The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.280Please respect copyright.PENANAQAonIVvECX
280Please respect copyright.PENANAqdGB3ZsHM1
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAYjVF36R0dn
280Please respect copyright.PENANAUNjxeTL6qt
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."280Please respect copyright.PENANA7F1i3qgv6M
280Please respect copyright.PENANACFqiOcqrpy
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**280Please respect copyright.PENANA12ut8hXPO7
280Please respect copyright.PENANABl94ZYMbHw
"Ack!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAjRcfKmKOhZ
280Please respect copyright.PENANAYZiSGt4nf0
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.280Please respect copyright.PENANAxeGbeeAyR2
280Please respect copyright.PENANAqet47t1TwE
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAIlo61iuuGv
280Please respect copyright.PENANAEkNftWJZom
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAjCq0DCGJro
280Please respect copyright.PENANAIpxW7XjHbY
"...Useless–!"280Please respect copyright.PENANArECFx9MoeO
280Please respect copyright.PENANANz45LQMPfC
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–280Please respect copyright.PENANALqfkuePELy
280Please respect copyright.PENANAI98TgLC3jb
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.280Please respect copyright.PENANAdc5Rbd3no7
280Please respect copyright.PENANAH4tIvzvpFJ
And it was someone I recognized280Please respect copyright.PENANAzYzSJv1szM
280Please respect copyright.PENANAVtWRnD4ASy
–
–
–
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAw21F158W1c
280Please respect copyright.PENANA0FGfAbsix2
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAirWPXIpHPu
280Please respect copyright.PENANArqJQbX9jtR
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.280Please respect copyright.PENANAZr4IZTS7eJ
280Please respect copyright.PENANAH4OqgsgXWj
"Hi."280Please respect copyright.PENANAUzzg6xLgDT
280Please respect copyright.PENANAlYfZYaLNcX
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANALAP3Ad8DVA
280Please respect copyright.PENANASe6hGVpvi9
"What!?"280Please respect copyright.PENANA7bbvyb58Iu
280Please respect copyright.PENANAG7qQ50NXkW
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.280Please respect copyright.PENANA5jxm7DZa99
280Please respect copyright.PENANAu3bebBO8E1
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."280Please respect copyright.PENANAtTMsujoNA1
280Please respect copyright.PENANAf2NWZ2nH5n
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAcHrSORKiUx
280Please respect copyright.PENANAQC7xmUZ17P
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAGJW6hi1017
280Please respect copyright.PENANAPfgBouZtub
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAudlT4oSdiT
280Please respect copyright.PENANAzSvabO0JCo
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.280Please respect copyright.PENANAMMMGIvFs5S
280Please respect copyright.PENANApXf6vaxECo
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."280Please respect copyright.PENANAVAOjR3Ilkp
280Please respect copyright.PENANANIsmiWs4LM
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAAjIOrj7P86
280Please respect copyright.PENANAkeL1VBbfl9
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"280Please respect copyright.PENANAT6txZdqFi7
280Please respect copyright.PENANAL7Er6OCXcQ
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."280Please respect copyright.PENANAu2ZDLfHPBn
280Please respect copyright.PENANAVTNcV2MqsQ
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAQbZDE82TyO
280Please respect copyright.PENANAk8Xzrq9q42
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.280Please respect copyright.PENANACWg97R4JEs
280Please respect copyright.PENANAcUWsUS5vV3
"The next room's up ahead!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAGjeqX8EctK
280Please respect copyright.PENANAkmbrNplCxv
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAsKTZ3bJgVa
280Please respect copyright.PENANA4637tBU6JY
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–280Please respect copyright.PENANAcQ3UPnWhR2
280Please respect copyright.PENANABbkWh1c08M
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAw161kT8Uri
280Please respect copyright.PENANAuAflsjuR0R
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA1V8QrvbIVL
280Please respect copyright.PENANAZBaC2oDUCW
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAsfChBGAXeC
280Please respect copyright.PENANA9kjLnlUE48
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA6U5yd59bV5
280Please respect copyright.PENANA1vB0iFYiiX
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAKPabAh0gy5
280Please respect copyright.PENANAE8iXIrDs3M
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"280Please respect copyright.PENANA1UJ42F8koV
280Please respect copyright.PENANAHseIDwpF8x
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–280Please respect copyright.PENANAbjL8yvu8Ho
280Please respect copyright.PENANATK2KxQtElO
**THUD**280Please respect copyright.PENANAw7F9Rr26yC
280Please respect copyright.PENANA35DCxKNxj4
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANApN0HiF7s0U
