Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

Jaden Yuki, who was being teased by Professor Chronos, hummed softly and chose to ignore it.

I'm not listening, I'm not listening, it's just like a monk chanting scriptures~~~

"Then that's settled..."

Principal Samejima opened the box on the desk and looked at the group of people before him again: "The duelist who possesses these seven keys will, whether he likes it or not, have to duel the Seven Star King... If you are prepared for this, then I hope you will accept these keys."

Inside the box was a strangely shaped golden key, resembling a Tetris block, with black runes printed on its exterior.

At this moment, the seven keys are arranged in a golden rectangle inside the box.

“Omoshiroi (sounds pretty interesting)~~~!” With a smile, Yuki Judai was the first to pick up the key and then hung it around his neck.

"Heh... If I could meet the holder of the other half of the disc, then I would have no reason to refuse." Reaching into the box and picking up the key, Yusei couldn't help but look at the half-disc on his chest.

Last night, during the rainy night, the disc emitted a light, seemingly resonating with its neighbor nearby.

Upon witnessing this phenomenon, Yusei, after listening to Principal Samejima's account today, immediately deduced that the other half of the disc must be in the hands of one of the Seven Star Kings.

And that person might be right here near the crater, waiting for the challenger to arrive!

"Hmph! Interesting... I'll look forward to my opponent's arrival!"

With a cold snort, Manjōmu took out the key from the box and hung it around his neck.

Anyone who dares to challenge Mr. Manjoume, I'll break their legs!

"If Yusei is willing, then I'll join too..."

"Count me in……"

Seeing the actions of Yusei and the other two, Asuka and Ryo Marufuji also took out the key from the box.

In this way, there are two keys left for the Seven Star Gate.

"Tsk tsk tsk... Don't sigh, Principal! With me here, you can rest assured!"

Professor Chronos, waving his fingers with a smug look on his face, didn't forget to flatter the headmaster at this moment. With a relaxed expression, he said, "In short, just treat these guys called the 'Seven Star Kings' as rude scoundrels who came to challenge us and seize the academy's billboards!"

“Uh…it’s not a problem to think about it this way now…” Principal Samejima paused for a moment as Professor Chronos picked up the key from the box, but didn’t say anything more.

“Then I’ll take one too. There’s only one key left.” With a big smile, Master Daitokuji patted Pharaoh’s head as he approached the desk.

Despite being considered by the principal as someone merely filling a quota, Daitokuji-sensei showed no negative expression.

At this moment, a faint smile remained on his face.

"Challenge them? If it were me... I'd definitely send the strongest one first!" Jaden Yuki said, stroking his chin as he pondered.

"If the strongest one comes first, then the remaining six will just have to watch helplessly?" Yusei couldn't help but chuckle at Jaden Yuki's statement.

"Anyway, thank you everyone! The battle began the moment you picked up the keys."

With a relieved expression, Principal Samejima reiterated, "Please be prepared for a duel at any time, and make sure to protect the key to the Seven Star Gate and the cards of the Three Phantom Demons."

"...The future of humanity is in your hands!"

334 A new crisis, darkness is coming!

"Humanity's future is really going to be... save the world by playing cards, huh...?"

That evening, Osiris Red Dormitory.

Leaning against his bedside, toying with the golden, block-shaped key in his hand, Yusei couldn't help but utter this sigh.

Yusei, Jaden Yuki, Inazuma Manjoume, Asuka Tenjouin, Ryo Marufuji, Chronos, Daitokuji...

Those who possess the keys, whether they like it or not, will soon clash with a duelist known as the "Seven Star King."

If we win the duel, that's fine; then everyone will enjoy a happy ending.

But what if I lose the duel...?

Then it's very likely that there will be no future.

Based on previous speculations, the duel with the Seven Star King could very well be a life-or-death situation.

"...So, the upcoming duels with the Seven Star King will all be dark duels where lives are at stake..."

He put down the key in his hand, letting it fall back to his chest under the pull of gravity, colliding with the suspended semi-circular disc. Yusei then turned his gaze toward Yuki Jaden.

"Sho, Hayato...you two come quick and look!"

While swinging the key hanging from his chest, Yuki Jaden waved to the two people not far away, signaling them to come closer and see the proof of this strongman.

"...What's wrong, Judai? What happened?"

