Its claws left a shallow bloody scratch on Claire's neck, and blood instantly seeped out.
Jimmy let out a suppressed cry, nearly fainting.
"No, Sam, don't listen to it!" Dean immediately roared, raising his gun at the demon but not daring to act rashly.
Ignoring Dean, the demon merely stared fixedly at Sam. "Well?"
"Trade your 'freedom' for the lives of these three innocent people. A fair deal, isn't it? I'll give you three seconds to think. Three."
A suffocating tension instantly enveloped the entire room.
Sam looked at little Claire, who was crying, then at the nearly shattered Jimmy and the despairing Amelia, before turning to Dean beside him.
The demonic power within him seemed to sense its master's decision and began to stir restlessly.
".Two."
Sam drew a deep breath, a flash of resolve passing through his eyes.
".One."
"I'll go with you." Sam's voice was terrifyingly calm. He stepped forward and met the demon's gaze. "Let the girl go."
A vicious grin of triumph appeared on the demon's face, and the claws pressed to Claire's neck loosened slightly.
At that instant of distraction, Sam moved!
He lunged forward, and at the same time, the increasingly powerful demonic force within him erupted with unprecedented intensity.
An invisible shockwave reeking of sulfur struck the female demon holding Claire with unerring precision.
Bang!
Caught completely off guard, the female demon was sent flying as if struck by an invisible truck. Her entire body lifted off the ground before smashing violently into the wall behind her, which instantly filled with cracks.
She let out a pained roar, and the stability of her possession wavered for an instant.
"Now!"
Dean, who shared an unspoken understanding with Sam, moved almost the moment Sam made his move. Like a cheetah, he sprang toward the