In another part of the woods, Lina and Zoey were hiding behind a bush while carefully eyeing a pile of chocobars and Next HarMEOWny swimsuit magazines a few feet away from them.

"Geez, this is taking too long." Complained Zoey. "We've been here for over an hour and Kunekune hasn't shown up to take the bait. We even sprung for the premium chocobars for crying out loud! I'm starting to think Katie was just messing with us."

"Patience, dear Sakai." Advised Lina. "The class Madonna is many things, but a manipulator is not one of them. Remember the spirits work on their own time, not ours."

Zoey began scratching her right thigh. "Yeah yeah I know. I just hope they work before the ants make a meal out of my legs."

"I told you to buy repellant while we were at the store, but you spent the last of our money on the newest Hex Life issue instead."

Zoey pulled the magazine out of her hoodie. The cover featured a well-endowed woman with messy purple hair, swirly glasses, wearing a witch's hat and a black dress with a spiderweb-styled collar, and holding a crystal ball. "How could I not? This week's included incantation is about shapeliness and body enhancement!"

Lina blushed and held her hand over her mouth. "Oh dear. I wasn't aware you were concerned about such things."

"Of course! If I'm going to practice witchcraft when I start high school, I need to have the body for it after all. Some of the best female mages in Springdale's history were total bombshells y'know!"

Lina smiled and clasped her hands together. "Ah! I see! Well in that case I cannot scold you for such a wise purchase. May the spirits grant you with a voluptuous figure when you come of age."

Zoey put the magazine away. "Right now, I just wish they'd grant us with an appearance from Kunekune." She stood up, dusted her legs off, and started walking away. "I gotta go pee. Come and get me if something happens, okay?"

"Oh dear, those restrooms we walked past earlier are quite a distance from here. Being that far from each other during a paranormal investigation is quite unsafe, is it not?"

"Well duh, that's why I'm going behind one of those trees over there."

The top half of Lina's face turned blue while black lines ran down it. "How uncouth." She then looked back at the bait and sighed heavily. "I suppose I too am starting to get restless. Perhaps some quick meditation will soothe my tension." She began sitting in seiza, breathing deeply with her hands and fingers in the Gyan Mudra position.

After a few seconds of mental exercise, she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm done."

"Oh my, that was quick." Lina looked back. "Eh?"

Zoey walked from behind the tree. "Hey I'm done. I'm guessing nothing happened yet, huh?" Lina didn't respond and continued looking in the direction of the bait. Zoey raised her eyebrow. "Uh, hello?" She walked over to Lina and tapped on her shoulder. "Lina?" Still getting no response she turns her around and gasped out of shock.

Lina's face is completely blank; her nose and mouth are gone. With her heart starting to pound and a rare sickening worriment building up inside her, Zoey hesitantly lifted a lock of hair covering Lina's eyes, only to find that they are gone as well. She was also completely immobile with no vital signs. "No way..." She backed away from her and bumped into something. She quickly turned around to see what it was, when her vision and mind went dark in an instant.

"And then there was one."

"Where is it? Where is it?" Whisper blabbered as he frantically searched the bushes for the lost skewer. "I know I saw it land over here somewhere!"

"Blaze Blaze Blaze? (Looking for this?)" Blazion smugly smiled as he waved the leaf and dirt covered meat skewer in his hand before proceeding to devour it all in one bite, to Whisper's chagrin. "Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (It pays to have a predator's nose.)"

"Hey! That's not fai-YOWCH!" Whisper suddenly felt a tight grip around his wisp.

Blazion let out a loud belch with his eyes closed before yelping in pain as a strong pinching sensation occurred on his right ear.

The cause of their pain was an angry Katie who had them both in her clutches. "You can't just run off into the woods like that you crazy carnivores! It's dangerous! Mr. Johnson said there's more than enough food which includes the meat, so stop acting like middle-aged meatheads and let's go back right now!" She started walking back to the campsite while forcibly dragging her Yo-kai friends.

A few minutes after being dragged, Whisper stopped grunting in pain and asked: "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

Katie stopped walking. "Huh? Hear what?"

Whisper broke free of her grip and temporarily grew an ear on the left side of his head while holding his hand up to it. "Listen! It sounds like music. Enka to be precise, whis~."

"Enka?"

"Blaze, Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (Yeah, I hear it too.)" Blazion confirmed.

Katie held her hand to her ear as well and added: "You're right. It sounds like the music that plays during the summer festivals, but that's not for another two weeks. Anyway, we shouldn't-" When she looked back in Whisper's direction, he was gone. "Whisper? Whisper? Ugh! Where did he go no-"

"AAAAAAAAH!"

"Whisper!" Katie let go of Blazion's ear and they both ran in the direction of Whisper's scream.

"Blaze Blaze! (Wait up!)"

