You ever get that feeling when you gotta make a chapter really long, so you just go past 5,500 words? Yeah.

"Shido! No matter how much-a your life will suck, don't die over it!" Mario's words of advice.

To Shido.

They were going to mean HELL.

Because in school in the locker room, Shido was facing Kurumi, and asked her something. A date. To go out on a date.

Mario's words of advice were not going to help.

"Tomorrow?" Kurumi asked. "As in, tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I could show you around the city if your free?" Shido carelessly spoke.

"So is that..." Kurumi smirked. "Asking me out on a date?"

"I guess you could say that.." Shido coughed. "What do you say?"

"Of course!" She beamed. "I'd be honored!"

"Then it's settled! Tomorrow, at 10:30 in front of the Tenguu Station Ticket Office!"

Kurumi bowed. "Will do! I'm extremely looking forward to it!" She skipped off.

Shido kept a stern look as she skipped away, with thoughts in his mind. "Takamiya Mana killed Tokisaki Kurumi." Reine's voice was in his mind. "We do not yet understand why she's still alive." Kotori was typing and her voice came in too. "But as long as she IS alive, we need to stick with the plan! Tomorrow is a holiday, so you will have no school. Shido! You need to ask Kurumi out on a date!"

"E-even with what happened?"

"It's BECAUSE of what happened. There's no guarantee that if she dies again, she'll come back."

Reine looked at Shido. "Origami most likely informed the AST that Kurumi is alive. Of course, that includes Mana in that category."

Shido gasped, but was determined. "Got it." He wanted to save her. "I'll give it a go. I'll make Kurumi fall for me."

"Make who fall for what?" Origami was right behind him. Stalker.

Of course, Shido gasped. He said stupid stuff out loud. Classic Shido.

"Mario?" Calls of voices came from the Itsuka residence from the Toads as Mario stared blankely at the screen. The Rabbids were concerned too. No matter how much noise they made, Mario would not answer.

"You, uh, you okay? Mario?"

Still no response.

In truth, Mario is the only one of the Mushroom Kingdom who saw...

THAT VIDEO.

That video haunted him.

Scarred him.

Even now, Mario could see the sword. He could see the guts. He could hear the skin being torn apart. "W-why.." The red blood clouded his vision. He looked at his signature cap. Red as well. "Why is-a my life a living NIGHTMARE?!"

The Toads and Rabbids looked amongst themselves. "Mario, I don't know how much you're terrified, but as soon as we get Luigi, we can get out of here! Surely the Princess can't be kidnapped if there's no Bowser! We haven't seen a GIANT DRAGON TURTLE at all!" Blue Toad assured Mario.

"But WHERE is Luigi? I saw a wormhole that-a lead him to some sort of school..." He put two and two together... "School.. The only place that could be is-!" He looked at Shido's spare uniform he kept in case of emergencies.

"Mario, you're too short to fit into that uniform."

"The uniform isn't important. The uniform that-a belongs to it's-a SCHOOL is important!" Mario pointed out. He looked at the emblem of the uniform. Raizen High. He burst out the door and looked onto the horizon. Raizen high. Mario knew that Luigi would be there. He had to be. He saw Rabbid Peach's wormhole be Tenguu City, and that's where she was. "Raizen High? Pffeh, a walk there is easy. I've been-a through the same 8 worlds every-a time!" Confidence in his voice, he took off, leaving the Toads and Rabbids behind in the dust.

Yellow Toad spoke. "What's with him?"

Blue Toad answered. "Brother complex."

"I'll ask you one more time. What were you saying about Kurumi?" Origami steppd closer and closer to Shido.

"U-uh... It was nothing! I swear!"

"Answer me." She slammed her hands on the locker, completely trapping Shido. "This is crucial. Please."

"S-sorry!" Shido stuttered with Origami shocked. "Tohka's waiting for me." He put his hands on Origami's shoulders to step her back. "Catch you later!" Shido sprinted off. He ran like he always did. Dating Spirits is emotionally scarring him now.

