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

"A beautiful reverse kasaya slash... clean and swift."

In an inconspicuous corner of the audience, a blond man dressed in an unusual style clapped softly, his eyes revealing pure appreciation.

He was one of the few spectators in the entire arena who could fully capture the trajectory of those lightning-fast movements.

Before launching her attack, the female warrior had already lowered her body to its lowest point like a cheetah poised to pounce, instantly tensing from extreme relaxation and bursting out with astonishing speed as she charged straight at her opponent.

In the instant he drew near, his right hand wielded the long sword, slashing sharply from the lower right to the upper left, unleashing the first deadly arc of reverse kasaya slash!

Immediately afterwards, she stepped forward with her right foot, her figure flashing past her opponent's left side like a ghost. At the same time, her left wakizashi swiftly swung back from the lower left to the upper right, completing the second perfectly connected reverse kesa slash!

Her twin sword strikes were executed flawlessly, flowing like water. Finally, she halted her charge with a steady lunge, the twin swords crossed in front of her, signaling the end of the battle.

Chapter 622 The Third Day of Competition

"Tsk, sending her to deal with a small fry is a bit of a waste of her talents." The blond man muttered to himself, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest of his chair. "But... it's already the third day of the gladiatorial competition. If she doesn't go up on stage to grab a spot soon, she might not even get a taste of the soup."

His gaze swept over the only remaining ninth arena, where rookie pirates were still battling it out.

"Hmm? That guy who's been wrapped in a cloak the whole time, he can actually keep his cool? He didn't even seize the opportunity when it was presented to him... Heh, then don't blame me for being impolite. You gave up your chance yourself, so you can't blame others for 'bullying' you."

The blond man's lips curled into a playful smile as he gracefully stood up.

"It's been a long time since I used this face-changing mask, but the effect is as reliable as ever... No one should be able to recognize my true face."

He gently brushed away the invisible disguise from his face, a hint of mockery and domineering flashing in his eyes, and muttered to himself:

"Then... let me once again appear under the name 'Dio' and teach these lawless sea villains a lesson, so they will remember with their eyes and bodies who the 'savior of villains' truly is!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated, and strode confidently toward the last, solitary ninth arena in the arena below.

……

On Ritsuka's side, Dr. Roman's gasp came clearly: "It...it's over just like that...that knife...it was unbelievably fast!"

"So... who exactly is this samurai with such amazing swordsmanship? Doctor, did you figure out her background?" Ritsuka asked eagerly. Her eyesight was ultimately limited; she couldn't determine the other person's identity based solely on that fleeting glimpse of their stance and moves.

Dr. Roman was now in a deeper dilemma; the overwhelming sense of familiarity was stuck in his throat, but he just couldn't recall the specific name.

He scratched his head and cheeks for a long time, staring so hard he almost bore a hole through the image on the screen, but finally gave up in frustration and had to turn to Leonardo da Vinci for help: "Darling da Vinci! Please stop keeping us in suspense! Just tell us the answer!"

"Hmph, that's why I say, Romani, you should appreciate more masterpieces of art, especially those depicting legendary figures."

With a mischievous smile, Da Vinci finally stopped teasing them. She tapped the control panel a few times, and a clear image of an ancient painting was instantly projected onto Roman and Ritsuka's communication screen.

The painting depicts a dignified Japanese male samurai, holding two sharp blades, one long and one short, in each hand. His fighting stance is almost identical to the starting position of the female samurai on the arena earlier!

"This, this painting... Ah! I remember now!" Dr. Roman slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing, "Isn't this... isn't this Miyamoto Musashi?! The famous Japanese swordsman!"

"Wait, wait... wait a minute!"

Dr. Roman seemed to have discovered something astonishing, raising his voice considerably as he loudly asked:

"Da Vinci, you...you don't mean to say...that the female warrior on stage is Miyamoto Musashi himself, do you?! But isn't Miyamoto Musashi a man?!"

"What's so surprising about this... Romani? Aren't there plenty of examples in history of Servants who were identified as male but turned out to be female?"

Da Vinci's voice carried a hint of helplessness: "And have you completely forgotten? You've only met her once before."

"I...have seen it before?" Dr. Roman looked bewildered, trying to search his memory bank, but to no avail.

