<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Bloodedge]

Another round began almost as quickly as Yugi was restored. He wasn't in the business of wasting time when sex was on the table, unless said waste of time involved greater gratification later. Rie had already signed herself up for this as well, so her thoughts on being reentered were invalidated in Yugi's mind. He dived right back into her womb and slammed away with more vigor than he even had available during the start of their encounter, partly due to existing fatigue and partly due to the lower level at the time. They'd both have something else to focus on while he plunged into her, though... as that increase in Intimacy pushed her well over 50%, which meant...

[BOND THRESHOLD REACHED]

Bond Route: Hoshimi Rie
Intimacy: 50%

Designation Confirmed: Shadow Concubine

Rewards Unlocked:

For Yugi:
• Preta's Hunger
Yugi can absorb mana in any form and convert it into his own mana pool.

For Hoshimi Rie:
• Lake’s Reflection
Hoshimi Rie can create a reflective barrier of pale water-like mana that absorbs and redirects incoming attacks with increased force.

System Message:
Hoshimi Rie is now your Shadow Concubine.

While Yugi was mulling over the most broken version of his build thus far, Nao was trying to keep the feeling in his body while inspecting the Concubine Key. Miko raised an excellent point; he probably shouldn't be teleporting to the house from this location. "You're right. Should we still go to my place?" he asked while using that key like a small weight, as though retraining his arm. While he still had the Inventory screen open, Miko deposited quite a few things into it. He'd only just noticed the shirt on his torso, and now there were gardening tools, seeds... and a phone that others apparently couldn't even fiddle with. It was quite the care package; the System was incredible for quality of life. "That's so much! This is way better than awakening!" Nao announced excitedly. If Miko agreed to visiting his house before any teleportations were done, Nao would be taking a few more minutes to regain his bearings. Of course, they did still have a bit of touring to do as well. That alone would carry them through sunset. . .

[Apollymi]

Rie was soon enough going to learn of the System directly. Her conscious decision to allow this lad to keep this up, around the time of his secondary entrance into her body, had her seeing a System notification. receiving a key to the house, and some new abilities. She'd look into those eventually, but for now, she'd fully enjoy the lad giving his all with his physical form. She couldn't wait to see what was coming next, and she'd be plowed, her body bucking back against him for as long as it took. "Questions later..." she added as her hips continued to move against him. If he was strong enough to resist her even some, she could easily enjoy their continued dance for several more orgasms and until a bit of draining occurred naturally. It would be some significant amount of time later, that her face would be in the mattress and her loins would be quivering uncontrollably, as she orgasmed hard enough to send her reeling agian.

At the same time, Miko would be chatting with Nao for quite a while yet. He couldn't yet move and she wasn't going to do anything but let him enjoy the afterglow. He agreeded that it wasn't a good idea to teleport from a non-private place. "I'd be fine visiting your place, if you'll have me♪~" Miko agreed. She wouldn't want to intrude, yes, even as she basically invited him to live with her already. Beyond that point Miko gave the man several gifts, and he seemed to think it was better than awakening. HIs reactions were so fresh and she was happy she'd not destroyed him completely. "Tehehehe♪~ I'm glad you think so♪~" Miko said. Well, technically speaking for him this was all benefits. And they'd spend some time recovering, then walking around the botantical garden until sunset. Miko would eventually be walking with Nao again, this time towards the exit of theg garden and maybe towards his apartment... " So, did you enjoy the tour? I thought It was pretty cool♪!~" Miko said of the gardens themselves, not that she'd found anything else unenjoyable about the day.

Meanwhile, the Aokigahara Forest was having an interesting thing happen outside of it. A blonde girl with her hair in a tight bun wearing a black mini-dress which almost seemed victorian in-style, Her eyes were narrow as she walked up to a line of armored guards near the entrance and didn't even pause to look at them. "Don't even bother, I'm going in." she said just those few words and many guards simply looked the other way, with the main one making a call to the association. Because while certain things couldn't even be stopped a certain kind of warning would be going out.

