I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Perhaps considering that Amamiya might not understand or dislike such lengthy prayers, she ultimately simplified the 'prayer' she was about to say into a gentle blessing.

What a good kid...

Amamiya returned a smile: "Well then... thank you for your congratulations, this... unknown nun."

【~???~】

Seemingly because her identity had been mentioned, the girl who felt 'acknowledged' gradually slowed her pace, lowered her head and pondered for a moment—then she suddenly realized that something seemed a little off.

Currently, everyone is talking about Sensei's 'heart-stealing ability'... and calling him the 'heart-stealing phantom thief'...

Is it really appropriate to use 'light' to bless a phantom thief who walks the dark world of desire every day, steals the sins of evil people, and makes the target repent psychologically?

Mary's cat ears on her head gradually drooped slightly due to her guilty conscience. She hesitated for a moment, then ultimately couldn't say anything.

Could it be... that we should make her switch to 'Shadow Blessing'? To bless Sensei so she can thrive in the darkness?

No, no, no... it just feels a little strange no matter how you look at it.

After hesitating for about a second or two, Mary fell into deep self-doubt.

'Phantom thief' and 'nun'... they seem to be completely contradictory, both in terms of their sound and the feelings they evoke.

"Th-that...Sensei?"

Amamiya waved her hand at Mary, who was hesitant to speak and wanted to correct her prayer (blessing) but didn't know what to say.

"Although I'm a phantom thief in an unknown 'other world,' in reality, I'm just Xia Lai's Sensei."

He naturally moved closer to the girl, lowered his head slightly, and briefly met her clear, bluish-green eyes, which seemed to carry a hint of 'divinity'.

"This...unknown nun doesn't need to feel ashamed for making a mistake in her 'prayer'."

"..."

【~???~】

"That, that..."

Mary slightly averted her gaze, about to cautiously remind him that "you're standing too close."

However, she then heard Amamiya ask again: "It is said that those who are closest to the edge of desire are also the most easily corrupted by it... Even a heart-stealing phantom thief who can infiltrate the mind may feel uncomfortable because he 'saw the ugliness of the heart'."

"So... before I came to Kivotos, I would occasionally go to the confessional in the church to clear my mind and find myself again."

"……Why?!"

Mary froze, instinctively looking up to meet Amamiya's gaze—

After a brief exchange of glances, she was slightly surprised to find that... what Amamiya said might actually be true.

For some reason... it seems to be just a matter of whether she observes carefully or not, but she can sense an inexplicable, very approachable aura from Amamiya, which also carries a hint of special charm.

Although previously there was no knowledge of it, and even the various ancient texts of Kiwatos contained very little information about it—

For a moment, Mary was in a daze, but a word she had never heard of before, which sounded like a neologism, and the image of a 'special clergyman' that the word represented, involuntarily appeared in her mind.

'Sensei's aura... seems to be like... a priest...'

Some qualities cannot be faked.

Through her careful observation, Mary was finally able to confirm that the Sensei's words were not an excuse to approach her.

Before he came to Kivotos, before he became a Sensei... he must have really gone to church often.

We should do as he said, practice repentance, and relax...

(And also befriending the 'star female chess player' who plays chess – Togo Ichifumi.)

“Is, is that so…”

After a slightly flustered look away, Mary became somewhat at a loss again.

Suddenly, she realized that she hadn't had a chance to introduce herself.

My 'acquaintance' with Sensei was filled with seemingly predestined coincidences...

“All encounters are predestined… I am Elizabeth Illomary, an ordinary nun of the Sisters of the Order. Please take care of me from now on, teacher.”

After 'seriously savoring' the name, Amamiya sincerely 'admired' it: "Iromari... what a nice name."

【~??~】

After such a brief self-introduction, Mary fell silent again.

She seemed to be carefully observing Amamiya, hesitating whether or not to extend an invitation—

With her current "charm" and "thoughtfulness," she's more than capable of winning Mary's heart...!

After a slight hesitation, Mary still believed that Sensei, who was very gentle with his students, should not be left to suppress his inner pressure alone.

As it happens, I am a nun... Although I am slightly inferior to my seniors, I can still do a good job of the most basic 'listening' and 'solving problems'...

Since Sensei can help most students relieve their difficulties and stress...

In return, I should do what a nun should do—understand Sensei's predicament, and even if I can't do my part, I should at least be a good listener.

"Um...Sensei, you mentioned before... that you occasionally go to church to confess in the confessional and relax there...?"

Amamiya nodded decisively.

"If...if..."

She steadied her slightly erratic breathing, paused, and then continued, "If you, Sensei... still have similar habits, you can come to the Cathedral of Holy Trinity..."

"If you don't mind... please add my contact information...!"

"I can help you sort out your inner thoughts and relieve the stress in your heart...!"

Amamiya was slightly surprised, thinking to herself that this child was truly... as adorable as a lotus emerging from the water.

Among the students he knew from Kivotos, he was a breath of fresh air.

Amamiya nodded in agreement as she took out her phone, "That's wonderful..."

[...I felt Mary's love.]

