Chapter 105: The Sky Battle Part 3
Joker flew as fast as he could toward his buddy and Kazane to end their battle and focus on fighting Gao and Drum. He closed the distance, but when he was close, he was tackled on his flank and pushed far away. He saw green feathers and knew it was Phoenix who came back.
Joker didn't have a second to wonder how Phoenix managed to join him when he was hit by metallic feathers on his frozen body. His body cracked even more and he took a safe distance from the giant bird.
"This ice is cracking up," he commented before chuckling at his lamest joke ever made. He was then a little nervous, he knew that when he made really bad joke like that, he felt that he was in trouble. He could feel the air entering in the cracks, which meant that it was getting too close to his more important part of his body that he had to protect, I cannot let Phoenix reach Kiri. I am his buddy and I have to protect him. Just like before and forever!
He looked toward Phoenix, but the green bird wasn't below or in front of him. He then saw a green feather gently falling near him and he froze in place for a few seconds before looking above him.
Phoenix was there with his wings closed, but he was preparing something. When he opened his wings, his feathers felt from the sky with the air spinning around them as it added more speed to them.
Joker instinct immediately told him he couldn't block all of them and he will suffer grave wound if he was hit. He frowned as he told himself, I cannot lose this fight! Not in front of Kiri!
He decided to show a little more of his power. He crossed his blades together and dropped until he was below a cloud and froze the air, creating a shield made of ice. The feathers hit the shield and cracked it. Joker hoped it would hold up and it then broke. Joker saw only a few feathers and parried them with his arms when another one pierced his neck.
"No," he said as he felt his strength dropped. He checked the feather and realised it wasn't as deep as he thought, but his strength was diminishing. He looked up and saw Phoenix flying toward the two humans still fighting, I'll protect you Kiri!
He concentrated his power and used the fragment of the ice shield and threw them toward Phoenix. He chuckled with some satisfaction when he saw the ice wounding him. He was glad that he protected Kiri, when he saw Phoenix falling toward the ground with him. Their battle was over.
Kazane and The Reaper continued their battle in the sky as their weapon collided. She remembered how lucky she was to use her defensive spell against his offensive one, but she knew that it would get harder for her to keep up this way.
As they continued fighting, Kazane told herself that she should fight more aggressively or she will only cause trouble to Gao, but it didn't help her. She eventually was hit on her face and was sent farther from The Reaper.
Dammit. Why can't I give everything I have? I know I can fight harder than that? She asked herself.
She blocked the next assault of the masked boy and continued to fight defensively.
"Is it all what you can do?" The Reaper asked without a mocking tone or anything disgraceful.
She blocked his next attack at the last second and grunted as she used everything she had to push him away, but it didn't work.
"I know you can do much better than that Kazane. You have much more power than you think, but you aren't using it," The Reaper said.
She didn't reply and continued trying to push the blade away from her head.
"Why aren't you using everything you have?" he asked her.
She didn't reply as she blocked the assault of The Reaper.
"I guess you aren't someone who likes to cause pain to everyone or afraid to kill me. You are someone who's too kind to fight like me," he said as he continued his assault.
Kazane continued blocking the assault as she was pushed away a little. She felt as if he cornered her as he dominated the battle and she could only try to resist it. She knew what he meant and that he was right. She was afraid to kill him or anyone around her. She also didn't like to cause pain, but if it was to help more people, she could overcome her hesitation. The problem was that it was a deadly battle and not as the competition. She could fight anyone with what she had when victory wasn't dictated by death and not the opposite.
She dodged a kick of The Reaper and gazed at her friend and his buddy. She saw that they had some problem fighting the darkness dragon and if she lost the fight, then it could cost their life. She gulped and repeated in her mind that she fought to help a friend.
As she repeated that, she continued to block the assault of The Reaper and ended her bad situation. She blocked with more ease as she told herself that she fought for her friends.
She managed to push the scythe away from her and started to fight back. She swung her sword and slowly pushed The Reaper, but The Reaper wasn't showing any sign of nervousness.
Kazane wondered how she could come out victorious of the fight and searched for a strategy. She didn't have anything in her mind right now, but thought about her spellcards and thought that maybe using one at the right moment will help her. Sadly for her, she knew that now wasn't the time to use it.
As she blocked the next attack of the Reaper, she saw Phoenix falling down with many wounds with Joker falling down with him. The Reaper punched her face and brought her back to the fight as she blocked the assault coming at her.
"You easily lose focus when you saw your buddy wounded, but you should think of yourself if you don't want to die," The Reaper warned her before slashing with his scythe.
