The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.274Please respect copyright.PENANA7X07a8COxF
274Please respect copyright.PENANAfSaANhZjzU
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAPsZa2gzShh
274Please respect copyright.PENANAzdC3PFTIcq
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."274Please respect copyright.PENANAK8kNE2NxDl
274Please respect copyright.PENANAz05CF9otb1
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**274Please respect copyright.PENANAMujtFfYffL
274Please respect copyright.PENANANvs1XTntRn
"Ack!"274Please respect copyright.PENANA9IxZPNv9CY
274Please respect copyright.PENANABwzkpHKQZt
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.274Please respect copyright.PENANAFPKocKLTM2
274Please respect copyright.PENANAdzFWcFghBc
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"274Please respect copyright.PENANA14pN9EsCDd
274Please respect copyright.PENANAIrLQOBnHW1
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAJWpM0Mw0tS
274Please respect copyright.PENANALH1uVxJXTP
"...Useless–!"274Please respect copyright.PENANANd7lAFa3wQ
274Please respect copyright.PENANA63kBY4Fbw3
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–274Please respect copyright.PENANAESwBlEx1w0
274Please respect copyright.PENANAsNX6cKmnh4
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.274Please respect copyright.PENANAj4KrSyjyux
274Please respect copyright.PENANAtjH73wVTf6
And it was someone I recognized274Please respect copyright.PENANAPA1FvGXcFy
274Please respect copyright.PENANAnTlVUZfE7I
–
–
–
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAmvFUUdVc6k
274Please respect copyright.PENANAd6G3ErcXrN
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAohIQDZbemF
274Please respect copyright.PENANAWhhsiSzDB4
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.274Please respect copyright.PENANArZF7004HXd
274Please respect copyright.PENANA9ouDosgwAl
"Hi."274Please respect copyright.PENANA0b9AFhDSyf
274Please respect copyright.PENANAkgJAv6LMPg
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAZJDLhrJv7J
274Please respect copyright.PENANALEnzze1rUc
"What!?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAezVHwteWhz
274Please respect copyright.PENANAgcfvqXabcA
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.274Please respect copyright.PENANAwApH37B596
274Please respect copyright.PENANAJGLvogTe9K
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."274Please respect copyright.PENANAsCNSdGmSKG
274Please respect copyright.PENANAcaUch4ntRF
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAyiuNGrpO0F
274Please respect copyright.PENANAL2lWg34Eqq
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAfEiEb1BDib
274Please respect copyright.PENANAWmisZ4P6i7
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAJRWaw2Otak
274Please respect copyright.PENANAZDCVq4C6Dn
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.274Please respect copyright.PENANAwCLQ63f6hu
274Please respect copyright.PENANAeTL5ymv4YE
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."274Please respect copyright.PENANAqMsxpSt9u2
274Please respect copyright.PENANAePhRGCFpBn
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAUJL1cuGsEt
274Please respect copyright.PENANAr64HZCcmQM
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"274Please respect copyright.PENANA46BiRQZ1YT
274Please respect copyright.PENANAZMIZ66ecef
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."274Please respect copyright.PENANAQVEfu72zJC
274Please respect copyright.PENANAN5fJJYncg1
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAzgHltSNdS9
274Please respect copyright.PENANAtPwo5U9VWJ
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.274Please respect copyright.PENANAoYmen06zPL
274Please respect copyright.PENANAUhuGJfgDxx
"The next room's up ahead!"274Please respect copyright.PENANASx7LH317Hr
274Please respect copyright.PENANAXmb8yybZ8d
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAz4sCGzeQvT
274Please respect copyright.PENANAfDJ571Cvws
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–274Please respect copyright.PENANAkV0S9KpUWi
274Please respect copyright.PENANAAjkFINpiVZ
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAXgKVgKCQJk
274Please respect copyright.PENANAA0H3jeGJUa
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANALo4Rg3UOsr
274Please respect copyright.PENANA1lZL6NGtMd
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAtImaUwxfNz
274Please respect copyright.PENANA5vRktBH1jw
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA0ylNWiEYnu
274Please respect copyright.PENANAtF9MbbdKYd
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAB0amiQvcga
274Please respect copyright.PENANA2bTeqvgyB7
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAQX3TGnT8sU
274Please respect copyright.PENANArpVu7vsHZw
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–274Please respect copyright.PENANAQPgPUyX9E3
274Please respect copyright.PENANAD43rG3mRNZ
**THUD**274Please respect copyright.PENANAyZMYe9h3qO
274Please respect copyright.PENANAxaPDVyWHZo
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAZmuwUx459w
