I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

The grappling hook on his right hand glowed red as it locked onto the enemy.

Amamiya crouched slightly like a cheetah, gathering strength in the shadows.

As 'Angel Shadow' patrolled near the wall where he was hiding, he suddenly leaped up and extended his grappling hook at the unsuspecting Angel Shadow.

'Snapped--'

The sound of the metal wire wrapped around the neck was crisp and exceptionally pleasant.

Amamiya gave his opponent no chance to react. Using the pulling force of the grappling hook, he transformed into a shadowy black shadow that followed him everywhere. In an instant, he arrived on his opponent's shoulder, stepped on his shoulder, and bent down to tear off its mask.

"Show me your true colors!"

Chapter 52 'The Archangel of Eden' - by Mika Seien

"Show me your true colors!"

With a shout from Amamiya signaling the start of the battle, the four-person Arios squad quickly prepared for engagement.

As an 'elite squad', their combat awareness and emergency response are in no way inferior to the five-member countermeasures committee of Abydos.

Almost the instant Amamiya transformed into a dark shadow and charged toward the 'Shadow Angel', Saori had already risen from her cover, set up her gun, and prepared.

Meanwhile, Hiyori, who had temporarily found a high vantage point for sniping, had also set up her gun and entered combat mode.

This seemingly easy-going crybaby, once focused on battle, while still showing slight awkwardness, exudes a level of reliability that is several notches above.

Yajinko followed closely behind and picked up her submachine gun.

Because Misaki's equipment was relatively large (rocket launcher), she did not join the battle immediately, but instead sought an opportunity to provide support.

'laugh--'

Everything seemed to happen slowly, but it happened in an instant.

After the mask symbolizing divinity and benevolence on its face was violently ripped off, the 'Shadow Angel' howled in pain, and its holy wings began to drip a thick, scarlet liquid.

Like Icarus's waxy wings being scorched by flames, they began to melt.

"That despicable fellow... how dare he ambush us, the celestial messengers..."

"You bastards who snuck out of their graves, I'll make you pay the price..."

Amamiya rolled backward and rose from a pile of broken rubble.

"If you want us to pay the price, then you'll have to see if you have the ability to do so."

"Destroyer Emperor" and "Paradise Lost" fell into his hands at the same time. Amamiya raised his head slightly and watched as the angelic monster reformed and took shape.

The dark red mud transformed into a storm, and finally, a pair of light red wings fanned out a hurricane, blowing away the muddy substance.

"That is……"

Saori frowned slightly, composed herself, and examined the 'monster' that had appeared in the 'mud'.

It was an angel who looked somewhat divine, wearing a silver medieval armor, with red wings, a small red flag on his helmet, and holding a sharp blade.

How amazing...

If one didn't see it with their own eyes, who would believe that such an angelic monster, filled with 'unscientific aura,' would appear before their very eyes?

After a brief moment of surprise, Saori felt a strange sense of disgust towards this seemingly respectable person.

Despite having the appearance of an angel, her face was gloomy and dark... making her look more like...

Asuka, standing next to Saori, released the insurance and, with an extremely precise description, perfectly captured Saori's feelings: "A guy who bares his fangs under the guise of justice."

...that's right.

That's the sense of absurdity.

Clearly... the 'phantom thief' sounds and acts more like a 'despicable' character...

Stealing treasures, infiltrating palaces, defeating guards, ambushing enemies... none of these sound or look like things that the side of justice should do, right?

Yet those who do these things, upholding a righteous purpose, don't seem like sneaky thieves at all; they exude a carefree air, appearing and disappearing without a trace.

And what about these 'castle guards' and 'shadow angels'?

Despite their righteous appearance, they are acting as henchmen of the powerful, serving as watchdogs for the masters of the temple...

After a brief moment of confusion, Saori heard Amamiya's soft shout.

"Here comes the moonlit ripples... Everyone get ready and listen to my commands."

Without a second thought, Saori instinctively began to obey Amamiya's methodical commands.

Invisible guiding lines seemed to appear before my eyes, reminding me of what to do next, when to look for an opportunity to attack, and when to choose to retreat...

"The next attack will be a sword attack, be careful... the angel's sword can easily cut through steel."

"'Sniper,' target distance 450 meters, azimuth 45°, currently moving at high altitude, will engage in slashing action in three seconds... Prepare to fire."

"3, 2, 1...shot."

'boom--'

Following Amamiya's precise instructions, he adjusted the angle and fired...

Before Hiyori could even ponder why she instinctively obeyed orders, she witnessed the moment the angel swung her sword, only to have a 20mm sniper bullet slam into her chest.

Without a doubt... the visual effect of such a large-caliber sniper rifle hitting a human or humanoid creature would be quite spectacular.

It can instantly transform life into a blood-red flower.

The students have an extraordinary ability to defend against firearms... but even so, being hit by a 20mm anti-materiel weapon is like being struck by a heavy hammer, causing them to lose their balance momentarily, and they might even be accidentally knocked away.

An angel flying in the air, without any foothold, is obviously meant to be like this.

