Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

"So... this duel isn't just a battle between you and me, but also involves the conflict between two different races, humans and vampires?"

Having sorted out his thoughts, Yusei's face showed a relieved expression.

The two sides have different philosophies, so there was no possibility of equal communication from the beginning.

Only when one side is destroyed can the other side survive the battle.

Cruel, yet incredibly real.

The battle that takes everything from the loser is this terrifying dark duel...

After the gates of illusion were opened, the duel was pulled into an extreme situation, where there was no such thing as a world where "everyone can achieve happiness and well-being".

"Camilla... let's end this battle here!" Having understood each other's resolve, Yusei raised his arm and made his final declaration.

Just as he had foreseen, this war of revenge, filled with intrigue and sorrow, was about to come to an end.

He and Camilla, one to rescue their companions, the other to resurrect their own people, both had reasons why they absolutely could not lose.

What follows is a clash between beliefs!

"Ha... What nonsense are you talking about? I, who bear the destiny of the vampire clan, could never lose to a brat like you!"

Even after hearing Yusei's declaration of ending his life, Camilla remained calm and composed.

Even though her monsters had previously been wiped out by "Exalted Power".

Even though she doesn't have any cover cards on the field right now.

But... she also possesses the special undead monster, the [Vampire Heiress]!

When the opponent attacks, [Vampire Heiress] (ATK 600/DEF 2000) can be Special Summoned from the hand to the field using its own effect.

Camilla's HP remains at a full 4000 points, while the [Vampire Heiress] can convert up to 3000 LP into her own attributes.

In other words, if Yusei intends to break through Camilla's defenses, he would need to summon a monster with an attack power of at least 5000!

"I send the top card of my deck to the graveyard, and activate the Spell Card in my hand—[Weapon Hole]! This card's effect is: Add 1 Equip Spell Card from your deck to your hand. During the turn this card is activated, you cannot Normal Summon."

As if by fate, the card Yusei drew this turn was one that could search for Equip Spell Cards in his deck by sacrificing one Normal Summon opportunity per turn.

"Send the top card of your deck to the graveyard, and I add this card to my hand..."

As Yusei said this, she added an Equipment Magic Card that Camilla found incredibly familiar to her to her hand.

As if deliberately designed to let Camilla see it, Yusei didn't do anything discreet when searching for this card.

Look! Look all you want! But feel powerless to do anything about it!

"It's actually... the equipment magic [Gigantification]?!"

After a brief moment of surprise, Camilla's eyes widened as she watched Yusei retrieve the cards from his deck.

Previously, when dealing with Professor Chronos's troublesome monster with all resistances—the Ancient Mechanical Demon—Camilla, who was at a disadvantage, used the effect of Giant Growth, which doubled the attack power of the Vampire Creator, increasing it to more than 6000 points. With a single magical attack, Camilla defeated Professor Chronos by the lake.

Professor Chronos, whose health points had reached zero, naturally didn't have time to trigger the [Ancient Mechanical Demon God's] dying words effect...

Sigh~ Once I kill you, I won't have to worry about the effects of your dying words anymore! Hehehe... That's how clever I am!

"Gah! This actually... happened?"

"After being enlarged... will the [Surfing Prosecutor]'s attack power increase from 2500 to 5000?"

"No! That's not right! Its attack power increased to 2500 points because of the [Phantom Wings] effect! The [Gigantification] effect affects the original attack power, so the value should still be 4000..."

After activating [Divine Declaration], Yusei's HP dropped to 2000, fully meeting the prerequisites for [Giant Form].

Even the [Surf Prosecutor] with an attack power of 4000 is enough to reduce Camilla's entire health.

Rather, this number is just right, neither too much nor too little, and it certainly doesn't leave the opponent with the possibility of a comeback, like "your life is as fragile as a candle in the wind!"

Upon realizing this terrifying event, Camilla's pupils dilated involuntarily due to excessive surprise, and her teeth clenched tightly together without her even realizing it.

Camilla, who had used this card before, probably never imagined that one day this card would be used against him...

What was that saying again...?

Ah yes!

...Instant karma!

"I equipped the Surf Inspector with the equipment spell [Gigantification], and because of the effect of [Gigantification], the Surf Inspector's attack power will double from the original 2000 points to 4000 points!"

Bathed in a purple light, a hazy, brown disc appeared behind the Surfing Prosecutor.

After that, its body, along with the skateboard beneath its feet, grew to twice its original size.

