Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

"Hmm, is it just my imagination? I feel like... both of them look a little serious?"

"No, it's not your imagination... To be honest, that's what I think too..."

"It seems... those two also have their own ideas about this duel!"

Looking at the situation on the field, and the two people staring at each other in silence in the dueling arena, the audience couldn't help but express their own feelings.

Apart from Manjoume, who still strongly disagreed with Caesar's personal choice, almost everyone else was holding their breath, waiting for the duel to begin.

During this period, both Yusei and Kaiser Ryo made progress.

Today is the perfect moment to verify these results.

With so many eyes witnessing this, this graduation duel will, in a sense, also determine the strongest duelist in this dueling academy.

Unlike the spectators, Yuki Jaden and Asuka, the pressure on Yusei and Marufuji Ryo, who were the two duelists, was obviously much greater.

"...Caesar, let's give it our all! After today, there may never be another chance like this!" Yusei said to Marufuji Ryo across from him.

Regardless of victory or defeat, after this duel, the man named Caesar will step onto the grand stage of professional dueling and leave the dueling academy where he has spent three years.

It's unlikely that the two will have much interaction again.

"Ah! Yusei... that's what I was thinking too. Just give it your all!" With a solemn and serious expression, Caesar nodded and then raised his arm, unfolding his Duel Disk.

Seeing this, Yusei did the same thing.

Seeing this scene on the field, Professor Chronos, who was acting as the referee, quickly stood up from his seat in the front row, picked up the microphone, and announced the start of the duel: "...Fellow students! I hereby announce...the graduation model duel is now officially beginning~ Here it is!"

"...Are both players ready?"

"Ah! Anytime is fine!"

"OK, I have no problem!"

"...Duel!" *2

(Ryo Marufuji LP: 4000)

(Yusei LP: 4000)

And so, as Professor Chronos finished speaking, the duel between Ryo Umaru and Yusei officially began.

436 The Battle of Fate, the Duel Proceeds

"Should we attack first, or second?" As the duel began, Yusei asked Caesar, who stood silently with his arms crossed.

"...It doesn't matter whether it's the other way around."

Caesar shrugged, his expression remaining calm.

He didn't seem to care much about whether to attack first or second.

It seems that the rule of the electronic dragon queen gaining the upper hand does not apply to him.

"Then I'll take the first strike... My turn, draw a card!"

Yusei, who took the initiative and went first, then drew a card from his deck.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he slammed the card he had drawn onto the duel disk: "Activate the Spell Card [E-Emergency Call]. Based on this card's effect, I choose one [Elemental HERO] monster from my deck. I choose—[Elemental HERO Sky Knight]."

The indicator light on the Duel Disk flashed for a moment, and then a card popped out automatically.

However, Yusei, after receiving the card, didn't rush to Normal Summon it to search for a monster in his hand. Instead, he pulled out another card from his hand, inserted it into the back row of the Duel Disk, and activated it: "...Next, I activate the Spell Card 'Hero's Arrival.' Its effect is—if you control no face-up monsters, pay half your Life Points to activate this effect. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Elemental HERO' monster from your Deck."

"I chose [Elemental HERO - Lady of the Mist] from the Special Summon deck."

(Yusei LP: 4000→2000)

By exchanging half of his life points, Yusei successfully activated the magic card in his hand.

Amidst the billowing black mist, a female hero clad in form-fitting black armor, with one hand on her hip, descended onto the dueling arena as Yusei's voice faded.

"They're here? This familiar group..."

Watching Yusei's actions, Caesar on the other side frowned, revealing a knowing look.

The hero's arrival successfully initiated the attack, which means that the "Friendship-Ending Hero" is about to appear before everyone.

Unilaterally blocking the opponent's graveyard cuts off the vast majority of hand pits.

This is indeed a huge problem for the electronic dragon!

If not handled properly, Caesar could very well face a situation where resources cannot keep up with consumption, leading to a complete loss.

"If 【Elemental HERO: Lady of the Mist】is successfully Special Summoned, I add one 【Change】 Quick-Play Spell Card from my Deck to my hand."

Yusei said, after searching his deck for a Quick-Play Spell Card, and then, after glancing at the crowd around him, placed the monster card in his hand in the front row: "Then, I Normal Summon Elemental HERO Skywalker from my hand and activate its effect to search my deck for a HERO monster. I choose to search for Phantom HERO Solitary Man."

Wearing a pilot's helmet and sporting a pair of propellers on his back, the overworked hero appeared beside the Shadow Mist Lady as Yusei's words fell, accompanied by a burst of light.

He raised his arm and handed a card to Yusei.

"Next, I activate the effect of [Phantom Hero: The Solitary One]. I can activate this effect by discarding 1 other 'Hero' monster from my hand. Special Summon this card from my hand."

Yusei sent the Elemental HERO Liquid Man from his hand to the Graveyard as a cost, and then retrieved the Almighty from his hand and played it on the Duel Disk.

A pink hero with a searchlight on his face and barbs covering his body appeared on Yusei's field.

