The ambush from the last floor was felt throughout the crowd.35Please respect copyright.PENANALeYrgYYSna
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAZNBQ7D0YTw
35Please respect copyright.PENANAh4JQsEyJF0
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."35Please respect copyright.PENANAIBUNKHQok2
35Please respect copyright.PENANAjUflbmZs9G
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**35Please respect copyright.PENANA896Cc4Q1MR
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"Ack!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAbN7qGpq0Gm
35Please respect copyright.PENANAQjZGMzkFXE
I wasn't prepared for the strength I slapped myself with. My muscles were incredibly tense, and I hadn't even realized.35Please respect copyright.PENANAW2tAzVlktI
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"No use in thinking about it. No use in thinking about it! Come on!"35Please respect copyright.PENANA4DONbwPv2u
35Please respect copyright.PENANARseicpf08H
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAuf5d8m5JCJ
35Please respect copyright.PENANA2XMV124BAX
"...Useless–!"35Please respect copyright.PENANACWo3lszEwF
35Please respect copyright.PENANAL4wYMykid9
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–35Please respect copyright.PENANAsJKRL1Px7I
35Please respect copyright.PENANALXoxpoy8PO
Suddenly, I noticed something. Though I naturally hadn't been paying much attention to her, the person beside her had changed.35Please respect copyright.PENANAD24jNPZBFm
35Please respect copyright.PENANA4ax9UjILJs
And it was someone I recognized35Please respect copyright.PENANAff4Vxqq3ET
35Please respect copyright.PENANAq0oHtrMmor
–
–
–
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAnurRcaSJZo
35Please respect copyright.PENANA7WnMX5z7Ty
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAWTAj6FDpAQ
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Especially now that her surrogate partner was a completely new face.35Please respect copyright.PENANA93ZfI7clqH
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"Hi."35Please respect copyright.PENANAu2XzLRrYgw
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAzD2Lq5VFM5
35Please respect copyright.PENANAqm2Ekes2yS
"What!?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAPLrJE9UzYn
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Though, perhaps, she should've spared an extra second checking her tone.35Please respect copyright.PENANAk8qK2GKv1q
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"S-Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am! I just thought we'd familiarize ourselves."35Please respect copyright.PENANAaFUVzRSmo2
35Please respect copyright.PENANAVza7b1Yu2M
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAscg5iSu7xg
35Please respect copyright.PENANA1BNlM1td4r
"I'm Nigel. You're the volunteer, aren't you?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAvdeS7bt6Ni
35Please respect copyright.PENANAh5bDuCeLNY
"Volunteer makes it sound lame! I'm Rover! L-Let's work well together, alright!?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAVXamgXYOOf
35Please respect copyright.PENANAEmTb7NG87X
Nigel's tense expression eased a little. He worried about a sudden reassignment just as much as Rover did.35Please respect copyright.PENANA2OLVTxbi00
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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."35Please respect copyright.PENANApz8OrhVyxo
35Please respect copyright.PENANACZrO6laIXO
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANABNtwB8M6X7
35Please respect copyright.PENANAl7vEGGrAGp
"That... that's really bad. I'm sorry for–"35Please respect copyright.PENANAdSGbWjg2FZ
35Please respect copyright.PENANAglnPBx0CcC
"Don't worry about it. You've suffered a similar fate, haven't you? We're in the same boat."35Please respect copyright.PENANA4rM5kVa3iL
35Please respect copyright.PENANAgQBidK0LzN
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANACbnJo9NcEF
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And then, finally, they hit a flat surface.35Please respect copyright.PENANApIQitQ2uzh
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"The next room's up ahead!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAhnJ4TefaXb
35Please respect copyright.PENANAzx6jbkLg79
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAkrXKF0wCjr
35Please respect copyright.PENANA4GStbhV9PH
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–35Please respect copyright.PENANAG0UAKnFyGo
35Please respect copyright.PENANAhD093zlquD
"Holy shit! Are ya a titan!?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAjntilcvQFB
35Please respect copyright.PENANATG8Ldsqka6
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA2dTRyuNwJL
35Please respect copyright.PENANAUijkDQZAzg
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA9f7y01PB30
35Please respect copyright.PENANAwKMjhp6smm
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAN49KY5inhB
35Please respect copyright.PENANASwDeMJ5NeB
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAzqtL5dyqcc
35Please respect copyright.PENANAP6o45fIamT
"This is where your advance ends– huh?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAanjMQyP8gA
35Please respect copyright.PENANAYZLeVDzbM0
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–35Please respect copyright.PENANAY6hcr96uR3
35Please respect copyright.PENANA5Zfwzna4xG
