I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Then... she looked down at herself with a hint of regret.

"This physical form... is ultimately too fragile. Even so, it cannot unleash my full power."

After even belittling himself, three pairs of enormous, pure white wings suddenly unfurled from behind 'Judas'.

With her hair dyed white, toes off the ground, and pupils gilded, she was imbued with a twisted 'divinity' in an instant, and spoke softly in a holy tone: "You... are still more worthy of anticipation."

A holy, yet indistinct, prayer reached my ears. The trembling stone chips and peeling surface of the 'disciples' statues, along with the ascent of 'Judas,' gradually came to life, imbued with color.

These eleven statues are all based on the heads of various departments of the Federal Student Union.

Their expressions... without exception were holy, devout, and filled with fanatical faith, like a 'calm madman in a religious robe'.

'Judas' wings closed briefly, then opened to each other with an even more chilling aura.

A halo of light spread rapidly as 'Judas' spread his wings, completely shattering the base of the believer statues and bringing them to life.

"Arise, my servants."

"They sang to welcome my arrival."

A sacred and ethereal sound swept through the entire venue, and along with that sense of 'sacredness' came... an even greater sense of oppression.

Apart from Amamiya's extremely high resistance and Yuriko's 'personal reasons', the other girls, when they saw 'Judas' looking down at them with a holy posture, actually had a momentary urge to bow down and were thus momentarily dazed in their actions.

Just as the feeling of 'reverence' in their hearts was about to become uncontrollable, Amamiya's soft cough pulled them back to reality.

"The enemy's modus operandi has changed; we need to be extra careful..."

"Now it's 'Judas' who's going on stage."

"...Judas?"

Having little knowledge of the mythological system itself, Aru immediately glanced sideways at 'Athena' who was retrieving the olive branch.

Seeing 'Athena' standing there unharmed, even giving him a gentle, unhurried smile in return, Aru was filled with questions.

Judah...shouldn't it be her?

This question immediately arose in Alu's mind.

—Back when 'exploring the cemetery', 'Athena' briefly shed her 'cloak of wisdom' due to a breakdown in her beliefs, and became Judas, who sacrificed himself to atone for his sins.

That one... shouldn't be Judas?

Aru wasn't the only one with the same doubts.

Kayoko, Kirino, Fubuki, and even Yuriko all took a closer look at 'Athena'.

It was Athena herself who made the supplementary remarks.

She sighed softly and tied the olive branch in her hair and the wreath with flowers.

"More precisely..."

"She is a 'traitor' who knows she is on the wrong path but does not repent."

"And I... am the one who has come to repent of being a 'traitor'."

As she spoke, 'Athena' stretched out her hands, and an apple materialized out of thin air in her hands.

A... pure gold apple, shimmering with glittering light, with verdant leaves.

Athena stroked the apple in her hand for a moment, then tossed the golden apple to Amamiya without the slightest hesitation.

"Wisdom is not merely a bulwark to arm the mind... but also a kind of 'magic' that embellishes appearance."

"That golden apple, which symbolizes the 'most beautiful goddess,' is now irrelevant to me."

"My beauty can lie solely in my intelligence."

Beauty in appearance varies from person to person; there is no universally accepted aesthetic standard in the world.

"But the beauty of wisdom is infinite, like the morning star that disappears above us at dawn."

"Please keep this safe. This should... be considered a special 'treasure,' a testament to my status as the 'Goddess of Wisdom.'"

"Now, I give it to you as a parting gift."

"Odysseus... Thank you for your companionship along the way."

Having finished her 'explanation,' Athena turned her back, and the radiance of the 'Goddess of Wisdom' emanating from her began to tremble violently.

Unlike Poseidon, which turned into charred remains and peeled off when it died...

This time, Athena's radiance did not dim or fade, but rather quickly subsided.

Unless a person actively abandons wisdom, their wisdom will never disappear.

At most, it's just covered in dust.

Her long hair was tied back, and 'Athena' bowed her head in a prayerful gesture.

A cross made of light appeared behind her.

At the same time... she also changed into a believer's robe that was so similar to 'Judas'.

However, unlike 'Judas's' pure white holy robe that revealed hypocrisy... her robe was simple, plain, and solemnly black.

There is nothing else besides this.

At the same time, 'Judas', suspended in mid-air and surrounded by a huge halo, waved the cross in his hand and, in an unquestionable tone, delivered his own judgment.

"My servants..."

"Obey my command and sacrifice yourself for me."

The sound spread with the halo, followed by the fervent response of the 'believers'.

"Lord... according to Your will, I will descend from Heaven with holy fire and burn them!"

"May the Lord grant me the power to destroy my enemies..."

"In the name of 'Son of Thunder'..."

The believers brandished scythes, spears, scepters, and other weapons that looked like ceremonial implements but actually carried unpredictable destructive power, and pressed in from all directions with perfectly synchronized steps.

