<Nocturnal Harmonia>

Metis was not a given name, but a chosen one. Though that didn't give Yugi an absolute answer, it gave him something to work with. They probably weren't Greek deities, but they certainly had to be something older still. That only left a few things, and more importantly confirmed a long-lasting theory of Yugi's. "I always figured pantheons were total bullshit. I'm guessing the names are all basically nicknames, maybe some conflation here and there between greater and lesser gods, and... the actual name in-use is most consistent with the ongoing story, or age," he babbled further. The goddess went on to identify herself as Irkalla, whose name could be many within the era it came from alone. "So yes, Ereshkigal. Ninkigal, Irkalla, Kur, depending on the source and time period. Best outcome! Maybe. I'm not gonna have to deal with Nergal, am I?" he wondered. "Oh! Or does that make me Nergal? But that would mean..." Yugi paused there, taking a moment to look in Miko's direction as his mind raced with ideas. "Las? Do we have an opening to become Nergal and Las? That'd be kinda freaky, but better than trying to cuck Nergal," he chattered. "You didn't have to tell us about human degradation, though. We see it happening everyday."

Soon enough, Yugi was struggling against the goddess's topless state alone, yet he still sought the full package as some might say. Mention of her faultlessness had Irkalla claiming her mother made her... perfect. "Hngh─! So we're talking full 'creator meant to create' business? Got it. Mom must be the best to ever do it," he complimented. Following that, Yugi was in even more danger. Irkalla took that 'partial' load to the chest, and proceeded to play with it and transfer it to her mouth. Even with all his investment into Strength, Yugi couldn't squeeze his cock firmly enough to stop it oozing from that sight. Everything within him said to give... and so did Irkalla herself. She'd make something nice if he gave the rest? Easily done. "Is the thing you're making a new dance routine? 'Cause right now I'm thinking that would be the best death ever," he claimed, still barely holding on. "Wanna go the no-waste route? I can put this wherever," the lad added. Just then, his eyes flashed with the appearance of a new notification. Even a goddess could be acknowledged by the System, apparently. "... Are you fucking kidding? Goddess Route means YES!"

Irkalla's explanation seemed to give the lad more information to work with, it was interesting to watch. She'd never seen a mind so active outside of a few magical races and even those needed more than what this lad had received. "Pantheons as humans understand them aren't always BS. A few places make their own gods or have certain others rise. There are a few tales of such things happening... and the issues created by a few," she said not going into details about the gods who were incapable of keeping their seed to themselves thus spreading godly like powers in minor ways across the lower world. "Still you have a very unique way of understanding life, I do have a couple of those names..." she said a small smile appearing on her face. What was more he seemed quite excited to realize or make a connection between her and something god, "Oh? I've never heard either the name Nergal or Las before..." irkalla said outright. If they were to have such names and end up connected to her she saw no problem assuming such a thing were possible.

Soon enough Yugi was still trying to hold back a coming spurt, but it wasn't one of those things that was easily done. "Yes, made to create. I created the afterlife as it exists for these two worlds and I create things associated with Death, when I can find the energy. It's a bit tricky," she said a small smile appearing on her face. She didn't understand this bit about a goddess route, but she could sense the shift in magic around these two. Both deeply connected and so very strange. "Goddess route? You get a goddess route?! Congratulations♪!~" Miko chirped happy for him but... "If I don't see Abe no Seimei in this life, the amount of fit I will throw..." Miko pouted to an extreme while Irkalla watched and chuckled. "Hehaha~ I thought I knew your voice. You're the little girl performing death rites for Seimei. I thought this side had mostly forgotten those rituals... proximity to death is starting to make sense. Also I think we may have something in common," she said feeling a strange amount of likeness to the girl not related to her ability to create. Well, her mother was the best to ever make things and all of her creations had the capacity to create and destroy, she felt... kindred to this girl and wondered if they didn't share their destructive aspect. "Wait, you could hear that? My prayers were actually going somewhere? That's awesome!♪~" Miko chirped it wasn't too late, she might actually reach her life goal yet! As for what Irkalla was planning. "I was thinking something a bit closer to a coronation present for the pair of you... since you're so close to my aspect I figured it'd be a fitting gift, as it seems you'll be brushing against me quite often," she offered with no further details. As for his request of a 'dance routine' being the top of his ways to die. "You're interesting so... if you die not on purpose I'll work on something to show you when you arrive. As for waste, there isn't any need to worry. My constitution is different as long as it touches me nothing would go to waste," she offered with a knowing smirk. "Hot!" Miko said again.

