"So it's over, huh."
Yugen looked regretful.
"Seems like I had too high expectations for the Mechanical Emperor."
Behind the scenes, Placido was furious, growling coldly, "You'll regret your arrogance."
Placido was already the most hot-tempered of the Taiyi Emperor trio, with a strong sense of pride. After being defeated by Yusei in the original story, he considered it a disgrace and insisted on challenging Yusei again.
At this moment, taunted by some unknown character on the opposing side, how could Placido endure it?
"My turn, draw a card."
Yugen said.
"First, flip the first face-down cover monster.
Apprentice Magician!"
From the flipped card appeared a blonde female magician, dressed in blue magic robes, adeptly twirling a magic staff in her hand.
[Apprentice Magician, Attack Power 400]
"Next, activate the equipment magic 'Magical Wand' from my hand," Yugen said, "Equip the 'Magical Wand' to 'Apprentice Magician'.
This card can only be equipped to Mage Race monsters, increasing the equipped monster's attack power by 500 points."
Light clustered into a golden staff, appearing in the Apprentice Mage's hand, magic power around her forming a faint layer of golden energy.
[Apprentice Magician, Attack Power 400→Attack Power 900]
"Then, the other effect of the Magical Wand. Send both the wand and the equipped monster to the graveyard, and I draw two cards from the deck."
The wand's energy activated, and both the Apprentice Mage and itself turned into light points and dissipated. Yugen drew two cards.
"Then flip another monster, 'Divine Mage' flip summon!"
This time, it was a young purple-haired female mage.
[Divine Mage, Attack Power 300]
"When Divine Mage is flipped, add a magic card from the graveyard to the hand," Yugen said, "I return the equipment magic 'Magical Wand' from the grave to the hand.
Then equip it once more to the 'Divine Mage' on the field!"
[Divine Mage, Attack Power 300→Attack Power 800]
"Once again, activate the effect of the Magical Wand!" Yugen waved his hand, "Send both the Magical Wand and the equipped 'Divine Mage' to the graveyard, and draw two cards from the deck once more!"
The wand and mage once again transformed into light points and vanished, the ability activated. Yugen drew two more cards.
Placido was probably envious of his mad card advantage, muttering, "Clever tricks..."
"Not finished yet." Yugen smiled, "Now both Apprentice Magician and Divine Mage have gone to the grave, preparation is about ready."
Placido's expression changed slightly, "Preparation?"
Yugen slowly drew a card from his hand.
"Well, it's been a while since you last appeared, and the Mechanical Emperor is a worthy opponent. Let's use this chance to take a little breather..."
With that, he held the card high in his hand.
"Banish the Light Attribute 'Divine Mage' and Dark Attribute 'Apprentice Magician' from the game!
Sacrifice the Light and Dark souls to the Chaos Field, the legendary warrior descends here! Creation of Heaven and Earth—
—Chaos Warrior - Messenger of Creation, descend!"
The two magicians transformed into beams of light, one light and one dark, golden holy light and eerie purple dark flow, like two ancient serpents tangled wildly in the air, exploded with thunderous force upon colliding with the void.
The center of the chaos vortex seemed to collapse into an absolute black hole, followed by the supernova explosion in the next second. Countless light particles rapidly restructured, condensing into breastplates with golden patterns, followed by armors flowing with stardust. Chaos cyclones forged a silver blade amidst thunder, leaving shattered dimensional rifts in its path.
Chaos Warrior - Messenger of Creation, summon!
[Chaos Warrior - Messenger of Creation, Attack Power 3000]
"Chaos Warrior!?"
Placido was even more shocked.
An early legendary strongest warrior, lost to history at an unknown time in the Dueling Realm, an ultra-rare card that's now out of print in this dimension.
This person not only possess Stardust Dragon, but also Chaos Warrior!
Placido's face darkened, "Who are you really?"
"I am Rex Godwin, chief of the Public Security Maintenance Bureau, guardian of this city." Yugen said solemnly, "I will not allow any of your conspiracies to touch this city!"
Placido: "..."
Are you really getting into the role?
Yugen then glanced at the core summoned by the opposing side.
"Wisdom Core, once per turn, it seems cannot be destroyed by battle," Yugen said.
Placido gritted his teeth.
This bastard knows even this...
"Then I'll use this move." Yugen said, "Chaos Warrior - Messenger of Creation, activate the effect.
Once per turn, you can banish one monster on the field from the game!"
Yugen pointed at the Wisdom Core on the opposing field.
"Banish 'Core of Wisdom' from the game!
Dimensional Opening Slash!"
The Chaos Warrior swung the sword in his hand. A sword that opens the heavens and earth, tearing through the dimensional barriers along its path, the sword light slashing straight at the core on the opposing field.
"Not so easily!" Placido shouted, "Activate Cover Card, Trap Card 'Thunder Break'!
Discard one card from the hand, destroy one card present on the field!"
Placido sent a card from his hand to the graveyard.
"Destroy my own 'Core of Wisdom'!"
Black clouds appeared in the sky, a demon's hand reaching out, fingertips shooting lightning straight at the core on Placido's field.
"So persistent in trying to destroy your own Wisdom Core." Yugen said.
Thunder Break itself is a loss card trap, Thunder Break plus discarding a card as COST, normally for swapping one card of the opponent it's a one-for-two. The opponent being so determined to destroy their own core, it means spending two cards to destroy their own card, effectively netting a loss of three cards.
However, considering destroying the core is the only way to unfold the entire deck of the Mechanical Emperor, regardless of the loss that has to be destroyed, otherwise the deck doesn't even possess basic combat strength, and any concept of card loss doesn't apply.
Moreover, to be precise, even though in the animation the Mechanical Emperor seems like a single monster, it's actually five cards combined, and when the core is destroyed it retrieves five cards from the deck. Strictly speaking it should be a three-for-five, not only not a loss but a bit gain...
Of course, that's assuming the move goes through.
Yugen: "Then activate Stardust Dragon's effect. When the effect of card destruction is activated, release Stardust Dragon, negate that effect, and destroy!"
Stardust Dragon soared in the sky, flying straight towards the giant hand grabbed in midair. Stardust erupted all over Stardust Dragon, its radiant field completely enveloped the destructive lightning, preventing it from reaching the Wisdom Core in the slightest.
For others, this might seem an incredibly bizarre duel. One side desperately trying to destroy their monster, while the other side is sacrificing a great monster with all means to protect the monster of their opponent, such situations are rare indeed.
"Hmph, expected!"
Placido manipulated the ghostly hand with a wave.
"But the card I just discarded to activate 'Thunder Break', is this one!
Demon-Hammering God Kathy!
When Kathy is discarded from the hand to the graveyard, select one face-up card on the field to destroy!"
He pointed fiercely at his own Wisdom Core.
"Destroy 'Core of Wisdom' again!"