Coverart by BioLightHero

Within the walls of Doctor Crowler's class, Bastion Misawa was thinking.

He didn't know why his prototype deck had offended Konami so much, but regardless of the reason, he couldn't approve of the way he'd made his anger known. Even if a prototype deck had been used, Bastion had given his all. If Konami couldn't even comprehend that, then why on earth had he come to this school?

"Hey, you alright?"

Yuma's sudden voice drew Bastion away from his thoughts. He turned to her, only to find her staring back at him worriedly.

"Don't let what that jerk said get to you," she said. "You're definitely a true Duelist, Bastion!"

"An astute observation," Bastion replied, "but I haven't. I'm just confused. Does he really think I would try and hold back? Why on earth would I do such a thing? There'd be no merit! Everyone knows that a Duelist never gives up!"

"Well, I guess he missed that," Yuma said, rolling her eyes with a shrug. "All I know is he's got a huge stick up his butt. Kind of like another Duelist we know."

She glanced to the opposite corner of the room where a group of Obelisks had gathered. Among them was a smirking dark-eyed boy with swirling, spiky black hair.

Bastion sighed. "At least you know where you stand when it comes to Chazz," he said. "I thought I'd able to get along with Konami, but it seems that won't be the case."

Beep! Beep!

"Oh, hang on," Yuma muttered, checking her student PDA. "Wha-? No way...! Speak of the devil. He challenged Alexis to a duel!"

Wait, what?

Bastion looked down as his own PDA started ringing. Similar sounds echoed through the class. Almost everyone there had found out.

"Hahahahahaha!"

"Hey, look at this!"

"The transfer is dueling Alexis?!"

"Uppity brat! Getting cocky just because he defeated some Ra Yellow punk...!"

"Hey, Chazz! What do you think about this?"

"What do you think?" the dark-haired boy asked. "Alexis will beat that loser, no problem! He's no match for an Obelisk Blue."

"It starts at 5," Bastion noticed.

"Don't tell me you wanna go watch?" Yuma asked.

"I might as well. It's a good chance for me to go pick up some new dueling data."

"Oh, I get it. For a revenge match, right?" Yuma asked, smashing her fists. "If that's the case, then I'm all for it! Let's go watch that brat eat his words!"

Bastion sighed. To be honest, he couldn't care less about who won the duel. But if going meant he'd be able to expand his own skills, then he'd gladly watch a good move or two.

"Let's get going. It's almost time," he said, leaving the classroom.

Yuma smiled and followed behind him.

"Yeah!" she said. "Sure thing!"

"Alright," Jaden said. "I've swept the floor, cleaned the blackboard, and I've even wiped down your desk! Come on, teach, can I go now? I'm gonna miss all the fun!"

Crowler wrinkled his nose in disgust as he scraped a random desk's surface. "Well, I suppose they are quite sparkly..."

"Sweet! Does that mean I'm free?"

Crowler grimaced. "Of course, it doesn't! You still owe me an apology!"

"Huh? For what?"

He felt his eye twitch. "For making dumb jokes in my class!"

"Oh, that! Sorry, teach, but I was just having some fun! You should lighten up. You know what they say, 'too much stress will ruin your day!'"

"The only one stressing me out here is you!" he snapped. "Oh, whatever! Run along and have fun with your little friends." And enjoy being here while you can!

"Sweet, thanks, teach!" Jaden replied. He threw his mop by the wall. "Now, I've gotta get ahold of Syrus! That duel starts in less than five minutes!"

He ran up and opened the door to the class, smiling as he escaped—

"Hold it!" Crowler said, stopping him dead. "What do you mean, 'that duel?"

"Huh? You mean you don't know?" Jaden asked, pulling out his student PDA. "Looks like that new kid's challenged Alexis. I can't wait to see how he does!"

"What, 'new kid?!'" Crowler gasped. "He's dueling one of my Obelisks?!"

"Well, if that's all you needed, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow, Crowler!" Jaden said.

He turned on his heel and rushed out the room, leaving Crowler by himself.

"Wait, the mop!" he shouted after him, but it was too late.

He was gone.

"No-good slacker...!" Crowler hissed. "As if I'd take care of these things myself!"

TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: LEARNING TO DUEL
LESSON THREE
CYBER GIRL

The arena hadn't changed one bit in the time since his duel that morning with Bastion. No, if there was perhaps one thing, it was that there were more people now.

Since classes were out, the stands were filled to the brim with talented Duelists, some of whom were preoccupied with watching the other duels still taking place. But Konami didn't care about any of them. He was keeping his eyes on his classmates, waiting to see how many of them had come to watch him throw down with Alexis.

