"Finally," Kusuke announced with a dry clap, standing beside the newly assembled prototype Rift Kill Switch. "A kill switch that works... hopefully. Not like we had a choice."
The others stood around the device, exhausted. The amplifier team was nowhere to be seen—burned out from circuits frying, tools exploding, and one minor lab fire. Senku stood off to the side, mumbling, "It's not ideal. Still no amplifier. But if another rift opens, we'll use what we've got."
[Government Trouble]
Before the group could even breathe, Kusuke's phone rang. "Ah. Government."
Makima took the phone mid-ring, already smiling. "Yes? Disturbance? Construction, obviously. We're leveling the foundation. Safety regulations? Absolutely."
They didn't buy it—until Kusuke broadcasted footage of Lloyd and Javier hammering down steel with industrial drills like lunatics.
Makima followed up by showing legally certified documents. Filed. Signed. Stamped.
The government couldn't argue with bureaucracy. "Scary," Kazuma whispered. "Just the way I like it," Gojo added, grinning.
With the chaos subsiding, a single craving unified everyone: ramen.
They stormed the nearest pantry —a walk-in refrigeration unit the size of a house.
Each grabbed wildly different cup noodles.
Ryusui had François-prepared, gold-flaked caviar ramen.
"Why are you even tired?" someone asked.
"My wallet is," Ryusui replied.
François, ever loyal, gourmetified everyone's ramen.
Saiki grabbed a simple shoyu flavor.
"Of course you would," Kazuma mocked.
Kazuma pulled out a limited edition anime collab cup noodle with magical girls on the cover.
"You're the reason the economy is unstable," Saiki muttered.
Aqua called it "NEET food."
Denji dumped an armful of random flavors into one pot, grinning. "They all taste good, right? I've never tasted these before."
Subaru had steak ramen. "It's authentic!"
"You're not authentic," Saiki replied.
Senku also chose basic ramen. "Same as Saiki please."
Shadow asked for curry.
Rudeus ordered four bowls and rice. "For years, my cravings will be satisfied!" He gave the other 3 for his wives to taste.
Makima wanted yakisoba.
Gojo asked, "Can I get spaghetti?"
Suguru added, "Make that carbonara."
Saiki stared. "This was supposed to be ramen…"
Just as he took his first bite—
[RIFT ALERT]
The air cracked. The sky shimmered.
"Oh come on," Saiki groaned.
[Deployment]
Everyone sprinted to the containment room.
The kill switch was prepped. Kusuo levitated with Senku and Chrome, who strapped on a GoPro and had notebooks flying.
"Five minutes," Senku reminded them. "We need to study it as long as possible."
Saiki hovered closer. Fractals shimmered—twisting geometry folding into reality.
Chrome muttered, "It's like a golden ratio—but broken. Warped."
Senku nodded. "Good catch."
Four minutes in, the rift cracked further. The light shifted—a new hue.
"Time's up," Saiki warned.
"Wait—" Senku started.
Lloyd's hair stood on end. Goosebumps. Instinct.
He slammed the kill switch.
BOOM.
The rift shut—but not before two figures fell from opposite sides.
They hit the ground—then vanished.
BOOOOM—SSZZZTTT!
Lloyd pumped his fist. "YES! Prototype success! I am a genius! I—"
He paused.
[ SYSTEM TEMPORARILY DISABLED. 23:59:59 ]
A red message blinked inside his vision.
"…Oh." Lloyd blinked. "Huh. Cooldown penalty. Guess closing a dimensional hellmouth takes a toll."
Saiki hovered down with Senku and Chrome.
Something felt off.
"I felt two people fall out. But their presence… vanished," Saiki said.
Senku murmured, "Something's always wrong with these rifts."
Saiki's eyes narrowed. "They're hiding."
He turned to Shadow. "Check the station perimeter. You're best suited."
Itadori blinked. "Why him?"
"I've mastered the art of blending into the background." Shadow appeared behind Saiki.
Saiki, even looking at shadow's direction, "Exactly."
Shadow left wordlessly.
Saiki flew to the opposite side, two cities over. His clairvoyance scanned alleyways.
A civilian. A homeless guy. A blonde, tall man with long nails and an unusual tie… then more teenagers.
Nothing stood out—yet everything did.
Saiki's head throbbed.
By evening, he gave up and returned.
--- Penthouse ---
Kazuma ramaging through the fridge. "Where's Shadow?"
Saiki: "Who?"
Kazuma stared, thinking Saiki was joking.
Subaru added, "You know—the edge lord with the cape? Atomic… stuff?"
Saiki was genuinely annoyed. "If you mean Kaidou, he's not even here."
Subaru and Kazuma froze.
They asked around.
Kazuma started. "Hey bro, you remember that one time when we kinda fight that dragon? You know Shadow when he did his signature atomic thing?"
"That was Megumin who casted the explosion." Saitama stared clueless.
Kazuma still insisted. "Ok, that didn't work. How about when Antares turned into stone and you smashed him, you have to remember you smashed it with Shadow, right? "
Saitama shrugged it off. "I crushed the petrified dragon alone." Saitama points at Jinwoo, "He has shadows."
Subaru asked Rudeus. "You know Shadow, right? Saiki and Saitama said they don't have any recollection of him."
Rudeus raised an eyebrow. "Um Shadow? I've never heard of him."
Kazuma and Subaru stated at each other and knew one last place to look.
A laptop is placed infront of them.
Makima pulled up the government registration database.
No "Shadow." Not even Cid Kagenou.
They stepped back.
Subaru clenched his fists. "It's the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony…"
---
End.