The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 37: Reckless Bastard

’I will manage.’

With that, Ignotus moved, and their duel began.

The crab attacked first, its claws snapping at his legs.

Ignotus sidestepped, dirt spraying up as one claw missed him by mere inches.

Without pause, he darted in low, his sword slicing at the joint where claw met body, causing sparks to fly.

’Shallow.’

The beast screeched, twisted, and rushed into him, trying to turn him into paste for daring to scratch it.

"Too slow."

Ignotus met its charge and slid under its legs.

Once underneath it, he thrust upward, barely nicking its soft underbelly as it had gone by too fast.

The monster recoiled and charged backwards, slamming its weight down in a brutal stomp!

Ignotus rolled out just in time, mud splattering his hair as he stood and took his stance a second time.

"Stranger, fall back!"

"Let’s just kill it together!"

"There’s no need to risk your life!"

"Use your damned Rune!"

Despite Felix’s assurances, the guards kept shouting behind him, thinking that Ignotus’s victory was close to impossible, at least while he didn’t use any abilities.

Ignotus ignored them, of course, his sharp eyes too busy tracking every twitch the monster made, preparing for another clash.

’Left first, then right.’

The crab lunged, and Ignotus raised his sword, the steel ringing as it clashed against the serrated claw.

He tried to continue the exchange, but the first blow alone rattled his bones, driving him back several steps, the wind generated sending his long hair flailing.

"Okay, damn, that hurt a little."

Shaking his wrists just outside the second claw’s range, he took a long breath.

"My turn."

Ignotus dashed in, weaving left then right, baiting the crab into slamming down.

When it did, its claw got stuck in the mud for a brief second.

Taking that chance, he jumped high, his sword flashing.

Using all of his weight and strength, he drove it down into the joint, piercing through it in a single attack.

KRRRIIIIEEEEEEEK!

Its screech rumbled his ears as its blood sprayed dark and hot against his face.

"Yes!"

"You’re doing it!"

"Kill the thing!"

But, much to the audience’s dismay, it didn’t die yet; rather, it was far from dead.

The Giant Crab thrashed wildly, nearly sending Ignotus into the ground and crushing him.

He scrambled off its back, sliding through mud, though not before one of its legs caught him across the ribs and sent him spinning.

"Guh—!"

Ignotus hit the ground hard, coughing, but quickly rolled to his feet, a grin still obvious on his face.

"Don’t worry, I’m good!"

His quick words didn’t ease Eris’s worry, or anyone else’s for that matter, as their shouts and Her soft words reached him.

’You’re too reckless.’

"Yeah..."

Ignotus didn’t hear the others.

"But it’s working."

With that, he leaped back in and kept at it, hacking at the joints, retreating just before the claws could crush him. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Each strike weakened the beast and slowed its movements, but it was still strong, much faster than it had any right to be.

Their clashes seemed to be constant close calls until it nearly went too far. A claw had snapped so close it cut a line through his cheek, the force behind it sending him stumbling to the side.

He managed to dodge its other swipe by falling flat on his back.

The move kept him alive, though it certainly invited the Giant Crab over to kill him.

And oh, did it accept the invite, coming down with both claws—SNAP SNAP—only for Ignotus to calmly roll between them, mud exploding around him.

"Lucky bastard."

Ulv muttered, watching in disbelief.

’Unlucky bastard.’

Ignotus corrected in his head, but he used both anyway, liking this new identity.

Though near death was a constant, he never seemed shocked or anything remotely close to it, but rather in control. He was having the time of his life, despite the stinging in his arms and most of his body from all the parries.

The Giant Crab wasn’t doing much better, bleeding from every weak point, yet somehow still alive, simply refusing to fall.

It was too angry to die.

Ironically enough, Ignotus seemed to be facing an irregular. But that didn’t deter him, as he stayed back, his eyes peering deep into it, waiting for it to... change.

And that ’change’...

KRRRRRRIIIIIEEEEEEEEEK!

Suddenly arrived, its rhythm breaking.

Now, telegraphs were a thing of the past.

It held blind rage, only that.

The Giant Crab lunged forward in a full-body charge, much faster than before, its claws snapping with such strength that they began to break.

Ignotus’s eyes widened.

’Oh, damn.’

He jumped left, using the sword to push himself even further away, but despite that, he wasn’t fast enough.

The claw clipped him, throwing him into the grass. Caring not for the pain screaming through his ribs, he rolled across the dirt and jumped to position, using the distance created to his advantage.

’This thing’s way too strong for a two Rune monster.’

Given a moment to breathe, Ignotus began to feel incredible pain from the impact of that fall. His sword nearly fell out of his hand, but he held tight, his Will never wavering.

Beyond seething, the monster turned and staggered forward to finish him.

"Got you."

Ignotus charged first, however, and leapt high, his sword raised.

The beast snapped up to meet him, its claws wide.

"NO YOU WON’T!"

Ignotus twisted midair, narrowly missing the snapping claw, and drove his blade down with both hands, piercing the same spot he did the first time.

Yet now, he angled the sword towards himself, forcing the blade through its eye from the inside, nearly sinking the entire sword, handle and all, into it.

The crab convulsed violently, shrieking, its legs thrashing, but Ignotus held on before quickly ripping the blade out, using his inventory as the driving force.

That final attack had finally sent it into the mud, dead.

"...damn."

Letting out a long breath, Ignotus stepped down and used its body to hide the act of him calling back the sword from his inventory.

His chest rose and fell as he walked around the crab and waved to his audience.

"I told you I had it."

Lykos, Ulv, Felix, and the guards stood frozen, stunned by what they had just witnessed.

Ignotus laughed at their reaction, making all of them sigh at nearly the same time.

They could only say one thing at that moment:

"Reckless bastard."

A fact that would forever remain.