The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.28Please respect copyright.PENANAg5kcq35JqK
28Please respect copyright.PENANAMXNFdrvSqZ
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA2vc6lvQuem
28Please respect copyright.PENANAisxzlWb8dh
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."28Please respect copyright.PENANAX5bWO6KoPp
28Please respect copyright.PENANA0J6S6VBxUB
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**28Please respect copyright.PENANAv341Z9EUdi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAeiNeJeetWq
"Ack!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAGbI2R8HGZr
28Please respect copyright.PENANAc6rJEQQHZs
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.28Please respect copyright.PENANAs309DAEvDW
28Please respect copyright.PENANAauF2axuErD
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAjXGPgHdDad
28Please respect copyright.PENANAAz1rGTvGqh
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAsvMuPqkMyT
28Please respect copyright.PENANA0kzNFmfv2g
"...Useless–!"28Please respect copyright.PENANA3MO2yEQapU
28Please respect copyright.PENANAmXmKSLSBn3
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–28Please respect copyright.PENANAfSOXIDlHYz
28Please respect copyright.PENANAzI5WdUqygj
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.28Please respect copyright.PENANAFxxEFSg7Xa
28Please respect copyright.PENANAHQit9uoyO9
And it was someone I recognized28Please respect copyright.PENANAgMhA7Sf5K7
28Please respect copyright.PENANAdxhJ8dhfBz
–
–
–
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAFasO5W7zJF
28Please respect copyright.PENANAyOOsgGQnmW
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANASziuC1YTH4
28Please respect copyright.PENANATzXmdNOlLm
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.28Please respect copyright.PENANAhxFMaFaKzu
28Please respect copyright.PENANAC1H7kNmG5D
"Hi."28Please respect copyright.PENANAIk9gfKfO0k
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9ErXfxoIVL
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAElPvMFUDVp
28Please respect copyright.PENANALcgRLUqJe8
"What!?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAKNYnNOVEAi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAdRLasoQ2ba
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.28Please respect copyright.PENANA0Z2bzh5f21
28Please respect copyright.PENANAaZKVkDnBf0
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."28Please respect copyright.PENANAicTXGr4JES
28Please respect copyright.PENANA3GRbXEDsuo
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA7FCjsAufyj
28Please respect copyright.PENANAtMWDpgxJXz
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAgmnCQNGGWF
28Please respect copyright.PENANA5vxDBg19ty
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"28Please respect copyright.PENANATSRDXsVgVq
28Please respect copyright.PENANAu03rQmDvee
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.28Please respect copyright.PENANACcgh9HGdW9
28Please respect copyright.PENANA4iLHgTTDBW
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."28Please respect copyright.PENANANUkqkE5ZHX
28Please respect copyright.PENANAKoQ3a1TvVJ
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAYshBO2dtCF
28Please respect copyright.PENANAfDOYqiwXBz
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"28Please respect copyright.PENANAaRcN2yStbi
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9UuaTxziFV
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."28Please respect copyright.PENANAArncZxzagw
28Please respect copyright.PENANA5zMuvHDKoP
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA8tqEQSCeLC
28Please respect copyright.PENANAKbelVJPfg8
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.28Please respect copyright.PENANAO30gduFwz7
28Please respect copyright.PENANAB4Cyo0UHVJ
"The next room's up ahead!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAe7v0WWma2s
28Please respect copyright.PENANAeW7KyIdGui
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAmQ0BInvkBO
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9a5PkRA6Oz
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–28Please respect copyright.PENANAaeIQfi69ex
28Please respect copyright.PENANAzbDSV5GKBs
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAYRZO4PZtzK
28Please respect copyright.PENANA7iShVdX7h3
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA2NzPDFvxcO
28Please respect copyright.PENANAOlc8yPn3Ok
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAAcpwTLwFZd
28Please respect copyright.PENANAOrMtGWxdrv
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAgnm6FsHlUc
28Please respect copyright.PENANARY8RsEUXof
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANASXcS5Glzd9
28Please respect copyright.PENANAOPwq26mCA4
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAxF53T5TnoI
28Please respect copyright.PENANArzh33ZEpAQ
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–28Please respect copyright.PENANAJpTfGuVBFz
28Please respect copyright.PENANAjEXOrxiVCG
**THUD**28Please respect copyright.PENANA7j70ljWvW8
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9yWL2rg6yP
