The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTi8IG3lo6J
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1vD9BFRDK
Even though Juke and I weren't affected, the other's faces were considerably downtrodden. Some members were now left without a partner and had to team up with people they weren't very familiar with. Morale was low, especially since our leaders were missing.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoMPslbbnv
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7e1Nbj5pKZ
The remaining group was small, too. Only about eight people were left, meaning that, with the five remaining floors, some were simply required to take them alone. There was chatter of moving as a single unit, taking on each room as a whole rather than having forces split from the group, but others countered that doing so would be abandoning an order and that we had to "trust our other members."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9qkYjZUGf
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZogjA1S0m
As for me, my nerves only spiked. The image of all those fallen bringers was engraved into my mind, and I desperately tried to keep the word "corpse" out of my head. Over and over, telling myself that they were simply unconscious when the right side of my mind constantly told me otherwise–
**SLAP**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQqsngeait
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwB8qm9KMd
"Ack!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygwglqR4Fv
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpv1FzTtcYp
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSlc04nPqL
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsMgzq77HV
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrfg2tjYhe
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ES3uta3iq
I steeled whatever I had left of my resolve and kept trudging through the stairs. I had a complete vision of the crowd, and it made it apparent just how thinned out it had become. To my great dismay, I could even see Rover.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFpllAEusJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjxavYeFmF
"...Useless–!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKbDL1O7ww
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwuOuRm1Hc
I tried not to think about anything that. I knew I couldn't suspend it for long, but every second I could force my legs forward was valuable. So I ran and ran and ran and ran and–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUhPr3oOBG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoH2bgS2PY
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCQuKsVYXO
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVwJIL1f8d
And it was someone I recognized188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBLAEnuemu
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfibYPz39aF
–
–
–
The most grueling part of this siege hadn't been the laborious running. It hadn't been the various enemies, the threat of death or even seeing allies fall like flies in the previous ambush. No, for Rover, it was restraint.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOM6I9cvQUe
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczg55zv5jb
To do nothing in the face of Hard-Bringer gave her near-uncontrollable rage. Those she swore she'd see crumble, running amok and stealing lives as they always have, unable to even point her weapon at them. If it weren't for those looming words by that wimpy child, resting in the corners of her mind like spiders, she would've caved in.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqQVq5cdRQ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8giVASxOY
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGC4qd81Wu
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTA7hkTJuD
"Hi."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8R1v505Vn
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYkOUKKFzU
As she raced up the steps, a man in glasses only a little taller announced himself. She could see him facing her in her peripheral, and though her habits urged her not to, she matched his gaze.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9rSXMljRJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLlmIVFLzD
"What!?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUcvZCBHFK
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkII9k1ER6X
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBXlD3daGD
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0oRtzpGL8
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNh0n2AiL3
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijzolba0w9
His nervous expression didn't loosen one bit. When Rover tried a softer face, the sweat on his brow multiplied. Rover gave up appearances, quickly discarding dismissive dialogue before her introduction.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKA4gbrrjS
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJH2jNasm43
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDALQdGgXLQ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpi2O8crL1
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlTu6i9jhi
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqs47uPwvm
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMvZZJbYbo
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPsN1TG9V4
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmhqNNsk4x
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzdFJQfCeC
He raised his right hand, one that clutched a metal collar with a tag. Rover knew immediately who it belonged to, and the unusual idea of consolement entered her mind.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVydEQvbtHM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkGrNFmSlU
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEnKpGoQdW
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPSYXgQI13
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS13bh7COAj
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKuWWDu4Xk
He kept a smile with those words, but his eyes lacked the light to convince her. He turned his head away, and the two of them kept running up with their usual worries.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWUtXlgzpb
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZLwuZUUIr
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkQauPwTTh
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlDYAqaJeV
"The next room's up ahead!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE46TjyKXc6
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRB7IyXcfn
She had been in this scene nearly a dozen times already. And each time, she dreaded it. Sprinting to that door, knowing that there would be a monster in man's skin. She swallowed that dread like before, and each time, it poisoned her blood further and further.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7dqRR11ra
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZ3erAHNZC
The crowd made it to the room. It was relatively small, but an immediate feature was the giant stained windows, granting a tinted view of the city outside. Rover gave minimum attention to the stature of the room, however, because there, by the exit, sat a man who could only be described as–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkIe6RudKY
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgMQhkQ1aS
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvwpWni3lW
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntd21iwje2
Rover glanced behind her, realizing that Juke was the one to yell that. She saw Kenny near him, huffing with his hands on his kneecaps.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBCip0vh1L
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8mhLsJUgA
