<Nocturnal Harmonia>

"Well you're not the only one!" Yugi said about the wait Makima obviously didn't care for. He couldn't understand why this entire trial wasn't completed with the felling of Igris alone. To also be required to survive this army for four hours, Brainface had to be on some kind of futuristic, alien drug! Whatever the case, Makima promised some sort of reward if they did a good job and made it back safely. Maybe 'reward' wasn't even the right word for it. She called it... a treat. "Can't say no to that!" Yugi exclaimed as he underwent a series of movements quite similar to what he'd seen Mai do earlier this day. That catalyst reached his left hand, pairing with his sword to sweep one knight off its feet to start. As he followed through to slash the next knight twice and leave Megiddo to the fallen enemies, Miko's words of dissatisfaction reached his ear. "Feel how you want. If you're salty about it, you don't consider yourself important. That's a fucking you problem!" he announced. Yugi sent his own sword back to Inventory to focus on using the catalyst. Having a bit of control with that weapon in hand, he decided to take a strange approach.

Yugi didn't get a chance to control some of Megiddo's beams earlier. Now though, he could do that while using Sharingan to perform a trick. When he drew Megiddo's beams, he aimed them at himself ─ at the catalyst specifically. Knowing it to be a resonator of sorts, Yugi kept himself low ─ even beneath a group of knights at times. Beams were drawn through their bodies and into the catalyst, only to be bounced from crystal out into other knights and archers. That distraction was still bothering him. The more it happened, the more wary of it Yugi became. It definitely wasn't stray spells or arrows; the mages weren't even in his line of sight presently. There had to be another type of enemy in this chamber. . .

Apparently, Makima wasn't the only one waiting. Yugi had a hint of frustration in his tone, she supposed as annoyed as she was by the wait, it had to be significantly worse for those actually living the moment. "I imagine you're not having the best possible time. The order of these things is a little ridiculous... good thing a healer is among the first you found or this could be potentially quite annoying for you," Makima mentioned. All things considered even without access to a true arsenal without the limitations of normal classing she could have a decent bit of faith that they'd make it through. Beyond that point there was the matter of a treat, which was gladly accepted. He didn't even know what it was yet, but she was used to that sort of reaction, "Hai hai, I'll see to it then," she mused about the 'treat' she would be arranging. Meanwhile, Miko was mostly thinking to herself about the nature of her feelings, by the time Yugi commented she was rolling her eyes and sticking her tongue out. "I know is a me problem that's why it was an I statement, and not a 'you're a dick for that' statement," Miko sassed. It was one of those minor arguments of semantics, that the pair of them had quite often. "Wow... you two really are partners I guess. That Drain power feels interesting as well... but you should have all your mana back by now. I also reset all of your fractured bones and healed your bruises," Tae mentioned.

"Hai hai, I appreciate it. And I'll hang on to the excess for a while. If you like the skill have Omen-kun put one together for you... I'm sure we have a few of those runes to spare," Miko claimed casually. Soon enough though Miko was stretching and getting ready. "Tag me in!~" Miko chattered getting ready to toss herself into the fray in Yugi's place until such a time as he was healed. She figured such a thing would be fine to do in light of the situation, she even called down more Megiddo to clear a path for them to run between the healing space and the center of the horde. Whatever was amiss about it, it was something the pair would have to figure out between themselves by the end.

Yugi never stopped moving around the room. In doing so, he kept drawing the attention of knights in a mobile 10-meter radius, keeping the healing area sufficiently spacious. It was doing a number on his already-low fatigue, however. His movements showed as much, if only sometimes. Evasions that should have been easy were becoming narrower. Critical strikes would occasionally miss would-be vital points and require a second shot, stab or slash. Still, he persisted. The promise of a treat from Makima didn't have to be something specific. She knew what he wanted, and he knew how she was. As for Miko, Yugi scoffed whilst vaulting over a knight, using Ruler's hand to pull an archer from the rafters and slam it into a group of knights below. "If you don't want a response, keep it in your fucking head!" he argued during the descent thereafter.

Soon enough, the words Yugi needed to hear were spoken. Miko was ready to be tagged into combat. "On it!" Yugi replied. One High Knight he'd been working on for the past couple of strikes fell at his feet. Yugi vaulted over that knight, intending to dart down the clear path... but there was a stagger in that first step. Something sharp and metal pierced his lower back, just under his right kidney during takeoff. Yugi stumbled forward wincing, looking over his shoulder to prepare a retaliation... but there was nothing immediately behind him. 'Fuck!' he thought. "Hrrk! Watch out! There are assassins!" he warned when passing Miko, unable to even perform his preferred tagging method. Instead, he would continue tumbling to stop right in front of Tae. "Gah! 'Sup? Figured you could use a slightly harder job, y'know?"

Yugi never stopped moving around. He was quite busy even while being admittedly not in his peak form. Miko kept track of him as well as listening around for the movements of the other creatures. There were a lot of heavily armored footsteps, a bit of mage chanting and something else she was familiar with but couldn't quite pick out of the lineup of sounds just yet. What she could pick out of the sounds however was Yugi's specific words about her vocalization choices. "Not all inside thoughts are meant to stay inside, some are forced out and let go of," Miko settled. She saw no point in explaining the full dialogue. She heard too many things all the time to feel the need to respond. One could even say that the fact that Yugi felt the need to respond just because she said it, might have said more about him than it did about her. But she wasn't the sort of person to bother over that. She'd already admitted that she worked through most things on her own, and her feelings of inadequacy were fleeting, but still needed acknowledgement to be moved past.

Miko was soon enough though, switching places with a clean bill of health. Still, before she and Yugi could properly switch places he was stabbed in the back beneath a kidney. Her eyes widened. He made it to the healing circle with a warning about oassassin's, and Tae was soon grabbing him up, hand already outstretched, performing the 'Mana Surgery' to close up his wounds and make sure his internal organs didn't take too much damage. "You could not do that. You already died once today right, best not upset anyone else~" Tae claimed almost nonchalantly. "So while I fix you up, do you want to explain why you have an actual Sharingan and how the hell I ended up here? Because I feel like I'm missing quite a few things..." Tae mentioned having her hands on the lad she could tell his body had become even more defined. His physical status had to be in the realm of the higher tier A-ranks by now. And his perception had to count as something special at best. While she ponered those points Miko took up residence outside of the 10 meter safe zone. Much like Yugi she wouldn't be remaining still, but she'd take up a different method of keeping herself safe. One catalyst would be found in her hand, the other was pulsing around her, like a short order shield. When she heard arrows, it would pulse, disrupting the forward motion. While she used the remaining time on Megiddo to keep the circle around the pair safe. Instead of his quicker movements though hers were a bit more reactive and directly more like dancing.

"Making random exceptions now, huh," Yugi said as the final comment on that topic. Shortly afterwards, he was escaping the fray only to be stabbed in the back. Of course there were assassins. Yugi would nearly believe those types existed in this quest just to further annoy him. Rangers were equally a problem in some cases, but there was something he could do about that as well. First, he just had to regroup with Tae successfully. That did happen in due time ─ with Tae catching his stumbling form and beginning the healing process immediately. Of course, there was a bit of teasing to go along with it. "What's wrong with dying again? Apparently the first time got us a moxie proc once per hour... within range," he claimed, rolling over to face the archers up high.

Yugi's right arm, now emptied of the catalyst, stretched out. He moved it in jerking movements that were just careful enough to avoid ripping open any partially-healed wounds when the recovery process was just beginning. With no mana leaving his body, he jerked down one archer, then another, then another. He'd take that task unto himself as Tae sought further explanation, which he now had plenty of time to give. Of course, he also had time for something else. "You don't want to talk about the time you found to repaint your toenails instead? Everybody's changing colors; nothing weird about Sharingan," he said first and foremost. "I got my Perception over 50, and this happened. You got here because it's part of the job-change quest. Bondmates of at least Concubine level can be summoned one at a time, for twenty minutes, with twenty minutes of cooldown after. I would have tried calling, but... obviously I'm already on the phone and the countdown was already starting. Any more questions? How about one for you? You don't happen to have an Ume-style heal in your kit, do you?"

"Coming from the guy who also had something to say when I said nothing. Yep~" Miko once again simply stopped her speech on a single word full of sass and sarcasm. All the while noting the end of Megiddo and moving up her tempo just a bit. She was spinning between multiple armored beings, seeming to chirp while using those catalysts of hers to vibrate them on an individual basis. She was also keeping a small radius around herself to make sure she didn't get stabbed. She'd not been able to pinpoint the 'Predatory Silence' as she'd taken to calling it, but she was able to keep fending off any creatures in her immediate vicinity with more ease than the Igris fight had granted them. Yugi was the type to say whatever thing crossed his mind whether someone needed acknowledging or not. Miko simply wasn't the type to let him get away with circular logic when he'd already argued the opposite side before. It also seemed to be the case that he wasn't letting such things go in her case either, but that was simply part of their likeness and nothing to worry about. As Makima watched on she decided the pair had a fairly healthy relationship based on how they interacted from one moment to another.

