Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine-Chapter 247 - 246- Ends?

And then, the battle began.

Blades clashed. Magic flared. Chaos erupted as warriors from every corner charged toward the center—well, most of them did.

From the edge of the battlefield, three universes remained still. Just like the residents of Nebula, two others hadn't moved an inch.

"What are we waiting for?" growled one of the beasts, his voice rough with impatience.

Alex glanced at him, surprised. For a creature like that to hold back—it was almost impressive. He looked like he could explode any second.

"You charge now, and you'll get swarmed," Natasha said, her voice calm but cutting. Her sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, trying to keep up with the whirlwind of movement. Some fights were too fast even for her to follow.

"Look," Edric said, pointing to the sky.

A figure had been launched high, too high. The fighter soared fifty feet up before smashing into something invisible. The air rippled. A second later, he was yanked back to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.

"The disqualified... they appear there," Rebecca said, nodding toward the stands. In a flash of light, two bodies landed there, out of the battle, out of the fight.

"Here they come!" the group's lone elf shouted, already drawing his bow. His arrow gleamed, pointed toward the threat racing their way.

Everyone turned—but Alex felt something else.

"No," he said sharply. "From the front!"

Natasha spun around just in time.

BOOM!

A blur crashed into her, sending the girl flying like a ragdoll. She barely managed to brace, arms crossed, before being flung through the air.

"Natasha!" Rebecca's hand snapped out. A crimson rope burst from her fingers, snaring Natasha's ankle mid-air.

Dhak!

The vampire hit the ground hard, but before anyone could panic, she lifted her thumb, bloody but raised. She was still in.

Barely.

Rebecca's eyes narrowed as she turned to face the attacker.

A giant loomed before her.

Muscles like stone. A jagged horn jutting from his forehead. He stood there, arms folded, grin twisted and cruel.

And now, he was coming for them.

"I'll take him!"

Before Rebecca could even take a step, Edric shot forward like a cannonball. His muscles bulked up, fur sprouting along his spine, and his limbs stretched unnaturally as he launched himself at the hulking beast.

Rebecca let out a breath, half a sigh, half frustration, but there was no time to relax.

A sudden tremor beneath her feet.

"Shi—"

The ground exploded. A creature burst upward, fangs wide and dripping with saliva, aiming straight for her.

Rebecca twisted mid-air, flipping backward and landing in a crouch. Her daggers were already out, glinting in the light.

From the dust rose a rodent-like monster, nearly her size, with jagged yellow teeth and matted fur. It looked like a twisted mouse with eyes far too human.

"Hehe... Lemme eat you, girl," it cackled. "It'll be a delicious experience."

Rebecca's eyes darkened. Her killing intent surged, heavy like a storm. The very air grew dense, and the ground beneath the creature cracked.

It shivered. But it was too late. Retreat wasn't an option anymore.

Elsewhere, Natasha steadied herself after Rebecca's save. She had barely landed before a shadow loomed above.

She looked up.

Massive talons. Sharp, fast, deadly—coming right for her.

Her own claws extended with a hiss. She slashed upward.

*SHRRAKK!*

The air split. Blood sprayed as the talons were torn apart mid-dive.

*KHIEEEEK!*

A high-pitched shriek tore from the beast's throat. It flapped wildly, trying to stay airborne.

From its back, a girl leapt down, landing with grace in front of Natasha. Her silver hair whipped behind her, and her eyes glowed with eerie calm.

"You shouldn't have hurt my pet," she said coldly.

Dark chains burst from her hands, dripping with Soul Energy as they snaked toward Natasha.

But the Vampire Princess didn't flinch.

She crouched low, her crimson eyes locked onto the girl, claws gleaming.

Battle-ready. Unshaken.

This was far from over.

...

On the far side of the battlefield, Alex finally faced his first challenger.

A thin boy stood before him, half his face hidden beneath a high-collared jacket. Only his piercing dark-blue eyes were visible, locked on Alex with unsettling calm.

"You've got a style, mate," the boy said, voice smooth like silk laced with thorns. "Trying to play the mysterious hero, huh?"

Compliment... or mockery? Alex couldn't tell—and didn't care.

He summoned his sword with a flash of light, the steel gleaming under the battlefield sky.

"You're the last person I want to hear that from," he said in an amused tone, stepping forward.

