Chapter 574

Chapter 574

Rea balled her hand into a tight fist, her gaze locked onto Aina as she blocked her advance.

‘Aina Veydna.’

Ever since setting foot in Seirun, that name had been drilled into her ears continuously.

‘The entire world was talking about her being the direct line of the Sword Saint. Precisely like myself.’

Much like her own position as the heir to the Tingel family, bearing the massive hopes and weight of her entire people.

Aina undoubtedly carried that exact same burden.

Because of that shared reality, she couldn’t help but constantly measure herself against her.

That fixation didn’t fade even after uncovering that Luke was studying under Leo.

She was a rival that absolutely had to be crushed.

Ever since entering the academy, numerous eyes had been waiting to watch Rea bring Aina down.

‘It appears she views things the same way. Given that she stepped forward to confront me directly.’

A smirk formed on Rea’s face.

“It must be exhausting for both of us. Carrying the weight of everyone’s expectation to emerge victorious over the other.”

“What are you talking about?”

Aina looked genuinely perplexed by the remark.

“Did you not step into my path to defeat me?”

“I did not.”

“……”

Rea stood frozen for a beat, a completely blank expression taking over her face.

“Didn’t you just declare that I was your designated opponent?”

“I did.”

“Then your goal is to beat me, isn’t it?”

“No.”

Rea found herself completely at a loss for words as she watched Aina calmly shake her head.

“My only intention is to shield Luke from you. Your preoccupation with Luke has been bizarrely intense for some time now.”

“Are you seriously volunteering to act as Luke Elda’s personal protector?”

“Precisely.”

Shwa-ka-ka-ka-k—!

With a sudden motion, Aina lashed out with her blade.

Sharp arcs of sword force sliced through the air, scattering all around Rea.

“Luke cannot be brought down by anyone else.”

Aina’s gaze sharpened, reflecting a chilling intensity.

“Not until I am the one to defeat him.”

Aina possessed an obsession with Luke that easily rivaled Rea’s own.

‘Clearly, Luke Elda is a target worth pursuing.’

When Rea initially discovered Luke’s existence, her curiosity stemmed entirely from his connection as Leo’s apprentice.

At that time, her emotions were driven far more by envy than a genuine competitive drive.

However, that changed at the conclusion of their first term.

Witnessing Luke’s performance firsthand during the World Summit had left her completely stunned.

‘He kept evolving and adapting even while clashing with Aina Veydna.’

The memory of Luke persistently testing his boundaries and breaking through his limits remained deeply etched in her mind.

It was in that moment she truly grasped the reason Leo had chosen him.

‘His performance during the training camp was equally spectacular.’

Therefore, it was entirely logical that Aina viewed Luke as a fierce rival from within their own academy.

‘Even so… even if that’s true…’

Rea’s shoulders began to shake with rising anger.

“There is a boundary to how much you can disregard someone! What is with this attitude, acting as though I am completely beneath your notice?!”

A volatile wave of magical energy began to erupt from Rea’s furious form.

Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeo-jeok—!

The earth beneath Rea’s boots began to fracture violently, splitting into countless fissures.

“I am going to crush you and force you to remember exactly who I am!”

Pure magical power began to pool and concentrate heavily within Rea’s palms.

“If you hold any desire to best Luke Elda, you will have to go through me first!”

“As long as I stand here, you won’t harm a single hair on his head! Because I am destined to be the one who conquers Luke!”

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang—!

A tremendous eruption of magical force collided violently with sharp, piercing sword energy, intertwining in a chaotic clash.

Luke could feel a cold sweat breaking out across his skin as the terrifying sounds of the battle echoed from behind him.

“Why does my name keep getting dragged into their fight?”

“Hmph. It appears they are locked in a fierce duel to claim rights over you.”

“I would very much like to opt out of being claimed like that.”

Luke’s face contorted in sheer discomfort.

Operating as a magic swordsman himself, Luke could acutely recognize the frightening precision of Aina’s blade and the devastating scale of Rea’s sorcery.

Knowing that such lethal skills and spells were ultimately directed at him provided absolutely no comfort.

‘On top of that, Juwon, Sasha, and Habiden have all been looking at me like they want a piece of me lately.’

It wasn’t as if they harbored animosity toward one another.

In fact, their camaraderie was quite strong.

Yet, the predatory gleam in his companions’ eyes never failed to keep Luke on edge.

Now, with Aina and Rea—who had both been incredibly intense since their very first encounter—throwing themselves into the mix, Luke felt utterly overwhelmed.

‘And then there’s this guy.’

Luke swallowed hard, shifting his gaze toward Medvez, the first-year representative hailing from Azonia.

The man possessed a gargantuan frame packed with dense, rugged musculature.

Naturally, sheer physical mass didn’t automatically equate to true combat prowess.

However, Medvez was far from just a massive wall of muscle.

‘He is genuinely dangerous.’

With every slight twitch of the giant’s muscles, Luke’s body instinctively tightened in response.

