While the gymnasium trembled from the force of the ongoing battle, far away in another City, another event was unfolding.
Inside the towering Greed Castle, the final destination on Greed Island's map and the site where the winner would claim their reward, two figures were standing in a luxuriously decorated room, filled with rare treasures and exotic furniture.
One of them had blond hair and a youthful, almost doll-like face. Though he looked like a woman at first glance, he was very much a man.
The other had a far rougher appearance, with messy hair that resembled a chicken nest and a stubbly jaw that gave him an unshaven look.
These two were List and Dwun, caretakers of Greed Island, just like Razor. Ging had roped them into the game too, though their jobs differed. They weren't front-line enforcers. They handled operations and oversaw the endgame.
But even from this distance, both of them felt it.
That pressure. That monstrous aura.
The castle walls didn't stop it from reaching them. A wave of power had just surged through the island, and it shook them to their cores.
"Call Ging," one of them said, eyes narrowing. They didn't even hesitate. Whatever just appeared on the field… it was on a whole different level.
Something big was about to go down on Greed Island. The atmosphere was tense, and it was clear that even the island's top enforcer, Razor, the strongest person usually responsible for handling trouble, might not be enough this time.
That's why Ging had to step in. Sure, most people thought he was a bit of a bastard, but when things got real, he was the one you could always count on.
"So when are you getting here?" Dwun asked, his tone edged with frustration as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Razor probably won't last much longer."
Ging's voice came through the receiver with a hearty laugh, which only made Dwun more irritated. "Hahaha, don't worry. Razor's got this, he won't act recklessly."
Normally, things like mobile phones weren't allowed on Greed Island. The only in-game messaging system was using card like 'Message', but Ging and his group had special permissions. As administrators, they could bend the rules a little.
"That guy's a friend of mine. He knows what he's doing, trust me."
With that, Ging hung up, leaving Dwun and the other administrator staring at the phone, stunned.
'A friend?'
Still, with Ging's reassurance, the two of them eased up a bit. They sat together in front of the monitor, eyes fixed on the screen showing Razor's location.
***
"Go ahead. You make the first move."
Larry stood calmly across from Razor, hands in his pockets, looking completely at ease. Behind him, seven Pokémon waited in formation, matching Razor's seven conjured beasts.
Even though the Pokémon weren't showing off their full power yet, anyone watching could tell, Larry's team was on a completely different level.
It didn't feel like a match, it felt like the result had already been decided.
Larry had tossed the first turn to Razor, not out of Pride, but because if he went first, the game might've been over instantly.
Razor bent down and picked up the ball from the ground, his eyes never leaving Larry. His jaw clenched, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips. For the first time, he truly felt powerless. Not even when facing Ging had he felt this kind of pressure.
Larry wasn't just on par with Ging, he was like facing several Gings at once.
Razor's wide palm gripped the dodgeball tightly. Waves of deep pink aura surged from his body, wrapping layer upon layer around the ball. The dodgeball grew larger by the second, enveloped in layers of focused Aura.
It wasn't long before the small ball had grown to several times its original size. It looked less like a dodgeball now, and more like a massive orb of energy waiting to explode.
With a sharp inhale, Razor pulled back all seven of his spiritual beasts. He reabsorbed them, converting their Aura directly into his own power. He couldn't afford to waste even a shred of energy, not against someone like Larry.
Unlike his usual strategy, which relied on spreading his Aura among his beasts for support and defense, this time, he put everything into his own body and the ball in his hand.
"He actually recalled all his beasts?" Goreinu narrowed his eyes. He could tell Razor wasn't just pulling them back to save energy, he was going all in.
By doing this, Razor had sacrificed his entire team dynamic. It was now a one-on-eight match, him versus Larry and his seven Pokémon.
"That was the right call," Biscuit murmured, eyes sharp as she studied the field.
"Normally, Razor's Aura is enough to play the role of an entire team. But against Larry, spreading himself thin is pointless.
Rather than dividing his strength, it's smarter to concentrate it all into one shot. He won't win, but at least he won't go down without trying."
On the field, Larry's gaze swept over the now-enormous energy sphere in Razor's grip. It no longer looked like any sort of sports equipment. With Aura swirling violently around it, the thing resembled a mental bomb, charged and ready to blow.
After a long buildup, Razor finally exhaled. The sheer effort had drained him more than expected, and sweat lined his brow. Still, a glimmer of resolve lit up in his narrowed eyes.
He knew he would lose.
But Razor wasn't the type to just give up and wait for defeat. If he was going down, he'd make damn sure it was with the flashiest, fiercest throw of his life.
Razor gripped the massive ball with both hands, his fingers sinking into the aura-wrapped surface as he steadied himself. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by eyes burning with unshakable determination.
This wasn't just another match for him. This was everything. Years of dodgeball experience, coupled with the immense Aura he had poured in, were now focused into this one throw. It would be the strongest he'd ever launched.
Boom!
Even after charging the ball with massive amounts of Aura, Razor still reinforced it with a focused Aura burst at the moment of release. The result was devastating.
The dodgeball tore through the air like a guided missile, overflowing with power and momentum as it rocketed straight at Larry.
The sound of it cutting through the air was deafening. It spun violently in a counterclockwise spiral, whipping up a vortex of wind as it surged forward.
The speed and rotation turned the pink ball into a blur of sharpened aura, slicing through the atmosphere like a blade through water. The air was cleaved apart on impact, creating a thunderous shockwave that blew violently to both sides.