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

"Hmph, don't you know that your husband—Emiya Kiritsugu—is the mastermind behind this superfluous Another Servant and Another Master? Or rather, isn't the current upheaval in the Holy Grail War orchestrated by your Einzbern family?" Kirei Kotomine said. "Woman, do you think I've been trying to capture that guy all this time? He's the one who caused the upheaval in the Holy Grail War. Only by killing him can this Holy Grail War return to normal."

"You... talking nonsense!" Irisviel gritted her teeth, wishing she could kick the bastard in front of her who was slandering her lover.

Kirei Kotomine remained completely unmoved, and even continued, "Whether you deny it outright or pretend you know nothing, once I find all the evidence against that guy, the Holy Grail War's administrators will issue a kill order against him without me even lifting a finger. As for you, since you've been protecting him so much, even helping him hide his identity and keep him in the background, then let's start with you."

Having said that, Kirei Kotomine grasped the three black keys with his other hand and then thrust them straight into Irisviel's abdomen, intending to kill her completely.

"Kiritsugu!" In despair, Irisviel watched helplessly as the three black keys pierced her, her heart instinctively calling out for her beloved.

"boom!"

A sharp crash rang out, and Irisviel, who had expected to feel excruciating pain, suddenly found herself unharmed, and the hand that had been gripping her neck loosened its grip.

"Cough cough cough cough!" The long-awaited fresh air made Irisviel gasp for breath after collapsing to the ground, but she quickly raised her head. She seemed to be saved. Could it really be that her own call had summoned her beloved Kiritsugu back?

Unfortunately, only Kirei Kotomine was there, though he was frantically shaking his hands. Irisviel looked closely and noticed that Kirei's hands were inexplicably stained with a familiar black mist.

"It's...it's him! It's Caster." Irisviel then remembered that the Ruined King had placed a black mist on both her and Maiya to protect their lives, which would only appear in the event of a fatal attack to block it. She never expected that she would be spared from death in this way.

Chapter 110 Hero Saves the Beauty

Irisviel never imagined her life would be protected in this way. She just didn't know how long this layer of black mist would last. After all, the Ruined King was currently engaged in a fierce battle with other Another Servants; even if he knew she was being attacked, it would probably be difficult for him to reach her side anytime soon.

"I wonder if the black mist that appeared on his hands can kill him." Irisviel couldn't help but pray for a miracle. But unfortunately, a phantom appeared next to Kirei Kotomine, and a Servant appeared, using his power to extinguish the black mist on Kirei Kotomine's body.

"This is... Kirei Kotomine's Servant." Irisviel then realized that Kirei Kotomine had actually always had a Servant by his side, but because Kirei Kotomine himself was too powerful, people had overlooked the fact that Kirei Kotomine was also a Master of the Holy Grail War.

"I didn't expect you to still have the magic cast by that Ruined King on you. It seems you've cooperated with him. But if that Ruined King finds out that your husband is the one who almost killed his Master, I wonder if they'll still cooperate with you." Kirei Kotomine twisted his hand, which had been injured by the black mist, and for some reason, a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes.

"Impossible... You said the one who fired the shot was... Why didn't he say? No, you must be slandering me!" Irisviel's eyes were filled with disbelief upon hearing this. Of course, she knew that gunshots had rang out on the first night. She had initially thought it was something only an Another Servant would do, but she never expected that Kiritsugu would be involved here.

"Slander? Think what you want. Anyway, from tonight onwards, you'll just need to fulfill your responsibilities as a vessel." As he spoke, Kirei Kotomine said to Hassan beside him, "The black mist on her won't last long. Destroy it."

"Yes, Lord Kirei." Hassan drew his sword and slowly walked towards Irisviel.

Despair returned to Irisviel's eyes. She thought she had barely escaped death, but now it seemed she was still doomed.

"I'm sorry... Kiritsugu... I can't accompany you to the very end..." Two lines of tears slid down her cheeks as Irisviel closed her eyes, waiting for Death to reap her life.

"Ding!"

With the first strike, Hassan dispersed the black mist surrounding Irisviel, then prepared to strike again to kill her completely.

"Ding--!"

"Uhh—!!"

