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

As Tokiomi Tohsaka and the King suddenly fast-forwarded to the outcome of the negotiations, the others were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, leaving them somewhat dizzy. Only a few skilled Servants quickly grasped the cause and effect, and began to gather their strength, preparing for battle. They knew that if the negotiations broke down, what awaited them was likely a truly storm-like attack and a fierce final battle.

"Kiritsugu... he ordered the destruction of the Einzbern family? How could this be... how could this happen?" Meanwhile, Irisviel was devastated. She couldn't believe that Kiritsugu would even harm his own daughter. Yet, for some reason, a voice in her head told her that if she had to choose between Kiritsugu's ideals and his family, he would probably choose the former over the latter.

Yes, Irisviel knew. Kiritsugu had killed his own father for his ideals, and to save the people of a city, he had killed his mentor, the very person who had raised him. If the Einzbern family had anything that could help him obtain the Holy Grail, he would do whatever it took.

“No… Kiritsugu just wanted to take something. He couldn’t possibly be unaware of the character of the person he sent. Maybe Illya wasn’t killed, but rather Kiritsugu specifically instructed him to take her away.” A glimmer of hope rose in Irisviel’s heart. She looked up at the fortress high in the sky, perhaps her daughter was inside that fortress.

Perhaps it was the bond between mother and daughter, or perhaps for some other reason, but Irisviel felt as if she could see her daughter, Ilya, sitting somewhere, staring excitedly in her direction.

"Ha, how boring." Wang Chong waved his hands, shook his head, and said, "I don't care whether Emiya Kiritsugu lives or dies. Rather, if Emiya Kiritsugu dies, then I'll be the one in charge."

“If that’s the case, you should be launching a full-scale attack now, instead of speaking so casually… shouldn’t you, Mr. Dior? How about we speak frankly and openly? Let’s not waste each other’s time any longer,” Tokiomi Tohsaka said.

"Okay, who made me owe that damn guy this?" Wang Chong's eyes flashed with disgust and anger as he looked at Tōsaka Tokiomi and said, "It's impossible for everyone to retreat. The situation has already become like this. Even if I agree, the other Masters won't agree! This is the closest they've ever been to replacing you. Do you think they'll give up? Do you think they'll give up so easily? Hehe, and they really don't care about Kiritsugu's life or death at all."

"What does Mr. Dior mean?" Tokiomi Tohsaka asked, frowning slightly.

"I can only guarantee that I and my servant Jeanne d'Arc Alter will leave the stage today. But the rest are up to you to deal with," Wang Chong said.

"Only two people left in exchange? Handing over Kiritsugu Emiya to you like this isn't enough, is it?" Tokiomi Tohsaka's brows furrowed deeply. While losing one Protoss certainly reduced the pressure, the mysterious castle in the sky and the remaining Servants were all formidable opponents; the battle would likely continue. Moreover, judging from his tone, he only cared about Kiritsugu Emiya's life, completely disregarding the other Masters and Servants.

Furthermore, given that Kiritsugu Emiya's Servant Mordred has already left the scene, it seems that these two are likely planning to sit back and watch the two masters fight, conserving their strength until they and the other Another Masters are both severely weakened before reaping the rewards. This is certainly unacceptable to Tokiomi Tohsaka.

As if he had seen through Tokiomi Tohsaka's thoughts, Wang Chong smiled and continued, "Heh, then let's change the terms. Since I'm leaving with my Servants, then in return, two of your Servants will be forbidden from attacking tonight. Two for two, that's fair, isn't it?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka paused, as if he had thought of something. Suppressing his joy, he said in a deep voice, "Which two Servants do you want to stop attacking?"

“Since Tokiomi Tohsaka has personally made this request, then your Servants are also not allowed to attack any of our side, how about that? Of course, they won’t attack you or your Servants today either,” Wang Chong said. “As for the second person, that is this Ruler. She also cannot continue to attack, otherwise my Jeanne d’Arc will not be able to watch obediently anymore.”

Upon hearing this request, Tokiomi Tohsaka was actually quite inclined to agree. This way, he could not only extricate himself from the battle, but also have Kiritsugu Emiya held hostage, allowing him to continue maneuvering later.

Jeanne, however, thought differently. If she couldn't intervene, her current Servants were no match for the enemy's. Only Iskandar was still in top condition; Artoria and Diarmuid were both injured. Even at their peak, the three of them couldn't withstand the fortress in the sky, let alone the exceptionally powerful Atalanta and the Gorgon sisters on the ground.

"No! I will not agree to this demand!" Joan of Arc immediately stopped her. "I can allow Kiritsugu to be exchanged as a hostage, but it is absolutely impossible for me to submit."

"Master Tohsaka, if the lips and teeth are gone, they will be in dire straits. If all the other masters die here tonight, do you think you can survive until tomorrow night even after today?" Jeanne said.

But Tokiomi Tohsaka didn't think that way. He knew the King of Heroes had one truly powerful Noble Phantasm he hadn't used yet. Once used, it could completely destroy even the castle in the sky. And this strongest killing move was naturally better saved for later. Especially when the enemy thought they had the upper hand with their numbers, he could suddenly unleash it! Then he could wipe out all those Servants in one fell swoop.

"Hehe, Master of the Tohsaka family, it seems that this person on your side doesn't seem to be willing to compromise. Then let's have a thorough battle and see who will die and who will be defeated in the end." Wang Chong raised his hand, and at this moment all the servants gathered the light of their Noble Phantasms, ready to smash them all onto Jeanne's Noble Phantasm.

"I refuse to believe that your tortoise shell can hold out forever," Wang Chong said coldly.

"Lady Jeanne, you should just agree. There's not much hope either way, so why not go in a direction with a better chance of winning? As long as you and I are still here, we might still be able to defeat them tomorrow." Tokiomi Tohsaka also wanted to win over Ruler. If this adjudicator were to help, the chances of winning would probably be even greater, so he tried his best to persuade her.

"I..." Jeanne saw the scene before her. She knew that Tōsaka Tokiomi had made a bigger choice, but she couldn't abandon Altria and the others. She would rather fight to the death and see if a miracle could happen.

"Promise him, Joan of Arc." But at that moment, a voice entered Joan of Arc's mind.

"Wang Chongjun! You've woken up?" Joan of Arc exclaimed with delight upon hearing this.

“Ah, I woke up not long ago, and I heard your conversation. With me here, our fighting strength will not be inferior to theirs... Moreover, I have a way to get through tonight safely and make them retreat temporarily. And only by agreeing to their demands will we have a chance to keep Kiritsugu, so that we can deal with the difficulties ahead.” Wang Chong’s voice was transmitted to Jeanne d’Arc in the form of black mist.

"You have a way? What do you mean... What? This method... There is indeed a chance, but will he agree?" Before Joan of Arc could even ask, she heard about Wang Chong's idea and quickly understood its feasibility.

“He will. I’ve said it before, I never misjudge people,” Wang Chong’s voice continued.

"Alright...then it's all up to you." After replying, Joan of Arc saw the two sides about to fight and were on the verge of blows, and immediately said, "Wait a minute!"

"What? Ruler Jeanne, have you thought it through?" Wang Chong naturally knew that Jeanne had been persuaded by him, but as Dio, he still pretended not to know her thoughts and looked at Jeanne to ask.

“I agree. But you must sign a strongly binding contract,” Joan of Arc said earnestly.

Chapter 175 The Only Way to Break the Stalemate

Finally, Gilgamesh retrieved a treasure from the Gate of Babylon that contained a contract that even gods could be bound by. With a look of schadenfreude, he signed his name and handed it to Tokiomi Tohsaka. Subsequently, Tokiomi, Jeanne d'Arc, Wang Chong, and Jeanne Alter all filled out the contract as required.

"You'd better make sure Kiritsugu Emiya is alive during this time, or don't blame me for being ruthless later," Wang Chong said.

The negotiations, supposedly with Kiritsugu Emiya as a hostage, inexplicably turned into a deal where both sides each withdrew two members of their respective factions. After agreeing to the terms, Jeanne instinctively felt a slight unease, but she quickly dismissed it whenever the thought crossed her mind. As long as the outcome was good, Jeanne didn't care about the details. She could deal with those details after the war.

“However, they haven’t given up on Kiritsugu Emiya. They added a condition: we must not kill Kiritsugu Emiya…at least not before the next night. If that’s the case, we might be able to rescue him before the next night,” Jeanne thought.

“Now that the contract is settled, this treasure should be removed,” Wang Chong said, looking at Joan of Arc.

"..." Now that things have come to this, Jeanne d'Arc could only remove the effect of her Noble Phantasm, because she had already felt the constraints of the contract.

"Well... I hope you all see the sun rise tomorrow, hahahahaha." With that, Wang Chong, dressed as Dior, vanished from everyone's sight, accompanied by maniacal laughter. After feeling the oppressive aura dissipate, most people breathed a sigh of relief, but Joan of Arc looked unwell. She immediately shouted, "Everyone, leave now!"

Iskandar was the second to react, as he sensed the high-energy reaction from the sky. While driving his chariot, leading his Master and his subordinates in a charge, he hurriedly shouted, "Saber, Lancer, you all take the Master and go!"

At that moment, a bright light shone from the castle, and a massive beam of light blasted directly at the group. Gilgamesh and Tokiomi Tohsaka, naturally, were the first to receive a kind warning due to their contract, and thus had already dodged in advance, as was Kirei Kotomine. Jeanne d'Arc also dodged the beam of light immediately after being warned, while the others reacted a fraction too slowly and were already about to be hit.

"boom!"

A massive energy surge swept through the area, and Jeanne, braving the wind pressure, tried to check what was happening inside, knowing that Caster Wang Chongjun was also within range. As the energy blast dissipated and the aftershocks vanished, several figures appeared.

The figure at the very front unleashed a torrent of black mist, coughing up blood. It seemed he was the one who had withstood the cannon fire. Behind him stood the Artoria Group and the Diarmuid Group.

“Caster, I am deeply grateful.” Diarmuid had been prepared to die for his cause, standing in front of Sora. But unexpectedly, the cannon fire was ultimately stopped by the Broken King.

"It's nothing, after all, we're in the same boat now..."

The one who rose up and intercepted the light cannon at that moment was Wang Chong, who had once again swapped positions with his main body while the cannon was shielding him. He now continued to act as Caster, feigning weakness, and said...

"Let's fight to the death! Warriors, charge with me!!" Iskandar led his remaining dozen or so warriors, charging towards the opposing Heroic Spirits. However, Iskandar's first challenge was Atalanta's rain of light arrows. Undeterred, Iskandar wielded his lightning to deflect the arrows, while his strongest generals also used their full strength to clear a path. Ultimately, Iskandar and his men overwhelmed the opposing Servants with overwhelming force.

However, Atalanta, having activated her Wild Hunt mode, single-handedly surrounded the remaining group, including Iskandar, and mercilessly reaped their lives. Meanwhile, the Gorgon sisters began to prepare, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Iskandar at any moment.

"This is bad. If this continues, Rider will definitely lose." Artoria was about to step forward, but Wang Chong immediately stopped her.

"Stop!"

"Boom boom boom boom!!"

Explosions erupted right where Artoria had just been heading, startling her and making her realize that the enemies they faced were not only the people on the ground, but also the castle in the sky.

"What can we do... Without the protection of Jeanne d'Arc and the powerful Noble Phantasm of the King of Heroes, even if we can defeat these Servants on the ground, do we really have a way to defeat that fortress in the sky?" At this moment, even Diarmuid wavered a little, gripping the gun barrel tightly as she spoke.

“It’s difficult. Originally, Hero King and I almost managed to break through that castle together, but as you all saw, we were defeated by an unknown and terrifying powerhouse using bizarre methods. To turn the tide and force them to retreat, we need to demonstrate even greater power... Unfortunately, I have too little time and resources to prepare, otherwise I could have created something capable of destroying the fortress's defensive formations.” Wang Chong shook his head and said.

"Can we work together to break through the castle's protective barrier?" Artoria asked.

“No… This isn’t a matter of a few people working together; it’s about reaching that level. To use a Noble Phantasm as an example, those that are effective against people or armies are completely insufficient, even if we combine our strength… Only a Noble Phantasm of the city-level, which is above that level, can destroy the defenses of this fortress,” Wang Chong said.

"Anti-city level..." Artoria subconsciously thought of something, but she glanced at her left hand. Currently injured, she was completely unable to use her anti-city Noble Phantasm. However, Artoria's subconscious movement was noticed by Diarmuid, who was standing nearby.

“If you take your Masters to Jeanne’s side, the magic cannon might not bombard your Masters anymore, which will free you up to deal with the Servants. I’ll go help Iskandar first. We can talk about the aerial fortress after we’ve dealt with the Servants on the ground!” After Wang Chong finished speaking, he rushed forward without saying another word.

“Dirmuth, let’s take Master to a safe place first. Then we’ll go help Caster. Diarmuid?” Artoria said, carrying the still dazed Irisviel on her back, preparing to take her to Jeanne. But at this moment, she noticed that Diarmuid was standing there, seemingly lost in thought.

“I’m fine. Lady Sora, let’s go too.” Diarmuid reached out to Sora, who was still trembling behind him. Sora nodded hurriedly, her legs shaking from the near-death experience. Seeing this, Diarmuid could only sigh and say, “Excuse me.” He then picked Sora up in a princess carry and immediately took her to Joan of Arc’s side.

Wang Chong, accompanied by a large amount of black mist, charged into Iskandar's side. Upon seeing the newcomer, Iskandar laughed and said, "Caster, I didn't expect you to wake up at this crucial moment."

"In a way, it's all thanks to you, Conqueror King. If it weren't for those kings and those dead monsters, how could I have obtained so many ghosts again and reawakened?" Wang Chong glanced at his Broken Power progress bar. This time, he had absorbed tens of thousands of ghosts, and the progress bar had climbed by 4%, reaching 14%.

“Every time I unleash my Noble Phantasm, you're the one who benefits,” Iskandar chuckled.

"Shouldn't you say that the two of us are the most suitable allies?" Wang Chong said, leaning against Iskandar and slicing through many light arrows with a single sword strike.

"It's a pity that I'm afraid my barrier won't last. When my last subordinate falls, I won't be able to hold the castle back anymore," Iskandar said with a hint of worry in his eyes.

“Even if we defeat these guys, if we can’t take down that fortress, I’m afraid there’s no way… Caster, your Noble Phantasm has absorbed so many souls, can you break through this fortress?” Iskandar pointed to the fortress in the sky and said.

"I may not be able to do it, but... there are others who can."

"Who...wait, you mean..."

"Let's see what choice Diarmuid makes. I've said what I needed to say; let me be the villain." With that, Wang Chong waved his hand, unleashing a torrent of black mist spirits. While enduring the barrage of magical projectiles from the air, he dragged all three Servants present to the ground, giving Artoria and Diarmuid ample time to consider. He believed that Diarmuid would make the same choice as in the original story. After all, this was the only way to break the deadlock at the moment.

Chapter 176 Light Cannon VS Magic Cannon

After handing their Master over to Jeanne d'Arc, Diarmuid and Artoria raced side by side, dodging magic bullets as they ran toward the center of the battlefield.

“Saber.” Just as they were about to reach the battlefield, Diarmuid suddenly called out to Artoria.

"What's wrong, Lancer?" Artoria asked.

"Just now, when Caster mentioned the anti-city Noble Phantasm, you subconsciously looked to your left. Could it be that the anti-city Noble Phantasm Caster mentioned is sealed in your left hand?" Diarmuid asked.

Upon hearing Diarmuid's question, Artoria stopped in her tracks, finally nodding in affirmation.

"Is it a Noble Phantasm capable of destroying that fortress in one strike?" Diarmuid asked.

“I’m not sure if it will completely destroy the fortress, but breaking through that defensive spell is no problem at all,” Artoria affirmed once again. However, she changed the subject and continued, “But Lancer, the weight of my sword is the weight of my honor. The wounds I sustained in your battle are honors, not shackles. If a left hand can earn me Diarmuid Ua Dui’s right to fight alongside you, then I will be proud of it.”

"Hmm..." Diarmait chuckled. He looked at Altria's serious expression. He already understood her intentions. But it was precisely because of this that Diarmait made his final decision.

“Saber, I cannot forgive that guy who just appeared. The evil and oppression he displayed are unimaginable. And those Servants who defiled this sacred duel, I cannot bear to see this battle continue. I swear by my knightly oath that I will never let such evil and injustice go unpunished.” Diarmuid planted the red spear into the ground and gripped the yellow spear with both hands.

"Lancer, you can't do this!" As soon as she heard Diarmuid's first words, Artoria had a vague idea of ​​what Diarmuid wanted to do, and she didn't want Diarmuid to break her Noble Phantasm because of this.

"From that night's duel until now, who must win—Saber or Lancer? No, neither. The one who must win now is the chivalry we uphold. Isn't that right, Heroic Spirit Artoria?" With that, Diarmuid snapped her doomed yellow rose in two. A golden vortex of energy appeared around Diarmuid, shooting straight into the sky, drawing the attention of even the Servants still fighting in the distance.

"Sure enough, Diarmait made the same choice." Seeing the golden beam of light, Wang Chong already knew that Diarmait had taken the initiative to destroy his own Noble Phantasm to enable Artoria to use the most powerful Noble Phantasm - the Sword of Promised Victory.

"Lancer..." Seeing the choice that Diarmait finally made, Artoria didn't know what to say, but there was no doubt that at this moment Artoria was once again moved by Diarmait's spirit.

“I entrust my vow of victory to the Sword of the King of Knights. I beg you, Saber,” Diarmuid said.

"I accept, Lancer. At this moment, I swear victory with my sword." Artoria clenched her left hand, feeling completely healed, then grasped the Holy Sword with both hands and raised it. At that instant, the Wind King's Barrier on the Holy Sword vanished completely, revealing a golden light. Also at that moment, a powerful surge of magical energy erupted, spreading and enveloping Artoria.

"Is that... the power of the legendary Holy Sword?" Semiramis, who had been sitting in the deepest part of the fortress, looked at Artoria on the projected image. Even from a great distance, she could feel that astonishing magical power.

"No wonder Master said that even if I summoned the Hanging Gardens, I still had to be careful with this generation of Servants. Heh, then let me experience the power of the legendary Holy Sword. Disarm all defenses, concentrate the magic on the magic cannon, and see whether your Noble Phantasm is stronger or my magic cannon is superior!" Semiramis's competitive spirit rose, and she manipulated the magic spells of the entire castle, preparing to aim at Artoria and fire.

"Hmph..." Mordred was also nearby, with Ilya perched on her shoulder, curiously watching the various projected images. When Mordred saw Artoria about to unleash her strongest Noble Phantasm, a flame quietly ignited in Mordred's previously somewhat gloomy heart. She eagerly anticipated the battle to come.

"Is this what's coming?" Wang Chong, the only one who knew the specifics, secretly began to give the order for Atalanta and the others to retreat. After receiving the order, the three stopped attacking Wang Chong and Iskandar and instead retreated.

"Huh? What happened? Why did they all leave?" Iskandar asked immediately, sensing something was wrong.

“Dirmund just broke his Noble Phantasm… Saber is about to unleash her strongest Noble Phantasm. This astonishing magical power has probably been sensed by her Caster, so… an unimaginable battle is about to unfold here. Conqueror King, let's get away from here quickly. The energy surge will likely break your barrier.” Wang Chong said immediately.

“Wow…that’s definitely worth seeing. Kid, stop lying there, let’s go find a good spot to get a proper look.” Iskandar patted Weber, who was still hiding inside the chariot to avoid danger, and said.

"...Well then, I'll have to be the last gatekeeper, after all, I can't let that idiot king really tear down my castle." After watching Iskandar walk away, Wang Chong immediately switched his and his clone's positions again, reappearing on the castle. Then, he walked towards the direction of the magic cannon spell.

……

Soon, Artoria below was poised to strike, shifting her grip on the holy sword to a backward-pulling posture. Countless golden points of light began to condense on the sword's blade, and even the Reality Marble could not prevent external magical energy from seeping into it, charging the holy sword.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the magic spell in the sky was also fully charged, and a huge black and red magic cannon shot out from the fortress, causing the space to tremble. This time, the magic cannon was larger than the previous two, as if it was determined to blast Artoria to smithereens.

However, Artoria's Noble Phantasm was also fully charged at this moment. At this moment, Artoria seemed to have regained her invincible will and spirit. She dragged her sword and forcefully slashed upwards, shouting out her most classic Noble Phantasm line:

"Excalibur!!" (Excalibur)

The immense light almost swallowed everyone's vision; the dazzling golden light shot straight into the sky and finally collided with the massive magic cannon.

