<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Bloodedge]

Yugi had been managing to evade well enough. He would have preferred dealing with an enemy that could at least be damaged easily, but beggars could not be choosers. Eventually, he heard the announcement of Miko... but it wasn't initially the one he expected. Her comment about something being tight was originally assumed to be about his dodging. Ah, but he could see her again. That tight dress left just the right amount to imagination, and laid bare just enough to put Yugi in danger. "HOT DAMN FUCK!" he exclaimed almost incoherently. The phantom had shifted slightly as Yugi’s gaze lingered, its motion responding to his momentum yet utterly indifferent to distraction. Sparks from his sword had flickered across the air, following the arc of his evasions, while kinetic pulses thudded against the ground in response to its controlled power. The overseer murmured, “Ah… even the most primal instincts, when tethered to desire, alter reaction time. The human mind is a curious anomaly—capable of focus yet so easily disrupted by proximity, by stimulus… by the very presence of the one they would protect.”

Without warning, the phantom lunged forward, a precise kinetic strike aimed at where Yugi’s shoulder dipped in distraction. The air compressed violently around him as the force carved through the clearing, testing his reflexes against both speed and instinct. The phantom's power, sadly, was its biggest weakness during that surprise assault. In close proximity, Yugi was overwhelmed by its power ─ to such an extent that he could feel that kinetic force before it got anywhere near him. It wasn't too difficult to ride the proverbial wave and duck beneath another cleaving attack. "Shit! Why the fuck would you put that on?!" he questioned while beneath the phantom's blade. Sadly, things were becoming more difficult for the lad. He didn't need Miko's offer to switch, if only because he'd be immediately launched by the concussive force following the phantom's most recent attack, missed or otherwise. The jarring shockwave felt like it struck his brain directly, tossing him across and alongside a spray of debris from the shell-house rubble. As he careened across the field taking impact after impact, Yugi continued bitching and moaning. "Gah! Fucking! Da─it! Ugh! Fight!" he shouted.

[Apollymi]

Miko appeared dressed once more though revealing a lot of flesh in a skin tight dress. Just the same it would seem she'd be getting quite the endorsement and perhaps even a boost to her self-esteem. Why? Well, because initially all Yugi had to offer was a string of incoherent curses. "Squee♪!" she chirped a deep redness coming to her face. What was more she was now watching as some interesting maneuvers took place, Yugi seemed perfectly capable of dodging though he was obviously distracted by her look. Ah but even that wasn't fated to last, no Yugi would be tossed eventually but not without questioning why the girl was wearing that particular article of clothing. "It was a singlet, it was supposed to be quick to put on in case of emergencies. I didn't know it would fit like this," Miko explained. Ah but she was told to fight... so fight she would.

With Yugi bounced out of the way she began charging up a bubble of mana on top of her staff. Though she still took the time to use her unoccupied hand to snap refresh of Lumen Veil for herself and for Yugi, "Gomen, I'll change when we're done and we have more time..." she said. "Lumen Veil," she chirped out as well. It wasn't her intention to be a distraction, but it wouldn't be the first time she could be called such. Instead of dwelling on it, she flicked that water ball at the creature aiming to soak it and then she'd belt out a high pitched magically enhanced note. Her logic being that... if its smaller creatures could be effected by sound, it might at least be annoyed by it and help her figure out how to get it to expose its weakness. "OOOOOOOOOAAAAH♫~" she belted out seeming to aim to vibrate those scales and its being if she could. At the same time, she figured it would definitely work for drawing attention to her.

[Bloodedge]

Yugi thought he'd experienced more than enough forceful impacts for one year. He'd tumbled so many times, banging against this thing and that, he was sure some amount of permanent damage would have been done without Lumen Veil in place. Only as he lay virtually motionless on the ground, receiving a fresh veil, did he groan out a response to the brunette. "CHANGE?! Do you have an even skimpier dress I don't know about?" he asked as if that were all he'd accept from her. Yugi then struggled his way into an upright sitting position, wincing and moaning all the while. "Hngh... fuck! Don't get hit by that shit! Shop!" he called out. While Miko took over, Yugi would be working on another weapon that might do some real damage.

