The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 110: They All Laughed
Ah...
Things had gotten real.
For the first time since he’d regressed, Ignotus looked furious.
And it wasn’t like the Academy, where it was death he wielded. No.
Rage was what he now held, drowning the entire hall in its Will.
And against that suffocating pressure, a figure stepped through.
He had black hair, sharp gray eyes that gleamed, and a face Ignotus immediately recognized... or rather, the Goddess inside him did.
’Zelus.’
One of the four that once served under Eris.
Now, he was no more than a crooked assassin.
The second villain he was to kill.
’So it’s you...’
Ignotus’s gaze narrowed.
It seemed the cause of this tragedy had arrived himself.
And he wasn’t shy about it either, because in the very next moment, the bastard threw his head back and started laughing.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
Zelus had revealed himself only to brag.
"Look at you! So damned mad! Ahahaha!"
He pointed at Ignotus with wild amusement.
"I didn’t think someone like you could make expressions like that!"
The man laughed harder, nearly doubling over.
"I almost thought you were inviting us with how loud you were! But I guess you’re just stupid! Ahahahahhaha! I can’t believe I stressed over you for so long! Wasted half my gold on you for nothing!"
He seemed to be having the time of his life... much like the guards once were.
Ignotus didn’t react to a single word he said or a gesture he made.
Instead, he calmly raised his hands, and his gloves shimmered into being around them.
His sword materialized next, with faint traces of light bending around the blade.
"None of you will see tomorrow."
That was his only warning.
He moved in the next instant, way faster than before.
And, of course, [Fortune’s Wheel] in his left eye began to spin.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick—
Ding!
—
{Ice!}
—
’How fitting.’
The villain’s grin froze.
"W–wait—"
It was too late.
Frost erupted across the floor, crawling up and sealing off every escape route behind him.
"M–MEN! ATTACK!"
The command tore through the hall, and seven figures flickered into existence around Ignotus.
They were shadows with no faces, their forms cloaked in what seemed to be ash.
Ignotus’s world turned gray as ash exploded at him, swallowing everything.
Left in a choking storm, his vision went white for a split second before he quickly slammed a heel into the ground.
The blast sent the ash scattering, revealing weapon constructs forming midair:
Blades, spears, and arrows, all made from condensed ash.
They descended on him from every angle.
Ignotus snapped his fingers.
Ice walls erupted around him in a wide circle.
The first volley of constructs shattered against the walls of ice with sharp clicks, their fragments dissolving into smoke.
But their attack wasn’t over, as the moment Ignotus blocked them, the assassins surged forward, six of them closing in with their daggers drawn.
They didn’t hesitate.
Neither did he.
"Break."
A pulse of black mist spread out from his hands.
Oh... moments ago, it wasn’t the wall that made that noise.
It was his Hands of Lethe stealing a few of their attacks with each click.
In an instant, Ignotus sent out a pulse of ash weapon constructs at them.
"Wha—?!"
Their surprised reactions were too slow.
One of them was skewered instantly, ash blades tearing through his chest.
Three more barely dodged, throwing themselves to the floor at the last moment.
The remaining two raised ash walls in panic, but Ignotus was already there.
His sword flashed once, triggering [Wise Fool], and two heads rolled.
Before the next second could begin to pass, Ignotus glanced at the only one who’d stayed back, seemingly preparing an attack, and pointed a finger at them.
Desperate to attack before Ignotus could, the assassin immediately let loose a massive construct of ash, only for their spell to suddenly...
Click.
Disappear as well.
"Die."
The construct returned to its owner, impaling them clean through.
Four assassins were gone in a heartbeat.
Three remained.
And the fear on their faces said it all.
They saw a vile Demon before them.
JUST WHO DID THEY MESS WITH?!
"Wh–What is he...?"
"We have to—"
Ignotus tilted his head.
"Hm. You seem to be regretting your decision."
They froze.
"If you surrender, I can spare your lives."
Almost immediately...
"P–Please!"
"We surrender!"
"D–Don’t kill us!"
All three dropped to their knees with their trembling hands up.
In the far corner, seemingly unable to escape, Zelus screamed at them:
"No, you idiots! He’s going to kill you!"
His words turned out to be correct.
"Your boss is right."
Ignotus cut off their heads.
Or at least two of them, leaving the third alive.
"You lot are a waste of breath."
Flicking the blood away, he turned to their leader.
The bastard, now cornered and shaking, raised both hands in panic.
"W–Wait, don’t—!"
"Zelus."
Ignotus cut him off coldly.
"Why are you hiding if you came to kill me? I almost pity you."
Zelus waved both his hands at Ignotus...
"D–DIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
And ash exploded outward, forming a massive black cloud meant to engulf his target.
But before it could even reach him—
Click.
It disappeared.
Ignotus looked at his gloves.
’...three left.’
He could only steal three more times, as only three Runes remained lit.
"Do you have any more men? Or have I killed them all?"
Zelus rushed to the gate, which had both of its handles broken, likely a result of his earlier attempts to escape while Ignotus was busy killing his people, and rammed into it.
"Speak to me. Do. You. Have. Anyone. Else?"
The bastard waved his right arm at Ignotus.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Ash exploded out, only to be—click—devoured once more.
"So I guess not. Then, who gave you the contract to kill us?"
Ignotus stepped closer.
"Was it from House Death?"
Zelus’s crying face flinched while answering that question:
"AaaahhhHHHHEEEHHHHAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAaaaAAAAaaAAAaaAAaaahhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
And what an ’answer’ that was.
"You are very pathetic, aren’t you?"
Ignotus looked at him with incredible hate.
Was this really the man who troubled him?
How did he even reach this point?
"AAAHHH—NNNNNGGHHHH—GHAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
And Zelus looked back with incredible fear, unable to stand anymore.
"HRRRGHHHHH—HHHAAAAHHHH!!!"
A great amount of ash left his body in a final, desperate attack.
"EAAAAHHHHH!"—CLICK!
Only for Ignotus to easily devour it.
"Haa..."
He looked down, his left eye glowing bright with its [Fortune’s Wheel.]
"Break."
That was the last thing Zelus heard before being annihilated by his own Element.
Barely anything of his body remained, only his clothes and items.
"...pity."
Ignotus stepped past him and kicked the gate.
With a loud bang! Its doors spread wide, opening to the manor.
Just then, the last of the seven ran through and out.
Ignotus didn’t give chase and only watched him go.
’Hm.’
After a few moments, his gaze drifted to the others.
To Mer, to Ulv, to Lykos, and their guards, all dead on the ground.
He walked over to the fluffiest one first and knelt beside him...
"Kuhm! Kuhm!"
Only to hear coughing from behind.
The corpses of the fallen began to move.
One by one, they stood, alive like nothing happened.
Ignotus turned slightly and finally smiled.
"Welcome back."
"I never knew you could act like that."
Ulv laughed while pushing himself up.
"Remind me to never mess with you again."
Lykos followed suit, brushing dust from his clothes.
"Forgive you for what?"
Again, they acted as if nothing had happened.
Because, well, nothing had actually happened.
Ignotus stared at them for a long moment before slowly releasing his Will’s grip on the hall.
’That won’t happen again.’
He turned to Mer, who was lying on the floor with her hair covering her face.
Lowering himself a little, he patted her shoulder.
"Hey, hey. Wake up."
She groaned softly, stretching her arms like she’d just woken from a nap.
"Hmmm~, what time is it?"
It seemed that she slept through all of that.
For a heartbeat, there was silence...
"Ahahahahahahaha!"
And then they all laughed.
