Despair watched Drum and Gao and showed his large grin coming from his face. The darkness dragon was obviously savouring the moment he would kill them and looked at Drum. He noticed that the red dragon wasn't showing all of his fury right now and the dragon knew how to tilt him up and to turn him berserk again. He preferred to fight dragons who weren't thinking anymore and even more when it gave him an excuse to kill Drum and get his head.

"What's the matter? Are you scared to fight Joker and me at the same time?" He grabbed his belt and showed the skull of Drum's mother. "If you are afraid, I think she's going to witness it."

Drum glared furiously at Despair and let out a primal draconic grunt.

"Don't let him enrage you again Drum!" Gao quickly yelled as he started to sweat a little.

Tenbu was also worryingly watching his pupil already losing his calm when Despair didn't even went all out with his provocation.

"I won't," Drum replied, If I do. I won't be able to avenge my mother.

The darkness dragon was about to say something else when Joker passed at the offensive and attacked with his sharp hands. Drum blocked it with his Drill and was pushed backward.

"There is no time to talk Gao. The battle begins now," The Reaper said as he charged toward Gao.

Gao blocked the scythe of his friend, now acting strangely with his sword and flew away. He was surprised that Kiri got his buddy skill, but much more that he had something to do with Tasuku disappearance. He chased that away and concentrated on the battle as their weapon collided and none of them let their weapon slid from their hands.

Despair watched this and grunted. His provocation was now harder to do with the red dragon in the heat of a battle and won't focus in his words. He cracked his bones and went forward, hoping to separate Drum from Joker and continued his provocation later on.

Chapter 103: The Sky Battle Part 1

Drum Bunker Dragon blocked the blades of Joker without any major problem, "Why are you going this Joker? I know you are loyal to Kiri, but this isn't who you are to work for people who kidnap Tasuku and maybe hurt him!"

Joker frowned before replying, "You don't know anything Drum. I am loyal to Kiri and I will never leave him behind aga-. I am his friend and I'll follow to whatever decision he takes."

Drum wondered what he was about to say, but couldn't think anymore with Despair appearing near him. He flew away from them and thought about how to deal with them one at the time.

"Drum. I hope you are ready to join my mother very soon," Despair said when he noticed Joker glaring at him.

The red dragon forced himself not to let his fury dominated him, but showed his fang. He activated his thrusters and charged toward Joker as he thought, Despair can wait later. Joker isn't the strongest! He was closed when Despair grabbed his horn and threw him away.

"You must bring shame to your mother right now!"

Drum deactivated his thrusters and regained his balance, just when he was tackled by the darkness dragon and sent farther away.

Gao continued fighting against The Reaper and managed to make his hold. He blocked the scythe without too much trouble and used his skill to prevent him from using a spellcard. The boy was aware that he wasn't an expert in aerial battle, still new to his buddy skill and knew that The Reaper, who was Kiri, had a little less experience than him. Gao heard a dragon letting out a painful grunt and glanced toward the source of the sound. He saw his buddy tackled away before punched on his face by Despair, "Drum!"

"You are looking away Gao," The Reaper said before passing the guard of Gao and kicking the boy's chest and sent him away.

Gao coughed loudly and regained his balance, just in time to block the next attack of The Reaper.

"You don't have time to worry about your buddy. Drum won't hold on for long and when he falls, so are you. Then I'll bring you to my leader," The Reaper said.

Gao knew that couldn't win. Tenbu was floating near them, but his wound prevented him from helping them while Drum couldn't handle two powerful monsters at the same time. He had to make his stand against The Reaper and tried to find a way to help his buddy, but nothing came for now.

Their weapon collided many times without anyone slashing the other's flesh as they gazed at each other's. For a second, Gao backed off from the battle and thought for a second about his next act when he saw The Reaper about to pick a spellcard. He charged and was suddenly punched at the face before painfully grunting as he put his hand on his face. He blocked the next attack of The Reaper and told to his mind, I have to go all out now. He is Kiri, my friend, but I cannot lose this fight or Tasuku might die!

He charged much faster than before and forced The Reaper to fight defensively and even forcing him to back off as he slashed faster and stronger than before.

Meanwhile, Drum wasn't doing as well as he tried to fight them one on one. He acted on a tactic taught by Tenbu and it was helping right now. He often backed off after using one attack, just to make sure that he was facing either Joker or Despair and not both of them. He couldn't hit any of them and was forced to only defend himself and not really going to the offensive as long as he was at disadvantage. He blocked Joker next attack and frowned when he blocked the other blade of Joker with the handle of his drill. He tried to push him away, but couldn't. He heard at the last second a voice behind him,

"You're open Drum!"

