Working With Phantoms

Hierarchy of the Damned

August 28th

Madran arrived back in the Metaverse with her group to encounter Akira's full team already there.

"Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Nothing too concerning. We just got here, and so did you."

"Yep. I mean, let's not wait for too long. Are we all ready to head out and conquer this palace again?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Akira's group then went on ahead as Madran's group split up, with Maya and Elia accompanying Philemon. Rosana then brandished a skill card and used it.

"Uh, Excite, what was that?"

"It was that Petrifying Gaze card that Marie had mentioned to me. Well, let's get moving!"

Philemon then transported Madran's team to their latest Safe Room as his group left as well. Madran then went back out to see that more unassuming robots had replaced the ones who had self-destructed yesterday.

"Hey, there are more robots."

"I wonder if this is gonna be a trend here..."

"I'd assume so, I mean, we all saw how those robots were thrown around in our previous infiltration."

"True, true. Let's get moving, guys."

Madran then took a door next to the Safe Room, with the rest of her group following behind. Then, as she entered a large hallway connecting them to what Madran scanned to be the next part of the palace, Suga caught up to her.

"Hey, Fwoosh, have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"So, did you see that one interview yesterday where they talked to that one interesting detective dude?"

"Huh...? No, I don't watch TV that much."

"Well, maybe his name will make more sense. Have you heard of Goro Akechi?"

Madran then recognized that name from when she was looking into Futaba's palace.

"Yeah, I do, I remember seeing him before we went into Oracle's palace."

"Oh, really? Well, he's kinda... odd. He's been repeatedly talking about both our and Joker's groups basically nonstop. After Joker's team knocked out Medjed, they've been getting even more popular, and it's kinda going outta control."

"Really? I remember that Oracle did manage to take them out, but we were too busy with Wysteria's death and Jury's palace."

"Well, apparently, when they took Medjed down, their popularity burst through the roof. Like, my goodness, it went crazy. That was how they targeted Okumura, from what I saw when on the website; everyone was constantly saying that they should go after him."

"Wow, that's wild. I remember Akechi denouncing Joker's group but supporting us, and it's kinda wild."

"Well, the script's been flipped. Akechi, no, everyone's saying that The Phantom Thieves have been the secret agents of justice that we all needed, while we have lost steam. According to everyone, our heist on Fourete was our peak."

"Well, whatever, I'm not going to let that affect me."

"That's good, because I fear that it may be getting to Joker's group."

"Oh god."

"Oh god indeed."

Rosana then caught up with Suga.

"Hey, Plague, when did you learn all of this?"

"Well, over the course of this week. You learn quite a lot when you're hanging with Skull. I swear, the amount of times I've had to shut him up before I have to defend him..."