Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

"You're here, Maeda... Hmm, come on in, I have something to tell you." Principal Samejima nodded to Hayato as he walked in, gesturing for him to come closer and not stand awkwardly at the door.

"Um...Is there something you want to say about advancing?"

With a nervous heart, Hayato stepped forward and tentatively voiced his question.

At this moment, burdened by worries, his thoughts were rather negative.

In his preconceived notion, if the principal had specifically called him over, it must be because there was something important to announce to him.

As for his personal affairs, at present, all that's left are bad things like repeating a grade or dropping out of school.

It's impossible to suddenly tell him, "Young man, you're very good, you have a bright future, I'm giving you a promotion, I'll promote you to Obelisk Blue" or something like that...

"Ah, that..." Realizing Hayato's inner thoughts, Principal Samejima smiled knowingly and then said, "The reason I called you here today isn't about that, but to talk about your future..."

"My...future?"

“That’s right, this is it.” Principal Samejima said, taking out a card and handing it to Hayato.

"...This isn't it?" Hayato took the card, and as he stared at it, his expression turned to deep astonishment.

After all, the scene in that card was extremely familiar to him.

Just now in art class, he drew a similar scene by hand.

"The card you designed previously won a competition held by the International Fantasy Society (the company of Pegasus, the father of Duel Monsters)..." With his arms crossed and leaning back in his chair, Principal Samejima looked directly at Hayato's face and continued, "So, President Pegasus specifically told me that he has taken a liking to you."

"Is...is this really true?"

"It's true~ Hayato boy~~~"

Upon learning of this unexpected surprise, Hayato instinctively felt a sense of doubt.

Subconsciously, he began to doubt the accuracy of this information.

However, before he could sort out his thoughts, Pegasus's image suddenly appeared on the monitor next to him.

The father of Duel Monsters, the former wielder of the Millennium Eye, now only possessing one eye and with long white hair partially obscuring his face, spoke in broken English. He gave a mysterious smile to the stunned Hayato: "Good Imagination! Your work is absolutely fantastic!!!"

"President... Pegasus?!"

From doubt to certainty, Hayato walked up to the monitor, his mouth agape in shock, almost big enough to fit an apple.

That celebrity who frequently appears on television actually made a point of calling me...

Oh my God! I swear this scene is like Mrs. Mary next door's pigs being able to climb trees—it's an impossible anomaly in reality!

"So good~ I'm very interested in your work, so I've officially adopted it as a card in Duel Monsters~"

At this point, Pegasus leaned closer to the monitor and pointed in Hayato's direction: "And... if Duel Academy can recommend you, then I hope you can officially join our company as a card designer~"

"Well then, that's settled, Hayato boy~ Looking forward to your reply~~~"

Having said what he wanted to say, the free Pegasus cut off the video call, leaving Hayato completely bewildered.

Maeda Hayato: "..."

Hayato stood motionless, staring at the monitor that had gone black again, his mind still in a daze.

what's the situation……

Not long ago, I was on the verge of death, worrying about the future.

In the blink of an eye, he was noticed by a world-class company and received the best offer (job offer)...

Is this... really not a dream?

"Ahem...that's it." Clearing his throat, Principal Samejima addressed Hayato, "I recognize your talent, so I plan to recommend you to the International Fantasy Club."

"Ahhh... thank you!"

Hayato, as if waking from a dream, finally realized what was happening and quickly expressed his gratitude.

International Fantasy Society...

An industry giant on par with Haima Entertainment Group.

In modern society, it would be roughly equivalent to multinational corporations like Microsoft, Google, and Apple.

Being noticed by the president of a major company and even receiving a special invitation, Hayato's future and prospects are clearly bright.

"Principal Samejima, please wait a moment!"

Just as Hayato's future was about to be decided, Professor Chronos, who had been silent all along, suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"What is it, Professor Chronos?"

Looking at Professor Chronos beside him, Principal Samejima couldn't help but ask, "Uh... if you're planning to stop..."

"Hmph! Maeda... he's a student who repeated a grade. It's really impossible for me to recommend such a backward and poor student!"

Waving his hand to interrupt the principal's speech, Professor Chronos glanced sideways at the grinning koala and uttered harsh words: "To gain the qualification for recommendation, besides the principal, my attitude as a professor is also very important... Maeda, if you want my approval, then you must beat me in tomorrow's practical exam!"

"If you can't even do this, then there's no need to let you go out and embarrass yourself... You know, the International Fantasy Club isn't a place just anyone can go!"

Hayato: "A practical exam... How could I possibly beat Professor Chronos..."