Apparently, Yugi's near-death experience came with some buffs for the Players. Makima found this news interesting but Tae was a bit more practical even while not being a gamer. "Oh? But don't rewards like that have diminishing returns. Like you get one good thing and then after the first time you get scraps. Best not die over something like that..." Tae thought, though she couldn't argue against the initial goodness of his 'first' death given what it did. No matter, she pieced together his kidney and once she was done with that, she moved on to his side. She noted the previous healing measures. It seemed to have been reopened a time or two, but the healing itself had initially been pretty clean. Seeing such things was a good measure of healer ability. And while they spoke she kept up such notes in her mind. "It's been hours since I last saw you and I always redo my toes after coming out of a Gate, it's a part of my routine," she explained without having to do much thought. Apparently, the lad's eyes came with his increased Perception and she was here because she was Concubine level and could be summoned here. Well, she at least saw the need. Yugi had several wounds which had started healing but weren't allowed to close fully. She was going in behind those in most cases and finishing it up, but that wasn't too hard. Kidneys, side flesh wound, multiple fractured ribs, bruising along his spine, strain in his eyes and exhaustion were his main problems. Interestingly, the damage to his central chest cavity had been healed completely but the crack in his sternum was still present after everything that had happened. "No, all of that makes a decent amount of sense... I would say you two definitely shouldn't be here alone, and that the boss you took on was way outside of acceptable range for you, but you already killed it so, omeidetou..." Tae said as she moved on to his ribcage repairs. Did she have more questions? "Yes I have thousands, but I'm not weird enough to ask all of them at once," she said while her eyes darted about. She saw Miko darting by, holding the line of their protected space from a charging shield holder, by jumping feet first into the shield and pushing him back into the crowd. Just the same Yugi's question about powers made Makima raise a brow there was too much she wasn't familiar with, but Tae knew enough of Aeon's works to have something to say, "No one is taking obvious pervert powers except for kids. I didn't even develop any... though I do have a fitting theme for myself..." Tae clarified while knowing she had no intention of giving herself healing saliva or anything of the like.

Diminishing returns were typically things Yugi had great awareness of. In this case, none were clear, but there was one potential negative. "Usually, yeah. But... even though this is like a game, it still isn't one. The only problem is the potential crutch, which I don't intend to use. Even if Death was hot when I saw her, I don't think she'd like me hitting on her if I rushed back in," Yugi rambled. Regarding his comment about Tae's recently-repainted nails, apparently she had a routine kept after raiding Dungeons. How interesting; there seemed to be multiple Hunters doing that sort of thing. "Sou. No further comment. Except to say you should try red. Good contrast," he said plainly.

An explanation given was received well. Tae had many remaining questions, as anyone would, but she apparently had no intention to ask all of them here and now. She did however, find it imperative to note that the Players shouldn't be here alone ─ adding congratulations for even defeating the boss. "I get the feeling he shouldn't have been as difficult. I've been noticing some problems with the System. I think there's something off about the multiplayer scaling... like the original design was for one person, and there's an AI still kind of struggling to make constant adjustments One person going through the intro here probably would've leveled up enough to have less problems. Probably," he chattered aimlessly. Yugi was starting to feel quite decent compared to how he'd been for the past fifteen minutes or so. Still, he'd let the doctor continue her work as he continued ensuring no archers were allowed back up into the rafters. Sadly, Tae didn't have the sort of power he referenced... but she was right about having a very fitting theme for herself. "You do. How's your combat, though? I could help you lean into the 'plague' part better than ever. Besides, at this rate, you'll be here for an extra ten minutes after the healing's done."

Yugi was apparently aware of some things that could go wrong with relying on mechanics. He even claimed he didn't want to use a crutch and claimed 'Death' was hot. That wasn't that unusual, Takemi Tae was a doctor she'd heard plenty of things about the 'Grim Reaper' or 'Death' and what they might have looked like or how bland the afterlife looked like it owuld be. "Sou ka, well not all women are into dogged pursuit," Tae said casually enough that it seemed like she wasn't questioning him. Well, obviously she was being sarcastic. Moving on from that topic, Tae explained that she always had her toes repainted after coming back from a completed Raid and was met with the idea of choosing red for contrast. "I'll consider it." she said about the nail color. She wasn't really pressed an she enjoyed dark colors but a bright red would probably look very nice as well. By the time she said that, she'd effectively fixed up most of the deep tissue injuries and was now making sure his bones were sturdy and the rest of his frame wasn't injured.

At the same time, "Are you two living some weird sort of Beta Test? Also what level have you gotten to? When I last saw you it was 22 and you were C-rank. But this muscle definition, the changes to the girl's body that are visibly noticeable and all that is going on with you says you should realistically be around A-rank," she wondered given all the complaints he had. It seemed to be the case given what the lad had to say about the boss's difficulty. That was at least the only explanation she could think of given his explanation. Beyond that there was the idea about her and potential combat viability, "Combat? I'm a Healer, combat isn't my specialty and combat abilities aren't expected..." Tae said with massive confusion. Of course it would be at a time like this that the actions of Miko came back to the forefront. With Yugi watching the rafters she was able to keep an eye on the movements of the creatures on the ground except for the assassins pretty well. And as now punching towards a charging shielder with an odd cry. "GETCHO PAPER UP!~" the Black Flash skill activated and was something Tae got to see first hand as she shattered a shield and knocked back an opponent she followed to the ground with a flat palm absorbing mana before it kicked the proverbial bucket. She'd then quickly flip off that hand and spin her catalyst around singing a quick note to stun the group around her before she started with the pulsing slashes.

The Players were absolutely living through some weird beta test, perhaps even a pre-alpha. So many inconsistencies within the System pointed to that likelihood, and Yugi wasn't letting Brainface get away with the unfinished product. "Yeah. Or you could say we're playing No Man's Sky on release day," he said, even correcting himself immediately. Tae went on to question their current level. They were level 22 and around C-rank during their last meeting, and could now be compared to A-ranks in some way. "I think we're right on the cusp. After taking Igris down, we hit forty-si─" Before Yugi even finished his sentence, one of the knights killed by Miko pushed them over once again. [LEVEL UP!] appeared in the System, putting the Players at... "Forty-seven," he corrected again mid-sentence.

Despite the number of ridiculous things she'd seen and heard from the Players thus far, Tae had the audacity to talk about Healer-types not specializing in combat ─ and not being expected to have combat ability. Ah, but Miko brought proof to the contrary with perfect timing by delivering Black Flash to one of her foes. Yugi didn't speak on the matter. He knew Tae heard that outcry and saw the resulting damage, so... he merely pointed. His point had been made with no effort whatsoever. As such, Yugi moved right along to the original topic he meant to broach. "As I was saying, I can help with the plague theme. I'm pretty sure I could make a 'kiss of death' type thing... or an actual plague. You could be... Plaguespreader Mommy♥~" he joked, fingers wiggling in a mockingly ominous manner. "You also seem like you'd go for the spider thing. I can give you the webs, no thorax needed. Though you've got that equipped anyway, it won't come from there~"

The Players were living in a strange version of the world. Where they were playing a game that obviously needed testing. Oh well, it was to the benefit of anyone they managed to care about that they had access. "Didn't that game burn, and everyone demand refunds because they couldn't do anything in it?" That one had a huge blow up in the media before the developers went radio silent for a while. But soon there was more pressing information, apparently the pair of teens had gained, 25 levels in the 8 to 10 hours since Tae had seen them last. "WHAT YOU PUT UP 25 LEVELS IN A WORK SHIFT?!" That kind of thing was crazy even back when games were just games. These two had to have been in full grind mode for the duration of their time apart. She supposed she wouldn't be getting accurate measurements for the growth of this pair if they were managing to spike so quickly.

At the same time Miko was hearing a level up and she had a thought about increasing her Perception which she figured might help with the Assassin's but either they weren't attacking her directly or they couldn't get close enough. She figured it might be the case that she could end up accidentally crippling herself for a bit and she wouldn't want to do. At the same time, Tae was learning that Healers had quite a bit of flexibility when connected to Players. "Not giong to question why, she can do Black Flash a thing only done by S-ranks," Tae murmured but she definitely wanted to study both of them now. No matter, Plaguespreader Mommy was the idea that the lad was talking about. "Ehehe~ I made a joke like that earlier and the Egghead didn't get it," Tae mused appreciating the lad. "I do and have always liked spiders. And you're pretty bright, so go ahead and since I'll still be here I'll test out what you come up with~" Tae claimed. She hadn't the slightest bit of fear. From what she could tell most of these creatures were rather weak. They weren't phantoms but they also weren't any monstrous creatures either. She could in good faith do a bit of experimentation. At the same time, Miko was still busying herself keeping the area around the pair clear, she could hold that line even as she sent one of her catalyst flying around the circle with Ruler's Hand while the Mana Pulse from it vibrated and disturbed each one of the knights who' been trying to move into position around them.

"It did. But, then the developers buckled down and fixed everything," Yugi said about that particular exploration sandbox. Regardless, there was also the matter of how much the Players had grown overnight. 25 levels in the equivalent of a work shift was nothing to Yugi. Had this been an actual video game, things would be different. "Light work. If this were a real game, I'd be a National Hunter in six hours. Tops," he asserted. "We also found out the kills you guys get counts as experience for us too, so we could probably be S-rank by now if everyone we knew did a Dungeon after we met them."

