Wow, it's been such a long while, I've lost track of time! I'm here now though with a brand new chapter to boot!

But man, I'm so happy that people were happy about my last chapter, so I consider the brand new introduction a major success! Like I mentioned before, I plan to make this fanfic a combination of the manga, anime, and Tag Force games! Well, moreso towards the anime and manga, but I'll try my best with the Tag Force games as well. So, let's get started!

AO3 link: /works/43069185/chapters/136912402

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own any Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!


"Attention, new Duel Academy students! If you look outside your windows, you'll see your new home away from home!" the pilot controlling the helicopter announced through the intercom.

All of the new first-year students that were riding inside the large helicopter as though it was an airplane lifted their heads at the announcement. Those at the window seats merely turned their heads to glance out while the others stood up and leaned towards the windows, staring out in awe and amazement.

As the helicopter drew near the appointed destination, Duel Academy Island, the view from above was quite astonishing to newcomers because they could oversee everything from above.

The island itself was on a grand scale-level, which was expected for Seto Kaiba's standards as he prepares nothing but the best of the best for everything. Even from above, anyone could tell that the island was quite large, mainly filled with forests. The biggest attraction to Duel Academy Island wasn't just the large buildings indicating their source of education, but the tall mountainous volcano. Everyone knows it's incredibly dangerous and risky to be near a volcano should it ever erupt, but that risk also comes with a sense of adventure and thrill as having a volcano in an educational island would perk one's interests.

"Now, now, I know you're excited, but don't shove. Quite a sight, eh? So, fasten your seatbelts and set your seats back into an upright position. We're about to land. Next up, Duel Academy Island."

Like all of the other passengers, Elize was amazed to experience her first sighting of the famous Duel Academy from sky-high. After all, it was practically a once-in-a-lifetime experience to not only travel to an academy through a helicopter, but also attend said academy in an island. Especially one of, if not the most famous dueling academy in the world.

As excited and honored as Elize was attending a really famous academy, her emotions towards the academy was slightly dampened due to remembering the events that occurred around a week ago. Yes, the week where she took the entrance exam and passed, allowing her the privilege to attend Duel Academy.

Despite meeting and becoming friends with Jaden and Syrus during the entrance exam, the events still left the young girl slightly traumatized. After all, what was supposed to be a strict and harsh entrance exam was...much more harsher and crueler than expected. And it was all thanks to one man named Ryuga, the man-no, imposter teacher who lied and cheated his way and nearly reached his goal on becoming a teacher at Duel Academy.

Emphasis on nearly.

If it weren't for Elize turning the tides on Ryuga and winning, he would have already made his place in Duel Academy as a brand new teacher. Not just that, but Elize knew that she had to thank Lyna for helping her figure out and expose Ryuga's cheating method. But, it wasn't Ryuga's harsh tone and words during the duel that traumatized Elize. And, it wasn't the way he threatened her before the match, either, though both still scared her.

No, it was the aftermath of their duel, when Ryuga suddenly grabbed the back of her hair, like he was clawing to rip her head off.

The action itself was bad enough, but the murderous intent within Ryuga when he committed such an action was what traumatized Elize. If she was honest, she never wanted to see someone like Ryuga ever again. Fortunately, the security guards forcibly separated them and Jaden comforted her afterwards, but Elize wasn't sure what she would do if such a thing happened again.

A few hours ago, when preparations to fly to Duel Academy were nearly completed, Elize overheard a few students talking about Ryuga. According to them, it seemed very unlikely that Ryuga would ever become a Duel Academy instructor now that proof of his cheating methods was exposed and further discovered by various witnesses, specifically the students he dueled. As it turns out, he even had more misdeeds he committed after a serious investigation following a warrant was imposed in his home. Elize wasn't certain what misdeeds he's done, but it was enough to brand him a wanted criminal who was now on the run. Add that to the cruel display he did to Elize after losing to her, and, well, he was certainly out of the picture.

While Elize was relieved to never having to encounter Ryuga at Duel Academy, she still remembered the event and recalled the traumatized fear from such an event. Sure, she won, but that victory felt so short-lived. Ryuga was already a tough cookie, but if she had struggles against him this early on, even if he did cheated, then it was going to be a challenge as a duelist attending Duel Academy.

Then again, Elize wasn't attending Duel Academy solely for being a future top-notch Pro Duelist. No, her field of speciality was towards the technical fields of dueling, where she aspired to become a dueling technician. Granted, she had the basic skills of a mechanic, but she knew she could learn and improve much more by studying hard in Duel Academy.

After landing safely within the premises of the island, everyone exited the helicopter and were organized in a single group. One of the proctors began escorting them out from the premises, heading inside the main Duel Academy building, their next destination.

"Straighten your back."

'E-Eh?' Elize thought, startled by the voice until she relaxed her shoulders, recognizing the voice. 'Aussa? What did you just sa-'

"I said, straighten your back! Keep your posture strong and firm! Look ahead of you! Pay attention to your surroundings! We talked about this! If you get a good impression on your first day, then you're more likely to get good results! Got that?"

'Y-Yes!'

Just moments ago, Elize was feeling nervous and hesitant upon entering Duel Academy's own grounds, which could be considered sacred to many. Now, she was less nervous and more tense, mainly due to her Duel Spirit, Aussa the Earth Charmer, strictly ordering her to compose herself properly.

In a way, Aussa was right. If Elize wanted to gain a good impression of herself on her first day, she needed to look respective, not meek or scared. Then again, Elize knew that she was sure to gain some attention after her duel with Ryuga. After all, she did expose him to be a liar and a cheat in front of countless witnesses, and those witnesses are sure to spread the word around campus.

Once gathered inside the auditorium, the group of first-years faced a large screen in which the logo screen changed and transferred to that of the headmaster, or rather the chancellor's face; Chancellor Sheppard.

"Good morning and welcome, my students! I'm Chancellor Sheppard, the headmaster here at Duel Academy! You've all used your skills, knowledge, and other talents to pass the entrance exams! While you attend our prestigious academy, please remember to have fun studying and improving your skills in hopes of becoming the next King of Games!"