The phantom felt the shift the instant Miko stepped forward—her presence a cooler, tighter current of mana than Yugi’s wild lightning. As her veil of water lashed out, the creature stilled, its entire frame giving that uncanny, predatory tilt of the head… as though listening. Then... her voice hit. Her mana-laced note thrummed through the clearing like a struck crystal, and the phantom’s semi-reflective plates rippled in response—brief distortions skipping across its armor as if her vibration magic were trying to find a resonance point. The creature didn’t stagger, but its posture tightened, claws flexing, torso leaning as though bracing against a sudden internal pressure. For a heartbeat, it assessed her anew… deciding whether she had just become the more dangerous target. It didn’t roar—only shuddered once, sharply, the tremor running down its limbs like a system reboot—then surged forward, compelled to break her rhythm before it could take hold.

The phantom lunged after Miko’s voice hit that trembling pitch, its form blurring into a rush of force that cracked the earth beneath it. It swept an arm through the air in a brutal, arcing strike, the pressure alone enough to send leaves spiraling away in a widening wake. As her water hissed across its armor, the phantom twisted with unsettling sharpness and drove a blow toward her sternum — a concussive pulse of pure kinetic force, meant to fold her in half and silence that resonant, scale-shaking tone before it built into something dangerous.

[Apollymi]

Miko apparently didn't need to change clothes. Why? Well, there was a strange utterance which made it sound like Yugi would only accept her change if she changed into something even skimpier. "Iia, I didn't even mean for it to be this skimpy. Singlets usually cover more... and it was supposed to be easy to slip into and out of," Miko claimed, truly abashed. Of course, she realized by his words that Yugi quite enjoyed her current outfit and as such she knew she looked good in it. According to Yugi, she shouldn't get hit by that attack, given how far he bounced she could say, "Hai, I'm usually pretty good at dodging," Miko claimed. She'd also been observing the fight before and realized the nature of this creature's attacks. So, she knew they weren't singular attacks and that she probably shouldn't be watching to dodge.

Well, before she had to dodge, Miko had attacked and she got a full look at her work before a counter was launched. It's scales shifted, she could hear them moving about... now that it was directly in front of her. And given the way it shifted, that predatory gaze to her she realized she'd been far too successful in her tactics... "Waah!♪~" she chirped out. "Aggro-acquired. Hate it!" she chirped out. Of course, she was already moving, she could feel the disturbance of the energy after its body settled and started moving towards her. That staff of hers was shifted upside down as the pressure started, she'd be shifting down with the channeling active. A short burst of mana would be used to force her upward, allowing her to ride the wave of the blast, pressing the mana of her weapon against the force that would have collapsed her and allowing her to ride out the arc before she skidded to a halt near the tree-line. "I have an idea I think will work when your weapon is ready~" Miko added. As such she'd continue her defense and try to avoid using too much mana in her dodges so she could use the most of it when the time was right. She couldn't help but lament the fact that she couldn't move while camouflaged it definitely would have allowed her a bit more freedom of motion and to do a few more tests of her voice. As it stood, she'd have to work through what series of sung notes would disrupt the creature most fully. With that in mind, she'd be using her ears, to try and listen for the shifts in those scales and its body so that she could have a better chance of figuring out the wavelength its physical form existed on.

[Bloodedge]

The phantom lunged after her the instant her voice fractured its scales, its movements sharpening with a predator’s certainty now that her song had exposed a weakness. Its reforming armor gave off that soft, rasping shiver of plates realigning, and the creature redirected its entire mass toward her with unnerving precision. When Miko blasted upward to ride the pressure wave, the phantom tracked her trajectory in a single smooth tilt of its head — a motion far too calm for something so heavy. The moment she hit the ground near the treeline, it was already advancing, its steps silent but its body rumbling with the faint, glassy resonance she’d triggered. It paused only long enough for its plates to ripple again — shift–shhk–settle — adjusting to counter the frequency of her earlier attack. Then it sprinted, low and fast, the air compressing in front of it as it aimed to close the distance before she could stabilize her next note.

In the meantime, Yugi kept himself occupied with the System's crafting menu. He decided to trust Miko's ability to deal with the phantom, leaving himself free to ensure something had become possible. He heard her griping about having the phantom's attention, and frankly... he could commiserate. "Just stay locked-in for a minute," he urged. While she figured out how her abilities interacted with their latest enemy, he was seeing a very exciting screen...

[ITEM INFORMATION]

Name: Steel Longsword
Rarity: None
Type: Weapon – One-Handed Sword

Attack Power: 22–28
Durability: 140 / 160
Weight: Medium

Effects:
• Conducts mana efficiently.
• No enchantments applied.

