Chazz sat listlessly on the leather sofa in his dorm room. All around him, the pristine decor radiated a sense of importance and status. Yet these days, he felt anything but those things. Ever since his loss to Bastion, Chazz had started to doubt himself as a duelist. Losing to Aster was already frustrating enough, but at least he was someone with a high enough level of skill where it would be more understandable. But to lose to someone with a rank beneath him was ten times worse. It shouldn't have happened, plain and simple. Chazz had never lost to a Ra or Slifer before, and he had always been above just about everyone in Obelisk and Duel Prep School as well. His brothers had always taught him that the system never failed. So why now? He felt like he didn't have the answers anymore. All he did know for sure was that his approach was not working and he needed to try something new. The question was whether or not his brothers would feel the same...
Sighing inwardly, Chazz picked up the remote control laying next to him. It was time for another one of his dreaded video chat "updates" with Slade and Jagger. He knew that they wouldn't be pleased by his recent "progress, but then again, when were they really even when he was winning?
Chazz pressed a button on the remote, turning on the huge flat-screen TV in front of him. Slade and Jagger appeared on it, looking none too pleased to see their brother.
"It's been awhile, little brother. You should be there making progress, not falling behind." Slade began the lecture that Chazz knew was coming.
"Losing again to Aster Phoenix was bad enough, but to hear that you lost a duel to that commoner of a rank below you too really took the cake. Did you think that we wouldn't find out about that, Chazz?" Jagger scolded.
"You're a disgrace to this family." Slade said disgustedly.
Chazz bristled at the insult. "You think I'm not aware that I have a problem here!? I know that my dueling isn't up to par lately. That's why I've devised a plan to fix it." He countered.
Slade and Jagger raised their eyebrows suspiciously at Chazz' words. "And just what do you propose?" Slade questioned.
"It's simple, really. Since I seem to only be going backwards the harder I try to go forwards, I decided the only way to really work on honing my skills is to start from the bottom. I'm going to defeat every student in this school, starting from the Slifer Reds, all the way to Obelisk Blue. Between that and the new deck I've built, I should finally be able to finally defeat Aster once I've earned my way back for a challenge to the top." Chazz explained.
"A waste of time. You'll just be degrading yourself further by associating with the Slifers and Ras so much." Jagger disagreed.
"Yeah, well it's not like your guys' way is any more practical! I am the one who knows about dueling here, not you two! And since the old way isn't working, I obviously need to try something out of the ordinary now!" Chazz argued in frustration.
"Very well then. Just don't come crawling back to us like a dog with it's tail between it's legs if you fail. Remember, we need you to successfully control the world of dueling for our plan to succeed." Slade warned Chazz.
"That's right. And a big part of that is standing above the top Pro League sponsors. The Senrigan Group has effectively secured its position as number one thanks to Aster Phoenix. So, if you defeat him, they will have to acknowledge the Princeton Corporation as a higher power." Jagger explained.
"I know that. I will defeat him soon. But I need to do this my way." Chazz reassured his brothers.
"Hmph. Well, we'll be waiting for good news, if any." Slade said dismissively. Without another word, the screen darkened, ending the video chat.
Chazz threw the remote control across the room angrily, causing it to hit the wall with a loud "thwack". He hated how Slade and Jagger always acted like dueling was a simpler task compared to what they did just because it was technically a game. They had hardly ever tried to learn anything about it themselves. Simply put, Slade and Jagger didn't differentiate it from things like banking and deals. They thought that all you needed was the most expensive cards and enough ruthlessness against your opponents to win. But Chazz knew that it wasn't as simple as that. When he had first gotten into the game, it was something he truly enjoyed. But after his brothers' continual pressure to win more and more tournaments, all the fun of dueling was eventually sucked out of games for Chazz.
I can't let it end here. I just have to prove them wrong! Then once I've finally done what they want, maybe things can go back to normal for us again... Chazz thought to himself wistfully.
Xxx
Alexis frowned to herself as she dug through her shoe locker. Her hand had brushed against something that felt like the edges of an envelope, and she knew what that probably meant for her.
"What's wrong? More fan mail?" Aster asked Alexis casually from his place leaning against the wall nearby. It was as if he had read her mind.
"I sincerely hope not." Alexis grumbled in irritation. Although the fact was that ever since the tag duel, she had stopped receiving them altogether. Being on better terms with Aster with their strange friendship of sorts that she still didn't know what to make of seemed to have granted her a shield against her admirers.
