The villain's journey from the Type-Moon world

When Tōsaka Tokiomi and Ooshige suddenly fast-forwarded to the conclusion of the negotiations, the others were left with a dreadful headache from the sudden onslaught of information. Only a few exceptional Servants quickly sorted out the cause and effect and began gathering their strength to prepare for battle. They knew that if the negotiations broke down, they would likely be met with a truly devastating onslaught and a brutal decisive battle.

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

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 away. He couldn't be unaware of the character of the people he sent. Maybe Illya wasn't killed, but was specifically asked to be taken away by Kiritsugu." A glimmer of hope rose in Irisviel's heart. She looked up at the fortress high in the sky. Perhaps her daughter was in that fortress.

Perhaps it was the mother-daughter bond, or perhaps for some other reason, but Irisviel felt that she saw her daughter Illya sitting somewhere, staring at her excitedly.

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

"If that's the case, you should start your offensive now instead of speaking so lightly... right? Mr. Dio. How about we speak frankly? Let's not waste each other's time anymore." Tōsaka Tokiomi 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."

"So what does Mr. Dio mean?" Tōsaka Tokiomi asked, frowning slightly.

"I can only guarantee that my servant, Jeanne d'Arc, and I will leave today. But the rest of the people will be dealt with by you," Wang Chong said.

"Only trading two for retreat? That alone isn't enough to leave Emiya Kiritsugu to you." Tōsaka Tokiomi frowned. While the loss of a True Ancestor did reduce the pressure, there was still that mysterious castle in the sky, and the remaining Servants were no pushovers. The battle would likely continue. His tone suggested he only cared about Emiya Kiritsugu's life and death, completely unconcerned with the other Masters and Servants.

Furthermore, since Emiya Kiritsugu's Servant, Mordred, had already left the scene, it seemed that these two were just planning to sit back and watch the fight, conserving their strength until they had fought the other Masters to the death before reaping the rewards. This was definitely unacceptable to Tōsaka Tokiomi.

As if he could read Tōsaka Tokiomi's thoughts, Wang Chong curled his lips and continued, "Ha, then let's change the terms. Since I'm leaving with my Servant, then in return, two of your Servants will not be able to attack again tonight. Two for two, that's fair, right?"

Tōsaka Tokiomi was stunned for a moment, as if he had thought of something. He suppressed his joy and said in a deep voice, "Which two Servants do you want to stop attacking?"

"Since you, Tōsaka Tokiomi, have made this request yourself, how about your Servants also not attacking anyone on our side? Of course, they won't attack you or your Servants today," Wang Chong said. "As for the second person, that's this Ruler. She can't attack either. Otherwise, my Jeanne won't be able to watch meekly any longer."

After hearing this request, Tōsaka Tokiomi was just about to agree to it. This way, not only could he get out of the battle, but he would also have Emiya Kiritsugu as a hostage, which allowed him to continue his operations later.

But Jeanne had a different thought after hearing this. If she couldn't take action, these Servants wouldn't be a match for the other Servants. Iskandar was the only one still standing; Artoria and Diarmait were both injured. Even at their peak, they couldn't match the fortress in the sky, let alone the incredibly powerful Atalanta and the Gorgon sisters on the ground.

"No! I won't agree to this request!" Jeanne immediately stopped him. "I can allow Kiritsugu to be exchanged as a hostage, but asking me to surrender is absolutely impossible."

"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 Tōsaka Tokiomi didn't think so. He knew the King of Heroes still had a truly powerful Noble Phantasm that he hadn't yet activated. Once unleashed, even the castle in the sky could be completely destroyed. And naturally, this ultimate killing move would be more effective the longer it was left behind. Especially when the enemy thought they had the upper hand, they could suddenly unleash it! Then, they could completely wipe out all of the 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 just don't believe that your turtle shell can keep blocking the enemy forever." Wang Chong said coldly.

"Lord Jeanne, you should just agree. There's not much hope anyway, so why not go in the direction that has a greater chance of winning? As long as you and I are still here, we might still be able to defeat them tomorrow." Tōsaka Tokiomi also wanted to win over Ruler. With the help of this judge, the chances of winning would probably be even greater, so he tried his best to persuade him.

"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 this moment, a voice came into Joan of Arc's mind.

