The villain's journey from the Type-Moon world

"You're here too, Mrs. Irisviel. What a pity." Leticia said, her smile becoming even more creepy, and faint giggles could be heard around her.

"I'm here too? What a pity? What kind of place is this?" Alice asked further.

"Hehe, here? Of course this is hell?" "Leticia" said with a smile, and at this moment a creepy chill emanated from her body, causing Irisviel to take a step back in surprise.

"No... How is that possible? How could it be hell? You must be kidding, Miss Leticia. If this is hell, then doesn't that mean..." Irisviel said with a forced smile.

"You're kidding! Why would I be kidding? Have you forgotten?" At that moment, Leticia completely turned around. Irisviel finally understood why Leticia had been facing away from her since they started talking, and why her face was so pale.

There was a huge bloody hole on the left side of Leticia's chest. That was where her heart was. From the hole, one could even see that the flesh inside was bloody and broken, and the blood had already dried up.

"Have you forgotten who was responsible for the bullet in my chest? We trusted you so much, Miss Irisviel, but why did you hide it from him? Why did you help him to kill me so brutally?" "Letitia's" smile didn't change, but in front of Irisviel it turned into a smile that frightened herself, and the guilt deep in her heart began to grow.

"No! That's not true!" Irisviel subconsciously wanted to deny it all, but Leticia's smile began to fade, and she whispered, "How pitiful, Mrs. Irisviel! You're a pitiful person too."

"Eh?" Irisviel was stunned, not understanding what the other party was talking about.

"Have you forgotten what I just said? This is hell... Madam, your presence here doesn't mean that you... have also been cruelly abandoned and murdered by him?"

Leticia's words struck Irisviel like thunder, and an unimaginable sense of panic arose. Irisviel began to tremble all over, and she muttered to herself in her purple lips, "No... No... No! This isn't... This isn't true!"

"How pitiful! She still refuses to admit the truth." Leticia shook her head, then her previous smile returned to her face as she spoke softly. "Hey, Mrs. Irisviel, can I ask you a favor?"

"One thing?" After hearing the other party's request for help, Irisviel was able to take a brief respite from the double vortex of self-blame and denial in her heart. She looked at the other party in confusion, not knowing what she could do to help.

"I'm in this hell, it's so cold. No blood, no heart... I can't feel the slightest warmth. So... hehe..." At this moment, Leticia's body shattered into pieces, turning into blood-red mist. In an instant, it transformed into chains, locking Irisviel's limbs. A bloody hand was attacking Irisviel's heart, and Leticia's final voice echoed in the air:

"Give me your blood and heart~ hehehe."

In an instant, Irisviel's face turned pale. She tried desperately to struggle free from the chains, but to no avail. She called out Kiritsugu's name, but received no response at all in this place.

Seeing the bloody hand getting closer and closer, Irisviel was left with despair, watching as it ripped her heart out. She closed her eyes in despair, hoping desperately that this was just a nightmare, and that she would wake up from it after feeling the intense pain.

"Chong-"

"what!!!"

A sound piercing the air was heard, followed by a shrill scream that caused Irisviel to open her eyes again. When Irisviel saw the scene before her, a feeling of joy and relief emerged from the bottom of her heart, and she couldn't help but call out, "Saber!"

Yes, at Irisviel's most desperate moment, that familiar blue figure appeared before Irisviel and completely destroyed the bloody hand with a single sword strike, preventing her from having her heart ripped out by the bloody hand.

With the complete destruction of Leticia, the chains bound to Irisviel's limbs crumbled and vanished into nothingness. Irisviel quickly ran towards the familiar figure, her voice tinged with sobs as she said, "Saber... Great, you've finally appeared. I thought... I was going to die at the hands of that monster."

"What on earth is this place? Why are there so many terrifying things here? Weren't we inside the castle earlier, fighting those Servants? Why am I here when I wake up... Saber?" Seeing Artoria appear, Irisviel's heart finally settled. Fear and unease filled her with countless questions. However, as she was asking, Irisviel noticed something was amiss. Artoria, for some reason, kept her head down and remained silent.

"Irisviel..." Finally, Artoria raised her head, but her face was full of loneliness and sadness, which made Irisviel feel a little sad and heartbroken. She didn't understand why Artoria would show such an expression.

"It's all over, Irisviel. That was the last time I helped you." Altria said slowly.

"The end? The last time? Saber...you, please don't scare me, okay? What is going on?" Irisviel thought she would be completely relieved after seeing Artoria, but she didn't expect that the other party's words would make her feel shaky again.

