Alexis frowned as she stalked through the hall, pondering the counselor's words. Was she really on the path to becoming like Kami? No... That was impossible!
Kami was ruthless. She didn't give a damn about others or how she affected them! Sure, Alexis could have done more as Queen, but that didn't make her a monster!
'And then there's the fact that this guy knows Konami,' she thought, knitting her brow. 'Who knows if he really even came here to help?! He could just be working with them!'
She knew how it sounded the second she thought it. Sartorius Kumar? A sell-out? He was a licensed counselor for the Pro League! Even Kami couldn't blackmail him. Which begged the question...
'Why would he involve himself with some expelled student?''
She wasn't stupid. She knew how difficult Sartorius's job must have been. He probably got thousands of phone calls a day from people requesting his help.
But that was just it. With so many needy victims, why help Konami? From what she could tell, the boy was a brat! A great Duelist, sure... but a brat! Millions of students got expelled each year, but they didn't have to get counseling! What made him different?
"His story is out there," Sartorius had said. "Hear it."
'Oh, I'll hear it,' she thought, quickening her pace as she turned the next corner. 'Lucky for me, it won't be that hard.'
Konami wouldn't know what hit him.
TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: LEARNING TO DUEL
LESSON THIRTY-THREE
DOMINO! SETTLING IN AT THE HOUSE BACK HOME! KONAMI KODO TELLS ALL!
"Jasmine, are you awake in here?" Alexis asked outside the infirmary.
However, to her surprise, it wasn't Jasmine who greeted her first.
"Ah, Alexis," Bastion said. "Come in. We were just wrapping up."
Alexis narrowed her eyes at the Ra.
'I was hoping to catch her alone,' she thought.
Not that she had anything against Bastion, it was just... he was one of their friends. That meant he was an influencer... and a pretty piss poor one at that. Still, Alexis wasn't going to begrudge Bastion for his poor choice of friends. After all, from what she had seen of the Ra, it wasn't like he mimicked their methods. She opened her mouth quickly, preparing to greet him as one might a peer, but someone else spoke before she could.
"Oh! What's up?" Jasmine asked her. "Um, how did things go with the Chairman?"
"They didn't," Alexis said coolly. "She wasn't even there! Turns out that fancy counselor's running the show. You know, Sartorius?"
Jasmine blinked. "Wait. Aster Phoenix's manager?! Why is he here?! No, before that, do you think you can get me an autograph?! Aster's the best!"
"What? No! Besides, Aster's not here!" she replied.
"Huh? How come?"
A sigh left her lips. "Don't you pay any attention? Last night, the Chairman held a press conference, Jazz. Sartorius came here to help!"
"Indeed," Bastion said. "Their announcement of Holactie Force was a big hit online."
"Oh..." the enthusiasm drained from Jasmine. "So...? How did things go?"
Alexis grimaced. "He turned me down."
"What?" Jasmine asked. "But why?!"
"That's..." Alexis glanced toward Bastion. "Nevermind. I'll tell you later," she said.
"Huh? Well, if you're sure," Jasmine said. "Still, this could be a good thing!"
"What? How?!" Alexis replied.
"It's just that you're doing so much," Jasmine said. "Learning from Zane, being a Queen... you don't need this new task force, too!"
"Oh, so that's what you meant," she sighed. "But I really just wanted to help."
"You don't need to join a task force to do that," Jasmine said.
"Indeed," Bastion added, "but if you don't mind, I'm quite curious about their interview process. Yuma's also hoping to join, so any insight would prove useful."
"Wait, Yuma is?" Jasmine asked. "How come you didn't tell me this sooner?"
"Because I only found out this morning myself," Bastion told her, folding his arms.
"Yuma, you said?" Alexis repeated, recalling what she knew of the girl. She couldn't remember having trouble with her, but she knew she was no friend of Kami's. In fact, from what Alexis could remember, the girl was almost the opposite. Not only that, but she never put up with any of Konami's dumb schemes, either.
'That's right,' she thought. 'I still remember how he tried to sneak his way into her Gaming Club. Didn't she refuse to duel him because of how he'd acted while dueling her clubmate?'
