I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Secondly, considering that the younger generation might have already heard the sounds of battle here, the Helmet Regiment's retreat might just be a ruse, and they actually have another group hiding in the shadows planning to split up and act separately... and so on.

Thirdly, by watching them 'withdraw' now, we can try to find the Helmet Regiment's base camp nearby by following their withdrawal route... and then 'annihilate' them at the right time.

Stepping onto the soft sand, and watching the helmeted group members leave together, the fierce aura surrounding the girl gradually melted away.

She stretched as if she had done something insignificant.

"I never expected to run into members of the Helmet Gang here... What exactly are these 'Resort Hunters' they're talking about?"

"Things are getting more and more interesting..."

After saying that, Hoshino, hunched over and swaying back, lazily returned to Amamiya's side, tilting his head slightly and looking at Amamiya pitifully.

"Sensei..."

After hesitating for a moment, Hoshino finally gave up on his plan to "continue confessing".

After all, the younger generation may have already heard the noise and are rushing over here.

If you confess your feelings now, you might not even have time to enjoy the sweet moments afterward before your juniors catch you in the act.

Or worse... being caught red-handed by juniors while confessing.

If that's the case, then everything is over.

After a moment's thought, Hoshino finally swallowed back the words that were choking him up.

“Sensei, you should know that I’m not good with words, so… I’ll leave the explanation to the juniors to you.”

Amamiya: "..."

It's best to be someone who isn't good with words.

Amused, Amamiya nodded while maintaining a serious expression: "Mm."

[Because her words were interrupted, Hoshino became upset...]

My bond with Hoshino has deepened...

【Takanashi Hoshino (Sun) ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆】

Hoshino's guess was soon confirmed.

After waiting by the beach for a while, the girls of Abydos, who had heard the commotion, gathered there.

They carried repair tools and suitcases used for storing and moving helicopter supplies.

"I think I just heard Hoshino-senpai using a weapon..."

"Have we encountered some kind of enemy?!"

Hear his voice before he sees him.

Before Serika, who was walking at the very back of the group, could even show her face, Amamiya heard her highly recognizable, urgent voice.

After seeing that nothing had happened to the helicopter, the girls who had rushed over were somewhat relieved.

Then they noticed the obvious signs of gunfire around them and smelled the lingering pungent smell of gunpowder on the beach.

After surveying the surroundings, Bai Zi immediately approached.

"Sensei, what exactly is going on..."

Meeting the girl's calm yet inquisitive gaze, Amamiya briefly explained the cause and effect of the matter.

When Amamiya mentioned the Helmet Group, the four girls immediately showed different expressions.

Nomiya was somewhat surprised: he didn't expect that he would be involved with the helmet group while on vacation.

Celery was clearly disgusted: Why are these annoying guys still bothering me?

Bai Zi narrowed his eyes slightly: The Helmet Group... Although they are long-time enemies, why are they here?

Ayane's eyes darkened: The Helmet Crew is here too... This isn't a "deserted island"...

Also, the keyword "resort hunter" that Sensei mentioned earlier...

Having been tricked by the Caesar Group once before, Ayane keenly sensed that there seemed to be 'something else going on'.

"That is to say..."

After hearing the little story summarized by Amamiya, Ayane was a little incredulous: "...Sensei, you and Hoshino-senpai ran into the Helmet Gang on the beach, learned from your conversation with them that they had ulterior motives, and then you chased them away?"

Amamiya nodded, then added, "I've already left a coordinate locator on one of their wounded."

Looking around at the girls in swimsuits, Amamiya lowered her voice slightly: "For everyone's vacation, should we 'eliminate' this unstable element, the Helmet Group?"

Amamiya's suggestion caused the four girls to ponder to varying degrees.

Serika advocated for "getting rid of the helmet group in advance for a better vacation," but since her companions had not yet expressed their opinions, she chose to remain silent for the time being.

Ayane frowned slightly, and her long, pointed elf ears twitched slightly.

As Abydos's only 'common sense person' and strategist, her suggestions were truly of great importance.

“I think…Sensei, perhaps we should choose to ‘play the long game.’”

Ayane's suggestion silenced Nomiya, who was about to speak.

"It seems that Ayane-chan is gradually learning to make choices that involve both risk and reward, like a phantom thief dancing on a knife's edge."

"Hmm~ In terms of becoming 'closer to Sensei,' Ayane-chan has become more mature~"

Ayane, her face flushed red from Nomiya's teasing remark, lowered her head, too afraid to look up and meet his gaze, but still insisted on giving her suggestion.

"Regarding the strange keyword 'resort hunter,' which we don't currently understand... I think it's necessary to investigate further."

"It feels like those 'hidden trap clauses' deliberately planted in the contract... It gives you the feeling that 'if you don't investigate carefully,' you might end up working for someone else for nothing and getting into serious trouble at the same time..."

Having learned from the experience of the Kaiser Group, and having obtained the "Navi" persona, the Book of the Dead, which allows her to see the way forward, Ayane is no longer the person she once was who was "relatively mature and composed in the Countermeasures Committee, but still prone to making impulsive decisions."

Upon hearing Ayane's words, Shirako immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "Me too."

"I agree."

Nomiya smiled and adjusted his large sun hat: "I have no objection either~"

After much deliberation, Serika, who harbored a deep dislike for the Helmet Group, realized that they were right.

If we drive them away now, who knows if they'll come back later... and we don't even know anything about our side.

"Since everyone thinks that way... then let's not bother them for now."

Hearing Serika's words about "causing trouble for them," Amamiya couldn't help but chuckle.

For some reason, when Serika said those words, Amamiya found them to have a humorous quality that made people laugh.

