An'er looked at the card she drew and fell into thought. She still didn't know what Morgan's monsters' effects were. Last turn, Morgan had only shown resource cycling with the Exosister Deck. But leaving behind an Xyz Monster and a regular monster clearly had a purpose.
Those two monsters had to provide suppression. Whatever their effects, An'er had to remove them first.
"I Special Summon Lyrilusc - Turquoise Warbler from my hand!"
A cute girl appeared, humanoid in shape but with avian traits. Feathers like turquoise gemstones adorned her arms.
[Lyrilusc - Turquoise Warbler] Level 1│WIND│Winged Beast│100 ATK / 100 DEF
'...Lyrilusc?'
Seeing this archetype, Morgan blinked. She knew it well. In her past life, Lyrilusc had ranked among the top-tier Decks—but only when paired with Tri-Brigade. Pure Lyrilusc, by contrast, was much weaker.
Though most were only Level 1 with negligible ATK—sometimes even 0—they couldn't be underestimated.
Their bosses might have 0 base ATK, but they gained power with each Xyz material attached. The more materials, the higher their ATK soared.
And since almost every Lyrilusc could Special Summon itself or another, their swarming potential was enormous.
"If I control no monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my hand."
"When this card is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one Lyrilusc monster from my hand or Graveyard."
"I Special Summon Lyrilusc - Sapphire Swallow from my hand!"
One after another, bird-like girls appeared on the field. Morgan's focus sharpened—An'er's combo had begun. Still, she wasn't worried.
Exosisters Magnifica could detach a material to banish an opponent's monster, even on their turn. And Lyrilusc had no way to stop it.
Moreover, she could Xyz Summon again with its effect and chain her Continuous Spell, Exosister Vadis, to negate an opponent's monster.
An'er was right—Morgan's end board was suppression. It just wasn't obvious at first glance.
Anyhow, An'er hadn't noticed yet and was stepping right into Morgan's trap.
"Next, I Special Summon Lyrilusc - Cobalt Sparrow from my hand!"
With three Level 1 monsters on the field, she was ready for an Xyz Summon. Albeit under Morgan's pressure, An'er felt it wasn't enough.
She needed even more monsters.
"I activate the Spell Card, Lyrilusc - Bird Call!"
"I add one Lyrilusc monster from my Deck to my hand, then Special Summon a different-named Lyrilusc from my hand."
"I add Lyrilusc - Beryl Canary to my hand, then Special Summon Lyrilusc - Celestine Wagtail!"
An'er now had four Lyriluscs on the field. Morgan confirmed she was using pure Lyrilusc—no mid-duel archetype switches.
The old man frowned. An'er was too hasty. Normally, she probed her opponents, found weaknesses, then struck decisively. Reckless aggression wasn't her style. Had Morgan really pressured her this much?
He glanced at the other principal. He wanted to ask about Morgan… how had Solitary Island Academy suddenly produced such a powerhouse? Was she a Shadow Duelist?
Regardless, the principal's calm, knowing expression told him he'd get no answers.
Meanwhile, Isla, sitting behind Morgan with Jade, narrowed her eyes at An'er. She recalled her father mentioning this girl… he said the Duel King's true disciple had emerged, cutting down countless opponents.
That said, wasn't Morgan the Duel King's disciple?
Where had this An'er come from?
Plenty had claimed to be the Duel King's disciples in recent years, only to be exposed as weak frauds. Although if An'er had Forest Academy's backing, her claim might be real. Their principal was known for his keen judgment.
If so, this duel was disciple versus disciple.
Isla chuckled. To think she'd witness something so thrilling—she had to watch closely.
Meanwhile, Hannah frowned. The boss's order was unfair. Cleaning up after others' failures had fallen to her. If An'er had really wiped out Forest Academy's Shadow Duelists, then her arrival here was suspicious. Perhaps word had leaked of Shadow Duelists in Solitary Island Academy, prompting this exchange match.
"The boss really doesn't make things easy."
She sighed. This mission was hellish. An'er would be under tight watch… any move against her would be noticed. Worse, if she could uncover Shadow Duelists herself, Hannah risked exposure with the slightest misstep.
Should she test her with a student?
Hannah brooded. On the field, An'er pressed on with her plays.
"I overlay Lyrilusc - Celestine Wagtail and Lyrilusc - Cobalt Sparrow to build the Overlay Network!"
"Xyz Summon! Lyrilusc - Assembled Nightingale!"
...
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