I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

This nurse-like outfit, and... the equipment of a shotgun and a riot shield...?

With her eyes slightly narrowed, Amamiya subconsciously used her [Third Eye] to gather information.

[Assistant: Miya Aomori / Templar Knight of the Knights]

Arcana: The Tower (XVI.The Tow)

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that... a person whose profession is "nurse" could actually hold a card that symbolizes destruction and ruin, and is almost inseparable from disaster.

The other party's "towering" Arcana, and their extremely unique concept of 'medical care', reminded Amamiya of an interesting anecdote he had heard before coming to Giwatos—

The famous heavy machine gun, the Gatling gun, was actually designed by a doctor named Gatling to reduce casualties among our personnel.

Using the information from his third eye, Amamiya tried calling out, "...Commander Mina?"

"Hmm." The girl paused for a moment, then quickly smiled and nodded in response. "Sensei, were you drawn here by the sound, intending to intervene and mediate this small-scale conflict?"

Amamiya nodded, then her gaze involuntarily fell on the members of the Rescue Knights who were traveling with Mina.

Yes, her outfit is similar to Mina's, both wearing long skirts and nurse caps, looking like angels in white...

If you ignore the automatic grenade launchers they're holding, which give Amamiya a sense of familiarity and warmth, you could say that the "medical style" is truly off the charts.

"The members of the Rescue Knights were also there to resolve..." Amamiya paused, then changed his words after careful consideration, "...to mediate this conflict?"

Because of the weapons equipped by the members of the Rescue Knights, Amamiya subconsciously wanted to use a relatively 'violent' word to describe them.

—The holy white paint job worn by the Knights of Salvation, meticulously crafted through some kind of gun etching or other process, bearing the Trinity school emblem and the Knights of Salvation's Red Cross insignia—that was "the equipment of the white-clad angels," looked all too familiar to Amamiya.

Yuriko's bond skill, "Gunsmith's Knowledge," was activated the moment she saw this paint job, and provided various information about the corresponding firearms.

【Name: Tenesto-25-S】

Empty weight: 7.2kg

Ammunition used: 25x59mm grenades

[Range: 1200m/800m (against personnel/against vehicles)]

[Mode: Semi-automatic]

Rate of fire: 220/MIN

[Introduction: The grenade launchers procured by Trinity are designed to be more 'mini' and more cost-effective compared to the standard model.]

[It possesses the capability to fire airburst grenades, but considering cost-effectiveness, it uses a cheaper proximity fuse and ordinary steel fragments instead of combustible metal fragments. While it does not support the various special ammunition types found in the full-load version, this version is sufficient for most situations.]

["Even the lowest-spec mass-produced version, if you add some extra ingredients, can become a powerful tool to quell chaos." — Yuriko's comment]

['I must agree with Miss Controller's point of view.' — Albatross]

Yes... the members of the "Medical Knights," responsible for saving lives... all carry the same type of weapon...

The damage to personnel is exaggerated; a single round of semi-automatic fire can almost quell most small-scale conflicts... semi-automatic grenade launchers!

Doctor...equipped with grenades?

Was there something wrong with my understanding of the medical concept of Kivotos?

Or did it confirm my absurd idea at the time that "Dr. Gatling invented Gatling to save lives"?

These students of the Knights of Rescue...

Were they really there to resolve the conflict?

Meeting Amamiya's complex gaze, Mina quickly responded with her actions.

“Sensei…you should have faith in the power of the Knights of Salvation.”

Seemingly sensing that Amamiya's 'complex' gaze carried a hint of distrust, Mina immediately turned to look at the four members of the Gourmet Club, Haruna, who were still determined to put up a stubborn resistance.

"Please keep a close eye on it..."

As she spoke, the pair of sky-blue wings on the girl's back slowly unfurled, and Mina herself slightly arched her body, appearing as aloof and elegant as a Valkyrie poised to take flight.

Holding a riot shield in one hand and a shortened version of the Winchester M1887 prototype in the other, with a cutely painted shotgun, the girl gave a shout and leaped high into the air with the aid of her wings.

"A 'brilliant performance' from our Rescue Knights."

—The hero has arrived!

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Episode with the Most Debuffs

Watching it leap more than ten meters through the air with the aid of wings, then crash to the ground with the riot shield still on its back, and then slowly rise from the ruins while still kneeling on one knee...

For some reason, Amamiya suddenly recalled a MO game she had played before, in which the ultimate skills of two heroes appeared in the game.

The Unyielding Spear's ultimate skill - [Great Wilderness Meteor Shower].

Or... the ultimate skill of the Colossus of Justice, [Hero's Appearance].

In terms of impact... the latter seems more suitable.

The impact sent dust and debris flying everywhere. With a riot shield in one hand and a shotgun in the other, Mina moved with the ease of "entering an empty field."

If it weren't for the riot shield he was carrying, occasionally deflecting counterattacks from members of the Gourmet Research Society, Amamiya Makoto would have thought he was watching a Terminator movie set.

Watching Mina wield the shortened shotgun with one hand, and seeing her heroic fighting posture, Amamiya even had a feeling that she might only be one step away from becoming the famous T800—the only thing missing was throwing away her riot shield and performing her signature spinning shotgun reload move.

With the help of Mina and several members of the accompanying Rescue Knights, the battle ended in a very short time.

Unsurprisingly... the four girls from the Gourmet Research Club lost their ability to resist, and one by one, covered in dust or unwillingly, they were handcuffed by the Justice Committee members who followed closely behind.

"Tch...Are all medical staff monsters...?"

With her hands cuffed, Haruna scoffed resentfully, then glanced at the ruins behind her: "Those shops run by guys who bully customers... should be blown to smithereens..."

Although they were arrested, they've already sent that annoying "black shop" to its doom.

