Darkness. A familiar, comfortable void. Kenjiro floated in the silent space of his own mind, a disembodied consciousness observing the stage where his inner demons dwelled. Before him stood the titan, the monster, the muscular shadow of his former self. It stood with its back to him, the impossible landscape of its sculpted muscles a silent, intimidating testament to a life he had both cherished and cursed. The air was thick with a tension Kenjiro knew well, the prelude to a dream-state confrontation. But this time, there was no fear, only a weary, knowing annoyance.

"So, you were there all the time, weren't you?" Kenjiro's mental voice was not the trembling whisper of a frightened boy, but the firm, steady command of a man who had seen the end of the world. The shadow didn't move, its massive form a stubborn, unmoving silhouette. "You were ignoring me? Hey, look at me."

Slowly, deliberately, the shadow turned. The cruel, condescending smirk he expected was there, but it was softer, tinged with a strange, almost conspiratorial amusement. It laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that was not a sound at all, but a vibration that resonated in the very core of Kenjiro's being. From behind its massive back, it pulled another figure, a smaller, more slender form that seemed to be woven from starlight and absolute zero. The ethereal, blue-haired boy stood there, that same serene, chillingly amused smile on his face.

"I decided to keep something, too," the muscular shadow boomed, its voice a triumphant echo in the void.

A genuine smile, wide and full of a fierce, desperate hope, spread across Kenjiro's face. They remembered. They both remembered. "So this time," he said, a wave of immense relief washing over him, "I don't need to touch the cube."

The shadow's smirk widened. "Now wake up, cutie."

Kenjiro's relief instantly evaporated, replaced by a familiar, explosive rage. He stomped his incorporeal foot. "STOP REPEATING THINGS WE ALREADY SAID!"

The world returned with the whisper of black silk against pale skin. He was back. He was at the beginning. He was ready.

The moment he awoke, the heavy oak door swung open. Lady Ayako entered, her face a mask of polite curiosity. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my precious rarity! You've awakened!" The words were a perfect, jarring echo of a past he had now lived twice.

He sat up, the script already playing in his mind, but his heart was a furious, determined drum. Gluteus. DragonSlayer. Matsui. I'm coming for you all. I'll save you.

Lady Ayako approached, her eyes gleaming with that familiar, reverent light. "I am glad you are awake," she began, ready to deliver her calming, patronizing speech.

"Alright, I know everything," Bombom cut her off, his voice firm and steady. He met her shocked gaze without flinching. "My arrival at this place is no accident, and I'm going to defeat that Elara for saying my butt is big again."

Lady Ayako was flabbergasted. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. The carefully prepared welcome, the gentle explanation of this new world, had been completely derailed by this strange, beautiful boy who spoke with the impossible confidence of a seasoned prophet. She just stared, her mind a whirlwind of confusion, as he hopped from the bed, his movements full of a new, unsettling purpose. She finally managed to regain a sliver of her composure. "I... I see," she stammered. She held out a sleek, modern-looking phone. "I guess you already know you can use this LilyPad to get Femboy Coins."

Bombom smiled, a genuine, confident grin that was completely at odds with the delicate, gothic features of his new face. He took the device, his fingers already flying across the screen with a practiced ease. "Don't worry," he said, not even looking at her. "Just put faith on my back."

He stalked out of the room, leaving the utterly bewildered curator in his wake. He didn't bother with the tour, the tree-climbing, or the theatrical displays of rage. He had a mission. He walked out of the castle's grand entrance and into the warm, morning sun. He immediately opened the LilyPad, typed in the nickname "Bombom," and snapped a quick profile picture. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he uploaded his first photo: a picture of his own face, his red eyes blazing with a fierce, unwavering confidence, a small, knowing smirk on his lips.

Almost instantly, the phone buzzed. And again. And again.

+100 Femboy Coins.

omg so cute! Welcome! <3

Those eyes! I'm melting!

A new S-tier Lily has appeared!

