MTLNOVEL Chapter 45: TST [45]
"This card becomes a Normal Monster (Zombie / LIGHT / Level 5 / ATK 1800 / DEF 1500) and is Special Summoned to the Monster Zone.
If I control [Eldlich the Golden Lord], I can banish 1 card from either player's Graveyard."
'Banish... a card from the Graveyard?'
Viviana froze, an ominous premonition rising in her chest.
As expected, the next moment, Morgan pointed to her Graveyard and said:
"I choose to banish [Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus] from your Graveyard!"
Without anyone noticing, Huaquero of the Golden Land had appeared behind Viviana. A rotting hand reached into her Duel Disk's Graveyard slot and yanked out Sapphire Pegasus, banishing it from the game.
Viviana's face turned deathly pale.
With Sapphire Pegasus banished, summoning Rainbow Dragon was no longer possible.
Summoning Rainbow Dragon required seven distinct Crystal Beasts—missing even one was disqualifying.
And her deck had no way to recover banished cards.
Once banished, it was truly out of play. The spectators also realized this instantly as their cheering cut off like chicks getting strangled.
Without Rainbow Dragon, Viviana's chances of victory were slim.
What Morgan did next drove the final nail in the coffin.
"Activate the effect of [Eldlich the Golden Lord] in my hand!
Send this card and 1 Spell/Trap from my hand to the Graveyard to target 1 card on the field.
That card is sent to the Graveyard."
Morgan revealed Eldlich from her hand, then sent it to the Graveyard, pointing at Viviana's Emerald Tortoise.
"I send your Emerald Tortoise to the Graveyard!"
Because it was sent—not destroyed—Emerald Tortoise couldn't activate its effect and didn't stay in the Spell/Trap Zone.
Viviana now had no monsters left to defend with, while Morgan still had three monsters on the field with more than enough ATK to wipe out her remaining LP.
"Battle!"
Morgan wasted no time declaring an attack.
"[Eldlich the Golden Lord], direct attack!"
With three monsters attacking in succession, Viviana's Life Points hit zero.
As the monsters vanished, the high-tension duel finally ended. Viviana's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, panting as if she'd just run a marathon.
Morgan's pressure had been overwhelming… she could barely breathe.
Yet, she swiftly regained composure.
After all, this was an exhibition match to scout promising Duelists. Now that she'd found one, Viviana could finally breathe a little easier.
As for losing the duel…
Who hasn't lost a match?
It was just that… getting beaten to tears was a first.
Thinking that, Viviana blushed, stood up, and flashed a smile.
She made a silly face at the crowd and said in a cute voice:
"Losing the duel is definitely a shame!
But it just means I wasn't good enough!
The good news is, I've found the person I was looking for!
Thanks to all of you—I hope you'll keep supporting me!"
After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd roared back to life, waving glowsticks with Viviana's name and shouting:
"Yay! I'll follow Viviana Sweetheart forever!"
"I want to be Viviana Sweetheart's loyal dog!"
"Tone it down, bro!"
"Say that again? Duel me! If I can't beat the witch, I'll beat you!"
Viviana then walked up to Morgan and grabbed her hand.
"Congratulations, Morgan. You've earned a spot in the Junior Division of the Duelist League. All you need to do now is register."
She pointed to a staff member downstage handling registration.
"I look forward to seeing a great result from you."
In her opinion, Morgan's strength might even surpass the rising stars from major clubs. She could very well be the dark horse of this tournament.
Morgan nodded and hurriedly left the Duel Stage—too many piercing stares were on her.
At the registration booth, the staff member respectfully handed her a portable terminal.
"Please place your palm on the screen to complete your registration."
Morgan hesitated a moment, then did as instructed.
Ding—
Her basic info appeared on the screen.
The staff took the device back and began processing her entry.
Since the Duelist League was the most prestigious tournament hosted by the League, registration required detailed personal data.
As a staff member reviewed Morgan's information, his pupils shrank in shock—he looked like he'd just seen something unbelievable.
"What is it?"
Morgan asked, puzzled by his reaction.
"N-Nothing... Registration is complete. Best of luck."
Morgan nodded and left the Duel Mall lobby with Jade and Isla.
Meanwhile, the staff member was still reeling from what he'd seen.
'Did I read that right? That girl's Virtual Duel Rank was... Platinum?'
'And her ID… "SunshineStriker"!'
'Wasn't that the mysterious Duelist all the major clubs have been hunting down recently?!'
'I can't believe I found her here! I'm gonna strike it rich!'
He nearly jumped from excitement.
In secret, he was also an information broker, dealing in Duelists and rare card data. So he instantly grasped how valuable this intel was.
If he sold this to the major clubs, he'd be set for life.
This opportunity was his alone—no one else could take it!
"So? Did you record Morgan's info yet?"
Just then, Viviana walked over, curious. The staff member forced down his glee and said calmly:
"I did. I was just thinking of what codename to assign her."
Every Duelist in the Junior Division received an official codename—one that could become their public identity, even for life.
Hearing this, Viviana burst into laughter.
"Why bother thinking? There's a perfect one already.
Call her 'Witch.'"
...
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