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

Just in case, Li handed over a number of modern weapons to Alice and taught her how to use them. How to use them was entirely up to her. Alice simply placed the pistols in various places on the roof and set up small hidden rooms under the tiles to store the weapons. She hadn't been wandering around randomly; she had deliberately come to this location.

Release the safety, aim, pull the trigger, and press down.

boom--!

Sparks flew from the muzzle as the bullet whizzed through the barrel. At this extremely close range, it should have hit its mark, but the opponent wasn't an ordinary person. Being a Ghost meant they possessed considerable strength. The instant she heard the gunshot, she abruptly changed her direction, dodging the bullet.

So they actually hid a musket here? But even if it is a musket, it only has one shot. After firing this one shot, that's it...

Bang bang bang——! !

"——!?"

Lisa immediately used her skill to move herself to a relatively safe distance. When she looked up, she saw Alice's smug smile. Alice was twirling the small silver-gray box in her hand and beckoning with her finger in a mocking manner.

Just now... did that thing fire in rapid succession?

Based on the technological development of this world, there are no firearms capable of rapid-fire yet. Seric's educational model is probably built according to the level of this world, so the ghosts probably wouldn't be able to handle firearms capable of rapid-fire. Moreover, Lisa remembers that there is a member among the ghosts who can use the power of the Holy Sword to fire a firearm in rapid succession.

However, that member died in battle while fighting against the late king.

However, the fact that Alice could now wield a rapid-fire musket made Lisa wary. Perhaps she possessed a trump card like the Holy Sword. In any case, caution was paramount in her future actions. Lisa carefully straightened her body and assumed a fighting stance.

"What's wrong?" Alice smiled. "It's just a gun, it shouldn't be a problem for you ghosts to handle, right?"

“Oh dear,” Lisa laughed, “what kind of monster do you take us ghosts for? Magic and firearms are not comparable, especially that musket in your hand that can fire in rapid succession. Can you tell me how you do that?”

“Sorry, that won’t do.” Alice gripped her gun again. “It’s a trade secret.”

The pistol that Alice was using was called the Type 54. The magazine could only hold eight bullets. She had already fired four as a warning and threat. There were four bullets left. Although Alice had prepared a magazine, the other party seemed to be wary of something, so she decided to bluff to buy some time to make another judgment.

Four shots left...

Alice's palms were sweating profusely. This was her first time facing a ghost head-on. Compared to her comrades who fought ghosts wielding holy swords on the front lines during the war, this one in front of her was nothing. But a ghost is a ghost, a synonym for terror and cruelty. She really had no confidence that she could escape from him.

Bullets are useless against these ghosts. If you think about it carefully, you'll realize that ordinary bullets can be blocked with magic. Because of the time constraints, Alice didn't have time to study the pistol and its bullets, so she couldn't do any enhancements. The pistol she had now was the most primitive pistol, without any modifications, and its power was just average. It would probably miss if it was a little too far away.

However, because Lisa overthought things and thought it was something even more powerful, she was very wary.

If she were just a little more perceptive, or if Alice's acting were a little worse, she would have seen the problem. Alice carefully observed her surroundings. The fire had been contained to some extent, but the venomous insects that roamed the city had not been effectively controlled. Jumping from this height would certainly mean certain death.

It seems I have to break through her defenses to find a place to run.

Alice thought she would hit Lisa accurately with her first shot, but not only did she miss the first one, the next three shots also missed. This time, she had underestimated the situation. After a stalemate, Alice couldn't find a better way.

We have no choice but to do it...

Alice looked at Lisa, quickly raised her hand, and aimed her gun at her. The moment Lisa noticed her movement, she also rushed out, even faster than before, probably realizing her mistaken thinking. Alice ignored the change in her, and charged towards her without hesitation, firing her remaining four bullets and throwing a metal ball at the same time.

All four bullets were deflected or dodged by Lisa as expected. Convinced that Alice's gun posed no threat, she increased her speed, determined to finish Alice off in one fell swoop, leaving her no chance to play any tricks. Alice showed no fear of Lisa charging towards her. The metal ball clattered onto the roof, spraying out a large amount of bullets, and Alice immediately closed her eyes.

Is she crazy?

This was Lisa's first question.

The two rushed into the smoke at the same time. Lisa immediately grasped Alice's location by the direction of the airflow, but the next moment her body began to act strangely.

"Aaaaaaah!?!?!"

My eyes and face were burning with intense pain, even breathing was excruciating, I couldn't open my eyes, and I was coughing incessantly as if something strange was stuck in my throat. What was this thing?!

Seizing the opportunity, Alice quickly rushed past her and escaped the smoke. Meanwhile, Lisa was still inside, howling and struggling in pain, proving that the thing had worked its magic.

"What did you do!?"

Lisa questioned angrily.

"It's nothing! You can rest there for a bit! I'll be right back!"

