September 10th, 2030

It was due to Arkaid's words that Ms. Fridrik give me another day off. However, it wasn't for the purpose of rest; quite the opposite. However, Arkaid offered to have me work even harder on the next day in order to catch up to Alvis and Abigail, who were already working on the murder case. According to what Fridrik told me, Abigail and Alvis are working with the DMW here, as well as the Buddy Police, to look for leads on who the murderer was and, hopefully, find more Dark Core Deck Cases in the process. After the event with that punk with the Shadow Shades, the murder suspect was also noted as someone with an access to more Dark Core Deck Cases.

The only reason why I agreed to work extra in order to catch up was due to meeting the Cavalry Dragons. Arkaid felt that it was time for me to meet with the Cavalry Dragons, informing me that I, from now on, would be heavily involved with them. I wasn't too happy about that; I still remember Arkaid telling me that my reputation with them was already low. When Arkaid used her, according to her words, Omni Call, a light-blue warp was created. It's gates like this one that allowed monsters to come from their words to ours in the first place. Still, I was hesitant to go in it first, for this was the first time I was going to go to another world.

Arkaid and I went through the warp. Before I could get a good grasp of my surroundings the warp closed behind us. I found myself in a darker room with the walls and floors paneled with dark wood and brick. However, the brick itself was not the average type; it was a dark red/brown color that seemed to carry the same color as the furniture she brought to my room. It was then when I noticed certain circles on the floor, showing areas where tables and desks used to be. Along the walls were a lot of bookshelves. Unlike my apartment, this living space was extremely long. Only about a fifth of the books were missing, which I assumed to be the ones she brought to my apartment. The rest were left here. We were in her home.

Arkaid stepped forward as she looked around. She was heading for the door as she turned her head towards a small collection of weaponry. "Would you like one of these?" They were simpler swords; much more conventional than the Fifth Omni sword I used to fight against the Shadow Shades. These were weapons I'd expect to see in an older variation of Earth. The sight of lanterns on the walls made me begin to realize that Dragon World may be a bit underdeveloped. "I figure that you should take one and a sheath and wear it. As a member of our Cavalry, I do not wish for you to be underprepared while out in the open."

Somewhat eagerly, I went over and grasped the one with a decent hand-guard. One thing that I knew about swords is that, commonly, a tactic is to slash at the fingers to make a user drop the sword from the pain. That's what you would expect from a normal cross guard, but this sword had a knuckle guard that protected the front part of my hand. It was a black color with yellow-gold crossing around the middle of it. The blade was long and thin, resembling that of a rapier. After checking the weight of it I started to feel much more appreciative of the weapon. Next to it was a sheath that had a material that resembled a belt, to which I quickly took. I loved swords, and I always wanted one. I guess you could say that this made me relive a bit of the fantasies I used to have before I realized the barbaric aspects from Medieval-Aged Earth. "Something a bit light. I was never a fan of those gigantic swords in conventional combat."

"Oh?" Arkaid asked curiously. "Does that mean you don't like the Fifth Omni Sword?"

"I do, but I wouldn't use it in conventional combat… at least until I get a bit stronger," I remarked as I wrapped the belt around me. The sheath was laid against my side as I slid the sword into it. Even though Arkaid thought I was out of place without a sword, a part of me still felt out of place due to me carrying a sword while wearing a casual hooded sweatshirt. "I also always wanted to get into fencing."

"Interesting. I think Meglax would be able to get along with you then."

"Meglax?" Arkaid answered by heading for the door once again. After opening it, I was greeted with a strong burst of sunlight. The outdoors showed party cloud skies that seemingly slid across the tall, rolling hills. Mountains in the distance pierced the sky as the green landscape showed the seemingly uninhabited space around us. Arkaid turned to me, gesturing me to step forward with a few waves from her hand. Slowly, I stepped out of the house, soon realizing that it was a part of a hill behind us. She lived in a way that blended in with the environment. I kept silently gawking at the means of which this place was built. I almost didn't want to leave.

Arkaid smiled softly as she saw my child-like eyes. "I'm glad you find my residence impressive," she stated. "I won't be living here much longer, though. None of us are."

"What do you mean?"

A calm, masculine voice came from above. "Things are slowly changing." Arkaid and I raised our heads to see a green, humanoid dragon sitting on the top of the hill covering Arkaid's house. His long, brown hair drifted against the soft breeze from above. Just by looking at him I saw a Robin Hood ascetic to him, especially from his green tunic, pants, and hat. At his side was a glowing gold and green longbow. I found it particularly strange that he wasn't holding any quiver, yet the glowing nature of the now made me think that it carried mystical properties. He leaped onto our level and first looked to me with his blue-green eyes, analyzing me as he looked over every part of my body. "You're not wearing your suit. I hope Arkaid didn't inform you to wear your current set of clothes."

At first, I found myself rather hesitant to speak. Even so, I forced out a response. I didn't want to lie to him, especially when I was making my first impression. "I wear clothes like this when I'm not working. Anyways, what were you on about before? What's changing?"

"Did Arkaid not tell you?" The green dragon looked over to Arkaid, only to be greeted with a shaking head. "I guess now's the best time," he continued to speak in a calm yet disappointed tone. "The Cavalry dragons are looking to expand on Earth. The Fifth Omni Armordragons are going to take up residence here to protect Tenbu."

"What's with the change?"

