Steel and Sorcerers – Chapter 23
Sebas, and Ainz, currently disguised as Momon, rode in an elaborately furnished carriage. Bumps in the road jostled them slightly as they moved along the road connecting E-Rantel and the rest of the Re-Estize kingdom.
Rather frustratingly, despite Ainz and Sebas' past exploits in the E-Rantel graveyard, they were still only Mithril ranked adventurers. Thus, when the request came up to deal with a prolific group of bandits he jumped at the opportunity. This was compounded by the rumour that one of the individuals in this band of bandits was a powerful martial arts user, a mode of magic that Ainz was keen to learn more about.
The plan as laid out by the guild, was that Ainz and Sebas would ride along with a trade convoy taking goods from E-Rantel to the kingdom's capital. This convoy would intentionally be made to look like more of an appealing target to potential raiders by exposing their valuables and having light security, and when the bandits inevitably came Ainz and Sebas would handle them. They would then try and get one to lead them back to their hideout, where they could deal with them for good.
Night was fast approaching, the dim red glow of the setting sun visible through a small crack in the curtains drawn across the windows of their carriage.
"Hey, are you guys all ready to go?" asked the carriage driver, turning around to speak through a vision slit in the front of the carriage.
"Yes, we are ready to move to action as soon as you give the signal" replied Ainz.
"That's great…. Hey, by the way. Could you say that one line that you always say?"
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"Surely you know it. Just before going into a big fight, you would strike this cool pose and say, 'For justice!'"
Ainz raised his hands to cover his face in shame. 'I guess this is the cost of having Pandora's actor stand in as Momon while I was busy.'
"It's nothing to be ashamed of Momon-san," re-assured Sebas. "I'm sure your words were very inspiring to all those around you."
A few more minutes passed by in silence, before the sound of yells and the galloping of horses suddenly erupted from outside.
"Alright, go get them guys!" the driver called back to them.
Ainz and Sebas swiftly swung the doors open and dismounted the carriage as it came to an abrupt halt. A group of armed individuals had surrounded the convoy, sneering and brandishing their weapons. The small attachment of guards kept close to the caravans, anxiously looking around. Although, when they saw Momon and Sebas emerge from their carriage, those expressions quickly turned to those of relief and confidence.
One particularly well-built man appeared to be the leader of these bandits. Mounted atop a horse he surveyed the scene from a small hill. Upon seeing Ainz and Sebas he appeared surprised, but quickly recovered.
"Those two may look tough, but there's only two of them! Men, charge!" he yelled, causing the bandits to converge on Ainz and Sebas.
Ainz drew his two broadswords from his back, and the both of them took fighting stances.
The first bandit approached Ainz, galloping at full speed towards him and firing off a crossbow bolt, which ricocheted off his armour. Seeing this was ineffective he then switched to his mace. The bandit charged slightly to the side of Ainz, so that as he passed by he could use the momentum of the horse to deliver a powerful strike with his mace. However, this wouldn't work on Ainz.
As the bandit came within range, Ainz stepped forwards, cleaving the horse and rider in half with a single powerful strike before they could even attempt to deliver a blow. Keeping his momentum he did the same to the rider following closely behind the first.
Seeing their comrades butchered so easily, most of the other bandits changed course and headed for Sebas instead, who was standing several metres away from Ainz.
As the first bandit raised their sword, preparing to strike as he rode past, Sebas made a move that took him completely by surprise.
Just as the bandit was about to swing his sword, Sebas deftly stepped to the side, putting himself in the path of the horse. Panicked, the bandit tried to manoeuvre his horse out of the way, but it was too late.
It was like they had hit a brick wall, both horse and rider coming tumbling to the ground. As the bandit tried to get back up, Sebas delivered a slap so hard that he was knocked out cold.
The next rider, not completely dissuaded by this show of force continued their charge, albeit at a slower pace.
As they swung their sword, Sebas moved forward and grabbed their arm, pulling them from their mount and slamming their head into the ground.
"Stop you idiots! Don't charge them one at a time!" cried the bandit group leader. "Surround them and attack on my mark!"
As the men moved in as one large group, Ainz and Sebas found themselves cornered, with their back against one of the caravans.
