Academy Island.
An artificial island that existed in southern Japan. Home to the prestigious Duel Academy, a school for the dueling elite. Within that school, inside the walls of Horakhty Hall, its main campus, a certain blonde of the freshman class was recording the scene with a smile.
"Looks like Bastion's going to win," that student, Alexis Rhodes, said.
"Is that what you think?" another inquired. "Hm. I'm not so sure."
Alexis frowned, turning to regard the older boy standing behind her.
"Zane? What are you doing here? I thought you said you had class?"
"They let us out early," he said, sparing Alexis the briefest of smiles. It disappeared once he turned back to the duel. "Looks like they're almost done, too."
"Yeah." She agreed. "Bastion's had this kid on the ropes since the start. It's a real shame, but at this rate, he'll probably have to try and apply again next year."
"Are you sure about that? He seems too confident for someone who's about to lose."
"Really?"
"And then there's that grin on his face. I don't care for it one bit."
Alexis glanced down to the field, where the applicant and Bastion were still trading blows. Bastion controlled three Magnet Warriors against one Lady Ninja Yae. However, Bastion declared an attack, that Ninja turned into three.
"Ninjitsu Art of Duplication?" Zane asked. "Guess he knows how to stall."
"Yeah. So what?" Alexis inquired. "That doesn't mean that he'll win."
They watched the scene play out a little further, up until Bastion summoned Valkyrion.
"See?" she smirked, crossing her arms. "Let's see the new kid beat that."
"Maybe we will," Zane replied. "That kid still looks remarkably confident."
Huh? He's right. Alexis thought. He's staring it down like it's nothing! No, he's doing more than that. He looks like he just found rare cards!
"Congratulations..." the applicant said. "Now, it's Final Turn!"
What? She thought, glancing back toward Zane as the kid drew his card. His eyes were still firmly locked on the duel as if he was soaking it in. A few seconds later, the new kid summoned the mighty Thousand Eyes Restrict. And that was it. A single attack was enough to bring Bastion down.
Zane sighed.
"What's with that?" she asked. "You sound disappointed."
"I had hoped that he had some other plan. That play was just a cruel trick."
"What?" she asked.
"He was playing around. Couldn't you tell by his hand? He had the Fool and Metamorphosis on him since the very first turn of the duel. If he'd wanted to, he could have had Thousand Eyes on the field all game."
Wait, he did? Alexis thought, scrolling back to the start of the duel. Sure enough, she could just make out the two cards from where she was sitting. "If that's the case, then why would he wait? Do you think it was part of his plan?"
"Perhaps," Zane said, folding his arms. "But that's not good enough to reach Blue. If that's how he duels, then his time here will be as mediocre Duelist at best."
Alexis raised her eyebrow at the words. "You know, that's a pretty bold claim. Even if you don't like his dueling style, the fact is he still won the duel. Besides, beating Bastion will win him some points. No way the school turns him down now."
"If he's being put into Ra Yellow, sure, but he has no place in Obelisk Blue," Zane said. "But whatever dorm he winds up in, one thing's for sure: he'll be hunted."
"Yeah." She agreed.
"Do yourself a favor. If he's in your class, don't wait. Duel him first."
"What? Why?"
It was strange advice coming from Zane.
"Since he beat Misawa, there will be those who'll be aiming to become representative," he said. "If you beat him, then it'll look good for both you and for Obelisk Blue."
"You know I don't care for school politics, Zane."
"You can say that once you're the Queen," he said. "This is your chance. I recommend you take it before someone else gets to him first."
He turned on his heel and left it at that, leaving her alone to her thoughts.
Queen, huh? she thought with a frown, glancing at the boy one last time. I don't really care about titles like that, but I'll never back down from a duel!
TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: LEARNING TO DUEL
LESSON TWO
ALEXIS
"What?! What do you mean, 'Slifer Red?!' Chancellor, this is absurd!"
Konami agreed. He hadn't known what to expect after he'd beaten Bastion, but a move into Slifer Red hadn't been it. He'd at least hoped to get in Ra Yellow. Then again, considering how he'd acted this morning, something like this was expected. Confessing to Ante Dueling to Chancellor himself had been a dumb move.
