"I also placed Demon-Expelling Formation around the barn, which is the top-level Daoist Demon-Locking Formation. Ordinary demons can't get in at all. Even if they do, they will be trapped by the formation and unable to move." Bai Haorui looked at her, His tone was calm, "Even if Alastair comes, he can be temporarily trapped for a while. What's more, I don't think angels and demons can cooperate, right? They have been fighting for thousands of years. When they meet, they will only think about killing each other first, and will not join forces to deal with us first."
Everyone was silent. Dean looked at the boundless cornfield outside the window, and then at the old clock on the wall. It was getting closer and closer to midnight.
Time passed little by little, and there were only three hours left before midnight.
Dean walked out of the barn holding a torn copy of "Busty Asian Beauties" brought from Bobby's house, leaning on Impala's car, flipping through the book irritably, but the words on it He couldn't see any of it. His mind was in a mess, with the threat of Uriel on one side, the lingering nightmares in Hell on the other, and the situation of Anna, like huge rocks, weighing him down.
Anna quietly opened the barn door and walked out. She walked slowly to him with very light steps.
"Hey." Dean heard the footsteps, raised his head, and gave Anna a forced smile, "How do you feel?"
"Just like that." Anna smiled, walked to him, leaned on the car, and looked side by side at the cornfield in the distance.
"Yeah." Dean nodded. He didn't know what to say for a moment. He could only lower his head and flip through the magazine in his hand, rubbing the pages unconsciously with his fingers.
Anna spoke first, with a very soft voice and a hint of gratitude. "A little scared, maybe. So, um...Dean... I just want to thank you."
Dean was stunned for a moment and looked up at her. "Thank you for what?"
"Everything." Anna looked into his eyes and said seriously, "You... you didn't have to help me... there was no need to offend Heaven and Hell at the same time because of me."
"Hey, don't tell me any polite words like "thank you for trying your best" or participation awards, that sucks." Dean tugged at the corner of his mouth and avoided her gaze, with a bit of discomfort in his tone. He has never been good at dealing with other people's gratitude, especially this kind of heartfelt gratitude.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm not worth saving at all." Anna lowered his head and looked at the ground under his feet, with a hint of self-denial in his tone.
"Don't say that." Dean immediately retorted with a firm tone, "No one deserves to be hunted down by those bastards like Heaven, and no one deserves to be tortured by those lunatics like Hell."
"I disobeyed the order. Lucifer also fell because of disobeying the order." Anna raised his head and looked at him, his eyes full of pain, "For us, this is first-degree murder. I knew it from the beginning. Maybe I should pay the price."
Dean looked at her, a trace of empathy flashed in his eyes, and he sighed softly, "Yes, we have all done things that deserve to be paid."
Anna looked at his tense profile, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke softly, "I have something to tell you. You won't like to hear it."
Dean turned his head, looked at her, and raised his eyebrows. "Okay, what's the matter? I've heard a lot of bad things in my life, including this one."
"About a week ago, I heard the angels chatting... about you... about what you did in Hell." Anna's voice was very soft, but like a hammer, it hit Dean's heart hard, "Dean, I know. That's not your fault. You should forgive yourself."
Dean's body froze instantly, and the smile on his face disappeared instantly. A trace of extreme fear and panic flashed in his eyes, as if someone had opened the deepest scar and exposed it to the sun. He immediately looked away, not daring to look at Anna's eyes anymore. His fingers clenched the illustrated book in his hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Anna, I don't want to... I don't want to... I don't want to talk about this." His voice had an imperceptible tremor, and his tone was full of resistance.
"I know." Anna didn't force him, but nodded slightly, with a gentle yet firm tone, "But when you are willing to talk, someone will be willing to help you. You are not alone. I just want to tell you this."
Dean was silent, did not speak, just stared at the ground, his chest heaving violently, and the dark scenes in Hell flooded into his mind uncontrollably. The cold torture frame, the sharp razor, the heartbreaking pain, and the smiling and cruel voice of Alastair rang in his ears over and over again.
Anna turned his head and looked at his tense face, slowly leaned down and kissed his lips gently.
Dean was stunned for a moment, his body stiffened at first, then he reached out to hug her and kissed her back hard. The evening wind blew through the cornfield, picking up the fallen leaves on the ground and making a rustling sound. Impala's car body reflected the cold moonlight, cutting off all the surrounding darkness and danger, leaving only the warmth between the two of them.
