Exkoizu Mi? Can I get some help? [Shishiyuki, Igen]

The focus it took was startling! It wasn't just a burst. Not ....not like Shikai. Of course his own was a poor example. He had felt that explosive rush of energy, but this was so very different! It was so much more...intense! Not just power, but a strain! And instinctively he kicked back the flow, keeping himself from shunting out too much energy at once! But of course, the instant he did so, Shishiyuki struck, and that swirling mass of energy coursing over his body was breached, slamming into his extremities and causing a sudden explosive CRACK to sound! Frost coursed across his body, freezing his skin as a burst of energy shot along his left shoulder! Ripping across the ground, flash-freezing the zand before blooming as a tide of ice behind him!

But his flesh rapidly healed.

He'd felt this backlash before. How many times had he suffered overheating, or electrical burns when he had first started using Shunko? By instinct, he'd pumped a bit of reiryoku through his body, and that flesh mended almost as quickly as that rash of freezerburn tore across his back and shoulder. An instinct borne from months of hurting himself with his attempts.

And so he thrust! In that very moment, with instinct taking over, he promptly shoved back. Aiming to strike Shishiyuki's own wrist with his own hand! Of course, he didn't know her special twisting move. Not in the slightest. But he had been emulating her reiryoku flow this entire time. And in that moment, he managed to shove back. If they hadn't been training shunko, it would ave no doubt been like a child slapping their parent. Adorable.

But while Shishiyuki was applying so much focus on trying to maintain her new Shunko? Even a child's slap could break one's concentration!

Igen was almost crestfallen at the ease with which Shishiyuki playfully swatted his hand aside! Effortless, even in the midst of shunko wich she was seemingly only just budding into! Well...actually wait, did she just know Shunko? Questions for later. But all the same, he blinked owlishly as that sudden swat deflected his attempted strike, and for just a moment, he gave a sheepish smile, and then struck again! This time aiming for her body, before following up with another swing from his other hand! Aiming to swat te limb she would, undoubtedly, use to counter!

A little smile on his face as he did, and that flow bolstered within him. And for just a moment, he was reminded of another teacher who had had a similar ...coy...playful mannerism to her teaching. But that was just a brief memory, and quickly it was pushed aside so that he could focus on the task at hang: Landing a hit on Shishiyuki!

She was dodging! His eyes widened as he felt that thrill building up inside of him! Truth be told, he had not figured the woman would get so into this! And so, flashing a grin, he promptly allowed that energy to bolster up within him! Just a brief moment, allowing his reiryoku to flare before he struck out! The air chilling rapidly as that freezing reiryoku billowed behind the strike, freezing the ground beneath them as that strike from Shishiyuki nailed him in the bicep! A sudden TENSION as he felt that energy almost wrest from his control! A sudden BURST coursed, putting far more energy into that strike as the energy was shunted through his body. Frost creeping along his fingers, gritting his teeth as he focused on reigning the energy back in, his speed dipping for just a moment, that energy wrapping around him defensively once again, buying himself a bit of time to get his focus back up.

This was....beyond thrilling. Feeling the energy coursing through him. Feeling that razor thing margin of error with every motion. But that margin was growing the more that Shishiyuki pushed him. Threatened him. JARRED him out of his rhythm, forcing him to continuously adjust. He had no choice. She disrupted his energies so viciously that he HAD to make himself stable, or else he'd no doubt suffer considerable injury. Each and every strike pushed him dangerously close, and that danger drove him to adapt.

And finally, he lunged. He had, after all, instinctively focused that Shunko mostly into just wrapping around himself. Protecting him more than anything else. But that darting around, that jabbing at him. she was goading him into attacking. Into letting go of that safety. And he took the bait. At long last, the energy didn't just wrap around him. It flowed through him. lighting up his reiryoku network as the force and speed behind his lunge finally spiked, thrusting his open palm toward the woman's chest, a strike that was followed by an explosive backwash of freezing energy, causing ice to bloom beneath them in thick, jagged spikes.

Their attacks clashed, and thanks to Shishiyuki's restraint, it ended in a proper equalization. The connecting of two forces exploding outward across the training area. For just one inctant, the air around the both of them twisted. A sllow, coil of surging water and freezing air winding around one another, until at long last, the pressure from that roiling energy had to escape. A thing shell of energy BURST outward, sweeping across the training feel in a sudden, deafening silence following it's loud BANG. The sudden upsurge of water and freezing air causing a SPLASH of water to cascade down in a spreading circle, soaking the field before the sky darkened. Clouds condensing overhead before the soft patter of rain sounded.

A light sprinkling to show for their clash, clouds having blotted the air above them thanks to their clashing Shunko.

Igen panted softly as the both of them seemed to settle, that roar of energy dying down somewhat, and Igen blinked a few times, and realized that they had done it. BOTH of them. And he felt.... an elation welling up inside of him. He'd done it....he'd finally done it!

"Yes! I ... think that WHEW......that just about does it." HE chuckled loudly, his shoulders slumping a little as that icy coil around his frame slowly died down, a sigh escaping him slowly, his breath still fogging, as the temperature still had a ways to rise around him. After a moment to catch his breath, he smiled to the Lieutenant before offering a bow at the rest, an intense display of gratitude.

"Lieutenant. Thank you for this. Not only for your guidance, but for the conversation as well. I feel as if I've gotten a lot out of this. I only hope that I was at least some help to you as well." He noted formally, before finally standing up straight and breaking out into that warm, friendly smile of his.

"And we should hang out more often! We can talk, drink, and spar more! I've grown a lot in the last year. Hopefully I can get strong enough to give you a proper challenge." He insisted, a bit of fire behind that claim, after all. It had been a much bigger gap than when he'd fought Lady Ai the first time. But it was STILL a gap he intended to bridge!