16: The Root of the Problem

The two of them arrived at the city leader's office.

Linda explained her encounter and James's reason for visiting the city.

"I see," said the city leader. He rubbed his temple and furrowed his brow. "This will be a problem. A huge problem in fact. I never knew that this city is still being haunted by demons. What timing!"

The city leader rubbed his face.

"I think I know what is the root of this problem is," said the city leader. "Where is your partner by the way?" asked the city leader.

"I was separated from him and I could not find him ever since," said James.

"Oh my, this is bad."

"You were saying about the root of the problem?" asked James.

"Oh yes, it must be the land that we once lived in. Since you are here to purge away the source of all this problem, I believe that's the place you should be going after."

"Would you mind explain?" asked James.

"10 years ago, your fellow Exorcists succeeded in purging away the demons so we left the land and migrated here. That land was haunted by demons and according to the Exorcists who came to help us back then, he told us that it was like a breeding ground for the demons."

James rubbed his chin.

"Where is this place?"

"You really want to go there?" asked the city leader.

James nodded his head.

"I guess you should. It's your duty after all. And if this problem persists, it might jeopardize the festival. Alright then, I will ask a few people to escort you to the place. I pray for your safety and thank you so much for protecting this city from harm."

They left the office and after a while, a few guards came towards James to usher him to the so-called cursed lands.

"Are you going to be alright?" asked Linda.

"I hope so," said James.

"Hey! That's not convincing to hear."

"Then, what do you expect me to say? That I will be back safe and sound and I made an empty promise with you?" blurted out James. Linda went quiet. The guards looked at James like he was some sort of an asshole.

James sighed. "If you are really worried about me, then the least you can do is to pray that I will return back safely. If that can ease your mind."

Linda nodded her head. "Okay, I will do that."

James turned away from Linda.

"Alright boys, lead the way."

James exited the city's border and went deep into the jungle where a path was already carved out in front of them.

The entire journey was quiet but the guards were sweating profusely from fear of bringing James to the land they have abandoned 10 years ago. They didn't know what to expect but certainly, nothing good will sprout out from there.

The entire journey, James was paying close attention to its close surroundings. Only the sound of wildlife. His medallion has been quiet the entire time.

After walking for about 3 hours, they have arrived but were already drenched in sweat. The humidity and heat of the jungle showed no mercy onto them. The guards stopped at this point and told James to proceed at his own. They will stand there to wait for his return as he ventures beyond. James agreed and went deep into the jungle and arrived at the mentioned abandoned land which was a clearing. James was surprised because the abandoned land didn't look so eerie after all, unlike what he has imagined. He imagined it to be a barren land but the reality was that this land has so much greenery surrounds that one might suspect the claim that this land is actually a breeding ground for demons.

However, everything took a quick turn when James felt a strong vibration across his chest. The medallion was vibrating like crazy.

James turned around and saw the two guards behind him.

"Hmm…" thought James.

"On second thought, we thought it might be wise-"

In one clean swipe, James sliced off both of their heads. Their body crumbled into ashes in front of them.

James took a deep breath. Rage begins to swell deep within him.

"Your smell is all over the place, demon. So are you the one responsible for all of this?"

"Kukukukuku," came a burst of eerie laughter from the trees. "You sure are a sensitive one. No wonder all of my demons cannot lay their hands on you."

The demon didn't reveal himself but instead hide within the trees.

"You are not coming out?" asked James.

"Why should I after knowing how skillful you are. I am a cautious person you see."

"A person?" James laughed. "You are just a monster."

"Well, I am not used to calling myself a monster yet. In my defense, I still feel pretty much like a human," said the demon hiding in the dark. "You are a cautious person as well, fellow Exorcist, but you should not leave those two guards waiting out there. You are just making them easy prey for me."

The demon speaks the truth. He should not have left the guards alone. He has made a mistake.

"But I take back my words. You are not cautious at all. If you are, you should have brought reinforcement with you. Oh wait, your partner isn't with you isn't he."

"So you know where my partner is."

"Yes, I do know. Do you want to find out? Let's make a deal, exorcist. Spare me and I will tell you where your partner is."

James gave the deal a thought. Not a bad deal.

"Sure. I will spare you if you tell me where my partner is."

"Wise choice, kukukukuku, let me send you to where your partner is….."

James suddenly felt a presence underneath him.

The demon emerged from the ground but the first thing it saw was the edge of the blade in between his eyes. James stabbed down his sword deep into the demon's head.

"Never make a deal with demons," said James.

The demon was in agony from the wound he received from James.

"Curs-"

James sliced off its head before it can utter another word.

"Now, I sense there is a bigger presence underneath it. So this must be the boss, I think,"

James pulled out his blade from the demon's body. He went to the center of the land.

"This should be fine."

He then firmly planted his blade into the soil and send a wave of shockwave using his Soul into the ground. A skill he learned from Master Lee and Master Elion on how to transfer Soul into other objects and how to use it as an offensive tool.

The ground shook and after a moment, the soil burst open, sending debris and the grasses everywhere as a giant demon crawled out from the soil.

"Arghhhhhh!" said it in its dark voice.

It threw a punch at James but James dodged it the nick of time and gave its hand a huge slash.

The demon did not flinch but send him another punch.

James could hear his medallion was vibrating and ringing loudly.

The demon opened its mouth widely and a ball of energy begins to gather in front of it.

"Shit!" said James

The demon blasted the ball of energy towards James but he got to dodge. Everything along the path was incinerated.

Then afterward, from the soil, rose a group of demons.

James quickly sliced off their heads and charged towards the big demon which he concluded must be their leader.

The big demon didn't pull back in his offense. He sends balls of energy, waves after waves towards James using its hand and its mouth.

James managed to dodge and deflect all of it.

Then, he finally got close to the big demon again and without wasting the opening he got, he readied his blade to slash the demon's head off.

"Ah…finally," came a voice whispering into James' ear.

The voice threw James by surprise and the opening to cut off the demon's head was no more as the big demon slammed James down into the earth with its big fist.

"What the hell was that?" asked James as he scrambled up back onto his feet, unfazed by the damage he received.

"Kid….," said the voice.

"Yea?" asked back James.

The big demon was occupied regenerating its wound.

"Please end this….." said the voice.

James' face darkened.

"Who are you!" demanded James.

But the only reply he got was the big demon roar.

The big demon charged up a ball of energy in front of its mouth.

James sprang into action and by utilizing the air element of his soul, he got in front of the demon in a matter of seconds before it could fully be charged. This time, filled with resolved and intense emotions behind his blade, he sliced a deep cut around the demon's neck with one of his blades and sliced another round to completely cut off its head from its neck.

The body collapsed onto the ground and the ball of energy detonated on the spot, causing an explosion. But James was unharmed due to the defensive attributes of his robes.

The headless body crumbles into ash and after everything turned to ashes, a medallion which shaped like a star was sitting on top of it.