So, Chapter 6 came out a little sooner than I was expecting. I was on a roll with this one, and it turned out a bit longer than I was hoping it would. So, I suggest going into this chapter with snacks and drinks. We'll be getting Alexis's first duel and some character-building stuff, so a couple quick things before we start.
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who's read, followed, and reviewed this idea. 25 followers and over 2,100 views on this, I can't tell you how good it feels to know people are reading this and still loving GX after all these years. It's reigniting my love of writing stories again! And now for some reviews:
Pokemonking0924: Thank you for pointing out my mistake in Chapter 1 and 4. I was debating whether or not to fix the first chapter and I think I accidentally approved the change. Thank you for catching that for me. And yeah, I've noticed that sibling and family issues are a big theme with characters in Season 1, and I'm looking forward to showing more of Ken and Rachel's relationship as the story progresses. And yeah, Hope's a complete cinnamon roll and her deck has a story to it. I'm looking forward to showing it off hopefully soon.
AmanoRyo: Thank you for reviewing again. And that I'm actually debating. I put a hard rule on this story that no cards from The Duelist Genesis onwards would be in this story save for one or two cards purely for the sake of maintaining power balance and not having to deal with Synchro Summoning while I'm getting used to writing duels. Secret Six Samurai, I'll be playing around with to see if it won't break the story, but Kenji will have additions to his deck as time goes on, I promise.
So, with that all said and done, It's Time to Duel!
"Finally… first day's in the books." Ken sighed as he plopped onto his bed, having finished his shower and into his sleepwear: a blue t-shirt and black and gray pajama pants. Night had set in, and he was coming down from the adrenaline of the first day. "At least Ra Yellow's kind enough to give me my own bathroom." He muttered to himself as he closed his eyes to reflect on the day. Despite his fatigue, he couldn't shake the overall frustration he was feeling at the moment. "Bad enough she's my teacher, but she's gotta lecture me on the first day? Where does she get off…?" Ken grumbled, letting out a soft growl at the circumstances he was in. His musings were cut short by a knock at the door. His head jolting up, he groggily turned and flung himself off the bed, taking a moment to center himself before walking over to the door. When he opened it, he saw Bastion standing on the other side. "Sup, neighbor?"
"Just came to check in." Bastion casually said, noticing the boy was already in his pajamas. "Seems like you're already about to head to sleep."
"Debating it, just tired." Ken groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck before opening the door to let Bastion in. "It's been a day."
"I can tell." Bastion replied sardonically, watching Ken walking over to the window to open it. "You looked horrible all day, no offense."
"Too tired, anyway." Ken let out a mirthless laugh as he took in the fresh air. A tense moment passed between the two with nothing but the sounds of birds and crickets in the background to break the silence. "I know you want to ask about it." Ken finally said, not turning around to face Bastion. His voice sounded tired and… defeated. "About me and Rachel."
"I do, but I won't." Bastion admitted with his arms crossed, unable to see Ken blink from the answer. "It's your business, tell us when you want. But just know we're willing to listen." The studious boy offered, Ken looking back to see the understanding look on his friend's face. A mirthless laugh left Ken's lips as he turned back to the window and let out a long breath.
"It's not really that complicated. Growing up with a golden child isn't the…" Ken stopped his explanation, catching Bastion's attention.
"Isn't the what?" He asked but got no answer. Ken was hunched over the window, like he was focusing on something outside his view. "Kenji?"
"What the…?" Ken muttered to himself while Bastion walked up to Ken's side to see outside the window. "What is that…?" Ken pulled out his PDA and activated the camera on it. He pointed the device towards the lone boat on the water and began to magnify the image. Ken's eyes went wide as he recognized the figure in the boat, short stature and large light-blue hair. "Syrus?!"
"What's he doing out there?" Bastion asked as he did his best to focus on the boat.
"He's heading in the direction of the Girl's Dorm." Ken guessed as he turned off the camera and searched through the database to find Syrus's number. Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong. The boy silently prayed as he hit the 'call' button. When he heard a ring, he noticed the boat out on the water had stopped, confirming his suspicions. I hate it when I'm right.
"Hey, Ken! Isn't it a wonderful night?!" Syrus answered the call, the sheer amount of joy in his voice was enough to stop whatever tirade Ken had in his tracks. Blinking for a moment, he shook his head and his face quickly became angry again.
"Syrus, what are you doing?! Are you out on the lake?!" Ken did his best not to yell, but that didn't stop him from gritting his teeth in frustration.
"Yup! I'm seeing the love of my life! Alexis wants to meet me at the Girl's Dorm tonight. She wrote me a love letter and everything!" Syrus replied as if he were on Cloud Nine, which was freaking Ken out. He wasn't quite used to hearing Syrus sound happy about anything. "Wait, how did you know I'm out on the lake?"
"I can see you from my window, stupid!" This time Ken did yell, making Bastion move back a bit from the increase in volume. Syrus, however, didn't seem phased, sounding like he was humming a happy tune. "Now wait a sec, Alexis… That Rhodes girl from last night?!" He asked, taking a second to remember the blond from class. "Are you sure? Why would sh- never mind. Get back to the Slifer dorm now!" The Ra all but demanded, but there was no gasp or scream from the other end.
"Sorry Ken, but I'm not letting true love slip through my fingers! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Wish me luck!" Syrus said with a ring in his voice. Ken was about to yell at the boy, but all he got was the drone of a disconnected call through his PDA.
"I take it he's not coming back?" Bastion asked sarcastically as he saw Ken grab his coat and pants and run into his bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
"He said Rhodes gave him a love letter and wants to meet at her dorm." He explained through the bathroom door, grunting as he did his best to get dressed in the cramped room.
"He thinks Alexis sent him a love letter?" Bastion asked with an unbelieving tone, clearly not imagining how that was possible.
"Either he's got more game than we thought, or someone's punking him hard." Ken theorized as he came back out dressed in his uniform, but looking more disheveled than usual. He grabbed his shoes from the foot of his bed and hastily put them on. "I'm gonna see if I can catch up to him. Call Jaden and let him know what's up!"
