Galli's timing isn't as good as with the others, not when she has her attention split between watching and determining when to call it, trying to pull her weight, and not looking at him. Still, coordinating instead of only erratically trying to haul the rope back far enough to reach forwards and grip the next knot makes a difference.

A young adult gives a wistful sigh along the lines of "He's beautiful", which gets a ripple of laughter from the Sisters not actively pulling. They're not wrong. It doesn't even matter that he's patchy with bruises. Guts, rain-wet without the borrowed shirt of an old lady and with his usual closed expression sharpened into that intent stare, is a sight.

Some of the opponents are immune to that or too focused themselves to care. Not the girl in front, who gets the brunt of the stare even though Guts isn't particularly glaring at her. After a lot of blinking she becomes increasingly flustered, going red from hairline to below her chin. She slips entirely off her feet, slewing side to side in the mud and clinging to the rope with white knuckles. This, and knocking against the girl behind her, makes the power exerted by that side slacken a bit.