Brother and Sister: Duel of the Ancients [PRIVATE]

As expected, Misaiko’s sword did not reach his torso. At the zenith of her arrival, the man had already prepared to counter, re-sheath, and execute his own attack in a single fluid motion. It was though his sword was an extension of his body, reacting with him in tandem. The normal opponent would’ve likely been deterred. However, Misaiko was nevertheless filled with satisfaction that her brother possessed such talent. There wasn’t a single ounce of hesitation and his heart, and it was undoubtedly pristine that he indeed has no intention of holding back. A true duel can only be conducted when both warriors have resolved to cross blades, and have an adept knowledge in knowing how to produce variants of their techniques during battles.

If this was a true life or death battle, Tsubine could’ve easily dealt her a mighty blow. However, he used the minimum amount necessary to not only counter, but deviate Misaiko’s next plan of attack from coming into fruition. This man is quite good! Deep within the confines of her heart, the joy of battle erupted like magma from a volcano that had lain inviolate for decades. Rarely if ever was she able to experience even a modicum of beatitude in the contests of swordsmanship. Sword combat had died out in most parts of the world, and no matter how hard she tried, not a single man was worthy enough of rivaling her in a contest of swords. However, there was one. Tsubine Von Zarkonheiz, was indeed worthy of possessing the title of a swordsman who could not only rival her, but even outclass the goddess of wind.

As the warrior came charging in with his sword poised at the ready, he had effectively sealed off Misaiko’s plan of attack. In order for a Iaido practicioner to perform their techniques properly, the body must have not only balance, but proper body control and a steady footing on-ground. And the fact that this man is attacking her before her feet has even half landed on the ground; he is one who knows his strategy well. From the corner of her eye, she could perceive him unsheathing his blade and executing a powerful head strike all in one flash. This astonishing speed and peerless control only furthered how proud she was to be facing such a master of the draw and slash. Her right hand appeared to hang limply, dangling with the sword ensconced within her fingers. For any other swordsman, this would’ve surely spelled about their certain end, however…

The woman Tsubine was facing now was a warrior who had fought through many battles, survived through unthinkable battles, and an individual who was use to performing in unfavorable positions. She lived and breathed off of such confrontation, and answered the call many times in the past. Today would only be a repeat of that peerless miracle. Instead of resheathing as Tsubine most likely thought she would, she kept her sword unsheathed and using the amazing, godlike dexterity of her arm, she executed an upwards strike in order to deflect Tsubine’s blade, thereby distorting his attack ever so slightly. As unorthodox as it was, she felt that to shy away by using an escape maneuver would be dishonorable to this venerable warrior. Her feet were able to land perfectly, as she kept her sword from allowing the man to finish his own strike. She could not perform a counterattack, however. In fact, if she dropped her defenses even once, his sword would continue its journey towards her and this duel would be as good as finished.

Using quick thinking and her nimble body, the girl raised both of her feet and brought them towards Tsubine’s abdomen, kicking off of his chest in order to gain a favorable distance away and come up with countermeasures in order to find a more suitable way to get through is defenses. Although it was risky, Misaiko’s speed allowed her to complete the jump and push in a single, fluid motion, as though she had performed such feats countless times before. This allowed her to extend the distance between them to 20 paces. Since it was only a short jump, it only allowed her to land a short distance away from Tsubine. This worked to her advantage, however. If she had performed a far more powerful jump with more force behind her legs, it would’ve caused her body to fly rather than land, meaning that Tsubine would ultimately catch her in the same position he did the first time – and although she was confident enough to survive the first attack, she doubted highly that he would allow her to perform the same trick again.

At this point, only two options were laid out before her. She could re-sheath her blade and seek out possible flaws in his defenses, or follow another route and employ the combination of Iaido and Kendo. Although it was evident that her Iai was peerless, she was just as masterful in the art of Kenjutsu, and could easily perform two handed strikes with unfathomable strength for someone of her size and stature. In all likelihood, Tsubine probably shrugged off her push-off and re-sheathed his own blade, preparing to defend and attack once again. If that was truly what this man’s style had culminated in…. Then the answer was clear. She would meet his offense and defense with her own. With her plans clear and her mind ready, the girl decided to take the defensive route. She brought both her right hand and her left hand around Megamikaze, assuming the middle-level posture known as Chudan. Her hands were held in front of her waist, with the tip of her blade pointing towards Tsubine like a silver arrow sign.