Lots of faces, he thought, scanning the crowd for those he remembered. All the freshmen would've gotten that message, and Alexis is pretty popular.

Even in class, when she'd first approached, her words had summoned more people. And as far as he knew, only the most popular students had that sort of skill. It was why he felt confident in challenging her. He wanted to brew up a storm. And what better way was there to do that than beating her in front of her fans?

As he studied the room, he spotted a familiar mop of black hair in the bleachers.

Bastion Misawa.

So he came too? Figured he might stay away.

"Alright," he said, turning to Alexis. "It's your last chance to back out."

"Funny. Try not to hold back this time," Alexis said, "or you're gonna lose!"

""Duel!""

"I'll go first," she continued, adding a card to her hand. "And what better way is there to kick things off than with my Warrior Lady of the Wasteland?!"

A blonde-haired mercenary in a long dark cape rose to stand by Alexis, only to immediately crouch down and raise her sword in front of her defensively.

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland - (1200 DEF)

Warrior Lady? Konami thought. Guess that means her deck's full of Warriors? Fine by me. Let's see how good this Obelisk Blue really is!

"I'll set one card and end my turn."

"My move then. I draw!"

Konami added a card to his hand.

Ninjitsu Art of Duplication.

A quick glance showed a handful of monsters: Goe Goe, Ebisu, and Alector. He also had Strike Ninja, a suitable monster for starting things off with a bang.

"I'll summon Strike Ninja in attack mode," he decided, placing the card of his Duel Disk. In response to his play, a ninja in all-black rose from the shadowy depths.

Strike Ninja - (1700 ATK)

That face-down's a little worrying, but there's nothing for it. Konami grimaced. "Strike Ninja, attack!"

Strike Ninja raced across the field toward Warrior Lady with an affirmative snarl, summoning a pair of kunai in its hands to cleave the monster in two. The mercenary fell with a gasp, collapsing due to the difference in power, but at that moment—

"Warrior Lady of the Wasteland's ability activates!" Alexis shouted. "When she's destroyed by battle, I can summon an EARTH Warrior with 1500 or less Attack Points. I choose to bring out...the beautiful Blade Skater!"

A bald-headed ice-skater rose from the floor, dressed in a pale mauve. On her forearms, a pair of crescent-shaped blades extended from her skin.

Blade Skater - (1400 ATK)

"And I'm not done yet," Alexis continued, "because I'm also playing my face-down, the trap card, Fusion Reserve! Now, by revealing a monster from Fusion Deck, I can add one of its Fusion Materials from my deck to my hand. I reveal this card!"

She held up a Cyber Blader.

"Cyber Blader?" Konami asked. "What? Is that your ace?"

"You'll find out soon enough. I'm adding its Fusion Material, Etoile Cyber, to my hand." She revealed the card before shuffling her deck and adding it into her hand.

If I'm right, then I'm sure the other Fusion Material must be that Blade Skater, Konami thought. And I'd be willing to bet my best card that Polymerization's in her hand, which means next turn, I'll be getting a close-up view of that monster, which means right now, the best thing I could hope for is...

"I'll set one card," he said, placing Negate Attack face-down. "Your move, Alexis. Come on and show me what you've got!"

Unbeknownst to Konami, as he ended his turn, someone else walked into the arena: a certain Slifer with two-toned hair that many confused for Kuriboh.

Jaden Yuki.

"Sweet! Looks like I made it," he said as he entered. "Now, I wonder where Syrus is..."

"Hey, Jaden! We're over here!"

Hearing his name, Jaden glanced upward to find several familiar faces sitting above him. One of them was a small young boy with a bush-sized mop of blue hair.

"Oh, hey, Syrus! So that's where you were. And sweet, you brought Chumley, too?"

"Don't mind me," the bulkier boy seated beside Syrus grunted. "I'm only here we're 'cause eating after. Tonight, we're having grilled cheese!"

"Can't go wrong there," Jaden said, grinning. He ran up the steps to join them. Once seated, he cast his gaze between the two boys with a grin. "Sorry I'm late. Crowler didn't let me leave until everything sparkled!"

"I'm not surprised," Chumley mumbled. "He's had it in for you since the start of the year."

"Well, yeah. He lost to Jaden in front of the entire school!" Syrus said. "I bet I'd probably be upset too, n-not that I'd do what he does, or anything!"

Jaden laughed and clapped Syrus on the back. "Aw, don't worry, Syrus, it's fine! Besides, it turned out all right in the end, so who cares? At least I had fun!"

