The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47JKoW0QpC
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IGkEbuGOB
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSncp64IlNh
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKWdBEYzAD
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."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhocN2Wra59
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6NxJWP7j1
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**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oWHrHuHni
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUykitZwYPf
"Ack!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgXEVkmDTn
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSDM9GRdR6
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEmTat2NHv
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeCOLJNIzs
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO4wnLdrm9
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAhxQ3JwY3
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6MW8h2r0b
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CTMnEnvQS
"...Useless–!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk9A1T5MwC
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Rrsxj3WE8
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–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcX3H1wrQOd
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55KRk15nwG
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEGqbNb47i
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rdYj8SUI0
And it was someone I recognized236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EnTbmiNYL
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAChG604G2
–
–
–
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAQxpDnY1y
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5S9wMu94Q
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00iejz6bz3
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelCbtNIZmE
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOz0GorIzeb
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgGRPP6LdI
"Hi."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjOy8lGMBV
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbYHf4DwLq
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqUlAVQh6i
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWMhmkjyET
"What!?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHPv6TjdGe
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUseFEqoCgb
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xw4U7PDG6
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEx47wTsRSm
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQOwAKOaH5
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡki8rgVBYC5
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡea4rnMlLKD
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xVj4M6d6S
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBALxqcKTb
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdbEAm7iF7
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoF9jQLFya
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQonjUK1Qb6
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklikv71igu
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OnP00W4jn
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIcPo4vZmA
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDvY9ymclP
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEB35OxYB85
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC544PJHEK0
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOWptbQx1I
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XJPttUsgy
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdaVzuHQRQ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kjdit5Mic
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBjAlOScO3
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzdgmksK6Z
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIALezXapl
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyTCfh579R
"The next room's up ahead!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VeZlarHZt
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOI8JCgjpP
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OoaZV8RRh
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYonGivwx4F
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–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTu2kWGHaP
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybDS0YzXWI
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXt8JRzAJMj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCem6nzqrF8
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYbwBRE6iY
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQLmwK6ton
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssA7r0roYT
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF7bBRa3ZV
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vOafgpMXW
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Qzkmt1qCx
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXtu3Xsqu9
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmYKQnDqIs
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIW0CRgKLy
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03VwhvQu19
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–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4JHJbgQXp
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIVpW21d9f
**THUD**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXFuQzvx7y
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkox8xNwof
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEo9as23j51
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDgkNjhRTK
"...Same tricks as always."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aSMiOt2L6
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6BPqoZpcl
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMksrhnOcs
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXMoOF5Jdd
"Hoh– it is you. You!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvPsTBKY2p
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWGTEuDPGR
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1z3ReNCbP3
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjQ0Jslt5n
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0z2T3lX3Q
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbH7hWITfQ
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcAwnAGTJf
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pEi6JE6aP
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmlhw8SJ8U
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqVI0x7iYm
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfqPdzWCgG
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EMJiM59YM
"Nigel."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsZ6XMJBRS
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZLGhuAcKv
"Yes?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGTXD3ePbY
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMV7imyhjoB
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjun10roMe
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC5xDZ4jpc
"...You're kidding me, certainly."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU2Ce67RBR
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1H41VNMRZ
Rover shook her head back and forth.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupuN1UbEbD
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNYf5UZ037
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNdAjLAqdc
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYUWgvG4K7
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MzmjLKOma
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcb45etwulG
"You fought him before, then?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cONDYYp1j
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjFj5KotPj
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2n4HXNwzY
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTo9TEa0U2
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3cFf50E7k
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGPfiNosCC
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHReiQUGNEo
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xTaRZjfFB
"Very well! Don't die on me!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtIG24jVAF
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCwoy0QKvu
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ83dX5PWhI
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWFrIqmuSD
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuOn2nJmdG
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjFRUJPgWc
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnCdQCgz3E
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITZEzD2gkm
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEosQ0tDBj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCB37X4tgG
"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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zssMWdoEX
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByjVKMpf7v
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm47Y8XZc6I
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BmCjpJ3zG
"..."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxcBjsAtGE
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXOAUI8FOU
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhp6iuXtMxn
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEv3IoW5LCM
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTkqlzNNLm
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWQYfW9UsZ
"Fine. Good luck!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg6uIHOSMx
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LgERVTdKH
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jmdjkbgby
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFjrDX89Mh
**THUD**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgMIk5WVHM
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSYjw02xcX
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ466wo8FoUB
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZzQWVA9CU
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpxrsjzqyt
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fdFzPqoZc
"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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6A0yRWGrqX
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejZNIW8Lyd
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUxVpzEpKr
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp80ANixf58
"Come at me, Boris!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvz2sBa8Zg
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThG2Z2aHpx
