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"The safe is in a room, which hall is!" She breathed loudly and deeply for a few seconds. "We double lucky and I'm happy for it!"
Mirii's eyes expanded, as she was staring at a wall at the end of the hallway, leading to a metallic multi-door who had each a vertically, rectangular window. Two doors were located on one side of the lateral walls each, as crates were leaning on the dusty, clear side of both walls.
"Your voice pitch…!" The girl slowed down, twisting her shoulders over her right side. "It-It's higher than before…!"
"Real?!" Scarlet's mouth opened wide. "… la la la, sing, sing, sing!" Her eyes sparkled. "Hey… true!"
"Nnnnnggh!" Mirii gritted her teeth, raised her eyebrows and almost arrived in front of the end-door. "Resist! We will soon"
"Aaaaawww, it's sooooo cute!" Scarlet giggled. "I loooove new voice!"
Mirii's mouth flattened, as she stopped near the aimed door's entrance.
"Hopefully, it will get even higher!" The woman slowed down, carrying her hands and weapon near her right cheek. "Squids are much cuter!"
"Scarlet, this is not the time to judge your changing voice!" Mirii pointed the multi-door with her weapon. "Is the hall located in a specific floor?" She marched towards the little button, sitting on the right side of the iron-made access.
"Second!" She simply stepped in the direction of the girl, as her free hand pushed her little, left tentacle who went past her cheek. "Will I turn into smaller Squid too?"
The girl pushed the button, as the doors opened and released a loud, squeaking sound. Mirii stepped in, chased by her changing friend: the first thing who bounced in her sight, was her own reflection who originated from a mirror attached to the cabinet's front wall.
"Those rays will bring chaos to the world, if they are used for maniacal purposes..." She turned behind, facing the woman. "Why they didn't invent something more useful for the collectivity?" Her mouth downturned.
Scarlet met a short panel, positioned on the right side of the unlocked door: there were several buttons on display, but her eyes focused on the one depicting the number 2.
"To the hall we go!" She giggled, pushing the relative button with her free thumb.
The doors closed in a trembling way, as the squeaking noise blasted even louder than before. The cabinet shook, before a soothing vibration took place under their feet.
"The economic resources could have been invested in the medical field, for example..." Mirii's arms folded. "... sigh! What a waste…"
Scarlet's free hand went onto her little, left tentacle who was now touching the tip of her shoulder: her smiling mouth opened.
"I'm becoming more and more cuter…!" Her eyes closed. "La la la, sing, sing, sing!"
Mirii's mouth shaped in a wavy form, as a sweat drop grew on her head's right side.
"Scarlet…"
The woman reopened her eyes.
"Do I look cute, Mirii?!" Her hands went behind her back.
The girl sighed, as her eyebrows went up.
"… how am I going to say this?!" She swallowed silently. "I cannot afford an angered ally… not in a time like this!"
"Something wrong?" The woman's head tilted to her right side.
The girl stared back at her for a brief while… Mirii inhaled the air from her nose… before letting the air out of her mouth.
"Scarlet… I…" She trembled, keeping her mouth sealed for some seconds. "… nothing." She looked the other way.
"Uhm?" The friend's head followed her sight as much as she could. "What?"
"No, it's nothing…" She sighed visibly. "… just prepare yourself mentally: we might encounter more illusions to foil."
"Don't worry! Easy walk! Stingret is weak against us!" Scarlet's hands went together, as she smiled. "You can tell me opinion on looks, in meantime!" She chuckled. "Think about it!"
"… now that I'm looking better at her…" Mirii's irises inspected her transforming friend, going from her head to her feet. "… she doesn't have a single hint of fat on herself. Yet, she looks large… her height is excellent, actually. Something I wouldn't mind having…"
The girl smiled a bit, as a dinging sound echoed inside her ears: the multi-doors humbly freed themselves, greeting the two with their typical, squeaking noise.
"Scarlet, I do agree that your presentation is rather cute." Her eyes closed.
"Ih ih!" The woman walked towards the cabinet's opened exit, while looking ahead. "Knew it!" She giggled.
As the girl reopened her eyes, she marched out of the cabin and thrusted her weapon forward.
"We almost at hall!" Scarlet improved her walking speed, as she was nearly running. "Go, go!"
