The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.226Please respect copyright.PENANAH4HUMzCvCb
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbbRdGqr8tb
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA3Z5nCuqSwJ
226Please respect copyright.PENANA4GDCR2wLDZ
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."226Please respect copyright.PENANARnOj14Vciq
226Please respect copyright.PENANAHGXk788Eox
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**226Please respect copyright.PENANAFjVuMzUnWP
226Please respect copyright.PENANAw85Zs3ykSi
"Ack!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA494WxYqH0g
226Please respect copyright.PENANAZdKLSYBsx4
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.226Please respect copyright.PENANAG0ECoqfQMz
226Please respect copyright.PENANA0OhGKElZaV
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAEqoAgKikWA
226Please respect copyright.PENANAVVEkvPDgcp
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANALr8Wv82a4J
226Please respect copyright.PENANA7OG0BCAhAU
"...Useless–!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA0wbxvi6mRR
226Please respect copyright.PENANAvYtCt8oICz
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–226Please respect copyright.PENANAqMx4h2u9st
226Please respect copyright.PENANA7Wnjjk7AcB
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.226Please respect copyright.PENANAvZiAyrQhN7
226Please respect copyright.PENANAKe2xxSuQAB
And it was someone I recognized226Please respect copyright.PENANAvLCwRNJUme
226Please respect copyright.PENANAYNMikN2Ahm
–
–
–
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA4lv8QPCjNA
226Please respect copyright.PENANABkBrzBWfvE
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAKd4aR1Jlf8
226Please respect copyright.PENANAu6TbP3GjN6
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.226Please respect copyright.PENANAAc5aEO6yy6
226Please respect copyright.PENANA33qEeC31tx
"Hi."226Please respect copyright.PENANAyd6FyRKwsH
226Please respect copyright.PENANAjWQR2qlXkR
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA6OaL3b6RSn
226Please respect copyright.PENANA0tYEDh5HkZ
"What!?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAu1gGtsF6TR
226Please respect copyright.PENANAPoZhu6t4Tk
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.226Please respect copyright.PENANAE3h1CTFsZ2
226Please respect copyright.PENANA9jDZpOByLF
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."226Please respect copyright.PENANAjWKoKhLqTw
226Please respect copyright.PENANA371Ha7jAF0
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA9jzhdbqoGT
226Please respect copyright.PENANAZOmPC71zHK
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAgmWOBjSSdE
226Please respect copyright.PENANAygcVsBfW1N
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"226Please respect copyright.PENANA3piwFHje7o
226Please respect copyright.PENANALo3hmeocai
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.226Please respect copyright.PENANAHJzVEgqFd7
226Please respect copyright.PENANAGgNB6qYeFZ
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."226Please respect copyright.PENANAAHOmfSL7up
226Please respect copyright.PENANAukmC54gHWP
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAW5wSqB4e60
226Please respect copyright.PENANAypveONnKS4
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"226Please respect copyright.PENANAt9LNDyN1hZ
226Please respect copyright.PENANAETIj1Ffclb
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."226Please respect copyright.PENANADCXa1aPVrg
226Please respect copyright.PENANAlel1Kg7e8m
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAMuqLtFw9KL
226Please respect copyright.PENANAco23bUnY16
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.226Please respect copyright.PENANAVPgC9wAJw3
226Please respect copyright.PENANAfDJyyzqrBb
"The next room's up ahead!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAS4GMqKdyWi
226Please respect copyright.PENANAu4I88ehJwH
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAwXE61NJeDD
226Please respect copyright.PENANAvA64O1JC5L
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–226Please respect copyright.PENANAfAgEyXFaFz
226Please respect copyright.PENANAV60gXiMwqF
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAN20D4N1e14
226Please respect copyright.PENANApfiWQMMXRt
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA6bXxUqdFYj
226Please respect copyright.PENANAfd7XUkKGha
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAnf8SnpUWYB
226Please respect copyright.PENANA36FoikUoEP
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAtU1Qw8uXxs
226Please respect copyright.PENANAAJtNydJALB
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAWsYI70feFx
226Please respect copyright.PENANAIxbB9LOiLb
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAeTn8EiD36X
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtx34Ey8qGH
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–226Please respect copyright.PENANAYOXNMkl1e3
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbdDZaTE6Lo
**THUD**226Please respect copyright.PENANA3mSEERy5Uo
226Please respect copyright.PENANApaKbg4Pj63
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAyvHZnS625x
226Please respect copyright.PENANA4j3Nzr1aIM
"...Same tricks as always."226Please respect copyright.PENANAQYIUQ6gyiz
226Please respect copyright.PENANAit0Dg3Smiq
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.226Please respect copyright.PENANAwIysHVCIQ2
226Please respect copyright.PENANALTpMcBhD2e
"Hoh– it is you. You!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA0U05fDw3sE
226Please respect copyright.PENANAp8M1Ro7K40
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.226Please respect copyright.PENANAEG44VFNuHS
226Please respect copyright.PENANANGc7H4m0Mj
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAEMrf3TORC9
226Please respect copyright.PENANA396EamcpcK
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.226Please respect copyright.PENANAP85T0bIU0H
