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

She knew that any expression of her emotions would only provide sustenance for the madman before her. The seal within her body, like cold chains, firmly imprisoned her source of magic, making her truly no different from a mortal at this moment.

Now, her only remaining hope probably lies with the man she least wants to see. The defenses he placed on her have been breached, which must have caught his attention; he might be on his way.

Whether she could escape the fate of becoming a sacrifice depended entirely on whether that man valued her and arrived in time.

"Alright, it's time to end the time for playing around with you two."

Sajō Aika straightened up, the false innocence on her face quickly fading away, replaced by a pure, chilling coldness and fanaticism.

“The precious ‘materials’ have been gathered, and I have also completely drawn up the large-scale magic array that needs to be prepared during the time you were unconscious.”

"Now it is time to begin the real ceremony. The arrival of Beast Vi requires your souls as the most brilliant fuel!"

She gracefully raised her hands in front of her chest, her ten fingers moving rhythmically as if playing an invisible piano.

As she moved, the magic circles inside the cave, which had been quietly lit up, suddenly burst into an unprecedentedly bright light!

The intricate patterns pulsate like blood vessels, and a torrent of magic surges and converges in the air, emitting a deep hum.

The temperature in the entire cave rose sharply, the air became thick and heavy, and a strange smell of sulfur mixed with ozone permeated the air.

Countless tiny runes detached from the cave ceiling, ground, and surrounding rock walls and floated up, rotating and combining around the center of the cave, in front of Ayaka Sajou. A larger, more complex core magic circle, radiating an ominous dark red light, was slowly taking shape!

This is indeed the summoning circle for the Beast of 666, but Ayaka Sajou had already formed a contract with the Beast of 666, so the process of summoning the beast was entirely under Ayaka Sajou's control.

Right now, she was merely using the aura of the Beast 666 to suppress the two girls before her. Especially Medea; she wanted to leave a lasting impression of fear on Medea before her prince appeared!

"Waaah..."

Circe was stunned by the sudden increase in magical pressure and let out a muffled groan. She struggled desperately, but the vines binding her seemed to have absorbed the power of the array and become extremely tough. Her magical attacks were like mud sinking into the sea.

"A madman! A complete and utter madman!"

Circe roared at Sajou Aika, trying to disrupt her spellcasting:

"Summon the Beast? Do you know what that means?! Once it descends, you'll be the first to perish! You think you can control it? Dream on! You'll be devoured until there's not even a trace left!"

Her words were both an outpouring of anger and a probe, an attempt to find loopholes or weaknesses in Sajo Aika's plan.

Sajō Aika's movements didn't pause at all; instead, a smile of near ecstasy curved her lips.

"Control? What a vulgar idea, Circe. Destruction is rebirth, chaos is order. The arrival of Beast Vi is the inevitable end of this corrupt world, and I am merely the guide who accelerates this process."

"As for whether I will perish? Heh... When the world returns to the embrace of the void, what meaning does the existence of an individual have? To witness and participate in this ultimate cleansing is already the greatest honor."

Her voice carried a morbid piety, and her eyes burned with a fanatical zeal to destroy everything. Even Wang Chong, who was secretly observing all of this, had to admire the natural acting skills of Ayaka Sajou at this moment.

She was exactly like the deranged, world-destroying madman from the original story. Wang Chong couldn't help but wonder if Ayaka Sajou really had such thoughts.

Medea's heart pounded heavily in her chest as she endured the absolute oppression and fear brought by Ayaka Sajou's aura, while frantically thinking in this extremely dangerous environment.

Sajō Aika's words confirmed her suspicions: this blonde girl didn't care about her own survival; she pursued a pure, utter aesthetic of destruction. Such a reckless madwoman was far more terrifying than an enemy with a clear objective.

"We must buy time! Buy time until that man arrives!" Medea shouted, suppressing the fear emanating from Ayaka Sajou.

"Are you sure that sacrificing only my and Circe's souls is enough? As far as I know, the soul cost required to summon such a world-destroying beast is not low. Don't end up not only failing to summon a crippled version, but also failing outright and wasting my soul."

"You bastard, you actually want her to succeed, don't you?!" Circe looked at Medea in shock and said.

"Even if two souls aren't enough, adding my share should be more than enough, right? Besides, this place is located in the area with the most concentrated ley line energy in the entire singularity, so who knows, we might be able to summon it successfully. Look, don't I already possess some of its power?"

Sajō Aika chuckled softly and continued:

"Besides, do you have a solution? Can you provide me with more high-quality Servant souls?"

“Of course…” Medea said without hesitation, “You just overheard my conversation with Circe, so you should know that I have quite a few companions.”

