The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NA7cWNIKq
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBT3lFIE8G
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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."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8hFFwJQ4z
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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**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEwVFOp2uI
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"Ack!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwQ4KDNwGS
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I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm7Zn52YEJ
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"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg6OJLGT30
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQvssllVRX
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"...Useless–!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVAV1dBY46
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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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOck0bcn3Cl
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUHvb4pXvV
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCONSM9xIw
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And it was someone I recognized245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYYpBwJV3B
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–
–
–
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYI1eC8xkI
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkW0U68t2hd
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Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ci21IPQBT
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"Hi."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SRPupuWyZ
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftHEzEE2ZW
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"What!?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDg9hb5tBv2
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Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOId2qLHWD
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"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6wfAkcefQ
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIxaiK6q3q
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmv9EcPenW
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SvbMB9QIY
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"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83lOOyqnqa
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Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHZEQXRIfN
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"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5E8SLSnyH6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisD3R3DCSV
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6B0xbSLjt
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"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGVvB60ShT
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"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONPNJq8kli
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREdHXTbx7Y
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2WWp5To3q
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And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4OuEygG39
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"The next room's up ahead!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwx3TBNZS8J
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9afgv1YS5A
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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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZMu2M7jg9
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"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKq3lEXWuuy
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDp27h6sdti
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KDMf2Hadt
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgHbLdfapc
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOsOkhKUgx
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPP1VaQYch
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWg70Xx9js
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQnhuaLvDm
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6KbyxWpZ2
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"This is where your advance ends– huh?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i9SqCarKy
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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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvpnyeqkiZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVA9VP4wfU
**THUD**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgC1fmNQaW
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5S3KUJiOzg
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"...Same tricks as always."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazxN09R8us
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Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUivU3eqLN
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"Hoh– it is you. You!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrvhTiJpN0
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Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxskS3uNeYE
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQcksU5UaE
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RxYfTKpYw
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ520NVbiAhb
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PAQbilOqv
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"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3sXzx2ZIM
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSne2tvj37
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6smyRiV3xp
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"Nigel."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYovZcjw0s
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"Yes?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsO9URuNRqi
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"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOQpqn8ETR
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"...You're kidding me, certainly."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLHKOXcXNU
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Rover shook her head back and forth.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORPGg5wN0q
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"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0RXiB75KA
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZILCXxrs3
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYND8Kc2xo
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"You fought him before, then?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpFdkI91iF
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZZFIZU7K2
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"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuY7kT3vFZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGPtVcnW9C
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVg4zgqsbk
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"Very well! Don't die on me!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyCTDv8fWZ
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK6t0cngvQ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASvMxgzTZL
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlBaKhizgF
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB9Ji1NPlh
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQr99A2wJMM
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"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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lUKzYU5tX
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22scUWn3sD
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"..."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpVXKMxI6Q
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI49y1ToKfT
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And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuGGcMHupI
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"Fine. Good luck!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhxASc0zYl
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And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwm6YVIqEJT
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**THUD**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAVDZx7JEI
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJirmVbLmK
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbpn5Y2WzK
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLu2hVKJtM3
"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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4GQngcA9o
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She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy510Vn8U5A
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"Come at me, Boris!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGnf6wwR73
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotgH0hbEWN
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7YGzeCpx7
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uVg88cMJH
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBPCEgDBiB
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Q53IrQSJM
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd0hTwuRom
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2mZoGU63U
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"Huh!?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡec787yJRlZ
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJoORufchH
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"Hah!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9MLvAzmIu
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAhyH7uD2W
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But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZOuBJdWrv
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"Here!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsW81kGjO6
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOZyVGUsWL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LaaTaoHzE
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcA5o8iBl68
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCiFF94RfL
"Tch."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvOWmEGeOf
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKmsmZ1BRX
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**CLANG**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjciBKqtKW
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQMB4vRRFo
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kL4Fte6Jh
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBT8JEVdXTE
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlxYC0XL01