Origami had a deep concern on her face. Sighing, she could only remember a scene related to Kurumi. The nightmare scene with the shadow hands pinning Origami in every direction.

"Origami.." Kurumi spoke with still a smug look on her face. "You look delicious too." She creepily licked her lips as she stepped closer to Origami, not fazed by the shadow hands in the slightest. "You look scrumptious..." She moved her hands up Origami's legs. All Origami could do was struggle helplessly. "But... we'll have our fun later." Kurumi kept a sinister look locked onto Origami. "I'll have you for dessert after I have Shido for dinner." She stepped backward, vanishing in the dark along with her shadow hands. She grasped her throat, coughing to save her own life, looking angrily at where Kurumi once was.

Even in the present time, she was holding her throat. "Oh, Shido..."

"Yeeeah, sorry for ditching you at lunch, Tohka.." Shido was walking with said Tohka at lunch, shopping bags in tow. "But you had something to eat, right? Did you enjoy your packed lunch?" Shido said with a smile.

"Y-yeah.." Tohka said with a sad look.

In truth, she did NOT eat. She didn't even unwrap her lunch. She was waiting for Shido. Her stomach growled, but she kept waiting. "Where is he...?" Tohka's eyes watered.

The three gossipers, Ai, Mai, and Mii walked in. "Man, sucks! We won these tickets, but two isn't gonna cut it! Wanna split the cost of one more?" They all looked toward Tohka. "Oh? Tohka?"

"You haven't had your lunch yet?" They noticed her watery eyes.

"-! Wh-what's wrong?!"

"Tell us what happened! Who did what?!"

Tohka simply shook her head to reassure them. "It's fine... but, Shido hasn't come back yet... and then I realised how little we managed to talk today.. And then tears began to..." And they fell. She looked like a lost child.

3 seconds later, the three girls hugged Tohka.

"You don't have to say any more!" Ai spoke.

Then Mai. "I am not hearing this correctly! Did Itsuka REALLY abandon such a sweet, pure, innocent girl?!"

Then Mii. Guess what her phrase was. "That's so lame!"

Tohka looked at the cuddle pile. "Oh, no, Shido hasn't done anything WRONG!"

Ai shushed her. "No, we totally get it! Take these tickets and we'll help you out!" She held the tickets in front of Tohka, everyone grinning at her in order to accomplish everyone's goals, to make Shido fall for Tohka.

She thought about this and kept a determined face as they walked into the Itsuka Residence.

They walked in. Shido muttered to himself. "Where's Mario and the gang? I suppose they're just taking a walk..."

Unbeknownst to Shido, Tohka managed to lock the door of the front entrance.

Then closed the curtains.

Shido did notice the curtains. He looked at the suspicious Tohka "It'll be a while until dinner." Shido was COMPLETELY clueless. "Aren't you going back to your apartment?"

She remained silent. Shido was concerned. He stepped closer.

"Hey, Tohka...?"

What Shido then witnessed was unbelieveable. Tohka untied the little bow on her uniform.

Shido stood awkwardly.

Then she started unbuttoning her shirt, one by one.

"Whu-?!" Shido was definitely not prepared enough for THIS.

Tohka got on all fours on the floor, acting like a cat and holding the tickets in her mouth.

"WhwhwhwhwhwhwwhwhwWHAT IS THIS? What's with you!" He stumbled, sitting on the couch.

Tohka crawled toward Shido, not saying a word, still tickets in mouth. She breathed as she looked at Shido, tickets STILL in mouth.

Shido didn't have a clue. "What are you DOING?!"

Halfway through her breathing, Tohka caught on. "It's not working?" She pranced away from Shido, devising a new plan. "Then the next step is..." She looked at a certain note she acquired from the three gossipers. "All right!"

She then stuffed the tickets in her CLEAVAGE.

"WHA?!" Shido jumped back more.

"Shido.." Tohka crawled onto the couch, getting on top of Shido. "I.. have a question.. for you..."

"W-what is it..?"

"Tomorrow... can you go on a... date with me... please?" Tohka trapped Shido the same way Origami trapped him.

