Chapter 61: Fleeting Accord

"If you don't come back soon, someone else will take advantage of you!" Yuri said, not in a good mood, blaming her for not refusing.

Benjamin watched as Emily was tightly held in Yuri's embrace, feeling an indescribable discomfort. It was as if his organs were all mixed up, a tremendous sense of powerlessness that entangled his heart like resilient seaweed, suffocating him, leaving him unable to escape.

"How did you escape?" Emily broke free from his embrace, still filled with surprise. Her eyes, as dark as ink-black agate, shimmered with lively flashes of light, captivating Yuri.

"Well, I'm not as foolish as someone else. I just escaped like that!" Yuri explained, without really explaining. He couldn't help but taunt Benjamin, as this process shouldn't be described too complicatedly. Women are fond of beauty, and if Emily knew that he had made her bleed in front of so many people, she would go crazy.

After going through so many twists and turns, they returned to square one. The three of them started planning to rescue Bloodblade once again. Yuri and Benjamin, rarely in agreement, convinced Emily to give up on Bloodblade. This unity felt like brothers born from the same womb.

However, Emily insisted on saving Bloodblade. Even if Bloodblade wouldn't help them find the Spirit Staff, at least Emily would live with a clear conscience. Emily didn't like owing others; she had been like that even when she was just an ordinary university student, insisting on splitting bills with the wealthy Olivia, Charlotte, and Ava.

Yuri and Benjamin exchanged a glance, nodding helplessly, as if they had no choice but to agree.

Observing their tacit understanding, Emily couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.

"We can't go back to the Lesamba tribe's lair. We have no idea where Bloodblade is. Even when I tried to pry information from Alexander... ahem... " Yuri almost let slip but pretended to choke on his own saliva, pausing before continuing, "I tried to find out, but Alexander keeps his mouth shut and refuses to reveal Bloodblade's location."

"I agree, we can't go back. Alexander has suffered a big setback this time, and he will be even more cautious than before. If we go again, it will only be suicide. Moreover, after so many attempts, we've only gotten ourselves injured and put in danger. We can't continue like this blindly." Benjamin followed up with Yuri's statement, the two of them continuing their unspoken agreement, unaware of it.

"So, what do you suggest then?" Emily managed to hold back her laughter and asked.

"My idea is to directly ambush at Tuo Mountain and wait for the right moment to act. Only during the blood sacrifice can we see Bloodblade. It's our only chance and the best opportunity," Yuri said.

Benjamin nodded. "That's right, it's our only option."

"But facing the entire Lesomba tribe, won't it be too dangerous for us to do it this way? And how do we ambush?" Emily didn't believe that the barren Tuo Mountain, devoid of any vegetation and filled with sheer cliffs, had any hiding places.

Yuri smiled proudly. "Before I came back, I had already investigated Tuo Mountain. The altar has been set up, and we can ambush underneath it."

"Wow, Yuri! You've thought of everything!" Emily couldn't hide her excitement.

Benjamin was skeptical and raised an eyebrow. "How big is the altar? How big is the platform? Can it accommodate three people? It sounds like a fantasy!"

"I've already figured it out. Emily will fly high in the sky, at a distance where the vampires can't see her. I will be hiding beneath the platform. Once I find Bloodblade, I'll give a signal to Emily, and she will come down to pick us up," Yuri explained as if it were a simple matter. However, Emily couldn't possibly fly over from such a far distance quickly. She thought running would be faster than using wings.

"What about me?" Benjamin asked anxiously.

Yuri pondered for a moment. "You... you stay here and wait for good news from us! You'll be the backup. If we can't come back, you can still go and rescue us!"

"No way! I also want to participate in the rescue!" Benjamin refused to accept this obvious attempt to belittle him, and he was getting angry.

Emily looked on helplessly as the two of them went from being in accord to being at odds again in such a short time.

"Just you? You're weak and defenseless! If we don't rescue Bloodblade and end up having to take care of you in the end, you'll just be causing trouble for us!" Yuri sneered, his face full of disdain.

"You..." Benjamin raised his fist, but Emily quickly stepped in between them, preventing a disaster. She didn't know if their fight would end up destroying the villa!

"Both of you, stop it!" Emily glared at them, realizing that time was running out, and they still had the leisure to fight each other here.

"Yuri, I think your plan..."

"Do you have a better idea then?" Yuri interrupted Emily, knowing that his plan had numerous loopholes. But it was the only way to keep Emily out of danger. He wasn't truly invested in saving Bloodblade, and if things didn't work out, it would be easier for him to escape alone while Emily remained in a safe area. He could let go and take a chance.

"Now, rest well and gather your strength. The day after tomorrow, we'll give it our all in the battle!" Yuri placed his hands on Emily's shoulders and said solemnly.

Emily nodded firmly.

"Promise me that you won't put yourself in danger. We'll do our best, but if we can't save him, we'll give up. Don't risk your life in vain!" Yuri continued.

"Okay!" Emily nodded seriously, finally putting Yuri's mind at ease as he went to the basement.

"Hey! You two, share a bed and no fighting!" Emily teased the two of them, bouncing up to the master bedroom on the second floor. The final battle was approaching, and Emily wasn't afraid. Instead, she felt a faint sense of anticipation, as if something was about to ignite inside her. She could feel that spark growing stronger.

...

On the day of the Crimson Moon Festival, the three of them acted according to plan. Of course, Benjamin wouldn't just obediently wait at the villa. After Yuri and Emily had left, he disguised himself and secretly joined the procession of the Lesamba tribe heading towards the altar. There were so many people, and the atmosphere was bustling, so he wasn't suspected by anyone. What's more, he had even dressed himself as a woman.

However, the troublesome part was that because he looked good, several people had approached him to strike up a conversation. Benjamin regretted making himself look so pretty. He should have added a few moles on his face. But then he realized that even as a human, vampires didn't have moles. Even if they had them before their transformation, their skin would become flawless and pale afterward.