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Wonderful! I can finally stay calmer…!
"We haven't done yet, Aga." Mirii frowned. "I'm seeing Agents fighting the Stingrays…" Mirii sighed. "… and there is truly no trace of Hunley…" Her eyebrows rose. "Where is he…?"
Don't worry… really. First of all, I can't take more stress hearing your cries… I'm afraid that Stella might accidentally hear you and get scared. Thus, shall we think more optimistically?
"Depends…" Mirii's eyes closed for a short while.
Sigh… anyway! Second, the Agents are not reporting any signs of large goo stains. If he was splatted, they would have noticed
"D-don't mention it!" Mirii held her breath, as she slightly shivered. "When luck is not a factor, Hunley is vastly superior over any of those primitives…!"
… so, you can be optimistic when you want to.
"That has nothing to do with optimism!" She frowned. "I'm using evidence, direct testimony for my speech!"
Yeah, sure… I don't think that Hun is that strong, but hey
"He only requires one necessity… my assistance." She nodded.
You also need one. Is your Agent around you?
"She's looking for her weapon." Mirii turned behind, watching Vira still inspecting the grass. "That Stingray ambushed her, causing her weapon to drop somewhere on those boundless plains."
Vira lifted her posture, as her hands went on her sides and her mouth grunted.
"… now if you excuse me." Mirii walked towards her ally. "I must help the 'brawny' of the team, in order to start the final phase of this operation."
Ah!
"Hmm?" Her head rose, while still walking over the woman.
The Agents patrolling the hospital, reported that one room in particular was stormed! It must be the 'utility' room!
Mirii's irises shrunk.
"The Project Neo's medical cases…!" Her mouth opened slightly. "Did they managed to capture its files?!"
None of the Agents are not announcing to invade the vessel, though... don't waste this chance, Mirii! Those documents can help us fight the project!
"I will try." Mirii nodded, now looking over the searching woman. "Vira, do"
"Found it!" Vira lifted her posture, grasping her weapon in her right hand and smiling widely. "You made me sweat my tentacles out, little fella!"
Mirii smiled.
"Vira, I found the Stingray's base."
"Where?!" The woman opened her mouth, watching the girl.
"It's behind me… after the hill." Her arms folded. "Agents are fighting the Stingrays… but our mission remains the same."
Her head rose.
"Hunley is the top priority and our only clue was the green ink who lead us outside…" Her eyes closed. "Since we saw that Stingrays are coming from the plains, it might be reasonable to think that Hunley decided to hunt down those Stingrays… and, as he proceeded in his goal, he discovered the base just like I did."
"… why that, though?" Vira's mouth rose.
…
Mirii's eyes opened.
"I could say that Hunley might have decided to attack them, since the Stingrays are the enemies of our society…" Her eyebrows rose.
He might hate the Stingrays… but I don't think he would leave you behind, all alone…
Mirii blushed, as her arms grasped to each other.
"Remaining on those fields will not produce any results…" She turned behind. "… completing this final phase, will." She resumed her walk, this time over the top of the hill.
"I'm in!" Vira smiled, as she rushed towards the girl.
Mirii's head lowered.
"M-my stomach is feeling unrest… it must be hunger." She swallowed her own saliva. "Knowing Hunley, he must be hungry too, by now… … if I don't bring him back home, wh-who's going to feed him?!"
As her head rose back to neutral position, her face went paler.
"Hunley! I-I will order all the meals you want, once we safely return home!" She let out a loud sigh. "Although, I cannot let gluttony dictate your will…!"
Vira passed the girl, while grasping her weapon with both her hands.
"Let's make this quick, before we get another ambush from some dirty Stingray!" She cocked her weapon.
"We must reach the tip of this hill, first…" Mirii took a look around the sides. "From there, I will analyze the fight and determine what your approach will be."
"Thought you would apply a rushdown strategy at this point…" Vira shrugged.
"Hmpf!" Mirii grimaced slightly. "Rushing against an enemy team we do not fully know, isn't a tactic I would personally rely on… especially if I'm aware that my enemies can camouflage themselves as one of us."
Vira's left hand took the weapon away from the right one, as the latter snapped its fingers.
"You are right yet again, Mirii!" She chuckled. "I'm so glad that we are on the same team!"
Mirii smiled.
Mirii, I have to prepare lunch for Stella… I shouldn't do that, I know, but I cannot see my daughter trying to keep her little stomach calm! She's making a face that… th-that…
"By all means… think about Stella, first." She nodded, smiling a bit more. "Since I have all the resources for carrying out an effective battle plan, I'm not in the constant need of a teacher…"
Good to hear! I thank you for understanding…!
"You are welcome." Her eyes closed, as she almost reached her ally whose feet were standing on the top of the hill.
