After sending the group ahead, Yarai fixed his gaze on the creature.
Until the others reached the plane, he had to keep it from chasing them.
He forced himself to stay focused
The creature lowered its head and lunged without warning.
Its jaws snapped toward him with enough force to crush bone in an instant.
Yarai shifted at the last second, and the bite cut through the air where he had been standing.
He did not move away.
If he put too much distance between them, the creature might lose interest in him and go after the others.
The creature turned toward him again.
Its muscles tightened, and its claws dug into the ground as it adjusted its stance
Yarai steadied his breathing and shifted his footing, keeping his weight balanced as he watched every movement.
It’s fast for its size… and its bite is the main threat.
Inside the jungle, the others were struggling to reach the wing.
Rion, Towa, Arita, Eiken, and the rest pushed through the dense vegetation and grabbed onto the vines near the wing.
They tried to help one another climb, but the wet and unstable surface made it difficult to keep their footing.
Several slipped and collided as they struggled to move upward.
“Argh…!”
“Move, don’t block the way!”
“Stop pushing!”
“Hold the vine properly and use the branches for support,” Tsuchiya shouted, keeping his voice firm.
“If you rush, you’ll fall. Climb carefully, and you’ll reach faster.”
Kurusu glanced back toward where Yarai was.
She couldn’t see him through the vegetation.
Her hands tightened unconsciously.
“Everyone, don’t panic,” she said, forcing her voice to stay steady.
“We need to get inside quickly. Yarai-kun is buying us time.”
Rion and the others nodded, even though their movements were still rushed and unsteady.
Inside the aircraft, the situation had already begun to collapse.
Passengers who had made it inside stumbled into the aisle.
Some dropped to their knees, while others pressed themselves against the seats.
Their faces were pale as they struggled to process what they had just seen.
“What was that thing…?” someone whispered.
The people around exchanged uneasy looks, but no one spoke.
Near the other emergency exit, the chute was still hanging from the aircraft.
It swayed slightly as a few passengers tried to climb back up.
The slippery surface made it difficult to gain any height, and whenever someone managed to pull themselves higher, those below instinctively grabbed onto them, pulling them back as they struggled to climb after them.
“Keep climbing! Help is coming soon!” someone shouted from above, though their voice shook.
“We got the radio working, didn’t we? Rescue will be here by morning!”
“Yeah… they made contact,” another person called out.
“Just hold on!”
Below, one of the passengers had barely managed to grab onto the lower section when the creature lunged again.
Its massive body drove forward as it slammed into the chute.
The structure stretched under the sudden force.
The metal attachment at the aircraft door began to give way.
“Wait… stop moving!”
A sharp tearing sound cut through everything as the support snapped and the chute tore free from the aircraft and collapsed downward.
It folded in on itself as the remaining passengers lost their footing and fell with it.
The creature moved toward them immediately.
Its jaws closed around one of them instantly, while the others tried to crawl away.
It tore through them without resistance.
Blood spread across the soil as their screams echoed through the clearing.
“Aaaah!”
“No…help me!”
The passengers near the windows recoiled sharply.
Some covered their mouths while others stumbled back into the aisle, unable to keep watching.
“Waaah… Higashi’s been…”
“Shut it…close the door!”
“How many of us are left…? How many…?”
“Where did that thing even come from… what is this place…?”
“Are you alright…?”
“I’m okay… I’m okay…”
Further inside, the remaining teachers gathered together.
Their composure was beginning to break as some lowered their heads and others tried to comfort those around them.
Outside, Yarai focused on the creature in front of him.
It moved again and prepared to attack.
I can’t outrun it in a straight line… and I don’t have anything to damage its body.
His hand moved to his pocket, and his fingers closed around the keys inside.
Then I’ll aim for its weak points.
The creature lunged again.
This time, Yarai stepped toward the creature instead of moving away.
He twisted aside and drove his fist toward its face.
The keys scraped across the area near its eye.
It wasn’t enough to injure it, but it made the creature pull back with a sharp growl and shook its head.
But that was enough.
Yarai immediately moved back and put some distance between them.
Behind him, he heard several people shouting.
“We’re inside!”
“Hurry, Yarai-kun!”
When he heard Eiji’s voice, Yarai broke into a sprint.
The moment he turned away, the creature charged after him.
Its heavy footsteps shook the ground as it closed the distance.
Yarai ran across the uneven ground and moved through the dense vegetation, using it to slow the creature.
He changed direction whenever possible to keep it from charging at him in a straight line.
The creature forced its head through the vegetation and snapped at him, but the dense growth prevented it from moving freely.
“Yarai-kun, here!” Eiji called out, leaning forward.
Yarai reached the base of the wing and grabbed hold of the vines hanging beneath it.
He pulled himself up as quickly as he could.
Eiji grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the wing.
Move!” Eiji shouted.
Yarai didn’t waste any time.
He climbed through the overwing exit and entered the aircraft.