According to Irkalla, he wasn't completely right about pantheons... though in presumably many cases, he still was. Some exceptions existed with their own perks and issues, which Yugi assumed more of the latter. No matter. At present, Yugi was more willing to concern himself with the absence of deities like Nergal and Las. If the goddess of the underworld had no connections, and had never even heard of the other deities, there was a chance they simply hadn't appeared. Yugi would take whatever chance to squeeze himself into the lore, or whatever else he had to do for a piece of a goddess. "Sure you've heard of them. It's me. I'm Nergal now. This is Las," he said, nodding in Miko's direction. "Call us that until it's true~" he added, interestingly with no context about how naming truly worked on the magical side of this world.

The System produced a Bond Route... for the Goddess of Death herself. Yugi thought there weren't many potential routes he would accept without even the thought of hesitation, but this goddess who randomly appeared today made herself an exception. With that, Miko began another miniature tirade about Abe no Seimei. He expected as much. "Fuck it. If it doesn't happen, I'll become Abe no S─" He stopped there, seeming to have the words caught in his throat. A quick clearing and cough ensued before Yugi moved on, paying it no mind. "Yeah." That matter aside, Irkalla's plan didn't involve a dance routine of any sort. She was planning on providing some form of coronation present for the new Shadow Monarchs. Yugi found that... acceptable, albeit lesser than his original thought. "Not both? Fine. Either way, I'll brush up against you as much as you want. Now if I can just..." The struggle was nearly over. All that oozing was going to waste, so Yugi stopped hesitating. Two careful steps led him closer to the underworld goddess who claimed his load could land anywhere on her person and serve its purpose. "One man bukkake time!" he announced. So close he'd gotten, only to release that hold on his cock gently with an outward stroke. "HUAGH!" he gasped during a release that surprised even him. In that moment, Yugi traded a pint for... what appeared to be multiple liters of thick, white, and somehow sparkling semen in a veritable shower to cascade over the goddess's body. He had a plan to aim a shot at her face and breasts, but... Yugi didn't realize or expect such a massive ramp-up in quantity; it was as if there were five of him unleashing at once! Well, he definitely wouldn't think negatively about accidentally bathing a literal goddess in spunk ─ even if there wasn't any sex involved.

Apparently, the names Nergal and Las didn't mean anything to irkalla but given that information it would be easy to assume the identities. According to Yugi, he'd be taking the name Nergal and Miko would be the one to take on the name Las... that was fine in Irkalla's head she only paused to give consideration to the way he phrased it. "So, do you understand how naming works, or was that a shot in the dark but hitting the bull's eye?" she wondered most curiously. Well, she'd let them have the names they wanted even while knowing they weren't natural to this part of the world. At the same time, Irkalla was finding herself on a rather exclusive list of people who wouldn't be having hesitation applied to the acceptance of their routes.

It was such a strange thing. Even stranger was the light-hearted and childish antics of Miko as she seemed to lament the idea of not running into Abe no Seimei in her lifetime. How very interesting... Irkalla knew the girl prayed for that man every year like clock work. And while her life hadn't been long it had been, consistent and likely that would be more than enough for someone like Abe no Seimei. "Devotion is usually rewarded," Irkalla said with a small smirk. Even as Yugi seemed to choke on the idea of making himself a Seimei in his place. "Don't hurt yourself♪~" Miko chimed figuring he had a lot going on at present and nothing thinking much of it. Only Irkalla would look at the lad. She'd met Seimei a few times, and wondered if this one simply couldn't take on his name after the last incident. No matter, she wouldn't think on it too much she couldn't after all. Two careful steps a promise to brush against her and suddenly Irkalla was finding herself sprayed in mana. It was potent a bit spicy and ever so much for a mortal. She was surprised by a long shot, and soon enough was absorbing it through her skin, across her face, even licking her lips and opening her mouth to the shower. As she did, power seemed to pulse for a moment and well inside her. "AAAAAHHHH~ That really is delicious! I don't know what it is though, something only found here?~" she said happily curiously as if there was some flavor present she didn't know about. Just the same mana began swirling inside of her person and she was eventually holding it out in front of her literally shaping it with her aura and the deposit made as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do.

When Yugi spoke of taking on Mesopotamian god names, Irkalla presented the most interesting tidbit of information. There was something to naming, like a power. As an Aeons fan, he'd seen that sort of thing before. Names were the core of something's power ─ what gave it true meaning. His suggestion had nothing to do with that, but it was nice to know that was a feature. What Yugi couldn't realize was the fact that he and Miko would need that information very soon. "I wouldn't call it a shot in the dark. I meant it, but I didn't know shit about name hacks. Good to know though," he replied with ease.

