270 Chapter 269

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Because Abel had signed the "Demon Sword Contract," his affinity with blades was at MAX. 

Any blade in his hands immediately became familiar, unleashing 200% of its power. Moreover, there was a chance he could be immune to damage when attacked with a blade. 

Thus, Murasame's test was almost negligible for him; the malevolence quickly receded into the blade, and Abel even sensed a 'pleasing' emotion from it. Reminded of a classic scene, Abel smirked and decided to replicate it. 

He threw Murasame into the air, making it spin continuously. Then, he stretched out his left arm towards where the blade would fall, without any protection. "Want to bet? Let's see whether my fate is stronger than this cursed sword," he challenged.

Akame widened her eyes in disbelief. As Murasame's current owner, she knew too well how terrifying the blade was, not just for its sharpness, but for its curse. A mere scratch could cause death from its poisonous curse. This wasn't just risking an arm; it was a gamble with life! "He's proving it this way?!" Akame was shocked; she wouldn't dare do it herself. Under her gaze, Murasame incredibly circled around Abel's arm without even a touch and landed in the ground as if intentionally avoiding his arm.

Abel smiled, pulling out Murasame again under Akame's complex gaze. "Looks like I win. It's a good sword. If you die one day, I'll take it. But for now, don't let it down. When your trust in it surpasses everything, it will respond to you." 

He walked past Akame, tossing Murasame back to her. She clumsily caught the handle, breaking into a cold sweat. Abel's parting words filled her mind. "Will you really respond to me?" She stared at Murasame, then threw it into the air and extended her arm, just like Abel did. 

She wanted to see if she could fully trust her blade. But as Murasame fell, her mind filled with thoughts of her Night Raid comrades and her sister, "Akame!"

Her body involuntarily trembled.

Clang!

A mechanical fist suddenly flew in, knocking Murasame away from cutting Akame's arm.

"I only asked you to test him, not to imitate his 'suicide'!" Najenda emerged, somewhat angry. If she had hesitated, Akame might be dead. Despite Abel's impressiveness, such feats weren't for everyone.

Breaking the silence, Akame admitted, "That man is more deserving of Murasame than I am. I knew I lost the moment it fell from the sky."

Najenda softened her tone, "Don't be too hard on yourself. That guy is overly mysterious. We know nothing about his past, origins, or real strength."

"To be honest, I'm starting to regret letting him join Night Raid." Najenda chuckled wryly, "But a part of me feels he could be the final piece we need to overthrow the Empire. I'm willing to gamble on that."

Akame nodded, picking up Murasame, "If I die, give it to him."

"Okay."

Najenda knew death was inevitable for them, maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day. The living must go on; there's no point in being sentimental.

As the sun was setting, an alarm was raised.

"Intruders!"

Lubbock, who had been harshly treated the day before, suddenly stood up.

"How many?"

"Eight, judging by the barrier's reaction."

"They might be foreign mercenaries. Unlikely they found us by chance." Najenda analyzed calmly. Linking Abel and Tazmi's recent joining to the discovery of their base could raise suspicions, but no one voiced it. Accusing them, if unfounded, could harm future cooperation. If the Empire knew their exact location, they would send a stronger force, not just eight people.

"Everyone, move out. Let no one escape."

"Yes!"

They all set out with their Imperial Arms. Abel felt the response was overdone, but since it was his first mission, he went along. By the time he arrived, the battle was over. The eight foreign mercenaries were all killed, none spared. They had stumbled upon the base and tried to escape with the intel but were caught and quickly overwhelmed by the full force of Night Raid.

After reporting to Najenda, she sighed in relief. The worst-case scenario was averted. After dinner, she called everyone again, this time for a mission. The Empire's executioner, "Decapitator Zank," had developed a habit of killing and wasn't satisfied with just prisoners anymore. Stealing the warden's Imperial Arm, he began a killing spree on the streets. Zank, already a target for Night Raid, had to be stopped to prevent further innocent deaths.

