Who Let Him Play Yu-Gi-Oh!

"'Assault on GHQ' destroys 'Warm Worm.' That's five cards to the Graveyard—take the burn from 'Skull Invitation!'" Kira declared.

All the students stared, wide-eyed.

They were all wondering—

—Was Kira really going to burn a pro player to death like this?

"Nice try, kid. But it's not that easy!" Maitre' D shouted. "I activate the Trap 'Destruct Potion!' Destroy one of my monsters and regain LP equal to its ATK.

I destroy 'Big Vintage Magna Mutton' and regain 2500 LP!"

At the last second, the Big Vintage Magna Mutton exploded, its wine bottles shattering. The splattered wine then turned into energy, surging into Maitre' D and restoring a chunk of life.

[Maitre' D, LP 1000 → LP 3500]

"Then your 'Warm Worm' is destroyed by 'Assault on GHQ.' I mill five cards from my deck."

He discarded five cards, gray mist swirling from his Graveyard.

"I take 1500 burn damage."

[Maitre' D, LP 3500 → LP 2000]

"Whew, you managed to defend," Kira said. "But 'Big Vintage Magna Mutton' also went to the Graveyard, so that's two more cards—another 600 burn."

[Maitre' D, LP 2000 → LP 1400]

"Tch, but your 'Warm Worm' and 'Assault on GHQ' also go to the Graveyard. And 'Call of the Haunted' is destroyed when its monster is. That's three cards for you," Maitre' D said.

"You take damage from your own trap, too."

[Kira, LP 3400 → LP 2500]

"Then I activate 'Puzzle Reborn!'" Maitre' D stepped forward. "When my monster is destroyed by an effect, I can revive it!

The Graveyard vortex opens; a pillar of red wine erupts, and the Big Vintage Magna Mutton returns!"

"Come back, my ace! Big Vintage Magna Mutton, return!"

[Big Vintage Magna Mutton, ATK 2500]

"With a new Trap sent to the Graveyard, that's another 300 burn," Kira said.

[Maitre' D, LP 1400 → LP 1100]

Maitre' D snorted.

Fine, mutual destruction. Let's see who burns out first.

"As expected of a professional—you're not so easy to finish off," Kira smiled. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet this turn.

I summon 'Ojama Yellow' in Defense Position."

[Ojama Yellow, DEF 1000]

The Ojama Yellow spirit beside Chazz jumped out: "Boss, look! It's my kind! It's me!"

Chazz: "Shut up!"

"Boss, you're so mean..."

Kira: "I set two cards and end my turn."

A field of weak monsters and set cards...

Maitre' D took a deep breath.

Sure enough, this kid never intended to fight head-on.

Duel Academy has produced a student with such a bizarre style...

"My turn, draw." Maitre' D spoke gravely. "Standby Phase—'Big Vintage Magna Mutton' gains 1000 ATK."

[Big Vintage Magna Mutton, ATK 2500 → 3500]

He looked at his draw—eyes narrowing, lips curling upwards.

Heh, just the card for this situation.

"'Skull Invitation' seems to be your tactic's core. But it ends now!

I activate 'Remove Trap'—destroy a face-up Trap on the field.

I destroy 'Skull Invitation!'"

The trap shattered, and the grim reaper projection vanished. The temperature on the field seemed to rise a few degrees.

"Now that disgusting trap is gone," Maitre' D said. "I Normal Summon 'Foaming Beauty!'"

[Foaming Beauty, ATK 1200]

Maitre' D was a well-known wine-lover in the pro scene; his deck was basically a winery—every monster was alcohol-related.

"Battle! First, 'Foaming Beauty' attacks Ojama Yellow!"

She raised both hands, firing golden wine at Kira's Ojama Yellow.

Ojama Yellow was blasted apart; Kira remained calm amid the explosion.

"From the Graveyard, I activate the Trap 'Ojamarking!'"

"From the Graveyard?" Maitre' D frowned.

Kira: "'Ojamarking' can be activated when your monster is destroyed by battle. Banish it from the Graveyard to Special Summon one 'Ojama' monster from the Graveyard.