"It's come to our attention that monsters that partner with humans are able to achieve great feats of strength and power. Gao Mikado and Ex-Fifth Omni Lord, Drum are superb examples," the green dragon continued. He spoke as if he was going through an organized speech. His tone went from highs to lows depending on the different parts of his speech. "The Armordragons are also more equipped for defensive measures. Our Lord, Tenbu, surmised that the Cavalry Dragons, due to our more 'agile' nature, should use our abilities on Earth as a form of Recon while also working to keep things peaceful on Earth."

"O-oh, I think she actually told me that…. Is something happening soon?" My heart was beginning to race. At the time, I figured that the only reason why they were doing this is because they predict something's about to go awry. It's like when older countries prepared troops years in advance for wars.

"No, but we believe that the Earth needs to be safeguarded due to its new nature," the dragon continued. I let out a sigh of relief as the green dragon hid a chuckle. "Monsters, all the time, are starting to live on Earth after leaving their original worlds. As your world appears to grow, so do the problems that arise. Seeing as how a powerful force could come and wipe away your great world, we need to be ready."

"How long, exactly?"

"Till the end of time," the green dragon replied straightforwardly. "The other Omni Lords are doing such things; keeping their cavalries in the know. But forgive me, that is for another time, and for someone who is completely sure on joining our quest. I also didn't address to you my name. I am the Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon of the Wind Bow, Meglax."

As I was about to reach out for a handshake, Meglax bowed to me. To quickly make up for my error, I retracted my hand and quickly bowed back. Meglax looked over and noticed my blade, humming to himself with interest. "I see that Arkaid has given you a rapier. A light and precise weapon."

"My sight isn't good enough for a bow," I added. "I normally wear glasses due to me being near-sighted."

"Unfortunate," Meglax returned. "What is good, however, is that process is being made quite quickly. Now three of the seven Cavalry Dragons have buddies."

"Wait, there are other humans here? In this Fifth Omni compound?"

Meglax nodded. "I'll take you to them. Some of the other Cavalry Dragons should be with them.

Meglax and Arkaid led me to another area of the compound. From what I was able to discern, the protected area for the Fifth Omni Lord rested between a series of mountains and hills circling around it. The environment seemingly had the will to protect this one area, almost like Tenbu's influence affected the world around him. As we appeared to get close to what appeared to be another secluded area, I felt the need to tell Arkaid what I just realized.

"So your business, the person you spent a month or two on Earth looking for, you were looking for a buddy?"

Arkaid nodded before looking up to the clearing skies. "There were a few candidates. I wanted to find someone that showed true conviction in the field of monsters. So, when I started checking the top two Districts of Monster Welfare locations on your world, I was bound to run into someone like you."

"Kind of makes me wonder what would've happened if I didn't meet you," I replied in a morose tone. "If I didn't meet you, then…."

"We became buddies once you came back for me," Arkaid replied with a soft smile. "Remember? You knew I needed someone's help and you promised you'd come help me with my theory on Deck Cases. Once our conversation ended, I knew my buddy should be you."

Meglax nodded. "She's basically saying it's foolish to think that, Chase," he continued. "You two were able to meet because you were you. If you weren't you, then you wouldn't have gone back to help Arkaid. You wouldn't have worked with the District of Monster Welfare. You'd be someone else completely."

"… Thanks, actually," I replied in a soft tone. "That helped calm down a bit."

"Unlike most of the others, I'm willing to give you a chance," Meglax replied. "Right now, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. But, if we know your will is weak, then consider yourself gone."

We reached an area separate from the others. A lake had an island in the middle with a small bridge giving us room to cross. In the distance, I saw three more dragon men sitting around one other humanoid figure. As I got closer I put on my glasses for a better view. A girl, who looked mature to only be a few years younger than me, training in the middle of the three dragons. She wore short jeans and a white tank top. She wore brown leather gauntlets around her arms and hands and sported worker's boots. Her pink hair was tied back in a pony-tail, which swayed with her movements. Her red eyes instilled a sense of power while her jabs and kicks were smooth and powerful as she struck the air around her with such intense passion. After a few jabs and kicks, she was on the ground doing some pushups. Arkaid sighed, soon turning to me with annoyed eyes. "She's an impressive human, and I don't mind buddies matching, but I think she matches with Doble a bit too much."

Before I could speak up, one of the three humanoid dragons stood up. The dragon, which I assumed was Doble, had crimson scales and sun-blonde hair. He carried a confident grin on his face as he approached his buddy with a green vest covering the upper portion of his silver armor. He was only slightly taller than her, but he still expressed a sense of excitement as he stood in front of the sweating girl. She was breathing heavily, but her face expressed a strong sense of determination that rivaled any other person I've met. Doble pounded his chest plate as he let out an excited yell. "Okay, Rikka! Bring it!"

The two rushed for each other with nothing but aggressive fists. I was on edge, for one hit from a dragon like that could easily knock the girl off her feet. However, the girl weaved and seemingly slid along Doble's punches. The two continued to exchange blows as I noticed the two other Cavalry Dragons watching the spar from afar. One dragon was mostly orange yet carried red patterns across his body. He was about the same height as Rikka, making him out to be only five and a half feet tall. He wore a green scarf that covered his face which flowed along his long, purple hair as he cheered eccentrically. His armor was mostly silver with green and yellow lining. Next to him was a spear with three small drills at the end of it. At the base from where the drills were placed was a green buckler shield, displaying a defensive aspect of the normally offensive weapon.