"If you don't mind," someone said from above them, "do you think you three could keep it down? Some of us are trying to watch the duel, and your comments are quite distracting."

Jaden blinked and glanced up to the speaker, only to spot Bastion and Yuma.

"Oh, what's up, Number Two? So you're here, too, huh? That's pretty sweet!"

"Yes, 'sweet.'" Bastion said. "And you're here as well, I see."

"I missed your duel with the new kid this morning, so I wanted to see how he does," Jaden said. "Speaking of which," he turned back to the arena. "Which one of them's winning right now?"

"You haven't missed much," Syrus said. "It's only been a couple of turns, but given Alexis' last move, she'll probably have him on the ropes!"

Jaden smiled. He knew Alexis was a great Duelist from their own match, back when he'd first come to blows with her while trying to save Syrus' school life.

"Sweet," he said, leaning forward. "I can't wait to see what she does next! If it's anything like the last time we dueled, then that new kid's gonna have a rough time!"

"It's my turn. Draw!" Alexis said, adding another card to her hand. She glanced at it for only a second before reaching for another. "I activate Polymerization!"

So she did have it! Konami thought.

"And I'll fuse the Blade Skater on my field with the Etoile Cyber in my hand, to Fusion Summon..." she placed her revealed Cyber Blader on her Duel Disk. "Cyber Blader!"

A whirlwind erupted from the space before her as her Blade Skater vanished in a pillar of light. In its place, a blue-haired skater dressed in an outfit taking inspiration from its Material arose. A gleaming red visor covered its face, and jagged tips stretched out from her shoulders. On her feet, the shoes of Blade Skater could still be made out.

Cyber Blader - (2100 ATK)

Over 2000 Attack Points... "Not bad," Konami grinned.

"If you liked that, you'll love this," Alexis said with a smile. "I summon Cyber Gymnast! Come out and lend me a hand!"

A muscular skater with long blonde hair rose up beside Cyber Blader, striking a pose with its elegant partner while staring down Konami's Strike Ninja.

Cyber Gymnast - (800 ATK)

"Only 800 attack?" he asked.

"She makes up for it with her effect," Alexis explained, smirking.

"Effect?" Yuma asked from the stands. Beside her, Bastion answered.

"Cyber Gymnast has the unique ability to destroy a face-up monster. All Alexis has to do is discard one of the cards in her hand."

"I'll discard my Fusion Reserve," Alexis said, revealing it. "And then, Cyber Gymnast will destroy your Strike Ninja!"

"Ah...!" Konami breathed, watching as Cyber Gymnast suddenly spin forward, performing a perfect Biellmann spin before kicking Strike Ninja in the face. Strike Ninja groaned as it was sent flying back, shattering in an explosion.

Alexis narrowed her eyes.

"And now that you're defenseless... Cyber Blader, Direct Attack!"

"Not so fast," Konami interrupted. "I'm activating my trap card. Negate Attack! It'll stop your monster and end the Battle Phase, too!"

Alexis frowned. "Your deck just seems to be full of annoying trap cards." She smiled. "But that's fine. It'll make it all the sweeter when I beat you. I'll set one card and end my turn. It's your move, Konami."

"Yeah," he said. "And looking at your field, it better be a good one, too. Here I go. Draw!"

He drew a card, Senior Silver Ninja, and added it to his hand. He then reached for one that would help him do quite well in his current predicament.

With two EARTH monsters on the field, this set-up couldn't be better. And with your effect, that Cyber Blader of hers is gonna be toast! he thought. "Here we come. I Special Summon Alector, Sovereign of Birds!"

"What?" Alexis asked. "Special Summon?"

"It's part of his awesome effect," Konami said. "When you control two monsters who happen to have the same attribute, I can bring this guy to the field without having to pay a thing!"

She grimaced. "That's just like Cyber Dragon...!"

"Alright, Alector, let's go!" he shouted. He placed the card on his Duel Disk, and a second cyclone blew through the field. From the eye of its storm, two wings with red feathers burst out from within. Attached to them was an armored beat with black skin and the head of a bird. He stood before Cyber Blader and screamed, announcing his intention to fight.

Alector, Sovereign of Birds - (2400 ATK)

"And don't think he'll be going in alone because I've got my Normal Summon, too!" Konami said. "Come on out, Goe Goe! It's time for the fun to begin!"

The blue-haired ninja laughed as he flipped out his card onto the field. He spun his gold pipe around like a staff and then pointed it straight at Alexis.

