I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Hey! I have an opinion..."

"How about we play a game with Alice? Through the dialogue in the game, Alice can learn how to speak!"

"They say 'practice makes perfect,' so this method should work, right?"

Seeing Momoi's 'intelligent' expression, Amamiya felt a chill run down her spine, a strange premonition somewhere between unease and anticipation.

Neither Xiao Lü nor Youzi immediately offered their opinions; instead, they turned their attention to Amamiya.

"..."

"Actually, it's not a bad option."

After some deliberation, Amamiya finally accepted Momoi's absurd suggestion.

"Games are called the 'ninth art' because the vast majority of games, from beginning to end, attempt to use their audiovisual presentation, the textual descriptions hidden within the game, the plot development, and other content..."

"To convey the core spirit that the game's creators intend to pass on to the players, the spirit that is inherent in the game."

Amamiya's unique adjective made Midori and Yuzu pause for a moment.

The Ninth Art...?

Is this a definition and name for the game other than Giwatos?

In Kivotos... it seems like a concept I've never heard of before.

Xiao Lü and Youzi's eyes lit up instantly—at this moment, they seemed to have a sense of 'seeing the light after the clouds have parted,' and they seemed to understand why they liked games.

It's not simply because the game is fun that I like it...

There is another reason.

That's what Sensei meant by... the core spirit of the "ninth art" that game creators intend to convey to players through games.

After a pause, Amamiya chuckled and shook his head: "In my opinion... games have never been a sign of being a 'waste of time' or 'tempting people to degenerate'."

"While it's true that some people with weak minds become addicted to the game world, seeking solace through games..."

"But the vast majority of people still gained real knowledge from that fake game and turned it into their own power, didn't they?"

"I learned courage for life from the game, resistance against powerful injustice, and practical tips for living in the real world... I drew courage and sorrow from the legend of Dragon Quest... and I drew a touch of noble brilliance from the dark world of Dark Souls, like that of a warrior of the sun."

From "Praise the Sun" to "Long May The Sunshine," the willpower that games inspire has only increased.

"Sensei..."

【~???~】

At this moment, Xiao Lü felt an endless sense of satisfaction, as if she had found a 'true confidant'.

From the outdated 8-bit era to the moving 16-bit... and then to 32-bit and its ever-increasing expressiveness...

So that's why I like games—I can learn so much useful knowledge from them?

"I think I understand..."

Yuzu's eyes reflected the setting sun, her light blue pupils like a starry sea under the dappled sunlight.

【~???~】

Games are not just a medium for entertainment...

The games we're really developing aren't the kind that are developed solely for a certain goal...

Rather, it is an artistic miracle known as the "Ninth Art".

Unlike the thoughtful and deeply moved Little Green, Yuzu is different.

Momoi just blinked 'intelligently', trying to understand what Amamiya had said, and then she had a feeling that she understood but didn't.

"So...that's how it is? Sensei's explanation is really impressive...!"

"Is this our ultimate goal as a game developer? — To create a game that can be called the 'ninth art'!"

She turned her increasingly bright and excited gaze toward Amamiya, her expression seemingly carrying the longing of a 'hero fresh out of the beginner's village' for a 'great sage guiding her to the main quest'.

"Sensei...you actually know so much about game development?!"

[...I sensed the longing emanating from Momoi.]

[...a bond was formed with Momoi.]

【Taeyu Momoi (Carriage): ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

Amamiya: "...I'm just repeating what others have said."

"What does 'picking up scraps from others' words' mean? Sensei seems to have a wealth of knowledge..."

"With Sensei's help, the game club will definitely win first place in the Millennium Grand Prix!"

Amamiya: ...

Okay, let's change the subject to language learning.

"So what games do you plan to have Alice play to learn?"

Momoi jumped up and, as if she had planned it all along, made a proposal in her excited and energetic tone: "I vote for the Final Fantasy series!"

"And another thing..."

Momoi seemed to have thought of something and quickly added, "And... the Ys series!"

"Or... the Dragon Quest series would be good too!"

At this point, Momoi glanced confidently at Amamiya, whose expression remained calm.

"These are all games that I carefully selected based on Sensei's previous explanation of the 'Ninth Art Theory'... These games will definitely teach Alice a lot!"

After Momoi started, Midori became a little restless.

"Since my sister has already recommended some games... I'll recommend some too."

With her eyes drawn to the shelves storing loot (obtained from the other world) and various game cartridges, Green quickly identified some games that were 'worth playing'.

"I recommend... the Trails series, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening."

"There's also... Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The protagonist of this game is also a teacher (Byrete; Teacher Berete)."

Now that things had come to this point, Yuzu carefully considered her 'game reserves'.