The spar between Rikka and Doble brought my vision a bit to the left. A dragon man, taller than Alliot by about a foot and a half, stretched his body out against the nearby tree. His armor was similar to that of a samurai, with the brown thigh pads and guards protruding slightly outward from his waist. The guards and pads reached his black shin and leg guards. His shoulder pads carried the same color of his armor, but on his main body had armor like that of a cloak. What struck me were the black and white colors on the dragon. His body was primarily a solid black color with the front of his torso and mouth retaining a solid white shade.

Right next to him was a smaller girl. She looked to be only a few inches taller than five feet. Her dark-black and long hair draped along all sides of her head. She appeared to be weary and tired. Her purple robe and boots curled and folded as she slowly drifted in and out of slumber. The black dragon was watching her closely until we were getting close. The sparring stopped as the group turned to face up.

The red dragon, which I assumed to be Doble, was the first to make a move. He wiped some sweat from his forward as he, while laughing, approached us with a large sword resting against his blade. He grinned as he began to speak. "Well, the office guy is here." Doble turned to the others. "I guess we're going corporate now." His voice was fiery and intense, similar to that of his buddy.

Rikka snickered. "Ask him for my 401k."

Doble turned back to me. "Did you also get me my 401k? Whatever that is?" Arkaid and Meglax waited for me to speak. I merely continued to watch the red humanoid dragon as he continued to enjoy the situation. I wasn't in the mood to talk at the moment; it seemed to be too early to do so. There was no reason to reply back until I learned a bit more about him. I just needed to hear a bit more before saying anything back. Doble turned around and directed his attention to the orange dragon. "Hey, Alliot! Do you want some of that 401k?"

The orange dragon had a grindy voice. He sounded a bit agitated as he spoke. The general attitude of the dragon was similar to that of Gaos, for he spoke with the same level of enthusiasm. "The heck is that?"

"I don't know. Do you still want it though?"

"I don't want anything that I can't get myself," Alliot returned. "Ask Mizaru."

"Hey, Mizaru!" The black dragon took his attention off his buddy and turned to face Doble. "Do you want some of that?"

Mizaru looked rather perturbed. "My buddy's going to be ageless at 24. Why would she need a retirement plan?" He asked in a low and soft voice.

"… A what?"

"Melanie told me that a 401k is a retirement plan. She said that her grandparents had a hard time putting that stuff together."

"A retirement pla- Mizaru! Come on, man!"

"You asked." Mizaru pondered for a moment. "… Actually, if Tenbu retires, we may need that."

"You ruined the joke!" Doble exclaimed. "I'm done talking to you. We were going somewhere and you just went a completely different direction."

"It's not my fault you don't know what a 401k is."

"Why would 'you' need to know what it is in the first place?!" Doble exclaimed loudly. Meglax sighed as his ally continued to yell at his fellow Cavalry members. "Man, ever since you got that little girl of yours, you've been asking her too many questions about her world."

"Give it a rest, Doble," Mizaru replied with a sigh. "Melanie likes talking about things from her world, especially when it involves her grandparents. There's no harm in learning the specifics of the human world."

"There IS if you're barely teaching her how to get stronger for the sake of Lord Tenbu!" The little girl, which I assumed to be Melanie, simply ignored Doble's claim as she closed her eyes, possibly trying to go back to sleep.

Finally, I figured that I heard enough. After looking at Meglax's troubled face and seeing Arkaid sigh in embarrassment, I decided that the waters were good enough for me to enter. "Do you just, well, hate anyone's buddy that's not yours?"

Doble chuckled back. "Faud and Merak are gonna be on the same page. They're still on Earth because they know we need strong buddies like Rikka here if we're going to do anything right. Anyone that can't pull their own weight shouldn't be here." Doble walked closer to me. He had at least a foot on me so, mockingly, he knelt down to my level. "And I don't know about the rest of you, but the last thing I expected as a warrior buddy was some office worker handing out 401k's."

Arkaid corrected him. "He handles monster relations, Doble."

"Who cares! He still doesn't have any field experience. What kind of fighter is that?"

"There's nothing wrong with having a dignified warrior," Arkaid replied. "We can't all look like uncouth, uncivilized warriors who believe that the strong should lead. If that's the case then do you think I should leave?"

"Of course not," Doble replied. "You're our mage. We each have a role that needs to be filled."

"CJ is no exception," Arkaid continued. "He may not be a warrior to you yet, but he has shown me that he's capable on the battlefield. He also is working with the Buddy Police, making it so that he is bound to get some field experience in the future. If what you say is true, then all he truly requires is a shift in the right direction."

Alliot's voice emerged from the distance. "We're not here to babysit."

Meglax sighed. "Here we go again."

"It's not our job to make our buddies fit for fighting. You and Mizaru may be fine with raising your buddies from scratch, but we 'need' warriors already prepared."

Meglax pondered to himself for a moment. Arkaid glared at Alliot before Meglax offered another point. "I believe that Arkaid saw something, just like how Doble saw something in Rikka and Mizaru sees something in Melanie. However, I also believe that Chase Hallows has much to learn if he expects to be one of us."

Doble scoffed. "Yeah, but don't compare them to Rikka. She's a true warrior to the core!"

The pink-haired girl walked up to Doble's side. She placed her hands on her waist as she looked up to me to make up for the six-inch height difference. She squinted at me as she looked over the many aspects of my being. "I don't have an opinion on you yet," Rikka grumbled as she walked around me. She continued staring at me like she was looking for a hidden piece of a puzzle. "You're not necessarily fit, but you're 'conditioned.'"

"I can bench press 180 pounds."

"Better than the average person, I suppose. Arkaid didn't pick some average Joe." Rikka crossed her arms. "Still, I have no idea what to think of you. Right now, you can say whatever you want, but there's only one thing that can solve this." Rikka turned to Doble. "Could you get some training gear?"

