The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.61Please respect copyright.PENANAbtEYnydaYX
61Please respect copyright.PENANAcBI8V4x4O3
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAF0wFqtQaES
61Please respect copyright.PENANAtWeSYk6ErC
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."61Please respect copyright.PENANARDD7BLaTVu
61Please respect copyright.PENANAsVKU7A5ZbU
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**61Please respect copyright.PENANAF5VvRTp8Uh
61Please respect copyright.PENANAeY0vdWRG29
"Ack!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAiWestyPcLS
61Please respect copyright.PENANAUFTmnWUlkH
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.61Please respect copyright.PENANAC16wRQM9yk
61Please respect copyright.PENANAyWyfmMGP0V
"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAqcjgFTlQ6Y
61Please respect copyright.PENANAFZCRZSxi81
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7LAFiPsYp
61Please respect copyright.PENANAiwwhRryzSA
"...Useless–!"61Please respect copyright.PENANApbDCaP8v2T
61Please respect copyright.PENANAemMI4CagoS
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–61Please respect copyright.PENANAT8LaMB15Zk
61Please respect copyright.PENANAuR1hptO1XV
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.61Please respect copyright.PENANAsLHP5wrgVv
61Please respect copyright.PENANAVgcbD2ziSP
And it was someone I recognized61Please respect copyright.PENANAPpG62IxYmv
61Please respect copyright.PENANAkQ6D5JL5TH
–
–
–
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAN1ql9a5SRn
61Please respect copyright.PENANAly5hIykhbL
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANARUoD55vpeC
61Please respect copyright.PENANAtg2ZCFa5A8
Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.61Please respect copyright.PENANAY5XenZ7V84
61Please respect copyright.PENANAzBL4JnKnsd
"Hi."61Please respect copyright.PENANAFzEYdTRbEJ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAYJesNN14En
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAaRqERlBQMn
61Please respect copyright.PENANALnvFY992Nb
"What!?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAnNfyaj42is
61Please respect copyright.PENANARt8jlEUTmX
Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.61Please respect copyright.PENANAyx4zjYB9HI
61Please respect copyright.PENANA9Oej6lVJyL
"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."61Please respect copyright.PENANABXShU7wjZW
61Please respect copyright.PENANApgheis7pyw
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAag77gt4SN5
61Please respect copyright.PENANApgLAiEPbvP
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAM4zbTPeyyf
61Please respect copyright.PENANAf0THQYjD4W
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAiXy90Wc1hU
61Please respect copyright.PENANAXcY3WaeCKd
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.61Please respect copyright.PENANA6ydKnYH7EV
61Please respect copyright.PENANA8adEk3O0kf
"I know this is a bit impromptu, but my partner perished on the floor below. Thank you for bearing with me."61Please respect copyright.PENANAczgjNhReUJ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAqdi24GurUB
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANADRMhWz6FeK
61Please respect copyright.PENANAfPTmPgexcr
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"61Please respect copyright.PENANA11JdNhfS2s
61Please respect copyright.PENANAK9bcpShSUt
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."61Please respect copyright.PENANA7bWaCbDaEn
61Please respect copyright.PENANA9prAkPHNBt
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANASxiOrmFUox
61Please respect copyright.PENANAN4J9rbGLBw
And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.61Please respect copyright.PENANAgAgbjLk7tJ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAzS9It9oo5M
"The next room's up ahead!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAJALjp8BRCu
61Please respect copyright.PENANABBfQ5HMRiS
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAGn6KqJu0Ek
61Please respect copyright.PENANAwteL0Svh5K
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–61Please respect copyright.PENANAsn85ogzxSO
61Please respect copyright.PENANAz50BACEtRd
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAzgjDQeXwuy
61Please respect copyright.PENANAJsOvgXtRj6
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAVSp3rQNgP9
61Please respect copyright.PENANAgZdKG8M0Rm
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAR48qGbD0JJ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAHu1Dckb8D6
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAIZucGETtoy
61Please respect copyright.PENANA7hAmo7WR4G
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAk83NNmvxWc
61Please respect copyright.PENANAf5EVRgugnR
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"61Please respect copyright.PENANA8LaDB22Tkm
61Please respect copyright.PENANAiQj61OykvI
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–61Please respect copyright.PENANA4LFTSMW8gF
61Please respect copyright.PENANA8AZPLhyHOJ
**THUD**61Please respect copyright.PENANAwct2eXg4KK
61Please respect copyright.PENANAKCIwvyo9RT
