Hello all, and welcome to another chapter of Hero's Call!
Arc 01
Chapter 10
The Road to the Untroubled Tournament
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Konami's smile grew wide. "It's really her. Rie, hey!" He waved joyfully, the blonde swirling in hearing her name being used. Her quizzical expression landed on him, and immediately brightened into a wide smile of her own.
"Is that...? Reddo! Hi! How ya doin?!" She asked excitedly, staring at his hand he reached out with.
"I'm doing great, thanks- argh!- f-for... asking..." He breathed after being bear-hugged by the skinny, but strong, beautiful woman before him.
"No need for modest handshakes, dummy." She chuckled. "We're friends, remember? Or have you forgotten already?"
"Of course not! How could I? Anyway, how ya doin? Haven't seen you since Duel Academy."
"I'm doing great actually, thanks for asking. Just here for the upcoming tournament, that's all."
"Tournament? You mean, the Fortune Cup?" Konami tilted his head. Judging her statement, she had only came to town recently, so Red Hat wondered if there was more of the simplest of reasons for her to actually come all the way to New Domino just for the tournament? Well, he knew her as a competitive person just like him- always searching for a challenge- that Konami could be sure of. But their friendship through Duel Academy had shown him that she had more secrets than the maximum capacity of Sector Security's Confiscation Vault, and that said a lot. Then again, how could Konami know if there was another motive behind her words? Especially since it had been so long since he last saw her.
The day she decided to drop out...
Anyhow, the red wearing duelist could simply be overthinking it. Wouldn't be the first time anyway...
"Anyway," Rie dragged, noticing Konami's usual pondering expression, "I see we have company."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry." He apologized, mainly toward Tasha for his ignorance of her presence. Honestly, did he not just promise to be more aware of the pink-haired girl? Ai yai yai... "I don't believe you two met before. This here's Hikari, she's one of my closest friends from Duel Academy."
"Please to meet'chya!" Hikari held a hand out genuinely, a cheerful smile across her peach skin.
Tasha stared at it for a while, then looked back at Hikari hesitantly. "Urm, same here. My name's T-Tasha..." She took the kind gesture with a forced smile.
"Tasha, huh? Nice name. Wait, friend? So you haven't found a bride yet, huh Reddo?" She placed her hands on her hips, a sly smirk pasted on her expression.
Konami sweatdropped. "N-Not this again! I told you already, Rie, I'm not really into all of that lovey dovey what-you-ma-call-it."
"Maybe that's why you were so depressed during your First Year."
"That wasn't the reason at all!" Konami growled.
"If you say so, Reddo!" She shrugged with an inward sigh. "Speaking of red, I could have sworn you would have changed your color of clothing once you had graduated."
"And I see you still stuck up on Ra Yellow merchandise." Red Hat shot back.
"Not really Duel Academy clothing, but, oh well, I guess some things never change, huh? What 'bout you? I heard you've taken quite the trip 'Around the World in Eighty Days' from your girlfriend."
Tasha's eyes shot open a bit in surprise.
"Girlfriend? What on earth...?"
"Forgotten already? Alexis Rhodes, dummy."
"We were never together." Konami declined dully.
"Even after Cubid did his magic?" She raised a suspicious eyebrow, a devious smirk growing ever so slightly.
"S-So you even remember that, huh?" Konami sighed. "That wasn't even consensual and you know it, Rie."
"Oh c'mon, Reddo. Deep down, she only backed away cause you were too chicken to reciprocate. Speaking of chickening out, are ya gonna be participating in the Fortune Cup?"
"Not sure." Konami shrugged. "I mean, I don't see why I should even bother. I've had enough experience in Street Duels here to know that a few steps only would easily mean a challenge around the nearby corner."
"So you are chickening out." She crossed her arms in confirmation. "That's unlike you, though."
"I haven't even entered or agreed to enter yet!" He glared, before sighing. A small smirk soon crawled on his lips. "Honestly, Rie, if you really wanted me to beat you again, you could just ask."
Rie chuckled highly. "Is that so? Then you wouldn't mind taking me on in front of a bunch'ah people, right?"
Konami sighed for the millionth time. "Fine. I'll enter, you Fiendish user, you."
"Excellent!" She chirped excitedly, much more than needed, before averting to Tasha. "And you, Tasha? Interested in testing your luck against others in a tournament?"
"Oh..." Her body shivered, a slight image of her duel with Kazura flashing through her vision. "I... well, ur-"
"It's totally fine if you aren't." Hikari waved her hesitation away. "I fully understand Duel Monsters isn't for everyone."
"T-That's not it!" She raised her voice in defense, but covered her mouth when she realized how loud she became.
