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

"Demon... Xuanze?! What are you doing here?!"

The word "demon" in "Demon King" slipped out unconsciously, but Li quickly corrected himself and called the other party by his real name. Standing there was indeed the Demon King himself.

"Since we still have some time before the battle, I thought I'd take a stroll around," Xuanze said casually. "Compared to that, what's the situation now?"

"How would I know!" Li said somewhat dejectedly. "That guy Savi suddenly started this Akihabara autonomy thing and even specifically appointed me as an ambassador. This is completely unexpected, isn't it? I've never heard of it!"

Li was almost in a state of collapse. She was not good at politics at all, and Nao had not taught her anything about it. Was she supposed to manage the neighborhood like the class monitor?

“Think about it carefully, Dragon King,” Xuanze sneered, “Don’t you know? Savi is giving you the power to reshape Akihabara, wanting you to make this place more suitable for you.”

“…If that’s how it is, then I understand.” Li changed the subject. “But! I have absolutely no idea how to do it well?! The workload has increased!? It’s increased!?”

"It's better to get used to it sooner rather than later," Xuanze laughed. "This kind of life might continue for a long time to come."

"I just don't want to do this, okay?! I don't know how!"

"Why not just make it a mascot?"

"No way! That would just be a pretty face! Besides, what about development?!"

"You're just someone who comes up with ideas, aren't you?"

"It's hurtful, but there's no way to refute it?! Are you a demon king?!"

"Yes, I am the Demon King."

"Pfft~"

The three people watching the two's comedic dialogue couldn't help but chuckle. It has to be said that Li regained some composure during her conversation with the Demon King, and felt much more at ease. She was slightly grateful that the Demon King had come here, but now she hoped that the Demon King would hurry back to lead the demon race.

"Then, let's invite Ambassador Akihabara, Ms. Ri, to share her thoughts on taking office."

Princess Riku suddenly called out to Riku. She composed herself, thinking that she was fine, and nervously walked onto the stage to take over from Riku. Looking around, she saw that everyone from Akihabara had gathered here.

"Hello, Demon King." Li Hua walked onto the stage and greeted Xuan Ze. "I heard about it. It's with my older brother."

"That guy even has a younger sister, that's so nice." Xuanze's envy was tinged with a subtle unease.

“We will do our best to help the demons,” Lihua said, extending her hand. “I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration.”

"Heh...that's hard to say." Xuanze laughed arrogantly.

Standing on the stage, Li was nervous for a while, her mind went blank, she had nothing to say, and the whole square was staring at her without saying a word, which was extremely awkward... With the mindset that she had to say something, she finally spoke.

"Um... um... hello everyone..."

……Then what?

That's it! Ugh! What am I even trying to say?! This is so awkward! I want to go back!

She was at her wit's end. She really wasn't used to this kind of thing, especially doing it when she was completely unprepared. She just wanted it to end as soon as possible so she could go home.

"Oh! Miss! You're a beautiful young lady!"

"Long live the Ambassador! Long live the Ambassador!"

"Don't embarrass yourselves in a place like this, you bunch of stupid men!"

"Oh! Ambassador! Who are we going to kill!?"

"Hahaha! Those who underestimate us from Akihabara will be crushed!"

"Oh! Ambassador, let's work together to make Akihabara a place that everyone envies!"

There was no mockery or disdain; everyone was supporting the young woman who had suddenly taken office as ambassador in their own way. Regardless of those seemingly dangerous declarations, Li suddenly felt much calmer.

Sensing a change in the ambassador's demeanor, everyone fell silent, waiting patiently for her to speak.

Organize what you want to say, calm yourself down, take a deep breath, and then slowly exhale. That's all you can do right now.

“Um, I’m Ri, the Akihabara ambassador who was forced into this position today.” Ri felt a surge of energy flowing through her body. “This might be our first meeting. I’m just someone who recently came to the Principality and opened a shop in Akihabara out of interest. But, I think the same as everyone else, right? I want to make this place a better place. I hope you’ll support me in the days to come.”

