achieve? My... cough cough, enemy Servant. If this is all you've got, then bury yourself here! Let the flames of vengeance burn you to ashes!"

"I almost blurted it out... Jeanne Alter, you've really gotten too cocky." Wang Chong couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

In terms of the strength they've displayed so far, Jeanne Alter is indeed suppressing him. He's only managed to maintain the battle until now thanks to the unique piercing effect of his skill [King's Judgment] (King of Glory: First Emperor).

"Just in time to try out my newly acquired inherent skills. Emperor's Privilege: B!" Wang Chong thought.

The so-called "Emperor's Privilege" is somewhat similar to the concept of "Wind Spirit Moon Shadow," especially for EX-level characters like Nero. They can possess skills that don't actually belong to them for a short period due to their own will. In simpler terms: I'm cheating.

However, even the B-level Emperor's privileges aren't that overpowered; at best, they're just a minor cheat. And as everyone knows, can a minor cheat even be considered cheating?

After using this inherent skill, Wang Chong instantly felt that he had gained many more skills in a short period of time, such as riding, swordsmanship, art, magic, aura concealment, golden rule, etc. Although each level was not very high, only C or C+, the quantity was sufficient. Moreover, some of his original skills, such as innate physical strength and bravery, also received a slight boost.

In total, Wang Chong felt his strength had increased by about a third, and he had gained many more tricks up his sleeve. No wonder it's the official cheat code!

"Even if it's only for a short time, this explosive power is amazing. It looks like I'll have to prioritize upgrading the Emperor's privileges from now on," Wang Chong thought to himself.

After Wang Chong used this power, a powerful aura emanated from him, which actually directly pushed back Black Jeanne d'Arc, who was still suppressing Wang Chong.

"This is...?" Jeanne d'Arc Alter frowned. She sensed a faint imperial aura emanating from Wang Chong. Even though it was only a small part, it made Jeanne d'Arc Alter feel quite pressured and was forced to retreat.

"Imperial privilege... Indeed, the one possessing Wang Chong is at least a renowned centralized emperor. Otherwise, it would be impossible to obtain such an inherent skill." Joan of Arc naturally saw through Wang Chong's change at a glance, and for a moment she had some guesses about the Servant who bestowed Wang Chong's power. Especially the words that the Conqueror King had unintentionally said earlier, Joan of Arc now connected them.

"You are not worthy to burn me. A thousand years of mourning! The sword of the broken king!" Wang Chong manipulated the black mist to swirl towards Jeanne d'Arc from all directions.

Seeing this, Jeanne Alter shook the flagpole again, beginning to absorb the surrounding black mist, and said, "Such tricks are no longer effective... Ugh!"

Suddenly, Jeanne Alter felt the black mist she had just absorbed begin to surge within her body. Then, the black mist she had just absorbed was visibly rising from her entire body, and she felt as if her body was bound by some force, unable to move.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wang Chong unleashed two swift sword strikes, cleaving Jeanne d'Arc (Black) from the sky. With a deafening crash, Black Jeanne d'Arc braced herself with her spear, looking slightly disheveled, but without many serious injuries. Just moments before, the binding force had been released, allowing her to barely withstand Wang Chong's sword strikes.

"Didn't anyone teach you not to eat unfamiliar things? The black mist, amplified by its power, must be hard to digest." Wang Chong slowly descended from the sky, saying this while secretly using the power of the black mist to communicate with Jeanne d'Arc Alter. "Alright, Jeanne d'Arc Alter, that's enough of the joking around. Kirei Kotomine just sent me a message that he's run into Mrs. Irisviel and the others. If nothing unexpected happens, they'll send a rescue message soon. Then, Jeanne d'Arc will be in your hands."

"Is that so? Heh, can we finally begin?" Jeanne Alter's eyes flashed with excitement upon hearing this, then she said, "In that case, Master, let's have one last, intense battle. Anyway, that guy has already seen all my trump cards, so there's no point in hiding them. Why not take this opportunity to have some fun, Master~"

“It is possible, but aren’t you worried about running out of mana after using your Noble Phantasm once?” Wang Chong asked.

