Chapter 9: Interlude: Diamond In The Rough

Chazz Princeton POV

"It is beginning." Chazz thought as he gazed out the window. The once-clear skies had clouded over in the night, and what had been described to Chazz as a "summer snow" had started early in the morning.

Smoothly he rose from his bed and began dressing for the day. His wardrobe was not varied- every day, Chazz wore heavy black shirts, dark jeans, a sturdy pair of brown boots, and his trusty black trenchcoat, which was gifted to him by his peers- subjects- after he ascended to the status of Czar. Because of the snow, Chazz also donned a heavy fur parka.

His personal quarters were almost unusually barren. There were little in the way of personal trinkets or affects, outside of his precious cards, which were kept under lock and key in the dresser beside his four-poster bed. The room was hewn from cold stone and had a remarkably uninviting air to it, and yet it was certainly amongst the most luxurious quarters in the entirety of North Academy. Chazz was also one of the few students at North Academy who did not have a roommate, due to his status as Czar and top student of the school.

In the past, Chazz might have reveled in titles and statuses, but no longer. What mattered more to him was the respect afforded to him based on what was really important: power.

His position as the Princeton heir and former elite of Obelisk Blue meant nothing to the Northerners. He still remembered how they looked down on him when he first arrived at this frozen wasteland with naught but the clothes on his back and a duel disk on his arm. They saw him as a pampered southern boy who was too big for his britches, and closed their gates to him.

Chazz had forgotten why he even went North to begin with. It was all a blur, ever since the day Jamie Lancaster humiliated him and stole his rank in Obelisk Blue. Merely the idea of that loathsome, arrogant, cutthroat upstart wearing his colors was too much to bear- the injustice was only surpassed by the thought of wearing the thrice-damned canary yellow of the mediocre Ra students.

It has all gone downhill so quickly. He had it all- money, power, respect. And yet, it had all evaporated a mere month into the semester. It was the smiling fool Jaden Yuki who had first crippled his pride, but it was Jamie who had struck the fatal blow, burying it six feet under and leaving it to be forgotten.

But his enemies had all forgotten one vital rule in the game of power: crush your foe totally. They thought they could get away with marginalizing him, sending him off to Ra Yellow to live as a common, middle-class duelist. He was a Princeton- the name meant something, and he would take back everything his lessers had stolen from him and more.

A change of scenery would do best, he thought as he fled from Central Duel Academy that sunny day in November. Yes, he would find a place where his power would not be questioned by anyone. Ever. When he heard that North Academy would be dueling Central Academy in the School Duel this year, his choice was clear.

Oh, what a glorious day it would be when he returned to the school that had spurned him, stronger than ever. He would destroy Zane Truesdale or whomever they decided to send his way and would bring glory to the North.

It was time for his morning ritual. Sighing, he reached underneath his bed and pulled out a box of darts. Pulling two especially sharp ones out, he took aim at the far wall. Attached to two dartboards he ordered on Amazon were printer-scanned photos of Jaden Yuki and Jamie Lancaster. Both wore smiles- Jaden's was more of a boyish grin, while Jamie's was an audacious smirk. The photos were speared with multiple darts, the efforts of multiple mornings past. In fact, Chazz did this every day upon waking, like clockwork.

First, Chazz took aim at Jaden, psychotically baring his teeth as his dart landed squarely in Jaden's left nostril. "Perfect." Chazz muttered.

Sadly, his next dart missed, landing about a quarter inch off from Jamie's neck. "Shitty throw…" Chazz cursed himself, but he did not grab another dart. He only allowed himself one shot at each one of them every day. It was an important thing for him.

Before he left, Chazz looked in his bedside drawer. In it, there were the forty cards he gathered in the ice fields in order to be let in the gates. He was truly lucky, that he found enough good cards to defeat each and every one of the North Academy students. It was a truly grueling experience, bringing back memories of going through a similar gauntlet after being admitted into Obelisk Blue. This was much harder, and he wasn't using an ideal deck, but he managed to emerge victorious and was crowned Czar for his efforts.

Chazz descended the stairs that led from the student barracks to the mess hall. There were many differences between North Academy and Central Academy that Chazz inevitably noticed over time. To his displeasure, Chazz noted that there were significantly more male students than females, a ratio of around 75:25 if he had to guess. The duelists here on average were no nowhere near as skilled as the ones from the central academy- truthfully, that was one thing Chazz missed about his old school. As their king, one of his goals was to bring the average skill level of the students to a point where they would be able to put the Slifers and Ras of central academy to shame.