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA43sGaqB6WC
28Please respect copyright.PENANAIsS9cmRrtw
"...Same tricks as always."28Please respect copyright.PENANA5hdXlNmI7u
28Please respect copyright.PENANAILcMEW0d4n
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.28Please respect copyright.PENANAlOi4TYTwk7
28Please respect copyright.PENANALOxetb5OoW
"Hoh– it is you. You!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAVVA7XdtUu0
28Please respect copyright.PENANA8nZnaaMLgi
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.28Please respect copyright.PENANAAOOSzlR8a7
28Please respect copyright.PENANAuvVhu5qODw
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAmYtgJ2wJGY
28Please respect copyright.PENANAEuidD27BxK
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.28Please respect copyright.PENANAJl84xooyQQ
28Please respect copyright.PENANAqxGXJ7xfAY
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"28Please respect copyright.PENANArAJosKMubq
28Please respect copyright.PENANAPPOEFXq7s4
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAxW5pvDuYwh
28Please respect copyright.PENANAgeWVzUzy5h
"Nigel."28Please respect copyright.PENANAo9hnljdxaT
28Please respect copyright.PENANAwmXZT2AERW
"Yes?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAktLszJqPfB
28Please respect copyright.PENANA7rgrr5HV7e
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."28Please respect copyright.PENANAyzJ4055yz3
28Please respect copyright.PENANARlNWxvIL8v
"...You're kidding me, certainly."28Please respect copyright.PENANA46eNLqetqI
28Please respect copyright.PENANASG2YKBvfhH
Rover shook her head back and forth.28Please respect copyright.PENANAy78uoE4KDr
28Please respect copyright.PENANA1kbG8sO0xI
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAftnwbBdsW1
28Please respect copyright.PENANATrP0ce3Ree
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."28Please respect copyright.PENANAPXYiyJU26r
28Please respect copyright.PENANA8AI4LZrDjS
"You fought him before, then?"28Please respect copyright.PENANANUNO1GDTA4
28Please respect copyright.PENANAqKl1Y1FQPa
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAFRvCST7QOX
28Please respect copyright.PENANA36InrCkOiL
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAggRGPfEr6g
28Please respect copyright.PENANAUQqAPA7D2N
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.28Please respect copyright.PENANA2QXAANwgwK
28Please respect copyright.PENANA6Mj9vGVtNI
"Very well! Don't die on me!"28Please respect copyright.PENANA7vvccQ1K7Q
28Please respect copyright.PENANAp28SCjsS7f
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAc03XdglMzb
28Please respect copyright.PENANAKYIJy2fgLp
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAgWtCdNi4K3
28Please respect copyright.PENANAljrOHpa0fL
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAtQPNTni4AM
28Please respect copyright.PENANAf5OXQpbPaY
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAslrH3MFXFH
28Please respect copyright.PENANATIJDRT1sBC
"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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAIVL8O8Hhvi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAmZhWa3fVZ4
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA700YqQ6BEm
28Please respect copyright.PENANAXBF0YJwTXB
"..."28Please respect copyright.PENANAbJiCEyRElm
28Please respect copyright.PENANAJM1RW886dh
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANATOu1JohmNS
28Please respect copyright.PENANANWYLyw2qor
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.28Please respect copyright.PENANANWaEZUU4zE
28Please respect copyright.PENANALJBGddGD8a
"Fine. Good luck!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAP9N4Asqkji
28Please respect copyright.PENANAWcZ8UTrYvj
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–28Please respect copyright.PENANA0Ym1eVCuNL
28Please respect copyright.PENANAky8UxWUWOB
**THUD**28Please respect copyright.PENANAwY3fcnCX6h
28Please respect copyright.PENANAJMEvwXSMtF
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"28Please respect copyright.PENANATqFi1f7K8Y
28Please respect copyright.PENANAGSp9HyCyjT
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAcDpt2K2P02
28Please respect copyright.PENANAwjJ80jZaw8
"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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAAZTz1tNfJ7
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9JrME7Ecb6
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.28Please respect copyright.PENANA8Tw63nj3qR
28Please respect copyright.PENANAcQyjsdiWNC
"Come at me, Boris!"28Please respect copyright.PENANANJ9Ebi4Wts
28Please respect copyright.PENANA4AqgqQPbAd
–28Please respect copyright.PENANA98QjJwVEH9
28Please respect copyright.PENANAFXxTX3s1iL
–28Please respect copyright.PENANA8DZnIv5b8B
28Please respect copyright.PENANAFiOfdejMfp
–28Please respect copyright.PENANAu4JIcJIOfu
28Please respect copyright.PENANArlM8P5jJsU
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.28Please respect copyright.PENANAT38U8sRKxS
28Please respect copyright.PENANApYIMCgvKNI
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAcR25yLLqSZ