"Loopholes like that won't save you," he'd said. Now, Konami knew why.
It had lost him some points, enough so he'd barely passed the exam. Of course, the reason for that penalty hadn't been told to the other teachers. It was why one Doctor Vellian Crowler was causing such a fuss now. After winning the duel, Konami had found himself meeting with the dorm heads like him, if only so he could finish orientation and be granted a key to his room.
"Crowler, I've already made up my mind." the Chancellor explained with a frown.
"Well, your mind's wrong!" Doctor Crowler sniffed. "He beat our best freshman student!"
Not the best, Konami thought. He said that Jaden kid's better. Hey, wait, isn't he in Slifer, too? This could be a good chance for me.
"I'm fine with this," he said to the pair. "But I understand where you're coming from. I was pretty rude to you when I arrived, but I hadn't meant to offend."
Crowler frowned. "This morning, you say? What, did something happen?"
The Chancellor smiled. "Perhaps, but that's not the only reason for this."
Konami blinked. It wasn't? Then... what else could it have been?
"Your old professors were very clear about what you lacked as a student. After speaking with them, I feel that the Slifer Red Dorm will help you the most."
That place will?
"I don't understand."
"Think on it while you're there. About not only what you lack as a Duelist, but as a person as well."
"...Is that why Jaden's in Slifer Red, too?"
"Oh? So you've heard about him?"
"Bastion told me." Konami explained. "He said he beat Mister Crowler."
Crowler looked like he'd swallowed a lemon.
"That...! That was a fluke! And it's not 'Mister', it's 'Doctor', you hear?! I earned a full Ph.D.!"
"Understood," he said. "'Doctor' then. He said he beat Doctor Crowler."
"Why, you little...!" Crowler sneered. "I just said it was a fluke!"
The Chancellor laughed. "Come now, Crowler! We both know his talent is real. Jaden's won duels again and again. Why, he hasn't lost yet!"
"Not for lack of trying...!" Crowler hissed. "One day, I'll get him expelled!"
"What was that?"
"N-Nothing, Sir! Just mumbling things to myself."
"Oh? Try and get a handle on that. You'll have people thinking you're weird."
He does that already with that makeup of his. I thought he was some sort of mascot.
"Never mind that!" Crowler said. "We're getting off-topic here, aren't we?! What I want to know is why you think we should throw this boy in with them!"
"It's fine," he said. "Honestly, I never really wanted to steal Bastion's place."
"Oh? So you two did hit it off!"
Not quite, but it's not like we're foes, he thought.
"Yeah." He lied. "And I'd rather not ruin a friendship that I just made."
"Well, I suppose that settles it, then," the Chancellor said.
"No, it doesn't!"
"Everyone here's in agreement but you. Get with the program, Crowler. Professor Banner can handle the arrangements. I'm sure you know what to do?"
One of the other teachers in the room spoke up.
"Yes. I'll go get things ready."
It was a black-haired man with a tall thin frame who was dressed in a white shirt and tie. Konami recognized him as Lyman Banner, the academy's Alchemy professor. This wasn't the first time he'd laid eyes on him; Banner had handled his interview. He had some ulterior purpose back then when he'd invited him to come to this school.
"As the head of the Slifer Red dorm, I feel that it's only right that I do it," he said. "I'm certain I'll be able to clear out a room for Konami by the end of the day."
"Very well," the Chancellor said. "Then I'll leave everything there up to you."
Banner nodded and rose from his seat, turning to leave the man's office. As he passed by Konami, he paused for a moment.
"Congratulations, young man."
"Thank you, Sir."
After he left, the conversation continued. They covered class schedules, expectations, and of course, student PDAs.
"It doubles as a phone and your student ID," Crowler said as he handed one over. "Once you turn it on, you'll be able to access any facility here on the campus. You can purchase cards, buy your lunch, or anything else we might sell. Of course, none of this comes for free. You'll need Depii to use it. I'm sure you've gathered what Depii is from the student handbook, correct?"
