Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

It all seemed to happen in an instant.

A display of supernatural phenomena, then the sun split into three, burning in the sky. The lonely ruins stood under the blazing suns, covered in centuries of dust and moss.

When they came to their senses, everyone was already in the center of the ruins, surrounded by a group of ancient-soldier-looking men who'd popped up out of nowhere.

Professor Lyman threw his hands up and screamed, "What's going on!?"

"Aren't you the one who brought us, Professor?" Sryus cried, holding his head. "Shouldn't you be explaining right now?"

"I have no idea!"

Of course, he was still acting. Lyman knew exactly where they were: the Spirit World, the Valley of the Gravekeepers, guarded by Gravekeeper duel monster spirits. As trespassers, their fate was to be mummified and stay here forever.

Coming here was part of his plan.

But in his script, it should have been his cat who accidentally triggered the mechanism, warping everyone here. He didn't expect Kira to beat him to it!

Lyman acted all panicky, sneaking glances at Kira.

Since their first meeting, he'd sensed something off about this student. Over time, that feeling only got stronger.

Sometimes, he really felt he couldn't see through this student.

He himself was supposed to be the secret mastermind, hiding a bellyful of secrets, but sometimes he felt Kira knew just as much as he did.

No, sometimes it seemed like Kira was also acting, maybe an even bigger boss than he was…

Of course, it was just a fleeting thought. But even Lyman felt it was a bit much, so he quickly dismissed it.

"There they are again, those who trespass the King's Valley."

A squad of soldiers with spears ringed them, while a man walked out from behind.

Kira immediately recognized him: the Gravekeeper Chief, the dueling spirit who'd faced Jaden in the anime.

Kira's lips curled into a faint smile.

Target located.

"What's this?" Jaden frowned. "Old man, you don't look like someone from Duel Academy."

Syrus whined, "Big bro, isn't that obvious?"

The Gravekeeper Chief gave them a cold glance, clearly unwilling to speak much, and waved his hand, "Take them away. Make them into mummies and bury them."

"Eh!?" Syrus nearly wet himself, "Why!?"

Lyman did his best to act scared: "Help! I don't want to die, nya!"

The chief ordered his men to deal with the group and turned to leave, but Kira called out with a smile: "That's not right, is it, Gravekeeper Chief, Duel Monster Spirit of the Valley?"

The chief paused, a bit surprised, and turned back.

"You know where you are?" He narrowed his eyes.

"That's right," Kira replied, "But it seems the chief here has forgotten a bit."

"Oh?"

"The honorable Gravekeeper clan never denies a warrior the chance to fight for themselves." Kira gestured at his duel disk.

The chief raised his eyebrows in surprise: "You know about the sacred ritual?"

Normally, anyone who trespassed into the Valley would die, but there were exceptions. Over the years, many had entered—innocents, explorers, or greedy thieves.

Most were executed and buried, except one person:

Atticus Rhodes, Alexis' brother. He'd defeated the chief in a duel and earned his freedom.

"You seek to win your lives through battle?" the chief said. "Interesting. Of all who've come here, you're the first to challenge me to the ritual."

"Let's set the rules then—the wager," Kira said.

"The rule? If you beat me, you can leave alive," said the chief coldly. "If not, you'll sleep here forever like the rest."

"Is that so? But that seems unfair, doesn't it?" Kira smiled. "If that's the rule, then we're betting all our lives, but your side isn't risking much."

"You question the rules of the Necrovalley?" the chief frowned, stepping forward. But in that instant, he felt a strange pressure from Kira.

For a moment, he thought he glimpsed a phantom warrior behind Kira, someone even more formidable, watching him coldly from the void.

The chief's pupils shrank, and he instinctively took a step back.

"You?"

"I think your rules are a bit too domineering," Kira said, "They should be changed."

The chief: "…"

He wanted to say he could have them all killed with a snap of his fingers, and the ritual was a mercy, but after seeing that phantom, he reconsidered.

He also noticed as he looked again at the group surrounded by spears, that they all seemed unusual.

The glasses-wearing guy hugging a fat cat and whining seemed useless at first glance, but on closer inspection, there was a faint, special energy within him—perhaps suppressed, but not to be underestimated.

The red-suited, jellyfish-haired kid also seemed unremarkable, but something was hidden within, waiting to erupt.

The blonde girl in blue wasn't as strong, but still had a unique energy—there were spirits in her deck.

Even the chubby, koala-like guy, though weak, seemed to have a faint spirit's protection.

Turns out, every one of them was special!

The chief finally gave them his full attention, then glanced at Syrus.

Hmm, this ordinary one really does seem useless.

He almost wondered how Syrus managed to tag along.

"Well, name your wager," the chief said. "If you think it's unfair, you can even have my soul as the stake."

Kira shook his head, "No need for that—I'm not a killer, taking lives brings me no joy or benefit.

If I win, you not only let us go but also become our friends. When needed, you'll lend us your strength. How about that?"

The Gravekeeper clan all carry the duty of guarding the valley. For spirits, following someone else is worse than death.

But Kira didn't want the spirits themselves—he only wanted their cards.

If it's just the cards, for spirits, it's like lending out a copy. They stay and guard the valley, but their power can be used by the duelist.

"To make friends? Interesting," the chief chuckled.

"Then let's see if you're worthy of that."

He turned and waved for the soldiers to lower their spears.

"Come with me," the chief said. "To the sacred dueling field."