...Mario woke up in some field. This wasn't where his 'date' with Kurumi ended. "Mama-mia, I need to-a lay off the pasta, spaghetti... wait, did I eat-a any of that since I came-a here?" He got up on his feet.

He then turned around and saw five floating chains.

Pink.

White.

Black.

Pastel.

And Golden.

Mario looked up, and saw text in front.

Break the chains and judgement day comes. Bring forth our judgement day.

Then Mario blanked out. Well, that's not a whole lotta info to work with!

... He woke up in in the Spirit Mansion. With Yuzuru staring right at him.

"Request: Mario, it is necessary for you to enter the Itsuka household."

"...Not-a gonna question it... but okay.." Mario got up, and backed away from Yuzuru. She seemd a little too close.

Mario ran down the flights of stairs and into the open streets. This felt a little too... nostalgic. Regardless! He sprinted into Shido's house and saw everyone in a circle around a pink-hair girl...

"Rinne?"

"...Mario... Late to the party, ah?" Rinne responded.

After dragging Shido to his upstairs bedroom, Mario closed the doors and folded his arms as he leaned against the door. "Aaaalrighty, Shido, why is-a Rinne back?"

"You think I know?" The schoolboy shrugged. "She was just sitting on a desk in my class! And then she's home with me!"

"Yeah, but..." Mario looked aside. "You told-a me Rinne vanished."

A new childish voice echoed out. "Never was! Papa cried over nothing!"

"...what"

A small girl peeked behind Shido, with overflowing pink hair. "Ah! It's a funny short mustache man!"

Shido really just wanted to end it all right now. "Mario... meet Rio."

Rio looked at Mario. "Mario, huh, you take my name and add a 'ma' at the start!"

"Haha, that's-a funny." Mario fake laughed.

Shido patted Rio's head. "Alright, Rio, go play with the girls."

"Okaaaay!" She sprinted off.

"Mario, can I get real with you?"

"Let's-a get real." Mario agreed.

Shido paused. Should he really tell Mario? Would Mario tell Shido that he's going daft, just like the other Spirits have told him thus far? Well, he noticed Mario was immune to Miku's brainwashing when she was a Spirit, so, truly, anything goes with him. So... in all honesty, it wouldn't hurt to try. He turned to face Mario straight in the face, and asked without any sarcastic tone whatsoever. "Is this world real?"

Mario just opened his mouth. "Ah. No wonder."

"Huh?"

The plumber then pointed his finger up. "I knew it was-a too good to be true. There's no excessive amounts of-a violence! No-a drama anywhere! Okie-dokie, so we're not-a in the real world..." He thought. "The real-a problem is, how do we get-a out? Is there a way out?"

Shido also thought. "I might have a possible subject... and the Spirits aren't gonna like it."

"...Rinne." Mario confirmed. "I mean, come-a on! She disappeared for-a dramatic effect! We'll-a get to the bottom of this."

Shido slightly tilted his head. "How are you... not falling for this ruse? I mean, you didn't get affected by Miku earlier... And neither did your brother."

"Hmm. Perhaps I'll have a chat with that sleepy-a scientist when we get back into the real world."

"Or right now."

Mario and Shido swiftly turned to see... Reine. Speak of the Devil.

The sleepy girl raised her glasses a bit. "This may be a fake world, but I can provide very real information to you and Mario, Shin."

"Uhh..." Mario slowly raised his thumb up. "Okie dokie...?"

They were now inside of Fraxinus, with Reine the only one in the entire airship. Kotori was in the Spirit Mansion, and goodness knows where the team went. Mario looked around, whistling. "A fake world that manages to get-a every detail down. I didn't-a know Rinne was a sucker for-a details! Hah hah!" Mario let out a laugh. Shido just blankly stared at Mario, then turned to Reine.

"Reine. Even the sealed Spirits are falling for this ruse of a utopia. I can kinda get why Mario's not affected... But you? You're aware."

"That's classified information, Shin, I'm afraid I'm not allowed to share."

