I don't want to be an elf!

Based on his understanding of Mori Ōgai, Mori Ōgai would never send someone with poor abilities to replace someone with good abilities to carry out a mission.

As a former Port Mafia executive, Osamu Dazai knew better than anyone how capable Ryunosuke Akutagawa was; it could be said that no one in the world understood Ryunosuke Akutagawa better than him.

However, in the mission to capture Atsushi Nakajima, Ryunosuke Akutagawa was replaced by the girl who called herself Nightmare.

In other words, in Mori Ōgai's eyes, Nightmare is more likely to successfully capture and bring back Nakajima Atsushi.

Dazai Osamu seemed to be deep in thought.

That seems to be true.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's superpower is purely a killing-type ability; to capture Atsushi Nakajima, one must first get past the Armed Detective Agency.

But judging from the abilities Nightmare just displayed, her powers seem to allow her to infiltrate the shadows and even drag others into them as well. Undoubtedly, this is a very powerful reconnaissance and assassination ability.

If someone with such superpowers were determined to capture Atsushi Nakajima, it would honestly put immense pressure on anyone.

After all, the Armed Detective Agency isn't Nakajima Atsushi's babysitter. The members all have their own jobs to handle, so it's already quite good that they can focus some of their attention on him.

Given Nightmare's unpredictable nature, the members of the Armed Detective Agency couldn't really guarantee Atsushi Nakajima's safety.

Furthermore, Atsushi Nakajima is currently unable to control his superpowers well, and if he were to encounter Nightmare alone one day, he wouldn't even be able to put up a fight.

Although Fukuzawa Yukichi, the president of the Armed Detective Agency, possesses the ability "Superior Person" which influences his subordinates, allowing them to better control their abilities, Nakajima Atsushi's time with the agency is still too short, so the impact of "Superior Person" on him is limited.

Without a doubt, if Nightmare wanted to capture Atsushi Nakajima, it would be an incredibly easy task.

Without anyone noticing, there were absolutely no means of defense.

Dazai Osamu pondered, trying to analyze their current situation using all the information he knew.

As a former intelligence team leader, analysis is his forte.

Although he had defected from the Port Mafia and joined the Armed Detective Agency, his sharp mind was still put to good use.

Being a detective requires using your brain.

By utilizing intelligence, analyzing clues, and combining them with the situation, we can gradually unravel the mystery and obtain what we want.

But the more he analyzed, the deeper Dazai Osamu's brow furrowed.

As he kept recalling what the nightmare had said and everything that had happened, a strange sense of unease kept surfacing in his mind.

All these feelings of incongruity ultimately boiled down to one problem.

"Why did she appear in front of Dunjun and me?"

Just to say hello?

Did he reveal his supernatural abilities just to say hello?

Before this, Dazai Osamu had no idea that there was such a superhuman in the Port Mafia. If Nightmare had chosen to sneak into the staff dormitory and pull the sleeping Nakajima Atsushi into the shadows, they wouldn't have prepared any defenses at all.

Now that part of Nightmare's abilities have been revealed, the detective agency will inevitably have to come up with countermeasures to defend against it.

Or was saying hello just an excuse, and she actually saw an opportunity to kidnap Atsushi Nakajima tonight?

If that's the case, why did you leave so readily in the end?

"Could it be that she discovered me hiding at the corner of the alley exit? And thinks I'm a threat?" Dazai Osamu pondered. "That shouldn't be the case. My ability can only be nullified by contact with other abilities. As long as Nightmare hides in the shadows, in this darkness, my ability is completely ineffective."

If it's not because they're worried about losing in a 2v1, then what is the reason?

Are you worried about not being able to defeat Atsushi Nakajima when his powers go berserk?

But if that's the case, she shouldn't have shown up in the first place.

Or perhaps... Nightmare never intended to capture Atsushi Nakajima from the beginning?

Countless thoughts swirled in Dazai Osamu's mind. His thoughts were far more complex than Nakajima Atsushi's, yet at this moment, he was just as clueless as Nakajima Atsushi.

Taking a deep breath and inhaling the cold air into his lungs, Dazai Osamu shook his head, temporarily ceasing his meaningless thoughts.

"This matter must be reported to the president."

Looking at the five towering spires in the center of Yokohama, Dazai Osamu narrowed his eyes.

"I have a feeling that Yokohama is about to become lively again."

Chapter Thirty-Three Ways to Eat a Meal

Having spent considerable time reaping rewards in several residential areas of Yokohama, and having revealed her abilities to Osamu Dazai, giving the Armed Detective Agency an ocean-sized flood of water, Kurumi Tokisaki returned home after accomplishing her goal for the night.

Although Mori Ōgai entrusted her with the task of capturing Nakajima Atsushi, she had no intention of completing it.

After all, she still needed Atsushi Nakajima to lure over the North American superpowered organization [The Group], which had offered a bounty for his capture, in order to complete side mission two.

If she were to kidnap Atsushi Nakajima and hand him over to the group in no time, how could she openly and legitimately start a relationship with them?

Arresting people is impossible; it's impossible for me to arrest anyone in this lifetime.

I can only fool the boss by slacking off and pretending.

However, Mori Ougai was not stupid. If Tokisaki Kurumi's convenient ability couldn't catch anyone, he would definitely become suspicious.

Therefore, Kurumi Tokisaki had to go easy on the Armed Detective Agency.

He deliberately revealed his abilities to alert the Armed Detective Agency.

