I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Sensei... caused a bug in the machine?"

"……wrong."

"How did Sensei get involved with this strange machine?"

Momoi's questions were disjointed, but she did ask something that Midori and Yuzu were both curious about—why could Sensei be connected to the [factory ruins] that seemed to have no connection with him whatsoever?

After the authentication was approved, the tarot cards in Amamiya's hand stopped glowing and returned to their normal texture.

"Is the certification approved... because of the president's 'World' card?"

Amamiya seemed to be deep in thought, and then put the tarot card pendant back on.

Recalling the high-tech authentication she received while conquering the [Space Base] Hall, Amamiya gained a clear understanding of the value of this World Card.

The scanning machine just now scanned the president of the Federal Student Council, then sensed something was wrong and redirected the scan, which is why it was able to scan him again.

interesting……

The access control below will open soon.

Feeling the ground beneath her feet slightly sinking, Amamiya had a slightly ominous premonition.

Thanks to the phantom thief's keen hearing, Amamiya heard the mechanical sounds of numerous intricate mechanisms being reawakened and beginning to function.

Sure enough... once the mechanism is triggered, this standard procedure will occur.

"Momoi, Midori, Yuzu, come over here."

The three members of the game club, who seemed a little flustered at first, immediately gathered around Amamiya.

"Sen, Sensi... It seems we've accidentally triggered a strange mechanism? What should we do next...?"

"Should we... use teleportation magic to escape?"

Amamiya shook his head, and as the floor tilted, the dark blue flames surrounding him became even more dazzling.

"Don't rush, usually at this point, the real 'treasure hunt' begins..."

"Prepare for a gentle descent."

"Psona—Raul!"

With a whoosh, the demon's wings unfurled, accompanied by the dispersal of black feathers.

Amamiya scooped up Momoi with one hand and Midori with the other, then placed Yuzu on his shoulder before gently descending like a feather.

"Whoaaaaaah—wait?!"

"Sister, stop yelling...we're fine."

"Waaaaah... Waaaah...!"

Accompanied by the 'surround sound' of the three members of the game club, Amamiya fell safely for a good ten meters and landed steadily on the ground.

After putting Momoi and Midori down, Amamiya then half-squatted down under Midori's 'envious' gaze, allowing Yuzu, who was slightly dizzy, to get down from behind.

Amamiya, who had assumed this place was a garbage dump, casually patted Yuzu's head and patted the 'witch's hat' on her head while also observing her surroundings.

Hmm... It has a bit of that feeling of 'At first, the narrowest passage is barely passable; after walking several dozen steps, one suddenly sees a bright and clear view.'

The underground space looked exceptionally spacious, with plenty of greenery, architectural fragments, and...

A girl on a deck chair?

Chapter 40 "Eternal Calamity" - Alice Tendo

It was a static image that defies description...

In the empty 'underground space' composed of ruins and building remnants, a beam of light, almost like sunlight, falls from somewhere, illuminating a circular stone platform below.

On the table was an electronic device that was probably no longer capable of operating, and a surgical chair that was probably 'matched' with it a long time ago.

Soft, almost black blue hair cascaded down from her head, its excessive length and shine creating a 'waterfall' that quietly slipped through the gaps between the deck chairs and fell to the ground. Some of the hair also fell in front of the girl, providing crucial coverage.

She lay there quietly, and no one knew how long she had been lying there.

With eyes lowered and eyes closed, facing the morning dew and the setting sun, one is so still that one almost cannot feel the passage of time.

"That's... a young girl?!"

Momoi's voice clearly showed hesitation.

The overly empty scene, the girl lying on the deck chair, and the light hanging from the dome gave her a strange feeling that a boss battle was about to be triggered, and that the boss would come to life and enter a cutscene if she got too close.

It was precisely because of this feeling that Momoi, contrary to her usual behavior, did not attempt to approach. Instead, she hesitated and stood still, immediately looking up at the direction from which she and the others had fallen.

Very well, the 'trap' that led them astray has now been closed.

Yuzu also chose to observe from a distance at first, and after a long while she hesitated before saying, "Is she asleep...?"

Little Green remained silent, but immediately turned her gaze to Amamiya.

"Why do I always have this strange sense of déjà vu..."

"Sensei, we're not going to... again..."

Before Little Green could finish speaking, Momoi, who had a look of sudden realization, loudly interrupted her.

"Huh?! Now that you mention it... I think so too...!"

"I remember... in the 'game script' provided by Sensei that we saw... this is how we met Sophia!"

Yes...that's right.

The "game script" previously provided by Sensei tells the story of the Phantom Thieves' subsequent adventures after they reclaimed the future from the false god...

She was initially captured by Alice Hiiragi and then thrown into an underground junkyard... but unexpectedly encountered an AI girl in the underground junkyard who had lost her own memories and possessed rich self-emotions...!

