Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

And so, on the way back, the sounds of their chatter echoed intermittently.

-

The Punk Monument has gone berserk... (sad)

397 Thank you, Titan

Dark clouds loomed, shrouding the Duel Academy in a heavy, persistent gloom tonight.

A light rain was falling, and occasional claps of thunder could be heard from the sky.

In the Duel Academy's infirmary, Tenjouin Asuka sat quietly by the bedside, gazing at her sleeping brother, Tenjouin Fubuki.

After suddenly waking up during the Camilla incident and helping them, Tenjouin Fubuki has been in a daze ever since, unable to return to a normal life.

So after that, he was kept in the infirmary.

As for Asuka and Caesar, his two old friends, they would visit him from time to time to make sure that nothing happened to Tenjouin Fubuki.

If Tenjōin Fubuki were to disappear again while they weren't looking, there would truly be no way to find her...

"Five of the Seven Star Kings have been defeated, and now only two Dark Duelists remain... This tragic battle will surely end soon."

Seeing the pain unconsciously showing on her brother's face, Asuka couldn't help but feel a little distressed.

Clutching the key to the door to her chest, a resolute determination appeared on her face.

Her older brother, gentle yet strong, was the role model she aspired to and the guiding star that led her on her path.

However, he is now suffering from amnesia and cannot even clearly call out his sister's name...

The mastermind behind my brother's transformation... I can never forgive them!

I must personally take you...

"...Oh? You want to retrieve your brother's sealed memories?"

"……who?!"

A familiar yet unfamiliar chaotic voice suddenly appeared in Asuka's ear. Upon hearing this voice, Asuka abruptly raised her head and looked around.

Then, she saw the black fireball that had appeared beside her at some point and was now floating in mid-air.

"Hey hey hey..."

The black fireball gradually expanded, eventually transforming into a pitch-black portal exuding an unsettling aura.

On the other side of the portal, one could vaguely see the shadow of the old school building of Duel Academy, which had been sealed off due to the disappearance incident.

In the past, Yusei had dueled with Tony Titan, who called himself the "Dark Duelist," in this very place, and earned his first fortune from him...

It was also at that time that he rescued Asuka from Titan's clutches, which boosted her favorability and led to the further development of their relationship.

For both Yusei and Asuka, this ominous building where a disappearance had occurred was, in a sense, the place where their paths crossed...

"This is... the old school building? Could it be that your true identity is...?"

A flash of lightning struck her mind. Combining the information from the location and the sound, Asuka seemed to guess the identity of the person who had come. A look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

At that time, I was unconscious and didn't know exactly what had happened.

But according to Yusei and the others, the guy who caused the incident, that duelist named Titan, should have already been sent to another dimension!

why?

Why is this man named Titan back here?

Could it be... that he escaped from that place?

"Come here!"

Without answering Asuka's question, a tempting voice came from the other end of the portal again: "...If you want to reclaim that memory, come with me! Or...do you lack the resolve?"

Asuka: "..."

As the light in her eyes gradually faded, Asuka, seemingly guided by something, unconsciously took a step and stepped into the dark portal.

The moment she stepped through the door, as if sensing danger, Tenjōin Fubuki, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes.

His eyes widened suddenly, and the last image reflected in his pupils was Asuka's figure disappearing along with the shadow.

"Uh... Ahhh... Ah..."

She strained to open her mouth wide, desperately trying to call out "Asuka's" name, but she couldn't utter a sound. Having lost important memories, with her mind blank, Tenjōin Fubuki could only watch helplessly as her younger sister gradually drifted away from her...

……

At the same time, in the Osiris Red Dormitory.

"Curry, curry~~~~"

"...Curry Curry!!!"

The figures of Winged Kuriboh and Spherical Kuriboh suddenly appeared in the pitch-black room.

Sensing the impending danger, the two elves cried out and stretched out their short claws, quickly slapping at their master.

"What's wrong, Kulibo? What happened?"

Opening his eyes groggily, Yusei looked at the spherical chestnut ball that shone brightly like a small sun, swaying back and forth in front of him and occasionally patting him. He couldn't help but ask a question.

He was still half asleep, his mind still foggy.

"What? Aibo (friend), stop making noise so late at night~ Everyone's sleeping!"