As Sheppard continued the entrance ceremony with his speech, Elize noticed Jaden nodding back and forth sleepily. It seemed that either he didn't get enough sleep or he was just bored of the entrance ceremony.

Not wanting him to get in trouble, Elize moved a little closer to him and gently grasped his arm, tugging on it. "Psst! Jaden! Please wake up! Wake up!"

A few more forceful nudges managed to snap Jaden away, blinking away at his eyes and glancing around. "H-huh? What? Is it over?"

Shaking her head, Elize whispered, "You were asleep during the opening ceremony. Well, it's still going on, but I didn't want you to get in trouble for sleeping, so..."

Jaden grinned, patting her on the head. "Well, in that case, thanks! You really saved my bacon out there! I bet, if I was caught sleeping, I would have been in serious trouble, so thanks again!"

Elize nodded at him before turning back in front of her, paying attention to the screen as Chancellor Sheppard continued his speech. It appears that things should be alright now with no further disturbances. All that was left was to get through the entrance ceremony...and see how things will proceed from there.


Later...

If anyone were to come across both the male and female Obelisk Blue Dorms, then they wouldn't see regular dormitories. No, they would witness grand castle-like architecture disguised as dormitories.

Upon setting sights on the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm for the first time, Elize could do nothing but stare in awe at how...majestic it appeared. As a child, she saw royal castles through fairy tale picture books but never one in reality. Today, though, she truly felt that she was gazing upon a castle.

If the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm was this special, she wondered if all of the other dormitories would be this extraordinary as well? Just the thought made Elize excited to explore the rest of the island later on.

Gripping the handle of her rolling bag, Elize strolled her way towards the entrance of the female Obelisk Blue Dorm, which would be her new accommodations for as long as she remained a student. If the outdoor appearance of the dorms was impressive enough, she wondered what the inside would be like-

That was when one of the entrance doors slammed open right at her face.

Alexis Rhodes was just exiting the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm when she felt some unknown force colliding with the door she just opened. Confused, Alexis peered out to see what she had hit, only for that confusion to quickly revert into horror at the realization of what she had accidentally done.

When the entrance door suddenly came swinging out, it hit with just enough force to hit Elize's nose and forehead and make her fall right on her bottom. Fortunately, the damage wasn't too terrible but still enough to leave some red marks on her nose and forehead, which should fade away over time.

"Oh my god, are you okay?!" Alexis rushed over and knelt at the fallen Elize's side in a panic. "I didn't realize that someone was on the other side of the doors! I'm sorry!"

"Owww...I-I'm okay! I'm okay," spoke Elize, covering the injured part of her nose. "It's okay, really. It was just an accident, after all."

"Still...Huh?" Alexis thought that the girl looked familiar and then peered closer before her eyes widened in realization. "Hold on! Aren't you...aren't you the girl who meet Mr. Ryuga?"

'...And here it comes. Well, Aussa did warn me about people recognizing me for that, so we might as well get it over with,' Elize thought before nodding to confirm Alexis' thoughts. "Y-Yeah...I kinda am...My name is Elize! Elize Konami! It's nice to meet you, um..."

"Alexis. Alexis Rhodes. Nice to meet you too, Elize!" Alexis held her hand out, prompting Elize to take it.

However, before Elize could shake it, she was startled when Alexis suddenly stood up, attempting to help Elize get back up. Unaware of her intentions, Elize ended up slipping out of her hold and falling back on her behind, only much gentler due to being closer to the ground.

"Wah!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I should have held a firmer grip!"

"N-No! It's fine! It's my fault, anyways! I-I thought you were trying to my hand! My bad!"

With the small issue resolved, Alexis still assisted in helping Elize stand back up on her feet. From there, they properly shook hands to formally greet one another.

"Were you just about to head to your new room? If you want, I can take you there," offered Alexis.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother to you or anything if you're busy-"

"It's fine. I've already finished unpacking my stuff, and I was just about to head out for a walk. It's no trouble for me to lead a new fellow Obelisk Blue to her own room on her first day here."

"Well..." Elize thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay...But, I can handle my own packing, really. That much I can do. Thank you for your offer, though!"'

Once inside, Elize caught a good look of the amazing ballroom-like design meant to be the main lobby of the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm. Several female students were already in uniform, sitting next to each other, walking around, talking amongst each other, and so forth. Two sets of staircases led to the upper floors of the dorm, which also led to the upper rooms where each girl were assigned their own rooms. That meant that Elize's room was in one of them.

Elize has never been inside a hotel room before, only knowing the inside of them through internet photos, but she felt like her new bedroom was like a 5-star hotel room with how luxurious it appeared. Her bed was queen-sized fit with silk sheets, a desk for her to use to her heart's content, her own private bathroom, and much more.

One thing she did want to complain was how blue it was.

Oh, she was aware that the room's color style was due to the fact that this was the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm. The issue with that was that she'd actually prefer if there was a red or green color featured. After all, red and green were her favorite colors. Though, considering that she was going to be living in such a grand-looking room, she felt she should be grateful nevertheless.

"How do you like your new room?" asked Alexis, entering right after Elize did.

Setting her luggage down, Elize looked around a bit more. "It's...much more than I could bear, to be honest. I'm...not really used to all this...fancy-rich stuff."

Alexis nodded. "I completely get you. It is a bit overwhelming at times, but you take what you get, I guess. Well, I guess I'll leave for you to finish unpacking-"

"Um...I-I don't want to trouble you again or anything, but would it be alright if I asked for something?" spoke up Elize. "Y-you mentioned something about going for a walk, right? T-Then, would it be okay if you gave me a tour of the island? I-I mean, if you don't want to, that's okay, I just-"

"Huh? No, no, it's cool," Alexis assured. "I don't mind giving you a tour at all, Elize. But I'm surprised, because I thought that you would like to unpack before doing anything else."

"Well, this is the first day, so I could just unpack everything later when I get back," Elize informed. "But, I really want to see the rest of the island along with the other dorms!"

"Well...alright. Ah! But, it might be best if you come out wearing your uniform first, then."

