Re: Dangerous Women

Mon Sep 11, 2023 9:35 pm

CAPTAIN NAGOSHI KANAE

The willingly get disarmed only to have her sword reappear in her hand trick wouldn't prove more than a nuisance the second time around. Kanae was quick to adapt in the heat of battle, if she wasn't she certainly wouldn't have survived half a millennium in the Soul Society of a thousand years ago. A lesson she had long since learned was the real threat in battle wasn't speed, or strength, or durability, or even skill. Beyond all else, it was the unique abilities of her enemies. Outclassing your foe didn't guarantee victory, and being outclassed didn't necessitate defeat. She would prove this, here and now.

Against someone like Murasaki, Captain Commander of the Gotei United, no movement could be wasted, no amount of energy expelled needlessly. Every swing of her sword was a step toward victory, or else she may stumble and fall. Kanae's violet eyes scanned Murasaki, her sword, and how she wielded it as they fought, no detail left unstudied. She was certainly skilled. Skilled and fast, beyond comprehension at times. But she wasn't infallible. Not even Yamamoto was; even he was scarred.

Kanae's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden change in both Murasaki and the battlefield. No longer was the Captain Commander's presence bearing down upon it all; now she just was. Possibilities ran through Kanae's mind but she was given little time to think as the woman stepped forward, eliciting a threatening warning from Tosatsusha.

Dodge, Kanae!

Maybe it was because, like Murasaki, Tosatsusha is also a Zanpakuto, and as a result could understand her better. Or maybe their combined experience simply led him to believe she had done something dangerous. Either way, Kanae didn't plan on arguing with her partner and by the time the woman's sword began descending she was already stepping to her right.

Too late.

Blood spurted out like a fountain from Kanae's body as the pain of a deep laceration rocked her mind. But she would not be dissuaded. As if she had gone untouched, Kanae was already lunging forward, her sword spilling from its holder in a flash of lightning, its edge seeking to cleave Murasaki from hip to shoulder. Her eyes told the story of a woman possessed, predatory determination pushing her on and on.

MURDER QUEEN | END POST

Tue Sep 12, 2023 8:40 pm

KAGAYAKU NO MURASAKI | CAPTAIN COMMANDER

That sort of response to her attack told Murasaki a great deal about her opponent, such willingness to simply accept a wound and utilize that window of opportunity. If she hadn't been in Musonzai, she probably could have responded far more ffectively, but she wouldn't back down, either. Her foot struck the ground just quickly enough to move with the stroke of Kanae's blade, and so while she avoided being cut open, Murasaki was still left with a notable stab wound, one that she felt all the more sharply as her Musonzai ended and her expression returned to its lighter, more chipper state.

"You're pretty quick. That's impressive."

Murasaki understood that this little bout was more than mere 'sparring,' but that didn't mean she was interested in being pushed any further than necessary. Being the Captain Commander meant being one of the last defenses in Soul Society, so she had no intention of simply asserting the full scope of her strength, especially here in what was ultimately an unimportant match. She took a quick breath to recenter herself, and then was right back on the offensive. Her blade became hardly anything more than glints of light, as it cut countless times toward Kanae in the blink of an eye.

It seemed the 4th division's captain favored iaijutsu, so Murasaki would simply refuse to give her any chance to re-sheathe her blade.

END POST | THE WAY OF THE SWORD

Thu Sep 14, 2023 1:27 am

CAPTAIN NAGOSHI KANAE

A compliment from an enemy, no matter if in a friendly duel or match to the death, was practically an insult to Kanae. She couldn't recall a single instance of a foe complimenting her a thousand or more years ago, and yet here was the mightiest force Soul Society had to offer speaking saccharine. Others had spoken with such flowery language as well, and with each word of kindness sent her way her opinion of this Gotei generation soured further. Granted, Kanae thought, she herself had showered Murasaki in compliments just a short time ago. At least she knew her own words to be insincere.

The sensation of blood tricking down her left arm, darkening her sleeve and Captain's Haori, brought with it, if only temporarily, a feeling of success as well. Finally, she had landed a blow on this woman; their wounds reflections on each other. Still, she could not grow eager or complacent from a single injury. It would require far more to overcome this foe, and with it being a simple spar ultimately even a victory would lack finality. The only thing she could spare a thought on was the moment, else she would find herself crumpled on the ground.

As their swords sung their metallic song, Kanae felt herself being pushed more and more by Murasaki's hand. She simply could not keep up in an extended clash. As-is Tosatsusha barely managed to eke out a defense against her assault. Kanae thought about every observation and sensation this fight had proffered her. What had she learned? When did this woman seem the least unconquerable? An image flashed within her mind.

Yes, there. For just a moment she was vulnerable.

Within the claustrophobic space between Murasaki's sword striking and recoiling, Kanae blitzed forward with all she could muster and sought to plant her left foot between Murasaki's, after which she would pull it right to knock the Captain Commander off her feet in a risky maneuver that would leave herself open to attack should it fail. Then, once more, Kanae slashed her Zanpakuto across the possibly-falling Murasaki's chest in a blisteringly quick counterattack.

MURDER QUEEN | END POST

Tue Sep 19, 2023 8:59 am

KAGAYAKU NO MURASAKI | CAPTAIN COMMANDER

Very impressive. The vast majority of Murasaki's experience against the captains from before her tenure had come during her time in the academy way back in the day, and even then, she didn't quite get along with most of them. But while Kanae was fast, Murasaki was faster. Her footwork was more practiced, and her instincts were perhaps second to none in the modern Gotei. She'd felt that aggression coming toward her, practically seen the woman's course of action already.

She angled her blade downward this time. It seemed she was being underestimated still, and while she might have been a cheerful woman, she understood the importance of her position. That it was a matter of authority, and that someone willing to push her like this would need more than glancing blows to understand the reality of her dedication to this role. As Kanae's leg moved to the right, Murasaki's sword simply flashed through the air, a single purpose in the stroke; to simply cleave Kanae's leg from her body, using the woman's own momentum to further ensure the blade struck true.

They had plenty of competent healers in the Gotei. Even Murasaki herself knew sufficient kaido to reattach a limb, after all. If this was a clash of blades, a measure of skill, then half-measures weren't ever going to be sufficient, and Murasaki understood that it was exceptionally likely both of them were being limited in the extreme simply by avoiding any truly lethal attacks. Though she couldn't completely evade the slash across her chest because of such a commitment, she wasn't bothered by such a wound, either. She could heal it, and it was the nature of combat to expect an injury.

END POST | THE WAY OF THE SWORD