You're not a monster!

Hikaru was not satisfied. The head wasn't torn off completely.

'I need to put more strength into it.' He thought.

He needed more resources. Meaning he had to absorb more people. After raiding Aimi's house, they hit 9 other houses and filled the truck with 53 bodies. There was so much that some of the bodies from the pile fell over to where they were sitting. Yet, Hikaru got them to push back the bodies when chucking new ones in. He was being efficient and reducing round trips.

When they drove to the drop site, he made two of them stand up and hold the avalanche at bay while he comfortably absorbed Chizuko's body.

Several people were hanging around a large house. One of them sat in a chair on the balcony while leisurely watching Hikaru and others exit the truck. Two guys were sitting out the door acting like they were chilling. However, it seemed all of them were here as security guards.

When they arrived before the doorstep, Botan opened the garage door and led them to the basement where they unloaded.

"Is this the headquarters or a feeding spot?" Hikaru asked.

"Headquarters? You could say it's both." Botan replied

"Is Daichi here?"

"Yes, it's his house."

'Who could have known he has such a huge and expensive house?' Hikaru thought. Never once did Daichi mention anything about wealth. He stood apart from the rich students. Maybe his family inherited it and they didn't have the money anymore.

The truck's back had reversed parked outside the garage which was not high enough to fit the truck. Hikaru's crew transported the bodies one by one like a line of ants. With their limiters off, they carried each body effortlessly.

There was already a pile of bodies where they dumped it on top.

"Is she the procreator?" Hikaru glanced at a woman chewing non-stop.

"Yes, she has a voracious appetite."

A giant woman was sitting next to the pile of bodies for ease of access. She was a slim woman until yesterday afternoon. Since then she had been eating without stopping. She was a mountain of fat, bigger than a sumo wrestler.

It should have been impossible but she grew taller. Her head, hands, feet and bone structure grew larger yet there was so much fat that they seem to be dwarfed. If she stood up, she would be 2 metres tall.

The parasites all sensed her ravenous appetite and they were afraid of being eaten. They can tell that she would not hesitate to eat them. She only did not because they would resist and she needed instant gratification, not leaving her mouth empty for even a second.

"It's wonderful, isn't it? She's eating well and will grow big and healthy." Botan said as if he was her preschool teacher. There was wetness that made his eyes twinkle.

She had finished scraping one arm like a drumstick and started chewing on another.

"..."

"How long will she gestate for?"

"Gestate? No one knows but Daichi thinks it'll happen in a week or so."

"It'll be easier from there."

"Mm." Botan murmured, still watching her eat with loving eyes.

Hikaru noticed a bunch of wrinkles on her stomach that looked like noodles pressing on the other side of her skin. Worms...

...

"We finished." One of the crew members told Hikaru.

"See you later," Hikaru said his goodbyes.

They returned to the truck and continued harvesting. The whole processing taking a couple of hours for each round trip. Hikaru told them to tell Daichi that he'll have his share of food early and took Daijiro's body into himself. After unloading the bodies for the second time. They called it a night.

It's only been 24 hours since the arrival of parasites. It will be recorded in the future that approximately 450 people perished on the night of harvest in this ward alone. Not including the 400 people who died when the parasites infected them.

***

A 13-year-old girl got up from her bed when she heard a door shut.

"Brother?" Hanae called out.

She ran to the front door and saw her brother change into his house shoes. A large black garbage bag was slung over his shoulder as he held it with his other hand.

"Sis? Why are you still awake? It's past 12."

"I was worried about you."

"I'm fine. Look, I got some food for you." Junpei said as he opened up his bag. There were bags of food like chips, chocolates, noodles, instant curry rice, plates of food wrapped in plastic, bread and several beverages. Hanae's eyebrows twisted.

"Brother, where did you get these?"

It was strange he was carrying them in a black bag. Some of the food was already eaten and some packages open. The plates and bowls wrapped in plastic further intensified her suspicions.

'Did he steal them?'

Junpei's heart ached as he saw her worried expression.

"They had a lot of food at the meeting."

"Then why didn't they eat it, why-"

"Because they didn't like it. They found out they didn't like it much. They were testing the food. So, I took them home." Junpei frantically explained.

"But they can eat it, right? Why don't they just eat our food? Even if it doesn't taste good why would they-"

"Because they're monsters! They're evil!"

"No one is born evil! They just aren't educated."

"No! Daichi said that they were programmed to take over the world. Some alien bred them for that. It's literally in their genes. They are born evil."

"But you aren't a monster."

"Yes, I am!"

Things got silent until Hanae started to cry tears. Junpei hugged his sister.

"But- You aren't evil. After all, you've been protecting me." She sobbed.

His skin touched hers. He could feel food. His mouth began salivating and he pulled aside.

"Hanae, go to bed. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Okay, sniff, goodnight brother."

"Goodnight sis."

Junpei poured out the contents of the bag onto the dinner table. He immediately shoved food in his mouth and swallowed until he felt full and heavy. Until he didn't feel like eating his sister.

Hanae stood on the other side of the wall next to the kitchen door. Sounds of his predatory chewing echoed down the corridor. She walked to her bedroom after a while, tear trails glistening in the moonlight.