Each 'believer' possesses a strength that would be impossible for a single person to handle.

Is it a desperate situation?

Fubuki, who was in charge of supporting Navi, couldn't find any truly feasible battle plans.

As they tightened their defensive perimeter, Fubuki, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, asked heavily, "What should we do... Jok?"

"Are we... cornered?"

Amamiya paused for a moment, then shook his head with a light laugh, showing no sign of tension: "If this is considered a 'desperate situation,' then that phantom thief's experience is truly lacking."

"Haven't you heard that there is always a way out?"

"As long as we want to walk... the road is right under our feet."

Amamiya turned to the believer 'Judas' and saw her observing the traitor 'Judas' in the sky, and knew the 'main content' of the next stage.

How long should we help you negotiate?

The believer 'Judas' withdrew his gaze and replied in a relaxed tone devoid of any tension, "Probably... at least the time for one round of penitential eulogy."

"Odysseus... no, perhaps 'Trickst' would be a more fitting title? After all, I am no longer the 'Goddess of Wisdom'."

"...I believe in you."

"Therefore, I also ask that you have enough trust in me."

"I need to... complete my 'confession'."

"During this time... I need your help to block the 'believers' so that they don't interfere with the 'repentance'."

"Will the second battle be a 'positional warfare'...?"

Upon hearing this, Yuriko immediately took a deep breath, then held her breath and quickly surveyed the battlefield.

Without Athena's olive branch, everyone's Persona abilities have regressed to normal levels.

Yuriko could unleash a high-burst, instantaneous killing skill like "Atomic Flame" with a wave of her hand while in "Olive Branch" state. But now, without the buff, it's not only a bit difficult to unleash it, but its power will also be reduced, which is obviously not worthwhile.

The venue is a 'restaurant,' which isn't exactly spacious; it even contains dining tables—things that can't be destroyed and can't serve as obstacles...

Unfortunately... the Albatross cannot be brought into another world.

Otherwise, this 'positional war' might have been much easier.

"so……"

Watching the cultists wielding scythes, Kirino subconsciously swallowed: "We have to hold off the attack... for at least a long time?"

The 'believers' must not be allowed to break through the defensive perimeter and interfere with Judas's repentance. That means... one must use one's own body as a shield, without any buffs or enhancements, to catch and neutralize all attacks?

That's really quite difficult...

"The best defense is a good offense."

Kayoko's red pupils flashed slightly.

She was calm and saw things clearly.

Compared to defense... the strength of the "Masked Persona" actually lies more in offense, as well as the various innate traits that come with the Persona itself.

Standing still and taking the damage is foolish and unrealistic.

Dodge if you can, and use attacks to resist and neutralize attacks... This is the key to this stage.

"Everyone... get ready."

Fubuki looked slightly dejected as she took out another gold-colored, illustrated 'art-grade' page.

Amamiya did not act rashly.

—Because he has to be like a 'football goalkeeper,' ensuring stability while also being responsible for the last line of defense.

However... not acting rashly does not mean that no 'buff' can be released.

"Leave the 'buff' for the second battle to me."

“Psona…”

"Mary, Messiah."

Two distinctly different Persona images appeared behind him, and specks of 'holy light' emanated from behind Amamiya.

The second battle... is about to begin.

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Jealousy Dining Room - The Curtain Falls!

Golden flames ignited on the believers' bodies as they brandished ceremonial weapons such as sickles, scepters, and spears, burning themselves as they charged forward with the resolute determination of moths to a flame.

Their fervor was unprecedented, and their steps were synchronized as if they were waging a holy war.

In comparison... the Amamiya group, who formed a defensive line by surrounding the 'believer' Judas in a ring, seemed more like villains who had nowhere else to turn.

"We are with the Lord!"

"Our Lord will always protect us!"

"To dedicate oneself to the Lord!"

"Flames, in the name of our lord, burn away the enemies before us!"

The 'traitor' Judas wasn't idle either. Hovering in mid-air, she stretched out her hand, pointing her five fingers at the area where Amamiya and her group were located.

Do not deny my existence, I am your savior.

"Tsk..."

Standing guard in the core area, Amamiya, who had summoned Maria and Messiah, clicked his tongue and thought to himself that he really had... created a 'monster'.

The traitor Judas before us, though bearing the name Judas, is clearly not entirely the real Judas.

Compared to the 'traitor' Judas, at this moment she gives people the feeling of another concept in religious studies—the "Antichrist".

To describe it in a more easily understandable way, it is 'an evil god disguised as a hypocritical faith'.

In fact... the concept of [Aldabait] that Amamiya encountered when he was a phantom thief had a similar idea.

Even Amamiya's ultimate Persona, Satanyael, contains elements of this.