Tim's grin faded from his face. He spread his arms, pointing his hands at the sky. "It's about time I found you. I didn't expect you to be such a coward." Tim's palms flared out orange flames that burned ever-so-brighter. "Fire? So, I've heard. Now it makes sense as to why others had difficulties fighting you. Your body's practically immune to physical attacks, just like mine."
Niklas removed his hands from his pockets. His right arm became enveloped with dark and purple energy. "But unlike me, none of them had the power to use the forbidden technique of armory." Tim lifted his eyes, confused. "Forbidden technique of armory? What's that supposed to mean?"
He wasn't taught much about forbidden techniques and only gathered little information. "Don't tell me you came here to face me without even knowing what that is?" Tim looked kind of stupid, with a question mark popping on top of his head. "Will you just tell me what the hell's that supposed to be?"
He expressed slight anger and annoyance because of having little knowledge. "I really thought that you of all people would know that, considering that you call yourself a Spiritual Duelist or whatever." Tim's eyes whitened in anger. He shouted, "Will you just tell me what that is already?!" with a red popping vein.
"Similar to other forbidden techniques, it allows you to imbue your spirit with your skin, giving you the potential to attack an immune body that is typically made up of elemental essence. I have shadow, and you have fire. These two skills are regarded as possessing an elemental essence. One of the most popular methods for connecting with the essence of the elements is, for instance, employing the forbidden armory technique. Its spirit and essence can therefore collide, just like when physical objects do, but it can also be employed defensively to shield you from harm by absorbing strikes that, if they hit you, would originally kill you."
Tim's face became bored. He looked as if he didn't have enough sleep. "Man, keep it short. You're like Ayuka who drags on explanations for no reason. Either way, whatever that technique is, it doesn't mean that you're immortal. Ready or not, 'cause here I come!"
Tim stepped forward, leaned forward, and skimmed his foot forward. He launched himself off the ground straight to meet Niklas head-on, coming in close at a rapid pace.
Niklas didn't budge, letting Tim attack. He dragged his fist forth, igniting it with orange fire. His fist phased through Niklas' chest, transforming it into shadow that spread out. Tim's arm reached from Niklas' torso and through his back.
Tim's fist unleashed a massive spiral of flames that darted in the distance, disappearing in the wind. Tim's body was suddenly caught in a frozen position, sweat dripping down his head. "What the hell? It's like that sand dude's ability, but much more efficient." Tim thought to himself, then backed away. "We'll see how long can you hold on!"
He whipped his left foot in a circular motion, but his instep phased through Niklas' head like air. Tim looked from his torso, over his stretched-out leg. He noticed that Niklas' face grew back together. "Like I told you. Physical attacks won't affect me or anyone who possesses an ability of the elemental essence. Without the forbidden technique, you're hopeless in defeating me."
Niklas's left arm glowed purple, and over his arm's skin appeared a sort of like metal that covered it whole. He stepped forward and rammed his knuckles in between Tim's eyes.
Tim's body couldn't withstand the blow. He was blasted back through the air, his body rapidly flipping from the force delivered onto it.
Tim recovered from the attack and found the right moment to stretch his arm below. He placed it on the ground and stopped flipping to position himself correctly, but his soles slid on the ground, anyway. He managed to stop, feeling his right palm stinging from the heat of the ground. It nearly scraped through his skin deep into his flesh.
He raised his head, directing his view on Niklas. Tim's face bled, but he wiped the blood away with his right arm which had its sleeves burned from the earlier usage of his ability. "He wasn't kidding. How can I beat somebody that I can't hit while he can? There's nothing that would help me. Back there in the Golden Wasakona I at least managed to use the sweat from my body, but liquid won't do anything against shadow." He thought, confused, and tried to figure out a solution, which he couldn't find no matter what.
"Let's try this!" Tim stepped forward with his leg. He bent his knee while extending his right leg behind. He followed up by stretching his right arm to the side, moved it behind, and ignited it with orange flames.
He swung his right arm forward and unleashed a fire wave from the middle of his palm. The fire wave blitzed ahead at intense speed, coloring the surroundings with its bright hues.
The shadow under Niklas' feet moved, but the heat of fire suddenly enveloped him. It seared and flared, but in the next moment, Tim noticed his foe vanished. "Where did he go?!" he scouted the surroundings, but then noticed the bottom of his shadow move.
Niklas came jumping from the ground, through Tim's shadow and delivered an uppercut to his jaw. It bounced Tim in the air, but Niklas' body gained sturdy ground, and while Tim couldn't touch the ground with his soles, he spun around into a rotational kick and rammed his heel in Tim's face.
Both of his limbs were enveloped by the forbidden technique of armory which only meant more powerful strikes. It was enough to send Tim rocketing toward the walls of the houses and smashed him inside them.
"Tim!" Kou called, watching the fight behind the house, next to Koume. "Damn it..." He whispered. Koume seemed astonished and put her palm on her lips. She was frightened after she saw her friend getting pummeled.
Niklas stuffed his hand in his pockets. He didn't lock his gaze off Tim's body. He stood still, with no movement. "I hope that was enough to teach you that you can't win," Niklas spoke, but then noticed Tim standing up inside the dust cloud. He walked out into the clear and wiped the blood off his nose. "Shut up!" Tim shouted, spreading both of his arms, and released orange flames that were much more aggressive than before.
Ayuka, running with the others noticed a hanger with pants on the side. "Finally!" she hopped up, grasped the pants, and instantly put them on. "I was about to think I'd be running outside without pants for another day!" she also grabbed the black jacket and a white t-shirt.
"How much longer, Ayuka?" asked Yumiko, waiting behind the corner with the others. "So, would somebody explain to me what happened to her clothes anyway?" Bow wondered, arms folded on his chest, and his back leaned against the wall. "Oh? I was about to punch her in the face, but she transformed into ice, dodging my attack, and apparently that caused her to lose her clothes. Won't lie, she's got a fine body. I'd go for it!" Kira claimed, showing others her tongue.
"That is so inappropriate!" shouted Peter, awkwardly. "Come on. Don't act like you wouldn't. You were probably standing there with your tail between your legs. I know your degenerate males." Bow and Peter both became irritated by her straightforward answers.
Ayuka finally put on her t-shirt and over it a black jacket. She smelled her sleeves and felt refreshed. "It smells great, but I never expected to ever wear something like this."
The jacket had blue glowing lights on each side of the shoulders, and it was made out of fabric nylon. The jacket had a bigger type of pocket, but unfortunately, the sleeves didn't cover her whole arm, so it exposed some of her skin and the bracelets that she wore at times. She also wore long pants which were made out of the same fabric with the same sizeable pockets. It was techwear.
"I'll look so dumb out there, wearing these clothes, but it'll have to do." She tied her hair into a ponytail and then finally rushed outside into the alleys. "Let's go!" she didn't waste another second talking, and just ran in front of them. "Hey, wait up, Ayuka!" Yumiko called. They all ran after her, while Bow and Yumiko looked at each other. "I won't lie, that techwear suits her more than that weird hoodie she wore earlier." Yumiko looked at Ayuka whose string waved behind her butt. "Yeah, I think so too."
But Kira shouted out one final time. "Where the hell did you put my jacket?!"
To be continued...