Parameter Supremacy: The Man Who Seizes a Harem Through Sheer Effort. - Chapter 45.

Episode 45: Shield.

A narrow path squeezed between rice paddies and fields. Right in the middle of it lay Isshiki, face-down.

She was sprawled prone across the road, face hidden. Faint, shallow gasps—“hic… hic…”—escaped her, punctuated by tiny, broken sobs.

Her slender shoulders trembled in tiny, uncontrollable shivers; the raw terror she was enduring was painfully clear. Drag marks scarred the dirt behind her—evidence of how desperately she’d tried to crawl away.

A short distance ahead, shrouded in darkness, stood a single man. Black as shadow, he radiated an oppressive, unreadable menace.

I sprinted to her without a second thought and lifted her upper body into my arms. Even in summer, her skin was ice-cold; violent tremors poured straight into my palms through the contact.

Her face was drained of color, dominated by utter despair. The cute outfit she’d chosen especially for today was smeared with soil, torn and ruined. I gently brushed the dust from her hair, trying—however feebly—to offer some comfort. The shaking refused to stop.

“Hey, you okay?!”

No response. Her chest rose and fell in frantic, erratic bursts; her breathing came in short, rapid gasps. Hyperventilation. I pulled her tightly against me and rubbed slow, soothing circles across her back—anything to calm her, anything at all.

“It’s okay now. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore, Isshiki.”

At those words, her body gave the tiniest twitch—as if some fragment of them had reached her. A faint sound leaked from deep in her throat, and then the sobs broke free, spilling out between ragged breaths.

“Ah… haa… hii… uwaaaahhh—!”

The small cries quickly swelled, mingling with desperate, heaving gasps until they echoed through the quiet night. Still stroking her back, I leaned close to her ear.

“Can you run?”

Her trembling frame shook weakly from side to side.

“My… legs… won’t move…”

The man watching us suddenly bellowed, voice splitting the darkness.

“Don’t you fucking touch my Moe-chan!!!”

The roar reverberated down the narrow path. I murmured softly against her back, “Hang on just a second,” then gently released my hold. I picked up the black cat keychain that had rolled near her feet, slipped it into my pocket, and stepped forward—placing myself squarely between her and the man.

“No… run away…”

Her tiny, pleading voice reached me from behind. I didn’t turn.

“Give it up already. A commotion this loud? The neighbors have definitely noticed. Police are on the way. You’re finished.”

For an instant, something sickly gleamed behind those bangs.

“You really don’t get it, do you? All I want is Moe-chan. Everything else can burn for all I care.”

The words had barely left his mouth before his fist rocketed toward my jaw.

I threw up my left arm on instinct, blocking the direct hit. The impact still rattled my skull—unfamiliar with real strikes like this. Boxer? He’s strong.

Before the thought even finished, a hook slammed into my side.

“Gah—!”

A white-hot shock exploded through my ribs. Vision bleached for a second. I dropped to one knee, doubled over—but forced myself upright. Raising both hands to face level, I tucked my elbows in. Amateur stance, but as close to a boxing guard as I could manage.

“Cheeky little shit.”

Already on the verge of blackout, I ate the full combo: jab, straight, left hook. One after another.

“Ugh—gah—buf—!”

Blood gushed from my nose. My eyelids throbbed viciously. Vision blurred. Lips split; the metallic taste of iron flooded my mouth. Brain rattled—concussion symptoms kicking in hard. I staggered, nearly collapsed, but planted my right foot forward and endured.

“What the hell are you…?”

The man’s expression finally flickered with surprise. A civilian still standing after all that.

I reset my guard.

He scowled, raised his fists again, feinting toward my face. I was already a wreck, but if I could just buy time, this would end. I locked eyes with him, refusing to look away.

The next instant—

Thwack.

A devastating low kick smashed into my left thigh. My stance buckled from the sheer force. He didn’t let up—high kick aimed straight at my face. I barely raised my left guard in time. The impact hurled me sideways; I rolled hard across the road and crashed into the field.

Kickboxing, huh…

“Sagara-kun!!”

Isshiki’s scream pierced my ears. No good. If I go down here, she’s done for. Her voice yanked my consciousness back awake. I staggered to my feet, shuffled forward, and planted myself in front of the man again. Guard up.

“Wh-what the hell… are you…?”

Confusion crept into his voice—then slowly morphed into stunned disbelief. He lashed out with a front kick to keep me at bay. Too dazed to dodge, I took it full-force and went down again.

