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Her hands pushed the red curtains over the edges: Mirii was wearing a red yukata with golden flowers spread around, tied in a bow on her back with a sash which presented the same pattern as the yukata. On her feet, a pair of geta.
The girl walked with her hands clasped, lifted posture, head slightly rose with her irises bouncing left and right after each second under the lowered eyelids.
"Judging from the Shrine's dimensions, the tour should end within 10 minutes. In all honesty, I prefer taking a nice bath for the same amount of time: after all those obstacles I brilliantly solved, I really need to rest my limbs for a while."
She lowers her head, as her right fist lifts on her chest.
"Unfortunately, I can't access to the baths yet… sigh, Hunley." Mirii rose her head into neutral position, as her eyebrows rose and her mouth downturned a little. "What happened during the discussions with the guardian? What in the world"
"Hi there!" The purple girl jumped in front of Mirii, from her left… the orange one jumped from her right.
The girl let out a gasp, tilting backwards and with her elbows bending like crazy.
"You finally finished!" The purple girl waved her hands covered by the sleeves, while closing her eyes and smiling.
"What took you so long?" The orange girl simply smiled, with her hands down. "You don't know how to wear a kimono?"
"Well…" Mirii's right fingers stood in front of her mouth, lowering her eyebrows just a little, while a small sweat appeared on her forehead's left side. "I searched in every baskets, but I only found yukatas…"
The two twins looked at each other: the orange one opened her mouth.
"Hey sis, did you forget to check the baskets? After all, it was your turn checking the female changing rooms!" The purple one downturned her mouth.
"Me?!" The orange girl frowned. "You were supposed to be the one doing that!" She puffed her cheeks.
"Not at all!" The purple girl frowned. "Chie clearly said that it was Emi's turn, checking the female changing rooms!" She puffed her cheeks.
"Sis, you are wrong! Chie said it was Eri's turn! She even repeated that, two times!" Emi bends forward, frowning even more.
"In those two times Chie repeated Emi! I'm so sure it's the truth!" Eri bends forward, frowning even more.
"Don't lie! She said Eri!" She lifts her hands.
"No! It was Emi!" She lifts her hands.
"Eri!"
"Emi!"
"Eri!"
"Emi!"
"BE QUIET!"
Both the twins turned their heads over the reception desk: Chie was frowning, standing still and clasping her hands. The small girls ran in front of the woman, grabbing the desk's edge.
"I'm sorry, sis!" Both said, with their eyebrows up.
"I-I was just trying to make Emi understand her own mistakes." The purple girl downturned her mouth, as she moved a little forward. "You know that sometimes she needs to hear the same words, before realizing the message."
"I-I was thinking a lot this time!" The orange girl downturned her mouth, as she moved a bit forward. "It was Eri who never likes to admit her own errors! Tell her how you clearly said her name twice!"
Chie sighed, while closing her eyes and shaking her head.
"Actually, I never said neither of your names twice… I wanted you and Eri to check the female changing rooms together, so you wouldn't bicker again like this."
On Emi's left side of her forehead, a sweat drop appeared. On Eri's right side of her forehead, a sweat drop appeared.
"How embarrassing…" Chie's right fingers rest on her forehead. "Right in front of a client…"
Mirii was folding her arms, as her eyes were on the twins.
"Tsk… the strategy of giving them such similar names must have been done without a thought for the consequences. Even then, the coordination of those twins must be revised carefully: their childish attitudes could be a problem for the Shrine's honorable rank."
Suddenly, the twins' ears rose. Both the girls turned their head, looking down at Mirii: they were frowning a lot, while puffing the cheeks. Mirii opens her arms, while tilting backwards, gritting her teeth and raising her eyebrows.
"Curses! Fooled by my own desire of saying opinions…!" A sweat slides from her forehead's left side, while the girl is biting her own lips.
"Well, now…" Chie smiled, while closing her eyes, as a sweat drop appears on her forehead's left side. "Don't make the client wait, sisters. I'm sure everything is ready for the Shrine tour."
