It is only once a man loses everything that he is free to do anything.
Grey clouds were overhead; a storm was brewing. The water was the color of iron, reflecting the sky's surly hue. Chunks of ice idly floated by a small dinghy. A mere rowboat attempted to brave itself against inhospitable conditions. It was only fitting that Chazz Princeton piloted this tugboat.
After his humiliating defeat at the hands of Bastion Misawa, Chazz left Duel Academy in a fit of rage. If he did not grow stronger before he came back, his family would surely disown him, cast him out as weak. That's what they would have done if they had heard wind of Chazz's demotion to Ra Yellow. Instead of facing the humiliation, Chazz preemptively punished himself. He trained in all sorts of places, making his way north up the Philippines.
He went completely off the grid, hunting and killing his own food whenever he didn't steal from a nearby kitchen window. Chazz continued to wear his Obelisk Blue jacket, holding fast to his former glory. He rigorously trained his senses to identify anyone with even a drop of reiatsu he came across. He battled young warriors eager to test their strength. He fought old masters, complacent in their strength. They all fell before his rage. He was inadvertently spreading a fearful reputation for his former school as he trained.
One day, Chazz found himself on the small boat, slumped over in a half-sleep. His neck slumped, causing him to snap awake. He looked at his empty bottle again, as though giving it another glance could somehow refill the container of precious water. Chazz's breath felt heavy, but it seemed his body was holding up better than yesterday. While Chazz was somewhat athletic during his time at Duel Academy, he certainly was not as sporty as Jaden or Zane. But now, it was completely different. Sinewy, veined muscles sculpted his figure, and his once untarnished skin had been riddled with scars.
Despite his outward changes, Chazz remained obsessed with proving his superiority. Whenever he slept, he dreamed of one thing; revenge. It was what he held onto, a center point for his increasingly tenuous sanity. The faces of Crowler, Bastion, and Jaden almost never left his thoughts.
Another face refused to leave his mind as well; Alexis. Chazz laid back, remembering his vain attempts to impress during their days as elementary school children. She never looked at him with anything more than cold dismissal, no matter what he tried. He soon developed a icy veneer as well, but deep down, it hurt that he would never be able to warm those beautiful hazel eyes of hers up. He hated her, too.
During his bitter musings, Chazz failed to notice his boat rocking into what appeared to be an ice shelf. However, as Chazz inspected further, he found that the boat had stumbled onto a landmass. Looking over the ridge of the glacier, Chazz observed a lone building, standing tall against the elements.
In a contrast to the cold white surroundings, the building was straw yellow. Chazz quickly departed his vessel, advancing towards the imposing facility. The words "North Academy" were emblazoned on a rickety wooden sign.
While the snow blew at North Academy, the weather remained gentle at Duel Academy. It was a quiet night, and most sensible people were asleep. While Jaden usually liked to satisfy his urge to party, rave, or any such venture involving girls and loud music, he was unable to partake in his usual activities tonight. When Syrus and Chumley had gone to sleep, Jaden snuck out, traveling to the beach. He parked himself on the edge of a limestone cliff, enjoying the salty sea breeze. His eyes slowly turned gold as he retreated into his inner realm.
He once again found himself in downtown Los Angeles, the city remaining in perpetual twilight. The Supreme King stood in front of him, his countenance an unreadable brick wall. "I'm glad you have sought me out, Jaden Yuki. Then again, you really didn't have much of a choice. I probably would've hijacked your body and made you perform embarrassing stunts." The king explained with incredible seriousness.
Jaden laughed. "Honestly, that's what I would do too. Still, it kinda sucks we have to do this at night. I have illicit activities I could be doing right now!"
"If there was ever a time to bitch, this is not it." The king replied. "But couldn't we have just done this during English or something? I usually just sleep in there anyway." Jaden countered. The king appeared lost for words. "I suppose you're right. Your classmates would probably notice the gold eyes, though. Perhaps you should invest in some colored contacts." "I'm sure Bastion will hook me up." "Wonderful. But since we're here already, we might as well get to the training. After all, your opponent will most likely possess Bankai as well."
