The kristallos demon slams into Hunt with devastating force after he shoves Bryce out of the way. Hunt fights the creature with blades while his lightning flickers and dies—neutralized by the demon's venomous bite. Bryce grabs Hunt's holstered gun and fires, but the demon dodges. Hunt drives a knife into the creature's skull and severs its spine, killing it. Bryce fires a final shot for good measure, and Hunt dismembers the head and pierces the heart.

Backup arrives quickly: Naomi, captain of the 33rd's infantry, lands with other angels and a magi-screen is erected to block the scene from civilians. A medwitch with dark curls uses mithridate leeches to extract the kristallos venom from Hunt's shoulder and forearm wounds, then heals him with her own magic. Hunt realizes the venom nullified his lightning upon the first bite, which leads Bryce to a critical insight: the venom likely neutralized Micah's power when he fought the kristallos, and may have stripped Danika and the Pack of Devils of their preternatural strength. Yet Bryce survived twice, and the full pack should have been able to defeat a single demon—something doesn't add up.

Archangel Micah arrives and, before anyone can examine the corpse for evidence, incinerates it with white flame to prevent press coverage ahead of the Summit. Bryce and Hunt then approach Micah and lay out their suspicions: the Horn, Sabine's involvement, and the possibility that the Horn has been repaired. Micah listens coldly and demands concrete proof before he'll act, warning Hunt not to fail him. He departs, and Hunt offers to fly Bryce home.

Afterward, Ruhn arrives at the scene and finds only the demon's ashes and a few drops of clear blood. He encounters the medwitch from the clinic, who warns him the kristallos blood could be dangerous and reveals surprising knowledge of the ancient demon. She mentions she has found potential research related to what Ruhn previously asked her about, but must leave the city briefly before sharing it. Before Ruhn can press further, she departs on a broom, leaving him intrigued and uncertain of her identity.