Sohei vs Janissary

Beginning Analysis: What happens when two exotic religious warriors go head to head? Read on to see who...is...deadliest!?

Sohei Quick Bio
When most people people think of Oriental monks, they picture old Asian men in robes sitting in from of an altar praying. Not so with the Sohei. First arriving in Japanese history in the middle of the 10th century, the Sohei were Buddhist warrior monks charged with defending their temples. In many ways they were like the Samurai: they followed a code of honor, went head first into combat, and would kill themselves if they had seriously failed in their duties. Unlike the Yamabushi fighting monks, who lived in the mountains and were solitary, the Sohei were organized into orders, much like the Teutonic Knights and the Crusaders of the west.

Sohei Weapons
Short Range: Katana
Medium Range: Naginata
Long Range: Yumi
Special: Tanto

Janissary Quick Bio
Unlike the Sohei, the origins of the Janissary are a bit hazy. Most historians agree that that they first were formed under Sultan Orhan I (in 1326) or his son Murad I (in 1365) as elite bodyguards and soldiers for the Ottoman Empire. Chosen from among the Christian boys in Anatolia and the Balkan Peninsula every five years, these candidates were trained in the ways of Islam, as well as weapons, armor, and battle tactics. When gunpowder was available, the Janissary began training with that as well. Sadly, this group of warriors was forcibly disbanded in 1828 in an event known as the Auspicious Incident, an act some historians believe was caused by the Sultan himself.

Janissary Weapons
Short Range: Kilij
Medium Range: Ottoman Axe
Long Range: Ottoman Bow & Arrow
Special: Ottoman Mace

Who Got the Edge
Katana vs Kilij: Both swords get the edge. As it was shown back in season 2, one swing of the Kilij went right through a pig without much effort. As for the Katana, it also went through pig bodies without much effort, although it had some trouble trying to cut at the ring mail, and it's a two-handed weapon. Despite those disadvantages, each sword did incredible amounts of damage, and thus they tie.
Naginata vs Ottoman Axe: The Naginata gets the edge. With the axe, you have tremendous hacking potential, but it's length means that you may need to get in closer than desired. With the Naginata, you have hacking, slashing, and stabbing potential, as well as a weapon that will keep the user at a fairly comfortable distance.
Yumi vs Ottoman Bow & Arrow: Both bows get the edge. The users of these bows were incredible archers, and their weapons were just as incredible. They were both made from the best wood, animal horn, animal glue, and sinew, and the arrows were also of impressive make.
Tanto vs Ottoman Mace: The Ottoman Mace gets the edge. With both of these weapon, you have to get in close, but the mace allows the used to stand back a little further than the Tanto's user has to. On top of that, the bludgeoning damage caused by the mace is much more devastating that the slashing & piercing damage of the Tanto.

Common Quality
Exotic Faiths: Both of these warriors belong to two of the more unique faiths in the world. The Sohei is a devout follower of the Buddhist way, and through this faith connects them to one another, creating strong bonds. The Janissary belongs to an equally exotic faith, Islam. Originally taken from Christian communities, those who were shown exception military skill were trained in the Muslim way, and became some of the fiercest warriors of the Ottoman Empire.

Setup
It was a warm summer night in Kyoto. The moon was high in the sky, casting it's mysterious gaze down onto the city, illuminating everything in a soft white glow. The cherry trees were dropping their leaves, and the pink petals were floating on the wind. For one Sohei, however, it was just another night.
Joshi was a newly appointed member of the city order, and his first duty was to guard one of the city shrines. Although disappointed, he still took the job without fuss. He was actually quite good at guard duty, especially since the few individuals that did try to break in were defeated. Yes, life was strangely good for Joshi, but this would be his most harrowing night yet.
As he was making his way around the shrine like he normally did, Joshi thought he heard something on the roof of one of the nearby building. Thinking it was just a cat that got on top, he continued his patrol, until an arrow landed in the wall right in front of him. Joshi stopped in his tracks, and looked to his right. On top was a armor clad warrior pointing a exquisite looking bow at him. The armor that this person was wearing was something that Joshi had never seen before: his upper torso was clad in some kind of shirt with metal plates sewn into it, and on his head was metal helmet as exotic looking as Joshi's. Joshi pointed his Naginata at the attacker, and attempted to coax some words out of him.
"Halt! State your intentions!"
Joshi's attacker said nothing. All he did was run away, angering the Sohei. Joshi gave chase, keeping an eye on his attacker. As he was following him, Joshi realized that his opponent wasn't Japanese. He was much taller than the average Japanese person, he had a different skin color than most Japanese, and his weapons & armor were also not Japanese. He must be a westerner of some sort, Joshi thought to himself.
Joshi arrived at a garden, and caught his breath. He looked around for signs of his attacker, but he didn't spot any sign of him. Still gripping the Naginata, he slowly crept through the garden, scanning for the assailant. He was walking right under a cherry tree, when his attacker dropped down right on top of him, knocking him down to the ground. Joshi was then greeted by a series of strikes from some kind of axe. Immediately, he raised his Naginata to block one of the attacks, breaking the weapon after just a few strikes. The axe came down again, and Joshi grasped the weapon, knocked his opponent off of him.
Joshi got back up to feet, and threw the axe into the bushes. His opponent also got back up, and drew a wicked curved blade. That definitely looks impressive, Joshi thought to himself. He drew his Katana, which had been passed down to him by his father, and his father before him. Taking the stance he learned during his training, he let out a breath, they charged right in. He swung the Katana with much force, trying to slice off his attacker's arm. The attacker in turn raised his blade, and one of the loudest klangs echoed through the garden, and perhaps a good portion of the city.
This sword duel went on for nearly 20 minutes, until Joshi performed a particularly wide swing, knocking his attacker's blade out of his right hand. He was going to take another swing, but his attacker had suddenly draw a club of some sort, and went for Joshi's arm. The attack didn't break his arm, but it did cause an immense amount of pain, and forced him to drop the Katana. Gripping the wound, Joshi rolled under his opponent as he did a overhand swing. Getting back up, Joshi pulled out the Tanto that he had with him out of the scabbard that was tied to his belt.
This was the sort of fight that Joshi had wished for. A vicious opponent, near-death vibes, and the time of day was practically perfect. Still holding onto his arm, Joshi swung the knife right at his attacker, but wasn't able to get in closer because the club had just enough length to keep him at bay. Luckily, his attacker overstepped his bounds, and got a stab to the stomach. He dropped to one knee, but got back up and continued to swing his club. This time, he got a stab to the shoulder. Despite the immense pain, he managed, albet slowly, got back up and continued to attack. Joshi waited until just the right time, then he lunged for his attacker's throat. With one bloddy slice across that expanse of flesh, the fight was over.

Sohei: 505
Katana: 300
Naginata: 150
Yumi: 50
Tanto: 5

Janissary: 495
Kilij: 300
Ottoman Axe: 50
Ottoman Bow & Arrow: 50
Ottoman Mace: 95

Ending Assessment: This was an incredibly close fight. Ultimately, it came down to the Sohei's discipline and superior equipment, giving him just a tiny edge over the nearly equal Janissary.
Strongest Weapon: The swords of both warriors, with 300 kills each, take the strongest weapon spot.
Weakest Weapon: With it's length, and measly 5 kills, the Sohei's Tanto is the weakest weapon of this fight.