I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

The addition of a belt and a short skirt perfectly balances the monotony of the one-piece combat suit, adding a touch of mystery to it;

Especially her firm, smooth, and evenly visible 'tactile feel' against the backdrop of her combat uniform, making one want to touch her lower abdomen...

She has grown into a tall, mature, and elegant woman.

Although she was a little girl before (when they first met), the current Yuriko... seems to be no different from a little girl.

"Because of knowledge related to 'Velvet Room Assistant'."

Yuriko solemnly added her reason for asking the question: "Sensei also mentioned 'Velvet Assistant' when explaining otherworldly knowledge before..."

"The Velvet Room Assistant, who is responsible for liaising with each 'Unruly Messenger,' will, to some extent, reflect the idealized image in the mind of the Unruly Messenger..."

"And the person responsible for liaising with you, Ravenda, is..."

Amamiya covered her face with one hand and waved to Yuriko.

Okay, that's enough...

"Well... you could say there's some connection."

"However, the specific situation is a little different from what Yuriko thought."

“In most cases, the Velvet Room assistants are not ‘created on the spot based on the unruly messengers to be received.’ They already exist, and are then assigned by the owner of the Velvet Room to deal with different unruly messengers.”

【~???~】(Yuriko)

Amamiya was taken aback.

I just gave some basic information about the 'Velvet Room'... and that actually increases my favorability?

Amamiya paused for a moment, but didn't pay much attention, instead turning the conversation to Yuriko's clothes.

"Yuriko, your outfit..."

Seemingly in a slightly better mood, Yuriko explained with a gentle smile, "These are combat suits specially prepared for 'infiltration investigations' and 'infiltration operations.'"

"It was originally intended for use in the investigation of the millennium-old ruins and related events involving the name of the cross god..."

"But since Sensei informed me of the phantom thief activity, I decided to wear it."

She tapped the "heavy glasses" that had been pushed up to her forehead with her fingertips, and then added: "As for the goggles that Sensei is seeing now, which are different from the ones she's seen before... it's a protective gear made up of an intelligent optical system that integrates a centralized imaging method. I'm not sure if it will be useful, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"But now it seems..."

At this point, Yuriko let out a soft "sigh," thinking to herself that her preparation was still inadequate.

When researching and making these goggles, she considered every possible environment she could think of and confirmed their effectiveness in extreme conditions.

But what I never expected was that... the first time I would use these goggles would be at a depth of unknown depth, in the ocean where sunlight is largely swallowed up.

Those who possess tarot cards are protected by a "mystical" aspect, and can see things very clearly.

But the view through the goggles... can only be described as a blur.

Wearing goggles, or even without taking them off, she couldn't see clearly... This situation really left Yuriko feeling a bit helpless.

Despite all the precautions, the detection performance in deep-water environments was not taken into account...

After all, who would have thought that the first proper use of these goggles would be in the deep sea, where lighting is extremely poor and there are many unstable factors such as water pressure?

"Why did Yuriko choose... such a 'melee weapon'?"

Amamiya then turned her gaze to the hand axe that Yuriko was holding by the tail... its design possessing a sleek, simple, and artistic beauty reminiscent of military craftsmanship.

"Because it has many functions, it also makes it easier for me to exert my own strength."

Swinging her fox ears up and down, Yuriko replied matter-of-factly, "Choosing an axe as a melee weapon shouldn't be anything special, right?"

Amamiya gave a slight smirk but didn't say anything.

Indeed, there's nothing special about it... After all, Haru Okumura of the Phantom Thieves usually uses a two-handed axe and a large scythe as his melee weapons.

It's hard to imagine a young lady wielding a two-handed axe...

Even more unimaginable is that Makoto Niijima, also a "female pope," uses brass knuckles, boxing gloves, and a vajra as melee weapons, directly striking the shadow with her fists in the "Iron Fist Judgment."

It seems that the assistants of the cards "The High Priestess" and "The Empress"... still share a common understanding to some extent.

Amamiya then took a closer look at the hand axe that Yuriko had wrapped around her tail.

Thanks to his rapidly advancing military knowledge after joining Kiwatos, as well as the knowledge he had learned from Zenkichi about the Metropolitan Police Department and the Special Investigation Department before coming to Kiwatos, Amamiya could tell that this should be a military-grade two-handed axe.

The reason why Yuriko could curl up with her tail and swing it with one hand was mainly because Yuriko's physical abilities were too extraordinary, allowing her to use two-handed weapons as one-handed weapons.

The axe blade is held in a special metal slot, and the axe handle is covered with a layer of high polymer molecular material produced by the engineering department. The end of the axe handle is a structure similar to pliers or a crowbar, with two sharpened sides and an irregular notch in the middle.

They even left a place for prying things open.

Not only is its appearance practical, but its functions are as numerous as a Swiss Army knife...

The matte black finish exudes a quiet elegance; not only is it visually appealing, but it's also incredibly practical.

It's just like the equipment Yuriko would choose...

Also, if you could touch Yuriko's lower abdomen...

The moment Amamiya's thought crossed her mind, the fox-eared girl walking beside her turned her gaze toward her as if a radar had been triggered.

What is Sensei thinking?

