Is it worth challenging such a rotten world and such a despicable king?
Looking into Hawkwood's tired grey eyes.
For the first time, Ashes seemed to feel the despair and discouragement deep in Hawkwood's heart.
"……I have no idea."
Ashes said.
I am but an ember awakened by the bell , yearning for fire.
The Fire Kings, for one reason or another, are unwilling to continue the Original Fire, and all I have to do is to bring the Fire Kings back, or bring back their firewood, so that the Original Fire can continue, and the world can continue.
That is my mission, my innate desire for flame as a fireless ash.
When the flames were about to go out, I threw myself into the furnace and burned my soul, humanity and even my body.
But due to his lack of strength, he eventually turned into ashes and failed to ascend to the level of the King of Fire.
So I can't understand how terrible this rotten world and this despicable king are.
As the dispatcher of the Fire Lords, all I believe in is my mission.
And that being said...
Ashes looked at the greatsword Hawkwood was carrying behind him.
It was a sword that looked similar to the Wolf Greatsword, but it had always been kept in a scabbard and had never been pulled out by Brother Grayheart.
During the days and nights at the Firelink Shrine, he always sat on the steps, holding his shield in his hand, sighing dejectedly.
It was not until this moment, the first time the two of them had spoken so much, that Ashes noticed Brother Grayheart's greatsword, which seemed particularly familiar.
"…Maybe… can you tell me about the Farran Undead Squad?"
Ashes withdrew his gaze from the hilt of Brother Grayheart's greatsword.
It is not difficult to find that Hawkwood's sword is the Farran Greatsword - exactly the same style as the clusters of greatswords sticking out next to the empty throne engraved with "Lord of Cinder - Farran Undead Squad".
But there is no doubt that he must know something about the Fran Undead Squad.
Hearing this, Hawkwood looked at Ashes deeply.
"...What an idiot..."
Should you continue your mission despite this?
For a moment, he couldn't even see the true nature of the Ashes in front of him.
When they first met, he had thought that this poor non-combustible garbage was just an apostle of the Fire Keeper, willing to be a tool to be manipulated for the so-called "fire-spreading cause".
But this moment.
He seemed to see something in Ashes' eyes as well.
What is that?
Is it hope? Is it sincerity?
Or is it a faint but glowing ember?
The same answer as Ashes—he didn’t know either.
Perhaps at this moment, as someone who knows the past of the Fire King, he, like the Ashes who have lost their memories, is just a grass that is ignorant and confused about the world.
Perhaps at this moment, the faint yet blazing flame in Huijin's eyes also made his heart waver slightly.
Salad - Salad -
Stepping over the dry and barren yellow weeds, Hawkwood left the Wolf Sword Tomb and walked towards the Firelink Shrine.
"...Outside of Lothric City, in the lower level of Undead Town, I heard there is still a way to go."
"That is the road that transports the living sacrifices to the Deep Church. If you follow this road, you will reach the Fran Fortress..."
Speaking of this.
Hawkwood paused for a moment, as if he was distracted, and his voice sounded somewhat lost:
"The Faran Undead Corps is a legion of undead. We..."
"They swore an oath on wolf blood and watched the abyss. If there was even the slightest sign, they would not hesitate to destroy an entire country."
“That’s who they are…”
"And if you want to join the Farran Undead Team, you must pass a special test—"
"Extinguish the three smoke signals at the Fran Fortress, and the gate to Wolf Blood will open..."
After saying that.
Hawkwood shook his head, as if he felt it was pathetic and ridiculous:
"…Even if they are cursed to be immortal, they still believe that they are special. How sad…"
While speaking.
The two of them also returned to the Firelink Sacrifice Site.
salad.
Brother Dispirited once again sat in his old seat, looked at the campfire that was burning faintly and flickering, and sighed.
Then, he took out a heavy gem from his bosom and handed it to Ashes:
"I'll give this to you. I won't be able to use it anyway..."
"If you are an ignorant fellow and want to experience what it means to not turn back until you hit the wall, then go ahead."
"I'm afraid you'll be just as discouraged when you come back."
That’s all.
Brother Huixin stopped talking and just looked quietly at the throne covered with dark red cloth and guarded by countless Fran swords.
A low, sobbing chant was heard in the Firelink Shrine.
Ethereal and sad, with a distant and old smell of travel.
