"Nobleman of Extermination, destroy the set card in the middle!"
A white beam of annihilation shot from Kira's Spell Card toward Halldor's backrow, but Halldor was not willing to let it pass so easily.
"Sorry, but I can't let you do that so simply," Halldor shouted. "Activate set card, Trap Card 'Fake Trap'! When another Trap Card on your field is about to be destroyed by a Spell, Trap, or monster effect, this card can be destroyed instead!"
The light from Nobleman of Extermination struck the trap in the center. The trap card flipped over, but as it began to be destroyed and disappear, its illustration suddenly started changing. After a stream of data rolled across it, the entire card became the Trap Card "Fake Trap," and only then did it vanish into golden light.
Although it was destroyed as a substitute, Kira had caught a glimpse of the original illustration before the replacement. It showed the famous old god—the one on "Solemn Authority"—but this time the old god was not in the classic "forbidden" pose. Instead, it was from a frontal angle, with his palm facing outward, radiating boundless divine light.
Kira remembered that card. It was one of the god-old-man series traps exclusive to the three Lord of the Aesir.
"Trap strategy, huh," Kira said. "Since you want to protect it so much, I'll let you keep it for now.
At the same time, I chain to 'Fake Trap' and activate the Quick-Play Spell 'Emergency Provisions'. Send the 'Nobleman of Extermination' that is currently resolving to the Graveyard and gain 1000 LP."
[Kira, LP 700 → LP 1700]
"Then I activate 'Playful Possum's effect. If there is a monster on the opponent's field with higher ATK than this card, this card can destroy itself. Play dead!"
Playful Possum had long been trembling in fear before the majesty of the three Lord of the Aesir and was eager to hide back in the Graveyard. Now that its duelist permitted it, it immediately rolled its eyes and dramatically collapsed onto the ground as if hit.
Boom.
It exploded into golden light fragments again.
The outside world is too dangerous. The Graveyard is much safer.
Seeing Playful Possum explode, Halldor's expression tightened. "It's coming again?"
"Correct."
Kira flicked a card between his fingers and smiled.
"Looks like you've already gotten used to this rhythm.
When one of your monsters is destroyed by a card effect, this card can be Special Summoned from the hand. Appear, the final Meklord Emperor——Meklord Emperor Granel!"
The earth suddenly shook violently. Accompanied by the roaring sound of mechanical gears meshing, a giant fissure more than ten meters wide split open in the ground. Golden-yellow energy torrents surged out from the crevice. Within this boiling sea of energy, a steel body slowly rose.
It was covered in imperial bright yellow armor. Every metal plate was several meters thick, with lava-like energy veins flowing through the seams. Its lower body consisted of two giant tracked sections. Every rotation of the track plates emitted ultra-low-frequency vibrations that could distort the air. The heavy cannons on its arms unfolded, the mechanical sound of rotating barrels sounding like the Grim Reaper sharpening his scythe. Rocks and debris all around began floating upward against the laws of physics, as if paying homage to this mechanical tyrant.
[Meklord Emperor Granel, ATK 0]
"ATK 0?" Halldor was greatly surprised.
He had thought the final Meklord Emperor would be a boss-level monster. The previous two had low Levels but decent base ATK. Who would have thought that when it came to Grannel, its ATK was actually 0?
"Meklord Emperor Granel's ATK increases by half the controller's LP… Well, my LP isn't high right now, so it's just a bonus. Doesn't matter," Kira smiled.
[Meklord Emperor Granel, ATK 0 → ATK 850]
"Because what matters is the next effect——Meklord Emperor Granel, effect activate! Once per turn, equip one Synchro Monster your opponent controls to this card as an Equip Card! What I want to absorb is 'Odin, Father of the Aesir'!"
Halldor's expression tightened.
It came as expected!
Indeed, no matter what the ATK was, it didn't matter. As long as it could absorb Lord of the Aesir, every single one of these Meklord Emperors was the natural enemy of the Norse gods.
But who was Halldor? As the captain of Team Ragnarok and the strongest Aesir user, he naturally had countermeasures prepared after learning about the Meklord Emperors' characteristics.
"Activate set card!"
Halldor activated from his backrow.
"Trap Card 'Panic Wave'! Destroy one card on your field to activate. This turn, negate the effects of all face-up Spell, Trap, and Effect Monsters on the field!"
Halldor raised his arm and pointed at Loki.
"I destroy 'Loki, Lord of the Aesir', making all cards on the field have their effects negated!"
Loki exploded with a bang like a grand firework, but the released energy turned into invisible waves that spread across the entire field. All cards on the field instantly dimmed. The three Lord of the Aesir lost their divine radiance, Grannel's bright yellow shell also became dull, and the capture energy chains that had just barely emerged from its chest dissipated into nothingness.
[Meklord Emperor Granel, ATK 850 → ATK 0]
"Negated!" the airplane-head commentator shouted. "Halldor did not slack off on his countermeasures against the Meklord Emperors either. Once its effect is negated, the Meklord Emperor cannot absorb Lord of the Aesir as Equip Cards!
Moreover, the destroyed Loki can automatically revive at the End Phase. It's not even a cost—in fact, not only is there no cost, but when Loki revives it can also recover one Trap Card from the Graveyard. For Halldor, this actually gains him even more resources!"
Off-field teammate Broder also smiled. "Of course. This is Halldor we're talking about."
"Mhm." Dragan also smiled. "Halldor is in a realm that even the two of us cannot reach. Just like the Odin, Father of the Aesir who rules over the gods, Halldor is the most suitable duelist to lead the gods."
"You've already prepared countermeasures against my Meklord Emperors. Impressive, impressive," Kira said. "Then I set three cards and end my turn."
"End Phase. Loki, Lord of the Aesir revives from the Graveyard!"
As soon as Halldor finished speaking, Loki reappeared from the cracked rift in the sky, wearing his usual eerie smile.
"And, return one Trap Card from the Graveyard to the hand. The card I want to return from the Graveyard is this one…"
Halldor revealed the Trap Card in his hand.
"Continuous Trap—Nordic Relic Svalinn!"
"Hm?"
Kira raised an eyebrow.
This trap…
...
…
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