Mana woke up with a face mask on her. She was laying on a hospital bed with unfamiliar surroundings...

She took off the face mask. "Where am I...?"

She then remembered all the lethal bullets that she took from Kurumi.

"Why am I not dead?"

Just then, the door to the hospital room opened, showing shady looking businessmen. "Takamiya Mana."

"..." Mana sharpened her glare. "Who may you be?"

"I see..." Ai said with a smug aura. "Shiroi's virtue is being threatened! We'll do everything in our power to help you!"

Then Mai. "We lost a lot of band members because of Ai... So we're glad to have all three of you!"

Then Mii put her hands together. "That's so lame!"

Tohka clenched her fists. "This battle..."

Origami did not do anything at all. "There's no way we can lose."

"Thanks, Guys." Shiori addressed the three girls then turned to Origami and Tohka, surprised at their presence. "Wait, you guys are performing too?!"

Ai got close to Shiori. "By the way, what instruments can you play?" She asked as Mai and Tohka high-fived.

Shiori thought. "I can play a little guitar..."

Ai had a bass guitar out of nowhere. "I can play bass!"

Then Ai suddenly had a drum kit. "And I can play drums!"

"NOOOOOO!" Tohka lamented to herself. "The boom booms are already taken?!"

A dramatic spotlight appeared on Tohka as everyone just stared.

Ai was the first to be baffled. "The boom booms?"

"That's so lame..." Mii also looked over.

Shiori sighed. "Right, you wanted to play the drums... We can't let you trade places with an experienced drummer either..." Shiori leaned in to comfort Tohka. "Sorry, but you'll have to give them up this time, okay?"

Tohka pouted.

Shiori scratched 'her' head. "But what kind of instruments can you play anyway?"

"Tohka." Ai spoke up, as she held a sparkling object in her hand. "I will entrust this to you."

"This is..." Tohka looked up in all it's might...

Mai continued. "A legendary instrument that is extremely hard for normal people to handle!"

Then Mii gave her words of encouragement. "That's so lame!"

Tohka reached out and grabbed the instrument, basking in it's glory. "This is amazing!"

It was none other than the legendary...

tambourine

Tohka shook it around excitedly.

Shiori wiped off some sweat. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah! Just watch! I'm gonna play it!"

Shiori thought. "Now we just need a singer..."

Origami tapped the 'record' button on the microphone.

"...Origami?" Shiori turned.

And then Origami sang, despite her monotone voice.

It flashed to white due to how good she was.

Ai was impressed. "Woah, that was amazing, Origami!"

Mai was also impressed. "I didn't know you were that good at singing!"

"That's so lame!"

Shiori was pleased. "It's decided, then!"

Origami turned to the camera and gave a thumbs up. "For Shiori's victory."

Meanwhile, with the Mario crew (because they still exist)...

They were inside the Spirit Mansion, with Mario scraping his gloves against the smooth wooden table.

"M-Mario?" Luigi leaned in. "What's the matter, bro?"

"Hnngggh... This festival-a coming up..."

"H-huh?"

"I'm-a getting all antsy about it."

Luigi just blinked. "Mario? Scared? Really? That's not like you."

Mario glared at Luigi then continued. "No. I'm-a just saying that something most unfortunate could-a happen at the event!"

THAT got Luigi talking. "Dude, what if that Diva or Miku girl uses that weird voice?"

And so, Mario could only say to Luigi, who very likely set off a flag;

"DON'T SET OFF FLAGS!"

And then... the day of the festival arrived.

A loudspeaker came on. "We will now commence the Tenou Festival!"

Fireworks went off as people already bagged the stalls with food and games.

Cheers went up as the festival was about to begin.

Shiori, however, wasn't enjoying it.

...because everyone was in maid costumes.

Tohka was enjoying it, however. "It's so frilly!"

Kaguya folded her arms. "Gotta say, women's clothes look good on you, Shido!"

Yuzuru was just vibing. "Agreement: I want to take you home with me."

