MEMELAND

Kai had barely finished breakfast.

Taai was already waiting outside.

Arms crossed.

Foot tapping impatiently.

"...Done eating?"

Kai swallowed the last bite of bread.

"...Maybe."

Taai grabbed him by the collar.

"Good enough."

"Training."

---

The training grounds were already packed.

Soldiers sparred.

Weights slammed into the ground.

Metal rang against metal.

Everywhere Kai looked—

Someone was training.

Taai walked to the center.

Then looked at Kai.

"So."

"Show me."

Kai frowned.

"...Show you what?"

"The thing."

Kai blinked.

"...What thing?"

"The thing that's different."

Silence.

Kai immediately knew what Taai meant.

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

Taai shrugged.

"I told you."

"I won't ask."

"But I can tell."

He pointed at Kai's chest.

"Something changed."

Kai remained quiet.

Taai continued.

"Your body feels..."

"...off."

"Like your Ki forgot where it's supposed to go."

Kai's eyes widened slightly.

Ki.

So that was what Taai called it.

Taai cracked his neck.

"Whatever happened."

"It doesn't matter."

"We'll fix it."

Kai blinked.

"...Fix it?"

Taai grinned.

"The old-fashioned way."

He pointed toward the obstacle course.

"Run."

---

Kai ran.

Again.

Again.

And again.

Sprint.

Jump.

Roll.

Climb.

Vault.

By noon—

His lungs burned.

His muscles screamed.

Yet...

Something was different.

Before the surgery—

His exhaustion had come purely from his body.

Now—

There was another sensation.

Whenever he pushed himself—

A dull ache spread beneath his skin.

As though something inside him wanted to awaken...

But couldn't.

He ignored it.

Taai didn't.

"Hm."

Kai slowed to catch his breath.

"What?"

Taai folded his arms.

"You're forcing it."

"I'm forcing what?"

"Your Ki."

Kai frowned.

"I don't even know how to use Ki."

"Exactly."

Taai pointed toward Kai's chest.

"Your body knows."

"Your mind doesn't."

Kai looked down.

"..."

---

The afternoon became worse.

Much worse.

Taai insisted on hand-to-hand combat.

Kai blocked.

Dodged.

Countered.

Used the Order's flowing movements.

Mixed in Fais' destructive punches.

His movements were smoother than before.

Far smoother.

Taai nodded.

"Better."

Then punched him anyway.

Boom.

Kai skipped across the dirt.

"Oww..."

Taai laughed.

"You've improved."

"But you're hesitating."

Kai climbed back up.

"I am not."

"You are."

"You stop."

"For half a heartbeat."

"Every time."

Kai frowned.

"...How can you tell?"

Taai tapped his own chest.

"I feel it."

"When our fists connect."

"Your strength disappears."

"For an instant."

Kai thought back.

He hadn't noticed.

But...

Now that Taai mentioned it—

Every time he instinctively pushed harder...

Pain answered first.

As though something beneath his skin resisted him.

---

The next exchange came quickly.

Kai rushed forward.

Wind gathered around his feet.

A burst of speed.

He appeared beside Taai.

A punch.

Taai blocked.

Kai followed with a spinning elbow.

Then another strike.

Then—

Pain.

Sharp.

Violent.

It shot across his chest.

His movements faltered.

Taai immediately stopped.

"...There."

Kai grabbed his side.

"...You saw that?"

"I felt it."

Taai crouched beside him.

"...Whatever happened to you."

"It isn't your muscles."

"It isn't your bones."

"It's deeper."

Kai slowly steadied his breathing.

"...Deeper..."

Taai nodded.

"Your Ki pathways."

"They're...strange."

"I've never felt anything like them."

Kai stayed silent.

Magic Circuits.

They were affecting even this.

---

Taai sat beside him.

For several minutes—

Neither spoke.

Eventually—

Taai picked up a pebble.

"You know why Muscle City became strong?"

Kai shook his head.

"Everyone thinks it's because we're obsessed with muscles."

"...Aren't you?"

"We are."

"But that's not the reason."