280Please respect copyright.PENANA311sgyGLTU
"...Same tricks as always."280Please respect copyright.PENANAyWYMOemX2T
280Please respect copyright.PENANA29t1SWcdAp
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.280Please respect copyright.PENANAJRGvLZJPol
280Please respect copyright.PENANADiG78Hzjgp
"Hoh– it is you. You!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAPl5uIeVC88
280Please respect copyright.PENANAB57da0ipy6
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.280Please respect copyright.PENANAOY3j6w14HH
280Please respect copyright.PENANA4u8aMsTOrh
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"280Please respect copyright.PENANA4j1oNBDwFk
280Please respect copyright.PENANAR5NntYt8x3
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.280Please respect copyright.PENANACexv79AJTl
280Please respect copyright.PENANAfBGdl31Exq
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAmISPmD4mrv
280Please respect copyright.PENANAf6tfCSxqkU
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANARIRXrRHbQj
280Please respect copyright.PENANAiHtDYNNaJR
"Nigel."280Please respect copyright.PENANAKEVWYGsvFz
280Please respect copyright.PENANAgNuiZEMxdY
"Yes?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAFBoCgTqqgA
280Please respect copyright.PENANAu4YGd7zuyp
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."280Please respect copyright.PENANAKzxEiuRF3X
280Please respect copyright.PENANAwkgAUU81Tf
"...You're kidding me, certainly."280Please respect copyright.PENANAJpMcMv4rUw
280Please respect copyright.PENANAG5aWPOGwkU
Rover shook her head back and forth.280Please respect copyright.PENANAw2OHzhmF99
280Please respect copyright.PENANAI0UdePih7m
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAtsxLG0qsDb
280Please respect copyright.PENANAdFMq6qdqIQ
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."280Please respect copyright.PENANAvFFi48AFnd
280Please respect copyright.PENANAnEp29WXxik
"You fought him before, then?"280Please respect copyright.PENANA6hjzpYmvlx
280Please respect copyright.PENANAb72URSXyH2
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAzpciqmZzCL
280Please respect copyright.PENANAN25iOESWOW
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAn0EMBLC035
280Please respect copyright.PENANAty9jcf0DIp
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.280Please respect copyright.PENANAXXi3An9YJr
280Please respect copyright.PENANAfptWmCSKFh
"Very well! Don't die on me!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAGdJCI39DZ2
280Please respect copyright.PENANAfx1FSIRdax
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA0ExsfHMDg3
280Please respect copyright.PENANA1ThYut8n8G
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAzDPePcqu5W
280Please respect copyright.PENANArUXXX1y3li
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAmd1a0g8wsn
280Please respect copyright.PENANAsLP7o7MNLh
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAs6fd7zPW3T
280Please respect copyright.PENANAdoKkug2o2k
"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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAkM8H0zA5q5
280Please respect copyright.PENANAUjurpK8Qpb
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAb1vyAK7DkF
280Please respect copyright.PENANAe4IJORZsbx
"..."280Please respect copyright.PENANAr3flGZZGDK
280Please respect copyright.PENANAHlIbgFbdJr
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAUq8WFgIMLf
280Please respect copyright.PENANAmP9WLGPdPm
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.280Please respect copyright.PENANAXfm4dBTGOy
280Please respect copyright.PENANAwHJTrcHjQO
"Fine. Good luck!"280Please respect copyright.PENANALJJLnXGPOa
280Please respect copyright.PENANArFECXBi2cD
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–280Please respect copyright.PENANATRysU1Qfgv
280Please respect copyright.PENANAk3SSBwvzDg
**THUD**280Please respect copyright.PENANAJyZho6fxxp
280Please respect copyright.PENANAHdBPThSmE6
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAgF1zW9Clqu
280Please respect copyright.PENANAKQG4fTsG2b
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANALcplRRdpj4
280Please respect copyright.PENANANBLGJOFNY9
"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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAppUCO2zcSw
280Please respect copyright.PENANAo9YefwvVMB
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.280Please respect copyright.PENANAomXi2EzynB
280Please respect copyright.PENANAi7GGCHGXj4
"Come at me, Boris!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAfS72AXJBVg
280Please respect copyright.PENANAoz6XA3560P
–280Please respect copyright.PENANAjBUxcNUocm
280Please respect copyright.PENANAyutfNxc6C3
–280Please respect copyright.PENANAkYooe8qh1E
280Please respect copyright.PENANAWeVv7zwg4c
–280Please respect copyright.PENANA6CYgeqVpeF
280Please respect copyright.PENANA7xwkYSjQYu
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.280Please respect copyright.PENANAmxhBaG0hp4
280Please respect copyright.PENANAVpjlXrHA1R
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAneZhCWnetd
280Please respect copyright.PENANAkZTstM0Y9S
