MEMELAND

Morning arrived quietly.

The desert was cold.

Far colder than Kai expected.

The campfire from the night before had been replaced by a smaller one.

A pot hung above it.

Something smelled...

Surprisingly good.

Kai slowly sat up.

"...Morning."

Choco looked over.

"Morning."

He stirred the pot with a wooden spoon.

"Vegetables and a few dried strips of monster meat."

Kai blinked.

"...You can cook?"

"A little."

Kai accepted the wooden bowl Choco handed him.

He took a cautious bite.

Then another.

"...This is actually good."

Choco smiled.

"I'm glad."

The two quietly ate.

Neither seemed eager to break the peaceful silence.

Eventually—

Kai asked,

"So..."

"What are you going to do now?"

Choco stopped eating.

He thought about it.

Not for a few seconds.

For quite a while.

Finally—

He answered.

"...I was told to find you."

"I found you."

"So technically..."

"My mission is over."

Kai nodded.

"So now?"

Choco looked toward the horizon.

"...If you have time..."

"You should visit the Order."

Kai remained quiet.

Choco quickly waved his hands.

"Only if you want."

"I'm not forcing you."

"If you don't want to..."

"...That's okay too."

Kai reached into his pocket.

"...Actually."

"I wanted to ask something."

He placed a small coin on the ground between them.

It reflected the morning sunlight.

Choco picked it up.

Turned it over.

"...Where did you get this?"

Kai replied.

"A doctor."

"He tossed it to me before leaving."

Choco examined both sides carefully.

"...If the Order's records are correct..."

"...This coin isn't from Oheyo."

Kai leaned forward.

"Then where?"

Choco handed it back.

"Muscle City."

Kai frowned.

Choco nodded.

"They mint coins differently from every other kingdom."

"This symbol..."

He pointed toward the engraving.

"...belongs to Muscle City."

Silence.

Kai looked at the coin.

Then looked north.

Then east.

He suddenly realized—

He stood at a crossroads.

One path...

Led to the Order of Karma.

To Zane.

To answers about his dreams.

The other...

Led to Muscle City.

To the mysterious doctor.

To magic circuits.

His hand slowly closed around the coin.

"...I've decided."

Choco looked at him expectantly.

"I'll visit the Order."

His eyes brightened.

"...Really?"

Kai smiled.

"...After I finish my business."

The excitement disappeared just as quickly.

"...The coin?"

Kai nodded.

"I need answers."

"And I think..."

"...that doctor has some."

Choco quietly accepted the answer.

"...That's fair."

"I won't stop you."

He stood.

Dusting the sand from his clothes.

"Just..."

"When you're done..."

"The Order will still be there."

Kai smiled.

"...Thanks."

The two returned to the buried laboratory.

Or rather—

What remained of it.

Half-buried beneath the desert.

Most of the machinery had been crushed.

But several hovercraft remained.

Damaged.

Not destroyed.

Together—

They spent hours repairing them.

Replacing cracked mana conduits.

Straightening bent control fins.

Removing sand from the propulsion chambers.

By midday—

Both hovercraft hummed to life.

Kai looked impressed.

Choco laughed softly.

Kai climbed onto one.

Choco onto the other.

Before starting the engine—

Kai looked toward him.

"Come back with me."

"Alice."

"Raj."

"Taai."

"They deserve to know."

Choco lowered his eyes.

"...I know."

"They do."

"So come."

Silence.

The desert wind passed between them.

Finally—

Choco smiled.

"I still have something I need to do."

"After that..."

"...I'll return to the Order."

"And..."

"When I'm ready."

"I'll visit Alice."

Kai studied him for a moment.

Then nodded.

"...Fair enough."

Choco smiled warmly.

"...Thanks."

The hovercraft engines roared.

They exchanged one final nod.

Then—

Departed.

One headed northeast.

Toward distant mountains hidden beyond the Forest of Hailing.

The other—

Toward the road home.

The desert slowly disappeared behind Kai.

Sand gave way to grass.

Grass gave way to trees.

Eventually—

The familiar forest appeared before him.

Beyond it—

The narrow road winding between the trees.

Kai slowed his hovercraft.

He quietly smiled.

Then continued onward.

The road climbed steadily.

Higher.

Higher.

Until the mountain pass finally came into view.

Even after several days—

The battlefield from when Kai remained.

Kai stopped.

He looked around.

"...Wait."

His expression slowly changed.

"...Andre?"

Silence.

His eyes widened.

"I..."

"I came here with Andre."

He looked across the empty battlefield.

"...Where is he?"

Deep within the desert.

A gigantic sandworm burst from beneath the dunes.

ROOOOOOOAR!!

Its massive body twisted through the sand like an ocean serpent.

Standing on its head—

Was Andre.

Covered in dust.

Covered in scratches.

Holding on with one hand.

Punching it repeatedly with the other.

"You stubborn oversized earthworm!"

The sandworm dove underground.

Andre disappeared with it.

Half a second later—

Both erupted back into the air.

Andre screamed toward the sky.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, KAI?!"

His voice echoed across the endless desert.

"...I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU FOR DAYS!"

The sandworm immediately slammed him back into the dunes.

BOOM!

A cloud of sand exploded into the air.

Andre's muffled voice echoed from beneath it.

"...I'm gonna kill him..."