Whos grand fucking idea was this again?

Takagi-san, if youd just pick up a paddle and help then perhaps- Dont start with me Komuro-san! You two have upper body strength, you two do the paddling! Saeko-san, couldnt you perhaps take over? Sorry Takasi-san, Id like to, but Ive just spent an hour cutting heads off. Once my arms stop shaking Id be glad to provide help. Heh heh, yeah sorry brother. Id love to help but endurance isnt really my strong point. No shit baku, but dont fret; youre not totally worthless. Im sure if anyone goes overboard we can just use your fat ass as a flotation device. Aheh-heh, Id gladly dive overboard for you Takagi-san. To bring up Takagi-sans earlier point, why didnt we just take another boat? At least we could have taken something bigger, or with a canopy. Were going to be sunburned like nothing else at this rate. Rei-san brings up excellent point. Out of the entire marina, we pick the rickety row boat. My point precisely Denya-san. Which brings back the golden question, whos bright fucking idea was this? Silence echoed through the creaking of the oars and the lapping of the waves. No one stirred, just looking down instead at their feet. The fiery pink-haired girl glared from head to head like a brutal schoolmaster. She sighed. Great. So were almost a mile from the mainland with no food, no water, no idea where were going, and no idea how we got here. She buried her head into her hands. I hate this place. Silence reigned. Kohta stirred in his seat, then said, So, why dont we just make land then? We could just row back to shore. Saya glared at him. The reason is my dear baku, that They are swarming the only places we could land. Everywhere else its just rocky cliffs. Kohta, a bit awe-stricken at having being called dear, took a moment to wipe off his glasses before replying. Well what about the island? Saya glared at him. What island? That one, right over there. Looks just about a mile away, we could get there before noon I bet. He pointed, and everyone followed his finger. A small lump of green rimmed in golden sand sat plump right in the middle of the open ocean. I mean, its not connected to the mainland, so its a safe bet that They dont have any significant presence there. Besides, it seems like a better alternative than just paddling aimlessly around all day, right? Kohta pointed out. Takashi looked around the boat. Alright, everyone who wants to pull over, raise your hand. All hands went up. Zero barked. Takashi grinned. Majority rules. Land hoe, well be there before lunch time!

It was actually over an hour past noon by the time the rickety row boat buried its keel into the sandy bottom. A little more than extremely exhausted, the occupants slid out. Waking Alice and Shizuka, Takasi and Denya put in a final bout of exertion to drag the boat out of the water and well away from the seaside to protect it from the tide. There they stood, on a beach on an island in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. White sandy beach stretched away as far as they saw, curving away with the islands dimensions. Well fearless leader, whats the next step in your brilliant plan? Saya said in her eternally griping tone.

Well Im thinking of catching us some fish to eat. With you as the bait. Takashi muttered. Whatever our course of action, we should stay on the coast. Wouldnt do us any good to get lost in a jungle. Saeko observed, running an oiled cloth over her shining katana. Takashi looked at the dense thicket of vines, trees and branches all intertwined a few dozen meters from the beach. Great, now were going to burn for sure. Rei grumbled. Well come on then, lets go. Takashi-san? Which way? Right. This island doesnt look to big anyway, if theres anything worth anything here, well find it eventually. Hey Alice-chan, you need to be carried? Or can you walk? The young girl shook her head, clutching the Shizukas hand tightly. No thanks! I can walk Kumoro-kun, lets go! She said brightly, and began to stroll off down the beach, Shizuka in tow. Takashi smiled and slung the shotgun over his shoulder. You heard her everyone, lets get a move on. Thankfully the island didnt turn out to be too massive, and it was only after about ten minutes or so of walking that they came across the glittering lights of civilization, in the sense of sunlight flashing off of cheap tourist shops and windows. Takashi wiped his head and sighed with relief, hoping desperately that they had some nice bottles of ice-cold water waiting in there. Of course, he still had to be careful. A little voice in his head that had come alive during these hectic weeks warned him, if people were here than theres no reason