Mihai: read his reappearance and reset your sword defence

Begin at Mihai’s crypt

The boss bar names him Mihai, Patron Saint of the Cathedral. If you have not reached him, use A Monk and a Saint for the symbol, courtyard grave and noisy-wall investigation. This page begins after that access route, as the crypt encounter starts.

The recorded opponent uses a sword. The guide focuses on the reappearance cue and the ordinary defensive read during this encounter.

When he vanishes, expect a close attack

At 0:54 in the fight reference, Mihai is ahead of Coen, then disappears from that visible position. The direction marker shifts right. He reappears beside Coen with a raised sword and immediately closes into the exchange.

1. Stop your attack when you lose sight of him.
2. Turn your view toward the direction marker to find his new position.
3. Read the incoming sword indicator as he reappears. A matching directional block is an option for a blockable attack. On a red skull, release held block and dodge clear.
4. Wait for that attack to resolve before beginning a counter.

The right-side return is what this opening shows, not a promise that he always returns on that side or after a fixed delay. Treat disappearance as a fresh attack read.

Take a short counter, then read the next windup

The 0:58–1:02 sequence shows Mihai moving from one sword windup into another exchange. Coen later lands a short strike, with a damage number and a reduction in the boss bar.

Use that rhythm as a cautious starting point: defend the incoming action, take a brief sword counter when it has finished, and stop to read the next raised blade or sweep. Do not assume the whole sequence is over because you answered its first attack.

This footage does not establish a fixed number of hits that is always safe. Your weapon speed and timing can change how much you can do before his next attack. The combat guide separates ordinary block, directional block, perfect block and evasion.

If his next attack keeps catching you

• You attack into empty space after he disappears: stop swinging and reacquire his position from the direction marker.
• A red skull breaks your defence: release block before dodging; the skull is not a directional-block prompt.
• You get caught while extending your counter: shorten the next counter and return to the new attack read.

These are response checks derived from the shown encounter and IGN’s narrated controls. They are not a measured hitless rotation.

Finish the conversation, then continue the sword quest

When the boss bar empties, combat gives way to a conversation with the fallen Mihai. He explains that the sword is broken and that its pieces were taken.

The published quest route awards the Broken Sword of St. Mihai; check your quest items after the conversation. It is not the completed Legendary weapon. Continue with Forge It Anew to gather the pieces and restore the sword. The reference video supports the conversation and broken-sword lead, but does not show a separate item-loot panel.

What the recording does and does not show

This guide follows Boss Fight Database’s September 5, 2026 upload. Its description says loading screens, menus and mistakes are edited out. The difficulty setting, installed patch and full equipment setup are not shown, so this is not a verified first-attempt or flawless strategy.

The source contains smoke alongside player ability UI as well as Mihai’s disappearance. This page does not assign every smoke effect to the boss, add a hammer phase, prescribe a build, or claim a complete moveset. Its practical scope is the reappearance read, sword-defence reset and quest handoff.

Related guides

• Reach Mihai’s crypt
• Restore the Broken Sword
• Defence controls and practice