Jesse quickly raised his rifle toward the monster as it tore the nails from its hand and advanced on him. He fired, tearing a hole in its abdomen. But the creature lifted its arm and delivered a powerful blow that sent Jesse flying off the ground. He managed to block the strike with his shield, and while airborne, he looked toward the monster, pain etched across his face, and aimed his weapon at it again, firing once more.
The monster dodged the bullet and charged toward Jesse, who had crashed to the ground. It struck again, shattering his shield and slamming him into his car. The impact broke his leg, drawing a scream of pain. Jesse looked at the monster slowly closing in, breathing heavily from the agony of the fracture, and thought to himself:
"This hurts so much. I think my leg is broken… my injuries keep getting worse. I'm in the worst shape possible. I don't even know if the boy is still alive… or if I'll survive this at all. Damn, this is unbearable. I don't have time to think or feel pain—I have to do something before that thing kills me."
Using the car for support, he forced himself to stand. Pain shot through his broken leg, but he pushed forward to the trunk, pulled out some bandages, and quickly wrapped his wounds. He grabbed another weapon with his free hand—a rusty old firearm, its metal corroded along every edge.
Jesse turned toward the monster, now only a few meters away, and aimed his first gun at its leg and the second at its head. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed both triggers. The first bullet struck its leg while the second was dodged, sending the creature stumbling. Blood filled the wound in its leg again, but it could no longer move it.
The monster glared at Jesse with bloodthirsty eyes, then slashed its own arm. Before its blood could harden, it thrust its hand forward and swung it in a sharp arc from left to right. The blood surged outward in the shape of a crimson crescent, solidifying in the air as it flew toward Jesse. Shock flashed across Jesse's face, but he recovered instantly, aiming his pistol at the attack and shooting it into countless crimson shards that scattered in all directions.
They locked eyes, both knowing this final strike would decide who lived and who died. The monster braced its remaining leg, ready to propel itself forward, while tearing open its left arm and letting the blood flow downward, shaping it into a long, razor-edged sword. In the blink of an eye, it launched itself at him. Jesse, moving as fast as his battered body allowed, raised both pistols and pulled the triggers.
The sound of the final shot echoed through the surroundings, announcing the victor.
Later, the boy slowly opened his eyes, pain radiating through every part of his body. He rose unsteadily, glancing around with confusion. The air was calm, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. Gathering himself, he stepped out of the car, only to see Jesse lying in front of it, a deep wound running across his face. In front of him lay the monster's body—headless, with a massive pool of crystallized red blood where its head had been, shards of it scattered on the ground.
The boy's face filled with worry as he tried to wake Jesse. Slowly, Jesse's eyes opened, and in a faint, muffled voice, he said, "Water… get me the water in the car."
The boy sprinted to the car, searching until he found a single bottle, then helped Jesse drink. Jesse told him to fetch some bandages and canned food from the vehicle, as he couldn't move. The boy brought them over, and Jesse began eating while instructing him on how to wrap the wounds.
Once finished, the boy helped him into the car. Jesse started the engine, driving out of the city, leaving behind the monster's mutilated corpse as nothing more than a grim ornament in this desolate, featureless wasteland.
The End