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

"In the end, it's nothing more than some despicable and underhanded tactics... But what does it matter if the means are despicable, as long as we can win? The bards of later generations have always only spared no effort in praising the 'glory' of the victors, who cares about the process?"

Although he disliked Perseus, he did not have much moral resistance to this "effective" method.

"Miss Medusa!" Ritsuka's heart jumped into her throat instantly; she had heard the conversation on the field clearly.

Although she had reminded Mash beside her the night before to be prepared to assist Medusa at any time, she knew that given Medusa's current enraged and proud nature, she would absolutely not allow them to interfere in this life-or-death battle.

However, the crisis was imminent! The power of that charging horse was astonishing, and life and death were truly hanging by a thread.

If... if Medusa is unable to cope, it might be too late for Mashu to come to her rescue!

Ritsuka could only call out anxiously, hoping that her voice could bring some comfort to Medusa and help her heart, which was overwhelmed by anger and pain, to regain a little clarity and calm.

On the field, Medusa kept a close eye on Pegasus, the steed that was charging down. She knew that when the divine horse crashed into the ground, the shockwave would be enough to engulf the entire arena.

Logically, no matter how she tried to dodge, she would have no chance of escaping this overwhelming attack.

Suddenly, Medusa raised her enormous scythe, as if she were about to withstand the charge of the Pegasus.

"boom--!!"

Pegasus crashed into the center of the arena! In an instant, a violent shockwave, like an invisible giant fist, swept wildly around the arena, carrying with it debris and dust.

Thick smoke and dust instantly spread out, obscuring the central area and making it impossible to see what was inside.

"That's—!!"

However, the sharp-eyed Ritsuka spotted a gleaming chain that shot out like a serpent even before the smoke rose! At the end of the chain, Medusa was gripping it tightly, her entire body barely suspended in mid-air by the force of the explosion's aftershocks!

It turns out that she had raised the scythe not to block the Pegasus's impact, but to drive it hard into the arena floor beneath her feet, using it as an anchor point! When the unparalleled impact blasted her away, this pre-set anchor point prevented her from falling directly out of the ring and being eliminated.

At this moment, although Little Medusa had been knocked away to the edge of the ring, she had not actually landed thanks to the chains and the buoyancy of the energy waves, and therefore had not yet been eliminated.

Immediately afterward, she pulled hard on the chain with her wrist, using the force to drag herself back to the ring like an arrow! As soon as she landed, she rushed towards the center of the smoke and dust without hesitation, intending to launch a surprise attack on Perseus when he was off guard.

Unexpectedly, Perseus was extremely experienced in battle. Although he couldn't see the situation in the smoke and dust clearly, he had already keenly sensed the approaching danger! He made a decisive move, pulled hard on the reins, and spurred his Pegasus into the air!

"Where do you think you're going!"

How could Medusa let him escape so easily? Relying on the subtle connection of their shared bloodline, she instantly locked onto Perseus in the air.

With a flick of her arm, the scythe and the chain pinned to the ground seemed to communicate with her will, bursting forth from the earth in an instant, transforming into a streak of silver light, and precisely wrapping around Pegasus's hind leg!

"call--"

A fierce wind howled, and Pegasus, the celestial horse, had already spread his wings and soared into the air. Perseus looked down at the arena below, his gaze solemn.

He had just clearly heard Medusa's sharp shout. He never expected that his carefully designed psychological warfare tactics would be so calmly neutralized by the other party, who found a way to break the deadlock in that critical situation.

"What a formidable opponent!" Perseus thought to himself. "However, now that I've seen through your methods, next time I dive, I'll make sure to send you and your weapon flying, and finish you off completely!"

His mind was made up, and he prepared to charge again. However, when his gaze fell down to track little Medusa, his pupils suddenly contracted!

Suddenly, a hanging chain appeared out of nowhere, and on that hanging chain, the figure of little Medusa was rapidly ascending!

Only then did Perseus realize with shock that Medusa's chains were wrapped around Pegasus's right leg!

And little Medusa is rapidly approaching him on horseback along the chain!

"not good!!"

A tremendous sense of crisis instantly gripped Perseus! At this moment, his equipped Noble Phantasm was [Rings of the Hero], and he was unable to immediately switch to other defensive or offensive Noble Phantasms.

Once Medusa successfully leaps onto Pegasus, he will be like a fish on a chopping board, right there at close range!

