Together, we Conquer

Race to the End

Madran and her group crowded into the elevator, and she pushed the up button. It was a circular elevator that was entirely glass, and had enough room for about nine people.

"So, Madran, how much longer?"

Nightingale, who essentially counted as two people, sighed, and Madan began a scan.

"Well, once we get up, we only have a little more left. Also, Margaret and Elizabeth are still stuck with their shadows."

"Oh. That's slightly worrying."

"Well, the shadow signals are getting slightly weaker, so I think they're winning."

"Um... good."

"So, what was in the rooms that you four went in? I entered this large mirror room, until this one shadow attacked me."

"Oh, well, I entered a fiery altar."

"I went into a massive library."

"Well, I went into a large lab."

"I found a frozen aquarium."

Madran nodded.

"Well, we all happened to get key pieces. Also, I had to fight Yoshitsune before I could leave."

Everyone then relayed their stories of which shadow they fought, with Madran nodding at each one.

"That's odd, I didn't expect for shadows based from their personas to appear."

"Yeah, that was weird."

Madran looked to see them going up the side of a massive tower. Outside was a war-stricken land with the same psychedelic background as the illusion, but with a black and red background instead.

"Goodness, what happened to that land?"

Madran scanned and gasped.

"Wait, this entire thing has been a palace, from start to finish! We're... we're in the Metaverse!"

Everyone exchanged shocked looks, and Madran viewed several shadows arising from the ground below them. They then floated up to the very top of the massive cathedral and vanished.

"What's that over there?"

Suga pointed towards three High Pixies flying towards them. The shadows then all hit the elevator with a Garudyne, which shattered it.

"Oh SHIT!"

Madran backed up and found herself backing into everyone else, who were all crowded up in the small platform. The High Pixies got close, but Madran knocked them down with her flamethrower.

"This... this isn't good."

"No duh, Beauty!"

Suga kicked the knocked-out pixies off the platform. They fought off several other aerial shadows, and, after more desperation, made it to the top. The group then ran off and looked around to see that they were in a large hall with many stained glass windows, which all were colored in a very drab fashion. Madran began to walk down the hall.

"Wait, so, Fwoosh, where have we been the whole time?"

"Well, I feel that underneath Philemon's pill thingy is another entrance to the Metaverse. I feel it was how he visited me the first time when I was in dad's palace."

"Well, that would make sense."

Madran hunkered down and began a deep scan. After a few minutes, she broke off the scan and took a few breaths.

"Hey, Fwoosh, what didja see?"

"Well, my guess was correct. As soon as those stairs crumbled, we were in the Metaverse and had entered Philemon's palace. All of this shame and guilt for an action he didn't commit and a sort of anger towards himself created this... mess."