I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Nomiya smiled with narrowed eyes, but the heavy machine gun in his hand gradually began to spin faster.

After surveying her target from her vantage point, she raised her heavy machine gun and unleashed a torrent of firepower.

The violent sounds of gunfire, amidst the background music that exuded royal grandeur, somehow gained a unique elegance.

"Take it easy, it's time to boogie down."

"Make ov nothing's going to be the way you might like."

"(It) was ov when you started with us (your defeat was already sealed when you became our enemy)."

Under the barrage of bullets, the tanks, artillery, and other heavy firepower brought by the Helmet Regiment were completely ineffective, and even caught fire, about to explode.

'boom--'

The fiery tornado and flying steel debris marked the final touch of this pre-planned ambush.

You should've thought twice.

"Walked on thin ice" (如履薄冰)

"Hey game's over!"

The last member of the helmeted squad was caught off guard and stunned when four gun barrels of different calibers were pressed against his back at the same time.

They 'coincidentally' came up behind the helmeted group member, along with Amamiya, Hoshino, Shirako, and Serika, all looking at her with indifferent eyes.

"...The Helmet Gang? Your 'game' is over."

"Surrender."

Before the red-haired, helmeted delinquent girl could say anything, she felt as if her helmet had been hit hard with the butt of a gun.

With a 'buzz', her brain trembled, and before she could utter a word, everything went black, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Hoshino calmly put her rifle butt back in her hand and let out a soft breath. Then, she reported to Amamiya beside her with a bright smile: "The Helmet Group that attacked the academy has been 'completely wiped out'."

"Hmm~ A 'royal style' command... This really opens my eyes."

Ayane's slightly incredulous voice came from the other end of the walkie-talkie: "Huh? It's... over already?!"

After a pause, Ayane asked blankly, "How is everyone else?"

Bai Zi answered the question on his behalf: "Everyone is doing very well."

"That's good... Everyone, hurry up and capture and correct these helmeted group members... Afterwards, please gather at the countermeasures committee office."

Ayane began giving instructions for the post-war battlefield cleanup phase. Amamiya wasn't very good at this, so he decisively returned to the countermeasures committee office first.

……

A moment later, the five girls, who had completed their post-battle preparations, appeared before him unharmed.

The girls, who had just completed a swift and decisive "royal-style battle," were still full of energy. It could be said that the only potentially significant damage they suffered in this battle was the sandstorm and dust they endured.

Aside from this slightly unsettling aspect, everyone was 'completely unharmed'.

As a logistical support officer, Ayane was the first to arrive at Amamiya's side.

She jogged past the office window in a very unique 'girl run' style, and then quickly pushed open the office door of the Countermeasures Committee.

The girl hurriedly pushed the door open and, upon entering, made a rather cute little gesture of bending over, supporting her knees, and breathing softly.

Compared to the other four 'main combat members', Ayane usually acts as a logistical support... Consequently, her physical strength is slightly weaker than the other girls.

"Huh...huh..."

Gently smoothing her chest to quickly calm her breathing, Ayane's brown eyes burst forth with a dazzling light.

Perhaps no one understands the ease of this battle better than her...

Perfect coordination! A clean and efficient handover! And... impeccable and powerful tactical command!

They were like musical notes dancing on a score, actors making a grand entrance on the royal stage...

Sensei, who arranged everything perfectly, was like a conductor of a stage symphony, or the behind-the-scenes director who planned this royal stage play!

Ayane found it hard to imagine how this seemingly young Sensei could command battles so flawlessly, even giving off a royal style that was seamless and efficient.

In the past, when they repelled the Helmet Gang, they always suffered losses of varying degrees...

This time, they completed the task in one go, using a relay method of "one person finishes singing and another takes the stage," solving the problem effortlessly, just like a performance.

'So, this unique style of fighting, where even beating a drowning dog can be done with such elegance, and where the enemy is defeated in one swift motion, is what's called "Royal Style" combat...?'

Ayane didn't know how to describe this unprecedented ease. A thousand words in her heart turned into a sigh: "Sen, sensei... Amazing...!"

Before she could even catch her breath, Ayane couldn't wait to speak, expressing her emotions in the most sincere language.

Amamiya, who was standing at a 45-degree angle, turned her head slightly and carefully looked her over before suddenly teasingly saying, "Ayane too."

"Hey?"

The girl, who seemed to have not yet recovered, first made a blank "Eh," and then a faint blush quickly spread from her cheeks to the tips of her trembling, elfin ears.

She probably didn't expect that Sensei would 'go against the grain' and praise her instead.

However, what she didn't expect was...

"I mean..."

Amamiya emphasized slightly, and then said with a 'heartfelt' tone, "Ayane's serious and hardworking attitude is really amazing, and also very cute."

【~???~】

"Wait, wait... sensei...! Suddenly saying that... isn't that a bit too cunning?"

Amamiya ignored the girl's flustered look, as if she wanted to coil mosquito coils, and her adorable, helpless expression, unsure of how to react. He then made another incoherent remark.

"Trying to keep up with others and provide support to the countermeasures committee in any way I can...it must be tiring."

【??~】

"...Thank you for your understanding, Sensei...?"

For no apparent reason, Ayane felt a surge of emotion, a sense of relief that "finally someone understands me."

She was about to say something when she heard the door being gently pushed open.

"Phew~ It's finally over... Uncle, I'm back..."

