I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Red Devil burst into hearty laughter.

"It seems... I lost this 'bet' after all."

"However... so be it. In that case... I will lend you a hand and help you preserve that beauty!"

"'You are so beautiful, please stay.'"

As he softly recited the last line of the opera "Faust," amidst hearty laughter, the shadows of the Red Devil and Faust spiraled together, ultimately fusing into a new existence.

“Psona…”

At that moment, the girl with her eyes lowered and closed seemed to hear a familiar-sounding chanting coming from beside her.

"I am you, and you are me."

"Here you break through the five acts of tragedy to be reborn."

As dusk fades and dawn breaks, the sun begins to rise.

"The precepts ultimately became the covenant of Eden."

Break free from the shackles of lies and despair.

"Now, here...you are bathed in the light of blessing, and have obtained the ultimate mystery of the 'world.'"

"I grant you boundless power..."

The sound of birds flapping their wings, accompanied by the hymns, gradually faded into the distance.

The girl opened her eyes again, reciting the new name she had received: the mask of personality.

"……Moses!"

The figure of a philosopher holding a stone tablet inscribed with precepts then appeared.

【Psona - Moses (Arcana: The World)】

[Introduction: Founder of Judaism. Considered an extremely important figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.]

According to legend, He personally spoke with God and received divine revelation. According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, He performed miracles, parting the sea so that those crossing it could walk on level ground.

On Mount Sinai, Moses received the tablets of the Ten Commandments, written by God himself. These tablets became the foundation of all modern law and covenants.

"Restrain the tragedy called 'chaos,' and restore order, Moses!"

Chapter Forty-Three: The Void of Eden, the Curtain Falls!

"Restrain the tragedy called 'chaos,' and restore order, Moses!"

The Ten Commandments!

"The Ten Commandments of Moses: the precepts of order and morality, and also the source of 'civilization'."

The philosopher threw the stone tablet inscribed with the ten commandments from his hand. The gleaming tablet crashed to the ground and slammed heavily onto Beatrice.

To this day, the theories of "human nature is good" and "human nature is evil" remain hotly debated topics.

The true nature of a person is not simply good or evil, but rather wisdom and hope.

Humans distinguish between good and evil through wisdom, and yearn for a peaceful daily life through hope.

boom!

With a loud crash of stone slabs, a laurel wreath fell from Beatrice's head.

With a thud, the wreath, woven from olive branches, fell to the ground, instantly losing the colors that had been filled with evil thorns and mist.

Lies can indeed blind you for a time, and despair can indeed grip your heart for a short while...

But ultimately, they could not suppress people's determination to see the truth or dispel their despairing hope.

People do indeed fall into lies and despair... but not forever.

No one is born expecting lies, and no one is always heading towards despair.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible... The power of [color]... how could it be so easily..."

Beatrice went completely mad—she couldn't understand why, even now that she had acquired the power of a [False God], she still couldn't defeat this power that seemed so insignificant to her.

This feeling... is like "a protagonist who is far weaker than you shouting incomprehensible words like 'bonds,' 'friendship,' 'belief,' and 'truth,' and then comes along and smashes everything you're so proud of with one punch."

Why? !

Why?!

The response to Beatrice's indignant roar was the raising of the Ten Commandments tablets once more.

If you make a mistake, you will be punished; if you are punished, you must stand at attention.

This is the symbol of the very origin of order.

"No...you can't...you can't!"

The stone slab fell again.

Ah...you...why do you...colors...?

The stone slab was lifted high—with a loud crash.

The earth trembled!

"Ugh, cough cough... Damn it... power..."

The carvings on the stone slab became increasingly intricate, and the Ten Commandments shone with a light of order that suppressed chaos.

boom!

The sky was overturned!

You shouldn't...

Snapped!

Stars fell from the sky!

"wait……"

Bang!

Everyone was captivated by him!

Once, twice... six times, seven times.

The moment the stone slab fell for the tenth time, Beatrice, who had been almost completely reduced to two dimensions, could no longer make a sound.

The false god of lies and despair has been suppressed.

With Beatrice's defeat, the familiar scene of the surrounding Trinity College Square is rapidly dissolving and receding.

With a flash of light, Hifumi realized that she had returned to the "City of Eden," a place built of illusion and lies.

Before she could even catch her breath, she heard the "Goddess Norren's" enthusiastic words in her ear.

"Use 'discipline' to dispel the fog of lies, and use 'hope' to burn away the thorns of despair..."

"It was truly an...exceptionally grand performance."

Beatrice was defeated and on the verge of death. The [Secret Treasure] above her head fell to the ground and rolled down like an iron ring to the feet of Amamiya and his party.

The "Goddess Norren" bent down and picked up the crown woven from olive branches and green thorns, examining it carefully in her hands. Her words and expressions revealed an undisguised curiosity about new things.

"So that's how it is... This is the core of 'Eden,' the secret treasure... It's truly intoxicatingly radiant, worthy of the name 'secret treasure.'"

"..."

