Chapter 2: The Duty

Chapter 2: The Duty

A flat red circle appears on top of a wide hill. There, multiple hills can be seen altogether with the tallest trees everywhere and some are surrounding the bottom part of the hills. The sky above the hills is clear and beautiful, along with the clouds that are moving calmly.

The flat red circle inflates and releases Anarkion and Piez. Piez lands on the earthy ground of the hill in a standing position whilst Anarkion's face lands on the earthy ground.

The flat red circle immediately disappears, Anarkion arises as he is brushing the dirt from his upper clothing and his cheeks.

"Darn it," he said.

Piez begins to move around on the top of the hill, his eyes are fixated on the clouds while a smile is forming on his lip. Anarkion shifts his eyes toward Piez. "What are you doing? Furthermore, thank you."

Piez turns his head around. "You're welcome."

"Thank you for disturbing my journey onwards to the other side!" Anarkion narrowed his eyes as his eyebrows met.

Forthwith, Piez turns his head away from Anarkion and whistles instead, yet he is not ceasing his movements.

"Do you know, Anarki?" Piez spoke.

"Anarki? What kind of name is that? It sounds awful," Anarkion turned his whole body towards Piez.

Piez raises his hand and points his index finger at him, a smile forms on his lip. "Exactly, your name sounds awful."

Anarkion raises his foot and immediately moves it down to the ground, and then he turns around and begins to step forward.

Anarkion raises his hand and rubs his forehead, and turns around at Piez. "Oh my! Why won't you tell me about what's in your mind, Piez? How am I supposed to know what I'm going to do as your minion?"

"Pardon," Piez raises his eyebrows while his cheeks are puffing from his upcoming laugh, "M-

Minion? My minion?"

"How jocular you are, first champion." Piez bursted into laughter while slapping his knee.

Anarkion's tolerance reduces completely. He inhales deeply and moves his face to the sky. "I CAN NOT AND WILL NOT HANDLE THIS ANYMORE!"

Piez folds his upper body while rubbing his abdomen. Hence, he straightens his upper body and looks straight at Anarkion's fuming eyes.

He speaks calmly. "Ah, yes. Anarkion you are chosen by Light, the warrior of protection.

"He told me to choose you as the first champion who will have the ability to utilize the crystal."

"But out of all the people in this world, why did he choose me to inherit the place of being the first champion?" Anarkion asked.

"Even I, his right hand cannot see nor know what his true intention is," Piez looks up to the sky, "but do not be anxious, for I will guide you and possibly train you until you manifest onto your stronger self."

"Excuse me, can I ask more?" Anarkion asked Piez.

Piez rubs his chin, then he moves his eyes down at Anarkion and nods. "You can... Just don't ask me about the successful lottery numbers or how many kids you're going to have. Believe me, I was asked about that by the former chosen champions."

"No," Anarkion looks down as he smiles slightly, "I nearly decided to ask you about those questions, but never mind."

"You do?" Piez slapped his face.

"Well, what I'm going to ask you, is that: why do pineapples on pizza taste so good?" Anarkion asked.

Piez gives Anarkion a look of disgust and confusion. His whole body shakes rapidly but in a short period of seconds.

"Now," Piez points his index finger at him, "that is a question that I won't dare to answer. Aren't you poor? How did you taste pizza?"

"Well, I eavesdropped about pizza with pineapples from two civilians from a wealthy region that visited our region," Anarkion replied.

Piez's eyes grew wide and he felt something in his heart, then he asks Anarkion. "So, you didn't get to taste even a candy or leftover pizza from trashcans?"

Anarkion lifts his other hand towards the back of his head and rubs his white hair while looking down. "I am a poor person and I live in the poorest area out of all regions. So, what can I expect? Then after so many years, I've heard from other civilians that there will be politicians that will give us free rice grains and some everyday needs.

"And that will occur after we vote for them... B-But."

"But?" Piez asked him.

Anarkion continues to look on the earthy ground, and tears start to form in his eyes. "But after we voted for them, nothing happened... W-We are still poor and hungry."

Piez grits his teeth as tears immediately flow from the corner of his eyes. Anarkion's whole body trembles as he releases his tears.

Piez steps toward Anarkion as he raises his hands, then he surrounds them on Anarkion's chest. Anarkion's eyes go wide and he shifts his eyes beside him only to see the dark blue hair of Piez.

Piez speaks, "Don't you worry, I'll help you live a successful life. I will not just be your mentor but I will also be your big brother."

Piez steps away from Anarkion while he lightly strokes his shoulders. Anarkion is frozen in his place while his eyes are fixated forward.

"Well... That was an inscrutable feeling," Anarkion inhales deeply, "but I'll let that pass..."

Piez fixes his collar. "Then, let us move forward."

