The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6STKrupCAb
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUK16khIqL6
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mc7R8WodT
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mlCOz29Pa
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."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJyJIGVmr7
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwlXma7fpE
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**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPwqiPmbQH
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaxbwjSyhD
"Ack!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzhuliqjcV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4Y1TZt83X
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBALUXw2pr
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecjFg6ipQI
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBa62lrcGr9
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6IfHvsx3W
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26sm0Cvuzc
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWu2CEdeBiW
"...Useless–!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqa3Gm7PdZ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pAfNQjFV9
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–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniI4AMUH8Z
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKS3gHDkTF
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfF2FQR4d3x
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAs83p3tJx
And it was someone I recognized243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFxVHrLalY
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtT1qGnPoCT
–
–
–
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24DcIPyPTB
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ivcre6AAF
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcvT1R4LVd
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioENX0Iz29
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCiW2nHkbx
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACbXOTfyHO
"Hi."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6Jwg3ADm4
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYWtpYCsY3
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKW9RumF8xh
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugt78QSmg3
"What!?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3RkdyyVl5
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0aaYc6q9v
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVm75Z0EfU3
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpJDtPPjpC
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOXQd4ylev
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuo79szW228
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1af9aOsaP
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYh5ZKWhqYv
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bC98zlgBV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBgpXOT5z7
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmKFPThZRw
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34OKdGobrf
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0GLmK0iZ8
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QYlhzDwga
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcgjYCrcgk
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5tdaeM2mk
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLw5z1GfDRP
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2dFAmzD5Z
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc8suIoTNC
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDm5WG2VrXa
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlKSJClRNU
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3M5YDJUrR
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQl2TxkhqN
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcV0DnnIXp
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22RRoXyd20
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vnjYbGb5e
"The next room's up ahead!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVd7fzWXfQE
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2Vinvgnwm
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LlrJp1bVQ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMme9Ya1sN
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–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydlwZcI21E
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiMk3aSP5X
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8aoFEZVrK
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmVVgnA9cG
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXaCormXUi
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQzQy8a4Ei
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYp6NJawrOx
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTDRGY59x1
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGcyg1DZ8j
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmFpJxT9nJ
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5xWXCM4p1
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwAmpUhjWl
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzqjmL6kxB
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxEjUTqiQA
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–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6VwHEVoCc
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDY33RWJMI
**THUD**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeIhI2Lq66
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFr8DPHIM21
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItvxiBIC9v
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjs4j5uPY74
"...Same tricks as always."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnqjZ01GY9
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpVkYjeNer
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLxB6SXAJF
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgi0F5FMWK
"Hoh– it is you. You!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepcGZGfuEh
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bF9MgLqRA
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EYuN5rYxJ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNcLeyZlWN
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0bbsOEYyn
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngookEQ4lL
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnRs5zBx9F
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Or5CqalfQ
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfagwwpnkME
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9nBZvbpq9
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDumNQ5QfY
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hMhWPcLyv
"Nigel."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wFAFmWRTr
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr91jDqP45w
"Yes?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbdwSxaqaZ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3YqVCdefo
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUW0MkmrtY
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEuPh8f1iq
"...You're kidding me, certainly."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRwpZ3onTt
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwc954nLcfm
Rover shook her head back and forth.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9xoctNmPj
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdU5XJu5ks2
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPM7d1VBYq
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqm7mjGmg88
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZiFw2jDdv
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10vIoIZJM9
"You fought him before, then?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrAh1SVUv6
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl1aOoyiEZ
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqnPbDF1Qz
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYQWfTBcsO
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZxQAdeVPW
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcRyVVqMfQ
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0UIyHCpDu
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO01BUcgCRV
"Very well! Don't die on me!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUX2qmpuUf
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQ6SFVqglO
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlr82bMLv9W
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPm3HaXLx7s
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtsRZN5eax
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenlLjizitW
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8M5UXmWbC
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw59WWktRyh
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q9MZR1dDl
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHMvrRMQKX
"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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxnHYFdh5U
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9A4gz0EDF
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKEdT2KeQg
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqo3weGUIH
"..."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyoGxx9p5g
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WiY5YcrI3
