A day passed since Gao and Drum visited Jackknife at the hospital. Gao and his buddy were in their chamber. Drum was eating pudding, but with a little less appetite than before and wondered what they could do. They knew who the enemies were, but it was pretty much it. They didn't know where Kyoya lived, how could they defeat Azi Dahaka and prevent Tenchi from winning the elections while helping Hinako to win it. They were at a lost.

Drum finished his second pudding, but didn't pick the third one as he looked outside, How can we defeat a dragon who is so much more powerful than us? Being a team might be good, but Azi Dahaka isn't alone with his Purgatory Knights and Kyoya spellcards. We don't even know how good Kyoya is!

He closed his eyes and calmed down. He knew it was useless to grow over worried and looked at his buddy.

Gao was looking at a manga that his brother made as if he could find something to help him with everything that was going on. The boy remembered that when he reached a few times of hesitations and question in his mind, he often looked at the manga and found guidance toward an answer, but this time, he couldn't see anything. He closed the manga and sighed, Guess that I cannot find anything to help me in your manga big brother. I guess we have to find it on our own.

"Are you alright Gao?" Drum asked as he walked by his side.

"Yeah," he lightly smiled at his buddy, "With everything going on, I'm not sure what we can do."

The red dragon lightly chuckled, "Me neither. Arresting Despair is one thing holding me back Gao. Since the moment I lost my mother, there was something in me that I wasn't aware of, but when I saw Despair on Earth, it exploded into rage... But now, that's over and I can finally really look forward," he added, "This is an adult situation and neither of us are."

"But we are the only one who can do something about it," Gao replied.

Drum looked at the manga and asked, "Can I see it?"

"Sure. I sometime read it when things get difficult to help me, but it's not really working this time," Gao replied.

Drum started looking at it and asked, "You're brother made it?"

"Yes," Gao answered.

The dragon started reading the manga, feeling that it was helping calming his nerves.

Chapter 109: Welcome In The Purgatory Knight

Baku was walking outside, his mind thinking about everything that was going on right now. His buddy Axia wasn't with him since he was busy with trying to improve the spellcards they might have to use against their enemies and Baku wanted to get some fresh air alone.

The boy thought about Gao and was worried for his friend. He noticed that Gao's mood had got worse as time went on with everything and he understood him. If Tenchi won the elections, it was good-bye for their buddies. But the addition of Azi Dahaka plan that no one knew and the obvious incapacity to trust Seiichi in the Buddy Police Force was aggravating the problem for everyone.

He sighed and when he was about to turn around, his cellphone rang. He picked it up and said, "Moshi Moshi."

"-Hi Baku,-" a voice said.

The boy recognised the voice and said, "Noboru! You're finally calling."

"-What do you mean finally? I am currently getting use to my new home and I didn't have time to call you!-" Noboru yelled defensively.

Baku lightly smiled, "It's good to hear you."

"-You all missed me... Don't tell Gao!-" Noboru ordered.

"I won't. So... Why did you call?"

"-I wanted to talk with Gao, but he didn't pick up, so I called you. I saw the news. Tenchi is currently ahead in the elections and I also saw what's going on with the Buddy Police Force. Things are really bad for you since I left,-" he explained with some guilt in his voice.

"If it was only that Noboru. Tenchi just one of the problem, since I'm sure it's also with the Buddy Police Force problem. We just learned yesterday that Azi Dahaka used the Dark Core to do something like... Corrupting Kiri who became the Reaper and Tasuku has been kidnapped."

"-What?! Things turned that bad?-" Noboru yelled surprised and his voice was shaking a little.

"Yeah. We guess that it was probably Azi Dahaka, since he also wanted to give Tasuku a Dark Core," he said.

"-Gao also got one, but it's broken... Do you think Azi will try to kidnap him?-"

Baku realised they didn't think about that, "I don't know, but we didn't even think about that."

"-I really wish I was here to help you and- Sorry. I got to hang up now. Talk to you later,-"

"Bye," Baku replied.

The boy looked at his cellphone, "And now Noboru is getting worried," he lightly smiled, "It was good to talk to him," his cellphone rang again. He answered and when he heard who was calling him, he frowned for a second and replied, "Fine. I'll meet you later."

Tasuku was in his new chamber in Kyoya manor and looked around. He had been awaked for a while as he looked around. While he was alone, he was wondering how Jackknife was feeling right now. He knew that Jackknife must been worried sick for him and might searched for him everywhere.

The boy wasn't aware that the green dragon was at the hospital, healing up from his wounds he got and no one except Jackknife knew who wounded him.

The door of his chamber opened and it was a darkness dragon that entered. Tasuku expected Demios to welcome him, but it was Troubadour who came. He looked at the boy and the dragon face showed that he was surprised, but he thought he saw something else for a second.

"Hello Troubadour," Tasuku told him.

The darkness dragon nodded toward him and entered in the room. He closed the door and lean against it.

Tasuku knew was something the dragon wanted to talk about, since he was leaning against the door, which opened from his side, "What is it?"

Troubadour seemed to carefully listening outside the chamber for a second before he started to talk, "I have just one question to ask you Tasuku. Just one."

"Ask it," the boy replied, wondering what could be that question he wanted to ask in private.