"Hahaha, that's right. Cower in fear!" jeered the bandit leader. "I tell you what, if you surrender now, then I might just make sure you have a painless death!"
"Hmmm, that's funny" said Ainz.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's just that I was about to say the exact same thing."
The bandit leader took a few steps back on their horse, startled by the warrior's response, before regaining their posture.
"You poor fool… Looks like you don't understand the situation you're currently in."
Ainz chuckled again, causing the bandit leader to become visibly infuriated. "Men, kill him."
All at once, the bandits raised their weapons and moved in to strike Ainz and Sebas.
"I'll handle this, you take care of the stragglers" Ainz ordered Sebas, who gave a short nod in response.
Stepping forwards, Ainz delivered a powerful slash at the first wave of attackers, catching many at once and causing them to fall to the ground like puppets whose strings had been cut. Just like the previous encounter, he maintained his momentum and delivered a second cut with his other sword-arm, causing many more to fall once again. However, Ainz did not stop there. Increasing his momentum further, he began spinning at high speed, tearing his way through the group of surrounding bandits like a Beyblade, disregarding the numerous strikes he received which harmlessly bounced off his armour.
Seeing this whirlwind of death approaching them many of the bandits broke rank and attempted to flee. However, they didn't make it far, as Sebas moved at high speed to deliver a powerful blow to the spine of each fleeing individual.
Soon all that was left was the leader of this bandit detachment, who made an attempt to flee before being pinned to the ground by Sebas.
"Please, let me go! We can make a deal!" cried the bandit as he squirmed in a futile attempt to escape Sebas' iron grip.
Approaching the two, Ainz swung his swords in a powerful arc, causing the blood and gore coating them to fly off onto the soaked grass.
As he came up to them, he sheathed his weapons. "You may begin now Sebas."
"Wait, wha-" blurted out the bandit before Sebas activated his skill, causing his head to slump to the ground before abruptly snapping back up. His eyes now appeared hazy and confused.
Sebas then proceeded to ask a number of questions, including "Where is the location of your hideout?"
"Oh, it's just in a cave about three miles away from the E-Rantel north gate" replied the bandit.
"I see, we'll head over there now then" said Ainz.
The traders and guards of the convoy approached Ainz and Sebas, averting their gaze from the gore-stained field before delivering a heartfelt thanks to the duo for helping them out.
"Do not worry, it was all part of the plan" replied Ainz. "I simply did my part. This wouldn't have been possible without all of you risking your lives to lure out the bandits in the first place."
"You speak of us too highly" replied one of the merchants. "What is the plan from here then?"
"You should be free to go. We've dealt with their main force and there aren't any others patrolling around at this time. Sebas and I will now go and deal with their main stronghold."
As they approached the bandits' hideout, Ainz and Sebas encountered a number of crude traps. They didn't bother slowing their pace to try and avoid them, simply pulling any bear traps they stepped in off of their legs, and nimbly climbing out of any pit-falls. Sebas carried the enthralled bandit group leader across his shoulders, every now and then asking for updates on how close they were.
After some time they eventually came to the entrance of the hideout.
"Sebas, you go and search for a secret back entrance or any possible unknown escape routes. Meanwhile, I'll launch a frontal assault. Remember, if you find any martial arts users, don't kill them, but subdue them instead."
Sebas gave a bow, which looked a little silly since he was still carrying the bandit on his shoulders, before disappearing into the scrub.
Ainz then drew both his swords, making his move towards the hideout's entrance.
A lean man with wild blue hair passed various fleeing members of the Death Spreading Brigade as he made his way towards the source of the ruckus, activating various abilities as he went. He wore chainmail and an enchanted necklace and ring, with a katana at his waist. The man, Brain, had heard from the fleeing mercenaries that the attacker was a single person, dressed in dark full-plate armour with two giant broadswords which he used to cut down any who dared opposed him.
Filled with the thrill and anticipation of finally facing a strong opponent, particularly one unknown to him, Brain readied himself, waiting in the centre of the main tunnel.
After not too long, a shape emerged from the darkness. Wearing black full-plate armour with gold-trim, and carrying a blood-soaked greatsword in each hand, the individual cut an imposing figure.
