Anime, but the Phantom Thieves of Heart

"My intuition told me Leader's true identity, but I had no evidence at the time. He could have easily denied it, but because it was 'me', he chose to confess..."

While Busujima Saeko was describing invisibly how good her relationship with Lan Ke was, she also blurted out what she wanted to say.

"He would rather remember the help others gave him than the help he gave others. The better you treat him, the less willing he is to hurt you."

"So, I think it's the same in matters of the heart. The more you indulge him, the more he will repay you tenfold, even a hundredfold, in the end."

"Since we can't stop it, why not actively integrate into it? The sooner we accept and support it, the greater the rewards we will receive..."

Busujima Saeko's voice grew fainter, yet it echoed in Lucy's ears and heart like the whispers of a 'devil'...

Chapter 21 Who should I kill? Where is the other party?

Until Lan Ke and the others arrived at the outskirts of the "Yashiro Shipyard", Lucy did not give Busujima Saeko a clear answer.

Busujima Saeko was not surprised by this. After all, this was not a question that could be answered easily.

But the two of them tacitly didn't say much after getting off the car.

But the strange thing is that perhaps because they have a "common secret", the two of them seem to have a better understanding of each other than before.

Although Lan Ke didn't understand why, it was at least a good thing for him... right?

Thinking of this, Lan Ke simply called everyone to the place he had prepared in advance and returned to the "material world" first.

The 'Eighth Generation Shipyard' in the 'Cognitive World' was already in ruins, with vines crawling all over the buildings, most of the factory buildings collapsed, and the equipment inside the factory buildings had long been corroded.

The 'Yashiro Shipyard' in the 'material world' has high outer walls, and only countless lights can be seen from the outside. At first glance, it looks more like a prison than a factory.

After all, the only passage from 'Izu Main Island' to 'Yashiro Shipyard' has been controlled, and there are even checkpoints prohibiting foreign vehicles from entering. It can be said that it is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

According to Nanaka Furukawa, this was a premeditated act to prevent local residents from becoming aware of the situation inside, and this is indeed the case.

The 'Yashiro Shipyard' has been established here for more than 10 years, but local residents have not noticed anything unusual. It was not until Jotaro Kujo came here to attend a meeting that he accidentally discovered the abnormality while diving with his friends in his spare time. He then mobilized equipment to take samples and determined that the factory had a hidden sewage outlet on the seabed.

But everything has its pros and cons.

Such a special terrain means that the 'Yashiro Shipyard' only needs to arrange very few security guards to prevent intrusion. After all, if they don't go through the main road, they can't go through the cliff on the other side, right?

The downside is that a long period of complacency has led to loopholes in management. After all, who would have thought that someone could invade through the "other world"?

[Target locked]

【Starting navigation】

Because the 'Palace' is a distorted embodiment, it is like a huge source of infection. In order to prevent being affected by the 'Palace', the 'cognitive world', which is an aggregate of ordinary people's consciousness, will directly isolate it. This also makes it impossible to directly enter the 'Palace' from the 'cognitive world'.

Instead, they had to travel through the 'material world' to reach the vicinity of their destination before activating the 'extra-dimensional navigation'.

But the situation this time seems a little special.

"Wow~"

With the strange distortion around her, Busujima Saeko felt dazed for a moment, but fortunately a voice sounded in her ears at this moment.

“It might be a little bit uncomfortable the first time, but you’ll get used to it slowly.”

Busujima Saeko shook her head to regain her composure, then looked at the dark sky in front of her and the islands in the distance with a puzzled expression.

"Have we reached our 'destination' yet?"

"It's only half..."

There is no doubt that the island in the distance is Lan Ke and his team's destination, and it is also the real "Treasure Island". But why do they, who have theoretically sneaked into the "outskirts of the factory", appear at a place that is obviously some distance away from the "destination"?

Fortunately, Lan Ke figured it out quickly because he noticed a pier in the distance and shadows moving around near the pier.

"The temple is a product of 'cognition.' In the temple owner's cognition, the only way to reach 'Treasure Island' is through 'the path they prepared.' Therefore, we cannot sneak in directly."

Although Lucy had participated in the "Hall Raiders" once, she was actually a newcomer. After listening to Lan Ke's explanation, she finally reacted.

