Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine

The plan was clear—use Natasha and Alice as bait to pull the three servants in separate directions. Then, starting with the strongest, Alex would hunt them down one by one.

Rebecca and Edric were assigned the weakest. Natasha and Sarah, with Celestria's support, would take care of the middle one.

But Alex knew—it wouldn't be easy to take down these godly beings. That's why his part was simple: end his fight quickly and join the others.

"You've cornered yourself with me... do you truly think you can win?" the shrouded man asked, his voice calm, blade held in a reverse grip. His aura clung to him like mist, cold and crushing.

Just standing there, Alex could feel it—this one was on another level.

The way he stood, the stillness in his gaze… his very presence was heavier than anything Alex had faced before.

Had he met this man just after reincarnating, Alex might not have even been able to stand.

But now—now he wasn't alone.

He had power. Power from the immortals within him.

"Why else would I come straight to you… if I wasn't sure I could win?" Alex replied, his voice low as dark lines began crawling across his face. His aura rippled, bending the air, turning it heavy.

The creatures nearby had already vanished. Nature itself had gone quiet.

Time seemed to pause.

Their eyes met.

Then—

Ting!

They clashed.

Alex met the spinning blade with his sword—the same one Akron had given him before he left the capital.

Sparks flew as a metal ground against metal.

They held each other in a tight deadlock… until the shrouded man suddenly let go of his weapon, dropped low, and reached for another blade just inches from Alex's gut.

Alex smirked, sliding his sword down and knocking the strike away.

Ting!

The man didn't react—he simply leaped back, twisting midair, then hurled something straight at Alex.

A blur flew toward him.

Alex raised his sword to block—

But—

"Fuck!"

A massive boulder came rushing toward him instead, ushering him to duck.

The boulder phased through the spot where his body should be before crashing into the forest behind.

The shockwave tore through the forest.

KRAK!

Trees behind him snapped and splintered like twigs.

Alex gritted his teeth and looked around, trying to find his enemy—

But there was nothing.

'Where did he—oh!'

His instincts screamed as he swung his sword over his head.

Swish!

His blade sliced clean through—

"A… feather?"

He blinked, stunned. Just a single black feather had fallen in front of him.

[Behind you!]

The curse shouted.

Alex didn't hesitate—he jumped.

Shlink!

A blade tore through the air where he had just been standing.

The shrouded man appeared in its place, his body gliding forward until his boots skidded to a stop across the dirt.

Alex landed and turned, breath sharp, heart pounding.

What kind of technique was this?

"You're teleporting random things around… and each one feels like it's you." Alex narrowed his eyes, finally speaking his thoughts aloud. "What even is that?"

"A technique of my clan," the shrouded man said, voice sharp with pride. "Mastered through years of training… unlike you, who devours the efforts and lives of others to grow stronger."

Alex sighed, almost sounding bored. "There's no point trying to insult me."

The man scoffed. "You're the one who started talking."

"Fair enough," Alex muttered, then swung his sword once before slowly sliding it back into its sheath.

His Soul Energy flared.

A soft hum echoed as he rose into the air, levitating with calm, steady control.

The man's expression changed. He realized—he couldn't drag this out. He needed to finish it now.

SHLINK

A blade flew from his hand, aimed straight at Alex's eye, while he darted left at full speed.

But just a few meters from Alex, the flying blade shimmered—twisting, growing—transforming into a javelin. Its speed surged.

Yet Alex didn't flinch.

He simply exhaled.

Fuuu…

A cold wind left his lips. Ice spread through the air like fingers, wrapping around the javelin. Its speed dropped. Its weight grew. Within seconds, it fell, thudding against the earth.

The shrouded man clicked his tongue and then smiled.

He reached into his coat and flung dozens of small blades—each with its own shine, its own deadly path. They filled the air, coming from every direction like a swarm.

But they didn't just fly randomly—they twisted, curved, and adjusted in mid-air like they knew where Alex was going to be.

Lifeless weapons, moving with purpose.