Alice gave Lisa a mischievous smile through the smoke, then took off running. Why did Lisa react that way? The reason was simple: the smoke was actually tear gas, one of the things Li had given Alice yesterday, and he had even demonstrated it to her. Because she had suffered quite a bit from this yesterday, she was on guard today.

The purpose of tear gas is to cause intense, burning irritation to a person's eyes, facial skin, and respiratory tract, making it impossible for them to open their eyes and causing them to sneeze and cough incessantly, thus depriving them of their ability to move. That's why Alice used it here, temporarily rendering Lisa unable to move.

It's not that Alice didn't experience the same discomfort as Lisa, but because she was on guard, it wasn't as severe as Lisa's, and she managed to escape from the smoke in time. To be honest, she was also feeling unwell from walking straight through the tear gas, but not so badly that she couldn't escape. She immediately ran from the rooftop all the way to the back garden.

"Wow..."

When she arrived there, the back garden had already been overrun by insects. She had originally planned to get back to the palace from there faster, and then return to the city from there, but now it would be very bad if she went down.

"Your Majesty! Over here!!!"

bake--!

Several fireballs shot from another direction, knocking down all the insects that were near Alice. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw a somewhat unfamiliar young man there, waving his hands and beckoning Alice to come over quickly. Alice turned around and noticed that the tear gas was beginning to dissipate, which meant that Lisa could move again.

no solution anymore!

Alice immediately ran along the rooftop towards the young man, then jumped into the window where he was to meet him. The young man was about to catch her, but Alice kicked him in the chest, using him as a cushion to push him away. She then landed steadily on the ground, quickly reloaded the magazine she had dropped in mid-air, and aimed at the young man.

“Who are you?” Alice demanded.

"Hey, wait! Your Majesty! It's me! It's Leon! Leon!" Leon explained, ignoring his injuries, "I'm a member of the Akihabara Guard, I came to help you!"

“…Leon?” Alice pondered for a moment. “Oh, it’s you. Sorry, I kicked you earlier.”

Alice reached out to help him up, smiling sheepishly. In an emergency contact a few hours earlier, Ri had told her that someone was on their way to provide support. However, because of what had just happened, Alice was somewhat wary. Upon hearing Leon's name, she knew she had probably kicked the wrong person. Leon, on the other hand, was left with an indelible impression; he had never imagined that Alice, once hailed as a talented woman, could act so violently.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Leon grabbed her hand and stood up. “I saw you over there just now. It looked like you were fighting with someone.”

"Ah...right! I almost forgot..."

"Miss Elisde~~~?"

"Tsk!"

Like a persistent ghost, Lisa suddenly appeared outside the window and lunged at Alice with her knife. This swift and deadly strike was actually caught by Leon; his dagger grazed Lisa's blade at a slightly slower speed. Their weapons clashed, and Leon's strength prevailed, deflecting Lisa's attack. The stab missed Alice.

"Tsk! Where did you come from, you bastard!?"

Enraged, Lisa immediately swung her knife a second time at Leon. This seemingly insignificant guy suddenly appearing to stop her was infuriating; she was determined to tear him to pieces to vent her anger. But to her surprise, Leon dodged the second blow as well, and instead slid into Lisa's arms, delivering a powerful punch to her abdomen.

"Pfft!?"

This punch naturally sent Lisa flying, and Leon even shoved her back off the roof. The two rolled twice on the roof, and Lisa angrily kicked Leon away. He almost fell off the roof, but he used his dagger to wedge himself in a crack in the tile to stop himself, and then desperately climbed back onto the roof.

"go to hell--!"

“————!!”

Lisa, who recovered faster than Leon, immediately kicked Leon, intending to kick him off the roof. Leon was surprised, but his body reacted instinctively. He lowered his body, grabbed the ground with his hands, pushed off with his back foot, and quickly rolled under Lisa back to the center of the roof.

Even Leon himself was surprised that he could actually hold his own against the Ghost for a couple of rounds. In fact, he didn't know that because of the battles he had fought all the way up, the techniques his body had memorized had been unconsciously activated, so it was true that he had temporarily become stronger. Although he was still not strong enough to fight the Ghost for several rounds, at least he wouldn't be instantly killed by the opponent.

"Leon!"

Alice peered anxiously out the window.

"Your Majesty! You should go first!!!" Leon shouted, "I'll hold her off here! The other two will be here soon! You'll be safe once you meet them!!!"

"...Okay! I understand!!"

Alice wasn't one to be coy. Lisa was Lisa's target, so she should leave immediately. Leon would hold Lisa off and buy her time to escape. So, she turned and left. Leon didn't have the energy to complain; he was completely focused on confronting the ghost before him.

"You're so brave..."

At this moment, Lisa did not rush to pursue, but instead showed an expression of appreciation.

“Brave?” Leon chuckled dryly. “That’s a word that doesn’t really apply to me… I’m the most cowardly person around.”

