AC: Hello everyone. I hope you still like my story and read the new one of How We Became Hundred Demons. It might be good as it will cross at the third season of this story against Yamigedo.

Zerox: The Star Dragon world will appear at the other season vs Yamigedo like in the show.

Chapter 56: Noboru's buddy

Noboru climbed the stairs to have lunch on the roof with the others as usual. He was enjoying a little to annoy his friend Gao because he was in a better mood and it prevented him from thinking too much about Drum a few times. Once he reached the roof, he only saw Hanako and Halberd together.

He was surprised to only see them here and wondered where the others were. Maybe they are with Kiri. His headache calmed down, but he's not coming to the roof for now. That means I forgot they ate at the cafeteria for now with Tasuku. He looked at Halberd who was showing her how to use the spellcards. He walked toward them and asked, "What are you doing Halberd? I thought you didn't want her to use the spellcards."

Halberd turned toward him and nodded, "I do not want her to use the spellcards without a reason, but with what happened on the cruise ship..."

"He wants me to know how to defend myself if something happened again," Hanako replied.

The dragon nodded. He put his claw on his jaw and added, "There is also something else. Call it my dragon instinct, but I feel like something could happen eventually."

Hanako turned toward the dragon, "What do you mean?"

"Why would you say that?" Noboru asked.

Halberd replied, "Just my instinct," while his tail was tapping the ground nervously.

Does he mean that he's in danger? Noboru wondered. He looked at Hanako and knew why he couldn't say it, He doesn't want Hanako to worry about him. I can't help but wonder what threat he is feeling?

Halbert continued showing the cards.

Noboru saw the two of them having good time together despite learning how to use the spellcards. The boy internally grumbled, They are lucky to be together. Anyway, I know I'll have a buddy one day.

Little did he know, he was being watched.

"I think we've watched him long enough. What do you think of him?" the voice of an old man asked.

"Bark!" another one replied.

"Yes. He is a brave young boy with a kind heart, even if he hides it," the first one replied.

After school, Noboru returned to his home by himself. He didn't have anything interesting to do today except his homework, such joy he thought sarcastically.

He reached an intersections and pressed on the switch, he waited before crossing the street when he heard, "Hello there young boy."

Noboru turned toward the one talking to him and saw an old man. The old man had pale skin, purple glasses hiding his eyes, a gray beard and mustache. He wore an orange shirt with a purple one under it, pale blue pants and walked with a brown cane. By his side, there was a big dog with yellow large fur and a brown snout Noboru noticed that the old man had large ears like an elf.

Noboru didn't reply to the stranger, thinking he was seeing wrong. Also, the old man was a stranger.

When the light signaled him he could cross the street, Noboru did so, but noticed the old man following him with his dog.

"It isn't polite to now reply when an old man is talking to you young boy," the old man said.

Noboru looked around a sec, noticed that no one care for the old man strange ears. He wondered if something was wrong, when he realised he was near a store and people were disguised, It's an Otaku convention. No wonder. Noboru realised.

He turned around and replied to the old man, "I'm sorry, but my parents told me not talk to strangers."

The old man lightly smiled and replied, "Wise words."

"If you are asking where the convention is, it's right here," Noboru said, pointing to the building where the Otakus were.

The old man chuckled and nodded negatively, "No young one. I am not an Otaku. I am also disguised as my companion."

The dog barked.

Noboru wondered what he meant.

"I will be more explicit. I cannot show it now because we are in the middle of a crowd, but I'll explain it to you before proving it, if you agree with it," the old man said.

Noboru thought about it, Why couldn't he show it in the mi- Maybe he's- but he's old. Maybe he just looks old. Anyway, I only have one thing to say, "I'm curious."

"You seem to get the idea," the old man smiled. "Let's begin with the presentation shall we?"

Noboru nodded, "I'm Noboru Kodo."

They started walking toward a less crowd place.

"I'm Dragon Knight, El Quixote," he said.

