I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Sensei, what... what's going on?"

Hanaya showed off the exceptionally ornately carved pistol, but didn't immediately hand it to Amamiya.

Amamiya didn't mind, and after a quick glance, she explained, "Chief Hanaya is lucky... This is a weapon with 'special effects' and establishes a certain connection with the first person to pick it up."

Hua Ye's eyes lit up, she shook her ahoge (cowlick), and her tone was unusually slightly excited.

I never expected to find a weapon that would become intertwined with my life...

"This gun... is called [Apocalypse Conquest]. It is one of the weapons in the same series and has a certain degree of 'exclusive use' characteristics."

"This is a weapon... that can only be used by special people."

[Apocalypse Conquest: A firearm transformed from the longbow wielded by the 'Knight of Conquest,' one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Only ambitious leaders can wield it.]

[Type: Weapon/Ranged Weapon]

[Skills: I came/I saw/I conquered]

[I'll show you: Every time you change to a new magazine, the first three attacks will be guaranteed to be critical hits.]

[My observation: If a target has been attacked but no weak point damage has been inflicted, its hidden weak point will be discovered and marked. (Weaknesses that 'do not exist' cannot be discovered out of thin air.)]

[I Conquer: After the wielder defeats the target and achieves their ambition, they absorb that ambition, slightly and permanently increasing the weapon's base damage.]

Tingyugong briefly explained the unique effects of the weapon, and Huaye's already excited gaze became even more meaningful.

'Weapons from the same series… does that mean Sensei has seen similar weapons before, and may even have collected them?'

'Additionally, permanently increase base damage...'

Even the smallest increase is a terrifying ability if it is permanent and has no upper limit.

This gun can be seen as a symbol of "the greater the ambition, the greater the ability".

“Sensei, this weapon…”

Amamiya naturally saw through Hanaya's intentions.

"Let's leave it to Director Hanaya for safekeeping."

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Hua Ye Gets Fished and Becomes a Pervert

After demonstrating the 'Masked Warrior's' melee attack methods in this other world... in reality, this journey to this other world, which was specially brought here to make Hanaya 'lower her guard', is not yet over.

In order to give Huaye a boost and restore the vitality of the hall that was 'severely hit' recently...

Amamiya also wants to demonstrate to Hanaya the fighting style of the "Persona" and their powerful abilities.

Ideally... after the battle, the shadow should be given directly to Hanaya as 'spoils of war'.

—As for why it wasn't purified in the "Velvet Room" before being sent... that's because if it were purified before being sent, then Hua Ye would truly become a "Masked Envoy" rather than the master of the palace.

After defeating the Pale Knight, in order to boost Hana's confidence and ambition, Amamiya had Hana try fighting in another world.

In order to create the 'persona', she also began to collect the 'source of desire'.

……

Playing with the exquisitely crafted [Apocalypse Conquest] weapon she had just acquired, Hua Ye held the gun in both hands, her sharp eyes scanning her surroundings. After identifying her target, she immediately raised her gun and aimed.

With the Valkyrie Public Security Bureau and the Fox Squad from SRT under her command, Hanaya, as the head of the Defense Office, is certainly not only good at political maneuvering.

They reacted quickly, then fired their guns.

The bullet fired was fueled by the knight of war's fury. With a crack, the first shot shattered the mask of shadow, forcing it to reveal its true form.

The second shot followed immediately, hitting a vital spot the moment it revealed its true form, killing it instantly.

Before any harsh words could even be uttered, the shadows dissipated, and the swirling negative consciousness evaporated, boiled, and vanished like snow melting in the warm sun.

"call……"

Holding the gun to her lips, she blew on the pistol, which was still emitting gunpowder smoke and had slightly reddish patterns. Hua Ye then leisurely walked to the fallen object in the shadows, bent down, and picked up a small cross pendant from the debris.

"Is this... also a special kind of 'equipment'?"

【Apocalypse - Conquest】Slightly warm from satisfying her ambition, Hua Ye could vaguely sense that a small part of the exquisite bone carving patterns on the gun had been stained crimson.

'It seems there's a limit to how much you can upgrade a weapon...'

Even if it can't compare to Kirino's "Necessary Pain," it's still a very good weapon.

'As long as the enhancements symbolizing "the ambition to conquer" are fully utilized...'

With a jumble of thoughts swirling in her mind, Hua Ye couldn't help but look up again.

Amamiya, standing nearby, had already collected quite a bit of 'desire mud' and was gradually shaping it.

Unable to hold back any longer, Huaye hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Sensei, what's wrong...?"

“Creating ‘personas’...or rather, temporary personas.”

Huaye immediately realized who would benefit from this 'persona'.

She approached with great interest, carefully observing the undulating mass that resembled an unformed clay sculpture.

"The birth of Persona...is that how it happened?"

"Besides facing death, confronting oneself, or igniting a rebellious spirit... there are several other ways to awaken one's persona, with varying degrees of difficulty or danger."

“One of the more opportunistic methods is to defeat these shadows in large numbers in another world, gather the last bit of desire they had left when they were dying, shape them into a new one… and then make a contract with them.”

"Not only do you need a mentor to guide you, but even after signing a contract, you can't control it as well as the persona that your shadow has transformed into... but it's safer."

Listening to Amamiya's "Look and Talk," feeling the increasingly dangerous neon-lit atmosphere of the otherworld around her, and the unchanging scenery, Hanaya relaxed a little.

"This is the hundredth source of desire I've collected... How long until my Persona is formed?"