Goe Goe the Gallant Ninja - (1500 ATK)

Alexis smiled. "Sorry," she said, "but that's where you made a mistake! I activate Cyber Blader's effect! When she's on the field while my opponent controls two monsters, her Attack Points double, increasing to 4200!"

Cyber Blader stood taller as a crimson aura enveloped her. Slowly, her Attack Points began to climb higher and higher.

"That's what you think," Konami interrupted. "Alector's special effect!"

"Huh?"

"Once per turn, he can negate the effect of one face-up card on the field," he said. "Which means that new attack your Cyber Blader has is going, going, and gone!"

Alector screamed, its bird-like voice sending ripples across the field, completely erasing the crimson aura that empowered Alexis' monster.

Cyber Blader - (2100 ATK)

"Battle Phase!" Konami shouted. "Alector, attack Cyber Blader with your Feather Shot!"

Jaden frowned, "Hey, that Avian's attack name! Not that Alector whoever's!"

"Oh, come on, Jay," Syrus said. "I'm sure at least some monsters have similar attack names. Besides, that's the last you should be worrying about. Alexis' monster is toast!"

True enough, as Syrus spoke, Alector flapped its wings, releasing a stream of jagged red feathers that shot toward Cyber Blader. The ice-skater screamed as the feathers landed on her, resulting in a loud explosion. When the dust cleared, Alexis' monster was no longer anywhere to be seen.

"And next," Konami continued, "Goe Goe attacks your Cyber Gymnast!"

The Gallant Ninja grinned as he leaped high into the sky, then brought his gold pipe crashing down on Cyber Gymnast's mask. The attack shattered the monster on impact, and Alexis let out a grunt, shielding herself with her Duel Disk as another explosion went off.

ALEXIS - 3000 LP

"I'll set one card face down," Konami set Ninjitsu Art of Duplication. "Turn End."

Not good," Bastion said. "That move put him back in the lead."

"Yeah, no kidding," Yuma said. "How's Alexis gonna win now?"

"Wait, you two are pulling for Alexis?" Syrus asked. "How'd that happen?"

"Yeah," Chumley said. "I thought you were getting along when he joined you in class."

Yuma frowned. "That was before he said something rude to Bastion! Listen to this-"

"Yuma, I don't need to have my own business known," Bastion said. "Besides, I didn't come here to root for either of them in particular. Alexis is a powerful Duelist, and I wanted to see what I could make of her deck."

Not to mention, he thought, watching the field, figure out a way to beat him.

"It's my turn," Alexis said. "I draw!"

She drew a card, Doble Passe.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she said. "It revives a monster from my Graveyard."

Konami grimaced. "Cyber Blader?"

"That's right," she said with a smile. "Call of the Haunted will equip to her and keep her on my field, but if it's destroyed, then Cyber Blader will be sent back to the grave. But there's no way I'm letting that happen. Cyber Blader, return!"

The blue-haired ice-skater tossed her hair as she rose from the ground before Alexis.

"And don't forget her special effect!" Alexis continued, smirking. "Since you have two monsters on the field, her Attack Points are doubled!"

Cyber Blader - (4200 ATK)

"Well, this is gonna hurt."

"You've got that right," Alexis said. "Attack the Sovereign of Birds!"

Cyber Blader nodded. Crouching down, she skated toward Alector, then jumped and performed a quadruple axel that ended with her leg in his face. The powerful kick smashed his head in an instant, and Alector screamed as his body exploded from the impact.

"Urggggh...!" Konami grunted. He raised his Duel Disk to block the blast. But while he could protect himself, he couldn't say the same for his Life Points.

KONAMI - 2200 LP

Alexis had taken the lead.

"Nice move," he mumbled. "But don't forget your monster's effect. Since you destroyed one of my monsters, that means her Attack Points return to normal!"

"That's right," she sighed, watching as Cyber Blader lost her crimson aura. "But even with only 2100 attack, she's still the strongest monster on the field." And in case she isn't, my Doble Passe will make you regret attacking her. "I'll set one card and end my turn."

Konami frowned. Another face-down? Just what on earth are you planning? Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I've already won this duel.

"It's my move," he said. "I draw!"

Reshef the Dark Being joined him in his hand.

Utterly useless in the current situation, but he had already won.

"I summon the Masked Ninja Ebisu!" he declared.

A cloud of smoke enveloped the field as the green ninja rose by his friend.

Masked Ninja Ebisu - (1200 ATK)

"Hold it right there," Alexis said. "You just don't learn, do you? Since you've summoned another monster, my Cyber Blader's attack doubles!"

"Yeah, I know. But that won't matter once I activate Ebisu's effect," he said.

"Ebisu's effect?"

