Chapter 837: Fighting for the Pride Within
[Step back! Have you forgotten what I taught you before?!]
Kazuya glared.
Scizor's voice couldn't reach inside Glaciate, but Aura could help Kazuya catch those words.
So Kazuya knew Scizor's choice.
But precisely because of that.
He felt panicked.
Scizor's current condition was already very poor.
If he took another Giga Impact, even if he didn't die, he would suffer severe shadow energy corruption, and perhaps he wouldn't even survive in the end.
"If I retreat here today, then what right do I have to call myself Master's proudest disciple!!"
A trace of hysteria flashed through Scizor's eyes.
No one could understand him.
[You are my first disciple, and also my proudest.]
How joyful and proud he felt when he heard those words from his Master's mouth.
That day.
He even wanted to tilt his head back and look at Lucario through his nostrils.
Because.
Scizor truly felt incredibly proud that he could be his Master's pride.
This was the source of his courage.
And also the confidence that allowed him to look down on everything.
But.
If he just dodged now.
And just watched Kyurem heavily injure his Master right in front of him.
Then was he still worthy of being his Master's pride?
Would he still have the courage to call himself Master's proud disciple in front of others?
Scizor could imagine.
If he dodged.
Then in the future, when Master praised him in front of others.
He would repeatedly imagine this scene today.
Like a nightmare, haunting him for the rest of his life.
Making him forever feel guilty and unworthy of this identity he once took pride in.
Therefore.
Scizor would not dodge.
He was willing to protect the only pride in his heart with his life.
"This foolish kid... It seems you won't learn your lesson unless you get a profound one."
Kazuya gritted his teeth and struggled with all his might, a look of pain flashing through his eyes.
His head and torso continuously squeezed forward, but his arms were fixed in place by the ice, completely unable to move.
Rrrriiiip...
It wasn't the sound of ice shattering.
But the sound of something tearing.
It was just that this sound couldn't be transmitted outside.
Outside.
Lucario had already taken Mewtwo out of Glaciate's range.
The moment they stepped out of the freezing fog, the eyes of the Mewtwo inside the ice block twitched, and His five senses gradually began to recover.
Lucario turned his head to look.
And instantly turned pale with fright, anxiously shouting: "Lord Kazuya! If this continues, your arms will break off!"
In his vision.
The area connecting Kazuya's torso and arms was continuously splitting apart.
The shadow body that had always been seamlessly connected in the past was now being torn like a bag, pulling out black threads, looking as if it could snap in two at any moment.
"I intend to let them break!"
Kazuya gritted his teeth and lunged.
His arms completely detached from his body.
And at that moment, he rushed out of the freezing fog.
I fought with my life on the line, not to laugh heartily alone while remembering the way you all died when the sun reappears...
Teleport.
Kazuya appeared beside Scizor. Catching his teetering disciple with his teeth, he disappeared again, teleporting next to Lucario.
"Master..."
Scizor hadn't even realized what happened yet.
He only knew his Master was saved.
With this thought.
The persistence in his heart completely let go.
His eyes rolled back, and he passed out.
"Heal Ball... run..."
Kazuya weakly spat out a few words, then collapsed towards the ground alongside Scizor.
Lucario didn't waste words.
He used the Heal Balls to recall his three companions, then used Dig to burrow underground.
The snow-covered ground was hard and freezing to the touch.
He hadn't dug very deep.
Before Lucario's hands were already red from the cold.
Later on, his nails even split, blood dripping, and the fur on his palms was dyed dark red with blood. But with Kyurem in hot pursuit behind them, he didn't dare to stop.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Lucario seemed to dig through the earth, falling into an underground river.
By this moment.
His hands were completely numb.
It might take many days for them to fully heal.
Dragonite's figure emerged from her Heal Ball.
"Lady Dragonite..."
"Leave the rest to me."
She scooped Lucario into her arms and recalled him into his Heal Ball, then dove into the river and continued fleeing rapidly with everyone.
Having companions.
Means having an escape route.
Fighting side by side, there is no insurmountable difficulty.
Dragonite followed the river all the way until she plunged headlong into the sea; only then did she finally relax.
They had finally narrowly escaped death.
She quickly headed towards the surface of the sea, then went ashore at the nearest point, found a hidden spot, and settled down.
The next day.
Under the slow healing of the Heal Balls.
The six Pokémon had recovered some condition and emerged from their Heal Balls.
As soon as everyone appeared.
They all turned their gazes to Kazuya.
At this moment, Kazuya had reverted to his normal form, and the space where his arms should be was still empty.
"Master..."
