“...”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwj1hbAAOju
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“...”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpgEeIwYtC
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I couldn’t explain how it wound up this way. Maybe it was how I always lagged behind, or that other members were simply more courageous than Juke and I. Maybe it was bad fortune becoming of me, an ugly trait that reared its head in inconvenient times. Pondering an explanation was a useless endeavor anyhow. At this point, I realized it just wasn’t always needed.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wyX8OYJyJ
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But still, to think Juke and I were the final two members was absurd.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpe1CmJri6
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgobjeid9F
I didn’t have any evidence, but my gut screamed at me that the final floor would be the most challenging to combat. I readily acknowledged that the Harbinger was on a lower floor, but all the suspense that had been accumulating in my body informed me that wasn’t the worst of it. Perhaps it was a superstition– no, it absolutely was –but I was still compelled to tell Juke of my hypothesis.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9sC3IteK4
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“I have a feeling–”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhx0wLIzvaM
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEi94ZFCme
“This next floor’s gonna be a pain in the ass, eh?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWe98AzYVPO
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPqWilEjLY
I was momentarily stunned at his read. Only in mind of course, because my legs didn’t dare to stop climbing.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ3UNIiCcI
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBSzcOJODN
“Do you also have that feeling?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGoKxfIoMP
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOx4YmXE3g1
“Nothin’ like it. I could just tell by the look on yer face. Either way, I don’t think we’re gonna deal with somethin’ so meddlesome.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3FPRhG3FK
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnXFjV6hJO
“I don’t know, Juke. I just don’t know.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61wKBtTGK5
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9fYq7gG2F
His words appeased me a little bit, but I still found it nearly impossible not to wonder and assume the worst.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsS3VhzhNM7
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWX6TfSdss
But, ultimately, I reminded myself yet again that that hardly mattered. Now that we’d arrived on a flat surface, there was nothing to do but to walk through that door and eliminate whoever was behind it. So we made sure to make a loud entrance. As I was able to match his pace, the both of us busted the door down. We ran into the master’s room, a spacious office stacked with papers. It was different, and far, far messier than the Foreign Pillar’s.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJa4swz6q8
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“Y-You!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ztbO2LI2I
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I was shocked by a sudden voice from my left. I turned my head and saw a skinny gentleman, one I could only assume was the Pillar’s Dean.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Im29RkIIN
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPpS0r4jHn
“T-Thank goodness! Please, release me from these ropes!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdFaDKH6OT
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFvoZDpzbB
“A-Alright!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGul5efeCO
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Whether his words or his pathetic visage swayed me, I ran to untie him all the same. But I was stopped in my tracks by a hand grabbing my shoulder.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QIHoEHxee
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3r9j6I8RM
“Hey! Juke, what are–”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsztHVeAtzu
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttGIVasA0L
My question was cut short the moment I looked at where he was point. Now, I was looking at the reason behind the different papers, the reason why the dean was tied in rope.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDlnO33pvu
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1ZtuTK2kG
A man stood on the desk. A man with a robe I knew all too well, but more importantly, with a style of hair that I recognized. He turned his head towards us as he put a paper down, and frowned.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNBYnpR25O
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBOzXn9cgP
“You two… I figured it would be you that I meet.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MMpgZvIiG
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8obe3EY472
With almond-shaped eyes and a jagged, unusual hairstyle that screamed “punk,” the Bringer in the streets of this city right as this mess began glared at us with the sheen of his blade.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDDkjiHPSb
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbidSJNfEQh
“He’s alive!?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kYBWNPT4j
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFxgmdi0Oo
The shock of it all was one thing, as the last time I saw him, I was sure he was pulverized and left to bleed out. But what truly made me yell in such volume was that he still had both of his arms.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfl089jihmQ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4qVAVTm4A
“How the hell? I cut yer thing off, didn’t I?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOWJKXhgeq
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVhEKu7gWi
“My ‘thing?’ It was my arm, you ass! But never mind that. What matters now, is that it’s back.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDLV5pPLat
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwkP2qCq1g
He said it matter-of-factly, as if none of it should be a surprise. Missing limbs weren’t impossible to restore with highly potent, albeit rare and extremely expensive potions, but processes like that took months, often years to complete. And they would only proceed smoothly with frequent tending and doctoral observation.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf00U0NJlVk
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtAp4X1PHA
And yet, it had only been a little over a day since I last saw him.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCayfccYiPq
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSiaah1VIo
