Carl and Donut’s flower-covered parade float finally moves onto the route, and Carl is immediately disturbed by how much the setting has changed. The open grassland is now covered by a low fog on both sides of a yellow-brick road, and thousands of silent humanlike figures stand packed together in the mist, all wearing oversized grotesque masks. Their stillness, filthy robes, and graveyard-like appearance make the whole parade feel ominous instead of festive.

As the procession forms up, Donut, Mongo, Rend, Grigori, Rosetta, Onikuma, Gonk, and the undecorated airship all take their places. Donut worries about the crowd and keeps a Wall of Fire ready, while Mongo reacts nervously to the masked spectators. Florin and Elle message the group, both unsettled by the audience and the strange new environment stretching all the way to a huge arena in the distance.

Carl examines one child-sized figure at the roadside and receives a detailed system description. The figure is identified as a Horrible, a non-combatant who no longer truly exists, and the text explains that removing the mask would reveal what some call a Primal. The inspection text then shifts into a reflective explanation that these figures are only faint memory-remnants preserved by the Eulogist, anonymous traces of beings who once lived before ascending beyond physical form.

The revelation gives Carl an unexpected understanding of what the Horribles represent, and it fills him with sadness. Donut also examines one but does not fully understand the message, so Carl tells her he thinks he finally understands the important part. Before he can explain further, the system announces that the parade is about to begin once the pacemaker is in position, and Carl realizes the AI is likely about to explain the rest itself.