Scizor's eyes drooped, and he opened his mouth, about to wail and cry, looking as if guilt had consumed his rationality.
The shadow energy on his body burned fiercely.
It seemed it could completely engulf Scizor at any moment.
Seeing this, Kazuya shook his head.
His shoulders trembled.
And two brand new arms grew out.
He reached out and patted Scizor's hard head: "Don't just start crying at the drop of a hat. It's not like I died."
"...Huh?"
Scizor stared blankly at the large hand before him, tears hanging in his eyes, completely dumbfounded.
The other Pokémon also widened their eyes, revealing expressions of horror.
Limb regeneration?!
"No need to be so surprised. Darkrai's biological structure is unique; the limbs are inherently an extension of the torso, so they can regenerate even if severed."
Kazuya used his right hand to twist his left wrist, adjusting the parts that felt stiff.
He even demonstrated one more time.
He first extended two thin "legs" from his lower body, then quickly retracted them.
He used this power quite frequently normally. After all, some moves were easier and more familiar to execute with limbs. It was just that Scizor and the others hadn't made the connection.
Kazuya severing his own arms just now was somewhat similar to using the move [Substitute].
Creating a decoy by sacrificing a small portion of one's HP, letting the decoy absorb some of the move's damage and effects in one's place.
It's just that.
Compared to Substitute.
The cost of Kazuya doing this was higher.
To put it in game terms, he lost about 1/3 of his HP.
Otherwise.
He wouldn't have passed out immediately after saving Scizor.
Looking at it now.
The result wasn't much different from the beginning.
If he had known.
He should have just severed his arms and struggled out from the start.
But he couldn't really say that.
After all, there aren't that many "if I had knowns" in this world.
Kazuya couldn't have predicted Kyurem would suddenly shift targets, nor could he have predicted Scizor would suddenly be disobedient.
He turned to look ahead.
The tall Scizor stood before Kazuya, his head lowered in a dejected manner: "Master, I'm sorry."
Not only did he fail to protect his Master, but he even needed his Master to save him.
Looking at him like this, Kazuya didn't reprimand him, but merely reached out and patted Scizor's shoulder: "You must trust your companions, and even more so, trust my judgment."
With those words said.
Kazuya waved his hand, signaling everyone to rest.
Everyone's condition was poor; basically, everyone was more or less injured, including himself.
Even without mentioning the shadow energy corruption.
Just the physical injuries.
Required a few days of proper rest.
Kazuya planned to have everyone rest here for two days before setting off towards the west.
On this side.
Scizor still stood in place. He raised his head, gazing at the sunless sky in the distance, and murmured, "I trust you, I've always trusted you... But I couldn't dodge."
He trusted his Master's judgment.
Since Master said he wouldn't die after taking Kyurem's Giga Impact, then he definitely wouldn't die.
But that wasn't a reason for Scizor to willingly let Kyurem attack his Master.
Master was immobilized and unable to act.
For a disciple who hadn't fallen yet to just stand and watch as Kyurem attacked his Master without doing anything.
Was that proper?
This was Scizor's persistence.
He apologized to his Master.
Not because he thought he did wrong just now.
But because he felt he didn't do well enough.
A person must live for something in this lifetime. Some live for their family, some for a dream... Master might be for saving the world and finding Meowscarada.
The dog might be for the justice and faith hidden within Aura.
And him.
He had no grand ideals or beliefs. He just wanted to guard this little bit of pride in his heart and his loyalty that wouldn't lose to anyone.
Scizor didn't feel he was wrong for doing so.
On the contrary.
He felt fortunate to clearly understand what he was fighting for. Every punch, every kick of his carried no confusion or hesitation.
Perhaps this was also the reason he could be the first to step into the Master tier.
So he would persevere.
Even if there was a next time.
He would still do the same.
It's just that.
Next time.
He would do better.
Scizor looked down at his pincer, deformed from being crushed by the ice fangs. A cold light glinted in his pupils as he turned to look north: "Kyurem..."
The Icicle Plate.
He knew Master wanted that thing.
He would personally bring it back for Master.
Next time.
Scizor would definitely kill Kyurem himself, to wash away the disgrace of yesterday.
Two days passed.
Kazuya's injuries fully healed.
The residual shadow energy was practically no different from a decoration.
This life-and-death crisis brought him a massive amount of experience.
He also successfully broke through to the Master stage, pretty much neck and neck with Lucario. From now on, he would likely surpass Lucario and Scizor all the way, reaching the forefront.
Most importantly...
At the Master stage.
He could already fuse the Dread Plate.
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