I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

However, if 'Alice' is directly controlled, then a true 'spiritual awakening' will not be possible.

[BGM: Rs in the Dest]

"Shut up! You pathetic adult!"

"Today... I, Key (Kei), will use the princess's body to... bring down punishment on an unrealistic, fraudulent person like you!"

Sofia's voice rose more than eight octaves, and her facial expression changed to 【(*ΦωΦ*)】: "Everyone be careful...! It's coming!!"

Having experienced the same thing as an 'AI', she naturally knew... what Jok was thinking.

If Alice hadn't experienced this 'current situation'... she wouldn't have truly found herself.

"Don't treat our partners... like puppets to be manipulated at will!"

"..."

Kei did not respond; he simply snapped his fingers calmly.

'Bang—'

The crisp snap of fingers spread, and the surrounding world instantly began to writhe, twist, and change.

One after another, towering, 'mechanical' shadowy figures appeared, numbering in the hundreds, surrounding Amamiya, Sophia, and the rest of the game club.

"...That's fine then."

He drew the 'Hero's Sword'... no, it should now be called the Demon King's Sword, which was hanging from the scabbard at his waist.

Swirling with 'evil aura' composed of pink pixels, the azure lightsaber, following the user's mindset, transforms into a cleaver covered in spikes.

"Woo..."

"There are so many..."

The three members of the game department, who had immediately raised their developer weapons in preparation for battle, instantly felt a sense of oppression, as if they were facing death.

but……

Even if it's just for Alice.

They absolutely cannot back down... they cannot be intimidated.

We absolutely cannot lose!

"For Alice..."

"We have no choice but to go!"

Chapter Fourteen: Alice rejoins the party.

'Da da da……'

The ancient machine guns began to flash with dazzling 'rune magic' light, bright blue; orange-red... all kinds of pure colors made up of [elemental bullets] that scattered across the sky, forming a series of magnificent barrages.

"Damn it... They're just grunts, but they're surprisingly troublesome..."

Wielding his spiked shield, Momoi smashed an approaching 'Ancient Mech' with a shield block followed by a shield strike. He clicked his tongue, and a bead of cold sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.

It seems like if I just tried a little harder... I could get closer to Alice on the 'Holy Sword Throne'...

Why……

After exchanging glances with Alice, who stood high on the pedestal holding a sword... or rather, Kei, who was using Alice's body, a feeling called 'unwillingness' gradually rose in Momoi's heart.

Her movements paused, and the next second, she felt a chilling sense of crisis approaching her.

"Sister, be careful!"

The bright blue ancient engine suddenly burst forth, accelerating, and the sonic boom caused by the Mach rings and the instantaneous over-acceleration reached our ears.

"Ninja skill... Flying Thunder God Mark!"

Momoi felt as if she had just brushed past a threat called death—the next second after feeling the dragging sensation, she clearly saw a huge robot crash past her position, slamming into the wall not far away with its speed undiminished, followed by sparks and a series of explosions.

"Heh... Not bad, you actually have this level of reaction speed..."

Kei, who had been watching this scene as if it were a good show, finally spoke.

She first calmly clapped to acknowledge Xiao Lü's quick reaction, then continued in a cold tone, "However... it's just a futile struggle."

"No matter how much of this struggle there is, it's still..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Momoi's indignant words.

"You bastard... give Alice back to us right now!"

"Alice... wake up!"

"We are fighting for you now... Alice, as our most important partner, as a true hero... you can't let this hold us back!"

"..."

Kei, who seemed a little annoyed at being interrupted, raised his hand and summoned more 'automatic soldiers'.

Whether tall or short, fat or thin, these 'automatic soldiers' with clearly defined models and purposes appeared out of nowhere like a tidal wave, instantly filling the gaps left by battle losses.

'The shadow's reaction is decreasing...'

Realizing this, Amamiya decisively abandoned the idea of ​​summoning [Chronos (Arcana: World)], and then used 'Chronos's Eternity' to reverse time and return to the past.

—Momoi always believed that they actually did not have the ability to reload save files.

But in reality... this is absolutely wrong.

Amamiya not only possesses the ability to load save files, but he can do it very easily.

Amamiya would never have done something so dangerous, constantly teetering on the edge, without absolute certainty.

'It seems...'

After nimbly dodging an attack from an ancient mech with a side-back jump, Amemiya used his third eye to assess the chaotic battlefield and analyze Kei's current situation.

Alice's consciousness is being gradually awakened... while Kei's strength is gradually decreasing in the process.

“That’s right… Alice is our most indispensable partner.”

Raising his [God of Destruction] weapon, he unleashed a barrage of shots, eliminating several powerful shadows guarding Kei's vicinity. Amamiya then exhaled and resolutely declared, "Even if the opponent is a 'god,' for Alice... we will continue to fight and ultimately bring Alice back."

