279 - One Moment's Lapse Spells Defeat in External Manifestation Sparring
In aura external manifestation sparring, a single moment of carelessness leads straight to defeat. Amid the taut tension, three pairs of eyes clashed in midair. The Seferon Academy girl being carried out of the arena by the referees.
"Did you really have to kick our senior that hard when she had no strength left to even move?"
"That's because of that unique magic of yours from who-knows-where. Can't have you pulling any funny tricks, right?"
Lee Min-young rolled her eyes fiercely and flashed a sly grin.
"What's with the blank face? You scared or something?"
She smirked with a composed expression. But unlike her flippant mouth, the predator's eyes kept locked on Nami.
"Min-young, look at that horn on her."
"I know, I have eyes too."
The thin threads of light spilling from Nami's magic circle built up a sturdy conical spire from the bottom, like a 3D printer. A tiny horn sprouted on her head—small enough that you wouldn't notice unless you looked closely.
"What is this, Halloween?"
Ignoring Lee Min-young's words outright, Nami brushed her hand over her head.
"Scared 'cause you don't know what else might pop out? It's only natural. You've been bullying the weak and pretending to be strong all this time. Foxes aren't even in the tiger's den, yet here come the rabbits playing king. It's just ridiculous."
Confirming the hard texture with her hand, she taunted mockingly.
"This little shit thinks she can get away with it just 'cause she's from another academy? Against our senior, no less! Park Jun-yong, start now!"
No more need for pretenses. Lee Min-young drew up her aura and directed auxiliary magic to Park Jun-yong.
Transmutation: Barrier Setup
Cast: Spin Mirror
Last year's Academy Tournament MVP and key to victory. Second-year Park Jun-yong.
"NoName, yeah, you're a genius—we all admit that. But you think we've just been sitting on our hands? With the absolute difference in effort we've put in, you can never beat us."
A barrier transmutation circle formed in the hands of the boy, now a third-year.
"The academy isn't a stage just for you."
Nami caught the sticky jealousy in his eyes. Before the tournament even started, the excessive spotlight on the transcendent figure of NoName had scratched the pride of countless geniuses participating in the Academy Tournament.
But NoName, who had spent ages amid the hatred and envy of the masses, found their stares utterly trivial.
"Enough chit-chat. Come at me, rookies."
"You've been calling us kids... rookies...! You're the actual kid here!"
Already complexed about her height, Lee Min-young charged at Nami like a shot. With precise aura control, she bounced like on a trampoline with each step, closing the distance in an instant.
"I won't go easy just 'cause you're a kid!"
Lee Min-young used the barrier as propulsion to leap sky-high. Tsssseeeek— Sticky aura orbs gathered around her clasped hands and froze solid. The massive aura hammer plunged straight down toward Nami's head.
If I'm gonna get hate anyway, better end it in one strike.
BOOM—!
A massive roar erupted with pale mist and concentric shockwaves. The crowd buzzed.
It was as if she were declaring outright: This is what it takes to claim academy supremacy.
Lee Min-young had brazenly displayed aura's external manifestation—one said to be granted only to those chosen by the heavens. Even amid it, Park Jun-yong twisted mana flows with the barrier, amplifying her power.
No one left in Seferon Academy seemed able to stop these two.
"Ha! That all you got?"
"Min-young! Behind you!"
"Huh?"
Until a giant hand burst from the mist.
KABOOM—!
The hand snagged Lee Min-young's nape and slammed her head into the arena floor.
"Gaaahhh!"
Lee Min-young groaned in skull-cracking pain. The impact pierced even the barrier around her head.
As her body shuddered, Nami pinned her throat with a knee and spoke in a sweet tone.
"Pretty tricky barrier for kids to handle. Reversing the Mari particle spin messes with magic circle formation, huh."
"What the... how...!"
"Sis has top-notch aura talent, no doubt. But this particle barrier doesn't protect internals much... Wonder what happens if I keep pressing."
"Hngh... guh... why's my body so heavy... c-can't... breathe... Park Jun-yong... help, please!"
The once-arrogant Lee Min-young thrashed desperately.
"M-mon... monster..."
Park Jun-yong froze in place. No wonder—a darker, inch-longer right horn on Nami flickered with ominous crimson-black mana. A massive demonic hand wrapped Nami's arm, squeezing Lee Min-young mercilessly.
"Hngh... hnghup... guk..."
"Aw, just kidding. That's bad manners mid-match. You started it, so I followed suit."
"Kehk! Kep...! Kek!"
Nami released the aura, freeing her body. Lee Min-young crawled away pathetically, clutching her throat and gasping.
Turning back in confusion at what just happened, she beheld an unbelievable sight.
Asymmetrically grown horn, a grotesque hand swollen to girl-sized, and massive wings flapping from the girl's back—it was a surreal sight straight out of a fairy tale.