Moving on from that matter, the well-timed display of Black Flash proved useful for advancing Yugi's point. Moreover, Tae asserted that such a technique was only used by S-ranks. "Doubt it. A-ranks probably just aren't being acknowledged for it," he argued, feeling as if anyone B-rank or above should technically be capable of it ─ albeit accidentally in the case of a B-ranker. As for the 'Plaguespreader' joke ─ it, too, was well-received and apparently something Tae delivered to some uncultured swine earlier. Since Tae was willing to test whatever he came up with, Yugi ensured no archers were presently above before opening the crafting menu again. He even made use of an extra Thread Bind Rune, pairing it with the venom of a spider to create the very first thing Tae could potentially use. "Toxin-Web Grasp. Take that one first," he said while handing over one Rune Stone, simultaneously working on a few more combinations. "Huh. This other one will actually be called Kiss of Death. Life Siphon. Not bad. Epidemic Touch, or Epidemic Wave? The names speak for themselves; your choice."

Apparently, the game that Tae and Yugi was discussing was one with a happy ending. A flop upon its initial release the developers had gone back in and fixed the problems that the general public had with the game in the first place. That was interesting news and oddly respectable. Moving on from this point, apparently the kind of grind that had happened while Tae slept and worked was 'lightwork' "Six hours? That's crazy~" Tae said but she had no choice but to believe him. After all of his wounds were healed, she began to funnel mana into him, figuring he might need a replenish as well, given how empty the girl was, it was likely best to leave them as close to full as possible. "So there's EXP share? I mean that does make sense, especially with you being able to buy things for us and spend your non-existent money to set us up. A bit of work in exchange is hardly costly... it's better than regular work honestly," Tae commented almost absently.

Soon after, Tae was dealing with seeing someone use Black Flash a move only attributed to the highest order of individuals. She was left to think about what Yugi said, and ended up at a similar conclusion, "Muscle and mana combination necessary would start at B-rank, wouldn't expect a B-rank to have the senses that would allow it to be a repeatable action though... I understand how we got here," Tae asserted. Soon enough Miko was bouncing by with a quick question while Yugi worked on skills. "Quick question, what's the likelihood of me, overwhelming myself with a sense if I upgrade it right now, it's hearing by the way..." Miko added. Having recently healed the girl and gotten a good feel for her mana and knowing just a bit Tae had something on offer. "Since it's sound, I'll say... it's relatively low. Every person is different but the people we know of that can use sound seem to not be affected by it as deeply as those who end up with weird eyes," Tae gave as a medical opinion. Miko heard that while she was hopping up to kick another Infantryman into a group. Her movements were calm, and she wasn't wasting any extra energy simply keeping the same circle that had been kept for her. "Arigatou♪ Tae-sensei~" Miko chirped as she kept up her work and pulled up a status screen to apply her remaining five points as it wouldn't hurt her to do so. Soon enough Tae had a rune in her hand and was looking at it strangely.

"This is like an Essence Stone, but with a power engraved into it. When you said I could have it you meant it. How do I use it?" Tae questioned properly. At the same time, Makima's eyes were hyper-focused, she'd not been speaking to allow everyone else their freedom but she had been observing the duo as they worked. Their exchanges, and how they chose to talk to each other were rather endearing. But now was the time for a bit of speech. "What's this?" Makima said seemingly confused. "Oh, right... we got TP'd we didn't get to explain that part..." Miko said only to think about that one and frown. "Another one... box it." she muttered thinking about acronyms that meant something normal and something dirty. Beyond that there was the question posed by Yugi, which Tae thought about, the difference between the words, Touch and Wave were minor but great. "Hm, I didn't think I'd turn back into this kind of nerd. Any way to have both? I want both..." Tae claimed. The more ways to spread a disease the better off it was from an evolutionary standpoint.

Tae was right. With the Players' ability to share objects and powers alike with their Bondmates, it only made sense that said comrades' accomplishments fueled back to them. They were, in essence, the protagonists after all. "Isn't it? I've been even freer with what I hand out since then. I'm usually all for merit, but if someone signing up as a route is going to get me something passively, I may as well pay it back," he replied earnestly. Tae seemed to agree with the possibility of anyone down to B-rank being capable of Black Flash. He would expect someone like Maki to be a user, and her output teetered between a high B and a low A in their first meeting.

When Yugi handed over that first Rune, having it make contact with Tae forced another immediate change. Yugi paused, looking at the Rune as the way it registered in the System adjusted from contact with her mana. "Huh... Never mind; it's not Toxin-Web Grasp. It's... Silk Venom Lash. Free upgrade to the next tier. It can reduce healing effectiveness in addition to the DoT now. Nice," he mused. Ah, but there was a question about how Tae should use the item, paired with an observation of it in general. "Oh, right. Just crush it. It's not as sturdy as it looks. Should feel like a surge of power, and a weird... understanding of how to do a thing," he explained, producing two follow-up Rune Stones titled: Kiss of Death and Life Siphon. When Tae claimed she wanted both Epidemic Skills, Yugi grinned. That was precisely the type of thinking he enjoyed in moments like this. "Fuck yeah you can! Take two of these and call me in the morning~" he joked. One thing had yet to be made clear, however. Makima was questioning the goings-on, as she'd not been made privy to the Players' latest overpowered discovery. Gojo was once again behind her, speaking before Yugi even could. "That's called breaking bread with the homies!" he chanted. "Whatever he said. Bondmates over 25% Intimacy can see and interact with items from the System. Apparently that includes Skill Runes. Theoretically, there's an upper limit somewhere in there. I recommend taking one at a time, but an S-rank should be fine to have at least a handful. Probably."

Yugi had some rather earnest thoughts to share about why he was so free with the items from the shop as it came to Bondmates and the like. His ideal world was a meritocracy but... those were hard to achieve in the long term. For now... he was willing to give to those who gave to him. "That's a fair way to do it," Tae decided. Miko in turn heard what he said and had a smile come to her face. They truly were a bit more alike than passing moments gave much time to understand. While all of that happened Miko put those last points into Perception, and upon reaching fifty, she felt something like her ears popping. A single moment of discomfort but she couldn't really tell the difference... well she could hear something else though, something that sounded like gentle accent notes not quite in time with the rest of the creatures movements. "Ah, that felt weird. Not broken though~" Miko chirped before getting back to work. Her next action would have her sliding low taking out a few legs and then using one of those catalysts to vibrate some a armored knight from point blank range, causing the metal pieces to scatter apart.

Meanwhile, the first rune that Tae was given had an immediate upgrade. It came with a newer name and an extra set of effects. How interesting. And beyond that explanation Yugi also explained how to use the Rune, which could apparently just be crushed and give a surge of power and a unique understanding. What a strange way to convey a skill. So, Tae crushed that first one, in the palm of her hands, getting a feel for the power flowing up her arm and a sudden understanding in her mind of the use of the skill. "Sou ka, that's quite interesting. The power surge seems to be tracing mana circuits... it's probably how it weaves the information in. I'm pretty sure that says something hypothetically about knowledge, memory and how mana works but I don't have enough research to clarify that," Tae observed as a scientist would. Of course, she wasn't an uncultured individual, and she was childish a little and prone to indulgence. So her demand for both skills wasn't completely out of the way, but it seemed Yugi enjoyed that confirmation and chose to combine the two versions of the skill into a single rune. Next came the rune for Kiss of Death which Tae would also pick up and crush feeling that one as well, including a little tingle across her lips now that she knew the kind of sensation she was looking for. At the same time, Makima was getting a lesson in how things worked for the players and how they shared abilities. Though not without a Gojo interruption, "We are really going to have to limit your time on TikTok," Makima mentioned her head leaning gently to the left. "So at 25 percent you can increase the skills and powers of a Bondmate. That is good. Even with an upper limit, that's impressive..." Makima said, that brain of hers working overtime. At the same time, there was a tingle deep within her core. Meanwhile, Tae was quietly pleased, "You're using me as part of the experiment that's awesome. I love being included in good research," Tae claimed earnestly. And for her inclusion, Yugi would find an extra 5 percent Intimacy.

Tae had her own observations to make about the absorption of Skill Runes. Hers was the most reliable take, as one who spent a great deal of time medically analyzing Hunter bodies and drug interactions. She didn't have enough research to complete theory, but that sort of thing was the reason Yugi kept interest. "Love a good doctor brain. You let me know when there's a breakthrough," he requested while piecing together the two Skills Tae wanted. Fully healed and missing only a small amount of mana, he reached out to utilize Ruler's Hand a few more times, snatching knights and archers into close groups of three near Miko's location. "It's really weird. Feels more like my arm is extending and my hand is becoming gigantic," he mused.

As expected, Makima took a great deal of interest in the Players' latest display of power-sharing. Yugi had no doubt that gears were turning in the chairwoman's head, but as she didn't say anything specific about it, he didn't either. No, he was much more interested in binding those two Skills... and seeing the sudden rise in Tae's Intimacy rating. She loved being included in good research, did she? It showed. "Obviously. I'm pretty sure if you loved it another 5%, you'd unlock a whole new tier of ridiculous shit. You're already at a higher rating than everyone else for the moment," he said, finally producing a Skill Rune: Endemic Surge. "Woah. It's got extra DoT, a bounce mechanic, and... a heal for allies. Hell of a plague, I'd say~" Yugi stated in passing the stone along. With that, he called out to Miko. "You good there? We might be able to see what a proper S-rank is capable of now."

Tae would share her observations with a lad who'd already proved his personal brilliance. They were experimenting together and trying to solve a bigger problem so anything she learned that could potentially be of use to his main goal was something she'd give. In the case of her current situation, she was to let the lad know if she had a breakthrough, "Hai, I'll definitely let you know. Still, these feel quite strange but I am gaining all the understanding of how to use them. And even feeling where the base of the power is settling now that I know what I'm looking for..." Tae explained of the current situation. Next up came Life Siphon... what was an interesting sensation. As for Yugi's understanding of his other ability, one which Tae observed allowing him to move around even those beings just a bit and to interact from a distance. "It's probably to keep it from feeling overwhelming. There are only a couple of ways telekinesis can work without it breaking someone's brain," Tae decided.

