After Ghost Rider sliced off the head from Creeper's puppet body with a single clean strike, the decapitated body burned furiously and crumbled into ashes on the ground.
Puff~
With a faint puff, black smoke rose from Jojo's skull, signalling that the Hellfire had been extinguished.
He had transformed back from the Spirit of Vengeance into his human form.
As Jojo returned to normal, Rosalie, standing beside him, rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. She planted a quick peck on his lips.
Not to be outdone, Alice giggled and jumped on him, hugging his neck tightly before giving him a small kiss.
This time, however, the kiss lingered a little longer.
Snort~
Noticing her sister's clear intentions, Rosalie snorted in annoyance, folding her arms across her chest.
Meanwhile, Freya, who had been quietly examining the weapons that had fallen from Creeper's trench coat—torn during the fight—remained engrossed in her task.
"Did you find anything useful?"
Noticing her focused expression, Jojo moved beside her.
His gaze fell on the shurikens she was inspecting with narrowed eyes.
"____"
"They're made of human skin used as leather, and the edges are crafted from bones—razor-sharp."
Freya's voice was steady but tinged with disgust.
As she ran her finger along the blade's edge to test its sharpness, the weapon pierced her skin effortlessly, drawing a thin line of blood.
Chime~
The sudden chime of the hotel door opening pulled their attention toward the entrance.
From the doorway, Trish stepped through, followed closely by Darry, Jezelle, Dana, and David, who were still clearly panicking.
His wide eyes darted around nervously as if to confirm whether Creeper was truly dead this time.
Even though the fight was finished, the group remained tense, their gazes fixed on Jojo.
Moments ago, he had transformed into a flaming humanoid monster and defeated the Creeper, leaving it with no chance.
Ahem~
Gathering her courage, Trish deliberately coughed to break the heavy silence.
"Who... who are you?"
Stepping forward, she managed to ask the question on everyone's mind.
"I'm someone who punishes sinners. The Creeper and it's kind... they're part of the DMC I explained earlier."
Jojo's answer was vague, his voice steady, but it left no room for doubt.
Sigh~
"Then... that means you've dealt with the Creeper, right?"
Trish let out a relieved sigh as she glanced toward the ashes where Jojo had decapitated the Creeper moments earlier.
"____"
"____"
"____"
'Why should I be afraid of him? Didn't he save us from the demon?'
Trish shook her head as she reassured herself.
She slowly began to chat with Jojo, still wary but gaining confidence.
Sigh~
"No. Unfortunately, that wasn't the Creeper's real body..."
Jojo's voice was grim as he ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head.
"To end the Creeper once and for all, we need to find its original body and destroy it completely."
His words shattered the fragile calm.
"____"
"____"
"____"
The faint relief on Darry's and the officers' faces evaporated in an instant.
Shiver~
"Then... will... will it come back?"
David's voice trembled, his wide eyes darting nervously around the area as if expecting the Creeper to strike from the shadows.
"Ma'am, where's the backup you mentioned?"
Turning abruptly toward Dana, Darry's voice cracked, his fear evident.
They had been waiting for backup all this time—backup that had yet to arrive.
The sheriff, Dan, had promised to send reinforcements as soon as possible, but there was still no sign of them.
"____"
Dana sighed, the weight of uncertainty clear in her expression.
"To be honest, kid, even I don't know."
Her shoulders slumped slightly as she pulled the walkie-talkie closer to her mouth.
Cree~
Pressing the button again, Dana repeated her request for reinforcements.
Static crackled back at her until a faint voice responded, confirming the backup had been dispatched and was on its way.
But the uncertainty remained.
Due to the unsettling situation, Dana hesitated, wanting to request additional backup.
But before she could, Jojo subtly gestured for her not to.
"Miss Dana, you need to take him to the hospital. We'll handle the Creeper. It's not a good idea to involve more normal humans—people who have no idea what they're going to face if they encounter it."
Dana frowned, clearly puzzled, but Freya stepped closer, offering a brief explanation.
"Let's head inside..."
Noticing David's growing panic and Dana's confusion, Jojo gestured for everyone to re-enter the Down Hotel, where the siblings and cops had previously stayed.
Ambulance...
Waaaaaahhhhhhh~ Waaaaaahhhhhhh~ Waaaaaahhhhhhh~
Loud sirens echoed through the long, desolate highway as a line of ambulances sped away from the smouldering ruins of the old, burned-down church.
