<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Bloodedge]

After his acknowledgement of Kenta, Aki was addressed in passing. Miko said something about him not holding back, to which he had a simple response. "Calling it as I see it," he said. Kenta himself would only become more infuriated as time passed, mostly because Miko's words struck deep. Did he want them to lie? Of course! It only made sense for the one remaining A-rank to have all the credit. He wasn't going to become a laughingstock in the terribly-run Ember Skull Guild because rumors of some lesser Hunters clearing his raid got around. However, he wasn't going to take any of that talk from one of two E-ranks in the group ─ especially that girl. "And why's the little E-rank hooker doing all the talking, huh? Neither of you wants to be a real man today? Or did the little bunny girl do some twirls good enough to wrap you both around her fingers already?" he asked, much to Aki's visible confusion. "Tell you what, little miss... c'mon over here with me, and I'll give you a pass on all this stupid shit. I know what you're really looking for anyway. I can pass you around to the whole guild I'm establishing if you want; just back me up."

Under any normal circumstance, Yugi would have offered an interjection of some sort. This time however, he saw no cause for true concern. When viewed, his aura wasn't nearly as threatening as it would have been several hours ago. As such, Yugi kept at his discussion with Maki. "I can only go so easy. Besides, I figured you'd like it a little rougher than most. I'm a flexible guy though; no worries," he said. When Maki finally stepped forward enough and closed her eyes, he took another step forward as well. She had some amount of issue with how deeply he read into her life... but something was missing. "Sou. That's not even all of it, huh? We'll talk about that later," he suggested. All the while, Yugi was lifting those glasses to slide them gently, slowly onto Maki's face. His hands lingered in the process, and his face crept inward to boot. By the time Maki's new spectacles were secured, he'd have a hand resting against either side of her face, resting his own so close to hers that they could feel one another's breath. From there, he began to whisper. "Everyone's busy with that dumbass A-ranker. Here's something else for you~" That statement came just before Yugi finished closing the distance ─ specifically between their lips. Maki's new glasses carried a sacrificed portion of Yugi's Sharingan. He didn't mind; it was something he could develop again later. That matter was also secondary to cementing his intentions with the lass through a bit of forced lip contact.

[Apollymi]

Aki was apparently, as straight-laced as Miko assumed. Not without the desire for fun, but instead with a clear-cut understanding of the world. As Miko casually adjusted her stats and talked trash to the Tanker who was only becoming more enraged by the second. She couldn't help but be a bit disappointed when he finally had something to say. Miko was quiet as the man outed her earlier outfit and tried to use it as an excuse to dismiss her valid points about him. She heard everything he had to say but it didn't even hurt her feelings, no, because over the last 48 hours or so, the girl had developed a startling sense of self-worth and a great understanding of the male mind. And by understanding good ones, she'd definitely come to understand bad ones. In fact she was listening to a good one woo another girl and could only assume he planned to join after settling something properly. Still a laugh would come from Miko as she heard that man's offer. She snappd her ingers again, recasting that barrier for her two companions knowing they'd be within strike range whenever the Tanker lost it. Her stats worked out for the most part she couldn't help but laugh at his words... "TEHEHEAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA♪~" she couldn't help herself as she looked at him. Taking a couple of steps forward her posture still mostly relaxed so she could look to Aki directly and help his confusion. "This man saw me in a bunny outfit at the Hunter's Association HQ while he was telling Shidou-kaichou that him and his strike team could handle this Dungeon before he let them die and it broke. A girl can't like dress-up, but the murderer who tried to hit on her is claiming the moral high ground," Miko said as she got over her own laughter fit. "It takes pure audacity to call someone a hooker to try and discredit them and beg for their help. Let's be honest here, I'm not the one who needs to convince other people to lie for me, I wouldn't even make that ask. I don't need credit for something I didn't do... and I don't need anything from an UB hiding behind his rank. And for the record even if I was a hooker, my standards are way higher than you and people who would call you friend, ewwww♪~" Miko asserted knowing full well she had a few special techniques up her sleeves.

