Another Day Another Division [Lerna, Mizu]

With such a direct, obvious attack one could assume Mizu didn't know what she was doing but this usually worked to her advantage; while not a master of Shinigami martial skills, she at least prided herself on her grasp of their fundamentals. Seeing her swing be deflected wasn't unpredictable given how straightforward it had been, and upon Lerna following up with an attack of her own Mizu opted to copy the woman's previous move by gracefully sidestepping it. Before she could take advantage of her dodge and go on the offensive the other blond fighter stepped backwards and spoke to her.

"Thank you for asking, Lerna-san..." Before finishing her answer Mizu lunged forward and attempted a sweeping strike with her Zanpakuto on the woman to whom she was speaking "...I want to help Captain Otoribashi-sama build something special, from the ground up!" Without giving her foe even an inch of space Mizu followed her attack up with two consecutive vertical strikes. Deciding to keep things light Mizu further responded with an inquiry of her own "What do you like about the 7th Division, Lerna-san?"

Seeing her straightforward attacks be easily parried Mizu wondered what Lerna's plan was, but only had time to wonder freely for a moment before, with a surge, she found herself immediately on the back foot. Evidently the woman wanted to escalate how she played with Mizu by forcing her back with shocking strength, leaving her entirely nonplussed.

Using both hands and as much power as she could muster the blond Shinigami just barely prevented herself from being knocked off her feet. Mizu found her jaw clenched and a drop of sweat slipping across her brow as she struggled mightily against her clearly superior opponent. Even as she felt herself being relentlessly pushed back she found herself surprised by Lerna's words, though they helped explain the disparity between them as Mizu had read Substitute Shinigami were often incredible in their own right.

Not wanting to simply stand in place like a caged animal Mizu used all her strength and weight to push forward with her Zanpakuto, hoping to alleviate just enough pressure from the other woman's weapon to then Flash Step to a short distance away. Luckily for her own ego Mizu managed to accidentally time this with Lerna letting up on her and safely escaped their clash. Panting already she expressed admiration for her foe's power "W-wow, Lerna-san, that was...terrifying! I shouldn't be surprised, a Mod-Soul Substitute Shinigami? You're Incredible!"

It wasn't until now Mizu realized other members of the 7th Division had gathered nearby to observe their bout. Seeing their excitement and cheers even managed to get Mizu's blood pumping, who wanted to provide a good challenge for Lerna; she wasn't one to be concerned about embarrassing herself in spars, having known her whole life how limited her abilities were, but she didn't want to waste her new associate's time with meager resistance either.

With burning determination Mizu helped her Zanpakuto in her left armpit next to her chest and lifted both hands before calling a spell's name "Hadō #4. Byakurai!" At this declaration spiritual energy concentrated around her hands before being dispelled from their palms in the form of blue-silhouetted lightning which she sent careening toward Lerna at a breakneck pace.

Having already witnessed her opponent's superior speed Mizu was better prepared for when Lerna blitzed her again. While game planning against superior physical attributes can be difficult, just knowing the gap between their abilities made it easier for Mizu to respond. Thinking gotcha! to herself upon Lerna closing the gap between them in an instant, Mizu adjusted her Kido spell by separating her hands and placing one on her Zanpakuto and the other fully on the woman's chest. Hopefully to Lerna's surprise a hole wouldn't appear in her torso as instead of piercing her with Byakurai's energy, it would disperse throughout her body from her right hand and from the left both of them would potentially have their arms burnt up from the electric attack.

Knowing she needed to keep this dangerous woman at a distance Mizu spoke the name of another Shinigami spell: "Bakudō #8. Seki!", which would summon a small azure sphere floating an inch from her right palm. Instead of shoving it directly into Lerna's body Mizu moved it by placing the back of her hand against her own face, hopefully in time to bounce the Mod-Soul's grasping palm and entire body backwards a few feet. Either way Mizu wanted to use whichever opportunity opened for her to Flash Step a fair distance away from Lerna, seeking to create a cushion of space for her own protection.

