MTLNOVEL Chapter 23: TST [23]
At the moment Zion's Life Points hit zero, the Duel officially ended.
The virtual monsters on the field faded away one by one, until only Morgan and Zion remained.
Zion stood there in utter disbelief, completely blindsided by the sudden loss… What had seemed like a guaranteed victory had somehow turned into a baffling defeat.
And worse… he had lost to Morgan, the perennial bottom-feeder.
Zion's pride refused to accept it, but what little reason he had left told him the truth: this was reality, and nothing would change it.
His arms dropped helplessly to his sides, and his Deck slipped from the Duel Disk, scattering across the floor.
Yet, Zion, stunned and disoriented, didn't even notice.
After a brief pause, the entire arena erupted in thunderous cheers and whistles. More than seeing a powerhouse crush the weak, the crowd loved an impossible comeback.
A bottom-ranked student defeating the top of the year—it was something straight out of a movie.
"No way! Did I see that right? Morgan actually won!"
"She beat Zion? That's the biggest comeback in the entire exam!"
"How did she improve that much in such a short time?!"
"I heard she's been close with Isla lately… could Isla have trained her?"
Speculation about Morgan's sudden growth flew in from all directions.
Morgan had become the center of attention.
Meanwhile, Zion—the loser—was ignored, no one bothering to check on him.
Such was the cruelty of Dueling: the victor claimed everything, and the defeated were left with nothing.
From the spectator stands, Isla stared intensely at Morgan. Whether it was that high-speed Duel the other night or this midterm battle, Morgan had surprised her again and again.
At the same time, she couldn't suppress her possessiveness… She had to bring Morgan under her wing—no one else could have her.
Especially not that big-boobies hussy!
Feeling a sudden chill filled with malice, Jade sneezed. She was sure someone was cursing her.
And who else could it be but that bitch Isla?
She had to keep an even closer eye on Morgan… she couldn't afford to let her guard down and have Morgan snatched away.
On the podium, Milo rubbed his chin, intrigued by the petite figure still standing on the field, his eyes filled with thought.
This girl's combo was fascinating.
Her chain setup was tight and precise—every step indispensable to achieving a one-turn knockout.
Especially that bit where she handed over tokens to maximize burn damage.
Absolutely ingenious.
This was a promising talent!
Milo was already considering recruiting Morgan as a trial trainee.
That said, the combo also had glaring weaknesses—its resource management, or rather its sustainability, was extremely poor.
If she didn't finish the opponent in one turn and they managed to recover, she'd have no means of defense.
As Milo pondered, the students in the stands began to realize something was off.
Normally, when a match ends, the instructor would announce the results immediately.
Why was it taking so long this time?
They looked over in confusion and saw a school staff member whispering in Mr. Grant's ear.
After a moment, Mr. Grant nodded. His expression stern, he stared at Morgan and said:
"I hereby announce that Candidate #402, Morgan, is disqualified. The win goes to Zion."
The crowd instantly exploded.
"What?! Why is Morgan's win voided?"
"Is Mr. Grant trying to protect Zion?!"
"No way, not in front of so many witnesses! You can't just nullify a win with a single sentence!"
"Exactly! Just because she had bad grades doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to win!"
Zion, upon hearing Mr. Grant's declaration, slowly regained focus and looked over in confusion.
Despite the students' outcry, Mr. Grant's expression didn't change.
He raised his voice with authority:
"Following the school's investigation, we have identified the students who illegally used the high-speed field that night. Disciplinary action has been decided!"
"The students who conducted the Riding Duel were Morgan and Isla!"
Realizing they had been exposed, Jade anxiously bit her finger. But just as Morgan had said, the school had only identified the participants of the high-speed Duel.
Isla remained composed. She had anticipated this day and was mentally prepared. Her only concern now was Morgan.
"What? It was Morgan and Isla?!"
"They had a Riding Duel? Who won in the end?!"
"I assumed it was Isla, but after seeing today's Duel, I'm not so sure..."
"Morgan's tactics even caught Zion off guard. Could she have beaten Isla, too?"
The students' discussions grew more heated as they slowly realized this supposed underachiever might be hiding terrifying potential.
Many of them now looked at Morgan with completely different eyes.
Mr. Grant, growing impatient, continued:
"Here are the punishments for the two of them!"
"Isla is suspended for one month, to reflect at home and submit a written apology promising not to repeat the offense!"
"As for Morgan..."
"Given that she has failed two evaluations, and this exam result is now void..."
"The school has decided to expel her!"
...
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