Bombom smiled. He kept walking, snapping and uploading more pictures as he went—a shot of his profile against the castle's gothic spires, a close-up of his perfectly, magically lined eyes, a "candid" shot of him looking thoughtfully at a flower. The coins poured in. He reached the familiar signpost at the edge of the estate. City of Aethelgard: 1 Mile.

He didn't even dare to walk. He just stood there, leaning against the signpost, and waited. He knew his ride would be along shortly. A few minutes later, the sleek, expensive-looking car appeared, gliding to a halt beside him. The tinted window rolled down, revealing the handsome, muscular man who had once been Seraphina's husband.

"Get in," the man said, his voice a smooth, confident purr as his eyes drank in the sight of him. "Saw your picture on LilyPad, and the location tag wasn't far off. You're even cuter in person."

Bombom nodded and got in, the plush leather of the seat a familiar comfort.

"Listen," the man continued, his voice as smooth as butter. "I'm rich. Like, really rich. I can get you anything you want. All you have to do is say you'll go on a date with me."

Kenjiro looked at him, the memory of Seraphina's heartbroken face a cold, hard knot in his stomach. A flicker of his old, brutish self surfaced. "Look," he said, his voice flat with a disgust the man completely failed to register. "Give me your number and we'll talk later." He took the offered business card. As they reached the city entrance, Bombom hopped out of the car. "Thanks," he said, a wicked, knowing smirk on his face. "I'll let Seraphina know I'm here."

The man's confident smile vanished, replaced by a mask of pure, unadulterated panic. His eyes widened, and he sped away without another word, leaving Bombom standing on the clean pavement of Aethelgard, a small, satisfying victory already under his belt.

He walked into the city, the scene a perfect replica of his memory. The adoring crowds, the other Lilies surrounded by their fawning entourages... it was all the same. He walked with a new, confident stride, making a beeline for the Femboy Adventuring Guild. The crowd noticed him almost immediately.

"Hey cutie, give me a photo!"

"This femboy really got the back assets!"

"Oil up right now, cutie!"

"I want to marry him!"

He felt the familiar, hot blush of embarrassment, but this time, it was mixed with something else. A strange, tingling sensation in his stomach at the compliments, a flicker of the old vanity he thought he had left behind. He let out a sharp "tsk," but a small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.

Then, the familiar, grating scream cut through the noise. "THAT'S MY WAIFU, GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Bombom sighed. Matsui. He was safe, for now. Just as he remembered, the guild door swung open, catching the wannabe waifu square in the face. Ryo, the pink-haired CEO, stood in the doorway, his eyes widening with a familiar, cartoonish appreciation. He pulled Kenjiro inside, slamming the door shut.

"I'm in," Bombom said, cutting Ryo off before he could even start his recruitment speech. "I'll be your S-Tier Lily. But no personal photos. And don't try to get on my room, or I will slap you."

Ryo blinked, his mouth hanging open. "Oh? How do you know I would try to recruit you?" A sly, intrigued smirk spread across his face. "Don't worry. I'm Ryo, CEO of the Femboy Adventuring Guild! Here, we go on missions, save people, kick butt—all that fun stuff! And you can earn both currencies: femboy coins and normal coins."

Bombom didn't wait for the tour. He rushed past the startled CEO and straight to the massive quest board. Ryo, shocked by his forwardness, just stammered, "H-hey, where are you going?"

Kenjiro's finger landed on the familiar listing.

Mission Rank: C. Objective: Clear the 'Weeping Caves' of Giant Cave Spiders.

He accepted the quest, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across his face. Ryo just nodded, a thoughtful, calculating look in his eyes as he watched the strange, beautiful, and impossibly confident new Lily. "Okay," he said. "So we are going there. Go prepare yourself, cutie." As Bombom walked toward the gym, Ryo's gaze drifted down, his eyes widening with a greedy, appreciative light. "Oh my," he whispered to himself. "I was looking for copper, but I found gold."