"I still don't really get what Bankai is. My parents really didn't mention it that much."
"Understandable. Bankai is the final stage, and the true form, of a Zanpakuto. It demands a level of self-actualization most humans never achieve. It requires being completely in tune with a soul." "This is starting to sound really Buddhist to me. What's next, reincarnation?" Jaden replied.
The supreme king gave him a strange look before continuing.
"Anyways, how long it takes depends on the individual. Some people are so stunted, so repressed, that they are never able to achieve Bankai. For some, it only takes a few days. I'm sure it will be the latter in your case."
"Why do you say that? We're not exactly twins." That earned another strange look from the king.
"That's true. Our personalities do clash a little. But our goals are the same; securing our freedom and happiness." Jaden stopped him. "And how exactly do you plan on achieving your freedom and happiness?" His question seemed to pierce the Supreme King's metaphorical armor.
"That is irrelevant. For the moment, we're on the same team. Winning the school duel might even get that ice bitch to notice you." The king desperately hoped that flustering Jaden would divert his attention. Jaden smirked. "I tell you, she's a piece of work, but I don't appreciate you talking about Alexis like that." Jaden said smoothly. "Whatever. As if I could truly care about your ridiculous trysts.
Now then, to achieve Bankai, we will need to be able to synchronize our instincts. Instincts are ultimately the most important factor in a battle, to the point of tipping the scales of an otherwise even battle. Look at Bastion Misawa for example. He is an extremely intelligent person, but his cold logic was unable overcome your instincts, your passion. So…" The king drew a sword, one that was pitch-black with a red handle, a color inversion of Jaden's. "….we shall have ourselves a spar."
Chazz approached the building, shivering because of the cold. He stood in front of an old-fashioned drawbridge. "I can't believe it's 2014, and one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the world uses a medieval drawbridge as an entrance. I wonder how I get it to open…" Chazz wondered aloud.
"If this place is anything like Duel Academy, the problem can probably solved with brute force and an abandonment of critical thinking skills." Chazz flared his reiatsu, a light blue aura surrounding him, alerting anyone inside of his presence. To his complete lack of surprise, the drawbridge lowered, giving him access to the school.
Chazz slowly walked inside, his bloodstained Obelisk Blue coat flapping in the arctic wind. He saw the main school building off in the distance, while he entered what seemed to be a small village. It appeared to be fashioned after a old western town, as there was a dusty main road surrounded by buildings on either side. Chazz guessed the buildings were the student's dormitories.
However, he had little time to wonder, as he soon found himself surrounded. Fifty students, all male, had begun creeping up on him. They all wore variations of the same uniform, a trench coat, jeans, and boots. Their clothes were either brown or black in color.
"I take it you chumps are the welcoming committee?" Chazz said, no hint of trepidation in his voice. "You'd be right to assume such a thing. We are the best and brightest of North Academy." The crowd separated apart, to reveal who had spoken.
A boy who looked to be about two years older than Chazz had smirked. He had long black hair, which was worn in a ponytail. He wore a dull orange muscle shirt with a black leather vest and jeans. His eyes were dark and hooded, which deeply unnerved Chazz.
"My name is Lucien Grimley. You appear to be from Duel Academy. What are you doing here?" He asked. Chazz spat. "Don't associate me with those people." The word "people" was said with hateful venom.
"I see. Well, in that case, we have a proposition for you. Sensing your reiatsu, I can say I'm impressed. Would you be interested in joining us at North Academy? If you prove yourself strong enough, you may get the opportunity to get revenge on Jaden Yuki. It is clear he has wronged you."
Chazz hunched his shoulders. "How do you know about that?"
"Yuki is Duel Academy's representative for the School Duel."
Chazz's ears perked up. "Really? Now you've peaked my interest." Lucien nodded. "Even if you do not wish to participate in this School Duel, I'm sure you would appreciate the opportunity to train. Our entrance exams are quite different from Duel Academy's, and much more difficult as a result."
"I'll be the judge of that, ya creepy kid. Where do I take this entrance exam?" Chazz questioned. "Why, right here."
