Shaky Start

Akame was dressed lightly today, wearing only skintight black shorts that reached halfway down her thighs along with her shinobi sandals on her lower body with a short sleeve, forest green shirt that has a deep v-neck covering her body. Underneath this she had on a compression strap as well as snugly wrapped gauze to help keep her sizable bust manageable while training. It wasn't as big now as it had been due to her unfortunate time in a coma that had sapped a good amount of her weight from her. Around her waist was a belt with a single katana strapped on her left hip, the sheathe wrapped in gauze. Finger-less black gloves covered her hands, with her arms folded under her breasts as she examined the training grounds.

She was at the top of one of the many waterfalls leading to the lake below, sitting and watching the water cascade down and crash into the surface of the lake from a high vantage. Most of what she saw was mist from the impact, but the calming noise and the damp air helped her relax and focus she found. The last few days had been interesting to say the least, what with her waking from a coma minus a demon and all. Two weeks leave she had been given, two weeks where she could "rest and recover before returning to duty" as the paper had said. While Akame appreciated the gesture, sitting and relaxing weren't what she should be doing. Er, well, minus the sitting and relaxing she was doing right now. Yeah, that was fine. She needed that.

Her body still quivered from the strain of everyday movement, still not used to moving after months of doing the exact opposite of that. That feeling of weakness stung more viciously than a hive of bees to Akame. It had been a very long time since she had been "weak" in her own viewpoint. There hadn't been many in the village who were as skilled as she was and while she didn't openly brag about the fact, she wasn't one to ignore facts. Now though, she felt as if half the village could swoop down to plant a boot on her chest and there would be little she could do to stop it. She hated that feeling, hated being weak.

And so she had gotten the files from the tournament she had been guarding before her untimely illness struck her. The finals had been between two people, one of whom was a Kumogakure kunoichi Akame had heard about a couple times beforehand. Shimiko Chinoike, a talented woman from what Akame had read from her file. Being an ANBU had its benefits, and access to files was one of those as long as it wasn't too classified. Shimiko was a known weaponsmith and had talent with the weapons she created along with some other skills. The tournament had been a display of power, and it was this power that Akame sought.

The ANBU maybe-captain had sent a personal request for Shimiko to aid her with something at this location the day after her awakening three days ago. Akame had requested Shimiko bring some of her weapons as well, likely giving the jonin an idea of what the request would be for. Maybe she'd bring some swords for Akame to look at, too. She needed something good to help balance the odds as she recovered fullly as well as give her an upper hand when she was actually better. Training was her goal today, training in one of the more brutal manners. An actual spar, not even a week out of her coma. Her body needed to get its reaction times back, had to regain its strength. Exercise and copious amounts of food were how she planned to accomplish this. Akame wondered briefly how bad today was going to hurt. She knew that she wouldn't be top notch this fight, not even close, and from what reports said this Shimiko was an elite kunoichi. It would definitely be an interesting day, that much was certain.

Shimiko deftly arrived at the requested meeting point. Akame, Kumo's illustrious ANBU Captain, had woken from her coma and apparently wanted to be brought up to speed. This put the Jashinist in a very awkward position. You see, after Akame had fallen ill to the plague Shimiko herself was nominated and had accepted the role of ANBU Captain. Now that Akame had partially recovered would she want the position back? Shimiko didn't particularly care for the title itself but it did afford her power, leverage, and access to state secrets. As ANBU she had already been privy to sensitive state matters but now that she was the head of the division there was not a single drop of intelligence that Kumo possessed that she was no aware of. Unless of course that intelligence was deliberately being hidden from her by the Raikage. This unique position allowed her to better defend the Church and when the time came increase its role within the village.

Unfortunately, Shimiko was under the distinct impression that Akame would have none of it.

