DEATH BATTLE Prediction - Absolute Zero: Mitsuru Kirijo vs. Jin Kisaragi

To anyone who's reading this, welcome to my first ever DB blog! I've been itching to write a few battles for quite some time, but held off for one reason or another. Now, I've decided to (hopefully) start this up as a hobby of mine with a fight that I've wanted to do for a while now (*begins to pray that I don't botch this*)

These two heroes are as cold as the ice they can control, minds as sharp as their blades and resolves as strong as the power they both wield. When push comes to shove, only one of these warriors can come out on top: Mitsuru Kirijo, the Imperious Queen of Executions and Jin Kisaragi, the Hero of Ikaruga.

I do wanna give a shout-out to the very first wishlist the Official Death Battle Fan Blog did, which featured this fight as one suggestion. I love both the BlazBlue and Persona series, having gotten into them within months of each other, and hope this blog does both of them justice.

Backgrounds

Mitsuru Kirijo

"But now I have something to live for. No longer will I run from the future! I will face it head on, carrying out my father's will! I am resolved and without reservation."

First Appearance: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (2006, Atlus)
Birthday: May 18
Age: 20
Origin: Japan
Occupation: Kirijo Group CEO, Leader of Shadow Operatives
Weapon of Choice: Rapier
Persona: Artemisia (Empress Arcana)

Mitsuru was born as the only child of Takeharu and Hanae Kirijo, destined to inherit the Kirijo Group from the day she was born. As a child, she showed signs of great promise, excelling in both her academics and extra curricular activities, as well as a lot of interest in the day-to-day affairs of the Kirijo Group.

She soon learned that the company and her family had a secret they intended to atone for: they were responsible for the creation of the Dark Hour, a hidden 25th hour of the day between midnight and 12:01 A.M. where creatures called Shadows roam the streets and prey on humans. The Kirijo Group developed an interest in Shadows because of their time and space-altering properties, leading to their various experiments and eventually learning of The Fall, the apparent end of the world where Death itself descends upon humanity. When one of the researchers opposed this, he halted the experiments, fragmenting Death into 13 larger Shadows while the other captive ones went berserk, creating the Dark Hour. Mitsuru believed that she needed to help her father atone, and soon awakened to her Persona Penthesilea when she witnessed him being attacked during an expedition.

As a high school student in Gekkokuan High, Mitsuru created a club called the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, where Persona users investigate the Dark Hour and fight against the Shadow threat. She fought alongside batchmates Akihiko Sanada and Shinjiro Aragaki, while maintaining her status as an honor student and a member of the fencing club. Underclassmen Makoto Yuuki, Yukari Takeba, Junpei Iori and Fuuka Yamagishi would later join up, alongside the anti-Shadow android Aigis, middle school student Ken Amada and a Persona-wielding dog named Koromaru. While fulfilling the role of a mother figure of sorts, Mitsuru would hold off on informing her allies about the true nature of their mission, fearing their reactions and believing that the knowledge behind the Dark Hour makes it her cross to carry. Despite which, she grew to open up to them as friends as they vanquished the Arcana Shadows separated from Death.

After the defeat of the last one, S.E.E.S is shocked to learn that their quest has been for naught; they were betrayed by their club supervisor Shuji Ikutsuki, who had intended to bring about The Fall by fooling S.E.E.S into reuniting the Arcana Shadows with Death by defeating them. During Ikutsuki's betrayal, Takeharu is killed, leaving Mitsuru to mourn and temporarily lose her resolve. However, a conversation with Yukari reawakens her drive to fight, transforming her Persona into Artemisia.

Mitsuru later made the call to stand alongside her friends in confronting Death's avatar, Nyx. In spite of all their efforts, S.E.E.S. only succeeds in defeating Nyx when Makoto sacrifices himself to seal Nyx off from humanity; his friends soon lose their memories of him but remember just in time to watch him peacefully pass away on graduation day.

After graduation, Mitsuru would soon take the reigns of the Kirijo Group as she entered university, mingling along with the elites of society as she continued her crusade against the Shadows by creating a task force of Persona users called the Shadow Operatives.

