A note from Crawler Allister explains that the Semeru Dwarves worship a dangerous goddess associated with the end of Faction Wars. The goddess is known as Ysalte, the Downward Spiral, and outside Larracos as the Vinegar Bitch; she is hated by gods and demons and is rumored to manipulate nations and resurrect the dead.

With one hour and thirty minutes left in the quest, Carl, Donut, and Mordecai discuss Amayon’s shouted reference to Ysalte. Mordecai warns that the Vinegar Bitch kills crawlers who approach her and may be sponsored. When Carl asks whether Sister Ines’s sponsors could also sponsor Ysalte, Mordecai realizes the Nebular team has recently sponsored the goddess, linking Sister Ines, Ysalte, and the Nebulars’ strange anti-crawl, genocidal religious agenda.

Near the church, Carl finalizes the escape plan. Chris feels uneasy about destroying the beautiful church and breaking its key, but Carl explains that the other stairwell is too far and too buried, while this site can be defended if they demolish carefully. Zhang, Chris, strippers, and crawlers begin preparing a controlled demolition and escape channel while avoiding the nearby temples to Ibeji and Kuraokami to prevent angering more deities.

Carl briefs the assault and support groups. Carl, Donut, Katia’s squad, and Li Na’s remaining squad will enter the FOCSA building to kill Sister Ines, which should release Amayon from confinement. Elle, Imani, and others will protect the escape route. Carl rejects Louis’s suggestion to throw Samantha at Amayon because the demon-bird barrier could drag Samantha into Sheol and bring back something worse; instead, the team must go up through the building, trigger the next world quest, and respond to its conditions.

As the team advances, Katia asks about Quan’s cloak, and Carl says its powers vary by wearer and may suit Donut after Mordecai reviews it. Katia is visibly unwell, still dependent on spells and potions, and she and Carl discuss the orchid as a possible but frightening way out for Katia. Katia also pushes Dong Quixote to stop carrying his impractical lance, so Carl gives Dong a sapient enchanted sock weapon, Spunky Jefferson, which Dong accepts reverently and begins speaking with.

Donut briefly leaves with Imani, Britney, and Tran to set up Donut’s card deck through a quick fight. Carl exchanges messages with Prepotente, who wishes Carl and Donut survival, warns Carl to read the next quest’s win conditions carefully because crawlers in Indonesia could be endangered, and says he has decided not to kill Carl over his mother’s injury. After Donut returns, the group reaches the edge of the FOCSA building and finds a mass of docile demon-zombies staring into the hurricane of birds around Amayon. Sister Ines remains alive and unmoving near the top of the building, and Carl realizes the demons seem to belong to Amayon rather than to her.