I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Blinking her eyes, the girl realized she wasn't on her own bed and quickly understood what was happening.

"An audience in the velvet room...?"

Wearing slippers and with her long, slightly messy, straight golden hair cascading down her back, the girl slowly left her 'rest' spot and looked at the various arcade machines not far away.

These machines were very familiar to Nifumi.

Not long ago, she frequently used these arcade machines to synthesize more powerful Personas, or to transform the otherworldly materials she obtained into equipment that her companions could use.

Upon reaching the center of the arcade, Hifumi saw a green-haired girl sitting at a round tea table, her hands folded on her lap like a lady, her eyes closed and lowered, as if waiting or quietly resting.

"coming……"

The moment she sensed the gaze, the green-haired girl sitting at the tea table slowly opened her eyes, her amber pupils ignited by a layer of divine gold, symbolized by the [Velvet Room Assistant].

"Welcome... to this velvet room, 'the finest guest'."

Hifumi was slightly moved by Meng-senpai's words, which were somewhat different from usual, and had a vague premonition of something unusual.

"You, the untamed messenger who has completed the 'Five Acts of Tragedy'...you have now finally broken through that final, destructive cycle and pushed open the door to a world of infinite possibilities."

Noticing Hifumi standing there in a daze, Yume's voice lost some of its divine quality. She gestured to the seat across the table: "Please sit down... What follows will be a summary of your time here, and the 'proof' I will provide."

Hifumi sat down as instructed by her dream, and soon she noticed a tarot card face down on the table near her.

This tarot card seems to radiate a soft, luminous light, giving people a subtle and pleasant sense of comfort just by being near it.

Since the dream didn't give any instructions, Hifumi 'prudently' didn't turn over the card herself, but instead looked at the dream in the wording of the strategy.

On the table near Meng's seat, there was also a tarot card facing down.

"Your first card is 'The Fool'."

Meng flipped over the tarot cards on her desk and showed her the one facing the sun, symbolizing wealth and prosperity.

The image on the card prominently features a portrait of Hifumi herself, standing in a green field, bathed in sunlight, carrying her backpack and preparing to set off for a distant place.

"The term 'fool' does not mean a stupid person."

Meng chuckled softly, and as she slightly raised her index finger, the tarot card depicting Hifumi's portrait began to glow faintly and float up.

"The Fool equals 0...that's right, it represents 'the beginning of everything.'"

Do you remember your "starting point"?

As Hifumi gazed at the tarot card that was gradually floating to the center of the table, she began to reminisce in a daze.

How could she not remember "the opportunity that started it all"?

It's absurd to think about... That day, I just wanted to collect [the limited-edition Perolo merchandise that's currently only available on the black market]. After some preliminary research, I recklessly entered the black market...

Until the moment she stepped into the black market, she never imagined...

This "reckless act" of mine also became the starting point for my "story of everyday life in my youth".

If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have met Sensei... and I wouldn't have become a phantom thief who travels in another world and corrects school bullying through "repentance".

And so there is none. Now, even the "false god" who attempted to control the world has been defeated, and I am firmly walking on my own path.

"good……"

As Hifumi begins to reminisce about the past, the voice of a dream, along with the gathering of fragments of memory, continues: "Never forget your original intention, and you will achieve your goal. You, the fool... must never forget this most crucial point."

"You can choose to give up everything... but you must never forget your original state of mind."

After a moment of hesitation, Hifumi nodded earnestly in response: "I will not forget your teachings."

Meng chuckled and waved her hand: "It's not really instruction... it's just 'the unfinished entrustment to those who come after,' nothing more."

Hifumi certainly knew that what was called "unfinished" was actually her own dream.

Because he regrets that he could not change the fate of Abydos, he is the 'unfinished one who died halfway'.

"Your past... has been reviewed. Now, let's talk about your future."

Meng tapped the table lightly with her index finger.

The next moment, the surrounding light sources dimmed instantly.

One second the arcade was bustling like a game center, the next it felt like being surrounded by stars, with dazzling lights all around.

Tarot cards, each depicting a different person, rose one after another under the 'direction' of the dream.

With a wave of her hand, the tarot cards that had been out of order were automatically arranged into rows.

"Starting with 'The Fool,' I gained inspiration from 'The Magician.' Then, I encountered 'The Hermit,' 'The Sun,' 'The Moon,' and 'The Chariot'..."

As the dream unfolded, several tarot cards flashed past Hifumi in turn.

The "Magician" card depicts Amamiya casting a glance at her in the black market;

The "Hermit" card depicts a proud and strong-willed "black cat girl" with twin ponytails; the "Sun" card depicts a petite yet powerful "lazy girl" with long pink hair, heterochromatic eyes like a Persian cat.

The "Moon" card depicts a "serious girl" with short hair and red-rimmed glasses, analyzing something intently under the moonlight; the "Chariot" card depicts a "gray wolf girl" with wolf ears, shoulder-length gray hair, and a quiet demeanor as she rides a road bike through the desert like a solitary traveler.

The tarot cards flashed faster and faster. Hifumi saw many familiar figures.

Besides everyone from Abydos, there are three classmates from the tutoring department, Jing who was temporarily pulled in as a companion; and the four-person group from Arios's special squad whom I met recently...

The tarot cards are arranged in a line, each marked with a unique number and the corresponding Major Arcana attribute.

"After embarking on your own unique 'Fool's Journey'... you gradually witnessed many, many things."

"After destroying the 'Tower' of Eden and welcoming the final 'judgment'..."

At this point, Meng fell silent for a long time, seemingly preparing her final conclusion.

