NOVEL NEXT Chapter 114: TST [114]
From the sky, an icicle crashed down onto the field, transforming into a figure clad entirely in white. Frost radiated from him, his snow-white cape fluttering without wind. The temperature seemed to plunge straight to zero.
[Elemental HERO Absolute Zero] Level 8│WATER│Warrior│2500 ATK / 2000 DEF
Another new HERO. Gasps rippled through the stands. Nearly every boy's eyes lit up, staring at the snow-white hero as though he were the embodiment of wind and snow. Even those staring at Hannah found their gaze drifting toward him. Truly, HEROes were a boy's romance.
And as the wielder of this romantic Deck, Morgan herself began to change in their eyes.
They started hoping for her victory, because it would be not only hers, but also the HEROes'.
The crowd erupted with cheers, a sharp contrast to their earlier pessimism.
Hannah sighed at the sight. These people were no different from Akiyama—obsessed with their passion. If anything, Akiyama was better; at least he didn't stray.
She cracked open a can of beer labeled "Snowflake." Teachers at the Senior Division were forbidden to drink, so she decided to enjoy herself before heading to that isolated island.
As she drank, a thought struck her.
Today wasn't just Solmere Middle Division students taking the exam. Others from different schools, even outside Duel Academy, were here as well. Could the kids the boss planted in the Senior Division be among them?
Hannah glanced around, spotting plenty of young faces. But with no info from Zelo, guessing was pointless. She gave up on the thought.
Still… how exactly was she supposed to turn Senior Division students into Shadow Duelists?
She had no answer.
As she pondered, she found herself staring absently at a boy's back. The boy, sensing her gaze, turned around, cheeks flushed as he met her eyes.
Hannah blinked, then licked the beer froth from her lips.
That simple, unconscious gesture was enough to make the boy jolt and whip his head forward, face red.
Hannah chuckled inwardly. Boys at that age were shy and easy to fluster with a little teasing.
A memory flickered—she'd once teased someone like this before. But who was it? She couldn't recall.
Annoyed, she took another gulp and turned her eyes back to the duel.
Absolute Zero's arrival put Charles on guard. Another unfamiliar HERO—but its Attack still fell short of his Bureibu. Even so, he no longer dared to underestimate Morgan.
This newborn HERO surely had an effect he didn't know.
Rowe, on the other hand, tilted her head at Absolute Zero, failing to see why Morgan abandoned Trickstars and Traptrix to play HEROes. She didn't understand why Morgan liked such boyish cards.
"Jade, why'd Morgan switch from Traptrix? Does she actually like uncute Decks like this?"
"Cute Decks should be played, but uncute Decks should also be played. That's what makes it healthy."
"…Have you been brainwashed by Morgan?"
Jade wasn't sure herself. Though after a year of Morgan's guidance, her understanding of dueling had deepened—and so had her way of thinking. The old her would never have said such a thing.
Morgan had also promised to strengthen her Deck, asking if she liked birds. Jade hadn't understood why, but she'd agreed—after all, she did love Winged Beasts.
Now, however, Morgan summoned a cool-looking monster whose Attack was lower than Charles's, leaving Jade confused.
"So strange… why summon this one? Is it just to power up Sunrise?"
Isla was about to answer when a deep male voice sounded from the stands.
"She summoned it for one of two reasons—either it boosts Attack, or it counters the Director's monsters or backrow."
The three girls turned to see a boy sitting behind them. He looked plain but carried himself with calm composure, his sharp gaze and elegant posture unusual.
"Who are you?" Isla frowned. His thoughts matched her own, meaning he wasn't ordinary.
"Forgive the interruption. My name is Hakun, from Nexus Second High. I'm here to take the Senior Division entrance exam."
'Nexus Second High?'
Isla frowned. She'd heard of the academy, but never positively.
Strict military-style management, teaching entirely geared toward passing Duel Academy's exam. No focus on individuality—only drilling exam chains to exploit loopholes. Students were forced to use them or they couldn't graduate.
While many did pass the entrance exam, they were inevitably expelled soon after for failing to keep up.
The school didn't care. Only the pass rate mattered.
Thus, their students were known for being rigid and dull, and the school's reputation was abysmal.
Even so, Hakun didn't seem to be that way. His thoughts were sharp and clear. Was he really from Nexus Second?
Noticing her doubt, Hakun smiled apologetically.
"I only transferred there near graduation. I wasn't even there a full month, so their madness didn't affect me."
"They're crazy… making us memorize card effects at five in the morning. I couldn't understand it."
"To me, dueling should be free and full of individuality."
He paused, glancing at Morgan with a smile.
"Like her—unbound, unfettered, like the wind."
"You know Morgan?" Isla asked, surprised.
Hakun chuckled.
"This year's Junior Division Duelist League champion. The rookie every club is fighting over. The headstrong girl who sparked reform in the Duelist Alliance with a single speech. Anyone who saw that match would know her."
He looked at Morgan's upright figure, eyes flashing with both battle spirit and possessiveness.
He wanted to trap the wind in a bottle—and dye it black.
Morgan smiled after summoning Absolute Zero.
It could gain Attack if a WATER monster was on the field, but right now, she only had Sunrise, a LIGHT monster.
So that wasn't her reason. It was for the next move.
"I activate the effect of the banished [Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier]!"
"If this card is used as Fusion Material for a [HERO] Fusion Monster and sent to the Graveyard or banished: draw 2 cards, then discard 1."
Morgan drew two, smiled at one, and discarded the other promptly.
Last turn, she'd used [Mask Change II] to bring out Dark Law, but it came with restrictions.
Now she had drawn the real [Mask Change].
If she summoned Absolute Zero to destroy the opponent's monsters, then the method was to make it leave the field.
And now she had the means.
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell [Mask Change] from my hand!"
"Send 1 [HERO] monster you control to the Graveyard; Special Summon 1 [Mask HERO] with the same Attribute from your Extra Deck."
Absolute Zero was WATER, so the HERO she would summon was also WATER.
"From my Extra Deck, I Special Summon [Mask HERO Acid]!"
A strange mask appeared on Absolute Zero's face, bursting into dazzling light. When the light faded, Zero was gone, replaced by a tight-suited HERO wielding a bizarre spray gun.
[Mask HERO Acid] Level 8│WATER│Warrior│2600 ATK / 2100 DEF
In that instant, two effects triggered—Absolute Zero's upon leaving the field, and Acid's upon being Special Summoned.
"Now, I activate the effect of [Elemental HERO Absolute Zero] leaving the field!"
...
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