Just the same, Miko was still downing targets and observing. She could hear the speeches taking place and had no issues with anything being said. Beyond that it was apparently obvious how into being included in research Tae was, she had to assume they were gaining Intimacy, based on her curious mind and the potential of the new stuff going on. If such a thing was possible, she was technically easily manipulated into upping their Intimacy. "Really? I expected it to be higher for some others. Still I do wonder what other benefits would come from it. And I would enjoy the base understanding of any such increases," Tae thought as she crushed the next rune. At the same time that Intimacy level was creeping up, this time only by 3 percent. A bit of a distraction occurred as her Rune was finishing and a very complicated spell was created, with so many added effects it had to count as her offensive ultimate. "Sugei!~ That's fucking badass~" she claimed. Miko for her part in this darted back towards the circle after dropping another Infantry knight. "Hai hai... I was only running while stuff was happening. Unless you want backup? I figured you'd like to cut loose," Miko managed as she stopped in front taking up a post near Yugi to watch the show so to speak. "Sou ka. I guess there is a bit of fun to be had playing around here. I only got 10 minutes left... I don't think these creatures are strong enough for me to need backup even with the numbers. You two are going to have to handle a lot of this yourselves though right and you really didn't get a break after the boss? Have this one on me," she offered the kids. As she crushed that final Rune and felt the powers surging. Silk Venom Lash extended, given how it felt she aimed one towards the closest enemy snagging it and swinging it around the circle for a bit of clearance. But that was just a start. All the while Makima was watching with excitement dancing in her eyes and the confirmation of a new ability on someone who's skill set she'd seen before.

The doctor's notes about the form of telekinesis they now had access to were worth consideration. He felt there was something missing, but the notion of that feeling being one to save the user's mind was more than a fair start. "Reasonable. There's something else about it though. It's like... magic, but it doesn't cost anything. It doesn't come back to me or anything though. I'd say it might be grabbing ambient mana, but I'd be able to see that. Whatever. Can't question beneficial shit too much," he decided in the end.

The expectation that some others would have higher Intimacy than Tae was fair with little to no context, but Yugi and Miko had been moving in different ways since their return. While they both had multiple active routes, his count was significantly lower. "What others? There are only three. I know it's probably the biggest surprise of your life, but I don't actually get along with people very easily. Stupid ones especially~" he claimed in a half-joking manner. Another 3% increase was seen to Tae's Intimacy, pushing her closer and closer to what had to be the next threshold by way of simple math. "And closer still. 73~" Yugi observed. Now that he had the time and ability to look properly, Yugi could see the power of a new Skill entering Tae's arm, coursing through her body and settling as part of her self. There were no visible signs of drawbacks, but the surge of that last one was a bit bigger than others. "Hmm. Strength is probably worth considering when handing these out. The number might actually have a lot to do with it too, but... those are taking well," he decided as Miko made her way into the room's center. For the next ten minutes, they'd be able to witness an S-rank at work. In that same time, the Players could properly rest their minds instead of just their bodies. "Hai. Oh, and while you're here... I'm going to see if I can link you to the Shop app. I don't have much hope for it working, but it'd be worth a shot if you could somehow make item purchases when you're outside," he said to Tae just before she entered the fray. Yugi would be working that out while spawning a familiar throne for Miko and himself to sit upon. "This quest is actual hell. I don't think it'll become as difficult as Igris, but I do think this is the easiest it's going to be for the next four hours."

Takemi Tae did have at least medical knowledge backing most of her magical world understanding and predictions. She could extrapolate a bit based on how things worked that she understood. And she was happy to provide the pair currently settling in the middle of the room an understanding of their abilities as they developed. "Hai, though I do wonder if your altered stats list will be making it easier for you to expand your use of such a skill. You'll have to keep me updated," Tae mentioned casually as she moved around. Beyond that point Tae was surprised by the fact that she was the most advanced o Yugi's Routes. According to the lad himself, she was approaching 75 percent rather rapidly, that was good to know and he didn't often get along with a lot of others. A sly smirk came to the Doctor's face, "I couldn't imagine the boy with the superbrain, an ability to keep his thoughts both horny and mean in his head, and the most intense case of gamer rage I've ever seen would have a problem connecting with his peers~ Surely, he's a catch and not a walking red flag~" Tae joked in that morbid way she did about most things. Still she understood a truth in life about Yugi that both his actual partner and other women who actually got to know him did, once one crossed the initial instability he was one of the more reliable people.

The strength of the last rune to enter Tae's body was quite ridiculous even for the others ones. She observed that by sensation and Yugi did by visuals. There was one other thing happening at the same time and that was Miko finally getting a bit better grip on the changes increasing her perception caused. "That one sounded like an expansion of range out of the middle into sharps and flats, not that I expect that to make sense to anyone else. I wonder if the number is also mediated by the quantity or quality of skills mixed," Miko mentioned as she rolled her shoulders. Apparently while they were here, Yugi would e trying to connect Tae to the Shop App so that items could be purchased outside of the quest for the users. "Oh, that's a really good work around. Like bringing in shared supplies after a camp run in MonHun," Miko said thinking about her gaiming experience with a monster raid that couldn't be left traditionally. As for Tae, she'd begin testing her abilities but acknowledge it, "Hai hai, hook it up with a shopping list or something for me to take to when I get back," she mentioned as she paused around the wider gap and extended a hand. A cone of mist escaped her hand and began to coat the individual creatures, each bumping into each other passing it along so that it spread around the area of effect. "Sugei!~" the doctor was getting excited as she began actually showing an ability to take down creatures herself. All the while observations and experimentation were going on... and that last two percent Intimacy would occur, as her first target died of her new power structure.

Meanwhile, Miko settled into the throne with Yugi. They'd get tor relax for at least a moment so she sat herself squarely in his lap her back resting against his fore and her tiny but thick frame tucked into the space beneath his chin. "Yeah, it's going to be an undertaking. I've never been fond of the at level waves of creatures. I haven't seen something this bad since the Hollow Canyon," Miko explained. Still there was something to be said about the sheer number. "In other news, I can probably call one of my choices. I do have two who hit the right amount but one of them is a special case with extra oddities I haven't figured out," Miko mentioned of her own thoughts. "On the plus side, my other choice is an Assassin so he might be able to help with the strategies and help give us some background for helping out Kaya," Miko thought about using her own shortcomings to cover the weaknesses overall. "Oh? Not going to take the actual throne? And Tae definitely didn't have that sort of combat potential before, it's good to see~" Makima commented as she watched the children strategize and decompress.

Yugi's brain, attitude and general demeanor totally couldn't have a thing to do with his inability to connect with peers. If one were to ask the lad himself, he would actually agree with that clause. Most people were dumb, Yugi believed. "Definitely catch of the day, month, year, lifetime even~" he stated with all the false bravado he could muster. With that, Yugi began working on the attempt to find a link for the System Shop. It was a strange undertaking, if nothing else. He could indeed find and send a link, but there wasn't exactly an app for sharing Player funds with Bondmates. "Hm. Probably not gonna work. It'd be exactly like a MonHun hunt with some actual co-op, but there's no way to have her access the Gold," he said to Miko after her own observation. Oh well. Yugi would be sending that link regardless, if only to let the doctor do a bit of window shopping. Since he figured she'd take an interest as well, he delivered it to Makima too.

Ah, but more interesting things were on the horizon. As Tae practiced her new abilities and left the Players to their shared-throne relaxation, 75% Intimacy was reached for the first time. Before anything else, there was a notification visible to Yugi.

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — BOND THRESHOLD REACHED〕

Bond Route: Takemi Tae
Status Update Detected.

Intimacy has reached 75%.

The bond has deepened further.
The connection is now reinforced.
Higher stakes are now in play.

Reward Unlocked:

• Title Upgrade: Doctor's Pet → Doctor's Drug
• Permanent Passive: "Tae's Medicinal Imprint"
  Pending...

Pending:
Concubine Ascension Quest
A special quest will unlock at or before 100% Intimacy.
This quest will elevate the bond to Consort status.

System Remark:
The doctor's favor has deepened.
The path to ascension awaits.

"Hah! Knew it!" he called out immediately. Of course there were still complaints to be shared between the Players. Unbeknownst to Yugi however, Tae would also be receiving a notification.

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — CONCUBINE PRIVILEGE UNLOCKED〕

Concubine Designation: Shadow Concubine
Status: Active

As Shadow Concubine to [Player] Yugi, you are granted a special privilege.

Privilege: Mark of Ownership
You may apply a permanent mark to the Player by biting him during intimate contact.
The mark will serve as a visible sign of your claim and deepen your bond.

Effect:

• The mark will pulse with your mana signature
• The Player will gain benefits from the mark
• The mark may be used to locate or sense the Player when needed

System Remark:
The bond has evolved.
Mark him as yours.
The shadows will recognize the claim.

