"You son of a…"
Ludwig trembled, his mouth open in surprise.
His head was burning from the anger boiling up within him.
"Ugh, aah…"
He put both hands on his cheeks.
He couldn’t even form proper words, and his head felt fuzzy.
'It's over.'
He could see it based on the expressions of the other Guardian members, and from Kim ShiHoon’s desperate expression.
He couldn't understand how he'd edited his words in such a way, but even for him, the result was impressive.
'It doesn't matter who hears it…'
It sounded like the last testament of someone shortly before they fell to a demon.
He had said it was already too late for him and that others should escape while they could.
Who wouldn't think he'd fallen after hearing such a message?
"N-no!"
He shook his head and pointed at KangWoo.
"This is all that piece of trash’s doi—"
Squeak-
At that moment, a tentacle stuck to the back of his head began moving—it was the tentacle KangWoo had used to speak directly to his mind.
The tentacle, which had split into dozens of tendrils, began moving through his body.
Rather than trying to attack, the tendrils flowed beneath the surface of his skin, pushing upwards, and it looked like grotesque blood vessels were pulsing under his skin.
And…
"As expected, you're being 'controlled.'"
KangWoo lowered his head.
Green vessels had become visible throughout Ludwig's body.
Objectively speaking, Ludwig looked to be in an abnormal state.
There was no better word to describe it than ‘corrosion’.
"No, that's not—"
"Shut up, you evil demon!” KangWoo screamed at him in disgust, and his lips trembled.
"I already know that Ludwig isn't there anymore. He completely disappeared after you took control of his body!"
"Everyone…"
"Mr. Ludwig… How did things…?"
"Everyone, please listen to me…"
"We… Will never forget you, Mr. Ludwig…"
"Fuck."
Ludwig felt that he was about to go crazy.
He raised his head and saw how everyone else was looking at him.
Their eyes were full of pity and sadness.
"Ludwig…"
Kim ShiHoon closed his eyes and his body went taught like he was trying to get over the shock.
Everyone's reaction was different, but they all had something in common…
Rather than him, they believed what KangWoo was saying.
"Ha, haha," Ludwig laughed in disbelief.
He didn't even know what to say in such a situation.
There was a saying that a single sentence was enough to accuse someone, but it took dozens of documents to prove innocence.
He really felt the saying was applying to him.
'There's no going back.'
Such a thought crossed his mind, and anger filled his body.
He looked at KangWoo, whose face had turned pale, and saw the tips of his mouth curling up.
'Oh KangWoo…'
The puzzle pieces in his head clicked together, and he realized something.
Who had interfered with the gate of the Hall of Protection.?
Who had received the signal he sent from the dungeon?
Who had infiltrated Guardian despite having the Sea of Demonic Energy?
"So it was you…"
Ludwig's body trembled, and his eyes widened.
Anger close to madness began taking control over his body, he lost his rationality, and he felt like he was about to explode.
"So it was you!"
That was the only possible explanation.
It didn't matter what he said, from the moment everyone concluded he'd fallen, leaving the truth aside, in their minds, he had already fallen.
All his efforts to cast aside Satan's attempt to make him fall didn't matter anymore.
"OH KANGWOO!!!"
He let madness take control of his body and stomped on the ground.
Ludwig gripped his holy sword, and eye-blindingly intense light followed his movements.
Although he'd used most of his strength to escape the dungeon, he couldn't give up yet.
"AAGGHH!!"
He had to tell Raphael the truth about the Demon King and the woman named Han Seol-ah.
At the moment, though, those things didn’t matter.
—KangWoo was right in front of him.
The demon who had infiltrated Earth’s protective group, Guardian, was insulting him.
He was a monster wearing a person’s skin.
KangWoo’s trickery just kept replaying in his mind.
"DIEE!!"
He swung his holy sword.
Clang-!!
Kim ShiHoon blocked the sword that was covered in intense light and opened his mouth while making an anxious expression.
"Ludwig…"
"Move!! You're all being deceived by him!! You're being controlled by that demon!!"
"Ugh."
"You fucking idiots!! How can you call yourselves the Guardians of Earth?!!"
"Ludwig…!" Kim ShiHoon mumbled in a desperate voice while looking at him.
It hadn't been long since he met him—only about a week.
He'd just shown him the Earth's civilization he was eager to find out about, and it was still too soon and weird to call their relationship ‘friendship’, but…
"Damn it, Damn it, Damn it!!" Kim ShiHoon cursed.
Although his body was covered in intense light, Ludwig had a horrifying aspect at the moment.
His eyes were shining with madness, his breath had become heavier, and the green blood vessels that showed a demon was controlling him were more apparent than ever.
That all meant one thing…
Ludwig had passed the point of no return.
'Hyeongnim…'
As if asking for an answer, Kim ShiHoon turned to look at him.
KangWoo shook his head with his eyes closed.
His body language was saying that it was already too late for him.
* * *
"…"
Kim ShiHoon gripped his sword tighter, and KangWoo grabbed his shoulders.
"ShiHoon, let me—"
"No," he answered in a low voice, suppressing his sadness.