Irisviel suddenly felt a gentle breeze on her face, followed by a crisp metallic clang and a sharp scream. Irisviel opened her eyes and saw a figure shrouded in black mist appear before her. Looking further ahead, she saw Hassan, the Servant who had tried to kill her, his right hand severed, blood gushing from the cut.

"To see such a beautiful lady shed tears, even the heavens would feel pity. Since fate has guided me to this place in time..." The man raised his dark green greatsword, pointing it at Hassan and Kirei Kotomine, and said coldly, "Hyenas, have you thought about what price you will pay?"

"Kirei-sama! Run! The one coming is the Ruined King!" Hassan shouted the warning despite the pain, and stood in front of Kirei Kotomine.

"Truly a loyal and dutiful dog. In that case, I'll grant your wish. Blade of the Ruined King!" Wang Chong gripped the Blade of the Ruined King and instantly charged towards Hassan. Although Hassan was also a Servant, he was merely one of the many incarnations of Hassan of a Hundred Faces, so how could he possibly be a match for Wang Chong? In the blink of an eye, Wang Chong beheaded this Hassan incarnation with a single move.

When they looked ahead, they realized that Kirei Kotomine had already turned and sped away, about to disappear into the dense forest.

"Let's see where you can run to!"

"Wait! Caster."

Just as Wang Chong was about to give chase, Irisviel called out to him from behind. Irisviel said anxiously, "Caster, please save Wu Mi!"

"Fine, I'll spare your life today." After saying this to Kirei Kotomine, Wang Chong turned and rushed to the side of Maiya who was lying on the ground. After checking her injuries, he used some of the power of the black mist to stabilize her injuries and continue to subtly transform her.

"Kirei Kotomine, you did a good job this time... Next, proceed as planned and begin the next phase. You go to the appropriate location and wait, and have your Hassan prepare an avatar sacrifice. Don't worry, I won't mistreat Hyakko after it's done." During the treatment, Wang Chong also used his black mist ability to send messages.

"Understood, sir. The seed of doubt has been planted; it awaits your nurturing. I eagerly await the process of that lady's heart, willing to sacrifice her life to protect her lover, gradually changing until it finally reverses." A playful voice came from Kirei Kotomine's side.

……

Meanwhile, in another part of the Mirror Forest, the battle between the three Heroic Spirits reached its climax. Artoria and Diarmuid were covered in various wounds, and both were panting heavily.

On the other side, Mordred was also covered in sweat and panting heavily, but she was in much better condition than Artoria and Diarmuid, since she hadn't suffered any injuries.

“If we don’t find a breakthrough soon, defeat is inevitable,” Diarmuid said. “Ever since her armor broke, Mordred has become increasingly powerful. What’s more terrifying than her increased strength and speed is her ever-growing aura. We will be constantly suppressed by this aura and unable to react correctly. We must now curb her rising aura and completely control her. Even a moment of control is enough for me to deliver a devastating blow with the Yellow Rose.”

"Lancer, do you want to take a gamble here?" Artoria asked.

“Now that things have come to this, we have no other choice. Use whatever brilliant ideas you have,” Diarmuid said.

“I have one more trick up my sleeve, which might be able to block Mordred’s vision and possibly control her temporarily. But the success rate isn’t high. We only have one chance. Lancer, can you ride the wind?” Artoria said.

“Ah, I see. A piece of cake. Give it a try, Saber.” Diarmuid chuckled, clutching the yellow rose tightly in her hand.

"What? Have you finally finished discussing it?" Mordred pointed at the two of them, holding the dazzling silver-white king sword. "Bring out your tricks, and I'll make you understand the difference in strength!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Mordred shot out like a thunderbolt, kicking up a cloud of dust! The royal sword in her hand once again emitted a brilliant light, and Mordred charged towards the two of them once more.

"Wind King's Hammer!!" At that moment, Artoria raised Excalibur to shoulder height and thrust it forward. The Wind King's Barrier on the blade was released in full force, and a massive gust of air directly attacked Mordred, who was rushing towards her.

"Hmm?" Mordred's rapidly advancing figure was instantly halted by this powerful gust of air, which also bound her movements. Mordred was familiar with Artoria's technique, and thus quickly understood Artoria and Diarmuid's plan.

A figure was seen moving with the wind, and its speed far exceeded that of before due to the airflow.

