While the Control Room was still struggling to make sense of Jiang You's data, he had already arrived in the chamber prepared for the Summoning Ritual. Most of the room's contents had been removed to ensure nothing would interfere with the summoning process.
"Yo, Gudako! What are you summoning with this time?"
Although Saint Quartz was used in the game, obtaining such high-purity crystals of magical power in reality was far from easy. Besides, for Chaldea at this point, using them to generate electricity would be far more practical than relying on them for summoning.
"Jiang You?"
Gudako recognized his voice immediately. Few Servants had served as the team's main force in two consecutive Singularities. How could anyone forget the Servant who had single-handedly turned an entire Singularity upside down and still managed to conclude it properly?
"Actually, I haven't prepared anything special. I just wanted to try an Affinity Summoning."
"Affinity Summoning?"
Jiang You pondered for a moment. Given Gudako's affinity, summoning any Servant seemed plausible. The Count was the most likely candidate, but since he was still trapped in Gudako's dream, there wouldn't be much difference between summoning him this way or not. Next would likely be the Servants they'd encountered in the Singularities, as their established Bonds with Gudako would increase their summoning chances.
"Who will it be? I can't wait to find out!"
"Mr. Jiang You, please step back a bit. Your proximity might interfere with Senpai's summoning."
Mash waved at Jiang You from a distance, urging him to move back.
Jiang You was actually quite curious about which Servant he might summon if he acted as the catalyst. As a Foreigner now, could he even summon Abigail? He mused that he could offer Chaldea some power from his omnipotent Soul Crystal in exchange for a summoning opportunity. Nodding, he moved to stand beside Mash.
"Alright, let's begin. What was the summoning incantation again...?"
Gudako stood before the summoning circle, its core centered around the Round Table, scratching her head. Her knowledge of magecraft was limited to rote memorization.
Mash thoughtfully held up a signboard displaying the incantation for Heroic Spirit Summoning.
"Thank you so much, Mash! I wouldn't know what to do without you!" Gudako repeatedly thanked Mash, making the girl blush. Nevertheless, the Summoning Ritual successfully commenced.
"Umu! Servant Saber, Nero Claudius, answers your call! Hmph, you truly have discerning eyes, Magus!"
A golden-haired, crimson-clad Servant materialized from the summoning circle, her small frame radiating unparalleled confidence.
Jiang You initially mistook her for the King of Clearing out Kitchens. Given her status as a cornerstone of the Fate franchise and her excellent compatibility with Gudako, this seemed logical. Though her true form had never appeared in the main story or side narratives, the color scheme and the curve of her chest quickly dispelled that notion.
"Your Majesty Nero!" Gudako instantly recognized the Servant they had fought alongside in the Second Singularity.
"You are... Ritsuka Fujimaru!"
Servants summoned by Chaldea typically retained memories of their past lives. Jiang You's Card-summoned Servants shared this trait, which proved remarkably convenient, saving the effort of re-familiarization.
"Umu! Is this what they call fate? Knowing a familiar face as my Praetor puts my mind at ease!"
Nero twirled, studying Gudako from head to toe, then declared with delight, "Umu! Truly worthy of being my Praetor! Your expression shows how much you've grown since we last met! Tell me everything that's happened since our separation—I'm dying to know!"
"Your Majesty, we can discuss your experiences later. For now, we must focus on the tasks at hand."
Activating the Summoning Circle consumed Chaldea's magical power (electricity). Though Chaldea was gradually returning to normalcy, it still couldn't afford to squander its limited resources.
Nero, typically reasonable, wasn't overly insistent. She nodded in agreement.
"Very well, but don't keep me waiting too long."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Gudako turned to the projection from the Control Room. "Da Vinci-chan, how many more summons can we perform?"
"Given Nero's magical power consumption... we can likely perform two more summons, but to be safe, let's stick to just one."
Da Vinci glanced at the data panel in her hand. Nero's magical power consumption wasn't excessive—about the same as a typical Heroic Spirit. To ensure a steady supply of Noble Phantasms and emergency reserves, they needed Gudako to summon one more combat unit.
"Alright, let's do it one more time!"
Gudako found the thrill of summoning cards addictive. For her, it wasn't just about adding combat power; it was about reuniting with old friends. She recited the summoning incantation once more.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't we remind Nero to come out too?" Jiang You asked, watching Nero curiously as she observed Gudako. Nero had already stepped one foot into the Summoning Circle.
"Senpai's too eager!" Mash cried out, but it was too late to stop her. The Summoning Circle suddenly blazed to life.
"So, will the summoned servant be Caligula, Caesar, or perhaps even the Lord Divine Ancestor?" Jiang You mused, equally intrigued by the spectacle. Nero had many servants connected to her—who knew, they might even summon Beast Nero!
Then, a girl appeared in the Summoning Circle, as if she had just fallen to the ground. She had chestnut hair, a slightly aloof expression, and, most importantly, she was wearing a school uniform.
"Umu! Unknown servant, from this moment onward, you shall fight alongside me for my Praetor! I am Nero Claudius, former King of Rome! Now, declare your name!"
Nero helped the girl to her feet, inexplicably feeling a deep connection to her.
"Me? I'm Hakuno Kishinami... just an ordinary student from Tsukimihara Academy."
Hakuno stared blankly at the little girl claiming to be an ancient Roman emperor. She glanced at Gudako, who was wearing a similar "uniform" and looked about her age. She must be a student from another school too, she thought. Without changing her expression, Hakuno pointed at Nero's eccentric attire and asked, "Is this what they call 'Chuunii'?"
"Chuunii!" Nero, who had some modern knowledge, bristled. "How dare you speak to me like that!"
"Holy shit! The King of the Moon?!"
Jiang You was startled. While Fate/Grand Order had indeed brought over the protagonist from its sister game as a servant, that was part of the story progression. How had she been summoned here?
Looking back, Hakuno and Gudako did share quite a few similarities. Combined with Nero's influence, it wasn't entirely surprising that Hakuno could be summoned from the gacha.
"The... the King of the Moon?!" Mash exclaimed, her face pale with shock.