Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

"Well, sorry to have kept you all waiting! This professional league world championship match, which can be described as a world war, is about to officially begin~~"

As the host's captivating voice rang out, the camera slowly zoomed out, focusing from the entire arena to the seats surrounding the dueling ground.

"Oh? It's packed! Such a huge dome is filled with people. It seems everyone is looking forward to this duel!"

"As expected of a world-class championship! Their determination is truly impressive!"

As the camera shifted, Yusei and his friends saw the massive crowds on the other side of the screen.

"Ugh... If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have sent the champion to help us destroy the Red Dormitory..." Muttering words of resentment, Coach Napoleon's face was full of regret.

His Osiris Red Destruction Plan has long since failed, and he himself is facing a dismissal crisis. At this point, there is no need to hide it anymore.

It's perfectly fine to treat this as a joke and say it out loud.

"Champion? Haha... Teacher, you're really good at bragging. How could you possibly invite a champion here?"

Hearing Coach Napoleon's rambling, Yuxing laughed and joked, "He's the champion of the professional league, making a lot of money every minute. He doesn't have time to come here and interfere with your plans."

"Hmph! That's not necessarily true!"

Napoleon, the instructor, shook his finger and listened to Yusei's teasing words with a smug look on his face.

"Hmm? Judging from your tone, do you know him, Coach? Do you know that world champion?"

Seeing Napoleon's confident attitude, Yusei couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

I never would have guessed, Napoleon, that you had such a wide network of connections!

623 You're quite good at hiding things, aren't you?

"Hmm? Judging from your tone, does the coach know that world champion? I didn't know you had such a wide network of connections."

"Ahem, about the world champion..."

Clearing his throat, Napoleon, the coach who was being watched by everyone, shook his head and slowly said, "To be precise, it's not me who knows that world champion, but Ed Phoenix who knows him."

"...Huh??? What does this mean? How is this related to Edward?"

Seeing that the conversation was about Edward, who had been deliberately avoiding everyone and acting alone, Yusei, who was interested in this, couldn't help but ask a question out of curiosity.

As the No.1 in the professional league for ten consecutive years, the man named DD is undoubtedly a senior to the dark horses like Edward and Caesar in the professional league.

But if we really want to talk about what kind of relationship exists between them, in the eyes of most people, it would probably only be a competitive relationship between them.

I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I have a vague feeling that Yusei smells melon.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. I think Ed Phoenix's guardian was that world champion DD... When I was registering for school, I saw the information on the form and curiously asked Saiou, who accompanied Ed, about it. I learned that DD seemed to be a good friend of Ed's father and took on the role of her guardian after Ed's father passed away..."

Taking over the topic from Napoleon, Professor Kronos also spoke up, uttering a startling statement.

Upon hearing these words, the crowd displayed a variety of expressions.

“DD…”

Shocked, Kenzan couldn't help but ask, "Is Edward's guardian really DD, the one who reigned supreme as the Duel League World Champion for ten consecutive years?"

"...The world champion is Edward's guardian?!"

Upon hearing this somewhat explosive news, even the usually low-EQ Jaden Yuki couldn't help but pause for a moment, his expression blank: "No wonder... no wonder Edward has such great strength at such a young age. If her dueling techniques were taught by the champion of that professional league, then everything makes sense."

Previously, Jaden Yuki's Elemental HERO deck was completely outmatched by Edward's Destiny HERO deck, and even with the addition of the new Tectonic Speed ​​deck, this gap still exists.

When he's on a winning streak, Jaden Yuki might be able to defeat Edward by sheer luck, thanks to his protagonist aura.

However, most of the time, he was still constantly harassed by the Phoenix's invincible immortality, and was gradually eroded, losing those duels where he should have had the upper hand.

If we had to put it bluntly, Jaden Yuki's current strength is fluctuating around Edward's level, so he can't be considered to have any obvious advantage.

"I thought Edward's guardian was Saiō Takuma... Where did this DD come from...?"

Like Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba, Yusei doesn't really care much about the professional league.

If it weren't for everyone mentioning it, he wouldn't even know or care who the top three in the professional league were.

In his current network of contacts, he only knows two professional league players, Edward and Caesar.

"Well, actually, according to Saiou, Edward and DD don't really see each other much. Most of the time, Edward is still participating in various competitions with Saiou and the others, improving his skills~ Look~"

Professor Chronos shrugged and added further explanation.

As the champion of the professional league, DD basically has very little personal time, as he has been dealing with all kinds of competitions and social engagements for a long time.

Although they are called guardians, there is basically no communication between the two; at most, it's just a title they hold.

"That's right..."

Yusei, chin in hand, staring intently at the television, was actually thinking about something else entirely.

Edward rarely talks about himself to Yusei and the others, and has never mentioned that he knows such a prominent champion in the dueling world.

