Chapter 8

James glared at Edward with utmost caution. He scanned the hall with his eyes to ensure that no one else was around.

"Sir! I have found him." He mentioned to Michael.

"Just to be accurate, I was the one who found you." Edward scoffed. He wasn't letting down his guard as he noticed slight flickers from James.

"Put it on speaker!" Michael odered.

"We have you surrounded. Any move you make would be detrimental to you. Give yourself in for capture."

"Do you think I am stupid... Major Michael?" Edward hissed.There was a brief silence.

"I have all the memories of this body and I am very much aware of what is done with the so called captured demons. I will ask that you refrain from empty threats. We are in a freaking school with lots of civillians. If i were to steer up trouble, the cassualties will be staggering and that's something I'm sure you are not willing to afford. So lets drop the tough act, shall we?"

"Alright then... what do you want?"

"Him!"

"Me?" James asked in surprise.

"Yeah You! Personally, I have an impending debt to pay to you and being a red source, I would be able to test the limits of my new found strength." He mentioned as he retracted his blade. James relaxed a bit but still had his guard up.

"New found strenght? What do you mean by that?" Michael questioned immediately.

"Do not be in such a haste now Major. You would see when the time comes. I have no intention of hiding it. Also I want to fight him alone. No backup within a ten mile radius. I have already scattered traces of my source energy within that radius. So I am well aware of everything that happens within it."

"What?"

"I placed the traces on people who came in and left the school. It wasn't so much of a hassle. Basically, I would know if anyone is within that radius just like the sniper you have on me at forty three meters 6'o'clock."

"Tch... stand down tower 3." Michael ordered.

"Hmnph!" Edward scoffed.

"Either you accept my terms or I could just go around and kill indiscriminately."

"You bastard!" Michael yelled.

"Come now Major, this works for you also. You wouldn't have to search for me and risk the casualties to come. What do you say?"

"I accept." James responded abruptly.

"Wait James..."

"This works perfectly for me. Afterall I do have a score to settle with you. I came all this way to kill you for what you did to Abubakr. Just tell me when and where!" James cut Michael off.

"Tonight by eight. This school's field."

"Perfect. Don't chicken out and run away."

"As long as my terms are met, I give you my word."

"Are you really okay with this James? This is definitely a trap!" Michael protested.

"Talk about trust issues..." Edward rolled his eyes.

"You stay out of this!" Michael hissed.

"I don't see any other way around it Major. If we engage him here and we incure casualties, knowing how slippery he could be, there's no gurantee that he wouldn't escape. That would be a major loss for us."

"But still..."

"It will be okay." Dr Yu interjected.

"We accept your terms."

"Hmnph... It's about time. So if you would excuse me, I'll be on my way. I still have work to do." Edward laughed as he walked away from James.

"Tonight everything will be settled."

BACK AT THE base, Yu sat James down to speak with him in his dorm room.

"You don't have to give me a pep talk, I'll be just fine. I understand the risks."

"The mission is to capture him so I am supposed to tell you that you should do whatever it takes to bring him back in one piece... but that is as the head of the facility to a soldier. As a father to his son... you get out of there if it gets too troublesome." Yu said in a worried tone.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence dad."

"I am serious here James" Yu placed his hand on James's shoulder.

"I mean if you get killed your mom is going to end me... so just come back alive for my sake at least." Yu chuckled.

James furrowed his brows then sighed.

"You stupid old man." He hissed as he stood up and began to leave.

"What?" Yu retorted as he kept laughing. But before James left the room.

"Be careful out there. Let us have a toast when you get back." Yu lifted a thumbs up.

"I am still too young to drink!"

"You are a source soldier. It wouldn't make a difference"

James smiled and left without a response. Michael came in shortly after.

"You are unusually shakened Dr. Yu. It israre for you to doubt your son's strength."

"It is not his strength I doubt... I fear his determination to get things done." Yu blurted as he clenched his fist.

"Don't worry, he will be okay. He has to be."

The time was 7:51pm. James arrived on the field to meet Edward sitting at the middle, meditating.

"Did you know that when we reincarnate into humans we basically become them but with our wills? We have their full memories and feel same sympathethic feelings as they did?" Edward asked James. James did not respond.

"Not a talker i see...It's funny, not living a life but having full memories and retaining those feelings as though they were yours, coupled with the ones you've had, compulsive behaviours, habits, grudges..." He revealed as he stood to face James.

James was a bit surprised at his words.

