Chapter 364

The existence that was thought to be a third-rate villain tormenting the protagonist turned out to be the final boss, sending chills through the people.

And when it comes to popularity, not even Namé would back down from Kamikita Emika.

With a cute face and a lack of power, a girl who, at a single-digit age, shattered every record imaginable in the world.

Namé, who was truly making headlines for various topics, undoubtedly had solid fame.

At that time, those who insulted Namé in the prevailing atmosphere were met with endless ridicule from the public they belonged to.

– “Sigh, tsk tsk. You can tell they’re just a coward. Seeing them attempting to lecture the world’s strongest from their room really says a lot about your life.”

└ “Lol, thank you for the preservation.”

└ “This is why neutrality is important.”

└ “Turns out it’s Unspecified Namé, lol.”

– “(Edited) It genuinely feels like this person has no grasp of magic. Such impractical techniques absolutely won’t work at the world level. And duels between mages unfold through predictions and psychological warfare, saying you can just respond by watching is utterly nonsense. (Sorry, it turns out I was the one who misunderstood magic.)”

└ “But it worked against Ban So Wol, didn’t it?”

└ “It’s not that impractical; Namé pulled off an all-kill in the tournament…”

└ “But if Ban So Wol was defeated so effortlessly, why wouldn’t it work against 16-year-olds? Lol.”

└ “Unspecified Namé is clueless about magic, lol.”

└ “Seriously, Unspecified Namé is legendary. At this rate, won’t they be selected as a representative next year?”

└ “This one is just in another class; we shouldn’t evaluate them by our standards.”

[Overseas Magic Gallery]

[Oh, it’s you, sister~][293]

(Namé Academy Tournament Last Standing Color Reversal.jpg)

“Whatever you say, I’ve always knocked them all down to prove it.”

[Recommended 1,304] [Dislikes 14]

[Comments]

– “What have you turned that kid into, a psycho killer? Hahaha.”

└ “I couldn’t help but give it a thumbs up.”

└ “After math, they’ve now ‘proven’ swordsmanship too—a true professor of this era.”

– “Unspecified Namé, sister!!”

└ “Welcome, 8-year-old~”

└ “These days, even an 8-year-old can enjoy the seahorse gallery.”

– “If ‘the nail that sticks out gets hammered down’ were personified, it would be Unspecified Namé. But the problem is that they’re not just a nail; they’re a 30-meter giant coal drill that can’t possibly be hidden in your pocket.”

└ “How are you even going to hide a giant coal drill? Lol.”

– “Wasn’t that aura sword technique deemed impractical and went extinct? Am I the only one who finds it appealing?”

└ “Even if not used regularly, it seems perfect for turning the situation around.”

└ “The era of Great Aura is being revived!”

– “But if Unspecified Namé can use it, does that mean Katsuhata can use it too?”

└ “Now swords are going to come out infinitely, lol.”

└ “Depending on whether the opponent casts magic with their left hand or lunges with a sword, the confusion will set in.”

└ “Japan’s victory is truly in the cards.”

Namé’s uploaded video spread like wildfire.

Who are the people in the biggest rush right now?

Those who might meet Emika in the round of 64 or 32 right away.

The match schedule for the national exchange tournament was announced about a month prior, and the coaches who had prepared tailored strategies were in a dilemma.

“Heaven…! Why are you giving us such trials?”

Even if aura has less power than magic, the reason it continues to maintain its status is evident.

It’s clear why Japanese people cling solely to analog and aura.

Aura can interfere with mana, but mana cannot interfere with aura unless a barrier is used.

In other words, Katsuhata Emika could be summarized as possessing an indestructible sword.

While the public engaged in heated debates over the emergence of new information, other participants felt despair over the absurdity of talent.

Gamblers used the information at hand to slightly raise the odds of Katsuhata Emika’s victory, while foreign media turned this fascinating incident into articles.

Even as dynamic events unfolded in the online world, preparations for the tournament were steadily underway.

In Group D of the round of 64, a total of eight matches were scheduled to be held today in Fukuoka.

People lined up to enter the dome stadium, which has a capacity of 40,000.

To avoid the hot July sun, the roof slowly closed, and massive lights brightened the indoor arena.

In the broadcast booth equipped with state-of-the-art viewing facilities, commentators and casters from various countries were conducting microphone tests.

Meanwhile, the official broadcast of the national exchange tournament streamed a fan festival taking place outside the dome stadium.

Everyone supporting Emika had wrapped a white band symbolizing Katsuhata School around their heads and participated in interviews.

“We’ve all got finals tickets! This year, Japan is definitely going to win!”

The interviewer, informed that the match would be delayed by about 20 minutes due to technical issues, wandered off in search of other interview subjects.

And soon, what could hardly be seen as coincidence took place.

Suddenly, the crowd erupted into cheers and rushed to one side.

Wondering if a national singer had arrived, I lifted a camera drone high to check.

“No way, that child is…! Follow me at once!”

After pushing through the dense crowd, I finally found a blind woman with a cane and a small girl.

* * *

Katsuhata Emika’s match is the sixth one.

With each match lasting about 20 to 30 minutes, including wait time, it won’t be until three hours later that one can finally see it.

