Peter, Michelle, Farra, Heather, & Asahi were traversed to another dimension, somewhere near the mansion, trapped by the doctor, Kyosuke Irie, and his Stand, Nurse Atum. The rest of The Gang was in the mansion, looking around.

Asahi asked, "Where are we?"

Peter said, "No idea… So, Michelle, you know about Irie's wife?"

Michelle replied, "Sawako Yamanaka is Dr. Irie's wife, and she had my soul, along with Yamabuki's. Chazz saved us, after bluffing her to the point of going crazy."

Peter sighed, "Oh, gimme a break… The ol' psychological warfare gimmick. Clever."

Farra said, "Never mind that. Where are we, anyway?"

They were in a dark area, and then the sun rose. It showed a huge pink sky, as Heather giggled, "OH~! Pink sky… My favorite shade of dusk sky…"

Michelle said, "Stay on your toes. This is a dangerous world…"

Daylight broke, as they saw the sun rise.

Episode 39: MIO's World (Part 1)
Chapter 3: The House Call!
Dr. Irie and Nurse Atum!

"What is this place?" Asahi said, "Are we underground? Is this another dimension? Are we still in the mansion?"

Michelle said, "It looks like it."

Water appeared, as they were by a sandy beach shore. Michelle said, "If this was an illusion, the water and beach seems real. Where the devil are we?"

They spotted Irie, near a table with four chairs and four TVs. One of the TVs said "Game Start". Irie was by the table, as Peter said, "Girls, see if you can find out what this Nurse Stand is. She predicted that Steven punches left, but punches right, somehow. If we don't figure it out, we'll lose."

They agreed, as Farra said, "But look at this… They got wine, a cupboard, and video consoles!"

Irie offered, "Would you care for a glass, Miss Stevens? They're real. I can assure you that I did not poison it. As a doctor, I chose not to disobey my Hippocratic Oath."

Michelle barked, "Just answer this: are we inside the mansion?"

Irie said, "Yes, of course."

She asked, "Where in the mansion are we?"

Irie replied, "I cannot tell you that."

"Then the basement?"

"Perhaps."

She approached a lone door and said, "What goes into that door?"

Irie replied, "It's nothing really."

Michelle opened the door, but it was a door to nowhere, as it was just standing there. She protested, "So, is this the trick from your Stand's power?"

"My nurse, Nurse Atum, is very tricky. But I can assure you… It is a Stand's power."

"So, MIO's power?"

"No, it isn't."

"Your Stand?"

"My Nurse Atum had nothing to do with it."

Michelle roared, "Then who the hell's power is this, you quack?"

Irie stated, "I'd rather not spoil it. Why do you act curious?"

Michelle said, "The Speedwagon Foundation told me that there are 2 or 3 Stand Users in this building… not counting MIO or me bro. So, is that helpful to you to answer?"

Irie said, "It is, but I cannot reveal that, either."

Michelle griped, "AAAAGH! You're helpful as a cramp in a relay race!"

Irie smiled, "Well, if you must, then I'll lie. But unlike my recently incarcerated spouse, I could not care for violence or petty trickery."

Peter scoffed, as Farra said, "So, to put it simply, if we don't defeat you, we can't go back to the real world?"

Irie smiled and boomed, "EXACTLY RIGHT, GOOD MA'AM! You pieced it together!"

Heather barked, "That obnoxious gentlemanly demeanor is getting on my nerves!"

Peter nodded, "Hm."

Michelle said, "You seemed to forget, Medicine Man Jeeves, that it's 5-on-1! We're short on time, so you'll have to deal with all of us, attacking at once!"

Asahi nodded, "That's right! Grab Chazz into this land, and he'll throttle you, but good!"

Irie went to his cupboard, as he said, "Come now, friends. You should take a load off. Feast your eyes on what I am about to show you."

He opened the cupboard, and saw lifelike dolls, all female, in his shelves. The others gasped in shock, as Farra asked, "Whoa! Santa Maria!"

Heather said, "So many dolls. And they're adorable."

Irie said, "I'm so glad you admire my collection, Miss Dunn."

Michelle asked, "Your collection?"

Farra sensed it, and saw a dark ominous aura in the dolls. She whispered, "A dark aura inside… So, this is his collection of dolls?"

She asked, "Tell me, are you related to Parker Andrews?"

Heather added, "Or his brother, Lewis?"