"I'll do it. This… is something I must do."
He was looking at a fallen saint.
It was a side of Ludwig he hadn’t seen before—a side of him that had lost his mind to anger.
He saw the pendant he'd given him on his neck.
Kim ShiHoon closed his eyes and felt like he was tearing up.
'I must do it.'
Even if it was painful, no… he had to do it because it was painful.
He couldn't let another person do it.
'Ludwig…'
He didn't know which demon had caused him to fall, but it wasn't hard to imagine.
From what he knew, there weren't many demons capable of making someone like Ludwig fall.
'Focus.'
He eliminated the useless thought and cast aside his emotions, focusing only on what he had to do,
His eyes sank deep and became similar to KangWoo's.
"Haa…"
He took a deep breath, gripped his sword with both hands, and lowered his body.
He stomped on the ground and rushed forward.
"AAGGHH"
Ludwig was causing a stir while being tainted by madness.
"Don't worry, Ludwig," Kim ShiHoon said shortly.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!"
"I'll end your pain with my own hands."
"PLEASE, LISTEN TO ME!!!" Ludwig shouted as if he were about to have a seizure.
For a moment, a hopeful thought crossed ShiHoon’s mind.
‘Could he maybe free himself from the demon’s influence?’
'Don't think about nonsense.'
He remembered KangWoo's words…
It was already too late for him.
There was probably a reason why KangWoo had said such a thing.
KangWoo was more impressive and went beyond what he thought, so if he said it, it was probably true.
"I'm sorry."
After saying so, he stretched his hands forward, and his sword moved through the air as if it were alive.
He closed his eyes and focused.
'Celestial Dragon 1st Form.'
A light flashed, and the sword pierced Ludwig's body.
Red blood scattered on the ground, and the smell of iron stung his nose.
"Cough!"
"Ludwig…" Kim ShiHoon cried.
Ludwig's body collapsed, and he caught himself with one arm as he fell to the ground.
"I'll remember you."
"Ah, ugh…"
Ludwig's eyes teared up.
Clang-
The holy sword fell to the ground.
Kim ShiHoon and Ludwig…
The two of them silhouetted by the light was a moving scene.
KangWoo glanced at the holy sword that had fallen to the ground while lowering his head and acting as if he were tearing up.
Gulp.
'I'm sure it will be over Myth-rank.'
He couldn't help but feel excited.
'What if it increases my unique stat?'
If Holy Sword Ludwig could increase one's unique stat, something funny like it increasing his Demonic Energy could happen.
After all, Han Seol-ah's skill, 'Graceful Light,' had increased his Demonic Energy stat, so it wouldn't be impossible.
KangWoo carefully walked toward the holy sword and grabbed it.
Ting-!
[Holy Sword Ludwig rejects a disgusting soul!!]
Whir.
A white light came out, and he couldn't help but frown.
How could such a message appear? After all, there weren't many souls as pure as his.
'It seems like the system isn't trustworthy.'
Ting-!
[The disgusting soul is tainting Holy Sword Ludwig with darkness!]
'No.'
[The holy sword is vomiting in disgust!]
'What kind of sword vomits?'
[The divine energy of Holy Sword Ludwig is starting to vanish!]
'No, fuck. What…?'
[The holy sword is starting to disintegrate! The high elf's blessing 'Light That Detects Demons' function has been ruined!]
'Okay. I won't force things, so stop it, you bastard.'
KangWoo frowned while holding the sword.
Holy Sword Ludwig was really vomiting divine energy through the sword's point.
He didn't care that the demonic-energy-finding capability was screwed up, but if things went like that, the Myth-ranked weapon could disappear.
"ShiHoon…"
"Hyongnim…"
KangWoo put his hands on ShiHoon's shoulders and handed Holy Sword Ludwig to him.
The sword stopped vomiting divine energy.
"Ah…"
"From what I know, the name of this sword is also Ludwig."
"Yes…"
Kim ShiHoon nodded.
The first day they met Ludwig, they'd heard its name.
KangWoo spoke in a firm voice.
"Take this sword. Only you have the right to wield it."
"Hyeongnim… I… wasn't able to save him."
"Yes, you weren't able to save him."
Thanks to that…
"Since you couldn't save him, take this sword and save even more people with it."
"KangWoo hyeongnim…"
"Don't forget his sacrifice."
He looked at the crying Kim ShiHoon and Ludwig's corpse.
Ludwig, the saint who had fallen after being deceived by an evil demon…
His eyes were staring straight ahead in death as if, in his final moments, he found it all unfair.
He closed Ludwig's eyes.
"Ludwig will always be with you."
"Ugh…"
Kim ShiHoon lowered his head, and tears flowed down his cheeks.
Kim ShiHoon grabbed the pendant on Ludwig's neck while holding the holy sword.
"Yes…"
He put the pendant around his own neck.
"I won't forget it."
He stood again, an intense light burning in his eyes.
Light Watcher, Ludwig…
Although he'd fallen at a demon’s hand, his strong will and beliefs managed to reach Kim ShiHoon.