Yawning and clutching his shotgun, Hoshino, still drowsy despite having just been in a battle, quietly pushed open the door. After giving a casual greeting as if no one was around, he glanced around the office.

"Oh my~" Hoshino seemed slightly surprised, then said with interest to Ayane, who had her back to him, "So this time Ayane-chan arrived before me, old man..."

Slightly guilty, Ayane didn't respond to Hoshino's words. She lowered her head slightly and gave a soft "hmm," as if she was thinking about something.

"...?"

"..."

Hoshino's gaze fell on Ayane, and then on Amamiya; he seemed to understand something.

"Hehehe... It seems that Sensei's arrival has helped Ayane-chan relieve a lot of pressure~~"

Ayane lowered her head like a shy quail, not daring to speak or let Hoshino see her expression at this moment.

I don't know why... It was just a normal interaction, but she felt guilty, like she had been caught doing something wrong.

Fortunately, Hoshino seemed to understand. She didn't dwell on Ayane's current state. Instead, she gave Amamiya a meaningful look before skillfully going to her spot, lying down, and pretending to be asleep.

Feeling increasingly guilty, as if being watched by an invisible gaze, Ayane, under the pressure of the tense atmosphere, had no choice but to casually bring up a topic.

"Ahem... Um, Sensei, about the battle with the Helmet Crew..."

Before she could finish speaking, more people pushed the door open and came in.

"As expected of 'JOK'~! Sensei's command is amazing☆~ With Sensei's command and Ayane-chan's logistics, we perfectly defeated all the enemies~"

【~???~】

Nomiya was someone whose voice preceded her appearance; as soon as she opened the door, her highly recognizable tone of voice and cheerful tone, reflecting her good mood, reached the ears of everyone in the room.

Ayane: "..."

Although the conversation was interrupted, as Nomiya and the others pushed the door open and entered, Ayane's guilt and the inexplicable sense of pressure suddenly disappeared a lot.

Serika, also panting slightly, followed behind Nomiya. Listening to Nomiya's unique grammar and seemingly self-created titles, she couldn't help but feel a strange, inexplicable feeling of disgust.

【??~】

"Hmph...They are indeed very strong, but they're not quite at the level where you should call them 'JOK,' are they?"

Nomiya smiled with narrowed eyes, 'mercilessly' tearing him down: "But didn't Serika mutter to herself on the way here, 'Although the enemy's strength hasn't changed, it feels easier than any battle before...' or something like that?"

"I...I was...!!"

Celery, whose cheeks were slightly flushed from being talked about, kept saying "I" several times but couldn't come up with a clear answer.

She truly recognized Sensei's abilities from the bottom of her heart...

But saying it to him in person is still a bit... hard to say.

"..."

Hoshino, standing slightly away from the crowd, lowered his eyes and quietly watched his 'juniors' surround the newcomer Sensei, watching them laugh and chat.

An indescribable feeling welled up inside me.

Suddenly, she felt another gaze directed at her.

With mixed feelings in his heart, Hoshino looked up following the gaze and met it.

The young man's brownish-gray eyes were exceptionally bright, yet surprisingly calm, seemingly devoid of any emotion.

"..."

Meeting that calm gaze, Hoshino felt a moment of panic.

She was about to lower her head when she heard Amamiya, who was looking at her, speak.

"Alright... We've safely weathered the Helmet Group's 'attack,' so let's consider how to proceed next."

"Isn't Abydos' repayment date approaching?"

"Let's go to the black market first, sell off the 'supplies' we have, and resolve our current predicament..."

Chapter Seventeen: Extraordinary People and Figures on the Black Market

"The valuables and equipment seized by the Helmet Regiment have been sorted out..."

After a brief discussion, Ayane summarized the battle.

"We seized various weapons from the Helmeted Corps that attacked Abydos and conducted an initial investigation into their origin. We found that these weapons all came from the black market and were 'illegal equipment' that had long been discontinued and were no longer sold through normal channels."

For everyone in Ayane, this conclusion was no longer difficult information to guess.

After all... the message from the other world was made very clear by the shadowy figures of the Helmeted Corps; they were hired by Caesar, and their equipment was provided by Caesar.

"Let's talk about how to 'dispose of the stolen goods' first... Before we completely resolve the Abydos issue, we at least need to pay off this month's debt..."

Ayane steered the conversation back to Amamiya's suggestion not long ago to "go check out the black market."

Even Ayane, the 'only normal person in Abydos,' is gradually becoming abnormal, so the other girls naturally agree with her suggestion, either excitedly or expectantly.

"Then let's get the vehicles ready and head to the black market together."

……

On the way to the black market, Amamiya chatted casually with the girls who had unknowingly grown much closer to him.

When the topic turned to the Helmet Gang's battle, Amamiya remembered the Phantom Thieves' victory celebration and suggested, "To celebrate this victory... let's all go out for a meal afterwards, it's on me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Amamiya noticed that the girls who had been paying close attention to her words paused slightly.

【??~】

Nomiya smiled and immediately agreed: "Shall we have a meal together? I'm all for it!☆~"

She then consulted the other members of the Countermeasures Committee in a more consultative tone: "However... since Sensei helped us so much and allowed us to achieve such a milestone victory against the Helmet Team so easily... shouldn't it be more reasonable for us to treat Sensei to a meal?"

【~???~】

Ayane gently tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and echoed, "Yes, indeed..."