Irie said, "Neither. The Temperance Brothers were fodder. Much like my wife, I'm much a humble collector of sorts. Why, I yearn to share my treasures to everyone, for a moment of praise."

They hear moans from the dolls, as Farra asked, "Peter, Asahi, do you hear that?"

Peter gasped, "He's out of his mind!"

Asahi asked, "Why dolls? What could he want with these cute dolls?"

Michelle shivered, "I don't think I wanna know! Remember, this is Sawako Yamanaka's husband! So I think they're no ordinary dolls!"

A doll in a blue dress started to move, and her eyes started to water and turn to Irie. She moaned, "Kyosuke! Please… talk to me, Kyosuke! Why won't you talk to me? KYOSUKE!"

She pleaded, as the others were in complete fright. All of Irie's dolls started to cry and scream for Irie. Michelle could only cry, "Oh, my GAAAAAAAAWD!"

Heather asked, "They're alive. But how is that even possible?!"

Farra growled, "I think I know. Michelle said that… he's Sawako's husband."

Asahi cringed, "NO! You mean…"

Peter growled, "Bastard! You stole their souls!"

Irie smiled, "Oh, so you figured me out, eh? Obviously, cosplaying is my hobby; doll collecting is my second. But dolls are not famed by handiwork with human souls, by ordinary doll makers. My wife usually steals the souls, and dresses the corpses. But if you want to cosplay your girls, do it right. I know that I may have given away too much information, but that is Nurse Atum's ability. My wife's collection of souls, made of plastic and wood coins, was simply uninspired. With my collection, you can play dress-up, or have usual chats."

He grabbed the doll with blonde hair and a green dress, and said, "Lemme show you this showstopper. This is Sakoto Hojo. She's usually weak, and she was always calling for her Nee-Nee, her brother. Such exquisite skin. Anyone would be proud to own her…"

He viewed another doll, with pale blue hair and a white summer dress, "This cutie is Mio Takamiya. She enjoys nature and cool breezes. You can't imagine how much she loves nature. I even made the leaf crown and necklace myself."

He cheered, "OH! I almost forgot!"

He grabbed another doll and said, "This cutie is Chiyuki. This ebony-haired doll was hard to get, as she always dreamed of being a talented figure skater. All I needed is sequins so shiny that I can make her my beautiful ice queen."

Michelle roared, "You're as sick and twisted in the head as your wife! Actually, you're more sadistic than Sawako Yamanaka ever was! I hate to see what your parents were like! Hell, I bet your children, if you had any, are demons from hell!"

Heather shouted, "I'm out of patience with this sociopath's Barbie doll collection! He makes me sick!"

Irie puts Chiyuki away, as he said, "By the way, you've wondered by now, when Mr. Princeton fought my wife. The human soul can be a rather mysterious entity. The moment that person admits defeat, their inner spirit dies. And the soul loses all vitality."

He closed the doll collection, and said to them, "At that moment, I had to rip the soul from their body! AND THAT! IS THE FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISM OF OUR STAND!"

Michelle summoned Hermit Ghost and hollered, "I'VE HAD JUST ENOUGH OF YOU, BASTARD!"

Heather, Asahi, Peter, & Farra summoned their Spirits and Stands, as Michelle continued, "SHOW AND TELL IS OVER! WE'RE BEATING YOU UP INTO A BLOODY PULP AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Irie called, "BUT FIRST! Let me have a say in this!"

Nurse Atum added, "Second opinion: Surely my signature has affected all of you. The fact that you're under our control hasn't escaped your notice."

Irie said, "Miss Stevens, I am quite aware that you were in quite the shock, when I grabbed onto Steven Cooke's arm, let alone you took the bullet, to save him."

Farra asked, "What's your point?"

He said, "I'll explain clearly, so you can understand, dear blonde. But from where I'm standing, when he launched his arm, you didn't figure it out."

Nurse Atum said to Farra, "You took the bullet for your boyfriend that I gave your soul a little love tap. What do you think, Miss Stevens, when I touched your soul, instead of his?"

Farra gasped, as she looked at her right arm. She rolled up her sleeve, and then gasped in horror. Asahi shrieked, "FARRA, YOUR ARM!"

Heather gasped, "What the-?"

Peter cried, "The hell did you do to her arm?"

