Buried beneath the pressure of life is boundless potential.

In a poorly lit assembly hall, one man stood above all others. The North Academy student body had been summoned to hear the news. "Ladies and Gentlemen of this fine academy, the day has come for you to learn who will be representing us in the upcoming fight against Duel Academy." Chancellor Foster announced. At the mention of their hated rival school, the North Academy students launched into jeers and boos. Foster waited for them to subside.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our new transfer student will be fighting for us. The "Black Thunderbolt" himself, Chazz Princeton!" Chazz stood haughtily with his arms crossed on the assembly stage. He wore a dirty black trench coat with a grey muscle shirt underneath. Brown boots clacked on the wooden floor.

"Duel Academy will fall!" He shouted, much to the audience's jubilation. In accordance with his new nickname, a bolt of lightning struck outside.

On the morning of the School Duel, Jaden got up early, careful not to disturb his roommates. He snuck across the grounds to the beach, where he found Alexis waiting for him. They were both wearing comfortable sweatpants and t-shirts, as they just got out of bed.

"Oh, hey. What brings you here, Lex?" Jaden asked in what he thought was a romantic voice. "I figured you'd get up early today, so I thought I'd meet you here so that we could have a little spar. To assess your skills and whatnot." She said neutrally.

"Sure, sounds good! Although I'm afraid I can't show you my Bankai yet. It's not exactly unobtrusive." Alexis smiled. "Yeah, most aren't. I must say though, you've become quite powerful Jaden, especially considering it's only been a semester. You probably won't even need to use your Bankai."

Jaden chuckled nervously. "I'm not so sure. There's been a lot of hype going around about their representative. They call him the "Black Thunderbolt"." He said while waving his hands. Alexis shrugged.

"North Academy has not been a worthy opponent for us for many years now. Our swords our sharp, and our fighting spirits are near perfect. Meanwhile, the souls of many North students are about as dull as a stone. Not one of their number has achieved Bankai, at least that we know of."

"You're so smart, Lex! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Jaden said, causing her to blush. "Think nothing of it. Now then, let's get some training in before the pre-game."

Later, Jaden trudged towards the pier, where he saw a crowd of people gathered around a rather expensive-looking ferry. A camera crew was there, craning to get a good look at who was departing the boat. As soon as Jaden tried to go over there, the cameramen accosted him. He saw Chancellor Sheppard, and bumped his way through the crowd to get to him.

"Ah, Jaden, my boy! Good to see you!" Sheppard had taken to acting a lot more friendly towards Jaden ever since he was named the school's champion. Jaden didn't really buy the act, but he played along with it for the sake of avoiding conflict.

"It appears we will finally learn who this "Black Thunderbolt" figure is…" Sheppard muttered. From the cruise ship, a group of twenty North Academy students filed onto the pier, including Lucien Grimley. Chancellor Foster shuffled over to Sheppard, quickly taking his hand as he discarded a dusty brown traveling cloak.

"Foster, you old son of a bitch! How ya doin?" Sheppard grinned. "Quite well, since last year's defeat." Foster said stiffly. "Oh, it was a close match." Sheppard said diplomatically. "It really wasn't. Zane beat our fighter in less than three minutes. We were only on the island for about twenty." Foster replied with no small note of bitterness in his voice. "Then let us hope for an exciting match!" Sheppard said.

"That's right, especially so that we can get some good ratings! This is being broadcast worldwide, baby!" one of the cameramen interjected in a stereotypical 50's reporter voice. Jaden took the opportunity to get a word in. "Wait, this fight is going to be broadcast worldwide!?" "That's right, my boy. Last year we got more views than the World Cup and the Super Bowl combined!" The man said cheekily.

Jaden blushed. "Oh. In that case I probably should've showered. Chumley's hygiene is beginning to rub off on me, I'm afraid." Jaden said with audacity.