Obeying the will of their master.

Alex narrowed his eyes, his body still hovering as the swarm of blades closed in.

From below, it looked like a storm of steel was about to swallow him.

But instead of dodging, he closed his eyes.

The world stilled.

A heartbeat passed.

And then—

CRACK!

With a snap of his fingers, a burst of cold erupted from him. The temperature around him dropped instantly as thin layers of frost formed mid-air.

The first few blades hit the invisible wall of cold and slowed, their sharp tips covered in ice. The next wave followed, but before they could reach him—

Ting! Ting! Clink!

Each one dropped, frozen solid, shattering as they fell.

From the ground, the man stared, eyes narrowing. "So that's your trick… ice?"

Alex opened his eyes. "It's not a trick."

His hand reached for the sword once more. "It's control."

Suddenly, the wind shifted.

Behind the shrouded man, the ground cracked.

He turned, reacting on instinct, and leaped away just in time to avoid a spear of ice erupting from the soil.

But that was only the beginning.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

More spikes burst forth around him, fast and chaotic, forcing him to twist, dodge, and weave like a beast caught in a trap.

Alex flipped backward—only to find his opponent waiting for him…above.

A heartbeat passed.

CLANG!

Alex's blade clashed—not with a body, but a log.

The man was gone.

Alex let out a short breath, eyes scanning.

"Substitution?" he muttered.

A voice echoed beside him, "More like control over space!"

The shrouded man appeared on Alex's left, drawing his attention—and just as Alex raised his sword—

"Huh?!"

A cold hand gripped his arm from behind.

His instincts screamed, but it was too late.

SQUELCH!

A searing blade rammed into his stomach, nearly tearing through his back.

"Gh…!" Alex's mouth filled with blood as he turned his head, meeting the gaze of the cloaked enemy.

"Master of one…" the man sneered, "is better than a jack of all trades."

Alex winced but smiled through the pain. "You sure talk a lot."

Before the man could respond, Alex latched onto his arm—and sent his answer directly through his grip.

CRACKLE!

Golden lightning burst out, wild and hungry.

It surged through the man's arm, snapping into his chest like a chain of punishment.

"AAAGHHH!" he shrieked, the thunder ripping through his flesh as he staggered back, smoking and twitching.

Alex gritted his teeth and yanked the blade out of his gut with one hard pull.

He glanced at the wound—expecting it to close.

It didn't.

His breath caught. 'Why…? It's not healing?'

He reached into his cloak, pulled out the healing potion Sarah had made—the strongest she had—and gulped it down.

Still nothing.

The wound was black now. His blood was darker than it should be.

"It's useless," the man growled, his voice laced with pain but there were traces of victory. "That wasn't just a poisoned blade… it's coated with eternal corrosion. It doesn't stop eating you until you're nothing but bones."

Alex's hand trembled, but his eyes never broke their glare.

The man smirked. "The more you move, the faster it spreads. You're finished."

Alex chuckled—dry and broken. "You really don't know me…"

He stepped forward.

The man's expression dropped. "You'll die if you move."

Alex stared him down, blood dripping from his wound.

"I already have."

Suddenly, black tendrils began to extend toward the man, gripping his limbs and keeping him in place.

The man tried to substitute himself with anything near him—but,

"Huh? Why doesn't it work?"

Alex grinned, "Your technique has been swallowed." He continued to move towards his target, his feet deliberately slow.

The shrouded man showed panic for the first time as he thrashed and used all his strength to break free.

However, the tentacles were unbreakable. They fluidly moved with him and that left the man with no option of escape.

"It has been a while since I have experienced pain this much..." Alex stood before the servant, his golden eyes were now filled with anxiety and fear.

Alex smiled at the entity before bidding his farewell, "Have a happy life on the other side.".

Alex's head morphed into something inhumane, his teeth extended like spikes as he chomped on the man's head and plucked his head off his body.

Slowing munching on the head, Alex thought about moving to the next location.

But, "This wound is killing me...."

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.