"Well met!"
Since he already knew that Kanzaki Kumo possessed an exceptionally gifted pair of eyes, Shinjuro was not surprised that he could spot an opening in his defenses at a glance.
Facing Kanzaki Kumo's counterattack, he immediately changed his move to meet it.
"Second Form, Rising Scorching Sun!"
The upward slash interrupted Kanzaki Kumo's attempt to press his attack.
He saw his opponent's movement, but any attack he made would inevitably be blocked.
Those eyes gave Kanzaki Kumo an enormous advantage in close combat, but against an experienced opponent with considerable strength, they could not grant him an easy victory.
Of course, this was also because Kanzaki Kumo was deliberately honing his sword techniques. Otherwise, he could have used Thunderclap and Flash or Dragon's Roam from the outset, evading his opponent's charge while swiftly counterattacking, or even defeating him in a single move.
But that would have been no fun, and it would also have embarrassed Shinjuro in front of his two sons.
Indeed, when the two began sparring, Kyojuro's younger brother, Senjuro, who was a little younger than Kanao, had also come running at the noise.
"Fifth Form, Flame Tiger!"
After breaking Kanzaki Kumo's offensive with a single blow, Shinjuro gave him no chance to create distance and attack again. He immediately followed through with a powerful, weighty attack. As he swung his wooden sword, Shinjuro seemed to turn into a fierce tiger of flame, pouncing forward.
"Fifth Form, Heat Lightning!"
This was an area attack, one of the few Thunder Breathing techniques that combined offense and defense. As his wooden sword swept through the air, Kanzaki Kumo's figure seemed enveloped in a sea of dazzling white lightning.
The flaming tiger met the sea of lightning, unleashing a burst of blinding light. Watching from the sidelines, Kyojuro and