"You demons! I will kill you all!!" James said in anger as he threw the broken blade at the demons. The movement was so penetrating and swift, and it cut through the neck of three demons as it rotated circularly.
James stood up and clenched muscles in anger and swung his fists against a demon that came lunging at him. He smashed the head open with a violent force.
Two demons ran in fury towards James but he grinned sharply.
"You all will pay for Maczed's death." James said in tears as he dived forward. He cut through the demons with one hand, spread the bones, clutching them all.
James slammed a punch into a demon's abdomen. Two stomachs exploded open and James used his legs more to remove the head of one demon in a brutal kick. He looked left, to see another demon. One demon poised to move at him up to the air.
He landed brutally, stepping on a demon's head and causing the corpse to crush the demon to bones and blood. James inhaled and completed a kick unto a demon, causing it crashing against a building.
He looked around to notice a swarm of demons approaching him. He squatted and equated it only . In a second, flames erupted from his body. He closed his eyes and drew up fire. James increased the flames but the demons keep on coming. When they were all within reach, James opened his eyes.
"Sakai Flamage!!!" James enchanted.
Suddenly a great wind curved around him and he began rotating in a circular manner. The flames on his body intensified and he began to rotate faster that a cloud of dust elevated over him. His legs began to dig deep into the ground.
"SLAMMM!!" James slammed his fists on the ground and a ferocious wave sent the flames out of its body to shoot sporadically at the demon. The flames burnt the demons brutally leaving only their black bones to surface. Their cries echoed through the town. James smiled cruelly.
He was enjoying the wails of the demons. He clenched his fists tightly and tears poured down his cheek. He knelt down in exhaustion. Surrounded by him were the dead bodies of demons. He collapsed in a bow and tears poured out of his eyes. He knew he had caused Mazcel's death.
"Why… why did I… why did I lead him to this battle? Why did I go against the orders of the Central Hunters Association? Why did I think I was strong enough to go against their word? Why did I let pride eat deeply into me?
Why did I give my partners the hope of saving Talisgold? Mazcel!!! Why?!! I'm a murderer!! I lead my own partner to his death. I watched him fight till he breathed his last. I'll never forgive myself for this. I'm just a stupid Hunter, why was I given the position of a Hunter Leader? I'm a failure!!"
James cursed himself as he cried on bitterly. A wave of flashback hit his memory.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
"So you are James Istellar?" a man with blonde hair asked. He was seated with four other Hunters on the high seat in the vicinity. The hall was extremely large. Many people sat on the opposite direction of the Hunter Leaders . Of the Hunter Leaders, only Aaron and Maczed were present as of the time . In the middle of the room was James, Zohn and two other people. They all had their habds cuffed with heavy metals that forced their hands to the ground. James looked at the man.
"Yes sir." James replied humbly. The man smiled lightly and looked at a paper in his hands. He glanced through it and looked at James again.
"From records, you are a heavy criminal. One who steals and kills," the man stated. James stared at him.
"I only steal… I kill only if heavily persecuted." James stated. The man smiled and stared at him. A smile crossed his lips.
"We are still saying the same thing. You do kill. It doesn't matter the number of times you've killed, you are a murderer." the man said. James just looked away, avoiding eye contact with the man.
"Interesting, the police states that you slayed fifteen policemen spuer naturally. Is that so?" the man asked and smiled.
He was the head of the Talisgold Hunters. His name was Rayan Bizuki. He had a dreaded look that made him instill an aura of fear. James stared at him.
"Are you going to answer me?!" Bizuki thundered. James shivered in fear. His face was bloodied. His prison wear was soaked in blood.
"Uhm… Yes." James said and there was a loud murmur going on within the citizens as they stared at him in anger and fear.
"Silence!!" Bizuki thundered and everyone went mute. He then looked at James. A scary smile crossed his lips:
"So do you as well know that we have the final say to your life? Do you as well know that we either execute you or recruit you," Bizuki asked coldly.
James swallowed hard. " Yes... yes sir."
Maczed stared at James and noticed his sincere loyalty. He felt a sting of pity for James. He had read the background of James and knew what kind of life James came from, the poor street.
From Maczed's report , he found out that James was from the poorest home in Utanshi clan. He felt that James only stile to feed. Besides, he had lost his parents at an early age of five and was the only survivor of the Istellar family.
"Very well then, knowing how cruel you are, I decide to execute you," Bizuki said with an evil smirk staring down at James. He stared at James till he began to laugh like a lunatic. "Maczed stared in concern.
"Objection!! Maczed raised firmly.
Bizuki's eyes widened in anger. People looked at him in shock. He stood up slowly.
Murmurs began to rise in the air.
"Maczed, you are meddling in what you aren't supposed to."
"Let me speak!" Everyone muted to stare at Maczed. "You all know what this boy is, don't you?!"
