Girl in the Box: Please tell me why I was reincarnated as a mimic monster!

These women would all gradually head to the same place after 3 a.m.

"Really...?" Leon exclaimed in disbelief. "How could so many people moving around like this at night without anyone noticing anything amiss? Our security team usually patrols at night, right?"

“I don’t know,” Sen said. “We do patrol regularly, but we can’t interfere with other people’s nightlife. We generally don’t interfere except with a few guys who seem suspicious.”

“They must have arrived gradually,” Shiokawa said. “Because they were scattered, we probably didn’t pay much attention. Anyway, let’s observe the situation here for now.”

At this very moment, based on the information they received from Lao Bai, they gathered in a tavern in the middle of the night, waiting. Their positions were set up by the window, making it easy for them to observe the situation outside. If any women passed by, they would prepare to act. Shiokawa kept track of the time while also observing the activity outside the window. The tavern owner was very kind; as long as they paid, they could stay until morning, which facilitated the three's actions.

They just sat there drinking beverages and eating snacks, waiting for 3 a.m. to arrive.

At exactly three o'clock in the morning, the three men nervously observed the outside of the window, not missing a single suspicious sign. Then, they spotted their target: a dancer hurrying off in the darkness, heading somewhere unnoticed by ordinary people.

"found it!"

Leon excitedly stood up and immediately chased after her without hesitation. Shiokawa and Mori, after paying for their drinks, followed in his footsteps. The dancer moved incredibly fast; not long after she appeared, she was almost out of their sight by the time the three of them caught up. As they chased, they unknowingly reached the vicinity of the teleportation portal.

Chapter 36 Encountering an Unexpected Person

"A portal..."

The three followed the dancer to the vicinity of the portal set up in Akihabara. At this time, not only was the portal not operational, but no one would be active near it. The portal didn't have enough magic power to activate at this time, so no one would be there. Moreover, apart from certain individuals who could influence the portal, others obviously couldn't, and generally, no one would guard it at night.

At this moment, the three were ready to rush up and stop the dancer at any time, but they still wanted to observe for a while longer. The teleportation portal set up by Li and Ning would not be destroyed by something trivial, so they didn't need to rush to take action. They patiently waited for the other party's further actions.

The dancer stopped on the circular platform of the portal and waited quietly for a while. Then, some other dancers came from other places and gathered together, numbering more than ten.

"This number is really beyond my imagination..." Leon murmured.

Not only him, but Shiokawa and Mori also had the same thought, because even they did not expect that there would be so many dancers in the miniature garden, and this was only a group of them. When they all gathered together, how many people would there be? The three of them dared not even think about it.

“…Wait!” Mori exclaimed in surprise, “There weren’t just dancers in that group, there were men too.”

Because of the poor lighting at night, the three didn't immediately notice what was happening. Upon closer inspection, they realized that among the dozen or so people were not only dancers, but also some men. This gave Shiokawa and the others some unsettling thoughts; perhaps they were just there to meet up… cough cough, we can't say any more.

"There are even men..." Leon's eyesight wasn't very good. "Are those men from Akihabara?"

“No,” Shiokawa said, “they all look unfamiliar; they probably aren’t from around here.”

"Shouldn't we consider whether they might be in cahoots?" Mori suggested.

“Let’s wait and see…” Leon said. “Maybe he might be a victim.”

"Then I'll do as you say."

At this point, Shiokawa and Mori handed over the decision-making power to Leon, hoping to boost his confidence. They also knew they could help him if necessary. Leon was essentially a good person, but he lacked confidence, was easily swayed, and was loyal to his own desires. If he could overcome these issues, becoming stronger would be just around the corner.

There was a reason why Li entrusted this crucial task to Leon. She had her own considerations. Although he usually seemed silly, he was actually quite efficient when it came to doing things.

So, what kind of potential does Leon possess? Shiokawa and Mori are both eagerly anticipating it.

After observing from the shadows for a while, two or three more people arrived one after another. One of them came over carrying something wrapped in cloth, and through the gaps, they could see that something inside was emitting a faint light. It seemed that they waited until everyone had arrived before finally taking further action. The guy with the mysterious prop untied the cloth, finally revealing the object's appearance.

"...! What is that thing!?"

Leon had seen that thing before, and it left a very deep impression on him. That mysterious, glowing object was a magic crystal made of highly concentrated magic power. How did they manage to obtain something that was the size of an infant and hadn't yet begun to dissipate despite the low magic power in Akihabara? How did they manage that? A magic crystal of that size wouldn't immediately cause any harm to a person, so was that why they hadn't discovered what it was?

"What are you surprised about?" Sen asked.

“Uh… I don’t know how to explain this to you,” Leon said, pointing to the glowing magic crystal in their hands. “That thing is a magic crystal made of highly concentrated magic. I don’t know how they preserved it so well, but if they had that thing, they might have activated the charging portal by now…”

“…In other words…”

The portal was last used five hours ago. Each use of the portal requires about seven hours of charging. There are still two hours of magic power needed to activate the portal. If the magic crystal has the magic power needed for the two hours of charging, it can be converted into magic power to activate the portal.

