The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.245Please respect copyright.PENANA6NA7cWNIKq
245Please respect copyright.PENANAXwdtXopy3G
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANArK02du42ws
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA9ywWP2b0ia
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAe5O0sbpNER
"Ack!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAYwQ4KDNwGS
245Please respect copyright.PENANAShYYM9bOvf
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAINCRRGXwCG
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAqg6OJLGT30
245Please respect copyright.PENANAhd4RzeqS15
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA6pmj0yTxL9
"...Useless–!"245Please respect copyright.PENANApVAV1dBY46
245Please respect copyright.PENANAE0Oo0Dg2Pk
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAvKGc2AHSIH
And it was someone I recognized245Please respect copyright.PENANAoYYpBwJV3B
245Please respect copyright.PENANAT9bmFAXi5z
–
–
–
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANASmf7zYwtW8
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAzbIeYIZx9a
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.245Please respect copyright.PENANA3Ci21IPQBT
245Please respect copyright.PENANAL6LOfwUhnN
"Hi."245Please respect copyright.PENANA6SRPupuWyZ
245Please respect copyright.PENANAnRSEENpahu
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAEFW3wuWLb6
"What!?"245Please respect copyright.PENANADg9hb5tBv2
245Please respect copyright.PENANAb9SqMCIQoE
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.245Please respect copyright.PENANASOId2qLHWD
245Please respect copyright.PENANA2rRg2pkena
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."245Please respect copyright.PENANAQ6wfAkcefQ
245Please respect copyright.PENANAiexGbvBqcG
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAcEXr1frgTh
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"245Please respect copyright.PENANA83lOOyqnqa
245Please respect copyright.PENANAYZC0UHLezH
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.245Please respect copyright.PENANAHHZEQXRIfN
245Please respect copyright.PENANA7i513nyqUv
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAyfFxgujJZO
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"245Please respect copyright.PENANANGVvB60ShT
245Please respect copyright.PENANA2eRO6wZSef
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANArIdM7Wyinx
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.245Please respect copyright.PENANAy4OuEygG39
245Please respect copyright.PENANARVWXWDbhyE
"The next room's up ahead!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAwx3TBNZS8J
245Please respect copyright.PENANACY4wcB7sIv
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAltym0bmoBc
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAQuzpOfQ4V4
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA3V6x9z9Ju9
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"245Please respect copyright.PENANA6i9SqCarKy
245Please respect copyright.PENANAj2oupGsr5R
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAeHBcapZLTj
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA74wxkRwFrF
"...Same tricks as always."245Please respect copyright.PENANAazxN09R8us
245Please respect copyright.PENANAcQh366RLZE
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAeG1nxWWWb0
"Hoh– it is you. You!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAgrvhTiJpN0
245Please respect copyright.PENANAoGWGMM4ZbE
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA6ngFJ0EhWZ
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAo8RnXX8cpH
"Nigel."245Please respect copyright.PENANAWYovZcjw0s
245Please respect copyright.PENANAdtI6Cf4xwY
"Yes?"245Please respect copyright.PENANAsO9URuNRqi
245Please respect copyright.PENANANoGYZqEGu3
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."245Please respect copyright.PENANACOQpqn8ETR
245Please respect copyright.PENANA6qM720QsAo
"...You're kidding me, certainly."245Please respect copyright.PENANAYLHKOXcXNU
245Please respect copyright.PENANAF4huLzUPtY
Rover shook her head back and forth.245Please respect copyright.PENANAORPGg5wN0q
245Please respect copyright.PENANAkIRqi3uWLz
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANALxcfSgYTOy
"You fought him before, then?"245Please respect copyright.PENANAOpFdkI91iF
245Please respect copyright.PENANA1E48ktBZEm
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAJXhfxF4B65
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAeeyiHymQjr
"Very well! Don't die on me!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAhyCTDv8fWZ
245Please respect copyright.PENANAVM31XMHKR2
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAzV57WeQow7
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAnisL2lbYYI
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA0bJg2jSImc
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA4NQE9Ndau8
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAf5RHZ4CVEy
"..."245Please respect copyright.PENANAtpVXKMxI6Q
245Please respect copyright.PENANAnt2VE6CpUp
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAOILuFdcP8e
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.245Please respect copyright.PENANAHuGGcMHupI
245Please respect copyright.PENANAF63uV2aJ5C
"Fine. Good luck!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAuhxASc0zYl
245Please respect copyright.PENANAj5ugMIofos
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–245Please respect copyright.PENANAwm6YVIqEJT
245Please respect copyright.PENANAeWiqF8vcmR
**THUD**245Please respect copyright.PENANAVAVDZx7JEI
245Please respect copyright.PENANAgh0cBm2om7
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAmJirmVbLmK
245Please respect copyright.PENANABo4Yp4s3xm
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAY33IFnMTIY
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.245Please respect copyright.PENANAy510Vn8U5A
245Please respect copyright.PENANAbklpxmWL7r
"Come at me, Boris!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAjGnf6wwR73
245Please respect copyright.PENANA6db7rFgPtM
–245Please respect copyright.PENANAotgH0hbEWN
245Please respect copyright.PENANABoLUwTqHKT
–245Please respect copyright.PENANAa7YGzeCpx7
245Please respect copyright.PENANAaPy58arS8z
–245Please respect copyright.PENANA1uVg88cMJH
245Please respect copyright.PENANAy5QcQi7BGB
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.245Please respect copyright.PENANAoBPCEgDBiB
245Please respect copyright.PENANAQuGi6Vfw2P
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANADGAF2a8pkH
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANALzIYTcueNG
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANATcdRVMJP1E