Mizaru had brought both Rikka and I equipment necessary in protecting us from the attacks we were soon going to deal to each other. Rikka had challenged me to a sparring match, and Doble was more than happy to oblige. Arkaid, however, felt anxious. She was distraught as she was bringing me the gear from Mizaru. Doble was bringing Rikka's gear to her as she stood twenty feet away from me. This was the last thing I expected from such an initiation.

The gear consisted of protective garments that one would expect from boxers. Although we lacked mouth pieces, we had head, shoulder, and elbow guards while leather mitts covered our hands while acting as our fists. The cushioning on this equipment constricted the parts of the body they were supposed to comfort, but they simply had to be that way so there was no chance of them flying off mid-fight.

Arkaid held the equipment as I hastily put each piece on. I had to take off my sweatshirt so that I could wear leather torso armor. Rikka had to do the same. The dragons were really going out of their way to make sure that we wouldn't get too harmed from the brawl. Strength, although important for the sake of trying to knock each other off their feet, took back seat to Stamina in this contest. Things appeared in my favor so I wasn't too nervous about the sparring match. Arkaid, however, was worried for me. "Listen, no matter what happens-"

"I'm already comfortable losing, Arkaid," I quickly replied. Arkaid leaned back, stunned from the reply. "Look, I think I have a chance, but there's definitely a great chance that she could keep me down. Winning is not my goal right now."

Arkaid slowly smiled as she laughed at herself. "Of course; the goal is to prove yourself."

"You don't need to pretend that you have faith in me, Arkaid," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Rikka's probably been training with Doble for a while, after all."

"Just be careful, CJ," Arkaid replied somberly.

Arkaid soon left for the sidelines as Doble became the referee in this scenario. After calling Rikka and me to come close, he prepared a set of rules. "Alright, so first thing's first; no pulling hair, no aiming for cheap shots, no pulling shirts. The better fighter shouldn't need to break the rules to win."

Rikka nodded. "Of course."

"Let's get this started." Doble, as he started walking a few feet away, turned back to me with a snicker. "You better watch yourself."

There was no doubt in my mind that the comment was meant for me. It didn't matter to me though. Rikka got into a fighting stance while I got into one that felt comfortable. My knees weren't bent that much, but my back felt strong and my weight was on my heels. Rikka, on the other hand, had her weight distributed differently due to her stance; she had her weight more on her back foot while her front left leg had some weight but not too much. She was on her toes to an extent as she held her right fist close. Her left was a bit out. Rikka shook her head. "If you want to do well, do what I'm doing."

"Oh, u-um, okay." I tried replicating the stance, only to be met with her shaking her head.

"Keep that stance, hold on." She got out of stance and started walking over to me. She aggressively pulled on my arms and started shifting them into position. She grabbed my right leg and made it pivot the foot so that it was a bit more outward, and she made me have my fists a bit closer to my chest area. When she was done she walked back to where she started and got into position. "Feel any difference?"

"My knees feel a bit of pressure."

"Work them out after this," Rikka replied. "Until then, make sure you keep that stance. Make sure you don't get out of it. You shouldn't hang on your heels; you're not playing golf."

"O-okay."

It felt weird having her give lessons to me like that. I didn't think of myself as that incompetent but it was awkward having her perform these things like I was a child with poor motor skills. Regardless, I tried getting loose, hoping that my mind and muscles can get used to the stance. She made me bend my knees a bit more, but my right one clicked as I tried to bend and get loose. Doble, getting impatient, started counting us down. He asked if we were both ready, then told us, on three, to start.

"Alright, on three!
1…

2…

3!"

Doble must have expected us to start brawling immediately. However, neither one of us moved; we were staring at each other while both in our stances. The red dragon, getting impatient, grumbled to himself as he stomped over to Arkaid. "Tell your buddy to make a move!"

Meglax shook his head, answering for Arkaid. "There's no reason for them to move yet."

"Aw come on!"

"Doble, your partner is so used to how you fight that she doesn't need to analyze you. However, CJ is a new opponent. For all she knows, she could be thinking that CJ was bluffing this whole time about his poor stance and all that. The last thing she wants is someone to catch her off guard."

I thought I saw an opening. She raised her elbow of her left arm, adjusting her stance. It was then that I unleashed a jab with my right. Surprisingly, Rikka swayed out of the way, countering with a jab, from below, at my left arm. She removed the arm protecting my left side. After swatting it away, she punched me in the stomach. She rammed it, sending me back. The armor protected me a bit, but I still felt the air getting knocked out of me.

My footing was off for I tried to regain my balance. This was where Rikka made her advance. She rushed in, leading with a right hook. I ducked, only for her to knee me in the face. I fell onto my back as she stood upright, walking around me as I tried to recollect what just happened. I quickly got up to my feet and face her once again. When I tried performing an offensive of my own, Rikka proceeded to dodge and weave away from each one of my punch.

At one point she caught my left arm, which I extended due to a punch with my left. She wrapped her right arm around it before tucking over, forcing me into a roll. She flipped me over, sending me to my back with a great amount of force. I coughed, feeling the pain surge up my back. It was only thirty seconds since the start of the match at this point. Rikka was back to standing upright, watching as I just watched her. "You can't be done now, right?" Rikka asked patronizingly. "If you had enough, you can go home."