"It's over, Irisviel, the Fourth Holy Grail War... I lost, not to the Servant, but to the Master's betrayal, that's all." Artoria said slowly.

"thump--"

Irisviel slumped to the ground. She knew, she knew, that Altria wasn't the type to joke around. So, was this... was this really hell? Had she died without realizing it?

"Let go of your last obsession, Irisviel. You are not a hero, and you are destined not to enter the Throne of Heroes. If you continue to linger here, you will only be completely devoured by the many resentments of the mortal world. Let go of everything, and just disperse. Dust to dust, earth to earth. This is the last advice I can give you after we met." After saying this, Altria turned around and walked in a certain direction.

"Wait! Saber, where are you going?" Irisviel struggled to her feet, attempting to chase after Altria. She was clearly exhausted from the barrage of messages, but she still grasped at straws like a drowning man.

"My battlefield is not here... I will continue to fight. Again and again... again and again... until I finally touch the Holy Grail and realize my vision." After saying this, Altria slowly stepped forward, her figure gradually becoming blurred.

"Wait, Saber! Please... please..." Irisviel tried to hold her back, but her words grew weaker and weaker, and her outstretched hand finally dropped. What right did she have to hold her back? It was just like what Artoria had just said—she and Kiritsugu had betrayed her.

Chapter 123: Fuyuki Fire

In a flash, the place fell silent again, leaving Irisviel alone. The unknown fear hidden in the darkness crawled from her toes like ants all over her body. Without the protection of Altria and the blessing of her lover, she was consumed by the suffocating coldness in this endless darkness.

The light black fog, under the influence of fear, became terrifying even without any strange appearances. It was as if a changeable demon, hidden in the invisible darkness, constantly changing its appearance and observing him with greedy eyes.

Irisviel had heard the church's Bible record that after death, if a person was innocent, they would go to a peaceful heaven, where their souls would rest in peace. However, if they were guilty and could not be forgiven, they would be cast into hell, where they would be tortured by demons as a penalty for their sins.

Since this place is also called hell, then... is it because of my sins that my soul cannot rest and is dying in this sinful place?

This thought inexplicably emerged in Irisviel's mind and took over her mind uncontrollably.

"No... that's not right. If that's the case, then why would Miss Leticia appear here? And even Saber would appear here? The hell here should be different from the hell people often talk about. Saber said that I am trapped here because of my obsession. Only by letting go of everything can I return to rest... Then, what is the obsession that keeps me dying here? Is it resignation? Or is it the hope of seeing Kiritsugu again?"

Irisviel felt her mind was in a mess, but subconsciously, because of Altria's words, she had already accepted her own death.

"Tata..."

Just when Irisviel was still confused about her so-called "obsession", a slight sound of footsteps broke the silence and also broke Irisviel's thoughts.

"Gulu——"

Irisviel couldn't help but swallow. Altria had just warned her that those remaining here were either obsessed souls like her, or those harboring malicious resentment towards everything in the world. Either way, it wasn't a good thing for Irisviel right now.

"If you continue to stay here, you will only be completely consumed by the many resentments of the mortal world..."

Artoria's words seemed to be still echoing in her ears. Irisviel dared not move, fearing that the slightest movement would attract the attention of the indescribable thing hidden in the darkness.

But then, the footsteps became more rapid, as if rushing towards her. The intimidating, high-frequency sound of the footsteps made her heart beat in sync with it. Irisviel was about to scream, but she covered her mouth with both hands, daring not to make a sound. Just as the footsteps were within 15 meters of her, a vague figure, obscured by the thick black fog, emerged before her.

However, just as this blurry figure appeared in Irisviel's sight, it suddenly stopped, as if confirming something. Irisviel even slowly lowered one of her hands and pressed it against her chest, suppressing the heart that was about to burst out of her chest.

"Da da……"

The voice was soft and slow, as if confirming that there should be nothing in this place. The figure also began to slowly move away from Alice's sight. Only after it disappeared in the black fog did Alice's beating heart calm down with the sound of the slowly approaching footsteps.

"Huh..." After seeing the other person go away, Irisviel finally felt relieved. She took her hand away and let out a breath to relieve the tension that had just arisen in her heart.

"Got you."

A cold voice without any emotion sounded strangely from behind Irisviel. The moment she heard the voice, she felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave. The cold breath was like an ice cone piercing her spine, making her unable to move.

