As soon as the others landed, I spoke up. "Alright, we should split into teams of five. One for firewood, one for water, one for hunting, and the rest can build a shelter."

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Alright, well, who goes where?"

I quickly assigned the teams. "Reina, Atsushi, Luka, Sayaka, and me for firewood. Kaede, Ren, Makoto, Satoshi, and Robin for water. Izumi, Yui, Kenji, Noah, and Daichi can go hunting. The rest of you, set up the shelter."

We headed out to gather firewood, walking through the valley. The place was surprisingly green, with plenty of shade from the trees. A big river ran nearby, and we could see the mountains surrounding us, leaving just two entrances on the west and east sides.

"Alright, let's find some decent wood," I said, looking around at the trees. "We'll need enough to last the night."

Reina nodded and started picking up sticks from the ground, tossing them into a pile. Atsushi helped her, while Luka and Sayaka moved further ahead, scouting for larger branches.

"It's not the worst place for a field trip," Reina said as she worked, glancing around. "At least there's no shortage of wood here."

"Yeah," I agreed, bending down to grab a thicker branch. "Let's just hope the rest of the day goes smoothly."

(At afternoon - 4 hours later)

"Alright... That should be enough wood." Atsushi said as he carried a huge pile. On his shoulders."

"Yeah." Reina said carrying a pile on her hands.

Luka and Sayaka came back each with a huge pile on their shoulders."

"Let's go."

"I wonder how the shelter is coming up." Reina said.

"Well certainly sleep able."

I pointed at the shelter.

There were 20 mini shaded areas with sticks as roofs. They were a bit low on the ground. There was a huge fire going keeping the place nice and toasty, "Nice job!"

Kaede walked up, wiping some sweat from his forehead. "Took you guys long enough. We finished the shelter a while ago."

"Yeah, well, carrying all this wood isn't exactly light work," Atsushi muttered, dropping his pile near the fire. A small cloud of dust puffed up as the wood landed.

Robin came over, eyeing the piles we'd brought. "That should last us a while. Water was easy to gather, but we'll have to boil it just in case. The river's clean, but we can't take any risks."

"Good call," I said. "What about the hunting group?"

"Still out," Makoto answered, stretching his arms. "They went pretty deep into the woods, but Daichi and Kenji know what they're doing."

As if on cue, we heard rustling from the trees. Izumi and Noah emerged first, each carrying a couple of rabbits over their shoulders. Kenji and Daichi followed behind, hauling a freshly killed ram between them, its thick fur still matted with leaves and dirt. Yui trailed behind, holding a handful of wild fruits.

"Mutton tonight," Kenji announced with a grin. "Hope you guys are hungry."

Luka whistled. "That's a damn good catch. Where'd you find it?"

"Near the east entrance," Daichi said as he set the ram down. "We got lucky—found a small herd grazing. Took this one down fast so the others wouldn't scatter too much."

"Good but remember. We only kill till we not. Not till we want."

"Ok." Daichi nodded.

"We should keep an eye out, though," Kenji added. "There were some big tracks nearby. Might be a predator in the area."

Kaede crossed his arms. "Great. Just what we need. Another thing to worry about."

I nodded. "Alright, we'll set up a watch rotation. Three people per shift. No one goes alone."

As the night deepened, the air filled with the mouthwatering aroma of roasting mutton. The fire crackled warmly, sending up small sparks as the fat sizzled. Once the meat was cooked through, everyone dug in.

"This is really good," Sayaka said between bites.

"Yeah," Atsushi agreed, tearing into a piece. "Hunting team, you guys are legends."

"Don't mention it," Kenji said with a smirk, wiping his hands on his pants.

After finishing my portion of mutton, I leaned back, letting the warmth of the fire settle in. The atmosphere was relaxed—laughing, light conversation, the crackling of the flames. For the first time since we landed, it almost felt normal.

But then Kenji walked up to me, his usual smirk replaced with a serious look. "Hey, Akarui. Come with me for a sec."

I raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"Just... come see for yourself." His voice was low, careful not to draw attention.

I stood up, brushing off my hands. No one seemed to notice as we slipped away from the fire, heading toward the eastern part of the woods. The air was colder here, the trees looming taller. I could hear the faint rustling of leaves, the distant call of some nocturnal creature.

Kenji stopped beside a thick tree and pointed. "Look at this."

My eyes followed his hand—and immediately, my stomach tensed.

Deep, jagged claw marks ran down the bark, cutting deep into the wood. Each groove was massive, far larger than anything a normal animal should've been able to make.

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I moved closer, running my fingers along the cuts. The edges were sharp. Fresh.

"This wasn't here when we were hunting earlier," Kenji murmured. "I would've noticed."

I exhaled slowly, my breath visible in the cold air. "This isn't just some wild animal."

Kenji nodded. "Yeah... that's what I'm thinking too."

The realization settled in between us. Something big was out here. Watching. And it wasn't just any predator. It was something else.

"Akira!" I called out.

He came to us. Chomping down on his mutton, "Yeah-"

He stopped as he looked at the mark, "Holy mother of Christ. What do we do."

"Don't go too deep into the forest. Now. Let's go eat."

(Ren Collecting Water)

"Curse you Akarui. You and your leaderish vibe." Ren said as he carried the final bucket.

What's that?

He looked behind, "A shadow?"

The shadow was 5 metres tall. 2 eyes, black skin, a dark aura, A huge torn jaw with huge teeth, it screamed.

"Crimson Flash."

Ren quickly kicked its body and killed it, "Hmmm... If I inform them there will be panic."

He started walking to the campsite.

(Back To The Others Sitting Around The Campfire)

"Ren, you're back." Robin said, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm. "What took so long?"

