The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKuDI4Sa65
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINBIjEDpjH
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD11KPhVCYE
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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlqAhscEqs
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPS52JOuF0
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**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQlqIYb0BO
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"Ack!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsli1JfmNiM
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I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl1M4QW6FO
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvkdtEB9fc
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj5rP6gSqm
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYIf5h3vT5
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VqeYG9Ye0
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"...Useless–!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15yjRtbWkB
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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–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYHYY9F5gl
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdeBDjDEEw
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3C3U9Mf52
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69Ovs78189
And it was someone I recognized161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu92eJ5Q9sx
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPXws28ivT
–
–
–
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeDJTVk3Rk
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmz3DpZwfbE
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAHqK0XiWo
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Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfES1KAV0V
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"Hi."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTihJiAx1ci
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup7BsVP63H
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cYwXdcGMH
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"What!?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vvWATEw4t
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Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbClPvmtoo
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"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmkQwlSLix
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAHuZVZHCh
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC2ZaSNeL8
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWRQq1ze5N
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfPkK9kjyC
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkn4kfUYg4
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7q60Fqb6K
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXNmW6QJDb
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1R7e07Iquj
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"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohRRmq2MEi
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzBz9cPtze
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHhNMuzpxF
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHYMsbtZln
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViWHKXrxns
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"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbR4PwL2wt
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoJCp5gdym
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfxKZXDXdc
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Kgjzc0BO6
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lu5p2FqA3
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"The next room's up ahead!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVOM3l73SB
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7uTgkvKiU
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iaaFN03E3
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKC5amf3EQk
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–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNelbZzvqjK
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22liYplx4O
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpQrp2euHs
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70PFulUOYx
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSSrryPng7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8f7zPB5ulH
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7clG4ygdtp
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5JsNNlYxc
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPH8SMhiZy
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZ1qRZsaL6
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQ3Pul6Hf9
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"This is where your advance ends– huh?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEQunMrPi4
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPx0nvvPNKq
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–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGKLLRE5V7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ymzWrBUUM
**THUD**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLmQwNsZMw
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5FLlZ2LTo
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpbN98QRAd
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"...Same tricks as always."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyqM9YeNLl
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Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUtKW06AQB
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEwaezwkxk
"Hoh– it is you. You!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkzeivut9j
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAycPwaKKy
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImGH6zAG8K
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgFCigG7HR
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ksmsvLrqN
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ2pvJ1u7N
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwmoacRH6y
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E0bsrr2Bh
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwjQfLpR10
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qFniavWpf
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOaqEFFa0M
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"Nigel."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUu4FbiUzp1
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"Yes?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3CYq5gwvc
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwIn9IV9W1
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEomVUjT2Y
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsANWLSvIM
"...You're kidding me, certainly."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlfQnfRqDu
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjmhpPEFKz
Rover shook her head back and forth.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzwPv0IDz5
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLhiQTcHgH
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QEXUhkILh
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHclswfF7wJ
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ut31aO4Ei
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZmnibVPQB
"You fought him before, then?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaUEzoLmu9
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAZohSFuXL
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkfWmWqbVj
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ274zXkFkZT
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cg8yIgR2Z
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZqra3bNFs
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtolYB6ke9
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"Very well! Don't die on me!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5sjvLIvjQ
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcw9chf8Gx
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHmxV6HtbD
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UvLXopksT
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8n4p0uK6iL
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooJspgVJpr
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpkLo4FTJL
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlReRKVeNO
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1dR2k3IJK
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFZGqa10y8
"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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMjVN7nE38
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1HhAASGAa
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXCVpySx0H
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vhRjzEZ7I
"..."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26S3ihz282
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZcz41OymU
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And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrz0SK5oFi
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"Fine. Good luck!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkxbU5bVwy
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnaPpiREVB
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUB69j2vf6W
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdS1QxzBlT
**THUD**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84RQCf4Am0
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPmozof8Rx
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3hehgzjiq
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37l6n23sTb
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMDmnWkYpz
"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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0O1kXCpR2E
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCMLHA08EN
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYX49xrkmIu
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wfz4VVUag
"Come at me, Boris!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5ruvQlefA
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvZXBHcGTU
–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdOi03j674
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElUOwetD52
–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiFuuQMMKn
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYru7KEbc8
–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUpESDn9nc
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP7mIjD63d
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCeO9CCEP9
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWKbyKFZZ5
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuY4SFo74o
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjFZpqhhqR
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6ur1v3Zc9
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg75MwmfZjY
