As enemy troops surge forward after King Rust's death, Carl throws a smoke mantle and runs toward Rust's body despite Donut warning that they should be retreating. Rosetta, covered in blood and kneeling beside the corpse, tells Carl to bring Rust's severed head because she needs a retina scan. Carl grabs the head, then inventories both the head and the body while enemy soldiers fire through the smoke and throw grenades.

Rosetta uses Rust's hand, ring, and retina with a handheld banking-like device, apparently trying to access or transfer something before the attackers close in. Donut realizes Rosetta is robbing Rust or using his credit chit, though Rosetta had previously claimed a password was needed. Nearby, Gonk mourns or panics, while Simoom tries to comfort the yak.

More enemy forces arrive, including robed riders on clockwork animal mounts, and Carl feels a strong sense of dread. Rosetta says she will open a tunnel back to fortified positions and tells them to leave the mounts behind, but Donut refuses to abandon Simoom. When one of the approaching mages dispels the smoke, the ground beneath Carl, Donut, Rosetta, Simoom, and Gonk collapses, dropping them into a large dwarven tunnel.

In the tunnel, Carl finds allied Semuru dwarves from Team Retribution. The dwarves heal Gonk, fight enemy war mages who fell into the passage, and magically repair the collapsed roof after the dispel disrupts its fortifications. A massive explosion then shakes the tunnel, and system messages announce that Warlord Hortense has fallen, the Operatic Collective has been defeated, and all Operatic assets have been awarded to the Bone Clan.

Imani reports that the enemy is retreating after a huge blast in the middle of their forces, while Carl and Donut explain that they are underground and confused. Rosetta completes the transaction on her device; a holographic Operatic slime confirms a transfer through Colloid Bank, after which Rosetta breaks down sobbing. When Rosetta hears mention of Princess Formidable and demands an explanation, Carl starts to tell her about the threat, but he is abruptly transferred to the Desperado Club.