Mantis Against the Chariot

"What did you just say? Say it again."

The girl's golden eyes widened at least twice their size. With that, the dizzying tension that had filled the air around us vanished without a trace. In its place, a thick aura of rage began to permeate the space, prickling my skin like needles.

"I said say it again."

Still gripping my collar, the girl's voice carried a mix of bewilderment and seething anger, her face a mask of shock.

"I said no."

I stated my position without a care for her fury. If I flunked out here, my life could be on the line—who the hell was I going to hand over my hard-earned points to just because some pint-sized brat tried to tempt me and then threw a tantrum?

"...Why? Why refuse? What's the reason you're throwing away the honor of becoming a limb of the imperial family?"

Her voice rose even higher. She clearly didn't like my repeated rejections. A few other emotions flickered across her face too, but I couldn't care less about the inner workings of some noble's heart.

"No reason to answer that."

Thwack. I brushed off her hand from my collar and took a step back. It had been a while since I'd dropped into this clearing—any second now, some examinee eyeing my points might smash the back of my head. Every moment wasted like this was as good as crawling into a predator's maw.

"If that's all, I'll be going."

"......"

I turned my back while watching her reaction. Whether she was in deep shock or just plain pissed, she didn't respond. Either way, sticking around didn't seem wise.

I fully turned and headed toward a patch of underbrush where no footsteps echoed.

"...I offered you such a gracious opportunity first, and you act all insolent like that? How dare a mere human be so arrogant...!"

But soon, even with my back turned, I could feel her emotions boiling over like a volcano on the verge of eruption. I quickened my pace to a near-run.

The sun-dappled clearing shrank behind passing leaves and bushes, filled now only by dense greenery ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in my vision.

The moment I thought I'd put enough distance—

Whoosh—!

Wind tore through the trees and foliage.

Crunch!

No, correction. That wasn't wind. How could you call something that shattered rocks on contact and uprooted ancient trees with ease just "wind"?

Crack! Crunch!

The trees, rocks, and illusion beasts blocking my path were swept away cleanly by that ferocious flow. Only after realizing I stood alone in the aftermath did I grasp what it was.

It was a raging storm—a violent outburst of someone's fury.

"Father always said to act like a proper noble..."

And in this situation, only one person could be unleashing that much rage at me.

"But why should I, when you're not even treating me like one?"

The girl who'd been behind me moments ago had somehow overtaken me. I quickly realized how: the silvery-white horn protruding straight from her forehead, the massive wings and tail explaining the open back and short skirt of her dress. And those vertically slit pupils screamed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her true nature without a word.

"So from now on, not as Princess Sidus de Sidereus of the dragon empire 'Dracapolis', but as one pissed-off dragon, I'll make you submit. And then I'll hear your answer once more."

"...Hah."

I let out an incredulous laugh as I stared at the dragon finally revealing her true form. I'd doubted it when she ranted about humans... but she really wasn't one.

"Of course things can't go smoothly."

This was a mess, and then some.

*

Kwahwaaak! Blades of wind that shook heaven and earth churned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up the ground as they bore down on me.

"Die!"

Like hell. Were these people all battle maniacs? Why was everyone so hellbent on killing?

"Kuh!"

I'd heard "die" back in my old world too, but never flung alongside an attack that'd turn you into mincemeat chunks.

It reminded me of some half-demon's slash, but I barely dodged and looked up at the girl—Sidus—soaring into the air. She showed no intention of giving me an opening, relentlessly unleashing attacks like this from on high.

A closer look confirmed it: all these came from her raw physical prowess.

"...Isn't the species gap a bit much?"

Human vs. dragon. Both living beings, sure, but the difference was beyond imagination. Like human vs. ant.

But even if I was just an ant...

"I can still bite back with everything I've got."

As long as I resisted, I wouldn't end as mere prey.

"Draw."

A upright The Hanged Man. It didn't scream "instant reversal" at first glance.

This proved one thing: the skill didn't always give situation-perfect cards—it was pure random.

'Guess I've just been insanely lucky so far.'

Maybe miracles like before wouldn't repeat. But I didn't care. Cards could always be redrawn.

"Draw."

I struck a confident pose, awaiting the next.

But what appeared betrayed me—

"Eh?"

...Wait. This had a cooldown?

Random effects and cooldown?

"Opening! Die...!"

Catching me frozen over this massive blind spot I'd overlooked, Sidus seized the gap and launched another lethal slash.

Kwahaa!

"I said don't kill me!"

The gale-force slash roared toward me. If I'd been tracking its tells like before, maybe—but dazed as I was, my pathetic reflexes couldn't dodge.

Crack!

In that pinch, all I could do was reflexively raise my shield-bearing left arm to block head-on.

I'd shelled out good money for that shield—hoping it'd earn its keep. But that hope shattered in one second flat upon impact.

Kwajik!

Like my expectations, the shield splintered into worthless kindling. My mental state followed suit. And soon, my left arm would too.

'Fuck.'

I foresaw the inevitable and cursed inwardly.

But simultaneously, I pondered a use for the arm I'd lose anyway.

'If I'm sacrificing an arm...'

If I had to, I'd make it count. With that resolve, I gritted my teeth against the coming pain and swung my arm to blunt the slash even a little.

Kaduk.

Ka-gagagagak!!!

My left hand—palm specifically—erupted in endless explosive cracks.

Notifications flooded my view, corner packed solid. Staring at my unscathed palm amid the slash, I finally realized what stood between it and the attack.

"Yeah. This is how you milk a 3-minute random ability...!"

Blocking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sidus's slash was the unused upright Hanged Man.

The skill's randomness and near-3-minute cooldown had me racking my brain on usage.

Now I knew exactly how to wield it.

Sometimes the ultimate spear. Sometimes the ultimate shield.

With a skill like this, ant could topple human, human topple dragon.

Kagagak!

Sidus's slash, clashing endlessly against the card, finally fizzled out on-site, unable to pierce.

Beyond the faded slash, Sidus's face showed more shock than ever.

I pointed at her with my card-bearing left hand and delivered a line impossible outside this moment.

"What you're gonna say next is, 'How did a human block my attack...!'—"