274Please respect copyright.PENANAua5MrF6vWk
"...Same tricks as always."274Please respect copyright.PENANA1UttjUUdqU
274Please respect copyright.PENANATcttJwnHaE
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.274Please respect copyright.PENANATy238uuofm
274Please respect copyright.PENANAbKrYmVUcCN
"Hoh– it is you. You!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAgOvJt3jSl1
274Please respect copyright.PENANATcjAmhPHqG
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.274Please respect copyright.PENANADqJV25vk2U
274Please respect copyright.PENANArmlMVIxACC
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAk1QhcAcXMG
274Please respect copyright.PENANAgXoqEzAoXH
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.274Please respect copyright.PENANAJam92JItRv
274Please respect copyright.PENANAsAxxlP2Ul5
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"274Please respect copyright.PENANANr9C7L9xp8
274Please respect copyright.PENANAWIpD1IVBy7
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAtbG2jDKfit
274Please respect copyright.PENANAKsxceXwKlm
"Nigel."274Please respect copyright.PENANABCq3FvW4sT
274Please respect copyright.PENANAEXLAPz6ynr
"Yes?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAggl1mOBafb
274Please respect copyright.PENANA9fJA3agPuF
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."274Please respect copyright.PENANAhLshyRWiLW
274Please respect copyright.PENANA2PNL5v9nAh
"...You're kidding me, certainly."274Please respect copyright.PENANAhZZS7w46Io
274Please respect copyright.PENANAuOYDNifL8s
Rover shook her head back and forth.274Please respect copyright.PENANA3dc4rFYcZS
274Please respect copyright.PENANA5lBcD07cIN
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAHDEDjSmyc8
274Please respect copyright.PENANAYke0rY3BUY
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."274Please respect copyright.PENANAsZHUnJC37X
274Please respect copyright.PENANATcrUh3T1uM
"You fought him before, then?"274Please respect copyright.PENANA2QIOlAxoo3
274Please respect copyright.PENANAp2g8KOmG9Z
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA25yLHf989F
274Please respect copyright.PENANAT2YgNFbtKV
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAQF4NkOu6Ya
274Please respect copyright.PENANAOmJjMbpf0e
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.274Please respect copyright.PENANA0HiNq8jfuE
274Please respect copyright.PENANA7qllwmxMhi
"Very well! Don't die on me!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAdQyAOUpZlS
274Please respect copyright.PENANA5G2NpeJ9rN
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAdeIBmFlBH5
274Please respect copyright.PENANAh2WvgHfFKZ
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAdnlkWIz7tC
274Please respect copyright.PENANAYKRBS177B9
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAwUEpXjIorS
274Please respect copyright.PENANAD7bAUrAMGF
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA2OW7DLmQn3
274Please respect copyright.PENANAMm0urTfBlC
"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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA9IJ7obCKhX
274Please respect copyright.PENANAZR36athm12
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAmEnYu3dvt3
274Please respect copyright.PENANAabWXWuaI0Q
"..."274Please respect copyright.PENANACQokFeEzot
274Please respect copyright.PENANASOf5LMB1Ym
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAKGgLHijF4l
274Please respect copyright.PENANAK1e8AjeJn2
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.274Please respect copyright.PENANAGDkikFjymH
274Please respect copyright.PENANAp5bQ5iEC4r
"Fine. Good luck!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAOqm3qTUrdV
274Please respect copyright.PENANA3dJeZOu5pJ
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–274Please respect copyright.PENANAA4n2CjvUoo
274Please respect copyright.PENANAhbguz1cRKo
**THUD**274Please respect copyright.PENANAFxR9No4aAo
274Please respect copyright.PENANAYtcLLZpIwt
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAQjBbrszD7H
274Please respect copyright.PENANAmdZESWZT9w
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAb2Eq3EqGm1
274Please respect copyright.PENANAG2msaMP50Y
"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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAcdgNqrSvNz
274Please respect copyright.PENANA70tiDRXjui
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.274Please respect copyright.PENANAsUfc9lyfuv
274Please respect copyright.PENANArOHLl46FPV
"Come at me, Boris!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAijK3STzyk0
274Please respect copyright.PENANA5taZ1aWnfI
–274Please respect copyright.PENANArrT4zpIIG0
274Please respect copyright.PENANAVHSWE2OvjY
–274Please respect copyright.PENANA3kCv6Yag4v
274Please respect copyright.PENANAK3LEdVgQmU
–274Please respect copyright.PENANAEgJ7ZI6dc2
274Please respect copyright.PENANASdULjBToCn
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.274Please respect copyright.PENANAycBYekPHy6
274Please respect copyright.PENANA88vVHTyDKm
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAh1TMzpyb8e
