The duel with the Round Table Knights didn't take Lloyd long.
Though their numbers were considerable—and while not every knight possessed extraordinary power—each had a distinct skill or talent. Their combined strength was nothing to scoff at, and through the battle, Lloyd came to understand why The All-Knowing had held such a dismissive attitude toward the others when the New Round Table was first formed.
The gap between the old and new Round Tables was so vast that "great" didn't even begin to cover it.
Yet even so, Lloyd still emerged victorious.
Of course, it wasn't solely his victory.
Though these were called knightly duels, the opposing knights didn't always fight alone. Some brought trusted companions with them—partners forged through deep bonds.
Lloyd wasn't shy about responding in kind. As they called for their allies, he summoned a few old friends from the world of Dark Souls.
—Naturally, with their power strictly suppressed.
Otherwise, not only would the fights be over too quickly, but the dungeon itself might not survive the collateral damage.
In the end, Lloyd faced the pair of The All-Knowing and Dolores.
One wielded a hypnosis crossbow, the other acted as a walking spell turret—their coordination so perfect that even a touch meant death.
To meet their combination, Lloyd thought for a moment, then summoned Nepheli, letting her serve as the avenging daughter for once.
Dolores wholeheartedly approved of the choice. After hearing about The All-Knowing's so-called "care" for Nepheli, she had been furious enough to see red. Even with her deep understanding of him—and her mental preparation beforehand—learning the full story had left her so livid that even now she still felt the urge to shoot an arrow straight through his head.
And if not for her position as a veteran of the old Round Table, she would have gladly stepped in herself to help Nepheli teach that self-proclaimed scholar a long-overdue lesson.
In any case, after The All-Knowing fell, the great doors of the Roundtable Hall opened once more. The golden fog gate behind them slowly dissipated, revealing a passage leading deeper inside.
Lloyd stepped through. Ahead stood a familiar, towering golden figure, beside whom was a dragon maiden still seeming somewhat dazed by her surroundings.
[Golden • Godwyn]
[Strongest Rock • Fortissax]
A combination he had faced once before.
But this time was different. With Seath busy stabilizing the dungeon's spacetime, he couldn't call on her aid, and Lloyd's own power was heavily restricted—reduced to a fraction of his usual strength.
Even so, it wasn't a problem.
He still had dragon allies of his own.
For example—
[Struggle Dragon • Bayla]
[Serene Dragon • Placidasax]
Though newly born and still in their growth phase, these two sisters inherited power of high divine rank. Even without reaching their full potential, their strength was formidable.
And so, once again, man clashed with man, dragon faced dragon.
The result mirrored the last encounter.
But unlike before—when Lloyd had achieved a flawless victory through perfect coordination with Seath—this time Bayla and Placidasax fought side by side, managing to win only after a hard-fought struggle.
Their natures were opposed, their temperaments incompatible, yet that very conflict made them understand each other deeply. When united in purpose, their coordination was near seamless.
There was, however, one minor problem.
No sooner had the battle ended—before the victory was even recorded—the two were at each other's throats again.
"Placidasax, that strike of yours was off, wasn't it?"
"I was fine. You were the problem."
"You aimed that dragon lightning right at my head, didn't you?"
"I'd assume any dragon with a functioning brain wouldn't charge straight into it."
"Oh, I charged into it? I'll charge into your face next!"
Before the argument could finish, they were already brawling again.
Lloyd spent a while prying them apart, soothing each one in turn. Once things finally calmed down, he sent them both back and had Greyoll keep an eye on them.
After returning the two young dragons, Lloyd exchanged a few words with Godwyn and Fortissax, then moved forward once more.
[Black Blade • Maliketh]
[Golden Order • Radagon]
The loyal hound of the Golden Order fell before Lloyd, Ranni, and Blaidd.
[Primordial King • Godfrey]
[Golden Goddess • Marika]
The most powerful god-and-king duo in the history of the Lands Between was defeated—and replaced—by Lloyd and Melina, mirroring their partnership.
But was this the end?
Of course not.
When the final god and king fell, the Royal Capital itself began to tremble.
Then, with a surge that shook even the fabric of space, the black Shadow Tree rose in a spiraling motion, coiling around the massive Erdtree.
Darkness consumed everything. From its depths, two colossal figures slowly emerged.
[Mother of Fingers • Metyr]
[Elden Beast]
This time, before Lloyd could even summon her, the ethereal maiden flowed forth from within his Law and stood at his side.
This battle was tougher than any before. Both opponents were beings of overwhelming power—existences far beyond the rest—and now, further strengthened.
Fortunately, after cutting through countless foes, the seals on Lloyd's strength had begun to loosen. The Elden maiden who aided him, inheriting the combined might of both Lloyd and Alice, possessed an essence surpassing that of any ordinary Elden Beast.
After a long and brutal struggle, victory finally fell to Lloyd's side.
To be fair, while Lloyd and the Young Elden Beast's prowess carried much of the fight, a portion of the credit also went to Metyr—strangely enough.
In short, though she possessed tremendous power (at least in raw stats), her reclusive, introverted nature as a "shut-in coder" meant she was completely hopeless in real combat. By the end, even the veteran Elden Beast was begging her to stop—she was holding them back so badly that it would've been better off fighting alone...
But in the end, the battle against Metyr and the Elden Beast was cleared.
With that, the Golden Dungeon came to its end.
Metyr opened a portal and promptly vanished back into her isolation. The old Elden Beast let out a deep sigh, scattering into motes of light—finally free, finally retired.
The Young Elden Beast looked around, confirmed there was nothing more for it to do, then slipped back into Lloyd's Law. With the Elden Ring in hand, it began its new duty—taking the place of the old beast.
Only Lloyd remained, standing still in the dark, his gaze fixed ahead—as though waiting for something.
...
Time passed.
In the endless void, even time seemed to freeze.
Lloyd stood unmoving. It could've been a second, or an eternity.
Then—three familiar notes echoed.
And a familiar figure appeared.
A faint glimmer flickered to life, a spark igniting within the infinite dark.
An aged figure, greatsword in hand, stepped forward out of the shadow—one heavy step after another—until he stood before Lloyd.
Then he lifted his head.
In the hollow depths of his eyes burned a flame laced with ashen gray.
"Long time no see, Gwyn."
Lloyd's gaze pierced through him—through Gwyn's body—to the black fragment behind him, its edges wreathed in gray fire.
A quiet sigh followed.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
Lloyd raised his sword, pointing it toward Gwyn.
Gwyn mirrored the motion, lifting his own blade to meet it.
Steel met steel. Flame erupted between them.
"I'll bring you home soon."