"! Mr. Wang Chong! Are you awake?" Joan of Arc said happily after hearing this.

"Ah, I woke up not long ago. I've heard everything you said. With me here, our fighting power won't be any worse than theirs... and I have a way to get through this night safely and force them to withdraw temporarily. And only by agreeing to their request can we have a chance to keep Kiritsugu here, so that we can deal with the upcoming difficulties." Wang Chong's voice was transmitted to Jeanne in the form of black mist.

"Do you have a solution? What... what? It's this method... There is indeed a chance, but will he agree?" Before Joan of Arc could even ask, she heard the solution Wang Chong had come up with and quickly understood its feasibility.

"He will. I've always said I never misjudge people." Wang Chong's voice continued.

"Okay... then it's all up to you." After Jeanne finished her reply, she saw the two sides about to fight, and immediately said, "Wait a minute!"

"What? Ruler Joan, have you figured it out?" Wang Chong was naturally aware that Joan had been convinced by him, but as Dio, he still had to pretend that he didn't know what she was thinking and looked at Joan and asked.

"I agree. But you must sign a strongly binding contract." Joan of Arc said seriously.

Chapter 175 The Only Way to Break the Deadlock

Finally, after Gilgamesh pulled out a treasure from the King's Treasure, a contract that bound even gods, he signed his name with a look of anticipation before handing it over to Tōsaka Tokiomi. Afterward, Tōsaka Tokiomi, Jeanne, Wang Chong, and Black Jeanne all filled out the contract as instructed.

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

The negotiations were supposed to be conducted with Emiya Kiritsugu as a hostage, but somehow the terms had inexplicably morphed into a mutual surrender of two men. After agreeing to the terms, Jeanne instinctively felt a slight discomfort, but every time she thought about it, she quickly dismissed it. As long as the outcome was positive, Jeanne didn't care about the details. She could figure out the details after the war.

"But the other party has indeed not given up on Emiya Kiritsugu. He added a condition, that is, we must not kill Emiya Kiritsugu... at least before the next night. In this way, there is a high possibility that Emiya Kiritsugu will be rescued before the next night." Jeanne thought so.

"Now that the contract has been signed, it's time to remove this treasure." Wang Chong looked at Jeanne and said.

"..." At this point, Joan of Arc could only remove the effect of her Noble Phantasm because she had already felt the constraints of the contract.

"Then... I hope you can still see the sun tomorrow, hahahaha." With that, Wang Chong, impersonating Dio, vanished from everyone's sight with a wild laugh. After feeling the oppressive pressure dissipate, most people breathed a sigh of relief. However, Joan of Arc looked unhappy. She immediately declared, "Everyone, get out!"

Iskandar was the second to react, as he sensed a high-energy reaction from the air. He drove his chariot forward with his Master and his men, while shouting, "Saber, Lancer, take the Master with you!"

At this moment, a bright light blazed from the castle, and a massive beam of light blasted directly at the crowd. Gilgamesh and Tōsaka Tokiomi were naturally the first to get out of the way, thanks to a kind reminder from someone due to their contract, as was Kotomine Kirei. Jeanne also dodged the beam of light immediately after receiving the warning, while the others were a fraction slower to react and were about to be hit.

"boom!"

A massive energy wave reaction suddenly hit. Jeanne, braving the wind pressure, tried to check the situation inside. Remember, Caster Wang Chongjun was also within range. As the light cannon dissipated and the energy aftermath faded, several figures appeared.

The figure in the front was seen wielding a large amount of black mist, spitting blood. It seemed that he had withstood the bombardment. Behind him were the Altria and Diarmuid groups.

"Caster, thank you so much." Diarmait had originally prepared himself for martyrdom, standing in front of Sora. However, he had no idea that the final bombardment would be stopped by the Ruined King.

"Nothing. After all, we are now grasshoppers tied to the same... string."

The one who stood up and intercepted the light cannon was none other than Wang Chong, who had re-interchanged the positions of his clone and original body under the cannon's cover. He now continued to act as Caster again, feigning weakness as he spoke.

