Samael's fury tore the ruins apart. Fire rained from his wings, shadows split like blades, and the earth itself howled. Maxwell braced his sword against the ground as the inferno closed in, but the force was overwhelming. His body screamed with pain, his lungs burned with ash, his blood sizzled with the crimson corruption Samael had planted inside him.
Gabby crawled to her sword, dragging herself upright with blood at her lips. Her golden wings beat against the storm, trying to shield Maxwell, but even her radiance faltered before Samael's wrath.
Anthony clung to the Codex, whispering prayers so quickly they blurred into incoherence. His voice cracked as the heat seared his skin. "God preserve us… God preserve us…"
And then — it happened.
The Codex tore itself from Anthony's hands. Pages burst open, glowing brighter than ever before, runes burning with furious light. The book rose into the air, spinning, its parchment scattering like flaming feathers.
Maxwell and Gabby both froze, eyes drawn upward as the Codex unfolded in midair. Its words poured outward like rivers of fire and light, forming shapes, forming figures.
Wings.
Countless wings.
From the light, a host appeared — not angels of Heaven, not demons of Hell, but something older. Forgotten. Warriors clad in armor of white fire and shadowed steel, their faces veiled, their wings vast and terrible. Their presence pressed down like mountains, their silence louder than Samael's roar.
Samael snarled, his infernal glow wavering. "No… not you. Not now." His fire guttered as though a wind had struck it. "The Forgotten Host was banished! They cannot be!"
One of the veiled figures raised a hand, and its voice shook the earth. "We were not banished. We were bound. Sealed in word, in ink, in covenant. And now the covenant is broken. The Codex has awakened us."
Maxwell's eyes widened, his sword trembling in his grip. "What… what are they?"
Gabby's face was pale, her golden eyes wide. "The Watchers. Angels who defied both Heaven and Hell. Neither loyal to God, nor to Samael. Their allegiance was erased from memory — even I did not know they still existed."
Samael roared, fire bursting from his wings, his shadow thrashing against their presence. "Traitors! Half-born cowards! You dare raise your blades against me again?!"
The lead Watcher stepped forward, its voice calm, unyielding. "We raise them not for Heaven. Not for Hell. But for balance."
The Host's blades unsheathed as one, a sound like a thousand storms breaking.
Maxwell staggered to his feet, the silver in his eyes blazing brighter than before. His blood screamed with fire, but for the first time, he felt something else threading through him — the steady, cold strength of balance.
The Watcher's gaze turned to him, and its voice thundered. "Child of storm and flame. The war has turned because of you. Will you stand with us — or be consumed with him?"
Maxwell's sword pulsed, runes flaring. His storm-gray eyes locked on Samael. His chest heaved with fury, but his voice came steady, unshaken.
"I'll stand with anyone who'll help me break his chains."
Samael roared, his fire towering higher than ever, but the Forgotten Host surged forward, wings blazing, their blades cleaving through shadow. For the first time, Samael staggered, his laughter breaking into a snarl.
And in the chaos, Maxwell leapt back into the fight — no longer alone.