"Whu? A date?"

"Yeah." She shoved her cleavage closer. "Pretty please?"

"OKAY, I WILL!" He quickly took the tickets out from there to prevent any more mind-haunting images.

Tohka celebrated. "Whoo! The girls helped me to the extreme! I knew it! We'll meet at 10 tomorrow in front of the Pachiko! Don't forget!" She sprinted off.

Shido just sat, dumbfounded. He then looked at the note. Looks like Tohka also left it there by accident. "What is this?" He read it.

How to make him yours in an instant

Seduction techniques for Tohka

1: Female Leopard pose

2: Tickets between boobs

3: If they don't work, just pin him down!

Shido was... slightly confused, at this note. Oh well, so long as he can balance a double date, he should be fine. Or so he thought, because right after he had those thoughts, his phone vibrated before he could read all of it. He looked at the picture and sender. An incoming call. "Origami?" He clicked 'accept call' and answered. "Yeah, Origami? What's up?"

"It's not safe to be alone right now."

"Huh-?"

"Tomorrow at 11, meet at the water fountain in Tenguu Station Plaza." Origami spoke all the details.

"But I-!"

"Be there." She quickly ended the call. Beep.. beep... beep...

"CRAP."

A triple date was going to commence tomorrow, and he couldn't vent his feelings toward Mario.

"Testing, Testing.." Kotori chirped in an earpiece of Shido's. "Do you hear me?" When she came in loud and clear, she started the scolding. "I couldn't believe that it was actually humanly possible to book three dates in one day at the same time, you womanizer."

"You stopped me from turning anyone down."

"If you stopped Tohka, her happiness levels would go down and Spirit energy will return to her. Turning down Origami would make her even more suspicious of you than she already is! Kurumi's not even in the question, she might die for real!"

Shido spoke to interrupt her.

"Where's Mario?"

"Aaah, him! We managed to drag him in. He was going to your school."

"Raizen High? How come?"

Mario chirped in on the earpiece. "It's not like I had a choice! I had a strong-a sense that my-a BROTHER was in that-a School!" Inside Fraxinus was Mario, Kotori, Kannazuki, Yoshino, and Reine.

"Regardless..." Kotori ignored Mario. "Booking a triple date means that you've got support from all of us! Just stick with the scheduled timeline and you'll be good as gold."

"Kotori!" Mario butted in.

"What is it?"

"I think.. we should-a go down. Me, the Rabbids, and the Toads, to stall-a them for time if they're left unattended!"

Kotori munched on her Chupa Chup. (still not sponsored) "Well, it's settled. Just make sure you or the Rabbids don't meet ORIGAMI."

"Toads!" He called them. "Origami!"

"Rabbids!" He called them. "Tohka!"

"Myself!" He called himself. "Kurumi."

"Surely not!" Everyone gasped, but all the Mario characters ran out the door.

"Well, let's hope this chaotic date goes as planned." Kotori huffed. "Only a few minutes remain."

Shido looked at the tickets. "So up first, is the aquariam with Tohka, huh? And who's accompanying me?"

"Rabbids." Kotori spouted out.

"Oh. God."

"G-good luck..." Yoshino whispered to herself.

"It's dangerous, so don't get hurt!" Yoshinon yelled.

"I promise to save everyone!" Shido swore to himself, and saw Rabbids behind a pillar, and he prayed to anyone up there that they wouldn't be stupid enough to interrupt a date.

"Let's start our date." Kotori said her classic line.

The Rabbids and Shido looked at an incoming shouting Tohka. "Shidooooo!"

There Tohka was, in a pink dress, waving happily and smiling happily along with that. Shido blushed and shrunk his eyes in shock. "T-Tohka..."

Everyone was admiring Tohka's attire in Fraxinus. Reine stated. "I picked out her outfit. It's good, right?" Kotori gave a thumbs up and Yoshino nodded in approval.

Tohka ran up to Shido, still giggling. She stopped and noticed his face. "Shido? What's wrong?"

He had to admit. "Those clothes look cute on you."