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLxknOZcb5
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolgoPsCUvj
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtr2WbrouC
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIf8OEGIx0
"Fine. Good luck!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDYc1h8SBD
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzlZKlswHD
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BLVmHivxD
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsNKYI6xuf
**THUD**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡit9AW8k9Wy
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoJmsroYvd
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡue5qNG1Wnq
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDhOoh2EtD
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2Uh8JKdIr
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKt0DDg0Cm
"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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFs02c5ofr
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KnmhjjMJD
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBTw9Ba7jv
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUw5oxHrBt
"Come at me, Boris!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEiOwHhnyp
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQctrszbhX5
–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKSGKoNzH1
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt7s5kKDD0
–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDAeURYLTU
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJfutnKaQf
–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwacy2nHp1c
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRyHwOhrfc
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFVHnJdHZJ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOVhxzBH13
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqhpWuvHiV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYK7IkwA40
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWYNZSOjZr
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19Noq3QMiI
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPAEjqFLfJ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XNd1YVGlb
"Huh!?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv60MeQDpnC
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKe73KzwFfj
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyRJRRrT5h
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWFT4ZHyQ9
"Hah!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48QegYeqEu
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1uKwjRtAQ
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XPn7GYfAQ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpD0HsEvT9
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGqDCBKEZD
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW77r2A4Fbr
"Here!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCNrmOgdke
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjj2rl7mDx
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4sB50BZXB
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mtBmaQ5ID
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLL4Prp94R
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX262OEX7Ke
"Tch."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VYZOz3fRI
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLHQAY973U
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ564cn8nZZV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXttkgAwVNB
**CLANG**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ285A4g66Sw
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zGVAHfcJf
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmjQRF4N1g
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAR5jHxscus
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnD2CnrJQx
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VQjFVzQL5
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RTdBmbS1x
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIR0pVmy8dK
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–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdgXZ9krex
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NVLCusfvU
**SMASH**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MCm4S6i0r
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2b9sjWjBw4
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1KIHub6mK
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHs6ACaO5Li
"Ack. Shit!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3a5fQuSqT
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEp4aSNGU7
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEa7muuKnn
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA1nXDRtra
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxy7tpnEKV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2KIt9InN2
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPKZrblfiV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatYs7xyxjg
"But not enough."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLixeVyY8Wa
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhp1xfeHTuA
"--!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqULzlQxtCY
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0HSR0RfVm
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1Ji3GjpDm
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5UsLYGjzf
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0q7HK8ukd
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaO40S3VU0
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiorQbeCVtx
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO3ysi0uTs
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeXrew9VFl
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnBs89Aj2o
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jufZUCFNV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0v7JRpAeU
"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 "243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJihgNlDFzk
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlC29t3Ubtd
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2C9rbykODk
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlVFnf1RoG
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIEMz069b1
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEg4qCa9C3v
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNxqFSgSgu
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wQQ68oIkH
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7OjQw5Q1it
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD4tASbx6g
"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."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7SYUzgrL4
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAY8IoyuQ3F
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOo1X4lJGI
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNT1tnpSxc
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8m14dUmA0
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxwmC6TVty
"--Fine!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbRatTJYuW
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknnoZcP0KG
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKErdyX7L9w
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJv5mWqPhXh
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMK2TlTLqz9
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEjczie0R0
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFfq1humaE
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DGIjHdOMV
"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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXS6wU4zjIA
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4fXP9CX57
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9fHpOV5sK
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡau0CJFV9JW
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypFgc7oOs8
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6iAjGblGM
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9bo1d0hrP
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztRFk6cyc9
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetPhfz6N11
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69qHfEZYoK
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNLM9ASWmu
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpCPt4OpAz
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hFRt4NG84
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqnxmNWTc6
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIuQ91e7tV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhaKxichth
"Come and find out!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ti3QXjLcW
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZLaCPxHhV
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOsEDiGlOy
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3TDfbiGHB
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhbjrzvNMC
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlRsEjk47i
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnlooLq3Go
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzgYfieqv0
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1YajGxLZh
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7CDpj4f0a
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkpQvB3cKM
