Chapter 204: Chapter 204 – Striking Hard , then Applying Medicine!

The desert trembled under the weight of Luca’s voice.

“SHUT UP!!!”

His aura burst out like a storm, rolling across the sand, pressing down on every chest, choking the air. The heated murmurs, the clash of words and egos, all fell into silence. Even the wind seemed to halt, caught in the force of his will.

Luca’s sharp gaze swept across the gathered students, each pair of eyes trembling under the weight of his glare. Idiots… still caught up in their own petty egos at a time like this?

His voice cut through the tense quiet like a blade.

“If you want to fight among yourselves… then GET OUT OF HERE!”

The two loudest students, leaders of their little factions, stiffened under the pressure. Their teeth clenched as they tried to retort, their voices shaking.

“Y-You…!”

“Yeah! Who do you think you are, acting like our leader?! We came here to help you—consider this our big-heartedness!”

Kyle growled from the side, fists clenched. “Tch… these bastards…”

But before he could step forward, Luca’s aura flared hotter, heavier, drowning out all resistance. His crimson eyes burned like fire, locking on the two students as he spoke, each word crushing.

“You came for me, huh?!”

The students froze. His voice was deep, filled with raw anger that clawed at their pride.

“Don’t fool yourselves. You didn’t come here out of kindness. You came here because you wanted glory, because you thought it would raise your name. And now? You fight over who killed more cultists? Who looks better in front of the others?”

He stepped forward, the sand cracking beneath his boots.

“Do you even realize what you’re doing?! Every word you spit, every moment you waste, you’re spreading distrust among the very people who stand between you and death! You’re not just embarrassing yourselves—you’re weakening all of us. And the ones who will laugh at that… are the cultists you claim to be fighting.”

A heavy silence followed. Students shifted uncomfortably. Some lowered their heads.

Luca’s voice softened—not weaker, but steadier, carrying conviction that rippled across the crowd.

“I don’t need your empty charity. I don’t need anyone who thinks they’re too good to stand with the rest. If you’re going to drag us down with arrogance, then walk away now. Leave.”

His eyes swept the crowd, lingering on familiar faces—on Aiden, standing tall with Excalibur in his grip; on Kyle, fists clenched but smirking at the challenge; on the Saintess, her eyes glowing with unwavering faith; on Lilliane, her determination burning despite exhaustion; on Selena, her amethyst gaze sharp as steel.

“All of them… stronger than most of you. They could have chosen to fight alone. But they didn’t. They stand here with me, with each other—because they understand something you don’t.”

His voice rose, echoing across the endless desert, laced with raw fire.

“Strength isn’t about standing above others. It’s about standing with them. Alone, we fall. Together, we survive. Together, we win.”

The two students who had sparked the fight trembled under his gaze, their pride withering into shame. Faces flushed, they dropped their weapons, heads lowering.

“…We… we were wrong.”

“…Sorry.”

The tension that had gripped the crowd slowly eased. The suffocating weight lifted, replaced by a rising fire in every chest. Murmurs spread—not of division, but of resolve, of unity. Students stood taller, shoulders squared, gazes firm.

Luca’s aura finally retracted, but his eyes still burned. He gave a small nod, almost a chuckle under his breath. Now this… this is how it should be.

The desert was still heavy with Luca’s outburst, the echo of his shout still ringing faintly in the air. But now, as he let his aura slowly withdraw, he straightened and smiled—calm, steady, carrying a warmth that contrasted the storm moments ago.

His gaze swept the sea of students, from the exhausted and battered to the proud and unyielding, and his voice came softer—yet no less firm.

“You’re all here. Whether you came seeking glory, or because of duty, or simply because you had no choice… you came.”

His words carried in the wind, gentle but undeniable.

“And let me say this: every single one of you matters here. Not just the strongest. Not just the ones who can swing their swords or burn the desert with magic. Even the weakest among you—your eyes, your resolve, your courage—it all counts.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some students, previously hanging at the edges with doubt in their faces, straightened unconsciously.