"Just do what Zane does and toss em' if you don't want to look at them." Aster suggested carelessly.
"Strange hearing that from you of all people." Alexis said dryly.
"That's different. I have an obligation to my fans in order to maintain my career." Aster pointed out.
"Point taken. Oh, well. Guess I'd better get this over with. Let's see how- Oh, no..." Alexis trailed off in dread when she saw the seal on the envelope.
"What's wrong?" Aster asked curiously.
Alexis held out the envelope for Aster to see. "This isn't a love letter. It's one of Chazz's challenge letters!" She exclaimed with a groan. Sure enough, the front of it was stamped with the special Princeton family insignia.
For the past week, Chazz had been constantly sending letters challenging students to duel him. First he started with the Slifers until gradually working his way to Obelisk. So far, he had defeated everyone, gradually working his way up higher.
"I've been waiting to get mine from him for awhile now, but I guess he's saving the best for last." Aster said smugly.
"If that's the case, then you're next in line. There's still Zane, remember?" Alexis said in slight annoyance.
"Yeah, but Chazz doesn't know about that now, does he?" Aster countered with a sly smile.
"Whatever. It still doesn't change the fact that I need to duel him now." Alexis said determinedly.
"Now you're talkin'." Aster agreed enthusiastically.
Xxx
When Alexis and Aster arrived at the main campus duel arena, there was already a large crowd of spectators present. Chazz must have spread the word quickly of his challenge, because people right and left were scrambling to find seats in the stadium.
"Wow, guess Chazz doesn't do things halfway in the advertising department..." Aster observed as he looked around the arena.
"Indeed he doesn't." A new voice agreed behind them. Aster and Alexis both turned to see Bastion behind them.
"Did you know about this?" Aster asked Bastion curiously.
"Not until a few minutes ago. If anything, it's certainly more of a turnout than the duels before he's been having. Mine was just near the Ra entrance a couple hours after I found my letter after class." Bastion admitted ruefully.
"Wait, did you lose to Chazz!?" Aster asked in surprise. The challenges were going by so fast that he only just now realized that he hadn't thought about Bastion, especially since his whole Block Dragon victory was still fresh in his mind.
"I'm afraid so. I used a different deck this time since I didn't feel like placing it all on something like that Gem Knight strategy again. And let's just say that Chazz didn't let that opportunity go to waste for a moment. Looks like I need more training." Bastion admitted sheepishly.
"Even so, to defeat him at all is great, Bastion! I heard about the duel, but I wish I could have seen it myself." Alexis complimented Bastion.
"That's kind of you to say, but you weren't really missing much since it wasn't so a duel as it was a gimmick, really. Even though I lost to Chazz the second time, it still felt like a more true duel experience at least." Bastion explained.
"Either way, don't let it get you down. I've lost a lot to Chazz back in duel prep school myself, and if it's one thing I've learned, it's that he adapts along with you when it comes to rematches." Alexis encouraged Bastion.
"And that's the very best part of dueling." Bastion said with a smile.
"I'll make sure he doesn't win today, though. Too bad for him, but Chazz's streak ends with me today!" Alexis said confidently as she stepped up closer to the arena platform.
"Don't worry; you've got this, Alexis. Just do your best and focus on the duel." Aster said encouragingly.
Alexis paused briefly at Aster's words. To hear genuinely kind words like this from him was such a nice switch from before and still something she was getting used to. She turned back to him and smiled gratefully. In return he simply nodded encouragingly to her. After giving a quick thumbs-up sign, she made her way into the arena and took her place across from Chazz.
"I was waiting for you to finally catch up to me with those challenge letters, Chazz! It's about time we finally settled our old score back from when we were still at duel prep school! Remember?" Alexis said eagerly.
"I do. We've dueled each other thirty-eight times, resulting in an equal number of victories for each of us. You said that we since it was so close to graduation, we should wait and have our tiebreaker once we were both at Duel Academy." Chazz recalled fondly. Despite the mounting pressure he was feeling now that he'd made it this far, he couldn't help smiling at the memory.
"I wanted to wait till we were here for a little bit first before our rematch so that it would show which of one of has managed to take what we've learned from there and put it into practice better here. It's a way for me to see just how much I've grown as a duelist since then..." Alexis explained.
