It was Thursday, school just ended. Tasuku managed to dodge Gao for two days. He knew he had to talk to him, but couldn't face him right now. He walked outside the school alone. The sky was starting to get covered with dark cloud. Darkness was coming to claim Tokyo sooner than the usual.

"Why can't I speak with Gao?" he asked himself. Maybe I just don't have the courage to confront him. I'm not sure how he'll react. We could end up fighting and...I don't want that.

Tasuku continued walking and remained on guard. He was not sure if Gallows would attack him again today. Nothing out of ordinary happened.

He reached his home and climbed the stairs as the blue sky was gone under the dark clouds. He entered in his home and saw Jackknife, in his real form, taking a nap on the floor. Tasuku smiled and closed the door. He quietly walked near the big green dragon and sat next to the head. He patted the snout of the dragon for a while.

It ended when Jackknife grumbled and opened his eyes. He spoke confusingly until he was completely awake. He smiled and said, "Hello Tasuku. Did you talk to Gao today?"

"No. I...couldn't say anything to him," the boy admitted.

Jackknife took a deep breath and said, "You have to confront it the sooner you can. If you take too long, the dragon will lose their patience and will ignore what Gao wants."

"I know Jack. It's not...easy."

"I will only get harder if you take too long to tell them. Tasuku, listen to me. Tomorrow, you are going to talk to him, if not. I'll make sure you talk to Gao Saturday, before your day off."

Tasuku sighted and nodded, "Okay. I'll do it. I...hope it's going to be alright."

The phone rang and the two watched the phone.

"Who's calling us?" Jackknife asked.

"I don't know," Tasuku replied as he grabbed the phone, "Hello...Who's there?"

"-Hello Tasuku. Is Findar the 100th with you?-" a voice said at the other line of the phone.

Tasuku gasped and turned toward Jackknife, "Rouga. How did you get my phone number?"

"-It's easy once I know where you live. Meet me on the roof with Jackknife, or I'll use force to destroy your home. You have 5 minutes,-" Rouga warned before handing up.

Tasuku hung up and looked at Jackknife. The green dragon looked at the boy and asked, "What is it?"

"Rouga called. He and probably his partner are waiting for us on the roof. They know where we live Jack," Tasuku powerlessly said with some despair in his voice.

"We are no longer safe...Tasuku, we have to get ready to fight them anyway," Jackknife said standing up.

Tasuku nodded and they went outside. Tasuku held on Jackknife back as they flew in the air and Rouga and Cerberus.

"You came," Rouga said.

Tasuku didn't reply and took out a card, ready to fight.

Jackknife and Cerberus glared at each other's until the dragon said, "You came for the bounty on my head."

"Yes," Cerberus replied with a smirk.

"I wasn't asking," Jackknife replied.

Rouga also drew a card. They heard a loud sound and a flash of light pierced the sky. The storm started. The rain felt on their skin, fur and scales. No one moved for a few seconds.

Chapter 23: We Are Nowhere Safe Anymore

Jackknife opened his wings and flew higher in the sky. He looked at Cerberus and waited to see how he would strike him. The giant wolf aimed his drill toward the dragon and ran toward him.

"How?" Tasuku asked surprise when the wolf ran toward the flying dragon.

"He is ready to fight a dragon after all," Rouga replied.

"Blue Dragon shield!" Tasuku yelled when the drill almost hit the chest of the green dragon.

"You shouldn't drop your guard," Rouga said.

Tasuku turned toward the boy who had a spear in his hand. The boy looked at the silver hair man and asked, "Why didn't you attack me?"

Rouga chuckled before replying, "A sneak attack on you? I want to face my enemy head on."

Tasuku drew his card and said, "Dragonblade, Dragobrave," he pointed his big sword toward the boy and said, "Then I'm ready to face you."

Rouga chuckled, "Alright," before charging at the boy.

Jackknife called the blade on his head and blocked the drill of Cerberus. He closed his wings and let himself fall toward the ground. His instinct told him that this classic tactic won't work. He expanded his wings and suddenly turned toward Cerberus and aimed the throat of the three headed wolf. Cerberus used his drill to block the blade. They both tried to push the other backward.

"You thought you could be safe forever Findar? Guess what? It won't be the case," Cerberus told the dragon.

Jackknife looked in the eyes of the central head, which spoke to him and replied, "I never thought that. I knew I would be caught eventually. Even so, I won't go down easily."

Cerberus chuckled and replied, "From your reputation, I can think it won't be an easy fight."

Jackknife saw the pliers grabbed his throat and pulled him in the air. He felt the pliers starting to crush his neck. He grunted and grabbed it and tried to open it. He looked at Cerberus and felt his body slowly losing strength.