Farra's arm was clasped onto by Atum's left hand, gripping it tightly. Dr. Irie said, "I've done nothing but embedded Nurse Atum's left hand into her soul. I would've crushed her right arm off in a thought, and it would make Lord MIO very happy. But if I did, I wouldn't have defended myself against Heather, Asahi, or Peter, and I would've simply perished. Now we wouldn't want that to happen, would we, ladies, and gentleman?"

He walked off, as Michelle growled, "Damn him."

Irie ordered, "So, here's what I want you to do, all of you! I wager a little series of games to play, starting with a four-player game, featuring all of you, excluding Miss Nevins. And with it, we pay our souls as collateral."

Michelle asked, "What?"

Irie continued, "Peter, Farra, Heather, and Asahi will play a toss-up round with the game of my choice. The first three players to win will play me in a best-of-three series, and whoever wins will go first. And if you defeat me, I promise I will release Farra from Atum's grip."

Peter sighed, "Gimme a break. So, according to you, Blondie's under your control, already. And we have to play you, to free her?"

Farra barked, "I've news for you, my friend. You're going to pay dearly for hurting me and my friends! Farra Stevens is a gamer, bay-bee!"

Peter said, "Ditto. I so love retro games, but dude, if it's for souls, I'm in."

Asahi said, "Fair enough. I'll take the game!"

Irie said, "Yeah, but I rather let you say the magic words I'll wager my soul, in order to play me."

Heather barked, "Fine by me! I'll join this game, and best you losers, since I'm an original member!"

Irie called, "Not so fast! I left out one small addendum: the three of you will play me, but the person in last place… I take their soul!"

Peter asked, "HEY! What are you talking about? Your fight's with Farra, so don't pass the buck to any of us!"

Irie said, "Michelle and Heather are family, since Miss Nevins's brother is also Miss Dunn's wife. But you three are decisively not. I prefer if you do not attack me, if I took BOTH of your souls, due to family attachment. However, I chose NOT to harm Miss Dunn too much, as long as she agrees to the challenge."

Michelle snarled, "I'm sick of this arrogant prick! He thinks this is sort of a challenge is a walk in the park for him!"

Heather stepped forward, "Fine. If that's what you want, I have a few conditions on this. I've played more video games than anyone else here."

She then explained, "One of us loses, we forfeit a soul. However, let's NOT make it best-of-three. If you somehow claim two wins, you take the souls. BUT… if we were to win TWO, and somehow you win the third, you claim us all, preventing a sweep. So, to sweeten your collection, this isn't a Best-of-3; it's a Best-of-5, and we're giving you a 2-0 handicap. You win one, you win all.
I, as senior member of The Gang's current roster, Heather Dunn-Nevins, willfully accept your offer, on behalf of my friends! But… Since you get to choose the game for US to play, in order to decide the order, then WE, the remaining three, get to choose the game of our choice!
And we'll wager our souls on the line!"

Irie nodded, "Fair enough. You got a deal!"

He held up a cartridge and said in a grin, "Puyo Puyo, anyone?"

Farra said, "Whoa! A puzzle game?!"

Irie said, "They never do Puyo Puyo 4-Player. Don't worry. If you manage to score more points in Endless Mode, and lose it, the points will be decided. But for hardcore gamers, it takes hours. So, instead, it'll be a traditional party game."

Peter said, "Makes sense. 4-player video games usually mean party games. But I hope the controller has NO control stick. Bad memories of Mario Party 1."

Irie said, "Do not worry. These controllers have a joystick. But the classic type, and not the small nub."

Heather said, "Keep it retro, eh? Cool."

Irie said to Michelle, "And do not worry. I won't cheat, like my wife. This round is between one of your lads, as you put it."

The Gang agreed, and Farra said, "Right! Let's do this!"

Peter said, "Heather, you sure about risking one of us to lose, in order to fight this guy?"

Heather said, "It's obvious. Even if one of us falls, in this party game, the rest will dive in. Make no mistake about it. You wager the soul of The Gang's members, you wager them all."

She pointed at Irie and said, "Dr. Irie! Do I have your guarantee that you will release your spirit hand on Farra's arm, if you lose?"

Irie then said, "Oh, one more thing… Feel free to use your Spirit Callers and Stands, if you want to up the ante."

He placed the Puyo Puyo game into the machine, as Michelle analyzed the TVs with her Hermit Ghost, and then said, "The tellies, game, consoles, and controllers are all safe. As far as I can tell, this is an ordinary setup."

Irie takes his seat, as he said, "I keep trying to tell you that I am not a cheater, like my wife."

