Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

Logically, at this point, he should have acted like Naruto, using his persuasive skills to influence the villain and then bring him into his camp.

But... Yusei just couldn't muster any desire to reform that wicked old man, Kagemaru.

If you do something wrong, you must bear the consequences.

There's no question of whether it's been whitewashed or not.

Although he didn't intend to take his life so easily, the man still had to make amends in the days to come.

"Why? Why would you make such a big mistake, Chairman?"

Seeing that the duel was over, Principal Samejima quickly came to Kagemaru's side and helped him up.

His attitude towards this old friend was also very conflicted.

On one hand, he felt resentful about the many problems caused by Kagemaru; on the other hand, he couldn't help but lament the tragic outcome of heroes growing old and brave men turning into evil dragons.

The former Kagemaru was ambitious and was someone I admired.

However, now he is just an old fool who made a huge mistake and was woken up by the younger generation!

"That's because... I really want to be young again, especially when I see you young people... that feeling gets even stronger... no matter what, I want to go back to my youthful appearance, I want to have eternal life..."

"The fear of death has been lingering in my heart, and it has also changed my thoughts... Without the power of the Phantom Demon, even a simple action like standing up would require me to consume almost all my strength..."

With a sigh, Kagemaru, leaning against Principal Samejima and lost in despair, shook his head and said, "Perhaps... it was this obsession that influenced me, leading me down a path of no return."

"I can understand it, but I can't agree with it."

Nodding, Yusei shared his thoughts: "Kagemaru... Chairman, what you need to do next is atone for your mistakes. Those who were hurt because of you, and Daitokuji-sensei whom you manipulated... these people who have passed away, or those who are still alive, they all need you to make amends..."

Kagemaru: "..."

Although he remained silent, the regretful expression on Kagemaru's face clearly showed that he had also come to understand everything.

After being thoroughly shattered by a "chuunibyou correction punch" from Genjutsu Ryuu, and utterly jolted awake from his dream of conquering the world, Kagemaru finally realized the serious mistakes he had made and was willing to accept advice from others.

If... if Kagemaru had won this duel, then... the current situation would probably be completely different...

Only by losing now can we achieve this relatively satisfactory result.

"...Of course, I also welcome you to challenge me anytime!"

Yusei tapped his Duel Disk and a bright smile spread across his face: "Next time, don't rely on the Three Phantom Demons. Just use your own strength and have a fair duel with me!"

"Youxing..."

Kagemaru could sense that Yusei still had many grievances against him.

However, he could also sense Yusei's true meaning from these words.

He was indeed more enthusiastic about dueling than I was.

These remarks truly reflected his thoughts.

"Samejima...you've really taught a good student!"

Kagemaru patted Principal Samejima's shoulder forcefully, then handed his deck to him and waved in the opposite direction of the sky, signaling the plane to pick him up.

And so, witnessed by everyone, the mastermind behind the Seven Stars Incident, one of the founders of Duel Academy, left with a relieved expression.

Just as he had come, he vanished from everyone's lives.

From now on, he will live his life as an atonement for his sins.

He will continue to live with the fear of illness and death for the rest of his life.

For Kagemaru, simply being alive is a challenge, perhaps even more painful than death.

But in any case, he has found a new goal in life.

"So... I never taught Yusei at all..."

With a troubled expression, Principal Samejima touched his bald head and watched the plane gradually disappear on the horizon, holding his card deck, and couldn't help but sigh.

……

After that, Principal Samejima placed the cards of the Three Phantom Demons into the pedestal and sealed them away again.

This time, he will personally be responsible for keeping the key to the card.

Having learned from past mistakes, Principal Samejima raised the security level of the key to the highest level and implemented various countermeasures.

It's clear that if Manjoume had acted the way he did before, he would never be able to obtain the key again.

In that case... I believe no one will use these dangerous cards to threaten the world anymore.

Anyway...

With the card sealed, the seven obelisks that had emerged from the ground returned to their original positions.

The many effects brought about by the anomaly, the three Phantom Demon Cards that once brought fear and shock to everyone, the series of events triggered by them, and the duel with the Seven Star Kings... all came to an end.

Time will thus move towards a brand new day.

433 The prototype of the new Master Rules

"Ugh...why...why can't I pull a fusion card?! And this extra slot is so annoying!"

"Hehehe... Judai! Since you're stuck with your hand, then I won't be polite!"

