Naruto: Tales of a Ninja Magician

by Captain Claymore

A story of an alternate world where small changes long, long ago made a Ninja World of a different history and different people, different heroes, and different villains. Meet a young girl that tries to live a life as a ninja with a completely different set of ideals from the cruel world that surrounds her, trying to remain unchanged. A heavy focus on an OC cast.

327. Tales of a Ninja Magician Annual 2

"Huh? A mission"? Mana stared for a moment at the closed, thin, blue file positioned on the Sixth's desk in front of her.

"Is there a problem, Nakotsumi Mana"? Lord Hokage's assistant, a lovely young woman, short of stature but compensating her lack of height with massive curly pile of dark hair, asked.

Mana quickly grabbed the file off the desk, swiftly flipping the four or five pages through, letting her eyes absorb the most basic information. She needed a reply, seeing as the magician was already not at the greatest of odds with the Sixth with the few encounters she had with the man, her reply needed to make sense as well.

"Well… I just hoped I'd have the week to train and prepare for the next stage of the Chuunin Exams", Mana shrugged, scolding herself for sounding so unsure of her reply. To her it made perfect sense – it was simply unfair to give her a mission and hold her back from her training, compared to the other contestants.

"It isn't a difficult mission, a D-Rank, if you caught that fact while you skimmed the file. It'll only take you one night to complete. It's also very important, despite being relatively simple. We figured we'd give it to our most handy genin asset – the Golden Child. That's what you are, isn't it? Handy", Lord Sixth sighed before explaining the mission to Mana. "That being said, you are in a position to decline the mission, due to the ongoing Chuunin Exams. It'd be troublesome for our administration to find a fitting replacement for you but…"

"It's fine, I'll do it", Mana bowed submissively before picking up the file, bowing again for a permission to leave the office and left. She needed this, a chance to please Lord Sixth and maybe earn more of his trust and respect. Judging from certain remarks in her past, his stance on Mana has softened slightly in the past, as a man with history working for a special department of ANBU, Sixth was impressed by Mana's performance fighting off the Imarizu in the whole Kiyomi's marriage affair. This could build something on top of that…

Mana had disappointed enough of her mentor figures and superiors to know how much it hurt and to earn some trust points with menial jobs like this, jobs where she did not need to compromise or choose between sacrificing her own ideals or the mission objective, was simple enough. Being the upmost authority on herself, Mana knew all too well, which one of the two she'd more likely sacrifice. She needed this, this menial job of…

"Babysitting", Mana sighed after checking the file again and sighing. "An experienced C+ Rank ninja is needed for babysitting". Yet when the magician noticed a question mark scribbled by the mission rank tab she realized that there may have been more to this baby-sitting mission than she thought there being before.

Question marks, such as that one, usually meant that the mission had an "unofficial" rank. It had a "question mark", a questionable aspect to it, which, technically, should have raised the rank of the mission but it wasn't solid enough to actually do so. All missions were graded accordingly with the universal ranking scale, agreed on by the five Feudal Lords. If a mission was graded freely, every village would simply rate all of their babysitting, and others of the sort, missions as being S-Rank simply for the bragging rights and looking better in front of the clients. "Question mark" missions were an iffy legal loophole but they were sort of an unwritten rule, not even one taught about in the Academy, Mana learned about that solely from her own job experience.

Feeling slightly intrigued, Mana rushed home to re-check her supplies and prepare for a possible combat scenario, something she didn't expect she'd need to do when she departed to answer the Administration's call in the early noon. There must've been a reason why Sixth chose a C+ Rank ninja like Mana, beyond the abilities of a genin but not yet consistently competing with the B-Rank chuunin ninja in skill, experience, knowledge and power. Mana would have been wise not to look down on this mission, it may have yet proved to be nice practical training for her after all…

After preparing and explaining the whole ordeal to her father, before the man left to buy more pain-killing herbs from the market for his arm wounds, Mana dashed through the door and rushed away to the north-eastern district of the village, one of the more illustrious and high-class districts. Various well-known public figures, heads of ninja clans, Ninja Council members, businessmen and "thieves within the law" like Hanada Katsuo lived in this district. It was nothing but fancy gardens, sophisticated lawns, mansions and smells of cherry tree rings. Obviously, the last one remained unexperienced in the present case, both because of the cold season and Mana's recently lost sense of smell.

"Oh, Konoha's Sorceress, were you invited to perform privately tonight"? A private bodyguard lifted his shades in surprise of seeing a rather well known entertainer asking for entry. Mana simply flashed her forehead protector to the brutish looking muscle and was granted entry.

"Is there anything wrong with the young master, is he in any danger"? Mana wondered, usually bodyguards would have known a less loaded with bullshit version of the story, seeing how they were down in the trenches every night.

"Not necessarily. It's not gonna be a tough job, Sorceress-chan, the brat doesn't really do anything but play his stupid game through the evenings. It's just that Tomoko-san is a pretty wealthy businessman and recently he's denied a business proposition to the one man one doesn't piss off – Hanada Katsuo. Obviously he is a criminal by reputation only and the Konoha Police Force has nothing on him so officially the mission can't be ranked any higher…"

"But the young master may need protection for a short while", Mana realized. She most of all people knew the dangers of ticking off Hanada Katsuo, she once saved his life which sort of bought her more luxury when dealing with the man than most were offered but then her team went ahead and crossed that favor off of the girl's file when Sugemi attacked the man once. It was safe to assume that there would be no reasoning with Katsuo's people, luckily, at this point, Mana was far outside their league.

"Exactly, anyways, that's your job. Just watch the kid play that game of his and keep your ears sharp and wide – it's likely we'll be taken out before you need to step in. Protecting the premises is our job and we've been doing it for a pretty long time", the bodyguard smiled confidently before showing off his strong and muscular arms.

"I'll leave you to it then, sir", Mana nodded before proceeding into the main guest room and going up the stairs to the youngster's room, just like instructed by the bodyguard during the mansion tour. She was no common babysitter and seeing how she needed not explain that to the bodyguards she was shown possible choke points, points of entry, panic rooms, introduction with all of the maids and house staff working for Tomoko – her client and pretty much every safety detail she needed to know about. Young Sayaki was now entirely in Mana's hands.

When Mana opened the door to Sayaki's room, after knocking softly on his door, the young one was working on a black scroll littered with odd patterns of glowing bright blue. The boy was so occupied with this little activity that his cheeks were spotted with and brushed with paint, so were his hands and the sleeves of his expensive and pressed and well-ironed formal white shirt.

The little one curiously tilted his oversized for his small body head and his murky green eyes stabbed with a curious glare at Mana's direction. The light brown haired young body picked himself off the ground in a very clumsy manner, fixing his black shorts and suspenders before bowing politely, stuffing his little round chin into a rather excessively sized bowtie.

"My name is Sayaki, ma'am, pleased to meet you"! He read almost like it was written on a cue card in a textbook monotone, yet it sounded genuine enough for Mana to take it that there was no malice in the boy's voice or intentions. It must simply not have been his first time being babysit by someone from outside the house staff. "Ah! I know you, you're all over those posters"! Sayaki exclaimed in surprise, which was delivered much more excitedly.

"My name is Nakotsumi Mana, young master, I also perform as a stage magician under the stage name of Konoha's Sorceress", Mana bowed introducing herself, "I'll be watching over you tonight".

"Whaaaah, you're so formal"! Sayaki blushed rubbing his little cheeks shyly, "Could you please address me by my name, Mana-san"!? He wondered.

"Very well, Sayaki-san, if that would please you", Mana nodded. "I take my job rather seriously so I do have trouble with familiarity, please take it as a sign of your assured safety and not hostility".

"I'm eight year old, please talk to me accordingly, ma'am, if possible", the little wonder just glared at Mana with his massively curious eyes before returning to his brushing at the scroll. "I hope you didn't prepare a routine or anything today, I was planning to play Yokai Mash tonight, like every night so I doubt I'll be a very responsive audience member, Mana-san".

"Ummm… Yokai Mash"? The magician tilted her head to the side curiously before taking one-step closer to see what exactly the kid was drawing on that scroll. It certainly was no sealing hieroglyphs – those were already drawn onto the scroll. The boy was signing something that from the bottom up appeared as the spelling of his name whereas the second line looked like words and numbers written in seemingly random combination, still in the process of being completed.

"Yeah, it's a dimension game, haven't you heard of it"? The eight year old yelled out excitedly like he was talking about his life's dream.

"The only games I know of are the games played by kids outside with rag balls and carved wooden weapons and those handheld "video games", I don't think I've heard of any "dimension games" though", Mana shrugged curiously after walking behind the eight year old and observing his drawing in closer detail.

"Want me to show it to you"? Sayaki exclaimed out loud.

"I'm not sure I even want you playing it just yet, let's take baby steps while I decide if it's what's best for your safety, Sayaki-san", Mana strictly crossed her arms around her chest. With her experience with inter-universal travel, the last thing she wanted was anything to do with any "dimensions".

"I suppose you'll want to come with me then"? Sayaki pondered as if something about another person playing this Yokai Mash game was some sort of a problem.

"I-I'm not entirely sure what I'm signing up for, honestly. I'd appreciate if you ran this thing down by me first, Sayaki-san", Mana insisted as her foot began to tap impatiently and she realized that she was liking this idea less and less with each passing moment. "You can begin by telling me what these "dimensional games" are and what exactly Yokai Mash is".

"Well… You know how there are these bland black and white handheld video games? Dimensional games are sort of similar to them, except they take place inside of a pocket dimension and they require limited interaction from your part, you don't control a character, you play it yourself", Sayaki explained, waving hilariously with his small and fragile child's arms.

"Pocket dimensions? Like the ones used for sealing techniques to store their content"? Mana looked up in confusion. She had seen these "video games" that Sayaki mentioned before, in fact, she brought a sample of them from Naruto and Sasuke's universe. These dimensional games must have functioned similarly… By the time Mana's eyes moved back at the young one she had to babysit while he sealed parts of his self in a pocket dimension had placed an open empty scroll, identical to the one he himself was brushing on.

"You first need to register yourself by drawing blood and signing with it", the dirty faced kid cheeked at Mana before resuming his sloppy attempt at calligraphy.

"Like the summoning contract"? Mana recalled, this dimensional game had a lot of basis in ninjutsu and sealing techniques.

From what Mana's uninitiated mind could gather, these "dimensional games" utilized a somewhat confusing concept from Sealing Ninjutsu. The world that the people perceived was only a three dimensional one, however more dimensions existed, they were simply unperceivable to the common limited senses. Just like a seemingly infinite number of different universes existed in the vast realm of the Omniverse, a seemingly infinite number of different dimensions existed in each separate universe.

