Into the Stream: The 16 Guardians

We meet again, Chris has been [Into the Stream] for 3 months, he and Etsunei are fighting their way slowly and slowly up levels in order to be the best they can to fight the 16 Guardians guarding the 16 needles that need to be pulled from their shrines to beat the game. But, after 8 sets of soliders went into the Guardians lair with none of them comming out without having lost one of their generous 3 lives, what are the chances that our hero isn't going to make it out either?