“Kid, that ain’t possible, is it!? Tell me I’m hallucinatin’!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQK1VNQrpm
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgG27F1bbck
“...Well, not exactly.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7I1xBrPJtG
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I could see his mouth agape through the steel of his helm.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDX4pZURyKx
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtx8hLIepaO
“Restoring limbs isn’t impossible; I tried and failed to make a few like that myself. But to be able to do it that fast, there’s only one explanation.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwgE7GHY0x
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GQF9qTZ6C
“Tell me, won’t ya?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATPx4AVV5f
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgVMUG9Qf2
“There’s someone in Hard-Bringer who’s a Grade Zero mana spinner.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWX0P1sDbGw
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpb7Mx90tl
“...Seriously? I thought they were one-in-a-million rare.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqLGMB6Pmh
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHAniw9Znh
“It’s something like that. I’d call ourselves lucky if they weren’t our opponent.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VfCX5Ljf0
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7SFPz0u49
“You got a sharp mind, child– Bison Frost, right?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFoW8Bt3KY
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMZCKFm4bs
I clicked my tongue at the mention of the name. And to think I forgot all about it.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrwZMo0uA5
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCupfLBSw2d
“There’s someone among our ranks who’s a world-class healer. It’s phenomenal to see her work, really. I was out like a light, but by the time I woke up, I was better than new!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRfPRhl8eH
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMr8uPAkpRb
He pulled the sleeves of his robe back to show his vascular arms.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOOTEMpBMV
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74HU4q0ZFj
“A her, eh? Looks like I know who ta’ look for.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrD58g0TRuL
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3A5l77zkt
The Bringer’s enthusiasm dwindled with Juke’s remark.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15Fws6RaYn
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyVOlbrJT6
“Right, I need to watch my tongue. I can’t be too safe.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGKK92HDFD
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2hk49rOc5
The Bringer hopped off the desk and reached for the other scabbard on his belt. Wielding two curved blades yet again, he stared at us with crazed, narrowed eyes.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmR877GgmS9
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCpTC9AxQj
“If you two are the last of your platoon, that’s perfect! It means you won’t get any help!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCqU55iC3A
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuXPaOES1A
He took one step forward, a clear indication that he was going to charge.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jjr82G1p3
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCj5QtqlKd
“If I can chop you two up here and now, then we can pack up and go home!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ipHbYvHgE
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡub2cAMYx0o
And then he broke into a sprint, igniting our unexpected rematch.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhEgPM7u6v
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmldE8MvawY
–
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–
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4syDSLp9Q
–207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOL9v1k5B7
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The Bringer’s immediate dash complicated this whole mess. It might’ve been my fault for not taking Juke aside and speaking of a plan, but there was nothing I could do now. I didn’t have time to speak with him about our battle strategy. It helped not that the Bringer’s gesture was so sudden. It stunned me for a moment and forced me to think of a counterattack. But Juke thankfully had a quick, simple proposal:: he just drew his sword and matched the Bringer.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZfszWNCHa
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWStnE4xPaT
The first collision of the battle followed right after. Juke blocked a double swipe with his single sword, and immediately I noted that Juke had more physical strength than the Bringer, as he was able to keep him in a lock. The Bringer dashed away shortly after, glaring at us while humming curiously. I was oddly disturbed by that gesture, but I had no time to contemplate. I drew my tendril and sprouted the perfect plant for the occasion: the Thistle-Bloom. One of the first plants I ever copied from Prince’s garden, Its spikey bulb protruded from the tip of the tendril. I squelched its root as if I was choking it.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTw8ul3J5G
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC0rejtxh1
Juke looked over his shoulder, and seeing that I had a plant out, he gestured his hand in a question.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwxl94vg5A
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“It’s ranged, that’s all you need to know! Keep the pressure!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQT1cwZUky
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9kLYBDWMc
He nodded right after, boldly charging at the still-humming Bringer. I put one knee down and bent the Thistle-Bloom, aiming it directly at the two fighters.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPT5K6vnQLZ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnw7QXzJpR
It was impossible to safely shoot while the two were in close combat, but that bothered me barely. Juke’s endowment gave him a defensive edge, and with the constant threat of his sword and wind magic, the Bringer would be forced to back away eventually. I just had to wait for that moment, and as I did, I keenly watched the battle unfold.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65qQ7glfBk
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ONoYnfKiU
Juke played the offensive role spectacularly. I wasn't sure if the Bringer was hesitating from past experience or gauging him in some fashion, but the end result was that swings were being thrown his way. None of Juke's swings connected, however, and the Bringer kept too small a distance for me to shoot.