They couldnt be here either. They approached the tourist shop with smooth ease, practising formation born out of weeks of desperate surviving. Saeko and Rei moved up from the front with Takashi right behind them. Kohta and Denya approached ten yards back, rifles at the ready. Zero ran up ahead of them all, aggressively sniffing the air. If anyone of Them were to be found, he would pick up on it quick. They entered quickly, the two girls with sword and spear at the ready. Moving sharply, they checked the isles and back room as Takashi and his shotgun slid in through an open window. Looks good, I dont see anything over here. Rei reported. Double that, this side is clear. And Zero doesnt seem to be picking up on anything. Saeko noted as the little dog ran happily around the store, indulging in a dogs delight of sniffing everything in existence. Takashi lowered the shotgun and called out to the others. Its alright, were all clear in here! Cmon in, lets see what theyve got. He set his Ithaca down on a shelf and began rummaging through. Hopefully they would find something useful. Well guys, it turns out there is good news and bad news. The good news is weve got a big firstaid bag in the back and a good supply of bottled water, plus tourist maps of the island and surrounding area. On the other hand, well Takashi trailed off, turning his eyes up awkwardly. One of everyones first priorities had been to change out of their filthy, sweaty, bloody, and torn up clothes. On the bright side, there had been some clothing of the right size. However, it turned out to be very beach-specific clothing. Kohta shot a look outside the door down towards the beach and grinned. Takashi my man, I dont think you really know what bad news is. Takashi shifted his gaze in his friends direction. The clothes had been very beach specific. Of course, this didnt

dissuade the women who were understandably eager to shed their ruinous apparel and don something more refreshing. Two-piece swimming suits were the rule of the day here as it turned out, and while it the clothing wasnt absurdly small, it did make things significantly more distracting. Thankfully there were some mens swimwear a little more conservative, Kohta had strapped on a wetsuit that went down to the knees and elbows. Tight as it was, it definitely showed the wear the last weeks had on him, hed slimmed down considerably after the world ended and excess food and laziness became no more. Takashi had grabbed a generous pair of swimming trunks and a lifeguards shirt he burned easily- and was lounging with the other guys at the tourist shop while the girls frolicked in the surf with Zero splashing about barking madly. On the other hand, Denya had occupied the only lounging chair and having donned a pair of swimming shorts, surrendered his body to the sun. He may have been built like a leatherwrapped brick wall, but was as pale as wax paper. Apparently no one did much sunbathing in Siberia, and he reacted to the blazing sunlight with a nearly drunk level of bliss. The other two paused to stare at him. Man, he really likes the sun. Takashi remarked. Kohta tipped his head towards the beach. To hell with him man, look who else likes the sun. Takashi followed his friends down the beach where the girls were playing. They were splashing in the surf, laughing and smiling. Oh, now they were wrestling, Rei grabbed Saeko by the arms and grappled with her for a short while before the two of them went splashing into the surf, exposing their bodies from a variety of lovely angles. Takashi felt somewhere between a satisfied laugh and a nervous swallow. I tell you man, this is the best possible situation right now. Kohta said with a wicked grin. That brought a laugh out of Takashi. True, but at the same time its also the worst of possible situations. He cringed at what horribly embarrassing scenarios could no, would unfold before their time here was done. Speaking of which, what was their plan from here on? They had water, they had limited shelter, and it seemed like none of Them were on the island with them. On the other hand, he wasnt sure about food and their water supplies werent limitless. With a sinking thought, he figured silently that they would have to return to their rickety rowboat before too long. Although honestly, it could be way worse. Kohta was right; this was a pretty awesome situation. They had sun, they had shelter, they had water, and most of all they had some R&R. A smiled trickled across his face, and he leaned back against the door frame, resting his eyes and letting the warm comfort of the sun surround him like a bath. A few days of this man, a few days of this could