"Drip..."
In the boundless darkness, it was as if water droplets were falling onto the surface of a pond, ripples of light spreading outward in slow circles.
"Drip..."
Then came another drop.
"Drip... drip... drip..."
Circles of glowing ripples continued to spread through the darkness, layer upon layer, as if the entire darkness before his eyes were rippling apart.
Then, a sliver of light condensed into a line, like the flash of a horizontal blade, slicing through the darkness filled with luminous ripples.
"Drip... drip... drip!"
After that came a string of water droplets hitting water, continuous as rain as they sounded beside his ears.
Rip!
Then came a soundless tearing. The line of condensed light suddenly split open above and below, and pale yellow, warm light surged in wildly.
Before Chiba's eyes, everything suddenly turned bright! This was...
In that instant of sudden brightness, Chiba seemed to awaken with a start and swiftly turned to look around.
Immediately, the walls formed of tangled tubes and the great door covered in complex seals came into view.
Sealed Space!
The Sealed Space I only entered when I was on the verge of death! Why am I...
Here!
After seeing all this, Chiba's eyes widened slightly, and his shock instantly suppressed the grief in his heart.
Could I be dying again? No! That's impossible. I remember Nao snapping her fingers just now!
Then everything before my eyes went black!
And after that... it was...
Chiba's first thought had been that he was near death, but he quickly dismissed it.
"To be honest, the first time I saw this door, I was stunned too. I never thought something so incredible would be hidden inside your head."
Just as Chiba was filled with doubts, a familiar voice sounded behind him.
"Nao!"
Chiba abruptly turned