Post by DonaldCengXiongAzuma on Mar 16, 2019 17:32:12 GMT 5
Aoshi Shinomori
Abilities
With nearly unrivaled intellect and analytical skills, Aoshi's senses are so acute that he can deduce even the most minute of distances to the tenths of a meter, and has acute enough hearing to be affected by noise dozens of feet away.
Aoshi is a grand master and Okashira of the Oniwabanshū Ninja clan. Aoshi's weapon of choice is a kodachi, a short-sword where he uses primarily for defense while using Kenpo as his offense, with the exception of his ultimate technique, Kaiten Kenbu. After being defeated by Kenshin, he adopts a second kodachi, a technique the previous Oniwaban Commander used as well. When in their scabbard, they appear to be part of a single sheathed sword, one blade appearing to be the hilt, while the second blade is stationed opposite the first and blends in with the saya itself, giving it the impression of being a nodachi. A dangerous opponent, he uses his speed together with a mix of sword and hand-to-hand combat moves. His physical strength is extremely high, having once knocked Sanosuke out with one blow to the back of the neck in the anime, and later snapping Suzaku's sword with only his hand in the manga.
After meditation, his combative skills increase even further, far beyond what they were when he faced Shishio Makoto, as noted by Gein.
Onmyō Kōsa: (陰陽交叉, Yin Yang Crossing) Aoshi blocks an enemies striking weapon with one kodachi, then strikes it with the second kodachi, thrusting the first one through. It can slice even the toughest of shields, including steel tonfa that are supposed to repel any sword attack.
Jissen Kenbu: (実戦剣舞, True Battle Sword Dance) Combo attack using "Ryūsui no Ugoki" to flow around the enemy, confusing them with a constant change in speed. Aoshi will then strike from various points, slashing them with his kodachi, then ending it with "Kaiten Kenbu". Before deciding to use a two kodachi style of fighting, this was Aoshi's final attack. Though he is nearly impossible to hit during the Jissen Kenbu, he is vulnerable for an instant when he switches from a defensive to an offensive stance, a weakness exploited by Kenshin, and later Shishio.
Kaiten Kenbu: (回天剣舞, Revolving Heaven Sword Dance) Aoshi claims to have used this attack to defeat "all who have intruded upon Edo castle". It involves Aoshi rapidly spinning around three times, while holding the kodachi backhand, to slash the opponent thrice in an instant. Aoshi usually uses this attack after disorienting the opponent with Ryūsui no Ugoki. Only by using his scabbard as a buffer was Kenshin able to survive this attack.
Aoshi's skill with his dual kodachi
Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren: (回天剣舞・六連, Revolving Heaven Sword Dance: Six Links) This attack is Aoshi's ōugi. The attack involves Aoshi gripping his kodachi backhand, then slashing the opponent six times in rapid succession, from both sides (it relies on confusing the opponent on the direction from which each subsequent strike is going to come). It's basically Kaiten Kenbu but done with two kodachi, the key difference being that the unpredictability of where it strikes first puts the opponent at a disadvantage. Only Kenshin and Shishio, Aoshi's strongest enemies, have beaten this attack. However, it should be noted that Aoshi was severely weakened by Kenshin's ōgi first.
Onmyō Hasshi: (陰陽撥止, Yin Yang Plectrum Halt) Aoshi throws both kodachi at the opponent, hitting the end of the first one with the second one for an extra boost. The second kodachi is hidden directly behind the first, so the opponent would only see one kodachi heading for them in their line of sight. If such swift opponents as Kenshin are able to avoid both the swords, Aoshi usually uses this opening to kick them while they are vulnerable.
Gokō Jūji: (呉鉤十字, Five Hook Crosses) Aoshi crosses the two kodachi and moves them outwards in a scissor-like cut, usually to kill the enemy by slicing their carotid artery. The kanji 鉤十字 can alternately be read as "kagijūji", the Japanese term for a swastika.
Ryūsui no Ugoki: (流水の動き, Move of Flowing Water) This is moving technique where Aoshi moves around silently, rapidly alternating between fast and slow movements and confusing the opponent due to the fluid motion & continuously changing speed. It can be beaten by watching for the moment the user attempts to strike.
Even though Aoshi's skills rarely fail him in the midst of combat, he's still able to adjust and adapt to the direst of situations, even to the point that he hides himself in a recently dug grave to escape Gein's burning end.
kenshin.fandom.com/wiki/Shinomori_Aoshi
Saito Hajime
Abilities.
As a high-ranking police officer/special agent of the goverment and a former unit commander to the Shinsengumi, Saitō is an extremely powerful combatant. His skills rank among the strongest in the series as shown from his long-standing rivalry and constant fighting on par with Himura Kenshin, leading to all their fights ending inconclusively. A master swordsman, he is well-versed all the various techniques of the "Shinsengumi-Kenjutsu". At the same time, his personal style of combat follows a more simplistic and straightforward nature. He relies more heavily on basic attacks while overall adapting to the free-form nature of death battles. As noted by Kenshin, defeating Saitō is an extremely difficult feat that cannot be accomplished merely by defeating his signature techniques. While his signature stance is left-handed, he is in fact an ambidextrous fighter, able to skillfully switch his stance and dominant hand at any time and likewise battle just as efficiently with either side. The seamless nature of this is able to confuse even the most intuitive and analytical of foes, letting him more effectively find an opening to strike able to seamlessly switch between them to confuse his opponent.
Besides his undeniably overwhelming swordsmanship, Saitō is extremely well-versed in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. His fighting style is more commonly defensive, seeing through his opponent's attacks and blocking, to which he has a very solid guard, or evading before countering with jujutsu, judo and aikidō maneuvers, performing quick strikes to key weak points followed by body-locks and throws. When fighting offensively, his styles resembles boxing as he possesses amazing footwork and quick relentless jabs. His prowess was made evident when he decided to have a fist fight against Sanosuke and still beat him almost effortlessly. Saitō also tends to integrate hand-to-hand combat techniques into his swordplay, using them to cover blind spots in his sword technique and to give himself additional offensive and defensive coverage. Some of his signature techniques can also be used as effectively with or without a sword. His physical might is deceptively great, as he took a direct and serious blow in the face from Sanosuke unfazed and likewise struck back with even stronger blows. He is also remarkably fast, able to catch Shishio off-guard and successfully strike him before he could react, his attack only failing to kill Shishio because the latter's head was protected by a metal headband.
Saitō is also an extremely perceptive and analytical man, much like Hiko Seijūrō. He can easily see through his opponent's battle tactics and mindset, thereby enabling him to exploit his opponent's physical weaknesses. This lets him either easily counter his opponent's attacks or through them off their game by exploiting the foe's personal anguishes, tricking them into a angry frenzy to easily take them down. He is also a very shrewd tactician. When faced against a foe that has the advantage against his normal battle methods, he can quickly devise more abstract means to fight. Even when void of his sword, he is shown using the very clothing on his being such as his belt as an effective battle tool.
Saitō's signature move is a refined Hirazuki (平突き) technique known as the Gatotsu (牙突) based on the real fighting style of the Shinsengumi. It is stated by Sanosuke that the Gatotsu has stabbing power that rivals Kenshin's Kuzuryūsen. Furthermore, the sheer force behind the Gatotsu is such that, even after being gravely wounded by both Usui and Shishio, Saitō was able to blast apart a steel door that Sanosuke admitted was too thick to be destroyed by a Futae no Kiwami. Although the Gatotsu is the only named technique that Saitō uses, he has been able to perform the same technique in different stances
kenshin.fandom.com/wiki/Sait%C5%8D_Hajime
