Need To Back Part 1

Still in his pajamas, his eyes were wide with shock.

He couldn't believe what he had just seen.

"Was that... just a dream?"

He touched his slightly chubby cheek. A wave of relief washed over him as the sweat began to dry.

But then—

The sound. That bone-chilling shriek.

"ROARGGGG"

It was still ringing in his ears. Vibrating. Echoing deep within his skull.

"What exactly happened back there—?"

"Tarogi! Wake up! Eat your breakfast and get ready. You’re going to be late for school!"

The voice of his mother, Fujitoro Kamesi, cut through the silence.

Soft, yet sharp enough to command attention. 

"Huh? Late?"

He reached for his smartphone—a simple yet sleek device resting by the bed.

The screen flickered: 8:21 AM.

"Haha... ha."

The relief from moments ago vanished. His expression turned deathly serious.

"AHH!! I’M LATE!"

Tarogi scrambled out of bed. He threw on his white school uniform and slung his bag over his shoulder in a frantic blur.

He dashed toward his bedroom door—a wood. Tarogi ignored his father entirely and bolted down the stairs.

"No!! Tarogi!!"

Sohita’s scream was sharp, yet still carried a hint of his usual gentle tone.

"In a hurry! Sorry!" 

Tarogi leaped down the stairs. He honestly had no idea why his father was yelling like that.

*'Why is Dad shouting?'*

Sohita let out a long, weary sigh. He retreated back into his room, defeated.

"Sigh... I have to fix that doorknob again before work..."

*DUDUNG!*

Tarogi charged toward the main entrance in the living room. Fujitoro, her hair tied in a neat ponytail, looked up as she heard the commotion. Her face remained calm.

She called out to Tarogi just as he reached the door.

"Aren't you going to eat breakfast?"

"It's okay, Mom! I'll eat at school!"

"Alright then. Take care of yourself!"

Fujitoro gave her permission, her attention returning to the stove.

***KTUKK!***

The front door swung open. Tarogi jammed his feet into his scuffed black-and-white sneakers 

"I think I can still make it if I just run!"

Tarogi lunged onto the main road. The wind roared past him. The street smelled of old concrete. Curiously, not a single animal was in sight, despite the lush greenery of the surrounding plants and trees.

He sprinted like a professional athlete. His dash caught the eye of Old Man Kurogoti, who was sitting at Krapik Restaurant. 

The old man took a long, deep breath as he slurped his Assam Laksa on the restaurant’s porch. 

*SLURPPP!* "Aahhh!" 

Red stains from the broth still clung to his lips. Kurogoti stood up immediately to greet him.

"Uinna! Hey, Tarogi! Off to school?"

Tarogi replied with a lopsided grin. "Yeah. Where else? Work?"

Kurogoti tossed a bright-colored, apple-flavored soda can toward him. Tarogi fumbled slightly as he caught the flying tin.

"What's this for, Gramps?"

"Drink it before you reach the school gates. My treat!" 

Kurogoti stood with his hands tucked behind his back.

"Hehe..." 

Tarogi beamed. It was as if the old man knew he was parched from all that running.

"Thanks, Gramps!"

"Aren't you going home, Gramps?"

"Nah. It’s boring at home. I’m gonna hang out here until noon!"

"Hmm! A real slacker, aren't you? Hahaha!"

"You bet! Hahaha!"

Kurogoti didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, he looked genuinely happy to have someone to chat with.

"I’m heading off now, Gramps!"

Tarogi lunged forward, resuming his journey. He waved his hand back at the old man as he sped away.

Kurogoti waved his hand slowly. He let out a long breath and sank back into his plastic chair.

"Hmm... that boy never changes."

**(Inside the Krapik Restaurant Kitchen)**

The atmosphere was chaotic. Staff were buzzing back and forth, frantically preparing orders.

*RING!* A bell chimed.

"Order for Table 3, move it!"

"Right away!"

*RING!*

"Table 8, Lemon Tea! Take it out!"

"On it!"

Waiters worked with grim focus while a cleaner mopped the floor at a relaxed pace.

Unbeknownst to them...

Within the cracks of the kitchen walls...

A slimy black tentacle slithered out from the shadows. 

Slowly, a bulbous head emerged—round, with a single piercing eye and rough, blackened skin.

Nopo-class Kaiju: Prengci.

*"Priiirir, Pririiir!"*

The Kaiju slipped further into the restaurant. Black slime coated the floor in its wake. Its presence remained a ghost, completely unnoticed by the crowd.

---

**(Hiroshima Kaisen High School — 8:30 AM)**

Tarogi was overwhelmed with relief. He had made it just in time. Sweat drenched his face. 

"Huh... Huh... Huh... I actually made it."

*Glurpp, Glurpp!* "Aaaah! That’s the stuff!" 

He finished the soda and tossed the empty can toward a trash bin behind the school gates. *Swish.* A perfect shot. 

Tarogi sprinted across the school grounds. With a sudden burst of energy, he leaped up toward his third-floor classroom. He vaulted through the open window, gasping for air. Finally, he was safe.

"Sorry for the intrusion!"

The entire class turned to look at Tarogi. Their reactions were flat—they had seen this many times before.

"Oh, Tarogi. Overslept again? Figures. Otherwise, you wouldn't be entering through the window."

Tarogi scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Hehe, you caught me."

"Of course. Tarogi is famous for having the worst attendance record in this school."

"Yeah. No wonder the teachers always have it in for him."

His classmates spoke with a mix of sarcasm and weary boredom.

