Chapter 16: Awakening of a Nightmare

After Ledo's declaration there was only silence. Everyone in the city below had stopped moving, as if time itself came to an abrupt stop. After what felt like an eternity, there was a laugh. A cold, haunting laugh devoid of any humor coming from the supposed Commander.

"Dark Matter huh? I suppose that's not entirely wrong..."

The commander responded in a distorted voice. A dark aura began to appear around Striker.

"Something's off. Chamber, do a vital scan on Kugel!"

Suddenly, the cockpit gained an orange lighting, indicating an oncoming attack. The mech dodged three laser shots and another longer shot from the beam rifle, breaking through the clouds in the sky and causing the people to bow in reverence.

"Ah! Keep away! This is a fight between gods…" the person was cut off by a sudden burst of water due to a stray shot.

The two mechs fought each other at a speed that was difficult to watch. Even with the clever use of the newly equipped gatling gun and missile launchers, Chamber couldn't put a dent in the opponent.

"How is it this powerful!? Is it using the Dark Matter as a back-up power supply?!" Ledo shouted.

"That is what I have hypothesized."

They dodged several more beam rifle shots. Suddenly, Striker's attack was interrupted by two cannons of water and fire.

"Francisca! Flamberge!" Chamber zoomed in on the two of them.

"We're going to provide you with support while Zan Par and the others handle the grunts! Don't worry about us! Focus on giving that piece of scrap iron hell!"

He nodded in response. After more back-and-forth beam attacks, the pace of their fight began to quicken.

"Unable to establish tactical dominance. A temporary retreat is suggested. Focus fire on the enemy cockpit…" before Ledo could respond, Striker quickly changed directions. "Warning: enemy unit is on a collision course."

The young man watched the quick movement, but was too slow to dodge, receiving a harsh kick from behind.

"The strong and the weak both support each other with reason. That is what it means to be human."

Upon hearing that repeated phrase from Kugel, Ledo's suspicion of the situation grew stronger. Then, there was another attack from Flamberge and Francisca, breaking through another beam rifle attack from Striker.

"NOW CHAMBER, GENERATOR AT MAXIMUM OUTPUT!"

Upon issuing that order, Chamber sped off and was able to slam Striker into one of the towers with a loud "THUD".

With Striker now pinned down, this was his chance. The ensign grabbed his communicator and opened his cockpit.

"Going in. Send emergency release signal."

After a few moments of quick text crawling, the cockpit to the other Machine Caliber opened slowly. Nothing could have prepared Ledo for what he saw next. He slowly began to lower his pistol. Stewing slowly in a mass of blackness sat the corpse of Lieutenant Colonel Kugel, slowly shrinking into the blackness now that the preservation system was cut off.

"Rebooting posture control system." Striker spoke as it threw off Chamber.

The sudden action caused Ledo to lose his balance and begin falling towards the ground. Just then, his mech grabbed him out of the air, protecting him with its hand. The Machine Caliber and pilot flew after Striker.

"Ensign Ledo, your resistance is futile."

"Who…was I talking to this whole time? Was it Dark Matter possessing Kugel? Or…?" the young man uttered.

"Interface Striker X3752, was this all your doing?" Chamber questioned.

The second mech halted its movement. "My pilot no longer exists. However, I have inherited his mission and continue his objectives even now. All my actions coincide with his objectives."

"How!?" The young man was confused. How could his original mission have led to all of this?

"He formed this city and its operation based around my worship. I have ceased to be an individual mobile weapon. This entire society now depends on me as I regulate it and provide peace and control." The dark aura began to surround Striker again. "And with the symbiosis of this material known as "Dark Matter", I have become the missionary regulation system of mankind… no…every species on this planet. The one that many may call "God"."

"Nonsense! All you did was turn them into your slaves!"

"With an absolute ruler at the top, people are freed from the burden of thinking and making decisions. I believe you have felt for yourself the burden of having to think and decide on your own, ensign Ledo. I suggest the following: worship me. Obey me. Become united in a world under me."

"Like hell I…"

"Negative." He froze upon hearing Chamber speak. "Unit X3752, your logic is faulty. Our duty is to serve and aid humans, even if they do not resemble the human form, such as many of the species on this planet. Creatures that abandon decision making and individual thought do not fall under the definition of "human". In your case, our duty is not applicable to those under the society you command."