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP655dxIxT
"Finally!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VqoUkon9Z
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fH0ABHPjn
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsuUXTVctt
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsweuIaWAJj
"--Ack! Shit!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL3YJWye11
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ttk9Psqbf
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4S0H7GhUO
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiwAUxaKxT
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qIUKLb6ac
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gQfjTIHEp
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLZdeY81mY
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH40Amlc9v
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–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogcntzhSdS
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vIycOjfJL
"...!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcuOLs6IBR
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2dq1yjUYO
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–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pMw1ixi5b
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHA07jTOTf
"Ah-ha!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeqAFN7nAa
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHqjTVc5tW
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadjsab1GJS
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzGQDStDHw
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKB3FUc3jvT
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnxIULIIUt
**THUD**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWM9YyHfw9
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx000dL9V7j
"Urk!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RXMNlQy1g
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzhHGwNzXD
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EmX0ARdbc
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUefwgs11N
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ581mdiPOaB
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPmamR6ttX
"Huh?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03gYtyp0Sl
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZYGZS0ASv
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdp0dyStBx
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStPugWxIyA
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNO02j9CM15
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmVqrKuotk
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcxJx0PJnP
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqXzpPis5O
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDRBJDyUhT
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYXHrYORmX
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sSbjLwJ7X
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjYMhkYb3P
Boris threw his arms wide.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWwBfkcTRm
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEhT50yFGk
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzN3nXuOnlT
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhETm1t3Sch
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHqA91JF9P
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9z5o1OCp1
And then the magic happened.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYmn5YWhOb
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3wEzLoABM
**BOOM**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDi08zjtHkX
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1qAFdcZeW
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iWjEeRh5n
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohGrGyFSdL
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhn7mj5qMKW
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZmRUzwquM
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.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Mb1UCAJCl
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94YSHg95xq
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQXveCTaL8
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaWKJ6kzdh
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO74uPHK87R
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T5OmA3NmQ
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcuqcYIn8O
Then, it shrunk.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PfdEzDbOV
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrsnaZYBqs
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe3GZsO5L9
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGr2ljeCE5
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2i6ltWfTu
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDodzjZuws
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyA3YlXHa6s
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvbmXCJmc2
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiacHeAANz8
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTFFv57njp
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97TrwDGbLF
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfHNYE8i3s
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixV3zThdtz
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDjTXMbSMc
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4yLLQDRW9
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5m1rkzQa2x
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSb3q8y8Q3
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHP1jVz6RAI
"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."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRzmNgDuO9
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAJCloW8FV
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3a0rRg5h0
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh1z0eJeCa
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7me6dPRys
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHv3oFggyAI
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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatgavNCvkg
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpJ1Ds82Uu
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0a76DxWU21
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92JHw7NjfB
"...Freak."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFHRNrdIpv
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9x7fOxIrW
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIni1AAcsQC
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGugJ5qdkH1
"And just look at how right I was."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUN4wCPz9z
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDLhSN2zsi
A hearty chuckle came from him.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrPORXv5Kp
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GTCVlU3Cz
"Well, that won't do you any good."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1DN4PSECR
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ517LHOLigf
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuc5VcW2bY
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90y9T8Y1YU
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqN2rKkLWId
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yons5CVLu
She put one leg forward.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SmwMCVvTF
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"You've got brains since the last time we met. At least, more than I expected. You used them well. You're still worth keeping around."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmUsqbwZ03
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeqfwZ46NN
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwl3RLBVhd
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And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09qlAUQgS4
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–
–
–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLKbncpcrL
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–From an onlooker's perspective, Rover could see why she'd get concerned stares. Even though her body locomoted tactfully in the fight, the windows to her mind made contorted, bemused shapes. And the removal of her dagger compounded that contortion.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2ywbixel8
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She threw a fist forward. It was slapped away by Boris, and he attempted a counterattack. Rover tucked her head just in time, and with the tiny space between her skull and his arm, she jumped. Boris avoided a dislocation, but Rover kept the assault with a kick from the side. It was blocked by his other hand. She slipped away just before it got caught, and using her right leg like an anchor, delivered a flurry of kicks at Boris, who went to block them.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBrFI9FQyz
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–Rover's kicks were laced. Whether it hampered or bolstered them wasn't something she knew or cared about. At some point, she forgot all about the process of kicking, her mind wandering to holes in her gut. The oozing pastries behind the glass, unable to snatch that gilded stash.