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA7oHjbBNOy2
280Please respect copyright.PENANAiEuJHaNliR
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAE5ypLbF6HY
280Please respect copyright.PENANA23Al9RYBQT
"Huh!?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAZNaNeyOREC
280Please respect copyright.PENANAhGQrXwbRg1
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANABDmzJc65JI
280Please respect copyright.PENANA76ScV9FC9C
"Hah!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAUoizBHrhqN
280Please respect copyright.PENANA2BAMvmpahd
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAbbzeE0YS2f
280Please respect copyright.PENANADXU73cdfhS
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–280Please respect copyright.PENANA9xknG79y66
280Please respect copyright.PENANA8HN6pwCVUm
"Here!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAWhDgboL84i
280Please respect copyright.PENANAXkh98fDnw2
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAAqf3GwiwCx
280Please respect copyright.PENANAOtCIO7E6fe
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."280Please respect copyright.PENANAiZzxMqxe4u
280Please respect copyright.PENANA3JIe1CerJp
"Tch."280Please respect copyright.PENANAfffN43G10b
280Please respect copyright.PENANA0HEYmNcUMH
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANApwxyw42xuS
280Please respect copyright.PENANAUZToZk85XF
**CLANG**280Please respect copyright.PENANAEn5FkBHw4l
280Please respect copyright.PENANARkNz6Q3X7o
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAby02AugZ6p
280Please respect copyright.PENANAxN1gUaqaUa
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAgmxQqYIfCd
280Please respect copyright.PENANAmCJ2ofA52R
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANATVTg3k43ok
280Please respect copyright.PENANAlFuO2BctRF
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–280Please respect copyright.PENANAEfkzc1LYfO
280Please respect copyright.PENANAwrhXC5hGB4
**SMASH**280Please respect copyright.PENANAmcodBeyPuz
280Please respect copyright.PENANAqkGEmfshBa
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.280Please respect copyright.PENANAqsVJQgIY8N
280Please respect copyright.PENANAx8DxBb8l7v
"Ack. Shit!"280Please respect copyright.PENANA4Zt3nJI9TI
280Please respect copyright.PENANArqEig7GSqU
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAiVc4zTggve
280Please respect copyright.PENANA98MXytfXz9
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"280Please respect copyright.PENANA1QIIlLeRre
280Please respect copyright.PENANAyML8avggn9
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.280Please respect copyright.PENANAVkePFfcT1a
280Please respect copyright.PENANAxTRNLMfo9L
"But not enough."280Please respect copyright.PENANAXzL6Ehs1y9
280Please respect copyright.PENANALYTqJU7gpd
"--!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAEC05ts8omo
280Please respect copyright.PENANAT82pTc3hB9
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.280Please respect copyright.PENANAAfnsVrReVr
280Please respect copyright.PENANAvT6SHI0aLA
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"280Please respect copyright.PENANA3VFdaN4ukm
280Please respect copyright.PENANAtWGCYf51bM
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.280Please respect copyright.PENANAcdmMhBAJa9
280Please respect copyright.PENANAktIbfgiDGm
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAg1NW3WPgDy
280Please respect copyright.PENANAgdITI7P2vm
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAksW5yumeTy
280Please respect copyright.PENANAoyjQaz8KsH
"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 "280Please respect copyright.PENANASteK8tPU7c
280Please respect copyright.PENANAh6Pom5JLqL
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAi4iGq4gaVw
280Please respect copyright.PENANAMmZO4qc2cx
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAfIkHh4yYSM
280Please respect copyright.PENANAsuLoPbfOkF
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.280Please respect copyright.PENANAGYQcCtGGyn
280Please respect copyright.PENANAgtIaTfzEl8
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA7SZSh7TdlV
280Please respect copyright.PENANAWOdw7Kwu96
"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."280Please respect copyright.PENANAzv4BpTDfup
280Please respect copyright.PENANATgbFQgZtdP
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.280Please respect copyright.PENANAoKNDPpzWkn
280Please respect copyright.PENANAzcaETeWDgx
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"280Please respect copyright.PENANAuX6Zfkfops
280Please respect copyright.PENANASHv9qi6NlS
"--Fine!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAdOmMx7vcbh
280Please respect copyright.PENANAo7aZ5A6bMG
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA84PWmJ8VHH
280Please respect copyright.PENANAMhLQ3Ncalb
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAC2jmj5hcE0
280Please respect copyright.PENANAX6yVnb4JxO
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA4Tvs1Q0041
280Please respect copyright.PENANAXQpVdE5JLX
"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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA3oLnSLPO7Q
