The villain's journey from the Type-Moon world

Chapter 275: The Separation of People

The group raced through the streets, adorned with ancient architecture, towards the domed, coliseum-like structure in the center. The only sound along the way was the clatter of their sprinting hordes. The entire neighborhood was silent, devoid of enemies and no reinforcements. In this eerie silence, the group's newly relaxed mood, having successfully escaped the underground palace, was once again filled with a heaviness and tension.

The silence was eerily quiet, and everyone was bracing themselves for obstacles or potential collisions with Servants. But until they all reached the arena building and faced the gate, they encountered no difficulty or obstacles. It was all going so smoothly, it was almost too much.

"I have a feeling that something is wrong. Did the other party really not notice our approach? Why is there no obstruction at all?" Weber asked worriedly.

"Not only that, the surroundings are too quiet. There are no monsters or servants. Although there is a big door in front of us, but... look, just like this, it can be pushed open with just a slight push, just like inviting someone into a trap." Wang Chong pushed the door lightly, and the door was pushed open easily, and he could see a red carpet laid on the road ahead.

"What should we do? Should we go in?" Artoria looked at Wang Chong and asked.

"Go in, there is no other way now. Jeanne, be ready to use your treasure at any time to prevent any trap attacks." Wang Chong said.

"Okay." Joan of Arc also took out her weapon, ready to activate her own treasure barrier at any time.

"Come, let me, the King of Conquerors, see what kind of person that self-proclaimed Empress of Assyria is." Iskandar pushed the door open further and was the first to walk in. The others immediately followed, stepping into the final core area together.

After entering, the first thing they saw was a large and long corridor. As they walked forward, they observed their surroundings. Waver looked around and couldn't help but exclaim, "This place is really huge."

"Well, but as a building, it does show luxury and power to the utmost. It seems that the woman is also an extremely ambitious person." Iskandar said after looking at the dazzling silver colors and architectural styles around him.

"Look, there is a covered area at the end of the road, and there is a big gate." Alice said, pointing to the front.

"It's just like a palace... Do you treat this place as your own palace?" Artoria also noticed the familiar architectural layout. After all, her own palace was almost like this. When arriving at the main hall, there always needed a wide and long corridor for the ministers to enter and exit conveniently.

"This is the last place. Everyone, get ready for battle." When Wang Chong arrived at the gate at the end, he placed his hand at the entrance and looked at the people behind him and said.

After everyone looked at each other, a look of determination appeared on their faces. They nodded to Wang Chong. They had all been waiting for this moment to come.

"Alright." Wang Chong immediately pushed the door open and entered. He was greeted by a throne atop a mountain surrounded by numerous metal spikes. Sitting atop the throne was a strikingly beautiful woman, exuding a strong aura of superiority. She looked down upon these "uninvited guests" who had intruded upon her palace, as if she had never taken them seriously.

Needless to say, everyone knew that the woman in front of them was the owner of the Hanging Gardens Noble Phantasm: Semiramis.

"He actually sits on the throne by himself without any guards around him. Should we say that he is brave and skilled, or arrogant?" Wang Chong said, looking at Semiramis who was sitting above him.

"You have barged into my palace, not knowing even the basic etiquette of an audience with the Empress, but you are so arrogant. Are you all barbarians who only know how to wield swords and guns?" Semiramis responded to Wang Chong's words with sarcasm, her attitude still condescending, with no intention of backing down.

"What nonsense are you talking about, you alien Caster. Let's not talk about me, Rider. We were all kings once, and there is no difference between us. Now it's the Holy Grail War, and your kingdom was destroyed many years ago. Put away your condescending attitude, and now it's our turn to end this battlefield you created. Everything should come to an end!" Artoria said, holding the holy sword and pointing at Semiramis.

"Although three against one is a bit unfair, your home advantage and your actions today have already made up for this injustice. We have overcome all the traps and obstacles you set and come before the emperor. Now it is time for you to show your kingly ability and accept the challenge of people like us." At this moment, Iskandar summoned the ox cart again and jumped onto the chariot.

"Let me experience the power of you, the Assyrian Queen. You once owned that land, and it was later successfully conquered by me, King of Conquerors Iskandar. Now let's see if you are qualified to stop my conquest! Haha..."

"Ha ha ha ha!!!"

Iskandar just laughed a few times, but then a sharper and higher-pitched female laugh echoed throughout the room. Semiramis laughed playfully, then looked at everyone below with contempt.

