I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Does Sensei enjoy my service?"

How could Amamiya possibly respond to the girl's calm gaze that seemed to say, "Dare to say you don't like me? I'll just act cute and charming."

"I like it, of course I do."

【~???~】(time)

I sensed Shi's feelings...

[COOP Improvement!]

[Asukama Toki (Emperor) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆]

[★7 Bond Ability "Maid's Service" is now unlocked!]

"Understood. From now on, I will serve Sensei even more fully."

Amamiya: ...

Please don't...

Feeling a slight sadness in her heart, Amamiya sighed silently, roused herself, patted Toki's head, and helped her adjust her maid's headdress and hairband as encouragement.

Although the "serving" at that time might be hard on oneself...

But in any case, the ability to exude such an astonishing possessiveness and gravity can be seen as a result of being "influenced" by Rion, a change in behavior and mindset that is even colder than a robot, a "from nothing to something".

He quickened his pace slightly and arrived at the club building where Beritas was located before the rain intensified.

Compared to the Engineering Department, which has its own "club building," the Ministry of Truth is much more low-key.

After all, they are hackers, and also a gray group that has been tacitly allowed to exist for thousands of years with one eye turned away... or rather, an 'unofficial group', so Beritas cannot be high-profile.

Beritas and her group of hacker girls, who usually prefer to stay indoors, naturally stayed in their air-conditioned rooms during the rainy and humid summer.

As before, in order to maintain the privacy of the meeting, Toki, who called herself a 'personal maid', did not follow him directly to the club activity room as a matter of course, but stopped in the building corridor.

Upon entering the corridor, the girl naturally 'snatched' the umbrella from Amamiya's hand and folded it up, while also 'waving goodbye' to Amamiya.

"Sensei, hurry back, I'll be waiting for you here."

Amamiya: "...Hmm."

In a daze, he had a subtle sense of déjà vu, as if a husband was being given instructions by his wife before leaving to run errands.

How did she manage to do all this so 'abruptly' yet so naturally?

Thinking about this question, Amamiya went upstairs and pushed open the door to the Beritas club activity room.

Beritas certainly has those who remain behind...

However, the one who stayed behind was not the usually introverted Tama or Haru, nor was it Chihiro who was often nowhere to be seen... but the usually most lively Maki.

When Amamiya pushed open the door, a red-haired girl with her hair in double buns was squatting in the corner with her back to the door, fiddling with something.

Amamiya leaned closer to take a look and realized that Maki wasn't fiddling with any electronic devices, but rather with spray paint cans for graffiti, each with a different design.

Sensing the shadow cast from behind, the girl froze, reluctantly turning her head to look—

"Phew... So it's Sensei."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Maki, who seemed flustered for some unknown reason, naturally greeted, "Sensei, are you curious about what I'm doing?"

"I'm tidying up my graffiti stuff."

"For a short time after the rain stops, the air is fresh and not many people will come out to do anything right away... It's a good opportunity for graffiti."

"Sensei, wanna go do some graffiti together?"

Chapter 46 Your brother has sent you an online invitation.

"Sensei, wanna go do some graffiti together?"

The red-haired girl with a bun in front of me is innocent and cheerful, smiling brightly. In the midst of a summer rain shower, she inadvertently exudes a tomboyish charm, with an aura that is more like a "brother" than a "girlish" one.

...There is a kind of beauty in "Ryuji Sakamoto invites you to eat beef bowl" or "Yusuke suddenly goes crazy and invites you to 'appreciate art'".

This overwhelming aura of a 'good brother' combined with her love of street graffiti art and the current rainy weather... Amamiya felt that, at least for now... Maki was slightly more like Yusuke.

"After the rain, the sky clears... indeed a great opportunity for activities."

Amamiya neither agreed nor refused, but casually echoed, "The rainbow colors after the rain... seem to match Maki's doodles very well."

【~???~】(Maki)

The red-haired girl was slightly taken aback, and her heart seemed to suddenly beat a little faster.

It wasn't because of 'springtime feelings,' but because I felt that my long-held passion for art had been recognized.

Graffiti, especially street graffiti art... is a relatively niche hobby in Kivotos.

This was especially true over the course of a millennium.

Maki, who is often ordered by Chihiro not to graffiti freely within the Millennium Academy, likes to run to some private territories, or even areas adjacent to the academy's borders with less defined jurisdiction, to graffiti.

Maki really didn't expect this...

My niche hobby was recognized in such a way one day.

Especially since it's Sensei who has such high regard for themselves...

Does Sensei also like graffiti art?

Maki's eyes brightened, and she turned around and took out a few cans of graffiti spray paint from her collection, handing one of the blue-labeled spray paint cans to Amamiya.

Amamiya expertly shook the spray paint can in her hand, pondered for a moment, then corrected herself seriously and formally: "No, I should say, what I like is 'art'."

"It's not just street graffiti art, but also pixel art techniques, and something even more advanced..."

"For example, the art of 'hacking' is, in my opinion, the ability to hack into the same device in several different ways and leave a trace of one's existence, which is also a unique art."

"Speaking of which... Maki's gun, did Maki do the graffiti on the gun herself? It's so cool."

【~???~】(Maki)

"Yeah, right~"

Maki grinned smugly, her little nose twitching: "Sensei has great taste... Not bad! The graffiti on this machine gun is indeed something I made myself!"

