Ink Shadow: Someone was clearly just hopeless at naming things and couldn't come up with a chapter title, and now they're blaming me? Do I even have that kind of ability?
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While the four little ones were resting, Kanzaki Kumo took Kanao and Mitsuri straight to the clearing where they trained.
"Come on. Let me see the results of all those years you've spent practicing in secret."
Kanzaki Kumo picked up two Wooden Swords from a nearby rack and tossed the slightly shorter one to Kanao.
"Okay."
"Flower Breathing, First Form: Morning Dew Blossoms."
Kanae had created Flower Breathing's opening form with reference to Kanzaki Kumo's Thunder Breathing First Form. Kanao lunged forward amid dazzling sword light.
That sword light resembled the rays refracted through morning dew on flower petals beneath the rising sun, brilliant and full of life, yet a keen blade lay hidden beneath that radiance.
In Kanao's hands, this move was already approaching Thunder Breathing's First Form. Clearly, she still persisted in trying to draw closer to Kanzaki Kumo.
Intending to gauge her abilities, Kanzaki Kumo did not overwhelm her with sheer strength. He merely struck the weakest point of the attack as the sword light drew near, then guided it aside with a gentle motion, making Kanao's attack miss as she swept past him.
"Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility."
Kanao adapted on the fly, changing moves the instant her feet stopped.
This technique had been created with reference to Water Breathing's Third Form, further improving flexibility while making its attacks even denser.
Kanao's petite figure hid amid peony petals that filled the air as she launched thrusts at Kanzaki Kumo from every direction.
Having sparred with Kanae many times, Kanzaki Kumo knew that this move had originally used slashes, not thrusts.