Chapter 42: Final Triumph

Heavy boots stepped through the harsh sand. If not for the solid rock beneath the arena, the very earth might have swallowed the figure whole. So immense was the presence of this being that the air seemed to hum with the density of its might. Yet, the laws of physics in this world remained intact despite the overwhelming force that threatened to distort reality.

Momon, the Raven Hero, strode through the sand toward the heart of the arena. The grand coliseum was much fuller than in the past days. Almost overfilling. And today, for the first time, he had prepared himself for a fight. His opponent will not be easy to defeat.

'Just a little something in case I won't be able to touch him.' Ainz mused as he checked the items he tucked beneath his armor. He had explicitly asked if he could use these items in the coming fight, and the arena's representative gave a green light. Of course, he had removed their memory of this conversation from their mind. He couldn't risk word getting out about what he had in mind.

If what he heard about his opponent was true, he might gain an advantage against him. As long as magic wasn't involved, anything else could be.

His opponent stood across the battlefield: a tall, lean warrior in his mid-thirties, sharp-faced and dead serious. His black hair was cropped short, his athletic form encased in a combat suit of black and crimson. Like Momon, he wore a flowing cape.

This was Optics - an adamantite adventurer from the Dragon Kingdom.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we present a clash of two legends!" The announcer's voice echoed through the arena, heightening the tension. "Momon of Darkness versus Optics of Blazing Crimson! Two adamantite adventurers, titans among their comrades, so to speak! And joining us for this momentous event - His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix!" The crowd roared as the Emperor, a young man with flowing blond hair, appeared from the imperial suite. With an unwavering smile, he waved to the masses, basking in their admiration.

'So he is here as well.' Ainz thought as he stared at the Bloody Emperor, who gave him a fleeting glance before he continued to regard his subjects.

"Are you ready, ladies and gentlemen? For today, you witness the battle of the year! A duel of unmatched skill and power!"

Ainz was ready, and so was Optics. Their gazes locked, staring at each other with unwavering silence.

The final duel would begin with the sound of a dong.

And as the tone reverberated through the arena, the fight began.

Without hesitation, Momon dashed towards Optics with incredible speed, something that shouldn't be possible with such heavy armor on. His twin greatswords whistled through the air, the first strike aimed to cleave Optics in half.

Optics dodged Momon's first swing with fluid grace, who tried to counter with an attack of his own. His sword's runes were glowing with power as he thrust it toward Momon's chest.

Momon, unknowingly, went to block the strike with his other blade, but it was a feint. With expert precision, Optics redirected his blade, slashing upward in a surprise attack.

"[Front Cut]!"

The blade met Momon's armor, leaving only a shallow scratch. The armor was too sturdy to be cut with the edge of his weapon. Optics would need to expend far more force to make a meaningful attack.

Momon retaliated, unleashing a barrage of powerful strikes at Optics with great speed and strength. However, Optics evaded every swing, his movements supple and precise. Each dodged strike only served to intensify Ainz's resolve.

'I need to step it up.' With a burst, Ainz increased his speed. Because of his undead nature, he wouldn't tire, but Optics would, eventually.

"[Flow Acceleration]! [Mental Enhancement]!"

Optics activated his martial arts, increasing his speed and sharpening his mind to its peak. Now, his body worked in perfect harmony, allowing him to use his talent even more efficiently.

Before Momon attacked, Optics saw his next movements from Momon's body language alone. Every turn, twist, and step made Optics aware of his opponent's next actions.

His talent grew even more potent through his long experience as a soldier and adventurer. He didn't just fight - he learned. Each motion, each swing of his opponent's weapon, was etched into his memory.

Momon was no different. He had to commend his strength and speed in such armor, but it seemed wasted with someone who hadn't shown much skill in swordsmanship. Many, like Momon, focused on delivering solid strikes. Optics chose to achieve perfect form with his sword, whereas Momon focused on his strength alone.

But he couldn't give up his guard. Momon had shown some unknown techniques. They didn't seem much different from the Martial Arts he knew.

Momon's next strike came from both sides, an overwhelming force to crush Optics between his twin blades. It seemed he had learned that attacking with one blade at a time would not lead to victory.

But Optics already knew what he was about to do the moment he moved his swords to his waist to gather momentum.

"[Fortress]!"

Optics's sword met Momon's greatswords, the impact deflecting the force and nullifying the kinetic energy behind the strike.

Momon's sword vibrated from the attack as he retreated some steps back.

For Optics, this was his opening.

"[Magical Weapon Enchantment]! [Crimson Flash]"

His sword gleamed, the air around it distorting, smoke escaping the tip of his blade. It wasn't on fire, but it seemed like it just came out of a blacksmith's forge.

Optics dashed behind Momon, cutting through his side chest as the metal gave up when met with his hot blade. No one could deny it. Optics had just cut open Momon's armor, but no blood escaped the opening. Only a black material could be seen underneath, probably the clothing Momon wore under his armor as dampening. It seemed the armor had taken much of the blow, leaving Momon unscathed.

