I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

'You're not quite what you foretold.'

The 'teddy bear' that had launched the attack earlier had two huge gashes left by pistols on its head and abdomen, and then it disappeared into the air with a bang.

Lateral movement, back jump, fancy gunplay, and... the flapping wings of the 'fallen angel' behind him.

It's as smooth as an action movie known for its action sequences.

After making a series of exaggerated dodges, Amamiya turned her gaze to the judge holding the scales.

A cursed straw doll, along with several sharp nine-inch nails, was being toyed with by the judge who held the scales.

A curse-type instant-death magic... [Moodon], but unfortunately, it doesn't work on me.

What kind of courage did a mere judge have to dare to curse and kill Lucifer, the legendary angel closest to God?!

You'll never see it coming.

You'll see that my mind is too fast for my eyes.

Lucifer—the Morning Star!

'call--'

The fallen angels communicated with the heavens, and the speed of the stars seemed to be increased a thousandfold—in an instant, the sky turned a pale white, and the brightest star, like a time-lapse photograph, trailed a long arc of light across the sky and arrived here.

'You're done in'

The scattering of blossoms at dusk, the morning star at dawn.

Like a direct bombardment from a celestial railgun, the meteor shower fell from the sky, carrying with it terrifying waves that annihilated everything.

'By the time it's hit you, your last surprise.'

The wind howled, the light surged, and beneath the enormous sound waves, sound was gradually stripped away.

'I'm coming for you'

My game is always so fast, so fine.

You're spun in (You realize something is very wrong)

'By the net you didn't catch it in time (but you've already fallen into the trap and can never catch me again)'

The wind gradually subsided, and the stars at dawn, carrying scorching heat, swept away the seemingly sturdy but actually vulnerable buildings around them.

Those strange-looking 'monsters' had all vanished. After the empty space, only wisps of white smoke gradually dissipated, and the charred remains being repaired.

'Ooooh~'

Amamiya bent down, picked up the pristine gold coin from the ground, and wiped it with her red cut-resistant gloves.

After confirming that there were no shadows around, Amamiya straightened up, picked up the money-changing item that had been dropped by the shadow, and turned to look at Hoshino's hiding place.

"Hoshino-kun Takanashi..."

"You've been watching for a long time, haven't you? It's time to say something, isn't it?"

Chapter Five: The Mask Worn on One's Personality

After picking up the gold coin, Amamiya turned around at the opportune moment and looked at the corner where Hoshino was hiding.

Hoshino, hiding in the shadows, remained silent.

Amamiya took several steps toward where she was hiding before Hoshino realized that the other party wasn't just bluffing; he genuinely knew that she was hiding there.

After hesitating for less than a second, she walked out of her hiding place with her head down and a "hehe" laugh.

"Heh heh... I didn't expect that even after hiding for so long, I'd still be discovered..."

Even now, she still doesn't quite understand what happened.

What's going on with this world? What's with the shadow over ten meters tall behind Sensei? What's with that 'star bombardment' that's even more destructive than a missile...? And what's with this helmet that survived the 'bombardment'...?

Hoshino felt that her thoughts were a little slow to keep up, but she did not show her surprise. Instead, she subconsciously pretended to be surprised.

“I know you have a lot of questions, but it’s not safe here right now. Let’s go outside first, and then you can ask me whatever you want. I’ll answer you.”

As Amamiya spoke, he fiddled with the helmet that had been revealed by the shadow of the helmet group.

When he looked over, the "third eye" automatically provided some basic information.

【Collector's Edition Helmet No. 01】

[Type: Money Exchange Tool/Armor]

This limited-edition collectible helmet brings a sense of well-being and, when worn as protective gear, enhances the wearer's mental state and grants immunity to dizziness. However, it will reduce the wearer's accuracy and speed due to limited visibility.

If sold as a money-making tool, it should fetch a considerable sum if it can be sold to someone who knows its value.

Surprisingly, it's a type of armor that can be worn and has special effects... and it's also a high-value item that can be brought into the real world and exchanged for money?

With a mix of confused, bewildered, and hesitant emotions on her face, Hoshino, whose expression was now only "strange," walked toward the evacuation point marked on the other world's navigation system.

"Back in the real world, thanks for your hard work."

As the announcement from the otherworld navigation system played, the bustling and magnificent "City of Sin" and the towering and majestic "Tower of Babylon" before Hoshino's eyes melted away like a mirage, transforming into the familiar night view of Abydos.

'The money-changing tools didn't distort or turn into anything else after being brought from another world to reality... It seems this is a unique characteristic of the "Impression Space" and the Palace in this world?'

Amamiya was slightly surprised to find that the helmet in her hand had not changed at all.

In the past, these money-making tools obtained from other worlds would be 'distorted' to varying degrees after being brought into the real world, resulting in a significant reduction in their value.

For example, a rare and collectible deck of cards becomes ordinary once it's brought into the real world... Similarly, a magnificent wood carving becomes just another ordinary wood carving in reality.

Surprisingly, the value of the 'money-changing tools' in this world did not decrease because they were brought out...

After a moment of slight surprise, Amamiya looked at Hoshino, who had a 'hesitant to speak' expression.

"What do you want to ask? I can answer that now."

"Well……"

Her heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one blue, shone brightly in the cool, breezy night. The pink-haired girl lowered her eyes and pondered for a long moment before calmly asking her question.

"Sensei... what's going on with that world?"

"That is a 'mental world' composed of the collective unconscious of all the 'people' in Abydos... You can understand it as the manifestation of the concept that what we saw not long ago was actually what the hearts of all the 'people' in Abydos should be like."