Just the same, Maki was being bombarded by truths about herself while the others were busy with the Tanker. Such a kill probably would have fallen to her on a regular basis, and she wouldn't have minded putting that man in the dirt for being so ridiculous but she was currently being distracted. "This is all kind of really new and moving a lot faster than I thought..." Maki admitted. Of course, she usually didn't get into such close proximity with other people. Nor did she think about how she was going to do it. He even realized all of her issues weren't ones he'd figured out. "Sure we'll talk about it later..." she offered, she wasn't dishonest and warning people about that problem in her life was something she usuallly did. Soon enough, Maki was having a new pair of glasses slipped onto her face. But after seeing those random dropped items she was sure this man was so interested in her and she didn't know why. His hands were lingering on her face, and he was still speaking. His lips were so close to hers, and she could feel his breath on her face. Her face went red and she found herself being told he had something else for her, because the others were busy. She would have argued but, by the time her eyes and mouth would have opened, his lips were pressed against hers. Maki found herself surprised.

[Bloodedge]

It seemed the E-rank Kenta was trying to put in her place was content to further antagonize him. How foolish she was. It meant nothing that she went on to explain everything he'd done thus far, painting him in a bad light. He didn't need her precious 'moral high ground' or anything of the sort. Kenta's primary issue was her rejection of a most generous offer. An E-rank allowed in the company of an A-rank? Such a dream it was. Obviously she'd been spoiled after walking around looking like Hunter Gojo's new pet. "Takes a lot of nerve to pull a move like that. Your one chance is up. Maybe I can hold back enough to leave you alive ─ just barely. You can see what happens to the others and come to your senses," Kenta spoke. Already, he was using a reinforcement Skill on himself. That shield rose, that axe was slung over his shoulder, and then...

〔SYSTEM NOTICE — URGENT QUEST〕

[Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemies.]

GOAL
There are people present who want to kill the Players.
Defeat them all and ensure your safety.

WARNING
If you do not complete this quest, you will receive an appropriate penalty.

Of course, that notification appeared for both players before Kenta leaped toward the fox's neck. Yugi remained unconcerned, thinking there was no need for a quest. 'Brainface, you're being dumb. Why even give a quest with no reward?' he wondered. Either way, there were more important things on his list. Maki agreed to talking about her past at a later time, only to receive Yugi's lips against her own when those glasses were equipped. He could have simply used the System's Inventory function to place them on her, but that would have served only a single purpose. With their lips connected and Maki doing nothing to resist or push away, he advanced. Joining the fray would be for the best soon enough. First though, he had to work on slipping his tongue tenderly into the green-haired girl's mouth, one pair of lips smacking against another all the while.

[Apollymi]

Miko had taken her extra speech time to allot her stat points and prepare for the next leg of combat. This was something worked into her brain after the issue with a certain Riverglass Phantom. Of course, she couldn't tell anyone about that, but if a human was going to let her talk shit and adjust her stats she'd appreciate it. The dream that this man though his company was, wasn't at all one. A difference in rank didn't make him appealing to someone who didn't crave power, and for someone like her who had plenty of options. "That is such a low-brow hentai villain sentence. Not beating the allegations," Miko muttered. "Incoming!" Miko chirped. Her eyes were on the man as he stood and the System properly registered him as a threat. Miko took a deep breath as Brainface spoke in her head to her. 'Alright Brainface, but I mean if you're going to make it a quest we could get something out of it at least. I would have killed him because of the other people that died today, the personal threats to me are just extra,' Miko thought as that jump was made she hopped backwards casting a veil on the fox as well wondering if it would out last a hit from this man or not at its current level of strength. At the same time that crystal sword appeared in Miko's hand as she... wondered over the whole of the situation.

