Vestige of Resolve [Private/Wan] [Henrex/Calypso]

It felt nice to finally be back in the world of the living, after almost a year of being away. While it wasn't all bad, there was a part of him that deeply missed his true homeland of Japan. Walking in mildly casual attire through the park, taking a drink from a bottle of water on the hot summer day, Henrex gently tugged on the front of his tank top to get some air moving through it.

It wasn't anywhere near the record highs that Japan had in the past, but it was still decently hot, enough for him to feel it necessary to wear a black tank-top and light jeans, a lightweight white hoodie to go on top of it all. It was nice to see that there were still plenty of people getting out and enjoying the beautiful weather. But, one person caught his interest specifically -- only for what they were doing.

Taking a look to his right, he saw someone practicing something very familiar: Wudang-an-han. Experiencing it from Mirja, Ulv, and Ci Lan Tsu, it was something that quickly caught his eye. So, taking an interest, Henrex walked over to the young woman practicing the martial form, waving softly. But, as he approached, he noticed something else about her: her eyes. A light, sulfur yellow akin to a Vizard donning their mask. His expression remained friendly, a warm smile across his face, but it didn't stop him from feeling mildly concerned.

"I recognize that form you're practicing. Wudang-an-han, right?"

He figured she would ask about it, but her questions as to how he knew about the martial form she practiced spawned...complicated emotions and even further complicated memories as a result. His warm smiled faltered for a moment, before returning as he set down the bottle of water in his hand next to him, before slipping his hands into his pockets.

"A friend of mine taught me. Mirja Eeola, or, her most recent incarnation, Ulv Auber. We had a bit of a...complicated relationship. But, even with that, she was still someone I could call a friend."

His smile became sorrowful for a moment, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Ulv was dead, and that Minatumi Harbor had gone dim. The burning light of Ulv's seemingly unending passion no longer lit the harbor. He paused for a moment, leaning down and picking up the bottle of water, taking a drink before suddenly stopping and putting the lid back on the bottle.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Henrex."

Just as he was about to confirm that the two were related, Calypso quickly nodded, as if it suddenly made sense, explaining and somewhat rambling about Mirja and Ulv's differences with their styles and place in the world of Wulin. But, he had to chuckle softly at the rather gaudy title of "One-Hit Wolf," something that he wasn't entirely surprised to hear. It was rather fitting for Mirja to have such a title for herself.

However, it was interesting to hear an outsider's perspective on, between the two incarnations, of who would win in a fight, with Calypso determining that Ulv would with without question against Mirja. Honestly, he had to agree. Mirja was strong, but strength alone wouldn't be enough against someone with the proper skill and technique to wield it properly. But, as Calypso grinned and flicked her eyebrows, Henrex raised a hand and gently shook his head.

"Hold on a second. Mirja taught me it a long time ago, and, even then, I'm not all that skilled with hand-to-hand combat. I'm a swordsman, and, I'd like to think that I'm a pretty good one. But, regardless, I really don't want to end up accidentally cutting off your arm."

While Henrex wasn't exactly welcoming the idea of a fight, Calypso didn't seem worried about him wielding a sword, even going on to say that there was a countermeasure that had been created by the person who made her preferred style. As she brought her fists up and grinned again, Henrex sighed softly, taking a few paces away before summoning his Zanpakuto to his side.

The daisho set manifested at his side and he set his hand on the handle of the katana, his other hand resting on the sheath of the katana itself. He lowered himself down slightly, pressing his foot harshly to the ground. He took a deep breath, exhaling softly to expel regret and reaffirm his core and posture. In the span of a few moments, Henrex shot forward, drawing his sword and executing two swift slashes, up, then down, diagonally.

Immediately after, he backed up, keeping his sword unsheathed as he wrapped both of his hands around the blade and held upright in a Kendo stance, prepared to defend himself, should he need to. While he had been holding back to a degree, he still fought with intent, and each strike would still be fully capable of doing harm, should they have met their mark.

As he went through with his attack, Calypso wrapped her hand around his sword and grabbed the blade during the second strike. Wasting no time, he quickly tapped into a base power of his Zanpakuto and manipulated the shape into a sai before using the different shape to forcefully yank it free, glancing down to see her leg moving for his groin.

Without much time to move, he moved his leg in her way, using his low weight to his advantage and pushing himself off from her leg and foot. Moving backward, his wings unfurled as he kept himself upright and landed on his feet not too far away. Switching from holding his sword in both of his hands to only one, Henrex shot forward again, closing the small distance in little time, moving his sword to the side, and, as he came in close, quickly thrusting his sword out in a jabbing motion.

Immediately after, Henrex used his free hand to use the little Hakuda skill he had to throw his arm forward with tremendous strength, exerting a small amount of spiritual power to amplify the Ikkotsu strike slightly, intending to force her backward. He wanted to make sure he was doing something, but he also didn't want to end up blowing his arm, Calypso's, or do any unnecessary damage around them. They were in public after all.