Chapter 1041: Stardust Offense and Defense

The night sky split open with pitch-black fissures, and countless purple lightning bolts like data streams danced along the edges of the cracks. The giant white shadow of the Meklord Emperor descended slowly from the void, and the air pressure upon its arrival made the gravel on the track seem to float. The armor on its shoulders seemed like two black holes, absolute nothingness capable of swallowing light. Deep within each black hole floated an irregular energy core, like a violent star trapped, similar to the cores in the chests of those standard-model Meklord Emperors.

【Meklord Astro Mekanikle ∞, ATK 4000】

"Mekanikle?" Yusei was surprised. "Is this also a Meklord Emperor?"

"Not a Meklord Emperor, but a Meklord Emperor God!" The copy of Yusei said. "To save the world and protect everyone, I fought side-by-side with many companions and gained a lot of power."

"During the battle, I realized that if you cling to hollow dreams and hopes without facing the cruel reality, you can't save anyone."

Yusei's gaze flickered: "You..."

"So this is my resolve, my power now." The copy of Yusei said. "As long as I can win and change the future, I will pay any price."

"Meklord Astro Mekanikle ∞, effect activate! Once per turn, I can absorb one Synchro monster on the opponent's field as an Equip Card and gain that monster's ATK!"

Energy chains for capture shot out from the Meklord Emperor God's chest, shooting toward Shooting Star Dragon.

On one side was the pinnacle of Synchro, the Delta Accel Synchro giant monster Cosmic Blazar Dragon; on the other was the Meklord pinnacle, the Meklord Emperor God, the antithesis of Synchro. Holding both extreme powers that seemed absolutely contradictory, the copy of Yusei who could command both could be said to be unprecedented and without equal.

"The same basic ability as the Meklord Emperors, huh." Yusei gritted his teeth. "But Shooting Star Dragon has already gained the power to resist the Meklord Emperors!"

"Shooting Star Dragon's effect activates! Once per opponent's turn, I can banish myself from the game to negate one attack from an opponent's monster this turn!"

Shooting Star Dragon's attack-blocking effect. Although the copy of Yusei could negate Shooting Star Dragon's effect with Blazar Dragon's effect at this moment, Shooting Star Dragon could then negate Blazar's negation, making it meaningless.

However...

"I certainly wouldn't forget Shooting Star Dragon's effect." The copy of Yusei said. "At this moment, 'Meklord Astro Mekanikle ∞'s' other effect activates!"

"By sending a Meklord Emperor part from my hand to the Graveyard, this card can gain that monster's effect until the end of the turn, and this effect can be activated as the effect of the discarded part." (Original effect)

The copy of Yusei sent a card from his hand to the Graveyard.

"I discard 'Meklord Emperor Granel Top' from my hand and activate Meklord Emperor God's effect as Granel Top's effect."

"Granel Top's effect is: once per turn, I can negate the effect of one Synchro monster on the field until the end of the turn!"

Yusei: "Nani!?"

"Gaining Granel Top's effect, Meklord Emperor God negates Shooting Star Dragon's effect." The copy of Yusei said. "This way, Shooting Star Dragon can't escape, nor can it negate the attack; it can only be absorbed by Meklord Emperor God as equipment!"

But Yusei wasn't panicked: "Then I activate my face-down card, the Trap Card 'Synchro Out'!"

"Return one Synchro monster on my field to the Extra Deck, and if that monster's Synchro materials exist in the Graveyard, Special Summon them from the Graveyard!" (Original card)

A trap version of Synchro Release. But unlike the Spell version, the Trap version carried risks. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect must be sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase.

"Return Shooting Star Dragon to the Extra Deck." Yusei said. "Release Shooting Star Dragon's Synchro!"

Dangerously, Shooting Star Dragon disintegrated the moment the capture tentacles struck, transforming back into Stardust Dragon and Formula Synchron.

【Stardust Dragon, DEF 2000】 【Formula Synchron, DEF 1500】

Currently, all card effects were still on the same chain and hadn't entered the effect resolution phase, so Shooting Star Dragon's effect hadn't been negated by Meklord Emperor God on this chain.

In other words, the copy of Yusei couldn't use Blazar's effect to negate "Synchro Out." Because if he did that, Yusei would immediately chain Shooting Star Dragon's effect to negate Blazar's negation, and Cosmic Blazar Dragon would be destroyed.

As long as Shooting Star Dragon was on the field, Blazar was effectively kept in check.

"And at this moment, I activate my face-down card 'Cosmic Explosion'!" Yusei said. "If a Synchro monster on my field leaves the field, inflict damage to the opponent equal to that monster's ATK!" (Original card)

One of the traps Yusei loved to use in the early anime, it was easy to pull off explosive kills when combined with the Stardust series of Synchro monsters. Even if not combined with this "Synchro Out," if Shooting Star Dragon had successfully activated its effect to banish itself from the game, it could have combined with this trap to deliver a one-shot kill.

But of course, since Shooting Star Dragon had left the field, the restriction from Blazar on the other side was lifted.

"Cosmic Blazar Dragon's effect!" The copy of Yusei said. "Banish Cosmic Blazar Dragon from the game to negate the activation of any Spell, Trap, or monster effect and destroy it!"

Yusei was secretly shocked: "Aside from negating a monster's Summon, it can even negate the activation of any card's effect... what a terrifying dragon."

Blazar Dragon transformed into a phantom again and vanished from the field, releasing energy that surrounded and wrapped the trap in Yusei's back row, and Cosmic Explosion shattered into dust.

The copy of Yusei: "Then, battle. Meklord Astro Mekanikle ∞, attack 'Stardust Dragon'."

However, although he ordered the attack, he knew himself that this attack couldn't possibly go through.

Because...

The moment he declared the attack, Yusei had slammed the throttle, and his D-Wheel transformed into a beam of light and surged forward again!

Stardust Dragon and Formula Synchron both merged into his accelerated ring of light, becoming a meteor piercing the stars. The D-Wheel broke the speed of light in this fleeting moment, transcending space, and finally returned with the shining Shooting Star Dragon!

【Shooting Star Dragon, DEF 2500】

Accel Synchro!

Yes, Accel Synchro; one could also perform a Synchro Summon during the opponent's turn.

After being released as a physical card, Accel Synchro was modified into a monster effect, allowing a Synchro Summon during the opponent's Main Phase through the effect of "Formula Synchron."

But not in the anime. In the anime, Formula Synchron didn't have the effect of being able to Synchro Summon during the opponent's turn.

Accel Synchro in the anime world was a rule-based Summon, not a monster effect, and did not enter the chain. Furthermore, it wasn't limited to the opponent's Main Phase; one could perform an Accel Synchro at any time during either player's turn using prepared materials.

Shooting Star Dragon, re-summoned!

(End of chapter)