The cruise ship's horn blared as it approached Duel Academy's port, the island's familiar silhouette coming into view through the cabin's porthole. Konami let out a sigh of relief, glad to finally be free of the waters. Holactie Force had left him alone for most of the trip, but their presence was always unnerving. It was as if they wanted him to know they were watching, even if they never did anything to him. He'd be glad to be free of them once on the island. Or at the least, to have room to flee.

After re-bagging what few things he'd unpacked for personal use during the trip, Konami slung his duffel bags over his shoulders and wondered how to navigate his return. He wasn't expecting a warm welcome, what with his suspension and all he'd done prior, but he was sure he would thrive in the chaos to come.

He was a very adaptable monster.

Or so he thought, but as he made his way down the ramp to the docks, he spotted something he hadn't accounted for. More specifically, he spotted someone: A familiar figure in a flamboyant jacket who stood waiting at the foot of the ramp. They were wearing a smile that turned his stomach. Of all the people he could see first…

"Ah, there you are! It's wonderful to finally have you back at Duel Academy! We've been expecting you, and let me be the first to say your performance against Rex was splendid!"

Doctor Vellian Crowler, Vice-Chancellor and headmaster of the Obelisk Blue Dorm, strode forward with a dramatic flourish, his hand held high in greeting. "I trust your journey here was pleasant? And that everything was to your liking? Oh, you weren't bothered by anyone, were you? The cabin was my idea!"

Konami fought a grimace, attempting not to sneer at the man failing to impress him. Of course Crowler would try to cozy up to him now. He'd become a full-fledged Pro!

Before he could respond, Crowler stepped closer, his face-splitting grin stretching wider. "I must say, it's been a pleasure to bask in your newly found fame! The students, the faculty… oh, everyone sees how well you've done with my guidance! And, of course, we simply must continue that relationship now that you're back!"

"Relationship?" Konami wondered, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the man. Crowler was milking this for all it was worth, acting as if he'd helped somehow. It was ridiculous, but he could see why Crowler would want to cash in on the attention. His reputation as an instructor had been shaky at best when he'd left, and now, the man was using Konami's win to try and boost his own status. "I dunno, sir. I kind of want to just keep my head down and study this time."

"Study? Oh, certainly! We can study!" Crowler said, patting him on the shoulder. "You and I will make quite the pair! The world's eyes are on us, now! Well, mostly you, of course, but still! It reflects on me too!"

This time, Konami failed to stop his grimace. He wasn't looking to "pair up" with Crowler. There was only one person he would call his "partner," and her name didn't start with a V. But as annoying as this was, he knew better than to alienate Crowler completely. Having a member of the staff on his side would come in handy, even if it was just for show. And with Sartorius and his new task force lurking around, he would need all the help he could get! Especially if it meant tracking down these "Symbols of Power" Wisteria wanted to find.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like he'd have to deal with the nasally-toned Doctor much longer. Other teachers were also approaching the docks, including the Ra Dorm Head: Sartyr.

"Konami," the Professor greeted him with a nod. "Your suspension was quite… eventful it seems. I trust, and hope, your trip wasn't?"

"Uneventful as it could be," he replied. "I'm just ready to get back to class. I'm sure there's a lot that I missed."

"You're right," Sartyr said, giving him a small smile. "A lot's changed at the Academy."

"Yeah, I can tell," Konami replied, glancing at the ship's other exit. Sartorius and his Holactie Force members were in the middle of their own disembarkment procedures. Konami grimaced as his eyes met Sartorius's.

The man smiled and turned away.

Crowler, eager to reclaim Konami's attention, spoke up once more. "Oh yes, there's been many changes! But none that you can't handle, I'm sure! Now, about what we were talking about…"

"Konami's very tired, Doctor Crowler," Sartyr said. "Surely whatever you have to say can wait until he's in class with you Monday morning? I'm sure he's eager to go and see his friends, considering the week he's just had."

"His friends can wait another few moments, no? Besides, I'm the boss here, not you!"

"Ah, but I am his headmaster. And I say he needs his rest."

"Why, you little…!"

"Hmhmhmhm!" Sartyr chuckled amicably. "Come, Konami. I'll take you to the dorms. You can tell me about this 'Xyz.'"

TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: TWISTING THE TALE
LESSON FOUR
REUNION

"Go on, drop off your things," Sartyr said, smiling warmly as they reached the dorm. It looked exactly how Konami remembered: average as average could be.

