Chapter 7: Fateful Encounter (6)
Ainz's voice echoed through the colossal amphitheater of the Sixth Floor—a grand colosseum crafted for combat and spectacle.
It was one of Nazarick's largest open arenas, designed for the twin guardians, Aura and Mare, to train and observe battles from the stands.
That was exactly why Ainz had chosen this location for the duel: even if things got… intense, the space could handle it.
Still, the situation felt surreal.
Ainz muttered under his breath, "This turned into a duel far too suddenly…"
....
Meanwhile, Demiurge adjusted his glasses thoughtfully as he listened to Shalltear's report. The mention of Ainz's human guest didn't faze him much—perhaps Ainz had invited the man as an informant to learn more about the outside world. But when he heard that the human had challenged Cocytus, even he was taken aback.
"How fascinating," Demiurge mused. "There's no way that human can win, of course."
"Right?!" Aura crossed her arms. "Cocytus is one of Nazarick's strongest in close combat! He's top five—no, top three! Even with just his natural strength, he's insane. If he wields a weapon, forget it. That's not a duel—that's suicide!"
Demiurge chuckled, his tail flicking lazily behind him.
"Perhaps Lord Ainz intends to use this as an opportunity—to gauge this world's average combat capability. I've heard this human is considered quite strong among the locals. By observing him fight Cocytus, Lord Ainz could learn both about human limits and acquire valuable information."
Aura nodded, impressed.
"Wow… as expected of Lord Ainz! You think he's got some hidden plan beyond that too?"
"Undoubtedly," Demiurge said, eyes gleaming. "But alas, I am far too ignorant to guess the true depth of his schemes."
(I just wanted to serve tea…) Ainz thought miserably, standing beside them.
He had simply intended a peaceful tour and a friendly chat—but now, somehow, it had escalated into an epic duel. Still, as Demiurge said, observing Kaiser's power might not be a bad idea. And besides… Ainz knew that sometimes warriors bonded best through battle. His old guildmates had been proof of that.
....
"Do you think he'll be all right? Against Cocytus…?" Mare asked timidly.
"Don't worry," Aura replied. "Cocytus isn't reckless like Shalltear. He'll take it easy."
Shalltear huffed. "Perhaps you should worry about yourself, little girl, rather than my temperament?"
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh my, did you fail to understand? How unfortunate~"
The two locked eyes, sparks practically flying. Demiurge sighed and turned his gaze toward the center of the arena.
....
Down below stood the two combatants.
Cocytus loomed like an ice-forged titan, his four arms gripping gleaming weapons that hummed with power. Opposite him, Kaiser stood calm and small in comparison—white-haired, dressed in loose black robes that resembled a martial artist's uniform.
Demiurge adjusted his glasses again, intrigued.
"That's the human Cocytus acknowledged as a warrior…? His appearance hardly suggests strength. Small frame, gentle face, not even proper armor…"
"Don't underestimate him," Albedo said coldly from beside him, her golden eyes burning. The venom in her tone was palpable—perhaps a lingering grudge from earlier. Demiurge wisely decided not to ask.
Indeed, Cocytus had recognized Kaiser's strength the moment he'd seen him. And if Cocytus respected him, then this man was no mere mortal.
...
Kaiser lifted his sword—a broad, blue steel blade that shimmered under Nazarick's lights. Despite its heavy appearance, he wielded it effortlessly in one hand. He looked up at it with quiet admiration, as though appreciating the craftsmanship.
It's been so long… since I fought without knowing how strong my opponent truly was, he thought. So long since my heart beat like this before battle…
For over a century, no fight had truly excited him. Peace among humans had kept him idle—and while he cherished that peace, he could not deny the thrill that stirred within him now.
....
"Loud," Cocytus hissed, exhaling frost.
The warrior-insect raised all four weapons at once, his killing intent spilling across the arena. The guardians in the stands murmured in awe; few had ever seen Cocytus fight seriously.
Unlike the others, Cocytus wasn't thinking about victory or strategy.
He simply wanted to fight Kaiser.
To cross blades with another true warrior was an honor.
"I shall… introduce myself again," Cocytus rumbled.