"Shh-"

A piercing sound echoed through the air, and Irisviel instinctively tried to flee, but a large hand gripped her neck tightly. The hand, as hard as molten iron, prevented her from escaping. The familiar feeling of suffocation returned, and Irisviel couldn't even cough, let alone utter a sound. Then another hand gripped her neck tightly, lifted her up, and turned her around.

"!!"

The owner of those iron hands was none other than Kotomine Kirei, the man who had nearly strangled him to death. His eyes were now even colder than before, and he looked at Irisviel as if she were an object, poised to crush her at any moment.

"Hello again, Mrs. Irisviel," Kotomine Kirei said. "How unfortunate! You are indeed a foolish woman who knows nothing. And you have ended up here? Humph, after all, it's just a vessel that carries the Holy Grail. That fellow must have decided from the beginning to sacrifice you, right?"

“Wu…Wu…” Although Irisviel couldn’t speak, her beautiful eyes were filled with resistance.

"What? Are you still fantasizing that your lover hasn't betrayed you? Or... do you really believe that Emiya Kiritsugu has the resolution and desire to save everyone?" Kotomine Kirei looked at Irisviel's questioning and puzzled gaze with some amusement, and continued, "Mrs. Irisviel, let me tell you something. Not long ago, just in Fuyuki alone, tens of thousands of resentful people suddenly appeared."

“…” Irisviel didn’t understand what the other party was trying to say. She only knew that this feeling of suffocating but unable to die again was constantly tormenting her, making her mind and spirit wither.

"Don't you understand? Then explain it more clearly. This newly revived resentment is directed only at one person—Emiya Kiritsugu and those close to him. Do you understand? Mrs. Irisviel, your beloved Emiya Kiritsugu caused the deaths of over tens of thousands of people in Fuyuki City in an instant."

Irisviel's beautiful eyes widened at Kotomine Kirei's words. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Emiya Kiritsugu... had caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Fuyuki City? How could this be possible? How could Emiya Kiritsugu do such a thing?

Irisviel refused to believe Emiya Kiritsugu would do such a thing; it was simply absurd. However, Kotomine Kirei's next words gave Irisviel a chill.

"Oh? Do you really think Emiya Kiritsugu wouldn't do such a thing? To save the lives of the people in a city, he once personally blew up an entire plane, including the life of the person who was like a teacher and a mother to him. Emiya Kiritsugu is that kind of guy. For the justice in his heart, he would sacrifice everything. Don't you know him best in this regard, Mrs. Irisviel?" Kotomine Kirei spoke slowly, word by word, and then revealed a devilishly happy smile, saying, "If someone told him at this moment that he only needed to destroy everyone in Fuyuki City to save the vast majority of people in the world... then, what do you think your lover would choose?"

"Ugh——!"

Irisviel was naturally aware of Emiya Kiritsugu's ideals, and also of his determination to achieve them at all costs. It was precisely because of this that she understood where the answer to Kotomine Kirei's question would ultimately lead.

"It seems that you understand too. I am very honored. At the last moment of my death, on the line between life and death, I witnessed that purgatory on earth, witnessed the raging fire engulfing the entire Fuyuki, causing countless people to wail and despair, their lives constantly slipping away, and their souls roaring in the abyss... Ah, that feeling was really wonderful. That was the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, Mrs. Irisviel." Kotomine Kirei said with an extremely happy smile.

"Evil...demon..." Irisviel used up her last bit of strength to utter those two words.

Chapter 124: Scavenger

"A demon? Hahahaha, I really do want to be a demonic being like that—but unfortunately, I'm already dead and can only stay here. I can't recreate that beautiful scene like the demon that actually caused all this."

As Kotomine Kirei spoke, he couldn't help but apply a little more force to his hands, making Irisviel's pain even worse, extremely torturous.

"So... I still feel resentment, Mrs. Irisviel. That man, Emiya Kiritsugu, allowed me to witness such a beautiful sight, and I should have been grateful to him... However, he also took my life, preventing me from personally creating such a sweet spring to delight my soul. My life ended abruptly like this—I haven't even been able to enjoy that supreme pleasure again, and it's been deprived of me forever. Irisviel, let me take this resentment from you first—until that man, Emiya Kiritsugu, goes to hell."

Kotomine Kirei exerted more and more force with his hands. Unable to die, he brought Irisviel only more acute pain and mental torture. And this torture would continue until the day Emiya Kiritsugu was completely dead.

