Another tag-team match. Kira didn't bother to change his deck, sticking to the same rules from the last showdown with Yuusei and the others. Both teams got 8000 Life Points, one turn per side, with Jakob and Lester alternating.
"I'll take the first turn. Draw!"
Jakob went first.
Lester yelled, "Don't hold back, Jakob! Show him our strength!"
Jakob stayed silent, but looked dead serious.
In his eyes, since God had chosen this man as Iliaster's new leader, he must be extraordinary. Besides, Kira had already humiliated Primo with ease before—clearly not someone to underestimate.
A two-on-one? This guy had to have something up his sleeve. So Jakob went all out from the start.
"I Normal Summon 'Grand Core'!"
The core of the earth—Jakob's key card for summoning Meklord Emperor Granel. A small, nondescript yellow metallic orb appeared quietly on Jakob's side of the field.
[Grand Core, ATK 0]
"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Chaos Bloom'!" (Anime Card)
A magical glow appeared, the artwork depicting beams of red, yellow, and blue chaos swirling into a huge, shadowy profile.
"'Chaos Bloom' can only be activated if there's no card with the same name in your Graveyard. It destroys one monster on your field with less than 1000 ATK.
I destroy my 'Grand Core'."
It was clearly a card Jakob had teched in for the Meklord Emperor Core series.
The core got struck by lightning from above and shattered into pieces.
"When 'Grand Core' is destroyed, its effect activates!" Jakob said, his voice gravelly. "I Special Summon all five components of 'Meklord Emperor Granel' from my hand, deck, or Graveyard!"
[Meklord Emperor Granel, ATK 0]
[Granel Top, ATK 500]
[Granel Attack, ATK 1300]
[Granel Guard, ATK 500]
[Granel Carrier, ATK 700]
The Meklord Emperor glowed yellow: the carrier was a massive base, the arms were orb-like heavy cannons, the head glowed with odd red markings, and in the chest, an infinite ring of pure energy spun nonstop.
Meklord Emperor Granel, complete!
Lester exclaimed, "That's Jakob for you! He summoned our strongest Meklord Emperor right away!"
"Granel is a special Meklord Emperor," Jakob explained in a low voice. "The ATK for Meklord Emperor Wisel and Skiel is the sum of all Meklord Emperor Parts on the field—as you probably know.
But Granel doesn't gain ATK from its parts. Instead...
Meklord Emperor Granel's ATK becomes equal to its controller's Life Points!" (Anime effect)
Lester cackled, "Since we're tag-teaming, our LP is shared. So, Granel's ATK is—"
[Meklord Emperor Granel, ATK 8000]
ATK 8000!
"Taking advantage of tag-team rules—starting with 8000 ATK, huh?"
Kira nodded.
"Impressive."
He knew that although Granel's mechanic was different from the other Meklord Emperors, it was still a five-in-one monster—and each part had its own effect.
Granel Top's effect: When Meklord Emperor attacks, it negates the effects of all Synchro monsters your opponent controls during the Battle Phase.
Granel Attack: When it destroys a Synchro monster by battle, it absorbs it as an Equip Card and gains its ATK. Once per turn, you can attack using an equipped Synchro monster; if you attack a Defense Position monster, you can deal piercing damage.
Granel Guard: Once per turn, if your opponent attacks, you can use an equipped Synchro monster as a decoy to redirect the attack to it.
In short, besides converting Life Points to ATK, Granel Infinity's abilities are all geared toward absorbing Synchro monsters—completely dominating that strategy. Once it captures a Synchro, it can use your own monsters against you.
Jakob: "I set three cards facedown and end my turn."
"My turn. Draw."
Kira narrowed his eyes.
"Meklord Emperor Granel may be the Meklord Emperor most specialized for countering Synchro monsters… but what if your opponent doesn't play Synchros? What then?"
Jakob: "..."
"Let me show you the specialty of my dimension," Kira declared. "I summon 'Cyber Dragon Core'!"
[Cyber Dragon Core, ATK 400]
"Cyber Dragon Core's effect: When it's Normal Summoned, I add one 'Cyber' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand."
Kira pulled a card from his Deck.
"I add the Trap Card 'Cybernetic Overflow' to my hand."
"Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Polymerization'!"
Lester: "A Fusion user!?"
Their Meklord Emperors were Synchro killers, dominating the Synchro Dimension—but up against Fusions, they weren't nearly as effective.
"Cyber Dragon Core is treated as 'Cyber Dragon' on the field," Kira said. "I fuse my on-field 'Cyber Dragon Core' and a 'Proto-Cyber Dragon' from my hand!
Fusion material: Two or more monsters with 'Cyber Dragon' in their name.
Fusion Summon—
—Chimeratech Rampage Dragon!!"
Both monsters were pulled into a vortex of swirling electricity. First, a pitch-black core appeared, then a silver dragon's head emerged, its metal body covered in lively circuit patterns, electric arcs running through every groove.
Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, summoned!
[Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, ATK 2100]
"When Chimeratech Rampage Dragon is Fusion Summoned, I target Spells/Traps on the field up to the number of materials I used and destroy them!"
Kira pointed to Jakob's back row.
"I destroy two of your set cards!"
The moment Rampage Dragon landed, blue electrical arcs fired outward and formed spears of lightning, stabbing at the two set cards.
Jakob's white eyebrows shot up. "Not so fast.
At this moment, I activate my set Trap Card: 'Card of Pandora'!" (Anime card)
The Trap flipped, unleashing a wave of invisible force that seemed to draw all the lightning spear attacks to itself.
"'Card of Pandora' can be activated when one or more of your Spell/Trap cards is targeted by an opponent's effect. It changes all targets to itself."
Thus, both of Rampage Dragon's targets were reeled in—both attacks hit 'Card of Pandora'.
The other set was saved.
"Also, I draw two cards."
Jakob drew them; the cards looked tiny compared to his thick arms.
"So you won't let me blow up your back row…"
Kira glanced over, smiling faintly.
Maybe that set card really was a valuable Trap. Attacking carelessly would only let it activate.
Not that he cared. He continued, "Now, I activate Chimeratech Rampage Dragon's other effect.
Once per turn during my Main Phase, I can send up to two LIGHT Machine monsters from my Deck to the Graveyard."
Two more monsters slid from his Deck.
"I send two 'Cyber Dragons' from my Deck to the Graveyard."
With those basics in the Graveyard—
"Then, for each monster sent this way, Chimeratech Rampage Dragon gains that many extra attacks this turn!"
Lester: "Wait! That's…!"
"Correct," Kira said. "This turn, Rampage Dragon can attack three times!"
Jakob's eyes grew more serious.
Wipe the back row, attack three times—he immediately realized how lethal that could be.
The only issue: Rampage Dragon's only 2100 ATK. If there's a high-ATK monster on the field, it's hard to break through.
Right now, Jakob has his 8000-ATK Granel. Unfortunately, Meklord Emperors are composed of several parts at once. Their combined nature is a strength—but also a weakness.
What if you can't touch Granel's ATK?
Simple: hit the other components.
Granel might have 8000 ATK, but its other parts certainly don't.
"You plan to use your multiple attacks to target Granel's other parts?" Jakob asked. "But! Except for Granel, the other parts are in Defense Position. You can't deal direct damage that way.
And Granel's ATK isn't affected by its components, so destroying them won't reduce Granel's ATK."
"Is that so? What if I add this card?"
Kira played another card from his hand.
"Equip Spell: 'Big Bang Shot'!"
…