Magic Town. As Angel and Faith return to Nadira’s headquarters, they find Parker and Tricia on the steps, waiting. They immediately greet them, but tell him that Nadira isn’t there. Angel and Faith share a concerned look, but a flash of light in the sky gets their attention.

A huge blue blast of energy, like an explosion, reaches like a cloud into the London evening sky. Angel looks at it in horror. He knows exactly what it means.

Blocks north of Angel, Illyria fires another energy blast at the slow‑moving statue, clearly not impressed with either it or her current surroundings.

“You believe yourself powerful because you’re a creature full of magic,” the Old One rages at the magic‑filled bronze piece. “I will show you power!”

Behind her, Nadira is also yelling, but she wants the battle to stop. She begs Illyria not to provoke the Magic, but Illyria clenches her fists tighter. She insists she is the one who has been humiliated and harassed by the creature.

Her comment ends when the statue throws a punch at the Old One, smashing Illyria the Merciless in her jaw and sending her flailing into a parked truck nearby.

There is not much remaining of the truck.

As Illyria rises from the far side of the destroyed vehicle, she stares at the statue. “Insolent wind‑up toy!” she declares angrily, picking up what’s left of the wreckage in her arms. “You will find having a body also makes you an easier target.”

She throws the truck at the statue. Its eyes glow brightly and it extends its hands. His palms begin to glow — a golden, brilliant light — and as Illyria watches in disbelief, the truck is disintegrated into nothing but petals that float harmlessly to the ground at the statue’s feet.

Illyria is furious. “Parlour tricks!” she yells, as Eldre Koh yells at her to stop.

Her former enemy catches her eye, just enough for the statue to come towards them both.

Nadira’s voice pierces the air as she stands directly between the statue and the Nitobe Warrior. “You’ve got to stop this!”

She approaches the statue’s feet and talks to the Magic alive within its metal frame. “I know you’re just protecting yourself. But you’re growing, maturing. And that means learning restraint… There are friends you haven’t met yet, all waiting to give you a chance if you give them a chance.”

The statue stops moving, looking straight at the Seer. “But it starts with you,” she continues. “The first leap of faith is yours to make. The decisions you make now will be part of who you become forever.”

She looks at the statue. Her markings glow brighter, her green eye shines. “Don’t you trust me anymore?”

“Trust? I’d reconsider her advice if I were you, tin man.”

The voice comes from Illyria. She’s standing a short distance away, holding Koh in one hand, squeezing it slowly around his throat.

“The only one you can count on is yourself,” she tells the statue, whether it understands her or not. Eldre Koh sputters in her clutches. “You can trust us. Nobody wants to hurt you.”

But the Old One doesn’t believe him. “You attacked me,” she states with clarity.

He corrects her. He simply didn’t want her to attack the Magic in the statue. “The statue attacked Fred. And Fred attacked the statue because she thought it was hurting Nadira.”

He looks at Illyria in her pale blue eyes and for a moment, she considers his words. “We are all afraid,” the warrior tells her. “Some of us at times of dire peril, and some of us all the time. But none of us are immune. And when we fear, we see only enemies.”

He points out that they all have real enemies. They do not need to fight amongst themselves as well.

Illyria is still disbelieving, citing his need for revenge against her. But Koh steadies his breathing and continues. “No. Once I did thirst for vengeance. But we are not the same people, either of us. Fred is part of you. You are an Old One living in coexistence — something which has perhaps never happened before.”

She looks at him, still holding him aloft.

“Someone needs to be the first to trust, to break the cycle. I will not fight you, Illyria. The person on whom I wanted revenge no longer exists. The person who thought he needed that revenge is gone also.” He stops, his eyes honest. “You have no enemies here.”

Illyria looks at him and her eyes change. They fade from blue to brown. The veins on her forehead disappear. And Winifred Burkle is back amongst her allies.

Sophie and Lavinia Fairweather race to her side, as Fred sinks to the ground and Eldre Koh gasps for air, relieved. Fred insists she’s okay, and while she’s sure Illyria will return, she thinks that Koh’s words may have made a difference this time.

In minutes, Angel and Faith are on the scene, surveying their surroundings quickly and checking on the situation. Nadira insists that they’re fine for the moment. Angel wants to know what triggered Illyria, but Faith points at the statue. “Uh, maybe that?”

Nadira raises her hands quickly. “It’s okay. We’re figuring it out. It’s the Magic, Angel. It’s inhabited this bronze statue.”

Angel is surprised. Faith is confused. How did the Magic get there?

A voice from above chills her blood.

Archaeus stands above them on a nearby rooftop. “THE STATUE IS AN ANCIENT ARTEFACT. ITS ORIGINS NEARLY LOST TO HISTORY AND LEGEND, IT WAS BUILT TO BE A CONTAINER OF MAGIC. OR, IN THIS CASE, A FOCUS FOR IT.”

