Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

014 Spherical Chestnut Ball

Yuito helped Yusei solve his biggest problem right now, and now all he had to do was wait. In a few days, it would be the Duel Academy's fall semester opening ceremony, and then he should be able to take the helicopter to Duel Academy with Jaden Yuki.

"Speaking of which... Yuto, you're so kind to me, it makes me feel a little embarrassed..." Yusei said. He had just tricked Yuto in the duel and staged a farce, but Yuto was not only not angry, but also gave him such a lot of help. Although his inner instinct was still reminding him to keep his distance from Yuto, Yusei really couldn't refuse Yuto's kindness because Yuto had helped him a lot.

"It's nothing, just a small favor. If you really feel bad about it, you can always come and help me out in the future if I need anything," Jieren said with a smile.

Put yourself in someone else's shoes. Would you offer help to a stranger without any apparent reason? Most people would probably answer "no." After all, in this society, kindness has long been eroded by various unreasonable realities, and barriers exist between people. Even a close friend might betray you when faced with huge gains, even if you've shared hardships together…

Therefore, Yuto's assistance to Yusei can be described as extremely rare.

Although he only gave Yusei the spot he didn't need, his act of kindness warmed and comforted Yusei, who had come to this world alone.

"If you were a girl, I, Yu, might just offer myself to you!" Yusei joked to Yuto beside him.

After the farce just now, he had a new understanding of the boy beside him. This composed young man, despite his privileged family background, was not arrogant. He was approachable, spoke logically and reasonedly, and maintained a humble and unhurried demeanor, just like Yusei's initial impression of him. In a word, he could be described as—composed.

Yusei's impression of Yuto is that he doesn't make promises easily, but he always keeps his word once he agrees to something, and others can also feel this from Yuto.

"That's only if I like it." Yuto remained noncommittal about Yusei's words.

"I'm not bragging, but I don't know anything except how to play cards!" Yusei started to play dumb.

"Emmm...I almost believed you...Never mind, I didn't expect anything from you besides playing cards...Come with me later, we need to handle some procedures, you need to be there in person."

"Is it that simple?"

"Yes, yes... it's that simple. When you register for school, the person in charge will know that I recommended you."

"Hehe... It's a pleasure working with you." Yusei proactively placed his hand on Yuto's shoulder, completely disregarding his earlier disgust during the misunderstanding. After a brief exchange, the two had gotten to know each other better and gradually became familiar. Yusei also relaxed his nervousness and began to make some intimate gestures to strengthen their bond, like putting his arm around Yuto's shoulder. (And...)

He had previously worried that Jie Ren was gay and that he might accidentally lose control of his genitals, so he had been unable to relax. But now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, there was no need to worry about that anymore.

Yuuto was startled by Yusei's actions. His body stiffened instinctively for a moment, but he quickly adjusted to the sensation, though a slight blush lingered on his face for a long time...

Yusei noticed this too, and a sense of unease crept into his heart. "Damn! Dude, why are you blushing like that?! Please don't spread any suggestive atmosphere, okay? I'm begging you! I was just joking, please don't take it seriously!"

Oh, I forgot to mention, Yusei was pulled over by Yuto earlier, so now the two of them are sitting side by side, quite close together, and can feel each other's breath when they turn their heads.

If two girls were sitting side by side like this, everyone would think it's normal and nothing strange; but if two boys were sitting so intimately together, the sight... it's simply an eyesore...

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As they got closer, Yusei began to seriously observe Yuito. It's no wonder Yusei had that misunderstanding earlier; after all, Yuito's appearance was far too delicate for a boy…

Yuito's figure was somewhat petite compared to Yusei's, with a classic oval face and short, pure black hair that reached her ears. Her skin was snow-white and delicate, her hair was smooth, and her eyebrows were long and slender. Her eyes were obscured by glasses, so her specific features were not visible, but her clear, bright pupils could be vaguely seen.

He wore a white turtleneck shirt that covered his neck and waist, black cropped trousers, and black and white canvas shoes—an outfit very much in line with a young man's identity.

If it weren't for Yuito being dressed in men's clothing and having a despairingly flat chest, Yusei would definitely have thought Yuito was a pure and beautiful girl... What a pity...

During their previous duel, the two were quite far apart, and Yusei was treating it casually, so he hadn't paid much attention to Yuito. Now that they were closer, he finally had a chance to observe Yuito's appearance properly. If this kid grew his hair a bit longer and dressed in women's clothing, he could easily pass for a beautiful girl...

No, no, no, what am I thinking? This guy is a man!

Yusei began to examine his own soul.

That was close! We almost opened the door to a new world...

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"Oh, by the way, here, this card is for you." Yuto pulled a card from his card holder and handed it to Yusei. "This guy seems to want to go to your side."

"Oh?" Yusei felt a strong sense of déjà vu about this scene. It seemed that Jaden Yuki had also obtained Winged Kuriboh from Yugi Muto in the same way. Judging from Yuito's words, he could also hear the voices of the card monsters… Could it be that he could also get a Kuriboh from Yuito?