In lieu of having tiered dorms, each student of North Academy was ranked on both a Years list, which ranked the students in each grade, and a Master list, which ranked the entirety of the student body. Students were ranked on the list based on their win/loss percentages as well as total number of matches won, so students were incentivized to duel as often as possible. The only exception from this rule was he or she who held the title of Czar. The Czar is a constant fixture atop the Master list, and only a direct challenge to the Czar could unseat him or her form their position. Chazz had only received a few challenges in the last month, and he had defeated all comers soundly.

Chazz entered the mess hall, and although he had not announced his presence, every head in the hall instinctually turned to acknowledge the presence of their king. They nodded their heads deferentially before returning to their meals and conversations.

Silently, Chazz walked up to the lunch counter, giving a customary greeting to the cooks as he did so. "Is there anything in particular you wished for this morning?" One of them asked him.

"Just my usual." Chazz said, his voice having grown more gravelly during the time since he left his old life behind. The chefs nodded and went to work. Within minutes, Chazz had on his plate a helping of scrambled eggs, a hearty cut of pork sausage, two biscuits, a side of gravy, and one bright red apple.

Chazz sat down, and no one made any move to sit besides him. Although he was held in great respect and honor by his peers, Chazz had no friends amongst the Northerners.

Except for one.

"Howdy, Chazz!" The Czar heard a cheerful voice a moment before a hand clapped him on the back, nearly causing him to choke on his eggs.

Hastily regaining his composure, Chazz turned to regard his companion. "Good morning, Jesse." He said stiffly.

Jesse Anderson had also put on a heavy fur to confront the winds of winter, but that did nothing to obscure the sunshine that seemed to naturally emanate from his being. His messy teal hair was instantly recognizable in the normally dark and somber halls of the school. His sea-green eyes were filled with mirth, and at first glance Chazz was reminded of Lancaster when he looked at them. But upon closer examination, it was different. The playfulness in Jamie's eyes was of a mocking, self-amused variety- it was like he always knew something you didn't. His eyes were darker too, like emeralds. Jesse's, on the other hand, were like a child's- alive and full of wonder. Lighter in color, their innocence made them much more like Yuki's. Jesse was remarkably similar to Jaden in personality as well. That frustrated Chazz. The last thing he needed was a reminder of his enemies.

However, there were small, but key differences between Jaden and Jesse. Chazz noticed that as soon as he met his unlikely friend for the first time.

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It was a week after he had first arrived at North Academy and became the Czar. Chazz had been minding his own business, reading a book in the commons, when he heard it. The bells that signified that the outside gates were being opened had begun to ring- a rare event, as students rarely traveled to and from campus during the semester.

Classes were just being let out for the day, and students were milling about in the commons as they usually did. But that day was different- it seemed as though they were waiting for something. Idly, Chazz noticed that the spirits of the annoying Ojama duel spirits were hanging around him again, although they were blessedly quiet since they knew he was doing homework.

And then, they walked through the front doors. Jesse Anderson, accompanied by Headmaster Foster and a few other students, had returned from a long journey.

"It is good to hear that you reached an agreement with mister Pegasus so expediently. Believe me, I know how long those sorts of talks can go." Foster said unctuously.

"I'm glad he allowed me sole continued usage of the Crystal Beasts. I know that mine are the only copies in the world, so it's not exactly in line with some regulations…but I don't think I could duel without them." Jesse said calmly.

"Oh, don't say that, you'll give this old man a heart attack! You're one of our best and brightest, Jesse. We can't afford to lose you." Foster chuckled nervously.

"That's kind of ya, Headmaster. So, what's this I hear about a new Czar, and a transfer student, no less? The guy must be an amazing duelist." Jesse said with considerably more excitement.

"Why, speak of the devil, there he is! Chazz, come over here!" Foster noticed Chazz and waved him over. Chazz had already been listening in on the conversation, and was glad he had an excuse to enter it.

"This is the new king in the North, Chazz Princeton of the Princeton family." Foster introduced. Chazz's stormy grey eyes bored into Jesse's aquamarine ones, trying to establish dominance immediately. To his credit, Jesse didn't seem perturbed in the least.

"It's good to meet you at last, my liege. My name is Jesse Anderson." Jesse said with a respectful nod, although there were some traces of sarcasm around the words 'my liege'. Chazz didn't like that Jesse was taller than him, but he returned the nod despite his irritation.