**THUD**35Please respect copyright.PENANAYlPf0yfurj
35Please respect copyright.PENANAwSFfm5QC2o
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA7H99zQvf4f
35Please respect copyright.PENANAfGa0KRh6EM
"...Same tricks as always."35Please respect copyright.PENANAOmvM8a6U7z
35Please respect copyright.PENANAAo0idBeEV4
Though her snide remark was entirely unperturbed, the rest of the room stared with mouths agape, as if they had just witnessed alien life.35Please respect copyright.PENANAoa0PIk4IAI
35Please respect copyright.PENANAaF9e5j2iSb
"Hoh– it is you. You!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAFeSHugAG3z
35Please respect copyright.PENANA3wZYBS3C2e
Because, the once hulking, monster of a man, was now suddenly the size of a teenage boy.35Please respect copyright.PENANA4tVFraDYEP
35Please respect copyright.PENANAO8u2bsEYCZ
"I never expected to run into you today, Rover! Hahaha!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3oPQUFC7G
35Please respect copyright.PENANAJsonRTbZ19
The crowd was stunned. Only one member moved through the shock, and everyone stared to find it was Nigel.35Please respect copyright.PENANAU8TeRrdLns
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"Everyone," he shouted. "Move on, we'll take care of things here!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAnnDrOCynTw
35Please respect copyright.PENANANVkeCUBBnf
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAmBNFkIwxz4
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"Nigel."35Please respect copyright.PENANArQ7tZAgf7T
35Please respect copyright.PENANAdAaNGwHAGI
"Yes?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAkZapcJPRps
35Please respect copyright.PENANANDO7fdpMuw
"Leave. I'm fighting this one alone."35Please respect copyright.PENANAWh8F2xji7q
35Please respect copyright.PENANAMajNQrKXzT
"...You're kidding me, certainly."35Please respect copyright.PENANAflYztioHgp
35Please respect copyright.PENANA8gtY9AltG3
Rover shook her head back and forth.35Please respect copyright.PENANAeLSVIFEt9L
35Please respect copyright.PENANAoGyApHv1gO
"Do you honestly think you can take him alone? You saw what he did, didn't you?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAQ3V2TMgZZc
35Please respect copyright.PENANAQSAIrWsW4K
"Of course I did. And I know how it works."35Please respect copyright.PENANAhiWT8yt9Pj
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"You fought him before, then?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAZnUsShnmRT
35Please respect copyright.PENANAyfklpuU7Bt
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA8GN8p3ubzQ
35Please respect copyright.PENANA70wal0IT0f
"Aren't you and I a team? Are you absolutely certain?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAdBuZFW0J6K
35Please respect copyright.PENANAH35aMvjWMH
Operating on instinct, Rover nodded, but then his opening question computed with her, and her eyes suddenly constricted.35Please respect copyright.PENANAYg8pPdV6sF
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"Very well! Don't die on me!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAyKw0HmwK2G
35Please respect copyright.PENANAvSpBhTWtQi
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAmFJ7TIgvDY
35Please respect copyright.PENANA9JAbzXQqrV
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAs02CZ3GeL7
35Please respect copyright.PENANANuc3bA65j9
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA2ApAMdiIoH
35Please respect copyright.PENANAmCA88vLb50
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAyg4qvX3xe7
35Please respect copyright.PENANAj1P4hvRV07
"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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAOu05wxr7WN
35Please respect copyright.PENANASuYz1s77Q0
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAe2BKol5Xgy
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"..."35Please respect copyright.PENANAaN2eAVE9nv
35Please respect copyright.PENANAKbLls5T1rP
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAA3zEghdSws
35Please respect copyright.PENANAk8NnQDPu8i
And so, she communicated with a stern nod, and Kenny's biting mouth chipped his nail.35Please respect copyright.PENANAqVnvVJSXSz
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"Fine. Good luck!"35Please respect copyright.PENANACF9sgV2Xlt
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And then, he was off. His bidding of good fortune completely stunned her. However, she quickly recovered–35Please respect copyright.PENANAcEswrBewNl
35Please respect copyright.PENANAEtBGrS6Xui
**THUD**35Please respect copyright.PENANAztRD1mWyOU
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"Sharp as always! I'm a fool to think that would work!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAmGDZk0mZNV
35Please respect copyright.PENANAzt96uGTtdb
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAqG5nuejeWQ
35Please respect copyright.PENANAzKQQRlrs0o
"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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAIpoxOciia2
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She tried to ignore the uncertain, guilty way her stomach formed a pit.35Please respect copyright.PENANAgB9nLIoW8S
35Please respect copyright.PENANAoo3B38C9Wm
"Come at me, Boris!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAP0KJ0hxTNv
35Please respect copyright.PENANAOwRZKxNQIT
–35Please respect copyright.PENANAbQf1cWufAB
