I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"I've got Zare!"

"Why is there a laser here?!"

"Where did the smoke grenade come from?... Cough cough cough... I can't see clearly..."

Throwing out a smoke grenade, Akiko gracefully retreated amidst the indiscriminate firing and barrage of bullets from the Bureau of Affairs' guards.

Avoiding the barrage of fire amidst the smoke, Yajinko advanced instead of retreating.

For a tactical squad, maintaining a consistent communication is crucial.

The SA58 short-caliber rifle that Akiko held, which she named "Camellia," was also equipped with a .308 .win.

The same applies to long-sized rifles made of yarn.

Sacrificing some firepower and suppression... in exchange for highly penetrating lethality.

Yuriko said this when she gave Saori and Akiko their new weapons after they joined Shalai.

"The recoil of the SA58 is relatively gentle for a .308 rifle, but it is still much higher than that of 9mm and 5.56mm, which takes some getting used to. Also, using .308 on a short barrel will bring some problems, such as huge muzzle flash and noise. I have prepared a specially designed muzzle flash suppressor for you, which can reduce some muzzle flash and noise, but it will still be very noisy."

"To complement Yazuko's combat style, we've also equipped you with cold smoke grenades to work in conjunction with the thermal imaging sights mounted on the gun."

"The master... oh, you mean the one who knows so many secret arts? He mentioned to me that the woman gave you a mask that could withstand one fatal blow?"

“Although this thing was made by that woman… I know you might have a slight psychological aversion to using it, but if you can, don’t lose it. After all, from a practical point of view, this is not just some kind of near-conceptual protective equipment.”

"Besides, even if you don't use the mask, you still need to summon the Persona if necessary, right? The Persona will naturally replace the head-mounted thermal imaging... So, for various reasons, it wasn't provided."

The sustained suppression brought by sacrificing some firepower is a 'worthwhile' trade-off for Arius's squad.

Because in most cases they do not need constant suppression.

On the battlefield, daggers and rapiers may not be able to kill a target in one blow, but broadswords can.

With great force and weight, it aimed to cleave the target in two with a single sword strike.

Of course... even if the target is armored and cannot be killed with a single sword strike, it is enough to inflict serious damage on the opponent.

A cluster of dark blue flames ignited between Akiko's brows, then transformed into a pair of veil-like masks made of black and white with brilliant gold patterns, sculpted like the all-knowing eyes.

Sophia, the goddess of 'Gnosticism,' has had her veil lifted.

The moment the goddess lifted her veil, everything was no longer hidden from her.

As Azuko moved through the smoke, she began to "perform".

To put it more artistically... it's a "solo dance".

Navigating through the smoke, Akiko skillfully moved between cover, dodging the barrage of fire while firing precise and continuous bursts of fire.

The smoke was meaningless to Azuko, but it effectively obscured the vision of the secret service guards.

A series of screams mingled with the sounds of people falling to the ground before they could even scream.

Calculating the visibility and duration of the smoke, as well as the effects of wind force and speed, the moment her magazine ran out, Azuko, who had transformed into a 'smoke demon,' quickly retreated and disappeared.

In just one brief encounter, at least half of the hundreds of secret service guards had already been 'dehumanized'.

The pre-laid traps, the alternating use of grenade launchers and smoke screens, and even the unseen marksmen shooting from all directions, meant that every shot would inevitably fall a student...

The secret service guards, who only knew how to charge into battle, had never seen anything like this before.

They were all stunned for a moment.

Misaki, on the other hand, picked up a "poison sting" launcher.

As the squad's heavy weapons specialist, I am responsible for providing heavy weaponry support...

Misaki believes that in this situation, it is necessary to use heavy firepower to efficiently resolve the battle.

She thought for a moment, then took out this thing from the Red Winter Federation Academy's inventory, whether it was purchased or confiscated, and put it down.

After all, the tactical objective of this operation was 'minimize damage'.

After sighing, Misaki picked up the PP19 that Yuriko had prepared for her.

She has now named the gun "Azazel".

Although this submachine gun did not use the same ammunition as Akiko, Saori, and Hiyori... the type of ammunition it used was exactly the same as the "Scorpio" ammunition that Akiko used before joining Sharai.

In a sense... it's also a kind of nostalgia for the past.

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

With a light exhale, a ghostly blue flame ignited on Misaki's body.

The flames spread to the upper half of his face, eventually forming a persona that resembled angel wings.

The evil thoughts of the Martian ruler surged forth endlessly, and were then spewed out and vented in the form of a "scapegoat".

Misaki's Persona is "Carmel." She is both an angel of light and a symbol of fall. As the one responsible for displaying karma... it is only natural that she can also pour out this karma.

"Supreme Magic Bullet: Deals extremely high damage to all enemies with a high critical hit rate and guaranteed hit."

—Although the Persona is not directly summoned, the Persona user can gain the resistance bonus provided by the Persona when entering a state of alert, and can use the various 'skills' attached to the Persona without summoning it.

Of course... there are certain conditions that must be met to use the Persona's techniques without summoning the Persona.

First of all... the technique used should be more physical in nature, which can be barely achieved by using the person's physical attributes and the items they hold with the Persona.

Secondly, the techniques used are limited to the realm of 'skills' rather than the realm of mystical magic—to cast magical skills, one still needs to summon the Persona.

The PP19's rate of firepower is nothing short of astonishing.

Misaki simply took control of the gun, and the malice of the Sinful Angel was mercilessly distributed and poured onto all visible targets.

—Although she didn't use heavy firepower of real scale to finish off the target, Misaki still performed her duties as a firepower specialist very well.

