Yu-Gi-Oh! The Pitfall Hero

"Heh, you want me to stop? Then you'd better stop your attack too!"

Upon hearing John's shout, Keith, a knowing look flashing across his face, smirked smugly and made this request to John.

You don't want me to tear up this card?

You want to take it away from me, is that it?

Then, you'd better listen to me obediently! Hehehehehehe...

"Damn it! You despicable bastard!"

John, clenching his fist and disgusted by Keith's despicable behavior, was forced to halt Jade Tiger's attack: "Battle over. Based on the Emerald Turtle's effect, I'm switching it to Defense Position..."

"And then, I just... ended my turn like that..."

This time, Huang Yuhu's attack will reduce Keith's remaining health, allowing John to win the duel.

However, John will also be unable to fulfill his promise to the child and return the gummy bear that belongs to him in the distance.

Before being defeated by the monster, Keith, who was already prepared, would definitely tear that card to shreds first...

Alternatively, interrupt Huang Yuhu's attack to temporarily preserve the integrity of [Gummy Bean Man].

Alternatively, you can ignore Keith's threat, but you will lose the corresponding card.

Faced with this difficult choice, the kind-hearted John finally sighed and chose the outcome that would harm him.

We have to keep this card no matter what.

"That's right, that's more like it~"

Seeing John's attack halted due to his coercion, Keith smiled smugly and drew a new card from his deck: "My turn, draw!"

"Entering Main Phase 1, I open my back row face-down card and activate the Spell Card—[Pot of Greed]!"

"...Based on this card's effect, I return 5 monster cards from my graveyard to my deck, and then I can draw two cards from my deck!"

Just as John had predicted, the card Keith had placed in the back row was a spell card that he hadn't used before, not the trap card he had mentioned.

Keith activated this card, returning five monsters from his graveyard to his deck and then drawing two more cards from his hand.

"Heh heh...it's my turn next."

After looking at his hand, Keith took out one of the cards and placed it horizontally on the Duel Disk: "I summon [Camouflage Guardian] in Defense Position (Defense: 1900)."

A mechanical soldier, entirely camouflaged in a bluish-green hue and with an expressionless face, appeared on Keith's field, arms crossed, following his movements.

After summoning this monster, Keith activated another spell card from his hand: "Next, I activate the spell card [Young Bird]. The effect of this card is to use a monster I have captured to attract a monster of the same type and make it fall into my trap!"

John: "...Same race?"

Among the gem beasts previously captured by Keith was a beast-type amethyst cat.

Meanwhile, on John's field, there was Huang Yuhu, whose race was also beastman.

Under the effect of the magic card, a robotic cat with a highly similar appearance to the Amethyst Cat suddenly appeared from the pink smoke and came to Huang Yuhu, casting a charm spell on him.

Attracted by the fake amethyst cat and under the spell of charm, Huang Yuhu subconsciously took a step and chased after it.

However, just as Huang Yuhu was about to catch up with the fake amethyst cat, a large animal-catching net suddenly descended from the sky and wrapped its body in it.

The fake amethyst cat, after wagging its tail mockingly at Huang Yuhu, vanished into thin air.

"--roar!!!"

Once trapped, Huang Yuhu realized that he had fallen into the trap of a villain.

However, by then, it was too late.

No matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't break free from the large net and could only be dragged into Keith's magic trap area with a resentful look, to keep company with the other captured [Jade Beasts].

"This isn't over yet! John, these prey I've captured will end here!"

Holding his last card in his hand, Keith didn't hesitate to plunge it into the back row of the Duel Disk: "Continuous Spell Card [Pain of Substitute] activated!"

"Once per turn, inflict damage to your opponent equal to 400 times the number of prey monsters on your field!"

Amethyst cat, amber mammoth, and topaz tiger...

In Keith's backfield, there are three Jewel Beast monsters trapped in a trap net.

Therefore, under the effect of the magic card, John will also suffer 1200 points of effect damage.

"Take this! A three-hit counterattack!"

With his arm outstretched, Keith launched a vengeful counterattack in John's direction.

As the three whip shadows whistled past, John was also hit in the process, suffering damage from the effects of the three monsters, and crouched down in a kneeling position.

"Well……!"

(John LP: 1800→600)

“Hahahahahahaha!!!”

Keith, having reduced John's health to less than 1000 and regained the upper hand, laughed triumphantly: "Taking the damage for the Jewel Beasts, that's your wish too, isn't it?"