Thunderous applause erupted. Although the final outcome was uncertain, it was clear that the workload had increased dramatically... It felt like they had been forced into this situation...

But she wouldn't understand. This was a gift from Saiwei, which could be considered an abuse of public power for private gain. Unfortunately, the only person who knew the feelings he clumsily tried to convey was his rival, Ning.

Keep it up, Your Highness.

Chapter 12 The Demon King's "Invasion"

"I'm back……"

Li entered listlessly, greeting them weakly. Alice and Ning were currently circling the dragon, seemingly deep in thought, and were pointing and gesturing at Kana.

"Oh, you're back." "Ah, welcome back. So, Kana! We're not making this."

Without much enthusiasm, both Alice and Ning gave perfunctory replies before returning to their work. It seemed that during the brief period when Rin was not around, Kana had gone berserk again.

It's amazing that this person could go berserk despite the side effects of the contract. Ning Nan miscalculated in a place like this. Well, there's nothing that can be done about it, after all, the other party is not a normal person at all.

"Wow, is that a dragon? It's a huge iron dragon!" Serena sat on Xiao's shoulders as they entered the studio.

"Tsk... The strong metallic smell, I don't like this place." Kuroba made a very impolite remark, as if she really hated this kind of place.

"Really? I think it's fine." Demon King Xuanze walked in as if he were an ordinary guest.

“Sanko Workshop is really amazing…” Li Hua exclaimed.

These four people came after the temporary inauguration ceremony. Their reasons for coming here were similar: they just wanted to see what kind of place the Sangu Workshop was.

The people most affected were probably Xuanze and Lihua. Xuanze hadn't expected that Sanko Workshop was actually developing modern products for Earth, and had even mass-produced some things like electric lights. There were still many things under development, but development had been temporarily halted due to the current emergency.

Perhaps, with the help of reason, it wouldn't be impossible to restore life on Earth in this world. Xuanze sincerely looks forward to that day, because based on the information he currently has, there is no way to return to Earth.

Lihua admired Akihabara on another level. At first, her impression of Akihabara was just a "garbage can", but after actually seeing it, she realized that it was actually a treasure trove, an endless treasure trove.

Li Hua only needed one glance to know that Akihabara had great development potential. The residents of this neighborhood were highly motivated, and there were world-leading craftsmen like Sanko Kobo here. Putting aside everything else, at least in terms of living standards, it was a level above other places.

It's like that thing called a "cotton lamp." Although it's a lamp, it has no flame and won't burn your hands. It's very light and soft, and you can adjust its shape yourself. As long as you have enough magic, it will light up a white light that is stronger than oil lamps and candles.

"This would be so much more comfortable when I'm working at night," Lihua thought.

Because the only lighting in the castle was candles and oil lamps, but the problem was that they were too dim. Sometimes Lihua couldn't even see the words on the documents unless she got very close.

But things were different this time. Li Hua began to regret not stopping Akihabara's self-governance plan, but since it concerned her older brother's life, she, as his younger sister, turned a blind eye to it.

At the same time, Li Hua's gaze fell on Li, who was talking to Ning and the others below. Li Hua had a very good impression of Li; like Savi, she was a person who was true to herself, a little silly, but very cute, and had an incredible sense of approachability.

Based on first impressions, she seems like a nice girl, but whether she can become Li Hua's sister-in-law is another matter.

"That's how it is..." Li said helplessly. "As you can see, we're operating at full capacity and don't have the capacity to entertain guests. Alice will finish the previous and upcoming commissions first, and then temporarily close the business to focus on developing cutting-edge technology."

“Yes, I understand.” Xuanze looked up at the enormous dragon. “Seeing this makes me feel much more at ease. You’re really capable, Dragon King.”

"Ha... Actually, I'm just a lucky charm who comes up with ideas." Li still harbored resentment over what Xuanze had just said.

