Morgan looked at the card she drew. With Winda on the field, Dukon was practically immobilized. He seemed obsessed with summoning Toadally Awesome and winning with it; albeit, as long as Winda stayed, Morgan would never allow an Xyz Summon to happen.
Last turn, Shaddoll Beast had been sent to the Graveyard by an effect, letting Morgan replenish her hand. Her resources were still healthy, and though Dukon struggled on, she no longer saw him as a threat. There was no need to waste excess cards on him.
Even a three-on-one team battle didn't daunt her—if anything, it excited her.
"Battle! El Shaddoll Winda attacks Dupe Frog!"
Winda's staff glowed with eerie violet light, blasting apart Dupe Frog. Dukon had placed it in Defense Position, sparing his LP. Even so, Swap Frog was still in Attack Position, and Mechaba would punish that.
"Continue! Invoked Mechaba attacks Swap Frog!"
The steel chariot rolled over it, crushing the frog flat. Dukon's LP dropped by 1500, leaving him staggering behind Morgan's D-Wheel. Already weakened from his Duel with Isla, he had barely over 1000 LP remaining.
"Turn end."
With no monsters left, Dukon was stuck. To Xyz Summon again, he'd need a Normal Summon followed by a Special Summon… though Winda limited him to just one. He was trapped in a dead loop.
"Damn it! My turn, draw!"
He frowned at his card. Hannah's advice echoed in his mind: If you can't win, at least clear the path for the next player.
Taking a deep breath, Dukon resolved himself. If he couldn't win, he would set things up for the next Shadow Duelist. That, too, could be his version of perfection.
"I Normal Summon Unifrog!"
A purple frog with a unicorn-like horn hopped onto his field.
[Unifrog] Level 2│WATER│Aqua│400 ATK / 400 DEF
Isla's face went pale—this was the very frog that had attacked her directly.
"Next, I activate the Spell, Double Summon!"
"This turn, I can Normal Summon twice! I summon Treeborn Frog!"
His plan was simple: Unifrog could destroy a Spell/Trap after a direct attack, as long as another Frog was present. By breaking Morgan's Shaddoll Schism, he could rob her of the ability to Fusion Summon on his turn.
"Battle! Unifrog, direct attack!"
Morgan blinked, belatedly remembering Unifrog could strike directly. The little frog leapt past her monsters, its horn piercing her.
Thankfully, it was only 400 damage. Every LP mattered now, but she could afford that.
"Unifrog's effect activates! Because it attacked directly while another Frog is on my field, I destroy your Shaddoll Schism!"
Dukon pointed at her Trap with a manic look. Yet, Morgan only smirked.
"I activate Invoked Mechaba's effect!"
"Once per turn, when a monster effect, Spell, or Trap is activated, I discard a card of the same type to negate and banish it!"
She pitched a card from her hand, and Mechaba's silver lance skewered Unifrog.
"What?!"
His desperate final move had failed. Worse, the discarded card was Shaddoll Falcon, which triggered.
"I activate Shaddoll Falcon's effect! When sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I Special Summon it face-down!"
Another face-down appeared on Morgan's field.
Not only had his gambit failed, but it had strengthened her board. Dukon's face turned ashen. Regret weighing on him, he ended his turn.
"My turn… end."
The crowd roared. Dukon, who had beaten two opponents in a row, was powerless before Morgan. Even his last defiant strike had backfired, handing her more resources.
"In the end, it all comes down to Morgan. Can she really 3v1 them?"
"I think she can—she's the Duel League champion!"
"Yeah! And with Winda on the field, they're locked to one Special Summon per turn!"
"But she still has two duelists left to face. They'll be ready for her this time!"
Morgan thought the same; however, she wasn't worried. The Invoked-Shaddoll-Dogmatika hybrid was flexible enough to adapt to any countermeasure.
"My turn, draw!"
She drew, immediately entered the Battle Phase, and wiped out Dukon's remaining LP. His D-Wheel sputtered to a stop. Bitterly, he pulled off his helmet and glared at her.
Abruptly, then a pure white D-Wheel streaked past him like a beam of light, racing after Morgan. The second Duel had begun.
Dukon muttered weakly into his headset, "Be careful. Morgan's no pushover. And don't forget Hannah's words."
"Got it! You nag too much, Frog Prince." A carefree girl's voice said.
"You're the Frog Prince! Your whole family is Frog Princes!" Dukon snapped angrily.
The white D-Wheel caught up to Morgan. Their Duel began at once.
"Duel!"
Hayley chuckled, drawing her opening card. As the newcomer, she took the first move.
If Morgan could have seen her Deck, she'd have recognized it instantly—it wasn't the standard 40 cards, but a full 60.
Hayley showed off its power right away.
"I activate the Spell Card, That Grass Looks Greener!"
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]