I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"From the Sisters of Holy Trinity, 'Lovely Sister' Ilomari!"

"And lastly... from SRT Academy, the 'rigid and serious big rabbit,' Sorai Saki!"

Amamiya, who was holding onto the railing of the stands, couldn't help but chuckle as she took in the changing expressions of the contestants as they appeared and were called out by their titles.

Humor Analysis: The titles given to each student by the Kronos News Department evoke deep-seated personal embarrassments or secrets, leading to expressions of surprise or oddities.

In gaming terms, it was like 'the title introduction segment, added on a whim by the Kronos News Department, inflicted indiscriminate real damage on every participating student at the last minute.'

Shion in the studio probably couldn't keep up with the 'contestants' expressions as clearly as Amamiya in the stands.

She continues to host events, a job that could very well lead to her being punished later.

"Alright—the starting gun is raised, three, two, one... Go!"

The sound of the starting gun blaring through the sky completely ignited the energy of the athletes poised to start on the track.

The girls, who were already ready to start, rushed out at almost the same moment.

Standing in the stands closest to the ground, Amamiya didn't see any obvious acceleration effects like the 'Mach rings,' but he did feel a gust of wind pressure coming towards him.

Although the students of Kiwatos have different strengths and weaknesses in their physiques, they are generally stronger than ordinary people, and even the animal residents, robots and other beings in Kiwatos... Under the blessing of the aura, they can even unleash several times or even more than ten times the 'explosive power' of ordinary people when necessary.

Of course, such 'explosive power' can only be seen in top-level duels like 'strongest vs. strongest'... To expect to see this level of competition in a sport that promotes friendship and peace is truly wishful thinking.

Even so, the girls' "never lose" willpower still significantly amplified their explosive power.

After starting simultaneously, the girls on the field quickly developed a significant distance difference due to the disparity in physical strength and explosive power.

Saki looks more refreshing without her rabbit ear earrings and helmet, but her head always feels 'empty'. She takes the lead thanks to the physical strength and explosive power she has accumulated during her SRT training.

His running style was steady and standard, his breathing even, and his eyes were filled with a desire for victory...

Everything about Saki is 'standard'... she might even be the most standard one in the entire participating team.

The students following behind her... were somewhat 'irregular' in their running style or physical strength.

Yuka, who had deliberately warmed up beforehand, remained unhurried and persistent.

In comparison, the difference between Ayako and Mary is not particularly large.

One was an administrator on the disciplinary committee, and the other was a nun from the Sisters' Order...

Ayako may have some athletic ability, but she mostly performs clerical tasks such as intelligence analysis and administrative processing.

When it runs, it bounces around, so it can only hang behind.

Mary has stamina, but her motor skills are only average. She even uses the "leapfrog" method to move around obstacles, which is more cute than efficient.

"Oh...the first one to arrive is...?!"

"Sora Emi from SRT Special Academy?!"

On the radio, Shion seemed to swallow hard before continuing with an air of barely concealed curiosity and excitement: "As everyone knows! SRT Special Academy is an academy that has already faced closure... Thanks to Xia Lai's cooperation, SRT students are able to represent the academy in the competition..."

"Saki-kun, will you be able to win SRT Academy's first victory in the history of the Akawa Grand Festival in this special 'competition'?"

Watching Saki sprint to the paper-drawing point first, Amamiya in the stands sighed silently.

The key to the race isn't actually the 'race' itself.

The key is 'borrowing' – how to borrow something without asking directly, and then return to the destination with it.

Running fast doesn't guarantee a win.

Success is only achieved if you can borrow something.

"Saki-san has started drawing slips of paper! What will she draw...?"

In the stands, Amamiya watched as Saki reached into the note box, rummaged through it, took out a note, and unfolded it. Amamiya's expression quickly changed.

From confidence to doubt, confusion, disbelief... after a series of changes in expression, Saki silently complained to the white-haired girl who was standing next to the slip-of-paper box as the referee.

