Drum kept watching his buddy fighting against Tasuku. That feeling he got was the worst but kept faith in him and Jackknife. As he looked in the air Jackknife was struggling against Demios as the green dragon couldn't push back the Dark Dragon easily. That made the red dragon uncertain, but Jackknife took a safe distance and panted, his weapon isn't adapted against Demios style. He didn't have that much trouble against me, but it was because of my drill. Demios has a more conventional weapon.

"Now Gao!" Jackknife yelled.

The boy took a safe distance and took out a card, "Jackknife Agressor!"

The green dragon armor now turned into a spiky red armor on his body with solid red claws on his fingers. He blocked the black sword with his own claws and lightly grinned at the dragon knight, who gasped when his sword was trapped, "And this will turn the tight Demios!"

Chapter 142: The Clash Of Friends Part 3

The dragon thought, this isn't even my best form, but right now, the risk is too high, it was something he would only due with Tasuku. He slashed with the blade on his helmet and with an arc, slashed the gut of the dark dragon.

Demios wound wasn't deep, but blood came out of that wound and covered it with his hand, using the other to block his enemy next attack.

"Demios!" he heard his buddy yelled.

"This is nothing Tasuku. I survived worse than a scratch like that," he replied, glaring at the other dragon.

Jackknife frowned, "Then I shall do worse Demios. I wasn't holding back on you, but I will fight harder. I will not accept to lose Tasuku and Drum will not lose his buddy!"

"You think you can claim him back? After everything that happened between you?"

"I know my buddy more than anyone else. That included you. He is still a child, no matter what he is doing, he is just a kid Demios. Can't always say yes to their demands."

"Enough of your words Jackknife," he slashed against, but his blade was blocked once again. He was hit on his shoulder and bled even more. He furiously yelled and slashed, hitting the chest of the green dragon and followed up with a kick on that fresh wound.

He flew away from Demios and prepared for his next attack. He assembled his power and charged with everything he got. Demios flew above and countered. His sword did an arc and aimed for the back of the green dragon, but the helmet blade made the sword bounced on it and they spread up. The two dragons looked in each other's eyes. For a second, they both gazed at the ground and saw their buddy still fighting against each other's. Without a word, the dragons kept their assault, slowly losing altitude and getting closer to the boys.

Tasuku and Gao both lost their sword, left on the ground and simple gazed at each other's. Both were too tired to keep their weapons in their hands. Gao was more of a fighter than a swordsman and it was the same with Tasuku. No words came out of their mouths as blood still came out of their wounds. The battle had been going on for a long time. They both covered their wounds, slowly down the bleeding.

"Gao," the blue-haired boy started. He worryingly looked at his friend, still having a hard time believing that he could wounded his best friend like that.

"You didn't hold back Tasuku," he replied as he stood up, "But I won't go down," he took a deep breath and put himself in his battle stance. He had no weapon, so he decided to fight as his mother taught him, "I will not leave my buddy behind."

The red dragon nodded, arm crossed and lightly smiling, "Win this fight Gao!"

He charged, and the blue-haired boy avoided at the last second his adversary hands. He ducked when the kick came and countered with a kick.

Gao grabbed the foot and tossed Tasuku on the ground. He tried to restrain his friend, but the other boy escaped the grasp and took a safe distance, preparing to counter, but missed the black and red-haired boy. As their struggle continued, it was obvious that Gao was an advantage and was the one dominating the battle. He forced Tasuku to often distance himself, because he would already overwhelm him with his hand to hand superior ability.

Eventually, they both break away when the buddies were getting close to the ground. The dragons landed, and everyone were panting.

"Tasuku-" the boy started.

He cut his friend, "The battle is not over Gao… There is nothing else to say."

"Gao. Are you alright?" the green dragon asked when he noticed the wound.

"I'm fine," came the reply.

Jackknife immediately understood what happened and looked right in the eyes of Tasuku. His eyes reflected his anger and disappointment on the boy's action, something he would never saw the boy actually do this to someone else. Tasuku quickly avoided looking in the eyes of his ex-buddy, "Tasuku! Look at me right now!"

The blue-haired boy did so.

Demios took a step forward, "Do not talk to my buddy like that," he pointed his sword at the green dragon face, but the other dragon paid him no mind.

"You are not the boy I knew before. You've hurt Gao with a sword and you still want to fight like that?"

"We have a mission to accomplish Jack!" his voice sounded a little hesitant. The dragon clearly saw the pain hidden behind his anger. Only the hesitations passed through the filter.