[Bloodedge]

Yet another one was added to the Shadow Concubine list for Yugi today. Rie put off any questions until later, fitting both of their preferences for the moment. Over time, Yugi kept thrusting and thrusting. Since his mana had been fully restored, he wasn't even worried about the draining effect coming back. In fact, Yugi now had an ability that could circumvent it. Again and again, he spewed into Rie's womb. Long before he stopped, it would be impossible to keep it all in. He didn't even have to take a loss in doing so, as contact with Rie allowed him to replenish his own mana before it lowered too much. They were in an endless cycle perpetuated by a mutual draining, though... Yugi's Fatigue meter was still climbing. He had every intention of fixing that eventually, and maybe not making the puddle of spunk below Rie too large... but would that even be allowed? Well, it didn't matter, as he seemed perfectly content to ram one massive expulsion into the woman while holding tightly to her rear. There had been no proof of impregnation being possible with a Player's involvement, but... if it were, he intended to find out through Rie.

At the same point, Nao was finally back in action. He'd remained in Miko's company to complete the botanical garden tour, and now had a moonlit stroll through Tokyo toward his apartment. A few other System-related facts were shared along the way ─ none too major, but all worth knowing. They left the gardens with Nao looking through seeds from both in and out of the System, having acquired some from a friendly-yet-mysterious vendor whose face he couldn't even recall... and Miko asked if he enjoyed the tour. "I did! I'll definitely be back again. We'll have to pass the office to reach my apartment. If the garden is already in the forest, I could try planting some of these seeds from either pack. Would that be alright?" he asked. Nao was clearly excited to start gardening ─ especially as the tools Miko deposited into his Inventory tab seemed to have some bonus gardening abilities. Alas, there was more to worry about than tilled land and the like... especially for the Players. Something truly massive was within the Aokigahara Forest, and it was only a matter of time before the System itself took notice enough to send a warning. The only requirement was that intruder crossing a threshold that would also reveal to her the free-roaming Shadows on the castle grounds.

[Apollymi]

Rie found herself in a puddle of bodily fluids in the middle of her new bed. She was being pounded into her. She knew that time was passing but it didn't seem like the lad was meant to be stopping after his latest energy resurgence. The movements that they were both taking part in, seemed to be building towards many great things. Rie was still twitching and she was sure her womb had been filled numerous times, she wasn't sure if pregnancy was an option given the fact that there was a whole dick inside her womb. She didn't know if that was possible, but the world was rather odd. Too bad she couldn't be bothered to think of anything but what she was currently doing. "If I didn't mention this is the best thing ever!~" she choked out as she moved her own hips back and forth. There was something to be said about Rie's enjoyment and the fact that she didn't have to always hold back, seemed to be feeding intimacy just a little, another 5 percent increase would happen for the lad.

Meanwhile, Miko and Nao were finishing up. There had been something quite interesting about that vendor, but Miko couldn't really remember him either. No matter, Nao's excitement was well worth any oddity that occurred in the day. Apparently, Nao's apartment was on the other side of the office Miko had visited earlier in the day. He wondered if he could do some planting afterwards, if the plot was already up. "Of course, and even if you wanted or needed a separate plot it'd be pretty easy to put up. I considered a greenhouse of somesort, but I didn't know if you might want to be part of that instead," Miko said thinking about it for just a moment. "But yes, you can definitely plant something today. I'll even help~" Miko claimed assertively. All the while, as they mvoed about towards his apartment, Miko following along and happily encouraging Nao's hobbies. A certain young woman was moving throught he forest. For a place where deaths took place very day, she took great solace in everything she walked past. she also felt a bristle of power. She had a long dark sword drawn and it was glowing with gentle blue rings up the middle. Bodies, dotted the landscape, but it wasn't until she saw the first Shadow Soldier that she tightened her grip on the sword. She'd watch for just a bit, hopping up into a tree to get a good view first. Training kicking in...

[Bloodedge]

Yugi was prepared to be in for the long haul with Rie. He could spend the rest of his night working her over, raising that Intimacy meter higher, without a second thought. He'd already done so much that his dick and semen couldn't both fit within Rie's body simultaneously, causing the latter to flow out constantly onto the mattress. The way he was ramming, there was also no avoiding it ricocheting off his own lap and onto her rear, all while his thrusts aimed to physically push her down into the puddle below. Five additional percent was gained as Rie asserted this to be the best thing ever. "Not yet it isn't~" Yugi asserted, his right hand landing firmly atop her right buttocks. Alas, he could truly go no further, by no fault of his own...