35Please respect copyright.PENANA9MpKofIUyY
–35Please respect copyright.PENANA4IjtK07jKz
35Please respect copyright.PENANAL3QPa44zP8
–35Please respect copyright.PENANA64o3Rf2aDQ
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Right before she charged forth, her stalled thoughts sprung into action.35Please respect copyright.PENANAZaUDOX8Uzk
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAUbpjnrz9i4
35Please respect copyright.PENANAutqO0HtZNi
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAtVQyxdOCUd
35Please respect copyright.PENANAAFKDJmTO5s
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA5uTTTq5zGy
35Please respect copyright.PENANAMpZ8u5tqGg
"Huh!?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAjWpw2WMb7T
35Please respect copyright.PENANA9HmfuodVgF
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAdwbwMmvng8
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"Hah!"35Please respect copyright.PENANA1Ijgo9jvFM
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANACr0T7IraNm
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But she didn't let up, because she knew that if she waited any longer–35Please respect copyright.PENANAdJDcMBgqFM
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"Here!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAjqANu38KeE
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Boris dislodged her dagger and he chucked it like a throwing knife. Rover caught it at one of its crossguards, but as she was distracted with doing so, the man performed mana spinning.35Please respect copyright.PENANA8c4ZHTADfu
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"Good thing that dagger's so thin. Otherwise, this wound wouldn't be so easy to heal."35Please respect copyright.PENANA8fQzd7zwZp
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"Tch."35Please respect copyright.PENANAQgxd4up5Fy
35Please respect copyright.PENANAhIdq0C2in4
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA0y9fOk7ucC
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**CLANG**35Please respect copyright.PENANAH9X1Z2P12X
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAh830wtOSX0
35Please respect copyright.PENANApg1lYkceko
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA4kBzUqswVX
35Please respect copyright.PENANALjvjYPebGu
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANArtdM7BJKv1
35Please respect copyright.PENANAFReMuBPteC
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–35Please respect copyright.PENANAyqdBD8YXaq
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**SMASH**35Please respect copyright.PENANAOtFm642Ghy
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–shook the room as it ruined the wall.35Please respect copyright.PENANA0vt8xvGiuh
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"Ack. Shit!"35Please respect copyright.PENANA8taZKCg2tY
35Please respect copyright.PENANAT7Q38TFzSm
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAdcUF56Rkus
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"These tactics don't work how they used to. You've grown. Haha, you've truly grown!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAX6Nw8ERl8X
35Please respect copyright.PENANATC4xKWPGoF
Boris deflated his comical size, returning to a more reasonable stature.35Please respect copyright.PENANAxSSWaCQcy4
35Please respect copyright.PENANA8neuXKUsAP
"But not enough."35Please respect copyright.PENANAjQE51yooLA
35Please respect copyright.PENANAHgufWm2S3l
"--!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAnkECl1Rznx
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Those words, unlike anything prior, brewed steam within her head.35Please respect copyright.PENANAccQEorDkbM
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"What the hell are you talking about? I'm kicking your ass!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAAXZpS7Ob2S
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He wiped some dirt off his shoulder.35Please respect copyright.PENANAvr8hzeMiLp
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"Your intellect hasn't improved one bit, has it? Can't you tell I'm still toying with you?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAcS9K4qx2Of
35Please respect copyright.PENANAeEY8I1K86a
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAdb1wqR96K3
35Please respect copyright.PENANAZ3JUkcjwWO
"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 "35Please respect copyright.PENANAzniSocNifM
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"...So what? What are you getting at, shitface?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAH2ZkRJ3kZ4
35Please respect copyright.PENANA6yWUGHLzCY
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAIaF5Ml01kd
35Please respect copyright.PENANAG7TR8HNKkn
But, as she was proven yet again, keeping expectations like that was for fools.35Please respect copyright.PENANAFYjBCBZg94
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA7XClW1JlmT
35Please respect copyright.PENANATg6xP65ubQ
"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."35Please respect copyright.PENANAs06v64fWLr
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From the back of his shoulders, a new pair of arms found home, and they pointed their fingers with snappy girth.35Please respect copyright.PENANARjvGgErBTH
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"Hahaha! Come! Show me that this time, you'll do just that"35Please respect copyright.PENANAqle3DCrwbV
