Another few minutes later, inside the classroom…

Keiko, Mallory and Ann felt their phones vibrating with incoming messages and they discreetly pull it out to see and read the messages under their desks (same goes for Morgana).

RS: So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning. He was just standing there looking at me with this damn shit-eating grin on his face.

AT: Ugh, that's annoying… He was probably mocking you.

MC: Keiko and I saw him twice today and it completely spoils our good moods, that pervert PE teacher…

RS: I know what you mean, Caelum. Honestly, seeing that got me more fired up about this.

AT: Yeah, I'm worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too. And I won't let myself get exhausted like last time.

RS: The board meeting's on May 2nd, right? We just gotta take care of him before then.

KA: Yes and we will. I'm ready for this. Are you guys ready too?

MC: I'm ready, Keiko.

RS: Same goes for me.

AT: Me too! I'll do my best. No going in without me, OK?

RS: Yeah, you better let us know if you're going into the Palace.

KA: Of course. See you all on the rooftop after school later.

After Keiko, Mallory, Ann and Ryuji are done in messaging each other on their phones, they put their phones back into their blazer pockets and resumed listening to the teacher.

XXXX

On the rooftop…

After the school ended for the day, Keiko, Mallory, Ryuji, Ann and Morgana went up to the rooftop and Ann, Ryuji and Morgana sat on one of the tables and chairs while both Keiko and Mallory decided to stand near them and they began their discussion.

"I hope you all understand that our time limit is May 2nd." said Morgana warningly to them.

"Yeah, we know, Morgana." said Mallory.

"We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the Treasure from Kamoshida, right?" said Ann.

"But wait. What even is a Treasure? I wanna know that before we head in and do anything." asked Ryuji.

"A Treasure is the physical form of the Palace ruler's distorted desires. In other words, it's the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble… I think. Having said all that, even I don't know what Kamoshida's Treasure is going to be." Morgana answer and explain to Ryuji.

"And where can we find it?" asked Ann.

"There's no way of knowing that until we go in and find out. But if I had to guess, I'd say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace." replied Morgana.

"Eh. I think I get it now. We just gotta find the Treasure, yeah?" said Ryuji as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Pretty much. There's just a lot we won't know until we go in… In any case, our objective is to find the Treasure's location somewhere in the Palace. Make sure we go about this with time to spare so we can avoid any unforeseen circumstances… I expect great things from you all, especially you, Madame Keiko." said Morgana.

"I know and right back at you, Morgana and the rest of you too. Well then, shall we?" said Keiko to them as she take and hold out her phone and they all nodded to her before she activated the Metaverse Navigator app on it and all of them felt and saw their surrounding started to warped and turned purple before they soon found themselves standing outside the drawbridge of the castle and their uniforms change into their alternate outfits.

"But daaamn…" said Skull as he take a slow and appreciative look at Ann's red suit outfit.

"Hm? What's up?" said Ann in an oblivious tone of voice to Skull (which make him stop checking her out).

"Isn't it obvious, Takamaki-san? He's totally checking out your outfit." said Jester to Ann (which make her had a surprise then scowling look on her face at Skull for checking her outfit out while Skull scowled at Jester for telling Ann about it).

"Guess you're no different than Kamoshida, huh, Skull?" said Countess in disapproval at Skull.

"Don't compare me with him, Countess!" snapped Skull as he glared at Countess. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. We should choose a code name for you too, Ann." added Skull, changing the subject.

"A code name for me?" said Ann in confusion to Skull.

"That's right, Takamaki-san. Each one of us have our own code names. Mine is Joker while theirs are Countess, Skull and Mona." said Joker as she pointed at herself then at Countess, Skull and Mona.

"Yeah, that's right. Like she said." said Countess as she nodded her head in agreement with Joker.

"Judging by your outfit…" said Mona as he crossed his arms and think about what kind of code name for Ann.

"I mean, she's got that tail and stuff, so…" said Skull before he trailed off and glance at Jester. "Whadda you think, Joker?" asked Skull.

"How about "Kitty Girl" or "Catwoman"?" replied Joker as she glance teasingly at Ann (who recoil in surprise at Joker for the 2 code names suggested for her while Countess snorted in amusement).

"Wait! Are those 2 what you all are going to call me from now on!? I am SO not down with those two code names!" yell Ann as she shake her head in denial at the 2 code names.

"What do you wanna be called, then?" asked Skull.

"Um, something better than just a little cat…" replied Ann sullenly as she raised and placed her hand under her chin in thinking. "Maybe… "Panther"? That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?" suggested Ann as she glance at them.

"Huh? Why?" said Skull in confusion to Ann.

"Cause it sounds more… ferocious?" said Ann.

"In a certain way, it does, Takamaki-san." said Joker as she and Countess nodded in agreement to her.

"She's a cougar…!" said Mona as he smiled happily and dreamily at Panther.

"Don't call me that!" snapped Panther as she glance in slight embarrassment to Mona before she glance back at Joker, Countess and Skull. "More importantly, Kamoshida…!" Panther reminded them.