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANArsISFRAai0
61Please respect copyright.PENANAyYTGNXj7Yl
"...Same tricks as always."61Please respect copyright.PENANAEk96gWbX7V
61Please respect copyright.PENANAJwpkFX3tel
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.61Please respect copyright.PENANAhxRg1CeIM3
61Please respect copyright.PENANAShX6I43BrZ
"Hoh– it is you. You!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAL1qfZxSvdt
61Please respect copyright.PENANA8koZf6CsEA
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.61Please respect copyright.PENANAGkpQL3WvQf
61Please respect copyright.PENANAxNhipdWMSW
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAFIBFlPmFda
61Please respect copyright.PENANAhrLgZcoAK6
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.61Please respect copyright.PENANAA7SUKrwKoN
61Please respect copyright.PENANAAomrXcpjeI
"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"61Please respect copyright.PENANALGN2wMTTiM
61Please respect copyright.PENANA6dEI9AvX3g
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA1GnPjCWGMG
61Please respect copyright.PENANAi4U9oc6luw
"Nigel."61Please respect copyright.PENANAXBHcT4cgs5
61Please respect copyright.PENANAmJQSZWSCdc
"Yes?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAoXoNv3xdkQ
61Please respect copyright.PENANACfcY0l8nw4
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."61Please respect copyright.PENANAvNLc91x0Bx
61Please respect copyright.PENANAsSTfcIpFHU
"...You're kidding me, certainly."61Please respect copyright.PENANArLQtDKymwg
61Please respect copyright.PENANAty0S127zKC
Rover shook her head back and forth.61Please respect copyright.PENANAw0Zo0GN1At
61Please respect copyright.PENANAVTJ8PYAius
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAJrepPqq6MM
61Please respect copyright.PENANAoRfzJrM326
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."61Please respect copyright.PENANAlzaVBMcPZr
61Please respect copyright.PENANAsd1bJ07jAT
"You fought him before, then?"61Please respect copyright.PENANA44J6xlSIYL
61Please respect copyright.PENANAVLloUVNNCW
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAuvP9pB99pH
61Please respect copyright.PENANAL8zhKGXkog
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAp9Z0cvu65F
61Please respect copyright.PENANAspa0DVONi0
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.61Please respect copyright.PENANAzIgG36mrHl
61Please respect copyright.PENANAQwmi7FzzWP
"Very well! Don't die on me!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAxPpYMeEAsd
61Please respect copyright.PENANAjzQWUOkwFK
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAKWmLQsKmqn
61Please respect copyright.PENANASM1V1BhK9w
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA9yc2WM0wuL
61Please respect copyright.PENANAL0gMvtmTWh
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANACprc7vaEBZ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAPoqPaOcL8E
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANArvkeIyilgO
61Please respect copyright.PENANAQXAV4aAHeG
"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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAjuWX8irQV5
61Please respect copyright.PENANAgF9GuNEl7G
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANABKWtGwGXYk
61Please respect copyright.PENANAKbWeidPZMm
"..."61Please respect copyright.PENANAG7QkTfOej9
61Please respect copyright.PENANAgrrKUGKD1n
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAABXmCTVzeM
61Please respect copyright.PENANAcGgSc1wVF2
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.61Please respect copyright.PENANAhLKKxR2Wdm
61Please respect copyright.PENANAwucF3c8bOH
"Fine. Good luck!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAiu1mD9p61G
61Please respect copyright.PENANAf5HeJYVSoZ
And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–61Please respect copyright.PENANAdRCA8J4yme
61Please respect copyright.PENANAwmDiDdLAda
**THUD**61Please respect copyright.PENANAoFA1nM2jJN
61Please respect copyright.PENANAyPdlZlP3NZ
"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1aAFsqGCR
61Please respect copyright.PENANATj3TXW5gag
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAkwAWXdqPxn
61Please respect copyright.PENANAZGNFqIs28u
"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.61Please respect copyright.PENANArspqMgMrAx
61Please respect copyright.PENANAX37boFb4Kc
She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.61Please respect copyright.PENANAykoEyz56Qf
61Please respect copyright.PENANAfnxh55zkeY
"Come at me, Boris!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAE3fjrxHa2f
61Please respect copyright.PENANAMckTBBus2Y
–61Please respect copyright.PENANASEdPPkz8AC
61Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5hBQCtf0v
–61Please respect copyright.PENANAJstfY4sx7K
61Please respect copyright.PENANAMo9FJbLwg6
–61Please respect copyright.PENANAOq0lbPd8C1
61Please respect copyright.PENANAQgZSrDpX6e
Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.61Please respect copyright.PENANADef6IBnwy0
61Please respect copyright.PENANAx4SimpwBVs