She wondered if Yuma now regretted that choice. After all, her club was no more. Maybe that was why she had planned to join up? To find something new she could do? Well, either way...
"It's not like there's a whole lot to tell you," she told Bastion softly. "To be honest, it felt more like he was reading my fortune than anything else."
"Reading your fortune?" Bastion inquired.
"He even gave me a card," she replied. "Speaking of which, could you give us a second? There's something I need to ask Jasmine."
"Hm? Well, I suppose it's fine," Bastion said. "We're done for the day."
He rose from his seat.
"I'll leave you two to it. Try to have too much fun."
"Yeah, yeah. Wish Yuma luck for me, 'kay?" Jasmine asked as he left.
Bastion nodded and strode out the door, leaving the two girls alone.
Alexis sighed in relief once they were.
"You two have been getting along," she said. "I never thought I'd see you hanging out with him."
"He's making sure I stay caught up," Jasmine said. "Have to get the homework somehow, right? At least until I get back to class. And with Konami gone, Bastion's volunteered to help me keep up with my tutoring."
"Konami, huh...? Actually, he's the reason I wanted to talk," she explained. "Sartorius actually knows the jerk! He gave me a card he gave him!"
"W-What?" Jasmine inquired. "Wait, he knows Aster's manager?"
"Apparently, they met after he was expelled. I've been trying to figure out why. I never got around to asking before, but did he ever explain his expulsion? It must have been pretty serious if someone like Sartorius had to step in."
Jasmine frowned. "Well, yeah, he did, but-"
"What'd he say?" the blonde asked.
"I'm not sure it's my place to tell you," she said. "We're talking about his privacy here..."
"It's going to come out eventually, whether he likes it or not," said Alexis. "And with all the news he's been making, someone's bound to spill the beans soon. I'm just trying to get the full picture from someone I know I can trust. I know we haven't been on the same page lately, but Jazz, you're still my best friend!"
"Alexis," Jasmine said softly, "but... why? You don't even like him!"
"That's why I want to try and understand him better," she said. "To see what you do."
"Alexis..."
"Besides, he already promised he'd tell me what happened," she shrugged. "We've just been too busy to sit down and talk, so I figured I'd hear it from you. Please, Jasmine. Would you rather I find out from some weird reporter or something?"
Jasmine sagged. "Well, no, but..."
'Just one more push,' the blonde thought.
"Come on, Jazz, please?" she asked. "We used to tell each other everything."
Jasmine sighed. "Oh, alright... But... you can't tell, okay? This isn't something I want everyone to know, even if it does end up out there! Konami's my friend, and while I know he's done some pretty bad stuff in the past-"
"-he's getting better, right?" Alexis cut in. "Don't worry. This stays between us."
"Alright," Jasmine said with a nod. "Then... here's everything you should know..."
She told her the truth, and once she had finished, Alexis jumped to her feet.
"What?!" she snapped. "Impossible! Monsters don't wage an attack by themselves!"
"I know how it sounds," Jasmine stressed, "but I've already told you, spirits exist!"
"You're on about this again? Really?" she asked. "Jasmine, you know it sounds crazy!"
"You promised you'd listen," the brunette replied.
Alexis balled her fists at the words.
"Why can't you open your eyes?" she snapped. "Can't you see you're just being brainwashed?! Next thing you know, he'll have you saying Kami did a good thing by expelling Mindy!"
"Alexis, how can you say that?!" Jasmine gasped, eyes widening in disbelief.
"Well, what else am I supposed to think, huh?! He put some kid in a coma!" she snapped. "A coma, Jazz! That's not something a normal person can just... walk off! He clearly has a history of causing violence! Why'd they even let him come back?!"
Jasmine frowned. "Alexis, stop!"
"What? You know that I'm right!" she said. "Ever since he showed up, it seems like everything around here's just gotten worse!"
"Oh, come on!" Jasmine whined. "You can't blame Konami for everything, can you? Besides, I already told you, he didn't do it! His card spirit did!"
"And I already told you," she replied, "that Duel Monster Spirits aren't real!"
"Oh, yeah? Then where's the Occult Club, huh?" Jasmine asked, glaring back at her. "They went missing the same day that I got attacked, and I saw Jinzo absorb one of them!"
"What you saw was just an illusion," she spat. "They're probably hiding! They'll show up in a couple of weeks or something and try to back up Kodo's story!"
"If that's what you think, then fine!" Jasmine said. "Then why don't you go out and find them?!"
"You know what? Maybe I will!" she replied. "At least then you'll stop being stupid!"
"Stupid?!" Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "So, that's what you think of me, huh?! I should've known...! You always thought we were annoying deep down, didn't you?!"
"No," she denied, "but there's no doubt you're annoying me now, that's for sure!"
Jasmine grimaced. "Why, you...! Stop acting like you're so perfect! 'Cause as much as you like casting blame at Konami, we both know why Kami hurt Mindy!"
Alexis glared. "Don't you say it!"
"That's right! It was 'cause of you!"
A smack rang out through the room, followed by a long, awkward silence. Slowly, Alexis lowered her hand, ignoring the sting on her palm.
"I'm going to find the Occult Club," she said, "and show you how stupid you're being."
"Get out," Jasmine spat, holding her cheek. "I don't want to see you right now."
Alexis pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes but silently did as requested. She knew there was no use talking to Jasmine.
The distance between them had grown.
-GX-
"Alright, here we are!" Nataly said as she opened the door to their house. "Go ahead and put your things up in your room. Everything's just as you left it!"
"...Great," Konami replied, sighing as he took his shoes off by the door. Slipping on the sandals further inside, he followed his mom down the hall.
"I promised I would go back to work," she said, "but there's money on the counter for takeout. Try not to make a huge mess while I'm gone? But if you do, clean it up."
"Alright," he agreed. "So, uh, mom?"
"Hm?"
"Aren't you gonna ground me?"
"Huh? Do you want me to?" she inquired. "I figured you had been through enough. I mean, sure, you did a bad thing, but you understand what you did, right? As long as you do, then there's no problem! I'd rather you recuperate here."
"Great," he said. "...I'll do that, then."
"By the way, I saw your Duel!" she said. "To think my baby would beat Yugi's Deck...! Omigosh, I was so proud! You've gotten really good with my Ninja cards, huh? Though I did see some other ones in there... Were you upgrading them at your fancy new school? Come on, come on! Lemme see!"
'What are you? An infant?' he thought with a sigh, though he did pull the Deck from his holster.
His mother sprang forward and snatched it away.
"Fufu...! Let's see what you've got!" she smirked.
She spread the cards over the table, eyes glistening happily as she took a seat.
"Yes, yes! Goe Goe's here! Ebisu and Yae... perfect!" she said. "You even have a Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, but where's Sasuke Samurai, huh?!"
"He's still in the trunk."
"Wha-?!" she gasped, "But Sasuke's a part of the team!"
"His WIND status makes him a discard for Yae, but otherwise, he slows me down," he explained.
"Only because of your stupid build," she pouted. "Mutant Mindmaster? This card's way too slow to be in your Deck! He doesn't even fit with the theme!"
"Mutant Mindmaster helps me clear their board," he sighed, shaking his head. "After all, the easiest way of beating my foes is by using their own cards against them."
"Is it?" she asked.
"You think I'm kidding? You should see the look they get on their faces," he smirked. "The expression they have when they lose to their ace... it's honestly one of the best!"
She chopped him on his head.
"H-Hey!"
"I won't judge you for your tastes," she sighed, "but you shouldn't force them on your rivals. That kind of stuff's saved for the bedroom, okay?"
"W-What are you saying?!" he blushed.
She sighed. "Well, it's just about time... You are at that age, after all..."
"Huh?" he asked.
"Listen, Konami, it's time I gave you... the Talk."
"..."
"..."
"Wait, what?!" he exclaimed.
"Precisely!" she said. "Konami, do you remember when you asked where you came from? The truth is... I lied back then. You weren't flown in by a stork! You see, when a man and a woman are attracted to each other very, very much..."
"Stop... Stop. Stop!" he replied, covering his ears as he cowered. "I know all this! I know it already!"
"Huh?! Just what are you saying?!" she gasped. She jumped from her seat, flinching away as she gazed upon her only child. "Don't tell me... you've already done it?! No, it... it can't be?! My baby's gone out and become a young man...?! Am I gonna be a grandma this soon?!"
"I didn't mean it like that, idiot!" he groaned.
"Who are you calling an idiot?!" she snapped. She leaped across the table and pulled at his cheeks. "Show some respect to your mother!"
Konami winced and returned the favor.
"You're the one who said respect's earned! Stop getting caught up in your daydreams, mom! No one here is having a baby!"
"What?!" Tears began to pool in her eyes. "So, you got all my hopes up for nothing?!"
"H-Hopes?" Konami's face cringed as he loosened his grip on her cheeks. "M-Mom...?!"
"I thought you and that blue-haired girl had done it already!" she wailed.
"B-Blue-haired girl...?" he asked.
"The one who backed you in the livestream!"
"W-Wait... You mean Kami?! Of course, I haven't slept with her! W-We're still a bit young for that... Besides, we've barely even kissed!"
"Kissed?!" A flush ran across her cheeks. "D-Did you use tongue?!"
The sparkle in her eyes took the light out of his.
"No, there was no tongue."
'This is what I was afraid of,' he thought, drifting off as she complained. The last thing he wanted was to sit there and learn how to pleasure someone from his mother. 'Instead of that, you'd think she'd be reaming me out for getting suspended...' he thought. 'Come to think of it, this is just like last time...'
"Konami! Hey, are you listening?!" she asked.
"Huh?" he blinked.
Nataly sighed. "I asked you what this girl's name was! Klami, something?"
Konami snorted.
"Kami. From Umi no Corp," he replied.
"That place that sells boats?!" his mother screamed. "Wait, could they give us a discount?! I always wanted to have my own ship! We could go on a family adventure!" She clasped her hands together and sighed. "A vacation's just what we need, don't you think? You, me, the open seas... maybe a treasure hunt, too!" She shook her head. "Oh, never mind that! Hurry up and marry that woman! With someone that rich in our family, we'll never have to work a day in our lives again!"
"M-Mom!"
"Does she like you back?! Stupid question! I saw the livestream! What are her hobbies? What is her dream?! Is she interested in having a babyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!"
"M-Mom!" Konami shouted, placing his hands on her shoulders. "G-Get ahold of yourself, please! Seriously, you've lost it! You've gotta calm down! Don't forget, you've still got work after this!"
"Eh? Work?" Nataly blinked. "Oh, no! I'm gonna be late!"
She spun on her heel, grabbed her phone off of the counter, and raced past Konami.
"We'll continue this later, okay, baby-boo? Right now, I've gotta go teach! Those middle-school students will die without me!"
"Y-Yeah..." he replied.
His shoulders sagged as she ran out the door.
'To think that woman's a teacher...' he thought. A small smile slowly spread across his face. "Well, better them than me."
"That look on your face is terrible," Yae said, emerging from her card on the table. "You're thinking something rude about your mother, huh? How callous! That's the woman who birthed you!"
"Yeah, yeah... Spare me the lecture. I respect her... in my own way," he said. "More importantly, Yae, I'm glad you're alright. Are you... feeling okay?"
"Huh?" Yae asked.
"I haven't seen you since we beat Jinzo," he explained. "You've been so quiet. I didn't know if... well, never mind."
"Were you worried about me, my lord?" she asked, leaning forward with a smirk. "Rest assured, it takes more than mere destruction to best a card spirit!"
"I see," he sighed. "Speaking of which, how's the Dark Magician Girl doing?"
"Hm? I wouldn't know," she replied. "But she helped near the end, did she not?"
Konami frowned. "What? You two can't... call each other or something?"
"Call?" she asked. "Like with a phone? I'm afraid we have no such luxuries. I can't speak for her, but I can only speak with spirits in my immediate vicinity."
"Is that right? Well, that sucks. I was hoping to ask her some questions. Then again, considering you're here now, maybe you'll know something, too."
"About Ekushīzu Summons?" she asked. "Sorry, but I've got nothing. Those occurrences happened long before me. I understand why you'd want to ask her?"
Konami sighed. He'd wondered how much knowledge a card like her would have. After all, despite her feudal appearance, she was based on a video game character. More importantly, the Dark Magician Girl had mentioned Ekushīzu Summons when she brought Bastion! If anyone had knowledge, it would be her... but it seemed she had long left his Deck.
'Guess I'll have to stick to the original plan and see what I learn from KaibaCorp,' he thought. 'Assuming Kami set a meeting, that is. She did say she'd speak with her father...'
"Alright, I'll leave that topic aside for now," he decided, sitting. "But there is another thing I can ask you about... What do you know about Ka?"
"Oh..." Yae averted her eyes. "I was wondering when you might ask. I suppose this refers to that incident?"
"Incident?" he repeated. He shook his head, a small scoff escaping from his nearly closed lips as he did. "Don't have to beat around the bush here, Yae. I summoned a goddamned dragon." He glanced at his hand. "I'm not complaining. After all, that thing saved our lives. But... I want to know what it is, and..."
"...how you can use it?" she asked.
Konami nodded.
"While I don't know much on the subject, I do know a little," she said, "And, in light of what's happened of late, it could be important you learn this. So, listen closely, my lord, for I'll only say this once!"
"So, you do know something," Konami sighed. "Alright, then. Let's hear it."
Yae nodded and pursed her lips.
"They're a concept from Ancient Egypt," she said. "Spirits fueled by the undying soul, or what they used to call Ba. The stronger your Ba, the stronger the Ka, or... at least, so I've heard. But, my lord, such powers haven't been seen for years!"
"That's what Jinzo said, too," he explained. "Since the decline of Egypt, in fact... Was this power unique to them?"
"No, my lord, but there is no doubt Egypt is the birthplace of Duel Monsters! While other countries surely held Ka, theirs would have been less potent."
"I see." He closed his eyes, picturing the moment again. The boiling rage he'd felt, the red-hot veil that covered his eyes, and most of all... the flaming dragon that tore apart Jinzo's arm.
"Tyrant Dragon, he called it," he said. "A fitting name, don't you think? Although, now that I mention it... isn't it a monster card, too?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Hey, what'll happen if I get my hands on one? Would I be able to summon that thing? Just like I did before?"
"It's possible, but my lord, why on earth would you need such power?"
"Why do you think?" he asked. "To protect myself if Jinzo returns. Not to mention..." he glared at his Deck, "there's that Ekushizu card too. Is Jinzo's spirit inside that card?"
"Not that we've noticed, my lord," she replied.
"We?" he asked, quirking a brow.
"Goe Goe and Ebisu, of course," she explained.
Konami closed his eyes. "That's right, there were other spirits as well... Tch... well, that's irritating. And here I'd thought I was alone."
"You've never been alone, my lord," Yae said. "And you won't be with your new friends! And, if nothing else, trust that I will always do my best to defend you!"
"Friends, huh...?" he asked, casting his gaze up toward the ceiling. "I wonder how those two are doing...?" he closed his eyes, thinking on his path until now.
"Are you worried about them?" Yae asked. "You know, you could always call them, my lord!"
"Call?" he furrowed his brow. "Yeah, I guess I still have my phone, huh?"
Though he'd been suspended, he still retained access to most of the school network's features. If he wanted to get in touch with someone, they were only a phone call away.
"Well," he sighed, "I am pretty bored, and it's not like there's much to do here... Why the hell not? At the very least, I can let them know I got back home."
Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through his contacts until he reached Jasmine's number.
'She should still be in the infirmary, right?' he thought. 'So, this should be fine.'
He took a deep breath and hit dial.
She picked up a few moments later.
"H-Hello?" her weak voice inquired. "Konami? Hey, is this you?"
"Yeah," he said. "I made it back."
"Eh? That's why you're calling?"
Konami narrowed his eyes at the words. "Yeah? Why else would I?"
There was a brief pause from the other line.
"...There's something that I need to tell you."
-GX-
"...I see. So, that's what happened," Konami sighed nearly ten minutes later. His PDA was propped up beside him, displaying Jasmine's red face on its screen.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I was really hoping Alexis would be understanding."