"Destroy her! 'The Yellow Rose That Must Be Destroyed'!!" Diarmuid seized the moment when Mordred's movements were restricted, shouted the name of her Noble Phantasm, and raised her Yellow Rose to stab Mordred's heart once again.

Seeing that Diarmuid will not be affected in the slightest this time, and Mordred's body is temporarily restrained, is Mordred finally going to pay the price for her arrogance in not releasing her Noble Phantasm?

"when--"

"How could this be?!"

"Hehehe, not bad at all, but unfortunately... from the moment you lost an arm, you were destined to never be able to defeat me."

Time seemed to stand still, Diarmuid's eyes filled with disbelief. Diarmuid's yellow rose had indeed struck Mordred. But Mordred, before her eyes, had once again materialized her armor, easily using her heavy breastplate to block the yellow rose's attack.

Chapter 111 Applying Knowledge to Practice

"boom!"

Diarmuid's body was thrown backward, another bloody wound appearing on his chest. Had it not been for his powerful instincts that allowed him to immediately turn Yellow Rose back, he would likely have died by Mordred's sword in that instant.

"Lancer!" Artoria rushed forward to catch Diarmuid, who was being pushed back, and helped him regain his balance. Diarmuid's face was extremely pale, and beads of sweat the size of green beans rolled down his forehead. The wound on his chest had almost pierced his lung; any deeper and he feared he would have had to return to the Throne of Heroes.

"What's wrong? Are you upset that I blocked this attack in this way?" Mordred wiped the blood off the blade, and the armor she wore made a suitable sound at this moment. Mordred continued, "What gave you the illusion that I would keep breaking through my armor? Although I am a man of my word, and I won't use my Noble Phantasm if I say I won't use it, I never said I wouldn't put on clothes, did I?"

"Besides, I learned this from you. Didn't you also subtly make King Arthur believe you only had one Noble Phantasm, and then lower her guard against your Yellow Rose? I'm putting what I learned to good use." Mordred chuckled, pointing her sword at Diarmuid again, and said, "Although you luckily escaped that attack, how much fighting power do you have left now?"

Diarmuid fell silent. The other man was right. He had already suffered repeated injuries, lost too much blood, and was weak in his limbs. If he didn't stop his injuries and continued fighting, he would surely die.

“Mordred, I’ll remember your name. Heh, I never thought I’d be fooled by the tactics I used before. Mordred, I take back what I said earlier. You’re not just a beast unleashing its power. On the contrary, you’re a worthy opponent.” Diarmuid took a deep breath and said, “Continue! On the battlefield, it’s life or death!”

“Heh heh heh, I take back what I said too. You’re not exactly a nobody. Hmm, a little better than a nobody.” Mordred finished speaking, his eyes turning fierce. He raised his sword, ready to strike again, and said, “Ready to die, Lancer!”

"Dirmund, stabilize your injuries first, let me go..." Artoria was about to shield Diarmuid from the attack when Diarmuid shook her head and said, "No, King of Knights. I regret to inform you that my duel with you must be postponed. My opponent is also a formidable warrior, and this will be our final showdown. I will have no regrets, whether I live or die!"

“Dilmunde…” Artoria wanted to persuade him, but seeing the determination in Dilmud’s eyes, she swallowed her words and could only step aside to let him pass. Dilmud, meanwhile, picked up the Red Rose again. Since the other had already donned that magical armor, relying on the Yellow Rose was pointless; he would use the exorcising Red Rose for the final, fatal blow.

"Charge!" Diarmuid charged towards Mordred, wielding his red spear in one hand. At the same moment, Mordred also moved, his movements even faster, stronger, and more powerful than Diarmuid's! With the force of a thousand pounds, Mordred slashed at Diarmuid with unparalleled might.

"Clang clang—!!"

Two metallic clangs rang out, and Diarmuid's red spear was knocked away. Diarmuid, already weakened, couldn't pull off a miracle; the outcome seemed predetermined.

“My lord… I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you victory.” Diarmuid lowered his head, awaiting Mordred’s next strike.

"It's over! Lancer!" Mordred's greatsword slashed directly at Diarmuid's head, and Artoria, watching from afar, finally sighed. Diarmuid, this knight full of honor, had met his end. Fortunately, at least he died a worthy death, as a warrior, he was defeated by his opponent honorably.