"Really?" Lisa pulled off her belt. "I think you're very brave!"

"I dare not accept such praise." Leon nervously gripped the dagger in his hand.

Lisa's belt held a soft sword; she wielded it in one hand and the sword in the other, employing a dual-wielding style, a look of rapture on her face. Leon didn't know what she was raptured about, but at that moment, he only felt a chill run down his spine.

“Hey,” Lisa asked, “would you like to experience the thrill of ascending to heaven?”

Lisa's hands roamed over his body, striking a seductive pose that was subtly suggestive of Leon. She was now intrigued by this unexpected intruder; how could someone so ordinary have the audacity to confront her directly? She was now prepared to treat him with utmost hospitality, but she offered him two choices. If he refused, she would end his life in battle; if he agreed, she would, as she had instructed, deliver him in a special way, giving him the thrill of ascension.

'Charm lv.10' activated.

There is no one who can resist this level of allure. Lisa has begun to gently peel off her veil and walk step by step toward Leon.

"Ah... I'm sorry." Leon smiled wryly and took a few steps back. "I'm just an ordinary person... but I'm very afraid of dying."

Ding--!

Fireball!

"—You—!?"

bake--!!

While the two were talking, Leon was already secretly accumulating magic power, preparing to catch her off guard. According to the new magic knowledge taught in the guard team, even if enough magic power is applied to the lowest level of magic, it can become a strategic-level magic with sufficient power. Magic is just a form of using magic power.

Therefore, he decided to pour all his magic into this attack, even if... it had no effect whatsoever.

A bright red magic circle illuminated Leon's face, and he grinned.

"You'll come with me to feed the bugs—!"

boom!

Chapter 41 The Return of the Spirits

boom--! !

The explosions coming from the direction of the palace were alarming, but Olitto didn't stop moving forward amidst the chattering waves. Since Olitto possessed no magic and little magical power, his torch was his only weapon. He might not have any good solutions against these strange insects, but the torch in his hand certainly made them wary.

"There's... one more thing..."

For various reasons, Olitto had already taken several detours in this neighborhood before finally getting close to Kanina's inn. The inn was now completely surrounded by flames and insects, making it difficult to get in or out. Olitto was having a headache over this, as he had absolutely no way to deal with these insects.

"Chirp chirp——————"

Here we go again!

Along the way, many insects ignored the torch in his hand and swarmed at him, but Olitto was not the kind of useless businessman who couldn't even fight back. He immediately gripped the torch and knocked the insects to the ground, then kicked them to their deaths.

But this time it's different...

bump--!

Immediately afterward, the swarming insects knocked the torch from Olito's hand. Without the torch's protection, the insects bared their fangs and claws, attacking the unarmed Olito, tearing at his body, and quickly engulfing him. Just when he thought it was all over, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"How shameful. Aristocratic merchant."

Clang—swish swish swish!

The lightning-fast slash severed all the surrounding insects, even precisely cutting down the ones crawling on Olito's body. When he came to his senses, the insects on his body were motionless, and sticky fluid dripped onto his skin. But Olito didn't care about any of that; surviving was the most important thing.

“So,” Olitto said helplessly as he got up, “I’m not some nobleman, I’m a businessman.”

"In my opinion, these two types of people are the same."

"It's terrible to be uncultured."

The person standing there was Sonic, dressed in tattered clothes, holding two short swords, his eyes sharply fixed on the direction of the inn. Olitzo stood up, walked over to him, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Olito asked.

"Of course I'll be fine." Sonic rolled his eyes at him. "In fact, you're the one who looks like you're in trouble, aren't you? Did you get bitten by a bug just now?"

“Ah…we’ve run such a long distance, we must have been bitten quite a few times already.” Olito shrugged and said, “More than that, I think we need to figure out a way to break through here.”

"I think I can leave once I've fed you," Sonic said casually, revealing a cruel truth.

"Don't you underground forces have any other ideas?" Olitto retorted.

"Isn't it all good once the problem is solved?" Sonic shrugged.

"There's no way this will work... Besides, I can't possibly feed all these bugs by myself, can I?"

Putting everything else aside, there must be tens of thousands of insects right in front of them. The sight was truly nauseating. This kingdom had suffered so much; Olitto felt a little sorry for the queen who had forcibly expanded the territory. Uh… he wondered how that kid was doing now.

Olitto was thinking about that somewhat unreliable young man, whose name was something like Leon. He should be heading there alone now, no, he should have already arrived at the palace. So what's going on with him now?

“Oh, by the way,” Olitto asked, “what about the girl who was with you?”

“She left after meeting up with her companions just now,” Sonic replied.

"That's good..." Olitto nodded in relief.

If Shiokawa and Mori have already reunited, they should be heading towards the palace now. Hopefully, Leon can stay calm; this is a major event.

“So,” Sonic asked, “do you have any ideas?”

"Hey? Why are you asking me this so casually?" Olitto was both amused and exasperated.