Upon hearing himself being called a little fellow, Luciano, who was originally lying on the ground, instantly sprang up, bristling, "Who are you calling a little fellow!?"
Yugen just smiled without answering.
"Damn it, daring to underestimate me like this..." Luciano was furious, "Stop looking down on people!
In that case, let me show you Sky's Fury! My turn, draw card!"
After drawing a card, Luciano did not act immediately but exchanged glances with Jose.
Jose glanced at him, then nodded, as if giving some sort of permission.
Only then did Luciano begin to move: "I summon 'Core of the Sky'!"
Like the other two Mechanical Emperors, the activation of a Mechanical Emperor depends on its core. This Sky Core is a blue core, and compared to the other two Mechanical Emperors, it gives a fresher feeling.
"Then activate the Magic Card 'Black Hole'!" Luciano stated, "Destroy all monsters on the field on both sides!"
Yes, a total monster-annihilating destructive cosmic force, completely flipping the table type magic. At first glance, it seems like Luciano's side has many more monsters than Yugen's, making this move seem like a loss, but in fact, it had to be done.
Ryoku seemed to have survived the deadly triple strike of the Chimeric Rampage Dragon last turn, but their Life Points are only left with 1200, and Ryoku's Attack Power synchronized with Life Points is only 1200. In the case of facing a non-Synchro User, Ryoku's powerful effects are like a blank slate, basically already useless.
Moreover, amongst the Mechanical Emperor series monsters with the name "∞", only one could exist on the field at a time. In other words, the three Mechanical Emperor bodies conflict with each other and cannot exist on the field simultaneously.
Also, the Mechanical Emperor bodies all have the effect of "while this card is on the field, all other monsters on your field cannot attack".
Therefore, keeping the barely surviving Ryoku on the field would instead prevent Luciano's side from advancing or attacking. By clearing Ryoku from the field, hope for a counterattack could be pinned on Luciano's Mechanical Emperor.
Yet Yugen didn't intend for their monster to accompany the enemy's to the grave: "Then at this moment, I activate the Cover Card, Continuous Trap 'Gate of Dimensions'!
When this card is activated, banish one monster from your field from the game!"
A dimensional vortex opened in the sky, releasing a transparent light pillar like a quantum tunnel connecting heaven and earth.
"I banish my 'Chimeric Rampage Dragon' from the game!"
Jose said in a deep voice: "Avoiding the destruction of Black Hole by voluntarily banishing your own monster, huh?"
So, at the last moment before the gravitational pull of the Black Hole crushed everything, Chimeric Rampage Dragon was sucked into the vortex in the sky along the tunnel and disappeared without a trace. Then the Black Hole descended, pulverizing the remaining parts of Ryoku and the freshly summoned Core of the Sky on the opponent's field.
"Tch, that Raging Dragon managed to escape." Luciano was displeased, "However, at this moment, the effect of 'Core of the Sky' also activates!
When Core of the Sky is destroyed by a card effect, Special Summon 'Machine Emperor Divine Sky ∞' and its four components, a total of five cards, from your hand, deck, or graveyard onto the field!"
Luciano's short hands were raised high.
"Appear now!
My Machine Emperor Divine Sky with five components!"
[Machine Emperor Divine Sky ∞, Attack Power 0]
[Divine Sky Top, Defense Power 0]
[Divine Sky Attack Department, Defense Power 0]
[Divine Sky Defense Department, Defense Power 300]
[Divine Sky Carrier Department, Defense Power 0]
To be safe, apart from the main body, the other four components are all in defense position. After all, Luciano's side has hardly any Life Points left, only 1200 points compared to Yugen's untouched 8000. Moves must be made cautiously.
"Combine! Machine Emperor Divine Sky ∞!!!"
Machinery waves began to surge, metal and electronics resonating in harmony. The chest of the main body resembled a mechanical eagle head, with sharp eyes seemingly able to see through illusions, and in the hollowed-out eyes of the eagle, there was a darkness from which the energy constructing the infinite ring of the Machine Emperor floated.
