The silence of my cave sanctuary felt both comforting and eerily empty after the departure of my nerd friends. I'd grown accustomed to solitude during my first days in Voluptaria, but having companionship—however brief—made the return to isolation more pronounced.

I flopped onto my carefully shaped stone bed, staring at the ceiling where I'd etched constellations I'd observed through the ventilation shafts. Maybe I should expand the place further, add a proper library or training room. With my Transform ability, the possibilities were practically endless.

[SKILLS ACTIVATION] Lone Wolf passive effect activated: +60% to all stats when operating alone Regenerate 5% HP and MP every minute while alone

The system notification reminded me that at least my abilities appreciated my solitary state. A small consolation.

"This is fine," I murmured to the empty cave, my voice echoing back mockingly. "I'm used to being alone. At least I don't have to deal with awkward social situations."

Like Sakura in that ridiculous lingerie outfit this morning. The memory made me cringe and blush simultaneously. Or the subtle but unmistakable disappointment in Hiroko's eyes when I decided to stay behind. Or the knowing looks Kazuki kept giving me whenever any of the girls spoke to me.

Yeah, solitude had its advantages. I stretched out, feeling my muscles relax into the surprisingly comfortable stone bed. Funny how you could shape rock to be cosier than some actual mattresses I'd slept on.

I was just settling into a comfortable doze when it happened.

A scream—high, terrified, and unmistakably human—tore through the night air, reaching me even through the thick stone walls of my sanctuary.

My body reacted before my mind could process. I leapt to my feet, heart hammering against my ribs like it wanted to escape.

"What the hell was that?" I gasped, fumbling for Rurielle's umbranium dagger that I'd left on the nightstand.

My Presence Detection activated automatically, pinging multiple entities within range—several with erratic energy patterns indicating distress. Without hesitation, I disabled the security enchantments and burst outside.

The night air felt heavy with impending rain, the scent of ozone suggesting an approaching storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance as I extended my awareness, trying to pinpoint the source of the scream.

Another cry pierced the darkness—closer this time, or perhaps just louder in desperation. My Enemy Tracking ability locked onto a location approximately half a kilometre east, highlighting a path through the forest in my Arcane Interface Lenses.

I sprinted through the trees, my Calisthenics skill enhancing every movement. Branches whipped past my face, roots and stones threatened to trip me, but my Perfect Balance kept me upright and moving forward.

[Achievement unlocked: Running Toward Screams in the Dark!] You've made the classic horror movie mistake! +5 Protagonist Points!

[SKILL LEVELED UP: Calisthenics → Level 3] Enhanced Effect: Physical conditioning now provides +45% boost to running, jumping, and climbing (previously +30%) Passive Improvement: Muscle development occurs 75% faster; cardiovascular capacity increased by 25%

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] CONGRATULATIONS! You seem to like running away from problems!

"I'm literally charging toward danger, system!" I hissed through clenched teeth. Even in life-or-death situations, the cosmic UI designers couldn't resist their snark. Was the universe powered by some bored deity with a dark sense of humour?

The forest thinned ahead, revealing a small clearing illuminated by the ominous flashes of approaching lightning. What I saw there made my blood freeze in my veins.

Cowering against a moss-covered boulder were Miyuki and Mochitsuki—the sisters I'd been worrying about since arriving in this world. Their faces were pale with terror, eyes wide as they stared at the figure looming over them.

Akira Suzuki—one of the delinquents—stood with his back to me, his posture predatory as he advanced toward the sisters.

"Nowhere to run out here," he said, his voice carrying an edge that made my skin crawl. "Every direction just leads you back to me. Every shadow you might cower in belongs to me. I've waited long enough while you played this little game of yours. But games end, my dears... and I decide when." His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "You've been avoiding me since middle school. Playing hard to get is just annoying now."

"Stay away from us!" Miyuki spat back; her voice strong despite her obvious fear. She pushed her sister slightly behind her, always the more protective of the two.

Akira laughed, the sound sharp and unpleasant. "Or what? You'll scream again? Nobody cares, nobody's coming. It's just us now." He took another step forward. "Besides, I've waited long enough after what that teacher did. Why should he get to have all the fun?"

The casual reference to their trauma hit me like a physical blow. So, the rumours had been true—something had happened with a teacher. And now this piece of garbage was trying to recreate their nightmare?

Rage unlike anything I'd ever experienced flooded through me. My normally analytical mind narrowed to a single point of focus: stop Akira, protect the sisters.

I needed a plan. Running straight at him would be risky; while I doubted Akira had my combat abilities, he was physically stronger than me, and I had no idea what skills he might possess. Something subtler would be required.

As if responding to my thoughts, my Analysis skill activated, the familiar interface appearing in my vision:

[Akira Tanaka – Level 17 Elemental Combatant] Magic Skills: Elemental Mastery (Fire) Combat Skills: Combat Momentum Abilities: Surface Walking Equipment: Flint and Steel

I processed this information in seconds. His Elemental Mastery explained the confidence in his stance—he probably thought he had the ultimate advantage in this forest. But the dark clouds gathering overhead gave me hope. If it started raining soon, his fire abilities would be severely hampered.

