Inside the Smash tournament club lobby of the newly constructed mansion, Sakurae was giving the invitation to Sephiroth, who put it inside his black coat. One of the Smashers, Cloud, was forced to be Sephiroth's mentor and demonstration partner, much to his dismay.

"Sephiroth, as the new Smasher, you've got to train for potentiar matches and tournaments whire keeping an eye out for new potentiar fighters, so that you courd mentor them back", Sakurae explained to the newcomer.

"Boring", Sephiroth yawned sarcastically, while Cloud just glared at him.

Sakurae looked through a telescope in search for new fighters. Then, something caught his attention. Through the lens, he saw Master Hand, Arle Nadja and Crazy Hand riding on a carriage to the mansion. Master Hand now wore a badly stitched up rag tissue as a glove substitute.

"Wait, what's this? The King of Smash World himserf, Master Hand, is coming to the mansion?!" Sakurae's mouth was wide open. His eyes turned into yen signs. "He's definitely got roads of money!"

When they finally arrived in front of the second mansion, Master Hand got out of the carriage, clenching his fist.

"Stay in the coach, Arle. This won't take long…" he muttered to the princess, trying to restrain his fury.

"Dad, don't you think you're overreacting a bit?" she tried to reason her father, concerned.

"Quiet! I know what I'm doing!" he assured his daughter very harshly.

Suddenly, without paying attention, Master Hand turned around, crashed into a pole, and stubbed his finger heavily in the process.

"OW! Crazy Hand!" he called out in anger and pain.

"Yes, brother?" Crazy Hand responded.

"Have this billboard destroyed at once!" Master hand ordered his brother as he pointed at said billboard that advertised that Everyone is here.

Arle was sitting in the carriage, arms crossed, looking annoyed at her father.

Sakurai was changing the price of the Smash tournament club entrance and the cost of each match. Sephiroth and Cloud were puzzled by that.

"12110.36 yen (105.99 US$) for a match?" Sephiroth wondered.

"That's expensive", Cloud agreed.

"With items, Sephiroth. With items", Sakurae added.

The three turned their attention to the entrance door opening. It was Master Hand in almost all his glory, and he was floating to the middle of the huge room.

"Greetings, underlings. I'm searching for a man with the name of Mashpotato Sakurae", he solemnly told to the customers in the middle of the room. "Is he here?"

"I am Mashpotato Sakurae-san, your highness", he presented himself formally to the hand. "Would you rike to participate to a match? Or view one?"

The entire place suddenly trembled like a earthquake when Master Hand yelled violently.

"NO! I'm on to you, Sakurae! You have stolen the Master glove. And, I have proof for that. You've left one piece of evidence when I was searching for it."

Master Hand showed a piece of paper to Sakurae, which was written something on it. Confused, Sakurae took a good look on the paper.

"I stole your grove. Signed, MASHPOTATO SAKURAE?!" Sakurae read, eyes widening from the sigh of his false signature.

"Give it back to me, or ELSE-!" Maser Hand threatened the poor man.

"I-I didn't do it! I swear!", he tried to defend himself.

But then, at the wrong moment, a beep from the answering machine could be heard from the counter.

"Konnichiwa, this is Mashpotato Sakurae. Reave a message."

After it stopped doing another beep, someone from the message box was speaking.

"Konnichiwa, Sakurae-san. This is Fuchikawa-san*, the man you sord Master Hand's grove to. I just wanted to say thanks again for serring me the grove. Master Hand's grove."

Master Hand was getting furious, while Sakurae tried to push on the off button several times, but the message kept going.

"I sord it to a guy in Great Maze, and I just wanted to say thanks again for serring me the grove. Master Hand's grove."

Master Hand got even more furious as Sakurae ripped the cord out, but it still continued regardless.

"Which is now in the Great Maze. Sayonara!"

The message finally stopped, but it was already too late. Sakurae sweated while smiling awkwardly.

"Huh, eh eh, i-it's just a farse number. Nothing erse", he stuttered a bit, nervous.

"MY GLOVE IS IN THE FORBIDDEN GREAT MAZE?!" Master Hand angrily freaked out.

A familiar dark entity was outside hearing the whole thing.

"Eh eh, I love Plan 0", Dharkon told to himself, smirking at the spectacle.

Master hand was charging his laser nail at the Japanese man.

"PREPARE TO DIE!"

"Master Hand-san, wait!" Sakurae begged the hand on his knee. "I'm not a thief! Ask anyone in this mansion, they'rr vouch for me!"

Master Hand groaned a bit while he stopped charging his laser. He turned around to talk to the fighters in the place.

"Fine. Before I fried this man, who wants to defend Mashpotato Sakurae?"

A burp could be heard from the entrance. Everyone turned at the big door to see the source of the voice. It was Sora, still wasted and horrible looking due to last night at the Grand Bistrot. He could barely stand on his feet and had to hold on the door to prevent falling.

"I-I've got something to say about Mr... Sakurae!" he burped out.