28Please respect copyright.PENANAYyp4TDAlYF
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA2plEvtFDHi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAnrwpISHoLV
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA0mY8ahxf7u
28Please respect copyright.PENANA06pQ2jRhMg
"Huh!?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAesJVWUAkTp
28Please respect copyright.PENANA3jyXMPIGXz
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA61qD7Jtnw8
28Please respect copyright.PENANAmae97NU6IP
"Hah!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAP6ha77ffEO
28Please respect copyright.PENANAfa7RaXSMJx
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAuy8qI25Qjz
28Please respect copyright.PENANAqoPpFEhR01
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–28Please respect copyright.PENANA5TbyYfMgcl
28Please respect copyright.PENANA5cW2lwZTB3
"Here!"28Please respect copyright.PENANADizpwM47IF
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9AukpggN7v
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAKXcZ2Gs2Qz
28Please respect copyright.PENANAvnoaRy4apZ
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."28Please respect copyright.PENANAnovEgkQE7z
28Please respect copyright.PENANA6zsMnPWCIj
"Tch."28Please respect copyright.PENANAaBdGq7bnwP
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9xPlLIZJbE
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA9PCndlU29E
28Please respect copyright.PENANAyv6VY9IJoP
**CLANG**28Please respect copyright.PENANAe7ykcFOScc
28Please respect copyright.PENANA3NA2q1eHj8
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAhnEBpEay9Y
28Please respect copyright.PENANAmU39LvJQOL
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAfBNx1IxLgw
28Please respect copyright.PENANAMUVUrpXZft
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAgEqaMDM38S
28Please respect copyright.PENANAGUyMTQaBO6
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–28Please respect copyright.PENANAdpsFoAhkP5
28Please respect copyright.PENANAoXuN2lglV6
**SMASH**28Please respect copyright.PENANAQsqU9hMzWO
28Please respect copyright.PENANAMTwdcEcYOM
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.28Please respect copyright.PENANAgxVaZ56tIV
28Please respect copyright.PENANAlPhLnCp1Eg
"Ack. Shit!"28Please respect copyright.PENANABljpTRPq0C
28Please respect copyright.PENANALSAL2hVGDE
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAtK1NAMnbrg
28Please respect copyright.PENANA6A4kM6yxWj
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAWsa1FkQNxp
28Please respect copyright.PENANA5yMUPo3GYR
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.28Please respect copyright.PENANAJ26hayOh10
28Please respect copyright.PENANAyaavYeeSpM
"But not enough."28Please respect copyright.PENANA0XZAYHtGCM
28Please respect copyright.PENANASLr2N1sAf7
"--!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAkuAA522IzH
28Please respect copyright.PENANANxkD3wyBHQ
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.28Please respect copyright.PENANAjwtNlT1u8Y
28Please respect copyright.PENANASd4gZlT4tf
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"28Please respect copyright.PENANApSC1mKPjgH
28Please respect copyright.PENANAuIfotVH13U
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.28Please respect copyright.PENANAXTZptjEfm4
28Please respect copyright.PENANAAJ7fmisFg7
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"28Please respect copyright.PENANArWqbJIDM6J
28Please respect copyright.PENANAQpt0UIMdfU
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAG8r7X8lL1X
28Please respect copyright.PENANAbZQRBdKSZ6
"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 "28Please respect copyright.PENANA0Vtr0lfKwa
28Please respect copyright.PENANAUyYIh4QgMF
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAh8pRCsYbsP
28Please respect copyright.PENANAtxYYFoDW05
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAmyrHNoIK8N
28Please respect copyright.PENANAKyhnSmT7p9
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.28Please respect copyright.PENANAssukuggNuf
28Please respect copyright.PENANAotx11mlyJZ
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAqQPtPdhwYv
28Please respect copyright.PENANATgNcpgvcRo
"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."28Please respect copyright.PENANAOL2hOqlrOY
28Please respect copyright.PENANAKyo2N8kQGc
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.28Please respect copyright.PENANAVIM83kLNVC
28Please respect copyright.PENANAFNWEGSrF8C
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"28Please respect copyright.PENANAuqHI0n5iYi
28Please respect copyright.PENANA063FRbBCmW
"--Fine!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAv6lyCtIyOx
28Please respect copyright.PENANAklNKvQ2IQe
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAPV6sgBJOmg
28Please respect copyright.PENANA5YuL5fbaIO
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAf5uh9RwmEY
28Please respect copyright.PENANAcuClDT0Buw
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAbOsnx9VMrp
28Please respect copyright.PENANAD01gMhnQwT
"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.28Please respect copyright.PENANANZFQXra3Dy
