As his surroundings settled and his vision adjusted, he could tell he was in some sort of chamber. Cramped, though not uncomfortable, and fully closed in, it felt like a coffin.

Have I awoken in the underworld?

He felt around himself in the little space he had. Hard, translucent plastic formed the ceiling of the compartment. By this time, Tanaka had also noticed a mask over his mouth with a tube running from it. An odd accessory for a dead man, he thought, but left it where it was. His body ached; he longed to stretch his arms, to crack his neck, to do anything but continue laying here.

At once, the claustrophobia set in. Not one to panic outwardly in dangerous situations, Tanaka tried to ignore how his breath was speeding up, but couldn’t keep himself from banging on the plastic roof. His bandaged hand smacked against it, and he hoped against hope that someone was out there. Though death was a trifling matter — how can one who isn’t mortal be killed? — this was not his ideal resting place.

After a minute’s noisy banging, the chamber ceiling lifted. He could tell immediately how hi-tech it was; hinged at the bottom, the smooth hydraulics lifted it, almost silently, and locked it into place. A blast of fresh, cool air brushed across his face. Tanaka wanted to claw at the mask over his mouth, but calmed down when a young woman with long, purple hair pulled up a chair beside him and sat down.

"You’re awake."

She said it plainly. Her voice was steady and calm, almost analytic. It wasn’t a question. He wondered how long she had been waiting to say that, how long he had been out for, and why.

The two stared at each other. She didn’t seem perturbed at his silence; instead, she observed him with quiet eyes that matched her hair. The stale air from inside the chamber was still pressing on him, heightening his anxiety. As though she was psychic, the woman leaned over and pulled the mask off his face. Tanaka inhaled deeply.

"I’m going to ask you a few questions. Answer honestly to the best of your ability," she said. He nodded, to show he understood. "Good. First, do you know who you are?"

Tanaka tried to reply, but found his throat too dry to get words out. He swallowed a few times and tried again. “I am Tanaka Gundam.. ruler of the seventh astral plane and Prince of Darkness.. Who are you, o diagnostic one?”

Though seemingly taken aback by the question, she answered politely. “…Kirigiri Kyouko. Your personality seems to be.. intact, as well. Excellent. Next question: do you remember anything from before you woke up?”

Straining his mind, Tanaka couldn’t recall anything. Everything swirled before him and he became dizzy; closing his eyes, the darkness popped and burst behind his eyelids. A hazy image surfaced. His eyes flew open.

"Where are my Dark Gods of Destruction?! Wretched mortal, what have you done to them?!"

"Tanaka-san, you need to calm down."

"Answer me, or I shall curse you to oblivion!"

"Tanaka-san, settle yourself this second or —"

He stood up abruptly, rage coursing through his veins. How dare they remove the Dark Gods from my presence? he thought, prepared to attack all who came near him. Towering above the woman, still standing in the chamber, he stared down at her. His ears were ringing; he could see her lips moving, but could hear no words. Vision going black, his knees buckled and he lost balance.

The last thing he felt before he blacked out was a pair of small yet strong arms breaking his fall.