"This 'aura external manifestation' you all talk about? Yeah, you can use it like this too."
Aura is an extension of the body. But to wield it like a third independent organ, the Demon King's Horn was essential.
The sole difference between demons and humans was horns, but the tails and wings some demons had came from freely manipulating aura from those horns.
I'd just shielded myself from Lee Min-young's attack by wrapping my body in aura-formed wings. Boosting the horn's output stimulated the aura heart to convert mana to aura, then coated my arm in opaque fluid to shape a giant hand.
Aura's generally more efficient than raw mana. So I'd decided to handle combat primarily with the Demon King's Horn, using magic only when truly needed.
"Snap out of it, Min-young! She can't maintain that forever!"
"Hah... yeah, real genius stuff... Wouldn't believe it without seeing it myself."
She glared through pain-twisted eyes. Her seniors had worn me down some with their fierce fights. With barriers nearly shattered, no substitutions allowed.
So their next move: ditch defense and overwhelm me.
"I'm joining too."
"About time."
The boy maintaining the barrier from behind declared his entry. Shoooaaa—!
Small whirlwinds rose at their feet, and their forms vanished like smoke.
Barrier's gone, at least.
Lifting my eyelids, they were already upon me.
"Min-young, now!"
"Got it, idiot!"
Cast: 1st-Class Lever - Cleave
Cast: Dilution Cooling - Helium-3
One maximized electromagnetic repulsion with magic; the other cooled toward absolute zero. Their intent was obvious: freeze my wings, then shred them.
"You guys charge without a thought for your backs?"
"...?"
"...!"
Boosting the left horn, I gathered mana this time.
Cast: Circuit Reconstruction
Cast: Diffusion Coefficient Adjustment
Double-casting's power shone true. Interfere with the lever's fulcrum circuit to weaken the cleave, mix helium isotopes via diffusion to neutralize the ice magic.
Splat—!
Believing my wings would shatter, the kids barreled in blindly, only to crash into them from momentum and tumble.
I swung my heavy arm, grabbing whoever I caught.
Squeeze—
"Gaaah, my leg!"
Unlike the quick-dodging Lee Min-young, I gripped Park Jun-yong's leg. Aimed at the fleeing girl arcing through the air and hurled him mercilessly.
"Hiiiiaaah!"
The kids tumbled entangled on the ground. Crackle-crackle—!
Their barriers shattering rang ever clearer. Victory neared.
With everything on the line, I had no intention of holding back. Recalled all wings, grafted spare aura to my left arm.
Two aura hands gripped their heads, hoisting them up. Two bodies dangled limply in the air.
"One bit of advice: don't try understanding with your head. I don't know much about this world either."
Defenseless, they desperately wrapped themselves in aura. Futile resistance.
I set two agents to adjust ambient eigenfrequencies. Mid-circle drawing, Park Jun-yong fired a pure mana bolt at my gut with trembling fingers.
Crackle—
A chip from my Mari particle barrier, but negligible.
"You... what are you?"
"Fuck... fucking hell, this is a nightmare... a nightmare! Hngh..."
Park Jun-yong ground his teeth; the other had lost it entirely.
"El, Maben, Gernum, Nellymello. Huh, me? Told you already. NoName."
"No kid your age can handle aura like this! That unique magic, right? This is cheating! We'll protest officially after!"
Lame final outburst from a lost mind—totally deflating.
No need to think; filled the runes and gave them a faint smile.
Cast: Eigenfrequency Adjustment
"Worry about that in your sleep."
"What?"
Park Jun-yong's head snapped sideways stiffly. A massive 2nd-circle magic circle formed between the two.
Stretching arms wide like a stretch, my aura hands followed, spreading the kids apart.
"You gonna smash us together? Wait, stop! Ha— pro—"
"Nah, didn't hear that! Nothing at all!"
"Hey, you psycho!"
Clap—
My small palms met. Shoooo—
The massive aura masses cleaved heavy air, dragging the kids to the central circle.
"Aaaaahhh!"
Their screams didn't last. Doooong—!
Doong—
Ding—
Their brutal collision triggered the circle; I poured mana until their barriers definitively shattered.
Bell-like tones echoed across the arena. After the clear, elegant chime came silence so deep even crickets chirped.
Shoooaaa—!
The dissolving circle's secondary shockwave brushed my face lightly.
I dropped my gaze to my feet. Blood trickled from the ears of the limp boy and girl.
Recalling all aura, harsh sunlight stung my eyes. I'd blocked the sun with hands and wings till now.
I sat cross-legged on the bare ground, catching my breath. Only then did the crowd erupt in confused chatter.
Watching them intently, I pointed at Alteer's shutter—never once opened this match—and said softly,
"Next."