The driver, shaking with rage, pulled the car to the side and slammed his door. Renny stepped out too, noting with relief that they had stopped only a few blocks from the route he had intended to take.
The driver's glare locked on the shattered windows. "You'll pay for this, sir," he snarled. His body warped grotesquely, skin peeling back as his face split into a jagged, elongated snout. Six glowing eyes flared open, his jaw snapping sideways to reveal rows of needle teeth. Claws curved out from his hands as his limbs stretched unnaturally.
He roared, a sound that should have shaken the whole street, yet the few people nearby walked past, oblivious, as if none of it existed. They can't see…? Renny thought, unsettled.
Then the creature lunged.
Renny bolted backward, his legs carrying him faster than ever before. The Ezra fruit had sharpened his body, his speed, his stride, even the force of each step were proof he was no longer stuck at a 78 overall. Still, the beast was relentless, its claws scraping against walls as it thundered after him.
"Run all you like!" the driver bellowed. "I'll tear your head clean off!"
Renny cursed under his breath, wishing for his pistol, anything to stall the monster. He darted left, deeper into the alley, and spotted what seemed to be a dead end. His pace faltered.
The driver saw his chance and hurled himself forward. The impact was devastating, the ground gave way beneath them, and both plunged through.
Renny staggered upright, chest heaving, and took in the place they had fallen into. It was narrow and suffocating, a sealed dead end wedged between two tall buildings. A single broken streetlight flickered above, casting weak light across a rusting dumpster pushed against one wall. Damp brick and shadows pressed in from every side.
He steadied himself, squaring his shoulders, eyes scanning the dark. Whoever he had expected to meet here wasn't present.
The monster straightened, claws dripping with malice. "All you had to do," it growled, "was be a good demon and wait in your apartment till I dropped you. But you broke my car, sir…" His six eyes narrowed, burning with fury. "So before the Rotmen end your miserable life, I'll have the pleasure of dealing with you first, no offense."
The driver roared and lunged.
Renny exhaled sharply, bracing himself, then charged headlong to meet him. Their clash sent echoes through the narrow alley, claws swiping and fists flying in a blur. The driver's jagged claws gave him a brutal edge, each strike forcing Renny to twist, duck, or deflect to avoid being torn open.
He countered with precision, slipping past a slash to land a hard blow to the gut, then another to the jaw. He seized the opening and hurled the monster backward. The driver's body slammed into the brick wall with a bone-jarring crack before bouncing off and crashing onto the ground.
But he was relentless. In a flash, the driver was up again, spearing Renny with his full weight and driving him backward. Blow after blow rained down, and though Renny dodged most, one claw tore across his jaw, leaving a burning gash.
Gritting his teeth, Renny summoned every ounce of strength. He shoved the driver off and surged forward in a burst of speed, tackling him to the ground. With raw fury, Renny lifted the monster, smashed him into the opposite wall, then pummeled him with a barrage of strikes. Each hit landed with bone-crunching force as Renny snarled insults between blows.
But the driver only grinned through the punishment, blood trickling between his needle teeth. "If that is all you can do, sir… then you are finished," he said, almost mournful, before ramming his forehead into Renny's skull and driving a brutal kick into his chest. Renny was flung backward, hitting the ground hard.
Before he could rise, the monster loomed over him, one clawed foot pressing down on his chest, pinning him against the cracked concrete. Its six eyes glowed faintly with pity.
"You're too weak, sir," the driver murmured, almost with regret. "I wish you'd just stayed put. It didn't have to be this way."
His claws shifted, slow and deliberate, drawing above Renny's heart, ready to deliver the killing blow.
CRACK!
A single gunshot split the night. The driver's head snapped back as a bullet tore clean through his skull, exploding in a spray across the alley wall. His body stood trembling for a heartbeat, claws still raised, before collapsing headless beside Renny, blood pooling fast into the dirt.