Igris took the uppercut without retreating. Miko's Black Flash slammed into the cracked plating over his abdomen with a thunderous crack, dark energy exploding outward in a burst that shattered the remaining crimson runes and sent fissures spiderwebbing across the armor. The force drove him back two full steps, boots carving grooves in the stone floor. A low, resonant groan escaped the helm as the breastplate buckled inward, dark ichor seeping from the new fractures and dripping in thick rivulets down his legs. The crimson mane whipped as he straightened. His left gauntlet released Yugi's arm in a sudden motion, the grip loosening just enough to allow withdrawal. The right hand remained on the hilt of the greatsword, still pinned by the mana webs, but Igris did not struggle against them. Instead, he released the weapon entirely—letting it remain embedded in the floor—while his now-free right hand snapped upward. The gauntlet closed around the chokuto still lodged in his right eye slit. With a wet, grinding sound, he yanked the blade free in one brutal pull. Dark ichor sprayed from the ruined socket, staining the crimson mane and dripping from the helm. He held the chokuto aloft for a heartbeat—examining it with his single remaining eye—then hurled it back toward Yugi in a spinning arc, point aimed at the Player's chest. Igris stepped forward again, armor groaning with each movement. The cracked breastplate heaved as he drew in a slow breath. He raised his now-empty hands in a guard, gauntlets clenched, stance wide and unyielding. The crimson glow of his remaining eye burned brighter, fixed on both Players without wavering. He did not speak. He did not fall. The Blood-Red Commander waited, silent and unbroken, for their next move.

What of Yugi? He'd seen Miko's Black Flash connect, and for a moment... he saw victory. That should have been the end of it. Alas, Igris's silence was of the foreboding sort. Something was amiss. Having his arm freed as Igris was driven back should have been a moment to relax, but instead... Yugi's chokuto was jerked from the commander's eye and javelined toward Yugi's torso. The next thing Yugi knew, the entire room was moving... or was it? No. No, it wasn't. The room wasn't moving. Yugi was moving. Red eyes widened as he felt his back connect with a wall several meters away from Igris and Miko. It all happened so fast, he felt the impact before he even felt the sword lodged hilt-deep in his chest, keeping him pinned to the wall as it lodged in stone. "Hrr─" Yugi tried to scream, to make any sort of noise. All he could do, however, was convulse blood with a sudden: 'GUAH!" as his body went limp against the wall.

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — CRITICAL CONDITION ALERT〕

Critical Warning: Partner Status Critical

Yugi has sustained severe penetrating damage to the chest.
Foreign object lodged in vital area.
Internal bleeding detected.
Vital signs dropping rapidly.

Survival Probability: 18% (decreasing)

Immediate Action Recommended:
  • Apply healing immediately
  • Remove or stabilize foreign object if possible
  • Evacuate combat zone (if feasible)


System Remark:
The bond link is straining.
If the Player falls, Resonance collapses.
Act swiftly, Miko.