Working With Phantoms

Striking Beneath the Surface

Madran walked with her group as the two humans they had just met led them back to what Madran had hoped was their base, and not a random trap to kill them.

"Margaret, Elizabeth, start moving towards my location."

"On it."

Following her order, Madran picked up Margaret's and Elizabeth's signals starting to move from their hiding spots. Madran then contacted Philemon.

"Hey, Margaret and Elizabeth are now on the move."

"Understood. I'll keep a lookout for them."

"Hey, what are you doing with your, uh, persona?"

"I'm scanning around the area."

"Wait, it can do that?"

"Of course, how else did I know exactly where you guys were?"

Jimenez sighed.

"I'm starting to think that you're not just some high schooler..."

"Oh, don't let it bother you."

Madran giggled while casting a daring look at Lance. Suga then spoke up.

"Hey, Madran, don't scare them. I mean, I kinda want them to not think we're enemies."

"That's not really helping. Please, be honest, which one of you guys isn't a human?"

Philemon nodded.

"That would be me. I'm, well, I'll explain it later."

"I mean, you look the most human of everyone."

"We shall see."

Madran nodded before picking up a few demonic signals from up ahead.

"Hey, look out, demons!"

Madran then looked to see a few Ose approaching the group.

"Ok, um, I got this! Prithivi, arise!"

Sheila then summoned Prithivi, who knocked the three Ose over with a Makougaon. Madran then stared with shock at Sheila's new persona.

"Wait, Sheila, you didn't tell me that..."

"Um, sorry! Madran, give the order!"

"Ok! All-Out Attack, everyone!"

The group then eliminated the demons, with them moving on.

"Hey, you two, please continue."

"Oh, sorry, I just wasn't expecting the firework show."

"Get used to it, we do it a lot. Ok, now..."

Madran backed up to talk to Sheila.

"What happened?"

"Well, my shadow appeared to me, and, well, has been so since May-"

"May?! Oh, sorry, go on."

"Anyways, everything was cleared up, I told Yusuke about my feelings for him, and Nefertiti became Prithivi."

"Hmm. Interesting. Well, nice job, I guess, um, please, don't scare me like that again."

"Oh, sorry, I thought Philemon told you."

"Whatever, it's fine."

The group then followed Lance and Jimenez more until they turned another corner, approaching a massive, building-like land ship that appeared to be made entirely out of steel. Lance then approached it and tapped another button on his Demonica, which caused a hatch on the bottom to open.