"Now then... for this card's other effect."
Upon hearing those words, Gudako's heart sank. A single card had already wiped out half her Life Points, and that still wasn't enough? (A classic 4000 LP mindset, she thought.) It had another effect?!
"Big Sister, why are you looking at me like that? If it ended here, Father God would lose face."
Abby didn't think burning just 2000 LP was sufficient. "Your thirst for knowledge is still lacking. Anyway, the Spell Cards drawn by this effect are Special Summoned to my field as Truth Tokens with 1000 ATK and 1000 DEF. Hand those two cards over."
Gudako could only watch in frustration as her two Spell Cards materialized on Abby's field. The Duel had just begun, and she hadn't even made a move yet, but she'd already lost two cards from her hand while her opponent built a defensive line.
"Since Big Sister was such a big help, Abby will throw in some extra info. Until the end of the turn, these two Tokens cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. Of course, their other effects can still be activated."
Abby pointed at the two Spell Cards, which had taken the shape of books.
"Think carefully before you decide to waste your resources on these two Tokens."
"...I Normal Summon Ritsuka Fujimaru!"
Ignoring Abby's taunts, Gudako silently began her turn. It's my own card, after all, she thought. Even after redrawing my hand, I can still get it out right away.
"I activate my own effect! Special Summon one Servant from my Deck!"
Gudako flipped through her Deck, which was packed with Servants—even Gilgamesh was among them. Summoning Gilgamesh, in particular, would instantly fill her Backrow, compensating for her lack of Spell Cards.
However, her opponent clearly had a strategy targeting Spell Cards, even making strange remarks about "knowledge" earlier. Gudako's intuition screamed at her to avoid leaving Spell Cards on the field. She hesitated, unsure of what to do.
But it seemed a Servant had already made the decision for her. Gudako felt a call emanating from one of the cards.
Edmond Dantès
This is the interstice between reality and dreams. How could Edmond Dantès possibly be absent from a place so connected to dreams?
"The one I choose to summon is the Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès!"
Gudako answered the Count's call, choosing to summon him to the field.
Black flames instantly erupted from Gudako's shadow, gathering on the field. From within the dark inferno, a cloaked man exuding an ominous aura emerged.
Edmond Dantès Level 7 Avenger / ATK 3000
"Kuhahaha!"
Edmond Dantès swept his cloak aside. "Accomplice! Will you plunge into the Abyss with me once more?"
"Count!"
Gudako was long accustomed to the Count's dramatic speech; in fact, the familiar feeling brought her a sense of reassurance.
"I'm counting on you this time!"
"Kuhahaha! Let the flames of vengeance carve our path!"
Though he laughed boisterously, Edmond Dantès' expression was incredibly grim. He could feel the immense pressure radiating from the little girl across the field—a pressure far beyond what any top-tier Servant could exert.
"When you gaze into the Abyss," Abby said softly, "the Abyss gazes back into you."
To them, Abby was indeed the Abyss right now. But Abby had no intention of going that far. After all, she was just here to find someone; her true purpose was to let Father God meet that person.
"My vengeance is deeper than the Abyss, hotter than the sun," Edmond Dantès declared, refusing to be outdone.
"I activate Edmond Dantès' effect! When this card is Special Summoned, I draw two cards from my Deck."
This likely represented the part of his story where the Count escaped prison and acquired the Treasure of Monte Cristo. Being summoned from the Deck could certainly be seen as "escaping prison."
If Jiang You were here, he'd definitely say this thing shouldn't be called Edmond Dantès but the Pot of Greed. That effect alone was reason enough to summon him.
"Your card is pretty broken too," Abby remarked.
Her Father God's card had such a powerful effect because it was his card. But for Gudako, an ordinary human, to unconditionally pull someone onto the field was a bit much. Even Abby couldn't summon her Father God with a single card.
Gudako didn't think it was broken at all. With a deadpan expression, she replenished her hand to two cards. This was the result of her long journey, her effort and sweat. What was wrong with directly summoning someone she knew?
"Next, I activate this Spell Card: Heroic Spirit Summoning! Excavate the top 3 cards of your Deck. Choose 1 Servant monster from among them that belongs to one of the seven standard Classes and Special Summon it. A Servant summoned by this effect cannot activate its effects the turn it is summoned. After successfully summoning, return the other two cards to the Deck. If there are no Servant Cards that can be Special Summoned, you lose half your Life Points."
Given Chaldea's summoning system, there's no way Gudako would fail to find a Servant.
[Nero][Elizabeth][Drake]
The cards revealed were her companions from the second, third, and fourth Singularities. Gudako unhesitatingly chose Nero, as it would allow her to perform a Synchro Summon. She couldn't help but feel that she and Nero were truly fated to be together.
This outcome was only natural. Not only was Gudako here, but so was Hakuno—the one destined to be entangled with Nero for a lifetime—though she was currently fast asleep.
[Nero] ATK 1800
Nero appeared before them, clad in a formal gown. However, the dress was excessively ornate and utterly impractical for combat, looking more like something one would wear for a performance.
"Where am I?" Nero asked, confused. But her first instinct was to draw her Primordial Flame. Soon, her eyes fell upon the villainous-looking Abby and the magical-girl-attired Gudako.
"Praetor! It seems we've encountered an enemy. I suppose I'll have to miss my audition this time. Allow me to dispatch this foe with magnificent flair! If I'm quick enough, I might still make it."
"Don't worry," Abby said, her tone deceptively understanding. "Abby won't keep you long." Then, her expression twisted into a crazed smile. "Because I'll finish you all off in an instant!"
Gudako paid no mind to Nero's dramatic pronouncements. She immediately began tuning Nero.
"Spring sunlight, flowers dancing wildly! The May breeze caresses the cheek, blessings carried to the far corners of the planet—Open now, Golden Wedding Hall! Synchro Summon! Nero (Bride)!"
Watching Nero and Gudako transform into stars and link together, the Count's face contorted with frustration.
The pure white bride descended.
[Nero (Bride)]ATK 2000
"You could always crash the wedding if you're not happy about it," Abby, the little troublemaker, goaded.