They take their places, as Irie said, "Take your seats and let's begin."

They began to play, as Heather smiled, "Good luck, you guys!"

They began playing, as each player started worth a small combo. Peter sighed and said, "Beats Dr. Robotnik's Bean Machine."

Asahi said, as she was focused, "Whoa… This passes Tetris, by a long shot."

Farra continued to focus, as Heather was focused already. Heather made a two-combo, as it stacked more clear beans. Peter was using a steady strategy of producing a huge chain combo, while ditching some beans from use. Asahi remained vigilante, making small combos. They continued to make combos, and the match was still going on. The game was close, as they all wanted to protect themselves from taking their souls. Farra laughed, as she said, "AW, YEAH! 5-hitter!"

She landed a 5-chain combo, as the others groaned.

"Damn it!" He growled, "This is nuts!"

Michelle said, "Whoa… It's like a Video Game Battle in a tournament! High stakes playing!"

The game went on for three more minutes, as Peter sighed, "Man… I played Smash Melee, and it's longer than me using Marth to fight Roy!"

Farra asked, "You play Melee?! That's for losers! Brawl's where it's all there!"

Asahi smiled, "You guys…"

Heather stated, "At this rate, all of us are going to lose, at the same time!"

Suddenly, it happened, Asahi slammed an 8-hitter, while Peter's strategy landed only a 4-hitter. Farra's expertise in gaming landed a 5-hitter, but Heather had trouble getting a combo in. Clear beans dropped, and ALL FOUR members get a game over, at the same time! Irie smiled and said, "Aw, a four-way lose. But, I did say one soul, and I'd play all three of you… So, let's see how Nurse Atum fairs…"

Nurse Atum reappeared, as Heather was nervous. Peter was calm, as Farra smiled.

Nurse Atum then said, "The results are in!"

Heather felt a jab, as Michelle cried, "HEATHER!"

Nurse Atum grabbed Heather's soul and said, "By a near margin of 430 points, Heather Dunn, your soul is now forfeit!"

Heather collapsed down, as the soul flew off to a wayward and blank doll. The Stand was right. Heather ended in last place. Irie explained, "Neither of you did not admit defeat. But surprisingly, Heather's shock of a very low score… has come to my attention."

Peter asked, "So… Who won?"

Nurse Atum replied, "Yes. Heather Dunn scored a measly 7,390. Peter Giese came close with 7,920. The winner, with 11,239 points is… Farra Stevens!"

Farra said, as she stood up, "Well then, Doc. Since you grabbed Heather's soul, a deal's a deal."

Irie smirked, "Surprisingly, if Peter ended with a low score, and Heather realizing that she was being bombarded with those clear Puyos, she would've lost her soul, by forfeit."

Irie holds up the Heather doll with her soul inside, "And now, she's a valuable piece of my collection. Beat me three times, and she's yours. Miss Dunn said that I have a 2-0 advantage. More importantly, you get to choose the game, which labels your demise."

Farra calmly said, "Being that it is so… Since I go first, Asahi goes second, and the Big Guy is the anchor. You know well, my dear doctor, that you can't best an elite gamer, such as me. In my youthful days, I've played a share of games. But know this… We won't quit, until we stop! And we don't care if we do not admit defeat! Continue, until the end! That's my motto!"

Irie said, "Alright… But I should warn you… In the event you lash out at me, by trying to use violence… do not. Otherwise, Heather Dunn will pass on to another realm… Be careful of that reminder, my friends."

Farra grabbed the cartridge, and said, "Very well! You, Doctor Irie, I, Farra Stevens, challenge you to a game of my choosing! I'll wager my soul on this game, and the game I choose… is F-Zero!"

Irie gasped, as Farra smirked, "Unless you want to admit defeat, right now…"

Irie smiled, "Good choice, milady. And I promise… If I lose, Nurse Atum's hand comes off your arm."

She placed the game cartridge in, as Farra smiled, "Alright… But can you give your word that if the controller breaks, you get a new one?"

Irie said, "Well, they are brand-new, so it's no problem. But in the event the controller breaks, you're welcome to get a new one. But that would mean to stop playing."

Farra said, "Right. Here's to no rage."

They toasted with the controllers, as Farra said, "Now, time to burn the road!"

Michelle used her Hermit Ghost again, and said, "This game's okay. Nothing wrong with this one, too."

Farra asked, "Must you check every game?"

