Rage and disbelief roared inside him; never before had he faced such terrifying forces simultaneously. If moments ago he felt like a volcano about to erupt, now he was nothing but a dormant, dead one, his fighting spirit crushed like a spine being torn out.
It vanished the instant Larry released those nen beasts. "So, what do you think? Not bad, right?" a voice taunted. "You see now why I'm called the 'nen beast master,' don't you?"
Larry spread his hands wide, and four nen beasts radiating destructive aura appeared around him. Jed looked at those beasts, their auras even stronger than Larry's own, and felt a deep sense of powerlessness. His desire for revenge was unwavering, there was no doubt about that, but standing before Larry felt like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
For now, the best he could do was retreat and plan his retaliation against the Hunter Association and the V5 countries later. Jed's expression was conflicted, but he finally settled on one decision: he had to leave.
With Larry here, today's mission was impossible. He suspected Larry was the one who had dealt with Gaki and Shura.
"Netero! I'll let you live a little longer!" Jed declared. "Larry, huh? I might not be able to beat you, but you won't stop me from leaving!" Jed snapped back, his voice sharp with On.
Then, gathering all his strength, he prepared to flee immediately. Staying any longer would be too dangerous. Although he looked frustrated, he knew there was no better option.
The strongest power in this world had far exceeded all his expectations. He had thought Larry's strength wouldn't surpass Netero's in his prime, especially with Netero's power after resurrection. But the reality was the opposite, this was no easy challenge for him.
How had such powerful young fighters emerged in the world after all these decades?
Jed cursed under his breath but kept moving. The On fueling him made each step stronger, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack as if it couldn't hold him. But just as he was about to escape, everything changed.
"Huh? Why... can't I move?" Jed stared at his legs, trying to take a step, but he was rooted to the spot as if nailed to the ground.
Looking down, he noticed a strange black shadow spreading beneath his feet. Glancing back toward where he came from, he saw the gas beast standing next to Larry.
"Want to escape? Unfortunately, you just can't do it," Larry said, his words sounding harsh to Jed's ears. And Jed knew he was right.
Normally, he would fight tooth and nail to escape, even if he was up against several enemies of the same level. But this time was different, he was facing Larry.
Larry had plenty of ways to stop someone from escaping, he could've used Gardevoir with support moves, or set up Trick Room to reverse the turn order and slow Jed down. But this time, he pulled out one of the most frustrating tactics from Pokémon battles: Shadow Tag.
This Ability prevents the opponent from running or switching out, effectively trapping them in place. Not many Pokémon have it, but one of the most notorious is Mega Gengar.
Once it takes the field, escape is nearly impossible. With Shadow Tag active, Jed's plan to run away was doomed from the start.
"Is this some kind of mind control?" Jed asked through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with On and confusion. "When did this start? Was it just suddenly?"
Even though he hated to admit it, he had become nothing more than a fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others. And worst of all, he couldn't even run away!
"Wow, what a powerful ability," Chairman Netero said nearby, watching the scene unfold with amusement, still chuckling.
When Larry's four nen beasts fully appeared, even Netero, though tied up, couldn't help but tremble. It was a natural reaction, any creature would instinctively shake when faced with something far stronger.
Some people use their reactions as motivation, stepping up to face difficulties and take on challenges head-on. Others, however, get trapped by their instincts, becoming fearful and losing their strength, wanting nothing more than to run away.
Chairman Netero clearly falls into the first group. He wasn't all that surprised when his old friend decided to leave.
What really caught him off guard was that Jed couldn't even run away. Larry's Nen were truly strange and unpredictable in every way. It seemed like there was no way out, so the only option left was to fight to the death.
Jed clenched his fists tightly, his teeth grinding audibly with a sharp click.
"I'm not going to bully you either. Let's make it simple, choose one," he said. "I will choose one nen beast. If you can defeat it, I'll let you go." Larry stared silently at Jed, who looked as tense and uncomfortable as someone struggling with a stubborn problem, and replied with a calm, "Fair enough."
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only the strong wind whipped around, stirred by the momentum of the Pokemon in motion.
hen, suddenly, Jed burst out laughing, wild, almost insane laughter that mixed relief with fierce resolve. "The more I live, the more I come back!" he shouted. "Netero!"
Netero looked at his old friend, a deep sigh escaping him. He understood exactly what Jed meant, if nothing else, this would be a true farewell. After a moment, Jed's laughter died down, and he composed himself, speaking with calm determination.
"Boy, you're strong. I admit it," he said. "Out of everyone I've ever met, you're undoubtedly the strongest. The strongest person I've ever seen was young Netero. But that's changed now. You've taken his place, and you've surpassed him by far."
Then, his tone shifted sharply. His calm eyes turned fierce, and the anger inside him flared up wildly. "But I will never give up like this! In this last fight, I will fight with the determination to die!"
With that, Jed raised his voice and shouted, "The Grudge of One Hundred Demons! Rakshasa!!!" His sad yet resolute cry echoed through the sky, reaching the ears of Gon and the others who had just arrived.
As Jed let out his final shout, an overwhelming wave of On surged into the sky like never before. His eyes were swallowed by darkness, turning completely black. His face, once pale as paper, was now marked with glowing black lines that radiated an eerie, cold light.