"Since I control another "Ninja" monster, I can return spells and traps on the field equal to the number of "Ninja" I control," he explained. "Since I have two "Ninja" monsters, that means I can return two cards on the field. And what do you know? That last turn of yours just gave me just the right amount!"

"No," Alexis breathed. "But without Call of the Haunted, my Cyber Blader can't stay on the field!"

"Which means it's time to say your goodbyes because she's going back in the grave!" Konami said. "Alright, Ebisu, light her up! Unleash your Ninja Impact!"

Ebisu nodded and hurled a pair of bombs in Alexis' direction, prompting her to look up and scream as they exploded in a bright flash. At the same time, both Ebisu and Goe Goe disappeared from Konami's field, reappearing behind Alexis' monster and stealing the trap cards from under her nose.

With the light faded, Alexis' field was completely empty except for Cyber Blader, who herself was slowly vanishing due to Call of the Haunted's effect.

"There's no way..." Alexis frowned. Did this guy seriously outplay me?

"Now, for the direct attack! Masked Ninja, Goe Goe, go!"

"Uuaaaagh!" she screamed, shielding herself as the two monsters attacked as one unit, slashing and thwacking her with their weapons and dropping her Life Points further. By the time they finished, Alexis only had 300 Life Points left.

He'd completely turned things around again.

"Darn it," she muttered. "Nice move, but on my next turn, I'll-"

"Hm? What's that you said about a next move?" he said. "This duel's over, Alexis."

"What?"

"I activate my trap card, Ninjitsu Art of Duplication!" he said. "And since you were watching my duel this morning, I'm sure you know what it does."

"Ah...! No!"

"There's no way!"

"Is Alexis going to lose?!"

"Time for an upset," Konami said. "Ebisu, switch out with Yae!"

The Masked Ninja nodded and performed a hand-sign, transforming into a new monster. Green hair fluttered in the wind, attached to the head of a ninja. A beautiful kunoichi in a purple suit, ready to end things once and for all.

Lady Ninja Yae - (1100 ATK)

I don't believe it. I lost?

"Lady Ninja Yae, direct attack!"

The proud kunoichi obeyed. Grabbing a bomb, she took a few steps and hurled it toward Alexis, not batting an eye even as it erupted in the girl's face.

"A-Ahhhhh!" Alexis screamed as her body was consumed by the explosion.

""""Alexis!"""" most of the crowd shouted.

ALEXIS - 0 LP

She fell to her knees, a hand on her head. That last attack...it had hurt. And yet, she'd be lying if she said she didn't have fun. Really, it was a good duel.

Lowering his Duel Disk, Konami sighed and spared a glance at the audience. Most of them had been stunned into complete silence as they waited to see what he'd do. He stifled a sigh. With Alexis beaten, whatever doubts there were about his beating Bastion would vanish. Everyone there now knew he was strong. It was just a question of how much. To show that he was on par with the best while not revealing that he surpassed them... It was a fine line, and his following words would make or break his next move.

First things first, Alexis Rhodes.

How should he deal with her? Based on their bet, the secret that he'd held back against Bastion would be kept safe. That was, of course, assuming the blonde was honorable and didn't go back on her word. To ensure she wouldn't, it would have been nice to have some insurance of his own...but being his first day, even Konami didn't have time to learn what made her tick.

Guess I'll have to do things that way then. He thought, approaching her calmly.

When he reached her fallen form, he offered her a hand.

"Hey," he said. "Good duel."

Now then, how would she react to this? Would they be able to make amends? Would she be amicable and accept his hand, or would she scoff and walk off?

"Yeah," she agreed. "It was a good duel."

Ah. He thought.

She took it. Konami pulled her up to her feet.

"Don't worry," he said, sporting a smile. "I didn't hold back this time. Would you like to see my hand to prove it?"

"I'll take your word for it," she said. "Besides, that was just an excuse. I just wanted a reason to duel you."

Konami frowned.

"That was all? You know, you could've just asked."

Alexis smirked. "If I had done that, would you have given your all?"

This girl...

"Who knows?" he sighed, shaking his head softly.

""Alexis!"" Several students ran down to them from the bleachers, several of whom Konami could recognize from Crowler's earlier class.

"Friends of yours?"

"Something like that. How long are you gonna hold my hand?"

"Sorry," he said, letting go.

"You know, you're a good Duelist," she said. "If it wasn't for your bad attitude, I bet you'd make tons of friends. Don't worry, though. I'll help you out. That was the deal, right?"

Konami nodded, and just in time for the crowd to reach them, it seemed.