Upgrade Options Detected:
• Mana Conduction Channel (Lightning)
• Blade Shape Recast
• Material Fusion (Advanced)

Materials Required for Recast: “Lightning Chokutō”
• Lightning-Touched Ore Fragments ×3 (Owned)
• Chitin Spine Segment ×1 (Owned)
• Riverglass Filament ×2 (Owned)
• Mana Cost: 25

Projected Result:
Name: Lightning Chokutō (Prototype)
Type: Weapon – One-Handed Sword
Effects:
• Increased attack speed
• Enhanced lightning conduction
• Passive: Lightning Line – Reduces mana expenditure of lightning-based skills by 15%

Yugi looked over that screen thrice in quick succession. Since he acquired his first proper Skill, this was the sort of thing he'd been hoping for. "Craft," he stated. That steel sword he'd been using returned to the inventory, sacrificed along with the other items in the list.

[System notice]

Crafting Successful!

Item Created: Lightning Chokutō
Rarity: C-rank
Type: Straight Sword (One-Handed)
Attack + 42

Effects:
• Increased attack speed
• Enhanced lightning conduction
• Passive: Lightning Line – Reduces mana expenditure of lightning-based skills by 15%

Upgrade Options Detected:
• Mana Conduction Channel (Lightning)
• Blade Sharpening Protocol
• Material Fusion (Advanced)

Yugi was elated to finally have a reasonable piece of equipment suited to his ideal build. As things were now, he could keep and work on this new weapon all the way to the endgame. Moreover, he wasn't the only one having such thoughts. The administrator himself mused: "The configuration of this weapon is… intriguing. Its form is rudimentary, yet the integration of elemental conduction with a passive efficiency protocol suggests potential far beyond its rank. Were the wielder attuned, even minor surges could cascade into significant tactical advantage. This is not merely a blade—it is a conduit, a catalyst for the manipulation of energy itself." At the same time, Yugi was forcing himself to stand. "What's the idea?"

[Apollymi]

Miko was still observing the monster as she dodged. She wouldn't feel safe until it was down and found it mostly unnerving in this combat situation. It seemed to have just enough intelligence to make it problematic and just too little to be tricked into certain actions. In fact, she was finding out as she would have landed, "Fuck you have tracking. Unfair!" she griped. Why was it whenever the healer was targeted it was with way more precision than anyone else. He could hear the rumbling of its body but not its footsteps. That much further cemented her plan, she even heard the shifting taking place there, as if it was trying to settle so it could move with the same quietness that it had when sneaking up on them. It was sprinting towards her as she landed, she was on the balls of her feet already so it was no problem for her given her ability to physically manipulate mana for her to tap herself around it. "Hm... I can hear you~" she mused, the pressure wall in front of him would be something she used to her advantage, a shift of her body and the staff in her arm allowing her a quick pressure burst curving around the creature after a little hop straight off the balls of her feet. It was like watching a little dance, but one in which each step had its own quiet timing based on nothing but the chattering of the beasts scales. She was surprisingly both calm and observational even though the pressure of the situation was rather high.

Meanwhile, Yugi was given the necessary time, to craft his weapon. She'd be interested in that but she hoped he was ready to use it. She knew enough about him, to know that he'd likely have worked the abilities of the sword into his basic magical ability already. As for her plan it was technically very simple but also relied upon the timing. "Quickie version I use my voice to disrupt its scales with the right timing to allow you to find and strike it's core," she claimed. "Minor problem it might be adjusting so I can't use the same note... I'll need to get out a few, still it'd create a pretty big opening..." she clarified the quick and dirty version of her plan. "Also I think you should be able to finish shattering its armor with your lightening so long as its scales are already disrupted. I don't think it can shift past both things..." she gave her quick opinion while adjusting to the faster and lighter movements of her body. She was prepared to take a hit but she'd still rather not just to get the song out.

[Bloodedge]

The Phantom gave no answer to her words, no shift in expression—only the cold, instinctive tilt of its head as it tracked the exact arc of her movement. The more precisely she danced around it, the more precisely it corrected, adjusting its momentum with unnerving, fluid micro-movements that didn’t match its size. Its scales rippled again—this time not in aggression, but in calibration. Each tiny plate adjusted its angle with a faint chittering hum, the noise Miko had keyed into… now echoing back at her in a perfect mirror of her timing. Then it lunged, not blindly, not powerfully, but with air-cutting precision, matching her hop with an angled sweep of its arm that passed through the space she would have occupied if she’d moved on the same beat as her last two dodges. The hit wasn’t meant to kill—its pressure wave burst out in a tight, narrow line meant only to clip her heel, throw off her rhythm, force a mistake it could capitalize on. And as she curved around its flank, the Phantom did not pursue with large strides—it shifted. One step, impossibly quiet for something its size, then another, each perfectly syncing with the sound of its armor plates, as if it were trying to erase them. Trying to silence the exact tell she’d been using to read it. Its head turned toward her again. No breath, no growl, no malice. Just that hollow, predatory stillness… and the unsettling knowledge that it was now adjusting to her.

