No one answered.
"Where is this? What trickery is this?" the Viking growled, his massive hand tightening around the handle of his axe as he scanned the dense, unfamiliar jungle.
"Is this some kind of sorcery?" the nobleman mused, gloved fingers brushing the hilt of his ornate rapier. A lazy smirk curled his lips. "If you sought to trap me, witch, you should have chosen a more enticing hell."
His gaze slid back to Aiko—lingering too long on the pale line of her exposed thigh.
She didn't flinch.
"Trap you?" she said coolly, voice sharp as a blade. "If I had that kind of power, I wouldn't waste it on you."
The nobleman tilted his head, amused. "Oh? Is that so?" he murmured, lips curving into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Before the gentleman from the 1900s could say a word, Aiko turned on her heel.
She walked away.
No warning. No fear. Just the quiet swish of her pleated skirt as she moved steadily toward the jungle, her backpack slung over one shoulder, shoulders straight.
"W-Wait!" the Englishman called out, taking a step after her. "You shouldn't go off alone! We don't know what's out there—Miss, please!"
But the Viking's heavy hand clamped onto his shoulder, stopping him with ease.
"Let her go," he said with a grin. "She'll be back soon enough. A woman alone won't last long here."
The nobleman gave a short laugh. "Indeed. Hunger, fear, or some beast will drive her back. Then she'll come crawling, begging us for help."
The two men chuckled, each convinced of their own superiority.
Only the Englishman hesitated, frowning as he looked toward the trees where Aiko had vanished.
But Aiko didn't look back.
Not once.
…
The moment the jungle closed around her, the heat thickened. The air changed—denser, wetter, alive in a way the city never was. The chirp of insects came in waves, pulsing like a heartbeat. Each step she took felt like pressing into a mouth that might close on her at any moment.
She didn't hesitate.
Her shoes sank into soft earth as she moved deeper, pushing aside wide leaves and vines. Her fingers brushed the hilt of the multi-tool at her side, just in case. Even with the hum of life all around her, she didn't feel watched.
She walked for twenty minutes before she stopped. Her eyes swept the terrain. She found a rise in the ground near a small clearing. Just enough open sky for sunlight, but enough cover that she wouldn't be exposed. Trees on three sides. A narrow stream nearby.
Perfect.
She knelt and shrugged off her backpack, her movements smooth. No wasted energy. She unzipped the main compartment, removed her tent components, and set to work.
The Kuroshio Black tent unfolded with silent ease—its reinforced frame snapping into shape, the soundproof lining muffling even the rustle of leaves. Within ten minutes, it stood anchored and stable.
She crawled inside and zipped it shut.
Only then did she allow herself to exhale.
Status: Safe. For now.
Her uniform clung uncomfortably to her skin, soaked with humidity and exertion, but she didn't bother changing. Efficiency took priority over comfort.
She ran a mental checklist.
Shelter: established.
Food: limited.
Water: priority one.
Aiko unzipped the tent, her movements silent and practiced. Morning light had begun to shift through the canopy, casting long shadows across the jungle floor. Good. She still had time.
She stepped out, adjusted her backpack, and moved deeper into the forest—following logic.
Rivers run downhill. Water collects in low terrain.
She listened—not for birds, but for flow. The soft hiss of current. The change in scent.
For nearly thirty minutes, she moved with slow precision, marking trees subtly with her blade to track her return path. The jungle grew denser, the undergrowth thicker. But eventually—faint and steady—she heard it.
Water.
Aiko quickened her pace slightly, pushing past a curtain of vines.
There it was.
A narrow river, dark and cool, winding through the trees like a silver ribbon. Smooth rocks bordered the edge. Dragonflies skimmed the surface. And deeper still, a flicker of movement—fish.
Small, fast, but definitely there.
Her eyes scanned the water. Minnow-sized fish darted beneath the surface in loose schools. Their movement was frantic, nervous. She watched them longer than she needed to.
Food source confirmed.
Water source confirmed.