"How do you know this isn't another scheme?" Bastion questioned, moving in front of Ken to get his attention. "What if this is Wolfe's doing, or Chazz's? Syrus does make for an easy target." Bastion tried his best to convince Ken, but he already had his shoes on and his bandana in his hands.
"All the more reason to go. I'm not letting him get beat up or worse over a laugh." Ken answered while tying his bandana over his head. "Just call Jaden and wait for me to call back. We're gonna drag him back kicking and screaming if we have to." Ken asked as he ran out his room, leaving Bastion alone. Bastion sighed as he walked out of the room, making sure to turn off the light and close the door before he opened his PDA to find Jaden's number. Bastion already didn't like this. It was the first day, and those three already had several enemies, all who could've easily pulled this off.
"I asked you to stay out of trouble…"
Meanwhile, at the Slifer Dorm, Jaden had entered his room wearing a set of sweats. He was currently drying his hair with a towel with his eyes half-opened. "Hey Sy, the outhouse is all yours if you want it. I'm done with-."
"Sy's gonzo." Jaden heard Chumley say from his bunk, now laying on his side. "Yeah, he just left. And he was in a real good mood too." The larger boy explained as Jaden sat down in a nearby rolling chair.
"A good mood? That really doesn't sound like Syrus." Jaden mused ruefully, wondering what put his diminutive friend in such a fine state. The boy was torn from his thoughts by the sound of his PDA ringing on his desk. With a raised brow, he casually grabbed his device and accepted the call, revealing Bastion's face on the screen. Before Jaden could say anything, the Ra cut him off.
"Jaden, it's Bastion." Bastion said, an anxious look on his face. "Syrus is heading to the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm."
"Wait, what?!" Jaden nearly fell out of his chair from the shock "Why's he heading there?!"
"He said he received a love letter from Alexis and she wants to meet him there at midnight." The Ra student explained, his voice trying to hide the concern he was feeling. "He's already on the lake. Ken's trying to catch up with him now." Bastion could see Jaden taking off his sweatshirt and grabbing his Slifer jacket.
"I'm goin' too! Give me a minute to get over there!" Jaden told Bastion before hanging up the call to change. Within a minute, he was dressed in his uniform. "Chumley, I'm getting Syrus, be right back!" He told the large student as he put his shoes on and headed out the door.
"Hey, wait!" Chumley found himself watching Jaden rush out the door with a feeling of dread in his gut. He laid back down facing the ceiling with a frown. "Well, it was nice knowing them. They get caught, they're out of here. Those girls are vicious."
In the middle of the lake, Syrus had been making great time paddling over to the Girl's Dorm. A happy tune was hummed as he fantasized what he was going to say to her.
"Alexis! I'm coming for you, my darling! I'm coming!" Syrus happily called out from across the water, a dopey grin on his face as he did his best to paddle. Unbeknownst to anyone, Crowler in an all-black ghillie suit was already at the dorm, breaking the lock to the gates of the rear entrance near the dock. The teacher bolted from bush to bush, inching closer to the dorm with impressive speed until he was settled where he needed to be.
"This will be perfect!" Crowler nearly sang in jubilation. "Thanks to that faux-love letter I wrote…" Crowler began to imagine the scenario playing out in his mind. "Jaden will show up looking for Alexis, but all he'll find is trouble instead. Once he arrives, I'll snap a picture of him… And then, I will have caught him red-handed breaking campus rules~! He'll be ruined." Crowler giggled with glee at the thought of catching Jaden in the act.
The Slifer in question was currently rushing towards the lake, running through the forest to cover more ground quickly. Behind him appeared his faithful partner Yubel, lazily flying at his back with an apprehensive look on her face.
"Remind me why you're risking your neck for the little one?" The spirit asked, not fully on board with the plan to rescue Syrus. "He made his choice to go over there."
"Someone's messing with him." Jaden explained, not bothering to turn around to face his friend. "I can't just let him walk right into this."
"That was his mistake." Yubel fired back, clearly not feeling sympathetic for the boy. Jaden didn't answer, his eyes still focused on the path ahead. She knew that look, and she knew there was no point arguing with him on this. With a sigh, she relented. "If you get caught, just remember I didn't approve of this plan." Yubel remarked before disappearing from Jaden's presence, leaving him alone to scowl.
"You never do…" Jaden muttered under his breath as he broke through the trees and out towards the coast, making good time as he had found the boathouse unguarded. To his surprise, he caught sight of Ken already setting a boat onto the water, getting it ready for the voyage over. "Ken! Over here!" Jaden called out as he ran over to his friend, who had turned to him shocked.
"What're you doing here?!" Ken called back, stopping with his knotwork and focusing on the Slifer.
"I could ask you the same thing!" Jaden replied as he hopped on the dock to hop into the boat.
"I'm getting Syrus out of the lion's den, why're you here?!" Ken hissed, looking between the boat and the knot Jaden was trying to undo
"Pretty much the same thing. Now are you gonna help paddle or not?" The Slifer asked as he finally got the knot undone, the boat slowly floating away. Ken, shaking himself out of his stupor, managed to hop into the boat, rocking it for a moment before taking an oar and paddling. It wasn't worth it to argue with Jaden with time running short. And another set of hands wouldn't hurt anyway. Jaden was already doing the same, the two getting into a good rhythm as they headed towards the dorm.
"Seriously, a love letter?" Jaden asked his friend, still trying to process what was going on.
"I know, I know. This whole thing reeks of a prank. I've got my money on Wolfe. So does Bastion." Ken explained, doing his best to talk and row at the same time.
"What're the odds it's actually real?"
"Unless Rhodes is really the type to send a freaking love letter, I'd say slim to none."
"Let's just hope we get there before he gets caught."
"You're telling me. Something tells me he bruises easily."
In the Obelisk Blue Dorm, Alexis and her friends were relaxing in the open-air baths available to only the girls. The three took advantage of the free space, thanks to how late it was. They were free to talk about whatever they wanted without eavesdroppers.
"Today was a good day. A good crop of boys, from the looks of it." Mindy mused as she settled into the water.
"Is all you think about boys, Min?" Alexis retorted as she stepped inside the water herself. "This is a dueling school, remember? We're here to learn how to duel."