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Eventually, the Bringer retaliated. He swung his swords across and Juke blocked them at the center. From that position though, Juke was forced to back away. Almost losing his sword, he awkwardly stepped a few paces back while swinging his arms to keep from falling. In that moment, the Bringer dashed and thrust his weapons.
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**CLANG**
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"...So I wasn't hallucinating."
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The tip of his blades practically bounced off Juke's skin, and from the looks of it, made only a scratch on his helmet. Juke looked relieved, and the Bringer looked annoyed, and though I was distracted by relief of not seeing my friend be penetrated, I surged mana through the tendril.
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"It's a weird ability you have there. Fortunately–"
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All of a sudden, right before the thorns of the bulb spew like the water of a dam, the Bringer flung one of his blades my way.
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"I can just chip away."
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKNR5gqy3C
I tripped over myself trying to dodge it, and though all but a clip of my hair avoided it, it managed to glide through elsewhere.
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My body reacted immediately.
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58UcMRKe40
"Urg--Glurrgh!"
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMuLYwAnbi
The Thistle-Bloom was torn apart, and that viscous purple liquid ejected itself from my throat yet again.
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"Kid! Ah, shit!"
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueseoTRUdf
I collapsed to the ground, limp and lethargic in my lazy legs. I mustered the strength to tilt my head up and look at the fight. Juke kept the Bringer occupied, but everything about the sight was wrong. That Bringer was missing a sword, so why was Juke forced to block every attack? Why did his posture falter while the Bringer's only strengthened?
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4lU5WjEu7
Familiar shivers ran through my spine. My limbs denied my commands, and even my eyes forced themselves blind to the scene. Then the word "run" entered my head. And then I–
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmFHsjuNeK
"Kid! C'mon, I need ya here!"
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡde9tGox0VU
"...Come on. Come on, just shoot!"
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A rush of adrenaline helped me endure the pain of forming the Dragon-Maw, but with my other hand, I quickly created a ball of fire and lobbed it at the two fighters. I didn't hit anyone, but the blaze separated them, giving Juke crucial time to breathe. He shot me a thumbs up while brandishing his weapon, threatening the Bringer just enough for him to back off.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63qlqg7RT9
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIo2hhrczKe
The Dragon-Maw snapped at the Bringer, knowing by instinct who the opponent was. But to my surprise, it didn’t uncontrollably charge.. Rather, it retracted, hissing at the adversary as if he encroached on its territory.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkWfv4uwoo
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcVoJo064x
“We don’t have time for you to act like this! Go, fight that cloaked man!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrHOzQToZM
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrzsRpIbYk
After my call, the Dragon-Maw calmed down. I extended my tendril, and the tide of battle tipped in our favor.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0snBPLyd8R
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqgGzxMBJO
Though carrying such a dislodged, extended mass was difficult on my tiny body, I put no energy into making attacks. Dragon-Maw complimented Juke’s fighting patterns superbly, striking at times when Juke reeled from swinging his sword. The Bringer was put on the backfoot almost instantly, and the pressure was obvious from his drenched face. Despite our suffocating offense, we never managed to break the guard of his blistering blade.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhk9jyxfSD
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He was, however, getting closer and closer to losing his footing.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsyResG8q9
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYD7gVi3ga
Though my arm strained and heaved, I kept the tendril out. The Bringer carried Juke and Dragon-Maw around the room, lining its edges and narrowly missing the paper piles. At some point, though, I noticed that the Bringer had to block less and less. I thought for a moment that exhaustion from Juke or I was to blame, but as I narrowed my eyes, I noticed his feet moving further and further back.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwgsSJmDSb
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnHBGUZ052
And only until I turned nearly one-eighty degrees did I realize why.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMQYC0ht6e
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“Crap!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaXQVpB79l
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xrnoFHSR0
I stopped supporting my right arm with my left and quickly began mana expulsion. I didn’t have the time to make anything dangerous, so I conjured a messy ball of water and flung it at the Bringer. But I didn’t put enough for or mana for it to be meaningfully threatening. It merely splashed his face, not enough to stop him from picking up his other sword. But that brief moment of blindness afforded me a–207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49Wnjnv9Vn
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonehtQATP4
**CRUNCH**207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsgNwbK2S0
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The Dragon-Maw managed to clamp the Bringer at his side. It didn’t bite anything off, but from the grunts of the Bringer and the new hues of red, it was clear that the wound was deep.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnWCEWtQcI
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Unfortunately, that was all Dragon-Maw had to offer.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ejXFPQgSx
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJ2NCq0lZB
Like it was a basic reflex, the Bringer swung his sword and cut the head of Dragon-Maw off. I clicked my tongue and closed my eyes, bracing myself for the ensuing, and brutally-arriving pain. My preparation suppressed it adequately. I was still on my legs, after all. But it was offset by my dwindling willingness to use the tendril, and by the way its brown roots shed its sheen, I figured it felt the same. I had to ask it for one more favor, though.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMmBcGYtCZ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfRExYwSmb
I realized it was reckless, especially with how small the room was, but I didn’t want this fight to drag on any longer than it already had. Thus, I procured a–207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJAM4laKQj
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK820HZvMgk
“Child! Child, please!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmsavt7bQp
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnM4MbLYQ3j
“W-What!?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcY06Z3nPYk
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieDr0eqpA6
My focus was split by the sudden calling of the Dean, who rested behind me still trapped by rope.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfiC26oTyA
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68DMKtjRip
“I can’t help you right now! I’m in the middle of a fight–”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4fJO0NimH
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpY4kbEuevz
“N-No, please, at least release me from these ropes! He won’t hurt me, so at the very least I can escape!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96hQ2dLWUa
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwi1Ulg92OH
“...”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0SoqlIi17
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I had this sick feeling that the Dean was far sleazier than I initially thought, but under this kind of situation, I could hardly blame him. I didn’t turn to save him, however. As a Freeze-Dry bloomed from the tip of my tendril, I stared with sweaty palms at the dueling two. Juke matched the Bringer far more comfortably now, even with him having two swords, as that injury was unignorable.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpQ0lWdh7d
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidAuEUtSDM
With that in mind, freeing the Dean suddenly didn’t seem so outrageous.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡki0o84M1Tg
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvLOhAEyX0
“Please, child! We don’t have m-much time! If you–”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjBMlq595x
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZN3RvS3eH2
“I understand that you’re stressed, but please shut up and let me think!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7o2Ush3Xoh
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97bUpp8fPV
Even though it would just take making a small dagger out of earth, sinking that time to free him felt like a terrible idea. I knew it was possible, I knew Juke could last long enough for me to do so, and yet– and yet–207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kYX6kN505
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLQWIBV6cl
And yet, the option caused my arms to shiver. To be responsible for his freedom, would just mean I was responsible for everything that followed.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHEkR91zHF
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuzwxt0Pzc
How could I not freeze, then? How could I move like a lubricated gear to cut his ropes and–207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTQSq0kVwd
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1P3Os9Ktsi
“Kid! Watch out!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1Bog1ZlB7
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPHF0ymjg0
“--Huh?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOOhaJfcYX
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxNcEInzYQ
I was swept from my trance by Juke’s loud, worried call. My vision registered with me then, and I realized that the Bringer was charging directly at me.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85WW3A2Dwe
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavw26GoOAx
“S-S-Shit!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTO4TXpNSo7
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrmT89THOu
I did the first thing that came to mind: I conjured a hasty spell, shot it, and jumped to the side, causing me to land on my hip. Only, it didn’t go so smoothly. The spell I created wasn’t one of earth or fire, as trying to rush those would erase nearly half of my mana supply. So I created a large wave of water before moving. It blinded the bringer sufficiently, just enough for his thrust to miss me.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9lH8a43bG
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8Z7BZmmNQ
**SQUELCH**207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljJZqmMFzL
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNMb310xdm
But the momentum of that thrust didn’t stop at empty air.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKNGxHeUWO
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj7MQRaNx6r
“--H-Hrk!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0X8qvAvrtH
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbh2kHPwck
“Oh?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ236i5mEU1
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlwWHXei0Q
The Bringer rubbed the water out of his eyes and looked at where his sword had been lodged. He wasn’t happy or upset, nor did he look amused or angered. He had the look of someone who made a simple slip-up, like a man putting a box in the wrong place and merely shrugging his shoulders at the sight.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkz7UwKyCNL
