Chapter 504

As everyone was captivated by the overwhelming performance, Na-me extended her gigantic fist created through external manifestation.

Her wrist thudded against the ground, and her five fingers stretched out toward the crowd.

Na-me’s fans could easily predict what she was trying to do.

Sitting on the webbed fingers, Na-me wiggled her legs in the air, waiting for the judges to declare her victory.

[The match is over! The match is over! A new history has been written in the national exchange tournament in France! No Name has overcome a 6-year age difference! Defeating Hiroki Naita! With 3 points, she boldly takes home 1 victory! Thus, No Name will be recorded as the only player to win in the national exchange tournament at the age of 10 years and 1 month!]

“Wowwwww!”

With the match result confirmed, a thunderous cheer erupted in the stadium.

30 minutes was a nerve-wracking moment for Koreans.

Everyone understood that Na-me was strong, but a small part of them doubted whether she could overcome the age gap.

With just one match, Na-me shook off all the distrust around her.

She became a goddess dominating communities worldwide.

[Da Na-me’s Slaying Strike…gif]

(Imperial Palace Sword Method, 5th Style: Dragon’s Heart Thrust.gif)

[Upvote 25,715] [Downvote 132]

[Comments]

– Oh, sister. You can turn the match around in one go.

– Just the greatest GOAT in human history.

– You can’t help but praise her, lol.

– Is this upvote count even real? Crazy, lol.

– Ha… I can’t help but worship her.

– This is a superstar, I shouted it out loud, hehe.

– Making a highlight that will go down in history with her own swordsmanship? Romantic GOAT.

– Even her fluttering twin tails look like a work of art.

[Real-Time] Na-me is nervously watching the ceremony, lol.

(Na-me standing on the Demon Lord’s hand.gif)

(Na-me shaking her legs.gif)

(Na-me stretching her neck and checking the judges.gif)

(Na-me helping Hiroki out of the pit, holding his hand.gif)

She’s trying to create a mischievous image but can’t hide her true personality, lol.

[Comments]

– She does this, lol.

– But it is infuriating, lol.

– That must take a lot of magical stamina.

– Ah, Na-me is too cute, hehe.

– When she’s in her element, she’s scarier than anyone… burying a defeated opponent in the ground…

[Naita Hiroki Interview Clip]

Q. You had good pressure early on, but you allowed such a huge blow that the match turned in an instant. Are you not disappointed?

A. Not really. After the match ended, I felt I had been misled by her from the beginning. I even doubted if my sword was really moving according to my will. I will analyze my weaknesses thoroughly and prepare well for the next match.

[Comments]

– Look at that expression, he got all soft, lol.

– It’s hilarious how suddenly nice he got, lol.

– “I doubted my sword” is a compliment only possible for a swordsman, lol.

– They were exchanging swords while doing ‘Wide-Range Hallucination Barrier + Real-Time Coordinate Exchange’, so it seems he felt the wall properly.

– For real, No Name’s multitasking ability doesn’t make sense.

– Is this the pinnacle of the magic swordsman…?

It was a night that excitement wouldn’t easily settle.

Even office workers who had to work the next day couldn’t take their eyes off their phones.

In the community, 15-second highlight GIFs were constantly being reposted.

The entire match had many memorable scenes worth recalling.

Even experts in the magical arts were equally astonished.

On a radio broadcast, a current magic duel coach from the U.S. came on to analyze the duel.

“It seemed like the differences in abilities between the players were more pronounced than I expected.”

“So, you’re saying No Name was overwhelming?”

“No, I meant the opposite.”

“Excuse me?”

“Dueling is quite an unjust sport. The amount of magical power varies from person to person, but the absolute amount of barriers to break through is the same. Clearly, in terms of magical power, strength, speed, output, and so on, Hiroki Naita was at an advantage, yet…”

“No Name won.”

“Hahaha. Therefore, I truly want to commend No Name’s strategy and resolve. However, No Name, you will have to face much harsher conditions in the future. Please recover well during the remaining period.”

* * *

“Ah, it’s warm…”

I sank into the hot bath and began to read an article.

The first round of the group stage of the national exchange tournament in France had concluded.

Foreign media evaluated that except for the first match, the preliminaries didn’t have many surprises.