"In other words, there are several Servants with excellent qualities on this island. And I have a way to lure them here."

"How about it? You don't want your magic to have any flaws, do you? If you can capture a few more Servants, your chances of summoning Beast Vi will be much higher, right?"

Upon hearing this, Aika Sajou was taken aback at first, then a strange smile appeared on her lips. She said, "Haha, this is the first time I've ever seen someone so eager to die."

"Because we share the same goal: to destroy this singularity, Miss Caster, who is unknown."

Medea remained calm, regaining the composed demeanor she had displayed on the Agor, and continued her suggestion:

“My companions are essentially Servants summoned by me, and they cannot disobey my commands… If we join forces, we can definitely bring Beast Vi down.”

"How about it? This suggestion is beneficial to both of us, you shouldn't refuse, right?"

Ignoring Circe's curses, Sajō Aika narrowed her eyes and stared at Medea, whose lips curved slightly as she said:

"A good suggestion. I can't help but applaud your reasoning."

Seeing that Aika Sajou had taken her words to heart, Medea breathed a sigh of relief and said, "In that case..."

“But I refuse…” Aika Sajou’s cold words instantly interrupted Medea.

Chapter 540 'Hero' Debuts

Medea was stunned by Aika Sajou's words; she had never expected Aika Sajou to reject her suggestion so decisively.

"One of my favorite things to do in my life is to say 'no' to those arrogant guys and refuse them!"

Sajō Aika pointed at Medea and said:

"Besides, Medea, do you really think I don't know what's happened to you? Companions? There are very few Servants on this island. And those people are not your Greek companions."

"You're nothing more than someone brought here by a pirate crew... Where did you get your companions from? You might have been separated from the Agor long ago, which explains why you have no magic power and are incredibly weak, yet you don't have any powerful Servants with you!"

Seeing Medea's face turn deathly pale because of her words, Aika Sajou was quite pleased with the other's expression. It was worth it for her to suppress so much fear and negative emotions onto Medea.

"Hehe, still trying to fool me? I think you're just stalling for time, aren't you? When I attacked you with magic earlier, it seemed like someone left a protective force on you... So, you're waiting for the person who planted that protective force in you to arrive, aren't you?"

As Ayaka Sajou finished speaking, Medea clenched her fists. She knew her trick had been exposed, and what awaited her was likely a very painful punishment!

As expected, the magic circle beneath Ayaka Sajou emitted a dazzling light, and a jet of black liquid surged out from the magic circle, then transformed directly into a giant claw, grabbing Medea's petite body.

"Cough!" Medea coughed up blood. The immense force of the giant claw almost damaged her internal organs... It was trying to crush her to death.

"Since you're so eager to stall for time, I'll start by taking you down! Hahahaha!"

Sajou Aika revealed a cruel, morbid smile, and then raised her hand, clenching it tightly.

"what!!!"

The intense pain almost made Medea unable to breathe; death was so close, and she could feel her life force slipping away.

"Someone... please save me..."

Medea's survival instinct made her want to cry for help immediately. However, with her body almost crushed, how could she possibly make a sound?

"Medea!...Hold on...Medea!"

Circe's furious voice seemed to reach Medea's ears. Her aunt, after all, still valued family ties; even though they had been at odds before due to differing stances, she was now wholeheartedly trying to save her.

"Don't struggle, you're next!" Sajō Aika smiled cruelly, counting down the seconds in her mind. In another 10 seconds, Medea might really be crushed to death by her.

The closer you are to death, the more you feel despair and fear...

"Ho...ho..." Medea couldn't make a sound. She could even feel her five senses gradually disappearing, and her consciousness was about to sink into darkness.

If it were a normal death, it would simply mean returning to the Throne of Heroes. But if one's soul is sacrificed to the Beast Vi, then for the 'individual' who came to this world, it would truly be death, leaving nothing behind.

That's why she so desperately wanted to live, even if it meant facing death alone...

She absolutely doesn't want it!

"Slash—" A green light seemed to flash before his eyes, as if a giant blade was slashing towards him. His vision was too blurry to see clearly.

Was I about to face death?

"boom!"

A loud noise rang out, and Medea suddenly felt the tightness that had been causing her excruciating pain completely disappear.

What's wrong with me? Why do I suddenly feel so relaxed? Could it be that my soul has left my body?

From Circe's perspective, the deafening explosion did not come from Medea's body, but from that giant black claw made of pure magic!

A sharp green light, like lightning tearing through the night sky, struck the giant claw precisely, while a figure steadily caught Medea as she flew out of the giant claw's grasp.

At that moment, Medea felt like a withered leaf in a storm, enveloped by a sudden, gentle yet irresistible force.

