Post by Souji Tenryu on Jul 22, 2016 12:07:24 GMT -5
“Ah, we’re getting showy now!” Arantima’s attack had launched him into the air, a different use of Hado #1 than one normally saw. Souji’s eyes followed the man upwards, watching him to figure out his next attack. Was this a maneuver to just get out of range, or did the man plan to launch an assault from the air where he was out of reach? Regardless of the outcome, Souji knew that he had to be ready for an attack, and so he braced himself, knees bent, spear held loosely in his hands in preparation to whip it around in a sudden attack. If a lunge came that the Tenryu heir could not easily handle, then a Shunpo could be used to take him out of the way of an attack.
It was another lesson that Saito had taught him, using the spear: despite seeming like a rigid weapon, wielding a polearm was a very fluid and flexible practice. The design of the weapon and the dexterity of the wielder allowed for a spear to be whipped around in exceptionally fast and unpredictable manner, whirling about and mesmerizing the opponent with its motions. Souji had leaned heavily on that lesson, practicing on his manual dexterity more than anything; as he had studied, his wrists had slowly become more loose and relaxed in combat, the tightness in his shoulders had eased, and now he could guide his spear’s movements into patterns that could make a street performer jealous with the grace and control with which he wielded it.
This was why Souji was prepared even as Arantima began to attack, using a Sho to launch himself forward. It was not a bad tactic, allowing for greater speeds than normal through projectile means. The downside was the same one that the Tenryu heir had experienced a moment before; once committed, there was no changing the course of action, at least not easily. With Arantima diving down at him, Souji was already analyzing his descent and quickly determining that it was going to be a direct assault. The man’s spinning motion suggested that he planned to use his sword as a defending wall; well, normally that would be a problem for any close-range fighter, but that was another of the spear’s advantages: its length. And so, stepping back with a quick Shunpo, Souji set himself at a range just past the sword’s edge and prepared to attack.
Suddenly, a burst of spiritual energy alerted Souji to another technique, and another Shunpo had him step backwards, out of range. It was too late for him to realize that the technique was not an attack immediately aimed at him, but a re-summoning of the spiritual blade from before that let Arantima stab it into the ground as a means of absorbing some of the shock of his dive. It would still show some impact on the Shinigami—after all, his body was still halting suddenly in motion, causing a bit of strain throughout the whole form—but the initial intention of the weapon’s summoning was not to attack. The Shunpo had carried the blacksmith out of range to counterattack effectively, much to his chagrin; he could have dealt a more direct blow in that time.
Of course, another of Saito’s lessons came to mind as he did so, a rather common one: “better safe than sorry.” Indeed, Saito always emphasized that self-defense came as a priority above attacking. If you struck a blow that was anything less than decisive and took a blow in return, you often ended up in a position that would weaken you further than encounter, putting you at risk. And in this situation, it actually ended up stopping Arantima’s spinning rise, getting Souji out of its range even as he chided himself for a possible mistake. Though an unwitting dodge, the young Tenryu heir was at least glad that he hadn’t taken the spinning hit that had been intended for his leg, a move that would leave him with less mobility and more vulnerable to his opponent.
“Well now, that was a tricky move. Shame your motions were so obvious.” Souji smiled and tightened his grip on his spear, making ready to attack; even as Arantima’s blade disappeared, another Shunpo carried him into close range, where his spear began to dance about, whirling in a rapid motion with both hands. The first strike, if the other Shinigami didn’t counter or dodge, would be a blow to the right side with the haft of his naginata, allowing him to deliver at most only a bruising blow. Assuming that it hit, a twist of the wrists had the long wooden shaft twisting upwards next, where it would aim at the elbow, hoping to stun the arm by hitting the area most called the “funny bone.” Finally, a step back and a whirl of his weapon about his form would bring his right hand to the front of his weapon instead of his left, and would place the point of the blade against Arantima’s body without piercing it, should he attempt to dodge.
“I’d hate to consider turning another of my works into scrap metal… you’re going to have to try a little bit harder.”
It was another lesson that Saito had taught him, using the spear: despite seeming like a rigid weapon, wielding a polearm was a very fluid and flexible practice. The design of the weapon and the dexterity of the wielder allowed for a spear to be whipped around in exceptionally fast and unpredictable manner, whirling about and mesmerizing the opponent with its motions. Souji had leaned heavily on that lesson, practicing on his manual dexterity more than anything; as he had studied, his wrists had slowly become more loose and relaxed in combat, the tightness in his shoulders had eased, and now he could guide his spear’s movements into patterns that could make a street performer jealous with the grace and control with which he wielded it.
This was why Souji was prepared even as Arantima began to attack, using a Sho to launch himself forward. It was not a bad tactic, allowing for greater speeds than normal through projectile means. The downside was the same one that the Tenryu heir had experienced a moment before; once committed, there was no changing the course of action, at least not easily. With Arantima diving down at him, Souji was already analyzing his descent and quickly determining that it was going to be a direct assault. The man’s spinning motion suggested that he planned to use his sword as a defending wall; well, normally that would be a problem for any close-range fighter, but that was another of the spear’s advantages: its length. And so, stepping back with a quick Shunpo, Souji set himself at a range just past the sword’s edge and prepared to attack.
Suddenly, a burst of spiritual energy alerted Souji to another technique, and another Shunpo had him step backwards, out of range. It was too late for him to realize that the technique was not an attack immediately aimed at him, but a re-summoning of the spiritual blade from before that let Arantima stab it into the ground as a means of absorbing some of the shock of his dive. It would still show some impact on the Shinigami—after all, his body was still halting suddenly in motion, causing a bit of strain throughout the whole form—but the initial intention of the weapon’s summoning was not to attack. The Shunpo had carried the blacksmith out of range to counterattack effectively, much to his chagrin; he could have dealt a more direct blow in that time.
Of course, another of Saito’s lessons came to mind as he did so, a rather common one: “better safe than sorry.” Indeed, Saito always emphasized that self-defense came as a priority above attacking. If you struck a blow that was anything less than decisive and took a blow in return, you often ended up in a position that would weaken you further than encounter, putting you at risk. And in this situation, it actually ended up stopping Arantima’s spinning rise, getting Souji out of its range even as he chided himself for a possible mistake. Though an unwitting dodge, the young Tenryu heir was at least glad that he hadn’t taken the spinning hit that had been intended for his leg, a move that would leave him with less mobility and more vulnerable to his opponent.
“Well now, that was a tricky move. Shame your motions were so obvious.” Souji smiled and tightened his grip on his spear, making ready to attack; even as Arantima’s blade disappeared, another Shunpo carried him into close range, where his spear began to dance about, whirling in a rapid motion with both hands. The first strike, if the other Shinigami didn’t counter or dodge, would be a blow to the right side with the haft of his naginata, allowing him to deliver at most only a bruising blow. Assuming that it hit, a twist of the wrists had the long wooden shaft twisting upwards next, where it would aim at the elbow, hoping to stun the arm by hitting the area most called the “funny bone.” Finally, a step back and a whirl of his weapon about his form would bring his right hand to the front of his weapon instead of his left, and would place the point of the blade against Arantima’s body without piercing it, should he attempt to dodge.
“I’d hate to consider turning another of my works into scrap metal… you’re going to have to try a little bit harder.”