274Please respect copyright.PENANABXozCaKk5a
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAsro6Xd0HyC
274Please respect copyright.PENANAGA2sVEofzw
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAICZ0xzqMPH
274Please respect copyright.PENANALPTLfvTdX9
"Huh!?"274Please respect copyright.PENANA1W4Eq77mtI
274Please respect copyright.PENANA4NJhoMcdm4
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANADkzhzAnJTO
274Please respect copyright.PENANAgUQut8LByz
"Hah!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAdWSAzAxrdz
274Please respect copyright.PENANANstnaB1sWz
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAaO3agld8Gl
274Please respect copyright.PENANAJkess2oKWh
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–274Please respect copyright.PENANA8jDxWvwXCf
274Please respect copyright.PENANAdKdhjnsSTB
"Here!"274Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ir894vzzK
274Please respect copyright.PENANAyQtKhDKTvL
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAxK2fTq31Nq
274Please respect copyright.PENANAuRKjhzzzQI
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."274Please respect copyright.PENANALEcOzqPAbZ
274Please respect copyright.PENANAJixNjbKFtO
"Tch."274Please respect copyright.PENANANS2PX4Tzv7
274Please respect copyright.PENANAXzMiyxVIMS
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA5BjBAHfSpU
274Please respect copyright.PENANASaGhn4Ic7N
**CLANG**274Please respect copyright.PENANAfKr2l7RBbF
274Please respect copyright.PENANAFUOXNXfc23
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAxUND0d9Y4U
274Please respect copyright.PENANAzIzCnp9igL
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAjdDgeCjak6
274Please respect copyright.PENANA4b1tIKucfF
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAwm5SszRNgv
274Please respect copyright.PENANAHXjxga4FBY
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–274Please respect copyright.PENANARw6YMY4B5O
274Please respect copyright.PENANAHehnBgf7iP
**SMASH**274Please respect copyright.PENANAbJF8dEN767
274Please respect copyright.PENANAZYGEFXj8Kz
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.274Please respect copyright.PENANALiHth2BWZi
274Please respect copyright.PENANAUXVhWXXWIX
"Ack. Shit!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAaLdzeq7D9V
274Please respect copyright.PENANAIeyf9rQBtf
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAlV8WADV9Yq
274Please respect copyright.PENANAXdHQbmzglX
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAvTQoOF64pE
274Please respect copyright.PENANARneS4XAgl2
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.274Please respect copyright.PENANAXzuFcpQvDb
274Please respect copyright.PENANAD7LH186cMt
"But not enough."274Please respect copyright.PENANALavYVABfSb
274Please respect copyright.PENANABXLRBgtrWu
"--!"274Please respect copyright.PENANARYdzW4LpDZ
274Please respect copyright.PENANAOUI8zIVWTT
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.274Please respect copyright.PENANAKUYbMWBPgv
274Please respect copyright.PENANAMrxH2g8sRV
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAO0oJBD6OQf
274Please respect copyright.PENANASiUAySIYxJ
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.274Please respect copyright.PENANA4ttosTABqS
274Please respect copyright.PENANAG6sA1Tt4no
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"274Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZxoznMb7D
274Please respect copyright.PENANAfwQFqZ8Svx
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAGWu31vCZxK
274Please respect copyright.PENANAJROWARaDnQ
"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 "274Please respect copyright.PENANAdiUsAhezdd
274Please respect copyright.PENANAFFuowS0JRO
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"274Please respect copyright.PENANANkID2lIImZ
274Please respect copyright.PENANA13gyb08ktb
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA5Y3CWpaFVj
274Please respect copyright.PENANA4ryP2eSmuH
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.274Please respect copyright.PENANA3u8XURbmhc
274Please respect copyright.PENANAYdJ2kmFXPA
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAI0lZxATPcM
274Please respect copyright.PENANA6B1KsFCT9j
"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."274Please respect copyright.PENANAFuf7BtmHqH
274Please respect copyright.PENANANAPSNCVg6I
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.274Please respect copyright.PENANAOLcwL89J6m
274Please respect copyright.PENANAqUB2r1F9xR
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"274Please respect copyright.PENANA43TNggztUP
274Please respect copyright.PENANA4x9wG6QzMI
"--Fine!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAp3mabgMvuU
274Please respect copyright.PENANAZOU7a8kazA
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAfGM7gWz0Yv
274Please respect copyright.PENANAqJmfQbmmhp
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAT3vhtV4BBd
274Please respect copyright.PENANA0LlOKeehYn
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAPidfGJl7gt
274Please respect copyright.PENANAYRz3ktiMi8
