At the bottom of the lake, the water that had looked crystal clear from above was completely pitch-black beneath the surface. Shade, who had jumped in without any protective measures, almost immediately felt a trace of fatigue and drowsiness. The lake water beneath the starlight was unexpectedly warm, and for some reason it made him think of amniotic fluid. Fortunately, this level of drowsiness was something he could endure.
He had already memorized Flora's location, so rather than releasing his senses to explore what else lay at the bottom of the lake, he focused on swimming toward the witch.
The farther down he went, the more pronounced the drowsiness became. By the time he finally grasped Flora's slightly cold hand again, he could barely keep his eyes open.
He tugged the chain around his waist to notify Iluna on the shore that he had safely reached the witch. A moment later, the chain was tugged upward, Iluna's response that she had received the message.
A stream of bubbles escaped Shade's mouth as he remained under the effects of Underwater Breathing. He gave a gentle pull and found that he truly could not move Flora. So he softly stroked her sleeping face, closed his eyes, and pressed his forehead against hers.
The dream began once more.
Shade, who had been half-floating in the water, slowly sank toward the lakebed as though a weight had been fastened to him, until he fit against the witch as though embracing her.
The battle on the lakeshore had already begun, but the dim underwater world remained tranquil.
Only a few seconds later, a shadow suddenly swam over the people on the lakebed. More than ten seconds after that, pale arms that seemed to glow appeared behind Shade underwater and wrapped around his neck. The stunningly