Butterflies and Ravens (Ojo/Henrex)

First move?

The air around Ojo changed instantly at that, her large sword already spinning in her hands as she stepped in, spinning herself before swinging her blade like a baseball bat towards her Captain's stomach. He'd come to notice her immense strength despite her size, but he'd also realize, if their swords connected, that her Zanpakuto lacked a fine edge, its blunt surface actually making her strike hit him harder than a normal sword would.

Face neutral of emotion, Ojo's a woman capable of switching herself from casual to dangerous in a second. As soon as she was given free reign, her entire reason for existing became to fight her Captain. Nothing else matters right now except him and her. That's simply the power of a Koga in combat.

The moment the words left his lips, he felt the air shift, his fingers tightening slightly around the handle of his sword. She wanted him to take it slow so she could learn from him, so, he'd keep the more casual, faux-open stance as she suddenly stepped forward. That instant switch in demeanor was impressive, but also had the potential to be dangerous.

He could tell that she was gathering momentum as she spun, and in response, he twisted his wrist, holding his Zanpakuto upside down, shifting his stance. His feet were slightly spread out, the right sliding a half-step back. She was aiming at his stomach -- trying to block that with his sword upright would be awkward. So, as their blades clashed, his arm was pushed back, straining from the additional force.

"Curious. A sword with a blunt edge, giving it more overall physical force instead of cutting power. Not the best option for an assassin, though."

He pushed her sword to the right, simultaneously stepping to the left as he suddenly disappeared with a burst of speed -- yet, there was no sound of clothes rustling, of his feet hitting the ground, not even of the wind as he moved. With his free hand, he channeled a small bit of energy to release a thin, precise bolt of blue lightning from his fingertips. It wouldn't too any major damage, only give a small burn, sting a bit, and push her away.

He turned his sword back around, a mixture of the open stance from before and bracing footwork he had moments ago.

"The power behind your strikes is impressive, but, don't rely on it too heavily."

Fast. Of course. He is known for his ability to maneuver around the battlefield at blinding speeds. Assassination is an art best kept for the swift and deadly. The ability to step without leaving trace is but common for them. Ojo can't say she's mastered it, nor can she claim coming close to Hoho's true capabilities. Another lesson learned that her footwork has far to go.

This isn't the time for ruminating though. Only the air being burned by lightning hinted at his next attack. Call it a stroke of luck that her Zanpakuto was moved just in time for it to intercept the brunt of it, but that's the thing with electricity. It doesn't move in a straight line. It arcs and sticks to anything that can conduct it, so her body found itself being just that: a conductor. It leaped across her skin, the force of it enough to slide her body back before she grounded herself by forcing her blunt blade into the ground.

Already, she's feeling a bit sick, but she's the one who dared stand up to her Captain. How exciting, but this isn't the time for getting sidetracked again. This is the time to show off what she's capable of.

"Don't worry, Captain. Being strong's not all this gal's capable of." She said huffing as she rose. Again, she prepared herself for another charge, stepping forward at Yuuto like before. He may expect her to try the same move, but as she neared, her movement ceased, her body stopping right before him. Another technique to show him, her bat of a Zanpakuto suddenly swinging around her wildly, the large handle spinning in her hand as it'd feel like a mob had started attacking her Captain from every direction.

'Moonlight Butterfly: Spring Migration!'

The Captain smiled at her response -- he certainly hoped that she was. After all, why else would she have applied to the Fifth? Then again, there had been some more...ill-fitting members in the past, some more egregious than others. However, he still believed that there were ways to make their skills work. So, he opened his stance a little wider, a small invitation as Ojo made her move.

He prepared himself to step to the side as she neared, but his expression shifted from mild amusement and gentleness to one of surprise, craning his head to the side ever so slightly. The name was interesting, fancy and full of flourish, yet gave little to its actual effects. As she began to swing her Zanpakuto wildly, he calmly switched his stance, bringing his sword in front of him.

Elegant, yet calculating steps carried him backwards with small adjustments, carefully and narrowly avoiding the onslaught of attacks from his subordinate as if he were dancing. In his avoidance, he studied the wild strikes, before quickly bringing his sword up. In the blink of an eye, he brought his Zanpakuto up to collide with Ojo's, forcing them into a sword bind.

His arm strained slightly in response to the sheer power behind her wild attacks, but he did his best to hold firm.

"Interesting naming convention. I'm glad that raw strength isn't all that you have, but, how would you use these tricks and traits in covert operations? Attack me as if I'm a target this time."

"I'm no good at covert," Ojo grumbled, clearly distressed by her poor offense. That's to be expected though. She has a lot of things to work on, and as a boisterous woman, she found taming her mannerisms the toughest path to thread. That's one of the reasons she's in the Fifth Division.

But if it's a murder he wants-

Shifting her weight, Ojo jumped away from Yuuto, taking light steps back before she stopped herself.

"Weigh the scales, Nagaregami," She whispered, a feint purple aura encircling her Zanpakuto.

