A Warrior is Molded: Book One

by In Pursuit of Magic

Dying is scary. Forgetting you died is Bliss. Until Kathrine took a whack to her head at age three. She remembered her old life from her childhood to her death. She took it in stride until she found out who she now was. Kathrine Warren and she was in Raccoon City. In trying to prepare for her future, many changes occur. One big change involving a notable Island Known as Yamatai.

18. Chapter 16: Himiko's End

Chapter 16: Himiko's End

I don't own anything. Resident Evil belongs to Capcom and Tomb Raider belongs to Core Design, Crystal Dynamics, and I think Square Enix. The only thing I own is the changes made to the stories of the Tomb Raider games/comics and Resident Evil games/comics/CG movies, the persion that has taken over Kathrine Warren's life, and Rose Warren. This story also will be bloody, violent, and have curseing. It's rated T for Teen.

Country: Philippine Sea, State: South of Japan, City: Dragon's Triangle, Place: Yamatai, Area: Shipwreck Beach, Month: August, Day: Thursday 20th, Year: 1998, Time: 12:13 AM…

Kat stood with Lara as she hissed at her flexing shin and calf. It was now wrapped in a bandage and hurt more than before. Turned out the bullet had entered through her calf and got stuck on its way out her shin. Reyes had to dig the bullet out of her leg making a nasty wound that would heal to a nasty scar later. She didn't care about that. She looked up as Lara approached.

"Are you ready?" Kat stated. "I have black and red paint ready."

Lara nodded her head. "You can have my compound bow. I've made a new one and you've been eyeing it." She told her making her head rocket up. "It's in the item box. I'll get it for you."

"Thanks." Kat smiled as they approached the boat.

Reyes looked to them as she rubbed at her patched-up arm that was in a sling. "Whenever you two are ready to go, come aboard." She told them.

Lara and Kat nodded stepping aboard. A few hours later the sky was white from the overcast clouds and the sun was somewhere above them. Kat sat off to the side painting the two rockets they had with Black paint for the Ofuda and red for Himiko's name. Lara was next to her making sure the paint dried. Jonah kept watch of the woods around them.

Reyes looked to Lara and Kat from the wheel. "Guys, are you sure it's Himiko's body?"

Lara looked to Reyes. "Do you really want to know?"

"No." Reyes said looking forward. "But you should tell me anyway."

"It's not her first body. It's her last one. Her spirit is trapped in it." Lara explained. "But it's not a living body, it's dead so she can't do anything in it. Her rage is what's causing the storms and keeping us here. If we destroy the body, the storms will stop."

Reyes nodded. "Okay, right…" She paused. "And Mathias wants Sam to give Himiko a new body?"

"Yes." Both Kat and Lara said.

"Okay so why dose Kat have a rocket launcher?" Reyes asked. "Where did you even find that?"

Lara looked at Kat as if telling her to take this one.

Kat looked to Reyes as she finished the last Kanji in Himiko's name. "I want to make sure Himiko's body is not just destroyed but obliterated. I send one of these at her head and body, she'll be gone completely."

"That's a bit over kill isn't it?" Jonah asked nervously.

"Not when she's the reason we've lost our crew and friends." Kat stated.

"Look, I know this is a crazy plan." Lara stepped in as she stood.

"Yeah. It is." Reyes agreed.

"But right now, crazy is all we got." She looked to the remaining members of the Endurance. "So, let's do this."

They soon came to a stop on the riverbank. The final checks for their weapons were made and the anchor was dropped. Lara held Roth's silver pistol letting the slid go back into place before holstering it. Kat fixed the rocket launcher into place on her back and pulled out her new compound bow, gripping the handle tightly. Reyes turned away from the wheel of the boat. Jonah grabbed up his shotgun and turned to face the women.

"Alright." He said as he braced the weapon on his shoulder. "Let's go."

"No." Lara said looking from Reyes to Jonah. "We'll need you and Reyes to guard the entrance while Kat and I go in after Sam."

"You're going in there alone?" Reyes asked almost disbelieving.

"More people make it easier for us to be spotted." Kat explained. "We need you both to take out as many of the living and dead bastards as you can. Because it's not just the Solarii. The Stormguard have become the Japanese version of Duergar, undead warriors whose sole purpose is to protect a tomb or leader."

"Anything that's not Sam, Kat or me, shoot it." Lara stated.

Jonah grabbed Lara's arm and smiled sadly. "My Little Bird." He said sadly. "This isn't goodbye, I'm not going to say goodbye." He told her and nodded to Kat. "I won't say goodbye to you too, Flower."

Kat smiled a bit and so did Lara.

"We've got your back, girls." Reyes said nodding.

Lara and Kat both nodded then looked to the rocky cliff. They got off the boat and started their climb. This was it. They were on their way to kill Himiko. The pair of survivors had so many wishes and regrets. But all of it was done and gone. Sam had her protection and they just had to hope they got there before the Solarii did something to get around it or before it failed.

They reached the top and pulled themselves up onto the ledge and stood turning around to see a rock wall and a post. Kat drew back a rope arrow and loosed it at the rock wall on the other side of the river gorge. The arrow anchored into the rock making Kat smile as Lara tied off the rope on the post. Lara got on the line and Kat wrapped her arms around Lara. Then Lara used her ascender to pull herself and Kat to the rock wall. Both let go of the rope and sank their axes into the wall. After climbing a little bit, they pulled themselves up and into a tunnel. They stood and drew their bows, slowly walking into it and out of both Jonah and Reyes' sights.

They got to the end of the tunnel and crouched down before crawling on their hands and bellies under some metal. At the edge they stopped and stayed out of sight. Below them was a path up to the ritual chamber. On that path was Whitmen, Mathias, and Sam. Whitmen leading the way, Mathias behind him dragging Sam along by her arm. Sam's hands where bound behind her back, she was now in a white dress that looked almost ceremonial, her arms and legs had white paint on them, white flowers were in her hair on a vine crown.

"Sam!" Lara hissed quietly. "She's still alive…" She noticed that Sam was muttering, her lips moving quickly and quietly.

"…And the good doctor." Kat whispered just as quietly glaring at Whitmen. "I still remember that hit you ass…"

"What the hell are you doing, Whitmen?" Lara asked.

Lara and Kat then looked farther down the path and saw two of the Samurai Stormguard at the bridge. Oddly enough, they seemed to be conversing, as if they weren't undead. Whitmen saw them as he and Mathias ducked for cover pulling Sam with them.

"Who are these…?" Whitmen began uncertain what or who they were.

"The Stormguard." Lara and Kat breathed looking back at the men and Sam.

"People?" Whitmen guessed looking from the undead Samurai to Mathias.

"They guard the Monastery." Mathias informed as Whitmen looked back at them. "They wait only to be introduced to their new Queen, by the one who brought her back to us." He smiled slyly as he yanked Sam back from her trying to move away.

Whitmen smiled slowly. "Ah, of course, of course." He nodded chuckling and looking down as if pumping himself up. "I have encountered these archaic tribes before." He bounced on his feet a bit breathing in and out as if he was behind the camera and getting ready for a big scene. "Let's get some awards, James!" he then winked at Sam and Mathias, but Sam didn't waver from her muttering.

Whitmen then held an arm out at the Stormguard and stepped out of cover.

"What is he doing?" Lara asked confused.

"Getting himself killed." Kat whispered back.

Seeing Whitmen the pair of Stormguards stood and grasped their blades, not drawing them but being ready for it. Whitmen saw this but ignored it.

"My name is Dr. James Whitmen." Whitmen announced. "I come to you in peace!" He said opening his arms and slowly approaching in an 'I'm-not-a-threat' posture. "I bring you your new Queen." He then turned and gestured as if Mathias was going to swagger out with Sam in toe.

"Oh no!" Lara breathed as her hands tightened into fists.