Yusei took the card from Yuto and examined it closely. It was indeed a Kuriboh monster, but this Kuriboh was unlike any he'd ever seen in the anime…

【Spherical Chestnut Balls】

(Demon race, Dark attribute, 1-star, Attack: 300, Defense: 200)

effect:

①: When an opponent's monster declares an attack, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to activate this effect; change that monster to Defense Position.

②: When a Ritual Summon is performed, you can banish this card from your Graveyard as one of the monsters whose Level stats are required.

The card art depicts a bald, golden spherical monster covered in strange patterns that subtly radiate golden light. Four small, green, mechanical claws extend from beneath the golden sphere, while two large, round eyes stand in the center, making it look exceptionally cute.

It seemed to be Yusei's imagination, but he saw Kuriboh in the image wink at him...

(Is it okay if I make Yuito the female lead?)

015 The Legend of the Chestnut Dragon

Generally speaking, a monster can only be Normal Summoned once per turn, while there is no limit to the number of Special Summons.

In Yusei's past world, there were countless storytellers whose decks, without interference, could usually perform multiple special summons in a single turn, thus achieving a super-expansion. With just a few cards in hand, they could activate almost the entire deck's cards, performing dazzling multiple special summons.

Among duelists who use storytelling decks, there is a type of duelist who is particularly obsessed with summoning the Level 12 Synchro Monster "Shooting Quasar Dragon" in one turn.

【Meteoroid Dragon】

(Synchron Monster, Dragon-type, LIGHT, Level 12, ATK 4000, DEF 4000)

effect:

This card cannot be Special Summoned unless Synchro Summoned.

This card can perform an attack within the same battle cycle using any number of Synchro Materials, excluding Tuner Monsters.

①: Once per turn, when the effect of a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Monster Card is activated, negate that activation and destroy it.

②: When this face-up card leaves the field, Special Summon 1 "Meteor Dragon" from your Extra Deck.

Furthermore, in the anime, the [Meteorite Dragon] also has the ability to ignore [nullification effects]. Any effects that are not affected by battle or effect destruction will be nullified in its presence...

Although the [Meteorite Dragon] has incredibly powerful effects and terrifying suppressive force, the conditions for summoning it are extremely demanding.

Synchro Monsters have white borders and are summoned differently from regular Special Summoning. They require a special Tuner monster on the field to be Synchro Summoned with a regular monster in order to Special Summon two Synchro Monsters whose total Level is equal to the Level of the two monsters from the Extra Deck. Some special Synchro Monsters are themselves Tuner monsters.

The [Shooting Quasar Dragon] requires one special [Synchro Tuner Monster] and two or more non-Tuner [Synchro Monsters] on your field, with a combined Level of 12, to Synchro Summon [Shooting Quasar Dragon] from your Deck. (Yusei: Is this some kind of tongue twister?)

In Yu-Gi-Oh!, the maximum number of cards is three, meaning that a deck can only contain a maximum of three copies of the same card, including the Extra Deck. For ace monsters like "Shooting Quasar Dragon," whose summoning conditions are extremely demanding, most duelists struggle to even summon just one. However, some storytelling duelists manage to summon three "Shooting Quasar Dragons" in a single turn… Of course, the price they pay is dozens of Special Summons, and they cannot afford to make any mistakes, or they will fail miserably. After successfully summoning three "Shooting Quasar Dragons" to the field, their Main Deck and Extra Deck resources are essentially depleted.

But it's all worth it. The dominance of three [Shooting Quasar Dragons] on the field can only be described as terrifying. No matter what you plan to do, you will be disrupted three times every turn. Even the most popular decks, which can launch multiple plays in one turn, cannot withstand such attacks.

However, even such a powerful [Meteorite Dragon] has natural enemies.

Just as the common way to counter [True Dragon Sword Emperor] is to "transform into a turtle", the best way to counter three [Shooting Quasar Dragon] cards is to transform them into "Winged God Egg".

(Turn to Turtle: refers to the special effect of [Kaijutsu Kaijutsu Gameshield], which can Tribute monsters on the opponent's field and then Special Summon them to the opponent's field. Sword Emperor Turn to Turtle means that [Vacuum Sword Emperor Zoro Star Puzzle], which has resistance and is unaffected by effects, is forcibly Tributed by [Kaijutsu Kaijutsu Gameshield], and from the perspective of the field, it looks like it has turned from a "dragon" into a "turtle".

Egg Transformation: Refers to [Radiant Dragon of Ra - Spherical], which has the effect of forcing three monsters on the opponent's field to be Tributed and then Special Summoned to the opponent's field... It is often used for field clearing and has an excellent effect. It is the mortal enemy of Three-Style Heaven and Three-Style Transformation...

,【_"

Imagine this: you've painstakingly crafted your strategy, meticulously calculating every move, risking the slightest mistake, nearly exhausting your deck's resources, and finally managing to summon three [Shooting Quasar Dragons] to the field, ready to make a grand entrance. But the next turn, your three [Shooting Quasar Dragons] are transformed by your opponent into useless eggs—unable to attack or be targeted, with zero attack and defense—practically ineffective… (Of course, if your deck includes [Winged Dragon of Ra], then disregard this…) The feeling can only be described as utter despair.

