Writing... Now there's a promising sign. Akechi even swims closer to get a better look.

At least the water's getting warmer, and there seems to be some room to surface. The steps, too, present something promising, so Akechi swims his way up top and toward those stairs.

Once he surfaces, he realizes... "I stopped holding my breath midway through. It wasn't even a conscious choice."

He just got... comfortable along the way, somehow.