<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Apollymi]

Igris had stopped his forward progress. Miko could hear the dripping of the fluids of his body from his form. She couldn't call that blood, but she also didn't have time to think about him that hard. No, most of her concentration was on making sure that Yugi didn't die from a stab wouldn't kill him. Whether it was Chivalry that caused his hesitation or it was something else, it didn't matter... Miko was busy singing a song that should lead to better outcomes. While she healed the lad whose head rested in her lap he, was busy flirting with some unknown entity. That smiling pink haired face pointed the corner of her gaze back towards that lingering consciousness. He was quite persistent wasn't he? "Everyone meets me eventually, there's no rush," that pink haired woman said. "If you still feel that way when it's your time. I'll let you stay a while..." she offered tentatively. Well, she couldn't say too much but these kinds of moments usually stuck with people. She had no doubts he'd remember if he was talking to her, but whether he'd really like her so much after truly figuring out what she was, that was an entirely different situation.

At the same time a crying Miko had finished her song and was on the verge of a mental break. Those healing pulses escaping her fingers had closed up his wounds and her ears trained on his breathing were fairly certain that he shouldn't still be in serious danger of death. She spoke softly at first just barely managing a confession. "Look I know I said I was reliable, but I need to tell you that I am exceedingly emotionally unstable. I'm not trying to make that your problem, but if you die on me, I'm going full super villain," Miko said, whether or not she was joking about it, she didn't know but she was still upset. She didn't come here for this sort of stress. And they still had to make sure Blood-Red Commander Igris, didn't want to keep fighting. She could still feel his presence, and his lingering life... a strange sense of foreboding still settled over her shoulder, but she wouldn't abandon Yugi until she was certian he'd be alright.

[Bloodedge]

As Yugi mentally fawned over a woman whose existence he couldn't even be entirely sure of, the woman herself claimed everyone met her eventually. There was no rush, she insisted. He'd heard that kind of thing before, in multiple places even. It seemed this woman didn't assume he'd feel the same when it was his time. If he did, however, he'd be permitted a stay? What a strange claim that was. Giving it some consideration, Yugi figured this meeting had to be real. "Huh. Near-death experience? So you're... Death? Izanami? Hel? Morrigan? Ereshkigal? Nephthys? Tell me it's anything but Mictecacihuatl; I'd hate that," he rambled. Application of random mythological trivia aside, this being a near-death experience meant he'd have to return to life ─ lest there be no point to the woman saying it wasn't his time. He looked around and saw... nothing. Miko and the knight who killed him should have been somewhere around. Yugi didn't exactly have experience with things like this. "Right, I actually do have to do a thing... which has a very real chance of sending me right the fuck back here. Whatever; still gonna skull-fuck that big bitch. Where's the exit?"

All the while, Miko was completing the healing progress and sharing some choice words with Yugi's unconscious body. There were no words of response, but vital signs were aligning at last. His heartbeat stabilized ─ as did his breathing. Yugi's consciousness even began hearing her words from another realm. "Oh shit, I can hear. Still can't see though. What's with this underworld? The channels kinda suck if this is any indicator of what the full experience is like," he said to the apparent death goddess.

[Apollymi]

The lad known as Yugi was busy going through Mythology and oddly enough guessing this lass's name right, among his list. Still she wouldn't be confirming for him what her name was she would just be chuckling, "Hehe~ I've never heard most of those names," she said. "Definitely not that last one," she said with a casual attitude. She was soon leaning a hand against the side of her head as she spoke with someone who'd decided to linger quite a bit. Beyond that point apparently the lad did actually have something to do, a casual gaze towards where he'd come from said he did indeed have something he needed to get back to, and someone who cared for him enough to bring his body back into livable condition. "Have a little more faith in yourself than that... the exit is, this way," she said using that same hand she had tucked under her chin to point to the left.

The left side is where his senses were tied to, and thus where his body was in truth. This let the woman know exactly which world he properly aligned to, as well as the scene he'd been knocked out of. Now, those eyes of the pink haired woman were locked into it, as if she wanted to watch something of interest. "Ah one of those, you can consider this more like a layover, what it actually looks like isn't for a living person to know," the young woman claimed. "Now, go on... I'll watch for a while. You seem interesting at least," the young woman said. No matter what else happened, she'd heard the words Miko had spoken to his unconscious body and wondered what qualified as super villainy.