Konami nodded.
Depii, or DP, was the academy currency. It substituted for cold hard cash to keep students from going into debt. According to the student handbook, the school sent DP to students each week, though the total each person received was based on their current rank in the school. From what he recalled, none of the ranks gave enough to earn a good living, which led to another way to earn points: dueling against other students. Winning allowed you to take DP from the balance of your chosen opponent. It, like everything else, could be checked through the use of the school PDA. Booting his up, Konami decided to check what his said about him.
KONAMI KODO
800 DP
Win Rate: 100%
Wait, 800?
"It includes your duel with Bastion," the Chancellor said. "Now that you've proven your potential value, you can use these points as you like. But keep in mind that beyond these shores, they have no monetary worth."
"They'll return to us when you graduate." Doctor Crowler chimed in. "Think of it as the school's way of keeping its digital economy afloat."
"Do you have any questions?" the Chancellor asked.
He actually had a whole bunch. But they could wait. He wanted to finish this up and join his new class.
"No, Sir."
"Very well. That concludes your orientation. Crowler will show you the way to his class. Make sure you do as he says."
He thought it was a little late for that, given their discussion earlier. But he didn't want to rock the boat more than he had, so Konami just nodded along.
"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."
"You have a bright future, Konami. Learn from this day, and don't waste your life. Foster's still pulling for you."
"...I understand."
"Come along then," Crowler said, stepping out. "You're in 1-A, my homeroom class. It's held on Horakhty's first floor."
It took three minutes after going downstairs for them to reach Crowler's classroom. The warning bell had only just rung as well. They arrived with some minutes to spare.
"Ahem. If I hadn't explained it before, allow me to do so again," Crowler said. "Classes are held every day, from Monday to Saturday, 8 to 3. If you show up late, you'll be getting detention, so don't slack off, understand?"
Konami nodded. So far, there hadn't been anything too strange about it.
"There's still a little time before class starts at 2, so I'll have you wait for me out here. Once we begin, I'll call you inside, and you'll introduce yourself, alright?"
"Yes, Sir."
He was a little surprised. He figured they'd skip introductions. After all, after his duel with Bastion, he supposed most would know who he was. But that didn't matter. What was important was how he'd spend his next moments.
For him to enjoy the springtime of youth, he'd have to make friends and have fun. And the introduction he'd make after joining the class was an essential part of that process. Failure to use these minutes properly would lead to a depressing school year, and after what happened at his previous school...
Well, he won't think about that.
As Crowler went inside to prepare for class, Konami stood still by the doorway. What should he do? What should he say? Such thoughts flew by in his head.
Should he burst inside like a wild tiger or act as if he was shy? He was out of practice when it came to these things, so he didn't know what he should do.
"Be Good."
The uncertain words of that t̴̼̦͆̀̏̏͝͝r̵̤̠͊̑̍á̶̼̗̜̜͎͍͂̇̈́͌̃i̵̠͖͓͕̼̦͋̅̐͆̀t̴̢͕̰̣̬͒͛̆̇͋ơ̸̻̘̑̂̄͂r̴̨̟̙̼͋̈ immediately came to his mind.
Be Good.
Alright. He could do that.
At least, he could attempt it.
The final bell echoed through Horakhty Hall, and he heard Crowler call him inside. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and opened the door to the room.
It was enormous.
He knew the academy had some of the largest classrooms, but just hearing about it didn't do it justice when all of the seats were jam-packed. It felt like hundreds of eyes were watching him, focused on his every move. Even without glancing up to meet them, he could feel their stares with each step.
As some of them whispered and murmured with friends, he calmly strode up to the podium. Once there, he took a deep breath and glanced around his new classroom once more. A sea of students dressed in red, yellow, and blue stared back at him. Among them was a familiar face.
Bastion Misawa? Again?
Bastion looked just as surprised to see him.
I see. So he didn't know.
That was fine. Great, even. At least now he knew someone here.
"Ahem." Crowler coughed. "Your introduction?"
"Huh?"
