Chapter 352: Stronger ThanMegawoman

"Can... you really do it?"

"I did it before."

"R... right."

"...Listen in to what they're saying."

"What? No."

Silvie and Hannah were currently discussing ways to completely neutralize and overwhelm Paragon; with Hannah glancing numerous times and trying to make out whatever it was Paige and Paragon were discussing.

"Why not? What's your super-hearing for if you're not going to use it to eavesdrop on people's conversations?" Hannah insisted.

"...To hear people that are asking for help."

"Tch, boring," Hannah could only shake her head and sigh, "I just want to know if they're talking about Riley or not."

"...Why would they be talking about Riley?"

"W... well, 'coz you know — House of Super," Hannah stuttered but quickly cleared her throat as she walked away, "C'mon, let's do this. We haven't fought side by side for an entire year, so it's best to just take our time."

"Don't worry, I can follow your tempo," Silvie said as she stretched her arms, "Shouldn't be too hard, you're not fast."

"...I remember hating you now," Hannah slightly raised an eyebrow as she chuckled, "Hey you! Salon guy, we're ready!"

"...Is that supposed to be me?" Paragon could only blink a couple of times as he looked back and forth between Paige and Hannah.

"Y... yeah," Paige nodded as she gestured to Paragon to go.

"...Why?"

"It's because of your hair! Your hair is smoother and looks more maintained than all of the girls here, now go. They're waiting."

"..." Although Paragon was still quite confused as this was the first time someone was ever calling him that, he still stepped inside the translucent box; causing it to flash in red so as to signal that all combatants were inside.

"Get ready for the next battle!" Paige was going to wait until someone from either side said something, but seeing as none of them were even opening their mouths and just looking at each other, the translucent box started to once again light up,

"Fight!"

The first to move was Silvie, who quickly disappeared from her spot as she rushed towards Paragon in an arc; almost at a speed that Paige could no longer follow — the images on her translucent box, however, for some reason, could replay what happened as it proceeded to do so.

Gary, Bella... And Katrina, who was watching the replay from outside the box, didn't really think much of it — Empress, however, who was still spying on the group from the CCTV, could not help but squint her eyes as she focused on the replay.

She already knows how the fight would turn out, she was only watching because of Paige Pearson.

Just... how was Paige doing something like this?

They have already done a thorough check on Paige's profile, and aside from being mentally unstable and having a rough childhood, she was clean. No, perhaps a rough childhood was mildly putting it.

As soon as Empress found out about the orphanage in Alabama, she had it closed immediately — transferring its tenants and patients to Bulwark in Mega Academy. The ones that have left the orphanage seem to remember it differently, or perhaps most just suppress the memories...

...but they were basically being tortured in the name of 'curing' them.

How something like this was overlooked by the local governments was truly sickening. She had seen the videos of their so-called trials — electrocuting children's brains, seeing how they react to pain, etc.

...And the worst one of them all was Paige. The things she endured then, it would have probably made even the toughest person crumble to dust.

She probably craved for affection and friendship... but to think it would be to a Themarian? Her story might as well be straight out from those pocketbooks Empress used to read when she was younger.

If her child was still alive... could she have been a part of Baby Crew? She would be around the same age; probably even more rebellious than Hannah seeing as-

"..." Empress could only scoff and shake her head at the thought. There was an immediate threat growing on the planet, and yet her mind was completely on something that could even be considered irrelevant.

And so, after pondering for a few more seconds, Empress just decided to turn off the screen; with the last thing she saw was Paragon being grappled by Silvie and Hannah seemingly trying to roast his chest... all this while Paragon was still standing firmly.

"...They'll be fine," Empress then said as she focused her attention on the current threat. As for Hannah and Silvie, well...

"W... what are you doing!? Pin him down to the fucking floor!"

"I'm trying!"

The entire floor started to rumble; a small crack, slowly starting to crawl from beneath Paragon's feet as Silvie tried to force him to the floor,

"Anymore, and the entire floor will probably be destroyed!" Silvie shouted, "Just do it! Make him surrender!"

