As all the children screamed, Pie too began to scream.

“Kyaaaaaaa~~~~~!”

The moment Pie’s cry of fear rang out, countless vines wrapped around the rocks beside the waterfall began to stir. The vines, the plants! They had started moving in response to Pie’s scream. As Pie plummeted toward the ground, the vines caught her in midair. Then, one by one, the vines reached out to Rogi, Eti, Dabi, Elly, Yona, Leo, EAT, and even the turtle-boat itself, lowering them slowly and safely down to the ground.

At the bottom of the falls was a vast pool of water, with flat rocks and a bit of open ground nearby. The vines gently placed them all down there.

As everyone celebrated their safe landing, Pie was already talking with the vines.

“Thank you, for saving us~”

To her surprise, not only the vines but all the surrounding plants greeted her in return. Only Pie could hear their voices, so the other children stared at her strangely, not knowing what was happening. Yona explained to them in detail that this was Pie’s ability.

Now that they had safely come down from the cliff, the children began to relax—but soon their stomachs growled, their throats felt dry, and fatigue began to show. From Leo’s belly came a loud growl. He pressed a hand against it.

“I’m sooo hungry.”

One after another, the others began to say the same.

Dabi: “Isn’t there anything to eat?”

Leo: “I wanna go back to my study room….”

EAT: “If we leave the story now, who knows what kind of penalty might be waiting for us when we return….”

Yona: “He’s right. Let’s look for food here.”

Rogi: “So leaving the story anytime comes with a penalty, huh….”

Eti: “I’m thirsty~”

“I want to eat a banana,” Pie said absentmindedly.

Leo immediately echoed her. “Don’t you think there might be bananas around here?”

Rogi added, “Pineapples, coconuts!”

Soon the children were all calling out foods they imagined might grow in the forest. Then suddenly, Pie tilted her head.

“Hmm? I think I smell fruit.”

Eti gasped. “Pie!”

Everyone turned wide-eyed to look at Pie, who seemed completely unaware of anything strange.

“What? What’s wrong?” she asked.

Yona pointed a trembling finger. “Behind you—behind you!”

When Pie slowly turned, she saw bunches upon bunches of bananas piled high right behind her. Without hesitation, Pie plucked one, peeled it, and popped it into her mouth. Sweet fragrance filled her senses.

“Wow, this is delicious!”

The others rushed over, tearing bananas from the bunches and devouring them eagerly.

“Wow, these are amazing!” Rogi said, never having tasted bananas like this before.

Leo was eating with wild abandon.

“How did we not see these here before?” Dabi asked, glancing around suspiciously.

At that moment, Elly’s eyes lit up. “Pie! Try wishing for something besides bananas!”

Rogi chimed in, “Yeah, try it!”

Pie blinked. “Something else? Hmm… strawberries, peaches, watermelons!”

The children all stared at her with hopeful eyes. But even after a while, nothing happened.

Yona eyed the bananas thoughtfully. “Those kinds of fruit don’t grow in a place like this….”

Dabi paused mid-peel to look at Yona. “Then what does work?”

After thinking, Yona answered, “Mangoes, maybe pineapples.” Then he revealed something surprising. “This must be a jungle.”

But the children weren’t thinking about the jungle at all—they only thought about pineapples. Their eyes glimmered with longing as they looked at Pie.

Pie, receiving all their expectant stares, turned to the forest.

“Mangoes, pineapples—I want to eat those!”

Not long after, stems and branches stretched out from the thick undergrowth, laying down the very fruits she had named.

The children cheered, rushing to grab mangoes. But since none of them had ever eaten mangoes before, they only examined them curiously.

“So this is a mango? How do you eat it…?”

As for the pineapples, none dared to touch them—the kids had no idea how to cut them open.

Watching this, EAT quickly pulled out a knife. With practiced motions, he lopped off the tops, stripped the spiny skins, and sliced the yellow flesh into neat pieces, arranging them on broad leaves. Only then did the children dig in, feasting on the pineapple at last.

Leo: “This is the first time I’ve filled my belly with fruit!”

Rogi: “Same here! Haha.”

Dabi: “So fruit can actually be a meal.”

Elly: “For real! Fruit is a meal”

After cutting open eleven pineapples, EAT finally collapsed.

“Ugh, I’m dying here~”

Eti hurried to push a piece of pineapple into his mouth.

“Mmm, tasty~”

Full and somewhat restored, Dabi wandered around to survey their surroundings. The river flowing from the waterfall looked too swift and dangerous to ride again anytime soon. His expression suddenly darkened.

“This is strange. There’s no way out.”

The dense jungle offered no sign of a path.

“In a forest where no one lives, there wouldn’t be a path to begin with,” Yona replied.

“Paths only exist where people walk,” Rogi added, backing him up.

“What! No path to begin with?” Dabi looked shocked.

“Then let’s make one and get out of here!”

Elly offered the idea as she glanced around, then chose a direction.

“Let’s make a path from here.”

He grabbed a stick and began beating back the surrounding brush and branches. But after clearing barely three steps, she suddenly threw the stick away and retreated to the group.

“I can’t do this!” she said, giving up already.

Dabi turned to EAT.

“EAT, what do we do?”

The others looked at him too. But EAT remained nonchalant.

“I don’t know. We’ll find a way.” He answered curtly—while recalling something Polun had once told him.

“Red Rooster! You must watch over the children. It is your mission and your duty, understand?”

[pouting EAT] “Look at me like this—how am I supposed to watch over anyone? Turn me back the way I was!”

Polun: “That… can’t be done! You are only to observe. Protect and observe!”

EAT: “How can I protect anyone when I’m this weak!? Turn me back!”

Polun: “No! That way, they will come to rely on you~”

EAT: “Didn’t you say I had to protect them!?”

Polun: “In time, you’ll understand. Wait.”

Once again, EAT grabbed Polun by the collar, shaking him furiously as countless Olfins watched.

The sight of “Red Rooster EAT” manhandling “Golden Owl Polun, Supreme Commander of the Olfins” sent a shudder through them; many gasped in fear.

Back in the present, Eti suddenly had an idea.

“Let’s use Pie!”

Pie jumped in shock. “Use me!?”

Leo instantly understood. “Pie, try talking to the plants!” he encouraged.

Leo: “Pie! Ask the plants for help~”

Pie: “Um… what should I say?”

Leo: “Ask them to open a path for us, so we can pass through.”

Dabi: “That sounds good!”

Pie: “Will… will that even work?”