280Please respect copyright.PENANATQTRIwBOiL
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAtGLZLkLx80
280Please respect copyright.PENANA08URjDMfyu
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"280Please respect copyright.PENANARmuIoy6rab
280Please respect copyright.PENANAeH1KSHZxVx
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAovOA2PWcfC
280Please respect copyright.PENANAPos9KxtlA5
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA4hJ8tY8Zxw
280Please respect copyright.PENANA4M7SOuxHWQ
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAA5NJPQx8to
280Please respect copyright.PENANAVnjyPZ159n
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA1cgmUhIuQL
280Please respect copyright.PENANAODwHI6AFn3
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAFvdbyx5hR6
280Please respect copyright.PENANAdYfOUZ3zeE
"Come and find out!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAkODmjY698Q
280Please respect copyright.PENANAruwVAxv78g
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAYeFP2Xry2D
280Please respect copyright.PENANA5Fda0ZMTaH
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.280Please respect copyright.PENANAVGKEga2M31
280Please respect copyright.PENANAatbPIBV035
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAyyLOAPoTRl
280Please respect copyright.PENANAQC6F7dli8s
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANArJrdOBLBKu
280Please respect copyright.PENANAGqM6rZZ12j
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAP996IgTYvk
280Please respect copyright.PENANAVkaCNIdppl
"Finally!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAwkHp9iRYH8
280Please respect copyright.PENANA9JpTrtjCf7
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAgatu1SmnFz
280Please respect copyright.PENANAPV2dD7laUs
"--Ack! Shit!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAUrQtcFOuYf
280Please respect copyright.PENANADjRZtlzwFG
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.280Please respect copyright.PENANApa21bakU6X
280Please respect copyright.PENANAS2w8WxU6nH
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAjvdUiwtCfG
280Please respect copyright.PENANAlzJLxpfJkR
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAMl4xIh0YIy
280Please respect copyright.PENANAgpQcRoC5Mp
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–280Please respect copyright.PENANAkozc0sPhcu
280Please respect copyright.PENANAdl15C48xpc
"...!"280Please respect copyright.PENANArBNpjwRhzk
280Please respect copyright.PENANAAbQxWIQHlt
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–280Please respect copyright.PENANAM15s4OCOEM
280Please respect copyright.PENANA360MWcxTg7
"Ah-ha!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAx3N3OTxmNI
280Please respect copyright.PENANA79PX2DgbbN
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANACF8VEGlkSv
280Please respect copyright.PENANAbK1fJdd6Ho
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.280Please respect copyright.PENANAjeRqc4m5yj
280Please respect copyright.PENANAT3DVGxd5hu
**THUD**280Please respect copyright.PENANAzSqXj9cPE7
280Please respect copyright.PENANA7AhQXFR5V8
"Urk!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAiBYrwK4PVo
280Please respect copyright.PENANAsy28fTwJof
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAUcbJv2CszY
280Please respect copyright.PENANAOagmoYfshh
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.280Please respect copyright.PENANAeXSCkk5BXq
280Please respect copyright.PENANAIm6i60h6KI
"Huh?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAdNp90S44a5
280Please respect copyright.PENANA5gtJqnQCcz
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.280Please respect copyright.PENANAgo6F1eIJ2f
280Please respect copyright.PENANA0bQaSPmwHk
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAZrggPdAPmK
280Please respect copyright.PENANAVWC97yVouT
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAUS7elxx4SI
280Please respect copyright.PENANAtnXz6llRqP
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAnjOU4gy50I
280Please respect copyright.PENANAODz6YV6jvs
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"280Please respect copyright.PENANAtUPz8MnRig
280Please respect copyright.PENANAJPZBXA3Rxp
Boris threw his arms wide.280Please respect copyright.PENANA3vaMUCqyMx
280Please respect copyright.PENANAYTWXOq50f4
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"280Please respect copyright.PENANA84IJYxMDt2
280Please respect copyright.PENANAzuTsD8eqHT
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAHSo5e9Wj7t
280Please respect copyright.PENANAy7QYjnWRVk
And then the magic happened.280Please respect copyright.PENANA7FKEZFs7Aj
280Please respect copyright.PENANAZKYNAzxlj2
**BOOM**280Please respect copyright.PENANAus865ibroM
280Please respect copyright.PENANAeRIoufhNM3
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA1dQDYGBHhD
280Please respect copyright.PENANAbTVIXYIUos
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."280Please respect copyright.PENANAB3nudFeHbv
280Please respect copyright.PENANANoD8flab8S
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.
