"Dragonslayer" Ornstein, "Executioner" Smough

The white Fog Gate represents unknown challenges.

Every adventurer is filled with trepidation when entering an unfamiliar Fog Gate, worrying about the challenges ahead, and Elsa is no exception.

Because she knew that the monsters in the Zane Dungeon would change according to the adventurer's strength.

Now that Solaire is by her side, just how much stronger will the monsters she faces be?

Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

After passing through the Fog Gate, she saw an extremely spacious hall. Its multi-layered structure made it appear even more solemn, and the sunlight streaming in through the windows was dazzling.

Who could be the leader here? Could it really be, as I suspect, a massive Legion of Giant Guards?

She still loves the Giant Guards so much.

However, looking around, the entire hall was empty, not at all like it was filled with an entire Legion, which relieved her.

But what else could it be but the Giant Legion?

The Brass Woman said that she had already seen the contents of the trial on her way here, but what did she see? Giant Guards, Gargoyle, Bat Monster, and Painting Messenger.

Surely not all of these monsters would surround us at once? Then there's nothing to be afraid of; she has absolute faith in Solaire's strength.

But just then, she saw Solaire in front of her assume a fighting stance. Where was the enemy?

Following the other person's gaze, Elsa finally spotted a chubby, yellowish guy standing at the far end of the opposite side.

She had initially thought it was a statue!

The opponent's armor was even more exaggerated than Onion Knight's. It was hard to tell whether it was the armor or the man himself who was obese. Standing there with the golden armor, he looked like a small mountain made of metal.

The hammer in his hand was also quite exaggerated; even the slightest tremor revealed its immense power, and every move he made conveyed his anticipation of killing.

Elsa wore an expression of "I didn't realize that," making the enemy's identity obvious:

["The Executioner" Smough]!

No wonder the Brass Woman said she had seen it before; she was referring to the statue!

Smough, a legendary figure who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Four Knights of Gwyn, would certainly be a fitting leader for Anor Londo if he were the one in charge this time.

Elsa thought so, but she doubted whether she was strong enough to defeat her opponent. Lately, she had become increasingly insecure about her strength.

However, with Solaire by his side this time, it's a two-on-one situation.

The advantage lies with me!

But it's strange that even the appearance of the Deepwater Bishop Congregation was shown in a video, so why wasn't Smough's?

Just as this thought popped into his head, another golden figure jumped down from the second floor and landed steadily next to Smough.

At that moment, the missing background music began to play, a sound like the clash of metal on a battlefield, accompanied by the roar of lightning.

The knight who descended from the sky was clad in lion armor, his Dragonslaying Spear vibrating incessantly, displaying a strong fighting spirit.

["Dragonslayer" Ornstein]!

Elsa now understands why there were no videos before this boss fight.

The appearance of the two knights may seem unremarkable, but their status alone is the greatest deterrent. They don't need a video to highlight their power!

Some of the bosses' entrance videos are created to enhance their prestige, and the difference between the two is obvious.

It's... it's a two-headed boss!

Elsa swallowed back the words "The advantage is mine," and her hand gripping the Sword Remains Greatsword trembled slightly with nervousness.

She'd seen dual-boss bosses before in the Zane Dungeon; the dual- Hero Gargoyle were the most classic example. She'd even seen the Deepwater Bishop Congregation, which had dozens of bosses.

But what about one of the Four Knights of Gwyn and the executioner who almost became the Fifth Knight?

Isn't this configuration a bit too luxurious?

Even if you separate them and make them into phantoms, she feels they are qualified to be leaders. Having two of them at once is just too much.

In fact, the two leaders here are [Phantom Ornstein] and [Phantom Smough], but their nature is completely different from [Pontiff Sulyvahn's Phantom].

These weren't created by Gong Qiying himself, but rather appeared in the [Available Monster] resource library. Ultimately, these two phantoms were created by Gwyndolin.

Among the Available Monster in the Zane Dungeon are "Dragonslayer" Ornstein and "Phantom Ornstein". Gong Qiying thought about it carefully. Could it be that the reason for this difference is that the Zane Dungeon uses the hypothesis that "Ornstein and Smough that appeared in Soul 1 are phantoms created by Gwyndolin"?

The debate over whether Ornstein and Smough, who appear in Dark Souls 1, are the real people has been ongoing. Gong Qiying thinks both have merit, but since Thane has provided the distinction, he chooses the one with the highest cost-effectiveness (the one that consumes the least Spirit Power).

This led to the creation of the current boss battle system.

Unlike the nervous Elsa, Solaire had already struck a pose of "praise the sun" and charged forward fearlessly.