"Spoken like a true champion of this school. You must be Jaden Yuki. North Academy has been looking forward to this match with gusto. I hope you do not disappoint." Foster said icily. "Yeah, yeah, enough with the suspense already. Who's my opponent?" Jaden said with a smile.

"It's me, you slacker." A nasally, rough voice greeted Jaden's ears. A voice that was far too familiar for his liking. He looked up in the direction the noise came from. Chazz stood on the bow of the ship, wearing a black trench coat with no undershirt, showing off a scarred, but well-toned body. The fangirls across the world were squealing at his muscular frame. His Zanpakuto, Fuuinji, was slung across his shoulders. The coat flapped in the wind.

"Chazz? What the hell happened to you? We had no idea where you were!" Jaden said with actual worry. "I was training in mind, body, and soul. While you were sitting in class with your little friends, I was climbing mountains, swimming through rivers, and pushing myself to the limit. To show for it, I have gained a power far beyond what a slacker like yourself could ever hope to achieve." Chazz pointed his sword directly at Jaden with an ugly smirk. "You will submit to me, and I will strike down the champion of this pathetic school in the process!

Before Jaden could reply, the sound of helicopter blades became apparent to everyone on the pier. The helicopter touched down on the lawn, and two well-dressed men exited. To Chazz's surprise and displeasure, the two men were Slade and Jagger, his older siblings.

"Well, well, look at this. Little Chazz is trying to look badass." Both men were wearing sunglasses, and Slade was chewing on a fat cigar. Chazz grit his teeth and grimaced, but said nothing. A heavy, tense silence filled the air, until a brave cameraman attempted to break it.

"Well, now that both champions are here, why don't we head inside? Each fighter will get twenty minutes to mentally prepare, and then we'll begin the match." Everyone hesitantly moved towards the school building in a huge huddle.

Jaden was laid out on a locker room bench, surrounded by his friends. Syrus, Chumley, Alexis, and Bastion were leaning against the linoleum wall, giving Jaden advice, reassurance, or silent moral support as he half-listened. Bastion spoke up after a few minutes.

"You don't seem to be very worried, Jaden. You realize it's very possible that Chazz has achieved Bankai as well." "Yeah, he looks like a completely different person!" Syrus squeaked. "If nothing else, the millions of TV viewers would cause me to sweat a bit." Alexis commented.

"What's there to be worried about? It'll be a friendly match. I can't wait to see how Chazz has improved!" Jaden said blithely.

Bastion cocked his head to the side. "A friendly match? From what he said earlier, this sounds like a grand display of vengeance and power to him. I would be careful." Jaden nodded. "Yeah, he did seem a little salty about something. I'll be careful, Bastion. Now if you guys will excuse me, I'm going to the restroom to blaze up."

The conversation inside Chazz's locker room was going very differently. Currently, Slade and Jagger were chewing him out while Chazz pouted in the corner. Slade grabbed Chazz by the collar.

"You're a slimy one, little brother. You seem to have been laboring under the delusion that you could escape your duties. You've always been the slacker of this family." Slade then slapped Chazz across the face. Chazz gave no vocal reaction, even as a red handprint swelled on his cheek.

Jagger pushed Chazz into the wall. "We already control business and finance. We've fulfilled our end of the deal. Now, all that's left is for you to fulfill yours. The first step to doing that is winning against this Slifer slacker!" Jagger yelled.

"I get it." Chazz muttered, his face stony. "Good! Then go out there, and prove you are worthy of the Princeton name!" With that, they left the room in a huff.

"Ah, nothing like a pre-fight smoke to alleviate a man of his concerns!" Jaden jaunted over to the men's bathroom, but his happiness was cut short by the sound of sobbing. "Good lord, kids are overdramatic sometimes." Jaden muttered. He peeked around the wall to see that the person was none other than Chazz.

"Come on, Chazz! You have to win here! You must destroy him with everything you have! Otherwise, they'll never accept you! Win! Over and over! Prove that you are strong!" Chazz then collapsed into a whimper again. Jaden held a hand over his mouth, leaving before Chazz could notice anyone there.

