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Bars' right hand was pushing the door.
SLAM!
"Barsyyy!" Grina's eyebrows were downturned, same for her mouth.
"Eh eh… like, excuuuuuse me girl!" He chuckles.
Grina giggles, as her head turns to her left.
"Ah well… some people never change, hmmm?" Her eyes closed. "Can't say I never agreed to that statement as much as I'm doing right now…"
Mirii nodded, while smiling, as she was sitting on the bed. Hun was sitting on her right, smiling as well.
"I have to say…" Mirii's head slightly tilts to her left, while closing her eyes. "… it's such wonderful news seeing all of you, once again."
"Well, you were sleeping in those two days…" Hun bended a bit forward, staring at the girl. "Wouldn't you not even noticed it?"
"Hunry, Mirii was stuck inside a videogame…" Grina grins, as her hands rested on her hips. "… didn't I told you that?"
"Yes, but what you did was just controlling her…" Hun turns his sight towards Grina. "She wasn't really aware of that…"
"In a sense, that's a good thing!" A sweat drop appears on her head's right side. "If she would ever know what she had to do in order to get that flute, for example…"
"… as Soke just said…"
Grina and Hun turned their sight towards Mirii: her head rose, her arms were folded.
"Huh? Did you said something, Mirii?" Grina's mouth opened a bit.
Mirii was staring down the girl: she left a sigh.
"In order to get the flute… I was supposed to do the Squid Dance, right?"
Hun, Grina and Bars' mouths were wide open.
"... wwaaaaaiiiitt a minute!" Grina's right eyebrow twitched, as her right hand moved in front of her opened mouth. "But you… you weren't saying a thing…"
"Of course I wouldn't…" Mirii's eyes closed. "… especially when that Mirii you controlled wasn't me."
"WWHHHAAAAAAAATTT?!" Everyone else shouted.
"What you thought it was me inside a realm of despair…" Her right forefinger pointed down at Grina. "In reality, it was nothing more than a videogame created by the AI who guides players through the adventure!"
"EEEEEH?!" Grina's hands were pressing on her cheeks, as she was staying on tiptoes. "Wait… the AI who guides players?! You mean… the shadow who was explaining how the game works?!"
Mirii nodded, as her face frowned slightly.
"She was the mastermind who tried to manipulate my personality." Her head lowered. "The real events that happened inside that game… were way different than they were!"
"Ggghh!" Grina bended forward, as her irises shrunk and her forehead was covered in sweat. "… are you sure this is all real…? Couldn't that have been a huge, huge nightmare…?"
"If it was the case, then Mirii wouldn't have known anything about the flute!" Hun frowned, while looking at Grina. "I trust her! Something else happened there!" He turns towards Mirii. "Please, Mirii… continue your story!"
Mirii nodded, while smiling.
"Thank you for believing in me, Hunley…" She giggles a bit.
Her sight turned back on Grina.
"As I was saying… I managed to fight against the shadow's outrageous requests." Her head rose. "To the point I found out what she was up to… from there, her intentions changed."
"Changed… to what…?" Grina swallows silently.
"To enclose myself inside this videogame!" Mirii stands up. "And she would have gotten away if it wasn't for him…"
Her head lowered, her eyebrows went up.
"… Squid King."
Silence fell in. Hun, Grina and Bars' faces became paler.
"Squid… King? Wait… I-I think I'm getting a headache…" Grina's right hand was resting on her forehead. "… Squid King was inside this game?!"
"Yes… or should I say… his consciousness." Mirii's head rose, her eyes closed, her arms folded.
"His consciousness?! Translate, pretty much?!" Grina frowned.
"I'm not sure that Squid King might still here with us… maybe, if he's in the shoes of a ghost." Mirii's right foot slides forward.
"A GHOST?!" Grina's face became even paler. "Wh…"
"Whoa… that Soke dude was right!" Bars chuckled. "The game was really organized by ghosts!"
Grina and Hun were staring at him.
"… ehm… like, I'm sure I'm not the stinkin' Squid here!" He laughs loudly, as his right hand was scratching the back of his head.