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"Huh!?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehWHgYfMh8
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKiw4LoSxo
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalU7lWn1Jj
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71pBy7XPtU
"Hah!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjUc4Wkq6W
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWujcifkncE
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vhwz1KTVV
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8UlsToSOI
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieU5l7vOAw
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"Here!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeozPloHtUW
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1n1aiCARE
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhTkNdcaD7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXiYtxPdok
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYdLT7zhl5
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCebq9r4G0o
"Tch."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqGFOOE3v7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRzvX66rAI
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Yc2GL94WV
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKnlw1wZvd
**CLANG**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb1aWbTov7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIiROoblO8
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8b1V9PbgV
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGFcdJbXIi
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEXnYoPJdk
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHl0YMzPxR
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaR5kg8cATF
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymWV6axnbT
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–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OjV1D0wfy
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0WJqSv0qR
**SMASH**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcXwTnmNnq
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRiwzMSG6w
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ644mbHhW6r
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcftCU7j5iJ
"Ack. Shit!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDe88nGaYga
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjyKWwAQC0
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3WlOXHlD8
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscolFgclen
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MBj3Ewfui
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtP20WDT7R
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pxbOHJL1W
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB9aPcd4nJ
"But not enough."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Pn4wVWyJi
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIHKDgUDma
"--!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NQoLeKl5r
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR4YWx3d9Z
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSS90QB1HN0
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEv2LtBJ4Ym
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhL8fulg9Lu
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzfuGLlFA2
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AkgcphBoC
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vLSs13ujU
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzc16sv2ZL1
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BNFzoQS5I
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGvmrpFtz9
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCC9SKPRKHo
"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 "161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZb7LsGRgE
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdHzRGfdOv
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTWb3FhnjV
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJkiJRkjrX
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPB1TXIxXiD
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡassyZsva4o
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuvcZa5f03
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgKp97wkDS
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisXbzgLWTK
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HcJS0pgot
"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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH0pWuM7nC
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy3IHwUBQX
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01ncYb7wBd
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJvGhqWFhM
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLgHLIhPIU
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9n0dA6kbim
"--Fine!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ejOLZiUXw
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCGqVcecdw
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz6hOhJf2A
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxwQqgRkU8
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0g9MVAKTFZ
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZQfZJYTgn
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMG8mP7QbBI
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTAGMZCR9W
"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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24zEaUTq1a
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEF7HCuhyF
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3NVr5Axqb
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEyYAhXdQq
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMLhuylxeL
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlqttZaHiq
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7FKKnrlUI
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoapfEt9w3N
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVrHwkuRCs
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGqifFOEHv
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAHj4RQMZ7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyejbdxetV
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLqSkai2wb
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHEBlDHLLF
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VNj4BLSd7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwsut2tQql
"Come and find out!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjo3qavyEa1
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LPBYi8CnP
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3pqqrKzDw
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoyvwzoyyy
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUgZacACTT
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ029FvWTHq3
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIPdKbizg6
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4Xc0Eg3VP
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxr1KHlcN6O
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvItIlHFUmV
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJ5dKX9VEv
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuER6Xwl7n
"Finally!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFO5uJpPM5k
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxiixwXnGF
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshWvirFDXw
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8Zr6YHBqA
"--Ack! Shit!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBwDh9t15x
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsaEt58Ltv
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2IF3zhjKb
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGGcejOesL
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocVta0QhUl
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51xlUOSdWt
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jc6tg4zRA
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsPTarTh2Z
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–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhfvqz6CR9
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFTtJ6SuzE
"...!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzu6B4oaBo4
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZQn7gH0rg
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–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TWBgUVVBM
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvyIhekBWk
"Ah-ha!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTHWSQkVEP
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZN9P7drEU
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OCFvqMKik
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5fdlsEBJD
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGT5SRNUsq6
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRvUzhvjsK
**THUD**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVHL2CSZWF
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ879vwpVgzv
"Urk!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfPlqmi7jn
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuD1vusAfh4
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBMzNTYcz9
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12nKvLdAQo
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxRfJZu3Wp
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueXfn4fejS
"Huh?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJne4XoesU
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIwte9zdYV
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqWMOde3LF
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTettAq6An
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3BXQ10v3t
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1B8kLDLoa
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpXDYS3rqt
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvr1IIXYoe
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRZ3xJ4vAZ
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGIrmJx7Me
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNbMUW7m9g
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0QF8nWAH0
Boris threw his arms wide.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDmVwc5wUe
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9RbbR5Ev0
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0BWeCNSjH
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMhiDiHZiH
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVklPVGheDT
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSje1GnRhV
And then the magic happened.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFGRPYvg3b
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffk8Ajtroz
**BOOM**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eznr7ht76
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6GMuCINc5
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlj2vzVfMZ
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SKH5tr1yE
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFZn9siXZg
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp597NXzBzS
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.
