A third golden scaled sword blocked the mighty attack that Nishui used. The powerful energy that gathered in his staff got dispersed when it hit the golden sword. The golden glow of the Secret Sword – Golden Pangolin vanished when it blocked the attack.
Nishui retreated when his attack got blocked and is shocked upon the scene that he witnessed. The three secret swords are floating behind him as if he is moving them with his mind. The audience then saw something strange on Arsenal's forehead.
A third eye could be seen on Arsenal's forehead where a runic word used to be written. The third eye not only feels creepy, but it is also emanating some sort of aura. This proves that Apolaki did not just pick Arsenal without reason as he seems to know the hidden power of his team member.
Nishui started to attack once more as it would be impossible to block his next attack again. He noticed that the sword that blocked his attack earlier lost its glow and is recovering its golden shine. He then covered his staff with the water element once again and extended it using that same energy.
Nishui did not want to use a close-range attack as he is afraid of the swords attacking him from all directions. The extended staff did a sweeping attack, but the three swords gathered their strengths and blocked the attack. A bead of sweat could be seen dripping from Arsenal's face.
Arsenal knew that he might win a drawn-out battle, but his opponent is not planning the same thing. He needed to finish the battle now even if he brings out some of his secrets. He will be the first line of defense for their team anyway.
"Limit Break!" Arsenal stated as all his soulbounds got released.
"Secret Swords: Release!" Arsenal followed up as all his soulbounds turned into swords that gave different elements and effects depending on the attribute of the soulbound.
Seven different swords appeared and circled behind Arsenal with each having different effects. The passive buffs that each sword made Arsenal's power almost double. If the developers did not implement the three soulbound rule, then he would have not been stuck at rank 50 in Arena rankings.
"Isn't that cheating?" Nishui muttered to himself as seven different swords shot towards him.
Under the barrage of the seven swords, Nishui turned into particles of light. Nishui could not even use any of his skills or build up power since the swords did not give him any breather room. His defeat came from him being unable to do anything due to the precise attacks of seven swords.
"Arsenal wins!" the announcer stated, and the audience shouted in response. The match might not have been the flashiest, but it was so intense. They were on the edge of their seats when both of the contestants are exchanging attacks, but the seven swords reached the excitement to the extreme.
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Next is the team match where everyone is now paying attention to. Whoever wins the coin toss for this match could dictate the victory. The two team captains initiated the coin toss and it ended in the favor of the Taiwanese national team.
"We will choose the island battleground." Renyu stated as she needs to win this team match to give them a greater fighting chance.
'Contestants go to your respective gaming pods!" The announcer stated.
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"What the heck! Why are you guys so strong?!" Nishui stated as he is the only one left in his team. They thought that they had an advantage when they chose the map, but it was not enough. Apolaki seemed to hide many of his trump cards.
Even the audience is speechless of what happened in the battle. The whole stadium is basically silenced as they did not expect this result from them. A real dark horse has emerged for this event as they never expected that Apolaki himself is as strong or even stronger than Hou Yiwei.
A few minutes earlier….
All of the teams spawned in the arena without much issue. The Taiwanese national team kept to the water as Renyu started to call upon her most powerful spell that used all her mana. Her plan is to literally sink the island to the ground since none of their opponents can survive in water.
She started calling the power of the God of the Seas as she has received his blessing. Nishui and his other team members guarded her as she will be easily targeted during the preparation. The Philippines' national team noticed this and started to try and mitigate the damage that will come to them.
Dupe noticed that Renyu was not using a normal spell as her power multiplied by a factor of ten and all the water from the surrounding waters seem to be gathering towards her. She used numerous barrier traps, but she surmised that it would not be enough.
"Attack them while I prepare for a counterattack. Can you block her spell for a few seconds?" Apolaki asked Dupe and the latter agreed.
Apolaki started preparation as well as he started to write ancient writings on the ground. As he is writing, he is also chanting some sort of prayer that absorbed power around him. The other team members decided to fight the opposing team.
The match between the two teams hit an impasse but the one who turned the tides (literally) is Renyu. A huge wave five times higher than the tallest hill in the island came crashing down on them. Dupe tried to block the wave with all her traps combined but she also died due to the intense pressure that she received.
The wave would soon reach Apolaki but all his preparations have finished. The large ritualistic magic circle glowed, and he used his blood as a sacrifice. Half his health vanished upon activating the magic circle, but he summoned one of the goddesses that controlled the seas.
"Aman Sinaya, your humble servant needs your help." Apolaki prayed and it is answered.
A beautiful goddess dressed in robes that flowed like water appeared. She was bigger than the wave that Renyu summoned. The Goddess Aman Sinaya looked at Apolaki with a tender gaze and protected him from the wave. She then diverted this back to the Tainwanese national team with double the force.
The Taiwanese national team might have been resistant to water elemental damage, but they are not immune to an attack created by a goddess. The ones who have weak defenses died and Nishui is left lying on the shores of the island.
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"Sorry but we need to win as well. My team members need to win. That is the least I can do as a team captain.." Apolaki stated as he pierced Nishui with his kampilan to finish off his opponent.