28Please respect copyright.PENANAsCrDkLGKSY
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAEYigKE27oz
28Please respect copyright.PENANA9t4gpdrXq3
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAKuAlm46vHi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAjV36xWXkBX
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAIPHJR5LXaL
28Please respect copyright.PENANAyqrfwOTEj0
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAoutivumO6C
28Please respect copyright.PENANAK0QBWZuK2B
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAZkp4groDmt
28Please respect copyright.PENANAWCoL7tybk0
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAahXk847sVi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAtK2hWQlkpR
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAxxrpJe4RHL
28Please respect copyright.PENANAtseN7HPM6B
"Come and find out!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAZOVuVkel6f
28Please respect copyright.PENANA1tdwLYhsBj
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA0oDcBLw2DI
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Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.28Please respect copyright.PENANAT1EnCiS0Ql
28Please respect copyright.PENANAiJaq6VMq3T
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAQohubFzjhv
28Please respect copyright.PENANAgPDy55tqJX
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAyQG09Gi0RA
28Please respect copyright.PENANAuKH9NDlNIe
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAue9Kv1FMVJ
28Please respect copyright.PENANACFf47Jw6oE
"Finally!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAwuqz9WaPSn
28Please respect copyright.PENANAkHp5hQJrHt
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA2avC7XeYzH
28Please respect copyright.PENANArCLocSbHiD
"--Ack! Shit!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAfwLhANVBEa
28Please respect copyright.PENANAbP46DvDSAy
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.28Please respect copyright.PENANABXSuxbibY5
28Please respect copyright.PENANAakCtMyGiZM
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAqsJf5BUBQV
28Please respect copyright.PENANAPKT45XIBKk
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA9bUsB7xJOi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAx2FSuOwcNf
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–28Please respect copyright.PENANAEjzGzF2CXm
28Please respect copyright.PENANAYYYwWTy1Mr
"...!"28Please respect copyright.PENANATpAnGcipJ2
28Please respect copyright.PENANAfunqTYDvTq
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–28Please respect copyright.PENANAZ634pc9pLz
28Please respect copyright.PENANAMstxiOMf7f
"Ah-ha!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAymJGYc0PrU
28Please respect copyright.PENANAJWtu1px6TW
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAlyTAQIjCo8
28Please respect copyright.PENANAOPBBaieQhG
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.28Please respect copyright.PENANAEo9xLzBWiI
28Please respect copyright.PENANAqKon0QhyFk
**THUD**28Please respect copyright.PENANAcprHxa0aS4
28Please respect copyright.PENANAXg96jZPSGo
"Urk!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAc2WrHsSWUv
28Please respect copyright.PENANA6uSZpnYWoB
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAtewAqighPA
28Please respect copyright.PENANAb8wrh9quRQ
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.28Please respect copyright.PENANA1xmpAzZN2M
28Please respect copyright.PENANAAdUf2CWR2v
"Huh?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAJJpZJP7zPm
28Please respect copyright.PENANAviuW1IZgmu
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.28Please respect copyright.PENANAjpKepsb4hG
28Please respect copyright.PENANANz1mm5b1dY
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"28Please respect copyright.PENANA53RCQ2m7Gx
28Please respect copyright.PENANAXVsHVhJ407
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAiRpnHaPhhi
28Please respect copyright.PENANA0qTqCpFuzY
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAOHJGMaRc77
28Please respect copyright.PENANAD7bpegRVdA
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"28Please respect copyright.PENANAVxid1P4xci
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Boris threw his arms wide.28Please respect copyright.PENANAi5sDNg0ePN
28Please respect copyright.PENANACX28Sld8Ij
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"28Please respect copyright.PENANAIrOoiVBfPZ
28Please respect copyright.PENANADf2wIx5WC6
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAeOJKF5d0Y9
28Please respect copyright.PENANAUK0vIpRv8t
And then the magic happened.28Please respect copyright.PENANAVVWNMe3FNd
28Please respect copyright.PENANAucYXZVVX84
**BOOM**28Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZnCfhoADq
28Please respect copyright.PENANAOMn3QND5tk
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAftpJzyEyvg
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"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."28Please respect copyright.PENANA8denFIi2Yg
28Please respect copyright.PENANACLpaUr2ZKD
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.