Although Atsushi Nakajima had no memory during his superpower rampage, greeting Tsukishita Toraku was like casting pearls before swine, but meeting Tsukishita Toraku was not Tokisaki Kurumi's original intention.

After becoming an elf, she became much more sensitive to auras and sights, and naturally noticed another aura hiding at the corner of the alley exit.

Having confirmed that Dazai Osamu was there, Tokisaki Kurumi used the opportunity of greeting Tsukishita Tora to pass on the information she wanted to convey to Dazai Osamu.

Dazai Osamu was no fool. On the contrary, as Mori Ōgai's former right-hand man, his ruthlessness and intelligence were no less than Mori Ōgai's. Tokisaki Kurumi was not worried that he would ignore the message she was conveying.

She almost fed Dazai Osamu the food; if he still couldn't understand the message she was conveying, it could only mean that Dazai Osamu had definitely been possessed by some transmigrator.

But such a thing is impossible.

Dazai Osamu is still Dazai Osamu.

He must have already grasped the message that Kurumi Tokisaki was conveying.

That way, the next time Mori Ougai asks why Nakajima Atsushi hasn't been caught, she'll have a reason to brush it off.

See, it's not that I'm not trying hard enough, it's just that the Armed Detective Agency is wary of me. I'm helpless about it.

Moreover, among the current Port Mafia, there is no doubt that only Tokisaki Kurumi is the most suitable for this capture mission. Even if Mori Ougai is impatient, he can only continue to let her carry out the mission.

In this way, Kurumi Tokisaki can maintain the fragile balance between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia until the duo arrives.

Before the arrival of the combined forces, and while the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia are locked in a quantum entanglement where neither side can defeat the other, she can take the opportunity to continue reaping time, summoning numerous clones, and preparing for the battle where she can single-handedly take down the entire combined forces.

If the group appears in Yokohama, it will be like a tiger fallen into the plains. Tokisaki Kurumi can simply close the door and release her clones. She doesn't even need to come out with her main body. She can overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

The combination is indeed strong; in terms of raw power, it surpasses either the Armed Detective Agency or the Port Mafia.

But so what?

As long as Tokisaki Kurumi has enough clones, she can stand still and let them kill her, then steal their kills after they've killed so many that their hands are sore.

Completing side quests is a piece of cake, isn't it?

Imagining the future made Kurumi Tokisaki feel cheerful.

Her main mission is to play the role of Kurumi Tokisaki and become a nightmare that terrifies the entire city of Yokohama. She has tried her best to portray the character, but if the final portrayal is still not up to par, then... well, there's nothing she can do.

The first side quest is to join one of Yokohama's three major supernatural organizations. The more organizations you join, the richer the rewards.

The second side quest is to defeat the members of the group; the more you defeat, the richer the reward.

The third side quest is to keep your identity as a visitor from another world a secret. The deeper you hide your identity, the richer the reward.

"Of the three side quests, the second one won't start for a while, and the third one won't be completed until we leave this world. We still have plenty of time. Should we try harder to improve the completion rate of the first side quest?"

Lying on her new bed in her small villa in the city center, Kurumi Tokisaki, who was having trouble sleeping, thought to herself.

Although she had joined the Port Mafia, which gave her identity and funds, solved her immediate problems, and allowed her to gain a foothold in this world.

But since she has nothing else to do right now, she might as well think of a way to join one of the other two superpowered organizations.

If she can really join the Armed Detective Agency and the Special Abilities Agency, not only will it improve the completion rate of the first side quest and get the highest level reward, but it will also provide Izumi Kyoka with a reliable place to stay when she leaves this world, in case she returns to the Port Mafia.

This is a win-win situation.

That is precisely why the difficulty increases dramatically.

Joining three different organizations is like working three jobs.

Putting aside the question of whether she would be exposed, even if she wasn't, Tokisaki Kurumi couldn't possibly manage to balance her time in three busy supernatural organizations.

She can't be in two places at once...

"Wait a minute." Kurumi Tokisaki's eyes lit up. "I think I really can create clones."

Kurumi Tokisaki, as the original body, stayed in the Port Mafia, sending two clones to join the Armed Detective Agency and the Special Ability Agency respectively, and then pocketed the delicious mission rewards.

She sat up abruptly in bed and began to consider the feasibility of the plan.

That sounds wonderful.

However, implementing this will certainly be fraught with difficulties.

None of the three organizations are easy to fool. One is the Port Mafia, which grew from a gang of thieves to become the largest criminal organization in Japan. Another is the Armed Detective Agency, which has the strongest detectives of this century. The third is the Special Ability Agency, which controls everything in this country.

Trying to eat three bowls of rice at the same time is like dancing on a knife's edge.

Especially when all three organizations are closely monitoring the number and abilities of each other's superhumans.

After all, Yokohama's ruling ideology, the "Three-Times Concept," requires the three superpowered organizations to achieve a certain degree of balance and mutual restraint. If the number of superpowered individuals on one side suddenly increases, the balance will be broken, and chaos will naturally follow.

Therefore, all three parties are very sensitive to the number of superhumans in the other two parties.

Even though the name "Nightmare Kurumi Tokisaki" hasn't spread within the Port Mafia yet, the Armed Detective Agency and the Special Abilities Agency have probably already heard the rumors and are preparing to investigate.

Kurumi Tokisaki's narrowed eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression as countless solutions were being devised in her mind.

A bold idea gradually took shape.

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Hideout of the Special Abilities Agency

The next day, at the Port Mafia headquarters, in the Boss Building.