Fifty North Academy students drew their swords, bloodthirsty grins on their faces. "You will fight these fifty all in a row. If you survive one opponent, you will move on to the next with no break. If you make it to the end, you will face the strongest of us all. I'm sure you understand the rules." Lucien explained patiently.
Chazz gripped his own blade with excitement. "You bet your ass I do. Sobu Suri, Fuuniji!"
Jaden and the king's spar continued for a very long time. While Jaden was in his mindscape, time passed much more slowly. Their duel went on for hours, but only about ten minutes had passed outside. Despite his impressive array of skills, Jaden found that the Supreme King could do them better, which was only to be expected. Jaden wore himself out, and he eventually found himself impaled on the king's blade.
"You're quite lucky these injuries are all in your mind, Jaden Yuki. However, that doesn't make them any less real, does it?" The king sneered. "Man, training really kinda sucks, doesn't it? It's hard work, and I don't like it!" Jaden whined. "Believe me, I don't appreciate it either, but with luck, this is the only training you'll have to do for quite some time. Now then, we'll pick up tomorrow." With that, Jaden snapped back to reality. He was so tired, he collapsed on the smooth green grass, and got some much needed sleep.
Bodies were flying; the dusty ground was irrigated with the blood of North Academy students. Almost all of them were unskilled with their swords, to the point where many did not have shikai. Chazz paid no mind to any of their injuries as he ceaselessly assaulted them.
He flowed between his different weapons easily, smoothly transitioning through one long, continuous combo. Two students rushed at Chazz with low swings. Chazz jumped into the air, kicking both of them in the head at the same time. He flash stepped higher, only to found himself surrounded by four students. They attacked him at the same time, Chazz's speed great enough so he could dodge all four of their blades simultaneously. He pointed his sword at one of them before transforming Fuuinji into a spear, impaling the unfortunate North Academy student.
Chazz lifted the impaled student up. As the poor boy was gasping for breath, he swung him into another combatant, knocking them both out in the process.
The final two opponents let out a desperate battle cry. Chazz reformed his weapon into dual Chinese scimitars, blocking both of their trikes at the same time. Chazz bared his teeth. "Hado #33, Sokatsui (Pale Fire Crash)!"
Chazz opened his mouth, a torrent of blue energy fired from his throat. The North Academy students were completely taken by surprise from the unorthodox use of kido. This caused both of them to be fried, their charred bodies slamming against the ground. Eventually, the bloodied Chazz stood atop a mountain of defeated opponents, his sword raised defiantly into the air.
Lucien watched with interest, occasionally sipping from a flask of vodka he kept attached to his belt. Chazz stepped down from the pile of bodies, his eyes widened due to the adrenaline rush. Lucien finished off the bottle. "You're an angry little elf, aren't you?"
Chazz was unamused. "Shut up. Am I finished?" He said tersely. "Not quite. I'm sure it's tough to keep track of, but you actually defeated 49, not 50. Now…" He drew a small sword. "…you will face me to determine North Academy's representative!"
Chazz rolled his eyes. "What, was that supposed to a surprise? Just from the way these worms deferred to you told me enough. If I beat you, then the crown of North Academy will be mine!"
Lucien sighed. "Are you this over-dramatic all of the time? It's very annoying." "Yes!" With that, the two prodigies engaged each other.
Many of Crowler's first period English students were partaking in their usual activities. Most of them, like good students and responsible members of society, were taking notes. Some were getting a jump start on the night's homework.
Bastion was working on a stack of homework papers given to him by lazy, rich students as per usual. Alexis was reading a book, while Syrus was browsing Reddit on his phone. All three of them had cups of coffee in front of them.
Jaden usually took first period as an opportunity to take a nap, but he was not sleeping today. He stared into space, his face inscrutable. Colored brown contacts concealed the golden iris of the Supreme King with the warm brown of Jaden's eye.
Crowler strut into the room as he always did, but he noticed something was off today. His eyes briefly settled on Jaden, who appeared to be paying attention for a change. Crowler shrugged, and went back to his lecture.
