I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

For some reason, it reminded her of the seemingly ancient famous painting she saw when her "Persona" awakened.

Even Yuriko, who usually keeps her emotions hidden, couldn't help but show her disgust and aversion, which gives a glimpse into the discomfort this restaurant caused.

"It does look like a restaurant, but it's probably not one that caters to us 'intruders'."

Scratching the Cheshire Cat's chin on her shoulder, Kayoko's expression was relatively calm.

It just has a strange taste, but it's still bearable.

What really caught Kayoko's attention wasn't the table full of all sorts of 'food,' including the skeleton of some large fish...

Rather, it is the difference between inside and outside the cabin.

The saying "all that is gold and jade is rotten inside" perfectly describes this situation.

"I never imagined that the 'hull' would be transformed into a restaurant by Huaye..."

Amamiya, who was leading the team, was somewhat surprised.

According to Amamiya's own understanding... this is a 'shipwreck from an ancient era'.

If there were a possibility of restoration and free use, it should at least be transformed into an art museum or an antiquities exhibition hall, right? But Huaye turned the shipwreck into a restaurant?

Furthermore, they deliberately imitated the scene from the famous painting "The Last Supper".

Huaye's intention to "betray" is now crystal clear.

What does this correspond to in reality? What does it correspond to what she wants to do?

Is this a trap?

As Amamiya carefully led the members to explore the outside world, she walked along the wall, lost in thought.

No matter how you look at it... Hua Ye wouldn't be that stupid, would she?

Could it be that I'm judging others by my own standards?

Is Huaye really that stupid?

After leaving the seemingly luxurious "restaurant", Amamiya was even more certain that he and his group were currently on a large ship.

For professionals... ship hull construction has never been complicated.

Moreover, it's an old-fashioned sailboat that looks like a ghost ship.

With extensive experience exploring "ships" (the Lion Child's Palace), Amamiya can find the entrances and exits intuitively, even without using a Navi-type Persona to perform a radar-like search of the map.

But since it exists, why not use it?

"—Prometheus!"

A UFO-shaped persona suddenly appeared, followed by a surge of data.

These data streams, like octopus tentacles, climbed and took root in the ship's structure before disappearing as a pale blue streak of light.

'Prometheus', as one of the ultimate Navi Personas that Futaba has super-awakened, has an extremely exaggerated exploration speed.

In the realm of technology, it can achieve twice the result with half the effort, producing effects several times or even dozens of times greater.

While the rewards may be reduced in the halls of mythology, the exploration capabilities are still not to be underestimated.

There are countless ways out, but safety comes first.

Upon receiving feedback from Prometheus, Amamiya immediately learned that there were more than one safe way to leave the cabin, avoiding all the shadows.

But instead of heading out immediately, he led the girls with him through the winding cabins to the captain's cabin.

the reason is simple.

—The most obvious purpose of entering the hall for the first time is to ascertain the overall situation of the hall.

What is the easiest place on a ship to clearly see its surroundings? On the deck?

Although standing on the deck and looking into the distance does allow you to discern the surrounding situation...

But compared to the laborious and thankless effort of observation, assessment, and confirmation of information, isn't it better to go directly to the captain's cabin to find telescopes, nautical charts, and crew or captain's logs containing key information?

Sometimes, exploring the temple is that simple.

If you get lost or are having trouble making progress, try following the intensity of the shadows. Go where the shadows are strongest – that's often the real path forward.

"Jok...are we going to the captain's cabin next?"

Although she had no knowledge of the shipbuilding industry, Yuriko was, after all, a vehicle expert and had some basic understanding of various vehicles.

Realizing she was going the wrong way, she cautiously asked, wearing goggles and a tight-fitting combat suit.

While asking the questions, Yuriko couldn't help but glance at the phantom thief outfits of the 'masked thieves' who were traveling with her, and then looked down at herself.

The 'phantom thieves' who accompanied him dressed in all sorts of outfits.

She is a 'gothic girl' with a dark gothic-style dress and a fairytale style from a fantasy world;

A 'Flame Witch' with clusters of flames burning on the corner of her clothes, a small star hanging on the brim of her hat, and wearing a cloak surrounded by embers;

There are 'Western cowboys' wearing cowboy hats, cowboy jackets and studded riding boots, with revolvers hanging at their waists;

Aside from Fubuki, who hasn't awakened her Persona... it seems only her own Persona mimicry and Phantom Thief outfit are so... in line with common sense.

"Yes, a high-intensity combat response has been detected there. Everyone, prepare for battle in advance."

Arriving at the gate with a nautical compass hanging outside, Amamiya placed her hands on the compass handles and, before turning the compass, gave the girls behind her a look that signaled 'ready for battle'.

Wow…

As Amamiya twisted the compass, a sensation of seawater being drawn away caused the girls to temporarily lose their balance.

They then demonstrated a stable approach by each employing their own unique methods.

The 'Gothic girl' flicked the pocket watch at her waist, freezing her time, and the surging tide ignored her.

With a whoosh, the 'Flame Witch' pulled her cloak in front of her, and the surging seawater automatically retreated to her sides;

The 'Western cowgirl' whistled, summoning a horse. She mounted it, and seawater slid between the horse's legs, but the horse remained motionless.

Yuriko found this scene fascinating, but she didn't forget to use her 'Persona' ability to avoid the imbalance caused by the sudden change in the scene.

'...Leonardo.'

A plaster statue sculpted in the shape of a philosopher suddenly appeared amidst eerie blue flames, then threw out a strange fortress-like structure.