"Decapitator Zank? Consider it post-dinner entertainment," Abel said, heading out.

"Wait, we haven't made a plan yet."

"No need for complications, but I hope we can speed things up, like storming the palace and killing the emperor and ministers," Abel suggested.

"Easier said than done," Mine grumbled.

Najenda appeared thoughtful, causing Mine to exclaim, "You can't seriously be considering going on a suicide mission with that madman?!"

Abel, not prone to getting lost, easily made his way back to the Imperial Capital. He strolled through the night, waiting for his adversary to appear, with his Observation Haki fully activated to catch any hint of malice. Entering an alleyway, he looked up at the bright moon and remarked, "Seems like my luck is good tonight."

"Oh, is it? I think my luck is better. With a face like this, I must be very popular with women, but soon your head will belong to me. How delightful." A man wearing an 'eye' on his forehead emerged from the darkness, blocking Abel's path. He had been observing Abel for a while and, certain that Abel was unarmed and vulnerable like a lamb, decided to confront him.

The man had stolen the Imperial Arm 'Observer', the 'eye' on his forehead, with the abilities of x-ray vision, far vision, transparent vision, future vision, and illusion, allowing him to see through lies, observe from a distance, see through objects, predict movements, and cast illusions. 

However, 'seeing the future' merely meant predicting the next move through body language analysis, not literal future sight. The illusion ability made the target see him as their most beloved person.

"You're Decapitator Zank?" Abel asked calmly, eyeing the dead end which he had chosen as Zank's final resting place.

"You know me? Are you bait to lure me out?" Zank laughed. "No ambushes around; I've checked with my far and transparent vision. You're doomed!"

Though Zank seemed deranged, he was cautious, which had kept him alive until now. "Beg for mercy, and I'll grant you a quick death," Zank taunted.

"Don't waste time. I want to get this over with, maybe catch supper after." Abel approached Zank.

Swish! Two short blades sprang from Zank's sleeves, aiming for Abel's neck. "Ah, another perfect addition to my collection. How delightful!"

"What? You're holding..."

Zank's twisted smile froze as he realized Abel was unharmed, holding two blade fragments. Zank's own blades were broken, and he hadn't seen Abel's move.

Panicked, Zank activated 'Observer' to cast an illusion. But then, he froze. Abel had disappeared! "Behind me? When?!" Zank struggled to turn around. Drip. A drop of blood fell from a blade fragment in Abel's hand, followed by a blood line appearing on Zank's neck, which then burst into a spray of blood.

"How couldn't I predict your movements?"

Abel coolly replied with a rather showy comment, leaving Zank dying in disbelief. Abel's speed wasn't as fast as light, but it was fast enough to outpace Zank's reaction.

Taking the 'eye' from Zank's forehead, Abel prepared to return. His patience was due to Esdeath being away at the Empire's borders, waiting for the right time for his reward.

Back at Night Raid's base, everyone was awake, concerned for their comrade. Mine, in pink pajamas, yawned and was about to retire when Abel returned, looking unscathed.

"Mission accomplished. This is Zank's Imperial Arm. Didn't bother with the body. If you're interested, it's at..." Abel casually tossed the 'eye' to Najenda.

"Decapitator Zank is dead?!" they all exclaimed in shock.

"Can you tell us about this Imperial Arm's abilities? It's not in our historical records," Najenda requested.

"Sure, but I'll need a hearty supper to jog my memory," Abel said.

Najenda, speechless, turned to Akame, who readily went to prepare food. Since Abel had proven his mettle with Murasame earlier that day, she had no qualms about cooking for him. If a meal could add another Imperial Arm user to their ranks, it was worth it.

Abel, not waiting for Akame, shared what he knew about 'Observer's abilities. Everyone was impressed by its powers.

"Abel, this Imperial Arm is your spoils of war. You decide its fate," Najenda said openly, not pressing for it despite her need.

Understanding Abel's display of strength, she saw him as a valuable ace.

Abel shrugged, "I'm not interested in it. Give it to Tazmi or anyone else. Your choice."