Jaden and Chazz were standing just outside of the ring they would be fighting in. Unlike most of Jaden's other Academy-sanctioned matches, his fight with Chazz would be taking place in a spacious outdoor arena, with wooden bleachers set up for the various students, instructors, and reporters to sit.

Jaden sat in his corner of the ring, his friends standing beside him. Chazz stood in his designated area, a few North Academy students tending to him. Jaden's normally warm brown eyes were hardened in focus, and a slight tinge of anger as well.

"What's up Jay? You don't seem quite so cavalier." Syrus observed. "Ah, I'm fine, Sy. It's just… it's a shame only one of us can win this fight, you know?" Jaden said wistfully. "No, I don't know what you mean. Now get out there and kick his ass!" Syrus said, completely crushing Jaden's feelings of sympathy towards his rival.

Dr. Crowler sat in the top box of the bleachers with Sheppard, Foster, and Banner. Banner wasn't really invited to sit up there, but no one denied him his seat once he gave his usual stare. "All right, it's time to begin the 74th annual School Duel! In this corner, weighing in at 155 pounds, it's the red man, the Slifer Slacker himself, Jaden Yuki!"

Despite Crowler's snotty introduction, Jaden received a loud round of applause from the Duel Academy students. Even Zane clapped. Syrus, Bastion, Chumley, and Alexis went to the stands as Jaden entered the ring. "Perhaps now, I'll be able to observe Jaden's Hollow powers…" Bastion schemed.

"In this corner, it's the traitorous turncoat, the defector from decadence, the black thunderbolt…Chazz Princeton!" Chazz's goons immediately departed from the ring as Chazz entered the ring, his Zanpakuto already in Shikai. "Already released? Isn't that a little hardcore for a intermural competition?" Jaden asked.

"Shut. The Fuck. Up. I do not want to hear anything from that loud mouth of yours except begs for mercy. Release your sword right now. I have no desire to mess around with you, loser."

"I get the feeling you're not having very much fun. Was the boat ride rough for you?"

"SHIKAI. NOW." "Alright, you priss." To Chazz's surprise, Jaden's reiatsu immediately skyrocketed, letting Chazz know that he was able to release his shikai without the proper incantation, a trait that can only be taken advantage of by those who have achieved Bankai.

Chazz's eyes widened. "What? That's impossible… there's no way!" he hissed. "Why Chazz, I really don't know what you mean." Jaden mocked.

"Let the match….begin!" Crowler shouted, sending the audience into fits as Chazz immediately lunged at Jaden. His swordplay was surgically precise, but was much more free-flowing than Bastion's stiff style. Jaden was immediately on the defensive.

"Kajugan!" Stalagmites of sharp rock jutted from the ground, aiming to impale Chazz. Chazz sliced the pillars in half, relentlessly pursuing Jaden.

Jaden swirled a rough wind around himself, keeping Chazz at bay. "Isn't this fun? I'm having fun."

"I AM GOING TO EVISCERATE YOU." Chazz launched a Byakurai kido at Jaden, who responded with a quickly charged fireball. The two attacks clashed, the momentum pushing Jaden further into the air while Chazz landed on the ground. Both fighters flash stepped, moving so quick they only appeared as a blur to most of the audience. Zane's eyes darted, never losing sight of them. They clashed swords on the ground once more.

"How can this be? There's no way you could have learned it too!" Chazz growled. "I'm still not sure what you're talking about." Jaden replied mockingly. Chazz broke their connection off, both fighters skidding across the fine wood flooring. "Fine! If I show mine, you show yours!" "Are we still taking about Bankai?" Jaden smirked at the double entendre.