"Um..." Shiori had doubts. "This maid cafe-"

Ai was also there. "-is the best we can do to beat Rindoji! We've got a girl with an innocent and beautiful personality..."

Tohka gave a thumbs up.

"And twins with different personalities! And a tall, yet timid type..."

Shiori didn't want any of this.

"No man can resist this unbreakable bond!"

Mii also poked in. "That's so lame!"

Shiori noticed the elephant in the room. "Where's Origami?"

Yuzuru stared at Shiori. "Doubt: Now that you mention it, I have not seen her."

Tohka also peered in. "Did she oversleep?"

Ai sighed. "Well, you need to prepare yourself, poster girl!" She grabbed Shiori by the shoulders and started pushing 'her'. "We're counting on you to bring the customers in!"

Shiori peered out the window and looked alongside Tohka. There was a LOT of people in line!

Tohka was still excited. "Oh, I'm getting excited!"

Yuzuru also peered out. "Standby: We will follow your instructions, Shiori."

Kaguya ALSO peered out. "After all, you're head maid!"

If Shiori could, 'she' could just dye 'her' hair silver and wear a pocket watch to stop time as long as 'she' needed to get a breather. Alas, Shiori was still human.

"M-me?! Uh... I guess my instruction is that we all work hard!"

Everyone cheered from that sentiment.

Now Shiori was outside, gathering the customers. "Come one, come all!"

'She' still had the mental state of 'please kill me'.

A voice came from 'her' left. "You seem to be faring pretty well, Shin."

"A-ah.." Shiori turned, noticing Reine, Yoshino and Mario.

"Reine! And..."

'She' turned to Yoshino, who had a quivering expression, and then turned to Mario, who had an unamused expression.

"Y-you guys..." Shiori sweatdropped.

"...nice-a cosplay." Mario abruptly said.

"Well... u-um..." Yoshino was also sweating. "Y-you look... u-um... c-cute..."

"NOOO!" Shiori's brain trembled. "Don't say nice things to me while I'm in this shameful getup!"

Yoshinon also leaned in. "But that was a compliment!"

Yoshino confronted Shiori. "Um.. I'm looking forward to the performance..."

Mario had no mercy, however! "He's-a gonna look so stupid..."

"Thanks guys..." Shiori stopped quivering. "I'll do my best."

'She' sweatdropped as Yoshino and Reine went inside, leaving just 'herself' and Mario.

"You're the-a tourist attraction, huh? To be honest, you'd-a be in a LOT more trouble if-a someone fell in love with you."

Shiori quivered. "Don't set off flags!"

"I'm-a just saying..." Mario was speaking while Shiori was handing out advertisements. "They would probably file you up-a for 'missing' posters if you never go back to being a girl after-a this."

"Yeah? Well..." 'She' chuckled. "Don't be shy, Mario! There's always a spot open for you in the cafe!"

As 'she' handed out a flyer, 'she' noticed something odd.

Mario turned and noticed something REALLY odd.

In the distance, eating a toffee apple and staring right at the duo...

Was a black-hair woman who was covering her left eye with her hair.

Someone walked right past the duo, blocking their vision.

When the person was out of sight, so too, was the familiar girl.

Mario clenched his fist. "Kurumi's here too. Does that mean that this festival's in danger? I knew Luigi set off a flag!"

Shiori had a different thought. "Am I seeing things...?"

And then Miku approached with a lot of 'lackeys' behind her.

Mario fumbled his eyebrows. He really could blast Miku in the face right now from sheer anger.

Miku noticed Mario too and could almost vomit. "Good morning... Shiori." Miku decided to just ignore Mario's existence. "It seems you are doing well."

Shiori passed a cold glare. "Thanks."

Miku eyed Shiori's outfit and giggled. "That maid outfit looks good on you. When I claim you as my own, I might make you wear those clothes all the time to serve me."

Mario clenched his fist. Even Miku's followers gasped a bit.

Miku sighed. "Uugh, can't take a hint. Why don't you all go somewhere else?" She did her weird voice again.

