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

“Th-what is that?” Ritsuka looked in the direction Mash pointed and was instantly shocked by the sight before her.

Behind Miyamoto Musashi, a huge, majestic, and slightly ferocious phantom of a Dharma body suddenly appeared! This Dharma body had four arms, a face as resolute as a Vajra, and exuded an ancient and powerful aura.

At this moment, the illusory image of the Dharma body is in perfect synchronization with Miyamoto Musashi's true form!

Its equally ethereal yet powerful arms were steadily supporting two enormous sword shadows, colliding with Hercules' heavy, solid stone sword in a fierce struggle!

Everyone then realized that it was this strange avatar that had suddenly appeared that had used incredible power to share and withstand Hercules' terrifying blow, which was powerful enough to split mountains and shatter peaks!

The attack that Miyamoto Musashi unleashed with all her faith and power was the release of her awakened Noble Phantasm – "Six Paths, Five Wheels: Kurikara Tensho".

This was the state of 'emptiness' and 'zero' that Miyamoto Musashi, the "Flower of Heaven," should have been able to reach after continuously pursuing the ultimate in martial arts.

However, in the moment when she was desperately trying to defeat the powerful enemy in front of her, her martial will suddenly sublimated, and a majestic image of a benevolent king appeared behind her!

The statue of the Benevolent King wielded its four giant arms, and the power of the four elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—surged and intertwined under the pressure of the sword.

Deep within this immense power lies the profound meaning of "emptiness" and the essence of "zero," which Musashi has yet to truly comprehend, ultimately transforming into an ultimate slash that can cleave everything in two.

Although this Noble Phantasm is nominally an anti-personnel Noble Phantasm, its essence is actually a powerful existence that interferes with cause and effect.

If it can be brought to its ultimate form, it can even transform into a "Buddha's sword" that cuts through all non-karmic debts, past karma, curses, and misfortunes in the world.

At this moment, Miyamoto Musashi squeezed out almost every last bit of his potential, pushing the power of his Noble Phantasm to an unprecedented peak.

That chilling killing intent and the sharpness that severed cause and effect made the great Greek hero Hercules truly feel the threat of death!

"Roar—!!!" Sensing a deadly crisis, Hercules also unleashed a deafening roar.

With divine blessing and the ferocious power of his berserk state pushed to the extreme, his muscles bulged and his stone sword, carrying the force to shatter mountains and split seas, attempted to crush the threatening phantom of the King of Kings behind Miyamoto Musashi with absolute power.

"Namo, Tenmanhima Shiva Deva—Anāgurikara, Kotenchō—! Go forth, sword blast, draw your blade! Ishana, Mahācāra—!"

Miyamoto Musashi instinctively chanted the mantra. With her call, the Niou Hokage behind her roared, shaking the arena. Its four massive arms bulged with muscles, and an overwhelming force erupted, forcefully deflecting Hercules's incredibly heavy stone sword and sending it flying to the side!

"Now—!!! Cut it off, great hero of Greece!"

Miyamoto Musashi seized this fleeting opening with pinpoint accuracy! She merged with the giant shadow of Niou behind her, their minds in perfect harmony, and unleashed the most brilliant and perfect "X" shaped cross slash of her life!

The sword flashed like a fleeting glimpse, as if the thread of fate had been abruptly severed. Miyamoto Musashi's figure appeared behind Hercules like a wisp of smoke, his movements fluid and seamless, without the slightest hesitation or obstruction.

"How...how is this possible?!" Below the arena, Jason's arrogance froze instantly, replaced by extreme shock and disbelief.

He clearly felt the powerful life force emanating from Hercules suddenly vanish—this woman had actually taken Hercules' life with her sword!

That's why Jason found it even more unacceptable! How could a mere warrior, whom he considered only capable of wielding "ordinary iron," possibly shatter Hercules, who possessed the body of a demigod?! This completely overturned his understanding!

However, the cold reality would not change because of Jason's will. On the ring, a huge, deep-seated "X" scar suddenly appeared on Hercules's majestic body.

