Morning arrived with the steady rhythm of waves and the cool sea breeze.
Aoyama sat up beside the dying embers of the campfire and rolled his stiff shoulders.
Utaha really is…
something.
He had barely slept the night before.
It wasn’t because of the environment, but because of a certain someone wearing a black lace Bodycon Dress and Black Pantyhose who had kept him occupied for most of the night.
Turning his head, he glanced beside him.
Wrapped in his school jacket, Kasumigaoka Utaha was curled up on the bed of palm leaves.
Her long black hair was slightly tousled across her face, and her breathing remained slow and even.
He didn’t wake her.
Instead, he picked up the insulated bottle and gave it a shake, only to discover that the spring water inside had almost run out.
They had nearly exhausted all the fresh water they’d brought with them.
Their next priority had to be replenishing their supply.
Even though we salvaged a few bottles of mineral water from the ship, we’d better prepare ahead.
As Aoyama screwed the lid back on and considered their plans for the day, he heard soft rustling behind him.
“Mmm…
Aoyama-kun…
you’re up so early.”
Utaha’s voice was still thick with sleep.
She pushed herself upright, and the school jacket slipped from one shoulder, exposing the neckline of the black lace Bodycon Dress beneath it.
After the previous night’s activities, her Black Pantyhose were wrinkled, and there was a tear over the knee of her left leg.
Looking at her, Aoyama set the bottle aside.
“We’re almost out of water.
Today we need to head back to the shelter and refill our fresh water.”
Rubbing her eyes, she woke up a little more.
“So we’re taking the same route back?”
“Yeah.”
Standing up, he organized the pile of clothes beside him.
“You should change too.
You can’t exactly hike through the jungle wearing that dress all day.”
Utaha looked down at herself, the corners of her lips lifting.
“Are you saying I look too good in it?”
“I’m saying I don’t want tree branches scraping your skin.”
Without changing expression, Aoyama handed her the ordinary clothes they’d recovered from the shipwreck the day before.
“Wear these instead.
Long sleeves and long pants will make walking much easier.”
She unfolded the clothes.
It was a dark gray long-sleeved shirt, a pair of loose dark trousers, and a pair of shoes that didn’t fit perfectly but were wearable.
She raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and disappeared behind a nearby reef to change.
A few minutes later, she emerged with the sleeves neatly tucked into her waistband and the pant legs rolled up twice.
The practical outfit made her look refreshingly neat.
The Bodycon Dress, Black Pantyhose, and school jacket had all been folded carefully and packed into her backpack.
“There,” she said, spinning halfway around in front of him.
“Satisfied now, Aoyama-kun?
Conservative enough?”
“It suits you.”
“Tsk.”
She pouted, though the smile in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
She didn’t dislike that possessiveness of his, the desire for only him to see her dressed like that.
“Let’s go while the sun isn’t too hot yet.”
Aoyama slung the backpack covered in weapons onto his shoulders.
Steel rebar, the Fire Axe, the Compound Bow, a long sword, plus a machete hanging from his waist.
He looked like a walking arsenal.
Taking out the Fish Crossbow, he handed it to Utaha.
“Keep this for self-defense.
It’s compact, and it’ll be much easier to use than a long sword in the forest.”
She accepted it and weighed it in her hands.
Though small, the Fish Crossbow was solidly built, its string drawn taut.
“Let’s move.”
Following the route they’d taken before, the pair crossed the bushes bordering the beach and disappeared once more into the island’s dense interior.
The sun had yet to reach its highest point.
Rays of light filtered through layers of leaves overhead, scattering shifting patches of brightness across the forest floor.
Humidity hung heavily in the air, carrying the scent of damp earth and decaying vegetation.
“Stay behind me.”
Walking in front, Aoyama hacked through vines and tangled branches with his machete, his pace steady and confident.
Utaha followed close behind, occasionally glancing over her shoulder to keep watch.
…
About half an hour later, an unusual rustling sound came from somewhere ahead.
Aoyama stopped immediately and raised his left hand.
Utaha halted at once.
“What is it?”
Tightening her grip on the Fish Crossbow, she remained perfectly still.
The two listened in silence.
The disturbance within the bushes grew louder, the unmistakable sound of a large creature pushing through undergrowth.
Dry leaves scraped against scales with a drawn-out hiss.
Aoyama quietly shifted the machete into his right hand.
“Take two steps back.”
Utaha obeyed without hesitation, raising the Fish Crossbow and aiming its bolt toward the shaking bushes.
She remained silent, her eyes fixed on the source of the sound.
“Hiss!”
A brownish-black Python streaked out of the bushes.
It was five or six meters long and as thick as a man’s forearm.
Its triangular head rose high into the air as its forked tongue flicked menacingly.
Clearly startled by their approach, it had already assumed an attacking posture.
“What a huge snake.”
Aoyama narrowed his eyes.
The instant the Python lunged with its jaws open, his machete swept downward with the full force of his body, striking precisely behind its neck.
The blade sliced cleanly through scales and muscle with surprisingly little resistance.
The enormous snake convulsed violently.
Its tail lashed wildly across the ground, scattering dirt and dead leaves everywhere.
Strike while it’s down.
Without pausing, Aoyama followed with a second slash that completely severed its spine.