"Now... you can turn over the card in front of you."

Amidst a constellation of stars formed by the Major Arcana tarot cards, she spoke softly.

Upon hearing this, Hifumi slowly unveiled the tarot card in front of her.

The portrait on it is still of myself.

However, this is different from the self depicted in the "Fool" tarot card floating before me.

The dream's voice carried a light laugh as she cheerfully announced, "The last card I'm giving you is 'The World' (XXI. The World)."

The tarot cards before her began to glow softly, and then Hifumi saw—at that moment, all the 'stars' gathered there.

"This is the end of the Fool's Journey... but for you, it's just the beginning of another story."

As the Major Arcana points gathered around her, Hifumi noticed that she, who was alone on the "World" card, was gradually surrounded by many more figures.

Behind her appeared a dark-skinned thief in a black trench coat, who spread his coat like wings to protect himself.

Her tutoring club friends and other people she had met on her journey appeared beside her.

These emotions, whether joyful or serene, are all so clearly distinct, devoid of even the slightest trace of negativity.

The sky in the background, which was covered with dark clouds, gradually cleared up as more "comrades" joined.

The World Tree, which symbolized the "Garden of Lies," was also burned to ashes as the companions joined in.

"As long as this power, as long as this deep bond remains by your side."

"Then... your future will never end."

"Take this power called 'the World'... into your own hands."

"This is the best evaluation you deserve after undergoing the 'judgment.'"

Hifumi remained silent, then reached out and held the "World" card between her index and middle fingers.

“From now on… the Velvet Room will still be open to you. However… you will probably not need this power all the time.”

"Your adventures, and your persona... will be recorded in the [Demon Book], which may help the unruly messengers who will embark on the Fool's journey later."

As Meng spoke, she stood up and bowed deeply to Hifumi.

Her figure shattered in that instant into translucent, unidentified birds, drifting away and flying far away.

Hifumi's vision blurred, and then she felt all the equipment around her turn into a wisp of rising light and quietly disappear.

Only the "World" card in his hand remained unchanged.

'Hold the world in your hands... and the world before you will never end.'

The sound of birds flapping their wings and fading into the distance reached the girl's ears.

'Bye now……'

'The velvet room, the "best guest."'

Chapter Three: The Most Resolute Episode of the Dazhu Cult

In the early morning, a cool breeze of early spring blew in through a slightly ajar window from the tutoring center.

The four girls from the cram school sat nervously in a row, looking at the 'proctor' Amamiya sitting on the podium, and the 'patrol proctor'—a girl they didn't recognize with black tail feathers, like crane wings.

Today is a day that will determine your fate...

'The survival of the tutoring center, whether or not everyone drops out—it all hinges on this one battle…'

The blonde girl, her palms sweating with nervousness, tilted her head slightly as she faced the morning light streaming in from the window.

The sunlight bathed her skin in a warm hue, and the gradual warming of early spring brought an unprecedented clarity to the girl's mind.

Although I was nervous, I didn't panic.

After glancing at her friends Hanako, Haru, and Azusa out of the corner of her eye, Hifumi then looked at the test paper in her hand—

Well, these are all projects I've done before, so... for me, it's been easier than ever before!

The questions were of very moderate difficulty for me, so I don't think they'd pose any danger for others to do... right?

With these thoughts in mind, Hifumi began to focus on her exam paper and quickly solve the questions.

Amamiya, acting as the 'proctor,' sat on the podium, looking down at them 'from above.'

Outside the examination hall, members of the tea party occasionally hurried past in the corridor, as if more than one discreet gaze was watching this "special test."

Amamiya, who had a clear view of everything, didn't make any move. She simply rested her chin on her hand and waited lazily.

After my 'short-term tutoring', the girls' academic performance has clearly improved significantly.

No one knows better than Amamiya how much "ability" the girls can demonstrate now.

Even Xiaochun, who was at the bottom of the class academically, has made significant progress in her grades—at least she can catch up with the average members of the Justice Committee.

Needless to say, Azusa was originally chosen by Arius. After using her talent, which was originally intended to be used as a "special agent," for learning, her learning speed progressed so fast that even Amamiya was a little speechless.

As for Hanako... she was originally a 'hidden high-scoring student who deliberately entered the cram school to control her score', so there's not much to say about her.

The speed at which Japanese aesthetics are progressing can only be described as 'astonishing'.

This "special test" can be considered, in many ways, a test that will determine the future of the tutoring department.

—It's not about doing well on the test, it's about doing poorly on the test.

why?

The answer is... if they do poorly on the exam, they can stay in the tutoring department, thus avoiding the vortex of power struggles within Trinity, and at the same time, they can be protected by the tea party, avoiding endless "recruitment" and never having a peaceful day.

The only sounds in the examination room were the occasional pacing of the crane-winged girl as she patrolled back and forth, and the rustling of the girls' pens falling onto the exam papers.

Maintaining this pace, the exam lasted the entire morning.

As for the results of this exam...

As the person in charge of the tea party, Nagisa picked up several test papers on the table and looked through them one by one at the scores given after several corrections and repeated verifications.

"Hifumi-san - 59 points."

"Xiajiang Xiaochun...59 points."

"Bai Zhouzi, still 59 points."

"Finally, it's Urawa Hanako, who still got 59 points."

...around noon, in the meeting room for the tea party.

After reading the report card, Nagisa looked at Hasumi, the highest-ranking representative of the Justice Committee members present; Sakurako, the representative of the Sisters' Guild; and Mina, the representative of the Rescue Knights.