Then, to everyone's horror, his body split open along the wound, turning into four heavy pieces that crashed to the ground.

"She...she won? Miss Musashi actually won!?" Mashu covered her mouth, her emerald green eyes filled with shock.

Fujimaru Ritsuka and his group were equally astonished. Just recently, Miyamoto Musashi had been at a complete disadvantage in every head-on clash with Hercules, and had even suffered repeated heavy blows.

Who could have imagined that at this crucial moment that would decide the outcome, she would unleash such earth-shattering power and create an almost impossible miracle!

"That's... absolutely amazing."

Dr. Roman's voice, filled with deep emotion, came through the communication:

"When I saw that Musashi's attacks could not effectively damage Heracles, I almost thought the battle was over... As expected of Mr. Wang Chong's Servant, she was able to make such an amazing breakthrough in a desperate situation!"

"So now it's time to declare victory, isn't it?"

Captain Drake clicked his tongue impatiently, his gaze fixed on the motionless phantom of Poseidon:

"That slow-moving sea god shadow always takes forever! The sun is almost setting, let's finish this quickly so we can go back and pop some champagne to celebrate Ms. Musashi's victory!"

However, Ritsuka, who had been staring intently at the ring, suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "What... what's going on?" Her finger trembled slightly as she pointed to the center of the ring.

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened, and they immediately looked in the direction Ritsuka pointed.

The moment they saw what was happening on the stage, everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost, their faces filled with disbelief and bewilderment.

"No way... His body was slashed like that... and he's still alive?!" Dr. Roman's voice was filled with disbelief, and he almost cried out.

"Tsk...to waste a resurrection chance on such a boring arena. Damn it!"

Unlike the Chaldeans' shock, Jason only showed annoyance and dissatisfaction.

He didn't seem surprised by Hercules' condition, but he felt sorry that another of the twelve precious lives had been wasted here.

“This just proves that there are many hidden talents among the Servants who have descended into this world, and we must never underestimate them as we did before.” Chiron spoke up at the right time, his tone serious. “Jason, if you continue to be intoxicated by Hercules’s apparent strength and fail to realize this, you will suffer a great loss sooner or later.”

"Ah... alright, alright, I admit these annoying 'insects' are indeed a bit troublesome..." Jason waved his hand impatiently, then shouted orders at the arena, "Hercules! Now that you've been resurrected, crush that female swordsman's delusions immediately! Make her utterly despair!"

On the arena, the four pieces of the body that should have been completely lifeless are now wriggling, connecting, and regenerating at an astonishing speed visible to the naked eye!

Muscle fibers regenerate rapidly, bones reconnect with a crackling sound, and a powerful vitality surges forth once more.

Miyamoto Musashi naturally noticed this terrifying scene as well, and couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself: "Seriously... that's some pretty shameless ability."

She knew that if she could take another step forward at this moment, she might truly be able to sever the blessing that granted Hercules twelve lives.

However, that forceful attack that pushed her limits had completely exhausted all her physical strength and magical power. At this moment, her body felt utterly hollowed out, with waves of emptiness and sharp pain emanating from within, making even standing difficult.

Like a lamp running out of oil, her life was extinguished. This was the most accurate description of her current state. No matter how unyielding her will, it was a pipe dream to unleash the same power of her Noble Phantasm as before.

But giving up was never Miyamoto Musashi's choice! She gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing her weakness and trembling, drew her sword again, and charged headlong into the rapidly recovering behemoth!

"Clang—!!!"

The phantom of the Benevolent King swung his greatsword once more, striking Hercules's healing body. However, this time, the blade seemed to have struck the hardest divine iron in the world, producing a piercing metallic clang, yet it could no longer penetrate even an inch. The phantom's light, weakened by the depletion of its power, flickered violently, growing thin and dim.

"Roar!!!"

Finally, Hercules was fully restored! His furious roar, laced with the rage of being slain, roared. The massive stone sword, carrying even greater power than before, tore through the air and slashed down towards Miyamoto Musashi!

"Bang--!!!"

This time, the miracle did not repeat itself.