"My name… is Cocytus. Guardian… of the Fifth Floor… of the Great Tomb… of Nazarick."
Kaiser smiled faintly and nodded.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Kaiser. Some call me the Guardian of Humanity, but here… let's just say I'm a fellow warrior."
"…Understood."
They both took their stances.
Ainz raised his bony hand, signaling the start.
"Both ready? The duel ends when one falls or yields. Time limit: five minutes. Any objections?"
"None."
"Fine by me."
Ainz's voice rang out.
"Begin!"
....
Bang!
Kaiser moved first.
A blur of motion—and the sound of metal clashing against metal echoed like thunder. Cocytus staggered half a step, forced back by sheer strength.
The watching guardians gasped.
No one had expected this.
Despite his smaller frame, Kaiser was pushing Cocytus back.
Even Ainz's glowing red eyes widened.
What… what kind of human is this…?!
"Hhh—!"
Cocytus's halberd swept across with deadly precision—yet Kaiser merely tilted his blade, redirecting the force instead of clashing head-on. Each strike that followed was either deflected, evaded, or absorbed by the perfect rhythm of Kaiser's swordsmanship. Cocytus, in turn, used the advantage of his four arms and many weapons to parry and counter, the sound of metal clanging echoing like rolling thunder.
Then came the chill.
A thin mist spread across the floor, frost blooming outward from Cocytus's feet. The ground froze in seconds, a sheen of ice spreading in all directions.
"Frost Aura," Ainz murmured from the stands.
One of Cocytus's signature techniques—dealing continuous cold damage while slowing movement. He was trying to negate Kaiser's clear speed advantage.
But Kaiser didn't stop.
He pressed forward, cutting through the frozen air, his sword flashing toward Cocytus's face.
Cocytus responded instantly—"Breath of Frost."
A torrent of glacial wind burst from his mandibles. Kaiser narrowed his eyes, slid backward with a low grunt, and swung his sword in return.
The result—
Whiirrr!
A wave of sword energy tore through the air, colliding mid-flight with Cocytus's "Piercing Sorrow" projectile.
The two forces met and vanished in a burst of energy.
....
'Tough one,' Kaiser thought grimly.
His attacks had connected several times, but only shallowly. Cocytus's carapace and armor had absorbed the impact. Even when I aimed to cut… it didn't pierce fully.
Cocytus, meanwhile, flexed his arms. The lowest left joint stung faintly.
Fast… and powerful.
During their exchange, Kaiser had targeted the minute opening in his stance and struck. He'd evaded most of the blow, but not entirely.
If that hit had been clean, Cocytus realized, that arm would have shattered—or been severed outright.
'Time's already slipping away,' he thought.
In mere moments, Cocytus had concluded what Ainz and the others were realizing from the stands—Kaiser's skill was extraordinary. Even Cocytus couldn't predict the outcome. For an instant, he worried that he might disappoint his master—but then quickly dismissed the thought. Before a warrior of this caliber, distractions were disrespectful. There was only one thing to do.
He would fight with everything he had.
....
"Immovable Myō-ō Strike."
The ground trembled beneath Cocytus's feet.
It was one of his Five Great Myō-ō Strikes, the pinnacle of his offensive techniques—a move that could destroy even legendary foes. If Kaiser survived this, Cocytus wanted to see how.
Both warriors charged.
Kaiser, light as wind; Cocytus, heavy as icebound steel.
Cocytus swung first—his weapon flaring with blinding light. Kaiser crossed his sword to block.
BOOOOM!!!
The colosseum shook as the impact exploded outward like a shockwave. Kaiser's figure was thrown across the arena, slamming into the far wall.
Or so it seemed.
A moment later—
"Hah… hahah."
Kaiser crouched, one bloodied hand clawing into the floor to stop his slide. Long gashes scraped across the marble behind him where his fingers had dug in. Blood dripped from his hand, bright against the frost.
He smiled faintly.
A black aura rippled from his sword, swirling around the blade like living smoke.
For a moment, the entire arena went silent.
Then—just as suddenly—it vanished. Kaiser exhaled, rubbing his head awkwardly.
"A bad habit," he said lightly. "Got a little too excited there. …Still, it's been ages since I've bled."