"At worst, I'll just absorb some of Master's magical energy~ Anyway, there's so much black mist here. I'm not worried at all." After using the power of the black mist to send a encrypted reply to Wang Chong, Jeanne Alter looked up at the sky and said loudly, "Hehehe, my reinforcements have arrived. It's time to end this farce!"

"Roar!" A dragon's roar rang out, and a two-legged dragon smashed through the remaining ceiling debris, landing in front of Jeanne d'Arc Alter. Jeanne d'Arc Alter leaped onto the dragon's neck, riding it into the air once more, and then a huge wave of magical energy began to spread from Jeanne d'Arc Alter.

"Oh no! She's about to unleash her Noble Phantasm! Caster!" Jeanne tried to warn her, but Wang Chong was faster than she expected. He leaped into the air, and the black mist behind him began to gather heavily on the Broken King's Blade that he held high. Not only that, the black mist from the entire castle converged on it at an extremely fast speed, compressing and gathering towards the greatsword.

Two astonishing magical reactions spread in all directions. Even Kiritsugu Emiya, on the other side of the castle, couldn't help but glance at them, then continued to load the Origin Bullet into the chamber of the Thomson Competitor. Kenneth, who was still chasing and venting his anger on the castle, also stopped and looked at the source of the magical reaction.

"Tch, what terrifying magical power. If Lancer had this ability... I'd better prepare some defenses. Although we're quite far apart, it might still affect this area," Kenneth thought to himself.

The magical reaction continued to spread outwards, and even the various groups in the Magic Mirror Forest temporarily stopped fighting or moving forward, looking towards the source of the magical reaction. Words such as "powerful" and "abnormal" appeared in their minds.

Of course, eventually this magical reaction will spread throughout Fuyuki City, attracting all the Heroic Spirits who are still observing.

The author says:

Author's Note: The pacing might be a bit slow, I apologize. I've been busy with some miscellaneous things lately, so I haven't been able to put in the best effort. I'll try to speed up the pacing in the next chapter without affecting the reading experience QAQ. Since this chapter mentions Emperor's Privileges, let's also share some beautiful pictures of the famous Emperor's Privilege Servant: Nero~

Chapter 108 The Mad Tree Demon, Kotomine Kirei

Just as Wang Chong and Jeanne Alter were locked in a fierce battle, a similarly intense but ultimately overwhelming battle was unfolding outside the Magic Mirror Forest. Irisviel and Maiya had just recently encountered Kirei Kotomine.

There was hardly any conversation. First, with the help of Irisviel's illusion, Maiya kept shooting at Kirei Kotomine with her gun. Unfortunately, Kirei Kotomine quickly saw through her plan. After feigning death to trick Maiya into coming out and closing the distance, he suddenly attacked and directly attacked Maiya.

Even though Maiya reacted quickly enough to dodge the thrown black key, she only suffered a minor abrasion to her waist. However, Kirei Kotomine had already tracked Maiya down and could no longer deceive him with illusions.

Kirei Kotomine charged towards Maiya, intending to subdue him in one strike. Maiya drew her submachine gun and opened fire on Kirei, but Kirei's already formidable physique, enhanced by both magic and the black mist, was completely unaffected by the bullets, allowing him to reach Maiya without hindrance. Left with no other option, Maiya abandoned her gun, drew her dagger, and engaged Kirei in hand-to-hand combat with his black keys.

Not to mention Maiya, even Kiritsugu Emiya, with his inherent time control, was no match for Kirei Kotomine in close combat. Therefore, in just a few breaths, Maiya was struck in the center of his abdomen by Kirei Kotomine's elbow. The immense pain, coupled with the direct attack on his abdomen, caused Maiya to suffocate for a moment, and his consciousness began to waver.

He was then casually thrown to the ground by Kirei Kotomine, who didn't even glance at Mai, who was no longer able to fight, and continued walking forward. He had only taken one step when Irisviel blocked his path, preventing him from advancing.

