[ That strength is what Soujirou has the most difficulty with, so as soon as Kaoru bears down on him he has to retreat back, though the blade does come down to slice into his shoulder, hitting against his collarbone before Soujirou slides away. Now this is a bit more concerning, because his blade honestly can't take those strong kinds of hits repeatedly. He would guess one more and the blade's edge would crack and fracture.
So he'll just have to finish it.
Even though those wounds are bleeding enough that Soujirou feels lightheaded, he doesn't think to withdraw. It would be a great honor for Soujirou to go even this far if Kaoru knew to appreciate it, but with that odd first step, he's gone again, this time only one step shy of the true shukuchi. Though admittedly, with these wounds, he's not sure if he would be able to use the true one without bleeding out. Somehow this one is faster still, but the amount of steps is fewer, though whether it's because the technique is more refined or simply because Soujirou can't afford wasting the time isn't clear. Rather than attack his back, Soujirou comes in from Kaoru's right side to stab the katana up and into his ribcage. It leaves Soujirou open for retaliation, but the idea of coming in so violently is that it would stab the heart before they'd even have a chance to perceive him being close enough. ]
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So he'll just have to finish it.
Even though those wounds are bleeding enough that Soujirou feels lightheaded, he doesn't think to withdraw. It would be a great honor for Soujirou to go even this far if Kaoru knew to appreciate it, but with that odd first step, he's gone again, this time only one step shy of the true shukuchi. Though admittedly, with these wounds, he's not sure if he would be able to use the true one without bleeding out. Somehow this one is faster still, but the amount of steps is fewer, though whether it's because the technique is more refined or simply because Soujirou can't afford wasting the time isn't clear. Rather than attack his back, Soujirou comes in from Kaoru's right side to stab the katana up and into his ribcage. It leaves Soujirou open for retaliation, but the idea of coming in so violently is that it would stab the heart before they'd even have a chance to perceive him being close enough. ]