Chapter 650 The Mastermind?

The power of the Heavenly Flower eventually came to an end. The indomitable phantom of the Benevolent King behind her flickered a few times like a candle in the wind before finally dissipating completely.

Miyamoto Musashi himself was sent flying by the immense force like a kite with a broken string. He was too weak to adjust his body in mid-air to absorb the force and fell straight off the stage.

"Miss Musashi!" Mashu reacted quickly, exclaiming as she rushed forward and caught the falling Miyamoto Musashi.

"Miss Musashi, cheer up! How are you feeling?" Mashu looked anxiously at Miyamoto Musashi, who was pale and weak in her arms.

"Ha...ha...I'm fine...don't worry..."

Miyamoto Musashi, panting heavily, said:

"Thanks to my lord's strength... this injury... won't kill me... but... I'm completely... exhausted..."

Her voice was broken and extremely weak.

Ritsuka and the others immediately surrounded her, asking about her condition with concern. Miyamoto Musashi responded to each question, forcing himself to appear cheerful and assuring her that he was fine.

Just as everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief—

"Goo-"

An unusually clear, slightly embarrassed voice suddenly came from Miyamoto Musashi's abdomen.

A barely perceptible blush instantly rose on her pale face. She scratched her head somewhat embarrassedly and grinned, "Hehe... I've been playing for so long, I'm exhausted... My stomach is starting to protest... I wonder... when we can go back for dinner?"

Seeing her familiar, carefree expression, so focused on the food, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was indeed the Miyamoto Musashi they knew.

At this moment, the belated phantom of the sea god finally reappeared in the air and announced the result of the duel in a calm and grand voice: "The victor—Hercules."

This announcement signifies that Hercules has successfully won this knockout round. It also indicates that the competition is about to enter its final stage.

The eight challengers who failed to defend their title for three days have now entered the final stage. Hercules and Wang Chong will face off in the ultimate duel.

The ultimate victor will gain the right to challenge Theseus, who successfully defended his throne for three days. The final showdown between the two strongest will determine the fate of the imprisoned goddess and complete the so-called sea god sacrifice ritual.

Both of these decisive battles will come to a close tomorrow.

……

The crowds in the arena had dispersed once more, and the clamor had subsided into silence. Achilles walked silently toward the exit, his steps tinged with the lingering weight of defeat.

However, when he reached the familiar entrance to the passage, he involuntarily stopped in his tracks.

He looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes—the girl who had been waiting for him here yesterday had reappeared.

This time, however, she was no longer accompanied by the petite Medusa, but by a swordsman with two swords at his waist, Miyamoto Musashi.

"What are you doing here waiting for me again, little girl?" Achilles shook his head, a slightly helpless yet amused smile playing on his lips. "Perhaps you feel I haven't lost badly enough, and you've come to comfort me again?"

Ritsuka sighed softly, her voice tinged with helplessness: "Mr. Achilles is joking. Perhaps it's because... those Servants who can reach this stage have all been gradually eliminated by now?"

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the empty entrance to the arena, and said:

"Whether it was the powerful vampire Dracula you faced yesterday, or Heracles whom we Chaldea are facing today, they are both top-tier powerhouses who can make any opponent go all out. Elimination is not a denial of strength."

Then, Ritsuka turned her gaze back to Achilles, her tone becoming serious: "Now that Mr. Achilles is no longer eligible for the next round, what are your plans? Are you going to leave this unusual sea today, or... do you intend to stay and witness tomorrow's final battle?"

"I'll definitely go watch the final tomorrow..."

Achilles narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze seemingly piercing through Ritsuka, and slowly said:

"However, you've gone to the trouble of waiting for me here, so I suppose what you really want to ask isn't whether I'm staying or leaving? After all, what does it matter what the schedule of a loser is?"

"What you really care about is my true purpose in participating in this gladiator tournament, isn't it? Now that I've been defeated and eliminated, there's no need to keep those things hidden so tightly anymore."

“You can understand it that way,” Ritsuka admitted frankly, a hint of inquiry in her eyes. “Moreover, I always feel that there might be some kind of… common goal between us.”

