I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Unnoticed, several girls wearing various styles of swimsuits suddenly appeared on the beach... and naturally, no one paid attention to their awkward clinging to the curly-haired youth, whether hugging or embracing.

The terrifying scene of the sky collapsing and the earth sinking, the world crumbling, is still fresh in our minds, and the feeling of weightlessness has not even completely disappeared.

Yuriko, who was clinging to Amamiya in a peculiar way with her tail wrapped around Amamiya's waist, noticed the abrupt change in the surrounding scenery and immediately let out a soft sigh.

"finished?"

Her voice brought Aru, who was clinging tightly to Amamiya's left thigh and trembling, Kirino, who was clenching her teeth while clinging to her right thigh, and Fubuki, who was lying on Amamiya's back, back to their senses.

"It's over... Ah."

"We're back?"

"It seems so."

Enveloped by the stability and peace of mind from the real world, they then made similar reactions—first releasing Amamiya, then creating a slight distance to observe their surroundings.

The island is still the same resort island, looking no different from during the day... and even more pleasant because of the sea breeze after the rain and the setting sun.

But without exception, the girls all felt a unique sense of relief, like they had survived a disaster.

"...Compared to the 'Hall Master' BOSS battle, the subsequent 'escape' phase is even more..."

At this point, Yuriko's fox ears tucked in front of her, she frowned and pursed her lips, and didn't continue.

Having experienced such a true "exploration of another world's palace" and "battle against the palace master," it was undoubtedly a battle that tested both the body and mind of the Masked Ones, and Yuriko now had a particular feeling about it.

Maybe……

The crucial difficulty of "conquering the hall" does not actually lie in directly confronting the hall's owner.

If, like in this campaign, there were special NPC-type otherworldly inhabitants like Judas the 'believer' to assist... then enduring more hardship in the early stages to protect the frail Judas, and then reducing the key difficulty during the BOSS battle, would be understandable.

The real challenge lies in the rapidly changing environment when the temple is on the verge of collapse.

The world shatters like broken glass, each piece reflecting a different scene that causes viewers' sanity to plummet. Then, they must navigate this chaotic 'collective subconscious' to escape from the collapsing battlefield of the main boss in the other world back to the evacuation point...

This is the real test.

If you manage to escape, things are actually not so bad.

If you can't escape it, you might fall into the strange cognitive rift of the 'deep collective unconscious,' from which you can never leave.

"After all, he's a phantom thief..."

Alu, who has a very easygoing personality, takes things very well.

She hummed twice, proudly puffed out her chest and tilted her head back, looking smug as if she had accomplished something great today: "So-called phantom thieves... in my opinion, are not much different from 'the president'."

"The key is not 'how the plan will be implemented,' but 'the difficulties encountered during implementation,' and 'how to withdraw after success'..."

Kirino, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, felt that something was off about what Aru had said. She narrowed her eyes slightly and asked suspiciously, "...What kind of club president are you talking about? He sounds like a 'ruthless bandit'."

Alu's expression froze, and she remained silent, embarrassed.

By the way... the members of the 'Phantom Thieves' are quite a complex group!

Not only does it include 'former regular soldiers' like Yuriko, but it also includes elites from the Valkyrie Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division, each with their own strengths in both field operations and intelligence gathering!

After a moment of tension, Alu immediately felt that she had "scared herself."

Since becoming a 'phantom thief', Aru has established a set of commission acceptance guidelines for the Convenience Store 68 Agency.

Currently, Convenience House 68 enjoys a good reputation, and the number of requests it receives every day can be considered to be in a state of 'supply falling short of demand'.

I'm no longer the 'pure villain' I used to be... why should I be nervous?

Thinking of this, Alu suddenly felt confident again.

"I'm the president of Convenience Store 68, so naturally I'm talking about the requests that Convenience Store 68 has received!"

She added, trying to cover up her misunderstanding, "Convenience Store 68 is a legitimate agency that can withstand scrutiny, and all the cases we accept are normal cases that are recorded in detail!"