I managed to get myself back up. Realizing that I needed to take a different approach, I reminded myself of the boxing matches on television that I watched at one point. From what I remembered, there's a punch where you lean in and bounce off your leg for more power, and there's a punch that's just your torso rotation with your arm. Both punches had differing power, with the second one having less but made up for it by how little energy you put into it and how quickly you can retract the punch to get back in the defensive position.

With that in mind, I tried to going with soft jabs to annoy her a bit. As I started getting into the rhythm, I realized that this was what she was doing to me; she waited for me to overexert myself on a punch and then took advantage of my experience to make up for such an opening I left. Normal professionals could make up for leaving themselves open for a punch by feinting or just going through it all, but I had none of that crap. Instead, I continued going for jabs. Some landed, but none were doing massive damage. Small grunts and light coughs came from her as she felt my small jabs pelt against her arms and stomach.

I also watched her breathing. She maintained a great rhythm as she seemingly danced around me. It was difficult to lay a good hit on her as I continued to go on the offensive. I stopped, noticing that I was starting to get somewhat winded. It was a minute and a half in and the last thing I wanted to do was overexert myself. Fortunately, I managed to see an opening. She feinted with her left which, for some reason, I completely ignored. It was by luck that she went in with a strong right hook and didn't notice that I ignored the feint in time. I managed to grab her arm, leaving for me to turn and throw her over my back. She was thrown to the ground, grunting loudly as I got back into position. I heard Doble quickly get up, looking in shock as his fighter was sent down.

However, Rikka grunted once more. She bent her legs and curled herself back. In one, swift motion, she placed great force on her back and seemingly leaped off from it, getting herself back on her feet. As I stared, asking myself how the hell she did that, she jabbed me in the face. "Don't get distracted." Now she tells me. Now she tells me that after I'm disjointed from the hit. She rushed forward and rammed herself into me like a spear. Her right shoulder rammed into my chest as she continued running for three more feet. Rikka tried forcing me to the ground, but I wasn't letting her win that easily; I managed to regain my footing while the two of us were at a stalemate. She and I were putting pressure on each other as both our bodies removed to move no matter how much power we put in them. I tried to do a move when I could go to the side and make her lose balance and fall to the ground. I let her go and twirled. However, she managed to regain her footing faster than I thought. She was coming back when I got back into my stance. I tried dodging one punch from her right, but it was a feint. She nailed me in the head with her left. Caught off balance, I was left wide open for a strong punch from her right. The right hook sent me off my feet and onto the ground in an instant.

There was a collective 'OH!' from the bystanders. Arkaid tensed up as she watched me collapse like a limp doll. Rikka went back to standing upright as she casually walked around me. However, she was working up a breath. "So, one good punch, and you're down again?" My face was burning from such a clean hit. The headgear almost did absolutely jack! My body was begging me to stop moving. However, that's exactly what she wanted. "You giving up? Is that all you have left?" Slowly, I got myself on my knees. Everyone watched as I groggily forced myself upward, shifting from the pain. As soon as I got up once again, Rikka went on the offensive. I blocked one punch, avoided the second, but I was so tired that she managed to ram me in the head with a third punch. It was a strong one too. My brain felt like it jiggled in my head. I tried to get my senses back when I felt a terribly strong thrust impale me in the stomach. I gagged as the air was clearly knocked out of my lungs. My eyes widened as the pain shook the rest of my body to the core.

It goes without saying that I just collapsed at that point. I was on my stomach, heaving heavily as Rikka cracked her knuckles nonchalantly. "I bet you can take more than that," she stated back to me. "Or, do you want to give up and walk out of here?" I initially didn't respond with anything. My lungs were burning and I wanted to catch my breath. I could only look up at her and watch as she stared back at me with disappointment.

It was a pathetic sight, but I tried my hardest as my body trembled, begging me to stay down. My joints flinched as my muscles sent endless signals of pain throughout my body. My head was pounding, almost wobbling as curled my hands into fists. I placed my right foot on the ground, attempting to use it to get back up. My arms were trembling, definitely not up to the task. The pain was getting too much for me as I finally managed to have both feet planted. My back was still hunched over. My right hand firmly grasped my forehead as I somehow managed to get back on my feet.

Rikka shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I've seen what I needed to see." She looked at me for another moment before taking off the bits of my armor. "Try working with your weight displacement, and you often got out of your stance," she started retelling me. She spoke in a mechanical tone like she was reading through a list. "Also, don't lean too far forward; it's good when your opponent doesn't see it coming but, generally, they do."

"Un…Unless it's when they're dazed from a punch to the head?" I wearily replied. Rikka only returned a grin at me before walking away with the training gear. With a long sigh, I collapsed onto my rear. I leaned backward until I found myself staring at the sky. I heard running and soon saw Arkaid standing above me. She knelt down and placed her hand on my forehead. "I'm fine, it's just pounding like mad right now."

"Your nose is bleeding."

"… Oh. Didn't notice."

Arkaid sighed, shaking her head. "I can't believe you accepted such a barbaric deal. Do you honestly think that this was a good idea?"

"Looking back, it was completely stupid." I turned my head to see that the other Cavalry Dragons, as well as their buddies, were leaving the area. I sighed before looking back to Arkaid. "Looks like they're not impressed."

"Let's get you cleaned up," Arkaid offered as she held out her hand. "I need you to meet someone and I can't have your clothes covered in dirt!"

Arkaid took me to an ancient clearing. She led me to an old, stone stage. It was made up of one large circle in the middle while, on the other side, was a rectangular, flat stone block. She instructed me to stand on that block while she went to fetch someone. It wasn't long before she completely left my field of vision. I was left to idle by myself, dealing with nothing else but the pounding headache I had and the feeling of comfort my black hoodie provided me. My shirt had drips of nose blood so, after Arkaid helped wipe some dirt off my pants, I recommended that I simply put on my sweatshirt to cover me.