"...Why would someone draw something like a white phosphorus bomb? Would a student really bring something like that to the scene?!"

Noah ignored Saki's complaint and instead whistled loudly.

"Sora Emi, disqualified!"

"Eh? W-why?!"

"Because the rules were clearly stated before the competition... if anyone around you, including the referees, knew the contents of the 'borrowed item' in advance, you would be disqualified from the competition."

"So... unfortunately, Sorii Emi has been disqualified for violating the rules of the 'Borrowed Object Race'."

“Sora Emi is out. SRT will not be included in the rankings this round.”

Amamiya, witnessing this scene, was speechless.

I knew that a 'simple and straightforward' student like Saki wouldn't be good at participating in events like the borrowing race, which clearly requires more on-the-spot adaptability, social skills, and coordination.

Saki, who had been eliminated, stood frozen in place, her expression so complex that words could not describe it.

Moe, Miyu, and Miyako immediately stepped forward.

Moe immediately vented her dissatisfaction with Saki's "fast runner, fast elimination" performance: "I should have been the one to do this project... Saki, what are you doing?!"

Saki blushed, knowing that this was a mistake she couldn't shake off, so she didn't reply.

Miyu sighed mournfully, "As expected, the four of us can't do anything on our own..."

Miyu's 'crying' expression really struck a chord with Saki, making Saki, who hadn't shown any change in expression before, visibly annoyed.

It was Miyako who stepped forward at this moment, demonstrating her much more mature ability to manage the atmosphere as a captain.

"Thank you for your hard work, Saki."

"It's okay... There are still matches to come. Let's learn from this experience and aim for first place in the next one."

After offering some words of comfort to the dejected Saki, Miyako immediately turned her gaze to the stands, meeting Amamiya's eyes across the distance.

'This time it was a bit of an accident... but next time. Next time, the Rabbit team will definitely prove Sensei right...'

'The Rabbit team is excellent...'

The Rabbit Team was eliminated with regret, and Yuka naturally became the winner.

"Oh—Sorai Emi's departure has made the situation even more unpredictable..."

"The second contestant to arrive at the borrowing station is Hayase Yuka!"

"She's already got her borrowing slip...wait...?! Hayase Yuka is frozen in place?!"

"After seeing the item she drew, Hayase Yuka seemed to waver noticeably!! What... just did she draw?!"

"Could it be... that legendary, always-opposed, and never-before-successful borrowing goal—'the person you like'?!"

Standing on the stands, leaning against the railing, Amamiya was surprised to see Yuka blushing, short of breath, and flustered after drawing the slip of paper.

Could it be that I actually drew such a 'special' borrowing target?

After a brief moment of hesitation, Yuka's sharp eyes began to scan the stadium.

"Look—Yuka Hayase seems to have found someone she likes to borrow! She's headed off in a certain direction... What could her borrowed item be? I can't wait to find out..."

As soon as Yuka started to act, Shion's tone immediately became cheerful and excited, as if she were eager to stir up trouble.

The clouds that were gathering above the stadium seemed to be turning from cloudy to overcast at this moment.

Seeing Yuka heading straight for him, Amamiya wasn't surprised at all.

Whether it's a 'person you like' or a 'person you care about', in any of the borrowing options related to 'people', Yuka chose herself, and she could respond to them.

He was about to go down to help Yuka when Ayako and Mary, who were following at the back, also ran to the lottery box.

Ako confidently reached out and pulled out a slip of paper, while Mary... before pulling out the slip of paper, she clasped her hands together, bowed her head, and prayed briefly.

When they unfolded the 'borrowing target' note they had obtained, Mary and Ayako's expressions changed noticeably, much like Yuka's.

Ayako's confident expression froze on her face, and then her features almost twisted together in a very strange way.

Mary stood there, clutching the note in her hand, her body hunched over shyly, her nerves on edge. Her cat ears showed very subtle changes, and small circles appeared in her eyes.

To describe her current expression—with steam rising from her head, clearly indicating extreme embarrassment—you could use the phrase "a boiled shrimp."

