Chapter 14
Dragon Slayers Clash, Calming the Moon
Beta: Old man of the mountain/Darklord331
Naruto stared down the spear user. He had a menancing aura, different from the Golem, the Dragon, and everyone.
It was insane, Naruto was sure feeling the same emotions he did when facing Madara and Obito during the war.
Ornstein rushed forward and brought his spear in a straightforward thrust.
Naruto sidesteps and swings his sword, Ornstein jumps to the side, missing the cut by inches.
"Damn."
Ornstein swung the weapon around and brought it down on Naruto who blocked with his sword turned to the side.
The strike hit the sword and forced him to bury his feet in the ground struggling against the power of the strike.
The spear quickly twirled through the air, slashing sideways at Naruto, quickly jumping backwards he avoided the strike which lead to the spear hitting the pillar.
Ornstein looked at the pillar, pulled his blade loose from the pillar, and brought the pillar down with another swing.
Naruto stared at him,
"Fuck, your not messing around."
The spear user twirled his weapon again and lunged forward.
Naruto again sidestepped but he had to jump back as he put his feet together at the end of the charge and swung to the side.
Naruto lunged forward with his sword aiming for the spear user's chest but he quickly twirled his spear and redirected the blade away making Naruto lose his balance.
Ornstein kicked him in the chest, sending him skidding backwards and gasping for air.
'He is a lot more refined than I thought.'
"Naruto this man was one of the most trusted knights in the kingdom; he was the head of the dragon hunters and he served under my father directly. This man had even Artorias beat in many situations when it came down to raw skill."
'Well then this should be good practice with the Dragon Slayer no?'
Naruto saw the man lung again with his blade, Naruto rolled under the lunge and this time swung at his ankles.
Ornstein reflexively leaped into the air dodging the attack and raising his spear in a downward strike.
The blade hit the ground with a thud and soon Naruto saw something sparking at the end of the move.
Jumping back a few feet, lighting exploded out of the ground kicking up dust.
'Damn he is really trying now.'
Naruto squatted, avoiding a insanely fast swing.
'Shit! Is he even faster now!?'
Ornstein's spear soon came back in view with him spinning the blade above his head and then thrusting it downward.
Naruto rolled under the thrust before kicking at his left ankle knocking him loose and forcing him to a knee.
Naruto held out his hand and formed a fireball in it and released it straight in the knights face.
The explosion caused the floor to shake, and Naruto jumped back from the man, holding his blade with two hands.
'Did that at least hurt him?'
The smoke cleared and Ornstein looked at him with his spear in hand and his helmet barely scuffed.
'Fuck are you serious what is that armor made of?'
"Naruto, there is heavy resistance to flames in his armor, I didn't know that Ornstein's armor gave him that, but given his fights with the dragons, it makes sense. Please, we need to be extremely careful."
"Brat this is going to come down to pure skill vs skill and I hate to say it when it comes to the spear, he is far beyond you."
'Thanks for the confidence furball,' Naruto rolled his eyes.
Ornstein stood up and spun his spear in the air and soon lighting erupted around it. He then slammed the hilt of his blade into the ground and lighting started protruding from the bottom of the weapon.
It was more intimidation than anything for Naruto, but he knew that he was coming and he was going to be trying now.
Naruto quickly readied himself and waited for the knight to rush him again.
But this time he barely saw the spear in front of his face, before ducking down and avoiding the attack altogether.
'Shit he is-'
Naruto rolled under another swing of his spear but soon ate a knee to the face sending him back.
Naruto saw Ornstein leap into the air and with lighting at the end of his blade he knew that he was aiming for the killing blow.
Jump forward, he manages to avoid the attack but only barely.
Lighting again exploded shaking the floor from the impact.
Naruto seeing his blade stuck in the ground, spun around, and slashed at his back.
But Ornstein already anticipated this move and quickly jumped over him and landed behind Naruto.
