MEMELAND

The moment Andrew disappeared—

Kai forced his legs to move faster.

The streets of Muscle City blurred around him.

People scattered.

Guards shouted.

"The assassin went that way!"

"Move!"

Ahead—

A dark figure vaulted over a merchant stall.

Light.

Fast.

Almost weightless.

Andrew immediately followed.

He didn't bother jumping.

He ran straight through the stall.

CRASH!

Wood exploded.

Fruit flew everywhere.

The merchant stared in horror.

"...My apples..."

Andrew didn't even look back.

"Sorry!"

Kai blinked.

"...That's one way to do it."

He pushed himself harder.

His breathing remained surprisingly steady.

Not perfect—

But much better than before.

A few weeks ago...

He would've already been exhausted.

Now—

He could keep going.

His body felt...

Lighter.

Stronger.

Taai's voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.

Strike the iron while it's hot.

Kai couldn't help smiling.

"...Yeah."

"...Guess it worked."

He vaulted over a cart.

Slid beneath a hanging clothesline.

Rounded another corner—

Just in time to see the assassin leap from one rooftop to another.

"...They're fast."

No—

Fast wasn't the right word.

Efficient.

Every movement flowed naturally.

No wasted motion.

No hesitation.

Andrew noticed it too.

His grin widened.

"Now we're talking!"

The assassin reached behind their back.

Something gleamed.

Andrew's eyes narrowed.

"...A scythe?"

It wasn't identical—

But the weapon looked strangely familiar.

Large.

Double-edged.

Andrew laughed.

"I like your taste!"

The assassin answered by throwing two wooden crates behind them.

Andrew didn't dodge.

He lowered his shoulder.

BOOM!

Both crates exploded into splinters.

"These petty tricks won't work on me!"

Kai chased after them—

Trying to keep pace.

His legs burned.

His lungs protested.

Still—

He refused to slow down.

Not yet.

Then—

His stomach twisted.

"..."

Kai froze.

"...Uh oh."

One more step.

His stomach twisted harder.

"...No."

Another step.

"...No no no..."

He stopped completely.

Bent forward.

Grabbed his stomach.

"...Ugh..."

"I shouldn't have..."

"...eaten that much..."

The combination of sprinting immediately after stuffing himself with food—

Was not a good decision.

Kai groaned.

"...Taai never warned me about this..."

Andrew was already gone.

Far ahead.

Kai could only watch him disappear over another rooftop.

"...I'll catch up..."

"...Eventually..."

He grinned from ear to ear.

Finally.

Someone fast enough to be interesting.

The assassin darted across rooftops.

Andrew stayed below.

Running through the streets instead.

Walls.

Carts.

Stairs.

Nothing slowed him down.

The assassin kicked over another market stall.

Vegetables flew everywhere.

Andrew ran straight through it.

CRASH!

Wood shattered.

Merchants screamed.

"MY SHOP!"

"Sorry!"

Not sorry.

The assassin glanced back once.

Andrew noticed.

"...You looked."

"Mistake."

The distance between them shortened.

Barely.

But enough.

The assassin suddenly dropped from the rooftops.

Landed inside a narrow alley.

Andrew immediately followed.

The alley twisted.

Left.

Right.

Right again.

Then through another marketplace.

The assassin grabbed a stack of empty barrels.

Rolled them behind.

Andrew smashed straight through them.

BOOM!

"...You're gonna have to do better than that!"

The assassin vaulted over another fence.

Andrew simply broke the fence.

The city guard watching nearby sighed.

"...Again..."

The chase burst into another crowded street.

The assassin vanished into the crowd.

Andrew kept running.

People screamed and jumped aside.

Then—

A window above opened.

Someone leaned out carrying a bucket.

The timing...

Could not have been worse.

SPLASH!

A wave of foul-smelling sewer water poured directly onto Andrew.

Silence.

The entire street froze.

Andrew stopped.

Dripping.

The old woman above the window covered her mouth.

"...Oh!"

"I'm so sorry!"

Andrew slowly wiped the filthy water from his face.

"..."

"..."

He looked down at himself.

Then back up.

The old woman shrank behind the window.

"...It really was an accident..."

Andrew sighed.

"..."

Then pointed down the street where the assassin had disappeared.

"...They got away."

He looked at the bucket one last time.

"...I'm gonna smell like this all day."

Somewhere farther behind—

Kai finally reached the street.

He looked at Andrew.

Then at the puddle around him.

Then silently decided...

Not to ask.