"Sis, can she go around with that yukata?" Emi folds her arms. "Rules say that visitors must wear"
"Never mind that for now!" Chie's hand rests on her forehead. "I'll explain the situation to the staff later: just start the tour."
Sighing loudly, the twins walked closer to Mirii: they still had a large frown, with Eri in particular snarling down the girl, which she swallowed silently.
"Your name is Mirii, huh…" Eri nods slowly. "… follow us, please."
Both the twins turned behind, walking down a path. Mirii turned her head to the right, seeing Chie sitting down and taking a paper with both her hands. The girl started walking, right behind the twins. They stopped near a sea-horse holding a small spear with the left hoof, made in stone and standing on a pedestal.
Eri turned her back again, as her face stared down Mirii. Her right arm rose, pointing down the statue.
"This is Kurejihosu, the sea-horse who served the Shrine for 1000 years." She lowered her eyelids.
Emi turned her back too, while looking at Mirii: her right arm rose, in direction of the statue.
"He first appeared in front of the Shrine with the intention of selling katanas that no Squid could ever fabricate." She lowered her eyelids too.
"None of the staff believed in such claims." Eri closes her eyes, as her hands are down and her head rose. "However, Kurejihosu kept insisting on the matter so much, that he challenged the mightiest of the Squids in a battle of honor."
"At the time, the strongest Squid was the renowned guardian of the Shrine: Kyodainame." Emi closes her eyes, as her hands are down and her head rose. "The Shrine stated that if Kurejihosu would won the battle, he would serve the Shrine and receive the benefit of living for many years."
"The battle lasted for one whole day with the surprising victory of Kurejihosu." Eri opened her eyes. "The Shrine noticed that his victory was due to his skills with the katana, than with the weapon itself."
"Since then, he became the new guardian for 1000 years, practicing with almost all the weapons ever created." Emi opened her eyes. "The spear he's holding in this statue was one of the weapons he would frequently use. It was also the weapon used against the Demon Squids, during his 257th year in service."
"Demon Squids?" Mirii's right forefinger landed on her right cheek, while her left hand grabbed her right elbow.
"Yes, there is a painting showing them." Eri pointed to Mirii's right. "Once we get there, we'll explain everything about them."
"Meanwhile, we have the Altar of Promotion to reach." Emi walked past Mirii, with her hands down.
Eri followed her sister, with her hands down, as Mirii blinked twice. Her legs moved, as her head turned around: she tracked different Shojis, a large Squid made in stone in the middle of a clear pond with some lily pads and water lilies scattered around, while a small waterfall was coming from a little stone wall.
Eri stopped right on the altar's left side. Emi kept walking for a bit, before stopping on the altar's right side. Mirii walked, until she stood still in front of the altar. Aside from having golden decorations, there was a small statue of a male Inkling with a long beard, sitting on a red cushion.
"This is the Altar of Promotion." Eri thrusts her left arm over the altar. "The most important element of this Shrine, since the staff members receive their promotions right here."
"I see." Mirii's right forefinger touched her right cheek again. "The Shrine positively looks luxurious… whoever works in such prestigious building, they must been receiving more money than all the professional Turf War players could ever achieve."
"The promotions are never lucrative." Emi thrusts her right arm over the altar. "They are a rank upgrade, as well as the rare possibility of receiving new powers."
"New powers?" Mirii lowers her eyelids. "What do you mean?"
"She said that correctly." Eri lowers her hands. "Every member of the Shrine possess at least one power, even the beginners. They have the chance to get more of them, as they work hard and follow all the rules."
"Uhm… I don't see how someone would receive powers from this altar." Mirii's right hand lowered. "What if all those declarations are just a decorative method of describing technology?"
"WHAT?!" Emi puffed her cheeks. "Technology is the only thing you mortals have! You chose them instead of believing in our Shrine!"
Eri looked at Emi, while frowning a lot and shrinking her irises.