The American trio easily secured victories, and Europe’s champion, Monica Rich, finished her match in the first half.

France’s Rochefort maintained the host nation’s dignity by defeating Tunisia’s Ben Jafar after a fierce battle.

Kamikita Emika achieved a somewhat difficult victory against China’s Luo’an.

Opinions were divided on whether Emika’s ability had declined compared to previous years or if she simply had a slow starter nature.

If there was any surprise, it would be that the Argentine girl, Giselle Fisher, almost defeated Germany.

Unfortunately, the match ended in a draw as she could not reduce the barrier to below 20% by just a few seconds.

In this national exchange tournament filled with diverse records, Love Kim proudly made her mark.

She defeated Estonia in just 9 minutes and 50 seconds, securing the shortest victory category.

I had been worried because many domestic opinions criticized Love, but now there was hardly a trace of that.

Turning to the next page, articles about the match I held the day before poured in.

Perhaps the only upset you could say was mine.

Honestly, who other than Koreans would have bet on my victory?

Those who invested in the national pride coin received decent returns.

[Youngest participant in the national exchange tournament, No Name. Dealing Hiroki Naita a humiliating defeat of 37:5.]

[“I can play the third half too!” No Name, dismissing concerns over stamina while running around the training hall right after the match.]

[Naita School ‘Epic Downfall’… Katsuhuta School continues to thrive.]

[‘Korea-Japan’ No Name Interview, “Hiroki Naita is an exceptionally talented swordsman… I hope he breaks out of his shell soon.”]

Below that, I could find small columns and posts regarding strategy analysis.

It seemed they were particularly interested in the hallucination barrier magic, which played a crucial role in defeating Naita Hiroki and the Imperial Palace Sword Method that had created an equal matchup.

Meanwhile, on the official SNS channel of the national exchange tournament, a substantial photo of me performing the Dragon’s Heart Thrust was posted.

Originally, the movement looks better with longer limbs, but when I did it, it didn’t look that good.

Instead, my posture was absolutely perfect.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding—

“Hm?”

I received a message from Saetbyeol.

[Saetbyeol: I’m already in front of the hotel, when will you come out?]

[No Name: I’m still in the bath.]

[Saetbyeol: (Nyaaa, Na-me icon) We decided to go shopping at 3 PM after lunch!!!]

[No Name: Come up. I’ll rest in my room.]

As soon as I sent the text, the bell rang.

Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong!

Water dripped from my hair, soaking the corridor.

Wrapping a large towel around me to cover myself lightly, I opened the door.

“Eww, a water ghost! Hurry up and get back in the bath, quick!”

Forced back to the shower, I conversed with Saetbyeol, separated by a glass wall.

I sank into the bathtub, pressed the button, and lifted the blinds installed on the glass wall.

Saetbyeol raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Oh, what? Sister, you’re not even embarrassed anymore? Have we moved on to showering together?”

“What are you saying? You can’t see anything at that angle anyway. And we’re family; it’s nothing new.”

“Hehe, true true. Oh, suddenly my body itches? Should I do some jump exercises on the bed?”

“Hey, don’t stand up! Just sit still!”

“I was just joking. And what do you mean my body isn’t worth looking at? That’s overactive self-awareness, hehe.”

“Hey, why do you have to put it that way…!”

I submerged my body up to just below my nose in the water.

While Saetbyeol was watching TV, I blissfully enjoyed the tranquil bubbles using my mouth.

“But don’t you have to train anymore?”

“I don’t have the energy for that. You try playing a match. It’s draining.”

Yesterday, I had spent the whole day in the mana recovery room with Love, doing stepping exercises.

I barely managed to endure it while shivering, worrying about freezing to death.

Having cleared my fatigue from Aura Heart, stretching my muscles became my top priority for the remaining time.

Finding it tedious to analyze the national exchange tournament footage all day, I decided to call Saetbyeol for shopping.

[No Name pierced Hiroki’s heart perfectly!]

“Great Na-me! Yes, this is it!”

Saetbyeol cheered while watching the 64-player highlights.

Having family praise you feels quite different from receiving adulation online.

I felt a wave of warm emotion washing over me and couldn’t help but smile.

