Cough!
Under the immense impact, a soundless cough sent countless bubbles spilling out. The last trace of air in Chiba's chest, aching dully from the crashing waves, was forced out as well.
Overwhelmed by the suffocating pressure that squeezed the last bit of air from his lungs, Chiba suddenly opened his eyes. His hands thrashed wildly as he tumbled through the raging underwater current.
"Bzz—!"
"Boom—!"
Then, amid a strange, muffled explosion that sounded like distant thunder and shook even the water, an intense light too blinding to look at lit up directly above him.
It was as if a huge, blazing sphere hung above the water's surface.
After lasting more than ten seconds, it dimmed.
Then, as if another explosion had erupted inside that sphere, the light and strange roar burst forth again, illuminating everything and making it impossible to open his eyes.
Then it went out.
Then the explosions began again, and everything was illuminated once more.
Only after repeating six times did it finally dim, and everything returned to darkness.
Everything also returned to calm.
With a "splash," it seemed that even more water poured down. The water level began to rise continuously, and the torrent that had just calmed began to flow again, though it was now quite gentle.
By then, Chiba had been tossed about by the current until he could no longer tell which way was up. Exhausted and on the verge of suffocation, he could barely move his hands or feet, his whole body drifting through the water with the current and inertia.
The light in his eyes was already beginning to scatter.
"Splash!"
Then, amid a muffled sound of something falling into the water, a figure plunged into this underwater world like a piece of exploded, tattered cloth. Trailing a string of