"… wait… no… it-it can't be…" Jerkily, Grina turned over Mirii. "… you aren't seriously suggesting that the fat guy was, w-was…"
"Actually, there is more behind that…" Mirii's left forefinger was pointing at Grina. "… Sokeman was actually Squid King in disguise!"
Grina's eyes almost popped out.
"But weren't you saying that Squid King was stuck inside this game?!" Hun was frowning.
"Yes… in fact, he wasn't even commanding the game fully." Mirii's head lowered, as her eyes closed. "He was trapped by the same AI you three saw… inside Debug Mode." Her head rose back, her eyes opened. "From there, he has access to a special technology which can communicate and interact with the real world… although, it was rather limited."
"… this is the twisted story I ever heard…" Grina's face was full of sweat. "… but I know you, Mirii. You can't go all the way, making this ridiculous story…"
"I'm glad to see you agreeing with my testimony…" She was smiling. "… especially the interesting facts I found about this game…"
"Gggghhh!" Grina jumped, as she starts shivering. "What more twists this whole situation have?!"
Mirii nodded.
"This game… is used for scientific purposes." Mirii lowered her eyebrows, keeping her smile. "Specifically, for Project Neo!"
"Oh… naturally it would have been that…" Grina's forehead was full of sweat, as her eyes closed.
Mirii's eyes closed, as her right forefinger was resting on her right cheek.
"Squid King… he was working for Project Neo together with the AI you met. I had the occasion of hearing their testimonies, at the end… and I found out another element who adds more accusations towards the project!"
Mirii was looking at each Inkling.
"… apparently… whoever is working for Project Neo, are inserted in a list of suspect." Mirii nodded. "From none other than an anonymous team known as Worldwide Investigation Team."
WWHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT?!
Mirii, Hun, Grina and even Fara… … they were all staring at Bars. His hands were on his head, as his eyes expanded.
"Oh, shiiiip! Like… … it sounds like terrible news…" His irises were looking around, as his legs were trembling.
"Do you know anything about it?!" Mirii frowned, lowering her head and still looking at the boy.
"Oooooh, maaan! Like… just with the name alone, I can't stop trembling!" He chuckles jerkily. "It's spooky dangerous, girl!"
"How do you know this anonymous team?!" Mirii lifted her posture, raising her head and squeezing her eyes.
"Ehm… my ol' sis works there." He looks to his right. "Like, she was once a nice, little girl… but then!" He looks forward, as his arms opened. "Working there changed her into a turfing monster! Like, you can't even call her or somethin', otherwise… … otherwise that girl will take your name on the list! Uuunn!" His right hand hit his left hand's palm.
"Why she would do that?!" Mirii frowned. "We have nothing to do with Project Neo!"
"Eeeehhhmmm… like… eehhhmm…" His face was covered in sweat, as his eyes were looking at the ceiling.
"Why, isn't it obvious?"
Mirii turns to her right, seeing Grina smiling and lowering her eyebrows.
"Look at Barsy… he knows the reason… although, this whole team scared him so much, he can't say anything at all!" Grina sighs loudly. "Why… I'll help you out, Barsy!" She grins. "I'll tell you exactly what happens if you call this anonymous team."
Mirii snorted.
"Bars must be the one"
"A-a-a!" Grina's right forefinger was tilting left and right. "Don't you see how sad and scared Barsy is?!" Her eyebrows were up, her mouth downturned."He doesn't even want to imagine what might happen if you call her older sister!"
Mirii sighed, as her eyes closed and her arms were folding.
"… his whole testimony wasn't that clear to begin with." Her eyes opened. "He needs to"
"No no no!" Grina frowned. "If you do that, he might get traumatized!" She turns to her right. "Sometimes it's best to leave the nightmarish past behind… not even remembering a second of it!"
"He will get over it." Mirii's eyes squeezed. "Right now, his information"
"Don't joke on this, Mirii!" Grina's hands were on Mirii's shoulders. "This is serious! Just because he's not thinking about it, this doesn't mean he'll get out of it like nothing!"
Mirii kept staring at Grina.
"… I'd like to see that… with Fara's special power." Mirii nodded.