"Emi, what are you thinking?!" She lowers her head.
The orange girl opened her mouth, as her eyebrows rose.
"Ah… ehm…"
"Is this true?" Mirii's eyes were on Emi, while her arms folded. "Civilians were aware of this Shrine?"
"Sgrunt…" Emi rose her shoulders, almost squeezing her eyes, frowning a lot. "Please, forget about that question. We are not allowed to talk about the secrets of this Shrine."
"Hmpf." Mirii shakes her head. "Figures. It's never been considered a good sign, when the history of this Shrine is kept obscured from the civilians."
"What do you know about it?! Nothing!" Emi shows her small fangs, while bending forward. "Therefore, you can't claim such statement!"
"EMI!" Eri jumped in front of her sister, as her hands fell on her shoulders. "Stop letting your rage dominate you!"
Emi was breathing quickly, as her eyes were pointed on Mirii. Eri turns behind, facing the girl.
"Mirii, I must warn you…" She was frowning a bit.
Her arms folded.
"Don't try any tricks in this Shrine... especially your little plan."
Mirii tilts backwards, as her irises shrunk and her teeth were biting her lips.
"No… you couldn't"
"We know everything about it." Eri squeezed her eyes. "You want to distract us by using a gadget which creates smoke, then you would explore the whole Shrine, searching for this Hunley."
Mirii gasped loudly, as her hands covered her mouth.
"No… n-no, it can't be…!"
"As you may have figured it out, we can read people's minds." Emi walked near Eri's left side. "You couldn't stop thinking about the plan, no matter how many times you tried to change thoughts."
Mirii grits her teeth, then she steps forward while frowning.
"Alright, you two!" The girl looked at each twin. "I'll speak clearly, without any hints of doubt: I must find immediately a boy named Hun."
"Why?" Eri rose her head. "Who's Hun?"
"An Inkling boy who desperately needs the Hot Baths!" Her eyebrows rose, gritting her teeth even more.
"Someone not invited in this Shrine, in other words?" Emi rose her head, lowering her eyelids.
"And why he should receive an invitation?!" Mirii breathes rapidly. "The Inkopolis Security Team would never allow him such permission!"
"Gee, I wonder why…" Eri smiled, as her right hand rose. "Because he's not an Agent?"
"He is!" Mirii growled, frowning even more. "An Agent that urgently needs the cures of the baths! It's an emergency concerning his very life!"
"His life?!" Emi opened her mouth, as her eyes expanded and her hands got closer to her mouth. "Seriously?!"
"Emi…" Eri turned over her sister. "Are you really believing that lie?" She smiled, as a small laugh escaped her mouth. "Come on, it's too easy seeing beyond her scenes."
"What are you saying!" Emi turned over her sister. "You know that we can't underestimate a problem this dangerous! After all, what this Hun could do to our Shrine?!"
"Things I don't even want to think about." Eri shakes her head. "That's why we should bring Mirii away from"
"Stop acting like you want to win at all costs!" Emi bends forward, frowning even more. "Did you forget what our big sis always says?! Believe! Always listen to the words of a stranger!"
"Did she also mentioned to not think about it for a second?!" Eri bends forward, frowning even more. "If everyone would follow their logic, it'd be so easy tricking people!"
"Everyone would not even think about tricking others in the first place!" Emi grits her teeth. "It's a very noble lesson, Eri! You should feel ashamed for doubting wisdom itself!"
"Me?! Ashamed for just using common sense?! That's also wisdom, you know!" Eri grits her teeth. "Unlike your non-thinking politics you have been using for many years! Start growing up now, Emi!"
"No! You grow up! I'm sick of dealing with a person who only thinks about winning!"
"Ah yes?! I had enough of your mindless thoughts!"
The twins kept shouting at each other: Mirii walked past them, as her head turned to her left.
"I think I'll start searching in this room… I'm sure the twins will not hear any of my thoughts, during their infantile bickering."
The girl walked towards the Shoji, as her right arm stretches forward.