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB08gwNibKq
But the Bringer didn’t put a box in the wrong area. He thrust his weapon into the shoulder of the Dean.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgP33B2rHt
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVh6fjEgCs
“Ark… W-Why?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGALXXAMSI
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIOXfitCn9
“I don’t have a reason. It was an accident, relax. Goodness, just relax! It’s not as if I hit your lungs, did I?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjDcSHRr7Z
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnVaNMegSV
He took the sword out and sighed, pinching his nose in mild irritation.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBL2vDuts3
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNTTzOZHtu
“Bystanders aren’t all that important. You sit there and try your best to live, won’t you?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0qsp3F2iP
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qPbDJEYJ1
“A– y-you monster!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzEQ7m8m8c
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5Fn68ddJs
He rolled his eyes and pointed his sword.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfQDN8eCCm
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNvvvtqnlH
“Shut up now. You’re just asking to be stabbed.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngCJg3r0Fs
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80YTzOTwdD
After that threat, he turned, looking right at me.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgpIHlvMVP
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5YydkSfpV
“What’s that face for? Are you just now feeling afraid?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqQJ44huCI
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAaQTBwJ53
“A-Afraid?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHUedEcgHa
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSaFYFl9yn
I was stunned, undeniably, but it wasn’t paralysis. That wasn’t the case, because I saw the Dean right there, writhing but breathing, trying what he could to cover his wound. But to call myself afraid wasn’t incorrect. I could hardly keep myself from melting.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgu7bVWnupX
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLgBvCLkkh
“Don’t freeze on me, Kenny!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb717u8CXx1
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXlujiNaIB
But then Juke’s words resounded from my side, and the sight of the Dean became enough for me to move. Though, I didn’t do so before giving myself a necessary rebuke.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR7OMa74Q6
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJ81fBrnxO
“Damn it. Damn it!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBuA4mPLnw
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64ZQV5N2mI
I aimed the Freezey-Dry at the bringer and let it work. The Bringer stepped to the side, avoiding the wall of ice that formed until the end of the room. I didn’t have to face any counterattack either, as Juke kept the Bringer occupied while I ran to the Dean, forming an earthly knife.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjY9B8wXnG
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeYDoDCnjB
“Come on, weren’t you going to be more courageous? Come on, come on!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4saRHaQsJo
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJl4NvgMy3
I hurriedly cut the ropes, slicing one of my own fingers in the process, but still managing to free the Dean. He grasped his shoulder and got on his legs.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHy4nGTdtmP
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FfdwJ8Xhk
“T-Thank you.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkQ4uTJxWO
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OymlrmjDG
“What are you thanking me for? This is my fault! Ah, never mind! Can you walk?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1iD4XVusF
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRTerNdKmH
The Dean meekly nodded, which made me greatly relieved. I conjured up a quick earth spell and shot it through the ice wall, creating an opening.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2ZVsHscKf
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVoODtVKCd
“Go through there and leave. We’ll take it from here.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh4TWzfNzW
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4Hsy5Svmr
“Thank you. T-Thank you so much!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTL9vilXkL
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3QKNoinoh
Though his run was gaunt, he managed to leave the parameter without being stopped. I walked around the ice wall to make sure of it, seeing him go through the entrance, and then I returned my attention to the Bringer.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgpIT2hzKu
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiMNm2kT8p
He and Juke were still fighting. The Bringer landed stray hits far too often for comfort, but I saw a window when the two clashed their swords and stared.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmMqqEaErf
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5Xj0aBZ02
“What’s the matter, helmet-man? Is something on your mind? Your swings are getting sloppy.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YeAuS2dDs
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Pb0VlwTeU
“...I hate yer type. Ya bastards always read inta shit ya shouldn’t.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGtGMKWXFh
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiHVH003q0
“Juke!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfxH66MU4k
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5Lq3tgFU8