"Can't blame a girl for keeping her options open." Mindy shrugged as she started to warm up from the water.
"Might want to stick to the second or third-years, Mindy." Jasmine suggested, being the last one to enter the baths. "Most of the new kids are Slifers and Ras."
"Oh, come on. Most of the guys in Blue are total jerks, anyway." Alexis sided with Mindy, looking at her friend with a glint in her eye. "Plenty of good ones outside of our dorm, Jas."
"But none of them are rich or as talented as the guys in Blue." Jasmine groaned as she sank into the water. "Why can't we get someone in Obelisk Blue who isn't a total scumbag?" Alexis and Mindy looked at each other with knowing smirks, silently in agreement over their friend's grumblings.
"Why not try one of the Ra Yellows?" Mindy suggested, leaning towards her friend. "That Bastion Misawa kid's got first on his exams. Supposed to be a real whiz kid." The brunette had a little smirk on her face as she pictured the boy. "Not too hard to look at, either."
"He looks like a total stiff." Jasmine complained, looking at the brunette. "Like he'd break a bone trying to have fun." Mindy threw her hands up gently into the air with a chuckle in a mock surrender.
"What about that Kenji guy? He seems smart. A bit of a wild child, though." Alexis casually suggested, making her friends blink in confusion. "Kenji Shirogane, the guy who beat Raymond. The one I told you about?"
"Oh yeah, the one you were giggling over because he beat our old school bully in front of everyone." Mindy giggled over the memory, recalling the phone call and how happy Alexis sounded over Wolfe getting beat by a random applicant. "That has to take some skill."
"I wasn't giggling, Mindy." Alexis denied but turned back with a smirk. "But the look on his face was priceless."
"No way, hard pass!" Jasmine interrupted the two with a boom in her voice, stopping that train of thought. The two looked at each other before looking back at the redhead.
"What's with you?" Alexis asked warily.
"That Kenji kid's scary." Jasmine admitted, looking between her friends with a grimace. "I thought he was actually going to punch Torimaki in class. Hard to believe he's Professor Rachel's little brother."
"I know, right? She seems so nice and sweet, and he just looked angry all day." Mindy mused, looking over at Jasmine. "But he doesn't seem that bad. Maybe if he took off that bandana?" The brunette set her head in her hand, trying to visualize Ken without a bandana.
"I bet he's a total thug. You saw the way he snapped that pencil, right?" Jasmine crossed her arms and shook her head, drops of water getting on her friends' faces. "Absolutely no way."
"He only said those things to get Torimaki off Syrus's back." Alexis defended the Ra student, getting a look from her friends. "Crowler had no right picking on him like that in the first place."
"Oh come on, Alexis. You can't really believe that." Jasmine asked, almost appalled. "He's a Slifer, what do you expect? He's lucky he's even here."
"The poor guy gets nervous easily." Alexis explained to the red-head. "From what I could tell, he's been dealing with anxiety all his life."
"Yeah, I guess you would know. Considering that you and Zane are cool." Jasmine mused, looking at Alexis to see her resting her head against the wall in contemplation.
"Just from what I've been told. After meeting him, I just wish Zane could figure out he's part of the problem…" The blonde sighed, thinking about the two boys and fighting back the disgust she felt towards the Obelisks who laughed earlier.
"It's not like Kenji's the only one. Can you believe what that Jaden kid said to Dr. Crowler in class today?" Jasmine asked incredulously. "He's got some nerve to talk to a teacher like that. Completely disrespectful! Don't you think Alexis?"
"Actually, I'm kinda relieved." Alexis admitted with a smile as she thought about the class. "It's nice to know that not all the guys this year are complete jerks. Jaden was actually kinda cool, I'm not gonna lie."
"What? Him, cool?!" Jasmine shouted in disbelief, getting a laugh out of Mindy.
"He could be, if he had the talent to back up that talk, maybe." Mindy suggested with a smirk, getting Jasmine to return it with one of her own.
"I think he might. He and Kenji both. Still, I won't know until I duel them myself…" Alexis mused to the two of them, the gears in her head beginning to turn. Unbeknownst to them, Hope had been listening in on the conversation from her outside the baths. Wearing her sleep clothes and carrying a sketchbook with her, she had stopped to hear what the three had to say when class had been brought up. A small frown was on her face as she held the sketchbook to her chest.
"I don't think you three give those boys enough credit."
Syrus had managed to dock at the Girl's Dorm with relative ease, even better since the gate was unlocked and there were no guards in sight. The diminutive Slifer had dashed through grounds giddily, hardly containing himself for what was about to happen. The rustling in the bushes was easy to ignore since he was here for Alexis alone. Still, it did feel weird, like the rustling had been following him around and was getting closer to him. But the boy found his way in front of the bathhouse, looking around for any sign of the girl of his dreams. He was so enamored, he completely disregarded the sinking feeling that something was behind him.
"Al-hmmpphhhh!" Syrus yelled, but was muffled by a hand over his mouth. He could feel another arm wrapped around his torso and immediately started to shake. Now all his anxiety and fear was coming back in full force.
"Kept you waiting, huh?" Syrus heard a familiar voice behind him, turning back to see a yellow jacket and an orange bandana. It was Ken, grinning like a moron. "I always wanted to say that."
"Kmmphhn!" Syrus tried to say, immediately beginning to speak through Ken's mouth, but only able to get out muffled garbles. But it was clear from the tone of voice he wasn't exactly happy to see him.
"We're leaving, now." Ken practically ordered as in one move, he picked up Syrus by his torso and started to haul him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes back towards the dock. "We're gonna have a long hard talk about accepting strange love letters when we get back." Ken said as he walked back towards the way they came.
"You gotta let me go! I have to meet Alexis!" Syrus whined and pleaded very loudly, but Ken didn't spare Syrus a look, choosing to focus on their surroundings. "You can't do this, Ken! It's true love!"
"You can explain it to me after we get back to the Slifer Dorm. Jaden's waiting on a boat nearby." Ken explained to the boy he was hauling around, turning a corner and walking in the direction of the gate. "All we gotta do is get there without getting spotted. Then we can put this whole mess behind us."