"Then you in? Great! The more the merrier, I always say. Or to be accurate, the more butts to kick, the better." She made to turn, flashing the pair one last smirk. "Anyway, I gotta get goin. I'll be seeing ya two numbskulls 'round, 'k? Oh, 'n Reddo?"
"Yeah?"
"Please try to hold on until our duel, okay?" She winked cutely, before she was lost in the pedestrians around her.
Konami smiled, a subtle chuckle made it's way through his voice box. "You too."
-5Ds-
At the huge Penthouse of richness, was Yusei gazing at the closed door he just knocked on. He had made a mental note to check up on the girl in green. More specifically, green hair. After the whole incident at Sector Security, she had become more stoic than anything else. Complying when needed. It was like a new light of life was switched on in her head. Which also made him wonder whatever happened between her and Konami was actually intentional and not accidental.
The shockwave.
He wanted to know more, since that act was the only real motion of hurt and pain she had been involved in that seemed to connect her in the path of a threat. Not that Yusei was pointing any fingers to anyone in particular, since he had not the single deepest bond with Konami or her for that matter- so the blame could go either way- but the Turbo Duelist could not help but be a bit biased from the inside toward the girl due to her being out of space. Besides, why would Konami shock himself? Not to mention he was an ordinary duelist just as Yusei was.
Well, as far as ordinary went. Yusei still found the whole vein popping, arm dislocating pain during his duel with Jack some time ago to be quite suspicious. Especially since Jack himself had coincidentally felt the same thing. Could it be the alien girl's doing as well? She did appear during their fatal duel and when the pain had seemed like it reached it's climax however. Then again, she didn't actually touched them as she had done with Konami. Well, it was the other way around, but that was despite the point. Regardless, she was an enigma Yusei had to uncover.
He's speculations were cut short when the door swung open, revealing an energetic Leo. "Yusei! You're finally here! Quick, come in! You're not going to believe what you're going to see."
"Hey, Leo." He greeted even after his curiosity was on the aforementioned scene Leo was eager for him to see. "What do you mean? What is it?"
"Just c'mon and you'll see what I mean!" He ran in, followed by the much slower Yusei who took his time. It could just be something anti-climatic, so Yusei didn't wanted to put that much energy and trouble to just end up being disappointed in a way at the end. Then again, Leo seemed more excited than the usual.
What Yusei saw next surprised and practically shocked him through the way he came in, in the first place. The girl in question, eyes closed, sat next to an astonished Luna, who couldn't take her eyes off of what the older female was doing.
The teenage girl was glowing green, with a flow of visible electricity on top of her. An array of Electrical Appliances levitated and flowed in a rhythmic motion. Kettles, microwaves, even ovens were taking a ride above the supposedly causing woman.
"What the..." Yusei trailed off, not believing his eyes.
"I know, right?!" Leo smiled, watching the situation with the teen.
"When did this happen?"
"A few days ago." Luna answered, waving at the boy, even if it was past the greeting phase, and that Yusei was too busy being dazzled to even wave back. Though, he listened distinctively. "It's amazing, huh?"
"It's certainly... unique..." The teen couldn't find the proper exciting word through his current mindset. "Are you not worried that it might fall on you?"
"Nah!" Leo smirked confidently, "Well, at the beginning, yes. But she seems to be able to control them perfectly without a problem. She can even plug them back in! But that's just a small thing of what she can really do."
"Small thing?" Yusei sounded surprised, especially since Leo just stated so confidently that this was a small thing. "What else is there then?"
"Well, she seems to have an electric current flowing through her body." Luna tried explaining the gist of it. "So she seem to have the ability to send current through other appliances. Maybe anything for that matter."
"Send electricity through other objects?" Yusei couldn't help but think back at the Confiscation Vault, when Konami had been zapped like water. But as Luna just said, it was through appliances that uses electricity. Does that mean Konami was... hah! Of course not. That would just be ridiculous. Especially by judging Luna's tone, it seemed like an uncertain hypothesis. So the teenage girl might have the ability to electrocute anything she touches. Still, she was out of batteries- still, a lack of a better term- during that time. Either way, there had to be more layers underneath the silver lining.
"Yusei, you okay?" Leo slightly nudged the ideal duelist.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure." He stared back at the girl, who finally stopped glowing as the green-haired girl put all of the home's belongings back in place.
"Anyway, you are gonna enter the Fortune Cup, right Yusei?"
"Yes. Why ask?"
"Just checking, since Luna here's eager to enter as well."
The preteen in question narrowed her eyebrows at that. "Don't even joke like that, Leo."
"But I'm not."
"Yes, you are. I don't even want to participate."
"But you received an invitation. So you must go." He tried reasoning.