Piez turns around whilst Anarkion is looking straight at him. White light begins to appear around Piez's hands.

"I can't believe it!" Anarkion is beginning to step backward, "Everything around us is beginning to change!"

Piez yells loudly. "From the light that is slumbering within me! I beg upon thee! Awake and aid me in explaining the fragments of the past and what's about to come! "

"What's about to come?" Anarkion spoke lowly.

He moves his eyes everywhere and a piercing, shining white light flashes causing Anarkion to use his hand to block his eyes.

Anarkion moves his hand from his eyes. He witnesses the scenery of multiple trees and a few mountains everywhere.

A gigantic humanoid arises from afar. Its height reaches the sky; its face is shaped like a face of a human, it has white long hair, and a pair of long, sharp horns which are protruded from its forehead. Its eyes are four; ranging from big to small.

Its body is muscular and red. It has a round metallic waistband on its wrists. The gigantic humanoid wields a gigantic hammer, and metallic pillars can be seen on its back. The gigantic humanoid doesn't have a private part.

Anarkion steps forward whilst Piez raises his hand that blocks Anarkion. Piez speaks calmly. "Don't fill yourself with fear... What you're witnessing is the scenery from the past... The first human who got infected with dark energy."

"I can't grasp your words," Anarkion tells Piez, "I just want to beat that beast down."

"Maybe the crystal is aware of what threat that infected human is carrying," Piez narrows his eyes and shifts them towards Anarkion, "your crystal is threatened even if what we're seeing now is just a scene with no hint of reality."

White glowing pillars emerge from the ground near Anarkion; the white glowing pillars surround Anarkion's whole body.

Anarkion moves his eyes down, yet he cannot move his head everywhere due to the white glowing crystal that is pointing closer to his throat and nape.

"Is this necessary?" Anarkion moved his eyes to Piez who was staring at him.

Piez closes his eyes and nod. "I am afraid that the crystal might trigger you to go on a rampage. I am not yet ready to prevent a champion from being a berserk."

Piez opens his eyes and moves them from Anarkion. A bright white light appears in front of the tremendous infected human, the bright white light expands onto a shape of a tall humanoid.

The bright white light disappears leaving a gigantic humanoid that has the same height as the tremendous infected humanoid.

"The creature who appeared is the first inheritor of the crystal within you," Piez told Anarkion.

The gigantic humanoid have white skin and wears a full set of white thick armor, its eyes are small and is radiating a dim white light.

"The power of the crystal is to manipulate light, and generate an avatar that can oppose any beasts," Piez looks once again at Anarkion who's looking forward, "but the power and skill of the crystal depends on how powerful and strong the user is."

The white glowing pillars go down, and Anarkion inhales and exhales while rubbing his neck. Piez turns toward Anarkion and steps toward him.

Piez halts one step from him and snaps his fingers, and then everything goes back to normal.

Anarkion moves his eyes everywhere only to see the scenery of hills, trees, and the sky which finally returned.

Anarkion moves his eyes from Piez's head down to his toe. "Aren't you being closer to me? I don't like this distance that we have."

"Oh, you want a long-distance friendship or a short-distance friendship?" Piez covers his mouth as he laughs loudly while stomping his feet, "I-I'm such a good joker!"

Anarkion looks aside and rolls his eyes. "I miss my region."

The wind suddenly blows over them and it's a harsh one. Piez stops laughing and moves his eyes everywhere. Anarkion feels something within him.

"Utilize my abilities! Hurry, champion!" a masculine voice spoke to Anarkion's mind.

Thence the whole terrain begins to move rapidly; bringing most of the trees down, and causing cracks on other hills, then some of their parts crumble.

Piez slams his hand against each other, hence he moves them apart from each other, leaving a long white glowing stick in-between the palm of his hands.

Piez gyrates the whole stick and thrusts it on the earthy ground, thence white line pours from the edge of the long white glowing stick and it spreads throughout the whole terrain.

"I can't feel what you're feeling right now," Anarkion tells Piez, "but what I can see is that you might die from doing that! Stop that!"

White energy appears on the crater of the deformed hills, and then, the white energy disappears leaving a recovered hill. Piez smiles slightly and moves his eyes up at Anarkion.

"I can't... You see, I will do what it takes to protect this world," Piez smiled slightly.

Anarkion begins to move his feet alternately but he was put to a sudden stop. A gigantic humanoid sprouts from the ground that is in front of the hill where Anarkion and Piez are standing.

The skin of the gigantic humanoid is deep dark, its hair is light grey the same as the fur on its arms, forearms, and hands. Its eyes are red and are glowing a bit, it's naked but it doesn't have a private part. It has small fangs, and it also has a muscular body and both of its hands are large.

Piez turns around, his eyes go wide in fear upon the sight of the gigantic humanoid.

