Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine-Chapter 202 - 201- Crushing defeat

"Guh…" Edric groaned—all bloodied and bruised as he lay on the floor with his mouth slit open and eyes barely parted.

Alex stood over him, his foot on Edric's heaving chest and his axe coated with blood which didn't belong to him but his dear friend Edric.

Amanda had a pale expression, yet she didn't complain nor stop Alex from putting down the man she adored so much.

The expression on the other's face also showed concern, but none of them went to support Edric nor to stop Alex, who had left Edric in such a pitiful state.

To explain what caused such a result, we need to go back a few minutes.

-------**------

"So…haah….this is it." Alex was out of breath as he and Edric finished a long spar to exhaust the latter.

They were currently experimenting with what would happen if Edric followed the natural instincts of this transformation. Will he be able to gain more power and control over his transformation? Or it would be nothing but just another failure?

Edric took a deep breath, his eyes shining red in hunger as he looked toward the nearest source of blood.

He never voiced it out, but whenever in his vampiric state, for some reason, Edric felt a keen interest in the scent he received from Alex. It was almost irresistible, and if not for his self-control, Edric might have attacked Alex by now just to satiate his curiosity.

"Let's see now," Edric said as he picked a two-horned boar they recently got and had slit its neck.

Its reddish-dark blood oozed like a small geyser, attracting Edric's whole attention to nothing but the exposed source of nutrition.

Edric didn't show hesitation before parting his mouth, flexing his sharp canines and digging in.

*GULP* *GULP*

Alex felt disgusted seeing him gulping the blood of the monster, to the point, the boar's body began to compress.

"Ed…shouldn't you stop already?" Alex called out after seeing the guy not halting even though over a minute had passed. This much not even Rebecca consumes, even though she is a born vampire.

"Fuaa!" Finally, the raven-haired stopped gulping on the fluid, before he threw away the boar's body with enough force to break the pavement upon collision.

"It feels good, man," Edric muttered; however, with that tone and the way his blood lust was soaring over the roof, Alex found himself getting into a battle stance.

"Ed...are you okay?" Alex asked, inches away from pulling a weapon from the inventory.

Edric rested his hands on his waist, his face smeared with blood which his tongue licked feverishly, "Yeah, man. What can happen to me? I feel good...rather, better than before."

"Here," Edric said, before raising his hand, "See this." Those words didn't reach Alex's ear as Edric's fist slammed into the tree beside him. A sharp crack split the air. The trunk shattered at its core, jagged wood exploding outward like shrapnel.

Alex summoned an axe from his inventory, which brought a surprised look to Edric's face, "What happened, bud? Don't feel fine?"

"I do, but I don't think you do."

Edric grinned, his sharp canines reflecting nothing but danger, as the boy muttered, "As I said, I feel very good right now...not even once I have felt this kind of sensation."

"Yeah? Then what's with the blood lust?" Alex met those red eyes—dark, burning, hungry.

To Edric, he wasn't a person anymore. Just prey.

Edric chuckled, "Okay, I lost. I will just take some of your blood and this will disappear, I promise." Edric said as he stepped toward Alex.

The silver-haired man stood firm, his axe gripped tight in his right hand, eyes locked, body coiled to strike.

A hunter always knows—will the prey run or fight? Their stance, their breath, the flicker in their gaze—it decides everything.

And in Edric's eyes, this one wasn't ready to kneel just yet.

Fine. He'd break him first.

The ground where Edric stood a second ago exploded, asphalt shards scattering like shrapnel.

Before Alex could track him, a crushing force slammed into his axe. His arms buckled, his bones screamed, and his footing nearly gave out. He had blocked just in time—but it didn't feel like a defense. It felt like survival.

THWACK

Alex's leg shot up, intercepting Edric's knee before it could spear into his gut. The impact rattled through his bones, but he held firm.

Edric's face was inches away, lips curling as he whispered, "I like prey that resists. Don't disappoint me now."

Then, without warning, the pseudo-vampire stopped pressing forward and grabbed Alex by the collar.

"Fuck—!"

The curse barely left his lips before he was ripped off the ground like a rag doll.

Edric flung him over his shoulder—

BOOOOOM

—the pavement cracked, dust and shards flying as Alex's body cratered into the ground.

Alex groaned, but there was no time to breathe.

Dhak!

Instinct took over—his arms shot up, crossing just in time to catch the brutal kick aimed at his face. The force rattled his skull, but he held firm.

"Edric... I'm warning you..." Alex muttered, his voice tight with restraint. "This won't end with just a few bruises…" He wasn't trying to talk his way out—just giving Edric a chance before things turned ugly.

