The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsGRSCbw4a
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Fcqs70raI
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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."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZwBce0rDY
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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**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TuJO8tzUf
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"Ack!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIyMOlEUtq
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CMsmAFR2N
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNACC07ybgJ
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkmV6mSUJ9
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6iMGgxeVD
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGeTiRrPw6
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"...Useless–!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50gKJEhlqW
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjUyKjO3Zf
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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OmaB2AQZM
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsZxgy8Z08
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUK4BkJo4c
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXW5hgP4PZ
And it was someone I recognized200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnprof0WZxP
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEPETf15lN
–
–
–
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CqGa0w1Hg
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFeKBzVOYO
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8W0Al38hrc
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Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMoBE7Rfga
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"Hi."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgoeAvP1WG
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRN5m3ltv4
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"What!?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfO8pPc7jp
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Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwm4cmdIrAK
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"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQv1i5TP5mh
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKLZp0g8qU
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIIaLRndIL
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPYHjdpFz8
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisFcfEk6YP
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnK1wCFkDoM
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMubhQmYjtf
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEy6HiIBb5m
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFU7RpLjr7
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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."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYFRMtYLOn
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMMchxj01X
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWseZekI7T
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"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJho9KICb4
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"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvy8MwNTFF
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LqkeTxumq
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzZLuEsI6y
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And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhc4PiPnaJ0
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"The next room's up ahead!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JqojTMbny
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyGnOW71T3
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrL4Ndi4Xx
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTRcbkMf6l
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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnw8ENNs5U
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"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyZOJX8ZRT
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDAuv7qOEB
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdVZ1RUXCY
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKQ8GRBIbS
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkajCryNGfT
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6b7HC4Bd4
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxxw1XLES9
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqztyhrGOXi
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdf0H7qBgw2
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"This is where your advance ends– huh?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq0mdWIUnl
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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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt0jnDIrxT
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaUKHysPfu
**THUD**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgehPqgg7uL
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClozayQMpl
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"...Same tricks as always."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Bc2KNUKJX
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzYIjxRUyv
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"Hoh– it is you. You!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxJRxRTXdI
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDurYGZ8ZG
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5wvFeX0Iu
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdGgIJSr0r
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2Ko1qH1bo
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOx5mnIiW0c
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQTWHXukXC
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjh1qVsWQrZ
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUX6DW5Nom
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXnDxjwiV4
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXob9vWs0w
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"Nigel."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KshfkvzhB
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"Yes?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGmp6fdEs5
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"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7cWItKEdY
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"...You're kidding me, certainly."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflQy1HRC15
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Rover shook her head back and forth.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaKYnomuW8
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"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62e8WZMCRC
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9v2LacNM0w
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDmerq73E7
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yv5552JDE
"You fought him before, then?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6Gt1XkxN2
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2i7AXCEXFI
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh5j3svL3A
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDLQuHojoH
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIopCn6YG1i
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3aYzzRkNE
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lA7ASCEnH
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"Very well! Don't die on me!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSsZ59AVML
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAipjDvXx3L
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1Ll467x7V
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAigOrAK8b
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHmJla536I
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtAdUd3pBr
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IUVCXobuB
"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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJScNKhiivc
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzkSeSRQOE
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpbVF2FLNo
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGjrfvbHPC
"..."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgyuDG6WvL
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsb6ySw711
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And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPo2ZGdFUjN
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"Fine. Good luck!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5qLVljptq
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And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVwfrhwWxC
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**THUD**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPR527rvAt8
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWOwofT5Ou
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uHfnRaLht
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"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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9E55yA89r
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She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBfLYlBorJ
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"Come at me, Boris!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JywriXQ9D
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2UYoRILVO
–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPT8TPCEbMO
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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssFemSjSuB
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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAPUbiC5rH
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwCDDkmxEH
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0mIktLqK3
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W5BGGdl8J
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0yHeGm14U
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"Huh!?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcy0oG8wQC
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqOyR8A9xz
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"Hah!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxkBKouWEj
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY3Pp6egSY
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But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvKkza6K1W
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"Here!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWElOThWd9Y
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutxvZIRWH6
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZ1xJJmWhX
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rseMOM0jf
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTXAmh8ICN
"Tch."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1S3lJiPQD
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGxDCGQuso
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**CLANG**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7jTTlhcpp
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquXC1Mr5bE
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhL3oI6EdV
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9kr9VWNin
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovyxwGub85
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6DiDOVhc1
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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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvacjYcEML
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**SMASH**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5pyAAkyIf
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–shook the room as it ruined the wall.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNRTz4vAIf
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"Ack. Shit!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduna9D00Ei
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMuMHiGJdi
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfYxmJhVTw
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"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoSI15837C
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6zOhZsyeQ
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4WEEytUjd
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"But not enough."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmxZfKHvVj
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaR1knUdcY
"--!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjPEdKhGZ7
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOFnpSEOyn
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYL4nALMwxC
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf56GYEi6L
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3TXYkFNh1
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He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJg7H0Ma14
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIszFNj4Oiq
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69fPBgLWzJ
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpu86VilOMF
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rXdHxZ8ij
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lRTqRpc38
"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 "200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HszmECQjE
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCUzTlBSVZ
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4KiNzuRYu
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSlhLIKCSh
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurH4bje1uF
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But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡachgCvJabL
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpbBq7yKpY
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaV11TxGq8
"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."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgVtDYMjhx
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Jag0xguKH
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvVXDHI8lt
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZG0DBpBQo
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPhfZ6T4EW
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAxkJFbTBe
"--Fine!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfO5aZGmKV3
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wFrCNTZb6
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxt37sdf6w6
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3p2z1SoejC
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE5Em418VJ
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdKHixvn1h
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEzqw4QfNJ
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFfGQkDogZ
"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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6ssRXOM5y
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpHEEvcbus
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjqQSzrOMY
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA64N9rRv8b
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIEcfqTyJt
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUI9uWNrgiR
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhlbLJbFOi
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTFPAscm1m
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63BbXLI2Yi
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghy2u0SgGG
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlhC4X2ndN
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtin4Ro8GsL
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWqBI1PaNc
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBn5VlkMOY
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFgoxleAiY
"Come and find out!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoA3MIR45aj
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4nCCJT0ko
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2F9GHEnvL
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Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndjFdTJJvY
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"Get back here! Come on you coward!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuW1FeiFd5
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8ctxRddZs
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAHVx8f5kG
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4VAxXuCKn
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8tsMP11Lb
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlryqjRlTH
"Finally!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nobDxkfwq
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYk7gepQtA
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVYRyFmLRn
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhmOJ9LV2Y
"--Ack! Shit!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1wWcBXGpd
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPr8PY8uEfw
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2kNPeRQDS
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuEynsLsJx
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbRSgjZSBp
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zrt8cQ5sZ
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOQY2AIP74
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkQXW72WWB
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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7RpfzPIIv
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52F7kkoZuI
"...!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWhAJ5ByhC
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH4oGRQBh0
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–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwmKbP25KC
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTZquiObO2
"Ah-ha!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYGjwGuEcT
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAlWtuqzAq
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZlsjRaZo1
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNa6q0OftMP
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdPxUXt5HF
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcFSt8fy2a
**THUD**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNF3VjwBmh
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"Urk!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijaC654SeX
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDctNRb3d73
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2mYxKGoHt
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIB1fQdMjQ
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVY2Sx8VHY
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"Huh?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42H5vnZBHF
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There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuY9s4h6CW
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"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UP1uy9yE9
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQLzEXj49z
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzkXyeS3XM
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLWNqMYuez
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mBVptfVtw
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKYeOoa47B
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdB4Se6d0yP
Boris threw his arms wide.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTx3mTjrmE
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY98XTTUwkM
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3z2zzmyKEY
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZvAveZQ0J
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KIp8tovrH
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkBALyZyZv
And then the magic happened.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxaThkPt1z
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy9TNzetdT
**BOOM**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraQi2lfhJC
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5VNxq7amo
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"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOdr3vY5K6
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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–"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35tkq1toTm
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnp1xjDiQm
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndFITHGiTe
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHALUqkcnT
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Then, it shrunk.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHJj33K0aG
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIhsiBzEac
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Z7zu9d98A
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhi68HyyYF0
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhpywRPhBp
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5UZBhMfQZ
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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?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQjIZP9Qpy
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAYNfA7HD7
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcdML4n79B
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRq2Lpha7Fl
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfkGKUh1EP
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26Qcm5HjyS
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfprixGTWF
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuS9YHDAZDR
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9jDOAYFeR
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuUzaZx0Cd
"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."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbd2A7oezA
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6523frOrWM
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5iK1F5V3h
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"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTq9O6PXgn
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JddsBpQiA
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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsb5Wz5NjJ
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXkwdWZD5m
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0hrD1vv9n
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsatenwFBFx
"...Freak."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGqKkUF1TC
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXmhyTysub
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkE7R3yj3g
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyi7bOgnYt
"And just look at how right I was."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHeM79liN2
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A hearty chuckle came from him.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKw3xxDL26s
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42ncJ1S5FW
"Well, that won't do you any good."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZegXZuYZc
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gfcgWFQEq
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJo11EV8hoe
200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vzTg4vnE8
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSiGYvztjO
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She put one leg forward.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDnMJWx5nm
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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."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiVnTjP4jB
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHcnAlJYup
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKflOIYohD
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7JsUPffU5
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–
–
–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vrQhQsDUk
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmztCxMK9zj
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MyiztqVfP
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmaqQtT3Pu
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCbJI4BZxE
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENnaAjAOPR
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dkSuQwCyA
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TdEvo0yWh
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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**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTq7HeiPoD
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbIxtw0KvF
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZCnmeX46j
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YSIjtRFgo
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0ju3ackjX
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFe0XpnhDk
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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."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGGaT0yvPf
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzfHgTG0JZ
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUl0fzEcY20
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"You... ass."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwPCy7OScN
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QXMqqKrNp
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"You're not crawling away?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgbIoxdATq
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"...I'm not a damn worm."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnYuTmbFQ7
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXNdgK3QH2
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi23gavizhJ
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotTyNhGy8g
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatB3oMXzQc
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVROkGYVZul
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And she couldn't do a thing.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGy88Tm0Gl
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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:200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24nWOVbB5D
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Sorry, mom–200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhnQ5YijWq
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**CRACK**200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMQRPgCbDn
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUZUtYxYXy
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt79gm88VTT
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"And there goes your leg."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqUhAylEKY
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkW3udIKCA
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9yUqctfit
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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."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtmY6xMCu7
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOFoPq0nUt
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But those words of his stole it away.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJESIMvsPIr
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsEm0eLMw0
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJ0WiExXAa
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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.200Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpT8BA1rhL
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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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