"There is no need to refer to me by any title. Chazz is fine." He said stiffly.

"Chazz, Jesse here is one of our top duelists as well! He is a freshman like you, and frequently is in the top five on the Master list! I'll leave you two to get to know one another. I have a conference call with East Academy soon. If you need any assistance, Jesse, my door is open to you. Good day, gentleman." Hastily, Foster excused himself, seeming somewhat nervous as he often did.

As soon as the Headmaster was out of earshot, Chazz turned to Jesse and said, "You are not to challenge my position under any circumstances. I have already been named as the school's representative for the School Duel at the end of term." He said coldly.

Jesse simply shrugged. "That's fine, I'm not much interested in all that anyhow. What I want to know is this…" He lowered his voice. "Are you aware that you can see them?"

Chazz's eyes widened. He heard the sharp gasps of the Ojamas behind him and immediately knew what Jesse was referring to. "What?" Was all the king in the north could say.

"It's alright, you're not going crazy. I can see duel spirits as well. They're my closest friends and partners." As Jesse spoke, Chazz saw them appear. Like mirages in a desert, they were both ethereal and yet still there. The crystal beasts stood loyally behind Jesse, and Chazz gaped at their breathtaking, fantastical beauty. He saw a white Pegasus adorned with sapphires, a tortoise with chunks of emerald on its shell, and a cat with a ruby at the end of its tail- frankly, Chazz couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Jesse, especially when he compared his duel spirits with the ugly Ojamas.

"How did you get those cards? I had no idea the crystal beasts really existed! And how can you see them?" Chazz exclaimed.

"I don't know how…it's something I've always been able to do for as long as I can remember. Surely, you're the same way? I haven't met many people who can see spirits before, so I don't have much of a frame of reference. Something's different about these cards in particular. It's not that I sought them out…it's actually the opposite. The crystal beasts chose me." Jesse replied with an easy chuckle.

"I had no idea I could see duel spirits until these three chronic irritants showed up. In that sense, they chose me as well." Chazz jerked his thumb at the three Ojama Brothers, who seemed undeterred by Chazz's vitriol.

"Heya, stranger! We're the brothers Ojama, faithful friends of the Czar, Chazz Princeton!" Ojama Black introduced himself, shaking a bemused Jesse's hand. "Nice to meetcha!" The cheerful boy replied as Ojamas Yellow and Green mingled with the crystal beasts.

"So, how did you get those cards in the first place?" Chazz asked.

"This is gonna sound ridiculous, but they were a gift from Maximillion Pegasus himself. It was after I won my first regional in Houston, Texas. Soon after I won Grand Finals, Pegasus approached me with three copies of each crystal beast. He told me that they called out to me, that they belonged with me. It sounded crazy at the time, but who was I to question the creator of duel monsters? Since then, they've been my closest friends." Jesse explained succinctly. Chazz felt that there was more to the story than that, but for now he accepted Jesse's answer.

"It is as though he has a personal army ready to back him at any juncture. Perhaps he could be a valuable ally. He could even help me find out the extent of my ability to see spirits." Chazz thought.

And the rest was history….

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Eating a spoonful of his cereal, Jesse looked over the morning newspaper before taking a glance at the Master List. He was still at the overall number two spot while Chazz remained at the top.

"Enjoying the view from second place, Anderson?" Chazz jibed.

"I don't mind it at all. You're the one who has to deal with all eyes on you. No one has any time for the second fiddle, which is fine by me. You should be happy we haven't dueled yet, pal, or you'd be seeing just how good the view is from second place for yourself!" Jesse said, and they both laughed.

From an outsider's perspective, it might seem like Jesse and Chazz were bickering, but really it was nothing more than lad banter. The pair had a rocky start at first, mostly due to Chazz's poor attitude, but in a surprisingly short time, they grew to respect each other's skills. Jesse didn't mind the number two spot at all, as it granted him more freedom and less public scrutiny. Chazz was glad for this, because he wasn't sure he could beat Jesse if the two truly fought it out.

"So, looks like some kid named Lucien Grimley just cracked the top twenty. You know him?" Chazz asked as he looked over the sports section of the paper. Little known fact- over the past few months, Chazz had grown fond of professional curling and desired to play the sport himself. For the sake of his image, he didn't let this knowledge become public. Ra only knows how many times he would be watching a curling highlight video only to have to hastily switch tabs when someone walked by.