"It's Musashi, Miss Musashi!"

Leonardo da Vinci shook his head helplessly and said:

"When Mr. Wang Chong returned to Chaldea to register, didn't he bring an unfamiliar follower with him? You can't just completely forget about this person just because he's low-key and doesn't show up in front of you often, can you?"

“Da Vinci, you mean…” Ritsuka quickly grasped the key information, her tone filled with surprise, “The female warrior currently occupying arena number 7 is Mr. Wang Chong’s servant, Ms. Miyamoto Musashi?!”

“Bingo! You got it right, Ritsuka.” Da Vinci affirmed. “You were in special training at the time, so it’s normal that you didn’t see Musashi… But I really didn’t expect that Romani, who was in charge of rear support, could completely forget about the registered Servants of our side.”

"Sigh, as unreliable as ever." Leonardo da Vinci shook his head repeatedly at Dr. Roman beside him, making Dr. Roman blush with embarrassment.

"Ahem!" Dr. Roman quickly coughed twice, trying to change the awkward topic. "Since Mr. Wang Chong's follower has already appeared here, does that mean that Mr. Wang Chong himself has also arrived at this arena?"

"So shouldn't you be the one to answer this question, Romani?" Leonardo da Vinci added another bluntly. "Locating and locating Mr. Wang Chong based on magical reactions—isn't that within your job responsibilities? Why are you asking Ritsuka instead?"

"Ah...yes, yes, I understand! I'll check right away! Please don't remind me anymore..."

Dr. Roman was utterly humiliated by Da Vinci's words and could only hurriedly instruct the operators to retrieve data, frantically searching for the locations corresponding to the reactions of all the newly added Servants that day. They meticulously pinpointed each Servant's location and examined them one by one to see if Wang Chong was among them.

However, after a thorough investigation, Roman stared at the results, and confusion reappeared on his face:

"Strange... Something's not right... Among the people found by the new Servants today, not a single one matches Mr. Wang Chong's appearance... Could it be that he... deliberately concealed his presence?"

“That does seem like something he would do…” Ritsuka mused.

Although Wang Chong has not yet been found, Ritsuka's mood calmed down after learning that he might be nearby.

“However, since his Servant, Miss Musashi, has already shown up to join the battle, it means he has decided to help us. No wonder Miss Medusa so decisively abandoned Arena 7 and turned to Arena 8 just now; she must have recognized Miss Musashi's identity beforehand and knew that she was an ally,” Ritsuka analyzed.

Ritsuka wasn't insistent on finding Wang Chong and meeting up with him immediately. She knew that if Wang Chong wanted to show himself, he would naturally appear before them.

Right now, what she needs to focus on most is whether Mash and the others can successfully defend their respective arenas.

With that thought in mind, Ritsuka's gaze no longer lingered on Musashi's dashing figure on arena number 7, but quickly turned to arena numbers 5, 6, and the crucial number 8, focusing intently on the battles there.

Because of this, she completely missed what happened on Arena 9—the instant she shifted her gaze, a blond man swaggered onto the last arena that was not occupied by a Servant.

A mocking and arrogant smile played on his lips as his gaze remained fixed on the pirate in front of him, who appeared to be missing an eye.

"Well, if he doesn't die, we can take him back to keep the one-eyed man company," the blond man said with a smile.

……

Time flies, and noon has passed in the blink of an eye.

Jason paced anxiously back and forth in the stands, his gaze fixed on the rings below. The situation seemed clear: his forces held rings 1, 2, and 3 firmly, making them an impregnable fortress.

Especially in ring number 1, Hercules stood like a mountain, and no one dared to challenge him from beginning to end. His overwhelming power instilled fear in everyone.

Despite the continuous challengers taking to the arenas number 2 and 3, none of them escaped unscathed and suffered a swift and decisive defeat against Hector's steady spearmanship and Theseus's swift and fierce attacks.

This should have been a golden advantage that would have secured victory, but Jason felt as if he had been scratched by a cat's claws, filled with indescribable anxiety and restlessness, making him unable to sit still.

The reason for this was that after watching the matches in various arenas all morning, he had come to realize a fact: those who can hold their ground in the arena nowadays are all formidable and terrifying characters!

