The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnSiQjoK2E
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonLQyy7e0f
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9pzsDc9DZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaaOrpwdiL
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."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKdYvffyrH
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdRTy7ehtm
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**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5KRNnmPJz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaLVTBKxON
"Ack!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oycS4wLrL
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazTILUXPsT
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvizHeXy7PY
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIqdSxm0r8
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHNSgprhB3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnKYbR7a4t
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9LJSv6F0X
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZLT9k7X3Q
"...Useless–!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pWKALyfub
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSOvF0v467
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1OIfMqhYq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xMFw2J2LC
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvpwBDUufV
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o69zkoRqe
And it was someone I recognized244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJ1b9XTbjj
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhGkYMRXip
–
–
–
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVi5GtyQxrq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kebWq7Brp
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoa2bqz5Yc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBbmPVToPU
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QqLAmjzUF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FsgX0bPr3
"Hi."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34paxERPkY
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZeA8oCLQ0
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYc60iClAH
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlROeDk3QkL
"What!?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUHOszDaZ4
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupOuU0CH6e
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2L9kn4ms9T
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx46ueSGIhl
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNiFQmW10Q
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zcYCGUkIW
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0o80r2l7X
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyv9L3kgp4
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1jN0cMuN8
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21SvcTy8Kr
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTtmS6BUIl
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8eD3s4mkF
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoEeSVYjry
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX1kyBSu4X
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SSCfSJFaQ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AyWa7vKSj
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYtiJvHrLT
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DC9nYbB9j
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFQpJxUQU1
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7qo28Tux2
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylTXoZBnGJ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVGBFQRdsW
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOkYbRj3GE
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCt5NmbRjc7
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiL2L5YHfL
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbmEb6HnHC
"The next room's up ahead!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8htKLyr1Gq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZi5Yeb6ZC
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Mu2lwYJMq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWvNj1vkXs
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwioIOgaau
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSdYtluLV6
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxetpoFamM7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Sp2sS5G7f
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmAmAXFNa3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXp9ZrJybK
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZImy1l9wm
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnQH7NX49w
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbEIKxzEFI
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9awY4zG4A
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0BH4I7YCE
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdPrONCyUs
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCopx0L2Ks
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Oq6UBpP4w
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedKqcXPuHu
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mEw6f0U56
**THUD**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkRm98Qmc3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgoiyEnI9f
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXMPOY96uq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCD5KMualK
"...Same tricks as always."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSUMoXz03F
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk44EgFvi8Q
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6mjsZyjl2
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGggmlpMtJG
"Hoh– it is you. You!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqkLuYdZUY
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhPII6s4gJ
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaK5XOqMzss
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszK8DRPG77
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaxiLOXdzb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfguLSmV4oy
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAz9TD8okKt
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkTanAW2d6
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkx7Owlm6d
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtafUudZ0j8
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4RaYu1RyN
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyX1Fdb1Xn2
"Nigel."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7aqKkyfnm
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOXty9n49A
"Yes?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YA5DmQL1p
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTIIWPhIXl
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2TmDNj0Jp
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSeWtpblWo
"...You're kidding me, certainly."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyISq0XWfMt
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeprPvjUbi
Rover shook her head back and forth.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUYW5vga10
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxThqwd5RX
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFKzLYlty2
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dGuK2sHfL
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKbDH7s5sm
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunx92xCK6N
"You fought him before, then?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcWeEZX1ep
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gLbGbmi49
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1ElK0E2jz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvw61rU1Rn
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAl3rYeagFL
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiddDaqi1P
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGSojz5eiJ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBXaCmnM50
"Very well! Don't die on me!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uVpUpyLeQ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDV3udIjrUD
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidp9gxRAOV
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlt1xJ7BBJ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOauNoBX9nz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiicTXxGaO3
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviGN5ygr5B
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1jBFi3xTX
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4K0rB75Gb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZo3lltqYOA
"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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HNryHHscZ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0Ioqalsk6
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEPGlfOO1W
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywxYX0RHcc
"..."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJCSJDxkHX
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIgrVBJwH0
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQlAdRsm1U
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe55HNcztVM
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CeUsLRbWk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85IsFfkZTT
"Fine. Good luck!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRsXQQkeTX
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiwqP7FEVQ
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRE5pv8ICr
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT04pvmECzk
**THUD**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXyW9zH3ZP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSi9UbuhtQw
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvONIzUPitJ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUEjYJfZIg
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohdPURa9RW
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5sNx1DX5Z
"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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhkUAO929p
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocbYXpTaYV
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7fU8h8oNS
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhagMyMzQ5T
"Come at me, Boris!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRGjscMAV1
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRYjwTVmIV
–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtP7m4TrvSp
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4XPDIp8eN
–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTG4seCbK3
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwo156UxCZ
–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeWCBhxlvO
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjgNb0efh8
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOrt1eJ3au
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6nfhwIckC
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWgzEOyDyJ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZSqizQVP9