"Never heard of him." Jesse said at first, only a moment later to add, "wait, I think I might know who he is. He's that goth kid who always gets the lucky draws. He's really been shooting up the ranks recently. Who knows, maybe he struck a deal with the devil, eh?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Chazz scoffed, taking a loud bite of his apple.

"Says the guy with three duel spirits! Stranger things have definitely happened. You know, there is an old ghost story around here about the grim reaper's spirit. They say it's trapped in one of the cards out on the ice range."

"They say a lot of things." Chazz grumbled. "And it's getting harder and harder to tell which of the stories are true and which aren't. I never thought the Crystal Beasts could be real, nor spirits, but I was wrong. I imagine if such a monster is real, it will make itself known to us soon enough. For now, I have to prepare for the school duel."

"I suppose." Jesse admitted, tabling the matter for another time. "If you're gonna beat Zane Truesdale, your strategies are gonna have to be top-notch."

Chazz shook his head slowly as he wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "Apparently, Zane has decided to step away from this duel. Foster said that since I'm a freshman, it's only fair that a freshman from the south rises to challenge me."

"That's good news for you! I hear that Truesdale is a crazy strong duelist. I wouldn't mind taking him on one day." Jesse said idly.

"Yeah, well…I'm not out of the woods yet." Chazz replied. As he spoke, the memory of his defeats at the hands of Yuki and Lancaster returned. It was more than likely he would be facing one of them in the school duel. He couldn't eliminate Misawa or Rhodes from contention either.

"But no matter what stands in my way, I will prevail. We sail for Central Academy in seven days. Will you be coming with?" The Czar asked.

"Nah, I've missed too many classes already with my trip to Industrial Illusions. I know Sergei and his boys are eager to get down there though. You might have to keep an eye on them, make sure they don't get too rowdy." Jesse answered, referring the buff russian dude Chazz beat to attain the position of Czar. Sergei was currently third on the master list.

"Ha! You might be right there. Well, it's a shame you can't join us." Chazz said.

"For sure! It's always fun to visit a new place. I'm sure you'll tell me all about it when you get back." Jesse folded up the paper and they both stood to put away their trays.

"Yes. It's a reunion I'm looking forward to as well. They will see my skills and understand why I am the king in the north." Chazz said, and suddenly a devious idea entered his mind.

"Say Jesse, do you have any copies of Magic Cylinder lying around?"

With a knowing smile, Jesse nodded. "I have a spare copy. And speaking of cards and spirits, I picked up something interesting during my travels. I know this belongs with you, Chazz. It calls to you, just as the crystal beasts called to me- just listen."

Chazz closed his eyes and focused, trying to block out his other senses in favor of the sixth sense- the one that let him see the duel spirits. When he opened his eyes, he saw it.

A mighty dragon stood proudly behind Jesse. It was not uniform in appearance, but rather it was bifurcated. One half was white as snow, glowing with a gentle light. Its wing was feathered, like a bird's, but otherwise it was entirely reptilian in appearance. The other half was black, purely dark with a bat's wing.

"Do you see it?" Jesse asked as he held out a card in his hand.

"Yes…" Chazz said softly as he took the card, in awe.

A/N

Hope you all enjoyed.

I'd like to thank my boy KirinOfTheSun for beta reading and editing the chapter, love you bro.

Thought we'd take the time to catch up with miste himself. His character has always been a favorite of mine. I also thought this would be a good opportunity to look into the inner workings of North Academy and world-building in general, so I hope you liked that. As we see in this chapter, Chazz has the ability to see not only his Ojama duel spirits, but his Light and Darkness Dragon from the manga as well. If you haven't read the manga, I highly endorse it- Chazz is actually a beast there, and the duel writing and artwork is quite good.

Chazz has also encountered and formed a friendship with Jesse Anderson as well. I can't believe these two characters didn't have any connection in canon, both being North Academy students and all. But here, they've developed an unlikely friendship. Jesse's sheer friendliness and charisma seems to be enough to overcome Chazz's constantly seething rage. In developing their friendship, I took some influence from the relationship between Bakugo and Kirishima from Boku no Hero Academia, another fantastic manga series. I hope you guys found this friendship believable, it will be a huge factor into both of their arcs down the road.

Next chapter will feature the school duel between Central Academy and North Academy. It'll be a beefy chapter to compensate for this one being shorter. Have a good one fellas and thank you for the continued feedback!