Kazuto woke up first, feeling the cool morning air. He stretched and decided to check in with Hayama. Grabbing his wristwatch, he activated the communication app and called Hayama.
"Hayama, you there?" Kazuto asked, looking around to make sure Kurumi was still asleep.
"Yeah, I'm here," Hayama's voice crackled through the device.
Kazuto feels a little ease when he hears his voice. And reports about his past events to hayama.
"We've made it through the night. Kurumi's safe. But listen, I saw something huge in the sea near Kurumi's hospital. It was a snake-like monster, massive and blue. It devoured an entire horde of Mantas in one go."
Hayama paused for a moment before responding, "That's... troubling. I haven't encountered anything like that yet. Just be extra careful. These new monsters keep popping up."
"Yeah, it was massive," Kazuto replied. "I've never seen anything like it. Do you think it's a new type of mutation?"
"Could be," Hayama said thoughtfully. "We've been encountering all sorts of new creatures. Just yesterday, we came across a pack of Shadow Panthers. They were almost invisible in the dark."
"Sounds rough," Kazuto said.
"Remember, even though our abilities are strengthened, we shouldn't confront monsters directly unless necessary. Stay safe out there, Kazuto," Hayama advised."
Thanks, Hayama," Kazuto said, ending the call.
Kurumi emerged from her tent, rubbing her eyes. "Morning, Kazuto. "
Morning, sleepyhead," Kazuto teased."Ready for another day of adventure?"
Kurumi rolled her eyes, "As ready as I'll ever be, Who were you talking to?"
"Just Hayama. He had some updates and advice for us," Kazuto replied, smiling at her. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, surprisingly," Kurumi said, stretching. "What did Hayama say?"
"He warned us to avoid direct confrontations with monsters unless necessary," Kazuto explained.
Kurumi nodded solemnly. "We need to be careful."
After eating a quick breakfast, they packed up and prepared to head out. Kazuto couldn't resist teasing Kurumi. "You ready to face more monsters."
Kurumi glared at him playfully. "I'm ready!"
They set off, with Kurumi driving the jeep and Kazuto taking care of any monsters they encountered. As they traveled along a scenic highway, they marveled at the beauty of their surroundings. They crossed a crystal-clear river, its waters shimmering in the sunlight.
"This place is beautiful," Kurumi said, smiling. "It's hard to believe there are monsters lurking around."
"Yeah, it's like a slice of paradise amidst chaos, it's a shame the world's gone to hell. At least we get to see some beauty along the way." Kazuto replied, enjoying the peaceful moment.
They encountered stingers and mantas, but Kazuto handled them with ease, making jokes along the way.
"Looks like today's special is flying pests. Come get some!" he quipped as he shot down another manta.
Kurumi giggled. "You and your jokes, Kazuto."
As they approached a river, Kurumi suggested, "Hey, let's rest here for a bit. It looks peaceful."
"Good idea," Kazuto agreed, parking the jeep by the riverside.
While exploring the jeep, Kazuto found two fishing rods. "Hey, look what I found! Wanna go fishing?" he asked, holding up the rods.
"Sure, why not!" Kurumi replied enthusiastically.
They cast their lines into the river and waited. Kurumi seemed to have a knack for fishing, pulling in several small fish, while Kazuto caught nothing.
"Guess I'm not cut out for this," Kazuto said, chuckling.
Suddenly, Kazuto's rod bent sharply, almost pulling him into the river. "Whoa! I've got something big!" he exclaimed.
Kurumi rushed to help, and together they struggled to reel in the enormous fish. After a fierce battle, they finally pulled it out of the water, gasping in amazement.
"It's huge! At least two Kazuto's long," Kurumi laughed.
"What's a 'two Kazuto's'? Is that a new measurement?" Kazuto teased.
Kurumi giggled. "If you stack one Kazuto on top of another Kazuto, that's how big it is."
Kazuto shook his head, smiling. "You're something else, Kurumi."
Kurumi suggested, "Kazuto, stand near the fish so I can take a photo of you."
Kazuto replied, "You really like taking photos, don't you? How many have you taken so far?"
Kurumi smiled and said, "I just like to capture some good moments." She raised her camera and clicked the photo.
After that they decided to cook some of the fish for lunch, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. As they ate, Kurumi marveled at the serene beauty of the river, and Kazuto couldn't help but tease her about her fishing skills.
"Maybe you should be the one protecting us. You seem to have a natural talent for catching things," he joked.
"Only if the monsters are fish," Kurumi retorted with a smile.
As they drove, they spotted a herd of Snowdeer. The ground turned to ice wherever they stepped. "Look at those!" Kazuto exclaimed. "Snowdeer. Their steps turn everything to ice. Amazing, right?"
"Wow, they're beautiful," Kurumi said, watching in awe.
They also encountered a majestic Blue Flame Horse, which didn't react aggressively as long as they kept their distance. "Check it out, a Blue Flame Horse."
"According to my wristwatch, the Snowdeer is non-hostile, and the Blue Flame Horse is neutral. As long as we don't attack it, we should be fine," Kazuto explained.
Kurumi was fascinated, "Nature has changed so much. It's scary but also kind of amazing."
While traveling kurumi was clicking photo of each thing she sees new.
However, not all creatures were as benign. They were suddenly ambushed by a pack of Lightning Wolves, a new type of monster not listed in wristwatch's database. These wolves were fast and emitted electric shocks.
"Kurumi, stay in the jeep! I'll handle this," Kazuto shouted, drawing his gun.
Kurumi nodded, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Be careful, Kazuto!"
Kazuto took aim and fired at the wolves, using his agility to dodge their attacks. "Damn, these things are fast!" he muttered, focusing on taking them down one by one.
After a fierce battle, he managed to defeat the wolves. "Phew, that was intense," he said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Kurumi looked at him with concern. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just another day in the apocalypse," Kazuto joked, grinning. "Let's keep moving."
They continued their journey, occasionally stopping to rest and enjoy the scenery. At one point, Kurumi began to doze off. Kazuto noticed and gently took over the driving. "Hey, why don't you rest? I'll drive for a while."
Kurumi smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Kazuto."
As they traveled, Kazuto taught Kurumi how to use a sniper rifle. She picked it up quickly, impressing him with her natural talent. "You're really a quick learner, Kurumi."
Kurumi blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Kazuto. I guess I'm a natural."
They laughed and shared stories from their past, growing closer as they faced the challenges of their journey together. They found a safe spot to camp for the night and set up their tents.
Around the campfire, Kazuto teased Kurumi about her earlier fear of the monsters. "Remember when you were shaking like a leaf? Now you're out here sniping like a pro."
Kurumi rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone gets scared sometimes, Kazuto."
They shared a meal of Horn Rabbit, much to Kurumi's initial reluctance. "I still can't believe you're making me eat this," she said, wrinkling her nose
Kazuto chuckled. "Come on, it's not so bad. Plus, it's good for you."
After eating they both goes to sleep.
The next day, they received a call from Hayama. "Kazuto, Kurumi, we've reached the bunker safely. But I have some bad news. The other two members from India didn't make it. We're the only four left from India now."
Kazuto's heart sank. "That's tough to hear, Hayama. Thanks for letting us know."
"I'll report this to the other countries as well," Hayama said. "You two stay safe. We're almost at the end of this journey."
Kazuto turned to Kurumi. "If we cross the next city's bridge, we'll reach the bunker tomorrow. We're almost there."
Kurumi nodded determinedly. "Let's do this, Kazuto. We'll make it."