I can't let Tasuku down. Jackknife thought. He grunted loudly as he forced the pliers to open and turned around himself. He turned as fast as he could and threw Cerberus away. He pointed his blade toward the wolf and charged toward it, "It's over!"

Cerberus smirked and turned into his chibi form at the last second. Jackknife passed just over the chibi three-headed wolf and turned around and faced Cerberus, who turned back into his normal form.

"Is that all you can do Findar?" Cerberus asked.

Jackknife didn't reply. He looked at him and thought of a tactic to face him.

Tasuku blocked the spear with his sword and was lightly thrown backward. He ducked and evaded the other attack. He rolled on the ground and blocked the next assault. The sharp blade was against the sharp part of the spear.

The difference on physical strength was clear as Tasuku took a step backward.

"Is that all you can do Tasuku? I thought you would have been better than that," Rouga said nothing before adding, "You aren't like Gao Mikado. I should have expected it."

Tasuku remembered that he never asked Gao if he could train in martial art. Even so, Jackknife thought how to use the sword and it was the main reason he was able to pull up a fight. The blue hair buy smiled when he suddenly turned his blade and let the spear slide on the sword over him. He turned around himself and kicked the chest of Rouga.

Tasuku took out a spellcard and used it, "Dragonic Charge!"

Rouga waited for something to happen, but there was nothing, "You chose the wrong card Tasuku."

The blue haired boy didn't reply, but knew what he did. Rouga charged with his spear and aimed his chest. Tasuku dodged at the last second. If he had been to slow, he would have his heart thrust out. He saw Rouga smirking at him and kicked his face.

Tasuku grunted in pain as he took a few steps back before jumping to the left before he was thrusted by the spear.

Jackknife suddenly felt an outburst of energy awakening in him and knew what it was, Tasuku managed to use the spellcard. He didn't show his smile or his enemy might guessed something happened.

Cerberus charged toward Jackknife with his three mouths opened, ready to bite the throat of the dragon once again. Jackknife grabbed the left and the right head and pulled them to the left and right. Cerberus felt great pain and his head would detach soon if he didn't do anything. The drills hit the back of Jackknife by surprised and the pain forced the dragon to release the heads of the giant wolf. The middle head by the throat of the dragon and his teeth pierced the scales and lacerated the soft flesh.

Jackknife felt the pain, but ignored it and grabbed the two other heads coming at him. This time, he used the head as blunt weapon and hit the middle one with them.

The three heads of Cerberus were confused while Jackknife flew higher in the sky and charged at them. He felt the outburst of energy fading away. The effect of the spellcard went away. Jackknife pointed the blade of his helmet toward the heart of Cerberus.

"Time for you to die!" Jackknife yelled.

Cerberus twisted his body and was only slashed at his chest until the bones protected his vital parts. He dashed away and watched the dragon. His fur was slowly painted with red blood. He tried to find a path to victory, but knew it wasn't possible this time. I dropped my guard when he grabbed my heads. Jackknife clearly has more experience than me.

He suddenly felt better and saw his wound closed up. He knew Rouga healed him with his card.

Tasuku blocked the spear with his swords. As he blocked them, he took a few steps backward until he was kicked at the chest. He managed to maintain his balance without falling on the ground. Dammit. I let him use a spellcard.

Rouga smirked toward the boy with blue hair and continued his offensive. He slowly pushed Tasuku, "Is this all you can do Tasuku?"

"I am not done yet!" Tasuku yelled back at the older boy. He blocked the spear and tried to push Rouga, but it failed.

"Although, you have a strong will Tasuku," Rouga said before hitting Tasuku with the handle of the spear.

Tasuku felt on the ground and rolled back up. He felt the blood falling front his forehead. He stood up and charged. Rouga hit the sword and it flew away before turning back into the card. Tasuku grunted and tried to punch the boy. Rouga blocked it and threw Tasuku away.

Tasuku felt that his feet wasn't touching the ground anymore and looked down. The lightning stroke and illuminated the dark sky for a second and the ground. He only saw the streets below him, far away. He lived in a hundred storey apartment. Gravity called him toward the ground, toward his doom.

"TASUKU!" he heard his partner Jackknife yelling at him.

Jackknife charged toward him to save him from his fate. He broke the distance separating them. He raised his claw toward him, but Cerberus appeared and violently talked Jackknife toward another building and against it.

Tasuku continued falling as he saw Jackknife in danger. He couldn't see in details, but felt that the drills were aiming at the chest of Jackknife to eliminate him once and for all. His fall continued when he heard Jackknife yelling loudly in pain. It wasn't any ordinary yelled, but a feral one.