The boy chuckled softly. With a flick of his wrists, two steel batons snapped into his hands. Blue lightning crackled along their surfaces, humming with dangerous energy.

Crack-crack!

Sparks danced around his fingers as he twirled the weapons effortlessly.

Alex's eyes narrowed.

Yeah. That's gonna hurt if it lands.

He clenched his sword tighter. If he wanted the upper hand, he needed to strike first.

And strike fast.

Their eyes locked.

One heartbeat of silence.

Then—

**SFOOO!**

Both vanished.

Alex shot forward like a bullet, his figure blurring as he activated 'Quick Silver'. The sudden burst of speed caught his opponent off guard, his eyes widening.

But he still reacted fast. With a shout, the boy swung both lightning-charged batons, and twin arcs of blue electricity surged out, crackling toward Alex.

Alex gritted his teeth, twisting mid-air to avoid the strike. He barely dodged the lightning, skimming past his side, the heat prickling his skin.

The shift slowed him down—just enough.

"Caught you!" the boy shouted.

His cape exploded outward.

Not cloth. Not normal. It moved like it was alive—four shadowy tendrils whipped out, snaring Alex's left leg like snakes. They yanked, hard, dragging him toward the lightning user.

Alex snarled, flipping his grip on the sword. Close range wasn't ideal—not like this. He had to be smart.

As he was pulled in, he dismissed his weapon with a flash of light and reached into his inventory.

The boy grinned. "That's all you got—"

**"Gaaahhh!"**

Alex sprayed him point-blank in the face.

Pepper spray.

The boy's scream echoed through the chaos. He dropped the batons, clutching his eyes. "My eyes!! What the hell!?"

The grip on Alex's leg loosened instantly.

Without wasting a second, Alex flipped back and pushed off the ground in a clean arc, but not before pulling a dagger from his belt and hurling it forward.

**Thwack!**

The blade buried itself in the boy's chest just above the heart. His body jerked, his mouth opened—but no words came out.

He staggered, then crumpled to the ground.

Still.

Alex landed and exhaled sharply, steam rising off his back.

"One down," he muttered, eyes already scanning for the next threat, when suddenly-

"Guh—!"

Alex's eyes snapped wide as something cold and tight coiled around his throat.

A tentacle.

It yanked him back with brute force, lifting his feet off the ground. He gasped, his fingers clawing at the constriction.

The boy—no, the thing—stood again, his back hunched and body twitching unnaturally. His eyes were bloodshot, lightning crackling faintly around his arms.

"You thought you got rid of me... just like that?" the voice rasped.

Alex blinked. The guy's mouth hadn't even moved.

The jacket-that cursed jacket—was no longer just cloth. It writhed like a living beast, the tendrils snaking and shifting, one around Alex's throat, another raised defensively.

He tried to fight back. A dagger flashed into his hand, and he hurled it straight at the boy's chest.

CLANG!

A shard of the jacket shifted and blocked it, like armor, like instinct.

'This thing is broken...' Alex thought, vision beginning to blur.

The pressure on his neck tightened. His body jerked.

"You're a dead man now," the voice whispered again, almost in his ear.

Alex could feel his heartbeat slowing. The oxygen was running thin. His limbs trembled. His grip weakened.

He turned his head slightly, just enough to see his comrades locked in their own fierce fights. No one saw what was happening.

He could call Rebecca through their connection.

But he didn't.

He had been holding back, resisting the Curse's power. Not because he was scared of it, but because drawing on it would bring too much attention.

But this wasn't a moment to play it safe.

This was survival.

His fingertips twitched. The black ink beneath his skin stirred.

Fine, he thought, his eyes sharpening.

Let's wake it up... just a little.

A swirling firestorm erupted from the tip of his finger and was about to consume the boy, when suddenly—

"Huh?"

Alex froze...and others too, but they were frozen quite literally.

The blaze also came to a halt, and so did the movement of the tentacles.

Alex first released himself from the grip and dropped down on the ground.

Every single being in the arena was frozen...for some reason. As if time has been halted.

Alex was wondering what was happening when suddenly, the Curse whispered,

[Alex...look up...]

He sounded unnaturally nervous but Alex didn't focus on his voice and looked up, only to find his eyes widening upon seeing the beings looking at him.

Every single deities were currently watching him with wide eyes... but the ones who caught his attention were...

"...aren't they your parents?"

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.