I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Do you know that the road to 'creating the future' is full of thorns and rugged obstacles... You keep talking about creating the future, but the path you can take may not be any better than the path I have laid out for you..."

"So what? You arrogantly believe that the path you've chosen is superior to the paths others have forged..."

"Should we deprive others of their right to choose simply because of this ideology?"

"...It's nothing but the sophistry of the weak."

"It's nothing more than a stubborn struggle trapped in a misconception."

As our power grows...

"Trn to stop our shows?"

"Might as well try stopping time!"

So you know that we're out the (you know we're right here)

Swatting lies in the making.

After the brief conversation ended, Amamiya used the grappling hook to leap and dodge the intense bombardment launched by the Abishu armor just before it was about to explode.

“Psona…”

"Metatron!"

An archangel with pure white wings descended from the sky, tearing through the dark clouds and rolling thunder, revealing a brief 'miracle of dawn'.

The silver, holy, radiant armor mask revealed God's mercy, and the "Angel of Judgment" pointed the sword in his hand at the distant legion of automatons.

'Dance of the Swords!'

"Sword Dance: Deals massive physical damage with a high critical hit rate to enemies within a small area."

The setting of the 'Dark Lord' seems to be that of a 'materialistic demon lord'...

She doesn't possess any 'magic', and the only weapon she admires is an army of automatons—however, such an army is precisely weak against 'magic,' almost to the point of being defenseless.

This is because Rion's subconscious belief in the invincibility of 'magic' influenced her in the other world, as well as the subordinates of the Demon King under her command.

The blade of light, burning with holy flames, stirred up a brief storm of sharp blades in a small area, as if controlled by a 'sword control technique'.

The minions summoned by the 'Black Demon King' were instantly chopped into pieces of broken circuits and component fragments.

"you……"

"Does this world really have to gamble its future, even at the cost of turning against me and abandoning a future that was good enough...?"

"To leave everything to so-called 'possibilities'...?!"

"No...you are wrong, Demon King."

Alice swung her Hero's Sword, shattering the last defense of the Abishu Armor and dragging the Shadow Dancer Shi, who was about to explode, out of the armor's wreckage.

"The future... is something we all need to explore and create together—not something to be decided by a tyrannical demon king like you!"

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Vanity Demon King's Castle Collapses!

"The future... is something we all need to explore and create together—not something to be decided by a tyrannical demon king like you!"

"..."

Such seemingly 'meaningless' words, if spoken by anyone else, would likely be met with disdain by the 'Black Demon King'.

But unfortunately...

These words came from the mouth of a 'robot' who couldn't see any future... who shouldn't have gained self-awareness.

Thus, this originally meaningful statement took on a somewhat ironic tone.

"What does a robot like you, whose entire existence is based on emotions and algorithms and who could betray you at any moment, understand...?"

"Weapons don't need dreams or hopes—just fulfill their responsibilities as weapons!"

Amamiya chuckled, feeling as if he were watching someone recite the famous quote, "Children don't need dreams."

Children don't need dreams; until they grow up, they can simply be manipulated like dolls and toys.

At this moment, if he were some kind of Warrior of Light, he might righteously reply: 'Children's dreams belong only to themselves.'

But Amamiya is no longer the Warrior of Light... but the Phantom Thief of Hearts.

"I'm sorry, Liyin...sir..."

"I……"

Rion slowly rose from the throne, casting a distant glance at the fallen Shi.

"Useless fellow... The Demon King's Castle doesn't need a pawn like you."

She reached out towards the Abishu armor, and a scepter flew out from the Abishu armor as if drawn by a magnet and landed in her hand.

"To achieve my goal... I'm even willing to sacrifice myself."

'That's... a secret treasure.'

It really is a scepter-type treasure...

"In the name of the Demon King..."

The 'Dark Demon Lord' Rion raised her scepter, which glowed red, high: "...Hereby declare."

"I... the Dark Lord, will spare no effort... to lead this world onto the right path."

"And you... will become sacrifices on this path."

The scepter struck the ground, leaving a cracked mark.

"In the name of the Demon King, I summon—an endless army, heed my command, come forth!"

But no one came.

"Demon King... because you abandoned your ideals and everything, you have long been abandoned by everyone—"

Alice raised the Hero's Sword high, pointing its blade at the lofty 'Dark Lord'.