"Overcome obstacles? Demonstrate strength? Accept challenges? Don't make me laugh," Semiramis said. "Do you think you got here on your own? Do you really think your impulsive actions will obscure your purpose?"

"I led you here!" The moment she finished speaking, Semiramis waved her hand, and holes suddenly appeared in the surrounding spiked fences, and then a large amount of purple gas spewed out.

"Be careful! This is poison gas! My Lord is here!" Since Joan of Arc could see through all the skills and information of the opponent, she immediately deployed her own Noble Phantasm barrier to cover everyone.

"Is it poison? No wonder... There is a legend that Semiramis poisons her superiors. With a toxin like this, even the slightest contact will kill you." Weber, who was hiding under the barrier, couldn't help but say.

"Everyone, please retreat temporarily. Although we have Jeanne's flag protecting us, if Semiramis has other means of attack and breaks the shield, the Master will be killed in an instant given his physical condition! We simply cannot fight with Madam Ellie and the others in this extremely toxic environment." At this time, Wang Chong used the Blade of the Ruined King to hold up the door that was almost closed, and spoke sternly to the others.

Seeing that the entrance gate was about to close, everyone rushed out without saying a word. Even Iskandar took back the ox cart he had just summoned and temporarily retreated with Weber.

When Altria left, the only ones left were Jeanne, who was still using her Noble Phantasm to block the poisonous mist from escaping, and Wang Chong, who was holding the door with his sword.

"Joan of Arc, we're together." Wang Chong looked at Joan of Arc and said.

"Okay... woo!"

"Did you really think I would let you escape? Gravity is reversed!"

Just as Joan of Arc was about to rush out with Wang Chong, she suddenly discovered that the direction of gravity had reversed and she was flying straight up.

"Joan of Arc!" As Joan of Arc moved away, the protective barrier also began to move away from the gate. Once its coverage left the gate, the poison gas would leak out through the doorway, killing everyone inside. Consequently, Wang Chong drew his sword and used the black mist to fly towards Joan of Arc. The gate closed completely, leaving only the exclamations of his companions behind.

Chapter 276: The Divided Battlefield

"Mr. Wang Chong! Joan of Arc!" Artoria shouted, looking at the door that had closed again, wanting to push it open, but when she thought of the poisonous gas behind the door, she did not make an impulsive decision.

"Irisviel, please stay away from this building for now. The poisonous gas inside is very likely to leak out. Not only you, but even the servants will die if they are touched by the poison." Artoria said with her back to Irisviel.

"What about you, Saber?" Irisviel asked quickly.

"I have to stay here... Joan of Arc, Wang Chong and the others are inside. I have to split the door open so that they can get out." said Altria.

"But if you, Saber, were also contaminated by the poisonous gas..."

"It's okay. I have the Wind King's barrier, so the poison gas can't get close to me. As for you, I'm worried that after I break down the door, you won't have any defenses against the poison gas and might get hit." Altria said, looking at Iskandar, "King of Conquerors, please withdraw from here as well. I'll leave my Master in your care."

"Alright, once the poison gas dissipates, we'll come to support you. Be careful, Knight King." Iskandar understood the situation and, without pretense, immediately led Waver and Irisviel outward. However, the moment Iskandar, Waver, and Irisviel stepped out of the passage and into the outside world, the gate suddenly closed automatically.

"Oh no! Something is wrong." Iskandar pushed the door hard, and when it didn't open, he used his body to bang against it, but it didn't open at all.

"Godly Wheel!" Seeing that the situation had changed, Iskandar summoned his chariot without saying a word, then drove the chariot backward for a distance, circled back and charged towards the gate.

"Oh la la la la la!" Iskandar roared loudly, picked up the sword of Cyprus and gathered lightning to crash into the gate. The war bull also let out a "moo" roar and crashed into the gate.

"boom!"

"Stab--stab--"

There were crashing sounds and electric shocks as Waver and Irisviel looked at the scene somewhat bewilderedly. Although they also had a vague feeling that the door would close as soon as they left, and had an ominous premonition, they did not think too much about it.

"It's not good, boy, and Saber's Master. We must have fallen into a trap." Iskandar took a deep breath and said.

"What do you mean? Rider, what did you find? What exactly is going on?" Waver asked hurriedly.

"As we have seen, I am afraid the other side also knows that our group, which has gathered the strength of four servants, may suddenly raid the enemy's lair. Maybe there is really a chance of victory and destroying Semiramis." Iskandar said slowly.

