43. What Will He Do?

Tracking Ludovis wasn't hard. All I had to do was head toward the loudest commotion. By the time we caught up with him, he was already tearing through the heart of the city.

He didn't even look human anymore. His frame had swelled to well over two meters, resembling a Werewolf, but his silhouette shimmered and writhed, refusing to hold a steady shape. He looked like a mass of condensed darkness mimicking the form of a beast.

Despite the spectral appearance, he clearly had a physical presence; every time Ludovis swung his massive arms, buildings crumbled like they were made of wet clay. He seemed to be destroying everything in sight out of sheer, petty irritation.

"Why?! I know I destroyed that Prayer Stone! Why is this accursed rain still falling? Why is the Plague Curse being neutralized?!"

Wait, is this my fault?

No, no. No matter how you looked at it, Ludovis was the one in the wrong. Lashing out like a toddler because things weren't going his way was just pathetic.

"Stop it, Ludovis!" Rei shouted.

Alerted by her voice, Ludovis slowly turned to face us.

"I see. It’s you lot again! You persistent pests who interfere with me at every turn! Fine, this is perfect. The Maiden, that brat—I’ll offer you all up as sacrifices to Lord Garnalava!"

Garnalava. That was the Evil Curse God. So Ludovis was a cultist after all. I suppose his plan to unleash the Plague-Cursed Black Wolf was all part of bringing destruction to the world. He really was a massive pain.

Regardless, it was time to execute our strategy.

"Halfa!"

"Got it!"

First and foremost, we needed the Song of Soothing. I didn't know exactly how much power he had reclaimed, but with the song, we could at least dampen his strength.

"Gugh... that accursed melody! But I am a Kin of Garnalava. Such a song means nothing to me!"

The Song of Soothing was definitely taking effect. However, if Ludovis’s words were true, the impact wasn't as decisive as we’d hoped.

"Shiroru, what do you think?"

『I think it's true that by merging with a human, his nature as a pure curse has been diluted. But isn't at least half of that just posturing?』

So that was it. Because he had acquired human traits, the effectiveness of the Song of Soothing had likely been cut in half. Even so, it wasn't as if it did nothing.

In fact, compared to a moment ago, the sinister, suffocating aura he projected had faded, and his movements seemed significantly less sharp.

Well, as long as it had some effect, I was satisfied. I had intended to go through with the plan even if the song hadn't worked at all.

"Guild Master, I’m counting on you."

"Understood."

I had assigned the Guild Master a very specific role. Originally, I was going to do it myself, but the Guild Master had stepped up to take my place. Since the job required serious durability, it was a huge help.

Currently, the vanguard standing against Ludovis consisted of Rei, Mil, and Dolga-san. Sally and Shiroru were positioned just behind them, while Halfa, the Guild Master, and I held the rear.

The vanguard’s job was to intercept Ludovis’s attacks. For the most part, they weren't actually trying to land hits. However, if they didn't at least look like they were fighting back, Ludovis would get suspicious, so they had to maintain a careful balance of offense and defense.

Even with the Song of Soothing weakening him, Ludovis’s raw power still overwhelmed Rei and the others. It wasn't even an act anymore; they truly couldn't find an opening to strike. They were forced into a desperate, purely defensive struggle.

Then, Ludovis’s right arm finally caught Mil. A strike from his razor-sharp claws slashed across her forearms as she reflexively raised them to guard.

"W-What? What is happening?!"

The one who cried out in shock, however, was Ludovis. He must have felt the impact of a solid hit, but not a single scratch appeared on Mil’s arms.

"Gugh...!"

Instead, blood sprayed from the Guild Master’s arms.

I had the Guild Master activate the Guardian's Charm I’d received from the Black Market Old Man. The charm caused the user to shoulder every bit of damage generated in the immediate vicinity. The Guild Master’s injuries were the result of him taking the wounds that were meant for Mil.

If this kept up, the Guild Master would be covered in gashes, but I’d prepared for that too. I had him drink the Spirit Liquor of Life before we started. This temporarily boosted his Vitality and recovery speed to absurd levels. The wounds he just took seemed to seal shut in a matter of seconds.

At this rate, his natural recovery was fast enough that we wouldn't even need potions. I’d kept some ready in my Storage Ring just in case, but they seemed unnecessary for now.

"Why?! Why won't you die?!"

Ludovis lunged again, this time slashing at Rei’s side. Once more, Rei took zero damage. The Guild Master took the hit instead, but since he was standing so far back, Ludovis hadn't noticed the connection.

It was going exactly as planned.

From Ludovis’s perspective, it looked like every single one of his attacks was being magically nullified. Unable to comprehend why, he was falling into a state of total confusion.

『Tort! Sally’s finished her incantation.』

"Got it. Activate it on the countdown. Tell the vanguard to pull back."

『Understood!』

Thanks to the Bracelet of Bonds, Shiroru and I could use Thought Transmission even over a distance. It made coordinating our timing perfect.

『Three... two... one...!』

"Stowing the charm!"

"On it!"

Exactly as Shiroru finished the countdown, the Guild Master forcibly stored the Guardian's Charm in his inventory. At almost the same instant, the Ice Coffin Sally released encased Ludovis in a tomb of ice.

Normally, once the Guardian's Charm was activated, it couldn't leave the user's person until the effect expired.

However, during my experimentation yesterday, I’d discovered a workaround: the Storage Ring’s function could forcibly "un-equip" it. Furthermore, when stored, the charm treated the user as being absent, effectively turning the damage-redirection off. By putting it away only when we attacked, we could ensure our own spells actually hit the target. It was a bit tricky to time since life isn't a turn-based game, but it worked.

"Gnuwaaaaah! This is nothing! This won't stop me!"

The ice casket only held him for a heartbeat. Whether it was magic resistance or just sheer, terrifying physical strength, Ludovis shattered the coffin from the inside. The shredded remnants of the Ice Coffin crumbled into dust, having served its purpose.

Still, it wasn't like he hadn't taken damage. I could see the frustration boiling over in his eyes.

On our side, we appeared completely unscathed. To Ludovis, it must have looked like he was the only one losing blood while we remained perfectly fine. He was probably starting to panic deep down.

Now then, Ludovis, what’s your next move?