Medvez stared down at Luke, who was currently maintaining a low, defensive posture, and spoke.

“You project the aura of a mere prey animal.”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you not trembling in fear just witnessing the clash between those two?”

“I am absolutely trembling.”

Simply visualizing those devastating techniques being thrown in his direction was enough to make him shudder.

“That is not what I am referring to.”

Medvez narrowed his eyes, looking at Luke with clear dissatisfaction.

“Two incredibly powerful warriors are exerting everything they have just to earn the privilege of fighting you. Yet you, a man, do nothing but cower and shake. It is a pitiful, wretched sight.”

Hearing Medvez’s harsh critique, Luke drew in a slow, deliberate breath.

‘If this keeps up, will he at least lose all interest in targeting me?’

He had no intention of running away from a proper duel.

However, the primary objective Luke needed to focus on at this very moment wasn’t besting a formidable rival.

‘Securing a win for Lumerne.’

It felt as though Rea, Aina, and Medvez had all temporarily lost sight of that fundamental goal.

This was a massive team engagement where a hundred participants needed to synchronize their efforts.

Furthermore, every single one of them was selected from the fresh first-year ranks.

‘A single individual cannot completely turn the momentum of a battlefield of this scale.’

Analyzing the situation rationally, expending crucial stamina right now would be an absolute waste.

If Medvez grew bored of him and decided to walk away, it would actually work out in Luke’s favor.

‘It wouldn’t be a bad outcome, but…’

Luke cast his eyes up toward the sky.

High above stood Leo, the very person who had declared the start of this opening conflict.

‘Senior Leo single-handedly altered the entire dynamic of the field.’

The memory of Leo projecting an absolute, crushing majesty during the second-year residential tournament flashed vividly across his mind.

‘Drawing a comparison between myself and Senior Leo is entirely absurd, but…’

That commanding, powerful image refused to fade from his thoughts.

Right at that moment.

Koo-goo-goo-goo-goo-goong—!

The terrain beneath their feet began to shudder.

What started as a minor vibration rapidly escalated into a violent, disruptive tremor, mimicking a massive earthquake.

“W-what is happening?”

The first-year students, who had successfully organized their units to pressure the rival academies, showed instant confusion.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang—!

Searing torrents of molten rock began to burst upward, rupturing the solid ground.

The freshmen who witnessed the sudden eruption filled with immediate dread.

“The available battlefield is rapidly shrinking because of the magma!”

“Anyone capable of aerial combat, take to the sky immediately—”

Boo-geul-boo-geul-boo-geul Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang—!

An immense, colossal entity rose majestically from the boiling depths of the molten rock.

“A Lava Golem?!”

Terrified shouts rippled across the ranks of the first-years.

The massive Lava Golem immediately began thrashing its enormous limbs wildly, targeting the students who had taken flight.

Simultaneously, globs of molten earth sprayed from its massive arms, raining down upon the surface like a deadly storm.

“The sky isn’t safe either!”

“Damn it! Are we supposed to fend off the other schools while managing a Lava Golem at the same time?!”

“That’s not the only issue! Our footing is disappearing due to the spreading lava!”

Frantic cries echoed from every corner of the field.

Maintaining solid defensive walls and coordinating strikes on rival students had become incredibly problematic.

Under these extreme circumstances, a chaotic, all-out free-for-all strategy to quickly eliminate threats seemed far more practical.

“Launch an all-out assault!”

“Argh!”

“Steer clear of the Lava Golem whenever possible! Fighting it will only deplete our energy!”

“Hmm, remaining in this spot means we will inevitably get dragged into the Lava Golem’s path.”

“Tsk! This complicates things immensely.”

“Luke, we need to fall back from this area immediately.”

Medvez, Rea, and Aina, who were positioned right near the summoning site of the Lava Golem, quickly sought to reposition themselves away from the danger zone.

As they moved, Aina caught a brief glimpse of Luke’s expression and parted her lips slightly in surprise.

‘Is he actually smiling?’

“The first-year representative from Seirun behaves exactly like that obnoxious elf.”

Ar murmured to himself, keeping a close eye on the unfolding engagement.

He then shifted his gaze toward his own juniors.

“Their coordination remains solid.”

In such an unpredictable and chaotic environment, the students from Azonia, who possessed superior physical conditioning, held a massive edge.

This was because chaotic, unstructured skirmishes were a daily reality in Azonia, a land where conflict never truly ceased.

“The ultimate wildcard is, precisely as anticipated, the Lava Golem.”

Ar stood with his arms folded across his chest, narrowing his eyes as he analyzed the field.

The beast was rampaging without discrimination, inflicting damage across all four competing academies.

‘Bringing it down doesn’t grant any specific competitive advantage.’

If anything, engaging it would serve no purpose other than wasting valuable strength.

‘What choice would I make if I were down there?’

Ar tilted his head in thought for a brief moment before arriving at a very straightforward answer.

