The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuLfd71lU9
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDZDGlRru0
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sEs7GcNvj
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUDuLDemPm
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."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrj7YxHI5B
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYzV6WJTyg
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**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij2MX666rW
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQtiuZKN0H
"Ack!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThZS9OmR1i
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyk4qMQQwt
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZkyNE61Qv
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFFxWnptVK
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGG94NIhu8
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh39EGSf5wT
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mA4aFdLVM
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbuYP8Stgz
"...Useless–!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtOm40i7bk
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyslLz2A3mW
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–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvQ51pDk6h
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mCqZYTZsr
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ooiJDihc2
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10cMG8ScGp
And it was someone I recognized208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlcvOuvFXm
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAjPDrJ5BU
–
–
–
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmzrEUGKU2
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡun3wdymUqO
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV68iDAdpVy
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pTIoCXInw
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQo4n4S1BB
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QLSLIikQ8
"Hi."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGsDRwuBo8
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiYcWJYQGK
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWRUip5xmI
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGOueCERFU
"What!?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfGqOj7SfL
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cMKM8VvOz
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCAaTM5VZF
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkzOCC5lGN
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJdWygOGn9
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7loaD0Um3
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBt9K113dmX
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxc43Lk59z
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqY9swp4KB
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDv9iWMta89
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9cwVuPAMj
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVBUutrPJw
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdPE5mcVNU
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZihvRCG8l4
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HeS2puQNG
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbVAjLQommd
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdfBjOar7e
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYxHdTzYJE
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF43dxuUZDO
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJS6hj5M6j
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQi7DKErGE
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThdXeihWcr
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mG7JgotGw
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenTOab0fw5
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmN8cVm88Yu
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9mhqkk9lL
"The next room's up ahead!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVilp3Mq5Ch
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngG5bKZnID
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnvK87PuEJ
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrbBfFZVBg
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–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJF12vpFlA3
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ730VShrqzK
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdIgRVf3U0
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2ZzA2NEvz
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTxdbAsdmw
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQk80b4zpg
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiU94WNnyg
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMd4IOEoRV
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEc9gnMsaxP
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEbh2TKQWg
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70UElR2LkL
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7ZPweWjTn
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmI8gYJsJQp
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdMyPMqHUa
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–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5YlGcv7oc
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoDSrqgjGw
**THUD**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeTpHG1c8i
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKPxsTdATt
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iukEMACEb
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEJMzDPdci
"...Same tricks as always."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ812uEePRVZ
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszZbEqiadE
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡur8Koo8pts
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rVhYQlS4C
"Hoh– it is you. You!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx5pncFtm4
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbi1suLXfc
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcH4Kmd083j
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSU5AKVtZm
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfI7WDsy1WV
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxCzTk9Xom
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAA18ltGCAY
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyox4VlcWjQ
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjlQaiTdlw
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUybUu19bG
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AcA11l6j6
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCwmw2P11U
"Nigel."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrkXEEqUwM
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj1vrTLAfG
"Yes?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIBJ9imc9P
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwe9SDDLPQN
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56Kcb67UiE
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHzeMaPRZj
"...You're kidding me, certainly."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Fje2JKMrd
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfXDrABJQs
Rover shook her head back and forth.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHG9ryAkbF
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYV7UKIbMJ
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3XqsjGFdA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlnFSI54GQ
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUmr5guh6d
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgj4s4B6VIQ
"You fought him before, then?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl5c6L7nUL
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfqb1Ad6dq
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXETTjlgVd
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOE2vgxry8v
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf33BKhpiWz
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlSK8xR5hO
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlmM64omCS
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYTNAISlFE
"Very well! Don't die on me!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaEHExTpcR
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUAwZTjM3L
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZLSz3ox6t
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDI7jA0EKyZ
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl593EeoWA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAlX1HdyfG
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9E08KHd6fT
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEy6K6csxWJ
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYINSlMKcMH
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8e7UECSNt
"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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpg5DE0PBA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjZzt88UIW
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmaVO0VvLm
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTB5ufRDsx
"..."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡym2mXcUY96
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohs30hVARS
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cTmNDG2wA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfm8iEsN7n
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3Reh7mM9R
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8E0GFfKal
"Fine. Good luck!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ125VoieXnb
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzfJJr9EKC
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77cIl6IW0l
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjU9mOTvWU
**THUD**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoar0mxHZQd
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0g1cBEFwt
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mB7HZ1ROs
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpmguxecEY
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDt51FRCx7v
"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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxp5SO0vBSQ
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gmxhOjEWE
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdd3i7cWxYl
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIEJQ5Hq96
"Come at me, Boris!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKv5ApCIQE
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rUCLT32py
–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg83roPETe0
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbvXXGSFtL
–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WTXyjCbMh
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrf6pYHVrA
–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfI1PsO9hYG
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhOUvchVhd
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpVnysAJa6
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RRfdffdd9
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUjKY2bmn6
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpB92jj1RY