This sense of déjà vu is just too strong!

Realizing this, the three members of the game club all turned their attention to Amamiya.

There's no way around it... The scene before them is so similar to the 'game script' they obtained earlier that it feels too déjà vu.

After hesitating for a moment, Momoi suddenly offered an unreliable but very feasible suggestion.

"By the way, wasn't 'Sophie' in the story also activated by Sensei? Shall we give Sensei a try?"

Amamiya, who was observing the scene, lowered her head upon hearing this and glanced at Momoi, who had spoken.

'Unexpectedly... Riko's "statement" was actually correct, and very insightful...'

Looking at the results provided by the [Third Eye], Amamiya took a deep breath.

[Assistant: AL-1S/Princess of the Nameless Gods]

Arcana: The Aeon (XX.The Aeon)

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

Eternal Calamity... This is a very; very special card.

It originates from the "Judgment" card in the "Thoth Tarot" card series.

As far as Amamiya knows, all the assistants who possess the "Eternal" Tarot card are not human.

Before 'Alice the Fairy', what kind of "monsters and demons" would hold this card?

Aegis is a humanoid weapon of the shadows, and a robot that has awakened its own emotions and consciousness with the support of the Twilight Feather.

The temporary assistant in the Velvet Room named Mary... is actually a wisp of the spirit of Izanami. (This is for ease of understanding.)

Characters who hold the [Eternal] card usually try to fully understand themselves and the world around them. They are unfamiliar with the lifestyle of the real world and are trying to find their place in this strange world.

"Sensei... Shall we go take a look?"

Seeing that Amamiya was standing still without making any move, Midori was also a little unsure.

After a slight hesitation, she said somewhat uncertainly, "Why don't we go take a look first, and then you..."

"Let's go together..."

As Amamiya spoke, he took a step forward to approach, but then, prompted by the assistant in his [third eye], a change occurred.

[Assistant: Alice Tendo / Hero of Light Embarking on a Journey]

Arcana: The Hope

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

Amamiya was confused, and even a little hesitant.

In most cases, the person providing assistance will only change their title after they have "figured it out" or "resolved their inner conflict" when the Arcana is reversed (upright or reversed).

Amamiya had never seen anything like this before, where even the Tarot cards were constantly changing and unstable, like the "Dancing with the Tarot Cards" of today's 7th day.

The information provided by the "Third Eye" is absolutely infallible; there is no possibility of error.

So... the reason why the opponent's Arcana will change is something worth pondering.

Amamiya composed himself and carefully examined the area again with his third eye—

The target's name didn't change, but Arcana still occasionally switched between [Eternity] and [Hope].

It gives people a very unstable feeling.

This has happened to the third eye...

This means that the other person is very likely to have 'multiple personalities'.

Or rather... a special kind of untamed talent.

After calming himself down, Amamiya, along with Momoi, Yuzu, and Midori, approached the girl on the recliner.

Little Green began to get closer to observe and try to touch it, or look for clues in other ways.

“She didn’t seem injured…it felt more like she was ‘out of power’.”

"Could it really be an AI that hasn't been activated yet...?"

Momoi quickly joined in and soon found some key clues nearby: "AL-IS...is that her name?"

Yuzu disagreed with the discovery of Momoi.

"Wait, look closely...it doesn't seem to be all letters? Is it AL-1S...?"

Yuzu's 'cultural level' was clearly higher than Momoi's. After repeatedly reading through the name in her mind and guessing its meaning, she confirmed the guess she had made after seeing the icon.

"Anyway...it seems to be related to...Alice..."

"Her name is Alice."

Amamiya then interjected, "More precisely... should it be called 'Tendo Alice'?"

The three members of the game club clearly didn't understand why Amamiya could call out the name of a complete stranger so accurately.

Perhaps... this is the 'heart-stealing privilege' possessed only by phantom thieves...

Knowing someone's name at a glance... While such an ability is simple, when combined with certain special abilities, it becomes a cheat-level skill.

So none of the three members of the game club denied or questioned why Amamiya called out such a strange name; instead, they murmured and repeated it.

"Alice Tendo...that name..."

"It seems to be a very unique name..."

"I feel like... I have a strong connection with the game club?"

Amamiya coughed lightly and clapped his hands to attract the attention of the three members of the game club.

He then looked at Yuzu and 'subtly' suggested, "Before we officially wake her up, shall we dress her first?"

"……Um."

Yuzu then belatedly realized what was happening.

"Witch skill... 'Disguise Magic'."

The pixelated particles converged on the staff, then 'launched' onto the girl on the recliner, where they reassembled into a complete outfit made of 'high-definition pixel material,' resembling a game development department-style costume.