Still in a half-dreaming state, Jaden Yuki instinctively waved his hand to shoo away the winged Kuriboh that was swirling around his head.

"...Curry Curry~~!!!"

——Bang, bang, bang!!!

Just as the two chestnut balls were staring at each other anxiously, a series of urgent knocks suddenly came from outside the door.

"Someone's outside? So late at night... who could it be?"

Upon hearing the sound, Yusei glanced at Marufuji Sho and Maeda Hayato, who had also been awakened, and frowned. He then got up, walked to the door, and turned the handle.

"...These guys are really noisy tonight! How's it going on your end?"

Appearing at the door was Manjoume, with a serious expression.

Looking at Yusei who opened the door, he stated his purpose directly.

However, after seeing the two Kuribohs flying around behind Yusei, a relieved expression appeared on his face: "Looks like you're the same way?"

"You too?" Sensing something from Manjoume's words, Yusei raised an eyebrow. "What exactly happened? The unusual weather tonight, and the commotion among the Pokémon..."

"I don't know, it might be Seven Stars' doing again..."

Shaking his head, Manjou pointed in the direction of the Duel Academy: "In short, the elves are reminding me that there is an ominous aura lingering over the Duel Academy. I think... the elves' commotion is definitely related to that place!"

"Is that so? Then it seems we have no choice but to go over there!"

Seeing the serious expression on Manjoume's face, Yusei, who was no longer sleepy, returned to the dormitory, woke up the others who were still drowsy, and then went with them to the location of the Duel Academy.

……

"This is it...this is where the last breath lingered!" Wan Zhangmu, who was running at the front of the crowd and acting as a guide, pointed in the direction of the infirmary.

"Then let's hurry over there... Something must have happened!" With a bad feeling in his heart, Yusei calmed himself down and quickened his pace toward the infirmary.

Then they saw Caesar and Professor Chronos standing in front of the infirmary, both with serious expressions.

"...Caesar?"

"Brother? And Professor Chronos... what are you doing here?"

Seeing his older brother appear before him, Marufuji Sho, who had followed Yusei here, asked in surprise.

"Sho, Jaden, Yusei... you guys are here too?"

Looking at the group of people who had arrived with puzzled expressions, Caesar explained calmly, "I originally planned to continue discussing Fubuki's matter with Asuka tonight, but I didn't see Asuka at the lighthouse... When I tried to get here to Fubuki, I ran into Professor Chronos on patrol... and then, you all arrived."

"Hmm...that's how it is~ I hate unscientific things the most, I have a bad feeling about this!" Professor Chronos frowned, his face showing obvious disgust.

A believer in materialism, he had absolutely no idea what to do with gods and ghosts.

He no longer has any intention of targeting students. After the vampire incident, he seems to have reformed and has finally started to act like a teacher.

"...Fubuki? Has he regained consciousness again?"

Upon hearing Caesar's explanation, Yusei realized an important piece of information.

Fubuki, who had woken up last time, had provided them with tremendous help.

It was thanks to the other half of the Dark Disc in his hand that Yusei was able to successfully stop the vampire Camilla from using everyone as hostages to threaten him into letting him go!

"Maybe... Anyway, we'll find out once we go in."

Nodding, Caesar then led everyone into the infirmary.

Then... everyone saw the figure of Tenjōin Fubuki, who was lying on the ground, trying her best to reach out in a certain direction.

"Commander... oh no! It should be Fubuki!" Looking at his brother-in-law's posture on the ground, Yusei subconsciously called out the title of Commander Riorga from Gundam.

If the background music of "Flower of Hope" were played at this moment, it would be perfectly fitting...

"...Fubuki-san?!"

"——Fubuki!!!"

Seeing his best friend's disheveled state, Caesar disregarded everything else and rushed to Fubuki's side, helping him up from the ground: "How did you end up lying on the ground... How is Asuka?"

Clearly, just as everyone suspected, something had happened here that forced Fubuki to struggle...

Based on Caesar's explanation, there is a very high probability that Asuka is involved in a disappearance case.

"Titan..."

Unconsciously murmuring someone's name, Tenjōin Fubuki's consciousness began to falter as she shakily raised her arm, as if she might collapse at any moment.

"...Titan? Is it that Titan?"

Upon hearing the name spoken by Tenjōin Fubuki, Yusei narrowed his eyes.