During the Golden Week of 2012, the Shadow Operatives were dragged into a plot by the deity Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, the representation of those who wish to discard all bonds and live only for themselves, to destroy the world.

Jin Kisaragi

"Give up? You have got to be joking. I've already given up on life... on the world. But I've decided to cast aside apathy and fight... not only against this so-called 'order,' but against the world!"

First Appearance: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (2008, Arc System Works)
Birthday: February 14
Age: Mid-20s
Origin: United Kingdom
Occupation: Major - Novus Orbis Librarium
Weapon of Choice: Nox Nyctores - Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa
Drive: Frost Bite

As a child, Jin and his siblings Ragna and Saya were taken in an orphanage run by Celica A. Mercury. While his early childhood seemed relatively normal, he grew jealous of the amount of time Ragna had spent with Saya over him. This would come to a head when Saya was tasked with giving Jin the Nox Nyctores Yukianesa, which promptly took a toll on his mental stability. This was all a ploy by the devious spirit Yuuki Terumi, who proceeded to ruin the siblings' lives by burning down the orphanage, slicing Ragna's left arm off, kidnapping Saya while misleading the brothers into believing she died, and wiping out Jin's memories, simply leaving him to believe that he was driven by a desire to kill Ragna. Jin was soon adopted by the Kisaragi family, one of the families closely affiliated with the world's reigning government, the Novus Orbis Librarium or the Library. He would grow up alongside Tsubaki Yayoi, and the two would treat each other as close friends.

Jin's time in the NOL academy saw him earn many achievements and awards, and he graduated with top honors. He soon entered the Ikaruga Civil War, and ended it for the Librarium by assassinating Ikaruga's leader, Lord Tenjo. This would earn him the rank of Major and the title of "Hero of Ikaruga."

Sometime after the war, Jin received word that Ragna, now an SS-Class criminal wanted for destroying Librarium compounds, is headed for the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. Ignoring orders to not interfere, Jin traveled to the city to kill Ragna, driven by his psychosis. His secretary, Lieutenant Noel Vermillion, is ordered to return him back to headquarters. Jin finally comes face-to-face with his brother in the Kagutsuchi base, but is handily defeated.

Upon waking up, Jin found himself in custody of the NOL for disobedience. He escaped and defected, intent on finding Ragna and learning more behind his capture. A chance encounter with his brother reveals that he houses the Power of Order, a hidden energy within him, and is encouraged by Ragna to break free of the mental control Yukianesa has over him. With this, Jin manages to finally gain true control over his weapon. The brothers discover that Terumi had manipulated the events behind their childhood and the mastermind behind his plans was Saya, the NOL's Imperator. To prepare for the battles ahead, Jin began training with Jubei, one of the legendary Six Heroes.

Jin, along with Ragna and Noel, begin working with NOL defector Kagura Mutsuki and his allies in Sector Seven to overthrow the Imperator and right the wrongs she had created. In doing so, he manages to break the mind-control spell placed on Tsubaki and convince her to join their cause. Their plans fail however, leaving Jin critically wounded but alive.

To continue his mission, Jin accepted the help of another member of the Six Heroes, Trinity. In exchange for his help in stopping Terumi, Jin is transferred into a healthy body ready for combat. He succeeds in helping Ragna and Noel in slaying Terumi for good, but their memories of Ragna are stolen by him in order to correct the path of the BlazBlue universe. He has since returned to the NOL, where he serves the new Imperator Homura (the son of Lord Tenjo) along with Kagura and his assistant Hibiki.

Weapons/Equipment:

Mitsuru

Rapier

"When I do battle like this, it brings me back to my high school days..."

Mitsuru used to be a member of the Gekkokuan High fencing club, which reflects in her fighting style. While skilled with a blade, she does not seem to use or favor a specific or special weapon. During the events of the Persona 4 Arena games, she is seen wielding a long, red rapier in battle.

Persona

"I command thee!"

A Persona is the physical manifestation of one's inner self. These beings can become stronger not just through battle, but through finding one's resolve and pursuing their true selves. Should their inner strength prove strong enough, their Personas can evolve into more powerful forms with advanced skills.

