I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Xiaoman reached out and tried to peel off the half-face mask of a raccoon dog, which had a piece of green leaf that looked like it had been gnawed on by insects.

"Come on—Hattori Hanzo!"

Amamiya, who was watching Xiaoman awaken, immediately went through the information about 'Hattori Hanzo' in her mind after seeing the Persona message with her third eye.

【Psona - Hattori Hanzo (Arcana: The Magician)】

[Introduction: A legendary ninja. The name 'Hattori Hanzo' does not refer to a single person—of the many 'Hattori Hanzos,' the most famous was known as 'Oni Hanzo.']

Although they are considered ninjas, they are also closely associated with samurai elements.

Serving the 'Tosho no Shinto', it commanded many Iga ninja. Therefore, the name Hattori Hanzo, as it is known in legend, signifies a "famous ninja army."

'It turns out to be a well-known character who isn't a ninja, yet is closely associated with the element of ninjas...'

It seems to fit Xiaoman's characteristic of being "the head of the Ninjutsu Research Club, but whose own ninjutsu skills are not proficient, and can even be described as amateurish".

—As ninjas, they don't use real ninjutsu, but rather use special effects to mimic the effects of ninjutsu.

"Xiaoman?"

Feeling the "persona manipulation experience" that naturally appeared in her mind and could be instantly controlled like an extension of her own limb, the gray-haired girl raised her head proudly.

"Leave it to me, Your Highness Sensei—"

Hattori Hanzo – Yanghua Breath!

As Xiaoman took a deep breath, Hattori Hanzo behind her also performed the same action while forming hand seals.

"Solar Majesty Breath: Deals massive fire damage to all enemies and has a moderate chance to stun them."

'Is the main attribute fire...?'

The yang flames, imbued with the divine essence of 'fire-wielding life,' gently adhered to the wings of the tengu, igniting those wings that were used for flight or were said to control wind and fire.

Once wings are ignited by the sacred fire, the right to freely soar through the sky is lost.

The tengu with their wings on fire crashed to the ground like dumplings, rolling around repeatedly as they tried to dispel the flames clinging to them.

Amamiya, who had been waiting for a long time, would not give them any more opportunities.

“Psona…”

"Minamoto no Yoshitsune, kill them!"

Upon receiving the order, the Heian samurai, each wielding a katana, charged forward, their movements blurring into a blood-red, slashing light in mid-air.

"Hassou Tobi: Deals eight instances of minor physical damage to all enemies."

Yes, the 'small amount' in the description refers to a 'small amount' compared to powerful magic like tens of thousands of mantras or the Dawn Star.

The crisscrossing beams of light darted left and right, then, after a brief moment of restraint, burst forth in a magnificent display upon the tengu.

Unless it has resistance to physical attacks, even the most powerful Shadow would have a hard time withstanding a single "eight-ship jump" attack.

The Heian samurai sheathed his sword, and then his figure transformed into a mask that reattached to Amamiya's face.

The tengu lying on the ground were on the verge of death. One by one, they were set ablaze by flames and sliced ​​by sharp blades. They all stopped resisting and awaited the end of their lives.

"Ninjas, this is your victory... Attack!"

One of the Kurama Tengu, wearing a blue tengu mask, managed to sit up on his knees and spoke in a weak but still powerful tone.

"We will not resist... You will be our 'second'!"

Amamiya did not give the order to act, but instead looked at Koman.

The girl, her heart pounding with emotion, was more clear-headed than ever before.

With just a glance, Xiaoman knew what she had to do next.

Picking up their 'special ninja tools' shotguns, Xiaoman and Amamiya aimed their cold gun barrels at the tengu.

"Before I give you a quick death... there's one last question I want to ask."

"...Oh, go ahead and ask."

Kurama Tengu, who had already admitted defeat and was awaiting his second, remained calm.

"Am I now a qualified 'ninja'?"

"Heh... I'd say it's barely passable."

"The path of cultivation is endless. Even with the power I have now, I must never let my guard down..."

"If you walk by the river often, you're bound to get your shoes wet."

"Countless ninjas have fallen victim to a moment of carelessness, suffering a fatal mistake that haunts them for eternity..."

Kurama Tengu looked at Amamiya and sincerely 'advised' him: "Learn more from the 'Prince' you admire... Your path should be guided by this."

Xiaoman breathed a long sigh of relief and nodded to Amamiya.

"Let them be the kaishakuhachi who bestow their grace... All-out attack."

As Amamiya issued the "All-out Attack" order, Tsukuyo, who was unable to participate, only felt a blur before her eyes, and then two dark figures swept away the desolate battlefield after the battle like a whirlwind.

The sounds of sharp blades cutting, blunt instruments striking, and... all sorts of indescribable sounds merged together, creating a chaotic yet orderly cacophony that Tsukuyomi could hear.

Xiaoman, still in her hand seal posture, landed gracefully, twirled around with the sparkler in her hand, and broke the silence with a dazzling, fleeting burst of fireworks.

"NINJA?SLAY!"

—For some reason, for a fleeting moment, Tsukuyomi seemed to be able to 'see' a strange, almost declarative, statement behind Koman that appeared in this artistic atmosphere that carried a certain shocking trend.

"Amazing……"

Her relatively limited vocabulary was insufficient to describe Tsukuyomi's feelings as an 'observer' at this moment.

Dazzling like art... Despite being a battle, the actions and gestures exude elegance.

"Both Sensei and the minister are amazing..."