Beatrice lay on the ground, on the verge of death. Having reverted to her original form, she struggled to crawl toward Amamiya and his group, seemingly trying to snatch the treasure that had fallen into their hands.

"you……"

The "Goddess Norren" didn't even glance at her, completely ignoring the struggling Beatrice as if she were a stray dog ​​on the roadside.

She approached Amamiya, handed the treasure to her, and then tilted her head slightly, curiously glancing around at the girls who were finally finished with a fierce battle and were somewhat out of sorts.

"If I'm not mistaken... are you all about to offer up the final 'twilight fire' for this false Eden?"

This didn't quite fit the "Goddess of Fortune" narrative, which implied complete control, leaving Hifumi slightly perplexed.

'……Guess?'

Seemingly sensing the varying degrees of confusion among the girls in the tutoring club, "Goddess Norren" chuckled and explained, "It's simple... I can't see her fate after that..."

"Now, you have indeed broken free from your original destiny... Your future destiny is no longer predetermined; it is up to you to forge and weave it yourselves."

"The power you now hold in your hands and within your hearts is the proof that you are now forging your future—use it well, and do not let this power be tarnished."

After saying this, "Goddess Norren" trotted over to Amamiya, her fox ears twitching repeatedly.

Then, with a cold expression, she tilted her head slightly, stood on tiptoe, and stretched out her hands to Amamiya, making a reserved yet elegant gesture of "wanting a hug."

Amamiya: "..."

Don't say it, really don't say it.

Saint Ya is someone who knows how to experience life.

The tutoring department and Arius's side were on high alert in every sense of the word when they tried to conquer the Hall of Fame, almost to the point of life and death.

As it turned out, nothing happened to her; she was probably just a little uncomfortable when she was first tied up.

Most of the remaining time was spent playing role-playing games and "experiencing a journey to another world".

Slightly resigned, Amamiya still carried "Goddess Norn"... Saintia, disguised as Goddess Norn, in her arms in a princess carry.

After resting briefly on the spot, Amamiya picked up Beatrice's [Crown of Thorns] and, with the help of the Crown of Thorns, temporarily activated the power of the Temple Master.

The temple master's secret treasure is the core of the temple's desires—theoretically, possessing the temple master's secret treasure allows one to exert the temple master's unrestrained power within his own temple before the temple collapses.

With the help of the secret treasure, Amamiya teleported all the girls who were traveling with him back to the bottom of the World Tree's steps.

Below the World Tree steps, all was still a dark, gloomy expanse.

Loki's giants and army of the dead are still battling the shadows of the Asgardian gods, and the dazzling light effects created by various magic spells seem never to cease.

It can be seen that the war of "Ragnarok" is also coming to an end - because the shadow of the surviving "Asgardian gods" has gradually shown signs of decline.

Hifumi and her group were still wondering why Sensei wanted to bring them back to the battlefield under the World Tree... but their doubts were soon answered.

Previously, while they were focused on their battle with the Hall Master [Beateritch], Akira and the girls in the cram school did not pay much attention to the cheers and encouragement coming from the outside world, as well as the belief they were conveying.

Now... they have truly "seen" it.

The students of Trinity and the Pandemonium of Gehenna, along with the Disciplinary Committee, stood together harmoniously, cheering on Amamiya and the girls beside him from afar across the battlefield at dusk.

Members of the Sisters of the Order of Justice... Looking around, Hifumi immediately saw many students she knew or didn't know, gathered in a small circle, constantly cheering for them.

The rhythmic, resounding slogans could even pierce through the entire battlefield of Ragnarok, reaching her ears clearly—

Go for it, Sensei!

"Hifumi-chan! Do your best!"

"We have to win... Phantom Thief!"

Hifumi really didn't know what to say. She looked at Nagisa, who was leading the way waving the light stick and had a strange headband on her head, completely lacking the demeanor of a tea party leader.

Seeing this utterly unrefined leader holding up his support sign, Hifumi felt her vision go black.

Lord Nagisa, what are you doing, Lord Nagisa!

Embarrassed to the point of wanting to cover her face, Hifumi stood frozen in place for a long time before finally managing an unnatural, awkward yet polite smile.

Just as Hifumi was about to ask something, a blurry light and shadow suddenly appeared before her eyes.

The four-person Arios squad, splitting into two groups, headed to another location, the [Foggy Rose Palace]. Together with their leader, the AI ​​girl Sophia, they appeared on this battlefield shrouded in twilight flames.

"JOK~"

As soon as they landed, the lively AI girl excitedly waved to Amamiya, "The matter here has been resolved!"

"The 'treasure' is in our hands!"

Amamiya nodded, then looked at the four-person group of Arius's team.

After his gaze lingered on Saori, Misaki, and Hiyori in turn, Amamiya noticed the metal badge pinned to Akiko's chest.

Amamiya walked over and patted the girls on the head to encourage them, while also helping them tidy up their hair and clothes, which were a little messy from the fierce battle with the powerful enemy and the subsequent thrilling escape.