Therefore, in everyone's minds, they subconsciously imagined Edward as an orphan who grew up with the Jai siblings after his father's death and is now searching for his enemies.

Only today did they hear about the existence of this guardian from Professor Chronos.

Edward, you really know how to keep secrets!

……

"Oh my god~ DD, who has reigned supreme as world champion for the past ten years, is now leisurely walking towards the rest room. Judging from his calm demeanor, he must have a considerable degree of confidence in this duel..."

“DD…”

Meanwhile, at the Duel Academy port, on Edward's personal yacht.

Ed Phoenix, with his arms crossed and leaning against the railing, was dressed in a casual outfit.

At this moment, she was also watching the progress of the duel through the tablet computer placed on the table.

As the host announced that both contestants were to enter the lounge to prepare, the duel was about to officially begin. Gazing at the surrounding scenery, Edward couldn't help but recall some things from the past between him and DD.

She was still young at that time.

With the support of Saiō and his sister, he has finally emerged from the shadow of losing his father and is working hard to improve his dueling skills.

Right in front of her, a man named "DD," who claimed to be a friend of her father and whom she had met a few times before, approached her and suggested that she join the professional league.

"……Who are you?"

As a child, Edward looked at the young man in a suit who appeared before him and couldn't help but show a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Ed knew this person from various magazines and reports. She knew that this person named DD was the current world champion of the professional league and the object of countless duelists, including herself, who wanted to surpass him.

Defeating him means stepping into the top tier of the professional league, gaining the qualification to become the "King of Duels," and having your name known to duelists and forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame for future generations to admire.

"Oh? You know me? Do you know who I am?"

"Hmm, you're a world champion, how could anyone not recognize you?"

Ed, who was still a little girl at the time, puffed out her cheeks cutely and expressed her dissatisfaction with DD's attitude of treating her like an ignorant child.

"Hahaha... That's true. Although you are still young, you are an excellent duelist and have participated in many competitions so far."

With a warm smile on his face and a slightly relaxed expression, DD waved his finger and made a suggestion to Edward: "Well, if you want to be a professional duelist, then I'll take care of you."

"Huh? But why... why are you being so nice to me?"

Even at such a young age, Edward knew that there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that what's free is the most expensive, and he must have had a specific purpose in doing so.

"that is because……"

Gently placing his palm on young Edward's shoulder, the young DD squatted down and explained with a smile, "Because your father once helped me a lot. It can be said that without him, I wouldn't be the champion I am today... His kindness to me cannot be expressed in a few words, so now it's my turn to repay that kindness and help you, the one he left behind."

"Is...is that so?"

Staring intently into DD's eyes, young Edward hesitated for a moment before looking away, turning his head and softly saying, "Well then, I have a request to ask of you..."

"Oh? What is it?"

DD listened attentively, patiently awaiting Edward's reply.

"I... I ask you to remain the champion until the day I challenge you!"

Taking a deep breath, Edward turned his gaze toward DD and began to speak.

"...Huh? Is this your request?"

DD paused for a moment, then gave Edward a meaningful look before nodding: "Okay, I promise you, it's a deal. Until you catch up with me, I will always be the champion."

"……OK!"

Having made this agreement, the two hands, one big and one small, immediately clasped together.

With knowing smiles on both faces, Edward ended his reminiscence about the past.

……

"Gurgle...uh...ahhhhhh...damn it..."

At the same time, in the private lounge of the Seahorse Dome.

DD, who had come here avoiding public view, did not prepare for a duel as everyone expected. Instead, he looked at the briefcase he carried with him on the table in front of him while tightly binding his arms.

Judging from the struggling expression on his face and the resentment it contained, he seemed to be intentionally suppressing something.

"Hehehehehe... What are you still hesitating about? Did you only seize this good fortune because of its existence? Now that things have come to this, are you still planning to give up?"

As DD struggled, a strangely urging voice suddenly rang in his ear.

Following the direction from which the sound came, DD subconsciously looked over, and then he saw another version of himself reflected in the mirror beside him, his face contorted with madness.

Unlike him, who was tense and suppressing his emotions, the other him in the mirror not only had an extremely arrogant hairstyle that stretched and swayed in all directions without any restraint from gravity, but his facial expression was also filled with a sense of dislocation between madness and chaos.

Furthermore, the figure reflected in the mirror also had this extremely strange white ripple.

Without exaggeration, in other people's eyes, that image was undoubtedly a very qualified villain, and even a leader-level one, which was completely the opposite of DD's usual calm and amiable demeanor.

"That's not true at all! I've achieved everything I have today through my own hard work!"

Seemingly touched on a soft spot by the voice coming from the mirror, DD's face showed a clear look of panic.

"Ha... I think you know yourself that it's impossible for you to erase the crimes you've committed. Whatever you plan to do, it's too late, it's all too late!"