A titan. It was a familiar word. She heard it from the stories her mother told her. But, of course, there were no titans in King's Peak, only tales of them.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFMjbcLuBo
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp4wE7oDPw
But, even if it was only in name, the titan a man was. A member of Hard-Bringer with such size, and his head nearly reached the ceiling when he stood. Such monstrous height intimidated nearly everyone, but for Rover, it was the opposite.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrFTAPpdpn
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBw40z1tO8
Rover recognized that height. Rover recognized that build, even though it was concealed by robes, and as the man went to pull his hoodie down, the face that appeared only confirmed her intuition.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtVrHtSVqL
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cIUE3T9nS
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPbXSi0mZq
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRUGSXYxs9
The towering man stopped his speech, compelled by the dashing girl with a rapier in hand. She leaped forward and stuck her foot out, but the man blocked the kick by raising his arm. Rover then thrust her blade, and the man narrowly dodged by tilting his head. However, his angled head was grabbed by her free arm, and through a feat unexpected of her size–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwC9x48VuC4
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeklC2Dqikc
**THUD**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoV3aZDrxMi
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVor5tNgIV
She shoved the man down to the ground. She immediately followed with a thrust, but she only caught his robe, and the man scurried away.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUwICVCRwg
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEP6dOoSif
"...Same tricks as always."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9MTmTtIUP
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJKhuGDOaB
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAu7SNrlJZ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOecgiqCxXA
"Hoh– it is you. You!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcHLtY81Rq
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNBWtAoiJX
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssM0LGua6H
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5YJGWDNnN
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPxB7VXhbJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5l8FZao2z
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjlGquivwG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZO91RwW3FR
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyd07Cdlcm
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGU7gUmwchz
Rover pointed her weapon at the man, a clear warning to stay in place. The man obliged without much resistance, and Rover turned her head to make sure everyone would leave. But then she noticed how Nigel didn't move one inch to that door, and his use of 'we' only just registered in her mind.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWjNpslRzV
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiKAsoDrQs
"Nigel."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaxQ2vFnXT
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDoYyNdKeB
"Yes?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JvtEWS9dd
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2poqvN5OmI
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmbcpH0LI1
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkS2OSaBrn
"...You're kidding me, certainly."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfl2JU3EoV
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmM326CZOC
Rover shook her head back and forth.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QOmJKgxeg
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCu6ztzNyL
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAehiFeIblw
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6PHvd4Xqy
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5wVsIn1ao
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpOurJT29U
"You fought him before, then?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HeBQ3EJ2U
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAFMPPp23Q
Rover quickly nodded. Nigel looked at the man with a constrained face, balling his hands into shaking fists. After an irritated, almost hopeless sigh, he complied. But not before one final word.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rUHMB2EwG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MZmBYhzjN
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwtPcnpQQl
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRE5jz2D4qQ
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3RsMKnLw6
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUGQDw4CxY
"Very well! Don't die on me!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL3I0h1Mny
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rSuXTyau9
His opening words caught Rover like a chain. It reminded her of that moron's scolding, forced her to consider her vow– her earnest word that she'd cooperate –and inquired why she didn't abide by them. But Rover answered that inquiry easily.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQUXL4a8cu
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIXIIInhsF
This man wasn't just a Bringer. She had a history with him. This man was an enemy. A bipedal wretch, barely human, who boiled her blood and furrowed her brows.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRfl23yJwh
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FBYM3Oc7E
No, now she was certain of it. This monster had to fall to her hands; anyone else would just be a hindrance. So she would take him alone, as she always had.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU72LieY5Y
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OKaYwWs2G
She looked back one last time, making sure that only she and the man were in the room. Nigel was gone, but to her surprise, there was still another member of the crowd there. He drew particular attention. Standing between the exit, not quite leaving it, with clear indecision festering within.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XvmA9hJAE
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBG4X3D0uW9
"Rover," Kenny suddenly shouted. Her eyes moved to his face, constricted and complicated. She was compelled to call it a scowl, but no scorn was in Kenny's face. Only concern, and disappointment.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuMbKZYT8r
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wR9pGFKe5
Even without hearing it, Rover knew his words. It suddenly was difficult, to see his face like that. Now, the embodiment of that vow was staring directly into her. Not just at her eyes, no– she felt the observation of her soul.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZnnfYpALz
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhqZ7NM15z
"..."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKIOkM05m2
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu8mAwEiBP
It was suddenly difficult to do anything. And yet, the feelings that burned within her formed too great an inferno to douse. If that boy took two steps further into this room, or even one, she felt like she would lash out. She felt like– she knew she would yell at him not to butt in, to mind his own business, to go fuck himself, and to leave her alone. Words that she had slung candidly before. Words that she knew better than family.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6k9oItqeAQ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO58y3HcKLj
