Match 17951 Baiken vs. Sophitia Alexandra

[JohnnyChany]

GAINING AN EDGE: A MASSIVE FIGHTING GAME CROSSOVER

PART 169

In a conference room aboard the Freedom Survivor cruise liner, Helena Douglas and Guile sat in front of a large screen talking to Karin Kanzuki and Ken Masters remotely from the Kanzuki estate.  Ken detailed how he ended up at the Kanzuki estate with Ryu, Kyo Kusanagi, and Athena Asamiya instead of his planned trip to the Freedom Survivor. (REF: KEN MASTERS VS. IORI YAGAMI) Then, Guile explained why he and Helena were reaching out. (REF: SHIKI VS. YANG)

“You’re trying to find Urien?” asked Karen.

“Affirmative,” answered Guile. “We have very strong intel that he is behind most of what is going on.”  (REF: ASUKA KAZAMA VS. MAKOTO)

Karin appeared uneasy. “This is some cosmically bad timing. Kolin was recently here. We could have interrogated her about him.”

Guile was shocked. “Kolin was there?”

“Yeah, but this guy over here chased her off. He even fought the guy that was with her,” replied Karin as she pointed over to Ken.

Ken defended his actions. “I try not to make it a habit of being in the company of shady guys and girls. Also, that didn’t stop her from trying to kidnap that Honoka girl.”  (REF: KOLIN VS. HONOKA)

The name caught Helena’s attention. “What Honoka girl?”

“I didn’t catch a last name. On the younger side. She has a cool ability to mimic moves she sees. It’s a little sloppy, but it’s effective,” remarked Ken.

“Incredible that this ordeal has even pulled her in,” stated Helena.

“Karin, do you think you guys can bring Kolin back?” asked Guile.

“We can try,” Karin responded. “I have no idea how far she has gone or where she would go and our impromptu team here isn’t very big. We have also had some unforeseen setbacks.”  (REF: IBUKI VS. ATHENA ASAMIYA) 

“Do not feel bad, so have we,” Helena reassured. “Our best chance to win is to pool our resources. To that end, I will send some fighters over there to help out.”

“Ok. I will also see what else I can turn up about the Secret Society,” Karin promised.

Helena smiled. “Thank you. I have faith that all of us together can get the job done.”

Helena disconnected the call and immediately Guile turned to her and asked. “Who were you planning on sending over there?”

Helena lifted an eyebrow. “Are you volunteering?”

“I will help wherever I am needed,” replied Guile. “But, I think I need to go here.” Guile showed a viral video to Helena of a fight in a Japanese restaurant between Dhalsim and Lei Fei as well as Mai Shiranui and Katarina Alves. (REF: LEI FEI VS. DHALSIM) He pointed at Katarina “You see her eyes. She was infected by Soul Edge. Who knows how many others there have been exposed like we were. I can help them. You see the stretchy guy there, that is Dhalsim, he has been an ally of mine many times. I am sure he can tell me what is going on down there.”

“Are you sure it is wise to expose yourself again given what has happened?” Helena wondered. (REF: LEI WULONG VS. GUILE)

“Yes. Having been through it, I know the danger and I know the temptation. I can avoid it,” Guile assured. “Also Sophitia was gracious enough to teach me some defensive techniques for the mind. Maybe she would be interested in accompanying me.”

“Sophitia is no longer on the ship,” Helena informed.

“Where did she go?” asked Guile.

“She. like us, has decided to turn to allies to find whatever information she can about the Secret Society. Unfortunately, not all of her allies use phones,” Helena explained.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Tatami Gaeshi!” shouted Baiken.

The one armed samurai stomped on the floorboards of the underground gambling facility where she was squaring off against the grizzled ancient samurai, Heishiro Mitsurugi. (REF: BAIKEN VS. MITSURUGI) The defensive tactic was successful as the floorboard shooting into the air caught Mitsurugi off guard and struck him in the chin. He stumbled backward. Baiken attacked Mitsurugi with a series of jumping knee strikes. She then took her blade and performed a vertical slash that disarmed Mitsurugi. Heishiro took a moment and looked down at his dropped weapon, Baiken took advantage of this opening and shot her grappling hook from her armless sleeve at Mitsurugi. She yanked him close and and slashed wildly with her sword. Baiken cut him three times across the chest and as Mitsurugi groaned in pain, she blasted him with her hidden cannon. 

Mitsurugi fell to his knees, unable to continue the fight. He exhaled loudly and resigned himself to his fate.

“You have bested me,” he lamented. “Go ahead and finish the job.”

Baiken lifted her blade to strike, but then hesitated. “If I kill you now, I will be back to where I started. No closer to finding this mysterious Soul Edge.”

“You may think you want that sword, but it will only bring you misery,” stated Mitsurugi.

“Wrong. It will bring me the key to getting me home. Home to my world,” Baiken corrected. “At least according to that magical bird lady.”

Mitsurugi chuckled. “Magical bird lady? You must have run into Iroha.” (REF: BAIKEN VS. IROHA)

“Are you claiming she is wrong?” asked Baiken.

Mitsurugi shook his head. “I have no idea. You say you are from a different world? It is possible you were brought here by the immense power of Soul Calibur as its new champion against Soul Edge.” Mitsurugi thought about it some more. “Or you could have been brought here by Soul Edge itself to be its new vessel.”