Chazz had no words. His anger could only be expressed in the form of harming another human being. "Bankai. Tomi Koun Buki. (Final Release: Ultimate Fortune). Like pulling a plug, Chazz's reiatsu flowed back into his body, condensing his energy signature. His sword changed as well. Chazz held a weighty black katana with a red hilt and a small chain dangling from the handle.

"Well, I think the audience expected something more grandiose." Jaden snarked. "Before I explain how utterly foolish you are, you might as well go all out. Release your Bankai now. I want to crush you at your full strength." Chazz hissed.

Jaden made a big show about drawing his sword. "Bankai! Yasashi Yami! (Final Release: Gentle Darkness)" A flood of black reiatsu erupted from Jaden's sword, smothering the Slifer Red boy. Bastion was rapt in attention. The audience was shocked that Chazz and Jaden, mere freshman, possessed Bankai. It was believable to them, however, due to Chazz's obviously intense training at North Academy. Jaden? To them, the boy was nothing more than a pizza-eating, class-skipping loser. How could he step into the ranks of greatness like this?

When the black smoke dissipated…. Jaden looked almost exactly the same. He wore a black glove on his right hand, but his sword looked no different than usual. Jaden's eyes were permanently golden, devoid of their usual joy.

Alexis shuddered; those eyes triggered horrible memories. Being choked under the yellow moon by that thing that looked like Jaden… it popped up in her nightmares frequently. On her worst nights, she envisioned that thing killing her brother while she helplessly watched. Her reaction was not much different than everyone else's; even the most stoic individuals could not deny a creeping chill working its way up their backs. To his credit, Chazz did not waver at the transformation.

"Well then, what makes your Bankai so special, anyways?" Jaden said. To Alexis' surprise, the voice was still the smooth, boyish Jaden she knew, not the shrill, commanding voice of what she expected. Chazz smirked, then vanished immediately. Jaden barely had time to raise his sword before Chazz was upon him, the black blade's weight forcing him back. Chazz jumped away, rapidly flash stepping further into the air.

"Fascinating. Now, let me show you what I can do. Eiyu No Hoshi: Gouka Mekkakyu (Hero of the Stars: Majestic Destroyer Flame).

Ghastly flames flew from Jaden's mouth. They were a sickly yellow with black tinges around the edge of the fire. The teachers were wise to quickly throw up low level defensive kido around the audience, who were at threat of being fried by the mysterious flame.

Chazz easily out sped the fire attack, but it still pursued him. "I didn't want to use my signature attack so early, but it's the only way I'll be able to get around this weird fire." Chazz held his sword above his head, white and green energy swirling around the blade.

"Getsuga Tensho (Heaven Slaying Moon Fang)!"

Chazz swung his sword in an arc directly in front of his body. The white-green blast was launched, rolling off of the sword's edge. The attack was a curved slice, the shape of a crescent moon. It cleaved through the ghastly flames, racing directly towards Jaden. Jaden, showing surprisingly good sense, dodged the attack by jumping into the air. Chazz quickly dispersed the swipe, taking back the spiritual energy he placed into it, preventing any collateral damage.

The audience was amazed; for most of the watchers, it was their first time seeing a Bankai at all, much less two locked in combat against one another. Syrus unconsciously trembled. The sheer force of the battle was overwhelming his senses. This was true for many of the other students. They sat, shell-shocked from the energy the two fighters were emitting. For once, Chumley wasn't thinking about food. The teachers, along with Zane, betrayed no sign of weakness, cool masks on each of their faces. Alexis and Bastion, for their part, stayed quite calm.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Bastion said. "What?" said Alexis. "The Hollow reiatsu is leaking freely from Jaden at this point. Only those unfamiliar with its signature could possibly miss it at this point."

"Few even know what Hollows are. Many don't wish to embrace such a supernatural concept. The Hollow, a creature corrupted by their own souls, taken over by their Zanpakuto. I hope you aren't insinuating what I think you are, Bastion." Alexis said sharply.

"I wouldn't rule anything out. Still, Jaden is not the only one with a unique little trick. I never would have thought Chazz had the fortitude to become so powerful."