A few students laughed.
In that precise moment, between seeing Bastion and them, he forgot what to say.
"Um. Well, my name is Konami Kodo. It's nice to meet you. I don't really have any particular likes or any remarkable skills, but if you like games, then I'm sure we'll be able to get along with each other just fine."
From his place in his seat, Bastion frowned as he watched Konami introduce himself. He was entirely different from how he'd been in their duel. What happened to that arrogant spunk?
"Hey, that new kid has a cute face," he heard a girl mutter behind him.
"What? He looks pretty average to me. I'd give him a 3 outta 5."
"Ugh, you two... Get a grip! Besides, he won't last a week!"
"I dunno... I mean, he beat Bastion."
"He got lucky at best!"
"If you say so."
Bastion frowned. He didn't think that was the case.
"What do you think?" his neighbor asked. "Would you win if you dueled him again?"
Bastion hummed as he turned in her direction. She must have been listening too.
"I wouldn't duel him with the same deck," he said, folding his arms. "And I'd want to gather more data as well, so I could shut down all his moves."
"Like you did with me?"
"Yes, that's right. Preparation's important. If I saw his deck another two times, then I'm sure I could figure him out," he said. "Why do you ask? You're not the type to get caught up in things like this, Yuma."
The brown-haired Obelisk smiled at him.
"Just curious." She intoned. She raised her hand. "Doctor Crowler, can the new kid come sit over here?"
"Who asked that?" Crowler squinted. "Yuma, eh? Very well!"
"What?" Bastion asked. He glanced at Yuma. "Hey, just what are you planning?"
"You guys are already acquainted, right? I wanna make friends with him, too!"
"We're not friends."
"Well, then you should be!"
"I'm not sure that's how it works."
"Sure, it is! Hey, here he comes! Time to look sharp, Misawa!"
Bastion sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Konami stopped by his desk.
"Ouch. Talk about a warm welcome. It's good to see you too, buddy."
"Buddy?" he asked.
"Don't mind him," Yuma said. "Here, I'll give you my seat!" She moved one chair down, opening up a space for Konami to sit.
"Oh, thanks," Konami murmured, quietly taking the seat.
"Don't worry about it. Konami, right? I'm Yuma. Yuma Miyata!"
"Nice to meet you."
"You bet it is. I've been hearing about you all day!"
"Is that so?"
"Everyone's been talking about you since you dueled Bastion. Speaking of which, what do you think? He's pretty good, amirite?"
"Yeah, he is. I could've used someone like him when I was in the North."
"Where?"
The North? Bastion thought. Don't tell me he came from that school?
"Sooooo," Yuma said. "You're in Obelisk Blue? I mean, you've gotta be, right? You're dressed in the clothes..."
Konami smiled. "I actually brought these from home."
Bastion frowned. Admittedly, he was also a little bit curious. True to his words, Konami was still dressed in what looked like regular clothes. The dark blue jacket and all-black slacks were darker than the Obelisk colors, and he was pretty sure that the chain on his neck went against the academy code.
"I'll get my uniform tonight." He explained. "It's probably in my dorm room."
"Which is where?"
"That's a secret. You'll find out later, okay?"
"Keeping it hidden?" Bastion said. "Don't tell me you're taking my place?"
"Funny you should mention that." He replied. "Crowler pushed for it hard. But don't worry, buddy. You're still in Ra. That yellow jacket's all yours."
"B-Buddy?"
Since when were we friends?
"Ooh, so you're not in Ra Yellow?"
"I didn't say that," Konami said. "I just said that Bastion still is."
He's deflecting. Bastion realized. Surely it's nothing to hide? He did quite well in his duel against me. I don't see them treating him poorly.
"Ahem!" Doctor Crowler's fake cough cut off what he would say next. "Bastion, Yuma, I placed him up there so he'd learn, not so he'd gossip! You can exchange your pleasantries after class, but now, it's time for review!"
"Eep! Yes, Sir!" Yuma said, snapping her gaze to the front.