Mirii sprinted, as her face was reflecting hints of perplexity.
"… why this whole hallway appears so… odd?" Her lips lengthened onward. "As if something important should have been here… …"
Inadvertently, the woman noticed a cracked hole, located on the left wall.
"Huh?" Her mouth opened, as she slowed down.
There was nothing but blackness inside the opening… suddenly, two glowing dots appeared from the darkness. The forming Inkling gasped, immediately pointing her weapon and keeping her breath for a moment, while her feet froze onto the flat surface. Mirii snorted, as she simply stopped next to the woman.
"Another, useless illusion..." Her head rose. "Does she really think we are a mass of cowards?"
"I-I'm not sure about th-that…" The woman's hands trembled. "… it-it might b-be him."
"Who?" Mirii's eyes squeezed slightly.
"Th-the 'Super Soldier'…!" Shyly, Scarlet moved behind Mirii… curling a bit and kindly grabbing her left side with her clear hand. "Th-the scariest of all…!"
"Hmpf!" The girl resumed her quick steps. "It would take more than just a mere title to convince perfection." Her head was still directed over the cracked wall. "Those glowing eyes are the emblem of the void: as you noticed, nothing is happening when I'm daring to challenge the 'danger'."
"Ph-phew!" Scarlet accompanied her associate, while making sure she was walking right behind the girl. "Bu-but scared as I am!" She twisted her shoulders in the direction of the crack, keeping her sight on it for at least 3 seconds.
Her head accurately addressed the end of the short hallway.
"You strong, instead! You best Squid! You no scared!"
Mirii smiled.
"A warning, my trick was. After you, our Super Soldier I will send… getting the keycards if you try!"
Mirii frowned.
"N-not him!" The fearful friend lowered her head, as her eyes squeezed. "You super-mean! Your hate is bigger than vessel!"
"As I clearly said, titles do not convince perfection." The girl snorted. "I have battled fiends who wanted to be classified as 'super'… yet, they proved to be complete clowns." Mirii casted her head over the ceiling. "You would better deliver yourself in front of justice, instead of delaying the inevitable."
"Still insist, do you? Well very…! Him right away, I will call… your prayers, say!"
"You would had sent him against us, regardless of our current position." Mirii shook her head slowly. "Scarlet, have we arrived to the hall? Is that its entrance?"
The girl properly pointed ahead, with her own weapon, indicating a wide aperture where part of the familiar stair steps were on plain sight. Scarlet rose her head back to neutral position, opening her eyes as well.
"That's it!" The woman nodded twice, smiling widely. "Safe is after the stairs too."
"Perhaps Hunley might be inside the same room…?" Mirii's smile returned, as she ran without thinking. "I'm almost there…! Just remember to avoid the pitiful trapdoor, at the end of the stairs… and I will triumph!"
"But we must be thinkful about Super Soldier!" Scarlet was chasing after the girl.
Both the friends passed through the end of the shorter corridor, now stepping inside the recognizable hall: Mirii was already directing her sprint over the stairs. The woman sighed, as she applied more force in her legs.
"He's strong!"
"How come Stingret hasn't deployed such formidable foe, before…?" Mirii's smile disappeared, now raising her head as usual. "So far, I have encountered a handful of"
"Sent Super Soldier. After your friends, he is going." Stingret's voice was coming from every corner of the hall.
Mirii gasped loudly, as she immediately halted and looked around. The woman jumped sideways, avoiding the girl's back.
"NO!" Desperately, the young Inkling twisted over each door she could find. "HOW DARE YOU DELIBERATELY PICKING ON THEM?!"
"Not get keycards, you will… instead, the experimental rays on Scarlet I will observe the effects… waste enough time I will make you!"
"Wh-why you…!" Sweat covered Mirii's forehead, as she couldn't keep her posture lifted…
"If will hurt Scarlet, the effects… the rays on YOU as well, I will run! Her same ending you will meet… earn victory, I will! Ha ha haaaa!"
Scarlet was tempted to throw her own firearm against one random point of the ceiling… as she simply snorted and looked back at Mirii.
"Don't worry about me! Friends are important!" Her free hand rested onto the girl's right shoulder. "Reach them!"
