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The metallic legs bended down a lot... then, they jumped! The feet went a bit above the trees' tips. Hun's eyes expanded, covered by a large shadow: he swims to the left passing some trees. Waves who were emerging from the ink disappeared for a short moment, then they reappeared both moving back.
CATALATHUUUUMMPP!
A squid jumped out of the orange ink, while the whole ink line rose from above into multiple, small blobs, gradually dissolving in the air. The squid kept flying, reaching more than 20 ft in the air! Slowly, the squid starts descending while in midair, Mirii returned into her humanoid form with her arms open, her left leg stretching down, her right leg bended and her irises looking down.
Thump.
Her legs were bended, her right hand was resting on the grass, her head immediately twisted on the ship as her eyebrows went down. A large door in the front opened, as a jet came out of it at full speed, leaving behind a line of white smoke.
"That's where those planes are coming from." She stands up, with her left foot sliding forward a bit. "There has to be a way to infiltrate inside…"
CLATUNK!
CLATUNK!
Mirii sprints towards the darkness, between the trees.
"First task to accomplish: find Hunley. I refuse to invade the ship without him." Her eyebrows went down even more.
Her legs stop, her head starts looking left and right: barely the trees and bushes are covered by the light.
"Hunley, where are you?!" Her eyes squeezed a bit, while still moving her head around. "Please, answer to me!"
Loud noises were coming from behind her back. Her hands went near her mouth's sides.
"Huuuuuunnlleeeeeyyy!"
Her hands went down, her eyebrows went up.
"Why he's not answering…? He entered inside this forest a minute ago!"
Her right hand took her right tentacle, caressing it.
"He has no reason to run around the forest…" She starts walking. "That fact alone is really cutting off my breath…"
A sigh left her mouth, as her feet kicked some leafs around.
"I can still see the trees and the bushes… but no sign of Hunley." Her shoulders turned all the way to the right. "Why Bars and Grina didn't enter inside this forest too? Hmm… come to think of it, I didn't heard any sounds while rushing, aside from the heavy steps."
Her shoulders returned forward, her head lowered, her right forefinger rest on her right cheek, her left hand took her right elbow.
"… there is something extremely odd about all this." Mirii rose her head up. "Why those Stingrays are attacking those old fields? It must be related to Project Neo… but I don't see the reason for polluting the entire area."
Her face frowned a bit.
"I thought that vase was important enough… apparently, the enemy has a very specific plan in mind. Whatever that plan is, it must be stopped immediately." Her head returned into a neutral position. "They already did enough damage… I'll not let them make the situation worse."
Her irises moved left and right.
"Still no sign of Hunley… … this whole atmosphere feels rather comfortable, though."
She smiles a bit.
"If my house was near this forest, I would visit it every day… I can just see myself meditating a bit, sitting on the ground… it would be nice to revise the perfectionism art, once more. After the previous"
A moan echoed throughout the forest: the girl jumped, standing perfectly still. Her hands took her weapon, her head turned left and right.
"A mutant! Where is that prisoner of the liquid?!" Her head rose a bit.
The moan returned: Mirii turned a bit to the right, as her weapon rose in front of her face and her right eye was looking through the scope.
"I can just barely see that mutant: that blue color is almost the same as the darkness covering the forest." Her mouth flattened, her right forefinger pulled the trigger.
BLAM!
A straight line of orange ink disappeared after some feet.
BLAM!
Her right forefinger pulled the trigger again.
BLAM!
Growls and groans were coming from beyond the darkness.
"I overestimated the solution." Her weapon lowered. "In order to free that mutant, I need to utilize a great amount of ink. I can't do anything alone…"
She took two steps backwards.
"I do not intend risking my own life like this: the desire to see Hunley again is too strong to ignore… not to mention, I'll not be the one who'll get covered in liquid in a pathetical way."
Mirii turns behind and starts sprinting.
"At the same time, leaving behind an innocent Squid captured from this heartless substance… I'll still get covered. By shame." Her head rose, her mouth downturned a bit.
Suddenly, a liquid-covered Inkling woman popped out from the darkness: her arms were stretched forward, while moaning and growling. Mirii slides, lifting dust in front of her: her eyes expanded.