"Alexis, what in the world happened out here?!" a dark-haired girl asked, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You had that boy on the ropes, but then you went and lost the whole duel!"

"Sorry, Mindy," Alexis said. "But it's fine. You can't win them all."

"Still," her other friend, a brunette, asked, "did you have to go losing to him?"

Konami frowned. "Hey, you do realize that I'm standing right here?"

"Yeah?" she asked him. "What's your point? And what's with the blue, you poser? You probably cheated somehow, huh? How else could you beat our Alexis?"

Alexis sighed. "Really, Jasmine? You could at least pretend to be nice."

The girl— Jasmine, Konami corrected, huffed, and folded her arms. It seemed she had no intention of trying to befriend him like Alexis was doing. In fact, based on the rest of the crowd, most people seemed to share her opinion.

"To him?" she asked. "No way. Not after he was arguing with you just earlier."

He scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what he could say or do to pacify her. Should he try and apologize? No, not for winning. He didn't think she'd buy it, either.

"Well, I for one think he did quite well," a voice in the crowd sang loudly. "That kind of dueling is exactly what we need in a dorm like Obelisk Blue."

"Ugh...!" Jasmine winced, turning around. "So she was watching this, huh?"

The crowd parted, revealing a young woman with green eyes and wavy blue hair. A pair of white ribbons kept it all in place; only two bangs fell in front of her eyes. Like the others around her, she was dressed in the freshman Duel Academy uniform: a clean white blouse and a dark blue skirt.

The symbols of Obelisk Blue.

"Kami," Alexis said, frowning at her.

Kami? You mean like God?

"It was a wonderful duel, Alexis," she said. "A shame you had to go lose it. That will hurt your rank quite a bit, I'm afraid... as well as your chance to be Queen."

The words earned a frown from Jasmine and Mindy, though Alexis merely sighed upon hearing them.

"Queen?" Konami asked. "What's that?"

"You're new, so you wouldn't know," Mindy said.

"It's the best female Duelist of our year," Jasmine said. "Every grade of the academy has one. They're in charge of making sure the other girls in their year act in a way that's befitting the school."

"If by 'befitting the school,' you mean, 'doing as told,'" Alexis said, folding her arms.

"Why, Alexis," Kami said. "You almost sound like you don't even want the Queen title."

"Well, maybe I don't."

"If that's really the case, then that means I'll have less competition," she smirked.

Politics. Konami thought. Just what I need.

Not.

This wasn't good.

Kami approached him, closing the gap that was separating them in an instant. She met his brown gaze with a green one of her own.

"Hey there, you're pretty good," she said.

"Uh, thank you?" Konami replied.

"You're welcome," Kami said, smiling. She stepped forward, entering his personal space while touching his arm. She looked confident. "It's not every day that we get to meet someone like you. Beating two strong Duelists on your first day... You're certainly sending a message."

A message to who?

"Thank you," he said. "And, sorry, I don't know your name...?"

"Kami," she said. "Umino Kami. The heiress of Umi No Corp."

Umi No Corp. A multi-million business focused entirely on seafaring. They built boats, submarines, and other sea vessels, then sold them to the highest bidder to meet their bottom line. In that, and that alone, did they even rival the great KaibaCorp. It was a feat this heiress must have been proud of if she introduced herself as such.

She held out the back of her hand to Konami.

He stared at it, confused.

"You're supposed to kiss it."

"Oh..." he said, choosing to shake it instead.

Jasmine coughed.

"Sooo, Kami," she interposed, "what brings you here? It's rare to see you at the dueling arena. Not hanging out with one of your toys?"

"Funny, I was thinking the same about you. No good-looking boy on your arm?" she smirked. "Perhaps it's for the best. You're starting to have quite the reputation in the girls' dorm. If you focused that attention on studying more, perhaps your skills would match up with your rank."

"My reputation?" Jasmine asked, frowning as it clicked in her head. "What are you saying?! You better not mean what I think you do, you bitch!"

"My, such crude language!" Kami said, laughing into the back of her hand. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth of yours? How unbecoming for an Obelisk Blue."

"Why, you little...!" Jasmine stepped forward, but Alexis placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Jasmine, don't! You'll get us in trouble. If you need to, settle it with a duel! That's why you're here, right? To become a Duelist? Don't mess your life up with a brawl!"

Jasmine grimaced but lowered her arm. Kami smiled at the sight.

"You keep a good leash on your pets," she said.

"They're not my pets. They're my friends. Which is more than I can say for those groupies of yours," Alexis said. "Your crowd's gotten bigger."

Kami smiled. "What can I say? They want to join the winning team. A lesson your puppies could learn from, I bet. Especially you there, Mindy."