"Uh, Ken."
"I know it doesn't look like it, but I'm trying to save your skin from a bunch of vicious girls."
"Ken, about that…"
"If they catch us, they'll have carte blanc to tan our hides and claim we're perverts. Or worse. I don't want to go through that on the first day of school."
"Ken!"
"What?!"
"It's a boy!" A voice called out, startling the Ra student.
"Where?!" Ken turned his head side to side before his feet and brain stopped dead in their tracks as he released his grip on Syrus, who fell to the ground. Syrus didn't say that. Turning slowly around, he saw two girls staring and pointing at them, both in their pajamas as Syrus got back up on his feet and gaped at the girls in front of them. Ken could've sworn he heard someone say "I am not a boy, I'm a man!" followed by a splash of water, but it didn't help the current predicament. Before he could run, more and more girls converged on their location, surrounding them and cutting off their escape route. Ken could see that a couple were about to yell, so he acted fast.
"Wait!" Ken held out a hand with a commanding voice neither he or Syrus knew he had. The girls, to their surprise, actually stopped to listen. He didn't know why, so he decided to roll with it. "I know what you're all thinking! And you're absolutely right. What's happened here tonight is wrong and never should've happened at all." Syrus started to sweat, but Ken pushed on. "Well, don't worry ladies. I took the liberty of having a chat with my friend about the dangers of practicing parkour at night without a spotter." Syrus blinked and the girls looked absolutely confused by this. "It's a horrible shame he botched his precision land and rolled right into the dorm grounds. This is why you always freerun train with a buddy." Ken gave Syrus a firm pat on the shoulder, the boy letting out a yelp as Ken started to walk away from the crowd of girls at a casual pace while leading Syrus in front of him. "So… I'm going to take him back home with a stern talking to. So we can all go to bed, knowing we affected some positive change in the world tonig-."
"Get them!"
"Don't let them get away!"
"Run, Syrus!" Ken gave the Slifer a hard push to run ahead as he felt two of the girls tackle him from behind. Syrus, however, was too scared to move very far without Ken and was quickly surrounded by the girls. Syrus's hands were being held behind his back by two girls while Ken was pinned to the ground by several more. While Ken was feeling angry and looking for a way to get out, Syrus had kneeled down, scared and looking like the girls were gripping hard into his skin. A pained whimper escaped his lips, causing the Ra to thrash about. "Hey, don't hurt him!" Ken grunted as he was pushed further down by the girls to shut him up.
"Let us go… please?" Syrus whimpered in the girls' grip while Ken growled as his face was being forced into the dirt. In front of Syrus stood Jasmine and MIndy, both in towels and not looking amused.
"Not until you tell us why you're here!" Jasmine demanded, glaring daggers into the boys. "And it better be good!"
Unbeknownst to everyone, someone had been watching the entire scene play out. Winged Kuriboh, high above the humans, had seen everything. Quickly turning back around, he flew in the direction of Jaden, hoping he wouldn't be too late.
"What's taking him so long?" Jaden muttered as he waited patiently for Syrus and Ken to get back. Jaden had docked the boat, but was hiding quietly to ensure that he wouldn't get caught. "They were supposed to be back by now." He grunted, considering whether to stay hidden or charge in and hope for the best. A loud 'coo' broke any formation of a plan as Jaden looked up to see Winged Kuriboh fly back to him, floating right in front of his face in a panic. His little scout didn't seem to bring good news.
"They got caught." Jaden muttered, Winged Kuriboh nodding feverishly at the statement. "No two ways about it then, I gotta get them back out. The big question is 'how' though?" Jaden mused as he peeked his head out, hearing the commotion of a group of girls not too far from here. If he stepped out there, he would be caught in a second.
"You shouldn't be here." He heard a voice call softly to him. Jaden turned quickly to see Hope had snuck over to him, wearing her pajamas without her piercings. The boy could tell she was staying low so the other girls couldn't see her.
"Hope? What's going on?" Jaden whispered to his acquaintance.
"You tell me." Hope asked, a hint of accusation in her voice. "Why are you and your friends over here? This is the Girls' Dorm."
"I think someone pranked Syrus with a fake love letter and we're trying to get him back out." Jaden explained, the two turning back to the angry group of girls.
"I don't think that plan's working too well." Hope muttered dryly as the girls started to head inside. Turning back to Jaden, she spoke with a serious tone. "Listen, you three are breaking a big time rule. Those two are in serious trouble, 'expulsion' trouble."
"Wait, seriously?" Jaden hissed, but Hope shushed him before she noticed they were alone.
"Seriously." Hope answered back, looking between him and the main building. "It looks like they're going into the main hall, but they won't listen to anything you say." Hope told him, praying he wouldn't go and make things worse, but Jaden was already standing up.
"I don't have a choice." Jaden muttered as he soldiered ahead towards the main building.
"Jaden, wait!" Hope hissed, shocked that he was going on ahead. Concern and confusion took hold as she watched him leave, the girl choosing to follow him towards the building. The two were quiet, managing to avoid vigilant eyes as they snuck into the main building. Once there, they hid behind a corner to catch a conversation taking place.
"A love letter from Alexis? You've got to be kidding." They heard someone say. Peeking over the corner, they could see Syrus and Ken on their knees with their hands tied up in ropes. Ken was looking particularly peeved at the entire debacle while Syrus was looking strangely giddy.
"Yup, ask her." Syrus laughed with a wink, an exasperated groan leaving Ken's lips at the sight.
"Uhm, hello? Like Alexis is really tall and you're really short." Jasmine was about to start ranting, but Ken was the first to speak up.
"Well, you know what they say about tall guys and short girls, right?" Despite feeling tired, Ken apparently still had the energy to joke.
"And do you know what they say about Ra Yellows who can't shut up?" Jasmine growled as she yanked the boy's ear hard, earning a yelp from her victim.
"But it's true, just tell them Alexis!" Syrus pleaded with the girls."I even have the note right here. Look, see?" Jasmine was quick to let go of Ken's ear and snatch the letter from Syrus, holding out for her and her friends to read.