be real nice Hey Bakas! Yeah, you two macho-strongmen, what the hell do you think youre doing? Sayas tongue snapped the air like a whip, prying open Takashis eyes open uncomfortably. What are you talking about Takagi- Im talking about how were own a deserted island with no food thanks to your brilliant leadership. What do you think you get to do now that youve successfully marooned us, laze around and pretend its Gilligans Island? You better make whip some brilliant plan to get food in front of us before too long you know, so get off your ass and get working! Calm down, well just gather some fruit off the trees and- Saya rolled her eyes so hard he thought they were going to pop out. Komuro, wake up please. Were on a tourist island, they wouldnt have fruit-bearing trees anywhere near here so they could charge tourists from sushi stalls or something. Which

means youll need to fish. With the reefs there are around here you should be able to catch something near the shore, better take your pet bear with you, send him to wrestle a shark or something. I am resting, Takagi-san. A dormant Denya quietly remarked. Youre past the help of beauty sleep Kondrashin-san, so get up and at least pretend youre useful. Denya grunted and deftly flipped her the bird. Fetch your own shark. Im not your personal supply mule. He objected. Saya pursed her lips. No, youre not. Youre Komuros. Takashi, get him to work. Good god, are none of you men willing to help out a girl here? She said in teeth-grinding arrogant exasperation. Of course not Takagi-san, dont worry well have fish for supper tonight or else be eternally ashamed! Kohta said eagerly. Thank you Hirano-san. Saya said sweetly. See gentlemen? Thats how you make life good for everyone. See you at dinner. She turned around and dashed back down towards the beach where the others continued their water-games. Son of a bitch. Takashi groused, knowing full well that hope for a peaceful afternoon was now but a fond memory. I wouldnt even be surprised if they came back with nothing at all you know. Actually, nothing would be borderline impressive, Id be completely un-surprised if they lost everything they took with them. Saya dropped an armful of sticks and twigs by the marked out campfire site and took in another lungful of air to poison with her words. To be honest, it wasnt that she had some long-term grudge against her male companions, she really didnt. But she was bored, and when she was bored she tended to bitch. I think our friends deserve more credit than you give them. Saeko mused. To be honest, we probably wouldnt be alive if it werent for them. That applies for all of us of course, but I think theyre quite resourceful. Hirano-san in particular is quite the MacGyver with his weapons at least, dont you remember him knowing to get me a proper whet stone for my blade? And if I remember correctly, he was the one who saved you in the classroom when this all began. Saeko said, stretching her back and setting down another pile of wood. The island had proven difficult in attaining fire from, pretty much all of the wood was green and what little dry wood there was mostly in the form of small twigs and branches. Thankfully, they had found some large thick bushes packed with some sort of dry and abundant plant that would do quite well for kindling. If I remember correctly though and I always do- it was your beloved Komoru-san who picked that bucket of splinters we half-drowned in getting here. Saya commented loudly, causing a streak of blush to cloud Saekos face. The fact that she and Takashi had considerable feelings for each other was fairly broadly known amongst the group, but rarely commented on. Thankfully, Saeko was saved from further punishment (and Saya from potential harm) by the arrival of Rei running down the beaches. Hey! We got the stall reconfigured as living quarters of sorts, and guess what we found buried behind the first aid bag! A fully-charged satellite phone. Saya said flatly. No actually, we found three. Rei chirped. Dead silence. Are you seriou-

