Starting with One Piece, a Multiverse Simulation

Mine, as a sniper, you should be able to sense the airflow that Wood mentioned.

As for Akame, she's probably similar to Wood; she can sense all these things, right?

Leone, unusually, said something in support of Tatsumi, then looked at the black-haired beauty Akame beside her.

"No, I can do what Wood said, but if it's Brand... I can't."

Obviously, even if the above factors are met, the opponent's level is also very important. Just like Brand, who is currently invisible on the field, Akame cannot detect his position.

If the current user of "Possessed by Evil Spirits" were to change from Brand to Tatsumi, then Akame would be extremely confident in locating Tatsumi.

While Akame and the others were chatting offstage, the battle on the field resumed.

The air was filled with the clanging sounds of weapons clashing, and sparks flew from every corner of the field.

Although it appeared that only Wood was present on the field, everyone there knew that Wood's opponent was another powerful figure who remained hidden.

"This is incredible! We can't see anything, yet Wood was able to perfectly defend against all of Brand's attacks, and even fight to a standstill!"

Wood on the field looked like he was performing a one-man show, but everyone present was well aware of the dangers involved.

That's Wood; if it were any of the other Night Raid members, they would probably have been defeated long ago.

Chapter 413 Tatsumi: As expected, I took the blame for everything...

"If this continues, it could be quite disadvantageous for Wood." Akame, who had been silently watching the battle, suddenly spoke up.

Akame's words puzzled Tatsumi, who asked, "Why? Wood clearly defended against all of Brand's attacks."

Tatsumi really couldn't understand it. In his opinion, the battle on the field was clearly evenly matched. Wood's strength was obvious to all. Why would Akame say that the situation was unfavorable to Wood?

"Although Wood is indeed very strong, and it seems that even when facing the invisible Brand, he did not show the slightest disadvantage."

But Tatsumi, if you observe carefully, you'll find that compared to Wood, who had a strong desire to attack at the beginning, does he still take the initiative to attack now?

Clearly, Brand's invisibility has left Wood without a target. Even though Wood is stronger than Brand, he is now in a passive position.

Faced with Brand's attacks, he could only passively defend and counterattack, finding it difficult to launch an offensive. This was because he couldn't pinpoint Brand's location, and a hasty attack would only create openings for Brand to exploit.

The person who answered Tatsumi's question was not Akame, but Leone, who was standing next to him.

"Even so, Wood can remain undefeated, so why would Akame say the situation is unfavorable for Wood?"

Tatsumi demonstrated the excellent quality of a newbie asking questions when he didn't understand, and continued to ask.

"Are you an idiot? Can you compare the two states of being at ease and living in fear?"

Brand, in stealth mode, can rest or attack whenever he wants because his presence is completely hidden.

However, Wood, who was in a passive position, needed to be on high alert at all times to guard against any possible attacks from Brand.

They appeared evenly matched, but the mental exertion was different. Even the strongest tiger has its moments of weakness, which was the disadvantage Akame mentioned.

The one who spoke was Mine, because of the special nature of "Romantic Cannon Pumpkin," Mine experienced this feeling of mental tension the most deeply.

People with weak mental resilience will quickly break down or lose their composure under such high pressure.

Upon hearing Mine's words, Tatsumi instantly understood. The Oni Ouka he had faced during his first assassination mission was in a similar state.

"Your analysis is all correct, but there is one point I cannot agree with."

So you're saying the situation is unfavorable for Wood? Open your eyes and watch closely; this little problem is nothing to that guy.

That guy's a born warrior, a pure battle maniac—that's no joke. He'll find a way to break through soon. Brand is about to lose!

Unlike his companions during the night raid who thought the situation was unfavorable for Wood, Lubbock was quite clear that the unfavorable situation was only temporary for Wood. Based on his understanding of Wood, he knew that Wood was about to make his move, while Brand, who seemed as steady as a rock, was obviously about to lose.

Generally speaking, in a fight with Wood, it may seem like he's one-sidedly dominating, but the fight can actually last for a while because that guy likes to show off.

What appears to be a disadvantageous battle for Wood is actually a battle that will soon end. What seems to be disadvantageous for Wood is actually just him enjoying the fight and gathering intelligence on his opponent's strength.

When Wood deems he has enough intelligence and finds the fight uninteresting, he will end it at lightning speed.

Don't ask Lubbock why he knows so much; it's because he was abused by Wood like this more than once when he was a child.

Every time he thought he was about to catch up with Wood and kept going for longer and longer, he would eventually discover, tragically, that the gap was one he could never close.

And through his repeated experiences of being brutally abused, Lubbock became familiar with Wood's extremely vicious personality.

As if to verify that Lubbock's words were true, the battle on the field suddenly took a huge turn almost immediately after he finished speaking.

As the surrounding temperature continued to drop, a thick layer of frost suddenly appeared under Wood's feet, and it spread rapidly in all directions.

Even though it was noon, the raiders felt a chill run through their bodies. The sudden drop in temperature made them feel as if they had entered the dead of winter.

The training ground floor tiles were covered with frost, and soon a thick layer of ice formed, and even snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

"It's a pity that this world has no magical elements. Is this all that can be done with the power of the Imperial Arms alone?"

Well, this level is enough for now.

"Brand, I've found you. It's about time; the battle can end soon."

