I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

“We will never forgive you who are blinded by greed.”

"The future that you have obtained through illegitimate means will be taken back by our own hands."

"...The Phantom Thieves of Hearts, respectfully?"

After reading the contents of the card, Hoshino took a deep breath involuntarily, and suddenly felt as if a strange flame had ignited in her heart.

"Sensei, what exactly is this...?"

Looking at the trendy and gorgeous style, and the chuunibyou copywriting formed by printing fonts cut out from different newspapers and other printed materials, neither the girls on the countermeasures committee nor the 'honorary alumna' Hifumi felt that it was absurd.

On the contrary, they all carried a sense of novelty and curiosity that ordinary people would never have when they saw a 'pre-announcement letter'.

"This is the 'preliminary notice' for the Caesar Group. Once we reach the stage of issuing the notice, we will send it to the 'Caesar Group' to raise their alert level and make their secret treasure appear."

Amamiya adjusted his glasses and gave a serious explanation.

What is the purpose of a pre-announcement letter?

Besides showcasing the thief's elusive and stealthy methods, it also serves to alert security personnel, thus achieving a special effect such as distracting them.

The purpose of the "heart-stealing pre-announcement" is the same.

To steal the treasure formed from the 'twisted desires' in the target's heart, a warning letter must first be issued to arouse strong vigilance in the target's heart—at this time, the treasure in its heart will condense and take shape.

However, the alert brought about by the warning letter will probably only happen once, and will only last for a day, or even a few hours.

Therefore, there is only one chance to issue a pre-announcement letter... and only one chance to 'steal someone's heart'.

Once the target's twisted desires are stolen, the target will repent for all the mistakes they have made...

Even if the Caesar Group's 'collective repentance' on the black market doesn't affect the Caesar Group's overall strategy, it's enough to stir up trouble, leaving the Caesar Group no time to deal with Abydos and forcing them to return everything they've seized from Abydos.

Amamiya's explanation made the girls on the countermeasures committee's eyes light up, and they seemed to be deep in thought.

Ayane stared intently at the announcement card in Hoshino's hand, summarizing her own interpretation of Amamiya's explanations: "...So that's how it is. So that's why there was a 'necessity' to release an announcement."

"Make the target wary... then you can steal their mind..."

To be honest, if these words had come from her not long ago, they would have sounded extremely absurd, unrealistic, or even fanciful.

But... having already witnessed the mysteries of another world, Ayane has every reason to believe that the 'heart-stealing rule' that Sensei spoke of can still be effective.

With her eyes sparkling like little stars, the flaxen-haired girl murmured to herself, lost in thought.

"A phantom thief...?"

"Hehe... How interesting!"

"Wandering on the stage bathed in spotlight, issuing punishments to those ugly adults sitting in the audience..."

Celery couldn't help but recall the scenes of her being kidnapped and rescued not long ago, and the thoughts she had at the time.

The 'phantom thief' lurking in the shadows, the 'rat' invading the inner world of others, the 'thief', are actually the righteous ones who protect the weak, while those glamorous adults are the thieves and robbers who plunder under the guise of protection...

The 'little mice' stand under the spotlight; the elegantly dressed 'adults' cower in the shadows, afraid to approach the 'mice' even a step closer, afraid to touch the light that reveals the truth and could burn them...

My thoughts seemed to be boiling over.

It's almost like... the situation has been reversed between the weak and the strong, a reverse judgment!

Hifumi, who was also feeling excited, still had some unanswered questions in her mind.

"So... what does Sensei's 'issuing a notice' have to do with the 'final repayment date'?"

"Well... sometimes, the timing of the announcement letter is important... the fixed repayment date each month is probably the most stressful time for Caesar, right? Of course, I mean stressful because they're worried that Abydos 'can repay the debt,' not that he 'can't repay it.'"

"Once the 'final repayment deadline' has passed, that tension... will drop significantly, right? At that point, it becomes less appropriate to send out a pre-payment notice."

Amamiya's easy-to-understand explanation made Hifumi understand the 'psychological reason' behind her actions.

Simply put, the most successful approach is to deliver a heavy blow when the target is most emotionally vulnerable.

"Therefore, you need to send out a notice the day before the repayment date, or on the repayment date itself..."