Mitsuru's initial Persona was Penthesilea, named after Ares' daughter who became queen of the Amazons and participated in the Trojan War. She manifested this when her father was attacked by Shadows while on an expedition to the Shadows' source, Tartarus. Penthesilea has a disposition towards dealing magic damage, primarily through ice spells. Mitsuru also takes reduced damage from ice attacks and has access to status effect spells like Marin Karin, where enemies are charmed into helping her and attacking enemies, and healing spells. However, she is weak to fire spells, and using too many spells will exhaust Mitsuru both physically and mentally.

After Mitsuru was comforted by Yukari during their class field trip to Kyoto, Penthesilea evolved into Artemisia, named after a Greek queen who fought alongside the Persian King Xerxes during his conquest of Greece. She primarily has the same moves as Penthesilea, albeit upgraded and being immune to ice attacks as opposed to simply being resistant.

To summon a Persona, Mitsuru needs her Evoker, a gun-like device created by the Kirijo Group. Evokers are meant to replicate the feeling of death and stress needed to summon a Persona, although it is worth noting that Mitsuru (as of Persona 4 Arena) no longer needs to use an Evoker to summon Artemisia, at least for certain attacks - more powerful SP skills show her and Akihiko still taking them out.

As explained earlier, the one drawback of repeated use of Persona skills leaves Mitsuru tired and unable to use spells the more she uses them - represented in-game as Spirit Points. Personas can also be attacked, and when it takes too much damage, they disappear for a short time.

Jin

Yukianesa

"Sword of ice... show me your true power!"

The Nox Nyctores Causality Weapons (or the Arch-Enemy Event Weapons) are a collection of 11 weapons forged to deal with the Black Beast, the monster that nearly destroyed the world. To use these weapons, a potential user must be talented with the use of Ars Magus, or using science to manipulate a magical element called Seithr. Even then, there is a risk of a great mental burden being placed on the user. Due to being partially magical in nature, these weapons can also damage a person's soul, and can bypass magical barriers, like when Jin destroyed a magic shield created by Nine the Phantom.

Jin's weapon, the Mucro Algesco (Ice Weapon): Yukianesa, was given to him by Saya as a child. It has cryokinetic abilities; being able to control water particles and freeze enemies with its blade. The ice is also said to be capable of destroying all types of life. However, it mentally strains Jin - he becomes more aloof and violent under it's influence, explaining his murderous vendettas against both Ragna and Noel, who resembles Saya. Later, Jin becoming one with Power of Order gave him the opportunity to remove himself from Yukianesa's negative influence and in turn, further his mastery of the weapon.

Also, while Seithr is limited in nature, this is not a concern because of Jin's unique biology. He, Ragna and Saya (and to an extent, her "clones" such as Noel, Lambda and Nu) are children of the 5th Prime Field Device, who had the ability to amplify Seithr to an apparently unlimited degree.

Power of Order

"I am the cold steel...the blade that will restore balance to this world!"

The Power of Order is the force behind stabilizing the world. Neither good nor evil in nature, it manifests to combat events that threaten to upend the natural balance; the bigger the imbalance, the more powerful this force becomes.

Jin first became aware of this power when talking to Ragna during the events of Continuum Shift, allowing him to exert control over Yukianesa once more. His Power of Order was born to counter Ragna's Azure Grimoire and fated transformation into the Black Beast. Aside from the above benefits, those with the Power of Order are also immune to Event Interference, or reality-changing activities, as well as the Izayoi's Immortal Breaker, an instant-death attack done by implanting the idea of death into the target's mind.

Hihiirokane

Named after the legendary Japanese alloy of the same name, this massive sword was once wielded by Jubei during the battle against the Black Beast, and was succesfully used to injure it. Jin was given a copy by Trinity to use against Terumi.

This weapon's unique properties allow the user to cut through both bodies and souls, which Jin had used to strike Terumi and Ragna down, setting the final confrontation between the two. If the user utters its name, it can also transform into a giant claw as depicted above. The metal which comprises this weapon is also the same one which makes up the armor of the Murakumo units.

Notable Techniques

Mitsuru

"No matter how many times you come at me, I will continue to strike you down... None shall stand in my way!"