"My apologies." Bastion added. "I'm sure it won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't," Crowler sneered. "We have enough dropouts in class. Speaking of which, Jaden Yuki! Answer the question, young man!"
"Wait, what?"
The brown-haired boy at the front of the class leaned upward, blinking his eyes wearily as if he'd just woken up from a dream.
"Hmph! Thought you'd get away with sleeping in my class, did you, Jaden?" Crowler asked. "I think not! Stand up, boy! It's time we tested your wits!"
"Hrmm..." Bastion frowned.
"Oh, so this is that Jaden Yuki kid, huh?" Konami asked. "Looks like I'll get to see how good he is even sooner than I expected."
"Don't count on it," Bastion replied. "Jaden is a good Duelist, but his talent lies more on the practical side than in classrooms, as you'll soon see."
Crowler grinned.
"Inform the class how Duel Monsters cards can be sorted."
"Sure, teach. Lemme see. There's monsters, spells, and traps."
"Yes, and?"
"Oh! And fusions! Can't forget about those."
"Hmgh, and what type of monsters are there? What of the spells? And the traps? You didn't think I'd let you get off with that preschool answer here, did you?"
"Huh? What are you asking me for? That's your job here, Professor."
"It's not 'Professor,' it's 'Doctor' Crowler! And I know I've told you this already!" Crowler twitched. "Enough! Sit down! I suppose I should've known better." He glanced around the room. "Is there anyone here who can actually answer the question? Preferably someone who isn't in red..."
He got a few chuckles from that.
"You know, teach, you shouldn't be so quick to make fun of us Slifers like that," Jaden said. "I mean, I'm a Slifer, and I beat ya, so you're just making fun of yourself."
Crowler started to tremble in place.
"That's it! Jaden Yuki, detention!" he snapped. "If you have time to make stupid comments like that, then you can make them while scrubbing the blackboard!"
"Wait, no! Anything but that! Lighten up, teach. It was a joke!"
"Well, it wasn't a very good one, was it?!"
"Come on, teach! It wasn't that bad!"
"I see what you mean."
Konami's words drew Bastion's gaze back toward him.
"He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who really cares about his school grades," he said. "Someone like that is hopeless, huh? But you say that he's good in a duel?"
"You heard him, didn't you?" Bastion replied. "He defeated Crowler quite handily."
Konami grinned.
"If that's the case, then I can't wait to duel him myself."
The class flew by in a flash after that, though Jaden still earned detention. It hardly mattered. Konami would have his chance to meet the boy later that night. For now, however, his time was spent entertaining his neighbors and classmates, the most daunting of whom was definitely Yuma, who was still seated on his right side.
"So, how's your day been?" she asked, drawing his gaze away from the other students.
"Not bad, actually. Everyone seems much nicer here than at my old school."
"Old school?" She tilted her head. "Where's that?"
"Rintama High." He explained.
"Never heard of it."
"I'm not surprised. They don't really try to stand out."
Bastion rubbed his chin. "Really? That's in Domino City, is it not?"
"Yeah," he said. "How'd you know?"
"I know the area myself."
"That's our resident genius for you!" Yuma laughed, shaking him. "There's nothing Bastion can't figure out!"
"Anyone can do what I do."
"Don't know about that," Konami replied. "You put up a good fight this morning. Summoning Valkyrion the Magna Warrior... That play of yours sure was sweet!"
"That play only led to you winning the duel. I won't fall for such tricks again."
"Ha! Yeah. We'll see about that."
"Oooh, now this is exciting! First day here, and you're already having a rematch? Count me in!" Yuma said.
"No," Bastion said. "I already told you, I need to get collect more data. At the very least, I'll need to finish my sixth Duel Monsters deck first."
"Wait, your sixth? What, so those Magnet Warriors aren't your only cards?" Konami asked.
"Of course not. They were merely the third, and a simple prototype at that."
Interesting.
"So wait, you didn't even duel me with your actual deck?"
"You misunderstand. It was my deck. I just have four more to spare."
"Bastion's been building all kinds of decks," Yuma said. "It's pretty impressive! He wants to have one for every occasion. He's super overprepared!"