But Mathias simply pulled himself and Sam farther into cover. Waiting for the right moment.

Whitmen frowned nervously and looked at were Mathias and Sam were hiding but could see them from where he stood. "You're Queen!" He said again as if thinking that Mathias hadn't heard him, as he was approached by one of the warriors. "What is it in Japanese…?" He muttered putting his head to one hand and looking down at the ground frustrated. "Euh…Your…Joou!" He said smiling at the two Warriors, hopeful.

The two Samurai, more than likely hearing it as blasphemy, drew their swords and rushed Whitmen with them with deadly skill and anger. Two sword swings and surprised scared yells from Whitmen and it was over with blood and cut off screams. With the two warriors distracted with Whitmen, Mathias pulled Sam with him to the bridge running across.

"LARA! KAT!" Sam yelled out, breaking her muttering for a moment in terrier.

Lara and Kat jumped down from their hiding spot and rushed at the bridge. The two warriors saw Mathias running with Sam across and rushed to gat at him. But just as Mathias and Sam were on the other side of the bridge and the Samurai were in the middle, Himiko's angered wind blew over the bridge so harsh and sharply that it was destroyed and sent her two Stormguard flying into the chasm below. This also stopped Kat and Lara from going the same route that Mathias and Sam had taken.

Sam could see the two though and shouted for them. "Lara! Kat!" She screamed over the wind's roar.

"Sam!" both yelled back.

"Keep praying!" Kat yelled to her.

"Come on!" Mathias ordered as Sam tried to drag her bare feet.

"LARA!" Sam screamed out wanting nothing more than to be with Lara.

"SAM!" Lara screamed back as she shielded her face from the wind as Mathias and Sam vanished up the monastery's stairs and into the ancient building.

The pair panted as they saw the archer Stormguard gathering as the wind died. The archers moved to the path to a window and then slipped through vanishing from Lara and Kat's sights. Lara nocked a rope arrow and got to a post before losing. Once the arrow sank into the rock wall on the other side, Lara tied off the rope on a post and then she and Kat jumped onto the line. They slid down it to the rock wall with their axes, stopping themselves when their axes sank into the stone.

They began climbing around then up. They pulled themselves up and over onto the patio where the Archers had been before. They ran to the window and one at a time climbed onto its ledge and then slipped through it, dropping into the monastery. As Kat dropped in next to Lara they heard a battle cry come from somewhere in the building. They looked to their left and saw through a wooden bared wall the Stormguard rushing passed.

"The Stormguard..." Lara breathed worriedly; she'd be a fool to not treat them seriously.

"They are honor bound as all Samurai to protect their queen. Whether or not if she's just a vengeful soul in a dead body." Kat stated sounding almost sad.

"You sound sad about that." Lara said as they moved slowly and quietly.

"Because I pity them. They can't move on unless she does." Kat said. "Maybe we'll put them to rest once she's gone and they have no reason to stay on this plane."

They ducked behind cover as they turned a corner and saw Stormguard. One took a knee before a group of three whose armor was a bit grander than his. They stayed behind cover until the group passed the kneeling one then he stood and followed the three. Once they were sure they had gone, Lara and Kat slipped from cover and entered the room as the doors closed. Both sets of double doors were locked, and the dry wood and cloth debris was blocking a hole. Lara drew an arrow back and with a flick of her lighter, set it ablaze. She then loosed a fire arrow at the debris, and they watched it all burn away, clearing a path for them to continue to find Sam and Mathias.

They ducked down into crouches to walk through the collapsed low-ceilinged tunnel. Lara struck her torch and lit Kat's as they moved. By this point, they didn't even bother to react to the old dry bones that littered the floor, or the stale smell of rot in the air. At the end of the small tunnel, they put out their torches as they took to cover, seeing a dozen marching and preparing Stormguard.

"Oh shit…don't make a sound, Lara." Kat breathed into the brunette's ear as they stayed behind the cover crouched.

Lara didn't need to be told but felt better knowing that Kat was there to even talk to her. The pair walked along a long-collapsed pillar that was just tall enough to hide them from the Stormguards that marched in a line two by two. The stone railing of the stairs hid the pair from view too as they climbed them quietly. At the top they stopped for a moment. The only way to keep going was across a very thin beam and it would be over top of the marching line of Stormguard. Lara bit her lip as she moved closer to the edge. In the large room to their right, they could see rows upon rows of Stormguard. It looked like this was where a small army was gathering. Lara looked to the wooden beam and made a gesture to Kat, indicating she'd go first. Lara was the lighter of the two now that Kat had a rocket launcher on her back with two rockets. Kat nodded her head as Lara turned to the beam.

Lara then stood up and stepped onto the beam and moved quickly over it with the grace of a jungle cat. She got to the solid ground of the other side and waved Kat over. Kat took a breath then stood and stepped onto the beam. She moved as fast as she dared and was less graceful then Lara but was still balanced. Once on the other side, Lara grabbed her shoulders to study her as the solid ground threw Kat off for a moment and she nearly fell back. After a moment Lara let go as Kat nodded. They looked to the wall behind Lara and saw that it was the only way to get to the other side of the large room. The stairs back down to their left were covered by large stones. Lara jumped up onto the hand holds first and shimmied a bit to the right to let Kat jump up too. Once both were on the hand holds, they started moving to the right as quickly as their strength allowed them too. They would've pulled themselves up and over and walk, but they could hear Stormguard on the other side and couldn't risk it.

'We're going to get through this…' Lara thought as they shimmied along, feeling their arms burn from the exertion.

They continued even with the Stormguard grunting, growling, and cheering. They kept going as the upper Stormguard swung battering rams hitting large bells. Once at the end they turned a bit and found that they'd have to jump to the next hand hold that was by a broken open window. Lara took a shaky breath then swung herself to it, swallowing a grunt as she flew. She grabbed the ledge as white dust fell from where her feet planted on the wall. She sighed as Kat got to the spot Lara had been before her jump. They waited for a moment then Lara slipped through the window. Kat then did the same jump and a lot more dust fell for her with her extra weight. She then slipped through the window, not wanting to risk the Stormguard reacting to the falling dust, but as she did the old skulls that were there got kicked and fell with more dust. One of the Stormguard saw the dust fall and heard the crack of the skulls hitting the ground. He looked up to see Kat's legs slipping through the window, he pointed at her and let out a loud inhuman roar alerting the others.

Kat moved to stand and moved just in time to avoid the fire arrow from hitting her head. Lara helped her to her feet as they ducked and dodged more fire arrows. They started running down a hallway as the fire began to catch and chase them on the wooden floors. They jumped over fallen wooden pillars as the ground continued to turn to embers before bursting to flame as more and more fire arrows rained into the hallway. They jumped at the end of the hall and found that it sandy drop off slide. Kat and Lara yelped as they started to slide down it, twisting and turning and leaving the roars of the Stormguard behind them.

At the bottom they slipped off the slide and rolled onto their back (Lara) and stomach (Kat). They panted and then pushed or pulled themselves to their feet and looked back at the slide. They turned away and pulled out their bows with nocked arrows and jogged down the sandy cobblestone path. Only for an undead samurai to drop down from above them. He pulled his blade and moved at them. Lara swapped for her assault rifle and sprayed him with bullets, oddly enough killing him.

"Okay…so they can die." Kat breathed as Lara looked from his downed corpse to Kat with a nod.

"That's a good thing." Lara agreed.

They were then rushed by two more on the path. Lara sprayed them both with bullets then Kat rushed one and slashed his throat and belly before he could recover from the gunfire. Lara rushed the other one, grabbed his shoulder and pulled the trigger of her assault rifle at his belly and moved the gun up to his head, keeping her finger pulled all the way. He then dropped dead as his comrade.

"Incredible that they are alive after all this time." Lara commented as they checked their bodies.

