Uriel's declaration echoed across the battlefield like thunder made of crystallized authority. Around the ancient Seraph, the holy army began moving with the precision that came from eons of perfect discipline—not the chaotic rush of mortal soldiers, but the inexorable advance of divine judgment made manifest.

They came in waves, each formation designed to exploit weaknesses in Azrael's defenses that had been carefully analyzed during their previous encounters. First the aerial squadrons, ...