"It's fine," he said.
"It's not!" she replied. "I should've asked you beforehand!"
'You should've,' he agreed in his head, 'but there's no use crying over spilled milk. Besides, Alexis did tell the truth. My past will get out eventually. On that note, I should probably reach out to Kami and let her side know... the last thing I need is to lose my 'sponsor' because they weren't warned beforehand...'
He sighed, already hearing her annoyed voice ringing inside of his head.
'Well, it should be fine, right? As long as I prove that I'm useful...'
Speaking of useful...
He glanced at his screen, noticing Jasmine's dark face. Her lips were pulled into a tight frown, and the red tint had swelled on her cheek.
"So?" he asked. "What are you going to do? Will you report her?"
"Huh?" she asked. "What do you mean?"
"Alexis. You said she assaulted you."
"Wha-?!" a surprised gasp leaped from his phone. "No, it was just a slap!"
"A slap is a form of assault, you know... Well, I won't press the matter," he sighed. "She's your friend, after all. If you say it's fine, then I'll leave it be."
"Thanks," she said, her frown transforming into a tiny, weak smile. "I'm sure she'll understand someday. She's just... being stubborn right now."
'Actually, isn't this a good chance?' Konami thought to himself. 'If things stay like this, logic follows that Jasmine will have to choose soon. She backed me this time, but there's no guarantee she'll honestly do so again. If the worst happens, can I count on her to pick me over Alexis if pressured...? No, before that happens... I should strain their relationship more.'
He closed his eyes.
'The only piece I can move from this far is Kami. She'd jump at the chance to hurt Alexis, but what sort of scheme should I use?'
Perhaps another frame job, with Kami herself labeled as the victim? Or maybe they could press the spirit angle, assuming Kami would believe...
"Konami, are you alright?" Jasmine asked. "You're acting a bit strange, you know?"
"Tch!" he clicked his tongue and quickly averted his eyes from the screen. 'What am I doing? I already said that I'd treat Jasmine as a true friend. I shouldn't manipulate her feelings like that.'
'But you mustn't hesitate, either.'
"Sorry," he said. "Actually, I was a little worried, that's all."
"Worried?" she asked.
"That you actually bought into some of the stuff she was saying. Jasmine, I know I'm not the best, but I wouldn't do something that heinous. Even I have standards, alright? So..."
"Don't worry, I didn't," she sighed. "I mean, Alexis might not believe it, but we both saw what went down! And there's no way all that stuff was fake, even if you used Solid Vision! Listen, I'll figure things out with her, yeah? You just do what you're doing. Uh, you said you made it back home?"
"Yeah, about half an hour ago."
"Soooo? Are you gonna give me a tour?"
"No way," he scoffed.
"Come on!" she whined. "This is your big moment! Your chance to really step out of your shell! So, what've you got in your room?"
"It's pretty much the same as the dorms," he shrugged. "Nothing special. A bed, TV, a counter or two here and there..."
Jasmine sighed. "Boring much? Even Bastion writes on his walls!"
"Well, I have a poster or two, if that's what you mean," he chuckled.
"Personality! Personality!" Jasmine stressed. "That's what you're missing! Actually, that reminds me. Alexis said you know Aster's manager!"
"Who?" he asked.
"Sartorius Kumar? You know, the Pro League counselor? He's actually here at our school right now, helping us build some new task force."
"Task force? Sartorius?" Konami cringed away from the screen. "You're joking, right? That poser couldn't read his way out of a wet paper bag!"
"Eh? So, wait! You do know him!"
"My old teachers made me go see him," he said. "Fat load of good it did for me, though. All he did was tell lies."
Jasmine frowned. "Lies? But..."
"Trust me, he's nothing special," he scoffed. His balled fists sat on the table before him. "That guy's nothing more than a conman. If the school hired him to clean up my mess, then they're better off with the school janitor. At least that way, they'd know for sure that the floors are gonna get mopped!"
"Hang on a second, dial it back! You said Sartorius lied?"
"Yeah," he said. "But if I had to say... his lies were what brought me back."
TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: LEARNING TO DUEL
LESSON THIRTY-THREE
END