I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Just as the atmosphere was about to descend into another long, deathly silence...

Hifumi spoke, her calm voice tinged with a pleading reluctance to face the truth: "Sensei... what we saw..."

Before Amamiya could speak, a sudden voice broke the silence and joined the conversation.

"Yes, it's all true... or rather, it's what was originally meant to be reflected in reality."

Zi, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up: "...Who?"

"I am the one being judged...that who knows the past, the present, and the future...yet bound by a ridiculous fate."

"The voices you convey through 'destiny' will naturally reach my ears... and I will naturally respond."

Everyone's gaze fell upon the blonde girl, who was bound to the pedestal of the cross and appeared to be 'withered and decayed'...

It was too far away to see clearly, so Hifumi had to use her 'third eye' to barely make it out. She could see that the woman hanging on the cross showed no signs of pain; instead, she had a knowing smile on her lips.

Hifumi hesitated before speaking: "...You are, the goddess 'Noren'?"

"Hehe... You are indeed entitled to address me in that way."

"I warn you once again... What you see is a 'inevitable event' that will appear in the not-too-distant future. At that time... we will perish. And you, too, will meet your end with Ragnarok."

They've started playing charades again...

Amamiya was truly impressed by this 'riddle girl' who was always spouting riddles.

After observing Azusa's increasingly strange expression, Amamiya simply interrupted her.

"Noren... since you know our purpose in coming here, you should also know how to 'break the deadlock', right?"

"Hehe...that's natural."

Noren chuckled confidently, paused, and then continued, "It's related to that... 'Ice Witch'."

Amamiya immediately understood 'Noren's' intention.

"what do you mean……"

"Heh... Just as the 'Trickst' guessed."

"For us, this is a catastrophe..."

"But for her, this might also be an opportunity for a new beginning..."

Amamiya nodded knowingly, then knelt down in front of the silent, head bowed, staring intently at the girl whose expression was dark and uncertain, her eyes swirling with a complex mix of emotions.

“Zi…I have a question for you.”

Are you willing to... "make peace with yourself"?

Chapter 41 You've Chosen the Right Person

Are you willing to... "make peace with yourself"?

Faced with Amamiya's seemingly 'bizarre' question, the three girls from the cram school club, excluding Azusa, were stunned and didn't understand what she meant for a moment.

As for Azusa... after hearing Amamiya's words, which sounded both inflammatory and gentle, yet also seemed to come from Dust Star (Tama's [Voice of the Stars] bond), the confusion and entanglement in her eyes gradually calmed down.

In the silence, the white-haired girl slightly raised her eyes, and a ripple appeared in her pale purple eyes, which were as calm as a still lake.

"……What's the meaning?"

It seemed as if she had found the 'path to the future,' or as if a drowning person had grasped at the last straw that could save her life... In short, the girl was no longer lost.

"It means exactly what it says..."

Amamiya said solemnly, "If you can persuade... or rather, if we can persuade 'her (Shadow Azusa)' together, then you can reach a reconciliation and allow her to transform into your own [Persona]."

What Amamiya is describing now is a third way of awakening Persona, besides attacking vital points with weapons containing twilight feathers and burning one's own rebellious spirit.

The way this persona awakens and is summoned is exceptionally unique.

First, there's the method of awakening... First, you need to find the shadow that corresponds to yourself in the other world and try to talk to 'another self'.

If you can confront your own weaknesses, dispel your confusion, and see the truth by dispelling lies... perhaps, your 'other self' will be persuaded.

Then, He will become your persona and assist you from now on.

The awakening of this persona is relatively peaceful, and subsequent summoning is exceptionally simple.

However, this method is far less cool than 'shooting yourself in the groin and facing death head-on'.

It's not as expressive as directly tearing off one's "mask" with blood and skin, and showing one's bloody self to the public.

Amamiya doesn't yet know if Azusa's awakening method will result in the creation of the 'Phantom Thief' outfit'... If her rebellious will hasn't dissipated, then it probably will.

"Making peace with yourself...?"

Hifumi fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

So, there are other ways to awaken one's persona...

Oh, no.

Suddenly realizing something was amiss, she quickly asked, "Sensei... why is the Xiaozhi we're seeing... why is she there? Isn't she right beside us?"

Realizing that her description was becoming increasingly confusing, she grew anxious and unsure of the best way to explain.

Hanako spoke slowly, adding later, "I think... Hifumi... oh, Copain, she wanted to ask why Azusa appeared both here and 'over there' at the same time, right? Why are there two of her?"

With her emerald green eyes brimming with curiosity and inquiry, Hanako looked at Amamiya and asked.

"It's actually quite simple to explain..."

Amamiya made some arrangements and explained the relationship between "cognitive existence" and "roles in the real world".

Firstly, Beatrice believed that the Arios Squad was under her strict control. Azusa, who was placed in Trinity College as a 'hidden pawn', was no exception.

Then... once Beatrice came to the realization that "Alios's squad is an elite squad under my command"...

"Thus……"

Akira stroked the stone wall beside her, and based on Amamiya's words, she made a guess: "The shadow of the [Arios Squad] also exists in another world..."

"So, the 'them' (Azusa and the other Arian students' shadows) who appeared there are not the real-world versions of them."

Amamiya nodded and summarized, "That's the gist of it."

