Baiken
Backstory:
At the very beginning of the Crusades, the nation of Japan was destroyed by Justice, and those of Japanese descent—amongst whom were Baiken and her parents—were placed in colonies for their protection. However, near the end of the Crusades while she was still a child, Gears raided the institution she was living in. Small and weak, Baiken could do nothing to stop the attack, and could only watch the chaos around her. During the raid, she lost her arm and eye, and witnessed the horrible deaths of her parents, who gave their lives to protect her, as well as her friends.
The massacre was the work of the Gears, but what was etched into Baiken's memory was the image of a man surrounded by dancing flames and his creations. She became acutely aware, even in the absence of evidence, that he was an enemy. With an unfading memory of the event, Baiken vowed to search for the true identity of That Man and exact her revenge.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Weapon Mastery,
Magic as Information Manipulation,
Chi Manipulation,
can summon tatami mats and rope,
Explosion Manipulation with her cannon,
Power Nullification (Can keep the opponent from doing certain things with Baku),
Non-Physical Interaction (Able to hit souls),
Awakened Power (Awakened her power to defeat I-No in her bad ending),
Resistance to Diseases (Unaffected by the effects of an information flare, which normally turns Japanese people into Gears)
and Information Manipulation, Mind Manipulation, Matter Manipulation, Soul Manipulation, and Transmutation (Briefly survived inside of a super-high-density information field, which would rewrite the fundamental data of most people and kill them)
Weaknesses: Has lost the use of her left eye and right arm, although this doesn't seem to greatly impede her in battle.
Hakumen
Backstory:
Hakumen is a samurai-esque warrior wielding a sword around as tall as he is and wearing a mask that completely hides his face. He is an incredibly powerful individual in the BlazBlue universe, so much so that the player is often told to proceed with caution when confronting him, and at times even advised not to do so entirely. His armor (which is the Susanoo Unit) seems to grant him limitless energy and incredible power, and his sword, an Arch-Enemy Event Weapon named Slaying Demon: Ōkami, appears to bear the capability to kill characters that otherwise would be immortal, or have rapid healing properties that would make them difficult or impossible to kill. This makes him an equally dangerous foe to both mortal men as well as more powerful beings.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Acausality (Type 1; Unaffected by Phenomena Intervention, which can reset the timeline)
Self-Sustenance (Types 1, 2 and 3; Lacks any need for sustenance due to not having an organic body),
Non-Physical Interaction (Can cut through things with no physical form, such as alternate realities),
Enhanced Senses (Can navigate through the boundary, an infinite space of nothing),
Invulnerability (Is a being that exist outside of Logic; the fundamental rules of the world; meaning any abilities/weapons/and powers that are restrained by Logic cannot harm them),
Extrasensory Perception (Can see invisible beings),
Shockwave Generation (Capable of blowing people away by bursting),
Portal Creation,
Forcefield Creation (Anyone taught by the NOL can create barriers),
Soul Manipulation,
Healing and Regeneration Negation (Wounds inflicted by a Nox Nyctores scar the soul, which the victim cannot recover from even through Phenomena Intervention by Amaterasu, Nox Nyctores are also superior to Ars Magus, a weapon capable of killing the Black Beast, a creature that has the ability of Self Observation, which is what Terumi used to regenerate from Hakumen's Time Killer),
Telepathy (Was capable of reading Ragna's memories),
Instinctive Reaction (A Nox Nyctores fights, moves and warns the user without any consent),
Spatial Manipulation (Tore a hole in the fabric of space and time to view an alternate event in the Continuum Shift),
Causality Manipulation (Capable of creating causal drifts with only his ego),
Aura (Merely being in his presence caused Ragna to become paralyzed),
Immortality Negation,
Paralysis Inducement (Can passively paralyze those he sees),
Precognition (Capable of predicting attacks using his mind's eye),
Time Manipulation (The Susanoo Unit slashes time),
Existence Erasure (Time Killer completely erases the target's "time", removing their existence from the past, present and future without causing a paradox),
Immortality (Types 1, 5 and 9; As an "uncertain factor", he is neither alive nor dead, and his true body exists in the Boundary),
Reactive Power Level (The larger the threat to the world becomes, the stronger the Power of Order will make Hakumen),
Power Nullification (Ōkami can nullify abilities),
Light Manipulation (The Susanoo Unit produces light),
Statistics Amplification (Via Overdrive),
Cosmic Awareness (Is aware of other timelines),
Regeneration (Low; Stated to heal at supernatural speeds during the events of Phase Shift),
and Limited Subjective Reality (Power of Order can make something that doesn't exist exist).
Weaknesses: If Hakumen does not stand by his convictions, the Power of Order will see him as weak and not be of use to him.