While that appeared, the others were discussing ever so casually the tactics they'd take for the rest of this quest. "We don't talk about Hollow Canyon. Best worst thing ever," was all he said about that clause. As for the rest, he thought it was only worth considering one of Miko's two 50% and above routes: the apparent Assassin-type. "A trained Assassin-type would be good. He'd probably be able to help with the ones that are trying to STAB ME IN THE KIDNEY!" he shouted an open complaint to the enemies. In doing so, Yugi noticed another issue ─ one that would take a backseat to Makima's question. "Can't capture the flag while enemy forces are still around. Context clues thus far say we're being set up to topple this 'kingdom' and establish our own in its place. But... there's another problem. Those numbers aren't diminishing, are they?"

Yugi was the catch of a lifetime? The lad wasn't wrong in his joking assessment, but many people might never learn that because of how off-putting his initial openings were. Perhaps that was on purpose? Tae imagined that a boy as clever as he was, could be seen as 'weeding' out the weak by presenting his worst qualities first. "Hm, well at least you're certain~" Tae mentioned as her poison and webs were being used on multiple opponents. Whatever the case, Yugi seemed to be incapable of getting the young woman access to the shop in a direct way, and the gold thing was a problem... "Hm, can you put some in a bag and drop it in her Inventory? You know... like the ones we found on those knights in the hallway?" Miko wondered. There were problems with MonHun, but games usually had a few workarounds. Tae would be receiving a link, but given her current combat and the rest she wouldn't be doing much with that... mostly because she'd have her attention draw to a System Notification. While she read her notification, she blew a kiss, a poison effect was soon placed upon those creatures who seemed to be hesitating for just a moment.

"I had such a time doing that one..." Miko said sighing like a person who was remembering the greatest struggle of her young life, until Blood-Red Commander Igris showed up. The casual discussion of the other things to come was apparently appreciated. "He'd definitely help... he helped me with the strategy I was going to use to sneak into a Dungeon, when that was what I was planning which seems like it was so long ago as a thought. He also plays games so we won't have to spend a lot of time explaining stuff," Miko said sighing just a bit. Something about all this combt made time feel different for her. At the same time Makima was understanding his logic and why they were not currently trying to claim their throne. "I suppose that is acceptable. Oh, I get one too?" Makima questioned almost absentmindedly. As for the commentary on the not diminishing numbers, Miko was certain they weren't actually disappearing. "Yeah, the number of things in this room is never actually going down, which means we might need a bit more strategy to actually find the end," Miko said, not willing to believe stuff was just spawning out of nowhere. Just the same Tae had something to say. "So, I got a notification and it sounds kind of... well, edgelord ominous," Tae claimed. "Apparently I can place a permanent mark on you thorough a bite during a moment of intimate contact and you'll get some kind of bonus... but it seems kind of sketchy, even to me," Tae mentioned. Miko thought that sounded about par for the course given the kinds of things the System had been saying to them the entire time.

It seemed Yugi was overlooking some small, yet very major possibilities when sorting through System options. Miko suggested taking the bags of gold they were getting throughout this quest dungeon, which Yugi hadn't considered at all yet. "... Oh goddamnit! Fucking soft-boiled brain! Why are you so fucking dumb?!" Yugi asked himself, even punching himself in the head. "Good catch! None of those have been used yet, so there should be enough gold in there to do something. It looks like a consumable though. Gold works more like credit. They'll have to be 'used' individually, but there's not really another way to get around it. Sending the whole stack over," he said while shifting pouches into Tae's personal inventory. At the same time, Miko had some technical praise to offer one of her Bondmates for a potential easy transition. "Not having to explain shit is the best thing ever. I usually prefer skipping that part, because annoying," he said briefly.

Indeed, Makima had a link to the Shop as well. Her questioning that fact was strange. Surely she knew by now that Yugi would understand her desire to see under the proverbial rug. "Of course you get one. How else am I supposed to find all the shit you want?" he asked rhetorically. Beyond that, the Players were reaching an understanding of the horde they had to deal with. Numbers weren't dwindling at all; they may have even been increasing over time. During that moment of shared realization however, Tae brought forth new information. She'd gotten a System notification as well. Edgelord ominous, she called it. Yugi merely nodded along as if he already understood. As for the permanent mark she could apparently place on him and the 'sketchy' vibe she got from the mention, the Players didn't seem too bothered at all. "Oh, yeah. Those are the normal ones; it's fine. The way we approach these things is basically: System says buffs, we take buffs. It's probably just some weird, personalized upgrade for the 75% mark, and I want that anyway. Experiment a little~"

Miko was sitting in Yugi's lap and offering a potential work around to the lack of funds based on the bags of coins they'd been finding on the things they'd been killing so far. This sent Yugi into a tirade aimed at himself about the softness of his brain. He even went on to punch himself, and Miko winced and wiggled. "Chii♪~ From mashed potatoes to soft-boiled... your analogies for brains make me hungry I might need you to stop♪!~" Miko joked. Miko was further rewarded with praise for making good catch. She grinned while swaying a happy flush reaching her cheeks. "Hai♪!~ " Miko confirmed of her good catch. Apparently the odd funding they'd collected wound end in a stack being given to Tae, she was finding the fun of actually killing her own creatures, "Hm, this method doesn't damage things very much. Sample collection is getting better by the second," Tae commented absently. At the same time the praise that Miko had for Amamiya Ren was apparently appreciated by Yugi. "I figured you'd say something like that. It'll be good having someone easy going for the talky bit. He's something of a silent protagonist~" Miko said having a pretty good feeling about the whole situation.

Meanwhile, Makima was receiving a link to the shop which she'd peruse casually while the pair were in their resting state. If nothing else, observing their planning state let her know that they covered each other's weaknesses. It was quite interesting for her to see. "I mean asking is technically an option~" Makima said with a hint of tease to her voice. Not that she felt this lad needed to ask her things, he seemed like he took a certian amount of joy in figuring things out for himself. No matter, Tae was slaying monsters but not making that much of a difference in their over all number. Poisoned mana threads, cones of poison and even creatures spreading things among themselves as the pair at the center would have continued being healed was all happening at once. "Sou ka, I don't have to completely abandon healing to take over a bit of combat either, this is quite flexible," Tae decided. As for the message sent by the System. Apparently, Yugi and his partner took all things from the System that implied buffs would be applied. "Sou ka, I mean that's pretty reckless, but... I can see why the decisions work that way... I guess experimenting on my little guinea pig is what I should do~" she said thinking about it, almost playfully. "I don't like the System Remarks though, reminds me of those posers from my school days," Tae commented as more of those creatures fell.

Yugi couldn't properly settle on his analogy for stupid moments. He'd get there eventually, but in the meantime, what he had was apparently going to make Miko hungry. "If things had to stop because they made you hungry, the world wouldn't spin anymore," he asserted. Enough bags were sent Tae's way that she could amass at least a few million gold, including the knights and such killed in the past fifteen minutes or so. It seemed her ability to clear magic beasts was more than sufficient as well; she was easily wiping out more than the Players managed to as a duo.

According to Makima, asking was an option. Their opinions on that matter were split in an odd way. While she understood that Yugi liked finding things out for himself, he understood that Makima could find joy in making direct demands and having them met. They'd have the most interesting game of cat and mouse going by this setup, Yugi believed. "I agree. Asking is technically an option," Yugi replied as if he meant to flip the meaning of Makima's claim. All of that aside, a new development had become available, and Yugi intended to see it through. 75% had to be a very important milestone for routes. What would he get from that 'mark' she spoke of? Yugi didn't have a single clue, but he assumed something fitting Tae's existing theme... which was looking a bit closer to complete as knights repeatedly fell like a horde of crumbling zombies. "Nobody likes the remarks. Sounds like one of those crazy alien bastards with an exposed brain, doesn't it?" he asked, making an effort to slip out beneath Miko and remove himself from the throne. Tae's time was drawing nearer and nearer to its end either way, so he needn't remain too comfortable. "A bite, huh? Am I right to guess that's something drawn out of your subconscious?" he wondered while rising.

Miko and Yugi had a playful and biting relationship, as far as the others on the outside could tell. One such biting relationship had to do with the appetite of the small girl whow as currently tucked into Yugi's fore, "Waaah♪~ I'm not that bad♪!~" Miko chirped pouting tersely. A smirk would appear on Makima's face as she would disagree based solely on the lass's sexual appetites, not even knowing about how much she actually liked food. At the same time, a multiple bags of coins were being deposited into Tae's Inventory. "Why are there so many?" Tae asked seeing the count on the bags, but still she was managing against the horde.

At the same time, Makima was having her words turned against her. He could have asked her what she wanted and she also knew he'd rather figure it out. Their kind of dance was a bit more complex than most that Makima dealt with, "Oh? Are you trying to be bad?~" Makima questioned in rhetoric. She would tell him when she wanted things, but she'd also see what he came up with on his own, how else would she find things she liked. Meanwhile, Yugi was beginning to get up, Miko would help him slide from beneath her, but she'd pout about it, just a bit. Now alone in the throne, she'd pull her legs up and sit in a pose a bit more meditative. She was only not complaining because there was a reasonable concern and they would be needing as many things as possible for when Tae disappeared. At the same time, Yug's words were reaching Tae. "Oh... is that why Brainface? I get it," Tae said in understanding, these two were oddly intuitive. By the time he was getting to her he was wondering about the nature of her thought processes. She looked a bit abashed as she began to explain while creating a circle of protection, which was in truth how she was going to keep the knights out while she applied this... 'mark'. "The goth thing always starts somewhere. Dark clothes, dark make-up a pop of color? Vampires are gateway drug... to social suicide. I was even a phlebotomist while I was working through University for the aesthetic," Tae explained only to get a nod of respect from Miko as she busied herself with something else. Of course there was a little something else, it was obvious that Tae was more of a 'Dominatrix' than her previously shown sexual activity would know... and there was a certain muting of that sort of thing because of a situation which happened around the time of her awakening, one which made blood-letting even more taboo than normal.