Kirino blinked, not finding anything strange.

"That's it..."

Fubuki, on the other hand, lazily rolled her eyes, but rationally maintained her silence.

Fubuki: "..."

That makes it even more suspicious...

Recently, Valkyrie has occasionally heard terms like "cleaner." Did your agency spread these terms? Or did they originate from a faction within the black market?

Never mind... it's not really my concern right now.

She yawned softly, and dragging her still-shaken and tense body, Fubuki approached Amamiya.

"Sensei... what exactly is the 'secret treasure' of the Flower Palace?"

—The 'loot' (including secret treasures) from another world will change after being brought to the real world due to the differences between the worlds.

This is common knowledge that all the 'phantom thieves' present are already well aware of.

Fubuki asked the question casually, but it immediately piqued the curiosity of the other members.

Amamiya had no intention of hiding anything, and opened her hands to reveal the "treasure" in her hands.

The treasure that appears as a 'pendant cross' in the other world is actually an 'accessory' in the real world.

However, it was changed from a pendant to a badge.

Moreover... it was a badge that everyone present recognized to some extent.

"This is……"

Kirino thought for a moment, feeling like she'd seen this somewhere before, then suddenly realized: "...The shoulder insignia of a regular member of the Federation Student Council's Defense Office?!"

"Why is she a regular member? Isn't Hanaya the head of the defense office? Shouldn't her badge be the head of the defense office if she drops it?"

Kirino's quick-wittedness and subtle adjectives left Amamiya speechless, who had wanted to say something.

The adjective '爆' (bào)... if you didn't know better, you might think it means 'exploding' gold coins.

"Secret treasure..."

Holding up the badge of a regular member, and waving it at the setting sun on the distant horizon, Amamiya explained, "...it's the 'source of desire' for the Hall Master."

"Its transformation between the other world and the real world is the most exaggerated—far more exaggerated than that of ordinary spoils of war."

"The sources of desire are varied and bizarre... It could be a gold medal, a seemingly ordinary painting imbued with deep emotion, or even a newspaper clipping..."

"The reason why the treasure takes this form is because... the source of Huaye's growing desire is the moment she joined the Federation Student Association, became a regular member of the Federation Student Association, and began to work towards 'a goal that has not yet been contaminated'."

In conclusion... this treasure is another creation whose symbolic value outweighs its practical value.

However, this is considered normal for the Phantom Thieves.

During the period when the Phantom Thieves were active in Shibuya, Tokyo, the only 'treasures' they stole that were truly valuable in a clear sense were the gold medal from the Kamoshida Hall, the extremely expensive briefcase from the Kinjo Junya Hall, and the rare space toy from the Okumura Hall.

Besides that... most of them are things that are 'priceless to the individual, but cannot be sold for actual value'.

The painting "Little Lily," a treasure stolen from the museum, is also categorized as "priceless."

After passing the treasure around in turn, the girls each had their own feelings.

From the perspective of 'materials', the difference between the secret treasures and their corresponding physical counterparts in the real world is no different.

Because the fantasies and desires condensed above are exceptionally real, no otherworldly material properties such as 'magical metal' have appeared.

But the emotions... or rather desires carried on it, can indeed be easily felt when held in one's hands.

With a little consideration, one can feel a peculiar 'heaviness'.

"So... is this the end of the 'phantom thief activities'?"

Kayoko, who hadn't spoken since landing, suddenly opened her mouth.

"Yes." Amamiya nodded. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this should be the end of it."

"As for the process of 'repentance'..."

Amamiya shrugged and spread his hands, his expression slightly bored: "It's unlikely that this will be seen in the 'public media'."

The girls present could understand this, but they were also somewhat disappointed.

It's perfectly normal for them not to appear in the public media, or even make any noise.

After all, it concerns the reputation of the Federal Student Association, as well as a host of other issues—the less noise, the better.