I interjected as quickly as I could. I formed a ball of earth and shot it at the Bringer. He moved to dodge it, but his toilsome wound forced him to hiss and I managed to nip his shoulder. Juke took advantage of the generated momentum, swinging his sword barbarically but only scratching the Bringer’s cloth as he dodged. The Bringer clicked his tongue and massaged his shoulder. Though it was a reach of a call to make, I felt confident that his shoulder was dislocated.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTZIw7T57y
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Q7NGBfwmk
“That kid is such a nuisance!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcA0dpr5lyT
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdMXriaYaC
He yelled an enraged sentence, jerking his head to me and glaring with dagger-like eyes. I brought my tendril out in front of me as a kind of shield, though with the ferocity of which he sprinted, it clearly wouldn’t do anything.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7ls2hnYV3
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2U1MTVPIfY
Fortunately, it didn’t have to.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHHrZul1eC
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9i6LpbidyX
“Ahck!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlP0jn8VA3C
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjCNlkzQtC
A gust of wind came from my right, slamming the Bringer hard enough for him to tumble to the floor. Juke followed his spell by charging with his sword raised. He swung down and collided with a shielding scimitar, unable to break its barricade. But as they struggled, I made my move.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lVCevEilj
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWL0KCzRyz
A spell wouldn’t do me good, and this wilting Freeze-Dry wouldn’t fare any better. My other offensive flower had been pierced and shredded, so I only had one thing at my disposal.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXQWfbGCC6
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZGbzhfuUZ
And so I extended my tendril, slamming it as strongly as I could on the laying Bringer.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8TMaOqPET
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRX9g1KWmJ
Juke moved his sword in the nick of time. The tendril caught the flat side of his scimitar– to my great relief –and crashed directly into his stomach. The air escaped from his lungs, and remnants of his meals flew out of his orifice. The blow stunned him well, and I retracted my tendril so Juke could quickly finish the job.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiWo1Ulw7N
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSR3zAOiJRN
But, that did not happen.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLoyc461k6
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6kuxHMfwg
With gritted teeth the bringer kicked himself from the floor to his feet, keeping Juke and I at a distance while pointing his swords. In the midst of it, I prepared a spell with my left hand: the embryonic stage of a geyser that would hose him to the wall. Preparing it took a while, however, and it was within that window of time that the Bringer207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLNc9OulBg
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9CKwdeIKA
“I’ll get you two… oh, I’ll get you this time!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc6Iw1cNv9
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQioHorbSdT
He twirled his core along with his blades, swindling himself like a leadenknob. His arm covered every feature of his face but his eyes, and he glared at us with the eyes of a feline.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3tLzG85r6
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ7hUiKtEC
From his body language, posture, and exasperated voice, it was clear to me what was coming: that bizarre technique that troubled Juke and I when we first fought.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCnUHOR8eN
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAQKy7nYtS
And he let it rip just a moment later.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRm14x5KkJb
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFb218mwFyb
His speed was unprecedented, his rotation made him blurry, and his rapid blades howled in the wind it sliced. Though he spun in a rocky direction, it was just accurate enough to gain ground on Juke and I. And I knew that helmet of his wouldn’t last under such a flurry.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2MQPMtbTx
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL72CLbfVlg
But true as that might’ve been, it wasn’t his helmet that would be put to the test. The Bringer veered from Juke right into me, approaching at a speed I could hardly react to. React I did, however. I produced a flower from my tendril and injected mana into it as fast as I could, and before his flurry of blades came, I had something to guard myself.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvzZJA57VJ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVd83SRzMxq
The beige and jagged texture of the Valencia-Bloom’s shield defended me. Small enough for me to carry, but large enough to stop speedy metal from sneaking past. It kept up with the flurry miraculously, as every cut it received closed immediately. Dozens and dozens of cuts, and none strong enough to pierce through.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWKxBAfoSG
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIR8N8AQFsU
“...!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KbDtvioY3
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ253arK6cs5
None so fierce to kill my plant.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVmk2A7VMw
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAcO0zvuvF
“M-My arm!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUflgOLtyx7
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFA5hfBBJr
But with how often they came, my arm came close to failure.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFCHacEIh9
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSSnoLxvcC
“Juke!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVUAtVbp5E
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnvMuKnT5I
