Misa gritted her teeth, slamming her fist against the thick metal barrier. "Damn, this metal's tougher than it looks," she muttered, frustration building as her knuckles stung from the impact.
Helia, already growing impatient, shoved Misa aside with a grunt. "This is weak," she sneered, pushing the metal away with ease. "Let me handle this."
Misa jumped back, her eyes narrowing in focus. The battle was escalating, and she wasn't about to fall behind.
Announcement: Team 28 is Eliminated.
Helia's eyes gleamed with excitement, her voice ringing with a challenge. "C'mon, let's show them what we've got!" she yelled, raising her fists into the air. The challenge echoed across the battlefield.
Ryju, his gaze razor-sharp, called out to his team. "Let's get him—Spiritual Punch!"
But Appolo, standing with an almost bored confidence, dodged the punch effortlessly. "Man, this is too easy," he taunted, a smirk curling his lips. "No ability? Well, let's see how you handle this."
With a swift motion, Appolo painted an intricate symbol in the air. "Ink Clone Technique!" he declared. As the symbol glowed, a wave of clones emerged, each one made of enchanted ink. They surged forward, mimicking his movements with eerie precision.
"Let's make a hundred of these," Appolo grinned, his voice filled with dark amusement.
Kenshiro rolled his eyes. "A hundred? Really? This is too much work," he grumbled under his breath.
Above them, the Spiritual King's voice rang out, playful yet challenging. "When are you going to do it, Kenshiro? Stop hiding your power."
In the blink of an eye, Kenshiro vanished, reappearing behind Appolo with a flash of his spiritual energy. "Spiritual Slash!" he shouted, unleashing a horizontal cut that glowed with deadly force.
Appolo smirked, effortlessly dodging the strike with a flick of his wrist. "Wow, you actually found me in the middle of all these clones? Impressive. You've got great senses for spiritual energy." He closed the gap, stepping closer to Kenshiro with a dangerous grin. "But what are you really hiding, huh? I can sense something."
Announcement: Team 14 is Eliminated.
Across the battlefield, Uzuki stood, his expression cold as steel. "One Sword Style—Crimson Flash!" With a burst of speed, his blade cut through the air, leaving behind a red trail of light as he reappeared behind Shun in an instant.
Shun's eyes widened in surprise. "What?!" he gasped, barely reacting in time.
Uzuki's smirk widened. "Got you." His sword came down with fluid precision, but Shun was quick to act. With a swift motion, he raised a wooden barrier to block the strike. The sword cleaved through it easily, but the force of the blow carried on, cutting through Shun's body in a fluid arc.
"I win," Uzuki declared, his voice flat and emotionless.
Shun's grin remained unwavering. "What? I'm dead, aren't I?" he joked, though the shock in his eyes betrayed him.
Announcement: Team 16 is Eliminated.
Uzuki froze. "What?!"
Shun's expression shifted into a mischievous smile. "That was just a wood clone. But now, it's time to pay the price!" He slammed his hands into the ground with force. "Wood Style—Thousand Branch Barrage!"
In an instant, the earth cracked open as hundreds of razor-sharp branches erupted from the ground, each one like a missile aimed at Uzuki.
But Uzuki wasn't intimidated. With a grin, he charged forward. "1000 consecutive slashes!" He moved with precision, each swing of his sword cutting down the branches one by one in an elegant, lethal dance.
From above, Kenji's voice echoed with exhilaration. "Two Sword Style—Raging Dragon Cross!" With a mighty clash of his dual swords, he unleashed a massive shockwave in the shape of a dragon's head, flames roaring as it spiraled toward the battlefield.
Shun and Uzuki barely had time to react. Shun's wooden roots spread wide, creating a wall to shield him, while Uzukiexecuted a flawless backflip, narrowly avoiding the fiery blast.
Kenji landed gracefully, his feet skimming the ground as he exhaled in satisfaction. "Man, this is fun."
Announcement: Team 18 is Eliminated.
Rei, panting and focused, narrowed her eyes at the giant monster looming ahead. "I'm giving you a spiritual right to the belly!" she shouted, charging forward. With a roar, she unleashed a devastating punch that cracked the ground beneath her feet.