"But Alice... in this short journey, she gained her companions, like heroes... rediscovered herself, and truly experienced the most precious emotions..."

"Alice is Alice... not some weapon... Alice..."

Alice glanced back at the other three members of the game club behind her, then focused her gaze on Amamiya and Sophia standing on either side of her. Her slightly choked voice gradually became firm.

"Alice now has her own friends... a reliable mentor like Sophie, and... Jok, whose name makes Alice's heart race every time she thinks of him..."

"You are just a dark demon king who keeps 'losing'... What right do you have to criticize Alice who keeps 'gaining'?"

Momoi, standing behind Alice, interjected rather inappropriately: "...Judging from her expression, she's clearly twisted with envy and jealousy."

Amamiya, Sofia, and even the 'Black Demon King' paused in their movements.

Momoi then continued, "Similar to the Omen King in 'The Ring of Law'... it's not a desire to love, but a desire to be loved... but it's also very different from the Omen King... it's somewhat excessively distorted."

"..."

Rion fell silent after Momoi's two sentences, and inexplicably became annoyed.

"Ain't it a shame."

I'm not a figment of your ai old mind.

I'm just as real as you.

I'm just as dangous.

"You..." She paused for a moment before speaking angrily, "You...!!"

"Wake up... Rion."

Amamiya sighed softly, then glanced at 'Shadow Dancer Toki' lying on the ground.

After her Abishu armor was destroyed, she looked like a candle flickering in the wind, the halo above her head twisting and changing, flashing and fading, as if she could perish at any moment.

"I'm sorry, Liyin...sir..."

"I……"

"See... the only subordinate who still respects you is looking out for your safety, even at this time... Rion."

After switching Persona to [Shiki-Ouji (Chariot)] and blocking Rion's missile attack, Amamiya, unharmed, continued to speak from the smoke and dust: "Rion... do you really intend to go down this dark path for the sake of so-called 'victory' and so-called 'future'?"

“Hmm…!”

The 'Black Demon King' let out a muffled groan, its expression filled with struggle.

As you are, so know you'll find it.

"A taste of your own meds!"

"Fire in evy breath!"

"Fire into your head, your heart!"

She looked at the scepter in her hand, and for a moment she was filled with confusion.

It was clearly a scepter symbolizing the Demon King's glory... but at this moment, it seemed to be full of irony.

Looking up, his gaze settled on Alice, who was surrounded by her companions and looked like a hero—and the sense of defeat became even stronger.

What is this supposed to mean...?

His own "life" was not even as good as that of a robot that had just been awakened.

That was such a failure...

"..."

Rion fell into an even longer silence.

"Let...let...cough cough...Lady Rion...give up..."

As he teetered on the brink of death, he struggled to lift his head, coughing up blood until his face turned ashen, and managed to utter a few words that could barely be considered 'admonition'.

"Run!... Give up... You still have a chance to make a comeback... Cough cough..."

Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed back to the ground due to extreme weakness, and the halo above her head flickered on and off, as if it might disappear completely at any moment.

"..."

And as your crippled brain

'Tries to fight in vain'

Your empire will fall apart!

"Did I... really... do something wrong?"

She was really confused.

Are my own actions... everything I do... truly "correct"?

"..."

The 'Black Demon King' clenched her fists, remaining silent... but judging from her fluctuating aura, her heart seemed far from calm at this moment.

Some 'non-existent memories' seemed to be transmitted to her at this moment.

She saw it—in some ruins, the 'man in the black suit' looked at the sleeping girl on the stone platform and chuckled softly.

She witnessed—a girl, 'awakened' and transformed into the 'Demon King's Sword,' wreaking havoc and causing destruction throughout Elidu (Millennium Technology Academy)...

She saw it—a figure who, even knowing he was outmatched, tried his best to shield her during his 'retreat,' buying her even just a second more.

She saw it: behind the ruins, fragments of mechanical wreckage burning with raging flames, and the 'final relic' left uncollected.

Yes...that's right.

'Elidoo' should have gone through such a cycle of destruction and reshaping, an "eternal" cycle.

Why... did I only remember this fragment now?

'Om—'

A subtle buzzing sound instantly echoed in her ears, pricking her mental nerves.

Those scenes, so vivid in my mind, gradually blurred again, accompanied by the stinging pain and the buzzing sound.

"How strange...how strange..."