One more round and it will be Keith's victory!

So what if the methods are despicable?

In those kinds of situations, as long as you can win, anything goes; history is always written by the victors!

For victory, I am willing to abandon my conscience!

Kid, can you even do something like that?

"Keith, you bastard..."

As the negative effects of losing health points gradually dissipated from his body, John stood up and cast a hateful glance at Keith.

He had never truly hated anyone as much as he did today.

Only God can forgive a hopeless guy like Keith, and John's job is to send this guy to meet God!

"What? You're not convinced? You want to attack me?"

Sensing the negative emotions emanating from John, Keith pulled out the [Gummy Bean] card again, holding it up as if to tear it apart: "John, you'd better think this through, okay? If you attack me, this card won't be safe!"

"Gu...!"

Seeing Keith once again using the card as leverage to threaten him, John had no choice but to suppress his anger.

"Ha... I really don't understand you. Why would you sacrifice yourself for something like this?"

The threat worked once again, and a rather smug Keith shrugged, holding the [Gummy Bean] between his index and middle fingers, and looked at the monster's sprite that had appeared beside him: "I'm really looking forward to this guy's last moment, looking forward to its death scene!"

"Stop! I've done as you asked, so don't hurt that elf!"

"Are you teaching me what to do?"

Raising an eyebrow, Keith remembered something good and said with a smile, "Heh... John, you only have one choice now, whether to choose the Jade Pegasus or keep this gummy bear. It's all up to you."

"If it were me, I would definitely choose the more valuable Jade Pegasus. This guy seems to be the leader of those [Jade Beasts], right? It must be worth a lot of money."

"The [Gummy Bean] card is just trash if it doesn't have a sprite."

"Besides, the [Gummy Bean] card belongs to someone else. Even if you discard it here, no one will notice!"

By swinging his arms back and forth, Keith used a persuasive tone to entice John to make the choice to give up one side.

"I can't do this!"

"...Nani?"

Refuting Keith's conclusion, John said sharply to the surprised man, "Those elves gave me the purpose of the duel, and the purpose of becoming a bridge between humans and elves."

"Therefore, I will fulfill my mission and become a bridge between elves and humans!"

Clenching his fist, John declared his resolve to Keith, a fellow who didn't understand the bonds of friendship: "Keith, someone like you who doesn't understand these emotions can't take the [Jade Beast] from my hands!"

"To become a bridge between elves and humans..."

At this moment, Judai Yuki, who had caught up with John, also overheard John's thoughts from the shadows.

After witnessing his situation of being coerced by his opponent with cards, Jaden Yuki climbed onto the heads of the two from the nearby fire ladder.

"You're saying... I have no way?"

"Hmph! Then after you lose the Jade Pegasus, I'll send this guy down to be buried with you as punishment!"

With a disdainful snort, Keith pointed his thumb at the floating gummy bear beside him and let out a mocking laugh: "John, just you wait and see!"

"It's rare that you can also see elves, so let's take this opportunity to fully experience the fun that only we can see!"

Enraged by John's words, Keith clenched the card in his hand tightly as he spoke.

Under his actions, the [Gummy Bean] card began to deform uncontrollably, while its sprite cried out helplessly beside it.

"Hahahaha...Go ahead and wail! Scream all you want! No one will come to save you!!"

Keith, who found the elves' screams echoing in his ears quite amusing, laughed and expressed his mockery.

If the card was only used to threaten John before, now that he has the upper hand, he no longer needs it.

Go to hell!

"...What should I do? What am I supposed to do now? Miracles or anything else, please give me the power to save the elves!"

Standing there helplessly, and seeing the furious Keith about to tear up the card, John offered a heartfelt prayer to the non-existent god: "God, hero of justice, please help me break free from this predicament!"

"Hahahaha... To actually pray to the gods under these circumstances? You're incredibly naive! How amusing!!!"

Mocking John's naiveté, Keith laughed loudly towards the sky above, "Gods? Heroes? Come and stop me if you dare!"

"Then, as you wish!"

"...Nani?"

An unfamiliar voice, along with a descending figure, suddenly appeared in Keith's field of vision.

As the figure snatched the card from his hand, it used the force of the sudden impact to kick Keith, who was stunned in place, sending his face flying and into close contact with the wall in the distance.

To John's astonishment, Jaden Yuki, holding a "Gummy Bean" card, descended from the sky, waved the card at him, and then flashed his signature bright smile.