Taking in the girls' reactions as he looked around, Amamiya offered them some words of comfort from the perspective of someone who's been there.

For them, who participated in the fierce battle with the 'master of the hall' and the subsequent thrilling escape, this could be considered as 'trying not to be known by others'.

Realizing this will make you feel a little disappointed.

The early Phantom Thieves felt roughly the same way after 'stealing hearts'.

However, the Phantom Thieves eventually came to their senses.

—The 'Phantom Thief's Activities' are not for fame, which is easily influenced by hype and rumors. Rather, they are to encourage evildoers to reform and to give more people the courage to confront reality.

During the heyday of the Phantom Thieves, their success was indeed due to their 'fame'.

However, when they attempted to conquer Shido's righteous cruise ship palace, the Phantom Thieves' reputation was once again ruined due to Shido's control over public opinion, causing them to plummet to rock bottom.

So... don't be disappointed.

At this point, Amamiya clapped his hands and concluded in a calm tone: "This concludes our 'unknown' guide to the Hall of Fame."

“Unlike Judas, who ‘would forget even after being recorded due to collapse and reconstruction’…we at least have the ability to record this.”

"Then... let's write it down."

"Then, enjoy your upcoming short vacation."

Chapter Sixty-Eight: What was Hua Ye's final fate...?

The 'storm' did not arrive as expected.

A week-long 'vacation' was long enough for the members of the Federal Student Union, but it still felt too short.

As they boarded the ship to return, the ministers at the gangway greeted Amamiya with varying degrees of sorrow and regret at the unnoticed passing of their holiday.

"Sigh, even though I've been on vacation for a week, I feel really tired and have no energy..."

"This is how I feel during my vacation. The thought of having to handle official business tomorrow makes me feel completely drained..."

"Ah, um... Sensei, I'm feeling a bit weak right now, so could you... hug me?"

(I'll sneak a kiss before I leave; hopefully no one will notice...)

"Sensei~ This is the souvenir I chose for you. I bought one of the most memorable gifts from each island~ I hope you will accept it!"

"Hehehe... Sensei, my Sensei..."

"Alright, alright, you're drooling... Even though Sensei is wearing a short-sleeved shirt, does she really need to go crazy like this in public?"

"What does it matter? We're just doing what the ministers want to do but don't dare to do."

"Then take a look behind you."

"A message?! Deputy... Deputy Minister? When did you arrive?"

……

Standing at the gangway, Amamiya, who had temporarily taken on the role of a 'boarding service' attendant, heard countless such 'sweet chatter' until the last department finished taking attendance, verifying the number of people in each department, and boarding the ship.

Seven days... might be a bit short for 'further strengthening the relationship'.

But this period of time was enough for Amamiya to penetrate the hearts of these girls more deeply and further, allowing the buds that were waiting to bloom to sprout tender shoots.

In just over an hour of headcount verification and boarding preparation, Amamiya was surrounded by various meaningful 'souvenirs' from the students.

Including but not limited to, unique tropical fruits, uniquely designed amulets in the style of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, other strange little jewelry, the "Sea Breeze Vacation Package" specially produced by the Xuanwu Merchant Guild of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and "Quicksand Bottles" with Abydos flair, etc...

There are also some gifts that can hardly be considered 'gifts'.

Amamiya just stood there, and some daring students still managed to sneak up and hug her and kiss her when no one was watching. Then, blushing and with their hearts pounding, they would cover their faces with a free fan or something from the resort and run away shyly.

The bolder ones... even openly hugged and rubbed against Amamiya's chest repeatedly, only to be pulled away by their shameful roommates or "best friends" with expressions of 'I want to do that too, but it's so embarrassing'.

Even Amamiya herself was a little surprised... In just seven days, she had 'conquered' so many students without any helper relationships as a progress bar, but in fact, she had actually conquered them.

After waving goodbye to the last student from the Federation Student Council who boarded the ship, Amamiya breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he could finally put away his somewhat stiff 'gentle older brother' smile.