Chapter 9

At the American base, everyone stood silent as they focused on the screen. Some were clenching their fists, some stood in awe of what they had been witnessing, and others were praying. Dr. Yu and Major Michael were in the main office as they watched the fight unfold.

"This isn't right. None of this makes any sense. The red source is two levels above green, yet he manages to hold out quite easily against James!" an irritated Michael queries as he bangs the table. Yu sat quietly for a while as he looked at the screen.

"Don't be so quick to judge Michael. It's probably all going according to James' plan. He is just like his mother in that regard. " Yu chuckles, then gives a light smile.

"Probably? Bold of you to be..." Michael stopped as he noticed Yu squeezing on to his chair while maintaining a light smile. He turned to the screen and didn't utter another word. "Let's hope you are right." He thought to himself.

AT THE SCHOOL's field, James and Edward were having a stare down as their energies rose and calmed gently around them.

"As a little warning, I won't be holding back. I'd rather die than have them use me as some lab rat. " Edward smirked as he pulled out his energy blade from his wrist.

"Hmph..." James muttered. He formed an energy sphere and morphed it into a sword. He closed his eyes, ran his fingers along the sword to the tip as he adjusted his stance, and took a deep breath in and then out. A gentle wind blew by, the air became still, and the surrounding became quiet. James opened his eyes, then launched himself at Edward thereby covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Edward reacted on instinct to block James' thrust, but the force pushed him back as his feet kept dragging across the ground. James kept pushing the sword as if to break through Edward's blade. Edward gathered energy in his left leg to halt his backward movement. He placed his left hand against his blade in order to push back against James. He grinned at James, who glared at him. The energy surrounding James made Edward feel like a mouse in the presence of an angry lion.

Edward roared as he called up more energy from his body and was able to push James backwards. James spun and landed in a crouched position. He spun the sword around his hand till he held it in a dagger like position with the tip facing the ground and the hilt slightly in front of his left hand. He ran quickly at Edward, who was now coming at him. As he got closer, he jumped, spun in the air, and struck down at Edward from Edward's left side. Edward blocked, but while suspended in the air, James struck thrice in quick successions, which Edward defended again, but with difficulty as he stepped backwards. James struck once more over Edward's head. Edward blocked it late, causing him to stagger. James landed behind him, turned and struck upwards attempting to split Edward in half, but Edward collected himself and struck downwards to meet James' sword in a clash. Their blades screeched against each other, releasing sparks in the process. James yelled as he pumped out his source energy and launched Edward into the air.

"His attacks are heavier, and his speed has increased. It's as though he is a totally different person. " Edward thought to himself as he was being launched.

James formed a second sword and charged both with source energy.

"Retribution," he mentioned as he released several waves of red, sharp, crescent-like attacks towards Edward. Edward gasped as he quickly dragged out a second energy blade and tried to create a barrier with both to block the attacks. But three tore through his barrier and sliced across his arms and below his chest. They penetrated his armor, but not so deeply. A bit of blood came out as he landed on his back. As he got up quickly, James launched several energy attacks at him.

"Don't get too cocky, you damned brat!" he fumed, his eyes bulging as he bit his lower lip till blood came out. He stood firm, dragged out energy and launched several blasts back at James, which collided with James' attack, creating a smoke screen. He held back one as he prepared for James to burst out of the smoke screen. James suddenly appeared behind him.

"What!" Edward quivered, and before he could turn, James spun and struck his left side with both swords.

They went in deep and dragged-out blood as Edward flung rightwards. He gawked in pain. He opened his eyes widely as he looked at the damage. He jammed his teeth together and focused his energy at the point to try to heal it. But barely a second later, he saw James in the air above him coming towards him. James merged the two swords together, making a larger one, and struck downwards. Edward only had time to block with the blade on his right hand as the contact against James' sword crashed them into the ground, dragging them for a few meters on Edward's back with James slightly suspended. He landed on his feet and the veins on his biceps and triceps began to bulge as he increased the pressure on Edward. The force pushed Edward's blade into his armor and into his body. He began to bleed. He gritted his teeth, and his eyes began to close slowly from the pain.

“Dd...dou...krrr...DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME BOY!" he roared as he stopped healing all injuries, retracted his left energy blade, thereby making the right energy blade grow bigger although cutting deeper into his body. He placed his left hand behind the blade and pushed against it as it dug into his hand. James tried to push back, but Edward began to lift the blade. Both burst out with their source energies, and the wild flow covered the surrounding area. Edward roared as he pushed his blade out of his body and a considerable distance away. James eyes widened. He tried to apply more energy but it was no use, Edward was gaining ground. James soon took a deep breath. Once he breath out, a wave of red energy flowed out of him and pushed Edwards blade deep into his body. Blood splattered out and Edward screemed. The blade dug so deep his heart became visible.

With a thundering roar! Edward pushed out his blade and expanded it with a rising thrust. The blade moved with immense speed and closed in for James' neck.