"We should be safe here. It’s okay to come out now, Poruru."
"Kaniii!"
"You really saved us back there. Thank you."
"Don't mention it! We have to help each other out in times of need. Besides, like I said, I didn't want those people spotting me either!"
Guided by Elena, Yugo and the others had moved to a rocky outcrop at the far edge of the bathing beach.
Yugo noted that the towering crags provided excellent cover from prying eyes. Meanwhile, Marcos looked utterly exasperated as Poruru poked its head out of the sand and began pestering him again.
"Elena, was it? Why are those people after you?" Marcos asked. "And what do you know about the Sahagin attack? For that matter, just who are those people anyway?"
"Hey now, don't bombard her with so many questions at once," Yugo said. "You'll overwhelm her."
"It's okay. It’s all connected anyway... I’ll explain it one thing at a time."
Yugo chided Marcos, who was still prickly after his earlier encounter with Poruru. Elena, however, didn't seem to mind his abrasive attitude at all as she began to answer.
"Those people belong to a group called Blue Ever. They’re active in protecting the nature of Wind Island, but their methods are... well, questionable. They don’t have a very good reputation, and most people on the island consider them dangerous."
"So they’re a radical environmental group," Yugo surmised. "If they’re such a nuisance, why hasn't the Security Force stepped in sooner?"
"They started out as a harmless volunteer group called the Association for the Protection of the Blue Sea, mostly just picking up trash on the beach. But a while ago, they merged with a tiny but militant group called Everpeace. That’s when everything started going downhill."
As a result of the merger, the organization’s members had been poisoned by the loudest, most extreme voices in the room.
Yugo mused that even in another world, some things never changed. These people were the same everywhere—convinced of their own righteousness, yet happy to harass bystanders or even pollute the island themselves if it served their agenda. Meanwhile, Elena continued.
"The people from Blue Ever are also working to protect the creatures living around Wind Island. But they’ve taken it way too far."
"How so?" Melt asked.
"They interfere with the islanders’ fishing and monster hunting. Thanks to them, fewer creatures are being killed by human hands, sure... but it’s causing problems everywhere. That Sahagin attack earlier? That was their fault too."
Elena looked down, shaking her head sadly. Yugo’s expression darkened as he connected the dots.
"I see... because the populations of their prey have surged, the Sahagins—who sit at the top of the food chain—have multiplied as well. And since no one is allowed to cull them, their numbers are spinning out of control."
"Sahagins are ferocious monsters," Sakura added. "If their numbers increase too much, they’ll start fighting among themselves over territory. Does that mean the ones who attacked the beach were—!"
"Exactly," Elena nodded. "They were the ones who lost the territorial disputes. There are so many others just like them who’ve been driven out of their homes. They move into areas where Sahagins have never been before to establish new nests, and they devour every living thing already there. The people of Wind Island have been trying to stop them, but..."
"And Blue Ever interferes even with those defensive measures, doesn't it?" Sakura finished.
Elena gave a somber nod. As the group listened, the complex situation surrounding this girl and the island began to click into place.
"Well, that explains it," Melt said. "That organization is the reason dangerous monsters like Sahagins are showing up in tourist areas."
"Is that why they’re targeting you, too? Because you’re interfering with them?" Yugo asked.
"That’s part of it. But mostly, it’s because they hate our way of life. We live alongside monsters. We gather things like naturally shed feathers or discarded carapaces from them to process and sell, but they find that offensive."
"Let me guess," Yugo sighed. "Is it the 'don't treat monsters like livestock' argument? Or the 'all living things belong in the wild' one?"
"A bit of both, I think. My father told me they want us to 'liberate' the monsters we live with and return them to nature. But that’s impossible..."
"Kaniii..."
Seeing Elena’s lonely expression, Poruru snuggled up against her. Elena gently stroked her monster companion as she spoke.
"When Poruru was just a baby, its entire family was slaughtered by Sahagins. It washed up on our shore completely alone. We have many others in the same situation. If we suddenly forced them back into the wild, they wouldn't stand a chance. Besides, they’re my family. I don’t want to be separated from them."
"Kani-kaniii..."
Poruru used its massive pincer to tenderly pat Elena on the head.
Yugo and the others felt a wave of sympathy for her, realizing how heavy a burden she carried. Breaking the silence, Marcos let out a soft sigh and spoke.