It's dark. Pitch black. I can't see anything.
"Where am I? Wait, what happened after that?"
In this hazy, lukewarm void where my sense of self feels like it's dissolving into the surrounding darkness, my consciousness begins to stir.
First, I need to assess my level of awareness.
"My name is Ashiwara Soryu, 32 years old. Director of the Third Advanced Technology Development Division at the Japan Aerospace Self-Defense Force. I lost consciousness due to an accelerator accident and ended up here. I'm living a fulfilling life."
Good. My consciousness is clear. No signs of memory confusion.
Next, I check my vision. I try to open my eyes, but I don't feel my eyelids or eyeballs moving. There's no light at all.
I can't tell if I'm in a completely dark place or if I've lost my vision.
Then, I try to move my hands. But they don't respond at all. In fact, I don't feel anything. My legs are the same. I've heard that people who lose limbs sometimes experience phantom pain, but I don't feel any pain. I don't hear anything either.
I'm starting to panic. I pressed the purge switch on the accelerator. If the purge happened in that state, I should've been blown to pieces. But I'm still conscious. Yet, I can't feel anything else.
There's only one possibility that comes to mind.
"I've been reincarnated as a slime!!!!!!!!"
As I'm about to mock myself with a "Yeah, right!", a woman's voice interrupts.
"Yeah, right!"
Thank goodness. Someone's nearby. Maybe I miraculously survived and am lying in a hospital bed. But I can't see, and I can't feel my limbs. If I've become a vegetable with only my consciousness intact, that's pure hell. I'm alive, but imagining the painful life ahead fills me with despair.
Wait, it's too early to panic. If I work hard on rehabilitation, I might regain some movement. Prosthetic technology has advanced, so in a few years, I might be able to use neural-connected prosthetics. There are also experiments with cameras converting visual information into electrical signals and sending them to the brain's visual cortex. If I don't give up, I can make it. Some historical figure once said, "If you give up, the game's over."
Wait, though. I didn't actually speak just now—I only thought it. So why did I get a response? Did I unconsciously speak out loud? No, that can't be...
As I'm spiraling into confusion, the owner of the voice speaks up again.
"Finally awake? You've been sleeping for a while."
"Uh, good morning."
It feels strange, like I'm speaking but not actually making sound.
"Thank you for saving me. Which hospital is this? And what's my current condition?"
I ask the voice. It's a young woman's voice, so she's probably a nurse. But her tone is oddly casual.
"Hmm, let's see. This is Tokyo City. You're currently inside Takashiro Umeko's womb."
????????? Tokyo City? Is that like Tokyo Metropolis? Wait, there was that anime with "Tokyo-3" or something, so is it like that? Did the laws change, and Tokyo Metropolis became Tokyo City? How many years have I been asleep?! And what's this about being inside Takashiro Umeko's womb?
"Uh, what do you mean by 'inside Takashiro Umeko's womb'? That's a pretty old-fashioned name."
I can't wrap my head around the "inside the womb" part. Was I turned into some kind of experimental subject? Is Japan really the kind of country that would do such unethical experiments? Has so much time passed since the accident that the country's situation has drastically changed?
Various thoughts swirl in my head.
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean'? Inside the womb is inside the womb. You're an 18-week-old fetus. You were reincarnated at the moment the spirit was created, 12 weeks after conception. You've been asleep for 6 weeks and just woke up."
????????? Fetus? Reincarnation? Is this woman reading too much light novels?
"Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you call a doctor? This is a hospital, right? Probably."
"I told you—this isn't a hospital! It's the Takashiro residence in Takanawa, Tokyo City. You're inside Takashiro Umeko's womb!"
This isn't getting anywhere. Is this woman okay? But in my current state, there's nothing I can do.
"Listen, you activated the explosive bolts to stop the accelerator from going critical and destroyed it! You remember that much, right? Well, when that happened, a Tannhäuser Gate appeared in the center of the black hole, and you were swallowed into it along with the black hole! Normally, you'd be ejected into some random space, but because of a magic circle that happened to be drawn, your soul merged with mine and ended up inside this fetus in Takashiro Umeko's womb! Got it?"
I see. She's definitely read too many light novels. Yep. But this is a problem.
"Ugh! Fine! I'll show you what's happening around you through my eyes!"
As she says this, light suddenly floods my vision.
"Wait! My vision's back?!"
"Nope. I'm just sending information directly to your soul through my eyes. You're still an 18-week-old fetus, so you don't have the ability to see yet."
First, I see the ceiling of a traditional Japanese house, then the view shifts to show a young woman sitting on a tatami mat, sewing.
"This is Takashiro Umeko. She's going to be your mother in this world."
She's wearing several layers of traditional Japanese clothing, looking warm and cozy. But why is she in a kimono? It's not like there's a special event or anything. Looking closer, I initially thought she was an older woman, but she seems quite young. Hmm, judging by her skin, she's probably around 20, or maybe even younger. As I'm pondering this, the voice chimes in.
"She was born in Meiji 18 (1885), so she's 16 years old. Isn't that great? A fresh, young gal as your mom!"
"Wait, wait, wait!! Did you just say Meiji 18? You did, right? What does that mean? Is Meiji after Reiwa? Or is it the same pronunciation but different characters? No, no, first of all, what year is it right now?"
"In the Western calendar, it's 1901. You've gone back 131 years from when the accident happened."
Putting it all together, in 2032, the accelerator accident caused a Tannhäuser Gate to appear. I was sucked into that gate and somehow traveled back 131 years, ending up in Takashiro Umeko's womb. It's hard to believe, but the images of this world I'm seeing through this woman's eyes don't seem like a complete lie.
"Wait, then who are you? Are you someone from the research institute? I don't remember anyone with your voice! Why are our souls fused together?"
"Oh my, suddenly dropping the polite act? Tired of pretending to be a proper young man?"
Damn it! I feel like I'm being completely mocked here.
"Alright, alright. I'll believe you. So, who are you, really?"
"Ah, me? I guess I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Liliel, an angel who oversees conception and birth. I'm quite important, you know!"