Whenever a seal user utilized a storage sealing technique or needed to transport anything through space-time, they utilized these pocket dimensions. Each person possessed a different dimension of their own, which was why items and chakra sealed away never interacted with one another. Mana couldn't tell how exactly each person gained access to a different pocket dimension of their own for their sealing techniques, it was simply how it worked, one of the plenty things something the limited science of the Ninja World had not yet discovered.

This scroll that Sayaki was brushing on must've "registered" each user to the same dimension so that they weren't all sealed away in their own personal dimensions. That much Mana's mind could wrap itself around, it was no demonic ritual, if such things even existed. Realizing that she could somewhat wrap her head around the science of Yokai Mash calmed her a little bit and she quickly bit her thumb drawing blood and scribbling her name with blinding speed on the black and bright blue scroll.

"Wow, you're so fast, Mana-san"! Sayaki yelled out in surprise after seeing how fast and how easily Mana drew her blood and scribbled, with perfect precision and artistic integrity, her name onto the scroll. "You also need your "password", it's a unique symbol that you are identified by and it validates that you are the one who's joining in. I'm not quite sure why it's needed but… It's a hassle to write, I'll tell you that much", Sayaki whined as he finally completed his own password and sat down on the ground calmly. His eyes stared blankly at the wall in front of him which weirded Mana out.

"Hey, Sayaki-san"! She shouted, gently placing her hand on the boy's shoulder and moving him around a bit, yet failing to achieve anything fruitful as the boy's senseless body just kept on staring at the wall.

"Babysit the kid they said…" Mana cursed after she scribbled a hieroglyph she chose for a password onto the scroll before sitting down like Sayaki did previously.

Being sent to the Yokai Mash dimension felt similar to falling asleep, one's eyes became blurry before the entire body started falling forward, except, whereas normally the body woke up after feeling freefall, logging into Yokai Mash was completely out of Mana's control as what appeared like her "soul" seeped out of her body. For a moment, the magician could see her body sitting calmly in a meditative position, left behind staring at the wall. Then, in a flash, the procedure just completed itself resolving the transfer.

---

"Ha ha, you actually logged in"! Sayaki chuckled before falling down on the grass and rolling in it.

Almost instantly after her senses started feeling the environment around her, Mana felt the warm embrace of sunlight touching her cheeks gently, the soft journey of the wind caressing her hair and the bright visions of spring just outside a small village.

"Hold your horses, young master, I'm only here to bail you out if I don't like this and think it's not something you should be doing. These pocket dimensions aren't meant to store people, their conditions are varied, some of them are hotter than anything in the known universe and most of them have intense gravitational forces as the entire universe is compressed into a space about as large as a moon. They aren't places young boys should visit"! Mana freaked out as she explored this dream and her own body, trying to see if she had not accidentally lost a limb in the journey.

"You worry too much, Mana-san! My dad wouldn't have bought the company that made this game if it wasn't safe for the public. Granted, it's pretty expensive so there aren't that many people playing it but… Maybe soon enough"! Sayaki's eyes were shimmering like planets made of literal diamond in close proximity to the brightest star imaginable. The eyes that were an equivalent of the galactic disco ball.

"How is this even possible, are our bodies safe? What if you want to eat or go to the toilet? I recommend you log out immediately and maybe invite some friends over, do something safer. As a ninja with knowledge of these dimensions I cannot condone this reckless game", Mana calmly asked Sayaki.

"Relax, the scroll only seals part of you in this dimension, it keeps just enough of you back home so that the sealed off consciousness can easily log out and return. Your body back home is in a state of deep sleep and does not require food, water, rest or anything else. You could stay here for entire days on end before you'd need to return to recharge the scroll with the universal chakra batteries", Sayaki laughed out seeing Mana's horror to being trapped in an interdimensional game world. If there was any irony to be found, that a skilled illusionist feared this transcendental entertainment, it was certainly not the first thing on Mana's mind.

"So it needs to be recharged? What if it runs out and you stay here forever? There are so many things that could go wrong! How is this even possible? There are entire villages stored here and… What the hell is THAT?" Mana shrieked out pointing at a duck-like critter drinking from a pond nearby. The creature was sluggish in its appearance, bony protrusions for eyebrows yet it took a humanoid shape. Antennae and a duck's beak were also added to make this abomination even more confusing to look at.

"Can we just… Slow down, Mana-san. Please, this is a part of my life, I love this game so… Please… Give me a chance to convince you, OK"? Sayaki pleaded with Mana, grabbing her hand and placing it by his chest as he stared at her with puppy eyes and a slobbering miserable expression of a crying child. Seeing that face was a weakness Mana had never encountered before, such a person would convince her of almost anything.

A group of more of those duck-like critters burst out from the reed surrounding the pond and pulled the green slimy looking duck-creature underwater. Initially a burst of bubbles came up from all of those diving monstrosities before the water resumed its calm. Mana could identify the behavior of a surprise-attacking predator anywhere – they were predatory creatures like the crocodiles of Kumogakure and other warm swampy areas. This place was beyond dangerous!

"So… First, you wanted to know… Ummm… Oh, right, yes, the scroll needs to be recharged once in a couple of days. If it comes close to running out of chakra, it simply logs you out automatically before it goes empty. You also needn't worry about this place being dangerous, no harm can come to your physical body inside this dimension as you're existing both in this dimension and outside it, there are few exceptions of physical discomfort purely for realistic effect, that is all. Any attacks from these Yokai will simply phase right through you and leave no harm. You exist both here and back home, but your body back home can actually be touched physically, if needed. Then again, if you're getting murdered in the physical world – it's the same thing if you're here or there". Sayaki kept on explaining, counting things on his fingers and skimming through a peculiar leather bound booklet. One he held by his side, the book just appeared to materialize whenever Sayaki scribbled things into the scroll he used to transport himself here.

"I don't think it's safe for us to be doing this, I'm supposed to be protecting you from possible harm", Mana argued.

"Our outside bodies remain in a limited state of awareness, if your stress level rises even a little bit on the outside, you'll immediately be logged out", Sayaki calmed the magician down again.

Mana sighed, "You are breaking the rules of reality to play a different kind of video game…" she couldn't stop staring at her own body and the environment around her. It was no genjutsu – all the details were emulated properly, there were no missing links, this was no dream. All these buildings, natural wonders and all this nature was actually sealed here from back home.

"This world is crafted by developers, they seal different things they want to create in here, editing this dimension to their will. They cooperate with the Senju clan to create new trees to seal here, with actual architects that build these villages and real ninja that create these pools of water and Sealing Ninjutsu experts to assist them". Sayaki kept on talking as he showed Mana around with gestures, pointing at where they needed to go and dragging her hesitant body by gently yanking her hand. He was so happy, so excited that Mana broke out of her mental breakdown just to admire the happiness that this game granted this young boy.

"Okay, let's say I believe that this place is safe, still… Those things back there"? Mana shook her head, keeping her eyes on the calm dirty pond where those duck-like creatures hid themselves. Their short round bodies looked too bulky and fat for them to move that fast, their legs were almost non-existent and absorbed within the layers of fat of their bellies with only their flat long feet being visible from outside.

"Oh, those were Kappa, they are the Yokai around which Yokai Mash revolves. You're supposed to seal them inside these scrolls and carry around with you", Sayaki grinned as he showed Mana five scrolls that just materialized from thin air in his hands.

"Like Ninja Animals…" Mana wondered aloud realizing that so much of this game was just emulation of the ninja life, the supernatural, which must've astounded people unfamiliar with the completely bonkers things that ninja called their everyday life. "You know, with enough will and training, you could learn to tame real Ninja Animals. They're not very nice to beginners but they don't require existing in between two different dimensions to summon. It's still not too late to go back, invite some friends over and…"

"I have no friends…" Sayaki sniffled. "I'm not sure why but other kids laugh at me, they tell me I'm weak, tease me with their pets and bully me".

"I see…", Mana sunk deep in thought. There was no way in which she could have helped this young man at that moment. Not without changing the world and making it stop value strength over all things. It could not have been just that Sayaki was frail, short and all those other things. It was his father – the other kids knew who his father was and must have been jealous of life where strength was not needed and money could buy everything he ever wanted, without asking first if that even was Sayaki's life.

Sayaki's family was rich, by all means, that placed them as being more important than those of all those other kids. The kids were frustrated and angry at Sayaki because of that but they were too young to delve into themselves and realize that. Such social frustration was not something a few mean pointing fingers or cheerful words would change. This world was the only happiness that Sayaki got, he interacted with other players, of similar social status of his and he was powerful inside this world – he could befriend any creature in his sight, talk and trade with any person he saw because the other people played the same game and it was within their interest to do so.

"Fine, we'll play your game for as long as you want, Sayaki", Mana dropped the honorific, finally stepping over her dislike of familiarity just to show Sayaki that she was her friend and not just his baby sitter or someone obligated to play with him. Mana rarely, if ever, broke her own rules and principles, it was one of her greatest weaknesses, but when these eyes of a crying child begged her to do it – she would do it a hundred times over.

"Yes! You'll see, Mana, this game is awesome! One day video games will maybe get better and catch up to this technology, then no one will need to seal themselves in between dimensions to have fun. I know that'll happen, I'll make this world a reality even if I'll have to build it myself"! Young Sayaki declared vibrantly raising his fist into the sky.

Smiling softly, Mana knelt before the boy before taking his other hand, clutching it into a fist and placing it by his chest.

"That's your nindo then. Your Ninja Way", she uttered.

Sayaki nodded with glowing eyes and a shimmering childish smile. One of the most beautiful kinds of smiles there was.

---

"Come on"! Sayaki encouraged Mana to hurry up.

"What's the rush"? The magician just pouted shyly in hesitation. Just now she realized that she may have simply been too conservative and stubborn about feeling bad about Yokai Mash. It was something that made her feel almost old.

"You need to get a Yokai of your own, that's why I added the transportation to the starting town command before logging in", Sayaki grinned, brimming with hope and excitement. It almost seemed like this boy discovered life all anew inside the Yokai Mash world. Seeing him this way, in contrast to the shy and reserved state he operated outside of it was a refreshing experience, which almost made Mana relive the excitement of discovering new rules about the world around her, almost like she herself was a child.

"Wait, what"? Mana freaked out, "Oh no, I don't need a Yokai, I'll have nothing to do with emulating this cock fighting, for your information, I happen to despise needless violence"!

