I'm in a real religion, why are all the people who confess to me girls?

Suddenly, the thunder stopped abruptly.

The whole world seemed to fall into a deathly silence.

The temperature at the mountaintop began to drop sharply, and the stuffy, humid air kept seeping into Tianyin's nostrils.

As the first raindrop fell, Tianyin ran towards the tent not far away without any hesitation.

One drop, two drops—at first, just a few scattered raindrops hit the rocks and leaves on the mountaintop, making a crisp sound. Then, the rain seemed to be accelerated tenfold.

Suddenly, a dense curtain of rain, invisible to the naked eye, poured down from the sky onto the entire mountaintop.

The nearby town suffered a devastating blow. Torrential rain poured down and flooded the town, and the river that ran through it swelled up due to the few minutes of rain, washing away flood control supplies on the banks and knocking down nearby warehouses as well.

Watching the streets being submerged in just a few minutes, only the Horikita family of four remained leisurely sitting in the ramen shop.

"This downpour is really unfortunate. I was planning to go home today, but now it looks like my plans have to be changed again. It's so annoying."

The man finished speaking in a light tone, then picked up the sake in front of him and drank it all in one gulp, before slowly exhaling a wisp of hot air from his throat.

"I don't think you, Dad, dislike the rainstorm at all."

Horikita Suzune glanced at the man who still had a smile on his face, pursed her lips, and couldn't help but complain.

"Whether the sky is clear or the clouds are thick, it's just nature revealing its insignificant side to humankind. Once you see the true nature, you won't find bad weather something to hate. Just like people, you can only see their truest side when they're angry, right, Kotone?"

The man, slightly tipsy, watched his wife's smile grow even stronger.

"Yuki is still the same as always. Are you saying I have a bad temper? But Yuki is right, but people and nature are different."

"What's different?"

Horikita Manabu and Horikita Suzune simultaneously looked up at the elegant Horikita Kotone.

"Nature is there whether you love it or not; it neither befriends you nor deliberately avoids you when you're venting your anger. But people are different. A person may have countless masks. As we grow older, everyone, to some extent, wears a likable 'persona' to live in a certain group. However, a mask is still a mask. If the person wearing the mask isn't mentally and physically exhausted by it, they will gradually lose themselves within it... Sorry, I've gone a bit off-topic. Even if a person is wearing a mask, they will still react to everything that happens in the outside world. If you give them candy, they will like you; if you speak harshly to them, they will hate you and try to disappear from your sight..."

At this point, Horikita Kotone gently curled the corners of her lips.

"If you ever find someone you like or someone who likes you, never act all aloof and unapproachable. You'll never know if they're right for you if you don't get to know them. And everyone hates guys who always hold their heads high. So when your heart is racing, remember to lower your head. It's not shameful to be shy because you like someone, but if you act all high and mighty, they might just disappear from your life the next second."

"A silent rejection is far more painful than holding thorns. Once someone chooses to leave you, it's not so easy to get them back, right, Yuuki-kun?"

Horikita Yuuki, who was suddenly called out, paused involuntarily as he gently swirled his wine glass.

"Sorry, I think I'm a little drunk and didn't hear what you just said, Qinyin. If you have a chance, you can talk to me about it privately when we get back, okay? Also, the children might not understand these things if you say them in front of them."

Kotone Horikita stared at the flush on Yuuki Horikita's face, which didn't look like she was drunk, for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.

"I think my children are so smart that they will definitely be able to understand it. I just don't know if the child who is most like Yuuki will be as stupid as his father."

"Kotone!! Stop saying such embarrassing things!"

……

Watching her parents' daily flirting and bickering, Horikita Suzune pouted and looked away.

She wouldn't be so easily won over by her father as her mother was.

She can only accept, and must accept, that the person she likes is stronger than her; otherwise…

It's better to live alone; that would be quite nice. Compared to having nothing to say to someone you don't click with, loneliness is nothing...

It shouldn't be that hard to accept.

Horikita Suzune's gaze fell upon the black cumulus clouds amidst the flashing lightning and thunder.

……

The rustling sound startled Kiryuin awake.

Kiryuin was rubbing her sleepy eyes and reaching for her phone to see what time it was. How come it was already dark in the time it took her to take a nap?

Just as Kiryuin's fingers touched the phone, the tent flap was suddenly flung open.

The icy cold air instantly rushed into the small tent.

Feeling the chill, Guilongyuan snapped back to reality, and then her gaze was immediately stunned by the dark clouds behind Tenon that seemed to be pressing down on their heads.