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtalCHWIHJz
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfPdG1srYo
"Fine. Good luck!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddllqNuNbY
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACY37eHrh4
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgGMP2fuvV
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9p9HY40fpW
**THUD**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheHqkEnbLM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhdnXvAhYP
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Kv6M1K40Y
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8v9fwiXwil
There came a sudden strike from her front, but it was one that she blocked. She freed her rapier from the struggle and backed away, brandishing her weapon and sliding a leg back into a stance.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aGv3d2kvs
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR02SfVvUjn
"Are you ready," the man asked, a boorish smirk on his face. She could almost see the swirls in his eyes, the way they lost any reason, seeing only combat and carnage as they always had.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMcz8V7C0T
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsD8u827sQh
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBU1tiuaI5
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOF0F5VbRQJ
"Come at me, Boris!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3niAFG8Dcx
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxybl6Guie
–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYL3sJdori0
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vUD1piIXX
–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNZmyhmTeN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9A6CmxjxY
–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwXlOTCojJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0wd2Kz02s
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iol1kNmXN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCldWqijibj
Rover knew of their volatile unpredictability. But she was always prepared for it. Even on that street, when they made their audacious announcement, Rover hadn't a shocked bone in her body. But to see Boris utterly defied expectations. She wished she had more time, maybe a moment to sharpen the tip of her rapier, to check the grip on her dagger. But it was too late now, and as she took her first step into battle, she lost all leeway to care.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFhx8nFqtm
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdl5OhPEV0
Boris contested her dash. As he charged forth his smaller stature expanded slightly. He leaped forward, but it wasn't to tackle or to grab. He swung his hips and turned ninety degrees, unbending his legs for a sudden drop kick.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07PkmoTmsy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgltowQfKpK
Rover blocked it with her hands. His increased size made the blow harder to cope with, but she still only slid a foot back. Now on the ground, Rover seized the opportunity to stab at the man. She thrust once, and her sword was met with the sole of his boot.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJC3EDxU4e6
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuhodcdAqo
"Huh!?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Uf50MBHWa
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUOeT62CsQ
He spun onto his belly, catching himself with his hands, using her rapier as a borrowed axel. He pushed himself off the ground with enough force that, even with his lack of leverage, he flew as a battering ram toward her. Rover's rapier nearly snapped under the pressure, but she moved it away before its steel blade turned into a wobbly tube. She ducked Boris' charge, but he grabbed onto her rapier, swinging back around and destroying Rover's balance. Rover, however, had only one hand on that Rapier.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokFNfySRQn
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0krrbqJhgT
"Hah!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3epbeBoyCX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHB7iXFG0v
She used her other to grab her dagger and stabbed at the man. He took the blow unceremoniously, even growing to lessen it, and she was sure it hurt by the subsequent grunt. He flew off her rapier a solid few meters away, taking Rover's dagger with his body.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZizKjIkL9
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAbGzo2iSv
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhD7PxfTjTt
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI09rs6eag
"Here!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko1ArF2Tzb
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbx6rajT7G
Boris dislodged her dagger and he chucked it like a throwing knife. Rover caught it at one of its crossguards, but as she was distracted with doing so, the man performed mana spinning.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83OpDIUIGx
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPov7yecyhQ
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2180T0Ksl
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuronSD72gm
"Tch."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7p4yKY6GR7
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnVQfC6ehq
Boris returned to his former size. He stroked his chin, tending to his thoughts as he stared down Rover. She afforded him no time and charged forth. She thrust her rapier once, met with a jerk away, and thrust it again. She repeated her thrusts, each of which dodged but less comfortably each subsequent attempt. Rover knew him better, however. She knew that right as she thought she'd get him, he would pull an underhanded trick. So she assumed the eyes of an analyst, narrowing them and gazing at Boris like a hunting cat.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNV6b9np7x
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25X6i83e44
**CLANG**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7pdO5py9O
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZcsooLD0e
And that trick came. Boris caught her thin rapier between his hands, clamping it so fiercely that the metal would snap any moment. But Rover's stance suffered no blow, and poised to strike back, she slung her leg from her side. The blow struck Boris right under the rib, and from his obvious wince, the damage wasn't meaningless.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxBuejkc5S
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngkt7VhpEj
She struck again quickly, sliding her rapier out and using the butt of its hilt like a rock, smacking Boris square in the face. Boris reeled from the blow and took a few steps away, but Rover swung her arm back and straightened her Rapier, honing in for a vicious thrust.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCY7x96YKgx
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiqmb2pi6d
That thrust, however, had been dodged. And the force Rapier stockpiled only sent her tumbling to the ground. She never landed, though, because a sudden fist to the face replaced her embarrassing fall with a punitive flight. She soared across the room, disoriented, anchoring herself on the floor with her Rapier right before colliding with a wall.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lLQQkx0N4
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpErSvHC85
As she gathered her bearings, she saw Boris charging forth with a puffed chest. Only, it wasn't puffed, but swollen to inhuman degrees. The image of a bull came to her mind, and for a moment she was paralyzed. But she shook the intimidation off and stepped away, missing a blow that–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vnFVmXpoh