"That would be the same!" Grina's eyebrows rose. "Fara might say something who could traumatize poor Barsy… there is nothing you can do about this! You can't ask anything about his family, where he heard all this… just this only reason why it's a bad idea talking with them!"
Grina passes Mirii, stopping in front of Bars.
"That would be… the very nature of this team!" Grina grins, as her left eye closed. "They are anonymous! They aren't expecting anyone calling them out… am I right, Bars?!"
"… eh eh, like you are so smart girl!" Bars' cheeks blushes a bit, as he grins a bit. "Why, that's the whole deal. Like…" He shivers a bit. "… like, I don't even want to remember this team! So, if one day someone pins me on the wall and check my memories, they would not see a thing!" He chuckles.
"… most pathetic excuse, ever." Mirii's head rose, as she was staring at Bars. "Bars might not be bright, but he's not that coward!"
"Mirii, certain fears are stronger in others." Grina turns behind, shrugging. "His sister must have scared him so much, he got a psychological complex behind it."
"Nnngghhh!" Mirii bends forward, as her forehead was covered in sweat. "Wh-what's the point of this whole discussion?!"
"I guess… to just forget about it." Grina simply smiles. "It would be the best to not say anything to Tonna… she might get scared and not wanting to help us out for Project Neo!"
"At the end, we don't need to say that name… but I can't really disagree with your point, Grina." Mirii lowered her head, as her eyes closed. "She may not be aware of it… … hold on!" Her eyes opened. "What if Tonna is also on that list?!"
"What do you want to do… checking it out?" Grina shakes her head. "Bad idea, Miss Perfection. They will get suspicious on you too."
"Nnngghhh! … wait… why you mentioned Tonna?" Her right wrist drenches her forehead.
"Why, she still doesn't know that you woke up." Grina nodded. "Actually... in those two days, she really wished to talk with you." Grina frowned a bit, as she looks to her left and her right forefinger was touching her right piercing. "I suspect she wants to tell you about Project Neo… although, that's not good news."
"How can you say that?" Mirii's right hand took her right tentacle, caressing it.
"She was… how do I put it? Not happy." Grina looks at the girl. "I fear she might want to drop the whole support…"
"WHAT?!" Mirii frowned a lot, as her teeth gritted. "Th-that woman… she's really getting into my nerves!"
The girl starts walking towards the door.
"I'll reach her office and talk her down!"
"Wait! Let me come with you, Mirii!" Hun starts walking behind the girl. "I-I don't like this…"
"We will come too!" Grina nodded, while smiling. "She's really up to something…"
"I 'ome too!" Fara was right behind her brother. "If you nee' my powers that's…"
Mirii turns behind, staring at each Inkling: she smiles.
"Thank you my friends… your support will play an important role in this decisive discussion." Mirii nodded, as her eyes closed.
Her right hand pulled the door, as she walks out and turning to her right.
"Anyway!" Grina walks to her left, bending a bit down and smiling. "Once you are done with the whole discussion, do you wanna watch a funny show with all of us?"
"… I would rather do some exercise, actually." Mirii's head rose. "It's been a while since I did some, after all…"
"Actually, the show starts up this evening!" Grina nodded. "Don't tell me you want to run a marathon in the middle of the night, huh?"
"Of course not." Mirii's head turned to her right, seeing Hun smiling at her. "Hunley… what do you say?"
"Yesterday, Grina and Bars let me and my sister watch this funny show: I'm sure this one is going to be funny as well!" His head turned forward. "It would be really great if you will come too…" He blushes a bit.
The girl blushes a lot.
"… why not?" Mirii's eyes closed, while smiling. "Using a small pastime isn't really a bad idea."
"You know, I was thinking to get out of this building actually." Grina's hands were behind her head's back. "It's still afternoon, right now. If things don't get too long, we could all do a little walk around the streets and see what's going on in the city."
"Girl, like I saw a commercial about a new mall opening nearby! Why not checking that one out?" Bars' right thumb was pointing backwards.
"Nice!" Grina's eyes were closed, as her hands clapped. "Maybe this one has new shop brands to visit! Or… a new attraction for the younger Squids!"