‘I would simply destroy the Lava Golem first.’

There was no complex reasoning behind it.

The creature represented a mutual hazard to all four institutions.

If a team managed to secure a victory while ignoring it, the element of sheer fortune would undeniably play a part in the outcome.

‘Because an untamed Lava Golem introduces a completely volatile element into the match.’

Even if they emerged victorious under those conditions, Ar knew he wouldn’t be able to shake off a persistent feeling of dissatisfaction.

Ar possessed absolute confidence that he could wipe out the opposition even after expending the energy to crush the Lava Golem.

To him, a flawed victory was far less appealing than a well-fought defeat.

‘A triumph handed to you by luck? It carries no honor. I would genuinely prefer a loss.’

Ar scanned the surrounding spectators.

It appeared he wasn’t alone in holding this perspective.

The other Azonia students shared a similar look.

In fact, it wasn’t limited to just Azonia.

Elite students from the other hero institutions seemed to harbor the exact same mindset.

Every individual present carried the immense self-respect that dictated ‘we’ are unmatched.

In the end, their duty was to conquer every obstacle placed before them to validate their supremacy.

The Lava Golem was undoubtedly a major threat, but for a premier student of their academic tier, taking it down single-handedly wasn’t an impossible feat.

They simply refrained from doing so because the associated hazards were far too severe.

‘You play a wicked game, Black Rabbit.’

Having deduced Leo’s underlying motive, Ar smirked slightly as he looked up at Leo suspended in the sky.

“When I observe Leo sometimes, he truly shows an incredibly brutal streak, you know.”

Cal sighed, shaking his head.

“What? What do you mean by that?”

Chelsea offered him a look of complete confusion.

“He deliberately engineered a scenario where it is highly disadvantageous for the first-years to actively hunt the Lava Golem.”

“True. But is there an issue with setting things up that way?”

Cal let out a soft, amused chuckle.

“Securing a win while minimizing all possible hazards is the smartest play. However, the Hero’s Festival is meant to be a grand celebration of unity and community before it ever serves as a mere contest between academies.”

Cal observed the freshmen below, who were currently occupied with trying to maneuver the Lava Golem into each other’s paths.

“The entire world is observing this event.”

“Yes. And your point is?”

“This exact mindset is why paragons of strength often fail to comprehend the perspectives of ordinary citizens.”

Cal let out a dry laugh before continuing.

“The public craves heroes.”

Cal directed his gaze toward Leo.

“They yearn for individuals who possess unwavering self-belief, who chase impossible opportunities, who forge ahead regardless of the danger, and who shatter their own boundaries.”

Cal turned his eyes away from Leo to look directly at Chelsea.

“What course of action would you have taken if you were in their shoes?”

“I would have placed my faith in my abilities and my allies, and we would have brought the Lava Golem down together.”

“Exactly. That is the inspiring sight people tune in to witness. However, the first-years are still fundamentally raw and inexperienced. It is incredibly difficult for them to make such a reckless leap.”

Cal narrowed his eyes, tracking the movements of the roaring construct.

“Leo is testing their mettle. He wants to see if there are any genuine prospects hidden among the fresh blood. He’s looking to see if anyone down there is truly worthy of sharing a platform with someone like you.”

“Ah…”

A look of realization finally dawned on Chelsea’s face.

“Wait, why did you phrase it as ‘with you’ instead of ‘with us’?”

Chelsea tilted her head to the side, questioning his choice of words.

Cal merely shrugged in response to her query.

“Could you refrain from placing an ordinary citizen like myself into the exact same bracket as yourself?”

“What kind of bracket are you even talking about?”

“The bracket for absolute monsters.”

Chelsea promptly planted a firm punch right into Cal’s ribs.

As Cal doubled over, clutching his side and sinking toward the ground, Chelsea looked down at him with a stern expression.

“…Have you entirely abandoned your ambitions of progressing into the third year?”

“Whoa there.”

At that blunt inquiry, Cal brushed himself off and straightened his posture.

“Abandon my ambitions? Not a chance. I fully intend to scratch and claw my way through until the absolute end. But let’s be real for a moment.”

Cal let out a gentle laugh.

“Sheer persistence doesn’t guarantee a happy ending, does it? No matter how many times you break past your limitations, some gaps simply cannot be bridged. I have a very clear understanding of my own capabilities.”

“……”

“This point right here is my personal ceiling, Chelsea.”

“Cal…”

“Even so, I am perfectly content to play my part as a stellar supporting character. Just make sure you keep purchasing my merchandise! You are absolutely destined for greatness as a hero. Having a legendary hero as a dedicated patron will do wonders for my brand’s marketing!”

“You absolute rascal.”

Chelsea let out a quiet sigh, shaking her head at Cal, who was currently beaming at her with a confident thumbs-up.

“Oh?”

Right then, Cal let out a sudden gasp of surprise.

“Look down there. Luke, that absolute madman, he’s executing a direct charge straight toward the Lava Golem, isn’t he?”