"Undead. Really intelligent undead brought about by a curse. That's all it is. Did you see how congealed their blood is?" Kat stated.

"True…it's still strange." Lara then looked to Kat as they walked into a small shelter in the path, finding a campsite inside. "Do you think that any of the zombies in Raccoon will be like that?"

Kat frowned. "No…not in Raccoon. Maybe I'll run into one or two that can…talk, but I doubt they are evolved enough to use weapons. They won't be Romero Zoms."

Lara nodded as she and Kat pulled out their journals and wrote another entry.

The prayer I found on that General talked about a soul in a decaying body being the cause of the storms. I know he must be talking about the Sun Queen, about Himiko. She was the first and last Queen. Mathias has Sam now. We can only hope that the Tattoo works to keep her safe long enough for us to destroy Himiko's body. Damn you Whitman! You'll do anything for a story.

I know Himiko's last body is inside that ritual chamber, but getting to it won't be easy. The Stormguard are devoted to guarding it. I know I have to do this, but I'm so scared of failing.

Lara closed her journal and moved on to cleaning her weapons as Kat finished writing.

Goddamn it, Whitmen, you Idiot! Why did you have to be as stupid and greedy as I remember you? Death by Samurai blades is a mercy to what I wish happened to you for your greed and dangerous ways.

That's over and done with though. All that matters now is getting Sam away from Himiko and sending that bitch to hell or wherever it is she'll be sent. I have the rockets painted, Lara and I are as ready as we can ever be. We just have to get to the ritual chamber. It won't be easy with the Stormguard and Solarii working against us, and Mathias will be in between us and Sam.

Lara just has to get rid of him and get Sam clear. Then with a shot to the head and chest, Himiko's rain of anger and death will be over.

Kat put her journal away and rubbed her locket before she set to upgrading her crossbow with a sight and better grip for making it more stable to her shoulder. Once they were done they both stood and left the campfire behind. They entered a tunnel-like hallway that had wall spaces filled with lit candles. At the end of the hall, they came to a locked door.

This time Kat pulled her axe and slammed it into the door, wrenching back and forth. With a sharp grunt, the lock popped off and the door was open. She and Lara were blasted by wind forcing them back a couple of steps. They gasped at how cold it was and Kat got some flashes of memories.

"When we get up to the top, it'll be freezing! There will be ice, snow, and lightning! And both Stormguard and Solarii all over!" Kat warned.

"Okay!" Lara nodded, guessing correctly that Kat had only just remembered.

They walked through the door and looked around them. Across the chasm on a wooden bridge path, they saw Mathias pushing Sam along through the winds.

"No! Sam!" Lara yelled out terrified that Sam was in this predicament. "SAM!"

"We'll get to her, Lara!" Kat called over the wind. "But we have to get moving now!"

Lara panted but nodded. They dashed to the left and started climbing some scaffolding as their radios buzzed with word from Reyes and Jonah.

"Alright, Jonah, here they come! Get on that gun!" Reyes ordered as Kat and Lara got to the top of the wood and slipped into a tunnel.

"I got this side…call out target!" Jonah called as the sound of gunfire rattled through.

Kat and Lara slid down a small slop just before a Stormguard could see them. Where they ended up, was a room filled with bones and bodies on display or sprawled out on the sandy coble floor.

"Come on, you bastards!" Reyes yelled from the radio.

"Watch out! On your right!" Jonah called as Kat and Lara dashed through this room and out onto a windy bridge.

"Keep shooting! Hold them off!" Reyes called as more gunfire could be heard.

"We've gotta move fast!" Kat called to Lara as they held their arms over their faces to try and block the wind from blowing sand in their eyes.

"Yeah! Let's move!" Lara called back and with that the bolted over the bridge as chunks of wood ripped up and were blown away.

But as they got closer to the middle, the stronger the wind got, and they ended up slowed to a fast-struggling walk. Then a large gust hit and the whole bridge par they were on broke and tipped downward, sending the pair tumbling down. Lucky they both landed on their stomachs. Kat wheezed into the sand making it puff before blowing away, the fall had forced the air out of her. Lara coughed as she and Kat pushed themselves up on their hands and knees. Lara hissed a bit as she held her side, where her wound was. Cauterizing their wounds before, had helped but that didn't mean it was a permanent solution and this fall was proving that.

They moved to stand only for a fire arrow to just barely miss them. They gasped at it then looked ahead of them. What they saw was a bunch of wood structures one would see as vantage points for a siege, Stormguard were all over it, running, yelling, getting to positions, and raising the alarm. Passed all that a pair of great double doors were kicked open by one of the large Oni that Lara and Kat had seen before, carrying his bladed Kanabō with him and letting out a roar as if he was in the WWE and this was his intro. He pointed an arm at Lara and Kat as they both stood, and the other warriors rushed forward as if called to battle.

Lara switched to her assault rifle reloading it and cocking it as Kat pulled out her sniper rifle. "Alright you bastards, let's see what you've got!" Lara called as Kat loaded a bullet.

Kat and Lara both took out the archers before switching to closer ranched weapons for the Samurai with blades. After shooting with her shotgun two archers threw explosives at Lara and Kat and loosed an arrow at it before it could hit them. It exploded just as the pair split up to the left and right of it. The explosion made a pillar fall and crated a bridge for the Stormguard to get at Lara and Kat.

After three shield warriors were killed by Lara's rifle fire and Kat's crossbow bolts, they both jumped onto the pillar bridge and crossed it, ducking arrow fire from the archers. Once across, Kat jumped on one Archer with her knife and axe, slamming her axe into his eye and slashing her knife across his throat and riding him down to the floor. Lara in that same moment was firing her assault rifle at the other archer and took him down with a kick and spray of ammo.

Two more shield warriors down and two more archers before Lara and Kat ran up a hill, colleting ammo boxes of shotgun shells and rifle ammo. As they turned up the next part of the hill, a pair of sliding doors open, and two round red barrels were thrown at them by the Stormguard. Lara and Kat both ducked to either side of the path and fired a bullet from handguns each at them before they hit them. The explosion of these two barrels still so close to where they were thrown from set off the others that were in the tower, killing the samurai inside and allowing Lara and Kat to turn down the path again.

They were close to the end of this blockade. A large group of archers roared at them and lit arrows before taking aim. Other warriors in the middle charged forward. Lara tossed Kat the trench shotgun and got out her assault rifle again. The pair of them took down the warriors with a hail of bullets, arrows, bolts, explosions from grenades, and slashes with axes and knife if they got just a bit too close. After a dozen fell before their might, and not once did Kat feel the need to sacrifice a rocket, a particularly angry gust of wind blew a bit of wood at them.

What Himiko clearly didn't know or might not have cared was that doing that reviled a bundle of ropes. Kat nocked a rope arrow and loosed it at the wall and then she and Lara pulled roughly on the rope line. The wall fully broke apart allowing them to keep moving forward. They ran up the newly made wooden ramp and toward the open doors.

They stopped however as the Oni came back out growling and snarling at them, gripping his ancient weapon tightly. He was tall, almost as tall as Mr. X will be. He was covering in golden Samurai armor and had the menacing warrior mask to match.

He marched forward after roaring. Lara and Kat drew axes, knife (Kat), and Broken Katana (Lara) and quickly ducked to either side as the warrior slammed his bladed Kanabō into the ground were the pair had stood before.

Neither Lara nor Kat could see an opening in his armor for their weapons. All they could do was duck and dodge. Then they saw it. On the wind, blowing toward them were two broken sets of wooden steps. With how hard the wind was blowing Kat and Lara suddenly felt their feet lift. They flailed and slammed their axes into the floor as the Warrior raised his bladed Kanabō.

He tipped his head at their action, wondering why they did that. Then he turned and saw the wood too late. He was hit by both and was sent flying over the side of the bridge and over Lara and Kat with a roar of anger, terror and maybe betrayal.