Ren scratched his head, offering a sheepish grin. "I got lost..."

Robin gave him a long, exaggerated look. "Really?" He shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he made his way over to the fire.

Noah, ever the pragmatic one, turned to the group. "Alright, who wants to take the first shift?"

"Me," "I'll take the first shift. Anyone who wants to come can come."

Luka gave a lazy shrug. "I'll join I guess. I'm not that tired yet."

Reina cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing through the still night air. "I'll tag in too. Better to be up than worrying about what's out there."

There was a quiet murmur of agreement, and the rest of the group settled in for the night. Some lay down in their makeshift shelters, while others sat by the fire, quietly talking or watching the flames flicker and dance.

As we made our way toward the edge of the camp, my thoughts wandered back to Ren's odd return. Luka's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"So, you think Ren's alright?" he asked, his voice low as his eyes scanned the darkness around us.

I glanced at him, a frown tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Maybe. Something feels off, but he's always been like that, right?"

Luka snorted. "Tch. Probably just tired. Or still pissed off at you for being the 'leader' type." He nudged Reina with a smirk.

Reina shot him a glance. "Yeah, or maybe there's more going on than we think."

I muttered, "I don't know... There's just something about it." But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

The night stretched on. The fire's warmth barely reached the edges of the clearing, leaving the forest cloaked in thick darkness. The sounds of crickets chirping, an owl hooting faintly in the distance, and the occasional rustle of leaves filled the air, mixing with the cold wind that carried an unsettling chill.

Then it hit me.

A presence.

I froze mid-step, my heart pounding in my chest. Something—someone—was out there, watching us.

I turned sharply, my eyes darting through the trees, my senses screaming. Luka and Reina tensed beside me, instinctively drawing their weapons.

"You feel that?" Reina whispered, her voice barely audible in the night air.

"Yeah," I murmured, my fingers twitching with the instinct to fight. "We're not alone."

The shadows beyond the treeline seemed to shift unnaturally, moving against the wind, a form—no, forms—lurking just beyond our sight. I couldn't quite make them out, but the sensation of being watched was undeniable.

A deep, guttural growl echoed through the silence, sending a shiver down my spine.

Luka's trident appeared in his hands with a fluid motion, the sharp points gleaming in the dim light. "Damn."

Reina summoned her chains, the metallic links clinking as they coiled around her, ready for action.

I clenched my fists, darkness swirling around me, thickening at my fingertips. "Stay sharp," I said, my voice firm. "We need to be ready for anything."

And then, it happened.

A shadow stretched and grew before us, towering over five meters, darker than the night itself. Its eyes—glowing with malice—locked onto us as it let out a low, spine-chilling growl.

"Get ready to fight!" I shouted, bracing myself.

But it wasn't just one. Another appeared. Then another. Then another. The shadows kept coming, spreading like a plague across the forest.

I glanced around, my heart racing as I realized with growing horror.

Wait a minute...We were surrounded.

Luka spun his trident, his face a mask of determination. "Pinnacle!"

Ice spikes erupted from the ground, spearing through the shadows, immobilizing them in their tracks. The force of the attack sent several of them reeling back.

"Weak," Luka muttered under his breath as he flicked his wrist, releasing a concentrated blast of Ikari that cleaved through the remaining shadows in front of him, taking their heads clean off.

The creatures disintegrated into the air, vanishing in a gust of dark smoke.

"Let's go warn the others," Reina urged, her chains retracting as she turned toward the camp.

We rushed back to the base, adrenaline pumping through my veins, only to find everyone already gathered, staring toward the mountains in the distance.

"What happened?" Reina asked Yui, her voice tense with worry.

Yui, her face pale, pointed toward the mountain range.

I followed her finger, my blood running cold when I saw what she was pointing at.

Shadows—thousands of them. As far as the eye could see, their dark forms sprawled out across the mountainside like a vast, impenetrable army.

My breath caught in my throat. "We need to move. Now."

But before we could act, the ground beneath us trembled, and a massive blast of dark energy shot toward us from the mountain.

"God Force!" I roared, gathering all my strength as I leaped forward, slamming my fist into the wave of dark matter with everything I had.

The explosion that followed was deafening. The force sent shockwaves through the ground, knocking me off my feet and throwing me backward. I felt the air leave my lungs as I crashed to the ground, my vision swimming.

No... Get up...

I tried to push myself up, my body screaming in protest, but everything was blurry. My chest ached, and the weight of the impact left me struggling to stay conscious. The world spun around me, dark shapes looming over me.

"Akarui!"

That voice—Kaede's voice. It was distant, but it was enough to anchor me for a moment. But then everything went black.

I regained my consciousness back. I was on the ground. Next to a fire and a shelter made out of sticks.

It was night fall.

Where am I?

I blinked, the sharp sting of reality pushing me awake as Ren's voice cut through the haze in my head. The warmth of the fire was a small comfort, but my muscles screamed in protest at every movement. My body felt like it had been thrown through a wall.

"Akarui, you're awake," Ren said, his voice flat. "Took you long enough."

I winced at the irritation in his tone. "Ren?" My voice came out rough and hoarse, barely a whisper. "What happened?"

He didn't even look at me, his gaze focused on the dark, flickering shapes beyond the firelight. "You were knocked out for a day. After the explosion, everything went wrong. Shadows attacked us—ambushed us from all directions."

"Ambush?" My mind raced to catch up. "Where are the others?"

Ren shot a quick glance at me, his eyes hard, like he couldn't care less. "Scattered. No one's together anymore. The shadows split us up. I'm stuck with you because I couldn't leave you behind."