–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET7zaOMttG
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOtQimK1eC
–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3X25lNzWI
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvThaxHTjX
–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oA4geafLa
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ158TCgxqzU
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AhJMP24se
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECyp5hS97b
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu89Imv8M6b
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1CUgTTdir
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieONF2cwhg
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlhs9hIyeK
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvD5lQ21IaA
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P4HglZsem
"Huh!?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17KQ5Xh4Z5
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZRzgFK0uG
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCKhn9cuOJ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1fOP3p2fJ
"Hah!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtYELCwhaG
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvF6hX9QVfK
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgucv8i9Ta
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuD9gcUtTXW
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHy4uYxNmue
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfm56c7fvA
"Here!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrMG0UUHOw
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMQVIUgVIS
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8N9CSGCQd
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwO0DO40pjr
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePlopLazMZ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRx09sTxgt
"Tch."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrQMNjgkoU
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhaWIZHJnG
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAMMeLuSrY
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsH6ulJiFe
**CLANG**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93fyLVs9Jv
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDnRR705OE
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmk088d5A6Q
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BYTlr0jNZ
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqTJQcSaoI
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk2afmEiqb
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSoSg4F2DD
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtOM1j2jnL
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–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5O66gtIMro
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjaMHxqS5b
**SMASH**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxjrHHt4VO
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QRv3QAhfj
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6bJV1YRBO
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsb0lK0Bpfr
"Ack. Shit!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0rCO4lAUb
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9VokFCWxX
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iVpeq8IMf
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEbvqDbP4D
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHAlaMp7An
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0QHUWagql
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2gEZIFqO7
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSC9SDEPwet
"But not enough."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyNc0wggjV
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnB2u0ZWKmt
"--!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp1P83oWYZ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaN6imBZo0R
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RNmgq2Hpz
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMIKoDCqV9
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDq0rdXjb1
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUcuJ544uA
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAlkWT4Zkw
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjgcxL95hm
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeBRmtZMGj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCryXpsDUsA
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMaea0ETwm
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡau7eXRLsQU
"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 "236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBNrJAy5NM
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNhHzkFEvO
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBLTIfiuFk
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoj4nrJdiVB
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBbBwqlVwH
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7O3iDOPpKU
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3aBShJjkf
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmfOdCWtX0
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWenHPBnf4Y
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wxmE0Zadm
"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."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhEKPy11iK
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2Z2K7cdDM
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6KE8zzpVi
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94Ngg6BMxq
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF9YJeXljn
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFN5TT04xZS
"--Fine!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWApgTJ3yQ7
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwc8NZRdZHs
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmAi0alO6h
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlt2GAR0TsA
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9V92on6M8
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAkkzXMJ7t
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHh4FXgTD0
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4ONpsRKWG
"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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbvccKLlIG
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRE2W7gEYeI
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9oj6i93KF
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaurzboU1a
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXtxdogcBE
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7ff2pXDz3
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdnxeUojQi
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrdeQdwO4A
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ON5JaUj2V
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnMIWPF95y
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmKDM1D188
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2soHXnL5Qn
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEq8xDuOox
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVJmBuc0s7
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnpB9NwkwZ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKTPERFpHa
"Come and find out!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHLi0Xm6kn
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcj2JUppm4
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJGXqtZ1gX
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIm9w3JaAZX
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFfCngOxmE
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CPuwTsEv9
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAafsXKlEfK
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CWKOCAdaX
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUPCSM7K2h
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWum7Z2vh6
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50CqV5itwD
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqkLvw5lNa
"Finally!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXtN2WSaUg
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGBcgCYuLH
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBvDivRYZX
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbDE2noaDj
"--Ack! Shit!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCE5qkrjyS
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0HXEgBAGX
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsHLVMEDBr
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15UWUHDoyd
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTOYlTOJsF
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDA14RNH0T
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBol4eFnG6r
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjSLJPcNQp
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–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJNf1Ga0F1
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyp2MCFwCD
"...!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAag3R2gQJ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD62XlfxyN
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–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioUzMw0xzF
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AaQW4spnn
"Ah-ha!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKSgvhHNht
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLX999gb2Ys
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalJCX3amN6
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8kMmfK5aQ
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OPIG41M4R
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOhAmmlrzk
**THUD**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5jajYm9QB
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvym2gsZYKU
"Urk!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlpttNNfSx
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdAwccVChs
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYuYDmHprx
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QDQhi7fUb
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoxbNIZ6jk
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4b8yRd7r5
"Huh?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8APnDUyMRw
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBlVl8KQkD
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbrkVIBERK
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmkGs0fjka
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9qii8Y3nm
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DIMhIXsTt
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGILVhis4KS
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfzsoB0Gc9
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3sxIj69Nc