"Just like last time, Leader, you guys had to open 'that door' before you could continue conquering the temple?"

Strictly speaking, there is a certain difference. The last time Lan Ke opened the door was for the "Desire Stone", or simply put, "to complete the side quest", but there is no problem with this understanding.

"almost……"

"Doesn't that mean we can only enter the 'destination' through the passage outside?"

It doesn't mean that you have to go through formal channels, you can also directly invade by force.

This should also result in feedback from the 'hall', but the price is that the 'alert value' will soar directly.

There is also a disadvantage to doing this, that is, although the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts' always make a big scene, as long as they actually appear, they have actually completed most of the preparations, and only the final 'BOSS strategy' remains. For the image of the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts', if they force their way in, it means that they need to complete the strategy within 24 hours.

"No, there are other options."

Following Lan Ke's gaze, everyone looked towards the 'port'.

Although it is not certain whether Lan Ke’s inference is correct, it is at least a good direction.

Lucy simply tapped her waist lightly, and then several small drones started up and flew towards the destination. As for Lan Ke and the others, they stayed where they were and waited for Lucy's reconnaissance.

In terms of combat ability alone, Lucy can be said to be far inferior to everyone present, but her position in the team is unshakable. After all, her job is irreplaceable by others.

This time, intelligence gathering went even more smoothly than expected.

"Leader, it's been confirmed that the island is indeed 'Treasure Island,' and the port we're currently in is the only passage allowed by the 'Treasure Island Master' to travel between the mainland and the pirates. Any other ships on the sea will be attacked by sea beasts and pirate groups..."

Lucy's explanation was not surprising, but Lan Ke was more concerned about how they should get to the island.

"Since we can communicate, do you have any requirements?"

"There are two requirements, one is 'gold coins' and the other is 'license'."

Hearing this, Lan Ke nodded in understanding. Fortunately, the situation was much simpler than he had imagined.

'Gold coins' can only be spent, and as for 'license'...

"V, please check if there are any convenient places or targets in the harbor."

Lucy instantly understood what Lan Ke meant without any explanation from him.

It was obvious that Lan Ke was planning to rob it directly. After all, since he appeared here, he probably had a "pass".

As for not having it?

Then let's change the target. It's just a 'shadow' anyway, and 'shadows don't feel pain'.

Busujima Saeko didn't quite understand any of this, after all, she knew too little about the 'cognitive world', but it didn't matter, because she had only one purpose in joining the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts' - to kill people!

She only needs to know where the target is and where to go to kill people!

Chapter 22: Things I have never experienced in two lifetimes.

"Haha~"

Facing the slightly moist sea breeze in the early morning, Lan Ke yawned unconsciously and stretched, then leaned on the railing and stared at the calm sea in the distance in a daze.

It was obvious that he was recalling the progress of last night's strategy.

The progress of the strategy was smoother than expected. Because the monsters were not too strong, Lan Ke and Emiya Shirou didn't even have to take any action. The work was mainly done by Busujima Saeko and Lucy.

After all, although they can help with leveling up, combat experience must be gained personally, especially Lucy.

Although she is good at running away, she is not very good at active fighting.

Even Busujima Saeko, who is good at fighting, has her own flaws. For example, because she has stronger personal strength, she relies more on her personal strength rather than "Muramasa".

There is nothing wrong with strengthening oneself, but the "personality mask" is also a part of oneself. Busujima Saeko must get used to its existence and the more skills she will master as her level increases.

This time, the "Hall Strategy" can provide the opponent with a place to hone their skills so as to avoid making mistakes when encountering strong enemies in the future.

Everything was in order, but the somewhat subtle atmosphere between Busujima Saeko and Lucy made him feel extremely complicated.

What's more crucial is that this "abnormality" was caused by him, and as the person involved, he has the responsibility and obligation to deal with it.

But the problem lies here. Even if it is Busujima Saeko who knows what he is thinking and is willing to give him a chance, he has no right or position to say to her, "Be more tolerant of Lucy." After all, even if the two of them are really together, the other party is an independent individual, and he has no position to say such things.

Even Busujima Saeko, who knew what he was imagining, didn't know how to deal with it. Lan Ke was even more unsure of Lucy's thoughts and feelings, so he didn't know how to deal with it.