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANANiIelVrWsK
61Please respect copyright.PENANAJIiv3sT8Tm
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAR6QRuMlcgn
61Please respect copyright.PENANApB6QQiK7iZ
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA2UxPRcNBAq
61Please respect copyright.PENANARBasUHOLqT
"Huh!?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAIXDQRuJ82C
61Please respect copyright.PENANARD80POBN4z
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA18whACBNgu
61Please respect copyright.PENANAAd5WU53j50
"Hah!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAKo2lN1vcVA
61Please respect copyright.PENANArnYbD3Ojcb
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAGr1IfAqJbi
61Please respect copyright.PENANA9rMo6fY8BU
But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–61Please respect copyright.PENANATBkAyGL3sf
61Please respect copyright.PENANAz6daMl3A3O
"Here!"61Please respect copyright.PENANADB4rtYJLSi
61Please respect copyright.PENANARBL3i0mkjR
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAvKfUQBh1wQ
61Please respect copyright.PENANA5nbF49F4cg
"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."61Please respect copyright.PENANANayBfs8SpF
61Please respect copyright.PENANAsXIEeJOEoX
"Tch."61Please respect copyright.PENANAedgsgWf5Rs
61Please respect copyright.PENANAqjfvKHB97v
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAwsHRY7vrtx
61Please respect copyright.PENANATmESCXGtqX
**CLANG**61Please respect copyright.PENANAGfixsIMqdu
61Please respect copyright.PENANAt9IAV51wGK
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANATNoOg7IguJ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAlqG4H4rOoM
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA4LfNkyLGTd
61Please respect copyright.PENANA0ch3JfCkMz
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANASMXQYOgZD7
61Please respect copyright.PENANA8VMHjT8qzM
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–61Please respect copyright.PENANAqhoo7LnADK
61Please respect copyright.PENANAkxLiNe1LUa
**SMASH**61Please respect copyright.PENANAnIieLg9jtZ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAzpPj2u3Prw
–shook the room as it ruined the wall.61Please respect copyright.PENANAvaKVh4H5xD
61Please respect copyright.PENANAxFMLV6AbwE
"Ack. Shit!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAWI6eRj5e6O
61Please respect copyright.PENANA2YvVQhSeRb
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAk1NsF8t06E
61Please respect copyright.PENANALGxHPlMcIJ
"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAZnKgfLwRiK
61Please respect copyright.PENANAOB1wU2u24h
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.61Please respect copyright.PENANA83OwWm9MLj
61Please respect copyright.PENANABPFEpHedz6
"But not enough."61Please respect copyright.PENANAJgUKcZOOGF
61Please respect copyright.PENANAsYVcFBiYYU
"--!"61Please respect copyright.PENANANO7iYjDp1T
61Please respect copyright.PENANAwQy0G33dIn
Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.61Please respect copyright.PENANA0K8ttmE3BZ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAPFzT3Wny6N
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"61Please respect copyright.PENANA3DMRsm8oc0
61Please respect copyright.PENANAu7UKVvPdEC
He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.61Please respect copyright.PENANAxbwXCrNOw2
61Please respect copyright.PENANAduyXVqPcuC
"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAfNKs4CPSfm
61Please respect copyright.PENANAwON3ntTJYS
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAWc4iM7yAbg
61Please respect copyright.PENANAERmWWXwZQp
"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 "61Please respect copyright.PENANAagWwv4cQzl
61Please respect copyright.PENANAVfOVZpGnww
"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAMsFeVhRoFW
61Please respect copyright.PENANAQjjch1pdmQ
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAzCXqUURQr7
61Please respect copyright.PENANAsNYLxliXty
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.61Please respect copyright.PENANA7hRh4BCSIM
61Please respect copyright.PENANAyUcwT0pS1C
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAXvud1ckyr9
61Please respect copyright.PENANAT9RBFyyNTQ
"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."61Please respect copyright.PENANA86xhKGMgla
61Please respect copyright.PENANANR7Vcw4Zv4
From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.61Please respect copyright.PENANAPKi3d8fqG7
61Please respect copyright.PENANApKGIoGmmQn
"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"61Please respect copyright.PENANAR3sPq0S5ci
61Please respect copyright.PENANAn5rtYNkGlu
"--Fine!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAVhRRf3bDsw
61Please respect copyright.PENANA2m1lg3Me3t
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAXlcr0Zgan9
61Please respect copyright.PENANAzOAHoI0Hsb
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAYyCt77keWo
61Please respect copyright.PENANAGS4lBVqINT
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANACXiV6eD1Bs
61Please respect copyright.PENANAXtdOvJEckz
"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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAzfHtTXX4ag
