He had never felt fear in this life.
Not once.
Not even when he opened his eyes in this strange new world, weak and helpless in a cradle. Not when he was too small to crawl, too soft to strike. Not even when he cried out in his sleep, haunted by flames and chains from another life.
But this time... he was afraid.
The forest had gone silent.
Not quiet — dead silent.
The birds had vanished. Even the wind had stopped. He sat outside the house, legs too small to run, power still sealed inside his fragile body.
He didn't need instincts to know something was wrong.
The mana in the air shifted.
It felt like poison.
A second later, the ground trembled.
And then... it came.
The Beast Appears
A monster burst from the treeline — a hulking, fanged creature with armored scales and red eyes.
An A-rank.
Behind it, the trees shook again. More beasts followed. Two. Four. Eight. Their claws tore the earth, their roars shattered branches.
He sat frozen. His hands trembled.
He couldn't move. Couldn't cast. Couldn't awaken.
He stared at the monsters and thought, simply:
"This is the end."
And for a moment... it felt familiar.
Not in this life. But the last.
He had been born to die once before.
Maybe this time, he would die properly.
Maybe this time, no one would come.
She Came
Before the beasts reached him, a shadow stepped between them.
Not his father.
Not a knight.
His sister.
Still a child. Still far too weak.
C-rank.
She wasn't strong.
But she stood tall.
Didn't run.
Didn't scream.
She pulled a short blade from her back and pointed it at the monsters.
"Stay away from him," she said. Her voice was flat. Calm.
And then... she fought.
She was thrown aside with the first blow — blood hit the ground. Her bones cracked.
But she stood back up.
Again. And again.
Each time, she blocked their path to him.
Not with power.
With her body.
He watched, numb, as claws raked across her arms, fangs tore through her side. Her blade snapped in half.
She never turned around.
Never looked at him.
But she didn't let a single beast pass.
"Why?" he thought.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I tried to kill you. I hated you. You don't even like me. So why...?"
The Parents Arrive
Just as she fell, their father arrived.
No war cry. No theatrics.
Just pure, focused violence.
A flash of light — wind magic. A beast fell.
Then another.
He fought not like a warrior — but like a desperate man.
Their mother appeared beside him, holding their daughter, casting healing magic even while shielding the MC with her body.
"It's alright," she whispered. "You're safe now."
But he knew the truth.
They were not strong enough.
They weren't even high-ranked.
This many A-rank beasts? Even a grandmaster would struggle.
And yet… they fought.
They didn't run.
His Mind Shatters
He didn't understand.
He watched them bleed.
Watched his father take a claw through the ribs.
Watched his mother's hands tremble from exhaustion, still casting spells.
He watched the girl — his sister — unconscious and pale, her chest rising too slowly.
"Why...?"
"Why would you do this for me?"
"I'm nothing. I'm no one. In the last life… they threw me away."
"They burned me. Stabbed me. Cursed me."
"No one ever came."
"So why…?"
The world cracked again.
The beasts circled.
The A-ranks regrouped.
Then the sky turned black.
The S-Rank Appears
Its roar split the sky.
The pressure alone dropped his mother to her knees.
The S-rank beast stepped into the clearing — taller than the trees, glowing with primal magic. Its presence crushed the air.
His father faltered. His sword cracked.
His mother gritted her teeth, pulling the last of her mana around her children.
"Run!" she shouted.
"Please… please, run…"
She turned to him, eyes full of tears.
"Be happy, son."
His father stumbled to her side, blood pouring down his chest.
"Live… that's all that matters."
And then... his sister opened her eyes.
Barely.
She smiled.
For the first time.
"Sorry… I can't protect you anymore…"
And the world broke.
Final Scene
He didn't run.
He couldn't.
He just stood there, trembling, as their hands reached for him — pushing him to safety.
Not because he was useful.
Not because he was strong.
Not because of a prophecy.
Because he was their son.
And for the first time in both lives…
He cried.