Song: Samurai Life
Baiken was atop a building in the Colony where she was born, taking some solace in the quiet of the night. Drinking from a sake bottle, she found herself reflecting on her life as she enjoyed the peaceful, starry night, but always looking forward to her next fight, a warrior's thirst for battle never truly quenchable.
Baiken's gaze was caught by the glint of something below her on the ground, causing her to look down further. What she saw caught her attention, as there was a suit of armor casually walking by. Though such a sight would usually elicit nothing more than a raised eyebrow from Baiken, the fact that the walking suit of armor wielded a nodachi sword piqued her interest, as the potential for a good fight made the warrior's heart leap with anticipation.
Taking one last swig of her sake bottle before tossing it away, Baiken had a leap of faith, choosing to jump down multiple stories from the building to land in front of the armored figure. The warrior stood tall and bold in front of the walking suit of armor, making it clear she meant to challenge them to a fight.
"Oi, Tin Man, where you going at such a late hour?"
Baiken addressed the armored figure in front of her in a somewhat derisive manner, calling it "Tin Man" and asking it where it was going at this late hour. She did not know that this particular suit of armor was Hakumen, the leader of the Six Heroes, and that she was now confronting a powerful opponent that was not going to go down easily.
"I'm pressed for time. Unless you want my blade tasting your body, I advise you to not stand before me."
Hakumen's warning went unheeded by Baiken, the warrior standing her ground even after the armor-clad opponent made a clear threat to strike her down if she refused to move out of his way. She made no motion of backing down, instead giving the armored figure a cocky smirk, her desire for a good fight overruling any notions of self-preservation.
"And I'm pressed for a good scrap. I think I'm gonna be sticking around for a bit. Feel free to give your "blade" a little sip of me if you think you can!
"So be it."
Hakumen drew his nodachi, holding it straight along the side of his body as he readied himself to fight. Baiken responded in kind, getting into a combat stance and preparing herself for battle. As the two fighters got ready to battle, the stars in the night sky above them twinkled faintly in the dim light, their duel now ready to begin.
Baiken lunged across the field with immense speed, preparing to strike with a katana attack in a reverse grip since she was missing her right arm. However, Hakumen was prepared to counter the attack, his own blade moving with incredible speed to meet Baiken's attack with a slash of his own, their swords clashing together with a loud clang that echoed in the night air.
Hakumen unleashed a series of attacks at Baiken, starting with a straight jab with its followed by a high kick, and an attempted downward slash with its nodachi. However, Baiken was able to defend against the initial two attacks, blocking them effectively, and then parrying the nodachi's last strike, using her katana efficiently to deflect the attempt. Now, it was her turn to counterattack the armor-clad opponent.
Baiken stomps her heel down into the ground, causing a tatami mat to materialize under Hakumen's feet and flip the living armor into the air. Without missing a step, the one-armed samurai launches herself into the air, spinning through the air with her katana in hand and sending the armor flying into a nearby tree with a powerful strike, the impact causing the tree to shake from the force of the blow.
Hakumen's grunt of surprise was audible as it gripped its side, the armor itself being indestructible but Hakumen's soul inhabiting the Susanoo unit still feeling the effects of the attack.
"Is she somehow able to attack souls directly?"
The armor-clad warrior muttered to itself, finding Baiken to be more dangerous than initially expected, wondering if she was somehow able to attack souls directly with her attacks. Baiken capitalized on her advantage, charging forward and swiping with a hooked sword coming out of her empty right sleeve. The attack was aimed straight at Hakumen, managing to cut down the tree behind the armor-clad warrior, the falling tree creating a great deal of noise as it crashed to the ground. The Six Heroes leader managed to duck down in time to avoid the falling tree, evading the danger with a quick and graceful move.
Hakumen took advantage of Baiken's overreach, jabbing the hilt of its nodachi sword into her gut and knocking her off balance. With her left foot knocked out from under her, Baiken found herself in a vulnerable position, allowing Hakumen to try and strike her down with a slashing attack. However, the samurai warrior was able to use her imbalance to her advantage, managing to shift her body out of the way of the blade with a quick and nimble move.
Hakumen continued its assault, lunging forward to bash its shoulder into Baiken's endowed chest, followed by a powerful upwards kick that sent the samurai warrior flying through the air. As Baiken was still in the air from the kick, Hakumen proceeded to jab the blunt, flat end of the nodachi into her stomach, pushing her back and sending her skidding backwards across the ground, the armor-clad warrior showing no signs of slowing down in its relentless attacks.
Baiken grunted as each hit landed, but the samurai warrior was able to defend against Hakumen's attacks, deflecting an outward sword swing, a low sweep, a horizontal slash followed by a downward one. The sound of their blades clashing echoed out through the area, sparks flying off with each strike as the two sword wielders continued to battle. Baiken's skills and reflexes were on full display as she continued with her defense, showing no signs of weakening in the face of Hakumen's assault.