It took her a minute to process, but when she did, she turned Mario-red. "Whoa! A-anyway! We should just... go to our destination! Come on!" She quickly turned and walked, still shaking.

"Do you even know where it is?!" Shido called out. He followed Tohka, with Rabbids sneaking after them in case Shido needed to go.

"Off to a good start." Kotori praised.

But then the good start ended. A camera in Fraxinus zoomed in on a certain person. Origami.

"What the hell? She's here an hour early-!"

"Clearly she's desperate, or excited."

Back on ground level, Tohka was as stupid as always. "Shido, what exactly IS an aquarium?" She got tickets to an aquarium but without knowing what it is. Classic Tohka. Shido sighed.

"You don't know? I thought you were the one who wanted to go on a date to this aquarium in the first place."

"Don't get the wrong idea, Shido." Tohka huffed. "I just wanted to go on a date with you, that's all."

Shido coughed. "An aquarium is a place with lots of fish."

Tohka was delighted to hear, but as you might expect, not for the fish, but for the food. "Wow! Salt-grilled?"

"No."

"Acqua pazza? Steamed?" She started to drool.

"The only thing you ever think about is food!" He sighed once more as they entered the aquarium. "You'll see when you get inside."

Meanwhile in Fraxinus, a camera zoomed in on the secondary target, Kurumi. "There she is. 10 minutes early." Kotori spoke.

Back to monitoring Tohka and Shido, Tohka was amazed. "What is this?!" She looked around at the glass walls of the aquarium, stunned by the fish. Even the Rabbids, whom were peeking from a corner to spy on them, were amazed by the fish. They all 'bwaaaaaah'ed in amazement and awe, with Rabbid Luigi getting a little hungry himself. Rabbid Peach slapped Rabbid Luigi to prevent any ideas. They were lucky enough to have Tohka not hear the slapping. Rabbid Luigi slapped Rabbid Peach for slapping him, and then the slaps began. During all this, they were not heard.

"We need to be quiet in here." Shido replied to Tohka but not the Rabbids.

"Oh, sorry. But Shido, this is so amazing...!" She stared at all the aquatic life above her. "These are all fish?!"

"Yeah. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Sure is! It's really beautiful!" She turned to Shido. "Shido! Let's keep moving!"

Kotori interrupted the lovely moment. "Shido." Kotori was looking at the time, 10:28. 2 minutes before Kurumi's date. "It's almost time to meet up with Kurumi."

"Huh? Already?" Shido asked, with Tohka obliviously running forward.

"The Fraxinus will pick you up, so make up an excuse, go outside, and go somewhere where people can't see you."

Tohka turned. "Shido? You aren't coming?"

He made up an excuse very quickly and impressively. "Ow!" He clenched to his stomach.

"W-what's wrong, Shido?" Tohka ran towards him.

Shido put his hand out to assure her. "Sorry, my stomach suddenly-I gotta use the restroom! Go look at the fish while I'm gone!"

"A-are you okay?!" Tohka questioned while Shido ran off. She turned, and just then as soon as Shido ran away, the Rabbids 'tripped' to be visable to Tohka, or maybe that was their plan. "Ooh? Ooh! You guys! Would you view the yummy fish with me?!" Tohka shouted carelessly as she ran up to the Rabbids, her towering over them as Rabbids are not that big. The Rabbids looked at each other, and then gave the double thumbs up. They ran down the aquarium halls like children.

Shido looked around. "Where people can't see me?" He dived for cover at the back of a building.

"Retrieve!" Shido was teleported into Fraxinus. "Okay, now for Kurumi!"

"ALREADY-?!" Shido was immediately teleported as he began running for Tenguu Station Ticket Office. He made it, five minutes late. He looked at Kurumi, wearing a gothic dress to suit her. "Sorry I'm late..." He panted.

"Oh no." She reassured him. "I just got here myself." She smiled. "Where would you like to go first?"