"Hmm?" Sayaki squinted at Mana before skipping to the pond where all the Kappa were hiding and opening his scroll. Much to Mana's shock and fear for Sayaki's well-being, four of the Kappa dove out like ravenous predators, flying straight at the boy before they froze in time and just carefully landed on their webbed feet, simply moving around in a static stance as if they were moving to a very slow and calm rhythm.

"You"! Mana wanted to yell out her worries about Sayaki getting hurt but then she remembered that no one could have gotten hurt in Yokai Mash. "Do you plan to murder these creatures just to make a point? You don't need to do that"!

"Yokai Mash isn't about fighting, also, you must play it – you'll need Yokai to pass some farther away areas, which you'll need if you plan on following me", Sayaki stared at Mana with those eyes that children usually looked at their elders that had no idea what they were talking about. "You know, for someone who supposedly hates violence, you really jumped to violent conclusions".

Mana looked away with a blush, feeling ashamed that she was put down by this boy with such accuracy and sharpness that it almost hurt. Children often were the ones with the ability to be painfully honest, yet Sayaki also had this spark of intelligence on top of that as well.

"W-Well then, what's it about"? Mana mumbled, still ashamed.

As the opened scroll in Sayaki's hands started shining with a blinding azure flashing light, the boy's glare just softened while still focused at Mana's eyes.

"It's a dance-off, silly", the little one grinned.

The light fired off from Sayaki's scroll, booming in a bolt of what appeared like azure lightning before blasting an area right in front of him. As it expanded in size and demonstrated the massive power required to unseal these "Yokai" from their scrolls, the beam started taking humanoid shape. That of a tall young woman, that wearing a white attire which miko priestesses wore when performing Shinto rituals. The curious case was that the woman had the face of a sly fox with dark grey fur yet her eyes were oddly human and oozing spirituality and innocence from the blue shine.

"Miko Kudagitsune, use the Kagura dance on all four Kappa, one at a time"! Sayaki ordered the strange humanoid and it complied, beginning to twitch initially before breaking out in a ritualistic dance as she knocked her ringed staff around at an imaginary circle altar around her, igniting floating tongues of flame, almost like she was lighting up invisible candles on the ground of which only the flaming tip was visible. Unexpectedly, a strong gust of wind picked up, blowing a shower of black cherry blossom petals at the way of the four Kappa creatures and making them stop moving and cover up their faces and bodies from the strong storm of petals pelting at them.

A peculiar case of this whole affair was that a floating table appeared besides this "Miko Kudagitsune" creature with numbers shooting up from zero, counting up an unknown number, as if estimating something. At the same time, at the diagonal upper right side of each Kappa, another table appeared displaying a number that was shooting down. After the numbers above the heads of each Kappa hit 0, they fell on their knees and punched the ground, freezing in that state for a while, before diving back down to their lairs in the pool of dirty water.

"Okay…" Mana muttered to herself. She struggled to find an answer as to if this was the weirdest day of her life, having in mind that she once travelled through different universes and faced inter-universal, eight thousand years old, hi-tech, godlike travelers, the answer should've been much clearer than it actually was.

"See, just an innocent dance-off, their Footsies got reduced to 0, meaning they lost the dance-off. They didn't even get to dance though, that's because they're the starting fodder for weak players to step their dancing skills up and get their feet loose". Sayaki smiled innocently through the whole explanation process, causing Mana to notice an innocent blush on the boy's cheeks as well. He must have realized how boastful he sounded and was a little ashamed of it in front of his new friend.

---

"Okay, baby steps now", Sayaki sat down on the soft and emerald-green grass of the Tatami town, the starting town of all new Yokai Mashers. "Those Kappa like to band in gangs, you may wish to challenge someone weaker and smaller than that, like the Tofu Kozo that come out in the evenings".

Mana glared at the scroll she was given by a weird priest man inside Tatami town in a complicated process where she had to listen to a bunch of different Yokai talk over one another in what Sayaki called "an event" and listen about the rich lore of Yokai Mash. While the historian inside Mana was sort of interested, she sort of blacked out after the story got to Kusaguyagi, apparently the Goddess of this world, being betrayed by her third betrothed in that one event and Mana could swear that coma and evil twins were weaved in into the story at one point.

"Hey, what are you doing"? The boy jumped back on his feet and ran up to Mana, grabbing her by the elbow and starting to drag her away from her calm attempt at reading the massive "Instructions" tome she was given.

"What"? Mana looked at the boy confused, at this point she invested so much of time into Yokai Mash that she wanted to actually at least play it with Sayaki until he had to log off and go to bed. "These look important"!

"Throw away the damned book, Mana"! Sayaki laughed out after angrily jumping in the air to swipe at the magician's book, making it dematerialize into some sort of blue glowing cubes and scatter in the wind like dandelion fluff.

"But the IVth tome of "Terms and Conditions" said it's necessary to read the rules and section 3659 said that I am responsible for not reading through the instructions and that I answer for breaking the rules", Mana pouted as she objected.

"What!? You read the "Terms and Conditions" too!?" Sayaki's jaw dropped in horror before he broke out in laughter and started rolling on the ground, his hand never dropped down from pointing and Mana and laughing at her humiliation, one Mana did not quite understand. "No one reads those, the only learning experience is actually playing the game. Experience it, instead of reading about it"!

"Ummm, okay… How though"? She squinted at the boy before her eyes opened up and realized something – Sayaki was not using the honorific when addressing her for some time now. He must have finally actually considered Mana as an actual friend and she was not even the part of Yokai Mash rich arsenal of characters or that more technical term which Sayaki used to describe them, an acronym which now evaded Mana's memory. That gave the girl hope that the little boy may just find friends in life from wider circles and that all he needed was unifying experiences and relatability.

"Just run into the Aggro-Range of a Yokai, then, when its attention is focused on you – open up the scroll", Sayaki explained.

Looking around frantically for these "Tofu Kozo" was quite easy now that Mana has acquired all of the "elements of the interface" through a tedious "event quest" which involved listening to long explanations of what they all meant and saw the names of each Yokai floating above their heads.

Finding one of them, the ghostly purple bloated child figures, carrying a plate of tofu and moaning like the unholy undead as they shuffled the outside regions of Tatami town, Mana ran up to the dressed as a rice farmer Yokai and upon meeting its gaze opened the scroll. Beaming light fired off from Mana's scroll, firing off in the air and taking shape right in front of her.

An attractive young woman, wearing celebratory kimono and with majestically well-done hair, singing melodious tunes appeared from the beam of light as she danced around, flowing freely like water yet remaining static.

"This is your Yokai, you can see her name, right? To the right is her base Mairyoku – it's sort of the scale for how awesome your Yokai's dance is", Sayaki pointed at the attractive young woman. Somehow, Mana felt like she failed to see the "monster" part of the strange Yokai she received and to her it seemed like just another attractive young lady.

"Alright, Iyaya, you've got the Mairyoku of… 3", Mana rolled her eyes after remembering a much larger number on Sayaki's Yokai scale.

"Okay, now, order it to dance, pick one of its dances from the list… Oh, wait, it appears your opponent has looser feet than you", Sayaki gasped looking first with surprise and moderate horror at the Tofu Kozo, then with pathetic pity at Mana's Yokai. That could not have been a good sign.

"What does that mean"? Mana wondered loudly after the boy did not reply for a prolonged time and continued to pity the magician for her poor choice of beginner Yokai. He appeared genuinely surprised by this experience so it did not look like he knew about weaker stats of Mana's creature.

"It means it'll perform its dance first, it'll probably also use its step-up too, it's a hidden ability that each Yokai possesses that adds to the dances they use or raise their Mairyoku together with the dancing multiplier. Some step-ups can even be used by other Yokai you possess in the middle of battle to help your dancing Yokai", the boy explained, Mana was almost impressed by how much complex terminology came out of the youth's mouth. During that age, Mana may have been studying the ways of ninjutsu, and how to kill the enemy more efficiently, however, plenty of kids still ate boogers being of that same age.

The Tofu Kozo started to slowly walk up to Mana's Iyaya, extending its hands forward and suggesting the rotten-green colored tofu it carried around with it, all while laxly hopping to its right and left feet, this counted as "dancing" only by a very strict definition of the word. As it initiated this odd "step-up", a sign with the words of "Monstrous Tofu Swindler" appeared above Kozo's head. Mana extended her hand at the direction of the name, just like she still managed to read in the "Instructions" book to request an explanation.

"Offer the other Yokai tofu which has gone bad a century ago and carries terrible poison reducing their Mairyoku greatly and diminishing their ability to dance "wide-feet" type dances"

Mana looked with a sorry look at her measly weakling of a Yokai as it turned around and tried accepting the poisonous and rotten tofu from the undead swindler boy, she almost felt bad about the massive fit of stomach problems that were about to attack her illusionary and non-existent pet monster. Maybe it was her human appearance. It was then that Tofu Kozo froze in fear and its eyes became wide whited out circles as its jaw dropped to the ground as foam started dripping from the boyish Yokai's mouth and its whole body began shaking.

The sign with flashing hieroglyphs spelling "No Way!" appeared above Iyaya's head which Mana also requested explanation on with her gesture.

"Upon being targeted by a step-up, Iyaya will reveal its face, diminishing the Mairyoku of any "male", or any of this type's sub-types, Yokai. This step-up becomes "No Way! Uh-Oh!" after Sapphire Dance Revolution"

With her disbelieving face still twitching in misery, Mana lifted it to see the reflection of Iyaya's face from the nearby pond, where the Kappa laid dormant and waiting for someone to come close enough to catch their attention. A wrinkly and abhorrent face of an old twisted man stared back at Mana, making her stomach churn.

"Okay, use the "Surprise, Traveler!" dance", Mana uttered, knowing full well that she'd regret asking Iyaya to do it. Even while she purposefully avoided looking at the pond to see just what sort of terrible grimace her abominable Yokai performed as it danced, Mana could still make out its massive, filled with warts tongue flipping about as it performed a relatively harmless and pretty native dance.

"Multiplier X10" a table above Iyaya's head stated before these words and numbers became one with its Mairyoku table, making the Mairyoku rise to 30. At the same time the Mairyoku of Tofu Kozo remained at 1, after being dropped down by Iyaya's step-up ability previously.

Circling around the tired Tofu Kozo's frame, Sayaki rushed up to Mana, laughing vibrantly as Iyaya returned to Mana's scroll and, despite it being the other Yokai that had to endure this terrible dance-off, the magician felt somehow violated by this experience.

"That was amazing, Mana, I've never seen this Yokai before"! Sayaki laughed out before grabbing Mana's hand and starting to drag her somewhere else.