Yugi stopped everything at once, mid-thrust, as if his body had been claimed by some other force. A threshold was passed by that young woman in the forest, placing her within the Base Core's range. In that moment, the soldiers within his shadow lost their sense entirely. His shadow visibly moved as though by violent possession, and he stopped to view an urgent notice. In fact, it wasn't just Yugi ─ he wasn't the only one to receive it. This notification stopped even Nao, who thought he was about to have a relaxing time gardening in some fertile soil by morning. Indeed... there was something so noteworthy happening, more than just the Players were made privy to it. The System sent a single message simultaneously to both Players, as well as every single Bondmate who'd reached the Concubine threshold and acquired a key. The notice read:

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — DOMAIN BREACH〕

Warning.

A catastrophic threat has entered the domain.

Threat Assessment: Extreme

The intruder is currently within Aokigahara Forest.

System Message:
This presence is far beyond current Player capabilities.
Survival is not guaranteed.

[Apollymi]

Rie was experiencing a level of depth of penetration she'd never known before and each stroke felt lovely. It was messy and exciting. She couldn't have done anything else, but enjoy herself still... as Yugi teased it wasn't there yet, she wondered what else he could possibly show her. And she got a hint, the first little taste that the lad's actions were starting to fit the personality he showed more often than not, as a firm hand landed on her ass cheek. "Ugh!~ Don't stat stuff like that... setting expectations is dangerous~" she teased as if the lad hadn't been exceeding expectation that he didn't know existed. No matter, something would always get in the way and in this case it was... the thing that Rie had warned about as even she received a notification. She read it blinked and sighed. "Goddamn cockblock," she uttered knowing that very few things could register as a threat to the kind of group the lad would have amassed. And that didn't count whatever his partner was up to.

Speaking of the partner, Miko had been walking and chatting with Nao. It was rather easy going and she was excited with him to spend an evening gardening. She'd likely have filled in the after with a few other activities, but... that was simply her nature. Until of course she stopped. Her shadow had gone crazy moving in such a way as to make her body go still mid-step as if she'd been paralyzed once more. She was being read a warning message which made her anxiety spike. "Why does it need to sound like that, calm the fuck down, Brainface," Miko uttered under her breath. "This is a first. How far to your apartment. I'm going to check it out and I'll text you when everything is fine," Miko said with a certain amount of assurance she didn't know where it came from. No matter.

While Hoshimi Eri scouted and counted a number of shadow creatures she'd never seen before as new prey, a threshold she crossed without even knowing recognized her as an enemy. Various others were given a notification, including both Ai and Kaguya. That pair had settled back into the Onsen routine, with Ai being the one to bring up an out method for both of them to get out of Miyuki's sight for a short while. "Yuki-tan let me borrow Kaya-tan for a bit... girl emergency!~" she offered if nothing else was said they'd be running off to Ai's room to head back to the castle. Meanwhile Tae had managed to extricate herself from Gojo, that consultation of his having left her an odd amount of satisfaction, she was actually earnestly studying the way his abilities affected space around his form. "Fascinating," she murmured softly "And you can always just heal damage?" she questioned as a notification popped up. "What the hell does this place consider a catastrophic threat?!" All the while the study of Hoshimi Eri continued, "Oh? They're really organized. Whatever boss is at the center of this Dungeon Break must be intelligent," she determined, as she watched shadows move to protect areas and search for something. "Oh, wait are they looking for me?" her eyes widened. No wonder this place was being guarded. This had to be some sort of new kind of creature.

[Bloodedge]

Just as things were about to ramp up once more in Rie's bedroom, a notification had Yugi pausing everything. Rie called the cause a 'cockblock', and Yugi completely agreed. On the other hand, legitimate warning messages from the System were not to be taken lightly. "Fuck," Yugi swore as he settled within Rie's core. This had to be acknowledged without hesitation. To do so, he also had to be at 100%... so that hand on Rie's ass immediately served the purpose of draining her mana until he returned to full capacity. "I need to take this back. The System has only sent a couple of real warnings like this. I can't wait around," he said. With that, Yugi gave Rie one final slam before pulling himself out. He equipped his 'combat' clothes, stood, and backed away. "I'm guessing I know who this is, though. Should've taken the time to get more info, but... whatever. Let's see how far I can get in the first meeting. Quick notes: Basic isekai mechanics. There's a key in your inventory that can open a gate to your room in the castle. Twenty minutes. If you don't think it's handled by then, use that. Ja~" And with that, Yugi was gone.

