A note explains that the ninth-floor dwarves fear a single goddess, Ysalte, also called the Vinegar Bitch, a chaotic, scheming “Downward Spiral” figure hated by both gods and demons and prone to killing crawlers who approach her lone temple.

With 1:30 left in the quest, Carl, Princess Donut, and Mordecai discuss a demon shouting Ysalte’s name. Mordecai confirms Ysalte is the Vinegar Bitch and warns that if she appears, they should run; Carl’s jacket should signal a nearby god. Carl asks if she can be sponsored, and Mordecai realizes she has been sponsored lately by the Nebular team—the same group tied to Sister Ines. Mordecai explains the Nebulars worship an ancient, stable AI from the galaxy’s “inner system,” want power via Ascendency to shut crawls down, and paradoxically preach exterminating crawl-hosting worlds and religions.

Outside the church near the demon-eviction zone, Chris admits he feels bad because the beautiful church must be destroyed to “break the key.” Carl reiterates the plan: demolish the church to access the buried saferoom entrance and build an escape channel beneath it, while carefully avoiding damage to two adjacent temples (Ibeji’s and Kuraokami’s, the latter also serving as Club Vanquisher’s entrance). Zhang leads the controlled demolition, borrowing Carl’s shrink wand.

Carl gathers their forces—Imani’s sluggalos and several armed allies—and lays out the main assault. Carl and Donut will infiltrate the FOCSA skyscraper with Katia’s and Li Na’s squads to confront and kill Sister Ines, aiming to free Amayon from confinement; Carl expects the timer to accelerate once that happens. Carl rejects the idea of throwing Samantha because demon seagulls could drag her into Sheol; instead, Carl plans to reach the roof through the building and use teleport to crack Amayon’s Madre de Aguas shell while keeping Amayon in place. Elle and Imani are tasked with guarding the escape route and watching the sky for birds.

As they advance, Katia asks about Quan’s cloak; Carl says it behaves differently depending on the wearer and may end up with Donut after consulting Mordecai. Katia’s condition looks shaky without full party visibility, and Carl notes Katia still hasn’t completed her final rehab memory treatment; Katia also admits Bautista opposes her using the orchid, while Katia insists it may be her only way forward. Katia tries to get Dong Quixote to stow his unwieldy lance; when he asks for a one-handed flail, Carl instead gives him a sapient, upgraded weapon—Spunky Jefferson the Enchanted Nickel Sock of the Elderly Miser—which immediately begins talking to Dong in his head.

Donut briefly steps away with Imani and others to tune her card deck in a quick fight. In chat, Carl learns most keyholders have already gone down the stairs, while others clear rubble elsewhere. Prepotente messages Carl with guarded well-wishes, warns that after freeing Amayon they must carefully read the next quest’s win conditions because crawlers in Indonesia would be in greatest danger if Amayon isn’t buffed enough, and declares he will not kill Carl over Prepotente’s mother’s injury—though Carl’s “penance” will be helping exact revenge on the true culprits. Reaching the alley near the FOCSA building, Carl sees blocks full of docile demon-zombies and an expanding storm of birds and bats around Amayon; Sister Ines still registers alive near the top of the building but hasn’t moved, leaving Carl unnerved as they prepare to strike.