[Bloodedge]

Apparently the death goddess didn't know most of the names Yugi mentioned. Oh well. As long as she could confirm not being the last one on the list, he could have hope. "Not that one, assuming single and therefore fuckable. Sure could use a notice, Brainface!" he said, the second clause delivered into the open air of... wherever the hell he was. According to the goddess, he should have a bit more faith in himself. That wouldn't really do the trick anymore. As such, Yugi shook his head gently before turning to her left ─ his right. "I had faith in myself. Look where that dumb decision got me," he said playfully. This 'layover' as she put it was not like the full experience. That wasn't something for the living to know, she claimed. "Well... your layover sucks. You can't expect people to want in on the full ride if the sample has a shitty or nonexistent interface. Though you've got my interest just because WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING HOT?!" At the very end, Yugi couldn't resist the outburst. Even so, he wouldn't be around in that realm much longer.

Moments later, Yugi's eyes were opening abruptly. "That was also fucking hot!" he said regarding Miko's latest threat. Maybe he was a bit late, but he hardly had a choice in the matter. "Also, fuck off. You didn't even think about going the Disney princess route! You know? Give the sucky sucky, wake the half-dead prince... or something," he joked about while sitting up. One arm slipped over Miko's shoulder, that hand cupping the back of her head to pull it in. Of course he was careful to avoid the bloodied portion of his chest, but he'd still be cradling her head against his torso. "I'm pretty sure sappy shit is supposed to happen right now, but listen. I saw the death lady. On my restored life, hottest bitch I've ever seen! No offense," he said. Following that, Yugi's eyes shifted suspiciously toward Igris.

[Apollymi]

The death goddess was having a casual conversation with a lad who could see her and thus was obviously interested in her being. "I have no idea what a Brainface is, single is a relative truth but not one that matters," the death goddess said. A light joke came from the lad, who claimed that having faith in himself had gotten him to this point. "Well, understanding is half the battle. I would suppose that should count as a revelation then~" she said lightly seeming to joke right along with him somewhat morbidly but such was simply her nature. A bit more of this lad's opinion was falling out of his face.. He claimed that the layover wasn't good because it didn't make people want to stay, "Thank you for confirming that it works the way its supposed to. Also for the record most people can't see me so that part isn't really a problem. All goddesses are hot~" she explained to the lad as he made his way into the life he'd left.

Soon enough the lad was back where he'd started. And speaking to the girl who'd been crying over him. His first words to her, it was hot? Her weird threat... "You would think villainess Miko would be hot," she said pouting but infinitely relieved. A few more tears fell from her eyes in that second as she began working on getting her emotions back under control. Beyond that point a joke came about her blowing him back to life, instead. "I'm not blowing a corpse. Best your getting is you sleep and me taking snacks and it's not snack time!" she declared in absolute childishness. Still, there was something else, a bonding, a closeness a moment of emotional solidarity, as Yugi cupped the back of Miko's held and carefully held her closer. Her mind relaxed and she breathed the sigh of relief she'd been waiting for. In that same moment he claimed something sappy should be happening, but he'd seen death and she was apparently hot, beyond belief. "No offense taken. Hot is hot! And I didn't even think I counted until yesterday. The last couple of days have been fucky," Miko confirmed. "Still, if she's like super hot and we die, seducing the death goddess? Unless it's the married one, then I'll take the husband... Death gods are top tier in mythology!~"

[Bloodedge]

People weren't supposed to desire the full ride, implied the goddess. Yugi thought that was sheer madness. There couldn't be anything bad about death if that was its associated goddess, apart from the act of dying itself. Most people couldn't see her, though. Why could he? Well, there was reason to assume something odd about his own lineage, considering his father already had some sort of magical power beyond comprehension. More importantly than any of that, however, was a single statement: all goddesses are hot. Yugi wouldn't be forgetting that.

When he woke and made light of the situation, Miko asserted that she wouldn't blow a corpse. "Well... I wasn't a corpse yet. My soul was probably in limbo, but it was still connected. Just get to it before rigor mortis sets in for places besides my dick," he countered. No offense was taken for him calling the death goddess hot. In fact, Miko presented the idea of seducing the goddess... unless it was the married one, in which case she'd take the husband. They had a trial to get back to, but Yugi couldn't keep himself from pausing for a moment. "She's specifically not that one. And... it's weird that you even know about that one," he said, releasing his hold on the lass after stroking her hair briefly, slowly even. With that, Yugi gathered his bearings to stand. Igris hadn't moved yet... but this fight wasn't over. "Now... I don't remember telling a knight it was acceptable to stab me with my own sword. Time for a... huh?" Yugi paused, looking ahead to Igris, but seeing a System notification of interest.

