"Ouch--"
Twelve Hellhound, which were as big as calves, rushed out of the mist. They were covered with black scales, shining with a metallic luster in the dim light. Their eyes were blood red, and their mouths opened wide, revealing sharp fangs. Saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths, corroding small pits on the ground. They let out a low roar and rushed towards the pickup truck in a fan shape.
Bai Haorui pushed open the car door and pulled out the mahogany sword from behind.
Purple-gold True Gang instantly poured into the sword along the arm, and the runes engraved on the sword lit up with a faint golden light. Bai Haorui flicked his fingertips, and a cluster of red True Fire ignited at the tip of the sword. The flames swayed in the wind, making a "whooshing" sound, and the surrounding air was roasted and distorted.
The first Hellhound rushed in front of Bai Haorui, with a fishy breath blowing in his face. Bai Haorui tiptoed the ground, ducked sideways with a light body, and flipped his wrist at the same time, sweeping out the mahogany sword.
The purple-gold True Gang pulled out a three-foot-long light blade from the blade, drawing an arc with the burning True Fire. With a "puff" sound, Hellhound was split in half from the middle. Hot black blood splashed all over the floor, and before the body even hit the ground, it was burned to ashes by the True Fire on the sword.
Seeing this, the remaining eleven Hellhounds swarmed up even more crazily. Their sharp claws were filled with black magic energy, and they clawed hard at Bai Haorui.
Bai Haorui ran "Three Altars Body-Refining True Fire Art" without dodging, and unfolded True Gang in front of him into a spherical shield with a diameter of 3 meters. Purple-gold light flowed on the surface of the shield, like a transparent crystal ball.
"Dang Dang Dang--"
Hellhound's sharp claws clawed hard at the shield, making a sound like metal collision, but they could not even scratch the surface of the shield. Instead, their claws were cracked by the shock of True Gang, and black blood flowed.
Bai Haorui quickly kneaded the spell with his left hand and silently recited the spell. He threw out six Evil-Breaking Talisman from his pocket. The talisman automatically burned in the air and turned into six fist-sized golden fireballs. The fireballs made a whistling sound and accurately hit the heads of six Hellhound.
"Boom boom boom--"
The fireball exploded, and the golden flames instantly swallowed up the six Hellhound. They didn't even have time to make a sound. They struggled a few times in the flames and turned into ashes.
Three Hellhound went around behind Bai Haorui and attacked him, claws grabbing at his back with black magic energy. Bai Haorui didn't even look back, flicked his left hand back, and five Five Emperor Coins flew out.
Five Emperor Coins automatically formed a five-pointed star array in the air, and golden light burst out from the array, forming a solid light network, pinning the three Hellhound to the ground. Purple-gold True Gang poured into their bodies along Five Emperor Coins, and their bodies began to melt rapidly, making a "sizzling" sound. After a few seconds, they turned into a pool of black liquid.
When the last two Hellhound saw this, they were so frightened that they turned around with their tails between their legs and wanted to run away.
After Bai Haorui landed, he stabbed forward with the mahogany sword in his right hand. He compressed True Gang into a needle light that was ten times thinner than a hair. Two True Gang needle lights flew out with a sound of breaking through the air, accurately piercing their backs.
The two Hellhound screamed, fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and then stopped moving. Their bodies soon turned into black smoke and dissipated in the air.
At this time, six men in black windbreakers walked out of the mist. Their eyes were pure black, their faces showed no expression, and their bodies exuded a strong demonic aura. They were elite demon warriors under Lilith, and each of them had considerable strength.
The six demons rushed towards Bai Haorui at the same time, letting out harsh roars. Black magic blades condensed in their hands, and they struck Bai Haorui fiercely.
Bai Haorui focused his eyes, and ran Samadhi True Fire, perfectly integrating True Fire and True Gang. He pushed forward, and a two-meter-high wall of fire pushed forward. The wall of fire was red in color, and the temperature was astonishingly high. Wherever it passed, the weeds on the ground were instantly burned to ashes, and even the asphalt pavement began to melt.
The six demons had no time to dodge and were swallowed up by the wall of fire. They let out several screams and their bodies burned rapidly in the wall of fire. After a few seconds, they were burned to ashes, leaving not even a trace.
Bai Haorui put his sword back into its sheath and patted the dust on his body. He glanced at his watch and saw that the time was 9:45 am.