Maczed shouted and all eyes gazed. "You all know this boy is extremely poor. He learnt how to survive at a very young age. Since then, he has learned to survive the wrong way not because he wanted, but because you people cared less for him. Now he began to steal to survive. You all know that you would brutally cut him to shed bloodif he ever asked you of anything. You made him to begin to steal. Now you wish him execution?!" Maczed exclaimed.
For a moment everyone felt guilty. Maczed stood still, boring his eyes into theirs.
Aaron looked at Maczed. It wasn't every time Maczed protected a condemned criminal. Well, there was a lot of sense in Maczed's proposition. Aaron smiled and stared at James.
"Really? Is that what you think?" Bizuki asked and moved nearer to him.
"Yes and I believe he has a sincere heart " Maczed said.
James looked at Maczed in shock. He noticed that this man had calmed the heart of some Hunters. He stared at Bizuki who was nodding in guilt. He grinned in pain as tears poured down his eyes. Maczed stood still and maintained his composure.
The other criminals stared at him in anger. He was being pardoned by one of the Hunter Leaders of Talisgold.
"You don't have to cry. He is solidly behind you." Zohn said calmly, as he stayed still. James stared at the crowd. He wanted to appreciate Zohn when he heard Bizuki's thundering voice.
"Execute him now!! I do not need a punk in the Talisgold Hunting squad. We ate growing to be stronger and not weaker. Just look at him cry like a child. " James stood in shock. He looked over and he had seemed swayed by Maczed's words. "What was Bizuki? Alas, he is mad and cruel!!" James cried to himself.
A Hunter walked to James. He stretched his sword. James stared at the Hunter. The Hunter was assigned to execute him. He looked at the Hunter as he raised his sword in slice. Mazcel stared in concern.
SLASH!!
The sword struck. Everyone stared to see if James was dead. Everyone gasped in shock as James stood behind the Hunter. His hands were free. The sword had broken the cuff.
The Hunter turned to strike James but James held his right hand tight and slammed his head against the Hunter's head. The skull of the Hunter cracked visibly. The Hunter fell to the floor in pain. James stared at him as blood poured down his head.
Bizuki smiled lightly as he saw the work of James.
"You think you're wrong. Eight men should slay him." Bizuki said firmly.
"But you can't…" Maczed was breathing heavily.
"Just shut up!" Bizuki said harshly. Maczed looked at Bizuki in fury.
Eight Hunters came out to kill James. James fumed in anger. He clenched his fist. He looked at Bizuki, his voice was a growl.
"There's no need sending more Hunters. I would slay them all. I do not want to slaughter anyone. Just let me live." James pleaded. Bizuki smiled.
"Then slay them all," Bizuki ordered coldly.
A Hunter aimed at him, raising his sword to strike but James ducked below and struck a hard punch on the Hunter's stomach, raising an outburst of blood from the Hunter's mouth. James then raised his right hand to strike and back up the Hunter's neck. The Hunter fell to the ground in pain and gasped.
The other Hunters yelled out in anger. James stood still amidst the deadly intent to kill, and grinned. But it was as if he was trying to convince them. He clenched his fists and knew he had to do just one thing– protect him.
The Hunters dived at him all at the same time. James stood in shock but grinned strongly. He teleported quickly past their backs. They struck nothing. They turned in shock and James glided between punching and kicking with fast speed. He slammed each of them to the ground leaving them demobilized.
Maczed turned to stare at Bizuki. Bizuki stood up. Everyone in the room felt a hope of fear and anxiety.
"Just stop this. I do not want to kill anyone!" James exclaimed. Maczed looked at Bizuki expecting him to be impressed by James' act but he wasn't.
"I'm just going to see by your choice who is vital in there, you know. Aaron," Bizuki said and snapped.They all knew Aaron to be a wild Hunter who stopped at nothing to reinstate his pride. Using a man like Aaron against James was pure brutality.
James gasped as he looked at Aaron.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
James was presently shedding tears. The one man who had to walk the dead of his own dearest soul. He had blindly led Maczed to his death. Nothing seemed more cruel to him than that. He felt like taking his life to pay back for his stupidity. But he knew that nothing could be done to fully please Maczed . He stood all guilty alone. Maczed was all he could think of.
His was so pre-occupied by his thoughts and he did not notice that three demons had surrounded him. The demons lunged at him but that instant a sword extremely fast and swift in motion was made across their necks. Their heads fell around James's side as he looked in shock.
Marie clenched her sword neatly with her fingers. James stared at her in surprise.
What was she doing here? Why was she here? Was he the one that led her here? No! He had to make her run off. Yes. He couldn't afford to lose another of his members to the demons. He had to stop her from this.
"What is the matter James?" Marie asked. Just then it hit him. He had caused the death of Mazcel. Tears clouded his eyes as he stared at Marie.
Marie bent low to look at James. Her concerned look caused James to feel more embittered.
"Just go away!!" James screamed and began to cry emotionally uncontrollable.