Emberus enters the 9th floor after Samantha admits involvement in Geyrun’s death, and a forced team quest announces that the floor will be destroyed in fire in 66 minutes unless Faction Wars is won and the survivors escape. Carl immediately orders everyone back to Larracos, tells Justice Light to finish preparing his trap, and realizes the group must accelerate every remaining plan at once.

Because Katia’s Orchid of Eileithyia requires a full hour of unconsciousness before the goddess appears, Carl orders Katia to eat it immediately despite Donut’s distress and Katia’s unfinished preparations. Katia says she loves everyone and collapses with one percent health, leaving Donut upset that there was no proper goodbye. Carl concludes that if the ceremony runs long, he may have to stall Emberus by giving Samantha to him at the last possible moment.

Carl then turns to the immediate need to defeat the Dream by freeing Louis from Tagg’s embedded heart and lungs. Mordecai, Edgar, Juice Box, Imani, Rosetta, Tipid, Donut, Carl, and others prepare a risky surgical transplant using Princess Lunette’s naiad flesh-golem body and Loita’s kua-tin rebreather, since Louis will need naiad organs and water-breathing adaptations to survive.

As Mordecai opens Louis’s chest, Tagg realizes something is wrong and threatens to kill Louis. Donut distracts Tagg by mocking his fixation on his mother, enraging him long enough for the team to continue. When Tagg stops Louis’s heart before the procedure is fully ready, Bucket Boy yanks out the artificial heart and lungs, Donut administers Mordecai’s Special Brew, and Juice Box activates the transplanted naiad organs.

The transplant succeeds after Mordecai installs the rebreather internally and uses a Water Breathing scroll to stabilize Louis’s new gills. Louis wakes confused but alive. Mongo spits out the destroyed remains of Tagg’s organs, earning the kill credit; the Dream is defeated, its assets transfer to the Princess Posse, and only two factions remain with 32 minutes left before Emberus destroys the floor. Carl calls for Sledge, signaling the next phase must begin immediately.