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFgwdtCwOy
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbp0yyaFyo
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKq20VK5fwl
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTRmv8UPtT
"Huh!?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOi17tOayt
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqFa1GFqIn
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0FycNEDax
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEvYufzcLM
"Hah!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdOahBbwWT
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5foZdB1ghT
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLPVqFVV7t
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ll9jahHX6
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgkQPmQS5p
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6mQUplaTK
"Here!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOCz0wBhkX
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouaIAEyrXg
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEyfs7AsnO
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCetjX4Skq
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGhzlflSWD
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs07cRVGvoF
"Tch."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHPlxkUUgy
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJZt1PwnVK
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyiLX4uxLg
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDef5mPwE62
**CLANG**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYHu1WV6lP
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1grv4z56Hh
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KRpQMb4wf
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2pXmpQdiE
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6olT6N1bs
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUF69je7fN
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMgZP2WoRm
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzANzuiDG7O
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–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiyCtKjtrD
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHO6p9tii7e
**SMASH**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5Jbe1IqqT
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyzujyEZHa
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Za3GKNgD2
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzj3JLeoBa
"Ack. Shit!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxulkR7KTB
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2liLYHRGG
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhH9Qu7wEv
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FpRFjVshr
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLPJ1VzMfb
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDSfuxQQ0k
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IaeUV1j6h
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmd4MzzYJQ
"But not enough."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ119dadOOGZ
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWFHdEsXCF
"--!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WTYZ1woFR
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HQP0iEnqs
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNLO1Ez8b5
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5QBCE36fL
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNqqUVpyt1
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEAlfeAgTX
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwgRcCenWq
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxepAxN2mW
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigO5NNkXUL
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFy2Gy8X1Z
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwi3h7H3bL
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTB5HzsW54
"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 "208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEktJ17a6h0
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1Xs8idbbm
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkqVHcm0po
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfvmzIRmUn
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0x2rFBM9PA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBfwAeBzdI
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzT3UhGeWO
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsoqXkGlMM
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMxEfzttSp
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JosYzDJsK
"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."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0UcncUmIR
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡactqowQP6f
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVE7TcueYE
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuJ2bkWv1x
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeriI54fEY8
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFuVlaZYlT
"--Fine!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j9igXRo9Y
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCNvxXyvrI
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7dmEoP6X0
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0VZMDyg0F
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjG4ucFgat
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4WCadsTpz
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnP1kqubF6
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpydhT9JtgX
"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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3OhLtLom1
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv8pIwNQYg
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4OQTdTKzr
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Pw2rFHXUl
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNm5ZT8dzZ
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiRArNy6nR
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPKlgFYhMO
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXnxX3RInA
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrENR8zGXz
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EA9Bi6Iyw
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtrncFqA8i
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4g9RQMLQD
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJACmGlR2v
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X3JzUuf4W
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufqntmCJoa
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgUaGgY2j3
"Come and find out!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKulnwb6iy
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2B3MX7GYM
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIp93J9RIar
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84ETxnTpFD
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuLIWmqvog
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTt2xo8k1HY
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1QAgINbA2
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopiopzhcJK
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzdo9bZwCl
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuhEjIxR9f
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnhaq8ltQl
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA23X8gq6zK
"Finally!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdatIK7PljK
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwTFlyXdgY
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXg1uBlAh2u
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fHWDLhPXk
"--Ack! Shit!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxjTLkqSDA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jcuXeQtCH
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwGpa7w2NT
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsw3O27lDjn
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUR6IAnyi3
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxGQfr3aEl
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lAgXlzR01
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2lyX7XbRU
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–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQZlpD1HNa
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyJL8Q2IVC
"...!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Wd7prv51G
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy2YqzOeGV
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–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOT75qfEYja
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QwDjgTBB7
"Ah-ha!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k1jvvFaaT
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAanVhQStA
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3ssroRyHU
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAYsQqllT6
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhiZ9DULVv
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJbdbS6v01
**THUD**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh7dxq9LAv
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaQXGNCjLg
"Urk!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCOFNBVkng
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwcvMbsCS1
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tfRmBZucF
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5skuDJhvh
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89AuPHW6ns
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3fDDx5DYn
"Huh?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhT1A71Od7X
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmL6yVKOHQ
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DUzOP05Op
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgH65lj7mk
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9Zalc9kzB
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHBMrqi68f
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusRa852YUp
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeENXoDNGmC
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIteTv6wHpw
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErY48lxxDk
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkAReUUQHN
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykNDCbMMbD
Boris threw his arms wide.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjpvH4NDDF
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZV3nA3JUJN
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPyMpTqjTE
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiisDCmg00u
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGE0DBtLoA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRtHoYGzXw
And then the magic happened.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5kV273qzM
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwezqCDG2bl
**BOOM**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNg4jHAKdhp
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmKqjosffS
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8Ef9OXtQW
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvea4O3DiT
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJsScvdZ7u
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5owvhbijX7
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.
