Chapter 57: “The Meme-ing of Life (or: When Memes Attack)”

As if escaping the Chicken Kingdom wasn't traumatic enough, Kazuya and the gang found themselves wandering through yet another bizarre landscape. This time, it wasn't just the scenery that felt off—it was the vibes.

"Why does everything look… distorted?" Kazuya squinted at a nearby tree, which seemed to be bending at a 90-degree angle for no reason.

"Is it just me," Sylvara whispered, "or is that rock over there… T-posing?"

Sure enough, a boulder was majestically standing with its imaginary arms spread wide.

"I don't like this," Nerissa muttered. "It's like we've walked straight into a cursed internet forum."

Suddenly, a loud, familiar voice boomed from the sky.

"WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MEMORIA!"

Everyone froze.

"…Did the sky just yell at us?"

Welcome to the Land of Memoria

Out of nowhere, a mysterious figure appeared before them, riding a massive Shiba Inu that looked suspiciously like the Doge meme.

"Behold! I am the Keeper of Memes!" the figure declared, striking a ridiculous pose. His robe was covered in "LOL" and "BRUH" text, and his staff was literally a giant L-shaped hand doing the loser sign.

Kazuya blinked. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope!" The Keeper grinned. "You've entered Memoria, where every meme ever created comes to life!"

Fergus gasped. "Wait… every meme?"

The Keeper nodded. "Yup. Doge, Pepe, Grumpy Cat… even the ancient ones like 'All Your Base Are Belong to Us.'"

Nerissa groaned. "This is my worst nightmare."

"On the contrary!" The Keeper twirled his staff. "This is a paradise of laughter! But beware… for if you cannot keep up with the memes, you will be canceled."

Kazuya flinched. "What happens if we get canceled?"

"You get perma-banned from reality."

Everyone gulped.

The Trial of Memes

"Fear not!" The Keeper pointed dramatically at Kazuya. "You, brave traveler, must face the Trial of Memes to escape Memoria!"

"Why is it always me?" Kazuya groaned.

The Keeper ignored him. "Your first challenge… Caption This!"

Suddenly, a giant floating screen appeared, showing a picture of Fergus mid-chicken dance, looking completely ridiculous.

"WHAT?!" Fergus shrieked. "Where did you get that?!"

"Your phone's camera roll," the Keeper said smugly.

"I don't even HAVE a phone!"

"Plot twist: You do now."

Kazuya grabbed the magical phone that materialized in his hand. "Alright, alright. Caption this… um…"

He typed frantically.

"When you realize you're the main character, but it's a comedy anime."

The screen flashed green.

"Ding ding ding! Correct!" the Keeper cheered. "Next meme challenge!"

The Meme Characters Appear

Out of the bushes popped a familiar-looking frog.

"Pepe?" Kazuya asked.

The frog just sighed dramatically. "Feels bad, man."

Then, a regal-looking cat strutted past them, wearing a tiny crown.

"Grumpy Cat?" Nerissa blinked.

The cat glared at her. "No."

Everyone gasped.

"It talks?!"

"Of course I do," Grumpy Cat snapped. "I've been stuck here for YEARS. This place sucks."

Sylvara bent down to pet the cat. "Aw, poor thing—"

Grumpy Cat swatted her hand. "Don't. Touch. Me."

The Rise of Chad Kazuya

"Enough chit-chat!" The Keeper clapped his hands. "It's time for your next trial… Chad vs. Virgin!"

"What does that even mean?" Kazuya asked, confused.

Suddenly, a muscular version of himself appeared on the screen, labeled "Chad Kazuya."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

The Keeper grinned. "You must embrace your inner Chad to win this round."

Chad Kazuya flexed, his shirt ripping off in slow motion.

Sylvara blushed. "Well… that's unexpected."

Kazuya groaned, covering his face. "This is so embarrassing."

"Come on, Kazuya!" Fergus laughed. "Just do the Chad walk!"

Reluctantly, Kazuya straightened his posture, puffed out his chest, and started strutting like a giga-Chad.

"PERFECT!" the Keeper cried. "You've passed the trial!"

The Final Boss: Karen of Memoria

Just when they thought it was over, the ground began to shake.

"Oh no," the Keeper whispered. "She's here."

"Who?" Nerissa asked.

"The most fearsome meme of all…" The Keeper trembled. "Karen."

A woman with a terrifying haircut and a "Can I Speak to the Manager?" T-shirt stormed into view.

"I demand to speak to the king!" she screeched.

Kazuya sighed. "Of course."

Karen pointed an accusing finger. "And who are YOU supposed to be?"

"The Chicken King," Kazuya deadpanned.

Karen blinked. "That… makes sense."

Fergus whispered, "I think she bought it."

Karen's eyes narrowed. "But you're still going to hear from my lawyer."

The Epic Karen Battle

Karen charged at them, wielding her purse like a battle axe.

"DEFEND YOURSELVES!" Kazuya yelled.

Sylvara summoned her magic, creating a shield of LOLcats.

Nerissa unleashed a rain of Trollface emojis.

Fergus… well, Fergus threw a chicken nugget.

"REALLY?!" Kazuya yelled.

Fergus shrugged. "It's all I had!"

Karen deflected the nugget with her purse. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Kazuya gritted his teeth. "Alright… let's do this meme style."

He pulled out a pair of sunglasses, slowly putting them on.

"Deal with it."

Victory and Escape

With a final BAWK from a giant chicken statue, Karen was defeated.

The Keeper of Memes applauded. "Congratulations! You've survived the Trial of Memes!"

Kazuya collapsed in exhaustion. "I never want to see another meme again."

Grumpy Cat smirked. "Too bad. You're stuck with us now."

"Wonderful."

As they walked away, Sylvara leaned in close to Kazuya.

"You know," she whispered, "I kind of liked Chad Kazuya."

Kazuya groaned. "Please stop."

"Never."