"Big brother... judging from your expression, did you run into something good at the principal's place today?"

When Yuki Judai called out their names, Maeda Hayato and Marufuji Sho couldn't help but cast curious glances at him.

"Hehe... That's it. Anyway, Yusei and I have both been chosen as one of the seven guardians of the key!"

After briefly recounting what he had seen and heard that day to the two of them, Jaden Yuki straightened up and struck a smug pose.

At this moment, Jaden Yuki seemed completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem, still maintaining that innocent smile, showing off his honors to Sho and Hayato.

The principal personally selected the seven of them and entrusted them with important responsibilities.

Although, as of now, there are no substantial rewards.

However, this recognition of the dueling powerhouses alone is a great honor for these duelists.

"Wow, you two are amazing..." After listening to Yuki Judai's story, Marufuji Sho's eyes couldn't help but flash with longing.

The seven people personally selected by the principal to shoulder the important task of protection!

I wish I could have one of those seven seats...

"...But compared to this honor, I'm more interested in the card called [Three Phantom Demons]!" Unlike Marufuji Sho, Hayato had a completely different vision in his mind.

Legend has it that these cards can cause changes in the world, and when they awaken, they can even absorb the energy of monsters all over the world, bringing miraculous power to their holders.

Possessing such immense power...

It's unimaginable what kind of terrifying existence it would be...

If I had the chance, I would love to see it with my own eyes!

"...There's nothing to envy. With this key comes equal responsibility along with the honor."

Seeing the envious and longing looks on Marufuji Sho and Maeda Hayato's faces, Yusei couldn't help but tease, "Maybe right now, we've already been targeted by the Seven Star Kings~!"

"Haha... Yusei, you're overthinking it~ It's the middle of the night!"

"Exactly... Even enemies need to rest, they wouldn't choose to attack at this time!"

With Yusei's seemingly joking words echoing in their ears, neither Marufuji Sho nor Maeda Hayato showed the slightest hint of wariness on their faces.

In their view, even if the enemy came nearby, they should only target the person who holds the key.

Ordinary people like them don't need to worry about any danger at all; they can just live their normal lives as usual.

When disaster strikes, suitable candidates will naturally emerge, and then, like heroes, they should take on the responsibility and resolve the impending crisis.

When the sky falls, the big shots will hold it up.

As a lazy bum, I should just live my life honestly and not think about things that have nothing to do with me.

"Don't worry, Yusei! We still have the invincible Kaiser Ryo on our side..."

"If the enemy were really going to come, they should go to Obelisk Blue first and find him, the one with the biggest reputation!"

Yuki Jaden gave Yusei a thumbs-up and uttered words that sounded like advice.

Judging from their current fame, Marufuji Ryo, as Caesar, remains the most prominent figure.

Although Yusei had defeated him in a duel in the past, not many people knew about that time.

"If... that were really the case..."

Seeing the three people's reactions, Yusei's brows furrowed involuntarily.

Strictly speaking, Yusei himself is currently the strongest among the seven chosen individuals.

The key he holds should be the hardest to take away.

But... there's always a chance of something going wrong.

Even he cannot guarantee that he has an absolute advantage.

What if... the other side doesn't play by the rules and skips the duel altogether, opting for a real-life fight with Yusei, or takes some hostages to threaten Jaden and his team into holding back, or even letting Yusei go...

That would be a bit awkward...

We can't expect them to honestly rush in and have a perfectly fair 1v1 duel with us, can we?

To place one's hopes on the goodwill of the opponent...

This behavior itself is already incredibly foolish!

"Hehehe... Being too smart isn't always a good thing!"

Just as Yusei was pondering, a slightly frivolous male voice suddenly echoed in Yusei's dormitory.

Yusei: "...Who is it?!"

Following the direction from which the sound came, Yusei subconsciously looked over.

Then he saw a strange purple light shining into the room from outside the window.

"Huh...that's weird...why do I suddenly feel so sleepy?"

"...Heh~~~ (yawn)"

Surrounded by the light streaming in from the window, the group suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of drowsiness.

Then, Sho and Hayato leaned against each other, collapsed on the spot, and fell into a deep sleep.

"This light...has a hypnotic effect?!"

In contrast, Jaden Yuki and Yusei were accompanied by their respective Pokémon.

"Curry, curry~~~~"