When Yusei saw the [Spherical Kuriboh] that Yuto handed him, he finally understood why the [Spherical Kuriboh] was always jokingly called the [Kurijin Dragon].

It's because the [Spherical Chestnut Ball] in my hand and the [Winged Dragon of Ra - Spherical Body] look so similar... not exactly the same, but completely identical...

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"That guy just winked at me..." Yusei said to Yuto beside him.

"Oh? You can see it too? In fact, there is a Duel Spirit residing inside this card. It was through its guidance that I knew you were here."

"No wonder... I thought you were defeated by me and were holding a grudge, so you kept following me, looking for an opportunity to take revenge..."

“…You’re overthinking it.” Yuto looked away.

“Is that so…” Yusei noticed the obvious pause in Yuto’s words, but he didn’t say anything more and gave up on continuing the topic.

Yusei added the "Spherical Kuriboh" to his current deck, then drew a "Hero's Arrival" and put it into his card pack. This brought his main deck to forty cards. In his pocket were the two card packs he'd bought from Sugoroku Muto; he planned to open them now to see what cards were inside. Maybe he'd get lucky and draw a rare card.

Yusei took out two card pouches with hero and monster designs printed on them from his pocket and placed them on the table in front of him. He picked up one of the pouches and handed it to Yuto.

"I have two unopened card holders. I'll open one for you and see if you can get lucky."

"Is this cover... a hero deck?"

"Yeah, I'm also quite interested in unpacking, but I usually unpack them one box at a time. It's rare to see a situation like this where I only unpack one package at a time. It feels a bit like gambling on luck..." Yuto said subconsciously.

Yusei rolled his eyes when he heard this. Damn rich people, is this what they call subtle showing off?

(I saw the comments... In the future, for some common cards, I might have the main character verbally describe the effect instead of writing it in the article, unless it's a special card or a ace monster making its first appearance... This should improve the reading experience.)

016 Card Unpacking

A card pack costs 250 yen and contains five random cards. Duplicate cards are possible, so it depends on luck. Lucky players may not only avoid duplicates but also get the cards they want. Generally, the cards inside the pack are identical to the cover. You won't draw a Dragon monster from a pack with a "Hero" cover.

Yusei opened the card pack and took out the five cards inside, placing them face down on the table. He then flipped them open one by one. Yuto watched from the side, not yet opening his own card pack, seemingly wanting to see how lucky Yusei was and compare it to his own.

The first card revealed is the monster card "Elemental HERO Bubbleman" (Warrior-Type WATER Level 4). It's one of the few low-level Elemental HERO monsters with a draw effect. You can Special Summon Bubbleman when you only have it in your hand. If you don't have any other cards on your field at that time, you can draw two cards from your Deck and add them to your hand.

In a sense, this card is a weaker version of the spell card [Pot of Greed]. Both can draw two cards from the deck. [Pot of Greed] has no restrictions, while [Elemental HERO Bubble Fighter] requires that there are no other cards on your field to activate its effect. Generally, it can only be used in the starting hand, and Yusei cannot guarantee that he will draw this card in the first turn of every duel... For Yusei, Bubble Fighter is not very practical and relies too much on luck, so he only puts one copy in his deck to use as fusion material.

(The Bubble Man here refers to the effect from the anime, which is: when this card is the only card in his hand, he can Special Summon it from his hand; if he has no other cards on his field when this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, he can draw two cards from his Deck and add them to his hand.)

"It's an Elemental Hero that you haven't used in your previous duels..." Yuito said after seeing Bubble Hero.

"Hmm... this card isn't very useful. I already have one in my deck, so this one seems a bit redundant." Yusei was somewhat disappointed that the first card he got was a "heavy card".

The second card revealed is the Spell Card "Monster Reborn," which allows you to Special Summon one monster from your or your opponent's Graveyard to your field. However, some monsters require specific conditions to be Special Summoned, such as Fusion Monsters from the Elemental HERO series. These monsters can only be Fusion Summoned from the Extra Deck using the Fusion Spell Card, and even if sent to the Graveyard, they cannot be summoned to the field using the effect of "Monster Reborn."

“Monster Resurrection, this card is quite versatile, you can put one in every deck,” Yuto said.

"Hmm...this card is somewhat useful. I can try adding it to my deck later," Yusei commented.

The third card revealed is a purple-bordered Fusion Monster card, 【Elemental HERO Wild Wingman】 (Fusion/Warrior/EARTH/Level 8/ATK 1900/DEF 2300), a monster formed by fusing 【Elemental HERO Wingman】 and 【Elemental HERO Wild Wingman】. Its effect is to discard one card from your hand to destroy one Spell/Trap Card on the field. It doesn't state "once per turn," meaning its effect can be activated multiple times.

"This card is pretty good. If I could have summoned it back then, I wouldn't have had to be afraid of your back row..." Yuto said.

"This card requires Elemental HERO as material for Fusion Summoning to appear on the field. How do you plan to summon this card in your Poseidon deck?"