No, Im fucking with you. Seriously though, we found a water filter. No good for salt water, but were safe from otherwise contaminated water for now. Say, you girls get any luck with the fire? A-hem. They both turned. Saeko struck one of the matches theyd found in the shop and dropped it on the carefully constructed bundle of leaves and sticks. Whatever they were, the leaves went up like paper, and soon a fine little fire was crackling. Rei and Saeko smiled in triumph, and even Saya looked slightly more amiable than usual. It is truth that human nature is comforted by the presence of a small fire, and the sight and warmth of it made all the prior days struggles and toils seem to melt away. However this feeling did not last long. It doesnt last long. Rei noted with a droop. The fire burns through its fuel fairly fast. Saeko observed. Saya sighed in frustration. Well no shit, you just set fire to a pile of leaves and twigs. Well need a constant source of fuel to keep the fire alive. Those bakas better not take too much longer, we cant keep this thing burning perpetually! Hey, I think theyre back. Rei said cheerfully, waving her arm. Takashi! Did you catch anything? Dont kid yourself Miyamoto-san, well be lucky if they even got a single- We caught a shark. I beg your pardon. Am I to be surprised that you were taught how to spear-fish as well? Denya questioned. They were a few hundred yards down the beach on a rocky outcrop. With surprising swiftness, Kohta had crafted several homemade spears from sharpened sticks and with even more surprising swiftness, had skewered nearly half a dozen small, assorted colorful fish from the water which now looked horribly out of place from a Disney movie as they gasped and bled in a slimy pile on the rocks. Hell man, Im sorta surprised you dont know how to. Never did much fishing. Most of our meat came from wild game. Denya shrugged. Kohta stood waist-deep in swirling turquoise water, bracing himself against the waves as he leaned up another poor finned victim. Well Im pretty sure I saw some sort of birds flapping around in the canopy back there. You could knock one down if you really wanted to. Hah, waste one of my bullets on one of those bone bags? No thanks my friend. Denya said with forced laugh. Swish! Kohta snapped his arm forward like a cobra, sending the sharpened stake zipping into the water. Yes, hell yea- Oh, ah shit, I missed im. Kohta groaned, reaching down and fishing out his spear. You should try this you know, you can throw it a lot harder than I ever could. The techniques not too hard see, you just need to- oh, fuck! With remarkable speed Kohta bolted out of the water, scrambling onto the rock and then onto a higher rock. Denya frowned and looked up at him. Scary fish, hm? Something like it, yeah. Kohta said breathlessly. Fifteen feet out, you see him? Denya stepped to the edge curiously, peeking into the warping water. Eh, what you seeing man- oh, shit. Yeah. Kohta said grimly, cautiously sliding down to where Denya was.

In about five feet of water and three yards in front of them was the stark and unmistakable shape of a shark. It was about six feet long from nose to tail and was circling around in a slow, lazy orbits. It cast the sort of ominous respect that all considerably large sharks possess, and the two makeshift fishermen stared in fascinated silence. Shit. Big fish. Denya said, and for one of the first times Kohta felt his friend was a bit shaken up. Real big fish. He agreed calmly. Damn. He sighed, then bent down and scooped up his dropped spears. Well, thats the end of that. Unless you feel like wrestling a shark that is. Kohtas sentence cut off abruptly, halted by a sudden idea. He turned, facing Denya who immediately felt an uneasy sensation at the look in his friends eyes. You know, that is a pretty big fish. Seems to me that the others would be pretty content with us if we could drag that bad boy back with us. Kohta was grinning again. It was The Grin, the grin that signified a complete disregard for anything that existed outside of the deranged labyrinth of planning created by his mind. Denya took a step back. I think that we can gather enough fish without- Denya tried to reason, but he may as well have not spoken at all as Kohta reasoned with himself. Youll need to use your bayonet, yes its a good thing you brought your rifle with you after all. Dont want to waste ammo, stab for the gills and the head Kohtas grin grew as his plan worked out in his head. Kohta, I think you miss big point here. I would rather not play pin the bayonet on the goddamn shark. Aw cmon man, itll be fine. Stupid shark doesnt stand a chance. Now listen, we need to draw it in close. Sharks have a super sensitive sense of smell and I bet he wouldnt be this close to shore unless he was really hungry. So youll take one of the dead fish weve got and slit it up a bunch, get it good and bloody. Dump that in, then when he gets close just one quick stab! Bam, and we all have shark fin soup tonight! Eh, sharks are endangered though, are they not? Oh come on man, whats got yah all up in a knot over this? Well, how about the part where you want me to jump into waist-high bloody water and lure in a fucking shark? Dude, youve got to look at the big picture. Kohta said dismissively. This