Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.65 Naruto vs The Taurus Demon

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Naruto shook off his surprise, quickly pulling the golden pine resin from his inventory. He smeared the resin along the Zweihander's blade, watching as golden lightning sparked to life, crackling and hissing with energy that made the air feel alive.

The demon raised its massive weapon, adopting a predatory stance as it let out another ear-splitting roar.

Naruto smirked, stepping forward, the lightning on his blade casting flickering shadows across his face. "Alright, you overgrown cow. Let's see what you've got."

The Taurus Demon raised its massive, jagged greataxe above its head—not to swing but to throw. With a guttural roar, it hurled the weapon like a spinning disc, the blade slicing through the air with a high-pitched whine.

Naruto leapt backward just in time, the greataxe slamming into the stone wall walk. The impact was devastating. The stone cracked and shattered, chunks of debris flying in all directions as a massive crater formed where the weapon struck. The force of the hit caused nearby sections of the wall to crumble, leaving jagged edges and exposed gaps.

Naruto's eyes widened as he landed on his feet, his breathing uneven. "Okay… let's not get hit by that," he muttered, his heart pounding. Even with his increased physical defense, he had no doubt that a single hit from that would send him straight back to the bonfire.

The Taurus Demon, unfazed, leapt down from its perch on the tower to retrieve its weapon. The ground shook violently as its massive frame landed with a thunderous crash, dust rising around it like a shroud.

Now's my chance! Naruto thought, activating Shunshin no Jutsu to close the gap. With the Zweihander raised high, he aimed for a precise thrust to pierce the demon's chest.

But it was a trap.

As Naruto's blade neared the target, the Taurus Demon grinned—a grotesque, mocking expression—and yanked its greataxe upward. The axe's blade caught the Zweihander mid-thrust, sending shockwaves up Naruto's arms.

"Crap!" Naruto gritted his teeth as his hands shook violently. His grip nearly faltered, but with a surge of chakra, he managed to hold onto the Zweihander. However, the strain left him staggered, and his Way of Focality warned him too late of the incoming attack.

The Taurus Demon swung its greataxe in a wide horizontal arc. Naruto barely managed to react, forming a quick Substitution Jutsu. In a puff of smoke, he appeared above the demon.

Time for a plunge attack!

But the Taurus Demon had learned from their earlier skirmish. It tilted its massive head upward, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto him with a sadistic gleam. With a roar, the demon dug its greataxe into the stone wall walk and scooped, hurling chunks of stone and debris into the air like projectiles.

Naruto's instincts kicked in.

Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Dozens of clones materialized around him, each reacting instantly. Clones on the ground deflected the flying projectiles with their weapons, shattering the chunks into harmless pieces. Meanwhile, the remaining clones threw themselves at each other, launching to either side of the wall walk to surround the Taurus Demon.

The real Naruto clung to the side of the tower, chakra anchoring his feet to the stone as he analyzed the chaos. One of his clones on the far side began hurling fireballs at the demon, each explosion lighting up the narrow battlefield.

The Taurus Demon turned, growling, and charged straight toward the fireball-throwing clone. The ground trembled with each thunderous step, and it was clear the demon wasn't flinching—despite taking the full brunt of the fireballs.

"Now!" Naruto thought, pushing off the tower with chakra-enhanced speed. He blurred across the wall walk in a burst of Shunshin, his Zweihander crackling with golden lightning.

The moment the demon reached the fireball-throwing clone, Naruto struck. With a downward slash, he brought the massive blade onto the demon's back, cutting deep into its thick hide. Blood sprayed in an arc as a massive gash opened, golden sparks dancing along the wound.

The demon roared in pain, spinning to face him, but two clones appeared behind it in perfect synchronization.

"Force!" they shouted in unison, their hands glowing white.

Shockwaves exploded from both, slamming into the Taurus Demon and momentarily stunning it. Its hulking frame staggered, caught off balance.

Naruto wasted no time. With another precise swing, he delivered a second downward slash, forming an X-shaped gash on the demon's back. Blood poured from the wound, and the clones moved in for a follow-up, thrusting their weapons toward its exposed sides.

But then, they froze.

[ Name: Taurus Demon ]

[ HP: 100 / 1,215 ]

[ This near-death experience has awakened the memories of the demon under its master. The Taurus Demon casts Pyromancy—Power Within. ]

The Taurus Demon's body began to glow with an eerie red light. Heat radiated off its form as blood ignited along its wounds, forming a fiery aura around it. The clones faltered as a sudden wave of oppressive heat emanated from the demon, melting the air around it.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he saw the numbers tick down.

