Working With Phantoms

The Great Thief

April 11

Philemon's POV

It had been a little over a week, and Madran's group had made minimal progress into Kamoshida's palace, with issues ranging from Shadow Kamoshida's seemingly omnipresent status in the castle that made getting anywhere very hard, to the group wasting time from getting turned around and losing their way in the almost identical corridors, despite Madran's guidance. Philemon decided to just begin going in there by himself to try to figure out a way forwards. The Monday of the 11th was another one of those days, with Philemon preparing to head out.

"Margaret, what did you find out?"

Margaret had also been studying the palace, but was doing so from afar.

"The real Kamoshida needs to have some cognitive change to occur, like how Madran did so with her father. Look."

Margaret had a map of the palace lined up with a map of Shujin Academy.

"This palace has three major floors, plus the dungeon, which adds five more. Everything aside the dungeon's second through fifth floor is a mirror of the school. You have only made it to floor two, yes?"

"Yes."

"Maybe, Madran or someone else in her group needs to go up to the third floor with Kamoshida seeing it. The third floor is most likely the area where the treasure is, and where the first years in Shujin are located."

"Hmm. So, we find the way to the third floor, and get Madran, Suga, or Sheila up to the third floor of Shujin when Kamoshida is observing. Yes?"

"Correct. I would advise that when you go in today, you locate the stairs and leave. Understood?"

"Yep."

Just then, a door opened, and Maya walked through.

"Maya? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just wanted to say hi. Um, what's going on?"

Margaret explained the whole ordeal to Maya, who seemed to understand.

"Oh, so is that why we're always getting lost in the palace?"

"Most likely."

"Well, I'll be glad to help! Today's an off day for me, so I have plenty of time."

"Splendid. Well, stay safe, you two."

Maya and Philemon nodded and left to Kamoshida's palace. Once there, Maya's attention was directed towards the drive.

"Hey, I hear something. It sounds kinda like voices..."

The pair took an alternate route down the drive. There, they began to overhear a conversation.

"...Hey, isn't this where Shujin is?"

"I could swear it was."

"Then, why is it a palace?"

Philemon turned to Maya.

"Wait here."

Philemon transformed into a butterfly and went out to the source of the voices.

"Well, it might be best to check it out."

"A-Akira, are you crazy?!"

Philemon viewed a rather familiar person in a rather odd place. Ryuji was standing at the base of the drive with a very bewildered face, and another person stood beside him. This person was slightly shorter than Ryuji, with short and slightly messy black hair, pale skin, glasses, and the Shujin uniform.