While Jaden's body was in Crowler's classroom, his consciousness was training for the School Duel, the Ego taking the forefront of Jaden's thought. Currently, Jaden and the Supreme King were practicing water-based techniques, including a larger version of Jaden's Genzai no Ryu. When Jaden returned to his soul realm, he found himself near a lake, the city the rest of the training had taken place in off in the horizon.
The grass was appealingly green, and the water was cold and clear. "I must say, this is much nicer than being in that polluted city." Jaden observed. His alter ego bristled at the comment, but didn't say anything. "Suidan (Water Bullets)." Several pellets of blindingly fast liquid shot out of the lake and towards Jaden. Jaden did not fret, using his sword to cut through the water bullets, rendering them little more than splashes.
"Hey, how come water techniques don't seem to come as naturally to me as fire, wind, or earth do?" Jaden asked naively. The king growled, becoming fed up with the obnoxious youth in front of him. "Creating a powerful water attack purely from the moisture in the air is incredibly taxing, not to mention time-consuming. It's much more efficient to simply use it around bodies of preexisting water. Besides, if you aren't creative enough to use fire, earth, and wind to win a fight, then water attacks probably wouldn't help anyway."
"Alright, you don't have to get so bitchy with me. Where do you get off being so rude, anyway? If you think it makes you look cooler, it doesn't." Jaden snapped. The king flash stepped in front of Jaden, although the young boy was far from shocked; his Zanpakuto spirit really relied on that trick too much. "Where do you get off being so flippant? It hardly makes you look cool, either."
"I have friends and family who disagree. Even though I mouth off to them, at least I don't try to degrade them like you!" A truly dangerous look entered the king's golden eyes, then subsided. "Remember this; you are not the only one benefiting from this training; I am as well. And I believe that for now, our time together is coming to an end. You appear to have the Bankai down. However, do not grow complacent. My goals will be secured…. One way or another." Jaden drifted away from his soul realm for what he hoped to be the last time.
Luckily, Jaden woke up a minute or two after English class had ended. Most of the students, including Syrus and Bastion, had left the room to go to their next lesson. Alexis was packing up her books when she saw Jaden move again.
She smiled at him. "I'm glad you decided to join us in the real world. I thought I would have to carry you out of here like a burlap sack." Jaden frowned. While he and Alexis enjoyed sharpening each other's wit, his recent exchange with the Hero Of The Stars put him in a bad mood.
"Hey Lex, do you mind if I talk to you about something later?" He looked so troubled, Alexis chose to let his use of the nickname slide. "Sure, but don't brood. You're not really the brooding sort."
After class, Jaden and Alexis met in the commons. The stood near a railing overlooking the mess hall. The picture window in front them cast a lovely view over the island. Jaden scratched the back of his head. "So, yeah, about-"
"-your Bankai training?" She finished for him.
"Did I tell you I was training to achieve Bankai?"
"No you didn't. But the way you were staring blankly into space for hours, combined with your apparent lack of sleep, made it easy enough for any relatively perceptive person to figure out. Therefore, no one else noticed but Bastion and I. We took the liberty of informing Syrus and Chumley as well, although I don't know why you wouldn't have told them already." She explained dryly.
"Bastion has looked at me kinda weird lately. I guess I was too preoccupied to tell my roommates." Jaden mumbled.
Alexis frowned. "You're the one that keeps prattling on about us being a team."
"We are a team! I know I wouldn't be able to become a badass without your help!" Jaden said.
"It's your Zanpakuto spirit, isn't it?" Alexis said sharply.
"Yeah. I don't know why that guy is such a dick. He's nothing like me at all!"
Alexis' mind raced. "I wouldn't sell yourself short. You are a dick sometimes-" "Hey!" "But that is strange. Especially since you were able to master Bankai in one week." Jaden raised his index finger. "Well, apparently time moves a lot slower in my soul realm that the real world. I would bet on it being closer to a month."
"Whatever. The point is, it was a short time. It took Sode no Shirayuki and I almost three months to achieve Bankai, and we get along swimmingly." Alexis noted.