"Hmph, are you here?" His master had already informed him of the development of this series of events. So, according to his master's plan, Kotomine Kirei pretended to be cold and uninterested in the surroundings and said, "Woman, although you may be surprised, taking your life is not my purpose here."

“I know, Kirei Kotomine, I know your purpose, but I won’t let you succeed. You won’t see Kiritsugu Emiya; we will stop you.” Irisviel waved her hand, and many shimmering silver threads appeared around her. “I learned more than just driving from Kiritsugu. I also learned to live, and to live to the end! ‘Shape ist Leben’ (Ruin, give you life!)!”

After the incantation ended, the silver threads, under Irisviel's control, crisscrossed and traced intricate outlines. Intertwining and combining, they formed a complex three-dimensional object, like a woven rattan craft. A silver-threaded eagle with fierce wings, a beak, and sharp talons appeared on Irisviel's shoulder, which she then swung, charging towards Kirei Kotomine.

Kirei Kotomine wasn't surprised to see this. After all, he already knew about Irisviel's magical abilities from Wang Chong. Knowing that the so-called silver threads couldn't possibly hinder his physical strength, he shouldn't have tested her like in the original story. Just like with Maiya, a single blow to render her unable to fight or even unconscious would have been enough.

However, Kirei Kotomine's mission wasn't simply to torture Mrs. Irisviel half to death. He wanted Wang Chong to make a reasonable appearance here, so he needed to put on a show and create enough time for a hero to appear and rescue the damsel in distress.

After all, the hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress trope may be old-fashioned, but it almost never fails to win favor.

"However, what does the lord mean by 'Tree-Destroying Demon'? Never mind, let's inform the lord about the situation here first." So, Kirei Kotomine relayed the information to Wang Chong while deliberately touching the silver-threaded eagle. Sure enough, he was bound by the silver threads and tied to the tree. At that moment, Kirei Kotomine finally understood what the so-called "Tree-Destroying Demon" was all about.

"Maiya, how are you? Are you still able to move? I have already controlled Kotomine Kirei, and now I can only leave it to you." Irisviel gritted her teeth and used magic to restrain Kotomine Kirei while speaking to Maiya who was lying on the ground.

"Ugh..." Maiya finally awoke from her intermittent coma, but found it difficult to do anything else. Although she didn't have any serious internal injuries, she felt as if she couldn't control her body and was unable to get up at all.

At this moment, a huge magical wave came from the direction of the castle.

"Eh... that direction is... towards the castle? Could it be Kiritsugu... or Lady Leticia and the others?" Irisviel wondered after sensing the strong fluctuations.

"Bang!" At that moment, Kirei Kotomine received a message from Wang Chong that he could begin the finishing touches. Without hesitation, Kirei Kotomine immediately began his work on the tree-dredging project.

The commotion caused by Kirei Komine also drew Irisviel's attention back. Irisviel never expected that someone would use such a method to forcibly break the tree and the threads with sheer force. Because the magic was forcibly broken, Irisviel suffered a backlash that left her weakened and powerless, unable to use the same magical technique again.

Kirei Komine first approached the dying Maiya and delivered another vicious kick to her head, plunging her into darkness. Next, he turned to Irisviel, unsure what tortures he would inflict upon her.

"No... Madam can't... Oh right... and that Ruined King..." In the moment of utter darkness, Wu Mi, struggling with all her might, remembered the promise and immediately used up the black mist in her body that was used to immunize her against a fatal blow, and sent a distress call to the "Ragged King".

……

"This is the roar of my soul, forged by hatred. 'Roar, my rage!'"

A pillar of fire shot up, heading straight for Wang Chong, who was also in mid-air. But it wasn't over yet; pillars of fire also rose up from various places around them, completely destroying the surrounding buildings. And then, unexpectedly, a pillar of fire emerged right beneath Joan of Arc's feet.

"Oh no, it's too late!" After realizing there was no way to hide, Joan of Arc had no choice but to remove her everyday clothes, transform them into her original battle attire using magic, and then use her power to withstand the surging flames.

