Morgan placed the drawn card into her hand, glancing at the field.
Though she had no monsters on her field and couldn't Link Summon yet, she still had Sky Striker Mecha - Hornet Drones in hand, which could generate a Token. Since Sky Striker Link Monsters only needed a single Link Material, she could still begin her plays.
With Sky Strikers, the order of card activations was crucial. If the sequence went wrong, effects that should resolve might fizzle, collapsing the entire chain.
In her Graveyard sat Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage. The first step was to recover it, then search for Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mecha - Hornet Drones!"
"I Special Summon 1 Sky Striker Ace Token (Warrior/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position."
A yellow drone resembling a hovering bee appeared on her field.
"Next, I use the Token to set the Link Circuit!"
The drone burst into streams of light and became an arrow in the Link Markers.
"Link Summon! Sky Striker Ace - Kagari!"
Raye appeared clad in blazing crimson armor, wielding a burning longsword with bladelike wings fanning out behind her.
[Sky Striker Ace - Kagari] Link-1│DARK│Warrior│1500 ATK
"I activate Kagari's effect!"
"When this card is Special Summoned, I target 1 Sky Striker Spell in my Graveyard and add it to my hand."
"I return Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage to my hand!"
Engage was back in Morgan's grip. Now she had all the resources she needed.
"I activate Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage!"
"I add Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor to my hand, then draw 1 card!"
The drawn card was none other than Sky Striker Ace - Roze. Since the Token had been Special Summoned, Morgan's Normal Summon was still unused. Roze could not only serve as Link Material but also revive herself later to negate a monster's effect.
"Next, I activate the Spell Card, Sky Striker Maneuver - Jamming Waves!"
"If I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, I target 1 Set Spell/Trap on the field and destroy it."
"Then, if I have 3 or more Spells in the Graveyard, I can also destroy 1 monster on the field."
Yaoyao's expression shifted. Destroying both a Set card and a monster at once—this effect was brutal. Morgan had held onto it last turn, waiting for this exact moment.
Had Morgan anticipated all of this from the very start? Yaoyao realized her earlier sense of unease came from that precise truth… her moves had flowed too smoothly. In every duel video she'd watched, Morgan's plays never unfolded that neatly. Now, it was clear: Morgan had been laying a trap all along.
Yet instead of targeting her Cruel Whale, Morgan destroyed Frightfur Sabre-Tooth.
Leaving the stronger ATK monster alive?
This felt eerily similar to Morgan's duel with Professor Mayn.
Grinding her teeth, Yaoyao refused to let history repeat itself. She flipped a Set card.
"I activate the Trap Card, Frightfur March!"
"When a Frightfur monster I control is targeted by a card effect, I negate that activation, destroy that card, then send that Frightfur to the Graveyard. After that, I Special Summon 1 Level 8 or higher Frightfur Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck as a Fusion Summon!"
"I send Frightfur Sabre-Tooth to the Graveyard and Special Summon Frightfur Chimera!"
Sabre-Tooth vanished, replaced by a stitched-together monstrosity made of countless toys.
[Frightfur Chimera] Level 8│DARK│Fiend│2800 ATK / 2000 DEF
The crowd gasped at Yaoyao's resourceful counter. It was clear Morgan's supposed disadvantage last turn had been a feint—Sky Strikers were now unfolding their terrifying might.
Jade sighed with relief. Morgan was still Morgan—never one to accept defeat. Even from the brink, she would always claw back.
However, Isla noticed a different detail. While Sky Strikers could grind out long duels, Morgan seemed uninterested in a drawn-out fight. She was aiming for a one-turn kill, just as she had against Professor Mayn.
That explained the unnatural weakness of the previous turn.
Albeit Sky Striker OTKs weren't simple. That was why Morgan's every move was so cautious.
Jamming Waves had been stopped; that said, Morgan still had resources.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mecha - Shark Cannon!"
"I Special Summon your Frightfur Sabre-Tooth from your Graveyard to my field!"
"Then, I use Kagari and Sabre-Tooth to set the Link Circuit!"
"Link Summon! Sky Striker Ace - Zeke!"
The jet-black armored Zeke appeared. Upon being Special Summoned, it banished an opponent's monster.
"I banish your Frightfur Cruel Whale!"
Zeke's black blade cleaved the air, opening a void that swallowed Whale whole.
Before Yaoyao could react, Morgan played another card.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor!"
"I take control of your Frightfur Chimera!"
In moments, Yaoyao's field was gutted, leaving only the weakest Kraken.
Her pale face turned even whiter. What she had thought was a solid defense crumbled like paper before Morgan's precise counterplay.
The audience buzzed with awe. Even those who had doubted Morgan now marveled at her chain of flawless responses.
"I use Chimera and Zeke to set the Link Circuit!"
"Link Summon! Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians!"
A golden-haired beauty in a white dress appeared. Morgan hadn't gone for Knightmare Unicorn this time—she didn't need to. Conveniently, she held a Spellcaster in hand.
"I activate Selene's effect!"
"By removing 3 Spell Counters, I Special Summon Effect Veiler from my hand to a zone she points to!"
With more than five Spells already in her Graveyard, counters were no issue. A black-stockinged elf descended to the field.
Now the Link materials were ready. The endgame had come.
"I use Selene and Effect Veiler to set the Link Circuit!"
"Link Summon! Come forth—Accesscode Talker!"
At Morgan's words, Yaoyao flinched. That terrifying monster had appeared again—the very one that felled Professor Mayn, its Attack climbing to a staggering 5300.
Panicking, Yaoyao flipped her last Set card.
"I-I activate the Trap Card, Designer Frightfur!"
"I Special Summon Fluffal Wings from my Graveyard!"
A pair of tiny plush wings fluttered onto the field—but they couldn't hope to block the coming strike.
Morgan gunned her D-Wheel, pulling up alongside Yaoyao, her face alight with a radiant smile.
"Hehehe, little Yaoyao, are you ready for Big Sister Morgan's 'Access' visit?"
...
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