61Please respect copyright.PENANA6wWIuUu1J4
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAmrn67eRyJE
61Please respect copyright.PENANAaqOBIzHxJa
"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"61Please respect copyright.PENANACMEy2p5rL7
61Please respect copyright.PENANApXmEbgdCci
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"61Please respect copyright.PENANANdR1IGRi52
61Please respect copyright.PENANAbFXqBWhC36
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANABjFzK0HQjy
61Please respect copyright.PENANABeKkpDOg2O
"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAW5L1SBX33t
61Please respect copyright.PENANAOXkLSOgYeb
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA6HMTqixpdr
61Please respect copyright.PENANAkyz6OuzlRO
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAM18Ku1S2cc
61Please respect copyright.PENANAhEKSaPEXeO
"Come and find out!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAZEyAUjIyod
61Please respect copyright.PENANAyEawdK28ez
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAPDEeNz1yJQ
61Please respect copyright.PENANASubbIihn8h
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.61Please respect copyright.PENANAVsnltqvET6
61Please respect copyright.PENANAHOHDIFtwCQ
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAh4Ozh37QYk
61Please respect copyright.PENANAUk8blzedrq
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAyE1TggwrTU
61Please respect copyright.PENANARIMSngB1ZQ
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAY2vUyGCln2
61Please respect copyright.PENANAc5zq2A88yC
"Finally!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAf9a5dFztO6
61Please respect copyright.PENANAP286SBiOsF
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAHTp9xrVLRv
61Please respect copyright.PENANABspJWPedfl
"--Ack! Shit!"61Please respect copyright.PENANASsWaFrD2GR
61Please respect copyright.PENANAHsGRsDBqJr
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.61Please respect copyright.PENANABpnlu0AXCj
61Please respect copyright.PENANAtFBcnWCYKJ
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAZmPTj6i9Dg
61Please respect copyright.PENANAWRPGBX0wEw
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAjzIHEn3MXA
61Please respect copyright.PENANACB5EsZYZ1I
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–61Please respect copyright.PENANAU6Sw1wiJpQ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAmlJWV93Te8
"...!"61Please respect copyright.PENANA23a2gcR6rn
61Please respect copyright.PENANAuaJp1DWzzh
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–61Please respect copyright.PENANAlTmvWn2h2V
61Please respect copyright.PENANAcu1GzASEXz
"Ah-ha!"61Please respect copyright.PENANA8NedGmBtK6
61Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1TJeVbHUN
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAH4BBCJH6e7
61Please respect copyright.PENANATnI6Jkv6pY
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.61Please respect copyright.PENANAPQriQ13QLc
61Please respect copyright.PENANA1yqnNVFq1g
**THUD**61Please respect copyright.PENANAgEZ176j5kp
61Please respect copyright.PENANAc4QTvqf5v5
"Urk!"61Please respect copyright.PENANAMWbsRRLt8I
61Please respect copyright.PENANAWUQcXP6j8t
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANASZkgldnoyw
61Please respect copyright.PENANAh4INpmLFmx
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.61Please respect copyright.PENANAVvIp6Q6aao
61Please respect copyright.PENANABVBwPUN43Q
"Huh?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAoG6W3JwhPM
61Please respect copyright.PENANANn0AN0MAGq
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.61Please respect copyright.PENANAwW75pK2mff
61Please respect copyright.PENANAYVZAQD9QVL
"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAmwJ8xbKtaQ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAt2uiacVNr9
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAozvi7tn8Tf
61Please respect copyright.PENANAVbeWxbXSp1
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA41LKamfHpe
61Please respect copyright.PENANAB3gy4DaBsv
"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"61Please respect copyright.PENANApXnClJHWZ7
61Please respect copyright.PENANADAHGkp4K3K
Boris threw his arms wide.61Please respect copyright.PENANAYnBOH66Wta
61Please respect copyright.PENANAgyolWHxDDi
"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"61Please respect copyright.PENANACcdMdltAyZ
61Please respect copyright.PENANACqygLBQCSS
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANATGUZOuaWO7
61Please respect copyright.PENANAOe7tuwIHwj
And then the magic happened.61Please respect copyright.PENANAsm2zPCStG2
61Please respect copyright.PENANA98BKPqNWWS
**BOOM**61Please respect copyright.PENANAXwbpQDPZp2
61Please respect copyright.PENANAGqSHEUcAcH
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAN4whL8s2Ro
61Please respect copyright.PENANAog7M12d5Gm
"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."61Please respect copyright.PENANAGjJ69yiZEP
61Please respect copyright.PENANA1dks2aryIU
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.
