Match 16912 Baiken vs. Heishiro Mitsurugi

[JohnnyChany]

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER

PART 155

Inside Dan Hibiki’s house, the transformed crane, Iroha, did her best to defend her master from the mysterious samurai, Baiken. (REF: BAIKEN VS. IROHA) Iroha lunged arms first at Baiken and pushed the eyepatched fighter backward. She then rolled in the air like a rolly polly attempting to slash Baiken with her butterfly swords. Baiken successfully knocked the attack back with her katana. Undaunted, Iroha switched tactics and twirled around like a top. She spun toward Baiken like a tornado of sharp blades, but was caught off guard when Baiken shot at her with a feudal cannon hidden within the sleeve of her severed arm. 

“Tatami Gaeshi!”

Baiken stomped on a floor board in Dan’s house and popped it up out of the ground, striking Iroha in the face. Then a clawed grappling hook came flying out of Baiken’s sleeve and quickly disarmed her green haired opponent. Iroha tried to reach for her butterfly swords, yet was cut off by a vertical swipe from Baiken’s katana. The blade sliced Iroha across the chest and Baiken proceeded to strike Iroha with more quick slashes until Dan’s cheerful servant fell to one knee.

Iroha resigned herself to her fate. “I am sorry master, I have failed you.”

Baiken glared at Dan Hibiki with her right eye. “I am sending your fighting maid straight to hell!”

“No wait,” pleaded Dan. “She is not really a maid, she is a magical bird and she is the sweetest, purest creature I've ever met.”

“Oh master, your kind words bring me so much joy in my final moments,” stated Iroha who remained on one knee with her face toward the ground.

“Enough!” Baiken interrupted. “You’re both crazy.”

“My master speaks the truth. I will show you.” Iroha transformed back into her natural crane state.

Baiken whipped her head back in surprise. “Maybe I am already in hell.”

Dan vehemently disagreed. “No. Iroha is an angel. A magic angel. If you aren’t sure where you are or how you got here she can help.”

Baiken regarded the injured bird. “Is this true?”

“I can sense that you are not from this world. Recently there has been a confluence of dark magic that has weakened the barriers between different dimensions (REF: RACHEL VS. SHURA) and even the veil between the living and the dead,” Iroha explained. (REF: CHIZURU KAGURA VS. KAZUMI MISHIMA) “I don’t know where it is all coming from but it appears to stem from the Soul Edge, a cursed evil sword from centuries ago. If you wish to return home you will need to find the source of the tear. And you should start with Soul Edge.”

“Where would I find this Soul Edge?” asked Baiken.

“I do not know the location of the sword,” Iroha admitted. “However I have sensed small fragments of the sword nearby as of late which is why I wanted to try and protect my master from possibly being infected.”

“Fragments could lead to the whole,” Baiken theorized.

“I can take you to the area where I have sensed them before, but only one condition. You must promise to spare my master,” said Iroha.

Dan piped in. “And Iroha.”

Baiken nodded. “We have a bargain.”

Dan scooped up Iroha in his arms. “First let’s get you cleaned up.”

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Genjuro’s ambush was in full effect as he and Mitsurugi clashed swords in an underground gambling spot in rural Japan. (REF: MITSURUGI VS. GENJURO) The shockwaves from the two steel blades smashing into each other as well as errant swings from both samurais had left their surroundings in tatters. Even the few remaining bystanders remaining in the establishment made themselves scarce because of the intensity of the fight. 

Mitsurugi stepped over a poker table that had been sliced in two and he realized that perhaps for the first time ever he and Genjuro were in agreement about one thing. This fight would not be interrupted like the others, there needed to be a clear winner and the loser needed to be dead. 

“I haven’t seen you let loose like this in quite some time,” Genjuro remarked.

“It will be the last thing you see so I hope you enjoy it,” responded Mitsurugi.

Genjuro laughed and then kicked Mitsurugi in the chest to create some distance for a power swing. Mitsurugi beat him to the punch, however, by swinging his sword like a rainbow and slashing Genjuro across the shoulder. Genjuro responded to this attack by unleashing his red energy card projectile from his blade. Instead of retreating into his usual defensive stance, Mitsurugi powered through the technique and held his sword to Genjuro’s opposite shoulder. Mitsurugi yanked the sword down with an exaggerated diagonal motion, trying to cut Genjuro as deeply as he could. Mitsurugi then flipped the sword and launched Genjuro into the air with all his might. As Genjuro fell back to the ground, Misturgi slashed through his chest again. 

