After Yarai and Mariya returned, the group began working on the raft.
Akira was helping Saji drag several stripped logs closer to the stacked raft materials while Ono and Mikoshiba argued nearby about how unstable the structure looked.
“That thing’s going to break apart instantly,” Ono said while poking one of the tied logs with his foot.
“It already looks wrecked,” Mikoshiba added.
“Shut up,” Saji snapped.
“At least I’m trying something.”
“But I still can’t believe you thought this could float. It looks more like driftwood that gave up on life,” Akira laughed.
Ono and Mikoshiba nodded in agreement.
“Why are you insulting it while helping me build it?!”
A short distance away, Yarai quietly stood near the shoreline, observing the ocean.
Mariya remained seated on a piece of driftwood with the laptop resting on his knees as the sea breeze moved softly across the coastline.
Then suddenly voices echoed from farther down the shore.
“Saji!”
Three figures emerged from the trees carrying smaller pieces of woods and vines.
The moment they noticed the larger group gathered near the beach, all three froze.
Especially after spotting Ono, Mikoshiba, Itou, and Yarai standing together with weapons attached to their sides.
“…Ah,” Masanori muttered weakly.
Mina’s expression immediately stiffened.
“…Why are there so many delinquents here?” she whispered quietly.
Masanori looked completely horrified.
“…We’re dead.”
“They definitely took over this place already,” he continued nervously.
“We’re going to end up carrying logs forever.”
Yoshimoto frowned slightly while studying the group more carefully.
“…You’re overreacting,” he muttered, though even he still looked cautious.
Saji immediately frowned.
“Oi, I’m standing right here, you know.”
Ono immediately looked offended.
“Oi. What kind of image do you idiots have of us?”
“The accurate kind,” Mariya replied flatly without looking up from the laptop.
“Four-eyes, whose side are you on?” Ono complained.
That was when Yoshimoto suddenly noticed Akira and Mariya properly.
“Huh, aren’t you Sengoku-kun? You too, Mariya? What a surprise.”
“So you all made it too, Akagami?” Mina asked while looking toward Rion in surprise.
Rion nodded lightly.
“Barely.”
Akira blinked and pointed toward himself.
“Oh, you know me?”
“Of course we know you,” Yoshimo toreplied.
“You were pretty popular back at school.”
Akira immediately smirked toward Rion as if trying to show off.
“We all know why you were popular,” Rion replied while giving him a side glance.
Akira’s shoulders slumped slightly after hearing that.
Meanwhile, Yoshimoto adjusted his glasses calmly.
“Nice to see you too, Mariya-kun.”
Mariya gave a small shrug, though his eyes briefly shifted toward Yoshimoto before he gave him a small nod.
Akira looked between them curiously.
“…Do you two know each other or something?”
“We were in the same academic ranking group,” Yoshimoto answered flatly.
“Oh, so you’re smart too,” Akira replied casually.
Yoshimoto looked slightly irritated by the wording but chose not to comment.
While the conversation continued, Masanori kept glancing nervously toward Yarai and the others.
Even though nobody in the group was acting hostile, the weapons, rough appearances, and delinquent reputations were enough to make the three newcomers visibly uneasy.
Masanori leaned slightly toward Saji.
“…Why does that guy look like an actual gang boss?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” Mina whispered nervously.
Saji clicked his tongue and lightly kicked Masanori’s leg.
“Stop panicking.”
“B-But look at them…” Masanori muttered weakly.
“I said calm down,” Saji snapped roughly.
“They’re helping us build the raft.”
Saji gestured toward them one by one.
“Mina Mukouda. Masanori Yoshimoto. Masanori Tanaka.”
The three awkwardly greeted the others while Kurusu smiled warmly and introduced Towa and Kanako beside her, which helped ease the tension slightly.
After settling down a little, Masanori nervously asked,
“W-What exactly is going on with this island? There are strange animals everywhere.”
Akira’s expression became more serious.
“Those strange animals are extinct animals,” he replied.
“Every animal we’ve seen so far on this island is extinct.”
“What?”
Both Yoshimoto and Masanori reacted at the same time.
Saji frowned immediately.
“W-What are you talking about, Sengoku?”
