Anime, but the Phantom Thieves of Heart

"That's right! Thanks to the help of the locals, I found the clues and tested them out... By the way, do you want to guess?"

After hearing what Lan Ke said, the three people present knew that Lan Ke was in a good mood, otherwise he would not joke at such a time. However, Shirou Emiya, who had arrived a long time ago but had not heard Lan Ke mention anything related, could not help but complain.

"If you could guess, would you have waited until today?"

It was obviously a complaint about the fact that everyone had brainstormed for an entire night but still failed to guess the name "Hall".

And Lan Ke also quickly gave a "hint".

"It doesn't exist in reality, but is a place name in fantasy."

A fantasy place name?

"Atlantis?"

Although we don't know what the "hall" of "Yadaimei Hideto" is specifically, we can basically confirm that it is related to the sea. After all, he is a ship designer and now serves as the president of a shipyard. It is normal that the hall is something related to the "sea".

Speaking of the sea or the name of a place in fantasy, Shirou Emiya's first reaction was this, but then he knocked the helmet on his head.

After all, it’s so classic that I’ve tried it before, and it’s obviously not the case.

"Urashima Taro and Ryugu?"

The answer guessed by Busujima Saeko was as 'traditional' as she seemed to give people, but Lan Ke shook her head, and it was obvious that she was wrong too.

Everyone then looked at the last person present.

"It should be 'Treasure Island', right?"

Compared to the other two, Lucy seemed very confident. After all, unlike the other two who just guessed, hers was the result of "calculation".

That's right!

Lucy was using some cheating skills. She used the chip in her body to search and collect statistics on the Internet, and then compared them with the impressions given to them by the eighth generation of British people. This was the most likely answer.

Lan Ke nodded in affirmation without keeping anyone in suspense.

It was only then that Emiya Shirou suddenly realized and began to mutter to himself.

"Although 'Treasure Island' is hailed as one of the origins of modern 'adventure and treasure hunting novels,' Treasure Island itself is where pirates hid their treasures. This is in line with the eighth generation of British people, whose mind is full of money and power."

Lan Ke expressed his affirmation of this and also explained to everyone the origin of his information.

To put it simply, based on the information obtained from the previous chat with Nanaka Furukawa, Lan Ke can basically confirm two things.

First, the Yashiro Shipyard's reputation in Izu was not good. This led to the local council members, although they were envious of the other party's offer, having no choice but to oppose it for the sake of their "traditional constituencies". However, the two sides must have had private connections, which led to a very subtle official attitude.

Secondly, the Yashiro Shipyard has a large number of "security guards" who strictly prohibit local people from entering the factory. Many local people have had conflicts with them more than once.

The act of plundering wealth through violence and money, coupled with the factor of "sea", Lan Ke's first reaction was "pirate".

Now that the scope has been narrowed down to this point, it’s not too difficult to try them one by one.

But when the group completely left the "Impression Space" and prepared to leave, Lan Ke encountered an even bigger trouble.

How should I get to my destination?

Seeing Lucy and Busujima Saeko looking at him at the same time, Lan Ke couldn't help but feel a headache...

Chapter 20: I will help you put it together when the time comes, Leader.

Different from the previous exploration of the "Impression Space", in order to find the "treasure chest" and to prevent being attacked by the "shadow", even when Lan Ke and Busujima Saeko acted together, they walked.

But now, in order to hurry on, a serious problem arises.

There are three known means of transportation.

Shirou Emiya's 'Soul Chariot', the 'Kusagi CT-3X' that Lan Ke exploded in Arasaka, and the 'Bicorn' summoned by Lan Ke.

But here lies the problem. There are three modes of transportation, but there are four people. How should they be allocated?

It was obvious that Lan Ke was not the only one who realized the problem.

Busujima Saeko and Lucy almost simultaneously locked their eyes on Lan Ke.