"There is nobody!"
"WHAT?!" Mirii's eyes opened wide, as her mouth flattened. "Ridiculous!" She took four quick steps, before slowing down and pressing her feet down on the hill's tip as well.
The vessel was visible, together with the carpet of grass. Mirii's head shook, staring at each point of the area, finding nothing but grass.
"Deception!" Her mouth flattened, as she slightly bended backwards. "The fight appeared far from over!"
"What shall we do…?" Vira was carefully guarding her position as well. "You said that Agents were fighting..."
"Nnnnggh!" The girl's mouth semi-downturned, as the sides revealed her teeth. "Aga left her post, because of her daughter...! I would have benefited from her informative support"
Suddenly, a grassy wave appeared from the right side, caught by the girl's sight: Mirii's eyes squeezed slightly, following the waves' movement...
"... something that moves so swiftly in between the grass, while aiming at... the vessel?"
Her eyes expanded.
"HUNLEY!" She gasped, dashing over the downhill and waving her right arm. "HUNLEEEYY!"
Vira stared at the girl for a short while... before chasing after her.
"HUN!" Vira frowned, waving both her arms. "OVER HERE!"
The girl panted, as her face was feeling the strong wind impacting over her face.
"HUUUNNLLEEEEEEEYYYY!"
She coughed.
"He keeps sliding over the vessel... is he hearing my calls?! Or... am I talking with someone else?!" She cleared her voice. "... no, I don't think it's one of those smaller Stingrays... otherwise, the Agents would have mentioned that during their talks!" She frowned. "It must be Hunley... it's the only explanation!"
The waves almost arrived in front of a wooden board, whose tip was flattening the grass underneath it... as a Squid jumped out from the grass and returned into his humanoid form.
"I knew it!" Mirii smiled widely. "HUUUUNNLEEEYY!"
The boy was running across the board, venturing inside the darkness who was covering the entrance.
"Do you think it's a good idea running after Hun like this?!" Vira kept panting. "Uuufffff, speaking of that... I ran too much for today!"
"Hunley would have already met resistance… if Stingrays were located near their terminal... pant! Thus, we can safely conclude that we are the only ones present on the field… uff!" Mirii's teeth gritted. "You can do this, Mirii...! I-I ran for a longer time than this!"
The girl slightly slowed down, as she was coming closer and closer to the giant vehicle...
"Still..." Vira sighed loudly. "... why they are keeping their entrance open?!"
Mirii's ears rose.
"Are those... ink shots?!" Her mouth opened wide. "... now I understand..."
Mirii's head turned over her right side.
"Pant! Can you hear the ink shots?" Her head rose.
"Ink shots?!" Vira's irises shrunk just a bit.
"Listen closely!" Mirii's head returned forward. "Uff… that will explain the situation we are witnessing."
"... hey! I can hear them!" Vira's grasped her weapon tightly. "Anf… are you... thinking what I'm also thinking?!"
Mirii nodded.
"That's why we couldn't detect anyone in here..." She coughed once. "The Agents are fighting the Stingrays inside their base!"
"We must hurry up, then!" Vira grasped her weapon tightly. "Hunley is"
The girl stopped, as her arm thrusted over her right side: Vira lurched forward, stretching her arms sideways and managing to bring her posture upwards.
"Uuuff!" Vira drenched her forehead. "Why... we stopped?!" She stick out her tongue.
Mirii panted, while looking closely at the entrance.
"Pant... we... we need to recover our energies..." Her knees were slightly bending on their own... "We cannot conduct a fight in such state..." Her hands landed each on a knee, as she kept panting. "Anf… anf… uuufff…!"
"Uff… are you alright?!" Sweat went gradually visible on Vira's face.
"Nnnggh…" Mirii coughed twice. "I-I truly have no energy left… … n-no!" Her eyes squeezed. "Th-this is not the time… t-to take a nap…!"
The girl began stumbling…
"Mirii!" Vira frowned. "Hang in there!" She rapidly walked towards her.
The young Inkling's shoulders turned, while her eyes were still shut.
"Wh-what are you"
The woman's free arm wrapped around her stomach, picking her up gently.
"NO!" Mirii's eyes opened and enlarged, immediately forming a frown on her face. "PUT ME DOWN!" She panted.
"Not until you feel more energetic than this!" Vira stared back at the vessel. "Uff… in fact, we should stay away from"
"OUT OF CONSIDERATION!" Mirii threw kicks over the woman's stomach. "HUNLEY NEEDS ME!"
"Ouch! OW!" Her free hand grabbed the girl's back, carrying it farther from her stomach. "Calm down, will ya?! I didn't said that"
"PUT… ME… DOWN…" Mirii growled, as a vein popped out from her forehead.