will be fucking awesome, well be heroes! Havent we killed enough of Them to be heroic enough? Come on Denya, this is a shark. Were only getting this chance once, this is the only time youll have the opportunity to go spear-fishing for sharks. Cmon man, do I really need to write this out? Yes. Yes you should. Denya thought in exasperation. This was stupid, this was dangerous, this was unnecessary. Theyd already caught plenty of fish, they didnt need to act out Jaws. However, Denya had to concede a very good point to Kohta. This was his chance to spear-fish for a mother fucking shark. He looked at his rifle, then to the shark, then back to a glowing Kohta. Yeb tvoyu mat Alright, now keep your arm high and keep your eyes on his head, thats where the danger is! Kohta called out instructions from a position of relative safety. The water lapping

against his sides felt malicious, and Denya shifted uneasily on the rock and coral that supported him. One hand helped to steady himself, while the other held the Mosin-Nagant tipped with bayonet, poised like a spear. Alright, get ready, here comes the fish! With a flick of the wrist, Kohta sent a savaged multi-colored corpse flipping through the air into the water uncomfortably close to Denya and sending inky tendrils of blood seeping into the water. Denya had never learned much about sharks beyond a badly dubbed pirated VHS tape of Jaws, but he had picked up they had lots of teeth, were cold-blooded killers, and were apparently mans mortal enemy. What he had not picked up was just how terrifyingly fast they were. Almost the moment the bait splashed in the water, the shark fired towards the nervous young Russian like a big toothy torpedo. Bracing himself tensely, Denya waited until the rocketing embodiment of fear was just in front of him before acting. But as he reared back to drive his bayonet through its cold evil head, coral and rock betrayed him and gave way to imbalance. Denya only managed to half shout an obscenity before he fell face-first into the bloody, sharkinfested water. Kohta didnt fully see what happened. What he did see was a burst of speed from the shark, a fit of flailing from Denya, and a dread-filled splash as his friend plunged into the water. His first words were, Oh , fuck. His second ones were, Oh, fuck! Komuro! He shouted with a shot of panic as his friend disappeared beneath a cloud of murky water. Grabbing one of his spears, he skidded down to the lowest rock and stood over the writhing water, murk cut by flashes of a swashing tail. He stood poised, spear at the ready to help his friend. If he could see him, that was. Hey, hey you! You big overgrown Koi, let him go! On cue, the water exploded as a panic-enamored Denya shot out like a cursing ICBM, scrambling desperately for surface. The shark followed swiftly behind, blowing out of the murk of stirred up sand with the chewed-up rifle stuck in its jaws. It missed, but the outstretched butt of the gun hit Denyas side and spun him around. With an strangled cry he vanished back into the water. Hirano, what the hells the problem? And where the hell is Kondrashin, arent you guys fishing? Takashi came running down the rocks towards them. No sooner had he spoke than the thrashing body of the shark burst out of the water, along with one terrified teenager. The former exchange student had both hands clasped around the rifle and was trying for all his life to keep himself on his feet. The shark had its mouth firmly clasped down on it and was waggling ferociously back and forth, trying to un-steady its troublesome meal. In between panicked swears and gasps, Denya managed to shout out, Kohta please! Kohta leaped to action, arm cocked back and spear in hand. Im coming comrade! He shouted as he hurled the spear forward with all his might. The wooden stake lanced into the sharks exposed back near its dorsal fin. And although the wound was quite shallow, it must have been painful, for the terror of the depths opened its jaws wide and spun around, sweeping Denya off his feet with its tail. Now it was Kohtas turn to learn how fast sharks were as rings of chainsaw teeth rushed at him. Scrambling back, he slipped on the wet rock, landing hard on his can. Pulling himself back desperately, Kohta swore in panic as the white shredding teeth zeroed in on his dangling legs. Thump! A chunk of rock the size of a basketball clobbered the sharks head, knocking it senseless. Takashi was reaching for another as he yelled, Kondrashin, go! Denya didnt need any encouragement, with a brutal scream he sloshed forward, rifle/chew-toy raised high, and plunged it down, sinking the bayonet deep into the sea monsters gills.

