MEMELAND

The morning sun had only begun to rise over Muscle City.

Golden light spilled across the towering walls as workers slowly returned to repairing the damage left behind by the invasion.

Broken towers.

Collapsed homes.

Scorched stone.

Although the city still stood...

The scars of war remained.

---

Kai stood atop the eastern wall.

The same wall where he and Chocomint had spoken beneath the full moon only hours before.

The letter rested safely inside his coat.

A cool breeze swept across the plains beyond the city.

"..."

His eyes drifted toward the endless horizon.

Somewhere beyond those lands...

Lay the headquarters of the Order.

A place he had only heard about through fragments of memories.

A place where perhaps...

Someone finally knew who he truly was.

Footsteps approached from behind.

"Already leaving?"

Kai turned.

Taai slowly walked toward him.

Bandages still wrapped around most of his upper body.

Even breathing seemed painful.

Yet his usual grin remained.

"You should still be resting."

Taai laughed.

"And miss sending off one of my students?"

Kai smiled.

"I wouldn't hear the end of it."

"Hah!"

Taai folded his arms.

"You've gotten stronger."

"...Not enough."

"No."

Taai nodded.

"Not enough."

The answer came far too quickly.

Kai looked away.

"I lost control."

"I nearly died."

Taai walked beside him until they both overlooked the vast plains.

"You did."

"..."

"But you also kept standing."

Silence settled between them.

Finally...

Taai reached into his pocket.

He tossed something toward Kai.

Kai caught it.

A worn leather pouch.

Inside...

"Training weights?"

Taai nodded.

Kai carefully put them away.

"...Thank you."

---

Far below...

Andrew yawned loudly.

He had somehow fallen asleep while standing beside the city gate.

His enormous scythe rested against his shoulder.

One guard carefully tried poking him.

Andrew's eyes immediately snapped open.

"What."

"N-Nothing!"

The guard jumped back.

Andrew scratched his head.

"...Weird dream."

He looked around.

"The city's still here."

"Guess that's good."

He noticed Kai approaching.

"So you're leaving?"

Kai nodded.

"For a while."

Andrew stretched.

"Bring me souvenirs."

Kai blinked.

"From a secret organization?"

"Exactly."

"They've probably got cool mugs."

Kai couldn't help smiling.

"I'll keep that in mind."

---

Not far away...

Chocomint waited beside a simple wooden wagon.

No horses.

No driver.

Only the wagon.

Kai looked around.

"...How does it move?"

Chocomint stepped inside.

"You'll see."

Kai climbed aboard.

The moment the door closed...

A faint blue glow spread beneath the wagon.

The wheels never touched the ground.

Instead...

The wagon quietly floated several inches above the earth.

Kai raised an eyebrow.

Chocomint smiled.

"So you noticed."

"I did some tinkering"

The floating carriage silently drifted away from the gates.

No rumbling.

No shaking.

Only the quiet sound of wind.

---

The plains slowly disappeared behind them.

Hours passed.

Then Days.

Grasslands became forests.

Forests became hills.

Roads became trails.

Eventually...

Even those disappeared.

Kai frowned.

"There isn't a path anymore."

"There never was."

Chocomint answered calmly.

"The Order doesn't exist on any map."

Kai looked outside once more.

The surrounding forest seemed...

Wrong.

Every tree looked identical.

Every hill felt familiar.

Almost as if they had already passed the same place several times.

"..."

Kai quietly watched the scenery.

Then...

He noticed something.

A small wooden sign stood beside an old tree.

WELCOME.

Several minutes later...

Another sign.

WELCOME.

Then another.

WELCOME.

Kai slowly looked toward Chocomint.

"We've passed that sign three times."

"We have."

"..."

"..."

"...We're going in circles."

Chocomint smiled.

"No."

"The forest simply doesn't allow strangers to walk straight."

Kai narrowed his eyes.

The answer only raised more questions.

---

The floating wagon continued deeper.

Birdsong gradually faded.

Even insects became silent.

The air itself felt...

Different.

Heavier.

Older.

Kai instinctively placed a hand near his sword.

His Magic Circuits pulsed faintly beneath his skin.

For only a split second...

A memory surfaced.

A mountain.

A waterfall.

A woman with black-and-red hair.

The memory vanished before he could grasp it.

Kai rubbed his forehead.

Chocomint looked toward him.

"So."

"Are you excited to meet Master?."

Kai slowly nodded.

"...maybe."

Chocomint faced forward once again.

The floating wagon disappeared deeper into the ancient forest.

Far beyond every kingdom.

Far beyond every map.

Toward the place where the Order had waited...