Meanwhile, Mario himself was peeking. It was his job alone to spy on Kurumi. "Darn-a Kurumi. Thanks to that gorey video, I've got-a PTSD of-a her! Mama-mia..." He cursed while peeking. "It-a doesn't help that I can't-a go to the school to see if-a Luigi's there..."

"Let me think..." Shido thought of where to go first. Options appeared.

1: Go to the mall and shop together.

2: Watch a sweet romance movie together.

3: Let her try out underwear at a lingerie shop.

Mario mentally facepalmed. "As if-a anybody would go for THAT!"

"Quiet, Mario. Just because you're communicating with us doesn't mean you're silent down there." Kotori scolded him. "Now the game begins." She looked at the options. "Make your choice!" 50% tie between Option 1 and 2. Mario was lucky to not jinx himself.

"It's gotta be option 2!" Arguments began in Fraxinus. "In a dimly lit space, their hands would surely link together!"

"Option 1 is the most viable. Girls love shopping!"

Kotori looked. "Both sound pretty good, but..."

Kannazuki finished Kotori's sentence. "Both of those locations are in the Tengu Qwinted complex. The chances of bumping into each other is slim, but we cannot take any risks."

"Still, a lingerie shop is kinda..."

Reine commented. "When asked to show her panties, Kurumi gladly and readily accepted."

Kotori realised, still chewing a Chupa Chup, but that gasp turned into a smirk that most evil villains would have. She then told Shido what to do.

"L-lingerie shop?!" Shido gasped and said out loud.

"You're shouting, pervert." Kotori is still bossy as always.

Shido covered his mouth and looked at Kurumi, as Kurumi entered a thought process. Shido, at this point, was sweating bullets. Kurumi turned to Shido. "If you'll pick something for me..."

Yoshino gasped and Yoshinon couldn't help but shout. "She actually agreed!"

"WHAT?!" Mario shouted, thankfully not heard by Shido or Kurumi. "You mean option 3 was the most-a chosen, even if it-a WASN'T?"

"So bold..." Yoshino covered her mouth and her eyes watered.

Shido was turning redder and redder. "Then let's go..."

"Let's hope you pick me something cute!" Kurumi clinged to Shido and walked off with him, meanwhile on the Fraxinus monitor, Origami was starting to become bird bait, birds landing on her hair, but she didn't move a single muscle. Mario silently followed Shido and Kurumi, while being VERY lucky not to be noticed by Origami. He was also lucky not to walk right smack into Blue Toad and Yellow Toad. He simply waved and dashed off, hoping they could cover Origami.

What Shido entered in on was a decision that he would most definitely regret. A lingerie shop. Kurumi kept clinging to Shido, showing no signs of embarrassment. "My, there are so many!" She let go of Shido and fumbled around the items, pulling out pink and blue underwear. "Which of these looks better to you?" Options appeared on the Fraxinus monitor.

1: The right one.

2: The left one.

3: I want something more exposing.

"You can't be serious..." Mario muttered. He checked the options of Fraxinus, and nearly lost his lunch when Option 3 was drastically rising in votes. More arguing in Fraxinus began.

"This is his chance to attack! If he chooses that option, there's no way she'll resist a kiss! Absolutely bar none!"

Kotori started to sweat. "If she agreed to go to the shop in the first place, it's worth a try."

Shido gulped and sweated more than Kotori. "B-both look nice... B-but I prefer that..." Shido pointed at the black underwear next to Kurumi.

"That's what you want me to wear, Shido?" Kurumi asked.

"OH, I WON'T FORCE YOU TO!"

"Please don't." Mario muttered again.

"As it's something you selected..." She started taking it off the stand. "I'll go try it on!" She went into the changing room.

Shido felt people staring him down from every direction.

"It'd be nice if you could make it quick.."

Complete silence was in Fraxinus as Kurumi changed. Eventually, she was done, and the curtain opened.

And there she was. In the underwear that Shido chose.

Mario fumbled around his pockets, but then realised he forgot his crucifix at home.

Kurumi was just smiling the whole way through. "Well, Shido? How do I look?"

