"I Special Summon Laundry Dragonmaid from my Graveyard!"
Blue reappeared on the field. With her, Morgan had everything she needed to complete her combo. For Myura, who had nearly no resistance left, this was disastrous. Morgan immediately revealed the Spell she had retrieved earlier and declared:
"From my hand, I activate the Spell, Dragonmaid Changeover!"
"I fuse Laundry Dragonmaid on my field with Parlor Dragonmaid!"
"Fusion Summon! Dragonmaid Sheou!"
The essence of the Dragonmaid Deck was simple: bring Sheou back again and again, maintaining a stable interruption, while her 3500 Attack crushed most Decks outright. Against Myura's Vampires, Morgan's build was a hard counter.
Sheou appeared once more. Isla exhaled in relief. Though Myura could barely resist now, she was glad Morgan still chose the safest path instead of overextending. Victory through stability—that was true strength.
Through this real Shadow Duel, Isla felt she had grown. At least in future matches, she wouldn't blank out from nerves again.
Meanwhile, Jade remained confused. She couldn't follow the high-level back-and-forth. To her, only the results mattered. But Isla knew better—if Jade ever wanted to duel herself, she needed training.
Isla sighed. Extra practice would be necessary.
Morgan moved to the Battle Phase.
"Battle! Dragonmaid Sheou attacks Vampire Fascinator!"
A blazing breath split Fascinator apart. Myura's Life Points dropped by 1100.
Yet, the attacks weren't over. Morgan still had House Dragonmaid.
"Continue! House Dragonmaid, direct attack!"
Her strike cut Myura's Life Points by another 3000. In one turn, her 8000 Life Points were halved. The pain was real; she screamed as black gas burst from her body, leaving her ragged.
Myura glared hatefully at Morgan. She suddenly realized Morgan's monsters were Duel Spirits. She had sensed it before, dismissed it as a mistake.
However, now she was certain… Morgan was a hidden Spirit Duelist.
She snorted. She would never yield her title as the strongest Spirit Duelist. Defeating Morgan had become her new obsession.
Nonetheless, she hadn't noticed—or refused to admit—that the roles had reversed. She was now the challenger.
"I Set one card and end my turn."
As Morgan ended, Myura frowned, glancing briefly at Hannah. She knew she couldn't win; still, she could stall. If she bought time, the black mist barrier would last longer. After that, it would be up to Hannah.
"My turn, draw!"
She drew—and smiled. It was a Spell with potential to turn the tide.
"From my hand, I activate Pot of Greed!"
"Draw 2 cards!"
A comical jar appeared, then shattered as Myura drew again.
Morgan blinked. She had forgotten that in this world, Pot of Greed wasn't forbidden. Anyone could use it. Still, it wouldn't change the outcome.
Morgan glanced at her Set card.
"From my hand, I activate the Field Spell, Zombie World!"
The surroundings warped. Rotting plants and beasts appeared, bleeding foul red fluid. It was no hologram—everyone felt it was real. Fear rippled through the stands.
Myura grinned. She could still struggle.
"I Normal Summon Plaguespreader Zombie in Attack Position!"
A bloated, rotting zombie emerged. A staple for Zombies—both tuner and level changer.
Regardless, to Morgan, it was pointless.
Before Myura could act, Morgan flipped her Set card.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Forbidden Droplet!"
The image of an angel pouring from a chalice shimmered.
"I send 1 card from my hand to the Graveyard. Negate Plaguespreader Zombie's effects, and halve its Attack!"
A single droplet fell onto the zombie, igniting it in flames. Black mist poured from its body.
"What?!"
Myura froze. Her last struggle was crushed, and Morgan hadn't even used Sheou.
Hannah's eyes narrowed at Forbidden Droplet. She remembered the boss mentioning cards with the "Forbidden" label—connected to her own Deck. Thoughts of the aftermath stirred. Myura was finished. Hannah would have to gamble on her cover identity and shove Professor Mayn into the line of fire.
The crowd realized it, too. The duel was decided.
With nothing left, Myura ended her turn. Morgan drew, then attacked.
"Battle! House Dragonmaid attacks Plaguespreader Zombie!"
The dragon's breath incinerated it. Then Sheou's attack struck, reducing Myura's Life Points to zero.
At that instant, Myura left Hazel's body, her true form revealed: a pale, beautiful noblewoman.
She sneered at Morgan. "You win this time, little girl. But don't get comfortable. We'll meet again."
Her figure dissolved. Possessing Hazel had allowed her to duel here; without her true body, she could simply leave.
As she vanished, the black mist barrier collapsed. Just as relief swept through the room, reinforcements burst in—the Duelist League's support, finally freed from the barrier.
They had feared everyone inside had turned Shadow Duelist, but instead found all safe—save one woman unconscious on the Duel Stage, and Morgan standing tall.
Recognizing the scene, Milo exhaled and approached the two principals.
"Gentlemen, I'm Milo, a support duelist from Haisen Club, representing the Duelist League. Please tell me—what happened here?"
The principals exchanged a look, relieved.
The audience gasped at Milo's name. Last year, if not for Shadow Duelist interference, Haisen Club would surely have been champions.
"Support from Haisen Club? The League must have known!"
"Too late though—Morgan already won!"
"But if there are more Shadow Duelists in the Academy, they'll have to root them out."
"Can they even identify them?"
Milo had the authority. He could investigate freely and detain anyone suspicious.
Just then, Hannah froze.
'Milo?!'
Her mind raced with panic and the urge to run. She almost moved—then forced herself to stay. Running now would expose her. She had resolved to gamble with her cover.
Abruptly, then, her eyes widened.
Because Milo, after speaking with the principals, was walking directly toward her.
...
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