226Please respect copyright.PENANAl42nvP0d9g
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA4G9tiopyKF
226Please respect copyright.PENANAVE5pXXGVI2
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAyV14vpSgOp
226Please respect copyright.PENANA3yNdZP5N8a
"Nigel."226Please respect copyright.PENANAnkOx3bFvf0
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtMzfSXlTOc
"Yes?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAn59WeDQ4vE
226Please respect copyright.PENANAFJyP2yaWDz
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."226Please respect copyright.PENANAXkbXwndg8A
226Please respect copyright.PENANAIRY7ikMk4Z
"...You're kidding me, certainly."226Please respect copyright.PENANARFGmSwV0bm
226Please respect copyright.PENANAkpj9xHg0Bs
Rover shook her head back and forth.226Please respect copyright.PENANA55ghB51VAi
226Please respect copyright.PENANAfdhnatrUeE
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"226Please respect copyright.PENANA0gMZbavMjC
226Please respect copyright.PENANAJHc6s1QO5b
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."226Please respect copyright.PENANATQZGA46YTC
226Please respect copyright.PENANA6AxjXn5rLW
"You fought him before, then?"226Please respect copyright.PENANA5O80HPWxmZ
226Please respect copyright.PENANAdxpHRhdnol
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAybM1D4abkF
226Please respect copyright.PENANAN38ke6X09b
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"226Please respect copyright.PENANA4yt3ZVSLKy
226Please respect copyright.PENANAOJs3OEwWiC
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.226Please respect copyright.PENANAUAAN7IKEOv
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"Very well! Don't die on me!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA7uhwJU7EV6
226Please respect copyright.PENANAjErQVa7at2
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAl4JO4obprs
226Please respect copyright.PENANAY96TD7hVVF
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAycO9gBg305
226Please respect copyright.PENANAvtZFw4c1Tv
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAGD2qIXSuax
226Please respect copyright.PENANAdqS0ZPMjqi
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAJSAUW6SO1G
226Please respect copyright.PENANA2UYzJEOshN
"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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA0elIEepg9g
226Please respect copyright.PENANAYahqpovvMw
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAs0cyVbtcbi
226Please respect copyright.PENANA3awsgtYJps
"..."226Please respect copyright.PENANAiO3sAHZTnE
226Please respect copyright.PENANA2fCRkdi5s7
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAE1QPab0xr7
226Please respect copyright.PENANAKAFzzgotpM
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.226Please respect copyright.PENANARCreZSmKq8
226Please respect copyright.PENANAVyrWUJ6HRg
"Fine. Good luck!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA1Mv4fM4fx1
226Please respect copyright.PENANALtCAGRLMEL
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–226Please respect copyright.PENANAyerVV1eY9W
226Please respect copyright.PENANAZRLhhzRqDy
**THUD**226Please respect copyright.PENANAALlDqbq08P
226Please respect copyright.PENANAvkJEqDdIWS
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAB9eRnzEDtP
226Please respect copyright.PENANAcNnjItu7DO
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAShFo8udQqL
226Please respect copyright.PENANAeBvK0wJnHn
"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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAdgLQkuBngT
226Please respect copyright.PENANA7CpcxX9JCW
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.226Please respect copyright.PENANAd6sYrEVrwT
226Please respect copyright.PENANA1Qnobx8O1Y
"Come at me, Boris!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAU5J4rgqUwX
226Please respect copyright.PENANAYI4lkwhtHC
–226Please respect copyright.PENANA6C5uTplOrB
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbsm3jnvRVC
–226Please respect copyright.PENANAvN20MX6Ab3
226Please respect copyright.PENANA4r4uEOXVOa
–226Please respect copyright.PENANAPCKHyqHqO9
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.226Please respect copyright.PENANAeqKiMZslvf
226Please respect copyright.PENANAq3OpCI75Og
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAJpZsOWLH6w
226Please respect copyright.PENANADmjI0GejlD
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAwyQdLnVhqo
226Please respect copyright.PENANAke4OMd0fzZ
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAwqlJJxCPYm
226Please respect copyright.PENANAIhjKUgy9zC
"Huh!?"226Please respect copyright.PENANA20OtVdXaQE
226Please respect copyright.PENANAAnXIb0eysA
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAEILeH4kBli
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"Hah!"226Please respect copyright.PENANASH5gVZuUEx
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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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA551QIsuJgy
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But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–226Please respect copyright.PENANACxJthkfMwT
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"Here!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAIG6bTx1UYQ
226Please respect copyright.PENANAW4Nhhg9oRP
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAGlu0D5Hp59
226Please respect copyright.PENANAKEBEyBOaZ0
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."226Please respect copyright.PENANAEBDqxvqxPB
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"Tch."226Please respect copyright.PENANA9UOcFzD9oP
226Please respect copyright.PENANAWs7TYhw2mI
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAn7rnNoMt4h
226Please respect copyright.PENANA8D8d76KwR3
**CLANG**226Please respect copyright.PENANA8QQZg8EWoj
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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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAdw7a3Uu3YW
