One minute earlier.
Having fully adapted to Abby's ferocious assault, Maude began to find his rhythm.
At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel at how wild this crazy woman was. Thankfully, his body was able to keep up—otherwise, the consequences would've been unimaginable.
With the pressure of defending himself easing, Maude finally had some capacity to assess the situation.
He noticed that Wolfrat and Kazte were locked in a head-on clash.
Had it not been for Wolfrat holding Kazte back...
The thought alone made Maude break into a cold sweat. Quietly, he gave Wolfrat a mental nod of approval—good man.
But it didn't take long for Maude to notice that Wolfrat wasn't holding out for long. After just a few exchanges, Wolfrat looked like he was about to get pounded into a pancake by Kazte. It dawned on Maude that sticking around here wasn't an option.
"I've got to get out of here before Wolfrat bites the dust."
With his decision made, Maude shifted his focus back to Abby.
Noticing Maude had enough leeway to glance around, Abby's blood boiled. Veins bulged on her forehead as her once-seductive demeanor vanished entirely.
Infuriated, Abby's rapier strikes grew faster, though her technique started to slip into disarray.
"Hm?"
The sudden increase in speed brought back some of the pressure on Maude, but paradoxically, the threat level plummeted.
"Time to counter?"
Dodging the flurry of strikes, Maude contemplated whether to draw his flintlock pistol or the dagger strapped to his side for a counterattack.
The disorder in Abby's technique signaled that if she were forced to transition from offense to defense, she'd inevitably expose a gap.
That would be his opening.
However, Maude also weighed the risks of countering.
Drawing either weapon would require extra movements, and while Abby's attacks had grown sloppy, her speed had increased.
Any unnecessary motion that couldn't keep up with her pace could turn into a fatal opening.
If the payoff was worth it, Maude wouldn't hesitate to take the risk.
But for now, his priority remained on retreating.
"That leaves me with... my hands."
Abandoning the idea of using his pistol or dagger, Maude devised his next move.
The once-threatening strikes had been reduced to nothing more than an annoyance.
After several more seconds of defense, Maude spotted his opportunity. Dodging a thrust by sidestepping, he surged forward instead of retreating.
As their bodies brushed past each other, Maude swung his arm up, landing a crisp slap across Abby's cheek.
The sharp sound rang out but was quickly drowned by the chaotic cacophony of swords clashing and people shouting.
Staggered by the slap, Abby momentarily lost her balance, and her relentless assault faltered.
Maude seized the opportunity, breaking out of her attack range and bolting toward a hole in the wall.
Abby stood there, stunned, watching Maude's retreating figure.
This scene, however, did not go unnoticed by Wolfrat.
Wolfrat wasn't paying attention to Abby's reaction. Instead, his focus was on Maude, who was fleeing faster than a rabbit.
At this point, Wolfrat resigned himself to reality.
He didn't even have the energy to curse Maude anymore.
Drained both mentally and physically, Wolfrat turned his gaze back to Kazt, trying to explain himself.
"Listen, this is all a big misunderstanding—"
Before he could finish, Kazte's powerful hoof came crashing down.
Boom!
Wolfrat went flying, slamming into a wall with a heavy thud.
"Huh?"
After sending Wolfrat flying, Kazte furrowed his brow. Something about the impact didn't feel quite right.
Did he just get harder?
Before he could think further, he noticed Maude nearing the tavern's exit. With a furious roar, Kazte bellowed, "Stop right there!"
Hearing Kazte's enraged voice, Maude didn't even bother looking back.
Is Wolfrat done for?
The thought crossed his mind.
Seeing the hole in the wall just ahead, Maude pushed himself to run faster.
Suddenly, he spotted a small white skunk darting ahead of him. Its stubby legs made its escape comically slow.
Recognizing the skunk as Abby's pet, Maude scooped it up as he leapt through the hole.
Feeling itself being grabbed, the skunk stiffened in fear, its beady eyes wide with human-like terror. It dared not struggle, fearing this human might suddenly kill it.
To the skunk, humans were treacherous creatures.
Rigid and motionless, the skunk watched as Maude carried it through the hole and out into the open.
At that moment, the skunk realized this human was helping it escape.
Its terror melted away, replaced by a warm gratitude.
"For once, a human who's different," the skunk thought, moved beyond words.
Maude, meanwhile, was completely unaware of the skunk's inner monologue. Instead, he was taken aback by the faint fragrance wafting from it.
A fragrant skunk?
This seemed oddly familiar.
Back inside the tavern.
Watching Maude escape, Kazte's eyes widened in rage as he charged after him.
But someone else was faster.
A beastlike figure bolted toward the hole in the wall—it was none other than Wolfrat, still in his hybrid form.
Seeing Wolfrat unscathed, Kazt was momentarily stunned.
Before he could react further, a blade flashed toward him.
Kazte abruptly halted, narrowly dodging the sudden thrust.
"What the hell, you crazy woman?!"
Kazte roared at Abby, who now stood in his path, her eyes bloodshot and her expression twisted with fury.
Without a word, Abby launched another wave of vicious strikes, weaving a web of blade light around Kazte.
In his hybrid form, Kazte's strength had increased, but his speed had slightly diminished.
Caught off guard, Kazte ended up with several fresh wounds.
Now he was even angrier.
As Abby's strikes landed, a strange smile crept across her contorted face.
There was a peculiar satisfaction in her gaze as she looked at Kazte, her desire to continue attacking him growing stronger.
Seeing the bizarre mix of emotions on Abby's face, Kazte's cheek twitched violently.
This is madness. Utter madness!
"You psycho!" he roared, dodging as best he could while calling out to his officer, Wells.
"Wells, take some men and go after that brat. Bring him back, dead or alive!"
Without hesitation, Wells gathered a group of gunmen and headed out the door in pursuit of Maude.
Outside the tavern.
Maude was sprinting down the street with the skunk in tow when Wolfrat emerged from the hole, his beastly physique allowing him to close the gap quickly.
"Usopp, wait for me!" Wolfrat shouted in excitement.
Hearing the voice behind him, Maude reacted instinctively—he hurled the skunk straight back.
The skunk: "???"
Wolfrat, focused solely on Maude's retreating figure: "???"
The skunk sailed through the air in a graceful arc, smacking Wolfrat squarely in the face.
Thud.
Wolfrat hit the ground hard.
Wells and his men, who had just exited the tavern, skidded to a halt, staring at the scene before them—the fallen Wolfrat and the dazed skunk at their feet.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Realizing he'd overreacted, Maude glanced back and called out, "Brother Wolfrat, I—"
But upon spotting Wells and his armed men, Maude quickly changed his tune.
"If I get the chance, I'll explain!"
With that, Maude turned and bolted.
Wolfrat, finally coming to, took a deep breath. His lungs ached.
The skunk, its head spinning, looked utterly bewildered.
"Humans... Humans are treacherous creatures!"
Wells hesitated, frowning as he debated whether it was worth wasting bullets on Wolfrat.
Among the bustling crowd, a small figure flitted away.
"That brat..." Wells growled.
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