At the same time, Nao was wondering what he was even supposed to do. They were a couple of blocks away from his apartment, and now there was a warning he expected to have some involvement in. Alas... Nao wasn't even an awakener, though he now had one ability. It seemed Miko didn't have use of it. She spoke as if she'd be parting with him to handle the apparent issue. "Right. I'd probably just be in the way, huh? My place is a couple of blocks down this road. Are you going to be alright?" he wondered. That warning didn't look like something to take so casually.

Back at the castle itself, there were quite a few movements being made. One noteworthy activity was the impromptu end of Tae's 'treatment' of Gojo Satoru. Gojo was just about to answer the woman's question when he, too, stopped for the notification. What could be considered a national threat? "Bands on bands~" Gojo answered cheekily, as if he knew the level of power required. In fact... he knew what kind of power had entered the area. Shadow Soldiers were accumulating around the castle's perimeter to stand guard. In a matter of moments, Yugi would be stepping out of the castle itself, Igris at his right and Iron at his left. He didn't know if Miko would be appearing immediately, so action was decided upon first. Sharingan scanned the area, but he did not yet see the 'threat' so close. As such, he expanded his shadow forward to call out... the spider queen. "Go," he ordered with an eerie grin, sending the massive insect forward. The spider would be spawning her brood to more effectively find, or bait out, one Hoshimi Eri.

[Apollymi]

Yugi swore as he also read the message which sounded a bit more urgent. Rie for her part in this was upset at her younger sister's timing. She'd have to make sure that if she ever got to the point of understanding things properly, she experienced such a thing from the opposite end. It would only be... fair. For now he needed something back, energy. Rie's eyes widened as she felt the inverted pull of mana from her body directly. She lost quite a bit pushing him back to 100 percent. "How the fuck did you do that?!" was her first question. Even now, she felt immediately wobbly and fell forward, crawling towards the pillow end of her bed so she could roll over and relax. "Well, it wouldn't be good to let her rampage oranything, she won't immediately attack a human target though," she said taking a deep breath. A few seconds later she was pulling out that System phone and setting a timer for the twenty minutes that he lad required. "Noted. I'll pop up in 20 minutes whether it's good or not. But I can stop her if it gets out of hand, just don't die," she pointed out. Eri wasn't like her, she didn't recognize him and wouldn't take it easy, if he attacked her she'd try to kill him.

Meanwhile, Miko was discussing things like she was calm, but any who knew her, would know she was simply putting on the brave face. She knew the truth, that the System didn't give warnings about things that, weren't life threatening. She heard Nao's words and looked at him, reassurance came from her as she processed his statement. "Iia, that isn't it. I'm brave facing... I don't want you to worry. Everyone is useful, and I am sure there is a way to utilize you that wouldn't have you be anything but your best self. But the System doesn't give arbitrary warnings, whatever is at the house currently can kill us, so... I wouldn't force anyone to accompany me there," Miko stated honestly. "It probably won't take the whole night, or even a couple of hours... after everyone gets active if it's needed. If you want to come, I'd say for you to stay in your room for a while, if you'd rather I text you when it's all clear I could do that too..." Miko asserted as they made their way towards his apartment. She'd make sure he was safe, knowing that Yugi would cover the front end of the problem initially without her interference. She could take care of this part of her separation first.

Meanwhile, Tae had been about to get to the more scholarly part of her adventure, only to be confronted with a problematic issue. Something had invaded and it required the monarchs attention. As a person who had decided to side with them of her own accord, she'd accept the call to arms without problem. "Bands on Bands? That's noncomformist speech. They'll be here soon... I guess another war game is in order," Tae mentioned. "Pausing this but I am still curious," she mentioned. But certain kinds of things too precedence over her. Though Miko would be a bit longer, and today was a perpetually late day... the arrival of one of the castles monarchs would have shadow spiders moving about. Hoshimi Eri was perched watching the movements of Shadow Soldiers andnoting the amount of intelligence such a thing had to take. Of course, while she did this a different kind of creature began moving. Spiders were less grounded than the soilders a few were climing trees and the Queen was moving about in the distance. In just a few moments, Eri would begin by slaying spiderling to maintain her position. It didn't take much, a quick sword swing but... it was odd that it'd come straight up to her.

