Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

Avoiding the raging fire beside her, she followed the gap to the deck of the cruise ship. Brushing back the silver strands of hair that fell beside her ear, she looked at the vast sea under the moonlight and firelight and began to think about how to escape from here.

The small boats that came here earlier were affected by the explosion and broke free, drifting away with the ocean current. It may take some time to search for them.

The only viable way to survive right now seems to be to jump into this vast ocean.

I wonder if there are any small lifeboats available?

If there were, that would be wonderful...

"...Tsk! Why did I, this great one, specifically take the time to come here..."

"Well, don't say that, Manjoume. This is a stage where only you can make a difference!"

"Exactly, exactly. If you're having trouble thinking about something, just go out for a walk and everything will be resolved, right?"

"Hmph! Jaden Yuki, and Yusei... you two..."

"Hmm! That fire over there... it looks like the cruise ship is on fire. Could Edward be there?"

"...Anyway, let's go take a look first!"

"..."

Edward: "...?!"

Just as Ed made his decision to risk searching the surrounding area as much as possible, a loud whirring sound of helicopter rotors cutting through the air suddenly came from the distant sky.

As the sound grew louder, a helicopter bearing the Manjou Group's logo came into view.

Faintly, Ed seemed to hear the familiar arguing of those people coming from the helicopter.

Upon hearing these voices at this critical moment, Edward couldn't help but show a look of astonishment.

Huh? What... is going on?

Why are they here?

How could such a coincidence happen? It's not like I'm dreaming...

Jaden Yuki: "Ah! Yusei... I see him, the person on the deck!"

Manjoume: "Holy crap, is this for real...? Edward is really here?! Yusei, do you have prophetic abilities?"

Yusei: "Hehe~ Would you believe me if I said I was just guessing?"

“…I don’t trust you!”

Rolling his eyes at Yusei, who had a mysterious expression on his face, Manjoume then piloted the helicopter closer to the top of the deck.

Without a moment to pause, the flames burning the ship seemed to have triggered some flammable material, and erupted again in that instant, already approaching the deck.

After spotting Edward, Yusei took advantage of the helicopter passing over the deck to open the rear door and quickly throw the rope ladder from the helicopter towards Edward.

"...Ed! Don't hesitate, come over here quickly! Grab the escalator, I'll pull you up!"

"Hmm...I understand!"

As he shouted, Yusei lay down and stretched out his arm toward Edward as far as he could.

At the same time, Edward, who reacted quickly, grabbed the rescue ladder and left the sea area affected by the fire with Yusei and the others.

"Why, why would you guys...?"

With the help of a kind-hearted person, Edward was successfully rescued.

After safely arriving inside the cabin via the escalator, the girl, having retied her loose hair, asked the men the question she most wanted to know.

"How should I put it? I would say it was a vague, intuitive premonition that drove me to do this... Do you believe me?"

With a slight smile, Yusei jokingly replied to Edward, "I came because I heard your inner voice asking for my help."

Yusei originally wanted to say something like, "No matter where you are, I will find you, and even death cannot separate us!" to the girl in front of him.

However, after realizing that his relationship with Edward wasn't as close as Asuka's, Yusei, who wasn't thick-skinned enough, ultimately couldn't bring himself to say it and changed it to what he said now.

I heard your voice, so I came.

“…Yes, I believe you.” Blinking, and seemingly lost in thought, Edward smiled and said, “Yusei, I believe you will come to save me.”

“My time has been frozen until now, but everything will be different after today.” Brushing a strand of hair behind his ear, Edward looked at Yusei and slowly said, “Hoo hoo... I have a new goal in life now.”

"Uh... a new target?"

Edward's reaction completely baffled Yusei.

Looking at the girl with a smile on her face and a meaningful look in her eyes, Yusei scratched his head, and a thought of the three great illusions of life couldn't help but surface in his mind.

Um... could I be being targeted?

Miss Edward, you wouldn't happen to have taken a liking to me, would you?

"Hehe~ Manjoume, I feel like the atmosphere between them is pretty good~" Jaden Yuki chuckled foolishly, making a sound that was hard to decipher: "Could it be that Edward has a crush on Yusei?"

"...boil it!"

Twitching his lips, feeling the inexplicable ambiguity coming from behind him, Manjoume, who was sitting in the front cockpit with Yuki Judai, had a hint of envy on his face, like a single dog.

Yuki Judai, you guy with negative emotional intelligence, what kind of nonsense are you spouting!

