Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm

Anna smiled to herself as she walked down the hallway of the girls' dorm. The week of classes was over, and she now had the whole weekend to look forward to. No lectures and no text. After her duel with Koyo, Anna was trying to be close with him as possible because he's one of the few guys who isn't her fanboy or show interest in her beauty, but he is someone she can relate to when it comes to her passion for dueling. Thankfully, Koyo was helping her with that. As far as she was concerned, Koyo had proven himself to be even better than she had thought. The fact that he didn't show an ounce of arrogance and rudeness to her during the duel proved one thing. And since then they would often spend more time together such as studying and doing their homework together which makes many students to mistook them as couples, discussing their deck and dueling strategy with each other, and sometimes they would duel in the Obelisk Arena and have snacks together in a snack bar or eat in cafeteria. Despite Koyo being in Ra Yellow the dorm which is below Obelisk, Anna did admire Koyo's dueling skills and confidence in himself. A lot of the higher-ranking students liked to boast about their skills. But Koyo had been able to consistently back up his claims with all his wins. While most of the Obelisk males hated him and are worried he would outrank them, the Slifers and Ras were a bit more on the fence when it came to their opinion of him, if you did not duel or confront him in any way Koyo would leave you alone.

Well since today is family day it looks like I might not be able to spend time with him! Anna thought to herself.

"-Are you missing me?" As if reading her mind, Koyo's all-too familiar voice interrupted Anna's thoughts.

But he's supposed to be away this weekend! And how can he be HERE in the girls' dorm of all places!? Anna thought to herself in confusion as she sprinted towards where she heard Koyo's voice coming from.

Anna stopped in the doorway to one of the rec rooms and saw the source of what she had been afraid of. She breathed a silent sigh of relief to see that it wasn't Koyo himself, just him dueling on TV. Yuna and Ran both sat on the couch with their eyes glued to the screen.

"What are you watching!?" Anna asked bluntly.

"It's Koyo's exhibition match at the Pro League for today! Why wouldn't we be watching it!?" Ran said excitedly.

"Yeah! I can't believe off all the students he was the only one invited to duel for Pro Championship's exhibition match !" Yuna said,

"I see, now this should be interesting." Anna said.

"He's so dreamy… Look at how he's looking at his cards right now. I bet he'll win any minute now!" Ran said adoringly.

"Oh, yeah. You can see it. It's in his eyes. Are you taping this?" Yuna said after a moment of zoning out.

"Yup." Ran answered, not taking her eyes off the screen.

Anna had to refrain from rolling her eyes at her friends' comments. She then turned her eyes to the duel. Instead of his usual Ra Yellow attire, Koyo was wearing a professional red trenchcoat outfit which resembles Slifer Red uniform. She had to admit to herself that he was attractive in terms of looks, especially to pull off his oddly matched outfit.

"What's taking you freaking long to make your move rookie?. Maybe I should make some coffee while you take your turn? Or read a book? Heck, why don't I just eat fried shrimp while you take your turn!? "Sorry, dude. But you need to face reality and understand that victory is mine" Koyo taunted his opponent smugly. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"Shut up, you little piece of shit! I'll go when I'm ready!" Koyo's opponent fired back angrily, causing Koyo to let out that snotty laugh of his that Anna has never seen

Sure enough, Koyo won the match during his next turn after his opponent was only able to play a monster in defense mode. Once he was announced as the winner, Anna had to cover her ears against how loud the screams of all the girls in the stadium were as they cheered ecstatically for Koyo. And Offcourse he smiled and waved to the audience.

"I think I'm going to leave now." Anna said abruptly.

"What? But don't you want to see the interview next?" Ran asked sadly.

"No, not particularly. Besides, today is family day, and my parents and sister are going to be here in a little bit. I need to get ready." Anna answered bluntly.

"Well, okay. Guess we'll see you later then, Anna." Yuna conceded.

After a quick wave goodbye, Anna left Yuna and Ran and headed back down the hallway again. There was only so much of Koyo that she could take, and it didn't help that there was no escaping him as a topic in the girls' dorm. Besides her friends, almost every other girl in Obelisk Blue except Ryo was boy crazy for him. Posters could be found in the dorm rooms and outside areas. A lot of girls also took pictures of him on their cell phones every day and shared their contents with each other, even going so far as to use them for their phone's home and lock screen images. And Anna was forced to listen to the same, endless types of conversations: how handsome Koyo was, his latest duels, what he had said to them today, what their dream wedding with him would be like. Whether she was in class or back at the dorm for the day, there was no escape from Koyo and it was driving Anna crazy because she didn't like the way many girls are flirting and flattering him.

