I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

【~???~】

Nagisa nodded gently.

"Then, once you are ready, please come to Trinity by dispatch."

She immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you for your help, Sensei. With your help and adjustments, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

[...I sensed a change in Nagisa's emotions.]

Coopation is now unblocked!

……

"I am you, and you are me."

"Here you receive a new covenant."

"The agreement is precisely what is meant by 'to cut through the fog and clear away the thorns.'"

The fog of lies and the thorns of despair will be woven into threads.

"However, you will surely overcome all obstacles to be reborn."

"Here you now receive the ultimate covenant of the 'High Priestess'."

"I bestow upon you boundless power to pierce through fog and cut through thorns..."

【Kirito Nagisa (The High Priestess) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

……

[Bond Ability ★1 'Threads of Mist' has been unlocked!]

'Hmm...'

Upon hearing Ravenda's soft, almost aristocratic voice singing, Amamiya was momentarily taken aback.

Nagisa is the second tea party student, after Seiya, to receive special treatment regarding the lyrics...

Given the importance of the students who sang special lyrics, Nagisa's intentions also seem to be very crucial.

But speaking of which... why is it that among the three-person group at the tea party, only Mika doesn't have any special lyrics?

'...'

Lost in thought, Amamiya suddenly recalled the story of the so-called "righteous detective" she had once "dealt with" on the TV show "Midnight Television World".

When a certain relationship develops in Arcana, or as the story progresses and Arcana takes a turn for the better... at that time, there will be special lyrics about 're-establishing a relationship' or 'the bond relationship taking a turn for the better'.

No... I'll just wait here.

Slightly surprised by her own guess, Amamiya temporarily suppressed the doubts that had been nagging at her.

"call……"

Seemingly relieved to have gotten rid of a troublesome person, Nagisa put down her teacup, glanced at the unresponsive Seiya, and then suddenly spoke in a low voice.

"It's not easy for the hosts of the tea party to get together..."

“Saintya…this is a rare opportunity to formally receive Sensei. Aren’t you going to say anything?”

The fox-eared girl, with her eyes lowered and closed, seemed to be in a different world, and slightly opened her eyes.

"Um……"

She sounded as if she had just woken up, her voice still drowsy and almost sleepy: "...Is it over?"

Her bright, pale yellow-gold eyes reflected her gaze as she looked at Amamiya. After pausing for a moment, the petite and adorable girl naturally revealed a serene smile.

"...Move towards the future you believe in."

【~???~】(from Saint Ya)

After uttering this riddle, which seemed to carry a sense of anticipation, she lowered her eyelids again, adopting a drowsy and sleepy demeanor.

Nagisa felt helpless about Saintia's behavior of not knowing whether the post was even there or not, and simply not wanting to say anything.

After sighing and rubbing his forehead, Nagisa immediately became serious again: "Then, please take care of me from now on, Sensei. I will also be the host of the tea party and help you make sure everything goes smoothly."

"We look forward to your performance, and..."

"The changes it brought to the members of the tutoring department."

Chapter Twenty-Four: Hifumi gradually embarked on a path of no return...

"Phew... I barely managed to fool everyone's doubts..."

Dragging her tired body back to her residence, Hifumi sighed wearily with a sullen face.

"Next time... I must be more careful next time..."

She kept reminding herself as she took a bath, her mind hazy, and began to formulate her next 'action plan'.

Now that I have acquired the 'Untamed Talent,' I can subdue powerful Personas to fight for me... Moreover, if the Velvet Room is ready, I should also be able to enter it and craft effective equipment for myself and my companions...

However, with the unlocking of the 'new ability,' a new crisis also followed—

The 'temple erosion' is a maze of lies and thorns of despair, a temple shared by all Trinity students...

Thinking of the battle that took place deep in the desert, Hifumi felt a vague sense of unease.

By the time the final battle to reclaim the future took place, the Caesars Group's headquarters had become such a massive undertaking...

Once we reach the World Tree, determine the infiltration route, and climb the halls to plunder the treasures, the scene will probably be even more spectacular, right?

At that time, will I become seen by others as a "selfish person" who "only thinks of himself" and "fights for himself"?

If, if you were to be treated with such disapproval, denial, and endless negativity from all the students of Trinity...

Can I, too, fight on without hesitation, just like the Phantom Thieves who once fought to reclaim the world from God's hands even when everyone doubted them?

Wearing a loose-fitting set of Pellolo-themed pajamas, and hugging a long cushion, I lay on the bed, my mind wandering through all sorts of thoughts...

Amidst the complex emotions, the blonde girl's breathing gradually became long and gentle.

"BGM: All Souls of All Humans"

'Splash... splash...'

The clanging of chains, accompanying the girl as she drifted off to sleep, came from afar and then transformed into a chaotic cacophony, like the electronic music emanating from an arcade machine.

“Ugh…”

As she gradually regained consciousness, Hifumi subconsciously sat up... and then she realized that she wasn't in her own room...?

The soft, furry texture beneath my feet and beside me... this feeling should be...

