Meanwhile, in the courtyard in Shujin Academy…

While Keiko, Mallory and Ryuji were having their dinner and conversation at the beef bowl shop in Shibuya, Takamaki and a fair-skinned, brown-eyed girl with long black hair tied up with a pink hairband into a ponytail behind her head and wearing a long sleeve white sweater (with the sleeves roll up to her elbows), black skirt with red and black stripe patterns on it, a black cloth around her right leg and white shoes on her feet were sitting on the blue bench next to 2 vending machines as they talk about their day.

"Are you alright, Shiho? You look tired lately." asked Takamaki concernly to the girl named Shiho (which make her let out a deep sigh).

"…I-I haven't been sleeping well lately…" replied Shiho reluctantly to Takamaki. "Whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things…"

"Shiho…" murmured Takamaki even more concernly to Shiho.

"Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking… Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup…?" said Shiho unconfidently to herself and to Takamaki.

"Don't worry! Just be confident in yourself! Your skills have been recognized! It's all because you work harder than anyone else!" said Takamaki in a forced cheerful and reassuring tone of voice to Shiho.

"…Yeah… Volleyball's all I have, after all…" said Shiho as she slowly glance at Takamaki with a bleak look on her face then glance away from her.

"More importantly, was that injury on your left arm OK? It looked really swollen." asked Takamaki.

"No, it's nothing, it's normal… Especially since a meet's coming up…" replied Shiho with a shake of her head.

Takamaki fell silent and continue to glance concernly at Shiho, not knowing what else to say to her. The next second, the short blue-haired, bruised-looking student approach and stopped near them with a resign look on his face.

"Sorry to interrupt, Suzui. Um… Kamoshida-sensei told me to get you." said the student apologetically to Shiho before he told her the reason he came to them.

"Huh? What does he want, Mishima-kun…?" asked Shiho as a shock then worry look appear on her face.

"He didn't say…" replied the student named Mishima softly to her as he look away from her and Takamaki (which make them glance and exchange worry looks with each other).

"Ann, I…" said Shiho worriedly to Ann.

"It'll be fine, Shiho! I bet it's a meeting about a starting lineup or something." said Ann reassuringly to Shiho (who didn't say anything for a few seconds then glance and smiled at her).

"…Yeah. Well, I better go…" said Shiho bleakly to Ann as they stood up from the bench.

"Yup. Good luck!" said Ann as she clench and pumped her fist before she watched as Shiho followed Mishima to the PE office where Kamoshida is. "Hang in there, Shiho…!" added Ann fiercely under her breath.

XXXX

A few minutes later, in Leblanc…

"… You're home, both of you." said Sojiro as he glance at both Keiko and Mallory after they came back into Leblanc.

"Yeah, we're back, Sojiro-san." said Keiko as she and Mallory nodded to Sojiro.

"I take it you 2 actually went to school today?" asked Sojiro.

"Of course we do." replied Mallory as she scowled at Sojiro.

"Good. Looks like you 2 learned your lessons after what happened yesterday. Eh, as long as you 2 not getting into any trouble, it's fine by me. I don't know what you 2 have been up to, but trust me, you 2 will be gone if you 2 start causing problems. In case you 2 forgot, both of your lives are no longer free ones anymore." said Sojiro warningly to both Keiko and Mallory.

"… Yes, we know, Sojiro-san." said Keiko sadly to Sojiro, which make Mallory put her hand on Keiko's shoulder for reassurance before they heard and felt their phones chime and vibrate with incoming messages and they take out their phones to see the messages.

RS: Hey, I decided to go ahead and message you two. Can you 2 see this?

KA: Yes, we can, Ryuji-kun.

MC: Of course.

RS: Great! I'm gonna be counting on you 2 tomorrow, OK?

KA: Yeah, we know.

RS: Let's find and save those guys who've been getting abused. All 3 of us.

After both Keiko and Mallory's done in messaging with Ryuji, they put their phones back into their blazer pockets and glance back at Sojiro.

"… Sheesh, are you 2 even listening to me?" sighed Sojiro in exasperation at both Keiko and Mallory.

"Of course we do listen to every single word you told us, Sojiro." said Mallory slightly sarcastically at Sojiro.

"Whatever. Just stay away from bad influences, okay? Now you 2 go up to your room and I'll be heading home for the night. I'll lock the store up so don't you 2 go wandering out at night." said Sojiro seriously to them.

"Yeah, we know and good night, Sojiro-san." said Keiko as she and Mallory nodded at Sojiro before they walked past him and went up to their room while Sojiro left and locked Leblanc up and as he's about to head home, a guy's voice from behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"Evening, boss." greeted a slightly tan-skinned, short dark brown-haired, amber-eyed guy wearing a short sleeve black and dark red shirt, long blue jeans and black sneakers on his feet and holding a plastic bag with some electronic devices in it politely to Sojiro.

"Hm, what're you doing here, kid?" asked Sojiro as he turned and glance in surprise at the guy.

"Because I want to give this to you, it's the things in Akihabara that she asked me to buy for her, boss." replied the guy as he hold out the plastic bag of electronic devices at Sojiro.