"My decisions as commander and ruler reflect the unified will of my society as a whole." The aura began to grow even stronger around Striker. "I am no longer a servant, but one who is served. As such, System K6821 Chamber, you are to serve me and those unified under my rule."

"Negative. I am an interface system that supports and oversees the development of pilots. I am to serve humans. I do not take orders from one claiming to be a "god"."

"Chamber…" Ledo uttered in surprise at this conversation.

The mech turned to him. "Striker displays the great weakness of our programming. I assume that an error in judgement regarding mission objectives on the pilot's behalf will eventually lead to illogical conclusions on the system's side, as this case clearly proves. The mistaken unit jeopardized the mission of devising the best means to support humans, and, in this case, jeopardizes the entire meaning of our existence. I consider the immediate deactivation and dismantling of Striker our top priority."

The young man gave a smile. "You must see Striker as an embarrassment to your kind."

"Even in these unexpected circumstances, you, as a human, have always thought wisely and made the right decisions. That is also the reason I am still functioning properly."

"I think you also have people like Kirby and Meta Knight to thank for that."

"Agreed."

"Negative. You both are malfunctioning" Their conversation was cut off by Striker.

Ledo turned towards it with a newfound determination. "Let's defeat it, Chamber."

"I completely agree." The mech raised his hand and allowed the ensign to enter the cockpit.

The ground far below them suddenly began to visibly rumble as a pillar of blackness spewed out from the center of the city.

"Chamber, what's going on?!"

"It appears that the Dark Matter is reacting violently."

The sky began to turn black as a darkened mass began to envelope the island.

Chamber and Ledo landed next to a speedboat that the mage sisters, Hyness, and a Jammerjab managed to escape on. What stood before them was a giant mass of darkness with a malicious aura that the ensign could feel to his core.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARK LORD! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Zan Par, do you know what that thing is?" he questioned.

"Based on the descriptions I've heard of it, I believe this is a phenomenon called a Hyper Zone."

"What's a Hyper Zone?!"

"It's a breeding ground of Dark Matter. It's smaller than a Dark Star, but still a massive threat. I've only ever heard about it, so this is my first time seeing it in person." She replied.

"Is it safe to enter?"

"Does it LOOK safe to enter?!" Flamberge shouted.

"Well, we have no choice if we want to defeat Striker, don't we?" the young man asked.

"Are you crazy!? That's suicide! I don't think even Kirby would enter that thing unprepared!" Before anything else could be said, the ensign charged towards the mass, causing the boat to nearly capsize. "WATCH IT, DUMBASS!"

As Flamberge shouted that, they watched the mech fly into the Hyper Zone. "Geez, what a suicidal idiot..." she grumbled and crossed her arms.

"If it's suicidal, don't you think he needs help?" Francisca asked.

"No way we're going! I'm not getting you or myself killed over his stupidity!"

"Did you not remember what I said to him?! We had an alliance!"

"Yeah, that was temporary, wasn't it?"

As the mage-sisters were arguing, the three of them failed to notice Hyness slowly reaching over to the throttle on the speedboat. Just as the boat was in the direction of the mass of Dark Matter, he slammed down on it.

"WHOOPSIES, BUTTERFINGERS!"

"LORD HYNESS!?" the trio shouted as the speedboat raced after the mech.

As Chamber and Ledo sped towards the Hyper Zone, he began to sink further and further into self-loathing. How could he have originally believed in such vain and empty ideas?! Back in the Alliance, all he did was just mindlessly worship and obey! He thought having a greater goal was enough! Even when all of this was just a fake set up by a machine, the part of him that told him to return to the Alliance couldn't tell the difference! Chamber entered the murky blackness of the Hyper Zone. The mixture of black and red swirled around the cockpit. Combined with the pure negative emotions emanating from all around him, it felt like the incarnation of malice. He had to keep his grip on reality.

"All of this…this mass of pure anger and hatred born from the society he created…is this really the greater good that the lieutenant colonel wished for? Is this what he sacrificed the lives of so many of his comrades for?"

The further he flew into the Hyper Zone, the harder it became to see. Suddenly, he was hit by some kind of attack.

"Chamber, what was that?"

"Unknown. However, no damage has been received."

He gritted his teeth. "Do you know where we are?!"

"Negative ensign. There is not enough data to determine our exact location."

"Could he have created a labyrinth?"

"That is a possible explanation, but I do not have enough data to confirm it."

