Chapter 5:The return of ERROR 2250
The scent of his mother's ramen—rich pork broth and spring onions—filled Shinji's nostrils as he blinked awake. Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains of his shitty apartment, painting the peeling walls in gold. For one blissful moment, he let himself believe it was real. That he hadn't fucking timetraveled. That his friends weren't dead in another timeline.
Then came the pounding at his door.
Kaito (banging violently): "Oi, dipshit! You gonna sleep through the first fucking day or what? Open the goddamn door before I kick it down!"
Shinji groaned, dragging a hand through his messy black hair. The digital clock on his nightstand blinked 7:30 AM in angry red numbers. Fuck me.
Shinji yanked open the door to find Kaito leaning against the frame, already dressed in his stupidly unbuttoned uniform, his spiky brown hair defying gravity like always. The bastard was grinning like an idiot, a sleek black Zod Corp VR headset tucked under his arm.
Shinji (eyeing it like a live grenade): "Where the fuck did you get that?"
Kaito (flashing a peace sign): "Free giveaway at the station! Got one for me, one for Airi, and one for your paranoid ass." He tossed it at Shinji, who barely caught it. "Supposed to be, like, nextgen shit. Full neural dive or whatever."
Shinji's grip tightened. The last time he'd touched one of these, Tokyo had turned into a fucking warzone.
Shinji (tossing it back): "I'm not putting that thing on."
Kaito (rolling his eyes): "Dude, you've been acting weird all week. What, you got brain damage from jerking off too hard or something?"
Shinji (deadpan): "Yeah, Kaito. That's it."
The school was a nightmare. Zod Corp banners hung everywhere, their sleek silverandred logo plastered on every surface like a fucking brand. The air buzzed with excitement, students chattering about the "revolutionary new tech" they'd get to test.
And at the front of the class, oozing smugness like a goddamn oil spill, stood Gizen.
The CEO of Zod Corp was a tall, lean bastard in a pristine white suit, his long silver hair tied back in a ponytail. His presence alone made the room feel heavier, like gravity itself bent around him. When he turned his sharp, golden eyes on Shinji, the air turned fucking cold.
Gizen (smirking): "Ah, our honored guests. How... punctual."
Shinji's jaw clenched. This fucker knows.
Mr. Akali (clapping): "Class, today we have the privilege of hosting Mr. Gizen himself! Zod Corp's new VR technology will change the future!"
Gizen (spreading his arms): "Indeed. Today, you will be the first to experience true immersion."
Shinji couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his hands on his desk, the sound cracking through the room like a gunshot.
Shinji (voice low, dangerous): "Tell them the truth, Gizen."
Silence.
Gizen (tilting his head): "Truth about what, Mr. Ikari?"
Shinji (standing): "ERROR 2250. The rifts. The fucking Core. You're gonna kill everyone in this room!"
Airi's eyes widened. Kaito choked on his gum. The class erupted into whispers.
Gizen (laughing softly): "My, my. Someone's been indulging in too much fiction." His golden eyes gleamed. "Or perhaps... you've seen things you shouldn't have?"
Shinji (gritting his teeth): "Everyone, listen to me! Those headsets—they tear open reality! They bring monsters, rifts, death!"
Kaito (whispering): "Dude, what the fuck are you on—"
Gizen (raising a hand): "Enough."
The room fell silent.
Gizen (smiling): "Since our dear Mr. Ikari seems so concerned... why don't we test his theory?"
He pulled out a sleek remote and pressed a button.
The headsets activated.
Shinji (grabbing Kaito and Airi): "DON'T PUT THEM ON—"
Too late.
The world split open.
The classroom walls glitched, pixels tearing like rotten fabric. The air itself screamed as a rift yawned open above them, vomiting out jagged streaks of corrupted light.
And from the void emerged the first Glitched Warrior, its silver armor pulsing with veins of crimson code.
Gizen (laughing): "PHASE TWO IS A GO!"
Zod Corp security swarmed in, their rifles trained on Shinji. He fought like a rabid animal, but they overwhelmed him, slamming him into the ground. Cold metal cuffs bit into his wrists.
Shinji (spitting blood): "You bastard—"
Gizen (leaning down): "Oh, Shinji. Did you really think you could change fate?" His voice was a velvetwrapped knife. "The Core always wins."
Guard (kicking Shinji in the ribs): "Shut the fuck up, kid."
The cell was cold, sterile, reeking of antiseptic and fear. Airi's uniform was torn at the shoulder, her long black hair a tangled mess. She clutched the fabric to her chest, her cheeks flushed with rage and humiliation.
Airi (voice shaking): "If either of you perverts looks at me, I swear to god—"
Kaito (raising hands): "Chill, princess. We got bigger problems." He rattled his cuffs. "Like how the fuck we're getting out before Glitchy McFuckface turns Tokyo into a buffet."
Shinji (scanning the room): "Vent. Small, but... Kaito, boost me."
The vent was a tight, claustrophobic hell, but Shinji wriggled through, dropping into a dimly lit armory. Racks of Zod Corp tactical gear lined the walls—black reinforced coats, combat boots, fucking katanas.
Shinji (grabbing a long black coat): "Jackpot."
The fabric was heavy, lined with Kevlar, the high collar framing his face like a shadow. He fastened it over his torn uniform, the hem swirling around his ankles like a fucking wraith's cloak.
Kaito (whistling): "Damn, edgelord. Save some angst for the rest of us."
Airi (rolling her eyes): "Just grab a weapon so we can leave."
Shinji snatched a combat knife, tossing Kaito a stun baton. Airi, ever the hacker, pocketed a data spike.
Then—alarms blared.
They burst into the hallway just as the first Glitched Warriors rounded the corner, their silver armor glitching in and out of reality.
Shinji (shoving Kaito forward): "MOVE!"
The trio bolted, Shinji's coat flaring behind him like a fucking war banner. Plasma fire scorched the walls as they crashed through emergency exits, slid down stair rails, barely staying ahead.
Then—they turned a corner.
And there he was.
Gizen.
The CEO stood at the end of the hall, his white coat billowing despite the lack of wind, his golden eyes glowing like embers. Behind him, an army of CommandClass Glitched Warriors stood at attention, their crimson visors locked onto Shinji.
Gizen (smirking): "Leaving so soon, time traveler?"
To be continued—------>
Ax/4/29/25
Sorry for the delay had some school work and some to do stuff with friends and sorry that it's not long.