"Let's fight it out! Warriors, charge with me!" Iskandar led the dozen or so remaining warriors, charging towards the opposing Heroic Spirits. However, the first thing Iskandar faced was a hail of Atalanta's light arrows. Undeterred, Iskandar wielded his lightning bolts to blast away the arrows. His dozen strongest generals also used all their might to clear the way, wielding their weapons to ward off the arrows. Ultimately, Iskandar and his men, with their powerful presence, dispersed the opposing Servants.

However, Atalanta activated her wild hunt mode, surrounding the remaining personnel, including Iskandar, and ruthlessly harvesting their lives. Meanwhile, the Gorgon sisters also began to wait in formation, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Iskandar at any moment.

"Not good. If this continues, Rider will definitely lose." Artoria was about to step forward, but was immediately stopped by Wang Chong.

"Stop!"

"Boom boom boom boom!!"

The sound of explosions happened to come from the land where Artoria was about to move forward. Artoria was startled and realized that the enemies she and others were facing were not only the people on the ground, but also the castle in the sky.

“What should we do… Without the protection of Jeanne d’Arc and the powerful Noble Phantasm of the Hero King, even if we can defeat these servants on the ground, is there really a way to defeat the fortress in the sky?” At this moment, even Diarmait was a little shaken, and said, gripping the gun tightly.

"It's very difficult. Originally, the Hero King and I were almost able to break through the castle together, but you saw the result... We were defeated by an unknown and terrifying strong man using strange means. If we want to reverse the current situation and force the other party to retreat, we need to show even greater strength... It's a pity that I have too little preparation and time, otherwise I could also come up with something that can destroy the fortress's defensive formation." Wang Chong shook his head and said.

"Then can we work together to break the shield of the castle?" asked Altria.

"No... It's not a matter of just a few people working together, but we have to reach that level. To use Noble Phantasms as an example, anti-human and anti-military Noble Phantasms are completely insufficient, even if we combine our forces... Only anti-city Noble Phantasms above these 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. Now that she was injured, she was unable to use her anti-city Noble Phantasm. However, Artoria's subconscious action was noticed by Diarmait.

"Take your Master to Jeanne's side, then the magic cannon may not bombard your Master in the future, so you can free yourself to deal with those servants. I'll go help Iskandar first. Let's talk about the fortress in the sky after we deal with these servants on the ground!" After Wang Chong finished speaking, he rushed forward without saying a word.

"Diarmait, let's take the Master to a safe place first. Then we can go help Caster. Diarmait?" Artoria said as she carried the still dazed Irisviel on her back, ready to take her to Jeanne. But at this moment, she found that Diarmait was standing there in a daze, not seeming to be thinking about anything.

"I'm fine. Lady Sora, let's go too." Diarmait extended his hand to the trembling Sora behind him. Sora nodded frantically, her legs shaking from the life-or-death experience. Seeing this, Diarmait could only sigh and say, "Excuse me." He then scooped Sora up in his princess's arms and rushed over to Jeanne's side.

Wang Chong, accompanied by a large amount of black mist, charged towards Iskandar. Seeing the newcomer, Iskandar laughed and said, "Caster, I didn't expect you to wake up at this critical moment."

"To some extent, it is all thanks to you, the Conqueror King. If it weren't for those kings and those dead monsters, how could I have obtained so many ghosts again and awakened again." Wang Chong glanced at the progress bar of his own Power of Destruction. This time, he absorbed tens of thousands of ghosts, and the progress bar rose by 4%, reaching 14%.

"Every time I use my treasure, you are the one who gets the benefit." Iskandar said with a wry smile.

"Shouldn't you say that the two of us are the most suitable allies?" Wang Chong said, leaning his back against Iskandar and cutting off all the light arrows with one sword.

"It's a pity that I can't maintain this barrier. When the last of my men dies, I won't be able to trap the castle anymore." Iskandar said with a hint of worry.

"Even if we defeat these guys, if we can't get rid of the fortress, I'm afraid there's no way... Caster, your Noble Phantasm's power has absorbed so many souls, can it break this fortress?" Iskandar said, pointing to the fortress in the sky.

"I may not be able to do it, but...someone can."

"Who...wait, are you saying?"

"It all depends on what choice Diarmait will make. I've said what needs to be said. Let me be the villain," Wang Chong said. He waved his hand and released a swarm of black mist spirits. While being showered by the magic bullets from the air, he simultaneously held the three Servants there, giving Artoria and Diarmait ample time to think. He believed Diarmait would make the same choice as in the original novel. After all, this was the only way out of the current situation.

