Yarai kept the group moving while staying alert.
The smell of blood still lingered on their clothes, and he did not want to remain in the area any longer than necessary.
“Keep walking,” he said quietly.
“We should put as much distance between us and that place as possible.”
They continued through the forest without stopping for long.
After a few minutes, Ono glanced toward Itou, who was walking beside him with one hand wrapped in a piece of cloth.
“Is your hand okay?”
“Does it look okay to you, dumbass?”
Itou’s scraped palm was already beginning to sting, but he continued walking without slowing down.
“Why are you snapping at me, bastard? I’m just asking.”
“Ask me that once we get the hell out of this place.”
“Hey, you two, stop shouting before you attract something else,” Mariya called from the front.
Itou and Ono immediately shut their mouths.
Their damaged weapons were another problem.
Three of the bamboo spears had broken during the fight, leaving them with fewer weapons than before.
They continued for several hours before the terrain gradually began to slope downward.
The dense vegetation slowly thinned as the sound of rushing water grew louder ahead.
Eventually, the trees opened, revealing a lake below.
Yarai looked around the area carefully before stopping.
“Let’s stop here for a moment.”
The group finally came to a halt near the shallow edge of the lake.
Unlike the previous waterfall where they had spent the night, this place felt enclosed and uneasy.
Mikoshiba crouched beside one of the broken spears and began removing the knife tied to the bamboo shaft.
“Don’t cut the paracord,” Yarai said as he knelt beside him.
“Just untie it carefully. We can reuse it later.”
Mikoshiba nodded and carefully loosened the bindings.
Once the knives and cord had been recovered, they discarded the damaged shafts into the undergrowth.
“We can make new spears later,” Yarai said while wrapping the recovered cord around his wrist.
“I agree,” Itou replied.
Yarai looked toward the water.
“We should wash the blood off before we move on.”
The group immediately stepped into the shallow water.
Cold water washed the blood from their hands, weapons, and clothes while reddish stains drifted away between the rocks.
Akira splashed water over his arms before grimacing when the cold water hit his scraped palms.
“…Ow. That stings.”
“You were gripping the spear too hard,” Rion replied while washing dirt from her sleeves.
Nearby, Itou carefully cleaned the salvaged knives while Yarai scrubbed dried blood from the hatchet blade in silence.
As they washed themselves, the smell of blood gradually faded.
However, several of their shirts had absorbed so much blood during the fight that the stains remained.
Yarai glanced toward the stained fabric.
“Throw away anything soaked with blood,” he said calmly.
“We still have spare clothes. Right now, attracting the attention of a predator is more dangerous than wasting a few clothes.”
Ono looked at the blood-soaked shirt in his hands.
“…Damn. We really can’t catch a break.”
One by one, they discarded the worst of the bloodied clothing beneath rocks near the water before opening their bags and changing into spare clothes taken from the aircraft luggage.
Akira pulled on a pair of lightweight cargo pants and a dark T-shirt, then slipped his school jacket over them.
Ono chose a pair of durable outdoor pants and a loose long-sleeved shirt, while Mikoshiba changed into a plain T-shirt and comfortable trousers.
Itou replaced his bloodied shirt with a clean one but kept his school trousers.
The group had already changed into boots earlier after Yarai warned them about snakes and poisonous insects near the plane.
Once everyone had finished changing, Akira looked down at himself before turning toward Rion.
“Rion, how do I look?” he asked, flexing dramatically.
“You look fine,” Rion muttered while adjusting her skirt.
Akira brightened immediately.
“Really?”
“You look stupid wearing a school jacket over camping clothes.”
“…You didn’t have to say it like that.”
Akira scratched the back of his head before smiling faintly.
“I just thought… if Arita and the others see us somewhere, they’ll recognize the uniform.”
Rion looked at him quietly before smiling.
“…I guess that makes sense.”
Mariya immediately ruined the moment.
“Even if you covered your face, people would still recognize your perverted ass instantly.”
“Why you… bastard?” Akira groaned.
Ono snorted while Mikoshiba laughed quietly beside him.
After resting for a little longer, Towa opened the medical backpack.
“Alright, show me your hands,” she said.
“You don’t want them getting infected out here.”
Akira reluctantly held out his palms.
“…Fine.”
Towa examined the scrapes before looking toward Rion with a teasing smile.
“Rion-chan, you should handle his.”
“W-Why are you saying it like that?” Rion replied before sighing.
“Whatever. Give me the bandages.”
She crouched in front of Akira and carefully took his hand.
“Tell me if it hurts.”
“It already hurts.”
“That’s because you scraped your skin from gripping that spear so hard.”
Rion cleaned the wounds carefully before wrapping fresh bandages around his palm.
Akira remained unusually quiet while she worked.
After a few seconds, Rion noticed his eyes drifting downward.
A vein appeared on her forehead.
“Akira-kun.”
Before he could react, she smacked him on the head hard enough to make him collapse sideways.
“OW!”
“Stop staring, idiot!”
“Why does violence always happen so fast around you?!”
“Serves you right,” Rion replied with a huff as she turned away.
Ono stared at the two of them in disbelief before muttering toward Mariya.
“Four-eyes, are these two seriously doing romcom scenes on a death island like this?”
“We are not!” Akira and Rion shouted at the same time.
They immediately looked away from each other.
“Get used to it. They act like this at school too,” Mariya said.
Even Kurusu laughed softly.
