“Do you believe me now?”

“Yeah,” the customer answered the barber. “Enchanted Bangus and now a flying Shokoy? Man, that place is weird as hell.”

“Now that you said it - I heard another creepy story.”

The customer sighed. “What is it this time?”

“Do you know Pareng Tasyo?”

“Of course! How couldn’t I? You already mentioned that name a hundred times!”

“Uh-huh. Pareng Tasyo shared some wild stories about creatures rampaging farms in Iriga. According to him, when he visited, the villagers were so devastated because their livestock kept dying every night.”

“That’s creepy…”

“That’s not even the creepiest part! When the villagers checked the dead animals, they discovered that all of their internal organs were missing! To this day, they still don’t know who or what’s causing it.”

“Damn! That story gives me goosebumps. Shit is pretty wild. I didn’t know those things still happen today.”

“Wild, indeed. Well, we are living in weird times.”

…

…

…

…

…

4 days after the team left Matukad Island,

“Wow. This Pili Nuts Candy is so good.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah,” Denz answered Triggs.

They were chatting in their favorite spot on the school campus.

“Where did you buy this? This is damn good.”

“In Caramoan.”

“Caramoan? In Bicol?”

“Yup.”

“When did you go there, and who are you with?”

Triggs was reluctant to answer truthfully. “Last weekend…... I just went there by myself.”

“What!? Why didn’t you ask me to go with you!? What kind of friend are you?”

“Nah… It was unplanned. I just wanted to unwind.”

“Tch!” Denz grunted as he continued munching down the candies.

“By the way, where’s Bill?”

“Eh, he’s been acting weird since you gave him that fruit. He’s in the library now.”

“Bill? In the library? It really is weird.”

“Yeah. He’s always talking about ‘being the perfect man for Micah’. Seriously though, what the heck was that Fruit?”

“You mean this?” Triggs replied as he showed a Hanziel Fruit.

Denz grabbed the Fruit to examine it. “Now I’m curious. What is this shit? Will this make me smart?”

“You want to try it too?”

“I don’t know… Should I? Bill had a weird trip when he tried it.”

“Oh, come on, you weakshit. Will you allow yourself to be defeated by Bill?”

“Tch! Of course not!”

“Hehe. Now that’s the spirit.”

“Okay! But… you know the password of my laptop, right?”

“Huh? Why?”

“If ever this thing ends up killing me, please clear my browsing history.”

“What the heck is with that exaggeration!? Just eat it already!”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Denz took a bite of the Hanziel Fruit. After a while, “...... Nothing’s happening.”

“Really?” Triggs’ surprised reaction. “Try another bite.”

“...... Still nothing,” Denz said after taking another bite. “This Fruit is delicious, though.”

“Well… That’s weird…”

“Do you think Bill was just overacting? I mean… this Fruit did nothing to me,” Denz uttered as he finished the Fruit.

“Hmm……”

BZZT!!

Denz grabbed his phone from his pocket. “Oh. It’s an announcement,” he said after seeing the notification on the home screen. After reading the details, his face suddenly glowed like the sun. “Triggs!! Can you believe this!?”

“Huh?”

“Afternoon class is canceled!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! They said Mr. Santos won’t be attending the class.”

“That’s new,” Triggs replied. “It’s very rare for him to cancel his classes. Did they tell you the reason?”

“They just said that Mr. Santos had to return to his province. Family problems, I guess.”

“I see…”

“Damn, Bro! This might be the happiest day of my college life!”

“You’re exaggerating again.”

Their conversation was interrupted when someone arrived.

“Triggs…”

“Lae? What are you doing here?”

“May I have a word with you?”

“Uhh, sure!”

Triggs and Lae walked somewhere away from Denz.

“I can’t still process the fact that we’re schoolmates, Lae,” Triggs sighed.

“Well. I think you need to get used to it, Triggs.”

Triggs nodded his head. “If you’re studying here… does that mean you also live nearby?”

“Yes. I just live somewhere in Cavite.”

“I see…” Triggs uttered. “Oh, by the way, do you have something to tell me? Is it something serious? Please don't tell me something bad happened again.”

“Nah. I just came by to let you know that Lola Vega wants to talk to you.”

“Really?” Triggs replied. “Do you know why?”

“I think she wants us to investigate something again,” Lae answered. “I believe it would be best if you go there and ask her yourself. It’s not that urgent, but it seems important.”

“Okay. I’ll go there later.”

“Well then, I need to go. I’ll be late for my afternoon class.”

“See you, Lae.”

The 2 parted ways.

Triggs returned to Denz. When he came back, he saw his friend staring at him maliciously.

“What!?”

“It’s her, huh!?” Denz asked with an impish grin.

“What are you talking about?”

“You said you went to Caramoan. She’s with you, no?”

“What the heck!? N - No!!”

“You stuttered! You fucking stuttered!”

“It’s… It’s not like that! You’re wrong!”