Almost instinctively, Kiryuin shivered, then reached out and pulled Tenon inside before quickly zipping up the tent.

Is this a rainstorm?

Looking at Tenon, who was soaked to the bone, Guilongyuan was slightly surprised. Tenon was not someone who liked to take walks in the rain, which meant that Tenon was still outside when it started raining. Moreover, Tenon's burst speed was much faster than hers. Judging from the towel in Tenon's hand, Tenon should have been nearby just now.

The only possible explanation for such a downpour that could leave Tianyin soaked to the bone before she could even get back to her tent is a torrential downpour.

"Heavy rainstorm."

When Kiryuin heard Tenon say that, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

She was clearly aware of how dangerous it was to camp on the mountain during a heavy rainstorm.

"It seems that although we didn't see any beautiful sights this time, this trip was definitely unforgettable. It's true that when you travel, you have to see... cough cough, Tianyin, what are you doing with that towel?"

Seeing Tenon's indifferent gaze, Kiryuin coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and then quickly changed the subject.

"Arisu has a high fever."

Kiryuin then noticed that Sakayanagi, who was sleeping in a sleeping bag wrapped in a blanket, had a dry towel draped over his forehead. Kiryuin's expression turned to surprise as he reached out to remove the towel.

"It's so hot."

Kiryuin quickly placed his hand on Sakayanagi's forehead, at which point he knew Sakayanagi had a high fever without needing a thermometer.

"Arisu's head is burning hot. Where's the fever reducer? Did she take it?"

"She can't take fever-reducing medicine anymore. I crushed it into powder and mixed it with hot water so she could swallow it, but it didn't help..."

Tenon took out the wet towel she had been holding and placed it on Sakayanagi's forehead.

Sakayanagi's cheeks were burning red, and her once rosy lips were now deathly pale. She kept muttering to herself as if she were having a nightmare.

"This can't go on forever."

Seeing that the sleeping Sakayanagi had a furrowed brow and a pained expression on his face, Kiryuin couldn't help but speak to Amane.

"I'm ready."

Tenon naturally understood what Guilongyuan meant. If even fever-reducing medicine couldn't make Sakayanagi feel better, then she would have no choice but to take Sakayanagi down the mountain alone in the rain to find a hospital to treat him.

The reason it is described as a solo mission is because it is an extremely dangerous task. Given Kiryuin's current age and experience, it is impossible for him to descend a medium-sized mountain in the pitch black of a torrential downpour while carrying luggage.

Even abandoning all supplies would be extremely dangerous, and only Tianyin could do all that.

Because her eyesight is not greatly affected by darkness, and Tianyin's stamina and physical strength are also terrifying, only Tianyin can complete the task of carrying someone down the mountain in a downpour.

"Then I'll keep an eye on this place."

Knowing that his abilities were far inferior to Tenon's, Kiryuin realized that if the two of them insisted on acting together, he would most likely become a burden to Tenon. So he simply chose to wait for the rain to stop before going down the mountain.

"Is everything alright?"

Tenon began checking the tools she needed to carry. Since she only had one flashlight, she left it with Guilongyuan because she was afraid that Guilongyuan would be scared to be alone there. She gave all the remaining food and water to Guilongyuan.

Amane brought along the chocolates Horikita Manabu had given her, as well as Sakayanagi's bag. If you don't have money at the hospital, they really will kick you out. This isn't a place where people show kindness. Therefore, Amane had to bring Sakayanagi's bank card. As long as the hospital accepts cards, the medical expenses can be covered.

Next, open your phone to find the nearest hospital.

However, the search results were not ideal. The nearest hospital was a full 30 kilometers away in the suburbs of a city, which was the first city they arrived in.

But it was pouring rain there the whole time, and the roads were closed. It would be ridiculous if we got stuck outside the city.

The other option is to head to the next city, a full 120 kilometers away. Unlike the densely populated western and central regions, this city perfectly embodies the meaning of "sparsely populated."

As for the town? There is a clinic in the town, but it will definitely be closed due to the heavy rain. Even if you break down the door, it will be useless if you can't find a doctor.

So, while it may seem that Tianyin has many choices, she actually has no other options.

Kiryuin, who was standing nearby, also came over to Amane to watch in order to save her phone battery. When she saw the number 120 kilometers, which was quite exaggerated to her, she couldn't help but gasp.

For a country with a small land area, this distance is simply unimaginable.

Tianyin's mission was to carry someone through torrential rain to an unfamiliar city 120 kilometers away.

Just thinking about it fills one with despair.