Thankfully Mario and Shiori were immune to it. They finally put two and two together. Shiori thought first. "So that's Miku's power..."

"...the ability to brainwash." Mario finished the thought.

"That's much better." Miku breathed. "Although... I still need to get rid of the freaky alien here."

Mario snapped, but remained calm. "Don't-a worry... I was-a just leaving."

Mario stomped off, leaving just Miku and Shiori.

Shiori grumbled more. "You stand out too much for someone checking out the enemy."

"That's not what I'm doing." Miku answered. "I came to ask you out on a date." She smiled.

"..a date?"

And they were actually going to the date. We cut to the middle of Shiori buying Miku a crepe. They bought two together. Miku bit into hers.

"Mm, it's so good!"

Mario was roaming through the festival. Luckily, Luigi managed to follow.

Luigi scratched his head. "I've heard some rumor that some scary skyscraper keeps Spirits locked up and seals their memories..."

"If that-a skyscraper just so happens to be-a DEM... then that-a explains why she's here."

Luigi had a questioning look. "Huh? She?"

"...Kurumi." Mario's eyes had a glint in them. Almost of anger.

"...No idea who that is." Luigi shrugged. "I assume it's that black-hair girl that I saw when rescuing you..."

"That's-a her." Mario confirmed.

Luigi simply lowered his tone. "Mario, you seem to reek of hatred... The smell of hatred looms over you..."

Mario continued making his way down the festival. "Reeking of hatred, huh...? If anything.." Mario still grumbled. "They should be the 'freaky aliens'..." He looked around the festival, and even the normal humans looked like Spirits.

There was a red-hair girl with purple eyes accompanied by a yellow-ponytail girl with blue eyes.

Mario grumbled and shifted his eyes away from the duo.

"Anyone with-a vibrant colors stand out. Like those oddly-specific detailed humans that the author just mentioned in-a the previous two lines! (and totally not foreshadowing any future and unfortunate events!)"

...Luigi blinked. "Does that mean we stand out too?"

"Shut up."

"Ah, Shiori!" Miku waved over. "Look here! A ring toss! What prize do you want? I'll get it for you!"

"Huh... Um...?" Shiroi walked over and saw a cat plushie. "I'll take that one..."

"Then leave it to me!" Miku grabbed the three rings from the gamemaster.

"Ha!" She threw one.

Miss.

"Take this!"

Another miss.

"How about THIS?!"

She threw again and...

...miss.

"Oh my, it's pretty hard." Miku lamented.

Shiori chuckled a bit. "Don't worry, Miku. I'll get it for-"

Shiori didn't even finish 'her' sentence as Miku's eyes narrowed and turned to the gamemaster. "Please give me that cat plushie."

She used her voice. Shiori gaped in awe. Not from amazement, but from pure bewilderment...

Miku simply offered the plush to Shiori. "Here you are, Shiori."

Shiori had enough. "What are you doing?"

"This isn't the one you wanted? Then I'll exchange-"

"That's NOT IT! Don't you know this isn't how things are done?!"

"...then what am I supposed to do...?"

"You have to toss the rings to get the prize."

"Really?" Miku sighed. "Then what do you do if you don't get it?"

"Then you give up on that." Shiori turned. "Isn't it sad for those girls if you force them like that?"

"Sad? Shouldn't those girls be happy that I would even accept it?"

"Seriously?!"

Miku let out her true side again. "It's fine anyway! Humans are my pawns and playthings! I think highly of you. It's not something you need to worry about!"

Shiori's eyes were purely twitching. "I'm definitely going to beat you at this festival. So I can MAKE YOU get to know humans."

"You're saying some strange things..."

"It's okay if you don't understand right now. But don't underestimate humans! If you think everything will go your way, you're in for a surprise."

Miku went smug again. "Oh? Then let's test it. Let's end our date here for today. I'll be waiting for you on stage... if you're able to perform, that is."

Miku left with those threatening words.

Welp, it was the stage portion. Mario was at the now-empty festival stalls, because everyone wanted to hear the singing.