"Pegasus! Get her off me!!" Perseus roared hoarsely, desperately maneuvering Pegasus to perform various difficult turns and rolls in the air, trying to use the powerful centrifugal force to violently throw the little Medusa, who was hanging on the chains, away.

However, little Medusa was incredibly agile! Like a leech, she clung tightly to the chains amidst the violent jolts. Instead of being thrown off, she used every sway to propel herself up the chains with both hands and feet, stubbornly climbing and dragging herself closer and closer to Perseus!

"Give me your life, Perseus!!" Finally, Medusa seized the fleeting opportunity, leaping onto the horse's back! Her eyes flashed with cold light, and the scythe in her hand, with a piercing sound, mercilessly slashed down towards Perseus's neck!

"Clang—!!!"

A deafening clang of metal rang out! Medusa's seemingly inevitable strike landed heavily on the bronze shield that Perseus had just raised! In the face of death, Perseus ultimately chose to switch to his Noble Phantasm to save his life, but this meant that the effect of [Rider's Reins] instantly disappeared.

The celestial horse Pegasus, carrying the two of them, suddenly turned into specks of light and vanished! Losing their support, the two immediately began to plummet rapidly from the sky!

"Pegasus... go back in peace... I will wash away the humiliation you have suffered!" Little Medusa murmured to herself, her cold gaze then locking onto Perseus, who had created some distance between them due to the recoil from her parry.

"The final showdown, Medusa!" Perseus shouted sharply as he plummeted, holding his bronze shield horizontally in front of him. "We are both outside the arena now! The rules are simple—whoever touches the ground first is the loser!"

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, radiating an air of unquestionable confidence: "However, you will be the one to lose! Don't forget, I still have the Feather Shoes! Before finally touching the ground, I will be able to hover above it! Your only chance of winning is the weapon in your hand!"

“But!” His tone suddenly turned fierce, his eyes behind the shield filled with provocation, “No matter what attack you launch next, I will perfectly block it with this bronze shield bestowed by Athena! You are helpless, Medusa! You can never…you can never defeat me!”

Despite Perseus's arrogant declaration, Medusa remained unmoved, her cold, demonic eyes fixed on him as if he were a lifeless object.

This gaze deeply stung Perseus's pride, but he suppressed his anger and did not impulsively throw his bronze shield. He calculated in his mind: as long as he could defend against her next attack, he could throw the shield to knock away her scythe just before she hit the ground, and at the same time switch to feathered shoes to hover in the air, and victory would be within his grasp.

Medusa swung her chain scythe in mid-air, attacking Perseus from several tricky angles. Perseus, fully focused, used his bronze shield to parry each attack.

However, the impact of each block accelerated Perseus's fall! After several collisions, his falling speed far exceeded that of Medusa, and he ended up being the one closer to the ground!

"Trying to make me land faster with this impact? Naïve!" Perseus, though startled, remained calm, parrying while estimating his height off the ground. "Unless your chains can no longer hook me, don't even think about changing the outcome!"

Sensing that he was nearing the critical point, Perseus's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he used the same trick again! To stop his opponent from binding him with chains again, he hurled the bronze shield in his hand at Medusa's scythe with all his might!

"Clang!" The shield accurately struck the scythe.

"Now!!" Perseus was overjoyed and immediately prepared to switch to his Noble Phantasm.

In that split second, the little Medusa, who had been expressionless, suddenly smiled coldly, as if announcing the end.

Chapter 642 The Revenge Ends

"Cares of the Medisa (Goddess's Embrace)!!!"

With this furious shout filled with endless hatred and determination, Medusa's eyes suddenly changed dramatically!

Magnificent yet deadly patterns flow within it—the highest-level Mystic Eye, "Kübler," is activated at full power!

This is none other than Medusa's signature move from Warcraft—Petrifying Light!

"To abandon the bronze shield is to abandon Athena's protection... Perseus! You have surrendered victory with your own hands! This feud... ends here!!"

Beneath Medusa's roar and Perseus's face contorted in disbelief, the emerald ray of light, a symbol of absolute death, struck its target with deadly precision!

The feathered shoes that had just appeared on his feet were instantly covered and sealed by the grayish-white stone, rendering them completely ineffective! Having lost his last reliance, Perseus, struck by the petrifying light, fell helplessly to the solid earth like a bird with broken wings, even before Medusa.