"Oi oi, it certainly looks like you've been busy" Brain called out to him.
The man stopped about a dozen metres away to survey his opponent. "I suppose. However, the calibre of opponents thus far has been quite poor. None have been able to withstand even a single strike. Do you intend to fight?"
Brain flexed his arms. "I thought I'd give it a try."
"Hmm. That's an interesting sword you have there. If you don't mind me asking, where did you come across it?"
"Haha, perhaps I'll tell you if you can beat me."
"I see…" he replied, raising his swords in a fighting stance.
"My name is Brain Unglaus", Brain announced to his foe.
"And mine is Momon" he replied.
'Momon huh, that isn't a name I've heard before' thought Brain. 'If he's managed to come this far though, he should at least have some skills.'
Brain stared silently at Momon, his eyes keen razors boring into his opponent. However, Momon appeared to stay calm, his vision slit fixed attentively on his position, watching to see if he made any moves.
"Are you going to use any martial arts?" asked Momon.
Brain had a number of different martial art skills in mind for dealing with an opponent such as Momon, but revealing them to his opponent would be foolish. Momon was clearly testing him here.
"Hah, that won't be necessary."
"Oh…" replied Momon, sounding a little disappointed.
At this response, Brain was filled with a surge of confidence. Judging by his tone, it seemed as if Momon was dejected that he didn't match up to Brain's standards, meaning he may not be confident in his own abilities as a warrior. This might be an easier fight than he thought.
Brain exhaled slowly and lowered his stance, returning his sword to its sheath. He was preparing for a draw cut. His breaths became long and shallow. He focused his mind into a single point, and in the moment where it was fully concentrated, his awareness rebounded, expanding back outward. His perceptions were on a level where he was fully aware of everything around him; sounds, the air, and other sensory phenomena. This move was one of the original martial arts that he had created, [Field]. Its range was not great, only about three meters in radius, but the martial art allowed him to perceive everything within that radius.
In addition, he had innovated a second unique martial art, [Instant Flash]. That high-speed strike was swift enough to be undodgeable, but he had not stopped there. In his unending quest for perfection, he had once more birthed a new technique. He named that technique [God Flash]. With that move, his opponents would not even realize he had struck. Once he combined these two martial arts, the [Field] which guaranteed a hit and the [God Flash] that struck at divine speed, there was no way anyone could avoid being slain in one blow.
For an armoured opponent such as Momon, the bludgeoning martial art called [Bash], would normally be used. However, with the accuracy provided by his field, Brain was confident that he would be able to precisely strike at the vision slit in Momon's helmet.
"I guess I'll make the first move then," said Momon.
As the armoured figure strode forth, Brain couldn't help but notice his steps were seemingly unpolished, his stance careless and full of openings. This guy seemed to be an amateur.
Brain internally grinned. Still, there was no way he would go easy on him. Brain went on to use [Ability Boost]. He was waiting for his opponent to enter his [Field], which was also his striking range, and once he did so he would attack. 'I'll end this fight instantly.'
'One more step, and…' Brain moved to strike with all his might, aiming for the vision slit of Momon's helmet.
As Brain's strike cleaved through the air at lightning speed, homing in on Momon, a shock suddenly ran through his arms as his sword connected with something solid, and glanced off.
Jumping back, Brain stared in shock. Had he missed? Momon was still standing, so it didn't seem like he had hit what he had intended. Still, it didn't feel like he had hit metal.
"Umu… Is there something wrong?" asked Momon. Brain frowned, it seemed as if he was being mocked.
"No… Not at all" replied Brain, preparing himself for another strike.
This time, he would try the [Bash] martial art. Brain noticed that Momon had his swords up in a high-guard this time, protecting his helmet. It seemed he was right to aim for that spot after all, but why hadn't he done any damage last time then?
As Momon stepped forwards into his [Field] once again, Brain struck, aiming for his undefended legs.
The blow connected, and Brain ducked back out of range before Momon could respond. However, the strike seemed to have been relatively ineffective. The section of armour which he had struck was almost perfectly still intact, and as Momon straightened his leg, which had been bent by his blow, Brain could see no new gaps in his stance. In other words, the strike seemed to have been ineffective.
"Hmph" Momon grunted. "Alright, my turn."