Turning on his heel he swung his blade with all of his might but Ornstein fell onto his back.
He was laying on the ground while the strike flew over him before he kicked Naruto's knee and then pushed off with his hand landing a brutal kick to his face.
Naruto flew to the side of the room landing in a heap against the wall.
The Knight saw the damage, walked over to his spear, pulled it out of the ground, and spun it.
He walked to Naruto and gripped his spear forming lighting at the end of his blade.
He lifted the weapon up and thrusted the tool.
But his blade was hit with an explosion sending it flying into the air. The knight looked on in confusion but soon found himself coughing from a powerful blow to his stomach and something protruding out of his back.
Looking down he saw a short black sword similar to that of the Black Knights sticking out of his stomach.
Reaching down he tries to remove the blade but soon finds himself jumping backwards.
Looking up, he saw Naruto barely standing there with blood dripping down his face and mouth, smiling.
"Damn almost had you."
Ornstein stared at the man and removed his sword from his stomach before throwing it across the room. The weapon cluttering across the floor and landing near the fight with the girls and Smough.
The knight looked at the hole in his stomach and touched it, seeing the blood seeping out of his wound. He held the blood close to his face and then stared back at Naruto.
"Well, that fucking hurt either way." Naruto stared at the knight, "I can see why you hold such a legendary status, your skill is insane. I think you could give some people I know a run for their money." Naruto saw the spear land on the ground before him and walked in front of it. "Want it back?"
The knight stared at him, before slowly walking to him.
"Not so fast!"
Naruto swung his blade at the knight but in a flash, he was gone.
"Huh?"
Naruto felt something cold and wet behind him, his back was touching something and he slowly turned around.
Standing there was Ornstein with his spear in his hand once more. It was insane, his speed was something to be feared.
"How the fuck-"
Naruto quickly shook off the thought, spun around, and aimed the blade at his legs.
But he again was gone and this time standing in front of him.
'What the fuck can he teleport?'
"No it isn't teleportation. It is, it's familiar."
"Ornstein is using his own lighting to manipulate his bodies movements. He is basically enhancing his speed and reaction time to be higher than average. Ornstein already was fast and quick on the draw, now he seems like he is vanishing out of sight and out of mind but it is just lighting enhanced speed."
'Yeah the Raikage did something similar but I don't even think he was this good with it.'
"Mana works differently as we can tell. From your Senjutsu and this guys lighting control there is no doubt. He is working on a different plane than the Raikage."
Naruto nodded and took a quick drink of the flask before staring down the knight once more.
He spun his spear in a rapid circle before lighting started to surround his body.
'Shit that's not good!'
Naruto quickly pulled out one of his daggers and threw it.
The dagger went to pieces and Ornstein slammed his spear in the ground causing it to crack and crackle due to the lighting impact.
Ornstein, the legendary dragon knight, the Dragon Slayer of Legend, was now fighting at full power.
He was pushing every once of lighting control through his body and he was glowing to the point that the floor was reflecting the lighting. At the same time, the floor was cracking slightly from the raw power he was emanating.
'Shit this is bad.' Naruto narrowed his eyes and Ornstein pulled his spear slowly before holding it tightly in his right hand.
Naruto soon found himself skidding across the room and coughing up spit and blood. Looking down, he saw that he was hit in the stomach, with no sign of movement or action. Just the power of the blow to go by and his mind just now processing the pain he was in.
'Fuck he's too fast. I don't think I can keep up with him.'
Naruto looked up and saw the knight slowly walking to him. His spear in his hand, holding it sideways, before appearing above Naruto again.
He quickly lashed out with the greatsword but Ornstein deflected and slammed his spear down into the floor beside Naruto's head.
Dodging at the last second Naruto kicked at his leg, only to hit air.
Ornstein stood a few feet away from him again and swung his blade around faster than he could see.
He soon gathered lighting at the edge of his weapon and lunged at him.