“There’s no way…” Mina muttered in disbelief.
“We might be the only ones here who already know what those things are.”
Then he looked toward Mariya.
“Mariya.”
Mariya already seemed to understand what he meant.
Without another word, he turned the laptop screen toward the others.
“Just look at this.”
Saji and the others stepped closer before immediately freezing after seeing the image displayed on the screen.
“…That thing,” Saji gasped.
“It’s the monster that attacked us near the plane.”
“No mistake,” Yoshimoto blurted out.
“We got completely separated from everyone after that.”
Masanori’s face turned pale.
“When we ran away… Miyazaki got eaten by one of those things…”
Mina quietly lowered her gaze while gripping her arms tightly.
Mariya nodded calmly.
“Its name is Andrewsarchus.”
“What exactly is it?” Masanori asked while trembling slightly.
“It’s the largest known extinct terrestrial carnivorous mammal,” Mariya explained calmly.
“Its body was around 2.5 meters long and nearly 2 meters tall. Roughly the size of a small truck. The most distinctive feature is the skull. Its head alone takes up nearly a quarter of its body length. Its teeth were built to crush prey apart.”
Even Yarai’s group looked uncomfortable hearing the explanation again.
Rion quietly shivered beside Akira.
Saji and his group could not take their eyes off the screen.
The fear on their faces no longer looked like simple disbelief.
The moment they recognized the creature, the memories clearly came rushing back to them.
Yarai quietly observed their reactions from the side without interrupting.
After several moments of silence, Saji finally exhaled heavily before looking toward Yoshimoto and the others.
“Oi. Why are you all looking so depressed?”
Everyone looked toward him.
“Yoshimoto, didn’t you say those monsters wouldn’t come near the beach? You said we were safe here.”
Akira frowned slightly.
“Safe? What do you mean?”
Yoshimoto adjusted his glasses before answering.
“I think the environment here is different.”
He pointed vaguely toward the jungle behind them.
“Large herbivores probably don’t come near this area often. There’s less vegetation and less cover.”
Then he looked toward the coastline.
“Predators like that thing would rather stay inland where prey is abundant.”
“But the jungle still isn’t that far away,” Kanako said worriedly.
“What if one of them just wanders onto the beach?”
“I doubt it,” Yoshimoto replied.
“Large predators wouldn’t gain much by wandering this close to the coastline regularly.”
“Beaches mostly have fish, seabirds, and maybe small mammals,” he continued.
“Animals like that Andrewsarchus would waste too much energy staying here.”
Mariya remained silent briefly before nodding.
“…That’s a reasonable conclusion.”
Yoshimoto gave him a faint provoking smile.
“Oops. Was my explanation unnecessary?”
He adjusted his glasses slightly afterward.
“You already have the school’s top genius here, right? Mariya-kun?”
Mariya simply looked at him without replying.
After a few seconds, Yoshimoto clicked his tongue lightly and looked away first.
Once the conversation settled slightly, Akira leaned closer toward Mariya.
“Hey, did you offend that guy somewhere?”
“I hardly know him,” Mariya replied calmly.
“Other than the fact that he always ranked second.”
Towa and the others exchanged small amused looks after hearing that.
Meanwhile, Saji stretched his arms before looking toward the raft materials again.
“Well, either way, if dangerous animals rarely come here, we can finally focus on building this thing properly.”
After a while, Akira walked back toward the logs and grabbed one of the vines tied around them.
“Come on, Saji. If this thing falls apart halfway through the ocean, I’m blaming you first.”
“Shut up and help me tie this properly.”
Nearby, the girls slowly walked closer to the water while letting the waves wash over their feet.
The delinquent trio eventually dropped onto the sand nearby while complaining about the heat and staring up at the sky.
While the others relaxed near the shoreline, Yarai and Mariya quietly continued farther down the coast.
Eventually, they reached a rocky section where the cliff curved outward in an F-shaped formation along the coastline.
At the base of the cliff, partly hidden behind several large rocks, was a natural stone overhang.
A massive slab of rock stretched outward from the cliff wall above, creating a shadowed space beneath it.
It was large enough for several people to stand comfortably inside.
The back was completely protected by the cliff itself while one side was blocked by a thick rock wall, leaving only the front partially open toward the sea.