Boris quit his consecutive parries, realizing that such a task was a fool's game. He backed away, which took a moment to compute with Rover, and Boris used that moment to charge in and deliver a quick blow. Rover fortunately blocked it, and as she didn't slide across the room, she had ample leverage to pull a maneuver. She spread her arms and wrapped them around Boris, turning around and putting it over her shoulder. Boris was bigger than her, but that mattered little with her strength. She threw him onto the ground, and his back's unceremonious clash with the floor made its effects apparent on his face. However, Boris pointed his vacant hand at her and out came a burst of wind. Rover didn't have the reflexes to dodge at such a short range and went flying across the room.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9D04KjPp6
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–Those morphing cakes reeked of red. Its verdant smell commanded her to smash the glass, but she was smarter than that. She knew that if she broke the shield, she'd lose on the spot. And that couldn't happen. Her blood boiled to steam. Her teeth ground themselves to powder. It was inevitable, seeing as that's how it always went.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiT8rhvyxb
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Boris jumped up from the floor right as Rover landed on it. She struggled to get back on her feet, as the blow from his spell sent her head into a frenzy, but she made do with her wobbly knees. Boris charged forth and tackled with his shoulder. Rover tried to block it, and though she avoided any serious damage, she was swept off her feet yet again. Boris followed with a kick, but right as his foot was about to connect, another gust of wind blew from his chest. It saved Rover from a painful blow and sent Boris soaring away, but the edges of the gust still connected, and she was back on the floor.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWwtPRuL4i
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–When things get at arm's length, they become untouchable. But the obstacle isn't always a protective pane of glass. Sometimes it's a shelf, one just high enough so it's out of your reach. Rover jumped for years, but every time her legs grew stronger, or her arms grew longer, the shelf grew with her, but always a little more. Eventually, her fiddling fingertips couldn't even brush it.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgJc7cYSOL
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Rover fought yet again to get her feet to the ground. She wiped her mouth with her arm and spat out blood-infused spit. She must've cut her inner cheek.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuP3lPoD7io
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Boris was far away from her, but charing with full awareness. His pace slugged from before, it was clear to Rover that the explosion still affected him. She used that thought to muster her remaining strength and met Boris' charge head-on. The two entered a series of throwing and avoiding fists, and Rover's superior speed gave her an edge. She landed blows square in the chest, and as she hit his pores, they immediately constricted. Rover cared little as to what that meant and kept bashing, but then Boris landed a fist into her cheek. She rolled with the hit as well as she could before rounding back with her strongest punch yet. It landed right into Boris' palm. He twirled his arm, a clear attempt to break Rover's own, but she had experience with such tricks. She put her free hand onto Boris' and jumped, countering his rotation with her own, and kicking him in the head. But Boris didn't release his grasp, and instead threw Rover up and punted her gut.
–There was almost no doubt in her mind of what would happen. It was inevitable, in spite of her struggle. She was going to lose. Would she die? She knew Boris well enough, and so she knew she wouldn't. But to her, no future existed beyond the time of her loss. No prospects are had at the precipice of failure. It was like the blackness of recollecting one's memory as a fetus. But if these rotten thoughts were all that were within her, then maybe she could've squeezed out a tie.