Michelle replied, "Dr. Irie may be a profound and well-known physician, but he's still our enemy. I cannot take that chance."

Farra sighed, "Worrywart."

They chose their car on the TV screen, as Farra and Irie chose their racers. Irie chose Blood Falcon, while Farra choose Captain Falcon. Farra winked, "Show me your moves, Doc."

Irie said, "Right. I see that you chose Captain Falcon. Not that it's blue, your favorite color, but Blood Falcon is similar to the captain."

Both Nurse Atum and Phoenix Sun appeared, as Farra said, "Well then… ground rules, since you're familiar with F-Zero. If one of us crashes, it's an automatic loss."

Irie smiled, "Fair enough."

"NOW LET'S RACE!"

The race began, and already it's a race to the finish. As they waited, Farra hears a tapping noise. It was Nurse Atum, tapping the accelerator button rapidly. Farra thought, "He's button-mashing! He's going to get a turbo start, before me! And he uses Nurse Atum to provide the mashing!"

The game announced, "3…"

Farra growled, "Damn! He's going to take the lead, before me… But he's dead wrong, if he thinks he'll stop Farra Stevens! Only question is… How will I stop him?"

They zoomed off, as Irie takes the lead. Farra closes in, but Irie blocks her, cutting her off.

Irie laughed, "You should know, but the simple truth is I NEVER make a mistake racing! Victory is mine, Farra Stevens!"

But then, she summoned her Spirit Caller, and uses her Phoenix Sun to move her fingers on the D-pad. Farra's car spun around, and crashes onto Irie's car. He gasped, as both cars stand, "NO! How did you-? It seems that you played F-Zero before."

Farra smirked, "If you're asking for pro tips, forget it!"

Michelle cheered, "YES! Farra's got the doctor down! Get your machine on the road, and kick this bastard's ass!"

They resumed, as Irie moaned, "No… One mustn't get those skills, by playing this game. Damn it all! I never could've imagine Stevens to make such a bold stunt, even in a game of turbo speed!"

They were neck and neck, as Michelle cheered, "YES! Now it's even!"

Peter said, "No… Farra's on the edge… If I know drifting, then if they make wrong sudden turns, she's at a major disadvantage."

Farra called, "355 km/h. Now it's 358! 360! Three seconds before the first turn! It may cost a little damage, but I might make the first turn! But I'm entering the turn at full speed!"

She made a sharp left turn, and remained neck and neck. Irie said, "You intrigued me, Farra Stevens. With that turn, you've conquered your fear and the picture of unwavering resolve. I do hope to make you a part of my collection."

Farra barked, "Bite me, Doc! I had my soul removed before, and became a mannequin! I'm not going to be your dolly, this time! All I need is to win, and you're not getting me, at all!"

She thought to herself, "Conquering my fear? Thank you, Doctor… I've gone better than facing my fears. My life was a whole wreck of shambles, losing my father in an accident, emerging my darker self to get rid of my stepfather, fear of dying at a young age, like my family before me, losing my mother, and even being a slave to Miss Pollyanna's mannequin collection. They don't call me The Perfect Mannequin for nothing… but Doc Irie, this mannequin's not for sale!"

They continued to race on, as Farra was gaining. They made a couple more sharp turns, and are close. After five turns, Irie thought, "Damn her… She's good. But not good enough."

Michelle cheered, "ALRIGHT! They're at the 6th corner!"

Farra whispered, "Sixth corner…"

Irie said, "If I'm not mistaken, the Speed Boost Tunnel is right after turn six. If you enter that tunnel, you can double your MAX SPEED at 850 km/h! I have to get to that tunnel!"

Farra said, "Neck and neck, we're close to the Speed Tunnel. If I get there first, we got an easy win. But only one problem… One car must go in first, because it's wide enough to fit one vehicle through! And timing to go in it takes patience!"

Michelle gasped, "This isn't good! After the sixth turn, they'll head to the tunnel! If they get to the tunnel, one of them is going to crash! And it's still neck and neck!"

They continued to lock wheels onto each other, as they made the sixth turn. They approached the tunnel. Irie said, "Haven't you realize yet, Miss Stevens, you have no power to push me aside. If you look at the power meter, you'll know why."

Farra viewed the meter. It was ¾ full, as Farra seethed, "Damn… Guess it's not good enough. But I won't give in."

Irie boomed, "You used up most of that power, when you made a spin stunt at the beginning of the race. A nice strategy that caught me off-guard, but it is your undoing! I bet you're regretting that decision NOW!"

