"I set two cards and end my turn," Kira said.
"But you haven't forgotten, have you?"
Sartorius bellowed.
"End Phase—resolve 'Memory of an Adversary'! During the next opponent's End Phase, the monster banished by its effect is Special Summoned—to my field—now!"
He thrust an arm skyward.
"Return to me once more—
—Arcana Force XXI - The World!!!"
A colossal storm—an iron titan descended.
[Arcana Force XXI - The World, ATK 3100]
"My turn. Draw!"
Sartorius drew, lifted his head, and spoke in a feral tone. Not just his face—his voice warped, as if some other being overlapped with him.
"Those who defy fate will be punished most severely. Light is destiny! Now you'll understand—"
He pressed a button.
"I activate my set—Trap Card 'The Material Lord!'"
The Trap flipped—no visible effect. Its artwork showed the sea, drowning creatures—then the card became a pillar of light, shooting into the sky.
He didn't explain; he flipped the other set.
"Next, I activate my set—Trap Card 'The Spiritual Lord!'"
The card's art was a desert. Again, it had no immediate effect—just a beam into the sky, echoing the first.
Spiritual and Material—both anime-only cards (later given effects in video games). In the anime, they're effectless—merely prerequisites for the ultimate Arcana.
"Lastly, from my hand I activate the Spell—
—'The Sky Lord!'"
The Spell appeared between the two Traps. Three pillars of light soared upward, then merged into one.
"Offer these three pillars to the heavens. O ultimate Light, shine with boundless power, purify this filthy world—
—Arcana Force EX - The Light Ruler, descend!!!"
A vast body took form in the radiance. Though named Light's Ruler, its body was jet-black. Two mechanical dragon heads, a cold, unyielding shell, eyes brimming with contempt for all.
[Arcana Force EX - The Light Ruler, ATK 4000]
"The… Light Ruler."
Sarina stared, stunned.
This thing—this is the embodiment of the evil force possessing her brother. With her senses, she could feel the power roiling beneath that steel shell—power that made her heart quake, even fear.
Something that should not exist in this world.
Of course, as the ultimate Arcana, it too required rotation on Summon.
"Arcana Force EX - The Light Ruler, Head!"
His word was law. He said Head—and Head it was.
"Head effect: when Light Ruler destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the GY, I can add any card from my GY to my hand. That card just can't be used this turn."
That's weaker than the printed card—the TCG/OCG Light Ruler removes that restriction, letting you use it immediately.
Also, the printed summoning condition is arguably easier: just tribute three monsters from your field to Special Summon it.
While that's only one more Normal Summon than a God card, it's far simpler than the anime's clunky three-piece setup. Frankly, ignoring its plot armor and destiny boosts, the anime Light Ruler's card power doesn't justify how hard it is to bring out.
Sartorius chuckled.
"Battle. First, Arcana Force XXI - The World, crush Treeborn Frog!"
The little defender bore a weight far beyond its tier and shattered.
"Now it's over!"
Sartorius shouted.
"Feel the power of Light—the baptism of Light! Be purified and become part of us!
Arcana Force EX - The Light Ruler, direct attack!"
At his word, a blinding pillar surged from the ultimate Arcana, swelling outward like a field expanding to swallow all.
"I activate the Trap 'Back to the Front.'"
Kira's backrow flipped.
"Back to the Front Special Summons a monster from my GY in Defense Position."
Sartorius sneered. "Reviving a small fry to chump block?"
"A small fry? Not necessarily."
Kira chuckled.
"I revive from the GY the card I pitched with 'Graceful Charity'—'Chaos Core.'"
Sartorius's brow furrowed.
Chaos Core?
He saw a strange fiend appear on Kira's field. Compared to the ultimate Arcana, it was tiny—an ant before a titan.
[Chaos Core, DEF 0]
"Pointless monster," Sartorius said. "Let it be crushed by Light Ruler!"
"When Chaos Core becomes the target of an attack, I can send 'Uria, Lord of Searing Flames,' 'Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder,' and 'Raviel, Lord of Phantasms'—up to one of each—from my hand/Deck to the GY."
Kira calmly revealed three cards and sent them.
Sartorius: "!"
Those are…
The Three Sacred Beasts!?
As the Light of Destruction, he'd dwelt on this planet long enough to hear its legends—Gods, Wicked Gods, Sacred Beasts.
He, an outsider, hardly revered local myths—but names that famous warranted caution.
He quickly recovered.
"So what if you sent the Sacred Beasts now?"
Sartorius said.
"It's over regardless. Damage steps resumes—continue the attack. Light Ruler, destroy 'Chaos Core'!"
But the world-ending beam passed through the DEF 0 fiend—and it endured.
"What?" Sartorius's dread deepened. "Why?"
"After sending the Sacred Beasts with its effect, Chaos Core places a number of 'Sacred Beast Counter' on itself equal to the number of cards sent."
Kira said.
"For the rest of this turn, all battle damage to Chaos Core becomes 0. And each time it would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can remove one Sacred Beast Counter instead."