The shark exploded in movement, spasming out violently as it desperately tried to break free. But a second rock pummeled its head, followed by a heavy crack from a rifle butt. It slowed, stunned. Denya stabbed in a frenzy, driving steel into flesh again and again as Kohta jumped in on the action, madly jabbing at it with his combat knife. Blood spurted out from the shark in dark red inky jets, rapidly spreading out and mixing with the dirty water to create a billowing black concoction. As the sharks last movements faded as withered and the adrenaline faded from their systems, the mindless impaling came to a rest. The hole-riddled shark bobbed gently in the waves. All three boys were breathing heavily. What. The. Hell. Takashi exclaimed between gasps. He put down the rock hed been holding and flopped down on the rock, splashing his feet in the stained water. Holy shit Kohta said, spear gripped tight in his fingers. Denya stood white as a sheet in the water, quaking like a leaf. Ye-yeblya p-proklyatyy der'm-mo Words broke away into murmured mumbling; he rested his weight against the battered rifle. Yebar! He said with a hiss, giving the floating a corpse a good solid crack with the rifle stock for good measure. Well. I think were good for fish. Takashi said breathlessly, a giddy grin spreading across his face. Kohta let out a breathless yell. Nice going comrade, I knew you could do it all along. He said enthusiastically. Denya however did not say anything. He simply pulled himself onto the rock, breathing breathlessly and muttering in his language. Uh, hey dude, are you doing oka- Kohtas epiphany of how stupid his question hit him at the same time as eyes of barely contained fury. Kohta quickly got to his feet, backing up towards the beach. Hey, so uh, good job man. Really awesome, totally kickass. Were just going to take this bad boy to the beach and uhhh, see you later alright? Kohta said quickly as he grabbed the tail of the dead shark and began dragging it away. Takashi turned and began heading down the rock face to the beach. Hey, Komoru-san? He broke his muttering. Takashi looked over. Hmm? Thanks my man. Bastard almost got my leg. He laughed nervously and clutched his rifle tight. Takashi waved his hand dismissively. No worries man. Now cmon, well need your help gutting this fish.

The shark looked bigger on the beach than in the water. It was also a lot heavier, taking all three of the boys to drag it out of the surf and onto the sand. Kohtas combat knife was most suited for the task of slitting the gritty flesh open and Denya was the only one with experience gutting. Dividing animals apart took him back to living on the farm at home, and he even perked up a little; subconsciously humming a little tune. Da, you see now? The guts are about here, and then the liver and all that stuff should be right here! With a flick of the wrist Denya slit the pale white stomach open from throat to tail, spilling the bundled entrails all over the sand. The rank stench of fish guts hit them like a wall, but the three boys had smelled considerably worse in recent weeks. It was morbidly fascinating to watch the coils of pail intestine slither and slide over the sand while the baggy entities of other organs curled up helplessly along with the usual blood and fish slime. The two observe let out an appreciative whistle.

So, what parts of it are good to eat? Kohta asked. Well, the fins are supposed to be good for soup or something I think. Takashi said. You know how to cook this up, right? Are you kidding? Ive never even seen a shark before. Denya said. But theyre not poisonous or anything, well just cut chunks of meat off. Is that the stomach? Kohta pointed to the largest of the wallowing organs. I dunno. Probably. Denya said, busy cutting off slabs of shark meat. Cut it open man, check whats inside. Sharks are supposed to eat all sorts of crazy stuff. Sure thing. Denya grabbed the slimy bag and slid it over. And otkroyte! With one fluid motion he sliced the stomach open, letting out a flood of digestive juices and slime that spilled all over the ground. Alright, lets see what our little rybnyy has been chewing on- Denya lunged to his feet and leaped back from the shark like it was poison. Yebat! He shouted, recoiling away and grabbing his rifle. Half out of the bisected stomach with half the flesh scoured away by stomach juices, a face stared out at them. Decayed greyish meat hang off the skull like wet paper mache, and lidless eyes stared out at them. Hearts choked up in their throats of a split second, the three boys stared bug-eyed as through a lipless mouth, the jaw opened and shut with chilling consistency. Loose teeth clacked together. It made no sound, the vocal cords must have been torn away. But they didnt need the eternal hellish moan to know what exactly was in front of them. They recovered in a split second, and with a flurry of violent motion the head and its demonic chanting were suddenly eviscerated by three different blades. The motion ceased as the head was ripped apart and the three boys bent in for a closer look. Takashi cautiously prodded the stomach with his spear, then gave it a little kick. Nothing stirred. Well Im not sure about you two, but Im not sure this thing is really fit for eating. Takashi declared. Kohta and Denya nodded vigorously. Hungry or not, theyd eat raw coral before even daring to taste something that had been chewing at one of Them. The inside-out shark wallowed in front of them, starting to sink into the wet filthy sand. Well, thats that then. Kohta said casually. Now what? Well, now we have to hope the old saying is true. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Takashi said with a cracked smile. Cmon guys, weve got supper to catch. The Epic of the Shark as Kohta insisted on calling the event raised some raised eyebrows. Of course Saya was the first to criticize their dashing feat. So you left several hundred pounds of fresh-caught fish to rot on the beach? And you brought us this instead? She said distastefully, pointing to the pile of rather small colorful fish that looked like the boys had scooped them out of a pet store front window. Kohtas face burned as he began to erm and err in face of the fiery pink-haired girls attention. Thankfully Takashi intervened before Kohta could embarrass himself too much. Takagi-san, do you honestly think eating meat from something that had Them inside its stomach would be a safe idea? Saya opened her mouth in a hundred words of welling protest, but Takashi cut her off. Yes, I know that in all likelihood it probably wouldnt be dangerous, but that is absolutely not a risk I will take right now. Or ever for that matter. So think what you want, but dont say anything else because Im not going to hear it. His voice hardened with a

degree of stern authority, a tone he that had been developing in the time since theyd left Fujimi Academy. Saeko nodded in approval. Komuro-san is right, theres no need to take reckless dangers. Im sure the fish we have here will be sufficient. Now lets get the fire going again. Im not sure about all of you, but Im certainly famished. She said with a smile, heading off to stoke the flames. Half an hour later, the sun had begun to melt over the horizon, spreading luscious orange and red smears across the sky. A slight chill had begun to creep in, but the fairly good fire kept its attendants good and warm. Over the crackling flames a few wooden spits skewed strips of fish meat, where they hissed and popped in the delicious heat. Takashi was sitting back against a rock, feet buried in the warm sand and friends on all sides. No words were spoken, the blissfully warm silence was too enjoyable to let dialogue fracture now. Takashi looked across the group with a certain fondness. Kohta smiled merrily to himself, gently turning the meat over and giving adding more fuel to the fire. Rei and Saeko seemed to be at peace finally, at least for the moment. They lay on their back, arms behind their heads and eyes blissfully closed. Even Saya looked to be letting herself enjoy life for once. While not quite smiling, she sat back, supporting herself with her arms, gazing at the sky. And it seemed like all the stress, the aggravation, and the snippiness all seemed to have been washed out. She took a deep breath, and let it out with warm contentment. Beside her, Shizuka-Sensei snored peacefully, Zero curled up at her feet and Alice on her lap, napping in her arms. Denya lay next to Takashi, hands beneath his chin, staring intensely into the dancing flames. This is good. Despite everything horrible, right now and right here, this is good. Takashi sighed happily, tilting his head back and feeling the majestic grace of the heat on his toes. Foods ready! Kohta broke the peaceful bliss with the delicacy of cannonball, but the animosity formed towards him quickly broke as they fully took in the smell of the fish. Having not eaten anything fresh for weeks, the fish smelled like the most mouth-watering delicacy on earth, and everyone quickly got up to reach out for some. Hold on, let him get it out of the fire first. Takashi said jokingly as Kohta slid the spits out and began dishing out portions. My god, this fish smells amazing! I mean, Im not a connoisseur or anything, but I never knew fish could smell so sweet! It almost reminds of the spice shops back home, but different somehow! Rei raved. Saeko laughed gently. We truly must be deprived to think open-fire cooked angelfish are so good. But I do admit, they really do smell rather strongly, like no fish Ive ever had. He didnt say anything, but Takashi felt inclined to agree. While his fish experience had never gone beyond sushi, there was a fairly odd musk in the air. And it smelled nothing like meat, it really smelled like something else entirely. Takashi frowned, trying to think clearly. Just what was it It smelled like, like, Hydrangea! Shizuka shouted aloud in a very abnormal turn of personality. The dozy nurse suddenly came alive, leaping to her feet with actual fear in her eyes. Everyone, quickly get back! Weve been burning hydrangea leaves! The others looked at her fish-eyed. Shizuka-sensei, whats wrong with that? Rei said, a murkiness beginning to creep into her voice. Takashi shook his head, trying to focus through the increasing mental fog. What were they burning? Because he was starting to feel drowsy. Please, everyone get up away from the fire now! Hydrangeas are a very intoxicating species of plant, known to cause mental illusions and-and vivid hallucinations, so everyone please step away-step here, step over now. Shizukas voice rapidly began to slur words together as her eyes began to mist over. Takashi was still struggling to make sense of it all when Kohta

