Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

"Judai, aren't you making a bit too much of a fuss... though I'm shocked too..."

On the top floor of the Kaiba Entertainment Group building, separated by thick glass, Jaden Yuki's eyes lit up with excitement as he saw the custom-made flying machine in the form of a white dragon for the first time, and he couldn't help but let out a heartfelt exclamation.

Seeing his excited expression, as if he had completely shaken off his previous disappointment, Yusei, who had been traveling with him all the way, couldn't help but smile knowingly.

As expected, this kind of carefree fool is more suitable for Jaden Yuki. The dark version of the Overlord who sacrifices his companions is just evil and is an unofficial history different from the official history!

"Hey, isn't it a bit too early to be surprised? There's more to come!"

More than a decade has passed, and Kaiba Keihei, also known as Mokuba, has grown from a foul-mouthed brat into a young man who is now the president's assistant. He pointed at the tablet in his hand and gave the two of them an extremely proud smile.

Putting everything else aside, just the ability to create such cutting-edge technology with the capacity to transcend the world is something that probably few people besides them could achieve.

"Hmm... Let me see. According to the information I have, the capsule launched into space a few years ago seems to have fallen to some distant planet after being bathed in cosmic energy. The deck contained inside was created based on the idea that you submitted to Kaiba Corporation when you were a child..."

With a slight frown and a thoughtful expression, Guiping continued, "If it's this distance... it is indeed feasible, and it wouldn't take long to go back and forth."

"When...when we were kids?" Hearing Keipai's words, Yuki Judai raised an eyebrow, and a look of reminiscence appeared on his face.

For some reason, his memories of the past were very vague.

He had a vague feeling that he had forgotten something, something very, very important...

467 Neo Space

"...In order to develop new duel cards, our Kaiba Corporation collects new card designs from children. The designs that are adopted will be made into cards and placed in time capsules and launched into space to receive the fluctuations of the universe's will."

"...This grand plan to create new Duel Cards requires the free and abundant imagination of you children! All you interested children, come and apply! Ahahahahahahahaha...!!!"

The above are the original words of Seto Kaiba's national speech delivered on live television several years ago.

In order to solicit new card ideas, Hippocampus Corporation once widely solicited creative inspiration from children throughout society.

It was at that time that Jaden Yuki, who was just a little kid, saw the live broadcast and was so excited about Kaiba's grand dream that he immediately designed cards to apply for the competition.

With just a simple sheet of white paper and crayons, he unleashed his boundless imagination, creating his ideal deck—a deck that belonged only to him…

However, because this event occurred so long ago, belonging to the kind of beautiful vision of childhood, it was only recently, after being reminded by others, that Yuki Jaden remembered that such a thing had happened.

[[_]

Speaking of which, those cards back then were...

"Well... I don't really understand those complicated things, but at that time, I was indeed full of wonderful expectations for the future and incredibly excited about the upcoming duel."

Sitting on the shuttle heading to space, Jaden Yuki, reminiscing about the past, exclaimed to Yusei, "I never imagined that the cards I designed back then would actually meet me in the future... Is this some kind of destiny? Ahahahaha!"

"...Did a new card emerge after receiving fluctuations from the universe?"

As he pondered the key words in the conversation, Yusei wore a thoughtful expression.

Currently, Jaden Yuki is affected by the Light of Destruction, unable to see the information of the cards and unable to duel. According to the message from Yui Amamiya, in order to remove this abnormal state, Jaden Yuki must be bathed in the corresponding Dark Wave.

The gentlest and most likely to counteract this fluctuation of light, darkness, naturally exists in the vast and boundless universe.

The cards made based on Jaden Yuki's past ideas have been bathed in the dark fluctuations of the universe for many years. Therefore, as long as Jaden Yuki finds these cards, he can rediscover his original intentions with their help, emerge from the influence of the light of destruction, and return to his original self.

Their purpose in traversing the universe was precisely to find the whereabouts of these cards for Jaden Yuki.

"...We've arrived. This is the place, near Jupiter."

After pausing his piloting, Kaiba Keihei addressed the two passengers in the back seat: "...This is Io, Jupiter's moon in orbit. According to the navigation, Jaden, your deck has fallen somewhere on this planet. Hmm...it seems the environment here is similar to Earth, so we don't need any special precautions...Well then, I'll wait here for your news. Go quickly and come back quickly! Yusei, and Jaden too!"

After giving the two a thumbs-up, Kaiba Keihei pressed a button on the control panel and opened the sealed hatch.

"Oh? Is this the place?"

Without wearing any protective gear, the two men, seeing the hatch open, stepped directly onto Io's land as Guiping had instructed.

The place where they stopped was a place similar to the beach next to the Duel Academy.

As they walked along the beach, all they saw was a leisurely scene of yellow sand and the sea reflecting each other, and in the distance they could even see the silhouettes of dolphins constantly splashing the waves.

However, unlike the scenery on Earth, the distant sky was not shrouded in a warm sun, but rather enveloped in an endless, deep blue hue rendered by starlight.

Like the Earth's North Pole, this place seems to be in a state of perpetual polar night, without the concept of day and night alternation, and therefore is not affected by light fluctuations.

The time capsule containing the card deck drifted through space and ended up here. Perhaps, even if it's a predetermined fact, it's the only guide...

