I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

'Speaking of this child, why is her mind filled with such lewd thoughts? Does she think I'm lewd too when she sees me like this?'

Amamiya raised an eyebrow and tentatively greeted, "...Haru?"

'Eek?! ~'

Xiaochun was startled and let out a soft "Eh," then, as if remembering something, she blushed, shrank her neck, and practically crawled into the classroom.

Koharu sat nervously in her seat and began packing her schoolbag, occasionally casting glances at Amamiya as if worried that things might be exposed.

Feeling that Haru's state was somewhat inexplicable, Amamiya decided to use Hecate (love) to listen to her inner thoughts.

'No, I absolutely mustn't get stage fright...'

'Otherwise... if Sensei finds out...'

'If Sensei finds out I brought the "Forbidden Love Book about the Phantom Thief"...'

Amamiya: ...

[A forbidden love story about a phantom thief]?

A monthly masterpiece created by renowned doujinshi artists [Meruru] (IP: Akatsuki Federal Academy) and [Kumiko Akira] (IP address same as above)...?

What is all this?

Amamiya was somewhat baffled by this doujinshi, whose name alone seemed absurd.

However, he did remember the names of both authors.

A strange magazine, perhaps written by a doujinshi author...

Perhaps it will be necessary to investigate this further in the future.

After keeping this idea in mind for the time being, Amamiya, sitting on the podium, would occasionally glance at Koharu below the podium, maintaining the cold and stern demeanor of someone who spent most of their time working, much like a proctor.

If Haru doesn't initiate conversation with Amamiya, Amamiya naturally won't try to make conversation.

Following Koharu, Hanako and Azusa arrived one after another.

It seems that, like Koharu, they were well-prepared for the upcoming exploration of another world.

Azusa brought a small supply box, about half her height, filled with various tactical equipment and ammunition. Even Hanako had prepared a lot of throwables and spare magazines.

Hifumi was the last to arrive—probably because she had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, due to the contact she had last night. Amamiya could clearly see that Hifumi's complexion was not as good as usual.

The girl seemed to be lost in thought, desperately suppressing some kind of 'special emotion', and she also seemed to avoid Amamiya at all costs. It seemed that even being directly stared at by Amamiya made her feel uneasy.

"Um... good morning everyone..."

Hifumi, who seemed a little strange, lowered her head and pursed her lips as she began to take out various 'melee weapons' from the equipment box she had brought.

"These are 'melee weapons' prepared for everyone... obtained using special materials through... special channels."

As Hifumi spoke, she handed Hanako an oversized pair of scissors that could be disassembled into two longswords.

"Oh my~" Hanako seemed a little surprised to receive the pair of scissors, but then she smiled and narrowed her eyes. "A 'weapon' made of materials from another world..."

"I thought Hifumi-chan would give me some special weapon like a 'whip' or a 'candle'~"

Amamiya: ...

A whip and a candle, huh?

After a moment of strange expression, Hifumi chuckled dryly and took out a second weapon from the equipment box—a crowbar that was dark red all over and seemed inconspicuous, but whose sharpness was obvious.

"The weapon prepared for Zi is a crowbar... considering that Zi's style leans towards... practicality?"

Hifumi somewhat vaguely described what she felt as Azusa, then added, "A crowbar can be used as a weapon and a tool... it should be quite suitable."

"..."

The white-haired girl stepped forward solemnly, accepted the crowbar handed to her by Hifumi with both hands, and expressed her sincere gratitude: "Thank you."

Hifumi: "...Ahahaha."

After Zi took the crowbar, she tried swinging it a few times in the air, and then made several large swinging, sweeping, and chopping motions like hitting a baseball or golf ball.

The unique tactile sensation, unlike that of metal, and the comfortable fit that seemed to make it easy to wield no matter how it was moved, surprised Zi for a moment.

How amazing...

Whether it's firearms or melee weapons, the 'feel' of using them should be taken into account.

But this special weapon from another world gives people the feeling that 'once you get your hands on it, you'll know how to use it, like an old friend.'

"at last……"

Hifumi took out the last weapon from the equipment box.

It was a special 'soft sword'.

"The weapon prepared for Xiaochun... is a special kind of 'sword'..."

Recalling the explanation she'd heard from Yume, the assistant in the Velvet Room, Hifumi offered a dry explanation of the coiled, ring-like object: "This type of weapon is called a 'whip sword'...it seems to be a type of cold weapon from the Classic of Mountains and Seas."

Koharu, who received the special melee weapon from Hifumi, immediately understood how to use the weapon she had acquired.

Whip, whip?

Need to swing it to whip the enemy?!

It can stretch?!

It can straighten out...?!

Able to sprint and charge at the enemy...that, that's...

After a complex process of substitution in her mind, Xiaochun suddenly let out a sharp, explosive sound: "This...this kind of weapon...how can it be?!"

"Such weapons... are illegal, prohibited! Death penalty!"

Having anticipated Koharu's reaction, Hifumi could only manage a dry laugh.

However… judging from their reactions, they should be quite satisfied with their weapon choice…

The apprehensive girl finally mustered her courage at this moment, and nervously raised her head little by little, as if she were waiting for the results of an exam, and met Amamiya's gaze.