The wind died down enough for the two to pull their axes from the stonework and stood up. They looked at where the Stormguard had fallen before turning and rushing through the doors he'd come from to get out of the sand filled wind. Lara and Kat pushed the doors shut and panted. That fight had been hard. Himiko was really off her game if Kat and Lara had both gotten to this point.

They walked to the next set of double doors and stopped, finding a diary page. It was from the Soldier form WWII.

We never... never had a chance. They were waiting for us, hundreds of them. We never even made it to the sacred chamber. From the beginning, we were doomed. And now I wait for my ancestors to take me.

I can hear them. The Oni are killing my brothers, eating them, and consuming their souls. So much death. I'm the Last one. What is my fate? Will I become one of them?

Ancestors hear me. Please, take me away from this, before the Oni come for me. Please take me to the afterlife. Let me die in peace.

"These poor soldiers, they had no idea why they were here. And they died alone." Lara breathed as Kat tucked it away.

"We'll stop it, Lara." Kat looked to the big double doors before them.

They broke through the door and entered a large room that looked like a blood bath and a puzzle. They walked to the two separate pulley gears, but Kat stopped at hers, seeing a fluttering trapped dairy page. Picking it up she found it was Whitmen's last one and she began to read it out loud so Lara on the other side of the room could hear.

Well, it had to be done. Lara and Kathrine left me no choice. If I thought they could play the game, I might have let them in on my plan. But neither have the grit for this business. They aren't ruthless enough. You'd think Kathrine would be with being the daughter of a mayor, but she's not. And this discovery has to be mine. I've crossed the line. It won't look good, so... as unfortunate as it may be, they can't make it off this island. None of them can.

And whatever happens with Sam...It just makes this whole story all the more newsworthy. I don't think Mathias or his Solarii can be reasoned with, so I'll need to slip away as soon as this ritual is completed. I'll make the perfect sole survivor, returning with the authorities, the cameras...and an appropriately convincing expression of sorrow.

By the end Kat was wrinkling the paper with how tightly she gripped the paper. "Not ruthless enough, huh? I let you die, mother fucker." She gritted as she put the paper away.

"Whitman was a foolish man. In the end, his ambition got the better of him." Lara agreed. "Did you really let him die, Kat?"

Kat sighed as she slipped her axe into her gear. "I knew he was going to die. I knew how too. Weirdly I'd been waiting for it." She felt bad that she had and said nothing and did nothing. "Lara, does it make me a bad person that I didn't warn him?"

Lara thought for a moment as she put her own axe into her gear. "He had screwed us over a lot…but maybe you could've warned him. What he did with that warning would've been his choice." Lara stated. "But I don't think it makes you a bad person."

Lara then turned her gear. It opened the round grating on the floor below them, showing them a spike filled pit. Kat then turned her gear. This one pulled up a cage with rope wrapped around the bottom of it. With it out, Lara turned her gear back closing the grating. Lara and Kat then walked back to the doors and Lara loosed a rope arrow at the ropes of the cage. She then feed the rope into her ascender and pulled the trigger. The cage was pulled toward them then Lara released the rope. The cage swung back toward the wall opposite them. It crashed through the rock, making an opening for the pair. Lara and Kat tipped their heads.

"We have to get up there somehow." Lara stated as she looked around.

"Let's lower the cage." Kat as she rushed over to the left gear.

Lara nodded watching from her vantage point. Kat let the gear unlock and the cage slammed down onto the grate and then she ran back over to Lara.

"Think we need to get up high?" Kat asked her.

"Yeah." Lara nodded.

Lara and Kat then climbed up to the upper level by running up a ramp and jumping onto a bit of wood. Kat loosed a rope arrow at the cage's ropes and Lara slipped the rope into her ascender. She pulled the trigger.

"Get ready to jump." Lara told Kat.

Kat nodded. The cage came up to them as Lara stopped the ascender. They jumped onto the cage's top, grabbing the chain to study themselves.

"We can make this jump!" Kat called as the cage started to swing back toward the wall.

Lara nodded and then once they were close enough they ran a step then jumped off. Their feet kicked off the wall, punching them up to the window and grasping its edge. Lara and Kat then pulled themselves up onto the edge and over. They dropped down into the room, both losing their footing and scrapping their knees, ripping their pants there and on their thighs from the muscle strain.

They both grunted in pain before standing up and looking around them. The room they were in…it was some sort of monument room. That's what it seemed to be anyway. On every wall, was a golden statue of a different looking woman, but all wearing the same thing? The same crown, cloths, hairstyle, stood in the same pose, wore the same expression.

"The Sun Queens…" Lara breathed as she and Kat walked to the center of the room.

On the floor, depicted in more gold was the fire ritual, and all stages of the soul transferal ritual.

"The fire ritual to determine her next worthy host." Kat said frowning at it. "That chosen priestess enters the monastery."

"And her soul is replaced with your soul and becomes the revived Sun Queen." Lara nodded as they looked from one image on the floor to the next. "Shit…"

"This is when in the original timeline, you figure it out. What the rituals really are." Kat said as her hand tightened into fists. "You hear the words of different people, both oral words and written."

Lara's eyes narrowed too. "I'm glad I'm not figuring it out now." She looked around her at the golden statues, how though the body type and facial features were different, they all wore the same thing, all posed the same way. "They are all Himiko. That much is clear." She stated as she turned the first of the statues, one of a woman in the same garb but sitting cross legged on a throne. "You want Sam, don't you?" Lara gritted. "Well, we planned for that, Bitch. And you're not getting her."

"We'll stop it. And you'll go to hell, Ama!" (Bitch) Kat yelled at the statue as if Himiko could see them through its eyes.

"Let's go and put an end to this madness." Lara said but stopped as her boot kicked a scroll.

She picked it up and read it out loud, it was Hoshi's last words.

I have no choice now but to meet my fate. Tonight I climb the stairs to the Chamber of the Sun. But I will never submit to the ritual – I will not emerge Queen. None will ever believe what I now know to be the truth. A twisted evil beyond imagining lives within the Sun Queen. An evil that hungers for more than just the land and seas of Yamatai. This madness cannot continue!

So I go to the chamber, armed with the stolen dagger of her Stormguard General. By the time he realizes what I have done, it will be too late. For the sake of Yamatai, and all the priestesses that would follow me...I must die.

"She did it. It's Hoshi's body up there." Lara breathed sadly.

"But not her soul." Kat gripped her launcher on her back a moment. "Let's finish what she started."

Lara nodded. They turned to the left and ran through the doorway there. As they ran through the hallways, Lara and Kat couldn't help but think about Hoshi. She and other priestess before her walked this path, in the Sun Queen's ceremonial garb. They wondered how many of them had been as aware of what they were walking to as Hoshi and just accepted it, how many were scared, how many were calm, how many were blissfully unaware. Some must have left clues for Hoshi. Kat sighed as she and Lara came to the last of the campfires for a long time.

They took a moment to prepare their weapons. Cleaning, giving last minute upgrades, and loading them. They then walked to the door and slammed both their axes into the lock and pulled. The moment the doors burst open wind as cold as winter blasted them. Snow blew in and put out the candles and fire around them. They stepped outside the doors as snow blew around them in a blizzard. They looked up as they climbed a small set of stairs. The chamber of the Sun was at the top of a tower and everything was covered in frost, ice, and snow. They could just make out some hanging braziers and seeing the lit fires in them just reminded them how chilling the wind around them was. It chilled to the bone, to the soul.

They both took a deep cold breath and then looked ahead to the bridge. No turning back. They had to get to the top no matter what and kill Himiko. They bolted for the bridge. The wind picked up, kicking up snow and sending it at them, a clear signal Himiko was scared of them and trying to delay them. Even as the snowflakes stung their eyes, gathered on their skin, cloths, hair, and eyelashes, they pressed forward. Arms in front of their faces to shield as much as they could. Their run slowed to a determined walk, pushing against the wrathful winds.