"NO!" She took two steps backwards. "Am I getting surrounded by mutants?! Do I really need to choose the cowardly solution every time?!"
Her ears rose.
"I can hear the heavy steps…! I'm not too far away from the exit!" She swallows silently, as some small sweat drops formed around her forehead. "But I can't leave this forest without Hunley…"
The mutated woman moaned walking slowly towards the girl… Mirii took other steps backwards. Her hands went near her mouth's sides, her head rose.
"Huuuuuunnlleeeeeeyyy!"
… you are all alone…
Mirii's head immediately turned a bit down: the woman was standing still with her arms down, her head a bit up.
"You can talk?!" Mirii bended forward, frowning a bit.
The woman moaned with the head tilting all the way down.
… do you want to have friends…? Become one of us… you'll never be lonely…
Mirii's downturned mouth opened, as her irises shrunk. Her hands took her weapon back, pointed directly on the woman.
"Try attacking me and you'll get under the ink!" Mirii snorted, as her right forefinger pulled the trigger.
… why being so hostile…? You are all alone… what do you have to lose…?
"Myself." Her head rose. "Aren't you aware that this muddy liquid is dominating your true self?!"
The woman shook a bit… then, pukes down liquid in front of her feet.
… I feel good… and happy… because I'm surrounded by friends…
"You are alone, right in this very instant!" Mirii frowns even more. "I can't believe this liquid is capable of such terrible"
Sometimes I'm alone… sometimes I'm not… one thing is for sure, though…
The woman's head rose: her eyes were completely white.
You will be surrounded by friends.
"SHUT UP!" Her teeth gritted.
BLAM!
The woman's head tilted backwards: she starts walking.
BLAM!
Her left arm moved backwards instantly.
BLAM!
The woman tilts all the way down, falling on her stomach.
BLAM!
Orange ink kept staying on her body. Mirii breaths loudly, her head was pointed towards the woman.
"She's not moving… does that mean she'll revert to her true self?"
Hmm… I didn't thought you would do that…
The girl's irises shrunk: the woman was still down.
"That voice… is it coming from my left?!" Her head turned in that direction.
At least you defeated that monster…
Mirii's head turned to the right.
"Wh-where is she?!" Her mouth was left open.
You need to be a monster, in order to attack those natural grounds…
Mirii's head returned forward: she jumped while twisting behind, pointing her weapon forward.
"What's your name?!"
Her eyes were seeing a small, Inkling girl wearing a white-pink yukata and geta on her feet. Her mouth was forming a small 3 upside down, her sleeves were completely covering her hands, her eyelids were almost reaching the middle. Her eyebrows were neutral. Her tentacles were colored light-green.
The tip of her head barely passed Mirii's tip of her nose.
"My name is Kella." Her sleeves were moving sideways, each in the opposite direction. "You can also call me Kelly, if you want."
Mirii's irises went up and down, quickly.
"Are you coming from the Shrine? The same place where the Inkling Hot Baths are?"
"… yes, I do." Kelly nodded. "The others sent me here to provide support and help for the Master."
Mirii's eyebrows lowered a bit, same for her weapon.
"Why you did that voiceover for the mutant?" Her head tilted to her right a bit. "What was the reason?"
"Test reason. I wanted to make sure you could hear me." Kelly's eyes closed.
"Hear you?" Mirii's eyebrows went down even more. "That's ridiculous! I could have heard you, even without all that made-up scene!" Her head returned in the middle.
"Aaaah, but it isn't as ridiculous as you may think…" Kelly made a quick spin over herself, ending in front of Mirii and opening her arms, still with her eyes closed. "Meeting a Shrine Drawer that's… not everyone can track down one."
"What do you mean?!" Mirii's right forefinger pointed directly over her face. "You were the one choosing to stand in my way!"
"That's because I waaanntt to help the Masteeerr…" Kelly does two small jumps to her right, then 4 small jumps to her left, then other 4 to her right.
Her arms moved left and right, following a rhythm. Mirii's mouth sealed, as her right forefinger returned down.
