The shrine was gone. Yet, the Waterway God remained.
Koyoi left the god’s old seat behind. Looking back, a translucent shimmer of what was once a shrine sparkled in the morning sun. No voices called out now.
“...Let’s go.”
Koyoi turned to face the path ahead.
“To deliver you... Waterway God.”
“...Mm.”
The Waterway God’s voice echoed softly—a single voice that was now all that remained.
They walked the path. Beyond the Second Boundary. From here, the road led into the Interior.
The trees grew sparse. The sky was visible now—a brilliant, clear blue—but the air was biting and cold.
“...Suiro?”
Koyoi spoke while walking, addressing the god by name.
“How much longer until we arrive?”
“I don't know.”
The Waterway God’s voice drifted out.
“...But, up ahead.”
“My place is there.”
The Third Boundary. The place where the Waterway God was to be delivered. Toward that goal, they pressed on.
After walking for a while, they reached a three-way junction.
An old signpost stood there, its characters faded and weathered beyond recognition.
The path to the right was bright. The trees opened up, offering a clear view of what lay ahead.
The path to the left was dark. The trees were dense and crowded, the way narrow.
“...Which way?”
Koyoi asked.
“Left.”
The Waterway God’s voice was firm, without a hint of hesitation.
“It looks dark.”
“...But this is it.”
“My place is this way.”
Koyoi looked down the left-hand path. It was dim, cramped, and frightening. But if that was what the Waterway God said...
“Then let’s go.”
Koyoi stepped onto the path to the left.
It was a forest of shadows.
The trees towered high, a canopy of branches swallowing the sky. Only fragments of sunlight filtered through here and there, yet the world remained swallowed in twilight.
The bark of the trees was blackened—not with moss, but with the wood’s own naturally dark hue. When Koyoi brushed against a trunk, a clammy, chilling moisture seeped into their palm. These trees had grown by breathing the Interior’s air.
Mist drifted around their ankles. The ground was hard to see. Koyoi walked with measured, cautious steps.
“It’s so quiet,” Koyoi whispered.
“...Yeah.”
The Waterway God’s voice was equally hushed.
There was no birdsong. Not even the hum of insects. Only the lonely rhythm of Koyoi's own footsteps echoed through the gloom.
The words of the Borderfolk flickered through Koyoi’s mind.
“Be careful in the Interior.”
“The Observers’ main force is there.”
“Do not go alone.”
Koyoi gripped the drawstring pouch. I’m not alone. Suiro is here. That warmth was the only thing supporting Koyoi's trembling legs. Inside the pouch, Koyoi felt the Waterway God stir ever so slightly. He was afraid, too. But he was staying with them. That alone gave Koyoi the strength to keep moving forward.
They kept walking.
The path grew narrower and narrower. They had to squeeze between the trunks, branches snagging on their clothes.
The pouch grew slightly cold against Koyoi's chest.
“...Suiro?”
Koyoi pressed a hand over their heart.
“Be careful.”
The Waterway God’s voice was trembling.
“...Something is here.”
Something was there. Koyoi stopped dead. They scanned the surroundings.
Darkness. The mist was thickening. They could see nothing.
“...Where?”
“I don't know.”
“But it’s here.”
Koyoi held their breath. They strained their ears.
Silence. They heard nothing. And yet, something was definitely there. The Waterway God said so. If a god said it, there was no mistake.
Slowly, they began to walk again.
Making no sound. Holding their breath. Step by agonizing step.
“Run.”
The Waterway God’s voice shook again.
“It’s in front of us.”
In front. Koyoi froze. They stared into the darkness ahead.
It was dim. The mist was heavy. But something was visible.
Light.
In the distance, something was glowing. A white light. Flickering.
“What is that?”
Koyoi narrowed their eyes.
The light wasn't alone. Two, three, four... The number began to multiply rapidly.
The Waterway God fell silent.
“...Suiro?”
The pouch turned ice-cold, as if frozen through.
“Observers.”
The Waterway God’s voice was a ragged whisper.
“There are so many.”
Observers.
Koyoi stared at the lights. They were blinking in the distance. Ten... more than ten.
A sea of lights. Every single one was an Observer.
“The main force,” Koyoi murmured. The main force of the Observers that the Borderfolk had warned about.
They were here. Right in the middle of the path ahead.
“Should we run?”
The Waterway God’s voice asked.
“Should we go back?”
Koyoi thought for a moment. Going back might be safe. But then the Waterway God would never be delivered.
Shiori’s sacrifice flashed through their mind. The promise made to the shrine resonated in their chest.
“We're going,” Koyoi said.
“I won't run.”
“But...”
“I’m going to deliver you, Suiro.”
Koyoi squeezed the pouch tight.
“Because I promised.”
Silence followed. Then, the Waterway God spoke.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Until the very end.”
“Yeah.”
Koyoi nodded.
“Let’s go together.”
The lights continued to flicker in the distance. A multitude of glows. The lights of the Observers.
Koyoi stared straight at them. It was terrifying. But they would move forward.
The shrine had been laid to rest. Next was the Waterway God. And even then, it wouldn't be the end.
The journey would still continue.
Koyoi took a single step. Into the dark forest. Toward the light.
In the distance, the lights were countless.
The Observers’ main force was waiting there.