He activated the thrusters of his drill and pushed Joker with him away from Despair. He turned it around and charged at the darkness dragon. Joker freed himself and flew away while Drum tackled Despair with his drill. Despair blocked the drill, but was pushed away toward the mountain.

Drum yelled as he continued his assault, but the darkness dragon managed to fly below the drill and let Drum continued his charge. The red dragon stopped his thrusters and pointed his drill at the opposite direction before reactivating them again. He prevented himself from crashing against the mountain and turned toward Despair.

The darkness dragon charged at him and said, "Is this all what you can do? Because it is pitiful!"

Drum glared at the darkness dragon and flew toward the sky. He looked behind him and saw Despair following him, but didn't see Joker anywhere. He looked around him and saw the monster made of ice coming at him. He couldn't react in time and was tackled by the frozen monster and was pushed toward where their buddies were fighting. He managed to push Joker away and panted as he saw Despair coming at him and dodged at the last second a punch that was aiming for his face.

Tenbu watched the battle from his spot, acting as if he was gravely injured. The old green dragon wasn't that injured despite how much he was bleeding. He couldn't help them since it was indirectly a part of Azi Dahaka plan and if he intervened, he would die and couldn't afford it. He could only watch powerlessly the battle going on in front of him and hoped that Gao and his buddy will be victorious, They cannot win this fight when they are outnumbered. Drum. Are you ready to overcome this trial? It came sooner than I expected and I hope you can overcome it, even if it's sooner than I wished for.

Drum continued his fight while his buddy was doing better since it was a one versus one. Drum dodged Joker and blocked Despair next attack with his drill before Joker attacked once again and blocked the next drill.

The red dragon continued to fight as he continued his difficult battle, but eventually, he couldn't defend their assault and was caught in a combo. Joker slashed his left shoulder and blood lightly came out of his wound as he managed to block the next one. Despair came and punched the chest of the red dragon and was thrown away from them. He continued his assault and punched violently the snout of the red dragon and blood came out while a few of his fangs felt from his mouth.

Drum took a safe distance, but Despair closed in and whispered, "You know what's sad about your mother?" he punched the stomach of Drum, but his armor absorbed a part of the damage before cracking. He punched the son of the XIII right on his forehead and grabbed the red dragon by his hair as he wasn't completely conscious, "I couldn't slowly kill her and satisfied completely my bloodlust. I can hurt her, by hurting and killing you Drum!" He punched the face again and more teeth felt out of his mouth.

Joker watched this and was about to end this when a sudden gust of wind pushed him away and lost his balance.

Despair felt the wind and wondered what it was just before he was tackled by something. Drum was freed refocused and flew in the air once again.

The Reaper saw something else and backed away when he felt something near him.

The Reaper, his buddy and Despair grouped up just like Drum did.

Gao and Drum searched for who came to help them and saw Phoenix and Kazane joining them.

"Kazane!" Gao yelled surprised before drawing a spellcard and healed his buddy's wound.

Drum's wounded stopped bleeding, but he wasn't fully healed with his lost fangs still missing, but as a dragon, new ones will grow up eventually.

"I'm glad we decided to come," she said with a smile before turning at the three enemies, "This is an unfair battle you are doing here you three. I don't know what's going on, but Gao is my friend and I'm not going to watch this from afar," she drew an item card, but didn't immediately activate it, "That's why I'm going to help you Gao. Whatever is going on, you can count on me."

"If Kazane is willing to give her all, then I'll do the same," Phoenix replied.

The seven watched each other's as the wind blew on them.

Drum watched Despair, he didn't forget what the darkness dragon told him and his blood was still boiling in him. Gao looked at his buddy and said to Kazane, "We are going to take care of Despair Kazane."

"I'll fight against that masked guy and the ice monster," she replied.

The boy nodded, "Drum. Let's beat him together this time."

"Yeah Gao," the red dragon replied.

"Be careful Kazane, The Reaper is strong," the boy warned her.

"Don't worry about me," she replied.

The warrior looked at each other's for a few seconds. Everyone was mentally preparing their strategy and how they were going to fight against each other's. After another gust of wind, they all charged and the battle continued.

Tenbu watched it and sighed in relief when Kazane and her buddy came as reinforcements. He wanted so much to intervene, but couldn't. The only thing he could wish for, was that they were victorious.

AC: This is the end of chapter 103.

Next chapter is the second part of it.