Gudako had no idea when this card had appeared in her Deck, nor had she ever heard of its name. Though the name "Black Spear" was rather plain, its effect was surprisingly potent. Considering Jiang You had once told her that her journey had only just begun, she guessed it must be something from the future.
"This card can only be activated when you would take fatal damage. Negate that damage. Then, pay Life Points until you have only 1 remaining, and destroy all cards on your opponent's field!"
"A Trap Card?"
Abby shook her head. This wasn't Father God's domain, but that didn't mean she lacked a way to respond.
"But did you know? Abby can actually negate the activation of an effect once!"
"!"
Gudako froze. If this effect were negated, she would lose the Duel instantly. The card's effect was indeed powerful, but it didn't have the clause "its activation cannot be negated," meaning it could still be interrupted.
"But... Abby isn't going to activate it."
Abby let the timing window pass, allowing the bullet from Black Spear to destroy all her cards.
"...Why?"
Gudako didn't believe for a second that Abby was trying to spare her. If that had been her intention, she wouldn't have dragged things out this long.
"Of course Abby isn't that kind."
Watching [Silver Key] leave the field, Abby suddenly gazed up at the sky. "You should thank Abby a little. This is your only chance to meet Father God and escape unscathed. It's also why Abby kept trying to put you to sleep. Now, for [Silver Key]'s effect: When this card leaves the field, Special Summon one [Yog-Sothoth] from the Deck, Graveyard, hand, or Banished Zone!"
"Impossible!!!!"
Recalling a certain Heroic Spirit whose Noble Phantasm was based on a split personality, Gudako knew that even fictional Heroic Spirits could exist in the Throne of Heroes. So, during Romani's educational briefings, these works of fiction had also become part of her knowledge base.
But Gudako never imagined something of this magnitude could actually appear. According to the book's description, this entity... far surpassed the limits of what this planet could bear.
Then, Gudako witnessed a billion glories cleaving the sky apart.
-
"Is Gudako in danger?"
When Jiang You logged back online, the first person to find him was Nero.
Nero's current outfit was a bit strange, resembling an idol's costume. It seemed some interesting events had transpired during his absence. But the top priority now was to figure out what was happening at Chaldea.
He naturally assumed the game had started a new event. Since Nero's information was too vague and a lot of time had already passed, there was no need to rush. Jiang You decided to gather some intel first.
"So, who's the opponent?"
Identifying the enemy would allow him to build a deck with specific counter-cards. Following a strategy guide was always better than brute-forcing a fight.
"A little girl with a hole in her head, probably around Illya's age."
That was all the intel Nero had.
"A hole in her head? What the hell is that?"
Jiang You's first thought was that Nero was insulting someone, but he quickly realized that wasn't her style. It must be a physical description, which would make identifying the opponent much easier.
"Is the girl's name Abigail?"
"Yes! That's her!"
Nero recalled the name from the description on the opponent's card.
"But despite her appearance, her strength is quite formidable. And beyond that, it seems some terrifying entity is about to descend. It may be disrespectful to the God Ancestor to say this, but I have a feeling... that thing is far stronger than even the God Ancestor."
"A terrifying entity?"
Nero's description completely baffled Jiang You. Abby was indeed strong, but only around top-tier. There were plenty of Cthulhu-related elements associated with her, mostly centered around "Bubbles." If it really was Bubbles, then it would certainly be far stronger than the God Ancestor. But there was no way such a Great God would descend directly, right?
For a moment, Jiang You couldn't be sure what it was. But it didn't matter—he'd know once he went to see for himself.
"So Abby's arc is starting early, huh."
Jiang You hadn't expected Abby alone to wipe out Chaldea. But considering Chaldea was currently vulnerable and a certain Great God of the Three Altars and Sea Assembly wasn't around, it made sense that Abby could go on a rampage.
"Looks like this naughty child needs a spanking."
Jiang You decided to treat this as an early preview of Pseudo-Singularity IV. "I'll let Illya know, then we'll head out immediately."
"And me!" Nero certainly wouldn't stand by and do nothing. "How could I possibly relax and enjoy myself here while my Praetor is in danger!"
"They actually lost?"
After learning the truth of the world, Illya had picked up all sorts of strange knowledge—for instance, that Gudako was the protagonist of that other world. Logically, as the protagonist, Gudako should have been able to survive any situation, no matter how perilous. Yet she had been defeated so decisively, which meant something beyond ordinary logic had occurred.
Illya's gaze fell on Jiang You. If he hadn't appeared, this incident wouldn't have happened. It was highly likely related to him, which gave her a bad feeling.
Entities capable of ignoring Worldlines were, without exception, absurdly powerful. While she wasn't worried about Jiang You's safety, encounters with such beings had a high probability of disrupting his current understanding of reality. This was an extremely dangerous sign.
Illya's hand, resting on Jiang You's arm, unconsciously tightened. Jiang You thought she was worried about him. After their trip to the Transit World, their relationship had clearly grown closer. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "I'm very strong."
Of course, Illya knew Jiang You was strong—there was no one stronger in the entire world. "I know. Caster... For... Anyway, Jiang You is the strongest! But this time, I'm coming with you!"
Determined to ensure the world's survival and to remain by Jiang You's side, Illya decided to join him.
Jiang You thought for a moment. He realized he had indeed been neglecting Illya lately, so he nodded and agreed to her request.
Prisma Illya and Miyu also wanted to help, but Jiang You refused. Without Ruby and Sapphire, they would be little more than cheerleaders.
When Jiang You, Illya, and Nero arrived at Chaldea, they found themselves in a starry expanse. Billions of radiant lights shimmered above them like bubbles.
"The Lord of a Billion Glories, huh?"
Jiang You chuckled. This scene was almost too classic. "With a setup like this, I half-expected Bubble to show up."
"Hello."
The "bubbles" spoke.
-
Spy-Btw I think bubbles refers to the outer god. A cn nickname