“Gotcha, kid!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0oLdQ2xiJ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYJvdvNKsi
The barrage had no effect on the shield, but my puny arm couldn’t stand against such pressure. It was impossible to keep it up. I could already feel the fear seep into me; flashing images of what would become of me should those spinning blades connect.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhUo36WEoR
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUIAr7gvLt
But something unusual happened in light of that. An action I didn’t know I had the capacity for, but was driven by nothing but my own will.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJMrfW7xpC
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZudhyYxj4G
I finally finished the spell with my left arm, and I shot it before I inevitably faltered.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchToapDmsj
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF7F7dSSUYD
It wasn’t a clean hit– the complete opposite. I couldn’t aim my palm in any useful direction, but the force of the spell was so great it still adjacently struck the Bringer. As I didn’t have time to plant myself firmly, I was sent flying as well, colliding into the wall to my right and across the room.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BMxWY2HLH
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbMXFumSgK
“Hrk!”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjrRRYxu9n
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIWGsgSLqw
The slam was ugly, and I slid to the floor like mushy food. I didn’t let myself rest then, however, because that Bringer was still alive. I stood up and peered over the Dean’s desk, at the Bringer.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlN3QlP9Gc
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbNkIYyYrQ
The Bringer, whose back was skewered by Juke’s blade.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYwytWV1fP
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CkjZBPR7K
“...”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSQdIMMSqk
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6th2GiJPCJ
“Thank ya, kid. Ya made it real easy.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0aPHW9cy9
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9obDZBP2r
I didn’t respond to Juke’s praise. All my attention tunneled to the Bringer. His gaping mouth, his constricting eyes, the fading strength as his staunchblades slipped from his grip. He finally turned his eyes to me, then to the man who left him in such a state.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCX3OtQhK5
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfi5n6f9ZT
“Curse…”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1vtRgmbR7
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oFvQfcn5t
“What’s that? Can’t hear ya.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGRIK9jIzM
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WmMWZITzG
“Curse you, you strayfreak. Your days–”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyL0l1mEeK
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrEOLbxyDB
He cut his sentence to cough. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth– an organ of his was hit207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgestN8YSO
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡos21x4wetT
“May they, be few.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjXETJnU5E
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bg9cli80S
Another fit of coughing followed. It was intense and abrasive, ripping at his throat with each installment. Their strength eventually dwindled. His noisy coughs turned to raspy whispers, ejecting all the piling blood that clogged itself in his throat, lower and lower volumes as it progressed.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7UOYEegsJ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXo2DxrUtZj
Then he went limp. Juke dragged his sword out of the man’s chest, and he fell to the ground with a hollow thump.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfkpVEnBLQ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zBzNPPeI4
“That was… sad.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzkm1ghT6G
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3jIE21Gdw
“Sad,” Juke asked, tilting his head as he shook the blood off, “What’s so sad about killin’ this freak?”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPC4sSD4qK2
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO1CKD0pgK
“Well, I’m glad he’s dead, but… I didn’t think it would be so, so meek.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDSc1CVBrD
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZDVC5TCyu
“...Yer weird, man. Yer weird.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgesczbgmm
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTb1hVKP3SG
I chuckled at his assessment. He had a point. I should’ve just been glad to be alive, shouldn’t I? I showed my gratitude by taking a few steps over to Juke, raising my palm with as sweet a smile I could make. He matched my gesture, and we high-fived.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93cITFjJZV
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYuLbo1Wtc
“Good job. I couldn’t have done it without you.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFxImUhvwQ
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCqhCSTQYu
“C’mon, kid. A weakling like me–”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumYrIG4KQj
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDvs9o84g3
“Don’t continue.”207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEL5DpJs6cf
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fIXCohLfy
I looked at the Bringer’s corpse. In a twisted way, it was a trophy. A tangible token that indicated our success, our reclaiming of the Central Pillar. If the lower floors have succeeded, that is. I didn’t want to think like that now, however.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOveHkTgLK
207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGdYV6p8HA
Instead, I collapsed to the ground, because the distance I ran had to catch up to me eventually.207Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewWQiwBLSw
