The black tide had no source, surging in through cracks in the void.
In the blink of an eye, the entire ruined corridor became a boundless expanse of dark water.
The once dry, cracked white stone bricks vanished beneath the surface, and not even a whisper of wind could be felt.
Shunsui Kyōraku and Lille Barro plunged uncontrollably, sinking straight into the lightless depths.
This was no ordinary water from a mundane river, but a suffocating realm of desperation formed entirely from dense, manifested Reiatsu.
The water was as heavy as lead, and every struggle consumed enormous strength.
Lille Barro spread his arms underwater, trying to use Hirenkyaku to step on Reishi and escape the pool.
Yet no matter how he manipulated the Reishi beneath his feet, there was not a single solid point in the entire expanse of water he could push off from.
Instead, the more vigorously he moved, the faster his body sank toward the icy bottom.
Bubbles streamed from his nose and mouth, and an unbearable burning pain rose deep in his throat.
"Third act, Takaoni."
Shunsui Kyōraku's calm thoughts rippled slowly through the viscous water.
"A man and woman who leap into the abyss together can neither return to the surface alone."
"This act will not end until one of them completely exhausts their strength and Reiatsu and drowns in these pitch-black depths."
Lille Barro turned his lone eye underwater toward Shunsui Kyōraku, who was likewise slowly sinking nearby.
The wounds in Shunsui Kyōraku's abdomen and shoulder still seeped dim flecks of light, which became slender threads in the black water.
Yet Shunsui Kyōraku's expression was unusually peaceful. Even his limbs hung naturally at his sides, without a single unnecessary stroke.
Lille Barro tried to raise the rifle in his hands, only to discover that