Chapter 44: Drifting Fate on a Mysterious Island

Encounter―Thud! Swish! Kakatte, Koi!

Behold the longed-for sea! Come on! Show yourself!

Kotaro Hiroshihi, bolstering his stride, charged forward with full force.

“Haaaahhh!”

―”Haaaahhh!”

“Yiaaaah!”

―”Yiaaaah!”

As different sounds intermingled, in the blink of an eye a woman leaped into the fray. Filled with a mission worthy of a Wildlife Protection Association employee, Lara Schmord intervened to shield them.

Both Touji and Kotaro Hiroshihi instinctively sheathed their sword and spear, but it was too late. Lara, stepping on a banana peel in between, tumbled and struck the back of her head against a stone.

“Hey, get it together, Shikarishiro!”

―”Hey, snap out of it!”

Kotaro Hiroshihi was the first to drop his spear and dash over to scoop Lara into his arms, his expression unexpectedly pained. Touji stood frozen, having dropped his sword, his ashen face reflecting despair.

“Stop… We mustn’t fight when we’re endangered species…”

With trembling fingers, Lara brushed Kotaro Hiroshihi’s furry cheek before slowly closing her eyes.

In that instant, a dazzling beam burst forth from the moon, settling squarely on the center of Lara’s forehead. Six star-like points etched themselves there, and soon her body began to gently levitate.

Feeling herself rising higher into the air, Lara opened her eyes. After glancing back at three chattering chimpanzees far below, she returned to the embrace of the moon.

Her vision turned pure white as the soft strains of a traditional Japanese instrument reached her ears—a serene, dreamlike opening befitting an Eastern fantasy visual novel aimed at women.

―This is the tale of a miracle.

Amid a white backdrop, a single petal drifted down.

―When the girl in the water finally opened her eyes…

In time, ten petals gently fell to the ground in sync with the melody.

―An entirely different world unfurled before the girl’s eyes…

Hundreds of pink petals danced in the air, and in an instant darkness swallowed the world—a black void where not an inch could be seen.

“…Man! Get a grip, man!”

“Gah… Ugh…”

A piercing shout shattered the deafening silence, rousing Lara. The first thing she saw was a blue sky, accompanied by the crashing roar of waves.

Blinking in disbelief, Lara’s eyes widened in surprise. The sound of the waves was uncomfortably vivid.

Straining to lift her head, she beheld an endless blue horizon and a pristine primeval forest. Startled, Lara sprang up and scanned her surroundings before parting her lips in shock.

‘Just how far have I been swept away…?!’

“Ptoo, ptuuptoo!!”

Lara bent her once-straight upper body and spat, her tongue gritty with sand. After a moment of hacking coughs, she lifted her head again and stared blankly at the sandy shore.

Though she was certain she had fallen into a river, it now appeared she’d landed on an unknown island in the heart of a vast ocean.

‘Oh, God… have mercy.’

‘How on earth am I supposed to escape from here?’

Overwhelmed by perplexity, she exhaled a small sigh of relief simply because she was still alive.

‘…Who knows?’

The memory of leaping off a cliff with them sent a shiver down Lara’s spine. Could it be that, thanks to some anti-cliché twist, the protagonists perished while only she survived?

‘Aaahhhh!’

Lara screamed inwardly.

“Are you up?”

“…U-uh, Leader?”

A voice about ten meters behind her called out. Lara turned with a reluctant expression to find Diches standing in hiking gear, his wet hair swept back to reveal his forehead. He held a moderately sized coconut palm in his hands.

“Thankfully, you’re fine. But what about Lady Elina I?”

“……”

Turning his back, Diches quietly walked away. An inexplicable sense of anxious tension filled the air. Lara followed him into a densely overgrown forest where, as Diches led the way, a large clump of earth came into view.

It was an enormous mound, big enough to bury a person. Lara sank to her knees before it and murmured in despair.

“…Ah, Lady Elina I… This has to be a lie…? Tell me it’s a lie!”

“Lara? Are you awake?”

Rushing to the other side of the sand mound at the sound of a sweet voice, she found Lady Elina I, half-buried and undergoing a sand treatment on her head. For a moment, Lara’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of having her head completely buried. She steadied her racing heart as she looked down at her.

“Phew, you scared me, Lady Elina I. And why didn’t the Leader say anything?”

“I thought you were sleeping off a sand treatment.”