"No, no, please…" They heard Sam call out. "Shukufuku to hogo! Kago!" (Blessings and protection. Divine protection.)

Kat and Lara looked up from the ground as Mathias held Sam close to him and in front but had his saw-blade staff held at Sam's throat, to prevent her from running. Sam's eyes widened as she locked on the pair. Her best friends. Her knights in rags. Her family.

"Lara! Kat!" She yelped at them terrified beyond belief. "Shukufuku to hogo! Kago!"

Lara and Kat had their bows drawn and aimed at Mathias. The dumb man had left his head open for a shot. Their only worry being that staff nicking Sam.

"Why are you doing this, Mathias?" Lara called out.

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"Do you not see that Himiko is lying to you?" Kat yelled at him.

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"Do you think that you're the heroes?" Mathias asked them darkly. "Everything I've done I did to survive." He called. "How many lives have you both taken to do the very same?"

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

Just then the Himiko's wind picked up and rocked them all.

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"There are no heroes here, only survivors!" Mathias continued then looked behind him to the tower, as if he could see the Sun Queen or hear her.

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"Himiko's dangerous, Mathias!" Kat yelled at him as she and Lara took slow careful steps toward him and Sam. "She's angry, she's vengeful, and she's become a Goryō!" She informed over the wind. "All that power, what do you honestly think she'll do with it?"

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"She has real power, Mathias!" Lara called, the pair making Mathias back up with Sam as they drew closer with their ready weapons.

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"A mere mortal for a queen?" Mathias asked, not listening to Kat or Lara's warnings, as he looked behind him at the steps, making sure he didn't trip. "A good trade for our freedom I'd say!"

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"And enough of that praying!" Mathias yelled into Sam's ear startling her.

A crack of lightning and a bolt struck the path next to Lara. This made Kat and her duck away from it, lowering their bows. Mathias took the opportunity to enter the tower and vanish with Sam from Lara and Kat's sights. Kat and Lara looked and saw no one there. Lara growled as Kat threw up her arms in frustration, the path in front of them was now on fire, blocking them from entering the tower the same way as Mathias and Sam. They looked to the left and saw an opening. Without words, they bolted for it.

In this room was a lava pit, a rock wall, and a post. Though the heat was welcome, neither dwelled on it. Kat watched as an arrow appeared in rock wall, Lara tied it off and got on it. Kat grabbed onto Lara. Lara then attached her ascender and they zipped up the line to the rock wall. They sank their axes into the stone and started climbing up and to the right. At the edge, Lara jumped to the next wall first. Once she had purchase, she began to climb up and farther to the right. Kat right behind her. They got to the top and end. Lara jumped onto the wooden floor first and was followed by Kat.

They both ran to a gap and jumped it to the rest of the platform and slipped out the doorway back out into the frigid cold. They jumped from this platform to the right wall that was made of solid ice. This time they climbed up and to the left and then jumped a gap to the next Ice wall. They climbed to the left a bit then up and pulled themselves over the edge onto the next level. They climbed up a window and into a small room.

Lara loosed a rope arrow at a small bell and pulled on the rope at the right angle. She let go and the bell swung with Himiko's unintentional wind, blew into the blocked gate. It crashed through it giving Kat and Lara their next path. They ran through and into a room much like the monastery from before. Wood flying around, some barely gripping to their spots. No hesitation Lara and Kat ran up a ramp and jumped for the firsthand hold for the upper level. They pulled themselves up and Lara rushed to lose a rope arrow at a bell above them. Kat was by her side and tying the rope off on a post. Lara got on the rope with Kat holding onto her and then they zipped up to the next level with the ascender.

Part way up, the rope that held the bell to the ceiling snapped and it started to fall. Lara and Kat felt the burst of adrenaline and twisted mid-air. Just barely their fingers grabbed a support beam for the floor they head been heading too. As they grabbed it, the floor broke and the beam bent a bit. Kat looked down and looked away. If they fell now, they'd be dead. They shimmied on the side of the beam then pulled themselves up onto it. They balanced on the beam, against the wind and rocking of the building.

As they walked along to the other side, the beam tipped down on that side, making them fumble, but quickly jumping for the next part of the floor that was left, a part of the outdoor balcony. They pulled themselves up as the room behind them collapsed. Just then, their radios buzzed, and they pulled them from their belts as Reyes called out.

"Girls, watch out!" Reyes alerted. "Those bastards are heading your way!"

Kat and Lara looked down to the bridge and saw dozens of Solarii men running across it.

"We did everything we could to slow them down…" Reyes reported.

"Thanks, Reyes." Lara said as she and Kat looked to the way they had to go.

"Get back to the boat, you two." Kat ordered as she and Lara turned and started walking, she rubbed her locket a moment. "If we're not back…"

"We're not leaving without you!" Reyes interrupted. "We'll be waiting…For all of you."

"That's very sweet that you've got confidence in us." Kat grinned. "I can't die yet. Got Raccoon to look forward to."

A groan and sigh before they put their radios away.

"Are you back to making jokes?" Lara asked Kat.

"Yep." Kat smiled as she looked to the jump they had to make. "Let's give 'em hell."

They jumped to the next part of the path and ran along that. Then jumped, aiming to grab the stairs. But the stairs as soon as they grabbed a hold swung back, throwing them toward an ice wall. They sank their axes into it and started to climb, undeterred despite their fingers feeling cold. They climbed to the right along the ice wall then up it. They jumped to a wall of wood, pushed up with their feet and grabbed the window lip that was there. They then climbed up the window's bars to the next opening.

As they slipped inside and moved to where they had a post and an open wall, they watched as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and hit a wall of wood, knocking a rope hold away. However, it reviled an ice wall. Kat drew back her bow for a rope arrow and loosed at the newly exposed wall. Lara tied off the rope once it anchored to the post and got on the rope. Kat grabbed hold of her as Lara got out the ascender. A pull of the trigger and they zipped up the line toward the ice wall. As they sank their axes into the wall, three more bolts hit the side of tower, knocking away the stairs that Lara and Kat could've used safely to get in. but once again, it only exposed more ice walls.

They climbed down and to the left. Then jumped and dropped a few feet to the next patch of ice wall. They climbed down then dropped again, sinking their axes into the next ice wall. Kat yelped as the sudden jerk strained her hand wound. She waited just a moment before she and Lara kept going. They climbed around this ice wall to the right and then up passed a statue of Himiko. They pulled themselves into a small chilly cavern and up some frozen steps.

At the top of them was a campfire. They warmed their hands for a moment then turned away from it. They felt the burning sting of cold still, but they didn't feel numb yet. They rushed through a doorway and into another part of the tower. They ran up a makeshift wooden ramp and jumped for a bar. Lara swung herself off it onto the hand holds of a window like a skilled gymnast and Kat swung like a crash course given park core student. They rapidly climbed up only for wood to break apart above them from wind. They then shimmied to the right and started climbing up another window.

At the end of it they hit another ice wall. They sank their axes in and started to climb it. As they climbed up, the wall shook as lightning cracked and struck the walls, hitting anything that looked like a hand hold, but missing the ice wall. It was as they were part way up the lightning struck the ice walls, carving in and making it a harder and much more dangerous path. This still didn't stop Kat or Lara. They got to the end of one part and jumped to the next one to the left and kept climbing.

They were lucky they'd picked the left part of the ice wall. The moment they jumped, Lightning struck the ice patch above and it crashed over where they'd leapt from. It would have killed them if they hadn't moved. They got to the top and climbed to the left before jumping to the next ice wall. The fact that they were still making progress and alive must have really pissed Himiko off as the sky, though already dark, darkened even more. One last strike of lightning, but Lara and Kat were over the edge and standing on the top of the tower.