Mirii let out a loud breath…
"… Hunley is a strong Squid… Hunley is a strong Squid…" She gulped in complete silence. "… Scarlet… maybe he entered inside the safe's room…"
"Room you visit want?" The woman stepped ahead. "You sure?"
Mirii's eyes closed.
"If I take my time, exploring those remaining rooms… … nnnnnngggghh!" She gritted her teeth. "This is why I hate wasting my time…!"
"Mirii?" Scarlet's facial expression was saddening…
"… I confirm my choice." The short Inkling nodded, releasing her eyes. "Take me over such room, please."
"Wish granted!" The modifying Stingray departed, arriving in front of the stairs in a short period of time. "Right side we go!"
"Uff…" Mirii pursued her ally, while frowning. "… Hunley and Vira could literally be anywhere at this point. I despise the casual choice I just announced… now I'm forced to rely upon hope!" She groaned. "Just fantastic…"
The girl climbed the first three steps, while Scarlet ascended at least ten of them! She attained the highest of the stair steps, as her feet proceeded to the right while remaining along the stair step's edge.
"Trap in front of me!" Once Scarlet hit the stair step's corner, she resumed her sprint. "Walk like me!"
The woman aligned herself in the middle of the floor, as Mirii just reached the last stair step.
"I was aware of that." She snorted, walking sideways to the right side. "Are there any other traps to consider?"
"Safe has trap too!" Now the woman advanced over the left wall, which had a semi-opened door just ahead. "Plus, many cameras!"
Mirii jumped towards the center of the floor, darting once she landed perfectly on her target.
"Pant… describe the trap!"
The woman slowed down, as she quickly switched over a tiptoes-walking style. The girl's eyes glued upon Scarlet's goo tank…
"… its color looks brighter than usual…" Her head rose. "… I wouldn't be surprised, if that substance is not goo…"
Scarlet kept her breath again, as her hardware leaned against the semi-freed door… while Mirii finally arrived in front of her back. The woman shushed, pushing the door even more: her eyes saw a wooden table in the middle of the room and a safe allocated at the bottom.
"Scarlet… you should explain this next trap." The girl's arms folded. "I'm only aware of the first one…"
"Trap is rays who burn. Situated near safe." The called Stingray lowered her eyebrows, as she cocked her weapon. "Invisible because of trick… but weak against goo."
"Yo-you are losing your own goo…!" Mirii bit her lower lip.
"For real?!" Scarlet twisted her head over the girl.
"Unfortunately…" The smart Inkling downturned her mouth. "Tr-try foiling the rays, before it's too late!"
The woman bounced inside the room, immediately shooting the liquid at the safe.
Fssssss!
The substance disappeared instantly, leaving a raising smoke in its place.
"Not working as effectively!" The woman shortened the distance, while still keeping her firearm's trigger pulled. "More tries! I might still do it!"
"I wouldn't had minded something more simplistic for once…!" Mirii's left hand went over her left cheek, as her irises looked to the right. "Gaaaaahhh…! Hunley is not even in the safe's room…!"
Her eyes went slightly watery…
"Wh-where is he?!" She turned behind, watching the upper floor stretching for more than a half mile. "Curses! Are there any clues I could"
Who are you?!
Wh-whoa! Slow down, shiphead! Why you threw down the room's door?! It was already open!
Mirii's eyes expanded.
"HUNLEY! VIRA!" She aimed her sight over the ceiling. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"
"Ha ha ha haaaa…! Your friends' doom, you just listened… flatten them to the ground, now the Super Soldier will! Your fault, it's all… their yelps, enjoy listening!"
"GRRRRRR!" Smoke came out from Mirii's ears… "… GRRRRR!" Her eyes squeezed.
Don't come any closer!
Wanna eat some strong fists, you piece of ship?!
Suddenly, Mirii's eyes reopened at the same time as her mouth.
"… I have a clue!" Her legs almost made her jump, as a smile rapidly grew upon her lips. "The door mentioned by Vira! If I find a door laying on the floor… I will find Hunley!"
She rose her right foot… before looking back at Scarlet: the woman was still firing her liquid projectiles, while producing a small fog near the safe…
"… I'm sure Scarlet will figure it out on her own…"
The girl sprinted forward, away from the room's entrance.
"Hunley… resist! Perfection is coming to support your valorous deeds!"