DEFENDING THE 'C' ZONE

In the enigmatic expanse of Zone "C," an eerie tranquility held sway. Unlike the other two zones, perpetually locked in a struggle against the encroaching glitches, Zone "C" served as a sanctuary, a place where the wounded were brought to mend. The supreme admin, a being of immense power, had conjured forth countless ethereal, holographic hospital beds. Here, lower-ranking admins diligently attended to their fallen comrades, those who had borne the brunt of the glitch onslaught in the outer zones.

At the very edge of this fragile peace, where Zone "C"'s boundaries met the uncertain territories beyond, stood Rick, Sting, and Ken. They were the watchdogs, their vigilance unbroken in the unusual stillness. Days had passed without a single clash, an almost unsettling calm. But then, their senses, honed by countless encounters, registered an anomaly. A figure was approaching their perimeter.

It was a glitch, yet disturbingly humanoid. Its skin was a canvas of stark gray, etched with luminous white energy lines that pulsed at its wrists and ankles. Two sharp, oblique horns jutted skyward from its head, and its hands were not hands at all, but wickedly sharp claws. Its eyes and mouth were voids of pure white, and a chillingly wide smile stretched across its face.

Instinct took over. Rick, Sting, and Ken shifted into combat stances, their eyes narrowed at the approaching threat. The glitch finally broke the silence, its voice a smooth, unsettling drawl. "Perhaps… you are afraid?" it questioned, its gaze sweeping over them. "I am Drackman. Merely a low-level glitch."

Sting's hand instinctively tightened on the hilt of his blade. "Do not dare take another step, you cursed glitch!" his voice was a low growl, laced with warning.

Drackman's unsettling smile only widened, morphing into something akin to manic glee. In a blink of an eye, he vanished, only to reappear behind the three guardians. Before they could react, he launched himself in a blur of motion towards the heart of Zone "C," towards the vulnerable wounded.

But an admin, ever vigilant, reacted instantly, throwing himself into Drackman's path, a swift strike aimed to intercept the intruder. Yet, in a bizarre twist, Drackman didn't evade. Instead, the attacking admin was abruptly yanked backward through the air, as if by an unseen force. In the same instant, Drackman unleashed a lightning-fast slash with his razor-sharp claws, the blow connecting with brutal force, sending the brave admin spiraling into the empty void beyond the zone's protective barrier.

A collective surge of adrenaline coursed through Rick, Sting, and Ken. Without a word, they teleported, their forms flickering as they rematerialized directly in front of the wounded zone, a living shield against the encroaching threat. Drackman's white eyes gleamed with a disturbing amusement. "I have come this far," he declared, his voice laced with a chilling confidence. "You three… you will certainly not be the ones to stop me!"

Sting, a shadow in motion, was the first to act. He unleashed a blindingly fast dash, his white sword crackling with dark, shadowy energy as he aimed a devastating strike at Drackman. But the moment his blade was about to bite into the glitch's flesh, an impossible shift occurred. Sting found himself inexplicably positioned behind Drackman, his momentum carrying him past his intended target.

A smug smirk played on Drackman's featureless lips. Ken and Rick moved simultaneously, attempting a coordinated flanking maneuver. But Drackman was a flicker, teleporting above them with uncanny speed, singling out Rick as his primary target. The glitch's clawed hand descended in a swift arc. Rick, his reflexes honed by countless battles, managed to raise his right arm, the impact jarring as metal met ethereal flesh. He immediately retaliated with a lightning-fast punch, but as his fist hurtled towards Drackman's face, the glitch dissolved into nothingness, a mere wisp of gray.

Then, just as suddenly, Drackman rematerialized directly in front of Ken, his clawed hands poised to strike. Ken parried the incoming blow with a sharp clang of metal, the force of the impact reverberating through his arm. In the same fluid motion, he ripped the blindfold from his eyes, revealing the single, swirling vortex of his demonic eye. A raw, potent energy surged from him as he unleashed a devastating vertical slash towards Drackman. The blow connected, a visible tear appearing in the glitch's gray form. Yet, with an unnerving resilience, Drackman's form shimmered, the tear mending itself almost instantly. He shifted back into a combat stance, his white eyes fixed on Ken.

Rick, seizing the opportunity, attempted a surprise attack from behind, his fist aimed for a vulnerable spot. But Drackman seemed to anticipate his every move. He flickered, becoming momentarily intangible, and Rick's punch passed harmlessly through his form.

Sting, now positioned directly before Drackman, held his white sword steady, its polished surface reflecting the eerie white of the glitch's eyes. "Shadow Tag!" he intoned, his voice resonating with power. From beneath Sting's feet, tendrils of pure shadow erupted, spreading rapidly in all directions, weaving a dark, intricate web that ensnared Drackman. Then, Sting himself seemed to melt into the darkness, his form dissolving into the encroaching shadows.

A moment of tense stillness hung in the air, broken only by the faint whispers of the encroaching shadows. Then, Sting reappeared, a blur of motion within the darkness, materializing and dissolving at impossible speeds, circling Drackman like a phantom. He lunged, aiming a lightning-fast strike, his blade a silver arc in the gloom. But once again, just as his sword was about to connect, an inexplicable shift occurred. Sting found himself abruptly elevated, hovering ten meters above Drackman, suspended in the air.

