chapter 20

Chapter 13: Part 1

- Nathaniel's Point of View

After Ataparag brought me to her team's dorm and settled me in her unit, she handed me a booklet of Eskapa and team rules and regulations. The space was modest but cozy, with a bathroom, living room, and kitchen—open enough that I could watch her bustle about from my seat on the sofa.

She busied herself cooking, dressed in casual clothes and a pink apron that suited her perfectly. Despite her claim of being a fearsome monster, it was hard to believe while watching her move like an ordinary person, preparing our meal with endearing clumsiness. I couldn't help stealing glances, amused by her hurried, slightly awkward motions.

Her eyes gleamed with an odd hue, and a pair of subtle horns adorned her head, yet her beauty shone through. Moments later, she finished in the kitchen, and we sat to eat. "I'm not sure if it's good, but I hope you like it," she said, her voice soft.

The aroma alone made my mouth water, and hunger gnawed at me so fiercely that taste hardly mattered. Curiously, she'd prepared a feast of meat—enough to feel like my last supper. I didn't question it, though, digging in since meat was a favorite anyway.

That night, she laid out a mat in the living room for me to sleep on, the blankets she lent me soft and comforting. She emerged from her room in pink pajamas, offering extra pillows. "If you need more, I've got extras inside," she said kindly.

"No, Miss Ataparag, this is more than enough—I'm fine," I replied quickly.

"Then let's sleep. We've an early start tomorrow to submit your application at the base," she said, flashing a warm good-night smile. Her kindness left me torn—was it right to enjoy this treatment, or was I exploiting her generosity?

Hours later, lying awake, I wrestled with my predicament. "What's going to happen to me here? I'm trapped with no real choice," I murmured. Even if I found Koko, her stubborn nature would likely mock my cowardice and refuse to send me home easily. Could I muster courage for my mission? What could I even do?

Joining Ataparag's team seemed my only lifeline to survive—leaving would leave me a vagrant. She seemed kind and caring; perhaps I'd be safe here. "Ataparag?" I whispered.

Wait—something felt off. She claimed to lead Sei's Battle Unit, but I recalled no Ataparag among Eskapa's leaders. Nor did I know Nyabu or Toto. During the rampage, Sei summoned all her Battle Unit leaders—how could they be absent? Had my arrival altered history, or did this world deviate from my comic's plot? Confusion swirled, but pondering it yielded nothing—only Koko could clarify, that mischievous soul.

"Ah, whatever—I'll just sleep," I sighed, drifting off into a deep, exhausted slumber.

Morning came, and I awoke to a dull ache in my arm, heavy and numb as if weighed down. Forcing my eyes open despite grogginess, I shifted—and my hand brushed something soft. To my shock, Ataparag lay beside me, using my left arm as a pillow.

Panicking, I jolted upright, accidentally pushing her head off, where it thudded against the floor, rousing her. "W-wait, w-what are you doing here?!" I stammered, heart racing—this was my first time waking beside a woman, but the real concern was her presence.

My panic peaked as my hand found a wooden shard from a hole in the floor—large enough for a ball, with several others encircling my mat. "These holes weren't here last night—what's happening?" I muttered.

Ataparag sat up slowly, yawning and rubbing her eyes, seemingly as clueless as I was. As she faced me, I noticed her torn pajamas, exposing parts of her skin. "What happened? Why's your outfit like that?" I asked, alarmed.

Realizing my stare, her cheeks flushed as she covered herself, shrieking, "W-w-w-what did you do to me?!"

"Wait, I didn't do anything!" I protested, flustered.

The unit's door slammed open as her teammates burst in, drawn by her scream. "Leader, what happened?!" Nyabu shouted.

They found us side by side on the floor, their shocked expressions mirroring my own. "Nyabu…" Ataparag whimpered, tears welling.

I froze, the situation made me look guilty. "Wait, I don't know what happened!" I insisted.

"You—what did you do to our leader?!" Nyabu roared, her fury palpable.

Ignoring my pleas of innocence, she stormed over, grabbing my collar and lifting me effortlessly. "Wait, I didn't do anything—she was beside me when I woke up!" I pleaded.

Her strength was deceptive as she hurled me against the door, spilling me outside. Stunned, I knelt, repeating, "I'm not lying—I didn't do anything!"

She advanced again, seizing me to yell, her anger nearly violent. "You idiot!" she snarled. "Do you know she's a demon beast?!"

Confused—Ataparag had mentioned it—what did that have to do with this? "If you want to die, don't drag our leader into it!" Nyabu added, slamming me to the floor before ushering her team out, re-entering alone.

"But I didn't do anything wrong," I muttered, desperate to prove my innocence, though no one listened.

A tap on my head silenced me. "Quiet down. Why are you here? Humans are forbidden in this area," said a woman with green hair and three horns—a Hube, a prime-class monster known for intelligence and prowess.

"Forbidden? Ataparag brought me to process my Eskapa application," I explained.

"A human joining Eskapa?" she mused, sighing. She led me downstairs to wait for Ataparag's emergence.

Minutes later, she ushered me into a large room filled with weapons, a long planning table at its side. Seating me, she warned, "Don't touch anything," and waited with me.

"Wait, I know you won't believe me, but I truly didn't do anything to Ataparag," I reiterated.

"Don't worry about that—our leader sometimes errs," she said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Well, she errs often."

She explained Ataparag's unique nature as a demon beast granted human form by a Crimson Item, which weakened at night. "That's likely why her item faltered, turning her beastly and causing those floor holes," she noted.

"So, she tried to eat me?" I asked, horrified.

"Certainly," she confirmed. Ataparag remained a demon beast, her human guise unchanged. Fresh meat, especially human flesh, was their craving, making my near-demise unsurprising.

A chill ran through me—last night could've been my last supper before becoming Ataparag's midnight snack. But was it accidental, or had she lured me here to eat?

"Wait—is that why you said humans are banned?" I asked.

"Yes. our Leader are unaware of her actions around humans, especially those without defensive energy like you. Only we see her hunger for flesh," she revealed.

She clarified Ataparag thought her affection for humans was joy, masking her true desire for their scent. I swallowed hard, unnerved by this dark secret beneath her kindness.

"Are you scared of her now?" she asked.

I faltered, my feelings torn—Ataparag's goodness felt genuine, yet this revelation loomed. She warned me to fear Ataparag, urging caution, but noted her decade-long restraint from eating humans. Still, she advised distance for both our sakes.