Ahead they could see a sphere of purple energy, constantly circling the center of the tower. They stumbled in the wind to the edge of the platform they were on. Below in the sphere Mathias had Sam kneeled in front of Himiko's last host body.

"Oh, Great Queen." Mathias invoked, arms in the air. "Through the trials I have brought you your vessel." He called as they all looked at Himiko's last rotted frozen body. "Pour forth and return to this mortal coil."

"Shukufuku to hogo. Kago." Sam muttered shakily with tear in her eyes as she prayed that the Ofuda would work. "Shukufuku to hogo. Kago."

"Pour forth and be reborn!" Mathias called looking to the dark thunder cloud filled sky.

Kat pulled out her Sniper Rifle. "Shukufuku to hogo. Kago." She muttered with Sam as she loaded a bullet and chambered it.

"Pour forth and awaken!" Mathias finished loudly.

Himiko's body gasped as parts of her face peeled away. She then threw he head back and screamed in pain from how rotted and cold her body was. Blue rippling river-like energy flew toward Sam quickly almost desperately. That's when something happened. A red glow spread out from the core of Sam forming a rippling force field that was like rolling flames. The watery energy of Himiko hit and it sizzled to white before flowing away. Himiko screeched in a new angry pain. But the watery energy continued to battle with the dancing red. Sam screamed too, however. Her lower chest was burning like it was on fire.

"Sam!" Lara called out as Sam screamed out in pain.

Lara loosed an arrow at Himiko, but the wind seemed to grab it and throw it out of the air.

"Oh, god, I have to get to her!" Lara gasped.

"Go, I'll cover you from here." Kat told her as she turned to look at the path. "I have to stay here. It's the best vantage point to hit Himiko." She informed. "Just make sure you get Sam clear."

Lara nodded and jumped down and struggled to get through the wind. One would think that they were in the storm's eye. But it was clear that Himiko didn't follow the rules of a storm. Kat took out her radio and flicked it to talk and watched Lara move through her scope.

"The Ritual has begun! Defend Mathias!" Solarii yelled.

Lara didn't care, she kept walking, pulling out her assault rifle and killing a man who was running at her. Another man dropped next to her as a rifle pop sounded around her, letting her know Kat was keeping her covered just like Roth. Mathias looked at the red and blue energies fighting and tried to assist Himiko with his words.

"With the rain, may your soul seep in, filling the vessel!" Mathias called out as Kat ejected and reloaded.

"For the Queen!" Yelled the Solarii as Lara killed two more with Kat killing another.

"The Queen rises! Protect her!" Yelled another man as Kat shot him in the eye.

"Protect the ritual!"

Lara killed five more and moved to the next bit of cover as Kat tried to shoot Mathias but found that her bullet was knocked enough off course to just clip his staff.

"For the Sun Queen!" Yelled the men.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kat yelled at them as she pulled the trigger, ejected, and reloaded.

"Rise, Great Queen." Mathias continued as Kat took out a few men with shields. "Fill this vessel with your spirit!"

Lara pressed forward, the Solarii were starting to dwindle enough for her to move.

"Here now, your vessel awaits." Mathias tried, sounding just a little panicked that it seemed Himiko wasn't penetrating the red field. "Ah-awaken, my Queen…Awaken!"

The Solarii ran out of men as Lara rushed toward the path. But a heavy gust of wind rushed at her. She fell and sank her axe quickly into the ice. The wind was so strong that Lara was being lifted and losing her grip on her axe.

"Oh please!" Lara screamed. "Sam! Hold on!" She yelled as the Stormguard showed up to replace the Solarii as Lara's obstacles.

"Hang on!" Kat yelled into the radio, taking aim at Himiko.

Kat took a breath and time slowed down between each heartbeat. She felt it happen strongly within her cells, flooding her brain, some were complex emotions about Rose and Lara. Primeval feelings stronger than she ever expected. Some were quick flashes like dusty old user guides that from prehistory. She let them fill her and they gave her an animal like grace, strength, speed and cunning, and a ferocity she had never known even as a mom protecting her child. Over the top of it all was a human abandonment that helped her to surrender to instinct completely. She adjusted her aim.

"Upon these winds…" Mathias began again.

Kat pulled the trigger, and her bullet was knocked off course, but hit where she had hoped it would. Himiko's chest. Himiko screamed as a bolt of lightning struck the wall tower next to Lara, making it fall, and crush the Stormguard that had gotten too close to Lara and canceling out the wind.

"RISE! RISE!" Mathias screamed.

Lara stood. "I don't know what you did, Kat." She said as she ran to a wall and climbed up it onto a platform. "But thanks!"

Though Kat couldn't hear Lara, she could guess. "Welcome, Lara."

Lara then bolted down a ramp. And stopped as bolt of lightning hit another small pillar.

"Through the storm…RISE! RISE!" Mathias called as the wind pushed it over and breaking it to smaller pieces.

The pieces rolled and tumbled around. Lara ducked, but one of the few remaining Solarii wasn't as lucky. He was crushed into paste between a tumbling wood and a stone. Lara continued forward with Kat covering her. The few Solarii turned and saw Lara coming at them.

"Stop her, the ritual has to be almost complete!" Yelled one who seemed unsure.

The purple storm energy field around Himiko, Sam, and Mathias was now gaining tints of blue and red in it, signaling just how hard Himiko was trying to get into Sam and how much Sam with her Ofuda protection was blocking. However, the red did seem to be getting a small, bit weaker the longer it went on.

"Goddamn it, keep her ba—Ah!" He was cut off as Kat's bullet hit his chest.

"You won't stop me, you bastards!" Lara yelled at them as she sprayed them with bullets from her assault rifle and shotgun. "Get the hell out of my way!" She raged forward with Kat covering her.

"Protect the ritual!"

"May-May the winds carry your essence!" Mathias tried, but it seemed he was now looking at Sam as if scanning her. "Himiko, from the storms, I bring you to life…"

Kat pulled the trigger again and the bullet hit were his feet were making him jump back. "SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU'RE SO GODS DAMNED ANNOYING!"

Lara ducked a swing from a shield guy but swung at him with her axe. He dropped taking a knee. Lara then sank her axe into his skull and wrecked it back out with a cracking sound.

"MA…TH…IA…SSSS!"

Lara and Kat stiffened a moment at the voice that echoed over the sky and around them. It was as if the storm and winds were all speaking as one voice.

"The Guardians are here!" Yelled one of the Solarii making Kat snapped back to shooting and Lara to keep moving.

"Ah no! The Guardians!" Yelled another as Kat ejected and reloaded.

"Pour forth, fill up this mortal coil!" Mathias called with more conviction now that he'd heard Himiko's voice.

"SOM…THING'S…WORNG!"

And now Kat and Lara were shocked. The last time they'd heard Himiko she spoke in Japanese. Then again, Mathias might not like to speak it, or she had learned the language for concurring the world. It didn't matter. As Kat took aim at Mathias. She pulled the trigger, and it went off course again. Hitting his staff, and not his hand.

Mathias approached Sam and pulled her to her feet, all as Himiko continued to try and get in Sam. "What did you do? How are you doing this? I took your charm away!"

"No, Mathias! Stop!" Lara yelled as the blue took over the purple and red energy field, but Sam still had her red fiery aura round her. "Don't hurt her!"

Lightning angrily struck everywhere at once, as if Himiko were having a tantrum. Kat was then forced to move her sniper nest and jumped down to were Lara had dropped down the first time, meaning she couldn't see Lara any more or cover. A head of Lara's path, the ground broke from the lightning strikes and sent Solarii falling to their deaths below. It however reviled rock wall. A Stormguard was then struck with red lighting and sent flying from the snow. No one questioned it as Lara ran for the remaining platform and jumped the gap to it.

