An arm of black water surged forward.
It moved with a speed that left no room for escape. Asahi reflexively yanked the rope at his waist, pulling Koyoi back half a step. In the next heartbeat, the water swelled—without a ripple, without a sound—shaping itself into the curve of shoulders, the rise of a chest, and finally, the silhouette of a head.
It was massive, yet utterly silent. The rain was certainly falling, but the surface of the water remained as motionless as a mirror.
Instead, the water itself was rising vertically, standing tall.
"Whatever you do, do not draw your sword."
Asahi’s voice was strained.
"Cutting it will only stoke its rage."
Koyoi nodded. The knot at her waist throbbed with pain. That pain alone kept her sense of self from blurring. Kuon pressed his hand against the edge of his artificial eye, staring into the giant’s core.
Deep within the veil of its rage.
"...The center. It's pierced."
A single black point. It was driven in straight like a nail; only there did the raindrops sink with a hard, heavy sound. Deep inside her pouch, the Moon God pulsed with a faint light. A fragment of the Glass God sent a momentary flash of white across the edge of her vision.
『...It is angry. But it's not just anger.』
The voice of the Waterway God. Koyoi dimmed the light in her chest and counted her breaths. If she let her terror show, the giant would be drawn to her. The giant’s arm swung down.
Before the blow landed, the shock of pressure arrived first. From the point where the pressure descended, the mist tore away like a thin membrane. Asahi used his sword—still in its sheath—as a shield, stepping in at an angle to parry the strike. The water shattered soundlessly, some of the droplets scattering like needles.
Something cold grazed Koyoi’s cheek, stealing the warmth from her skin. Fear began to rise from deep within her.
"...Koyoi. Don't look."
Kuon spoke sharply.
"If you look, you'll be fixed in place."
Koyoi bit the inside of her lip, the taste of blood snapping her back to her senses.
"Rain God... can you hear me?"
Her voice was swallowed by the rain. But she felt that if she didn't speak, she would break. Deep inside the giant’s chest, a slender current quickened for a fleeting second. Then it stopped, and the silence grew heavy once more.
"It reacted."
At Koyoi’s words, Kuon nodded.
"It's in there... pushed deep into the back."
The giant’s arm rose again. This time, black grains showered down. It wasn't water. From the places they landed, the sound followed with a delay.
Kuon gritted his teeth.
"Seeds of Cessation. Wherever they fall, the laws of the world freeze."
Asahi tightened the rope and steadied Koyoi’s waist.
"You're the only one who can reach the center."
Koyoi took a breath. The scent of rain and moss filled her lungs, turning cold instantly.
"...I'm going."
She feared that if she stopped talking, her terror would take physical form, so she exhaled a long breath. With that breath, the light in her chest steadied. Kuon pressed his artificial eye and gave a slight nod.
"The next swing. For just one heartbeat, a path will open."
Asahi lowered his stance, keeping Koyoi in his shadow.
"Don't let go of the rope. If I pull, come back."
The giant’s arm rose high. The sound of the rain seemed to recede. The Glass God threw a single, faint shard of light forward. The Wind God exhaled, tearing a thin rift through the mist.
Kuon spoke curtly.
"Now."
Koyoi nodded, matching her rhythm to her breath. She focused only on the hardness of the ground beneath her feet.
She would put everything into the next moment.