"Since everyone has already prepared a strategy for dealing with the helmet group... I need to remind them in advance."

After a sigh, Amamiya stated bluntly, "If we let the Helmet Group run rampant now, we should be prepared for them to call for backup..."

support?

Hoshino, who had been observing the discussions and conclusions of his juniors, finally spoke up at this moment.

"Don't worry, Sensei... this is our resort after all."

"We, who are determined to take our future into our own hands... will never tolerate having what we have taken away from us again."

"so……"

The young girl's eyes were bright as she turned to look at her juniors, bathed in the midday sun.

Let's all protect our "vacation"!

Chapter Fifty-Seven: He and Ayane developed a special relationship...

The sunsets at the resort are quite different from those in most of the Kivotos school district and its affiliated autonomous communities, which are more urban in nature.

Perhaps it's the climate brought about by the island environment, or perhaps it's the satisfaction of successfully achieving one's ideals with one's own hands after a busy day—

Sitting around a campfire in the sunset, the girls in swimsuits felt the sea breeze and watched the twilight, a sense of fulfillment born from contentment gradually rising in their hearts.

"Phew...I guess it's almost done?"

Looking at the almost completely transformed space, Ayane sighed contentedly, "After some simple tidying up, at least from the outside it looks like a resort..."

The 'swimsuit cat' next to her hummed twice: "It's surprisingly pretty after it's been tidied up..."

"After all, I did it all myself☆~" The blonde girl sitting next to Amamiya sat with her knees drawn up, her voice filled with a sense of accomplishment as she listened to the warm glow of the campfire: "Just thinking about how I personally completed this renovation project..."

"You'll feel a great sense of accomplishment!"

Indeed, as Nomiya said...

The thought of the resort, which was now taking shape, and which they had managed and renovated from scratch, gradually gave the girls a sense of belonging and accomplishment.

"So, what else needs to be done next..."

As the only 'brain trust' among the five-member countermeasures committee, Ayane was currently sketching and writing, considering some follow-up matters.

First, there's the repair of the helicopter... Regarding this, she has already referred to the helicopter's maintenance manual and attempted to troubleshoot the malfunction.

However, since her knowledge of helicopters was limited to "knowing how to fly but not how to repair," Ayane was unable to confirm whether the helicopter repair was successful.

Fortunately, with the help of some equipment on the deserted island, the helicopter was at least transported to the vicinity of the resort and parked in a hangar that had previously been filled with various miscellaneous items and had now been temporarily cleared out.

"Check the island's power system, confirm the usable equipment, and make sure it's fully operational before nightfall..."

The meticulous girl, with the awareness that "only she can do this," finished writing down the to-do list, took a deep breath, and stood up by the campfire.

As the sun set, she approached Amamiya from behind, drawing the attention of the other four girls on the Strategy Committee, and extended an invitation to him.

"Um, Sensei... could I borrow a little bit of your time?"

Under the watchful gaze of Shirako (who suddenly became alert), the intrigued look of Hoshino, the teasing gaze of Nomiya, and the incredulous look of Serika, Ayane, suppressing her shame and panic, spoke very carefully: "I need your help with issues such as equipment testing on the island..."

To be fair, Ayane's reasoning was entirely 'well-founded', leaving the other members of the countermeasures committee secretly regretting their miscalculation but powerless to refute or stop it.

Amamiya could also sense the subtle gazes of the other four people, as well as the emotions and intentions conveyed through their eyes, and he chuckled to himself.

Amamiya stood up, offering a flimsy excuse for Ayane: "Ayane specifically invited me because she considered both 'safety issues' and her understanding of mechanical equipment, right?"

Ayane nodded hurriedly, giving the impression that she was saying, "Please don't misunderstand, everyone: 'Um, um... that's how it is.'"

"In that case, I'll go with Ayane."

【~???~】(from Ayane)

Among the five members of the countermeasures committee, Ayane is probably the weakest in terms of combat power.

With the other four members being key combatants, Ayane's stamina and coordination were, to put it mildly, worrisome.

A girl who is a little bit naive in her daily life might even trip and fall while walking.

Her physical coordination, let alone comparing her to the athletic Shirako... even compared to the relatively normal Serika, is an insurmountable gap.

Often acting as a rear support, she naturally needed protection when venturing out, knowing that the Helmet Group was lurking around the island.

Why do the other four girls on the countermeasures committee have their own feelings?

That's because they also longed to be 'closely protected' by Amamiya once or twice.

Having experienced being 'closely protected' once, Serika is the most qualified to speak on this—that feeling is unforgettable once you've experienced it.

And the feelings of Nomiya, Hoshino, Shirako, and others who had previously witnessed her (Serika) being protected are even more indescribable.

Ayane, whose behavior unconsciously became slightly more awkward, softly suggested, "Sensei... let's go to the control room first."

Amamiya nodded: "Okay, let's go."

As is well known, some large islands generally have an independent and complete power system.

As Amamiya is familiar with, some of the resort islands in the famous "Maldives" besides Kiwatos are designed in this way.

In order to maintain the environment of the 'scenic area' or 'resort area', and for various other reasons, the control room is usually built in a place that is far from the residential area, but not too far away, and also in a relatively conspicuous location.

Before Amamiya could say anything after leaving the 'resort', he sensed that the girl beside him seemed to become noticeably more lively.

It's not just about being flexible in thinking, but also about being flexible in behavior.

After confirming that she was out of sight of her companions who remained at the resort, Ayane immediately did something that even Amamiya found somewhat unbelievable—

She quickly and decisively approached Amamiya and then took his hand.

As the only person with common sense whose style is completely different from the other four members of the Countermeasures Committee, Ayane's sudden move can be said to be... the greatest courage she could muster.