Sakurae recognized him and was relieved of his presence at the right moment and time.

"Sora, it's you!" he exclaimed happily. "You come just in time! You need to terr Master hand how I'm rearry am!"

Sora lumbered all over the place, keeping barely his balance, trying to reach Sakurae. Everyone was staring at this guy awkwardly and feeling pity for him. He accidentally crashed into the hand before he let out "Sorry, ma'am." And finally got to the man.

"See, Master hand", Sora started speaking to the giant hand in front of him while slurring. "I've been with Square Enix and knew Mr. Sakurae for years~ and always thought he was a great man…" Sora held on his shoulder, admiring the landlord.

"See? A great man-" Sakurae agreed.

"But now I realized this guy is a huge. BIASED. PRICK!"

Sakurae's eyes widened in shock when he heard those hurtful words coming from the teenage boy's mouth. He looked at Sora, who glared at him.

"I deserve the Smash invitation, but you didn't give it to me, because you said I'm INVALID!" Sora furiously pointed at the landlord with an accusing finger. "Well… Mister, I am 100% VALID, and this valid boy has something to say to yoooooooooou…."

He blew a long raspberry toward the man. Sakurae flinched a bit.

"There, I made my point", he commented satisfied, putting his fists on his hips.

Master Hand paused a bit before he added, "Well, anyone else want to talk? No? Ok, then."

He shot the laser from his nail toward Sakurae, and screamed in pain when it hit his back.

"Wait, what!?" Sora was baffled.

Sora suddenly realized what was going on and quickly recovered himself. He saw the landlord screaming and running in terror, his back engulfed in flame.

"AAAAAAAAH! MY SHIRT IS ON FIRE!"

Sakurae tried to take out his burning black shirt, but it spread through his pants.

"MY PANTS ON FIRE!"

He took out the pants, but his boxer and tank top were burning too. Eventually, his entire body was engulfed in flame.

"I'M ON FIRE!"

The flaming Sakurae threw himself into a huge fountain that was displayed somewhere on the wall of room. He was relieved to put the fire out. His ease soon phased out when he saw the hand in front of him preparing to shoot his laser once again.

"And now Sakurae, I'll-"

Sora jumped on one of the fingers of the hand in concerned.

"Stop it!" the boy ordered the king.

"Ugh" he was annoyed of the sudden interruption.

"Look, I'm flattered you would do this on my account, but not being chosen as a Smasher by him, I don't think even he deserved that", Sora laughed playfully while pointing out the obvious.

"Silence fool! I couldn't care less about you! This crook just stole my glove and is now in the Great maze. This is why he has to die!" Master Hand explained.

"Huh, isn't that a little harsh to kill someone over a glove?" he asked, a bit concerned.

"You don't understand, don't you? That glove is a sign of my importance of this world! It makes me more recognizable. And between you and me…" Master Hand whispered to Sora, looking kind of insecure. "…My look is kinda pixelated."

"Oh come on, hand. I'm sure this isn't so ba-"

Master Hand took out his rag "glove" letting a horror-struck Sora gawked in terror by the sight of the eldritch abomination appearance of the hand.

"AAAAAAH! You look deformed! DEFORMED!"

Everyone else in the mansion was watching the dreadful appearance of the hand and soon followed suit.

"DEFORMED! DEFORMED!" the Smashers pointed at him and gawked in horror.

"MY EYES!" Luigi screamed as his eyes were melting from the horrible sight.

Master hand put back his rag glove, covering his awful appearance. Everyone was recovering from this.

"Alright! Alright!" he understood in annoyance.

"Huh sir", Sora was having an idea. "Would you spare Mr. Sakurae if I get your glove back?" He suggested to him.

"YOU go to the Great maze?!" Master Hand uttered in shock before he laughed at him mockingly. "No one who made it to the Great Maze ever returned. What makes you think you can? You're invalid."

Sora let out a yelp when the hand swiped him out of his way. He landed on the floor in pain.

"But I'm not invalid!" he tried to convince. "I can do it!"

"Shut up, whiny. I have a man to fry!"

Master Hand floated toward Sakurae, who was now bloated against the wall, afraid. He charged his laser from his finger toward his target. However, Sora put himself in front of the landlord, like he was trying to protect him.

"No, I won't let this happen!" he called out while summoning his keyblade, looking determined.

"Well, that means I'll have to fry you both!"

Master Hand was about to shoot the laser and turn the two males into ashes. Both Sora and Sakurae prepared to meet their awful fate.

"Daddy, stop!"

Master hand stopped what he was doing and turned around to see a reddish brown haired girl before him. She entered inside the mansion, not able to bear what he was doing.

"Can't you go through a day without destroying someone?" Arle asked strictly.

"Arle, I told you to stay outside!" Master hand complained to his daughter.

"Where's your love and compassion, dad?" Arle walked toward Sora. "Look at this guy, father. All he wanted was to risk his life to get your glove back and save some landlord who is still stranger to him."

"But Arle… I-" Master Hand tried to explain.