From behind the elevated Sting, Rick saw his chance. He gathered his inner energy, a golden aura flaring around his fist. "Tiger Fist!" he roared, unleashing a devastating punch that ripped through the air, creating a shockwave that buffeted the surrounding area. But Drackman was gone, teleporting backward just as the blow landed. Ken, reacting instantly, lunged forward, his machete a blur of motion, aiming a swift slash. But Drackman turned intangible once more, the blade passing harmlessly through his gray form.

The three young admins stood panting, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Drackman chuckled, a dry, unsettling sound. "I imagine you still haven't quite grasped the intricacies of my singularity," he mused, tilting his head. "Truthfully, even I struggle to fully comprehend it at times. But its designation is 'Shift.' It's a passive ability, you see, allowing me to… well, shift. Sometimes it's me who shifts, sometimes it's my opponent, and other times… I simply become untouchable. It's all rather… random. And unlike you, I possess no specific singularity, no grand transformation to unveil."

A silent exchange passed between the three young admins, a flicker of understanding and grim determination in their eyes. Sting broke the silence, his voice firm. "If your power is truly as random as you claim, then there must be a limit, a trick to it. It's impossible for you to shift more than one person at a time. We will not grant you any respite! Admin Mode… Install!"

In a synchronized surge of power, Rick, Sting, and Ken activated their ultimate abilities. The very air around them crackled with energy.

Sting was enveloped in a swirling vortex of shadowy black energy, which solidified into an intricate, armor-like form. Even his white sword pulsed with an ominous dark light, its edges shimmering with malevolent power. The shadow armor encased his entire body, leaving only his eyes visible, burning with an intense violet light.

Ken was now wreathed in a vibrant violet aura. His muscles visibly bulged and strained against his attire, and both of his eyes now glowed with the swirling, hypnotic energy of his demonic power. His trusty machete hummed with a palpable violet energy, ready to unleash its fury.

Rick radiated a brilliant golden aura that blazed from every pore. His muscles swelled, his stance becoming more grounded, more powerful. His eyes, now glowing with an incandescent yellow light, locked onto Drackman with unwavering resolve.

The three admins settled into battle stances, their combined power a palpable force. Drackman merely tilted his head, his white eyes glinting with a strange mixture of amusement and anticipation. "Come then," he invited, his voice a low, chilling whisper. "Let us see what you are truly capable of."

Sting was a blur of motion, launching himself forward with incredible speed. He unleashed a massive, sweeping arc of shadow energy towards Drackman, the dark force crackling with malevolent intent. Surprisingly, Drackman didn't shift. He raised his arms to block, and the shadowy energy slammed into him with visible force. Instantly, the claws on Drackman's hands began to glow with an intense white light.

Before Drackman could retaliate, Ken moved, his machete a streak of violet. He aimed a rapid, precise slash, but Drackman, despite having just taken a direct hit, managed to sidestep the attack with uncanny speed. From Drackman's flank, Rick appeared like a golden comet, his fist a concentrated point of devastating energy. He slammed a powerful blow into Drackman's side, the impact sending the glitch hurtling through the air before he landed nimbly back on his feet.

Rick and Sting pressed their advantage, moving in perfect synchronization, a whirlwind of golden and shadowy energy. But Drackman flickered, his form turning intangible once more. He retaliated with two swift, powerful flying kicks, catching both Rick and Sting off guard and forcing them to stumble backward.

Ken, his eyes blazing with demonic energy, channeled his power into his machete. The violet energy intensified, crackling and spitting around the blade. He unleashed a devastating vertical slash towards Drackman, the force behind the blow enough to cleave through solid rock. Drackman, surprisingly, met the attack head-on, catching the descending blade with both of his clawed hands. He held it there for a moment, the violet energy crackling against his gray skin, and then, to their astonishment, he seemed to… absorb it, the violet light fading into his form.

With a sudden surge of power, Drackman's claws blazed with an intense white energy. He unleashed a massive, "X" shaped blast of pure white energy towards the three admins. Ken and Sting reacted instantly, dodging to either side. But Rick stood his ground, a resolute figure bathed in golden light. He gathered his energy, the golden aura around him intensifying. "Dragon Fist!" he roared, unleashing a devastating punch that collided head-on with the glitch's energy blast. The two forces met in a blinding flash of light and a deafening roar, the energy dissipating into nothingness.

In the aftermath of the clash, Sting and Ken launched themselves forward, their movements a blur. "Slash of the Dark Shadow!" Sting cried, his blade leaving a trail of inky darkness. "Slash of the Furious Demon!" Ken roared, his machete a streak of violent purple. The two devastating strikes slammed into Drackman simultaneously, carving a massive "X" across his chest, the impact throwing him back several meters.

Then, in the very center of the "X" etched upon Drackman's chest, something began to glow with an intense white light. It was his core! Rick, seeing his opportunity, moved with blinding speed, his golden aura flaring. "Destructive Fist!" he bellowed, unleashing a final, devastating punch that slammed directly into Drackman's exposed core.

A shockwave of immense power erupted from Drackman's back, tearing through the air with a deafening roar. "NOOOOO!" he screamed, his voice filled with anguish and disbelief. His core shattered, the white light exploding outward, and his gray form began to crumble, disintegrating into fine dust that swirled and then vanished into the air.

Sting, his violet eyes narrowed, turned his gaze towards the horizon. "We need to move," he stated, his voice urgent. "The battlefield is shrinking, converging near the system bug. Something… big… is about to happen."