The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbsnKG5nFW
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFz5auFRjD
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhQgDKHDGp
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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHp2RU4Djp
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5meol7xma
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**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNEE2FRznS
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"Ack!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IMyjLhnTL
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTg6PSkOoKa
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"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssZlc8zSV7
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUEUSmO2P4
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJFNvD0Qjh
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"...Useless–!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqkDNy9AwI
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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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKLP80De8c
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFW2SRU6b3
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPs5lc18Lu
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMHunvDrdh
And it was someone I recognized143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yMe8vCUaY
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxZrrrZgzK
–
–
–
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKAL4BPHQZ
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ahDPPLOA0
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxKUmfAXfV
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Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7SLoyUHIl
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"Hi."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQSLPRGDKL
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFl5D10s4n
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"What!?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAigUcT7ii
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Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeQFm0B9Ps
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"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPCGZVmE11
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGyW94Svu6
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡve57UxjvRH
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cXJ6CFQyd
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vsCmbxeVg
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxvobfXdoX
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecKW59RY8L
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3tXi3uYka
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWpMF2xudm
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnhozhYZhN
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShyCwmkPiD
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6lZXz8KcG
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdVv0LBJ5i
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgGPiXPnwjs
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsGCb5abiV
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrECqyxKfZJ
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1I7mDvjBKO
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMpRv4XyQY
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And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfr480Tev4q
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"The next room's up ahead!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANKckkL4ei
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIIZ6GSb8E
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxDtrXoygV
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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQCK2rKsjv
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOemtmvNTwD
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhRBydm9nH
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIIzEkLUmx
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxenlpPObAo
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUc72HMQiqw
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURPaGHlxqU
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TFDvIeFvr
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnPXiWgsk8
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxcdhvvtPt
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfF4x7pRTlO
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"This is where your advance ends– huh?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfVGa1XhVT
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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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiXXieEBTq
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nocPRjO2u
**THUD**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPYgLXq3HY
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8iXxmpOBP
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"...Same tricks as always."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9DBsYAu9i
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqmE6ZZ28L
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"Hoh– it is you. You!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5cilb3mLO
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Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRO6cJB4nIk
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2rNnUmKGM
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RXq9LrMd8
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6XPdcSSlZ
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkchQAAYpc
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdF8me9yTZM
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXcBGCNLxg
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkuT444Swf
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnqnqvvWvO
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"Nigel."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lSvDESAPH
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"Yes?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiulnaUPcb
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPCVBUtwDT
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExu9k65iV5
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"...You're kidding me, certainly."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdsr6TwsYK
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Rover shook her head back and forth.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjcm6Gxfp0
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"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXoNNGvqxE
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡER2gtRD3x0
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8wMc23O0c
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"You fought him before, then?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rt7Hr7Og1
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfRWwhoUKe
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMdX7oonVq
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH9zxH50vH
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx6YA6eUco
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt3blwR0OT
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"Very well! Don't die on me!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj14FLbw3yk
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQweeQLpSrQ
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCAK0CbPxi
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7zKHFcvZD
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrplOATCdP
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyP7V0FctU
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacM741cWFq
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJc9H7zq0K
"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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dHTrqT8jH
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3iJd23aqQ
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"..."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbXhe3HRnm
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawZZxMT6bM
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And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLR0cUGhz6H
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"Fine. Good luck!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygdqHjN4Hw
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And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgcdYtT9cZ
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**THUD**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnF55EFJKQi
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxh3TCeBB6L
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcdREwq9Fo
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtDKIdgT6I
"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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWuTDAAogu
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She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYcbycHwLe
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"Come at me, Boris!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmhyHPr4A4
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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsFMYZkUSL
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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfxrQb2PSP
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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6Glfjo8G4
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxuBsXPBih
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvVnf26bPj
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQweqYWcUwc
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TE77oyhCz
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"Huh!?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsSDZjLwR1
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn398uawa6W
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"Hah!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xumUyX6Gj
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFLfLZ6orF
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But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JH6lsJ9DH
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"Here!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSBJggC6QV
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ958q3I316n
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhSpwMzZKO
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"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOyDhSKpiu
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"Tch."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6eRUL86Wj
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6A2gu4Xqk
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SsDYLyHss
**CLANG**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLfmPI0STG
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb8MNfREzT
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWUO7CKZpr
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jNTg9s3fT
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJgcWRjSCB
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDHYWSx6uN
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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGZuJOnayT
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMRtNrnqiY
**SMASH**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VtmWPWXCs
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–shook the room as it ruined the wall.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8WVAqkjCH
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"Ack. Shit!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBM7PL60aMG
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtrinWmCZA
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqgmtFWKTR
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xIlgTIn7L
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7ebOIw5SD
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DGBR1R0IJ
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"But not enough."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqlL7NIbX1c
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"--!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1Ybp0tBse
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Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvkQrgIVqQ
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"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnNNhgnW1g
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMljRzut9b
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxn7FRghHAh
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"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNCyJtzCv9
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEQ16X0MYU
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGUf6AMWaS
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrbmpoIAHE
"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 "143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXqZIyNSOG
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ3ShkLINr
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5KQLn9V6d
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsaTdsgmqe
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0lOorIt2z
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But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbXP1Dp3Ch
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpOJTUUO00
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QzCsaCkEZ