His Combat Momentum skill was still dangerous—if I let him land consecutive hits, he'd quickly overpower me. I needed to keep him off-balance, prevent him from building that momentum, and stall until the coming rain could give me the edge I needed.

The memory of my encounter with Rurielle and the goblins flashed through my mind. I couldn't defeat them directly, but I'd confused them long enough to gain an advantage.

Silently, I activated my Wooden Puppet Skill, focusing on several broken branches scattered around the edge of the clearing. They twitched, then rose unsteadily into the air, floating eerily as I infused them with animation.

With a mental command, I sent them dancing into the clearing—moving in jerky, unnatural patterns that immediately caught everyone's attention.

"What the fuck?" Akira spun around, momentarily forgetting the sisters as he stared at the animated branches.

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That distraction was all I needed. Moving with the enhanced speed from my newly upgraded Calisthenics, I circled the edge of the clearing until I was directly behind Akira. The sisters saw me, their eyes widening further, but thankfully neither gave away my position.

I gripped my dagger sheath firmly in both hands—I didn't want to actually slash him with the blade—and closed the final distance.

"Hey!" I shouted.

Akira started to turn, but he was too slow. I brought the sheath down hard on the back of his head, putting all my strength behind the blow. There was a sickening crack, and he crumpled forward. For good measure, I followed with a knee strike to his temple as he fell.

He lay motionless on the forest floor, and for one terrifying moment, I feared I'd killed him. My Appraisal skill activated automatically:

[Akira Suzuki – Level 17 Elemental Combatant] Status: Severe concussion; temporarily incapacitated Threat Level: Currently none Notes: Will regain consciousness within 1-2 hours if untreated

Relief flooded through me. Unconscious but alive—exactly what I'd hoped for. I might be a lot of things, but 'murderer' wasn't on the list, and I wasn't keen to add it.

"Is he dead?" Miyuki's trembling voice broke the silence.

"No," I said, kneeling to check his pulse just to be certain. "Just knocked out. Still breathing... there's a pulse."

The sisters remained frozen against the boulder, their expressions a complex mix of relief, disbelief, and lingering terror. Their reaction reminded me painfully of how they looked days ago—cornered, afraid, traumatised.

"We need to get out of here," I urged. "He won't stay unconscious forever, and there might be others nearby."

Neither sister moved. They seemed paralysed, caught in the grip of memories I could only imagine. Thunder cracked directly overhead, closer now, and a few heavy raindrops splattered against the leaves above us. We were out of time.

"Please," I said, softening my voice. "I know you're scared. I know you don't want to be near any bloke right now. But we have to move before this storm hits and before he wakes up."

Finally, Mochi seemed to shake herself from her stupor. "Where?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"My sanctuary," I said. "It's not far—maybe fifteen minutes at a fast walk. It's secure, dry, and I can guarantee no one will bother you there."

The sisters exchanged a look—that silent communication that twins or close siblings somehow master.

"Go!" I finally shouted as lightning flashed directly overhead. "Head east until you reach a stream, then follow it north. There's a cave entrance—you'll recognise it by the transformed stone door!"

Something in my urgent tone finally broke through their paralysis. They bolted, disappearing into the trees in the general direction I'd indicated. I hesitated, looking down at Akira's prone form. Should I tie him up? Drag him somewhere? Leave him to face the coming storm?

The decision was made for me as another clap of thunder shook the clearing. The sisters were my priority—I needed to make sure they found their way safely. With a last glance at Akira, I turned and sprinted after them.

As Andie vanished into the storm, a mysterious hooded figure emerged from the shadows, unseen.

The figure knelt next to Akira's body and gestured—suddenly, the rain and all motion froze in a transparent bubble. He then took a bottle of red coloured liquid and sprayed it at Akira's face.

Akira suddenly blinked awake, rage flashing. "You planned this! I'll kill you—!"

"TOO LATE FOR YOU," the hooded one replied, cold and final.

Gloved hands closed on Akira's throat. After a brief struggle, he went still.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: [Selection: Elemental Mastery (Fire) – Acquired] [Selection: Flint and Steel – Acquired] [Selection: Combat Momentum – Acquired] [Selection: Surface Walking – Acquired]

I hadn't gone more than twenty metres when my Presence Detection pinged—someone else was approaching the clearing I'd just left. Ducking behind a large tree, I cautiously peered back.

A figure in a hooded cloak emerged from the shadows on the opposite side of the clearing, moving with uncanny silence toward Akira's unconscious form. My Appraisal skill tried to activate but returned only static:

[???] Status: Unknown Threat Level: ??? Notes: Subject is shielded from analysis

A chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the approaching storm. The hooded figure knelt beside Akira, examining him briefly before making a complex gesture with one hand. The air around them seemed to shimmer and distort, and I realised with a start that they had created some kind of magical field.