Chapter 176 Light Cannon VS Magic Cannon

After handing the Master over to Jeanne, Diarmait and Artoria ran side by side, dodging magic bullets while running towards the center of the battlefield.

"Saber." When they were about to resist the battlefield, Diarmait suddenly called out to Artoria.

"What's wrong? Lancer?" Altria asked.

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

Hearing Diarmuid's question, Artoria couldn't help but stop, and finally nodded in confirmation.

“Is it a Noble Phantasm that can destroy that fortress with one strike?” Diarmait asked.

"I'm not sure I can completely destroy the fortress with one strike, but breaking that defensive spell is no problem at all." Artoria reassured him, but then she changed the subject and continued, "But Lancer, the weight of my sword is the weight of my honor. The wounds left by my battle with you are honor, not shackles. If a left hand can buy Diarmuid Oud's side in battle, then I'm 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 the guy who just appeared. The evil and oppression he displayed are unimaginable. And those servants who tarnished this sacred duel, I cannot bear to see this battle continue. I swear on my knight's oath that I will never let go of such evil and injustice." Diarmait inserted the red spear into the ground and held the yellow spear with both hands.

"Lancer, you can't do this!" As early as when she heard Diarmait's first words, Artoria vaguely guessed what Diarmait wanted to do. She didn't want Diarmait to break her treasure because of this.

"From that night's duel until now, who must have won, Saber or Lancer? No, neither. What must prevail now is the chivalric way we all uphold. Isn't that right, Heroic Spirit Artoria?" Diarmait said, snapping his own mortal yellow rose. A golden vortex of air swirled around Diarmait, soaring into the sky. Even the Servants still battling in the distance couldn't help but glance in that direction.

"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 Knight King. I leave it to you, Saber," Diarmait said.

"I accept, Lancer. Now, I pledge victory with my sword." Artoria clenched her left hand. Feeling it had completely healed, she grasped the holy sword with both hands and raised it. At that moment, the Wind King barrier on the holy sword completely disappeared, revealing a golden glow. At that moment, a powerful surge of magical energy was released, lingering around 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 screen. Even from a long distance, she could feel the amazing magical power.

"No wonder the Master said that even if I summoned the Hanging Gardens, I still have to be careful with this generation of servants. Haha, then let me experience the power of the legendary holy sword. Remove all defenses and focus the spells on the magic cannon, and see whether your Noble Phantasm is stronger or my magic cannon is better!" Semiramis rose up with a unwillingness to admit defeat, controlling the magic spells of the entire castle, ready to aim at Artoria and bombard her.

"Hmph..." Mordred was also nearby. Illya sat on her shoulder, curiously observing the various projections. When Mordred saw Altria about to unleash her most powerful Noble Phantasm, a flicker of hope ignited within her, her previously dimmed heart. She stared intently, anticipating the ensuing battle.

"Is this coming?" Wang Chong, the only one who knew the specific situation, began to secretly order Atalanta and the others to evacuate. After receiving the order, the three stopped besieging Wang Chong and Iskandar and instead retreated.

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

"Diarmait just broke his Noble Phantasm... Saber is about to unleash her strongest Noble Phantasm. I'm afraid this astonishing magical power has also been sensed by the opponent's Caster, so... an extremely unimaginable confrontation may occur here. King of Conquerors, let's get away from here quickly. The energy impact later may make your barrier unable to maintain." Wang Chong said immediately.

"Wow... that's really worth seeing. Boy, don't lie there, let's go and find a good position to observe it thoroughly." Iskandar patted Weber, who was still lying in the chariot to avoid danger, and said.

"...Then I must serve as the final gatekeeper. After all, I can't let the Foolish King tear down my castle." After watching Iskandar walk away, Wang Chong immediately switched positions with his clone, reappearing on the castle. He then walked towards the direction of the magic cannon technique.

……

Soon, Artoria below was ready to strike. She shifted the holy sword she held to a backward position. Countless golden points of light began to condense on the sword. Even the inherent barrier could not prevent the external magic from seeping in, charging the holy sword.

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, and the space began to tremble. The specifications of the magic cannon this time exceeded the specifications of the previous two times, and it seemed to be determined to kill Artoria completely.

