Though the manor had fallen into disrepair, the spirits of the brave still lingered, unyielding in their duty. As the Tarnished pressed deeper, he encountered spectral soldiers—their forms shimmering and blurred. It was hard to tell if they were Carian regulars or reinforcements sent by Rykard or Radahn, but it hardly mattered. Their physical bodies were long gone, and the manor they guarded was a ghost of its former glory.
As the Tarnished reached the upper levels, he was stopped by a group of Carian sorcerers. They spoke of a formidable guardian ahead: Royal Knight Loretta.
Loretta had once been the "Knight among Knights," the only member of the Carian line to hold the rank of Royal Guard. Her sole duty was to protect Queen Rennala. However, during the Queen's seclusion and the Academy's uprising, Loretta had been absent, traveling to the distant Mountaintops of the Giants.
"Wait, why would a Royal Guard leave her Queen to go to the mountains?" the Tarnished asked, perplexed.
The sorcerers explained that Loretta, heartbroken by the Queen's deteriorating state, had sought a miracle at the Haligtree. Legend spoke of a saintly maiden there who could soothe any troubled mind. Furthermore, rumors persisted that Loretta herself was an Albinauric—or at least, she felt such deep pity for the "unhallowed" race that she sought a sanctuary for them within the Haligtree's boughs.
By the time the Academy rebelled, Loretta was already far away. She had left the defense to Moongrum and her peers, but she had also left behind a powerful Spectral Silhouette to guard the Royal Moongazing Grounds. It was thanks to this ghost that the Cuckoo Knights had never truly conquered the inner sanctum.
"She guards the path with a bow that can take a life from a thousand paces," a mage warned. "The silhouette only recognizes those with the Carian soul-resonance. To her, you are a trespasser. She will show no mercy."
The Tarnished stepped onto the Royal Moongazing Grounds—a serene courtyard centered around a shimmering pool, designed for ancient lunar rituals. As he crossed the threshold, a massive magic circle erupted from the water. A knight in silver-gold armor, mounted upon a powerful warhorse, materialized from the mist.
Loretta's Phantom did not speak. She charged instantly, her silver war-sickle cutting through the air in great, sweeping arcs of blue magic.
The Tarnished was no longer the same man who had struggled in Stormveil. Having endured the flames of the Fire God and absorbed the power of countless runes with Melina, his movements were lethal and precise. As Loretta's horse leaped into the air for a downward strike, the Tarnished performed a mid-air pirouette, the Crescent Blade glowing as it sheered through the phantom's sickle.
He followed up with a heavy slam of the Aspects of the Crucible: Tail, sending the horse and rider skidding across the water.
Loretta rose instantly, her form manifesting a colossal, sapphire-blue bow. She drew back the string, gathering the surrounding mana into a single, world-piercing arrow: Loretta's Mastery.
"Impressive," the Tarnished muttered. He sheathed his blade and reached out with his right hand. Red, draconic energy swirled around his arm, transforming it into a massive Dragon Claw. He caught the magical arrow mid-flight. The impact nearly pierced his palm, but he held firm, crushing the arrow in his grip and redirecting the condensed mana back at the phantom like a cannonball.
The explosion tore through Loretta's chest, and the silhouette dissolved into sparkling dust.
Behind him, the "audience" of mages watched in stunned silence.
"Such power..." one whispered. "I'm glad we didn't make an enemy of him."
"Heh," a Troll knight chuckled, "If Lady Ranni were here, do you think she'd take him as a consort? He's certainly fierce enough!"
"Quiet, you fool!" a mage snapped, hitting the Troll's foot with a staff. "The Princess is missing and you're playing matchmaker?"
The Tarnished didn't stay to listen. He exited the grounds and emerged onto a wide, rocky plateau known as the Three Sisters. Giant glintstone crystals sprouted from the earth, glowing under the moon.
"Iji said Ranni's base is here... but where?"
Aenophe appeared, pointing toward the west. "The towers, My Lord."
As they moved toward the middle rise, the ground shook. A massive dragon with scales the color of the twilight sky descended, blocking their path. Its wings were crystalline, and its breath smelled of cold magic.
"Tarnished, go no further! Retreat at once!" the dragon boomed in a deep, telepathic voice.
"A talking dragon? Rare. But I'm going through," the Tarnished replied, hand on his hilt.
"I am Adula, Knight of the Dark Moon!" The dragon reared back, preparing to unleash a moonblade from its maw. But before it could strike, Iji's voice echoed in Adula's mind.
(Wait, Adula. Let him pass. He is my guest... my apologies for the late notice, he is faster than expected.)
(Iji? You would let a stranger approach the Lady? What if he is a threat?) Adula countered.
(Look at the weapon at his side, Adula. Look at the soul within it. You of all creatures should understand.)
Adula's dragon-slit eyes narrowed, focusing on the Crescent Blade. The dragon's pupils dilated in shock.
(That blade... how...)
(No one is truly alone, Adula,) Iji's voice whispered. (Even the deepest Dark Moon has stars to follow her. How much more so for a New Moon?)
Adula snorted, a plume of cold mist hitting the ground. The dragon slowly stepped aside, bowing its head in a silent, grudging acknowledgement.