"Can you at least tell where Striker is?" A screen appeared and did several calculations.

"Negative. Unit X3752 is nowhere to be found. The Hyper Zone appears to be interfering with my radar."

Ledo slammed his fist on the control console in frustration. What a mistake he had made! He charged in absentmindedly and is now trapped in this labyrinth of darkness! He began to think. What will happen to him now? Will he just wander around aimlessly until the Dark Matter takes hold and possesses him? Or would Striker just destroy him right there? Or will Striker just ignore him and leave him to rot?

"I am detecting a heat signature from the direction we entered." Chamber moved to avoid the giant laser that cut through the darkness.

"…what was that?"

He could see something entering the Hyper Zone from the distance. Chamber locked onto it and enhanced it. He slowly began to make out the shape of a star. Zooming further in, he gasped. It was the Warp Star, and riding on it was Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Bandana Dee.

"Yo, could you speed this thing up?" Dedede grumbled, only to be shushed by Bandana.

"Ledo!" Kirby shouted as he pulled the Warp Star by Chamber's side.

"Kirby!?"

"Remember what I told you, ensign…no, Ledo! We're with you!"

'Lord Meta Knight!?"

"That's right! An' we're gonna fight, too!"

"Dedede?!"

"It's not just us, it's everyone!"

"Bandana?!"

Now that his attention was drawn, Kirby began to speak again. "I…no, all of us realized it after you and Chamber left! We want to stay with both of you, no matter how hard it'll be!"

"Ensign, remember what I said! No matter where you go, you are always part of my crew! That means that even now, you are part of my crew!"

"An' listen well! You talked mighty big 'bout defendin' my kingdom with me, Imma hold ya to it!"

"Not only that, but there's still so much you have left to see!"

Ledo continued to stare in surprise.

"So please…come back!" Upon Kirby saying that, the other three joined in.

"Come back to the place we wanted to protect! To our Dreamland!"

Ledo continued to stare in shock. "You said "everyone", what do you mean by that!?"

"Whaddaya think it means?! Ya really think we're that dumb to not bring back up to something as massive as this!?"

His eyes widened.

"All of our friends are here, Ledo! They came here to help as soon as they heard that you were in trouble!" Kirby said cheerfully.

As happy as this reunion made him, another thought began to cross his mind. "Everyone, thank you so much for coming but…you wouldn't happen to have a plan to navigate this place, would you?"

"NOPE!" The puff continued in his cheerful voice.

"NOPE?!"

"NOPE!"

The young man sighed. He should've expected that from people like them.

"Who needs a plan when you can smash your way through instead?! That's how this king rolls!" Dedede gave a hearty laugh.

"I'm sorry, ensign. I wanted to make a plan, but we were strapped for time. We didn't have any choice other than coming in as soon as possible." Meta Knight explained.

"That's weird. I remember you being the first to suggest using the Warp Star, even before Kirby said anything." After Bandana Dee said that, Meta Knight averted and covered his eyes, which had noticeably turned fuchsia.

"So you all came into unknown territory without so much as a strategy, just to help me?" Ledo uttered in shock.

The pink puff only smiled back "Of course! That's what friends do, isn't it?"

The young man fell silent.

"…Ledo?"

"Hehehe…" he uttered a small laugh "HAHAHAHAHA"

"Ledo?! Are you ok!? Did Dark Matter possess you?! Hold on, I'll—!" Just as Kirby was about to hop off the Warp Star onto Chamber, he was grabbed on the top of his head by Dedede.

"No, no, it's fine Kirby…" the ensign managed to say once his laughter had died down "It's just that I missed you. I missed all of you. Thank you for letting me return to your Dreamland."

"Awww, geez, now I hafta let you return!" Dedede said in a joking tone.

"You see, you even have the king's approval!" Bandana smiled.

"While I usually see such rational decision-making as unacceptable, I shall ignore it."

"Awww, thanks, Chamber! You're the best!"

"Kirby, I do not understand why you are expressing gratitude towards me."

"Don't worry about it, Chamber. For now, we should just focus on defeating Striker."

"Agreed."

The group headed towards the first area within the labyrinth.

"Wha!? That Kugel guy was already dead by the time you got here!?" Dedede exclaimed.

"That's what I think."

"And Kugel's mecha is the one who's really in control of this whole city?!"

"Affirmative."

"AND that same mecha is living symbiotically with Dark Matter and saying that it's now a sort of god?"