Jackknife knew that he must speak right now. He couldn't hesitate. He was starting to lose his buddy in another way than expected, Demios, he grunted, "Why are you siding with Azi Dahaka?"

"You know why! I am helping them so you can all stay," the boy replied without being specific.

"But Tenchi is gone and you are still doing this," the green dragon countered calmly, preparing to strike hard when he saw the opening.

Demios took a step forward, but his buddy said, "Wait," the dragon reluctantly obeyed, knowing that it wouldn't go the way he expected. Whatever was going might turn badly for him.

The boy replied to his ex-buddy, "But another one will come back. Do you think everything Hinako would do will remain in the next election?"

"That's how the system works Tasuku," the dragon bluntly replied.

"And all of you might get kicked out next time if a Tenchi kind of guy win," the boy replied.

"That is a risk we will all take Tasuku. This is the reality of this world," he frowned, I have to bring it myself. Demios is getting impatient, and asked, "There is something else that is bothering me. What you did to Gao. This is something you would never have done before. Especially when we were together and with the Buddy Police Force."

"I didn't mean that," he replied.

"You wouldn't have made a mistake like that in the first place before Tasuku. You are fighting way harder than before and-"

"But I am fighting for everyone sake! The Buddy Police Force couldn't do anything and let injustice prevail! You saw that! Maybe not anymore, but it will happen again Jack!"

Jackknife raised his voice, "Even so, you just gave up like that! Tell me Tasuku! Do you really think you are fighting in the name of justice right now?"

"Because I am protecting people with Demios!"

"And fighting your friend is about justice, or a justification?"

Tasuku couldn't directly replied as Demios answered, "You forgot that we are loyal to Azi Dahaka. His words must be followed. Even if it is about attacking friends. We can at least make sure they don't get too hurt if they fight back."

"Tasuku!" Jackknife yelled and made sure the boy gave his attention to him, "Tell me the true! When you were fighting by their side. Do you think everything was in the name of justice? Do you?" he got no answer and continued his verbal offensive, "I know you very well Tasuku. You might never show it, but I'm sure that you are feeling doubt about joining them. You are doubting it right?"

"No! I know I made the right choice Jack! This is the only choice I could take!" he yelled at his ex-buddy.

Demios grunted, "I heard enough!" and charged. His blade never hit the green dragon as it bounced on a blue dragon shield. The shield remained in his way.

"Tasuku!" Gao yelled, before saying, "There wasn't only one choice. I made my own to help people too!"

"But you are back with the Buddy Police Force Gao. What would you do when-"

"I'll do the same! But I will not simply join someone who might have sinister intention!" he stopped himself from saying like you to his friend. It would be cruel to spell it like that.

Jackknife yelled, "Tasuku!" before the boy could reply, "Don't try to lie to me! I know you are saying that because you are stubborn! I know you don't want to admit that you've made a mistake!"

"I didn't make a mistake!" the boy furiously yelled.

Jackknife closed his eyes and softly said, "Tasuku. You are still a kid. With everything going on since I came, you tried to grow up faster than you should have. Even so, you are, and you still remain a child," he lightly smiled at the boy, "That's why you are getting so angry right now. Tasuku," he turned his attention at Demios, as the blue dragon shield was about to disappear, "I will show you the error of your way! I will make you realise that you made a mistake and make you accept it! It is only then that you will be able to move forward! That's why… I AM GOING TO DEFEAT YOU DEMIOS!"

The green dragon charged towards the other and readied his claws. He grabbed the sword the darkness dragon used to defend himself and aimed with the blade of his helmet.

Tasuku took out a spell card and created a Darkness Dragon shield on which the blade bounced on.

Demios tail grabbed the other dragon by the throat and squeezed it.

Jackknife couldn't breath. He used on of his hand to slash the tail while the other tried to maintain the sword in his grasp. It was clear that the first one who gave in would be either wounded or defeated. The green dragon used everything he had, and the claws entered deeper in the flesh of the tail, causing from the darkness dragon an involuntary reaction as he immediately released the throat and returned to him. Despite that, the dark dragon used his chance to free his blade and take a safe distance.

"You think you can defeat me Jackknife? I will show you how wrong you are," he readied his blade and charged.

Jackknife avoided the sword and yelled, "Now Gao!"

The boy took out a spellcard and yelled, "Jackknife Thunder Storm!"

The green dragon now wore a blue armor with shining blue spikes on it. Those spikes looked more like crystal charged with some strange energy.