Hearing that he had to keep quiet, Lara buried her face in her hands in exasperation.

“But both of you seem to know exactly where we are and act so nonchalantly…”

“Fancy a coconut? It’s excellent.”

“Sure, please.”

Lara sat on a concave wooden chair nearby and accepted a coconut. She pressed her lips to the small spout of the coconut and gulped down its fresh, flowing water.

Ah, this must be paradise. The water tasted sweet, quenching her thirst perfectly.

“We need to figure out a way to escape this place…”

“How about one more drink?”

“Sure, please.”

After repeating this about five times, Lara felt a sense of satiety. Bathed in warm sunlight, cooled by a salty ocean breeze, and enveloped in a lazy haze, she found the thought of leaving increasingly unappealing.

The three of them settled into their spots, idling away time as if on a holiday retreat. Lara even dozed off briefly, only to wake and see the sky turning to dusky twilight.

Perhaps due to the overloaded water vessel, her stomach soon gave up. Clutching her rumbling belly, Lara approached the couple enjoying their impromptu sand therapy.

“I’m getting really hungry… If we continue like this, we’re in for big trouble…”

“Why are you so worried about food?”

Diches, having brushed the sand off, surveyed the surroundings with an exuberant sweep of his arms.

“Everything here is food. Want fish? Head to the ocean. Crave meat? Venture into the forest. If you desire fruit, just reach for those trees. And if you’re after fresh vegetables, they’re all around us!”

“Isn’t it too easy? We should at least confirm we’re truly on an uninhabited island and have a proper place to sleep…”

“Actions speak louder than words. Follow me.”

With that, Diches shook the sand off his clothes and strode purposefully toward the beach.

Lara, trailing behind, was suddenly shocked to see him dive straight into the blue sea. Battling crashing waves as he advanced, it was a perilous sight—and then Diches vanished without a trace.

“Aaah! Save him!”

Surely he had fallen into the water. As Lara pounded her feet, unsure of what to do, Diches reappeared on the surface, clutching a sizeable fish with both hands.

“Catch it!”

Diches flung the writhing fish with all his might toward Lara standing in the middle of the sandy shore. Startled, she jumped aside as the Demon Sword at her waist clattered like a fish out of water.

“Man! This fish is pretty fresh! Leave the cleaning to me! Me? I’ve got 21 years of experience in the sea fishing club! When it comes to preparing fish, I’m unmatched!”

“Can we really trust that?”

“Man! You’ve been duped all your life!!”

Indeed, his skills with fruit were impressive. Lara hastily rinsed the Demon Sword in the seawater and pressed it against the freshly caught fish’s scales, turning away so she wouldn’t have to watch the disassembly.

With a crisp shushing sound, the Demon Sword began to work on its own. Meanwhile, Diches had plucked a large palm leaf and laid it next to the Demon Sword.

After about two minutes, Lara glanced at the fish at Diches’ low murmur of admiration. The fish, its bones and flesh completely separated, looked ready to be sold at a sushi joint.

“Don’t toss the innards, man! Save them for a spicy fish stew… Ah, man! Imagine having it with some soju!”

Never had the Demon Sword been so animated. Absorbing its heartfelt advice, Lara picked up a chunk of white flesh and chewed it. The flavor, thanks to its fresh catch, was extraordinary.

“Oh my, this is… really delicious. It just melts in your mouth.”

“I’ll fetch Lady Elina I, just wait here a moment.”

A few minutes later, Diches returned with an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder and Lady Elina I by his side. The trio gathered around a pile of sliced sashimi as Diches, revealing surprising guitar skills from his past, began to play.

“On the green hill, with a bag on our backs… under the golden sun’s festival…”

“On the green hill, with a bag on our backs… under the golden sun’s festival…”

“On the green hill, with a bag on our backs… under the golden sun’s festival…”

Even after the sun had set, the singing continued unabated, soon joined by hearty laughter.

* * *

On the eleventh day of drifting here, Lara began to wonder if escape was truly necessary.

Much had changed—a private cabin now shielded their privacy and rain, and they had discovered three stone springs fit for personal use.

Perhaps this was a slice of earthly paradise. Not just Lara, but everyone was enjoying a satisfying lifestyle. The only one dissatisfied was the Creator of this world.

‘But really, why would we want to leave?’

‘That would be quite entertaining, wouldn’t it? Hoho.’

Sipping on a coconut and gazing at the view from the cabin, Lara lounged in leisure.