Gion's close-range presence brought Maud mountain-like pressure.
At the same time, it left Maud no attention to spare for Sunny's situation.
Just dealing with Gion's attacks required his complete focus.
If he got distracted, it would mean he was not far from death.
Gion closed in, and a killing blow followed.
The long blade, condensed with icy killing intent, slashed toward Maud's vital point.
A cold glint flashed and vanished.
Maud struggled to keep up with Gion's speed, raising his blade to block.
Clang!
The blades met, sending sparks flying.
The force transmitted from Gion's blade traveled up Maud's arm and spread through his entire body, aggravating the injury in his abdomen.
The sudden pain threw Maud's breathing into disarray for an instant.
Gion chose not to clash with Maud's strength again. As the sparks faded, she withdrew her blade and slashed at Maud once more.
Maud focused and caught the rapidly approaching blade trajectory. He channeled strength into his arm and timely raised his blade horizontally to block the second slash.
The heavy force came again, like an iron ball rolling over his body.
Blood silently seeped from the corner of Maud's mouth.
Even though the overwhelming pressure of life and death made him feel as if the oxygen around him was gradually thinning, his Observation Haki continued operating at full force.
The experiences of his previous life silently supported him from behind, preventing his mental defenses from collapsing under such life-and-death pressure.
Because if he hesitated or retreated even slightly, the defensive line woven by his Observation Haki would collapse in an instant.
Sufficient calm was the prerequisite for struggling to survive.
But the true foundation of a powerful defense still lay in the Haki techniques he had accumulated in the past.
Yet Gion still gave Maud no