"I would rather check the shops, at the moment." Mirii's head rose. "Especially in the technological department."
"Whaaa?!" Grina's eyes grew wide. "And you don't check out the clothes?!"
"I never said to not do that… a Squid must know how to wear decently." Mirii's eyes closed. "Although, a technological shop is also useful to buy the newest equipment."
"Aaaaah…!" Grina chuckles a bit. "Well, if isn't she the Technie of the bunch!"
All the other Inklings laughed a bit.
"I'm 'urious 'bout the cloth's!" Fara's eyes were sparkling, as her smiling mouth was wide open. "Big bro, will ya buy me somethin' cute?!" Her eyes closed.
"Certainly, Fara!" Hun nodded. "As long as you act like a good Squid and don't bite anyone."
She giggles.
"Promiiiise!" Her right eye closed, her left hand rose and her right hand went behind her back.
"Good lil' girl!" His right hand was petting the top of her head.
Mirii smiles, while watching Hun.
"Maybe doing exercise might be excessive… if I finish the discussion fast enough, we can simply visit this mall." She nodded.
"And also buy some ice cream!" Grina's left fist rose in the air, while her eyes were closed and her mouth grinning.
Mirii's smile disappeared as she turns to her left.
"An ice cream?! This isn't summer anymore!" She frowned a little.
"Ice creams put me in a good mood!" Grina was simply smiling. "Wanna lift me to the stars?! Nothing better than an ice with the cream!"
"… it's a bit hard to believe you could ever need such aliment in order to improve your mood." Mirii's eyes squeezed.
"Eh eh, it's not as easy as you might think keeping up with the smiles!" Grina's eyes closed. "Besides, who could say no to a nice ice cream? I don't!"
"Like, I wouldn't neither!" Bars' right hand rose.
"I 'ant one too!" Fara's eyes sparkled.
"I wouldn't mind." Hun's eyes were closed, while he was smiling.
"… we will see." Mirii's head was looking forward. "I prefer saving some money for more important purchases."
"An ice cream doesn't eat all that money!" Grina shrugs. "Don't tell me you are going to be the only one who leaves the mouth all clamed and sealed?"
"… we will see." Mirii's head lowered. "Right now I don't feel hungry… nor looking for taste."
She kept her head down for a bit: her head rose back.
"If anything, I'm ready to solve this problem appearing in our path." She frowned a bit. "Otherwise we'll not achieve anything…"
"Am I allowed to help you out, Mirii?" Hun turns his head over the girl.
Her head immediately turns to her right, as her irises shrunk.
"And you even need to ask for that?! Of course you can!"
"Ehm… I-I wasn't too sure…" He blushes, as his hands were behind his back.
Mirii smiles a bit.
"Your support will absolutely impact the discussion positively." Her head turned forward. "… everyone, this is the time where we must concentrate."
The girl was walking towards a door.
"I do not want to hear any stupidity from each of you." Mirii turns to her left, frowning and staring down at Bars and Grina. "Is that clear?"
"Gee… where did your friend-a-thon personality went?" Grina's eyes squeezed as her mouth flattened and her eyebrows went down a bit.
"Hmpf." Mirii's head rose. "If by friend-a-thon you mean being a sleepyhead, then you hopes are in vain." Her right forefinger curled a bit, while moving closer to the door. "When perfection calls, everyone must obey." She turns behind.
Grina's eyes rolled, as she sighed silently.
*knock knock*
Come in!
Mirii's right hand grabbed the door handle, pushing it down: from there, the hand pushed the door, as her eyes immediately tracked down Tonna sitting behind a white desk which had a single piece of paper on it. The woman's expression was neutral, as her elbows were resting on her office chair's arms.
Her hands clasped, her eyelids lowered a bit, her back was pushing a bit more on the backrest, her mouth lifted a bit.
"… finally you decided to wake up… Mirii Kelpshell."
The girl frowned a bit: she starts walking, staring down the woman and stopping in the middle of the room. A click sound came from behind her.
"Is this… how you greet a friend?" Mirii folds her arms. "The one who gave you the possibility to reach the top of your ranks?"