But Edric only grinned, pressing his foot down harder against Alex's guard, grinding his heel in like he was crushing an insect.

"EDRIC!"

A voice—sharp, urgent—cut through the chaos.

For the first time, the hunger clouding Edric's mind flickered. He turned, red eyes locking onto the green-haired girl standing stiff, her face pale.

That hesitation was all Alex needed.

"Move!"

Edric staggered, but his claws lashed out before Alex could press the attack.

Shhhk!

Pain flared as shallow gashes opened along Alex's shoulder. Ignoring it, he twisted his grip on his sword and swung, carving a sharp arc toward Edric's ribs.

CLANG!

Edric barely deflected it with his forearm, but the force sent him skidding back, feet grinding against the cracked pavement. He spat out blood, a wicked grin splitting his face.

"Not bad," he rasped, before vanishing again.

Alex felt the shift in air—too late.

BAM!

A knee crashed into his ribs, stealing his breath.

He gritted his teeth, twisting with the momentum—his blade flashing mid-turn—but Edric dodged it easily, followed by retaliation.

SLASH!

A deep cut ripped across Alex's face as he realized that Edric's speed was enhancing.

His blade came down, parrying the attack aimed at his heart, but the slash to his thigh was left defenseless.

"Agh..." Alex staggered back, his body possessing several wounds.

On the other hand, Edric's body has already healed.

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"Alex..." Celestria and Rebecca appeared on the battlefield, followed by Sarah.

However, before they could have charged at Edric, Alex raised his hand, "It's okay, I got it."

Edric grinned, "Those wounds suggest otherwise, my friend."

That tone and that aura clearly told that something was wrong with Edric.

Celestria restlessly glanced at Sarah. In response to that gaze, the Saintess wordlessly told her to remain calm for the time being.

The battlefield stilled—a deceptive calm, thick with tension. Everyone knew. This was the silence before the storm.

Dark markings crept across Alex's face, veins pulsing with cursed power.

Edric's smirk vanished. His narrowed eyes flicked over the change. "Tch... taking help now?"

Alex barely acknowledged him. He had been meaning to test his Cursed Form in real combat. Guess now was the time.

BOOOOM!

Edric launched forward, his claws stretching, gleaming, aimed to rip Alex apart.

But Alex didn't move. Didn't flinch.

His world slowed. The air felt thick. Every twitch of Edric's muscles, every micro-movement, unfolded before his eyes in perfect clarity.

And just before impact—

WOOSH!

Alex tilted his head. Effortless. The deadly swipe cut through empty space.

Edric's eyes widened. What—?

Before he could react, Alex caught his wrist. A firm grip—unyielding.

Then, in one smooth motion—

CRACK!

Edric's body whipped through the air, spine-first into the pavement. The ground splintered beneath him, cracks spiderwebbing outward.

For the first time, real pain flashed across Edric's face.

Edric coughed, blood dripping down his chin as he lay in the crater Alex had slammed him into. His body screamed in pain, but he had no time to process it.

Alex was already moving.

Slow. Methodical. Unstoppable.

Edric's instincts flared—run or die. He snarled, forcing himself up, his claws elongating even further. His body was battered, but his hunger burned hotter. If he could just tear Alex apart—

He lunged, faster than before, his claws slicing through the air in a wild, desperate flurry.

But Alex—

Tilt. Step. Shift.

Effortless. Every strike missed by a hair's breadth. Every attack was read before it even started.

Edric's frustration boiled over. "STOP DODGING AND FIGHT!" he roared, his voice raw.

Alex's cold gaze locked onto him. "Fight?" His hand lashed out—GRAB.

A bone-crushing grip clamped around Edric's wrist.

"You're not worth it."

And then—

BOOOOM!

Alex's knee drove into Edric's ribs, the sickening crunch of bone shattering beneath the impact. Edric's breath hitched, his vision blurring from the pain.

But Alex wasn't done.

Before Edric could even collapse, Alex yanked him forward, twisting his arm—

SNAP!

A strangled scream tore from Edric's throat as his shoulder dislocated, his body forced into a brutal spin before—

SLAM!

Alex threw him to the ground like trash, his foot pressing onto Edric's chest, pinning him down.

Edric gritted his teeth and pushed himself up—

*TWING*

—only to be hammered back as the backside of the axe hit him on his head.

Edric was pinned back down on the ground, his vision blurring.

Alex rested there, the dark markings fading as he waited for the other one to make another move.

However, that was the end. Edric stopped moving and lost consciousness.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- This will be impactful in the future.