Thinking about it carefully... it seems that this is the first time I've explained this situation to Hifumi.

Previously, when exploring Abydos, Hifumi had only seen the "Shadow Countermeasures Committee," which was controlled by the Kaiser Group, in the Kaiser Group's "Exhibition Area."

The student shadows of those members of the "Shadow Countermeasures Committee" were actually created from sculptures... they weren't real people from the beginning.

"Then let's..."

Realizing that she might not have to kill Azusa, who looked exactly like her 'friend,' Hifumi breathed a slight sigh of relief, then asked hopefully, "Should we... talk to Shadow Azusa next?"

"We definitely need to talk..."

Amamiya looked solemnly at the dense, overwhelming shadows of Arius's students, paused, and then added, "But certainly not now."

"They say two fists can't beat four hands... If we 'charge in' now, we'll definitely be targeted by a large group of Arios students. Even if Copain can use his 'trump card' (Satanyel) to take them down, then the negotiations with Shadow Azusa will just fall through, won't they?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Hifumi realized that made sense.

After surveying the sheer number of 'student shadows' that was enough to make one's scalp tingle, Hifumi steadied herself and gained a clearer understanding of "Satan's" abilities once again.

'Sensei showed no fear whatsoever, and even told me that Satanyal could disregard so many enemies…'

'Since Satanyael is Sensei's 'ultimate mask,' if it's not an exaggeration... then, when I use Satanyael, I can indeed...'

"But once we 'break in' and defeat the shadow of one of Arios's students, it's tantamount to becoming completely hostile to Azusa. Given Azusa's personality, once they become completely hostile, there's no room for negotiation..."

"Then let's wait patiently."

After letting out a shallow sigh of relief, Hifumi, as the team leader, made the next temporary decision.

"Hehe... A wise choice."

"Step by step, that's the style of a 'phantom thief'..."

Seeing that Hifumi did not act impulsively, Amamiya and Akira, who were equally "experienced," both breathed a sigh of relief.

Akira nodded slowly, then looked at Amamiya with surprise.

【~???~】(from Jing)

"Is this the 'phantom thief experience' you taught me...? It certainly is. The more tense things get, the less you can panic... Patiently lie in wait, waiting for the right opportunity to strike—that's the true essence of a 'phantom thief.'"

Amamiya returned a trusting look.

'I believe she's not such a reckless child... although she can be "reckless" at times, it shouldn't be when it involves her friends.'

The true "ace" is to show composure and make the most successful decisions in front of your partners.

Amamiya and his group squatted in the shade of the building for a short while, which felt like about an hour later... the 'banquet' seemed to finally end.

The shadows of the large, dark mass of students from the Arius branch school that had been looming nearby slowly receded.

As an 'elite guard', Shadow Azusa was given the order to 'monitor at all times'. She did not follow the retreat, but looked at the distant dawn and occasionally glanced at 'Noren (Saint Aya)' who was tied to the cross, seemingly lost in thought.

"...It's time."

After confirming that the surrounding shadow reaction had almost completely subsided, leaving only Shadow Azusa, Amamiya, who had been crouching for a long time, stood up.

Upon hearing this, the girls, who had been resting, stood up one by one, full of energy.

After observing through the gaps between the buildings and 'Shadow Azusa', Amamiya meandered through the forest for a short while until he reached the vicinity of 'Shadow Azusa', at which point he completely withdrew the invisible presence of [Raul (The Fool)].

"……who?!"

The highly alert Zi immediately drew her gun, turned around, and looked back—

Her face was covered by a gas mask, and it didn't have the typical dark, shadowy appearance that made communication almost impossible until her true face was revealed.

After aiming her gun at Amamiya and her group, she seemed to pause for a moment.

"...It's you guys, and..."

She relaxed her guard slightly, at least not pulling the trigger as if she was about to fire immediately.

After fixing her gaze on the seemingly hesitant 'other self,' she let out a deep, enigmatic sigh through the mask.

"Me from another world...?"

Her expression betrayed neither joy nor sorrow as she looked at Amamiya and her group from a distance: "Don't come any closer... let's keep this distance when we talk."

Amamiya, who was walking at the front of the group, immediately stopped with a friendly expression and spread his hands to indicate that he was not hiding any weapons.

"Listen to you."

Amamiya's extremely approachable attitude made 'Shadow Azusa' lower her guard even more.

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

Azusa, standing beside Hifumi, faces her own 'other self', which is far away from her.

She wasn't wearing a mask; instead, she stood quietly in place.

“We…are here to persuade you. I’ve brought…the phantom thief. I can, now, save ‘you’.”

To demonstrate 'credibility,' she awkwardly explained while moving closer to Amamiya. Then, under Hifumi's slightly surprised gaze, she tugged at Amamiya's sleeve and did what she thought was 'cute.'

Shadow Azusa looked at her 'pretentious' self and remained silent for a long time.

"...Salvation?"

"..."

After another long, complex sigh, Shadow Zi put down his gun and chuckled softly.

That's one way of saying it...

"You seem to have never believed that a 'phantom thief' could bring you salvation."

Even now... with him right beside you, you still feel the same way.

"Hesitating, timid... I never mustered the courage to use excuses like not having found an opportunity or 'the seniors will handle everything' to shirk my responsibility and refuse the chance to ask him for help."

Zi: "..."

She clenched her fists slightly and fell silent.