Yugi took the time to ensure he was back to... something resembling normal, at the very least. The secondary Lumen Veil Miko cast on him had mostly healed his bruised body by now, but the pain persisted. "Inventory," he said to view his new sword and some clothing options. Shuffling through a small wardrobe, an ear remained open for Miko's plan. She could indeed disrupt the phantom by his calculation; but from what he witnessed, it was indeed adjusting to her methods just as it previously adjusted its strength to land a hit through Yugi's evasion. "You know, I usually like a boss that learns. Literally─it's one of my favorite features ever. Not a fan when my life's on the line," he chattered. "I was thinking originally about overloading its ability to reflect. Sound waves enhanced by mana can't be reflected like mana itself, though. I never thought I'd get to say this, but... Good plan. We'll go with yours," he said. There was an underlying tone to Yugi's voice that told the tale of relief, of long-awaited satisfaction that could almost bring a tear to his eye. He'd never gone along with someone else's plan before; his motivation was heightened significantly after hearing Miko's. "By the way... Equip," he said, forcing the System to apply the clothes he'd chosen: a plain black A-top, blue cargo pants and a pair of black runners. "Found the Favorites menu. Found the Requip button. Feel free to make your ass bounce if you think I'm totally awesome~" Yugi flirted. He'd then be seen pulling a brand-new weapon from inventory.

Yugi’s new chokutō was a sleek, straight-edged blade of polished steel, narrow and elegant, with a faint silver-blue sheen running along the flat. Thin, branching etchings traced the length of the sword — the result of the lightning-aligned materials used in its crafting — making it look as though tiny bolts were frozen beneath the surface. The guard was minimal, almost nonexistent, and the hilt was wrapped in dark, storm-gray material that faintly tingled with residual mana. When he drew it, the air around the blade seemed to tighten, as though anticipating the charge it was meant to carry. "Ladies, ladies... keep your unfathomable admiration for my badassery limited to assuming the downward facing bitch position. I'm back and ready to clap some cheeks, motherfuckers!"

[Apollymi]

Miko's observations of their boss monster were only getting worse. In fact, she couldn't have been more upset about its developments if she tried. She'd taken on a peaceful rhythm. Dodging using sound cues and expending very little mana while doing so, but that was becoming unnerving. Why? Well the creature who had its sights set on her was following her flow and rhythm. He was tracking at a level which was well beyond what one would expect even from a predator. At some point, she'd even say it was leading her instead of the opposite way around. She could tell by the echoing sound, and its perfect timing as well as the stillness of he predator itself. That shot meant to clip, would do so, but she'd only take it as permission to shift rhythm. Using just a little mana from that water staff to make a jet of water to allow her to spin in a quick series of circles, so that she could step off her other foot and go with a new rhythm. And since there was less power behind such a thing... it only made her veil, flicker. "Why the fuck does it also need input reading? Who designed this bullshit!" she exclaimed as that hit to her heel made her switch directions, taking her to the off beat pacing which she sped up to twice the number of beats per measure, not unlike her earlier 'dance' with Yugi.

As Miko changed her dance with the creature from a simple two step to a waltz, Yugi heard out her plan. His observations were also helpful as she didn't bother stopping her pacing and chose, just to dart towards the creature at a faster pace to draw its movements in a more predictable way. Still, Yugi heard out her plan and didn't have anything negative to say about it. No, that was an understatement... he seemed pleased and a bit relieved. Like someone else coming up with a reasonable plan was one of the rarer events in his life. Well, he wouldn't be the only one shocked at this point, if he was surprised she had a reasonable plan, she was just as relieved to be taken seriously. "Really? Sounds like that isn't a sentence you get to say often, it's definitely not one I hear often either..." Miko uttered softly. Still it would seem her plan could work. Beyond that it seemed that Yugi had figured out a way to make that thing she'd been griping about earlier work. A favorites list and a command to 'Equip' both existed within the System and Miko couldn't help but scoff. "I really have to remember to stop getting distracted by snacks and go through the menus~" Miko mentioned as she ducked low in front of Yugi. Her ass would bounce just a bit the top part of her cheeks being seen through that exceedingly low back, if only because she was taking just a second to shift again. Still, there was something else. An announcement made by Yugi that caught Miko's attention and graced her ears as an absolute statement. There was only one way Miko could respond to something like that, and it simultaneously made her wish she'd gotten more opportunities to play with him and made her think that such games woud have gone very oddly if she was already as open as she currently was, "Fuck yes, Daddy♪~" she squealed. "You need charge time or can I just do the thing?" she wondered quickly. Though she'd not done it yet, she didn't actually need that much time to use her voice. She just didn't want to risk their opponent being clever enough to realize it and going even more berserk to stop her.

