Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

"...Thank you, Liang! You've been so good to me, like an older brother..."

Turning to look in Marufuji Ryo's direction, Asuka immediately gave him a "friend card": "I've always relied on you like a real older brother, and I don't know how many times you've helped me."

"Next time, let your real older brother help you!"

Picking up where Asuka left off, Ryo Marufuji gave his reply with a smile.

However, after seeing the dazed look on Asuka's face, he immediately changed his mind and said, "No, it might be you who will have to help Fubuki next."

"Um……"

After nodding, Asuka turned her gaze back to the azure sky.

Her mood at this moment was as peaceful and serene as the sky before her.

……

"So... Manjoume, you came all this way to find me just so I could help you pursue my sister?"

On a beach near the Duel Academy, Tenjouin Fubuki, having finished surfing, was intercepted and cornered by Manjoume after signing autographs for her female fan club.

He repeated Wan Zhangmu's request, and a complex expression appeared on his face.

"Yes...that's it! Please teach me, Master!"

With his arms pressed tightly against his sides and his body bent at a 90-degree angle, Manjoume, filled with determination, lowered his old face and sincerely asked Fubuki for guidance: "Master... please grant me the power of Manjoume Jun!"

"Uh……"

Seeing the humble attitude adopted by Manjoume, Tenjouin Fubuki scratched her head in some embarrassment.

Unlike the uninformed Manjou, he already knew one thing: his younger sister already had someone she loved.

The object of his affections was not Ryo Marufuji, whom Manjoume had imagined, but Yusei, his roommate...

That mysterious boy.

He desperately wanted to tell the man standing before him—give up, it's useless, you've already missed your chance, young man, focus on your husband, don't think about these things...

However, after sensing Wan Zhangmu's determination, he couldn't bring himself to tell him this cruel truth.

At least... give him a chance to try.

"Is that so? The person you're troubled by is Asuka..." Pretending to have just learned the news, Tenjōin Fubuki repeated Manjōme's request in a monotone tone.

"Yes, Master!" After nodding vigorously, Manjoume, realizing what had happened, quickly put on an apologetic expression: "I'm sorry, she's clearly your sister... yet I made such a request..."

"It's alright, love is a freedom, I, Tenjōin Fubuki... will always be a companion to those in love."

Although she could already guess the outcome, Tenjouin Fubuki still patted Manjoume on the shoulder and gave him an approving look: "Let me help you convey your feelings to Asuka, Manjoume!"

Although, I don't know if it will even work...

"Ahhhh... Master!"

Upon hearing this, Manjoume's face immediately showed a moved expression.

At the same time, a familiar noisy sound suddenly echoed in his ears.

"Big brother~~~! We've found all the cards that are more important than your life!"

Accompanied by the distinctive voice of Disruption Yellow, Pharaoh, who is currently in a free-range state, carried Manjoume's deck in his mouth and came to Manjoume's side along with the Disruption monsters.

"Fat Cat? You..."

Looking down at the fat cat that had brought him the deck, Manjoume frowned and said, "At this point, I don't need the deck anymore..."

"Right, Manjoume, let's have a duel!"

"……duel?"

Just as Manjoume was about to refuse the deck, he paused for a moment upon hearing his master's suggestion.

"That's right, it's a duel."

Raising her right index finger and waving it in front of her, Tenjōin Fubuki explained with a smile, "Love is such a delicate thing that it's hard to see its true nature."

"However, if we add numerical values ​​to it, it will be different!"

"...And a duel is the barometer of love!"

"But..." After hearing the explanation, Manjou still had a hesitant look on his face.

A duel? What does that have to do with romance?

Is he going to make a ridiculous promise like that quack from a certain state in Xinjiang, before the duel, saying something like, "If I beat you, you're mine!"?

Putting aside whether I have the absolute strength to win...

Just saying those words would probably require enduring the other person's look of utter disbelief, like they're looking at an idiot...

"Don't hesitate! Let me take a look at your deck!"