In Kenjutsu, Chudan-no-Kamae allows for the practitioner to balance both attack and defense. It used generally used as the first stance for beginners to learn the correct striking distance, issoku-itto-no-maai. Although Jodan would’ve served her as equally well, it would’ve left an extreme hole in her defenses; an attack from the rear. If she performs a strike against him from the Jodan-no-kamae, her body would be unable to turn to the rear and prevent a strike from behind. Knowing that this man’s speed was as excellent as his swordsmanship, this would be a fatal move. On the other hand, a Chudan posture not only allows her to thrust, but thanks to her superhuman dexterity, she could easily execute a strike to the right or left by simply turning her wrists ever so slightly.

Furthermore, if his intent was still to strike her from behind she could use her natural speed to turn in an instant, and block a strike from the rear. In other words, her defense was perfect. However, she took precautious measures as well as keeping her gaze focused on this warrior. She knew that his skill rivaled that of hers, knew that he could easily come up with his own countermeasures and catch her at unawares. This stance was intended to keep that conclusion from becoming a reality. However, imperceptible to Tsubine, she took this stance one step further by applying the four chances in Kendo and Iai into her mind.

In swordsmanship, when fighting against any opponent, there are three chances that arrive within the midst of mortal combat. Those four chances are sen-no-sen, sen, sen-no-go, and go-no-sen. Sen-no-sen occurs when the enemy is unprepared, surprised, or is otherwise showing a clear opening. Sen is when the opponent is about to attack, when he has focused his mind and body on offense and is therefore unable to defend. Sen-no-go is when the enemy is in the middle of his attack and has no way to protect himself. Go-no-sen, the final chance, arrives after defending against the enemy's attack, in the moment of vulnerability before he recovers. Out of these four, it is Go-no-sen that Misaiko will bring to bear against Tsubine. With her mind at the ready, and her body poised to defend and attack, Misaiko prepares to meet Tsubine’s next strike on equal terms.

Misaiko sucked in the air around her environment, inhaling in deep measured breaths as she anticipated Tsubine’s next attack. This was wholly different from almost any confrontation of blades she had fought in her entire life. His skills were unreadable, like the eye of a perfect storm that could strike at any moment. No words could describe how thankful she was, facing an opponent whose swordsmanship was second nature. She was beyond impressed. Their swordfight up until this point could be considered a game of chess. Each move was calculated with precision, and a defense was prepared to counter that move. Both took into account their opponents mannerisms and their martial skill.

When one went in for the attack, the other prepared a countermeasure, causing the attacker to return to the position of defender. Indeed, this battle was like no other and it’s like will never be realized again. On this day, two masters of the sword do battle, giving way to the passion of honor in their heart. As Misaiko continued to hold her stance of applicability, she could not help but reply to Tsubine’s heartfelt words. “Oh? I am unworthy of your flattery. Compared to you, a man whose body is like a gun ready to fire and reload at a moment’s notice, I am but a feather before such peerless skill. “ Perhaps Misaiko was attempting modesty; one could never be too sure with this enigmatic queen. Nevertheless, in her heart, this compliment was most true. When was the last time her heart had burned with such ardent enthusiasm?

Tasting anew the passion of a spar fought for the sake of honor and fair-play, Misaiko prepared to meet Tsubine’s next attacks head-on. Where would his next strike come from? Would it be predictable or would it betray her expectations, as he had done so many times during the outset of their battle? A small smirk crossed her lips, as her grip on Megamikaze tightened in preparation. In moments, Tsubine exploded into motion, utilizing his skillful application of Strike air to propel himself towards Misaiko in a single stride. Misaiko opened her eyes ever wider, straining to catch the white haired devil within her field of vision. As her mind had been engrossed with his next move, the masterful knight once again caught her unawares. Instead of utilizing his foot-speed, he covered the distance between the two in the space of a single acceleration. Coming upon her from the side was Tsubine’s sheath. Although it was unconventional and did not present as many skills that could be performed with the sword, a sheath strike was by no means ineffective. On the contrary, if a swordsman possessed the tools necessary to use the momentum to his advantage, a strike from a sheath could be just as deadly as a strike from the sword. In some cases, an opponent would die not from blood loss, but from the devastating impact of blunt force against their body. Such blunt attacks could result in broken bones, ruptured organs, and shattered ribs.

Misaiko furrowed her brow, bringing her best efforts to bear as she carefully deduced whether or not this was a feint in order for a much more marvelous attack. In what seemed like bullet time in this woman’s peripheral vision, she started to contemplate a strategy most suitable for this confrontation. She could allow that sheath to land a perfect blow, suffer extreme pain, and step in for a decisive strike. A possible shuffle of the feet would take her out of the range of the sheath, but would be meaningless due to his momentum. Leaping was a luxury that could not be afforded to her. The aerial standpoint would only lessen her chances of victory. And due to the speed of his air-enhanced charge, a side step to the left or right side was nigh-impossible to perform with the stance she had resigned herself to moments before his attack.

