<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Bloodedge]

Igris felt the second wave of Bloodlust wash over him as Yugi's eyes flared crimson once more. The oppressive fear aura pressed against his will like a cold wind against stone—intense, insistent, meant to break lesser minds. For the first time in the fight, the knight's single remaining eye flickered. The crimson glow dimmed noticeably, the runes on his armor pulsing erratically as though struggling under the weight of the skill. His movements slowed. The gauntleted fist descending toward Miko's head lost a fraction of its momentum, the strike still heavy but no longer the crushing hammer it had been. The blow landed on her shoulder instead of her skull as she released her grip and rolled away, the impact driving her downward with bruising force but not shattering bone. The floor cracked beneath her, dust rising in a small cloud. Igris straightened slowly. The greatsword remained embedded in the floor where he had left it. He lowered his raised hand, gauntlet unclenching. The crimson mane hung limp, ichor still dripping from the ruined eye slit. His breathing grew heavier, the cracked breastplate rising and falling unevenly, the once-steady rhythm faltering under the stat reduction. He took one step back, stance widening to steady himself. The remaining eye shifted from Miko's guarded position to Yugi rising from the rubble. No attack followed. No lunge, no swing. He simply stood, armored form swaying slightly, the weight of centuries pressing down on shoulders that had carried far heavier burdens. The Blood-Red Commander waited, silent, the chamber's silence broken only by the faint drip of ichor and the distant hum of Miko's lingering mana.

He had taken the hit.
His strength had waned.
But he had not fallen.
Not yet.

So then... it was time to force his fall. Yugi wasn't fully healed yet, but he had little choice but to mount an offense. Bloodlust obviously took effect this time; Yugi even had a visible notice from the System alerting him to that fact. "Sure would be nice to get an alert when it fails!" he complained to the System and its administrator ─ wherever that entity was. A full sprint carried Yugi past Miko, his steps light and agile as opposed to the mighty, crushing footfall of their opponent. When he passed the brown-haired girl by, he gave a very simple response to her question about dancing. "This one isn't gonna be a dance. Bloodlust worked, so Big Red over here's looking bankrupt! You know what that means!" he shouted. Nimble feet had Yugi appearing behind Igris soon after that, and Sharingan had him knowing exactly where to strike. Yugi's right fist clenched until nails drew blood from his own palm. That same fist would be driving into Igris's back with all the force Yugi could muster, hitting the point right behind that original abdominal wound. "GET'CHO PAPER UP!" he exclaimed, once more falling into that inside joke that was quickly becoming commonplace for the activation of Black Flash. Yugi's strike was true, powerful enough to knock the commander forward ─ directly toward Miko.

[Apollymi]

Yugi's eyes flared and the skill Bloodlust actually activated. If Miko had any issues telling, she could tell by the time the strike hit her shoulder that it didn't have the sort of strength she'd been adjusted to. In fact, by the time she'd worked herself back into the standing position she saw it, a hint of retreat. The one guarding the throne was a man who moved in silence. His power was felt with every motion and his silent presence carried centuries of experience. Still, that wouldn't stop what was about to happen, a chip in the armor, a bleeding god... these were once insurmountable obstacles, things of impossibility made possible through long term struggle. Broken bones, lungs free of air, a heart almost pierced through. All of it culminated in a single moment the acknowledgement of the red haired knight, having an incoming currency problem.

That hit of Yugi's would send the Blood-Red Commander reeling in Miko's direction. The girl kept her low post, hearing the movements. Miko prepared herself, and smirked deviously. She aimed a straight jab right at the broken armor over his chest, fully intending to send that red tainted knight back to the person who'd just harmed him. "GETCHO PAPER UP!" she chirped with all the respect a statement like that could carry. Such a hit was a full Black Flash willing to spark across his physical form and do the highest damage her body could manage. No matter how long it would take they could continue this push towards ending the last bastion standing between them and victory.

[Bloodedge]

Igris staggered forward from Yugi's strike, the Black Flash detonating against his back with a thunderous crack that shattered more of the crimson plating. The force drove him toward Miko, boots scraping furrows in the stone as he struggled to maintain balance. The single remaining eye dimmed further, the glow flickering like a dying ember. Miko's uppercut met him head-on. Her Black Flash slammed into the fractured breastplate with a resounding boom, dark energy exploding outward in a burst that cracked the armor wide open. Shards of crimson plating flew, ichor spraying in a thick arc from the widened wound. The knight's body rocked backward, knees buckling for the first time as the blow drove him off his feet and sent him crashing to one knee. The greatsword remained embedded in the far wall, untouched. Igris's gauntleted hands pressed against the stone floor, fingers digging in as he forced himself up. The crimson mane hung limp and matted with ichor, the helm cracked along the right side. His breathing came in ragged, labored rasps—each inhale rattling the broken armor. He rose slowly, unsteadily, to his full height once more. The single eye burned with unyielding focus, fixed on the two Players. Blood—dark, thick—dripped steadily from the wound in his chest, pooling on the floor beneath him. Igris raised his fists in a guard, stance wavering but still wide. He took one shaky step forward, then another, armor groaning with every movement. The runes along the remaining plating flickered weakly, the glow fading.

