The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB7TF8SxDJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIJrolwoux
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDX2UXGRh6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwrIYQO1QC
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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9MO0YCz8n
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6Udy3lhPP
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**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGgFiTvsLT
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAAxtNZEVS
"Ack!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngxjsdMEao
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQ9lKSPBAE
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuf6WCPbTim
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0waNg0pCQJ
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnM6QAd5kr
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJlwPm1hJa
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVnINcctwh
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNhSan9L6x
"...Useless–!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0Q5gTplJx
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3DM2f7dw5
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInqUqw3mSC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cvooV5isD
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL6wIhyFNl
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsRUeMMWag
And it was someone I recognized282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6ZO6EXRzI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoSgajOZu8
–
–
–
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyaWuIi8sH
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhABRNbudPw
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFmmqKQPsH
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgLEvUy7Xa
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcAcACawhi
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJicLsuKRL5
"Hi."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLATK1UW9Ku
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJjCstPJId
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAImrwNlB0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0BIIo2y42
"What!?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZni5KucXW
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHmmQE7jry
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmhl6EioTx
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnprrzbIvw
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwB87gtZNho
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcme8QY7qM
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ324QT8MdOp
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFydmuTcR9n
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI054xsRrSy
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhnIbR8qvR
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuHodbSnxe
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu8rVQwGOC
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTYK3nsaAh
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanS1wdqpY6
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GVVh6k6fq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzcKUpUpYI
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMV0HFsLcwn
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJujPDMVXE
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacsfiO9wSf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDewPIAUVwy
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyU8qNRUCol
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblaIJJwc9d
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7jX4IvPB8
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFVnWwqsRI
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXoNVJhvGz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAa9gbcPv5K
"The next room's up ahead!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMlHdQEIth
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXEqmvJuUw
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4QHJOtZNl
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1BAy7zt41
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfwHS4zI85
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NYWXJhS35
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoDY5zRtzN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnSnwMItd1
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxrweumJMt
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn2ksVjgWm
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXwwCnT6H3
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIvmM3gYva
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdlNMhgNe2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57NmHpmJXx
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4l6Y8xtokq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCSmSYFdot
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZA3830MNI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHcFfEFBvT
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOAS3Hhbwp
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvU4IhgPiK
**THUD**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAodUUY58W
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPYISlxNfu
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ei71R5oJ6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI2KPLRlP6
"...Same tricks as always."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWXoJ1u2T0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjHQnXVTpk
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLGBv9XVTm
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3adPMO6Hcj
"Hoh– it is you. You!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqD9eVAk0FR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiYHKM96p6
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3xJSp96ET
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRAi7Yp4ae
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrR1pV29rXG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIj0BHBHWoi
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYT8MOWRbqQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMRogLNPUQ
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3DAzF589V
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxhSDWdwKk
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAa9IU6SJ4
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GXJorqdW7
"Nigel."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRezX3JyU2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUzVC5zMWO
"Yes?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3Eg1p8Tjt
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZ5ROZYlcz
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxljhsnlM88
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcXr2wVeEm
"...You're kidding me, certainly."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8bhFH2sWL
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3KnNDZbHV
Rover shook her head back and forth.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡND4OqP5JZJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4tRuFOLuZ
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMhXgHwhV0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyo5C7fPK8L
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj3ufmWZe5
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIxDUmJCre
"You fought him before, then?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgw2mpEeWH
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KrfkzJtUz
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLs2JAqB10
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssYUo9csna
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqekszsPLFN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdhJ8mtHge
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02nnbNgE53
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRcW2UXEu3
"Very well! Don't die on me!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStevpIaATh
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8MTryYhaV
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Qci24A3vJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjDoeCHiup
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbmlmhzlt7
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwF1HvTtqx
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmZB1jB9s0
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRj0CMzoTG
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT31MPNOtd
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4xXC5GJ51
"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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIFEDoVNfJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNhil2DCgB
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CDXIWnmHJ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0wLT4TEwm
"..."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakc0Tixavw
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPh7ulSwfG
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrN8K9YvpV
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9po8ubkAEo
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMfTa6DdGR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQYqFKRboL
"Fine. Good luck!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8CTVk3cvl
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEN8E7JqkXz
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVHT2gkiTO
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbyGmBHmlA
**THUD**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsupsUxZ1y
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iZSVG7GBY
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99CmmuuIpm
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNFSeRze0N
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3Mju9YdwZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0KUU68D41
"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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4przuAeYDu
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitpD0cEFtx
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfjeV4Jmt3
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8L2SlAXNGe
"Come at me, Boris!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bUkjp1rsR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGqZgYkrCL
–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIg5lbm8rx
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlD9ObtqZn
–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgzlnG9unu
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwMCOD7UR2
–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttnW08ZVsI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZlsPM6uMu
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJtMMKaJr5
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0YE2AkvP0
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcL6ovdfn5O
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzmSqyl2E8