“At least after that, I will continue to fight with your will, Diarmuid, and I will definitely send Mordred back to the Throne of Heroes.” Artoria knew that after Diarmuid died, the effects of the Yellow Rose Noble Phantasm would also disappear with Diarmuid's fall. At that time, Artoria, who could unleash the full power of Excalibur, would no longer be inferior to Mordred and would have a real chance to win.

"call out--"

"What—you bastard! What are you talking about!" Mordred's angry voice came from ahead. Artoria was startled. She had just been thinking for a while, so why did Mordred suddenly make such a sound?

As a result, Artoria looked closely and finally understood the reason for Mordred's anger. Mordred's silver-white sword passed directly through Diarmuid's body, and Diarmuid had already transformed from a physical body into an ethereal one.

"This is... Command Spell teleportation!" Artoria immediately understood what was happening. It seemed that Diarmuid's Master had used the power of a Command Spell to forcibly and instantly bring Diarmuid to their side.

Therefore, when Mordred saw her sword pass right through him, she realized that the person she was supposed to kill had actually escaped with his life in this way. Naturally, she was furious and shouted, "Lancer's Master! I'll remember you! Next time, I'll slice you into... Ha... So that's how it is? You deserve it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Diarmuid and his Noble Phantasm had vanished from the area. Artoria frowned. Mordred had just wanted to insult Diarmuid's Master, which was understandable, but why did he suddenly seem to have received some message and say that the other party deserved it?

Mordred looked at Artoria, as if she had noticed her question, and sneered, saying, "Hmph? Don't you know? The reason Lancer's Master used Command Seals to forcibly take him there was not because he wanted to save his life, but because that idiot Master is about to die."

"What did you say? Diarmuid's Master is dying? What on earth is going on?!" Artoria exclaimed in shock upon hearing this news.

"Tsk tsk, in the end, my Master is faster than me. This is bad. If Diarmuid gets there, will my Master be in trouble?" With that, Mordred turned to the side, preparing to head towards the castle.

"Wait! What exactly happened at Diarmuid! What did your Master do?!" Artoria was about to press for more information when Mordred leaped towards the castle, leaving behind only the words, "I have to go rescue my Master. I don't have time to fight you anymore, King Arthur. Consider this another stroke of luck."

"What on earth is going on... That direction is the castle... Could something have happened at the castle? Right! What's the situation with Irisviel and the others? No, I have to go back and check on them right away!" After looking in that direction, Artoria immediately rushed towards the castle as fast as she could.

……

Not long ago, on the west side of the castle, Kenneth was still searching for Kiritsugu Emiya.

"The tremors around us are getting stronger... Damn it, just how monstrous are those two? They're going to tear the whole castle apart!" Kenneth clutched his wound, his frustration growing. This place was clearly no longer safe to stay in. If he continued, he feared he would be drawn into a Servant battle, which would be a complete loss.

"Bang bang bang!"

Suddenly, three explosions rang out, and Kenneth was immediately enveloped in Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, which shielded him from the impact of the blasts. Kenneth knew that he had once again fallen into an explosive trap set by that guy, Kiritsugu Emiya. He had just been thoroughly disgusted by this stuff.

"Utterly boring! I didn't join the Holy Grail War to fight this kind of battle!"

Kenneth angrily slammed his fist against the wall, his gloves, which were soaked with blood from covering his wound, then he leaned against the wall and walked toward the corner, leaving a chilling trail of bloodstains on the wall.

Meanwhile, the Moon Spirit Essence beside Kenneth once again activated its enemy-hunting mode, splitting into countless branches to probe the movements of the surrounding life forms.

"Where is that guy?!" Kenneth grew increasingly furious, wielding the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid to shatter the outer wall into pieces.

Suddenly, Kenneth stopped, turned around, and revealed a cruel smile, saying, "Found you, you rat in the gutter..."

Chapter 112 Kenneth, reduced to a cripple

"Found you, you rat in the gutter..."

Kenneth grinned cruelly and turned around. In a dark corner at the end of the corridor, a figure leaned against the window. Upon hearing Kenneth's voice, the figure emerged from the shadows, revealing himself to be none other than Kiritsugu Emiya.

“You don’t actually think that trick will work again, do you? You despicable scoundrel.” Kenneth pressed his forehead with his unstained left hand, smoothing his hair back, and then said, “The reason you were able to hurt me wasn’t because of strategy or cunning, but simply because of an illogical coincidence. I’ll show you the difference in a moment.”

