"So your turn is over?" Kira said, feigning disappointment.
"Looks like I was expecting too much from the Meklord Emperor."
Behind his mask, Primo was seething with rage. "You'll regret your arrogance!"
Primo had always been the most volatile of the Three Pure Nobles; his pride was immense. In the original, being defeated by Yusei was his greatest humiliation, leaving him desperate for a rematch.
Now, being so blatantly taunted by an unknown interloper left Primo almost unable to restrain himself.
"My turn. Draw!" Kira announced.
"First, I flip my first face-down monster—
Apprentice Magician!"
A blonde-haired female magician, clad in blue robes, emerged from the flipped card, twirling her wand with practiced ease.
[Apprentice Magician, ATK 400]
"Next, I activate the Equip Spell 'Wonder Wand' from my hand," Kira declared, "and equip it to 'Apprentice Magician.'
This card can only be equipped to a Spellcaster, and it boosts the equipped monster's ATK by 500 points!"
Light gathered to form a golden staff in the Apprentice's hands, while magical power enveloped her in a faint golden aura.
[Apprentice Magician, ATK 400 → ATK 900]
"Now for Wonder Wand's other effect. I can send both the wand and the equipped monster from the field to the graveyard to draw two cards from my deck."
The wand's energy surged, enveloping Apprentice Magician and itself in light before they vanished. Kira drew two cards.
"Next, I flip my other set monster—'Magician of Faith'—with a Flip Summon!"
A young, purple-haired female magician appeared.
[Magician of Faith, ATK 300]
"When 'Magician of Faith' is flipped, I can return a Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand," Kira explained. "I'll retrieve the Equip Spell 'Wonder Wand.' And once more, I'll equip 'Wonder Wand' to 'Magician of Faith'!"
[Magician of Faith, ATK 300 → ATK 800]
"Now again, Wonder Wand's effect! I send both Wonder Wand and 'Magician of Faith' to the graveyard to draw two more cards!"
Again, the wand and magician faded into light, with Kira drawing two more cards.
Primo, perhaps envious at all these bonus draws, grumbled to himself, "Clever tricks…"
"I'm not done." Kira smiled. "Now, both Apprentice Magician and Magician of Faith are in my graveyard. My preparations are complete."
Primo's expression changed. "Preparations?"
Kira drew a card from his hand with a flourish.
"It's been a long time since you've been onstage. The Meklord Emperor is a worthy foe—so here's your chance to shine."
He raised his card high.
"From my graveyard, I banish the LIGHT 'Magician of Faith' and the DARK 'Apprentice Magician!'
I offer up their souls of Light and Darkness to the field of Chaos—descend, legendary warrior! Creation itself splits asunder—
—Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, arise!"
The two magicians transformed into beams, one of light and one of darkness, intertwining like ancient serpents. They collided with thunderous force, unleashing a storm of power.
At the heart of the chaos, darkness collapsed into a singularity, then exploded in a supernova. Countless motes of light rapidly assembled, forming golden armor and armguards sparkling with stardust. Amidst thunder and whirling chaos, a silver sword was forged, its blade leaving rifts in shattered space.
Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, summoned!
[Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning, ATK 3000]
"Black Luster Soldier?!"
Primo was utterly shocked.
A legendary warrior from the distant history of Dueling, this card had long vanished from the game—it was a super-rare, out-of-print card in this timeline.
Not only did this guy hold Stardust Dragon, but now Black Luster Soldier too!
Primo's face darkened. "Just who are you?!"
Kira's eyes gleamed. "I am Rex Goodwin, the Director of the Sector Security, the defender of this city. No one will be allowed to taint this city with evil!"
Primo: "..."
Are you serious? Are you really roleplaying this?
Kira turned his attention to the card his opponent had summoned.
"Wise Core can't be destroyed by battle once per turn, if I recall correctly." Kira said.
Primo gritted his teeth.
This bastard even knows that...
"Then I'll use this move." Kira declared. "Black Luster Soldier's effect activates!
Once per turn, I can banish a monster on the field!"
He pointed at Primo's Wise Core.
"Banish 'Wise Core'!
Begin the Dimensional Slash!"
Black Luster Soldier swung its sword—a blade that split creation itself, cutting through the barriers between dimensions toward the core of Primo's field.
"It won't be that easy!" Primo roared. "I activate my set card—Trap Card 'Raigeki Break'!
By discarding one card, I can destroy any card on the field!"
Primo tossed a card from his hand to the grave.
"I'll destroy my own 'Wise Core'!"
Dark clouds gathered overhead, and a spectral demon hand shot lightning at Primo's Wise Core.
"You're really determined to destroy your own core, aren't you?" Kira noted.
Raigeki Break is a loss-making Trap—using it plus the costed discard to destroy a card is a two-for-one. But Primo was so fixated on blowing up his own core that he willingly spent two cards to destroy his own card—a net loss of three.
Still, destroying the core is the only way for his Meklord deck to get rolling; whether it's card advantage or not doesn't matter. If you can't pop the core, your Deck can't do anything!
If you think about it, though, the anime Meklord Emperor is actually made of five component cards; popping the core lets you search out five. Technically, you're trading three cards for five. Maybe it's not so bad.
Of course, that's only if you actually succeed!
Kira: "Now, Stardust Dragon's effect activates! When a card effect would destroy a card, I tribute Stardust Dragon to negate and destroy that effect!"
Stardust Dragon soared into the sky, directly intercepting the demonic hand. Stardust's body radiated energy, enveloping the lightning, preventing a scratch from touching Wise Core.
For onlookers, this would be the strangest duel ever: one duelist struggling desperately to destroy his own monsters, while the other spent great effort to protect the enemy's cards—truly rare!
"Hmph, as expected!"
Primo's puppet waved its hand.
"When I activated 'Raigeki Break,' the card I discarded was this!
'The Fabled Catsith!'
When Catsith is discarded from the hand to the graveyard, I can destroy a face-up card on the field!"
He pointed viciously at his own Wise Core.
"Destroy 'Wise Core'—again!"
…