Its exterior, a simple structure painted yellow, lacked the Obelisk grandeur, but it was functional. Pragmatic, just like the students it housed within. As he stepped inside, warm yellows and soft browns greeted Konami's eyes, creating a picture of modesty that he thought suited those still "caught in the middle." There was a certain tranquility to it, far unlike the despair he'd felt in the Red Dorm. Sure, it wasn't inspiring, but it was a welcome sight after his day.

Or it would have been, had a door not slammed open the second he stepped foot inside.

"KONAMI!"

He barely had time to react as a whirlwind ambushed him, nearly making him drop his bags. No… Not a whirlwind, he realized, but people grabbing him by the arms!

"Hey! What gives?!" he snapped, failing to throw them off as they sped across the hall. "Let me go!"

"Shut up, Konami! You've got some splainin' to do!" one said.

Konami frowned, turning his head toward the voice. It sounded familiar.

It was only once they'd thrown him in his room and locked the door that he realized why.

"J-Jasmine?! Bastion?!" he sputtered, taking in the sight of his friends. "What the hell is this?!"

"That's our line!" Jasmine snapped. "You went Pro! You beat Rex! You… You became an icon! A household name! HOW?! WHY?! You… You…! Were you planning this from the start?!"

Bastion stumbled. "Jasmine, I thought we agreed to save that part for later? We're supposed to be grilling him about the Xyz—"

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW!" she squawked. She pointed to Konami with a livid face. "You! Pro! Answers!"

Konami scoffed and folded his arms. Was that what this was about?

"I mean, I did try to tell you," he said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "It's not my fault you were too busy babysitting Alexis to hear me explain."

Jasmine flinched. Now that he mentioned it, he had brought it up in their call. But he couldn't really blame her for all that, right? After all, their friends had been hurt!

As if sensing her distress, Bastion put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. He stepped forward, locking eyes with Konami.

"Congratulations. Your Duel was impressive," he said. "Beating a Pro is no small feat. But I'd like to ask about the Xyz. I recall giving you JInzo with the intention of learning more about it from KaibaCorp. Imagine my surprise when I saw you use the mechanic against Rex instead."

"There was a change in plans," Konami murmured, digging into his deck holster. "I was attacked. And I had no choice but to use Jinzo - Layered to survive."

"Ah! That's right!" Jasmine gasped. "You mentioned that! Are you okay?"

"Oh, so now you're worried?" he scoffed. "Anyway, I no longer need this."

He threw the Jinzo at Bastion.

"You're giving it back?" the boy wondered cautiously.

"An Industrial Illusions worker named Franz assured me it's no longer dangerous," he said. "He only took a look in exchange for permission to publish the Xyz Mechanic. That's where the cards I used came from… and it's where Umi no Corp got theirs. So, you can relax. Industrial Illusions won't let any incidents happen."

"I see… so the spirit's gone?" Bastion asked, glancing at the card.

"For now," Konami murmured. "Or it's so weak that it can't do anything to us. Either way, it's fine. I'm no longer afraid of that spirit. I've learned a few tricks of my own, so the next time something happens, I'm more than ready."

"And what does that mean?" Jasmine asked, placing her hands on her hips with a glare. "You didn't do anything dangerous, did you? You've been in enough trouble already!"

"I didn't go looking for any trouble, but that doesn't mean I didn't find any. Like I told you, I was attacked by another Duelist who had strange powers. He was hired by Umi no Corp to see if I was worth wasting a sponsorship on. He…" Konami averted his eyes. "He disappeared after the Duel."

"Umi no Corp?" Jasmine frowned. "You mean Kami! I knew she was no good!"

"Stop," he said. "Kami was the one who warned me he was coming in the first place. She didn't have anything to do with this, so don't go causing her problems."

"Hmph! Well, if you're sure…"

"I am, so drop it already. Kami's done nothing but help these past weeks, which is more than I can say for you two. And now that I'm officially her company's Duelist, she has no reason to do anything but help."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it already! But that doesn't mean I have to like it!"

"I didn't say that you had to like it," he grimaced. "You just have to stand it."

Jasmine's eyes softened.

"But… Konami…"

"She's the one paying my bills. If I have to choose, I'm choosing her. I don't have time to mediate."

"Konami, wait. That's not fair to us. You weren't the only one put in danger," Bastion said. "I'm not sure if Jasmine told you or not, but while you gone—"

"She told me." Konami's interruption stopped Bastion in his tracks. "This is about Jaden being hurt, right?"

Bastion blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting him to have learned that tidbit.

"T-That's right," he continued. "He was attacked by a Spirit… like us."

"Jasmine told me he was in a coma. Is that still the case?"

"Not quite. He woke up, but from what I've been hearing, he left the school not soon after. He only came back to class yesterday."

"Hmph. Then it sounds like he's fine."