35Please respect copyright.PENANAo0PTTsvYj4
"--Fine!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAyGhLAKffVo
35Please respect copyright.PENANAkbs2Qm6KAB
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA2u6WP7HDv3
35Please respect copyright.PENANAvwB1OysuNJ
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAhgOCnqJPKB
35Please respect copyright.PENANAsU9lXKk9dr
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAzv68xDMyRe
35Please respect copyright.PENANAoCf2laGd4K
"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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAPLzM10KoZA
35Please respect copyright.PENANAzNuuJx61LD
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANANZTONwbfr8
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"Completely still. But, of course, you lost your only way to kill me. Will you give up?"35Please respect copyright.PENANA9vHSaANCiN
35Please respect copyright.PENANALdw5kwM6RS
"...You're counting me out already. It's pissing me off!"35Please respect copyright.PENANASMq4gqUtJe
35Please respect copyright.PENANAlWB9Hhx9xw
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAb7C222iDtl
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"You've learned nothing, you overgrown oaf!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAOxavf7Mkma
35Please respect copyright.PENANArlcWdZpIAA
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAr5iFXwBRpC
35Please respect copyright.PENANAmLOtFs5msq
"...I see. Hahaha, I see! And what kind of exotic mana does that hold?"35Please respect copyright.PENANA2GR08WDUEt
35Please respect copyright.PENANAwhsq8loFxc
"Come and find out!"35Please respect copyright.PENANADJqI9vscIF
35Please respect copyright.PENANAtAZkT5oMoc
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA81GWQRPSZb
35Please respect copyright.PENANA6QDnEhFBel
Fortunately, she was always a better runner than Boris.35Please respect copyright.PENANAPkigeaEjxV
35Please respect copyright.PENANAVySKuFgSEk
"Get back here! Come on you coward!"35Please respect copyright.PENANACjsT7NoY8s
35Please respect copyright.PENANAmYlYxsmwIV
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAbDk4worFi6
35Please respect copyright.PENANAExQP2gDqSo
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA7SQGl3WttB
35Please respect copyright.PENANAnkDWVK8XBc
"Finally!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAYOZZqjIVwf
35Please respect copyright.PENANAR2u84qgftB
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAc2im9vGCBI
35Please respect copyright.PENANAacHq6tFMiY
"--Ack! Shit!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAE1c5U1MCLL
35Please respect copyright.PENANAh0HgLwbvKS
The parrying dagger slid smooth like silk out of the wound. Rover dashed back immediately, anticipating some kind of reaction.35Please respect copyright.PENANAT9QoiYwmml
35Please respect copyright.PENANA3VoraeohN4
"...My fingers are broken. Just what is that dagger made of?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAErUGjaRo54
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And then a profound smile found itself on her face. He backed away to perform mana spinning potent enough only to close his wound. Those broken fingers were just what she needed.35Please respect copyright.PENANAUc49aVnjDH
35Please respect copyright.PENANAlU6cITiQL7
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–35Please respect copyright.PENANA6eUOB84XpL
35Please respect copyright.PENANAy4rlM20EgR
"...!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAhDW4atBoVJ
35Please respect copyright.PENANAXMEvFxEaB7
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–35Please respect copyright.PENANAlkKtncqRdo
35Please respect copyright.PENANAX8URdqe349
"Ah-ha!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAR1qcVZrdVv
35Please respect copyright.PENANAHteJAmHvX8
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAOUIuBlBqA1
35Please respect copyright.PENANA5ufisv2Paz
The gesture alone confused Boris for a moment, just enough to stun him for what happened next.35Please respect copyright.PENANAjulsqcMBAy
35Please respect copyright.PENANAHl5a9Lmba8
**THUD**35Please respect copyright.PENANAj7oK91vkjC
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"Urk!"35Please respect copyright.PENANASnr3ZyUFyd
35Please respect copyright.PENANAWEODsxCBBg
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAbjeQteCzb7
35Please respect copyright.PENANALNXmoY7X26
Now at a distance, Rover observed the magic. But no magic came.35Please respect copyright.PENANAPMxj7YeJkg
35Please respect copyright.PENANA448ABdqL7b
"Huh?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAsZ2of4lYgt
35Please respect copyright.PENANAM3ziHCZbOO
There was a fluttering cloud of orange dust before Boris, permeating through the room like any ordinary gas would.35Please respect copyright.PENANAvv9w8sxXht
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"Haha! What was I afraid of!?"35Please respect copyright.PENANA1mlh8f3e6q
35Please respect copyright.PENANA0YJZI0Ioyt
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANASRZkJczYZ7
35Please respect copyright.PENANA2xNBtPZlrA
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAnNTzyhxlwX
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"What's this? Doesn't smell like anything. You crack me up. At least you put on a good show!"35Please respect copyright.PENANAszibcroL9J