In the sky, the massive pillar of fire beneath Wang Chong's feet was completely blocked by the black mist. Wang Chong had also gathered all his strength and shouted, "Pain pierces the heavens!"

With a single swing of his sword, Wang Chong appeared before Jeanne d'Arc (Alter) as if in a flash, slashing heavily towards her. At that moment, the final stage of Jeanne d'Arc's Noble Phantasm arrived: several massive, jet-black spears, their tips colliding with Wang Chong's slashing Blade of the Ruined King.

"boom!!!"

A massive surge of magical energy swept through the entire castle and spread outwards. A strong wind blew Joan of Arc, the only one present, backwards, leaving a scratch on the ground—a testament to the sheer magnitude of the impact.

"And...what happened?" Joan of Arc stared intently at the sky. As time passed, the energy ripples gradually diminished. Soon, a dark shadow shot towards her. Joan of Arc immediately recognized the attacker and quickly opened her arms to catch it.

"Bang!" Joan of Arc took the initiative to step back the moment she caught the opponent, completely relieving the impact force. During the process of retreating, a sound like coughing up blood was heard.

"Wang Chongjun! How are you now?" Joan of Arc asked hurriedly.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Jeanne. I couldn't defeat her. Ahem... It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." Wang Chong said, coughing up blood. "Her power is even greater than Mordred's unleashed Noble Phantasm... I'm afraid you're the only one who can handle her."

"No, this is something I should have handled properly. It's because of me that you, Wang Chong, have suffered such injuries." Joan of Arc used some of her own strength to help suppress Wang Chong's injuries, and said with some self-reproach.

However, besides Joan of Arc's self-reproaching voice, Wang Chong also heard another panicked woman's voice in his mind: "Hey, Master! Are you alright? I should have been hurt, how could I be so badly injured?"

"Don't worry, I did it on purpose. Otherwise, how can I smoothly switch people later?" Hearing Jeanne Alter's worried and flustered voice transmission, Wang Chong used the power of black mist to tell her that everything was alright. He couldn't help but think to himself, "As expected of Jeanne Alter, they are both the same when it comes to caring. I wonder what will happen when they start fighting later... I hope Jeanne Alter won't get caught."

Chapter 109 Joan of Arc Goes to War

As a Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc possesses the power of divine judgment. Divine judgment, much like a Command Spell, allows her to issue two mandatory commands to any Servant. Because of this, Jeanne d'Arc is virtually unbeatable in battles against Servants. Of course, Jeanne d'Arc rarely uses this power unless absolutely necessary, as it is a trump card that can decide the outcome of a battle.

However, Wang Chong also devised some countermeasures. The simplest was to use Command Seals to counteract this. Although Jeanne d'Arc's Divine Judgment had a higher priority than Command Seals produced by the Holy Grail, Wang Chong's Command Seals came from the system, not the Holy Grail, and this was confirmed after consulting the system. Therefore, he wasn't worried that Jeanne d'Arc would use Divine Judgment to apprehend or simply eliminate the Servant he had summoned.

Secondly, Jeanne d'Arc's many powers originated from the interference of the Holy Grail and Alaya. Now that the Holy Grail is in Wang Chong's hands, he can weaken Jeanne d'Arc's Ruler powers at any time. Jeanne d'Arc can only rely on her own stats and Noble Phantasm, and is no different from ordinary Servants.

"Jeanne, I'm afraid it's up to you to handle this next. I just received a distress message from Maiya-san; the black mist I left on her has disappeared. I'm afraid Saber's Master, Irisviel, is in danger. I have to go there now; I can't let them die. That guy is someone I can only leave to you. Although she injured me, she's not unharmed herself."

At this opportune moment, Wang Chong also informed Jeanne of the news he had just received from Wu Mi.