"Fine?" Bastion's eyes widened, amazed, or perhaps, disturbed by his callousness. "He was almost killed, Konami! Judge Man nearly had all of us killed! If it wasn't for Jaden pulling out all the stops, I'm not sure I'd be here right now!"

"And yet, here you are."

"What?"

"You're alive, right?" he asked. "That's all that matters. If you came out alive, then nothing else matters. Save for Alexis and her poor decisions."

"Did… Did something happen? You're acting more callous than usual. No… It's more like you started regressing. Have we offended you somehow?"

Konami grimaced.

"Offended? No. Why the hell would I be offended? It's not like I'm running around doing errands for everyone like I'm their gopher, constantly having to explain myself like some child with their hand in the cookie jar! No, why would I be offended having to fight in these life-and-death Duels all the time? Facing them over and over while everyone rags and dogs on me constantly?! Why would I be mad about my so-called friends telling their friends about things I did, only for them to go spill to everyone else 'cause Surprise, The Queen is a Bitch! And just when I think things are going my way, Oh No, Jaden's been hurt! Like I'm somehow supposed to care or do anything when I'm literally back on the mainland! So, no, Bastion, I'm not offended. I'm just peachy! How about you?! Have you won any Duels lately? Oh, wait! No! You lost to Alexis!"

Bastion clenched his fists, his calm demeanor starting to crack under Konami's tirade. Jasmine's mouth hung open behind him, the girl searching for something to say.

"That's not fair, and you know it!" Bastion finally snapped, his voice sharper than usual. "You think we don't care? We're the ones who've been here dealing with the aftermath of your decisions! I lost to Alexis, yes! And Jaden nearly lost his life because of it! Because I wasn't strong enough to keep Alexis from making a foolish decision! Everything turned out fine this time, but only because of a miracle. And miracles don't happen every day. And we can't trust that they'll keep saving us!"

"We're not trying to condemn you," Jasmine chimed in, taking a small step forward. "Bastion and I are just worried, that's all. We're your friends. We want to stand by you! I thought we were making good progress, that you had finally decided to include us in your life! That's why… it was just so surprising to find out that you had gone Pro. I…" she took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have said things to Lexie. I went behind your back and told her your past… even though we had just become friends! But… I never expected her to suddenly lash out at everyone like that! And I thought that you were okay with it, anyway! I mean, you said it was fine! But… I don't think this is about that at all, is it? Konami, what's really going on? You can tell us. I promise we'll listen"

Konami's face softened, his hands trembling as Jasmine's words hit him harder than he expected. For a moment, the room was thick with tension, and he worried that he might yell again. He felt exposed—vulnerable, even—and that was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I…" he started slowly, his voice quieter than before, "Everything's just gotten so complicated. I haven't had any time to rest. Even on the way here, it felt like those goons in Holactie Force were breathing down my neck!"

"Yuma…" Bastion said with a sigh. "She told me she joined. Is it that bad?"

"No," he shivered. "It's the opposite. They were nice. Too nice, Bastion. But it's not just that. It's everything. The Duels, Xyz, the Fujiwara… And now I've found out that what happened in the North might've been part of its Principal's plan!"

"What? The Principal?" Bastion inquired.

"His name is Moses Mackenzie," he explained. "He used to be a Professor there. He's… the one who taught me what I know."

"...!" Jasmine's eyes widened at that explanation. "Then… that twisted ideology you had… you're saying it came from him?!"

Konami nodded his head. "Yeah. And now, he's teaching it to more students. At least, that's what I heard from one of them. Her name's Wisteria Fujiwara."

"Fujiwara? But that's—"

"Yusuke's relative," he confirmed, nodding again. "She's one of the top students at North Academy, and… one of my sponsors."

Jasmine's eyes widened. "What? But why would a Fujiwara want to sponsor you?! After what happened to Yusuke, shouldn't they like, I dunno… want you dead?"

"That's what I thought, too. But I guess things in her household aren't quite that simple," he murmured. "It sounds like there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Power plays and political motives. And from what she said, it sounds like that chaos will be coming over here pretty soon."

"Great. That's just what we need. More problems," Jasmine grumbled.

"Then let's find a solution," Bastion said. He pulled out a chair and took a seat, gazing fiercely at Konami.

"You can start by telling us everything that you know, beginning from the moment you met."

And so, he did. By the time he finished, the room had fallen into silence. An awkward tension shifted between them as if daring one of them to speak first.

Jasmine was the first one to crack.

"But that's… That's insane…" she whispered. "Konami, if what she told you is the truth, then these people are willing to kill us…"

"Yeah," he agreed. "And they won't stop there. If they need to, they'll go after family. The Fujiwara Clan is a dangerous group… and it sounds like they're in bed with Mackenzie."