The tall sky-blue combined body exuded a cold metallic sheen, every joint perfect, as if crafted by the most precise artisan by hand.
Luciano: "The attack power of Machine Emperor Divine Sky is the sum of attack powers of all its components on the field!"
At this moment, among the components on the field, Divine Sky Top has 600 attack power, Attack Department 1000, Defense Department 200, Carrier Department 400.
[Machine Emperor Divine Sky ∞, Attack Power 2200]
"Not only that, when 'Core of the Sky' activates its effect, and Divine Sky is summoned, my Cover Card also activates." Jose said deeply on his side, "Activate Cover Card, Continuous Trap 'Restricted Revival', which allows Special Summon of monsters from the graveyard with attack power below 1000.
I Special Summon 'Ryoku Carrier Department' from the graveyard!"
[Ryoku Carrier Department, Defense Power 700]
In the animation where Placido duels Yusei, it's shown that he equipped 'Machine Emperor's Divine Wisdom' with parts from 'Divine Sky'. This indicates the components of the three Machine Emperors are mutually compatible.
Machine Emperor itself can gain attack power from components of all other models, and as long as there's any model with the name "∞" on the field, components won't be destroyed.
Ryoku Carrier Department's attack power is also 700, thus Divine Sky absorbed the new component's attack power, increasing its attack power further.
[Machine Emperor Divine Sky ∞, Attack Power 2200-> Attack Power 2900]
"It's not over, my Machine Emperor's evolution is just beginning!" Luciano continued, "I still have 'Divine Sky Attack Department 3' in my hand!
When there's a 'Divine Sky Attack Department' on the field, Divine Sky Attack Department 3 can be Special Summoned from the hand by releasing the field's Divine Sky Attack Department!
So I release 'Divine Sky Attack Department' to upgrade and modify Divine Sky!"
Divine Sky's arm disintegrated into light dots, reassembled into a rapidly wing-beating blue mechanical dragonfly. The dragonfly transformed into a mechanical arm, integrated onto Divine Sky, enhancing its aura once more.
[Divine Sky Attack Department 3, Attack Power 1200]
Of course, with the increased attack power of the Attack Department, Divine Sky's attack power also rose significantly.
[Machine Emperor Divine Sky ∞, Attack Power 2900-> Attack Power 3100]
"It's not over yet, the evolution of my Machine Emperor Divine Sky continues!" Luciano stated, "I then release 'Divine Sky Attack Department 3' as well, for a second-tier upgrade!"
He displayed another Monster Card from his hand.
"'Divine Sky Attack Department 5' in my hand can be Special Summoned by releasing the field's 'Divine Sky Attack Department 3'.
Therefore, I release Attack Department 3, second-tier upgrade! Come forth, Divine Sky Attack Department 5!"
The arm just assembled disassembled into light and disappeared, transforming into a new arm for another upgrade. The arm attached to Divine Sky's huge chassis, with transparent electric light radiating from the entire steel body, increasing its power again.
[Divine Sky Attack Department 5, Attack Power 1400]
[Machine Emperor Divine Sky ∞, Attack Power 3100-> Attack Power 3300]
Yugen muttered: "Is it really that powerful..."
It wasn't just for show; he genuinely marveled.
One must know that whether Attack Department 3 or Attack Department 5, all these Machine Emperor components are "destroyed when there is no ∞ monster on the field". In other words, without summoning the main body, these are just useless parts stuck in the hand.
If that were all, fine. But this bunch of components must satisfy the prerequisite "the main body must exist on the field" and must be strictly drawn in the upgrade sequence.
For example, first summon the Attack Department, when the Attack Department is on the field, release it to Special Summon Attack Department 3 from the hand, then release Attack Department 3 to Special Summon Attack Department 5 from the hand...
Similarly with other components like Carrier Department, Top, Defense Department, all must follow this upgrade sequence.
Thus, Yugen genuinely felt that even just playing such a deck ordinarily in a duel, that duelist is already strong enough.