"I'm actually fine where I am, thanks..."

"A pity, your father's quite useful. It'd be a shame if something happened that stopped him from getting that promotion he so wants next month."

"...?!"

"Kami, that's enough!" Alexis snapped. "What are you even doing here? Did you come here to start a fight with me? If you want a duel, bring it on!"

Kami sighed, "I'd like to, but I have an exam to prepare for tomorrow. Besides, I think you've already embarrassed yourself enough for one day. No, the reason I came was to meet and congratulate your opponent. I wanted to thank the boy who so easily made a fool out of you."

"What? 'Made a fool of,' you say...?"

Kami chose to ignore her. She turned her head back toward Konami, a proud smile still on her face. "You'll soon realize that certain individuals aren't good for people like us. It pays to have friends who will be in high places. I could be one of them if you'd like."

She's trying to recruit me, Konami realized. Into this "Queen" game that's she playing. But is it worth it? She doesn't really seem to get along with Alexis that well.

He eyed the crowd. Most of them seemed to be waiting for his response, and given that many were wearing smiles, it looked like they were in Kami's crew.

Alexis is in the minority here. Guess that's why Kami approached us. Except for these two stupid groupies of hers, she doesn't have one friend on her side. Is this how it is in the dorms, as well? Is Kami running the freshmen? If Alexis doesn't want to be Queen, then who are the other candidates for the job?

No matter the answer, it seemed Kami's offer was his most beneficial course of action. It'd probably lead to bad blood with Alexis, but her friends didn't care for him anyway. However, Alexis knew his secret, or at least a tiny part of it. That could come back to bite him. He'd have to take steps to neutralize it, and soon.

No. Wait.

He unintentionally began thinking as if he had joined up with Kami, but that was wrong. He hadn't come here to "be safe" or "make 500 friends." And even if he had, he'd already secured a good deal by beating Alexis. Not only was she going to keep her mouth shut, but act helpfully, too. He needed to see this through a different angle, one that would further his goal.

If Kami has more "tools" on her side, then that means more people to duel. He thought. If I antagonize her, they'll come for me, and I'll be able to raise my rank. Not to mention...

He glanced at Alexis.

It'll help me make friends with this person. A common enemy can temper our bond and make it stronger than steel.

It was the equivalent of poking a hornet's nest, only these bugs were ones he could beat. He doubted there was any freshman she had in her pocket who could defeat him. If she had one, he'd love to meet them; it was why he had come to this school. To find someone who could best a monster...

It seemed like an unreachable dream.

To achieve that purpose, to push these guys until one appears who can beat me, I'll do anything. Even go against this beautiful soon-to-be "Queen."

"Sorry," he said, smirking as he tilted Kami's chin up toward his face, "but I have no need for a goddess right now. Try again in a year or two, yeah?"

"E-Excuse me?" Kami replied. The smile she was wearing froze over. she didn't seem used to being rejected. Perhaps he could push her some more.

"You heard me," Konami said. "You can take your groupies and scram. I have no intention of being your toy. You have more than enough as it is."

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Didn't you hear me say who I was?"

"Yeah. You're Umino Nami, right?"

"It's Umino Kami!"

"Eeeeh?!"

Her face flushed, and the crowd was growing restless. Good. That was very good.

"Y-You...!"

"Yes, me?"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Konami Kodo. Transfer Student. Oh, and I'm in Slifer Red."

"A-a Slifer?!" Kami paled.

So I'm right. She is an elitist.

"That's right. I'm all the way at the bottom. A worm who lives in the dirt. On second thought, maybe I should take your offer. Could you help me join Obelisk Blue?!"

She scrambled away, panting heavily as if she'd touched something foul. Well, she had. From her point of view, Slifers were probably the scum of the earth.

"Y-You. I won't forgive you for this. To think that I spoke to some commoner!"

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad. And weren't you praising me, too?"

The reminder only served to infuriate her further. She looked liked she might blow her lid.

"Hey!"

"Alexis!"

The cavalry's here.

Yuma Miyata? And Bastion? Oh, and a trio of Slifers, too.

And we meet at last, Jaden Yuki.

"What's happening here?" Bastion asked.

"Oh, nothing much," he replied. "I was just refusing ol' Tami here."

"It's Umino Kami, you worm!" she sneered.

"Hey! Come on, you two, break it up. I'm sure we can settle our differences," Jaden said. "Why don't we try settling things with a duel?"

Those words pushed her over the edge.