"Lara, I'm sorry. I had to move. I can't cover you anymore." Kat raised Lara as Lara pulled herself up. "But I can still try and keep Mathias off Sam. But you need to hurry. Sam isn't looking too great."

Lara nodded as she heard a gunshot and a male yell of pain. Kat and just grazed Mathias's hand that had a hold of Sam. He dropped her and looked around. Lara jumped and sank her axe into the rock wall and climbed up it. At the top she fought the raging winds trying to the other side of a blockage.

"Himiko, from the storms!" Mathias yelled as he turned back to chanting and trying to look a weak Sam over. "I bring you to life!"

Lara jumped over the edge of the blockage and ducked for cover. Solarii continued to shoot at her. But then they switched targets and screamed as the Stormguard started to slaughter them. Lara peered out and saw an Oni, like the one she and Kat had escaped before climbing up and onto the plateau.

"Upon these winds," Mathias tried as he walked toward Sam, only for a bullet to hit the floor, stopping him mid-stride. "Rise! Rise!"

The Solarii gaped as the Oni roared at them showing his teeth and that the skin under his samurai mask was practically gone or rotting away. The men tried to shoot the hulking undead warrior, but he simply strode to the first and back handed him, sending him flying and into fire. The last one he smacked the shotgun from his hands. The man looked to the Oni warrior with fear and horror. The Oni grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him up, his legs dangling, the man tried to fight him, but the Oni simply crushed his throat and snapped his neck in one go.

He dropped the body as Lara stepped out and looked at him. He looked to her and roared at her.

"Kat!?" Lara called as she tucked and rolled to the side, pulling out her radio as the bladed Kanabō slammed into the icy snowy stonework, cracking it. "How do I kill an Oni?!" She yelled into the devise as the warrior growled at her.

"Jitto shi nasai, chīsana josei." (Stay still, little woman.) The Oni growled at her with a sharp snarl.

Kat gritted her teeth as she could just barely make out the Oni from her new vantage point through the Sun Chamber. "I can see him." Kat told Lara.

Lara ducked a side swing from the bladed Kanabō. "Okay…can you shoot him Please?"

"Hang on…." Then Kat saw it for just a second. "Can you get him to turn his back to me?"

Lara launched a grenade at him and rolled out of his way as it exploded and did nothing. "Okay…North or South?"

"West." Kat told her as she took aim, she could've sworn she saw a chunk of armor missing from his back.

Lara waved at him. "Hey over here, Lump!"

The Oni Roared and spun to get at Lara. POP! He roared in pain stumbling forward and holding a hand to his back. But he didn't go down.

"Damn it. I have to take another shot. But his back is not just missing a chunk of armor, Lara, he had no armor on his back." Kat informed as she ejected the shell and reloaded.

"Thanks for the weakness." Lara breathed as she dodged an upswing of the bladed Kanabō.

Lara got the Oni's back to Kat two more times for two more shots. On the third shot, he took a knee panting. Lara took that opportunity. She rushed forward with her axe. She swung hard to the left. The point of her axe cracking across his face and knocking his mask away and showing her his full face. The skin around the jaw and teeth were gone and the only flesh was his eyes and nose.

Unfortunately, he stood up and grabbed Lara by the throat. She choked as he lifted her off the ground. He yelled in pain and tossed Lara to the left as he reached for his back. Kat had taken another shot and was wondering if this guy was actually a Tyrant. He was a bullet sponge that was for sure.

"SHE'SSS…PROTECTED!"

They heard Himiko screech angrily over the sky. Clearly very pissed off with how hard he had to work. Lara and Kat however had to deal with the Stormguard. Because as Lara ducked away from a swing, Kat ducked a fire arrow. Kat looked to her left and saw a pair of Stormguard Archers close to her and a shield worrier.

"Try to hold out, Lara. I've got company!" Kat called and switched targets.

She pulled the trigger of her rifle then switched to her axe and Knife. The shield guy blocked the bullet with his Shield. Kat rushed him and fainted to the left, making him think to swing there. This opened him up on the right. She dropped to the right and slashed with her knife in a reverse grip. He roared and dropped to his side. Kat moved to slam her axe into his face, but he backed off. She hit the ground with her axe and pulled back. She swapped her knife for her revolver and fired at the archers.

Lara meanwhile was ducking and dodging, but now had a problem too. Stormguard had shown up with her two to back up their Oni leader. She switched to her assault rifle and killed one before ducking an arrow and rolling from a bladed Kanabō slam. Just as Lara killed the third Stormguard. She dropped for a moment and saw to her left there was a scorch mark just a foot from her. Any closer and she would've been fried. She then rolled out of the bladed Kanabō's way and killed the last of the Stormguard.

Kat killed her second archer with a crossbow bolt and ducked a sword swing from her shield guy. She then slashed with her knife at his Shield arm. He yelled and nearly dropped his shield. Kat then delivered a push kick to his chest sending him stumbling back. She lifted her crossbow and pulled the trigger. A bolt sank into his face and he dropped back. Kat panted then stitched to her sniper rifle and looked to see Mathias trying to move to Sam again.

"OH, HELL NO!" Kat yelled and pulled her trigger.

Her bullet grazed his foot making him scream and jump back.

"With the rain, may your soul seep in, filling this vessel!" Mathias yelled in raged now.

Kat ejected her shell and reloaded. "Back, Lara."

"Fucking hell! Kat, I was almost struck by lightning!" Lara yelled as she ducked.

"I was almost struck too." Kat took aim. "See if you can get that helmet off." She said as she pulled the trigger, hitting the warrior's back, making him take a knee again in pain.

"Pour forth now, fill up this mortal coil!" Mathias yelled.

Lara rushed the Oni and swung her axe at his head. She connected and pulled hair to the right. His helmet cracked and flew off his head. Lara ducked back as he stood up and roared at her. A bullet whizzed and hit the head of the Oni. It cut through to the other side and sent a spurting trail of dark brown-red blood from the hole. He dropped to his knees, then fell to his side before dropping on his back, his blood mixing with the ice and snow.

Lara doubled over and braced on her knees. "Damn it…please tell me…"

She stopped as a red bolt of lightning hit the sharp wood of the path in front of Lara.

"We'll talk after. Get to Sam!" Kat told Lara.

Lara rushed forward and up some stairs and onto a stone bridge. She crossed it toward the ritual. The red glow of Sam's protection was getting smaller as Himiko's grew. Lara crossed the bridge, and it was destroyed right as she got to the Sun Chamber's center. Lara glared as Mathias ignored a rifle shot to his foot and grabbed Sam up to her feet.

"Shukufuku…to…hogo….Kago..." Sam panted out as she weakly glared at Mathias.

He then saw it. A bright glow poking through the front of her dress. He ripped it open and there he saw them. The Ofuda Kanji glowing red hot on Sam's skin. His eyes widened as he looked to Sam with anger.

"What have you done!?" He yelled at her.

"Shukufuku…to…hogo…Kago." Was all Sam would say.

Lara took aim at Himiko with her fire arrow. The new light got Mathias's attention. He dropped Sam like a sack and pulled out the black tactical pistol he stole from Sam.

"NO!" He pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the arrow, knocking Lara's whole bow out of her hands. Lara turned and looked at him. She drew her pistol and took aim at him. As he ran at her.

"YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!" He screamed at her.

She pulled the trigger just as he got to her and smacked her hand aside, making her shot go wild and barely missed Kat's ear. Mathias punched Lara with a right cross splitting her lip and sending her stumbling with a yell of pain. Lara gasped as she drew her axe and Mathias growled at her.

"This end's NOW!" He yelled at her.

Lara raised her axe at him. A bullet hit his shoulder making him stumble toward Lara. Lara sank her axe into his other shoulder. But his momentum sent him pushing Lara to the floor and onto her back. He leaned back from her but had her straddled. Lara saw the black pistol on Mathias's belt. Just as she moved for it, Mathias reached the axe from his shoulder and lifted it to use it on Lara.