The two were familiar with one another although they did not have the same deep history that she did with Nariko. Shimiko respected the woman and her skills. She looked up to Akame and the way she could so easily stifle her emotions. Shimiko had come under heavy fire for losing her cool with the Mizukage and nearly starting an international incident over her personal religious convictions. Nariko had yet to chew her out and many of the Old Guard in ANBU resented her. If anything, they'd beg for a cooler head to return. Shimiko knew she had to protect the Orthodoxy at all costs and since her non-Church friends were all either dying from plague or straight up abandoning her, she wasn't sure she could allow them to take this role from her. She had orchestrated the removal of Akame's Bijuu and its placement within Yui and Yua as a direct measure to tip the balance of power in Lady Mora's favor. Akame might see through her machinations and conspire to stop her before she could successfully install the Church as the supreme authority of the nation.

The possibility made her uneasy and yet she resolved not to show it. If Akame smelled weakness she'd exploit it. Shimiko would need to come across as dutiful, respectful, and deferential. At least for the time being.

The blonde wasn't wearing her red battle armour. Instead, she opted for something a little more plain. A white dress shirt (with the buttons completely undone, partially exposing her bare chest), a loosened black tie that hung limply around her neck, and a short black mini-skirt with matching combat boots. Shimiko shinobi-sprinted up the waterfall, allowing sprays of water to cool her skin. She met Akame at the top of the training grounds and knelt before the elder woman. Without raising her head, the CURRENT ANBU Captain presented two katana, one jade the other ebony.

"Apologies Akame-sama. This is all I could make on such short notice, but if you allow me more time I can make something tailored to your specifications. And, welcome back, Ma'am. I'm here to help bring you back to to fighting form and we can begin whenever you are ready."

Akame was notorious for her cold and direct approach to shinobi affairs. Shimiko wasn't sure the woman would appreciate hugs, smiles, and the charming chatter she often gave others.

Akame saw the woman approaching, quite quickly in all actuality. She was quicker than Akame was, of that the ANBU was certain. You've grown quickly, Shimiko. Either that, or I've been out longer than I've been told. As the craftswoman ran up the waterfall, Akame would stand to greet her. Then she cursed silently to herself as she realized she hadn't remember to activate her sensing abilities. What kind of a fool was she, all because she got a little too much sleep? Inwardly abashed, she activated her sensing and got an initial read on Shimiko as she knelt before Akame. She placed her left hand on her hip, taking in the woman before her. That was quite easy, as she was... not shy about her appearance. Alongside the incredible reading she was getting in terms of her raw chakra capacity, Akame's excessively intelligent mind put together the likely conclusion; she was no longer the ANBU captain.

When Shimiko finished with her polite presentation, the former captain would smile before kneeling herself in front of Shimiko. "I'm no fool, Shimiko-sama. I'd be blind to miss a chakra signature as powerful as the Raikage's. We both know who should be kneeling," she said in a polite, yet tired tone. It wasn't on purpose, she was still recovering from the coma was all. Formality aside, Akame would stand regardless on whether Shimiko told her to or not. It was the easiest way for her to examine the swords Shimiko had brought along with her. "And thank you for the favor. I'll owe you one after this." She paused to examine the weapons, drawing each individually and examining the edge. She could feel the weight of each weapon, perfectly balanced. Fine weapons indeed.

Once finished, she would hand the two blades back to Shimiko and nod. "I think I'd like to have you make something for me, once we're done here. These are good, but I should have enough for the best... It's been too long since I've had a good weapon," she said wistfully. Akame would wait for the reply to this before continuing, expecting that the craftswoman would be more than happy to take a lot of money from her in the future rather than a standard fare for these two blades.

That's when she would get to the point, addressing Shimiko's final statement in her initial greeting. "I'm sure you already know this, but I was in a coma for awhile and had a bit of... well, something unique taken from me. I don't begrudge the village, I should probably be dead now in all honesty... But it took a toll on me. I'm not what I used to be and I know it. I can feel it." There was loss in her voice, but also definitely passion with absolutely no hostility present at all. It was just determination; pure, unadulterated, determination. She focused on Shimiko, left hand reaching for and tightly clasping the hilt of her katana. "Don't coddle me. Everyone else wants to, but I need you not to. My mind is in pristine condition, but my body is lacking. I hate to admit it, but I'm going to need help with that."