Luca raised his hand, gesturing broadly.

“Think about it. Even one person who spots an ambush, one who shields another at the right moment, one who shouts a warning—can be the difference between survival and death. Out here, there is no ’small role.’ Every one of us is a piece of the same blade.”

Aiden stepped up beside him, voice ringing with steady conviction. “He’s right. I’ve fought cultists, and I’ve seen it myself. Victory isn’t about a hero charging alone—it’s about every strike, every defense, every step together.”

Kyle smirked, folding his arms. “Hah. And when you fall, it’s your comrades who pick you back up. No one here is too small to matter. Believe me, I’d be dead ten times over if not for my team.”

Selena’s amethyst eyes glimmered as she stepped forward, her tone cool but unwavering. “And if you think this is just empty talk—remember. Even I wouldn’t stand here without the ones beside me. None of us are untouchable. We fight as one, or we perish.”

The murmurs grew louder now, not in division but in agreement. Voices carried through the desert:

“…He’s right…”

“…Even I managed to help back then…”

“…Together, huh…?”

The air that had moments ago been thick with hostility now hummed with an entirely different energy—unity, the fragile spark of something greater than themselves.

The Saintess finally stepped forward, her pale eyes gleaming as she came to Luca’s side, lips curved in an amused smile.

“You’re strong politically as well, huh? First striking hard, then applying the medicine yourself.”

Luca’s lips curved faintly as he glanced at her. “It seems I’ve learned something from you.”

Her eyes widened ever so slightly before narrowing with a mock frown. “…Hmph.” She looked away, but the corner of her mouth betrayed a smile she tried to hide.

Luca, meanwhile, kept his gaze on the gathered students. It’s true… all these little tricks—striking hard, then soothing—are things I saw her do in the game. Aiden’s heart is pure, a kind soul fit for a protagonist. But… not everything can be solved by kindness alone.

The murmurs turned into shouts of agreement now, voices overlapping but united. Students clapped each other on the shoulders, some raising their weapons skyward, others simply standing taller, eyes burning with resolve. The desert no longer felt suffocating, but alive with fire.

The desert wind howled softly, carrying with it the echoes of murmurs and the clinking of weapons being sheathed. The unity Luca had sparked still lingered in the air as the core group finally gathered together.

Kyle, leaning on his spear with that ever-present grin, broke the silence first.

“That was good, brother-in-law.”

Eric threw his head back with a booming laugh. “Hah! For once, I actually agree with him!”

Even Big Bull gave a grunt that almost sounded like approval.

But the momentary levity didn’t last. Aiden’s expression hardened, his golden eyes serious as he turned to the others.

“But what’s the actual situation? Does anybody have any clue what we’re walking into?”

All eyes shifted to Luca. He exhaled slowly, his expression grim.

“It seems the cultists have already conquered the dungeon below. And…” His gaze swept the horizon, sharp and heavy. “The academy knew. They sent us here precisely because of whatever the cult is doing down there. They want us to be the ones to fight it.”

A ripple of unease spread through the group, but not one of them looked surprised. One by one, they nodded.

“So what’s the plan now?” Kyle asked, his grin thinning into something more serious.

Selena’s amethyst eyes glowed faintly, her tone cold but determined. “Isn’t it simple? We just fight.”

But Luca shook his head firmly. His voice cut through, steady and sharp.

“No. Not yet. If we rush blindly, we’ll be dancing in their palm. First, we need to find their true objective. Otherwise, every drop of blood spilled will be meaningless.”

The air turned heavier again, every word hanging on the edge of the desert heat.

Aiden narrowed his eyes. “Then how are we going to find it out?”

Luca turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of students gathered behind them. His jaw tightened, and then—raising his voice to carry across the sands—he shouted with clear, commanding authority:

“—Everyone, please listen!!”

The desert stilled once again, every voice falling silent as eyes turned toward him.

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