Naruto rolled under the attack, barely dodging the lighting, and letting him hit one of the pillars.
The explosion roared through the room, tearing through not just this pillar but the other pillar on the far end of the room and hitting the wall, making it crack from the impact of the attack.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, he is too strong.' Naruto watched as the knight turned to him and swung his blade at him with him barely dodging the movement. 'At this rate I'm going to die.'
"Kit listen to me! We can win this still you need to think, what can you do that can make this fight on even footing for you!"
'There isn't anything. Dragon Slayer is too slow to catch him and his reflexes are better than mine and not only that his mastery of his lighting mana is better than the manipulation of my fire.' Naruto's eyes widened, 'Shit that's it.'
Holding out his metal hand he remembered the incantation of the fire spell and after slamming it against his chest, his body erupted in a giant torrent of flames.
The knight stared, seeing the raging inferno forming around him and Naruto standing up while his body slowly burned from the flames' intensity.
However he had to raise his spear up as Naruto appeared above and brought his weapon down in a massive clash.
The floor cracked under the pressure of the strike and he soon found himself falling down to one knee grunting in pain.
Naruto soon rotated around the block and appeared behind Ornstein who then disappeared and appeared above Naruto.
But this was countered with him dashing around his downward strike and then slamming his sword into his chest sending him rolling to the side. But he jumped to his feet again and rushed Naruto with another powerful bolt of lightning at the end of his spear.
Naruto generated the flames around his sword and brought it down at the tip of the spear and the two attacks created a massive explosion rocking the room further.
The girls were seeing the fight unfold and having to deal with Smough proved easier than expected as while powerful he was slow and thanks to their combined effort they down the giant after a few well place precision strikes to the body and to his hands. After losign his hammer he didn't really have much offense to go on.
But now they were focused on this fight between the Dragon Slayer and Naruto, the hero of the Witches and the man that has reached the farthest on this path.
The fight intensified yet again with Naruto pushing the spear down and stepping on it, keeping it in place as he swing his blade at Ornstein's neck.
But his foot hit the ground as he vanished once more and was behind Naruto.
A blade soon hit the spear redirecting it into the floor.
The floor exploded again and Naruto rushed the knight who jumped through the air and landed a few feet away from him, having to abandon his spear once more.
Naruto narrowed his eyes and flinched,
'Fuck the damage is getting to me. Got to finish this quickly.'
"Naruto drink the flask you still have a few more drinks that you can take!"
'No time, this guy is relentless and if I let up for just a second he will catch me with a killing blow.' Naruto narrowed his eyes and inhaled.
Flames explode once more around his body, the heat intensifies, and Naruto could feel his body slowly succumbing to the pressure of the flame.
But he then felt a calming sensation and looked and saw Quetiva holding her hands out and soon his body felt lighter and the flames didn't hurt as much.
"Kit she is using her flame skill to heal you and reduce damage you take from the flames! Now's the time you got the advantage!"
Naruto nodded his head, before rushing at the knight once more.
But he felt a metal hand grab him by the throat and his body slammed into the ground with a fist soon colliding with his nose.
Naruto groaned from the pain but jumped up to see Ornstein reaching for his spear.
Only to be hit with a fire explosion sending him tumbling backwards, Naruto slams his sword into his side and he grunts in pain before releasing a powerful burst of lighting.
Looking at the knight he saw him collapse to his knee but it didn't stop trying to reach for his weapon.
Naruto intensified the flames once more and reappeared between him and his weapon slicing off his hand.
Ornstein grunted from the pain and seeing his hand on the ground turning to dust.
The knight, however, lashed out with his other hand, grabbing the weapon's handle and swinging wildly at him.
Naruto blocked the strike but was sent skidding backwards.
'Shit he still has that much strength?' Naruto could feel his body growing numb. The flames might not hurt as much as before, but they still stung and his body was growing heavy from this fight.
Taking out his flask he took a quick drink before putting it away.