As they ran through the woods, they could hear the enka slowly growing louder and saw a glowing light peeking through the trees.

"Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze, Blaze! (Stay on your guard, Katie!) Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze! (Be prepared for anything!)"

When they make it out of the tree grove, they find themselves in front of a large house that looked worse for wear. Vines were covering it from head to toe, the wood had rotted so badly that it seemed like just touching it wrong would make the entire foundation collapse, the windows were broken and filthy, and the entrance was barricaded with wooden planks. The enka music they heard earlier was coming from inside which was also illuminated.

"This is…" started Katie.

"Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (I've heard about this place.)"

"Really?"

"Blaze. (Yeah.) Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (Many Yo-kai parties are held here because it's abandoned.)"

"I see."

"Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (Sounds like there's a party going on now.)"

"Yeah."

"Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze? (Should we check it out?) Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (Your friend might be in there.) Blaze Blaze Blaze, Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (If he is, they could be using him as a dart target.) Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (They reserve that right for Yo-kai who show up uninvited.)"

Katie didn't respond.

"Blaze, Blaze Blaze? (Hey, what's wrong?)"

Katie gave Blazion a confused smile with a sweat drop on the side of her face. "You realize I can't understand a single word you say, right?"

Blazion's jaw dropped as he looked at Katie with shock and disgust.

"AAAAAAAH!" Whisper screamed again, grabbing their attention.

"Whisper! Blazion, punch through the barricade!"

"Blaze! (Right!)" Blazion destroyed the wood with a single punch and Katie quickly followed him in from behind.

"Whis…Per?" Katie's eyes widened in awe of what she saw. Paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, several tables set up with spreads of different foods ranging from vegetables to sweets, an oden stall manned by Master Oden, a mini-bar serving sake and other drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic run by Sebastian, a Gnomey band playing several traditional Japanese instruments while on a stage stationed near the back, and many of the other Classic Yo-kai she befriended present.

"It's Katie!" Boyclops chorused, followed by cheers from the other partygoers.

Pittapatt ran up to her and greeted her with: "Hey! You were able to make it after all! This is great! Well come on in, don't be shy!"

Katie was happy to see so many of her Yo-kai friends gathered in one place but didn't know how to process it all and awkwardly replied: "Uhh, okay."

As she and Blazion walked in, some of the other Classic Yo-kai began swarming her.

"Katie! Wanna see the new jump scare I've been working on?" Pallysol asked as he hopped toward her.

"Psh! I've seen it and it's nothing special." Boyclops rasped. "Look what I can do with my eyeball now!"

Lady Longnek groggily stretched her neck around Katie. "Oh pleashe, Katie doeshen't wanna shee your shilly little parlor tricksh." She slurred, barely able to stay conscious and look at Katie straight while keeping her neck in the air. "Look at wha…" She closed her eyes for a second as her neck started to descend, but quickly opened them and shot her neck back up. "ICANDO!" She then collapsed but Katie caught her head before it fell to the ground. Immediately she began snoring in Katie's arms with a snot bubble coming out of her right nostril. Sweat drops appeared on the sides of Boyclops and Pallysol's heads upon seeing that.

"Come on guys give her some space. She's here to enjoy the party just like the rest of us. Not to hear a bunch of bogus boasting." Kappa asserted before flipping his hair.

"Um, well actually I'm here because-"

"Besides," he began, cutting her off. "I think it's fair to say that I've improved the most since our last meeting."

"Oh yeah? Prove it!" provoked Boyclops.

Kappa flipped his gourd in the air, caught it, and squeezed a white substance from it onto his head plate. "I've started using moisturizer to keep my plate from drying out in the sun. Now not even Yokozudon could beat me in a sumo match during the day."

"Boo! Talk is cheap!" jeered Boyclops.

"That proves absolutely nothing you poser!" Pallysol added.

"I see they haven't changed a bit." Katie thought to herself while half smiling with her eyes closed and a sweat drop in the corner of her head.

"Hehe. It's been like this all night." Pittapatt chuckled. "Everyone's been bragging about what they've accomplished since meeting you. Now that you're here in person, I feel it's about to get even livelier."

"Well actually the only reason I'm here is because-"

"AAAAAAAAH!"

"Whisper!"

"Master Furdinand your hair is as shiny and luxurious as ever! Not a single split end in sight!" Whisper gushed while floating around Furdinand.

"It's all thanks to good genes and the hair conditioner Katie gave me." He replied while coating himself with it. "No breakage here!"

Whisper then floated over to Tublappa who was licking the inside of his bucket which was full of oden soup. "Master Tublappa your tongue has gotten even more slippery and slimy since the last time I saw it!"

"Thankth. It dried out a while back aphter licking too many oph the thalt candieth that Katie shared with me, tho I've been licking lot'th oph liquid thuph like oden thoup to make it moitht again." He responded.