Baiken lunged forward, phasing through her opponent and then stamping down onto the ground, creating another tatami mat that flipped Hakumen into the air. Taking advantage of the opening, Baiken swiftly slashed her opponent's armor, inflicting damage to its soul with a spinning sword wheel of five blades unleashed from her empty sleeve. The attack caused the armor-clad warrior to grunt in pain as it was forced back, feeling the effects of the soul damage inflicted by Baiken's attack.
Hakumen grunted from the impact of the sword slashes inflicted by Baiken, its armor absorbing the damage but still feeling the impact. The Six Heroes leader countered with a slash, destroying the weapon. It landed on its feet before delivering a fierce counterattack, bashing its elbow into Baiken's face and pulling her forward to deliver a forceful kick into her back. The attack left the one-armed warrior vulnerable, allowing Hakumen to take advantage of the moment and deliver a powerful thrust into her back with its free hand, creating an explosive blast that sent Baiken stumbling backwards.
Baiken let out a cry of pain as she hit the ground, her kimono ripped and exposing her back, Hakumen standing over her with its nodachi raised, preparing to stab her down. However, the fallen samurai didn't give up and stabbed behind her with her katana, striking the armor at its crotch area without looking. Although the armor lacked any genitalia, the hit still inflicted significant soul damage, causing Hakumen to cry out in pain from the blow to its vulnerable spot.
Baiken reached into her right sleeve with a wicked chuckle, pulling out a powerful blunderbuss-style pistol and yelling at Hakumen,
"Go to hell!"
The shot rang loud and clear, the explosive power of the blast creating a display of fireworks, the force of the attack knocking Hakumen backwards, leaving the armor-clad warrior reeling from the impact, struggling to maintain its balance and composure.
Hakumen groaned as it slowly got up from the ground, now firmly gripping its nodachi tightly with both hands in front of it. The Six Heroes leader began to activate its Overdrive, and as its samurai ponytail floated upwards with power. The armor-clad warrior stood tall in preparation for the upcoming battle, preparing to bring down its full might and power unto the samurai.
"Prepare to face the light of judgment."
Baiken watched as her opponent powered up, her eyes narrowing as she prepared for the impending battle. Despite the armor-clad warrior's power, the one-armed samurai refused to back down.
"Bring it on, Tin Man."
She challenged with a cocky grin, her resolve and bravery shining through.
"Let's see what you're made of!"
Baiken fired another round from her pistol, the attack streaking through the air directly towards Hakumen. However, the armor-clad warrior was quick on the draw, swiftly moving its nodachi in a way that caused the explosive to slide along the blade and then redirecting the attack into the sky, where it exploded once more into a burst of fireworks. The shot missed its target, and Hakumen remained unscathed for the moment, its power still coursing through its body, and its focus still fixed on the one-armed samurai before it.
Baiken let out a huff of annoyance, tossing her pistol into the air before drawing her katana and leaping up. As she jump in the air, the one-armed samurai stabbed her sword into the pistol behind her, triggering an explosion that propelled her forward with even more speed. She was coming in fast, and as she closed the gap between herself and Hakumen, the armor-clad warrior prepared to defend itself against the incoming attack.
Baiken unleashed her first slash, but Hakumen swiftly evaded the attack by jumping back. Despite his evasive maneuver, the armor-clad warrior was caught off guard by a sudden metal claw on a chain coming from Baiken's right sleeve, pulling him towards the samurai. With a smirk, Baiken used Hakumen as an impromptu paddle ball, slashing at him thrice with her Tsurane Sanzu-Watashi special technique, each blow raining down upon her opponent with precision and power.
Each strike of Baiken's Tsurane Sanzu-Watashi technique inflicted damage upon Hakumen's soul, the armor-clad warrior feeling the impact of each blow. However, Hakumen managed to tear the chain apart, breaking free from being used as a paddle ball. Taking advantage of the opening, the six heroes leader swept out Baiken's feet, sending her flying backwards with two powerful kicks. Despite the blow, the one-armed samurai managed to maintain her balance and landed gracefully on her feet, clearly not ready to give up yet.
Baiken let out a yell as she attempted a decapitation slash, aiming for Hakumen's head, but the armor-clad warrior blocked the attack with ease, anticipating the move. In a quick counterattack, Hakumen gripped Baiken's face, swiftly slamming her down into the ground, the shockwave of the impact powerful enough to shake the surrounding area. Despite the brutal attack, Baiken struggled to push herself back up, determined to keep fighting despite her weakened state.
"I ain't done yet!"
Baiken wasn't done yet and quickly managed to trip Hakumen so she could stand up and push its face into the ground with even greater force, stabbing her katana into the armor's sturdy back for even more soul damage. Finally, she kicked the leader aside, sending it stumbling away.
