March 4
Madran had everyone gathered in the Velvet Room, and prepared for the next expedition into Marcie's cognitive realm.
"So, do we have a time limit on this?"
"Well, apparently, Marcie-san is planning to move next week."
"Next week?!"
"Well, more like 13 days."
Sheila looked around.
"And, uh, she left some rather scathing remarks about my latest photoshoot. Goodness, what have bellbottoms done to anyone?"
"Oh, the one where you dressed up like a pop star? You looked fab!"
Sheila smiled at Suga.
"Yep. However, she thinks that I'm being taken advantage of."
Madran chuckled, and noticed everyone looking at her.
"Oh, sorry."
"It's fine. It's not like that it's happened already..."
Sheila rolled her eyes at that remark, and everyone stared in silence. Madran stood up.
"Well, should we go?"
"Yeah, sure. Also, Sheila, what happened with the panel?"
"Oh, oh, right, it's on the 9th now. It was rescheduled."
"Well, that's weird. Why is that?"
"Because a majority of people have something else going on during the week of the 16th, including me."
"Didn't you have that, uh, um..."
Madran struggled to regain her derailed train of thought.
"The time I set with Nefertiti to get down my ailment aiming?"
"No, you didn't even tell us of that."
"Or, the trip I'm going on to Inaba to meet some other idols and tour the rustic, beautiful area?"
Sheila smiled.
"Yeah, that thing. When was that?"
"The 15th. You all can come, if you'd like."
"Ooh, really?"
"Won't we just be a buncha ugly ducklings?"
"Oh, Suga, you look great. You might be the shortest one of the group, but your spiky hair and green aesthetic fit you very well."
Suga smiled at this.
"Thank you!"
Sheila turned to Madran.
"And, Madran, you have the best hair out of any person who's not from Japan I've seen. I love how curly, frizzy, and poofy it is."
Madran smiled. She had put her hair up in a bun, and let a few ringlets fall loose from it.
"Yay! Compliments!"
Philemon walked to the Metaverse door.
"Shall we get going?"
"Yep! Let's head out."
The group went through the door, and entered the citadel courtyard for the first time.
"Well, we better get used to this drab crap."
"Yep. We'll be seeing this forever, I bet."
Philemon transported everyone to the latest Safe Room, and they went to go up the stairs. Madran then stopped.
"Ok, I'm doing another giant scan!"
Madran summoned Nightingale, preforming yet another massive scan. However, all of the walls turned a soft lime green.
"Oh God, ow, my eyes."
Madran squinted.
"Gosh, even with contacts this is hard to look at."
"You wear contacts?"
"Yeah, Plague, where else did my glasses go?"
"You did look quite adorable in glasses..."
Madran shrugged.
"Ok, so, this is like a pick your poison type of thing."
Madran walked forwards into a more open space.
"So, we can either all take damage or do a fight."
"That's easy! Do a fight."
Philemon then spoke up.
"If we would wish to conserve energy, then we could go the way of just taking damage. Fights take up resources that aren't easily replaceable."
Madran scanned the two floors.
"Well, lets do a vote. All who wanna do a fight, say aye!"
Yorick, Suga, and Sheila responded.
"Ok! It's decided!"
Madran walked onto the left tile. Two shadows appeared, and transformed into two Nekomatas.
"Ok, Butterfly! Hit 'em with that Mazio!"
Philemon directed a Mazio at the Nekomatas, knocking them over. Madran then initiated an All-Out Attack, and took them out.
"Ok! Let's continue."
Madran bounced along, and found several more tiles, each with a battle or alternative. Madran pressed everyone to take the battle route, until she got to the tenth square. Along the way, Madran and Suga both learned newer skills. Nightingale, according to her, gained the ability to utilize Maragion, which was an Agilao to all enemies, and Bubonia gained Diarama, which was a better heal to one target.
"Hey, Fwoosh?"
"Yeah?"
"Why don't we just take a different route? Like, that last one had five Scathachs."
"Hmm..."
Madran looked at the two options. One was a Marakunda at the beginning of a battle, and the other was a battle.
"Well, a bit of defense down can't hurt!"