…But I stood right back up. Guard raised.

He started swinging wildly now, almost panicked. Jab to the face. Straight to the body. Jab again. Straight. Hook. Every blow landed clean. I could feel bones cracking somewhere. Bare-knuckle brawl—my guard arms were shredded, skin torn to ribbons.

But I didn’t break.

I was standing on willpower alone now. I would not let this bastard touch Isshiki. That single conviction kept me upright.

“Uwaah… Sagara-kun…”

Isshiki’s anguished voice rang out.

Thud! Gof! Crack!

Bones ground. Dull, crawling pain spread everywhere. Half my vision was gone. Head swimming. Iron flooded my mouth. I was a ruin. Standing at all felt impossible—yet I refused to fall.

“Damn it… why won’t you go down…?”

My arms wouldn’t rise anymore. Still, I was her shield. I couldn’t fall. The instant that thought crossed my mind, an uppercut slammed into my jaw from close range.

“Kah—!”

I finally collapsed. Brain rattled violently. Nausea surged. Thoughts scattered—I hit the ground hard.

A brief, terrible silence.

The man exhaled in relief, looking down at me.

“Hahaha… finally down, huh…”

“Time to finish you.”

He stepped forward, raising his foot to stomp my head.

“Hii…! Please! Stop! Sagara-kun will die!!”

Isshiki’s desperate scream cut through.

“Idiot… I’m… still not done…”

I lifted my blood-soaked face and glared up at him. Stretched out one trembling arm. Forced my shaking legs beneath me. Rose again. Planted myself in his path once more.

A hook crashed into my head. Blood sprayed from my mouth. I still turned and stared him down.

“Haa…”

The man finally let out a resigned sigh.

“Fine. Die, then.”

Eyes bloodshot with rage, he pulled a small survival knife from his pocket and leveled it at me.

Isshiki’s pupils blew wide.

“St-stop—!”

She forced her paralyzed legs to move and threw herself in front of me.

In that instant, the man lunged—driving the blade straight toward her.

—What—?! Isshiki—?! Shit, too late—!

The realization hit—and my foggy mind snapped awake faster than thought. My body moved on its own.

“UOOOOOOHHHH—!!!”

I thrust my right arm between the slashing blade and her body.

Shunk.

Burning agony. Bone-deep impact. No need to look—the knife was buried deep in my right hand.

“Guh… aaaaaahhh—!”

I clamped my left hand around the handle—and his grip—blood spurting, splashing across Isshiki’s cheek. I refused to let go.

“Sagara-kun!!!”

Her scream sounded impossibly close. He tried to yank the blade free. I gritted my teeth, locked both hands around the hilt, and pushed back with every ounce of strength I had left—keeping the knife from sinking deeper.

“…You’re never… getting Isshiki…!”

I poured everything into my right arm, forcing the blade outward. Consciousness flickered on the edge of blackout from the pain, but I held on. He frantically tried to pull free; I squeezed harder with my left hand. He wasn’t getting his weapon back.

“Guh… let go…!”

“Like hell… I will…!”

Blood dripped steadily, pooling dark on the ground. Finally, fear flickered across his face as I glared back.

“Wh-what the hell are you… a monster…?”

Panic took over. He released the knife and stumbled backward. The motion sent me crashing to the ground. Isshiki caught me, pulling me close as I fought to breathe.

“Sagara-kun!! Sagara-kun, are you okay?! The blood…!”

“I-I’m… fine… I’m… okay…”

I forced the words out to reassure her, but my voice shook. Blood kept pouring from my right arm.

The man glanced behind him—noticed the gathering silhouettes, the distant commotion. Neighbors had stopped to stare.

“Tch… damn it…!”

Biting his lip in frustration, he spat the curse and bolted into the darkness of the fields.

“Wait—!”

I tried to chase—but the searing pain in my arm and the full-body bruising left me with nothing. I watched him disappear, then finally let out a ragged breath.

I wiped my blood-soaked hand roughly on the hem of my T-shirt. Then I pulled the black cat keychain from my pocket and pressed it into Isshiki’s trembling hands.

“Here. Lucky charm. Worked, didn’t it?”

Leaning my weight against her in her shaking arms, I felt her warmth, the faint flutter of her heartbeat—and slowly let consciousness slip away.

“Sagara-kun!? Sagara-kun!! No—nooo!!”

Distant sirens wailed. Isshiki’s desperate cries and sobs brushed faintly against my fading hearing. Even as everything dimmed, her voice kept echoing…