In the end, there was only one answer placed in front of Misaiko. Entrust your soul to the blade. Let it be your guide. Charge through all opposition and cut through the enemy before you. The only thing you can do now is….move forward! With that mental epiphany placed deeply in her heart, Misaiko stepped forward, thrusting her blade toward Tsubine….only for him to dash her hopes once again. As Misaiko should’ve expected, Tsubine never intended to strike her with his sheath, instead using the propulsion of strike air to his advantage. His body was propelled upwards while Misaiko looked on, mouth slightly agape, as she saw him perform an aerial front-flip. During his flight, he executed a slash. That was strange. How could he possibly attack from such a distance….? “….!?” Misaiko gasped, staring upon the torrent of destruction coming towards her with relentless fury. His commendable use of strategy had indeed caught the goddess of wind off guard. Never in her wildest imaginations would she have expected that a warrior could perform such a feat without breaking so much as a sweat. This powerful gale of wind would’ve probably posed a threat to the normal warrior…. However – the attack was targeted upon a fair maiden who, as far as the kingdom was concerned, was a deity of the wind in human form. As she had done once before, she didn’t intend on dodging the attack.

Rather, as the tumultuous gale came crashing towards her, Misaiko stepped through the torrent of wind, executing ten strikes in the space of a single stroke, using light-speed agility to create a momentum force that can cause this attack to dissipate. She concentrated on ten spots of the wind spiral, cutting across each with such velocity that in the next moment, the attack had been completely eradicated. What had originally been an attack capable of crushing a small army was now reduced to a gentle breeze that caused Misaiko’s hair to flutter through the air. “….Ha….” Misaiko took deep measured breaths to regain her composure. Had she hesitated for even a second…. This battle would’ve been settled. Not only could he execute Iai strikes capable of leaving unidentifiable corpses in his wake, he even possessed the ability to utilize wind with expertise rivaling her own. A small cut opened up on the side of Misaiko’s left cheek. “….Hpmh, it would seem as though my attempt at showmanship resulted in a cut across my cheek. “ This only served as a testament to her awe at Tsubine’s impressive skills. However, her pride would not allow him to show her up. This time around she will go on the offensive. With a sharp inhalation, Misaiko initiates the first phase of her attack.

Charging towards him in a straight out run, Misaiko activated Fumeiko, a flash step ability that distorts the opponent’s sense of range. It does this by allowing the user to concentrate reaitsu around their heels, thereby further increasing their overall stride by pushing the Reaitsu at incredible speeds, giving off the allusion that the user is manipulating time and space. It then creates multiple afterimages in the practitioner’s wake, and each acts as a makeshift clone that can cause the opponent to become confused and disoriented as to who his true attacker really is. What makes this deceptive technique even more difficult to counter is that each afterimage emulates the user’s respective motions, allowing them to blink their eyes and attack as one whenever necessary.

Coupling this alongside Misaiko’s natural speed which far surpassed even those of her own race, the technique can achieve perfection. As Misaiko continued her charge, various afterimages begin to appear in her wake with the total numbered at twenty. At this point, she could’ve executed a group attack, forcing him to strike at each and every afterimage with a strong attack, which would easily cause them to disappear into thin air as they were composed of nothing more than spiritual particle – or – she could betray his expectation’s and perform a completely unpredictable attack. The sky is the limit, she thought with a benevolent smirk, as she leaped within the air, causing the makeshift clones to follow suit. As she did this, she soared toward Tsubine at a maximum speed of 350 mph, thereby increasing the kinetic force of her attack. And as though it were the most surprising – some may say unexpected – thing in the world, Misaiko executed one of her most advanced sword techniques – the Kuzu Ryusen. The Kuzu-ryusen or “nine headed dragon” as it is called, was a technique that utilized her speed to its fullest extent.

Attacking the fundamental targets of swordsmanship - Head, shoulders, wrists, both sides of the waist, between the legs, and the chest - all at the same time, the swordsman’s intention is to render any and each of the opponent’s possible countermeasures meaningless. As each targeted point of the body makes up one’s guarding stance, defending against it is virtually impossible. It is difficult to guess where the strikes will come from, let alone defend against them successfully. And knowing that this alone would not guarantee a surprised Tsubine, Misaiko sprung her well-planned trap. As each clone diverged from Misaiko during the aerial attack, they too emulated every motion of their leader which means….not only was Tsubine faced with the true goddess of wind executing this technique, but her makeshift teammates as well. Faced with such an advanced technique before him, how would the white-haired devil act in reply to her sister’s fervor?