"Then we… we should go to someone!"

"And do what? Accuse them with no proof?" he scoffed. "You know as well as I do that they'll laugh us right out. And if they find out we spilled, then we're screwed."

"Agreed," Bastion mused, his eyes furrowed and arms folded in deep thought. "I hate to say it, but it'd be a repeat of Alexis and Banner, if not worse."

"But…" Jasmine looked down. "There's no way… This is too much…"

"I know," Konami said. "That's why I told you. You know just enough to back out."

"Back out?" she asked.

"Listen," he said, "I… I have to know the truth. If Mackenzie's really behind what happened that day, then I need to settle things with him. The best way for me to do that is by helping Wisteria, at least for a while. But you two don't have to. You're not involved. You can leave and weather the storm."

"Leave? You mean abandon you? No! I'm not doing that," Jasmine snapped. "We were involved the second Jinzo attacked us! I'm not going to abandon you now!"

"She's right," Bastion said. "We've gone through and seen too much to go our separate ways now. We're in this together, and if that means helping you deal with this, then so be it. Besides, I already gave you my word that I would stand by your side. It'd dishonor me if I took that back now. Misawas see things through to the end!"

"Hmph. I see," Konami chuckled. "You two are morons."

"Wha-?" "Hm?"

The two glanced at him, taken aback by the smirk on his face.

"You're not backing down? Even though I gave you the option? You're real idiots!" his chuckle grew darker. "Fine then. I accept your new vows of loyalty. You two don't have the luxury of turning back now. I'll work you both 'til you die!"

"Until we die?" Jasmine cringed. "You make it sound like we sold you our souls or something! Stop being creepy! This stuff is scary enough without you acting all weird!"

"You're right. It is scary," he said, zeroing in on her words. "Friendship, that is. Placing your life in another's hands is terrifying. But… I've done it before with you two, and you came through for me in the end. Sure, things have been rocky at times… but… I trust you both. That's why…" he took a deep breath. "From this day on, you're my minions! Together, we'll find out the truth of what happened, and bring those bastards to justice!"

"M-Minions?" Bastion sputtered. "Isn't that a bit much?"

"Yeah! I didn't sign up for this!" Jasmine gasped. "I said we'd be friends!"

"Oh, relax, spoilsports. I'm just drafting you into Team Kodo. No… maybe KONAMI Group's a better name now that we've grown bigger."

"KONAMI Group?! What are we, a business?!" Jasmine squawked, stamping her foot.

"Sure. Bastion's in charge of finance. As for you… we'll figure it out."

"Wha-?! Hey! Are you saying I'm useless?"

Konami's grin widened at her outburst, "Useless? Not with those Gorilla hands." He leaned back, crossing his arms smugly. "I'll need someone like you to act as my muscle. You can beat up the people I hate."

"B-Beat up! Hang on a second… I'm not doing anything mean! Ugh! You're impossible! We're talking about dangerous people who might try to kill us! And here you are making stupid jokes!"

Bastion chuckled and leaned over to her. "I think he's trying to keep things light. It's his way of dealing with the stress."

"Well, it's not working!" Jasmine huffed, but her expression softened a little. "Still… I guess if we're in this together, we'll just have to make the best of it. Besides, someone has to keep you in check. You can't keep scheming alone! The last time it happened, everything went wrong! And now, people are getting hurt!"

Konami's smirk faded slightly. "Yeah. I know. This isn't a game. If things go wrong, we can't reset. But I'm… committed to this. I need to know if he did what she said, and if he did, then why. And I won't stop 'til I get my answer. No matter what I have to do."

Jasmine and Bastion exchanged a glance, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

"Konami…" Jasmine began, her tone more serious, "We're with you, okay? Not as your minions, but as your friends. We… We care about you. So if you're planning to see this through, then we're going too. Together."

Bastion nodded. "It's like you said. Not everyone can do what we do. But if we trust in each other and come up with a strategy, we're sure to succeed. After all, two of the school's best Duelists are among our ranks. If we put our heads together, Konami, I'm sure there's nothing we can't achieve."

"Two?" Jasmine murmured. "Hey, I've gotten a lot better you know! I bet I could even take Kami down now!"

"Oh, can you? My apologies. Two and a tenth of the school's best Duelists. Our odds are really looking up."

"Hey!"

Konami stared at them for a long moment, his emotions playing across his face. Gratitude. Determination. Fear. And maybe…

Just a flicker of guilt.

These were his friends. His two idiotic, stupid, incredible friends!

And he was lying to them.