All Shido could do was gasp. But he was shortly interrupted by the three gossipers. Ai, Mai, and Mii. "Itsuka!? What are you doing here?!"

"Why are you with Tokisaki?!"

"At an underwear shop, no less!"

"That's so lame!"

Kotori's alarm went off in Shido's ear. "It's time. Make an excuse and get out of there, right now. Don't forget to reassure Kurumi before you go."

Shido used the same excuse as he used for Tohka. "S-sorry! My stomach hurts! Kurumi, I gotta use the restroom! Feel free to have a wonder around while I'm gone! Y-you look cute in that underwear!" Shido said as he dashed off.

Kurumi slightly blushed. "Ara."

The three gossipers were not gone. Ai first. "Hey!"

then Mai. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"That's so lame!" Then Mii. They all bolted after him.

Mario was really not sure HOW to stall Kurumi after seeing her acts.

Shido was running while Kotori showed no signs of mercy. "Review the timetable. We're just getting started, Shido."

Shido eventually caught up to Origami, who had birds perched on her everywhere. "Sorry... I'm late..." He panted and wheezed.

"No problem." She said as she was a nest for birds. "I just got here." That, to ANYONE, could have been a big fat mighty lie, but maybe she cared for Shido too much. Stalker kuudere has problems. Shido sweated as the birds took off. "Are you tired?"

"N-not at all!" Shido was as bad a liar as Origami. "U-um, so where do you wanna go?"

"To the movies."

Shido gasped. "Wh-which theatre?! Could it be..."

"Tengu Qwinted. I've already made reservations."

"This is pretty bad for Tohka." Yoshinon and the Toads both muttered. The Toads followed Origami and Shido.

"Huh?" Shido was confused at the diner setup.

"We have time before the showing. Let's have some light lunch."

"O-okay..." Shido gulped down his iced water in one go. Pretty impressive. "Hey, Origami. Why'd you ask me out on a date?"

"I didn't want you to be alone."

"Huh?"

"After the movie, I want you to come to my house." Origami's mouth moved faster than her brain.

"W-why.."

"And I want you to stay over for the time being." Her robotic tone didn't change at all, and it was honestly starting to creep Shido out.

"What?!"

"I'm serious."

Shido gulped. Thankfully, to break it, the waiter of the diner gave them their food. "Thank you for waiting!"

"Same as always." Kotori sighed while Yoshino covered her mouth.

The Toads, who were waiting outside the diner, noticed the elephant in the room. "Fraxinus, Tohka just bolted out the door with Rabbids tugging her."

Shido spat out his food when he saw Tohka run RIGHT PAST HIM. He coughed and sputtered.

"Are you all right?" came from the voice who got spat on.

"Yeah! I gotta use the restroom." He ran out, with Origami just staring at him, and then his food. He had not eaten much at all.

"Tohka!" Shido ran up to the running Tohka, and then the Rabbids, who noticed Shido, ran off away from sight. Shido sighed.

"Shido!" Tohka yelled. "Is everything okay?" What Shido didn't know is that his 'bathroom break' lasted over an HOUR.

"Y-yeah." Shido sweated AGAIN. Tohka's stomach grumbled, which was normal. "Wanna get something to eat?"

"That sounds like a great idea!" The innocent cinnamon roll smiled.

Thus, his triple date had OFFICIALLY begun.

"I'm amazed you can stuff yourself with so much sushi after seeing all those fish."

"More pickled mackerel, please!"

Bathroom breaks. Shido needed to go. A lot.

Shido was teleported.

Origami was starting to eat Shido's food, with Toads asking if she wanted more. She lightly refused.

Shido with Kurumi. "You brought that underwear?!"

"You DID say it made me look cute."

Shido with Tohka.

"Shido! Ramen! Let's have ramen!"

"Please no!"

Shido with Origami.

Goodness knows where they were going in the dark alley. Shido lifted his gaze to see an adult hotel. "WHAAA?!"

"Which room should we get?" Origami asked with no emotion. Shido ran off screaming.

Kurumi was staring at puppies in the pet shop.