"...I cannot tell you all the details."

Achilles paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words, then seemed to have made up his mind: "However... now that Perseus has been completely defeated by your people, there are some things I may tell you now."

He deliberately lowered his voice to make sure that what he was about to say wouldn't be overheard by others: "I believe you've all realized by now that the lofty figure disguised as Poseidon is a complete imposter, right?"

Ritsuka nodded immediately, her expression serious: "We have already confirmed this without a doubt. Does Lord Achilles have a deeper understanding of the origin of that phantom?"

Achilles quickly and warily scanned his surroundings, and only after confirming that the passageway was indeed deserted did he lower his voice further, almost whispering:

"The creator of that phantom of the sea god is none other than the goddess imprisoned by heavy chains on the platform!"

"Huh?!"

This explosive information struck Ritsuka like a thunderbolt, instantly causing her to let out a short gasp. Her initial speculation had pointed to a Servant lurking in the shadows, manipulating everything, as the mastermind behind it all.

She never imagined that the answer would point to the imprisoned victim herself! Doesn't this mean that the goddess herself created a phantom and then... held a competition to select candidates to sacrifice herself? What kind of logic is this? What is she plotting?

Achilles seemed to see through Ritsuka's surprise and confusion, and directly pointed out the key: "You should know who originally captured and imprisoned this goddess here, right?"

His reminder sparked a flash of inspiration in Ritsuka's mind, and she immediately remembered: "It's... Perseus! Yes, it was him who captured that goddess!"

“That’s right, it was Perseus who captured her…”

Achilles nodded firmly, revealing the core of the mystery: "The reason why that phantom impersonating the sea god appeared, and the reason why such a large-scale gladiatorial arena was created, was actually a plan meticulously planned and promoted by that fellow Perseus from beginning to end."

"Perseus's plan?!" Ritsuka was so shocked she could barely speak. This news was even more shocking than the last one. "Then... then does that mean the mastermind behind this tournament... is already dead?"

“That’s basically the consensus.” Achilles exhaled slowly, his expression complex. “That’s why I said that now that Perseus has been executed, his schemes can naturally be brought to the forefront for discussion.”

Chapter 651 What reward do you want?

The clamor after the arena closed gradually subsided, leaving only a few echoes reverberating in the empty space.

After listening to Achilles's account, Ritsuka frowned slightly, clearly digesting this astonishing revelation.

She paused for a moment before asking, with a questioning tone, "Why would Perseus do that? Wouldn't that have made it very likely that he would lose control of the goddess? And in fact, he has already perished."

Achilles leaned against a cold stone pillar, let out a soft hum upon hearing this, and cast his gaze toward the distant sand that seemed to still carry the scent of blood.

“The reason is simple…” Achilles’ voice was low, with a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm, “His elite troops were almost wiped out in the previous raids and conflicts, and he himself was also seriously injured. His flagship was also damaged beyond recognition.”

"Faced with that pack of wolves and tigers, ready to pounce and tear at him at any moment, he was no longer absolutely certain that he could escape unscathed, let alone keep the 'spoils' he had already acquired."

Achilles paused, then continued, "So, he took a risk and threatened the captured goddess, forcing her to cooperate and summon the seemingly majestic but actually hollow phantom of the sea god, meticulously orchestrating the 'divine oracle' performance."

Achilles' fingertips unconsciously tapped the wall behind him as he spoke:

"As for the purpose, there is only one: to intimidate those greedy pirates. To use 'divine power' to make them fearful and dare not act rashly. At the same time, it is also to continue to firmly control that goddess and prevent her from escaping in the chaos."

He originally thought his opponents would only be the pirates, but who would have thought that he would attract Servants? He never expected that he would die at the hands of others.

Ritsuka did not respond immediately. She lowered her head slightly, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes, clearly rapidly processing the logical chain in Achilles' words in her mind.

In the empty arena corridors, only the sound of their footsteps echoed. After a long while, she raised her head, her amber eyes gleaming with rationality, and posed two crucial questions: