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

The sound of a sword piercing flesh rang out, and Mordred, watching the battle from afar, curled his lips into a slight smile. Blood dripped slowly from the golden holy sword onto the ground. The heavy sword, raised high, ultimately did not strike, but instead slowly lowered, falling to the ground with a clang.

Excalibur pierced Lancelot's body, and Artoria finally made her choice.

“I’m sorry, Lancelot. Whether it’s for my comrades, for my Master, or for achieving that final victory and changing all of this… I must move forward. Forgive me, I am neither a worthy king nor a worthy friend. This is the only way to end your suffering.” Artoria raised her head, her eyes having lost some of their color. In the end, she could only make this bitter choice.

“That’s good… Arthur. That’s good. But, talking about changing all this… honestly, it’s still as worrying as ever…” As if in a final burst of energy, Lancelot’s berserk demeanor had vanished. He whispered his last words into Artoria’s ear, then looked up at Mordred, who had been watching the battle intently.

"..." Lancelot's lips moved in and out of focus before his consciousness faded and his body materialized into spirit particles. Lancelot had successfully died completely.

"Tch, as infuriating as ever. What a theatrical guy." Mordred naturally understood the meaning behind Lancelot's words; it was all part of their deal.

"Now there's one less guy to drink with. Farewell, Berserker." In another room, watching Lancelot's death on the screen, Matou Kariya sighed with deep regret. In reality, Lancelot had never truly gone mad; his berserk tendencies had long been suppressed by Wang Chong using the power of the black mist. Therefore, in private, he and Lancelot were quite close, occasionally discussing their ideals and the usual male hobbies.

Now, that person has returned to where he started. He had originally wanted to ask for advice on what kind of new life he should pursue. Now, he'll have to figure it out on his own. Of course, continuing to run the family business and slowly building it up isn't bad either. After all, the Matou family is now his master's company. Matou Kariya thought to himself.

Artoria stared silently at the spot where Lancelot had disappeared. However, she didn't dwell on her grief for long, for she knew that another enemy awaited her.

"Mordred, have you gotten what you wanted now?" Artoria's voice was unreadable, but her aura and fighting spirit were undeniable.

"Heh, King Arthur, now that it's our turn, there's no need for further words, is there?" Mordred didn't say much this time. Filled with fighting spirit, she shouted loudly, "Come on, King Arthur, this time let's settle the score once and for all!"

The battle between the king and the rebellious knights resounded once again, with the red and blue figures clashing fiercely in this enclosed space.

……

The core area—before Semiramis's throne.

"Joan of Arc, how are you?" Due to the reversal of gravity, Wang Chong and Joan of Arc were pulled down from their original positions on the floor and landed in the magical ocean at the ceiling.

“I’m fine… but the situation is probably very bad right now. The door is closed, and we don’t know what’s going on outside. There’s poison all around us, but the good news is that this kind of poison will affect anyone except Semiramis herself, and they will eventually die from the poison. Therefore, Semiramis is probably the only one in this space. If we can take care of her here, then everything we’ve done today will be a victory for us.”

Joan of Arc analyzed the current situation, simultaneously reading the information she had gleaned about Semiramis and the Hanging Gardens, and sharing it with Wang Chong. At the same time, she gripped her spear tightly, causing the barrier emanating from her Noble Phantasm to directly block out the surrounding sea of ​​magical energy. She was well aware of the properties of Semiramis's poison-related Noble Phantasm—Breath of the Pride King—which could transform anything into any poison. This included the surrounding liquids.

"A summoned monster is coming! Be careful!" At this moment, Jeanne detected a high-energy summoning reaction ahead. A huge serpentine monster was spewing poisonous gas and attacking the two of them directly.

"King's Judgment!" Wang Chong used his only ranged attack to unleash a golden sword beam, which struck the incoming poison gas. Instantly, another golden beam shot out, piercing through the poison gas and directly into the giant snake's mouth, penetrating its head and killing it.

"To be able to kill Bashium, one of the eleven monsters created by Tiamat, in one blow, even if it was just the power of a projection, is still quite impressive." Semiramis looked at the two people above her, then casually waved her hand, and many magic circles unfolded, and beams of light directly hit Jeanne's barrier.

"Ugh!" Joan of Arc felt the flag in her hand begin to sway precariously. Already burdened by the constant attacks of poison, coupled with the series of battles large and small that had followed, Joan of Arc's flag was finally starting to break.

“Hoo… Mr. Wang Chong, I only have one chance. I will use my Ruler privileges to temporarily prevent Semiramis from using her Noble Phantasm. That way, we won’t have to worry about her poison. Then, Mr. Wang Chong, you can take care of her!” Jeanne said.

"Will it be useful? Didn't the intelligence you shared before say that Semiramis could shield the power of Command Seals in this space?" Wang Chong asked.

“Although divine judgment and Command Seals work in the same way, their core principles are slightly different.” Joan of Arc shook her head, then looked seriously at Wang Chong and asked, “How so?”

"Give it a try," Wang Chong nodded and said.

"Hmm... Divine Judgment!" A glimmer of light appeared on the pattern behind Joan of Arc, and the Command Seal belonging to Semiramis began to take effect successfully. In an instant, Semiramis discovered that she had lost control of the Baccarat of Pride, and could no longer control the poison as before. The surrounding poisonous environment also collapsed as a result.

"Now!" Joan of Arc exclaimed immediately.

"Don't even think about it! Gravity restoration! Blast them to pieces!" Seeing that her most prized poison-attribute Noble Phantasm had failed, Semiramis immediately canceled the gravity reversal magic, and then unleashed a whole bunch of magic cannon spells, wanting to take advantage of the opponent's loss of balance again to deliver a heavy blow to the two.

Unfortunately, Wang Chong had already used the power of the black mist to carry Joan of Arc through the air, dodging the repeated cannon fire and closing the distance with Semiramis.

Chapter 279 Betrayal

Seeing the two rapidly approaching, Semiramis stopped using her magic cannon and instead created a large number of chains to track them. However, Wang Chong's speed was much faster than expected.

Just as Wang Chong raised his sword, about to slash at Semiramis, the serpentine beast that Wang Chong had previously killed reappeared and charged directly at Wang Chong's face.

Wang Chong was no slouch either; he and Joan of Arc were forcefully knocked aside by the demonic beast. Of course, the beast didn't fare much better; it was directly struck by Wang Chong's fully charged sword and cut in half at the waist, likely beyond dead.

However, this gave Semiramis an opening, and her endless magic bombarded him again. To deal with those magical cannons, Wang Chong had to stop and continuously use the ghostly figures within the black mist to defend against them, exchanging blows with his opponent. But this turned what was originally a powerful attack into a war of attrition.

To prevent any unforeseen complications, Joan of Arc took the initiative and said, "Let me do it; her magic won't work on me."

Due to her unwavering faith and her class, Jeanne d'Arc's magic resistance reached the EX level. Without a doubt, Jeanne d'Arc is the greatest nemesis for any Servant who specializes in magic.

Joan of Arc charged straight at Semiramis, and the magic bullets that had previously been invincible were either dodged by Joan or accidentally missed their mark. This was the effect of Ex-level magic resistance.

"Just surrender! You've run out of tricks!" Joan of Arc brandished her spear, aiming it at Semiramisza.

"Is that so?" Semiramis suddenly curled her lips into a smile, looking as if her scheme had succeeded. In an instant, alarm bells rang in Joan of Arc's mind, and the spear tip that had been aimed at Semiramis immediately reversed, activating her Noble Phantasm—My Lord is Here.

The barrier instantly deployed, and a purple poisonous mist appeared around Joan of Arc's barrier. Joan of Arc felt a churning in her stomach, a nauseating sensation, and wanted to vomit. There was no doubt that she had been poisoned. She had reacted quickly enough to deploy the barrier, but for a fleeting moment, she had still been exposed to a trace of the poisonous gas. Now, Joan of Arc felt her body growing increasingly weak.

"Impossible... You shouldn't have been able to use that Noble Phantasm again so soon. Could it be... a Command Seal clash?" In an instant, Jeanne realized the result. They were still a step too slow, allowing the enemy's Master to successfully use the power of the Command Seal and break the restraints she had just issued.

"Such a potent poison... Just a trace of it and I'm already... almost unable to hold on... Wait! Oh no! Mr. Wang Chong is still outside!" Realizing Wang Chong's predicament—exposed to the deadly poison without her protection—Joan of Arc was immediately alarmed and turned to rush towards him. However, what she saw as she turned around shocked her to her core.

Wang Chong stood unharmed in the poisonous fog. At the same time, a red Command Seal appeared on his hand, emitting light, and one stroke dimmed slightly, which was the reaction that would occur after using the Command Seal.

But just recently, a certain Servant experienced a Command Seal clash.

"No...no way! How could it be...How could Mr. Wang Chong be...I must be overthinking it. Yes, Mr. Wang Chong must have used the power of Command Seals to strengthen himself, making himself temporarily immune to that poison gas. That must be it!" Because of her high regard and trust for Wang Chong, Jeanne could not believe the possibility that Wang Chong was an Another Servant.

Especially not long ago, when faced with the slander from Emiya Kiritsugu and others, they stood firmly behind Wang Chong.

"Yes, poison gas! I have to hurry... hurry and help Mr. Wang Chong. The Command Seals won't hold for much longer..." Joan of Arc turned around with difficulty, trying to rush towards Wang Chong. However, after only a few steps, the poison took effect, and Joan of Arc could no longer support her body and collapsed. In the moment when her consciousness completely disappeared, she seemed to see Wang Chong rushing towards her and successfully catching her.

"Quick...go..." Joan of Arc murmured, finally succumbing to her fear and falling unconscious.

“Remove all the toxins, Semiramis,” Wang Chong said slowly.

"Yes, Master." Semiramis waved her hand, instantly restoring all the poison to its original, normal state. Afterward, Semiramis, with a slight smile, slowly descended from the throne. Looking at Wang Chong, who was still silently holding Joan of Arc in his arms, she couldn't help but say:

"What? You're feeling sorry for me now?"

"No, it's just that deceiving such innocent people sometimes really makes one feel a pang of conscience," Wang Chong said slowly.

"Huh? You've already pulled off that kind of secret trick, and now you're talking about conscience... Don't you think that's a bit ridiculous?" Semiramis said mercilessly.

"That's really hurtful, Semiramis." Wang Chong chuckled and picked up Princess Joan of Arc, saying, "But you're right, I've already done even more despicable things. Instead of dwelling on my conscience, I should make it up to them in the future."

“I could see the meaning in her eyes just now. She saw how I used the Command Spell, and she guessed the relationship between you and me. But she still preferred to hold onto her illusions about me, and even until the moment she fainted, she was still worried about my safety. Perhaps that’s why I feel even more guilty… Let’s go, let’s arrange a suitable room first. From today onwards, Jeanne is out of the picture; she won’t interfere with our plans anymore,” Wang Chong said slowly.

"You just had your fun tonight, and now you're going to lock her up alone? Only you, Master, could be so heartless. Don't blame me for not warning you; you'll have to pay for this debt for the rest of your life." Semiramis began casting a spell, preparing to teleport, when she suddenly turned and said, "By the way? Aren't you going to observe what Artoria or the others are doing?"

"No need. Didn't you just say it yourself? Locking her up alone is too cruel. So let me stay with her. At least it'll be easier for her to accept things when she wakes up." Wang Chong said with a smile as he carried Joan of Arc into the teleportation array.

"This is really... Master, you always seem to get gentle in the strangest of situations. Alright, don't take it too long, or my Noble Phantasm might get destroyed. Even if you don't care about my Noble Phantasm, at least care about me and those children, right?" Semiramis said irritably.

“OK, then I’ll leave this to you, Semiramis… Remember to capture Artoria as well later.” After Wang Chong finished speaking, he disappeared in the light of the teleportation array.

Semiramis shook her head, then leaped back onto her throne and began to scrutinize the final moments of the duel between the king and the rebellious knight outside.

Chapter 280 Solitary Progress

Off the field, both Mordred and Artoria bore injuries. However, it was clear that Mordred's injuries were far less severe than Artoria's. This wasn't just because Artoria had been injured earlier; more importantly, Mordred's stats were higher than Artoria's.

After all, Mordred is directly powered by the Holy Grail and the power of the Black Mist. In addition, Wang Chong's [Seven Masters] passive skill directly raises all her attribute panels to a higher level. It can be said that the current Mordred has even surpassed the level of her original form in history.

However, there's another point: most of Artoria's strength lies not in martial arts, but in Excalibur. If she were to use Excalibur, the outcome might be different.

Now, the two sides have created some distance. Artoria seized this rare opening and began to unleash her magic, aiming it at Mordred and the room where Semiramis was located, preparing to release her Noble Phantasm.

"Heh... Come on, King Arthur, let me see your full strength!" This time, Mordred did not engage in his usual hand-to-hand combat. Instead, he unleashed his magic power and concentrated it on the silver-white sword. A large amount of red magic power wrapped around the sword, emitting a dazzling red light.

At the same time, Artoria's holy sword also shone with a strong golden light, and Artoria was ready.

"Excalibur!!!" (Excalibur)

Artoria shouted out the name of her Noble Phantasm, and a massive golden beam of light shot straight at Mordred.

"Clarent—Blood—Arthur!!!" (A rebellion against my magnificent father)

Mordred also unleashed her Noble Phantasm, her crimson beam colliding directly with the golden one. The beams collided, and the powerful magical shockwave cracked and eventually destroyed the surrounding walls. The surrounding rooms, clearly unable to withstand the immense magical power of the two, began to crumble. Little by little, starlight from outside pierced through the broken cracks and entered the passage.

At first, the red and golden beam cannons were evenly matched, neither gaining the upper hand. However, as time passed, the point of impact between the two beams was constantly moving closer to Mordred. Although Mordred's Noble Phantasm had been buffed twice, bringing its stats close to A++, it ultimately couldn't compare to Artoria's A++ level Excalibur, which also possessed inherent potential.

Finally, Mordred smiled slightly and said, "So, you lost after all?"

"boom!"

The golden beam of light struck Mordred, slamming him against the wall behind him with a deafening roar. The surrounding buildings, as if obeying a command, shattered into massive chunks, their ceilings ripped off, exposing the entire area to starlight and the full moon.

……

Meanwhile, Kiritsugu and the others, who had been observing from a distance, naturally noticed the huge commotion in the core area. Kiritsugu slowly spoke, "It seems Saber is strong enough; she successfully dealt with her opponent. However, it's hard to say about Iskandar; he will likely be defeated in the end."

"You should be ready by now. I've checked, and apart from that Another Rider, almost all of that guy's Another Servants are here. Once the battlefield in Iskandar is over, you can make your move."

The Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu turned to look at Emiya Kiritsugu. Emiya Kiritsugu looked up and said, "Are you sure it won't affect Irisviel?"

"Anyway, you just need to ensure your body remains unharmed, right? If Iskandar's barrier breaks but Iskandar is still alive, you can have Iskandar temporarily rescue her. But if Iskandar dies, then I will intervene, regardless of life or death, at least I can bring her here safely. You just need to have Gilgamesh handle it then," said Kiritsugu.

"..." Kiritsugu Emiya really wanted to punch this other version of himself in front of him. But he also understood that this was his only chance. Not only could he kill those other Servants in one fell swoop, but he could also destroy the Hanging Gardens and make those other Masters who couldn't fly fall to their deaths. Even if he didn't see the Berserker and Assassin Masters, he was sure that they wouldn't survive such a fall from such a height.

At that time, all I'll have to deal with are Rider and Saber, whom I let escape. If I'm lucky, I might even be able to win the Holy Grail War directly.

Of course, after all that's over, there's still one important person to deal with. Kiritsugu Emiya couldn't help but look at his other self, who was facing away from him.

"Let's go. We'll head to the helicopter now. It'll probably be decided here soon," Kiritsugu Emiya said, having made his decision.

"A wise choice." Without saying much, the Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu hoisted Emiya Kiritsugu onto his shoulder and quickly headed towards the helicopter. As for Maiya, Emiya Kiritsugu had already sent her towards the helicopter when those other Servants appeared.

Not long after they left the room, a shadowy figure solidified, and a petite, adorable, angelic-looking purple-haired girl emerged from it.

"That way, I've completely completed the task Master assigned me~ Kukuku, under my prompting, she's made a completely wrong judgment in her mind. Once this is resolved, that assassin who suddenly appeared should be eliminated, and can take over the position of Hyakko. I wonder how Euryale (me) and my silly little sister are doing now?"

Stheno yawned. In the Holy Grail War, her job was undoubtedly the easiest. All she had to do was sneak up on him and keep influencing and hinting at him. Thanks to her excellent Presence Concealment and EX Luck, she hadn't been discovered by Kiritsugu or the assassin.

"That's all for today, I'm going to find my Master now. I'll be the first one to leave." Steno stretched, then materialized into spirit form, asked for Wang Chong's location, and started walking in that direction.

……

"Ha...ha..." Artoria gasped for breath, her body dimming slightly. Using her Noble Phantasm twice in succession had already caused her figure to fade somewhat. Now that she and Irisviel were far apart, she couldn't replenish Irisviel's magical energy and couldn't properly recover.

“Irisviel…” Artoria first looked behind her. Because of the release of her Noble Phantasm, the surrounding walls, including the door at the entrance behind her, had been completely destroyed, so she could see the outside world directly.

Unfortunately, Artoria did not see Irisviel's location. She immediately realized that Iskandar and the others must have also been attacked, and Iskandar might have already pulled them into the barrier.

“There’s only one thing left right now, Semiramis! And Mr. Wang Chong and Joan of Arc… wait for me.” Artoria forced herself to walk forward, and when she reached the pile of rubble, she saw Mordred lying among the rubble.

Mordred wasn't killed by the attack; after all, her high stats were undeniable. However, she was temporarily incapacitated. Mordred looked up at Artoria, who was still standing, and said, "Heh heh heh... You still win, Father. Perhaps this is just how I am, destined to never catch up with you."

"Mordred..." Seeing Mordred fall to the ground, Artoria, who should have acted, ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it. Lancelot's death tore a hole in Artoria's heart; she should have killed Mordred in her grief and rage.

But now, after unleashing the Holy Sword and venting her anger, when she saw Mordred lying on the ground, powerless to fight, all that remained in her heart was emptiness and sorrow, and she no longer had the thought of killing Mordred.

"Hey...cough cough...what's wrong? I'm a rebellious knight, you know. Instead of ending me in the end, you're planning to leave me here. What are you trying to do?" Mordred coughed twice and asked, seeing that Artoria looked like she was about to leave.

“You held back last night. Since you didn’t die from the Noble Phantasm this time, I will return it to you.” Artoria said, taking a few more steps forward before suddenly stopping and asking, “You haven’t answered my question from last night.”

“Last night? Ha, I’ve almost forgotten about that.” Mordred said nonchalantly as he lay down.

"Is that so? It's better to forget about it." Artoria continued walking forward.

"Father, both Lancelot and I have made the same choice. What about you? Are you going to continue on alone?" Mordred suddenly asked.

Artoria didn't answer, but paused for a moment before continuing on her way.

"Is that so? In the end, only she herself can make Father unravel his inner conflict." Mordred thought to herself, and lay down on the ground. She knew that even if she couldn't stop her father's stubborn idea, it didn't matter, because there were enough suitable people to stop her father from continuing down the wrong path.

Chapter 281 Artoria won, Artoria lost

Artoria stepped into the large hole she had created, finally arriving once again in Semiramis's palace. Looking at the black-haired empress seated on her throne, Artoria took a deep breath, drew her sword, pointed it at Semiramis, and said:

"Where did you take Wang Chong and Joan of Arc?!"

Before entering, Artoria looked around but couldn't find any trace of Wang Chong or Joan of Arc; only Semiramis was there.

"Hehehe, you arrived faster than I expected, Saber. As for those two you mentioned, of course they failed, were captured by us, and taken away obediently," Semiramis said with a light laugh.

"You're lying! You think you can take down both Wang Chong and Joan of Arc by yourself? Especially since Joan of Arc is a Ruler!" Artoria didn't believe Semiramis's words at all. Semiramis's strongest skills were in field magic and this fortress. No matter how fierce her poison gas was, it couldn't take down Wang Chong and Joan of Arc.

"Kukuku... If you don't believe me, why don't you try it yourself and see? Maybe I'll take pity on you and let you meet in the dungeon." Semiramis opened her folding fan, covered her mouth, and laughed, then continued, "However, after all this fighting, do you still have the magic power to dispel magical artifacts?"

"Even if I can't unleash my Noble Phantasm, I can still take you down!" Artoria knew she had no way out. Wang Chong and Jeanne were missing, and Iskandar and the others were clearly in even greater danger. Now she had to be the final victor, defeat Semiramis, and end the Hanging Gardens Noble Phantasm.

"How arrogant!" Semiramis waved her hand, and countless magic cannons and chains rushed towards Artoria. Upon seeing this, Artoria immediately took action, wielding her holy sword to break through the chains that wanted to capture her, while relying on her intuition and magic resistance to evade or simply rely on her high magic resistance to withstand the magic damage from her opponent.

"As expected of an excellent Saber class. That high level of Magic Resistance is troublesome." Semiramis sensed how troublesome Artoria was, so she immediately activated her Noble Phantasm: Sake of the Arrogant King.

In an instant, the surrounding floor and air transformed into deadly toxins, preparing to invade Artoria's body.

"Wind King's Barrier!" But Artoria seemed to have anticipated this, as she unleashed a powerful gust of wind that not only blew away all the poisonous gas but also forcibly stripped the toxins from the ground. It was safe to say that poison had no effect on Artoria.

"Show me what else you've got! If you have nothing else, then this is the end of it!" Artoria raised her holy sword high and charged toward Semiramis with lightning speed, intending to end her with a single strike.