Of course, Artoria's energy was completely recharged at this moment. At this moment, Artoria seemed to have regained her once invincible will and mood. She dragged her sword upwards and shouted the most classic line of her Noble Phantasm:

"Ex—calibur!!" (Sword of Promised Victory)

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

"Om-"

The high-frequency sound and high-energy reaction caused space to begin to shatter at the junction of the light cannon and the magic cannon. Iskandar couldn't help but cough up a trace of blood. He knew that his barrier could no longer hold. Looking at the light, he couldn't help but sigh: "What a dazzling light, Saber... Carrying the hopes of an entire era and all the people on your shoulders has created such majesty. But it is also because of this brilliance that it makes people feel heartbroken. What's more, the one carrying such a heavy burden is such an ignorant little girl. She has never been loved like a butterfly or a flower, nor has she ever fallen deeply in love. She has been haunted by the curse called ideals for a lifetime, and the result is that she has become like that... It makes me sad and unwilling to look at it."

Iskandar didn't fail to understand Artoria. On the contrary, he deeply respected the Knight King's choice to shoulder all that. It was precisely because of this that he felt anger. It wasn't anger directed at Artoria, but anger at that era, at the end of the Age of Gods, when a young girl was forced to shoulder everything she shouldn't have.

However, Artoria, wielding the Sword of Promised Victory, naturally had no idea of ​​Iskandar's feelings. She now wanted to achieve 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--!!!" Astonishing magical power erupted from Altria's body. The beam of light instantly grew stronger, crushing the magic cannon like a hot knife through butter and crashing directly into the hanging garden in the sky.

"Boom!" A dazzling white light illuminated the sky, and the barrier shattered at this moment. The white light completely swallowed everyone's sight.

Chapter 177 The Third Night Ends

The night in Fuyuki City should have been quiet and somewhat dim. But then, at the Tōsaka residence, a burst of light suddenly erupted from the void, a golden glow reaching the sky. The deafening sound echoed throughout Fuyuki City, drawing the glances of countless passersby still awake. It was as if announcing its presence before the eyes of the masses. Even Kotomine Risei, watching this scene from afar in the church, felt a wave of daze. But then a sharp pain hit him. With such a commotion, how could he find a good excuse to cover it up?

"I'll have to inconvenience Tokiomi. We can just say it was a gas leak and explosion at the Tōsaka family. Tsk, we need to contact those important people right away and have them seal off that area." Kotomine Risei immediately began to perform his duties, suppressing the commotion caused by the Holy Grail War. After all, as everyone knows, the Holy Grail War is conducted in secret.

Just as Kotomine Ri was busy, a group of Masters and Servants from the Tōsaka clan were thrown out of Iskandar's inherent barrier, each of them looking somewhat distressed. The clashing magical power of light cannons and magic cannons was too much for ordinary people to withstand. Only Jeanne was better off, using the power of her Noble Phantasm to protect the two female Masters, Sora and Irisviel, from harm.

Among those injured, Iskandar was probably the most seriously injured. Having his barrier forcibly ripped apart must have been unpleasant. He clutched his chest, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted. The pain was unbearable. The fact that Iskandar could still stand, awaiting the outcome, was truly remarkable.

"What was the outcome?" Iskandar muttered, staring at the center of the light. Not only him, but all the other Servants were awaiting the final outcome. When the light faded, the first person to emerge was Artoria, panting heavily, clutching the holy sword in both hands, struggling to hold herself together. She had exhausted nearly all of her strength in order to completely destroy the Hanging Garden, and now, simply standing was a struggle.

"Did you win?" Artoria also looked up and pretended to be calm, pretending to be unharmed.

At that moment, a shadow descended from the sky, revealing the owner of the shadow—the Hanging Gardens—still standing. A shadow immediately enveloped everyone's mind and body. If even Altria's powerful attack couldn't destroy the castle, what kind of Noble Phantasm could possibly do the same?

But there were still sharp-eyed servants who noticed something different. Gilgamesh and Iskandar became thoughtful, and Artoria, who was closest to them, discovered that the original protective spell had not been activated, and the attack spell that launched the magic cannon seemed to have been destroyed. It kept flashing with electric sparks and there was no sign of gathering magic power again.