Those familiar with hero decks know that at this stage, the basic framework for the deck's opening has already been formed.

-

[Phantom Hero: Solitary Good Man]

(Warrior/Dark/5-star/Attack: 1600/Defense: 1800)

Effect: You can use each of the following effects of this card once per turn.

①: You can activate this effect by discarding 1 "HERO" monster other than this card from your hand. Special Summon this card from your hand.

②: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can activate this effect. Select 1 "Phantom HERO" monster from your Deck other than "Phantom HERO Soleil" and place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Trap Card. After this effect is activated, you cannot Special Summon non-"HERO" monsters from your Extra Deck until the end of this turn.

-

There's no G, and no gray.

There's no need to worry about strange cards like meteorites suddenly popping up to repair the terminal.

Currently, Yusei is basically in a state of complete freedom.

"There are no grids, so we can't connect and summon the Cross... We're still missing the key Destiny Hero... and a monster from the New Space series... so we can't fully deploy it right now, is that right?"

"Then, I'll do it this way..."

Touching his chin, contemplating his next move, Yusei waved his arm and activated the monster's effect: "...Activate the second effect of [Phantom Hero: The Solitary One]! If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can activate this effect. Select 1 'Phantom Hero' monster from your Deck other than 'Phantom Hero: The Solitary One' and place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Trap Card. After this effect is activated, you cannot Special Summon non-'Hero' monsters from your Extra Deck until the end of this turn."

"...I choose to place the [Phantom Hero Incremental Man] in my magic trap area."

"Then activate the effect of [Phantom Hero Incremental], Tribute [Phantom Hero Alone] on the field, and Special Summon this card from the Spell & Trap Zone!"

The red-clad benevolent figure created a vortex in front of him, then stretched out his arm and pulled the purple-clad incremental figure out of the vortex.

Then, the newly appeared humans opened their bodies and staged a classic "crossing the river and destroying the bridge" drama, summoning new monsters at the cost of the sacrifice of the benevolent humans.

"...Come on! [Phantom Hero Android]!!!"

Emerging from the vortex of nothingness, a dark purple hero covered in searchlights crossed his arms and approached Yusei.

That conspicuous appearance practically screams "I'm in charge of the search" on its face.

-

【Phantom Heroes: Androids】

(Warrior/Dark/4-star/Attack: 1000/Defense: 1200)

Effect: You can only use the effect of this card's name ① once per turn.

①: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can activate this effect. Send 1 "HERO" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard.

②: Once per turn, you can banish 1 "HERO" monster from your Graveyard to activate this effect. Add 1 "Fusion" monster from your Deck to your hand.

-

"The effect of 【Phantom Heroes: Bionic Man】 activates. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, send 1 HERO monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. I choose 【Evil HERO Corpse Demon】!"

"Next, I activate the second effect of [Phantom HERO Cyborg], banishing [Phantom HERO Almighty] from my Graveyard, and search my Deck for one [Fusion] Spell Card..."

Reaching into the deck again to retrieve a new card, Yusei continued, "The effect of 'Evil Hero: Corpse Demon' in the graveyard is activated. Banish this card and Special Summon 1 other 'Evil Hero' monster from your hand or Deck."

"...Come on! [Evil Hero, Demon Blade] (Attack Power 2600)!!!"

Darkness returned, and a dark hero, covered in spikes and with a wicked smile, appeared in front of Yusei as he moved.

Facing the motionless Caesar opposite him, the Demon Blade extended his right hand, hooked his finger, and revealed a provocative expression.

"Elemental HERO Sky Warrior, Elemental HERO Shadow Mist Lady, Phantom HERO Android, Phantom HERO Incremental, Evil HERO Demon Blade... Yusei summoned a full five HERO monsters in an instant, filling the entire front field!!!"

"Most importantly, these monsters are basically pulled directly from the deck, without consuming any cards in your hand!!!"

"Let me see... [Hero's Arrival], [E-Emergency Call], and that monster card that was sent to the graveyard as a cost... So, Yusei only used three cards to achieve this situation, right?"

"No...not only that! He also demonstrated precise search and graveyard manipulation, retrieving monsters and Fusion Spell Cards from his deck and putting them into his own hand..."

"Wow, amazing!!! Is this guy really Osiris Red's student? His skills are probably comparable to some professional duelists, right?"

Watching Yusei's fluid and skillful maneuvers, the audience couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Not only the first-year students, but even the third-year students who are about to graduate are not confident that they can unfold the story as smoothly as Yusei.

If before the duel there were people who didn't understand Yusei and thought he was just throwing his eggs against a rock, becoming Caesar's punching bag, then now their attitudes will change drastically.

"Not bad, it seems you're really taking it seriously."

Satisfied with Yusei's attitude, Caesar nodded seriously.

The more powerful Yusei was, the more satisfied Caesar felt.

In this final duel of his student life, what he hoped for was a battle like this, where both sides risked everything!

"It's not over yet! Rather, what follows... is just the beginning!"