Shinigami
Administrator
It is very easy for one to generalize what a battle between two Shinigami comes down to. Every factor determines the outcome of the situation, no matter how much one would tout that one aspect of a Soul Reaper's foundation gives them an edge over their opponent, they should never be complacent. Arrogance typically stems from a complete belief in one's self. Yes, it is natural to understand what one is good at - necessary, even - but throughout her lifetime, she had learned that training under the assumption that someone is always going to be stronger had guided her to her current position. No matter how minimal of a threat her opponent seemed to be, she would give her all unless holding back was deemed to be necessary. In this instance, Atsuko had decided that she would not hold back in certain aspects of this fight. Speed was one of these areas. Becoming too reliant on it would spell her downfall, but she would utilize it as much as possible with the same method of execution until her opponent adapted. Sanyu's decisions thus far had made use of his skills, however, the actual execution needed work. Charging at the enemy head-on was never the right decision to make. Even in a battle where one's foe is distracted, to confront them from the front was a foolish decision. Making use of the opponent's blindspot of shortcomings was the key to victory in most fights - no matter how much the enemy compensates for these vulnerabilities.
In theory, Sanyu would have caught Atsuko off guard with the method he was employing. Naturally, she would have expected the Komamura to come from anywhere but the front. As soon as this possibility crossed her mind, it was discarded. The flare of the Fourth Seat's Reiatsu was a good measure to take. The potential for her to use her own must have crossed his mind. This was partially correct, but she would not employ it in the way he may have imagined. Instead, her sense allowed her to follow him without making use of her keen eyesight. At this point, she had decided that it wouldn't be necessary to remove her glasses, either. In the same moment that the man's Reiatsu envelops his figure, her own shrouds her. It does not seek to suppress his, but instead, she makes use of her expertise in the emission of her spiritual pressure to match the output of Sanyu's exactly. This occurs simultaneously with his actions, just before he clouds her eyesight with the impending attacks. Whispering to herself, Atsuko admonishes her comrade.
"Not bad, Sanyu. However, attacking from the front is something that I wouldn't recommend with your build and varying strengths."
Unlike his Lieutenant, Sanyu is not actively sensing her spiritual energy, choosing to instead rely on her scent and sound. While this strategy may have worked on some, it was an incomplete plan. Had he utilized his ability to sense spiritual energy, he would have been able to notice what the Ise Matriarch was doing when he began his assault. As the cloud of debris and shockwave seek to make contact with the Lieutenant, they are halted midway. Two things have caused this disruption. The first was her own Reiatsu, which clashed with the Komamura's at the midway point. The method employed alongside this was the brunt of her counterattack, however. Just as her Reiatsu clashed with his own, he would notice that his own initial shockwave was overwhelmed by a stronger one.
"Daichi Tenyō"
Making use of her surroundings, Atsuko not only redirects the attack of her Fourth Seat, but she does so in a way that makes the strength of the attack double. Immediately, the Komamura would notice that his sense of smell is interrupted by the cloud of debris that he had initially been relying on. Alongside this, his sense of balance would be disrupted by such a vigorous shockwave. Within an instant, he would find himself falling on his back. Atsuko would not stop there, though. Pressing the attack, she springs into action at the moment that Sanyu's onset had been turned on him. Her voice suddenly bellows from 15 feet above him, with a blue light emanating from her right hand.
"Yo, Sanyu! You'd better look up if you don't wanna get hurt— that is if you can even do that right now!
Perhaps she was giving him a tip so that he would not be beaten so early on within their current spar. This would be in line with her thought process, undoubtedly so. But, to believe her to be kind during a training session after their Captain died and a culprit was running free in the Rukongai would be foolish indeed. Given his naive yet caring nature, Sanyu would not have been able to deduce that this was a taunt. Unfortunately, the moment he would look to the sky while still dealing with the remaining effects of the dust mid-fall, he would feel himself stopping. What exactly would cause him to stop freefalling, however? Well, that would be the Ise herself, of course—aided by the debris and her silent movements. Her energy could be sensed in two places at once, but this would not be surprising to anyone that knew of her methods. Interestingly enough, her right hand still glowed, but not in the center of her palm—however, the image of her above him had not changed. Her index and middle finger came together while her thumb tucked itself into her palm. The hand that would support the young Shinigami was her left, and that too was not done out of kindness. The reason for her intent to support his figure was quite devastating. As it would seek to keep him standing, her other hand sought to connect with Sanyu's throat. The moment that the two made contact, he would feel an intense pain traveling throughout his throat, which would result in him being unable to speak as blood pooled within his throat, leaking out due to how violent this action was working in tandem with the copious amounts of blood flooding his throat. Right as this would happen, he would know exactly what the cause was thanks to her declaration.
"Hado #1: Sho."
