I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

This time, he brought Yajinzi to the engineering department—for two main reasons.

One of his main purposes was to bring Yajinko out to see the world and to have a new weapon custom-made for her.

Another main purpose was to ask Yuriko about the Fox Squad... to see if she could find out anything.

Because the beautiful and lovely Azuko, with her princess-like demeanor, was constantly tugging at his clothes, Amamiya received countless glances along the way.

And Yazinko... she really did keep her promise... she didn't let go the whole time.

After a lot of 'pulling and tugging' along the way, Amamiya finally made it to the 'deepest parts of the workshop', which was only accessible to the core members of the engineering department.

—In the widely circulated "epic of the cyber witches," this place is said to be "the witches' abode," "the boundary between reality and fantasy"...

Amamiya genuinely didn't understand how the rumors had become so outrageous.

He didn't understand at first... but he understood very quickly.

As he strolled through the 'fantasy world' set constructed from a variant of 'Eden Alloy', he gradually became somewhat disoriented.

The grass smells sweet, the soil smells slightly fishy, ​​the sky is clear and blue, and the climate is warm and pleasant—the deeper you go indoors, the more 'primitive and fresh' the environment becomes.

It's like entering a microscopic world...

'The last time I came to the engineering department, this was just a regular workshop...'

'Why is there such a big change this time? It seems like... what's going on?'

'Does it really look completely different every time I come?'

As Azuko, who was tugging at Amamiya's sleeve, noticed that Amamiya's pace had slowed down, she exclaimed softly at the opportune moment, "So amazing..."

Really awesome.

Amamiya is the supplier of "Eden Metals"... but now he doesn't understand how the engineering department expanded it into this form based on the materials he provided.

Even the most outrageous developments aren't this ridiculous.

Following her memory, Amamiya found the 'work area' of Utahara, Hibiki, Cortori, and Yuriko.

Then, Amamiya witnessed an even more outrageous scene—

The girls in the engineering department almost all wore spring miniskirts with an 'mechanical witch' style, complete with elaborate mechanical accessories and pointed witch hats.

The top of the over-the-knee socks left slight marks, and a leg ring hung near the girl's thigh, close to her erogenous zones. Several small mechanical tools, presumably for temporary maintenance, were attached to the leg ring.

Utahara, Hibiki, and Cortori all had this 'cyber witch' style. When Amamiya saw them, they were gathered around a round table, discussing something in front of what looked like some kind of new invention—a holographic projection.

If you only look at the scene... it's a bit like "the cyber witches' afternoon tea".

The only exception was Yuriko—probably because she felt that this outrageous cyber witch style didn't fit her personal style, or because of shame and other considerations, she didn't participate.

This probably explains why, according to legend, there are only three "Cyber ​​Witches".

Yuriko stood at a small workbench nearby, constantly picking up various instruments and equipment to calibrate the angles, probably drawing some kind of design.

As Amamiya 'passed the certification' and opened the workshop door, the 'cyber witches' discussing inside immediately turned their attention to her.

Katori was the first to stand up. After a long "Oh~", she pinched the brim of her witch's hat and greeted Amamiya with a bright smile: "Sensei, it's been a long time~!"

"Are you curious about the changes in the engineering department's style? If so, I can explain..."

Corté really never misses an opportunity to fully express herself...

Wearing the same 'witch's hat', Utahara and Hibiki, with their relatively introverted personalities, appeared much more normal.

Utahara coughed lightly, tipping his hat to Amamiya in greeting, while also interrupting Cortolina's long-winded speech.

"Ahem... Good morning, Sensei."

Utahara's gaze lingered briefly on Azuko, who was half-hidden behind Amamiya, seemingly timid yet full of curiosity as she observed the scene. He then casually continued, "Welcome to the Engineering Department... Is there a 'special request' you wish to mention?"

"Just some routine requests..."

Amamiya waved his hand, indicating that Utahara didn't have to be so serious.

"Oh……"

Perhaps because there was no opportunity to 'challenge oneself' or 'build a Gundam', Utahara let out a slightly disappointed "oh".

"Speaking of which... the outfits you're wearing..."

“This,” Utahara turned her gaze to Hibiki, “was custom-made for us by Hibiki. Sensei, what’s wrong with this outfit?”

"No... it's just a feeling, it's very special."

【~???~】(from Hibiki)

【~???~】(From Utahara, Cortoline)

Amamiya then turned her gaze to Hibiki.

Hibiki blushed noticeably, lowering her head and pressing down on the witch's hat on her head.

After a moment of mental preparation, she spoke softly, "Um... it took a little longer than expected."

"And Yuriko-san has one too..."

Yuriko, who was focused on drawing, paused slightly.

Out of politeness, she didn't say anything as blunt as "This style doesn't suit me, so I didn't wear it," which would have been considered lacking in emotional intelligence.

But to avoid getting burned herself, she temporarily put aside what she was doing.

“Sensei…” She took off her gloves and gathered her drawing tools aside. “You came here today… because of the ‘standard equipment’ issue from a while ago, right?”

Amamiya nodded, then added, "Yes. But it wasn't just for this reason..."

Yuriko had an expression that said she had expected this.

"The Fox Squad?" she asked.

Amamiya nodded and said, "Yes."

Yuriko understood.

“…Sensei, and Akiko-san, come with me.”

Chapter Fifteen: Arios's Squad, Sharai's Edge

Outside the Millennium Technology Academy - in the "Weapon Testing Ground" specially prepared by the Engineering Department.

Even though the open space had been cleared regularly, the remnants of various artillery fires and battles, as well as the ruins of buildings, still left a shocking sight.

"This is the outskirts of the 'Millennial Suburban Ruins,' a place convenient for conducting weapons of mass destruction experiments, yet relatively low in danger."