"Say… Not that I regret my choice of starting Yokai but… How do players change their Yokai"? Mana wondered, clearly regretting her choice of starting Yokai.

"Oh, that's simple, each Yokai has a determined Mairyoku Standing Ovation value. Once you meet that value with your Yokai's dancing, or surpass it, you approach the defeated Yokai and ask it to join your Magic Hike by materializing a free scroll. It then is rented out and hikes with you until it is claimed by another player in Player VS Player dance-off or until you send it to reserve when another Yokai takes its place in the hike".

"Sounds like a hassle", the magician pouted before checking the Standing Ovation value, written under the SOV acronym by the submitted Yokai.

"Well, this whole game will improve, it's a work in progress. My father's sinking money into it, you know, financing like that will make this game really awesome one day, even more so than it already is"! Sayaki fell down on his back and played with the grass that shifted between his fingers of his extended arms.

"Look, little one, you seem like a really weird and weak Yokai but… That's pretty much my specialty and the only kind I can get an ovation from, your SOV appears to literally be 1, please join my Magic Hike", plenty of people she knew would've thought the name of the select five Yokai of the player's party was odd. That being said, Mana herself was quite a cheesy enough entertainer to oddly enjoy the weirded parts of the game.

Tofu Kozo jumped on its little feet and exploded into a standing ovation, Mana let it go for a bit longer than it needed to go before she found out how to materialize an empty scroll and seal the Yokai inside of it, all of which only transpired with the aid of her eight year old newly met friend.

---

It was truly surprising to find out how differently time was passing in this dimension. From what Mana had heard through hearsay, she knew that the handheld kind of games usually helped one pass time, which meant that it made a long period of time just fly by. Not quite something that would help with an unpleasant visit in the doctor's office, seeing how it required concentration, but still – a valid mean to one's timewasting ends.

Things were quite different in the dimensional game world. Seeing how, technically, a seemingly infinite size of the universe in which everyone lived in was compressed into a dimension the size of a single planetoid, the immense gravitational forces slowed down the passage of time astonishingly in the Yokai Mash dimension. Mana was not quite sure how come the objects present in the universe did not simply get spaghettified and crushed under their own untold mass, or how these Yokai creatures could survive these effects. She could somewhat guess that it was due to their "artificial" or "illusionary" nature as they were referred as such by the little boy she was keeping an eye on.

Entire days on end passed with Mana following Sayaki along, encountering new Yokai and improving her own Magic Hike for the sole purpose of being able to bypass the scripted events that were required to be beaten in order to progress through the game. By far Mana's least favorite part of the game was the strange section of each town where she needed to defeat other people at a specific kind of dancing competition. In the first town Sayaki traded Miko Kudagitsune for Mana's entire Magic Hike which she had gathered by that time. The magician would not agree to a different trade as she felt like it simply was not fair otherwise, even if it was not fair even with the way it transpired, seeing how all of Mana's Yokai were beginner bait.

The studio in the next town, which Mana had to pass through, was all about native dancing, meaning that the only dances that multiplied a Yokai's Mairyoku value were the native type dances. Using Miko Kudagitsune's Kagura dance made that studio just too easy as the entire Magic Hike of that studio's crew failed to match up to even one tenth of Miko Kudagitsune's Mairyoku. It had something to do with something called "power leveling", as Sayaki explained.

"Say, Sayaki, why on Earth was the Shiranui that the studio head used colored differently from the ones we've seen"? Mana wondered, "Was it the result of this "power leveling" too, if so, why was your "power leveling" stronger than the studio head's"?

"Oh, right, I haven't told you about Dance Revolutions yet…" Sayaki smacked his forehead, "Truthfully, I didn't think you'd need to worry about that, but seeing how we're power leveling you, you may have your Yokai go through a Dance Revolution pretty soon".

Mana just kept on staring at the young boy curiously. "How am I doing the "power leveling" now, also, please explain those Dance Revolutions".

"You're power leveling because you're in my party, watching my Yokai battle the hidden Yokai scattered through each starter area. Because the developers wanted to make a point for the more experienced players to return or have something to do when they help out their newbie friends, they left a bunch of hidden Yokai dancers, which you've seen me challenging all this time we've been walking around aimlessly. Since you're in my party, your Magic Hike grows in base Mairyoku equal to a percentage of the growth my Yokai go through", Sayaki tried breaking it down.

"So the players are encouraged to gang up and gather around high level players, similarly to the relationship between studio players and studio heads, because it accelerates their growth, meanwhile the strong players get an added benefit from getting to grow in power by challenging those secret Yokai"? Mana simplified what she heard loudly to herself. She had to hand it to the creators of this dimensional game – it was a very useful tactic to learn. It was not too difficult to see that the influence from the ninja helping shape this world for the developers may have rubbed off on the tactical aspects as well as the physical state of the world…

"You know, real world is a lot like that too. Except, I guess, there doesn't need to be an incentive to hanging around other people, it's rewarding all by itself". Mana wondered as she closed her eyes, trying to smell the air around her but when only a bland sniff of cold gloom hit her nose, reminding her of her recent sensory losses, she was kicked right back down to reality. Even in an imaginary world, she could not smell anything at all.

"Is it though? Other people are mean, they bully me, try to tease me with their dogs, they chase me around, and stuff. I mean, maybe if each bullying session made me feel less pain the next time, I could level up and become strong but the game of real life is stacked from the beginning. I'm sick so I can never be strong, even if I could, it's not my weakness that deters other kids, it's who I am". Sayaki pouted bitterly as he stared up at the sky, differently from the three-dimensional world, here one's eyes didn't hurt at all when staring at the sky or directly at the Sun because they weren't technically real and they didn't lead to anything but the dimensional wall, cleverly covered with clouds and a fake sky.

"That's the worst kind of injustice I've ever encountered, people hating other people for no other reason than them being born. I hate violence and hatred itself, it's a bit hypocritical but I do. But, sometimes, when I talk to other people, killers, brawlers, nasty people, I can kind of understand their point. It's interesting really, it's kind of like the "leveling up" you get from this game – you grow and improve yourself by exposing your views to those of other people, even those opposite to you. One point of view I never could get, however, was hatred of something for that person or thing being alive though", Mana looked down at the kid who just slowed down his pace. Truthfully, this whole game thing was beyond weird, she had spent way more time watching him in this dimension's time than just one night and yet…

"I'm gonna go dance-off with that Tenome, it's pretty creepy and it hangs around graveyards, you'll need some more Mairyoku if you're to win at the Dirty Dancing studio", Sayaki changed the topic as he fired off running towards the graveyard. Mana looked at the sign that laid right in front of them, right on the path they were walking on. The Tsuto-u Town was just a good five minutes of walking ahead and Mana's hike had a good 265 Mairyoku lead over anything she's ever seen around.

Yokai Mash was just Sayaki's escape, whenever real life hurt him too much, whenever painful memories pushed him to a corner he danced it off. Was it really all that harmful, all that bad? Mana truly has seen people deal with pain in much worse and more destructive ways. Real, bloody ways, ways that merely accelerated the circle of hatred instead of using the momentum of it for a positive mean, like using a flowing river to generate electricity, that kind of thing…

---

After Mana ran up to Sayaki, the young man was angrily yelling at a seemingly random grave. The gravestone had no name to it, just "Blind Old Geezer" carved onto it, not even a date or mean of death, no candles, flowers or other honoring accessories either. Only bags of bones, so filled with them that they fell down and let their contents scatter all over the grave, placed where usually there would be candles and flowers. Even if one didn't know an exact number or location of the grave of this Yokai, they'd still have discovered it merely by glancing at how odd this grave was.

"Come, Blind Old Geezer, have a glance at your killers' faces, come, use your true eyes", Sayaki kept yelling, then repeating it over and over, sometimes adding something similarly odd and out of place.

A hand burst from the grave, elderly, crooked and broken. All of the Yokai's fingers were twisted and busted up, it certainly did not go in peace. Another hand burst from the dirt before placing its palm against it to let the whole figure of the Yokai to reveal itself. Whatever ritual Sayaki tried to perform – it worked flawlessly. A hairless and wrinkled head burst from the ground, screaming with a muffled scream of a man with lungs full of dirt.

The Yokai was a ghostly kind, looking like a pale elderly man with empty eyeholes and an overly expressive mouth with a hanging dry tongue, likely a result of its violent death, which must have left its jaw broken and dangling grotesquely. The undead was dressed in common villager's clothes, a bit on the dirty and simple kind, even before the old man's death it couldn't have been too nice of an attire.

"Tenome, Base Mairyoku: 665" said the glowing red table above the Yokai's head as the hidden monstrosity pulled its surprisingly tall and hunched, frail body out of the ground and stretched out in all of its almost skeletal manner of twitching movements. Tenome then raised its palms, only for two large eyes to open up inside them as the hidden Yokai began to dance lazily and statically, waiting for the player who caught its attention to call his Yokai.

"You're strong, let's see, my strongest base Mairyoku Yokai is… This one"! Sayaki chuckled before opening up a scroll and unleashing a jolt of light that left a long loose haired, demonic faced woman without any eyebrows and crooked, bony protrusions in their place as well as twisted long fangs in her mouth. The woman's hair flowed loosely up and down her back, almost like she was submerged underwater.

"Hari Onago, Base Mairyoku: 710", the table above this Yokai's head stated. Mana raised her eyebrows in an expression of contained surprise. She hadn't yet seen Sayaki used a Yokai with such high base Mairyoku level, it must have been one he had convinced to join him in the later towns, judging from the rest of his Magic Hike – perhaps even as recently as his last playing session.

"I didn't know you had Yokai with a base Mairyoku level higher than that of secret bosses, all of your other ones had ones lower than the boss', it was only due to the dances you've used and your step-ups that you've surpassed their Mairyoku in the end". Mana uttered, her gut feeling, honed by participating in countless real life battles where life was hanging on a thread as well as experience in reading her friends and opponents thoughts in battle suggested something she didn't want to believe in.

"Yeah", Sayaki chuckled again, "This one's actually not too compatible with this battle but I've never seen "Vengeful Despair" archetype before nor do I know this boss' step-up".

Mana knew what the boy failed to tell her – he acquired mastery over this game not by reading information but by experience. He got beat by a certain Yokai, then, he just kept on challenging it again and again until he either overpowered it or discovered a hidden winning strategy he needed to win. He had no such experience with Tenome's archetype or its dances so he just used his highest Mairyoku possessing Yokai without considering strategy.