After the kiss ended, Dean looked at her with a hoarse voice. "What is this for?"
Anna smiled, with a hint of relief and a hint of farewell in his eyes. "You know... our last night on earth... something like that."
Dean didn't speak, but just stretched out his hand and opened the back seat door of Impala. The two of them sat in, and the moment the door was closed, the wind noise outside was cut off, as well as all the malice and danger in the world.
At the same time, the back door of the barn was gently pushed open, and Ruby slipped out quietly. She glanced at Impala in the distance, then looked at the direction of the second floor to confirm that no one had noticed her, then turned and walked in Deep in the boundless cornfield, the figure quickly disappeared into the darkness. She was going to fulfill the agreement with Alastair, and according to Sam's plan, she would lead Hell's army here.
At the railing on the second floor, Bai Haorui instantly noticed the disappearance of Ruby's aura. He immediately turned around and quickly jumped down the stairs, just in time to bump into Sam who was walking out of the barn.
"Ruby is gone." Bai Haorui looked at Sam with a serious tone, "She burned the spare spell bag and went west, probably to find Alastair. There are only two hours left before midnight. You must tell me now what your complete plan is."
Sam took a deep breath, looked at Bai Haorui, and finally stopped hiding and revealed all his plans. "I asked Ruby to find Alastair and pretend to make a deal with him, saying that we would bring Anna to this barn at midnight and let him bring people over."
Bai Haorui frowned even more tightly. "Do you want Heaven and Hell to fight each other here?"
"Yes." Sam nodded vigorously, with a trace of all-or-nothing ferocity in his eyes, "When they meet, they will definitely fight first. Uriel is arrogant, Alastair is cruel. It is impossible for them to join forces, they will only Fight to the death. When the situation becomes chaotic and the angels' attention is all on Alastair, we can take the opportunity to snatch Grace from their hands and help Anna regain its strength. This is our only chance."
"What about Dean?" Bai Haorui looked at him, "Are you still not going to tell him?"
Sam shook his head. "When the plan succeeds, I will tell him. But now, I can't say. He will definitely stop me, and he will not let us take such a big risk. Haorui, we have no other choice."
Bai Haorui looked at the firmness in his eyes and finally nodded. "Okay. I will accompany you. I have already set up all the formations. Spirit-Locking Array can temporarily trap Uriel's actions, Demon-Expelling Formation can limit the power of Alastair. If we really fight, I will entangle Uriel as soon as possible. You and Dean will look for opportunities to grab Grace and absolutely cannot make any mistakes."
Sam looked at him, a hint of gratitude flashed in his eyes, and nodded vigorously.
There's only one hour left until midnight.
At a deserted suburban intersection, only an old street lamp shines with a dim yellow light.
Ruby stands in the middle of the intersection.
Suddenly, three black smoke rose from the ground, fell behind her, and turned into Alastair and two demons in black.
Alastair was wearing an exquisite black suit, his hair was combed meticulously, and his leather shoes were polished, which was incompatible with the environment in the wilderness. He had an elegant and cruel smile on his face, and he was playing with a silver razor in his hand. The razor glowed with an icy cold light under the dim light. He looked at Ruby as if he was looking at an interesting toy, with his eyes full of playfulness.
"Do you know what is the biggest problem of your generation? Instant gratification." Alastair spoke slowly, his voice was low and elegant, as if he was chatting with an old friend, "Everything needs to be done immediately, immediately, now. There is no patience at all, and no craftsmanship spirit at all."
He walked slowly to Ruby, his eyes fell on the demon-killing knife in her hand, and his eyes lit up, as if he had seen a rare treasure. "But I must say... this knife of yours... is really a delicate thing. You must tell me where you found it."
Ruby didn't speak, just looked at him coldly, and tightened his hand holding the knife slightly.
"You know... I haven't been here since Poland in 1943." Alastair walked around Ruby, his tone was full of disgust, "To be honest, I hate it here. It's cold, there's no smell of blood, there's no sizzling sound of meat being roasted, and there's no sound of skin being peeled off and shaking wetly. I don't know how you can endure it."
He stopped, leaned down, leaned into Ruby's ear, and whispered, "So, the sooner you cooperate with me, the sooner I can end this annoying job and return to my study to continue my research. But there is no need to rush, let's take our time... enjoy this moment."
"I'm just here to discuss a deal." Ruby finally spoke, his voice was very calm, without any fear.