The dog barked.

"His name is Rocinante. My friend and partner," he said.

"Okay," Noboru replied uncertain.

"As I said, I'm a dragon knight, coming from Dragon world," El Quixote started.

"Hum? I thought there were only dragons living in Dragon world," Noboru commented surprised.

The old man replied, "Surprised right? It is not the case. It's just mean that the main habitants are dragons. My people are living in a small portion of Dragon world and we ride more...," he whispered in Noboru's ears, "Animalistic dragon to be polite."

Noboru looked at the dog, wondering why the old man didn't want the dragon to hear it, but after hearing animalistic, he asked himself if the dog was really a dog or not.

"Why are you here?" Noboru asked.

"Words of this world travel fast young one and I am curious to explore it," Quixote replied.

There is more than just that, but I don't think I should ask, Noboru thought, especially if it was all, but a lie.

"We explore this city for a while and it is quite impressive what you could do here. Your kind doesn't have great powers like my own and the other worlds, but you have something special we don't. But I am not here about that special thing," the old man replied before waving his hands when he went out of the subject.

Right, Noboru thought.

"We saw something intriguing while we were traveling," Quixote said.

"What is it?" Noboru tried to know what it was.

El Quixote pointed his fingers toward him, "It was near the... How you call it... Oh yeah. Photon mine. It was during an assault."

Noboru didn't keep a good memory of that.

"You fought well against the masked human with your friends, all to protect Gao right?" the old man asked.

Noboru remembered it was why he fought, even if fear was striking his heart, "Y-yeah. I tried to protect him and my friends. I wasn't that useful without spellcards or a buddy."

Quixote smiled and replied, "But you still fought. The battle showed who you are when making a choice was crucial. You fought to protect your friends and didn't run away. That's why I think you are worthy of having a buddy. Your courage, your strength and determination was impressive."

Noboru realised what he said and asked, "Then why didn't you help us?"

"Because the moment I thought I should, reinforcements were there and you didn't need help to maintain the boy with white hair on the ground," Quixote replied.

Noboru crossed his arms and kept things in his mind, Why didn't he come sooner?

Quixote looked around him and said, "I think here is fine to show you our real form. We are alone."

Noboru looked around and they were indeed alone. When he watched them again, they already changed form.

The old man was now in a silver armor with a green cape. As for the dog, it turned into a yellow dragon with a green scarf, a brown mask over his face and snout, but only had two legs and two wings.

Noboru was surprised, by how short the dragon was and seemed cute. He was kinda disappointed, but the way Quixote rode the dragon showed experience and strength. He wasn't sure if he fought a large dragon.

"You don't seem impress Noboru. I am not offended," Quixote replied before lightly chuckling.

The dragon was frowning at him, probably offended.

"But do not let our appearance deceive you. Size doesn't always matter in a battle, because the way we fight matters," Quixote explained.

Noboru said nothing for a few seconds before nodding. He didn't want to be impolite, especially when the dragon, despite cute, could hurt him if pissed off.

"As you can see, we are clearly coming from another world Noboru. We might not be perfectly legal in this world for now, but we were searching for a buddy who we would be worthy off. Someone who might not be powerful, but who is brave enough to fight any obstacles in his way, just like you back then," Quixote concluded.

Noboru thought about it, he wondered if the old man and the dragon fought powerful enemies together, even if they were smaller. In a way, that got Noboru's attention.

"Noboru. We want to know," he looked at his dragon who nodded, "if you are willing to let us become your buddy?"

Noboru thought for a few seconds. It might be his only opportunity and shouldn't judge him without knowing if he could fight well. He replied, "Alright."

The old man smiled before they returned to their civilised form, "I will not disappoint you young one."

Demios walked toward his ruler Azi Dahara. He walked in a living room with a table with five pictures two to the left and three to the right, bookshelf around them, a television with a large screen. Azi was sitting on a sofa with a piece of paper in his claw.