He jumps on his hooved feet from the rooftop, landing amongst them. They’re between the demon and the statue.

“We know you want Magic Town,” Angel tells him. “We know you think recruiting the Magic will add to your power. We’re not letting that happen.”

Archaeus then surprises Angel. He speaks of trust, comparing himself to Koh’s earlier example. “HERE I AM TO OFFER TRUST IN THE FORM OF A GIFT.” He tells them that the Magic was once scattered, a sentient being looking for where and how it fit into this universe. “I HAVE GIVEN HIM THE GIFT OF AGENCY. THE GIFT OF FORM.”

Nadira calls it a lie, but Archaeus questions her. “IS IT? HE CAN MOVE AND FEEL. HE TOUCHES THE WORLD. WHO ARE YOU TO DENY THIS CHOICE?”

“I’m the Magic’s friend,” she snaps at the demon, pointing a finger. Faith backs her protégé up.

“And sometimes you have to step in and make a tough choice for someone else — when it’s what you have to do to help.”

Archaeus cackles. “SO SAYS EVERY TYRANT IN HISTORY. DO WHAT I SAY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. IS THIS HOW THE GOOD PEOPLE CONDUCT THEMSELVES? IS THIS HOW YOU HELP? A PITY.”

Now, he addresses the statue directly. He asks the Magic to join him, as an equal and not a pet, that Nadira would keep to herself. The statue’s eyes dart to Archaeus.

Then its hand slowly moves. It extends towards Archaeus. Nadira moves to get in between, shouting at the statue not to do it. “Get away from him, you monster!” the former Slayer yells — only to be backhanded across the street.

At the sight of Nadira flying through the air, Angel yells Archaeus’s name and he and the others charge as one. “We end this now!” he yells.

But Koh is punched aside. Faith is flicked like an irritating bug. Archaeus turns, extends his spikes and impales Angel to the ground in one quick motion. Then he pulls him up, holding him by his open wounds and throws him aside like garbage.

Angel comes to a stop when his back cracks on and destroys a park bench. He sees the splinters and considers himself lucky. Faith is at his side in seconds. “You want to run in yelling again or do we strategise,” she says, with a large portion of sarcasm. She looks at Koh. “Back arms,” she tells him. He nods in understanding.

Archaeus now turns to the statue. “YOU SEE, MY FRIEND? IT IS THEY WHO ARE THE AGGRESSORS. THEY WHO ATTACK.” Nadira, picking herself up from the ground, still remains defiant. “Don’t listen to him! There are people who care. Care about all of Magic Town. Archaeus just wants to use you.”

The statue looks at her, vulnerable on the ground. Its eyes seem to recognise Nadira.

Archaeus pushes past the statue and approaches the Seer. “YOU’D SAY THAT, OF COURSE, WOULDN’T YOU? MAYBE IT’S BEST YOU DON’T TALK. EVER AGAIN.”

As he moves closer, an arrow hits Archaeus in his shoulder. It shatters and snaps against his carapace, but it’s enough to get his attention. He turns and sees Lavinia and Sophie Fairweather.

“Let’s fetch some crossbows from the car, you said. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you!”

“Shut up and give me the other one!”

Fred mouths at them to decide quicker. Archaeus, almost upon them one second, is delayed the next as Eldre Koh leaps onto the demon lord’s back, his light blades severing through the bone.

“WHAT ARE YOU?” the demon screams. He sees Angel racing towards him and snatches him up, but Koh strikes again behind him, just as Faith simultaneously slashes his side with her sword.

The demon is angered now, raising himself up to full height. “ENOUGH!” he yells, raising his arms and throwing the three combatants away from him. “GET OFF ME, YOU INSOLENT INSECTS!”

The statue continues to observe all. Its eyes continue to glow.

Angel stands before Archaeus. He tells him that he’s wrong. They will beat him, even if it takes them forever. He’s alone, and they’re not — and that will be his undoing.

Archaeus takes in Angel’s words and then cackles loudly in his face. He tells Angel that he has indeed learnt his lesson.

He roars a command and an army of vampires, led by Drusilla, come from the shadows all around them. “At your service, Lord Archaeus,” she says, curtseying.

“YOU COULD HAVE BEEN WITH US, ANGEL. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT — AN IMPORTANT PART. YOU CHOSE FOOLISHLY. MAGIC TOWN WILL BE MINE. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.”

Angel, Faith and Koh stand there, facing the army.

Archaeus says he should thank Angel. He has helped him to show the Magic the meaning of family. He’s done his job for him.

Faith doesn’t look at Angel or Koh. She just speaks. “So, what do you think? I take the five hundred on the left, and you take the five hundred on the right?”

“Even with your considerable strength,” Koh tells her, “I think there are too many for… Ah…” He smiles. “Gallows humour.”

Angel chuckles. “See? I told you he’d fit in.