The mysterious masked man on stage number 4 is the number one troublemaker.

This person not only dared to provoke him in public yesterday, but what's more troublesome is that, after an entire morning, Jason still couldn't discern the other party's true nature. His true identity was unknown, his fighting style bizarre, and his origins a mystery.

The most cunning enemies are those who conceal their true abilities, especially those who seem to understand the principle of "capture the king first" and know how to attack you so that your heroes are hesitant to act.

Since being blatantly threatened yesterday, Jason is still somewhat apprehensive even when approaching the edge of the ring below.

Next up is the champion of arena number 5. Chiron easily sees through his opponent's identity; he is none other than Asterius, the monster from the Bull Labyrinth, a fearsome beast from the same Greek era as them.

That monstrous brute force, with each swing of the giant axe generating terrifying wind pressure, made Jason's eyelids twitch, and he subconsciously compared this power to his ace, Hercules.

Although he did not believe that Hercules would be defeated in terms of strength, the presence of Asterius undoubtedly posed a great threat to his entire team.

The thought of the enemy's ferocious destructive power, which could be unleashed at any moment, sent a chill down Jason's spine.

He then shifted his gaze to ring number 6, looking at the young woman wielding a huge shield.

Based on Medea's previous warning and the characteristics of the shield held by this young woman, Jason could almost certainly conclude that the other party was the "evil force" that intended to prevent him from gaining power—Chaldea's flagship Servant.

However, based on observations so far, the strength displayed by this shield maiden does not seem to be as formidable and domineering as he had anticipated.

But... the thought that she belonged to the same faction as Wang Chong, whose strength was terrifying, sent a chill down Jason's spine, and he dared not underestimate her in the slightest.

Chapter 623 Analyzing the Situation

Next up is arena number 7, where the female samurai from Japan stands. Undeniably, her swordsmanship is exquisite, and her movements are as swift as the wind.

But in Jason's eyes, who revered absolute power, these fancy skills were nothing more than tricks used by the weak to compensate for their own weakness and to try to challenge the strong.

No matter how exquisite the sword techniques are, they cannot conceal the relative deficiencies in strength and defense of the body.

Jason was convinced that if any of his Servants unleashed their Noble Phantasms, even if it only grazed her, it would be enough to kill or maim her.

Then, the gaze shifted to ring number 8. The ringleader appeared to be nothing more than a young girl, yet her fighting prowess was astonishing.

Her methods of killing those fierce pirates were exceptionally ruthless, her movements swift and decisive, without any hesitation. What troubled Jason even more was that Chiron had privately confided to him that he felt a strange sense of familiarity with the girl.

This likely means that she was also a prominent figure in the Greek era! Jason still maintained a sense of vigilance towards the powerful figures of his time.

His striking purple hair, in particular, always reminded Jason of Medea, a strange association that made him somewhat reluctant to watch the fights in ring number 8.

Finally, Jason's gaze, filled with barely concealed fear, fell upon ring number 9—undoubtedly the most eye-catching and terrifying place of the day.

The champion was a man with the same dazzling blond hair as him. However, the other man's aura was completely different from his own; it was a sinister charm steeped in bloodlust.

When he first stepped onto the stage to fight, he directly ripped out the heart of the champion, killing him alive!

Even more horrifying, the other party later demonstrated the bizarre ability to manipulate blood and drink it.

Not long ago, another reckless pirate went up to challenge the man, only to have his blood drained by the blond man in an incredibly terrifying and cruel way, leaving him as a withered corpse that was thrown off the stage.

Since then, Ring 9, like Ring 1, has become a forbidden zone that no one dares to set foot in.

Staring at the blond figure, Jason felt his heart pounding uncontrollably for some reason; a primal, deep-seated fear gripped him, as if he were facing some great terror.

And this feeling of fear was surprisingly familiar, as if he had experienced it somewhere before.

Chiron's sharp gaze was fixed on the blond figure on ring number 9, and his deep, serious voice rang in Jason's ear:

"Such a bizarre ability... to be able to manipulate one's own or an enemy's blood at will for offense and defense... Could this strange phenomenon mean that the other party is the blood-feeding vampire of later generations? The infamous Dracula?"