He did not speak.
He did not fall.
The Blood-Red Commander pressed on, slower now, each step a testament to will alone, refusing to yield until his body could no longer carry him.

Sadly for Igris, the Players both had more than enough of being battered into paste by some knight with a fancy title. Yugi had launched Igris forward with a Black Flash to the back, and Miko sent the knight back in her partner's direction with another Black Flash to his wounded torso. Igris managed to get himself up... but Yugi didn't like the idea of him staying up. Injured or not, Yugi hadn't stopped those swift movements. "No! Fuck that!" he shouted at the commander who tried to recuperate. A charge at Igris's rear resulted in Yugi leaping overhead, snatching that ichor-stained mane with his left hand while vaulting over Igris's shoulder. When he reached the ground in front of Igris, he still hadn't let go ─ following through with all of that momentum to jerk downwards and slam Igris face-first into the stone floor. "PUT YOUR MOTHERFUCKING HEAD BACK DOWN!" he shouted angrily as stone crumbled under the high-velocity impact of Igris's helm.

[Apollymi]

Miko and Yugi were rather suddenly involved in a very active bit of combat. Unlike the earlier moments of this fight, they'd managed to find their own rhythm this time. Their previous attack worked in a way Miko couldn't have imagined something in this battle working when they'd first arrived. Blood-Red Commander Igris had been forced down to one knee by the combined efforts of Yugi and Miko. Both of them had managed a great deal with the Black Flashes they'd used. But the Blood-Red Commander was resilient, he managed to work himself back to his feet. He was slower, he was weaker, but he was still willful. That simply wouldn't do.

It seemed that Miko wasn't the only one who thought this way. As Yugi hopped up immediately. He grabbed the knight by his mane, pulling his head back towards the ground as he said something quite meme related. His struggle was heroic, chivalric and all other manner of things. But they were both fed up with the amount of beating they'd taken of this overpowered boss. When his head went down, Miko was jumping up to land with both her little booted feet were clanging against the metal at the back of his head. Her arms were extended in a T fashion for balance and she'd put all the power of her legs, thighs and rump onto his head. "Keep it down♪!~" Miko chirped, before she hopped off the knight to take a different side of the beastly knight as they continued their barrage.

[Bloodedge]

Igris's helm struck the stone floor with a resounding crash, the impact shattering the already cracked visor and sending fresh cracks spiderwebbing across the crimson plating. The force drove his head down, the single remaining eye momentarily obscured by dust and shadow. The crimson mane splayed across the ground like spilled blood, ichor pooling beneath his face. He did not remain down. With a low, grinding groan of metal, Igris pushed himself up on one gauntleted hand. The other hand pressed against the floor for leverage, fingers digging into the stone as he forced his body upright once more. The armor creaked and protested with every movement, the breastplate hanging open in jagged pieces, dark ichor seeping steadily from the wounds beneath. He rose to one knee, then to his full height—slower than before, stance wavering, but unbowed. The crimson mane hung matted and heavy, dripping with ichor. His single eye burned through the shattered visor, fixed on Yugi and Miko with unwavering focus. Igris raised his fists in a guard, gauntlets clenched. He took one unsteady step forward, then another. The greatsword remained embedded in the far wall, forgotten. He had no weapon now but his own armored body and will. He lunged at Yugi first—right fist driving forward in a straight punch aimed at the chest, left following in a hooking strike toward the jaw. The blows were slower, weaker than before, but still carried the weight of an armored knight who refused to fall. The crimson glow in his eye flickered, dimming further with each labored breath. He pressed on, silent, relentless, forcing them to meet him or be crushed under what remained of his strength. The Blood-Red Commander would not yield until his body could no longer carry him.

