The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBRAR1VdkI
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ok0Ragvno
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCZzGygz91
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcP41izlpiW
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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKXt2eCieP
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIueoHnlmh
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**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJLKTuWZNO
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5olvwjh9GV
"Ack!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk93g5JIoSF
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zylmbLSf0
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7567F1Vq1X
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mpnPg6GwW
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8bjpOz77F
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8N0Q92bSq
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCLlLkUuca
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwMcF5SdqE
"...Useless–!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcblhswJu66
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2QPhTL5JS
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–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU90nvFVfRi
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzkygWz5tf
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0N5bgugLYq
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqhPBJxgd4
And it was someone I recognized212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtvLJeUwPB
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ289ZeHBAGk
–
–
–
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXf9z7uK5kN
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHozJJSnml7
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmkr8d8WmI
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcLssaXmD2
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwI7wKJ4z1j
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"Hi."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRCMdHW2Zq
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYqMFEGSkn
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7TleR9AR0
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN5aqksUOp
"What!?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡis1RvRWLGr
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4g6BhxYzL
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejXyUVKOUo
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgpmQc2h2v
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaBqJ2KFLK
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGtTku6vae
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaodWV1gMMs
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66QvxkVXo7
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPlqAZaL5s
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQI416OFAE
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8wROVvBcT
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88OEjHhOty
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf32BVa2dF
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v7PB9oj1y
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaC7zEiYk4B
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMT5itYoEN
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWYv6sn2h8
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5ZZY3IzfY
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCTE5h5JrS
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0mqi10i1c
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJZQPHkbY4
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGykDqT1Npl
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoE3NT4zE9
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulbNoARQii
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJblMmMArPt
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvao1Kd9oO
"The next room's up ahead!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzc2IUFuf4
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5Oyw4ZFvX
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlRq0TAghv
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSl9qjEJLjR
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–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkLfMy8vwH
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdMPfgvsoS
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7DmzMkAoi
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdg6M8rSnq
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOgb0AOkkD
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZ81SwPTHS
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVsHpvtsTD
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11L8mVrppO
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXSeil4aM1
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzgIsDehmc
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxHyfqL1Bz
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxncq8vA4Zd
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SMVA7GSyu
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03gXwbg1fs
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–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaJRRIEi78
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ841MyZIFVC
**THUD**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy8b9oMrPg
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmBsySOdxB
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSh0sUHatA
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IcM2OhgB2
"...Same tricks as always."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngrqQIHiBu
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVBbpckKoP
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0GZe0Q7Jg
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWASXmbunAo
"Hoh– it is you. You!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgbB4fBTfu
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAJPpO72Yf
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBUYa5KuAY
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gQ96oTLzF
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfXKI3F6Bj
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gaUXs95Rp
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKl5BTemMP
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX24qsSfyJb
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJGRGgUpcn
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmD0FTWXRD
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSz3vomTsR
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQzpk3CALO
"Nigel."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPjllAs0iX
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuyQap2fA7
"Yes?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡur1bWgda8H
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeJZb3pNpi
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzpNM8TIbv
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFO9I2Ct4h
"...You're kidding me, certainly."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTiIJkXNB6
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAAOjKUC6Q
Rover shook her head back and forth.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtmHmw1W4X
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaqw30D1i1
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqNVqCWHrv
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHOoQvPqDy
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUkjZpUJbi
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunLSfspRCu
"You fought him before, then?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSAOgJGLgS
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm79YXRFSTA
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8y9WYUdpt
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMv0ieI9bk
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9fpNlyyRi
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hyXdBbGCE
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTU02V2fZ8K
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtp0PKJNd5
"Very well! Don't die on me!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYdXkG6NpB
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96kDgDnJne
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvnyN6Hy60
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaiWpjsuP2
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAyLzslXdJ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7kGfxEBmM
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ146lA4kbrn
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsHJAb73yb
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJcRnCBDFg
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2rQyLDWOk
"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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnsr6OIe7e
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6zchiSCHp
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQj7CyJBsB
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ6eNgRAHn
"..."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDqrb3lxWt
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoTRvj8o3C
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fooStq7Pq
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBoqgdCUOg
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKlpTfYI5T
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jUuvOoFIR
"Fine. Good luck!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXXjhPMCI0
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4YYklhn7c
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE36TmOo09B
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBByUbwunr
**THUD**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnbj165PgP
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBw0PJBZn6
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36UXquYG7x
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfDTPQntRd
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBngLMblEiY
"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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0UezqRDKZ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhUowrYh9g
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQgo6uMagu
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"Come at me, Boris!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGoZteej1E
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIi3eOGm4t
–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNN4LUTZDr
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA7AjwJXEU
–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV8WiIgIuK
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWxkPyDCdz
–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoasuLVqZkz
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS17BjCXpjA
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPTUS3hBQ8
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUdhQT2P5X
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAtlcVIQO5
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaEmkhsASD
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmz8ssT53J
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyImkwo30mU
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFMSnEnIu3
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmLtpuIE5u
"Huh!?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwrHnOB82g
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXimxav8Wap
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNn6sZgjpw
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNhKRLlmqn
"Hah!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsjnEchzhz
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6e1D13KBb
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM2TIPKqFS
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaFajWerua
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SFKr4rL5G
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"Here!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kkCkOTpNX
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTKGGs5RpJ
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzREEnshIzG
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafP4A5dcNt
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGNr43w1NU
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1t65Qfwct
"Tch."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGJOFxtoOT
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SuewPxSKI
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0ylbpvNY5
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZG0USx34R
**CLANG**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnBijNPKsS
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCP7CWUJms
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJnIvzEZkx
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBVfaQwU2p
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYP76F7k2Gm
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QLrLWPTCe
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7UDLuqyZf
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3t3x7u6Kze
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–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MCGgEg4Uf
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWfpOG8NAP
**SMASH**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyWkvMIF8W
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnAWbMBOLs
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AeNBPNarr
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHMCzc7Zmg
"Ack. Shit!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKTzCi5UiZ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9AeGcKKFO
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTJdTG4Y2X
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8QxUnFBz6
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2F5dUGUKj
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYRdxFT5fh
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLYTGf3ET5
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2e3GkmwYB
"But not enough."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjkWyBb0Qk
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcmxVMQJkN
"--!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENWYLzK53b
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDPcytxC7a
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyULHLYThBQ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbCc6aO06l
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAXFzIYCS4
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXfZDNXfqk
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomYS4TDKOC
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVGxWJjV7l
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUeCf8uG9w
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegPRhJRG2Z
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJjrYnZFRl
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAxF4lHmuB
"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 "212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Om4ZyhLlI
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hSS7emro3
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihOcMFv2EL
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPgWl2nndZ
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAypdAKuCA
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTurAR8sEe
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqBCdRbgQE
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9WGoXssjC
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZM1jF90Bp
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVn5ku91fbx
"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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2xm9PcZtF
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubUPKS39en
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGdbsr3nFF
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnnHEUerc8
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxhsndlNxZ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9V290YOYQK
"--Fine!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDRvmKeNPW
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkgT010F3Z
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJEVyFO05Q
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiaY3Nld1L
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfjt6oqfC6
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooSu12UTkv
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwihhRkqERX
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzOhwHWCnG
"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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiddqQHHYRM
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMhSl4x6du
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5CqAGNrVL
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54KWJcsw9C
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFIGXLa1TH
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHH1efzZfq
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefNSLDWXhg
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXo4rWFgvPi
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwHNDn7ZUK
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZjSy0sOAx
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv13P5wNZZ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDnIIaEYmF
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBePjeyhLi
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbDeMRdpm6
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPKzvjqwv3
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZXqXM1MwV
"Come and find out!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDOc1WJLgQ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRIR6rDvJE
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcZqmQnu1k
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpkGQyaLew
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDPAf86MeU
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZXwLoynXo
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQrBIaA0RC
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKVe6aXjLK
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oDQklZc6X
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Tm5qrPHB1
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguklNALM0G
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4DgjAIEz7
"Finally!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYHzLz1bSu
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzumhaaWBH
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUIDrgAXBy
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWOE71gyZk
"--Ack! Shit!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22AeGZrqFI
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcRod5OjJS
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx72Ey0DcY1
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8qpJEz1oF
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHyOYf9BRr
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxNCojP5WT
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqPhw4qZ3p
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwVR7414NU
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–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvVM3vSA3t
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ptCXU8scz
"...!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYnjEoDUZs
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0563IIGqmz
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–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoCfRIUvq2
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWN5hPTtk2
"Ah-ha!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU06XYvaVXW
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUT9jKMQuW
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKXXx9dYkj
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8IP7nVfiS
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWC24NG1RKW
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPnhTihuVk
**THUD**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5sOINjm3d
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sElkhU5As
"Urk!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghlpYieAku
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iSyYt7YOF
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnDEcAQOsC
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3zVhrPVqm
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5eE1N17ZM
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXq8iJ9EfRb
"Huh?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0IbeM8wXL
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgPWDuS490
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVMrybF9bc
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlFmUCwybu
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOtx8qTT6p
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFKNuehFq8
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAwAbhiEkt
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmqLPYJlBE
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJYogffChV
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzOFtOYdOh
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D8jqyemWW
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mzp5kWUUU
Boris threw his arms wide.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRG2xoepB0
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc0ct9WNhQ
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43gPsnxRe8
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpM95xd8Ls
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0rjRwU1MM
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6abfT8SXx
And then the magic happened.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNYfjVWV7h
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLkXtm9iYc
**BOOM**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tN7mFRyf9
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLs2h0Kkb1
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54KD2N9O6r
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGhyCyEE6I
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrK19YXnMj
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JJzPEOTWk
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.
