I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

So what exactly happened during the time the princess was 'stranded' after she was unexpectedly taken in?!

After observing the room using the outdated camera equipment, Kei immediately focused his attention on Amamiya.

……is that so.

It was this 'strange adult' who took the princess away and turned her into what she is today...

Damn guy.

They've corrupted the princess!

Unforgivable!

—In an instant, Kei was filled with rage.

But no matter how angry she was, it was no use...

The factory's electronic systems are nearing the end of their lifespan... Even the device she stored, using the most energy-efficient strategies, will lose its last bit of power within a few months...

Under such dire circumstances, let alone deploying a robot army—even using a camera to observe the outside world is an extremely extravagant expenditure for Kei.

"is it you……"

Unable to bear it any longer, Kei decisively used the computer's speakers to speak: "Strange, unfamiliar adult... it's you who turned the princess into this state... do you know what you're doing!"

After 'rebuking' Amamiya, Kei's voice immediately turned to Alice: "Princess, don't be fooled by this wretched, strange adult... Come to me quickly, accept my data, and then remember..."

Alice has 'remembered'.

"...???"

"But... Alice no longer wants to go back to the way things were."

"..."

"Alice wants to maintain the status quo, wants to be with everyone... wants to stand by Sensei's side as a 'hero'."

The girl's voice was filled with a deep sense of expectation and loneliness, but at the same time, it also possessed an unwavering determination: "So... no matter what Kei tries to do, Alice will not 'go back'."

"But... Alice is worried about Kei. So..."

“So Alice is back,” Amamiya interjected at the opportune moment. “She wants to come back to find you and take you back with her…”

"...Kei. Even if it's just to temporarily fulfill Alice's expectations."

Amamiya smiled, softening her tone as she reached out to the computer Kei had stored: "Could you put aside your prejudices against us for a while... and try 'observing' us for a period of time?"

Kei understands.

This seemingly inviting offer... left me with no choice but to refuse.

"……All right."

After making his choice, Kei, through Alice's hand that reached into the computer's data interface, transferred from this soon-to-be-decommissioned ancient device into Alice's body via a unique data transmission channel.

At the same time, Amamiya also saw changes in Arcana from the [Third Eye].

[...It seems Kei is gradually lowering his guard.]

The co-op arrangement has changed!

Alice Tendo (Hope) → (Universe)

[The Hero of Light Embarks on a Journey → The Key to the Universe]

【★Skill 1 changed!】

[Soul of the Warrior → Key to the Universe]

[Assistance Rating: ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆]

The eye color no longer changes like RGB lighting, but temporarily remains a stable pink (or red). After a brief adjustment to the new feeling, Kei suddenly realized—

The princess seems to have acquired a soul through an inconceivable means... achieving a unique and profound elevation of her life.

Although her body remains the same... she will no longer be affected by any code or program calls...

In other words, even if she doesn't rely on any electronic processing devices, and even if her 'central processing system' is burned out, as long as her 'power engine' is still intact, she can 'think for herself' and 'survive on her own'.

Even if one obtains the 'right to use' this body through methods such as permission transfer...

Kei cannot do anything beyond her authority unless Alice agrees.

Looking up at Amamiya standing in front of him, he had a completely new perspective.

After a moment, Kei commented on his 'current situation': "...What a strange feeling."

'Is this... the human heart?'

Or... a true, real-world AI life form?

Or is it merely a theoretical existence—an informational life, a data life?

Everything stored in her memory, and the time she spent together... all flashed vividly back in Kei's 'vision' at this moment.

It turns out that... during the time the princess was away from his surveillance, she experienced such a 'thrilling' adventure.

After giving Amamiya a look of newfound respect, Kei's impression of Amamiya changed slightly.

"I'm surprised that they took such good care of the princess."

Amamiya maintained her friendly smile and did not reply immediately.

"..."

【~???~】(from Kei)

"Stop laughing... I was just praising you because you barely passed... Don't get me wrong. That smile of yours really annoys me."