"Uh……"

"...Success! Friend Hero launches a direct attack on Jaden Yuki!!! Take this, Hero Flash!!!"

"..."

Duel Academy, Osiris Red Dormitory.

Having resolved the chaos caused by the phantom demons, Yusei, with nothing else to do, was using his device to engage in a popular online duel with his roommates.

In short, this is a brand new business spearheaded by Kaima Entertainment Group and International Fantastic Company, which is preparing to expand globally.

No duel disk or additional venue is needed. All you need is a mobile phone or other similar touchscreen electronic device with the corresponding software installed, and you can start a battle anytime, anywhere.

You can play online with friends in a two-player mode, showcasing your skills, or you can randomly match in the jungle and crush newbies...

The card information is mostly built-in, sourced from a large company's database. Everyone can freely choose cards from it to form the deck they want.

Of course, from an operational perspective, systems that require spending money, such as gacha pulls, pack openings, and rare card pools, are definitely indispensable.

To obtain powerful and rare cards, one inevitably has to spend a lot of time or money, and also needs a certain amount of luck and good fortune...

In addition to the usual rules, this online battle system also allows players to choose to use the recently released Link Monsters and the brand-new Master Rules.

That is, you cannot draw cards when you go first, your initial life points have increased from 4000 to 8000, and each player has an additional EX zone on top of the original five squares in the front row, which is specifically used to summon Link Monsters.

To perform a Pendulum Summon from the Extra Deck, you must first open a slot using a Link Monster.

If Yusei and his friends' previous duels were all based on Master Rule 3, then now, these duels have entered the new Master Rule.

Currently, the new Masters rules are still in the initial testing phase and have not been fully implemented, so many people are not familiar with them.

Therefore, most people are still using the old dueling rules to conduct their duels, while only a small number of people are trying to adapt, learn, and change them out of curiosity...

……

"That Hayato guy... he seems to have been renting decks all night last night." Putting away his equipment, Jaden Yuki, who had lost due to a card-borrowing mishap, looked at Hayato, who was stuck to the bed, and couldn't help but speak up.

“Hmm… Unlike us, Hayato has already repeated a year. If he fails the final exams again, he may face the risk of being expelled.”

"Yusei...it's true...but if you say it like that, won't Hayato be under even more pressure?"

"Ah... sorry, sorry."

"..."

Hayato, with his back to everyone, was staring at the wall with a worried expression, contemplating his life and future plans.

Just as Yusei said, this year is also his last year.

Previously, because of his poor grades, his father even went to the Duel Academy to take him back to inherit the family business. Fortunately, Hayato showed his determination, which made his father change his mind and give up the idea of ​​dropping Hayato out of school.

And now, that pressure has once again come to Hayato.

Should I continue to drift along here, or... cut all ties, choose to leave campus, and step into society?

That is a problem.

……

Duel Academy Headquarters.

Today's class is an art class taught by Huashan, the dormitory supervisor of the Huang dormitory.

Unlike before, Hayato, who usually doesn't stand out much, displayed exquisite drawing skills in this class, creating a beautiful landscape painting called "Sunrise at Ayers Rock," which attracted many people to come and watch.

That sacred place of the indigenous people, known as the center of the world, was an incredibly special place for Hayato, and he imprinted it onto the drawing paper with almost perfect accuracy.

"Ahem... Moshi moshi... Maeda, Maeda, come to the principal's office for a moment."

Just as Hayato, surrounded by the crowd, was scratching his head and enjoying this rare moment of glory, a broadcast from Professor Chronos suddenly woke him from his dream.

Upon hearing the voice, Hayato instinctively jolted awake from his reverie.

Jaden Yuki: "...Hayato? What does the principal want with you?"

Yusei: "Using the school radio during class time must mean something very important, right?"

Hayato: "I don't know either, maybe it's... about advancing..."

Shaking his head with a puzzled expression, Hayato waved goodbye to everyone and went to the principal's office alone.

Watching his departing figure, Yusei and Jaden Yuki exchanged glances, falling into a state of silence.

……

Standing near the principal's office, Hayato didn't rush to the sensor door, but first prayed towards the sky.

After doing all this, he finally took a step and prepared to enter the principal's office.

However, the moment Hayato opened the door, he saw Principal Samejima sitting calmly behind his desk, waiting for him, and Professor Chronos standing to the side with his arms behind his back, staring at him with a scrutinizing gaze.