The suffocating feeling of impending death suddenly disappeared, and the cold air, stinging with pain, rushed into my lungs. Although I felt intense pain all over my body, at least it was proof that I was still alive.

"Cough...cough..." Medea coughed violently, each breath causing excruciating pain.

Tears and swirling dust blurred her vision, and she could only barely make out a tall, upright figure standing beside her.

The man's strong arms were steadily supporting her swaying body, preventing her from falling.

"Look at the mess you've made. If I hadn't had a backup plan, you'd be done for. Let's see if you dare to act on your own again and run around without listening to me." A familiar male voice entered her ears, carrying a hint of stern yet concerned reproach. Medea's unfocused gaze struggled to focus, and she realized with a start that the strong, reliable arm beside her was not an illusion, but the very person she had hoped would come to save her in her despair—Wang Chong.

At this moment, Wang Chong was like the hero in those legends who broke through the darkness to save the princess, appearing by her side at the most critical moment.

The deeper one is mired in despair and fear, the more awe-inspiring and indescribable the moment of rescue becomes...

However, Medea's consciousness had finally reached its limit, and her severely injured body could no longer hold on.

Feeling safe in her embrace, her tense nerves relaxed, and she closed her heavy eyelids with complete peace, sinking into boundless darkness.

……

"Father, why not let those heroes leave? Haven't they already successfully passed all the tests you set for them?"

In the scene, an innocent young girl questions her stern father with bewilderment. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either of them, high above, the goddess Aphrodite silently sows a curse of love.

...

"Yes, I love him... He is my destined hero... Please don't resent me, Father, Brother... Who made you stand in the way of all this?"

The scene shifts to two ships chasing each other on the waves. The once innocent young girl now has hands stained with the blood of her loved ones. She throws the mangled remains into the turbulent sea, forcing the pursuing ships to release the fugitives while retrieving the bodies.

However, the girl, lost in her madness, failed to see that the man behind her, whom she revered as a "hero," looked at her with nothing but intense fear and deep apprehension.

...

"I gave everything for you... To secure your throne, I eliminated all threats... And what did you give me in return? How dare you betray our vows, betray this love!"

The woman, now a married woman, stared at her husband, whose eyes were as cold as frost, as he once loved her but now only felt disgust towards her.

Meanwhile, the "husband" was grieving and wailing over his dead new lover and child, hurling the most vicious curses at her.

The woman simply put on her trench coat indifferently, turned around resolutely, and prepared for a final farewell.

"Even if you find someone new, as long as you still have a shred of affection for me... I will still be the queen who maintains your dignity... But you despise me, you hate me! You have made everything I did for you a complete laughingstock!"

"A treacherous witch? Hah... What an absurd accusation! It was you, Jason, who betrayed our vows first!"

"How could my naive self have ever seen you as a 'hero'? How could I have fallen in love with such a despicable scoundrel as you... I will never forgive you, not even for the rest of my life..."

The extreme pain and utter despair led this woman, who bore the name of a witch, to finally leave the kingdom that had filled her with utter hope.

Finally, in a secluded corner, he ended his life, filled with betrayal and sorrow, in solitude.

...

"Ha ha…!"

Medea awoke abruptly from her nightmare, her chest heaving as she gasped for breath, trying to calm the agonizing grief that was tearing her apart.

This is the inescapable end for Medea, the "betraying witch".

She had witnessed this memory many times, but never before had she felt that despair and sorrow so vividly as now. It caused her immense pain, as if her very soul was mourning.

"This...is the cabin?" Medea looked around blankly, recognizing the familiar ceiling. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain immediately struck.

The excruciating pain instantly brought her to her senses, and everything that had happened before flooded back into her mind.

“I remember now… that mysterious caster… she captured me and Aunt Circe, wanting to sacrifice us… then… I was grabbed by that giant claw… just as I was about to be crushed… he appeared.”

Medea pieced together the fragments of her memory little by little. Without a doubt, it was Wang Chong who saved her.

Recalling the scene of him descending like a god, severing the giant claw with his blade, and gently catching her in his arms... Medea's heart couldn't help but flutter.

The hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress trope may be old-fashioned, but it always manages to touch people's hearts... especially for Medea, it has an irresistible and fatal attraction.

What's more, at that moment, she was trapped in such a suffocating abyss of despair.

“I like it…” Medea instinctively covered her pounding chest.

She could clearly feel her heart pounding, and every time she recalled that man's figure, the throbbing became even more intense.

There was no longer any way to deny it. Through her repeated brushes with death alongside Wang Chong, she had already quietly fallen for him. Especially this rescue in the face of dire straits, which completely shattered the last bastion of defense in her heart.

"So... what does that nightmare just now mean?"