On the field.
After Johannes struggled back to his feet, Yusaku spoke. "Best-of-three. I've already taken one game. Didn't you say you wanted to see the power of the Egyptian Gods for yourself?"
With his arms crossed, Yusaku looked him over. "I'll even give you the chance. You go first in the next Duel. If I take the first turn, don't say I didn't warn you. Forget the Aesir. You won't even be able to summon a monster."
The broadcast carried every word to every corner of the arena, and the stands instantly exploded.
"Is he insane? He knows the other guy's holding a Nordic deck, and he's still giving up first turn?"
"Is that bravado or confidence? What if he slips up and throws the match?"
Before the doubt could settle, other players scoffed and shot back.
"Do you even understand Dueling? The Aesir need Synchro Summons! If Yusaku goes first, it's not even about Slifer—Johannes won't be able to put together Tuner materials at all! Forget the Aesir, even his small monsters get wiped!"
"Exactly! The Egyptian Gods are on a whole different level. The Aesir don't get to compare!"
In the noise, Johannes jerked his head up, disbelief flashing across his face. "You're serious?"
On the field.
Hearing it again, Johannes blinked and couldn't help asking Yusaku directly. "You're serious?"
Yusaku glanced at him. "Why would I joke? If I go first, you won't be able to summon anything. Quit talking and start."
Johannes' eyes narrowed. "Big words. But you asked for it. Don't say I won with cheap tricks when you lose!"
He raised his arm, unfolded his Duel Disk, and slotted his Deck in.
"You think I'm like you people? If I say I'm taking the first turn, I'm taking the first turn. Enough talk. Let's go."
Johannes snorted. "Then let's go!"
"Duel!" "Duel!"
Their voices rang out together. The system screens on their Duel Disks flared to life, and in the glare, both Life Point counters appeared.
Yusaku, LP: 8000
Johannes, LP: 8000
"Per the pre-match agreement!" the referee shouted, arm raised high. "Yusaku has conceded the first turn for this Duel! The first turn goes to Johannes!"
As soon as the call landed, both duelists drew their opening five.
Johannes scanned his hand at lightning speed. His pupils snapped tight—then he burst into laughter, triumphant and certain.
"Good. Perfect. My hand is flawless! Yusaku, open your eyes and watch. Next, you'll witness the glory of the three Aesir!"
"The glory of the three Aesir?" Yusaku lifted an eyebrow. "Let's see it, then."
Johannes didn't waste another second. He drew a card from his hand and slapped it onto the Duel Disk.
"First, I activate the Spell Card Pot of Greed!"
A green urn etched with intricate markings appeared before the crowd, thick red lips split in a grotesque grin, yellowed teeth bared as it let out a sleazy, low chuckle.
"By Pot of Greed's effect, I draw two cards!"
After drawing, he immediately threw down another card.
"Next, I Normal Summon Dverg of the Nordic Alfar!"
Light flashed, and three small, elderly figures appeared on the field, wrapped in tattered hides and gripping stone axes.
Dverg of the Nordic Alfar
Level 1 / Warrior / Effect
ATK 1000
"Dverg's effect! The turn this card is Summoned, I gain one additional Normal Summon, in addition to my usual one, but only for a monster with 'Nordic' in its name."
Johannes looked at Yusaku as he revealed a card from his hand. "So, using Dverg's effect, I Summon Nordic Beast Gullinbursti from my hand!"
A blazing summoning flare surged upward. A massive boar, its body gleaming gold and its tusks curved like butchered sabers, thundered onto the field, hooves slamming down and kicking up dust.
Nordic Beast Gullinbursti
Level 3 / Beast / Tuner / Effect
ATK 300
"I'm not done!" Johannes roared, voice rising higher. "Gullinbursti's effect activates! When this card is Summoned or Special Summoned, I Special Summon up to three 'Nordic' monsters from my hand!"
He lifted another card. "So by Gullinbursti's effect, I Special Summon Mara of the Nordic Alfar!"