"I'm sorry, Sayaki", Mana's lips softly moved by themselves. The only reason why this foolish boy rushed into battle was because she brought up something that felt hurtful to him – the relationship between other kids his age and him. Even when the decision was to accompany him through the game, she kept on trying to fix him by bringing up that which he had abandoned. In a way, she was responsible for him rushing head-first into this battle to avoid confronting Mana's words.

"It's fine, as long as the step-ups…" Sayaki acted out a cheerful smile and offered Mana a thumb up before the step-ups for both Yokai activated.

"Tenome: Step-Up – "Resentful Death" – Yokai feasts on opponent's bones, changing any X20 Multiplier and higher dances to "Worthless Flapping" – a dance of X0 Multiplier"

"Hari Onago: Step-Up – "Accidental Lashes" – Yokai accidentally whips the opposing dancing Yokai for X0.75 Multiplier of their Mairyoku, if facing off against a Yokai with additional loose feet enhancing Step-Up, reduce Hari Onago's Mairyoku times the number of loose feet based Step-Ups the opposing Yokai possesses".

Mana instantly saw a problem in the compatibility of these two Yokai, it didn't take a very experienced player to see it – Hari Onago was a Yokai of later stages of the game, which meant most of its dances would have had a way higher multiplier than X20. Even her puny starting Yokai had its first dance with a multiplier of X10.

"Oh, it's fine, let's just see how it goes", Sayaki grinned, he appeared to have absolutely no idea or wish to calculate an approximate outcome of the dance-off. He just pointed his finger at Tenome and commanded it to dance the "Barbed Ends" dance, as Mana predicted, it was a X35 multiplier dance but, as Mana saw on the list of her party member's dances, it was the lowest multiplier having dance Hari Onago had.

"Hari Onago: Mairyoku Total: 0" the table above its head stated.

"Temome: Uses the "Bone Slurp" dance, Multiplier X25. Mairyoku: 16625"

Mana knew what should happened next, depending on whose feet were looser, the Yokai compared their Mairyoku and the loser received damage to their Footsies. Mana was no Footsies scientist, but she was pretty sure that even Hari Onago didn't have 16625 Footsies to spare, the most she saw a Yokai have was a bit over 8000.

"It's okay, my feet are looser, that means I can pull out this"! Sayaki pulled out a scroll from his pocket, unleashing a second Yokai. Even when Mana had no idea something like that could even have been done, that was when Sayaki's battle went completely to the crapper. As once the fiery will-o-wisp appeared from the boy's scroll its step-up automatically activated, there also were no options to control that Yokai. Mana paid close attention to this will-o-wisp's step-up:

"Ruby Hitodama: Base Mairyoku – 126, Step-Up: "Stomach Filler" – use this Yokai in the middle of a dance-off to have the other Yokai feast on Hitodama and feel too satisfied to dance. When your Yokai has looser feet - negate that dance-off. This Yokai leaves your Magic Hike after its step-up is used".

What Sayaki did not count on was that the secret boss lit up with another step-up the moment that Ruby Hitodama appeared. Mana felt completely lost – not only did she have no idea about the "Ruby" prefix to the Yokai's name but she also only half understood how or why Ruby Hitodama was even used.

"Tenome: Combined Mairyoku – 16625, Step-Up #2 "Fast Chaser" – Due to its natural affinity for chasing its unfortunate prey, Tenome always has looser feet than any Yokai without loose feet enhancing step-ups. Also, any escape or dance-off negating step-ups or actions are negated".

As the countless interacting step-ups and dances worked their magic and the complicated set of sealing jutsu that comprised the code and programming of this dimension did their thing, not only did Ruby Hitodama just disappear into thin air but also Hari Onago bumped into Tenome during their dances after which her flesh just collapsed. The Yokai just rolled around pathetically, behaving like a blobfish on land.

"I lost"… Sayaki cried out in frustration, kicking the pile of dirt under his feet. "Not only that, but Ruby Hitodama is gone as well and with nothing to gain"!

Mana knew why the boy was upset – losing meant losing a percentage of Mairyoku from the participating Yokai, also all of his other Yokai in his Magic Hike by a smaller percentage. That meant that his strongest Yokai was now weakened, or would have been if the tables did not just keep glowing suggesting that the dance-off was still going.

"Wha-What's going on"? Sayaki looked at Mana. "Hari Onago's Footsies are at 0, she's done for. Don't tell me…"

"Yep, I'm in your party, remember"? Mana smiled, "Which means that I can take a shot at him after you with it being treated as the same dance-off".

"Yeah, but you could have chosen not to do that, you stand no chance against Tenome", Sayaki uttered in disbelief that Mana would follow him into a battle like that. "You'll never win in the Dirty Dancing studio if you get your Yokai crippled here".

Without saying a word Mana walked up in front of Sayaki, in between the boy and Tenome before turning back at the boy and smiling.

"You do know that the fourth page of "Instructions" says that "Party Member" and "Aggro" are two different player statuses, right"? Mana asked the boy who laughed at the idea of reading the instructions and burrowed through this world through experience and muscling through it alone.

Sayaki just kept on staring at Mana with slightly wet eyes, he would have long since cried out in frustration but the happiness in Mana's eyes made him more confused than frustrated.

"It means that a "Party Member" can intervene into other "Party Member's" battle once, it's a rule you still haven't used because you entered the battle as "Aggro", once Tenome kicks my ass, you can dance his blind butt off again", Mana comforted the boy before revealing the scroll in her hands and unleashing her Yokai.

"Gyochu: Base Mairyoku: 1" the table above a wet puddle of blood declared.

Tenome obviously had looser feet than Mana's Yokai, one from the Tatami Town – the begginer's area of the game where only the weakest Yokai with the oddest step-ups laid dormant, easy to convince to join. Their prime purpose must have been teaching the player about counting basic Mairyoku values and making accurate judgments about which Yokai deserved the limited spot on one's Magic Hike and which ones did not.

Tenome dove right into the puddle of blood, stomping as it danced on it and scattering it away effortlessly. Mana felt the immense gravity of the dimension pull her down on her knees just for a brief moment, it was restrained, controlled, just as a mean to cause the losing player discomfort and tell them clearly that they have lost the dance-off and that their Yokai were being weakened. I t must've been the "exception for realistic effect" to the no-harm done in Yokai Mash rule which Sayaki spoke of earlier.

Upon loss, Gyochu's step-up ability activated:

"Gyochu: Combined Mairyoku: 0, Footsies: 0, Step-Up: "Intestinal Tattler" – upon being defeated in a dance-off, Gyochu infects the winning Yokai and tattles on its secrets from inside its intestines, as a result - Gyochu shall display the winning Yokai's hidden in-game information".

Mana turned back at Sayaki, still on one knee, just so her eyes were on the same level as those of the rich kid. So they could talk like friends.

"You've taught me plenty about this game, about your world, the contents of your very soul. Let me teach you something – read that information, count the multipliers, strategize and you will never lose. Because one day, mistakes like that will cost you friends, it may be just a game, it may be in real life. All I know is – when that happens – you'll never forgive yourself knowing that you haven't done everything you could've done to avoid your friends sacrificing themselvesyou're your well-being", Mana spoke honestly as images from the quest for the Box of Ultimate Bliss, the Sun Disc arena, Shimo's death flashed through her eyes waking her own eyes tear up momentarily.

Sayaki nodded firmly, wiping away his tears and running up to the massive table displaying various different weaknesses and hidden multipliers when the Yokai faced off against certain types. It was something that usually was learned about through experience, accidental discovery. This seemingly useless Yokai which Sayaki himself proclaimed as useless when Mana took it under her wing proved to have some sort of use after all. Nobody wanted to view hidden information about a Yokai AFTER losing a dance-off because that was simply impractical. Mana was many things but practical was rarely one of them…

---

"I can't believe that Tanome had a hidden X0.25 Mairyoku multiplier to Shinto archetype Yokai", Sayaki sadly muttered after Mana and the kid were making their way to Tsuto-u Town, wet from the rain that was pouring down.

"Well, at least you beat it", Mana nodded happily, things turned out quite fine in the end. She herself did not lose any Mairyoku from her Yokai after Tanome was beaten in a dance-off by her party member initiating dance-off after her defeat. Still, she did not get any bonus from it, neither did Sayaki as, apparently, his first loss counted to limited capacity – not granting him the reward from beating the Yokai.

"That Ruby prefix", Mana wanted to ask that for a long time.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to explain to you the Dance Revolution but things kind of went wild, didn't they"? Sayaki smiled, "You see, after being empowered multiple times, Yokai will undergo a physical transformation, certain cosmetic changes of color to their entire body or just one of their accessories. There are multiple stages of those changes: Copper – Crystal – Ruby – Sapphire – Onyx – Jade".

"Oh, I see… Sorry you had to lose a Yokai that had undergone several revolutions already", Mana sadly looked away.

"What you've done, I know that you won't be playing this game after you stop babysitting me but… You did it just because you knew what this game means to me, right"? Sayaki asked looking up at Mana, searching for her eyes but finding only the magician's messy hair covering her face up.

"I'll… I'll try making more real life friends. I'll try sacrificing my own comfort and safety like you do for others, be more in real life like I am acting in this world", the little one whined out, seemingly touched by Mana's mute positive answer to his question. "Just like you heard me out and tried opening yourself to Yokai Mash", the boy smiled.

---

"Well… So much for the Dirty Dancing studio", Sayaki yawned after he and Mana left a two floors tall rectangular building that was quite dirtied and rotten from the outside, just as much so as it was from the inside. To say just that much about it was to stay absolutely quiet about the building's inner state or its older than Mana neon signs that blinked in and out with darkened pink haze that was almost hypnotic.

"Say, you haven't even come close to catching up to the town where you currently need to compete in, right"? Mana wondered, feeling a bit bad about the slow progress they have been making.

"Yeah, if I am to go to bed by ten, we've got three Yokai Mash hours left, hardly enough time to reach the town I was previously in", the boy nodded before checking in the game time as well as the three dimensional world's current time.

"You won't have made any progress by the time we leave, is that OK with you"? Mana tilted the left corner of her lips upwards, regretfully predicting the situation at hand.

"It's fine, I don't play this game too competitively. I play it just for fun anyways. I was never that good, always needed to grind Mairyoku to beat those studios and you're only six studios behind from my current progress. From what I've learned watching you, I'll progress much faster and maybe get good enough to threaten some better players", Sayaki grinned with that childish hope in his smile. The childish naivete inspired hope in Mana as well.