"That's not compulsory..." She muttered back with a sigh.
"Wait, an invitation?" Yusei asked curiously. "You mean, from Goodwin?"
"Well, yeah. He is the host after all." Leo replied. The crab-haired teen couldn't help but suspect something sinister underneath the not so obviously unequivocal request. Then again, he could just be overthinking it. Still... "Anyway, you have to go and show the other competitors that they shouldn't mess with the duo of Leo and Luna!" He pumped his fist in anxiety, but Luna just dismissed him with a sigh.
What was she going to do with him? "I'm stepping out for a while." She said nonchalantly, hands in her pockets with a dismissive smile and nod to Yusei before leaving the residence.
Leo blinked. "Was I really that obnoxious?"
-5Ds-
"Hey there, Konami." A familiar face smiled as they approached the two casually.
Konami instantly recognized the feminine voice as he and Tasha turned around to face her. "Carly? Hey, how've you been?". Konami intended the question to be general, not anything more since she was not really considered a friend. Though, she did visit him occasionally during Tasha's hospital days, if only to get the scoop she desperately wanted. Horakhty only knows how she found out his residential address.
"Alright. The story you gave me the other day was a good hit. Well, they scratched out the less than important bits, but it all worked out in the end."
"Yeah, I noticed..." Konami did not only meant the news reel a few days ago, but also the occasional eyes drifting on him in recognition of the Psy-Fi's demise. Though the attention was okay in it's own way, Konami soon found it obnoxious. Especially since it was something he was only praised for. Really now, you would think the news would include Yusei in it at least! Then again, the discrimination of Satellite Scum was still there, so it had to be expected.
"I see you've healed enough from the hospital?" Carly reached out with a handshake. "I'm Carly. Nice to meet you."
"Tasha." She smiled nervously, taking her hand in her own.
"So, how's the reporting coming along? You know, since the Psy-Fi thing is too out of date." Konami asked.
"Not good, actually." She said, which actually went against her first reply to Konami. "I'm actually looking in the Meteor Story."
"Meteor Story?"
"Yeah. Well, it happened a while ago, but apparently there has been speculations of an alien landing and going around causing trouble in New Domino."
"Oh..." Konami said, not fully believing it. Then again, Psychics and out of battery people seems like a mundane thing, so, why bother?
"Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you help me with this case of mine?"
"Oh..." Konami trailed off. That was certainly out of the blue. Did she really expect him to say yes, much less with an immediate response? "Well..."
"I'll make it worth your while." She smiled genuinely. "You'll even get paid. Please?"
"I don't know. I mean, why me?"
"Well, considering how smart you were in finding the Psy-Fi group when noone could, you basically became the number one choice for me."
"But I didn't-" Konami didn't even had the time to explain the real story to her. I mean, he did, but it was obvious to him that she overlooked that idea.
"I'll do anything! Just, please?"
"Wow, you really desperate if you are going to say something like that." Red Hat scratched the back of his head. "Look, as much as I would like to- oh shit..."
"Hmm? What is it?" Carly tilted her head. Before anyone of them could do anything else, a dragon of redness swooped in and snatched Konami from their attention.
"OH COME ON ALREADY!" He whined, but all he could do was go with the flow, unless he preferred to die considering his altitude.
"What in the world?!" Carly asked, stunned at the sight. Tasha however, who had been silent through the whole dilemma, narrowed her eyes in disapproval.
"Not this time, you beast!" She turned back to Carly. "Hey, you're a reporter, correct? So you have to have a vehicle of some sort for your equipment, right?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Great. We have to follow them if we are going to know where they headed."
"But-"
"No buts!" She snapped uncharacteristically. "I already lost Kon-kun like this once, so I'm not going to this time!"
Carly flinched. Though at this point she would obviously snap back for being addressed so demandingly and rudely by somebody that had no authority over her, she decided it would be best to comply. Besides, she was a reporter, and judging on how scandalist it might be for the same person that stopped the Psy-Fi to be kidnapped by a possible Psychic, well, you get the picture.
"Alright. Let's get going."
-5Ds-
Red Hat landed roughly on the roof of a familiar building. You would think that the third time would have been the charm, but Konami was obviously still not prepared to act like a cat and make contact with his feet. Clumsy killed his dignity though as he rolled a few feet forward like a wheel barrel.
"Urgh..." He groaned, seeing a pair of feet landing in front of him as the monster disappeared. "Is this really gonna be a daily thing now?" He picked himself up, dusting the dirt off himself.
"If it were, then you wouldn't be alive, now would you?"
"Good point there, Rosy." He went with her question, if only to distress her with the nickname he gave her. Truthfully, to him, it felt like a name more than a nickname, since he had used it so much.