Half an hour had to pass. I was getting fairly impatient and decided to sit on the ground with my back turned away from the large stone circle. I didn't really want to look at anybody. Even though I didn't let Arkaid see it, I was still miserable about the fight. Even though I was able to knock down Rikka once, there was a sense of control that she had over the course of the fight. She wasn't afraid; there wasn't anything for her to fear. She knew she was going to win. Even though I said I was comfortable with losing, I really wasn't. I saw, at first hand, just how the Cavalry Dragons thought of me; I could screw up and whatever hope they had in me would've been gone.

While I was off in my thoughts, I heard a voice call me from behind. "Hello, child. You must be Chase Hallows!" The voice was that of an old, jolly man. I couldn't help but turn around, for the complete change made me extremely curious about who was there. When I turned around, I saw a small green, serpent-like dragon approach me. He had a small, pink beard and had two brown antlers sprouting from the sides of his head. He had normal horns too, but the antler-like horns were what caught my attention. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Who are you?" I found myself asking. His extremely small size made me exceptionally suspicious.

The dragon replied with a hearty laugh. His old laugh reminded me of my grandfather, making a smile suddenly appear on my face. I felt comfortable talking to the three-feet long serpent dragon. At closer inspection, he appeared to look like the Chinese dragons from the myths of the past. It was interesting seeing such a change. "Once you see my true form, your questions will be answered."

In an instant, the small green dragon started to surround itself with intense winds. I shielded my face from the sheer power that surrounded the little dragon. Once my vision was restored, the little dragon was no more. Before I knew it, I saw a large shadow on the ground, prompting me to look up. I tried to scream at what I saw, but nothing came out of me as I found myself face to face with a twenty feet long, massive, gigantic goliath of a dragon. It was the same kind as the little guy, but he had grown to an extreme degree. My legs shook as he smiled and chuckled at the sudden shift. "Hohoho! I am the Fifth Omni Lord, Tenbu. And you were chosen by Arkaid to be her partner. Is this correct?"

"Y-Y-Y-…. Yes!" My body was still shaking. The massive size of this creature was enough for me to almost cry. Tenbu didn't reply back. Instead, his face gave off sincerity. It told me that there was nothing to fear. It took some time, but I was finally able to get my composure back. Even after that though, I was still amazed by the intense size of this Omni Lord. "I mean… Yes, Lord Tenbu. That is true."

"Arkaid finally managed to locate a partner, but now she appears to be … hesitant, if you will," the dragon began. He spoke clearly and slowly, but it wasn't like he was acting like he was talking to an idiot. His massive size made it so his very speech seemed grand and spectacular to listen to. The pace may have been slow to me, but to him, he was probably speaking at a normal pace. "I wish to discuss with you the matters of why you agreed to join the Fifth Omni Cavalry."

"Why I joined?" I asked. "I joined because Arkaid asked me to."

"Yes, and no," Tenbu replied back. "I sense that there is something that you're not informing me. Answer me this; how much do you care about Arkaid?"

"Hmm…." I paused, attempting to think of a possible response. "Well, she's basically one of my best friends at this point. I care about her a lot."

"Enough for you to come here?" Tenbu proposed. "Enough for you to try and prove yourself to the others? I understand that the others are not so confident in you. However, I do sense something there, and it is something I want you to admit to me and me alone."

"O-Okay," I replied anxiously. "What is it you want me to admit?"

"Answer this question," Tenbu stated firmly. "… If you felt both Arkaid and I were in danger, who would you go try and protect?"

"P-pardon?"

"It's a simple question, really," Tenbu replied with a slight grin. "You are going to be joining the Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragons. Their purpose is to keep me protected, so your duty is to protect me if I was ever in danger." I tried to speak up, but nothing came out. I understood where he was going with this and, in response, I turned away. "I understand that you also have a certain responsibility as your buddy, as well as a need, to protect Arkaid if she ever needs it. That is also something important too."

"… What are you trying to say?" I replied in defeat. "That-… that I shouldn't work with you guys?"

"I simply wish to understand you and your desires right now," Lord Tenbu replied. He lowered himself from the air, soon laying his long, serpentine body along the ground. "No one is able to hear us. They can only see us. If you want to state what's on your mind, feel free. What we'll do with you will be decided afterward. For right now, I only wish to talk."

"…A-alright," I weakly replied. I took in a deep breath and exhaled. My heart was beating rapidly as my mind raced to try and find any good response. At this point, I figured that the wrong thing to say could get me to leave, and away from Arkaid. "… I can survive on my own," I began. Lord Tenbu raised an ear, interested at where I was going with this. "I don't need anyone to live. I could've easily just lived and then died, and that would've been the end of everything…. But life just flat out sucks like that, and it was like that after each buddy left."

"Arkaid informed me that your previous buddies have left," Lord Tenbu replied. "She told me that they had urgent matters to attend to in their worlds… I won't press you about them, for I feel like that is all I need to know."

"I guess I accepted this opportunity because, well… she didn't tell me about it until I already talked to her, got to know her… and she even got me plenty of Fifth Omni cards to make a deck out of. She ended that off by telling me the limitations. When she seemed depressed about the possibility of me not accepting, after some thought, I said yes."

"So, the main defining point, that made you decide to come, was the fact that you wanted her to be happy."