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — BOND EVENT RESOLVED〕

Bond Route: Shared (Yugi & Miko)
Status Update Detected.

Yugi has survived critical injury through Miko's intervention.
The link between you has proven its worth.

Reward (Cooperative Survival):

• +10 permanent Endurance points (awarded to both Players)
• New Passive Effect Unlocked: "Chaos Anchor"
  When one Player's HP drops below 1%, the other Player's proximity (within 30 meters) triggers an emergency sync pulse:
  - Restores the dying Player to 1% HP and grants temporary immunity to lethal damage for 10 seconds
  - Mana cost shared equally between both Players
  - Cooldown: 1 hour (shared)

System Remark:
Chaos does not permit one vessel to fall while the other stands.
The bond endures.
The path continues.

Seeing that, Yugi smirked. This was the start of an incredible powerhouse combination. "Oh fuck yeah," he chanted. With that, he raised his middle finger to the Blood-Red Commander. "A-ny-way! Miss me, bitch? I owe you a second skull-fuckin' for that nonconsensual MURDER WITH MY OWN SWORD!"

Igris remained rooted where he stood, crimson eye fixed on Yugi as the Player rose from the debris. The knight's armor creaked faintly with each slow breath, the cracked breastplate still leaking dark ichor from the wound in his abdomen. The greatsword stayed embedded in the floor, webs clinging to the blade, untouched.
He tilted his helmeted head slightly as Yugi raised his middle finger and taunted him. The crimson mane shifted once, as though stirred by a breath of wind. Igris's gauntleted hand flexed at his side, fingers curling and uncurling in slow motion. Then, with deliberate calm, he reached down and gripped the hilt of his greatsword. The mana webs snapped under the force of his pull, threads dissolving into wisps of shadow. The blade came free with a low scrape against the stone, crimson light flickering along the edge as he lifted it into a high guard once more. Igris took one step forward. The bootfall echoed heavily. Another step followed, slower than before, the armor groaning with the effort. His stance widened, shoulders squared despite the cracks in the plating. The single remaining eye burned brighter, locked on Yugi with unyielding focus.

He did not charge.
He advanced.
One measured step at a time, greatsword raised, the Blood-Red Commander closed the distance again—silent, relentless, refusing to fall until the trial was truly decided.

[Apollymi]

As Yugi left Limbo, the goddess in charge of death kept watch over him. It seemed to her that he was rather close to death and by her own observation he wasn't the only one. There were very few who felt that kind of close who weren't also gods or goddesses so she figured she might as well keep an eye on these odd... humans. Meanwhile, outside of that unconscious realm, Miko was hearing a rather interesting thing. That he was only half-dead and she could attack before rigor set in anywhere aside from his dick. "Box it," she said simply. What part of that was she boxing? What was she planning to do with the information? It didn't matter, she'd be abusing it at some point in the future.

Beyond her oddities in acknowledgement there was something else Yugi found odd. Miko's knowledge of mythological death gods. "I sleep maybe 3 hours a day on a good day and I have ADHD. The number of rabbit holes I fall into is way too high. Wisdom Goddesses, Death Gods and Nature Gods are my favorites. Never trust a Sea God or a Father God though..." Miko said with a firm nod. Soon after a rant was starting mostly aimed at the Blood-Red Commander Igris. That man who had indeed tried to kill Yugi in a way that was quite dastardly if Miko was being honest about it. But soon enough they were being rewarded by the System. Miko heard mention of a completed quest, permanent endurance, a new shared effect and a relative inability to die in each other's presence. "Good job, still don't like this term vessel as you say it, but..." Miko didn't bother she stayed frowning a slight pout apparent as her attention returned to the Knight.