Seeing this, Shirou Emiya, who was already sitting astride the 'Soul Chariot', was very considerate and summoned the 'Ghost Rider'. He even felt that it was not enough and took out a bag of potato chips from the weapon rack of the 'Soul Chariot'. It was obvious that he had learned from the failure experience of not having snacks when he ate melon last time!

This time he was already well prepared!

First of all, the easiest way is of course to take Shirou Emiya's car, and then Lucy and Saeko Busujima each take the 'Kusagi CT-3X' or 'Bicorn'.

But when Lan Ke thought of a certain idiot whose mind was full of thoughts about 'the gang leader having a harem', his temples began to throb.

It's not that I don't like this, but it's simply that the guy "Bicorn" is too stupid, and all his direct words will only make both sides awkward.

So he rides a bicorn?

Once the back seat is exposed, there will probably be another scramble.

In that case——

"V, you'll pilot the Kusagi CT-3X. You're perfect for it, as you can control all sorts of electronic equipment with your thoughts. Oni, you'll sit in the back seat..."

As he spoke, Lan Ke straddled the back seat of the Soul Chariot.

"Let's go! I'll show you the way!"

Lan Ke made a judgment instantly, but Shirou Emiya, who was still holding potato chips in his hand, looked confused.

Because with Lan Ke sitting behind him, Lucy and Busujima Saeko turned their eyes to him at the same time, and he felt like a thorn in his back.

This melon was eating well, how come it turned into a melon?

But no matter how confused he was, he had no choice but to start the car and "escape" from the scene under Lan Ke's command.

However, in the car, Shirou Emiya couldn't help but complain in a low voice.

"Leader, why are you hurting me?"

"Who told you to laugh so happily?"

Shirou Emiya really wanted to say that he was wearing a helmet and couldn't see anything, but considering that his smile under the helmet was indeed very bright, he didn't have the courage to refute for a moment.

But he won't give up easily.

"So, Leader, have you decided who to choose? Hesitation will only lead to chaos."

Who is it?

Needless to say?

"Of course I want them all!"

"Even after all this, you're still saying this? Aren't you afraid of being chopped by Oni?"

It was obvious that in Emiya Shirou's impression, although 'Bukujima Saeko' appeared very gentle on the surface, she was actually an extremely strong-willed person in essence.

But what he didn't expect was that at this time he heard Lan Ke's extremely vicissitudes of life voice.

"It has been chopped off..."

"?"

Although Lan Ke and Shirou Emiya have a good relationship, Shirou Emiya is very clear about the boundaries between people, so he naturally won't ask too much about the specific situation and can only complain.

"I'll help you put it together when the time comes, Leader."

"Can't you think of me better?"

Compared to the two boys' antics, the atmosphere on the "Kusaji CT-3X" was much more solemn.

The current relationship between Busujima Saeko and Lan Ke is naturally not that of boyfriend and girlfriend, but this is only because Lan Ke's "ambition" is too big. If Lan Ke had been more conservative, the two would probably have been together. After all, Busujima Saeko has already determined that Lan Ke is the person she wants to find.

And she is not a person who procrastinates. Just like her "swordsmanship", once she locks on the target, she will draw her sword without hesitation, aiming for a fatal blow.

The only problem is that she has to determine whether Lan Ke's "magnanimity" matches his "ambition".

If they are worthy, then she will be happy to submit to Lan Ke's "ambition". If they are not worthy, then she will make Lan Ke "her own thing".

I have to say that Busujima Saeko and her 'Tarot' are indeed a good match.

This is not only because of the other party's pursuit of fighting and killing, but also because of the other party's character.

Just like when Solomon faced the "demons", he was able to subdue them and make them serve him, but if ordinary people faced the "demons", they would only be counterattacked and eaten up.

But no matter what the final outcome is, it will not prevent her from understanding Lucy.

If Lan Ke successfully proves that his "magnanimity" is worthy of his "ambition", then she must determine whether Lucy is qualified to share Lan Ke with her; if Lan Ke ultimately "fails", then Lucy will be her "opponent", so she must first determine the threat the other party poses to herself.