The former captain locked eyes with her successor, or who she believed to be a likely candidate for the title. At the very least they were of equal rank, that much was certain. "Can you do that for me?" Akame waited for a response from the other woman before making any kind of move to signal the beginning of anything. When it came to things that weren't outright assassination, Akame tried to be reasonably respectful and polite. Getting close to comrades wasn't a thing she did often, and she spoke to people with blunt honesty and an even tone. Everything was professional, the way it ought to be. Sure, sometimes the correct course of action requires some... sacrifice. Life was tough for shinobi though, that's just the way it was. That's likely why she was seen as cold and no-nonsense. It was only if you were her enemy that she would turn into the totally emotionless killing machine. Completely different.



Using:

Sensing- .5 cp



184.5/185 remaining (I like this change, btw)

Akame bent down and reassured her former subordinate that kneeling was not necessary. She complimented Shimiko's stamina and insisted that she was the one who should be bowing. Shimiko blushed and smiled before standing. It was good to be recognized and acknowledged for her skill. She had lost to Nozomi in the World Tournament but many were seeing her for the fine warrior that she was. "You flatter me Akame-sama. I've only made it this far thanks to the guidance of both you and Raikage-sensei". Ordinarily, she'd reject any pretense of Akame owing her a favor but in this instance she said nothing. A favor could come in handy. She examined the blades and then gave them back to Shimiko, apparently rejecting both. Shimiko didn't take it personally. The former ANBU captain was a force to be reckoned with at her peak. She would want a custom sword and this perky little craftsman was just the one to do it.

"I can make you whatever you like!" she said in her usual chipper attitude.

With that out of the way, Akame transitioned to the purpose of their meeting. Akame acknowledged that the Shukaku had been taken away from her. Shimiko's expression didn't change. It was good that Akame felt no ill will or bitterness about the subject, but despite Shimiko's expression she did feel a twang of guilt. She had pushed for Akame to be stripped of the One Tails and for it to be placed within her twins. It wasn't exactly an evil thing but she had a few selfish reasons for doing it. Namely, to ensure that her twins were strong and could defend themselves in the event that she was not able to. But also to ensure that the Orthodoxy's power went unchallenged. Shimiko wasn't sure if Akame suspected her role in that decision. It appeared that instead she was more concerned about returning to her peak physical and mental condition after the coma. In order to take her mind off of what she had lost, Shimiko would happily oblige with respect to training.

Akame asked Shimiko not to coddle her. She wanted to train and train hard. Sensing the serious demeanor and the ice cold determination emanating from her former boss, Shimiko looked her in the eye and nodded.

"I can."

She hadn't come armed to the teeth to this training session but she had brought a few neat tools that she had been meaning to practice with. Namely, her tessen. Shimiko slipped the folded iron fan from a strap on her thigh and extended the bladed fan before settling into a rudimentary Bukijutsu stance. She wasn't sure if Akame wanted to make the first move but out of politeness, she waited before striking.

"Whenever you're ready Akame-sama"

Shimiko responded as Akame expected, with humbleness and praise. It's how most people conducted themselves in a professional atmosphere, especially among shinobi. For some reason. Shimiko confirmed that she could make Akame whatever she needed, something Akame tucked into the back of her mind for the time being. That would be for a different day. Today she needed to get back into the swing of things, one more thing that Shimiko had actually agreed to help Akame with with very little prodding. This was going much smoother than the ANBU had anticipated, though she wasn't going to complain about that.

The other woman prepared, taking out a large fan. Akame raised an eyebrow at that. How had she missed such a large weapon on the woman? This was such an odd day, forgetting to use sensing, missing the ginormous fucking fan on Shimiko's back... bad form. Bad form. Akame bowed her head in respect once Shimiko was finished with her stance.

"Thank you, Shimiko-sama," she said. With that, Akame would slip the sheathed blade from her sword belt sheathe and all. With deft hands, she unwrapped the gauze from the sheathe and then wrapped it around the guard and the sheathe to keep the wood secured to the blade. She didn't want to hurt Shimiko on accident using a sharp sword, after all. Better to be safe than sorry since this was just a spar.

