So, remember how I said using the Debug Key would probably alert the Architect?
Yeah. Turns out, we didn't even need to use it. Just assembling the thing was enough to poke the giant bear in the code.
---
System Meltdown
The sky above Glitchhaven darkened—not like normal dark.
It was… code-dark.
Lines of programming started scrolling across the clouds. Red text rained down like blood. My HUD exploded with warnings:
[Core Protocol Awakening…]
[World Stability: 12% and dropping.]
[Architect: Aware.]
Zell crossed his arms. "Fantastic. You've officially gotten the attention of a godlike programmer."
Rina clutched her tools nervously. "Yuto, if the Architect is awakening, he'll send agents. We need to move—fast."
Bugsalot dramatically twirled his glitchy cape. "At last! The final boss has noticed us! This is either destiny… or a very bad Tuesday!"
---
First Wave
Before we could even plan, the ground cracked. Out crawled humanoid figures made entirely of error messages and code fragments.
System labeled them as:
[Corrupted Debuggers]
Level: 35
Mission: Erase Anomalies
"Oh cool," I said. "They're like antivirus programs. And I'm literally the virus."
One lunged at me. I blocked, but the moment its arm touched me, my health bar flickered like a bad internet connection.
Rina yelled, "Careful! They deal data damage! If they delete too much, you're gone!"
No pressure, right?
---
Glitch Teamwork
We fought back the swarm. Zell tanked them with his shield, shouting insults that weirdly felt like taunts coded into his armor.
Rina tossed me new gadgets mid-battle: exploding screwdrivers, magnetic glitch bombs, and something she called the "404 Cannon" (which, unsurprisingly, failed to fire the first three times before blasting a hole in the ground).
Bugsalot… well, he shouted things like "DEBUG THIS!" and headbutted enemies until they disintegrated.
Was it useful? Somehow, yes.
I tapped into my new Unified Glitch Form, but every second I used it, static crawled up my skin, like I was burning from the inside.
[Warning: Host Stability – Dropping 64% → 52%]
"Guys!" I yelled. "If I keep this up, I'm toast!"
Serious Zell shouted back, "Then burn wisely!"
…thanks for the pep talk, buddy.
---
The Architect Speaks
Just when we thought we had cleared the wave, the world froze.
Literally froze.
Enemies stopped mid-swing. The wind stopped. Even my HUD paused.
And then… a voice.
[Unauthorized Anomaly Detected.]
[Glitched System confirmed.]
[Yuto – you are an error that should not exist.]
It wasn't like hearing someone talk. It was like the world itself was speaking directly into my head.
I tried to laugh it off. "Uh, hey Architect, long-time listener, first-time caller. Can we maybe—"
The ground shattered beneath me. A massive digital eye opened in the sky, staring straight at me.
I froze. Not from fear (okay, maybe a little fear), but because my body literally locked.
[Protocol: Erasure Initiated.]
The Debuggers around us rebooted, stronger and faster. My HUD warned:
[Corrupted Debuggers – Upgraded to System Enforcers. Level: 50+]
"Oh great," I muttered. "They patched the enemies. Classic dev move."
---
Escape Plan
Rina grabbed my arm. "Yuto! We can't fight him yet! You'll destabilize completely!"
"But if we run—"
Zell cut me off, blocking an Enforcer's strike. "Then we live long enough to fight smarter!"
Bugsalot saluted. "Retreat! A noble strategy disguised as cowardice!"
With the Debug Key glowing in my pocket and the Architect's giant eye following us, we ran—through collapsing code, glitching terrain, and entire towns breaking apart like puzzle pieces tossed into the void.
And the Architect's voice thundered after us:
[You cannot run from deletion, anomaly.]
---
We barely made it into an underground safe zone Rina had coded years ago, collapsing the entrance behind us.
I collapsed, panting. My HUD still glitched with [Stability Warnings], and my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
We had the Debug Key.
We had the Architect's full attention.
And if I was being honest?
I had never been more scared.
---
To be continued…