Or at the very least, he hadn't told them the whole truth.

While he did tell them about Mackenzie and Wisteria's Lord Grandfather, Kagemaru, what he left out were the Symbols of Power that could give him control of her clan. As a disciple of Mackenzie, he knew Wisteria was bound to betray him at some point… so he would just have to betray her first… by taking her clan for himself.

Only then, after securing her total, absolute obedience, would he even think about trusting her words, assuming anything she said was the truth! For all he knew, these "Symbols of Power" were nothing more than a hoax—a scheme dreamt up to neutralize him before he could become a true threat.

The only reason he believed her so far was because she'd helped him go Pro.

But he would find out the truth soon enough.

And there would be hell to pay.

The Dragon inside him demanded it…

…for there was no need for two Kings.

"Alright," he said, nodding at the pair. "Then it's settled. We're in this together. But there's no point in rushing anything yet. The Inter-School hasn't even been announced yet. But that doesn't mean I don't have a few other allies we can get a hold of. Allies who owe us a favor or two after a predicament that they caused."

"Predicament?" Jasmine murmured. "Wait a second, you don't mean them?"

"I asked Yuma about them on the journey back… and she said they're all still around."

"Well, yeah… but…"

"Then it's settled," he said, eying the clock. "And what do you know? It's nearly time for the meeting. I'll see you two later."

"Hm?" Bastion asked, raising a brow. "We're cutting this short?"

"Seems like it," Jasmine muttered. "Can't say I'm fond of where he's going, though."

"Where's that?"

"The creep zone," she murmured.

-GX-

"Dark Magician Girl, Shine!" Torrey sang.

"Dark Magician Girls, Shine!" chimed Isaka.

"Dark Magician Girls Shine!"

"Yeah, they shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!"

She's got a staff, she's got a spell!

With a wink, she'll send you straight to hell!

Yeah, Dark Magician Girl, she's ready to fight!

Clad in blue regalia, she'll unleash her might!

Summoned to the field with a flick of the wrist,

Taught by Dark Magician, you know she won't miss!

With a heart so strong and a spirit so true,

You know she'll save the day and rescue you!

Dark Magician Girl, you're a shooting star!

Casting awesome spells, you'll make it far!

With a sparkle in your eyes, you're leading the way!

Fighting for truth and love every day!

Dark Magician Girl, you're our magical guide!

With you by our side, there's no need to hide!

Through every Duel, and through every fight,

We believe! Your… Magic! Will make things riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

Lemon! Apple! Chocolate! And Kiwi!

Berry leads the way to protect our Un-I-Ty!

And when the battle's done, you're all smiles and cheer,

Dark Magician Girl, with your friends there's no fear!

Dark Magician Girls, you're all shooting stars!

Casting awesome spells you'll make it far!

With a sparkle in your eyes, you're all leading the way,

Fighting for truth and love every day!

Dark Magician Girls, you're our magical guides,

With you by our side, there's no need to hide!

Through every Duel, and through every fight,

We believe! Your… Magic! Will make things right!

Dark Magician Girl, Shine!
Dark Magician Girls, Shine!
Dark Magician Girls Shine!

Yeah, they shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!

An explosion rocked the television screen as the intro finished playing, displaying a picture of the Dark Magician Girl and her allies in the fight against evil.

"Sweet!" Torrey said, settling down on the couch next to Isaka. "Great job on the first verse, Isaka! I wonder what'll happen this episode!"

"Thanks. The last one was pretty intense. It made me feel some kinda way," mourned Isaka. "Poor Kiwi. Her life's so hard. I sure hope Dark can help her!"

Torrey agreed with a nod. They reached their hands into the bowl of popcorn, chowing down and watching the show as the episode title appeared.

Inherited Soul! Black Chaos! Whaddya mean, "Two Darks?!"

"Yosh, this is gonna be great!"

BANG!

The club door crashed inward.

Torrey and Isaka screamed and ducked behind the couch as light filled the room, bathing their secret safe space with the white glow of the hallway outside. And there, in the doorway with his Lichtenberg Lines aflame, stood Konami Kodo.

His eyes burned green with the angry eyes of a dragon.

TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE: TWISTING THE TALE
LESSON FOUR
END

Uh oh! Looks like those two need to worry about more than the latest DMG episode! But will they be able to escape with their lives after the role they played using Jinzo? And what's with that Dark Magician Girl anime? Is there a Blue-Eyes one? How 'bout Albaz? I don't know, but I do know we'll see you next time on Twisting the Tale! Until then, here's a question for you: which girl is best girl and why?

Class Dismissed! And don't forget:

Dark Magician Girls Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!