Madran walked over the tile that included the slight disadvantage in the next battle. Everyone followed, and was very relieved at this decision.
"So, what now?"
Madran scanned again. Now, there were three tiles.
"One's a battle with an instant Rakunda on the strongest member of the party, another's a Masukunda on everyone and then a battle, and the third's just a Debilitate on everyone."
"Well, I'm going with the first one. Does everyone agree?"
Sheila looked around, and everyone nodded. Madran stepped on the tile. Then, three shadows jumped out. A crowd of Decarabias appeared from them, and Chicory was hit by a Rakunda.
"Ok! Hey, Suga, let's use that Gale Blast thing!"
Suga nodded, and the pair hit the crowd with a Gale Blast, knocking them all over.
"Ok! All-Out Attack!"
Madran and the rest decimated the once massive crowd with their strongest move, and moved on.
"Oh, and, may I add..."
Nefertiti smiled.
"Another new skill? Damn, you're hitting the lottery!"
"I happen to now know Kouga, the next strongest bless spell. As so..."
Nefertiti directed the newly learned Kouga at at room. Two white shapes formed, turning into sharp blades. They then sliced at the air and vanished.
"Cool! Well, let's continue."
Madran waited for everyone to recuperate.
"Um, am I being too annoying?"
"Huh?"
"Well, I feel kinda guilty for my constant pushing. If one of y'alls wanna take over the leader for a bit, I'll be fine."
"It's your energy that's getting us through here. Like, geez, despite taking multiple Garus in the face, you're doing great."
"Madran, do you know why you're acting like this?"
"Um, that's a rather pointed question, Butterfly. Well, I've held my opinions about these annoying vocal minorities for some time, and now that I'm seeing what it's like in their head, it's kinda freaky. Like, they instantly aggro'd once the one guy on our team spoke, and insisted on repelling him away. Also, I've noticed that all of these shadows, aside from Decarabia, are females. I really wanna be done with this place as soon as possible. Like, this lady has already made a stink about so many dumb things, like mom laughing her case out, or Sheila's outfit."
"Yeah, she was eyeing me with disgust earlier. It was really uncomfy."
The group carried on, and ran over the last few squares until they made it to a Safe Room.
"Yay! At last!"
Madran ran inside and sat on a chair. Everyone else entered.
"So, there are more stairs, and I bet that a shadow will attack."
"Ok, then. Well, what are we waiting for?"
"A little rest, please, Fwoosh."
"Right. Ok!"
After what felt like five minutes, Suga stepped out, with Sheila following. Madran, Chicory, and Philemon followed.
"Alright! Let's see!"
Madran walked up to the stairs. A shadow suddenly appeared.
"Well, it seems that you have made it past the second room. Very well then!"
The shadow transformed, and everyone prepared for battle. There were two Decarabias and one new figure. The newest shadow was a light blue-skinned woman with dark blue hair styled in an olden middle-eastern fashion, a white leotard with short sleeves, an indigo, gem-like wrapping around her waist, ballet-like shoes, and a clear white cloth that she held with both of her hands. She had the cloth twirled around her like she was ribbon dancing, and had a very bland look about her face. Madran began a scan.
"Ok! That shadow's Apsaras! She's weak to Zio and reflects Bufu."
Philemon attempted a Zio, but missed. The Apsaras then aimed a Bufula at him, which also missed. The Decarabias then both used Agilaos on Madran, but found that Nightingale absorbed them.
"Ok! Now, Nightingale!"
Madran directed a Maragion at the group. The force of the sudden attack was so powerful that the shadows were all knocked over.
"Not bad, Fwoosh. That's three critical strikes."
Madran payed less attention to Philemon's remarks and more about an All-Out Attack. This took out both of the Decarabias and left only the Apsaras. She utilized a Media, healing her somewhat. Philemon then tried Zio let again, and hit. Another All-Out Attack was used, which killed the Apsaras.
"Yay! Go, us."
Madran ran up the stairs, and began another massive scan.
"So, Fwoosh, what is it now?"
"Well, there's a long hall, and several other places... ooh! This is like a connection room."
The walls all turned a dark pink. Madran began to walk down the hallway at a slower pace. The hall had many entrances and exits, with a Safe Room at the back.