Inside, the moment Yarai stepped in, the passengers turned toward him.
They stared at him in shock.
Some were unable to speak, while others backed away instinctively, as if trying to understand how he had managed to survive.
“He… he was fighting that thing…”
“How is he still alive…?”
“That’s not normal…”
Yarai ignored them and moved farther into the cabin.
His breathing was heavy, but he remained calm.
Kurusu, Towa, and the others rushed toward him.
“Yarai-kun, are you okay?” Kurusu asked, still pale from the attack.
“I’m fine,” he replied.
Towa looked toward the outside.
Her face was pale.
“What… what was that thing?”
Yarai glanced through the window.
The creature was still moving beneath the aircraft.
“…Andrewsarchus,” he said.
“A what?” Arita asked.
Yarai didn’t look at him right away.
His gaze stayed on the creature outside before he spoke again.
“It’s an extinct predator,” he said.
“It lived millions of years ago. It shouldn’t exist now… and it definitely shouldn’t be here.”
Arita frowned.
“Extinct? What do you mean extinct? Like… dinosaurs?”
“Not exactly,” Yarai replied.
“But from a completely different time.”
“That’s not possible,” Eiken said quickly.
His grip tightened around his camera.
“There’s no way something like that just shows up out of nowhere.”
“If it’s extinct… then why is it here?” Rion asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
The passengers who had overheard the conversation began whispering among themselves.
“Did he just say extinct…?”
“Is he serious…?”
“We just saw it kill people. How can it not be real?”
One man said “This has to be some kind of mistake… maybe it’s just a wild animal, something we don’t know…”
“No wild animal looks like that,” someone replied.
A woman shook her head repeatedly, as if trying to deny what she had seen.
“No… no, this doesn’t make sense. This isn’t real.”
The disbelief spread quickly, making the passengers even more afraid.
Rion looked back at Yarai, searching his face as if hoping he would say something different this time.
“…Are you sure?” she asked quietly.
Yarai didn’t answer immediately.
Because he knew what that question really meant but he couldn’t.
“That’s what it is,” he said.
“…Then what kind of place is this…?” Rion murmured.
“I don’t know,” Yarai said.
“That’s what we need to figure out.”
Outside, the creature continued circling the aircraft.
It moved slowly, as if waiting for another chance to attack.
Inside, no one dared to speak aloud.
The relief brought by the radio announcement had disappeared, replaced by a growing fear that they no longer understood where they were or what might be waiting beyond the trees.
After the chaos ease slightly, Tsuchiya and Eiji moved through the cabin.
They checked on the passengers one by one and made sure no one was seriously injured or in immediate danger.
Towa and Asami followed behind them, handing out the supplies they had.
Tsuchiya paused near the middle row and scanned the cabin.
“We’ve already made contact. Rescue should be on the way. Please stay calm.”
A few passengers looked up at him, but most remained silent.
Some lowered their heads, while others exchanged uncertain glances.
Once they had checked as many passengers as they could, Tsuchiya glanced at Eiji.
“We should head back to the cockpit,” he said quietly.
Eiji nodded and lowered his voice.
“We won’t be able to hide it for long.”
Tsuchiya held his expression for a moment before replying.
“I know.”
They moved forward together and left the passengers behind.
The low murmur inside the cabin continued.
Yarai stayed by the window for a moment and watched outside before stepping back into the aisle.
“Yarai-kun.”
He turned.
Kurusu-sensei stood a few steps away.
Her posture was steadier now, though concern was clear on her face.
“Are you hurt?” she asked, stepping a little closer.
“I’m fine,” Yarai replied.
She looked at him carefully, as if checking for anything he might be hiding.
Then she let out a small breath.
“…You stayed behind to protect us, didn’t you?” she said.
Her voice was softer now.
Yarai didn’t answer.
Kurusu’s expression eased into a faint, relieved smile.
“That was really brave… but don’t push yourself too much, alright? You’re still one of my precious students.”
Instead of answering, Yarai glanced toward the window.
“That thing didn’t leave. It will come back.”
Kurusu followed his gaze.
Her hands tightened slightly, but she forced herself to stay composed.
Yarai walked past her without saying anything else.
Not far from them, Arita sat in one of the seats with his elbows resting on his knees and his head lowered.
At first glance, he looked calm.
However, his fingers were tightly pressed together.
“…Extinct…” he muttered.
He shook his head.
That’s impossible.
Things like that don’t just exist…
As he tried to make sense of what Yarai had said, Akira came to mind.
He wouldn’t just disappear like that.
That idiot would’ve shown up by now…
They said the radio is working.
If that’s true, then we’re getting out of here.
His fist clenched tighter.
…We are getting out, right?
He couldn’t get the image of the creature attacking them out of his mind.
We almost died.
If that thing had moved a little faster…
Many of us didn’t make it back to the plane…
His grip tightened until his nails pressed into his skin.
No. He raised his head again, but something in his expression had changed.
I’m not dying here.