"No, I know… should I had done differently? Not really." Tonna stands up, as her eyelids went back up.
Her fists were clenching.
"I was never been this bombarded by stress, since my days as a Support Agent… for two days straight." She snorted. "Mirii, I was waiting for this discussion to take place before this darn mission would start… unfortunately, before I could realize the whole situation, it was too late."
"Tsk, you have intentions to talk about Project Neo, don't you?" Mirii's head rose.
"… no… I don't want to talk about it… I want YOU to not think about it!" Tonna's right forefinger pointed at the girl, while frowning even more. "And this time it's going to be definitive! DEFINITIVE!" Her right fist slammed on her desk. "AM I CLEAR, MIRII KELPSHELL?!"
"… have you already forgotten…?" Mirii's eyes squeezed. "If you refuse to cooperate, the Shrine will do the same."
"Grrrrr… I-I knew you would mention th-them…" Tonna was grabbing her own arms, as her mouth's right side was twitching. "… but they would understand my position, this time…"
"Hmpf. They would not." Mirii's right foot slides forward. "Hunley is the Master of the Shrine. They require to know everything concerning him."
"WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE!" Tonna threw her arms down. "AGENTS ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT US WITH SUSPICION!"
Mirii wiggled her nose.
"So? Until they have definitive evidence, they couldn't"
"That's the problem, you darn kid!" Tonna threw another fist on her desk. "That until part will eventually happen and none of us in this room would ever see tomorrow's weather!"
"Do you have any solid proof for that?" Mirii's head rose, as her right foot retreats. "For all I care, I can easily claim that such possibility is not even conceivable."
"But it's a huge risk! HUGE!" Tonna's arms opened. "Do you have any idea for who you are working with?! You can't do mistakes here! They will make you pay worse than firing you out!"
"If that means to bring peace in this city… it's a risk I don't mind take." Mirii lowered her head, frowning.
"… you, wanting to bring peace?! Why… you don't even care about that." Tonna smiles, keeping her eyebrows down.
"Hmm?! Wh-what are you implying…?" Mirii's eyes squeezed.
"Implying…? Me? Please! I'm the one who should ask you that!" Tonna's hands slammed on her desk. "You are really risking your butt out just to bring peace…? I don't see any impeding dangers in this city."
"Project Neo will bring despair to the whole world!" Mirii's right forefinger points the woman, as her right foot slides forward. "They ruined countless of people!"
"Ooooh… really now!" Tonna bends forward, as her hands were on her hips. "Come on, now… give me a list of all those poor people who got ruined!"
Mirii's irises shrunk, as her teeth gritted, her forehead was covered in sweat and she moves a bit backwards, while her arms were in front of her.
"Nnnggghhh! Wh… but… I-I saw them… I-I swear!" Her right cheek twitched.
"You saw who exactly?" Tonna opened her mouth a bit, lifting it slightly. "I don't have any idea what you are saying…"
Everything around Mirii was turning black.
"N-no! She… sh-she's going to get away with it! … unless… I mention that incident I heard about. … am I really sure of this?! If Tonna knows anything about that list… she'll refuse to cooperate! … no… there is no turning back, this time. I said I wouldn't mind taking the risk of saving the city… I will not mind taking this one as well!"
Everything was now returning to normal, around the girl.
"… you wish I wouldn't had anything with me, wouldn't you?" Mirii's right forefinger was pointing down the woman. "That wish… is in vain!"
"HOLD ON!"
Mirii turns behind: Grina was sweating a lot, as she was bending forward, hugging herself and bending her knees.
"Wh-what are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" She swallows silently. "I thought we talked about that!"
"… have you not notice it yet, Grina?" Mirii's head rose. "There is no turning back now… this is a risk I would not mind taking."
"DON'T DO IT, PLEASE!" Grina's right arm thrusts towards the girl, as her irises shrunk. "THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!"
"… it's too late, Grina…" Mirii lowered her head, while closing her eyes.
"Wh-what's going on, now…?" Tonna's face was sweating, as her left hand was touching her fringe and her shrunk irises were moving left and right. "What are you two mumbling about…?"