"Ok, Beauty, get the Safe Room marked. Everyone else, go check out the rooms."
Sheila went to make sure the Safe Room was available for them to be transported to when they needed it. Madran went through a door, seeing another connection with a smaller hall. She went back out, meeting the other three.
"So, Plague, what didja see?"
"I found a connection hall."
Philemon and Chicory nodded.
"Me too."
"Me three!"
Chicory and Yorick looked at the rest. Madran then looked at the Safe Room.
"Well, let's-"
Three shadows popped up from the ground, blocking their path. Madran sent a quick message to Sheila.
"Beauty, we need you to get back out, quick!"
Madran and the rest prepared for battle. The shadows all changed into two Apsaras's and one Scathach. Sheila burst out from the Safe Room, firing at the Scathach with her pop gun and using a Makouha. This distracted the shadows, and everyone else attacked. Madran used a Maragion, Chicory utilized a Vicious Strike, Suga launched a Magaru at them, and Philemon attempted a Mazio. This took out everyone but the Scathach, who tried a Maragion on everyone. However, everyone including Sheila dodged, and Madran absorbed it. Madran, Suga, and Chicory then retaliated with a Hell-Butcher, killing the Scathach.
"Ok! Good job, everyone! Thank you, Beauty!"
"You're welcome!"
Everyone went inside the Velvet Room.
"Ok, so, what time is it now?"
"It's about 6. You all should get back."
Madran nodded.
"Well, are we all ready to return?"
Madran looked around, and saw that the group nodded at her.
"Ok, well, take us back, Butterfly!"
Philemon nodded, and transported everyone back to the entrance. Once there, they all left to the real world, with Madran and Chicory returning back home.
"Hi, mom! I'm back!"
Madran walked around, and saw Elia sitting at the table. Elia looked over to her and smiled.
"Hi, Madran. How are you?"
"Oh, I'm good. Um, we kinda have to hustle with the palace, due to Marcie moving in a week."
"Oh? I thought that she was leaving on the 24th."
"Really?"
Madran grew a bit confused.
"Yeah. I overheard some of my colleges talking about how they were glad that she would be going to upper Japan instead of Shibuya in about three or so weeks."
"Oh, that's good to know. Um, I should let everyone know that."
"Yeah, you should tell them after dinner."
"Yep."
"So, what did you all come across in the palace this time?"
"Well, we found a kinda pick your poison puzzle. There was either a battle, a battle with some stuff on the side, or a different thing."
"Interesting. Well, what did you guys go with the most?"
"We did battles mostly. Goodness, they got pretty crazy the further we went on. Like, five of those really difficult Scathach ladies."
"Weren't they those black-clothed shadows that you said could really take some hits?"
"Yeah. However, they're kinda dumb, and keep on trying to use Agi spells on me."
"Yikes. Doesn't Nightingale absorb fire?"
"Yep."
"So, basically, they're a ticking time bomb on themselves?"
"You guessed it! Plus, how's everyone else going?"
"Well, Yukino showed up to wish me good luck on my latest court case, I dunno about Maya, and apparently Travert's moving back to America."
"Wait, what? Why wasn't I told about this?"
"He only just told me when you were in the Metaverse."
"Hmm. Who's he moving back with?"
"Well, his mom."
Madran spat out his nonexistent drink at this. Her grandmother on Travert's side was one of the things Madran remembered about America, and one of the things she hated with what heart her younger six-year-old self could hold, due to how unpleasant it was to be around that side of the family. Madran often remembered how she would always hear her grandmother talking rudely about others behind their back, crowding over her when Madran wished for space, and many other annoying things.
"Well, geez, I didn't really expect that."
"Yeah, me neither. Well, I guess we can say goodbye to him, if you'd wish."
"Eh, maybe. He hasn't talked to me since we visited him back in February or January."
Madran surprised of this, continued the conversation. Later, after dinner and a shower, she informed the group of the updated time limit, and went to bed.
END OF CHAPTER 40
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Wooo! 40 Chapters! This book is my longest actual writing by a long shot. I hope that you all enjoyed! I'll see all of you guys next time. Bye!