Once Demios was closed to his ruler, kneel down and asked, "You summoned me Azi Dahara?"

Azi nodded and his soldier rose up, "Yes. The Darkness Core is starting to take effect on a boy named Kiri. It means it will be a matter of time before the effects will come for Gao Mikado."

Demios looked at the picture put on a table. He nodded, "As for Tasuku, when will the Darkness-"

"He didn't take it. He just did what was right," Azi replied. Demios lightly smiled when he heard that. His ruler continued, "Gao and Kiri accepted because they wanted to be polite."

"I noticed Gao having it on his deck," Demios muttered.

Azi turned confusingly toward Demios, "You met him?"

"Yes. Troubadour likes to wander around and play his music to the humans, and crossed his path with Gao. My soldier took a liking of Gao," Demios explained.

Azi left and right head frowned and asked aggressively, "When did that happen?"

Demios just evaded the eyes of Azi for a second and replied, "A few days ago. I didn't know one of them was Gao Mikado. I also met Tasuku by Gao's side."

Azi middle head looked at the two others. The two heads calmed down as the middle one said, "Alright," the three head then talked in sync again, "This might be a fortunate thing in the long run. As I said, we are moving to the phase of our plan now."

"You want me and my soldier to take action?" Demios asked.

Azi replied, "Very soon. We have to make ourselves known and outrank the Buddy Police Force. After all, the elections are coming soon for the ruler of Japan."

"We are entering in the influence war then?" Demios asked.

"Yes. We know that Hinako will try to become the ruler of Japan in those elections, showing the effectiveness of the Buddy Police Force and proving that the world can live with the other worlds."

"If we are presenting the same image, wouldn't that be troublesome for both of us later on?" Demios asked.

"You mean Tenchi? Yes. He is the other side and opposed everything Hinako based her election on. Wanting to get rid of us and back to our worlds."

"Then we have to focus on Tenchi first?" Demios asked.

"This will be later on, as we have nothing against him and murdering him is shooting in my heads," Azi replied. He then pointed the pictures, "Those to the left are Tenchi and Hinako, our opponents and those to the rights are the three are the most powerful humans I found and we need to recruit for power and influence, except Kyoya of course: Gao Mikado, Tasuku Ryuenji and Kazane Fujimiya."

"Kazane? She was in the ship?" Demios asked.

Azi replied, "No. I didn't walk around and shake hands either. I just wanted to take a walk and she just jumped at me and shook my hands, thinking I'm a handshaking lover because some of her friends were in the ship."

Okay? That's a weird thought. At least the kissing part hasn't been brought up. Demios told himself and erased an image that went along what that girl might have thought.

"One last thing," Azi said as he showed the paper.

Demios opened it and said, "I cannot read human writing like you."

"Guess this is where you will pass your free time until you enter in action," Azi replied with a small grin, before turning back to his serious face, "This is an event for a tournament fight between buddies called ABC Cup coming in two weeks."

"It seems good. Are you going to participate?" Demios asked.

"No. This is beneath me. Gallows and Shido are entering in it. Mostly Gallows who wants some action. As for your comment, it seems good, but I saw something... unsettling when I read it. One of the main investor for this is Tenchi."

"Tenchi," Demios grunted.

Azi nodded, "He might want something from it, so I want to keep him in watch. Since Troubadour seems close to humans, maybe he can watch his move."

Demios thought about it and nodded, "I will give him the order."

"One last thing. I will be here with Kyoya, but as a spectator. Maybe someone interesting will come," Azi replied.

Demios nodded and was about to turn away when he saw the left head of Azi looked at the picture of Hinako with a small smile. That head then frowned at him in a way that meant, 'Don't say anything.' Demios walked away and thought, Let's unseen that.

AC: This is the end of chapter 56.

Next chapter: Subscription.

As for chapter 58: Drum's Troublesome Training part 1.

The part with Drum's training will not directly follow, but will be split with what's happening on Earth.