Bai Shi stepped out of the room and glanced around.
He suddenly realized he didn't know which way to go.
Bai Shi thought for a moment and began to recall the general layout of Redmane Castle.
He remembered Redmane Castle was roughly L-shaped.
He needed to get to the very top of the L-shape, the deepest part of the castle, and to do so, he would have to cross a plaza.
For now, though, it seemed he'd have to find someone to show him the way.
Redmane Castle was still an active, managed fortress.
If he wandered around aimlessly, he might cause some unnecessary misunderstandings.
If someone were to barge into Stormveil Castle and wander about looking for him without permission, Bai Shi wouldn't be pleased.
It was out of line for anyone, regardless of their identity, to explore a castle at will without permission.So after some thought, Bai Shi headed back the way he had come.
The soldier who had escorted him earlier had introduced him to the area's administrator. He decided it would be best to find that person.
However, when he found him, the administrator's words were a little disappointing.
"I'm sorry, but Lord Jerren isn't seeing anyone at the moment."
Bai Shi was disappointed, but it couldn't be helped.
It wasn't anything urgent, anyway. He would surely see him once the combat festival began.
He could bring it up then.
But just as Bai Shi turned to leave, the administrator hesitated for a moment before calling out to him.
Although he wasn't a warrior himself, he could tell that Bai Shi's armor was extraordinary.
Still, you couldn't judge a person's true strength by their gear alone.
"If you're confident in your abilities, there might be a way."
Bai Shi turned back.
"Oh? And what might that be?"
The administrator recalled Jerren's previous words and began to explain.
"Lord Jerren once said that if a strong warrior can pass a certain trial, it will prove they have sufficient strength."
"He said he would personally receive any champion with great strength, because only a champion like that would have a chance of defeating General Radahn."
"But this trial... it's not something an ordinary person can overcome."
Bai Shi's interest was piqued.
The administrator's hesitant expression as he spoke of the trial made him all the more curious.
"What kind of trial?"
"You can tell me. I'm quite confident in my abilities."
Seeing that Bai Shi was determined to try, the administrator told him.
"This way to the plaza."
"There are two masters in the plaza, waiting for challengers."
"They are mighty warriors of the Redmane Legion. If you can earn their approval, you will be permitted to see Lord Jerren."
"There are no prerequisites to take this trial, but so far, no one has passed."
"On the contrary, more than a few have been seriously injured in the attempt."
"If you wish to go, I will lead the way."
From his description, Bai Shi had a good idea of what the trial was. It had to be the Leonine Misbegotten and the Crucible Knight.
"Alright. Please lead the way, then."
"But won't that be a problem? What if someone else comes looking for you while you're gone?"
The administrator shook his head.
"It's fine. We have other staff. I'll leave them in charge."
"More than that, I wish to see a champion who can finally bring peace to General Radahn..."
The Redmane Knights sincerely hoped that General Radahn could find peace.
It was one of their deepest wishes.
Their other wish was to cleanse the land of the Scarlet Rot.
However, they had fought this battle for countless years and had come to a grim realization:
with their strength alone, it was likely impossible to completely eradicate the Scarlet Rot.
So, they had to at least grant General Radahn a dignified end.
Bai Shi followed the administrator, making his way through the entirety of Redmane Castle.
There were hardly any residents left in Redmane Castle; the only people to be seen were militiamen in common soldier attire.
Bai Shi saw something and suddenly stopped.
"What... is that?"
The administrator followed Bai Shi's gaze.
It was a massive iron contraption, almost like a coffin.
Its body was shaped like a large bell, and its face was a pale mask of a weeping woman.
Two thick chains extended from where its arms should be, dragging a pair of heavy sickles.
"Ah, that... It's a type of war automaton."
"I'm afraid I don't know much about them, but they are very useful on the battlefield."
"I have no idea where these weapons came from. Rumor has it they were a gift from General Radahn's brother, Praetor Rykard, but I don't know if that's true."
Bai Shi looked at the rusty, blood-stained Abductor Virgin.
As if sensing his gaze, the Abductor Virgin turned to face him.
However, the automaton didn't attack. After a moment, it resumed wandering aimlessly.
He had no idea how it worked.
The automatons of the Lands Between were truly strange things.
Passing the main buildings of the castle, Bai Shi arrived before a large plaza.
In a room just before the plaza, there was a Site of Grace. Bai Shi went to light it first.
Within the sanctuary of the Grace, Bai Shi stored his Dragonslayer's Swordspear and took out the greatsword he had acquired earlier.