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErMzreAqbe
**SMASH**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLOcVvn4Km
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUVrlMOrdR
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSITJIKDTt
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSLbCtRO0j
"Ack. Shit!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqc8pgw6lW
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmrapThGzH
Rover realized his reckless gesture was an attempt at an early victory, but she was too energized to fall prey to it, and now Boris was only more hurt.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEff7M7OPi
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXegtrI8mb
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlN59uTVfN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNcvaXwbH4
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS94DfHIfwI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7c2JDbU1Q
"But not enough."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMVSc8v5dy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qL6IwRI1z
"--!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4E5ghhMtYX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2rWOpqnxQ
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCW3QU6HLFP
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XkzLGRwvD
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjNOlHPkcB
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2kUPbkXD2
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVpB0EzEJa
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCMQEU4lsA
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlpGDtdxAG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5BsqhYzPr
Her jittering mouth couldn't open to respond. So badly did she want to deny it, to call him out for being coy. But to do so, would just be to lie.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEc522i5Xy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPKR7yrZJy
"I remember when you and I first met. Back in those ivory fields, when I offered you a home, you scowled at me and called me scum. That a bringer like me ought "188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIY2QsGEN1r
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE37wlBNlN
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJVBzpnjED
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2niTQSsEP
He smirked. He placed his hands behind his shoulders, closing his eyes. Rover didn't understand what he was doing, and that worried her. That worried her deeply because she thought she knew every trick this monster could pull. She thought she knew every ace up his sleeve, every nook and cranny of his capacity.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GqZPO2wX6
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpqcdnyWti
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrF5K8mRBQp
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7czgZYjEO
From the back of his shoulders, cylindrical masses of earth formed, taking shapes and morphing as his hands moved outward. His arms stopped just above his chest, and as he lowered his arms, Rover's eyes blew open, her clenched throat vomiting a gasp.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8NRMkapLZ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35xZQffGXZ
"You talked so much of this goal of yours. Of how you'd beat me. Of how you'd prove yourself to me and all of my colleagues."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroGqQGd52d
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZILpQbKnL
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIP2anwTR1r
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6tiNvzT0o
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EZUhlaZCI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbscap4knP
"--Fine!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvd8naSQIoC
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8HHWbVzkq
Though the doubling of his limbs was obviously intimidating, Rover tried not to be dissuaded by his appearance. She charged forth, dagger now firmly in hand. After all, if she fought the new Boris with a stale arsenal, she'd be crushed.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12Nh8aWEnA
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlObCUlTUf
She began with a thrust, and immediately it was caught by one of Boris' earthly arms, not budging an inch. He bent his legs and threw a regular punch at Rover, one she avoided with a backstep. Her rapier was now confiscated, and she watched Boris raise it with his earthen arms.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXUNCkeocs
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIKEWoySYa
Something inside urged her to scream in defiance. To yell at that man not to do it, but she pushed that unburied temptation down with a commanding glare. Gazing at Boris as he snapped the rapier like a twig.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrao4SxmU2o
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMjR82YNCr
"Well," he asked, "what now?" He threw the split rapier to the side and taunted Rover, daring her to come closer. Rover didn't fall for the taunt, because what she had was not rage– at least, not at the man before her.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp84YZTnAI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vZKUAhEoC
Rather, her shaking fists were directed at herself. She raised the dagger and looked at it. Despite its needle-like blade, the curved cross-guards made it a poor tool for thrusting. This was her only weapon. This and her fists, anyway, but if her past had taught her anything, it was that fists were a futile tool against him.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8an9shMsM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVvz4nlAOk
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKFqwOBPZP
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMaiYYnriM
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdXGsYt0JM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP0ymtfmfa
Yes, her remaining weapon was better suited to defense. Yes, she was physically weaker than Boris. But if her kit made it so that she lived and died by the presence of her rapier, she would've gone all those years traveling King's Peak for nothing.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrLGzsHkZN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmieQTLNL8
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEX50rGnpGF
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetkXHiO2Ou
Her free hand latched onto the strap around her waist, turning it and revealing the satchel that had gone unnoticed by Boris. Unzipping it and reaching for its contents, Rover pulled out an item that made his eyes widen. A thin, elongated, but sturdy vial, one that fits comfortably into Rover's palm.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGUXwJHfR2
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzGnlbuFUN
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡip9JIXovZQ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJn7q4vHsL
"Come and find out!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBujrCmNmv
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡammTKG4YXk
And for the first time in the battle, Boris broke the neutral state, dashing at Rover with arms blazing. A result that came at the worst time possible. Because, although Rover revealed her condition for victory, not a single thought of how to use it came to her mind. And thus, she panicked.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CAKKs9VYG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCjtwLjvQO
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJ3HeSM6Ux
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXPe8DZu6E
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgzKL9Tpvw
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOYHaJTJWD
Rover dismissed those venomous words. Or at the very least, she tried to, but its potent bite was felt throughout her body like the mountains of sweat her brow was producing. She had no idea what to do. For a moment she doubted that she remembered what the vial even contained. But one look at it, at its orange hue that signified distinct divergence, assured Rover that much.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWnKgFB3o8
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZJxQ6THq1
And then, the answer came to her. The wave of panic crashed with the gentle grace of summer water. She stuck the dense vial in her mouth and turned around.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSCEmCI7NL
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIOgPaDbBS
"Finally!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZ7MFYu2pB
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP3nX7vbBr
Boris threw his earthen arms directly at her, which Rover dodged. In a bent position, Boris brought both his arms up to uppercut. Rover blocked one fist with her palm and stabbed through the other.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZQ11urzFy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBdR3FvcDV
"--Ack! Shit!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUZX2P2kSp
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MkZti6Efq
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJOtOejkND
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwO8SiSKCf
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjgIgvczc9
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLavtNjIpc
And then a profound smile found itself on her face. He backed away to perform mana spinning potent enough only to close his wound. Those broken fingers were just what she needed.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tTcogbeJu
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyskpTnHdFy
She performed a swift dash, closing the gap between Boris and her. He immediately put his earthen arms up as a guard, disjointed just enough from his body to make an attack impossible. Rover thought this sudden focus on defense as suspicious, even as the mana spinning on his hand gave her a reason, so she dared not approach without caution. After all, with how volatile his size changes were, he could–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYJs92edYX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6ISeYei59
"...!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TQRWY1nIN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvVGuqWXJ8
Her past experience came to the forefront of her mind, and now she observed her reality with a perplexed perspective. He barely altered his size throughout this fight. He stopped only when–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1GyZVUUU8
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJujYn7KdhY
"Ah-ha!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IOnnys4EA
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMOKVtR27G
Though her profession of understanding was muffled by the glass between her teeth, it made the rise of her confidence no less explosive. She seemingly threw all caution to the wind, charging forth directly into his earthen arms. Boris dashed away, keeping Rover at a distance, but to no avail. Her speedy struts caught up to his back peddling quickly, and instead of attacking, Rover grabbed the earthen hands.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TfYQKlq2x
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9bx50V1ZT
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0uo7mh32J
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaiHqxhyxD
**THUD**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UdfIBzhqr
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrSbMwNkcn
"Urk!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWOrFWW3d3
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwqXWYVb8P
Using those arms like a swing, she propelled her feet into Boris' gut. But she didn't stop there. Because there was no better opportunity to do this than now. She pulled the glass right out of her mouth and popped the lid open, throwing it at Boris as she fell to the floor and rolled away.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGC8Z7cyY6
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SvcOAxVO6
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycqXgFPqRa
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHmw8wIC9m
"Huh?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4gEVGC2Y4
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMzxERlQ8P
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7YdFlBHzQ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMxH1oY1IH
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSizKHpnuqy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhFLud73TN
Boris broke into a bellowing laughter. He held his gut not only to soothe the pain but to hold back his chuckles. Rover knew he would've pointed at her had one of his arms not suffered damage, and though that made her bitter, she kept herself composed for the moment.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqQ2KLpIWa
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOybXG47LvD
Boris quit his laughter, wiping a few tears out of his eyes. The orange cloud permeated slowly, so it still was rather thick, but that didn't dissuade Boris from sticking his head in and smelling it like morning air.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjhOoW4Gg5
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgGNXTEhvr
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWezLqzJxHp
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRxhuse1h4
Boris threw his arms wide.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYthonQuoM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2KxOyGYy7
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7HI8GWc4f
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUqnoAwATt
In a flash, as he spoke, as the spit flew out of his face, and as the lids of his eyes closed to blink, he raised his leg one step forward. With that leg, his body followed right after, crashing into the dust of orange, spreading it just far enough that it contacted the earthen arms.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhR6BKKX7Z
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUAteKIL4Z
And then the magic happened.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5wlAlNqIZ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhGRrMs3HH
**BOOM**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjFppDlZAh
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkaEt2VwV8
That cloud of dust erupted with volcanic ferocity, an explosion so small, yet so extreme that Rover struggled to keep her footing. A great cloud of smoke took the place of Boris' body, and Rover looked on with the slimiest grin she had ever worn.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg52i6xc00K
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjzSoRmR2i
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tFN1DvvSL
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jf2gdcTGC
She stood up and wiped whatever junk found itself on her shoulder. She approached the site of the explosion, and just like in her memories, it was near heatless. She didn't get too close, however. Just close enough to see Boris' crisps, when that cloud of dust would eventually fade.