"Saber is the sharpest sword among the four of us. Her power is enough to take out most Servants...at least Semiramis would definitely not be able to withstand it. She also has a long-range attack method, and has the Wind King Barrier that can restrain Semiramis's poison gas. Saber is undoubtedly the key to taking out Semiramis."

"Then there's Jeanne d'Arc and the Ruined King, Wang Chong. She possesses the strongest shield and the most powerful intelligence. No matter what strange attacks the opponent may employ, she will be able to see through them one by one and block them with her Noble Phantasm. As for the Ruined King, he's extremely versatile and can handle any situation. He can even use his Black Mist ability to hold back the opponent and obscure their vision."

"Finally, it's me. I can change the advantages and disadvantages of the combat environment and create a one-on-one or even many-on-few situation for you. That is to divide the battlefield. As the Ruined King said before, this is our only chance to defeat them." Iskandar explained.

"So... if they deal with the four of us at the same time, no matter how prepared the opponent is, even if nine Servants gather together, we still have a chance to eliminate Semiramis and destroy the Hanging Gardens, right? Therefore... in order to not give us any possibility of winning, they..." Irisviel said thoughtfully.

"So they used this poison gas to divide the battlefield before us. The final situation became that Semiramis dealt with Mr. Wang Chong and Jeanne d'Arc on her home turf. And someone inside would deal with Saber! This means that the entire situation is in the hands of the other party!" Weber also reacted and felt something was wrong.

"Indeed! I have to say that a combination like yours truly poses a significant threat to us. However, the situation has completely reversed. Hahahahaha. Rider, is your inherent barrier still as effective as before?" A hearty laugh echoed through the air, and several dark figures slowly descended from the sky. It was none other than Jeanne d'Arc and her dragon group, who had previously fought Iskandar on a flying dragon.

"Surrender yourselves! The Master has no intention of killing you. If you surrender, I will allow you to survive this Holy Grail War. But if you resist, don't blame me for killing you with my arrows." At this moment, another Heroic Spirit appeared from a high platform, bow in hand, fully drawn, aiming at the three. The sunlight shone on her graying hair; it was Atalanta.

"How can we sisters be absent from such an interesting event~" At this moment, Euryale and Little Medusa also slowly walked out from the shadow corner of the street, blocking the three people's last escape route. Seeing this, Waver and Irisviel became even more nervous, not knowing what to do now.

"Hey, hey... You really think highly of me, sending out four servants to deal with me at once." Iskandar smiled slightly, looked at the four servants who surrounded him and others on three sides, and said.

"No matter how much you think highly of yourself, King of Conquerors, you can't think highly of yourself as much as you do. Aren't you planning to pull more people into your barrier? There are only four of them now, that's just the beginning." Black Jeanne d'Arc said, waving the tip of the gun in her hand.

"Hahahaha, that's true." Iskandar put his hands on his hips and laughed out loud. Even though he was surrounded by powerful enemies, he still maintained his calm demeanor.

"But I'm more curious about who you've sent to target Saber, Wang Chong, Jeanne, and the others... As for Saber, there's no doubt that kid Mo will show up. But now that Saber has a Noble Phantasm that can be released, that kid Mo probably won't be able to defeat Saber on his own, right?" Iskandar asked.

"Haha, that's none of your concern... But I guarantee that the Knight King will have an unimaginable experience." Black Jeanne chuckled, brandishing her spear. "Come and make your choice, King of Conquerors. You should know that with your current strength, you absolutely cannot defeat us. Instead of wasting time, it's better to make the right choice. At least, you can keep those two human Masters alive."

"Hahaha... I, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors. My life's mission is to conquer others and move forward without hesitation. I'm a King of Conquerors who never surrenders. Even if it might be the wrong choice, I'll still fight to the end!"

Iskandar laughed at first, then his face turned serious, and the light of the inherent barrier appeared on his body again, enveloping everyone around him.

When the white light in everyone's eyes faded, they found themselves once again on a desert battlefield. Iskandar piloted his chariot, his army surging behind him. He held high the Sword of Cyprus and roared, "The enemy is a legendary figure and a hero of every era! Yet, they have spoken to me in a vain attempt to persuade me to surrender."

"They do not understand our will, nor do they understand the journey and dominance we have pioneered! Now, let us show them the great achievements and will we have created!"

"No retreat! No surrender!! No regrets!!!" Iskandar shouted slogans loudly.