Professor Chronos: "...If you give up, you'll face expulsion! Are you saying you don't even have the courage to challenge me?"

Hayato: "Um...I..."

"Hmm... Professor Chronos has a point."

Nodding in agreement, Principal Samejima, persuaded, rested her hands on her cheeks and said to Hayato, "Maeda, although the situation is tough, please do your best in this practical skills test."

"I think that regardless of whether you succeed or not, this is a very valuable life experience for you."

"...By the way, I have no intention of going easy on him!" As if afraid that Hayato wasn't under enough pressure, Professor Chronos smirked, revealing a standard villainous smile: "Hehehehehe...I'm really~ really looking forward to tomorrow~!"

"..."

……

"That's wonderful! Hayato, your drawing has actually been made into a card!"

"Yeah! Pegasus, the president of that International Fantasy Club... actually came personally to poach people!"

"International Fantasy Club... Isn't that the place you've always wanted to go? Ahhh... I never would have guessed, Hayato, you were hiding this so well!"

"Hehehe... You little rascal, when you make it big in the future, don't forget about us!"

"Hmm...but...the prerequisite is that I have to defeat that Professor Chronos first!"

Upon returning to his dormitory from the principal's office, Maeda Hayato was immediately grabbed and questioned by Yusei and his group, who had been waiting for him.

After learning that he had been valued by a big shot and received an offer ahead of schedule, everyone offered their congratulations.

He can fully unleash his talents on a stage that suits him...

In any case, this was an extremely rare opportunity for Hayato.

Perhaps his life will undergo a major change because of this turning point...

434 Sunrise at Ayers Rock (5K)

The next day, at the Duel Academy's dedicated dueling arena.

Having adjusted his mindset and made thorough preparations, Hayato, surrounded by his roommates, finally arrived at a crossroads in his destiny, choosing to face the thorny path of difficulties and obstacles.

After tidying up his deck and putting on his Duel Disk, Koala stood in the Duel Arena, facing Professor Chronos directly opposite him, and felt an unparalleled sense of peace.

Winning this duel will open up a new path for him.

Infinite possibilities will continue to extend along his future path.

There is no option to fail, nor is there any plan after defeat.

"Let's see your strength... Hayato!" Jaden Yuki shouted loudly to Hayato, who was sitting in the front of the audience with Yusei and the others in the arena. "Just like I told you before, you have to have confidence in yourself!"

"Huh? Big brother, aren't you worried about Hayato's condition?"

Marufuji Sho, the younger brother, couldn't help but ask, "Why do I feel like... you're putting pressure on Hayato?"

"What are you saying, Xiang!"

Jaden Yuki loosely clenched his right fist and placed it in front of his mouth, then said with a smile, "That Hayato guy... he's sure to give us an interesting duel, right?"

Jaden Yuki, who has been living a smooth life so far, cannot understand what I am trying to express.

Unlike Jaden Yuki, who is the chosen one, Hayato is an ordinary person and there is no comparison between them.

If the person standing in the duel arena right now were Yusei or Jaden Yuki, then Sho Marufuji obviously wouldn't have such concerns.

But if it's Hayato, the situation is completely different.

"An interesting duel, huh? But if you don't win the advancement exam, then it's all meaningless!"

Stroking his chin, Yusei offered his opinion: "Hmm... Hayato probably won't be a match for Professor Chronos, which means there's a very high probability that this duel will be a losing battle."

One side is a powerful deck with Dark Medieval cards, boasting extremely high attack power and burst damage; the other side is a deck composed of various muscular creatures, with the eldest being a vanilla amalgam monster.

No matter how you look at it, Hayato has no chance against Professor Chronos!

"Ahem... Maeda, anyway, as agreed beforehand, your advancement duel will now begin." Professor Chronos, his expression unusually serious as he straightened his hair, spoke in a hoarse voice, delivering a merciless judgment to the koala: "If you want to leave this place and go to a wider stage, then defeat me~ Here you go!"

"...Yes!" Hayato answered as loudly as he could, mustering his courage.

"Good! Very spirited!" Professor Chronos nodded in satisfaction at Hayato's answer and continued, "Then, you can have the first move."

Youxing: “…”

Upon hearing this, Yusei's lips twitched, and his expression became quite interesting.

Wow... Professor, you're really clever!

They clearly had the upper hand, yet they acted all humble and condescending, taking advantage of the fact that the other person was honest and didn't understand tactics.

"Hmm, nice to meet you!" Still unaware of Professor Chronos's scheme, Hayato raised his arm, ready for a duel.

"...duel!"

"...duel!"

(Hayato Maeda LP: 4000)