Where are they planning to go using the portal?

As the three continued to ponder, the person holding the magic crystal raised it high above their head. The magic crystal shattered with a bang, reverting to colorless, odorless, and formless magic. The components that formed the portal glowed faintly, signifying that the portal was fully charged. Pieces of magic iron floated up from the surrounding area and then gathered on the central platform to form a circular archway.

A flash of silver light appeared, and the portal was immediately activated. Without the slightest hesitation, the dancers and their party stepped into the silver light and disappeared.

"Oh no!!" Leon cried out in despair, "I should have stopped them—!"

"Where did they go?!"

"I don't know!"

The three of them immediately rushed out of the shadows. The light from the portal was flickering erratically. Was it trying to activate the portal despite insufficient magic power?!

“There’s no time to think about that,” Leon said. “Let’s just go straight to the New Kingdom! If we miss them now, we’ll never find them again!”

"Why the New Kingdom?!"

"Because these people are all from the underground forces of the New Kingdom! So I'm wondering if the mastermind is also in the New Kingdom!"

"That's very hasty." "Yes, quite hasty."

"Are you just going to let this opportunity slip by, senior!?"

No, hurry up and catch up.

The three rushed towards the extremely unstable portal, then mentally identified the same teleportation point. This was the last flash of silver light, and they were immediately transported to the portal located in the new kingdom. The portal's components lost their original radiance, and the magic iron block engraved with the portal's incantation returned to its original position. It seemed they had made it at the last minute.

"Phew..." Leon breathed a sigh of relief, "I made it in time."

"Don't get too excited," Shiokawa cautioned. "Our target seems to be no longer in this area."

If they manage to catch up with the New Kingdom at the last minute but fail to find their target, then it will be a net loss.

“Yes,” Sen said with a headache, “we seem to have lost them.”

“Eh…” Leon then realized the problem.

Because there was a gap in the teleportation process, they were unable to see where these people were going, and as a result, they lost track of them.

"Looks like we were a bit too slow..." Sen said with a wry smile.

"Anyway, let's split up and look for it," Shiokawa suggested. "You all have headphones, right?"

“Okay,” Mori nodded. “Whoever discovers it first, don’t act rashly. Follow behind and then contact the others to get there. Understand?”

"learn."

Leon nodded. If he hadn't hesitated earlier, they wouldn't have lost track of that group. So, he looked a little disappointed, but there was no time for him to think about those messy things. The most important thing was to find the target as soon as possible and continue tracking. He didn't want to think about anything else.

“I’ll go over there.” “Then I’ll go this way. Leon, you’re in charge of that side, don’t do anything rash.”

"Um……"

Shiokawa and Mori each chose a different direction, then, after instructing Leon not to act recklessly, they quickly left. Leon, determined not to lose to the two of them here either, also ran off to search for their missing group. They had only just arrived and would likely remain in the vicinity for some time, so if they moved quickly enough, they should be able to find the dancers and their companions again.

To be honest, Leon was still uneasy about acting alone, because it was already past 3 a.m., and he might not even see any patrolling soldiers. If something happened, could he handle it on his own...?

"call……"

His body was still trembling. He exhaled a deep breath to calm himself and focused his attention on finding the person. Soon after, he did indeed run into the person he was looking for, but it seemed to be a different group. He stopped in his tracks for the time being and obediently followed Shiokawa and Mori's advice, cautiously following the group while channeling magic into his earpiece.

"Shiokawa, Mori, can you hear me?" he called out to his two companions on the other end of the earpiece.

"...Leon? How are things on your end?" Although it took a little time, their voices still came through the earpiece.

“I found them.” Leon said while making sure he didn’t lose them. “Although they don’t seem to be the same group, according to Old White’s intelligence, their destination should be the same.”

"Well done. Now follow them carefully and don't act rashly. Where are you? We'll be there right away."

"It's right to the east of the portal."

"Understood, please wait a moment."

The call ended, and Leon refocused his attention on tracking. Although they weren't the same group that had come from Akihabara, the mere presence of dancers was enough for Leon and his companions to make a judgment. Leon cautiously followed the group, and soon after, he successfully met up with his two helpers at a corner.

"It really isn't the same group of people." "But they look about the same as those other people, don't they?"

Two figures suddenly emerged from the shadows, startling Leon. Fortunately, he managed to hold back his shout at the crucial moment. Shiokawa and Mori had gone together before meeting up with Leon, and only now arrived at his side. They had also observed from another location for a while and discovered that although this group wasn't the same one they had initially been following, it was likely the same group.

“That scared me to death…” Leon complained.

"I'm sorry I startled you," Mori said apologetically, "but we had no choice but to approach you this way so as not to alert you."

"Well, it doesn't really matter anyway." Leon calmed himself down. "Let's go, they've started moving."

"Ah."