"Impossible... How could I, how could I lose!!"

As he watched helplessly as he irreversibly turned to stone from his feet up, Perseus's voice was filled with disbelief and a deep-seated panic.

"Nothing is impossible. Because from beginning to end, you are nothing but a piece of trash who relies on the glory of the gods. Stripped of their protection, you are worthless."

Medusa's cool voice came from above his head.

"How...how is this possible?! You...you can actually fly?!" Perseus looked up sharply, staring in shock at the little Medusa floating in the air.

Thick black mist surged and rose around her, and as if it were alive, it gathered and stretched behind her, eventually transforming into a pair of jet-black wings that lifted her up and held her lightly in the air.

"Since the day I was resurrected, this power has been with me as a gift from my Master. I did not use flight, or even more swift and deadly assassination techniques, in this duel."

Medusa's scythe gleamed coldly, pointing straight at the immobilized Perseus below, her tone icy:

"I chose to hold back, solely to defeat you completely with my own strength. Revealing it now is to let you understand: I had already surpassed you in the past, and now I regard you as nothing more than an ant."

"My revenge is complete—Perseus! And you, it is time to pay for your sins by descending into hell!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Medusa flicked her wrist, and the deadly scythe transformed into a streak of dark light, slicing down through the air! In the final moment before Perseus was completely frozen into a stone statue, she precisely severed his head.

His head rolled to the ground, and Perseus's remaining gaze remained fixed on Medusa's proud figure. Only at this moment did he truly realize that he had been a ridiculous clown all along, putting on a futile farce in front of her.

Medusa had prepared for this day for far too long. Even if Perseus could unleash all his Noble Phantasms without restraint, he would likely still be unable to escape being defeated one by one by her and ultimately perishing.

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence; all the spectators were stunned by this sudden and fatal blow. No one had expected Little Medusa to be so decisive, killing her already defeated opponent in one fell swoop.

"Tsk, this monster is really ruthless and merciless, not even sparing the defeated... However, she has a deep-seated hatred for the Sea God's faction, so she probably saw through the imposter's true nature long ago."

Jason clicked his tongue, a hint of regret on his face: "What a pity, I was hoping Hercules would avenge that arrow wound himself. But this good show certainly pleased me, hahaha."

However, the wise Chiron standing beside Jason had his gaze fixed on the lingering black mist surrounding Medusa.

The unique aura emanating from that power gave him a strange sense of familiarity, and a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

"Could it be... that her Master is...!?" A startling guess flashed through Chiron's mind, causing him to shudder.

However, he did not voice his surprise and doubt to Jason. Instead, his eyes flickered slightly, and he quietly began to devise another plan in his mind.

On the other side, Achilles watched Perseus's disintegrating aura, slowly shook his head, and let out a sigh that was hard to decipher: "...Well, perhaps dying at the hands of those people is actually a 'good thing'..."

The young heroine, having successfully exacted her revenge, landed lightly, her murderous aura completely gone, and walked briskly towards the location where Ritsuka and the others were.

"Phew... That really scared me to death, Miss Medusa! My heart was pounding in my throat when I saw you falling from that height!" Ritsuka patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief, her face still showing lingering fear.

"I'm sorry, Ritsuka, for making you worry. I'm fine..." At this moment, the little Medusa no longer had any of the previous coldness in her eyes. Instead, there was a sense of relief and joy. Her long-cherished wish for revenge had been fulfilled, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

She spoke slowly, her voice calm yet filled with deep emotion:

"To avenge the defeat of that battle, I have rehearsed and pondered countless times in my mind. I know that dwelling on the past is meaningless, but the sorrow and resentment of that final moment always linger in my heart."

"The resentment in my heart... is less about Perseus killing me, and more about protesting the injustice of fate. From the moment of my birth, my sisters and I were destined to become stepping stones and sacrifices for the so-called 'glory of heroes'."

“Since being summoned to the mortal world by my Master and reunited with my sisters, that deep wish has been fulfilled by my Master’s great power. But even so, the hatred and resentment that fate has imposed on me in the past are still like a bone-deep ailment, deeply hidden in my heart.”

"And this time, I have finally severed this long-standing past with my own hands... This is the best ending... I'm sorry to have shown you such a fierce side of me. From now on, you should never see this side of me again."

Medusa's tone carried a hint of apology, but her eyes were incredibly clear and open.