"He's never wanted to be in his family's shadow. He may be a brat, but Chazz is also highly individualistic. That may be reflected in his power. Most Bankai create a grandiose effect or a flood of reiatsu, like Jaden's, or mine. But this is quite different."

"Right. Chazz is able to compress his reiatsu into his body, allowing him to fight at incredible speeds. It's a bit peculiar. I'd like to have a look at both of them once this over…" Bastion murmured.

"Taijuu Genzaidan! (Multiple Ocean Current Bullets)" A hail of water pellets were flung at Chazz, despite no source of water around. Chazz easily dodged them, rapidly flash stepping between them. Jaden strained, sweat rolling down his brow. He still wasn't very good with water techniques. He quickly abandoned his barrage and flash stepped, clashing swords with Chazz.

However, Jaden's sword began to bend once it was locked in extended contact with Chazz's. "This is too much! My sword…it's about to break!" Hurriedly, he broke off from the clash, and Chazz's eyes were wide in vindictive fury.

"This is Fuuinji's true power! While my shikai took the forms of several different weapons, by Bankai becomes the ultimate weapon! It's attack power is unrivaled!" Zane snorted with derisive amusement.

"My reiatsu is packed within my sword, giving it great density. Then, when I shoot that reiatsu from the end of the blade, it becomes my greatest technique, the Getsuga Tensho!"

Jaden broke off from the clash, not wanting his blade to bend in two. As much as it hurt his ego, Jaden knew that in terms of direct combat, Chazz had him beat. His rival's swordsmanship had become ruthlessly refined. "Looks like it's time to go big or go home!" Jaden said.

With great speed, Jaden forced a strong wind current to form in front of him, causing Chazz to immediately fly backwards. Taken off guard by the speed of the attack, Chazz was unable to escape the makeshift tornado as it spiraled upwards. Jaden landed on the arena floor, raising both of his hand into the air. The audience was jostled in their seats as chunks of rock rose from the soil, drifting around Chazz in a ring.

"Well, you can always give up, you know. After all, you are trapped in a wind tunnel with sharp stones hovering around you, poised to impale you from every conceivable direction. Just saying, might not be a bad idea, bro."

Chazz, bound by the air current, could not retort, although the deep loathing for his opponent was expressed well enough in his eyes.

The stones hovered for an instant before they were hurled at the motionless Chazz. For a moment, it seemed as though the attack went through. The rocks entombed his body. Suddenly, however, the stones were completely deflected and cut apart, falling harmlessly to the ground. The tornado dispersed as well, causing a strong wind to blow across the arena. Chazz sliced through every single stone, his sword a heavy black blur as he whipped it around.

Jaden was dumbstruck at the display of strength and speed. "No way… he sliced through all of them!" Suddenly, Chazz flash stepped, appearing right behind Jaden. Jaden turned around, but Chazz had already drove his obsidian sword into his rival's gut. The North Academy fighter was gripping his sword so hard, his hands were bleeding. With malice, he drove it deeper into Jaden, impaling him up the hilt. Jaden coughed, blood mixing with saliva.

"At last, I have drawn blood. How long I've dreamed of this moment, of seeing you fall before me! That day has finally come, Jaden Yuki!" Blood dripped down the side of Jaden's mouth. "Dude, you sound like a major psychopath right now." Chazz screamed, withdrawing Fuuniji before backhanding Jaden, causing the Slifer Red to tumble onto the ground. Jaden clutched the hole in his abdomen, wincing in pain.

Chazz raised his hand into he air, white-blue fire gathering in his palm. "Hado #33, Sokatsui!" the small azure fireball flew towards Jaden, who easily raised a mud wall to defend himself. The kido attack wore against the earthen barrier, but Jaden managed to successfully defend himself.

Chazz flash stepped again, aiming for another stab. Jaden ducked under the strike, although a few of his brown hairs were clipped off. Jaden wildily swing his own sword, which was stopped on account of Chazz grabbing his wrist.

