By the time the campfire was lit, night had fallen completely.
The firelight danced in the rainforest's damp air like leaping sprites, casting the area within a dozen meters into alternating light and shadow.
The car's shadow stretched long and far, like a black Giant Python crawling along the ground. It extended from beneath the wheels all the way to the edge of the road, then vanished into the grass.
They set up camp beside Mai Sakatoku's car. Its body was caked in mud and leaves, evidence of a rough journey.
There wasn't enough room inside the car for six people, so they gave up on the idea of "sleeping in the car." Instead, they used the vehicle as support and built a crude shelter from chopped branches and enormous banana leaves.
The shelter was small, but it could at least keep off the dew. That was better than sleeping out in the mud.
The road was broad, with excellent visibility and some distance from the woods on either side. It was unlikely that a wild beast could creep right up to them without being noticed. Caesar's Kamaitachi was useful, but he couldn't stay awake twenty-four hours a day. In a place like this, a natural advantage in visibility was crucial.
Several chunks of meat skewered on branches hung over the campfire. Venison. The flames licked across the meat's surface as the fat melted in the heat and dripped into the fire, hissing as little wisps of smoke rose.
Caesar had casually taken down that deer on the road. It was a full-grown stag with antlers branching into several tines, clearly fat and healthy from living in this rainforest. The moment it poked its head out from the bushes, Caesar had put a bullet through its forehead.
They decisively abandoned