The green dragon flew higher and when he was high enough, he remained stationary. The crystal spikes started to shine every brighter as he prepared his attack.

Demios instinct told him that something bad would happen and immediately charged, "I won't let you!"

"Demios! Don't approach him!" Tasuku quickly yelled, but he was too late. The dark dragon didn't hear the boy. He quickly took a spell card and saw Gao already had one out and used it.

"Dragon Breath!"

The blue-haired boy saw the flame coming at him. He quickly realised he couldn't dodge it and used the Darkness Dragon shield to protect himself. The flame didn't pass the shield, but it was all that Gao wanted. That his friend used his spell on himself.

"Jackknife told me that you would saw that attack coming," Gao lightly chuckled. The boy started to pant in exhaustion.

Jack… the boy looked in the air. The blue-haired boy was also panting.

It was the first time the two children were feeling exhausted like that. They never felt that way before when they fought in a fight with their buddies.

Demios was close to the green dragon when he saw that dragon grinning at him, "Looks like you didn't hear Tasuku. Because he knows what's coming!" He pointed his blade at him but didn't approach the other dragon.

Dammit! the dark dragon quickly realised his mistake. He tried to change his course but wasn't fast enough.

"Thunder Raid!" the green dragon yelled as he threw a beam of lightning at his adversary.

Demios was hit right on his face and screamed as his inside was shocked by the beam. Once it was over, he could barely see, as he felt from the sky. It wasn't long before he felt pain, as he crashed on the ground. Afterward, nothing. Only darkness greeted him.

"Demios!" Tasuku yelled as he joined his buddy with slow and heavy steps. He put his hand on the dark dragon snout but didn't react.

"Tasuku. You've lost," Gao declared as his weapon turned back into a card. His shoulder went down with his arms towards the ground, maintaining his balance, but with some difficulty.

"I know," he saw Jackknife landing near him, "But that doesn't mean that I'll come back."

"I know this Tasuku. There is one thing you must truthfully answer me Tasuku. I know you too well and you know that I'm right," he repeated, "I'm sure you've realised that you follow the wrong path and made a mistake. Don't try to deny it. I want you to tell me the true. No more lies! That's what I ask for our victory! The true!"

"Tasuku. Tell us what you really think," Gao said as he put his hand over his head, feeling that to become a little heavy.

"Give up that stubborn attitude. It never ends well," Drum commented as the humans and the other dragon knew why he commented that. The red dragon checked on his buddy, getting a little anxious, you're okay Gao?

"What I think?" Tasuku whispered as he also put his hand on his forehead. He panted for a few seconds, before looking in the eyes of his buddy. He thought of everything that went on, everything that he did as a member of Disaster and a Purgatory Knight. He didn't do bad things, but those who are with Kyoya aren't all the nicest people, especially Davide. He still doubted that everything would be fine with the Buddy Police Force, but he knew Commander I much more than Kyoya. The little he knew about Azi Dahaka told him that he could be a dangerous dragon, but only as a possibility, "I…" he thought of the time with Demios and compared them with Jackknife. The reason he came here and fought Gao, the fact that he wounded his friend, the pain he felt for that and the regret, "I…" Jack… You're right. I would never have… he sobbed, "I… Jack," a tear felt from his left eye, as he looked at the green dragon, "I believe I made a… mistake," he felt on his knees and it was difficult to keep them open, "Jack-" he almost felt on the ground when he felt scaly hands holding him. He saw that Jackknife was the one holding him.

"You're tired Tasuku," he commented.

The boy put his hand on the gut of the green dragon and added, "It wasn't… justice," and closed his eyes, saying nothing else.

"What's going on?" Drum asked the other dragon.

"They fought hard and used their power. They both reached their limits," the dragon answered.

The red dragon turned around and saw Gao on the ground, also asleep.

"The spells they used was more powerful than usual. They didn't hold back at all, until they were empty. If it was an Impact Card, they would have been dead," the green dragon concluded.

Drum took his real form and grabbed his buddy, "They are wounded, what should we do?"

"Let's bring them to the hospital, they need to be treated," he replied to the other dragon.

"What do we explain?" the red dragon nervously asked as Jackknife checked on Demios.

"We have to bring him too," he said.

"How?"

"I have an idea. Drum, go get what we need to force him to be in his SD form, I'll bring the two kids at the hospital," he said.

"Right," he replied.

The two dragons split up and went their own way.

AC: This is the end of this chapter. The resolution is cut for the next one.

Next Chapter: Reconnect.