Chazz brought Jaden's arm over his own shoulder, intending to snap it in two. Jaden back flipped over Chazz's head, throwing the black-haired boy off balance.

With his new momentum, he yanked Chazz's arm, hurling him to the edge of the arena. Chazz was flung flat on his face, sliding on the floor. The audience got a fair bit of amusement at this turnabout, and chuckled at Chazz's failure.

Bastion smiled at Jaden's move. "This is quite an entertaining battle, I do say." Alexis found she could not replicate Bastion's cavalier attitude. "How is Jaden still able to fight like that? He just got impaled!" Syrus said nothing, but watched intently, rooting for his best friend.

"Come to think of it, most people have a tough time fighting after getting impaled, don't they?" Chumley said, as though he were unsure if this was the case. "Indeed. His endurance has increased quite a bit, but it is hard to identify why…" Bastion said.

Angrier than ever, Chazz struggled to his feet. "Getsuga Tensho!" A large crescent moon shaped blast erupted from Chazz's sword with a flick of the wrist. Jaden raised his sword just in time, clashing against the lunar fang. His feet skid against the arena floor, unable to gain leverage over Chazz's blast.

Eventually, he was thrown off of his feet, flying into the crowd… directly into Chumley's arms. Both of them laughed at the awkward situation. "No offense, Chum, but I was kinda hoping to land two seats over." Jaden said, giving Alexis a saucy look. "Thanks for the save, man!" Jaden quickly picked himself up and flew back into the arena, to the delight and applause of the audience.

"Man, they just eat this shit up." Sheppard grunted. Foster looked over at his colleague. "I thought you would be glad that the audience is entertained. Both of our fighters are giving great showings." He said calmly. "Ugh, I guess."

Jaden and Chazz were exchanging blows, Jaden being careful to avoid clashing with Chazz for a long period of time, lest his own sword be broken. "Bro, why are you taking this so seriously? It's just a friendly competition between schools, right?" Jaden decided to test the waters a bit.

"No, it's not!" Chazz thundered. "This is about my return to glory! I don't expect you to understand, no one has ever expected much from a slacker like you!" Chazz cast Bakudo #4, Hainwa. Jaden had to flash step to avoid the binding spell.

"What do you mean? I've never been afraid to challenge myself! My failures have only served to help me learn!" Jaden replied. "There is no margin for error! This is one battle that I must win!" Chazz kicked Jaden in the face, while Jaden launched Chazz backwards with a wind blast.

Both fighters slowly worked to their feet. Jaden looked at his opponent, noting the bags under his eyes, the hunched, coiled posture. He remembered back to when he saw Chazz in the bathroom earlier. "That must be why he's been freaking out! His brothers must be pressuring him to win! Somehow, I've gotta show him that the only reason to fight here is for fun!" Jaden's gold eyes were narrowed in focus.

"Alright Chazz, let's fight!" "What do you think we've been doing?" The audience snickered in amusement.

Their fight continued for another hour, sword strikes intermixed with Jaden's elemental attacks and Chazz's kido. The audience was hoping that someone would just give up already, as many of them were getting hungry or had to use the bathroom. Alexis was on her phone. "Man, this is almost as boring as a NBA D-league game!" Someone shouted from the stands.

Chazz huffed. His jacket was torn to shreds, he was covered in burns, and he still couldn't wipe that arrogant expression off of Jaden's face. Jaden himself wasn't looking too good either. He skin was scraped and scuffed, and one of his sleeves was cut off.

"Give up already! The audience is growing impatient, and so am I." Chazz snarled. "How could I give up when I'm having so much fun? You're so powerful, and I'm being pushed into my limit. This is what it's all about, wouldn't you agree?" Jaden said cordially. "No. Fighting is pointless if you don't win." Chazz said shortly.

