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Mirii's steps were echoing from under the roof. Her hands were on her back, her face looking down. Sometimes, she would rose her head and point her eyes on the muddy road where the rain kept falling in. She swallows silently, every time.
"Hey you!"
The girl turns behind, seeing the guardian with his arms folded and a frown on his face.
"Would you stop walking in circle?! Only people with problems do that!"
Mirii snarled, frowning a lot. The man closes his eyes, sighing loudly.
"… that's the thing with Squids from the sweeter waters. You just can't get a hold of yourself." He shakes his head. "If you were to follow the training sessions imposed by this Shrine, not even a katana pointed at your face would make you stumble."
The girl snorted, as her fists were brought near her sides, clenching tightly.
"I hear you are speaking to me, without a sense of distrust." Mirii rose her head, as her hands were now on her hips. "Am I correct?"
"No." He opens his eyes. "Actually, you didn't even surprised me." He opens his arms, shrugging. "You are wearing your kind mask, but you can't act like one."
"My behavior reached top levels of kindness!" She bends forward, picking up her own tentacles. "You graded falsely my performance, just because I used my former surname instead of my registered one!"
"And why would you hide your real surname?" He grins slightly. "That statement wants to scream more information than it seems."
"Th-the reason!" The girl bites her lips, as her eyebrows rose. "Well… the reason…" Her irises fell down-right.
"Ha! I know the reason!" He folds his arms. "That's because you are still trying to trick up my senses, aren't ya?!"
"NO!" She stomps the floor, while clenching her fists. "The reason has nothing to do with that!" She snarled, squeezing her eyes a bit.
The man rose his head, looking over a tree to the left.
"Wait… I'm hearing a noise." He frees his own arms. "I hope it has nothing to do with you…"
"Hmpf." She rose her ears. "I may not possess your impressive hearing capabilities… but it's not difficult to announce the incoming of a car."
"A car? Is that a demonic creature you are summoning out of your rage?!" He grits his teeth, with his left hand quick on the handle.
Mirii slaps her forehead, while shaking her head and closing her eyes.
"It does make a monstrous sound…" He rose his head and ears. "How can a Squid from the sweeter waters being capable of controlling such devastating power?!"
The girl rolled her eyes as she turns behind, taking a look over the road.
"How's it possible I couldn't thought any strategic plan to guarantee that Tonna would not discover Hunley?! If she'll enter inside this Shrine, Hunley can't just sneak in and stand anywhere in those hot baths! There must be a way to"
Suddenly, her ears rose. A blasting car sound was coming through the Inklings… and there it's: emerging from the fog, that dark red car shows up with brown traces on its front side. Her eyes could track Mr. Guile, smirking. On his right, an Inkling under the Protective Gear: staring through its mask, Mirii saw Tonna's face which eyes were glued on the Shrine itself.
Just when the car stopped in a screech, she pushes out the door with strength while keeping her sight on the entrance: her smile grew, reaching her cheeks.
"Finally… after all this time…" Her eyes were watery. "I-I don't have the words…"
"Good morning, Tonna." Mirii coughed, as her hands were on her back.
The woman twists her head, leaving her mouth open.
"Good morning, Mirii!" She bounces forward, stopping in front of Mirii. "I hope you didn't have to wait for too long! Mr. Guile kept touching that accelerator." She turns behind, throwing a cold stare down him.
He laughed loudly, as he jumped on the passenger seat.
"Can you call up that guard in front of the door?" He looks at the man in front of the main door.
The guardian was frowning with his arms folded.
"Certainly Mr. Guile!" She closes her eyes, jumping in place. "It'd be a pleasure to lend you a favor!"
Tonna returns behind, facing the guardian.
"Excuse me? Could you please"
"I heard that, whoever you are!" His left hand fell again on the handle, as his right hand thrusts forward. "But what kind of attitude you are assuming?! Talk about disrespectful!"
Silence fell down. Tonna opened her eyes, as her smile shuts off gradually.
"I was right all this time… that girl used her powers to trick our staff into thinking a trustworthy agent would come inside this Shrine. Too bad I saw through your poor disguises, awful fiends! I don't even believe you are from the sweeter waters: you are just out of the ordinary, miss!"
Tonna's right cheek twitched.
"Wha… WHAT?!" Her eyes turned into fire. "WHAT MADNESS ARE YOU SHOUTING AT ME?!"
She roared, as her hands were taking out her mask: smoke was coming out from the inside. The man's face got a bluer skin, as he tilts backwards and raises his eyebrows. His mouth was trembling.
"I'm out of the ordinary?! What about YOU who just emerged from the loneliest of the rocks?!" Her eyes got sharper, same as for her teeth. "I FINALLY HAVE THE OCCASION TO TAKE THOSE DARN HOT BATHS, AFTER MANY SLEEPINESS NIGHTS AND YOU DARE TO INSULT MY CELEBRATION?!"
His face got even bluer, as his hands were moving back and forth.
"Wait, w-wait a minute! I-I never said"
"Aaaaah, don't you back away down, coward!" She throws the mask down. "I had enough ship since this very morning! You are going to eat every turfing words YOU HAVE BEEN SAID TO ME, RIGHT NOW!" She walks towards the man.
"TONNA!"
Suddenly the woman twists over Mirii: her head was lowered, with her face frowning. Her arms were folded.
"What kind of example are you showing to a Ranger?! I never such barbaric behavior, since seen from those Stingray creatures!"
The woman's eyebrows rose, as her mouth downturned while opening up her eyes.
"Now…" Her left forefinger pointed on the guardian. "Apologize over that man without the slightest complain."
"Bu-but"
"GO ASK YOUR APOLOGIZES!" She growled, as her irises shrunk.
The woman lowered her neck, as her eyes closed. Jerkily, she turned over the man as her head tilted down.
"Sigh… I… I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience… I-I couldn't notice my excessive rage…" Her right foot rotates on its tip.
The guardian stood silent, as his eyes were right on the woman.
"I-I would like to clarify!" Her head rose, as her hands clasped. "Usually, I'd never throw myself in such rage! I-I always worked under pressure, ever since I graduated into Agent Rank." Her eyes were watery.
Her right hand fell on her forehead, as her eyes fell down… right on her mask: cracks were formed on it.
"I-I can't explain what just happened to me…" Her face looked down the guardian. "My head is spinning like mad, right now…"
The man closes his eyes, as his arms were stretching down.
"Symptoms of excessive stress. Few people have this problem, when they visit this sacred Shrine." He opens his eyes. "If you are indeed the second agent attempting to enter this Shrine, I'm afraid the staff would not allow you to reach the Hot Baths."
The woman gasped loudly, as her right hand stood in front of her mouth.