After roughly another five minutes, Yota finally arrived.
The crystal-cluster screen directly ahead slowly parted from the center, revealing a dark, bottomless passage. Yota emerged from within.
Light fell upon him.
Revealing Yota's face.
To Angel's surprise, Yota had removed the colossal Crystal Shell he always wore, revealing his aged, stooped true form.
However, Yota had not completely abandoned Crystal Shells. He was simply too old. Though he had not yet reached the point where he could no longer walk, a cane was indispensable. To avoid the sluggishness of walking with one, Yota still used another Crystal Shell to assist his movement.
It was a spider-shaped Crystal Shell seat. Yota sat upon the spider Crystal Shell's back, controlling it as it swiftly moved forward.
Yota had removed his colossal Crystal Shell to demonstrate his sincerity.
Meeting Angel and the others in his most genuine form represented frankness in the traditional etiquette of the Crystal-Eyed Race.
But neither Angel nor Laplace knew the Crystal-Eyed Race had such a custom, so Yota's gesture went entirely unnoticed.
Still, Angel could sense that after being tempered by the Dream Crystal Plain, the current Yota was emotionally a completely different person from before.
Previously, although Yota had displayed great "importance" toward them, that importance had been based more on his recognition of Eya and remained superficial.
But now, Yota's entire emotional bearing, inside and out, conveyed importance—and even leaned somewhat toward "reverence."
Judging purely from his emotions, Angel felt Yota's change might have been a little too drastic. Had the Giant City Spirit, or Yifuda, said something to him?
Yota had no idea that Angel had already caught the changes in his emotions.
But even if he had known, Yota probably would have found it difficult to alter them. The Dream Crystal Plain had simply