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The Shoji slides to the right, gently. A smell of wood strongly invades the air. Mirii sniffed silently, as her irises bounced left and right. In the middle of the room, she found a small table with one cushion in front of an edge each.
On the table, a golden statue representing an Inkling woman wearing a kimono. Around the room, there were bookshelves, some chairs, a hanging scroll showing an image of the Shrine with the skies clear, surrounded by the green of the grass.
"This room doesn't seem to contain anything useful. I shall leave." She turned behind.
Mirii…
The girl gasped, as she immediately returned her back: her head twists left and right, as her eyes were expanded.
"Who talked?! Who knows my name?!" A sweat slides down from her left forehead.
Mirii…
Her irises rest on the golden statue: those shrunk rapidly.
"Is the statue… talking to me?!" She swallows silently.
Don't be afraid… walk here…
Mirii frowns a bit, as she slightly rose her head.
"Who are you?"
I'm The voice of the Shrine…
"Hmpf." She folds her arms. "Why the voice is represented by such form?"
I wasn't the one to decide… it was the Master, the responsible of this choice.
Mirii sealed her mouth: she closes her eyes for a moment.
I'm sure you met Chie…
"Yes." She frees her arms. "Why that statement?"
She's one of my descendants… but she doesn't know about my presence.
"Uhm…" Her right forefinger tapped her right cheek, while her left hand grabbed her right elbow. "If you spoke the truth, then I'm utterly surprised."
I see your reasons, young girl… but there are many stories this Shrine would like to share.
"First, a question." Mirii stretches her arms down. "Why are you talking to me? What do you seek in perfection?"
Perfection…? Ah… you still present those problems…
"What?!" She grits her teeth, as her left hand grabbed her right elbow. "Wh-what did you said?!"
Mirii… don't lie in front of one of the eldest woman in this Shrine. I know the meaning behind that word…
"No!" She rose her eyebrows, she breathes rapidly.
Twisting behind, the girl found the Shoji closed. Her hands were already on the door, as they kept sliding laterally and the door was still.
"Wh-what did you do to the door?!" She returns back in front of the statue, as her back leaned on the door and her hands were on it.
I knew your reaction, Mirii… but I'm doing this for your own good…
"What do you want from me?!" Her head moved left and right. "I'm not a criminal!"
Oh no no no… that's not the reason, Mirii. I don't want to hurt you… I want to help you find Hun.
Her neck bended forward.
"… where is he?" She frowned a lot.
He's inside this Shrine… but you can't reach the Master's room, without my allowance.
"You…" She snarled. "What are you doing to him?!"
He's fine… although, I can see the reasons you want to bring him to the baths.
Mirii kept breathing loudly.
"I don't know if I'm seeing things or I'm in another dimension…" Her forehead was full of sweat.
Mirii… no matter where you go… unless you receive my allowance, you'll never
"Please, stop talking!" She shows her fangs. "My head is spinning… I-I want to get to the point! I-I'm tired of this nightmare!"
Calm down, Mirii… there is no reason to be stressed… take some deep breathes…
The girl closed her mouth, then her eyes: her breathes slowed down, although were still loud.
I see you are getting calmer… now, are you ready to hear my words?
"… so, you want to talk about perfection, am I right?" She opens her eyes.
No… you know that perfection isn't
"What are you stating?!" Mirii roared. "I have mental top ranks, as well as a knowledge of"
Mirii, I wanted to talk about you.
The girl left her mouth open. Her irises moved to the left.
If you want to reach the Master… you have to visit yourself first. I want you to forget about perfection…
"Nonsense!" She grits her teeth, frowning a lot. "I can't leave out perfection! Without it, I'm nothing more than an useless living creature!"
Suddenly, a huge pain crossed her body: the girl started to breath rapidly.
Mirii… don't do this to yourself… you can't lie about
"I WANT TO BE PERFECT!" She rose her head, as her eyes closed. "THAT'S A LESSON EVERYONE SHOULD LEARN!"
The pain increases, making the girl yelp in silence.
… why you want to be perfect?
Mirii expanded her eyes, as her irises stood on the statue.
"Why I want to be perfect…? Well… th-that's ridiculously simple! If I'm perfect, then I would obtain an incredible career, have a successful life and show to the whole word, what perfection can do!" Her eyebrows rose.
Mirii… that's why I need to talk to you…
"Wh… what?" She shook her head quickly, while squeezing her eyes a bit. "I'm afraid to not understand…"
I'm sorry, Mirii… I can't explain much since time is running down… I want you to reach the Master's room and be aware of his challenge…
Suddenly, in front of Mirii… her mother appears. She gasped, as her hands covered her mouth.
"MIRII KELPSHELL!" The mother folds her arms, while frowning a lot. "I HEARD EVERYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR SCHOOL CAREER!"
"NO! NO, MOTHER!" Her hands clasped, as her eyes were watery. "I-I CAN EXPLAIN"
"EXPLAIN THAT YOU CHOOSE TO BE IGNORANT?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY I SPENT TO LET YOU REACH PERFECTION?!" She walked over the girl, while her right hand moved backwards.
"Mother, please!" She opened her hands.
SLAP!
Her face moved to her right.
"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING, YOU INGRATE! JUST… just look at you…" Her hands were on her hips.