I couldn't hear what happened next—the field seemed to block sound as well—but I caught glimpses of movement. Akira suddenly thrashing, the hooded figure holding him down, a brief struggle followed by stillness.

My instincts screamed at me to run, to find the sisters as quickly as possible. Whatever was happening in that clearing, I wanted no part of it. The first fat raindrops began to fall as I turned and fled, following the path I hoped Miyuki and Mochi had taken.

For the next thirty minutes, I used Presence Detection frantically, running in widening circles as I tried to locate the Kimochi sisters. The storm had fully arrived, sheets of rain reducing visibility to mere feet and turning the forest floor into slick mud. Had they gotten lost? Taken shelter somewhere? Found my sanctuary on their own?

Exhaustion finally forced me to give up. Soaked to the bone and disheartened, I turned back toward my cave, hoping against hope that they had somehow found their way there. My Pathfinder's Intuition automatically mapped the return route, golden threads appearing in my vision despite the darkness and rain.

I was perhaps a few metres from my sanctuary when two soft voices called from behind me:

"It was you, that night, wasn't it?"

"You're the one who saved us and Mum... why didn't you ever tell us?"

I froze, rain streaming down my face as I slowly turned around. Through the downpour, I could just make out the silhouettes of Miyuki and Mochi standing together, their clothes plastered to their bodies by the relentless rain.

Looking up at the sky—now completely obscured by storm clouds—I found myself overwhelmed, unable to answer immediately. The question pierced through years of silence, confusion, and hurt.

"Maybe I'm just not that brave," I finally said, my voice nearly drowned by the rain. "Maybe it wasn't really me... maybe I just didn't expect anything, especially after you didn't say a word back then."

I felt tears mingling with the raindrops on my cheeks, the storm providing perfect cover for the emotions I could no longer contain. How long had I wondered what had happened? Why they had suddenly withdrawn from me after years of friendship? The pieces were falling into place now—the teacher, the trauma, the silence that followed.

The sisters stepped forward, emerging from the shadows into the faint light spilling from my sanctuary's entrance. We stood together in the downpour, an awkward triangle of uncertainty and raw feeling. Their faces were as wet as mine, though whether from rain or tears, I couldn't tell.

Suddenly, they moved—not away as I half-expected, but toward me. Both sisters lunged forward, wrapping their arms around me in a desperate embrace that spoke of years of misunderstanding and unspoken gratitude. They were still shaking, whether from cold or lingering fear or emotion, I couldn't tell.

I held them close, my throat tight with emotion. The memories washed over me in waves—their father's unexpected death when we were younger, then the devastating revelations that followed. The discovery of his affairs had come like a second blow, tainting even the comfort of their memories. I remembered watching Naomi-san struggle with both grief and betrayal while working herself to exhaustion to keep their family afloat. And then later, that teacher—the one who had seen their vulnerability and exploited it, whose predatory behaviours had gone unchallenged for too long.

No wonder they had withdrawn, built walls around themselves that even I couldn't penetrate. All this time, I'd misinterpreted their distance as rejection when it had been self-preservation—a shield against a world that had repeatedly betrayed their trust.

Miyuki's face was pressed against my shoulder when she spoke, her voice barely audible. "Remember what we said to the others back in class?" she whispered. "Just before we were all transported here?"

The memory flashed vividly—sitting in class just days ago, right before we were transported to this world. The twins had been discussing someone who had helped them the night before.

"The way he moved," Mochi had said dreamily, "so confident and strong. If we ever found out who he was..."

"What?" Keita prompted.

The sisters had exchanged a look, then Miyuki had declared, "We'd probably propose to him on the spot."

The classroom had exploded with reactions—squeals, gasps, and at least one dramatic "No way!"

"Both of you?" Hitomi had asked, wide-eyed.

Mochi had nodded, smiling. "Japan may not recognise polygamy officially, but in our hearts? We'd share."

I remembered how I'd choked at my desk, my ears burning red as the classroom erupted in chaos. I'd kept my head down, pretending to be absorbed in my textbook, afraid that if I looked up, everyone would somehow know it was me they were talking about.

"Uh, well," I stammered now, desperate to change the topic before my embarrassment became too obvious, "if you don't mind, let's go in. You can get warm, dry, rest, I'll cook something..."

They nodded in unison, each taking one of my hands as if afraid I might disappear if they let go. Together, we walked in silence through the rain toward my sanctuary—a strange procession of three former friends finding their way back to each other in the most unlikely of circumstances.

As we approached the entrance, I couldn't help but reflect on the bizarre twists of fate that had brought us to this moment. A forced transportation to another world, a chance encounter in a forest clearing, a rescue that echoed one from weeks before.

Maybe second chances only come in another world. Or maybe you just have to run after them, even when they seem impossible in the downpour of your own doubts.

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