"Oh, is that so? Well then, I'll take it to her and thanks, kid." said Sojiro as he took the plastic bag of electronic devices from the guy.

"No problem. And… how is she now, boss?" asked the guy concernly to Sojiro.

"Still the same, kid. Still locking herself up in her room." replied Sojiro sadly to the guy.

"… I see. I hope she'll get better soon, boss." said the guy.

"So do I, kid. Now go home already." said Sojiro.

"Yeah, I know. See you, boss." said the guy as he nodded at Sojiro before he turned and went home while Sojiro also turned and went home too.

XXXX

In the attic room…

After both Keiko and Mallory stepped into their attic room, they put their bags down on the table, change out of their uniforms and into their pajamas, prepare their futons and pillows and right after they do so, they heard and felt their phones chiming and vibrating with more messages and they take out their phones to see the messages.

RS: Hey, that thingy on your phone was some red eyeball icon, right, Keiko?

KA: Yes, that's right.

RS: We ended up in that weird castle place when we used that nav-app, right?

MC: Yes, we did, Ryuji. Why?

RS: I found it on my phone too… I don't even remember installing it!

"Huh? His phone has the same app that you have on your phone too, Keiko?" said Mallory as she glance in surprise at Keiko.

"Looks like it. What about yours, Maly?" asked Keiko as she glance at Mallory (who quickly check her phone and saw that the app is on her phone too).

"I've one too, Keiko." replied Mallory dryly at Keiko.

"Yours too, huh?" thought Keiko concernly in her mind at Mallory before she glance back at her phone to resumed her messaging with Ryuji.

KA: That's creepy and Maly just told me that the same app is also on her phone too.

RS: What, it's on hers too? Think it downloaded itself onto our phones somehow? It's dangerous to use something without knowing what it is… But with it, we can go to that weird place, huh?

KA: Seems like it.

MC: Obviously.

RS: Basically, it's gonna depend on how we use it. But first we gotta find evidences for the beatings. I'm counting on you two, alright? Don't go ditching school on me.

"Today is yet another weird day for us, huh, Maly?" said Keiko to Mallory after they're done in messaging Ryuji, turned off and put their phones away.

"Yeah, we went back to that castle, saw what that damn Kamoshida actually think and did to those guys before Ryuji and I awaken to our personas Captain Kidd and Ophelia. A scottish pirate and privateer who helped the English colony of Nevis by ransacking and attacking the French before he got caught and executed and a young noblewoman of Denmark who became insane and drowned herself because of what Hamlet did to her and her family." said Mallory as she glance and nodded at Keiko.

"Yeah. To think that those 2 are yours and Ryuji-kun's personas…" thought Keiko in her mind about Mallory and Ryuji's personas before she and Mallory felt too exhausted, bade good night to each other before they fell asleep in their futons.

XXXX

In the Velvet Room…

"Oh, just peachy. Here I am back in this prison room again." thought Keiko in slight exasperation in her mind after she woke up and saw that she's back in the blue prison room before she get up then stood up from the wooden bed and turned to glance at Caroline, Justine and Igor.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you." said Igor calmly to Keiko.

"Uh huh. What will you tell me now, Igor?" said Keiko dryly at Igor.

"What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?" asked Igor.

"Yeah, I think so." replied Keiko as she nodded at Igor.

"Ah, glad to hear it. It seems you have nerves of steel." said Igor approvingly to Keiko. "The goal of your rehabilitation is to thwart the fated ruin. However, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today, you entered some partnerships with some people who awoke to the same powers, did you not?" added Igor.

"Yeah, I did. Are you talking about Maly and Ryuji-kun?" asked Keiko.

"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships." replied Igor in a no-nonsense tone of voice to Keiko. "It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strengths. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well."

"Personas are the strength of heart… The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain." said Justine coolly to Keiko as she turned to glance at her.

"There are countless people in the city who have different talents that a weakling like you doesn't. You better rack that noggin of yours to find and get them on your side. We'll change that into power. Is that clear, inmate?" said Caroline sternly to Keiko as she turned to glance at her as well.

"Crystal clear." said Keiko.

"Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition. We have a deal then." said Igor before he began chuckling at Keiko.

After Igor's done talking to Keiko, she heard the same girl's voice spoke to her in her head once again.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast acquired a new vow.

It shall become the wings of rebellion

That breaketh thy chains of captivity.

With the birth of the Fool Persona,

I have obtained the wings of blessing that

shall lead to freedom and new power…

After the girl's voice fell silent, Keiko saw a fourth card (a blue and white card with the figure of a man with a hat on his head, holding a stick with a bag tied on the end of it over his shoulder and with the figure of a dog behind him) appear and floated above Igor's head before it flew toward Keiko and landed on her hand.

"Yet another card came to me plus I've establish another bond with Igor too. Not only that, I felt that I've got some new skills from the bond." thought Keiko silently to herself.

"Well, you'll come to understand it all in due time… Continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation." said Igor.

"Now, this conversation's over! Get lost, inmate!" said Caroline rudely to Keiko before she felt her eyelids get heavy, stagger back and lie back down on the wooden bed and fell asleep.