"If you really wanted to help the Master… why coming to me?" Her right forefinger was resting on her right cheek, as her left hand grabbed her right elbow.
"That's because they told meeee you would know the soluuuutions!" She stands on her right foot's toes, as her right arm rose up and her smiling mouth opened.
She resumed her little dance, humming some notes. Mirii's eyelids went to the middle, as a large sweat drop appears on her forehead's right side, her eyebrows lowered a bit.
"Why are you dancing and singing…? This place isn't inspiring any joy."
"Because dancing is fun!" She made a small laugh. "It purifies your soul and makes you happier!"
"What about your previous statement?" Mirii snorted, as her hands went on her hips.
"Aaaah, of course I still mean that…" She hums some notes, ending on the tip of her right foot's toes, striking her right arm up. "Friends makes you happier… dancing makes you happier… dancing with friends doubles the happiness!" Her eyes opened.
Mirii's eyes squeezed: she sighs, as she turns behind and starts walking. Kelly kept jumping and making arm poses.
"Why are you walking away…? Are you sad?"
"My time schedule is rather thin, unlike yours…" Mirii's head rose. "You can keep wasting your time in this lonely forest: Hunley needs my support."
"Aaaawww, don't be so mean!" Kelly was jumping on her right side, with her shoulders up, her arms bended up, her eyebrows up and her eyes closed. "Did you know that being mean brings a lot of bad luck? I wouldn't want to have any of that…"
Mirii's head lowered, as her eyelids went to the middle, her fists were clenching, her teeth were gritted, a vein popped out from her forehead, while she starts trembling.
"Your presence is really getting on my nerves…"
Kelly jumped in front of the girl, still keeping her pose, facing Mirii and standing away from her.
"You'd better get out of my way…" Mirii's hands took her weapon. "Or else, I'll be forced to splat you down."
"… alright, I'll stop." Kelly's eyes opened, as her feet stood on the ground and her arms were down. "But that's only because I can't stand seeing someone who gets mad…"
"I didn't told you to stop dancing: I told you to disappear from my sight." Mirii's head rose, her face frowned.
"But I have to help the Master… I can't go back." Her head shook. "I have to help you"
"I don't want any help from your stupidity!" Her right arm moved from her left to her right. "You outright refused to act in a serious manner, which that already conflicts with the actual situation and even this whole forest!"
Kelly's eyebrows went up, her mouth downturned a bit, her head lowered.
"I'm sorry… so, so, so, so much sorry!" She shook her head violently. "Please, don't become my enemy…" Her head rose back, as her eyes were a bit watery. "I-I don't want to have any enemies… that would bring destruction and sadness…"
Mirii kept staring at Kelly, snorting, as her mouth flattened.
"Please!" Kelly bended forward, as her teeth slightly showed and her eyes grew a bit.
Mirii's eyes closed: after 3 seconds… she let out a loud sigh, as her hands put her weapon behind her back.
"… from this point on, no more random games." Her arms folded.
Kelly smiled a bit, bowing down with her hands clasping.
"Thank you! Thank you so much for understanding!" She rose her posture back, with her eyes closed and her smiling mouth opened, as her head tilted to her right. "I promise to help the Master for real and make you two happy!"
Mirii's irises shrunk.
"Wh-what does that mean?!"
"Eh eh eh…" She jumps on the tip of her left foot's toes, as her arms rotates counter-clockwise and stretched to her left. "I confess! All of it! I told you a lie, before…"
Mirii's right cheek twitched.
"I was sent here from the Shrine to help the Master getting rid of excessive stress!" Her arms returned down, her eyelids were almost to the middle, her feet stood on the ground, her mouth was making a small 3. "Now that he returned in the Shrine, the owner made sure that the Master would always be visible from the Shrine… even his progresses!"
"And the owner said that he's really stressed…?" Mirii's right hand stood on her forehead.
"Simply yes." Kelly's arms went behind her back. "As an official Shrine Drawer, my job is to make the Master happy… and in order to do that, I have to collaborate with the girl he trusts."
Mirii's cheeks got red.
"Hunley… trusts me this much?!"