With her breathing heavier than before from using multiple spells in quick succession Mizu gave her reply to the woman's advice as she shook the pain out of her left arm "Yes, I agree Lerna-san...some spells I have much freedom when casting, but I have always lagged behind others. What comes easy to most is often a struggle for me. I must put countless hours into mastering each spell to do what you advise, but do not take this as an excuse! I will attain the skill necessary to do what you say!" Mizu gripped her Zanpakuto tightly as she stared her foe down, ignoring the painful tingling in her left arm.

Mizu perceptively noticed the lightly charred skin on Lerna's hand lighten and change from burnt black to perfectly normal as if nothing had happened. Her own arm continued tingling sharply in contrast with her opponent's which now appeared unharmed. Is this the power of a Mod-Soul?! The only solution the blond Shinigami had for dealing with injuries was medical attention and extended bed rest. If her foe could recover completely at a whim then Mizu's decision to fight her bordered on insanity.

"Winner...? No, Lerna-san, I think it's clear this would be a total victory for you. You're stronger, faster, and nothing I can do can even sway the scales in my favor..." If this were a real battle, one she could not call off by asking nicely, Mizu believed no matter how she struggled she could not win a war of attrition with this woman. For someone like her who always struggled in tests of endurance this was the ultimate mismatch...and for this reason she gripped her weapon tighter than ever and stared at Lerna with laser-focused resolve "I do not know what you are truly capable of, Lerna-san...but I ask that you do not take it easy on me! If I am to lose I want to lose having done my best! Please, give it your all!"

Continuing, Mizu spoke after observing Lerna take an aggressive stance "You say Shinigami magic is not one of your strengths, and in return I must admit close quarters combat is not one of mine. But I do have one way of dealing with it..." At this Mizu raised her Zanpakuto and slid her other hand across it's flat edge before shouting her release phrase ...Crystallize, Shousenmaru!!". This caused a release of spiritual pressure and her sword to shatter into many shards of violet crystals which scattered across the ground around her. With only a handle remaining of her weapon Mizu readied herself to take her opponent on with everything she could muster.

Even though Lerna spoke with a half-teasing inflection Mizu took her words at face value and appreciated the compliment of her determination. Through all her struggles lagging behind her peers, the one thing she could rely on was her own force of will and wanting to be better, even if it only ever led to slow, lukewarm results. If she could show off her resolve to this woman then the results of this spar were irrelevant. After all, for Morikawa Mizu the most important thing to a Shinigami is doing their best in all things.

Despite her mighty resolve Mizu shuddered for a moment when Lerna released her own Zanpakuto as she bore witness to the chasm between their power. Still, she knew as well as anyone that proper decision making and understanding how abilities match up can make up for a difference in strength. This was especially true for someone like Mizu who was almost always at a disadvantage in power. Have to see what her Shikai does... She focused on the sounds, sights, and scents of Lerna's Shikai and considered a few different possibilities as to what it could do before deciding to observe it's practical applications.

In the time it took for Lerna to close the gap between them Mizu reformed Shousenmaru's blade from her crystals and held it in front of her to block the former's attack. As usual Lerna's mighty strength threatened to break her guard almost immediately, but at least this time she could create a small platform of crystal beneath herself to steady her feet. Upon smelling what seemed to be sake Mizu worried her foe might be readying to light the area ablaze using the alcohol's flammability, if that is what it is.

When Lerna's cheeks puffed up Mizu guessed what she was planning to do and transformed her weapon's blade into a bigger shield of crystal to block the following torrent of alcohol. At this moment she started to feel a tingly sensation through her chest and head and realized what was happening "She's trying to inebriate me?![/i] Not wanting to remain on the defensive, and potentially get more drunk, Mizu moved her now-bladeless Zanpakuto and turned all remaining crystals littering the ground into tiny and sharp fragments modeled after Kuchiki Byakuya's Senbonzakura. She then raised her handle, causing all these fragments to burst from the ground in a torrent of crystal glass shards all around Lerna.

Using whatever opening she could Mizu flash stepped a short distance away and pulled her crystal shards towards her location, with the platform she'd used already at her feet. Because of her crystal's ability to keep her mind focused and mental-altering effects at bay, she knew she would have to keep at least a small amount near her at all times because of Lerna's inebriating ability. Through pants Mizu addressed her foe "Lerna-san...if I'm correct, your ability is to intoxicate your opponents..? What a unique and powerful ability! I'm afraid mine is a bit more mundane."