"Oh, right. Let's go, start fresh and get going!" said Skull excitedly to them.

"It's game time for us from this point forward. I'll teach you all the basics of infiltrating a Palace as we go." said Mona to them before he, Countess, Skull and Panther walked forward toward the opened ventilation shaft. As Joker was about to follow them, she stopped when she saw a velvet blue cell door suddenly appear to her right and with Justine (who's holding a clipboard) standing next to the door before the door suddenly opened outward.

"Huh? What the heck?" thought Joker as she glance in confusion at the opened door and Justine.

"My master would like a word with you. Step into your cell, please, Inmate." said Justine coolly to Joker (who nodded before she walked into the velvet room and her clothes immediately change into her prisoner outfit as she glance at Igor, Caroline and Justine).

"The prisoner Keiko Amamiya has returned." said Caroline as she glance at Igor.

"Well done. It seems you have remembered my words… You truly make it worth rehabilitating you." said Igor as he gave a small smile to Keiko.

"I never asked for this." said Keiko in slight exasperation at Igor.

"Shut your mouth and listen, Inmate!" snapped Caroline as she slammed her baton hard against the cell door, making Keiko step back a little.

"I am not attempting to withhold information from you. The essence of the rehabilitation that you must complete will be explained in due time. Once you encounter friends who share your aesthetics and discover your place in reality… Only then, will I explain it all to you. Such a day should not be far off. This time, I wish to introduce you to another aid we are providing." Igor said and explain to Keiko.

"What kind of aid do you mean?" asked Keiko.

"Due to your potential in awakening and wielding the power of the wild card, you can handle more than one Persona. That power holds infinite possibilities. We'll assist you in nurturing that potential… To that end, we must execute your Persona." replied Igor.

"W-What? Execute my Persona?" said Keiko in shock at Igor.

"Do not be alarmed. Personas are personalities that exist within you… Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them reborn as new ones. By discarding your old identity, you give way to a new one. Hence, we called that process "execution". Think of it as the fusion of your Personas. Now then, let us try an actual Persona fusion." Igor added and explain more to Keiko before he told her to choose which Personas to execute.

After a short while of thinking, Keiko decided to choose Pyro Jack and Pixie for the execution fusion and she watched as Igor raised his hand to pull Pyro Jack and Pixie out of her while both Caroline and Justine summoned forth 2 guillotines devices, uses them to execute Pyro Jack and Pixie and they watched as Pyro Jack and Pixie burst apart, flew away from the guillotines and combined in a swirling mass together above them before the mass disappear to reveal a new Persona.

"I'm Incubus! Now that you've got me within your mask, you're never gonna get a wink of sleep again!" said the new Persona named Incubus before it glowed brightly, turned into a mask and absorbed into Keiko.

"Ah, how impressive… A newer, stronger Persona has been born from the bodies and bloods of the old. It shall be your new strength." said Igor proudly to Keiko.

"But do you people have to execute them to create new ones? Isn't that a bit dark and extreme?" said Keiko worriedly to Igor, Caroline and Justine.

"You better understand and accept it at once! You'll end up dead if you don't master it." said Caroline as she scowled at Keiko.

"Gather more Personas, and bring them here. Gather a great many, execute them, and continue to give birth to even stronger Personas. Developing your power as such will play an integral role in your stand against ruin." said Igor.

"So that your rehabilitation goes well, we have a variety of rituals to choose in regards to executions…" Justine began saying to Keiko.

"…And depending on the effort you put in, our master might consider further development of new rituals. Cry your tears of joy, Inmate!" Caroline finished saying to Keiko.

"Your heart is steadily gaining the strength of rebellion. It seems your rehabilitation is proceeding smoothly-a joyous fact, indeed… In anticipation for this, I have prepared another aid for you. I hope that you shall accept it." said Igor to Keiko (who felt her social link with Igor went up to level 2 and she received the "Third Eye" skill from him (which make her eyes briefly turned green). "That is a thief's skill, allowing one to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark. I believe you can handle it now. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation." added Igor before he fell silent.

"… Now then, if you've any requests, we will heed them. You may leave now." said Justine as she glance at Keiko before Keiko turned around and leave the velvet room.

XXXX

Outside the Velvet Room…

"Hey, is something wrong, Joker? You were just standing around all of a sudden." said Mona concernly to Joker as he, Countess, Skull and Panther approach her.

"I was?" said Joker as she glance in confusion to Mona. "They can't see the cell door of the velvet room near me?" thought Joker in more confusion in her mind.

"Why're you spacin' out like that?… It's kinda hard to tell what you're thinkin' sometimes." said Skull as he scratch his head in slight exasperation at Joker.

"Let's just say she's a woman filled with mysteries. We're counting on you, Joker!" said Mona.

"Right. Let's do this!" said Joker to them before they turned around, walked toward, jumped and crawl through the opened ventilation shaft one by one and entered the castle.