Soon enough the Blood-Red Commander, was rearming himself looking just as intimidating as he had when he first started moving. Even so, Miko took a deep breath banishing her catalysts and standing up crisis averted they would face this next challenge together. "Alright, I'm ready again..." Miko managed taking a deep breath she decided to put away all unnecessary thoughts. She'd be at Yugi's side ready to help him stay alive and keep on with a bit of a magical offensive. She had very little time left on Megiddo, but beyond that they could still rotate uses of Black Flash which they knew would do some work against the still armored man.

[Bloodedge]

"Nothing to say about war gods and goddesses, huh? That's a missed opportunity. War goddesses are also hot. So are the chaste ones," Yugi rambled. He thought nothing of Miko's lacking sleep or her propensity for falling down the proverbial rabbit hole of information searches. He was a gamer, a pervert and a general nerd; he knew how such things happened. What did he have to say about it though? Well, the thing of greatest importance, of course. "I'll fall into your rabbit hole," he stated.

With that, both Players were ready for the final stretch of this encounter. Igris was approaching gradually, measured steps guiding him toward the pair. Yugi stepped forward first, matching the commander's pace. "You know it's less fun when you don't react to provocation? I thought the first real challenge would be the super villain type who rambles arrogantly about their plan. That would've been easy," he stated, chokuto at the ready, lightning arcing from the blade. Without shifting his gaze from Igris, Yugi would address Miko. "Let's switch this up. Literally," he said. Further words would be spoken only at a low whisper, as Yugi's next move allowed him to slide out to one side, then in to the position behind Miko. "Scream," he suggested. "That telekinesis of his is annoying. Don't leave weapons out of your hand," he added. If Miko used her magical voice and managed to stun the commander even a little, Yugi would immediately be reaching around her body to aim webbing at Igris's greatsword again. "Add yours," he'd say. This time, he didn't intend to leave Igris room to reclaim that weapon.

[Apollymi]

War goddesses and Gods... those were unmentioned by Miko. She sighed knowing quite a bit about them but having them no so easy to classify. "They often fall into the other categories and are harder to have more generalized opinions about... their themes get scrambled too much!" Miko said decisively. She did enjoy some war gods and goddesses but usually they overlapped with other bigger concepts like wisdom or death anyways. "Always wary of love goddesses too," Miko confirmed her own feelings in a moment thinking about it after the fact. Emotions came with too many negative connotations to enjoy those kinds of people without more context. Moving on from that point on the occupation of the proverbial rabbit hole, Yugi claimed to want to fall into her 'rabbit hole'. "Promise?" she flirted back without much thought. Well, they were still perverted kids at the end of the day.

Both Players were soon ready to work on finishing up the challenge of the Blood-Red Commander Igris. Yugi noted the fact that this man didn't fall to provocation, making him a much more challenging enemy than those like Sato Kenta, who had been rather easy to provoke and predict in the grand scheme of things. Yugi stepped between Miko and Igris initially and then began to walk about. Miko could hear his voice, especially the parts meant solely for her. They were switching things up... and he gave the command to scream. Hearing the bit about the weapons she didn't have to be told that much she'd taken it upon herself to leave those in their Inventory until they were actually needed.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH ♫!~" left the space of her lips with enough power and mana backing it to shake even the stones and rubble on the floor. There was weight to that scream and it definitely would have shattered glass and eardrums alike if they'd been among the humans. Beyond the idea of stunning the boss, he thought to add Thread Bind to his weapon to keep it out of his grasp as much as possible. She easily aimed to attach a few threads of her own to the massive weapon and help with the idea of pulling, pushing or whatever form of disarming Yugi'd be going for. A united front is what they'd be presenting to Igris.

[Bloodedge]

"They do," was Yugi's initial comment on war deities. "But the ones I think of first, besides the obvious Ares and such, are fine ones like Astarte. War, hunting, sex and nobility? Sign me the fuck up~" he stated firmly. Regarding love goddesses, he had to think for just a moment. "They're 50/50 for me. I'm more into the lust ones than the love ones for... obvious reasons," he said before their movements began anew. Ah, but there was one more thing: the note about falling into Miko's rabbit hole. Was it a promise? "Damn right it is. Whenever I figure out which one counts as the rabbit hole~" he decided. So began their next assault with renewed coordination and a yet-unseen 85% Resonance rating between them.