Bufu: Deals ice damage on a selected foe. Multi-hitting (with the Ma- prefix) and stronger (with the -la and -dyne suffixes) cost more Spirit Points.
Tentrafoo: Forces the enemy into a state of confusion, which may cause them to attack themselves and their enemies. Only has a 25% chance of hitting.
Marin Karin/Sexy Dance: Forces the target into supporting Mitsuru by healing and buffing her while attacking their allies. Only has a 25% chance of hitting, as with Tentrafoo.
Angelic Grace: Increases evasion rate against all magical attacks.
Megidolaon: Deals a large amount of Almighty (non-physical, non-elemental) damage to all enemies.
Vorpal Blade: Deals a heavy slash attack; power is increased if user's condition is great.
Sharp Student: Lowers odds of being hit by a critical attack.
Spirit Drain: Steals a small amount of Spirit Points from the target.
Dia: Heals Mitsuru or a chosen party member. The more powerful variants (Diarama and Diarahan - the latter of which restores the target to full health) and multi-man ones (again, with the Ma- prefix) cost more Spirit Points.
Mind Charge: Increases the damage of the next magic attack with a 2.5 multiplier.
Ice Break: Removes the target's resistances to ice, if any.
Getsu-ei: Mitsuru's Furious Action; an anti-air crescent slash. She cannot be attacked while performing the move.
Coup Droit: A charging thrust attack.
Analysis: Can scan an enemy to find their weaknesses, resistances and stats.

Jin

"You must really - really - want to die."

Reitou (Frost Bite): Jin's Drive attack. Can enhance attacks to freeze enemies on contact.
Zeitou (Frost End): Jin's Overdrive. Automatically makes every attack freeze the opponent and buffs his Distortion Drives while active - lower health extends the time it remains active.
Hishouken (Flying Ice Sword): A projectile in the form of an ice sword. The Drive-enhanced version is called Hishougeki (Flying Ice Strike).
Fubuki (Blizzard): An anti-air sword slash.aimed 45-degrees upward.
Rehhyou (Violent Ice): A anti-air slash aimed directly into the air.
Musou Senshouzan (Crystal Slash): Jin rides a small ice projectile into the opponent before performing an overhead slash. The Drive-enhanced version is called Musou Tosshougeki (Freezing Crystal Strike).
Hirensou (Dual Ice Strike): An modified Drive attack consisting of an anti-air slash followed by a knockback strike.
Sekkajin (Snow Flower Strike): A rapid flurry of slashes and kicks. Can be followed up with Tsuika Kougeki, an additional attack based on Jin's Yukikaze Distortion Drive.
Hizansen (Ice Slashing Flash): A mid-air attack aimed at ground level opponents. The Drive-enhanced version is called Hizangeki (Ice Slashing Strike).

Super Moves (SP Skill Attacks/Distortion Drives)

Mitsuru

Myriad Arrows

"You won't escape! Better luck next time!"

Mitsuru performs a series of rapid stabs followed by a kick that sends the opponent flying.

Bufudyne

"Come forth! Feel the cold!"

The second most powerful single-target Ice spell in the Persona series. Mitsuru summons a large block of ice to attack.

Mabufudyne

"I will prevail!"

A variant of Bufudyne that hits multiple opponents. In Persona 4 Arena, Mitsuru has Artemisia create a group of ice projectiles and fires them, freezing the enemy and hitting them multiple times.

Nifelheim

"The finale! It's time for the execution! Adieu!"

Mitsuru's Instant Kill and the most powerful Ice-based spell, based on the "executions" which made her a feared presence among her allies, as Akihiko can attest. Artemisia freezes the enemy in place for Mitsuru to end the battle in one strike.

Jin

Touga Hyoujin (Ice Fang)

"Arctic Daggers!"

Jin launches a wave of ice from Yukianesa.

Hiyoku Getsumei (Moonsong)

"Arrows of ice! Let everything freeze!"

Jin fires a group of ice arrows into the air.

Kokujin: Yukikaze (Empty Sky Form: Winter's Reposte)

"Without a trace... Empty Sky Form: Winter's Reposte!"

A counter-attack, where Jin retaliates with a quick-draw slash if hurt. Jin's alternate future-self, Hakumen, is also a user of this move.