Replacing Manjoume, he took the deck from the Pharaoh's mouth, scanned Tenjouin Fubuki's deck, and said to Manjoume as he looked at it, "Hmm... Armed Dragon, XYZ, Light and Darkness Dragon... It's a good deck, but if you just keep attacking, it won't go smoothly!"

"Besides the offensive, guidance is also a very important part... Dating is all about bargaining..."

"Oh, oh, oh..." With a look of understanding but not quite, Manjoume was completely bewildered by Tenjōin Fubuki's words.

"The plan is ready. Next... we need to discuss how to propose the duel." Looking out at the distant sea, Tenjōin Fubuki's lips curled into a smile, and a look of pleasure appeared on her face.

A bold idea also popped into his head.

……

That night, at Duel Academy, in the principal's office.

As Principal Samejima finished her day's work and prepared to leave, she frowned, keenly sensing an ominous atmosphere: "Here we go again... The entanglement hasn't been resolved yet... That person's shadow is still watching this place intently..."

After thinking for a moment, Principal Samejima opened the drawer in front of his desk and took out the box containing the seven keys to the Seven Star Gate.

"Although the Seven Stars have all been defeated... we never know when new dangers might arise..."

After scanning his surroundings warily, Principal Samejima walked to a nearby potted plant and buried the box containing the key inside.

After doing all this, he nodded in satisfaction, picked up his briefcase, turned off the lights, and left.

Shortly after he left, the stealthy Manjoume and the figure of Tenjōin Fubuki, who was hiding on the ceiling, appeared in the dimly lit room.

"Quiet down, we'll leave once we've accomplished our objective."

Tenjouin Fubuki gestured to Manjou-mu and pointed to the potted plant next to her desk.

He had witnessed Principal Samejima's act of hiding, so he naturally knew exactly where the key was.

"...OK!"

Having received the instructions, Manjoume immediately took the box containing the key out of the potted plant and placed the prepared note inside instead of the key.

After doing all this, he and Tenjouin Fubuki quietly slipped out of the principal's office through the side door.

423 This is a trial!

"...Oh no!!!"

"Have you heard? The key to the Seven Star Gate has been..."

Early in the morning, accompanied by Principal Samejima's deafening scream, everyone who received the news immediately put down what they were doing and rushed to the principal's office at the Duel Academy.

“He deliberately left a note… that kid Manjoume…”

"Seriously, what is that guy thinking...?"

"Aaaaaah... Has he gone mad?"

The key to the Seven Star Gate is now missing from the box that originally contained it.

Instead, what was presented to everyone was a brand new handwritten note, the gist of which was: "I'll be waiting on the beach, with eyes wide open."

"So, the key was stolen by Manjoume?"

Upon seeing this, Yusei and his group, with differing thoughts, hurried towards the shore.

Then they saw Manjoume standing on the beach with his arms crossed.

Around his neck hung seven oddly shaped keys of different designs.

That was indeed the key that had been kept in the box, the key specifically used to open the seal of the Seven Star Gate.

There was neither hiding nor dodging.

Manjoume stood there, waiting for everyone to arrive.

"...What exactly are you planning to do, Manjoume? What's the point of doing this?"

"Manjoume, give the key back!"

Seeing Wan Zhangmu's perplexing actions, everyone expressed their confusion.

Good heavens...you wouldn't happen to be an undercover agent for the Seven Star King, would you?

You deliberately attracted everyone here just to catch them all in one fell swoop, didn't you?

You don't really think you have the confidence to beat everyone here, do you?

"……don't want!"

Faced with the reasonable requests of the crowd, Manjou tilted his head and decisively chose to refuse.

There's no going back now.

Regardless, he intends to see his plan through to the end.

"Why...why do such a thing?"

Looking towards the direction of Wan Zhangmu, Asuka, with a worried expression, asked a question in confusion.

Manjoume, have you betrayed us?

Like Daitokuji-sensei, are you actually a traitor hiding among us?

"That...that was...Tenjōin...to duel with you..." Manjōme, questioned by Asuka, turned his head somewhat awkwardly.

After hesitating for a moment, he stammered out his true purpose.