After standing there for a while, and after what kind of internal struggle she must have gone through, Mary took a deep breath and finally followed Yuka and ran over.

"Oh, we see that Trinity's Illomary is closely following Hayase Yuka, who clearly has a purpose... What is she up to..."

Shion, who was providing the commentary, was clearly a bit confused about the current unpredictable changes. Her commentary had lost its emotional depth and was instead filled with a sense of novelty driven by personal curiosity.

"Sensei...!"

Yuka, who was the first to run to the stands, looked up and waved to Amamiya: "Please come down and come with me for a moment..."

As contestants, Yuka and several other students were naturally equipped with microphones.

Therefore, Yuka's words could be broadcast live through the microphone and instantly spread throughout the entire stadium.

The moment she finished speaking, Amamiya clearly felt that the atmosphere in the once lively gymnasium suddenly froze.

Then, thousands of breathless, curious gazes... converged on it all at the same moment.

Amamiya, of course, wouldn't be intimidated by the concentration of 'thousands of eyes'—after all, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, he'd seen it all.

After straightening his collar, Amamiya didn't hesitate. Stepping onto the railing of the stands, undeterred by the several-meter height difference, he lightly leaped down.

'call……'

The hem of the uniform shirt suddenly burst into flames without fire, then spread several times its original size under the glowing blue flames, becoming a pair of demonic wings of a 'heretic archangel'.

After extending and blooming in an extremely ferocious manner, under the influence of the dual bond skills of "Raging Snow Moon Flower" and "Crimson Calamity Charm" from Wakamo, Amamiya landed steadily in a shocking way that left the entire audience breathless.

Upon landing, Amamiya's robes underwent an unusual change, and then, as the eerie blue flames disappeared, they rolled back at an even faster speed.

After many students rubbed their eyes to confirm whether they were seeing things, Amamiya landed smoothly.

Then, instead of speaking, he looked at Yuka with a subtle expression that seemed to say, "I didn't expect Yuka to think of me first."

"..."

"Ryou Luqi's dad, anyway... the target of 'borrowing' is Sensei..."

Recovering from the shock, Yuka stepped forward and took Amamiya's hand without saying a word: "Sensei, there's no time... come with me now..."

'Sensei...he really likes to show off in front of everyone.'

After being glared at by Yuka with such a meaningful look, Amamiya could only respond with an awkward but polite smile.

"Sorry, sorry...it was my professional instinct kicking in, I couldn't help it."

Yuka feigned anger and slightly annoyed: 'What kind of strange occupational hazard is this?'

'Isn't Yuka the same? She likes to play with a calculator to relieve stress when she's nervous.'

That is…

"When I'm in phantom thief mode, I subconsciously try to look cool; it's kind of an 'occupational hazard' of mine."

'...'

'Hey... Sensei. '

'Sensei is supposed to be an adult, but sometimes she unexpectedly acts like a child...'

'As expected... they can't do it at all without me...'

The exchange of glances lasted only a moment. Yuka, no longer nervous, grabbed Amamiya's hand amidst the students' sudden bursts of romantic and teasing murmurs, and started running with him.

"oh oh……"

Shion's tone suddenly rose several octaves: "After Hayase Yuka called Sensei offstage... she suddenly did something unexpectedly bold?!"

"Oh my god... Could it be... that Yuka's borrowed keyword is 'the person she likes'?!"

"Yuka, who has already completed the borrowing process, is in the lead and is steadily ahead!"

At this moment, Ayako, who had been standing there stunned, finally came to her senses and began to act with an expression that was inexplicably unwilling or humiliated.

—Her goal was exactly the same as Mary's: to go straight for Yuka.

After a brief exchange of glances, Mary and Ayako nodded to each other, then spread their arms to block Yuka's way back.

"Wait a minute, Yuka-san."

"Yuka, we can't go any further..."

Ayako and Mary displayed varying degrees of assertiveness, and their sudden actions immediately aroused Yuka's strong vigilance.