[Bloodedge]

Yugi didn't wait around to answer Rie's question about the absorption. He could have simply informed her that her own route produced such a power, but it was imperative that he reach the castle immediately. He did have time to find out Eri wouldn't outright attack a human, which was useful information. Regardless, he was soon standing in front of that massive throne at the castle entrance, sending off the spider queen. Eri would have to deal with the infant spiders long before the soldiers became a real problem, and that... would be the moment he determined her location. Once her sword cleaved through the nearest spider, she'd quite possibly witness the web attached to its other end. The queen's brood couldn't be reformed as normal Shadows were, being mere summons of a proper Shadow, but they did still serve many purposes. Since the queen knew where Eri was... Yugi was also alerted. "Just inside the barrier. Iron," he ordered with no details, sending the former Tanker toward Eri's location. While Yugi made this effort to see what kind of damage output this woman would bring, he scanned Inventory ─ realizing he'd yet to check Makima's additional presents from earlier. Lo and behold, he'd soon be seeing something he needed for quite some time now. . .

Nao didn't think he could be useful in whatever situation Miko was moving toward, yet she believed there could be a possibility. She simply didn't want to drag anyone else along. It was an act of kindness, but Nao also considered himself a realist in this situation. She was undoubtedly stronger than him. If he got involved, he truly would just be in the way. "I'll stay at home for now. There's a threat to your house; I don't think it'd be best for me to be anywhere in the area," he decided as they entered the final block toward his apartment building. "That building over there," he pointed out, nodding down the road. Meanwhile, Gojo and Tae weren't the only ones readying themselves. Aki, of all people, was barreling down the hall, repeatedly yelling "Not again!" with great conviction as he brandished a katana in his right hand. His left hand kept that fox sign at the ready long before he entered the courtyard where Yugi stood. Ah, but there was another still. Akiyama Anan had been meandering around the castle since his arrival. Mention of a threat was mention of future excitement for him. With that being the case, he was already standing atop the castle's roof to search for the intruder himself. "What's the situation?! I'm not letting another house go down when I just moved in!" Aki shouted at Yugi, who shifted his gaze in the former yakuza member's direction. That man was more winded than a simple trip downstairs entailed... but that wasn't important now. "Relax. I'm doing a test for right now... but if things reach that level, there's nothing to be done about it," he answered honestly.

[Apollymi]

Yugi didn't stay around to hear what Rie had to say. That was fine. With an alarm set she'd take quite a few minutes to get her life together, perhaps take a shower and confront her younger sister in the way that only a big sister could. Yes, she'd do exactly that. And as such after Yugi's teleportation, Rie stood, on legs that wobbled, with a gush of seminal fluid leaking from between her legs to leave a trail on the way to her shower. Meanwhile, Eri had killed a baby spider and watched for a few seconds as a line attached to it went slack as it twitched in death throes. 'Oh? Are more coming?' Eri wondered she wouldn't be dropping immediately... no she'd only be dropping when something else came her way. When that happened that sword pointed downward would be waiting to pin something down swiftly before being drawn again. Her desire to kill it as quietly as possible before moving on, running it through the top of the creatures head and then landing on it to pull it out.

Meanwhile, Miko was finishing up with Nao. he didn't think it was his current place to interfere and Miko respected that. She smiled at him and looked forwards towards his building. "Hai hai, give me your apartment number, I'll come back and pick you up. For some late evening gardening♪~" Miko asserted as if she knew everything would be alright. She didn't but she had faith enough in her partner and herself that things wouldn't get too far out of hand. With that and a quick peck to the lad's cheek, Miko would wait for that apartment number and then, use Misdirection. She fully intended to make sure attention shifted to the crowd in general walking the streets so she could disappear without a trace and reappear in her own home where she'd rather quickly be making her way up front. A different young woman with white hair and a gun was on the roof as well, having gotten that announcement and deciding to see if it was somthing to be taken out from a distance. She'd find Anan in the same place. "Just looking for a fight, huh?" she commented with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Just the same... Kaguya and Ai were making their way in, both of them appearing battle ready by the time they slid in too. "What's going on? Do I need to perimeter check? Do you know what's out there?" Ai asked, her rifle over one shoulder as if she was ready to go hunting.

