While searching for the road, Lucian heard the sounds of fighting coming from a stretch of ruins in the distance.
Since he hadn't yet found the path he was looking for, he decided to go take a look.
If it was the Cuckoo bullying Albinaurics, he could always grab a lone one and ask for directions.
However, the ones currently engaged in combat were not the Cuckoo he had expected—
But an old acquaintance he hadn't seen in a long time.
Yura, wearing a massive iron kasa hat and wielding the long katana Nagakiba, was fighting against a strangely dressed opponent.
That enemy was cloaked in a pitch-black feathered mantle, and the weapon in his hands was a set of claws—relatively rare in the Lands Between.
This was one of the Bloody Fingers of the Mohgwyn Dynasty—
The Ravenmount Assassin.
But as the saying goes, the stranger the weapon, the faster one dies—and "an inch longer, an inch stronger" is no joke.
Nagakiba was the longest katana-type weapon in the game, with a truly terrifying attack range.
The Ravenmount Assassin was being completely suppressed by Yura.
He had to take two or three slashes from Yura just to manage a single hit in return.
And Yura fought while retreating, controlling the distance with slight footwork, continuously getting in free hits on the assassin.
This was even more pronounced when he used combat arts like spinning slashes and thrusts.
From a considerable distance, he could still wound the Ravenmount Assassin.
Moreover, Yura was highly experienced in fighting Bloody Fingers and was thoroughly familiar with the incantations they commonly used.
So even when the assassin cast the Mohgwyn Dynasty's unique blood incantations, he could do no more than force Yura back slightly.
The Ravenmount Assassin could only counterattack when using Raptor of the Mists to evade, leaping into the air and striking downward in the same motion.
Lucian watched quietly from the side, concealed by invisibility.
Yura still looked fairly composed.
Although the wounds inflicted by the claw weapon were bleeding heavily, his opponent was clearly on the verge of collapse.
Finally, at a certain moment, the Ravenmount Assassin from the Mohgwyn Dynasty could no longer hold on.
He left behind a cloud of black mist on the spot, then turned and fled.
Naturally, Yura did not let him escape, giving chase immediately before launching a thrust.
This time, Yura deliberately used a one-handed thrust—
Because compared to a two-handed thrust, it extended roughly half a body-length farther.
However, the Ravenmount Assassin once again used Raptor of the Mists, springing upward and narrowly evading the attack.
Yura continued pursuing him, but after only a few seconds, he abruptly halted.
From the ruins of a nearby building, another figure clad in the same black feathered cloak suddenly sprang out.
The hooked claws in his hands slashed toward Yura.
Yura stopped and planted Nagakiba in front of him, blocking the flurry of incoming claw strikes.
It was obvious—
This was reinforcements summoned by the Ravenmount Assassin.
Yura frowned.
Just now, he hadn't noticed the opposing Bloody Finger using any method of communication at all.
This person must have rushed over from elsewhere; otherwise, they could have simply attacked together from the start.
Still…
If there were only two Bloody Fingers, and one of them was already in poor condition, then perhaps...
Just perhaps...
There was still a chance to keep them both here.
Just as Yura was considering how to quickly finish off the heavily wounded Bloody Finger first, yet another Ravenmount Assassin leapt down from a rooftop nearby.
At the same time, the first assassin Yura had been fighting had already turned back around, blood dripping from his claws as they gleamed coldly.
Three Ravenmount Assassins formed a pincer formation, silently surrounding Yura.
Yura's heart sank.
Cold sweat poured down his back.
He hadn't expected there to be three of them.
Looks like today, this was where it would all end.
If possible...
He'd take two of them with him.
The Ravenmount Assassins moved in unison, attacking from three directions and sealing off all of Yura's escape routes.
But at that very moment—
A figure suddenly appeared beside Yura.
After revealing himself, Lucian neither exchanged pleasantries with Yura nor wasted time speaking to the Ravenmount Assassins.
With one hand, he grabbed Yura by the shoulder and, riding the power of the storm, hurled him straight up into the air.