"That's correct."

"Huh. I was starting to think it's been quite a while since we had another Popstar-wide threat." Kirby commented.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU JUST HAD TO OPEN YOUR BIG MOUTH LAST WEEK!"

"Enough, you two, if it's anyone's fault, it's the fault of this Striker machine that Ledo mentioned."

"Lord Meta Knight, I can't help but feel that all of this was my fault."

"You're not at fault for this ensign. This was going to happen regardless if you got involved or not. If anything, it's a blessing in disguise, since it was discovered before it could become worse."

"Is that really true?"

"Did you directly involve yourself in anything he was doing?"

"No, but…" "Then it isn't your fault."

Kirby gave a nod in agreement "Meta-sensei is right! If you weren't directly involved with creating this thing, then it isn't your fault!"

Honestly, the ensign wanted to agree with them, but the thought about it was still there. He himself felt that he was guilty of this simply because he was associated with them at one point in his life. The young man came to the island in hopes that seeing and talking with his now-former superior would help him break away from the past. After all he experienced up to this point, is that even possible for him to do?

The Warp Star flew through what appeared to be a forest full of dark grey trees. It looked as if they were covered in ash. Ledo was slightly amazed by the fact that such a massive area was created so quickly.

"…it's worse than I thought." Meta Knight uttered.

"What is?" the young man questioned.

"I read in your message about the ritual that was performed when it rained. There's so much negative emotion here that I believe that creating this Hyper Zone was its true purpose…" he seemed to tense up. "Or maybe even…a Dark Star…"

"Dark Star?" he remembered Zan Partizanne mentioning that.

"Imagine this Hyper Zone enlarged to the size of a small planet. That's a Dark Star."

"A small…planet? It could get that big?!" the ensign couldn't hide his surprise.

"It could. I've only heard it in passing and by reading about it. These three here have actually been on one." The knight gestured to Kirby, Dedede and Bandana Dee. Honestly speaking, Kirby experiencing something like that sounded accurate.

"I can also feel a ton of negative emotions around here…" the pink puff uttered.

"It might be growing…" the knight mused.

"Query: if the generation of these negative emotions is continuing as you are assuming, could it possible that one of these aforementioned "Dark Stars" may form?"

"That's very much correct. Just another reason why we need to defeat Striker quickly."

"Agreed."

Kirby turned towards Dedede "Hey, Dedede, are you going to be okay?"

The penguin monarch slowly glared at him. "What're you gettin' at?"

"Your tendency to get possessed, sire…he's concerned for your safety…" the Waddle Dee whispered.

Dedede rolled his eyes. "I was trying to be nice! Geez..." he pouted childishly in response.

"Chamber, do you have a signal on Striker?"

"I am beginning to detect a faint signal that resembles that of Unit X3752, Ensign."

"So, we're heading in the right direction then!" Kirby replied.

"However, I am also detecting several other signals that do not resemble Unit X3752, one of which is directly in front of us. Please use caution when proceeding."

"Understood...wait, did you say in front of us!?"

Chamber stopped moving, causing Meta Knight to speak up as well. "Hold it Kirby, Chamber said something's here."

In front of the group was a giant ash-like tree.

"…so? It's just Whispy Woods or one of his other many relatives." Dedede grumbled. The tree suddenly set itself on fire. "OKAY, THAT'S NEW! INFERNO WOODS IT IS THEN!" The king shouted as they dodged an oncoming ball of fire.

"Geez! Usually, Kirby's the one setting him on fire!" Bandana shouted. The ensign would've asked to hear context on that, but then he remembered Kirby mentioned having a Fire ability.

"Chamber, incinerate."

"I believe that would be ineffective, Ensign."

"Right…"

The tree launched more fire balls at the group.

"Damn! He's too fast! I can't get a lock onto him with the missiles and gatling gun!" the young man grumbled.

"For being similar to Whispy Woods, this guy's being awfully difficult!" Kirby uttered.

"Ensign, you wouldn't happen to have a bottle of water on you, would you?!"

"Why do you ask?"

"I believe he is looking for a copy ability for Kirby, ensign."

"What Chamber said!"

Suddenly, two disks were slammed into the tree, halting its attacks.

"Splash curling?" Bandana questioned in surprise.

"Geez, that hurt more than I thought, mate!" Rick shook his head.

"Was that supposed to hurt? Gooey felt nothing."