Xxx
They've kept score for THAT many duels between them!? I can't believe it... Aster thought to himself in amazement. He already knew that Alexis was more of a serious duelist than he had given her credit for until recently. But to hear that she actually set goals for herself like this in order to keep improving was something else he hadn't been expecting.
xxx
"Well, I only hope you won't be too let down with today's outcome once we're finished. Because I didn't come this far just to lose now! I started back at the beginning for a reason, and it's time for you to see the results of my work!" Chazz announced.
"DUEL!" Both Chazz and Alexis shouted as they activated their duel disks.
"Since memory serves that it was your turn to go first in our last duel, I'll start things off this time. First, I play Graceful Charity, letting me draw three cards and discarding two from my hand." Chazz announced.
Perfect! This will set things up nicely. Chazz thought to himself excitedly as he went through his hand.
"Now, I summon Paladin of Felgrand (ATK 1700 DEF 300) in attack position. But he won't be alone out here! Thanks to his effect, I can equip one level seven or eight dragon type monster from my deck or hand to him. So, I choose to equip Arkbrave Dragon (ATK 2400 DEF 2000) from my deck. With that, I'll set one card facedown and end my turn." Chazz declared.
"Alright, it's my turn now. Flutter to the field, Cyber Petit Angel (ATK 300 DEF 200)! With her summoned, I'll use her effect to add one Machine Angel Ritual from my deck to my hand. And now, I use it to tribute Cyber Petit Angel and Cyber Angel Benten from my hand to ritual summon Cyber Angel Dakini (ATK 2700 2400) in attack mode! And thanks to Benten's effect, I add one light type fairy monster from my deck to my hand." Alexis announced confidently.
"If you're hoping to use Dakini's effect to get rid of Paladin of Felgrand, then I've got some bad news for you! Because when it's equipped, monster effects won't work on it!" Chazz interrupted gleefully.
I figured there was a reason behind all that... I may not be able to cause as much damage, but Dakini can still take care of it in battle at least. And even his facedown card won't be able to get rid of Dakini probably thanks to Machine Angel Ritual. Alexis contemplated carefully.
"It doesn't matter since she's still more than strong enough to destroy your paladin! Cyber Angel Dakini, attack Paladin of Felgrand!" Alexis commanded.
Chazz winced slightly at the slight drop in his life points as Paladin of Felgrand and the equipped Arkbrave Dragon shattered into pixels. He didn't let it faze him, though. So far, things were still going as he planned.
"With that, I'll set one card facedown and end my turn." Alexis concluded.
It's weird, though. Couldn't he have used his facedown card to protect Felgrand from Dakini's attack? I got a feeling that it's for something else, and that I'm about to find out what that is soon... Alexis thought to herself warily.
Alexis LP- 4000 Chazz LP- 3000
Xxx
"A promising start for Alexis, wouldn't you say? She got through Chazz's defenses easily enough." Bastion commented casually to Aster.
"It looks that way right now, but I'm not so sure that this really put Chazz at a disadvantage. I think he's using Paladin of Felgrand for a reason, and that's because those dragons can work to his advantage in the graveyard as well. I'm not counting Alexis out yet, but somehow I don't think this is going to be easy for her either." Aster said seriously.
"Ya got that right! This won't be some walk in the park for her! Chazz is takin' over this school now!" A new voice cut in.
Aster and Bastion turned to see Chazz's two lackeys-Taiyou and Raizou-approach them. They both had identical smug grins plastered on their faces.
"Oh, great. It's the Tweedle Dee and Dum of this school." Aster said in annoyance.
"Hey, watch it! Once Chazz is done with Alexis and the Kaiser, you're next, Phoenix!" Raizou threatened.
With a mischievous grin, Aster made what looked like a sudden movement towards Raizou, causing him to give a frightened squeak and cower behind Taiyou. Clearly, he still wasn't completely over their encounter from their first day.
"I take it that your confidence in Chazz is from the results of his ladder training expedition as of late?" Bastion inquired calmly.
"Well, duh! Not that I expect a Ra to comprehend the effort Chazz has put in it, though. If anything, Chazz's victory over me has proved that he's ready to take his game to the top! You should have seen that duel! It was truly a match for the ages!" Taiyou gushed.
"Hey, now wait a minute! We both know that it was my duel with Chazz that really proved that!" Raizou said indignantly.