Because Tianyin is just a little girl under twelve years old, it's hard to imagine that she could accomplish such a task that even adults would find difficult.

"Don't worry, I'll get Arisu to the hospital safely. If Arisu's temperature hasn't dropped in two hours, I'll set off."

After speaking, Tenon gently patted Kiryuin's shoulder as a gesture of comfort, then knelt down beside Sakayanagi and closed her eyes to rest.

Two hours passed in a flash. After touching Banliu's forehead, Amane didn't hesitate and immediately zipped up her sleeping bag.

"Maple helped me tie Arisu to my body."

Although Sakayanagi was a bit shorter than Amane, the difference wasn't very noticeable since everyone was still young, and there wasn't much of an obstacle when carrying someone up the mountain.

But it would be a bit dangerous to run while carrying Sakayanagi, who is about the same height as her.

"I see."

Kiryuin spoke with a bitter tone, then tightly tied Sakayanagi's sleeping bag to Amane's back with a rope.

After checking that all the tools were brought, Tenon hesitated for a moment and then handed a fountain pen to Kiryuin.

"A pen? Why are you giving it to me now..."

As soon as Kiryuin got his hands on the pen, he noticed that its weight was a bit off.

"I think I just heard wolves howling. Try not to use flashlights or cell phones, anything that emits light. You have enough food and water to last until tomorrow night. If you manage your energy properly, you can last three to five days. Once the rain stops, abandon all supplies and only take your personal belongings and food down the mountain. I'll contact you. If... you can't contact us in a short time, we'll call Uncle Sakayanagi, understand?"

Seeing Tenon patiently and repeatedly reminding her of things she should pay attention to, Kiryuin felt both warm and amused. Even though she was the oldest of the three, she was now acting like a clueless child who needed the youngest, Tenon, to tell her what to do.

"Don't worry, I'm not a child anymore. Be careful. Oh, and this pen..."

There's only one shot inside, and I've never used it before, so I don't know if it's safe to use. I'd better avoid using it, because I'm afraid there might be problems.

Kiryuin nodded and solemnly put the pen into his pocket.

"I'm off."

"sky……"

Before Guilongyuan could speak, Tianyin stepped into the dark rain, her figure carrying a sleeping bag gradually disappearing without a trace.

"Ugh……"

Kiryuin sat on the inflatable cushion, hugging her knees. If she were stronger, would she have been able to help Amane today? If she hadn't insisted on coming to a place like this, would everyone have avoided this dangerous situation, and would Amane have had to risk walking through the torrential rain?

Guilongyuan buried his head deeply in his knees, filled with self-reproach, and prayed silently for Tianyin's safe journey.

The torrential rain pelted down from the sky, like countless pebbles pelting Tianyin's body. The muffled thunder and the occasional flashes of lightning made one tremble with fear, but Tianyin had neither the mood nor the time to feel the terror of nature's power.

Tianyin ran quickly. She had recorded every path and road condition on the way up the mountain, so she was more than ten times faster on the way down. Fortunately, lightning occasionally illuminated the road ahead, otherwise Tianyin would have had to be careful of the loose stones under her feet.

Thump thump.

All Tianyin could hear was the sound of her heart pounding. Her breathing was strong and rapid, but it didn't become disordered despite running at high speed. In fact, this wasn't a problem for Tianyin's physical condition.

She hadn't used her full strength yet; this speed was just a warm-up for her.

Just as Tianyin was about to accelerate, three figures rapidly approached her from the woods on her left.

With that size and those eyes that emitted a faint green glow even in the darkness, Tianyin knew without a doubt what she had encountered.

Awooo!!!

A sharp wolf howl confirmed Tianyin's guess. Under the command of what appeared to be the alpha wolf, two thin gray wolves began to rapidly approach Tianyin.

Tenon intended to get rid of these troublesome beasts here, and also protect the safety of the Ghost Dragon Institute. However, when she thought of Sakaryu behind her, the fire of anger in Tenon's heart began to spread continuously, eventually burning through her entire body.

Why…….

Why now of all times?!

"Get out of my way, all of you!!!"

Tianyin suddenly stopped and turned to the two gray wolves that were less than ten meters away from her, letting out a loud shout.

Just then, a deafening clap of thunder exploded in the sky.

Awooo...

After a scream, one of the gray wolves collapsed to the ground, motionless, while the other gray wolf, frightened, tucked its tail between its legs and ran away.

Tianyin didn't stop moving at all. When she saw that the gray wolf had stopped chasing her, she quickened her pace.

Just now.