Chapter 38: Larry Trump Card
Neither side had truly won yet. Wrath had gained an incredible boost in power, more than enough to kill Satotz with ease. But at the same time, he had lost his right arm forever. "Hahahaha! Just die already!!" With a manic grin, Wrath slammed his foot down, sending a shockwave of blood-red aura rippling across the ground. The stone floor beneath him shattered instantly, dust and rubble flying skyward.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished. Like a red blur, he reappeared right in front of Satotz. His sandbag-sized fist, wrapped in an enormous sphere of aura, rocketed toward him with enough force to obliterate anything in its path. Wrath's bloodshot eyes locked onto Satotz with an almost bestial intensity. There was only one thought in his mind. Crush him.
For a brief second, time itself seemed to freeze. Then—"Shauna." A soft voice rang out. Calm, almost gentle. And then—BOOM!!!
The devastating punch slammed into the ground, creating an explosion of stone and dust. But Satotz was gone. The earth beneath Wrath's feet had been completely obliterated. The ground was cratered and uneven, a deep hole marking the spot where his attack had landed. This punch… it was stronger than Uvogin's Big Bang Impact.
Wrath's crimson gaze darted around wildly. Then, he saw them. Satotz was standing in a far corner of the cave. And in front of him— A graceful figure. "Teleportation… I didn't expect Larry's Nen beast to have that ability."
Satotz, half-leaning against the stone wall, took a moment to catch his breath. Larry must have noticed how dire his situation was and sent reinforcements just in time. From Larry's perspective, Wrath was like a supercharged version of Baise and Shalnark combined. He could restore his aura and heal injuries through combat. And if he took severe damage, his aura would explode into an even more terrifying form. It was a dangerous ability—one that made him nearly unstoppable in prolonged fights.
That's why Larry had ordered Gardevoir to keep an eye on Satotz's battle the entire time. "Shauna." Gardevoir raised her hands, summoning multiple pink aura spheres in the air. They hovered around her, rotating in a synchronized pattern, each one brimming with destructive power.
Wrath's expression twisted. He had no choice now—he had to attack before it was too late. He knew his own limits. He couldn't maintain this enhanced state for long. There were only two possible outcomes. Either he finished the fight before his time ran out. Or Time ran out, and he would be helpless.
Meanwhile— "Boy, you've been fighting me with only half your strength?!" Envy glared at Larry, his entire body shaking with barely-contained Wrath.
Every move Larry made stung like salt in an open wound. Gardevoir's intervention was the final straw. Seeing Larry send aid to Satotz was like lighting a fuse inside Envy's already unstable mind. Through his En, he could sense the massive fluctuations in Wrath's aura. But something was off. That power surge— It wasn't going to last long.
Wrath was burning through his remaining strength at an alarming rate. Seeing this, Envy realized he couldn't afford to hold back anymore. "Boy… you forced me to do this! Enjoy it while you can!"
With a sudden, violent motion, he ripped open his tattered white robe. The sight beneath it was grotesque. His entire body was covered in holes. Even his mouth had a gaping hole in it. No wonder his speech always sounded so strange. The scene was horrifying—enough to make anyone with trypophobia pass out on the spot. And then— The holes began to move.
White, writhing insects started pouring out. Each one bore strange blood-red patterns on its body, forming an eerie contrast against their pale shells. Within moments, the ground before Envy was no longer visible. The insects had piled into a massive mound, forming a wriggling, pulsating white hill. The sheer volume of them was nightmarish. Larry watched with a bored expression. "Oh? You've got another trump card? Then hurry up and use it already." His casual tone was like a dagger to Envy's pride.
The last shred of rationality inside Envy's mind snapped. Veins bulged on his forehead. His already pale face contorted with Wrath, making him look even more grotesque. Envy activated his Nen, his entire body flooding with dark, malevolent aura.
Then, he did something unexpected. He spat out multiple mouthfuls of blood—directly onto the mound of insects. The moment his blood touched them, the creatures began to convulse. Then— They started devouring each other. In a matter of seconds, the white hill had turned red—soaked in fresh blood. The writhing mass of insects was now nothing but pure carnage. The ground beneath them was slick with fluids, the air filled with the sickening sound of crunching exoskeletons and tearing flesh.
This— This was Nen-infused cannibalism. A grotesque ritual of survival. This was Feast of the Hundred Poisons—Envy's ultimate ability. By sacrificing his own blood and flooding the swarm with aura, he forced his insects into a brutal deathmatch. Only the strongest would survive. And those that did— Would become unstoppable.
The final survivor would become the insect King. But there was a catch—this ultimate creation could only exist for about a minute before breaking apart.
A trump card meant for desperate situations. From the sidelines, Pyorn watched the grotesque transformation unfold. He wanted to warn Larry. The monstrous insect forming before them wouldn't be easy to deal with. But then, he hesitated. Larry remained completely calm. Seeing that unwavering expression, Pyorn swallowed his words.
The entire Feast process didn't take long. In less than twenty seconds, the endless swarm of insects had vanished. And in its place— A massive, blood-red insect now loomed. It resembled the sandworms Larry had often encountered in the Gordeau Desert— But far more grotesque. "Zhizhizhi…" The creature's screeches reverberated through the cave, sending a chill down Pyorn's spine. From the aura it radiated, this Insect King had surpassed Gengar's power. It had reached A+ rank.
Envy let out a sinister chuckle, his bloodshot eyes brimming with malice."Kek… Kekeke… You're just standing there, so confident… Don't worry, boy." His twisted grin widened as he took a step forward. "I'll make sure to drag this out before I kill you."
At this point, capturing Larry alive was no longer on his mind. He didn't care about orders anymore. His hatred had completely taken over. There was only one fate waiting for Larry— Death. But Larry? Larry just smirked. A slow, mocking smile. "I see… So this is your so-called trump card?" His tone carried nothing but disdain. "You're so weak."
Envy's expression twitched violently. Larry tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. "I'll give you credit for one thing…You dared to challenge me." His gaze sharpened, his voice dropping to a chilling calm. "But that's the only thing worth praising." Then—"Come out, Tyranitar."