The eight senshi split up, with Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter on one team and Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, and Moon on the other. Sailormoon’s team takes the elevator to the basement where Professor Tomoe is waiting for them. He monologues a bit about how he is like a god with his ability to create life and states that the soldiers coming to find him will surely die. Hotaru’s spirit watches him and says, “Dad…”

On the elevator, Sailormoon confesses to feeling sick, saying that the elevator ride and the ghosts are getting to her. Although she says she feels alone, Uranus replies that solitude is far more infinite, like their home planets where no one was around, and no one would help you. They would look to the Silver Millennium and the figures of the Queen and Princess, which would provide them with the light and strength they needed to go on. Suddenly the elevator stops and others fade into darkness leaving Sailormoon alone, floating in the dark, afraid. Although she is scared, she summons all of her strength in order to be a beacon of light to all the others. "I am Super Sailor Moon! With the strength given to me by everyone, I will shine through the darkness and make it light! I won't yield to any darkness or delusions! Rainbow Moon Heartache!!" The illusion breaks and she is reunited with the other three senshi.

They finally arrive at the lab where Professor Tomoe is waiting. First he has monsters attack them, but when they destroy them, he turns into a monster himself. Sailormoon, realizing that he is not human anymore, uses her rod to destroy him. Hotaru’s spirit says, "Dad... The gentle dad since mom died... The dad who came to save me... He wasn't my dad anymore... Goodbye, Dad..."

Suddenly, a powerful attack comes from beneath them. Pluto uses her power to protect those in her group, but the other senshi are not as lucky. SuperSailormoon reverts back to her normal uniform as the other senshi are tossed into the air. The sky pulsates with a strange power. Sailormoon and the others watch in horror as the Infinity District begins to tear apart. Mistress 9 declares that the time has come for the Earth to be taken over by the Tau System. Realizing that disaster is imminent, Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune use their talismans to create a barrier around the area so that the evil power cannot spread.

At first Mistress 9 says that their efforts are in vain, since her master will soon be there to absorb them, but she is startled when she realizes that she cannot shed the human body she is currently possessing. Deep within the body, Hotaru uses all of her will to keep Mistress 9 from ripping apart her body and realizing her true and most powerful form. "This body is still mine. You won't get out of it! I won't let you be free!" Mistress 9 replies that sense she has the power of the Silver Crystal that she no longer needs Hotaru’s pathetic body, but Hotaru replies, "You can tear it to pieces! It will scatter apart! But Chibi-Usa-chan's spirit, and the Mystical Silver Crystal. Whatever happens, I'll protect them!"

Sailormoon tries to attack Mistress Nine, but she is able to block the attack and push Sailormoon back. To gain more power, Mistress 9 absorbs the souls of Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter, but Hotaru sees their spirits and gathers them up like she did with Chibi Usa’s Crystal. She holds on to them, insisting that she will protect them. “My spirit was seized by them. It is my death... But why is this all I can do? My dad is gone... I have nothing anymore... But why do I still have power? If I'm this strong... Inside of me, I feel another, bigger me. That me is saying to keep life, and save everyone. All I can do is to take these five spirits, and the Mystical Silver Crystal, and rescue them from here!"

While she was able to rescue the spirits of the five senshi, including Chibi Usa, the effort allowed Mistress 9 a moment of freedom which she used to break out of Hotaru’s body. The Sailor Senshi begin to gain consciousness much to Sailormoon’s delight and she sees Hotaru’s spirit floating before her for a moment before it disappears.

Mamoru, who had been dozing for a moment, wakes up and sees Hotaru’s spirit sitting on the windowsill. She holds out two balls of light, Chibi Usa’s spirit and the Silver Crystal, which float to Chibi Usa, restoring her back to life. "I was able to save you, Chibi-Usa-chan. I'm happy. It's good. We're both girls, but it's strange. It must have been fate that we met." Unfortunately Mistress 9 has been busy breaking away from Hotaru’s body and Hotaru’s spirit cries out in pain as she makes her final transformation into a full monster. Hotaru’s spirit expresses her happiness at having met Chibi Usa before she disappears for good. Chibi Usa starts to weep, but Mamoru suggests that they go and help Sailormoon so she dries her eyes and declares her intention to use the life that Hotaru restored to her to fight.