[Bloodedge]

Iron was sent forth to follow that spider's path, all because Yugi was curious to know if the defensive Shadow Soldier could survive anything that woman had to dish out. He'd have his answer soon enough. Eri descended upon the armored Shadow with a sword that easily pierced its target's head and torso, prior to any preparations even being made. In that moment, Yugi got to learn how quickly one of the strongest Shadow Soldiers was felled... because his mana was already depleting a bit. Ah, but there was something for Eri to realize as well. Iron was felled, but then... he was not. The Shadow reconstituted itself, roaring a battle cry with that shield at the ready and a battle axe held high. It seemed that even without Yugi's direct instruction, Iron was ready to swing that massive weapon down on the blonde woman.

All the while, others were assembling around the castle's exterior. Anan was joined on the roof by his former 'prison' mate, who figured he was just looking for a fight. His attention had just been grabbed by Iron's roar, opening his senses to the intruder. A fight... was not what he wanted at that point. "Heh. A fight? Nah. Not today," he said. As a former boxer, Anan understood a very important rule. Featherweights should never try to challenge a heavyweight boxer; it was a suicidal thing to do. "Yeah... herd somebody else to that one." Anan's decision was very easy to make, but Aki's was not. Yugi urged him to fall back. He didn't know why just yet, but surely that wouldn't remain the case as others joined the line of ready combatants. Ai was the next to speak after her arrival with Kaguya. Yugi raised a hand, further discouraging any advancements. "What's going on is the problem I figured would happen when I tried telling Kaichou not to make securing the forest's perimeter a big deal. Your best bet right now is to avoid making yourself look ready to fight. Iron was just taken out in less than two seconds," he said, not yet realizing Iron was inspiring other nearby Shadow Soldiers to join a charge against the intruder.

[Apollymi]

A tank inspired Shadow Knight was dealt with by Hoshimi Eri in a single manuever. She didn't expect anything to be a real challenge to her until she got further in, but still... watching things here move about was quite odd. It wasn't like the normal chaos of a high ranking dungeon. And things would only get stranger. By the time she took her first steps, a noted shift was happening. She'd not even fully cleared the area where that monster had gone down, only to find it... reforming immediately. Her eyes widened in surprise as she naturally raised her arm to stop that battle axe from coming down onto her. She pushed against it, leaning in and spinning, fully intended to cut it in half. And it wasn't just that one. Others were soon rising as well. "Hoh? There's something worth fighting here after all..." she mused aloud as she began the work of mowing down any that attacked her properly.

Meanwhile, a cigarette smoking gunner appeared near her former prison companion. He wasn't looking for a fight? That meant the person at the other end was someone he was sure wouldn't be beaten. "Sou ka..." she said. She abused Chimera's senses, extending her own perception far beyond the mansion to the end of the barrier where she found a familiar face among the shadows. "I agree. No one told me she was working... definitely not worth it," she stated. "About time you saw a threat for what it is!" Chimera chided seemingly huffy as a creature. At the mention that a shadow had been taken out in less than two seconds, both Kaguya and Ai held up their hands in surrender and Ai's gun disappeared back into her Inventory. "Well above my paygrade, Kage-tan~" she said playfully. Meanwhile, Miko was appearing. "Oh? That's all it takes, when you first saw us you shot first♪~" Miko said pouting as she appeared near Aki her hand extending towards his fox signed hand. "Put that away... no Ice Shelling, Aki-nii♪~" Miko added as she looked to Yugi and sighed. She'd eventually expected to encounter such a problem but not while she was actively on a date. "I left my human scared, what's so big we're getting a warning about it? And what do you need me to do?" Miko wondered seemingly calm but that was simply because putting on a brave face was easier than anything else.

[Bloodedge]

Yugi's ignorance was soon to be solved. Iron was felled so quickly, his reconstitution should have bought several more seconds. Instead, he soon lost more mana than a single Shadow was worth. There was no way Iron died more than just a second time after being restored; there were definitely other Shadow Soldiers involved to explain this loss of mana in sequence. At least six different Shadows had to be felled for such a loss so quickly. Either something he didn't order was being done, or Hoshimi Eri was more cutthroat than he assumed. Time would tell.

