Working With Phantoms

Frozen Wills

June 12th

Madran's group arrived back in the Velvet Room a lot earlier than usual, due to it being a Sunday. Then, as they all got together, Rosana announced something.

"So, I have, well, kinda worrying news. I was told by mama and papa that Fourete is, well, coming earlier on the fifteenth."

"That's... bad."

"Yeah, that leaves us with two days."

"Hopefully, we can get the treasure, do that letter thing, and get him done by the fourteenth."

"That's the plan! So, whenever we're ready, we can head back out and go get the treasure."

The group then left the Velvet Room and arrived in the palace for hopefully the last time. Then, they took the lift down to the final ninth level, with them arriving in what appeared to be a large white and red room with icy floors and odd fixtures on the ceiling that supplied dim light. Then, Maya and Philemon summoned Mother Harlot and Hariti.

"So, what's going on here?"

"Ah, this place. Well, you've finally made it to the last floor. This floor models the ninth circle of Hell, where the traitors lay. This place is essentially a trial where the group has to separate and solo a few trial-like things before arriving at the end, reuniting, and getting to the treasure."

"Ok, gotcha."

Madran then led the team onwards, where they came across eight branching paths, each with a separate color on the floor of the path. Madran then looked around for a short amount of time.

"Uh, I see a red symbol, a green one, a dark blue one, and a white one..."

Madran then walked around and looked at the different colors, which were light blue, yellow, pink, and a mix of red and white.

"These must correspond to what element our personas use. Everyone, find a color that reminds you of what your persona completely blocks, reflects, or absorbs."

Following what Wysteria said, everyone stood by the floor that best represented what their persona attacked with. Then, Madran scanned, which allowed her to see a large amount of areas that each path was connected to.

"Ok, everyone, let's get going! I'll keep y'all posted, okay?"

Madran then went off down her path. Immediately, a few shadows appeared.

"Well, this'll just be like before! Nightingale, come to me!"

Madran then summoned Nightingale as the shadows turned into a few Narcissuses, which Madran hit with a few Maragidynes before she avoided two Marin Karins and a Garula.

"Hey, Nightingale, burn them again!"

"With pleasure."

Nightingale then waved her lantern around more, which caused more Maragidynes to hit the shadows. This then ended the fight and allowed Madran to move on. Then, she encountered a few binoculars and a large slot below them.

"Uh... hey, Nightingale, what's this?"

"Don't ask me, but it appears to react whenever I hold my lantern near it."

Nightingale then held her lantern in the slot, and the binoculars lit up.

"Oh, that worked. Now, try looking in them."

Madran then looked into the binoculars, which showed a variety of objects next to each other. However, after further observation, Madran realized that it was just the same images set next to each other.