I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

The overwhelming momentum spread and erupted as the dark blue flames transformed into towering blue pillars of fire.

The four members of the game club, hiding in the bushes, watched this scene, each with a slightly different expression on their face.

Shock, disbelief, curiosity, novelty...

How can we describe the 'awakening scene' they witnessed?

The clothes on his body were gradually scorched, and even the weapons were coated with a new layer of color, eventually transforming into a more gorgeous and exaggerated artistic appearance.

It was a black and red short evening gown with a back hem, very similar to Amamiya's 'art style'.

The scarf had changed from sky blue to a dark red that seemed to be stained with dried blood, with specks of embers flickering in the air.

"Ramses II...this is the real...named Persona, unlike the 'temporary items' we use..."

Using her forearm to shield herself from the strong wind blowing in her face, Momoi stared blankly at the 'awakening' scene, her gaze slightly unfocused.

Little Green Doctor! 0 Imprint (Silk Affairs Research 49 Bar) His gaze was slightly solemn, yet also somewhat envious: "So... this is 'Spiritual Awakening in Another World'..."

If one had such a 'persona', perhaps they would become more mature...

Yuzu then lowered the brim of her hat and released a shield barrier that resisted wind magic, protecting Alice, who was unaffected because she was next to her.

"Is it also Mio? This is so amazing... So powerful..."

"Alice also wants to obtain a 'Persona' and become a phantom thief!"

At that moment, Bai Zi, who had just completed his 'persona awakening', began to try using his persona magic.

"Judgment, Ramses II."

Ziodine

A bolt of lightning, several meters in diameter and rumbling, descended from the sky, and a robust dragon, with overwhelming force, instantly struck the newly formed Shadow Goddess of War.

"Hehehe... I'll take the judgment, I'll shoulder the responsibility!"

"Don't be afraid... just let yourself vent."

"Go and seek the covenant that belongs solely to the path leading to you..."

"Oh~ the enemy was taken down in an instant!"

Hoshino, who was about to unleash her Persona attack, paused slightly, then exclaimed, "Well done, Shirako-chan."

"Then what happens next..."

Shirako stepped forward, picked up a giant scythe resembling the Grim Reaper's scythe with one hand, and calmly 'interrupted' Hoshino's next move.

"Of course, we should press our advantage."

—Even enemies have personalities.

Some enemies can be 'spineless' and are very likely to betray intelligence once they fall into a disadvantageous position.

—The shadow of the Helmet Gang members is mostly due to this kind of personality.

Some enemies, however, will appear to be 'resolutely unwilling to submit'.

When facing this type of enemy, the only thing to do is to really bring them to the brink of death. Only when they are extremely weak can you possibly extract real information from them.

...Although there was no reason to deduce it, Shirako just believed that the "monster" in front of him, transformed from the shadow of the "maid," should have this kind of personality.

"Agion".

A bridge, seemingly cast from flames, rises from the ground, scorching the fallen 'Goddess of War'.

'Interesting… This skill seems to originate from the story of Ramses II… Legend has it that Ramses II's brother plotted to assassinate him, so he set fire to the banquet venue.'

When Ramses II was trapped, his wife offered a suggestion: throw two of their six sons into the fire to serve as a bridge through the flames; by sacrificing the two sons, the rest could step on their bodies to pass through…

'Through this method, Ramses II escaped this life-threatening crisis. However, his two sons were burned alive.'

...Because of such 'legends and anecdotes,' Bai Zi's Persona...is a Persona skilled in lightning and fire magic?

"good chance……"

Amamiya's eyes flashed, and she waved to Shirako, Hoshino, and Sophia, who had already formed a circle, signaling them to stop.

"Psona! Suzaku!"

【Psona - Suzaku (Arcana: The Sun)】

[Introduction: One of the Four Celestial Spirits in ancient Chinese mythology, representing Emperor Yan and the Southern God of the Seven Mansions.]

The legendary Vermilion Bird symbolizes the yang energy in the Four Symbols and summer in the Four Seasons.

Sometimes, it is easily confused with the "Golden Crow" and the "Phoenix," which are also mythical birds.

"Marin Karin!"

An unclean wave, accompanied by the flapping of wings of a red divine bird with a magnificent tail feather, was instantly focused on the shadow of the 'Goddess of War'.

"Marin Karin: High probability of brainwashing an enemy."

After letting out a painful howl, the Shadow 'Goddess of War' became docile, bowing and kneeling down, no longer struggling.

"Ask first, and if it doesn't answer, then hit it."

"..."

After a brief silence, the four members of Amamiya simultaneously raised their guns and surrounded the silent 'Goddess of War' in shadow.

Hold up!

"First of all... what is your relationship with the 'Demon King'?"

"..."

After a brief moment of 'stunned silence', the shadow of the female warrior slightly rose.

"We... are the 'maid squad' of the Demon King's castle, responsible for eliminating targets that are 'malicious' or 'hostile'..."

"Strictly speaking, our relationship with the 'Demon King' is an employment relationship."

