I staggered to my feet, trembling but unbroken, my body battered from the relentless fight. Every muscle screamed in protest, but I refused to let them give out. My breaths came in ragged gasps, the taste of iron filling my mouth. The Nomu loomed ahead, its glowing eyes burning with unfeeling malice, but now I saw something I hadn't noticed before: the top of its head.

The brain.

It was exposed.

A surge of clarity rushed through me, cutting through the haze of exhaustion and pain. The Nomu wasn't invincible—at least not entirely. Its body might shrug off physical attacks, regenerate from wounds, and overwhelm any opponent with brute strength, but its brain was vulnerable. I didn't know how or why someone would create a creature like this, but I understood one thing: if I could hit that brain, I might have a chance.

The Nomu growled, shaking off the effects of my earlier attack. It was angry now, angrier than before, and its movements became erratic, unpredictable. It charged at me, its footsteps shaking the ground as it came like a freight train with no brakes.

I ran.

Not away, but toward it.

Every instinct screamed at me to flee, but my gut told me otherwise. The Nomu lashed out with a massive claw, and I dove under it, skidding on the ground as I slid between its legs. Rolling to my feet, I grabbed a chunk of rubble and hurled it at its head, aiming for the exposed brain. The makeshift projectile struck true, but the impact barely fazed it.

Still, I saw it flinch.

That's it, I thought, heart pounding. I can do this. I have to do this.

The Nomu turned, roaring in fury, and I bolted toward a pile of debris. It chased after me, its massive hands tearing through obstacles as if they were paper. I leaped onto a broken wall, vaulting over a fallen pillar and scrambling up to higher ground. The Nomu followed, climbing with brute force, its claws digging into the crumbling structure.

I reached the top and turned to face it, adrenaline surging through me. The dagger was still lodged in its neck, and I didn't have another weapon. But I didn't need one. I just needed to be faster, smarter.

As the Nomu closed the distance, I crouched low, coiling my legs like springs. When it lunged for me, I jumped, using its outstretched arm as a platform to propel myself higher. My hands found the edge of a hanging beam, and I swung up, flipping onto it.

The Nomu roared in frustration, clawing at the beam as I balanced precariously above it. My mind raced, calculating every possible move. The exposed brain was still my target, but getting to it required precision—and a lot of luck.

The Nomu leaped, its claws reaching for me, and I jumped again, landing on its shoulder. It thrashed wildly, trying to shake me off, but I held on, my fingers digging into its rough, scarred skin. With a surge of determination, I reached for the dagger still embedded in its neck.

My fingers closed around the handle, and I pulled with all my strength. The blade came free with a sickening squelch, and the Nomu roared in pain, its movements growing more frantic.

This was my chance.

Clinging to the Nomu's back, I climbed higher, my body moving on instinct. The wind roared in my ears as the creature spun and thrashed, trying to dislodge me, but I refused to let go. Every ounce of strength I had left went into this final push.

Reaching its head, I raised the dagger high, aiming for the exposed brain. The Nomu sensed the danger, its claws reaching back to grab me, but I was faster.

I drove the blade down with everything I had.

The dagger sank into the soft, exposed tissue, and the Nomu let out a blood-curdling scream. It staggered, its massive body convulsing as sparks of electricity and raw energy seemed to course through it. I jumped off its back just in time, landing in a heap on the ground as the Nomu fell to its knees.

It wasn't dead—not yet. But the damage was done.

The creature twitched and spasmed, its movements erratic and uncoordinated. I could see the regeneration slowing, the once unstoppable force now struggling to even stand.

I stood on shaky legs, dagger still in hand, and faced it one last time.

"This ends here," I whispered, more to myself than to the Nomu.

Summoning every last ounce of strength, I sprinted forward, vaulting over rubble and dodging the Nomu's sluggish attempts to swat me away. I leaped onto its chest, climbing once more to its head.

With a final scream of defiance, I drove the dagger into its brain again, twisting the blade for good measure. The Nomu let out one last roar, its body convulsing violently before collapsing to the ground with a deafening crash.

I rolled off its lifeless form, landing hard on the ground. My body ached, my lungs burned, and my vision blurred, but I was alive.

I turned to look at Aizawa, who was barely conscious, his battered body slumped against a pile of rubble. He gave me a weak, approving nod, his bloodied face etched with both relief and pride.

The battle was over.