Chapter 77: Surrender or Die, Angel Comes

"Then are you really interested in me?" Natasha Romanoff thought to herself but couldn't bring herself to ask. When Ethan Hayes left, she had already made a decision. It was time to end this dangerous game. She was still the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, and couldn't afford to lose herself or fall hopelessly in love with the devil.

Wiping away her tears, Natasha chose not to inform Nick Fury about the truth. Instead, she picked up her chopsticks and began enjoying the meal Ethan had made for her. Deep down, she knew there might never be another chance to taste his cooking.

Meanwhile, Ethan was already far from the villa, soaring through the sky. His Burning Fruit power had developed further into a move he called Rocket Launcher, a propulsion technique he had refined. He felt the presence of his magical mark and followed its trail, pursuing Frank and the X-agent mercenary group.

As Ethan crossed into New Mexico, a rainbow beam of light shot down from the sky, followed by thunder and lightning crashing to the earth. Ethan looked up at the bifrost and smirked. "Thor's here," he murmured. But he had no time to get involved with the god of thunder; his mission was clear. Skirting around the bifrost, he focused on the Vlad family stronghold.

The mercenaries had reached Vlad Castle, an ancient and imposing manor atop a mountain. The fog surrounding it was eerie, casting an oppressive atmosphere over the elite group of agents.

"This place is… off," Alex Haicheng whispered, his senses on high alert.

"Relax," Frank said, laughing. "This is Vlad Castle. One of the safest places in the country."

The X-agent mercenaries, although elite, couldn't shake the feeling that they had stepped into something much larger and far more dangerous than they had imagined. Frank, having plotted against Ethan and with the Vatican destroyed, felt a bit more relaxed. Yet, the weight of what had happened loomed over them all.

An older man in a black suit stepped out of the castle, his white hair neatly combed. Rafe Vlad, head of the Vlad family, slowly approached the blood coffin, inspecting it closely. "Yes, this is it—the blood coffin of our ancestors," he said.

The transaction was completed, and the mercenaries received their payment, feeling a sense of relief. The mission had been harrowing, but at least they had been well-compensated.

Sandy Brandenburg turned to Rafe Vlad. "What happened in the Vatican, and who is this Ethan Hayes?"

Rafe sighed. "Ethan Hayes is an ice demon, a super-powered individual who's recently risen in New York. You've seen his strength firsthand—the Vatican didn't stand a chance against him."

The mercenaries exchanged uneasy glances. They had heard of Ethan before, of course—rumors and whispers. But the destruction of the Vatican by one person? It seemed unimaginable.

Just then, dark clouds swirled in the sky above the castle. Shadows moved in the fog, and a massive swarm of bats erupted from the abyss, blotting out the sun. The vampires of Vlad Castle stirred, readying for a fight.

"Enemy attack!" Rafe Vlad's voice boomed.

Vampires flew from their coffins inside the castle, gathering in the sky. A fiery streak ripped through the clouds, and as the sunlight pierced the darkness, the vampires caught in its path burst into flames, screaming in agony as they were reduced to ash.

Ethan descended from the sky, landing directly on top of the blood coffin. His eyes scanned the castle below, a mocking smirk on his lips. "So, this is the Vlad family, the supposed controllers of Wells Fargo?" His voice echoed through the mountains.

A wave of bats descended, blocking out the sunlight again, as the vampires closed in on Ethan.

"Mr. Hayes, welcome to Vlad Castle," Rafe Vlad said, signaling the vampires to stop their assault.

"I'm not feeling particularly welcomed," Ethan replied coldly, his gaze shifting to the old man.

Rafe, sensing the precariousness of the situation, raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "What happened at the Vatican was a misunderstanding. Frank acted on his own, and I never intended for you to be caught in the crossfire with the Holy See. That was my fault."

Ethan wasn't swayed. His attention turned to the X-agent mercenaries. "Surviving this long without being thrown into the blood coffin is quite the feat," he said, his voice filled with disdain.

Rafe's face darkened. "Mr. Hayes, we're allies. Are you really going to declare war on the Vlad family over this?"

Ethan's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Declare war? You've already angered me, and I'm not the forgiving type."

Rafe, undeterred, gave the order. "Alex, kill him. I'll pay you one billion dollars."

The vampires surged forward, and Alex Haicheng sprang into action, drawing his dual pistols and firing at Ethan. But the bullets passed through Ethan's body harmlessly—he had already transformed into his Burning Fruit form, becoming a living flame.

Ethan barely spared Alex a glance as he raised his hand. "Burning Fruit. Heat Ray!" A focused beam of flame erupted from his eyes, incinerating everything in its path.

The vampires screeched as they burned to ash. Frank and the rest of the X-agents opened fire, but Ethan's elemental form rendered their attacks useless.

In a flash, Ethan reappeared behind Alex, his flaming sword in hand. With a swift motion, he sliced Alex in half.

Sandy Brandenburg, trembling, fell to her knees. "I surrender, master," she whispered, her voice shaking. She couldn't fight him—no one could. This was a demon from another realm.

Ethan turned his attention to Sandy, then to Inez, who was shaking but still holding her shotgun. She looked at Alex's dismembered body and then at the demon before her.

Inez, tears streaming down her face, threw her gun aside. "Fight me hand to hand!" she screamed, challenging Ethan with her bare fists. "If you beat me, I'll surrender!"

Ethan's expression was unreadable. "You really think you can win?" he asked.

But, seeing her determination, he shrugged. "As you wish."

Inez charged forward with all her might, but Ethan effortlessly caught her fist and threw her to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, only to be thrown again with even greater force.

Before she could rise again, Sandy stepped in front of her, tears in her eyes. "That's enough, Inez. We surrender," she said quietly, pulling the sobbing woman into her arms.

Ethan turned his attention to the blood coffin. It was glowing, shrouded in a dark mist as it absorbed the blood of the fallen mercenaries. A powerful heartbeat echoed from within.

Suddenly, a beam of holy light pierced through the darkness, casting an angelic glow over Vlad Castle. Ethan's eyes narrowed. The battle was far from over.

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