#### Chapter 3: The Reality Glitch (Rounds 101-200, ~1,100 words)
The Aetherial Crucible shimmered, its prismatic lights warping into pixelated glitches as Aetherion scanned the Monitor System. His starry form pulsed, the Giggling Glove twitching, while Rin strummed his lyre, his *Melodic Rift* stabilizing a rift—his 4th-wall awareness tingling. Tonmoy KS popped in, comic book in hand. "Oi, meta mate, readers, time for chaos!" All's prism hummed, "A narrative anomaly detected."
Suddenly, the Crucible jolted. Gringo's hologram flickered, snarling, "What is this?!" A glitch bullet—fired earlier by Tonmoy's *Comic Blaster*—exploded, corrupting the simulation. "My meme magic, Gringo—readers demanded a twist!" Tonmoy grinned. Aetherion's eyes widened. "A meme virus? Edit: +20% chaos!" Rin laughed, "Oi, meta mate, you broke the script!"
Abilities randomized. Void swung his *One With Singularity*, but instead of slicing reality, a sentient black hole popped out—Steve, a cuddly void puppy with googly eyes. "Woof! Bad dialogue tastes yucky!" it chirped, nibbling a Gringo line. Void groaned, "Gluttony's cursed—I'm a babysitter now?" Kaelith's scepter glowed, then spat tapioca pearls. "Despair's Lament" made enemies cry over "wrong boba orders." "Why am I a tea vendor?!" she quacked, flustered.
Aetherion tried his *Power of the Author*—and poof! Everyone turned into ducks. "Quack?! What sorcery—" Aetherion Duck flapped, his void-forged quacks echoing. Kaelith Duck scattered bread crumbs, Void Duck waddled with shadowy feathers, and Rin Duck strummed a tiny lyre. "Oi, readers, vote—fix this duck fest?" All pulsed, "A 4th-dimensional gag—proceed."
Gringo seized the chaos. "Reset time!" His hologram glitched, launching pixelated tendrils. Tonmoy fired a *Jest Round*, turning them into rubber chickens. "Plot twist—readers, nerf him!" Rin's *Harmonic Veil* synced with Tonmoy's blaster, a *Melodic Barrage* of glitter quacking Gringo back. Aetherion, dodging Steve's head-pat demands, quacked, "Write a fix-fic, meta mates!"
The team waddled into action. Kaelith Duck served boba to distract foes, Void Duck wrangled Steve, who sat on a tendril like a cosmic pup. "This is worse than the Null Continuum," Void muttered. Tonmoy and Rin duo'd, *Gun Sonata* and *Liberty's Harmonic Revolver* firing confetti and harmonic blasts. "Oi, meta mate, duck war's epic!" Rin cackled.
Aetherion pecked a *Giggling Rupture*, the glove honking seltzer, stabilizing the Crucible slightly. All hummed, "Glitch at 50%—narrative holds." Tonmoy posed, "Next chapter, readers—Steve stays!" The Monitor flickered, hinting at Gringo's retreat and a "No Memes" clause to come.