Thank you for the reviews, R.C.D.!
For the first review about Mirii, she wouldn't really abandon the whole idea of perfection... she keeps fixing the idea, so she's not forced to be that extreme Squid she would never be.
Alright, send in a review or leave in a favorite/follow if you are liking the story so far!
… almost 3 PM. If it wasn't for that debate, I would have already been on my way to save Hunley. The fact that it even took place, once that fan materialized on my hand… they kept talking for a long time, too! Luckily, the elders decided to shut the debate and discuss about something… I find it incredulous that they organize such meeting, for my seemingly ability to summon my fan. Even making us wait for its results, too…
… I still don't even know how I did that, though…! How was I able to materialize that fan in my hand…?!
Was Lisa giving me my fan? Does she know how to evoke it at anytime…?
"I sure shook the Shrine with my little speech… don't you think?" Lisa's hands were behind her neck, as they rested on the wall and her head was tilting upwards.
Mirii's head turned to her right, as her right hand was holding her smartphone.
"… I know you are reading my thoughts." Her eyebrows lowered a bit. "I want answers, Lisa."
"You always do." Lisa's irises turned to her left. "Your fan can only be brought when you are inside the Shrine or a curse. I thought the training session would have been a pain, since it's one of the many things I can't stand…"
Lisa's right foot rose, as it went on the wall. Mirii turned fully on the right, as her arms folded.
"… but surprisingly you already used the fan at its full potential." A sweat drop appears on her head's right. "Although, your technique needs to be a bit more refined…"
"The more I practice, the more I will be perfect." Mirii's head rose. "Even though my technique cannot be improved any further."
"Ah ah!" Lisa's eyes closed, as she smiled. "You went from admitting your inexperience to just bragging your perfection."
Mirii frowned.
"I was only referring to my technique!" She bended forward a bit. "Of course I still have to gain experience for battling with a fan!" Her posture lifted, as her left fist clenched and her right hand clasped her smartphone tightly. "I have to learn how to approach my enemies, how to dodge their attacks, when I should prepare an ambush…"
"Eeeeh, ok, ok…" Lisa's irises rolled. "I didn't mean to be that annoying…"
The shoji, on Lisa's right side, opened wide. The woman went off the wall, turning to her right and seeing several old Inkling men walking out of the room. They all turned towards the two girls.
"Mirii, come in front of us." The man in the middle took a step forward.
"… it's time to learn the purpose behind their discussion." The girl walked forward, before stopping in front of them. "Yes?"
"We discussed for a while, before we would all reach a conclusion." The man coughed, with his mouth closed. "It was about your power… if we should let you use it or we should ban it."
Mirii's eyes expanded, as her mouth flattened.
"We have heard positive news from your deeds… generally, you are always ready to fight for justice." Another old Inkling man, standing on the left side, took a step forward. "We don't see any reason to ban the power… so, you are free to use it for guarantee peace in our Shrine."
Mirii's mouth opened.
"Excellent!" Lisa clapped twice, as her eyes closed and her mouth smiled. "What about my speech?"
"We also verified your previsions… and we found strange motions occurring around the Inkuberies' home." The man on the middle nodded. "We fear that the Masters need assistance… thus, we are letting you two venture inside the sacred fields."
Lisa's smiling mouth and eyes opened wide.
"Y-Yatta!" She jumped, as her hands clasped near her left cheek.
"But under one condition." An old Inkling man, from the right, stepped forward. "A Shrine guardian shall follow your steps and aid in your journey. We already called him: he's waiting for you two, at the entrance." His hands went behind his back. "Now go… reach the Masters and bring them back in the Shrine."
"As you wish, sir!" Lisa bowed down, with her arms on her sides and her hands opened.
Mirii's head was pointing at the woman: she returned forward, bowing down too. The men nodded.
Good luck.
Call us for help, if you need it.
