Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 44.

Episode 44: Moe’s Crisis.

Satou Minato’s POV.

Moe’s house and mine are close.

We’ve been childhood friends forever, so whenever we go out together, it’s only natural that I walk her home afterward. It’s been that way for years—becoming so routine that being alone with her on the way back feels, in a way, completely ordinary.

Maybe that’s why. Sure, there was the TV show I wanted to catch, but honestly… it was mostly just a vague itch. A tiny craving for something—anything—to break the monotony of our usual route home. So today, almost on impulse, I chose the shortcut we almost never take.

This morning I overslept, and Moe had been in a bit of a mood because of it. But after running into Shiina midway through the day, her spirits gradually lifted. Sagara’s presence had been unnecessary, but in the end it actually helped. With those half-formed thoughts drifting through my mind, we started home.

Streetlights grew sparse; the road plunged into sudden darkness. Once the houses ended, we emerged onto a narrow public road squeezed between fields. A lone lamp every few dozen meters. No pedestrians. Cars rarely passed. Even as kids, every time we took this path my chest would tighten with a chill. The lonely, faintly frightening shortcut home. Nothing’s changed. Even now, we walked in silence, heads slightly bowed, along that dark and somehow eerie road.

That was when it happened.

From ahead came the soft, rhythmic tap-tap of shoes. Then, abruptly, a man’s voice cut through the gloom.

“Moe-chan, hellooo~”

The voice belonged to a young man, but it carried a sickeningly sticky sweetness that made my skin crawl. I jerked my head up. Who the hell—? Wait… he looked vaguely familiar. Beside me, Moe—

“Ah… ahh…”

Her voice trembled; terror twisted her face.

A man whose bangs hid half his features. Flashy, cheap-looking clothes that screamed sleaze. Muscular build, tall. And above all, an expression so unreadable it felt deeply wrong. In the darkness, his presence loomed larger, more menacing.

“Wh-who are you…?”

My voice cracked slightly with fear, but I forced the question out. The man cackled—high and grating—and started talking.

“You remember me, right, Moe-chan? The nice big brother who talked to you at the arcade before.”

“Man, I had such a hard time finding your house. Good thing I staked out the arcade, huh?”

Still laughing that nauseating laugh, he edged closer step by step. Memory clicked. The pickup artist from back then. The instant I realized, I stepped forward, placing myself between him and Moe.

“What do you want?”

I was terrified, but I squared my shoulders to shield her.

“Mi-Minato-kun…”

Moe whispered my name, a thread of relief in her shaking voice.

“So you’re Minato-kun, huh.”

The man smiled thinly.

“You two dating?”

The question hit—and before I could think, “Yes,” had already left my mouth.

At the same moment Moe let out a startled “Eh?”, my vision lurched violently sideways.

The next instant, I was flying. My body slammed into the field on the left.

“Kyaaahhh—!!”

Moe’s scream tore through the night. I hit the ground hard, letting out a stupid, dazed “Huh?” Pain bloomed deep in my cheek; the right side of my face burned. Only then did I understand—I’d been punched.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I looked up at the man in raw shock. He glared down at me with the murderous intensity of someone staring at their parents’ killer, slowly closing the distance. In the dark he looked monstrously huge. Terror choked the air from my lungs.

My mind blanked with fear. Only one thought managed to pierce through: I had to get Moe out of here. I scrambled upright, staggering toward her. Grabbing her right hand on instinct, I ran—mindless, desperate.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Halfway through, a small “Kyaa!” escaped her and the weight on my hand vanished. Panic scrambled my thoughts—I couldn’t process what happened. I just kept pumping my legs, fleeing blindly from that place

***

Sagara Ryuuji’s POV.