"I want to open a huge harem!"

It feels really good to say this, but it is really not easy to do.

However, Lan Ke did not intend to give up easily. After all, this was his "dream"!

But at this moment, a male voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Good morning~ Narukami-kun~"

The sudden sound startled Lan Ke, but he felt relieved when he saw Polnareff wearing a vest and shorts.

"Good morning, Mr. Polnareff."

Facing Lan Ke who greeted him seriously, Polnareff casually waved his hand to indicate that Lan Ke didn't need to be so reserved.

"Be more casual, no need to use honorifics~"

"Yes, Mr. Polnareff."

Looking at Lan Ke, who agreed but didn't change his mind at all, Polnareff couldn't help but shake his head.

His previous understanding of Lan Ke basically came from information. After all, he went to Italy when Lan Ke was very young. The last time he met Lan Ke in person was several years ago. At that time, Lan Ke was just an elementary school student and was even more introverted and withdrawn than he is now. Now he is considered to be better.

But he had to admit that Lan Ke looked more and more like his parents as he grew up.

This kind of "resemblance" is not just about appearance, but more about personality.

It was as if they didn't know Lan Ke's father at all, but the other party rushed out of the car without hesitation to help rescue the wounded and almost got injured for it.

It’s just that Lan Ke’s luck was worse than the other person’s father. He was framed because he helped others.

But this kindness towards the stranger was exactly the same as that shown to the other person's father. According to Mr. Joseph, it was "the noble soul of Zeppeli that drove them."

Polnareff didn't understand this, but he was simply worried that Lan Ke would get hurt.

"Are you interested in studying abroad after graduating from high school?"

Polnareff's sudden question surprised Lan Ke a little. He seemed to not understand why the other party suddenly asked this question.

Faced with Lan Ke's slightly puzzled eyes, Polnareff, who was usually a bit unremarkable but didn't know how to show his kindness, naturally wouldn't say directly that he wanted to take care of Lan Ke, so he found a reason.

"Aren't you going to visit your father's hometown?"

Father’s hometown?

To be honest, this term is too unfamiliar to Lan Ke. After all, although he inherited a lot of memories of this body, he did not inherit too many emotions related to it. At first, he was even a little uncomfortable with his current body and identity, especially this strange hair color.

It was Jotaro Kujo's care for him and his understanding of the father of this body that made him gradually adapt to his current identity.

But speaking of this matter——

"I'd like to go and see it if I have the chance, but I don't plan to go abroad to study at university. After all, I have friends here..."

When talking about "friends", Lan Ke couldn't help but smile. After all, "friends" were something very unfamiliar to him. Although he had some good acquaintances in the industry in his previous life, their interactions were mostly simple exchanges due to the nature of their work. After all, everyone had countless surgeries to perform, so where would they find so much time to get together?

Not to mention that Lan Ke was extremely crazy when performing surgery because of his previous "obsession". He would never leave the operating table until he had exhausted all his physical strength and energy every day.

However, after coming to this world, he made many friends.

Whether it's 'friends from the Phantom Thieves' or 'friends from high school'.

For him, it was like painting his once gray youth with color again.

Polnareff was stunned at first when he saw Lan Ke's expression, and then he pressed his forehead helplessly.

Because he knew that it was unlikely that he could persuade Lan Ke to go back to Italy with him. After all, there were probably few people in the world who could understand Lan Ke's thoughts at this moment better than he did.

He used to be alone like the other person. After all, in order to track down the villain who killed his sister, he almost abandoned all unnecessary social interactions. He was like a "vengeful ghost" wandering around the world.

Until he met Jotaro Kujo and the others.

"You bastard, does your sister want to see you like this?!"

He could never forget the punch from Joseph Joestar that almost made him produce stomach acid.

It wasn't just because of the pain, but because he saw the same thing in the other person's eyes. It was the eyes of a man who had lost something important just like himself.

He had just regained consciousness after being driven mad by 'that guy' as if brainwashed.

In order to thank Joseph Joestar for helping him regain consciousness, he joined the other team and met a group of friends who he could trust for the rest of his life.

"If that's the case, then there's nothing we can do."