"Teacher Muramasa, Scizor is back," Eichi said.
"Rest for three minutes, then prepare for the second attempt," Muramasa replied.
"Understood," Eichi said.
Three minutes passed quickly, and Scizor began its second attempt. Its resolve was firm, its focus locked entirely on the finish line. However, just like last time, it was spotted by a Scyther while flying past a tree. It wasn't the same one as before, but a different individual. This Scyther didn't waste any words and immediately swung its blades.
Seeing the Scyther lunge, Scizor swung its pincer and used Brick Break, striking the Scyther heavily. The blow sent the opponent flying. Without a second glance, Scizor continued forward.
Before long, it encountered four Scyther. They had been lying in ambush in a tree, waiting specifically for Scizor. Fortunately, their levels weren't too high, all being at the Experienced rank.
Scizor used Agility, striking each of them in turn and knocking them away. It managed to shake them off, but they weren't about to let it go that easily. One Scyther let out a long, piercing cry. Scizor's heart sank as it realized the trouble. Other Scyther and Scizor in the vicinity would surely hear the call. It was a signal that Scizor had been found. Scizor accelerated again, flying into the canopy to use the branches as cover while rushing toward the finish line.
The Scyther were too fast, however. Not long after it had lost the previous group, three more Scyther appeared. These three were different from the others; their movements were perfectly synchronized. From their cries, Scizor realized they were a trio of brothers with impeccable teamwork.
The three brothers used Double Team simultaneously, surrounding Scizor in layers of clones. Knowing their intent, Scizor refused to be fooled and charged directly at one of the figures. It assumed it would be like the first trial—that the figure in front would be a clone.
It was mistaken. That Scyther was the real body. After a violent collision, the Scyther was unable to withstand Scizor's power and was knocked back, but its goal was achieved. Scizor had been delayed for several seconds, allowing the Scyther from behind to catch up.
Scizor tried to push forward, but the second layer of Scyther were also real bodies rather than clones. Like their brother, they were pushed back by Scizor's impact, but Scizor knew they had succeeded. The reinforcements from behind had arrived. Based on the surrounding noise, even more Scyther were converging on its location.
Scizor forced itself to stay calm. It hadn't completely failed yet; there was still a chance.
At the finish line, Muramasa watched the time on the stopwatch slowly tick away. He turned to Masamune and asked, "Masamune, do you think Scizor will make it further than the first time?"
Masamune continued to look away coolly, offering no answer to Muramasa's question. Muramasa simply chuckled at this reaction and remained silent.
Faced with the surrounding Scyther, Scizor charged straight in. But there were too many of them, and each one was desperate to keep Scizor pinned down. Even with its strength, Scizor was overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. There were at least fifteen Scyther in total. Just like that, Scizor was entangled and couldn't break through.
When the stopwatch hit zero, Muramasa looked at Masamune. Understanding the signal, Masamune immediately rushed out. It found the source of the clashing move sounds, and as expected, it was Scizor. It looked quite battered, currently facing off against over a dozen opponents.
Seeing Masamune, Scizor knew it had failed again. Masamune signaled for it to return. Scizor cast a resentful glance at the opposing Scyther and flew back in frustration.
At the starting point, Eichi saw Scizor return covered in minor injuries. Upon landing, Scizor swung its pincer and struck a tree in a fit of rage. It was extremely upset; this time, the distance it covered was even shorter than the first attempt.
Knowing Scizor was in a foul mood, Eichi stepped forward to comfort it. However, seeing its expression, he knew his words weren't sinking in. Eichi decided to give it some space to calm down while he channeled his Bug Force into Scizor's body to heal its wounds.
After a while, the third attempt began. Scizor vibrated its wings and shot out instantly. One look at its posture revealed it was going all out. It encountered Scyther again, but this time it didn't engage, focusing solely on speed. It bypassed them, swerving to shake them off. The strategy actually had some minor success.
This time it avoided being swarmed initially, but the "hit and run" tactic eventually hit a wall. It only managed to travel slightly further than the previous run before being intercepted by three Scyther.
Why is it these three pests again? Scizor cursed internally. It was becoming increasingly irritable and was unable to stay calm. Faced with the onslaught, Scizor engaged in a direct, head-on brawl. It knew it likely wouldn't pass this time either, but it felt too aggrieved and frustrated to care.
Unfortunately, the result was the same. Once the ten minutes were up, Scizor was still locked in combat with the group. Returning to the start once more, Scizor became even more temperamental. Eichi realized it wasn't suitable to continue for now. He contacted Mr. Muramasa through the communicator to explain the situation.
Mr. Muramasa was understanding. After speaking with the Scizor leader, the two humans headed back. They planned to return in the afternoon. Eichi wanted Scizor to have a proper chance to cool its head; if it couldn't regain its composure, it would never pass the trial.
During lunch, Scizor followed a rare pattern of hardly eating. Eichi wasn't the only one to notice; Scizor's "Big Brother," Beedrill, noticed as well. Eichi gave Beedrill a meaningful look, and Beedrill understood instantly. After finishing its lunch, it went over to talk to Scizor and provide some guidance.