After that, and after choking on an attempt to call himself a future Abe no Seimei, Yugi released the most intense ejaculation he'd ever experienced ─ even more so than that last round with Miko. Becoming one of the Shadow Monarchs had done something strange and altered the very fiber of his being, his base functionalities. While watching the goddess absorb and consume excessive amounts of spunk, he was no less surprised than she was. "Haah! Holy fuck that felt different!" he exclaimed. Before he could even get his bearings together, Yugi was throbbing again. Looking at goddesses had a stronger effect than anything else, as one ight assume. Beyond that... Irkalla mentioned a flavor, which was something the Players were only lightly familiar with. While she worked through whatever creation she had in mind, Yugi pontificated. "So there is some kind of deal with flavors. Also good to know. Status," he said, manifesting the System interface to check that new route. "Is it good enough for you to like me about five percent more? I'm trying to date a goddess, and though I've got no problem resurrecting dozens of dead things at once to give an opening, we don't really have the capacity for that. Phones would be easier."

Miko also found it interesting that names could be used in such a way. As an Aeon's fan and in particular a fan of their more whimsical series such things came up quite often. "Box it," she murmured quietly. Still she was mostly here to watch and see what kind of thing Yugi had going on with the goddess of Death. "I'm glad to help. People can't usually hold on to things I tell them," Irkalla stated honestly. She considered herself to be pretty knowledgeable, not wisdom goddess level but she did have some understanding of certain things. Names were one of those things. If this pair wanted a set of names to hold as their own she'd let them have them.

Irkalla would also be taking on all of the mana the lad had to blast at her, seeming to enjoy it while she also worked on her craft. Beyond that she watched as the lad orgasmed his content and spewed enough mana on her for it to count as a proper offering. How odd. "Oh? You might have just experienced an ascension... that happens sometimes with mortals. it takes some getting used to, but yeah, that's probably what happened considering how different you are from that near-death experience not to long ago," she said. Moving her eyes up from her work just enough to peek at the pair and see their aura and all they ahd going on now. It was definitely an oddity. Meanwhile the girl's happiness to help and her apparent pleasure at creating something she thought would suit them, seemed to do enough to have her ticking forward on that Intimacy rating. Miko for her part in this came a bit closer reaching for the head of Yugi's cock to see if it really hand changed since she'd last had some... She swiped it with her index finger before placing that same one in her mouth. "UMAI♪!~" the girl happily chanted. Well, that was delicious and it tasted like cinnamon sugar to Miko, something fairly close to that decadent flavor that occurred at the sacred Cinnabon. Beyond that point a claim of a phone call and the like made her brow rise. "You mean the human thing? I don't know if such a thing will work in Death," she added. Technology had a different base functionality from magic. But he'd still be seeing something like a 7 percent increase in his Intimacy rating, simply because she enjoyed the idea of him wanting to communicate with her beyond their one meeting.

One thing was certain: the Players had absolutely undergone an ascension. It was in no way similar to the 'Awakening' phenomenon touted by Hunters in this world, but perhaps the version Irkalla spoke of was more accurate. She was the one with millennia of knowledge, after all. "Rule 1: listen to the person who has reason to know their shit," he said in regards to retaining Irkalla's knowledge. There was no reason to do anything but heed her every word, so he'd do precisely that.

Soon enough, Miko was having a sample of Yugi's upgraded ejaculate for herself ─ only with a swipe of a finger this time. Upon seeing how she went about it, Yugi was actually a bit surprised. "Really? That's how you're gonna do that?" he inquired. Whatever the case, Yugi was becoming very interested in what the goddess was constructing right before their eyes. He could both see and feel the immense power of it, though it hadn't taken form yet. While Yugi was caught looking between that and the goddess herself, Irkalla gave her reply regarding phones and the like. Beyond that, something else important was happening...

[BOND ROUTE MILESTONE REACHED]

Bond Route: Irkalla

Intimacy has reached 25%.

Route Activated: Death’s Desire

Current Progress: 25%

Reward Unlocked:
- Passive Skill: Death’s Whisper (minor boost to shadow-related abilities when near Irkalla)

Accept Invitation?
[ACCEPT] / [DENY]

"There it is!" Yugi said excitedly, almost as if he were disregarding Irkalla's words entirely as her Intimacy went 2% beyond the threshold. He may have actually been disregarding her, but only for a moment. "The smartphones we use will work. Probably. They're not supposed to work in Dungeons either, but we've been using them in this one. Here," he interjected, retrieving a spare phone he'd originally purchased ahead of time for Ai. He could always just buy another one when they left this dungeon.

Ascenion was what Irkalla called their current evolution in status. That was interesting, to hear, as references to similar terms had been appearing in flavor texts and even in their first messages from the System before all of this got started. Beyond that apparently, it was in Yugi's rules to listen to the person who knew something more than he did. "Hehehe~ That's really different. Both Mom and Metis would adore you," she said. She was already starting to enjoy him herself... and she'd not even lived the kind of life the others had.