"Sounds like it," Konami grumbled. "Four more decks you said, huh? Does that mean you were holding a better one back, or are those all 'prototypes,' too?"
"I'm building a deck for every attribute. My WIND and WATER decks are complete." He explained. "However, I felt this was the perfect occasion to see how my EARTH deck was doing. I can't say I'm too disappointed. It did quite well in the end. Still, I suppose I must thank you for giving me a chance to improve it further."
Konami sighed. "The way you're talking, it almost sounds like you used me. I've gotta say, I'm not too fond of being treated like a dueling robot, you know."
"You say that as if you didn't have a good time," Bastion said. "Besides, you won. I don't know what you're complaining about. The results turned out in your favor."
"Yeah, I guess. From where you're sitting, this all turned out pretty well. You got to find out how to improve your deck, and the new kid still gets into school."
"What are you implying?"
"That there weren't any stakes. Well, at least not on your end. I had my entire admission on the line, and now you might just switch a few cards. Hardly fair. If you asked me, it's not very honorable either. You had me thinking you were a real Duelist, but I guess that's just not the case."
"H-Hey! That's going too far! Bastion worked hard in that duel!" Yuma said. "It might've been the first time he dueled with that deck, but that doesn't mean he didn't give his all!"
Bastion frowned. "She's right. You have no idea how much dueling means to me. I'll have you know I spent days, no-weeks collecting those cards. To think you'd manage to crush them so easily... And with my own monster no less...!" He grimaced. "Yet you dare to say I'm not a true Duelist? I've never been so insulted!"
"Sorry. That's just how it is, buddy," Konami sighed, tapping his desk. "I can't respect someone who won't give it their all, and it just doesn't sound like you did."
"Is that right?" a new voice approached him, making its way through the chaos. Konami glanced upward to find a tall blonde gazing down at him with a frown.
White blouse.
Blue skirt.
The face of an elegant woman.
And based on how the other students were acting, the reputation of one, too.
"Alexis?" Yuma said. "What are you doing?"
She ignored her and approached Konami.
"You say you can't respect an opponent who doesn't give their all, right?" She asked him. "Does that mean you don't have any self-respect? Because you were holding back, too."
"What do you mean?"
"You wouldn't have noticed, but I was behind you during that duel. You had the Fool in your hand from the start, and Metamorphosis was your first draw. If you'd wanted to, you could have called Thousand Eyes from the start of the game."
"What?" Bastion asked. "Is this true?"
Konami paused for a moment.
"So it is! What's the meaning of this? You're just a two-faced hypocrite!"
"Heh, you're saying some interesting things," he said. "So what if I am? I couldn't have known how the duel would turn out. Like she said, it was the first turn."
"That's not an excuse!" Alexis interposed. "You're just dancing around the subject. If you'd summoned Thousand Eyes Restrict from the start, then the entire duel would have changed! Every move from that turn on would have been different!"
"Oh? Would they have, though?" he inquired. "Bastion."
"Hm?"
"That face-down card of yours, what was it again?"
"Sakuretsu Armor?"
"Yeah, that's right. A trap that eliminates monsters. So let's play this out. Let's say I played the Fool and used Metamorphosis. I'd have Thousand Eyes and end my turn, and Bastion, what would you do? Given your skill, I imagine you already know about its effects. Is that the case?"
"Yes. I've studied Pegasus' decks quite well," he said. "Thousand Eyes is a monster who prevents other monsters from attacking, and given its powerful absorption effect, I'd have to resort to defense. I'd set Sakuretsu Armor as well as my Spiritual Earth Art - Kurogane, and to goad you into a misstep, I'd summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior."
"That's a pretty good field," Konami said. "Alright then, it's my move. If we use the same draws, the new card I got would have been my Masked Ninja Ebisu. I'd summon Goe Goe in attack position and steal Gamma with Thousand Eyes. I'd equip my Goe Goe with Fuhma Shuriken to give him an extra attack boost, but since he can't attack anyway, it's just to have some more strength. With two face-downs, I'd be a little wary about attacking directly, but let's say I do. Since I can only attack with one, it's obvious what happens."
