The silence after Ruka's question was heavy. The giant figure in the sky was still pulling itself free, its spear scraping the edges of the portal with a sound like grinding bones.
Lucifer watched it, his face unreadable.
"They're not trying to win this one," he said finally, his voice flat. "They're trying to wear us out."
Daniel glanced at him. "Looks pretty serious to me."
"It's serious," Lucifer agreed. "But it's not the main event. Adam sends angels. The adversaries send the Hollow. This? This is the next wave. They want us tired, bleeding, and out of tricks when they finally decide to step onto the field themselves."
Ken cracked his knuckles. "So we're just supposed to stand here and get tired?"
"No," Lucifer said. "We're not."