[ HP: 99 / 1,215 ]

[ HP: 98 / 1,215 ]

Wait… is that spell draining its health? Why?!

Before he could process it fully, the Taurus Demon let out an earth-shaking roar. The force of the roar alone sent Naruto flying backward, his clones popping like balloons from the shockwave. He hit the ground hard, coughing as the impact rattled his ribs.

As he staggered to his feet, he got his answer. The demon, now burning with an aura of raw, fiery rage, charged toward him with renewed speed and power.

"The spell's making it stronger," Naruto realized, gripping the Zweihander tightly. "It's do-or-die now."

With golden lightning crackling on his blade and sweat dripping from his brow, Naruto prepared for the final phase of the fight.

The Taurus Demon snarled, hefting its massive greataxe high into the air. With a guttural roar, it slammed the weapon down into the stone wall walk, the sheer force of the strike creating a shockwave that snaked forward like a living serpent, tearing through the path with brutal efficiency. Chunks of stone were ripped from the ground, the cracks spreading fast toward Naruto.

Naruto's hands flew into a seal.

Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Two clones appeared instantly, both moving in tandem to use the Force miracle. White shockwaves erupted from their palms, colliding with the destructive wave of energy.

For a brief moment, it seemed like they might stop the attack. But the Taurus Demon's overwhelming power melted through their defense like a hot knife through butter. The clones disintegrated, popping in an instant, as the real Naruto used Shunshin no Jutsu to dart toward the relative safety of the tower.

The shockwave smashed into the tower with unrelenting force. Naruto gritted his teeth, chakra anchoring him to the floor as the magic barrier surrounding the structure absorbed the brunt of the attack. The impact rattled his bones and sent a deafening crack through the air. Barrels inside the tower exploded into splinters, wood scattering like shrapnel.

Among the wreckage, Naruto's sharp eyes caught something unusual: a small, stocky creature huddled inside the remnants of a shattered barrel. At first glance, it looked like a lizard, but its appearance was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. The creature's body was squat and covered in rough, uneven stone-like skin, as though it had been carved from a chunk of earth. Four short, stubby legs protruded from each side of its small frame, and its thick tail twitched slightly, curling defensively around its body. What truly stood out were the bright, blue crystals growing from its back, gleaming faintly despite being coated in dust and debris. The largest crystal jutted proudly from the center of its back, while smaller shards clustered around its sides, nestled close to the legs.

Naruto bit his tongue, weighing his options. The dust still filled the air, concealing him for the moment. He didn't have much time.

Two clones materialized beside him.

"You," Naruto whispered to the clone, pointing to the injured creature. "Take that thing and get it to safety. You go up and attack the demon."

The clone nodded, darting forward to scoop up the crystal lizard before leaping down the stairs to tend to its wounds. Meanwhile, Naruto transformed himself into a broken barrel, hiding among the debris as he waited for the dust to clear.

The Taurus Demon snarled, scanning the area, its yellow eyes glowing as the dust began to settle. Suddenly, a fireball streaked through the air, slamming directly into the demon's face. It howled in rage, turning just as the Naruto clone leapt from above, Zweihander raised for a plunge attack.

The demon wasn't caught off guard this time. With terrifying precision, it swung its greataxe upward to meet the incoming blade. For a split second, the Zweihander's edge collided with the demon's weapon, sparks flying as the two forces resisted each other. But the demon's raw power proved too much. The greataxe carved through the clone's body, shattering it in a violent explosion that sent chunks of bloodied flesh and shadow fragments scattering across the wall walk.

The real Naruto seized the opportunity. "Now!" he shouted internally, using Shunshin no Jutsu to appear on the demon's exposed flank. With all his strength, he drove the Zweihander forward in a brutal thrust.

But the demon wasn't done. Its hulking muscles tensed as it shifted its momentum, swinging its greataxe back with terrifying speed and force. Naruto barely had time to process the counterattack before he felt it.

The greataxe connected with his body like a battering ram, catching him square in the chest. The sheer force launched him backward like a ragdoll, the air leaving his lungs in an instant. He crashed into the wall of the tower with a sickening crunch.

The magic barrier around the tower absorbed most of the physical damage to the structure, but the reaction sent the force rebounding into Naruto's body. Pain exploded through him as he slid down the wall, collapsing onto the stone floor.

Every bone in his body felt like it had shattered. His ribs screamed in agony, his arms hung limp at his sides, and his legs refused to respond. His breathing came in shallow gasps, blood dripping from his mouth.