Duel Academy Main Campus with the Rhodes family

A couple hours later, Anna entered the crowded common area of sorts in the main campus building. Family Day was every first week Saturday every month, and since this was the start of second month of classes, it was a crowded affair. Due to the school's location, the trip to the island could be a bit out of the way for family members depending on how close they were to the main Domino City area. So, students didn't always spend the weekend at home. Family Day was set up as an in-between way to make things easier on both sides since it could also be a pain to leave campus too long on a weekend if students wanted to be near the library or other resources. Of course, vacation breaks were a different matter for most people with the school being nearly empty of students.

After scanning the room for a minute, Anna spotted her parents and younger sister Alexis near the far-end by the window side of the room.

"Mom! Dad! Alexis!" Anna greeted them excitedly as she sprinted over to where they were seated.

Once they saw her, Alexis, Eva Rhodes and Mike Rhodes immediately rose from their seats, smiling warmly at their daughter. Mike Rhodes took after Alexis in terms of looks but he has brown hair like Anna but in a short style that spiked out just a little from the sides. His eyes were also hazel like Alexis but had a slightly greener shade to them. Eva on the other hand, resembled like a blond version of Anna she has long blond hair down her back in a thick braid and brown eyes.

"Its good to see you again sis" Alexis said as she hug her older sister. Unlike Anna Alexis has blond hair like their mother but her face and hazel eyes resembled their fathers. She wore a black sleeveless top, a white mini skirt and black boots. At 14 she stands 5'7 tall and is quite tall for her age.

"Same here Alexis". Anna said as she accepts her hug affectionately.

"Here's my girl! I was starting to worry that we'd have to start searching the duel arena and pry you out of one with how much you love to duel! I bet you're having the time of your life here, huh!?" Mike joked with a smile. He ruffled Anna's hair affectionately.

"Yeah, I am!" Anna answered happily. And it was true. Anna was enjoying being at Duel Academy so far. Not just with the classes, duels, and her friends. Anna liked how being here made her feel like her second home.

"We're so glad we could come see you again. You look wonderful, sweety." Eva said softly. She pulled her daughter closer to her in a warm hug.

"You too Mum" Anna said happily

Once Anna had told her parents and Alexis about the classes and dueling for a while, they hit a lull in the conversation.

"So, is there anything else interesting going on with school for you that you haven't told us about yet, Anna? Do you have any boyfriend?" Mike hinted teasingly.

"None that I've met so far, I'm afraid." Anna answered simply, fighting to not roll her eyes at her father's question.

"Really? What about Koyo Hibiki the guy who is said to have skills equivalent to Pro Duelsit? He's a handsome young man." Eva said thoughtfully.

"W-We''re just friends" Anna replied with a blush.

"Come on Sis you are definitely in love with him" Alexis said teasingly

"That's enough Lexi" Anna replied defensively with a blush

"Calm down Girls" Mike warned he couldn't help raising his eyebrows in surprise a little from Alexis' tone.

"Can you explain how you two become friends?" Eva asked worriedly.

Anna explained everything, from running into Koyo on her first day to their duel with each other, and how they became good friends after their duel. It felt good to just unload everything right there to her parents. She realized that she had wanted to tell someone about this.

"Well I must say that kid seems to be a nice guy." Mike said with a neutral expression. "But if you two are dating then I small give my blessings" He added teasingly.

"Dad" Anna answered simply fighting not to raise her voice to her dad.

"You both appear to be very similar to each other you both are popular with the opposite gender and love dueling, and just like Koyo you hate when your fans flaunt over you" Eva said cheerfully.

Anna came to realize what her mother said is right she and Koyo are very akin to each other in terms of personality and love for dueling.

"I would love to meet him too" Alexis said.

"Unfortunately he's not here, and he went back to Domino for a special exhibition match, but if you want I can introduce you to some of my best friends" Anna told her.

