Chapter 281

The children, sent as vanguards from each Academy, faced each other on both sides of the Training Hall.

“Mana isn’t something you just see and hear. You need to differentiate between what is already present and what may come in the future on your own. Do you understand what I’m saying? If you don’t know, why are you nodding?”

With a grip on her wrist where her compact magical inscriber was attached, Ji Hye slowly closed her eyes, repeating Name’s advice.

She layered her aura over the dangling trinket swaying in the wind.

“Are you ready, participant Ji Hye? If you’re ready, I will start the countdown.”

Closing her eyes made her realize how reliant humans are on sight.

The vast and profound flow of nature felt like a gentle breeze to the young Ji Hye.

It was a world she could only barely perceive with the help of her wand.

‘I wonder what the world looks like from Name’s perspective.’

As Ji Hye opened her eyes again, her vision expanded infinitely.

The Training Hall, larger than a futsal field, felt as tiny as a grain of rice.

What she was seeing was the hidden side of the world.

Things that do not exist yet could potentially exist in the future.

The light barrier that separated the Training Hall from the spectator seats represented this, as did the spark of life emanating from the participant on the opposite side.

“I’m ready.”

The aura hearts of the children, barely around eight years old, began to resonate with the world.

Homo sapiens sapiens, or homo sapiens modificator, is the apex predator that has come to dominate the Earth.

Unlike other animals, they measure nature and act according to laws and logic.

And at that moment, the eyes of a girl who once stood at the pinnacle of her species twirled.

A ten-second countdown appeared on the display screen flashing the faces of the young participants.

“Wowwwww!”

“Go for it, second graders!”

“Iharu! Don’t you dare lose!”

A thundering cheer erupted, and the children holding their wands collided in the center.

“Come on, kids!”

Finally, the Academy vs. Academy event, fought for honor, began.

* * *

It is exceedingly easy for internet broadcasters to give advice to participants.

They would suggest that those who were at a distance should have maintained that distance.

They would say that participants who overlooked the casting times should have shortened them.

While talking about previous events based on an outcome-oriented analysis,

an invasive species appeared in Twish.

[No Name]

[KBS Seoul Regional Academy vs. Academy – I’m broadcasting this biased coverage with my father.]

[Broadcast Time – 0:48:23]

[Number of Viewers – 41,257]

From a distance, Iharu, who had been firing magic cannons, abandoned his wand and joined Ji Hye.

Name stood up suddenly, her tone slightly agitated as she shouted.

“Iharu, release the friction coefficient adjustment spell and immediately transform using the adiabatic expansion spell. Recycling the magic circle is quick. All those daily practices are paying off.”

“What a brilliant decision! Thanks to you, the opponent’s fire mage is being disrupted.”

Professor Cheon added a compliment to Iharu’s actions.

– No, please explain moreㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– ??? What exactly is happening?

– Wasn’t it just a fight where a second grader trips the opponent with friction and blasts them with a magic cannon?

– They’ve been chipping away the barrier well until now, why stop?

Something significant was still unfolding.

“It seems Altear cannot respond properly! Right now, just hitting hard counts as a critical strike, so forget about guarding and just launch!”

The moment Name said that, Ji Hye and Haru swiftly surrounded their opponent in a 2-to-1 scenario and unleashed their entire auras for a decisive strike.

BAM-!

With a thundering shock from both sides, the boy’s feet left the ground, and his body fell heavily to the floor.

“Phew, nice job. It missed slightly, but you did well.”

“Name, did you teach them that too?”

“Ah… no? They probably just practiced while following me. These kids really are impressive.”

– Double lariat, that was insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Suddenly they gang up on the opponent like thatㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ For real, it’s genius to join in the moment there’s space between the two opponents.

– Seviron is different this year!

– So please give us some commentary, Name Wagon!

“Up until now, Ji Hye’s aura strikes have been more effective against that fire mage than Haru’s magic cannon. So the opponent, with little remaining barrier, tried to push Ji Hye away with the previously seen ‘heat transfer – friction ignition’ combination, but Haru, watching from behind, boldly countered with ‘adiabatic expansion.’ When the temperature drops, the saturation vapor pressure decreases, and their humidity increases, disrupting ignition magic.”

Name composed her voice, explaining to the viewers with more calmness.

“I forgot to mention earlier, but friction coefficient adjustment and adiabatic expansion are both in the same ‘El’ category of magic, so recycling the magic allows for a shorter casting time. Leading them into the area expanded by adiabatic expansion and utilizing residual mana by wrapping it around your arm demonstrated excellent mana conservation. Was that a clear explanation?”

[‘GraduateStudentSaver’ has donated 10,000 won!]

– Standing ovation while shedding tears

[‘CatsAreGreatest’ has donated 50,000 won!]

– Name is a god! Name is a god! Name is a god!