The angel, whose silver breastplate had been ripped open, was sent flying and tumbled several times in the air before regaining her footing. She let out a heavy groan.

"Be careful, the angel has 'magical abilities'... 'Princess,' it seems to have its eye on you."

With a few quick shots, he dispelled the shadows that had gathered around due to the sounds of battle, and after resolving the danger for Hiyori and Misaki, Amamiya continued to give commands in the team chat.

"The light of the angels can cause blindness... Watch out, it's coming."

"A timely dodge... 'Guards,' prepare for close-range firing, and let 'Princess' provide cover."

……

With the full control of the [Togo System], the battle was about to end without any surprises.

The gleaming silver armor gradually became riddled with holes, and the sword in his hand was on the verge of breaking. The angel, panting on the ground, was knocked down for the last time, and this time he couldn't get up.

"You've got some skills..."

The angel lying on the ground coughed up a mouthful of dark red blood and said in a muffled voice, "...I lost. Kill me or torture me, it's up to you."

Amamiya clapped his hands, gathering the members of Arius's squad who had been temporarily scattered due to the battle.

The four of them, with perfect coordination, formed a triangular encirclement around the fallen, dying angel.

Hey, hold up!

The world around seemed to darken instantly, and then a beam of light fell on the fallen angel, giving him a spotlight that resembled that of a stage protagonist.

"What...do you want to do?"

Saori hesitated for a moment before glancing at Amamiya instead of speaking immediately.

Amamiya gave Saori a look that said, "You're free to do whatever you want," and shrugged.

"We want to ask you some questions. If you answer well, we might consider letting you go."

"...Ask away."

Anyway, I have no right to resist now, and the angel is lying flat.

"...First of all, who sent you? Why are you spying on this place?"

Do you know that 'Archangel of Eden'?

The angel did not answer the question, but instead asked a pointed question in return.

'The archangel of Eden?'

Saori was momentarily stunned, then heard the angel continue, "It's that pink-haired 'Supreme One'."

Saori understood immediately.

Is that Mika Seien from that tea party...?

According to the concept of 'reflection between the virtual and real worlds,' the Garden of Eden refers to the tea party of the Holy Trinity.

“You are sent by that…” Saori paused with a strange expression, “‘Archangel’?”

"Um……"

The angel said dejectedly, "The archangel intends to reconcile 'The Rose Garden of the Mist' with 'Under the World Tree'..."

To put it another way, does this mean that the "Sacred Garden Unflowered" actually acted as a one-way valve to reconcile Arios and the Holy Trinity?

Finding the process of gathering information particularly interesting, Azuko asked her own question while Saori frowned in thought.

"What are your thoughts on the 'Foggy Rose Garden'?"

"...It's complicated. We know this academy shouldn't have to suffer like this...but we're just the lowest level, angels under the command of higher angels, so even if we feel sympathy or have other emotions, it's meaningless. After all, we can't disobey orders."

"..."

"So, what are your thoughts on 'archangels'?"

"Logically speaking, I, as a subordinate, shouldn't have the right to evaluate my superior... but since you asked, I'll just say a few words."

"I think the 'Archangel' is a very good angel... however, she is often taken advantage of because of her kindness and naivety."

The angel coughed up another mouthful of dark red liquid, his voice growing even weaker.

"You're the 'phantom thieves' everyone's talking about, right? If your goal is to change all of this... then... cough cough... I..."

"I suggest... that you... go and explore... the turbulent Garden of Eden."

Chapter Fifty-Three: Beatrice's...Palace?

"I suggest... that you... go and explore... the turbulent Garden of Eden."

The angel's words plunged Arius's team of four into a brief silence.

Having prepared themselves mentally beforehand, and possessing a limited amount of publicly available knowledge about the other world, they naturally understood what the angel was talking about.

After the 'keyword substitution', the angel's intended meaning is that "the tea party is in turmoil for other reasons."

As elites of Arius's special squad, Saori and her three companions were students directly selected by Beatrice, so their 'elite' status is self-evident.

But it was precisely because everyone could understand the angel's words that Arius's team was somewhat 'speechless'.

They are all currently in a state of near-fathomable distress...

"……I see."

After a silence of more than ten seconds, Saori gave a muffled reply.

Feeling that she had gathered enough information, Saori clicked off the safety on her gun, and the cold, gleaming flash suppressor was pointed directly at "Angel".

Misaki silently picked up the rocket launcher;

Seeing this, Hiyori took out a highly adhesive plastic explosive, ready to throw it at any time for a smooth combo of sticking, damaging, and destroying.

Yazuko slightly tightened the trigger.

Amidst the escalating tension, Saori took a breath and spoke in a tone that could be interpreted as 'persuasion to surrender'.

"Then, let's talk about the 'spoils'... How much wealth can you give us? That will determine whether we let you go, give you a quick death... or let you 'leave this world' in a very unpleasant way."

"……hehe."

"Wealth is nothing but an external thing..."

"If you hand over the money and you'll spare me... then..."