Immediately, all eyes turned to Luli. Almost no one disliked this girl—without realizing it, they were falling for her. Whether it was her bearing, her voice, or her looks, she captivated them at every moment, drawing them deeper under her spell.
And this was precisely what had always troubled Luli. The longer people stayed with her, the more inexplicably fond they grew of her. For someone naturally reclusive like Luli, this was unbearable. She could never stay in one place for long without attracting a swarm of suitors. Joining the Shadow Duelists had been her way of trying to rid herself of this trait.
Though clearly, it hadn't helped much. Before long, not only the crowd but even her opponents would lose themselves to her.
"That girl is so cute. I wonder what her name is… is she a new student too?"
"I can't take my eyes off her… I just want to see her win this match."
"Hey, I'm supporting Morgan, but… I can't help it."
"You guys switch loyalties way too fast! Am I the only one who's consistent here?"
Listening to the chatter, Hannah turned her gaze to Luli. She knew the source of Luli's trait—it came from the Deck she used, which made her incredibly beloved. Luli was also the only one who had actively sought out the Shadow Duelists and declared her wish to join them. That had shocked Hannah. If the Shadow Duelists' hideout could be found so easily by a little girl, they would have been wiped out long ago.
Upon questioning, Hannah learned that since childhood, Luli had been able to see Duel Spirits. With her reclusive nature, those spirits were her only friends.
Over time, their influence transformed her. From a girl no one noticed, she became someone adored by everyone.
Despite that, Luli hated this trait. The constant interruptions from strangers had thrown her life into chaos.
Put simply, she was an introvert forced into unwanted social interactions—an unbearable torment for her.
Driven to desperation, people can do anything.
To rid herself of this trait and return to her quiet, solitary life, Luli used her ability to see Duel Spirits to find the Shadow Duelists and hide herself among them.
Yet, even their boss had no solution. They could only delay the problem for now. After all, the Shadow Duelists were short on members.
"My turn—draw!"
Luli's brows furrowed as she swiftly drew a card. With the groundwork laid by the two before her, she was confident she could defeat Morgan here. In truth, she bore some personal resentment—social failures like her hated social butterflies like Morgan the most.
"I activate the Spell Card from my hand—Rikka Glamour!"
"This card lets me add one Rikka monster from my Deck to my hand."
'Rikka?'
Even after the previous two duels, Morgan was surprised. Rikka was an archetype built around Tribute effects, with its boss able to Tribute an opponent's monster. The archetype wasn't particularly strong overall and usually leaned on generic Plant monsters.
Regardless, one thing it had going for it… they were all beautiful girl cards.
No wonder Luli's aura felt familiar—it was just like a Rikka monster's elegant grace.
'So this girl is also a Spirit Duelist?'
No wonder she was placed as the final player. Still, Morgan wasn't worried—her Deck resources were more than enough to keep up.
"I add Rikka Petal to my hand!"
This was one of the Rikka Deck's key low-level monsters. It could search other Rikka monsters and Special Summon itself from the Graveyard, freeing up her Normal Summon. It also served as a stepping stone—tribute it, and she could bring out multiple Rikka monsters from her hand.
Tributing itself was also how the Rikkas dealt with enemies.
"I activate the Continuous Spell from my hand—Rikka Flurries!"
For just a moment, a faint smile tugged at Luli's otherwise cold face.
"When a Rikka monster I control is Tributed, this card forces my opponent to Tribute one of their monsters as well."
Watching the feed, Isla frowned. This kind of monster-trading effect wasn't common. If that was the Rikkas' main theme, it could be troublesome.
That meant tributing themselves was probably their standard mechanic—and if Morgan didn't know that, she was bound to lose monsters unfairly.
And sure enough, just as Isla predicted, Luli immediately summoned the monster she had searched for.
"I Normal Summon Rikka Petal in Attack Position!"
A small white flower blossomed on the field, and from its yellow center, a silver-haired little girl gradually emerged.
[Rikka Petal] Level 1│WATER│Plant│0 ATK / 0 DEF
At the sight of her, the crowd erupted in cries of adoration. People always adored cute things, but this was different. Many of the men in the audience stared at the little girl unblinking, feeling as if she were truly alive.
"So cute… I feel like she's smiling at me!"
"No way… it's just a hologram, right?"
"Could she also be a Spirit Duelist? I've only felt this kind of presence from Viviana before."
"Our school actually has a Spirit Duelist? I'm so lucky!"
Spirit Duelists were mysterious but not unheard of in this world. Especially in recent years, with the Alliance's heavy promotion of Viviana, people had grown more accepting—even idolizing them, hoping to catch a glimpse of real spirits. That said, such pursuits always ended fruitlessly.
Now, with a Spirit Duelist among them, how could they not be excited?
Even the principal of the Senior Division, seated high above, smiled broadly at the sight. With both the league champion, Morgan, and a Spirit Duelist here, this year's lineup was the strongest in years.
The director of general affairs also grinned with pride—this was the best year he had ever overseen.
Meanwhile, Luli continued her plays. Though Dogmatika Fleurdelis had higher Attack, she chose to remove El Shaddoll Construct first—it gave her a far more unsettling feeling.
"I activate the effect of Rikka Petal!"
"During my Main Phase, I can add one Rikka monster other than Petal from my Deck to my hand or send it to the Graveyard."
"I add Mudan the Rikka Fairy to my hand!"
She chose this card because her goal wasn't just to Tribute away one of Morgan's monsters. She wanted to summon her ace and inflict heavy damage, setting up victory.
Luli smiled faintly. In her lonely life, only Dueling and her Duel Spirits had ever accompanied her. Dueling was one of the few things she didn't reject.
"I activate the effect of Rikka Snowdrop in my hand!"
"By Tributing one Plant monster I control, I can Special Summon this card and one Plant monster from my hand!"
"I Tribute Rikka Petal to Special Summon Rikka Snowdrop and Mudan the Rikka Fairy in Attack Position!"
The silver-haired girl faded, and in her place appeared a noble maiden in a white dress, holding a parasol. A moment later, another girl, crowned with a great Mudan flower, emerged with elegance.
[Rikka Snowdrop] Level 8│WATER│Plant│1200 ATK / 2600 DEF
And Snowdrop's effect triggered the Continuous Spell Rikka Flurries on the field.
"I activate the effect of Rikka Flurries!"
"I Tribute your El Shaddoll Construct!"
As Petal vanished, a breeze laden with petals swept over the field. The swirling colors wrapped around Construct, rapidly eroding her form.
Construct was Tributed and sent to the Graveyard, but her effect still activated.
"I activate El Shaddoll Construct's effect!"
"When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Shaddoll Spell/Trap from my Graveyard to my hand!"
"I add Shaddoll Fusion from my Graveyard!"
The very card she had just milled was now back in her hand. With both Shaddoll Schism and Shaddoll Fusion available, as long as she had materials, Morgan could continue bringing out Shaddolls.
Seeing her reclaim Fusion, a flicker of worry crossed Luli's eyes. Albeit she quickly forced herself calm—she couldn't lose her composure.
"I activate Snowdrop's second effect!"
"By targeting one Plant monster I control, all Plant monsters I control become the same Level as that monster until the end of the turn."
"I make all my Plants Level 8, the same as Snowdrop!"
Morgan's eyes narrowed. Changing their Levels to match—Luli's next move was obvious.
"I overlay Rikka Snowdrop and Mudan the Rikka Fairy!"
"Xyz Summon! Teardrop the Rikka Queen!"
...
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