One Plus Four Equals Five. [Erika, Rio]

Rio was indeed proving less than Erika's superior in speed even with her skillful array of hakuda techniques. She was matching up well enough, sure, but the tailwind at the woman's back meant that she had to exert herself beyond a speed she currently wasn't capable of employing. Matters worsened when she felt those cuts earning purchase across her arms.

They weren't deep-rending given her durable frame, but they still cut cleanly across her limbs nevertheless. Another technique announced, another trick that Rio was clearly unprepared for. On one hand, she couldn't help but be impressed by Erika's resourcefulness. On the other, she wasn't trying to experience a swift defeat, or even defeat at all. Using shunpo to hopefully create a certain measure of distance, Rio would lift her sword upward.

"Harden, Tetsumaru!"

One blade transmuted four obsidian blades held together by a chain as she held the bladeless hilt in hand. Supposing she was allowed to activate properly, she would grab two of her blades as she shot forward, executing a vertical and diagonal slash with her obsidian weapons, using her reiryoku to transmute them into longer blades that increased their overall range. Normally, under lesser pressured circumstances, she would have stabbed the other two into the ground, but Erika was an opponent with relentless offense. Her Reiryoku would ultimately have to be the material that won the day.

Indeed, this is Tetsumaru. The symbol of my resilience as a Shinigami.

Answering through a determined gaze of her own, Rio stepped forward in preparation for a defensive against Erika's offensive. Another blade? Truly, this woman was full of surprises, unpredictable as she was merciless. Rio had intended to draw the battle out long enough to reveal her hand with her Shikai, but such was the tide of battle. Relentless to such a degree that if you faltered behind in it's relentless wave, even for a second, defeat would soon follow. Rio wanted to win. Or at least prove a resilient opponent for the Vice-Commander of the First.

Erika instantaneously disappeared , reappearing like golden wind of death at her back. One blade hovering at her back, transmuted into a shield to defend against the blade from behind, while the others within her hands followed through with their intended arcs, aiming to pressure Erika with a pair of overhead strikes. She was no master swordsman, though. Entirely aware that her opponent might find a way to avoid her counter. Rio would be prepared. Tetsumaru was her companion now. Fighting hand and hand with her master.

"Another blade? My, you truly are full of surprises, Vice-Captain."

As expected, Erika used her prowess as a swordsman to evade her counter. The arcs of her obsidian blades were avoided during her opponent's freefall. Following the woman with her gaze, she immediate recognized her intention in an instant. A stroke of the blade poised for her legs. An impressive counter by all accounts - such was to be expected, after all. Telegraphing her movement to the ground, Rio lightly hopped upward, momentarily spinning through the air to thrust one of her obsidian blades downward to the swordswoman in her lower stance.

Lifting the obsidian blade in her opposite hand in a defensive position, she steeled herself in preparation for the next strike that might come with that other blade of hers. She momentarily divested herself of one blade for the moment, true, but the combination of reiryoku and the Shihoin's intuition allowed such an act to be little more than a minor inconvenience on her part.

Tsk! Perhaps following through entirely with her offensive would have been the correct approach, but there was no use fretting over the particulars now. Her scissor attack would earn first blood as the two blades dug into her flesh. It wasn't enough to cut through her thigh like a piece of paper, but it was enough to momentarily still her charge. Even so, her evasion meant that the blade that had intended to strike Erika before, was not far away.

Gripping onto it, she transmuted the obsidian blade into a sphere large enough to contain an adult man, aiming to entrap or impede Erika's movement in her position on the ground. Whether or not it proved successful, she swung the other obsidian blade upward from her hand, manipulating it to swiftly float above Erika and collapse toward her with the force of a guillotine. The sword had never been her ideal realm of expertise, but battle was always about adapting to the tide of battle. If she was her lesser in swordplay, she would strive to seek an advantage in the other forms of combat in her arsenal.

Rio would have likely smiled in any other confrontation, but she was decidedly serious about proving her worth to Erika. Therefore, any emotions indicating joy at momentary success could be saved for the end of the battle. An advantage had been gained, now was the time to press the offensive. Of course, Erika was no mere fledgling of a foe, so relentless was her offense. A burst of wind threatened to break the confines of her sphere, and blow Rio away along with it.

Unwilling to let that event occur, Rio charged into that swirling atmosphere, blades of wind creating red lines along her body. At the moment it appeared as though her first sphere was going to shatter completely in the face of the whirlwind, the Shihoin woman manipulated the blade falling from above into another sphere. This attempt would contain both of them if it proved successful.

If it did, Rio's intent was to use the limited space of movement to shoot her first forward toward the woman's chest, executing Ikkotsu in a seamless sequence of movement. It was definitely risky, and there was nothing stopping Erika from repeating the same technique before. Even so, Rio was immensely confident in her durability and her hakuda prowess. This was an engagement she felt fairly confident in if it came to fruition.