28Please respect copyright.PENANAExHgxEuGHk
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"28Please respect copyright.PENANAVDBceHqMGk
28Please respect copyright.PENANADJxZ8ovtRV
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA8yAZlF8Lmt
28Please respect copyright.PENANAsDq4mid8bd
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAhtk0JMoWYT
28Please respect copyright.PENANAgv312MxzfV
Then, it shrunk.28Please respect copyright.PENANAhc1nwPKlac
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."28Please respect copyright.PENANAhUqZ04Ns5w
28Please respect copyright.PENANAMq2vD7UImG
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA5qfI4wN7D4
28Please respect copyright.PENANAilytYvQnYD
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA2ASBwpwzoV
28Please respect copyright.PENANA0PpLnh5Su1
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAOGbtVyIP4q
28Please respect copyright.PENANA8RA6yXkhFI
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.28Please respect copyright.PENANAZGsnalKZU2
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"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."28Please respect copyright.PENANAuxcHNPktzs
28Please respect copyright.PENANA1xf7JSlg7m
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA9qmJbupafK
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And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.28Please respect copyright.PENANActWgXoxMWr
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"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."28Please respect copyright.PENANAz8UGfiLiL1
28Please respect copyright.PENANA3dzJ3pU4XV
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.28Please respect copyright.PENANAjcLPlPkFpV
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"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."28Please respect copyright.PENANA1DrNxqT7SF
28Please respect copyright.PENANAW37x5RZ5HP
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAi4mPYPAd5W
28Please respect copyright.PENANAQUIx1QrRpf
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."28Please respect copyright.PENANAN3yQ1V0S8d
28Please respect copyright.PENANASMD9xiN2Iv
"...Freak."28Please respect copyright.PENANA1ymhvTqOE8
28Please respect copyright.PENANAobKu6VAkoy
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"28Please respect copyright.PENANARssECGwgNq
28Please respect copyright.PENANAVMboLmOTXU
"And just look at how right I was."28Please respect copyright.PENANAp6G6OkDVgI
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A hearty chuckle came from him.28Please respect copyright.PENANAkmIfmSlmOi
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"Well, that won't do you any good."28Please respect copyright.PENANAr2CWefaSfw
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Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.28Please respect copyright.PENANApIvSoDdUbR
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"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."28Please respect copyright.PENANAxAJBaeBLkj
28Please respect copyright.PENANAQywUbCzsh0
She put one leg forward.28Please respect copyright.PENANAqlbx5tn6b2
28Please respect copyright.PENANAIhjYTCJ2Sy
"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."28Please respect copyright.PENANAoWMZnC8mGz
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.28Please respect copyright.PENANA7aZkZbR5pK
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAX2MSAxHAJP
28Please respect copyright.PENANA6nXDNEx4Pm
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.28Please respect copyright.PENANA8A5LVeWzNg
28Please respect copyright.PENANAjx5WFl5luw
–
–
–28Please respect copyright.PENANAZMmsP4EaiB
28Please respect copyright.PENANASPBQtsv88X
–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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAHkyNj2rE4u
28Please respect copyright.PENANATrO9WTiNxD
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA0abethhGsv
28Please respect copyright.PENANAOqXvToW7r6
–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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAPTo3YtRfJE
28Please respect copyright.PENANAzJZ8oZ2Msz
–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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAhEXSRITM4B
28Please respect copyright.PENANAxVh26W7LTY
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANA0XmXT9yy7z
28Please respect copyright.PENANAgebS9vaDHD
–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.28Please respect copyright.PENANArJKM6kZl4W
28Please respect copyright.PENANAUlFP4OiRvb
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAPanbQ13zUd