Kokujin Ougi: Gekka Hyourou (Empty Sky True Form: Crystal Moonstorm)

Jin's Exceed Accel, which can only be performed in Overdrive. He slashes the enemy upwards, freezes them in mid-air and performs an aerial combo sending them back down.

Rengoku Hyouya (Arctic Dungeon)

"Freeze eternally! Too weak!"

Jin's Astral Heat. He stabs the ground, freezing the enemy if caught, and shatters them.

Feats

Mitsuru

"I'll tell you the difference between you and me... It's my iron resolve!"

Out of all the members of S.E.E.S and the Shadow Operatives, she has the most experience fighting Shadows, having done so since her freshman year of high school at the earliest.
Managed to hold back the Nyx Avatar, until Makoto Yuuki managed to defeat it by becoming the Great Seal.
Fast enough to dodge lightning and gunfire.
Defeated Erebus, the representation of humanity's grief and other negative emotions, inside the Abyss of TIme with S.E.E.S.
Served as S.E.E.S' resident strategist for a time, providing analysis on enemies before returning as a field combatant.
Went up against other Persona users, including the Wild Cards Aigis and Yu Narukami, who can summon multiple Personas.
Teamed up with S.E.E.S. and the Persona 4 Investigation Team to defeat Chronos, the god of death and time, in an alternate universe. However, the memories of all involved with the incident have been erased.
Confronted and defeated Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, who posed as her Shadow. When he assumed his true form, she joined the Shadow Operatives and Investigation Team in fending a swarm of Shadows off until he was defeated.
In the manga, "executed" the male members of S.E.E.S. (who accidentally stayed inside a hot spring while the girls entered) by freezing them with Bufudyne.

Jin

"Hero...? I don't give a damn about such vanity. I slash those whom I must... that is all."

Ended the Second Magic War by taking on the Ikaruga Foundation by himself and assassinating Lord Tenjo of Ikaruga.
Managed to overcome the psychosis induced by Yukianesa thanks to his willpower and the Power of Order, refining his control over the weapon.
Survived the Immortal Breaker, an instant-death attack, thanks to the Power of Order. Afterwards, he succeeded in defeating Izayoi, the true form of Tsubaki Yayoi while wielding the Nox Nyctores Izayoi.
Destroyed a large monolith with the aid of Hakumen, who was weakened at the time and did not operate at his usual 20% power.
As Yukianesa is a Nox Nyctores, it can destroy magical shields and can affect a person's soul.
Fast enough to react to the Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi firing its country-level laser at point-blank.
Can regularly go toe-to-toe with the top tiers of the BlazBlue universe, such as Ragna, Hazama/Yuuki Terumi/Susanoo, Hakumen, Noel and her true form Mu-12, Tsubaki/Izayoi, Take-Mikazuchi and the Imperator, Hades Izanami.
In an alternate universe, he became Hakumen, one of the Six Heroes who defeated the Black Beast.
With the Power of Order, managed to "observe" Platinum the Trinity when their existence was fading away and kept them alive.
With the Hihiirokane, damaged Yuuki Terumi's soul and managed kill him and Ragna the Bloodedge (albeit after the two fought each other).
Immune to having his memories manipulated with the Power of Order.
As one of the children of the 5th Prime Field Device, he supposedly has her ability to infinitely enhance the seithr he uses. This is supported by his high Ars Magus aptitude scores.

Weaknesses

Mitsuru

"This can't be..."

Due to her Persona, Mitsuru is weak against fire attacks; being hit by anything of the sort can knock her down and cause disorientation. As much help as her Persona is in battle, repeated use of Artemisia's spells can exhaust her physically and mentally, and Artemisia being directly hurt causes all of that damage to reflect on Mitsuru's person as well, in addition to being locked out of using her Persona for a short amount of time.

Jin

"Am I still... not good enough...?"

Jin has tasted defeat several times in the past; most of which have come at the hands of his brother Ragna. His psychosis was also a problem of his; prior to the Power of Order, Jin was prone to mental breakdowns and mind manipulation. While it may not pose a problem for him now, he still tends to be overconfident, which can cause him to underestimate his opponent's strength.

Summary