"I would love to meet them sis, and I can't wait to come here guess I will have to wait for another two years" Alexis told her.

"Yes and by the time when you come here I will be in my final year" Anna replied.

"When Alexis comes here only me and your dad will be at home" Eva replied sadly.

"Come on our daughters are grown up now, even if their moving away for their studies, they aren't going to leave US forever" Mike try to cheer his wife while putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Lexi! Mom! Dad! would you like to have something to eat?" Anna said to them affectionately and they nodded in agreement, and she then directed them to Obelisk Blue Ballroom in the boys dorm where they host brunch for the students and their families.

With The Marufuji Family

Ryo arrived in the other side of common area in the main campus hoping to meet her family, and she keeps looking for them.

I wonder where are Mom, Dad, and Sho. They said they would be coming today. She thought to herself .

"Nee-chan" Her thoughts are interrupted by a familiar voice of a young boy.

"Sho". She turned to see her brother coming and hugging her.

"I miss you alot sis" He cried dramatically in anime style a he hugged her. Unlike her Sho is very short for his age. He has spiky light blue hair, grey eyes and wears a glasses. He's dressed in casual yellow shirt, kakhi shorts and casual sneakers. His personality is more childish contrasting her mature personality

"Its good to see you again Sho" She said with a small smile and affectionately pat his head. Unlike Anna who is close with her sister, Ryo isn't very close with her younger brother Sho, but she still loves and cares for him, and nevertheless she is also happy to see him again.

"Your looking beautiful with this uniform sis" Sho commented with a compliment.

"Thanks Sho. Where's Mom and Dad?" She asked

Before Sho could respond they were interrupted by a familiar loving female voice "Now look whose here."

The siblings turn to see their parents Taki Marufuji and Erika Marufuji approaching them.

"Mom! Dad" Ryo said happily as she ran towards them.

"Now here's my favorite girl, when we came here we first went to the duel arena to search for you. because we know you love dueling, but instead your chilling with Sho" Taki said affectionately a he ruffled his daughters hair

"Since its family day dad, I want to take off from dueling and homework so that I can spent more time with you all." Ryo told him with a smile.

"I see you must be missing us a lot dear, even we miss you a lot". Erika retorted. "So how is Duel Academy going on ? Do you like studying?"

"You don't worry Mom everything is going good, it's just we are busy with our studies and dueling" Ryo said. "I did make some few great friends over here".

"Really! You did?" Taki asked in a surprise tone because he know his daughter is stoic and introverted most of the time, and she doesn't have large circle of friends because she was bullied when she was in elementary school which led her to distant herself from her peers. But he was nevertheless glad to see her having friends whom she can socialize and help her come out of her shell.

"Yes it's only few, not too much" She told him simply.

"Is your best friend Anna Rhodes?" Erika asked her daughter. "I hope no one is bulling or harassing you?" She then asked to Ryo worriedly

"Yes she, and Yuna Fujiwara are my best friends, there is also another girl whom I get along with Ran Koucho I don't consider her as my best friend but we are still close and get along well with each other. Ryo explained. "As for me being bullied, you don't worry Mom my high school life is peaceful so one is their to bully or trouble me, but I still get some annoying love-struck boys who are coming after me and sending me some love letters, but they don't trouble me but I still don't pay heed to them" Ryo said to her assuredly with a smile,

Both of her parents sense their daughter is telling the truth, and are glad to see she's having a good time.

"Nee-chan you have so many fanboys that's cool. So do you have a boyfriend?" Sho asked to her teasingly"

"No I don't" She replied nonchalantly. Which is true to some extent, the only boys she gets along with are Taku and Koyo at the moment but she still feels something special for Taku despite being oblivious to his love towards her.

With The Princeton Family

Over on the other side of the room, there was another student having a family reunion today. But unlike Ryo and Anna, this one wasn't anything that you could consider as normal. From his seat at the table, Slade listened vaguely to the sounds of the lighthearted, warm conversations between the other students and their families. How he wished he could be like one of them right now…. But being a Princeton heir made all that impossible for him.

"Hello, Slade. We hope you are doing well." His parents Liam and Nancy Princeton greeted their eldest son in a formal fashion before sitting down across from him at the table. Slade hated it whenever they said that. No, whenever anyone said that. Just why wouldn't they hope that he was okay? Seriously, was there any need to even say that? It always just sounded so phony to him, somehow.