Taiyou bristled at his companion's claim. "What are you talkin' about!? Chazz dueled me after you, meaning I'm the higher-ranked duelist! So of course his win over me was more impressive than to you! And besides, you just use that cheap stall-burn deck to buy time to try to win! That's nothing special!" He argued.
"At least my deck has strategy to it! You're just using a boring dragon beatdown deck! It's like you're trying to be like Chazz, but all wrong." Raizou countered.
"Yeah, well what's wrong with that!? If I want to be a great duelist, there's no one better to imitate than the Chazz himself!" Taiyou insisted.
"Um, guys? I hate to interrupt your little lovers' quarrel, but you do realize that bragging about your own losses doesn't exactly make you look very impressive as duelists yourselves, don't you?" Aster said in amusement.
"Argh! Quiet, you! This isn't about us, anyways! It's about Chazz!" Taiyou said in irritation, causing Raizou to nod fervently in agreement.
"Good grief. Let's just continue watching the duel, shall we?" Bastion suggested wearily.
Xxx
"Now it's time for the pieces of my strategy to fall into place! With Arkbrave Dragon in the graveyard, I can now use its effect to special summon another level seven or eight dragon from my graveyard, and I choose Dark Blaze Dragon (ATK 1200 DEF 1000) in attack mode! It's effect doubles it's attack and defense points (Dark Blaze Dragon ATK 2400 DEF 2000)." Chazz began.
That explains why he used it with Paladin of Felgrand. I see where this is going now... Alexis thought uneasily.
"But that's not all. It's time I revealed my facedown card, Call of the Haunted! I use it to special summon Arkbrave Dragon from the graveyard. And finally, I play my field spell, Sorcerous Spell Wall! It increases my monsters' attack by three-hundred points during my turn, but during yours, it will do that to their defense instead." Chazz explained.
Here goes. I'm going to have to take this one. Alexis mentally prepared herself.
"Arkbrave Dragon, attack Cyber Angel Dakini!" Chazz commanded.
"I banish Machine Angel Ritual from my graveyard to prevent Cyber Angel Dakini's destruction! She's safe, but I can't say the same for Arkbrave Dragon. Since their attack points are equal, I'm afraid that's a suicide attack for it!" Alexis announced.
Arkbrave Dragon's attack bounced uselessly off of Cyber Angel Dakini. It then shattered into pieces and disappeared from the field with an angry roar.
"Well, you can still destroy Dakini with Dark Blaze, but it won't do you much good since it will also be taken down with her. You're just leaving yourself wide open for my next move, Chazz." Alexis pointed out.
"You may think that's all there is to it, but Dark Blaze will still serve a purpose. Because when he destroys a monster in battle, you'll lose life points equal to its original attack points!" Chazz countered.
"What!?" Alexis said in surprise.
Dark Blaze Dragon launched a volley of fireballs from its mouth towards Alexis, causing her to shield her face with her arms as she felt the brunt of the holographic system's vibration.
"And with that, I'll set one card facedown and leave it at that. Looks like we're not so even now, huh!?" Chazz taunted Alexis.
Alexis LP- 1300 Chazz LP- 3000
Xxx
Man, that's one nasty burn card when it gets a chance to work. I hope Alexis doesn't let it scare her, because attacks like that are designed to be psychological to the opponent. Aster thought to himself. He had been on the receiving end of strategies like this before more than once, so he could sympathize with Alexis.
Xxx
"Time to wrap this up! I play Sprite's Blessing to ritual summon Cyber Angel Benten (ATK 1800 DEF 1500) in attack mode! But here's the catch: since I used Cyber Angel Idaten as a tribute for her, she gains one-thousand attack points (Cyber Angel Benten ATK 2800 DEF 2500)! Now, attack Chazz directly, Benten!" Alexis declared.
"Not so fast! I activate my trap card, Raigeki Break! By discarding one card from my hand, it can destroy one of your monsters! Sorry, but you won't defeat me that easily, I'm afraid." Chazz cut in.
Alexis groaned inwardly. So much for finishing him off this turn... But at least there's still something else I can do. She thought.
"It's not over yet! I play my trap card, Call of the Haunted to bring back Cyber Angel Dakini! You're not the only one who can play that game, Chazz! And now, Cyber Angel Dakini attacks you directly!" Alexis said triumphantly.