"To be honest, Miss Medusa did look rather frightening at the time..."

Mashu spoke candidly, then smiled understandingly:

"However, when you think about the legendary Medusa's fate, this decisiveness and ruthlessness seem less difficult to understand. In any case, congratulations, Medusa, your wish has finally been fulfilled."

"Mmm." Little Medusa nodded vigorously, a bright smile blooming on her face. The smile was pure and radiant, as if the gloom that had long shrouded her heart had been completely dispelled at this moment, leaving only a clear and relieved sky.

……

The next match was between Mashu and Miyamoto Musashi. The outcome of this duel was not much of a surprise.

The two exchanged blows on the arena for quite some time, their swords flashing and their indestructible shields clashing, showcasing their exquisite martial arts skills.

In the end, Mashu voluntarily chose to concede defeat, giving the opportunity to advance to Miyamoto Musashi.

Her considerations were very practical: facing potentially formidable opponents, she wasn't entirely confident of victory, so she might as well entrust her hopes to the stronger and more experienced Ms. Musashi.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and it was already noon. Inside the arena, the final match between the top eight and the top four was about to begin.

The two sides facing off are the renowned hero Achilles, the number 2 champion, and the somewhat intimidating number 9 champion, the blonde "vampire," who remains shrouded in mystery.

"It's finally the last match. Senpai, who do you think will win?" Mashu, who had just finished her match and was resting, looked at the two fighters who were now stepping onto the stage and couldn't help but ask Ritsuka.

“On the surface, Achilles’ identity, status, and position as a top-tier Heroic Spirit are all there. He is almost the most likely among all to contend with and defeat 'Hercules',” Ritsuka analyzed, her sharp gaze scrutinizing the arena.

"And that 'vampire'... his fighting style yesterday mainly involved slicing his opponent open with his bare hands and then manipulating their blood to attack. Theoretically, this method shouldn't be able to break through Achilles' near-invincible defense; it should be perfectly countered by him..."

“However, that ‘vampire’ has only shown a limited number of tricks so far. We have no way of knowing whether he has other trump cards up his sleeve.” Ritsuka’s tone became cautious as she changed the subject. “So it’s too early to draw conclusions about the final outcome.”

Ritsuka's assessment was unanimously agreed upon by her companions present.

"Hmm... The communication is finally connected again! Ritsuka, how is the situation on your end?" Just then, Dr. Roman's signature voice, tinged with anxiety and exhaustion, came through the communicator.

"Ah! I knew something was missing today! Doctor, why did it take you so long to contact us today?" Mashu responded immediately, her tone filled with concern and doubt.

"Ugh, don't even mention it! It's all because those guys from the Agor suddenly left the arena without a word yesterday, and we didn't notice in time!"

Dr. Roman's voice was tinged with helplessness: "After discovering the anomaly, it took a lot of effort to re-lock the location signal to the perimeter of the arena and track their whereabouts! The whole process was time-consuming and laborious..."

He then explained:

"Therefore, after much painful reflection, we upgraded the Sheba system! Now it can not only monitor both inside and outside the arena simultaneously, but also has a special early warning function. Once a Servant leaves the arena area, I will immediately receive an alarm!"

"Really? That's wonderful!" Ritsuka's face lit up with joy upon hearing this. "This way, if those people on the Agor do anything unusual again, we can get hold of it and react immediately!"

Chapter 643 Achilles and the Mysterious Vampire

"Yes, yes, it's all thanks to the great help of Lord El-Melloi II. After explaining the situation to him, he rushed over to help without hesitation, leading people to repair and debug the system overnight... yawn..."

As Dr. Roman spoke, he couldn't help but let out a big yawn, and then continued, "I've been busy until now, and it's only just been completely finished."

"Thank you for your hard work, doctor, and Mr. Weber..." Ritsuka expressed her heartfelt gratitude.

“Miss Ritsuka…” At that moment, another steady but slightly tired male voice came through the communication channel. It was Waver. “Roman said that you have some Servants whose identities are difficult to confirm and you need my advice. What’s the situation now?”

"We've reached the final quarterfinal match here," Ritsuka quickly reported the progress. "The winners of the first three matches have been decided, and they are..."

She briefly described the previous battle, specifically explaining that the masked man's true identity was Perseus, and that he had been successfully killed by Medusa in revenge.