"Thanks. But didn't you say that you had to get ready for that big election that's supposed to be coming up soon?" Slade asked. He was honestly surprised to see his parents here despite their schedule.

"That's correct. When your dad gets elected to the council a mayor, it will open up even more doors for us in terms of important influential connections." Nancy said with a grin.

Of course, she hadn't said "if" his dad got elected, but "when". Because to his parents, that was the whole point of everything. One of their many mottos in life was, "Don't try, just do it and succeed at all cost ." Slade remembered how they had always scoffed at things like those little trophies and other awards from elementary school athletic competitions that they gave to kids who hadn't done well enough to place in anything. Awards titled things like, "I Tried" and, "Participation Award". They had told him that things like that gave people a false sense of satisfaction. That it made people fall into the trap of becoming lazy and complacent by not believing that trying for better things mattered in life. They had explained to Slade that there were always winners and losers in life and the harsh reality of it all was that there had to be a set amount of "losers" in the world to have enough people to do the jobs that nobody wanted to end up doing in life, like janitors or caretakers in nursing homes. Yet they were necessary to have and maintain that delicate balance so that the "winners" could enjoy success to the fullest in their lives while others took care of the dirty work. Even if it was only for a set amount of time until newer people could replace them. But the only difference was that the Princetons had to be winners no matter what. They even explained to him that since he is the eldest he has to set a role model and perfect example to his younger brothers as the heir of Princeton.

Slade had tried to feel more sympathetic to his parents viewpoints, he really had.

Flashback

Years ago, When Slade was just 4 years old, his parents had their properties and inheritance stolen by their asshole relatives, and they ousted the family of 5 out of their own homes, at that time his younger brothers Jaggers nd Chazz were just 3 and 2 years old and he, his parents and brothers were homeless for several months, and this prompt his parents to work hard for their living, even if it means they were doing some odd and shady jobs like hacking and gambling in order to get more money to provide food and shelter for their young sons, and it took a year for the family to get their own accommodation, after getting their own house his parents work hard to establish their own company and by the time he turned 10 The Princeton company has became a very successfull and one the leading company's in the country, and the family moved to a lavish mansion and they start to own several mansions and other properties like parks, hospitals, and shopping malls in USA, Japan and overseas. By the time he turned 11 his dad choosed him to become the heir of his company.

Back To Present

But because of that, his parents had become hardened-ruthless even-towards the world. Sometimes, Slade couldn't help thinking that they were overdoing it with some of their plans. One of Liam's proposals for once he was on the city council was that funding would be reduced drastically for aiding students from lower-income poor families in receiving grants and scholarships to help them get into dueling academies and other prep schools. Sure, he often complained about the "slackers" at Duel Academy. But didn't they at least deserve a chance to become something more than that by going to good schools like this? And just how did doing things like this so often help to maintain that delicate balance that they claimed so often existed?

"Well, that's great news, then!" Slade agreed, trying to sound enthusiastic for his parents.

"That's right. The three most important things are politics, finance, and Duel Monsters. And once we control them all, we'll control the world! So, we need you to do your part now Slade and become the role model to Jaggers and Chazz. And that starts with defeating all the best students in this school." Liam insisted.

Slade groaned inwardly to himself. Another one of his parents obsessions. It was never enough for him to just love dueling. No, he had to become not just a good duelist, but the best duelist in the whole world . But hey, no pressure, right? Wrong. Being the best also meant never losing, and that almost ended up taking all the enjoyment away from it for Slade. It was also how he had ended up being so rude and arrogant towards other duelists, especially the Slifers and Ras. Slade would never admit it to anyone but labelling them as inferior to him helped him to feel more confident in his own abilities. If he believed that he was better than everyone else, then actually becoming that would be ten times easier, at least in his mind.

"Heh. No problem. This school is filled with enough amateurs as it is." Slade lied in what he hoped was a confident-sounding voice.

"Not quite. There appears to be some solid competition this year in the form of Koyo Hibiki, who has the potential to become the rising Pro League star. Perhaps you have even encountered him already, Slade?" Nancy enquired in a seemingly nonchalant tone. But the slight edge in his question made Slade believe otherwise.