Alastair straightened up and suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that he seemed to have heard a big joke, "What are you talking about? Talking about a demon actually protecting an angel? We should really revoke your demon license."
"I brought you a deal." Ruby looked at him and said word by word, "I give you Anna, the fallen angel. But you must let me and brother Winchester go."
Alastair's laughter stopped. He looked at Ruby, his eyes full of fun and a hint of cruelty. "Oh, it's so funny. Do you think you are qualified to negotiate terms with me now?"
"I know where she is. Without me, you can't find her at all." Ruby met his gaze without flinching, "The spell bag can hide her aura. Even you can't find her location."
"Oh, I think I can." Alastair smiled, raised his hand and gently touched Ruby's cheek, the coldness of his fingertips seeping through the skin, "But let me tell you... I can accept this address. Then I will decide whether to let you live. How about it?"
Before he finished speaking, his eyes instantly turned cold, and with just his thoughts, he nailed Ruby to the street lamp pole. Ruby's limbs were pulled apart by invisible forces, and her whole body was nailed to the pole in a large shape, unable to move. The demon-killing knife in her hand also fell to the ground. Two demons in black immediately stepped forward and held down her shoulders to prevent her from struggling.
Alastair walked up to her slowly, bent down to pick up the demon-killing knife on the ground, and gently scratched her cheek with the tip of the knife. His smile was full of cruelty, "But before you tell me the address, we have to play a little game first. You know, I like obedient children best, but you, a little devil, actually dare to play tricks on me."
The tip of the knife cut Ruby's cheek, and blood flowed out instantly. Alastair's movements were very light, as if he were carving a piece of art. He began to torture her, using the razor, the power of darkness, and the way he was best at, to crush her will bit by bit.
Ruby gritted her teeth and remained silent, refusing to reveal the address of the barn. She stared at Alastair, her eyes full of stubbornness, and even though her whole body was shaking with pain, she did not let out a scream. She remembered Sam's plan, which must be postponed until midnight, and Alastair must be led to the barn on time, not early or late.
Alastair looked at her stubborn look and smiled even more happily, "Not bad, really good. They have backbone. I like toys with backbone the most. When they are broken into pieces, they make the best sound."
At the same time, in Impala outside the barn, Dean was leaning on the back seat, looking at the moonlight outside the window, holding a bottle of whiskey in his hand, drinking one mouthful after another. Anna was leaning on his shoulder and had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, Dean's eyes went dark, the world spun, and the whole person fell into boundless darkness.
He entered the dream created by Uriel.
The dream was pitch black, with no up, down, left or right, no sky and earth, only boundless darkness and biting cold, very much like Hell, where he had stayed for thirty years.
Uriel appeared in front of him out of thin air, wearing a black trench coat, with a cold and proud smile on his face, like a poisonous snake staring at its prey.
"Hello, Dean." Uriel spoke with a mocking voice.
"How did you..." Dean instantly became vigilant and subconsciously wanted to touch the gun at his waist, but found that his hand was empty and his body could not move, as if he was nailed to the spot.
"This is a dream. I can go wherever I want." Uriel smiled and walked slowly to him, "You don't think that a small spell bag can block the angel's exploration, do you? I want to find you, I can find you at any time."
"What do you want to do?" Dean gritted his teeth and looked at him fiercely.
"Midnight is coming soon. You know what this means." Uriel spread his hands and spoke in a relaxed tone, but with a fatal threat, "My patience is running out."
"I know, you are going to throw me back to Hell." Dean twitched the corner of his mouth, "It's not like I haven't been there before. If I have to stay again, I can handle it."
"Oh, no, this is not a threat from me." Uriel laughed and shook his head, "I know you, Dean. You don't care about your life or death at all. You are not afraid of death, nor are you afraid of returning to Hell. But your brother...Sam... and that Oriental, Bai Haorui..."
Dean's face changed instantly, and his pupils shrank suddenly: "How dare you touch them--"
"I don't want to touch them." Uriel interrupted him with a cold tone, "But an order is an order. Heaven wants Anna's life, if you don't hand Anna to us before midnight, we will not throw you back to Hell. We will kill Sam and Bai Haorui. Right here, right now. No warning, no pain, just let their souls disappear completely, without even a chance of reincarnation."
"You son of a bitch." Dean was so angry that he was shaking all over and his eyes were red. He may not care about his own life or death, or whether Hell comes back, but he can't lose Sam, nor can he lose Bai Haorui. They are his only family members.