"Don't rush, you can't eat hot noodles in a hurry."

Amamiya crossed her arms and casually wiggled her fingers: "Almost done..."

As if to confirm Amamiya's words, the wriggling black and red mass, after completing its final shaping, quickly 'dried' like fired ceramic.

Hua Ye looked up and observed, and for a moment sensed something unusual that seemed like a coincidence.

The shadow 'born' from desire has become yet another knight...

The hesitation lasted only a moment before Huaye was drawn to the imposing figure riding a black steed, wearing a matching black robe adorned with skulls, and wielding a balance scale.

Perhaps it was because she had collected the 'Source of Desire' herself... the moment this knight appeared, Hana could feel the connection between Him and herself.

She looked up at the Black Knight, who, along with his warhorse, looked down at her.

After gazing at each other for a while, the Black Knight let out a heavy sigh.

"Such an ambitious person..."

"It seems you are my employer..."

"I am the Black Knight, the master of death."

"From this day forward, I will become your strength... to protect you from danger."

"As for conquering the four directions for you... ha, that will have to wait until your mind matures and you can further control me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Black Knight and his warhorse vanished, attaching themselves to Huaye's cheek and coalescing into a mask that looked somewhat like the hood of the Grim Reaper.

At the same time, Huaye was able to immediately learn specific information about the 'Black Knight'.

【Shadow: The Black Knight (Arcana: Tower)】

[Introduction: The fourth Knight of the End in the Bible, wielding the power of 'death'.]

Although he wields the scales, he is the most 'cruel' and also the most 'powerful' of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

[Skilled in curse magic, powerful physical attacks, capable of instilling panic in enemies and easily killing those gripped by it. Also capable of using low-level universal elemental magic.]

Scratching her cheek, Hanaya realized that she couldn't just summon her Persona by tearing it off like Amamiya did.

“Sensei, why can’t I…”

Sensing Hanaya's questioning gaze, Amamiya, arms crossed, scoffed softly, thinking to herself, "This isn't the real Persona either, and your relationship with Him isn't a 'contract' but an 'employment'."

Without experiencing a mental awakening, you certainly can't command Him.

“Chief Huaye…didn’t you hear what the ‘Black Knight’ said? He is the most powerful Doomsday Knight.”

Amamiya, who was well aware of Hanaya's situation, replied irritably, "Using the Persona requires a lot of physical and mental energy... Given Hanaya's current condition, it's not enough to drive it."

Hua Ye understood.

With the Sensei belt, I painlessly 'awakened' to a higher level of personality...

However, this method of awakening a higher personality mask from the outset also seems to have its drawbacks.

It's like taking out a loan to buy something... You get the item first, but you have to pay for it little by little until the money is completely paid off, and only then will the mask truly belong to you.

Having determined her current situation in a way she could understand, Hua Ye smiled contentedly with her squinting eyes, laden with her spoils.

This 'other world trip' with Sensei took a lot of time, and apart from the very beginning, I did almost all the work myself...

But it must be said that it was indeed a "very fruitful" experience.

Not only did they gain the special security guarantee of the 'Personality Mask', but they also acquired many otherworldly spoils that could be sold for high prices and had research value... Moreover, they even obtained the "otherworldly weaponry" they had been longing for.

Although it's not the absolute best, it's definitely the most suitable for me.

"Sensei...should we leave now?"

“Hmm…” Amamiya nodded. “I’ve done everything I needed to do, it’s time to leave.”

Taking out the Otherworld Navigation Tool, Amamiya opened the Otherworld App and selected "Evacuate".

[Back in the real world, thanks for your hard work.]

With the notification from the otherworld app, the scenery of the 'neon city' collapsed and shrank in an instant.

Amamiya noticed that Hana, who was standing next to her, had closed her eyes very "obediently" this time, concentrating on resisting the pressure of switching between reality and the other world.

With so many items from this "other world," what can I do next...?

Through Mimori's "mind-reading" bond, Amamiya heard such a strong echo of her inner thoughts.

really……

'Desire' is endless.

[I sensed that Hanaya's ambitions were growing even further...]

[COOP Improvement!]

【Shiranui Hana (Desire) ★★★★★★★☆☆☆】

Seeing the message about the increased bond level, Amamiya smiled slightly.

However... desire expands endlessly, and the more it expands, the more painful the moment it explodes will be.

Head of the Hanaya Department... are you ready?

Chapter Sixty-Nine: I'm not the only one who likes Sensei?!

On her way back to DU from the black market, Huaye kept trying to use her "Personality" power and was quite pleased with herself for this newfound power.

This "persona," which she created by collecting one hundred "sources of desire" herself, truly lived up to expectations in terms of strength.

While it can't yet summon directly in the real world like Sensei and then use AOE magic or negative status effects with a huge range, it's still sufficient for small-scale use.

'Black Knight, show me your power.'

"……learn."

After the feeling of his spiritual energy being drained subsided, clusters of black smoke, symbolizing death, condensed at the fingertips of Huaye, who was making a gun gesture.

As she snapped her middle finger and lightly raised her wrist, mimicking the action of 'recoil', the black smoke gathered into a spellfire that whooshed towards a nearby tree.

The blow struck the tree trunk, but did not break it as expected.

Once attached to the tree trunk, the cursed fire spread rapidly throughout the entire tree—and then the tree withered and decayed instantly, subsequently undergoing natural corrosion over thousands of years.

The scale wasn't huge... which is exactly what Huaye wants and is most looking forward to right now.