His Dragonslayer's Swordspear was already heavily reinforced; it would be far too easy to seriously injure them with it.
This was just a spar, after all. There was no need to kill them, as one would in a game.
Bai Shi was confident he could easily win, even against the combined assault of a Crucible Knight and a Leonine Misbegotten.
In that case, he would use the greatsword.
It was as crude and heavy as a lump of iron. A blow from it would still cause serious injury, but that was better than having a limb lopped off.
Shouldering the greatsword, Bai Shi stepped out from the sanctuary of the Grace and entered the vast plaza.
From the entrance, he could take in the entire plaza at a glance.
The walls were adorned with the banners of the Redmane Knights, and ropes were strung high above the square.
Hanging from these ropes were all manner of weapons and shields, likely trophies from the Redmane Knights' past victories.
Every creature within the plaza immediately turned its attention to Bai Shi.
A Leonine Misbegotten was crouched in a corner of the plaza. It rose to its feet upon seeing him.
A Crucible Knight stood atop a high wall nearby, watching him.
"Another challenger?"
The Leonine Misbegotten rose from the ground, revealing its scar-covered torso.
It picked up its greatsword and walked toward Bai Shi.
It stared at the crude greatsword in Bai Shi's hands, then spoke.
"That sword... doesn't belong here."
Bai Shi was a bit surprised that the Leonine Misbegotten could speak.
In his memory, the one he fought, Singh, had never uttered a word.
Then again, Singh had been under the influence of a Bewitching Branch at the time, so it made sense that he hadn't spoken.
And in the moments before his death, when his senses returned, the Grafted Blade Greatsword had already drained his life force, leaving him too weak to speak.
Besides, Smithing Master Hewg was a Misbegotten, and he could speak perfectly well.
Looked at that way, it wasn't so strange that a Leonine Misbegotten could talk.
"Yes. The carriage transporting this sword was destroyed by giant dogs and crows. I happened to be passing by. I've already dealt with them, avenging the escort in the process."
After hearing Bai Shi's account of how he came to possess the greatsword, the Leonine Misbegotten spoke again.
"I see. It seems the blade was not content to lie dormant."
"Since you have come here, you must know what is expected of you."
Bai Shi lowered the greatsword from his shoulder, held it with both hands, and pointed its tip toward the Leonine Misbegotten.
Seeing that Bai Shi was ready, the Leonine Misbegotten let out a roar and charged.
It leaped high into the air, bringing its greatsword down in a vertical slash.
Watching the creature, Bai Shi was reminded of Singh, the Leonine Misbegotten he had fought at Castle Morne.
But this one was far more seasoned than Singh, both in combat experience and raw power.
Bai Shi took a step forward and swung his greatsword up to meet the descending blade.
The jumping attack carried not only the force of the swing but the full weight of the Leonine Misbegotten's body.
The force was immense, yet Bai Shi parried it with ease.
Not only that, but a surge of power from Bai Shi's own blade sent the Leonine Misbegotten flying upward.
The creature did a backflip in midair, using the small wings on its back to right itself before landing steadily on the ground.
The Leonine Misbegotten's expression was one of surprise. Then, its fur began to stand on end as its fighting spirit surged.
It had been a long, long time since it had encountered someone who could match it in strength... no, someone who was even stronger.
Leonine Misbegotten were different from their ordinary kin.
Ordinary Misbegotten were a haphazard mix of traits from other races.
But in the Leonine Misbegotten, the aspects of the Crucible manifested almost entirely in beneficial ways.
Their builds were taller and more powerful than those of their kin, their limbs strong and slender, and their tails and wings provided perfect balance.
It was as if they were perfectly optimized for combat.
"Ah, a warrior truly worthy of that greatsword."
"In that case, I can no longer hold back."
The Leonine Misbegotten laid its left paw on its greatsword. As its claws scraped across the blade, the entire weapon burst into flame.
This was the famed flame of the Redmane Knights—the Redmane Flame.
As a member of the legion, the Leonine Misbegotten naturally knew the technique as well.
The Leonine Misbegotten charged at Bai Shi again, swinging its greatsword in a wide arc.
Bai Shi simply brought his own greatsword down in an unadorned chop.
But before it entered Bai Shi's range, the Leonine Misbegotten abruptly twisted its body.
It swiftly changed tactics, deftly converting its forward momentum into a sidestep that caused Bai Shi's sword to miss.
Pivoting on its right foot, it spun around. As its back faced Bai Shi, it prepared to unleash the Redmane Flame.
