Why were there so many Shadow Duelists at the Duelist League finals venue?
Had they come to watch the match?
Either way, this was a serious situation. With so many people in the stadium, an attack by Shadow Duelists would cause chaos. From the crowd's perspective, anyone could become a target for these lunatics.
Yet, Morgan didn't care.
To her, Shadow Duelists weren't terrifying monsters—they were walking sacks of Duel Points.
She couldn't even find enough of them when she was looking. Why would she ever chase them away?
"Viviana, I'm going out for a bit!"
Seeing such a rare opportunity, Morgan jumped from her seat, following her Dragon Mark's guidance straight toward the nearest Shadow Duelist.
"Huh? But the match is about to start!" Viviana said in surprise. She couldn't understand—what could be more important than watching the finals right now?
"If I miss anything, I'll leave it to you to record for me!"
Without giving Viviana a chance to stop her, Morgan disappeared into the crowd.
Viviana sighed, took out her camera, and started filming.
"She came all the way to the stadium just to watch the replays later…"
The arena lights came up, illuminating every corner. Confetti cannons signaled the finals were starting, and a line of dancers took the center stage for a fiery performance.
The Duelist League finals were about to begin.
Viviana's excitement pushed Morgan to the back of her mind—after all, she was a huge fan and had barely missed a tournament in years.
The players entered the field. From Haisen Club, Milo pushed his magma-themed D-Wheel to the front. On the Shadow Duelist side, Hannah led with her sleek silver D-Wheel.
The two locked eyes, then each returned to their pit area.
Like motorsport teams, Riding Duel teams had staff for maintaining their D-Wheels.
The commentator's excited voice rang out—it was the same announcer from the Junior Division, still working tirelessly without a day off.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, the thrilling finals are about to begin!"
"Honestly, I just finished commentating the Junior Division yesterday… I'm a little tired, but it won't affect today's broadcast!"
"This year has been magical: first, a mysterious duelist exploded in popularity online, earning the admiration of every major club."
"And now, both the Junior Division and the main league have produced unexpected dark horses—independent duelists with no club affiliation!"
"I won't ramble—the players are on the starting line. Let's look forward to this final!"
The first match would be Milo vs. Hannah.
At the referee's signal, both launched forward like arrows.
After a bout of jockeying for position, they matched speeds—meaning the duel had begun.
They locked eyes and shouted together:
"Duel!"
…
Following the guidance of her Dragon Mark, Morgan left the finals venue and emerged outside.
She was curious what the Shadow Duelists were up to—her senses told her they'd formed a ring around the stadium.
The mark led her to the nearest one, a dark alley between towering buildings, so unremarkable it was easy to miss.
There, a black-robed figure stood chanting over a strange magic circle.
He was alert—he spotted Morgan instantly.
"Mister, what are you doing here? My mom says Shadow Duelists hang out in places like this," Morgan said in a syrupy voice. She was getting addicted to this act—it was perfect for playing dumb.
Seeing she was just a child, he relaxed, assuming she was a local student. "Scram, kid. Don't bother me."
Morgan's expression turned cold.
"That won't do. If I leave, how will we start our Shadow Game?"
The man blinked, thinking he'd misheard.
But Morgan was deadly serious. She strapped on her Duel Disk.
"Aren't you going to put yours on, mister? You don't want your identity as a Shadow Duelist exposed, do you?"
A bead of sweat trickled down his temple.
…
Meanwhile, on the track, the match was in full swing—an intense back-and-forth.
Milo's field had no monsters, just a Blaze Accelerator and two face-downs. He was running a Volcanic Deck—a burn strategy, but not as oppressive as Trickstars.
"I activate my Continuous Spell [Blaze Accelerator]!"
"Send 1 FIRE monster with 500 or less ATK from my hand to the Graveyard to destroy 1 monster you control."
"I send [Volcanic Scattershot] from my hand to the Graveyard!"
"Destroy your [Yuki-Onna, the Ice Mayakashi]!"
The shell loaded into the Blaze Accelerator, firing a blazing projectile that destroyed Hannah's monster, slowing her D-Wheel.
However, Milo wasn't done—[Volcanic Scattershot] had its own effect.
"When sent to the Graveyard, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. If it was sent by [Blaze Accelerator], send up to 2 more [Volcanic Scattershot] from your hand or Deck to the Graveyard, and destroy all monsters your opponent controls!"
Two more shells were fired, reflecting in Hannah's eyes until they filled her pupils.
BOOM—
Her field was wiped clean.
The crowd and commentator erupted.
"He's done it! Milo's chain destroyed all of his opponent's monsters!"
"He can't attack due to Blaze Accelerator's restriction, but this exchange favors him. Let's see how she responds!"
Hannah, unfazed, flipped a face-down.
"I activate [Mayakashi Metamorphosis]!"
"Discard 1 card; target 1 'Mayakashi' monster in my Graveyard or that's been banished—Special Summon it!"
"I revive [Yuki-Onna, the Ice Mayakashi]!"
The pale, elegant Yuki-Onna appeared, her expression frosty.
Seeing her back on the field, Milo frowned. He'd played his best move, yet it hadn't been enough.
…
Morgan, meanwhile, was having a blast hunting Shadow Duelists.
Like Pac-Man, she gobbled up their "dots" one by one—earning nearly 10,000 Duel Points in minutes.
She noticed their skill levels varied greatly, which made the point rewards uneven.
She was about to continue when a shadow blocked her path.
This one wore a different style of robe, older, with a beard and a musty air.
"So that's why the others disappeared… You beat them in Shadow Games?" His voice was raspy, as if unused for years.
"I was curious who you really are, but I'm short on time. You want a Shadow Game? I'll oblige."
He revealed a scepter-shaped Duel Disk and frowned. He was intrigued—anyone who could defeat so many Shadow Duelists wasn't ordinary—but he had to finish setting the magic array before the finals ended.
Morgan liked opponents who skipped the chatter—she wanted to get back to the match.
They locked eyes, both strapping on their Duel Disks.
Dark mist swirled around them, and the temperature dropped.
"Duel!"
...
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