"Sakuretsu Armor," Bastion said. "It destroys your Thousand Eyes Restrict. Since its protection effect only works when in battle, my trap card would break it."
"Bravo, and with Thousand Eyes gone, Gamma also goes to the Graveyard. But my Goe Goe the Gallant Ninja can now attack, so he takes away 2200."
"That's 1800 left," Yuma said.
"But here's where the fun part begins," Konami said. "Bastion, your next move?"
"I draw Alpha the Magnet Warrior," he said. "Then, I'll summon Beta. I'll also activate Magnetic Field like I did in the actual duel. Through its effect, I'd revive Gamma from the Graveyard in Attack Mode..."
"...and then?"
"Well, then I would attack your Goe Goe with Beta," he said.
"You'll lose another 500 points. You're cutting it pretty close, Bastion."
"And I'd lose another 700 after Magnetic Field bounces Goe Goe to your hand."
"That's right! Fuhma Shuriken would be destroyed like last time!" Yuma gasped. "Which means, uh... Bastion now has...?"
"A mere 600 Life Points."
Alexis frowned, crossing her arms. "That sounds like it's in your favor."
"But it's not," Konami replied. "'Cause now Bastion's about to go off."
"I attack directly with Gamma, reducing your Life Points by 1500. Then, I'd tribute him with my face-down Spiritual Earth Art - Kurogane. It allows me to tribute one EARTH monster to summon another from my Graveyard, so long as the Special Summoned target is Level 4 or below. Using that power, I'd revive my Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode."
"And since it's treated as a new monster," Yuma said, "it can attack once again!"
"This time, Beta will attack you directly for 1700!"
Yuma checked the math. "So, that's like, what? He's down to 800 points?"
"That's right," Konami said. "And do you do anything else?"
Bastion frowned, "I end my turn."
"My turn then. I draw!" Konami made the motion with his empty hands. "It's Ninjitsu Art of Duplication."
"Ugh, that card again!" Yuma said.
Alexis frowned. "I see, so then you'd-"
"Summon Ebisu, defense mode." He said. "With 1800 Defense Points, he's the only thing that could protect me from Beta. I also place my Ninjitsu Art of Duplication face-down. I could go and activate Ebisu's effect, but it doesn't really help me right here. Bastion would just replay his card, so I'd pass on that mess and end turn."
"My turn then," Bastion said. "My last draw was Insect Knight. I'll summon him in attack mode and utilize Magnetic Field. Once again, my Gamma the Magnet Warrior would rise, and then I'd summon my Insect Knight in attack mode and attack."
"Insect Knight has 1900 attack, destroying Ebisu. Or it would have, that is, if I didn't use my Ninjitsu Art. Like before, I'd split my Ninja into 2 Armed Ninja, but since Ebisu is Level 4, I'd get 2 Crimson Ninja as well."
"Still can't believe you're running those..." Yuma murmured. "...They're so useless."
"I already proved they weren't today," he replied. "So you can shut up."
"H-Hey!" she stamped her foot.
Bastion interrupted her. "A Battle Phase replay happens, yes? My Insect Knight attacks!"
"If it's one of my Armed Ninja, then Magnetic Field is destroyed," Konami said. "Either way, things would continue until I only have face-down monster left. When ending his turn, Bastion still has Beta, Gamma, and Insect Knight."
"Looks like Bastion's got you on the ropes this time!" Yuma said. "Take that, Konami!"
"I suppose he does. And that's the point. This time, it's my loss."
"Wait, what?" Yuma stumbled. "You're admitting it, just like that?!"
He rose from his seat. "Yep. I would have lost. Bye-bye admission. So as you can see, I guess it's a good thing that I waited to summon it out."
Alexis frowned, but before she could speak, the audience closed in around them. Konami quickly took advantage of that, using that chance to escape. Slipping through them, he hastily made his way out into the school hallway, intending to leave Horakhty Hall before his new classmates caught up.
He should've known it wouldn't be that easy.