280Please respect copyright.PENANAjbzdjiphDj
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"280Please respect copyright.PENANAFqJHw0qcZi
280Please respect copyright.PENANAE11Ua1I6iQ
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAaY8GsEHt5Z
280Please respect copyright.PENANAdGmOK98SFL
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAvlmtYTdby3
280Please respect copyright.PENANAe2A1C68cQ9
Then, it shrunk.280Please respect copyright.PENANA85DICbEJYD
280Please respect copyright.PENANAJivdygROR3
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."280Please respect copyright.PENANAOphBcrcrop
280Please respect copyright.PENANAeARJf6I67i
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAiYugOntrQ5
280Please respect copyright.PENANAsfqpolIXlb
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAqinT5bUK6H
280Please respect copyright.PENANAJXuz0W3eAZ
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAfNmFFnXyms
280Please respect copyright.PENANASLuE4v5URK
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.280Please respect copyright.PENANAhieB38uIk1
280Please respect copyright.PENANALSyfumNS57
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."280Please respect copyright.PENANAukIgg9PieA
280Please respect copyright.PENANASBvusivTwV
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAqS8dLARZWf
280Please respect copyright.PENANA2mWqaljHBZ
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.280Please respect copyright.PENANAGbYTkKEiEG
280Please respect copyright.PENANAPlW5C9wWGS
"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."280Please respect copyright.PENANAMfAAexgIdS
280Please respect copyright.PENANAYIePXSvIpz
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.280Please respect copyright.PENANAcxAh4Y3RCQ
280Please respect copyright.PENANAdIG3ES3w6i
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."280Please respect copyright.PENANAgsV6VNDO8q
280Please respect copyright.PENANAGvu51pRV1N
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAb9GjhGQhxB
280Please respect copyright.PENANAHeL82BkBVw
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."280Please respect copyright.PENANANlNZV2aCMV
280Please respect copyright.PENANAcodQBjlAAi
"...Freak."280Please respect copyright.PENANAB801yOBpp3
280Please respect copyright.PENANAmVUUglqpxF
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAJgjFm3UVPA
280Please respect copyright.PENANASbqxSR3NFj
"And just look at how right I was."280Please respect copyright.PENANA5omcjmKUil
280Please respect copyright.PENANAoZGcz7HvI8
A hearty chuckle came from him.280Please respect copyright.PENANAZiM7Qmy9PT
280Please respect copyright.PENANAwTR0oKItlr
"Well, that won't do you any good."280Please respect copyright.PENANAkiiI2dX5oW
280Please respect copyright.PENANADLD6iz5bSK
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.280Please respect copyright.PENANAfxnd6U7d1m
280Please respect copyright.PENANAWdEMpHammB
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."280Please respect copyright.PENANAsBwH8dNto8
280Please respect copyright.PENANAlJAtLvUsaD
She put one leg forward.280Please respect copyright.PENANA7t39lI0ve2
280Please respect copyright.PENANALXZCxWJIiY
"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."280Please respect copyright.PENANAmiqDIthmbo
280Please respect copyright.PENANA1dnDqvHnlO
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.280Please respect copyright.PENANA2SHP3oJLZZ
280Please respect copyright.PENANA87I5KThaT2
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"280Please respect copyright.PENANA5OwxmI1dck
280Please respect copyright.PENANAYLJI0IQ1CY
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.280Please respect copyright.PENANA9QsDJj447H
280Please respect copyright.PENANAastzjGyWSy
–
–
–280Please respect copyright.PENANAWOMFmZdYQ3
280Please respect copyright.PENANAidfpwvvv8H
–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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAkQF0wWZ0CL
280Please respect copyright.PENANAH3UR6q7W6u
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA1FaEXNhPtN
280Please respect copyright.PENANAZMSORE0Xe2
–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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA4lXxDhjKup
280Please respect copyright.PENANA4zzaYV9lIw
–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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAL1NR0TSGJh
280Please respect copyright.PENANAtXL6zXy7gQ
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAtl9ELUzoLz