Stand in front of the verification equipment used for authentication, push the goggles to the top of your head, and then bring your pupils close to the iris verification device.

While waiting for the verification, the black-haired fox-eared girl explained to Akiko in a calm tone.

"There is a firing range on campus. But it generally only supports some conventional light firepower weapons after they leave the factory, as well as other non-high-pressure tests such as weapon accuracy testing and light durability testing after secondary verification."

'drop--'

The authenticator detected is: "Millennium Technology Academy, Engineering Department, Yuriko Amagi".

'Performing a second scan of surrounding personnel... Scan successful. The individuals present were Amamiya Ren and Hakari Atsuko. Access verification in progress... Access granted.'

After confirming that the authentication process was complete, while waiting for the door to open, Yuriko turned her body back and turned her gaze to Azuko, who was standing next to Amamiya, standing on tiptoe and looking around with a 'novel and longing' look.

"Are there any other questions you'd like to know?" Yuriko asked cautiously. "If it involves 'weapon performance testing' or other related areas, I'll try my best to provide you with accurate information if I can answer it."

Yajin shook her head, only letting out a slightly absent-minded sigh in a dreamy tone: "What an advanced authentication method..."

"High-class...?"

Yuriko remained noncommittal.

After softly repeating Ajinko's sentiments, she then turned her gaze to the experimental facility in front of her, which was dozens of meters high and had been made of special materials to achieve "anti-radar detection," making it like a barrier.

Technology is not necessarily better the more 'advanced' it is.

Admittedly, more advanced technology can meet more demanding needs, while also further reducing the possibility of errors...

But if something like this really goes wrong, the consequences will certainly be devastating.

This “suburban testing ground” was built using only a tiny bit of the “technology of the nameless gods” – really only a tiny bit.

The science of construction and materials science, using scraps, is enough to build a barrier that is difficult to breach and impossible to see through by ordinary means.

However, even such an "invincible barrier" has theoretical flaws—and quite obvious ones at that.

For example... in theory, the "Princess of the Nameless Gods," who has the highest authority, can easily open and enter this building, and can even use all the facilities inside.

Of course... the princess probably wouldn't want this.

For example... such a building, theoretically... no, would definitely attract the attention of "numerical esoteric arts" and "nameless priests".

Besides the arcane arts and the nameless priests, this "testing ground" might also attract some strange "large creatures"—like a giant snake coiled in the desert?

The premise is that it can actually reach a range of a thousand years, and then notice the thousand-year-old suburban ruins here.

There's nothing we can do about it... but we had no choice even after a thousand years.

First of all, this is the only place suitable for building a large-scale weapons testing range.

In addition, in order to ensure "absolute safety under normal circumstances," this technique, which may be considered unconventional, is absolutely necessary.

"What do I need to do next?"

Yajinzi had a vague sense of what she might be facing next.

They will engage in combat training with students from other academies, or with a large number of combat robots...

If it's a combat-related mission...

The members of Arius's squad were already used to it.

Akiko has begun checking the weapon safety and ammunition status of "Scorpio" while putting on a mask to prepare herself for battle.

—Although it is not necessary, Akiko, along with the other three members besides Hiyori, all have the habit of covering their lower face with a mask or other protective gear or accessories during battle.

Yuriko waved her hand: "Let's go inside first and talk about it."

After leading Amamiya and Azuko through the front door and into the interior of the "Outer Testing Grounds," the view before Amamiya's eyes became much wider—

In a large, cleared, flat area made of some kind of high-strength material, there is a field that looks like a live-action CS game.

Aside from a few houses that clearly appeared to be 'somewhat poorly constructed but of decent quality' (in layman's terms: the materials used were incredibly strong, but there was absolutely no finishing), the site was also dotted with sandbag defenses at intervals, as well as trenches covered with thick wooden planks and camouflage netting...

It looks like a miniature battlefield, but from near the main entrance, you can get a panoramic view of the entire area.

Apart from a small cluster of buildings that can simulate urban warfare and serve as test buildings, there is nothing else.

"Let's get familiar with the environment."

Yuriko pointed to the cluster of buildings in the distance, her fox ears twitching: "Afterwards, your squad... will have a... combat intensity test with me here."

It was indeed related to combat testing.

Yajinzi was not surprised at all, and even a little expectant.

Arius's squad, in every sense, is a squad 'born to fight'.

However, since joining Xia Lai, the intensity and frequency of their daily battles have decreased significantly.

Fighting off some petty thugs who had ill intentions towards the area around Xia Lai was still too low a challenge for them...

Akiko, along with the girls in Arius's squad, 'does not crave battle'.

But it's similar to the principle of "stopping war is the way to power"—if you want to "stop war is the way to power," you must first have "power" in order to have the strength to "stop war."

Ajinko recalled a book called "The Book of War" that she had seen on a bookshelf in the Xialai rest area not long ago. It seemed to have been brought by one of Gehenna's students.

The very first page of this book, the title page, bears a blunt yet profoundly true statement in Gertrude's language: "What you can't get on the battlefield, you expect to get at the negotiating table? Are you dreaming?"

Arius's squad is a sharp blade... It can avoid harming the enemy, but it cannot lose its sharpness.

"It seems they've already made up their minds."

Yuriko took in Azuko's expression, which was 'slightly excited and expectant,' and showed an expression that was not at all surprised.

"Now, contact your teammates in Arius's squad. Once your squad is complete and rested, the strength test battle can begin immediately."

Just as Azuko was about to take out her phone and use MomoTalk to contact Saori and the others, Yuriko belatedly added, "Oh...right."

"Due to security considerations, this area is a 'black zone' where regular cell phone signals and aerial surveying methods cannot penetrate. If you need to contact your team members... I recommend you go to the rest area over there and use their dedicated equipment."