Even if we hurried into the stadium, there was nothing to do, so we slowly looked around outside.

Just as I thought it was fortunate that there were still fewer people in Japan who recognized me than in Korea,

The other Koreans suddenly cheered, drawing attention.

“Wow! Unspecified Namé, you really are in Japan! And next to you is Ban So Wol, right?”

“Ah yes, nice to meet you.”

“I was thinking, since you said you’d come to watch today’s match, I might get lucky enough to meet you! I really enjoyed the video you uploaded to VTube! It was truly awesome!”

The man spoke to me excitedly in a deep tone.

In an instant, people flocked around, and the sound of clicking cameras was unending.

I tried to politely greet them and step away, but this time a large broadcasting camera blocked our path.

“Hello! We are from NHK, the official broadcaster of the Japan National Exchange Tournament. Could we possibly have a quick interview?”

A Japanese man with shaggy hair asked.

I glanced at the holographic screen being broadcast.

“Is this live?”

“Yes! We are live streaming right now!”

“Just a little should be fine.”

“Thank you so much, Unspecified Namé!”

Amid the comments written in Japanese, there were a few in Korean.

– “Finally caught her!”

– “So cute again today, haha.”

– “The youngest aura master’s intuition is quite something.”

“Um, many viewers are recognizing you and cheering you on. For those who might not know you, could you please briefly introduce yourself?”

I answered directly in Japanese without using a translator.

“Ah yes, of course. Hello, I’m Unspecified Namé. I’m 9 years old and in the third year of the academy. I believe I’m more famous in Japan as the creator of the Unique Magic known as ‘Adele,’ but today I’m just here to support Miss Katsuhata.”

“Wow, your Japanese is really good! That’s amazing!”

– “Is this a lie???”

– “A 9-year-old using Unique Magic?”

– “Is there really someone who didn’t know this? Hahaha.”

– “Namé speaks Japanese incredibly well!”

– “I can’t believe the origin of the Adele challenge is right here…”

– “Has Japan finally imported Namé-chan?”

“Do you have a prediction for this year’s winner?”

“Since I haven’t seen the levels of the other participants, I can’t say for sure, but I think it will be Katsuhata Emika.”

The staff applauded.

It seemed they were quite satisfied with my lip service.

Various questions followed, most of which concerned the fan festival.

“I heard yesterday that you left advice for Miss Katsuhata on VTube, which became a hot topic…?”

“At that time, I was just thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be better if she did that over there?’ You know how when you watch a match, you say things like, ‘Now’s the time to attack!’? It’s not that I was really coaching; I didn’t mean anything deeper than that.”

“However, the explanation video reached 3 million views in just one day and has become hugely popular. How do you feel about that?”

“That’s a bit embarrassing. I appeared with a bit of a messy look.”

I’ll never underestimate a retriever’s stamina again.

“One viewer asked in the comments if you have any personal connection with Miss Katsuhata.”

“Well, I had a collaboration with her last year, and I think we’ve gotten closer during this year’s training camp. She’s a great older sister.”

“You trained together at the camp?”

“Yes. I can’t share too many details since it’s a secret. Just this much.”

– “Katsuhata camp?”

– “What on earth happened in Korea…?”

– “I fully welcome the Unspecified Namé and Emika collaboration.”

– “Namé, protect yourself! Namé is Korean!”

– “Don’t touch our national treasure No. 1.”

– “It’s clear that Katsuhata received assistance from Namé. Was that the external manifestation?”

– “On the contrary, Katsuhata taught Namé swordsmanship, a mutually beneficial relationship!”

With so many internet detectives, some sensible guesses inevitably surfaced.

I slowly hinted that I wanted to wrap up the interview.

The PD then beckoned for one last question.

“Just one more!”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Unspecified Namé is also a highly regarded mage in Korea, right? What aspects of your role model, Miss Katsuhata, do you wish to emulate? In swordsmanship, aura, perseverance, etc.”

I squinted slightly.

Isn’t that a bit too blatant of a leading question?

Especially emphasizing Emika as a role model.

I want to say nice things to the Japanese, but I also dislike coming off as overly arrogant.

It felt like it was setting the stage for a glorifying article about me praising Emika.

For a neighboring country, the method seems similar to Korea’s.

I snatched the mic and said,

“Miss Katsuhata isn’t my role model.”

“What? My apologies. So what would you like to emulate…?”

“Why does there need to be one?”

“Well, not really, but since Miss Katsuhata is a senior, she’s superior in many aspects…”

“You’re under a misconception. I don’t take weaker people as my role models.”

“Ah, yes…?”

The interviewer’s eyes bulged like a fish.

Was it too strong of a statement for Japanese sentiment?

“Everyone participating in the national exchange, including Miss Katsuhata, is the same. To be honest, I think all 64 national representatives are several levels below me. This year, you should consider it fortunate that I’m still in the audience.”

Given that there’s only one chance at the national exchange tournament, many will be eliminated starting today.

Having come all the way to Japan, it feels a bit empty to leave empty-handed.

“Does that mean you’ll be participating in next year’s France national exchange tournament?”

“What’s next year? Anyone who wants to fight me can come anytime.”

I threw out bait with the intention of catching just one properly.