Mitsurugi felt like his best opportunity to finally kill Genjuro and avenge the death of Haohmaru had finally arrived. He plunged his blade into the gut of Genjuro as far as he could. Mitsurugi's impalement of Genjuro went so deep that he was forced to use his foot for extra leverage to free his sword from being stuck inside Genjuro like the sword in the stone. This sequence of events repeated itself several times as Mitsurugi plunged his sword into multiple parts of Genjuro’s chest. Mitsurugi needed to ensure that the sadistic red headed killer would not survive this, and it caused him to give in to some of the bloodlust that he despised in Genjuro.

Once Mitsurugi was confident that Genjuro was dead, he sat down and rested near his fallen opponent. Ending Genjuro’s life of endless violence finally gave Mitsurugi peace about the situation that allowed Genjuro to ingest shards of Soul Edge in the first place. Mitsurugi knew that he would need to remove the shards from Genjuro to prevent the malfestation of some weak willed sap who would happen upon Genjuro’s corpse.  

Mitsurugi waited several hours and then performed the technique taught to him by Sophitia Alexandra and removed the shards of Soul Edge from Genjuro. He held them in his hands knowing that he would need to reabsorb them himself, but a little hesitant to do so.

Baiken, Dan, and Iroha arrived outside the underground gambling facility.

“Soul Edge’s presence here is stronger now than it was before,” Iroha declared. “The one you are looking for is inside.”

“Excellent.”

Baiken confidently strutted toward the entrance.

“Be careful. Whatever force you find in there could be quite formidable,” warned Iroha.

“Are you not coming with me?” Baiken questioned.

“No. This is not our fight. Our journey ends here. We have held our side of the deal,” answered Iroha.

“Very well.”

Baiken held up her katana in the direction of Dan Hibiki. “Know this Hibiki, if you cross me again, all bargains are null and void.”

“I still don’t know what I did wrong,” cried Dan.

Baiken entered the door and descended down the stairs. She found Mitsurugi, alone, standing in the center of the room surrounded by destroyed furniture and staring at the shards in his hands. Even Baiken could now feel the evil aura of Soul Edge close by.

“You there, what do you know of Soul Edge? Where can I find it?”

 “The answer depends on who is asking?” replied Mitsurugi.

“The one armed woman standing in front of you, obviously,” stated Baiken with a hint of annoyance.

“An unknown stranger. I think not. You have no idea what you are asking for and I have learned the hard way not to share my life’s secrets.”

Baiken furrowed her brow. “Whatever you are afraid of means nothing to me. Just tell me how to get to the sword.”

“I am going to deny you one last time and give you the chance to walk away. You will thank me later,” Mitsurugi predicted.

“The only place I am going is home and I need Soul Edge to do that,” Baiken insisted.

Mitsurugi lifted his blade. “We are at an impasse.”

 

 

 

 

[Callisto]

Learn More About
Baiken
Read more about Baiken at Wikipedia
Official Site: Arc System Works Links: Wikipedia Official Site Profile Guilty Gear Series

Heishiro Mitsurugi
Read more about Heishiro Mitsurugi at Wikipedia
Official Site: Namco Links: Wikipedia- Heishiro Mitsurugi Soul Calibur Wiki- Mitsurugi Fighter's Generation

[Twogunkid]

Shoot these are my favorites from their respective series.

[leroypowell3]

I say Baiken. Guilty Gear power levels are well above Soul Calibur.

[Pizzaguy2995]

Both fighters come from pretty tough worlds, but Mitsurugi has more experience with tougher opponents: he’s got got a pretty even rivalry with Taki, who fought and killed Cervantes de Leon after he slaughtered entire armies and towns across Europe, and he once stalemated Algol, the creator and master of the pocket dimension Astral Chaos realm. I’m not sure if guest characters are canon, but in VI he even fought Geralt of Rivia! It was unclear who won, but Geralt apparently considered him a worthy rival.

[RakaiThwei]

8 hours ago, Pizzaguy2995 said:

I’m not sure if guest characters are canon, but in VI he even fought Geralt of Rivia! It was unclear who won, but Geralt apparently considered him a worthy rival.

Geralt is confirmed to be canon in the storyline of Soul Calibur VI. The Soul Calibur Wiki even confirms this.

[DSkillz]

Another good set-up, Johnny. Good to see Baiken actually spare Dan and Iroha in the recap.  

Speaking of Baiken, I'm not sure how she rates on a power scale. VS. Battle Wiki has her on like a multiversal tier, but TV Tropes calls her a "Badass Normal" and given that Baiken doesn't seem to show any really supernatural or projectile attacks, visual evidence seems to lean toward the latter.

Therefore, I'm not sure how to vote on this one.  

[Callisto]

Match Final Results

Member Ratings:
4.30 - Pizzaguy2995

FPA Calculation:
1 Total Votes cast
4.30 Total Combined Score
4.30 / 1 = 4.30 Final Rating on the match

MATCH SCORE
Baiken: 3
Heishiro Mitsurugi: 1

[DSkillz]

Wow, I was pretty sure I rated this. My bad.