I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

[Rule 3: Each player starts with 20 bullets. Players must maintain a hit rate of at least 60% to qualify and receive a prize.]

[Rule 4: If a player's hit rate reaches 90% or higher, they will win the 'jackpot'.]

[Rule 5: Provided the hit rate is satisfactory, the player's final score will determine the rarity of the prize.]

After reading the rules, Amamiya smirked, thinking to himself, "What kind of unfair terms are these?"

No wonder this stall is deserted...

The game rules are so outrageous that you have to pay 100 million yen to register... This is probably an amount that the students of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons would have to save up for a year and a half.

Simply signing up for the game isn't enough. Even if you've wasted your money, you still need to maintain a high accuracy and score in the subsequent "balloon popping" round to ensure you win a reward that's worth it...

Is this really a place to welcome "those who are destined to meet"?

Was it not for receiving "people from Youyuan"?

Izuna also saw this rule.

However, compared to Amamiya's immediate sensitivity to the game mechanics, Izuna, after carefully reading the rules, immediately remarked, "It looks like an extremely difficult challenge..."

It seems that Izuna has the ability to 'participate in the game'.

Or perhaps Izuna didn't realize just how strict these so-called game conditions were.

Amamiya sighed silently, then looked at the stall owner and asked, "Could I see the prize list first?"

The stall owner chuckled mysteriously, "Of course... you can."

"If the customer can get the lowest score while maintaining a passing hit rate... the guaranteed reward is a complete set of well-designed clothing that can sell for at least 150 million credits."

Amamiya narrowed her eyes slightly: Clothing?

Noticing the surprise in Amamiya's eyes, the stall owner didn't waste any words and directly showed his identity badge.

"You can call me Kuzunoha. In the fashion design industry... at least in the Hyakki Yagyō region, I can be considered somewhat well-known."

The girl chuckled, her words carrying a hint of manipulation: "You... do you have 'clothes you want to design' in mind? You must have one..."

"Whether it's the 'Twelve-Layered Robe' lost in the cracks of history, the 'Phoenix Coronet and Embroidered Robe' recorded in the lost ancient books of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, or the 'Obsidian Robe' of legend in Gehenna that can make the wearer look like an elegant black swan... Heh."

"There's nothing I can't do, only things you can't imagine."

Amamiya: "..."

The girl who called herself 'Kyujinoha' spoke words that were clearly meant for her own ears, causing Amamiya to lower her eyes slightly.

Amamiya didn't know what the records in Givotos were like...

But at least outside of Kivotos, the clothes the girl mentioned can indeed be found—and without exception, they all point to very specific locations.

These different names are all literally "wedding dress".

Leaving aside the twelve-layered kimono and the phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, two well-known clothing sets that have been circulating outside of Kivotos for a long time...

Let's just talk about that so-called "Obsidian Garment".

If Amamiya remembers correctly, outside of Giwatos, it has another name—"Obsidian Wedding Dress".

This is a very unique black wedding dress design that existed even before the Victorian era.

Unlike the pure white of traditional wedding gowns, this black wedding suit, almost entirely composed of obsidian black, symbolizes a different meaning—[unwavering love until death]; [I will not be stained with any color other than yours].

This is a rather ancient 'marriage custom'.

It wasn't until the Victorian era that the "obsidian wedding dress" was gradually replaced by the "pure white wedding dress" and gained wider acceptance.

It was precisely because Amamiya knew so much that she was so surprised.

He looked at the girl who was smiling silently at him, and who called herself 'Kyujinoha'.

As a fashion designer... is it possible for her to know so much?

Kuzunoha didn't seem inclined to explain further, but simply asked casually, "Guest, would you like to try it out? If you do, there's a surprise waiting for you."

In order to prevent Izuna from wasting his money, Amamiya nodded: "Then let's give it a try."

After paying with his own card, Amamiya picked up the pistol placed on the target table, checked it briefly, and then raised his hand to try aiming at the moving balloon target about 30 meters away.

"Let's use a pistol as the weapon, and select the moving target. As for the movement speed, choose the highest setting."

The girl who called herself Kuzunoha didn't seem surprised by Amamiya's choice.

But she still asked in a tone of "unexpected surprise".

"Are you sure, sir? Shooting a moving pistol at 30 meters is quite difficult, you know? Of course, the score multiplier is also very high... If you can maintain a hit rate of over 60%, you'll definitely win the grand prize in one round!"

Amamiya nodded, then focused his mind and activated the [Third Eye].

"So……"

Seeing that Amamiya was ready, the girl chuckled, "Let's begin~"

The girl, who called herself Kuzunoha, smiled even more deeply.

She pressed the button in her hand, and the balloon target in front of Amamiya began to move erratically at an unbelievable high speed.

However, this did not stump Amamiya.

With his extensive experience as a phantom thief and the assistance of his third eye, Amamiya's shots never missed, emptying the magazine in ten seconds.

On average, it fires two shots per second, and the interval between aiming and pulling the trigger is no more than 0.5 seconds.

As for the result... naturally, it was all correct.

"Wow...! This guest is truly amazing! You've set records for both 'fastest' and 'highest accuracy' at the same time!"

"How could the customer achieve a 100% hit rate while maintaining such a high rate of fire and targeting a fast-moving target?!"

"This is your well-deserved grand prize, a special gift prepared by our booth for the 'Cherry Blossom Festival'—"

As expected, the girl who called herself Kuzunoha happily handed over the so-called "grand prize" to Amamiya.

She carried a box that looked like a luxury clothing case from behind the stall and placed it on the ground in front of Amamiya with a 'bang'.

"This is the ultimate prize specially prepared for the 'little one' beside you~"

With a meaningful smile, the girl who called herself 'Kyujinoha' seemed to have achieved her initial goal.