28Please respect copyright.PENANACLAaGtWISv
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**28Please respect copyright.PENANAaNUbrxbkrq
28Please respect copyright.PENANAkHvxhZ0Cdk
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAGef27GU8RW
28Please respect copyright.PENANAVTMf5lPJjb
–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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAtnnipGJqO0
28Please respect copyright.PENANAdPBmuhKJdm
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAdNWvHqZHDU
28Please respect copyright.PENANAWaoKHqPrkr
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."28Please respect copyright.PENANAtEON9fjlpP
28Please respect copyright.PENANAGrISKB7mub
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAt8e9L78j3D
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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."28Please respect copyright.PENANASSblP03HGD
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.28Please respect copyright.PENANA0CANb0o3WG
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."28Please respect copyright.PENANAozpEdWSsRm
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"You... ass."28Please respect copyright.PENANApAGVSfHYbi
28Please respect copyright.PENANAK8GVtSwn8j
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAn1851iIsi8
28Please respect copyright.PENANA7w5ce9HUd1
"You're not crawling away?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAn38ZQfp9po
28Please respect copyright.PENANABy8e9a5iPA
"...I'm not a damn worm."28Please respect copyright.PENANAN7HQLZt8hA
28Please respect copyright.PENANAm4jox2cNLm
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."28Please respect copyright.PENANAa1OELQIdLq
28Please respect copyright.PENANAWt7lZlC7aR
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.28Please respect copyright.PENANALA3ysM6X1J
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"28Please respect copyright.PENANAVZi99O5QMq
28Please respect copyright.PENANAcU8V5ENp38
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAYhNlquJH78
28Please respect copyright.PENANASCWmK2TFwH
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAdlfNoTBwoR
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And she couldn't do a thing.28Please respect copyright.PENANAd117OxtKqf
28Please respect copyright.PENANAtdvdjisr4Q
–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:28Please respect copyright.PENANA4WtjTG1B9h
28Please respect copyright.PENANArH2rf3VPvW
Sorry, mom–28Please respect copyright.PENANAM7hw1CjLP9
28Please respect copyright.PENANAAGyb5SJ4Bn
**CRACK**28Please respect copyright.PENANAaUfA9TCHWs
28Please respect copyright.PENANA21iJYP550m
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"28Please respect copyright.PENANA10gSt1o2nc
28Please respect copyright.PENANAmlAroRAZ3B
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.28Please respect copyright.PENANAS22FiMHBf5
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"And there goes your leg."28Please respect copyright.PENANAH5Pv5jmNGQ
28Please respect copyright.PENANAG5OL9EHBJc
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAyPABgfIgKK
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."28Please respect copyright.PENANAK5uynFeM7q
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She couldn't even move to clutch her leg, to soothe it in any way. The most she could do was groan and yell and grit her teeth, but none of that was possible at once, and when her focus got captivated by his words the way it did, the pain exponentiated.
"Dogs like you– they like to hunt alone. But the moment they face something threatening, they bite just short of drawing blood. Maybe then, you're a defective wolf."28Please respect copyright.PENANAcoOwYRvvIe
28Please respect copyright.PENANALpFwjrCALi
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAZHCH6rWzBp
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But those words of his stole it away.28Please respect copyright.PENANARAkotNJRoV
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."28Please respect copyright.PENANAaMVXTMmmgL
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Boris continued limping away until he reached the wall. Then, reeling his fist back, he smashed the glass panes open. He looked down and whistled before turning around and looking at Rover.28Please respect copyright.PENANAGfkHlOgbSG
28Please respect copyright.PENANAlgGiIFjWrZ
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.28Please respect copyright.PENANAMdDYXRg2D5
28Please respect copyright.PENANA50UDY0TQVf
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.