"No retreat! No surrender!! No regrets!!!" The soldiers following Iskandar also shouted loud slogans, and the determination in their eyes revealed their indestructible will.

"Rider." Waver, who was also sitting in the chariot, looked at this scene and was filled with shock.

"Master Saber, you should not go to the battlefield and stay here. Everyone!! Charge with me! Oh la la la la la!" Iskandar turned around and gave instructions to Irisviel who was standing aside, then led the entire army to charge towards the four servants and a large group of flying dragons in the distance.

"Saber, Rider, Miss Jeanne, and... Mr. Wang Chong. You must be safe. You must... must return victorious." Seeing everyone charging and fighting in their own battlefields, Irisviel could only pray for a miracle in her heart, praying that they would win.

……

Elsewhere, Artoria was waiting for Irisviel and the others to leave. Just as she was about to make a move, she heard the door to the rear entrance slam shut. Instantly, Artoria realized something was amiss and quickly turned back to the original entrance, wanting to find out what was going on.

But before Altria could take a few steps, her intuition suddenly sensed the danger. In an instant, Altria reacted, sliding sideways to avoid the sword attack from the dark corner.

"Who is it!...!!" Just as Artoria dodged the sneak attack and quickly took a few steps back, looking towards the shadow corner, her eyes suddenly widened.

"Sir Lancelot! How could it be you!?"

Chapter 277 Round Table Reunion

Artoria stared at the man in front of her in disbelief. She didn't understand why Lancelot was here. More importantly, they had a contract between masters not to attack each other, so why was Lancelot able to attack her?

"Could it be!" Artoria thought of Gilgamesh before. This situation would happen. Could it be that Lancelot's original master had already...?

But before Artoria could even think, the frantic Lancelot attacked again. Artoria had no choice but to swing her sword to block Lancelot's indestructible lake light. However, Artoria couldn't bear it, and once again, she remained defensive in the face of Lancelot's attack, showing no intention of attacking again.

"Oh, my father." At this time, a familiar teasing voice sounded from behind. Even without looking, Artoria knew who was behind her. Artoria struggled to resist Lancelot's heavy blows while gritting her teeth and saying, "Mordred! Is this another trick of yours?"

"Hmph, so what if it is? So what if it isn't?" Mordred snorted coldly and continued, "The victor takes all. Lancelot couldn't protect his Master and was captured by us. Now his Master has taken the initiative to cancel the contract. Without the Master's guidance and suppression, his frenzy is completely uncontrollable and he has gone completely crazy. Of course, without the Master's magic power, once his magic power is exhausted, he will dissipate."

"But that fellow named Semiramis thought this could be used, so he specially provided magic power to Lancelot. He wanted him to be able to keep it for a while longer and use it as a good combat tool. Haha, after all, it really fits Lancelot's fate. He was kicked away by his original master like a stray dog, and became a tool for others to use. He was unable to be loyal until the last moment!" Mordred sneered.

"Mordred!!" After pushing Lancelot away with a sword, Artoria turned and rushed towards Mordred. With a sweep of the sword, she started fighting with Mordred.

"What's wrong? King Arthur, are you finally angry about this? Ha, it's ridiculous to be angry for a guy who also betrayed you." Mordred used his sword to block Altria's attack and laughed.

"Lancelot... has never betrayed me." Artoria took a deep breath and said, "You should know this as well now."

"Yes, you and that Guinevere are both women, so there's no possibility between you. In a sense, Lancelot did not betray you," Mordred said, but with a scornful smile, he said, "But do you think anyone in the entire Kingdom of Britain would agree with this?"

"The common people only know that you're the king, she's the queen, and he's your knight. You know this very well! Everyone in the Knights Templar knows this too! Yet, when you should have acted like a king, you chose to blame yourself for the mistake! Ha, that guy was the same way. He knew it was betrayal, but he did it anyway. He never considered the consequences!"

"King Arthur... why did you choose not to be bound by this identity and support them when you should have behaved like a king? Why did you choose only them and not the knights from other knight orders? Why can you only let go of your identity as a king for them... King Arthur, you are really biased." The moment Mordred finished speaking, he burst out with powerful strength and pushed Artoria away with a sword.

"Hmm..." Artoria felt the sudden explosive force and was also surging. Her body even took many steps back. However, before she could react to Mordred's next attack, she heard Lancelot's roar coming from behind her. In a hurry, she began to dodge in a panic.