The girl reminded him helplessly, "We're in another world now... you can't do that."

Amamiya looked slightly embarrassed and withdrew her thoughts.

All I can say is that Noah's ventriloquism skills are just too good.

The powerful suction and the way the service almost stopped just in time have left Amamiya still a little unsettled.

"Hmm... we've arrived at the 'altar'."

After gathering his thoughts, Amamiya noticed the trident surrounded by ocean currents and gathering storms.

The "secret treasure" of Huaye, which has not yet been formed, is shaped like a trident...

That's understandable.

After all, the name Huaye, which we saw in Impression Space before, included the title "Future Sea God".

What symbolizes the authority of Poseidon, the god of the sea?

Trident.

With the trident... the sea god is truly the sea god, able to control lightning and summon wind and rain.

Amamiya was not surprised by the shape of Hanaya's treasure.

To his surprise, Huaye's desires grew at an astonishing rate.

It's really... a bit beyond my expectations.

When I first brought Kayoko to explore, the 'exterior' of Hanaya's Palace was still a completely stranded and abandoned shipwreck.

The second time I brought Aru and Kayoko with me... the restoration work on Hanaya's palace had already begun.

And now, the temple of Huaye... has been transformed from a ruined shipwreck into a 'temple altar' that is about to complete its rituals...

“Sensei… since the treasure is right here, then we…”

Yuriko had a sudden inspiration and was about to say, "Just take it," but stopped halfway through her sentence.

—By the way, the rule of the "Phantom Thief": 'Desire' will not materialize unless a notice is issued.

Even the trident that you see right now, which looks like a real object, cannot be touched before the announcement is made.

"What should we do next?"

Amamiya pondered for a moment, then surveyed her surroundings.

After noticing a desolate hill nearby, Amamiya called out to Yuriko.

"Let's go over there and wait for a while."

"The sacrificial ceremony should be starting soon."

Chapter Ninety-Five: "The Last Supper"

A “palace” is not built in a day.

After all, building a house in the real world requires bricks and tiles, and construction begins from the design stage.

The desires of the "master of the palace" naturally grew day by day. He watered the twisted seeds in his heart with boundless desires day after day, which eventually allowed the "palace" to take root and sprout.

So... how did the "palace" come about?

To be honest, even for Amamiya, a 'veteran phantom thief', this topic remains an unsolved mystery.

After recounting his experiences in other worlds from the Kamoshida Palace to the present day, Amamiya realized that he had never witnessed the formation of the 'Palace' even once.

Or rather... the instant when the 'unformed palace' becomes a 'palace'.

After leading Yuriko to a high, secluded spot that was easy to observe from, Amamiya and Yuriko began to discreetly observe the shadowy figures of mermaids, dressed in long robes, moving back and forth near the altar, as if they were performing a ritual.

These mermaids are all thin and ugly, and although they are based on the image of mermaids, they always give people a sense of ugliness that reflects their inner nature.

Wearing long robes, they gradually gathered below the altar and began to pray to the "Trident of Poseidon" on the altar.

"Future Sea God... please become the new god, and then forgive our sins..."

"Only you can save us from this impending collapse..."

"We have waited far too long... Lord Sea God, you should now grasp your own trident..."

Amid the prayers of these 'believers,' a court procession composed of various mermaids and merfolk approached along the way.

Protected in the middle by the honor guard... was precisely the 'pink mermaid'—Hana's shadow, who seemed out of place among the surrounding shadows.

Unlike the shadows I saw in the other world last time, which were no different from ordinary shadows except for their color, the shadow of Hanaya that I saw this time was much larger than the shadows around her.

Secondly... she was surrounded by an aura of death that was unique and symbolized the "Knight of Death".

The deathly aura gathered beneath her, transforming into a hazy, indistinct warhorse composed of black smoke.

From a decorative perspective...

Compared to before, the 'ornaments' on Huaye's body are now more ornate, on a whole new level.

Although the loot from the last Flower Shadow event was very valuable, the outfit wasn't 'luxurious'.

This time... He didn't even bother acting anymore. He draped himself in expensive silks and brocades, and even wore a golden laurel wreath symbolizing the 'future lord'.

The moment she appeared, the believers began to exclaim in surprise and express their support.

"It's the future sea god! He has appeared!"

"He will ascend to His divine throne and grant us a general amnesty..."

Amidst the cheers and support of the lower-ranking shadows, Huaye Shadow rode his horse at a leisurely pace to the altar and ascended the steps.

“Palace, watch closely… at the moment it was born…”

Amamiya quietly reminded Yuriko, who was standing next to her.

"Ah."

Without Amamiya saying anything more, Yuriko watched the situation on the 'altar' with solemn focus, not letting her guard down for a moment.

After Hanaya took the stage, the prayers of those distant believers even reached Yuriko's ears.

The false, holy voices that kept echoing in my ears were truly annoying.

Holding her breath, Yuriko noticed that Hanaya slowly grasped the trident floating on the altar.

'boom--'

A bolt of lightning, carrying ocean currents, descended from the sky and struck the trident.

Fine lightning bolts followed the trident, converging on the top of Huaye's head and striking the laurel wreath above her head with a lightning bolt symbol.