Let's play cards! In a fantasy world of swords and magic

"Tch, she managed to escape alive, huh?"

Glancing at the spot where Meigen had vanished using her barrier magic, You Ling couldn't help but marvel at the mysterious powers in this world that he still didn't fully understand.

"Lin-chan!"

As the fog representing the Shadow Game completely dissipated, Aisha Carlos immediately rushed toward You Ling, crashing into him and wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Though it could be described as a "chest bump," unfortunately, there wasn't much to bump into.

"I'm so glad, Lin-chan! I'm so glad you're okay! That situation was so dangerous, I was too nervous to even make a sound!"

Even though Aisha's body was exhausted from the Shadow Game and the intense running, she felt no fatigue as she tightly hugged Ilin's body.

Having faced a Shadow Game together as children, Aisha's joy at surviving this ordeal was no less than her childhood friend's.

You Ling awkwardly scratched his cheek with one hand.

"Uh, Aisha… it's still me right now."

"[・_・?] Huh?"

The silver ahoge on Aisha's head curled slightly into a question mark as she seemed to realize something, a blush slowly creeping onto her cheeks.

"It's me, You Ling."

"M-Mr. You Ling… I-I forgot for a moment…"

Immediately letting go of Ilin's body, Aisha stammered through her explanation, making You Ling even more awkward.

Aisha never dreamed that her first physical contact with You Ling, outside of their soul connection, would be like this.

Now, Aisha Carlos was grappling with a very girlish dilemma.

"What do I do? I hugged him without any preparation. Will Mr. You Ling hate me? Plus, my body's so messy and dirty right now… Ugh, I wish I could take a bath and come back!"

These very girlish worries were something You Ling didn't care about at all.

The only thing he noticed was that, from Ilin's perspective, his host Aisha Carlos seemed even more beautiful than she did in the mirror.

"Alright, I'll hand it back to you, Lin."

—Soul Swap.

Returning control of Ilin's body, You Ling retreated back into the mental room of the Millennium Puzzle.

In a dreamlike daze, Ilin blinked her red eyes, momentarily confused, before glancing down at the Millennium Puzzle on her chest. Confirming this wasn't a dream, she spoke.

"Little Ai, it's me now."

"Lin-chan?"

"Yeah."

"Welcome back!"

This time, she hugged the right person.

Perhaps winning the Shadow Game meant more to the two of them, who had experienced the pain of a Shadow Game together before, than just a simple "victory."

"This is all thanks to You Ling being here."

"Yeah, Mr. You Ling is the best."

Of course, neither of them would arrogantly claim they had won the Shadow Game on their own.

These two Shadow Games were undoubtedly victories secured by You Ling's skill.

"Uh, Lin-chan…"

After sharing the joy only the two of them could understand, Aisha glanced at the Millennium Puzzle on Ilin's chest.

"Can I have it back now?"

"Oh, I almost forgot, haha."

Ilin scratched the back of her head, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Of course, this is yours, Little Ai. I couldn't keep it forever. Here, let me give it back now."

Though she was smiling, Ilin's emotions were more complicated than ever.

So complicated that even she couldn't figure out what she was feeling.

As she took off the Millennium Puzzle hanging around her neck and returned it to her best friend, Ilin felt as though something important had been taken from her.

A sense of loss made her fingers tremble slightly as they left the Millennium Puzzle.

"Little Ai is my best friend. It's because of her that I was saved just now."

Finally, after reaffirming her beliefs and principles, Ilin shook her red-haired head vigorously, trying not to dwell on it.

Hanging the Millennium Puzzle back around her neck, Aisha felt the familiar soul connection restore, bringing her the usual sense of security.

Though, to be honest, this sense of security had only existed since You Ling arrived.

Now, Aisha couldn't imagine what she would do if You Ling were to leave.

"Mr. You Ling."

"Yeah?"

"You won't leave, right?"

"Well, probably not."

It's not like he had anywhere else to go, after all.

After that, it was just a simple exchange of information.

Aisha told Ilin about how, after they were separated, she had encountered Mizuki Mu, who had lost a Shadow Game earlier in the mountain.

Ilin, on the other hand, had directly run into the barrier master Meigen after they split, so there wasn't much to elaborate on.

"Ugh, so the Egyptian God Cards were just bait? A fake rumor?!"

Learning the truth, Ilin felt not only deceived but also guilty for dragging Aisha into this mess.

"I'm sorry, Little Ai. This one's on me. If it weren't for You Ling, we probably would've ended up like Mizuki Mu, defeated here."

Of course, You Ling also bore half the blame.

If he hadn't been so interested in the Egyptian God Cards, Aisha wouldn't have agreed to break school rules and come to the back mountain at night.

"It's okay, Lin-chan. At least the ending was good."

Aisha, the most innocent party in all this, wouldn't blame anyone, given her nature.

"Look on the bright side. If we hadn't come, Mizuki Mu might have died after losing his card in the Shadow Game. And those dark duelists might have hurt even more students."

When a card is stripped away as a soul in a Shadow Game, it irreversibly damages the duelist's mind or life. But if that missing piece is returned in time, there's still a chance to save them.

"By the way, Little Ai, you really returned the card Mizuki Mu lost in the Shadow Game? That B-grade Spell Card, Monster Reborn… That's so like you."

Surprising, yet not really surprising.

Ilin knew Aisha too well. Her kindness was genuine, the purest light of humanity.

If you weighed a card against a life, Aisha would never choose the former out of greed.

"In that case…"

Ilin opened her deck and took out the only tradable card she had—the [Polymerization] she had won from Meigen.

"Young one with a kind heart, as a reward for your pure soul, I bestow this card upon you."

Handing the card to Aisha, Ilin playfully mimicked the tone of a fairy tale river god.

"Lin-chan?" Aisha was both surprised and touched. "But this [Polymerization] is so useful for your Hero deck. Are you sure it's okay to give it to me?"

"I think it's fine. Besides, this card was won by You Ling, so giving it to you is no problem at all. No objections allowed!"

You Ling: "I also won't allow any objections!"

Normal monsters paired with Fusion? That's a fun combo.

"っﾟДﾟ)っ Alright, then I won't hold back!"

To be continued...