Just as he was about to get in the car, Divine Sense suddenly warned that a new demonic energy was approaching quickly. There were 22 strands in total, 18 of which had the same energy as the elite demons just now, and the other 4 strands had much more powerful energy and were obviously higher-level demons.
Bai Haorui A cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and a trace of fighting spirit flashed in his eyes. "It comes just in time, so I don't have to look for it one by one."
He moved his wrists and ankles, and the purple-gold True Gang flowed on the surface of his body, forming a light protective film. He pulled out the mahogany sword again, and the True Fire on the tip of the sword burned more vigorously, illuminating his face.
Dean looked around in the room. The walls were pure white with exquisite gold decorations and trims. There were several pastoral landscape paintings hanging on the walls. The sunshine in the paintings was bright and the green grass was green, which looked extremely beautiful. A smooth Dali stone table stood in the center of the room. The sunlight poured in from the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The whole room was so bright that it was dazzling, even making people feel a little dizzy.
It was eerily quiet here, without a sound, and you could even hear your own breathing clearly.
Dean turned back to the table and was surprised to find that there had been a silver bowl full of ice and beer bottles on the table, as well as a large plate of steaming double cheeseburgers. The aroma of the burgers was his nostrils, and it was his favorite taste. It was stuffed with thick beef patties, melted cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, and it looked extremely tempting.
"Hello, Dean." Zachariah appeared at the other end of the room, with a false smile on his face, his hands behind his back, and an arrogant posture. He was wearing a crisp black suit, his hair was meticulously combed, and his leather shoes were polished. "You look good. Let's try the burger."
Dean put the beer bottle back expressionlessly, crossed his arms, his eyes full of disdain and vigilance. "Okay, what is this? 'The Suite Life of Zach and Cas'." Seeing the confused expressions on both Zachariah and Castiel standing in the corner, he waved his hand impatiently. "This is... forget it. So, what is this place? Where am I?"
Zachariah walked slowly to the table, picked up a burger, took a bite, chewed a few times, and swallowed it. His movements were elegant, but also carried an indescribable hypocrisy. "Let's call it Green Room. We are about to have a grand finale. Bureau. We want to ensure your safety before the show starts." He pointed to the food on the table with a "kind" smile on his face, "Try the burger, it's your favorite. Delaware That beach house, I think you went there when you were 11 years old."
Dean's eyes flashed with surprise, and then returned to coldness. He shook his head. "I'm not hungry."
Zachariah raised his eyebrows with a hint of ridicule in his tone. "No? What about Ginger in the second season of "Gilligan's Island"? You really like her, don't you?"
Dean twitched the corners of his mouth, with a look of disgust on his face. "It's very tempting, but also very strange."
"Mary Ann will give it to you for free." Zachariah smiled even brighter.
Dean raised his voice, his tone full of impatience. "No, no. Let's... stop playing this holodeck game, okay? I want to know what the plan is."
Zachariah put away his smile and his tone became serious, but his eyes were still arrogant. "Let us worry about this. We hope you... focus and relax."
"Okay, I'm going to get angry and leave soon, so quickly say, Chuckles." Dean took a step forward, staring at Zachariah sharply, with a threatening tone.
Zachariah sighed, looking helpless, and spread his hands. "All the seals have been broken, only one is left."
Dean sneered, his tone full of sarcasm. "This result is really 'good'. It is comparable to General Washington's army."
Zachariah's face darkened and his tone was cold. He approached Dean's face, almost nose-to-nose with him. "Do you think it's appropriate to be sarcastic? Considering... you caused all of this? But the last seal... will be different."
Dean met his gaze without flinching and frowned. "Why?"
Zachariah took a step back and resumed his previous arrogant attitude. "Lilith must break it. Only she can do it. Tomorrow night--midnight."
"Where?" Dean asked eagerly, leaning forward slightly.
"We are investigating." Zachariah shrugged, his tone casual.
"Then check it quickly." Dean said in a strong tone.
Zachariah's eyes flashed with displeasure. "We will do our job well. You just have to make sure you do yours."
"Yeah, what on earth is that?" Dean spread out his hands with a puzzled look on his face, "If I want to stop her, how can I stop her? Use this Xiaobao?" He patted the Colt handgun on his waist.
"I will tell you when the time comes." Zachariah shook his head.
"Isn't now the time?" Dean raised his voice and sounded angry.
Zachariah smiled slightly, with an unquestionable command in his tone, "Have confidence."
"What, have confidence in you?" Dean sneered, his eyes full of doubt and anger, "Give me a reason why I should believe you."
