Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

"Not bad... That's pretty impressive for a zombie."

Kira walked up to the zombie.

The eerie atmosphere remained, with an invisible darkness pressing from all around, like unseen walls closing in.

But this darkness no longer affected Kira.

Because now, he was the one in control.

He'd just won the duel. The power of the Shadow Game surged, wrapping around the zombie.

"Don't be afraid, it won't hurt. Well, it probably won't."

Kira paused, thinking he should be precise with his words. After all, he'd never experienced his own Shadow Game; he had no idea what it was like to lose and be twisted into all sorts of poses.

"Anyway, even if it hurts, it won't last long," Kira said. "I just need to ask a few questions. First: what happened here? How did you end up like this?"

The zombie lay on the ground, eyes wide open, staring unblinking—almost like he couldn't die in peace.

Suddenly, his whole body spasmed violently, thrashing like a fish out of water under the sun.

Next, his body began to collapse and dissolve, the insides oozing out like pus, until all that was left was a pile of deflated clothing.

"Huh?"

Kira blinked twice.

That wasn't his doing.

He had activated the Shadow Game, yes, but not at a lethal level. He figured this zombie was just a pawn—or perhaps even a victim—rather than the mastermind behind all this.

He only wanted to get some information; the Shadow Game was just a tool to make him talk.

But the guy simply... vanished.

So hardcore? Did he self-destruct just to avoid leaking information?

Kira stood up, frowning.

Maybe there was some sort of mechanism inside?

Perhaps, if an infected duelist lost to someone with shadow powers, it would trigger a self-destruct to prevent any leaks.

Just then, a rustling came from the woods behind him.

Kira stood up, turning cautiously. Silent Magician appeared in spirit form, staff at the ready.

But this time, it wasn't an enemy. In fact, it was someone Kira didn't expect.

A blonde woman.

A curvaceous, statuesque blond woman—so tall and voluptuous that she was nearly in the "can't see her own feet" club. Her long, shapely legs were clad in black over-the-knee boots; she stood at the edge of the forest path, eyeing Kira with a strange expression.

"You're... Mai Valentine?"

Kira sounded unsure.

Mai Valentine, now a legendary duelist. A classic DM-era pro—during a time when only gods clashed, she was a mere mortal with no special background or plot armor, but already a top-tier duelist.

And—sort of—Joey's girlfriend.

Though the anime never clarified where their relationship went, when Mai's voice actress got married, the official Yu-Gi-Oh animation director drew a congratulatory wedding illustration of Mai and Joey.

Naturally, Kira remembered that Mokuba had said Joey was supposed to be in the area, and asked Kira to try contacting him for help investigating the town. But Kira hadn't been able to reach him.

He wondered how things stood between Mai and Joey in this world.

"An outsider duelist?" Mai asked, eyeing him curiously, as if she wanted to say something but, after glancing at the oppressive darkness around them, changed her mind.

"Let's get out of here. It's not safe."

She said.

"Come with me. We'll talk later."

With no other leads, Kira followed her without hesitation—making sure to pick up the abandoned deck on the ground.

Kira walked behind her, the two of them weaving quickly through the dark underbrush.

"Are you a pro duelist?"

Mai asked, leading the way.

"No," Kira answered truthfully. "I'm a student at Duel Academy."

"A... Duel Academy student?"

Mai couldn't help but glance back at him in surprise.

She'd seen Kira duel just now, and it had left quite an impression. His dueling style was unusual, but her experienced eyes could see his strength right away.

She'd pegged him as at least pro level—maybe holding back, even, but certainly upper tier in the pro circuit.

But a Duel Academy student?

After a long pause, she finally said, "Well, you're certainly a special student."

Kira grinned. "Everyone says that."

Mai: "..."

No, she thought, special was putting it mildly.

She'd encountered these dueling zombies before, but always assumed they were just mindless, instinct-driven shells.

She never imagined one could get so angry it would curse out loud...

"What happened to that guy just now?" Kira asked.

"When an infected duelist is defeated in a duel, a self-destruct mechanism is triggered. Most other methods don't work on them."

Mai explained simply.

"I once saw a decapitated guy pick up and reattach his own head. They're practically immortal."

Kira: "..."

Wow. That's so Yu-Gi-Oh.

Only dueling can destroy the undead. Makes perfect sense.

"So how did he end up like that?"

"Who knows? I'd like to know myself."

Mai cursed under her breath.

"All of a sudden, the whole area turned like this. No one knows how it spread, but most people here are already infected.

If ordinary people are infected, they just become mindless, attack-on-sight types—you've probably run into a few already.

But certain special individuals can become duel-infected. Those are even more dangerous: they can manifest card effects in the real world, and their power is on a whole other level.

And only dueling can defeat them; knives and bullets do nothing."

A zombie virus, Yu-Gi-Oh style...

"By the way, is Joey Wheeler here too?"

Mai glanced at him. "You know Joey?"

"No, but a friend of mine does. Sent me here to find him."

"Figures, you're looking for him too." Mai frowned.

"So is he here?"

"How should I know? I wish I did."

She cursed again.

"If it weren't for that idiot, I wouldn't be stuck in this hellhole."

PS: Bonus Chapter at 300 PS.