"...Let's fight! Attack Camilla directly, Skateboarder!"

Shouting out a nickname he'd just made up, Yusei raised his hand and launched his first and final attack.

Upon receiving the order, the prosecutor lowered his body and rushed straight towards Camilla!

Non-my family, its heart must be different!

Arrest them all!!!

"...Don't even think about it! The instant you attack, I activate the effect of [Vampire Heiress] in my hand, and Special Summon her from my hand in Defense Position when the opponent declares an attack..."

Before Camilla could finish speaking, she suddenly realized that something was wrong.

Logically, when a card's effect is successfully activated, there should be some kind of positive feedback.

In the dark duel where everything becomes real, this should be even more pronounced...

However, Camilla, who held the [Vampire Heiress] card in her hand, could not sense any energy fluctuations.

It was as if what she held in her hand at that moment was not a glimmer of hope leading to victory, but a one-way train ticket directly to the depths of hell...

"Why...why can't the [Vampire Heiress] effect activate?!"

Filled with inexplicable doubt, and realizing that his life was about to end and there was no hope of survival, Camilla began to scream uncontrollably, as if she were insane…

Faced with this life-or-death crisis, all the composure she had previously displayed, and all her considerations, had turned to dust and vanished!

Right now, she had only one thought in her mind—to escape!

Escape this duel, escape far, far away, never again to touch any dark duels, never again to think of resurrecting one's people or exterminating humanity...

Just live, that's all. Everything else is no longer important.

At least... nothing is more important than her life...

“Camus… La…”

Just as Camilla was considering retreating, a muffled, chaotic sound suddenly came from the Phantom Gate behind her.

Seemingly sensing Camilla's timid thoughts, the owner of the voice also emitted a low and sinister threatening tone from within the Phantom Gate: "...Continue fighting, or...die!"

Camilla: "...!!!"

The moment Camilla heard that voice, it was as if she had been doused with freezing water from head to toe, and she felt a deep chill run down her spine...

Her body was cold and devoid of warmth. At this moment, what remained in her heart, besides fear, was a feeling of lingering dread.

Camilla's soul remains inside the Gate of Illusions, preserved as a bargaining chip in the Dark Duel.

If she were to simply abandon the duel and run away, she, without a soul, would soon become an empty shell.

Only by facing Yusei head-on and choosing to fight will there be even a sliver of hope... what hope is there at all! Either way, it's all the same—death!

With its effects locked, Yusei still has two mysterious face-down cards in his backrow...

Camilla was completely unable to put up any resistance!

All she could do was watch...

And so, I watched myself slowly walk towards my end...

"No matter what your thoughts are, or what regrets you may have... it all ends here..."

The surfing prosecutor's right fist was already raised in mid-air.

Facing Camilla's direction, Yusei calmly uttered his final farewell words: "Farewell, the last vampire of this world... Camilla..."

There was no pity, no regret, and no hatred...

Yusei was simply stating an objective fact.

--boom!

"Ughh ...

(Camula LP: 4000→0)

Filled with resentment and regret, Camilla's body was blasted into the open Phantom Gate behind her by the [Surf Prosecutor], who was accompanied by a gust of wind.

Engulfed by a silvery-white light, she could only let out her final, mournful cry…

In a way, she had successfully reunited with her own soul, even if... it was a path leading to the abyss...

"finished?"

"Camilla...she was defeated by Yusei just like that?"

Still feeling a sense of unreality, Asuka, with her hands clasped to her chest, looked at the white specks of light scattered around her as Camilla was defeated, and uttered a dreamlike sound.

Her golden hair swayed gently in the evening breeze, making her exceptionally beautiful face even more radiant.

After consuming Camilla, the Gate of Illusions gradually disappeared on its own.

Where Camilla had stood, all that remained were the last card she possessed—[Vampire Heiress]... as well as the two keys to the Seven Star Gate and the doll of Marufuji Ryo that she had previously stolen.

Her own dark artifacts, the Duel Disk. Her deck, along with Camilla's departure, left this world forever, heading to an unknown future.

"Hmm... I think this time, it's really over."

Picking up the card left behind by Camilla and putting it in his pocket, Yusei then picked up the key and doll left on the ground and came to the group's side.

As Yusei said, with Camilla's departure, theoretically, the last vampire in this world will no longer exist.

As the Phantom Gate devours Camilla and disappears, Professor Chronos and Kaiser Ryo, whose souls were stolen by her, will likely soon return to normal...

"……elder brother!!!"