The harsh training Soubi received from his years at battle school paid off; after being teamed up with his original Sacrifice Seimei, the two of them are notorious for being very strong and Soubi is considered an invincible Fighter. However, how perfect a Fighter Soubi might appear to be, he bears a large weakness. When in battle his teacher is mentioned, Soubi is shaken. According to Soubi, whatever compliment his teacher pays him is more for his own contentment and ego than it means anything else. It’s obvious that the brute doctrine of his teacher still haunts Soubi; when Soubi has a hard time in battle, he remembers his teacher’s words: “Soubi, you mustn’t raise your voice, you will grid your teeth, Soubi you should be able to endure this. Fight, and no matter what, win” He even uses them as means of self suggestion and as power up spell.
It’s probably because of the way of training Soubi received, that he has a rather special look on how Sacrifices should treat him as a Fighter. He really sees his task as a Fighter to serve the Sacrifice. As his teacher told him to fight and protect his Sacrifice, he translates it into obeying orders and being loyal no matter what. By acting like this, Soubi finds himself getting hurt more than one time. And in those moments, Soubi appears painstakingly fragile. In that aspect Soubi really is a prime example of the hard shell, soft inside type of character; despite his imposing exterior, Soubi is masochistically kind to the extent that he becomes an easy target of misuse by others.
Whenever Soubi is down, he paints the best butterflies and flowers, while he claims to hate pretty things, and butterflies in particular. The reason he hates them is the way they can be pretty, but at the same time be so easily pinned down, so helpless and all freedom taken away, as means of someone’s specimen of interest. His teacher, Ritsu-sensei, can be seen to have multiple collages of pinned up butterflies hanging in his office at Shichisei Gakuen. It’s probably because of this that Soubi has come to hate butterflies.
I can’t help but think that Soubi resembles such a butterfly, beautiful and perfect, at the same time so fragile and unable to spread its wings to freedom. Soubi probably realizes this himself as well, knowing his teacher has pinned him down to follow only one path, and that is to become a perfect Fighter. Soubi on one hand hates Ritsu-sensei for it, on the other hand, he can’t seem to survive a tough battle without the memories of his sensei’s lessons.
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