Igris halted mid-step as the scream erupted from Miko, the sound wave crashing against him like a physical force. The crimson mane whipped backward, armor rattling as the vibration rippled through the metal and stone. His single remaining eye narrowed, the glow dimming for a fraction of a second as the sonic assault pressed against him, forcing a slight shift in his stance—boots sliding an inch across the floor. The greatsword trembled in his grip, the mana webs from Yugi and Miko tightening around the blade in unison. The threads glowed faintly, pulling with combined force, the crimson edge straining against the hold. Igris tightened his grasp, gauntlets creaking, but the combined effort wrenched the weapon from his hands. The greatsword flew free, spinning once before embedding itself point-down in the far wall with a resounding clang. The knight did not hesitate. He surged forward in the wake of the scream, armor groaning as he closed the distance on Miko. His right gauntlet snapped forward in a straight punch aimed at her midsection—raw, armored force behind it, intended to drive the air from her lungs and knock her back. His left hand followed in a sweeping grab toward Yugi's shoulder, fingers splayed to seize and pull the Player off-balance. The crimson mane flowed with his motion, the remaining eye burning with unyielding focus. He pressed between them, silent, relentless, forcing the pair to separate or meet the armored assault head-on. The chamber trembled with each step, the Blood-Red Commander refusing to yield even as his weapon lay out of reach.

Igris managed to make his way into a position to reach both, but Yugi didn't think that mattered. They'd managed to remove the knight's greatsword more efficiently than before, so there was an advantage to be considered. Besides... Yugi had another plan he'd be executing while being moved via a grasped shoulder. "Sacrifice!" he shouted. Why did he say that? Well, Yugi had the System's crafting interface open. Thread Bind had seen its final use for him, as it would immediately be fed to another Skill: Raikou. After consuming a Skill like Thread Bind, Raikou underwent the type of evolution he needed to extend his left hand again and charge it with lightning. Now, he could form its shape and apply the 'thrust' from the sacrificed Thread Bind Skill. Lightning stemmed from his hand in condensed form, much like a spear or blade. It could extend a maximum of five meters or so, and was currently aimed right at that bleeding hole in Igris's chestplate.

[Apollymi]

On the topic of gods, goddesses and internet searches gone awry, it seemed there was some agreement about the odd nature surrounding war deities. Apparently, aside from the ones that could be called 'normal' Astarte was on the list of one Aiba Yugi. "Sou ka, that one is a bit esoteric. I get it though, way better than the stories about Aphrodite or Inanna..." Miko commiserated. She technically preferred a bit more tragedy in her deities, like Enlil or Orphee, but she understood how one came to like a goddess like that. Apparently, not really a fan of love but more a fan of lust was Yugi, Miko also understood this, "That part didn't need explaining. Though admittedly gods don't come to mind for stuff like that... go demons. Asmodeus always sounded like fun~" Miko claimed with no hesitation. Still, her heart and soul belonged to Abe no Seimei that she knew with certainty. Beyond that there was the issue of what classified as a rabbit hole for the promise he was apparently keen to make. "Hm, not sure. Definitely going to have to check and see~" Miko claimed quickly.

Meanwhile a proper balance was being found. Yugi and Miko were facing an opponent with high tier compatibility and resonance. Still there was quite a bit of fight left in that old knight commander. Miko and Yugi had a set of plans in action. A scream from Miko actually seemed to do a fair bit of stunning. Not the deep sort, but the kind that could be used for their purposes. Miko and Yugi together managed to pull away that greatsword, lodging into the depths of the far wall. Even with success a few sacrifies had to come. Though they'd managed to disarm the knight commander, he still was on the move and rather good with his hands, as Miko was finding out first hand. "WUUUGAH♫!~" the air left her body in an exhale caused by a fist rather suddenly collidiing with her midsection. Her small body sent flying before she had the ability to fully recognize the movements of the Blood-Red Commander Igris. Miko split out blood for a bref moment before Mana Reversal activated properly. fixing her internal body structure and restoring most of her lost health and mana in a single activation. After a moment of discontent, while Yugi sacrificed a skill and the like she exhaled. "Uuugh♪!~ Why do they always attack me after I yell?" she questioned the universe at large. Still, she was able to pry herself from the pillar she was launched into, crumbling rocks falling away before she hopped forward to rejoin, a suspicious clear little puddle in front of it.

[Bloodedge]

Igris pivoted as Yugi's lightning spear thrust toward the hole in his chestplate. The knight twisted his torso with deliberate force, the crimson mane whipping across his back. His right gauntlet snapped up to meet the spearhead, palm outward—the impact crackled with electricity and dark mana, sparks flying as the blow glanced off the armored forearm and scorched the plating further.