who had been nearest the smoke- whipped the nearest skewed out of the fire and held it high like Excalibur itself. Yes- Yes thats it, cmon everybody! Through peace and war, we shall attack them! With a giddy yell of battle, he took off towards the surf, blundering through the others. Alarm was cutting through Takashis mind now, piercing the building fog as the world began to move unnaturally around him. With a sense of distance between him and his body, he moved up to his feet with some difficulty and took a step back, clear of the fire and its intoxicating smoke. Shizuka seemed to have succumbed to the noxious fumes, a giddy smile plastered across her face as she lovingly reached her hand out towards Rei, cooing gently. Rei however paid her no heed as she busied herself with writhing blissfully in the sand. In a dart of movement to his right, Takashi spotted Denya steadying himself from the corner of his eyes. Shaking his head like a dizzied cow, desperation n his eyes, he steadied himself and began charging down the beach away from the fire as fast as he could. Komuro, come quickly! We must be away from here before we lose our heads as well. Saeko was beside him, a cold breeze slapped in his face jarring him to reality. His eyes widened as he realized the implications of the smoke. Clasping Saekos hand in his, he followed with stumbled steps as she dragged him inwards towards the forest, the world bending around him. The morning after, ocean fog lifted like a sheet from the earth, revealing a scene from some terrible battle. Bodies lay strewn in the sand in various states of disarray and humiliation. Saya was the first to awake, slowly coming to with mounting horror as pieces and bits of memory from the night prior flashed past her eyes. She checked herself, rearranging her swimsuit into place. Casting eyes around carefully, she checked for any sign that she was being watched. If anyone else had memories of this nightmare Movement stirred the forest. Denya calmly stepped out from between palm branches into the morning sun, looking for all in the world like a samurai prepared to fall on his sword. Face utterly devoid of emotion save the flushing red across his cheeks, he gave her the curtest of glances before moving on. Without word or noise, they located the others and slowly roused them, turning away so they could comprehend the horror of their actions alone. It was half noon before they found the strength be in each others proximity again. Eyes fixed firmly at the ground or sky in front of them, they steadily marched to the beach house. Their clothes were dried now, they dressed themselves quickly and noiselessly. They assembled their weapons, checking their condition with fluid familiarity, and headed out to find Takashi. They walked in silence for a good ten minutes. At twenty minutes, Rei spoke softly. Everyone agrees of course, that was all completely accidental. A minute passed in silence. Then, Totally accidental. Saeko said curtly. We were fully intoxicated beyond reason. Shizuka commented. Completely out of control of any action, nothing at all was done intentionally. Saya justified quietly. No one will ever speak of this again. Denya said simply. Agreed. All said simultaneously. They walked in silence. Alice hung to Shizukas hand, wondering what they were talking about. Zero barked once. The group moved on.

StopPlease, stop Theyd heard Takashis dulled cries from around the bend. They intensified in tone, as did the series of all-so-familiar groans which prompted immediate speed to their walk. They burst around the trail, weapons raised. Takashi continued to cry for help. Fifteen feet in front of them, in a small clearing on the grass. He was wearing nothing but briefs, and clawing desperately at each waving limb was one of Them. Oblivious to this threat, Takashi continued to roll and writhe in his fevered sleep. Pleaseladies, ladies Im just one man He said with a droopy grin on his face. The others just watched in a mix of amazement and revulsion. Rei suddenly stepped forward coldly, striking one dead through the brain. Immediately the others descended onto Them and freeing Takashi from their cold grasp. Prodded by the butt of Denyas rifle, Takashi suddenly came to. Wha-gmorning? He said in muddled confusion, trying to get a look at his saviors. ReRei? Saeko? Whats going on- he began to make speech, voice suddenly falling short as realization struck him like an anvil. Cold fear began sinking into his chest and seeping over his face and his jaw slowly lowered. With others simply nodded lightly, and turned around. They least they could do was let him come to terms alone. But before the grief could fully hit him, Alice ran in without regard for the trauma. Beaming like a star, she proudly announced: I found a tunnel! I think we can leave the island! Hey, whats everyone so upset about?