Amamiya clapped his hands, ending his speech.

"Regarding the announcement letter... I'll stop here for now. Now, it's time to take everyone to the halls of the 'Kaiser Group'..."

As she spoke, Amamiya took out her phone, opened the otherworld app, and clicked on the bookmark she had previously saved for the [Caesar Corporation] Hall.

'Navigating for you...'

A black and red ripple, accompanied by a slight dizziness, spread outwards from Amamiya's phone.

The sky instantly darkened, and the clear, cloudless sky transformed into a dazzling display of stars.

After looking around, the girls suddenly realized that they seemed to be standing at the foot of the magnificent Tower of Babylon, which looked to stretch to the sky from afar.

Seeing this towering tower that reaches into the clouds up close, the breathtaking grandeur and magnificence are immediately apparent.

"Next, we need to explore the Tower of Babylon before us and find a way to topple it."

Amamiya turned around and glanced at the girls who were preparing firearms and strategic equipment.

With the girls from the Countermeasures Committee, Amamiya and Hifumi walked together toward the entrance of the Tower of Babylon.

A gigantic shadow, at least four or five meters tall and resembling a small mountain, stood guard at the door. Beside it stood several shadows, roughly the size of adults, who were clearly security personnel.

"The first rule of the Phantom Thief... 'Frontline intrusion' is an extremely irrational act. It is very easy to trigger the target's inner alarm, and then we will be entangled with an endless number of enemies. It is not a rational behavior..."

After taking the girls from the countermeasures committee on a tour of the vicinity of the 'Tower of Babel', Amamiya set her sights on a ventilation duct on the second floor.

Drilling through ventilation ducts is an essential part of exploring otherworldly palaces.

After gesturing to the girls, Amamiya extended her right hand and, with a 'whoosh,' launched the grappling hook onto the mesh grille of the ventilation duct, firmly locking the running ventilator in place.

After tugging at his grappling hook to confirm its stability, Amamiya reached out to Hifumi beside him.

It's because of 'combat needs' after all... there's nothing to be ashamed of...

After a slight hesitation, Hifumi grasped Amamiya's outstretched hand and then wrapped her arms around Amamiya's neck.

'call out--'

A slight whistling sound swept by, and it felt like only a moment had passed before Amamiya landed on the small platform in the ventilation duct.

"Hifumi, now it's time for your 'persona' to come into play."

"...Hmm, leave it to me, Sensei."

After placing her hand on the edge of the mask in preparation to remove it, Hifumi recalled her feelings at the time and resolutely lifted the mask.

"PSONA! Faust!"

Clusters of eerie blue flames swirled around, but the imagined excruciating pain, and the agony of tearing the mask apart with blood streaming down one's face, did not come.

"Bring my companions up with me, Faust!"

Having received the order, the 'Red Devil' nodded slightly and waved to the girls on the countermeasures committee on the ground.

"Wow...it's like being weightless..."

"What a wonderful feeling..."

"My body is temporarily out of control... Is this the power of Persona?"

"……(excited)"

Why is Shirako so excited?

"It feels like I've found the ideal 'intrusion method'."

During the brief conversation, the girls from the countermeasures committee were also led to the 'balcony' of the ventilation duct, which was dozens of meters above the ground.

—Although this is only the second floor, it is already dozens of meters above the ground. This 'building scale' is really a bit unbelievable.

But since this is a building from another world, a manifestation of one's inner world, then it doesn't really matter...

Amidst their playful banter and reflections, the girls turned their gaze to Amamiya.

In response to them, Amamiya kicked open the damaged ventilation duct.

"Please bear with us for now... come with me."

Chapter 47 What is the "Palace" of the Caesar Group like?

"Cough cough cough... It feels really... cramped inside the ventilation ducts."

'Ugh... who's behind that old man? Slow down, slow down...'

How much longer is it?

Listening to the instant messaging from the communication device, Amamiya felt the length of the ventilation duct and thought it was about right.

Having crawled through the ventilation ducts for over ten minutes, we should now be certain that we have reached the interior of the Tower of Babylon.

A ghostly blue flame condensed in his hand, eventually transforming into a small knife forged from the body of the 'Demon King of Judgment'. Amamiya swung the hilt and smashed it, shattering a ventilation mesh fence in front of him with a loud clang.