At the mention of her school uniform, Elize was a bit startled, but then looked hesitant. "D-Do...do I really have to...?"

Alexis looked confused. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Well, it's just...I don't really like the uniform...like, I REALLY don't like the uniform. It's so...embarrassing to wear," admitted Elize. "Specifically the skirt area. It's...it's way too short!"

Alexis nodded, sympathizing with the girl. "Yeah...I have to admit, even I find myself questioning Duel Academy's female uniform policy. I mean, they're so short, they barely even cover up my..." Her face turned pink as she looked away, muttering, "My...Well, you get the picture!"

The two girls stood there in silence, unsure how to proceed with the conversation. Elize was the first to speak up to break the awkward silence. "W-Well, as long as you never bend down or anything like that!"

"Yeah! I'm sure things will work themselves out, so don't worry! Well, I'll just wait outside your door. Let me know when you're ready, alright?"

"Okay!"

Once Elize's bedroom door closed, Alexis leaned against the wall, embarrassedly tugging down on her own miniskirt. Elize wasn't the only one who bore awkward feelings towards the female uniform, as there were several other girls who felt the same way. However, most of the other girls didn't mind the uniform at all, most likely because of how..."feminine" and "sexy-looking" it appeared.

While Alexis was aware that the uniform designs were meant to separate the male and female genders, she still wanted to strangle whoever designed the female uniforms. Better yet, if Alexis could, she would immediately burn her uniform until it was nothing but ashes. She even thought that the male uniforms were much better than the females! At least then, the male uniforms weren't as revealing as the females!

"I-I'm ready!"

When the door opened, Alexis wasn't surprised to see Elize now wearing the official Duel Academy Obelisk Blue female student uniform. But, what was unexpected was the fact that Elize wore long shorts underneath her own miniskirt.

'...Why didn't I think of that?' thought Alexis to her eternal shame, tugging at her own miniskirt once more. Well, she now knew what she was going to wear underneath from now on.


Later...

As amazing as the environmental surroundings were within Duel Academy, what really came as a surprise to Elize was the dorm system. In Duel Academy, one was selected based on their grades, potential talent, and/or connections. Everyone was divided into one of the three groups within the dorm system: Slifer Red, Ra Yellow, and Obelisk Blue.

Obelisk Blue is the most highest ranking group in the dorm system, meant for the top-ranked and powerful duelists within. They were supposed to represent the best of the best, the supreme elites in Duel Academy, and the ones with most potential to become Pro Duelists. Hearing that made Elize feel more confident and joyful, because if she was placed in such a prestigious group, then that must mean she could become as strong and confident as a lot of the other Obelisk Blue members. However, Alexis' tone as she explained about Obelisk Blue made Elize suspect that Alexis may not hold that much pride within her own dorm at all.

Ra Yellow was the second-highest ranking group next, and they were seen as the most neutral dorm out of the three. In fact, it was well-regarded as the smartest group with at least average to higher than average students; their skills being below than Obelisk Blue, yet higher than Slifer Reds. Elize didn't really think much about the Ra Yellow group, but hoped that maybe she'll meet some friendly folks belonging to Ra Yellow.

Slifer Red was considered the lowest ranking group and not one many considered to be worth being in. From what Alexis has revealed, many in Slifer Red don't stay there for very long, as they tended to drop out rather than take the effort to ascend past the lower ranks. Slifer Reds were considered the lowest of the low due to either their poor dueling skills, poor grades, or even both. In all honesty, Elize would have thought that she would be placed in there due to her low dueling skills, or at least her lack of confidence. That, and because one of the two favorite colors Elize liked was red.

"Hey, can I ask a question?" Elize spoke up.

"Hmm? What's up?" Alexis turned to her, wondering what was on the girl's mind.

"I know that we just explored the other dorms, but where are the Girls Dorms for Ra Yellow and Slifer Red? Did we miss them or-?"

"Ah, yeah, I guess you would have noticed sooner or later," Alexis said, crossing her arms. "Yeah, the thing is...There is no Girls Dorm for the Ra Yellow and Slifer Red. The only Girls Dorm around here is only Obelisk Blue."

"Eh? Wait, how does that work?" Elize asked, surprised. "Do Ra Yellow and Slifer Red girls share dorms with the guys at their own dorms?"

"The thing is...There aren't any female students registered as Ra Yellow or Slifer Red. The only female students here are in Obelisk Blue only. Just Obelisk Blue. And it's not because all of the girls are highly skilled duelists. Oh, no. I could name a couple of girls I know who deserve to be in either Ra Yellow or Slifer Red. Mostly Slifer Red," growled Alexis with a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

"Alexis...?"

Surprised that she lost her cool for a moment, Alexis looked at Elize apologetically. "Oh, sorry! I was just thinking- a lot of the girls in my dorm are really, REALLY annoying. Lots don't take their studying or dueling skills seriously. They just prefer to stick to things like jewelry and makeup and what's the cutest Monster to have in their decks. Honestly, if the other dorms had female dorms, I bet these girls would be stuck in them!"

"I'm...sorry that things have been rough for you, Alexis. I mean, I like cute Monsters too, but I'm not really that interested in makeup."

"Hmm? Oh, I can tell that you're different, fortunately," Alexis muttered the last part as she patted Elize's shoulder. "You're fine! It's just those annoying girls that are the problem. Anyways, as for why the other dorms don't have female-exclusive dorms...it's because the Blue Dorms are the only dorms big enough for both the boys and girls. That, and because Obelisk Blue has the richest and biggest means and spaces. We're just lucky that there was a sensible decision to separate the Boys and Girls Dorms."

"Hmm? Why's that?"

"Could you imagine the guys'...ugh, reactions if our two dorms became one big co-ed dorm? There'd be chaos all over the place!" said Alexis, throwing her arms in the air in exasperation. "I swear, the guys around here focus more on girls rather than dueling and their own studies!"

"That's not entirely true," Elize protested. "I saw a bunch of guys earlier trading cards. Though, they seemed pretty interested in which Monsters had the highest Attack Points..."

Alexis shook her head. "Typical as always. It's just like in middle school all over again, only worst!"