Chazz winced uncomfortably as Cyber Angel Dakini blasted him with a strong beam of light. He was almost out of life points and knew that he would have to not just make a comeback, but finish the duel in his next turn.
"Cyber Angel Dakini's effect activates to let me add Cyber Angel Idaten from my grave to my hand. And with that, I end my turn." Alexis said warily. She knew that her rituals consumed a lot of resources, and because of that, she didn't always have access to protection as much as she would have liked in her deck. So, without any facedown cards or anything else left to defend her this turn, she would just have to hope that Dakini alone would suffice to get her through whatever Chazz did next.
Alexis LP- 1300 Chazz- LP 300
"I was waiting for this opportunity. You've done what you can, but I'm afraid that's just not enough to defeat me. This duel is over for you now." Chazz said simply.
Alexis felt a sense of dread from Chazz's words. He didn't bluff when it came to their duels and she had a feeling that it was time to prepare for the worst.
"I activate Arkbrave Dragon's effect to special summon a dragon from my graveyard. Meet Darkstorm Dragon (ATK 2700 DEF 2500)! It's the card I discarded last turn with Raigeki Break, in case you're wondering. But the interesting about it is that it's a Gemini monster, and they can be normal summoned after they're on the field. And that gives them special abilities. Normally (no pun intended), that would mean I'd have to wait another turn to do that, but since I've special summoned it and haven't performed my normal summon yet, I can now normal summon Darkstorm Dragon to activate it's effect this turn. And thank you for coming to my TED Talk." Chazz explained.
"Ugh. This is not going to be good..." Alexis said glumly.
"You've got that right. I use Darkstorm Dragon's effect! By getting rid of one of my face-up spells or traps, I can destroy all of yours! You know what that means!" Chazz said excitedly.
"Without Call of the Haunted, Cyber Angel Dakini will also be destroyed!" Alexis said miserably.
"Exactly! Now, by sending Sorcerous Spell Wall to the graveyard, I activate Darkstorm Dragon's effect!" Chazz declared.
Alexis watched helplessly as both Call of the Haunted and Cyber Angel Dakini were blown off the field in a gust of wind generated from Darkstorm Dragon's wings. It was all over now.
"And now, attack and finish this duel, Darkstorm Dragon!" Chazz commanded.
The force of Darkstorm Dragon's attack knocked Alexis off her feet, causing her to land with a soft thud a small distance backwards on her bottom.
Alexis LP- 0 Chazz LP- 300 Winner- Chazz
"Ouch... Nicely played, Chazz. Looks like you're ahead in our score for now. But I'll make sure to end that in our rematch next time!" Alexis vowed as she slowly got back on her feet.
Chazz was about to open his mouth to reply to Alexis when Aster seemed to appear out of nowhere, much to his irritation.
"That was an impressive win, Chazz. You've really planned out your strategy of making use of your dragons in the graveyard well." Aster complimented sincerely.
"You better appreciate it! Because once I'm through with Kaiser, you're next! So you can drop the nice guy act already!" Chazz said irritably.
"It's not an act. I was genuinely complimenting your duel. I don't why you have a problem with that." Aster said with a frown.
"He's right, Chazz! You didn't need to bite his head off!" Alexis stepped in to defend Aster.
"Yes, I do! Why are you being so nice all of a sudden!?" Chazz asked Aster furiously, pointing his finger accusingly at him.
Aster raised his eyebrows at the absurdity of Chazz's words. "Are you saying you'd like me to be mean instead, Chazz? Because you're really tempting me to right now." He said in frustration. First, people had complained that he wasn't nice enough. And now when he was making an effort to change that, they were still upset with him.
"It's suspicious, that's why! Same with the buddy thing you two have going on!" Chazz exclaimed.
Ever since they had won the tag duel, it hadn't slipped Chazz's notice that Alexis and Aster had been pretty chummy in class with each other. They weren't just civil towards each other now, but also seemed to even enjoy each other's company. And Chazz had even seen that Alexis had easily added in to make a trio with Aster and Zane. The tag duel seemed to have started some sort of friendship between them, and all Chazz knew was that he didn't want to see just where it could end up going.
"And just what is this "buddy thing" you're talking about?" Aster asked casually.
"Y-you know!" Chazz stammered in embarrassment.