226Please respect copyright.PENANAFeVb6XXZmj
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAXq4UbtsTr7
226Please respect copyright.PENANAyhuIlm7C3v
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAX3c9ushCwb
226Please respect copyright.PENANA5hq2B4WGUv
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–226Please respect copyright.PENANA0yiiYmFK7K
226Please respect copyright.PENANA8GjOj3rQG1
**SMASH**226Please respect copyright.PENANAraG9qc2Yvi
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–shook the room as it ruined the wall.226Please respect copyright.PENANAWMEAzTcYc8
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"Ack. Shit!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAgJcHvytK3c
226Please respect copyright.PENANAMooYJMi5z6
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAToNfKF4tcr
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbX6hbjzYT9
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAG8FFzobaXp
226Please respect copyright.PENANA4UCL2RzxZb
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.226Please respect copyright.PENANAJBarFKwNai
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"But not enough."226Please respect copyright.PENANAcCZrer9esN
226Please respect copyright.PENANASZAgUY7ZlV
"--!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAF94Eqi4VZH
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Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.226Please respect copyright.PENANAI8KIilItUS
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"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA42L8vqGv8x
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He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.226Please respect copyright.PENANAgrURxQGSYS
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"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"226Please respect copyright.PENANACZB9hbmmfR
226Please respect copyright.PENANADCzDMkI9Ew
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAoj3WexCkgb
226Please respect copyright.PENANAAzRzvYKEIL
"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 "226Please respect copyright.PENANA9f4Ny6SB9K
226Please respect copyright.PENANAftRFkZ7kg0
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAUPAYR19Wq6
226Please respect copyright.PENANAvFkF63q68j
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANARR7C6NwPIE
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But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.226Please respect copyright.PENANAvQmkgPPxhP
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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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAHILGMWKJB8
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"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."226Please respect copyright.PENANAqOvFGGi0qQ
226Please respect copyright.PENANALYGB0FWrXC
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.226Please respect copyright.PENANAXXPhSbWfoT
226Please respect copyright.PENANAOMiO7QsH4X
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"226Please respect copyright.PENANAsIUBSlDa7H
226Please respect copyright.PENANAmiJjcm0DlD
"--Fine!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAljJOmY40Kw
226Please respect copyright.PENANAP9ZPilZHyd
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAwzq4rX3ctm
226Please respect copyright.PENANA1RupZD8ZuK
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAtHrgN2H1B4
226Please respect copyright.PENANAhjyOdnbiNw
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAFYr80JeDGG
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtE3EbQN3zK
"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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAwtARM3Jage
226Please respect copyright.PENANA0H0RkGC3RS
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAbx6Ti7fULT
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"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAJzn6InFsQQ
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"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAlm3BcPA9CM
226Please respect copyright.PENANADS0imRssD9
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAQJVVKmWXT9
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"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAlYJYIKU120
226Please respect copyright.PENANABs5hpGDsIx
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAo5Xhmu8vje
226Please respect copyright.PENANAGC2FSL4hBp
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"226Please respect copyright.PENANADs4EUwhYar
226Please respect copyright.PENANAUdF7efZXlb
"Come and find out!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAscrzmTD9QM
226Please respect copyright.PENANAHm4JYhU0WA
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAo76Cw3Sdzg
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Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.226Please respect copyright.PENANA1ZAtHcenN1
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"Get back here! Come on you coward!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAATZz9G9jYi
226Please respect copyright.PENANAMkzTdDc5uD
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAdeE8z5DQku
226Please respect copyright.PENANA1G5IwIH9k2
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAymDEQcuBtn
226Please respect copyright.PENANAoaSjhxASE3
"Finally!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAZXMWGaLjqt
226Please respect copyright.PENANAkrqc6bJ5Al
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA6W9GYde2Gn
226Please respect copyright.PENANADEF3r2dSJO
"--Ack! Shit!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAlaulR3vJio
226Please respect copyright.PENANA62kr7fMgrB
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.226Please respect copyright.PENANAfUfGzpGCkk
226Please respect copyright.PENANAsCMATgAUEE
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAh0SUl3Ixe2
226Please respect copyright.PENANA6Pd21PV742