Akame did a few quick stretches before placing her sheathed blade in front of her in a solid stance reminiscent of a standard kendo stance. She wanted to keep it simple to see where exactly she stood in a fight as a baseline so an exact training regimen could be established. Taking in a deep breath, Akame would make her initial strike.

She dashed straight for Shimiko in a headstrong attack and was immediately disappointed with how slow she was. Yeah, that was going to get annoying quickly. After a couple steps, Akame gritted her teeth hard enough her jaw bulged as she willed her legs to move quicker. There was no way she was going to make such a poor showing, even in her condition. The last majority of the distance was at a much faster clip than her base speed as she closed in for the initial attack.

The former captain brought her blade up and then back down in a simple vertical slash to try and crack Shimiko right on the top of her noggin. Of course, Akame didn't expect that to do much and anticipated an effective defense on Shimiko's part. Likely a block, and so once the sheathe made contact with her fan Akame would pull back before dashing back at Shimiko down low in an almost squat to try and slash horizontally at her left leg. She intended to follow through with the blow by letting momentum carry her to the side and, hopefully, out of reach of a potential counter strike. She made sure to spin and face Shimiko like a warrior should. The fan had a longer reach than Akame's blade did so she made sure to keep her eye out for any potential interruption Shimiko may try. Like she had said earlier; her mind was fine, it was her body that disappointed her.




Used:

Dance of the Blade Queen 3 cp

Assassin's Kiss 3 cp

Sensory .5 cp

UA: One tier to Coordination using swords

Stamina used: 7/185



Stats: (applying a couple minuses to some stats to make Akame seem "sick")


Strength: C- -> C
Constitution: C-
Stamina: B
Speed: C -> B+
Coordination: B- ->A+
Intelligence: A
Perception: B

Studying Shimiko post 1/2

(Lmao the fan isn't like the big one Temari has, its like the smaller one Kitana has from Mortal Kombat)

She called me -sama?! Shimiko was pleased with Akame's use of the honorific but she didn't let it go to her head. Shimiko was also surprised that Akame kept her sword sheathed. She didn't raise an eyebrow or anything disrespectful like that, but it was a bit odd. Either Akame believed her to still be her inferior in terms of skill or she was far more powerful than Shimiko had ever realized. The extra weight would only slow her down if only a fraction. She didn't understand the decision but she didn't comment on it either.

Akame rushed straight at her at a remarkably slow speed. Ever the patient and diligent sparring partner, she watched Akame's attack path and countered deftly. The first blow was aimed at her head. Shimiko side-stepped the strike and extended the full length of the fan, using her superior speed and coordination to slice at her former boss's hands. The end result would disarm Akame before she had a chance to follow up with her secondary plan of attack.


Used:
Badger Style: Fancy Footwork (for the dodge)
Badger Style: Scratch (for the disarmament)

Strength: D
Constitution: C
Stamina: A
Speed: A -> S
Coordination: A -> S
Intelligence: B
Perception: A

(That... makes much more sense lmfao. I also derped, it's only 1 post of Analyzing needed since Akame has A tier Intel. Derp.)



Shimiko moved, and she moved fast. The only thing that saved Akame from being completely disarmed was her instincts combined with her sensory skills. Her body bent and she released her blade with the arm nearest the direction Shimiko dodged to so she could pulled it in slightly. The movement was enough to save her from a bad laceration, instead giving her only a biting cut on the forearm as she slipped away and almost staggered to the side in a retreat. Akame grabbed hold of her sword with both hands, returning to her previous stance a couple meters from Shimiko. The cut, which was on her left arm, burned, and Akame is lucky that Shimiko wasn't as physically powerful as she was physically fast. Had there been more power behind the strike, Akame definitely would have a problem on her hands. As it was, she had gotten lucky this time. But now she had an idea of what Shimiko could do, and what she would have to do to counter it.

With a smile, Akame would speak to Shimiko after settling herself and recovering from the initial exchange. "First blood... not bad, Shimiko. You're definitely better than I remember, both physically and with your stamina," she began, a slight excitement to her tone. "I think I'm going to have to step it up a level, if you don't mind. You caught me off guard; well done." Assuming Shimiko would be kind enough to wait a moment, Akame would flip her sword around in one hand so she could hold it with her pinky and ring finger on her right hand to make the clone seal. A shadow clone popped into existence next to Akame, and the ANBU would take the sheathed and wrapped sword it bore from it before waving it back while leaving the blade, giving Akame two blades to work with. The clone would just chill in the background until Akame needed the stamina back.

A twirl of the original blade brought it back to an orthodox position, flecks of blood spinning off her left arm as she twirled that one to test the weight in her hand. The cut was annoying, but not something she couldn't work through. She did a couple leg stretches, preparing further.

"It's been awhile since I've used this form, you know? But I think it'll help get me back to form in no time if I can do it right." The talk was more or less to let Shimiko know that Akame hadn't just started ignoring her, but the ANBU hadn't expected Shimiko to be as quick with her reactions as she had been. There was no way Akame could keep up with her unless she used this, and if she didn't want to be coddled then she would need to try harder.

Finally ready, Akame would look back to Shimiko with renewed determination. "Ready for round two?" she asked as she slid into a new stance. She was turned to the side, left foot extended forward a foot or so forward from shoulder-width apart. The blade in her left arm was parallel with the ground and pointed directly at Shimiko while the right was held above her head and parallel with the ground, again pointed at Shimiko. Knees slightly bent, it was a stance meant to display aggression. If Shimiko gave her approval, Akame would begin again, though this time with both more ferocity and more caution.

Akame would launch her assault, this one coming faster than the first one she had used though not by much. As she surged forward she would tilt her left sword to her right so that she could more easily make a slash with it. When she got within range of Shimiko, the left sword would come across her body to slash at Shimiko's stomach with the intent of forcing her to either dodge or block low. The right blade came in behind the left, sweeping in for an attack on Shimiko's skull as her left followed through with its slash before snapping around to come back at Shimiko's thigh after the right would have passed by her skull. The right blade would flip at a diagonal angle across Akame's body protectively, anticipating some sort of counter by Shimiko as her left sword completed the attempted combination strike.

The difference between her sword speed before and now was notable, with these strikes matching the speed and dexterity Shimiko had displayed in her intitial counter. Akame was pushing herself, but that was what she needed to do. It was how Shimiko would respond that would bring out the true potential of her newest assault, as that would determine how Akame would need to move with the environment. At the top of a waterfall, there was little in terms of environment... but Akame could change that if she wanted to.




Used:


Dance of the Blade Queen 3 cp

Assassin's Kiss 3 cp

Sensory .5 cp

Form Three: Yugana Owari 1 CP (Boost to Coordination is reduced to ++ from one tier)

Shadow Clone

UA: One tier to Coordination using swords

Stamina used: 15/185



Strength: C- -> C--
Constitution: C-
Stamina: B
Speed: C -> B++
Coordination: B ->S
Intelligence: A
Perception: B


Analyzing complete, Akame can now survive this with precogs for awhile.

Shimiko smiled and nodded at the compliment but didn't reply. She was in battle mode now, and as Nariko could attest, Shimiko tended to push the envelope quite far when sparring. The blonde had gotten better about holding back but doing so took an incredible amount of determination and focus. Years of discipline had curbed the worst of her instincts but the feeling always remained. Under Jashinist canon law, once Shimiko had drawn her blade, she was not permitted to return it to its sheathe until it had spilled copious amounts of blood. Professional sensibilities kept her from fulfilling that particular doctrine but the desire was omnipresent. Akame asked her if she was ready and her former subordinate smiled and nodded.

"Always."

Akame charged her again, faster than the first time. Shimiko could tell by the change in stance that this was an entirely new form and with it would come new challenges. The blonde held up her fan defensively as she prepared for the incoming assault. The first slash was narrowly dodged. Shimiko jumped backwards and the sword would miss her stomach by an inch. Akame then aimed a sword strike at her head which she deftly blocked with her fan. There wasn't much power behind the sword strokes but they were definitely faster and more precise. Despite her time in the coma, Akame could still keep up with the best of them. When the sword whipped around to catch her thigh, Shimiko strafed to the side in the opposite direction, avoiding the blow entirely by moving out of its range. The girl's movement was a flicker-like blur as she utilized Fancy Footwork to flank her opponent and appear behind her. Shimiko fully extended the fan and aimed its sharp edges towards Akame's neck. The move being reminiscent of the popular "Nothing personal, kid" meme.

Used:
Badger Style: Fancy Footwork (for the dodge)
Badger Style: Scratch (for the parry)

Strength: D
Constitution: C
Stamina: A
Speed: A -> S
Coordination: A -> S
Intelligence: B
Perception: A

A warrior's natural instincts were always their first reaction to things, Akame had found in her experiences in life. Shimiko had dodged in their first exchange, and her first tactic was to dodge here. That was much in the same vein as what Akame's fighting principle was in her current form, one that avoided blocks and preferred to dodge and counter instead. Shimiko blocked her second blow, and Akame figured that she would evade the third. When Shimiko followed through on this, Akame too would follow suit.

Shimiko had the advantage in speed, yes, but Akame could make very quick and agile maneuvers without moving from her place too much. Shimiko made her dodge and Akame followed through with the momentum of the swing by pivoting on her foot and crouching to lower her center of mass. Her right blade came around in a quick slash as she swiveled in place to match Shimiko's bodily movement. The blonde haired woman would need to step in in order to cut Akame due to her fan's shorter reach and Akame intended to catch her mid strike with the right slash. It was intended to knock the fan blade up and over Akame while her left sword followed through and slashed at Shimiko's ankles.

Akame figured she would dodge one or both of these strikes, especially the ankle attack, and would spring away from Shimiko in whichever way was opposite to her choice of evasion while keeping the captain in front of her. Shimiko could move like a blur to Akame, though her intelligence let her take a few good guesses as to what she was doing in relation to Akame thankfully. And the speed and ability of the two women in terms of fighting prowess and coordination was roughly equal for now, the only thing Akame really had going for her physically as it was.

She would stop a few meters from Shimiko in a defensive posture, left sword held in front of her and the right blade held over her head, pointed at Shimiko. Her knees were bent slightly, ready to launch again. And launch they would, Akame continuing her assault without much break between attacks. Shimiko might notice the slight change in how Akame reacted to her however, as the former ANBU captain had sharpened her gaze on the current ANBU captain. Shimiko should have felt praised by the attentiveness Akame paid her, actually, as she very rarely did so unless she meant to kill her target. The combination she chose was a quick one-two, with the left sword slashing down at Shimiko's right thigh while the right followed behind in an overhead slice aimed for her collarbone. It was time to step the game up again.






Used:


Dance of the Blade Queen 3 cp

Assassin's Kiss 3 cp

Learned Assassin's Eye 1 CP

Sensory .5 cp

Form Three: Yugana Owari 1 CP (Boost to Coordination is reduced to ++ from one tier)


UA: One tier to Coordination using swords

Stamina used: 23.5/185



Strength: C- -> C--
Constitution: C-
Stamina: B
Speed: C -> B++
Coordination: B ->S
Intelligence: A
Perception: B -> B++

Akame was not to be deterred or outmaneuvered by her former subordinate. The woman moved gracefully as she followed through with the original slash. She moved with such speed and precision that she threatened to tag Shimiko even after she had re-positioned herself. The blonde quickly moved her fan downwards, deciding to parry the slash aimed at her mid-section rather than cutting Akame as planned. The woman had deftly crouched down low and used her new position to try and counter-attack. Shimiko moved forward using the momentum to acrobatically roll across Akame's lowered back so as to avoid the ankle slash. Touching down on the opposite side of the Nature Clansman, she did as Akame predicted and sprinted backwards so as to put some distance between them.

Shimiko had only enough time to see the look in Akame's eyes before the ANBU was on her again. Shimiko retrieved the second fan of her twin tessen and extended both. One would not be enough for someone so skilled. Shimiko parried each of the attacks using her fans, using the Badger Style's Twin Tessen Defense to significantly reduce the strength behind the attacks. Shimiko was content to remain on the defensive for the time being, giving ground while also ensuring the sword slashes lacked the capacity and force to harm her.