Coopation is now unblocked!

【Ilomarie (Star) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★1 Ability: 'The Nun's Confession' has been unlocked!]

After scanning Mary's QR code and adding her contact information, Amamiya waved goodbye to her amidst her calm and gentle farewell.

"Next, I should go to the seminar and check on Yuka's situation..."

Chapter Sixteen: I Miss You, President

After saying goodbye to Mary, Amamiya boarded the high-speed train to Millennium Academy.

As he bought his ticket, entered the station, found his seat, and settled down, the world around him seemed to fall silent instantly.

'Jingle Bell……'

'Jingle Bell……'

"████ Station, ████ Station has arrived..."

"Passengers disembarking, please take your luggage and make sure your personal belongings are not lost..."

'Splash... splash...'

The crisp clanging of chains followed, and then the spectacular sight of dusk and dawn intertwining once again appeared before Amamiya's eyes.

Without even thinking, Amamiya knew what he was going to do next—

After taking the World Tarot card from her chest and placing it in her palm, Amamiya noticed that the card began to gradually ignite clusters of leaping and churning eerie blue flames.

The flames scorched from his fingertips, fled, and suddenly drifted to the carriage on the twilight side, taking the shape of a girl who seemed to be covered in wounds, yet was still smiling happily.

The train seemed to have reached a coastline, and its speed gradually decreased—Amamiya could even clearly see the scene reflected in the window behind the blue-haired girl's long, inwardly highlighted hair, which swayed in the wind.

It was a sea at sunset, the setting sun hanging low on the water, forming a complete circle with its reflection.

The sea glistens with light and foam splashes everywhere. Rows of seemingly abandoned school desks stretch as far as the horizon, even extending to the distant and unreachable sea.

If Amamiya truly doesn't realize that [this situation is somewhat similar to the environment of the Shitten Box where Alona is], then all his experience as a phantom thief will have been wasted.

"you……"

The young girl's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something to congratulate her, but the words ultimately turned into a smile in the setting sun.

"..."

【~???~】

Her gaze seemed to soften and become gentler, and the slight melancholy in the girl's sea-blue eyes gradually dissipated.

Then, for the first time, she rose from among the carriages where dawn and dusk were intertwined, and stood before the 'dawn-dusk line' in the middle of the train, so clear it seemed like a barrier between two worlds.

After standing still, the girl put her hands behind her back and used a "forward bow and tilted head gesture unique to anime girls" to look at Amamiya sitting opposite her, who seemed very close to her yet also very far away.

After pausing briefly here, she didn't hesitate any longer and took a small step forward—

With a whoosh, clusters of light blue flames rose from the hem of his clothes, the ends of his hair, and the hem of his skirt, as if to punish her for overstepping her boundaries and burn her to ashes.

Seemingly having anticipated this, the chairman only paused briefly before continuing with his actions as if nothing had happened.

Finally, she crossed the seemingly calm 'barrier of flames,' as if traversing an immeasurable distance, and arrived before Amamiya.

She naturally sat down in an empty seat next to Amamiya, and with the ease of 'longtime lovers', took Amamiya's dominant hand.

"Congratulations, My Trickst. Once again, you've nipped a crisis in the bud before it even began to escalate."

"Your speed in detecting and dealing with danger in advance... is always as good as ever."

The girl's palms seemed to be flickering with flames, which gave them a strange temperature.

"Perhaps I can answer you with 'I have fulfilled my mission'?"

"Ha ha……"

The sea-colored fairy girl paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"Perhaps so..."

After a meaningless exchange of pleasantries, she looked somewhat absentmindedly at the sunrise and rosy dawn behind the carriage on the Amamiya side.

The train's slowing down became increasingly noticeable, as if it were about to pull into the station and prepare to stop...

The girl sighed softly, her clear eyes revealing a sense of reluctance.

"The breeze feels so nice..."

Amamiya: "..."

Amamiya, whose DNA was touched by this word, had already begun to naturally play the background music called "Kimi no Kioku" in her mind.

Don't suddenly make a seemingly reasonable prediction...

Amamiya smiled helplessly, letting her naturally lean on his lap and continue talking like a 'spoiled girlfriend'.

"This is the first time I've felt the 'passage of time' so clearly. But this precious time we can spend together like this is almost over..."

Amamiya reached out and pinched her cheek, otherwise just quietly looked at her, gazing at the girl lying on his lap from such a peculiar angle.

The student council president continued to ramble on, seemingly oblivious to Amamiya's actions...

No, there are still some.

Because Amamiya would pinch her cheeks from time to time, her speech would sometimes become a little unclear.

Although she was speaking in a serious tone, her occasional slurred speech actually diminished the sense of 'sadness and melancholy' and made her seem charming and adorable.

"After witnessing you resolve these crises time and time again... I... finally understand a little bit."

"At the same time, trying to give a mission, fulfilling the mission given to you, and considering everyone's needs is such a difficult thing..."

“I saw your expectations…and at the same time, I also felt…the ‘possibilities’ you brought. So, what started as a mere transaction with you now desires…”