"As if I'd duel with a Slifer!" she snapped. "The nerve of you!" She glared fiercely. "To think I tried to cozy up with a Red... and that I let one touch me, too...!"

Jesus Christ.

"Dramatic, much? It's not like we made out, you sissy," Konami said. "Although, if you're willing to walk that mile, I'd be happy to join you, you know?"

"Ugh!" she growled, turning on her heel and disappearing into the crowd. Many of them glared as they followed her out.

I guess that means I did well.

"You shouldn't have done that," Alexis said. "Now, you'll be one of her targets."

"Good," he said, smirking at her. "Guess that means more DP for me."

TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: LEARNING TO DUEL
LESSON THREE
END

DUEL DATA

Konami vs Alexis

TURN ONE - ALEXIS - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000

Alexis draws Warrior Lady of the Wasteland.

Her hand now contains Warrior Lady, Polymerization, Fusion Reserve, Mind on Air, Cyber Gymnast and Call of the Haunted.

Alexis summons Warrior Lady of the Wasteland in defense position.

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland - (1200 DEF)

She sets Fusion Reserve and ends her turn.

TURN TWO - KONAMI - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

Konami draws Ninjitsu Art of Duplication. His hand contains Goe Goe the Gallant Ninja, Masked Ninja Ebisu, Strike Ninja, Negate Attack, and Alector, Sovereign of Birds.

Alexis activates Fusion Reserve. She reveals Cyber Blader from her Fusion Deck, and adds one of its Fusion Materials, Etoile Cyber, to her hand from her deck.

Konami summons Strike Ninja in attack mode.

Strike Ninja - (1700 ATK)

Strike Ninja attacks Warrior Lady of the Wasteland.

Upon its destruction, Alexis activates Warrior Lady's effect. Warrior Lady special summons Blade Skater to the field.

Konami sets Negate Attack and ends his turn.

TURN THREE - ALEXIS - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

Alexis draws another copy of Fusion Reserve.

Alexis activates Polymerization from her hand to fuse her Blade Skater on the field with the Etoile Cyber in her hand. Cyber Blader is summoned.

Cyber Blader - (2100 ATK)

She then summons Cyber Gymnast in attack mode, and uses its effect to discard Fusion Reserve to destroy Konami's Strike Ninja. Both Cyber Gymnast and Cyber Blader attack Konami directly, but Konami activates Negate Attack to end the Battle Phase.

Alexis sets Call of the Haunted and ends her turn.

TURN FOUR - KONAMI - FIVE CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

Konami draws Senior Silver Ninja.

Since both Cyber Blader and Cyber Gymnast are the same attribute, Konami special summons Alector to the field.

Alector - (2400 ATK)

He then normal summons Goe Goe the Gallant Ninja.

Goe Goe - (1500 ATK)

Alexis reveals Cyber Blader's effect, which changes depending on the number of monsters her opponent controls. Since Konami has two monsters, Cyber Blader's ATK is doubled.

Cyber Blader - (4200 ATK)

Konami reveals Alector's own effect: once per turn, he can target a monster and negate its effect. Alector negates Cyber Blader's effect, returning her to 2100 ATK.

Alector destroys Cyber Blader.

ALEXIS - 3700 LP

Goe Goe destroys Cyber Gymnast.

ALEXIS - 3000 LP

He sets Ninjitsu Art of Duplication and ends his turn.

TURN FIVE - ALEXIS - THREE CARDS - 3000 LP

Alexis draws Doble Passe.

She activates Call of the Haunted to revive Cyber Blader from the Graveyard.

Since Konami controls two monsters, Cyber Blader ATK doubles.

Cyber Blader - (4200 ATK)

Cyber Blader attacks Alector.

KONAMI - 2200 LP

Since Konami only controls one monster now, Cyber Blader goes back to 2100 ATK.

Alexis sets Doble Passe and ends turn.

TURN SIX - KONAMI - THREE CARDS - 2200 LP

He draws Reshef the Dark Being.

He summons Masked Ninja Ebisu in attack mode.

Using Ebisu's effect, Konami returns Spells/Traps on the field to the hand, equal to the number of Ninjas he controls. He controls 2 ninjas, so he can return two cards. He returns Call of the Haunted and Alexis' face-down Doble Passe.

Since Call of the Haunted was removed from the field, Cyber Blader is destroyed.

Konami goes into the Battle Phase and attacks with Goe Goe.

ALEXIS - 1500 LP

Ebisu attacks directly.

ALEXIS - 300 LP

Konami activates Ninjitsu Art of Duplication to swap Goe Goe out for Lady Ninja Yae.

Lady Ninja Yae attacks Alexis directly for game.