“What do you mean ‘it’s not like that’?” Denz blabbered. “Tell me, Triggs… are you dating Micah?”

“Are you stupid!?”

“Come on! Tell me! Don’t worry, I won’t tell Bill,” Denz uttered with a smug face. Then he murmured, “Damn, issues like these are what make my boring college life colorful…”

“Triggs denied, No! She’s just my friend.”

“Then why do you have to walk away just to talk with each other? You don’t want me to hear about your next honeymoon destination?” Denz teased.

“What the fuck!? No!”

“Then why is it!?”

“Would you even believe me if I say that we’re members of a secret organization? And we’re discussing our next mission?”

“Bruh, it’s bullshitier than the last excuse you told me: going to an empty classroom just to chat? You expect me to believe nothing happened between the two of you that time?”

“Guess that’s why the Hanziel Fruit did not affect you. Your soul is beyond cleansing. Seriously, even Satan will shout ‘OH MY GOD’ at your degeneracy.”

Triggs and Denz spent the whole afternoon arguing with each other.

…

…

…

…

…

“Hey, Lola Vega!”

“Oh, Young Lad. Come in!”

As usual, Vega was on her desk in the Main Function Hall. Triggs found her scribbling something on a paper using her weird pen. Again, Vega was wearing an elegant dress, and her face was decorated with makeup.

“Please excuse my appearance. I just came back from a night party.”

“Ahh… It’s okay, Lola. Hehe,” Triggs replied. “By the way, Lola, Lae told me you wanted to talk to me.”

“Ah, yes. But before that, please have a seat.”

All of a sudden, a small stool appeared in front of the desk. Triggs took a seat.

“So, how was your first mission last weekend?”

“Uhm… It did well, I guess? I felt a lot of pressure at first. But I think we did the job well. Hehe,” Triggs answered. “It also felt nice to meet the Sirenas and Shokoys. I only heard them from folklores, and now they are my friends too.”

“Well, good job, Young Lad!”

“Thanks, Lola.”

“Calla-Darling mentioned that Bonging told you something about Panee. Can you tell me what it is?”

“Uhm… It was also not clear to me. She was giving names to us, and when it was my turn, she suddenly said something about me having many questions. And Panee couldn’t answer them because of some law or something.”

“Well… Do you want explanations? Answers?”

A spark of hope glimmered in Triggs’ eyes. “Su-sure! Why not?”

“Well, if you say so… Here, have one of these…”

On the desk was a plate of inch-sized nuts. Each of the nuts was wrapped in green leaves.

Triggs muttered in his mind. “Why do we always have to eat something to find answers?”

He grabbed one and put it into his mouth. Chewing on the nut, Triggs felt a bizarre sensation, entirely different than eating a Hanziel Fruit.

“...”

“...”

“...”

SPIIIT!!!!

“What the heck is even that, Lola!?” The experience was so extreme. It was quite similar to a caffeine spike. Triggs grimaced from the unbearable sensation.

Vega chuckled impishly.

“Do I really have to eat that!?”

“No. I just couldn’t finish it so I let you try it. Hehe.”

“The heck!?”

“It’s Moma*. I got it when I went to Sagada.”

“Tch!”

Vega chuckled. “Oh, calm down now. You said you want answers, eh?”

“Yes! But I don’t want to put something weird in my mouth again!”

“Oh, Okay. Wel……” Vega cleared her throat as her face became serious. “I’ll be honest with you. If Panee, a Giya, couldn’t answer whatever your questions are, then who am I to know the answers?” she explained.

“I thought these Higher Beings know everything?”

Vega chuckled. “Young Lad, although Giyas know and see things more than us, They also have strict rules that confine Them from doing whatever They want.”

Triggs was disappointed. “Well, that’s inconvenient…”

Vega nodded. “Apparently, They agreed upon a certain Celestial Law. This Law prevents Them from directly interfering with the affairs of this realm - specifically with the affairs of humans.”

“I see…”

“In this realm, all They could do is to influence. They can give filtered knowledge through Their mediums, and They can ask Their followers to carry out Their will. And so, that’s what we are…”

“So… To put it simply, Giyas can’t directly meddle with this realm, so they assign us to do what they want?”

“Well, that’s one way to put it. But I want to emphasize that the Law doesn’t allow coercion. Although they could give tasks, the follower should still act upon his own will.”

“Hmm… I think I get it now…”

“That’s why in our group, we practice free will. You can defy the Giyas if you want, no one will force you to do something, Young Lad.”

“I understand...”

“Well, I don’t know about you. Did you feel forced when I assigned you to your first mission? Just tell me if you feel obliged.”

“No! Definitely not! I think I already made it clear why I joined this group. I’m doing this, believing that it’s for a greater purpose.”

Vega was proud. “That’s good to know, Young Lad,” she uttered with a smile. “Speaking of missions, I want to discuss something with you - the reason why I summoned you here.

“Sure, Lola Vega. What is it?”

“It’s about a small barrio near Mt. Iriga…...”