A middle aged woman ran past Mana and Sayaki, despite looking not too different from most of artificial humans placed in the dimension to guide the players through it and serve as the service staff of the dimension, she acted just recklessly enough for Mana to recognize another real player. The woman must have been quite rich in the real world for her to be able to play the game, from what the magician recalled.

"Ma'am, what's going on"? Mana asked the woman as the mix of shock and frustration in the woman's eyes was simply too out of the ordinary and freaky to ignore.

"The Hotel "ABCD" has been occupied by a madman. Something seriously freaky is going on around the place, I think he's breaking the game, or something. He can't be an artificial human, someone should report him, or something"! The woman shouted out and ran away, not before pointing at the direction of the "ABCD" hotel.

"Yeah, I know the place, it's a very respectable establishment for players to rest up and trade Yokai for some items", Sayaki nodded, looking a bit scared himself, not due to the situation described but by the manner that the middle aged woman was acting. Just from seeing how experienced Sayaki was at the game, it was easy to forget that he was just an eight-year old kid, after all. He got scared seeing adults acting all freaky and weird.

"Let's go check it out then", Mana suggested.

"Don't get reckless, Mana. Player dance-offs work differently from dancing-off with other Yokai and artificial humans. If they're really strong they'll just recruit your Yokai to their Magic Hike after the dance-off", Sayaki reminded that rule which he had explained to Mana seemingly a lifetime ago.

"I'll have it in mind, if we see the perp's Mairyoku being insane we can always just walk away. This is just a game, no one's lives are at stake", Mana nodded cheerfully before the two slowly head out to Hotel "ABCD" together to see just what the trouble.

Hotel "ABCD" was a tall building, seemingly reaching the sky, separated in endless patterns of similar sections of well-renovated and modern looking architecture. Plenty of glass, plastic and various outdoor decoration achievements. Looking orange, white and purple when all dominant colors were taken to consideration, wearing a proud and eye-raking neon sign on the roof high up, proudly proclaiming the hotel's name, no, bleeding it all over the sky above.

"Something's wrong, artificial humans are all acting weird"! A player yelled out running away from the building. "This is creepy, I'm filing a complaint for the administration"!

"That was a player, someone at least Tsuto-u Town's level. Just how good were you, will the two of us be enough"? Mana wondered, she could see similar fears flashing through Sayaki's eyes. This was quite different from the walking in blind and learning from experience kid she had met before – Sayaki was calculating, strategizing and weighing his abilities. It was beautiful to see the kid's growth like that, as a ninja, Mana could recognize those cold strategizing thoughts right in the kid's eyes.

"I'm not too sociable, as you've seen, this game rewards being social. Leveling up in a party will always result in stronger players, that being said, I've played long enough to surpass anyone around my town, even if I achieved it through longer playtime and aiding you along while fighting secret bosses along the way. I may have leveled up more leveling with you than I did in the past two or three days by myself…" Sayaki kept mumbling to himself, his childish mind still struggled with making efficient decisions. He was afraid, trembling. For a moment Mana felt bad about teaching this child pre-emptive fear but it was a feeling of self-preservation.

"Well then, we can turn around and walk away, wait until the developers solve this, you can log on tomorrow and play again from where you're leaving off. No pressure, your call", Mana kneeled down, looking Sayaki right in the eyes after removing his lengthened hair from the boy's face.

"This man, whoever he is, he is messing with my game. A part of my life. I can't forget or leave it behind. Something that helps me when I'm sad, when other people are mean to me. That makes me… Angry", the boy uttered as irritation rose up like hot smoke escaping a boiling stew.

"Very well, then let's go dance his butt off down from there", Mana nodded as the two slowly and confidently walked into the hotel suite.

The two proceeded to walk forwards, it was a gruesome and almost sisyphean climb up, dancing-off every artificial human running at them one by one. This definitely was not normal, these poor creations acted completely out of their character to the point where Sayaki was shaken to fight them off, despite having a large Mairyoku advantage over them. It was just the human fear factor of seeing whited out eyes and that twitching body that was under something's control, forced the defy its programming as its body both tried to perform actions according to its own programming and defy it at the same time.

Mana may have increased the Mairyoku of her most active Yokai several times over just from that one long and tedious climb. It took the two several floors before they decided to try the elevator, which was broken, either way, Mana thought that the artificial humans would've stopped them at every floor regardless, trying to dance-off them to exhaustion and make them back off. As the last artificial human fell on their knees, letting Mana and Sayaki pass, the two finally reached the top floor and gained access to the roof.

Once Mana and Sayaki stepped onto the roof, they noticed that the dimension around them had changed. The dark purple, gloomy clouds whirled in a twister shape up above with lightning cracking its thunderous whips every other fifteen seconds. Air was getting a bit heavy to breathe – some amount of damage was actually being caused to the whole of this dimensions sealing integrity. Whatever seals were placed to balance these very sensitive conditions out may have slowly been being worn out.

A businessman wearing a long sleeved grey, golden lined cloak over dark purple undershirt with dark green spiky hair turned around. His eyes were quite shady and closed down in a perpetual squint that appeared to calculate and weigh heavily everything it saw. Determining the value of things or their threat level instantly before throwing what remained and had no value away. Such were the eyes of this person. He stood besides a kneeling artificial human, judging from the glow of their scrolls the two were still engaged in a dance-off even if it appeared the artificial human was passed out.

"You haven't ran away"? The man wondered, "I don't think you've noticed but you've got a child beside you. This isn't a place to be in with a child".

"You're messing up my game, Mister. Please stop", Sayaki said with a childish and shaking voice.

"I don't think I will. I've come too far and done too much to stop now", he grinned with a slimy smile of a weasel who thought he had won the roulette. Mana had seen those eyes far too often for her liking but she was curious to see how would Sayaki react to them. She had taught the kid to think things through rationally, to never rely on chance or experience. In a way, he was now confronting the opposing side of everything Sayaki was before – the boy's perfect antithesis.

"By the time you'll be stopped by force you'll have done even more and gone even farther", Mana intervened seeing Sayaki just stand there silently as the drizzle pelted at the boy's soft cheeks and his little young heart shook after each lightning crack.

"Oh, by then it'll be too late. It's really funny how no one saw this coming… I mean doesn't anyone read the instructions"? The businessman laughed out as he turned back at the collapsing dimensional hole above him. The more time passed the more the whirlwind above was forming a cyclonic construct of rotating clouds and roaring winds. The man's estimation may have been right.

"You're Meta-san, aren't you? Hiniku Meta?" Sayaki shouted back at the man, "You've visited our home before".

"That's right, I am, in a way, another businessman, just like your father", Meta smiled.

"In other words, a competitor", Mana caught on to the point. "I don't think you need any more explaining, Sayaki, initiate a dance-off immediately and disable all of his Yokai. One of his Yokai must be causing all of this, his chakra level is like that of a common man so he's destroying this dimension by the game's own rules".

"Oh? You're a ninja, little missy? That's hilarious. You'd very much like to punch my teeth out, huh? Too bad, no one can get injured while they're in-between dimensions… That whole thing", Meta spread his hands out wide, breathing in the air of the storm he had caused. He was definitely right, whenever the developers intervene, it'll be too late by the crazy time dilution going on in this dimension. "Plus, industrial sabotage is a matter for the Police Force, not ninja, don't you think"? He taunted the magician.

"I don't get it, why are you doing this, Meta-san"!? Sayaki pleaded with the man but Mana realized that there was a reason why Meta was so glad just standing there and talking – he had the luxury and the need to wait this thing out.

"He wants to destroy this dimension's rules, cause a big mess so that the game is deemed unsafe. That's when he'll buy the game from your father and continue to develop it himself", Mana quickly summarized what she had pieced together. "We've got no time to run away, we have to dance him off, now" she grunted materializing a scroll and extending it in front of Meta.

"Hmmm? Why should I dance-off with you"? Meta sung out triumphantly. "All I need to do is wait here for this place to fall apart".

"It's a step-up that's causing this, isn't it"? Mana stated before pointing at a kneeling artificial human by Meta's side, "You're breaking this dimension through dance-off and we've danced-off every single one of your artificial humans – you need to dance if you're to win. If you won't – the damage you've caused will stabilize eventually, I'm a ninja, I know a thing or two about sealing jutsu. It also doesn't look like that artificial human will function for too long, he'll soon dematerialize just like all those we've beaten back on the lower floors".

Sayaki pulled on Mana's skirt softly, asking for her attention before looking her in the eyes longingly. "I should be dancing against Meta-san. I'm more experienced and I've changed a lot, you've helped me grow stronger and become a better player", he suggested.

"This is too dangerous. He's breaking the dimensional walls apart, we have no idea what'll happen to the loser when they'll be exposed to a portion of the gravitational waves from this dimension, when their Yokai will be weakened. You may not be able to survive the experience in this calamity", Mana noted pointing at the sky and reminding the boy of the experience the losing player goes through. "You're too valuable. If he takes your Yokai – there'll be no chance in hell to stop him".

"Very well, Konoha's Sorceress, I'll take you up on your offer and dance, or rather, I'll make you dance for me", Meta grinned with a slimy smile before kicking at the face of the artificial human, throwing the thing away like a ragdoll. The businessman materialized a scroll and unleashed his own Yokai.

Mana unleashed her Miko Kudagitsune that she traded with Sayaki to be a bit more efficient at improving and so that she was able to recruit stronger Yokai than the beginners usually could.

"Crystal Miko Kudagitsune. Base Mairyoku: 12450" the table lit up above the creature's head, the Yokai was enhanced well past what Mairyoku it had before after the countless grueling battles with the weak yet numerous artificial humans. Having undergone two whole Dance Revolutions, Miko Kudagitsune now wore a cat mask that was completely made of crystal and its fur was bright and shiny now.

"Oh, this Yokai is much more powerful than anyone's would reasonably be in this town, maybe I've picked yet too advanced of a town for my business venture", Meta exclaimed in a contained and somewhat ironic and mocking surprise.

After Meta unleashed his Yokai, the powerful pulsing energies from his scroll took shape of an emerald colored dog, dressed in ceremonial garbs with extended long sleeves and a ceremonial symbol glowing in emerald green beneath the dog-Yokai's feet. Once the three-meter tall beast took its stance, fully extending its back the table above its head stated the obvious and quite horrific.

"Jade Inugami. Base Mairyoku: 1 650 000"

"Inugami! That's a Mythical Yokai, and to top it off it's in its Jade revolution"!? Sayaki shouted out in disbelief so intensely that the boy lost his voice and collapsed on the ground, shaking in fear over what will become of his favorite game and seeing a player whom he would have never matched up to in a thousand years of his pace of progress.