The church—set ablaze by the culprit to destroy evidence—now stood silent, a charred reminder of horrors past.
Inside one of the ambulances, two stretchers lay side by side, each holding a dead body wrapped in sealed yellow plastic covers.
Suddenly—
Shake~ Shake~
The body on one of the stretchers trembled.
At first, the movement was faint.
Then, violently—
Muffle~
The plastic stretched taut as something inside struggled.
A muffled groan echoed through the confined space.
Tear~
A pale, burned hand ripped through the plastic cover, its charred skin flaking off like dry ash.
The hand reached outward, clawing for freedom.
Moments later, the body emerged—a lean, skeletal man with sickly pale skin.
Both his eyes and mouth were grotesquely stitched shut.
The stitching appeared crude, as though done with strands of coarse human hair.
The figure swayed unsteadily as it slowly pushed itself upright from the stretcher.
His movements were sluggish, like something waking from a deep, unnatural slumber.
He lifted his pale, bony hands to his face.
The flesh of his hands bulged grotesquely, his fingertips cracking as sharp, dark claws extended like talons.
Snip~
The man pressed the razor-sharp tips of his claws against his tightly stitched eyelids.
Slowly, carefully, he sliced through the stitches.
A sickening sound accompanied the tearing—skin splitting, hair snapping apart.
The eyes that opened beneath were not human.
They were reptilian, glowing faintly as they adjusted to the dim interior of the ambulance.
They were the same eyes as the Creepers—the same monster Jojo had fought and destroyed mere moments ago.
The Creeper had returned, now possessing a new puppet body.
Tear~
The creature's face contorted as it sliced through the stitches holding its mouth shut.
The gaping mouth opened wide, rows of jagged teeth lining the twisted grin.
Its expression was feral, predatory.
Suddenly, the new puppet body began to change.
The man's height surged upward, bones audibly cracking as his body expanded, matching the Creeper's towering size.
His pale, decaying skin tightened and bulged unnaturally, as though something monstrous were growing beneath the surface.
On his back, the flesh stretched taut—
Rip~
With a grotesque tearing sound, two massive wings burst from the skin, slick and covered in a foul, slimy substance.
They extended outward, their joints sharp as blades, dripping viscous fluid onto the floor.
The transformation was almost complete.
With a single, powerful motion, the Creeper shed its old skin.
The discarded husk fell to the floor like a dead cocoon, revealing its new, monstrous form—stronger, sharper, and more menacing than before.
The Creeper's wings unfurled fully, casting long, sinister shadows across the ambulance walls.
Its reptilian eyes glowed with newfound malice, locking onto the world beyond as it let out a low, guttural growl.
It was ready to hunt again.
Even though the Creeper had fully possessed this new puppet body, it appeared weaker and sluggish.
The form was a hollow shell, devoid of internal organs or proper structure—it was merely the outer skin.
The Creeper would have to start from scratch once more, hunting to rebuild itself piece by piece.
Frown~
Sniff~ Sniff~
The Creeper frowned, raising its nose to the air, sniffing deeply.
Its reptilian nostrils flared as it desperately searched for suitable prey, anything to consume and restore its decaying state.
Growl~
A guttural growl escaped its throat, low and menacing.
Without hesitation, the Creeper turned toward the ambulance doors, gripping them tightly.
Bang!
With an inhuman strength, it tore the doors open, the metal groaning in protest as they flung outward.
"What the—"
The driver and his assistant, in the ambulance, following close behind, watched the surreal scene unfold before their eyes.
Both men froze, their expressions shifting to shock and disbelief as they saw the impossible.
Flap~ Flap~
From the open ambulance, the Creeper unfurled its massive wings.
In a single, swift movement, it launched itself into the night sky, its silhouette briefly illuminated by the flashing emergency lights.
The wings beat powerfully as the creature vanished into the darkness, leaving behind only the sound of rushing air.
"Nick… did we see that right?"
The driver's voice broke the heavy silence, his hands trembling against the steering wheel.
He stared at the still-moving ambulance doors, unable to look away.
"I... I think I saw a monster."
The assistant stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes remained fixed on the gaping doors, as though the Creeper might reappear at any moment.
Both men turned to look at each other, their faces pale. In the silent cab, they could see the panic reflected in each other's eyes.
Gulp~
Neither spoke another word as the realization crept over them: whatever they had seen was not human.
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(Author's POV)
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