'De-harm' the majority of the targets gathered together... and then suppress the remaining targets until they can't lift their heads.

After a round of fighting... only one in ten members of the Bureau's personal guard remained.

Before the hundreds of students even entered the urban warfare zone with Arios's squad, they were already experiencing the despair of being outmatched in equipment, tactics, strength, and coordination.

After watching what he had witnessed as a 'spectacle,' Cerino exclaimed in amazement.

By the time she came to her senses, the battle had already come to an end.

With Marina, who was incapacitated and had a blank expression, tied up, Saori pushed her towards Cerino while holding her shoulders.

Ba, who was behind Cerino, quickly stepped forward to take charge of the handover of the 'prisoner'.

Saori, as if she had accomplished something insignificant, casually retreated to Amamiya's side along with the rest of the squad.

"mission completed."

Chapter 35 Saori: Not My Favorite School, I Rejected Directly

Despite the heavy blow suffered by the secret service's guards, the secret service itself remained brightly lit.

Sitting comfortably at the director's desk, with his eyes half-closed in a lazy manner, Cerino picked up today's Red Bear editorial department, a joint production with the Knowledge Liberation Front, the Daily Times still smelling of freshly printed ink.

Yawning and already feeling a bit sleepy, the white-haired girl straightened her Cossack hat and casually glanced at the front page headline.

A picture taken from a very unique angle, along with the exaggerated and sensational headline typical of front-page headlines, came into view.

The photo was clearly taken this morning. The photographer used a professional-grade low-profile macro lens, and the dynamic blur and zoom effects made even the printed image look quite dynamic.

Taking into account the 'height factor' of the subject being photographed, the camera position and lens angle are from bottom to top.

Cerino strode forward with a 'solemn' expression, while the members of Arios's team behind her were hidden in the blurry camera lens and obscured by the wind and snow, their 'professional' aura almost overwhelming.

"The great Cerino has reclaimed his position as student council president of the Crimson Winter Federation Academy!"

"What is professionalism? This is professionalism! Under the wise and mighty leadership of Chairman Cerino, the Arius Squad has actually accomplished the feat of taking on a hundred enemies single-handedly!"

"President Cerino delivered an important speech: Passion must never be extinguished..."

With a flick of his wrist and amidst the rustling of newspapers, Cerino gave a confident "ha!"

as predicted……

Today's newspaper is reporting on our heroic deeds again...

hum...

He put down the newspaper, rested his hands on the back of the chair, propped his chin on one hand, crossed his legs, and used the other hand to twirl the fake mustache on his cheek. Cerino looked on with a hint of regret.

"What a pity... Sensei's guards, with unprecedented loyalty."

"Even after we used the unique spiritual indoctrination of the Crimson Winter Federation, they remained unmoved, and even seemed to have become more averse to us..."

"However... fortunately, we learned about their team's training methods."

Looking back and imagining the spectacular scene he had witnessed that morning—the Arius squad members working together seamlessly, sharing a deep understanding, and possessing such formidable fighting power that they could even take on a hundred opponents—Cerino couldn't help but indulge in his fantasies once again.

The Arios squad... their combat power is like that of a "heroic unit" in a game, completely different from ordinary units? Ilin Yin? Wife Si (5) Nine Si? (8).

With their training methods... if we train according to their methods, the Bureau's guards will surely become more elite very quickly...

Filled with both anticipation and regret, Cerino sighed with a 'worried' expression.

Hey……

There are just too many things to think about.

The head of the secretariat must be really tired...

Standing less than 1.3 meters tall, she jumped off the chair and then lazily stretched.

During the day, under his own 'brilliant and mighty' guidance, he regained control of the Crimson Winter Federation Academy... With so many things to think about, he was already very tired today, so he should go and rest.

Yawning and feeling very sleepy, she mumbled a confused "...Ba?"

The next moment, the door was pushed open with a click, and the pink-haired girl, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, quickly entered and bowed.

"I'm sleepy, I need to go to sleep..."

Ba immediately understood: "I'll go and prepare a bed for you right away."

……

Having taken on this "important task," Ba left the secret service headquarters.

However, instead of immediately rushing to Cerino's residence and starting to make his home arrangements like a housekeeper, she first went to the lounge and listened to what was happening there by pressing her ear against the door.

Almost the instant she pressed her ear to the door, Sensei's voice rang out from inside the room at just the right moment.

"How is it, Saori?"

Is there anything noteworthy about Cerino's so-called 'award ceremony'?

……

The room fell silent for a brief moment.

Then, Saori's slightly hoarse and helpless voice came through.

"...was awarded a strange 'beard' medal."

Immediately, Azuko, who had also been 'dominating' the battlefield during the day, chuckled and chimed in: '...It's like being awarded a 'little red flower' as a reward after a game of make-believe.'

Misaki and Hiyori, who also had exaggerated expressions, echoed the sentiment one after another.

"There's no sense of honor in being a master chef who makes six or seven kinds of shrimp."

"I even felt like I was being looked down upon..."

There was another moment of silence.

"...Anything else?"

Saori answered without hesitation: "...At the 'award ceremony,' Cerino publicly invited us to join the Red Winter Federation Academy...and even said that as long as we joined, we could be immediately promoted to guards with excellent benefits."

Azuko's voice lost some of its laughter: "We refused."

Misaki sighed softly, "It reminds me of an... 'old friend'."

I thought of that 'old friend' named 'Beatetoriche', whom I always wished I could bombard with recoilless cannon fire every time I thought of her.

When she used nihilism to poison the minds of Arios's students, she used this very "PUA" approach.