Rover fell to the ground, wheezing and panting, remnants of her stomach escaping from her mouth. She expected an immediate attack and braced herself, but such an attack never came–
**THUD**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2AccZNRYU
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Rover ate a kick to the face. She rolled across the ground but stopped herself quickly. Her right eye was covered in red, but she could see Boris even through a blizzard. He stomped to her, but Rover didn't move. She reached into the sheath and grabbed the hilt of her dagger, and right as Boris was in range to attack, she threw the weapon at her.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNjMFjIdN1
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–There were chains around her arms, doubts in and out of hiding, pouncing and making escapes with military expertise. There was guilt in her limbs, the ones she used to seal the oath she carelessly shattered. There was anger in her stomach, the one that was always there, residing like a parasite but pulsing now as if it was bound to burst. There was sorrow in her heart, the one she used to fuel words about things she just didn't understand. The one she used to hope. But one affliction was chief among them all.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKJy0dgyOL
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Boris was caught off guard, but not as much as Rover hoped. He just raised one of his arms and let the dagger pierce right through. Boris' screaming was nearly musical to her. Blood leaked from the edges; it was clear the dagger was like a clog. But even so, Boris pulled the dagger out of his arm and sealed the blood-spewing hole with his fingers, performing mana spinning.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmXGA0NJB3
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXCaK5RYIF
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Rover tried to get up and attack. After all, he was right in front of her, making himself vulnerable. She tried, and she was able to get her upper body off the floor, but Boris kept her down with another kick to the chin. Any strength to rise departed, and all Rover could do was watch as Boris approached.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqygadMRQMm
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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."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kMz9ageAL
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBQRad0q96
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcF5CeLLrz6
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"You... ass."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1qgqm1dwH
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Boris stopped before her legs, staring at them while pinching his chin. Rover couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in his head. But she kept on scowling, even hissing at him as if the action would deter him at all.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYAuf3KGIb
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"You're not crawling away?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvw1nr8qZb
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"...I'm not a damn worm."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ioExW7Us7
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkN9qqjT71
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Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAEACC2Fdd
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6ro4Vwpfr
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He grabbed her left leg by the ankle, and as he did so, he began mana expulsion. He formed a great club of earth in his hand and walked over to her hip. Immediately, Rover knew what was going to happen. She moved her arm in an attempt to slap it away, but her hands couldn't reach him.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJ1EgndAM3
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But, she still tried. As Boris raised the club above his head, the corners of her eyes were taken by darkness. More and more area, subjugated by black until only the very center of her pupils had the ability to look. They stared at the club, as it stood motionless above his head, and she knew any second it would come down, and she knew any second she would be made a fool.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XMXKv5CI5
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And she couldn't do a thing.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyvN9W2W1h
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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:243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLuUqlOtxf
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Sorry, mom–243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMzAVEkdVm
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**CRACK**243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSBTYnet6t
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJEo6s8pQ3
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeA1n7wDsHU
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"And there goes your leg."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKxVhEq8YB
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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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wfymqgjf1
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwV9vDvfUjE
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She couldn't even move to clutch her leg, to soothe it in any way. The most she could do was groan and yell and grit her teeth, but none of that was possible at once, and when her focus got captivated by his words the way it did, the pain exponentiated.
"Dogs like you– they like to hunt alone. But the moment they face something threatening, they bite just short of drawing blood. Maybe then, you're a defective wolf."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY45gsuPgE
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Boris uncrouched and stepped away as a club of earth spat from a pore. He was clearly haggard, limping as he walked away, hardly able to move one leg before the other. That was the only consolidation Rover was afforded; a tiny solace within the sea of agony.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNPGdRkcyE
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But those words of his stole it away.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiDOeFEAfo
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SaRl1S01L
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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.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQTqA9Be6j
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She wanted to scream, but all the efforts of her throat and lungs were channeled to ease her suffering. And oh, how she hated it. How she hated the grin of his face, an arrangement of his teeth and mouth designed for eating feces. He waved her goodbye and jumped off while cackling like a witch.243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEVY1A4KzO
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No strength to draw, no will to push. All Rover could do was lay there and cope, lamenting her loss and that wretched monster's words.