"Middle school? I wonder what that's like..." muttered Elize.

"Wait, what?" Turning to Elize, Alexis bore a puzzled look. "What are you talking about, Elize? You sound like you haven't gone to middle school."

"Oh, I haven't. Before I attended Duel Academy, I actually used to be homeschooled. Grandma's a retired teacher, so she taught me all sorts of education when I was young."

"Huh, interesting..." said Alexis before feeling a chilly breeze whiff past her. "Oh! It got cold all of a sudden!"

Elize glanced up and saw that the sun was setting down, followed with the mixtures of warm colors flowing in the once-blue skies. "Yeah, it is going to be nighttime soon. It tends to be cooler during nighttime anyways."

"Yeah, and a bit colder," muttered Alexis, hugging her own arms to keep herself warm. "Brrrr! Why couldn't they also add jackets to the female outfits, too? I mean, all the guys have coats and jackets! I don't see why girls shouldn't! I swear, if I ever meet whoever designed these clothes, I'd have a word or two with them!"

"I think we can wear coats and jackets. It's just...I don't think anyone mentioned whether or not it was allowed," said Elize. "Well, I'm definitely getting a coat when I go back to my room."

"Yeah, we should be heading back anyways," agreed Alexis. "There's a welcoming party tonight that also counts as dinner, so if you're hungry, you can have all sorts of foods there." She took out her PDA, checking the time. "Hmm...it looks like we have a bit of time before the welcoming party begins. I was going to show you one more place before we returned, but if you want, we can check it out now."

"What is it?"

"It's called the Duel Arena. Some people call it the auditorium, the arena, or so on. For some reason, there's some unspoken rule on how it's usually reserved for Obelisk Blue students only. That could be because of the Obelisk Blue insignia within the arena, but even so, I don't really like how biased it is towards our dorm only," said Alexis, disgusted.

Elize blinked in surprise. "Oh...Wait, so only Obelisk Blue students can use it?"

"Well, Slifer Red and Ra Yellow students can also use it, but most of the time, it's invite duels only. Like, the only way they can also use it is if their opponent is also an Obelisk Blue. Other than that, the Duel Arena is mainly used important duels, like rival school duels and graduation duels. But, like I said, it's usually an unspoken rule about the Duel Arena being only for Obelisk Blues."

"I'm...going to guess that that's something that former Obelisk Blues came up with?" questioned Elize.

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, Anyways, wanna check it out or do you wanna go back?"

"Hmm...Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to check out the Duel Arena," Elize said. "After all, we still have some time before the welcoming party begins, right? It should be okay to at least look inside the Duel Arena, I think."

Alexis nodded. "Alright. Just a quick look inside, and then we're heading back to the Girls Dorm."

"Okay!" As the two girls headed inside the main Duel Academy building, where the Duel Arena resided within, Elize began asking some questions to chat up a conversation. "By the way, have you actually dueled inside the Duel Arena, Alexis? What was it like?"

"Oh, I've only dueled there like two or three times. Some of the duelists I faced were tough, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"Then, which duel was toughest for you?"

"Well, you see..."


At the Duel Arena...

"Yikes, that bad, huh?" Elize said as they were nearing the Duel Arena. "I mean, isn't that a bit overkill? Using a 4200 Attack Point Monster directly at his low Life Points? Why not use one of your other Monsters?"

Alexis shrugged. "Why not? Besides, that jerk deserved it! I wasn't going to show mercy to some perv who wanted me for my looks anyways! So, for my last Monster attack, I hit him right in his family jewels! Snap! Just like that! He should be lucky that the pain wasn't permanent!"

"I didn't even know guys were super sensitive down there! Why do they like talking about their...um...you know, down there? So much?"

"I dunno. It's a guy thing, I guess. They like talking about their 'ding-dongs' so much, it's so embarrassing-Huh?" Alexis noticed something ahead in front of her and frowned, stopping Elize. "Wait...ugh, we've got company."

"Hmm?"

Turning her head, Elize realized that the area they were in was most likely the Duel Arena, judging by how large and spacious the entire area was with spectator seats surrounding everywhere but the center of the area, which held a wide platform suited just for duels.

While the surroundings were incredible in their own manner, what was more important is the people already inside the Duel Arena. Namely two people Elize recognized; Jaden and Syrus, who were being confronted by two other Obelisk Blues accompanied by their supposed leader, a spiky black-haired boy wearing the Obelisk Blue trench coat but seemingly more traditional.

Elize heard Alexis groan quietly. "Ugh, of course it just HAD to be Chazz, of all people. Of course he would take the chance to spring up trouble."

"W-Who?"

Alexis pointed to the cool and confident-looking black-haired boy who seemed to be making his way down from the spectator seats. "That's Chazz right there with the black hair. I swear, he gives us Obelisk Blue a bad name. Then again, a lot of Obelisk Blues do."

"S-Should we do something or-?"

"Shh. I want to see how this plays out," whispered Alexis, trying to hear the conversation occurring. Also curious, Elize leaned in closer and moved her hair strands behind her ear to clear out any hindrances and to hear what was happening.

"Look, if it's a snobby rich kid, I don't wanna know," Jaden spoke up, irritating Chazz, as he was referred to as a "snobby rich kid."

One of the other Obelisk Blues, the one with glasses, said, "His name's Chazz Princeton! He's a first-year like us, but he was the #1 duelist back in prep school, so you watch your mouth and make sure you pay him the proper respect!"

"Yeah! He's gonna be the future King of Games!" the second Obelisk Blue, the one with spiky brown hair, exclaimed. "The best duelist in the world!"

"...Impossible," Jaden said, crossing his arms with disinterest.

"Wha-?! What makes you think so?!"

"Well, it's impossible for him to be the future King of Games because that's exactly what I'm going to be!"

A moment of silence passed within the Duel Arena...until the two Obelisk Blues burst into laughter.

"Ha! A Slifer slacker becoming the King of Games? That'll be the day!" scoffed the glasses-wearing Obelisk Blue.

"Yeah! Hmph! You dropouts should learn your place! Only the best in the elites stand a chance of actually being King of Games!" The brown spiky-haired Obelisk Blue said.