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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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9O9O215jK
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**SMASH**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2reem7kZ5e
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–shook the room as it ruined the wall.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LxyWzbDB3
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"Ack. Shit!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50sXzzIQWm
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7EiSwskN4
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVE60GCN3n4
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgDDq4Giew
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdkW2fgiHX
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtIqzca8i0
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"But not enough."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNm0XmasOl
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWQElnHDCG
"--!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKEIa4KAka
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyg3s0ehHq
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAhHnGaqyd
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUILRjxkmn
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeo3UYWSU3
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRP6Lnza9Z
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSh0Ac0npe
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJsKoMixRp
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdQhHZDbTZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fOTTcu7t1
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4Z2ZDyVSZ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbxvh7Lxdg
"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 "245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoOVPh1eDT
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CItjRBQGn
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdrWaPh2cR
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTA7KlaYz5
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYfKoBQrxm
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But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFq5ZeBJLv
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgulboMw1D
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2EorbKrzg
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbRonZkJjA
"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."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1ceeZ3hsF
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUxNlBGQDQ
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPtdBpfbid
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbWe0Ae9tq
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdElsZJUEX
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbBwfTQilV
"--Fine!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWa03i4Yadl
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9DvBjA2lD
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzpqpG7mQU
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EKWOF87DL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1D3Cf9Lfx
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgYjZOnVyO
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKhn15gm3e
"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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaxoWyaYVK
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhAFN5A3d8
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnEZ7O21dJ
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38qgOP7kV2
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRI6E7XyvBu
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvHWnmuyM4
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCG8rR9RoDr
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyY9cVUFpqf
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpNd6daR1I
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DObzC1slu
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwkQMv5viN
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLwNiXlPjd
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyiemtcAxO
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rrn77FRMK
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHbBFS5P86
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY1AjS8uUW
"Come and find out!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAJg953S9C
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuhKQvlPn8
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMc6aGypuJp
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbT659G92U
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k2AJCH8Dg
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"Get back here! Come on you coward!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJC0BRQNQY4
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSi0GD0gRPW
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskyvH41Rc5
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡye4BCKy5Th
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gZ2Bi4DXb
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ipLzupVim
"Finally!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vcwHi2Y19
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWY2CvGaaq
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFN4Pf1XWoM
"--Ack! Shit!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyywutk33l
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdCysly17i
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MKoDre5iw
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3G2AKMKPL
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aUjJH0Rw4
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ226kcJSHTK
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUROXA4Cufn
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPr5GYfIZP
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1NHNnc3vt
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AdrwcYtk1
"...!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgMXMqXlrD
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluolQNFmAQ
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–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtY0vGa0uJ
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"Ah-ha!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4C01Y1Atb
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrMZnrAcoL
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQXDmCdymM
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sHVStde4d
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡha0ulzgU1z
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYmSWUtoN5
**THUD**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCd8JvMkKoL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsMTmpPlvD
"Urk!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPO5NAZ6Pt
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi06tSDO9dG
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4R4ogmE1S
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCl4AQi377f
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGp2wBZptOi
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ywawePAHp
"Huh?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquBT8GOXWq
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZvWeW5ul1
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM1qlFYEM2
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmTkhKI0i5
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbCzF9KqVk
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZrbKFowDR
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZGuyhBs8t
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Cwf79My5w
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsuRDmYUdf
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZS2IhSmlsK
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5pwVypMT9
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ff7DUZLqz
Boris threw his arms wide.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHHb2inhZO
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9rOBLqdnk
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElPZUakxE6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VKJAU8J20
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtyDf0ajQjY
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQ8LsEBi8k
And then the magic happened.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAryJKIvxO
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pVsv7Iy3R
**BOOM**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAN2oG69Lt
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0NvuHy5KI
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9daY0REnyB
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8MMmrMWSI
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutQMi9aK9k
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBbtNIrMiQ
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.
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"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPyfUXvBaY
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUZq3yHGTg
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTm9w4Bm2Wk
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVdBKh80OF
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiM4CNqoUDn
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIkrttI8IT
Then, it shrunk.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pTdNNyCTU
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPy69AFJ01g
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XQmz64ztY
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpi7I7CIkt
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmn2QpozbM
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1bqwp8QEK
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJU6dDGxhA
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPvXcrEfhL
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8MWEi77Co
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWw4APeCA8
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDxEuizLgJ
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzmdsBH951
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4cmzBdCCC
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZPJQImSzE
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4Bj45ANh1
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7mfd6Upbn
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMvAb18RoK
"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."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpyx5k7GpN
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DIqGQOpBh
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3MltK6iZD
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrCq0fiKDf
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCMEQCSva9
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuY6KzPMg1V