"You have until midnight." Uriel smiled, raised his hand and patted the small glass bottle hanging around his neck. The bottle contained a ball of slightly bright blue light, "Oh, one more thing. Have you been wondering where Anna's Grace went? It has always been here with me. It's really a nice souvenir, isn't it?"
"You bastard." Dean gritted his teeth and said word by word.
"Midnight, Dean. Trade Anna for the lives of Sam and Bai Haorui. Choose." Uriel's voice became farther and farther away, and his figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.
The boundless darkness collapsed instantly, and Dean suddenly woke up from his dream, gasping for air, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his heart was beating as if it was about to explode, the whiskey bottle in his hand fell on the back seat, and the wine spilled all over the floor.
Anna was awakened by him, sat up, looked at him worriedly, and gently put his hand on his arm. "Dean? What's wrong?"
Dean looked at her, his eyes full of struggle and pain, and finally shook his head and gave a forced smile, "It's okay. It's just a nightmare."
He turned his head and looked out the window. There were only ten minutes left before midnight.
The moment the clock struck midnight, Dean took Anna back to the barn.
Sam was standing in the middle of the barn waiting for them, holding a loaded shotgun in his hand, his face full of anxiety. Bai Haorui stood beside him, holding the mahogany sword in his hand. The red gold True Fire around him was ready to go. The Daoist runes painted on the ground were faintly shining under the reflection of True Fire.
The wheat straw in the barn was rustled by the wind, and the moonlight shone in through the holes in the roof, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground. The air was filled with tension, and even breathing became heavy. Far away, you could hear the movement coming from the cornfield outside, including the fluctuations of the holy light of angels and the sulfurous breath of the devil. The two forces were approaching quickly, like two torrents about to collide.
"Where have you been?" Sam looked at Dean and Anna and immediately took a step forward, his tone full of anxiety.
"We have to talk." Dean's face was very serious. He glanced at Anna, then at Sam and Bai Haorui, and finally looked at the two The man pulled him to the corner of the barn, lowered his voice, and revealed all the threats Uriel had made in his dream, as well as the fact that Grace was in the small bottle around Uriel's neck.
Sam looked at Dean, his voice trembling. "What do you think you want to hand over Anna to them?"
"Haha, let them come. It's not certain who will die." Bai Haorui sneered, and the mahogany sword turned like a sword in his hand. The True Fire around him instantly surged, and all the runes on the sword lit up. "I've long wanted to settle the score with that bastard. I didn't kill him last time. This time, he won't be able to leave this barn alive."
"Sam, Haorui." Dean's voice was full of pain, "I'm sorry, I won't trade Anna's life for you. If you do that, you're still a witcher."
"Why are you sorry? What you did is not wrong!" Sam said in a sincere tone, "We have Haorui's formation and weapons, and we can fight them! But we will never hand over Anna!"
"Then let's fight!" Dean suddenly raised his voice, "Deal with Heaven and Hell at the same time and see how many of them our three brothers can kill today!"
"I heard it." Anna walked over slowly. She heard the conversation between the three of them. Her face was unusually calm, without any fear. "It's okay, Dean. Just hand me over, okay."
"No, it's not good at all." Dean looked at her, "I can't hand you over, I..."
"You can't let Sam and Bai Haorui die. I won't let you make this choice." Anna looked at him, his eyes gentle and firm, "This is all my fault. I disobeyed the order, and I brought all this. I will go with them."
"Anna, no--" Sam immediately took a step forward, trying to stop her.
"This is the only way." Anna shook his head and interrupted him, "I can't let you lose your life because of me. You have helped me too much."
At this moment, the main door of the barn was suddenly pushed open, and two dazzling white lights exploded, like two small suns falling at the door of the barn. Castiel and Uriel walked in out of thin air, and the holy light around them almost swallowed the entire barn.
Uriel is wearing a black windbreaker, with the small glass bottle containing Grace hanging around his neck. He has a smile on his face and puts his hand on Angel Blade at his waist, like a winner. The hunter with the ticket in hand. Castiel stood beside him, still wearing the beige windbreaker, with no expression on his face, but the hand he held Angel Blade tightened slightly, and there was a trace of hesitation in his eyes.
"Midnight is here. Dean." Uriel's eyes swept across everyone, and finally landed on Anna, with a smile full of cruelty.
Castiel looked at Anna, his tone was calm, but with a hint of unnoticeable guilt. "Anna. I'm sorry, this is the only way."