He speaks, "But it is not time for that gigantic beast to emerge all of a sudden! How can this be?"

"No matter how long it must appear," Anarkion steps forward, then he inhales deeply. "I have a great plan."

Piez's eyes go wide and shift his attention to Anarkion. "Oh, you do? Then can you at least explain it to me?"

"You're just frightened!" Anarkion looks at Piez, "I knew it! You're just good for nothing."

"I am not afraid!" Piez told Anarkion.

"Now, I'll tell you my plan," Anarkion turns his whole body to Piez and goes forward to him, "then we must run! RUN FOR OUR PRECIOUS LIVES!"

Piez narrows his eyes at Anarkion, he raises his hand and swiftly slaps Anarkion's cheek. "No! You are wrong!"

"I am?" Anarkion gently rubbed his reddening cheek.

Piez nods. "Why would you run? If we can just teleport away from this area?"

Anarkion raises his foot and swings it hitting Piez on his foreleg. Piez holds his foreleg while jumping whilst Anarkion turns toward the gigantic humanoid but all he can see is its belly.

"Listen, amateur!" Anarkion speaks loudly with all his energy, "WE DO NOT RUN! WE ARE BORN TO FIGHT SUCH BEASTS LIKE THIS CREATURE THAT IS STANDING IN FRONT OF US!"

Piez contorts his face. "HOW AM I THE AMATEUR HERE?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO THOUGHT TO RUN AWAY—"

Anarkion raises his hand and waves his index finger at Piez. "No, don't be disheartened, amateur. Your actions are forgiven."

"Forgiven my ass," Piez sighs, "now, how are we going to take that monster down?"

Anarkion's iris glow to the color of white. A white light appears on his back and it expands and disappears leaving a long sheath with a long sword in it.

Anarkion moves his eyes aside, then he raises his hand to the handle of his long sword yet a gigantic fist lands on the hill. Anarkion stumbles due to the great force of the impact of the large fist.

Piez opens his eyes and he points his other hand to the large hand of the gigantic humanoid, thence white energy emerges from Piez's fingertips which penetrates the large hand of the gigantic humanoid.

Piez swings the white energy and the large hand of the giant humanoid separates from its wrist.

The gigantic humanoid scream in agony whilst the large hand flickers a bright light, then a strong explosion occurs; destroying the whole hill.

Anarkion opens his eyes only to learn that he's falling along with the parts of the hill that he stood on. His feet radiate a bright white color.

The masculine voice speaks in his mind once again. "I am the crystal within your body, now, use your ability to fly at great speed."

"Okay!" Anarkion released the force of light from his feet.

Anarkion flies toward the gigantic humanoid, and the gigantic humanoid moves its face down. The gigantic humanoid sees the distant silhouette of Anarkion hence it swings its other large hand.

Anarkion flies upward and releases more force of light from his feet which greatly boosts him towards the gigantic humanoid.

Anarkion slams himself on the abdomen of the gigantic humanoid. Hence the gigantic humanoid suddenly steps backward but it didn't fall to the ground.

The gigantic humanoid roars at Anarkion who's levitating numerous steps from him. Henceforth, Anarkion raises his hand to the handle of his long sword and wraps his hand around it.

Anarkion inhales deeply and pulls the long sword from its sheath. The gigantic humanoid begins to move towards Anarkion and the young man does the same.

Piez is standing on the floating chunk of the wrecked hill. His eyes are fixated on Anarkion. "I see, you're controlling a few of its abilities. Slay that beast, Anarkion."

The large hand hits against a white line that is connected to Anarkion's force of light. Anarkion flies toward the hand of the giant humanoid and without delay, he swings his long sword while flying closer to the gigantic beast.

The gigantic humanoid steps back as his large hand fall from its position, and then his forearm also falls from its position.

The gigantic humanoid looks upward as it yells in agony. The clouds utter deep, heavy roars. Piez moves his eyes everywhere in the sky only to see the clouds that are starting to turn dark red.

Piez moves his eyes down. "ANARKION! BE CAREFUL!"

Anarkion hears a distant masculine voice so he halts in the air. He turns everywhere and a line of fire strikes his back.

The line of fire disappears, and Anarkion is encased in a light barrier. Anarkion looks toward the gigantic humanoid only to see it staring at him.

Anarkion speaks to himself. "Why is that beast looking at me like that? Can he also feel my eagerness to beat him?"

Anarkion moves his eyes downward and sees the blade of his long sword which has stained by the giant humanoid's dark blood. "This is the first time that I'll slaughter a gigantic beast. I do not know if luck will be residing with me at this moment.

"My memories are all filled with suffering, maybe it is time for me to achieve a good memory?"

The light barrier around Anarkion breaks apart. Henceforth, Anarkion releases a big force of light from his feet that propels him toward the gigantic humanoid.