Shiokawa and Mori nodded, following Leon's footsteps as they continued to track the group. Their goal for the day was at least to find the enemy's base; otherwise, certain issues would remain unresolved. The three of them followed the group through the alleyways, and even Leon, who had previously operated from the New Kingdom, was starting to feel dizzy, but at least he managed to stay close behind them.

but……

"Have they already discovered us?" Shiokawa asked.

Ever since they found this group, they've been wandering around the streets of the New Kingdom without taking any concrete action. It's as if they're aimlessly drifting around, giving the impression that they might have already been discovered. Being kept in the dark like this without any results is infuriating.

"...Maybe." Leon wasn't sure either; he had little experience with this kind of thing.

"Haa... so what were we doing all night..." Mori said helplessly, "We followed them for an hour and got nowhere. I'm starting to suspect we've fallen into someone's trap. What a waste of time..."

Doing this time-consuming, mentally taxing, and laborious task for a long time finally wore down Mori's patience, and she began to complain. Faced with this situation, Leon didn't know what to say to soothe Mori's feelings, so Shiokawa sighed helplessly and patiently tried to talk to Mori.

"Alright, alright," Shiokawa said helplessly, "Let's observe for a while longer and see if they've really discovered us before making a decision. If we can figure out their base tonight, it will be of great help to our subsequent actions."

“Huh?” Sen retorted. “No one can guarantee that their hideout is fixed, right? What if they gather in different places every time? If you ask me, we should go and catch them now.”

"Wait...you two..."

"Sen, you're too anxious right now."

"Ah, yes, it's better than just waiting here."

"Don't fight, what if we get caught?"

The three of them suddenly started arguing because of their differing opinions. Although they all tried to keep their voices down, the argument became more and more heated and their voices grew louder and louder. Just as they were arguing, Leon noticed that the group of people had suddenly disappeared from sight, so he quickly called for them to stop.

"Hey you two! This is no time for arguing!" Leon shouted. "We've lost them! They've disappeared!"

"...?!"

Shiokawa and Mori immediately looked towards the location where the group of people had been. Sure enough, they had vanished somewhere. The three of them quickly gave chase, hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

"Honestly... I knew I shouldn't have argued with you... Now I've lost track of them." Shiokawa complained.

"Isn't it all your fault?" Sen said unhappily. "If we had rushed up and suppressed them just now, wouldn't all this have been avoided?"

"That's right! It's not all your fault!"

"Tsk... So you're just a simple-minded, muscle-bound young man with a simplistic mind... Sigh, if only Natsuki had come along..."

and many more……?

The three of them instinctively stopped in their tracks.

Was there someone else's voice just now...?

Leon and the others exchanged glances, realizing no one else had appeared. They nervously looked towards the intersection ahead. Shiokawa swallowed hard, gathering magic at his fingertips, drawing runes to activate them. Then, the three slowly approached the intersection, and there they saw the unexpected person.

"Oh?"

"...Who are the three of you?"

"...You are...Olitico, right?"

They encountered Olito, who had just returned from vacation, and a young man with a blue spiky hairstyle.

Chapter 37 Additional Combat Power

“I see. So it seems we’re acting in the middle of the night for the same reason.” Olitto nodded and said to himself.

“I don’t have time to chat with you guys here.” Sonic stood up. “I’ve lost track of him, but he should still be nearby. Goodbye.”

"Hehehe, why are you so reckless?"

Olitzo immediately grabbed him and skillfully locked him in place, making one wonder if this man was really a businessman. After the three met Olitzo and exchanged words, they discovered that they were all acting for the same purpose, so they decided to join forces.

“I think that guy is right,” Sen said. “We’ve lost them now, and it seems like they’ve even spotted us. If we miss this chance, we might not have another one.”

Since they were able to carry out their operation under their noses for so long without being discovered by the guards, it proved that the other party was not an easy opponent. In addition, the other party was also a large underground organization of the New Kingdom, and their experience in infiltration was definitely much greater than theirs. If the other party really escaped this time, it would be difficult to catch them a second time.

"That's true, but have you thought about what to do next?"

Compared to them, Olito seemed quite relaxed, without the slightest sense of tension.

“You’re all too hasty,” Olitto said slowly. “While I understand the seriousness of the situation, this small mistake shouldn’t cause any major problems. You’re all too neurotic. Do you really think that even if something goes wrong, Li and Ning are capable of handling these issues?”

"If you say so..."

Aside from Sonic, who was still causing trouble in Olitzo's hands, the other three had finally cooled down from their feverish minds. Upon careful consideration of what Olitzo had said, they realized they had been too eager to produce results. And although they had considered that the mastermind behind it all might be Ghost, what could Ghost, without the Holy Sword, possibly do to Akihabara now?

With five permanent Dragon Kings and an invincible slime—the only one of its kind in the world—the setup is somewhat unusual, but even the slime Ning is enough to cause this group trouble. With the combined power of Li and Ning, resolving these matters would be a piece of cake. It seems they simply didn't want to escalate the situation, so they delegated it to the right people.

“Aren’t you guys being a little too tense?” Olitto said calmly. “This is indeed a very troublesome task, but don’t forget who’s backing you up. You can relax a bit; there’s no need to make it so complicated.”