Chapter no.6 Dark Souls

Chapter no.6 Squire of Oscar; Knight of Astora.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The light faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Naruto standing in the courtyard again.

‘Wait… I know this place.’

Instinct took over, and he jumped back, his eyes darting to the entrance where the Asylum Demon had been. But the door—it was closed.

“Didn’t we open that?” Naruto muttered, frowning as he looked up at the second floor. Oscar got flung up there.

‘I need to find him first—then we’ll deal with that demon bastard.’

Without wasting any more time, Naruto pulled out his ninja wire and grapple hook. His hands worked fast, tying the wire around the hook before launching it upward. The hook caught the edge of the second-floor ledge with a satisfying clink. He yanked the wire tight and started climbing, his feet pushing off the wall as he scaled the inner side of the asylum.

As soon as he reached the top, a hollow came rushing at him.

‘Didn’t I already kill this thing?’

It lunged, swinging its rusted sword at his head, but Naruto ducked under it, rolling to the side. Too slow. He pulled out a kunai and in one swift motion, lodged it into the hollow’s skull. The hollow crumbled to the ground, lifeless.

‘These things just keep coming back… how did everything reset?’

He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because his eyes caught something in the corner—a room, partially collapsed, and inside, lying on a pile of rubble…

“Oscar!” Naruto almost choked on the word, his chest tightening. He’s alive, right? He’s gotta be!

But Oscar wasn’t moving. Naruto swallowed hard, panic rising in his throat.

‘I need to get to him.’

The room was a mess of rubble and debris. Oscar must’ve been thrown through the ceiling. There wasn’t an easy way in.

Naruto ran to the right, scanning for an opening.

‘If there’s no way in, I’ll make one.’

Explosive tags flickered in his mind, ready to blow a hole in the wall if he needed to.

Then he heard it. The sound of something rolling.

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat. The ball! That giant iron ball that had almost crushed him before.

‘If everything had reset, then… it’s coming right for me!’

He threw himself forward into a roll, his body hitting the ground hard as he tumbled out of the way. The sound of metal crashing into stone roared behind him. He turned, breathless, just in time to see the ball smash into the wall, creating a massive hole where it had hit.

‘Well… that worked out in my favor, Dattebyo,’ Naruto thought, his face lighting up in relief as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Through the dust and debris, he could see the hole the iron ball had left behind—a jagged gap leading right into the room where Oscar lay.

“Thanks for the assist, you big metal jerk,” Naruto muttered under his breath, grinning.

But then he heard the hollow. The one that had kicked the ball down the stairs. Its footsteps echoed in his ears, and Naruto’s grip tightened around the kunai.

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

A few clones poofed into existence, rushing up the stairs. Naruto would have loved to deal with that hollow himself—kick it down the stairs and make it regret messing with him—but Oscar was more important.

As Naruto entered the room, his breath caught in his throat. The sunlight filtered through the hole in the ceiling, casting a soft, golden light on Oscar. He was lying there, unmoving, on a pile of rubble. For a split second, it was one of the most beautiful things Naruto had ever seen—a warrior bathed in sunlight, like something out of an old story. But reality snapped him out of it just as quickly.

"Sensei!" Naruto screamed, his voice bouncing off the cold stone walls, swallowed by the emptiness around him. Please... please respond.

Oscar didn’t move.

No, no, no, not like this. Naruto’s legs moved before he could think, carrying him toward Oscar, his heart hammering in his chest, driven by pure panic. When he reached Oscar, he froze for a second—empty estus flasks lay scattered around his feet, their golden glow long extinguished.

But then Naruto saw it—the faintest rise and fall of Oscar's chest. His breath caught. Oscar was breathing. Barely. He’s alive. He’s still here.

Relief washed over Naruto like a wave, but it quickly faded. There were no visible wounds, no blood—nothing he could see to fix. His eyes darted around, searching for a clue. Maybe he’s just knocked out?