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEksZyYkBZR
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnm3KL0sjfG
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRk5pZp4YC
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAqttDKx4Q
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2l678SogQ
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sQiWH7a07
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxfWnapbfw
Then, it shrunk.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVqOnaPAJW
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHo2srsdEU
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSq0CgolsS
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIF7iX2S9i
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VzuUQOLUB
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefkWVvsBkw
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJegwGuUb0z
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsgGlYaJDs
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ory4yMDHt
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwKfeGr0Se
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6eotg6m9E
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FwcsIzgu0
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGLvE2m8F7
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3yUcEgunp
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WMGtIJ9B5
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqq2V3CESCe
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSBFSwoYvh
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvd9OSmZiX
"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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu87ezVyv1x
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53NDHxVaP1
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E1CKQMA4g
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx25dgDqQg
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1zYpfFf1V
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAQnX2J2ey
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBrLH4iQas
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTOi0MfLvK
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp99IMKbx8g
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWIoBopTwT
"...Freak."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wtbcv69nv
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZItJcODkz6
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiFYmb6ZmI
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pYtDEabxo
"And just look at how right I was."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXF0MFVkyjG
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoDONn1wyA
A hearty chuckle came from him.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU8WmmWBJL
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMmvNw5HFC
"Well, that won't do you any good."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmXpMbUAtC
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuO4j6n1nXj
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LjXOqIJrG
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmRuqZwDlQ
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXlKAHv3iG
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6fcs38Vri
She put one leg forward.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wCnvoGrSd
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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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGsZUe0ImU
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc94GShE1lh
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gsrVrXB9o
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKlPuoKIgq
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–
–
–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBkIkoZNJH
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojzG4uqDAr
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmj7PbZ8TN2
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DYcaEZZC6
–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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkaadPmJ1T
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWULBQNGOc
–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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYprdfvpFnQ
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83Pi040yLB
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV0JlWgsKN
–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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejkikaSGrG
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrtVHrGJjP
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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**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmwoa43igk
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yQoHOcMS4
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllg128Nt0Y
–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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFB1SV6gfYt
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkS9Pb28yx
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XfHTI7slY
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcHeMhhGCa
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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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjX0lqG9NaY
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibLn6abfi6
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTnHClfw7J
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPML51WU8oO
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"You... ass."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5j2mhrNt95
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21AjM14eiy
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"You're not crawling away?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGFHmwmhjy
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"...I'm not a damn worm."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqESppc8ms
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaLd57qzYG
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPorXilyaGh
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3Kzs40SO1
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7J2DZdh1Jo
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WXq7oxYkz
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymCK1dZChZ
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78hULnoUhI
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And she couldn't do a thing.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4uTYZ5nWx
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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:161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26NA1WCh8k
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltxaYUKFpF
Sorry, mom–161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoSy1fHjqD
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**CRACK**161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwRVSlWT4M
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWkiHNKvQr
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0AAlchAsB
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"And there goes your leg."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklXXnsQn85
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oNBKpv1C8
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18o983187h
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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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QWU3Ffgcn
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nq10zKbNa
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdz8UjTnGrJ
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But those words of his stole it away.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPfMA3OsIu
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG84oO8BsXY
161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHbOXcS16w
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOg2Yo6wrg
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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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgbMuQ4L8S
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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.