Jaden let out a goofy grin. "Clearly, this means that I'm a bigger badass than you! I, Jaden Yuki, am officially better than Alexis Rhodes in every possible way!" He shouted from the balcony.
She let a small smirk grace her cold face. "You're too much. But I like you because of that. That said, you haven't quite proven yourself yet. To me, you have, but the student body tends to need more convincing. Winning the School Duel will be a great way to prove you're ready to hang with the big boys."
Jaden's grin fell away, replaced with a look of sincerity. "Everyone here seems so predicated on winning. It's all about promotions and grades. That's not me. To me, whether someone becomes a great warrior or a failure, what really matters is who they are as a person. I want to be a great warrior, but that's not all there is to me, you know?"
Alexis' frown deepened. "What about becoming a badass? To do that, you'd need to win fairly often." She pointed out. "I know. But I would never compromise myself for the sake of a victory. I'm more concerned about having fun."
Her expression lightened. "That's not a bad philosophy to have, I suppose."
Lucien drew a dull grey blade, his eyes devoid of any of the good humor he showed earlier. "We seem to subscribe to different attitudes when it comes to the battle, Mr. Princeton. I could tell by the way you swung your sword, full of reckless abandon, anger. Your dramatics tell me that you are a performer, one who likes to put on a show. So different from myself."
Chazz huffed. "And what exactly is so different about us? I can tell you're just bursting to tell me."
"I wield my sword with the respect, the fear, it deserves. One who does fear his blade is not worthy to wield that blade."
"I feel like this would not make you a very effective warrior." Chazz commented.
"You're wrong. The one who gets too caught up int their quest for glory is the one who fails. Now, Kare, Kazeshini (Reap, Wind of Death)."
The blade transformed, green reiatsu swirling around the North academy student. Lucien held two sickles in his hands, held together by black chains. Each scythe had two blades each, giving it the appearance of a pinwheel. Lucien held them on long rods, allowing him to swing them about like a fan. "What do you think?" Lucien said dourly.
Chazz was practically drooling. "Those are the sickest weapons I've ever seen! Can I borrow them later?" "Of course not! What is wrong with you, ya crazy kid!" Lucien shouted at him.
Chazz's fanboyish reaction to Lucien's Zanpakuto masked a darker curiosity. Chazz wondered if his Zanpakuto, Fuuinji, would be able to replicate the twin scythes. They appeared to have no special properties.
Chazz also began to wonder about the possibility of Bankai. During his training, he felt Fuunji's spirit call out to him. The voice suggested plans of action to him during battle, and he often sought out his soul for advice and counsel. He even visited his soul realm, which took the form of a sports stadium, bright lights shining upon green astroturf. He seemed to be right on the verge of a major discovery, and Chazz hoped that this fight would be the final push he needed.
"So, you like my sword, huh? Well, that only shows that you are not a true warrior-" Lucien's pontificating was cut short by Chazz suddenly firing a red blast of energy towards him.
"Shakkaho." Chazz named his kido, giving it another burst of power. The resulting explosion obscured Chazz's vision, dust getting in his eyes. Suddenly, he heard the clinking sounds of a chain above him, and it was only that telltale sound that let him avoid death at Lucien's hands. The pinwheel scythe caught on Chazz's Obelisk Blue jacket, ripping the already stretched fabric. Chazz discarded the bloodied clothing, exposing a scarred, sculpted torso.
Lucien stood on top of what appeared to be one of the dormitories. He pulled the sickle up towards him as he twirled its twin in the air above, the chains making a distinctive noise.
"Are you afraid yet?"
"Like hell, you pretentious hipster!" Chazz jumped towards Lucien, katana braced in his hands. Lucien threw one of Kazeshini's scythes up into the air, the chain following behind. Chazz swung his sword laterally, but Lucien blocked it with his other blade. While he held Chazz off, Lucien pulled onto the other chain, pulling a scythe directly towards Chazz's shoulder.
