The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttD7HICc3T
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8NhvPXgwc
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RORMdffSu
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2KneV9Hgb
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."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhABqDAT8a
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWPL7AOZyM
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**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTehJcDBqa
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaLejGzdo6
"Ack!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡam2qOgpiGN
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm7VRSYIVy
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKujvAfzvJ3
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKTa7Ck9mU
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQXLWWfEf7
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6jYfnIelu
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplgX9PRVNt
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGBSGrMRbN
"...Useless–!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjooj4Rb902
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj96ZSrdBxv
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–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQrvUBMvdv
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnzYeN6vjR
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxC1s4RWRuD
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9WKK4J3TU
And it was someone I recognized196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5vA6qnUVj
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAZ72geP28
–
–
–
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfpy7tWPVb
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpk4O9sUFI
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ci4sCUOji
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVO8VunXl09
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z3MZIKjqc
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUWsEkzfbN
"Hi."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdTxuKGVXT
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeITVjvdfMG
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYf1mAmR6D5
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRb9r7LX8F1
"What!?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN27LHbuPBR
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPXoRsy2wq
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4m7XSQ1khc
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6g4ZvNDr0t
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWDwDoQNiW
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ692HR3uNRF
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUli6Bp50Ed
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP9GVsxZKQ
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdR73Udlrk
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0V17zbbVA0
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwifgQMu52b
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAaTJaFkrm
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcnkwbpjnd
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRz2XLy3Cxv
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcQgpJSVDP
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2ImlImeNZ
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYcp9dKHxU
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sZvNl7mx3
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9uqveCveL
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu7VyiLpKM
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbIdsK1M6D
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9rcnUTFn8
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn55jII58wV
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcId6cZRU7B
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGKomCKrgt
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSgliAmqAT
"The next room's up ahead!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHelAFlbHse
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJjlbtdhx3
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDnqRTVVM3
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6CsaeCXhC
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–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVB2tHN0qQI
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqamI39cJu
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9i5sK0RGl
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPtfAoNsj5
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoeASvlUlr
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7XrZMBbCk
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pGAwAOmwr
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDjoh5TUG0
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdGycLgFC7
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2whD5lTwq
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkRMNUwZzH
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyObTut7HP
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCaJu6yRPp
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVw1plrPfK
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–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSALJNeeim
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxqT3IZxo8
**THUD**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97OnocHQlW
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wl2BwRTyW
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4M3GMFIV6w
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zeGVisg7V
"...Same tricks as always."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw1TI7oXr0
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQ7XbPcxbO
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIN0RaPFp42
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWkVMpQd26
"Hoh– it is you. You!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGw6UlV1KmA
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt4LcADiZX
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3EM9bAOOU
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVdrKggB0w
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAF8GzDbDP4
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7pZ8pn7mq
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAwiQa3LnB
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L3FhMFqSb
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVaP5tdOZE
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQc8nmNiewN
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Vjp1p2txE
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVgEb3esPm
"Nigel."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrIM1WYMs1
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCLOoNWBtt
"Yes?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0miNB9txw8
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrooTkl9P5x
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcHdROJbJI
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqNTxzxEb2
"...You're kidding me, certainly."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4eS1Kggel
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrPyosUdRx
Rover shook her head back and forth.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHCHEiq2k1
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFY9hBtB0x3
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eXk82t90k
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cVBodnJSd
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoJxaaTbVI
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWtwCPnxoo
"You fought him before, then?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OqpGhmQPA
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8o0TiBVN7
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuA3uQD42J2
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7qPiysHok
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOjS0ASjCD
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3Rnff3Hen
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOukxZMnOi
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6O91u2ggGl
"Very well! Don't die on me!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABBgXrIJrX
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuTNr5XQYg
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJwy5MBH88
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5feWUZWAC
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL82niEoZBP
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOZ5VGQlgO
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1Nceq3wFT
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVecp1JNb8P
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSh0DcpFP9
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59wmnHOelC
"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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuA8DYwxLW7
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvx81SGjLJB
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zRh5MdbBv
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa7eRboIWT
"..."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMpwUCq490
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcCaCJyvB0
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhdkMDXegi
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSXlb1FfGi
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZxj9gvAcG
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SBP38NOpC
"Fine. Good luck!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZliUxoPxVG
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC26lefZdeR
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6UXTyC3El
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCYW5KR4bd
**THUD**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesKRb4PGI5
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJf3FxK0K7
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0AFvCCX00
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrp1vAEMZeV
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCoI6owUfR
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVpfecYDlf
"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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsAlFZuYpr
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYNM9cDOTR
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmwgLRHyVa
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Dpx20VOn9
"Come at me, Boris!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEHRzpcMxo
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmAYA6WsCX
–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRytRN6ASRE
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoP93gKhNs
–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslSe9FWD4A
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0d3fVYx4x
–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhzQdIUeng
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4pB37iqJZ
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShWZnjWinn
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKEwmtzU2p
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEc13Se4JlP
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8xxisHR7O