– Are we watching the same match right now?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– It’s the first time I’ve felt such awe while watching a commentary.

– No Name is the number one rapper in the country’s hip-hop.

– What’s up with the Academy’s level being so darn high this year?

└ If you only look at that scene, it’s like middle schoolersㅋㅋㅋ

– We, mere spectators, couldn’t even join in.

– Nah, not all the Academy students are like that. Iharu is particularly genius, yeah.

└ They say she’s the granddaughter of the Vice President of the Samyeon Group.

└ Seriously, can’t the wealthy let their kids play?

└ The ones who were already around study harder.

– But really, isn’t there anything No Name doesn’t know??? At this point, shouldn’t we suspect they have a robot inside or something?

└ For realㅋㅋ

– How am I supposed to wait until the afternoon!!!!!

– Why are only managers donating? I want to donate too! Owner, open the donation link now!

– Isn’t Name’s chirpy voice super cute?ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ But the quality of the commentary is exceptional! ㄷㄷ

Three seconds into the future, Name’s commentary continued uninterrupted.

So much so that some viewers began to misunderstand that it didn’t seem to sync up.

In the end, aside from Ji Hye, who expressed her intent to withdraw due to a bleeding nose, the remaining barrier for Seviron Academy students was still sufficient.

The final participant, Seoyuna, stepped out to conclude this duel.

“Seoyuna’s specialty is the ability to freely apply both magic and aura. Right now, she’s using wind magic to block the opponent’s escape and rushing in… If she focuses her aura on her toes, she can take shorter, quicker strides! If she can just avoid the next attack!”

The student, with steel wrapped around their entire arm, barely missed Seoyuna’s face with a punch.

In a flash, her red hair swirled as she grabbed the boy’s waist and slammed him to the ground.

Amidst the entangled bodies, they rolled several times on the floor.

Seoyuna clung to the boy, choking him while raining down punches. Throughout this process, she held nothing back.

As the flame wind blossomed and slowly subsided, it was eventually Seoyuna who stood tall in the end.

“Our Yuna never loses on the ground. She has long limbs, is significantly taller than her peers, and most importantly, she possesses ample muscle strength and endurance to support that.”

The essence of the duel ultimately comes down to one thing.

Quickly neutralizing the opponent’s attacks while accurately striking their own.

The only two things Name taught them.

Understanding the meaning of every motion and using their body efficiently.

“Yuna won! Wooaahhh, our daughter won!”

“Ow, mom, my back hurts! Did Yuna get her painful hands from you?”

“What is that idiot Semaaru saying! Seoyuna is amazing! Our Yuna is the best!”

“If you had gone to the second-grade match, Name, it would have been a disaster, wouldn’t it? What a chaotic balance! Hahaha!”

At that moment, Yuna’s family stood up excitedly, forgetting their composure, right behind Name.

However, it wasn’t strange that the spectators from Seviron were all cheering with a standing ovation.

“I’m glad they’re happy.”

Name relaxed and comfortably sat back down in her chair.

The chat was flooded with congratulatory messages celebrating Seviron Academy’s first set victory.

“Good job, Name. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you raise your voice so much.”

As Professor Cheon smiled, Name awkwardly scratched her nose.

She had genuinely wished for her students’ victory, but there was also the aspect of wanting to impress Professor Cheon by working harder on the broadcast.

“I feel good winning as well. But I think what I love most right now are these kids.”

As soon as the referee’s whistle announcing Seviron’s victory was heard, students waiting outside the Training Hall rushed to the center.

They gathered around Yuna and Shihu, who were sprawled out, completely exhausted.

Despite the match proceeding without major risks, they hugged each other, sobbing together.

The earnest desire for victory often comes not from affiliation or honor, but from the efforts invested in seeking that victory.

“Are you going to congratulate them?”

“Yes. Actually, these friends have followed me for almost three and a half months without a complaint since summer break. They must have gone through a lot emotionally. Especially Ji Hye who had to endure the most.”

And to celebrate their efforts and share in the joy of victory, Name jumped down from her chair.

Yet, Name was betrayed by her friends in a manner completely unexpected from what she imagined.

* * *

“It’s the first time participating in the Academy vs. Academy match, but what mindset did Iharu have going into the match today?”

“I have to win this match, no matter what. I have to win and take revenge on Name, that’s what I thought…”

Iharu glanced at Name, gauging her reaction as she made this bold statement.

The changing expressions on Name were already unsettling.

“Revenge? What kind of revenge are you talking about?”

“We promised that if we win and Name loses, we would definitely make her play the baby role in our playtime! So please, Altear seniors, please take care of Name! Please!”

Iharu, who was utterly unafraid of her towering seniors, instead voiced support for Altear Academy.

“…”

The face of No Name, who had been watching from a higher vantage point, suddenly darkened.