His gaze landed on the empty estus flasks again. Yeah, those weird bottles... they healed him. Sensei’s just resting. He had to be. Naruto wasn’t ready for any other possibility.

He knelt beside Oscar, placing a hand on the knight’s armor, as if somehow his touch could bring him back. "Come on, Sensei," Naruto whispered, his voice trembling. "Just wake up." But deep down, the knot of fear in his stomach only tightened.

He carefully removed the knight’s helmet, revealing his hollowed face. It looked worse than anything Naruto had seen before, worse than the hollows they had fought. Oscar’s skull—his skull was caved in on the right side.

Naruto froze, his stomach turning. How… how is he still alive?

Suddenly, Oscar stirred. His eyes fluttered open, weak and unfocused. Naruto felt his heart leap into his throat.

“You’re awake!” Naruto shouted, barely able to contain his relief. His hands fumbled as he pulled out the medicinal pills he had brought. “You’re gonna be fine, Sensei, I— I went back to my world and got these. Just take them, and you’ll be fine, and then we’ll go kick that demon’s ass… together!”

Naruto tried to smile, tried to be strong, but his hands were shaking so badly that the pills rattled in their container. Come on, Naruto, you can’t afford to fail now. Not now.

Oscar smiled weakly. “Save them for yourself.”

Those words hit Naruto like a punch to the gut. His blood ran cold. “No! I got these for you! Don’t you dare give up on me!”

Oscar’s smile faded, and his eyes softened. “Oh, Naruto… I’m beyond repair. I can feel it. My soul… it’s leaving my body.”

Naruto felt the tears welling up in his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hold them back. He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready to lose Oscar. “Sensei, please… don’t leave me. Please.”

“I’m sorry, Naruto, but I can’t keep my promise.”

The tears broke free, and Naruto couldn’t stop them. They streamed down his face as he found himself beside Oscar, his chest aching, his heart feeling like it was being crushed. I just met him. I’ve barely known him for a few hours, but… but he’s my sensei. He’s my friend. And now he was dying. Right in front of Naruto. It felt too fast, too unfair. He wasn’t ready to handle this. He was twelve; he wasn’t supposed to watch someone he cared about die.

“Don’t cry, Naruto,” Oscar’s voice was weak, but still steady. “Be brave.”

Brave. Naruto was supposed to be brave. But how? How could he be brave when he felt like his world was falling apart? “Yeah… yeah, I’m brave, I’m… I’m brave,” he whispered, sniffling, trying to hold it together. He bit his lip so hard it almost bled, but he couldn’t stop the tears. I can’t… I can’t do this. I can’t be brave.

“I… I can’t be brave, Sensei,” Naruto choked out, his voice breaking, feeling like a little kid who didn’t know what to do.

Oscar’s hand trembled as he reached for Naruto’s. “Not crying doesn’t make you brave, Naruto. Bravery is standing up despite the pain, despite the tears and grief. This world… it’s a cruel one. But it doesn’t deserve your innocent tears. Being brave means standing tall and proud, even when everything else is falling apart.”

Oscar’s words hit Naruto somewhere deep. He couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop feeling like his heart was being ripped out of his chest, but somehow, Oscar’s words gave him a little strength. Even though the tears kept coming, even though his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst, something inside Naruto steadied.

“I’ll be brave, Sensei,” Naruto whispered, his voice trembling, but there was a resolve in it now. His eyes were red, swollen from crying, but he wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to pull himself together.

Oscar’s breathing was growing weaker, but he smiled again. “Naruto… may I ask? What does ‘Sensei’ mean?”

Oscar’s question caught Naruto off guard. In the middle of all this, the knight wanted to know what it meant. The boy swallowed, forcing himself to speak through the lump in his throat.

“Sensei… it means teacher. But it’s more than that. It’s someone who shows you the way, someone you trust, someone who believes in you when no one else does.”

Oscar’s eyes softened. “Then I’m honored… to be your Sensei.”