The armoured warrior suddenly rushed Brain with surprising speed.
As one broadsword came cleaving down through the air, Brain easily saw it coming and dodged out of the way thanks to his [Field]. Momon's other blade was coming in at a horizontal angle, making it difficult to dodge. Instead, Brain raised his katana to block it, activating [Fortress] to deflect it harmlessly over his head.
Based on the force of the impact, Brain could instinctively tell that if any one of those savage strikes connected, he would be killed instantly.
With Momon's strikes evaded, Brain counterattacked, aiming for his vision slit once again. However, Momon seemed to anticipate this, moving his body and twisted his head out of the way. Luckily for Brain though, this sudden movement caused Momon to lose his balance, giving enough time for him to wind up for a powerful strike.
He was a little concerned that his [Bash] attack from earlier hadn't inflicted any damage, but Brain was confident that a blow, with all his strength behind it, would be able to cut an armoured opponent clean in half. Even against a foe with particularly exceptional armour such as Momon, he should still be able to cut a leg off.
Brain's sword drew an arc of light through the air as it honed on Momon's armoured left-leg. However, as the strike connected, causing a crisp ringing to fill the air, Brain was left speechless.
That powerful sword blow had simply glanced off Momon's armour. Perhaps it had left behind a slight dint or scratch, but the damage was insignificant.
Brain jumped back. "You've got to be kidding me. Where did you get that armour from?"
"Some of those moves you used earlier seemed familiar. Are you sure you weren't using martial arts?" asked Momon, ignoring his question.
"What? Well, yes, obviously."
"I see. That is good. Brain, was it? I have a deal for you."
Brain was sweating at this point. Nothing he did seemed to have had any effect against this armoured giant, and he was starting to consider running.
"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to hear you out."
"I would like you to work for me, become my subordinate if you will. I wish to learn more about your techniques."
"Hmph… Well, what would I get in exchange?"
"What is it you desire?" asked Momon.
Brain was taken aback at this question. "Well… I guess that would have to be improving my skill with the sword, and becoming a stronger warrior. Is that really something you can offer though?" Brain thought back to Momon's somewhat sub-par fighting skills.
"Of course. After all, you seemed unable to penetrate my armour did you not?"
He had a point. However, armour wasn't something he was particularly interested in. "Could you show me an example of something that would be able to enhance my skills?"
"Ha… Give me a moment then."
Momon then moved his cape to conceal his arms, seemingly rummaging around for something in secret. After a little while he withdrew a gauntleted hand, holding a pair of bracers, which he tossed to Brain.
"These should increase your strength."
Looking down at the objects he had just caught, Brain saw that they were exceptionally ornate, looking as if they had been made with exquisite craftsmanship. He wasn't exactly sure why Momon happened to be carrying such things with him, but carefully put them on. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be cursed.
He bent down to pick up a loose stone from the ground, and found he was easily able to grind it into powder in his palm, something that would've been impossible to do previously.
"Well then." Brain knelt down. "Momon-sama, I pledge myself to you."
"Just -san is fine. Sebas, you can come out now."
Brain hurriedly stumbled to his feet and spun around. An elderly figure dressed in monk garb emerged from the shadows. 'How did I not notice him before with my field?!'
"I trust you have secured the area?"
"Yes Momon-san. I have subdued all of the bandits. I also found some women, probably kidnapped to slake their lust. What shall we do with them and the other survivors?"
"Hmm… We'll take the women with us to set them free. As for the bandits, finish them off. We have no more use for them."
"Gladly."
Brain was somewhat startled by Momon's cold order to execute the rest of the surviving mercenary band, but it was somewhat expected, and it wasn't like he had any real attachment to them anyways.
As Ainz exited the mercenaries' hideout, Sebas, Brain and the women in tow. He had some slightly conflicted thoughts. While it was true that taking in Brain would allow him to study martial arts in much greater depth, it also meant that he could be forgoing an advance in his adventurer rank.
It wouldn't do to turn him into the authorities and then break him out later, as that would limit his usefulness since Brain would be immediately arrested upon trying to enter any city. Still, Ainz was confident that his decision was the right one. He could always do more quests to advance his rank, but coming across powerful opponents could be much rarer.