280Please respect copyright.PENANAs9SoLuFhxr
–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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAQbURyic6gZ
280Please respect copyright.PENANAxYq10C9My1
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAXSisicIUpV
280Please respect copyright.PENANAKIRdnjXV8P
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**280Please respect copyright.PENANA1KUkzAbWqx
280Please respect copyright.PENANAORZYhC0RXM
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA37d3LDYEHQ
280Please respect copyright.PENANApt79Dp8Fct
–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.280Please respect copyright.PENANA1Jw9IORcLo
280Please respect copyright.PENANAQAZlfOBUzy
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAACNmsNLigf
280Please respect copyright.PENANADRXhvOrLPG
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."280Please respect copyright.PENANAiromQ1VTPS
280Please respect copyright.PENANALBOjthBRuS
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAJ4ml7T1I1h
280Please respect copyright.PENANA7D3x5BAXcE
"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."280Please respect copyright.PENANAi5EkpZvkRx
280Please respect copyright.PENANAkEUG32bBX7
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.280Please respect copyright.PENANAoDyy3gSubc
280Please respect copyright.PENANAgvwU1zFful
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."280Please respect copyright.PENANAJfOLO9oGI0
280Please respect copyright.PENANA0PEeFSmuIF
"You... ass."280Please respect copyright.PENANAx7F2YXTan1
280Please respect copyright.PENANApClfZt98OF
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAuJgNdvopoQ
280Please respect copyright.PENANAn6LJ9Ii18a
"You're not crawling away?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAlrTns7RKub
280Please respect copyright.PENANAVAS60q9jp6
"...I'm not a damn worm."280Please respect copyright.PENANAYfhvOE1TAV
280Please respect copyright.PENANAoBb7QLu3fR
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."280Please respect copyright.PENANAkK029rFafi
280Please respect copyright.PENANAoNGQlaarPA
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.280Please respect copyright.PENANAEzlWcdrNXU
280Please respect copyright.PENANATr4de2lHAm
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"280Please respect copyright.PENANAFF15xX6vZg
280Please respect copyright.PENANACzdwA0bn68
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAXvlfJbvhG2
280Please respect copyright.PENANAKuMI2DpOYW
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAzCmqNp1y4K
280Please respect copyright.PENANAbPjrpCLA43
And she couldn't do a thing.280Please respect copyright.PENANAnaINHHa3N5
280Please respect copyright.PENANAiRVBK0v3q9
–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:280Please respect copyright.PENANAgUCMrLRU2d
280Please respect copyright.PENANASOSO5Vn4yp
Sorry, mom–280Please respect copyright.PENANAS3WBASPd4V
280Please respect copyright.PENANARdsTVTZkjB
**CRACK**280Please respect copyright.PENANA8eixlwHDk5
280Please respect copyright.PENANAPfeMI2Pjb1
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"280Please respect copyright.PENANARoiqW94UE9
280Please respect copyright.PENANARROPN4z67J
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.280Please respect copyright.PENANAn5Sii8i15R
280Please respect copyright.PENANAzJ0MPqVkxl
"And there goes your leg."280Please respect copyright.PENANAnH1puQWPrI
280Please respect copyright.PENANAFHYD4KhM9K
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAb9dsnLWhkj
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."280Please respect copyright.PENANAzaPSRvYCJ1
280Please respect copyright.PENANA196GdGDyRD
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."280Please respect copyright.PENANA8wltI8sgbz
280Please respect copyright.PENANAuyEYlzCWFh
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAmdaSGOj4Ux
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But those words of his stole it away.280Please respect copyright.PENANAxNQXOb5clp
280Please respect copyright.PENANAB4lNxnG4Uq
"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."280Please respect copyright.PENANABqPMNJ1mbQ
280Please respect copyright.PENANAzXmMY68Bcj
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANArchDVCB0XW
280Please respect copyright.PENANAEaHHUARACz
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.280Please respect copyright.PENANAdjfb57nQDW
280Please respect copyright.PENANAZLESlnoZ8H
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.