Seeing this, Niitsuma Kan quickly retracted the bamboo sword that was parried, then readjusted his stance, this time switching to an upward diagonal slash from the lower right to Aoto's chest.
——This move… when slashing out, he specifically held the sword hilt a bit lower to extend the attack range slightly… The reason for adopting a stance starting from the lower right is to make it difficult for the opponent to see through changes in attack range...
Aoto took a small step back, just exactly enough for Niitsuma Kan's upward-pointing sword tip to only scrape the air.
What's going on?!
The smile that had just appeared on Niitsuma Kan's face slowly stiffened, the smile gradually turning into a frustrated and agitated expression.
At first, Niitsuma Kan thought it was an illusion. But now, he had to realize—Aoto seems to be getting more and more familiar with his moves...
Regardless of the move he uses, the now familiar Aoto can skillfully perform precise defenses or evasions.
