The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxRcuew4op
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzvsunDWRC
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnDRVQmt6L
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwqRL2IaGR
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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2lW4yy6tv
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yi0ThCMpt
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**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVviWlA7Uq
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQRPEYJO9X
"Ack!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXvLdsaLhd
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEkPCenpoe
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9YEpo7ZeI
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzTMLO81Rp
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67DvKVYwgF
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiA373avgRv
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoI8BGa0qX
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzamIRJofF
"...Useless–!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoka8enYG2k
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVi4bcBJEKY
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–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2PMdKnN44
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLAhoVZazE
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDWGEIpRNv
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7x79uPy722
And it was someone I recognized223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCw5nFGYPz
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0N3zH5nPtA
–
–
–
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPqntFM1Pz
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLau7KSEnAF
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeg2LgBiRq
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOXPDuUvw6
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5X0U8F9Qp
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7T3m7tPBD
"Hi."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOeYd12sUU
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejywJ4qv3r
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxegbzAqJrU
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQ8WRLXgq1
"What!?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OLGz92rRM
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGvCYWYcdH
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwIOyeDxcO
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoi6pbZA0z
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELjune0tMt
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU5vhUxZ7v
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVQ8OVR3i6
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W5AUjVVz1
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPkVWf5Etx
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xyQj32AWM
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wq1wMY4nO
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdrJGoCrZt
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCrERLwcnv
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK00qStLqZK
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEByjoykTrr
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WiWPrTFAc
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzglM0aSXme
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXdHyubTF3
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RMWEr8gdz
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYF1bPBdlz5
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8issEYMOYK
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywTugRV91W
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBzD6mYxDb
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaehyLBk3V
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYmoUtGlPf
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9ODMxTO07
"The next room's up ahead!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NrY2ChzRJ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gwTTXjyzH
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfaG6e1OZB
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyLjXEQ3Ed
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–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccWchLW451
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcBozgIYKX
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysy73DI3og
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPPhOBfC73
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyN99gU3xx
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fOgMRFx5t
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOGKDgWIIZ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeR1krDDH4
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS88UsSwBw
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjoKBCXVSh
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIJGmdrpd3
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd96dOp0EQN
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIrn266La6o
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZlNbW5ODf
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–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMkxL0pXJe
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsmCQGWxXa
**THUD**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5odbvKiL6
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkj8cYtzpV
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ESDP7jeRx
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC67cZkDKX
"...Same tricks as always."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22LZ3BxabC
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MzmFtq4X2
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHE4Ls9otbk
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACwjqGJBXR
"Hoh– it is you. You!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFNG8SrSIg
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSmBgcSOeQ
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IdKO3MIH7
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtKiLFaXj7
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyj2A9savWW
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNsFuOy4N1
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbDeQsfedk
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjB1tdN97Hu
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwh0x4LKX4v
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XeSmqdPPl
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1R0hcOlKPx
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwKpi6nF73
"Nigel."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwrQJdyz3z
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjc9jNczB8q
"Yes?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuUjSbe1BY
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet4i3sGjt1
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQf1aJzWny
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP6MaVLgLE
"...You're kidding me, certainly."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03bmvhfqRk
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTWjkkOjGH
Rover shook her head back and forth.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhf31pUudk
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmoRCQAJqB
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKy8DtG2WX6
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGitRjfaPs
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNQJh6lzrV
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDt8lJd9Qt
"You fought him before, then?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJipG5MT4C
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡap0mx9VDwc
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2TLxvnmAm
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiVSSIrq46
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBufOZmmfm
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zNwWgd0AV
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVAfSIySfi
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcoQWCZ9NM
"Very well! Don't die on me!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsk7FozHop
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PyroxSb0f
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZUCdW2dBI
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55L0hmfygh
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWudE88OoQ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug1z5aSnSS
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1rA2TrKwt
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaIY2XvmZ1
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNh32UyxAOX
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ibH51bP4m
"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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MDq4UbCV9
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Xs4zn8SUz
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzLJOw40zb
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnHA3w2bgX
"..."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgl0fnlmNWo
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt6lZrR13w
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmplhPalhop
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBEdXsQPp4
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUsHWltKvb
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoFZlMNos8
"Fine. Good luck!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwsvEApsK9
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaPkhwMpGk
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkBwWDZTmM
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQ3PBlflZM
**THUD**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY8G5neFXl
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBWVhf1nzn
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjJAqJBqRk
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRyRXeB1qO
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruD4pTURRK
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFGrndFt0C
"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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWEDV2kaR6
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2Ecd1Od7l
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMcvDGEici
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZZZvO5ek6
"Come at me, Boris!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgDv19omF7
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsP29XYb8V
–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iuPGEB1ay
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKcQnjILk1
–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Nya7sMZHt
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90GNO4RKAQ
–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwg7KEFKJh
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1U4u2rcmE
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzxegdY9M3
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPc2XHZcKR
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosjFVpHr3n
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpER7VHZulI