He saw the knight standing there but he was shaking, like Naruto he was on his last legs from the intensity of this fight and literally throwing their entire beings into this battle.
Standing up, both warriors stared down the other. Within a moment, Ornstein exploded in a cloud of lighting once more. Naruto intensified the flames one more time, making all the numbing effects disappear.
Both stood there with their weapons aimed at the other and the room remained quiet for the precise moment.
The moment where the final strike would land.
Both warriors pushed off the ground and disappeared from view, only with a loud sound of piercing flesh did the group know someone had landed the killing blow.
Naruto and Ornstein stood there, with Ornstein having Naruto's sword through his chest, going straight into his heart and coming out on the other side.
But he was not alone in the pain as his spear tore through Naruto's right side, leaving him gasping in pain and coughing up blood.
Falling to his knees Naruto soon grasped his wound and tried to stem the bleeding but due to the exhaustion of the fight, the usage of his flame, and the pain he was in and being out of estus he wasn't sure he was going to make it.
Ornstein on the other hand, he stood there with the sword in his chest, a few seconds pass but soon his body starts to crumble, dust takes part of his body away and soon, he vanished entirely.
Naruto's sword hits the ground and Naruto removes his weapon from his side and gasps in pain.
"F-f-fuck that was too close." Naruto soon fell face first into the floor.
Quelaag rushed to his side, tending to his wounds while Queltiva was healing up his wounds as best as she could while giving him more of her mana to heal his injuries.
Quelana on the other hand, looked down at the remains of Smough who was gasping from the pain he was in and without warning she created the most powerful fireball and incinerated him on the spot.
Seeing nothing remaining of the lump of flesh, she walked over to the group and began helping him heal.
Nothing was working much but they knew he was stabilized enough that they could move him.
Grabbing the fallen warriors spear and his ring they proceeded up the opening stairway to the elevator. It took them up a few floors where they arrived at a bonfire which lit thanks to Naruto's presence.
While down and injured he was able to start up the bonfire and groan in pain.
Sitting next to the flames, Naruto closed his eyes and tried to sleep off the fatigue and the pain.
"Naruto you were lucky in that fight."
'I know.'
"If you hadn't caught him off guard with separating him from his weapon and that hole in his stomach from earlier, he could have killed you with more accurate precision."
'I know.'
"But it goes to show that Ornstein is the same as he was when I last saw him. A true knight that will fight with everything and anything he can in order to protect what he believes is right."
'Yeah but this goes to show I have more room to improve. I need to get better at using the Dragon Slayer and getting use to other weapons in my arsenal. Also, I need to become more aware of mana usage when it comes to human enemies. So far, the monster enemies and golems have been easy to overcome to a point, but now the human enemies and those of greater strength. They will require more work, training, and versatility.'
"Indeed, we should take the time in Anor Londo to prepare for such battles. The knights around the city should return over time which should give us more than enough practice."
'True. Hey Gwynevere, who do you think is making people believe that your still alive? I mean you were killed and it seems even the witch's daughters knew that so why do some people think you alive as a deterrent for the four kings?'
"The story I don't know honestly. My father might have made up the story to keep people devoted to me and himself. More so, he might have thought I was conspiring with the Four Kings and thinking they might use me to get to him and stop the relighting of the First Flame."
'Would you-'
"No, as much as I hate Gwyn and I hate Seath, I would never ally with the Four Kings. There was something about them that was darker than most. While they 'served' us they were never loyal. More, they were self serving and from what we knew they were employing methods and tactics known as hexes, something only seen in the Abyss. Soul draining powers, powerful illusions, and skills to avoid detection by even the most advanced scouts. Father feared that they were planning something and that it was in relation to the Dark Soul and the Age of Dark."
'Then why gift them a fragment of his soul?'
"I wish I knew; near the end even I didn't know what father was thinking."