"Yes, we will immediately send more fighters if necessary." The man on the middle frowned a bit. "The Masters were already escorted by a considerable number of them…"
Mirii's posture lifted back.
"We will immediately begin our mission." Her head turned to her right. "Lisa, let's go."
"I will lead the way!" The woman grinned widely, as she turned behind and small hopped continuously on the corridor.
The girl turned in the same direction, as her eyelids went to the middle and a sweat drop appears on her head's right side.
"… tsk." She began walking forward, as her head shook while leaving a faint snort. "Sometimes I really wish to be surrounded by average Squids, instead of those idiots…!" Her eyes squeezed a bit. "As long as I will reach Hunley as soon as possible…"
Her head turned around, seeing Inklings wearing kimonos who were either talking with each other or walking in a direction.
"Grumpf… because of her own disgusting ego, she couldn't even keep her simple task of leading the way." Her eyes closed. "Luckily, I shouldn't be too far from the entrance…"
"Come on, slowpoke! We don't have all day!"
Mirii's eyes reopened, as a vein popped out from her forehead: Lisa's right arm kept moving from ahead to behind, while smiling.
"Once we are out of the Shrine, I demand concentration and efficiency!" Her mouth opened slightly, as her teeth were gritted. "We will surely meet enemies, once we get out of the Shrine… and they will splat us with ease, if we are not careful!"
Her irises went to her left: a tall, Inkling man was wearing a Samurai outfit as his mouth was downturned and his face's upper side was covered in darkness, with two small white dots coming from it.
"Nice to meet you, sir." Mirii bowed. "I'm Mirii Hanache."
Her posture lifted back: the man was still keeping his previous expression.
"… his appearance is not giving me a good impression, already." Her head rose. "His silence doesn't"
Her eyes expanded, as her irises shrunk. The man was staring back at the girl.
"Doesn't… make his overall appearance any worse, actually!" Sweat covered her forehead. "In fact, it doesn't nothing more than improving it! It's making him more… ehm… better… and… mysterious! Better and mysterious and perfect!" She grins a bit, as more sweat formed on her forehead.
Chuckles were coming from of Lisa's mouth, as her hands were covering it. Her eyes were closed, with small tears forming on the external corners. Smoke came out of Mirii's ears, as her head turned towards the woman.
"He can't read minds, Mirii…!" Lisa's right-side of her right forefinger rubbed on her right eye. "Pfff!"
Mirii growled, as several veins popped out from her forehead.
"And how come he can't do that?! I remember that Shrine people all have the power of Telepathy!"
"That's still unknown… in fact, he's the only one who can't use such common power, ever since our ancestors built our Shrine." Lisa shrugged. "Even to this day, our seniors try new ways of giving him such skill. Whenever it's a type of food or a type of training…"
"I see…" Mirii's arms folded. "… I wonder if he can't even talk our language."
"He can talk… but he chose not to." Lisa nodded. "From what I heard, only one person talks with him… and said person's identity is kept as a secret."
"I don't think we should talk about this man, if he's in front of us…" Mirii sighed.
"He doesn't mind, actually. You could even say insults in front of his face… he will never make a sound about it!" Lisa grins. "That's why this one person cannot be revealed: he thinks that it would be the first step of being forced to talk in public. Not talking is pretty much his whole image's main point."
Lisa sighed loudly.
"I'm tired of talking, Mirii! I will gladly shut up, before my head explodes!"
"… tell me his name, at least." Mirii's arms went on her sides. "How I'm going to call him, whenever I need his support?"
"Just say a name… he will remember it!" The woman walked past the man. "Surprisingly, he remembers all the names that people gave to him, ever since he was a little Squid."
"Impressive, I have to say…" Mirii's head rose. "Bah… such useless power. I prefer keeping one name, as far as my needs go."
The man turned behind, as he began following Lisa.
"... still, there is something about him that... ..." The girl walked in direction of the two Inklings. "... I'll keep an eye on him. Absolutely."