I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Although Alice is unaffected by the negative effects of air... being around Sensei makes her feel much more comfortable..."

The 'air shield' derived from the four basic elements provided significant protection, allowing everyone to more easily observe their surroundings...

Then, the four young members of the game development department, who had time to observe their surroundings, discovered that it was as if a 'cognitive filter' had been placed over their eyes.

With the black fog gone, their vision became much clearer.

The surrounding 'otherworldly' scenery... seems to be constantly distorting...

Every now and then...

"Is it... just my imagination?"

Momoi stopped in her tracks, and what was happening before her eyes made her hesitate.

"I just... I think I saw the 'ruins' we went to before?"

"Does your older sister feel this way too...?"

Xiao Lü breathed a slight sigh of relief upon discovering that she wasn't the only one hallucinating.

Just now... she seemed to see that the 'other world' in front of her briefly distorted into a ruin that looked very familiar to them... although it quickly distorted back to normal.

It's like an illusion...making you hesitate.

"Indeed, that is the case... The 'Monster Mountain Range' in the other world corresponds to the ruins within the millennium-old jurisdiction."

After giving a brief explanation, Amamiya, along with the four members of the game club and Sophia, relied on the stealth skills they had acquired as phantom thieves to return to the 'abandoned factory' where they had previously discovered Alice, without being detected by any enemies.

Momoi, noticing that Amamiya had adopted a strategy of 'avoiding battle', was somewhat puzzled: "Why don't we just go all out and wipe out all these enemies?"

"elder sister……"

Little Green didn't know what to say.

After a long silence, she said helplessly, "Of course, this is... Sensei is preparing for possible elite battles or even boss battles."

"Otherwise, if we exhaust our energy beforehand and aren't at full strength before fighting the BOSS, wouldn't it be even more dangerous to go back?"

—That's true.

After all... they can't just save their game before fighting the boss and then reload it after losing.

This is a challenge of 'one-life speedrun on the highest difficulty'!

Sofia suddenly slowed her pace and warned, "Danger has been detected ahead..."

Sophia, as 'Navi', sensed the danger, and everyone gradually slowed down, preparing for the impending battle.

However... what awaited them was not an enemy with a dark aura, a level 99 mark above its head, a health bar next to it, and a red skull symbolizing "impossible to defeat".

Is it... the entrance to a ruin?

Momoi was the first to react, muttering to herself in gaming terms as she described the scene before her: "It looks... like the entrance to some kind of dungeon..."

Composed of jagged rocks, it looks like the entrance to a cave, but it is shrouded in a vortex of red light, making it seem bottomless and filled with a dangerous atmosphere, giving people the feeling that 'going in will directly lead to fighting a BOSS'.

"It's like... a fog gate..."

Xiao Lü, unusually, agreed with her sister's complaints instead of contradicting her.

"Um……"

Even Yuzu, who is usually silent, nodded silently in agreement.

The reason is simple—because, in the eyes of the four members of the game club, this looks too much like the 'fog door' at the BOSS's door.

However, they have no save data, nor the ability to resurrect at the campfire after death...

He is neither the Ash Lord, who can be challenged indefinitely, nor the Faded One, who possesses great strength and seizes the Rune Fragments...

You must complete the game in one life.

"In gaming terminology..."

Sofia hesitated for a moment, and the emoticons on the pixelated screen were briefly occupied by [...] before turning into [∑(っ°Д°;)っ].

Based on the understanding of the four members of the gaming club, she made an amusing description: "Next up is the 'BOSS room entrance.'"

The pixelated screen then turned into [(o_o)?], and she glanced around at the four silent members of the game club.

Then, their attention turned to Amamiya.

"Jok, wanna go for it?"

Amamiya didn't answer immediately, but waited silently for the four members of the game club to respond.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly.

A full minute later, the four members of the gaming club perked up one after another.

"Um……"

"We've come this far, there's no turning back!"

"Alice, I'll beat the game in one life!"

"I will try my best not to hold anyone back."

After glancing around at Yuzu, Momoi, Alice, and Midori who had spoken in turn, Amamiya nodded and reached out to touch the whirlpool.

"Then... let's get started."

Chapter Twelve: My favorite is Alice, and everyone else too.

'call--'

A crimson light flashed by, accompanied by a "twist," and the world was redrawn in a dizzying state by twisted ripples of black and red.

"Wow……"

Before Momoi could even cry out, she felt a dizzying, weightless sensation as the world spun around her.

After a long, dizzying sensation, Momoi felt cold all over, as if she had just ridden a roller coaster, and was drenched in cold sweat.

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

It's the same familiar voice, the same familiar complaints.

When she came to her senses, she found herself being held in the arms of a figure dressed in a jet-black, magician-like outfit.

"Sensei..."

Perhaps it was the suspension bridge effect that caused my heart to race... or perhaps it was for other reasons.