"Yusei, I'm saying... that's not a planet over there... could it be Jupiter?"

Pointing to the brown planet across the horizon, Jaden Yuki's face was full of surprise.

Upon arriving in space for the first time, he was filled with the same curiosity and excitement as Yu Xing.

An unfamiliar place, an unfamiliar feeling.

Besides the three humans, it seemed that only the dolphins churning the waves in the distance remained here.

"Yes, this is Io... so what we see is Jupiter, that makes sense."

Just as people on Earth can see Earth's satellite, the Moon, at night, it is only natural that people on Jupiter's moons can see Jupiter.

Nodding in deep agreement, Yusei then turned his gaze to the far reaches of the distance.

Since life exists here, this place should rightfully belong to the indigenous people.

"...Here you are, Judai Yuki."

"Huh? Who?"

As the dolphins frolicked and leaped on the sea, a voice suddenly echoed in their ears.

With curious eyes, Yusei and Jaden stopped and looked in the direction of the sound. Then... they saw a blue dolphin with its head slightly above the water, casting a friendly glance at them.

Jaden Yuki: "...A talking dolphin? No! More than that, what on earth is going on here?!"

Yusei: "I think you'll give us a reasonable explanation, right, Dolphin Bro?"

"...Neo Space, this is Io, the moon of Jupiter, in its orbit. Jaden Yuki, and Yusei...you have been invited here."

Another hand reached out from the water beside his head.

Dolphin Bro, tilting his head, began to explain the current situation.

"An invitation? But we're traveling on the White Dragon Shuttle..."

"But you also came here following the beacon, didn't you?"

"Uh...that's true..."

The beacon here refers to the long-range positioning device left in the capsule. It was thanks to this device that everyone was able to accurately locate the card deck and then cross the vast universe to arrive in this strange world.

In a sense, Dolphin Bro wasn't wrong.

- Swish!

Under their watchful eyes, Dolphin leaped out of the water and stood in front of them, displaying his figure completely to Jaden Yuki and Yusei.

With its streamlined body and blue and white color scheme, Dolphin Bro looks like an Ultraman with a dolphin head, exuding his own unique charm.

"Hai... Dolphin Bro? It really is you!"

Originally, calling him Dolphin Bro was just a nickname he made up on the spot. But what Yusei didn't expect was that the person in front of him was actually the real person known as the nemesis of hand traps!

Looks like we've found the right place!

"Huh... Dolphins have legs? Is there such a new species?" Unable to contain her laughter, Jaden Yuki quickly covered her mouth: "Hahaha... This is hilarious, a dolphin!"

"No, that...it's not that funny..."

"……Why?"

Approaching them and waving, Dolphin Bro patted his chest and introduced himself: "I am a Dolphin alien, a resident of this Neo Space... I know you will have considerable doubts about an extraterrestrial life form like me, but please listen to me first!"

“Okay, you continue…” After exchanging a glance, Yusei and Jaden Yuki nodded in unison and began to listen to Dolphin-san’s words.

"The source of all battles is the opposition between light and darkness. The universe is the battlefield for the battle between light and darkness... In other words, it can be described as a world where good and evil are constantly fighting..."

Pointing to the sky above, Dolphin continued, "The universe is a gentle, dark world that nurtures life, but... due to the influence of the Light of Destruction, the universe is heading towards a future of destruction... and we are searching for people with the right dark power to fight that light."

"The right kind of darkness, so to speak..."

“That’s right, Jaden Yuki, and Yusei…” Nodding, Dolphin pointed to where the two were: “As heroes, you have been chosen by this darkness!”

"Huh... I was chosen too?"

Yusei pointed to himself, a look of astonishment on his face.

He was just a companion who came to dabble in the activities, so how did he get chosen?

Um... there's no reward for saving the universe, right? Will I get a wife who embodies a great will after I save it?

"Uh... Dolphin Bro, are you mistaken? We're just ordinary people, we don't have any power to save the universe! You're expecting us to fight cosmic monsters? That's something we can't possibly do!"

As the conversation gradually veered towards the setting of a tokusatsu film, Jaden Yuki immediately waved his arms and raised his question.

Well, we are duelists, not warriors of light with the ability to transform.

Playing cards is fine, but fighting monsters? Forget about it, I don't have the skill, you know...

While the Duel Disk can be used as a weapon, that's definitely not the right way to use it!

"Hey... what are you two thinking!"

With a slight sigh, Dolphin crossed his arms: "Um, Jaden and Yusei, the essence of the dueling you've learned is part of the opposition between light and darkness. Whether you realize it or not, the moment you embarked on the path of dueling, you had already made your own choice!"

Jaden Yuki: "Is...that's how it is?"

Yusei: "Huh?...Is that so?"

Upon first hearing that a duel was related to saving the universe, a look of doubt immediately appeared in their eyes.

"No... why are you learning to duel?"

Speechless at the two's surprised reaction, which seemed to be the first time they had heard the news, Dolphin Brother pressed his head down and sighed.

Ah... this savior doesn't seem very reliable!

"Why...a duel?" Yusei repeated Dolphin's question, a matter-of-fact expression on his face: "Because...I'm interested?"

"So where did this interest of yours come from?" Dolphin asked, picking up where Yusei left off.

"Damn... this question is too vague, it's like asking me why 1+1 equals 2... I'm just interested, there's no 'why' involved."