Amamiya paused slightly and silently gave a thumbs up.

【~???~】

"Hifumi-chan has made ample preparations for advanced weapons. Now, after a little preparation, let's head to the 'other world'."

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Who will awaken their Persona first?

As evening approached, the girls, who had been looking forward to it all day, did not leave the club immediately after school as usual.

After Amamiya finished preparing her lesson plans for the day, they all eagerly gathered around her, looking ready to go and eager to try.

An exciting adventure in another world... is it about to begin?!

"Sensei...can we begin now?"

The blonde girl, already prepared for the upcoming battle and striving to become an "ace" who inspires confidence like Amamiya, asked with radiant enthusiasm.

Seeing the expectant looks on the girls' faces, Amamiya waved his hand calmly: "Don't worry, I've brought an extra helper this time... She's also a 'phantom thief,' she'll be here soon."

Just then, a soft pattering sound came from the window outside the classroom.

'Click'.

A very slight yet crisp sound, the sound of high heels stepping on a hard surface.

Upon hearing the sound, Zi immediately turned her head and instinctively raised the weapon in her hand—then she froze.

This person... seems familiar?

Following the sound, the three girls, including Hifumi, turned around and then saw the tall girl standing on the windowsill. She was dressed in a white, tight-fitting outfit, wearing a white half-face mask, with one hand on her hip and the other holding a cane.

Unlike any other member of their tutoring department...

This woman, upon her arrival, possessed an elegant temperament that none of them had, imbued with a 'romantic and artistic' quality.

"This……"

Hifumi blinked blankly, her mind replaying memories in a frantic flashback.

There's a sense of familiarity... like I've seen this somewhere before... but where...?

Oh right, it seems like it was when I went to the black market to collect MomoFriends merchandise that I was chased by thugs, and that's when I saw Sensei next to me...

After a moment of stunned silence, Hifumi belatedly ran to the windowsill and opened the window from the inside.

Jing wasn't shy at all. Under Zi's wary gaze, Hanako's interested gaze, and Xiaochun's 'alert.jpg' gaze, she bent down and bent over neatly. With a nimble 'cat turn' and 'cat landing', she was inside.

After sensing the gazes of the other three, Jing had already made some predictions about the current situation.

She eventually turned her attention to Hifumi, who was still looking at her, and broke the ice by talking about Hifumi's familiarity with her.

"Little sister, are you perhaps wondering, 'Where have we met before?'"

Hifumi still couldn't be completely sure if she had misremembered.

All she remembered was that Sensei seemed to have a 'cat' with her at the time...

After receiving an uncertain nod from Hifumi, Akira chuckled and said, "The last time we met was when something happened on the black market."

"...Someone I know?"

Upon hearing this, Zi lowered her guard.

Hanako's gaze became increasingly meaningful.

'Does Hifumi have any dealings with one of the "Seven Prisoners"? This could indeed be considered a key element of Nagisa's suspicions...'

After exchanging familiar greetings with the four members of the tutoring club, Akira immediately moved closer to Amamiya.

"How is it? Are all the personnel present? Is the 'wonderful and exciting journey to another world' ready to begin at any time?"

Amamiya nodded, straightened his tie slightly, and then solemnly instructed, "The 'target' we're facing this time might be much more dangerous than last time... Everyone, be prepared to face the danger."

After saying that, Amamiya took out her phone and started typing keywords into the [Otherworld App].

For regular halls, the keywords for entering other worlds are entered in the following format: [Location/Occupation → Name].

However, if the goal is a 'nested palace (composite palace)', then it becomes a bit more complicated.

In addition to these three elements, if you are entering a hall that is 'controlled', it is best to also state the name of the controller.

"The (location) Beatrice (the controller) of the number secrets regards the entire Trinity and Arios branch area (the controlled area) as... a fallen Eden (cognitive distortion)."

Amamiya's seemingly nonsensical and incomprehensible words caused everyone except Hifumi to pause slightly in surprise.

Hifumi, however, immediately became serious.

Only she, who could be considered a 'veteran phantom thief' in terms of experience, knew that these were a series of precise guiding words from the Hall of Apps in another world.

Amamiya's prompt, accompanied by distorted black and red fluctuations that stagnated the world and confused the surrounding space, resounded throughout.

"If you feel dizzy, just close your eyes for a moment and don't look at the scenery around you... it will be fine in a second."

'Om...'

The dizziness, as if they had been thrown into a washing machine, quickly subsided, and the girls slowly opened their eyes.

What appeared before them was a vast expanse of lush green grass, teeming with life.

Towering trees were right in front of them, and bizarre castles, one after another, unfolded from the horizon like building blocks being stacked on top of each other.

"Oh..."

As a newcomer to this other world, Crystal couldn't help but utter a peculiar utterance upon seeing the changes in her surroundings.

It really is... a journey to another world.

Hanako looked up at the sky in a daze, trying her best to gaze at the faint shadow of the 'City of Eden' at the end of the tree canopy—until her neck started to ache, she had no choice but to lower her head.

After looking around again, she asked curiously, "Sensei...where are we...now?"