Chapter 405: The Blessed Shortsword—An Imperial Arm?
Brand's towering figure appeared behind Akame, placing both hands on her shoulders.
If he hadn't stepped in,
even with Tatsumi's sudden burst of strength, he would've been pierced through the heart with the next strike.
Akame didn't say a word.
She knew full well that if it weren't for Brand's reckless personality, he would've long since been promoted to acting commander of Night Raid.
Now, even in the middle of battle, he was trying to spare an enemy.
Brand asked curiously, "You're new to the capital, aren't you, kid?"
Truth be told,
Brand had a soft spot for young people with ambition, passion, and potential.
It'd be a shame to let this one die.
Recruiting him into the Revolutionary Army would be ideal.
"You cold-blooded killers! You murdered Lady Aria's entire family for money. Aren't you afraid of a ghost's curse?!"
Tatsumi wasn't happy to be alive—he was furious, glaring at them with righteous anger.
"Curse?"
The Night Raid members exchanged amused looks. Brand spoke in a low voice,
"You poor, misled boy… Let me show you who'll be cursed, who'll face the wrath of the dead."
He didn't explain further.
Brand turned and headed toward the warehouse, ready to break it open and reveal the truth.
But just then,
Tatsumi sprang into action.
His shortsword lashed out and knocked Akame's cursed blade aside—then he lunged at Brand's unguarded back.
"What the hell?!"
Akame's expression shifted slightly.
The sting in her hand told her the parry had real power behind it.
She quickly gave chase—
And was stunned to see Tatsumi had already reached Brand's back in just two seconds.
Shriiing…
The shortsword scraped across Brand's armor-type Imperial Arm, [Demon's Possession], letting out a high-pitched screech.
Brand didn't even turn around.
He caught Tatsumi's wrist mid-strike and yanked the sword away.
"Brand!"
Hearing his comrades' shouts, Brand turned, puzzled—
only to see all of them staring with a mix of shock and disbelief.
He waved casually. "It's fine! My Demon's Possession is a full-body armor-type Imperial Arm. Even Akame's cursed blade can't—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Following their gazes, Brand looked down at his armor—
and saw a thumb-length scratch etched into it.
Not deep. It didn't pierce the armor. He was unharmed.
But still…
This was Demon's Possession!
Forged using a ferocious dragon-class Danger Beast as the base,
it was hailed as an impenetrable fortress—not by boast, but by the corpses of those who tried and failed to pierce it.
"It… left a scratch?"
Mine couldn't hold back a gasp.
Even during training, her Pumpkin Cannon couldn't crack that armor.
Yet this plain-looking shortsword had managed it?
"Is that… an Imperial Arm?"
"No way… you're actually holding a sword-type Imperial Arm? What a find!"
Brand's initial shock gave way to hearty laughter.
He wasn't worried about the damage.
Demon's Possession could evolve and repair itself over time with enough training.
What mattered more was this:
Tatsumi had guts, solid instincts, and now, apparently, an Imperial Arm of his own.
With him in Night Raid, their chances of taking down the Prime Minister would rise dramatically.
"Imperial Arm? What's that?"
Tatsumi looked genuinely confused.
He had never even heard of Imperial Arms.
Forty-eight in total might sound like a lot,
but they were scattered across the continent—so rare that most commoners didn't even know they existed.
"They're powerful tools made from legendary Danger Beasts—each one grants unique abilities."
Brand raised the shortsword and explained,
"Like this one of yours—it just scratched my armor. No doubt, it's an Imperial Arm."
Then he paused,
eyes widening slightly as a line of black text appeared in his vision.
[Blessed Steel Shortsword (Purple)]: A blessed blade of hardened steel. Wield it, and you become a battle-hardened warrior.
"Text?"
Brand shook his head, thinking it was an illusion—
but it wouldn't go away.
Every time he held the shortsword and focused,
the text would appear like a weapon description window.
"+10 to all stats… [Shortsword Mastery Lv.5]… active skill [Power Burst] for a temporary full-stat boost?"
He muttered the details aloud—then blinked.
He felt stronger.
Just as the description said,
his strength, agility, spirit, and endurance had all increased.
And complex sword techniques filled his mind.
Letting go of Tatsumi,
Brand stabbed his Red-Backed Shrike spear into the ground and gripped the shortsword—
then lunged at Akame.
Clang!
Their blades clashed.
Akame's eyes narrowed as she blocked blow after blow.
Brand's strikes were swift and precise—
not the wild swings of a tank,
but the refined slashes of a seasoned swordmaster.
She retreated, using the momentum to deflect and reduce impact.
Brand had once been an Empire soldier.
Even after joining Night Raid, his combat style was bold and overwhelming.
With Demon's Possession, he was like a tank barreling through enemies.
But now—
his fighting style was agile, technical, like a true swordsman.
"Am I seeing things?"
"Brand's swordsmanship… when did it get so sharp?"
"And his physical stats—did they go up again?"
Akame had to disengage completely to catch her breath.
She didn't want to be Brand's test dummy anymore.
The other Night Raid members were equally shocked.
Their cheerful, airheaded big brother… had been secretly training swordsmanship this whole time?
"When did he—?"
Akame was the first to catch on.
She stared at the blade in Brand's hand.
She'd fought Tatsumi briefly,
and the techniques Brand used now looked nearly identical.
Only difference was body strength.
Tatsumi's attacks had weight, but Brand's had the force to match.
Usually, Brand relied on sheer brute strength and durability—
that's how he became Night Raid's muscle.
But now, with sword skills to match his strength,
he was like a beast that had learned to fight with precision.
If they dueled seriously—Akame had no doubt.
She'd be dead in minutes.
"Incredible… this Imperial Arm grants me decades of sword mastery instantly. It boosts strength, speed, reflexes—"
Brand paused mid-sentence.
He suddenly realized something.
He hadn't removed Demon's Possession—
and yet, even while wielding an already activated Imperial Arm, he could still use a second one.
His mind and body should've collapsed.
Instead—
his Spirit and Endurance had increased,
lessening the burden of Demon's Possession.
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