Tiger-Crane Strike [Shishiyuki, 4th Division Open]

A challenge issued by the 7th's vice-captain was unexpected. Most of the combat division's battles, by nature, were usually held against each other, after all. Interdivision combat was a rare sight, to be certain, but Rio approached the events with a decisive air of calm the moment she entered the barracks. There was undeniable intent to initiate the battle first, to send a decisive message despite the fact she had no inkling whatsoever about this so-called assessment. Yet it was her peers who had set into action first. Moe confidently leaped into the lion's den first, and naturally, to no one's surprise, she was the first to fall. Even in defeat, though, Rio internally expressed her pride at the resilience she displayed despite her body telling another tale entirely. Then, there was Shura.

To be certain, it was clear to tell that there was something decidedly uncharacteristic about her behavior. There was none of the typical bravado on display, none of the iconic pride she proclaimed as a member of their division. In a word, it was abnormal. Even watching her feebly retreating away had been enough for her to turn her head elsewhere. It wasn't as if there was any lack of sympathy there, but it was far from the woman she had fought months ago, one who would've stood tall, from her perspective at least, until the very end. Golden eyes swept along the crowd of hesitant soldiers, observing the look of undeniable trepidation on their faces. Knowing her captain, she would have undoubtedly looked on with disgust at this sight. Since she wasn't present, it was inevitably written in stone that two vice-captains would clash. Rio held no interest in whatever this assessment entailed.

By all accounts, this was a battle to defend her division's honor, and she would respond in kind. As she stepped through the crowd of her peers, the ember of competition colored her soul in a blaze of crimson. To her, such a bold challenge deserved a bold answer. There was nothing else left but to meet this woman with equal determination. Rio walked past Shura as she retreated away from the battle, regarding Shishiyuki with a firm gaze as she offered a warrior's bow, a sign of respect for her technique. From what she observed during the prior engagements, the Koizumi noble was exceedingly remarkable with her technique in Hakuda. As such, she would be no easy foe. Of course, the difficulty matters little here. Cracking her knuckles with a pleasant smile adorning her lips, Rio settles into an offensive stance.

"Vice Captain Koizumi. I didn't expect your presence here today. I overheard the conversation so there is no need for words. As Vice Captain of the Fourth Division, I will be your opponent now. Let us begin, shall we?"

Offering nothing but the shift of her feet as a signal, Rio shunpo'd forth as her body swept through the air and she reappeared in front of Shishiyuki, shooting a resounding fist toward her chest. A fairly rudimentary blow, to be certain, but she is already preparing to spin or redirect her body to avoid the expected counter.

Fist met elbow in an explosive clash. As expected, Shishiyuki's martial prowess was nothing to scoff at. The sheer force of reiryoku rotating at such an inconceivable rate would have been enough to leave the average opponent speechless. Amidst such fury, Rio would not yield. Defending her division's honor after that poor display was absolutely imperative. It would be a useless endeavor, a foolish gamble with little to gain in the way of merit, but that was merely a secondary worry in her mind. It was hardly refined to a degree that matched Shishiyuki's, but Rio focused a devoted portion of her reiryoku onto her fist, using the energy to harden her fist enough to prevent her from being overpowered to a substantial degree.

By filling her internal and external extremities with spirit power, the intent was to prevent any strike she executed from completely robbing her of the defensive advantage. Shaoling had certainly reminded her of how dangerous Hakuda could truly be at its absolute peak, and Shishiyuki was merely further proof of that. In the resulting clash, the predominantly stronger force won out, and Rio's fist was indeed shot backward, forcing her arm to follow suit as she grits her teeth. The only success that could be found in the immediate moment was that her fist hadn't been damaged beyond repair, but there was a clearly noticeable tear of flesh and bone in her knuckles alone. The pain was overwhelmingly immense, but she didn't care. None of that mattered right now.

Even in the midst of pain, she had to act. Since she undoubtedly expected that she would follow up with another technique, Rio would close the short distance between them, winding her arms back, her system filling with spirit power, as she executed a devastating two-fisted strike at her midsection. There was no guarantee this would land, and even if it connected, Rio would feel the pain of her injured hand clashing hardened bone and spiritual layers. But her pride as a Shihoin and the vice captain of this division would not allow her to falter no matter what Shishiyuki threw at her.

In a tumult of a collision, their respective fists met in a roaring wave of force and spiritual energy as spiderlike cracks formed against the tiles beneath. Since she was attacking with a more refined flow of energy, Shishiyuki maintained the superlative advantage in their clash. A competitive emotion dancing between awe and envy rose unbidden as a grin formed against her lips. Form and technique dance together in seamless precision, existing as a single unit. There was a purpose to every movement, to every attack, with each coming together to form something that could only be described as a divine display of martial prowess given physical form. Of course, as an active participant in their duel, Rio could only offer silent applause as exerted her spiritual energy yet again to hold up against her otherworldly offense.

Like a shockwave being injected directly into her veins, Rio felt the immensity of that reiryoku bearing down on her muscles. Even if Shishiyuki wasn't applying the full scope of her energy, it hardly lessened the test of resilience Rio was facing at this moment. Flesh was still being razed and bone was still being pressured, but her expression showed no sign of trepidation. As long as her body could still move, her muscles could still react, there was nothing to fear. No matter how superior the foe, her pride as a Shihoin and vice captain would never allow her to relent.

Though one of lesser mettle would have likely viewed Shishiyuki's utmost effort as a frightening hurdle to overcome, Rio simply welcomed it in stride. In the following sequence, a thunderous follow-up shot forth with titanic intensity. A withering knee, shattering the sound barrier itself, roared through the air to crash directly into her midsection. The knee flowed with such violent energy that it surely would have turned the average warrior's insides into a fine mesh.

Rio was no average warrior, certainly, but that didn't make her impervious to Shishiyuki's attacks by any means. There was a noticeable dent in her midsection, a telltale sign that her strike nearly pierced the Shihoin's flesh. Were it not for the steely reiryoku being applied - an attempt, no doubt, to nullify the force of these well-timed techniques, Rio's body would be crumpling to the ground at this very moment. Was it an exaggerated perception of her technique? No. Absolutely not. Shishiyuki was a cut above the rest in the art of Hakuda. There was no denying that. Even now, crimson spittle was threatening to fall from her lips, but Rio would persist until she could no longer stand.

"Haaaah!"

Demonstrating that indomitable will firsthand, Rio's arm shot downward to latch around that knee and hold it in place, in preparation for a follow-up in the form of a decisive sweep of the leg crashing against her seemingly stationary leg below. If it proved successful to any degree whatsoever, Rio would use the falling momentum against Shishiyuki to swing her elbow down like a ferocious hammer against the woman's chest. If not, Rio was contemplating the idea of transitioning into her Shikai next. Shishiyuki was proving that she was no simple foe, after all, and Rio was far from foolish to assume that her hakuda would be enough to match the overall refinement of the woman's technique.