The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjpbBkeEdd
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Even though Juke and I weren't affected, the other's faces were considerably downtrodden. Some members were now left without a partner and had to team up with people they weren't very familiar with. Morale was low, especially since our leaders were missing.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsvxy3YQiA
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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."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjj50zMgH6
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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**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUldRyBwYm
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"Ack!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCYmsszWoI
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I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtjykoZ10y
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"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc9ZmoMJqS
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbArJC1qpRr
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"...Useless–!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qXzoJrveF
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I tried not to think about anything that. I knew I couldn't suspend it for long, but every second I could force my legs forward was valuable. So I ran and ran and ran and ran and–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4GbHLIolf
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Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnMCJjtKlj
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And it was someone I recognized110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOomdC0EPCj
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–
–
–
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0g2V8WQJG
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdLSdaRUdP
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Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpK5pUJFS9
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"Hi."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4tlQkCCeP
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclcw1tWwie
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"What!?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRgoQRkgQ0
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Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqBcfjmZOl
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"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyIUQ35Zw1
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJbfoUFfUG
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"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JkKS4RKtb
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqqs50atRA
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEni5ojSX27
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Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xHCb47aPV
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"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pAKFdsyRr
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTLJYUOpd3
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"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0zLa0VUMF
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"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5G1nJrUNo
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCCkjPWymK
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And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzxJK8qNhD
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"The next room's up ahead!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXwJHT70c3
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRfwI9CFcb
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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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTp3yPMbQL
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"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagF9zCMIIY
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbcByNCLWm
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hOXLgCcFA
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbIOcpjfns
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yDn8c7R3l
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"This is where your advance ends– huh?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNiTFTH0n9
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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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJh0Bs0uYt
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**THUD**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVlzRh6blD
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4xu9fyukt
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"...Same tricks as always."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTF2pNmlQD
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Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKWfsOyyzs
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"Hoh– it is you. You!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDP13AN7tH
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Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocDHdRWxhd
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"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1B9Vnbftl
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The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOssQFFJaY
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"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AgzUT3g5f
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxI2agz6Sp
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"Nigel."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPfnmm2qJe
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"Yes?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54IedttK1m
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"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8GurmwzVR
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"...You're kidding me, certainly."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD25UF6fs3u
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Rover shook her head back and forth.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdc8r9SPK44
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"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaa9oOvknie
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"Of course I did. And I know how it works."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdho8Wk1AUf
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"You fought him before, then?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6RSp4dmoC
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCT58nFkA9
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"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7qU321dV0
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Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIi61DcGOG
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"Very well! Don't die on me!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV7uPpapFq
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ6v7WJ1af
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vfiYBvMIF
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwpkjvQ1l7
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCs0jn0lBd
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"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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYUiGx11a8
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1i1uMQF4L
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"..."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqr2RXcSqH
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It was suddenly difficult to do anything. And yet, the feelings that burned within her formed too great an inferno to douse. If that boy took two steps further into this room, or even one, she felt like she would lash out. She felt like– she knew she would yell at him not to butt in, to mind his own business, to go fuck himself, and to leave her alone. Words that she had slung candidly before. Words that she knew better than family.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEfxpoL5p3
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And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfhQbUF1Z5
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"Fine. Good luck!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2K8H2vo0V3
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And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNB6mEK6Ozp
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**THUD**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTaJZpEEgC
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04lOWqvoip
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGViga5Idg
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"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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ688E5buTI
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She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokKzc9raA7
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"Come at me, Boris!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY313J1FG7a
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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEHjHML9LT
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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtbtUfW9j3
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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFkcaCy0V9
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzkjXOuJNg
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rPc4Suaxl
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNymK1hWYq4
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIwizfRq9D
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"Huh!?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnxU27A1rQ
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh4HTSuoVS
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"Hah!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqxbd9L3XD
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcBfi6fM6j
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But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmgkYu4940
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"Here!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMBLIYa9AD
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7ZuR1fmMd
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"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvveZdREnHb
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"Tch."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqk78hglZy
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyLPMADSzu
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**CLANG**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFSfoepKTj
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoneHvg8v3
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhma2GLvVIF
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmplnYm7GGX
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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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ARHVDCvPF
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**SMASH**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8OikQiPI7
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–shook the room as it ruined the wall.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0fkGHnD0p
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"Ack. Shit!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvcpVFMbym
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ6FXWKVf7
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"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPIWEURnQ3
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Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYATT1HGTwu
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"But not enough."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGH98oIi2R
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"--!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX17IXrqIPq
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Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyQKK9lkR4
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"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZeNoO5FLW
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He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGiLeqsSqI
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"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9C1YGIUiT
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIZ1wm4P5e
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"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 "110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAlcQRgrbM
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"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBOaHziJhL
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaDSmbU3TQ
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But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0RYA53hiw
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGty8hRlAyR
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"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."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIo5cjuQ9cF
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From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8K94ACBjtQ
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"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJwPwPQsub
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"--Fine!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5b5a2TpJXT
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPi6FmcbFu
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhn0PVUhF5
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRNGP2SzYn
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"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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSdhPsAHMi
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK53AyKaEwT
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"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINXwK32I9m
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"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKVvhuLBYS
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k62wXO4Ir
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"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ066wzAfJu4
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsTnIFnfzg
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"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwDfZmBQ58
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"Come and find out!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSkeh86Wic
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Rd6GxOiLv
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Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqqEU8LDpS
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"Get back here! Come on you coward!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe37umIpfwC
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ITdgpryCo
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxRGqgaOvZ
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"Finally!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQu8MNvQBt
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHnMtsh7s7
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"--Ack! Shit!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx4dN6T4AV
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The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrVuw6do9y
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"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rJx3t1vp5
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrk6OfEVRV
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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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScJPbUQl6S
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"...!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuMon1lDcL
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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–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzFRKp0rY7
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"Ah-ha!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qiMP2bfxE
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuCmxnYBu9
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The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9l1mJbjp7
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**THUD**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRkYw4DWud
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"Urk!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFmk3ODSAS
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunOhbx1WUP
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Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTXJhS2XDH
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"Huh?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcYg7HWKzX
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There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhn4fzM5GN
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"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KGBiIuf4E
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYTs3Xkevw
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoA5w8mTO6h
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"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGxUtre58u
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Boris threw his arms wide.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCdTXTiSUl
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"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nNt04sayA
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBEIefLI9u
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And then the magic happened.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Uu4lUTFJu
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**BOOM**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPeoENHGnU
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRzmqQHWVx
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"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfk0u1qlgo
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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.
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"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiRgZGmqc6
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvAtgxgSWG
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0el1Byp4AC
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Then, it shrunk.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZI6ymaalN
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7C7AZcLbyN
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1Q4dCM5BB
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgLIopSxyL
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"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsTCLI0ZUC
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Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCogBpmIoe
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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."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNP9vM7odLC
110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTw6mbQvpi
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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLdeOkXZtG
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And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPNYEmJXZe
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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."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwPpAImgg6
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Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxg5OY0uyV
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"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjC4H5WBeNu
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIimNNdy9NH
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"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHIpdGcfRC
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"...Freak."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKdVtZeCTu
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"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqIvL0sAgh
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"And just look at how right I was."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPwPEiktro
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A hearty chuckle came from him.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsH13ndNKa9
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"Well, that won't do you any good."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvx7mQpXjXK
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Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgO5OU0vwF
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"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhoEQG1sFm
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She put one leg forward.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yxiiIv3iT
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"You've got brains since the last time we met. At least, more than I expected. You used them well. You're still worth keeping around."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYg7DLoDoDd
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynPU37hRoi
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiSv9LUBZz
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And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4E1sRjFu25
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–
–
–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdthxYfdTR
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–From an onlooker's perspective, Rover could see why she'd get concerned stares. Even though her body locomoted tactfully in the fight, the windows to her mind made contorted, bemused shapes. And the removal of her dagger compounded that contortion.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PzeeX5sAI
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She threw a fist forward. It was slapped away by Boris, and he attempted a counterattack. Rover tucked her head just in time, and with the tiny space between her skull and his arm, she jumped. Boris avoided a dislocation, but Rover kept the assault with a kick from the side. It was blocked by his other hand. She slipped away just before it got caught, and using her right leg like an anchor, delivered a flurry of kicks at Boris, who went to block them.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBh7JWKJDTI
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–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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3QbbAkTAm
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–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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsyQpjZl9MQ
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Boris jumped up from the floor right as Rover landed on it. She struggled to get back on her feet, as the blow from his spell sent her head into a frenzy, but she made do with her wobbly knees. Boris charged forth and tackled with his shoulder. Rover tried to block it, and though she avoided any serious damage, she was swept off her feet yet again. Boris followed with a kick, but right as his foot was about to connect, another gust of wind blew from his chest. It saved Rover from a painful blow and sent Boris soaring away, but the edges of the gust still connected, and she was back on the floor.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9FcFDFoVH
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–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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8twDHyflU
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Rover fought yet again to get her feet to the ground. She wiped her mouth with her arm and spat out blood-infused spit. She must've cut her inner cheek.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoinejyFTLj
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Boris was far away from her, but charing with full awareness. His pace slugged from before, it was clear to Rover that the explosion still affected him. She used that thought to muster her remaining strength and met Boris' charge head-on. The two entered a series of throwing and avoiding fists, and Rover's superior speed gave her an edge. She landed blows square in the chest, and as she hit his pores, they immediately constricted. Rover cared little as to what that meant and kept bashing, but then Boris landed a fist into her cheek. She rolled with the hit as well as she could before rounding back with her strongest punch yet. It landed right into Boris' palm. He twirled his arm, a clear attempt to break Rover's own, but she had experience with such tricks. She put her free hand onto Boris' and jumped, countering his rotation with her own, and kicking him in the head. But Boris didn't release his grasp, and instead threw Rover up and punted her gut.
