"Okay, it looks like we've got to get through a jagged and shifting room of guards and up a curved staircase around the edge of the room, and that there's most of a circle of rooms like that. Probably we're circling the edge of a tower as we ascend? And then there's an antechamber at the top, and a secure room just beyond. That's probably our target."

"All right! Getting close!"

"Nice. Let's go."

The staircase rooms have large chunks of the floor that raise and lower, separating most of the patrols from each other, that have to be navigated before going up each staircase. It's a lot of work, but they make it through, picking the shadows off in sixes and eights. At the very top, though, the antechamber features twenty shadows guarding it.

"Fuck that's a lot of shadows."

"That probably means we're in the right place. If there's this many guards, it's got to be the place we're looking for."

Panther looks over her shoulder at Orchid. "You wouldn't happen to have an awakening for us right now, would you?"

"I—"

She can't let Ann or the others fight this alone.

She can't hide away from fighting her battles anymore.

Your lady calls for your favor, Shiho Suzui! Will you not answer?

The headache returns with a vengeance. She clutches her head, her temples throbbing.

She staggers, and forces the words out through gritted teeth.

"I— I will."

Take up your shield and spear, then, and fight by her side! Claim the strength that has been yours all along!

Down Orchid tumbles to her knees, clutching her head. 

Ann.

The pain is worse than all of Kamoshida's beatings combined, but she'll bear it a thousand times over to protect Ann.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!"

"Shiho!" Ann flinches, but it's too late now —

Even now she calls out your name! Will you not go to her?

She will. She has to. She must.

"I'll fight by her side!", she screams out.

Never to turn away, never to fail, to die rather than lose your charge — Do you swear this oath, to be her shield and sword and everything else she should want of you?

The pain gets worse, but she'll bear it all.

"Aaaaaaahh," she interrupts the scream with a gasp, "I — haaaaah — will be everything she asks and — grrraagh — more!"

Her fist slams into the floor, cracking the tile.

"Hers for always!"

Then I will take your oath, Shiho Suzui! Swear it now!

The pain vanishes. 

She's left kneeling there, wearing a steel mask, feather sticking out of the top, and wisps of blue soulfire flickering away from her eyes.

She climbs to her feet, wraps her hands around the edge of the mask—

—And pulls.

It hurts. It feels like tearing herself open, baring everything she'd hidden away for years.

But she tears the mask free in a spray of blood.

Fire and wind and light swirl up around her, obscuring her from view.

"I am thou, thou art I."

Panther grins, and readies her whip. 

"Alright, Paladin. Let's take them down together!"

Joker pulls her gun. 

"Together!"

Mona readies their slingshot.

"Together!"

"Fuck yes, together!"