[Bloodedge]

The phantom had adjusted the moment Miko’s rhythm broke, its entire body winding into a taut, predatory coil as if her shift in tempo had rewired its instincts. Its scales rasped in a slow, eager cascade, each plate realigning to her new cadence — not confused, not fooled, but matching her like a predator syncing to the heartbeat of prey. When she dipped low in front of Yugi, the creature’s faceless helm slammed toward her position with a sudden spike of kinetic pressure, the air shuddering around its frame as though it intended to crush the space she occupied rather than her body itself. It didn’t move in a straight line; it curved along the exact rhythm she had just abandoned, pursuing the echo of her motion with unnatural precision, its silent focus locked onto her like a compass needle dragged toward a magnet. And though it had no voice, the way its armor thrummed — low, hungry, resonant — made its intent unmistakable: it had chosen her as the opening it would break first.

Sadly for the phantom, Yugi was back in the fray with a new blade. Miko was one for rhythms and the like. Yugi, however, was more freeform in his approach. The shockwave heading in Miko's direction was no cause for concern, as lightning arcing from his blade greatly enhanced his reach. Yugi was able to slash outward, paying a similar mana cost to the original Skill for the much greater effect of sending the lightning forward into the pressure wave's path. In doing so, he easily disrupted the coherence of the phantom's attack. His eyes were laser-focused and once again bloodshot from the mana flowing into them ─ something he'd been doing since he caught a glimpse of Miko's rear through that nigh-nonexistent dress. Now, those eyes were for the phantom once again. Between his eyes, Miko's ears and their combined skills, even the B-rank, boss-level threat could surely be taken down. As for Miko's question about the time he may or may not need, Yugi responded initially with a scoff. "What the fuck is charge time? I just cut the channeling cost of this thing more than I thought I'd be able to. I can basically just activate and leave the sword charged with the starting amount now. Let's do this thing!"

[Apollymi]

Miko was upset about the design of this boss monster. It was obvious to her that it was way too good a predator and it was only further confirmed as she switched her tempo. It didn't react as if confused no... it simply shifted with her, there was something uniquely upsetting about that. It was following the curve and echo of her movements, and she could see it. It should have been terrifying to know it was coming to basically crush her flat after coiling up like that. But... even though she was listening intently for those scales and all else, she still heard Yugi. With the added chaos to the rhythm and the disruption of the attack. Miko was able to dodge, using that staff of hers to properly land out of the radius of the attack with just another little puff of mana. "I fucking hate this kind of boss," Miko griped. Her own problems with those that read inputs and followed rhythms being rather obvious, but she wasn't in this alone.

"Nice save~" she chirped. As she confirmed the attack speed that could be used. She could sense the mana being concentrated into Yugi's eyes. She knew his senses were just as sharp as her own in their own way. Between the two of them, she could see a potential victory which is why her plan had come together the way it had. "Hai! Sugoi, might have to get an assist for my ideal catalyst~" she chirped still. There was the matter of her plan which she'd be taking a bit from Yugi to start up, it took no extra prep time for him to do what he intended and as such she'd take no extra to do what she needed. "AHAAAAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH♫~" she sang an arpeggio at her highest register, a sound which echo'd across the land and vibrated stationary objects even before the addition of mana to her voice. That being said she'd sung it with the mana involved, a set of notes, at a pitch much higher than even her normal signing voice, which could by her own approximation shatter glass with relative ease. She'd also flip around her staff, ready to aim a water ball directly to whatever spot Yugi managed to pinpoint as the core whenever the scales vibrated with the amount of stunning potential. It was quite a lot of mana spent for her, but... worth it to make sure she actually caused a disruption to the creatures exterior.