The White Dragon coin flipped through the air before landing cleanly—Morgan would take the first turn.
Still, Cyber Dragons were dangerous going second. Morgan had to be careful; if Kairos managed to bring out a Chimeratech Overdragon, the duel could turn in an instant.
Even so, Morgan stayed calm. Her starting hand was solid: a Field Spell, one Trickstar Candina, and one Trickstar Lycoris—though no Dark Room of Nightmare. That would have made it perfect.
With this hand, her opening chain was obvious.
"I activate the Field Spell, Trickstar Light Stage, from my hand!"
The stadium erupted as the familiar stage from televised matches materialized before them. Seeing it in person was entirely different from watching it on a screen.
Under the multicolored lights, Morgan looked even more dazzling.
In the stands, Isla raised a camera with a barrel-like lens, snapping away. She had every excuse—each year's Graduation Duel was photographed for the yearbook. This year, Isla had volunteered for the tough job.
And since the job was so tough, keeping a few photos for herself wasn't a problem… The thought brought a dreamy smile to her face.
Morgan began her chain—she would show Kairos what a true Trickstar field looked like.
"When Trickstar Light Stage is activated, I can add 1 Trickstar monster from my Deck to my hand!"
"I add Trickstar Lycoris!"
Now with a Lycoris already in hand, Morgan searched a second from her Deck. She still had Candina's search to use, meaning she could assemble all three Lycoris.
"Next, I Normal Summon Trickstar Candina in Attack Position!"
A girl in a bright yellow stage outfit appeared, greeted by cheers. Since Morgan's rise to fame, Candina had become a star monster in her own right.
"I activate Candina's effect! When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add 1 Trickstar card from my Deck to my hand."
"I add my last Trickstar Lycoris!"
Hearing her say "last Lycoris," a bead of sweat rolled down Kairos's cheek. That meant Morgan had all three in hand… and he'd seen her special summon all three before from a single Candina.
What came next was evident. Kairos gave a wry smile… Hell difficulty right from the start.
"I activate all three Trickstar Lycoris effects!"
"Targeting my Candina, I Special Summon these cards in Defense Position, and return Candina to my hand."
Morgan played it safe—no Attack Position. Against Cyber Dragons, leaving herself open could mean disaster if Kairos unleashed a Chimeratech Overdragon with absurd ATK.
Candina vanished in a streak of light back to Morgan's hand, and the three Lycoris took the field.
The crowd gasped—this was one of Morgan's signature openings.
"Three Lycoris and Light Stage… how much LP will a draw cost now?"
"Without Dark Room of Nightmare, it's not as bad… but still brutal."
"Kairos's Cyber Dragons are strong—though, he could still turn it around."
"Yeah, and the damage only happens when he draws. If he clears them next turn, it won't be much."
Morgan knew that, so she planned to give him extra draws herself.
"I activate Trickstar Festival from my hand!"
"Special Summon 2 Trickstar Tokens (Fairy/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) to my field."
Two adorable heart-shaped balloons appeared.
Kairos's eyes narrowed—she would only summon Tokens to set up a Link Summon, and with draw damage active, he knew exactly which Link Monster was coming.
"I use one Trickstar Token to set the Link Arrows!"
"Link Summon! Trickstar Bloom!"
The Token became light and shot into a Link Arrow. A girl with a flower-bud hammer emerged from the circuit.
"I activate Trickstar Bloom! When this card is Link Summoned, your opponent draws 1 card!"
Kairos drew, gritting his teeth, as the burn from her monsters and Field Spell hit his LP hard.
And she wasn't done—she still had one Token left.
"I use my other Trickstar Token to set the Link Arrows!"
"Link Summon a second Bloom!"
Kairos drew again, each draw like a knife to his LP—1200 damage per card, 2400 total so far.
His face was tight—he thought he could handle the infamous burn chain, but experiencing it was true torture.
Still, the duel wouldn't end here. He had plays for the next turn.
"I use both Trickstar Bloom to set the Link Arrows!"
By now, Morgan's LP was over 2000 higher than Kairos's. Time for her third Link Summon.
"Link Summon! Trickstar Crimson Heart!"
A regal woman in a crimson gown appeared.
"I activate Crimson Heart's effect! By discarding 1 Trickstar card, both players draw 1 card. If my LP is 2000 or more higher than yours when this effect activates, I draw 2 cards instead."
Kairos's face went pale as he drew one card. Morgan drew two—and smiled brightly at one of them.
It was the Dark Room of Nightmare!
...
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