Tears were coming down from her eyes.
"You let your emotions weaken you. You know what you are right now…? A pathetic SQUID!" She moved her left hand backwards.
SLAP!
Mirii's face moved to her left. Her right hand fell on her right cheek, which was burning a lot. She closed her eyes, while gritting her teeth.
"You keep crying because you are an useless living creature…"
All the sudden, the girl opened her eyes: she saw herself wearing a white shirt, a black skirt and black heels.
"What…" Her jaw dropped.
"Mirii Kelpshell!" She frowns a lot, while her hands were on her hips. "What have you done at your future?!"
Her cheeks weren't burning anymore… the girl stood still, trembling a bit.
"Who are you…?" Her head lowers.
"I'm perfection. That's, what Mirii would have been if she chose to keep her studies and never considering about her emotions!" She folds her arms, while raising her head just slightly.
"… how you can be so sure of such statement?" Mirii frowns a bit.
"Because I achieved perfection! Do you want to know what I'm doing nowadays?" She squeezed her eyes a bit.
"You founded a new company…?" Her right eyebrow rose a little.
Alternate Mirii bursts out a loud laugh.
"Aaaah… the ingenuity of inferior Squids…" She kept her smile.
"I'm YOU, remember?!" Mirii snarled. "Why are you making fun of me?!"
"Because who has perfection must utterly destroy the weak ones… that's a rule my mother always said." She took her right tentacle, stroking it.
"That's ridiculous!" Mirii frowned even more, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.
"Hmpf. Ridiculous is the road you choose. If you kept your school career… you'd first create one of the biggest brands in Inkopolis: Hanache." She rose her head.
"What?!" Her right hand stood on her opened mouth, while her eyes expanded. "I would… I would really achieve my dream?!"
Alternate Mirii nodded.
"The clothes created by your company instantly reached every top 10s seen on TV. When you walked around, you'd keep seeing Inklings wearing at least one of your gears. Money was something that never stop coming into your bank account…"
Mirii bites her own lips.
"Then, you'd think more about how to get even more money… and this for many years. No more emotions flowed out of you, you finally reached true perfection. With the money you had, soon the most important phase of your life would start…" Her head was pointed towards the ceiling.
"I… I'd form a family?" She was breathing quickly.
Alternate Mirii looked down over the girl, frowning a lot.
"You didn't have the time for that! What you did was something even more impressive… you bought down Districts." She smiled.
"I DID WHAT?!" Her mouth open wide, as her irises shrunk.
"Yes… you started to grow an interest for houses. People around were in need for financial resources… and you decided to give them a hand." She grins.
"No… wh-why I would care for houses?!" Her eyebrows rose, her teeth gritted.
"Because you wanted to be even more perfect!" Alternate Mirii's eyes expanded, her hands fell on Mirii's shoulders. "Perfection is money! Money represents true success, Mirii! You kept thinking about it non-stop…"
Mirii moved her shoulder a bit, frowning a little.
"Wait, you are spitting lies!"
"No, you pathetic worm!" She frowned for a moment, then she returns her grin. "I wanted to be really successful… I wanted to own more than just a company!"
She let out a small laugh.
"I couldn't wait to get my hands on those houses… and then, before I know it… I owned the entire city! Even the Turf War Station! Everything was mine! MINE!" Her grin increases.
Mirii trembled, as her eyes closed.
"I was truly perfect! No one could top someone who possess everything in sight! I made my mother proud of me! Well… since I owned her as well."
Suddenly, Mirii's eyes almost popped out.
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
"Aaaah, yes… the final phase… owning people!" Alternate Mirii laughed a lot, as she walked backwards. "My mother was so happy to choose her destiny… Rof as well!"
Mirii's eyes kept seeing herself laughing even louder.
"They never minded that at all! Ah… and of course those other idiots chose to be owned too!" Her right forefinger rose.
"Who are the idiots?!" Mirii lowered her head, growling.
"You know that too well! Come on…" Alternate Mirii opened her arms. "I'm talking about Grina and Bars!"
Mirii gasped, almost stumbling.
"No… I can't comprehend this… … WAIT, WHAT ABOUT HUNLEY?!" Her eyes expanded.
Suddenly, alternate Mirii stood still: her grin disappeared fast. Slowly, she turns her head over the girl.
"That name… … it… it has been so long…"
"WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?!" Mirii walked in front of herself.
"… good question." Her irises looked down-right. "Hunley… I… I almost forgot about him… last time I saw him was in front of that bus…"
"A bus…?" Her heart skipped some beats.
"He wanted to return to his family… he was crying…" Alternate Mirii's eyes were watery. "I-I don't know why, but… I-I cried too."
"You cried…?" Mirii's right forefinger was on her right cheek. "Strange statement… said from someone who claims to not have emotions."
"SHUT UP!" She grits her teeth. "Don't try to make me think about it! I used every mental tactics to forget that name! I-I… I don't want to think about it…" A tear came down from her right eye. "Sniff… wh-why this stupid thought wants to torture my mind?! It was just a mechanic used by the weak!"
"Weak you said…" Mirii frowned a bit, while folding her arms.
More tears came down from the Alternate Mirii: gradually, she fades into thin air, while sobbing loudly. Only the golden statue was visible. Mirii looked to the left: she nodded slightly.