–There was almost no doubt in her mind of what would happen. It was inevitable, in spite of her struggle. She was going to lose. Would she die? She knew Boris well enough, and so she knew she wouldn't. But to her, no future existed beyond the time of her loss. No prospects are had at the precipice of failure. It was like the blackness of recollecting one's memory as a fetus. But if these rotten thoughts were all that were within her, then maybe she could've squeezed out a tie.
Rover fell to the ground, wheezing and panting, remnants of her stomach escaping from her mouth. She expected an immediate attack and braced herself, but such an attack never came–
**THUD**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUGq3aaUgW
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Rover ate a kick to the face. She rolled across the ground but stopped herself quickly. Her right eye was covered in red, but she could see Boris even through a blizzard. He stomped to her, but Rover didn't move. She reached into the sheath and grabbed the hilt of her dagger, and right as Boris was in range to attack, she threw the weapon at her.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzY1kv1z6Y
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–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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfTGLrKVJj
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Boris was caught off guard, but not as much as Rover hoped. He just raised one of his arms and let the dagger pierce right through. Boris' screaming was nearly musical to her. Blood leaked from the edges; it was clear the dagger was like a clog. But even so, Boris pulled the dagger out of his arm and sealed the blood-spewing hole with his fingers, performing mana spinning.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfR7YxvXulc
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpt5uL71i4
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Rover tried to get up and attack. After all, he was right in front of her, making himself vulnerable. She tried, and she was able to get her upper body off the floor, but Boris kept her down with another kick to the chin. Any strength to rise departed, and all Rover could do was watch as Boris approached.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dqzAYEzBE
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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."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvfxBL5cnl
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyU0Zihc9GZ
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rmNEJIhAb
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"You... ass."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnEXMfUDfB
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Boris stopped before her legs, staring at them while pinching his chin. Rover couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in his head. But she kept on scowling, even hissing at him as if the action would deter him at all.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVThOFkwUCx
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"You're not crawling away?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OSl67gTBQ
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"...I'm not a damn worm."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPqfjR5bVL
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2stPXxB9B
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Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQPigeeGWJ
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JNcNVmOEX
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He grabbed her left leg by the ankle, and as he did so, he began mana expulsion. He formed a great club of earth in his hand and walked over to her hip. Immediately, Rover knew what was going to happen. She moved her arm in an attempt to slap it away, but her hands couldn't reach him.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpnLNoPBB0
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAySty2L0EW
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And she couldn't do a thing.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEAuV46h60
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–Frustration. It was her frustration. The object of her long-lived hatred, its ambassador stood right there. But she was being beaten down like a dog. An injured mutt who had to limp on all but one of its legs, even unable to beg. At the edge of achieving her dream, her ultimate goal, she was forced to watch it slip further and further away. And then she realized, she couldn't destroy Hard-Bringer. And then she realized, she couldn't even scratch it. And then she realized, she'd have to wait again, and then train again, and then search again, and then despair again. And as the final blow of the battle came, only two words sprung from her mind:110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGdXI3KylJ
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Sorry, mom–110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgjvyGJdba
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**CRACK**110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSv9Y0bvp2R
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkF21elBJf
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNzgjy7NnZ
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"And there goes your leg."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvS60HIwUN
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She knew of no word to describe the sensation. Seething, writhing, pounding, shocking,
burning, aching, twitching, pulsing, churning– nothing came to her mind to describe it. The shattering of her femur, shooting fragments of bone like shrapnel to the lining of her skin, but not enough to pierce it. As if dozens of bugs drilled through her flesh, as if an entire home landed on her leg– that's what it was like.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkTC8P7KQt
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVy9oGtiz7l
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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."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSV1OfecaPZ
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxF0ZmmLxiG
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But those words of his stole it away.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37z7gOYOnZ
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVa9GLfZVW
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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.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F3yZSsUXI
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She wanted to scream, but all the efforts of her throat and lungs were channeled to ease her suffering. And oh, how she hated it. How she hated the grin of his face, an arrangement of his teeth and mouth designed for eating feces. He waved her goodbye and jumped off while cackling like a witch.110Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvaEiy7Wv4E
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No strength to draw, no will to push. All Rover could do was lay there and cope, lamenting her loss and that wretched monster's words.