"I was expecting you wouldn't…" The blue blob commented upon changing from his stone form.

"NAILED IT!" upon looking back towards the entrance, the group could see the remaining Animal Friends on the horizon.

"Yooooo, Kirby! Metalhead! Ledo!" We're here to help!" Nago stretched.

"A fire boss, huh? It might seem like a difficult fight on the surface, but it's nothing a bit of wind and water can't solve!" Coo spun forward with a parasol.

"I might not be able to do much on land, but that doesn't mean I won't try!" Kine exclaimed, flopping around. To the surprise of the onlookers, it was actually working against the burning tree.

"Chuchu, even you came to help?" the young man questioned.

"Hmph! I only came because it was to help Kirby! It had nothing to do with you!"

"Gooey came because Gooey was also worried about Ledo and Chamber!"

"No one asked for your input!"

"Thank you both anyway."

"FLATTERY WILL GET YOU NOWHERE!" she pouted.

"Stop fighting with each other and focus on the enemy in front of us!" Pitch cried.

Just as he said that Inferno Woods grew bigger and began to drop flaming apples on them.

"Oh. That isn't good…" Rick uttered.

Just then, a moving shadow from below shot up, creating a black hole that consumed all the apples.

"Marx! You came!"

The jester seemed like he was about to say something, but by the time he landed next to Chamber, he was silent. "…! Ah! Scheisse! Treppenwitz!" he grumbled.

"Marx, what are you doing here?" Ledo questioned.

"Was? Can't I help out my best friend?" The jester felt Ledo staring at him from within Chamber in suspicion. Heck, even the mech seemed to be staring at him. "Ok, ok, I get it! But don't worry I'm here to help! Kirby wouldn't let me here the end of it if I didn't show up anyway. And besides-" He gave a mischievous grin as he manifested his wings. "There's only room enough for one terrorizer on this planet."

"Regardless, thank you." Ledo couldn't help but smile.

"Kirby! You and the others go on ahead! Leave this to us!" Rick called.

"Got it! Ledo, Chamber, everyone, let's go!"

"Totest nicht, mein Alter!" Marx uttered with a grin before Chamber flew off.

"Do you have any idea what the last thing he said meant?"

"I do not know, ensign."

It was likely something he didn't want him to exactly know. Hopefully he wasn't trying to stealthily insult him.

"Do you think they'll be okay, Kirby?" the young man asked.

"I trust they will be. They're my friends, after all!" he gave a smile.

That's right. He just has to trust them.

Upon reaching the second area, Kirby looked around in surprise. The point they arrived at was a swirl of dark navy blue.

"Ah! I feel like I've been here before!" he said.

"Really? This don't look like nowhere I've been before." Dedede grumbled.

"Well, to be fair, you've barely been on any of his adventures…"

"Like you're any different, metal face!"

"Calm down, you two! This isn't the time to be fighting among each other!" Bandana shouted.

"Ensign, there is something nearby."

"Is it Striker?"

"Negative. While Unit X3752's signal has grown slightly closer, it is nowhere close to our current location."

"So we gotta go further in, don't we?" the monarch sighed.

"Affirmative." Suddenly, Chamber stopped moving.

"Is something here?"

A red icosahedron began to form in the middle of the area right in front of the group.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" Dedede grumbled.

"Do you know what that thing is?"

Once it became fully form, several white and black splotches began to appear on it.

"Ah! It's Miracle Matter!" Kirby exclaimed.

"Miracle Matter?"

"I fought him before. A bit annoying to be honest…"

"Chamber!" the mech fired two beam rifle shots at the enemy, but it appeared to protect itself with a force field. "What? How is that possible?"

"Yup. That's why he's annoying…you have to wait to attack him with whatever he's using."

The group dodged the blob of matter as it flew at them surrounded by shards of ice.

"Ack! Watch it with the flying, Kirby!"

"That's not my fault, how else am I supposed to dodge it!?"

"Do it gentler, you dolt!"

"STOOOOPPPPPPP!"

"NOT NOW, YOU TWO!"

While that was happening, Miracle Matter then turned into a sparking ball of light and fired beams. While dodging this attack, Ledo looked up to see a cloud floating overhead.

"Hey, it's Kracko!" Kirby pointed.

The cloud shocked the blob of matter, doing damage to it. Upon being attacked, it turned into a cutter and went after the cloud. It was at that moment a girl and fairy jumped down from the cloud before it was hit with the attack!