Dark mist rolled across the field. An elf in a black robe emerged, eyes glowing faintly, slender fingers wrapped around a staff that shimmered with dim light.
Mara of the Nordic Alfar
Level 2 / Spellcaster / Tuner / Effect
ATK 1000
"Mara's effect—" Johannes' voice spiked, sharp with excitement. "As long as this card is on the field, I can use two 'Nordic' monsters from my hand as Synchro Materials for a Synchro Summon!"
He raised two more cards in his hand. "So by Mara's effect, I use Mara itself, plus the Level 4 Effect Monster Tyr of the Nordic Champions, and Ljosalf of the Nordic Alfar for a Synchro Summon!"
"Arrogant god born from the starry realm!" Johannes threw his arm up, screaming until his throat sounded raw. "Show me your absolute power! Trample everything beneath your feet—laugh at this world as you please!"
A violent gale erupted.
A pillar of light, thicker than anything before it, surged up behind Johannes and speared the sky. A bell-like peal, ancient and overwhelming, detonated through the heavens—carrying the pressure of trembling stars.
"Synchro Summon—Aesir god! Loki, Lord of the Aesir!!"
(2 + 4 + 4 = 10)
Countless silver bolts split the air and slammed down from above, the thunderous impact making the entire arena shudder. Gasps rippled through the stands as half the sky was swallowed by an enormous shadow, Loki's silhouette sharpening inside the stormlight.
Black armor wrapped his towering frame. His face lay buried in darkness, save for a pair of crimson eyes that swept the field like twin blood moons. A warped, illusory aura coiled around him, twisting space itself—light bending unnaturally wherever it passed.
Loki, Lord of the Aesir
Level 10 / Divine-Beast / Synchro / Effect
ATK 3300
Feeling the pressure rolling off Loki, Yusaku raised an eyebrow. He remembered this thing's effect, more or less…
When this card declares an attack, it can negate the activation and effect of a Spell/Trap and destroy it.
If this face-up card is destroyed and sent to the GY, during the End Phase it can Special Summon itself from the GY. When it's Special Summoned by that effect, it can add a monster and an Effect Monster from your GY to your hand. (Effect placeholder.)
…
Honestly, aside from the unconditional self-revive in the End Phase, the rest of it was… fine.
As Loki's pressure washed over the field, Narcissus stepped in front of Yusaku and raised a pale-blue barrier. The moment it formed, that faint oppressive weight vanished from Yusaku's shoulders.
"Thanks," Yusaku murmured quietly.
Narcissus looked back with a gentle smile, her eyes soft. "Why are you being polite with me?"
At that moment, Melo popped her head out from behind Yusaku, staring up at the "god" wrapped in lightning. She tilted her head, puzzled.
"So this is the Aesir? Why does it feel… not strong at all? It even feels kind of weak."
Yusaku couldn't help the slight curl of his lips.
The three Aesir were also Divine-Beasts, same as the Egyptian Gods, but compared side by side, the gap in their effects wasn't small. It was absurd.
On the field, buoyed by the Aesir's presence, Johannes also noticed the figures beside Yusaku—Narcissus and the others.
His brow creased.
He remembered Yusaku's spirits hadn't looked like this at the start. Did that mean Yusaku had more than three?
But that wasn't what truly bothered him.
What bothered him was the faint pressure he could feel from them. For some reason, he had the uneasy sense that if those spirits jumped him together, they might actually be able to take down the Loki he'd just summoned.
The thought appeared—
And he crushed it immediately.
"What am I thinking? If they were really that dangerous, he would've used them already. They've never been on the field, there's no intel at all. That means they're average at best, basically mascots!"
With that, he shook his head hard, tossing the doubt aside. He turned his gaze back to Yusaku.
"Now one of the three Aesir—Loki—is on the field. So? How does it feel?"
Yusaku lifted an eyebrow, glanced at Loki, and forced out a response.
"Feels like it's not even close to the Egyptian Gods."
(End of Chapter)
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