Shido smiled with Kurumi, and then he noticed Ai, Mai, and Mii again. Every part of the Mario crew were scrambled up, so nobody could help. They slowly turned to Shido.. and got knocked down.

"Hey! That hurt!"

Tears welled up on the person who bumped into them. Yoshino. "I-I'm sorry..." She said while kneeling, her sad look and Yoshinon's face were all too much for the trio to take.

"We're just fine!"

"I hope you weren't hurt!"

"She's so cute it's lame!"

Kotori smiled. "Get 'em, Yoshino."

Mario's end was not doing so good. At one point, he had to jump over Blue Toad and Yellow Toad because Shido was changing dates a lot. Mario swerved around Rabbids, dashing Tohkas, stalking Origamis, innocent Kurumis...

Speaking of.

"Sorry, Kurumi! Bathroom!"

"Ah, Shido, even on a date, he's restless." She sat down on a bench in the forest park. The very same park that Mario spent his first night in. "You'll be mine in the end, after all." She giggled. "Ara, I need to contain my excitement. My cheeks are so flushed." She said as she dispensed a soda. A meow was louder than the vending machine. Kurumi heard it. She walked towards the noise.

And there was a gang of thugs, aiming pistols and shooting pebbles at the cat. "This one's quick." One thug said.

"There, take that!" They all laughed as they fired shots, quicker and quicker. Kurumi's eyes sought no mercy.

"Ara ara! I see you're doing something intriguing!" Her voice stopped the gunshots.

"Woah!"

"Pay me no mind. Please allow me to join in on your 'amusement'." She said with an 'innocent' grin. She stepped closer and closer. "I may not look like it, but I have experience with a gun myself.

"What should we do?" One thug asked.

"Guess we'll let her." Another said.

"Thank you so much." Kurumi told them. "I would, however, like to make a suggestion. Why don't we modify the rules?" The cat trembled. "Nothing complicated." The cat only had Kurumi in it's eyes, with her being more menacing than the other thugs. "Let's try... a different target."

A black hand covered the Fraxinus monitor. Mario noticed. "What the heck? How does she-a know...?"

"What happened?!" Kotori yelled.

And what Mario saw was more horrifying than the gorey video.

Tohka and Origami bumped into each other and they fell.

"Sorry!"

"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

Then the Toads and Rabbids bumped into each other.

"BWAH-!"

"Bwah bwah bwah bwah!" Rabbid Peach scolded the Toads.

"Hey, Tohka's there, don't bump into us!" Blue Toad shouted.

All of them realised they met at the exact same location.

"Origami! Why are you here?!"

"Yatogami Tohka...! I have no obligation to tell you."

"Wha? Fine! I don't have time to deal with you!"

"I am also occupied."

"I must find Shido, after all!" That last line was said by them both at the exact same time.

Silence filled. Tohka was the first to complain. "What?! Shido's on a date with ME!"

"I am not lying! Shido is on a date with me!" They both grumbled when Origami realised. "Could there be another?! If there is..."

"Hey, hold on! I'm not done chewing you out!" Tohka followed Origami, with the Toads and Rabbids tagging along, because Mario was nowhere to be found either.

"Shido! We lost sight of Kurumi!" Kotori shouted through the earpiece.

"What are you guys DOING?!" Shido yelled back.

"Spirit waves detected! In the woods near the park's east gate!"

Shido ran there, in the dark woods, even though it was daylight. Shido covered his mouth and nose. What was that awful smell? Shido unconsciously opened his eyes to reveal the scene before them. A world of dripping crimson. Blood. On the ground, leaves, and the trees. It was EVERYWHERE in the woods. Everyone on Fraxinus was stunned, with Kotori's eyes shaking witnessing the horror. Shido panted too, looking at the scene. He looked at a dismembered foot from a shoe. That was his last sanity before he SCREAMED. "Shido! Calm down!" Kotori tried to tell him, but he kept screaming, trembling... He covered his mouth. He was about to throw up. He didn't want to.

"SHIDO?!" Mario yelled. He was in quite the situation himself.