"Sure," was Yugi's only response to Miko claiming she wasn't so bad. With so much evidence to the contrary of her statement, he saw no point in anything but sarcasm. As for the bags being delivered to Tae's storage, the quantity was brought into question. Why were there so many? There surely weren't that many before they fought Igris; this was at least double the original count... and apparently growing. "Huh, it is a lot," Yugi said as he scanned for details. "Hmm. Shadow Concubines have auto-loot for certain things? That's... dumb. We haven't had auto-loot since the rewards for that first couple of events. See what I mean about this dumb system?"

When Makima asked the lad if he was trying to be bad, it would not be treated as rhetoric. No, Yugi had another quip for that one. "Not at all. Just being a guide dog. I show you to the location, you give me a sniff of something, I dig up what you're looking for. Or something along those lines," he rambled. With that, Yugi was rising and stretching his back. It would be time to reenter combat soon, but first came whatever 'mark' Tae had in store. En route, she spoke of vampirism and its nature as a gateway to social suicide. Yugi made a few inferences based on that little tidbit. The way she approached sexual acts with him earlier paired with the current lore drop, he could assume there was a history in there somewhere. "Sou. So did you actually bite someone, or did you basically accidentally rip someone's spine out? I saw how your fingers curled against the floor earlier. You're the full-latch-and-scratch type, aren't you? That's hot," he asserted, thinking ahead to a more unrestricted session with the doctor. At the same time, Yugi was looking at that ring of poison and how easily it handled knights they couldn't possibly eliminate with such ease. Any that passed through only made it to the other side by... falling limp. Moreover, those who made it that far were the High Knights. "Damn. I need AoE."

Miko knew sarcasm when she heard it, and in response to Yugi's most recent utterance, she'd only stick out her tongue in mocking. She was allowed to be a little outrageous from time to time, and she didn't see her need to eat as the sort that would stop the world from spinning. Beyond that there was the issue of things being collected for Tae. After being given a few coin bags it would seem she was collecting quite a few through her actions here. Yugi found such a thing to be a dumb mechanic, and Miko could agree to a certain extent and so could Tae. "It does seem a little crazy for us to get auto-loot but you guys don't," she said such a skill was usually coveted in games and the like. Miko thought about it a bit and shrugged, "Or maybe it's automatic because of Inventory access issues. Like it'd be kinda messed up to have stuff on you you couldn't touch, just because you couldn't sense it at the time," Miko offered. She played quite a few otome games where she had to suspend logic to understand the games mechanics.

Meanwhile, Yugi was also still having a discussion with Makima. He wasn't trying to be bad, apparently his decision was to act like a guide dog. His rambling description was pretty accurate for what he'd been doing for the most part and Makima herself found it amusing. "Ehe~ Alright, since you know your tasks I won't interrupt," she mused almost playfully. There was a certain superficial nature to the things said by her, like she knew there was a wall created between the words and their meaning but none of that mattered. For now, the creatures being feeled by poisons were still falling. The type of damage now down by Tae didn't require her to be physical to deliver offense, such was good. Ah, but that wasn't how she was completely. Yugi seemed to take quite a few context clues from things said and his previous interactions with the doctor. She had the grace to look a bit sheepish, her face gaining a hint of redness that wasn't normal to her standoffish demeanor. "I... don't usually bite. I am more of a hickey kind of person," she stated honestly. "And I didn't rip a spine out or anything like that... you aren't wrong, I am normally that kind of active. I might have flayed someone accidentally... like there was more flesh missing from him than some autopsies I've done. But even now there isn't a lot of consistency to how awakenings work. I'm not even a combat oriented individual..." Tae mentioned honestly. "Though if you aren't bothered I won't accept any complaints about your treatment later. You should both still be careful," she said shooting a gaze towards the reckless girl as well, who held held her hands up in surrender once more. She could hear the justification in the older woman's voice, her hesitance surrounding intimacy without restraint. That AoE was something that Yugi apparently wanted, as Tae turned she looked to Yugi with a raised brow. "Huh, you've gotten a bit taller since I saw you last... anyway, come on time for your buffs~" she said going along with the necessary pretense. They couldn't get too deep into anything, but perhaps a bit of a make-out would do for the intimate contact required to apply her mark. Well that would have to start with a press of lips.

Possible justifications for the auto-loot mechanics didn't resonate very well with Yugi. It would have made sense for the System to collect things for anyone beneath 50%, but the inverse was completely unnecessary. "But there aren't any access issues. It specifically notes Shadow Concubines, which already have access to their own Inventory. People below that have to get their own shit, like it's some kind of freaky proving grounds before becoming a concubine. This whole System is bad at being a game," he said with an annoyed huff. As for Makima, she apparently wouldn't interrupt a dog who knew his tasks. "I'm not stopping you if you decide to interrupt anyway. For the record, the best ways to interrupt someone like me are: head, jiggle physics top and/or bottom, and... a few other things that mostly depend on the person doing it," he mentioned most casually.

As Yugi and Tae prepared for whatever interaction led to a bite of special marking, the doctor asserted that she was more of a hickey person than a biter. Ah, but she was very much the 'full-latch-and-scratch' type of woman Yugi assumed she was. Her tale was one Yugi could imagine the feeling of, nearly leading him to shiver the moment flaying was mentioned. "Damn. That's hardcore. Nothing like battle scars though; I'm all-in for glorious combat and the treatment," he asserted. Why would he even complain about the treatment. If he was going to see a doctor, it was going to be her regardless; that was just an absolute win for the lad. Whatever the case, Tae approached and claimed he'd gotten taller in a matter of hours. Yugi would have taken a moment to size himself, but he merely shrugged. "Did I? Cool. Got longer too. And thicker," he quipped, intending to grab the doctor by the waist and pull her tightly into himself as their lips connected.

Justifications offered for the oddities surrounding the System didn't sit right with Yugi. After saying the thought aloud, Miko understood his stance as well. She was only thinking it through but upon hearing his gripes she had another kind of strange idea, "Maybe it's bad at being a game because it wasn't set up originally to be one," she offered mentally. Them figuring out the System and how it worked was part of their overarching plan she assumed, mostly to avoid the negative part of the future she and he both assumed was coming as nothing was given for free in any world. While they worked thorugh that, Makima was given a bit of information about Yugi which she found wholly unnecessary. The things that could be used to interrupt or distract him were not foreign concepts, "I am aware that you're a man. You didn't have to tell me that~" she said coyly. Miko for her part in this looked off to the side abashedly, 'Am I a man?' she ran her hands over her physical form and felt all her girl parts and her lack of a dick and was sure she was a girl, but if Yugi's qualifying statements made him a man than she had to be one too by simple definition.

Meanwhile, Yugi and Tae were preparing for the thing that would lead to his next buff. Just the same the doctor disclosed her own odd past, if only to prepare the lad for some potential issues with his ragged pursuit. Even as his body seemed to be moving forward, she wouldn't actually want to hurt anyone too much. Still, Tae would be surprised by the lad, who signed himself up for 'battle scars and glorious combat' in addition to his treatment. He'd gotten taller and somehow had become more the kind of person she was looking for, though she didn't have a direct response to his words, initially... "Mm-hm, it's on you then..." she said as if feeling cavalier about it, while in truth she was feeling oddly accepted and soft. Just the same the lad didn't really acknowledge his shift in height and instead chose to grab her closer and hint at other changes to his physique which she'd likely get to see at some point in the near future. A meeting of lips would become a bit more passionate as tongue and the like were involved. Tae would be slipping hers into the lad's mouth while hands initially down by her sides would hesitantly be brought up, running through his hair and down the back of head head and neck one hand settling on his shoulder while the other remained a bit higher for the sake of eventual leverage. Still, Tae wasn't doing this just for that, no the build up was important and she'd give herself a natural amount of time, before she pulled his head to the side and licked from his mouth down to his exposed neck. All the while they had a rather silent audience. Miko was watching the sounds of them making her lean forward in her chair and squirm while Makima watched impassively as she did most things appreciating the natural state of those who worked beneath her.

One thing Yugi could agree to was the thought of the System being a bad game, for any reason. It didn't seem like something originally meant to be a video game, but rather something purposed as such to appeal to its... Players. Still, he wouldn't give Brainface a pass. "Bad game is bad game. I'm not having any of Brainface's excuses," he said about their wonderful, yet terrible real-life gaming experience. Moving on from that, Makima attributed that list of viable interruption methods to Yugi being a man. While that was true, Yugi was also a very nuanced individual. "You wish it were that simple. Pay attention to the important part. Right person, right thing, right time, right place, right energy. Play to your own strengths and let the stars align~" he said. Yugi could never be grouped into an archetype so simply. The approach of Woman A vs Woman Q could have the very same visual, and completely opposite success rates with a guy like him. Visuals and the like weren't as valuable as most would expect.

