"You again... damned Tarnished! To think you'd crawl back here to throw your life away. You've wasted the mercy of our Lords!" Ravenmount's eyes burned with a hunger to tear the Tarnished apart.
"Mercy? That's rich," the Tarnished sneered. "I think they're just terrified."
"How arrogant! You think you can shake the foundations of the Mohgwyn Dynasty?"
"Fine, fine. I don't have time for your monologue. I hope you're still this chatty when I'm holding Mohg's charred head by the horns."
"Die!" Ravenmount dissolved into a black wind, hurtling toward the Tarnished.
"You first..." The Tarnished met the wind head-on. He caught the assassin in a crushing bear hug, leaped high into the air, and slammed him into the stone floor with bone-shattering force. Before the assassin could phase away, the Tarnished's hands, wreathed in frost and gold, tore through his chest.
"AAAAAGH!!" Ravenmount's shriek was a mixture of agony and pure, primal terror. The Tarnished ended it with a hammer-like punch that pulverized the assassin and the ground beneath him.
"I wonder if the Old Barbarian would give me points for form on that one," the Tarnished muttered, rotating his wrist. "What do you think, Yura?"
"Ha... ha... It's you," Yura exhaled, his body finally giving out as he slumped to his knees. "I owe you again... a magnificent strike. Forgive me for this pathetic display."
"Don't worry about it. Rest up. I didn't expect you to chase Bloody Fingers all the way to Liurnia."
"Time is short... I must find the Violet Bloody Finger."
"Eleonora?"
"Yes," Yura's fists tightened. "She is the most dangerous of them all. Even lost to the madness of cursed blood, she maintains her honor. She will face her enemies with everything she has."
"Right. But be honest... do you actually stand a chance against her?"
Yura froze. If he struggled with Ravenmount, how could he hope to defeat the woman who had mastered the poleblade?
"Look, I won't interfere in your personal business," the Tarnished said, "but if you can't handle it, call me. I think we're past the point of being strangers. We're friends now."
"But—"
"You're worrying about the wrong thing. You should worry about whether she meets me before she meets you."
Yura laughed weakly. "True. But if you find her first... please, leave her to me. We must have our reckoning."
"A friend's request? I'll take it for free. Don't die, Yura." The Tarnished waved over his shoulder and stepped back toward the Academy.
The Academy of Raya Lucaria was stunning. Beyond the meticulous stonework, the mists of Liurnia lent it a dreamlike atmosphere, making it feel like a castle suspended in the stars.
"If it weren't for the students in creepy masks, this place would be a five-star resort."
"A Tarnished? How did you get in?! Leave at once!" A group of glintstone-crowned apprentices emerged from a side hall.
"Seriously? I've got my eyes covered. How does everyone know I'm a Tarnished?"
"Your wretched aura gives you away!" one apprentice shouted, raising his staff. "Glintstone Pebble!"
The Tarnished dodged the blue bolt. "Did the magic turn your brains to mush? I went through a lot of trouble to get a key. Won't you show me around?"
"You are not welcome!" they shrieked. They lacked the composure of scholars; they were more like a frenzied mob.
"Fine. Since you won't be reasonable..." The Tarnished drew his Newel Moon and slammed it into the floor. A wave of frost raced across the tiles, flash-freezing the apprentices into silent ice sculptures. "I'm not a murderer. Stay there for a bit. You'll thaw out by the time I'm done with my tour."
He boarded the massive lift. As he ascended into the heart of the Academy, two "Superior" apprentices ran out from a nearby chapel.
"Stop! Unauthor—" They froze as the lift doors opened to reveal the Tarnished, his aura thick with the scent of a demi-god slayer.
"Step aside if you don't want to bleed. I'm just here for a visit. Don't make me do something we'll both regret."
"Y-you..." The sorcerers' hands trembled. "You attacked our gate guards! You think we're easy prey?"
"I heard your Queen Rennala is under house arrest. Does this Academy actually have any real leadership left, or are you all just playing dress-up? If I have to go through the whole school, I will. But for your sake, move."
The two sorcerers looked at each other. Most of their combat forces had been sent to the Carian front. They didn't have the numbers to stop a man like this. They stepped aside.
"Please... do not cause further damage. You are strong, but we have our pride."
"As long as you aren't idiots like the guys downstairs, we're cool. By the way, they're just frozen. A little fire will fix them up."
The Tarnished entered a grand chapel-like hall. Rows of desks were piled high with books on glintstone theory. But as he explored, Godrick's Great Rune began to pulse within his chest. It was reacting to something nearby—a Rune Arc.
He circled the room until he found a section of the wall that looked... off. He touched it, and the illusory wall vanished. Behind it lay a small, somber crypt. At the feet of a statue of a woman knelt a desiccated corpse, clutching a shimmering Rune Arc.
As he took it, the Arc dissolved into his chest, and for the first time, the Great Rune was fully awakened. A blinding golden light filled the chapel. The Tarnished felt the surge of power—it was the sensation of reclaiming a lost Grace. But as he watched, the golden hue in his eyes flickered and vanished, though the strength remained.
The Vortex, he thought. Melina had mentioned a strange "swirl" inside him that consumed the essence he absorbed.
Outside, the two sorcerers saw the light and breathed a sigh of relief. They were definitely going to tell their superiors they "negotiated" with a god-level threat.
At the next Site of Grace, Melina appeared, accompanied by Aurelia (the jellyfish).
"Aurelia's spirit seems very stable now," the Tarnished noted, petting the translucent head.
"She told me she wants to help you... she wants to fight by your side," Melina said.
"That's right, Ranni gave me that bell and some wolf ashes... I haven't really used them."
"That is because you are already so powerful," Melina said softly.
"Heh. You're getting better at compliments, Amé."
Melina went silent for a moment. "There are Stake of Marika effigies scattered across this land. Near them, you can use the Spirit Calling Bell. Since the Golden Order is broken, only these stakes can bridge the gap to the spirit realm."
She looked at him seriously. "Your Great Rune is awake. You are now, for all intents and purposes, in the same league as the Demigods. Even without the blood of a god, your power is undeniable."
"Speaking of Demigods... why is there a Great Rune in this Academy? I felt its presence the moment mine woke up. It's here, somewhere."
"I... I am sorry. I do not know," Melina replied, frustration clouding her eyes. Her memories were still a locked door.
"Don't apologize. We'll find out soon enough. Whether someone here stole one or if it was a gift... once it's in my hand, the truth will come out."