The Hunted Regressor: Rise of the Heretic Saint-Chapter 145: The Second Fell

***

Now that Ignotus was taking his well-earned nap, the Colosseum's attention eventually shifted elsewhere.

The massive projections in the sky flickered, zooming out from the sleeping "Stranger" to three other corners of the Corrupted land.

Each projection showed a different group, each up against something specifically tailored to their weakness.

Almost as if it was done on purpose...

Fated.

Teamwork. Endurance. Leading.

Three trials but one goal. And the commentators, naturally, knew exactly where the crowd wanted to look next.

"Well then, let's see Lord Lykos!"

Cheers rose immediately in response.

The crowd liked the young noble, always pretending he didn't care when he obviously did.

"This one should be interesting too."

Even John leaned in, curious.

"He has that guard with him; they complement each other well."

The projections stabilized on one part of the land.

An open plain of gray ice cracked with dark rivers of blood...

***

In the center of that wasteland stood a creature that barely looked alive.

A Demon, but a revolting one, bloated beyond recognition.

Its skin looked like it was melting, drooping off bones in long, gray ribbons.

Its mouth stretched open and shut without rhythm, black smoke leaking from between broken teeth. Each time Lykos or Ulv cut it, the wounds stitched back together, sealing instantly with disgustingly wet sounds.

Ulv clicked his tongue.

"It's regenerating again."

"Obviously."

Lykos replied from behind him, raising a hand and conjuring three shards of ice that floated in a slow orbit.

"We'll just have to make sure there's nothing left to regenerate."

"Noted, my Lord."

And with that, the fight resumed in full force.

Ulv surged forward, his boots scraping against the frost.

The giant Demon swung its swollen arm down, and the ground exploded.

But Ulv wasn't there anymore.

His greatsword gleamed bright as he slid across the ice, skating past the Demon's blow.

Beneath his feet, thin sheets of conjured ice continued to expand in the direction he moved.

Meanwhile, three Ice Lances hovered behind him, darting forward like arrows as he passed.

"Go."

They pierced into the Demon's chest, stomach, and shoulder in rapid sequence.

"AAWAAWAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The beast roared as chunks of its rotting fat splattered the snow. Only for it to heal just as fast as it fell, making Ulv grit his teeth.

"Tch, persistent bastard."

Far behind him, Lykos raised his staff.

"Ulv—move!"

The moment the guard jumped back, a massive ice spike erupted from the ground, skewering the Demon through the leg.

It didn't even flinch.

"Of course... that would've been too easy."

Not to be deterred, he fired again, five ice arrows this time, one after another.

The shots hammered against the Demon's chest, freezing the fat solid for a brief second before it cracked apart and healed again.

Still no good.

Ulv circled back, sliding to his Lord's side.

"It's healing way faster than we're damaging it; we won't get anywhere like this."

Lykos exhaled slowly, frost misting around his mask.

"We can only go harder. Don't stop, not even for a second."

"Understood."

They shared a glance and rushed in again.

The next few minutes were filled with frost and rotting flesh.

Ulv weaved through the Demon's blows, his armor constantly forming and reforming in a sheen of blue light. Every slash of his greatsword sent shockwaves through the creature, while his floating lances shredded it from every side.

Lykos, meanwhile, stayed back, using precise timing to strike whenever Ulv forced the Demon to expose its weak points. Each Ice Arrow landed exactly where it needed to, while each Ice Wall appeared just in time to block a sweeping limb or redirect a blast of black bile.

And when things started to look up, Lykos revealed something new:

Something that made it obvious that both of them had become Acolytes a while ago, having obtained their Third Rune...

Stretching his hands out to his sides, two blades of ice formed, hovering in the air behind him.

"Finally showing that off, huh?"

Ulv grinned when he saw them.

"Don't make me regret it."

Lykos shot back and sent the blades flying.

They slashed through the Demon's arms as Ulv struck its chest simultaneously.

Much of its body was frozen and split, falling off in chunks.

For a split second, it looked like victory...

"AWAWHAHWAHAHWHAHA!"

Until the creature laughed.

A weird gurgling noise that irritated the Hell out of Lykos.

Its entire body burst outward, both slime and mist, harshly flinging both of them back.

When the mist cleared, it had already regrown, much larger than before.

Lykos coughed while pulling himself up.

"Disgusting... thing."

Ulv knelt, steadying him.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, it's just—"

Grimacing, Lykos flicked slime off his mask.

"Don't let that thing touch me again."

The Demon stomped forward, and the ground shook.

They didn't have time to complain.

"As you command!"

Ulv roared and rushed again, ice forming thick armor across his arms and shoulders.

He blocked a blow that would've flattened a building, sliding backward several meters but holding firm.

"Now!"

Lykos waved his staff.

The floating swords moved and crossed paths.

Ice arrows materialized behind them, as did an ice wall.

The very moment all three made contact, frost exploded outward.

A blast that dropped the temperature so low that even the monster's healing slowed.

Ulv used that brief second—his chance—to rush in, his greatsword blazing blue.

He swung, cleaving off the Demon's arm in one massive arc.

Without wasting a moment, his Lord immediately followed, launching another volley of ice arrows straight into the open wound.

"AAAAAAWHWHAWHAHWHAW!"

The Demon howled, and the wounds started knitting back.

"...it's slower."

Indeed, it was slower, much slower now.

"We're doing it!"

Ulv yelled.

"Its regeneration is falling!"

"Keep it that way!"

Lykos snapped.

"Don't let it breathe!"

They fought like that nonstop, with no pause or hesitation.

Each attack was building on the last, each block perfectly timed.

***

"LOOK AT THAT!"

Their fight had ironically set the Colosseum audience on fire.

"This synchronization!"

Lothar yelled over the cheering crowd.

"Lord Lykos and his guard have finally achieved perfect flow!"

But perfection had its price.

***

Minutes later, both were breathing heavily, steam rising from their bodies. Their Divinity reserves were reaching an all-time low.

Lykos's floating blades started to stutter.

Ulv's ice armor began cracking.

The Demon still stood.

Yes, barely, but it was still regenerating.

Ulv looked over, panting.

"My Lord..."

Lykos gritted his teeth.

"I know. We'll have to risk it all."

He raised his hand and called upon his remaining Divinity to gather into a single attack.

At the same time, Ulv lifted his sword, channeling the last of his Divinity through it.

Blue light surged between them, connecting in a circle of frost.

The Demon charged, bellowing—

"TOGETHER!"

Only for Lykos to shout over it.

Ulv slammed his sword into the ground, freezing the Demon's legs in place.

Lykos pointed forward, his hand trembling from the sheer output—

"ICE CATACLYSM!"

One massive arrow went forth before suddenly breaking before the Demon.

That wasn't failure; it was the wolf's intent.

A wave of freezing mist erupted from the arrow, engulfing the monster completely.

Ulv, who'd followed the arrow, swung down his great sword with all his might.

The strike shattered the frozen Demon in one glorious explosion.

Shards of black ice and frozen flesh flew high in the sky and rained down on them.

The Demon couldn't even scream before death claimed it.

What remained of its body crumbled apart, disintegrating into white motes of light.

Completely exhausted, Lykos stumbled forward, about to collapse. But before he could hit the ground, Ulv quickly caught him.

He fell to one knee, his greatsword digging into the ground for balance.

The frost slowly melted around them.

"We did it, my Lord."

Lykos managed a tired smirk.

"Hmph… of course we did."

The second Demon had fallen.

***

"ICE WOLVES!"

"ICE WOLVES!"

"ICE WOLVES!"

"ICE WOLVES!"

"ICE WOLVES!"

And the crowd loved it!