It was like a long river that had crossed countless days and nights, and it had finally exhausted its last bit of strength and stopped in this sacrificial field, circling slowly.
It was like the embers of a fire that had been burning over the Fran Fortress for years, but was extinguished at this moment.
rumble--
Pushing open the long-sealed stone door, Huijin was deeply shocked by what he saw and heard along the way.
This was also the first time that he felt the despair of "the fire is about to go out, but there is no sign of the king".
Undead Town is full of undead people who are seriously transformed into zombies.
As the First Flame grew weaker and more exhausted, humanity and memories continued to be lost, plunging the entire Lothric into a hopeless zombie haze.
In order to deal with the increasing number of undead, the sacred tree at the bottom of the town, which was originally the most prosperous, densest, most friendly and most effective, has also become the best place to bury the undead.
Until the sacred tree was also eroded and became a cursed corroded tree.
There was an atmosphere of confusion and despair everywhere.
It was like the pilgrims kneeling and sitting on the Broken Bridge of Lothric, looking in the direction where the fire was reignited, but they were powerless to do anything about the broken bridge in front of them that was like a chasm.
Of course.
The world is not dead, gloomy, filled with loneliness and utter despair.
On the way, he met a strange man.
The whole man was not tall, and even looked a bit funny. The bloated armor on his body made him look fat, like an onion with legs.
The complete opposite of Brother Dispirited.
Onion Brother is always full of optimism and carefree mood. Even when he is injured in an encounter with the devil, he will kindly remind him not to be reckless and protect him behind him.
After finally achieving the final victory, he would pant heavily, sit down and drink with himself to celebrate, and raise his glass generously: [Long may the sun shine! ]
Along the way, Ashes witnessed the darkness of the world, but also saw the brilliance of humanity shining in this dark world.
Perhaps one day the world will eventually fall into a long darkness.
But the shining light in human nature will never go out like an eternally burning bright star.
Until in the darkness, a small, weak but hopeful flame was ignited again.
Accompanied by the rumbling sound of the door opening.
In front of him, a huge altar paved with bluestone bricks appeared.
"call--"
Huijin raised his hand to fan away the dust that was falling in front of him, but suddenly he heard the sound of knives colliding with each other in the altar.
…
Liu Liu's eyes followed the winding blood trail in front of him and looked in the direction where the sound came from.
Buzz——buzz——!
Boring!
Boring!
Swords and sabers!
At this moment, two warriors wearing the same uniform were waving the huge swords in their hands, launching swift and even terrifying attacks on each other!
And the next second!
The giant swords intertwined!
The greatsword warrior on the left side dodged the opponent's attack with a sharp move, then slid sideways, and the sword in his hand cut through the opponent's chest like lightning, followed by a backhand stab!
Puff——!!!
The blood-stained sword pierced through a warrior's chest and then slowly pulled out.
Gulp.
There was only one warrior left on the altar.
He wore a pointed helmet on his head and a dark red cloak on his body.
The armor on his body was mottled, and under the dim light of the brazier, it emitted a dangerous and sharp light.
In his right hand he held the same Flan sword as the one on Brother Grayheart's back.
But the left hand was not holding a shield, but a rugged blood-stained dagger in the forehand position.
[Abyss Watcher-Fran Undead Squad]
The night wind was chilly and the smoke of war was billowing.
In the dark altar area, the bodies of the members of the Fran Undead Squad were piled up in a mess.
Sensing the arrival of Ashes, the only remaining team member slowly raised the greatsword in his hand and pointed it straight at Ashes.
At the same time, the other hand was holding a dagger, resting on the right shoulder.
This is the duel etiquette of the Fran Undead Squad.
At this moment, the players felt goosebumps all over their bodies——
"Oh my god, this is so cool ."
"So Brother Grayheart was originally a member of the Undead Squad, but later defected?"
"It looks like this"
"My scalp is tingling. This scene is so ceremonial."
"This salute is really too desperate. The Undead Squad is very clear about Ashes' mission, but at the same time, Ashes also extinguished the brazier and swore an oath to Wolf Blood, which means that Ashes is also a member of the Undead Squad, so this duel salute was made."
"This is GW's game."
"It's so shocking. To be honest, I wasn't shocked by the grand view of Lothric City when I first saw it, but this duel salute really gave me goosebumps."