"Syrus, my writing's not that sloppy." Alexis explained, getting a confused gasp out of Syrus.
"Sorry Syrus, but I think someone's yanking your chain." Mindy followed up.
"So then you don't love me?" Syrus asked, almost refusing to believe it. Jasmine, however, was looking over the note again, noticing a very interesting detail.
"Hey, wait a second. This note is made out to Jaden Yuki." She said loud enough for the group to hear, crushing Syrus's hopes.
"What?! Jaden? But…" Jasmine held out the letter for him to read, the realization set in that it was never meant for him. "So I can't even get a fake love letter…" The defeat and resignation in his voice was unmistakable.
"Syrus…" Ken muttered, feeling for the Slifer with a genuinely soft look. One that actually took the girls by surprise. From their corner, both Jaden and Hope looked genuinely remorseful at hearing that, wishing Syrus didn't have to go through this at all.
"I'm sorry Syrus…" Alexis apologized with genuine regret.
"Yeah, me too…" He said in the same dejected manner. Jasmine wasn't satisfied, as her eyes fell on the Ra Yellow student next to Syrus.
"How do you fit into all this?" She asked, getting his attention as he looked back at her annoyed.
"Figured something was up, tried to take him back home before all this happened." Ken ruefully explained, looking back at Syrus. "Look, we learned our lesson." Ken tried to deflect the attention off Syrus, putting on his best remorseful face. "We won't set foot here again. Just let us go and we can forget all this ever happened."
"You still broke in here." Jasmine glared hard at the boy, who returned the glare with just as much fire behind him.
"You already tackled and tied us up, what more do you want?" Ken protested as he tried to move his hands in his bindings.
"Should we report them for trespassing, then?" Mindy suggested, but the conversation didn't have a chance to go much further as they heard the sound of footsteps from the second floor. They turned to see it was Fontaine in a pink nightgown.
"Girls, just what on Earth is going on down there." They heard her ask, the three freaking out at the ramifications. Alexis quickly motioned the girls for them to act, and the boys found themselves being used as a makeshift stool to hide them. Fontaine walked out just in time to see the girls sitting, blocking the boys from view. "Alright, what's up?"
"Gee, sorry Ms. Fontaine. We'll be sure to keep a lid on things." Alexis said in the most innocent-sounding voice she could put on. Syrus tried to protest, but could barely get a word out from the uncomfortable position he was in. Ken was doing his absolute best not to make a joke out of the situation he was in.
"Well I should hope so! It's nearly midnight, and I have Pilates in the morning!" Fontaine scolded the girls before walking back to her room. When the coast was clear, the girls got off the boys and looked at each other.
"So what now?" Jasmine asked the two, but Alexis had a smirk on her face as an idea was hatched in her brain.
"I'll tell you what now, girls." Alexis crossed her arms and hummed in thought. "I wanted a duel and it looks like I have my opponent." She said loud enough for the two to hear. The boys looked up to see the girls all looking at Ken. "And he'll duel if he doesn't want to get him and his buddy expelled."
"Expelled?!" Syrus dreaded hearing the word, but that got a scowl out of the Ra.
"Fine, I accept." Ken was looking back at the girls with a determined look in his eyes. "But you better let us go free and clear when I win."
"Deal." Alexis agreed with a nod, the girls on her sides were looking miffed at the suggestion.
"Hey Alexis, hold up a minute!" Jaden called out as he stepped out of his corner, Hope whispering in vain for him to come back. The entire group was surprised to see him, but he approached them with a devil-may-care smile.
"Jaden?" Syrus asked, surprised to see him here.
"Jaden, what're you doing here?!" Ken yelled out, the Slifer in question flinching with a nervous smile. "You were supposed to guard the boat!"
"Well, it looks like we all got caught red-handed!" Jaden joked as he saw the scene in front of him. Ken was about to bark, but Alexis piped up first.
"Save it Jaden, they told us everything." The girl said, Jaden looked at his friends who were, upon closer inspection, looking worse for wear. "About the love letter, Syrus sneaking on campus, everything."
"What happened, Sy?" Jaden asked, but Syrus looked back at the floor in embarrassment.
"Turns out I'm just a big loser." Syrus moped, earning a sympathetic look from Jaden. "The letter was fake. I came all the way out here for nothing…"
"And your pal Kenji's accepted to duel for their freedom." Mindy explained, a mischievous smirk on her face as she did. "And yours too, now that you're here too."
"Wait, hold on a minute!" Jaden exclaimed, but Alexis didn't look like she was going to budge.
"Sorry Jaden, but he already accepted the terms." She stood her ground, making Jaden groan nervously at the situation. He turned back to the corner where Hope was standing, but she looked back at him sheepishly. A silent apology that told him there was nothing she could do for them.
"It's fine, Jaden. I've been wanting a duel anyway." Ken put his friend's worries aside before standing up to face Alexis. "And since I couldn't duel Princeton, why not duel the Queen Obelisk herself?"
"Alright, tough guy." Alexis couldn't hide the anticipation on her face. "Let's see what you got, then. I won't underestimate you like Raymond did."
"Fine by me, Rhodes." Ken smirked back. "I'll put on a show you'll never forget."
Out on the water, a single piece of bamboo floated strangely against the wind. It wasn't long before something broke the surface of the water and from it, Crowler with a very annoyed expression and an aching back. After hearing the girls scream, Crowler did his best to sneak away, but slipped and fell into the lake on his back. He wasn't having fun with this anymore. "You try to humiliate one kid, and the entire world turns against you." As he turned around to try and get back to his own dorm, he noticed several boats had floated out into the water nearer the coast: Alexis on one, Ken on another. Mindy and Jasmine were sharing a boat on Alexis's side while Jaden and Syrus shared one on Ken's.
"Well, well, well… A Ra versus an Obelisk. And it's Mr. Shirogane of all people to boot." Crowler mused out loud with an interested smirk on his face. "This should be good." Unbeknownst to everyone else, Hope had managed to sneak away near the coast to watch the duel. Her sketchbook was open, and a charcoal pen was in her free hand, her eyes fixated on the boys.