"Wait! Sensei is coming! Everyone, get up!"

The Class Rep caught the sound of footsteps. 

*Ddupp! Ddupp!* The sound grew louder, more rhythmic. 

A man in his 30s with short blonde hair stepped into the room. He wore a sharp business suit, his hands tucked firmly into his pockets.

"Rise!"

The students stood up from their desks in perfect, disciplined unison.

"Good morning, Shigamaru-Sensei!"

"Good morning, Sensei!!"

The chorus of voices echoed through the classroom.

"Sit..."

Shigamaru-Sensei’s gaze drifted toward Tarogi at the back. The atmosphere instantly turned somber—a heavy, suffocating silence.

"...Tarogi?"

"Y-yes, Sensei?"

Tarogi stammered. He slowly, hesitantly, made his way to the front of the class to face his teacher.

"Late... again?..." 

His voice was hollow, yet beneath it lay a simmering, controlled rage.

"I-I’m sorry, Sensei!" 

Tarogi dropped to his knees, begging for mercy. Shigamaru-Sensei looked down at him. His eyes held no pity. 

"Late is late. Punishment is punishment... No one is above the laws of this school. Especially not a *Beser* like you."

Shigamaru pulled a hand from his pocket and aimed his palm directly at Tarogi.

*'Sigh... I'm dead!'* Tarogi knew it was over. The moment that palm was aimed at him, his fate was sealed.

"**Grefepoma... Satuzala.**"

Luminous blue iron chains erupted from his palm, glowing with an eerie light. They snaked through the air, coiling tightly around Tarogi’s neck. With a violent flick, Tarogi was hurled across the room toward the lockers.

***DUMM!***

"Argh!..."

Tarogi groaned in pain, but Shigamaru remained indifferent. 

With another swing of the chains, Tarogi was slammed into the wall.

***BUPMM!!***

The wall shattered into fragments. Tarogi crumpled to the floor, face-down in a cloud of swirling dust. 

His task finished, Shigamaru retracted the chains back into his palm. His classmates watched the scene with terrifying indifference—as if it were just another ordinary day.

"Garghh!..."

Tarogi was a mess. His hair was disheveled, his trousers were torn at the knee, and his entire body was coated in thick dust.

Shigamaru-Sensei turned his gaze back to the class.

"Do you all understand now? This is what happens when you break the school rules, no matter how minor they may seem."

"Yes, Sensei!"

The class chorused in unison. They had no choice but to obey.

Shigamaru looked down at Tarogi, who lay injured on the floor, with his usual indifferent and gloomy expression.

"Tarogi, return to your seat."

"Y-yes, Sensei..."

Tarogi pulled himself up from the debris, clutching his aching arm. A small gash had opened on his forehead, blood trickling down. Around him, his classmates whispered and hissed, eyes fixed on the scene.

Shigamaru reached into his bag and pulled out a curved staff, dark as the void.

"**Demo Kaxa, Prespo!**"

The shattered fragments of the wall and the mangled lockers began to levitate. Enveloped in a swirling black aura, they drifted back into place, merging seamlessly until the room looked exactly as it had before.

He stowed the staff back into his bag and began the lesson.

"Alright, class... Open your Biology textbooks to page 24. Today we will learn about..."

Tarogi sank into his dusty seat. Without a word, he pulled his textbook from his bag and stared at the pages.

***

**(2 Hours Later)**

Suddenly—

***NEEEEE!!!***

A piercing shriek erupted from every smartphone in the school simultaneously. The wail of emergency sirens across the town shattered the afternoon silence.

**[WARNING! WARNING! NOPO-CLASS KAIJU DETECTED. SIZE: 15CM. CITIZENS ARE ADVISED TO EXERCISE CAUTION. EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION ASSISTANCE REQUESTED IMMEDIATELY!]**

Shigamaru’s gloomy demeanor vanished instantly. He stood up, his face hardening with a rare seriousness.

"Class! School is dismissed early for today. Return to your homes immediately!"

"Dismissed?"

"Early?"

The room fell silent for a heartbeat. Then—

"YEAHHHHH!!!! EARLY DISMISSAL!"

"Let's go play games!"

The classroom exploded into chaos. The students were ecstatic, ready to spend their free time however they pleased.

But Tarogi remained still. He wasn't happy, nor was he bored. 

He leaned toward the window, peering out at the horizon. He froze. Thick black smoke was billowing from the direction of the town. The flames were roaring, and the restaurant building he had just passed was crumbling into ruins.

*What?*

Tarogi’s mind flashed back to his conversation with Old Man Kurogoti.

*"Nah. It’s boring at home. I’m gonna hang out here until noon!"*

Realization hit him like a physical blow. 

*'Damn it! Gramps is still there!'*

Tarogi snatched his bag. With everything he had, he sprinted toward the window and leaped out. The wind roared past his ears as he plummeted toward the ground.

"Tarogi!—" his classmates cried out in shock.

"Let him go," Shigamaru interrupted, his voice cold.

"Eh? Shigamaru-Sensei?"

The class was baffled. Did Sensei hate Tarogi so much that he was willing to let him jump into a disaster zone?

Shigamaru stared at the floor, his eyes heavy and distant.

"Hmm..."

"He will be fine. I am certain he..."

Tarogi sprinted with every ounce of strength in his body, his trousers tearing further with every stride. He gritted his teeth, the taste of copper in his mouth.

*'Please... please! Hang on, Gramps!'*

**To be continued in Part 2**