At the same time, the Fox was being attacked but Maki and Yugi were a bit engrossed in something else. She'd let her guard down just a bit, being kissed in such a way was such a rare occurrence she didn't have an immediate response. Nor did she want to stop him. She was being kissed and a tongue was slipping into her mouth. Once it was there hers tentatively caressed it, as if unsure of what to do with the invasion. Perhaps she should have been more concerned about what was currently going on but... obviously there was a problem with that A-rank Tanker but... she could definitely help out in a second. She trusted this group to function well regardless of which of the pieces were moving. 'I should stop him... but it's so nice~' the girl thought. Maybe she should have considered this was an odd thing to think. Even so... she'd let it go for a bit longer than she meant to, before her hands rose to push against his chest. "You shouldn't sneak a girl like that..." she commented as she pulled away with a reddened face.

[Bloodedge]

The kiss Yugi initiated was not only allowed to continue. Maki did nothing to stop his advancement either, welcoming his tongue as if greeting a new, yet permissible experience. Her virginity was a bit more extreme than he expected, making him consider animosity from some end of the equation. After a few moments, Maki did push against his chest. That was hardly a suitable effort to deter his actions, Yugi thought. "I'll let you know it's coming next time then. Deal?" he offered playfully as they began to sink. Why was that happening? Well...

In the other ongoing exchange, Kenta's attack had finally begun. He didn't care what was being said about him; they'd all pay the ultimate price... except, perhaps, the brunette. That one, he'd try to keep for the future after beating her into submission. In spite of Miko's veil being applied to the fox summon, Kenta's axe cleaved through its neck with little to no issue. He may have been a Tanker, but an A-rank he remained. "First I'll pull down this stupid dog of yours! Who's next?!" Kenta shouted. Aki already had his sword in hand, though Hayashi was still behind Miko wondering what use he'd even be. "You wouldn't happen to have an actual plan for fighting an A-rank, would you?" Aki asked. They were all experiencing that sinking sensation as the fox collapsed, soon to disappear entirely. At that time, Yugi had another question for Maki. "How's the vision now, by the way?"

[Apollymi]

Yugi and Maki actually got through their kiss uninterrupted. By the time Maki thought to force their separation it didn't have quite the same impact as her overzealous behavior would have marked her for. Beyond that point, there was a new offer to let her know about a kiss ahead of time in the next encounter. "Yeah, do that..." she said managing only to just barely not look completely out of sorts. Her face was still red though and her lips felt a bit swollen. But suddenly they seemed to be losing altitude.

At the same time, the fox began to sink, and Miko heard the sound of that Veil breaking. It would seem that the A-rank Tanker still hadn't learned his lesson about showing off. And in that time, Miko was burning through a bit of a plan, it wasn't nearly the same quality as the previous one, but she did have some idea of what to do... she wasn't as scared as she was of the Riverglass Phantom so she could put together some easy sentences. "Honestly, my idea is pretty basic, don't get hit, this fox is proving you'll take damage. Also disarm him? After that he's just a really sturdy punching bag right?" Miko asserted her own understanding as she knew that Yugi was currently free and thus might have a bit more to offer. "Definitely look after yourselves and let me know if you need me. Even if you whisper I'll hear it," Miko mentioned to the pair who'd followed her for the duration of this raid. Ah, but there was a question being asked for her, how was her vision, she looked out properly and saw that A-rank and things in the distance moving pretty well. "Uh... I can see way farther and clearer than before. Wow!~" she seemed genuinely excited. As they started to fall she'd even seen that movement of the A-rank tanker which had him colliding with the summon they were currently on top of... "We taking that guy out? If so I gotta grab my weapon but I'll run the front~" she wondered seeming not to care very much whether he lived or died, or whether she was going to be the one to kill him.