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cUe8logiy
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtMnfcVqnU
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFTtLolZYr
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqawcY59M2P
"Huh!?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UKiUc8M4f
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAr1BGGk1kg
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONPWnnQ0mY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNM1jmleYC
"Hah!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScvcdjWJcz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi35vQktaw8
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxUYonLYXd
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDje24DYG4
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsmrwYIz5E
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrioDlIEbS5
"Here!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBeOFlTFRX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvWBDlABan
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJElnkrVPbp
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4aTebSWUB
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrBZOGYvPT
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2KlfHBvhV
"Tch."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBaX1yGeNH
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTbFiZ6g7L
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgxAr91L7v
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdXCgpcOyB
**CLANG**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVh9ZRkece
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzGBuArkOa
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiuO7Q0dVv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmWHQovTMC
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q8A8MjX5h
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8d3cdcDLf
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBwaS3gh1k
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdkyt9Ahde
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Fp3zSQnIo
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalAOW8ItlI
**SMASH**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPLYgnsMQN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeDHfYLSfP
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSH8eUqwK1S
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLf1qWj4C0
"Ack. Shit!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm47MBWAkGe
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ9Ye9sdDW
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKT3kfjRQwX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAOH4ODrtI
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo9EHfmQ5K
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvR855cRICt
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6bTwdfF0L
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjV9kKVAUMZ
"But not enough."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBzHfCcaKL
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMaJ36pCr6
"--!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjXguElvRy
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVZrJ7YO0u
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡod0hoEBksQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIY9efyyn9
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WRf3CBA3F
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7G4PUP34a
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaThExNcb19
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UzSEReYnZ
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IF8Y7nKH2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZlBtlTDdU
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EunvA5ZKT
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThxpQYmb5e
"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 "282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0A8ubTysSq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecTdgrkWoV
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWPfE7Oc4W
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwUvZI2Px6
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1zxRQ8ves
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOmxBp6KFf
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP4wfcSyk9
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sefVPexpw
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtex9cFOHf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAfxUL8Rfu
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFlSIoKhPy
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HAEHdQFDS
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZf7I2JTrjg
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYQ8NPCkxi
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYj3ESkiYP
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kDi30vZ56
"--Fine!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUycf3vdvTC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLtinAjeRw
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2r7MR5ApaD
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhun5NPRtjN
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhxtwCjD5U
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ibJI7QHfk
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXfj8KQw41
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKr9RMO5zkl
"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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1Xh4pamWa
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecGqz0eSzA
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHexfnckUcv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4SaoTo9vh
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4dR3pO0Mm
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAB2yKvyiKh
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2fySrZBOL
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAMnf0qbB2
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmEY9clZfF
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQeUUu0cTu
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuyXoAlyKf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqS6uvNlIwc
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOk8C8lesV
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmZ3XdRylr
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UKaqa8C3o
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ824TLunTFT
"Come and find out!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddBpJ9WcCt
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWIRPNPUw9
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sdJe1X0Sf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjdEcFTBhB
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsBvzkbZPH
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKy02DaRZ3
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwN7Pzm9wO
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKW8xiy8mu
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRoEyc4LLO
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CATW3b70Q
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ442XOznXSQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Urh9bdTfb
"Finally!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dRK4h3nlC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAwoF1I1pM
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvVupHPeiC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QbKe0MXjc
"--Ack! Shit!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMI1ezKC7A
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G3uyp33E3
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oQobPG09y
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CfDp7pAtf
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Eg5cdAecf
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDWV4Gidr7
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbBxkhfV2Y
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeuJkcZDp6
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhCdTWZeLt
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawfCpvAHml
"...!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZOr4duRpP
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr28sxpZC7f
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–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ461LoxxqT8
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYVZCIyNjx
"Ah-ha!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTc9QErsTq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxRDPdxpAG
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdHevcLZdz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeaIgP80NQ
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlul67o8lrY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrvA65PhUn
**THUD**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6A1SEZf4Ik
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWQfiV4rP7
"Urk!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3F9qI87nT
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhP9ztrbiKs
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo44OyHLv7
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjT1eIpfSZ
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyNR8RXP8w
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxFqJh7RL0
"Huh?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZQlX6j9AR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Kq3aK3w1D
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxL5P8rjv1
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTBsnsFC9a
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Lq5sxxXWC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56dRzg8Od7
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhGdJY5snv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBY5Z7uxjpY
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPNWUNo6SA
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclHNQpjz1b
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7xtTFppu5
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN4niy568B
Boris threw his arms wide.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSJL2NWtmQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWCJcZU5Xv
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoHBbEX3BE
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOth3SRHGL
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoypBTIZ82j
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLltRIQ3t0
And then the magic happened.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6CIizwQN5
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILwlHUgF6B
**BOOM**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5qGJyQLJK
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XZJOcSR9R
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9tO5MTXY9
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHV5QVKLTQ
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyz830ex6mg
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxNMl8xpnb
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.