Zachariah approached Dean fiercely, with cold eyes and a threatening tone. "Because you swore to obey us. So obey."
Dean looked past him and looked at Castiel standing in the corner. Castiel's eyes were full of guilt and uneasiness. When he saw Dean looking over, he immediately lowered his head, not daring to look at Dean.
Dean's eyes became colder and he shook his head in disappointment.
Zachariah disappeared. Only Dean and Castiel were left in the room.
Dean was pacing alone in the room, his steps getting heavier and heavier. He took out his mobile phone from his pocket, rubbed his fingers hesitantly on the screen, and frowned. He cursed in a low voice, "Ah, screw it." Then he opened the mobile phone, found the number of Sam, and pressed the dial button.
After the phone rang a few times, it went to voicemail.
The voice of Sam came from the receiver, with a calm and brisk tone. "I am Sam, please leave a message."
There is a "beep" sound.
Dean cleared his throat, his eyes full of complicated emotions, his voice a little hoarse. "Hey, it's me. Well... listen, I'm just going to say it. I'm still angry... and I really want to beat you up. But... I shouldn't have said those words. You know, I'm not a dad. We are brothers. We are a family. And, um... no matter how bad the situation gets, this will never change. Sam, I'm sorry."
There is a "beep" sound and the message ends.
Dean hung up the phone, threw the phone on the table, and sat down heavily on the chair. He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly. He dialed Bai Haorui again, but no one answered.
"Damn it, Haorui isn't answering the phone either." Dean cursed in a low voice, "What on earth are you doing?"
After an unknown amount of time, Zachariah appeared in the room again. The smile on his face disappeared, and his tone became extremely serious. "All the seals have been broken, except for one. It must be broken by Lilith. Only she can do it. Tomorrow night - midnight."
Dean stood up suddenly. "I know, you have already said it. Then when do we set out to stop her?"
Zachariah sighed, as if helpless, with a cold flash in his eyes. "You won't... kill Lilith. Lilith will break the last seal. It is a fait accompli now. The train has left the station."
Dean's pupils shrank suddenly and his body froze. The anger on his face was instantly replaced by disbelief, and his voice was trembling. "But Sam Haorui and I, we can stop... You don't want to stop her at all. You never thought of stopping her."
A cruel smile appeared on Zachariah's face, and he nodded slowly, with a hint of pride in his tone. "Oh, Dean. You finally figured it out. Lucifer's rebellion is Heaven's biggest stain. We must deal with him once and for all. He will rise, and then we will fight him back to Hell. Forever. This is the only way."
"You bastards!" Dean took a step back, his eyes full of shock and anger, his voice rising, "You have been lying to me! You have been using me!"
"We need you to stay motivated." Zachariah spread his hands and said matter-of-factly, "If we tell you the truth, what will you do? You will give up. You will hide in a cave with Bai Haorui and Sam, and then watch the end of the world come."
"So you just watch the seals being broken one after another? Watching countless innocent people die?" Dean gritted his teeth, clenched his fists loudly, and his knuckles turned white.
Zachariah's face darkened, and his tone was cold, with unquestionable majesty. "This is God's plan."
Dean let out a sarcastic laugh, almost bursting into tears. "God's plan? God's plan is to let Lucifer crawl out of Hell and turn the earth into a scorched earth? Is this what your omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent and kind-hearted God wants?"
"I'll say it again!" Zachariah approached Dean with fierce eyes, "Lucifer's rebellion is Heaven's biggest stain. We will deal with him once and for all. We will let him rise, and then we will beat him back to Hell. Forever."
"What about the billions of people who died in the middle?" Dean's eyes were full of doubt and anger, "What should they do?"
Zachariah spoke calmly, as if talking about the weather. "It's just collateral damage."
"Collateral damage?" Dean couldn't help it anymore and punched Zachariah in the face. Zachariah didn't move at all, but Dean grinned in pain and shook his hand. "You cold-blooded monster!"
Zachariah grabbed Dean's wrist and squeezed it hard. Dean grunted in pain and turned pale. "Watch your tone, mortal. Why do you think we want to rescue you from Hell? It's not because of How special you are. Because we need a perfect container. When Michael comes, he needs a body to fight. And you, Dean·Winchester, are his sword. This is the meaning of your birth. This is the whole reason for your existence."
"What?" Dean's eyes suddenly opened wide, with a strange expression on his face.
"You are the designated container for Michael." Zachariah released Dean's wrist, took a step back, straightened his suit, and said with a hint of pity, "This is the meaning of your birth. This is the entire reason for your existence. From the moment you were born, your destiny has been written."