[Bloodedge]

"Will do♥~" Yugi agreed in a flirty tone while they were all descending atop the fox. As their interaction wound down to its natural end, Miko was looked to for guidance by the other males nearby. She'd been guiding that pair effectively enough thus far, so both were willing to defer once again in the face of a larger threat. Neither could imagine themselves accomplishing much against someone able to fell Aki's fox with one axe swing. Miko's suggestion was to avoid being hit, implying that Aki's fox had her protection active to no avail. "This spell's just a buff then, huh? Great," Aki said as if annoyed. "Day just got even better. I'll work on disarming. Hayashi, can you try chilling him enough to leave me an opening?" Aki asked of the other male, who wondered if he could manage that request. "I... I'll try my best!" Hayashi announced. "Then we're going down. Everybody else, you've got a little while before my summon dissolves completely. Mindful of the drop," Aki warned before both he and Hayashi were leaping down to confront Kenta ─ Aki taking the lead.

And so there were three atop the fox's head. While Aki's sword switched from one hand to another, clashing aimlessly against a powerful shield in wait for Hayashi to aim properly, Maki came to realize the potency of her new glasses. If Yugi could have given her a new pair of eyes, he would have done so... but of course that was something he only entertained as a future idea. "Distance and clarity are from the glasses, but you should also have the Eye of Insight. I gave you a bit of the extra I've been developing, but it shouldn't be an issue. We'll work something better out later," he said while casually perusing the System shop. As for taking out Kenta, Maki merely wanted to collect her weapon before taking the frontal assault unto herself. "Don't bother," Yugi said. He'd seen quite a few things across multiple shop visits. Many were out of his personal budget before, but no longer was that the case. Since Maki contributed so much to the funds they now had, he made a quick purchase. What Yugi produced after said purchase was a three-section staff connected by three rings between the joints of the weapon. Each staff was decorated with a flame-like pattern near the ends by the metal which connected to the chains. That weapon appeared in his extended right hand, on offer to the official Fighter-type of their group. "Have this. It's called... Playful Cloud. It's got a hell of a power that should scale with your physical ability. Should be a strong combo with your constitution. Give it a shot; we've got a nice thick target down there for it."

[Apollymi]

Miko had been leading the pair of males this entire time. She realized that this was a bit of a different thing to contend with, but she wasn't nearly as afraid of him as they were. Her advice was solid and Aki heard it and pieced together some context. "It isn't just a buff, but it's defense is less than the power of that axe. Too many variables... I don't encourage reliance. I never do for just shields," Miko explained of herself. If she felt that way in games, she felt that way in real life one hundred times over. Aki's plan was a reasonable one, and Miko could affirm, "I'll pop in as backup as much as possible. Box is open... Hayashi-kun, if you're into science remember how crystals grow... that might help you spread the ice a bit better!" Miko offered finally finding a better metaphor in her brain for the lad to use. Aki encouraged them to be mindful of the drop as he and Hayashi made their way down. "Hai!~" that came from Miko. "Ryokai~" came from Maki and then there were only three.

While Aki and Hayashi started with their assault, Maki got a quick explanation of her new glasses. And it included a bit of self-sacrifice on Yugi's part of something she was familiar with as a reader of Naruto. "Woah?! Isn't that too much?!" she said quickly. Beyond that, Maki was encouraged not to pick up her weapon. Instead one was being provided for her apparently magically. "Where the hell do you guys keep pulling this shit from?!" Maki wondered immediately. Maki herself was pretty well versed in quite a few weapon types, so this one would be handled and a grin spread across her face as she listened to what it did. "Awwww yeah, that's what I'm talking about!~" she claimed seemingly excited. She'd give a moment for any cursory exchanges before she aimed to jump down and join the fray below properly. Just the same Miko was thinking over the situation and speaking once again, "I spread my stats around and got ready... I think if he doesn't have that axe, we'll be okay to actually use him like a punching bag. Do you want to try power-leveling Black Flash. It could let us keep the pressure on while allowing everyone else to develop as well," Miko offered her thought processes.