Good luck Kenji. Hope quietly wished Ken well before looking back at Alexis, the duelists beginning to prepare for the match. Against Alexis, you'll need it.
"Ready?!" Alexis called out to Ken, who was trying to get his footing right on the boat. He did his best to get his stance right but managed to get into position after a moment or two. Looking back at Alexis, who seemed poised and perfectly balanced on the boat, he remembered he was about to duel. So, he slipped on a practiced smile and let himself come alive.
"Dueling on the open water with our expulsion on the line, eh? Seems like a decent enough setup." Ken called to the group loud enough for everyone to hear, his eyes closed and a satisfied smile on his face. "The stage is set, the crowd is waiting." Opening his eyes and pointing back at Alexis with a look of pure determination, he met her challenge. "Fine with me, it's time to start the show!" The two duelists activated their Disks, their eyes meeting and their first five cards drawn.
"DUEL!"
Kenji: 4000
Alexis: 4000
"Alright, let's see!" Alexis shouted as she drew her first card to begin the round (Hand: 6). Looking over her hand, she already had a plan forming as she flicked her new card into her hand and pulled another one. "Etoile Cyber, rise!" She commanded as her first monster materialized, a woman with gray skin and long red hair, dressed in a beautiful red leotard with ribbons adorning her arms. The woman spun into a ready stance in front of Alexis. (1200/800). "And I'm also going to play one card facedown." She set her facedown on the field before ending her turn (Hand: 4).
"Not much of an opener." Ken taunted with a smirk. "Let's see how well I do!" The Ra announced as he drew his first card (Hand: 6). Looking over his cards, a small smirk grew on his face. "I'll start by playing Six Samurai United!" A Spell Card appeared before Kenji, depicting six warriors in different colored armor standing and kneeling next to each other. "See, whenever I summon a Six Samurai monster, I get to add a Bushido Counter to it. For example…" Ken scanned through his hand and picked up one more card. "My first star of the night, The Six Samurai - Zanji!" Before him appeared the orange-clad samurai from the entrance exam, the energy naginata igniting as the warrior readied himself (1800/1300). On the Spell Card, a glowing emblem appeared over top of it (Counter: 1). "So now, Zanji! Attack her Etoile Cyber with Naginata Storm!" Zanjii rushed towards Etoile Cyber while spinning his naginata, inching closer and closer as he glided across the water.
"Hold it right there!" Alexis announced as she revealed her facedown. "I activate the Trap Card Doble Passe!" Zanji continued his attack, but Etoile Cyber began to rush towards the samurai, sliding past as he swung his weapon at Alexis.
Kenji: 4000
Alexis: 2200
"Why would you…?" Ken asked in disbelief as he saw what happened.
"Doble Passe changes your monster's attack to a direct attack on me. And now, my monster that you were about to attack gets to wage a direct attack on you!" Alexis explained as Etoile Cyber was heading towards Ken at full speed. "Oh, and when Etoile Cyber attacks someone directly, her Attack Points increase by 600!" Ken braced himself for the strike as the monster began to spin faster and faster (1200-1800/800). When in range, the woman delivered a swift kick to Ken's body, rocking the boat he was on, as well as the one Jaden and Syrus were on. (1800-1200/800).
Kenji: 2200
Alexis: 2200
"That Alexis is somethin' else." Jaden muttered loud enough to hear. "Sacrificing her own Life Points just so she can get to Ken's."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, pal." Ken turned to the Slifer and barked before looking back at his opponent. "Well, you got style. I'll give you that much." Ken admitted as he picked another card from his hand. "I'll end with a facedown." He set one card of his own before ending his turn (Hand: 3).
"So, you impressed, then?" Alexis asked with a ring in her voice.
"More like relieved." Ken gave a cocky smirk of his own, confusing the girls. "It'd be a shame if you went through all this just to waste my time." That got a glare from Jasmine and an amused snort from Mindy, but Alexis didn't look perturbed.
"Keep playing tough, it'll numb the pain of losing." Alexis quipped back, a noticeable smirk on her face as she saw the confident look on his face. "Now then, where were we?" She hummed when she saw the next card she drew, giving Ken a confident look of her own (Hand: 5). "I summon Command Knight!" A warrior with long blonde hair and leather armor materialized beside Etoile Cyber, drawing their sword in preparation for battle (1200/1900). "With my Knight on the field, all my Warrior Monsters gain 400 Attack Points."
Command Knight (1200-1600/1900)
Etoile Cyber (1200-1600/800)
"And I activate the Spell Card Polymerization to fuse Etoile Cyber with the Blade Skater in my hand together…" On the other side of Etoile Cyber appeared another woman, bald head and gray skin with one eye, but with purple leotards and blades on her arms and feet. The monster skated around the field before taking her place. The two were engulfed in a vortex of air and water, until a singular monster was formed. "To summon Cyber Blader!" In their place stood another skater, gray skin and long blue hair, but red streaks along her arms and legs, and purple on her hands and feet. Her soles were fixed with skates and her eyes were covered by a red visor (2100-2500/800). "Now Cyber Blader, attack Zanji with Whirlwind Rage!" The monster assumed a pose and began to spin in place before she moved towards Zanji at breakneck speed. Zanji was quickly overwhelmed and reduced to shards on contact. Ken gritted his teeth as he saw his Samurai fall and his Life Points along with him.
Kenji: 1500
Alexis: 2200
"Now Command Knight, attack Kenji's Life Points directly!" She ordered; her blonde monster glided across the water with their sword held aloft.
"If this hits, it's all over!" Syrus exclaimed while Jaden gasped from what was about to happen. But Ken dug in his heels and stared the monster down as they approached.
"Not yet, it's not! I activate Ultimate Offering!" Ken announced as his facedown card flipped up. "By paying 500 Life Points, I can get another Normal Summon, so I'll activate its effect to bring out The Six Samurai - Irou!" In front of Ken appeared a samurai with long, flowing black hair and purple armor and robes. His eyes were also covered by a visor and his hand held a sharp katana with a sheath in the other, ready to be used on the knight (1700/1200). Behind Ken's samurai, another emblem appeared over his Spell Card (Counter: 2).