"Jack!" Tasuku yelled, worried for his friend and forgetting his imminent doom. His deck started shining once again, just like when Jackknife fought against Gallows and he couldn't do anything. I have to help him!

The boy felt something strange happening when he saw his deck suddenly changing form. Instead of just holding the card, there was a yellow orb around it with four spikes around it. It was a Core Deck Case. He then realised that something else happened. Tasuku noticed that he stopped falling. He looked at his feet and saw one circle with symbol on each foot with green smoke coming out of it.

"What's going on?" he asked confused. Even so, he stopped asking that question now and looked at his friend in danger. He wanted to pick a card and the Core Deck Case flew closer of his right hand. He picked a card and looked at it. He didn't ask how it was possible and used it, "Dragon Shoot!"

Thunder came out of the card and hit the back of the Cerberus. Jackknife took that chance and pushed Cerberus away. He took once small glance and saw his friend floating in the air, reassuring his dragon heart. He opened his wings and charged toward Cerberus, but he was grabbed by the pliers at his tail and thrown toward the ground.

Jackknife flew back toward the sky and saw Cerberus coming at him before he hit his heads against a shield. Jackknife grunted confused and saw Cerberus near him when he also hit his heads against a green dragon shield.

Tasuku took another card and looked at it, "What is that card? I never see it before," He looked at Jackknife and said, "As you said, trust my instinct," he raised the card and yelled, "Jackknife! Thunder Storm Mode!"

The card shined with its light and the armor on the green dragon shined as it changed shape. It turned into purple while silver spikes appeared on the shoulder pads and the helmet.

Cerberus watched this and said, "What is that?"

Jackknife didn't contemplate his new armor and charged toward Cerberus. He used his claw to slash the chest of the three-headed wolf before using the back to fly higher.

"Cerberus! It's over now!" Jackknife yelled. He raised his head and the lightning stroke from the sky and hit the helmet. Instead of electrocuting the dragon, the thunder remained in the helmet. The blade pointed toward Cerberus. A lightning beam was sent toward Cerberus and hit him directly.

Cerberus yelled painfully and started falling on the ground. He recuperated when he was close to the ground and run toward the sky and faced Jackknife. His fur was still painted with dry red blood, but the fur was also burned by the lightning. Red veins appeared on his eyes as he furiously glared at Jackknife. Eventually, his fury turned into laugher which confused Jackknife.

"Why are you laughing?" Jackknife grunted.

"I underestimated you Findar the 100th. No wonder so many dragons are after you," Cerberus replied. He looked at the dragon and said, "This battle was entertaining. I have no chance to defeat you this time. So we'll make our leave...For now."

Cerberus ran toward Rouga to pick him. Jackknife tried to stop Cerberus, but he was stopped by another shield that blinded him. Once he looked up again, Cerberus was gone.

The dragon clenched his claw, but immediately forgot about him when he turned toward Tasuku. He flew as fast as he could and opened his arms.

Tasuku yelp surprised when Jackknife caught him and hugged him against his chest while his snout patted the head of the boy.

"You are alright Tasuku," Jackknife said, greatly relief of this miracle. He looked at the wound on the forehead, but knew it was a minor one. He was even more relieved.

The boy hugged the dragon chest and replied, "I don't know what happened. I just suddenly stopped falling and I have those lights on my feet."

Jackknife moved his head and looked at the light coming from the side of his feet, "I don't know either, but you are fine. That's what important."

"You are also alright," Tasuku replied.

"We are safe nowhere anymore Tasuku. You almost die today, just like against Gallows and," Jackknife said nothing for a few seconds. The boy looked in the eyes of the dragon and saw the eyes lightly trembling. Jackknife continued talking with a worried tone in his voice, "Losing you is what I fear the most."

"Me too," Tasuku said.

Jackknife slowly flew him and the boy back to their home. The light on the boots disappeared and the deck turned back to normal, into the hand of the boy.

Tasuku eventually said, "I'll have to talk to Gao and convince him of what's going on. This...All of this has to end now."

Jackknife nodded positively and replied, "Agreed. No matter what happen, I'll protect you Tasuku."

"And I'll be by your side, no matter what," Tasuku replied.

Jackknife then said, "You are the best thing that happen in my life Tasuku and I know it's the same for you."

Tasuku said nothing, but he'll talk to Gao tomorrow, no matter what. I won't hesitate anymore. Gao is my friend and I'm sure he'll understand me.

AC: This is the end of chapter 23.

Chapter 24: Roar Of The Dragons Part 1.

Chapter 25: Roar Of The Dragons Part 2.

Chapter 26: Heart Of The Dragons.

The first climax of the story is about to start.