“They really do.”
Kanako watched Rion for a moment before leaning closer and lowering her voice so only she could hear.
“…Maybe Akira-kun is just too dumb to realize it.”
Rion’s face immediately turned red.
“W-What are you talking about?”
Kanako smiled innocently.
“Nothing.”
Rion quickly looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Akira, completely unaware of what they were talking about, looked between them.
“…What?”
“Nothing!” Rion answered immediately.
Meanwhile, Yarai had changed into dark cargo pants, a lightweight shirt, and a thin outdoor jacket, along with a pair of sturdy boots.
Without his school uniform, and with his tall build, broad shoulders, bleached hair, and pierced ears, he looked even less like an ordinary high school student.
Kurusu gave him an awkward smile when she noticed.
“Yarai-kun really doesn’t look like a student anymore.”
“Yeah,” Towa admitted quietly.
“You honestly look older.”
Yarai glanced down at his clothes before looking back at them.
“They’re more suitable for the situation.”
Kurusu looked relieved to see that he seemed fine before quickly asking,
“Are you injured anywhere?”
Yarai glanced at the shallow scrape near one knuckle.
“I’m fine.”
Kurusu nodded, seemingly reassured.
“Good.”
Yarai looked toward the forest.
“We’ve rested enough. We should keep moving.”
The group quickly gathered their bags and resumed following the river.
***
Far behind them in the forest, the dead Hyaenodon lay partially hidden among the tall grass.
Flies had already gathered around its wounds, and the smell of blood was beginning to spread through the surrounding vegetation.
The forest remained quiet for some time before a faint rustling came from deeper among the trees.
The movement stopped, only for another rustle to come from a different direction moments later.
An Andrewsarchus emerged from the vegetation and lowered its head to sniff the air before following the scent toward the carcass.
When it finally reached the dead Hyaenodon, it circled the body once before lowering its massive head and tearing into the flesh, pulling away a chunk of meat as blood stained its muzzle.
The animal continued feeding for several minutes until another sound came from the forest, causing it to raise its head. This story is hosted at g.com.
A second Andrewsarchus appeared between the trees.
It was noticeably smaller than the one feeding on the carcass.
The newcomer remained several meters away, watching the larger animal feed.
It slowly approached, drawn by the same scent, but the larger predator immediately stiffened and released a low growl.
The smaller Andrewsarchus stopped and waited for a moment before taking another cautious step forward.
The larger predator snapped its jaws and lunged toward it, forcing the other animal to back away at once.
Unwilling to challenge it, the smaller Andrewsarchus remained near the edge of the trees while the larger one returned to the carcass and resumed feeding.
After watching for several moments, the smaller animal lowered its head and sniffed the ground.
Beneath the smell of blood was another scent, unfamiliar but strangely appealing.
It followed the faint trail through the grass for several meters before stopping.
The scent grew weaker as it continued farther from the clearing.
The animal lifted its head and looked in the direction the group had gone.
After lingering there for a moment, it slowly disappeared into the vegetation.
***
Meanwhile, the group continued putting distance between themselves and the forest.
The hours passed slowly as they followed the river.
Gradually, the trees stood farther apart, allowing more sunlight to reach the ground.
The humidity also seemed less oppressive as a steady breeze moved through the branches.
Akira suddenly slowed and took a breath.
“…Wait.”
Rion looked at him.
“What?”
Akira sniffed the air again.
“The air smells different.”
“Are we close to sea?” Kurusu asked.
“We should know soon.” Yarai replied.
They continued following the river as the environment changed more noticeably with every passing hour.
The ground became softer and sandier, while coastal plants and scattered palms started to appear.
The river gradually narrowed as they approached the coast, eventually becoming a shallow stream that wound through the sand.
Then the sound of the water changed.
It was no longer the familiar rushing of the river, but a deeper, rhythmic sound that carried through the trees.
Akira looked ahead.
“…Is that what I think it is?”
As they pushed through the final line of trees, and the jungle suddenly opened onto a wide coastline.
Blue water stretched toward the horizon beneath the afternoon sunlight, with waves rolling steadily across the pale shore.
For several seconds, the entire group simply stood there.
“…Finally,” Kurusu whispered.
Towa slowly stepped forward.
“…It’s beautiful.”
Kanako followed her toward the shore, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
“The air feels completely different.”
The group gradually moved closer to the water, but Yarai stood there, studying the surroundings.
The coastline curved between rocky cliffs, while scattered driftwood and shells had washed up along the shore.
Short coastal plants grew through the sand, and seabirds circled above the water.
Yarai finally stepped onto the beach.
“There’s more open ground here,” he said.
“We can see approaching animals more easily.”
Mariya looked toward the horizon.
“And if a rescue aircraft comes looking for us, this should be easier to spot than the jungle.”
Akira dropped his bag onto the sand and stretched his shoulders.
“…Man, I needed this.”
Rion dropped her own bag beside him and looked out toward the sea.
“Finally… an open sky.”
The others slowly relaxed as well, with some sitting near the shore while others removed their shoes and stepped into the shallow water.
Akira splashed some water onto his face and let out a long breath.
“…This is seriously nice.”
He remained in the shallows for a moment before his expression suddenly changed.
Akira looked toward the trees behind them.
“…Wait.”
Rion noticed the change in his expression.
“What is it?”
Akira remained silent for a moment, listening carefully.
“…Someone’s there.”