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHgge4oLLI
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VvkZsovO6
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUZCkFKWQY
Boris threw his arms wide.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡken4ZWdXlq
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2nQs7qMIb
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrWh4lj4s1
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44Wt1D8Nuu
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBrjuHSk5r
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8HBVyGdZt
And then the magic happened.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p9uKShFrW
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTGK1Dhu5i
**BOOM**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkGwMyh0Nt
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZNSBicRla
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7UayYvRVX
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4BqOupVvI
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtEoIlMtCI
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptMrWmQZhc
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.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuBbbtkMJC
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtyGAMRl8G
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGiMQKR96s
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zFJqhuanf
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoGzT7QPpD
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DKbtcDgmJ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqbrAJhhmn
Then, it shrunk.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFomIRml2z2
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJYDPjONJV
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOD2IVph844
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDwzEZrRSr
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVJdgwdANO
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRQBsgzvKw
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3PHC4iWFI
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8RZeA9A1T
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW96cbhVH7z
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfeKIksq9P
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VPM4wOZ4n
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjQ4Xgb6E5
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1WIyrouBZ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm7IALaxMT
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbwTIKoeOT
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8BNDPnmoz
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyieqPImjCP
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pyzvblYuN
"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."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5QKQeHJFv
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5BnvN1j5L
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9z1TCpF9nt
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rHFNB9YbH
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrWKf21h6b
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZBpvJyhUt
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TBTGVKZzl
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckCiQ8xLTC
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTZYvkLotW
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIKJMphT6Y
"...Freak."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtIsPHxD82
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlv0ymX4FH
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgWES4pYmc
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAn2lFsJth
"And just look at how right I was."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CAaz1Syqe
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyw8mEquNr
A hearty chuckle came from him.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMDypDpjoO
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYo0sux89W
"Well, that won't do you any good."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EjNhTWaF6
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUI0OAHPRR
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCKR33K1dQ
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnueUYsako7
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxtzolpCYw
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJ6DDzBlWz
She put one leg forward.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDakxLzK4gj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7QXVOhYnL
"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."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyWogUCqaP
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirUO6Jc3Ab
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3On6AFOLzj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy4BbSsJcD
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ewf8CEGw6
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–
–
–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiGTNiDIOR
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdcswoYXn4
–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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPaSgFE2fv
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7OM6cT02O
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWEXqk253H
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHX0hNnp2E
–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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnitOr8rgC7
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJg5xpvQmz6
–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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSoHRIgy5l
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NklGke2oF
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeA7bWilSx
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpT04lKnIu
–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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5WjlRpsKv
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxxwB7Pb9K
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SxD2DdW3H
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuDWbbELCq
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**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKasXeFW1hc
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslAUkvMzl2
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIAPdizNkB
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWO8t7MwR7
–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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDY3lTzZLoF
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXUAg8nNb6
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg8dc09X4f
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHq4VXmcQS
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVBGyHxgEP
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlY2Nd2PGs
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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."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTxG8jlG6b
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Pf4IVxNOp
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhh56yjupL
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0weNvyZJnt
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTanbk9oCs
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2isN1sTJm
"You... ass."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICkSrNuDrR
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA975Uu6Dw5
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCHN88u3qU
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"You're not crawling away?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZpuXm51ES
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zJnSPev4I
"...I'm not a damn worm."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Dm0JbdJhz
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUL9b9zuNjH
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToAJuk5YbF
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAQLk8DqTY
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheMlFkejCD
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEfUILynAa
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyY9Cpldsk
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdTTomQYd9
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZ124KRQEL
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdsJ2XSRut
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And she couldn't do a thing.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmegtDsBf2o
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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:236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡromQSaw0Dm
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBplW0yk4te
Sorry, mom–236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPfu4kmMZI
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**CRACK**236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aYRawtzTT
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oAP0k9gor
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGKv7gxPf8
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"And there goes your leg."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMRa4Clls7
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUabklbpRB
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kqMfqk4et
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFg78b8O6R
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23ZZSgg2SY
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjoGuqAUXi
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."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHq0MWqtjY
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCWEkJMdnE
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTu3ytDQgnT
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But those words of his stole it away.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNTg4PXjyo
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡww4diuD64c
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjz4zYCItV
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXocTwEyst
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5YNkPpjKO
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtSuw1KFiK
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.236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYJEOuiIUY
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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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