For now, Yugi was merely biding his time. Dissuading others from an approach served multiple purposes. Those purposes would become clear only after Miko's arrival, which happened just after Ai decided to stand down. Of course, there was first Miko pointing out the fact that Ai shot at her and Yugi when they first appeared ─ something quippy, but oddly placed. "You don't have to do that. It's actually not a real issue. Probably," he assured of the lass forcing bravery. Aki didn't fully believe the other male, but Miko's assertion that he put away the idea of summoning something had his full attention. "Oi, I'm not just gonna sit around and let another house go down while I can do something about it! Somebody needs to tell me what we're actually up against here!" he insisted. Yugi offered no direct response to him, choosing only to address Miko now that she was here. "I need you to... test something. Think you can hide all the people here? If I'm right about how that Skill of yours works, Igris here should still be the biggest presence around, but... can you diminish a whole group like this?" he asked. "If you can, do that. We'll chill on the throne here for a bit while I explain the rest, and Igris can try to be the boss you fight instead of the boss you unlock," he added, scoffing at the Blood-Red Commander's obvious power downgrade and hoping his skill would be enough.

[Apollymi]

The spin of Hoshimi Eri had indeed lead her to more Shadows falling. If they hadn't approached she would have left them to keep studying but if they were here to stop her progress, she'd have some fun while she pushed forward. They weren't strong... but they were oddly intelligent. They didn't just walk into blades or only dodge on instinct. It was... amusing. A small smirk came to the blonde haired young woman's face as she continued to fight with all the moments of learning necessary to begin pushing forward. Her logic said there had to be a boss towards the center of the forest and once she cleared a path, she'd definitely be making that push forward, even if she had to drag the rest of the army with her. as they respawned.

At the same time a different blonde was getting a quippy reply from Miko after she stood down, one which was slightly misinterpreted by Yugi. She wasn't trying to inspire bravery, Miko was being a brat to a friend who'd pulled a gun on her twice. Still she paused just briefly, he said things oddly all the time. He could have meant her teasing was unnecessary or he could have noticed the oddities surrounding her behavior... she brave faced mostly for herself but as he was one of the people she'd used it on the most it was likely he did notice it. So a different question was put forth. "Yeah, I do... but what do you know?" Miko claimed with amusement in her eyes. "Pull a gun twice and I'm never gonna live it down. Mi-tan, don't be a brat today... my heart can't take it~" the blonde muttered knowing the girl could hear her, but not loud enough to disrupt. Whatever the case... beyond seriousness and the like there was Aki, who seemed content do defend the home he'd just moved into, she could respect that and the need for information. "Info dump likely incoming. Hold off on anything crazy for a bit," Miko asserted. There was much she could have said, but simple reassurances were simple. Now what Yugi wanted out of her, was a test of her skill, Kyoka Suigetsu. "Sou ka, probably. I managed something similar on a smaller scale earlier..." Miko murmured rotating her shoulders just a bit before she stepped out, she'd active Misdirection. Much like when Kaguya and Ren had been the one's using it just to get around the solider's in the change quest, Miko expected her mana to repel attention from the humans present. All of them would subtly dim as she closed her eyes and found each of them with sound before all of their presences were concealed in the fog of an extreme bit of coverage. Soon after only Igris and his big ego would be noticeable in the courtyard and Miko would turn back. "Next step?" she asked while noting that Igris was being set up to be a boss monster again.

[Bloodedge]

After being told there was something she didn't have to do, Miko showed some hesitation. Yugi rationalized that she may have been applying his words to different purposes, but it mattered little. In the end, she claimed she did have to do something... and asked what he knew. "No you don't. And I know what I always know. Everything important," he replied. The real details would come later ─ after they confirmed or debunked Miko's ability to hide numerous targets. She had tested it in a smaller fashion before, and could theoretically do as he requested. And lo... she did with just a bit of focus. "Nice. Now... everybody else, behind the throne," he said, gesturing for Miko to join him in said throne's seat. "Igris, you should have enough job experience for this now."

With that last instruction, the greatest member of the Shadow Army stood watch before the throne, his massive sword jammed into the ground before his towering body. Now that he was sitting cross-legged on the throne, Yugi began his explanation. "We're going to make this a show. The threat isn't a threat ─ it's a curious, National-level crashout who probably thinks this is a Dungeon Break. As for why we're setting up all the bells and whistles... well, that's for me. I'll probably have to create my own route conditions for this one... if I'm right about the issues. Whatever. Everybody just sit back and watch, or go back inside. Doesn't really matter either way, but don't be too concerned if you hear rampant destruction that isn't sexual... yet."