"I… I figured she wanted me in. She already did so much for me that, well, it just seemed ridiculous for me to say no to her."

"You care a lot about her."

"And I don't even know why, exactly," I returned. "We can talk endlessly if we wanted to. We really could. Still, it's only been a week, if that." My right palm caught my head as I leaned forward. "I don't know, it's just... the last time I was able to get along with someone was when I had my last buddy."

"So you wanted her to stay with you."

"… Yes."

"And you said yes to her steep demands so you could keep her happy."

"… Again, yes."

"So, if I understand this correctly," Tenbu began as he held his right hand towards his chin. He scratched it as he pondered what to say next. "… You value her more than me. You and her have a close bond. That is the current state of all things."

At this rate, I knew where things were going to head. I… I just had to accept it at this point. I couldn't help but feel defeated as these questions seemed to lead to me getting discarded as a member of the cavalry. "I… I do believe that's where things stand right now."

"… You're not so different from the rest of them, actually." As soon as Lord Tenbu stated that, my body went through a loop. It was like my body paused, restarted, replayed the statement and repeated the process an extra three times. I was in a state of complete confusion. "They may not have ever told me, but I imagine that something else may be driving the others to protect me. Even so, I can't make you want to be more loyal to me than to her. I simply can't. You've already devoted yourself to her as her buddy. Because of that, I believe that you should be able to work alongside us."

"H-How? W-what the heck?!"

"You wish to have Arkaid remain happy, correct?"

"Y-yes."

"As of right now, her main goal is to make sure I am protected." Lord Tenbu turned away. "Now, I want for you to piece together everything from this conversation. You have to answer the first question I asked you with confidence."

"… If I only had the option to go protect you or Arkaid if you felt we were in danger, who would I save?" Silence dwelled between the two of us as I began to search for my answer. I wanted to make sure Arkaid was happy. I wanted her to stick around. However, I wanted to protect her as well, but I also knew that she wasn't just someone to protect; she is perfectly capable to fight on her own. Right now, her main goal is to protect Lord Tenbu. As soon as my mind went through that, my answer was clear. "I would protect you, Lord Tenbu."

"Oh?" Tenbu turned back to face me, intrigued. "Now please, tell me how you reached that conclusion?"

"I reached it because, after some thought, what you said was right. Her main goal right now is to make sure you were protected. If I didn't do that, then what would she think of me? I would've betrayed her and my duty as a member of the Fifth Omni Cavalry, and it's not just that." Lord Tenbu, intrigued by my response, continued to listen carefully. "Thinking I should only protect her means I doubt her capabilities. She's smart, and she's strong. I've seen what she's capable of. I need to believe in her; I need to believe that she'll be able to survive while I'm doing my duty to protect your life. If I left you to die, she would never forgive me."

The large, green Dragon Lord seemed rather content. "Hm… so you plan on using your connection with Arkaid as a means of finding a reason to protect me."

"Yes," I replied. "That's my answer."

"One more thing." Lord Tenbu's body seemed to tense. "When you said that you were fine leaving Arkaid to herself because she was smart and strong… were you insinuating that these are two traits I lacked?"

"Wait- um, no! No, I wasn't! I-"

"INSOLENT MORTAL!" Lord Tenbu's body became enveloped with harsh flames. I instantly broke into a sweat as the flames filled the valley. "How DARE you insult the might Fifth Omni Lord, Tenbu! Do you have any idea the arrogance of that?!"

"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" I cried out. I instinctively curled up into a ball, feeling the valley heat up from the fiery power of Tenbu.

"YOU BETTER BE SORRY! FOR YOUR DEATH WILL BE-" Instantaneously, the flames vanished from our sight. I was able to tell because the heat was no longer coming in waves against my body. I uncurled myself from my fetal position to see the dragon reverted back into his smaller form. He was holding his stomach as he continued to laugh like a complete buffoon. I was still shaking from his sudden fit of violence but, as I watched him roll with laughter, I couldn't help but find myelf unable to fathom the situation or speak. "You should've seen your face! AHAHAHAHA!"

"That's…. that… what?."

Fear immobilized me. It wasn't until a few moments later that I found myself laughing at the absurdity of the moment. I smacked the palm of my hand against my head, feeling completely foolish about the events that transpired. Our laughter just couldn't stop; we were buffoons together as the innocent, child-like wonder of laughter consumed us both. The intense from before went by so quickly, so hastily that I found myself thinking of it like a passing dream. It was just too surreal for me.

POV: Third

Arkaid and the other Cavalry Dragons watched as Tenbu and CJ laughed with each other. Doble scoffed slightly, soon rolling his eyes at the display. "I can't believe he likes him. He freaking likes him."

The Sand Staff wielder herself turned to face Doble. "What's not to like?" She waited for an answer. When Doble said nothing, Arkaid grinned. "It's too late now. Those flames were a part of the ritual that gives us power. He's ageless just like the rest of us."

Rikka shrugged her shoulders, turning her attention to her buddy. "So far, the only thing that matters to me is that he kept getting back up." Doble nodded back to her. "He has something, but he better start showing results back on Earth. If I hear about any screw-up from him during his involvement in the Buddy Police, I won't let him hear the end of it."

Melanie looked up to her buddy. She spoke slowly, innocently as the weariness from the nap she took before still stuck with her. "I like him."

Mizaru continued to look on, watching as the laughter began to cease. "I'll give him time. He's not that strong now but, after seeing him take Tenbu's joke rather well, I'd say he's committed."

Arkaid nodded. "He was committed since I asked," she replied. She looked on with a smile as she began to see CJ and Lord Tenbu walk back. "He doesn't look like the type to give up on someone."