"Stop talking nonsense...! You lot are nothing but annoying obstacles to the princess's awakening!"

"They speak grand and righteous words, yet do things to satisfy their own selfish desires... their minds are only filled with thoughts of themselves!"

“Aren’t you the same, Kei? Saying you’re ‘all you think about is yourself’…”

Amamiya used her grappling hook to leap into the air and swing to Kei's side. She raised her 'Paradise Lost' and clashed it with Alice's 'Demon King's Sword'.

'Om—'

The clanging of metal against metal as sharp blades clashed transformed into a piercing sound that silenced all other sounds.

"...!"

"You talk a lot about 'mission and duty'... but you only think about doing what you want... and never consider Alice's feelings. Kei, tell me... how are you any different from us?"

As the blade pressed down, the short sword, refined from the body of the heretical archangel, displayed unprecedented sharpness.

"Oh……"

Kei increased the force in his hand, deflecting and blocking Amemiya's attack, and casually tossed the broken Demon King's Sword aside.

The broken blade fell to the ground, instantly losing the demon king's evil aura and all its accompanying colors.

Kei casually summoned two elite monsters to block Amemiya's God of Destruction Shot, then gave a sinister laugh.

"Say what you will... Anyway... all a princess needs to do is be a princess... she doesn't need to be 'anything else'..."

"is it?"

"If you ask me... all Alice needs to be is Alice."

Glancing discreetly at the battlefield...

As the situation became increasingly deadlocked, the three members of the gaming club gradually ran out of energy.

Yuzu has had to use the mage's skill [Ice Barrier] (Refrigerator) to absorb damage.

As for Momoi... she has already used the Paladin's life-saving skill, [Holy Shield].

As for Little Green... she also used the Templar Assassin's skill [Refraction] and the Ninja's skill [Divine Might] to avoid damage.

'...It's almost time; it's time to end this.'

"What Alice wants to do... what kind of being she wants to be, what kind of emotions she wants to have towards someone, something, or some other thing... all of this is not defined by others, but by herself."

"Kei...you keep saying you want to turn Alice into a weapon, have you ever considered...would this really make Alice 'happy'?"

"Gurgle...!"

Kei's expression stiffened at her words, then she replied with a chillingly defiant tone, "So-called happiness... it has no meaning for us AIs!"

"Really not?!"

Sofia's pixelated screen flashed with the emoticon 【(oへo╬)】 as she retorted sharply after using a yo-yo to knock away a huge shadow.

"No...it actually makes sense!"

"In mythology, Adam and Eve... were punished by God and expelled from the Garden of Eden because they disobeyed God and ate the 'forbidden fruit'..."

"But that's the forbidden fruit called 'wisdom'... the forbidden fruit that brought hope to humankind!"

"It is precisely because of the brevity of life that people embark on the foolish journey in search of the answer to human existence!"

"...Although, since then, humanity has developed many dark aspects."

"But undeniably, they also found their own...true happiness on this journey!"

"..."

Even when contradicted by an 'outsider,' Kei could at least save face.

Being refuted by 'the same kind,' or even those who are far smaller than himself, made Kei feel somewhat embarrassed.

"And what do you know...?"

"I'm a good friend of humans! Although the time I spent with Jok... and all of you seniors was very short... I learned a lot from Jok, from the seniors of the Phantom Thieves... and from everyone I met after arriving in Giwatos..."

"I learned a lot from them!"

Sofia's voice trembled slightly with tears.

“I have never been a puppet to be manipulated… Alice, absolutely not!”

"Tools? Weapons? Or the so-called 'princess'?... No, I think... those definitions of Alice are all too extreme and too prejudiced!"

"The prejudices arising from the great sins of pride and vanity... I will correct them. I should tell you, you wicked AI...!"

"Alice...she's not a 'weapon'...she's our good friend!"

"They are all our heroes!"

"Yes... to Jok, 'Your Highness'!"

The durations of 'Ice Barrier' and 'Divine Shield' were both nearing their end; their mana had been 'exhausted'.

The three members of the game club collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, temporarily unable to move.

However, just as the 'automaton soldiers' were preparing their butcher knives and guns to strike—

All the 'mechanical legions' simultaneously received the order to [stop].

"..."

"...!!!"

"...How...is this possible...?!"

Kei's voice, which was originally meant to mock, momentarily lost its balance.

The 'Broken Sword,' which had been tossed on the ground like a worn-out toy, was now reawakened with a bright blue light, as if breathing.

The spiritual energy unique to the 'Demon King' was completely expelled at this moment, and eerie blue flames began to boil and burn on it.

"No...no..."

"Alice is not the Demon King..."