Yet he felt that same danger again.
"Hm! Behind me."
Gripping his Kanabo, Kaido felt that razor-sharp menace again and spun without hesitation, swinging behind him.
"Did I hit him?"
Kaido frowned deeply at Kuta, whom he had struck.
"No."
Just then, the figure before him—
the Kuta he had struck—actually gave him a faint smile. Then he felt an overwhelming sharpness surge up behind him again.
"Too late."
Within this strange space, pressure bore down on him from every direction at every moment. He felt as though he were fighting with a mountain on his back.
In this state, his thoughts and combat experience remained unaffected, and he could still sense danger, but his body could no longer respond as instantly as it did outside.
That delay was especially fatal in a battle between top-tier fighters.
With no time to think, he swiftly mobilized the Armament Haki within him, erecting a defense across his back. Then he gripped his Kanabo tightly with both hands, coated it in Conqueror's Haki, and swung behind him without hesitation, his eyes fierce.
He knew he was already too late. With Kuta's current Armament Haki and a swordmaster's offensive power, the boy could break through his defenses even if he defended with all his strength. But even if he took the slash, he would land a blow on this brat.
Shhk!
Just as he had expected, despite the Armament Haki defense he had raised, the brat's Armament Haki—which was every bit as strong as his own—combined with his Conqueror's Haki coating still broke through.
Ignoring the piercing pain in his back, his eyes flashed viciously as he swung behind him, unleashing the strongest blow he could muster.
Crack, crack, crack!
Before the Kanabo even struck, the surrounding space shattered like a mirror, as though