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Eo2kKXKZf
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYVtbxaHkl
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLnVeqd4Ga
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMZ1fALdBz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7poT8YusPL
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJImJ9pPQv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNU3zijS5j
Then, it shrunk.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg4FE2Kcms
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCvAffRj3k
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtHS7nIS2E
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLOObpnGzX
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKeLPIE0tz
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmDgv7eG8W
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhD01kmVhRX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6f8RgqVrj
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TfN0GKK1I
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSgOhuFB2b
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOOhOQWANj
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86J3ZHP3il
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpN6NkGtL1h
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5DLiBX0Bz
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjBeZ8qMmR
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZmmbaRCTy
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gXvZXxKdB
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeR9e0DebV8
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6C2gjilQl
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvZgszEkLH
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hTcpQkG9p
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HmbDKLJT3
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NNv2YxlEx
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hPHwAc5GW
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeHgSTxGMI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlaX8OcTRb
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyodzkTrvS
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfovVQHStoz
"...Freak."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSn9dUQcLGe
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSpo5baSo9
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVBsYsCQ7P
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qydykOzE0
"And just look at how right I was."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVigMoZDDcN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdKve0Cfxp
A hearty chuckle came from him.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqDFl59KsS
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoAqV1hzeI
"Well, that won't do you any good."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnmHEoOmPM
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDt2SGU6rT7
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfr8yFfwRC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6RAsGCx0t
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquNA7piaJs
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQp09nLS6Ns
She put one leg forward.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm88clQVOxZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrFMV2Qjbs
"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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW38KSupBYD
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7xxxIpvnG
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTsth7jg6n
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPFwBAnsAy
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJVXZw4Ac2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiLLPXDOSR
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKScumxKOU
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAZ8SKBY2o
–
–
–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPj9kREKrQr
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ94Be2L2A
–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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8Vpyl94QE
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiotR1eouN
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjk4F3uKkG
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy85WVFmRsS
–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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVg8erNtYd9
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxufyw2ve5
–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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ljVBCB4H6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx28BkZeXfQ
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNg9ACVbYO4
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwT3qMO5PFV
–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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADU1Uip1cX
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3zg3dZMhu
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVRh1Ga5U6
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SSAq56qB5
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**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGP9EH6icki
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeS7by7rvY
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fKTGkOOMi
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTXnPaW0mg
–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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LPDGv3k19
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDu3t0fMWl
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LLnktsOZl
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5xmT62FmG
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0d2fdd4K3A
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdJCfLdH0h
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV38WXhCZaY
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYcH9Oberd
"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfCFJRpepQ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJFp4cVD2k
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNiMfkvtIZ
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFKvN6SCU8
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡie3XpyWDLq
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSCicrr4xq
"You... ass."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvydz2PgbIE
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSeZVbemTY
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLqihaWPn8
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoKuJ8oEzn
"You're not crawling away?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YmbFGAD41
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFpjPOKDUt
"...I'm not a damn worm."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhC3ZsmRDwI
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TGqUHa0r7
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡti8iY8Qob1
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2xzlvtfHQ
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhgF82R65A
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoistEffLoI
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrxoYZRMOS
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1D3sYShD0
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz42j2ZMqjv
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOvffRPYZC
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44uLgk6nRn
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aFQc99CR2
And she couldn't do a thing.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2e0GZ0d2v
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaD2UPXFNE
–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:282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1gpSejmCr
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1ZmdeUBc3
Sorry, mom–282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3iwaZxzL2
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDsFylR3h6
**CRACK**282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lW63YmIYE
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmUECq5MlW
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1K4P11BLPB
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaA3lIvK6Eh
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZNmHB7wjM
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExig0fLfVR
"And there goes your leg."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfft1chsTC
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfPDjBIjPR
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFPqRsCjWd
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnA0fP5Hva4
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOpgMGn4pN
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54FlN83rip
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."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizXHQweiXw
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGh9ZeHTgEJ
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhf4kDPHwr
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3FzWXdqEq
But those words of his stole it away.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCNQh8oYP3
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS3Y2EGrBh
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMBKKUiGuM
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9lubFWUgm
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPpRAaJ8bF
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbOaHNEZc3
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.282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAH2tl4d28
282Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWidTNwmQj9
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.