The knight did not retreat.

He stepped into Yugi's space, closing the distance in a single stride. His left fist drove upward in a short, brutal uppercut aimed at Yugi's chin, the gauntlet glowing faintly crimson as it sought to snap his head back. The blow connected with a heavy thud, the force lifting Yugi off his feet for a split second. Igris followed immediately. His right knee snapped up in a rising strike to Yugi's midsection, armor ringing as it drove into the Player's ribs. The impact lifted Yugi higher, the knight's momentum carrying them both forward. Igris's left hand clamped down on Yugi's shoulder, fingers digging in like a vice to hold him in place mid-air. With Yugi suspended, Igris delivered a rapid series of punches—right fist to the solar plexus, left to the jaw, right to the chest—all in quick succession, each blow landing with the weight of armored steel. The final punch was a straight right to Yugi's sternum, sending him flying backward once more, tumbling across the stone floor in a spray of blood and dust. Igris lowered his fists slowly. He stood tall, armor cracked and leaking ichor, crimson mane hanging limp, single eye fixed on Yugi's form. He did not pursue further. He waited, stance wide, breathing steady despite the damage, the knight's silence unbroken.

By the time Miko was moving forward, Yugi was flying right past her into that same pile of rubble. Surely an eternity passed during that combination he'd taken, right? The upgrade to Endurance granted to both Players was making a notable difference in impact, but... there was one thing even Yugi couldn't expect. "Hands. Too good... with hands," Yugi muttered as he rose shakily, collapsed, then rose again. Igris pivoted sharply after Yugi tumbled away, glowing eye shifting to Miko. The knight advanced in two heavy strides, boots thudding against the stone. His gauntleted fists clenched once, the armor creaking with the motion. He lunged at her without hesitation. His right fist drove forward in a straight punch aimed at her sternum—armored knuckles glowing faintly crimson as they sought to drive the air from her lungs and knock her back. The strike was swift, precise, carrying the full weight of his armored frame. His left hand followed in a sweeping grab toward her shoulder, fingers splayed to seize and pull her off-balance if the punch landed. The crimson mane flowed behind him like blood in motion, the single remaining eye fixed on her with unyielding focus. He did not pause. He pressed the assault, silent and relentless, forcing her to react or be overwhelmed. The chamber trembled with each step, the Blood-Red Commander refusing to yield even as ichor continued to drip from his ruined helm.

[Apollymi]

If there was one thing to be said about the Blood-Red Commander Igris, it was that he was relentless. His silence was oppressive, but the sounds of his movements were music, a steady march with perfect accents. Yugi's newest move didn't quite connect home the way they would have liked, but Miko still had to work to free herself from the prison created by her falling into rock pillars. She couldn't see what was happening with Yugi, through the dust, rubble and her own gently starred vision, but she could hear it. That rising crescendo of hits perfectly orchestrated. They'd thought dealing with a knight with his sword was difficult, but... they were wrong. He was just as dangerous, if not more so with just his hands.

"Got it..." Miko muttered, barely taking a breath. She snapped her fingers, a Veil appearing once more around Yugi, after he flew back to her previous place. He'd taken another rather vicious attack but Miko couldn't even chide him, as Igris was launching himself towards her again. A quick movement had the tall knight directly in front of her, "Fu...." she didn't even get the chance to finish that word normally. As a fist collided with her sternum, causing all the rest of the air to leave her lungs. Even so, she managed a bit more mana into that ending, "-HYUUUUUUUUUUUUCK♪!~" she screamed again as she was knocked back. Endurance was doing quite well for her, but that hit still had the passive version of Mana Reversal working overtime to make sure the bones in her chest didn't break. With Igris' focus on Miko and his hand aiming to make contact with her shoulder in that sweep, she latched on to his hand with both of hers, activating, Royal Drain Touch, to immediately begin siphoning off HP and Mana from the Knight. Mostly to feed them but also to keep him from having the energy to continue this vicious assault on them. "I'm going to need you to stop manhandling me... you're confusing my polarities♪!~" Miko confessed, he'd not been rising to provocation but perhaps he wouldn't notice her draining him and let her cling to his arm, or maybe he'd fling her away and give them a moment to regroup.