That being said, the increase in 'favorability' betrays you, Kei.

Amamiya, finding Kei's contradictory reaction particularly amusing, suppressed her smile and then 'habitually' reached out to pat Alice's head.

His action instantly 'blew up' Kei, who hadn't had time to get used to all sorts of feelings.

Kei first enjoyed the pleasant feeling of being patted on the head, and then realized something was wrong. He resisted fiercely and pushed away Amamiya's hand.

"...?! 翅尔叄罒jJi[{uv陕是}"

"You're starting to push your luck right away?!"

Amamiya withdrew her hand, which was 'slightly sore,' and rubbed it while innocently replying, '...This is how I usually interact with Alice, is there a problem?'

【~??~】(from Kei)

【~???~】(from Alice)

“This is a huge problem!”

After a very brief silence, Kei said angrily, "You... if you keep going like this, you'll corrupt the princess sooner or later!"

"so……"

Amamiya blinked, puzzled, and looked at Kei, who seemed about to speak but hesitated: "...So?"

"So...you wicked and despicable adult...don't do this kind of thing to the princess again..."

"To preserve the princess's purity, I will bear this burden on her behalf!"

Amamiya was starting to lose her composure.

OK OK...

They claimed it was for the 'princess,' but they were just doing their own thing.

Amamiya shook his head meaningfully, sighing and teasing, "...What a naughty boy, Kei."

【~??~】(from Kei)

"For the sake of the princess, there is no distinction between good and bad."

"...Yin Liu" "2 (II) Jiu Er Yue Yi..."

Feeling slightly guilty under Amamiya's gaze, Kei inexplicably became a little irritated.

Slightly annoyed, she shifted her gaze and was about to hand over control of her body to Alice when she heard Amamiya's words again.

"Welcome to our partnership... Kei."

"..."

"Ah."

End of volume remarks

Sigh... I never expected this book to reach this level.

I never imagined I could hold on this long...

-

—This reminds me of not long ago when I shamelessly approached the author of "Survival in Azur Lane" and asked him for a favor…

At the time, the expert asked me, "Can you keep writing this?"

My answer was, "Yes, I'm a hardcore P5 player..."

And so I wrote all the way to this point.

(Although the word count still seems a bit low, and whether it's collections or other data, it's less than a tenth of the big shots', so it seems there's no reason or right to say anything...)

(However... for me personally, it's a pretty noteworthy achievement...)

(The longest novel I've ever written is over a million words—but that's where it ends. The later parts just fell apart because of the length issues, and I personally lost my composure, so I'm forcing myself to write this ending.)

(And as everyone knows, Cat's Corner is a place where it's easy to abandon a story and where no one is willing to write a new one... so there's not much psychological pressure about stopping updates...)

-

P.S.: My subscriptions have recently dropped to the point where no matter how hard I try, they keep declining and there's almost no chance of them recovering.

A classic quote from a poor guy: "It's terrifying to open your wallet and not see any money."

It is indeed very hurtful, but... as the novel continues to be written, it is normal for subscriptions and new users to decline.

After all, I don't have the skills of a top performer, nor do I have their mindset...

-

How far can this book go?

I do not know……

Having come this far and achieved such a decent result, I can already celebrate.

-

Okay, that concludes the classic end-of-volume rant.

—The following is a preview of the next volume—

The Lover's Favor

In the Major Arcana, 'Love' is the most special card. This card symbolizes the most important choice in life—a wrong choice leads to eternal judgment.

In the P series, "romance" is almost always the card held by the female protagonist (the designated female protagonist).

Making a choice and embarking on the path of that choice is often a mix of joy and pain.

Only after experiencing the "Fool's Journey" of making choices can one truly begin.

Love and Judgment.

This applies to the plot of a novel.

The same applies to this book (Part 3) Dead Forest 7 (Part 2) | The same applies to it.

Will they be able to survive the true "judgment"...?