"Ara?" That voice. Shido looked up. Crimson and black frills in the style of a Gothic Lolita was the attire of her dress. "Shido, you're already here?" Uneven black twin tails swayed in the wind. Kurumi looked at Shido, with her inorganic clock eye. She was pointing a gun at one of the thugs who had a target painted on his stomach.

When Shido turned to Mario, he was completely pinned down by shadow hands. Even if Mario is one of the strongest beings that Shido knew, Mario could not escape the hands.

"H-help me!" came from both the thug and Mario. "She's a m-monster!"

Kurumi turned to the thug. "Isn't it ironic that you had the idea to kill a creature, but when I have you at gunpoint, you're scared of being killed yourself." She aimed her gun. "How does it feel to look down the barrel of a gun?" She then fired. Straight through the man's stomach. Four more shots was overkill. "Oops, my hand must have slipped." Shido's vision was blurry as Kurumi faced him. This was reality that Shido was facing. "I'm not done yet. Don't move. You'll regret it." Kurumi walked slowly to Mario, still being held down.

"So, you're a resident of another world? I witnessed your enemy turning into a Spirit right before me." Kurumi told him. "I suppose I should help that enemy out to get information out of me." She held her gun at Mario's forehead.

"Y-you wouldn't!" Mario stuttered.

And then her shot came. Mario's forehead was punctured. Time froze for Mario. The shadow hands released him, but that doesn't matter. Mario's vision turned blurry, uncommon... Unable to gather anything. He saw red. Crimson red. Before Mario could black out, he could hear the screams of Shido, and the smile of Kurumi... "Luigi... I'm-a sorry.. I couldn't save you..." And like that...

All of his energy was gone.

"Hey, are you still there?" A voice came with a glitchy presence. Mario looked around the area. White everywhere. Mario looked at the source of the voice. A glitchy presence. Just like before.

"Whuh...?" Mario was speechless.

"I was wondering who it might be." The glitchy presence commentated, before taking the form of a glitchy human. It smiled. "Hey, you're Mario, right? From the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Yeah...?"

"I knew it was you. I'm sorry, but I knew it was too soon for our meeting, but alas, your game has ended."

"What do you want from-a me...?"

"I can help you figure out who gave Bowser his power."

"Please.. tell me."

"Since you're dead, I'll announce the culprit. The one who gave Bowser his power is..."

"Is-a-who?!" Mario yelled. He pointed at the glitchy presence. "And stop-a censoring your body! It's-a bad health! I want to TALK to you, face to face!"

"Perhaps I could find familiarity within you... I see..." The glitchy presence then transformed, losing it's glitchy voice and becoming the form similar to Mario. Except it wasn't Mario. It was a clone of Mario with a blue hat, blue shirt and white overalls. The cap had a '4' on it. "Perhaps finally we can talk like this."

"Is that-a your real appearance?" Mario was just... stunned that the presence managed to nearly perfectly replicate Mario.

"This isn't. If I use this form, however, little kids would flock to my side. But since you're in half-purgatory," The Mario clone shrugged. "Nobody can rescue you from this."

"So who is the culprit?!" Mario was furious.

The clone just stood and looked at Mario. "Isn't it obvious? I'm the culprit. I'm an otherworldly being. I'm a glitch. That's the idea with this costume. Now, perhaps run along and get the main story, hmm?" The Mario clone transformed back into the glitchy presence. "But don't worry, we'll meet up real soon."

"I believe in you, Mario."

Mario woke up in the woods. That's right. Unlike other humans, Mario can eat 1-up Mushrooms to continue his life, even if he had died. He weakly rose up. He saw Kurumi getting beaten up by... Wait, was that Mana? There was another figure next to Mana. That was not Shido, or Kurumi.

And then Mario witnessed an unbelieveable face. That face was...

CLIFFHANGER! Guess what? Longest chapter, no references, 100% serious. Looks like Mario will just have to figure out who's helping Mana defeat Kurumi. Surely Mario can survive. He's got 1-Ups. Tune in next time for another nightmare.