The only reason Naruto had survived was the blue tearstone ring—the magic ring activated in his critical condition, surrounding him with a faint blue aura that shimmered like a protective shield, its energy dulling the force of the otherwise fatal blow.

The worst of it, though, was the state of his armor. The once-pristine armor of Oscar—the armor that had been his shield and identity in this cruel world—was now in pieces. The breastplate had been ripped apart, the gauntlets shattered, and his helmet was missing entirely.

Naruto coughed, spitting blood as his half-exposed face glared at the Taurus Demon. His right eye twitched, blood running down the side of his face. He was angry—no, furious—but deep down, there was fear. Raw, primal fear.

His hands twitched as he tried to grip the Zweihander, but they wouldn't respond. His fingers felt like they were made of lead.

"At least… at least I'm still in the tower," Naruto thought bitterly, slumping against the wall. He had come so far, gotten so strong, and yet here he was again: broken, barely alive, clinging to scraps of survival.

The warmth of the Estus Flask pulled Naruto from the haze of numbness as he felt the golden liquid trickling down his throat. His vision swam as a clone knelt beside him, carefully tilting the flask to his lips.

"Come on, boss. Drink up," the clone urged, its voice steady but laced with urgency. Naruto groaned, his trembling hands too weak to grip the flask on his own.

Golden light spread through his battered body, knitting broken bones and sealing deep gashes. The pain dulled, but it didn't disappear entirely. It took three full gulps—administered by the clone—before Naruto's body had recovered enough for him to lift his head.

"Ugh… I still feel like I got hit by a mountain," Naruto muttered, managing to sit upright, though his ruined armor hung loosely on him.

He saw the clone carrying the unconscious crystal lizard cradled in its arms. "Hey, it's safe!" the clone called out triumphantly, holding up the creature like a prize.

Naruto blinked at it, still trying to gather his strength, and opened his mouth to tell the clone to get the hell out of danger. But before he could speak, the clone grinned and pointed to the system screen floating nearby.

"Boss, look!"

Naruto's blurry eyes focused as the words on the screen came into view.

[ Victory Achieved! ]

— [ 3000 Souls ]

— [ Humanity ]

— [ Homeward Bone ]

— [ Demon Greataxe ]

Naruto stepped out of the tower, his eyes locked on the Taurus Demon's smoldering remains. Flames crawled over the massive corpse, consuming it from the inside out. The air reeked of burning flesh, thick and acrid, while the crackling fire punctuated the silence. The demon's body was crumbling inward, undone by its final desperate spell.

A shadow clone appeared beside him, waving a hand in front of its nose. "Ugh, this thing stinks. Like burnt pork." It smirked, nudging him. "Hey, boss, think we could turn this into Taurus Demon ramen?"

Naruto didn't respond. His eyes remained on the burning wreckage, his fists clenched at his sides.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto exhaled slowly. "We didn't win," he muttered.

"What? It's dead, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, his voice tight. "But not because of me. It burned itself out. I just survived long enough for it to self-destruct."

The words twisted in his chest, bitter and heavy. He'd fought tooth and nail against the beast, thrown everything he had at it. But in the end, it wasn't his strength that had finished the job. It wasn't victory—it was luck.

The clone scratched its head. "But… dead is dead, right? Isn't that what matters?"

Naruto didn't answer right away. His gaze lingered on the flames as they devoured the last traces of the demon, leaving only ash. A glowing orb of souls hovered above the remains, and he reached out, absorbing the energy. The rush of power filled him, but it felt hollow.

The ashes scattered in the wind, leaving only scorch marks behind. Naruto's shoulders sagged slightly.

"We're going back," he said finally, his voice firm.

The clone frowned. "Back? But we can keep going now—"

"No," Naruto interrupted, shaking his head. "The merchant said there's a drake ahead. A humongous one."

"You think it's that red dragon from the bridge?"

"Yeah. After this, we're probably going to have to fight it."

The clone was silent.

"We're not ready for that," Naruto continued. "We barely made it through this fight. If we keep going, we'll get ourselves killed. I need to get stronger. Learn more jutsu. Then we'll come back."

"And the Taurus Demon?"

Naruto's eyes hardened. "I'll fight it again. And this time, I'll beat it with my own strength. No dumb luck. No shortcuts. When I'm ready to fight that dragon, I'll know."

The clone nodded, its usual grin replaced with quiet understanding.

Naruto took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders and adjusting the battered remnants of his armor. Without another word, he turned toward the bonfire. Lordran wasn't going anywhere.

But next time, the victory would be his.

And next time, he wouldn't just survive. He'd win.

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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P@treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P@treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 31, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!