Thinking of this, Busujima Saeko spoke.

"V..."

Facing the sudden voice behind her, Lucy remained silent and just quietly drove the Kusagi CT-3X, faithfully fulfilling her duties.

It is obvious that although she has a certain resistance to Busujima Saeko, it does not mean that she will cause trouble for no reason.

After all, she had seen too many things while on the run, and she knew very well that making unreasonable demands would only make Lan Ke unhappy and was completely meaningless. What she needed was to do her job well, prove her worth, and then win Lan Ke's "heart" step by step. So even if she had some resistance to Busujima Saeko, she would never make it public.

For example, now, the most she could do was to 'ignore' it.

But what Saeko Busujima said next was something she couldn't ignore no matter what.

"You have a crush on Leader, right?"

What does the other party mean by this?

Is it possible to mislead yourself into saying something you shouldn't say so that you can gain an advantage in subsequent verbal confrontations?

Or is it to guide her to 'self-destruct'?

After all, she didn't know what Lan Ke thought of her. Was it too early to make it clear now?

But what is certain is that now that she has made up her mind, she will not shy away from challenges.

"That's right. After all, Leader not only saved my life, but also found the direction for my future. To me, Leader is an extremely special person."

Lucy's answer seemed to make sense at first glance, but it was also ambiguous. In her opinion, no matter what Busujima Saeko did, she had a way to respond. But what she didn't expect was that Busujima Saeko seemed very sure of her answer.

"I felt the same way. When I was confused about the future and fell into a slump, he appeared in front of me, helped me out of the trough and re-solidified my heart. It was also the first time I felt a 'heart flutter' for a member of the opposite sex. It was as if my 'heart' had been stolen by that man."

Busujima Saeko's proactive "self-destruction" made Lucy, who had originally tried to fight back, at a loss for words for a moment, but Busujima Saeko's subsequent words made her face change drastically.

"We may be the first, but we will definitely not be the last..."

Facts have proved that although Lucy's years of experience have made her calmer and more mature, in some aspects she is still not as good as Saeko Busujima, who has been "educated" since childhood.

Although Busujima Saeko's father was very open-minded and had never considered letting Busujima Saeko enter into a political marriage, and even preferred to find a suitable man to marry into the Busujima family, he never relaxed his education in certain aspects.

And now he easily helped Busujima Saeko gain the upper hand in the verbal battle with Lucy.

At first glance, Lucy's answer seems airtight, but in fact she has no idea that the questioner is Busujima Saeko, and she can only answer within the box set by the other party.

From the moment Busujima Saeko opened her mouth, Lucy had already been led by the nose by Busujima Saeko.

She was silent for a long time before she spoke again.

"What is your purpose...傒...exactly? Or rather, what do you want me to do?"

Listening to Lucy's calm words, Busujima Saeko actually smiled.

"It's simple - collaboration."

"Cooperation? Eliminating other competitors?"

Hearing Lucy's words, Busujima Saeko almost laughed out loud. If the competitor could be eliminated so easily, she would not have chosen to cooperate with Lucy.

"How do you eliminate them? As the number of targets for 'heart change' increases, the size of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts will inevitably grow. How do you plan to eliminate new members when they appear? Or do you think the Leader will allow you to do whatever you want?"

"Then what are you going to do?"

Lucy seemed to be questioning, but the smile on Busujima Saeko's face became brighter and brighter, because she felt that the other party had begun to gradually "rely" on her answer, so she no longer delayed in putting forward her final argument.

However, she did not bring it up directly. Instead, she first mentioned something seemingly unrelated.

"I've noticed a weakness in Leader."

"weakness?"

Lucy thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out. After all, in her opinion, Lan Ke not only had the ability like a bug, but he was also very cautious. She didn't know where Lan Ke's weakness was.

Although she joined the group earlier than Busujima Saeko, Busujima Saeko and Lan Ke have known each other for a longer time. Maybe the other party noticed something that she didn't?

"What is it?"

"It's simple, it's his 'heart'!"