"Shut it, both of you!" snapped Chazz, getting everyone's attention. "After all, maybe the new kid's got a chance of being head hotshot after all!

"U-Uh...what do you mean by that, Chazz?"

"You really got to make me say it? Fine," grumbled Chazz. "Listen up! Obviously, this guy's way better than you two, because otherwise, he wouldn't have beaten Crowler and his legendary rare Monster in his very own entry exam duel! That just goes to show that he's got skill, though not that much."

"Hey!" protested Jaden.

"Crowler? Legendary rare Monster?" wondered Elize.

Alexis quickly explained, "Crowler is one of the main campus professors and quite a powerful duelist. He's practically like Chazz, only much older. But, he is really respectful for being a talented duelist, I guess."

"You know what? I'm curious to see how good you really are!" Chazz challenged, facing Jaden. "I say we find out now!"

Jaden was more than prepared to put Chazz in his place and to show him how really talented his skills are. "Bring it!"

Elize glanced down at her watch before tugging Alexis' arm. "Um...didn't the welcoming party already started?"

In the midst of granting Elize a tour around campus and the commotion caused by Chazz, Alexis had forgotten all about the welcoming dinner party. "Oh! I forgot! Thanks, we should probably go and remind those guys, then!"

Elize nodded, walking alongside Alexis until they were near enough to be heard within hearing range. "Excuse us, everyone!"

Alexis stepped in as soon as everyone's attention was focused on them. "Hey, what are you all doing? It's time we left already!"

Syrus couldn't help the pink blush on his cheeks at the sight of seeing a beautiful young girl like Alexis nearby. "Wow, she's so pretty!"

"Hey, Alexis," purred Chazz, clearly infatuated with her. "Have you come to watch me mop the floor with this Slifer slacker here? It'll be a short duel, but an entertaining one for sure."

"No, I'm here to remind you about the welcoming party that you're late to!"

Clearly, Chazz had forgotten about the welcoming party reception, but hid it by wisely walking away. "Right...Let's get outta here, guys."

As Alexis watched Chazz and his other two Obelisk Blue friends leave, Elize went to greet Jaden and Syrus. "Jaden! Syrus! Hi! D-Do you remember me? Elize Konami, from the entrance exams?" she stammered shyly.

Jaden nodded, ruffling her hair a bit. "Yeah! Doing just fine! How about you? Are you okay after...what happened?"

Elize nodded, touching the back of her hair. "Yeah...I wasn't really too injured enough to be put in the hospital, so I recovered after a day or two. Well, I mean...I'm...kinda too scared right now."

"Scared? Why?"

"Well, it's Mr. Ryuga. I mean, I know he's not here, and probably never will be, but I'm just worried of what'll happen if I ever actually run into him...He...really, really was scary..." admitted Elize, twirling some strands of her hair around her finger anxiously.

Syrus smiled. "Well, I don't think you have to worry. There's no way he could be a teacher after all the things he's done to you!"

"Yeah, I agree," Alexis said, joining their conversation. "You don't have to worry about a single thing, Elize." Switching towards Jaden and Syrus, she apologetically told them, "Sorry if Chazz rubbed you the wrong way. All us Obelisks aren't like that. He's just a jerk, especially towards Slifers."

"Nah, it's no big deal," said Jaden nonchalantly. "But, hey! Thanks for taking the time to telling us that! Though, I could have taken on Chazz and his cronies in one turn! ...I think!"

"We really gotta work on that overconfidence of yours," murmured Syrus, sweat dropping.

"Okay, 2 turns! Maybe 2 and 1/2!"

Amused by Jaden's determination and child-like attitude, Alexis giggled. "The Slifer welcoming party is about to start too, so you two better hurry!"

"Right! We better go, Sy!"

"H-Hey! Wait!"

The two started to make a break for it, but Jaden stopped to ask a question. "O-Oh, hey! What was your name again?"

"Oh? It's Alexis Rhodes! And yours?"

"It's Jaden! Jaden Yuki! Alright, see ya around! And bye, Elize! Hope you feel better than before!"

"Wait, Jaden! You didn't even introduce me-Gah! Never mind! Elize, Alexis, bye! Have a good night!"

"Oh, okay! Bye, Jaden! Bye, Syrus!" called out Elize, watching the two Slifer Red duelists rushing out and disappearing down the hallway. "Um, Alexis...Just in case you didn't know, the other boy's name is Syrus. I was just telling you because...he didn't really have a chance to introduce himself, too."

Alexis nodded. "Thanks. Well, that was a...rather interesting moment. I can't wait to see Jaden again."

"Hmm? Um...Don't you mean Jaden and Syrus?" Elize corrected, confused.

Realizing her mistake, Alexis coughed to hide the blush on her face. "R-Right! Of course I meant that! Anyways, let's get going! We have a welcoming dinner party to attend to!"


At the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm...

"They're all so delicious! I've never seen so many fancy dishes before!" exclaimed Elize to Alexis as she placed some dessert in her plate from one of the various buffet tables. "Especially that...um...grass meal? I dunno, I'm pretty sure it had the name 'grass' in it."

"Foie gras, you mean?" Alexis said.

"Yeah! That's it! That was really good! But, really, I never imagined that I'd be eating fancy French food in my life!"

Alexis smiled. "Well, one of the many benefits to being an Obelisk Blue is eating really delicious food everyday. Elize, I think you'll come to love it here."

Elize nodded before frowning, looking away. Today's events were exhausting but also a wonderful experience. Living in the Obelisk Blue Dorms so far has been...it felt like a fairy tale. The luxurious rooms, food, dorms, everything felt like paradise, like she was living the rich life.

But...

"Is something wrong, Elize?" asked Alexis.

"...It's just...um...well, I really do like living here, Alexis," said Elize. "But...there's been one thing that's been bothering me...and it happened earlier today...when that Chazz guy and his friends bullied Jaden and Syrus for being Slifers...I didn't like that at all. I'm sorry..."

Alexis frowned, but she wasn't directly upset towards Elize. "No, I get it...Yeah, it's people like Chazz gives Obelisk Blues a bad name. God, I hate people like him!"