"Whatever we said, won't go outside of this room. So don't speak about this to anyone else," the darkness dragon warned him. Tasuku nodded and the dragon was satisfied with it, "I was wondering why you left your buddy Jackknife behind and came here. You are happy with Jackknife and you have a strong chemistry together. I was sure you would never abandon him for anything," he said with a hint of accusatory meaning behind his words.

Tasuku lightly frowned, but didn't react at the accusatory tone of his voice, "We had a few problems lately. It's not just small ones," he looked away from the darkness dragon, "With everything going on, Jackknife and I weren't agreeing really well anymore," he sighed, "With Commander I out of the Buddy Police Force and Seiichi in command..."

Troubadour lightly smiled, "You were afraid of losing Jackknife and that the monsters were kicked out of Earth like Drum?"

"Yes, but Jackknife said that everything will be better if we stay in the Buddy Police Force, but I know it won't work. That's why I came."

The darkness dragon heard someone coming, "I understand. I promise I won't say anything."

Troubadour walked outside the room and left Tasuku alone.

The boy thought about the question and understood why he looked at him that way, He was wondering why I left Jackknife behind and if I just wanted to leave him behind... I think. The boy stopped wondering what Troubadour had in his mind when Demios entered in the chamber.

"Hello Tasuku," Demios said. He paused for a few seconds, looking a little unsure about how he could interact with the boy in a more casual way, "Did you... rest well?"

"Yes," the boy replied, finding a little funny that the leader of the Purgatory Knights had trouble casually talking to him.

The darkness dragon saw the boy little grin and took one step closer as his eyes seemed to shine brightly, "What's so funny?"

"N-nothing," Tasuku replied as he looked away from the dragon.

Demios sighed and after a few seconds, talked, "Tasuku. Will you come with me? It is time you meet the other Purgatory Knights and something else I said to Azi Dahaka."

The boy nodded and followed the darkness dragon in the corridors of the manor. As they kept walking, the boy wondered one thing and asked, "Are all of your soldiers here?"

"No. I only have a few of them with me here. Azi Dahaka can defend himself without any problem, as you saw it yourself. We are here to fight against the criminals of the city when the Buddy Police Force isn't doing their job," Demios briefly said. He lightly smiled, "You already met Troubadour who is very annoying, but a strong and loyal soldier. Do not underestimate this musician or he's going to be the one who get you."

"What d-" the boy stopped asking that question, but the dragon saw it coming.

"What did I talk with Azi Dahaka? You'll see soon enough. This is something that is making me a little excited."

Tasuku wondered why Demios was a little excited, but it felt like he was about to obtain something he wanted.

They reached a door and the duo heard a few dragons talking behind it. Tasuku didn't understand anything as they were talking in their primitive language. He heard the dragons grunting and one of them hissing. He heard something and saw Demios putting his hand on his face as if he understood something he didn't. The leader of the Purgatory Knight knocked the door loudly twice. The boy heard everyone in the room running as fast as they could, probably taking positions. He even heard one who seemed to be dragged on the ground and that his claws were trying to resist whoever was dragging him. Once it was quiet, Demios opened the door and Tasuku saw the Purgatory Knights present were all assembled in a line, except for one of them who obviously were dragged on the ground, based on the trace of claws and where it ended to.

Demios spoke, "Those are my soldiers who served under my commands."

"Yep," the one who was dragged replied.

The leader of the Purgatory Knight turned toward Tasuku, "I invite you here because there are a few things that I want to make it official, if you accept."

"What is it?" Tasuku asked.

"We should wait for someone to come. He is late," Demios grunted as he looked at the door where they entered.

The next second, Troubadour entered in the room, trying to be discreet, but everyone looked at him. Demios tail was tapping the ground as he glared at his late soldier.

"Sorry. I really needed to use the bathroom," the troubadour dragon replied before nervously chuckling as Demios walked closer, glaring at him doubtfully, "You also didn't say when."

His leader didn't reply and pointed at his soldiers. Troubadour joined his brothers in arm.

Demios grumbled about how much troublesome some of his soldiers could be before he turned toward Tasuku, "I want to make it official and I always do it in front of my soldiers."

Tasuku noticed Troubadour looking away for one second before focusing on Demios. The boy wondered what it was when he heard Demios searching something in his breastplate.

"Now that you joined Kyoya and our ruler Azi Dahaka, you will need to fight those criminals without the restriction of Senchi and to make sure that Tenchi doesn't win the election. To accomplish this, you will need a buddy yourself and this is why," Demios took out his deck case and presented it to Tasuku, "I am to become your buddy and succeed in this mission no matter what. If you accept, you will become one of us, a Purgatory Knight."

"But-" Tasuku hesitated, but Demios continued.

"I can see the strength in your heart and my soldiers too. I believe in your power and your will, which is why I want to become your buddy, if you accept of course."

Tasuku looked at the deck case. He knew that the moment he picked it up, it meant that he would really left Jackknife behind. But if he refused to pick it, he also wouldn't be able to protect anyone from criminals and prevent Tenchi to win the elections. He hesitated to make his choice for a minute, the question spinning in his head while the Purgatory Knights watched the boy without saying any word.

Tasuku eventually grabbed the deck case and said, "I'll accept," without being able to smile.

Demios nodded, hiding his joy as he saw the expression on the boy's face and replied, "Thank you."

There was a celebration as Tasuku looked at the deck case. He noticed one card that had armor drew on it. He said nothing when Demios offered something to eat for Tasuku and he accepted it.

AC: This is the end of this chapter.

Next: Faith.