Yarai stepped closer and carefully inspected the area for signs of animal tracks, bones, or scent markings.
The ground was uneven, but mostly dry.
After observing the shelter for a moment, he gave a small nod.
Mariya sat down on one of the nearby rocks before finally speaking. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“What do you think about Yoshimoto’s theory?”
Yarai remained silent briefly before replying.
“If we think logically, he’s probably right. There’s nothing here for predators to hunt.”
His expression gradually became more serious afterward.
“Unless it’s us.”
Mariya quietly nodded.
“…That’s what I thought too. But why didn’t you tell them?”
“If I keep opposing every hopeful idea they have, it could create unnecessary tension.” Yarai answered calmly.
He glanced toward the overhang again afterward.
“That’s why I checked this place first. It’s a good location for a camp.”
Mariya quietly exhaled.
“…Fair enough.”
After spending a little more time checking the surrounding terrain, Yarai eventually called over Itou, Ono, and Mikoshiba before explaining the situation.
Itou quietly surveyed the overhang before nodding.
He stepped farther beneath the rock and examined the space carefully.
“…Yeah,” he said after a moment.
“This can work.”
He pointed toward the open side while explaining.
“We already have a back wall and one side protected by the cliff. The overhang covers part of the ceiling too.”
Then he pointed farther outward.
“We build a lean-to roof extending from here to create a windbreak.”
Yarai nodded once.
“Using the tarp?”
“Yeah. We’ll need support poles first,” Itou replied while pointing toward the nearby trees.
“A few thick ones for the frame and smaller branches across the top. Palm leaves will help too.”
“They’ll go over the tarp,” he continued calmly.
“It’ll help block rain and reduce wind noise. It also keeps the tarp from snapping around too much at night.”
Yarai glanced toward the rocky ground beneath them.
“What about the bedding?”
“We could gather branches and leaves for that too,” Itou answered.
“Nobody need to sleep directly on stone.”
After examining the shelter again, Itou continued,
“We keep the fire near the entrance so the smoke can escape properly. The heat from the fire will also warm the surrounding rocks.”
Yarai nodded once more.
“Alright,” he said quietly.
“Let’s build it.”
By the time Akira, Rion, Towa, Kanako, and Kurusu returned from the shoreline, Yarai, Mariya, Itou, Ono, and Mikoshiba had finished their discussion.
Akira slowed slightly after noticing their expressions.
“…Did you guys find something?”
“We found a place suitable for camp.” Mariya said.
Kurusu looked toward the stone overhang curiously.
“Here?”
Mariya nodded.
Akira glanced back toward the distant shoreline where Saji’s raft materials remained stacked.
“…This far from the beach?”
Yarai briefly looked toward the forest behind the coastline before replying.
“It’s better not to sleep too close to the jungle.”
“The open side also makes it easier to notice movement,” Mariya added.
Akira scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.
“Still, Yoshimoto said predators probably wouldn’t come near the shore.”
Yarai nodded once.
“He’s probably right,” he admitted.
“But it’s still better to stay cautious.”
The sun was already getting lower, and the shadows near the coastline were getting longer.
After looking around the area again, Rion spoke.
“Do we need to help with something?”
Yarai looked toward them.
“Get those palm-like tree leaves and the smaller branches. They’ll be useful for bedding and covering the gaps in the camp.”
“Leave it to us. Kanako-chan, Kurusu-sensei, let’s gather leaves and smaller branches first,” Towa replied with a smile.
“Yes,” Kurusu replied brightly.
Kanako nodded as well.
“We can at least carry the things that aren’t too heavy.”
Akira rolled his shoulders lightly.
“Then I’ll go tell Saji’s group about the camp.”
Yarai nodded.
“Ask them to stay here tonight too.”
“Got it.”
After Akira headed back, Itou spoke.
“I’ll get thicker driftwood and support poles.”
“I’ll help,” Ono replied immediately.
“Same here,” Mikoshiba added while carefully stretching his sore shoulder.
Yarai picked up the hatchet resting nearby.
“Mariya and I will check for food before dark.”
The group slowly began splitting apart afterward, each person moving toward their assigned task as the sun continued to set over the coastline.