"Sounds like he was not clear sighted about his goals and direction. Meaning that most likely he had something else planned in mind; something akin of keeping them closer rather than far away."
'So keep your enemies closer.'
"Yes. Maybe with the Lord Soul fragments with them, he could keep them leashed to him in some manner or another. But until we know more why the city was flooded and what this great pilgrimage is all about and what the goal is, we can only speculate."
"True, in time we might learn what sealed me into you and why it did so and what it said to you that day to make it send you here."
'Yeah.'
Naruto never forgot that day; that giant serpent that appeared out of the ocean. The power it radiated, the aura it gave off, and the feeling of dread and confusion it gave. Naruto could vaguely remember something in its words but he needed clarification, what it was exactly. So, he decided not to think about it and just focus on his recovery.
That's when he saw it, inside of his mindscape two souls lingering in the distance.
'Ornstein and Smough.'
Naruto, became more adept at reading souls thanks to having time to process the train of thought in his sleep and with Gwynevere to guide him, he touched his soul.
A lone knight stood in the middle of the throne room.
"You are to head up the dragon hunts. Until we force them out of these lands our people will never be safe is that clear Ornstein?"
"Yes Lord Gwyn."
A battlefield full of dragon corpses and seeing a man standing there with long flowing hair.
"Ornstein, never betray the ideals that believe in."
"I will never young lord. Shall we continue with the dragon hunt?"
"Yes, for peace we must continue moving forward."
Ornstein sitting against the wall, his master betrayed them. How could he? Why would he betray them all for the very creatures they hunted?
A knight with a blue scarf walked up to him,
"Pathetic, Ornstein is this all you are going to amount to?"
He looked at the knight,
"Artorias. Do you not feel saddened at our lord's betrayal?"
"I do but that doesn't change anything, by my will if you can't continue on your role as our leader then I shall remove you now!"
Ornstein stood on top of Artorias,
"Never question me again."
"There is the knight I know."
Ornstein snorted, walking away,
"Thank you friend."
Ornstein stood there; watching as conflict erupted between the princess and her father. He was all alone and listening to the arguments.
He was the last Dragon Slayer.
Artorias was lost, his lover was lost, his master was gone, he was all that was left.
He watches as Gwyn strikes down the red hair princess and spits on her body as it disappears and leaves.
Ornstein was given orders to watch over the castle with Smough, told to protect the Lord's sacred item until the time comes.
Ornstein looks back on the castle and turns away.
"I'm coming for you my liege."
Naruto released the memory and his mind was abuzz with information.
'How does that work? How the fuck does that work!?'
Gwynevere who watched Naruto go through the soul frowned.
"What is it?"
"Ornstein, the memory there must be something wrong."
How so?"
"The memory I watched. I saw your death, I saw him talking to someone in the battle of the dragons, and I saw him walking away from the castle saying he was going to find his liege."
"I see."
"Gwynevere, this makes no sense; how could he have left the castle yet still be IN the castle simultaneously?"
Gwynevere frowned,
"The same way I'm still here as well."
Naruto frowned,
"You mean, something else is in its place."
"No, I believe, we have to confront me, only then can we find our answers."
Naruto frowned and nodded his head retreating out of the mindscape.
Upon waking up he stood to his feet, stretched out his body, and pulled out his weapon before walking up the stairs to the big double doors.
The girls followed him into the room where, upon opening the door they were greeted by the most magnificent sight.
Gwynevere, in her giant beauty and large breasts on display. Laying on her bed staring down at the group that appeared before her.
"Greetings undead. I'm pleased to see you have made it this far. Come forth, as you have proven your strength and valor through your journey."
Naruto stared at the woman and the sisters were staring at her in shock.
"Is it possible that she DID survive?" Quelana was not sure what to believe anymore.
Quelaag just glared at the giant breasts in front of her and how Naruto seemed entranced by them.