After using her third eye to observe whether there was any danger below, Amamiya decisively jumped down.

"We've reached the end, everyone get off."

While informing the girls on the communication channel, Amamiya immediately began to observe her surroundings with her third eye.

What unfolded before him was a special area resembling a sales office or exhibition hall.

This place displays numerous miniature landscapes, such as street models and city models, all arranged like exhibits in exquisitely decorated glass cases.

These aquascape boxes are also slightly different. Some have a mechanical eye suspended in the air, while others have a mechanical arm suspended in the air. If you look closely, these mechanical arms are wrapped with thin lines that resemble fiber optic cables, as if they are constantly transmitting or extracting something.

Looking further ahead, you can see many life-size statues of students at Amamiya, various items that may be students' personal belongings, and exhibits such as luxury cars and mansion models.

The hall is decorated with gold and silver, giving it a 'nouveau riche' feel that has no aesthetic appeal.

Honestly, Amamiya felt a slight aversion to looking at it too much, as if it would taint her eyes and insult her aesthetic sense.

Morgana once said, 'A phantom thief may lack knowledge of luxury goods, but he cannot lack his own unique "aesthetics of the phantom thief" and an appreciation for high-value items.'

It was because of this statement, and his long-standing phantom thief activities, that Amamiya developed his own unique aesthetic.

In his view... this hall, which was probably meant to show how rich and powerful he was, could only be described as 'worthless'.

While Amamiya was observing, the girls from the countermeasures committee climbed out of the ventilation ducts and landed one after another.

In the end, Hifumi, protected by her Persona in the other world, doesn't look like the girls on the Countermeasures Committee who are covered in dust and dirt when they crawl through ventilation ducts. Under the protection of her phantom thief outfit and mask, she remains spotless, displaying the perfect "princess idol" style.

"Hey~~ Hifumi-san doesn't have a single stain on her clothes... Is this a special feature of the Phantom Thief's uniform...?"

Noticing that Hifumi, who was the last to climb out of the ventilation duct, was clean, Nomiya couldn't help but scrutinize the seemingly ordinary phantom thief outfit (idol outfit) with a novel and curious look.

Nomiya's mention of it made the girls, who were all looking rather disheveled and embarrassed, their clothes dirty and scratched by sharp metal edges, turn to look at Hifumi.

Ayane, holding her glasses, said in disbelief, "Really... Hifumi doesn't seem to have a speck of dust on her..."

Serika then turned her gaze to Amamiya, her words carrying a strange, almost imperceptible emotion: "Sensei... why is this happening?"

"Because the 'Persona' is the embodiment of the mind... The filth you suffered while climbing the ventilation ducts can actually be considered a kind of 'contamination' of your mind. The purpose of the Persona is to resist the 'contamination' from another world."

"Don't underestimate this seemingly ordinary 'phantom thief outfit.' In fact, as long as you have it, all your activities in the other world will remain clean and free of dirt. In addition, it will not be torn or damaged."

Amamiya's explanation made the girls on the countermeasures committee feel a longing for Hifumi's 'phantom thief outfit'.

Wearing it will always keep it in perfect condition, and it won't be damaged no matter how intense the battle is. It also provides resistance to dirt and defense... and it's even very beautiful!

This is practically the special equipment that every girl dreams of!

Feeling the longing or envious glances from the girls on the countermeasures committee, Hifumi felt a little happy. But she also had some doubts, so she quickly asked a question.

"Um...Sensei, why didn't I feel that... pain when I took off the mask this time?"

Amamiya replied earnestly, "It's actually quite simple, because 'the first time is always accompanied by pain'."

"Hey?"

Hifumi was stunned by this highly ambiguous response, and then a blush quickly crept up her cheeks hidden under the mask.

【~???~】

"Th-that...Sensei?"

Amamiya then said in a serious tone, "The first time you 'tear off' your Persona, to put it in a more understandable way, it's like you tear off your own personality and turn it into your own mask... so naturally you will feel pain."

"From the second time onwards, your contractual relationship with Persona 2 (Six) becomes stable. Furthermore, with the realization that 'tearing off the mask is a simple matter,' you will no longer experience the pain of tearing off the Persona for the first time."

Oh, I see...