Kazane was walking in the park with her buddy in the hood of her coat, "This is a nice day," she commented with a smile as she watched the sky.
"Just don't look at the sun," Phoenix warned her.
"I won't," she replied without stating that was obvious. She walked deeper in the park and sighed, "We didn't pass a lot of time with our new friends."
"They are busy as buddy police force and with the disappearance of one buddy, I-" the green bird was cut.
"You're right. They have a lot in their mind right now. I want to help them thought," she thoughtfully said.
Phoenix saw someone, "Is that Tasuku and Jackknife?"
"Yes..." she noticed the three darkness dragons in their real form talking to Tasuku and Jackknife, "Did those darkness dragons caused trouble?"
"I don't know," her buddy replied as she marched toward them, "What are you planning?"
"If Tasuku needs help, I'll be here to help him," she replied.
"Alright, but be careful," Phoenix gave in, thinking it was pointless to protest since she made up her mind.
Chapter 96: Temptation
Earlier, before Kanade and her buddy saw them, Tasuku and his buddy followed the three darkness dragons in the park and landed in a spot a little away from the public eyes, unless they went a little deeper in the woods of the park.
"You wanted to talk to us?" Tasuku asked on his guard.
Demios lightly smiled, "I wanted to know something, but it was mostly from you Tasuku."
"What do you want?" Jackknife asked as he lightly grunted at them.
The two other purgatory knights grabbed their weapon, but their leader gave a sign and they released it.
"It's about what happened with the bank situation. I wanted to speak more in private so it remained far from anyone's ears," the leader of the knights replied as he looked at Tasuku and gave little attention to the green dragon.
"I think you already figure out what happened," Tasuku said with some frustration in his voice.
"Yes, but I am confused that you took so long. I saw you in the air with Jackknife and did nothing, but flew there before I entered in the bank," Demios started. He scratched his chin and continued, "With the little I know about you, I was sure that you would already entered inside the bank and rescue the hostages. This is very... uncharacteristic of you."
Jackknife replied instead of Tasuku, "There are laws put on us and we have to respect them. We cannot act until we are sure there is a monster buddy with the criminals."
"Why putting people's life in danger for laws?" Demios asked, "Especially coming from you Findar the 100th. You broke some laws to go the right thing and ended up banished from Dragon World."
"The situation is completely different!" the green dragon defensively yelled.
From Tasuku perspective, it was different, Demios is right? When Jackknife came here, it was because he killed some of his soldiers who were killing innocents because of their bloodlust. He did worse in that situation than right now, his mind told him.
Demios lightly grinned, "How? There are still people in danger that needed to be rescued. If we weren't there, would anyone be safe, any victim or none?"
Jackknife frowned and tried to reply, but he got no answer. The chance of a victim was higher the longer they waited and they were lucky none of the hostages was killed.
The boy frowned and said, "You're right. Waiting wasn't a good idea."
"But if we act without authorisation, we won't be able to help anyone else Tasuku. They didn't specify the consequence, but it can be that they confiscate your deck case and you won't be able to help anyone anymore," the green dragon warned his buddy before he got the wrong idea about what he should have done.
That made the boy realised that it was surely the case, "You're also right Jack, but..." he said nothing else.
"I think the Buddy Police Force seems to be in your way," one of the darkness dragon commented.
Demios turned toward that dragon and lightly frowned, but that changed when Tasuku replied, "You're right. Since the supervisors came, it's been more difficult to protect everyone. If only they were out of the way, it would be easier."
"Those are hindrance for you Tasuku. You cannot let them waste you're potential. If the forces you are working with are getting in your way, you might have to find another way to provide justice," Demios started to imply.
"Wait a second Demios," Jackknife walked closer to the leader of the Purgatory Knights and asked aggressively, "Where are you going to with this? We cannot act outside of the law or against the will of the government ruling this land. The only way we can help people is by the Buddy Police Force. What you did was helpful and saved many lives, but not a lot of people will like it."
Demios grinned as if he expected that reply, "Maybe it will not be seen well by the superior, but it's better to be seemed the wrong way that doing what they want."
"Demios! That's-" the green dragon was cut.
"What's important is the peoples life, not if your superior likes it or not. I am a Purgatory Knight and I have to accomplish my duty for everyone best interest, not for my superior to look good."
Jackknife grunted and turned his gaze away from Demios, indirectly telling him that he won the argument between them. He turned toward Tasuku and knew that the darkness dragon world left some impact on him.
"Maybe Demios," Tasuku started, "But we must obey the government that sent the supervisors. Our action and how we look is also important if Hinako wants to win the elections."
That gave some little push for Jackknife, "The situation isn't the same as you Demios. You are not under the government and there is no consequence if you fail in the city, but for us, it's different."
"I see all of this as restrain. Was it something that Hinako wanted? Maybe she wants to restrain you to appeal-"
"No!" Jackknife yelled, "It was the only way to calm the population and evade something that could have been bad. So we have temporary supervisors from the Police Force."