That left just Mario and Luigi.

Luigi brought his voice low. "Okay, so I brought in some intel from somewhere..."

"Uh huh..." Mario nodded.

"That cheating Miku brainwashed Shido's friends so they wouldn't perform!"

They heard crowd cheers come into the stadium. "I wonder if they can-a handle it? I'll make-a sure to give Miku an EXTRA beating for-a this!"

Mario slammed his fists together, grinning. "We need to survey the top for any maintenance!"

Mario went inside the stadium along with Luigi.

They were in the dark hallways now.

"If we-a make a single sound, then we'd-a look suspicious..." Mario looked for a way to get to the top.

"Why's it so dark anyway?" Luigi looked around.

Kotori finally chirped in. "The reason for that, Luigi, is that I hacked the lights a little to sabotage Miku's performance."

Mario sighed. "That's-a still pretty heartless for you, Kotori-"

Luigi then noticed a purple glow. "Uhm... Mario?"

Mario turned to the purple glow on the stage.

"Shaddai El Chai!" Miku chanted.

Miku's generic outfit vanished in a stellar glow and was replaced by her yellow Astral Dress. Her flashy head accessory appeared on her indigo hair too.

Miku grinned. "Alright! The real concert starts now!"

The crowd holding purple glowsticks roared with cheer.

Mario covered his eyes from the sheer brightness.

Then, Miku started singing.

"When the monochrome sky-"

Mario belted towards the backstage without being seen by the crowd, then he saw a ladder to the top.

"turns colors, the world begins-"

"Come on! This-a way!" Mario jumped onto the ladder, then paused as Luigi was quickly behind.

"Better be quick about this, Mario! We don't have much time at all!" Luigi panicked.

"Yeah, well, I need all-a the help I can get!" Mario slowly climbed upwards.

Meanwhile, in the skies...

"Adeptus 4 to 12, move to the defined locations and be ready to attack. The twenty Bandersnatch in Outer 1, prepare to rush in!"

Mario burst open the hatch to the tower, the wind hitting his face. "Looks like I-a made it..."

The first voice in the scene grinned. Oh god, it was Jessica. Of course it was her of all times to show up.

Jessica looked down on Mario. "Looks like I found them at last!"

Last to appear and the one who closed the hatch was Luigi.

As soon as he closed the hatch, Luigi flinched. "Ah! Isn't that the-?!"

"It is." Mario shrugged. "Well, what happens happens."

Jessica pointed her finger. "Bandersnatch! Put those freaky aliens out of their misery!"

As soon as the Bandersnatch was about to charge in, it was blasted away by a beam.

"That's-!" Jessica looked up.

Mario looked up and saw a white-hair figure. "Origami."

Jessica growled at her teeth. "That little suit has left many crippled by it... The strongest it is! Why is SHE using it?!"

Origami aimed her gun.

Everyone turned to Origami. "Change of plans! Bring her down too!"

The DEM wizards charged at Origami as the battle began.

Mario looked up. Then Jessica remembered Mario as she noticed him too.

"Oh no." Mario started to sweat.

"As for you," The female massively grinned. "I'll take you on myself!" She charged at the Mario Bros.

"Waaagh!" Luigi cowered in fear.

Mario stood his ground. He knew his friends were not that worthless. He closed his eyes to imagine the scene.

And when Jessica was just about to swing at Mario...

Mario gripped his hammer handle. "We can't-a just sit back! It's-a PAYBACK time!" Mario charged forward.

So did Luigi! Now it really was payback time!

Mario and Luigi initiated Bounce Bros, with Mario launched high up, and hitting a DEM wizard along the way. Mario used this opportunity to run through the explosions of the Bandersnatch to use Luigi as a boost to get up into the air.

It was meaningless, or was it?

Mario landed on the floor, and jumped again. A double jump!

This time, he landed on a sliding Luigi's feet (who thankfully caught up), bouncing up again.

He landed on the ground again, and finally. A triple jump! "Woohoo!"

He pulled out his hammer mid-jump and curved it back a bit to charge up an extra-powerful slam.

