The alarm was loud.
So loud that Komi practically flipped off her plush bed, slamming into the floor with a groan. "Ughhh, what the heck? Did someone detonate a subwoofer in my dreams or what?"
Her room—still royal, still glitching occasionally like it was buffering in real time—pulsed faintly with a red glow. A screen in the corner blinked with static symbols she couldn't read. She rubbed her eyes just as the door hissed open.
"Good morning, Your Glitchness!" a chipper voice sang.
Lisa—the palace maid with big pink twintails and the energy of a soda-fueled pixie—skipped in carrying a tray of what Komi assumed was breakfast. The food shimmered like it was halfway between code and actual substance.
"Huh? Me? I ain't glitchness—" Komi mumbled, crawling back onto her bed.
"But you are, technically," Lisa chirped. "You are the only glitched royalty in the kingdom. That makes you the Princess of Bugs, Queen of Error Logs, and Mistress of—"
"Nope. We're not doing this," Komi groaned, throwing a pillow over her face.
The door opened again. In stepped Zero13, regal and unreadable as always.
"Good morning, my Queen. Today is the 11th. That means it's your scheduled training day."
Komi sat up. "Training? With what? My nonexistent sword skills?"
Zero13 didn't smile. He never did. "You'll need them."
Komi stood, ready to get dressed. But as she reached for her clothes, a pulse of pink energy exploded from her chest.
"Wait, what the—?!"
In a flash of light and code, her outfit shifted. Her pajamas melted into a silver combat suit—lightweight and flexible, edged with bronze linings. Silver bracelets wrapped around her wrists and ankles, and a glowing tiara hovered over her head before settling gently onto her hair.
Lisa clapped. "War gear activated! Stylish as ever, Your Glitchiness."
Before Komi could argue, the entire room cracked with static.
The walls trembled.
The ceiling pixelated.
Then everything glitched.
With a flash, the palace room vanished.
And Komi found herself standing on a floating chunk of land in the middle of an endless, dark void.
Black clouds swirled. Thunder cracked in the distance. Code fragments floated like fireflies.
She turned around.
Zero13 stood calmly a few steps away. Lisa hovered a bit behind him, levitating slightly with a small floating parasol.
"Welcome, my Queen," Zero13 said.
Komi crossed her arms. "You really need to stop calling me that."
Zero13 nodded once. "This place is called the 404 Abyss. A glitch realm used for training... and punishment. No enemies should spawn while you're here—not today. But the terrain is unstable and reacts to emotional surges."
Lisa added, "Also, don't fall. There's no bottom."
Komi blinked. "Cool. Totally reassuring."
Zero13 unsheathed his dark, jagged sword. It buzzed with corrupted code.
"First, let's observe your movement. Try sprinting, jumping, and focusing your data channeling."
Komi tried running—stumbled. Tried jumping—faceplanted. Then finally, she focused.
A spark lit in her hand.
"Beta Command: Phase Shift!" she shouted, not knowing where the words came from.
Her body blinked out, phasing past Lisa in a ghostlike blur before reappearing ten feet away.
"Not bad for a beginner," Lisa whispered, impressed.
Komi turned to Zero13. "Your turn. Show me what training really looks like."
Zero13 raised his sword.
"Very well. Observe."
He vanished.
Then reappeared—in the air, descending fast.
He crashed into the ground with a seismic slash that sent glitchy debris flying.
Komi shielded her face. "Yo, are you trying to kill me?!"
Zero13 straightened. "These moves are known as 'Glitch Strikes.' Yours are dormant. But we will awaken them."
"Lisa," he called. "Program the arena for one-on-one combat."
The terrain shimmered.
A circular stage formed beneath them. Floating platforms hovered nearby.
Zero13 faced her. "Time for your final exercise. Komi Kisaragi... Princess Beta. You will fight me."
Komi blinked. "You're kidding, right?"
He lowered his visor. "This is a friendly match. But hold back, and you'll regret it."
She sighed. "Fine. Let's do this."
He charged.
She ducked.
He swung—she rolled.
"Beta Command: Blade Summon!"
A long, pink energy sword exploded into her hand.
Komi slashed wildly, her instincts kicking in.
Zero13 blocked, then countered with a kick. Komi grunted, sliding back.
The abyss below flickered.
"Nice," she muttered. "Let's go again."
They fought.
Fast.
Hard.
Each clash of their weapons sent out shockwaves of raw, glitched code.
Komi used Beta Phase to teleport behind him. Zero13 activated his Rewind Frame, reversing time a second to dodge.
Their powers clashed.
Lisa, hovering above, recorded everything.
Finally, both combatants stood, breathing hard.
Zero13 smiled slightly—a glitch breaking his perfect poker face.
"You're improving, Princess Beta."
Komi lowered her sword, panting. "Yeah... but I still don't get what I'm doing here. Or what I'm supposed to be."
Zero13 stepped closer. "Then we will train until you do."
He offered her a hand.
She took it.
For now.
End of Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 is complete and titled "Glitch Protocol – Training Day in the 404 Abyss." It captures everything you outlined—Komi's awkward morning, her war gear activation, the glitchy warp to the 404 Abyss, and the intense training session with Lisa and Zero13, capped off with their friendly duel.