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGTeqV3Pny
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVGDDHWCHR
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWQmCmNTvT
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen6wBCDVpI
"Huh!?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIYQxKAD1t
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBrNuA1DzY
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPm5R9uPOnL
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMF0xDmhdpR
"Hah!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10tRPGG1cH
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpPLEYLtZL
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nzyeV01YJ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8uNCyhTNu
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp7oX0BKPg
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKds7snFfXs
"Here!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEas9jcy7IG
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJ7Lo9a7O5
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJoZKpSAYK
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xwjaVgO5j
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQKNUMCmK1
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcRjXAwFmd
"Tch."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hCKRBB7Uw
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FAGy3xIpX
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8KKPbMBB8
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuBFP97u2m
**CLANG**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOelsREQyvp
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJHkKFyjZP
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI3k941MKb
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfhbK58HqK
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIKc0GJVbp
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1sEnt15Jc
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszBKwmuMuB
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxumBXEJCB
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–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqX1vSkZCR
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDuuTTAt8M
**SMASH**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniYh1whX8N
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgscklQ6RLG
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiaHeXFxId
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxGl9yoV0F
"Ack. Shit!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLtxlShcxj
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjdGHvc8Th
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpGOsxtaZh
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnupUgtL90
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwrlEG5AB2
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kwBuAA7Pb
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOU8XVAQ6LV
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObay3C4hdz
"But not enough."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPKZvGAFOw
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKa5sd855p
"--!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTO4ZXJVku
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1wLaamd16
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcCj1eOXof
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRifgb59zge
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVuGxKpOnu
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnk35qrcF6g
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk72GertVDG
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgKaT3inV3
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CY69VQSJD
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujtHI9iYLh
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1A8MsJCLTp
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6kvXVH5YX
"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 "196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLhLPlYyt8
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi7shaVV7s
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArEYoFqwOo
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBDSW23bPr
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbEev5p9G1
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AguPkiTp8
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4ZpY9uktn
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96IQsqr5G1
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2L8ih1bfeX
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABJxz8O3AV
"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."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVtbCOpLZu
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdW9IUG0hs
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9ANXc9HCP
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3iQoxl71X
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiN8oFCKiJ3
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGYV6jLuSo
"--Fine!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQJggJibQS
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4s5GsnTSb
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDJaQPkMCe
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mEaqE73yy
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYWMsDhS8v
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjwF7Lzkcm
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KbcDkDdVn
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQdSdVWvrk
"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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRb9UXEBiHy
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07HolJOgKi
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYgDBcUvtK
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7Qv0eXTL9
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKXKM36I7O
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6o7ZK1Zqh
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHjPMQAjLH
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOCja1lpEs
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmqEKNuoHA
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuA4I1IYcz
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhJPp9TqqQ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeS0xZtwX9E
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalkupSY50n
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPIWlEn3Hi
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWoxTtD6mo
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrH56X7FHMi
"Come and find out!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuoY2oHmou
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohYbcMRQ64
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgyFe6005n
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOtJ1UyAxs
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjDnc8VXAB
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt7yFeQExG
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34gVkvKcI7
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuD4yI9nJk
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXru55zzFM
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfroE5qlHw
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwdVe2inkF
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMT9G6EC4EW
"Finally!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0sgSEx6dm
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYMo5ab7Ka
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbXLFnNLDC
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2tNrmnkFZ
"--Ack! Shit!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEagjb2JlUw
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMklDKD4vA
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5AUNzltqO
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JSkYkzJDT
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjDcxVoE2j
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6jdAxilIR
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyKqrTYGTN
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadFamWNSIw
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–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi12syhF06G
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzR92o1Zqkj
"...!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWIOEfWM0z
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJRoa9mIvy
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–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTnEpcTd7w
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3vdGkPuHB
"Ah-ha!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR0Uyztu8z
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLuPPAG0L4
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMMdt7Iac0
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lM1txJxoa
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXF4TFX2jnQ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuKYhRdAMo
**THUD**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJgUzhH6fU
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkONKmw3UG0
"Urk!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpvSQWukEE
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff4czLp8e7
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPxlpOHDSJ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHUUAXpE3b
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡen59PFlxg8
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJxk5nRchC
"Huh?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmv4KNRWzIy
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4T82NL2A4C
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3VsEbpCAg
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4a564dxGv
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDENVV5URlU
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPJ6HKNHwU
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedsZy2JLr7
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnTfq8W7Jd
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UlK8TajLc
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cS9LvMJta
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHy2YRntsta
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyCZcfBwcv
Boris threw his arms wide.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeF640h1cOB
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABVbn2tSgJ
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSHcgXuHA6
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0QMmb8f7T
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3P20uH65R
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Tsu5Rprzs
And then the magic happened.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMn4SSgxEpY
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6qhYL8fkr
**BOOM**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPWtI81A3V
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbLD7mJzHy
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6z5noWFrb
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8EgPSXyUD
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWuFl6FHvu
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8HcwLLLzf
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.