"What? But Chazz is a pretty hot guy, Alexis! I don't see how you hate him!"

Turning towards the unfamiliar female voice, Alexis and Elize saw two Obelisk Blue girls heading towards them; one having black hair, and the other having short, auburn-colored hair.

"Jasmine! Mindy! There you two are!" Alexis said. "Elize, allow me to introduce you to two of my friends, Mindy and Jasmine. Mindy, Jasmine, this is Elize. She's a sweet girl, but she's a bit shy, so be gentle with her, alright?"

Elize flustered at the sweet compliment before bowing her head politely at the two girls. "I-It's a pleasure to meet you! I-I hope we get along!"

"Ah!~ She looks so adorable!~ So young and so cute, too!" squealed Mindy, bouncing up and down. "How old are you? 12?"

"I'm 15, really," Elize revealed. Because of her small body size and frame, it was quite a common mistake for Elize to be mistaken much younger like a child rather than her original age. Then again, some of her Duel Spirits have spoken that it was quite a good thing for older people to look much younger than they appear to be.

"Really?" said Alexis, surprised. "I would have thought 13 to be honest. You're really 15 years old? The same age as us?"

Now it was Elize's turn to be taken aback. "You're all 15, too? Honestly, you look more like 17 years old, not 15. I do wonder why some people look older than they seem?"

"Um...good genetics?" guessed Jasmine.

"Ooh! Makeup! Makeup always makes you look older and more prettier!" Mindy exclaimed. "Elize, you're pretty cute, so wouldn't you like to look just as beautiful as us three gals?"

"Oh! I'd love to try on makeup sometime!" Elize said. "Honestly, I've never really worn makeup before. Partly because it's expensive and I never really got an occasion to wear it-"

"What?! You've NEVER tried makeup before?! Oh, then you've gotta try sometime!" squealed Mindy. "It's practically a rule that every girl wears makeup at least 100 times in their life!"

"Wha-really?"

"No, she's just being overdramatic," Alexis corrected. "It's not a law to not wear makeup for the rest of your life, Elize, so you're fine."

"What are you saying, Alexis?! This cute girl has the potential to become a beauty like us, and you're just gonna turn her down? No way!" shouted Jasmine.

Alexis sweat dropped. "I'm not turning her down, I'm just-gah, you know what? Never mind. Just let her use makeup or whatever."

"I mean, wearing makeup isn't really my most top priority, but I do appreciate the help! Thank you!" thanked Elize, bowing her head. "Oh...but could I make a small request? If...If you teach me how to do makeup, could you not put lipstick on me?"

"Why? Lipstick is like, one of the main things that guys are attracted to!" pointed out Mindy. "It'll make you much more mature and older!"

"Yeah...but, I don't really like the sight of lipstick. I-I know that I said that I never wore makeup, but there was one time when I tried out my Grandma's lipstick before," admitted Elize. "But, I didn't like the sight of it. My lips were big, red, and puffy-I...I think that wearing lipstick makes me look ugly than pretty."

"Hmm...well, there's always lip gloss if you want to try that out," suggested Jasmine. "Hey! Why don't we all have some girl time back on my room right now? That also includes makeup on each other!"

"Oh, um...But, I still have to unpack my stuff..."

"It'll only be for a couple of minutes! Just stay for until the makeup session is over!~" said Mindy.

As much as Elize wanted to finish unpacking her luggage, she also didn't want to pass up this opportunity to make some new friends in Duel Academy. Plus, if it was only for a few minutes and for an entertaining learning experience, then why not?

Elize nodded. "O-Okay, then just for a few minutes, okay? Alexis, what about you?"

"...Alright, why not?" sighed Alexis, smiling. "Makeup to commemorate tonight, huh? I'm down for that."

"Yay!~" both Mindy and Jasmine cheered before dragging Alexis and Elize towards Jasmine's room, where the location of their fun would commence.


Later, that night...

"Ah! She said only for a few minutes! Not two hours!" complained Elize as she and Alexis left Mindy's room and were currently outside for some fresh air. "I didn't realize that make-up took THAT long!"

"Technically, we stayed far longer than just make-up. We chatted amongst ourselves and even had nail polish," reminded Alexis, showing off her blue fingernails with glitter sprinkled on top. "But overall, it wasn't really bad, was it?"

"...No. I guess not. I guess I was just complaining on how long it actually took," admitted Elize, twirling a piece of her hair strand with her own forest-green-colored fingernails.

Elize didn't realize how slightly complicated the makeup session was, but then again, it did make sense. One had to be extremely careful and take time preparing for makeup, otherwise they would mess up.

She caught a glimpse of her own appearance from the water's reflection in the lake. Even after the makeup session with Alexis and her friends, Elize wasn't completely a fan of makeup, but she was starting to understand the appeal and beauty of makeup. She felt a little older with the makeup on and she had forsaken the lipstick option to try out the lip gloss, much to the insistence of both Mindy and Jasmine.

An idea popped in Elize's head before she turned to Alexis. "Oh, hey, Alexis? Would it be okay if you took a picture of me using my phone? I want to send the picture to my Grandma."

"Hmm? Oh, sure!"

Elize handed Alexis her phone and then stood up straight with her arms at her side, no pose or anything of the sort. When Alexis aimed the phone and tried to take a picture, she frowned and put it down.

"Come on, Elize! You gotta do more than just stand there! Pose! Do something! with your arms and body!"

"L-Like this?" Elize raised both her hands in the air and just stood there, confused and unsure what else to do. She's never taken selfies or any photos of herself before, so she remained clueless.

Alexis shook her head. "You have to do more than that! Do something with your hands, for starters!"

Elize slowly started waving her hands, as though gesturing to someone goodbye or to welcome them.

"You have to pose WITHOUT moving. Moving your hands counts as that! That'll make the image blurry," scolded Alexis. "Alright, let me help you out. Here, just follow my instructions, okay?"

It took a while, but Alexis managed to get Elize to pose properly several times for several photos. V-sign poses, hands on hips poses, smile poses, and so forth. Thanks to Alexis, Elize had a better understanding for camera posture.