While Momon tried to block his attack, Optics seemed to know what he was about to do, rendering his efforts useless.

Ainz grunted as he gazed at his armor. He just got it repaired from his last fight.

'He can predict my moves to a ridiculous degree. I wonder if this ability comes from his sight alone.' His hand drifted to his belt, grasping the object he had taken with him.

It was a smoke bomb, primitively crafted but still effective. He threw it to the ground and watched the distance between him and Optics being engulfed by gas. It was harmless, but it provided Ainz with an advantage over Optics. Or simply made the fight equally fair.

'Clever.'

Optics had to smirk at Momon's creative idea to combat his talent. He wasn't sure he had figured it out, but this made his suspicion true. Momon watched his fights not out of admiration but to figure out how he moved and attacked. Optics had tried to show little, but Momon seemed smart to notice it.

Optics backed up from the mist, but it didn't help. The wind was against him, so the cloud followed his direction. He was soon engulfed by it, his trained and sharp eyes scanning the fog.

There! A sword pierced through the smoke, aiming for his head. With widened eyes, Optics reacted.

"[Fortress]!"

Again, the blade bounced off his sword, and Momon disappeared back into the cloud of smoke, ready to strike again. Optics frowned. His eyes couldn't see Momon through the haze, nor could his ability predict his movements as accurately as before.

With his superior vision, Ainz could see Optics through the smoke quite well. But still, he had managed to block his strike. Perhaps a result of his years as an adventurer. Ainz could see he was surprised when he made his attack, meaning Optics did not foresee it.

'It must've been his warrior instincts. His talent only works when he sees his opponent.' Ainz mused. While it wasn't a spectacular sight for the crowd, the fighting of two silhouettes was still a sight to behold. Nobody knew who was who. There were size differences, but the mystery of what was going on kept the people silent. Even the Emperor stared quietly.

Ainz made another move.

"[Guiding Swordhand]"

Momon unleashed a precise, deadly swing guided by the Warrior Skill that guaranteed accuracy. Foresight against attacks that were guaranteed to hit.

The first strike was blocked, and the second one as well, but with Ainz's improved form, it was only a matter of time until Optics was simply too slow to react, or Ainz's skill ran out.

Optics was surprised by Momon's attacks. 'His technique changed suddenly. His attacks are even more precise than mine…' He couldn't believe it. Momon, who didn't seem to possess much skill, attacked him with moves that one could regard as perfect. Did he trick him? That could be a possibility to make him believe Momon was just pure strength. Now, he had to change his whole perspective of him.

Their blades continued to clash, shockwaves rippling through the arena as the audience watched with bated breath. The two emerged from the smoke, their strikes so fast that regular eyes could not perceive them.

'He's still keeping up.' Ainz was going pretty fast, as fast as he was as a mage build. He hadn't used [Perfect Warrior] yet. His stats increased slightly through leveling up, making him more equal to a level 35 warrior.

"[Heavy Fortress]!"

Optics suddenly called out. Ainz didn't seem to notice that Optics wasn't going to block with his sword. Instead, it seemed he wanted Ainz to hit him.

His blades made contact with Optics skin, yet he had timed the martial art so perfectly that it had completely nullified Momon's damage, allowing him to freely use his weapon against the Dark Warrior.

"[Instant Lunge]!"

Optics' sword went straight for Momon's chest. If it hit, it would probably pierce the metal quite easily, as seen before.

"[Resilient Form]!"

Ainz activated his own Warrior Skill that would prevent most of the damage of physical and magical attacks.

As the sword's edge touched Momon's armor, it simply slid off a magical barrier. Ainz had reacted in the last second. If he hadn't, he would need to explain why he was not bleeding from his wound. That would be unsavory.

"[Blade Storm]!"

Quicker as before, Momon unleashed rapid strikes at Optics, who had little time to block and evade. Momon's speed increased in time, confusing his opponent with how much stamina he had.

Martial Arts use the focus of a person, meaning how much they could spend mentally and physically to utilize Martial Arts. The stronger a Martial Art, the more focus it used. Warrior skills, however, had no such limit on the user; it was simply a cooldown period. Some were only allowed to be used once or twice a day. And as Ainz had the ability to pay mana for a 10th-tier spell to bypass any cooldown, this was no problem for him.

In this sense, Martial Arts were more similar to magic than Warrior Skills were to Martial Arts. The "warrior" in front of the word skills simply meant skills that only warriors could learn, as there were even skills mages and other classes could utilize. However, Warrior Skills were the most common ones in Yggdrasil.

"[Heavy Blow]!"

Surprising Ainz, Optics used another Martial Art as he evaded his swords, seeing an opening in his attack. The blade collided with his left side, denting the armor quite well. Luckily, he hadn't hit at the same location as before, or Momon would've been bleeding now.

Momon's armor was quite beaten. One would've thought he would beat Optics with no visible scratches. But the common folk were easily gullible, thinking Momon to be invincible. True, he had strength no other adventurer had, but Momon seemed to struggle a bit against an adversary that knew the ways of the sword.