'The sense of fate is really the core of games like Old Thief'
"A life-and-death duel amidst a sense of tragic fate, this plot tension and scene creation, who the hell can stand this......"
"I can only say that the old thief really understands it..."
"So handsome..."
"……"
And accompanied by the exclamations of the players!
Next second!
Boom——!!!
Suddenly, the Undead Squad, who had just saluted, flew forward!
He swung the greatsword in his hand, and with a sharp and swift sweep, he chopped down at Liuliu's neck!
"Ahhhhh! Oh my god!"
Boring!
In a hurry, Liu Liu raised his hand and held up the shield.
Although he barely blocked the damage from the Farlan Greatsword, he was unable to offset the powerful impact!
Then there was a bang!
This powerful blow actually knocked Liu Liu back five steps!
Holy shit! So strong!
As the first of the four Lords of Fire to appear, the strength of Fran's Undead Squad is obviously a step higher than the bosses she defeated before!
Although he does not have the huge and majestic body of the Ice Dog, nor the troublesome arcane magic of the Crystal Old Man.
But his sense of oppression was unprecedentedly strong!
As a humanoid BOSS of the same size, his attack frequency and desire to attack are even more radical than the ice dog after it goes berserk!
and!
The attack movements of this ghost BOSS are really weird!
The huge sword blade was as easy to use as his arm in his hand. Whether it was the three-hit combo using the force of the opponent's arm, or the delayed and fierce dragging of the sword, almost every attack, even every movement was beyond Liu Liu's expectations.
This guy even has the "Whirlwind Lightning Strike" that can take off into the air and the "Thunder Half Moon Slash" with great force.
The posture is graceful and enchanting, the dynamics are full of power, and the movements are sharp and strange, making it impossible to figure out.
Amid the rumbling chopping, Liu Liu fled in panic, while the audience was in a climax -
"OHHHHHHHH...so handsome, Franco..."
"This movement, this posture, this fighting technique... my goodness, it's all ground-based moves..."
'This is Street Dance'
'HAHAHAHAHA SHIT THIS IS STREET DANCE'
"It's too hard to hold a blade of grass..."
'Brother Frustrated (Promax Power Up Version)'
'Flan Fortress (×)Flan Dance Studio (√)'
"If you want to fight, go to the dance studio, right? (dog head)"
"Too rough..."
"Sister has been knocked unconscious. I can't predict the attack interval at all. This move is really too brutal."
"I should have been more careful when I saw the size of the street dance team."
"Indeed, Sekiro is full of humanoid enemies, so the giant bosses are particularly strong, such as the Lion Ape and the Ghost. On the contrary, in a game like Dark Souls where giant bosses are everywhere, you should be mentally prepared when you see a boss of the same size as you..."
"Compared to the Undead Squad, Guda-sensei's attack is simply very friendly."
"After all, she is an admissions teacher."
"This is pure military training..."
"……"
So awesome!
Liu Liu didn’t even have time to catch his breath!
In fact, from the beginning of the BOSS battle to now, she has already drunk four bottles of elemental bottles, but she has not made a single move!
There is no chance at all!
The Undead Squad's offensive was so bizarre and coherent.
She could hardly find the rhythm to attack, and in most cases, just when she was about to attack, the greatsword of Fran came down.
Or they thought the Undead Squad was going to take action, but in fact they missed the opportunity to attack.
Boring! Boring! Boring!
Another wave of three!
Liuliu was hit so hard that he staggered repeatedly, and his energy bar was quickly reduced.
She had no choice but to put down her shield temporarily, otherwise the stiffness caused by breaking the defense would be even more fatal.
However!
Just when her left hand relaxed and put down the shield, and she didn't even have time to take a breath!
The Fran Undead Squad suddenly jumped back, then swung their swords and charged forward with a Thunderous Half Moon Slash!
call--!!!
bad!
Liu Liu's heart skipped a beat!
At this moment, she no longer had the energy to block.
If this powerful sword hit her, then with only one-third of her health left, she would most likely have to go home and sit by the campfire.
I could see the blade of the Fran sword getting closer and closer to me!
At this critical moment!
brake--!
Puff——!
…
Boom——Swish——
Following a powerful thrust!
Hawkwood watched helplessly as the great sword flashed before his forehead!