Badger Style: Scratch
Badger Style: Twin Tessen Defense

Strength: D -> D++
Constitution: C
Stamina: A
Speed: A
Coordination: A -> S
Intelligence: B
Perception: A

(Akame's Strength debuffed 1 tier)

Shimiko reacted to Akame's assault by drawing a second fan. Defense. I knew you were going easy on me, Akame thought irritably. The emotion didn't show on her face as she continued with her planned course of attacks. The way Shimiko wielded her fans deflected Akame's attacks well, leaving her without much recourse. The ANBU spun away, putting a couple meters between the two before her powerful legs coiled and she rocketed towards Shimiko again in a semi-crouched position.

For this attack though, Akame would need to change things up. Shimiko's investment to go on the defensive meant that trying a serious of weaker attacks probably wouldn't do much. Akame would bring both of her blades up to her left as if to swing in a double slash. When she began the slash, the ANBU would aim it at Shimiko's torso just below the ribs. The sword in Akame's left hand disappeared just before she began the attack, her left hand coming up to grasp her real sword as she dismissed the shadow clone. A much stronger attack than what Shimiko had likely been expecting would be the result of this swap to a single sword. Akame would shift her blade's trajectory ever so slightly should Shimiko have opted to try and block the two slashes that turned into one to try and hit closer to the base of the fan or even Shimiko's hand to knock one out of her grasp. Shimiko's strength didn't appear to be what it could be for someone of her rank and Akame could hedge on that little bit to try and force things such as this. It was the best course of action when the enemy was faster; try and disable them somehow.

Akame would not relent with her attack her though, twisting and snapping her wrists around as she stood closer to her full height and slightly in for a quick slash. This action whipped the blade around in a quick arc that brought it from Shimiko's waist to the left side of her head in one smooth motion as Akame sought to push her defenses. Perhaps if she could push the ANBU captain enough she would respond with an offensive of her own. Akame was curious about that, though for now she was more than content to push and test Shimiko's guard to see if she could stand up to an unrelenting assault. (haha)




Used:


Dance of the Blade Queen 3 cp

Assassin's Kiss 3 cp

Assassin's Eye 1 CP

Sensory .5 cp

Form Two: Unrelenting Assault 3 CP


UA: One tier to Coordination using swords

Stamina used: 34/185



Strength: C- -> D- -> C
Constitution: C-
Stamina: B
Speed: C -> B+
Coordination: B ->A++
Intelligence: A
Perception: B -> B++

(Friendly reminder, that you can't stack two styles on top of each other. I've confirmed with staff that it needs to be 1 style and then you can use a physical technique that boosts but it has to be a single maneuver with a definitive beginning and end, think like Leaf Whirlwind or Front Lotus. Its not a big deal for the purposes of this thread though, just keep it in mind moving forward).

Shimiko could tell that her ironclad defense was getting to Akame. The woman would need to try a different tack soon if she wanted to truly press Shimiko. When Akame rocketed towards her against for a second round of combat, Shimiko formulated a plan. Shimiko was indeed a tiny bit surprised when Akame poofed away the second sword, but then again she had expected her to try something tricky once it became obvious her prior slashes were not having any effect. Shimiko flowed chakra into her fans and readjusted the angle of the block so that rather than striking the base of the fan or her hand, the blade would hit its center while it remained fully extended, however, in that moment Shimiko would shut the fan, locking the edge of the blade within the fan and turning it with such precision that Akame would lose her weapon entirely. With the other fan, Shimiko would then charge it with chakra and slash downwards aiming to give Akame a nasty cut on the arm that was holding the sword.



Badger Style: Scratch
Badger Style: Twin Tessen Defense
Badger Style: Entrapment
Badger Style: Twin Tessen Slash


Strength: D -> D++
Constitution: C
Stamina: A
Speed: A
Coordination: A -> S
Intelligence: B
Perception: A

-1 Tier to Akame's Strength

-2 Tiers to Akame's Coordination for the purpose of responding to the the disarmament.