"Om-"

The high-frequency sound and high-energy reaction caused spatial shattering at the point where the light cannon and the magic cannon clashed. Iskandar coughed up a trace of blood, knowing that his barrier could no longer hold. Looking at the light, he couldn't help but sigh, "What a dazzling light, Saber... She carried the hopes of an entire era and all the people on her shoulders, which created such majesty. But it is precisely because of its brilliance that it is heartbreaking to look at. What's more, the one who carried such a heavy burden was such an innocent little girl. She had never been loved like a butterfly or a flower, nor had she ever fallen hopelessly in love. Cursed by the name of ideals for a lifetime, she ended up like that... It's so heartbreaking that I can't bear to look at her."

Iskandar wasn't misunderstanding Artoria; on the contrary, he deeply respected the choices the King of Knights had made to shoulder everything. That's precisely why he felt anger. It wasn't anger directed at Artoria, but rather at that era, at the end of the Age of Gods, forcing such a young girl to bear burdens she shouldn't have had to bear.

However, Artoria, who was wielding Excalibur, was naturally unaware of Iskandar's feelings. Right now, she was determined to achieve a complete victory and live up to everyone's expectations.

"Hah——Ah!!!" Artoria continued to burn her magic power, using up her last rays of light to deliver her attack. It was precisely because of this will that carried the wishes of others that Artoria's light continued to rise at this moment, gradually overwhelming the magic cannon.

"Ha—!!!" Artoria's body erupted with astonishing magical power, and the pillar of light instantly grew stronger, crushing the magic cannon with unstoppable force and crashing directly into the Hanging Gardens in the sky.

"Boom!" A dazzling white light illuminated the sky, and the barrier shattered in that instant, the white light completely engulfing everyone's vision.

Chapter 177 The Third Night Ends

The night in Fuyuki City should have been quiet and somewhat dim. But right there at the Tohsaka residence, a beam of light shot into the sky, golden rays piercing the heavens, a deafening roar echoing throughout the entire city. Countless sleepless passersby turned to look, as if announcing their arrival before the masses. Even Kotomine Ryougi, far away in the church, was momentarily stunned by the sight. But a sharp pain quickly followed; how was he going to cover up this commotion with a plausible excuse?

"I'll just have to trouble Tokiomi. We'll just say it was a gas leak and explosion at the Tohsaka family's residence. Tsk, I need to contact those big shots quickly and get that area sealed off." Kotomine Risei immediately began to perform his duties, suppressing the commotion caused by the Holy Grail War. After all, it was common knowledge that the Holy Grail War was conducted in secret.

Just as Kotomine Ryou was busy, a bunch of Masters and Servants were thrown out of Iskandar's Reality Marble from the Tohsaka family's side. They all looked rather disheveled; the clash of magical energy between light and magical cannons was not something ordinary people could easily withstand. Only Jeanne was in a slightly better position, using the power of her Noble Phantasm to protect her two female Masters, Sora and Irisviel, preventing them from getting hurt.

Among them, Iskandar's injuries were probably the most severe. The feeling of having one's Reality Marble forcibly torn apart must have been excruciating. He clutched his chest, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted. The pain was unbearable for most people. The fact that Iskandar could still stand and await the outcome was quite remarkable.

"What was the result?" Iskandar murmured, staring at the center of the light. Not only him, but all the other Servants were waiting for the final outcome. When the light subsided, the first to appear was Artoria, panting heavily, her hands gripping the Holy Sword, barely managing to stay upright. She had exhausted almost all her strength to completely shatter the Hanging Gardens; simply standing was a tremendous strain.

"Did we win?" Artoria looked up as well, trying to appear calm and unharmed.

At that moment, a shadow fell from the sky, revealing that the Hanging Gardens still stood. A shadow immediately fell over everyone. If even Artoria's powerful attack couldn't destroy this castle, what kind of Noble Phantasm could possibly accomplish that?

However, some sharp-eyed Servants noticed something different. Gilgamesh and Iskandar both seemed to be deep in thought, while Artoria, who was closest, discovered that the original protective spell had not been activated, and the spell to launch the magic cannon seemed to have been damaged, constantly flashing with sparks and showing no sign of gathering magic power again.