"That was a bit fun!" commented Elize, taking back her phones to look at the photos taken. "Thank you so much, Alexis! Would you like me to do you next?"

Alexis shook her head. "Nah, maybe next time. You know, maybe I should start taking pictures of duels for future references and-" She paused before looking away with a trouble expression.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Alexis?"

"...Ugh, a thought occured to me just now," groaned Alexis, mindful of her facepalming as she didn't want to smear her own makeup. "I was talking about duels and then I remember Chazz's face."

"Chazz? The boy who was taunting Jaden earlier? What about him?"

"There's no way that snotty hotshots like him will just avoid and leave someone as talented as Jaden alone. Chances are, he'll get Jaden to duel him as soon as possible," Alexis theorized. "And if I'm correct, then that means that he'll likely duel Jaden inside the Duel Arena."

"So, Chazz might duel Jaden tomorrow?" wondered Elize.

Alexis shook her head. "No, I mean that he might duel him RIGHT NOW. As in, sneak inside the Duel Arena with Jaden just for a chance to duel him."

"Sneak inside?"

"It's already late at night. We're not allowed inside the Duel Academy buildings once they're closed down for the night. This is to avoid people trying to sneak in and stealing answers and cheating. As such, there are security guards roaming around the hallways. Didn't you read the rule pamphlets?"

"I...didn't have the chance to," admitted Elize. "But, even if Jaden and Chazz do duel, what can we do about it?"

"Well, I'm going to go check up on their duel, so I'll be heading towards the Duel Arena."

"Wait, what? But you just said that we're not allowed to go there if the building's closed for the night! Wouldn't you get in trouble if you get caught by the security guards?" wondered Elize.

"That's only IF I get caught," Alexis assured. "Relax, I'm just going to check things out. If I'm right, and Jaden and Chazz are dueling inside there, great, I get a front row seat. But if not, then I'll just leave quickly. Simple as that, right? Hey, now that we're talking about this, why don't you join me, Elize?"

Elize pondered on the moment for a few moments...and ultimately shook her head, rejecting Alexis' offer.

Sure, Elize was a bit interested in seeing Jaden and Chazz's duel, but that was just it. Just a duel. If anything, both boys could just duel again if either one of them lost, and Elize might be there to witness it. But, the main reason for Elize's rejection was that she didn't want to get in trouble. If caught by the security guards sneaking around, she'd get into heaps of trouble, such as expulsion. The risk of expulsion was not worth going to see a possible duel, even if it was with a friend.

And she especially didn't want to trouble her grandmother even further.

Alexis nodded. "I understand. Well, I'll be going now. See you later, Elize."

After Alexis left, Elize headed back to her room to finish cleaning her room and unpacking her luggage. As she was working, one of Elize's Duel Spirits, Eria the Water Charmer, prompted herself on Elize's bed, watching her master at work.

"So...Why didn't you go with that Alexis girl? You could have bonded with her more if you went," asked Eria curiously.

"Yeah, but then she mentioned security guards, and if we were to get caught, we'd be in huge trouble! I...I don't want to get in trouble on my first day here," Elize admitted, folding her clothes.

"Well, yeah, but let's be totally honest, you also don't want to disappoint that old lady of yours. Seriously, Elly, what's the point of impressing and making someone happy if they don't really care about you in the first place?"

"What? No, Grandma cares about me! She loves me, too! She...she just doesn't really show it, but she cares!"

"Yeah, not the first time I've doubted that. Seriously, Elly, you know that she doesn't really like you that much! Honestly, humans are so complicated to understand! It would be much simpler if she harmed you! Then, you'd have a reason to hate her guts!"

Elize shook her head. "That's mean, Eria...I would never hate Grandma, and she's never hurt me."

"PHYSICALLY! She never hurts you physically, but she's always so strict and stern with you! I mean, I get that there are people like that, but she always has expectations from you! Even impossible ones at times! God, I wouldn't stand it if I ever actually lived with someone like that!"

"Grandma...may not be the nicest person around, but she's considerate in her own way! I'm sure of it!"

Eria frowned, annoyed. "Oh yeah? When was the last time she's ever complimented on you before?"

"W-Well, she thanks me if I do something like finish my chores or get her something like water," Elize said, recalling her memories with her Grandma.

"Well yeah, because that's common courtesy. But has she ever properly said any nice things to you?"

Elize scratched her cheek. "Um...well, not really, but you know Grandma! She's just a bit stern with me, that's all!"

Eria frowned before sighing and flopping back on Elize's bed. It was obvious to anyone but Elize that Elize's Grandma didn't like her own granddaughter. Sure, her Grandma always gave her necessities such as food, a place to live, and so forth, and she never abused her own granddaughter, either. But, at the same time, she was...somewhat negligent towards Elize, only interacting with her when necessary.

Even after all these years living with Elize, Eria and the rest of her fellow Duel Spirits in Elize's deck couldn't understand why Elize still loved her Grandma. Perhaps it was because she loved her too deeply to hate her, or maybe it was because she was the only living relative remaining for Elize. Or maybe, Elize is aware of her Grandma's mistreatment, but is simply too kind to do anything.

That was a problem Elize had. She was simply too kind. Too nice. Too naive. Granted, being kind wasn't generally a bad thing. The world could use more kindhearted people like Elize. And it certainly wasn't Elize's fault for being naive, because she's never gone through proper schooling, only homeschooled, which explained the lack of social interaction amongst other humans.

And Elize being too kind was only going to make it even harder for what was...planned for her later in the future.

Elize stopped working and picked up her phone from the bed, glancing at it before sighing and putting it back down. "Grandma hasn't responded yet...I wonder if she went to bed. Yeah, that's probably it."

Curious, Eria asked, "Why...why would she respond to you? The only messages she gives you are good mornings and goodnights. That's LITERALLY all she ever messages you with."

"Well, yeah, but remember those photos I took? Well, the ones Alexis took before? I sent them to Grandma and I wanted to hear how she thinks of them! I really did look pretty in them, didn't I?"

"...Yeah, you still do."

"Thank you, Eria!"