“I understand… Now that Saber and Irisviel have joined our ranks, we naturally need to protect their safety until we eliminate the Another Servants and their Masters. But what about you…”

"Don't worry, even though I'm a little injured, it doesn't mean I have no strength. What's more, even if I can't win, I still have the ability to lead people to escape. Time is running out, so I won't waste any more words. I'll leave first." As soon as the words fell, a black mist emerged from Wang Chong's body and quickly rushed out from Joan of Arc, flying directly to the outside world.

Joan of Arc silently prayed that Wang Chong would be safe and sound. Then she took a deep breath, gripped the flagpole of the Holy Banner tightly, and looked at the two-legged dragon descending from the sky and the alien servant looking down at her—Jeanne d'Arc Alter.

"You actually abandoned the Master and ran away alone. Are you leaving the Master here to be slaughtered? Ha, if it were an ordinary combination, I'm afraid you would have been defeated by now. Humph, but you are not a proper servant and a proper Master, right?" Black Jeanne d'Arc put her hand on the mask on her face and took it off, revealing a face exactly like Jeanne d'Arc.

However, compared to Joan of Arc's serious and solemn expression, her face wore a mocking smile, while her eyes revealed a hint of coldness and an inexplicable anger.

"How was it? Was it fun pretending to be a Master for so long? I kindly told them not to reveal your true identity so soon, so I could have a good game with you. Now that you've revealed your hand, I don't need to hide it anymore."

"Eh! Although I had heard Jeanne d'Arc say before that the other person might be another version of her, seeing it now is really unbelievable. It's unbelievable that the same Heroic Spirit would appear in a Holy Grail War." Leticia, who was hiding inside Jeanne d'Arc, was shocked after seeing this scene.

"Sure enough... the same face. How were you born? No, it shouldn't have been possible." Joan of Arc, upon seeing the face that looked like her own, grew even more cautious. No one knew herself better than herself, so no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't understand why she had such a reversal.

"How could I be born? Impossible to be born? Hahahaha, do you really need to ask such a stupid question? Perhaps I should bring out that Archbishop Pierre, burned to ashes, and give you another good performance." A flame flashed in Jeanne d'Arc's eyes as she said, "Jeanne Ruler, you can see all my information, so you should understand the meaning of the class I represent. This is me, Jeanne d'Arc of Vengeance. I hate that injustice, I hate those who pushed me to the stake."

After hearing what Black Joan of Arc said, Joan of Arc frowned even deeper. Just when she was about to ask further questions, she saw a two-legged dragon spit out dragon breath and pounced towards Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc jumped away to avoid it, but was attacked by a flame dancing from Black Joan of Arc that was boiling like magma.

“It seems I won’t get any information out of you… Then let me find out what your true nature is in the battle.” Joan of Arc rolled away from the attacks, cleared her mind, gripped her spear, and shouted, “Lord, grant me strength!”

A divine light emanated from Joan of Arc, creating a stark contrast with the rising black aura of Dark Joan of Arc. Dark Joan of Arc leaped down from the dragon's back, transforming into a streak of black light as she charged towards Joan of Arc, while Joan of Arc herself transformed into a streak of white light, colliding with Dark Joan of Arc.

……

At that moment, Kirei Kotomine gripped Irisviel's neck tightly with one hand, lifting her up. His cold expression suggested that he might kill the beautiful woman before him at any moment.

"There are no Command Seals on the back of your hands, so you are not the Master of the Einzbern family. You are probably an artificial life form acting as a container protector. Someone of your status would not do something as foolish as going to the front lines of war. I'll ask one last time, what kind of conspiracy is your Einzbern family plotting? Were those extra Another Servants and Another Masters your doing?" Kirei Kotomine said.

“I…have no idea what you are…talking about…” Irisviel didn’t understand why this person would ask such a question. Moreover, if we’re talking about those Other Servants and Other Masters, isn’t it Kirei Kotomine who’s more like one?

"Hmph, still not giving up? Or do you actually know nothing about your husband?" Kirei Kotomine asked.

"What...does this mean?" Although Irisviel was in great pain, she immediately took it seriously after hearing that it was related to her husband and wanted to investigate the information.