The force of her blow sent shockwaves rippling through the creature, but it was far from finished. The massive beast swung its arm, sending Rei flying across the battlefield.
From behind the creature, Goro appeared, his fist glowing with spiritual energy. "Spiritual Punch!" he bellowed, charging toward the monster.
But the creature, sensing the incoming attack, spun around and grabbed Goro mid-strike, hurling him away like a ragdoll.
Kuroyami, quick to capitalize on the creature's distraction, slithered across the ground, aiming for the monster's legs. "Thanks for the opening," he muttered. "Spiritual Strike!"
With a precise swipe of his blade, Kuroyami severed one of the creature's legs. The beast collapsed to the ground, its massive form shaking the earth.
Kuroyami grinned, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Now we just need to hit it with everything we've got. Once it's weakened enough, it'll turn to ink."
Rei nodded. "Let's finish this."
Goro clenched his fists, determination flashing in his eyes. "Yeah!"
Together, they surged forward. "Spiritual Punch!" Rei shouted, her fist landing with bone-crushing force.
"Spiritual Punch!" Goro echoed, following up with his own powerful blow.
"Spiritual Slash!" Kuroyami added, his blade cutting through the air.
A massive explosion of spiritual energy rocked the battlefield as the creature collapsed, its body dissolving into ink.
Kuroyami sighed in relief. "Finally."
Rei let out a breath, wiping sweat from her brow. "That took way too long."
Goro rubbed his head. "Man, we need to unlock our abilities fast."
Announcement: Team 2 is Eliminated.
Across the field, Ryju stood with a smirk, watching the battle unfold. "Would you look at that? My friends just destroyed your monster."
Appolo scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Took them long enough."
Kenshiro stepped forward, his expression hardening. "Now, it's your turn."
Appolo's grin widened, revealing sharp teeth. "Oh, really? You think you can finish me off? Your friends are looking pretty tired over there. I'm done playing around. Let me just end this."
He raised his hand dramatically. "Color Seal Bind!"
With a flick of his wrist, Appolo painted an elaborate seal in the air. The ink glowed with vibrant energy, swirling around him, forming a barrier that shimmered with power.
"Don't touch it," Appolo warned, his voice dripping with confidence. "Once you're within these symbols, you won't be able to move."
Ryju raised an eyebrow, clearly unphased. "Let's not touch the 'stupid' symbols."
Kenshiro frowned, his mind working quickly. "There's more to this…"
Appolo's smile turned wicked as he taunted, "C'mon now, stop stalling."
Ryju and Kenshiro moved at the same time, leaping over the glowing symbols with incredible speed.
But before they could even react, the spiritual bands shot out, wrapping around Ryju and Kenshiro. The pressure was immediate, and the world seemed to slow as they were both bound, unable to move.
Ryju's eyes widened in shock. "I can't move… And I can't even use spiritual energy!"
Kenshiro cursed under his breath as the same fate fell on him. "So, this is what you've been hiding…"
Appolo chuckled darkly. "Clever. But this is over. You were all so busy fighting, you forgot about the flag." He raised his hand high. "Let me finish this. Art incarnate—summon my creations!"
In a flash, four monstrous beings materialized before him, towering over the battlefield, each one a terrifying manifestation of ink and energy.
Announcement: Team 26 is Eliminated.
Rei's eyes widened in horror. "No way."
Kuroyami slumped, exhausted. "I can't do this."
Goro's voice trembled. "Why…?"
Kenshiro hesitated, his eyes darting across the battlefield. "Should I do it now? No, I'll wait."
Appolo raised his hand again, his grin growing crueler. "Animal Canvas—summon my bird!"
An ink bird materialized in the sky, its wings beating the air as it circled high above.
Appolo's smile was savage. "Bye-bye now. That flag is mine."
Announcement: Team 29 is Eliminated.
Appolo swooped down, his eyes fixed on the red flag waving in the distance. "Look at that beautiful flag. It's mine."
As he descended with a confident stride, a devious smile spread across his face, his hand outstretched toward the prize, ready to claim victory.
To be continued.