Naruto held Oscar’s hand tighter, his tears falling onto the dirt and rubble below them.

As Naruto knelt beside Oscar, his voice cracked as he tried to force the words out, pushing down the lump in his throat. “I am proud to be your—“

“Squire,” Oscar whispered, his voice weak but full of meaning.

Naruto looked at him, confused, wiping at his eyes. Squire? What’s that supposed to mean?

“If you’ve given me the honor of being your sensei… then it’s only fitting I give you a title from my world.” Oscar’s hand trembled as he raised the Astora straight sword, lifting it toward Naruto with the last of his strength. “Squire means someone who follows a knight, who learns from him, someone who will one day become a knight themselves… someone who inherits the knight’s will and mission.”

Naruto’s tears fell faster now. This is happening. This was real. Oscar was knighting him. Even though Naruto didn’t understand at all what it meant, the weight of the moment pressed down on him, and he knelt beside Oscar, trying to stay strong, trying to be brave.

Oscar’s hand shook as he placed the sword on Naruto’s shoulder, the blade cold against his skin. His voice, though weak, carried a gravity Naruto had never felt before. “Naruto, I’ve never had a squire before… I’ve always walked this path alone. But now, I ask you to continue where I’ve fallen. To carry on my mission, to keep the torch lit.”

Naruto’s heart pounded, every word sinking deep.

Oscar’s hand lifted the sword to Naruto’s other shoulder, his movements slow and deliberate. “There is a saying in my family… ‘Those who are Undead are chosen.’ You’re leaving this place, this asylum. But it’s not just an escape—it’s a journey. A pilgrimage to the land of the Ancient Lords. When you ring the Bell of Awakening, your fate, the fate of the Undead… will be revealed.”

Oscar paused, his breath shaky, and Naruto held onto every word like it was the last thing he’d ever hear from him. “Now you know… And because of that, I can die with hope in my heart.”

Naruto bit down on his lip, his whole body trembling. He could barely see through the tears that blurred his vision. “Yes, Sensei,” he managed to say, though his voice was thick with emotion.

“I… I’m Naruto Uzumaki… Squire of Knight Oscar…”

Naruto's voice broke completely, and he clutched Oscar’s hand, squeezing it tight as if he could somehow hold onto him just a little longer, as if that grip alone could keep him here.

Please don’t go. I’m not ready.

“I’m sorry,” Oscar whispered, his voice barely audible, “but you’ll have to fight the demon... without the healing of Estus flasks.”

“Don’t worry, Sensei,” he said, forcing a smile through the tears. “I heal really fast. I’ll be fine.”

Oscar’s breathing was labored, but a weak smile touched his hollowed face, his eyes focusing on Naruto. “Naruto, I believe... you are the chosen undead.”

“I’ll make you proud, Sensei. I promise."
Oscar’s smile widened, if only just. “You already have.”

Then Naruto felt it—Oscar’s hand squeezed his, the smallest gesture, but it felt like everything in that moment.

Naruto didn’t know how long he sat there, feeling Oscar’s warmth slip away as the minutes passed. Time felt like it had stopped, the world outside forgotten. It was just him and Oscar, his hand in Naruto’s, his breath growing softer, weaker.

Oscar smiled—a weak, tired smile—and began to speak again. His voice was almost a whisper, but the words were clear, like they’d been ingrained in his soul.

The Knightly Precepts of Astora.

Naruto held onto every word, memorizing them, etching them into his heart as he watched the light in Oscar’s eyes flicker, then dim.

“And finally,” Oscar whispered, “a knight… never falters in the face of fear… nor does he waver in the face of death. He stands firm… even when all seems lost. A knight doesn’t go … Hollow.”

Oscar’s hand went still in Naruto’s, his breathing stopped, and the silence that followed was deafening.

Naruto felt like the world had collapsed around him. The room felt cold, empty. He sat there, clutching Oscar’s hand, staring at the sword that lay beside him.