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdySGBKyV6
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHbB4ORozQ
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19uLjn57Vh
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hDS3sE08d
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDglJXEpxV
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvOi3byslU
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz12yEKPNoB
Then, it shrunk.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHQXX33fby
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUrIQfBCqx
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0JDTe4UTs
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsojtGyHeNo
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKaxo05XPC
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7F2yw0mX3j
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mVUlVgXIa
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4y7u1KPlv
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtTYdjdoJF
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOg4HcjTN31
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3bcSjnkpr
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtmew4b3yc
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWgBb6THSE
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYPttWAWk2
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEl9hWB84I5
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMEL73Kk7m
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW16W4tG27C
"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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO3bus74Os
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡop75Q8dOkH
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5Ax9RPrc8
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMtRufb75s
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtrI7O4taz
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYihbP5UdgR
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ePyOFvmru
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRSyg98lUu
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwptNWFYfTf
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxXbuz2vG4
"...Freak."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnb5clp1Bp
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtAyVTnQkO
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhRGY9sASU
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qlYP9H4tS
"And just look at how right I was."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJDVsS3KKE
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcf2TUXZO8k
A hearty chuckle came from him.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hHzhR3iol
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1PYdSNoqn
"Well, that won't do you any good."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfQDMUZR87
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUXKzclmNQ
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLuZVImgez
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPgy0k22hI
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekHgETXJSg
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDCDLnNhCx
She put one leg forward.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTu9dyhkyJ
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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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqCqdHBcAT
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQtSxgUmS5
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKAV5jc1g2
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiTrtwtdyV
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–
–
–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefw8MKkBT3
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGv0yfsYklh
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19oh7JFmHN
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHKR38y6E4
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJHfJp4g3h
–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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQLPlrxZWp
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoUSSxqh75
–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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVWfjmmJb7
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BayG0ZE12
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZf6FfCeoV
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLgaE3Kut1
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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**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiorTGguOo
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0RFTYqbqd
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqXsgvhluO
–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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzZ1b2QCTl
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEZ7vbDfW9
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Wae8nd5pb
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlI7cbfKmnt
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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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDv0djjjdQ
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQrFhQUd5m
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzGiEwbUpf
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"You... ass."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLyHa59hVI
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqwbKMqVbO
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"You're not crawling away?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVEqJOcRfR
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"...I'm not a damn worm."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBLbaPZgTP
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknJ6T2T1W0
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOH3ZaVndvz
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPrGGSCN39
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZtZh9EFGi
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqESjvm9Y6m
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And she couldn't do a thing.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVQbx9VAqc
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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:212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RXzUqEFJu
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Sorry, mom–212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8UD9GaQgY
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**CRACK**212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHXOlmj50f
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCS67nXkke
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxojJCXwHN
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"And there goes your leg."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyC80fPY8YL
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4VovZMZeS
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeh7G4ajXte
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKXKvdpE60
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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAV74fw3nNk
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ty8e2i9gf
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrpyefQ2OA
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But those words of his stole it away.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPyDHBovYy
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJThxbiQiz
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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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIWzOEfyi8
212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLSQF4w2HV
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ym9LYyEfq
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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.