However, just as Tsukuyo had a chance to express her feelings, Xiaoman, whose cool demeanor lasted only three seconds, suddenly felt her legs go weak and almost fell over.

"Phew... I'm so tired... I can't stand up anymore..."

Amamiya dodged and hugged Michiru, who had just finished striking a powerful attack pose and was feeling exhausted due to her first awakening.

"There will be a feeling of exhaustion during the initial awakening... Every 'Masked Warrior' has a similar experience, don't panic."

While embracing Xiaoman, Amamiya didn't forget to explain beforehand to dispel Tsukuyomi's worries.

Then, he looked down at the girl he was holding in his arms, who seemed to be completely frozen by the sudden embrace: "...Xiaoman?"

"..."

Stunned and still reeling from the afterglow of the "battle of the masked warriors," Xiaoman froze.

With a gentle twitch of her nostrils, Xiaoman inhaled the warm scent and quickly entered a state of 'calm chaos'.

The comfortable temperature and the feeling of being held calmed Xiaoman's heart, but after calming down, under the stimulation of confused emotions, Xiaoman couldn't help but want to overthink.

'Sensei's scent...'

'So reliable...I like it so much...'

Driven by an unconscious urge to "go a step further," Xiaoman naturally scooted towards the place that made her feel warmer and safer.

Sensing Xiaoman's movement, Amamiya smiled gently yet helplessly, and called out again, "...Xiaoman?"

Her movements faltered for a moment, then Xiaoman acted as if she hadn't heard, continuing to remain curled up in the embrace, half-hanging in front of Amamiya.

'Taking this opportunity to act a little spoiled with Sensei... that should be allowed, right?'

'I really want Sensei to touch my ears and tail... and then have Sensei whisper in my ear like this...'

My body is starting to feel a little hot...

'As one of the earliest members of the ninjutsu research club to come into contact with Sensei, Izuna must have already experienced and enjoyed this feeling, right?'

The girl, lost in her thoughts, not only didn't respond, but instead swung her tanuki tail and hugged it even tighter—using her 'too tired to move' as an excuse for being temporarily willful.

[I sensed Xiaoman's intense dependence...]

[Coopation Improvement!]

【Mitsuru Chidori (Magician) ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

[★3 Bond Ability "Otaku Ninja's Gap Moe" is now unlocked!]

Amamiya: "..."

With no other option, Amamiya could only tolerate Xiaoman's "whims" at this moment, and carrying Xiaoman and Tsukuyomi, headed to the pre-arranged meeting point.

'By now, Izuna, Iroha, and Ibuki's team should have basically completed their investigation, right?'

'To be on the safe side, let's go check it out...'

[Leave of Absence Request 2025.6.8]

I've been obsessed with cyberpunk lately, and I've also run out of drafts. I've been experiencing terrible writer's block these past few days...

With multiple debuffs combined, I had to take the day off today (it's not that I didn't write anything; I revised and rewrote almost 6,000 words today, but I'm not entirely satisfied).

(Even the chapters I saved today seem to need to be rewritten and rewritten.)

So I plan to spend a day doing this.

-

that's all.

Chapter 19 Izuna: I am the approaching storm!

The small courtyard was filled with moonlight, and the star-studded city of the shogunate remained unchanged for a full hour.

While waiting for Xiaoman to recover from the exhaustion caused by Persona, Amamiya checked on Tsukuyo's condition.

Perhaps due to Xiaoman's outstanding performance after awakening her Persona, and the 'special treatment' she received in Amamiya's arms for a long time afterward, Tsukuyomi's expression was slightly complicated.

The timid and weak-willed 'giant girl' is currently worried about a very special problem.

Can I... be like the club president and Izuna... to confront my true self and awaken my [Persona]?

"..."

Amamiya withdrew her gaze.

The awakening of one's "persona" is, in most cases, a personal matter.

Unless you're like Hanako, who encountered a newly born shadow in another world and was able to form a contract with it, or like Azusa, who has an extremely high compatibility with the shadow she contracted with (an isomorphic counterpart in another world), generally speaking, awakened Personas are still the same old three things.

The courage to face death, the frankness to confront one's weakest self, and the determination to rebel.

These three things clearly require personal 'understanding' and 'experience'; they cannot be easily passed on to others.

"It must be getting late... Has Izuna and the others finished their investigation yet?"

Amamiya, who was sitting on the roof, got up and, with the help of the "Bonds" (Alice's Bonds) ability, sensed Izuna's exact location.

They still haven't come back... Could it be that they've really run into some serious trouble?

"Xiaoman, Yueyong. Izuna and the others haven't returned yet. They might be in trouble. Let's go check on them."

"it is good--"

With a rustling sound, the tanuki girl, who had been taking long breaths to dispel her fatigue just a moment ago, instantly stood up with a bright and energetic expression, just like a ninja who had received an order: "We can't just sit and wait to die when something happens!"

"Since this is His Highness Sensei's instruction... let's set off immediately!"

Compared to Xiaoman, who was exhausted due to her determination to change her persona and was in poor physical condition at this time, Tsukuyomi, who had not been too tired along the way, was in much better condition.

She also got up, timid yet serious, ready for battle.

Amamiya, who was paying extra attention to Tsukuyomi, let out a soft, almost unintentional sigh: "For the next period of time, Tsukuyomi will probably have to take on the main combat role..."

【~???~】(Yue Yong)

"I...I'll do my best..."

With Tsukuyomi and Koman by her side, following the "threads of bond," Amamiya headed in the other direction that Izuna, Iroha, and Ibuki had previously investigated.