"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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGWVmPpvuJ
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24kIMx7aSk
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFkP5RkeQC
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvIUpJ17Xw
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8SHrvYCxW
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgajFVYwtyh
"--Fine!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjHB6BZb3C
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHq5YKTvY4
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF38GtQtoYA
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphMpIn9NiV
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlJbZHfo40
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkYSxcQEYc
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6xalwJlsW
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50gW0o2ike
"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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZpiZ0Qpyx
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4f9HwV3hK
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbKhIKTX8k
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJ3eScN67d
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLRpzQPVb4
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuNRzkInpZ
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDdImamybb
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzQ9p44B0L
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnDrL0S8HS
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucKrgzMdNp
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDh0WzuHfi
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡef0ogiGcEJ
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LyXb8IaJc
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26jXT2PpZP
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RE2YGn2RC
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL2sCXkMFj
"Come and find out!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZA4FoG82OI
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0Tn6z43Sw
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3s0b6ZZwiK
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Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxx3eZlVZ1
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"Get back here! Come on you coward!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobGyuXQrd1
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnW39GYygo2
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXkIPy9RIr
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRfa8Dr3OT
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibx3oDw5Et
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2QOa7kqdB
"Finally!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmoCZTMsFx
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5Ty3jBCDZ
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7IZjGQRTn
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvjxNKPVHf
"--Ack! Shit!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FWjvZ4ngQ
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XxW91AT3c
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2fEGcLNjw
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX8pCytQ5O
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2Pa7U8liF
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6ZATyK6uh
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwTlfgDN3R
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2REziNZ6w
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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTf0ucZTmp
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxU9se6Ki4x
"...!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExp6zAorCA
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJebGqp2qh
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–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9LMFbUeza
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Myh2yfPiZ
"Ah-ha!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkmRMkQACr
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Cn68Ebu32
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0Im2rdxOK
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg5nDFbWXS
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHgGMTzEnz
**THUD**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3q9M07FnU
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"Urk!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKrRKzVh8T
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBDXDDQL97
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Hw5QA0y4m
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CpuIEtDnd
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEntpesQWq
"Huh?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhC0HWz0uk8
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡng3f0ZaRsB
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEJcIyq7AA
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"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnnc33E2JR
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJntifwaLgd
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63wmPQYwYf
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxt6XJ5qmtM
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffsLGOHMNw
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptxQsR7wHC
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZCfLWY8da
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Boris threw his arms wide.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpunq8IDDe
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"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcvrVzBfQK
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwarssJlyAc
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpE3LQTUH0O
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprR5XEXu40
And then the magic happened.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZoI3FwRW1
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjBBYBbqMw
**BOOM**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rUdVU19Hl
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFbK9BXH1D
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuu5PnKN3u
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGxuD5D2wG
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1GlKxDyfn
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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–"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QIZj5vrUu
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xZoycEW1D
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcu1Xs7YYP
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjZbtG0SrF
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Then, it shrunk.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLliYGoZ9Q
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLnJpCAj9x
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY1aWzkoSr
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK40pV3NHfO
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hL8QUAfi0
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0v6Vqit0F
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMP6BSHIYa
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ts4mvs2OF
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjkgInn2gu
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXi4iYDMeXW
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJgxkJClMP
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAw32jITOFK
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftiexTry80
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiX0Kps99z
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡim9NEZbFC3
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5wN0SBUZl
"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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LkcHaBoWB
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrK02DP6Lf
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡborqyk2SIF
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL15Lg8eOsZ
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs47scIcovo
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALWS0fpFIc
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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGa5N2SKjA
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNZ4hBnvK7
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKh2TtxL6p
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHskRkCHytY
"...Freak."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zGNRQ8orF
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfMIA4v5W4
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAL5ojVP0R
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriUHKz1CpM
"And just look at how right I was."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiPAdGzinL
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A hearty chuckle came from him.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8ksBN3QTy
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"Well, that won't do you any good."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJo27T8ut0L
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs72EbVyFk
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUnYf6vPrZ
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75Pz0Smg0J
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKuL50dOki
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She put one leg forward.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5YI6rHUsD
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMQKQ5Mc7o
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn1B543UGA
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdaGOjn96K
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhdZoNazdI
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–
–
–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOODPkC0PJS
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xF1mpUrBF
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLnE6KqvX8
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ICcSqOnqB
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2v0fClYLV
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6MCoKrdCW
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAUWb3yKCT
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbisZdtIH4
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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**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTZRDXAtqh
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzS9aXytaj
143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5KiLyvxOM
–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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQ50Cima6i
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv00FRcL0ne
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o0CBSRkcE
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfGK9y6Y1f
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeyPdG46oj
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbdcFT4y9a
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGeWLBFutA
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"You... ass."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytLbg4zIIj
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbeS5QbvUr
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"You're not crawling away?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOqGxps9WU
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"...I'm not a damn worm."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYulNjN3GK
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlf2SX5GLR
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqD4oi7LHbx
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNb93PmjuBc
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23aFePn8gF
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzGJnCi0mA
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And she couldn't do a thing.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCKCGslfI9
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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:143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNspxUDk5bU
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Sorry, mom–143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrAs9sL2RO
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**CRACK**143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJlZUHB6TI
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"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSDyID0uPZ
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJsoCtsz9k
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"And there goes your leg."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9elcaNvTV
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NoPmN3UEc
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjY0RQnIIc
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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."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsq6lSfGrlH
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnDCw1mVTx
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But those words of his stole it away.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j9u2inMS4
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyUUZW9JtF
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjdmFBttWy
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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.143Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1brDTbG7z
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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.
