Broder took a deep breath.
This turn's exchange had clearly gone in his opponent's favor again. The duelist named Kira had already stirred up massive waves in his heart. He had fought two members of Team Ragnarok in succession and was actually suppressing them this badly even when facing two Lord of the Aesir. Broder had never imagined there could be someone this strong in the world.
Of course, the Meklord Emperor that hard-countered their Lord of the Aesir played a big part.
Thinking of this made Broder's head hurt even more.
No, seriously—how can something like the Meklord Emperor exist in this world? Such an infuriating card in the hands of such an infuriating duelist…
Broder shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the duel. No matter what, Dragan had already been defeated. Team Ragnarok had come to the WRGP as defending champions, fully confident that the title was theirs. Yet here in the preliminaries they had already encountered such a powerful enemy. If two of them were taken down one after another by a single opponent, they would become a laughingstock.
"During the End Phase, the effect of Loki, Lord of the Aesir activates!" Broder declared. "When Loki exists in the Graveyard at the end of the turn, it can be Special Summoned back to the field.
O god who mocks death, return once more! Loki, Lord of the Aesir!"
A crisp shattering sound rang out above the field. The previously clear sky cracked open with a winding fissure without warning. Rainbow-colored auroras flowed along the edges of the crack. Two giant hands suddenly reached out from the fissure. The clearly jointed palms gripped both sides of the crack and violently tore the spatial fissure into a huge cross-shaped opening. Thick dark-green mist poured out from within, and Loki's enlarged figure gradually emerged from the mist.
The fissure closed behind Loki. The Trickster God had revived once again, his face wearing a mocking smile—as if mocking death itself, or mocking the opponent who failed to see through his resurrection.
[Loki, Lord of the Aesir, ATK 3300]
"When Loki, Lord of the Aesir is Special Summoned by its own effect, I can return one Trap Card from my Graveyard to my hand," Broder said.
Although Dragan had used a Trap earlier, Broder could not retrieve it. According to WRGP Riding Duel rules, a relay teammate inherits all cards on the previous teammate's field, but not cards in the Graveyard.
This was also why, in the original anime, Akiza had chosen to self-destruct in order to revive Stardust Dragon from the Graveyard and pass it back to Yusei when facing Team Unicorn—because otherwise Stardust Dragon would leave the duel with her defeat, leaving Yusei without his ace in the Graveyard.
However, before his defeat, Dragan had left Broder the Trap "Needlebug Nest," allowing Broder to mill five cards blindly. That had given Broder the chance to send a Trap to the Graveyard.
"By the effect of 'Loki, Lord of the Aesir,' I return the Trap Card 'Nordic Relic Megingjord' from my Graveyard to my hand!"
Broder showed the Trap Card in his Graveyard and added it to his hand.
Nordic Relic Megingjord could double the ATK and DEF of one Nordic Alfar or Lord of the Aesir monster on his field until the end of the turn, but that monster could not attack the opponent directly this turn.
"I see. With that Trap, if I don't absorb Loki as well, even Wisel won't be able to attack freely," Kira realized.
Loki, Lord of the Aesir had 3300 ATK. Doubled, that became 6600—already higher than Meklord Emperor Wisel after absorbing Thor's ATK boost.
If combined with the Continuous Trap "Nordic Relic Svalinn" to negate Wisel's effects, Wisel's ATK would drop back to 2500 in one go. A doubled Loki destroying Wisel would deal a staggering 4100 damage instantly.
"But after the turn ends, the effect of your Continuous Trap 'Nordic Relic Svalinn' this turn will also expire," Kira said. "Meklord Emperor Wisel will once again gain the ATK of the absorbed 'Thor, Lord of the Aesir.'"
[Meklord Emperor Wisel, ATK 2500 → ATK 6000]
With 6000 ATK, Thor's thunder and divine might returned to the Meklord Emperor once more, bringing overwhelming pressure.
Broder lowered his head for a long moment, then slowly spoke.
"It's truly unbelievable, Director Kira."
Kira tilted his head: "What is?"
"A person like you… dueling like this… I never imagined it before," Broder smiled self-deprecatingly. "Yeah. In the past, I was just a lazy good-for-nothing.
Back then I had no god, no miraculous power, and I didn't even have a proper job. Yet even someone like me was chosen by a god.
Even someone like me was accepted by people like Halldor and Dragan, and allowed to fight alongside them…"
He gently closed his eyes and clenched his fists.
When his eyes opened again, the Rune Eye had ignited. Ancient markings burned within his gaze.
"If that's the case… then I can only pour everything I have into keeping up with them, right!?"
Outside the field, Dragan's expression was complicated: "Broder…"
"My turn. Draw!"
Broder declared firmly.
"No matter what, I cannot drag the two of them down. Therefore, in this duel, I will also release everything I have!
Once again, I activate the effect of the Continuous Trap 'Nordic Relic Svalinn'!
Once per turn, negate the effects of all cards on the opponent's field!"
Divine pressure descended once more through the Trap. Meklord Emperor Wisel, which had only just recovered, was suppressed again. Its metallic luster dimmed slightly.
[Meklord Emperor Wisel, ATK 6000 → ATK 2500]
"This way Loki's ATK surpasses it once again!" Broder declared. "Loki, Lord of the Aesir, attack 'Meklord Emperor Wisel'!
Void Bullet!"
"Excellent!" Dragan cheered from outside. "Go, Broder! Use this strike to free my god!"
Kira: "Trap Card—"
"Too slow!" Broder interrupted triumphantly before the other could finish. "Loki, Lord of the Aesir's effect! During the attack declaration, I can negate the activation and effect of one card in the opponent's Spell & Trap Zone and destroy it!"
"You seem to have misunderstood something," Kira smiled. "Look carefully. This Trap was activated before you declared the attack—in other words, at the very start of the Battle Phase.
Loki can only negate Traps when he is attacking. If the Trap is activated before he declares an attack, he is powerless, right?"
Broder: "!"
This guy even knows the god's effects so well…
"The card I'm activating is the Trap Card 'Twin Vortex'!
Select one monster on each player's field and destroy the chosen cards."
Kira snapped his fingers.
"I destroy your 'Loki, Lord of the Aesir' and my own 'Meklord Emperor Wisel'!"