The demented teammate whose eyes were emitting a terrifying red light and who wanted to kill him also flew out!
Following right on!
The comrade who came to help him rescued him took a step forward without hesitation, turned his body, and slashed in the air with the sword in his hand!
puff--!!!
Blood splattered!
The red-eyed comrade's head rolled off, and the headless body fell to the ground with a thud.
As the tinkling sound continued, Hawkwood looked around -
One after another, the comrades with flashing red eyes waved their swords wildly like zombies.
Other comrades like him continued to slaughter their red-eyed companions who had fallen into madness.
[When you stare into the abyss, the abyss also stares into you]
No matter how powerful the Fran Undead Squad is, it is difficult to avoid being corroded and attacked by the abyss during the process of monitoring the abyss day after day.
The reason why their Fran Undead Squad is so powerful is because they share the same blood and even soul.
As a result, the invasion of the abyss spread among their ranks like a plague.
If one is infected, kill one; if two are infected, kill a pair, no matter if there are ten, twenty, or a hundred.
As watchers of the abyss, they would not hesitate to destroy an entire country if there was even the slightest invasion of the abyss.
But as the First Fire is about to die out, the erosion of the abyss becomes more and more severe.
Therefore, fratricide became the main theme of the Fran Undead Squad.
Hawkwood sat on the ground trembling, watching his comrades in the same uniform killing each other in this small courtyard.
The companion whose arm was chopped off was a good friend who swore an oath on wolf blood with him; the companion whose chest was pierced was a brother who had been on guard with him yesterday.
The elder brother cut his younger brother in half, and the nephew's sharp blade pierced his father's heart.
Brutal fratricide repeats itself eternally in front of the gate of the abyss.
Is this the king?
The greater the power, the greater the misery. Is this the curse that the king must bear?
He couldn't figure it out.
Is this the king?
They would rather kill each other than to suppress the abyss, but are they the same kind of people as Eldridge, a despicable drowning pig who creates chaos?
He couldn't figure it out.
Is this the king?
The world that watches coldly will never have mercy on their curse, but will only throw them into the furnace when the fire is about to go out to prolong the life of this rotten world?
He couldn't figure it out.
Salary King.
The king who burns himself to continue the whole world.
Shouldn't he be the hero who possesses the most noble soul, is the most respected, walks into the original furnace amidst the expectation and attention of those on the verge of destruction, burns himself, and lights up the world anew?
Looking at the blood in front of him that was like a long river of curse, and the mess of broken limbs that were constantly chopped off.
Hawkwood's pupils trembled.
[Is this rotten world and this despicable king worthy of your heroic challenge? ]
And at this moment!
call--!!!
Followed by a tearing hissing sound!
The comrade who had just saved his life turned back and swung the French sword in his hand, slashing at him fiercely!
And in his eyes, there was a ferocious red light flashing as if it was corroded by the abyss!
The sharp sword blade, carrying the gust of wind, attacked.
Hawkwood, who had mastered the essence of wolf swordsmanship, subconsciously clenched the hilt of the sword.
But at this moment!
However, it was as if his memory was drained away, and he could no longer muster the courage to stab the knife into the chest of his brother, with whom he had just fought side by side.
Boring——!!!
The heavy blow of the Farlan greatsword came down like lightning, making a sharp golden sound!
Boom——roll——!!!
Hawkwood was thrown out fiercely, rolling far away in a cloud of dust!
In his hand, he was holding tightly a shield that he had picked up from the ground in a panic.
Wolf swordplay never uses a shield.
Hawkwood struggled to get up from the ground, clenched the Farlan sword in his hand for the last time, and then put it back into the scabbard behind his back.
Then, he hugged the shield tightly in his hand, lowered his head, and limped out of the door.
Then, he disappeared into the bloody night of the Fran Fortress.
You can call me a traitor.
Call me a coward.
I will gladly accept them and bear them forever.
Because I cannot accept swinging my blade at my comrades who have sworn an oath to wolf blood, and I am unable to bear this despairing curse called the Lord of Cinder.
From today on, I will no longer be the watcher of the abyss holding the Faran Greatsword.
After picking up the shield, I was no longer able to use the wolf sword technique that was famous for its offensive skills.
I'm Hawkwood.
One who did not become the Lord of Salary because of cowardice and self-doubt——
The escapee...