In other words... like those 'helmet gangs,' they are the shadows of hired students...?

Hoshino slightly raised the gun in his hand and, following Amamiya, asked, "Do you know the true face of the Demon King and his purpose? Tell me everything you know."

"……OK."

"From what I know... the Demon Lord is from the Millennium Technology Academy, the president of the seminar... and she also commands the three Heavenly Kings of the seminar. If you want to make contact with the Demon Lord... I advise you to assess your own strength beforehand, or you will suffer a terrible death."

Hoshino replied noncommittally, "It's none of your business to 'worry' about it."

Next up was Shirako—perhaps out of a desire to 'show her seniority,' she didn't ask for money right away this time.

"Besides you, how many other members are in the 'Maid Squad'? Are there any other squads like yours that belong to the 'Demon King'?"

"...At least, as far as I know, there are three other members in the 'Maid Squad' besides me. I've also heard that the Demon King has a bodyguard who is rarely seen, but I don't know if that's true or not."

"The other forces... if you're talking about the 'Demon King's army,' those mass-produced forces are as numerous as you can find in the Demon King's castle."

Amamiya glanced at Shiroko, who had asked the question, with a hint of surprise.

She didn't even open her mouth to rob someone... in a sense, that's a kind of growth.

After the initial surprise, Amamiya met the girl's gaze, which, even through the jackal mask, was still clear—a kind of indescribable tenderness, like looking at 'family'.

After a brief exchange of glances, Amamiya began asking the second round of questions.

What kind of image does the "Demon King" have in your eyes? I mean in terms of personality or behavior.

"..."

After a brief pause, the shadow of the 'Goddess of War' looked up and said, "The 'Demon King' in my eyes... is a ruthless ruler. A 'madman' who takes rationalism and self-interest to the extreme."

oh……?!

Amamiya raised an eyebrow, surprised to receive such a special evaluation from the 'Shadow Student'.

After some substitution of words... 'Demon King' undoubtedly refers to Rion.

Do her subordinates all speak of her like this? Then what kind of person is she really?

The kind of person who thinks, "I don't care if the whole world is sacrificed, as long as I and the area I control are safe"?

When it was Hoshino's turn, he inexplicably felt as if he had been stabbed in the back.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone becoming somewhat unfriendly: "More specific?"

"Hmm... be more specific. Her 'loneliness' is actually her self-centered refusal to communicate with others, her inability to listen to what others have to say, and her firm belief that only her own ideas are correct."

"Impose your own standards of 'correctness' on others, and if that doesn't work, don't hesitate to use harsh methods."

Hoshino: "..."

The feeling of being called out is getting stronger and stronger...

For some reason, she seemed to see a reflection of her past self in the description of this 'Demon King's subordinate'.

Saying things like being lonely or that no one understands you is just a complete refusal to communicate with outsiders. You just talk about your own things and your mind is only on yourself.

After a slight pause, Hoshino made a simple summary in his mind about the 'Demon King' he had never met before.

—It was determined that the problem stemmed from the fact that Sensei had not resolved the underlying issues.

It was White's turn to ask the second question.

Bai Zi couldn't think of any other questions to add for the time being, so...

Under the increasingly astonished gazes of the four members of the gaming club, she began to perform normally.

"Hand over all your money, valuable treasures, precious materials, and the like."

"……good."

"This is all I have..."

As the shadow of the 'Goddess of War' spoke, she neatly arranged various items, such as armor fragments, and then solemnly placed a shimmering golden apple, which looked as smooth and lustrous as jade, on the ground.

"Is there anything else?"

Instead of replying immediately, Bai Zi used his "Ramses II" magic to collect all the spoils.

Finally, she looked at Amamiya and exchanged a glance with him.

Having understood the meaning, Amamiya immediately gave the order without hesitation: "All-out attack."

As the curtain fell, the scene seemed to be frozen in time at sunset.

Amidst the sunrise and sunset, the girl who had descended from behind the curtain slowly turned around and leaned against her own roadside station.

This scene stands in stark contrast to the bloodshed and misery behind the curtain.

But the girl ignored this; she simply tossed her hair aside and looked up at the clouds that were gradually forming on the horizon.

These clouds are forming a sharp statement.

"A Perfect Kill".

"call……"

A wave of fatigue washed over me.

Hoshino and Sofia, who also knew the exhaustion brought by 'awakening', supported Shirako, who was only now showing signs of exhaustion, from both sides.

Amamiya clapped his hands at the opportune moment, attracting the attention of the four members of the game club who were watching from a distance. He then suggested, "We've completed our 'intelligence gathering'... let's retreat for now."

Chapter 56 Alice: Can Heroes Be Recruited in a Tavern in Another World?

"...Is everything alright now, Shirako?"

【~???~】

A refreshing breeze from another world blew in his face, and Shiroko, dressed in an 'otherworldly phantom thief outfit' that was very similar in style to Amamiya, finally understood the feelings in his heart.

...So it turns out that this special feeling I've had for Sensei all along has been accumulating in my heart...

Named "longing"; "admiration"...