She didn't even bother to pack up her stall. Instead, she turned around, waving her folding fan, and with her wooden clogs, her figure disappeared into the night.

Wishing you both a perfect experience at the cherry blossom festival!

Watching the other person's figure disappear into the night, Amamiya had no intention of chasing after them to ask for details. Instead, she looked at Izuna, who picked up the gift box with a "whoosh~".

Using his "third eye" ability, Amamiya can clearly see what's inside the gift box.

That's a set...

A pure white Japanese-style dress.

Amamiya had no idea what this dress was called in Kivotos.

However, it enjoys an extremely prestigious reputation outside of Kivotos.

In Japanese Shinto shrine weddings, the bride wears a white outfit with red trim, called a "Shiromuku" (white kimono).

This outfit even takes into account Izuna's fox ears on her head and her fox tail behind her, with special designs made specifically for both aspects.

In addition, considering the 'fox' element in Izuna, even personal stylistic modifications similar to those of Inari (Mikoto) were made.

It's really strange...

The stall owner who called herself "Kujin Noiwa" seemed to have planned this all along, as if she came just to give away a piece of clothing.

What exactly is going on with her?

Amamiya was filled with doubts. He tried to track 'Kutsunoha's' figure with his [Ariadne's Thread]—and then found that her figure became faintly visible after being tracked to the foot of the sacred tree.

If further investigation were required, Amamiya would have to resort to some special measures that should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

really weird……

This was the first time Amamiya had encountered a special situation where he couldn't track someone down unless he "went to the bathroom".

Is it the manifestation of something "mysterious"?

Paranormal events whose underlying principles cannot be explained?

Could it be that the "sacred tree" has manifested its power?

Could it be that the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons also includes "cyber ghosts" that Amamiya doesn't currently recognize?

In reality, it's all the work of that "cyber ghost" we don't know yet.

Amamiya narrowed his eyes, and after some consideration, decided not to investigate further for the time being.

Gathering her doubts, Amamiya then looked at Izuna.

"It's getting late. Shall we wander around the neighborhood for a bit and then head back?"

Chapter Seventeen: The White Kimono and the Fox-Bride

"What would a million-dollar outfit look like...?"

Fireworks continued to rise, blooming under the star-studded dome, dyeing the night sky a fleeting, iridescent hue.

The fox-eared girl beside him was carrying a gorgeous little box containing specially made clothes, and she followed Amamiya with a "whoosh, whoosh" sound, seemingly unable to suppress her curiosity any longer.

In the small courtyard specially set aside by Baiye Hall for Amamiya to rest in, the clear sound of the bamboo tubes used to startle deer tapping on the stones becomes the main melody that embellishes the tranquility of the courtyard.

Amamiya walked into the quiet courtyard, carrying a heavy and exquisite wooden box. The girl behind her followed closely behind, and with a nimble kick, she closed the door.

Swinging her tail, she carefully placed the large wooden box on the corridor in the courtyard, then looked at Amamiya with a pair of golden eyes that glowed faintly in the night.

"My lord! My lord... has Izuna been able to open this 'mysterious prize'?!"

Amamiya was still pondering his "encounter at the cherry blossom festival," and calmly nodded as he met the girl's eyes, which glowed faintly in the night.

"After all, this is the 'ultimate prize' specially prepared for Izuna, so of course Izuna can open it and take a look."

"What kind of clothes will they be...?"

With anticipation in his heart, Izuna slowly and ritualistically pushed open the top lid of the intricately carved, heavy wooden box.

Before I even saw the clothes, a faint, lingering fragrance, similar to that of a sachet, wafted into my nostrils.

"smell good……"

Subconsciously sighing softly, Izuna bent down and reached into the box, trying to take the clothes out directly.

Upon touching it, the unprecedented smoothness, as if it possessed a kind of natural, tail-like texture, made Izuna's eyes light up after a brief moment of surprise.

The luxurious feel of the clothes made Izuna realize immediately that this outfit, which the stall owner called a 'special prize,' was definitely not simple.

Carefully taking the entire garment out of the box, and comparing it to the one pressed against her body in the night, Izuna was astonished to discover that it was an outfit that seemed to be a gorgeous kimono designed specifically for her.

The white background with red fox markings seems to carry a certain mystery associated with Onmyoji (yin-yang masters) from the Heian period.

Subconsciously, Izuna held the outfit up to herself and exclaimed in awe, "So beautiful... Izuna has never seen such beautiful clothes before..."

Izuna didn't seem to realize what this almost entirely white outfit, with only a few red accents, really meant.

After trying it on for a bit, Izuna's liking for the outfit skyrocketed.

This outfit seemed tailor-made for her, and before she knew it, a strange idea had suddenly popped into her head—

"Put this outfit on for the lord to see!"

After confirming that he could definitely wear the outfit and that there shouldn't be any problems with it, Izuna wagged his tail and looked at Amamiya for her opinion.

“Princess… Izuna has a feeling that Izuna will look very good in this outfit!”

"Izuna wants to wear this outfit for the lord. Could you please wait a moment?"

Amamiya: ...

Sensing the undisguised joy emanating from the girl before him as she held up the clothes and looked at him, Amamiya hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not explain what this almost entirely white outfit, seemingly simple in design but actually unexpectedly gorgeous, meant.

This outfit is the one worn by the bride during her marriage ceremony. It is famous outside of Kivotos and still symbolizes an ancient and mysterious vow, representing the solemn ceremony of "once in a lifetime"...

【Shiromuku】.

Just hearing the name is enough to make any girl who knows about it yearn for it.

But it's better not to know... If Izuna really knew, she might not have the courage to wear this outfit to show herself.