It stretched and took shape in the air, and after landing with a thud, the 'fortress' completely covered Yuriko.

Meanwhile, Amamiya, while protecting himself, also used Prometheus's vehicle function to protect Fubuki, who was without her Persona.

"W-what...how did water get in?!"

"Damn it... have those guys already extended their reach here?!"

"Hmm...? Who opened the door?!"

"Interesting... Are those rebellious types coming to rescue people...?"

At the moment the floodwaters began to pour, Amamiya and his group, who had managed to stop in front of the door frame in various ways, heard shouts coming from the captain's cabin, filled with either shock and anger or fear.

There was clearly more than one voice, which surprised the girls.

Yuriko stared intently: 'Two factions...?'

Kirino asked疑惑地: 'What exactly is going on? Are there prisoners?'

Fubuki asked, puzzled, "Could it be that besides us intruders, other students have also accidentally wandered into this other world?"

Kayoko pondered deeply: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend…'

Aru was eager to try: 'Is the battle about to begin...? With so many companions helping me, I feel invincible!'

After a brief silence, the girls hiding on both sides of the corridor heard the heavy footsteps on the wooden planks of the boat approaching from afar.

Amamiya put her index finger to her lips, continuing the "shush" gesture.

Yuriko's personas are mostly designed for large-scale destruction, making them difficult to use in confined spaces.

So... let's keep the battle inside the ship's cabin.

With his right hand trailing a red glow, Amamiya leaned forward and hooked out as he confirmed the distance.

The grappling hook shot out and snapped firmly onto the mask on the face of a giant sea creature.

“Wha-what?!”

"Damn it... invading thieves?!"

The giant sea creature retreated in terror, while attempting to slash back repeatedly.

Amamiya could not possibly give this random, eccentric bastard a chance.

As the girls entered the captain's cabin in unison, Amamiya exerted a little force and removed the mask from her face.

"正体お见せる!"

The captain's cabin is a hidden world, estimated to be at least 500 square meters... It is more suitable as a battleground than the naturally cramped cabins.

As the enormous sea creature crashed to the ground and turned into a muddy spring, Amamiya retreated and came to the side of the girls who were with him, drawing a pistol and a dagger.

The battle is about to break out.

Chapter Twelve: The Trumpeter and the Silent Death

"Damn...thieves!"

"How dare you... how dare you...!"

The enormous, bipedal sea creature crashed to the ground, its massive body disintegrating into a large mass of thick, dark red mud.

The mud did not spread rapidly in the flooded environment, but instead gathered, converged, and reshaped into another kind of 'unique' behemoth that could almost fill half of the captain's cabin.

"For our first encounter with an enemy, this one is a bit stronger... Let's be careful."

Using his "third eye" to scan and confirm the other party's basic information, Amamiya took a deep breath and solemnly reminded them.

After the mud was sculpted, what appeared before everyone was... a huge skull with white angel wings, floating in the air, holding a horn in its hands.

A huge skeleton, nearly ten meters tall, floating in the air... it looks truly terrifying.

【Shadows: The Trumpeter (Arcana: Judgment)】

[Initial Level: 59]

[Introduction: The messenger of God, holding a trumpet, prophesied in the New Testament, and also considered an archangel of judgment.]

[It is said that the horns they sounded would cause great disasters such as fires and meteor showers, turning the earth into a scorched wasteland, a world shrouded in death.]

In the Arcana system, the archangel 'blowing the trumpet' on the "Judgment" card represents the "trumpet-blower who heralds the Last Judgment."

[2 Kings 11:14—She saw the king standing by the pillar as was customary, with the centurions and trumpeters standing on either side of him, and all the people were shouting and blowing their trumpets. So she tore her clothes and cried out, “Rebellion! Rebellion!”]

'Interesting… Does it cite a cruel, usurping empress dowager who suddenly discovers her painstakingly built power structure has crumbled, experiencing shock, anger, and despair, followed by the highly ironic accusation of treason?'

Additionally, the initial level is 59...

This means that Huaye's temple has grown significantly after receiving sufficient nourishment and support from desires—otherwise, the intensity of the 'shadow' in Huaye's heart would not have increased so much all at once.

"The enemy has no obvious weaknesses. It absorbs ice attributes, reflects lightning attributes, and possesses blessing attributes. The attacks of the Curse are ineffective against it!"

While acting as "Navi", Amamiya swung his sword horizontally, blocking the doomsday horn that suddenly grew huge as the trumpeter swung it over.

"Brain Crusher: Deals massive physical damage to all enemies, with a low chance of inflicting a brainwashing state on the hit target."

"Clang——"

After the intense clanging of metal, the girls recovered from the subtle discomfort caused by the uncanny valley effect they had experienced upon first meeting.

They then immediately dispersed in their own ways.

Even the legendary 'trumpet master' sounding the doomsday horn... was not enough to extinguish the phantom thieves' determination to explore the palace.

Yuriko, who was well aware that melee combat and physical attacks were her weaknesses, did not move—or rather, she stayed behind Amamiya the whole time and did not scatter with the other members.

While Amamiya was resisting the attack, she had already made ample preparations for a counterattack.

Leonardo!

With a swift, soft cry, Yuriko ran forward, then slid forward with a tail kick that might seem unbelievable to most people. She brought the [Tenesto 7G-0X] close and aimed it at the space between the ribs of the huge, rattling skeleton.

The under-barreled shotgun loaded with No. 12 shotgun shells and the airburst grenade were launched simultaneously, and the dazzling, intense flash of fire temporarily illuminated half of the fox-eared girl's calm and dashing face.