Lara grabbed either side as he tried to bring it down to choke her. Lara heard a pop as Himiko suddenly screamed in pain and the mix of red and blue was brighter. Lara then started to try and pull on the axe and tip it a bit. Mathias then shifted to try and pull it away from her. Just as Lara wanted him too. She let go abruptly with a grunt. The handle rocketed into Mathias' face dazing him.

He sat back growling in pain as Lara snatched the black pistol from his belt. Seeing this he tried to move it away. Lara pulled the trigger, hitting his cheek and making him yell out and fall off of her. Lara kicked him the rest of the way as she stood, stepping away holding his cheek. Lara then stood and picked up her silver pistol and stood with a set determined expression.

She lifted both pistols at Mathias. She pulled the triggers, one after the other in quick bursts. Mathias's body shook as he turned. He stumbled back at Lara's expression. It was cold, dark, and not a single hint of mercy was there. She started to pull the triggers at the same time the closer she walked. Mathias's chest was riddled with bullet holes by the time he stumbled to the edge. He coughed blood as Lara pulled the trigger, once, twice.

His foot slipped off the edge. And then he was falling. He screamed in pain, horror, fear, and shock. Lara stepped to the edge and watched him fall, pistols at either side of her hips. Her face looking down at him as his body vanished into the darkness with the smallest of a smile. She then holstered her guns.

"Lara, get Sam out of the way! I have the shot!" Kat said as she lifted the rocket launcher onto her shoulder and loaded the first rocket into it.

Lara spun around and rushed to Sam's side. Sam was hovering now, the red fire energy was just around her head and chest now, her arms and legs were exposed to Himiko's blue water energy. Lara wrapped her arms around Sam and pulled her down and away from a screaming Himiko corpse.

"NO! SHE…'S MIIIIINNNEEEE!" Himiko screamed at her. And the first rocket was launched and whizzed past her into the wall.

"Shukufuku…to…hogo…Kago." Sam panted weakly as her eyes closed and Lara made it to the other side of the chamber.

Lara drew her pistol and glared at Himiko. "You need sleep, dear."

Lara pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the center of Himiko's chest making the wind die down and the blue energy dimed as well. That was all that was needed.

Kat adjusted her aim. "þú est né gildr." She whispered as she pulled the trigger on the launcher.

The rocket with the Ofuda in black and Himiko's name in red fired from the barrel. It crossed the distance and spun a bit as it rocketed toward Himiko. Himiko's head turned to it and her undead eyes widened, reflected in the green metal of the rocket. It hit her forehead just as she started to scream. Lara covered Sam with her body as a bright explosion fallowed. A bright flash of Blue energy, orange fire, red flash, and a shock rocked the tower and knocked stone apart. Lara looked over and saw that there was nothing left of Himiko. Not a scrap. Just the blue lightning was still softly sparking around the alter that her body had been on before dying away.

Lara panted as she sat back from Sam looking at the Alter. She hadn't expected it to work so well. Kat dropped to her knees panting and shaking as she lowered the launcher to her lap. Lara rolled Sam over and saw her Tattoo flicker blue before it flashed red and then slowly dyed down to the purple black it naturally was, the red fire aura fading from Sam and the area with it.

Lara felt tears as she pulled Sam close. "Sam!" She called shaking the passed-out woman and checked her pulse. "Oh Sam, thank god!" She breathed with a sigh.

"Uguh…" Sam groaned as Lara helped her sit up. "Shukufuku…to…hogo…Kago…" He eyes opened and she looked around. "Wha…?" she saw Lara holding her and smiling through tears. "Lara…what's happening?"

"Shhh…shhh…" Lara hushed her gently. "I'm here. You're safe now." She assured. "It's okay…"

"So, I…" Sam coughed as if she'd been drowning. "I can stop?"

Lara smiled. "Yes. It's okay to stop chanting."

Sam smiled relieved. "You saved me…I knew you would." She breathed as she patted Lara's arm that held her.

"I made you a promise." Lara told her. "Kat did too. Her crazy plan worked." She chuckled with Sam. "Let's get you home."

That's when they looked up at the golden light hitting them. The clouds were dispersing, making a ray of sunlight hit them as if it were a spotlight for a stage. Lara and Sam smiled at seeing it then looked to where Kat was perched up on a partly crumbled wall. Lara waved to her with a grin. Kat smiled too and waved back lazily before pulling her radio.

"We should start heading down…but anyone else too exhausted to move?" Kat asked.

Lara snorted. So, did Sam. Then they all shared tired laughs. They were ready to get out of there. Down far below, Reyes and Jonah on the river watched with wide eyes as the clouds faded from the sky, letting the golden setting sunshine over the island. They smiled at each other for a moment before looking back up at the rocky monastery pensively.

After four hours the sun was at the edge of the sea's horizon and starting to dip. Golden orange light covered everything. Reyes sat on the boat while Jonah stood. Both watching the woods, waiting, hoping to see Kat, Lara, and Sam…hell they even hoped for Whitmen a little at this point. And then Jonah saw it. A flash of white. He squinted and saw them. Lara, carrying Sam. Kat right behind her without the rocket launcher.

Jonah smiled with relief and turned to see the Reyes had looked down before they appeared. "There's Lara and Kat…They've got Sam!" He beamed.

Reyes's head shot up and she saw them. Lara paused as Kat grabbed her shoulder as if asking something. Lara shook her head and fixed her hold on Sam then they kept walking down the forest path.

"They did it." Jonah breathed as he shook his head and walked to the controls of the boat and started it up.

Reyes felt herself relax for the first time since they got this island. She hadn't noticed it. Not until it was gone. The dread. The instinct that told her the island was wrong. But now that it was gone, she never felt so relieved in her life. Jonah turned as Lara, Kat, and Sam crossed the small beach to the boat. Jonah rushed over seeing how weak Sam looked. He leaned over and took the woman from Lara's arms and stepped back onto the boat.

"We think she's going to be okay." Lara said as Jonah set Sam on the seats by the item box.

Sam rolled onto her side, her back away from Jonah as her dress was ripped open, showing her chest to them. Jonah looked to Lara and Kat, a little anger at seeing the state Sam was in.

"What happened up there?" Jonah asked as he stood to face them both.

"Blew up Himiko." Kat smiled.

"We can go now…" Lara nodded as she and Kat got aboard the boat.

Reyes nodded happy with just that. "Alright…let's get the hell out of here." She said as she walked to the controls and steered the boat from the shore.

Lara and Kat took their seats at either side of Sam. Their limps trembling. But they pulled out their journals as Jonah looked to the Island.

I've been so blind…so naive. For years I resented my father, doubted him like the rest. But he was right about so much. I just wish I could tell him that now.

There are so many mysteries that I once dismissed as mere stories. But the line between our myths and truth is fragile and blurry. I need to find answers…I must understand.

Lara closed hers up and looked to the setting sun. She was done for now. She might come back, when she's rested and healed. But for now. It's over. She looked from the horizon to Kat as she wrote in hers.

It's over. Himiko's dead. Gone. Hopefully for good. No future position for Sam is hope for. The Tattoo definitely seemed to have worked. But with what I saw from it…magic is real? Why not? I'll look into it more.

But it's not over for me. Lara, Jonah, Sam, and Reyes' nightmare should pass now with just a few bad dreams after this. Mine is only just beginning. My sweet daughter is waiting for me, but in a place that is about to be hell.

Well, I'm not going to die. Raccoon is not ready for me. Not now. Not after this purgatory. I'm ready for Hell.

Kat closed her journal and looked to Lara and smiled tiredly. It really was over for her friends on this expedition. She looked to the sky as the sun continued to dip. But for her? Over? It was far from it.