"Don't blame us for this, Paragon!" The fire on Hannah's hands disappeared; instead, only a sizzle remained... and very soon, it was almost as if the air itself started to boil; and along with it, the top of Paragon's white suit,

"Surrender if you don't want your lungs melted!"

"Boo!" Gary quickly roared his disapproval; both his hands pointed down as he looked at Hannah, "That thing causes cancer!"

"Will you shut the fuck up!? You're supposed to be on my side!" Hannah could only roll her eyes before focusing back on Paragon. And judging by the almost stoic look in his eyes, he didn't even care that his torso was about to be turned into shreds,

"I'm serious, Paragon! I won't hesitate to burn you!"

"Well..."

And finally, after keeping his silence and just casually handling the two as if they truly were babies, Paragon finally spoke,

"...You can't. You can never hurt me, Nuclear Seraph."

"You really are fucking full of it, aren't you?" Hannah's eyes slightly twitched as a smile filled with vexation crawled on her face.

"I'm just telling the truth," Paragon shrugged... causing Silvie, who was grappling him from behind, almost lose her grip,

"You're not capable of hurting me. Not now, not before, and never will."

"Let's see about that!"

"Hannah, no!" Silvie quickly moved away, trying to pull Paragon away from Hannah's hands. But alas, the floor itself rippled almost like a cloth as Paragon's feet were digging through it, almost as if he was as heavy as a mountain itself,

"I... I know you think you're strong! But stop being so stubborn!" Silvie screamed as she now used both hands to try and pull Paragon away, but was not able to. It doesn't even make any sense — the strength she was using now was enough to pull the weight of the entire Golden Gate Bridge... and yet the most she could do was move him by an inch?

"Hannah was the one that killed Darkday!" Silvie continued to raise her voice, "She used this move! Stop being so stubborn. You too, Hannah! What are you doing!?"

"Let's see if he surr-"

"Darkday?"

"..."

Everyone, even Paige, could not help but hold their breaths as Paragon suddenly let out a small chuckle — a chuckle that echoed through the hall, containing not even a single tinge of warmth in it.

"You actually think Darkday is strong?"

"W... what are you doing?"

Paragon then grabbed both of Hannah's hands. She wanted to pull away but found herself leaning closer to Paragon as he suddenly grabbed both her hands and planted them on his now bare chest, creating a weird sizzle to hiss in the air.

"What are you doing!?" Hannah repeated her words as she completely canceled her abilities, "F... fuck! Your che—"

Hannah could not even finish her words before noticing... that nothing happened to Paragon's chest; not even a single sign of it being burnt— its pale structure, remaining to be immaculate.

Hannah was finally able to remove her hands as she took a few steps back; her eyes, not leaving Paragon's... surprisingly chiseled body; his chest, almost seemed like it would pop out with even his tiny and calm breaths.

"..." Hannah could only take in a small gulp; blinked her eyes a couple of times before finally managing to stray them away from Paragon's body. She was almost distracted by the fact that...

"How... are you not even burnt?"

"..." Silvie quickly let go of Paragon as she heard Hannah's words. She then flew beside Hannah to check if Paragon was truly unscathed, only for her to quickly turn her eyes away from Paragon's... almost seductive muscles.

"..." Gary, who was watching on the side, could not help but furrow his eyebrows, "My muscles are bigger and more toned... not to mention tan. Why aren't they looking at me like that?"

"Man, you just don't get it, G," Bella sighed as she shook her head, "There's something about the mysterious type that women just like. You see Paragon flaunting his muscles every goddamn second?"

"N... no?"

"Exactly, my man," Bella laughed before turning her focus back to the translucent box.

"How are you not burnt?" Hannah repeated her question, this time, trying her best to look Paragon only in the eyes.

"Because I'm strong," Paragon said before looking at Paige. The two just looked at each other for a few seconds, before Paige nodded — and before Paragon could turn his gaze back to Hannah, his naked torso was now covered in a tight black inner suit... making him look even more like a ninja,

"I'm stronger than you," he then continued as he pointed at Silvie, "I'm stronger than Darkday. And if I want to...

...I'm stronger than Megawoman."