While Irkalla made her presents for the pair, Miko arrived a bit closer to have a sample of the new enhanced flavor Yugi had to offer. What she received after her taste was... some kind of odd reaction. "We all know if I put it in my mouth, I'm not leaving until I've had enough... and I don't know what that word means♪!~" Miko chimed. Much to Irkalla's amusement. "So, I was right we do share an aspect... that'll be dangerous later," Irkalla noted almost absently, as if she was used to talking without requiring a response of any sort. Just as Yugi was doing, Miko was also watching this crafting process with great interest. She could hear the movement of mana, the shape changing according to this woman's whims and then it happened. As Yugi spoke of phones that should work regardless, she was offered one, "If that's the case, I suppose I'll enjoy it..." she said offering the lad a bright smile. "And I'm done now, this is for you..."

Nergal's Cord

Description:
A thick, deep-purple rope sash worn around the waist. It pulses faintly with the divine energy of the underworld.

Effect:

• Shadow Extraction now reaches into limbo and draws upon the portion of a corpse’s soul that has seeped there
• Extracted shadows gain significantly higher starting strength and retain more of the original entity’s power and abilities
• Allows extraction from much older corpses (age limit greatly increased)

System Note:
A gift from Irkalla after receiving Yugi’s essence. The rope carries her touch.

She handed him a rope tainted with deep magic, woven by her own hands, which encapsulated his current status and the kind of power he now had. Gave it knowing it could be used several ways, but also knowing she'd named it in an appropriate way. "And for you too. I think you'll enjoy this..." she said while offering Miko a crown of flowers in a variety she'd never seen before. The System also had plenty to say about it as well.

Las’ Laurel

Description:
A delicate wreath woven from black and purple underworld flowers that glow softly when mana is channeled.

Effect:

• Shadow Extraction now reaches into limbo and draws upon the portion of a corpse’s soul that has seeped there
• Extracted shadows gain significantly higher starting strength and retain more of the original entity’s power and abilities
• Allows extraction from much older corpses (age limit greatly increased)

"Well, feel free to give Mom and Metis my number. I'd send you two more phones if you'd actually do that," Yugi assured. If he could have one goddess as a route target, why couldn't he go for three? Such a thing being possible could only mean good things going forward. Speaking of good things going forward, an admission from Miko drew Irkalla's agreement, which came with the implication that they shared a certain... hunger. "From what I'm seeing and hearing, danger is fine. Sign me up for double danger at your earliest convenience," Yugi said to the pair.

When he handed over the phone, there was essentially an exchange to follow. Irkalla produced for the lad a purple rope ─ long, thick and reeking of power. It registered in the System as an S-rank artifact, as anyone could have expected. Better still, its power was perfectly tailored to the abilities the Players now had. It seemed the same was true of a strange laurel of flowers given to Miko. Yugi took the rope in hand and opened his Inventory to equip a pair of black boots, a high-color shirt of slate color, and now a dark purple waist cowl that would be held in place by he rope accessory he'd wrap twice and tie at the front. "Feels good too. Fair trade. Date later? I think we've got... some business to handle," he said, finally averting his gaze from the goddess long enough to look in the fallen Igris's direction again. Ah, but he did do a double-take. It was quite difficult to avoid viewing goddesses, apparently. "Unless..."

Apparently, Yugi wouldn't mind speaking with Irkalla's mother or her big sister. She gave that consideration. As one of the middle children she didn't often have things like this to show to the older of the group. She could well do this, a brief pause happened in that moment as she gave herself a moment to 'feel' for other beings like herself across the two worlds she inhabited. "Hm, that's weird... Mom is being odd right now. Metis however is already over here... and given what she's like she'll find you," she offered. "But I'll still pass along the message if I see either of them before I see you next," she said pleasantly.

Beyond that point the shared trait between Irkalla and Miko was something that both she and Miko understood. The two women were looking at each other rather directly after Miko's little outburst and Yugi's words about it afterwards were quite interesting. "Yes Daddy♪~" Miko chirped. "Oh? Well, if she's so agreeable who am I to say no... I didn't know that sharing came easily to those with our shared disposition," Irkalla said as if she knew something no one else did. Well, it was no matter, both were given their items and Yugi immediately equipped his. Miko took hers and grinned about it. "Sugoi♪!~ I've never seen these before, but they have a little chiming sound I can hear it's so relaxing. And it's so cute♪!~" she said immediately equipping her item as well, with all of the power she felt in it. She would also be getting dressed. Yugi at the same time would be finding a casual 7 percent increase to his Intimacy by how he responded to the works she gave them. "I'm glad they suit you both..." she offered them genuinely. At the same time Miko was equipping a lavender colored pleated mini skirt. A white pair of panties and a matching bra along with a little turtle neck in royal purple. "I can't hold you up right now... not yet. Besides, I have some adjustments to make to Limbo. But if you want to see me later you can. Call me sometime~" the goddess offered as she spun around and covered her body again.