Regardless, Yugi had more important things to deal with... like the approach, embrace and eventual lip-locking of one Takemi Tae, who seemed just slightly put at ease by his excitement. Per his earlier allusion to the caveats of manhood, the idea of Tae falling more into her natural leaning was the most exhilarating thing to the lad. As their tongues began to dance, Yugi found an amount of initiative Tae kept herself from before. Her hands were shifting into place ─ one at his left shoulder as the other went to the opposite side of his head. They'd begun something of a make-out, but Yugi could feel the purpose of that approach yet to be executed. By the time she actually decided to tilt his head, a sighing Yugi decided to be a bit... touchy, in the literal sense. He couldn't just leave his hands on someone's waist; he had to slip around to squeeze the doctor's rounded backside and keep their lower halves a little too close by the standards of upstanding citizens.

In this case, Miko could agree with not giving 'Brainface' an out for the quality of the game. Even if it wasn't meant to be such a thing, by the time he made the interface the way he did to appeal to the 'Players' he probably should have done some real testing before signing someone up for his nonsense. "Fair enough, acknowledgement doesn't negate responsibility." Miko agreed firmly. Ah but now wasn't exactly the time for that, while Yugi explained to Makima how complex he was with her overly simple acknowledgement of him, Miko wondered about her state as a being. This was definitely the sort of thing she needed to talk about with her therapist. She was having quite the expansive changes in her life for such a short term amount of time. "That advice from you sounds too natural, like you've said it a thousand times before about something unrelated," Makima mentioned almost casually. She had her head resting in her hand as she watched with those ringed eyes of hers. A lad far too comfortable in his words explaining how to 'play' the game of life to someone who'd already lived it and to an extent learned to manipulate it. No matter... there was soon a show to watch.

Takemi Tae had been a bit less herself in a more recent sexual encounter. Less forward and abrasive, than she would have been even months prior. She kissed him passionately, used tongue to inspect the inside of his mouth and allowed her hands to wander more firmly. Her approach was less unsure more direct. And by the time she'd leaned the lad's head to one side, he was sighing and she was relaxing into his moving hands. Her bottom being molested directly had her wiggling in his hands and then her tongue drug against flesh finding itself nestled near the spot where his neck and shoulder met. A long lashing as gentle preparation, a gentle kiss against the flesh with the tiniest bit of suction applied to get a bit of flesh into her mouth. She really was more of the hickey type and then... teeth settled against that flesh and a bit of miximng mana would occur as she drew just a tiny bit of blood with those teeth marks, but something more magical would be occurring. Just the same Miko was watching and listening and squirming in her seat. "That's hot."

Had Yugi given that advice before? Yes, it had indeed been dozens, hundred, perhaps even a thousand times for other reasons. He didn't have the time for acknowledgement of that claim, however, as his lips were already being made very busy. Of course a bit of kissing would only last so long; Tae herself only had so much time remaining. In those fleeting moments, however, he became deeply invested to a point of it showing in his breath when their mouths separated. As they were so very close at the hip, the addition of her tongue to his neck had Yugi grinding against the doctor, stiffening rapidly between their pelvises. He'd yet to be on the receiving end of something like a hickey until Tae sucked a small area of his neck's flesh between her lips. It was a sensation so full of pressure, with a bit of a pinch added... only for that pinch to be replaced with another, sharper sort. "Hah~" Yugi gasped as skin was broken.

Tae's Cursed Imprint ─ (applied by Takemi Tae at 75%+ Intimacy)

Description:
A permanent mark of her S-rank medicinal mana etched into your flesh.
The seal pulses with her essence, expanding your limits through controlled over-healing.

Effects:

• Level 1 (Always Available – No cooldown, low mana cost):
  Activate at will for short bursts.
  +20% to all physical and magical stats
  +50% stamina and mana regeneration during use
  Minor over-healing: instantly repair minor wounds and convert incoming debuffs into small healing waves (10–15% HP restore)
  No severe backlash; only slight fatigue if overused in quick succession (minor stamina drain after 5+ minutes total use)

• Level 2 (Daily Ultimate Mode – Once per day, high mana cost):
  Trigger once daily for the full transformation.
  +60% all stats
  Constant over-healing (instant minor wound repair, +100% regeneration)
  No immediate downsides during use
  When duration ends: -40% all stats for 30 minutes + mana exhaustion (skills cost 50% more)

Activation & Recharge:
Level 1 can be triggered anytime with low mana cost.
Level 2 requires a recharge via intimate contact with Takemi Tae (she must "re-infuse" the seal manually).
The seal glows emerald-black when active, veins pulsing under the skin.

System Remark:
The doctor's mark is set.
Her venom courses through you.
Use Level 1 freely, vessel.
Save the full surge for when you truly need it.
The crash will remind you of her necessity.

That notification appeared for Yugi in conjunction with a rather aggressive feeling right around the bite's location. His hips pushed forward as if his very body wished to bypass their clothes and dive into Tae right then and there, as three Tomoe in a familiar pattern appeared at the base of his neck. "Hrngh─! Fuck fuck fuck!" he groaned through the burning sensation. At the same time, Yugi's essence was flowing back into Tae's mouth... leading to a notification on her end.

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — SKILL UNLOCKED〕

Skill Acquired: Shadow Reaping

Description:
The user collects a "reaping" from defeated enemies or willing allies, harvesting their mana as tribute to the [REDACTED].

Effect:

• When an enemy dies nearby, the user absorbs a portion of their mana as a small permanent boost to max mana pool
• When an ally dies nearby, the user can "reap" a portion of their mana to restore her own
• Passive: In a Domain or base controlled by the [REDACTED], the user can "reap" a small daily mana tithe from lesser [REDACTED], granting +50% mana regeneration for 24 hours

System Remark:
ERROR
ERROR
ERROR.

Yugi had definitely given that advice before, Miko had seen it... and bastardizations of it, all over the 'Genokiller' forums. To her, such advice made sense, not everyone could approach a situation the same way, it simply made sense. Such a logic was why she was generally opposed to walkthroughs for Otome Games. Just because a random set of words or circumstances works for one person, doesn't mean it could or should work for a different person. And the AI in a lot of games had been made more and more intelligent by the iteration. It was becoming less about the words said, and more about learning the 'Player' instead. While Miko thought over advice and gameplay mechanics, she got to witness a steamy make-out including the delivery of a hickey and a love bite and the reaction to it.

For Tae's part in this, the delivery of a little pain and pleasure in a single moment wasn't all together to new. The thing that made it interesting, was the reaction of the lad she was currently making out with. He'd made a few light noises, his whole body grinding against her fore as if he wanted to find a home in her body. "Hmm, I get something new too?" Tae mused pulling away from that bite, which had setting into an interesting almost tattoo like mark on his skin. Still, there was something Tae was observing while Miko squirmed. It was hot and it sounded great, the girl's loins were throbbing as she finally stood up again knowing what was going on. "Squee♪~ That sounded great♪~ If you want to experiment and bite a girl... I volunteer♪!~" Miko added. While Tae shifted her eyes and chuckled just a bit. "Oh, there are a lot of red words in this new skill of mine. "Shadow Reaping... edgy," she whispered still not quite ready to pull away.

The bite Yugi received from Tae was one thing, but the burning sensation of a seal appearing on his neck was something very different. That part wasn't pleasant at all... until it was. Yugi managed to register the woman claiming she got something from that exchange as well, but he was too busy being internally immolated to respond. "HOOOT! HOT HOT HOOOT!" he wailed, managing only to keep a firm and still tightening embrace on Tae.

After a few moments, that sensation expanded. There were visual signs as well, including a burning glow to the otherwise black seal as it fanned out in a flamelike pattern across Yugi's skin. It settled spread-out around his neck and shoulder, turning black again. By then, Yugi's inner strength had been pulled forth. His stats were roughly 20% higher, both physical and magical. His body was constantly ready to reconstruct itself, similar to Mana Reversal, albeit to a far lesser extent. "Gah! Fuck... that felt so good, so bad, and so good again. Did I just get a fucking cursed seal?!" he asked excitedly. Ah, but there were two things he'd yet to comment on. First was Miko offering herself as the doctor's next... patient for such biting. "You know it would totally help the synergy or what-the-fuck-ever!" he encouraged. As for the red words in Tae's new Skill, there was little he could say... but that Skill title said a lot on its own. "Shadow Reaping? Based on everything else we've been given so far, that sounds like a job thing. Does it sound anything like 'official member of a kingdom' shit? Executioner or something? Or like... gardener, I guess. That one could be lame."

It seemed the bite Tae had given would come with a bit of recovery time. Yugi made several noises and then kept saying the word 'hot'. While this happened both Tae and Miko got to observe the burning look of that mark as it seemed to be settling into the lad properly. "Oh? Adjusting then... squeeze is a little tight~" Tae said lightly but she truly didn't mind the closeness. It'd been quite a while since she'd felt something so close and it was worth appreciating. As for Yugi's question, Tae and Miko could only say "Seems like it. Mix of mana, applied thing, and look at you... not even being out of commission for ages!~" Tae observed as she looked over the healed bite and the subsequent decorative marking. "Oooh♪~ It's like Mari's, that's badass♪!~" Miko chirped appreciatively.