"No, I truly don't." Aster answered simply, not letting himself show any impatience with Chazz's frivolity.
"Enough, Chazz! Can't you just be happy that you won the duel!?" Alexis interrupted.
"You're right. I need to find Zane now so that I can defeat him, too." Chazz refocused himself. He pulled a small bottle of a five-hour energy drink from the pocket of his coat and quickly downed it.
"Hey, you want to watch it there! Once you get started on those, you'll be on a dark path. Take it from someone who knows." Aster advised Chazz seriously.
"Shut up! I know what I'm doing!" Chazz snapped back. He then turned and left in a huff.
Once Chazz was gone, Alexis let out a weary sigh. "I really didn't want to lose that duel. It was supposed to be a milestone. To show that I've really learned more since I've been here and improved as a duelist. But it just feels more like I'm not ready for more at all..." She confessed to Aster.
"You can't let it get you down. You did as well as you could, and I thought it was pretty good. Sometimes in duels, it just comes down to the reality that there has to be a winner and a loser in them, no matter how good both the duelists played. If you want, I could try to help you go over some things later. I'm not saying that you absolutely need help, though! Just only if you want to." Aster tried to cheer Alexis up, hastily tacking on the last part since he didn't want it to look like he pitied her.
Alexis smiled gratefully at Aster. "Thanks, Aster. You're right; I shouldn't start doubting myself just because of one minor setback. I've still got about three years ahead of me here after all. I guess it wouldn't hurt to go over some things, though. But right now, we should go see Zane and Chazz's duel." She said logically.
"Yeah. Not that Zane will actually need any moral support to help him, though." Aster said with a grin.
Five. Minutes. Later~
Zane LP- 4000 Chazz LP- 0 Winner- Zane
"Noooo! I don't believe this! How could I lose after I've come so far!?" Chazz agonized.
"Looks like we found them! I wonder what- What!? It's already over!? Um, wow. That was fast, Zane..." Aster said awkwardly as he and Alexis arrived at the Obelisk dueling arena and witnessed what was before them.
Chazz was kneeling down on the floor of the duel arena, still reeling from his crushing feet. Meanwhile, Zane simply stood with his arms crossed, frowning in disapproval at Chazz. Off to the side, Taiyou and Raizou held each other and sobbed dramatically at their idol's loss.
"Your dueling. It's impatient. Your whole deck-monsters, spells, traps-, it's all designed to just hurry and get Arkbrave Dragon going. You just throw your dragons into the graveyard like they're garbage to get what you want. They're nothing more than a means to an end for you, and you'll never defeat me as long as you just do that." Zane explained coolly.
Chazz faltered slightly from Zane's words. "I- That's not true! I worked hard to come up with this strategy, and after everything else I did, it should have been enough to defeat you! How else would I know that I'm ready to face Aster again!?" He shot back.
"Chazz, you're looking at it the wrong way. Defeating everyone else in this school isn't enough to defeat us. Sure, it's a good start at it, but we're on a different level from that." Aster said patiently.
"I thought I'd at least finally be ready for Zane..." Chazz trailed off.
"And that's another thing. If you're thinking that's the correct order to rate us as duelists, then I hate to tell you this, but you've got it backwards." Aster said.
"Wait; what do you mean by that?" Chazz asked in surprise.
"I mean that Zane and I dueled not too long ago and he defeated me. So technically, you should have been going after me again first if you're really aiming to save the best for last." Aster elaborated.
Chazz stared dumbfoundedly back and forth between Aster and Zane, unsure of how to handle this revelation. "He- You- What!?" He sputtered in disbelief.
"It's true. But it was still a close duel." Zane said modestly.
Chazz could only curse his own misfortune as he let everything sink in. He had a longer way to go than he thought...
Xxx
A couple hours later, Chazz was standing in from of Chancellor Sheppard's desk nervously, wondering just why he had called him here. By now, the office desk lamp was turned on along with the overhead fluorescent lighting, signaling the evening hours.
"You wanted to see me, Chancellor?" Chazz asked curiously.
"Yes, I did, Chazz. Why don't you have a seat over there?" Sheppard offered kindly, gesturing towards the overstuffed leather armchair across from his place behind the desk.
Chazz sat down cautiously across from Sheppard, trying to appear more comfortable than he actually felt.
"So, what is this all about?" Chazz ventured.