Two against two seems fair, but is that really the case?

Fine, we're already here, let's fight!

She shouldered the Sword Remains Greatsword, her first Oath of Revenge, and prepared to charge at Smough, since he seemed a little easier to deal with than Ornstein.

However, Solaire charged straight toward Smough, causing her to stop in her tracks and turn to look at Ornstein.

Should I fight Ornstein?

Well then, let's give it a try.

There was a considerable distance between them, Elsa deduced that it was impossible for her opponent to rush over and hit her in one go, so she should have ample time to observe.

"Bang--"

A sudden, intense alarm bell rang in her mind. Without thinking, she raised the Sword Remains Greatsword and used it as a shield in front of her. In the next instant, an unstoppable force surged from the sword, and she was sent flying backward.

"Thump!"

After a muffled thud, half of Elsa's body was smashed into the wall, and blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes revealed a mix of confusion, bewilderment, and shock. She took two seconds to process what had happened.

Ornstein just slid across a distance of over a hundred meters, and a simple thrust of his gun sent her flying.

"Pfft, cough cough."

Elsa felt incredibly strong for not dying on the spot after falling from the wall.

On the other side, Solaire and Smough were locked in a fierce battle, but no, upon closer inspection, it seemed that Solaire had the upper hand.

"Crack!"

A sudden crackling sound of lightning rang out, and Elsa realized that she had committed the biggest taboo in battle—distraction!

Ornstein's Dragonslayer Spear condensed power like Lightning Spear, and with a casual swing, the Lightning Spear rushed rapidly towards Elsa.

So fast! Faster than Pontiff Sulyvahn's teleportation slash!

She surrendered her body to instinct, unleashing her potential, and she herself didn't even know how she managed to dodge it.

But when she came to her senses, her abdomen had already been pierced by the Dragonslayer Spear.

"Huh?" she exclaimed in surprise.

After unleashing his Lightning Spear, Ornstein immediately followed up with a slide dash, a near-perfect combo that caught Elsa was already heavily injured at the start, off guard and struck her in a vital spot.

"I'm too weak."

In the last few seconds before losing consciousness, she saw Solaire knock Smough to the ground and even deliver a stylish execution.

Then Ornstein passed by, and she didn't see what happened next.

At that moment, her role suddenly transformed into an identity she had never experienced before: a burden.

A feeling of dejection arose in her heart, and even after being resurrected at the campfire beneath the statue of Gwyn, her face remained ashen.

Since becoming Brave, she has always been someone everyone relies on, but now, in Anor Londo, she has become a weak person who needs to rely on others.

But she wasn't frustrated by that; rather, she felt she had wasted Solaire's good intentions by failing to hold Ornstein back and leaving Solaire in a precarious situation.

"That's so embarrassing."

She curled up and buried her face deeply in her knees.

Solaire didn't appear at the campfire; perhaps he's still fighting inside the castle?

Elsa was depressed for a while, then suddenly stood up, patted her face, and forced herself to cheer up.

"No, I need to go find Solaire now!"

Although my strength is not enough in the Leyndell, I still have to work hard. At least for now, I need to find Solaire and help him out.

In terms of the speed at which she can recover, she is already much better than Iliphis.

Just as she reached the doorway, a golden summoning mark suddenly appeared.

[Summon the Sun Warrior "Solaire"?]

"Why?"

Elsa hesitated for a moment, then chose to summon.

Praise the sun!

With a familiar voice and a familiar Y-shaped posture, Solaire appeared, transformed into a golden spirit.

"Why!?" The person who summoned him was shocked.

"Haha, we meet again."

Solaire laughed and said, "The spacetime of Rodland has changed, so it seems we've been forced to separate. But that's alright, as long as you can summon me, we can still adventure together."

Elsa was stunned for a while before she remembered to ask about the outcome of the battle.

"Hmm," Solaire nodded thoughtfully, and said in a serious tone, "The Four Knights of Gwyn are indeed legendary figures close to Lord Gwyn. I have been engaged in a fierce battle."

"And what was the final result?"

"I won, although it was a tough process."

We won! We won!

How did you win?

She was eager to see what kind of earth-shattering battle it would be!

Solaire's voice was deep and energetic, hardly sounding like someone who had just gone through a tough battle.

This was the first time Elsa had ever considered swearing.

Her lips moved, but in the end, she cared about her image and said nothing.

Don't get me wrong, the profanity here doesn't refer to swearing, but rather to the release of emotions, such as shock.

"What's wrong? Why are you spacing out?"

Mr. Solaire

Elsa bit her lip, as if she had made up her mind, and asked:

"Could you please instruct me in martial arts?"