[Bloodedge]

Igris felt the drain the moment Miko's hands latched onto his gauntlet. The Royal Drain Touch pulled at his mana and life force, a slow, insidious siphoning. The glow in his remaining eye dimmed further, ichor dripping faster from the ruined socket as his vitality ebbed. He did not pull away immediately. Instead, he twisted his wrist in a sharp, controlled motion, gauntleted fingers flexing to grip her forearms in return. The hold was iron—unyielding, crushing—but not yet breaking. He lifted her slightly off the ground, boots scraping the stone as he advanced another step, forcing her to hang or release. The knight's free hand rose slowly. He brought it down in a heavy, open-palm strike aimed at the crown of her head—not a punch, but a downward hammer blow meant to drive her into the floor and disrupt her drain. The force behind it cracked the stone beneath where her feet would land if he connected, the air compressing with the weight of the swing. Igris released her arms in the same motion, allowing her to drop or evade as the blow descended. The crimson mane shifted as he stepped back half a pace, stance widening again. His breathing was heavier now, the cracked breastplate rising and falling unevenly, but he did not falter. The single eye remained locked on her, unblinking, the knight's silence unbroken even as his strength waned. He waited, armored form swaying slightly, ready for the next exchange.

At the same time, Yugi was freshly-veiled and pulling himself up from rubble... again. He definitely had some cracked/broken bones from that onslaught, but they, like all his other wounds thus far, were healing bit by bit. One thing he noticed when getting up was the strange wet spot in the debris where he was ─ specifically where Miko had been previously. "You didn't..." he muttered, only to hear something about 'confused polarities' from Miko thereafter. "... You did," he corrected himself. The spear-like variant of his lightning spell didn't work as intended, but... Igris didn't seem like himself. The Blood-Red Commander was getting weaker from injuries. So long as they could keep healing, they could outlast him... but what of the survival quest they'd have to do afterwards? No. This had to be finished quickly. Yugi looked up, seeing none of the signs of Miko's Megiddo spell. Five minutes passed some time ago. Only five? How ludicrous. "Wait... if it's been that long, and we've only used it twice..." Yugi uttered. Bloodlust would have worn off ages ago if it ever worked at all. If it didn't work, however, perhaps it could function properly against a weakened target? With that in mind, Yugi activated the Bloodlust Skill once more, targeting the commander and focusing the ability through his Sharingan in the hopes of enhancing it. A 50% stat reduction would be Igris's fate before his last strike against Miko had a chance of connecting, Yugi hoped.

[Apollymi]

Miko felt the influx of power from her Royal Drain Touch. She could feel it something similar to filling up a car which had an extra gas tank. She could fill the reserve tank though this slow siphoning process and hopefully help lower Igris a bit while buffing them enough to get over. Yes, he was presently crushing her wrists while holding her up like that, but something about that kind of pain, wasn't enough of a deterrent for her. "BOX IT!" she compartmentalized, separating her sexual desires from this very life or death moment. The plan was brilliant for its simplicity, but... there were always issues. Igris was completely aware of what the girl was doing and firmly yanked the girl clung like a spider monkey, willing that drain to continue working if only to lessen a blow she knew was coming. By the time Igris raised his othe rhand, Miko was already upset. "Not these headpats!" she chided not wanting the kind of open-handed downward strike she was being offered currently.

At the same time, Yugi was working himself up. In a Veil once again healing as he should have been. It took him a moment or two to work himself back up. Megiddo had ended with her final barrage while she revived him, but the timing of this fight was seeming less important by the moment. Miko heard Yugi's words, and she pouted gently from her crazy position. "I didn't mean to, he's hot!♪~" Miko decided in a single moment. Oh well, they could discuss Miko's strange masochism at some other time, for now, Yugi was aiming to lessen the blow aimed to Miko's head. If that went as planned because of the use of Bloodlust, Miko would indeed be hit. Not directly on top of the head, though, no, she'd take the force of it, by releasing her hold on him right as he was sending the momentum downward, taking the fall with a few minor adjustments, to lessen the impact while using the force of the Knight's own movements to move herself out a little bit. "Gotta love Judo. Is it time to dance?" she murmured as she rolled outwards and into something resembling a guarded position. If their major extra offense was gone, then all that was left was to keep attempting the various types of Black Flash maneuvers that worked the best against the Blood-Red Commander.