"I've heard of him. Haven't had a chance to duel him myself yet, though. I don't want to just rush into something like that right away. The kid's got quite a record already, even for a pro." Slade said, lying smoothly about the first part. He couldn't let his parents know about his loss to Koyo during their promotional exam duel. Luckily, the entire school, Koyo, Ryo, Misawa, Yuna, Chummley and Anna seemed to be keeping quiet about it too (a surprise to Slade for Koyo), so his loss wasn't public knowledge outside the staffs and the student body . Not that anyone at Duel Academy would ever look down on him for losing to someone on Koyo's skill level. But his parents were a different story.

"A young pro, Slade . We've done our homework and research about Koyo's dueling career. Impressive as it is, it isn't unheard for new Ra Yellows to have a undefeated win streak when they first enter the Academy. Beginners' luck can be a frightening thing indeed. But with your similar ages, you should be at roughly the same level as him what with all the preparation you've had so far for this. We expect results." Nancy insisted. The last part of his sentence sounded more like a warning to Slade than anything else.

"And you know I'll get them." Slade reassured his parents. But he was already feeling more than a little anxious about the task at hand. He knew that despite his parents claims, Koyo had most certainly not gotten where he was through luck. The duel alone had shown him that. And it didn't help that Koyo was able to take down a higher-ranking opponent in the league today. To have any hope of defeating Koyo, Slade knew that he couldn't rely on his old strategies. He would have to do something out of the ordinary to have a chance at defeating him. Something that Koyo would not expect at all. The question was, what?

At The Hibiki Residence

Away from the island over in Domino City on the mainland, Koyo was having his Family Day of sorts with his parents and Midori and they were all having dinner in the dining room together. Koyo had finished his duels for the day over at the Kaiba Dome, and he was glad to finally get a break.

"I'm glad that's finally over with. The opponent I dueled today is really harsh and a hothead." Koyo complained.

"At least you finally got the insight about how life in Pro will be like Koyo" His dad told him.

"But he's so mean dad" Koyo told him.

"Dad is right Koyo, you see life in Pro is not like the one you are currently facing in Duel Academy. When your in Duel Academy you are unaware about the realities in real world, but once you move with society after you graduate from DA then you will come to realize that life in Pro isn't always easy as you think it is, and not all the opponents are going to duel you with honor and respect because they have already faced the harsh realities of being a Pro. So now it's time I train you to face the realities of being a Pro Duelist and help you deal with defeat." Midori advice him sternly but also in a loving tone.

"Sis I don't care about winning or losing as long as I am having fun in dueling, and I want a opponent who can defeat me someday. No matter what happens I will always keep my principals even if I face a humiliating defeat, I will use that loss to make a strong comeback". Koyo said with a determined look.

"Well no matter what kind of situation he faced Koyo will always be optimistic, after all he's our son" His mom interjected to her husband while looking at her son with a chuckle.

"Well Koyo I will give you some magazines related to Pro Dueling career, where you can read intreviews of other Pro Duelist like Joey Wheeled and Ed Phoenix etc, so that you can get a more idea about being in Pro" Midori told him.

"Thanks sis I will read whenever I am free" Koyo said simply with a faint smile..

"Putting that aside, how was your first month at school, Koyo? I trust that you found your duels there?" His Dad asked.

"To answer your question, the classes are interesting and Sis is very kind to her students but she also becomes stern and serious if we don't take her classes seriously and start slacking off". He said the last sentence jokingly.

"Offcourse I am after all I am just doing my job as a teacher" Midori said nonchalantly

"So did you make any friends there?" His mom interjected

"Yes I have a lot. My best friend is Daichi Misawa -kun who actually takes a pretty healthy interest in building different decks and side decking for someone who's not a pro yet. Lots of the others could learn a thing or two from him and along with him I have made some few friends in my dorm such as Dimitri he is a copycat Duelist who wants to copy the deck of famous legendary Duelist in order to become stronger. Then their is Chummley Huffington from Slifer Red he is mostly lazy like many Slifer red students but he's still a nice guy and has the potential to become the best Duelist if he works hard. In Obelisk Blue dorn their are three beauty queens Anna Rhodes, Ryo Marufuji and Yuna Fujiwara whom I get along well with. Due to their top grades in both academic and Dueling many students also call them the gifted three and we start to hang around frequently after I defeated one of the Queen, Anna in a duel. When it comes to the boys in Obelisk Blue their is 2nd year student called Takumi Tatsuragi, people who are close to him call him Taku-san while other students call him Kaiser because he has the reputation of being undefeated Duelist since he came to Duel Academy and he's also the King of Obelisk, we aren't close yet but we are still friendly acquaint." Koyo told his family thoughtfully

"That's something good then, isn't it?" His dad pointed out which made his son to nodd in agreement.