There was nothing. Within the darkness of a void that was Darkness Dragon World, Liam and Demios were enclosed in a room void of light. Only the two of them stood in this enclosed realm. Liam could barely see Demios; he only had his hearing to locate his trusted buddy. Liam took in a deep breath as he tried to find any sort of light. He had no connection to the outside world anymore.

He was sitting with his legs crossed as Demios came from behind him. The leader of the Purgatory Knights unsheathed his massive sword. Slowly, he laid the sword against his allied right shoulder. The two were silent for a time, hearing nothing, seeing nothing. Both of them were unable to say anything.

Another being entered the dark realm. Completely cloaked, the white-scaled dragon witch approached the two. She emitted an uncomfortable glow as she walked, leaving a trail of purple light. Demios remained still as the witch stood herself in front of Liam. She knelt down to him, attempting to look right in his face. Liam stared back with a look of unmoved determination. Demios, on the other hand, was wary of this. "You don't have to do this, Liam," the dragon spoke. "Truly, you don't have to drag yourself down with us."

"You wanted help, and I was one of the very few who wanted to do so," Liam responded lowly. He turned back to his buddy, watching as Demios looked even more uneasy. "The others weren't so difficult. Why me?"

"You're my buddy, Liam," Demios replied. He gripped his sword even tighter, gritting his teeth. "I just… I already raised my sword to you. I almost betrayed you. Now you're saying you want to go through the ritual?"

"You have many allies like that."

"They're not the same!" Demios roared back. "You're my partner!"

"And the rest of the Purgatory Knights are as well," Liam returned.

"You know more than I do that this is different."

"Stop being a wally, Demios. You know I'm coming back from this."

"You haven't experienced it yet, Liam," Demios retorted. The witch began to motion her dragon-like hands across Liam's body. The young man shivered as the witch's cold hands slowly caressed his arms. She went down to the man's legs, feeling the warmth of the blood within his veins. She smiled as she slowly brought herself up. Demios recoiled, soon turning his head away. "I don't get it either, but I don't want you to go through this. This must be what it feels… to truly care about your buddy…."

"Yeah."

"But still, you're calm now, but once you actually feel the pain, once you actually experience it, there is no going back. You will not be the same!"

"I will be the same," Liam replied. "I need to be the same. That's all."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"I don't want to make anyone think that I'm suffering," Liam morosely returned. "Demios, I'm glad you stuck with me. Funny thing is, I thought I was your burden."

"You weren't."

"Even so, I can't afford to change," Liam forced out. "The last thing I want is to make anyone worry. I don't want to be a burden to them, especially CJ. When I finally meet him in real life, the last thing I want to tell him is how shitty I feel. I already regret putting him through that the first time." Liam turned to Demios, nodding to him. "I don't want to be a burden to you, either. I'm your buddy, so I'm telling you to do this."

"… If you say so, Liam." Demios turned his attention to the witch. "Lilith, perform the Purgatory Sorcery. Create the Blood Oath Formation!"

The dragon witch smiled. "It is finally time, young man." She raised her hands into the air, soon rising up. Her hands began to wield incredible power as light filled the entire room. Two inverted triangles made of raw light emerged from her hands. She sent them to the floor, soon lighting up the entire room. The darkness in the room was now more magnified; hues of dark purple and light blue swirled around as wisps faded into the floor. Circles began to appear before one revealed itself under Liam. He raised his head up, looking to his buddy dead in the eyes. "The final ingredient."

Demios raised his sword. He gritted his teeth as his arms tensed up. He knew it was all going to be over in one, final swing. The witch began to whisper to him, begging him to swing. Immortalize your partner, she begged. Her voice caressed the insides of his ear until, finally, he was overwhelmed by the truth; he knew he had to do this.

He struck Liam down.

At first, there was nothing but darkness for the young man. He seemed to float along the edges of the universe, endlessly. His senses dulled as the cosmos drifted by, luring him into a state of slumber. He opened his eyes, only to see Earth. He gazed at it, wondering what was going on. It was like his body was being tugged at by two ends. He felt his body nearly getting ripped in two. The pain was intense. It was getting too much for him. He screamed, but nothing could hear him.

It was then that his mind flashed before his eyes. He found himself back in Tokyo, reliving the raid by the criminal buddyfighters. His spirit appeared to float, watching from afar as he saw himself and Demios approaching a human and their buddy. He remembered wanting to save them; to protect them against the person abusing the Shadow Shades. Liam's spirit flew in closer, for something was nagging at him. Something was telling him that the man he saved looked familiar. He continued to fly closer until he was finally eye level. He saw the determination in the man's eyes, Chase's eyes. Something about him and how he spoke, how he sounded, how he appeared to feel as he fought off the Shadow Shades alongside him and their buddies. Something clicked in his mind, something that immedietely filled him with regret. Something was telling him that he knew this man.

He woke up in a panic, quickly looking around him. Demios was by his side, holding him down. "Liam, it's fine. You're back. Everything's fine."

Liam kept panting as he felt for where he was struck. He last remembered feeling anything below his waist. He must have been cut in half. The witch was illuminating the room, allowing Liam to see a pond of blood beginning to congeal. That was his blood. He was there, but now he was back. He looked up to his partner. Once he caught his breath, he was able to take in one last breath of air. He finally managed to smile after his last exhale.

Demios sighed in relief. He turned to his buddy as the two nodded. "The curse has been finalized. Welcome, Liam, to the Purgatory Knights."