The attempt was fruitless. The way Igris was moving now, Yugi's Sharingan and body could both keep up with the knight's movements. That straight punch aimed at Yugi's chest was sidestepped before Yugi weaved under the hook aimed at his jaw. "You wanna fuckin' box now?!" Yugi asked tauntingly. At this point, he was merely keeping track of time. As he was rising from beneath Igris's evaded arm, he saw the System display counting down the final milliseconds of Black Flash's cooldown. "Hmph. Wrong league now bitch," he teased. "GET'CHO PAPER UP!" he shouted again. This time, he delivered a haymaker to Igris's abdomen, once again targeting the wound he and Miko had been working on since they first dealt damage to the commander. He added lightning once more, and the ensuing eruption of black lightning proved powerful enough that the weakened knight was rocketed into the very throne he sat upon during the Players' arrival. "Quick, twerk on his fucking face!"

[Apollymi]

Igris was one who would stand as soon as he could. Of course, Miko felt a minor bit of satisfaction hearing the cracking of armor pieces to go along with everything else happening. Still, Igris didn't speak, but the groaning of his armor as he tried to get back up. He got back up eventually but Miko could hear the struggle but after the beating they'd taken she almost didn't care. Almost. Still, they wouldn't be lightening up. Still, much to the Blood-Red Commander's credit, he was standing once again. He was even attack, albeit without as much fervor as he had before.

A weakened state was far easier to manage by Miko's own account. And obviously much easier for Yugi to manage as he danced around fists and questioned whether or not he was trying to box. Well, it seemed like that might have been the original thought, but soon enough Igris was being pushed all the way back to the throne which he'd risen from in the first place. Another well timed Black Flash had that happening and Miko was running up ready to try again. "I might... he deserves to see some cheeks before the end♪~" Miko joked whether or not she was actually going to shake ass for someone being turned into a corpse, she wasn't sure. "Still, I reserve the right to twerk on your face♫~" Miko flirted earnestly as she jumped and aimed another punch at that same spot on the man's exposed chest as if it was her intention to make sure he didn't get back up. "GETCHO PAPER UP♪!~"

[Bloodedge]

"Fuck that. I died and didn't get to see shit," Yugi complained about the lack of 'cheeks' before his untimely demise, if it could be called such. Either way, Miko apparently reserved the right to twerk on his face. "And fuck reservations! Execute!" he replied before the next segment of their combo ensued.

Igris crashed into the throne with a resounding crash, the obsidian seat cracking beneath his weight as armor and stone gave way. The impact shattered more of the crimson plating across his chest, fresh ichor spraying from the widened wound. The single remaining eye dimmed further, the glow flickering like a candle in wind. He pushed himself up slowly, gauntlets pressing against the broken armrests. The crimson mane hung matted and heavy, dripping with ichor. His breathing rasped through the cracked helm, each inhale labored, each exhale wet. Miko's uppercut landed true. Black Flash detonated against the exposed chest with a thunderous boom, dark energy exploding outward and cracking the remaining armor wide open. The knight's body rocked backward, slamming against the throne's backrest once more. The runes along the plating flared one final time, then faded to dull embers. Igris rose again—slower, unsteady, one gauntleted hand braced on the throne's edge for support. The other hung limp at his side. He straightened to his full height, stance wavering, the crimson eye fixed on Miko and Yugi with unyielding focus. He raised his fists in a guard, trembling but resolute. He took one shaky step forward, boots scraping the stone. The greatsword remained embedded in the far wall, forgotten. Igris did not speak. He did not yield. The Blood-Red Commander advanced once more, slower now, each step a testament to will alone, refusing to fall until his body could no longer carry him.

Igris kept standing, but the Players would keep putting him down as many times as it took. Several minutes would pass. At times, Igris was punched with Black Flash into the throne. At other times, he was jerked by the mane, perhaps kicked, perhaps thrown. Various attempts for the knight to rise ended in failure. Black Flash was used every fifteen seconds by the Players ─ so much that they both leveled the Skill and reduced their cooldowns to seven seconds. Now, they stood at the precipice of victory. Fatigue was high, mana was low, but they were both ready for one final strike against a knight commander who could rise no more. Yugi already had his fist prepped for another attack, but he'd yet to deliver it. No... this was something to do cooperatively. "Just... fucking... die already..." he spoke through labored breaths. "You ready to end this thing?" he asked Miko.

[Apollymi]

Apparently, Yugi had died and didn't get to see someone shaking ass. "I mean, if you'd opened your eyes a bit earlier there would have been tits on your face," Miko offered haphazardly. She'd only recently grown those so she still wasn't really used to them being on offer. Beyond that point, Miko apparently didn't need a reservation she could simply execute the plan of twerking on his face. "UNDERSTOOD! BOX IT♪~" Miko chirped willing to commit to the idea of at some point twerking on a man's face.