"I...I recommend... *Black Wukong: The Myth*; *Dark Souls*; *Undertale*..."

These three kids in the gaming club have pretty wide-ranging interests.

After a brief silence, Momoi suddenly raised her hand hesitantly and suggested, "How about the game we're developing... 'Final Goddess Legend Blade'?"

"Although……"

Momoi looked slightly sad, or rather, uncomfortable, and lowered her head, pursing her lips.

"Although it's a game with an alarmingly high rate of negative reviews, I think it should still allow Alice to experience the [willpower] that we intend to convey through the game."

"Um...that's right."

"Whether good or bad, any game that can be played smoothly can be part of the 'ninth art'..."

As she spoke, Momoi's eyes became more resolute and enthusiastic, as if she had completed a process of self-persuasion.

"...We absolutely want Alice to play our game and give us an evaluation after she finishes playing!"

After expressing all her views in one go, Momoi looked at Alice with great excitement, expecting Alice to give a response.

"..."

As expected, after a very brief period of 'hesitation', Alice responded to Momoi's kind invitation.

“It’s hard to understand… However, as the ‘hero everyone has been waiting for,’ Alice… agrees to the request.”

"Alice wants to play a game."

Tao Jing Dang Liu Yi Qi Er Ba Si; [Si Ba Ji excitedly clenched his fist: "Yattaze!"]

It seemed that all the 'meeting procedures' had been completed, without even the necessary closing remarks or closing statements. After making the decision, Momoi immediately half-dragged and half-pushed Alice in front of the old CRT television connected to the main screen, just like when she had shown the Persona demo not long ago.

"Then let's play 'Final Goddess Legend Blade'!"

As Momoi pressed Alice down next to the arcade machine, Amamiya suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

He knew about this game from the game department.

Because of overwhelmingly negative reviews, it topped the list of "Worst Games of the Year"...

Most gamers in the gaming industry refer to it as a 'KUSO game'.

...No, could something have happened?

Chapter 44 Let's take Alice on an adventure to another world!

Momoi handed the controller to Alice, then sat down next to her, staring intently at the screen, looking on with anticipation as she watched Alice make her move.

Meanwhile, Green begins to introduce Amamiya while Alice is trying out the controller buttons.

"Our game, as its name suggests, is a classic-style fantasy RPG full of fairy tale elements."

The next second, the screen went black after the game loading was complete, followed by text that looked like background settings and some fairly well-drawn pixelated CG.

In the year 2354 of the Universal Era, a catastrophic fire engulfed the human world.

Hmm... the pixel art skills are really good, the art is excellent...

Now, let's begin the beginner's tutorial.

Amamiya looked at Midori in surprise: "...?"

Wait... the description of the game's background is way too rushed!

Even the Dark Souls series, with its obscure and densely packed information, will at least throw in a few lines in the opening cinematic.

Something like, 'Our family has declined...'

Or rather, 'Yes, indeed...'

Or perhaps...

'Fallen leaves carry a message... Beyond the fog, in our homeland, at the border... the great Dharma Ring has been shattered...'

Are there really no introductions or descriptions that, while elevating the product's perceived sophistication, also pique the curiosity of players?!

Little Green felt a little embarrassed by Amamiya's surprised and puzzled look, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

'After all... the copywriting and editing were handled by my older sister...'

She explained in a whisper, so soft that only Amamiya could hear, with a tone that carried a sense of helplessness or something else entirely.

With Midori's explanation, Amamiya continued reading.

At this point, we've entered the normal game interface—a game with graphics similar to the NES or SFC, and an art style that might be somewhere between Enter the Gungeon, Soul Knight, or The Binding of Isaac.

After analyzing the scene and the prompts, Alice tried to follow the 'tutorial' and attempted to 'equip weapons'.

The next second, the screen was filled with exploding pixel particle effects, and the character's health bar was immediately emptied, and the game interface 【Game Ov】 popped up.

Alice, who was operating the controller, paused, her clear eyes reflecting a distinct look of confusion and bewilderment.

At that moment, Amamiya clearly saw... extremely complex emotional expressions in this previously 'emotionless' AI girl.

Surprise; doubt; confusion; distress; unexpected...

"a ha ha ha……"

Momoi laughed as if she had succeeded: "Because the game's development is expected to be boring, we've taken an unexpected reverse design here~! Alice-chan, you can't press the B button here, but you have to try thinking in reverse and press the A button."

Amamiya: "...???"

Are all the BYD beginner tips lying?

Moreover, it's a trap without any reason, a scam without any justification... It's the kind of despicable trick that only third-rate developers would use.

The legendary "beginner's guide" is a scam, but it's a sophisticated one.