Chapter 174: Gudako will not Brick

"I Special Summon—Da Vinci!"

The world-renowned painting, Mona Lisa's Smile, came to life. The figure in the portrait reached both hands out of the frame, squeezed herself free of the canvas, and materialized on the field.

Leonardo da Vinci

Caster, 6-Star, Attack Power: 2200

Tears welled in Gudako's eyes as she saw her departed comrade again. "Da Vinci-chan! It's so wonderful to see you again! This Noble Phantasm can even bring back those who have fallen. Rest easy, your legacy..."

"Wait a minute! I'm not dead yet! As the omnipotent Da Vinci-chan, I always have a backup plan, even if I were to die! ☆" Da Vinci scratched her head awkwardly. She had indeed prepared to sacrifice herself earlier, but after building up all that emotional momentum, she ended up surviving. Still unable to rejoin Gudako, she reassured her, "I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

"So... you pulled out Big Sister Da Vi—" Jiang You instinctively blurted out her nickname before catching himself, remembering it could affect his Affection score. He quickly corrected himself, "Did Da Vinci come out just to see her?"

"Not entirely," Da Vinci replied.

Gudako's face visibly brightened upon learning Da Vinci-chan was safe. "Da Vinci-chan is also the strongest Servant in my Deck!"

"Strongest?" Jiang You tilted his head skeptically. Given Gudako's track record, he wouldn't be surprised if she pulled out some bizarre monstrosity from her Deck using her abilities—something that could even bring a small-scale Beast-level shock to Humanity's Foundation. Besides, among the Servants she had encountered in the first five chapters, many were undeniably powerful. Da Vinci hardly seemed to rank among them. Her claim of being the "strongest" sounded dubious.

"Who else is in your Deck?" Jiang You asked.

Gudako didn't mince words, answering directly, "There are quite a few: Mash, Jeanne d'Arc, Kiyohime, Elizabeth Bathory..."

She rattled off a string of Servant names like a menu, and Jiang You noticed they were all Servants with whom she'd formed bonds during the main storyline. Not a single future Servant was mentioned. It seemed Gudako had been nerfed here, but even without the future Servants, the sheer number was terrifying. Wouldn't this Deck be prone to bricking?

"What about the King of the Cavern?" Jiang You asked, remembering the infamous freeloader who'd played significant roles in both the main and side quests. He practically lives in Gudako's heart—how could he not be here?

"Oh, Mr. Jiang You, you know about the Count too?" Gudako was surprised. At this point in time, the King of the Cavern hadn't formally revealed himself to others yet. Gudako had assumed she was the only one who knew of his existence.

"Even though the Count does have higher Attack Power, Da Vinci-chan won't lose!" she declared, clearly an expert at balancing things.

"Da Vinci's effect: she excels at crafting various Mystic Codes and items. When an Normal Summon or Special Summon succeeds, flip over the top two cards from the Deck. Add any revealed Spell Cards or Trap Cards to your hand, and send Servant Cards to the Graveyard."

"Of course, there's a drawback," Da Vinci added. "At the end of each turn, you have to banish an equal number of cards from your hand to the number you added. After all, the materials are quite expensive."

In addition to the effect Gudako mentioned, Jiang You noticed another ability of Da Vinci: if she was destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, she could add one "Leonardo da Vinci (Rider)" from her Deck to her hand or Special Summon it to the field—the little Da Vinci.

The little Da Vinci had always been kept in Chaldea, so it wasn't a future event. Her presence here made perfect sense.

Jiang You watched as Gudako flipped over two Spell and Trap Cards, replenishing her hand to six cards. Their bond was undeniable. Jiang You was certain that even without him, Gudako could easily sweep the entire battlefield.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Roman Imperial Succession'! This card allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower King of Rome Servant from my Deck. Let the Flower of Rome bloom here! Special Summon Nero Claudius!"

Nero's Attack Power: 1800.

Amidst a shower of crimson roses, the red-clad swordsman danced onto the field with operatic flair, singing a triumphant aria.

Her exquisite beauty was jarringly mismatched with a voice so potent it could induce mental corruption. Jiang You suspected that if they weren't in the midst of a Duel, she might have challenged him to one.

"Now I understand how Wukong must have felt when the Mind Restricting Circlet tightened," Xuanzang muttered under her breath.

"Hmm, I've seen this Noble Phantasm before," Nero said, cautiously glancing back. She relaxed when she realized it wasn't the Divine Ancestor Romulus. She wouldn't dare speak carelessly in his presence.

"Ah, Ritsuka! So you've encountered that Servant as well? Excellent! Now I can lend you a hand. Are these two shadowy figures our opponents? Leave them to me!"

"I'm relieved to have Your Majesty the Emperor here. Besides, the renowned Servant you mentioned is right beside me," Gudako replied, exuding her natural charisma.

"So it's you," Nero remarked, scrutinizing Jiang You. Her previous experience with him had left her with a favorable impression. "Bringing me face-to-face with the Divine Ancestor and my predecessors deserves commendation! If our paths cross again under different circumstances, don't hesitate to ask for a reward. The Emperor of Rome never breaks her word!"

"I won't hesitate to take you up on that when the time comes," Jiang You replied.

For Jiang You, Nero's word was enough. Now that they had the script, the Roman Deck was within reach.

Seeing Jiang You's unwavering acceptance, Nero nodded in satisfaction. She loathed haggling and preferred straightforward personalities like his.

Gudako waited for their exchange to conclude before resuming her turn. "I activate Nero's effect! When she's successfully Normal or Special Summoned, I add the Continuous Spell Card 'Golden Theater' from my Deck to my hand!"

Instantly, the Golden Theater rose from beneath everyone's feet. Amidst a golden glow, countless rose petals drifted down, carrying a fragrant breeze.

"Activating 'Golden Theater'! This card can only be activated when Nero is on the field. While this card is active, Roman Servants cannot be destroyed by battle, and Nero's Attack Power and Defense Power increase by 1000!"

[Nero's Attack Power: 1800 → 2800]

"Umu, that's the feeling! Now let this empress show you what she's made of! Ritsuka, remember to applaud your Emperor!"

"Your Majesty the Emperor, would you be interested in donning that pure white wedding gown once more? To grace us with Your Majesty's most radiant appearance?"

Gudako wasn't worried about Nero misunderstanding her intentions. As a capricious Servant, Nero's decision to wear the wedding dress depended solely on her whim.

"Hmph, is that even a question?" Nero naturally wouldn't refuse.

Jiang You then realized Gudako was still adjusting to her Servants.