Meanwhile, they were progressing, murdering the Blood-Red Commander Igris was taking quite a long amount of time. Actually, they went through several combinations several different rounds and had multiple minutes pass while they whittled down that knight's life force. If nothing else, he was resilient beyond belief. Miko almost felt bad for continuing to beat him up so much, but... he'd also handed them their hardest won victory so far. Both were running on fumes and they still had another 4 hour timer which hadn't even begun to tick down while they were trading blows with Igris. Oh well, they'd be on their own last few hits by the time Yugi spoke up properly again. "Haaah♪~ Yep, ready! Double KO?" she assumed though the upward inflection remained. Regardless with the time of their Black Flash going all the way down to seven seconds they could easily hit the blood night at the same time. "GETCHO...." Miko started like it was a true incantation, pulling her fist back and preparing to launch herself forward once more to attack in time with Yugi.

[Bloodedge]

Igris knelt at last, one gauntleted hand braced against the cracked stone floor, the other hanging limp at his side. The crimson mane draped across his shattered helm like a tattered banner, ichor pooling beneath him in a widening stain. The runes on his armor had faded to dull embers, the breastplate hanging open in jagged pieces, revealing the dark void beneath. He lifted his head slowly. The single remaining eye met theirs—dim, but still burning with that unyielding focus. The knight's breathing rasped through the broken visor, each inhale wet and labored, each exhale carrying the faint metallic tang of blood. Igris pushed himself upright with visible effort. Armor groaned and cracked further as he rose to one knee, then to his feet. His stance wavered, boots scraping for balance, but he straightened to his full height. The greatsword remained embedded in the far wall, untouched. He raised his fists in a final guard, trembling but resolute. He took one unsteady step forward. Then another. The crimson eye fixed on Yugi and Miko, unblinking, the knight's silence unbroken even as his body betrayed him. Igris stopped two paces away. He lowered his fists slightly, shoulders sagging under the weight of centuries. The crimson glow in his eye flickered one last time, then dimmed to a faint spark. He did not speak. He did not raise his hands again. The Blood-Red Commander stood motionless, waiting for the end he knew had come.

The time had finally come to put the Blood-Red Commander to rest. The way Igris was moving now, the final strike from both Players would undoubtedly end him... and it seemed Igris himself knew that. That hesitation from Igris was not the same experienced, calculating pause as before. This was very different. This was an inability to continue with a worn-down body, and a silent admittance of defeat waiting for the finishing blow. Yugi would deliver it. Miko would deliver it. Mention of a 'double K.O." by Miko had Yugi nodding, fully prepared to join her in delivering the two finishing blows at once. Miko started; Yugi continued. "PAPER..." he joined, drawing back that fist. After a second of hesitation, he threw the fist forward, aiming at his side of Igris's shattered chestplate. When it connected, that would be one of two Black Flashes meant to end it all. "UP!"

[Apollymi]

It had felt like hours since the first entered the chamber for this boss. Every second feeling like it was drawing on a piece of eternity, like a workout being struggled through at every step. By the time the momentum of the fight had changed, both Players were exhausting themselves, just to keep Blood-Red Commander Igris from working up the momentum to retaliate. Each use of Black Flash, every recycled minute of Bloodlust and every combined movement... was weighing down on them. But at the very least it was showing more on the Blood-Red Commander.

Eventually, he was barely making it back up off his knees. His helm had been cracked. His head forced to the floor at some point. His armored body which initially seemed to shake off every attack regardless of the power behind it, was finally struggling, staggering showing the full wear and tear of their combined assault. It'd not been pretty to witness. The Players knew their 'teacher' had been right to say their 'hands' were mediocre after facing off against the destructive force that was Igris. Even so, they were now the ones standing, dominating. Eyes glowing with malicious intent as a combined attack started with the full intent of ending the Commander's life. Obviously, he wasn't the type to surrender, he sought death in this day. There would be no protagonist simply talking him into using his strength for him, and so when the chant started Miko had taken her side of their enemy fist draw back, and by the time Yugi joined they seemed, so perfectly attuned to each other. 'Paper' as spoken by him followed the same tone and cadence but at a deeper pitch and by the time they were to say up together, a melodious harmony was reached. "UP♪!~" that high note resonated a black flash connected on Miko's side of this absolute unit of a Knight at the same time that Yugi released his. Both would be standing side by side, Miko herself wary waiting as the force of their hit should have shattered everything left of that beast, causing the light in his remaining eye to finally dim for good.