"Don't worry about it, the grudge is not from this guy, but from me personally... The two of you worked together to take down someone important to me." Edward paused a bit and then contuinued. " You gave the finishing blow. Replaying it in my mind with pride from him but intense anger and hatred from me. It's frustrating. Two conflicting emotions at the same time is quite problematic, wouldn't you agree?"

"If you are stalling for something, you better quit it. I'll be coming at you now." James chimed in as he walked towards Edward.

"Hmph, i was waiting for the hour to reach before attacking but this would do regardless." Edward retorted as he walked towards James.

Both kept walking towards each other until they were close to one another and gave each other menancing stares. Edward, taller, was looking down at James while James lifted his eyes a bit to stare directly at Edward. Both clenched their fists, their hearts began to beat faster and the air grew still with tension. Their eyes widened at each other as though they were going to burst out. James grinned his teeth, sweat ran down Edward's head and little body flickers from both. In a single heart beat, James strruck first. A quick right jab at Edward's face but Edward caught it with his own right. they both lifted their left knees at the same time at each other, after the collision, they brought it down with a loud thud. Edward pulled James right hand closer so as to aim for his chin with a heavy left blow but James caught the fist. They both squeezed the fists they caught in the deadlock, then jammed both knees, one after the other, twice each in succession before finishing with a large headbutt. Both grinned their teeths almost growling at each other. They jumped back to create distance.

As they both stepped on the ground, their source energies burst out wildly. The area was filled with green and red energies clashing and overlapping each other. A sudden calm in the energies and they both dashed at each other. With a thundering roar, they smashed their right fists together releasing energy and creating cracks on the ground as they pushed against each other. Edward pulled his hand back letting James launch forward therby dodging the punch and hitting James right in the face. James, dazed, took a few steps back but before he could recollect himself, Edward rushed in with a heavy right kick to James' chest pushing him a considerable distance away. James bounced on his back then landed in a squat position as he dragged his hand across the ground to prevent him from moving further back.

Edward moved in quickly with a right jab. James moved straight into the attack receiving it with his left arm then landing a blow on Edward's stomach with his right. The weight of the punch made Edward's eyes to pop out more as he spat out saliva. James jabbed his face with his right, then his left in quick succession putting Edward in a dazed position as he stepped back. He recovered quickly after and tried to hit James but James caught his hand, lifted him upwards and with a loud roar,slammed him into the ground causing a small depression. Edward screamed out in pain but was cut short at the slight notice of James energy blast about to hit him. He returned with a blast of his own and the explosion pushed the two away from each other.

They were both breathing heavily with a bit of anger on their faces. James launched two energy blasts at Edward. He leaped from his position to evade but suddenly, he saw a third at the point where he was meant to land. He created a light explosion to propel himself away from that position only to meet more coming at him. He responded with multiple energy blasts to counter thereby creating a smoke screen. James burst out of the smoke screen and slugged Edward in the face breaking his nose. He used the momentum to slam Edward into the ground. Edward got up quickly, bloodied face, fully enraged, roaring out as he struck with a right high kick packed with green source energy. James, using his left leg as a pivot, bent to dodge the kick. As Edward missed, the source energy tore through the air and before he could put down the leg, James had spun and used his right leg to take out Edward's left leg landing him onto the ground. With that spinnig momentum and on that pivoted leg, James lifted himself up stretching his right leg to the sky as source energy was released engulfing and whirling round him as they gathered at the tip of his right leg. He struck it downwards at Edward who created a light explosion at his feet to propel him away from the attack dodging it by the skin of his teeth. A relative depression on the field area surrounding James occured on impact with deep cracks spreading out of the depression as red energy tore through the field.

"You are quite the monster!"

Edward beamed as he laughed at the aftermath of James kick.

"Tch.." James hissed. His legs were crouched a bit as he looked forward at Edward who had began to heal up. In a few seconds, Edward had healed up completely.

"Now... thats enough warming up!" Edward bellowed and released a large amout of energy from his chest outward till it engulfed his body.

"Yeah... Playtime's over!" James responded and his energy rose up from his right leg, engulfing his body.

As the energy dispersed, Edward was in full armor and the green energy began to glow on the armor before resting. James was in half armor covering just his chest his arms (elbow to fingertips) and his legs (Knee to toetips).

"So it's true that the so called prodigy cannot use his full powers due to lack of control. How pathetic"

"I wonder what that makes your important person i cut down." James smirked.

"Very well then... Shall we begin round 2?"