Scizor could not maintain those two moves indefinitely. Furthermore, eight minutes had already passed, leaving only a final minute and a half. After a dozen more seconds, Scizor reached its limit and stopped using the Swords Dance and Hidden Power.
Its speed dropped slightly. At that moment, all the resident Scizor began to close in. In response, Scizor used Double Team once more. Instantly, over twenty Scizor clones appeared in mid-air, scattering as they charged toward the surrounding group.
However, the resident Scizor did not budge. They watched as the "Old Man" lunged toward one specific Scizor, and only then did they follow suit. The entire swarm converged on the target. The "Old Man" was particularly fast, using Bullet Punch at extreme speed to strike Scizor.
The blow landed heavily on Scizor's back, knocking it forward a significant distance. Yet, at the very moment it was struck, Scizor released a move it had prepared long ago.
Substitute!
By leveraging the force of the Bullet Punch, Scizor's real body propelled itself forward over a great distance. Realizing the opportunity had arrived, Scizor finally unleashed its full strength.
Its speed exploded, increasing by a massive margin. The "Old Man's" eyes widened as it realized it had been tricked. It immediately gave chase, and the other Scizor followed.
After a short pursuit, however, they realized Scizor's speed was simply too high. They could not catch up; even at full power, they could only dangle far behind. The "Old Man" pursued Scizor frantically, while many of the other Scizor began to fall behind one by one.
Eventually, only the "Old Man" and one other Scizor remained close. Then the second one fell away, leaving only the "Old Man," and even then, the gap continued to widen.
At the finish line, Muramasa watched the numbers on the stopwatch dwindle. Nine minutes had passed; only one minute remained. His eyes darted back and forth between the watch and the forest ahead.
Masamune sat with its head lowered as if sleeping, but it was actually sensing. Its range of perception was far greater than what the eye could see. Cai Kun, the Scizor Leader, and its sister were all watching from a distance, their feelings quite complex.
Suddenly, Masamune snapped its eyes open. An instant ago, a gray mist had appeared in its perception; it knew a Scizor was approaching. A flash of red burst into Muramasa's field of vision. His eyes widened, his heart racing.
In the distance, a Scizor appeared, drawing closer at extreme speed with another Scizor trailing far behind. Muramasa finally broke into a smile.
"It's here," Muramasa said.
In an instant, Scizor appeared before Muramasa. The moment Scizor landed, he pressed the stop button.
The stopwatch froze at 32 seconds—32 seconds before the ten-minute mark. Scizor had cleared the trial.
Muramasa looked at the watch, then held it up for Scizor to see. "Congratulations, Scizor. You passed the trial," Muramasa said.
A few seconds after Scizor arrived, the "Old Man" reached the finish line. Looking at the time on the watch, it knew Scizor had succeeded. At that moment, its heart was filled with a mix of gratification and a hint of melancholy.
After showing Scizor the results, Muramasa picked up the communicator. "Eichi, you can come over now," Muramasa said.
On the other side, Eichi smiled when he heard Teacher Muramasa's words. He immediately made his way to the finish line. Scizor was currently chatting with the "Old Man." Gradually, more Scyther and Scizor arrived, making the scene very lively.
When Eichi arrived, Muramasa said, "Eichi, congratulations! Scizor passed the test." He then showed the stopwatch to Eichi.
"Not bad," Eichi said, smiling as he looked at the time.
"You're being modest again," Muramasa said with a smile. "To be honest, you've given me many surprises. I still underestimated you."
Once all the Scyther and Scizor had gathered, Scizor began to speak. It expressed its deep gratitude for their help during the trial, essentially thanking everyone for the trouble it had caused over the past few days.
During these trials, Scizor had constantly engaged in a battle of wits and courage with them. Although it didn't know their names, they had developed a bond through combat. Knowing it had passed and might never see them again, it felt a bit reluctant and sad.
The other Scyther and Scizor felt the same. For the past few days, preventing Scizor from passing had been tiring, but it had also been quite fun.
Cai Kun watched Scizor from a distance. To be honest, it was shocked. When it first heard Scizor was taking the trial, it didn't believe the challenger could pass. But Scizor had proven it wrong; it had actually succeeded.
Cai Kun suddenly recalled Scizor's first attempt. Facing a swarm of attackers, even when covered in wounds, it never gave up. Cai Kun knew the difficulty of the trial. Now, the only thing flashing through its mind was the look in Scizor's eyes during the run.
It was a gaze of determination and strength—a look it had only seen in its father and Masamune. Cai Kun felt a wave of shame. It realized that Scizor was roughly the same age as itself, yet their strengths were worlds apart. It was deeply moved.
Masamune, meanwhile, looked at Scizor with pride. In its eyes, Scizor was its disciple. Seeing its student pass the trial naturally made the teacher happy.
Afterward, Eichi and Muramasa brought out Pokémon food to share with everyone, even contributing several large boxes of Pokéblocks. As they ate, Scizor began to say its goodbyes. In such a warm atmosphere, the sadness was washed away.
Finally, after everyone had finished eating, Eichi and Muramasa packed up and departed amidst the farewells of the group.
By the time they returned to the dojo, it was still early, but Eichi felt a sense of relief. All training was now complete; it was time for Eichi to return to school.
"Eichi, when do you plan to leave?" Muramasa asked on the way back.
When Teacher Muramasa mentioned this, a surge of emotion hit Eichi. Perhaps it was because he was reluctant to leave; he had developed an attachment to this place.
He was silent for a moment before saying, "Tomorrow."
"Fine," Muramasa said, his expression unchanged. "Go back and pack. Let's have a good meal tonight."