"I won't let you die a quick death. I'll use healing magic to preserve your lungs and heart. I'll torture you to death by a thousand cuts! Heh heh heh!" Kenneth's face was contorted with rage and madness. After laughing a few times, he took a deep breath and continued, "You will die with regret, pain, and despair! Before you die, resent! Resent your employer's cowardice! Resent the Einzbern family for insulting the Holy Grail War!!!"

No sooner had Kenneth's roar ended than Kiritsugu Emiya raised the Calico M950 submachine gun in his left hand and began firing bullets at Kenneth.

"Fervor, mei sanguis (Boiling, my blood!)!"

The Moon Spirit Essence instantly erected countless steel wires, forming a wall of reverse thorns that blocked all the bullets fired by Kiritsugu Emiya.

"Hmph!" Seeing that the little gadget the other party relied on was completely blocked by his Moon Spirit Essence Liquid, Kenneth couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile.

But at that very moment, Kiritsugu Emiya raised his right hand, holding the Thomson Rivals modified pistol that he had already prepared, and aimed it at Kenneth behind the Moon Spirit Essence. Then, a startling gunshot rang out.

"So it's that trick again? You idiot!"

Kenneth scoffed when he saw his opponent use the special pistol that could break through his previous Moon Spirit Fluid defense once again. This time, he was already prepared. Kenneth activated all his magic circuits, manipulating the steel wires of the Moon Spirit Fluid to rotate counterclockwise and annihilate the bullet fired by Emiya Kiritsugu.

Suddenly, Kenneth, who possessed the qualities of a monarch mage, felt a bad premonition for some reason. He subconsciously stopped activating his magic circuits at full power. However, he had only managed to withdraw one-tenth of his magic circuits when the bullet fired from the modified pistol struck the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid.

"boom!"

A crisp sound rang out as the bullet was easily deflected by the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid. Kenneth, sensing from the liquid's feedback, realized the bullet's penetrating power was even weaker than before. Just as Kenneth felt a sense of unease, suddenly, he discovered his magic circuits were rapidly slipping out of his control. In an instant, over 90% of his magic circuits seemed to overload and burned away.

Kenneth immediately vomited a large amount of blood, and the excruciating pain throughout his body was instantly transmitted to his brain.

"what!!!!!"

Kenneth threw his head back and screamed in agony, his hands frantically digging into his chest as if all his internal organs had been destroyed. Then, for some unknown reason, his limbs began to twist and flare uncontrollably, like someone having an epileptic seizure. The excruciating pain throughout his body rendered Kenneth completely incapable of thinking.

However, at that moment, Kenneth, who was looking up, suddenly saw a flash of light on the ceiling, which startled him. Then, a thought suppressed the immense pain that was almost devouring Kenneth's ability to think and covered Kenneth's mind.

"Command Spell - Lancer!"

Blood kept flowing from Kenneth's mouth, and his body gradually weakened, unable to support itself any longer. Fortunately, driven by his last thoughts, Kenneth managed to complete the incantation to call upon Lancer, and then collapsed to the ground, his blood spreading outwards, staining the already liquid Moon Spirit Essence.

Kenneth's final gaze was filled with resentment; he probably never understood what had happened to him. That's because, in the instant the excruciating pain surged through his body, his heart, lungs, and neural pathways were torn to shreds.

Before Kenneth could even scream, blood gushed from his throat. A malfunctioning nervous system caused his muscles to spasm throughout his body, resulting in a grotesque and laughable dance from his once-sleek, suit-clad frame.

This was due to the high-density magic circulating under intense pressure in the magic circuit suddenly disregarding the circuit's existence and raging wildly, damaging the magician's own body. At the moment when the Moon Spirit Essence Fluid defended against the Origin Bullet's attack, Kenneth suffered damage far more severe than if he had been directly hit by the bullet.

If magic is used to interfere with the magic bullet fired by Kiritsugu Emiya, the effect of "Origin" will be reflected in the caster's magic circuits. If a magician's magic circuit is likened to a high-voltage current circuit, then Kiritsugu's bullet is like a drop of water. What happens when a conductive liquid adheres to a delicate electrical circuit? The current will short-circuit the circuit, destroying it and causing it to completely malfunction.