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVfRzCjMZG
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLzEoCXhNL
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFnqIctjNF
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacS0m1AJME
"Huh!?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00ti2NaGMK
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYt67It6fyU
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsgT9FEe9l
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuXTd0SAQ0
"Hah!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQjKq5Nqw9
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EYuLcyUsC
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNwM2gVCGm
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqFsAwBGu8
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWC3uWAER36
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlq6hE5wn6F
"Here!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffM5xe8CGQ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡre6msqxeIp
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMPZm18p2c
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFM5KQUXxTf
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMeUIlUn8e
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzTK0hFgPm
"Tch."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhA3tuzptt4
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI96VUHpUP
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkaYYonX6M
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcR12Z2tBi
**CLANG**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fj2Bvdw5c
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQwXSzldDz
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUnJcOSevJ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sMWApIhBc
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GuQhC1lgL
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUmOIJJZvI
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGJnXNN5Tz
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXbd0oxH3h
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–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSnQw4QBlI
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNamyY8nSF
**SMASH**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDNPXjv96F
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLPcMIRyVn
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnMwbLINe6
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnA3DQ5IPi
"Ack. Shit!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oJDQuAQJa
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIymVwAtB3z
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Y8RNeWWAJ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EIRZIbYTs
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRe6w1rELO
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDzB9A4Avr
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGERHwr1bWB
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKIC0odU6j
"But not enough."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pCaV9YWp7
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQk16u3RHZh
"--!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsz3ePhYXD
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrQjbMhfWW
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzNWihNslb
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGIkMlVj2i
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjw3kocItt
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopiEwmfSSU
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFELh87n8pS
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01Ldv9IWxr
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirOZjjAajA
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbNF7M5uKl
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4XamTguKE
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhdcrlnLUj
"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 "223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZk7XD6E1v
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J1V7gsEKG
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGCXXZ0W69
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezOLMGwwoZ
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuJHgxah73
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGJbO6Ey1O
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjfQ79kUEL
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLWgrl6IYJ
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcta0QuDlU
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR4tdDJFMz
"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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYdVf8qgmr
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkedgc5ZvZ
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxEqr81O2P
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hfBHfrcYj
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDapjPDJLB
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRk63nLp2t
"--Fine!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUL3qNUwu1
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2N3aoaEU4
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHKwlVZeCA
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Uj4ZWRKpU
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUjPNAIIUK
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8gstYtbcO
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbnvavHmtv
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbabQiYwfc9
"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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTthyj8NAi5
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡce23uoOqqD
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26hMD2fuOQ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiSO4SaDo2
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUBImwFXTz
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85fBZd2afO
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡia6qZMEM8e
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSP3usFMZqJ
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0pVUQQ9gV
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb2WHPAYmL
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqW98Wi2q4i
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdghhs7odN
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghWgiHFGoM
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8XGvm9o8D
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTvpjqatf7
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdktNTtjm9S
"Come and find out!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13vrirBLm2
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjWq0n4VBS
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnr8lmAhLv
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRndutAMxdw
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZlhLZUO35
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROIegIz27I
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGCBExbpgp
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4prrd1T6i2
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPLg245Sqe
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxNAkKBJ0q
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidjwEnqsbm
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSPuAH7rLQ
"Finally!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aP1aZA8Fm
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhvOsB1zOV
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl2oyNwPWE
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVlMtfjFmH
"--Ack! Shit!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmlVMS6gBu
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xcBHqfOty
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe0DJdHbfz
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qo8JOPtFR
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBNbOLnzFq
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjzSDiFhUM
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2ec3yURhs
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGKS8HSZ9f
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–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YRRi8YGSt
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbBBAhIV96
"...!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqC0lSzR7uE
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeWeyW4a4U
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–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKVavCUuFK
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6artkHSWb
"Ah-ha!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXXODY3M0U
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUDvyAq026
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdgJMOgZjO
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mSK440AyQ
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4x0U7LMLqe
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCuSYIzOe3
**THUD**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sW9StiuOw
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdstCkaKie
"Urk!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8TdqGGwZH
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJGWJVq46K
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyd9tY8PXpQ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMiTiEOxN1
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pi4JCunBz
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o87UKRsgR
"Huh?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4YIGF4DsJ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvF4fCSNLZE
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0r5hHlqjA
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8olXuNXyXj
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAttW7ZLBH6
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnL2ZyGAax
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeItDV5IRO7
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVW3yOAqkH
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUolKHL1JVS
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNUkHWmMhb
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5m2Evwk6L
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbT11VJ7hb
Boris threw his arms wide.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TcbifciXu
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlFY89ED85
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSbNM6ZvrA
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnvJxWOdHM
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUUwHJonfD
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05DieG0HpY
And then the magic happened.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvCCYpdZ45
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCMVQldSlP
**BOOM**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq23RjZPObd
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IQIkiHgl9
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYNbmthYGB
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNgiUvqZeI
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsp2WhuLPjW
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPOmCtvV90
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.
