"Extinguishing Apostle, destroy the cover card in the middle!"
A white obliterating light from Yugen's Magic Card shot towards Harald's backfield, but Harald was undeterred.
"Sorry, but I can't let you pass so easily," Harald shouted, "Activate the cover card, Trap Card 'Fake Trap'!
When other Trap Cards on your field are about to be destroyed by magic, traps, or monster effects, this card can be destroyed in their place!"
The light from Extinguishing Apostle struck the trap in the center. The Trap Card flipped over but as it began to be destroyed and disappear, the card image suddenly changed. After a stream of data scrolled past, it turned entirely into the Trap Card "Fake Trap" before dissipating in golden light.
Although it was destroyed in its place, Yugen caught a glimpse before the change. It seemed that famous old sage, the one from "Divine Declaration," was drawn on the cover of the Trap Card.
However, the old sage on this card image did not have the classic prohibited gesture or rather, the gesture was shown from a front-on angle with a palm releasing a dazzling divine light outward from the card.
Yugen remembered that card, it was a Trap Card exclusive to the Three Pole Gods in the old sage series.
Continuous Trap - Divine Radiance.
The effect of the Physical Card is to grant a resistance to one of your Extreme Gods on the field from being targeted by effects for two turns after activation.
In the animation effect, all Phantom Divine Beast Race on your field are immune to opponent's Trap effects for two turns.
"So, it's a trap strategy," Yugen said, "If you want to protect it so much, then keep it for now."
"Meanwhile, I chain 'Fake Trap' to activate the Speed Attack Magic 'Emergency Food', sending the activating 'Extinguishing Apostle' to the graveyard to recover 1000 Life Points."
[Yugen, LP700→ LP1700]
"Then I activate the effect of 'Stupid Opossum'. If a monster on your opponent's field has an Attack Power higher than this card, it can destroy itself.
Playing dead!"
Facing the divine might of the Three Pole Gods, the Stupid Opossum was already trembling with fear, eager to hide in the graveyard. Now granted permission by its Duelist, it quickly rolled its eyes and flopped onto the ground like a staged faint.
Bang.
It exploded into pieces of golden light.
The outside field was too dangerous, but the graveyard was safe. It loved the graveyard; it was warm, safe, and everyone spoke nicely there, just like being home, and it absolutely loved it.
Seeing the Stupid Opossum explode, Harald tensed, "Here it comes again?"
"Exactly."
Yugen waved a card at his fingertips with a smile.
"Looks like you're already familiar with this rhythm.
When a monster on your field is destroyed by a card effect, this card can be Special Summoned from the hand. Appear now, the last Meklord Emperor—
—Meklord Emperor Ryoku∞!"
The earth suddenly shook violently, and amid the roaring sound of mechanical gears meshing, a giant rift several meters wide cracked open. A stream of golden energy surged out from the crevice in the ground. Amid this boiling ocean of energy, a steel body slowly rose.
It was clad entirely in imperial golden armor, with each metal plate several meters thick, seams flowing with lava-like energy veins. Its lower body had two giant treads, each turning with ultra-low-frequency vibrations that could distort the air. Its heavy cannons on the arm attack sections deployed, the mechanical sound of barrel calibration as if Death was sharpening its scythe. Debris and stones around started to float upwards against physical laws, as if saluting this mechanical tyrant in submission.
[Meklord Emperor Ryoku∞, Attack Power 0]
"Attack Power 0?"
Harald was greatly surprised.
He had thought the final Meklord Emperor should be a boss level; the previous two had basic One-Star levels but were not weak, yet Ryoku turned out to be 0 Attack Power?
"The Attack Power of Meklord Emperor Ryoku∞ increases by half of the controller's Life Points... Well, my Life Points aren't high now, so it's just an accessory, doesn't matter," Yugen chuckled.
[Meklord Emperor Ryoku∞, Attack Power 0→Attack Power 850]
"Because what's important is this coming effect—
—Activate the effect of Meklord Emperor Ryoku∞ Once per turn, absorb one Synchro Monster from the opponent's field as Equipment Card!
I want to absorb, 'Supreme Divine Emperor Odin'!"
Harald tensed.
Sure enough, here it came!
Indeed, the Attack Power didn't matter at all. As long as the Extreme Gods were absorbed, every one of these Meklord Emperors was a nemesis of the Northern Europe Gods.
But who was Harald? The captain of the Twilight of the Gods, the strongest holder of Extreme Gods, certainly would have a counter strategy already knowing the characteristics of the opponent's Meklord Emperors.
"Activate the cover card!"
Harald activated from the backfield.
"Trap Card 'Panic Wave'!
Destroy a card on the field to activate. All face-up Magic, Trap, and Effect Monster effects on the field are negated this turn!" (Original Card)
Harald raised his arm pointing to Loki.
"I destroy 'Extreme Divine Emperor Loki', negating the effects of all cards on the field!"
With a bang, Loki exploded like a dazzling firework, but the released energy transformed into invisible waves spreading across the field. Immediately all the cards on the field dimmed, the Three Pole Gods lost their divine radiance, and Ryoku's yellow armored shell dulled, the energy chains just shot out for capturing dissipated into the void.
[Meklord Emperor Ryoku∞, Attack Power 850→Attack Power 0]
"Negated!" Quipped the commentator, "Harald here did not relax his countermeasures against the Meklord Emperor. With effects negated, the Meklord Emperor cannot absorb the Extreme Gods as equipment!
Moreover, as the price for sacrificing Loki, it can automatically resurrect at the end of the turn, essentially without a cost... no, not only without cost, when Loki resurrects, it can retrieve a Trap Card from the graveyard, further profiting Harald in resources!"
From outside the field, Brever laughed, "Of course, this is Harald we're talking about."
"Yep." Dragan also laughed, "Harald is in a realm unreachable even by the two of us, just like the Supreme Divine Emperor Odin who rules over the gods, Harald is also the most suitable Duelist to lead the gods."
"Already on guard against my Meklord Emperor, impressive indeed," Yugen said, "I'll set three cover cards, ending my turn."
"At the end phase of the turn, Extreme Divine Emperor Loki resurrects from the graveyard!"
As Harald finished speaking, Loki returned with a mischievous smile, emerging from a rift in the sky.
"And, retrieve a Trap Card from the graveyard to the hand.
The card I'll retrieve is... this one."
Harald revealed the Trap Card in his hand.
"Continuous Trap - Polestar Treasure - Svalin!"
"Hmm?"
Yugen raised an eyebrow.
This Trap...