Morgan glanced at the card she'd drawn and calmly added it to her hand. For this final, she wasn't using Eldlich or Dinomorphia—she was using Trickstars, the Deck that best proved her identity.
It was with this Deck that she'd gone undefeated to reach Platinum rank. Back then, she hadn't understood what it meant, or why it would draw so much attention. She certainly hadn't imagined it would lead to her personal information being auctioned off.
Despite that, she had no regrets. If she could do it over, she'd make the same choice. She didn't care what others thought.
Trickstars were, without a doubt, proof of the "mysterious duelist."
If she wanted to prove her identity in the finals, this was the only choice.
She lifted her head toward the commentary booth. Viviana was the only one who knew her identity, but Morgan hadn't told her about her plan today.
Viviana, focused on the match, suddenly felt Morgan's gaze. She looked down at her, then seemed to realize something and quickly said to the host:
"Quick, point all the cameras at Morgan!"
The host looked at her in surprise, protesting, "They already are—just about every camera is on her. The cameramen are practically in her face. What more do you want? And besides, telling me won't help, I'm just the host."
Ignoring him, Viviana glanced down at the arena. Since it was Morgan's turn, every camera was indeed fixed on her, her delicate features displayed in perfect detail on the big screen.
Just as the host had said—short of a full close-up.
Viviana's lips curved into a smile, her narrowed eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Right now, every gaze in the arena was on Morgan. Everyone was wondering how she'd break through, what kind of combo she'd unveil. This was exactly what they'd come to see.
Morgan scanned her hand—it was good. She might not be able to OTK this turn, but she could still cut a massive chunk from her opponent's Life Points.
As for the feared Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, she wasn't concerned. No matter how powerful a monster was, Trickstars targeted the player.
She drew a card from her hand and, under countless watchful eyes, declared:
"I activate the Field Spell, Trickstar Light Stage!"
Light flared across the Duel Stage, and in the center of the arena, a gorgeous stage appeared as if nested within the real one. Multicolored spotlights swept over the stands before converging on Morgan, making her the absolute star. Bathed in the dazzling glow, any remaining imperfections vanished, leaving only flawless beauty.
She was an idol now—a goddess, as some might say. No one could look away.
After a long silence, someone finally remembered to look at the card she'd played.
A Field Spell with an archetype name—neither Eldlich nor Dinomorphia.
Unquestionably, this was a new Deck.
Some found it familiar, though not from Morgan—she'd never used it in a match before.
"Another new Deck? Most people struggle to master one… Morgan's mastered three. Maybe she really is a genius."
"And a genius like that's an independent duelist? Of course, the League and the clubs have issues with talent scouting."
"I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen this Deck somewhere before… where was it?"
"You're imagining things. I've watched every match—this is her first time using it."
"No… it wasn't from her. It was from…"
The discussion buzzed through the crowd. Many felt they'd seen this card before—but not in Morgan's hands. A strange atmosphere spread as memories stirred.
In the front row, Jade hugged her cheeks, eyes sparkling as she gazed at Morgan on her dazzling stage.
"My Morgan… she's so beautiful—more beautiful than any idol. Calling her a goddess isn't enough!"
She noticed Isla wasn't taking the chance to tease her. Turning, she saw Isla staring at Morgan in shock, eyes wide and muttering:
"No… no way… how is this possible?"
Jade assumed she was just stunned by Morgan's beauty. "Beautiful, right? My Morgan is the most gorgeous!"
Instead, Isla suddenly grabbed Jade's shoulders, shaking her hard enough to make her chest bounce wildly.
"You've known Morgan the longest—did you know about this?!"
Dazed from the shaking, Jade pushed her away, rubbing her sore arms. "What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean!"
Isla jabbed a finger at the Field Spell. "Don't know what I mean? Haven't you seen that card before?"
Jade frowned, brushing her hand away and looking at the stage. "She's never used it—how could I have seen it? And it's not that surprising, you know how fast she builds Decks. Remember Eldlich—"
Before she could finish, Isla squished her cheeks and said deliberately, "Use. Your. Brain—have you seen that card somewhere else?"
"Huh? Even if you say that, I…"
Jade froze, the cheer stick slipping from her hand. Isla's prompt had jogged a memory.
She had seen that card before… but it shouldn't be Morgan's.
...
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