She dodged at the last second, but the hood of her shirt was teared in two pieces. She looked at it flying away before gazing at him.
The Reaper was ready to face her fury, but Kazane just looked at him with seriousness.
I almost there right now, Kazane thought, If I died, I'll leave Phoenix and mom behind. Also, Gao and Drum needs my help. I cannot lose no matter what, she declared in her mind.
She readied her sword and shield. The Reaper knew that something was different when Kazane looked at him. He knew she was mentally ready to give her all, but he wondered for how long she could maintain that focus. Their battle continued as Kazane made her stand. There were not fighting at equal strength and no one could take the upper hand over the other's.
Kazane managed to hit the Reaper's face with her shield and followed up with a kick before he blocked her sword as she tried to disarm him.
They took a safe distance and looked at each other's for a few seconds as they regained their breath.
"So this is what you can really do," The Reaper said before they continued the fight.
Drum stood in front of Gao as he blocked the bloody claw of the darkness dragon. He painfully grunted as his arms twisted against the strength of the dragon as the metallic surface of his drill lightly cracked. The red dragon looked in the eyes of the darkness dragon who glared at him.
"Think you can protect your buddy for long Drum?" Despair asked furiously.
Gao flew below the darkness dragon and slashed with his sword.
Despair dodged the blade of the boy and used his tail to hit Drum's face.
Drum put his hand over his forehead and painfully grunted as he tried to follow the darkness dragon that went toward Gao.
"Gao!" Drum yelled as he followed Despair who started attacking Gao.
The boy blocked one attack, but was pushed away. He used his buddy skills to stop being thrown away and saw the darkness dragon coming at him with murderous glares. The boy dodged the claws and didn't try to dodge Despair assault, knowing that his strength was much stronger than him and it could hurt him.
Drum grabbed the wrist and crushed it with his strength and said, "I will protect Gao Despair. I won't lose anyone else by you!" He threw Despair away and continued, "Today is the day you are going down."
He charged at Despair as he yelled loudly his fury.
Tenbu sighed in relief when he saw that Drum wasn't berserk and hoped that it would continue that way. He watched the other's fighting and saw that Kazane was still holding on against The Reaper. He looked at Gao and saw that the boy drew a spell card, ready to use it when it would be necessary.
Drum blocked the attacks of Despair as he continued to glare at the one who murdered his mother long ago. He blocked the claws of the darkness dragon with his drill and when he saw an opening, he spun and kicked the face of his enemy. He then readied his next attack when Despair threw his bloody claws at him. Drum was directly hit by it and many wounds appeared on his chest and gut as his armor didn't protect him. The red dragon saw his enemy coming at him, ready to kill him when a blue dragon shield appeared and saved his life.
"And I will also protect Drum!" Gao yelled as he drew another spellcard, "Because of that! We won't lose against you!"
Drum coughed before charging at Despair again. The darkness dragon turned around and charged at Gao. The boy knew that fighting him was useless and just flew away from Despair.
Meanwhile, Drum activated his drill thrusters and gained speed and momentum, quickly catching Despair in term of speed. He activated his drill and tried to hit Despair, but the darkness dragon dodged him and the red dragon managed to stop his momentum near Gao and stood protectively in front of his buddy.
Despair prepared his next attack when he heard something near him. He saw a spell coming at him.
"Draconic Destroy!" Gao yelled.
The darkness dragon yelled painfully as his scales were burned, but quickly spun around himself and the fire died down. He blocked Drum's attack and threw him behind him before charging at the boy.
"Prepare to die Gao! This is what happens to those who insult me!" Despair yelled as he claimed more blood on his claws.
Gao smiled as he used another spellcard, "Blue Dragon Shield!"
Despair crashed against the shield.
"You were easy to block Despair," Gao replied with his smile. His smile then disappeared as he continued, "And you are not going to win against us."
"He's right!" Drum yelled as he punched Despair skull with his fist.
The darkness dragon grunted painfully as his vision was lightly obscured, but regained his focus as he turned around. He blocked Drum's next attack and countered with a powerful punch in the gut, breaking drum's armor.
Drum painfully grunted as his breastplate felt on the ground. He was punched on his chest before blocking the next attack with his drill.
"I will not lose against you!" Despair yelled.
Drum and Gao looked at the darkness dragon who readied his claws.
"Gao will eventually be too exhausted to continue using his spellcards and this will be the moment he'll die. Then you will be next Drum and be a new part of my collection," Despair concluded before flying toward Drum.
AC: This is the end of chapter 105.
Next chapter: Partial Victory.