"Yo-you are crazy!" Vira snorted. "You can barely stand up!"
Suddenly, a growling sound came from Mirii's stomach… as her irises shrunk. A chuckle left Vira's mouth.
"You are craving for some energy, hmm?" Her eyelids lowered to the middle, as she smiled. "Not that I disagree… it must be lunch time!"
"I-I can't satisfy my stomach under such conditions!" Mirii's arms folded. "We are fighting"
"I have a snack with me, actually!" The woman's eyes closed. "I usually keep some of those, whenever I'm on a mission… I tend to get hungry during the action, so I make sure I always have room for food!" A sweat drop formed on her head's right side. "Right now, I wouldn't mind eating one…"
Mirii snorted, as her head rose.
"I do not eat junk…"
"Who said that all snacks are junk?" Vira puts Mirii down, as her free hand was now looking over her clothing. "Those ones in particular are healthy and full of energy!"
As the girl turned behind, the woman's hand went over her face with a wrapped stick depicting a rectangular, yellowish material.
"Take this one!" Vira nodded. "It's a Cheesy Chip Stick! 85 calories in total, but they can lift up any mood if you are hungry!"
Mirii's right cheek rose, as she stared at the product…
"… that cheese has a great look… … ggaaaahhh!" Sweat drops appeared behind her head. "M-my stomach is"
Her stomach rumbled. Vira shook her snack gently.
"Don't be shy! Pick it up!"
Saliva was forming inside Mirii's mouth… as her mind was already seeing herself munching on the food. Her mouth waved, as her eyebrows were slowly raising…
"N-ngh…! … I-I can't sustain the pain anymore!"
Her hands snatched the snack, immediately opening the wrapper's top side and revealing part of the cheesy snack. Her mouth opened, carrying the food inside and giving it a bite! With her mouth closed, she kept munching and munching… until she swallowed.
"D-delicious!" Her fingers pushed the bottom part, as more cheese came out from the wrapper… giving it another bite and munching in the same way as before. "Hmm!" She swallowed it. "Aaah!"
"W-wow…!" Vira's right wrist went over her right side. "For being a petite girl, you sure have an appetite!"
Mirii pushed the last bit of cheese, carrying inside her mouth and eating it intensively. As she gulped it down, she smiled and stored away the wrapper.
"… thank you for the snack." She bowed down for one second, before raising her posture. "I feel a bit better"
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Mirii twisted behind, watching a Stingling with his arms opened wide running towards her. Behind him, a Squid was sliding after him.
"HELP ME!" His eyes squeezed. "HE WANTS TO SPLAT ME!"
Vira frowned, grasping her weapon with both her hands.
"Don't worry! I will splat you before he does!" She sprinted, while shooting ink projectile over the enemy.
Mirii's mouth opened, watching the Stingray sliding on the grass before twisting back and forth. As he was swinging around, a tank was visible behind his back… filled with magenta ink. She gasped, as her left hand thrusted over Vira.
"NO! DON'T ATTACK HIM!"
Vira threw a Splat Bomb towards the Stingling, as he jumped backwards and-
SPLAT!
Hun landed on the grass, leaving behind a flying, little Squid. He returned into his humanoid self, noticing Vira lowering her weapon and looking directly at him.
"Hun!" Her hand waved at him. "We finally found you!"
"Yo-you know me?!" His hands went on his shoulders.
Mirii rushed from the woman's right side, as the boy jumped and smiled widely.
"MIRII!" His arms opened wide. "There you are!" He also dashed forward.
The girl smiled as well, stopping and letting the boy's arms wrapping around her. The girl blushed a lot, while the boy blushed a bit.
"Hunley…!" Her arms wrapped around him. "I'm glad that we found you safe and sound…!"
Vira's hands lowered, as she giggled and stared at her friends…
"… you splatted that Stingray, am I correct?" Mirii's head tilted backwards, watching his eyes.
"Yes." He frowned. "I managed to throw his weapon away, though…"
Mirii's head shook.
"Hunley… he wasn't a Stingray." Her head rose. "He was an Inkling who got camouflaged by the Stingrays."
"Eh?!" His arms left the girl, as he jumped backwards. "How?!"
"They utilized a particular technology… or at least according to our current knowledge regarding it." Mirii's right hand caressed her right tentacle.
Hun's eyes blinked twice.
"… so, that would explain why I was seeing Stingrays fighting against each other…"
"You will tell me more about your journey, once we return inside the car." Mirii turned behind. "I might feel better than before… but I can't afford any risks, now. Not when I found Hunley"
"Mirii, we can't!" Hun's arms waved around. "They captured a Squid!"
Mirii's mouth flattened, while Vira's head simply tilted over the right side.