Irie rammed Farra's car off, and entered the tunnel. They were close, but Farra stated, "I'm going to try something."

Michelle shouted, "YOU'RE GOING TO CRASH! Just give him the lead!"

Farra barked, "And let my soul be taken again, no thank you! If I let him in first, my chances of winning go to absolute zero! And I wouldn't want that!"

Farra's car tilted up the left, and entered the tunnel, as well. Michelle cried, "MY GOD! SHE GOT THE CAR UP ON TWO WHEELS!"

They both entered the tunnel, as the same time, as Irie gasped, "Amazing! I didn't know you'd pull it off!"

Farra barked, "You didn't think I would lose to this stunt! Ever played Mario Kart 8?"

Irie roared, "ABSURD!" and witnessed Farra's car riding the walls, "YOU'RE HUGGING THE WALLS, LIKE ZERO GRAVITY?!"

Michelle cheered, "YOU GOT THIS! GO, FARRA! NOW PUSH HIM ASIDE!"

Irie shouted at Michelle, "DO YOU MIND? I'M CONCENTRATING!"

Michelle giggled, as she stepped back. Irie's car slams at Farra. Asahi cried, "WATCH OUT! He's slamming you!"

Irie thought, "It makes no difference to me how much power I lose, as long as she is defeated. My only concern is to best this woman, even if it's one hundredth seconds of a turn! Just one-one thousandth of a millimeter ahead!"

But then, the game went pitch black.

NO RADAR!

Asahi gasped, "Huh? The game crashed!"

Farra said, "No, it's normal. We're in an area that is total darkness. From here on in, we have to navigate through the darkness. The problem is the radar will be completely useless. And not just the eight sharp turns up ahead, but there's also a cannon and land mines in this dark road. This area will remain dark, until we make it to the exit. One wrong turn, and you're toast. Unfortunately, I know this course off the back of my head. Doc Irie knows, too!"

They began turning, as Peter said, "The cars are beginning to turn. Reminds me of a night subway."

Michelle cried, "HEY! What's going on? I can't see in this darkness!"

Farra called, "3!"

Irie called, "2!"

Both shouted, "1! CANNON ATTACK!"

They both avoided the cannon fire, as Asahi called, "They avoided the attack! What stunt!"

Peter said, "Yeah, but by the view of the light, Farra's slightly behind."

Michelle called, "HERE WE GO! They're about to exit the tunnel!"

They both got out, at the same time… and Irie takes the lead!

Irie laughs, "Looks like victory is mine!"

Michelle cried, "GAH! Damn it! Irie took the lead, just like that! And he's ahead by a full car length!"

Farra growled, "No! I'm going to beat him! I won't give up!"

Irie called, "I have now double speed! I win!"

Farra boomed, "Wrong! You have little power left… which means…"

She moved her D-pad with her Spirit Caller, and then said, "Sayonara!"

Farra's car spun around, once again, and struck onto Irie's car, sending it flying. Asahi cheered, "OH, MY GOODNESS! SHE'S DONE IT!"

Farra's car landed safely, as Irie's car flew off. She explained, "If you have less power, there's a chance you'll be easily knocked off. I lagged behind, so you wouldn't notice."

Irie said, "Nice plan… but… You already failed!"

He smiled evilly, "I DID LOSE MY POWER, AS I PLANNED!"

They gasped, as Irie said, "You see, you just sent me to the lead, and instant victory! Watch closely, Farra Stevens! My car's about to take a commanding lead!"

The car that Irie was piloting was flying towards the track, and landed safely, near the edge.

Michelle cried, "NO WAY! HE TOOK A SHORTCUT!"

Farra gasped, "Impossible!"

Irie explained, "By doing that spinning stunt, at 850km/h, you knocked me into another part of the track, and there, I took the lead. I wanted you to do that, as a sort of my own strategy. Now then… Shall we continue the race, Miss Stevens?"

Peter cried, "FARRA, DON'T YOU DARE ADMIT DEFEAT!"

She smirked, "I'm not."

She grinned, as she pointed at the screen, "Look again."

Nurse Atum lunges at Farra, but…

CRASH!
Irie's car suddenly crashed into the edge, and fell off. Irie gasped, "WHAAAAAAAAAT?"

Asahi and Michelle cheered, "SHE WON! SHE WON!"

Farra said, "Hmph. Loser. You didn't realize that you got off at a sharp turn, only to realize that you should've turned, when you got back on track. See, I guess I did let you win. But…"

She bellowed, "Next time, when you land near a turn, be ready!"

Irie gasped, as Michelle laughed, "MY GOD, THAT WAS HER PLAN, FROM THE START!"

Nurse Atum returned to Dr. Irie and moaned, "Darn! And so close! This girl's calm and collected!"

She boasted, "But… Your souls are forfeit, upon Miss Sakurai's defeat!"

Irie said, as he placed his controller down, "While it was my plan to have Miss Stevens admit herself in defeat, she was far too confident to surrender. I guess I was bested by my own ego. I promise that it will never be repeated, again."

Farra smirked, sitting up, "Good! You lead, 2-1. The Gang's about to go for a clean sweep; though, you are given a 2-0 handicap. Start counting!"

Irie put the game away, and then sat up. He pointed at her, "Still, no one has ever made me sweat in nervousness, like that! An intimidating woman such as you, Miss Stevens, I give my praise."

Peter growled, "Shut up and die now…"

He prepared, as Irie stopped, "WHOA! I wouldn't go off the rails, if I were you. Remember what I said… If you attack me, Miss Dunn's soul trails off forever, into the afterlife. I wouldn't let you sully your fists all over me."

Asahi said, "Peter, he's right. He's had his fill on Farra… And we only need two more wins to win."

She picked a game and said, "Now, Kyosuke Irie, it's my turn! Remember the deal: Three straight wins, and Heather's soul is freed! We choose the game, since you know these games by heart! And I believe you will, too…"

She held up a fighting game and giggled, "I've always wanted to play this. Virtua Fighter! I've played these arcade fighting games, for a long time! And Dr. Irie, I, Asahi Sakurai, want YOU to be my opponent. On one condition…"

She stated, "ONE: I wager my soul on it, as does the agreement, and TWO: I will NOT use my Stand, Idol Justice Mech-Asahi, to assist me! She will just watch."

Irie nodded, "Hmm, not using your Stand? Deal!"

Michelle gasped, "No… Asahi, you wouldn't! With his Stand, he's unstoppable!"

Asahi turned away and sat down. Peter said, "No… I believe she knows what she's doing."

Farra smirked, "Clever, Sakurai… Clever…"

They prepared the game, as Michelle used Hermit Ghost again. Farra hissed, "What you're doing… STOP!"

Michelle stated, "I TOLD YOU! These games may be rigged by Dr. Irie. But this game, this one's safe, too."

Peter sighed, "Yeah, until the part where the CPU fighters are broken."

Asahi prepared, "I'm not going to admit defeat. I know what this game is. Like Farra said, she and I lost our souls, but claimed it back. You're not taking mine, that's for sure."

Irie said, "So be it. Now, let's choose our character. How many fights, before we claim victory?"

Asahi said, "We'll do Best-of-5. First with three wins, wins the round."

Irie replied, "Okay."

They began the fighting game, as it's Irie vs. Asahi, in 5 matches. Irie chose Akira Yuki, while Asahi picked Jacky Bryant. They began fighting, and in the first seconds, Asahi was typing into the controls, as Irie was creaming her. Irie smiled, "My Stand can double my dexterity, and can easily hit your weak spots! Do you really think that you'd fight me without you-?"

KO!

Irie lost. He gasped, "URK! WHAT?"

Asahi said, "Round 2, doctor?"

Irie snarled, "Without a Stand, she's helpless… But how did she-?"

Asahi kept playing, as she thought to herself, "The guys understand with the game I chose. Besides, if I want to save Mizuki, I must. Since I started my idol career, I was an expert at arcade games, mostly the fighting games. When asked if I were to be in an arcade tournament, I would decline. Even when I am looking or not, I know this game off the back of my head. Broken characters don't do me good, but even some characters have flaws, when they're wide open. And Dr. Irie, if I were to lose my soul again today, I'd give you what I can experience, from a normal human being. But I am not losing today. Chazz and I promised to go on this journey to save Mizuki! So, I won't lose!"

Asahi won the first match, as Irie bowed his head in defeat. But he was confident, "Nice job, my dear. But the battle's not over. I will make a huge comeback, and claim you as the victory."

Asahi and Irie played the next match in their Virtua Fighter showdown for Heather's soul, with The Gang trailing 2-1. Will they achieve the promise of a clean sweep?

To be continued…