For that shadow of Maud's, which was certain to be of exceptional quality, Moria was determined to claim it.
As for Maud, he had never intended to waste Moria's Shadow-Shadow Fruit, which ranked among the best of the Paramecia.
Both sides needed something from the other, so capturing their opponent alive was their primary objective.
"Heh heh heh..."
Moria's cold gaze fixed directly on Maud ahead.
The Shadow Master, whose outline matched his appearance, advanced noiselessly and charged straight at Maud.
Maud raised his hand and instantly slashed out two sword auras.
The sword auras skimmed along the ground like waves, reaching the Shadow Master in the blink of an eye.
Faced with the sword auras about to blast into his face, the Shadow Master's body suddenly transformed into countless bats. They scattered in all directions, dodging Maud's slashes.
The two sword auras passed through the swarm of bats and plunged straight into the forest a hundred meters away. They easily destroyed more than a dozen large trees along the way, creating quite a commotion.
The bats that had dodged the sword auras then gathered at astonishing speed, condensing back into the Shadow Master.
During that brief interval as the Shadow Master re-formed, Maud used Silent Step and flashed before him without a sound.
Hidden Blade Style, Shadow Windmill!
Maud's two blades swung out in succession, one before the other, sending two sharply defined semicircular arcs of sword light toward Moria's arms.
Chidori in front, White Ferret behind.
The two successive slashes came so close together that they nearly overlapped.
From the perspective of an onlooker, Moria took in Maud's move and made a decision in the blink of an eye.
He controlled the Shadow Master to sink straight into the ground, turning into a puddle of shadow and completely