"… Tonna, in those two days I wasn't sleeping at all!" Mirii pointed the woman back.
"EEEEEEEEEH?!" Tonna's eyes were almost popping out. "N-nooo?!" Her right arm was resting on her desk.
"No… I was captured by the Squid King, to actively participate his last wish!" Mirii's head rose. "It was all a trap… my role was to pretend acting like the girl he cared so much in his past life!"
Tonna's face went paler.
"… his past life? … but he's alive, Mirii!" Tonna threw a fist on her desk. "HE'S THE ONE WHO CREATED THE GAME!"
"He turned into an AI. The whole process and reasons are still unknown at this point… but that would be the easiest to solve!" Mirii lowered her head, while frowning. "He told me his testimony about the events that happened in his past… Squid King, also known as Soke, was put in a list of suspects together with the girl he cared so much, which was called Ursula!"
Mirii was smiling a bit.
"Which list you might ask…? Why it's a list compiled by none other than the Worlwide Investigation Team!" Her mind was seeing herself delivering a blow on Tonna's words.
…
…
"… oooohhh ship." Bars' hands were on his head. "Now we are funked…"
"Tonna, you know that name… don't you?" Mirii's head rose, as her arms folded.
The woman was looking down, as her eyebrows were up. Her irises were as big as dots.
"I know what you are thinking…" Mirii's eyes closed. "This is"
"Would you mind repeating that name…?"
"Hmm?" Mirii's eyes opened. "I thought that was clear enough: Worlwide Investigation"
"No, not that…" Tonna's head rose. "You said a name, before!" Her eyes were almost white.
"… a name…?" Mirii's head was looking up.
"Is she referring to those two Squids, Mirii?" Hun was massaging his chin, as his right foot was tapping on the floor, his eyes were looking up and his eyebrows were a bit down.
"… you meant Soke, Tonna?!" Mirii lowered her head, frowning.
"No… th-the other name…" Her right hand was trembling, standing in front of her mouth.
"… Ursula?" Mirii's right eyebrow went up.
"GGAAAAAAAAHHH!" Her fists slammed on her desk.
The other 5 Inklings jumped. The woman was trembling, as her mouth was wide open: her skin was extremely pale now.
"… no… it's impossible… you can't know her… no way…" Her eyes were looking down-left, at the floor.
"Ursula? I do know her a bit, actually." Mirii's head rose.
The woman kept her expression.
"She was fond for drawings." Her eyes closed. "Her ultimate wish was to paint on canvas, so she could caress the world she was"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UUUUUUUPPP!
Mirii opened her eyes. Suddenly, the woman's hands were on Mirii's shoulders.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! NOOOTHIIIIIIIIINNGG!" She screamed in front of her face.
Mirii's irises shrunk.
PAF! PATUUMMFF!
Hun's hands were holding Tonna's right arm and Bars' hands were holding her left arm. The woman kept kicking the air.
"GAAAAAHHH! AAAAAAAAAHHH! YOU CAN'T KNOW HER! YOU CAAAAAANNN'TTT!" She starts breathing loudly.
"What's the matter?!" Mirii lowered her head, while frowning. "Why are you reacting like this?!"
"Grrrrr… grrrrrrraaaaaa AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" She kicked the air again for a moment. "… Ursula… no… nooooo…"
"… she was working for Project Neo, living in the same house as Soke." Her right forefinger was pointing the woman. "Her name was in that list as well! Just before she would know it… the investigators from that team took her and Soke out of the house they were forced to live. That was probably… the final phase of their lives…"
Tonna kept staring at Mirii, as she keeps breathing loudly.
"… they wished to go away… but Project Neo was menacing all its workers!" She frowned a lot. "They would produce fake documents to incriminate anyone who dared to leave! That's why they kept working nonstop… probably until the end of their days…"
Tonna's mouth was waving a bit… her eyes were getting watery.
"Tonna, you still didn't answer me why you reacted in such violent way." Mirii's head rose. "I suspect that nothing of that will be positive… but there is no turning back." Her eyebrows rose. "Please…"
The woman's head lowered, as her face got darker.
"Ursula… … … she… she is my older sister…"