"Tsk!" Jason clicked his tongue in annoyance, his eyes filled with disgust and unease. "Who cares if he's a vampire or whatever! We absolutely cannot hand over the goddess to these filthy fools! It would be a complete waste and a disgrace if she fell into their hands!"

Jason knew the proper use of goddess sacrifices, and he would not be like these fools who believed in so-called sea god sacrifices.

He clenched his fist tightly, his gaze sweeping over his capable subordinates who had not yet made a move:

Currently bored, the Gemini siblings Castor and Pollux are watching the game with a hint of fervor in their eyes, as is Caenis, who is focused on the match, and Asclepius, the god of medicine, who remains silent.

It's a waste to have all these people protecting him... Although Jason is very afraid of death, when it comes to getting what he wants, he sometimes acts like a gambler, willing to risk his life to get what he wants!

Therefore, a bold and adventurous plan instantly took shape in his mind.

“Castor, Pollux, and Katniss!”

Jason's voice carried an unquestionable, commanding tone, and he spoke extremely quickly:

"The three of you, immediately board the Agor and leave the arena waters at full speed towards the outer perimeter! Before nightfall, you must raid a pirate crew, seize their identification badges, and then return to the arena in that crew's name!"

"What?" The sudden order startled the three men, who exchanged bewildered glances. Leave the arena where the fierce fighting was taking place? This order was truly absurd.

The experienced sage Chiron immediately saw through his intentions and asked with a slight frown, "Jason, do you intend for the three of them to qualify for the competition as members of other pirate groups, so that they can challenge the Servants on the arena and test their strength?"

“That’s right!” A fierce glint flashed in Jason’s eyes as he paced anxiously for a couple of steps. “Those guys both infuriate and unsettle me! Expecting those pathetic pirates to test their true strength is a pipe dream! There’s no way they could possibly find out their true capabilities!”

He abruptly stopped, his gaze fixed intently on the three of them, his tone sharpening with a desperate resolve:

"Listen! You'd better secure three more spots for us to advance! Prefer fanfiction? Click http://www.tianywx.com/list-27/ to enter your exclusive library! That way, this so-called elimination round will be completely under our control! I've already taken a huge risk sending you out, don't mess this up! Be back before sunset!"

Sensing the resolve and pressure in Jason's words, the Gemini siblings and Katniss exchanged a glance. Although still doubtful, they knew that orders could not be disobeyed, so they quickly accepted the order, turned around and quietly left the noisy audience seats, and hurried towards the Argonaut, which was moored outside.

In stark contrast to the anxiety of Jason's camp, Ritsuka's side appeared relatively calm, but beneath this calm lay observation and contemplation.

"It's weird..."

Dr. Roman's puzzled voice came through the communicator:

"Aside from the chaos this morning, after the various factions rushed to fill the last three arenas, there haven't been any decent Servant battles in the arena. It's impossible... that all the remaining Servants who haven't appeared yet have lost their eligibility to participate, right? That doesn't make sense."

Ritsuka also sensed something amiss and looked down at the crowded arena, asking, "Doctor, are you sure the Servant reactions we detected earlier were all within the arena's range?"

“Absolutely certain!” Dr. Roman answered confidently. “After all, I specifically examined everyone’s appearance one by one in order to find Mr. Wang Chong. Those Servants are indeed still here…”

After speaking, Dr. Roman paused, his tone becoming even more puzzled:

"However, more than half of the Servants deliberately concealed their true appearances. Apart from Jason's group, which was clearly a group, the others were scattered in various corners of the arena, seemingly having no connection with each other."

"It can't be that... all these scattered Servants actually belong to the same faction in secret, can it? That would be too terrifying."

"Perhaps they have simply chosen to continue to observe, after all, there is still some time before sunset."

Ritsuka made her judgment, her gaze sweeping over the silent corners, before continuing:

"If the follower on arena number 2 remains undefeated by sunset, then this elimination tournament will officially end. If they don't make a move then, they will truly lose their chance. So, holding back now might be waiting for the best opportunity to strike."

"Let's ignore those lurking guys for now; there's no use worrying about them."

Captain Drake crossed her arms and scanned the nine arenas with a sharp gaze, demonstrating her pragmatism as a leader.

"Perhaps luck is on our side. If nothing unexpected happens, the current champions will likely be the ones to advance."