"Well, we'll see where that gets you." Jaden held his sword out at his side, his black metal glove gleaming in the sunlight. "Listen, I don't think either of us have enough strength to continue this fight for much longer. Why don't we end this in dramatic fashion, for the cameras?" He offered.

The familiar red aura of the Streaking Comet technique flared around Jaden, giving his eyes a menacing look. For the first time, Chazz grinned. "Sounds good. Unfortunately, I don't have a super special technique like you. Black tendrils of energy swirled around Chazz's sword. "All I can do is condense all of my spiritual pressure into one strike."

At the same time, they ran towards each other, blades raised, two equal warriors locked in one final, glorious combat. An explosion of black and red power shook the coliseum.

When the dust settled, Chazz and Jaden both stood for one brief moment, before Chazz fell over. "The winner of the 74th School Duel is… Jaden Yuki!" Dr. Crowler announced with a small note of displeasure. The audience cheered at the fantastic end to the battle. Jaden grinned, although he could barely stand.

While he lied on the ground, Chazz saw two harsh, loud footsteps come toward him. For too tired to hate, Chazz's grey eyes dulled in resignation.

Slade and Jagger stood over him. "You loser, you dog! Do you grasp the consequences of your pathetic loss here today!?" Slade yelled. "Do you have any idea of how expensive this was!? The cameras, the arena, all of it was worthless because you didn't win! You have disgraced not only yourself, but the Princeton name as well!" Chazz's broken body was raised by the neck into the air by Jagger. "You are no brother of ours." He announced with awful finality.

Jaden's friends, with the exception of Zane, came down to celebrate him on the victory. However, as he overheard Slade and Jagger, he broke away from them. "Hey assholes! Leave him alone!" He shouted, trying his hardest to sound intimidating, and failing due to his voice cracking.

Jagger tossed Chazz onto the ground unceremoniously, the boy groaning in dull pain. "Is this kid serious? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!" Slade said in disbelief.

"Yeah, I do! And I don't care!" "And why would you go to the trouble of defending this loser? "How could he win, when you two here breathing down his neck? Even though Chazz didn't win, he fought with amazing strength, and he fought on his terms! You should be proud of him!"

All of Jaden's friends hung back, not really agreeing with what he was saying. Chazz slowly moved to his feet, shuffling past them. Jaden attempted to pat him on the back. "Dude, that was a good match!" "Leave me alone. I don't want pity from you, Slifer." Chazz's words left Jaden hurt and confused. Chazz shuffled from the arena, ignoring the cold stares Jaden's friends gave him.

When the North Academy delegation was ready to leave, it was already evening, another beautiful sunset gracing the island. Chazz's siblings had left, and Chazz hoped that was the last time he would ever see them. The Duel Academy delegation came to see their rivals off, and many cordial "goodbyes" and "good lucks" were being exchanged. Sheppard and Foster talked politely, although Foster was increasingly bitter, but overall, he took the loss well. Chazz and Jaden were standing next to each other, not sure what to say to each other.

"Chazz, I have some news for you." "Yes, sir?" Chazz said dully. "You have been accepted back into Duel Academy by Headmaster Sheppard." Foster said.

"What? Why?" Chazz said in a panic. "I don't want to come back to Duel Academy! I want to train with you guys!"

Foster smiled, then put a hand on Chazz's shoulder. "I discussed this with Headmaster Sheppard beforehand. You are, far and away, the most powerful student at North Academy. I'm afraid there's not much more I can teach you, my boy. Your talents are needed here." Foster said simply.

Chazz sighed. "Alright. Thanks for everything, Professor." He said, his voice once again a small monotone. Professor Banner suddenly appeared behind everyone, causing everyone to jump in fear. "Unfortunately, Chazz, since you dropped out and are now coming back, you will be starting from the bottom. We'll assign you a room in Slifer Red right away." He said in the most amused manner possible.