61Please respect copyright.PENANAg8sGvUIYwq
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"61Please respect copyright.PENANAxBQFtfKGio
61Please respect copyright.PENANAQYbNwzpvce
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAF0abEfb8pz
61Please respect copyright.PENANA0uSkBMCvt2
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAv5Qr1D7LOt
61Please respect copyright.PENANA8v4yrJoxnu
Then, it shrunk.61Please respect copyright.PENANAJuyZC4PgNh
61Please respect copyright.PENANA9GWWl5j9bG
"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."61Please respect copyright.PENANAf81nePqict
61Please respect copyright.PENANAhAVZzFNqLR
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAaqEdRFTKGR
61Please respect copyright.PENANAa18KCZyeEP
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANArrl1Rt7Tsa
61Please respect copyright.PENANA6X7WChI90H
"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAYRkDzvuUQs
61Please respect copyright.PENANAOnJEAiIDu4
Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.61Please respect copyright.PENANARPu2dQ4E6T
61Please respect copyright.PENANAmbT2dlcps0
"What you're seeing is my Endowment. Many have called it a curse, but I'm not so ungrateful to insult it like that."61Please respect copyright.PENANAiuOHIndlqK
61Please respect copyright.PENANAUSJ5j6w9fu
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA6rRIXgDjEg
61Please respect copyright.PENANAOVFGYHG97V
And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.61Please respect copyright.PENANA9PDTqJZpZQ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAlcni5fDEEJ
"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."61Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6XGdVRPxf
61Please respect copyright.PENANAghKFWQ0gbb
Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.61Please respect copyright.PENANAAEppxUpX5z
61Please respect copyright.PENANAT3LOyhIuMx
"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."61Please respect copyright.PENANAPh6YyM60hC
61Please respect copyright.PENANAAGz5m2Jtct
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAHpgEf3wQLx
61Please respect copyright.PENANAy1gHu7ze4h
"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."61Please respect copyright.PENANAuX9qZBCOXa
61Please respect copyright.PENANA3KispxBaVg
"...Freak."61Please respect copyright.PENANAZeiUhsqYeD
61Please respect copyright.PENANAcsk6MEJcUS
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAhs3C05hlA3
61Please respect copyright.PENANAlLjhoNZ85a
"And just look at how right I was."61Please respect copyright.PENANAUZZM1oEFzi
61Please respect copyright.PENANAKFMI0l4Wio
A hearty chuckle came from him.61Please respect copyright.PENANAcFTuyERM2M
61Please respect copyright.PENANAQr8WAvhqlJ
"Well, that won't do you any good."61Please respect copyright.PENANAGp2mMF4I7Q
61Please respect copyright.PENANA9VdwUyeuTk
Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.61Please respect copyright.PENANAnCf9tJtzZZ
61Please respect copyright.PENANA0yMKDWiuef
"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."61Please respect copyright.PENANApGLxctAzuP
61Please respect copyright.PENANAiMKXxUMv7u
She put one leg forward.61Please respect copyright.PENANASgFCIzCwRG
61Please respect copyright.PENANAFdhfas9lnC
"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."61Please respect copyright.PENANAmhzSv4E9LI
61Please respect copyright.PENANAm6rtprhKJI
Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.61Please respect copyright.PENANAFtwj2qVyXi
61Please respect copyright.PENANASW9WqFsTPz
"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAzPjO8z7f7m
61Please respect copyright.PENANAnq3A31erym
And even through his manic glare, Rover sprinted. She sprinted with energy to finish, the will to see that monster put down.61Please respect copyright.PENANAabIMA7YEy9
61Please respect copyright.PENANAcqvcwouXBG
–
–
–61Please respect copyright.PENANAwwY3MRsmaJ
61Please respect copyright.PENANAMQmA5Q6njq
–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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAFPv56WLm8d
61Please respect copyright.PENANAhzgwOsAGZ5
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAurP5GSd5Ff
61Please respect copyright.PENANAYdwP9LAWBw
–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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAajSbtNzjxS
61Please respect copyright.PENANApi0I2KXnMR
–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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAOlqIGfdIGo
61Please respect copyright.PENANAFsHDCCWqtG
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA9wX3Io01S3