And Shido dismissed that without a second thought. "Aaaaalright, what about Mario?"

Reine pressed a button as a diagram of a T-Posing Mario and Bowser appeared on-screen. A bunch of wavy lines around Bowser. "Since this creature has newly developed Spirit Powers, he hadn't learned to conceal them by the time his first battle with Mario rolled around. Of course, now, it's invisible. Chances are, Mario's world has different laws than our own, and the exposure to this Spirit Energy made him immune to passive Spirit powers."

Mario folded his arms. "If Bowser's learned to conceal it, then that-a means he's getting adjusted to Camael. Not-a good."

Shido blinked. "Okay, a lot of that went over my head, but I'm in." The schoolboy affirmed himself. "I save the female Spirits, you take care of Bowser. Kotori's studying that creature in the real world. I hope."

"You don't-a sound suuuuuure!"

Mario and Shido were back in the living world, but within Shido's bedroom. "The problem is... How do we get back to our real world?"

Shido then pondered. "I'll try to have a chat with Rinne. Surely she can be understanding..." He left the bedroom, but before he closed the door, he turned and pointed at Mario. "Just because we're in a false world, don't do anything foolish in my house or the Spirit Mansion." He then left and closed the door.

"I'm about to-a do something foolish." Mario immediately said to himself as soon as it was clear. He dove around the room looking for things to mess with. Not like any damages matter, they were in a false world, and Mario just wanted an excuse to unleash his feral side - stupid AST and the Spirits were getting to him! But as he dove around... he noted one thing aside from Shido's typical computer from way once when. "Wow... Shido is... uh... pretty-a basic."

The door opened, showing Peach. "Oh, Mario, I'm glad you're safe!"

"Peach!" Mario raised his arms and hugged the princess. "I'm-a glad your safe!"

"Safe is a... difficult word." Peach hugged back. "I was examining your unconscious body and then... I wake up in an identical world."

Mario smiled as he let go of the hug. "We're in a fake world, but don't-a worry, we'll be getting out soon."

"Fake... world..." Peach took a moment to process it. "Mario, I only just reunited with you, and yet everything's not making sense.. Where are the rules of this world...?"

"Gone." Mario snapped his fingers. "You can-a blame the Spirits for-a being ridiculously overpowered!" He then chuckled. "Don't-a worry. We've-a survived so far, haven't we?"

"But you've been gone for so long. I was so worried."

That hit Mario in the feels. "I'm... I'm-a sorry, Princess. We'll get to the Mushroom Kingdom soon. Our-a home."

"I really hope so."

Mario and Peach stayed silent within the bedroom. This was far beyond their average Tuesday. On those days, Peach gets kidnapped by Bowser, Mario goes to save her, wash rinse repeat. At least Bowser had the decency to show up to parties and karting events. Although the Koopa King claims he is "crashing" the former. But this time, Bowser wants Mario's head clean off.

This was scary.

Shido came in and interrupted Mario's train of thought. "Rinne's agreed to let us back."

"Alrighty! C'mon! Let's-a get back to NORMAL Japan!" Mario jumped towards the door in excitement.

"Japan?" Peach questioned.

Mario turned back to answer. "We've-a karted there once or twice."

"Ooooh. I remember." Peach agreed and went along with Mario.

Rinne was just slumped on the sofa. "Very well... I was going to give everyone a happy ending, but I guess I'll have to send you aware people back to the real world... I'll miss you."

Mario immediately pointed out. "Wait, can't you just... Exist along with all of-a us in the real world?"

"No.. I'll just get in the way. And you need to grow stronger."

"Weak-a excuse, but okay." Mario was just about to head back into the real world. "But... I feel like... something is-a wrong..."

Just then, they heard a laugh. Mario and Peach were the first to bolt out the door.

Mario looked up and saw someone flying in the sky in a... Clown Car?! Of course, going home wasn't going to be easy.

"Hello, Mario!" The flying enemy laughed.

Bowser Jr.

The Koopa prince laughed. "I didn't much appreciate you hammering me in the face last time, so... Ready for a rematch?"