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQINd1Sasmo
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh8kLCYOGU
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3Wbqj0ha2
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD771iI20fo
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aZvIATTuQ
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRW7GVAXWNR
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HwDLM8pSh
Then, it shrunk.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoXiDaPgdT
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iquYWntnv
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqfgwO0dMG
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE9acduJal
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOwPNYYNK6
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdZEwjpEUQ
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGI2ILHA3rA
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmWTfJKWtw
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGmXcqVSTB
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPGF88jsnD
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgmwAKaM9f
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28O4HkEPoo
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRvxUSCYa1
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8olN6GengP
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLoYhx4e9A
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfevHeuGoZ
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKbMkwU9OQ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5XXMfGFJQ
"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."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRyJQit9mQ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9nBKNN2HT
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSpBSlRCYa
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqSbIeBuN6
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAI7m2tzZQR
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAadoD8K7Aa
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9ceqkoTTP
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwVvgODdX5
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGMztcFBZQ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nQZnpAnLi
"...Freak."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOpKtn8diM
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwhmLHO8AU
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb34WmcQ84k
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDHYoMT0jk
"And just look at how right I was."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8Brz2J8D5
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2Kj6VXkBT
A hearty chuckle came from him.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJhHY8bsQf
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrzIb79Q4O
"Well, that won't do you any good."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd97AC66Aic
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8N46HvNLqK
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOLN8sxYLo
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9paJP5rmc
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qZyAEjy9O
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobpugxniZv
She put one leg forward.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWmMmgqvrP
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWD0wMVTvUx
"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."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3BThiugPT
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Jowciq6bU
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbHosn6Do2
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UFEsekppP
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUdvDn2e4u
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyj04VojTF
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqG7MVxusO0
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJpJPEAZhT
–
–
–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YQq0eTHXF
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5y34LmYyq
–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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmY9hDxGN4q
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3xImzAINM
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADNiHziAto
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsqozyd4Jq
–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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhc0kjiJASX
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡst9EcVlsfc
–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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk48rzZrN8c
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZG7fYgpgU
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnuMlBUEfP
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfGGhLZ3zs
–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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYZrfxGB2K
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAii3o9HVal
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28GveSrNox
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64Cl1Aze2x
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**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQT96gHlZq
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPyXPEzDcw
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXOtb7bT5S
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8876nIbcOM
–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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8ohoYMosG
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDqGBwwgAC
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqji7qVTKFN
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVhoHljqBI
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHSlfPEM4Q
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvbBsVeW0b
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqRwOOhny5
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iJ8njlRnl
"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXy9ieytc7o
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRT0eQUrpJ
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iXS5ntVyu
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazP2Mdwvjb
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2leYvLEPD
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2RamPqm8J
"You... ass."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrs8kuoTXv
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iYkTcApRg
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjF86BKFbUL
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA9hAyqBzR
"You're not crawling away?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBO8KzmoVe
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pu4S9d9mk
"...I'm not a damn worm."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBe9hShg05
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAhbeiZ9hG
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IL5YjZ9g8
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTOerSJsyf
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXhibcs6B7
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡao3IdEahKG
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMej92ALOWV
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiJPG8TqZx
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6EyhsxIBr
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXqnlwIhJO
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWjtzEQPwN
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyBA6JEfvV
And she couldn't do a thing.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPIeqBrQdw
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNQguTC8Sc
–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:196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxPzhNmqIK
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ6sTkHZ2E
Sorry, mom–196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjQnr0np9j
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXeFlSbmGK
**CRACK**196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLjDMLIihO
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdpWmyfIr1
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPo53mOTJKQ
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEdf0VWxCz
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKy3gsNB4mk
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdccneWO1bL
"And there goes your leg."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaRkapuB8C
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SWRwHCIth
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ4ZM3R2ZS
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jGp5PD24t
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeESdHF8mFL
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKQuScFpUV
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."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmc7xMUmBn
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfN2Jlj8M4
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbPRqT6UE0
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyQnCOS6pM
But those words of his stole it away.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfA2JNm09m5
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vPzZD1YZZ
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVu1APAKlIM
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBgXkind1v
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNU90zIQj4
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnONqoWgJRV
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.196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhhjX3Nhyy
196Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFweQwn7qUI
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.