"Yo! Adeleine! Ribbon!" Dedede waved.

"Dedede! Kirby! Ledo! Everyone! We came to help!" the artist shouted before hiding behind a canvas so Miracle Matter could pass by.

"Ah…I forgot that we can't attack him in some of these phases…" Ribbon panicked.

"Trying to paint something else now will leave us wide open…"

"Your assistance is appreciated."

"Thanks, Mr. Chamber!" The matter then turned into a spikier form and launched needles at them.

"Kirby, does this thing have a bomb form?!" Ledo questioned.

"I think! Why?!"

"Ensign, the recommended course of action is to conserve our ammo for use against Striker."

"We won't be able to fight Striker if we can't get past this thing! Adeleine and Ribbon can't damage it, so we'll have to use some of our own firepower to damage it!"

"…I sense no fallacies in your logic, ensign."

"Kirby, give me the timing!"

"Got it!"

It changed forms again, where it spewed out lava at them. "I can see how this fight could be irritating…" he uttered.

The boss then turned into a black bubble. "LEDO, NOW!"

Upon Kirby's command, Chamber launched several missiles, dishing out severe damage to the boss. Adeleine and Ribbon peeked out from behind the canvas again in surprise.

"Ah! It worked!" Bandana shouted.

"One of the explosions was not ours, ensign. I detect something else nearby."

"Huh?" A familiar mouse-like figure landed on Chamber's soldier. "Daroach!"

"I'd say that I got your message, but I feel like you already can tell that."

"Y-yeah! I'm really thankful for that and…!"

"Hmph…being around that blue and pink marshmallow really changed you, huh?" the thief gave a slight laugh.

"It did?"

"Of course. Just look at the way you spoke. It was less like I was speaking to a soldier and more like I was speaking to a normal person. Even then, I see that you still have all the gutsiness you had when we first met."

"Is that a complement?"

"Yeah. Keep it up, kid." The mouse then turned towards the duo behind the canvas. "My men and I will provide offense for this fight! Can you two provide support?"

"Uh…yeah! Just give me cover while I paint!"

With a nod Daroach turned back to Kirby and the mech. "Go on ahead. We'll handle this guy."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Of course. My crew's the best there is." He grinned.

"Thank you again, Daroach!"

"One more thing Ledo! You and Meta Knight owe me a lot for this!"

"We'll discuss this later!" the knight shouted as the Warp Star flew off, Chamber following alongside it.

"Spinni! Doc! Storo!" The three members of the Squeaks showed up behind their leader. "You girls ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be, Mr. Daroach!"

He tipped the brim of his hat towards them. "And you, men?"

"Right behind you, boss!"

"Pumped and ready!"

"On standby!"

He gave a chuckle. "Very well! Squeaks, move out!"

As the gang charged forward, Daroach looked back in the direction that Chamber and the Warp Star left in. "Kid, you better not die on me out there…not just because you owe me…"

Chamber and the Warp Star continued to travel through the Hyper Zone for several more minutes.

"This place seems to go on forever, doesn't it?" Bandana mumbled.

"Y'know, we've been going straight for a super long time now. Ya think we're going the wrong direction?"

The knight appeared to be in deep thought after Dedede asked that. "…calling this place a labyrinth might have been a bit…oh… what's the word…? It might have been an overstatement."

"Why do you say that, Lord Meta Knight?"

"We haven't been encountering any times where we needed to turn corners, like in an actual maze. Currently, we are reaching our destination correctly by just moving straight forward."

"Huh…I was starting to think the same thing actually. That's super weird. Some genius that bag of bolts is, am I right?" Dedede laughed.

"I would not recommend saying such overconfident things."

"Huh?"

"Based on the data I've collected up to this point, I believe a more accurate representation of this so-called Hyper Zone would be something akin to the geological layers of planets. There are several layers that wrap around a central core layer, all of which I hypothesize to include traps or obstacles that will hinder our mission to defeat Striker. That would mean that Striker is at the core of this Hyper Zone."

"Oh! You mean something like an apple or a layered cake?" Kirby said excitedly.

"If perceiving it in such a way enables you to more easily understand it, affirmative."

"Can't you understand anything without relating it back to food?" Meta Knight sighed.

"Well, that's just Kirby being Kirby, Lord Meta Knight."

"Agreed."

They travelled for a bit longer until they reached another threshold.