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdwKl1mCOZ
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqUZFlcYec
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz24vc8RYx8
And indeed, that cloud of dust faded. It faded rather fast. But then Rover realized it wasn't that the dust faded. Rather, something had stolen its spot.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYHXGtwq2D
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPdQmiUrk4
The arm of a titan, reaching out for her, with its open palm like a claw. Rover's instincts forced her body to dash away. Then she stood and watched. Watched as a hulking mass exited the site of the explosion.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuu7QNUCQog
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuDil45nBT
Then, it shrunk.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiXrSW74gt
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuwUueOnrv
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2mO6lZcTp
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthSygxhm82
Boris' robes were gone. Cinders, undeniably. Then was the leather armor Rover knew he always wore. That was gone too. The only article of clothing that remained were his pants, and even they were hardly intact. He was covered in burns blistered the likes of which she'd never seen, and his earthen arms were now missing. By all strings of reasoning, Rover should've dashed in and dealt the final blow. But she couldn't.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTFV0R8M8G
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3sm7nbuY8
Come to think of it, it was the first time she'd seen a part of his body aside from his face. And now she felt as if she just discovered a new man. Because all around Boris' torso was a carpet of gaping, sporadic holes.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSvOptPpyJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjbWQlYHd7
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eDFzID6GK
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaq9lZUhPT
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGB1uTQdxs
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGBHdAzwdy
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMJPJtvkyw
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepjN6EuLCb
Boris raised his unbroken arm. He began mana spinning, forming a brick of earth in his hand. And then, from the large hole centered at his navel, the very same brick spewed out and plummeted to the ground.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHdDB0E8NL
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQtKwELrv3
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfDdFNF6Tu
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI3wiHWxrA
"Those arms I formed made for a dandy shield, wouldn't you say? Though of course, you hit me in the last place it spawned. Lucky you."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBeH46qh3x
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaDmRzGPJv
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogBUszk3dq
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1jVqmG4t1
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU67KwrpiQy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdUNU6WwPu
He dropped the brick in his hand right as another spewed out. He wound his arm, as if to stretch it, then gazed at Rover with the eyes of a monster.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTon83qJVg
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij82aPYfIl
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuq3nXuEpYN
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4lUmnRlJh
"...Freak."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd053taIR0f
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY9s8B0v9X
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzEMEr68hm
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJAtmCdOIC
"And just look at how right I was."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI97OlghaHX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0ifUnNWAt
A hearty chuckle came from him.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSydTZSphJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIPfk7g7wz
"Well, that won't do you any good."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ehJnCgX3J
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwdMaid9al
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YJQ7731xM
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw83OqyZ39y
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdbbs4jAg2
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXVtZeysA2
She put one leg forward.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJGSuah1DW
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6x8TSGB32
"You've got brains since the last time we met. At least, more than I expected. You used them well. You're still worth keeping around."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEBYQTrM6V
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqedZ7VFNay
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKWLAG4kZT
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hMwXPRVUk
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKxN47H6ej
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnM5W4QNdQ6
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudaDPH9895
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknDsIrRP1c
–
–
–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM4oN5p4sL
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYxjIUcEWr
–From an onlooker's perspective, Rover could see why she'd get concerned stares. Even though her body locomoted tactfully in the fight, the windows to her mind made contorted, bemused shapes. And the removal of her dagger compounded that contortion.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYncD790gJ
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZrPip3diq
She threw a fist forward. It was slapped away by Boris, and he attempted a counterattack. Rover tucked her head just in time, and with the tiny space between her skull and his arm, she jumped. Boris avoided a dislocation, but Rover kept the assault with a kick from the side. It was blocked by his other hand. She slipped away just before it got caught, and using her right leg like an anchor, delivered a flurry of kicks at Boris, who went to block them.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1I74hqjbH
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlicedPRAWu
–Rover's kicks were laced. Whether it hampered or bolstered them wasn't something she knew or cared about. At some point, she forgot all about the process of kicking, her mind wandering to holes in her gut. The oozing pastries behind the glass, unable to snatch that gilded stash.
