Hinansho's Strength

"You two seem to be having fun."

Dola looked down toward Miya and Bo, her arms resting on the raised porch of a large, traditional residence, standing out among the other buildings around it. She seemed as if almost laughing as she smiled toward the two of them from beyond the building's pale staircase.

She was right. They'd been playing a game the entire way there, pointing to various objects as fast as they could and finding whatever the other'd laid out for them to find; a very intense game of I-Spy. Still riding atop Bo's back, Miya's hands whipped from side-to-side, pointing to whatever came to mind and might be hard for Bo to determine, but each time, Bo knew exactly what she was pointing toward without fail and nigh-immediate.

Dola soon descended the stairs, the sound of her footsteps echoing as they made contact with each individual stair. It added to her already strong presence, almost foreboding.

"Come. I'll help you two up."

Bo and Miya stopped their game, and Miya's eyes sat directly in front of Dola's, reflecting off of each other with powerful radiance. Miya sat, estranged, as Dola never moved her gaze from Miya, and Miya felt a strange urge to continue her's. Eventually, their focus was shifted, Bo speaking with his red eyes narrowed on the green-haired goddess.

"I've brought the woman you ordered."

"And such a noble lad you are to do so. Thank you for running such an errand, Mr. Bo."

Bo didn't respond, only loosened his grip on Miya's thighs, forcing her legs to fall toward the ground. She remained hanging onto Bo's shoulders until she could regain her footing, standing behind Bo. She hid behind him for a while as Dola peered around him, but she continued to dodge her eyes.

Bo made no movements, acting like a statue as they played ring-around-the-rosie for a while, but eventually, he intervened.

"Miya. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"Nuh uh... She looked at me funny."

Dola chuckled, holding her belly as she began falling to the ground. When she eventually recovered, she rose her head slowly, a smile lining her face.

"Please, come in, the both of you."

...

Dola sat across from them, her legs crossed as she projected her devastating aura throughout the room. The room they were in was vast, and when Miya looked from wall to wall, it almost seemed as if still growing. She didn't understand the home's unique mechanisms, sliding doors rather than ones that open inward and outward, carpet floors covering the entirety of the space, and the fact that Dola removed her shoes before proceeding past a few feet inside the building.

However, Miya and Bo's shoes remained on.

"Its nice to finally meet you, Miya."

Dola extended her hand toward Miya, but once again, Miya cowered, inching closer to Bo who sat straight as a pencil beside her. He sat silently beside her as Dola continued to try acquainting herself with Miya. Her arm remain extended toward Miya, a determined look on her face as she spoke clearly to her.

"My name is Dola Miura, the Chief of the Hinansho City Police Force... I hear a lot of you from Chance. You've been making quite a name for yourself ever since the grand reopening of Krewe's University, and I wanted to meet you myself. I hope that was not invading of me."

Miya hesitantly responded, extending her arm slowly toward Dola's and grasping her strong hands.

"N-No. It's nice to meet you as well. Sorry for being so rude..."

"No-No, Miya. I've been told I have a viscous presence. I'm sorry for scaring you."

They both laughed awkwardly, eventually leaving the room to silence again. Bo broke this silence, his multiple arms contorting as he stretched. Grey fumes sprouted from his shoulder's pores, It's screeching sound piercing their ears.

"Not everyone gets such treatment, Miya. You should be grateful..."

Bo rose from his seat before walking away from the table, his head still angling toward Miya.

"Behave yourself."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Bo left through the sliding door, the front door being heard soon after. Miya sat silently, staring at the door and honing her senses. Once she felt no remnant of Bo's presence, she pounced onto the table, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"You said Chance is here?!"

Dola sat, bewildered as she nervously pointed behind herself without saying a word. Miya gleefully jumped from her chair, barging through numerous sliding doors before landing inside another large room, filled with wooden structures and elaborate paintings of mythical beings.

Delighted, Dola sat alone at the table, thinking to herself.

'What advanced aura control...'

In front of one of the wooden structures, Chance stood, wearing a green kimono and wielding a wooden practice sword. His focus lie on the wooden piece of equipment before him, and Miya remained at the entrance of the room, observing quietly.

In a split second, strikes smacked the wood, making contact in rapid succession. The speed mesmerized Miya, and her hands instinctively came closer and closer together until finally, they clapped together at insane speed.

"Wooohoooo!!! That was awesome, Chance!"

Chance's concentration was shattered, and his serious stance broke in an instant. He nearly fell backward from shock, his glasses being thrown about his face until they lie diagonally across his forehead. Subsequently, his hair was wet from sweat, forcing him to pull it backward and out of his red-stained face.

"M-Miya?! When did you get here?!"

Miya charged toward him, her arms wide open and ready to catch him. Chance recoiled, scared to make contact with her as his face remained a bright red and his muscles relaxed. Nonetheless, Miya caught up with him and hugged him tightly, her head resting on his powerful chest as he had a panic attack.

"W-What brought this on?! We just saw each other yesterday?!"

"The present you got me... I'm very grateful!"

Dread filled Chance's expression.

'That's right. I ran off like a complete doofus before... My life can't get any more fucking horrible.'

Chance struggled to return her hug, a fear filling him as Miya remain attached to his chest, clinging tightly to him. Gradually, he mustered up the courage to reciprocate, slowly inching his arms toward the back of her soft, blue sweater.

'Come on, man... The least you can do is hug her back...'

For a moment, he retreated, the light of his eyes fluctuating from the stress. Once more, he clenched his fist, determined to overcome this feeling.

'After what you did to her yesterday, this is the least you can do!!!'

Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Dola's head peered inside. Her eyes lay upon Miya hugging Chance against the wall, Chance's face crazed with an overload of emotion. She recoiled with a disgusted face, retreating out of the door.

Chance's consciousness exploded, a blood-curling bellow echoing through his mind.

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH--'