For no reason at all, Momoi just felt that Amamiya was more 'handsome' and more eye-catching than ever before.

Just like... the male protagonist in a GalGame who jumps off a high place while holding the female protagonist!

Is this feeling... the feeling of being smitten?!

Momoi was just about to say something like 'Sensei is like a male protagonist in a GalGame' when she suddenly felt the whistling wind stop.

Amamiya gently carried her in a princess carry and landed her safely on the ground, then placed the still-dazed Momoi on the ground.

Then he squatted down and put the little green dog that was lying on his back down.

"Hey! Smooth landing."

The pixelated screen displayed the emoticon 【w(?Д?)w】, and the person holding the trembling Yuzu, while the Persona 【Pandora】 behind them, holding Alice's Sophia, also landed smoothly.

"Is everyone alright?"

After completing the 'personnel unloading' process by imitating Amamiya, Amamiya glanced around at the unharmed group and gave a summary.

"Looks like everything's alright..."

After confirming that everyone was safe, Amamiya breathed a sigh of relief.

"here……"

Then, Amamiya frowned slightly and began to observe the surrounding environment with her "third eye".

The surrounding environment... can only be described as resembling an 'underground prison' that would appear in well-known fantasy works such as Dungeons & Dragons.

What comes into view is a long, narrow, and pitch-black passageway that seems to have no bottom. At the end of the passage is complete darkness, and at intervals there is a wall-mounted candlestick, the candlelight of which provides light that extends to the end of the darkness...

It's easy to create a feeling of 'claustrophobia'.

"Wow...are we in a dungeon now?!"

Sophia seemed delighted, scanning her surroundings with an emoticon: "It feels like if I move, a trap will be triggered, and then a giant iron ball will rush towards me..."

Amamiya was immediately somewhat helpless, thinking to himself, "Have we entered the ancient city of Sein or something?"

If this maze hadn't been designed by Hidetoshi Miyazaki or Yang Qiying, it wouldn't have turned out like this.

"I've checked, and the road ahead is not dangerous for the time being... but everyone should still be careful."

"Grapefruit."

Reminded by Amamiya's suggestion, Yuzu immediately raised her pixel staff: "Mage Magic - Topus's Starlight!"

A soft blue light appeared above the pomelo's head, becoming a rather dazzling light.

With Amamiya and Sofia at the head, followed by Midori, Momoi, and Alice, forming a protective circle around Yuzu, the group advanced safely for a while before finally reaching the end of the darkness.

A place that appears majestic and imposing, with an exaggerated scale...

Before a massive stone gate that seemed to grant access to the world's treasures simply by opening it.

"Just how tall is it...?"

Overwhelmed by the sight of this veritable treasure trove of another world, Momoi stared blankly upwards with an expression of 'gazing at a wonder,' trying to visually determine the end of the doorway.

After realizing she couldn't see it at all, she couldn't help but exclaim, "...It's truly magnificent!"

"It's like a treasure vault from another world!"

Little Green also wore a curious expression, as if she had learned something new.

"It seems like we need to find a mechanism nearby to open the door, or possess a seal on the door, or use corresponding magic and recite a special incantation to move..."

That's right... such a large door is impossible to push open by human strength.

It's clearly a special area that requires either a decryption process or some kind of wall-penetrating bug to enter.

Yuzu, having tried using location magic and teleportation magic but finding herself unable to use them, remained resolute.

"The legend of the 'Third Sword' from Blade II..."

This scene caused Yuzu to hallucinate a subtle yet iconic moment.

The famous quote, "I love Nia and everyone," comes from the game Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Chapter 7.

There's a related storyline in this game...

The protagonist Rex's Blade, 'Heaven's Grail - Flame' (PS: also considered a mecha girl), is captured by the villainous organization...

Then, after some exploration, the protagonist needs to go to a place called "Elpis Cave" to find the legendary 'Third Sword'.

After a brief silence and deep breaths, the four members of the gaming club calmed down.

Suddenly, Alice said something out of the blue.

"..."

"Could it be that something like 'the mechanism can't be moved' will appear next..."

"Or a message like 'Cannot be opened from this side'."

"It's not a game we made..." Momoi immediately chuckled, "How could that be?"

"A typical game developer would never try to fool players at this point!"

Upon hearing this, Amamiya curled her lip, thinking to herself, "So you know you're just fooling the players?"

Knowing all this and still daring to do it, no wonder their games are being universally panned.

"Found it... Jok, come take a look at this!"

Sofia waved to Amamiya and her group with a bouncy expression, drawing everyone's attention to a very inconspicuous pedestal that looked like some kind of place to put something.

It was a base that glowed with a bright blue light, like the pedestal in The Legend of Zelda where the Sheikah Stone was placed. It was about the height of a person and was completely empty.

However, it is quite obvious from that fantastical tabletop that a palm print can be seen, composed of blue arcs of light that flicker and fade with each breath.