"Haha, did you think that was meant to insult you?" Xuanze laughed. "This is something only you can do. Although I don't know what skills you have, I do know about that Demon Eye. Only you can drive the development here."

"Hehe..." Li was not at all relieved. "I'm going to help. You guys can look around by yourselves."

She left the guests behind, walked down the steps, and returned to her original work. At noon, the machine had already taken shape. The problem now was how to make it move, and how to make it move. So a prototype was born, and adjustments were made after actual operation.

"Oh dear, this is a headache. I went a bit too far. I didn't expect the Dragon King to care so much about this kind of thing." Xuanze was also caught off guard.

"That's why I told you not to use that flippant tone!" Serena complained. "You could have just told her directly, why couldn't you be more honest? Always beating around the bush...!? Wait a minute...!? @#%/ⅱ?!"

Finding her lecturing too annoying, Xuanze grabbed her and threw her into his coat pocket, locking her up. He also forcibly transformed Hei Yu back into her original form. Then he looked at the princess of the duchy—Lihua. Lihua was also looking at him; they were probably thinking the same thing.

"Then, Your Highness, would you please accompany me for a walk?"

"Eh~ I couldn't ask for more, Demon Lord."

The Demon King extended an invitation to the princess, who smiled and accepted it.

"So, what does the Demon King intend to do by coming to my country?" Lihua asked as they walked. "I don't think it's as simple as the cooperation appears on the surface."

"Ah, that's right." Xuanze didn't intend to hide anything. "I want to 'invade' the duchy."

“I can’t pretend I didn’t hear such a dangerous remark,” Lihua said seriously.

“Ha, superficial.” Xuanze flicked her forehead. “It’s not a physical invasion, but a mental one.”

"Wuli?" Lihua heard a word she didn't recognize. "What is that?"

"Ha, if you don't know, then forget it." Xuanze was too lazy to explain. "Simply put, my goal is cultural invasion, to let the culture of the demon race and their current appearance penetrate into the hearts of you people. If the demon race could truly unite with the duchy, they would be much better off."

It must be said that the demon race is too weak now, not in terms of physical strength, but in terms of societal weakness. Their dog-eat-dog mentality remains unchanged, which, while an eternal truth of the world, would be far too boring if things remained this way indefinitely.

The Demon Clan's revival is too slow. They can only rebuild little by little, starting with agriculture. Even commerce only appeared after Xuanze arrived. They are too backward, and it is their own fault that they were swallowed up by other countries.

It was precisely because of this despair that the Demon King appeared—the "hero" who could save the demon race. Xuanze wouldn't easily abandon them; for his future plans, the demon race was essential. But this gentle Demon King probably didn't know that he had unknowingly placed the rise and fall of the demon race first.

If we can gain the trust and affirmation of humanity here in this war, we can revive with the help of the duchy's power. Although there are still many old and new grudges to be resolved, and many other problems, we'll shut those guys up when the time comes by demonstrating our resistance against the kingdom.

Chapter 13: The Warships Arrive

"So, what did you learn from your brother?" Xuanze found a place to sit down. "He should have given you at least a basic explanation, right?"

“I know the whole story.” Lihua sat down with him. “Your Majesty, you must be having a hard time…”

"...Heh, it's nothing, just a small matter." Xuanze looked up at the sky. "Any thoughts? The hero went to the demon realm and became the demon king or something."

“Yes,” Li Hua said without hesitation, “You should be a hero who helps humans, but you ran to the demons’ side. Isn’t that strange? You should at least look at what your predecessors did… However, I know that all of those were wrong. I don’t know what you went through, but… you tried your best, didn’t you?”

"Haha, we'll have to work even harder in the future," Xuanze said casually, his bangs sparkling with a crystal-clear light. "Savi and I are going to take down that old geezer's fleet next. We'll do everything we can to protect this place. All you have to do is hold this place and keep it as it always has been."