"What's a Mythical Yokai"? Mana asked, clearly intimidated by the seemingly cosmic tier numbers and majestic emerald glow of the beast.

"A bit late for tutorials, isn't it, Konoha's Sorceress"? Meta grinned mockingly.

"It's a one-time recruitment only Yokai obtained through an event boss dance-off. There have been several of them released so far, there's usually one of those events going on every week. There's only one of each Mythical Yokai, the only way for it to change the Magic Hike is for another player to recruit him from its original hike", Sayaki coughed out in shock and awe. For someone whose entire life rotated around this game, it must have been pretty much an actual divine revelation going on here.

"Good luck with that, young Sorceress, now, shall we dance? Jade Inugami, Emotional Waltz dance"! The businessman ordered letting his Mythical Yokai dog out.

"Jade Inugami: Combined Mairyoku – 65 985 000" the merciless table stated as the Jade Yokai came at Miko Kudagitsune, Mana bit her lip until she drew a drop of blood in desperation before submitting and ordering Miko Kudagitsune to use the Kagura dance.

"Crystal Miko Kudagitsune: Combined Mairyoku – 435 750" Mana read the cruel reality before seeing Miko Kudagitsune just getting swatted aside by the psychic emotional waves firing off in shockwaves from Jade Inugami's barks as it danced.

"Inugami. Step-Up: Mind Control – Using Inugami's psychic abilities, you may instantly recruit any Yokai with a lesser Mairyoku value and tighter feet to Inugami to your Magic Hike",

"Jade Inugami. Step-Up: Soul Drain – You may drain the Mairyoku from a Yokai with lesser Mairyoku value and tighter feet to Jade Inugami and add it to your Footsies"

"You know what? I won't do any of that pathetic babble, just crush your puny trash Yokai." Meta smiled before revealing another scroll and unleashing another Yokai, it must have possessed a similar step-up to Sayaki's Ruby Hitodama, which was used when a different Yokai was dancing-off.

"Jade Tengu: Base Mairyoku – 3 250 120" the table above the newly revealed Yokai stated.

"A-Another Mythical Yokai"!? Sayaki cried out in desperation. His hopes of saving his beloved game have already been crushed just after seeing Jade Inugami, witnessing someone like that making an appearance only deepened the emotional wounds.

"Ah, I think you've come to understand already… Yes, I control ALL of the Mythical Yokai, that is to say, I've recruited all five of them, filling up my Magic Hike with nothing but Mythical Yokai", Meta triumphantly laughed out before pointing at Jade Tengu which reminded of a forest troll in sage hermit's clothing made entirely of emeralds. "This one, however, is the key"!

"Step-Up - Time-Control: During a dance-off, use this Yokai to control in-dance time. Can be used to travel through special event temporal portals", the Jade Tengu's table stated.

Suddenly Mana felt a crushing pressure at her chest, before collapsing on the ground.

"What the…" she muttered but she could feel how desperate and muzzled her voice sounded. The gravitational forces were just crushing her chest and throat and her entire body, while the seals were still very much functional, they could only reduce and control the true gravitational pull of the dimension and not completely neutralize it, which became especially clear when the dimensional game purposefully leaked out some gravitational pull for a demonstrative effect.

"That's right, my Jade Tengu will prolong this dance-off, every time my Jade Inugami crushes your weakling Yokai, Jade Tengu will use its step-up to rewind time and crush it again. Now our dance will last as long as I need it to, not only that – the pain and pressure you feel now will grow infinitely the more time passes and the more the dimensional seals collapse. Maybe if a village sweetheart like the lovely idol Konoha's Sorceress dies in Yokai Mash, I can get the Ninja Council involved at forcing this brat's father to sell me this game"? Meta overjoyed at his clever ploy.

"How… How did you obtain all those Yokai"? Sayaki still shook in disbelief. "I know for a fact that you didn't win any of these events, I've read about other people winning them on the info boards…"

"Try wrapping your limited child's brain around it, I'll love to see you try working this all out", Meta cringed biting his finger as he enjoyed seeing Sayaki's torment. "You know, if we make a weapon that sends enemies here, it might work as a nice military contract with the Ninja Council, what do you two think. Oh boy, once I get the license for using this dimension and the Yokai Mash game, the things I'll do with it"!

"He… He used Jade Tengu", Mana huffed and choked out as she felt the gravity intensifying, it was no longer something she could just withstand without chakra augmentation as the gravitational forces probably surpassed even the crazy Mairyoku values of Meta's Magic Hike where the breaking apart Yokai Mash defied its one rules of invulnerability of a player.

"That's right, magician girl, I did. I used Tengu's step-up to travel back to in-dimension time when the various Mythical Yokai events took place and collect all of these Mythical Yokai, once I bought this one, I could obtain any other. Jade Nurarihyon could multiply the Mairyoku growth and accelerate Dance Revolutions, Jade Shuten-Doji can break apart this very world in sync with Jade Kitsune's step-up. It's all a clever and flawless plan to take over this business", Meta explained his plan with a sadistic grin. "At this point, seeing the power these Yokai grant me here, I may just have the ninja that modify the rules of this dimension change a few things over but I may just keep the game aspect – it's just too much power in my hands to throw it all out. I'll bankrupt those stupid video games with this and then, once everyone's playing this, I may as well control the world. Sure, I'll be in control of the Yokai Mash world but if everyone's playing it – what's the difference"?

"No… This isn't Yokai Mash, this isn't how those step-ups were meant to be used"! Sayaki shouted out angrily as he jumped on his feet and started slowly walking forwards.

"Who cares what they were meant for, business was always about finding loopholes and breaking things to rebuild them in your own sandbox. This whole dance mechanic though… Has to go, I'll have Yokai beat the shit out of each other, I think… Yeah, the power will just feel greater when I can physically see the weakling Yokai getting crushed", Meta kept on pushing and teasing Sayaki, that last proposition was the straw that broke the camel's back. Sayaki just roared out in rage, rushing at the older man and punching at him, clawing and kicking at him wildly but he was unable to do anything. Seeing how he had not lost the dance-off, he was not stuck in a vulnerable state like Mana was.

"I give up", Mana's gurgling declaration dominated the attention of both men, the young one and the businessman. Her surrender ended the dance-off prematurely, before Jade Tengu could prolong it. Granted, had Meta known that she had that option, he could have probably still rewinded back to a dance-off state before the surrender. It was only due to the sheer surprise factor that the stunt even worked.

"What the…" Meta muttered before Sayaki ran up to Mana and shook her chest trying to wake her up. The magician had collapsed from suffering through the immense pressure for too long so her chest was just barely moving. "You can't do that! You can only tag out to a different member of your party. Even if you log out – I'll just continue our dance-off as long as I want. A dance-off must be carried through to a conclusion"! the scorned businessman shouted

"Mana"! Sayaki cried out.

"This is your game, always was. Beat this fop and claim it", Mana softly smiled through pale lips that still betrayed the girl suffering tremendous pain. Sayaki's shaking hand reached out for the magician's hat, picked it off the rooftop before placing it onto his own head. The boy stood proudly in front of the man that wished to brutalize everything his beloved game stood for and almost killed the girl who taught him so much and actually treated him as his friend, not just her "young master".

"Huh"? Meta exclaimed in surprise that Sayaki did not try to run or otherwise trouble his plans for ruining this dimension.

"You're gonna pay, for wanting to ruin my game, the one thing that was my sanctuary all this time, that helped me when times were tough and nobody wanted to talk to me or when people bullied me and hated my guts for no particular reason. For cheating to get hold of Yokai that other people rightfully earned. Most of all – for hurting Mana", the little one yelled out from the bottom of his childish chest.

"Oh? And how will you do that?" Meta chuckled, "My Yokai are Mythical and possess game-breaking step-ups and Mairyoku all surpassing one million. How will you save your game and just how will you "make me pay", boy"?

"The way Mana taught me to fight, by being smart", Sayaki smiled, tipping the magician's hat forward so that it partly covered his eyes leaving only his smile to be seen, not his scared and crying eyes.

---

With a stroke of hand, holding his fingers and his hand in a hand seal-like position, Sayaki summoned an information table, which he scrolled through using his hand. Meta laughed out from the bottom of his lungs, in his head he had already won. All he had to do was just to let the kid read to his heart's content and let his Yokai dance this dimension to its inhospitable original state. All of it for his own monetary and egomaniacal gain…

"Oh, don't mind me, read, kid, read to your heart's content"! Meta smiled.

"I'm sorry if I am disappointing your expectations, if you thought I'd just run head-first into battle, or something", the kid smiled, his eyes were calm and confident, they only wavered from the walls of text to gaze at Meta for a moment before returning to resume his work.

"You know, there's a limit to how much time you've got to make a decision", Meta sadistically toyed with the boy, even if he wanted Sayaki to just stand around and read for a good twenty more minutes, he didn't want to let go of the opportunity to taunt the boy and tease him.

"We both know you'll use Jade Tengu to rewind the dimensional time until the beginning of my turn anyways. You don't want this dance-off to end", Sayaki calmly replied without even giving back the usual burning glance, which he used to offer his opponent.

"What are you doing, child, humor me, just what thoughts run through your mind, how do you intend on beating these unbalanced, utterly unfair Yokai"? Meta inquired, placing his back comfortably against a chimney to relax himself as he listened to what he thought would be little kid's delusions that'd crumble upon his first shake of their foundations.

"No, you tell me. What fun is it playing a game just to abuse its rules? To break it all the time? Why would you look at a game merely for how to utilize its most optimal components, play it in any way imaginable, even if it is not a way the game is intended to be played, only to be the strongest"? Sayaki wondered, "Have you lost your sense of entertainment? Has fun lost its meaning to you?"

"Fun? To me, utilizing my businessman's mind to crush the competitors is fun. When other people read a set of laws all they see is restrictions, what I see is an opportunity and an open challenge to live up to it. Not that a foolish child would understand, all you care about is "having fun…", Meta replied with an inspired speech before switching to a mocking tone in the end.

"I see… To answer your earlier question, I was reading through private messaging section of the Instructions", Sayaki grinned before closing the information table he had previously opened and opening up another one on the other side that was surrounded by a border that made it appear like an envelope.

"Private messages"? Meta nodded his head to the side, he could not understand what Sayaki's game was and that inevitably forced the businessman to lose his stupid mocking grin, "You cannot send a private message, all social menus are inaccessible during a dance-off. It's done this way to prevent players from getting outside help except from their party, or read through social sections during their turn, wasting everyone's time, all social functions are closed, except…"

"Administration support", Sayaki finished Meta's sentence for the businessman.