"The Momo Friends Special Izayoi (Part 4) V (Part 6) Exhibition Area in the Arcade..."

Shaking her head to clear the lingering feeling of grogginess from her mind, Hifumi began to look around at her surroundings.

This place seems to be an 'amusement park' filled with electronic pixel art style.

Looking around, Nifumi could easily spot a number of oddly shaped machines, such as fruit machines, coin pushers, claw machines, light gun shooting games, and motorcycle racing games.

"Is this... an arcade...?"

After realizing her location, Hifumi felt as if everything around her had been given a super-high-definition filter instead of pixel art.

A strange, yet familiar, voice rang in my ears—the soft, melodious singing of a young girl.

"Welcome to my velvet room. This is a place located at the juncture between dreams and reality, spirit and matter."

As the sound appeared, Hifumi clearly sensed that someone was breaking through the darkness and coming.

She wore an elegant, ankle-length sky-blue dress, held a book that looked like a riot shield with exaggerated proportions, had light green hair and golden-brown eyes, and seemed to exude a natural warmth like the sun in every smile and gesture.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time… the Unruly Messenger who possesses the 'Fool' Arcana.”

'Velvet Room...'

Hifumi blankly repeated the words that came from the girl in front of her, who was dressed in a velvet assistant outfit.

Hifumi had previously confirmed with Amamiya that she was allowed access to the Velvet Room.

So, it's not surprising at all.

What truly surprised Hifumi was the green-haired girl's appearance and voice, which were almost identical to her own impression of her.

“Osiris… no,” Hifumi paused in surprise, took a deep breath, and continued incredulously, “‘Gardenia Dream’… classmate?”

【~???~】

'Huh...? That's strange...'

'Did I just hear some strange noise...?'

"Oh my... Is this someone Hoshino-chan knows?"

She clapped her hands lightly, seemingly happy, but a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of melancholy crossed her face.

"Hmm... I can indeed be considered the 'Gardenia Dream' classmate you know."

After a moment of sadness, she quickly cheered up and instantly transformed into a cheerful and energetic person: "...Let's not talk about those sad memories anymore."

"Let me introduce myself—I am Gardenia Dream, an assistant in the Velvet Room... responsible for connecting with the [Unruly Messenger], assisting the [Unruly Messenger] in strengthening, synthesizing, and updating their Persona."

As she spoke, Meng turned around, clamped the enormous Demon Encyclopedia between her calves, and then made a gesture of 'reflection' by spreading her arms out, indicating to Hifumi to check the various machines around her.

Hifumi's mind was still a bit confused, and she didn't immediately understand why 'Yume-senpai' would become the assistant in the Velvet Room.

However, she reacted quickly, following the hints in the dream, and immediately looked at the various machines around her.

She then realized that the machines around her that looked like game consoles had different actual functions than she had imagined.

The 'Velvet Room' that I saw in the game is actually a prison cell... which signifies Sensei's previous imprisonment.

The persona synthesis devices used in the prisons are, of course, various instruments of torture...

His own 'Velvet Room' is a game center... so the tools he uses to synthesize Personas are, of course, various arcade machines...

Yes, in the Ganges.

"See these 'game consoles'?—" Meng deliberately drew out her words slightly, "They...will become your 'special helpers' in the future, you know?"

Bending down, Meng picked up the Demon's Encyclopedia that had been tucked between her calves. She closed her eyes and pondered what she should do next.

She suddenly stopped talking as if she had caught something, and Hifumi looked at her nervously, somewhat puzzled.

"..."

"..."

After a silence of about ten seconds, Meng seemed to suddenly remember something and coughed lightly: "Oh...right..."

"As an assistant to the 'Velvet Room,' the one who wields power... I should tell you about the various matters concerning the Velvet Room..."

The captured Personas can be logged into the Velvet Room.

Once the mask's level and strength have increased, you can also log in to the Velvet Room.

Various machines can be used to try synthesizing masks, and then weaponizing, equipping, or turning them into props...

You need to complete the Demon Compendium and gradually deepen your relationships with other targets before you can unlock the synthesis of the ultimate Persona...

After reciting the mechanics that Hifumi had roughly learned through the game in one breath, Yume smiled and looked at Hifumi.

"So... is there anything you need to do? — The machine is still under maintenance and will be ready for use when you come back next time. However, it can already be used normally to view the Demon Encyclopedia or other basic functions."

After a moment's thought, it seemed that all she could do at the moment was try to synthesize a mask and... check the Book of Demons?

Considering this might be a good opportunity to familiarize herself with the tutorial, Hifumi decided to do something anyway.

"Then let's try... synthesizing the Persona first?"

Chapter Twenty-Five: Hifumi: What is this? A Sin Armor-Piercing Round? I'll use it.

The excited young woman did not lose her composure. After carefully considering her words, she politely asked, "...How should I complete my 'mask synthesis'?"

Meng seemed to spend a second or two figuring out the functions of the machines before pointing to a large machine that looked like a "777 lottery machine".