Bombom hit the gym with a vengeance, the familiar burn of the weights a welcome anchor in the swirling chaos of his new-old life. He uploaded another selfie to pay for his protein shake, the familiar comment from a user named GluteusMaximus appearing almost instantly. 'i've saw him at the streets today he got the gyat.'

He furiously typed back his usual, all-caps denial, but this time, a strange, almost fond smile touched his lips. He sighed. "This thing of redoing my steps is boring," he muttered to himself.

As if on cue, Ryo appeared, his small, high-tech scanner in his hand. "Hold on," he said, a professional, appraising look in his eyes. He pointed the device at Kenjiro.

A holographic panel shimmered into existence.

Level 65 - Kenjiro "Bombom" Tanaka

Strength: 90

Intelligence: 15

Agility: 20

Dexterity: 22

Charisma: 45

Luck: 25

Perception: 25

Ryo's jaw didn't just drop. It looked like it was trying to unhinge itself and fall to the floor. "H-hey," he stammered, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and a dawning, terrifying excitement. "H-how are you this strong?"

Bombom just flexed an arm that was still infuriatingly slender and let out a triumphant, guttural roar. "BIRL! Let's go! I don't have all day!" He grabbed the stunned CEO by his jacket and practically dragged him to the armored car. He saw Gluteus waiting and, without breaking stride, pointed a commanding finger. "Get in, Gluteus, before I bonk your head."

The giant knight just laughed, a deep, rumbling sound. "Oh, you've found a tsundere, Ryo," he said, a wide, amused grin on his face. "That's rare around here."

They arrived at the Weeping Caves and saw Kaito, lounging on a rock as if waiting for them. Bombom hopped out of the car, walked straight up to the surprised fox femboy, and playfully pulled his massive, fluffy tail. "Let's go," he commanded. "And don't even think of invading my room again." He rushed into the cave, leaving a completely flabbergasted Kaito in his wake. The fox looked at Ryo, his amber eyes wide with a new, intense desire. "He's so powerful," he gasped. "I want him."

The quest was a slaughter. Bombom didn't wait for his team. He was a whirlwind of destruction, his slender form a blur of motion as he single-handedly obliterated every single spider in the first few chambers. He reached the final cavern and waited, tapping his foot impatiently, for his party to catch up. When they finally arrived, he gestured to the massive, bus-sized spider that descended from the ceiling. "You guys can have this one," he said with a magnanimous wave of his hand.

He watched, a bored expression on his face, as the giant spider shot out its web, trapping his entire party against the wall. He sighed. "Fine. I'll do it myself."

His muscular shadow erupted from his back. It didn't bother with a warm-up. It just let out a single, deafening roar—"BIRL!"—and launched itself at the giant spider, obliterating it in a single, devastating punch.

The mission completion notification chimed, and Bombom looked at his stunned, web-covered party. "Yes, this shadow is my persona thing or whatever," he said, his voice flat with a practiced boredom. "Let's go."

As they walked back to the car, a slow, teasing smirk spread across Ryo's face. "You're going too fast, relax, honey," he purred. "Or Elara will get on your butt again~"

That was it. The final, familiar trigger. Kenjiro's carefully constructed composure shattered. "S-SHUT UP!" he yelled, his face turning a brilliant shade of crimson. "IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" He started pacing, waving his arms frantically, the words pouring out of him in a stream of pure, unfiltered, and deeply comforting Bombom. "BIRL! I'M GOING TO CLIMB A TREE! THE MONSTER IS GETTING OUT OF THE CAGE! THIRTEEN! DESCENDING TRAPEZIUS!"

Ryo and Kaito burst out laughing. Even a deep, rumbling chuckle could be heard from within Gluteus's helmet. Kenjiro was left standing there, blushing furiously and screaming nonsense at the cave walls.

"Alright, alright, Mr. Monster-in-a-Cage," Ryo said, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. "Let's get you back to the car."

They all headed back toward the cave entrance, their laughter echoing behind them, leaving Kenjiro to trail after them, utterly, wonderfully, and completely mortified. He was back. And this time, he was going to win.

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