"What the… You plan on contacting administration!? That won't work, if they could've been here or changed something they'd have done so long since. No moderator or administrator counted on a game-breaking bug coming from an early town where everyone wields useless and weakling Yokai with simple and overly conditional step-ups. My plan was flawless, no administrator will stop me in time"! Meta acted confident and tried letting out a fake laugh but something in his chest felt itchy and irksome, the man started scratching and clawing at his chest erratically to ease the tension. Chinks started forming in the man's emotional armor and Sayaki had barely done a thing except talk to him.

"I'm not looking for their interference", Sayaki shook his head. "I'm looking for their expertise and knowledge about the game. Even if an admin has no options of getting here physically or if they're all logged off, if at least one of them is logged on, they will take no time at all to exchange private messages and knowing what you're doing here – they'll help me out with everything they can do to help".

"Hmph, pathetic, hiding under skirts and backs, are we"? Meta mocked the little boy opposing him. "Hid behind your father's back your whole childhood, let your babysitter do the fighting for you even though she's not even at amateur level and thirty studios short from Ranked Play. Now you're running to admins for help".

"My whole life I was mocked, rejected and bullied. My father was rich so everyone thought I just had everything handed to me, they resented me and pushed me away, all of them. It made me angry, it made me hate them and think "what's the point?". It made me play alone and never ask for help, instead, learn from experience of loss. But this game isn't made like that, it's built to encourage social interactions, partying with friends and helping out new people joining the game. Yokai are dancing-off and not fighting because they too are friendly creatures, even the scary ones. You'll never win by just buying things and building on top of them all by yourself", Sayaki proudly and bravely replied, feeling no shame in asking for help.

A notification lit up on his social tab, one that the boy quickly opened up and ran his eyes through it before smiling and closing the tab. He then fixed his hat and pulled out a scroll, waving it around like a wand before pointing it at Meta.

"Now, for my next trick, I'll make this dimensional calamity disappear", Sayaki grinned before glancing back at Mana, who was slowly starting to get back on her knees and attempted standing up. The magician looked up to the brave young boy and smiled, his confidence and playfulness inspired hope in Mana, he was already a hero, the kind, which Mana always wanted to become. This was Sayaki's world after all – he was the only one who could have been its hero.

"Don't be foo…" Meta grinned sarcastically and raised an eyebrow before being interrupted.

"Step-up chain loop. That's how you're breaking this dimension. I was wondering just how could step-ups break this very dimension apart, seemed like a security threat to me. My father would've never bought and funded such an unsafe product. The administrators told me that they believe the problem is the massive endless loop of your step-ups", the boy explained.

"Oh? Please tell me more…" Meta tried using a more mocking tone, but truthfully he was feeling uneasy and merely wanted to buy more time. Whatever time he bought would not have been enough, his Yokai could only manipulate time in-dance or through scripted portals so he couldn't dance himself more time. A man who believed in one man building his own opportunities was left at the mercy of social interactions…

"Your five Yokai, they all have additional step-ups that are usable in the midst of a dance-off, just like your Jade Tengu. You are using all of them simultaneously to clog with one another, they are immensely powerful so each one strains the chakra capacity of the seals that hold this dimension together, but you're smarter than just that. You chain those step-ups to one another in a loop by re-activating those very same step-ups as a response to the step up of the last Yokai, creating an endless, unresolving loop of step-ups, which is tearing the seals apart as they try to wrap themselves around the paradox and resolve it. You're a devilish man, Meta-san, if a paradox would be finite, the game would simply shut down, ejecting all players in the process but you've created an endless paradox which the game cannot comprehend, no matter how hard it tries". Sayaki calmly explain before opening up his scroll and unleashing his Yokai, before his opponent even showed off his own.

"Ruby Momonjii. Base Mairyoku: 26" the information above the little group of thumb-sized ogres with tiny hammers, clubs and maces stated.

"That's…" Mana whimpered in pain, "That's one of the Yokai I traded you for Miko Kudagitsune. You added it to your own current Magic Hike"?

"You're a very smart little boy, you'd make a fine businessman, a much better one than your father. What do you say? Just stand around here, dream about how successful we could be together and I'll let you become my apprentice. Oh, come, you'll never get a better internship and apprenticeship than in my company"! Meta offered.

"Send out your Yokai, if you won't, I'll force a dance-off to your active step-up using Yokai and force the loop to close. I'm letting you to match minds with me before I dance you out", Sayaki taunted the businessman who just scoffed.

"Very well, you've just signed your own death warrant, you fool. When you lose the dance-off, the gravitation will leave not a single spaghettified string of flesh out of you left"! Meta barked out as he unleashed his own Yokai.

"Jade Shuten-Doji. Base Mairyoku: 3 666 666", the table above a massive ogre demons with long bony arms and a mace the size of its entire colossal body with a large onyx skull at the end. Where the entire entity looked to resemble the demonic king of ogres, the world breaker, its texture was now completely made of green shiny jade making it appear more majestic than apocalyptic.

"Yanari. Step-Up: "Breaker of Shiny Things" – your opponent cannot switch into or use step-ups of Yokai with Dance Revolution of Sapphire or higher" the step-up of Sayaki's Yanari activated immediately.

Meta laughed out so hard that he had to hold himself together to keep himself from tumbling over himself.

"That's your Yokai's step-up? What utter idiocy, I mean sure, it sounds scary on paper, but please remember that I have no need to switch out or use any other step-ups – my Shuten-Doji will stomp your idiotic useless weakling himself and you'll lose the dance-off. Don't you get it? All of those beginner Yokai are utterly useless, just like this one"! Meta kept enjoying himself before commanding Shuten-Doji to use the "Ogre Mash" dance.

"Yanari, use the "Squeaking Roof" dance", Sayaki calmly ordered as the calculations transpired.

"Jade Shuten-Doji. Step-Up: Hell Smasher – If your combined Mairyoku is greater than that of your opponent's Yokai, boost Jade Shuten-Doji's Mairyoku to infinity", the horrific step-up of a Mythical Yokai activated.

"Yanari: Combined Mairyoku – 32" VS "Jade Shuten-Doji. Combined Mairyoku – Infinity" the two tables clashed against each other, they must have not been able to tell just yet how hopeless this match-up was. The two Yokai started dancing before Jade Shuten-Doji's massive foot lingered on top of poor Yanari, looking to stomp on the Yokai and snuff out its dancing spirit completely with its infinite dancing might.

Sayaki quickly revealed another scroll, which materialized in his hands, and opened it immediately, unleashing a Yokai he could only use in a middle of a dance-off, similarly to how Ruby Hitodama and Jade Tengu were used.

"Sapphire Iyaya. Mairyoku 1300. Step-up: "No way! Uh-Oh!" – You can use this Yokai in the middle of any dance-off to reveal Sapphire Iyaya's scary true face and force the opposing player to switch our their Yokai with another in their Magic Hike or their reserve bank, the Base Mairyoku of that Yokai gains an additional X1.5 multiplier before the dance multipliers are calculated". The empowered step-up of the first Yokai Mana obtained stated.

"Ha ha ha, you've only prolonged your death and… Wait…" Meta belatedly understood the implications of Sayaki's step-up chain.

"That's right, Yanari prevents you from using Jade or higher Yokai, except for the one you use in the dance-off, effectively shutting off any ability to switch out or use another high ranking Yokai's step-up. Together with Sapphire Iyaya – the Yokai cause a simple, finite paradox – you cannot switch, but you must. Also, because of…" Sayaki could not finish the sentence as the entire dimension around him sunk in total darkness. Mana felt her entire body getting dragged through a tunnel of air, as if she was flying at immense speeds before waking up in Tomoko's Mansion, right beside Sayaki who was leaning over Mana, worried that whatever injuries she sustained in Yokai Mash would've carried through to the home dimension as well.

"Because of Yanari's step-up, he couldn't rewind time using his Jade Tengu either", Sayaki finished the sentence before sitting down and breathing in and out as the immense pressure rolled off of his chest. He had shut down the game he intended to save using a finite paradox, just as the admins instructed him, all because he read the Instructions and studied, strategized, and wasn't afraid of asking for help when he needed it.

"Are you okay, Mana"? The boy worried.

"I think it's your bed time", Mana pouted, she still felt aches all over her body and felt blunt traumas forming in several more sensitive places but she was definitely in a better and more combat-ready state than she was inside Yokai Mash.

"Yeah… Too bad the finite paradox triggered the game to shut down. I'll need new activities to entertain me until it gets back up", Sayaki dreamily wondered before slipping out of his clothes and into PJs before hiding under a bulky cover sheet.

"I am a stage magician, as well as a ninja, remember? If you want, I can get you tickets to my show the day after tomorrow. It's pretty popular around Konoha so you may bring any new friends you meet, as long as you never stop giving people chances", Mana suggested.

"Nah, I think I'd rather earn those tickets and pay for them. I don't want no freebies", Sayaki smiled before turning onto his side and going to sleep.

A good half an hour later a bodyguard came in to check up on Mana and ask if she needed anything and if everything was alright. He also reported that thing were quiet outside and then hurried to return to his post.

"It's alright, I'm not gonna let his kid out of my sight the whole night through. No one's going to harm Sayaki-san on my watch", she said, returning to the more informal referral once the boy couldn't hear her, it just felt simpler and more right to her.

"Sayaki-san? Not "young master", so the kid's made you go all soft, huh"? The bodyguard laughed out before leaving, not waiting for a reply from Mana. The magician just wrapped her hands around her knees and tipped her hat a bit so that she got a clearer view on the sleeping boy and softly tilting cover that protected him from the almost freezing outside chill.

She had a long night ahead, but somehow, she didn't mind.

---

Author's Note: Wow, been writing this for two whole years! Thanks to everyone who kept up with the story, or at least gave it a look, whether it lead to promising to yourself that this deserves a read later on, or deciding it's not your thing and dropping it for good. Even though sometimes I do bump into blocks on the road, sometimes life gets a bit too hectic to sit down and focus on a chapter or sometimes I don't think things through or just miss a mistake during my proof-reads... On occasions such as this it kinda feels worth it.

Hope I can write another Annual next year, I know not many people bother to look at them or read them to the end but it kind of just feels like writing a movie for a long running show :D

The Annual ended up being WAY longer than I initially thought it'd be, almost twice longer, in fact. Proof-reading was a real bitch, writing it was actually pretty fun though. Hope you guys enjoy it! Next week it's back to the story, as usual, the break (such as it was ;D) is over!