"Don't you feel strange, King Arthur? He is obviously just in a frenzy. No matter who the frenzied person is, he will attack indiscriminately without distinguishing right from wrong. But why does Lancelot target you every time he goes crazy? Have you never thought about why?" Mordred did not rush to attack at this time, but spoke slowly.

"What do you mean by that?" Altria's heart trembled as she listened to Mordred's words. The impact of Lancelot's madness and Mordred's gaze on her had never faded, but she had always kept it hidden deep in her heart until this moment when Mordred brought it out again.

"King Arthur, as I said before... you are too partial to them. If they had no conscience, perhaps they would have just found a quiet place to live out their old age. But the truth is, they do have it, and they feel deeply guilty about their actions. That fool, Lancelot, even believes he was the direct cause of the disintegration of the Knights."

"Your defeat and the destruction of the British Kingdom made them both realize how stupid the mistakes they made were. They will live with self-blame for the rest of their lives until the end of their lives!" said Mordred.

"No... that's not the case. Neither Lancelot nor Guinevere. This isn't their fault... It's me. I failed to protect Britain... Ugh!"

Artoria was just about to take the blame on herself again, but who knew that as soon as she said this, Lancelot's attack became more and more crazy. Not only was his move ruthless, but he was also determined to cut off a piece of Artoria's flesh even without caring about the possibility of being hit and seriously injured. For a moment, it became more difficult for Artoria to resist, and she was even hit on the shoulder by a careless move.

"Hahahahahaha...who are you still showing off to? Don't you understand now? King Arthur! The more you blame yourself for the mistakes, the deeper Lancelot's guilt will be, and his obsession will drive him even crazier!" Modred said.

"Even a rebellious knight like me can see it... Lancelot is begging for your death. King Arthur, are you truly incapable of defeating such a chaotic and desperate fighting style?!"

"What he has never longed for is your forgiveness, King Arthur! What he longed for is the king's punishment! Just like now, he is forcing you to kill him!"

After hearing these words, Artoria was shocked. She finally understood why Lancelot behaved like this. She also finally understood why her words had irritated Lancelot so much.

"Ha... King Arthur, you probably have never read those modern books to see the ending of all of us... If you had taken a look, you wouldn't have to ask me to remind you. Haha, you said you wanted to change the ending of Britain, but you never even understood why we have come to this point. Looking back, you are just wishful thinking and walking alone on that road. That idiot Tristan was right with what he said. You have always been like this, always." Mordred sighed.

Chapter 278: Death of Lancelot

Listening to Mordred's words, Artoria was deeply moved. Without noticing, Lancelot slashed her shoulder again. But the pain in her heart was even greater than the physical pain.

Mordred's words were like needles, piercing his heart. Yes, even though he had already arrived in the modern era, why had he never learned anything about what happened in the British Kingdom, or what happened to those people later...

Was it really like Mordred...like Tristan said, that she always went on her own, never considering others' feelings? She was clearly just trying to do the best she could, giving her all. But in the end, she always...always made those around her suffer?

"Ah--!! Arthur!!" Lancelot's crazy look was right in front of her eyes, and Mordred's words as cold as a knife stabbed her spine. Artoria had never felt so tired.

"So, my Lord Father, are you going to continue to be entangled? Are you going to let Lancelot continue to suffer? Although I really hate that unfaithful Lancelot. But if you go on like this, you will die. Then what will happen to your Master and your new friends?" Mordred asked casually, without any intention of taking action, as if he had been looking forward to this scene, expecting Artoria to make another choice.

"Are you going to continue blaming yourself as King Arthur... or pick up your sword as Saber, as a friend to others. Let me see your magnanimity, my father... Isn't this what you have never taught me?" A complex look flashed in Mordred's eyes, and she didn't speak again. She just watched the duel between Artoria and Lancelot quietly.

Artoria's shoulders were stained blood red, and her movements became sluggish. Under Lancelot's relentless attack, she retreated step by step. Artoria lowered her head, and her current mood was unpredictable. If she continued to retreat, as Artoria continued to be stabbed by the sword, she would surely lose to Lancelot.

“Arthur——!!”

Lancelot struck Artoria back with another blow, knocking her off balance. He then raised his sword high above his head, swinging it with a powerful force, intending to sever Artoria in one blow. He roared like a vengeful spirit that would never dissipate, raising his heavy sword high, ready to strike down the very being he had sworn to protect: King Arthur.

"puff!"