Parrying a heavy blow, Edgar pinned the Grafted Blade Greatsword with his halberd. Bai Shi immediately dodged to the side and thrust his sword into Singh's abdomen.
But Singh neither dodged nor flinched, allowing Bai Shi's sword to sink into his gut.
Singh yanked hard. The immense force pulled Edgar off-balance, but he quickly steadied himself, leaning back and putting all his strength into a "tug-of-war" with Singh.
Blood sprayed from Singh's stomach. Realizing the abdomen was a relatively soft spot, Bai Shi immediately summoned all his strength to tear the wound wide open.
Blood gushed out, and some of his organs spilled forth, but this only served to fully unleash Singh's ferocity.
His eyes were fixed on Edgar alone. He had to take one of them down first.
Singh stopped pulling on the greatsword and instead lunged forward.
Edgar, already weaker than Singh, had to lean back just to keep from being pulled in.
Now that Singh had switched from pulling to pouncing, Edgar lost his balance and was immediately pinned underneath him. The heavy weight made his armor creak and groan.
Singh pressed one hand on Edgar's chest plate, preventing his escape, and opened his cavernous maw to bite down on him.If that bite connected, it could probably tear Edgar's entire head off.
Edgar instantly released his halberd, bracing both hands against Singh's upper and lower jaws, but he still couldn't stop the massive mouth from closing in.
Bai Shi's attacks relentlessly left new wounds on Singh's back, yet Singh paid them no mind.
At the critical moment, Evan rushed forward and emptied an entire bottle of Spark Aromatic into Singh's gaping mouth.
A violent explosion erupted inside Singh's mouth. Because they were so close, Edgar's face and hands were also blackened by the blast.
Thankfully, the explosion successfully stopped Singh. Edgar was safe, for now.
Singh rose and slammed an elbow into Evan, sending him crashing into the wall, his condition unknown.
Then he delivered a vicious kick to Edgar's abdomen.
Edgar's armor caved in from the blow. He rolled several times across the floor, spitting up a mouthful of blood, unable to get back on his feet.
Seeing both men badly injured, Singh turned to deal with Bai Shi.
Bai Shi had already backed away and was observing Singh's condition.
Singh was still weakening continuously. His fur had faded to a dark red, like clotted blood, and his muscles were atrophying. He could no longer wield the Grafted Blade Greatsword with one hand.
In exchange, however, all this lost life force was being converted into combat resources by the Grafted Blade Greatsword.
Singh stuffed his exposed organs back into his body, and the wounds on his torso were instantly and crudely sealed by a black mist.
Bai Shi was in a tough spot. The Grafted Blade Greatsword's resilience was absurdly unfair; as long as its wielder had a breath left, they could keep fighting.
Even if using it meant certain death afterward, its power in the heat of battle was terrifying.
If he were in better shape, he could have simply continued the battle of attrition. Singh's life force had to run out eventually.
He wouldn't even have to wait for it to run out completely; once Singh was too weak to even lift the sword, it would be an easy victory.
The problem was, his own condition was far from good. On the contrary, it was a miracle he could still fight at all.
He was out of both Crimson and Cerulean Tears. He didn't have enough FP to use a single skill, and his wounds had torn open again during the fight.
His spirit was also at its limit. Bai Shi was preparing to use his last charge of Fengling Yueying.
I have to use it while I can still move…
Singh charged, dragging his sword along the ground, but Bai Shi simply stood his ground, waiting for an opportunity.
"Swish! Swish!"
Several crossbow bolts whistled through the air. Bai Shi jumped, thinking another agent was present.
But the bolts rained down on Singh. Although the aim wasn't great and several missed, one lucky shot just happened to pierce Singh's knee. Singh immediately fell to his knees. Just then, two Godrick Soldiers rushed out from an adjacent room, throwing a large net over him.
Bai Shi was stunned. He was just about to activate his final resort; where did these reinforcements come from? Still, it was a good thing. Bai Shi wished more would show up.
Four more Godrick Soldiers then rushed out of the room, armed with brass shields and long spears, with crossbows at their waists. They were clearly the ones who had fired the bolts moments ago.
This group of Godrick Soldiers varied in age. Some were already showing signs of turning undead, while others looked to be only sixteen or seventeen.
They formed a circle around Singh with their shields up, their long spears continuously poking bloody holes in his body.
The net hampered Singh's escape, but using the Grafted Blade Greatsword for support, he managed to get back on his feet and tear through the netting.
Edgar struggled to his feet, a complicated expression on his face as he looked at the young soldier leading the group.
He had told him to stay and guard the residents. By bringing men here, what would happen to the people if their defenses were breached?
Yet, if he hadn't brought his men, the three of them would probably be dead by now.
Singh's body withered further, and his fur began to fall out. Even with two hands, he could barely swing the greatsword anymore, but he kept slashing because he no longer had the strength to get past the soldiers.
His strikes were blocked by the brass shields again and again, while the soldiers' spears continued to inflict damage.
Though a soldier was occasionally knocked down, another would immediately take their place.
Finally, Singh could no longer lift the Grafted Blade Greatsword. Powerless, he fell onto his back.
The soldiers surrounded Singh, waiting for Edgar to decide his fate.
Edgar and Bai Shi walked over to Singh. He now looked as if he was about to die of old age, a sight that made their hair stand on end.
The once incomparably burly Singh had wasted away into this skeletal figure right before their eyes. The Grafted Blade Greatsword was truly bizarre; no wonder it had been sealed away.
At this moment, the Grafted Blade Greatsword seemed to know it had failed again. Its surface reverted to a dull, lightless black, awaiting the next person to lift it and swear an oath of vengeance.
The fingers stuck to its hilt fell off one by one.
Evan, supporting himself against the wall, slowly shuffled over. Though he'd only taken a single elbow, his frame was the most fragile; that blow had nearly broken half his ribs.
Evan looked at Singh's eyes with pity. The pink hue in them was gradually fading; the effect of the Bewitching Branch was dissipating along with Singh's life force.
"Singh, at least wake up before you die."
Perhaps it was Evan's words that roused Singh, or maybe the control had simply weakened. In any case, at the end of his life, Singh finally regained his senses.
The "enemies" before him suddenly turned back into his friends. The mental confusion made it impossible for Singh to process the shift right away.
When he finally understood what had happened, two lines of bloody tears streamed from his eyes.
He had been used twice, had hurt so many innocent people, had harmed his friends…
He struggled to press his neck against the nearby Grafted Blade Greatsword. Proud as he was, he could not forgive himself for his repeated transgressions. Death was the only thing he could offer now.
But Bai Shi stopped him, saying seriously:
"Suicide is not a warrior's end."
"Let me grant you a final honor. This is my personal respect for your valor."
Singh looked at the Tarnished before him and slowly closed his eyes.
Burdened by sin, Singh did not expect any honor.
He simply felt that, as the vanquished, it was only natural for his fate to be decided by the victor.
Bai Shi raised his Lordsworn's Greatsword and plunged it into Singh's chest.
Singh did not struggle. He died peacefully, the greatsword standing upright in his body like a gravestone, chronicling the life of a tragic yet proud warrior.