Quetiva was just staring at Naruto noticing he didn't seem impressed. Given he almost died, she guess it be hard to do so after fighting a legendary knight but for some reason his reaction was even more confusing.
Naruto took a kneeling position in front of her along with the girls and the giant woman continued,
"I bequeath to you the Lord Vessel." Naruto soon found a giant dish bowl in front of him. There he could feel the power of the bowl and made it vanish into his inventory.
"I beseech you, you must succeed Lord Gwyn, ending the age of twilight and bringing an end to the sacrificing of the Undead."
Naruto gripped his fist,
"Is that all?" Naruto stood up and glared at the illusion, "I will admit your good but," Naruto created a ball of flame chucking it at the illusion making it disappear. "I know your not Gwynevere."
The girls stood up in shock.
"Wait she was an illusion!"
Naruto nodded his head.
"How did you know though?" Quelana frowned, "None of us could see through it. The thing seemed so life like to the original."
Naruto remained quiet and walked past the woman's bed.
"How dare the to tarnish the great godmother's image!" the group turned around the room to find the voice, "I am the Dark Sun Gwyndolyn and you shall pay for these transgressions!"
"If that is the case come out of hiding and face me you coward!"
"Though are not worth thy time, feel my wrath by those that are loyal to the one true lord!"
Naruto growled,
"Dark Sun, your ass is mine."
Naruto and the girls soon saw the light disappear, the world got dark, and they could feel the oppressive air around the room.
"What the hell!" Quelana and Quelaag looked at Naruto, "Are you saying that we just angered a god that is still in this city!?"
"Yeah." Naruto sighed, "On top of that, he casted an illusion on this city hiding the fact that the city is no longer in its hay day."
"Meaning, everything we have seen up to this point; it was all an illusion?" Quetiva was gasping at the notion. Such powerful magic even master magic users would have been fooled by such power.
Naruto sighed,
"Yeah but that means we have to find this Dark Sun and beat him if we want to leave this city alive."
Walking out of the castle, the group saw that the area was now pitch black and there was nothing heavenly around or about the location anymore. Looking down though they saw someone standing at the bottom of the staircase.
"Though has transgressed against our lord. You shall feel our lord's wrath and show penance for your sins it is the least I can do to help you atone."
Naruto got ready to pull out his sword but Quelaag stopped him and stood in front of the woman.
"You deal with the Dark Sun, we'll handle this one." Quelana joined her sister and powered up her flames while the youngest pulled out her bow.
"You guys sure?"
Quelaag summoned her sword, "Oh yeah now go and beat that god."
Narut nodded his head and quickly traversed the bridge. The minute he tried to rush past her though, she rushed at him only to be stopped by a flaming arrow and explosion.
"Though shall suffer as though mother suffered."
The sisters glared and soon saw Naruto moving the wheel and smiled, they charged her and she returned their charge with equal vigor.
Naruto had returned to the bonfire which he was sure was the direction of the voice he heard but he saw nothing but the Gwyn statue standing there and this left him unsure where to go.
Looking around the room he tried to find out where he was supposed to go and how he was supposed to do it.
After several minutes he just grunted in frustration.
"Damn it there has to be a way!"
Raising his sword he slashes at the Gwyn statue in frustration but he then saw something happen. The statue disappeared and revealed a staircase going downward.
"What the-" he smiled, "Clever hiding it behind an illusion."
Naruto walked down the staircase finding himself facing another illusionary door. Taking a deep breath he walked through the door and found himself in a hallway.
"You have transgressed against the Godmother and now you dare to sully the halls of the Great Lord? These sins shall not be forgiven!" Out of the darkness Naruto saw a woman appear. Dressed in a white robe wearing a white mask of some kind and a crown, he was sure this is the dark god. But he was confused as below there were no feet but tentacles that were keeping them elevated off the ground.
"Face the wrath of the heavens for this is the judgement of all that dare to sully this sacred place!"
Naruto glared,
"Bring it Dark Sun God."
Chapter End