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxyGRV7fdl
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFbkPqINQZ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkqbhlm94u
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uXAHRLo75
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSr0ctAGbb3
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYD5Z2Fcf4
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubsCTd2lor
Then, it shrunk.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadVXj64CC2
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQV2ocwMaS7
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKKkt2OffP
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO0uiwpPo1
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mVyFpKPWd
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAw817Gq5NZ
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i3Adfwxiy
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7g06Z5seKN
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKe8soUSfUK
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMK6XBQ07e
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9LGAWMmhW
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfWAEzDWDM
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHw0eN7FQq
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ToGqU5Lc7
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSKkFWnzFP
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm2CLmE4dq
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDFL8GdUEQ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKvOjEaf2n
"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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIV82Cy11w
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4UKXkPyj4
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZW1CVcAFA
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoT15fDOlT6
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIJ2FQGD5Y
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ29ZBHNGr
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5cSLZ3il1
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnB9eD7xQaa
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8MUypjF9mo
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEoDYwRDX3
"...Freak."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUd1iIG2LL3
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSC2t9dncv
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38YrmMV5vd
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4TkENIjQw
"And just look at how right I was."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedXb1iaUQf
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHcMmY5tbQ
A hearty chuckle came from him.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI86rkxmeGf
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAuF8ZJZcq
"Well, that won't do you any good."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSRE8taabh
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4YTk21NnM
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlH0fXKG2o
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2BFmBJrcA
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHa0XHaNrFn
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh52CcRGg4Y
She put one leg forward.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGQpKbBzbW
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkyTlJQI4z
"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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlt99ak6dwt
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnBmK4evmR
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNnSh43vKT
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XTEj5caF3
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaT1TjVjApo
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkfkNj9Kyn
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–
–
–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7AxlhpPaw
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkITu5nMvqD
–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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu065yB5ogZ
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdlrnSySaP
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWaMgQdU7l
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw886ijY27R
–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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEOY5QSV8y
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvlgF2q1tI
–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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyohu3rX0Pg
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2KeBuBtkC
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8zb9oYlKM
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiaj7eZ2Ax
–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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRRQ3ULxbj
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPltfv0okq
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMUCvZGdvu
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCujJGlSez8
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**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJZBlNhRhv
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDgLibVdJ4
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5wjWH6rXK
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWc1SrLrzL
–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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO54zZuxWaM
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7u95tRYC6t
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG17SHe6WGu
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsc6E2FgGV0
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHPBj6obdh
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvefkA2r1oz
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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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oCFSVWlcw
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnG2LXIImCM
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOy6bXY3zFk
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqMVw1x6U3
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"You... ass."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroGDesRLW5
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetYq54l2lW
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QlFSlv0Iu
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"You're not crawling away?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUPKzVjG2P
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"...I'm not a damn worm."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYP4VoljFMh
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6gJB208V6
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpx2pBdhrVQ
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDO5tguzFWG
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42jDXw3Eis
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWSyrODA2m
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKGV3Sidxu
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWLSF5pgUG
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUcoRqE354
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGonXpgO3B
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And she couldn't do a thing.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMUpjZJZee
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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:223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxj2yu3Ekv7
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlIdxnOpmu
Sorry, mom–223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhibrSiGhU
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**CRACK**223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ434ZDIrIYD
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgL9z0HLp0
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVERRXQUSM
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"And there goes your leg."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaXUA1c1Jb
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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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUC7vghm5Es
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUyqtxKGnQ
"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhxCbW05zk
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxZanpJYvb
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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEWvQH7EB0
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7ql3Hq4MY
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIobUyb1ypJ
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But those words of his stole it away.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8kfEmrhjt
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OpkSermEQ
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLWqQSH8Tw
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H41u0gshN
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9794oP4g8C
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPvYqOwWRA
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfEsXOLFoD
223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKN2pt6AQj
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.
