Chapter 144: The Probability of Being Shoulder-Thrown by an Ant is Low, But Not Zero
Today, Rekka was on the run.
No, that wasn't a metaphor—he was literally running for his life. His Path for the day had blessed him with the form of a celestial dragon, a magnificent creature of flowing starlight and divine scales. Unfortunately, that also meant he was once again being pursued by that dragoness.
"Little brother, don't be afraid! I know how to treat someone well—hey, don't run! I'm not going to eat you!"
Her voice echoed through the void, a terrifying mix of saccharine sweetness and predatory hunger. To Rekka, she was less a potential partner and more a cosmic horror disguised as an overbearing auntie, her presence so vast it felt like it could swallow star systems. In his opinion, this dragoness was leagues scarier than Phantylia ever was.
"Hey! You! Stop right there!"
A tiny figure stood planted firmly on the crown of Rekka's massive, horned head. It was March 7th, and she was pointing an accusatory finger at their pursuer. Her voice, amplified and transmitted through a synesthesia beacon of Rekka's design, shot directly into the mind of the dragoness hot on their tail.
There was a time when March might have found it hilarious to see Rekka being chased by another woman. But not anymore. There was no way she was letting some random, mysterious dragoness who'd crawled out of the cosmic woodwork take him.
Never mind that by draconic beauty standards, the pursuer was a masterpiece. Her scales shimmered with an iridescent gloss, her figure was impossibly slender for her size, and her horns grew in perfect, elegant symmetry. She was, by all accounts, a top-tier beauty in dragon circles.
"He's taken! So please stop pestering him!" March 7th declared, planting her hands firmly on her hips.
She was trying the 'courtesy before force' approach. Be polite first. If politeness failed, well, then fists would have to fly. After all, if anyone from the Astral Express so much as got a scratch, both Rekka and Dan Heng were guaranteed to go berserk. Anyone who could survive touching the reverse scales of two dragons at once truly deserved a medal.
The female dragon was clearly taken aback by March's sudden declaration. Her colossal body slowed to a halt in the vacuum of space, her amber vertical pupils narrowing into sharp slits.
Back on the Astral Express, a small audience watched the drama unfold on the main screen.
"The original partner is tearing into the homewrecker," Liliya observed, munching on a snack.
"Mm, I see it. March is amazing," Rozaliya added, eyes glued to the screen.
The Olenyeva sisters had wanted to join the fray themselves, but a smiling Himeko had gently grabbed them by their collars, and they were now sitting obediently on the sofa. Nearby, Stelle just blinked, trying to process the sheer scale of the confrontation.
"I see... so he really is taken," the dragoness said, a hint of genuine regret in her voice. "I thought you were just playing hard to get."
March 7th and Rekka, who was still a dragon, collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"But," the dragoness purred, a wicked glint in her eyes, "didn't I say? I like the ones who are already taken even more."
March 7th's face instantly flushed a furious shade of crimson.
'March, calm down, calm down,'Rekka's voice echoed in her mind.'She's just trying to provoke you.'
"I know she's doing it on purpose! But I'm still angry!" March stomped her foot on Rekka's forehead, the tiny impact barely registering on his city-sized skull. "You like the taken ones more? You're just a common thief!"
"Oh?" The dragoness chuckled, a low rumble that could shake asteroids from their orbits. "But you're not even a dragon. How can you possibly compete with me?"
'March,'Rekka suggested, a mischievous plan already forming.'Challenge her to a contest of strength. If you win, she leaves. If she wins... well, you leave.'March stomped on his forehead again, this time with more force. "Hey! What do you mean by that! She's a huge dragon! How could I possibly win in a fight?"'Don't worry,'he soothed.'Remember my inventions?'
"Inventions?"
March's mind raced, flicking through a mental catalogue of Rekka's various, often absurd, creations. The ice cream machine that could produce any flavor imaginable, the magical force-field-constrained cubes, the galaxy-destruction bomb (with power scalable from moon-busting to star-system-annihilating), the Size Pills, Aether... no, not that one... and so, so many more.