Return, Ojama Yellow!"

[Ojama Yellow, DEF 1000]

He retrieved Ojama Yellow from the Graveyard.

"Tch, so many tricks for a weakling," Maitre' D scoffed. "Big Vintage Magna Mutton attacks! Go, Wine Cannon!"

Both wine bottle corks fired, wine blasting out like cannons.

The just-returned Ojama Yellow was washed away again, exploding.

Ojama Yellow spirit: "I died twice in one turn, wahhh, so tragic..."

"Quiet," Chazz said.

Kira watched calmly as Ojama Yellow was destroyed a second time, then flipped a back-row card: "I activate Continuous Trap 'Human-Wave Tactics.'

At the End Phase, if a Level 2 or lower Normal Monster you controlled was destroyed by battle, Special Summon the same number of Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters from your Deck."

Maitre' D said, "You had two 'Ojama Yellow' destroyed this turn..."

"That's right. So 'Human-Wave Tactics' lets me Special Summon two Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters."

He revealed the two cards he searched from his deck.

"Special Summon 'Ojama Black' and 'Ojama Green.'"

[Ojama Black, DEF 1000]

[Ojama Green, DEF 1000]

"Then I activate 'Ojama Delta Wear!'"

Kira activated his last back-row card.

"This turn, for every Ojama Black, Green, or Yellow destroyed by battle, Special Summon as many as possible. I Special Summon 'Ojama Yellow' again!"

[Ojama Yellow, DEF 1000]

"Ugh, they just keep coming..." Maitre' D gritted his teeth.

He attacked twice and ended up with even more Ojamas on the field—like cockroaches.

Maitre' D: "Tch, turn end."

Stay calm.

Though he hadn't broken through, he'd gotten rid of that key trap and his own ace, "Big Vintage Magna Mutton," was at 3500 ATK, going up to 4500 next turn.

He was still in control—there was nothing to worry about.

Or so he told himself...

But facing this student, why did he still feel so uneasy?

"My turn, draw."

Kira smiled, and Maitre' D's heart skipped a beat.

A sense of doom crept in...

No, don't panic.

Maitre' D shook his head.

"Even if there are more, Ojamas are still weaklings," he said. "Just a bunch of weaklings..."

"That's not very professional, Mr. Professional," Kira smiled. "Even the weakest of monsters can have hidden potential. Never overlook a monster's potential because of appearances—that's the mark of a true pro, isn't it?"

Maitre' D: "..."

"If you dislike the Ojamas so much, let me show you their hidden potential."

Maitre' D snapped to attention.

Ojama potential... Fusion?

He knew about the famous (or infamous) Ojama series—their Fusion still left them with zero ATK, though with powerful effects. But with his ace, "Big Vintage Magna Mutton," he could break through anything.

But Kira set a monster face-down.

Maitre' D: "?"

No Fusion?

What potential, then?

"Then I activate 'A/D Changer' from the Graveyard," Kira said. "By banishing it, I can change one monster's battle position—I'll flip my set monster face-up in Attack Position."

The set card was flipped, revealing a cute white bunny hugging a carrot, nibbling away.

[Creepy Coney, ATK 1000]

"Creepy Coney is a Flip monster, and its effect..."

Kira smiled.

"Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent for each face-up Normal Monster you control, except Tokens."

"How...how much?"

Maitre' D looked at Kira's field.

Normal Monsters (excluding tokens):

[Ojama Yellow, DEF 1000]

[Ojama Black, DEF 1000]

[Ojama Green, DEF 1000]

Maitre' D wore a mask of pain.

Wryyyyyyy—!

The elegant pro let out a wail that was hard to tell if it was pain or joy.

So this was the hidden power of Ojamas? The revenge of the Normals?

"Even Normal Monsters have their uses. Look down on weaklings, and you pay the price," Kira declared. "With three Normal Monsters, that's 3000 damage!"

Empowered by Creepy Coney, the three Ojamas jumped, lined their butts up, and—striking a highly undignified pose—rammed Maitre' D in the face.

[Maitre' D, LP 1100 → LP 0]

PS: 2 Bonus chapters at 1000 PS.