"You said that as if it's going to happen only once. What if the supervisors are gone and something happened again like what caused the Thunder Knights or worse?" Demios asked and said nothing else, waiting for Jackknife answer.
The green dragon replied, "We will show them that we don't need supervisors as the structure of the system reinforce itself. The Buddy Police Force is still new Demios and less solid than the Police Force present for a much longer time."
The darkness dragon nodded, "Yes. New things can disappear Findar the 100th just like the Buddy Police Force and us if Tenchi wins the elections. Unless Hinako has second intentions behind all this and will not mind repeating this and everyone after her because you are all tools."
"Just like you are a tool for Azi Dahaka," Jackknife countered.
Demios frowned and grunted, ending the argument, "Fine. We spun around this way too long now. There is also one last thing I wanted to talk Tasuku."
"What is it?" the boy asked.
"I have a proposition for you. Tasuku. I know you have a lot of potential and a strong heart. Every time I see you," he took a quick glance at Jackknife, fast enough so the boy didn't notice it, but the green dragon saw it well, "I feel as if you are wasting you potential to do greater things that you are doing right now."
"W-what do you mean?" Tasuku asked.
Jackknife didn't like where it was going and tried to intervene, but Demios saw it first, "Don't interrupt Findar. Tasuku. You can do great things, but right now, I feel as if you are chained on the ground when you could reach the sky. The Buddy Police Force is currently holding you down, even more with those supervisors who made sure you cannot do what you can do. This is why I want to propose you to leave the Buddy Police Force and-"
"Tasuku will never do that! He won't leave his friends behind!" Jackknife yelled furiously, knowing too well what came after the and.
"The Buddy Police Force isn't good enough to protect the city Jackknife and-" Demios was cut by a new voice interrupting them.
"What do you mean by that?"
Tasuku and Jackknife turned around and saw Kazane and Phoenix joining them.
"You cannot count on the Buddy Police Force-," Demios started, but was interrupted by her.
"What do you mean by that? The Buddy Police Force is doing everything they can to protect the city. Thanks to them, many crimes as been stopped and saved many lives!" she replied.
"With the supervisors-" Demios couldn't put another word again.
"I know about this, but that's okay," she smiled at the darkness dragon and left him confused as he thought she would have been more aggressive rather than joyful, "Everyone makes a mistakes. No one is perfect after all and that's why the world is so amazing."
Demios didn't reply until and showed no reaction until one of the darkness dragon said, "She got your tongue Demios."
Demios frowned and Phoenix said, "If you tried to lay a claw on Kazane, you'll have to deal with me Demios!"
"I am not going to attack her," Demios replied. He turned around and spread his wings. He turned toward Tasuku and said, "Think about it," before flying away with his two soldiers.
The humans and their buddies watched them leave and were quiet for a few seconds.
"Kazane. What are you doing here?" the boy asked.
She turned toward him and replied with a smile, "I was just passing by when I saw you with those three darkness dragons. I didn't know if you were in trouble or not, so I came. We are friends after all."
Tasuku nodded and was pensive.
"Are you thinking about what Demios said?" Jackknife asked.
"Y-yeah."
"You should be careful with the proposition Tasuku. You don't know a lot about them," Phoenix commented.
"By buddy is right. You are also one of the most important members of the Buddy Police Force. Everyone is counting on you and if you leave..." Kazane didn't finish her sentence.
"I know but... Those supervisors are causing trouble and we might end up losing our buddies during the election because of them. It must be a part of their plan," the boy admitted.
"Then we all have to put an extra effort in it," Kazane said.
"She's right Tasuku. We have to work hard, together," the green dragon said.
"I'll help too. I don't want to leave Kazane and food is really delicious in this world," Phoenix commented.
Tasuku lightly smiled, "You're right. I shouldn't give up the Buddy Police Force."
"That's right," she said.
The four continued talking together for a few minutes until Tasuku had a phone call. He checked and saw it was Buddy Police Force. He guessed it was the supervisors.
"I got to go," Tasuku said as him and Jackknife went away with Kazane waving her hands at them.
"You think that will help him?" Kanaze asked.
"Of course Kazane. You are good when it comes to make people feel better," her buddy replied.
"Thanks. Maybe we should visit Gao now. We don't see each other's that often," she declared.
Meanwhile, Tasuku frowned after hearing the warnings of Seiichi. The last sentence echoed in his mind, "If you disobey order one more time Tasuku, you are suspended and Jackknife will be arrested."
That sentence put the encouragement of Kazane away and made the proposition of Demios even more tempting for the greater of justice.
Jackknife felt more uneasy with how quiet Tasuku was, especially since their arguments today. He hoped that he will calm down. They are family after all and he was the father figure. It was their first major argument and he hoped it wouldn't worsen.
AC: This is the end of chapter 96.
Next chapter: Antagonistic Crush. (Tetsuya)