[i]Free.[/i] That was the first word Gavin thought of when he finally rose up. But he had no time to relish the freedom. “Stay down!” he barked at the women who, he knew, would also just realize it, themselves. They may be free, but the dolls and Akuma had stored up enough energy to go on for just a little longer Ikegai’s body convulsed, residual blood magic still animating the body even as the severed head rolled to the floor, muscles twitching uselessly. Gavin ran, instead, towards Kire’s body, taking out his pouch of needles. Just as he had done to Ruli earlier, Gavin administered a stimulant. As fast as he could, he unfastened her cuirass, then dragged her up to Ikegai’s crystal bed. Ikegai may have gotten powerful here, but it had cost him dearly. He had needed Itallo’s body, would have taken it over before his own frail one failed him. And now, together with the drug he had injected into her, Gavin was going to use the blood magic that had helped keep him alive to bring Kire back. 
[i]Kire.[/i]
She opened her eyes and found herself adrift in the middle of strong winds. They were pulling at her from every which way, and yet she remained where she was. One wind yanked at her, and when she turned, she saw the visions she had seen after Ruli had given her his memories. She and Ruli—[i]together?[/i], with her face unscarred. Another wind tugged at her, and she saw her fight with the dragon, a god-like being she couldn’t have possibly killed. In another she saw herself in full armor, standing on top of a hill, surveying a battlefield, and in another she saw herself wearing strange clothes, standing in the middle of a city made of concrete, with towers that shimmered in the sun as if made of glass. On and on, the winds showed her strange sights, but in all of them she saw herself, in all of them a little different from the way she was now. Not like the twisted dolls, but as if she had been born into a different time, a different life. 
When she made a full turn, she found herself, in armor, sitting cross-legged, her face serene. Her sword lay across her lap, glowing. [i]Not yet your time, Paladin,[/i] the other her said, and somehow Kire knew who this was. Her Will Incarnate, the Sword of her resolve. [i]Brace yourself,[/i] her Sword said, tapping her chest. 

She felt like her chest had been hit with a sledgehammer. Once, twice. Like someone was beating down her chest. And each time, she felt as if fire was running through her veins. Kire gasped for air, coughed, felt like she was lying down on something warm, almost hot. Gavin was hovering over her, his hands on her chest, and her hand darted up at his neck, even as she caught her breath. Despite the hand clutching tightly at him, Gavin grinned. His eyes looked wild—definitely not empty, or hollow. Around them the women gasped. Some where looking at Ikegai’s body, revulsion in their eyes. Kire sat up, still coughing, and saw the body, too. [i]It’s over, isn’t it?[/i] Still unable to speak, Kire looked to Gavin, loosening her hold on him.
“The dolls will follow. But they’re still fighting with their last magical reserves. We have to hurry, I don’t know if I’ve put anything else in the walls as a countermeasure.” Gavin looked her over. “Can you stand?”
Kire climbed off the crystal bed, almost collapsing on her knees, her heart beating fast, her mind and body overwhelmed with having just been brought back. [i]Fuck, come on, Kay![/i] Kire grunted, bracing against the bed to stand. She felt weird—but she was standing, and that was important right now. Kire bent carefully to get her sword, feeling much better upon contact with it. She remembered the vision, the steadfastness of her Will. Outside, she heard the shrill shrieks of the dolls, finally sensing the death of their master. The Ring had no power to give her now, she only had herself. Which suited her just fine. “Stay behind me. When you see an opening, bring the women up to safety.” Gavin nodded

In the other chambers, Akuma reeled, and so did the dolls. The nearest ones to her collapsed, Akuma’s eyes lighting up, taking whatever power was left for herself. She saw Ysaryn and Rab fighting despite their tiredness and injuries. While there were still many dolls, Kire knew it was only a matter of time. Gavin’s warning echoed in her ears; she wasn’t going to take chances. “Ikegai’s dead. Women and elves in passage behind me. Get them and get out!” The rest of the dolls harassing the two elves fell to Kire’s blade. The surge from blood magic and the stimulant she had gotten from her revival enlivened her now that she was moving, the blood circulating. 

She met Akuma’s gaze, just as she had raised her sword at Ruli, surrounded by fallen dolls. Kire grinned, glad to see her faith in his stubbornness wasn’t misplaced, and lunged. “Get your ass out, now!” she yelled at Ruli as she met Akuma’s blade. “You feel that?” she murmured; gods her body felt sore. “Your master’s dead.” Akuma only shrieked back. Kire could see the recognition of impending death in the doll’s eyes, but she didn’t let up, dodged and advanced. Her adversary was getting slower, and blood continued to ooze out of the bite mark. Akuma stopped, backed into a corner by both Kire and Ruli.
“Your Highness,” she said, one final, eerie smile cast their way. “You know I’m a part of you.” Kire said nothing to this; she knew that already. She lived with the weight of it every day. Kire saw Akuma raise her sword up, and Kire prepared for one final attack. Instead, she raised it to her neck, murmuring under her breath. [i]Oh, dammit.[/i]. “Out! Go, go go!” 
Akuma’s whole body lit up in runes, and the runes in the chamber outside did the same. The doll cut her own neck with her sword, and a loud crack sounded throughout the caverns.