We’d only just parted from Minato and Isshiki. Lingering a little as if reluctant to let the day end, Shiina and I stood in front of the vending machines attached to the nearby apartment building. We bought canned coffees together. Maybe the warmth of the small can was supposed to calm me somehow. Time always seemed to slip away too fast when I was with Shiina. The lingering excitement and tension from the movie just hours ago already felt like a distant memory. I sipped slowly, trying to stretch out the moment—trying to really feel how large her presence had grown inside me.

“Kyaaahhh—!!!”

A scream—faint but unmistakable—reached us from far off. My eyes snapped wide. “Eh?” I searched the direction it came from. Shiina did the same.

Her expression changed in an instant—shock, then frantic worry. As if she’d recognized a voice from deep memory, she cried out “Moe!!!” and sprinted full-tilt toward the scream.

I knew instantly this was serious. I hurled the coffee can aside and chased after her. No time to catch my breath—I tore down the sidewalk. I caught up quickly, panting, “Isshiki?”

“No doubt about it.”

Her voice rang with certainty. I steeled myself. “I’ll go ahead,” I said, pulling slightly ahead of her. Behind me, Shiina’s ragged breaths chased after—“So… fast…”

Running at full speed, I caught a glimpse of a figure at the edge of my vision—someone slumped against a wall, clutching their head, muttering brokenly. Satou Minato. I rushed over, grabbed his shoulder to steady him, and lifted his face.

“Hey!! Where’s Isshiki?!”

He looked up at me in pure shock, trembling fingers pointing shakily in one direction.

“She’s that way?!”

Tears had wrecked his face, but he managed a weak, desperate nod.

Shiina arrived moments later, gasping between breaths. “Minato-kun…” she whispered. I met her eyes briefly.

“Take care of Satou.”

Short and sharp—then I was running again, following the direction Minato had pointed.

My heart hammered like it would burst. Breath ragged, I pushed harder, refusing to stop until I reached Isshiki.

***

Isshiki Moe’s POV.

“Kyaa!”

Minato-kun’s hand slipped away unconsciously. Carried by momentum, I pitched forward and fell.

The bag tore open. Plushies scattered everywhere. Cold asphalt stung my palms; sharp pain lanced up my arms. Behind me—tap… tap…—small but unmistakable footsteps drawing nearer. When Minato-kun had pulled me, we’d gained a little distance. But I couldn’t stand. My legs had turned to jelly; my lower body felt like it belonged to someone else. I braced my arms and crawled—away from the man, any direction but toward him.

Tap… tap… tap…

The footsteps grew steadily closer. The man’s voice, once blurry, now pressed sharply into my ears.

“Aww, your boyfriend ran off, huh~”

Hihihi—an utterly revolting laugh that made bile rise in my throat. The sticky, clinging air refused to leave my skin.

“It’s okay. Come play with big brother instead.”

—Scared. Scaredscaredscared… Why? Why do I have to go through this? Today was supposed to be fun. A date I’d been looking forward to. Sure, the morning had been rough, but after meeting Shii-chan and Sagara-kun, I’d been able to laugh and enjoy myself. So why, at the very end, am I here…?

—Minato-kun…?

He left me. Ran away. But I can’t blame him. Anyone would be terrified. Getting punched in the face like that, panic taking over—it’s only natural to run. And he did try to pull me along, to escape together. He must have been at his limit too. So I can’t blame him. Yeah… But…

—Then who can I blame? What is this man going to do to me? Will he hurt me? Violate me? Will everything—my first love, my everything—be taken away before I even get the chance?

“Come on, Moe-chan. I’ve almost caught you. Let’s make love.”

—Ah… It’s over.

Is my purity really going to be shattered so easily by this man?

Something inside me snapped with a quiet crack. Strength drained from my body. My breathing grew shallow. Tears blurred the edges of my vision; the world warped.

The little black cat keychain lay on the ground in front of me. Sagara-kun… help…

I collapsed face-first against the asphalt and closed my eyes in surrender.

That was the moment.

“Issshhhiiiikiiii—!!!”

A voice like a blade slicing through the darkness rang out, tearing the night apart.