Baiken reacted with disgust. “I am no entity’s potential vessel. Are you sure about this?”

Mitsurugi held his chest in pain momentarily before he answered. “I am not an expert on the ways of Soul Edge. I was just a wandering mercenary looking for a challenge and the ultimate sword all those centuries ago. I just happened to get mixed up in all of this. Just like you. With that being said, from what I have seen I would have no trouble believing you have been marked and brought here as a champion for one side… or the other.”

“Only one way to find out.” Baiken placed her blade under Mitsurugi’s chin. “How do I get to Soul Edge?”

“Are you trying to threaten me? What good would that do? I already told you to finish me off,” said Mitsurugi. “However, once you do you should know the Soul Edge shards inside me will be a danger to this entire town if not absorbed in one strong enough to control them.”

Baiken snickered. “What happens to the people of this town, this world, is not my concern.”

“You are currently in this town and this world, so it means you would be vulnerable to the shards as well,” Mitsurugi retorted.

“What if I absorb them? Wouldn’t that connect me to the sword and help me locate the blade?” Baiken inquired.

“Yes,” answered Mitsurugi. “If they don’t drive you crazy with rage first.”

“I can take it. Tell me how to absorb them.”

“Step away from him!” shouted a voice.

Baiken looked back with her left eye at a blonde woman with a long braid, a sword, and a shield.

“Sophitia,” Mitsurugi whispered.

“Heishiro, you look horrible,” said Sophitia. “What trouble have you gotten yourself into?”

“I lost a fight with a one armed samurai from another world,” Mitsurugi replied plainly. “How did you find me?”

“I came here looking for you,” Sophitia declared. She turned her attention to Baiken. “Whatever your vendetta is against him, it must wait. The safety of the world depends on it.”

“As I told your bleeding friend, the safety of this world means nothing to me,” Baiken sneered. ”All that matters is that I reach Soul Edge.”

“I am sure you can sense it, Sophitia,” added Mitsurugi. “This samurai isn’t from around here,”

Realization set in for the elder Alexandra. “So it would appear that the fates have brought in this warrior from another place for the battles ahead. But, for which side I wonder.”

Baiken sighed. “I grow tired of this back and forth.”

Sophitia resolved herself. “Either way I feel I must face you here, samurai from a strange world. If your arrival here is the work of Soul Edge in search of a new body to be its Nightmare knight then it is my duty to put you down. Conversely, as a warrior once chosen to destroy Soul Edge, myself, I must make sure you are worthy of that responsibility if that instead is the reason you have been summoned into this world.”

Sophitia lifted her sword and shield. “Prepare yourself.”

Baiken readied her blade. “You both talk too much.”

 

 

 

 

 

[Callisto]

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

Sophitia Alexandra
Read more about Sophitia Alexandra at Wikipedia
Official Site: NAMCO Links: Wikipedia Project Soul Fighters Generation

[patrickthekid]

This is a fight that will be settled by whose defense holds up better. Baiken is faster, but Sophitia has handled fast projectiles from Cervantes. Sophitia also has the better weaponry as both her swords and shield have been enhanced by the Greek gods. With that said, Baiken has a ton of other surprises Sophitia wouldn't know about. I just think that Baiken's poor stamina will give the close edge to Sophitia.

[JohnnyChany]

9 hours ago, patrickthekid said:

This is a fight that will be settled by whose defense holds up better. Baiken is faster, but Sophitia has handled fast projectiles from Cervantes. Sophitia also has the better weaponry as both her swords and shield have been enhanced by the Greek gods. With that said, Baiken has a ton of other surprises Sophitia wouldn't know about. I just think that Baiken's poor stamina will give the close edge to Sophitia.

There are some fights I do in this arc where I have a good idea of who should win, and there are others where I honestly could see it going either way, like this one just due to Baiken's wide array of weaponry. I appreciate your analysis. 

[leroypowell3]

I'm voting Baiken as it pains me to see Sophitia defeated.

[patrickthekid]

20 hours ago, JohnnyChany said:

There are some fights I do in this arc where I have a good idea of who should win, and there are others where I honestly could see it going either way, like this one just due to Baiken's wide array of weaponry. I appreciate your analysis. 

I definitely agree that this can go either way. I even forgot that Baiken has parries too. A lot of parries. Both fighters are likely to fight similarly cautious, defensive styles too. Baiken's offense is likely more explosive

[Pizzaguy2995]

I’m liking Sophia for this fight, she’ll be coming in with superior weapons, superior juggle combos, and will be a much more balanced, well rounded fighter with fewer weaknesses to exploit. I’m thinking Baiken’ lack of stamina and limited offensive attacks will be exposed here.

[Callisto]

Match Final Results

Member Ratings:
4.80 - DSkillz
4.80 - leroypowell3
5.00 - patrickthekid

FPA Calculation:
3 Total Votes cast
14.60 Total Combined Score
14.60 / 3 = 4.87 Final Rating on the match

MATCH SCORE
Baiken: 1
Sophitia Alexandra: 3

[DSkillz]

Wow, I was barely able to rate the match on time here. My bad for not voting and commenting on time, though, Johnny. 

It was a good set-up, and it looks like many of the heroes are starting to converge. If I had voted on time, I would've agreed with the final vote and said that Sophitia's superior weaponry would've won her the day.