Rena wrote Kaede's name on the Friendship Ending Staircase. Kaede apologizes to Rena, but she is kidnapped by the Chain Monsters, confirming that the rumor about the staircase was true. In order to find Kaede and bring her back, Momoko and her companions come up with a strategy to lure out the Chain Monsters. Yachiyo has joined the group after being asked by Momoko to help them. Yachiyo claims that Iroha will hinder the operation and refuses to let her participate in the battle with the Chain Monsters.

At the Séance Shrine, Iroha wrote her sister's name, Ui, and Yachiyo wrote the name of her former best friend, Mifuyu, on votive plaques. As if to confirm the truth of the rumor, Ui and Mifuyu appear, but they are twisted imposters of their loved ones. Iroha and Yachiyo are attacked by the fake Mifuyu and the master of the Séance Shrine, a Horse Monster, and find themselves in a bind that threatens to end their lives. Iroha's Soul Gem gets cloudy, making her slowly lose consciousness. What sort of transformation will she undergo?