"You still on that childish remark, huh?" She asked through her mask, her covered expression the only thing showing her glimpse of irritation. "Anyway, Divine would like to speak to you."
"Really? Why don't I just give him my number so that he may, well, I don't know, NOT do this to me anymore!"
"Your complaining is futile." She simply replied as she made her way to the elevator.
Konami sighed. "Man, I must be one of the most misfortunate people around these parts, huh?"
"Still futile..." He barely heard her say.
"Fine, fine..." Sighing one more time, he took his third time going down the Arcadia's rooftop. Horakhty only knew what in heaven's name would Divine needed him for now.
-5Ds-
Just when Konami thought that his Divine troubles were depleted for good, the world seemed to reveal how wrong he really was. Though, Konami couldn't help but be interested in what the manipulating son of a bitch had said to him.
Despite his genuine tone and kind, verbal beliefs, Red Hat knew the devious manner underneath it. He just had to reveal it to Akiza. Maybe then she would open up her eyes to the truth. But in order for him to do that, he had to unveil Divine's plans. Whether it was to sneak in the Arcadia Movement and find any proof of his assumptions or to do his bidding, Konami needed to get to the bottom of it. Since he did not have the plan or the equipment to break in the supposedly heavily guarded base, the only thing Red Hat could do now was go along with Divine's orders, which was to recruit a specific someone who would end up in the Fortune Cup.
"I wonder..." He thought, reminiscing on the demands Divine expected from him.
"Who is this 'Zee' guy anyway?"
"Kon~kun..." He heard Tasha from behind, peaking over the couch he laid on to observe her state. She laid 'Snow Angel'-like across the bed, blankets kicked off and on the floor. He sighed, shook his head with a chuckle, then made his way toward her. The girl was really worried about him when he was taken by the Black Rose Dragon, just like the first time. Poor girl. He threw the Red Blanket right over her, compensating her already covered being. Unconsciously, she felt the simple touch, and curled up to her left, grabbing his arm in the process.
"Ah!" He exclaimed in surprise, but kept it low due to her still dazed in her dream.
"Kon-kun..." She smiled cutely, squeezing tightly. "Don't leave... please..."
"Ur..." Konami trailed off, scratching his cheek in thought. "Tasha, you still asleep, right?"
Tasha breathed lightly, her expression softening as her grip loosened as well.
"I'll take that as a yes." He made his way back to the couch, placing his head on the arm rester.
A thought suddenly kicked into his mind. Did he not break in Sector Security's HQ with Yusei's help? Then maybe if he were to actually break in the Arcadia Movement, then Yusei's help would really be beneficial. But then Konami was only using him for his own satisfaction, and that was something he did not wanted- wait, was this not Yusei's mindset a while ago? Horakhty, now Konami really was picking up friends' old habits. Though, he couldn't quite tell if it was a habit for Yusei to act that way, much less an old one. At least he thought of the crab-haired duelist as a friend. But how was he suppose to find him anyway?
-5Ds-
"Wake up, sleepy head!" Tasha chirped, crouching down and shuffling Konami's lifeless body. It soon moaned though. A moan of declination.
"Another five minutes, mom..."
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not your mom, and we'll be needing all the time to prepare if we want to make it to the Fortune Cup."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah... wait, what? You mean today's already the day?!"
"Uh-doy." She replied as a matter of factly. "Now c'mon, Kon-kun, or you'll be late."
A knock on the door was suddenly heard.
"I'll get it. Just make sure you take a quick shower, k?"
"Right." He nodded sub-consciously, despite already sitting up. Yawning one more time, he shuffled his feet toward the bathroom.
"Ur... Kon-kun?"
"Yeah?" He glanced to his right, only to meet the eyes of Tasha and the visitor.
"Oh, owayo[1]! May I help you?" He addressed the unfamiliar woman, her expression troubling him, since it appeared that she herself was troubled by something as well.
"You must be Konami Yamu, correct?"
Konami"s eyes went wide for a bit. "Yeah. And you are?"
She smiled weakly. "My name's Lola Yuki. I'm Jaden Yuki's sister."
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End of Chapter
End of Arc
'Wow, updating with a short chapter and it took this long?!' This maybe have been your first question when noticing the length of this chapter. Honestly, I had it down on Word a while ago, but I decided to upload it with the cover image I did for this story. Funny story though, the cover was finished three tines before I finally decided to leave it how it is.
I hope I sparked your interest enough to read on with this Arc Finale, I certainly rolled my eyes at it. Anyway, see ya guys later.
Cheers!
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TRANSLATIONS!
[1] Owayo- Good Morning
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Each Arc equals Five AlterWorlds. Mainly because I'm lazy ;p