"By the way Koyo among the girls I notice you are very close with Anna, Are you two dating." Midori asked Koyo teasingly

"No sis we are just friends, and even if I have a girlfriend you will be the first one to know" Koyo said nonchalantly with a blush.

"But before me you should be the one dating" Koyo retorted

"That's right you are 26 and it's better you find a guy and get married soon , if you couldn't then we will search a good man for you" Mr Hibiki said to his daughter affectionately while also being slightly serious and completely agreeing to his son. Just like any other father he dreamed of seeing his daughter getting married in a grand cermony one day.

"But dad I can't think of getting married until I am 30." Midori said trying her best to avoid rolling her eyes towards him?

For a few minutes, they all ate in silence and after meal was over Midori helped her mother to wash the dishes while their father decide to go for jogging outside their house and Koyo choose to watch TV

Around 11 pm Koyo flipped idly through the channels on the TV in the living room from his comfortable place on the large sofa. He loved this little time whenever he came over after his parents and Midori had retired to their rooms for the night and he relaxed like this before he went to sleep. He loved how he was always free to stop in the kitchen for a bottle of water or some juice if he wanted. Or to use the little reading lamp on the end table next to the sofa to go over his decks or read something. Every time he stayed over was so peaceful and warm. Sure he enjoyed his dorm in Duel Academy and he also enjoy eating the food in Ra Yellow cafeteria, and he had several good friends Whom he can make memories with but he still miss his parents and eating his mom's delicious home cooked food. He rarely comes home during weekends despite allowing to go, since today was family day he and Midori decide to visit their parents this weekend and go back to island tommorow after breakfast.

Koyo pulled himself out of his family thoughts for a moment by thinking of school instead. Today had been Family Day at the academy where some parents visit their children at school, while some students like Koyo went back to their home to spend a weekend with their parents. But he couldn't help wondering a little about how some of the others like Taku and Anna were doing and even what their families might be like. Though how his brain had even gotten to Anna at all, he did not know. Koyo was happy to admit to himself that he at least could say that he believed that he felt just as happy as they might be to see their own families right now with how content he was right now in his parents house.

Somewhere In the Island

An elderly man was sitting in a wheelchair and was watching Koyo Hibiki's today's exhibition duel in a large TV Screen with a sinister smile.

"You call me sir" The old man turned to see a tall bulky man dressed in black coat and a hat and his eyes are covered in a mask approaching him.

"Its time we make our move Titan. I want you to go to Duel Academy's abandoned dorm and start making your move as I told you earlier" The old man finally broke his silence.

"Yes sir before we make our move, can I go to Domino and duel some strong Duelist who can help me bring back my strenght?. The bulky man now known as Titan asked him calmly.

"Allright but make sure you don't do anything that will jeopardize our plan" The old man tried to warn Titan.

"I promise you I won't fail you Master". Titan vowed to him calmly while bowing down before he left.

After Titan left the old man looked at the photo of Samejima smiling cheerfully in his TV Screen "Well it's time we make our move and I hope your ready Samejima"". The old man said in a sinster tone to himself.

Notes

Chapter 6 is finally here and I hope you enjoy reading it. This chap is mostly a slice of life chapter and it wasn't easy for me to give a backstory to Slade so I tried to make Slade a bit sympathetic here and I am going to get the Shadow Riders do some ominous staffs behind the scene until we see them in action. The next chapter is going to be the abandoned dorm plot and one of the missing person is not going to be Fubuki since we know Fubuki is here as Anna. So who do you think will replace him? and next chapter is going to be a non-Koyo duel and who do you think will duel Titan instead of Koyo? and who do you think will be one of the Key holders along with Koyo? I would like to know your theories.

Alexis and Sho are here so them meeting their older sisters best friend happens off screen. I didn't have time to write their interaction.