Roar!
Just as Anirudh was on full alert, strategizing on how to deal with the bloody monster, the creature seemed to lose its patience. Letting out a guttural growl, it suddenly kicked off with its powerful limbs, leaping toward him with terrifying speed.
Anirudh had no time to formulate a plan. With no other choice, he swung the crowbar in his hand as hard as he could, aiming at the charging monster.
Bang!
As Anirudh feared, the already damaged crowbar couldn't withstand the creature's immense strength. With a sharp metallic clash, the steel bar was severed by the monster's claws, leaving only a short stump in his grip. Simultaneously, the force of the impact sent him flying backward, his arms throbbing with pain.
He was no match for this horrifying creature.
What was even more terrifying was that the blood-red monster, armed with exceptional hunting instincts, was relentless. Before Anirudh even hit the ground, the creature opened its grotesque, fanged maw and unleashed its long, blood-red tongue. Covered in sharp barbs, the tongue shot toward Anirudh's head with lightning speed.
"Dammit!"
Anirudh's heart raced as he recalled how easily this same tongue had pierced a rider's skull earlier. Even with his enhanced physique, he knew that a strike to the head would mean certain death.
Fueled by desperation, his survival instincts kicked in. Twisting his body mid-air, he managed to tilt his head just enough to avoid the fatal strike. However, he wasn't entirely unscathed.
Thud!
The tongue missed his head but stabbed deep into his left shoulder. A surge of pain shot through him as blood spurted out, and the force of the blow hurled him further backward. He landed hard near the fallen motorcycle that once belonged to the purple-haired rider.
Roar!
The blood-colored monster, furious that its lethal strike had missed, let out a savage roar. It retracted its barbed tongue, intending to drag Anirudh closer, just as it had done with its previous victim.
"Aaaaagh!"
Pain erupted from Anirudh's shoulder as the barbed tongue pulled at his flesh. He screamed in agony, but he knew he couldn't allow the creature to pull him closer—it would be the end.
With a ferocious yell, Anirudh gripped the remaining half of the crowbar and stabbed it into the creature's tongue with all his might.
Squelch!
The sharp edge of the crowbar pierced through the monster's tongue and drove into the ground, pinning it in place.
Roar!
The monster howled in pain, thrashing wildly as its sensitive tongue was impaled. But Anirudh knew the battle wasn't over yet—the creature's rage only intensified. It would tear him apart if given the chance.
"Not today!" Anirudh growled.
With his right hand, he released the crowbar and grabbed the fallen motorcycle beside him. Despite its weight of over 100 kilograms, Anirudh, empowered by adrenaline and his enhanced strength, swung it like a weapon.
Boom!
The motorcycle slammed into the monster with tremendous force. Though the creature managed to claw the bike in half, the impact threw it off balance, sending it tumbling backward. The violent pull tore its tongue free from its mouth with a sickening snap, spraying blood everywhere.
The monster let out a blood-curdling scream as blood gushed from its severed tongue, staining the ground red. While it was a grievous injury, it wasn't fatal.
The blood-red giant still had enough strength to kill Anirudh, who was now severely injured and unarmed.
With a guttural roar, the monster lunged toward him again.
"Come on!" Anirudh shouted, gripping the crowbar stub in his hand. Despite the overwhelming odds, a fiery determination blazed in his eyes. If he was going to die, he would make sure the monster paid a heavy price.
Roar!
Before the final clash, a deep, thunderous roar echoed in the distance, accompanied by the sound of gunfire. It came from the direction of the Hospital, where the police were seemingly engaged in a fierce battle.
The blood-colored monster froze momentarily, its tense muscles relaxing slightly. Then, as if making a calculated decision, it turned away from Anirudh. With a single leap, it landed beside the purple-haired rider, who had been rendered immobile after falling from his bike.
"No… no… please!" the rider screamed, panic overtaking him.
Realizing his only chance of survival lay in Anirudh's hands, he pleaded desperately, "Brother, help me! Save me, please!"
But Anirudh wasn't moved. This same man had tried to kill him earlier.
"Serves you right," Anirudh muttered coldly, his eyes never leaving the monster. He wasn't about to risk his life for someone who had betrayed him.
The monster, however, seemed to hesitate. Instead of killing the rider outright, it slashed his jacket open, causing a phone and wallet to fall to the ground. For a brief moment, the monster stared at the items before letting out a low, menacing growl.
Then, with a sudden fury, it tore the phone and wallet to pieces with its claws before turning its attention back to the rider.
"No! No!" the rider screamed as the monster's jaws closed around him. The creature leapt into the fog with its prey, disappearing into the mist along with the rider's blood-curdling screams.
As the screams faded, Anirudh finally exhaled, his body trembling from exhaustion and pain. His left shoulder throbbed violently, the wound oozing dark, foul-smelling pus. The zombie virus was spreading rapidly through his body, overpowering even his enhanced physique.
"I can't… fall asleep," he murmured, fighting against the dizziness that threatened to overtake him. If he lost consciousness now, he knew he wouldn't wake up.
Before he could act, a chorus of guttural growls echoed from the fog. Seven or eight zombie figures staggered into view, drawn by the scent of blood.
Anirudh's heart sank.
"So many… how?"
The realization struck him—his blood, along with that of the other riders, had turned this area into a beacon for the undead.
Now surrounded and barely able to stand, Anirudh gripped the crowbar stub tightly, his knuckles white.
"This might really be the end," he muttered, preparing to make his final stand.