Boris quit his consecutive parries, realizing that such a task was a fool's game. He backed away, which took a moment to compute with Rover, and Boris used that moment to charge in and deliver a quick blow. Rover fortunately blocked it, and as she didn't slide across the room, she had ample leverage to pull a maneuver. She spread her arms and wrapped them around Boris, turning around and putting it over her shoulder. Boris was bigger than her, but that mattered little with her strength. She threw him onto the ground, and his back's unceremonious clash with the floor made its effects apparent on his face. However, Boris pointed his vacant hand at her and out came a burst of wind. Rover didn't have the reflexes to dodge at such a short range and went flying across the room.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgNhl4MHhp
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8P5MICij0
–Those morphing cakes reeked of red. Its verdant smell commanded her to smash the glass, but she was smarter than that. She knew that if she broke the shield, she'd lose on the spot. And that couldn't happen. Her blood boiled to steam. Her teeth ground themselves to powder. It was inevitable, seeing as that's how it always went.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLja0ltguB
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnZbLphY2X
Boris jumped up from the floor right as Rover landed on it. She struggled to get back on her feet, as the blow from his spell sent her head into a frenzy, but she made do with her wobbly knees. Boris charged forth and tackled with his shoulder. Rover tried to block it, and though she avoided any serious damage, she was swept off her feet yet again. Boris followed with a kick, but right as his foot was about to connect, another gust of wind blew from his chest. It saved Rover from a painful blow and sent Boris soaring away, but the edges of the gust still connected, and she was back on the floor.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVxir5edUC
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ec2ZbdIlE
–When things get at arm's length, they become untouchable. But the obstacle isn't always a protective pane of glass. Sometimes it's a shelf, one just high enough so it's out of your reach. Rover jumped for years, but every time her legs grew stronger, or her arms grew longer, the shelf grew with her, but always a little more. Eventually, her fiddling fingertips couldn't even brush it.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9g2pGuSiy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98dSggvhNq
Rover fought yet again to get her feet to the ground. She wiped her mouth with her arm and spat out blood-infused spit. She must've cut her inner cheek.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1zktqKeQo
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLKnf3XMuK
Boris was far away from her, but charing with full awareness. His pace slugged from before, it was clear to Rover that the explosion still affected him. She used that thought to muster her remaining strength and met Boris' charge head-on. The two entered a series of throwing and avoiding fists, and Rover's superior speed gave her an edge. She landed blows square in the chest, and as she hit his pores, they immediately constricted. Rover cared little as to what that meant and kept bashing, but then Boris landed a fist into her cheek. She rolled with the hit as well as she could before rounding back with her strongest punch yet. It landed right into Boris' palm. He twirled his arm, a clear attempt to break Rover's own, but she had experience with such tricks. She put her free hand onto Boris' and jumped, countering his rotation with her own, and kicking him in the head. But Boris didn't release his grasp, and instead threw Rover up and punted her gut.
–There was almost no doubt in her mind of what would happen. It was inevitable, in spite of her struggle. She was going to lose. Would she die? She knew Boris well enough, and so she knew she wouldn't. But to her, no future existed beyond the time of her loss. No prospects are had at the precipice of failure. It was like the blackness of recollecting one's memory as a fetus. But if these rotten thoughts were all that were within her, then maybe she could've squeezed out a tie.