Hakumen stood up, raising its sword straight up into the air before unleashing an intense shockwave by slashing down with exceptional speed. Baiken attempted to counter by stomping the ground, creating another tatami mat to shield herself from the attack. Despite her efforts, the shield was overpowered, and the samurai was forced to dodge at the last moment, managing to avoid the brunt of the attack but ultimately losing her right sleeve in the process. The loss left her with fewer tricks up her sleeve, her options somewhat limited now.
"Finally, no more tricks. Just this one last attack."
Hakumen declared, holding its Ōkami nodachi in a powerful stance, signaling that the battle would soon come to an end. The armor-clad warrior looked formidable, ready to deliver a final decisive blow to the one-armed samurai. Baiken, not one to be intimidated by Hakumen's declaration, responded with a sly grin.
"You better make it count then."
She said, her words tinged with defiance. She clutched her katana tightly, her long samurai ponytail flapping in the wind, and prepared to face the impending onslaught.
Baiken charged forward, pouring her full intent into the attack, determined to land the finishing blow. Hakumen stood stoically in response, gripping its nodachi tightly as it waited for the opportune moment to defend itself. In an instant, both opponents swung their swords, the clash of steel ringing out through the area as Baiken came to a stop behind Hakumen. For several tense seconds, the two fighters stood motionless, awaiting the outcome of the battle as they each held their ground.
The first sign that the tide had turned in Baiken's favor was Hakumen's groan of pain. Despite its armor being indestructible, the slashing attack had managed to strike the weak spots common to armor, causing significant soul damage. The armor-clad warrior collapsed to its knees, struggling to remain upright under the impact of the attack.
Baiken initially felt a sense of triumph as if she had won the battle, as a smile spread across her face. However, just as quickly as her victory was heralded, her eyepatch fell away, completely split in two. Her long samurai ponytail followed suit, cascading down her body in a heap. The reality of the situation dawned on Baiken moments later, leaving her breathless with the sudden realization that she too had fallen in battle. Her body suddenly fragmented into sixteen distinct pieces, collapsing into a pile of dead meat chunks. Hakumen slowly rose to his feet, sheathing its Ōkami nodachi back in its holder. It surveyed the aftermath of the battle, its gaze lingering on the fallen Baiken.
"Pitiful."
It muttered under its breath, its tone dripping with disdain. With a weary stride, the leader of the Six Heroes limped away, searching for a place to rest and recover from the previous altercation.
Strength: This was an interesting fight. Let's go into some of the categories on how Baiken had the advantage, but not enough to win. First off, power. Luckily, Hakumen's Power of the Order gives the armor strength proportional to how dangerous its foe is. Since Baiken is not threat at all in her current story, Hakumen would not be able to draw more than 20% power, if at all. Despite having no overly flashy powers, Baiken still possesses enough physical strength to contend with the strongest of her franchise, who can destroy planets with several Yottatons of TNT. This puts her relatively on par with Hakumen at the lower levels of his power up to 20%, which scales to Ragna beating Izanami, a goddess of death who could create a blast that would wipe the Earth and the moon from existence. Such a blast would require 16 Yottatons of TNT, at most 4X stronger than Baiken.
Speed: In terms of speed, Hakumen is quantifiably faster, but Baiken could keep up. The samurai could catch up to I-No, who is a time manipulator, and even managed to surprise her with her speed. However, Hakumen does have reportedly infinite speed to react to anything Baiken could do, it's just she wouldn't be sluggish in comparison.
Skill: While it's unknown how long Baiken has been training as a swordswoman, she does appear to be in her mid 20s, so she might've trained between 10-15 years. At the very least, her onscreen journey lasts for about 6 years. However, Hakumen houses Jin's 90-ish year old soul, who would inhabit the Susanoo armore unit for another 10 years. He certainly has more fighting skill.
Experience: Both are about equal in the kinds of adversaries they face, though Hakumen has likely faced more opponents with broken abilities, since those are focused on more than sheer power.
Powers: Both a powerful warriors who rely more on their physicality then their abilities, though Baiken seems to have the edge in versatility of her tricks, being able to attack Hakumen's soul, and being able to resist the armor's magic nullifying Ōkami nodachi due to having very few abilities that she can't do physically. However, not only does she have have nothing to exploit Hakuman's weakness to land a winning blow, the Susanoo unit's indestructible nature would mean that she doesn't have a reliable way of attacking the soul more than surface level. Not to mention that she has no resistance to Hakumen's Time Killer move, which would kill every second that Baiken is alive through time.
The winner is Hakumen
Next time:
"We all fail. We all make mistakes. It's what makes us human."
"We're not saints. But we are gonna win this fucking war, and I'd rather have you on the winning side."