Katie looked at Whisper in disbelief. "Oh. I get it now." She turned her attention away from him, surveying the area and taking note of all the Yo-kai present and sighed. "Must have had something else to do." She mumbled.

"That marshmallow guy's with you, right?" asked Pittapatt.

"Eh? Oh, yeah. I'm sorry if he caused any trouble."

"Not at all. Any friend of yours is a friend of ours. In fact, everyone's been enjoying the praise that's been coming from him after he begged to stay when I told him he wasn't invited. Though I've noticed he glares at Sebastian from time to time. Are they rivals or something?"

Katie giggled nervously. "It's a long story."

"Well anyway I'm glad you were able to make it. Maybe I should have listened to Furdinand after all and advertised you were going to be here. Then more of us would have shown up, truly making this a Classic Yo-kai party for the history books. I should've had more faith in you after you helped me correct the mistake I once made."

Katie blushed while half-smiling and rubbing the back of her head with her eyes closed. "Well that's nice but like I've been trying to say, the only reason I'm here is to get Whisper so we can-"

"SUMO BATTLE!" shouted Boyclops.

"Eh!? Sumo battle?" Katie ran towards the commotion while still carrying Lady Longnek's head. Kappa and Blazion were standing in a ring face-to-face while squatting with their hands on their knees. "What's going on?"

"Your friend challenged Kappa to a sumo match." Pallysol explained. "He told Kappa that if he's as good as he says then he wanted to see it right here and right now."

A sweat drop appeared on the back of Katie's head. "Oh Blazion."

Whisper floated between the two acting as the gyouji referee, only wearing the eboshi and holding the gunbai, pointing at the fighters with it as he introduced them. "In the left corner we have a real, genuine Yo-kai! The original river monster himself, Master Kappa! In the right corner we have a feline Yo-kai with a fiery passion for everything! The walking embodiment of motivation, Blazion! Everyone knows the rules of sumo wrestling so all I'll say is that I want a good, clean match! No unnecessary roughness and only use your legs for moving."

"Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze! (Actions speak louder than words!) Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze! (Show me what you've really got!)" Blazion implored.

"Hmph. As if a Water Yo-kai is gonna lose to a Fire Yo-kai!" Kappa confidently stated.

Whisper waved his gunbai downward. "Begin!"

Both competitors lunged forward pushing their bodies against each other's, both equally matched in strength. After turning each other around twice, Kappa started to move Blazion backwards.

"Come on Blazion! Make Kappa eat his words!" yelled Boyclops.

"Yeah don't lose to that quack!" shouted Pallysol.

"They're cheering for the underdog instead of one of their own?" Katie thought to herself, looking at them in disbelief.

Kappa pushed Blazion even closer to the edge of the ring. "Give it up pussycat. We kappas are natural-born sumo wrestlers. You never stood a chance."

"Blaze Blaze, Blaze Blaze Blaze. (I'll admit, you're pretty strong.)" Blazion began. Flames suddenly started to ignite in his eyes and his fiery mane was flaring up even more. "Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze! (But I'm far from finished!)

"Ha! Turning up the heat won't help you! My skin is fire resistant and the moisturizer I use stops my head plate from drying out!" Kappa's head plate started steaming. He then began losing strength in his arms and legs. "Hey, what's going on!? This isn't supposed to be happening!"

With a mighty roar, Blazion used all his strength to toss Kappa backwards out of the ring.

"WHIS~!?" Whisper exclaimed in shock with his jaw almost reaching the ground. "Th-The winner is… Blazion." He sighed out of disappointment.

The other Classic Yo-kai cheered.

"Is that even allowed?" questioned Katie.

"With Yo-kai? Yes." Answered Pittapatt.

"Koff koff. Man… I'm losin' my edge." Kappa exasperated while lying on the ground. Blazion's shadow loomed over him.

"Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze, Blaze Blaze. (Moisturizer protects from UV rays, not fire.)" Explained Blazion. "Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze, Blaze Blaze Blaze. (With enough heat exposure, it's practically useless.)

"Hm. I guess that's true. No moisturizer is that strong."

Blazion held his paw out to Kappa to help him get up.

"This old Yo-kai's still got a lot to learn I suppose. You're alright, pussycat. Let's spar again sometime."

"Blaze. (Yeah.)"

The two then shook on their new friendship.

"C'mon, I'll ask Sebastian to mix you up a special drink. My treat."

"Blaze Blaze! (Sounds good!)"

They began walking with their arms around each other's shoulders. "Fair warning though: once you've had one, you'll never be done. Let Lady Longnek be an example for you."

"Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze Blaze. (I'm willing to take that risk if it's on your tab.)"

They both chuckled.

"Whis~. What a disappointing outcome." Whisper mumbled with his head hung low and eyes closed. He looked back up and saw Katie amongst the spectators. "Ah, Katie!" He quickly floated over to her, stripping off his gyouji attire. "Enjoying the party?" He noticed Lady Longnek sleeping in her arms. "She finally passed out huh?"

Katie gave him an angry look and pinched his cheek causing him to grunt in pain. "Don't 'enjoying the party' me! Why did you run off even after I told you it's dangerous!? Do you get some sort of sick kick out of making me worry!?"

She let go of his cheek, leaving a red bruise on it. "I'm sorry but when I heard the enka music I just knew it had to be coming from the Classic Yo-kai party Master Pittapatt mentioned earlier since it's not time for the summer festival! Please understand that I simply had to see it for myself since I've never been invited to one of these mixers before, so I flew off as fast as I could. And I was right, whis~!"

"For once anyway." Katie cheekily mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. I'm glad you're okay so let's just go and-"

"Hello there, Katie!" greeted Master Oden who was holding a bowl of oden. "Dat was some match, eh? I bet just watching it worked up your appetite so have a bowl."

"Oh, thanks Master Oden, but…" She started rocking Lady Longnek's head in her arms. "My hands are kinda full right now as you can see."

"I'll hold it then!" Whisper offered while drooling.

"Let me know how you like it. Dis time I used phoenix eggs, so it may be a bit spicy." Master Oden said as he walked back to his stall.

"Phoenix eggs!?" exclaimed Katie.

"Only joking! Ha ha ha!"

Katie looked at him in confusion. "What a strange Yo-kai."

"He makes good oden though." Whisper replied, licking his lips.

Katie looked at the bowl he was holding and saw that it was empty. "Wasn't that for me?"

"Greetings Ms. Katie." Sebastian suddenly greeted while holding a tray carrying a blue drink. "I take it you're enjoying the festivities and finding that everything is perfect, yes? May I offer you a Blue Hawaii?"

"Oh, hi Sebast-"

Whisper abruptly flew in-between them. "No, you may not! For one, I'm her temporary Yo-kai butler so if anyone is going to offer her a drink it's me! And two, Blue Hawaii is an adult beverage; ergo not appropriate for Katie who's in primary school!" He then knocked the drink off the tray. "Whis~!"

"Whisper! That was rude!" Katie annoyedly exclaimed.

"Not to worry, Katie. This cretin won't be intoxicating you tonight. If you're thirsty, I'll be more than happy to provide you with appropriate refreshment." He pulled a juice box from behind his back and held it out to her. "Prune juice?"

"No."

"My sincerest apologies." Sebastian began. "I should have specified that this particular Blue Hawaii was non-alcoholic and made with blue cream soda instead of liquor. Please forgive me. I shall make you another if you desire."

"No no it's fine. In fact, Whisper and I were just getting ready to lea-"

"So Katie, how'd you beat Kunekune?" Pittapatt interrupted.

"Eh?"

"That's why you're here isn't it? You were able to stop Kunekune early and break away from your camping group to come to the party, right?"

"Well-"

"Yeah! Tell us how you did it!" encouraged Boyclops.

"Which Yo-kai did you summon?" asked Pallysol.

"How did you look at the monster without it stealing your face?" inquired Furdinand.

"Did it thneak up behind you or did you thneak up behind it?" questioned Tublappa.

"Uh…" Katie began sweating nervously. She remembered how Pittapatt told her how nervous the rumor made some of the other Yo-kai and she didn't want everyone to start panicking by telling them she hadn't done anything about it yet. Suddenly, the sound of loud thunderous footsteps filled the area causing a chill to run up her spine. "Uh, what is that?"

"He's here! He actually came!" rejoiced Pittapatt.

"Who? Who came?"

Whisper's wisp suddenly became pointy. "Katie! I'm sensing a strong presence! Shine the light from your watch towards the entrance!"

"'Kay. Hold this." Katie handed Lady Longnek's head to Whisper and did as he said, and the light revealed a large black humanoid Yo-kai with horns and claws. Most surreal about it, however, was that its body was covered in eyes. It was also covering its face for some reason. "Wah! A monster!" She screamed.

"AAAAAAAH! That's no monster! It's Master Eyesoar!" Whisper gushed as he dropped Lady Longnek's head on the ground. "He's one of the strongest Classic Yo-kai around!"

"All those eyes give me goosebumps."

"Hey long time no see, Eyesoar! Welcome to the party!" greeted Pittapatt.

Eyesoar didn't say anything and just moaned with his face still covered.

"Huh? What's the matter? Is it too bright in here for you? I can see if we can dim the lights a bit but-"

Eyesoar removed his hand from over his face to reveal that it was completely blank, causing everyone to gasp.