Speaking of things encouraged. Upon getting the ability to speak back, Yugi would be encouraging the combination of Tae and Miko for obviously deviant reasons covered by 'excuses' of synergy. Tae could only chuckle finding the girl's proposition to be about what she'd expect for someone so free with herself while the encouragement of Yugi was normal but didn't hit the ear as innately sleazy. "So, you're just that open in general..." Tae said mostly as an observation without a firm confirmation. "That isn't a no! Boob hats and head pat, incoming♪~" Miko chirped happily. At the same time, Makima was still watching and found it amusing, "So it's just both of you..." she thought about the nature of the pair of horny teens both doing things for themselves and each other. There was nothing bad to be said about their teamwork even in moments of carnal pleasure seeking. Beyond that point there were the issues with Tae's new skill, "It seems to allow me to gain permanent mana pool increases by collecting the mana of allies or enemies who die around me. So in that way I'd say more mortician or taxe collector, than gardener or executioner," Tae gave that general explanation. "I didn't even get any ominous flavor text this time. It all came up Error. I think you two might be breaking your game~" Tae mentioned seeming to have enough of an udnerstanding from her youth to know they might have stumbled into an area they weren't meant to be in just yet. Meanwhile that same information was just being fed into Miko's brain, sorted with all of the tone shifting, words like 'vessel', 'chaos' and 'concubines', kingdom, shadows, and even the trial they were currently going through. She was on her way to a big idea. It even contained that near death experience of Yugi's where death wasn't really the end. What did it all mean?

By the time Yugi finished recovering, he felt better than ever. Tae's mark was similar to the feeling of leveling up, but with a more immediate and larger payout. According to Miko, his seal was similar to that of the character Mariketa. How interesting. "She was one of my favorites. Red hair, thicker than a sack of meat buns... traumatized with an oral fixation," he chattered, pausing to clear his throat after. A small amount of effort was put forth to encourage whatever interaction would happen between the women in this quest venue. Yugi couldn't mind for many reasons, not the least of which was how much he now felt like fighting. Blood coursed through his veins like never before. Though he'd been at rest for over ten minutes, he felt like he was just entering a rush ─ one that wasn't going away.

Alas, there were things to note about Tae's latest skill. As opposed to an executioner or some silly gardener, she thought it seemed more like a mortician's skill. It all sounded quite powerful... quite permanent even. "So you've become similar to us. Kill things, get stronger. I'd say that sounds like you've got the System with only the Intelligence stat. Pretty sweet," Yugi commented. All the while, his eyes were moving about the battlefield, scanning through that ring of poison mist still keeping them all safe. "In that case... you're getting stronger right now. That, error messages and the gold loophole in the Shop? This game only just started being broken~" he said with a somewhat twisted grin. "So, if you guys are gonna do lesbian shit, you've barely got time for it. I... feel like I could rampage right now. Wish I had some heavy metal background music."

Miko could do nothing but agree with the assessment about the fictional character Mariketa. "That whole family was hot, but she was like a girl coming off a bad end... I felt like she needed care," Miko said decisively. Still, with the poison keeping away the coming horde, it would be Yugi who had a bit to say about the way Tae analyzed her new skill. Opening the path to consort had given her the ability to gain permanent stat increases, specifically the one she aligned to best, 'Intelligence'. "A bigger mana pool is a good thing regardless of anything else, being able to heal more often and exchange power is one of the better sides to it," Tae agreed whole heartedly. Meanwhile, Makima had but a simple thing to say, it that impassive way that belied unnecessary excitement. It was right there, in the corner of her mouth twitching just slightly upward as another ridiculous thing became obvious, "Permanent ability to gain a stat, is that really what just happened?" she questioned just an edge of excitement in her voice.

"Waaah♪~ Tone shift♪!~" Miko blurted out seeming to almost shiver as she quickly wrapped her arms around the doctor as if seeking protection, when in truth... the smaller girl was just seeking the warmth of large breasts atop her head, knowing that most tall women wouldn't shoo away a small girl in need. Was it emotionally manipulative? Yes. Did she still find Tae absently hugging her back, also yes! A limited amount of time to do lesbian thigns wasn't really something MIko worried about directly. Still by the time Yugi was talking about their limited time, Miko already had hands firmly grasping another woman's bottom while her head was barely able to peek around her breasts and a eyebrow was raised. "Well, it isn't the first time I've made-out with a girl or anything. Besides you did do a really nice job with your skills so far, keep at it~" Tae said as Miko acknowledged another tone shift, "Break the game, win the game♪!~ Ooh, I had an idea for something metal a few days ago..." Miko mutteres softly before Tae's lips met hers as that woman had to lean down to accept the smaller's girls advances. An innocent little makeout would be taking place while Yugi got the time to stretch.

Before Yugi could fully separate himself from Tae, Makima had a question that was equally an observation. Indeed, it seemed Tae had the ability to grow stronger in a similar way to the Players, albeit in limited capacity. "Already wondering what it'll be for you?" he asked without requiring any form of answer. Yugi had become quite interested in ravaging the knights. Soon enough, he was stepping away from Tae for that exact purpose ─ and to leave room for a physical replacement.

As Miko made her way into the space now abandoned, Yugi looked into his own palm. Only one thing was missing. "Oh, and make sure it's recorded in the System. I'll be pretty annoyed if I have to miss this," he said. In that moment, lightning began arcing between his fingers, charging a stronger current than he could manage before... even while only making a casual attempt. While lesbian practices began, Yugi rushed through the ring of poison at a faster pace than ever before. He'd look like an arc of lightning himself, bouncing between knights with no consistency whatsoever ─ but still with nothing short of success as knights fell one after another at various sporadic points across the throne room. Slowly but surely, there was also progress toward another level for the Players. . .

Yugi was separating himself from Tae initially, simply to follow the urge to wreck something physically. At the same time, Makima had been questioning the nature of a real and substantial buff for an individual deeply connected to the Players. "The idea of such a thing existing at all is intriguing enough. Connecting it to myself as a thought is almost too much~" Makima mused. Though she was doing exactly that, if any of her already monstrous abilities gained any more power, she'd reach a pinnacle of existence.

While Miko was about to start a little something with Tae, it would seem she was under orders to make sure it was recorded. Yugi would hate to miss it. She figured that would be the case, "Yes, Daddy♪~" the girl chirped her agreement in the most casual way possible for the sake of deviance. Meanwhile, Tae was leaning into the face of the small girl whose hands were moving rather actively around the softness of the goth woman's body. What kind recording would Yugi be able to see later? Well... it'd be one which involved deep kisses, and the very active hands of both Miko and Tae. Miko had even slipped up under that one's dress, finger tips making contact with skin and panties. And by the time Tae disappeared for the day, Miko was sitting with a blushing face licking her lips happily. "I really gotta do that again! How's the upgrade?" Miko asked of Yugi as she banished that throne and re-entered the fray as well, at the end of Tae's timer.

"Bucket," was Yugi's only word of response to Makima's assertion. As if on cue, one Gojo Satoru was on the screen, standing behind Makima with a bucket he was actively pointing to. "Bucket!" exclaimed the grinning white-haired man. Moments after, Yugi was managing to avoid the potential assault of those hidden assassins by keeping more mobile than they could be. His hand alone could not go through the High Knights' armor, but it was consistently piercing the chestplates of infantrymen with the ease of stabbing wet paper. Such was how Yugi continued, felling one knight and moving effortlessly through the horde ─ at times by jumping over a suit of armor to find the next target elsewhere.

As he moved, Yugi's eyes darted rapidly from one spot to another. The mages were far too well-guarded, but not casting any offensive magic. Moreover, he could confirm that the number of enemies was indeed growing instead of reducing. Ah, but... as moments passed, that seal on Yugi's shoulder was also growing, along with his power output and physical ability. Miko was eventually done with Tae, the doctor no longer within the quest dungeon. She asked about the upgrade. What would he say? "Deadly~" Yugi spoke in a slightly darker tone than normal, seeming to revel in his own offensive ability. "But so's the wave. Mages might be keeping the summons going. I'd kill them, but... it feels like a trap. You should call your Assassin. I'll call mine," he said whilst midair, flipping back within the slowly-dissipating ring of mist. It seemed that ring would continue keeping the horde at bay for a few minutes. With that being the case, Yugi spawned a second screen, intending to call one Shinomiya Kaguya without ending the call with Makima. "Dual-calling? Not bad~"

Bucket was the word spoken and it was a joke which was echoed by Gojo. Miko also chimed in "Bucket," she stated earnestly. Well, it was obvious to her that the need for a bucket was something for Makima. Makima for her part in this only laughed, "Ehehe~ You three are incorrigible," she decided almost casually, but once again it wasn't something which sounded like a negative to Miko. No, by her own understanding Makima was the type of woman who enjoyed inclusion in the antics of her pets. No matter her newest male pet was currently wrecking a large number of those creatures. Having a much easier time doing it than he'd managed previously.

Miko for her part in this, rejoined the fray with a question one which was answered by the the lad in a way that made the brunette shiver. "Oh, another tone shift, careful♪~" the girl chirped, seemingly nothing but horny by the sounds of it. Beyond that point the mages, were apparently boosting the numbers of the extra targets. What was more he claimed that killing the mages felt like a trap of some kind. "Hm, I know what you mean... I can use Megiddo again and cover at least part of us if we kill one to see what happens," Miko claimed as a part of the situation. No matter what they would need to call in the next round of help. "Yeah, I'll call him," she said within the circle aiming to shoot a call to Amamiya Ren. At the same time, Shinomiya Kaguya had been awake for a while, she was relaxing on the couch still nursing her previous nights workout when her secret phone rang. She pulled it out of her Inventory and pressed the green button putting it to her ear, and not even noticing she'd answered a video call. "Oyai♥ I didn't figure I'd get a call, so soon. Something up?~" Kaguya said seeming to be enthused.