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Boris threw his arms wide.35Please respect copyright.PENANAfEbBdkdjHy
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"But I like fights more than performances. I'll do both of us a favor and end this–"35Please respect copyright.PENANAhJgkg7d2BQ
35Please respect copyright.PENANASuUADlNrXj
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAZOLMlQyEMo
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And then the magic happened.35Please respect copyright.PENANApVyxr4uXPN
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**BOOM**35Please respect copyright.PENANAlUO4Rm06Lu
35Please respect copyright.PENANAEbghrbXZhv
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANALupKJs8xfw
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"Heh. And I even figured out your actual size."35Please respect copyright.PENANAgiDSYFCcKj
35Please respect copyright.PENANA0SzjxVDxzh
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.
35Please respect copyright.PENANAnEJFFoyRux
"Hmmm? This is taking a while–"35Please respect copyright.PENANAWRz4vRkoGy
35Please respect copyright.PENANAC4VmRGqB26
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAIwq9NjS6UT
35Please respect copyright.PENANAMNkbCjRfiX
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAOoevcu2T3s
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Then, it shrunk.35Please respect copyright.PENANAz6dgOZ1Psr
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"Oh ho ho, you marvelous beast."35Please respect copyright.PENANAnqJOwW9nHH
35Please respect copyright.PENANAeOrUPjWfBx
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANABn4swjv896
35Please respect copyright.PENANAcn3pefogNP
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA0w3D8GKxjo
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"I can see it in your face. Your disgust. But I know that there's awe in those eyes. How couldn't there be?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAArNocghRHL
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Rover snapped out of her trance and brandished her dagger.35Please respect copyright.PENANApZXZvLzxuH
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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."35Please respect copyright.PENANA14eood3krp
35Please respect copyright.PENANADW5zQFRx1b
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAp1b3RlbuEM
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And then, a few seconds later, another brick spat out a different hole.35Please respect copyright.PENANAzTEWwp1dvd
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"Those arms I formed made for a dandy shield, wouldn't you say? Though of course, you hit me in the last place it spawned. Lucky you."35Please respect copyright.PENANATmEHhx4hpB
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Another brick spewed out. It came from his shoulder.35Please respect copyright.PENANAOHWC6jaAXU
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"Well, you've certainly made a mess of my face. But I don't need good looks anyway."35Please respect copyright.PENANAAGISAZ4WpY
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He dropped the brick in his hand right as another spewed out. He wound his arm, as if to stretch it, then gazed at Rover with the eyes of a monster.35Please respect copyright.PENANAjVtGfUaCo9
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"You're not done fighting, are you? Come on."35Please respect copyright.PENANAx0VD68B0hF
35Please respect copyright.PENANAwip53LwMY6
"...Freak."35Please respect copyright.PENANAjIWo6LCcEj
35Please respect copyright.PENANAdlVxjh9tIW
"Oh yeah. You loved calling me that before, didn't you?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAoxYVbl86sx
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"And just look at how right I was."35Please respect copyright.PENANAmwJRzoV1Dt
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A hearty chuckle came from him.35Please respect copyright.PENANAvKN3y6RvYJ
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"Well, that won't do you any good."35Please respect copyright.PENANA3XKdQyNWXE
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Boris entered a stance, taunting Rover yet again.35Please respect copyright.PENANAvmCrcHy2UT
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"Come on. My legs are scorched. Your marvelous plan gave you this opportunity."35Please respect copyright.PENANA1HEJ4u7K05
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She put one leg forward.35Please respect copyright.PENANAIOsEQ7OUKR
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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."35Please respect copyright.PENANA4b2spH2c00
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Then another. Boris' grin grew wider.35Please respect copyright.PENANAxQ1o2Wf0vi
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"A helpless dog like you shouldn't loiter around! Come on, Rover! Don't you have something to prove!?"35Please respect copyright.PENANA7UcnFjhQH8
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAIpIW4dLzYi
35Please respect copyright.PENANAjo0GhTXqEU
–
–
–35Please respect copyright.PENANAL3SJor7nsH
35Please respect copyright.PENANAw0mQGz5RyY
–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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAdZJk3aiwsP