And Yusei, you brat...

You're not satisfied with Asuka already, are you planning to extend your clutches to other beautiful girls?

Speaking of which, I remember you have a beautiful older sister, right?

Damn it! Compared to you two, I should be the main character! Aaaaaaah...

Give me back my harem protagonist life (which doesn't even exist)!!!

……

And so, amidst the various thoughts of the crowd, the once invincible world champion DD, the man who had committed countless crimes, turned to ashes on the final stage he had prepared.

Even the traces of its existence sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean with the sound of the explosion...

By defeating Ed Phoenix (DD), he could theoretically become the new world champion...

However, since this life-or-death duel of special significance was unknown to outsiders, the outcome was known only to the parties involved.

Incidentally, after that, with the help of Manjoume, Edward found his small yacht in another part of the sea.

Because of Manjoume's help in this matter, Edward owed him a small favor. So when Edward was choosing his career path after graduation, he readily agreed to Manjoume's request to become his apprentice, and Manjoume, as his senior and master, led him into the grand stage of the professional league.

However, this is another story.

Now, let's turn our attention to the present moment.

……

After the DD incident, Saiou foresaw the future through divination and also learned that Edward had learned the truth.

The light of destruction that originally resided within Blood Demon-D now resides within the body of the Prince of the West.

Although there is no direct grudge, the tragedies that have occurred inside and outside the academy due to the destruction of the Light cannot be easily ignored.

Knowing that he had been identified as Edward's next target, Saiou, the new host of the Light of Destruction, not only did not feel fear, but instead showed a "planned" expression.

There were two keys to the laser satellite that led the world to a doomed future, both of which had been given away by that despicable other personality.

One was in Yusei's hands, and he failed to take it back, while the other one was in Edward's possession.

Next, she will personally deliver it to your door.

"...Hehehehehe, Edward, I've been waiting for you here. Let me witness...your growth over the years!"

With a strange laugh emanating from his mouth, Saiou stood alone in the divination room, his face showing an expectant look as if he could see the future: "No matter what, your fate was already sealed. Even though you have now obtained the Ultimate D, that is something that cannot be changed!"

……

To celebrate the fulfillment of Edward's long-cherished wish, at Yusei's invitation, everyone held a makeshift party at Osiris Red's dormitory.

Manjoume and Marufuji Sho, who had been lying around like corpses for a while, as well as Fubuki and Asuka who came after hearing the news, and the aloof Kaiser Ryo, all joined the party.

As someone directly involved, Edward naturally couldn't choose to remain aloof and not participate in the group's activities as he had done in the past.

From Edward's words, everyone learned about the past that happened to her, including those about DD, her father, Saiou and his sister, and about Ultimate D.

The Ultimate D in Edward's hands no longer possesses the evil power of the Light of Destruction; that power has vanished from this world forever with the departure of DD.

Next, all that's needed is to defeat Saiō, who is the vessel for it.

"..."

For the first time in a long time, she was infected by the atmosphere of the party and temporarily let down her long-standing pretense of strength, and cried her heart out in Yusei's arms.

Feeling a bond and trust among companions that he had never experienced before, Edward's heart was filled with waves of emotion.

These tears contain both a sigh for the past time of revenge and a longing for the deceased father.

Ultimately, Ed Phoenix, hailed as a child prodigy, was just an ordinary girl pursuing happiness...

She originally thought that she had nothing left to care about in this world, and her only remaining goal was to fulfill her father's wish and defeat the shattering light that had plunged her life into misfortune.

But now it seems there are other things worth caring about, aren't there?

With a mix of emotions, Edward pursed her lips and leaned closer to Yusei, the man who had barged into her life and thrown it into disarray, and gently pressed her lips to his.

636 I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush.

The girl's lips, like cotton candy, were imprinted on Yusei's cheek.

Having seemingly exhausted all his courage, after making this audacious move towards Yusei, Edward turned his head away like an ostrich, refusing to look at the various gazes directed at him.

Judging from the slight blush on her cheeks as she turned her head, she must have felt shy when she did this.

"..."

Although Edward's sudden attack on Yusei left everyone at the party bewildered, they all stopped what they were doing.

However, the imagined chaotic scene did not occur.

The reason why isn't it because Asuka, whose hair is practically green with envy, doesn't care about this, or about other girls having feelings for Yusei, but rather because...

The crimson glow of Osiris at night welcomes a new visitor.