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAmNrrCN4MFG
226Please respect copyright.PENANAMxD1EtoLgI
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–226Please respect copyright.PENANAriftdUTIS5
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"...!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAieUoiq9Zqm
226Please respect copyright.PENANAeQGMQZ5SXA
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–226Please respect copyright.PENANANsX34rVbca
226Please respect copyright.PENANALJD2Z8FkxI
"Ah-ha!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAjQYvbhTWRA
226Please respect copyright.PENANAEct0oWIRS0
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANANQKlG71fP1
226Please respect copyright.PENANAYppL3jVCE8
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.226Please respect copyright.PENANAN6yCtNF62y
226Please respect copyright.PENANAy90qMLJGy5
**THUD**226Please respect copyright.PENANA1pN3x3ssLY
226Please respect copyright.PENANAMB21mj4vWV
"Urk!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA9JjWsGWMzA
226Please respect copyright.PENANAE2nCHscmX0
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAWJ8VE8IsCE
226Please respect copyright.PENANAwyuFPqTV6H
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.226Please respect copyright.PENANAC2xB8o8QYL
226Please respect copyright.PENANAJOfHd6iOV3
"Huh?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAwDN36d5WH4
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtjJPVC0xii
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.226Please respect copyright.PENANAYXCAUWxHRZ
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"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAeWy2xhbaED
226Please respect copyright.PENANAUY0ds34mEo
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAicjZvp1rRX
226Please respect copyright.PENANAYUdQV12zE1
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA1txXV8cACm
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"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"226Please respect copyright.PENANAeK6HuVHidS
226Please respect copyright.PENANAZoQSicI1ai
Boris threw his arms wide.226Please respect copyright.PENANA69PccFbgDW
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"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"226Please respect copyright.PENANA5Pl96C1rIt
226Please respect copyright.PENANAeDVTCH40ap
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAnLUZoomhNu
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And then the magic happened.226Please respect copyright.PENANAhbr71KzbFL
226Please respect copyright.PENANA7JDhHvIqjl
**BOOM**226Please respect copyright.PENANADxyxiQqVqO
226Please respect copyright.PENANA6UtO2KubAD
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAqt9jquG37b
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"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."226Please respect copyright.PENANAXTx7gJy2fk
226Please respect copyright.PENANAonfpw8HCqw
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.
226Please respect copyright.PENANAtWcnN19uQH
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"226Please respect copyright.PENANAznbXgX2OVW
226Please respect copyright.PENANAVvbDWz7lgb
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAT7ij8rgA4p
226Please respect copyright.PENANAMk6yPxqa7z
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAiQNw4NeBQh
226Please respect copyright.PENANACdRp8pqYUk
Then, it shrunk.226Please respect copyright.PENANA6HCk62vUTc
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."226Please respect copyright.PENANArgIQQ9ZTN9
226Please respect copyright.PENANAscdgPumC28
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAz9phRrFa4a
226Please respect copyright.PENANA6VnrJM947E
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAnguOLa2Mmz
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"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAopOgXR04oV
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Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.226Please respect copyright.PENANAtPZjhuXyJB
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"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."226Please respect copyright.PENANAdKTsFA5I9c
226Please respect copyright.PENANAhwJFrdijix
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAbufOtYug5l
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And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.226Please respect copyright.PENANAB6znI2yS8c
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"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."226Please respect copyright.PENANAAilX15JwI2
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Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.226Please respect copyright.PENANArgDHXYJHms
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"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."226Please respect copyright.PENANAhlky4wSuaG
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbURnzOl1nq
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAQSTiqGADCk
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"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."226Please respect copyright.PENANAh7EVmWGYwm
226Please respect copyright.PENANAVACMxlJQBc
"...Freak."226Please respect copyright.PENANA7KziooGAsJ
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"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAo1KOelFMG8
226Please respect copyright.PENANAbhq5i8bQ6t
"And just look at how right I was."226Please respect copyright.PENANAQW06qjYIh7
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A hearty chuckle came from him.226Please respect copyright.PENANAYiYVaH9iXf
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"Well, that won't do you any good."226Please respect copyright.PENANAhPqMUCuM42
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Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.226Please respect copyright.PENANAVxC8dAtHbP