61Please respect copyright.PENANA3pU47lt8n8
–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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA6glGyRJMP9
61Please respect copyright.PENANAhV8oPjv5vt
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAfkM8oHJU0n
61Please respect copyright.PENANA1iJeQIQSFU
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**61Please respect copyright.PENANAskQbyaBakG
61Please respect copyright.PENANAtzNIDjNAV8
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA9vwGAXJBg2
61Please respect copyright.PENANAr5pArLT7YO
–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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA8eUBcra43q
61Please respect copyright.PENANALRug7XexkR
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAHb9pTcMza1
61Please respect copyright.PENANAFQRbMbD5Tl
"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."61Please respect copyright.PENANAgSODBsjWbR
61Please respect copyright.PENANArScHRGIfUq
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAGQAANLRg9z
61Please respect copyright.PENANAC4jd3lCKMu
"What a shame. For you, of course. This is the closest you've ever gotten, but you didn't have that extra push."61Please respect copyright.PENANAfhNRqhLnZL
61Please respect copyright.PENANAZWr2atLQNl
Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.61Please respect copyright.PENANA8etbkRC0Jg
61Please respect copyright.PENANAhBsZy5wZ2y
"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."61Please respect copyright.PENANAoMEmQkqihu
61Please respect copyright.PENANAa5n90xAFli
"You... ass."61Please respect copyright.PENANAvNwoiJZUdh
61Please respect copyright.PENANAHZWSy3SLlN
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAtabufIhgZG
61Please respect copyright.PENANAxKxRVdQdf1
"You're not crawling away?"61Please respect copyright.PENANADCwD1CkBkz
61Please respect copyright.PENANAMG5XLqzPOS
"...I'm not a damn worm."61Please respect copyright.PENANAUiZ97787tC
61Please respect copyright.PENANAbVsy8WCvCd
"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."61Please respect copyright.PENANAIP5jfgt1m4
61Please respect copyright.PENANAjpfH0F3xCO
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.61Please respect copyright.PENANArtU9Xln5Dr
61Please respect copyright.PENANAwyVHk235W6
"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"61Please respect copyright.PENANAgXUm6Rdau4
61Please respect copyright.PENANAS9fSmTaxeL
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAppTxdaYFwE
61Please respect copyright.PENANARJQSFySNXx
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANARaPEz66AVU
61Please respect copyright.PENANA8APCrxgfIn
And she couldn't do a thing.61Please respect copyright.PENANAmCAmCYYDsq
61Please respect copyright.PENANABmZkF4uUiV
–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:61Please respect copyright.PENANAyBrcqYK7iS
61Please respect copyright.PENANAfZQrArUBKq
Sorry, mom–61Please respect copyright.PENANATgsBg2902f
61Please respect copyright.PENANAsgTpYqzRE5
**CRACK**61Please respect copyright.PENANAUH71pJhpN9
61Please respect copyright.PENANAcY43v7bIp7
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"61Please respect copyright.PENANANoNiXSOmGC
61Please respect copyright.PENANATryFc57QNd
Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.61Please respect copyright.PENANAuvaQdESpTR
61Please respect copyright.PENANAOYoZ7f2xsW
"And there goes your leg."61Please respect copyright.PENANACWKPsEaHUI
61Please respect copyright.PENANANyyRrp4QZU
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANALzDWjfaNXf
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."61Please respect copyright.PENANADPyuMTwfRe
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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."61Please respect copyright.PENANANlNccJRQdU
61Please respect copyright.PENANAC401mDoelp
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.61Please respect copyright.PENANALuAkYAn5U0
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But those words of his stole it away.61Please respect copyright.PENANAgQ6ThWVtGG
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."61Please respect copyright.PENANA7qaeibk9gW
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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.61Please respect copyright.PENANAHZdAQTrFoT
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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.61Please respect copyright.PENANA3ynkANvHeR
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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.