The giant humanoid moves hastily toward Anarkion and all of a sudden his upper and bottom bodies are divided by an extreme force. Anarkion who's levitating in front of the abdomen of the giant humanoid: flies upward at great speed reaching the giant humanoid's chin.

Thenceforth Anarkion swings his sword and it releases the strongest force that cut the giant humanoid in half.

The divided body parts of the giant humanoid crash onto the massive group of trees. Anarkion remains levitating in the air and he's breathing in and out.

"You did it kid!" Piez appears beside Anarkion while standing on a levitating chunk of land, "now, what does it feel?"

"I-I'm drowsy," Anarkion replied.

His eyes begin to close while the white light around his feet is slowly dying. Anarkion falls to the ground but his arm is held by Piez.

Piez stares at the unconscious Anarkion. "You surely are a beginner in using the power of the crystal."

Piez pulls Anarkion's arm along with his whole body on the chunk of land that he's standing on.

Piez lays Anarkion on the earthy ground, and he raises his hand and snaps his fingers.

"Let's go," he said.

Thereafter, a pair of silver eyes open, and a young man can be seen inside a dark room; he's laying on a bed. Hence he lifts and straighten his upper body and shifts his eyes everywhere.

"Where am I?" he looked beside him and sees a round glass window.

"This isn't the region where I came from," his eyes widen in shock, "moreover, this region is... Is a neoteric region!"

The door moves forward producing a creaking sound, the young man's silver eyes move to the door, and sees a tall grown man wearing a suit and tie.

"Piez? What am I doing here?" the young man removed the dark blanket from his bottom body.

Piez replies calmly. "Anarkion, you're here to start a new life."

"A new life?" the young man arose from the bed and turns his whole body towards the other glass window that is called a "casement window".

There he sees the scenery of clear sky, the tall buildings, and flying vehicles. Piez smiles slightly and begins to walk towards Anarkion.

He halts beside the young man, and shifts his hazel eyes towards Anarkion. "It looks like you're enjoying the view?"

"I am one of the poorest people," Anarkion speaks calmly, "even a poor like me that can witness a scenery like that, it is sufficient for me to feel euphoria."

"You are indeed calm and happy at this moment, and that's good," Piez moves his eyes away from him, "but you will be needing to find the other chosen champions."

"What do you mean?" Anarkion shifts his eyes toward Piez and lifts his eyebrows, "Is there any problem?"

Piez turns around and walks away from Anarkion, hence he inhales deeply. "The signs of the upcoming 'awakening' are occurring. Hence you will need to find them immediately before the world returns to its natural order."

Anarkion turns around and narrows his eyes at Piez only to see his back which is facing him. "I don't understand. What awakening and natural order do you mean?"

"The giant humanoid that you've fought earlier is an infected human," Piez explains to him, "the giant humanoid is one of the signs of the awakening that I've said... Then the awakening, it is the event that can lead humans to extinction.

"The natural order of this world is a world without humans but this planet cannot physically kill any humans, so this world will likely release the beasts that are sealed decades ago.

'"Once that happens, no one can slaughter those beasts, only you and the other champions are the only ones qualified for that task."

Anarkion looks down as he inhales deeply and narrows his eyes. "Then, all people will die?"

"Yes," Piez narrows his eyes, "but all of you can either slaughter those beasts or stop the awakening."

"But one of its signs has already presented itself, Piez," Anarkion moves his eyes upward, "it means that the time before the awakening will occur has decreased."

"Then, go forth and find them," Piez tells Anarkion while staring into his eyes, "for that will be the only way to prevent this awakening!"

Somewhere in that region, inside what seems to be a coffee shop. Everything there is organized, the walls inside are designed with cups of coffee and coffee beans, and the ceiling is clean along with the ground.

A young woman is standing in front of a clean wall, she's holding a natural bristle paintbrush, and a painting palette in her other hand.

She's a short-haired young woman, her hair is black, and she's wearing a round eyeglasses.

She has a striking beauty along with her jacket that is matching her beauty. There's a small rectangular wooden table beside her with other painting tools on its top.

She smiles as she dips the brush into one of the colors on the painting palette. Thence she begins to create shapes on the wall as she uses a palette knife on her painting on the wall.

A young woman from the counter goes toward her. She is taller than the young woman. Her hair is long but fixed in a bun, and her eyes are small. Her face has a fierce appearance and she has a few freckles on her face.

She's wearing an apron with the design of the coffee shop's logo. She halts behind the other young woman who's decorating the wall.

Her lip curves upward. "Wow, Lina! Your art style is getting better and better every day!"

Lina laughs softly while decorating the wall. "You sure know how to fool someone, Trifa."

Trifa's slight smile grows wide. "No, I just learned that from an expert like you."