"Do you mean the Size Pills?" she asked, a sudden realization dawning on her. "How big can those things even make me?"
'...I wasn't talking about those.'"Not those? Then what is it?"'The gloves.'
The gloves...
A flash of inspiration struck March 7th. Of course! The quirky little gadget Rekka had built out of sheer boredom shortly after joining the Express—the Strength Transfer Gloves. When you shook hands with someone while wearing them, the strength of both parties was instantly averaged out. The stronger person's power would flow into the weaker one until they were equal.
March had always felt the item was a perfect embodiment of the Path of Equilibrium. But against a dragon this massive? Would it really work?
She glanced at the creature, whose body dwarfed entire planets, and swallowed hard.
No. Rekka must have a reason for suggesting this. She had to trust him.
"Alright, you!" March shouted, puffing out her chest. "Since you want to fight me for him so badly, I'll compete with you in strength! Whoever is stronger gets to be with him!"
She stood with her hands on her hips, pointing defiantly at the colossal dragoness.
The giant creature seemed genuinely confused. Her massive vertical pupils blinked slowly, as if to confirm she hadn't misheard. Then, a low, rumbling chuckle escaped her.
"You?" the dragoness's voice dripped with amusement. "Competing with me in strength?"
"Yes, me!" March shouted back, her confidence unwavering. "What, are you scared? A beautiful girl's courage is invincible! An old, faded auntie-dragon like you wouldn't understand!"
"You!" The words "old and faded" struck a nerve. The dragoness's body jolted, and the scales all over her form bristled with indignation. "You little brat, say that again?"
"Old and faded! Old and faded! Old and faded!" March yelled it three times, emphasizing each word with gleeful malice. "What, is Auntie's hearing failing? Do you need me to come closer and say it again?"
Rekka could feel March trembling slightly on top of his head—a tremor born of equal parts righteous fury and sheer terror. But the words were out, and with a personality like hers, she would rather die than back down now.
"Good. Very good," the dragoness laughed, a sound devoid of all humor. "I'll compete with you in strength at your current size! How about it? Do you dare?"
"Why wouldn't I!"
And so, on the surface of a small, barren planet, a young woman and a celestial dragon began an arm-wrestling match.
In the heat of the moment, fairness was the last thing on their minds; this was a battle of pure, unadulterated pride.
The giant dragon extended a single, razor-sharp claw, which met March 7th's small, white-gloved hand.
The instant contact was made, the dragoness realized something was terribly wrong.
Her strength... it was being drained.
To be precise, her power was flowing out of her at an unbelievable, terrifying speed. It felt like being caught in the event horizon of a black hole; there was absolutely no escape, and she couldn't move an inch. Until the transfer was complete, both participants could only watch as the stronger one's power was siphoned into the weaker one.
And what if the stronger person's power came from a temporary buff?
Then, unfortunately for them, that portion of the power buff would be permanently transferred. Once the buff expired, the gloves' internal logic would determine that the power couldn't be returned to a now-weaker source, so it naturally stayed with the recipient. Even if the original owner re-entered their buffed state, the portion that had been carved away would never return.
Technically, this trait allowed for an infinite loop of power-stealing, but inflating one's stats too high was a bad idea. It would make even the simplest aspects of daily life impossible.
In a matter of seconds, the dragoness's strength was halved, leaving her with just enough power to support her own immense mass. March 7th, on the other hand, was now surging with cosmic might. With a grunt of effort, she effortlessly heaved the dragoness over her shoulder in a swift, clean throw.
The probability of a celestial dragon being shoulder-thrown by a human is extremely low, but as it turns out, not zero.
With a slight, almost imperceptible lack of control, March 7th's throw sent the dragoness crashing into the small planet with enough force to make it explode.
Uh-oh...
Fortunately, it was an uninhabited planet.
'Oops,'March thought, flexing her fingers.'I didn't hold back enough.'
She peered at the dazed, unconscious form of the dragoness floating amidst the planetary debris.
"She fainted..." March 7th scratched her cheek, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple.
Uh... was I too heavy-handed?
She considered it for a moment.
Probably not.
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