Kenji: 1000
Alexis: 2200
"Command Knight, break off the attack!" Alexis quickly shouted to her creature. Her knight slid to a stop before colliding with Ken's monster and quickly jumped back to Cyber Blader's side to end her turn (Hand: 2).
"Way to go, Alexis!" Mindy cheered out for her friend.
"Yeah, you got him now!" Jasmine added. "I knew this kid was just some thug!" Out of sight, Crowler was grinning from ear to ear at the sight of one of his Obelisks mopping the floor with Kenji. Hope, however, was quickly sketching what she saw on the water. The beginnings of figures started to fill the page as her eyes darted from the field to her book.
"Come on, Ken! You got this!" Jaden cheered as loud as he could, but Syrus didn't look so confident.
"Are you sure he does?" Syrus asked his friend a little more quietly.
"Go ahead, keep underestimating me." Ken fired back as he did his best to get back into stance. "Wolfe made the same mistake, and you know how that turned out. My draw!" With another wide swing, he drew his next card (Hand: 3). "My Six Samurai United card has all the Bushido Counters it can hold now, but that's fine by me. By sending it to the Graveyard, I can draw cards equal to the amount of Bushido Counters I have on it. So, I'll be drawing two more cards." Ken explained as his spell card shattered and he drew his two cards (Hand: 5) "And next, I'll summon The Six Samurai - Nisashi!" Beside Irou appeared another samurai, clad in green armor. In his hand were two sword hilts, both without a blade. Spinning the hilts in his hands, green energy channeled out them, forming into twin blades (1400/700).
"Big mistake, tough guy. My Cyber Blader has a special ability. Its effect changes depending on how many monsters you have on the field." Alexis explained with a confident smirk. "Since you have 2, its Attack Points double." The Slifers gasped as they saw Cyber Blader being enveloped by a sparkling aura, her body becoming more toned and tense as her Attack Points rose (2500-5000/800).
"Not a problem with this. I activate Book of Moon!" Ken played another Spell Card, a blue book emblazoned with the image of the moon. "This card flips one of your monsters facedown, and who better than Cyber Blader!" Cyber Blader started to crouch down before being flipped over, a facedown card where Alexis's monster once stood. "Nisashi!, attack her facedown Cyber Blader with Wind Blade Barrage!" Nisashi jumped into the air and when it neared Alexis's monster, began to swing both his swords at blinding speed, slicing his victim to the point of shattering.
"My Cyber Blader…" The Obelisk lamented as she saw her monster disappear. But Ken wasn't done yet.
"Irou, follow up with Flash Step Slash!" Ken commanded as his dark-clad Samurai crouched into himself clutching the handle of his sword. "Destroy her Command Knight!" He stepped forward and instantly appeared behind Alexis's knight with his sword drawn, slowly sheathing his sword with the monster being cut in two when the blade finally clicked back into place.
Kenji: 1000
Alexis: 2100
"And Nisashi has an ability too. When there's another Six Samurai on the field, he can attack twice. Attack her directly!" The girl's eyes widened as she saw Nisashi rush at her, swinging his swords again. The girl barely had any time to brace herself when the attack connected, the boat rocking violently from the impact. Mindy and Jasmine gasped at the impact, realizing that Alexis was now on the backfoot.
Kenji: 1000
Alexis: 700
"I'll play one card facedown and end my turn." Ken announced as another facedown card materialized on the field (Hand: 2).
"Alright! One more attack and we're out of here!" Syrus cheered at the top of his lungs.
"Don't start celebrating yet, Sy." Jaden muttered, noticing the determined look on the Obelisk's face. "Something tells me she's ready for the next round."
"That wasn't a bad move, Kenji." Alexis admitted, actually looking somewhat impressed at the boy. "But you're not out of the woods yet. I draw!" She grunted as she drew her next card (Hand: 3). Her eyes scanned her hand and the field before grabbing a card. "From my hand, I'll play the Spell Card Snatch Steal!" Ken snarled when he heard that, watching his Irou get enveloped in an aura of light. "This card gets equipped to one of your monsters, allowing me to gain control of it. In exchange, you get 1000 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases." Alexis told the Ra, his Samurai disappearing from his Field and reappearing onto hers in a flash of light.
"Irou!" Ken instinctually called out for his samurai but didn't have anything to stop the effect.
"But that won't be an issue for long, because I'm sacrificing your Irou to summon Cyber Prima!" Irou disappeared and in his place stood another dancer, long blond hair flowing in the breeze. This one wore a gray leotard with gold hoops around her hips and arms, a red vizor over her eyes as she stood poised for a fight (2300/1600). "Cyber Prima, attack his Nisashi with Reverence End!" Cyber Prima took a pose and began to spin in place, the vortex beginning to suck up the water and inch towards Nisashi. Ken could only stare as his samurai fell to multiple kicks from the monster, the water and wind scattering to create a field of sparkles around the dancer.
Kenji: 100
Alexis: 700
"With that, I end my turn." Alexis finished her turn, allowing Ken to try and find a way out of this (Hand: 1). "I hope you didn't finish unpacking yet." She taunted the boy, Ken growling back at the barb.
"Just one more hit and it's all over." Syrus sounded scared, his confidence in Ken had now dropped like a rock again.
"You say that like you're not hanging on by a thread!" Jasmine jeered from her boat, earning a glare from Ken. He knew she was right.
"Have a little faith, Syrus." Ken called out to the Slifer, getting his attention. "I said I'd get you back to the dorms and I meant it. All I need is a monster to work with."
Easier said than done. Ken thought, lamenting the state of his field. The only card in my deck that can go toe-to-toe with that ballerina is Shien. But I haven't been able to draw him all game. I just need one good hit.
"You better do something, because if you don't, you're going to be expelled~!" Mindy reminded the boys in a sing-song voice, getting them all to grimace at the stakes.
"Come on, then." Alexis called Ken out, looking like she had this all sewn up. "Show me what you got."
"You got this, bud." Jaden simply said with a knowing smile, Ken turning back at the two, seeing the confidence in Jaden's eyes. "Just make it flashy, will ya?" That made Ken grin like an idiot before turning back to Alexis.