“Although it’s not appropriate for me to say this, but…” Lihua asked, “What about the demons?”

The kingdom's all-out sweep is certainly not just targeting humans, but also demons. Demon King Xuanze has already brought the main force of the demons here, so isn't demon territory in danger?

"Don't worry, those people won't lose." Xuanze sneered. "Those few are hopelessly stupid, but they can definitely hold out until we finish... You should probably head back soon."

"...I understand. May your military prowess be assured."

As she finished speaking, Xuanze's expression suddenly turned extremely cold. Lihua, who was good at reading people, understood what had happened. The princess stood up, gave the Demon King her blessing, and then hurriedly left to return and take over the reins with the young king of this country. From now on, the stage no longer belonged to the princess.

"Sleina, Black Feather." Xuanze stood up and called out to his two companions who had accompanied him. "It's time to go. The war has begun."

“…Here it comes,” Li suddenly said.

"...?! Has it started?" Alice naturally understood what Li meant.

"Oh, I see... I'll go out for a bit." Ning put down her work and prepared to leave.

“I’ll go too.” Riya followed her away. “Alice, you and Kana can do it without worry. We’ll protect you no matter what.”

"...Is that so? Then I'll leave the outside to you." Alice smiled helplessly. This was all the Sanko Workshop could do at the moment.

Li grabbed Ning's hand and teleported directly to the sky above Akihabara. Without even using her magic eyes, she could already see the fleet appearing on the other side of the sky. She recalled the scene she had just witnessed yesterday, and her body trembled slightly.

"Li, calm down." Ning held her hand tightly. "I'm here for you."

"……Um."

She felt a little more at ease, and the trembling stopped. The fact that Ning was by her side brought her back to the state she had been in when she returned to the maze. The residents of Akihabara had already begun to evacuate spontaneously; it wouldn't be long before Akihabara was deserted.

But they will come back, and until then, as their ambassador, I must protect their home.

Li told himself this in his heart.

They had to come out because they didn't know what the next battle would be like. They had to use all their strength to drive them back and make them feel troubled, so that they would abandon their attack on the duchy and buy themselves a lot of time.

As they appeared in the sky, several beings with immense magical energy also appeared, each beginning to circulate their magic, causing it to gradually ignite. The Demon King's magical energy was no longer in this city; he must have returned.

A dark mass of troops began to march out of the city. At the forefront was Prince Sevi of the Duchy, who would lead his army to resist the kingdom's invasion. Xiao, carrying Salid, flew directly into the air and approached the two.

"Sister Li!" "Li." The two called out to Li in unison.

"You've arrived." Rin used her Mystic Eyes to process all the information she could see at high speed.

"What can Xiao/Wu do?" The two asked themselves in unison once again.

"As for Xiao, just focus on dealing with their soldiers," Ning said, acting as the intelligence analyst. "Sarid, all you need to do is wait for the Demon King to arrive and then attack that airship. Don't revert to your original form, understand? Also, be careful. This is something your sister Li insisted on telling you."

"understand!"

Xiao immediately released her grip on Salid's hand and free-fell to the ground. There was no need to worry about her dying; that height was nothing to her. After landing, she immediately jumped onto the roof and sped toward the city gate. She was probably planning to go straight out from the city wall.

After Salid nodded to indicate that he understood, he spread his dragon wings and began to fly towards the warship. He would not get too close in the short term, as he also sensed the threat posed by the warship. He would remain on the sidelines for the time being and wait for the Demon King's reinforcements to arrive before the real battle began.

"Tsk... Nearly forty ships have come this way?!" Li said, uttering a number that sent shivers down everyone's spine.

With the Magic Eye fully activated, Li could see nearly forty massive magical reactions approaching this location; these were the magical reactions of the airships.

"Nearly forty ships? The kingdom really thinks highly of the duchy." Ning became expressionless.

The kingdom dispatched nearly forty airships in order to defeat this greatest threat as soon as possible.