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"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."226Please respect copyright.PENANAwsKnCQEdYa
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She put one leg forward.226Please respect copyright.PENANATVCWO75Ft3
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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."226Please respect copyright.PENANAJQ5oKevg30
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.226Please respect copyright.PENANAurusmJrpsL
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"226Please respect copyright.PENANAYMwQvtTb1a
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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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAcRMy2sWgrH
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–
–
–226Please respect copyright.PENANACSKFpqDILz
226Please respect copyright.PENANA3e9U3sLXyg
–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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA1YeVeAFCgB
226Please respect copyright.PENANAFJgthYdErM
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAjeWkuSR2Af
226Please respect copyright.PENANATj3ZYIcWWB
–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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAIOSqMepQmR
226Please respect copyright.PENANAO8F6wyHLEH
–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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAMUqC6wPNM5
226Please respect copyright.PENANABrNfs9QF1l
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA4bA48N3Yxr
226Please respect copyright.PENANAwWewLrsF6D
–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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA2PLJMfAagO
226Please respect copyright.PENANArJP5SCUIMF
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAX0tJ8Q1T8J
226Please respect copyright.PENANABMAU1LTlw5
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**226Please respect copyright.PENANAJEuLTFcA0R
226Please respect copyright.PENANAuEpRmbr9gC
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAOKdsXyCOCI
226Please respect copyright.PENANANgcQF2c7yM
–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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAE3jCiklfA5
226Please respect copyright.PENANAqGTLdSCnVC
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA2qWoZ3fzgU
226Please respect copyright.PENANAQgduLtcSgh
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."226Please respect copyright.PENANApPC1X12V0N
226Please respect copyright.PENANAGFtj1IUpTX
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANA1FMteggjUM
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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."226Please respect copyright.PENANASWL9YJrGQA
226Please respect copyright.PENANA1hpJUqPcRD
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.226Please respect copyright.PENANAE5LjPMt4mO
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."226Please respect copyright.PENANASaLwliJvZg
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"You... ass."226Please respect copyright.PENANA6gY9JpKZ5Q
226Please respect copyright.PENANAQweg3i1uhM
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAWhtbclc3tZ
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"You're not crawling away?"226Please respect copyright.PENANA76C5OiCpXN
226Please respect copyright.PENANAl2nXz3ixPM
"...I'm not a damn worm."226Please respect copyright.PENANAWd9N49cR7j
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."226Please respect copyright.PENANARAnXumoym7
226Please respect copyright.PENANAlnEi8xKUE3
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.226Please respect copyright.PENANA0HdXRWNU3K
226Please respect copyright.PENANATHNz1uTjyJ
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"226Please respect copyright.PENANA86ylQlnrc7
226Please respect copyright.PENANA0SurGU6l8J
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAMlM1mjErDg
226Please respect copyright.PENANA4LdkXTzzPh
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAdBJeSvVXNT
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And she couldn't do a thing.226Please respect copyright.PENANAJW9oLUWLi3
226Please respect copyright.PENANAUAyBRSUdHB
–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:226Please respect copyright.PENANAxgY6Aybt29
226Please respect copyright.PENANABprGsNB8ha
Sorry, mom–226Please respect copyright.PENANA503DclYYsp
226Please respect copyright.PENANAKcZJTOs2af
**CRACK**226Please respect copyright.PENANA4A9sAnXTtK
226Please respect copyright.PENANAgeflMVjqcw
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"226Please respect copyright.PENANA6TfJUHeNNt
226Please respect copyright.PENANAhOsdpKULAH
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.226Please respect copyright.PENANAGm0E9PgtoM
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"And there goes your leg."226Please respect copyright.PENANAUBztxN4Dk0
226Please respect copyright.PENANAQFg1tDdxd2
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAoHFDU4SXFo
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."226Please respect copyright.PENANAF5T96i4f40
226Please respect copyright.PENANAgO64IRP2xX
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."226Please respect copyright.PENANAfvNDNjphSF
226Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0mKjRjVqQ
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAamasI7pyTE
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But those words of his stole it away.226Please respect copyright.PENANALQlSeYtaLM
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."226Please respect copyright.PENANACG6w86nHjN
226Please respect copyright.PENANAlYfo30buVX
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAm6NxWpGrRu
226Please respect copyright.PENANAMmGi1JEywo
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.226Please respect copyright.PENANAqhgV0ISRNV
226Please respect copyright.PENANA2yKfEvRBhk
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.