But even more than the pain in her neck, Irisviel's heart was filled with worry for Emiya Kiritsugu. Was everything really as Kotomine Kirei had said? Was Kiritsugu willing to sacrifice an entire city for his ideal? Irisviel knew that fulfilling her wish to save the world would come at a price. Both she and Kiritsugu were prepared to sacrifice themselves for this ideal.

But why... why was the price so cruel... an entire city's lives were lost because of Kiritsugu. Even if his wish were granted, would Kiritsugu truly feel better? Was it all really worth it?

Powerless. Even more than the pain and torture inflicted by Kotomine Kirei, Irisviel felt a greater sense of helplessness at this very fact. She finally understood why this environment was so hostile to her. In this hell beneath the winter trees, the countless resentments Kiritsugu had buried would forever be locked upon Emiya Kiritsugu, the tormenter and the "culprit" who had caused it all.

Regardless of whether they become heroes of the world or not... in Fuyuki City, they are both eternal sinners.

How much time had passed? A moment? Or an eternity? The immense pain gradually began to dull, and all that awaited Irisviel was endless emptiness. Irisviel looked at Kotomine Kirei, his devilish smile. She knew that beyond this extreme resentment, there would be much more to come. She would be tormented by these creatures for eternity.

Was this perhaps... the obsession Saber had spoken of? Why did she have no memory of it? Was it because the weight of her sin had made her forget? Or perhaps, her own torment had already begun, and in the long period of panic and torment, she had long since lost that memory?

But he finally understood the obsession that kept him here forever... If everything Kotomine Kirei said was true, then he... must have stayed here to atone for his sins.

"Shh-"

"Uh!"

A flash of dark green light flashed by, and a muffled groan echoed. Irisviel felt the hands gripping her neck suddenly loosen, and she fell to the ground. The prolonged suffocation and agony had left her with no strength left to stand, and her consciousness was hazy for a moment. However, she eventually shook her head, regaining consciousness.

"C... Caster?" A doubtful voice came out of Tan's mouth, and at this time, a man surrounded by black mist appeared in front of Irisviel. He used his dark green sword to easily crush the devilish smile of Kotomine Kirei, turning it into purple-black mist. The broken purple-black mist was absorbed by the man's sword and lingered around the man, looking a little evil.

"Hello again, Ms. Irisviel. Are you alright?" The man's gentle voice reached her ears, stirring strange emotions within her. She looked up and saw him extending his hand, just as he had done that night. When she was about to die at the hands of Kotomine Kirei, he had descended from the sky to save her. Just like now, he was extending his hand to her.

……

"There's a lot of resentment and obsession here. It was only after I found Leticia's obsession that I realized it was tainted with your presence, Mrs. Irisviel. Then I followed that presence towards this direction. Just when I was about to find it, I realized the sound and presence somehow stopped in this direction. I quickened my pace to follow, but after walking for a while, I couldn't find it. I thought I was mistaken and had gone in the wrong direction."

As Wang Chong spoke, he gently brushed the Ruined King's Blade, smoothing out the lingering purple-black color. He then continued, "I had just moved away from here when I noticed a sudden commotion. So I rushed back here. Fortunately, I made it in time. Otherwise, when your soul, Mrs. Irisviel, is completely weakened, it would have been devoured by them for nourishment."

Listening to Wang Chong's words, Irisviel didn't know where to begin. Especially after hearing that Wang Chong had just buried the obsession of her former Master, Leticia, the guilt in her heart became more and more overwhelming, and she could hardly control herself. Finally, she couldn't help but whispered, "I'm sorry... I..."

"Is it about Leticia? Madam, you don't need to worry about it anymore." However, Wang Chong shook his head, smiled faintly, and said, "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of human nature. Besides, at the end of the Holy Grail War, only one person remained. If you want to blame someone, you can only blame my inferior skills."

"In reality, Letitia never blamed you, Madam. She simply stayed in this place for too long, slowly becoming absorbed by the resentment. In fact, she passed away quite peacefully during my final moments of care. It's just that I had some obsessions I couldn't let go of, and other commitments required me to continue living in the mortal world for a while, so I didn't look for her immediately. This led to this situation."

"Miss Leticia's obsession...what is it?" Irisviel couldn't help but ask.

"Hasn't Leticia already made her obsession known to Madam through her actions?"

"Eh?"