Rover fell to the ground, wheezing and panting, remnants of her stomach escaping from her mouth. She expected an immediate attack and braced herself, but such an attack never came–
**THUD**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0OgxsiEsY
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOXicP1FBl
Rover ate a kick to the face. She rolled across the ground but stopped herself quickly. Her right eye was covered in red, but she could see Boris even through a blizzard. He stomped to her, but Rover didn't move. She reached into the sheath and grabbed the hilt of her dagger, and right as Boris was in range to attack, she threw the weapon at her.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjixUbsGK2
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjeGOwMt6w
–There were chains around her arms, doubts in and out of hiding, pouncing and making escapes with military expertise. There was guilt in her limbs, the ones she used to seal the oath she carelessly shattered. There was anger in her stomach, the one that was always there, residing like a parasite but pulsing now as if it was bound to burst. There was sorrow in her heart, the one she used to fuel words about things she just didn't understand. The one she used to hope. But one affliction was chief among them all.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLl2sgNmWX
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfp0sm83OM
Boris was caught off guard, but not as much as Rover hoped. He just raised one of his arms and let the dagger pierce right through. Boris' screaming was nearly musical to her. Blood leaked from the edges; it was clear the dagger was like a clog. But even so, Boris pulled the dagger out of his arm and sealed the blood-spewing hole with his fingers, performing mana spinning.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dYmHm9C8v
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4LyFnW7Vm
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4iZqxVNLG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqeVXSrXOP
Rover tried to get up and attack. After all, he was right in front of her, making himself vulnerable. She tried, and she was able to get her upper body off the floor, but Boris kept her down with another kick to the chin. Any strength to rise departed, and all Rover could do was watch as Boris approached.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVP6f3MrzmH
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuqz6FSBHf
"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGbvjxAxxy
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZlq8BigB8
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAOsdYfR2E
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb87o62jMJ
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdrrj8Re80
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4b2uLpV8y
"You... ass."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9BbGSyypn
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS19y61aDm
Boris stopped before her legs, staring at them while pinching his chin. Rover couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in his head. But she kept on scowling, even hissing at him as if the action would deter him at all.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNc4mZ6WXC
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaFuiRsdyj
"You're not crawling away?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbATuH4M9Tx
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwsbXyEQjt
"...I'm not a damn worm."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KDvk2ZTIr
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxLiGYnhDh
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCKeWS4iWg
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEOqkLHhkk
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mJe6YFLw7
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzST7vY3ZuP
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5PkDh9t5c
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Tc8cBlbXH
He grabbed her left leg by the ankle, and as he did so, he began mana expulsion. He formed a great club of earth in his hand and walked over to her hip. Immediately, Rover knew what was going to happen. She moved her arm in an attempt to slap it away, but her hands couldn't reach him.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZxIXp1HO1
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3qDwodjOI
But, she still tried. As Boris raised the club above his head, the corners of her eyes were taken by darkness. More and more area, subjugated by black until only the very center of her pupils had the ability to look. They stared at the club, as it stood motionless above his head, and she knew any second it would come down, and she knew any second she would be made a fool.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFOzzhIksr
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgudE1ZdsDd
And she couldn't do a thing.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxYrFYNd5l
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAnfrTGFPp
–Frustration. It was her frustration. The object of her long-lived hatred, its ambassador stood right there. But she was being beaten down like a dog. An injured mutt who had to limp on all but one of its legs, even unable to beg. At the edge of achieving her dream, her ultimate goal, she was forced to watch it slip further and further away. And then she realized, she couldn't destroy Hard-Bringer. And then she realized, she couldn't even scratch it. And then she realized, she'd have to wait again, and then train again, and then search again, and then despair again. And as the final blow of the battle came, only two words sprung from her mind:188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBuwOcCeSs
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XmKK3TtdA
Sorry, mom–188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3mRwiCdy1
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1m0asl01ws
**CRACK**188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fxLQLYWcH
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22XbD9gKku
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WTac1E4Zj
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEB6pqddLu
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbKdIjBINS
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35jkuntcQs
"And there goes your leg."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuOBNhMFSG
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡte7B0TUg3w
She knew of no word to describe the sensation. Seething, writhing, pounding, shocking,
burning, aching, twitching, pulsing, churning– nothing came to her mind to describe it. The shattering of her femur, shooting fragments of bone like shrapnel to the lining of her skin, but not enough to pierce it. As if dozens of bugs drilled through her flesh, as if an entire home landed on her leg– that's what it was like.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLv0Je5R8r
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYHfXH2aTh
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HAa3lmy8v
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmtIHNJuF1
She couldn't even move to clutch her leg, to soothe it in any way. The most she could do was groan and yell and grit her teeth, but none of that was possible at once, and when her focus got captivated by his words the way it did, the pain exponentiated.
"Dogs like you– they like to hunt alone. But the moment they face something threatening, they bite just short of drawing blood. Maybe then, you're a defective wolf."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutp4LCrSiP
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQG5CA3dXA
Boris uncrouched and stepped away as a club of earth spat from a pore. He was clearly haggard, limping as he walked away, hardly able to move one leg before the other. That was the only consolidation Rover was afforded; a tiny solace within the sea of agony.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrPPyoRQZi
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsNchtF5BB
But those words of his stole it away.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZxDeTD2yC
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXnL2irvVz
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe17ZwXHGA
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pZ5Io2SDM
Boris continued limping away until he reached the wall. Then, reeling his fist back, he smashed the glass panes open. He looked down and whistled before turning around and looking at Rover.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7X3DttCaqI
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAnD9VUiCA
She wanted to scream, but all the efforts of her throat and lungs were channeled to ease her suffering. And oh, how she hated it. How she hated the grin of his face, an arrangement of his teeth and mouth designed for eating feces. He waved her goodbye and jumped off while cackling like a witch.188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FUjLDI2Cm
188Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVTGWpK428
No strength to draw, no will to push. All Rover could do was lay there and cope, lamenting her loss and that wretched monster's words.
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