Yeah, there was no way Eria had the heart to tell her master that it was likely that her Grandma wasn't going to react nor respond to the photos Elize sent. Eria and the other Duel Spirits always wondered why Elize's Grandma didn't like Elize. Yes, she treated her granddaughter fairly but more strictly than others. They even celebrated her birthday with just a cake, but no presents. They wondered why her Grandma always treated her like that. It wasn't like Elize did anything bad to her. In fact, Elize always tried to impress her Grandma and even did anything to get on her good side, but to no avail.

"There!" sighed Elize, tying up a trash bag. "I'm going to be right back, Eria! Just need to take out the trash! And then, I'll wash up myself!"

"You know that means you're going to have to wash off the makeup, right?" pointed out Eria.

Elize nodded. "Yeah...But, it was fun until it lasted! Besides, I could always apply makeup with Alexis, Mindy, and Jasmine later! I never imagined that I'd get friends this fast! I'm so happy!"

"...Right, happy..."

"Hmm? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's fine. You've got trash to do, right?"

"Oh, yeah! I'll be right back!" Grabbing her room keys with one hand and pulling onto the trash bag with the other, Elize exited her room...and just so happened to bump into Alexis. "Oh, Alexis! You're back! How did it go?"

Alexis paused when she spotted Elize and sighed, leaning against the wall. "Well...it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad, either. It turns out my hunch was right; Jaden and Chazz did duel at the Duel Arena. It was quite the duel, lemme tell ya that."

"Oh, so they did duel!" Elize said, putting down the trash bag to listen. "Well, who won?"

"Nobody won. In fact, it could barely be called a tie. Before anything could happen, the security guards almost showed up, so we almost got caught. So, the duel had to be postponed for the time being. I bet it'll be a while before Chazz duels Jaden again. After what happened tonight, Chazz will be stirring up a strategy to beat Jaden for sure."

"Oh...Honestly, if I had to pick between the two, then I would be rooting for Jaden to win!"

Alexis nodded. "In fact, he actually DID almost win. Jaden had this awesome strategy to beat Chazz, and he was going to use it when the security guards almost showed up. If not for that, Jaden really would have won."

"Oh...that's a shame."

"Yeah, but you know, that Jaden keeps making things interesting. Maybe, with him around, Duel Academy might be even more interesting. At least, that's what I get the impression from him," Alexis spoke before walking away. "Anyways, I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight, Elize."

"Goodnight, Alexis! See you tomorrow!"

After seeing Alexis off, Elize took her trash bag and headed outside. A lot of interesting things happened today, and she wondered what future events awaits for her in Duel Academy?


FINALLY! It took a lot of brainstorming and ideas to get this far, but this chapter is finished!

I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but it's hard to get motivated and think properly with a new lifestyle and strict schedule like mine. I've been incredibly busy these past months and getting all sorts of different inspirations from different things, like anime and such.

So, just a heads up and to make things perfectly clear in this story!

First of all, Elize doesn't have her traditional red hat yet. That'll be for later. For now, treat it as the fact that she doesn't have her hat right now. But, she is the Tag Force protagonist so she will get her red hat soon, even if she's in Obelisk Blue. I did originally plan for her to obtain her red hat this chapter, but it doesn't feel like it's the right time.

Secondly, in each year, she will get a new character design since she's growing older and older. For now, the image you see before you is her current Year 1 phase. And before you guys say anything, no, I will not do something like, her assets suddenly increased tenfold with each new year. She's just a slow growing girl adapting to her environment, that's all!

Third, I originally did plan to add a duel here, but I changed my mind in the last second. If things go and plan smoothly, there's a good chance there may be a duel in the next chapter.

Fourth, I just want to say, in case I forget, but maybe not all of the Tag Force characters will be here, like this girl named Wisteria. That's because I don't own any Tag Force games, so I don't really have experience other than watching the walkthroughs, and even watching them limits my knowledge, even with the wiki available. So, I want to apologize in advance.

Fifth, I may not put in skits anymore. I dunno, I may, I may not, it all depends. The skits were just something for fun, originally, because I was a Tales Of fan and just wanted to incorporate something like that in the story. I dunno, the decision could change.

Sixth, if you guys are all confused about Elize's Grandma and her backstory, well, that's going to all be revealed in this story. Will it be revealed next chapter? No. The next, next chapter? No, I'm not just going to carpet bomb her backstory all of a sudden in one swoop. You'll just have be patient, but I can assure you that her backstory will be revealed in chapters to come.

Seventh, you guys must be wondering, "Elize is in Obelisk Blue? Not in Slifer Red?" Yeah, I have a plan for that. First, I just want to say, I'm going to actually incorporate logic and common sense in this story. It's not something like a personal problem will be solved with dueling! Not...exactly. I did some research, and no matter what, if you're a girl, you're automatically sent to the Obelisk Blue zone, regardless of your score in the entrance exams. I bet, if Mindy and Jasmine were males, they would have been in Slifer Red. Didn't you see their duel against that one Pro Duelist in season 2? Yeah, that's why. Plus, because Elize defeated a high-skilled proctor who also cheated, she would have been in Obelisk Blue anyways. It's only because of Crowler's grudge against Jaden that he was sent to Slifer Red instead of Obelisk Blue, at least that's what I think.

Eighth, Elize isn't really that competitive when it comes to dueling, so she has less likely anything to lose should she lose a duel. It's not like she's going to be whiny and start crying over a single loss. Remember, she originally came to Duel Academy to train her mechanic, technical skills, not to be some skilled Pro Duelist. There was that one big guy in Duel Academy who had some Goblin deck, and he was training to create games or something. Just because you're in Duel Academy doesn't mean you're always training to be some Pro Duelist.

And finally, I decided not to have Elize go with Alexis to see Jaden and Chazz's duel. What, you think that just because she's the main character, she has to be present in EVERY duel? Logically, if there was chance of being caught by the security, which would notify her Grandma and get her in huge trouble, then it's not worth the risk for Elize. Plus, as much as she likes Alexis and Chazz, she's only just met them, so she's not exactly close to them yet.

That said, read and review, please!~