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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOgIjEanl6
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbW04gzSDK
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7L6HKvOma
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYBifhveJ4
"...Freak."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1C3yOPMfr
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOarRHdfMet
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtgd6oRKRC
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyoMd5d6cf
"And just look at how right I was."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJmVcelBAm
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEUoeUf5MS
A hearty chuckle came from him.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWULez0H4dx
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"Well, that won't do you any good."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0zDX04a2L
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1fCWquDFA
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIqPzNZThR
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXOgj6TSDO
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD1AVUydks
245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsl2rlGx5p
She put one leg forward.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovDOWcT65f
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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."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFDr1vfqnz
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfw2TS5q3JL
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzCb5Oe7EA
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqLSzlQQ4u
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–
–
–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HZSLn3nY5
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–From an onlooker's perspective, Rover could see why she'd get concerned stares. Even though her body locomoted tactfully in the fight, the windows to her mind made contorted, bemused shapes. And the removal of her dagger compounded that contortion.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbkmTUB5AL
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She threw a fist forward. It was slapped away by Boris, and he attempted a counterattack. Rover tucked her head just in time, and with the tiny space between her skull and his arm, she jumped. Boris avoided a dislocation, but Rover kept the assault with a kick from the side. It was blocked by his other hand. She slipped away just before it got caught, and using her right leg like an anchor, delivered a flurry of kicks at Boris, who went to block them.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuBiFf2SGc
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–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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwayxVSAx5
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–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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1gO62TxJX
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Boris jumped up from the floor right as Rover landed on it. She struggled to get back on her feet, as the blow from his spell sent her head into a frenzy, but she made do with her wobbly knees. Boris charged forth and tackled with his shoulder. Rover tried to block it, and though she avoided any serious damage, she was swept off her feet yet again. Boris followed with a kick, but right as his foot was about to connect, another gust of wind blew from his chest. It saved Rover from a painful blow and sent Boris soaring away, but the edges of the gust still connected, and she was back on the floor.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNP8n0Y5yI3
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–When things get at arm's length, they become untouchable. But the obstacle isn't always a protective pane of glass. Sometimes it's a shelf, one just high enough so it's out of your reach. Rover jumped for years, but every time her legs grew stronger, or her arms grew longer, the shelf grew with her, but always a little more. Eventually, her fiddling fingertips couldn't even brush it.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPczw9bqzV
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39eJJ4yUiZ
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Boris was far away from her, but charing with full awareness. His pace slugged from before, it was clear to Rover that the explosion still affected him. She used that thought to muster her remaining strength and met Boris' charge head-on. The two entered a series of throwing and avoiding fists, and Rover's superior speed gave her an edge. She landed blows square in the chest, and as she hit his pores, they immediately constricted. Rover cared little as to what that meant and kept bashing, but then Boris landed a fist into her cheek. She rolled with the hit as well as she could before rounding back with her strongest punch yet. It landed right into Boris' palm. He twirled his arm, a clear attempt to break Rover's own, but she had experience with such tricks. She put her free hand onto Boris' and jumped, countering his rotation with her own, and kicking him in the head. But Boris didn't release his grasp, and instead threw Rover up and punted her gut.
–There was almost no doubt in her mind of what would happen. It was inevitable, in spite of her struggle. She was going to lose. Would she die? She knew Boris well enough, and so she knew she wouldn't. But to her, no future existed beyond the time of her loss. No prospects are had at the precipice of failure. It was like the blackness of recollecting one's memory as a fetus. But if these rotten thoughts were all that were within her, then maybe she could've squeezed out a tie.
Rover fell to the ground, wheezing and panting, remnants of her stomach escaping from her mouth. She expected an immediate attack and braced herself, but such an attack never came–
**THUD**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnSmCjR12B
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Rover ate a kick to the face. She rolled across the ground but stopped herself quickly. Her right eye was covered in red, but she could see Boris even through a blizzard. He stomped to her, but Rover didn't move. She reached into the sheath and grabbed the hilt of her dagger, and right as Boris was in range to attack, she threw the weapon at her.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEoQhaenAL
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–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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqrGwQUCFi
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Boris was caught off guard, but not as much as Rover hoped. He just raised one of his arms and let the dagger pierce right through. Boris' screaming was nearly musical to her. Blood leaked from the edges; it was clear the dagger was like a clog. But even so, Boris pulled the dagger out of his arm and sealed the blood-spewing hole with his fingers, performing mana spinning.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aRndUyaP4
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqO7hrpyWw
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPlmfNEPEQ
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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."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhR5BRh5sd
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVwnMLP82f
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1V6t4VMcAu
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"You... ass."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfX1C5eYIk9
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9hXEEEnMl
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"You're not crawling away?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJHjJwhcEd
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"...I'm not a damn worm."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3uogRoqkq
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuDFtSTjlb
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Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yxipAuICA
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhfX0LYhIK
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rQAIVYafQ
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHAxbjPw46
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And she couldn't do a thing.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbDe9jJUxq
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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:245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEhPkAjmfc
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Sorry, mom–245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpkZgo8VAp
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**CRACK**245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnnnKUR2vo
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0l6NaoAlHV
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPajIzEUnxy
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"And there goes your leg."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxATnFgb5QS
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She knew of no word to describe the sensation. Seething, writhing, pounding, shocking,
burning, aching, twitching, pulsing, churning– nothing came to her mind to describe it. The shattering of her femur, shooting fragments of bone like shrapnel to the lining of her skin, but not enough to pierce it. As if dozens of bugs drilled through her flesh, as if an entire home landed on her leg– that's what it was like.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgR4zQyLMQ3
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX61EqXXLOx
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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."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpyhM1EkHu
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5tL4cFr6M
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But those words of his stole it away.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFk1mBjWVf
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOHH1z8amd
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Boris continued limping away until he reached the wall. Then, reeling his fist back, he smashed the glass panes open. He looked down and whistled before turning around and looking at Rover.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWQqTxKOpQ
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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.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NpQ6rRizx
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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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