MEMELAND

The room exploded into chaos.

Cultists rushed forward.

Weapons drawn.

Shouting.

Andre immediately pointed at Fais.

Then pointed at the army behind them.

Then pointed at Kai.

Then back at Fais.

"Nope."

Kai frowned.

"What?"

Andre pointed again.

"That guy looks strong."

"Yeah."

"You fight him."

"What?"

"I'll take the easy route."

Before Kai could protest—

Andre charged straight into the crowd.

A cultist raised a sword.

Andre punched him in the face.

The man disappeared.

Nobody was entirely sure where he landed.

The battle had officially begun.

Eric immediately backed away.

"Why am I here?!"

A cultist noticed him.

"There!"

Eric pointed at Andre.

"Him!"

The cultist ignored the suggestion.

Eric screamed.

Meanwhile—

Kai stepped forward.

Facing Fais.

The captain looked almost disappointed.

"Just you?"

Kai tightened his grip on the knuckle duster.

"You got a problem with that?"

"No."

Fais rolled his shoulders.

"I was simply expecting more."

Kai hated that answer.

Without another word—

He attacked.

His fist shot forward.

Fast.

Accurate.

A clean strike toward Fais' jaw.

Fais tilted his head.

The punch missed entirely.

Kai's eyes widened.

Fast.

Too fast.

Fais immediately retaliated.

A simple jab.

Nothing flashy.

Nothing special.

Kai barely raised his arms in time.

BOOM.

The impact launched him backward.

His boots scraped against the floor.

Pain shot through both arms.

Kai stared.

One punch.

Just one.

And his arms already hurt.

Fais looked unimpressed.

"Weak."

The word struck harder than the punch.

For a brief moment—

Kai remembered the crimson imp.

Weak.

The same word.

The same feeling.

Fais stepped forward.

Kai forced the thought away.

Then attacked again.

A punch.

A kick.

Another punch.

A combination he'd practiced countless times.

This time—

One hit connected.

Fais took the punch directly to the chest.

Kai smiled.

For approximately half a second.

Then Fais looked down.

At the fist.

Then back at Kai.

"...Done?"

Kai immediately realized the problem.

Fais grabbed his arm.

"Oh."

Then threw him.

The world spun.

Kai crashed into a support pillar.

The metal groaned.

Eric looked over.

Then immediately looked away.

"Nope."

Meanwhile—

Andre was having the time of his life.

A cultist charged.

Andre kicked him into another cultist.

Both fell.

A third tried attacking from behind.

Andre grabbed him.

Then used him as a weapon.

"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF YOU?!"

Nobody answered.

A cultist swung a spear.

Andre caught it.

Snapped it.

Then punched the owner.

Across the room—

Eric was running for his life.

Again.

A cultist chased him.

Another blocked his path.

Eric looked left.

Then right.

Then screamed.

Before either cultist could attack—

A third cultist suddenly flew through the air.

Andre had thrown him.

Like a chair.

The airborne man struck both attackers.

All three collapsed.

Eric blinked.

Andre gave him a thumbs up.

Then immediately got punched.

"THANKS!"

Back near the center—

Kai wiped blood from his mouth.

Fais hadn't even moved from the spot he'd started from.

That irritated him.

A lot.

Kai reached for the dagger.

The same one he'd taken earlier.

Fais noticed.

"Oh?"

The captain finally looked interested.

Kai rushed forward.

Dagger in one hand.

Knuckle duster in the other.

The distance closed instantly.

Kai slashed.

Fais dodged.

Kai punched.

Fais blocked.

Kai kicked.

Fais stepped aside.

The exchange lasted only seconds.

But for the first time—

Fais had actually moved.

The captain smiled.

"There we go."

Kai lunged again.

The dagger aimed for the shoulder.

Fais twisted.

The blade barely grazed his sleeve.

A shallow cut.

Nothing serious.

But it was enough.

The room became quiet.

Not physically.

The fighting continued.

The screaming continued.

Andre was still committing several crimes against physics.

But for a moment—

Everyone nearby noticed.

Fais slowly looked at the small cut.

Then at Kai.

His smile vanished.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Kai suddenly felt very stupid.

Fais flexed his fingers.

The silver gauntlet clicked.

Then the golden one.

For the first time—

The captain assumed a proper fighting stance.

"Oh."

Andre glanced over while punching somebody.

"Uh oh."

Even Eric stopped running.

Because one thing had become painfully clear.

Up until now—

Fais hadn't been fighting seriously.

And that was about to change.