"Huh!?"245Please respect copyright.PENANAec787yJRlZ
245Please respect copyright.PENANArBY1NYbKtn
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANADKU4keUnHg
"Hah!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9MLvAzmIu
245Please respect copyright.PENANAQaUOI1RI6N
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANANG1q4x0e7a
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–245Please respect copyright.PENANAgZOuBJdWrv
245Please respect copyright.PENANA3iNRHJhuEE
"Here!"245Please respect copyright.PENANAUsW81kGjO6
245Please respect copyright.PENANAR9jdYllJxQ
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAueyJ3hSRIh
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANANcZHyLbMT3
**CLANG**245Please respect copyright.PENANAYjciBKqtKW
245Please respect copyright.PENANAOWoJPgWjXg
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAJ4JNpeiFFz
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAJcHLIYe2Da
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAeYwmee6Dqu
**SMASH**245Please respect copyright.PENANA2reem7kZ5e
245Please respect copyright.PENANAu0sfGi35U0
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.245Please respect copyright.PENANA4LxyWzbDB3
245Please respect copyright.PENANA6VHxHadxFj
"Ack. Shit!"245Please respect copyright.PENANA50sXzzIQWm
245Please respect copyright.PENANAVQKBZHLxQC
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANADTiW6dqZZn
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAPvywShq2Kn
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAO1FDB4kfql
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANApCqx0jWApn
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAz4fnsA6uQi
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAyEiCKkDgn9
"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.
245Please respect copyright.PENANACg9ZQD7aMf
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAjkL8rDWDlF
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA62VJdULfSB
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAv478CvVICY
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAADP1Gab38H
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.245Please respect copyright.PENANAfw2TS5q3JL
245Please respect copyright.PENANAfhYzLyynfv
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"245Please respect copyright.PENANAfzCb5Oe7EA
245Please respect copyright.PENANA4MEYEfIKdk
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAAvLtvqOSIy
–
–
–245Please respect copyright.PENANA1HZSLn3nY5
245Please respect copyright.PENANAdPI4GwEi7H
–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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAVhBcEn0tHy
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA1rnw4zFErM
–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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAhS2i6S2dN8
–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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA0RmtbGb0pF
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAm71YDnfsRG
–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
245Please respect copyright.PENANACAbBJJY7F0
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZGnP7Oz3h
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAo1Rjbuhm1N
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAgpaojMTWSo
–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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAMREzir91e8
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAgep2rA3GSz
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."245Please respect copyright.PENANARqO7hrpyWw
245Please respect copyright.PENANAYJtJ3yDuHX
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANATVIzHhDnIc
"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
245Please respect copyright.PENANASENu2ki17U
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.245Please respect copyright.PENANASVwnMLP82f
245Please respect copyright.PENANA66xS48LSr6
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."245Please respect copyright.PENANA1V6t4VMcAu
245Please respect copyright.PENANA0iBMzWa2QH
"You... ass."245Please respect copyright.PENANAfX1C5eYIk9
245Please respect copyright.PENANAbJlw3sRljN
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANA12rhrjtEaI
"You're not crawling away?"245Please respect copyright.PENANACJHjJwhcEd
245Please respect copyright.PENANAtWUyPTB8jd
"...I'm not a damn worm."245Please respect copyright.PENANAD3uogRoqkq
245Please respect copyright.PENANASfB7PBKRuX
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."245Please respect copyright.PENANABuDFtSTjlb
245Please respect copyright.PENANAIxSq9YDLfK
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAgNae9evWHm
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"245Please respect copyright.PENANAFhfX0LYhIK
245Please respect copyright.PENANAJthVrMaW6v
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANATXejBibokB
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAkLjopGbqq7
And she couldn't do a thing.245Please respect copyright.PENANAMbDe9jJUxq
245Please respect copyright.PENANA7PfIMvbxk2
–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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAMMhMfz41uf
Sorry, mom–245Please respect copyright.PENANAgpkZgo8VAp
245Please respect copyright.PENANAu1xJ2oSOZw
**CRACK**245Please respect copyright.PENANADnnnKUR2vo
245Please respect copyright.PENANA5UjvfRBzyQ
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"245Please respect copyright.PENANA0l6NaoAlHV
245Please respect copyright.PENANAULL71P2TLh
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.245Please respect copyright.PENANAPajIzEUnxy
245Please respect copyright.PENANAtmPPlIKPBu
"And there goes your leg."245Please respect copyright.PENANAxATnFgb5QS
245Please respect copyright.PENANAJVnEHmczpy
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAkDac6jXgge
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."245Please respect copyright.PENANAX61EqXXLOx
245Please respect copyright.PENANAk4TwktDYHA
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9B9V9BNWi
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAPnkvKqQkXU
But those words of his stole it away.245Please respect copyright.PENANAQFk1mBjWVf
245Please respect copyright.PENANAkblTUk72VX
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."245Please respect copyright.PENANATOHH1z8amd
245Please respect copyright.PENANAYw1GQC9tQK
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANACWeZ0lkBmW
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
245Please respect copyright.PENANAMXrMfh6tOl
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.