- Sabriel senses the Dead army walking ahead of the fog, and then the soldiers open fire—very quickly it's an all-out zombie versus soldier battle.
- Sabriel calls the Charter Mages together in the Great Hall, including two of her school friends, Sulyn and Ellimere. She suddenly feels many deaths at once—zombie versus soldier is turning into a zombie victory. She instructs the Charter Mages and students to join hands in a ring around the sarcophagus, and begins casting the Charter spell to open it, drawing on the power of everyone else in the circle.
- With a huge blast, the lid flies off of the sarcophagus, revealing the body of Rogir, who looks uncannily like Touchstone.
- Just as Sabriel begins the Final Rites to dispose of the body, Kerrigor crashes into the Great Hall, with the Free Magic creature Mogget in spirit form beside him. Surprisingly, Mogget delivers Abhorsen's sword and the Astarael bell to Sabriel, both last used by her father.
- Kerrigor, now in a spectacular, flaming non-human form, demands that he fight Sabriel alone, but the Mogget spirit hates this idea and launches himself at Kerrigor, disintegrating upon impact.
- Sabriel senses that her former magic teacher is dead; Touchstone, beside her, has a broken leg. He urges Sabriel to leave, but she picks up her sword to face Kerrigor.