WOR ONE V ONE

year 18, month 11

Hello again Soul Society residents and welcome back to another edition of the WoR One v One! Yes, the series is still running strong and we've still got plenty of powers to go through, with more coming up at the end of this week I hope! I know there's at least a few of you students about to graduate so I hope to get some nicely made or updated powers into the boards next week! Also, I encourage more Publicists to come and join the SoMe team. While the battle blogs won't end, we could use some variety in the blog for sure!

Now then, to our battle of the week! Last week, we had a godly battle with the Sternritter's Lille Barro using his X-Axis and Jilliel to take on 11th Division Lieutenant Gin Okumura's Arsenal and Battalion! It was a close match up but the camp supported the Lieutenant as we always do! Now today, we shall investigate a battle between Arrancar and Shinigami as 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki will face off against 11th Division 3rd Seat Okano Himura!
 

Byakuya Kuchiki - Senbonzakura / Senbonzakura Kageyoshi

Starting off our battle is Captain Kuchiki, bringing the full power of his Shikai Senbonzakura. One of the most famous zanpakutō, this blade doesn't specifically have abilities, but it does have versatility. When Senbonzakura is activated, it disperses into countless tiny swords that look like cherry blossom petals to everyone else. Byakuya can control these petals by swinging his blade hilt, or even with his hands. The powerful capability of the blades is so intense that he can even destroy massive buildings with them and create structures of his own, such as giant pillars that can crash down on an opponent, shredding them so much that they could very well just disappear.

Terrifying indeed that he doesn't even need bankai for his opponents, and yet he does still have it! In Bankai, Senbonzakura becomes Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. In this form, it does have some abilities! First of all, the blade count increases drastically from Shikai, numbering at roughly 100 million! His first ability with bankai is Gōkei, which creates a spherical formation formed by the petals. This encloses Byakuya's enemies in the sphere and then the petals fall, annihilating anyone within the sphere. The second ability is called Senkei. Working the same way as Gokei, the petals transform into actual swords that enclose Byakua around his enemy. Each sword is then used singularly in combat against the enemy, though these swords are vastly more powerful than they look. A sub-ability of this is Ikka Senjinka, where Byakuya collapses the sword formation, aiming them all at his enemy, which was so powerful it even took the attention of Gerard Valkyrie in his final form. His final ability, Shūkei: Hakuteiken, is the most deadly in his bankai's arsenal, condensing every bit of the petals and his spiritual pressure into one focused strike that looks like giant white wings and a white halo, accompanied by a glowing white sword. A final strike with this at Byakuya's current level would be insanely powerful!

Okano Himura - La Madre Cuervo / La Emperatriz Cuervo

And now we shall compare the Arrancar powers, light versus dark, of Okano Himura and her resurección La Madre Cuervo. Operating on a similar idea, Okano's resurección creates a pair of large crow wings on her back. These wings have unique sharpened blades for feathers, being used for slashing attacks as well as for ranged projectiles. A fitting power to match Senbonzakura I think! With this resurección comes some abilities, first being Graznido de Cuervo. This ability uses the wings for defence, by hardening the bladed feathers and withstanding some powerful blows! The second ability is Mil Llantos Lúgubres, which is her offensive ability. Messing with the mind, Okano gathers the feathers and swirls them around the enemy, covering them in complete darkness and dulling their senses whilst also making them hear strange voices disguised in the whooshing noises.

Scary indeed, so we can only imagine her Vasto Lorde power, La Emperatriz Cuervo is even scarier! My Spanish may be rusty, but my best guess is this upgrades her from the Crow Mother to the Crow Empress. This upgrade heightens the crow motif, allowing her to completely memorise every piece of information on her opponent, from their physical features to their powers, capabilities, and fighting patterns. With this also comes two very devastating abilities, one called Muro de Espinas. This ability allows Okano to change the size and shape of her feathers. Embedding them into the ground, they sprout waves of thorns which can be reshaped into defensive walls, platforms, or even weapons.

The second ability this form has is Companero para Siempre. This ability uses the feathers to create two fully formed crows called Memoria and Sombra. When an enemy is attacked by Memoria, they are drained of their capability to fight, getting overwhelmed with sorrow and regret. With Sombra, however, the target will be struck with the pain of sickness and eventually consumed by death. The worst part? If struck by both at the same time, the target experiences the full cycle of death and is forced to choose which crow ends them. Terrifying to say the least!

Final Battle - La Madre Cuervo vs Senbonzakura

Knowing all we know now, it's time for the battle to begin! Shikai versus resurección, who would have the upper hand? Well, I would say it's a stalemate for this one. Senbonzakura doesn't have any abilities apart from the free flowing movement of the blades, but plenty of versatility in how they're used. Considering Okano can defend herself on multiple occasions from the blades with her shielding technique as well as use her feathers to encase Byakuya if she gets a clear chance. Then again, his sword count is endless and his blades could likely fight off each of her individual feathers and maybe even overwhelm them if she has a limit.

In terms of final releases, it does seem like Byakuya would have the upper hand here. His ability to trap her within the walls of Senkei would limit her greatly. Though using her Muro de Espinas to shield herself from the blades might work and then all she needs is to catch him once with one of those crows. Ultimately, this does seem to come down to final move versus final move, and if only one of Okano's crows suffered the wrath of Shūkei: Hakuteiken, Byakuya would definitely hit the ground. As always, let us know what you think and give your opinions in the comments!

did you like this blog?