It's very similar to what I guessed...

Hoshino was not surprised to receive Amamiya's explanation.

"That Tower of Babel..."

"It should be a symbol of the inner thoughts of a 'behind-the-scenes controller' who wants to rule Abydos from behind the scenes and bring everything here under his control."

"..."

it is as expected……

Besides the natural environment, is there some other force pulling the strings behind the scenes that has turned Abydos into what it is today...? Based on the information I heard from that "helmeted group," could it be the Caesar Group?

"What is that helmet-shaped 'creature'?"

Hoshino simply couldn't describe that strange creature—which, once its helmet was removed, would spew out mud and burst forth with all sorts of monsters—as a "human"—even though it had almost every human-like mode of movement and could interact with others.

After a moment's thought, Amamiya simply said, "You can understand it as a 'collection of negative consciousness' residing in the inner world, a kind of 'monster in the human heart'."

"Defeating them is equivalent to eliminating evil thoughts. If you find the evil thoughts in a specific person's heart and defeat them, you can also directly eliminate the evil thoughts in that person's heart."

Hoshino was quick to understand; she comprehended Amamiya's words and even realized the unspoken intentions behind Amamiya's words.

'By defeating the evil thoughts of a specific person, we can eliminate the evil thoughts in their heart...' Isn't that just making that person 'turn over a new leaf'?

If I could find the mastermind behind Abydos's current state... then could I avoid confronting that person in the real world and instead go directly to that bizarre other world to defeat their evil intentions and make them compensate Abydos in that way?

"One last question... Sensei, about the information you gathered before..."

Amamiya knew what Hoshino was worried about, so he casually replied, "That's a true 'direct hearing of someone's thoughts,' 100% real—at least within that person's cognitive scope."

"There's no such thing as 'even your inner thoughts are deceiving you,' right, Takanashi-kun?"

"..."

Having experienced a series of events, Hoshino felt that his thinking had become sluggish.

She experienced so much today... so much that even with a definitive explanation, she couldn't immediately accept or fully understand it.

Conceptually, I've accepted it, but to truly agree with it is a completely different matter... It requires a deeper understanding.

"Uncle, I'll just assume that for now... Hmph—"

Hoshino squinted and looked up at the starry sky above, completely ignoring Amamiya's gaze, and stretched lazily.

"It's getting late... Uncle, I don't know why I feel especially tired today, I want to rest... Sensei, you shouldn't wander around Abydos at night, it's dangerous~"

Amamiya calmly replied, "Hoshino too, get some rest."

【??~】

The girl in the night paused slightly, looking at the young man who suddenly gave her a feeling of 'an old friend'.

No...no...no...

That's not right either... Why can't it be?

Her eyes started to sting, but it was only for a fleeting moment. Hoshino suddenly had an urge to throw herself into the other person's arms and cry her heart out—though she didn't know where this urge came from.

Perhaps it was because of that feeling of déjà vu? Or perhaps it was because of the young man's perfectly timed thoughtfulness?

Or perhaps... it's the tranquil night view of "stars accompanying the moon" that stimulates my subconscious?

Or perhaps... it's the serene beauty emanating from the young man, like that of a gardenia?

【~???~】

Hoshino, who had turned his back to leave, paused several times in his steps.

She didn't understand what was wrong with her, how she could suddenly break down because of that young man's casual expression of concern.

...Seeing that Yi Lingqi (8) Temple abandoned $ Lu Lai, I realized that I was really tired today and needed to rest.

"……Um."

She walked away, leaving behind a response that masked her emotions and sounded particularly somber.

……

'Wearing a "mask" to disguise yourself...'

As Hoshino's seemingly weak figure gradually quickened his pace and disappeared into the night, Amamiya finally withdrew his gaze.

As a "persona manipulator", he understood Hoshino's current state all too well.

Wearing a "persona" to disguise one's true self... and then, because the mask has been worn for too long, just like the other persona manipulators that Amamiya knows, 'the mask has been worn for so long that it's almost impossible to take it off'.

But then again... the president's "Déjà Vu" and Noah's "Twin Stars Accompanying the Moon" bond abilities are actually quite useful.

It can directly increase the "basic goodwill" of other assistants when negotiating with you... Then, by wearing the corresponding personality mask and negotiating with the assistant, you can easily break through their defenses.

After glancing at the sky above him, Amamiya shook his head and walked towards the dormitory room that the Countermeasures Committee had temporarily arranged for him.

"It's getting late, let's rest today."

Chapter Six: The Girls' Late-Night Talk

In the dead of night, the night sky is studded with stars, and countless luminous geometric shapes such as circles and arcs hang down from the horizon, blending into the starry sky and the solitary moon, forming a 'natural wonder' that can perhaps only be seen in this world, this region, and this night.

The girls, who temporarily said goodbye under the pretext of 'going back to rest,' did not actually rest. Instead, they quietly gathered in a living room and began to discuss the 'Shalai sensei' that they all found strange.

The girls sitting in a living room looked at each other, exchanged glances, and then, without prior arrangement, turned their attention to Serika, who had probably spent the most time with Sensei.

"Celery, what do you think of that... Xia Lai's Sensei?"

"Well……"

The cat ears on her head trembled slightly. After pondering for a while, Celery finally spoke in a hesitant tone: "...It's hard to say."

"He... always gives me a... rather special feeling. Maybe it's because he's an adult and therefore more mature, or maybe it's because he has more experience... In front of him, I always feel like... it's like I can't hide anything I'm thinking from him... that feeling."

Celery didn't know how to describe the feeling she had towards this strange Xia Lai Sensei.