A few seconds later, the Python collapsed limply to the ground.
Only the tip of its tail continued twitching from lingering nerve impulses.
Lowering the Fish Crossbow, Utaha stepped closer to inspect the carcass before looking back at him.
“…You’re getting more and more impressive, Aoyama-kun.
You didn’t even blink while cutting it down.”
“You get used to it.”
Squatting beside the snake, Aoyama nudged it with the tip of his blade, confirming it had completely stopped moving before finally lowering his guard.
He wiped the machete clean against a nearby tree trunk.
“The skin would be useful once it’s dried.
We could make quite a few things with it, but we don’t have time to deal with it now.”
They continued onward.
About twenty minutes later, sunlight grew noticeably brighter as they reached a relatively open hillside.
Sweeping his eyes across the ground, Aoyama noticed movement in a patch of grass not far away.
A grayish-brown Wild Hare was crouched there, nibbling on blades of grass.
Its ears stood straight up, already aware of approaching footsteps.
“Squeak!”
Without hesitation, Aoyama reached over his shoulder, drew the Compound Bow, nocked an arrow, pulled the string, and took aim.
The twang of the bowstring was sharp and brief.
Whoosh!
Before the rabbit could even leap away, the arrow struck it and pinned it to the ground.
It struggled twice before going still.
Having an enhanced body really is convenient.
Whether it was his reflexes or his eyesight, everything felt as though he’d turned on cheats.
If I ever get the chance, I should catch an eagle and eat it.
Of course, nothing compared to a dragonfly.
A dragonfly’s vision is practically the Byakugan from Naruto.
Three hundred and sixty degree vision without blind spots.
It doesn’t even need to turn its head to see in every direction.
It can even perceive ultraviolet light and polarized light that humans can’t.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t come across another Blue Dragonfly.
Otherwise, he’d definitely have eaten one.
Utaha had watched the entire hunt from behind.
Walking over to inspect the rabbit, she smiled.
“So, grilled rabbit for lunch?”
“Yep.”
“It’s a shame we don’t have any chili peppers.
Spicy rabbit would have been nice.”
Aoyama walked over, pulled out the arrow, tied the rabbit’s legs together with a length of vine, and hung it from the side of his backpack.
“This one’s pretty big.
It’ll be enough for two meals.”
Those small interruptions did nothing to slow their progress.
After another hour of hiking, the surrounding vegetation gradually became familiar.
Aoyama recognized the crooked tree ahead.
The shelter wasn’t far now.
But as he rounded the tree and the entrance to the shelter came into view, he abruptly stopped.
Utaha nearly walked into his back.
Lowering her voice, she asked, “What’s wrong, Aoyama-kun?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze settled on the muddy ground outside the entrance.
There were footprints.
Not deep, but unmistakably human.
“Someone’s inside.”
His voice was quiet, calm, but filled with caution.
Utaha’s expression instantly grew serious.
Stepping closer to him, she followed his gaze and spotted the footprints as well.
Her fingers instinctively rested against the trigger guard of the Fish Crossbow.
…
“Stay here.
Don’t make a sound.”
Aoyama slowly removed the backpack from his shoulders and concealed it inside a nearby bush.
He also set down the Compound Bow and the long sword, keeping only the machete in his hand.
Utaha watched him silently, pressing her lips together before finally nodding.
“Be careful.”
Without another word, Aoyama headed toward the shelter.
His footsteps were nearly silent, each one carefully placed on patches of solid ground free of dry leaves.
As he approached the cave entrance, he flattened himself against the rocky wall and held his breath.
…
The shelter was quiet.
Yet beneath the silence, he could make out the faint sound of breathing.
Frowning, Aoyama held the machete across his body and slipped inside.
Light streamed through the entrance, driving away the shadows within the cave.
The first thing he saw was a small figure crouching beside their supplies.
She was so thin she looked as though a strong gust of wind could blow her away.
Long silver-white hair hung messily around her face, and a pair of watery blue eyes stared at him in terror.
“Ah…
I…”
She wore a pink outfit stained with mud and bits of grass.
Barefoot, she crouched in the corner against the rock wall, clutching a half-eaten piece of dried crocodile meat.
It looked as though she’d been in the middle of eating when his arrival startled her, leaving the meat frozen in her trembling hand.
The moment she noticed the machete, still stained with the Python’s blood, her pupils shrank.
She instinctively retreated farther into the corner, her entire body shaking.
“I…
I didn’t know someone lived here…”
Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, trembling uncontrollably.
“I’ll leave right away…
I’ll go…”
Aoyama didn’t move.
Instead, his eyes swept across the shelter.
Nearly half of the Wild mountain grapes were gone.
Several pieces of dried crocodile meat had been eaten.
Nearby lay a pile of discarded fruit peels and scattered seeds.
She had definitely been helping herself to their food.
…
Seeing him stare at the half-eaten supplies, the white-haired girl’s face turned even paler.
She hurriedly lowered her head, her voice quivering on the verge of tears.
“S…
sorry…
I was just so hungry…”
“I…
I saw the food…
I…”
Her words became increasingly incoherent until they faded into little more than breath.
She clutched the remaining piece of dried meat so tightly that her knuckles turned white, trembling like a leaf caught in the wind.