He tossed the pebble.

"After I departed with Alice and built Muscle City."

"The Cult of Azathoth appeared again after Oheyo—twenty years later."

"It started the first Demon War."

"We couldn't compete with mages."

"We couldn't compete with technology."

"So..."

"We perfected the only thing nobody could take away."

"Our own bodies."

Kai listened quietly.

"We discovered something."

Taai continued.

"No matter how weak someone was born..."

"If they refined their Ki..."

"They could surpass geniuses."

"No shortcuts."

"No blessings."

"No surgery."

"Just effort."

Kai lowered his gaze.

"..."

Taai noticed.

Then laughed.

"Don't misunderstand."

"I'm not saying shortcuts are bad."

"I'm saying..."

He pointed at Kai again.

"If someone takes one..."

"They'd better learn how to use it."

Kai's eyes narrowed slightly.

"..."

The words hit closer than Taai realized.

---

Evening came.

The two sat outside the training hall.

A mountain of grilled meat rested between them.

Kai stared.

"...There's enough here for five people."

Taai shrugged.

"I know."

"...It's just dinner."

Kai looked at the table again.

Then quietly smiled.

"...Andre would've loved this place."

Taai laughed loudly.

"I would've loved to meet him."

"You'd probably become drinking buddies."

Kai imagined it.

Andre.

Taai.

Andrew.

One table.

An entire city's meat supply disappearing overnight.

He chuckled.

"...Yeah."

"They probably would."

---

Night fell.

Training resumed.

Again.

Push-ups.

Squats.

Sprints.

Balance drills.

Meditation.

Finally—

Just before midnight—

Taai called it.

Kai collapsed onto the ground.

"I'm dead."

"No."

"Tomorrow."

Kai groaned.

---

Three days passed.

Then four.

Kai finally noticed something.

His body.

It had changed.

His arms felt heavier.

Not from fatigue.

From muscle.

His shoulders had broadened slightly.

Even his stance felt more stable.

He flexed his hand.

"..."

Taai caught him looking.

"See?"

"I told you."

Kai blinked.

"...This fast?"

Taai grinned.

"We struck the iron while it was hot."

"You were recovering."

"I made sure your body recovered stronger."

Kai remembered.

The endless meals.

Recovery elixirs.

Medicinal baths.

The strange bitter drinks.

Everything suddenly made sense.

"...You planned this."

"Of course."

---

Taai stood.

"So."

"Alice told me to help you while you're here."

"Then I gave you Special treatment"

"You disappeared."

"Then returned."

"Then helped you again."

"So what now?"

Kai remained upside down.

Still holding a handstand.

After a long silence—

He answered.

"...I think I'll go back to that place."

Taai waited.

Kai mentioned the district.

Not the hideout.

Just the area surrounding it.

Taai nodded once.

"...That district, huh."

Kai nodded.

"I've got business there."

Taai gave a short hum.

"Aight."

Then, after a beat, he added,

"Maybe Andrew's there."

Kai looked up.

"...Andrew?"

Taai snorted.

"Yeah."

"After You and Andrew went there for the first time and witnessed the assassinations"

"He's been taking the assassinations seriously now."

Kai frowned.

"Seriously?"

Taai laughed.

"After he got bamboozled, he stopped messing around."

"He wants answers."

"He might be poking around that district already."

Kai slowly lowered himself from the handstand.

"...That sounds like him."

Taai suddenly clapped his hands.

"Enough talking."

Kai looked nervous.

"...What now?"

"Body-to-body training."

Kai froze.

"..."

Taai smiled.

"Relax."

"I'll be gentle."

Before Kai could react—

Taai stepped behind him.

Both hands landed firmly on Kai's waist.

Kai's entire body stiffened.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Kai slowly turned his head.

"...Why are your hands there?"

Taai looked confused.

"...To throw you."

Kai immediately panicked.

"THERE ARE OTHER PLACES TO GRAB!"

Taai ignored him.

Lifted him effortlessly.

Kai's scream echoed across the training grounds.

"FUUUUUUUCK—!"