He stepped forward, calm, unhurried—his earlier grin fading into something cold and serene. His presence shifted from relaxed to terrifyingly composed.
"Just what was that technique…?" Cocytus rumbled.
"Nothing I should use in a friendly spar," Kaiser replied.
He touched the ground with one hand.
A deep vibration filled the arena.
Vwooom—!
The energy in the entire colosseum changed. Gravity itself twisted. The floor rumbled, then began to rise—stone plates lifting into the air like islands torn from the earth. Even the section beneath Cocytus rose, tilting under his weight.
Kaiser launched forward, leaping between the floating chunks of stone with impossible speed.
From the stands, Ainz's red eyes gleamed with realization.
He's not targeting Cocytus directly. With Cocytus's magic resistance, normal spells wouldn't work—but he's using gravity magic to manipulate the arena itself. He's turning the battlefield into a weapon—and using his speed to confuse him.
For the first time since the duel began, even Ainz felt it.
A flicker of unease—and admiration.
This was no ordinary human.
PVP had never been Ainz's specialty—but even so, he had to admit that Kaiser's tactical sense was impressive.
In just a few minutes, Kaiser had analyzed Cocytus's condition and adjusted his strategy to perfection. It was a simple yet elegant plan: manipulate the battlefield rather than brute-force the opponent.
Still, Ainz knew better than anyone—Cocytus was no one to underestimate.
He was Nazarick's finest warrior, its ultimate swordsman.
And though Kaiser's strategy was clever, Cocytus had no intention of yielding so easily.
....
A hiss escaped the insectoid guardian's mandibles as he entered a meditative calm. His breathing slowed. His body stilled.
He could hear Kaiser moving—soft steps against the trembling arena floor—but it was still too far. Not yet. He would wait. Patience. Let the human come closer… closer still…
Then—
THUD!
A heavy sound from below, and Cocytus struck. His spear shot forward like lightning.
"—Kuh!"
"Got you."
The blade pierced through Kaiser's abdomen. Cocytus felt the impact—solid and true.
For an instant, he thought it was over.
But then the figure before him blurred, darkened—and dissolved into black mist.
"What—!?"
Before Cocytus could react, a shout echoed from above.
"Cocytus! Look up! Above you!" Shalltear cried.
'Above?'
Cocytus looked up—
—and saw Kaiser suspended against the star-filled sky, sword in hand, silhouetted by silver light.
Space itself seemed to tremble around him, as if the air rejected his presence.
"Martial Art…" Kaiser's calm voice rang out.
The sword glowed softly—neither blinding nor dull, but serene and majestic, as if it held the moon's own breath.
"Three Extremes."
He dove.
The heavens split with a sonic boom. The colosseum floor shattered beneath Cocytus's feet.
He barely had time to raise his weapons before Kaiser was upon him—his sword reversed mid-swing, edge turned to the back.
His speed—far beyond before.
Had he been holding back this entire time? Even Cocytus's eyes could barely trace his movements.
"Moonlight Slash."
It will cut, Cocytus realized.
But before the strike could land—
"That's enough!"
Ainz's voice thundered through the arena.
Gravity righted itself. The shimmering magic field dissolved. Kaiser's blade halted a mere hair's breadth from Cocytus's shoulder.
Time was up.
The five-minute limit had passed.
Kaiser stepped back, letting the black sword fade into air. Cocytus straightened slowly, his frost-rimmed breath visible in the silence.
"…Good fight," Kaiser said with a small smile. "It's been a long time since I enjoyed a battle like that, Cocytus."
"No… it was I who learned much," Cocytus replied, voice low and respectful.
They clasped hands.
Though technically a draw by time, Cocytus knew the truth: he had lost.
He had allowed the opponent's strike through his guard. His footing had faltered. The illusion had deceived him. And when Kaiser could have taken his head, he had instead aimed for the shoulder—and even then, had flipped his blade to strike with the back rather than the edge.
This man had fought as a true warrior, not a killer.
"When. The time allows… I wish. To face you again," Cocytus said solemnly.
"Anytime," Kaiser answered, smiling.
The other Guardians might not have understood, but Cocytus did.
Kaiser was no mere guest, no mere source of information.
He was—a warrior.
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