Rather than feeling annoyed, Haruna's current mood is more about feeling relieved.

With a 'click', the brand-new silver bracelets were put on her hands.

The red-haired girl with pigtails looked distraught, on the verge of tears.

"Waaah... I didn't get to eat again..."

Compared to Haruna, Junko's performance was much more 'dismal'.

Combined with her tearful lament, as if she had suffered an undeserved calamity, it even evoked a strange sense of pity in people.

When it was Izumi's turn to be handcuffed, her little face, which had been swollen from being stuffed with food, noticeably deflated.

She didn't say anything, but her disappointment at not getting any good food was palpable.

Finally, there was Akari. She didn't put up any resistance. When the Justice Committee members came over to handcuff her, she even proactively and gently extended her hands with a smile, showing remarkable cooperation.

She didn't say anything, but instead turned her gaze to Amamiya: "Sensei~ What a coincidence, to meet you here..."

Her mention of it brought Amamiya to the attention of the Justice Committee members who hadn't noticed her before, including Ichika, who was leading the group.

Amamiya: "..."

For some reason, he had a feeling that he was in trouble.

With no other option, Amamiya coughed lightly and stepped forward, arriving in front of the ruins of the building, where she met the gazes of Haruna and the other three, who seemed to have grasped at a lifeline.

His gaze swept over Haruna's shoulder, then swept over the wrecked ruins. Amamiya's expression turned slightly serious: "What happened?"

The white-haired girl, instead of realizing she was in the wrong when Amamiya looked at her, met Amamiya's gaze with 'righteous indignation' and leisurely explained, "Sensei, you should know our Gourmet Research Society's attitude towards 'gourmet food'..."

"Ha ha……"

Haruna, who seemed to be trying to make a 'touch her chest and chuckle' gesture, tried to move, but then realized that she was still handcuffed.

She wasn't embarrassed at all, cleared her throat lightly, and continued, "'Only good food and happiness should not be let down'... This sentence perfectly encapsulates our food research's guiding principle."

At this point, Haruna tilted her head, gesturing for Amamiya to examine the ruins they had destroyed in greater detail.

“This store…”

Haruna's tone turned slightly somber: "We originally thought it would be a little-known but delicious shop tucked away in an alley..."

"It turned out to be a shady establishment that habitually rips people off and bullies customers..."

"Their psychological manipulation of Trinity students was quite sophisticated, exploiting their shame of 'being deceived but too ashamed to tell their peers' to commit various evil deeds..."

Haruna stopped there.

However, her meaning was quite clear: "It's a pity that this shady shop ran into us."

Akari smiled, her eyes narrowing, and continued, "So...wouldn't we be doing the same kind of 'phantom thief activity' as Sensei, punishing evil and promoting good in a different way?"

Amamiya: ...

Is this how you punish evil and promote good?

This isn't what you call punishing evil and promoting good; it's called using violence to control violence...

That's what Amamiya originally intended to say.

But when Amamiya thought about the Phantom Thieves' various actions against the shadows in the other world, he felt that as a phantom thief, he had no right to say anything.

After all, the Phantom Thieves' "punishing evil and promoting good" is essentially achieved through "improper means."

Secondly... from the perspective of the shadow of another world, isn't the Phantom Thieves just a roaming, murderous gang that steals money?

Imagine an ordinary, unremarkable office worker, living their mundane life. One day, while enjoying hot pot and singing karaoke, someone suddenly rips off their mask from behind.

Enraged, the office worker decided to confront the masked thugs, only to be repeatedly beaten and threatened with extortion. After being robbed of all his money, he was killed on the spot.

Amamiya: "..."

"While it's not entirely incomprehensible, this method of 'punishing evil and promoting good' is indeed a bit too simplistic and brutal."

"If you had explained it beforehand, perhaps it wouldn't have escalated to this point."

After saying a few words in a 'heartfelt' manner, Amamiya immediately turned to Ichika, who was silently staring at the ruins, seemingly deep in thought.

"Ichika, does Trinity have any detailed documents or records regarding this store?"

“If it is indeed a problem with the store, then leave this matter to me. I can directly provide all the information about this store to Nagisa so that she can make a judgment.”

Having said that, Ichika clearly realized... this might not be something she could handle.

Ichika crossed her arms and pondered for a while, then took out her phone to search for the ruins of what used to be a shop.

Afterwards, she made several more phone calls to confirm with Hasumi-senpai of the Justice Committee.

"...It's been confirmed, Sensei."

After repeated confirmation, Ichika's gray-blue eyes, which seemed to be shrouded in mist, revealed a sense of calm and ease.

She put down her red-cased phone and explained to Amamiya, "This shop... is indeed a 'black shop'."

After moving a little closer, Ichika whispered in Amamiya's ear with a slightly embarrassed tone, "Hasumi-senpai said she was also fooled by this shop... They claimed to offer 'zero-calorie desserts,' but what they served was just ordinary desserts that didn't even taste good, yet they charged an exorbitant price..."

Amamiya: "..."

Another unlicensed black market shop, selling the wrong goods, and bullying people... This is a truly devastating setback.

"So, how does the Justice Commission plan to handle this matter?"

Looking back at the four members of the Gourmet Club, Ichika noticed they were looking at Amamiya with hopeful eyes. She smiled, though her smile was slightly helpless.

"Regarding the damage to the shop, we can consider 'not taking any action'..."

"However, fines will still be imposed for damage to nearby shops with business licenses, as well as for damage to streets and other public facilities."

Amamiya sighed, turned around and gave the four members of the Gourmet Club a 'warning' look, then said to Ichika, "Leave the fine to me, I'll pay it for you."

"Let them leave here first."

【~???~】(from Haruna and Akari)

【~???~】(from Izumi, Junko)

"Sensei..."