Chazz did not have the energy to be angry. He sighed, "I suppose that is a dishonor I will bear to become stronger. Be warned, once I become strong enough, you all will pay for this…" Chazz shuffled off towards his new home, the Slifer Red dorm. Syrus sighed. "I can't believe we have to share the same building as this asshole." "Oh, he'll come around eventually." Jaden said, not really believing his own words.

Before Jaden's claim could be proven, however, it was time for the end of the semester. Everyone had final exams the last week of school, although the way some students handled it was better than others. Bastion studied well, as did Alexis and Zane. Bastion surreptitiously took pictures of his tests with his phone when the teachers weren't looking, and spread them around the school for a price.

Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley were able to pass using luck, deception, and foreknowledge of the questions from Bastion. Chazz was exempt from the tests, due to his two month absence. Chazz himself rarely left his new room, only leaving to go to the bathroom or to get food from the cafeteria. Jaden was wise enough to stay away from him, and his friends were all too happy to do the same.

Jaden often sensed Chazz's reiatsu as early as five 0 'clock in the morning, and extrapolated that he must be training. He definitely wanted to fight him again, although when they passed each other in the hallway no words were ever exchanged. During meal times, when Jaden spoke to Alexis, he sometimes saw Chazz glaring over at them, but he always averted his gaze fairly quickly.

It was the last day at school before the winter holiday began. Jaden would be heading home to see his parents again. He was excited to see his family again, as he hadn't heard from them in about a month. While he and his parents liked each other, they found that they didn't need to keep in touch as often as someone like Syrus and his parents did. Frankly, Jaden's parents were often simply too busy to stay in constant contact with Jaden. Syrus, on the other hand could often be found texting his parents.

Jaden, Syrus, Chumley, Bastion, and Alexis were enjoying a game of beach volleyball on the final day of term. They even persuaded stoic Zane to join in to make the teams even. Spirits were high amongst the group, despite their displeasure at Chazz's return. As they casually set the ball around, they discussed each other's plans for the two-week break.

"I'm going back to the U.K. It's going to be quite a change as far as weather goes, I say!" Bastion chuckled.

"Syrus and I will be visiting our grandmother. We will be having a fantastic time." Zane said grumpily. "Isn't that right, Syrus?" "Yes, bro." Syrus squeaked.

"How about you, Lex? Where do you live?" Jaden asked. The corners of her mouth twitched. "California." She muttered. Jaden cracked up, laughing so hard he clutched his side. "You should visit me sometime! It'll be fun! You and me, curled up by the fire, sipping hot chocolate…" He said.

Alexis normally pale face colored slightly. "Yeah, keep dreaming. However, I may come by during the summer time. You never know, I may just happen to be in the area." She said in what she hoped was a cool voice. "In that case, I'll just so happen to expect you!"

The island grew small in the window as the plane took off, sending several students back to their homes. Jaden recalled his journey to the island on this very plane, the day after he beat Crowler and earned his way into the academy. So many things have changed even since then. He has achieved Bankai, the highest level of his sword, and a great crew at that.

"My life is just beginning." He thought as night fell.

A/N

Greetings, lovely readers, and thanks for reading the twelfth chapter of Kids With Swords!

Definitely a big fight this chapter, and one that I greatly enjoyed writing. We got to see the Bankai of Jaden and Chazz, and I hope that they were enjoyable for you! For Jaden's, I chose to simply increase his overall reiatsu bank as well as infuse his elemental attacks with a dark tinge. I also liked the idea of Jaden having permanent gold eyes while in Bankai as he draws on more of the Supreme King's power. What did you think of it?

As for Chazz, I essentially gave him Ichigo's Bankai, as I always liked the idea of Chazz with a black sword. As for his characterization, he will not be bosom buddies with Jaden and company right away. This interpretation of Chazz is darker, angrier, and sadder. For him to immediately joke around with Jaden and his friends would be an insult to his standing in the story.

Next Saturday will begin the Seven Star Arc! See you then!