Accesscode Talker loomed tall on the field, its presence both imposing and reassuring. Shia stared blankly—she hadn't expected Morgan to end with such a monster, and with its Attack already at 5300. If it struck directly, she would be left with barely over a thousand Life Points.
With her Extra Deck nearly exhausted, she could still fend off Morgan's lower-Link monsters. Albeit against a Link-4 like Accesscode Talker, she had no answers. Altergeist Protocol could have destroyed and negated it, but she had already used it on Zeke.
And she still didn't know what this 5300 ATK behemoth could do, making her hesitate.
Zack was stunned. The Link-4 summon was so spectacular that he froze. From the instant he saw Accesscode Talker, he knew the duel was over. With her Extra Deck gone, Shia had no way past it, let alone dealing damage to Morgan.
The spectators erupted into chatter. No one expected the Sky Striker endgame to be Accesscode Talker; however, only Morgan could pull this off.
"This is her ace monster? It doesn't even match her Deck!"
"You don't get it. Teching generic power cards into the build—that trend started with Morgan."
"What? My club leader copied her and rebuilt my Deck, and he has zero deckbuilding talent!"
"Exactly. Many clubs now follow her philosophy. She's a deckbuilding genius. No surprise people imitate her."
Morgan wasted no time. She activated its effect, preparing to wipe the board.
"I activate Accesscode Talker's effect!"
"By banishing one Link Monster from my field or Graveyard, I target one card you control and destroy it."
"This turn, I cannot banish another monster of the same Attribute to activate this effect."
Shia's face paled. No once-per-turn clause—Morgan could fire as long as she had different Attributes stocked in the Graveyard. Accesscode Talker's true terror.
And Sky Strikers, constantly shifting forms, had filled the Graveyard with multiple Attributes.
Morgan's first shot was aimed at Protocol.
"I banish Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians from my Graveyard!"
"Destroy Altergeist Protocol!"
Accesscode hurled a spear of data, shattering the Continuous Trap into fragments.
Shia gritted her teeth. This was only the beginning.
Morgan's second shot followed.
"I banish Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy from my Graveyard!"
"Destroy Altergeist Marionetter!"
One by one, Shia's monsters were erased. By the time Accesscode fell silent, her field was empty.
Then, Morgan triggered another effect.
"I activate Sky Striker Ace - Roze in my Graveyard!"
"When an Extra Monster Zone monster is destroyed by battle or leaves the field by a card effect, I can Special Summon this card!"
Roze appeared in a black uniform. The tide had fully turned. If this weren't Main Phase 2, Morgan could have ended the duel immediately.
Anyhow, Shia survived, barely.
"My turn ends."
The crowd roared. Accesscode's spear throw hadn't just cleared the field; it seared into their memories. The monster was overwhelming—once summoned, it left nothing behind.
Even Shia had no answers.
Zack thought grimly: if he were in Shia's shoes, could he withstand Accesscode Talker? No. His Deck had nothing to stop it. Even Infinite Impermanence would likely be baited away, as Morgan had shown.
Shia drew for her turn, face heavy. It was the Field Spell, Secret Village of the Spellcasters. If she had drawn it earlier, perhaps things would be different. Now, it was too late.
Still, she activated it. With Altergeist Manifestation in hand, she could try one last revival.
"I activate the Field Spell, Secret Village of the Spellcasters!"
Ancient trees and wooden huts rose around them—the home of Spellcasters.
Morgan frowned. Rare to see Altergeists run it, though not impossible. With no Spellcasters on Shia's field, however, it was useless.
Shia set Manifestation as her last chance.
"I Set one card and end my turn!"
Morgan drew and froze. She had pulled exactly what she needed: D.D. Crow.
If Shia tried to revive Silquitous, Crow could banish it, stopping her cold.
Sure enough, Shia activated her Set.
"I activate Altergeist Manifestation!"
"I Special Summon Altergeist Silquitous from my Graveyard!"
Abruptly, as she declared her target, Morgan snapped back.
"I activate D.D. Crow from my hand!"
"By discarding this card, I banish Altergeist Silquitous from your Graveyard!"
A black crow swooped, snatching the target away. Manifestation fizzled.
Shia froze. Cut off, with nothing left.
She ended her turn in silence. On Morgan's next attack, Accesscode Talker struck directly, reducing her Life Points to zero.
Cheers erupted, celebrating Morgan's victory.
Shia steadied herself, walked over, and said with a wry smile:
"You're really strong. No wonder Nerissa recommended you. Even I lost. Next time, let's duel again… I won't lose twice."
She patted Morgan's shoulder and departed. Zack followed her onto the ferry, leaving the Academy.
Morgan watched their backs before, without a word, heading back to the dorms. Hunting Duel lasted three days, and participants could stay in academy rooms or find their own lodging. She returned tired but satisfied.
Jade and Isla also came back, holding many badges, still uneliminated.
Morgan was about to encourage them when her arm flared with pain. The Red Dragon mark blazed, nearly searing her flesh.
She realized, alarmed—the number of Shadow Duelists was multiplying.
And behind Jade and Isla, Hannah's silhouette emerged.
...
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