Naruto didn’t know how long he stayed like that, his heart pounding, his mind spinning. But as he sat there, in the shadow of his fallen teacher, he made a silent vow.

I’ll carry on your mission, Sensei. I’ll ring the Bell of Awakening.

[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]

[ Weapons ]

- [ R Weapon 1: Astora’s Straight Sword ]

- [ R Weapon 2: Pyromancy Flame ]


- [ L Weapon 1: Crest Shield ]

- [ L Weapon 2: Fists ]


[ Armor ]

- [ Head: Elite Knight Helm ]

- [ Chest: Elite Knight Armor ]


- [ Hands: Elite Knight Gauntlets ]

- [ Feet: Elite Knight Leggings ]


[ R Weapon 1: 96 ] → [ R Weapon 1: 174 ]

[ Equip Load: 10.0 / 51.0 ] → [ Equip Load: 29.8 / 52 (57.31%) ]

[ HP: 573 / 573 ] → [ HP: 594 ]

[ Stamina: 93 ] → [ Stamina: 95 ]

[ Physical Defense: 73 (20) ] → [ Physical Defense: 118 ]

[ Magic Defense: 73 (13) ] → [ Magic Defense: 60 ]

[ Flame Defense: 99 (21) ] → [ Flame Defense: 67 ]

[ Lightning Defense: 59 (16) ] → [ Lightning Defense: 54 ]

[ Poise: 0 ] → [ Poise: 49 ]

[ Bleed Resist: 104 ] → [ Bleed Resist: 101 ]

[ Poison Resist: 194 ] → [ Poison Resist: 72 ]

[ Curse Resist: 35 ] → [ Curse Resist: 30 ]

Naruto whispered to himself, the words heavy in his chest.

“Precept the Fifth: A squire inherits the will, the arms, and the sacred duty of their master.”

He blew a hole in the wall using an explosive tag, watching as the dust settled around him.

The Asylum… it felt alive, rebuilding itself piece by piece, with some unseen magic. No matter what he destroyed, it would always come back.

As the dust cleared, Naruto caught a glimpse of his reflection in the shards of rubble—Oscar’s armor now fit snug against his body. The weight of it felt strange at first, but the moment he equiped Oscar’s items, they magically shrunk down to his perfect size. The Astora straight sword rested in his right hand, its gleaming edge catching the fading light, while the crest shield was strapped to his left arm.

He took a step forward, the armor clinking softly with every movement.

Multiple hollows charged at him, their rusty blades raised high. But Naruto was ready. His hand moved before he even thought about it—fast, fluid. In one swift motion, he drew the sword, cutting through the air with a sharp swish. Three hollows dropped, their bodies crumbling to the ground, defeated in a single strike.

The faint sound of an arrow whistled through the air, and Naruto felt his heartbeat quicken. Way of Focality.

His senses heightened, everything slowing down as he turned just in time, raising the crest shield. The arrow clinked harmlessly off its surface. He lunged forward, his body moving in perfect sync with the blade, driving it deep into the hollow’s chest.

“Precept the Second,” Naruto murmured, wiping the blade clean. “Honor thy weapon, for it is thy companion in battle.”

Naruto took a deep breath, standing at the foot of the stairs that led to the demon. He could hear its heavy breathing, the ground rumbling faintly with each exhale.

This is it. Round two.

He adjusted his grip on the sword, two-handing it now, the shield strapped securely on his back.

His feet moved silently, one step at a time, until he stood over the sleeping beast. Its massive form seemed even bigger now, its grotesque body sprawled across the arena.

I won’t let it get the better of me this time.

Naruto leaped into the air, raising the Astora straight sword high above his head, just like Oscar had done before. The air rushed past him, the world blurring for a split second before he came crashing down, the blade sinking deep into the demon’s flesh.

“Round two, you fat bastard!” Naruto yelled, the words spilling out of him as he drove the sword deeper, feeling the demon roar beneath him.

This is for you, Oscar.