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7WO5tyvlq
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBxK2IlpFn
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rWVNW5gGM
"Huh!?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTNmqITOQs
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLY745Fddn
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrh17LZhA8d
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsbddQmwUL
"Hah!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6somdJBZA
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOh8OIsF60e
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBc5iI2ulW
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2P646gjbOK
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlMxEqJtE1
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxNUqdBwyH
"Here!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHGwheXG4l
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEVA1K1EuS
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUdjz7nfwL
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDTp8TNdYm
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5uRf4B6ay
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDAgzu6TtK
"Tch."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BDJDf3uOx
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnodzqRJrLg
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9soAZBwFE
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA250M8ZRB
**CLANG**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm87zQB49D
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDyutlfyrU
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sRxS5oOi7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡff6ZfjMW0Q
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XHOnrPkNK
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuSurmm8Uy
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnXH0H8Kwb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9js6hNNRp
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYklycCbHy
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOZKbtweVe
**SMASH**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynTu23jUsS
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBDY8HpAsm
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadQZRNXOT0
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFdsoRIeiJ
"Ack. Shit!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YWWNdraeq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZ3t66auEm
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4hIUztOwV
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueQxtWrHp0
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIojMHIObrR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDHD43a2nB
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4zCTqVBei
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQVNsnPRo2
"But not enough."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4w0uIOCj6z
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjbmXJBIoj
"--!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgNGZFuPEl
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cFv6P2PlS
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJ2sXWOcMS
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDP9xdNIlzB
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEugWeJz2M
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9hWbGuyk0
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmb5diXJRb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfvSvNIOGd
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JI2AP5F07
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmslArd2cCJ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kTeldeo0A
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnS5cw1TriU
"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 "244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauq4wWInS5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXXqoDgymY
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRB207mXhy
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1UaQ1IVIU
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrG10TyYLN
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOvTwZmxqA
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKHAlVDH7B
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTBY03YeYQ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkelHBVUXjt
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFHlNfJYDo
"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."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nL0eqTQId
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlaYHLuUeL
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0KqNCveIE
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJKrBajUIJ
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedrKqB40H8
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCPkhtyzAx
"--Fine!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5dzMw9HjU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Xd4IcIb5z
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpq9P5V4jJX
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDaFygA5WO
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdMzv0P6rg
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGhR0RNvtL
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYzs1lHaZR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwE0UwF8SxA
"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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8u0QgFB4X
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqUQM1CjPs
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPho6xephD
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEYYUD5c1E
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnLerDFWlc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU49vUYsDn
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJ3Hsam7Qd
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnZWxG0PU4
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnqA2XKRWV
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3v8lj2M5a3
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYVa9zvyEh
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSHm1xERN4
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbHEAjSsSk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OuUk7OOhY
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQHUDXlKsp
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5s7mmyonwK
"Come and find out!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wmAC5agE5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodRIemYtI6
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTQKvVk85o
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUUE0N392g
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFlZ6C8HvR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGX4xla4m3
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbAKOAozka
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogy6AMAygx
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5US74mxvv
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWYA4Q0mDg
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7S8gcjNBU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko8lcmhqdv
"Finally!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXrqK3PVYe
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9of0deimec
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNGOS5uuVz
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lmlmsh4Zh
"--Ack! Shit!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHU8TxeOXRF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwozVdw1mw
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qaClAQdmJ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxODEqJXS9o
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFs20j1G1L
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuusPIFrSVn
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0y6TLOiEy
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PSBc3fnSm
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmIZw8QLCX
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGvzWQ971s
"...!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ771DRCVJ55
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09Q0EpTuD0
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–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iucykJI3l
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMRadPeRYz
"Ah-ha!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlsxLbZO3u
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudAgo4SXFx
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dkeGBlrl7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubKQiAK3NQ
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2D2NhYmtJ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VAljFSXCD
**THUD**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0r5wNxTpAE
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEQeBF3E9G
"Urk!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3QNl19dTH
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKo3nP2UcCe
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWO7lzJrPa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcFgGhEZ2H
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YNvK0bud1
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGQEPFwMjL
"Huh?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJVsCY2ngJ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYn8jTjY0f
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjwc5EFuDd
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9PYRhhBHl
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwylcweEh6t
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvEMry3m9R
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCHdGpOiLO
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgb7yhBHE0
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWn9v30QV4u
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡII15ifR7uQ
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2YhmagflL
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElmcJbcaIN
Boris threw his arms wide.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxccMbjlbt5
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzGY4zyJzO
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCW8R8XRcF
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMwaeDaHr1
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMrNy18Dqw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhdZ4SiT1C
And then the magic happened.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVGJPMTU89
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdmM6jggXW
**BOOM**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYoio4hpnO
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImV5fzPWYd
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZEmY931dj
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhVIscUs4A
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWXb84IyUs
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWk8mk0fkp
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.