"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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA3tXdFO4CuG
274Please respect copyright.PENANAMh8efcqdVX
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAuZ3LTla1hK
274Please respect copyright.PENANAHLWvsdma1v
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAwhooeCVO1P
274Please respect copyright.PENANAOSWAhW2Jxz
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAnGSrP6Zpdc
274Please respect copyright.PENANAo7ZmW2nZzF
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAgbIqqWBKvo
274Please respect copyright.PENANA7UDL5XNf9r
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAztpq4lcAHi
274Please respect copyright.PENANAgIZQpD7h5R
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANArCKYqgkzrE
274Please respect copyright.PENANAVD4MzxHLDQ
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"274Please respect copyright.PENANA5bYDnqL1HR
274Please respect copyright.PENANAoX28ot5Mhf
"Come and find out!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAf2Sh5ewTEB
274Please respect copyright.PENANAefTvyrV7Bu
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA3B5NGPIsFJ
274Please respect copyright.PENANAy4jaRPQVwy
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.274Please respect copyright.PENANAl8BEJg3B2Y
274Please respect copyright.PENANA98l4P5l7mh
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAoX1l6Tuv3p
274Please respect copyright.PENANAlrSd2C9TA7
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAtRjdJ0r5AX
274Please respect copyright.PENANAsJZvnTQhMk
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANApvsRhkG7st
274Please respect copyright.PENANABgmBGk1Nqy
"Finally!"274Please respect copyright.PENANApBDMNyHCdC
274Please respect copyright.PENANAG6RbtNZZBO
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAqnW9nTfxGJ
274Please respect copyright.PENANAdQfJqoY8rw
"--Ack! Shit!"274Please respect copyright.PENANANh18pfAN1S
274Please respect copyright.PENANAXyheN0gw2g
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.274Please respect copyright.PENANASiwblG1R1R
274Please respect copyright.PENANArIJellFgzm
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAWb3xaTVoEk
274Please respect copyright.PENANAdl7NB5jsx9
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAsT1pFlOb9a
274Please respect copyright.PENANAt9cLNDP8Wn
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–274Please respect copyright.PENANAmCSvLqM2Er
274Please respect copyright.PENANADOh8w4RTz6
"...!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAatgmPfXyXY
274Please respect copyright.PENANAr6q8NbHrpl
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–274Please respect copyright.PENANAv8SIsfaVIh
274Please respect copyright.PENANAqiIzWuoov1
"Ah-ha!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAMZ4NH7ORDa
274Please respect copyright.PENANAlaxS4RYgDD
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAW7UEROex4c
274Please respect copyright.PENANAofajXI2GN1
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.274Please respect copyright.PENANAON8TOjQKiL
274Please respect copyright.PENANANBV8f37w9u
**THUD**274Please respect copyright.PENANAU8nw6kWDo8
274Please respect copyright.PENANAaC3lwbRKq2
"Urk!"274Please respect copyright.PENANA3LorcOOLmp
274Please respect copyright.PENANAqZ8QEYER2o
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAHXy17JOhus
274Please respect copyright.PENANA7cQfW2vbeF
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.274Please respect copyright.PENANAlUVmopGfdL
274Please respect copyright.PENANA2IzE4nK8Nu
"Huh?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAlrgkKlPEok
274Please respect copyright.PENANAe3urDI9ogV
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.274Please respect copyright.PENANA0MzqZdC9WE
274Please respect copyright.PENANAA7JFzKlVVl
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAah4dAyOqAI
274Please respect copyright.PENANApQVQESLGLf
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAL4pI6pr4qz
274Please respect copyright.PENANAoS7aUoIW6V
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAWfBElzS4xP
274Please respect copyright.PENANAoASlEvkZuB
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAZkWeoOmcD8
274Please respect copyright.PENANAAyJehDuhLS
Boris threw his arms wide.274Please respect copyright.PENANAOfrVYVO8gs
274Please respect copyright.PENANAMqkTjlcnoo
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"274Please respect copyright.PENANAWA7zqKxaHE
274Please respect copyright.PENANAvsLzZ0tWWk
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANARbNVEBjKtv
274Please respect copyright.PENANAeo6HHQ3e0z
And then the magic happened.274Please respect copyright.PENANAs8dqaHHvXu
274Please respect copyright.PENANApCHN02ZRFf
**BOOM**274Please respect copyright.PENANAjYVwXM9aeC
274Please respect copyright.PENANA5J5Tcwmpbh
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANArQfK0xo5ps
274Please respect copyright.PENANAIn7r3GxszA
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."274Please respect copyright.PENANAlOGZody3bZ
274Please respect copyright.PENANAphepK9LZz4
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.
