"As expected of the unparalleled Master of ancient and modern times, you guessed my intentions so easily."
It had to be said that Gudako was truly the type who could get along with virtually any Servant. She had already taken the initiative to accommodate Jiang You even before he spoke, leaving him no choice but to shower her with praise.
"Next Valentine's Day, I'll get you something really big."
"It's not like you're praising me that much."
In Japan, these words were considered exceptionally high praise, making Gudako blush with embarrassment. "Without you, I wouldn't have known how to resolve the Sixth and Seventh Singularities... Just promise me you won't pull any more reckless stunts. We don't have the leeway for your antics anymore."
"Don't underestimate yourself. Even without me, you would have resolved those Singularities on your own."
Come to think of it, Jiang You had essentially stolen Gudako's opportunities, even snatching away her most important bond—her connection with Eresh—and practically taking Eresh herself away.
"Besides, these words aren't mine. They're Minamoto no Raikou's assessment of you."
"Ah?"
As Illya's guardian, Gudako had met Minamoto no Raikou several times recently, but she never imagined the woman would hold her in such high regard.
"Really?"
"Mhm, though he hasn't said it yet."
We barely know each other. How could he possibly say something like that?
"You're just teasing me, aren't you?" Gudako retorted, speechless.
"Anyway, back to the topic at hand: What's your True Name? I've been curious about this for ages."
"Ahem." Jiang You cleared his throat. Gudako likely wouldn't recognize the name, but he wanted to prepare her nonetheless. "What I'm about to tell you... don't be scared."
"I'm the Master of Chaldea, with extensive experience commanding servants. I'm absolutely not scared."
Gudako exuded confidence. Over the course of her journey, she'd encountered all sorts of strange servants, even Abigail, who belonged to a unique Class.
"You've already met Abigail's Father God, Yog-Sothoth, right?"
Bubble had told Jiang You that Yog had "knocked out" Gudako, so she likely had a strong impression of him. Sure enough, Gudako's face paled with lingering fear as she nodded.
"I need to apologize to you on His behalf. He was actually here to find me. Chaldea was just caught in the crossfire—pure collateral damage."
"No need to apologize," Gudako said. "We're companions, after all."
Gudako had assumed Bubble was here to cause trouble for Jiang You. As companions, it was only natural to stand together.
"...You won't think that way for long. Because..." Jiang You paused to gather his thoughts, "my True Name is Azathoth (probably)."
"Azathoth?" Gudako scratched her head. She'd never heard that name before. "Who is that?"
Ruby, who had been feigning death on the table, suddenly jerked upright, trying to speak, but Sapphire quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Just keep playing dead for now! This is beyond our ability to meddle!"
"The Great God of a pantheon. Yog-Sothoth is one of the deities in my pantheon," Jiang You stated the truth.
"Wait a minute! You're saying that celestial orb of light is a god?"
Gudako's mind reeled. If the Card hadn't explicitly written the name, she never would have guessed that the trillion-fold radiance was actually a living being.
"And he's your subordinate?"
"Something like that," Jiang You replied, deciding to embrace this identity for the moment—it might even give him an edge with Bubble.
"You could say Yog-Sothoth is my son... or daughter?"
"Having children already and still playing the field?"
In Gudako's eyes, two figures were undeniably connected to Jiang You: his Master, Illya, and the red-haired servant who had fought alongside him in the Seventh Singularity.
"Are the Great Gods of every pantheon this shameless?"
"Only Zeus is like that, okay?"
Jiang You protested, claiming the Great Gods were being unfairly maligned. After all, Zeus was practically the only Great God with such a lack of restraint.
"Hard to say," Gudako replied, shaking her head. However, she didn't doubt the truth of Jiang You's words. After all, he had defeated the Creator Mother Goddess—a feat that truly placed him at Major God-class power.
"So, our Great God, why are you so eager to reveal your True Name to me?"
"I need to find a Witch in your world to serve as my vessel."
As previously mentioned, Jiang You needed to find a miko in each world to serve as a medium for his communication with it. Otherwise, upon his full liberation, the surrounding humans would suffer severe Mental Pollution.
"You've faced Yog-Sothoth directly, so you know how utterly beyond comprehension He is. Just standing there and witnessing the effects of His presence is already terrifying. But my Authority surpasses even His, which means I need to find a Witch."
"So, become my Miko, Gudako."
Jiang You extended the invitation, explaining the requirements of the role.
"Offer your pure body to the god?"
Hakuno, standing nearby, eyed Jiang You critically. Hearing this request directly from a god was entirely different from hearing it from a believer. The god's directness felt utterly indecent.
"Isn't this just like marrying yourself to a god? And you have to find one in every world? You said you weren't like Zeus!"
"Uh..."
Jiang You considered Hakuno's words and realized she was right. No wonder Prisma Illya had been so furious back then.
"Then should I look for someone else?"
"Who else could you possibly find?" Gudako had long understood that she was the only candidate for the Miko role.
"You wouldn't want Mash or Da Vinci-chan, would you? They're both Servants, which makes them unsuitable. As for Hakuno-senpai, she's not even from this world. So that leaves just me."
"By the way, doesn't Chaldea have other staff members?"
Although Part 1's storyline didn't explicitly mention it, Chaldea actually had quite a few staff members. In the CCC collaboration event, Sesshouin was revealed to be a former Chaldea staff member who had transformed. Jiang You had already searched extensively for this person but found no trace of them, no matter how he tried. Still, there were female staff members.
"Enough with the chatter! I'll do it!"
Gudako had already steeled herself for this moment. She couldn't let Jiang You wreak havoc on anyone else.
"Very well, then. Please proceed."
Jiang You produced a Holy Grail filled with fresh blood. At first, Gudako thought her own Holy Grail had been stolen, until she noticed the unfamiliar patterns etched onto its surface. He then initiated the same ritual he had used during the Prisma Illya incident.
"I feel... brimming with power!"
Gudako leaped to her feet with a vigorous flip.
"Now I could even take on a servant in hand-to-hand combat!"
"That's just an illusion," Jiang You corrected her. "My blood can only grant you limited Authority. The real power lies in playing cards."
Jiang You described himself as someone with immense status and influence but utterly lacking in combat ability.