Chapter 40: Bloodthirsty Hounds.

The wound was regenerating and he was slowly healing the damage to his hand. But it would take a while before he was ready to punch again.

Since his right hand was his dominant hand, he couldn’t punch with his left, which is why he resorted to kicking Alexander earlier. But now he was taking things further, from a straight front kick to a roundhouse kick.

From Alexander’s perspective, this attack wasn’t much different from the earlier punch. It was an incoming attack to his face, so he could do the same thing he wanted to do to avoid it.

But he wasn’t willing to test fate by dodging. Instead, he raised his left hand to his face to block the kick.

Barnabas’s heel smashed into his arm with so much force that the sound of bone breaking rang out. His forearm bent awkwardly, with part of his radius sticking out.

It felt as if someone had poked him with a firebrand. And he knew what it felt like, since a certain Big Boss had once poked him with a firebrand.

He gritted his teeth, pushed through the pain, moved closer to Barnabas, and swung his fist. He didn’t aim for anything fancy, like Barnabas’s head. He went for the chest, as it was a big target.

His bet paid off, and his fist struck Barnabas’s chest, breaking a rib. But Barnabas swung his left hand at his head and struck him in the face.

Alexander was too close for Barnabas to use his kicks. He was forced to use his less dominant hand, and he was in a hurry, so his attack was subpar.

This time, the force of the blow wasn’t strong enough to crack Alexander’s skull and stun him. So he stayed standing and kept attacking.

His right fist had just connected with Barnabas’s chest, so he didn’t have time to retrieve it and swing it for another attack. But his other arm was broken, leaving him with no arm to use in the meantime.

He was determined not to give up on this opportunity to attack, so he thrust his left hand forward to strike Barnabas’s chest once again.

An attack had been made, but it was by no means a punch. His exposed radius stabbed into Barnabas’s chest, stabbing deep until it punctured the lungs.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Barnabas screamed in pain before biting down on Alexander’s shoulder. His teeth latched onto the flesh, gripping it tightly like a vice while his tongue drilled into the flesh like a screw.

Alexander slammed his fist into Barnabas’s head. It only loosened the grip on his shoulder and didn’t work. So he pushed Barnabas’s head away with all of his might while trying to pull his shoulder away from the bite.

As he pushed, he stabbed his thumb into Barnabas’s eye, crushing it into a bloody mess. Then he pressed his thumb into the empty skull and used it to grip Barnabas’s skull as he pushed it away.

Eventually, Barnabas was pushed away. But it came at the cost of a big chunk of his shoulder. His shoulder looked like a piece of cheese someone had taken a big bite out of.

Blood spurted out from the gaping hole in his shoulder, spraying all over Alexander’s body and Barnabas’s face. The blood seemed to ignite the bloodthirsty nature hidden within them, turning their eyes red and signaling a change in the tempo of the fight.

For Alexander, the fight was no longer a spar to vent his anger. He had only one thing on his mind, and it was to kill Barnabas.

The two of them roared and snarled at each other as their tongues extended out of their jaws, seeking flesh. They snapped at each other like rabid dogs as they pushed against each other, trying to gain an advantage.

Alexander’s thumb was still in Barnabas’s eye, and he still held the bully’s skull. He used it to keep Barnabas’s mouthparts from gaining purchase on him while his own jaw clamped shut on his foe’s exposed neck.

His shoulder was full of thick muscle and bone so that it could resist somewhat. Barnabas’s neck was mainly an empty windpipe and blood vessels. There were muscles there too, but they only gave Alexander something solid to latch onto.

He bit with so much force that he tore through Barnabas’s throat. When his face came away from the bite, blood splashed all over, warming him.

As he felt the heat of warm blood on his face, his eyes glinted even more dangerously. Without hesitation, he plunged down, taking another bite.

This time, his jaws reached bone. He gripped the spine tightly and let himself fall with Barnabas.

He held tightly to his prey, and blood kept flowing into his mouth uninterrupted. It felt like heaven on earth as waves of pleasure struck his mind. He didn’t even notice Barnabas striking his head again and again until it caved in.

But then a thunderclap sounded in his mind, saying, "Let him go."

He recognized the voice immediately and sobered instantly. He was reluctant, but he still let go and pushed himself away from Barnabas.

Barnabas took the opportunity to strike him in the face and send him stumbling back. He tried to distance himself from Barnabas, but the bully chased him down once more.

Barnabas was bleeding all over, and the space beneath his jaw was empty. His spine was visible from the front, with red, silky tentacles waving around it.

All in all, he didn’t look like he should be fighting in his condition. But he didn’t seem to care. Only bloodthirsty anger shone in his eyes as he snarled and lunged at Alexander.

But before he could get to Alexander, someone grabbed him by the back of his neck. The person pulled him back and raised him into the air like a wayward child.

"I was gone for a few seconds, and you’re already trying to kill each other," Tessa said, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

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