Tokita turned, and saw Nolan standing there, his spear pointing directly at Tokita.
Tokita's heart began to race as he saw Nolan, the last person he expected to encounter in his search for Mamba. His hand instinctively went to his own weapon, ready to defend himself if needed.
"What's it to you?" Tokita said, a hint of nervousness in his tone. He had defeated Nolan, yes. But the pain of their encounter still existed in his mind, he didn't know if he wanted to risk experiencing that again.
Nolan sneered. "Just curious as to why a Silver Steel Knight is slumming it down here in the Lower District. Got tired of being a failure and thought you'd come down to the gutter where you belong?"
Tokita gritted his teeth, anger flaring up within him. "That's really funny coming from the guy who lost to me." He responded cockily.
Nolan's face twisted in annoyance as he tightened his grip on his spear. "You got lucky during the Initiation, but don't think for a second that makes you better than me," he growled.
"Sure, how about you put that spear down and move along before someone gets hurt," Tokita stated, the grasp on his sword tightening.
"Absolutely not. You're not here by coincidence, you're here for a reason." Nlan stated as his eyes had a slightly crazed look that matched his slightly disheveled hair. "I'll ask again, what are you doing here?" He said as killing intent poured from his body.
"Just looking for something," Tokita said, keeping his voice calm and collected. "You wouldn't understand."
Nolan laughed, a mocking sound that grated on Tokita's nerves. "Oh, I understand perfectly. You're always looking for something, aren't you? Always chasing after something that's just out of reach. Like that girl, Akane. Still trying to catch up to her, aren't you?"
Tokita felt a pang of guilt at the mention of Akane. Nolan was right, he had been trying to catch up to her, but it seemed like she was always one step ahead. But he couldn't let Nolan see his weakness.
"What does it matter to you?" Tokita said, keeping his tone even. "Are you here to fight or just to talk?"
Nolan smirked. "Similar to you, I'm looking for something. I'd assume it would be-" He cut himself off, as Mamba walked in between Tokita's legs and rubbed up on his legs. "Here," Nolan stated as his eyes became crazed, as he dashed in front of Tokita and took him off guard, pushing him a few feet away.
Tokita stumbled as he was pushed back a few feet, looking forward and seeing Nolan scoop Mamba into his left arm.
With a grunt, Tokita lunged forward, his body moving with the grace of a seasoned fighter. He pivoted on his hips, twisting his torso in a sharp arc and whipping his leg up in a swift, powerful motion. The heel of his foot connected with the back of Nolan's head with a resounding thud, sending the Golden Lion crashing to his knee.
Mamba began to fall midair, and Tokita reached his arm out, scooping him up and placing him on a box to his right.
"Y-you fucking peasant!" Nolan roared in anger, his spear gleaming in the light as he lunged forward with a swift thrust. Tokita deftly sidestepped the attack, his sword clashing against Nolan's spear with a resounding clash. He followed up with a quick counter-attack, slicing at Nolan's midsection with blinding speed.
Nolan parried the attack with his spear, the metal scraping against each other as they clashed. He snarled, his eyes flashing with rage, as he launched a flurry of attacks at Tokita. The two fighters engaged in a fierce dance of blades, their weapons ringing against each other as they exchanged blows.
Nolan let out a maniacal laugh as he continued to attack with his spear, each strike becoming more aggressive and deadly. Tokita gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan to defeat his opponent. He knew he had to act fast before Nolan gained the upper hand.
"This is perfect! The opportunity to prove to everyone in my division that our fight was nothing but a FLUKE!" He stated along with his laugh.
Tokita rolled off his spear, bashing his shoulder into Nolan's chest. As Tokita's shoulder connected with Nolan's chest, the air in Nolan's lungs was shot out of him. As he staggered backward, Tokita spun around and lunged at him with his sword, his eyes fixed on his opponent.
Nolan, however, was quick to recover. He sidestepped Tokita's sword thrust, and with a swift movement of his spear, he knocked the sword out of Tokita's hand. The weapon clattered to the ground, leaving Tokita momentarily defenseless.
In response, Tokita raised his hands to his face, entering a low-hand guard.
Nolan smirked, twirling his spear in his hand. "You're outmatched, Tokita. Just give up and save yourself the pain-"
Tokita quickly closed the distance between them, appearing before Nolan in practically an instant. He landed a quick jab to Nolan's ribs, causing him to grunt in pain. As Nolan stumbled back, Tokita followed up with a sharp uppercut, connecting with his chin and causing his head to snap back.
Nolan regained his footing and swung his spear horizontally at Tokita's midsection, but Tokita quickly sidestepped and landed a series of hooks to Nolan's exposed side. The impact of the blows caused Nolan to stumble to the side, his grip on the spear faltering.
He sneered, tightening the grip on his spear, thrusting it towards Tokita's abdomen with incredible speed. Tokita quickly sidestepped, his footwork precise as he countered with a jab to Nolan's nose, the impact causing a spurt of blood.
Nolan suddenly shifted his stance, the tip of his spear slashing down towards Tokita's left flank. Tokita barely had time to react, hastily sidestepping to the right, but Nolan's spearhead still grazed his side, drawing blood.