"Hang on for a second, Konami!"
Damn. She's quick.
It was Alexis. She'd managed to push through the crowd.
"You made a mistake."
"Oh, did I now?"
"That duel. You made a mistake! And even if you didn't, we still don't know what that last card you drew was, either!"
Konami sighed, taking a moment to run a hand through his dark hair.
Damn. She was actually paying attention. I'll admit it. She's pretty good.
"Fine then, what mistake did I make?" he asked, despite knowing the answer.
"You forgot your Enemy Controller," she said. "If you used that card, then you would have been able to win during the duel's fifth move!"
Tch. She caught it.
Yes, Enemy Controller would have helped save him. If he used it then, tributing Ebisu to steal away Bastion's Beta...then there was no doubt. Bastion's 600 Life Points would have been lost. Konami had carefully hidden that trap while egging the conversation onward. He'd hoped that it would be lost in the cries and shouts of the surrounding students.
"So I was right," Alexis said, evidently reading his thoughts. "You did hold back. You could've beaten Bastion two turns earlier than you did! And that's not even bringing up whatever the last card it was that you drew!"
"Congratulations, you caught me." He admitted it. "But which of those duels was more fun? The one where I win with a weak little Beta, or Valkyrion the Magna Warrior? Either way, the end is the same. He loses to his own monster. In that regard, I'd say the path that I chose was more entertaining."
"Entertaining?" Alexis asked. "Then what was all that with Bastion? You chewed him out using a 'prototype' deck when you weren't going all out yourself!"
"Oh, that. I wanted to push him. You know, see how he'd respond?" He shrugged. "But I've gotta say, I thought he was boring, but he actually got pretty upset."
"Of course he did. What did you think would happen? You insulted his pride as a Duelist! To say that someone who goes to this school's not a Duelist, are you insane?!"
"Maybe a little," Konami admitted. "If you want me to apologize, fine. Later, though. I'm on my way to the dorms, and It's already been a long day."
He turned around, intending to slink off and get back to handling business...
"Hold it," she said, grabbing his shoulder. "You're not getting off that easy. Messing with your opponent is one thing, but insulting their pride is another! We're going to duel, and if you refuse, I'll tell everyone about your dumb trick."
"You're joking, right? Do you actually think I care whether or not they find out?"
"If you didn't, then you wouldn't have gone and hidden that fact to begin with."
Konami frowned.
She's got me there.
"There's something that I need to do."
Something that he couldn't achieve unless he was seen as an [honorable Duelist]. What a mess. To think he'd slip up and get caught on his very first day... Was it bad luck, or was this girl just an omen of worse things to come?
"Hey," he said, "let me ask you something. What do you get out of this?"
"What do you mean?" Alexis asked.
"Exactly what I just said." He replied. "From what I've heard of this school overseas, Obelisks Blues aren't noble. No, that's wrong. It's more that they hate sticking up for lower-ranked students. So why'd you do it? What did you get out of helping Bastion just now?"
"I don't need a reason to be a good person. Call it my own Duelist pride."
"Your pride, huh?" Konami asked, grabbing his student PDA. He opened an app, and a few moments later, a chime rang from Alexis' own.
"You issued an official challenge?" she asked.
"That's right," Konami replied. "I need to generate some interest in myself, and beating you will help me."
Alexis frowned. Interest? If that was the case, then why hold back? Well, whatever. She was fine with settling this behind closed doors if needed, but if he wanted to make it official...
"Fine," she said. "Your terms?"
"It's simple," he said. "If you win, you can spill about me holding back. But if I win, you keep it a secret, and you and I become friends."
"Friends?" she muttered. "That's what you want? You're off to a terrible start."
"I'm sure we can find a way to get along."
And there are worse people out there than me.
Alexis scowled. "If you think you can use this to try and get up my skirt—"
"Sorry to disappoint you," he said, "but you're just not my type."
Alexis sighed. "As long as we're clear."
She hit the accept duel button.
The notification went out.
At 5 PM, they would duel.
TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: LEARNING TO DUEL
LESSON TWO
END