"It's not just about looking good! After being modified by the engineering department, it can even launch paintballs filled with various colored pigments to help me complete the paint spraying!"

"Uh... how was it again... Sensei, have you ever played Sprague? This gun of mine can do the same weapon effects as those in the game!"

As she spoke, the girl confidently straightened her back and gave a thumbs up, exuding an air of 'I'm awesome, aren't I?'

Amamiya: "..."

That's really impressive.

It definitely gives you the feeling of 'a good buddy dragging you along to show you his gaming skills'.

This weapon, which looks like a light machine gun, actually has the extra effect of firing paintballs... If paintballs are mixed with regular bullets, wouldn't it have both damage and special effects?

After a moment of silence, Amamiya thought to herself... Sure enough, Maki falls for this too.

Or……

Anyone who has even a slight connection to art, and possesses an 'artist's' mindset and style, generally falls for this approach.

His eyes lit up, and he exclaimed sincerely, "Indeed... amazing!"

"However, speaking of which... this technique, which is similar to 'graffiti' on weapons, was used by the Phantom Thieves when they were operating in another world before."

To prove that what he said was true, Amamiya started the "childish competition" that is unique to good brothers. He reached into his shoulder bag and took out a replica of a Beretta M92F prototype gun.

This is a high-level weapon that was "camouflaged" by Munehisa Iwai, the owner of a survival game specialty store whom Amamiya knew when he was a phantom thief in Shibuya, Tokyo... Of course, that's in the context of another world.

In the real world, it's just a special replica gun.

It's so realistic that it's almost like a live-fire gun when you replace the magazine with a real one, but in principle it's still a replica gun.

With just a slight reach from Amamiya, Maki eagerly snatched the replica gun from his hand and played with it for a moment.

Upon touching it, Maki realized that the feel and weight didn't match up, and that it was a 'toy gun'.

In Kivotos, an environment where "even kindergarten students can fight with real guns," replica guns are definitely not as prestigious as children's toys.

Maki, who had originally wanted to try firing a couple of shots to experience the feel of 'the weapons Sensei used to use,' was immediately disappointed.

However, she soon noticed the paint job on the 'toy gun,' which had clearly been carefully painted and maintained, as if it were burning with a layer of ice flame.

The bold metallic shell, cool-toned finish, and streamlined appearance, along with the ice flame pattern that slowly rises from the magazine and converges in a unique way on the glacier-style paint job of the silencer.

It seems that just holding it in your hand can make you feel the 'cold'. If it could really be activated... this would definitely be a pistol that can fire ice flame bullets and freeze the target with a single shot.

"Wow...what a cool paint job!"

Maki's eyes suddenly lit up.

She could clearly feel that the gun's paint job reflected the hard work of the paint artist.

Such beautiful ice flame patterns, they almost have a freezing sensation that can freeze you in place...

What a pity, it's just being painted on a useless 'toy gun'...

……wrong.

Toy guns...

“Sensei, this toy gun…”

Carefully examining the replica gun, Maki, realizing her 'blind spot,' suddenly asked in confusion, 'In another world...'

"It really works."

Amamiya smiled and continued, "And... just like Maki imagined, it can really freeze the target in one shot."

【~???~】(Maki)

"Eh?!"

Maki paused for a moment, then let out an adorable, incredulous gasp.

Then she looked down at the 'toy gun' in her hand in disbelief.

Such vibrant and unique glacier-themed paintwork...

Surprisingly, it actually managed to freeze the target that was hit.

"This gun is called 'Skadi, the Goddess of Winter,' and it's... well, in terms of equipment level, it's a high-level weapon that's very close to 'ultimate equipment' or 'endgame weapon.'"

Under Maki's curious gaze, 'Sensei, tell me quickly, what's the origin of this gun?' Amamiya slowly added, 'And its equipment (six) Yingqi'The effects of feeding and preparing are roughly like this..."

"Upon hit, it ignites the target, dealing ice-type burning damage. There is also a chance to completely freeze the target, rendering them unable to take any action. If the target is subsequently hit by a physical or nuclear attack, the ice will shatter, guaranteeing a critical hit and dealing double damage."

In reality... aside from Amamiya's narrative effect, simply holding this gun in one's hand also grants it a passive skill: "Advanced Freeze Enhancement".

When possessed, it greatly enhances ice-attribute attacks.

"Almost top-tier gear for graduation..."

Maki couldn't help but want to click her tongue in amazement.

The 'cognition' bonus from another world allows this gun to actually fire and has extremely unique special effects.

However, in the real world, no matter how beautifully it's made, it's still just a 'toy gun'...

However, this camouflage paint that can produce special effects on firearms... if we could mix the pigments with materials produced from the shadows of another world and then apply them to real guns in the real world, perhaps it could produce similar special effects on the real guns?

Maki seems to have been struck by a special inspiration...

[COOP Improvement!]

【Maki Kozue (Chariot) ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★3 Bond Ability "Color Master's Camouflage" is now unlocked!]

Thinking of this, Maki suddenly had a flash of inspiration and was about to suggest, "Hey, Sensei, I have a rough idea..."

Amamiya took his weapon from Maki and wagged his finger at her.

"Put aside your immature ideas for now..."

Maki immediately pouted in disappointment.