Creak. Watching the door to the principal's office slowly open, Tomioka Yuuta and Nibutani Shinka unconsciously swallowed.
They could already imagine the scene: the moment the door opened, a fierce, bald, bespectacled middle-aged man would look at them, the reflection from his glasses enough to make anyone's legs go weak.
Kumin Tsuyuri slowly opened her mouth wide. She hadn't expected Rikka Takanashi to bring her directly here and even open the door.
But the next moment, they all breathed a sigh of relief, as if the nonexistent heavy weight pressing down on them had vanished.
"No one, that's great." Nibutani Shinka looked as if all the air had left her. She raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, then said angrily, "Wicked Lord Shingan, don't suddenly do such dangerous things!"
"Dangerous? Why? This is the safest place in the world; it's our secret base," Rikka Takanashi wondered.
"That's right, there's no need to worry about evil spirits attacking." Dekimori Sanae walked straight in, ignoring Kumin Tsuyuri's incredulous gaze.
This was the other side of the world hidden within the school, and only true comrades could enter. Otherwise, even if one entered the secret base, they would instantly forget everything they saw upon exiting.
That's why Rikka Takanashi brought Kumin Tsuyuri and Nibutani Shinka directly here.
"Hey!" Nibutani Shinka quickly shouted. No, are you chuunibyou really that bold? This is the office of the legendary principal, someone more powerful than the headmaster! You might get suspended!
"Come on, come on, just follow us. Ahead is the door to a parallel world." Rikka Takanashi directly pushed Nibutani Shinka, shoving her into the office.
"Ah!" Nibutani Shinka was flustered.
"Is Wicked Lord Shingan related to the principal?" Kumin Tsuyuri asked curiously. If not, she couldn't imagine why Wicked Lord Shingan would be so bold.
Nibutani Shinka suddenly remembered that Wicked Lord Shingan had mentioned coming to see her 'Brother.' She said in shock, "Is Wicked Lord Shingan's Brother the school principal?"
"That's right," Rikka Takanashi nodded.
"So that's it. Wicked Lord Shingan is a hidden young lady, how amazing," Kumin Tsuyuri said.
Aside from Rikka Takanashi and Dekimori Sanae, even Tomioka Yuuta, who knew some of the 'truth,' was nervously looking around.
"Is it really okay to come here without permission?" Nibutani Shinka whispered uneasily, her hands behind her back, her small eyes carefully surveying the surroundings. This place wasn't much different from a teacher's office; the only difference might be that the bookshelf had become a display shelf.
"This way." Rikka Takanashi walked to the black and red curtain and pulled it aside.
A hidden door was revealed.
"Oh, so there's a hidden room? How amazing!" Kumin Tsuyuri was surprised. She had only seen hidden rooms on TV; this was her first time seeing one in reality.
"Is it a room where the principal's treasures are kept?" Nibutani Shinka asked curiously.
"Is this truly the space that leads to a parallel world?" Tomioka Yuuta took a deep breath. He had heard Wicked Lord Shingan talk about it.
Was this the door to a parallel world in one of the school's rooms?
"—" Nibutani Shinka looked speechlessly at Tomioka Yuuta, who was in the midst of a chuunibyou outburst.
"That's right! Although this is my first time here, the great MoriSummer must have frequented this place before her reincarnation!" Dekimori Sanae confidently declared, holding up her 'Dark Grimoire Mabinogion' high.
"..." Nibutani Shinka's toes gripped the soles of her shoes tightly.
This hateful chuunibyou! Don't keep bringing up my dead memories and talking about them everywhere!
Click!
Rikka Takanashi swallowed and opened the door. It was her first time here too.
Her Brother had told her about this place and its magical powers.
The door opened, revealing a pitch-black interior. It wasn't a small room filled with collectibles, as others had imagined.
"? Why is it dark? Are there no windows?" Nibutani Shinka wondered.
Rikka Takanashi led the way in, and the others followed, filled with curiosity.
The moment they stepped inside, everyone froze.
Before them was a vast space with the Milky Way as its backdrop. The ceiling was incredibly high, even taller than the dome of the gymnasium.
Golden magic circles floated in the void, and there were also 'galaxies' of various sizes.
In front was a semicircle formed by tall bookshelves, filled with mysterious books. Each book carried the aura of age and time, as if taken from ancient ruins.
In the center of the semicircle stood a three-meter-tall golden gate, quietly standing there, as if opening it would lead to an 'Otherworld.'
Rikka Takanashi regained her composure and spoke to everyone in a low voice, "Welcome to our secret base, our friends."
As she spoke, she slowly removed the eye patch covering her right eye. Her golden pupils emitted light, projecting a red magic circle onto the ground beneath her feet, then slowly half-closed her eyes.
"Kukuku—I know, you who haven't awakened your powers are undoubtedly shocked, Death." Dekimori Sanae said, blue electricity appearing in her hand, and a massive blue hammer phantom, twice her height, materialized in her grasp.
"But it doesn't matter. As long as you gain Brother's approval, you can reawaken your powers."
"Of course, the premise is that you are truly our friends."
As Dekimori Sanae spoke, her gaze moved back and forth between Nibutani Shinka and Kumin Tsuyuri.
"No, no, it can't be—!" Nibutani Shinka snapped back to reality and took a step back. Too shocked to pay attention to her balance, she plopped onto the ground, staring at the two chuunibyou using superpowers.
Her heart pounded wildly.
No way! No way! Aren't you, aren't you chuunibyou?
How could you really have superpowers?!
So you really have superpowers! And you're not just chuunibyou!
Tomioka Yuuta also came to his senses. Since he knew beforehand, he wasn't too shocked to speak, but his expression instantly changed.
Since there were no 'outsiders' here, he began to assume his 'Dark Flame Master' state.
"Hehehe, not bad, truly not bad. Although I have no memory of this place, there's no doubt that I did stay here before my reincarnation." Tomioka Yuuta's voice was low, mixed with a cold laugh.
"So, there really are things like magic and superpowers in the world," Kumin Tsuyuri, who had a stronger ability to accept things, said with an O-shaped mouth after she recovered.
"..." Nibutani Shinka's cheek twitched as she looked at Tomioka Yuuta, whose personality had suddenly changed drastically.
Suddenly remembering something, she quickly looked at the 'Dark Grimoire' in Dekimori Sanae's hand.
Wait a minute!
She seemed so engrossed in my chuunibyou-era notes.
Could it be that I really have magic and superpowers?
Was the five-hundred-year-old magician my past life?