MEMELAND

The Manufacturing District burned.

Smoke rose into the sky.

Broken buildings littered the streets.

The GFR continued moving forward.

Slow.

Steady.

Unstoppable.

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Every step echoed across Asphyxia.

Atop a floating command platform, Alice stared toward the machine.

Then frowned.

"Too far."

She reached into a small pouch.

Pulling out a brass scope.

A surprisingly ordinary-looking one.

Raj glanced over.

"You're seriously using a telescope?"

"It's not a telescope."

"It literally is."

"It's a tactical observation instrument."

"It's a telescope."

Alice ignored her.

The Queen raised the scope.

Looked through it.

Then sighed.

Still too far.

A crimson magic circle appeared around her right eye.

Complex symbols began rotating.

Lines of light intertwined.

Raj recognized the spell immediately.

"Oh."

Alice spoke.

The circle brightened.

"Far Sight."

The symbols expanded.

The lens of the scope glowed crimson.

Suddenly—

The distant battlefield became crystal clear.

Buildings.

Soldiers.

The GFR.

Everything.

As though she were standing beside it.

Alice smiled.

"Much better."

Raj crossed her arms.

"You only use that spell to spy on people."

"I use it for many things."

"You used it to watch me sleeping."

"In my defense, it was funny."

Raj looked ready to commit a crime.

Meanwhile—

Several streets away—

Eric finally found with Kai's group.

The architect was breathing heavily.

"I swear..."

"...I'm too old for this..."

Nobody reminded him that he technically wasn't old.

Then froze.

Because Noah was staring at him.

Noah blinked.

Eric blinked.

Noah blinked again.

Then pointed.

"Wait."

"No way."

Eric frowned.

"What?"

Noah looked almost excited.

"You're Eric?"

"The Eric?"

Eric immediately looked suspicious.

"...Maybe."

Noah's eyes widened.

"The genius architect?"

"The genius engineer?"

"The guy who designed half the city?"

Eric scratched his head awkwardly.

"People call me that."

Noah immediately grabbed both his shoulders.

"I've wanted to meet you for years."

Eric nearly jumped.

"What?!"

Kai and Andre exchanged looks.

The conversation had become dangerous.

Noah continued.

"Your sewer network?"

"Genius."

"The ventilation systems?"

"Genius."

"The district layouts?"

"Genius."

"The drainage design?"

"GENIUS."

Eric looked increasingly uncomfortable.

"Please stop."

Noah ignored him.

"I'm Noah."

"The engineer."

Recognition appeared.

"Oh."

Eric pointed.

"You're the workshop lunatic."

Noah smiled.

"Proudly."

The two stared at each other.

Then simultaneously said:

"Your work is amazing."

Silence.

Kai slowly looked at Andre.

Andre slowly looked at Kai.

Neither wanted to interrupt whatever this was.

Eventually Noah cleared his throat.

"Right."

"Giant robot."

Everybody returned to reality.

Noah immediately spread the blueprints.

Eric crouched beside him.

The two began studying them.

One minute passed.

Then two.

Then three.

Finally—

Eric pointed.

"There."

Noah immediately nodded.

"Maintenance access."

Kai stepped closer.

"What does that mean?"

Eric pointed toward one of the GFR's legs.

A tiny section near the rear.

Compared to the rest of the machine—

It was insignificant.

"This hatch."

"It was added for maintenance crews."

Noah's eyes widened.

"That's perfect."

Eric nodded.

"It leads toward the stabilizer network."

Andre grinned.

"So we climb."

Eric looked at him.

Then at the giant machine.

Then back at him.

"...You say that way too casually."

Elsewhere—

Nish stood atop another command platform.

Military officers surrounded him.

The commander watched the GFR advance.

Then spoke.

"Artillery batteries."

"Fire continuously."

Messengers immediately relayed orders.

A moment later—

The city answered.

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Cannons fired.

Magic artillery launched.

Ballista bolts filled the air.

The attacks struck the GFR.

Explosions erupted across its armor.

The shield shimmered.

Held.

And held again.

The machine barely reacted.

Exactly as expected.

Nish wasn't trying to damage it.

He was buying time.

Every attack.

Every explosion.

Every distraction.

Forced Udit to focus elsewhere.

Inside the cockpit—

Warning indicators appeared.

Minor impacts.

Harmless.

Annoying.

Udit sighed.

"They're persistent."

The railgun began charging.

Outside—

Alice lowered her scope.

Then spoke calmly.

"Nish is doing his job."

Raj looked toward the battlefield.

"What about yours?"

Alice smiled.

The kind of smile Raj hated.

"Trusting idiots."

Raj immediately knew who she meant.

Back near the front lines—

Kai tightened his gloves.

Andre stretched.

Noah finished marking the route.

Eric added several notes.

The plan was stupid.

Everyone knew it.

Which was probably why it would happen.

Noah handed Kai the blueprint.

"Get in."

"Destroy the stabilizers."

"Try not to die."

Andre nodded.

"Reasonable."

"No it isn't."

"Fair."

The ground suddenly shook.

The GFR took another step.

Closer now.

Much closer.

Its giant red eye scanned the battlefield.

Watching.

Searching.

Waiting.

Kai stared upward.

The machine looked even larger than before.

Beside him—

Andre cracked his neck.

"Race you to the top."

Kai looked at him.

"We're infiltrating a giant war machine."

"I know."

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because this is stupid."

Kai couldn't argue with that.

Far above them—

The giant machine continued advancing toward the heart of Asphyxia.

And neither side realized—

The next phase of the battle was about to begin.