"Please, just give him a chance, already. You can't let this opportunity go away. May I remind you about your little "problem"."

Arle went toward her dad and took out the rag covering him. Once again, everyone was subjugated by the dreadful appearance of the hand's real form.

"DEFORMED! DEFORMED!"

"MY EYES!" Luigi screamed as his eyes were possibly completely melted by now.

The Hand took back the rag and wore it back.

"Alright!" he was convinced reluctantly. "Fine, Arle. I'll give the clown-shoe wearing boy a chance. But if this guy you cared about so much failed to return, I'll reduce this Japanese man into ashes."

Sakurae's eyes widened by this statement. The hand floated toward Sora and pointed at him.

"And as for you, spiky-haired boy. Be back here with my gloves in exactly 13 months."

Out of nowhere, Geno popped out of the ground and pointed at the hand back, as if he was defying him.

"He can make it in 12" he scoffed, defiantly.

"11"

"10"

"9"

Both Sakurae and Sora were alarmed by this and before the count could get any lower, they threw themselves at Geno.

"GENO!" they yelled at the puppet.

Master Hand watched this happened, but was decided on it.

"9 it is then", he declared, self-assured.

Sakurae was chocking the puppet's neck, preventing him to talk.

"E-eight?" he barely added through his breath.

"Geno, shut up!" Sora ordered to his oblivious best friend, alarmed.

"Until then, the man has to be frozen where he stand."

Master Hand lifted a finger, preparing an attack on the Japanese man. The latter was terrified and begged him to stop.

"No, prease! PREASE DON'T!"

It was too late. A beam of frozen blizzard blew on him, and he was now encased inside a bloc of ice, as if someone threw a Freezer on him.

Somewhere near the commotion, Cloud was relaxing, sitting on a table. He overheard something happening and finally snapped out of it.

"Who used Blizzaga here?" he nonchalantly asked. He noticed Sakurae frozen and went to him. He knocked on it, in growing concern. "Oh no, Sakurae! This is horrible! Who's gonna buff me?"

Master Hand was leaving the mansion. He was now done and wanted to go back to his palace.

"Arle, let's leave!" he told his daughter.

Arle walked toward Sora and Geno.

"Listen here, guys. The road to the Great Maze is very dangerous. That place is filled with crooks, monsters and dangers everywhere! And what's worst, there's also the huge Tabuu who is guarding the outskirt of the maze, and preys on innocent people and creatures. Don't let him catch you, otherwise they get you back to his lair and you'll never be seen again!"

Sora was shaking in fear, sweat dripping everywhere, listening what Arle just described about the place. However, Geno was too distracted by Arle's cuteness. He was blushing while looking at her with loving sights.

"She's purdy, Sora", he sighed lovingly, infatuated by the spellcaster.

Arle took out a sack and handed it to Sora.

"Here, take this", she looked around, to avoid any suspicions.

"What is this?" he asked, curious.

Sora took a look inside. Strong gust of wind blew his face.

"It's pieces of the Dragoon, I stole it from my father", she whispered to them.

As Arle tied a knot around the bag, Geno was still looking at her in amazement.

"You're cute", he complimented her.

"Once you get the glove back, open this bag, build it back using the pieces, so that you can fly back home", she instructed.

"ARLE!" Master hand's voice bellowed from outside. He was impatiently waiting for his daughter.

"I'm coming!" she called out her dad.

Arle was about to leave the mansion, but not until she gave the two heroes a final goodbye.

"Good luck, Sora!" she cheered at him.

"WAIT! How did you know my name?" Sora asked Arle, bewildered.

"Well, I'm gonna be queen of this world and be part of the Smashers one day. I have to know the name of every Smashers and potential ones coming here too", she clarified proudly.

"What's my name?" Geno asked, hopeful.

"That's easy. You're 3quaver!?. Also known as Geno of the Stars", she answered with a smile.

Geno blushed even harder and giggled stupidly. He was falling in love with this cute spellcaster.

"ARLE!" Master hand's voice grew even more impatient.

"I have to go, I believe in you guys", she bid them farewell before she rushed toward the exit.

"Bye Arle, Sora waved back at her.

After the spellcaster princess and her disembodied giant hand dad completely left the place, Sora and Geno walked toward the frozen Sakurae to talk to him.

"Don't worry, Sakurae", Sora assured. " Geno, Cloud and I…"

"Not interested", Cloud denied as he left the mansion.

"Sorry, Sora. But if Cloud doesn't come, then I neither do I", Sephiroth told to Sora.

He left the place to chase after Cloud.

"Okay then. Geno and I-"

"Hi", Geno said.

"-are gonna get the glove back and save you from Master Hand's wrath. Don't worry, your life is safe in our hands."

Sakurae looked at the two guys standing before him. They were making goofy faces at him. He was already afraid of his own safety.

"I'm doomed", Sakurae whimpered in doubt.

"Geno, let's go get that glove", he told the puppet with a determined expression on his face.

Geno agreed as they both rushed toward the closet room, ready to depart on this big journey.