“Hmm? Why?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll be out soon.”

The shower didn’t take long since I’d already done it beforehand.

After changing into casual clothes, we moved to a complex shopping mall called Bellapineur.

Having only traveled between the accommodation and training hall since arriving in Europe, we hadn’t really explored.

In the meantime, Saetbyeol told me she had been traveling around with Yuna’s family.

“Did you go to the Louvre Museum?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“And did you go up the Eiffel Tower?”

“That’s a must-see, isn’t it?”

“Ah… I wanted to go with you.”

It seemed she had indeed visited many places more than I expected.

After the national exchange tournament, it might be tough to find a travel destination she hadn’t been to.

“I wouldn’t mind going again. What’s important in travel is being together in that place.”

Saetbyeol said nonchalantly.

I contemplated her words for a long while, eventually having to agree.

“Wow, this dress is pretty! Sister, would you like to try it on? The size is perfect!”

In the middle of the T-shirt she held up was a large pink teddy bear.

It was obvious she only picked out the childish designs I dislike on purpose.

But this time, I changed my mind.

“Looks good, doesn’t it? Should I try it on?”

“Eh… really?”

Seeing that I didn’t react as she wanted, a flustered expression was evident on her face.

I couldn’t just let her win. This time, I decided to counterattack.

“Let’s match in couple looks. You should wear one too.”

“Hey, I’m too grown-up for that! It’s kids’ clothes, and it wouldn’t fit me.”

“You can wear it with a crop top vibe. Wait… this is a crop top, isn’t it?”

Feeling a sense of incongruity, I looked around and realized we weren’t in the children’s clothing section at all.

In other words, she was babbling about a crop top that would fit me perfectly.

“Puhaha! I really didn’t know! Hahaha! Seriously, what’s the problem with an adult crop top? As long as it fits you, that’s all that matters!”

“Hey! Do you want to die?”

“Hehe, want to share a dressing room?”

“Get lost; I’ll change by myself.”

I strode toward the dressing room, holding the clothes.

I awkwardly held the hanger against my body, and coincidentally, the size fit perfectly.

‘Why are women’s clothes getting smaller these days…?’

I sulked internally while irritably shutting the dressing room door.

Just then, a pink suspender skirt flew over the top of the door.

“Try this on too! I picked it out because I think it will suit you! This one is genuinely kids’ clothes!”

* * *

At the same time, Hiroki Naita and Mei Naita stepped into the same complex shopping mall.

While it was somewhat coincidental, Bellapineur was famously known as a hub for foreign visitors seeking French fashion.

Having both started with 1 loss each, the Naita siblings decided to go shopping to relieve their stress.

“Hiroki, don’t just buy black clothes; try for something brighter. It changes people’s impression, you know? Get rid of those weird thorny bracelets as well.”

“I wear white clothes often during duels.”

“Ugh, I’m saying try to wear something like that in everyday life. According to trends…!”

“Trends aren’t something you follow; someone like me creates them as a celebrity.”

“Sigh, what can I say to you…”

Mei’s long-cherished project of making Hiroki into a fashionista repeatedly failed.

As they browsed the store, they spotted a group of girls wearing matching outfits from behind.

The girls were sitting on a bench in the central plaza, sharing soft ice cream amicably.

“Wow, matching outfits!”

“Are they mother and daughter?”

“No, they don’t look like it; it seems like older sister and younger sister. The teddy bear mark and pink skirt are just too cute.”

“That kind of outfit is worn by the weak.”

“Hiroki…! Your words are too harsh!”

“I’m just stating facts. I’ve never seen a strong person wearing clothes like that.”

“Of course… how many people in the world are stronger than you?”

One by one, people began to gather around the girls.

As they exchanged greetings, the small girl confidently scribbled her signature on people’s backs without hesitation.

“A celebrity?”

At that moment,

The twin-tailed girl sensed something and slowly turned her head.

Hiroki’s eyes, which had been dull all along, widened like saucers.

It was No Name, the 10-year-old girl who had wiped the floor with Hiroki two days prior.

Spotting Naita, she raised the corners of her mouth and beckoned him over.

Fear-induced instincts took over Hiroki’s legs, and they began to move on their own.