His hammer gleamed, indicating a charged-up move... And Mario slammed Jessica straight to the roof with that slam!

Luigi pulled out his own hammer. "Grr-hrrmph!" He growled as he knocked Jessica upwards again with a fury-induced uppercut. "HYARGH!"

During their air mobility, Origami activated Territory around all the Wizards, and then activated brutal mass-fire missiles that cut through the Wizard's jetpack supply and blew up the Bandersnatch. A bunch of Wizards fell to the ground.

Jessica growled herself. "Send reinforcements!"

She glared at Origami as more Wizards charged at Team Mario.

"Reine." Kotori fussed. "We're having some difficulty in the sky above the stage. Mario's circus has SOME of it under control, but we may need you here."

"I understand." Reine confirmed, and turned to Yoshino. "I have to go. Do you three wish to come with?"

"I'll stay." Yoshino quietly said.

"I see." Reine smiled for once and then left.

Shiori, the Yamai sisters and Tohka were walking to the stage.

Shiori gulped. "Are you sure you'll be alright with zero practice?"

Kaguya smirked. "Don't underestimate us. We have already mastered these kind of instruments!"

Shiori kept trying to communicate with Kotori, but nothing was working. "Kotori... Is everything okay?"

The lights on the stage blared. Welp. Too late for that now.

Everyone prepared their instruments.

Origami slaced a Bandersnatch unit in half as Mario kicked the bottom half off the tower.

"Ghh..." Mario flexed his toes a bit. "That-a hurts my feet more than I'd-a hope..."

The metal used to make Bandersnatch was no joke.

Shiori went up to the microphone, prepared themselves...

And Shiori tried to lip-sync a song...

But there was no sound.

Kotori fumbled. "Gaaaah! The battle up at the tower's top is causing an audio malfunction! Shido! You'll have to sing live!"

Shiori was massively sweating. "Even if I had to, I.."

Then Tohka started tapping her tambourine.

"Taking all these things upon myself

Even things I could do without

Excuses to make things better with a strange pride

Ignoring my own faults

Saying this and that about others

Even though I didn't mean to say them

Turning robotically, tic and tac

What does 'go for it' mean anyway?"

Yoshino was silently tapping her fingers to the rhythm.

If things just don't go your way...

Massively improvise!

Shiori grabbed her guitar.

Attention! One question!

Origami fired her lasers at the Wizards as Luigi brought out his own hammer to slam down some Bandersnatch units.

Somehow being caught up in things

Is the water over there sweet?

Origami was sweating, but she would be alright, for her enemies were teaming up with her.

Mario jumped up and stomped on Jessica, landing back down on the tower.

Yes no, yes no

"Damn it! DAMN IT!" Jessica fired without any indication or reason.

The moment I looked around me

Only here was time stopped

Color!"

Jessica massively was INFURIATED. "What the hell ARE YOU?! TELL MEEEE!"

Mario and Luigi were roaring with cheer as they kept with their battles.

Their song was over. Tohka winked as the crowd went WILD.

Shiori was breathing heavily. They actually did it... The mad lasses (and secret lad)

"SHIDO! WE DID IT!" Tohka high-fived Shiori.

"Y-yeah!"

"Shoot! SHOOT!" Jessica's pupils were shortened as ballistic missiles kept firing at Origami's Territory.

Origami analysed the scene. "There's too many of them-!" Then the missiles broke Origamis' Territory.

The sheer force caused Origami's nose to bleed. She looked at the running blood. "This is-" Her vision turned crimson.

Jessica laughed wildly. "This is the end, Exceptional Wizard!"

Mario's crew looked worse for wear too. They looked up at the sky and saw MORE Bandersnatch units. Luigi shivered and hid behind Mario.

Mario clenched his fist. "They-a sent reinforcements..."

Jessica grinned. "The tables are turned! Don't think you'll get away injury-free."

Mario's eyes turned green as the color of a Bandersnatch unit's laser was coming at him.

He closed his eyes.