Chazz aimed his free hand upwards, wordlessly casting Bakudo #4, Hainwa. An orange electrical rope, cracking with static, coiled around Kazeshini. Chazz yanked his own binding spell rope towards him, pulling the scythe along with him. Lucien looked mortified, and their sword clash was momentarily forgotten. Chazz grabbed one sickle, while Lucien kept a firm grip on the other, each of them pulling on the chain connecting the two like a juvenile game of Tug-O-War.
"This is not funny, you childish little brat! Give me my sword back!"
"On the contrary, I find this situation highly amusing. It's amazing how stupid I could make you look with one low-level binding spell. Thank goodness all of your goons are too busy lying in a pool of their own blood to notice your eminent foolishness." Chazz chirped.
"How dare you! You hide behind your arcane spells to hide poor swordsmanship skill! If you had only used your sword, I would have won by now!" Lucien planned on goading Chazz into giving up an advantage. While this obvious ploy would not work on any sort of rational person, it was to Lucien's favor that Chazz was extremely irrational.
Chazz immediately ceased using his kido, causing the Kazeshini scythe to fly back to its owner's hands. With a snarl, Chazz lunged at Lucien, repelling his dual weaponry with deftness of hand. Lucien managed to keep Chazz on his toes using Kazeshini's unique shape to fly in awkward trajectories, forcing Chazz to rely on flash step.
"Give up! You do not deserve to represent North Academy in our prestigious competition! We, the proud sons of the north, will strike down Duel Academy with our own hands!" However, to Lucien's great surprise, he felt the edge of a black sword against his throat.
"How about that? You were so busy giving your speech, I was able to get the drop on you. I guess I'm a little smarter than you gave me credit for, plebian." Chazz spat, his old arrogance returning as victory was assured. However, to both Chazz's surprise, he heard a slow clap from the ground. A man emerged from one of the dormitories. What struck Chazz most about him was the man's utter normalcy. He had a small shock of brown hair, and a five-0-clock shadow. He wore plain brown robes and boots.
"Good show, Chazz Princeton. You have beaten the gauntlet, as well as Lucien here, our strongest student." The man said genially. "I take it you are the headmaster of this place?" Chazz said slowly. "That's correct. I am Headmaster Foster." He extended a gloved hand, which Chazz shook.
"And I'm certainly glad you have decided to fight for us. Even though enrolling into a school for the sake of an extracurricular activity is generally unethical, I have been looking forward to kick Duel Academy's proverbial face into the equally proverbial dirt for quite some time now. I'm sure you understand the feeling, Mr. Princeton." The headmaster said with a soft hiss.
Chazz nodded. "I could care less. I must defeat Jaden Yuki. I must reclaim myself. I must prove my strength." Chazz said with a stony expression. "Indeed. Some might perpetuate the impression that a man's strength is all that matters in the end. It's how he is remembered." The headmaster prodded at Chazz's anger, stoking the smoldering flames of revenge.
"In that case, I must become the strongest of all. I must achieve Bankai." Chazz said with awful finality. The headmaster put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "That you will, my boy. You have both the strength, and the desire, to step into the halls of greatness." Chazz's eyes were stormy as they walked towards the school.
A/N
Greetings, lovely readers, and thanks for reading the eleventh chapter of Kids With Swords!
It really is a shame that this story gets practically no feedback, as I feel that this one of the better chapters I've written for the story thus far. For those few who read this story, I urge you to tell me what you thought of it. I'l never beg for reviews, so if you don't want to review, then don't. I really would like to hear what you guys have to say though.
That said, I enjoy this interpretation of Chazz that I've written. One thing I've noticed when writing this story is that the characters tend to take up identities of their own outside of their canon counterparts, and they end up more memorable as a result while still retaining the qualities that made them good characters in the first place.
I chose to use Lucien Grimley instead of the Czar because I felt that Lucien had a more distance personality, and Kazeshini was a great Zanpakuto for him to represent his fascination with the Grim Reaper. I hope you all enjoyed his fight with Chazz.
Next chapter is the rematch between Jaden and Chazz, and its a chapter I've been looking forward to for some time! See you next Saturday!