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwl7z40XjK
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0QF68cKTq
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2FKBqv0fA
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYLDzvpAlA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCd8MIbStP7
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpNJCytpLt
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbfsjTmAnD
Then, it shrunk.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLfFq1Pabk
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvNcdxTaAd
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIiILmxL9m
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSquZ3We6BR
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM3qdySwhz
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5YWqFoETk
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBCTaRTUVB
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuP0Pe9PMEN
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xcEvBMAOx
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMDB3eblho
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQHBRzGJFs
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdemmA7mwb
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7PhFa9mP0
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRZEwHvOpp
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNX22WODVA
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHRS9NlW9d
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDNss4Lg7o
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQPX4Qxue3
"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."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDjhrg55n5
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKBaW6rrbk
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBPGHGS3GT
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZcZOSs6Fu
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRtXpbup1r
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEpNbzUTWK
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyRYarsJJm
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsauWC9rO0S
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq774JMbLMt
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsdVy3lgEr
"...Freak."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw4H0GKZQ7
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQAwpuuyU6
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dPpoi6oi7
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oVF0MXvJr
"And just look at how right I was."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0B7tkzQDqb
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbe0wmahwSL
A hearty chuckle came from him.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZRbLgNNo1
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzibNHVJQXI
"Well, that won't do you any good."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwMwrURkk8
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9J1fEPoXX
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TAlgGgi6E
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3YAvR9KLf
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLmRMgPvLH
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFOce9pAuR
She put one leg forward.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DqEa7i9BT
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"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."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Z6QeaFrt3
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQix0nHXYWE
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyIRGcgJM0
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And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3CFmopsVc
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–
–
–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqLMMkksL8
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–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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SAhhq159s
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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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GpzbLoBu5
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9g3JfrHQn
–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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxDPqBZkym
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD11eIRVFB
–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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfSjBijaDK
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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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WsizaG9jC
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–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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrw5kQl42g
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IRAQ1ZbXz
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GFZpG6JkO
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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**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQMGiETEyV
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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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRXxZORSHy
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwz4JdVlPSq
–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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BBIg3kYqx
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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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnws3GMknH
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlBzeoS7M8
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQ2kb97t3Y
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrunEthET2
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"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gvSjGIfdK
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWix8s49SfV
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWTca2BPfX
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6UELxPLys
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMH85ouyfFP
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"You... ass."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEwymypqhB
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxX76maNvO
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIVYjzK095
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"You're not crawling away?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZLwB9BNEq
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGl6DDO6tdG
"...I'm not a damn worm."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hkKMYgMkM
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfO5km2lbJM
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Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQ7YWcxa93
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE4YCiIRi1
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSMV1jgjJM
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v70httLmU
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUFYsY7d84
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsvT9X4GTB
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And she couldn't do a thing.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AjCxcJ7bb
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–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:208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RNyMYfDxe
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIm0IU7Y7j
Sorry, mom–208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zKrU9Ai7j
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**CRACK**208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWK84fMPpES
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKKnBmkbrk
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Lx1bAqdB
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"And there goes your leg."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLYJ3J7dzb
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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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0QYtFO8h1
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklIRf95c9N
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhge3CxqkUo
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHl6AT9JQCL
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."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxbJIvGvlY1
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FDJ7yvpM6
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQSprlnBLV
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But those words of his stole it away.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFK5uGBDTXj
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETEuPfVTwz
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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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg51CxUcpmw
208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquWWIIN5tC
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.208Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvVImIjpbo
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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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