274Please respect copyright.PENANAewrCMTf5ui
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"274Please respect copyright.PENANAWOaUcsKdVf
274Please respect copyright.PENANAHEyjdugdqL
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA9eg6l3gyCD
274Please respect copyright.PENANAtUdfC4vqKx
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAHw9hx4lWHS
274Please respect copyright.PENANA2Gox4u7IYR
Then, it shrunk.274Please respect copyright.PENANAeFmU7OyrN3
274Please respect copyright.PENANATUrDxC1JAg
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."274Please respect copyright.PENANAeV6wG7yDCg
274Please respect copyright.PENANAs5XJWyP7E0
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAsVSt0Emw1i
274Please respect copyright.PENANAzRe9BucMEW
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAwhmfu3BhZu
274Please respect copyright.PENANA43RYcLMy9M
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAxOEmdKpjhP
274Please respect copyright.PENANAvNEOOIQso0
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.274Please respect copyright.PENANAZLPG9Y9D3U
274Please respect copyright.PENANAyWQ45aW0OZ
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."274Please respect copyright.PENANACGEKadfOye
274Please respect copyright.PENANA7pgivKn9kV
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA06R8GotmsG
274Please respect copyright.PENANAJf6W5tcUVZ
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.274Please respect copyright.PENANAOma2ZgE9ni
274Please respect copyright.PENANAxTH7xMLr6t
"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."274Please respect copyright.PENANA26Gu1sjQsu
274Please respect copyright.PENANAYYWzcLSeck
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.274Please respect copyright.PENANAP7p2tKSO5I
274Please respect copyright.PENANA6b3KiWWzxw
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."274Please respect copyright.PENANAzNCyvZ3q7v
274Please respect copyright.PENANA6j9pkjdLGW
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAY28q7y1Szt
274Please respect copyright.PENANAaqTO32UdeC
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."274Please respect copyright.PENANAX4lzGTSHLW
274Please respect copyright.PENANAybgDj9EkGC
"...Freak."274Please respect copyright.PENANAjMlzMnJbaJ
274Please respect copyright.PENANA0jrwHJ7upF
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAGjUf1mvCIQ
274Please respect copyright.PENANAOe8D6aogFG
"And just look at how right I was."274Please respect copyright.PENANAQNXM29TFn1
274Please respect copyright.PENANAxxQpoHqRFC
A hearty chuckle came from him.274Please respect copyright.PENANAIlD5cPV1Rx
274Please respect copyright.PENANAtsMN1Nh3Wf
"Well, that won't do you any good."274Please respect copyright.PENANAtLATONpd2Z
274Please respect copyright.PENANA5D57JW5Awb
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.274Please respect copyright.PENANASriUBAmSKM
274Please respect copyright.PENANAX6ia50vtaS
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."274Please respect copyright.PENANAasIePyNLR7
274Please respect copyright.PENANA1blrUzf0wS
She put one leg forward.274Please respect copyright.PENANAmCDMSICFOA
274Please respect copyright.PENANAqjcERAfN36
"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."274Please respect copyright.PENANA40qH33OxvM
274Please respect copyright.PENANAvLxhKWZPgf
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.274Please respect copyright.PENANAVEBQbvR7dL
274Please respect copyright.PENANA6opAYbg5hk
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAjGR0aXQo1q
274Please respect copyright.PENANASnSqH1M80Z
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.274Please respect copyright.PENANAuFRhSKJx8I
274Please respect copyright.PENANAzpc9rppLQp
–
–
–274Please respect copyright.PENANAdPXaFivC7z
274Please respect copyright.PENANA2pSu12kdOU
–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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAWpV6xCpN63
274Please respect copyright.PENANAjKl5XzzTD9
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANArPeFwvNUTF
274Please respect copyright.PENANAKR3jDyr1Wr
–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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAgcGQ3LVGAy
274Please respect copyright.PENANA3ng7r6VD5C
–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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA2e8ZLoRf6d
274Please respect copyright.PENANAzWHtxwcTo9
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAklEdqZappg
274Please respect copyright.PENANAXQ34maeJAI