"Don't mind if I do!" Ken said as he shifted back into stance. "I draw!" With a wide swing, he drew his last card of the game (Hand: 3). His eyes widened as he realized what he just drew. "Sorry, but I got this in the bag now." Ken grinned, shocking Alexis and the audience.
"Did you forget that my Prima has 2300 Attack Points?" Alexis asked a now confident Ken. "And you have nothing left to swarm the field."
"You're right, I have nothing that can go toe-to-toe with your ballerina as it is. But thankfully, I don't need to fight it." Ken explained as he played his next card. "I activate Reinforcement of the Army! This lets me take any Level 4 or lower Warrior Monster from my deck and add it to my hand." Ken explained as he took out his deck and searched through it. While he saw that his Shien was at the near bottom of his deck, so was the card he needed. He pulled the card he chose and added it to his hand.
"And now to end this. Meet my last performer of the night! The Six Samurai - Yariza!" In front of Ken appeared another samurai clad head to toe in blue samurai armor with a long, pointed helmet. In his hand was a spear that was attached to a strong metal cable, fed into a winch on his side, while the blade of the spear was made of energy shaped into a blade (1000/500).
"That's the monster you're going to beat me with?" Alexis blinked at the surprisingly weak monster. "Its Attack Points don't even come close to my Prima's." The comment got a smirk out of the Ra.
"It won't matter, because I'm not aiming for your ballerina. I'm aiming right for you." A gasp left Alexis as Ken started to explain. "See, my Yariza has a special ability like all my Samurai do. When there's another Six Samurai on the field, Yariza can attack you directly." The audience was now gasping as Yariza stood ready to attack. "You're not the only one who can pull that trick!"
"But you don't have another Six Samurai on the field! And you don't have enough Life Points for Ultimate Offering either!" Alexis countered, but Ken hardly looked perturbed.
"But I have this. Return of the Six Samurai!" Ken retorted as he activated his facedown card. "This brings back one Six Samurai back from my Graveyard. So come on back, Irou!" In a flash of light, his purple-clad samurai returned back to the field in a brilliant flash of light (1700/1200). "Granted, he gets destroyed at the end of the turn, but that won't matter right now. Yariza! Attack her Life Points directly! Stone Splitter Spear!" Ken commanded as Yariza winded up his arm, aiming carefully before throwing the spear as hard as he could. The weapon zoomed by Prima, who was unable to catch it, now heading right for Alexis. She could only stand shocked by what she knew was going to happen. The spear passed through her, knocking the wind out of her as she and the boat wobbled from the impact.
Kenji: 100
Alexis: 0
"Alexis!" Jasmine called out to her friend, who was trying to steady herself.
"Uhh, what just happened?" Mindy asked, somewhat confused by how the duel played out.
"He just won, that's what happened!" Jaden cheered, Syrus joining him as the two threw their hands in the air and hollered in celebration.
"And that's the end!" Ken said as he took a bow to finish off the duel.
From the coast, Hope pumped her fist in satisfaction watching the duel, but quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching. Letting out a nervous laugh, she looked over her rough sketches for the night: Alexis's Cyber Blader in a dancing pose, Kenji's Yariza in a battle stance holding his spear, and in the corner was the beginnings of a small furry creature with paws and wings, two circles to mark its large eyes at the moment. Satisfied with her work, she closed her sketchbook and pushed herself off the tree to walk back to the dorm before anyone could notice she was there. The group was now squared off with each other, Ken still in front of the Slifers protectively.
"Alright, Rhodes. I won, so we get off scot-free, right?" Ken asked her, expecting some kind of backstab. But she only smiled back at him.
"A deal's a deal, I won't back out." Alexis confirmed, her arms crossed and her tone non-confrontational. "We'll keep quiet about what happened tonight."
"And don't worry boys, we'll make sure the girls won't give you a hard time tomorrow, either." Mindy offered with a wink, getting laughs out of the Slifers.
"Well if you ask me, I think we should turn all of them in right now!" Jasmine retorted, still wanting to get the boys out of here.
"Well, no one asked you." Alexis turned on her friend with a hard tone, Jasmine looking back at her a bit betrayed, not understanding. "Kenji beat me in the duel fair and square and that's all there is to it."
"Not really, it could've gone either way." Ken relented, giving the girl a simple smile. The girls looked at him, noticing that this was the friendliest he had looked to them all night. "That's what a good show's supposed to be. You're pretty good." Alexis stood stunned by that, while Ken sat back down in his boat to depart.
"Well, look at you, making friends." Jaden snickered from behind them, he and Syrus having sat back down on their own to follow. "Not such a tough guy after all, aren't you?"
"Oh, hush up." Ken bit back, sitting back down in his boat with a scowl. "Come on, boys. Let's head back." Ken grabbed the oars and started to row back to the shore, Jaden and Ken behind, following suit. Before he got too far, he called out to the girls. "Next time we duel, let's do it on a better stage, yeah?" The girls could only watch the boys row away, barely picking out the bickering they were doing as they departed.
Even if I did win, I could never turn those three in. Alexis thought as she watched them paddle away. This place is a lot more fun with them than without. And Jaden's still on my list, after all. She thought, her eyes fixated on Jaden and her mind on her next duel. Beside her, Mindy and Jasmine were looking between Alexis and the boys, wondering what was going through her head at the moment. They had never seen her act like this before. Like an electric current was flowing through her now. Crowler, however, swam in his spot, seething at the fact Ken won his duel.
"Lucky brats." Crowler cursed under his breath. "They got off easy tonight, but I will still find a way to bring them to heel soon enough." He promised before feeling a chill down his spine from the water."As soon as I find a way back home." Crowler thought as he held his breath and submerged himself again for the long swim back.
And that's Chapter 6. I had a lot of fun writing this one, the duel itself took a couple rewrites to get right. And sewn a couple more seeds to blossom for later chapters, so look forward to that. Next chapter is a break to focus on some more relaxed content, maybe a duel, but we'll be taking a break narratively before we get into the Promotion Duels. I've got something fun planned for that.
Until next time, thank you for reading and following. And remember:
Drink lots of water, be good to one another, and get your game on!