It is only fair she gives her Captain what he wants. She didn't bother explaining anything, her body suddenly outlined by the same aura about her Zanpakuto. The next second, she's suddenly moving faster, her form catching back up to Yuuto expediently. He's still faster by a long shot, but this is just one portion of the power that increases her deadliness. Again, her sword came soaring, a mimicry of the technique from earlier, berating the man before her with multiple strikes from every direction.

No good at covert? Perhaps she joined the division to better herself in that regard? A puzzled look came to the Captain's face as he readied himself for her next move, watching her leap back, before seeing her lips move. Though he couldn't hear what she said, he could still mostly read her lips, and a small smile came to his face.

He was interested in seeing what her Shikai entailed. In response, he shifted his stance, closing the openness that he had before, and instead held his sword in front of him, tilting the blade downward slightly. His footwork became more solid, creating more of a brace, so as to hold his ground.

Given what he could read from her lips, he had an idea as to how it likely worked. As Ojo suddenly leapt forward, once again attacking with a barrage of slashes, the Captain was quick to respond, countering with a mixture of dodges and parries, occasionally getting nicked by an attack.

"Not bad, but, when attacking a target, always end the matter quickly. Don't give them a chance to move, to act, or call for help."

Ojo shared no words, narrowing her eyes at her Captain's advice.

Quickly?

Fine. Let's see him react to this.

Her Zanpakuto flared, a minute expression of the energy roaring around it, but then Yuuto's blade became a burden. Sudden weight would strain his muscles as the pull of gravity downwards increased on his Zanpakuto. The multiple hits he blocked from Ojo's Zanpakuto made it easy to increase the power of her Shikai's abilities, making it impossible for someone who lacked any strength to continue fighting with a tool beyond their ability to control.

It is that moment where he'd find himself straining to move as fast as before that Ojo spun, her Zanpakuto outreaching beyond her range right for her Captain's face.

As her Zanpakuto flared with energy, he lifted his sword, only to suddenly find it heavier than normal. So, his intuition was right -- but, that didn't change the fact that his sword was now quite harder to utilize as a weapon. The added weight slowed him down, and even though he likely was more than capable of still wielding it and retaining a more than adequate level of speed, the Captain did something different.

As Ojo suddenly lunged toward him, he let his sword fall to the ground with a loud thud, before he quickly reached to his side, pulling the sheath free from his shihakusho and using it as a makeshift weapon, lifting it to block against his subordinate's attack. The steel of the dull blade glided across the scabbard,

Then, in one fluid motion, he picked up his sword despite the added weight, still wielding it masterfully. He kept the movement and momentum, whirling around to bring his sword to her throat. However, he did not let it linger, his arm dropping back to his side, the blade digging into the ground.

"Well done. Gravity can be an effective method of restraint, and fatal in the right circumstances. Excellent job, restraining my weapon and going for the head. Have you discovered further uses for that power beyond just increases in weight?"

She died.

It's as simple as that. Entirely unclear of how strong her Captain is, it would have been impossible to apply the appropriate amount of gravity to his blade to make it entirely useless. Then, there are too many unknown factors for her to entirely rely on a trick as single-minded as that to carry her through this fight. In a sense, winning was never an option, but losing is never something to be proud of.

Almost falling into herself after the sword was dropped from her throat, she found her words stuck, like a sour grape had sucked her lips tightly shut. Her eyes showed her apprehension and clear annoyance at having lost so handedly, but the worst proved the sudden change of personality, like a girl stricken by their father to behave. However, it is rude to not respond, so she shook her head at the question, her gaze off to the side as she tried to think of any alternatives that could have helped her live through this interaction.

He understood how it felt to lose -- it was never a pleasant feeling. He had been through far more losses than victories in his lifetime, but it was defeat that had made him strong. It had strengthened his resolve, made him more determined to reach the top, and perhaps now that goal and desire of power had become too big, become an obsession.

"I know that it never feels good to lose, but, remember that this wasn't a real battle. This wasn't really a loss for you."

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, patting her softly, reassuringly. He knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by a considerably more powerful opponent, especially with such a large gap between them. It had been the defining point of his early years as a Shinigami.

"Figuring out what else you can do with the powers your Zanpakuto possess is just as important as keeping diligent study in Zankensoki. Your form, stance, and overall technique are good, but your sword is not your only weapon."

He held up his sheath for emphasis, before lifting his sword from the ground, sheathing it, and placing it back at his side.

"Everything and anything can be a weapon, a tool to distract. You could apply that weight to an object, and lob it toward another person and take them off guard, force them to defend, or break their stance."

He gestured lightly to the various objects and trinkets around the area, once again, to emphasize his point. While it wasn't the most conventional aspect of the Stealth Force nor combat in general, learning to weaponize the environment could still create a life-or-death difference, especially when the gap in power was vast.

"Don't worry too much about what you could have done to change this spar, look at what you can improve, and practice relentlessly. Every battle and situation will be different, even if not entirely. Focus on improving yourself, and always be grateful that you're still alive."