"No. No, I will not let him possess me." Dean shook his head and stepped back step by step, his eyes full of despair, "I will not become your puppet. I have my own choice."
"You have no choice." Zachariah sneered, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "This is your fate. Why do you think you can escape from Hell? Why do you think Castiel risked his life to save you? It's all for this moment."
Dean looked at Castiel suddenly, his eyes full of questioning and disappointment, like a knife, piercing Castiel's heart. "Is this true?"
Castiel lowered his head, not daring to look at Dean. His shoulders trembled slightly, and his voice was filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Dean. I... I have no choice."
Dean let out a desperate bitter smile, his eyes empty. He felt that his whole world collapsed. "So this is all a lie. From the beginning."
Zachariah clapped his hands and spoke in a brisk tone, as if announcing good news. "Okay, enough of venting emotions. Now, let's talk about business. When Lucifer rises, Michael will come to you. Then you will have a final battle. Justice will defeat evil. Heaven will achieve the final victory."
Dean looked at Zachariah with cold eyes, and said in a determined tone, "What if I refuse?"
The smile on Zachariah's face disappeared, and his eyes became extremely cold, like a cold winter lake. "Then we will force you. We will peel your soul out of your body, and then put Michael in. You will become an unconscious shell. But the war will still start. The result will still be the same. So, you'd better cooperate. This way at least you can retain a little bit of yourself."
Dean looked at the hypocritical face of Zachariah, and then at Castiel with his head lowered, his eyes full of despair and anger. He quickly turned around, rushed to the window, and wanted to jump out. But his body hit an invisible wall, was bounced back, and fell heavily to the ground.
"Don't waste your efforts." Zachariah shook his head, with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "This room is reinforced with the power of angels. You can't escape." He nodded to Castiel: "Watch him. Don't let him do anything stupid."
Zachariah disappeared.
Only Dean and Castiel are left in the room.
Dean got up from the ground, with his back to Castiel, his shoulders shaking slightly. His heart was full of despair and betrayal. He once believed in Castiel so much, believed that he was different, and believed that he really wanted to help mankind.
Castiel stood there, looking at Dean's back, his eyes full of guilt and struggle.
"I'm sorry, Dean." Castiel's voice was low, with a hint of hoarseness, "I'm really sorry."
Dean raised his head and looked at Castiel with cold eyes. There was no warmth in his tone. "You have known all this for a long time, right? From the moment you rescued me from Hell, you knew that I was the container of Michael."
Castiel nodded, his eyes full of pain. "Yes."
"Then why do you still tell me those words?" Dean's voice was trembling, "Why do you still tell me that God has a plan? Why do you still want me to believe you?"
"Because I believe in that plan." Castiel said in a heavy tone, "I believe in God. I believe this is the only way to save the world. But..." He paused, a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes, "But now I'm not sure."
Dean raised his eyebrows with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Oh? Angels will also doubt God?"
Castiel walked to the window, looked at the non-existent scenery outside the window, and said in a low voice, "I have lived for thousands of years. I have seen countless wars and countless deaths. I always thought that everything we did was for justice. But now... I've seen too many innocent people die. And Heaven doesn't care. They call it 'collateral damage.' But these people are not numbers. They are flesh and blood. They have families, friends, and dreams."
He turned around and looked at Dean, his eyes full of determination. "I can't go on like this anymore. I can't just watch them turn you into a puppet. I can't just watch billions of people die anymore."
Dean's eyes flashed with surprise. "What do you mean?"
Castiel took a deep breath and spoke firmly, with a determination to break the boat. "I want to help you escape."
"What?" Dean stood up, his eyes full of disbelief, "Are you crazy? If they find out, they will kill you."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Castiel's mouth. It was the first time Dean saw him smile. "Maybe. But at least I died well." He walked to Dean and lowered his voice. "Listen, I can only buy you some time. Zachariah will find out soon. You must find Sam as soon as possible and stop him."
"Stop him?" Dean frowned, with a confused tone, "Stop him for what?"
Castiel's eyes became extremely solemn, and his words hit Dean's heart like a heavy hammer. "The last seal was not broken by Lilith. It was Sam. Lilith was the last seal. When Sam The moment she is killed, the last seal will be broken and Lucifer will come out of Hell. This is their plan. They have been guiding Sam to this point. They have been encouraging him to drink demon blood to make him strong enough to kill Lilith."