"First of all, just how are doing, Chazz? Is everything alright at school for you? I know that you've been trying to juggle a lot recently between your studies and all your extra duels, so if there's anything you want to talk about, just know that I'd be more than happy to listen." Sheppard inquired kindly.
Chazz felt a bit taken aback by Chancellor Sheppard's question. While it was true that he felt as if he were running himself ragged trying to keep up with his brothers' demands on top of everything else, surely he wasn't making the strain that obvious to others.
"I'm...okay, I guess. As well as I can be, at least." Chazz answered evasively.
"Well, you've certainly been doing more than satisfactory in your duels. But I worry that you might be overdoing it." Sheppard said truthfully.
"Are you saying I did something wrong!? I'm sorry, sir! It wasn't my intention to cause a scene!" Chazz apologized hastily. He was starting to worry about where this was going.
Sheppard chuckled heartily at Chazz's reaction. "Oh no, it's fine! I enjoy a good spectacle like that! It's good to see students with so much energy for dueling." He said cheerfully.
"Then why?" Chazz left the question hanging in the air.
Turning serious again, Sheppard continued. "What I mean to say is that despite your efforts, you don't seem satisfied with your results at all, Chazz. In other words, I believe that you could benefit from a different environment right now." He answered honestly.
"You mean you're kicking me out!? Please, sir! Don't do this to me! I promise I won't let that happen again with the duels! I-" Chazz babbled on in a panic until Sheppard held up his hand for silence.
"Calm down, Chazz. That's not what I meant. I'm here to make you an offer instead, one that you can choose to take or refuse. You see, at about this time each year, we hold a student exchange program with our sister school, North Academy. For a bit of the school year, we send one of our students to experience Academy life there, while in turn, one of their students comes here to stay with us. And after careful consideration of your dueling adaptability as of late, I've come to the conclusion that this program would be more beneficial to you than any of our other students. But it's your choice in the end." Sheppard explained.
Chazz's mind was reeling. While he didn't like the idea of being offered to dismiss the school for whatever reason, the idea of getting away from all his problems somewhere else sounded tempting to him. And he knew enough about North Academy to know that they would keep him busy more than enough. But he still needed to find out a couple more things first.
"If I did this, just what would it mean for my status as a student here?" Chazz asked carefully.
"You wouldn't face any dorm demotion for taking part in the program if that's what you're worried about. After all, a student exchange doesn't mean you're technically leaving us a student. Just visiting instead. You would still remain in Obelisk Blue upon your return to Duel Academy." Sheppard reassured Chazz.
"Okay. And just how long would I be staying there?" Chazz checked.
"It begins as soon as Winter Break has concluded. Then, you return here for the annual school duel with North Academy, being dropped off here by them." Sheppard clarified.
"I see. Well...then I've made my decision. I'll do it." Chazz agreed determinedly. He didn't care if his brothers got mad at him for this. This was just the type of extra experience that he needed if he was looking for any hope of defeating Aster or Zane.
"Excellent decision! I had a feeling I could count on you, Chazz! We'll make all the arrangements for your move so that it's ready as soon as Winter Break is over. And at that time, we'll make the exchange with the student from North Academy as well. I just hope you're ready for some rigorous training once you get there! Because Chancellor Foster has quite a, um, "unique" way with his teaching methods, I should warn you!" Sheppard said excitedly.
"Oh, believe me, Chancellor. If anything, I'm the one they'll need to be ready for!" Chazz assured Sheppard confidently. He was ready for North Academy and all it could offer to challenge him as a duelist.
AN: Sorry for the wait here. I made Chazz's deck here based off his Duel Links structure deck, Dragonic Knights. I have always liked the idea of him as a dragon duelist like he was in the manga better than his anime deck. And this means that there will be NO OJAMAS in this story! (I don't hate them, I just like this better.) And so, he will go to North Academy while staying in Obelisk Blue. And I'm sure you might already have a guess as to who the North Academy exchange student is. (anticipation, yeees!) Anyways, now we are at the "filler episode" chapters. So, the next chapter will be take place right before the Academy Winter Break (as opposed to the Jinzo episode in the anime taking place during it) and will focus on Aster and Alexis' friendship building. Idk if anyone will think something like this is as exciting as main plot episodes with duels, but it's important for them here. Anyways, I hope I did alright with everything here. Feel free to leave your thoughts if you can. Thank you for reading this and until next time.