–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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAK0DOSKJ1C3
274Please respect copyright.PENANAr4SxX9NE7s
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAKUhxHXEaGA
274Please respect copyright.PENANAWoYd1KxHo6
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**274Please respect copyright.PENANA1SmrYBuDEN
274Please respect copyright.PENANAfKQkq3f3gl
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA8dxGDojy2C
274Please respect copyright.PENANASyKpb80DkK
–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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAlOY2A7UZyf
274Please respect copyright.PENANAp8p6EFQwpi
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAIeYMeBnEFn
274Please respect copyright.PENANAwkwTCdX2UX
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."274Please respect copyright.PENANA7qpdYOiany
274Please respect copyright.PENANAryL1eqKG8b
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANArrdsQUo8IR
274Please respect copyright.PENANAZic8QQ1A8O
"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."274Please respect copyright.PENANAGoNTL0Ntjt
274Please respect copyright.PENANAXIuhLOiC4p
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.274Please respect copyright.PENANAUKoy3y1ynT
274Please respect copyright.PENANA2STEt19rqr
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."274Please respect copyright.PENANAvUkrbRvrG4
274Please respect copyright.PENANAdju7OEQiZa
"You... ass."274Please respect copyright.PENANAXS0c8rmkJd
274Please respect copyright.PENANAMCd4Ae2nxX
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAotgCV1Bg7T
274Please respect copyright.PENANAyLd3DPHsiy
"You're not crawling away?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAHJ9TH1DgVf
274Please respect copyright.PENANAwmM1RoHNEr
"...I'm not a damn worm."274Please respect copyright.PENANAIdAfo5CYpb
274Please respect copyright.PENANArSylxcASHP
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."274Please respect copyright.PENANADsdn6UL881
274Please respect copyright.PENANA5YqNCEgSmO
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.274Please respect copyright.PENANAF07zOr4J23
274Please respect copyright.PENANARs4d9SK5zk
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"274Please respect copyright.PENANAcQQscp9sJn
274Please respect copyright.PENANAXIpgEJbdLA
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAovZqAzq4NI
274Please respect copyright.PENANANacpUAtpOC
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAAoLkcdLCFt
274Please respect copyright.PENANAcTKZIKzQRi
And she couldn't do a thing.274Please respect copyright.PENANA3kBilmtCAF
274Please respect copyright.PENANAxWo24VeX2o
–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:274Please respect copyright.PENANAZXvEiOHc7T
274Please respect copyright.PENANAU1zER98CRJ
Sorry, mom–274Please respect copyright.PENANApuBhnrfEzX
274Please respect copyright.PENANAv3NGO2Qqen
**CRACK**274Please respect copyright.PENANAjDWm2CAbs8
274Please respect copyright.PENANAyK76Wvyyqp
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"274Please respect copyright.PENANAjAVjpCW1Bd
274Please respect copyright.PENANAGKfV2kgxDC
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.274Please respect copyright.PENANAXaQeZCMbQn
274Please respect copyright.PENANAutxJ0NJRtZ
"And there goes your leg."274Please respect copyright.PENANAQxNWCOCD0A
274Please respect copyright.PENANAYird2sJiNE
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA3Dsof7XSfu
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."274Please respect copyright.PENANAxV6tVuw1BN
274Please respect copyright.PENANAayjjB9rAji
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."274Please respect copyright.PENANABw93K0sVBG
274Please respect copyright.PENANAFbkbotibQA
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANA6UcD0ra6On
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But those words of his stole it away.274Please respect copyright.PENANATLSix5jUBq
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."274Please respect copyright.PENANA59ijZrqpRE
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Boris continued limping away until he reached the wall. Then, reeling his fist back, he smashed the glass panes open. He looked down and whistled before turning around and looking at Rover.274Please respect copyright.PENANADWv9AWw7re
274Please respect copyright.PENANAoPR5uaYDdy
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.274Please respect copyright.PENANAwIgREt3cG0
274Please respect copyright.PENANAMrmrrLhWZe
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.