After throwing Yura away, Lucian lowered his stance—
And Moonveil, the famed blade at his waist, burst forth from its sheath in a flash.
As Lucian spun in place, a deep-blue crescent of moonlight erupted outward from his body, sweeping across the surroundings in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree arc.
In an instant—
The heads of two Ravenmount Assassins were sent flying high into the air.
The sole assassin who reacted in time and leapt upward didn't even have a moment to feel relieved—
Before a second, straight-down Transient Moonlight cleaved him cleanly in two.
Yura landed on the ground just in time to witness the scene, his eyes widening in shock when he saw who it was.
Lucian sheathed the spotless Moonveil, then finally turned to look at Yura.
"Yura, how did you end up surrounded like this?"
"You didn't even manage to finish off a Bloody Finger this time?"
Yura looked at Lucian—
And smiled.
He had also heard of Lucian's deeds over the past few days.
He was pleased to hear that Lucian had become the Lord of Stormveil, and happy as well that other Tarnished now had a place of shelter.
"I was careless," Yura said slowly.
"I thought it was just an ordinary Bloody Finger, but it turns out they were… somewhat different."
"Had you not intervened, I fear I would have lost my life here."
Lucian waved it off.
"What were you doing here?"
"Going after Bloody Fingers without gathering intelligence first, that doesn't seem like you."
Yura replied,
"I have finally tracked down the Bloody Finger I've been searching for all this time—Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger."
"There are reports that she has gone to the Altus Plateau, seemingly in search of something."
"Because of certain personal grudges, I must stop her… or kill her."
"Along the way, I discovered signs of other Bloody Fingers."
"It was a sudden encounter, so I didn't have time to gather information. I was only worried that he might escape."
Yura shook his head. He really had been too reckless this time.
He had nearly capsized the boat himself.
Lucian nodded and continued,
"So you're heading for the Altus Plateau now?"
Yura looked troubled as he gazed toward the distant Erdtree.
"I want to go."
"But I can't find a way to get there."
"The Grand Lift leading to the Altus Plateau has long been occupied by the Cuckoos, and I don't possess the medallion."
Lucian thought for a moment. Yura wasn't weak.
Although he probably couldn't defeat a Magma Wyrm head-on, passing through its lair should still be possible.
So Lucian spoke up,
"I've heard that at the far end of Liurnia, deep in a ravine, there's a hidden tunnel that leads to the Altus Plateau."
"If you want to try, you could go look for it."
"But I've also heard there's a Magma Wyrm there—whether that's true or not, I can't say."
Yura fell into thought.
A Magma Wyrm… the creature born of those who devoured dragon hearts and practiced Dragon Communion.
Some Magma Wyrms were stronger, some weaker. Yura couldn't say with confidence that he would definitely make it through.
However, since they were once human, the incompatibility between soul and flesh often left them dormant for long periods.
If he were lucky, he might be able to pass through without fighting at all.
Yura raised his head and looked at Lucian.
"Thank you for the information."
"I still wish to go and see for myself."
"There is something I must say to her—words I must deliver, no matter what."
Seeing that Yura had made up his mind, Lucian nodded.
"Good luck."
"Thank you."
From the Ravenmount Assassins' corpses, Yura retrieved the Ash of War Raptor of the Mists and handed it to Lucian. Then he added,
"If you're heading for the Academy, you can go that way."
"From that rooftop, you can reach the broken bridge without being noticed by the Cuckoos at the gate."
"As for how to actually enter the Academy, though—I can't help you there."
Lucian followed the direction Yura pointed to. A collapsed building leaned right up against the broken bridge, forming a convenient path.
"Alright. That helps a lot."
—
After the two parted ways, Yura braced himself against the nearby ruins, coughing up blood again and again.
He felt the parasite writhing inside his body, sending waves of pain through him as he gasped for breath.
"Damn parasite… it hurts more and more…"
"Looks like this body won't last much longer."
"Eleonora… I will free you from the cursed blood, no matter what."