"Letitia... in her final moments, she was actually worried about you, Madam. She and I both know that some things aren't your or the Knight King's will, nor are they your responsibility. Letitia hoped I could stay and help you, Madam, stop that man. It's a shame I ultimately failed by a single move," Wang Chong said slowly. "That was Letitia's obsession. She worried about me, the Knight King, ■■, and you, Madam. Ultimately, after meeting three of the four of us, she completely let go of her obsession and returned to her original state."

"That's why, Mrs. Irisviel, you don't need to worry about it. Your arrival is actually a relief for her."

"..." Although Irisviel didn't know why a part of Wang Chong's words was blurry, she understood the general meaning. However, Wang Chong and Letitia's understanding of her made Irisviel feel even more ashamed and guilty, unable to calm down for a long time.

"Hmm..." Suddenly, Wang Chong frowned and began to tremble all over, as if he was enduring some pain. The hand that was originally trying to smooth out the purple-black mist began to struggle. The purple-black mist was also struggling desperately, running around, trying to escape from Wang Chong's hand.

"Mr. Caster! What's wrong with you?" Irisviel was surprised and couldn't help but say.

Wang Chong ignored it and just tried his best to hold the purple-black mist tightly with his hands. The veins on his hands were bulging, and a hint of purple-black aura appeared in his open eyes.

“Ugh—Ahhh!!!”

With a furious roar, Wang Chong finally smoothed out the last trace of the purple-black mist, which eventually turned into a faint white mist that drifted away from Wang Chong's hands. Wang Chong gasped a few times, and the purple-black evil aura in his eyes disappeared.

"This...what is going on?" Irisviel couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing... I have to stay here for some special reasons to clear away these resentments." Wang Chong shook his head slightly, then smiled and said, "It's just a scavenger in hell, no big deal. As the saying goes, if I don't go to hell, who will?"

Chapter 125: Suffering on Behalf of Her Husband

"Clear the resentment here?" Irisviel watched Wang Chong transform Kotomine Kirei into purple-black mist, and then completely dissipate the purple-black mist. In an instant, she understood what Wang Chong had done.

"Well, there were too many casualties here at once, and it was too tragic. As a result, countless resentments accumulated here at once. These resentments devoured each other, strengthened themselves, and eventually broke the boundary between life and death, descending into the mortal world to become a demon that poisoned all living things. Then it would be another bloody storm. In order to avoid that situation, someone has to do something here. Madam, do you still remember my abilities?" Wang Chong stood up, his face a little pale, and said.

"Is it... devouring and manipulating those dead ghosts?" Irisviel had seen Wang Chong gather the dead souls together to form a ghost army on the first night, so she reacted quickly.

"Yes, this power of mine can directly transform any soul into a pure ghost warrior, even if it is contaminated by various auras, obsessions, or even resentful spirits full of resentment. After the transformation is completed, the obsessions and resentments on those souls will be completely stripped away. As long as I liberate this ghost soul, it will turn into the purest soul, return to its original place, and enter reincarnation again." Wang Chong said slowly.

"Can you send those souls back to their original place so easily just by relying on force?" Irisviel listened to the other party's understated description and keenly realized that the other party was avoiding the important issues, especially since she had just seen Wang Chong in such pain.

"Of course it won't be that simple," Wang Chong said. "The deeper their resentment, the harder it will be to transform it into something pure. Not only will I need to use my strength to erode their power, but I'll also have to endure the evil contamination brought about by the root of that resentment. Take Kotomine Kirei just now, for example. His heart wasn't just filled with resentment, but also pure evil. I can only use my soul and will to carry that malice, and only then can I successfully transform it completely."

"How could that be... Doesn't that mean that all that resentment and malice will be directed at you, Caster?" Irisviel said, her face pale.

"Someone has to do this. Like I said before, if I don't go to hell, who will? Since I have the power, I'll try to finish these things before I can no longer hold on. That way, I can also end my obsession with staying here." Wang Chong seemed unconcerned. After speaking, he extended his hand to Mrs. Irisviel and said, "Mrs. Irisviel, everything is a foregone conclusion. Don't stay here any longer. Returning to the original place is the end of life. Give me your hand. For the sake of our acquaintance, I will let you leave here without pain."

“…” Irisviel was silent for a while, but did not immediately shake Wang Chong’s hand. Instead, she slowly said, “Caster, do you know what happened at the end of the Holy Grail War? Did Kiritsugu’s wish… really come true?”

"...The Holy Grail War is a hoax." Wang Chong's expression lost its previous calmness and became heavy.