35Please respect copyright.PENANAmiFiwZ7NxM
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAVeomeB5oVm
35Please respect copyright.PENANAyS2n6hTtlx
–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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAzsgp58zrJG
35Please respect copyright.PENANAcYWu6SgwDk
–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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA2y5NEzKKhE
35Please respect copyright.PENANAWoacgVrD8S
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAb6IUI4jMIX
35Please respect copyright.PENANAjX9LM2GT1G
–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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA5HYAmDYeJ6
35Please respect copyright.PENANAPXpmJpAc5u
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAblZxjh6jpi
35Please respect copyright.PENANAPwcUkcFiMC
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**35Please respect copyright.PENANASWbGuU9mSN
35Please respect copyright.PENANAYeWubcnI84
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAZsPoqIaITr
35Please respect copyright.PENANAzgvSBLPkxa
–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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAHqKohYnZBL
35Please respect copyright.PENANAY139uimIcR
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAu8s4IsMJ0H
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"You have gotten smarter. Or maybe I've just gotten dumber."35Please respect copyright.PENANA590xzhyhYj
35Please respect copyright.PENANAJAGEbKI3YO
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAIvg147tGEI
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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."35Please respect copyright.PENANA0X3buezRE4
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Rover balled his hands into a fist, scowling at Boris with daggers for eyes.35Please respect copyright.PENANAgIoIWMbkrq
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"Relax, now. Twisting your face won't kill me. Might as well save the energy."35Please respect copyright.PENANAlcGazE8kTT
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"You... ass."35Please respect copyright.PENANAO9A5OHiCQc
35Please respect copyright.PENANA9t1xNRa8Ey
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANApx7cosyHIM
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"You're not crawling away?"35Please respect copyright.PENANAgfHYemZf0I
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"...I'm not a damn worm."35Please respect copyright.PENANAnprScK1w3j
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"Right. You never were the type to do that. But your insults are missing. Well, not that it matters."35Please respect copyright.PENANATLiR1EAVoK
35Please respect copyright.PENANAIFu6IB7fPP
Boris crouched down and gazed at her legs. A shiver crawled up Rover's spine, one that left tingling dread in its wake.35Please respect copyright.PENANA6lkzcxv1ru
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"I'm spent, but I can't let you run around either. So how about I do, this?"35Please respect copyright.PENANA8P3chPSnDL
35Please respect copyright.PENANAGJibxKfwiH
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAgmLwNHrpvF
35Please respect copyright.PENANAvAcFQMXIer
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAIPNsSIUHv1
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And she couldn't do a thing.35Please respect copyright.PENANAVXIhcYH2M3
35Please respect copyright.PENANAoal7JowfT2
–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:35Please respect copyright.PENANADVSRzwFZA8
35Please respect copyright.PENANALLEVZRGKRp
Sorry, mom–35Please respect copyright.PENANAKQggeYJXzc
35Please respect copyright.PENANA7aR4cqu930
**CRACK**35Please respect copyright.PENANAbz0NgdB9HN
35Please respect copyright.PENANAMEnT2N0NRP
"AG– AAAAAAAAAAHCK!"35Please respect copyright.PENANA11nK8hXO0w
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Her nearly six years of combat experience couldn't have prepared her for this.35Please respect copyright.PENANADzcM7RwCvE
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"And there goes your leg."35Please respect copyright.PENANA3o23zIsEab
35Please respect copyright.PENANA2kujFpS5Tc
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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAhQmtArSzZQ
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"It's funny. If it hadn't only been you, I'd probably be dead."35Please respect copyright.PENANAxxHIysFvyl
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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."35Please respect copyright.PENANA1Bbf2gOmkK
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAFu88pfNsGA
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But those words of his stole it away.35Please respect copyright.PENANA29QLo4JOw8
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"Raw strength wins yet again. You got close, but I am still undefeated. Until we meet again, Rover."35Please respect copyright.PENANAgBqPTjQEon
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANAC6hkqZB0tf
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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.35Please respect copyright.PENANA7zDeMCq619
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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.