No sooner had Wood finished speaking than his feet shattered the ice, and his body shot out at supersonic speed.

To Brand's surprise, what Wood had just said wasn't just boasting; the other side had actually launched a powerful attack in his direction.

"Hyakki Mitsurugi-ryu - Ittō-ryu - Yuki-onna!"

In the icy and snowy environment, Wood's strike was amplified by his Imperial Arms. Although there was no magical amplification, it still reached half the level of a magical swordsmanship.

As the ice surface cracked, a huge blue crescent-shaped sword aura, accompanied by a cold wind, swept out. Although Brand used his spear "Redback Shrike" to defend with all his might, the moment the spear was bent, his body was ultimately sent flying like a cannonball.

Brand, who was sent flying, crashed into a building at the night raid's stronghold, and his previously hidden figure was revealed after the impact.

The battle ended so quickly that Tatsumi and the others who were watching were still in a daze, while only Lubbock had an expression that said, "I knew it would turn out like this."

Brand, having released his Teigu "Demon's Embrace," was not in any serious physical condition. After realizing he had lost, he showed no resentment, but instead let out a hearty laugh and took the initiative to shake hands with Wood, who had also released his Teigu.

"As expected, even if I went against my own principles and used those underhanded methods, I still couldn't beat you."

Brand conceded defeat quite readily, after all, he had even used his least favorite method of stealth, but in the end he still couldn't beat Wood.

"Brother Brand, what exactly happened just now? Why was Wood able to detect you when you were invisible?"

This was not only a question in Tatsumi's mind, but also in the minds of the others in the night raid. The battle had just changed in an instant, and they hadn't even had time to observe anything before the battle suddenly ended.

"I think it's my breath, just like you right now. Haven't you noticed something extra when you speak?"

Thanks to Brand's reminder, Tatsumi and the others from the night raid instantly understood.

Humans need to breathe, and because the body has its own temperature, in extremely cold environments, the air humans exhale will be accompanied by white mist.

"Being possessed by evil spirits" can make the body invisible and even completely conceal one's aura, but it cannot conceal the breath exhaled.

Wood used the power of his Teigu to create an ice field, not only to show off and increase the power of his swordsmanship, but also to create a low-temperature environment.

"But if one is conscious, one can control the white mist produced by breathing, right?"

If Brand hadn't given up so quickly, there should still have been a chance, right?

Leone tried to control her breathing intensity and found that as long as she didn't breathe forcefully, the white mist she exhaled wasn't very noticeable, and Wood might not be able to observe it.

"Even so, it doesn't matter. The snowflakes falling from the sky and the solid ice under my feet are my eyes."

Upon hearing Leone's words, Wood reached out and caught a falling snowflake, then stomped his foot on the ice. Everyone understood what Wood meant.

Besides the white mist he exhales in the low-temperature environment, the small snowflakes falling from the sky are also a fatal weakness for Brand, since he is only invisible, not gone.

Moreover, snowflakes accumulate on the ground, leaving footprints wherever they fall. People leave their names, geese leave their feathers, and Brand can't fly, so any movement he makes will leave footprints in the snow.

Those who had previously participated in the night raid only knew that Wood was very strong, but they didn't have much specific knowledge about it. However, through this sparring session, they clearly understood Wood's strength.

"So even someone as strong as Wood is still no match for Esdeath!"

The question Tatsumi asked was also on the minds of everyone present. They had heard Najenda say that Wood was the only person who had fought Esdeath and was still in good health.

Furthermore, they had also heard Lubbock and Akame say that after the battle with Esdeath, Wood was unconscious for a whole day due to exhaustion.

If it were before, it wouldn't be a big deal, but after today's sparring, the Night Raid members really found it hard to believe that Wood, a person who is so well-rounded in terms of combat skills, combat experience, physical fitness, and intelligence, could actually suffer a loss at someone's hands.

Is that general named Esdeath really that ridiculously strong?

"Esdeath is very strong. Her Imperial Arms is far stronger than that of ordinary Imperial Arms users, and her own strength is also far beyond that of ordinary people. She is a very well-rounded person with no obvious weaknesses."

During our encounter, although I held back some of my techniques, I could sense that she likely had other trump cards up her sleeve.

Upon hearing Wood's words, the Night Raid members also showed a solemn expression.

Based on what Wood said, it's no wonder that Najenda wanted them not to act rashly. After all, given their strength, encountering Esdeath alone would be extremely dangerous.

That evening, when Najendan returned to the stronghold from the Revolutionary Army headquarters, she saw the stronghold in ruins and even dropped the cigarette she was holding to the ground.

Feeling the lingering chill in the air, Najenda instantly recalled Esdeath's Teigu, assuming that the Night Raid's base had been exposed and Esdeath had directly attacked the place.

With a look of trepidation and unease, Najenda jumped off the manta ray-like flying danger species without stopping, and then hurriedly entered the night raid base.

However, when she saw that everyone in Wood was gathered in the living room, each doing their own thing and chatting and laughing, Najendan froze on the spot.

"Can anyone tell me what happened here while I was away from the base?"

Seeing that Wood and the others were all still there, Najendan breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she leisurely lit a cigarette and stared at everyone as she spoke.

"It's all Leone's fault. He kept thinking about challenging Esdeath after hearing that she was very strong."

To make her understand the difference in strength between herself and Esdeath, I personally sparred with her.