As it completed the turn, it unleashed a spray of Redmane Flame, its greatsword swinging in a wide arc right behind the flames.
The heat of the Redmane Flame was intense, but it wasn't enough to defeat Bai Shi.
Instead of raising his greatsword after the miss, Bai Shi instantly reversed his grip, pointing the tip straight down.
As Bai Shi dragged the massive blade, it gouged a deep trench in the ground and simultaneously kicked up a towering wall of wind.
The wall of wind blocked the Redmane Flame entirely, and the vertical greatsword caught the Leonine Misbegotten's blade.
Wind and fire collided, but a figure shot out from the clash.
Bai Shi burst through the curtain of flames and delivered a powerful kick.
The Leonine Misbegotten blocked with its greatsword but was still sent flying.
Its claws gouged long trails in the ground, sending flagstones flying.
Bai Shi went on the offensive, using nothing but simple, unadorned slashes that befitted the greatsword.
The Leonine Misbegotten raised its greatsword to block horizontally, only to be crushed to the ground by the force of Bai Shi's blade.
The flagstones beneath its feet buckled and cracked.
Bai Shi's current Strength attribute was 40.
Even without using the power of a Great Rune to enlarge his form for even greater Strength and Dexterity, he still possessed the power to overwhelm the Leonine Misbegotten.
With a great heave, the Leonine Misbegotten deflected Bai Shi's greatsword, causing it to thud heavily onto the ground.
The Leonine Misbegotten immediately leaped backward, creating distance.
"So strong! Truly strong!"
"Champion, you have passed the trial. You have my acknowledgment."
"But I am sorry, I cannot let this battle end here. Show us the full extent of your power!"
*THUD*
The Crucible Knight, who had been watching the fight from the high wall, jumped down.
"Mighty warrior, now you shall face the two of us together."
"This is not an attempt to overwhelm you with numbers. We simply wish to see the true measure of your strength."
"...Whether your strength is enough to bring an end to General Radahn's suffering is of the utmost importance to us."
The Crucible Knight and the Leonine Misbegotten stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes filled with longing and hope.
The combat prowess Bai Shi had demonstrated so far already surpassed that of the Leonine Misbegotten.
He was already an exceptional champion for the combat festival.
But Bai Shi seemed to be holding back, so they wanted to witness this champion's true potential.
If he truly possessed the power to defeat General Radahn.
They would bestow upon him the Ruins Greatsword, a treasure of Redmane Castle, so that he might wield that powerful weapon in the battle against the general.
The Ruins Greatsword was a weapon far mightier than the one he now held. With it, his chances of success would surely be greater.
Bai Shi hoisted the greatsword onto his shoulder.
It felt good to stretch his limbs after so long, and he was pleased.
"Very well. I came here for the express purpose of giving General Radahn an honorable end."
"My strength will put your minds at ease."
The moment Bai Shi finished speaking, the Crucible Knight charged, thrusting his horned greatshield toward him.
Bai Shi kicked the face of the shield, halting its advance, then swung his greatsword to block the Crucible Knight's follow-up slash.
Seizing the opening, the Leonine Misbegotten attacked from Bai Shi's flank, bringing its sword down toward his shoulder.
The two were well-coordinated, their timing perfect, leaving Bai Shi almost no time to react.
But Bai Shi was far from helpless.
He released his right-hand grip on the greatsword, contending with the Crucible Knight using only his left.
With his free right hand, he swatted at the Leonine Misbegotten's descending blade. Gauntlet met steel, knocking the greatsword aside.
With the strength of only one hand supporting the block, the force holding back the Crucible Knight's sword lessened.
The Crucible Knight seized the chance to thrust forward with his greatshield. As the Leonine Misbegotten's sword hit the ground, it freed a paw from its hilt and lunged with its claws.
Bai Shi leaped backward, dodging both attacks.
Seeing Bai Shi's immense strength, the Crucible Knight and Leonine Misbegotten grew even more ecstatic.
They regrouped, preparing to attack once more.
Bai Shi's own battle spirit soared. The coordination between the Crucible Knight and the Leonine Misbegotten was superb, leaving him virtually no time to react.
However, their battle was interrupted by a somewhat aged voice.
"That's enough. Do not be discourteous to a champion of the festival."
"I understand your eagerness, but that is no way to treat a guest."
"Besides, his strength far exceeds your own. You won't be able to gauge his true power."
The three of them looked up toward the source of the voice.
On a high platform overlooking the plaza stood an aged knight in peculiar attire.
"Forgive me for not coming out to greet you."
"Storm King of Stormveil, I ask your pardon."