Standing tall, Ainz moved his shoulder, seeing if his armor still moved smoothly. He could hear it creak, metal rubbing against metal. Optics had damaged the armor to the point that he couldn't use it properly. Or that was what Ainz wanted him to think. Making Optics believe his left side became his weak spot. Of course, he could force the armor to move in any direction his limbs allowed him to move, meaning a little resistance from the dent wouldn't stop Ainz. And he could see it in Optics eyes that he picked up the bait.

'This can't be finished with strength alone. I need to outwit him.' Ainz set his mind on it, prepared to defeat the adamantite adventurer.

"[Limit Breaker]! [Physical Boost]! [Greater Ability Boost]! [Severing Blade]!"

Ainz allowed Optics to use his Martial Arts combo. While he wasn't trying to lose, he wanted to experience the fight for as long as possible and learn everything about his opponent.

Optics' face seemed out of breath as if he truly gave his all into this attack. While it was no special move, he boosted his strength to such a degree, thinking it would help with defeating Momon.

Again, he saw each attack coming, and Momon's blocks were nothing but the past as he evaded them all before the Dark Warrior even reacted.

He aimed for the first hole he made in his armor. This was his goal. His left arm was slower, and he wanted to abuse that. He was sure he would win with this blow alone.

His sword was already pointed at the opening. But then, his eyes widened as he saw something that should be possible.

Momon's arm was going to slam down on him with unbelievable speed. It was already too late to evade as his feet left the ground to lunge for the strike.

"[Instant Counter]!"

Momon's pommel hit his back, yet because of his Martial Art, he was forcibly returned to his previous battle stance without falling to the ground. It was a useful Martial Art if you were in a dire situation and needed to defend yourself after you made an error, knowing you would be defenseless.

But Momon's attack still hurt like hell. It was as if a giant's finger had pressed on his back, parting his muscles to make way. He felt a cramp like he never felt before, maybe even some broken ribs.

"[Body Strenghtening]!"

He thought about using [Dull Pain, but it wouldn't have done anything against the impaired movement of his back. Now, at least, he could move normally again at the cost of still feeling the discomfort.

He glared back at Momon, his eyes as if to pierce the giant warrior. He didn't seem exhausted, more of the opposite. He got stronger and faster with every minute passing. Optics did not overlook this.

'What man is behind that visor to possess such otherworldly physicality? He could tire any warrior out and finish him with his fist if he wished.' Optics was aware he couldn't do this forever. He needed a plan, maybe something so fast and unpredictable the Dark Warrior wouldn't notice.

But then suddenly, Momon sprinted to his side, getting closer as he made circles around Optics. He tried to keep up, but it was difficult.

'He's trying to attack me from behind, knowing I can't foresee his movements if I don't see him with my eyes.'

Then, instantly, he threw one of his greatswords directly at Optics, who was forced to duck under it, his back arched as he tried to keep Momon in sight.

The blade hindered Optics from watching Momon as his sword hid the Dark Warrior perfectly in those milliseconds. Did he move? Or did he stay? Maybe lunge directly at him? Optics didn't know, probably the first time he didn't.

When the sword passed, there was no sight of Momon. Optics quickly looked around, noticing the faces of the crowd pointed upwards.

"Shit-"

He saw a dark shadow descend on him, spinning, his sword looking like a drill.

"[Fortress]!"

Optics used his last strength to protect himself from the incoming strike.

"[Power Strike]!"
There came the attack Optics had anticipated the whole fight, but Momon waited for the perfect moment to use it. He wasn't sure if his powered attack could overcome his [Fortress, but he was about to find out.

The impact shook the whole arena, the sand dosing off the side, away from the middle.

There was silence, no swords cleaning, no armor creaking, no grunts nor screams. Nothing.

As the dust settled, only one person remained standing, looming over their opponent before him.

"And the winner is Momon!"

The Raven Hero was bathed in applause, people shouting his name.

He had done it. He had beaten Optics, one of his most difficult fights ever.

His opponent lay silent on the ground in front of him as he glared into the distance, breathing heavily.

"How can a man like you exist? It seems… impossible." Optics words hit the heavy silence, spirit broken as Momon's shadow encompassed him. "You're from the South, are you? You're one of them." He stated, leaving Momon confused.

"One of whom?"

Optics simply grinned as he raised his head.

"You're really asking me that? Still, I don't understand how one such as you was let to boast his strength like that. They like their secrecy more than anything. Even that other dude you fought previously shouldn't have been here." His cryptic words were no answer for Ainz. "Maybe you ought to have left them of your own free will, but that is none of my concern."

Momon didn't answer as he watched Optics stand up, using his sword as aid. "You won, fair as a fight could be." He remarked, raising his hand. And as Ainz looked down, he saw Optics offering him a handshake, which he accepted gratefully.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Momon of Darkness! The new Martial Lord!"

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So Momon is the new Martial Lord now. What next? Well, you'll see!