Before Tokita could counter, Nolan twisted his spear in a quick motion, bringing it up in a sharp uppercut towards Tokita's chin. Tokita tried to block the strike, but the spear's momentum was too much, and it slammed into his jaw with a sickening crack.
Tokita could feel his brain slam against the walls of his skull, as he staggered back. Blood began pouring from his head.
Nolan readied again, as Tokita rolled backwards and took hold of his sword, dashing back at Nolan with a vertical slash.
Nolan, however, was quick on his feet and easily sidestepped the attack, taking the opportunity to swing his spear in a wide arc towards Tokita's waist. Tokita managed to jump back just in time, but the tip of the spear grazed his side, leaving a shallow cut.
Tokita gritted his teeth, feeling the sting of the wound. He couldn't let his guard down again. He moved in with a flurry of quick slashes, hoping to catch Nolan off guard. Nolan, however, was capable of parrying each strike.
With a grunt, Nolan pushed Tokita back and twirled his spear in a menacing manner. Tokita narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he prepared for the next attack. He knew he had to be careful - one wrong move and Nolan could easily deliver a fatal blow.
The two circled each other, their weapons at the ready. Tokita could feel his heart racing in his chest, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He knew he had to end this quickly. With a sudden burst of speed, he charged at Nolan, aiming a powerful thrust with his sword towards Nolan's chest. Nolan reacted quickly, blocking the strike with his spear and pushing Tokita back.
Tokita stumbled but quickly regained his balance, feeling the sweat trickle down his forehead. He knew he couldn't keep this up much longer - he needed to find a weakness in Nolan's defense and exploit it. He studied Nolan's movements carefully, searching for any sign of a vulnerability.
Although, he wouldn't have the time to do that. Tokita's eyes widened, as he noticed Nolan's goal.
Nolan had pushed him back, just enough for Nolan to be the one closer to the cat, and not Tokita.
Nolan grinned, the orb in the spear beginning to glow with an orange light. He spun it around, slashing upward.
Tokita could feel it, the slash shooting through him. Time began to slow for him, as he looked down at the slash entering his chest. His eyes focused, as he knew what was going to happen next. It was like a sudden jolt of electricity that coursed through his entire being, and he felt his knees buckle beneath him as the pain seared through him. Everything around him seemed to blur and fade away as he focused on the wound, feeling the blood start to spill out of it.
After a second, there was an explosion.
Blasting through several houses and buildings, an explosive slash would sever them, creating an explosion that shot several dozen meters into the air.
The moment Nolan's slash connected with Tokita's chest, a massive explosion was unleashed, creating an eruption of flames that engulfed everything around them. The sound was deafening, with a loud crack echoing through the air. The shockwave of the blast was so powerful that it shook the ground beneath their feet, and it felt as if the whole world was shaking.
Tokita's mind went blank as he was thrown backward by the sheer force of the explosion. His body was consumed by the flames, which seared his flesh and burned his clothes to ash. He could feel his skin blistering, and the pain was excruciating. His vision blurred as the flames consumed him, and he felt like he was going to drop dead right there.
The surroundings were no better off. The buildings around them were reduced to rubble, with debris flying in every direction. The sound of shattering glass and crumbling walls filled the air as the shockwave hit them. The explosion was so intense that the ground turned a bright red.
People nearby were screaming, running for their lives as the flames and debris rained down around them. The heat was intense, and it felt as if they were standing in the middle of a raging inferno. Those who had been standing closest to the blast were knocked off their feet, some of them badly injured by the force of the explosion.
As the flames began to die down, Tokita lay there, barely conscious, covered in burns and cuts. He could feel the life in his body slowly slipping away as he coughed out, rolling over onto his side as he looked around at the damage.
The sight before him was horrific, the buildings around him had collapsed and the once-bustling streets were now filled with rubble and ash. The scent of burnt flesh and singed hair filled the air, making it hard for Tokita to breathe. He coughed and spluttered, trying to clear his lungs, but it only made it worse.
He looked down at his own body and saw the charred and bloodied skin, a testament to the severity of the blast. He tried to move, to get up and assess the situation, but his body wouldn't cooperate. His arms and legs felt heavy and numb, and he struggled to even lift his head.
The sound of distant shouting brought him back to the present, and he strained to listen. He could hear the panicked voices of the onlookers, the cries of those trapped beneath the rubble.
"The hell...is wrong with you!?" Tokita screamed as he witnessed the destruction around him.
Nolan approached, through the smoke, as he slicked his hair back with his own blood. He opened his eyes, as a red glare was attached to them. "Come on Tokita, I'm not even close to enacting my revenge yet." He stated, spinning the glowing spear as he slammed it into the floor, declaring this act of war.
"You insane asshole..." Tokita grunted as he forced himself up. "I'll beat you to death!" Tokita screamed out at him.
Nolan's lips twisted into a cruel smile, his eyes gleaming with a dark intensity. He twirled his spear with expert skill, each movement causing it to emit a low hum that filled the air. The red light that emanated from the spear seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, casting an eerie glow over Nolan's face.
"Go ahead and try!" Nolan screamed out to the sky.