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceXYPxcQ5W
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zTFRcvbv6
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2o8LuRsfmt
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKxTRpnUDW
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMCMPZSTDd
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LchcFo9il
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKziD7JA0f
Then, it shrunk.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA1dhXTuNP
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6Lqghiond
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxScn5pLgR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOTQZVGiEd
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDDFH09mPU
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0d00CoPmb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHTc0PW1Pj
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7txDABF4u
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgmdnABlq9
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HAABgxrkn
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxt7oJ7N5F
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdk93FRyrJ
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnql7C2Wlyc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQkjizG7Za
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3rHM7kKZH
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfg3eC2nIR
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vbDXhtNGH
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdptfmUwy3z
"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."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAnkx1UNE9
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRHBXozHnA
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmf4FekfNMk
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwAnkkqjHd
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauonrr9lfd
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTheEofivg
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJKmakzn5R
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhu7biixvtc
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbODqi2Xe7v
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA8WSsSr7Y
"...Freak."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwrNfEf8DR
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lPXuFNjhF
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2i9w3EGiYB
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5Bsn2y5EL
"And just look at how right I was."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5ORzh6WSb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDy4PskAjN
A hearty chuckle came from him.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvJps0Hhdv
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtI45ViRCQ
"Well, that won't do you any good."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOg7pbRogec
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2NeXUHpsb
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66UAXjnfOO
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQcl85r3m1
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2ZOc6OcDB
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2lbq4OePq
She put one leg forward.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkCBiOvfl7
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv2Hqho0vN
"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."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBb9vLBAJh
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGsqrPSgYa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPi80K7tm71
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdI2FxiRSJ8
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQF2AEoa5U
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvBUmW0Ofc
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–
–
–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzR5mnYEVb
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4M7GSfgVn
–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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhdBwBJzYc
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51csOCWYHd
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMyV3pqbyO
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimOLTmHm0x
–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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DkE8kmRry
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pexfcqkqq
–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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4p3t9p1Y8
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5UXwwwp4v
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo363Jm85ZJ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlV4qYI5rgW
–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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH9OCLRBrH
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTTv5AQG5j
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCV9PEmbNw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrH7mgDgHQv
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**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmpcKIjROI
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXLhXwhfga
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqUaxO95SM
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOgxJ4qxBp
–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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRhhpLLgvs
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV7tLynFhO
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2CPGRGK0X
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wCS9HeK7N
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4mtwwZZqb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6vaNeyIdG
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"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVteK5bipo
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO86WaqjPyn
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87MQnWf1RN
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwN5qh7jCx
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5Bff83Bvm
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgWcPwXK7i
"You... ass."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfocfAzBe3u
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLljdwFUTb
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjpwTWVUNp
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"You're not crawling away?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOpCbDKivk
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"...I'm not a damn worm."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4H7kjxPdV
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKOb1RdSoa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu32OA3lqu4
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwW0HpJPd1
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpxW3Xcmh4
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDuzZVlAaw
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZqPZsDbUo
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbCxPYlwMW
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXY0OmAEBn
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzxxga9nMg
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And she couldn't do a thing.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBU2rYUX6B
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–Frustration. It was her frustration. The object of her long-lived hatred, its ambassador stood right there. But she was being beaten down like a dog. An injured mutt who had to limp on all but one of its legs, even unable to beg. At the edge of achieving her dream, her ultimate goal, she was forced to watch it slip further and further away. And then she realized, she couldn't destroy Hard-Bringer. And then she realized, she couldn't even scratch it. And then she realized, she'd have to wait again, and then train again, and then search again, and then despair again. And as the final blow of the battle came, only two words sprung from her mind:244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZISV7LMCFs
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hewlD7HDS
Sorry, mom–244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFRoexJdZa
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1ZCGHKXGj
**CRACK**244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuTGcwflE5
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYud0VRDZ1c
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO83Ac3hVeC
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"And there goes your leg."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4MRXEH775
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She knew of no word to describe the sensation. Seething, writhing, pounding, shocking,
burning, aching, twitching, pulsing, churning– nothing came to her mind to describe it. The shattering of her femur, shooting fragments of bone like shrapnel to the lining of her skin, but not enough to pierce it. As if dozens of bugs drilled through her flesh, as if an entire home landed on her leg– that's what it was like.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDuaS8OsgK
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUEpztV3ul
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAG8o5oGkin
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY7cOY7aGm
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."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52tJ0hiPlA
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrpX5pjZup
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykPn9uSm45
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But those words of his stole it away.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEV2vKgyJ1
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6wpjYOQiE
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7wXChETtQ
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzGO5V3YzZ
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEw8YGWA9Lq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa8aETIajD
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.244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8RMMECqMq
244Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27Kp3AOOiL
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.
