The Observer's Blind Spot
The AI observer, powered by big data on disruption formulas, predicted participants' movements to adjust cameras and apply mosaics as needed. But NoName's sudden self-harm slipped past even this near-prophetic intelligence. For a brief second, the glass shard embedding into her palm was broadcast live. Beyond the mosaic, a reddish hue stained her arm.
"NoName's...! She's just...! She slashed her own arm! Even with pain synchronization, this is...!"
The feed quickly switched away. But the on-site audience and broadcast crew plunged into collective panic.
"We're now hearing that Seferon Academy's oversight committee has lodged a protest over unauthorized magic use! Uh... It seems participant Lee Jae-hwan mixed a sedative into the 'Redwood Barrier'—that's the issue."
"This is unprecedented; we're all utterly bewildered. If true, not only would Alteer Academy's middle school division face forfeiture, but Lee Jae-hwan could be in for severe disciplinary action. Please, Alteer Academy, say it isn't so...!"
"The observer's now showing the blood NoName spilled. It's quite a lot—shouldn't we halt the match?"
"NoName's healing the wound with tissue regeneration magic...! Perfect execution! Thank goodness, really thank goodness!"
The remaining participants' fierce determination to continue kept the component analysis on hold. But the broadcast crew, many former mages themselves, couldn't shake the lingering unease.
"The mana wave screen isn't picking it up clearly, but from what we're sensing on-site, there's faint mana residue in the blood on the floor. It looks like NoName executed the Hieronymus purge method."
"The Hieronymus purge?"
"Yes. When hit by neural interference magic, you dissolve mana into your blood to expel it. Normally, most neural interferences clear out naturally through saliva or sweat glands in about an hour... but you can't just wait when pushing to continue the match right away."
"But the Hieronymus method is emergency training reserved for special forces... How on earth did NoName know it? Everything's a mystery!"
It must have been incomparable agony to a mere paper cut or stubbed toe. Those afraid of blood fled the arena gasping; some parents stared at her in horror.
Meanwhile, Alteer Academy was already a funeral parlor. Especially the underclassmen who'd already competed and the upperclassmen with high school matches ahead.
'The third-years lost? To an eight-year-old kid?'
Alteer's famed quartet, bearers of the miracle of succession, wiped out by a single girl. A tournament meant to propel Alteer's talents worldwide had become a stage just to announce the name NoName.
"Even for a genius, this is..."
No matter how much theoretical magic knowledge NoName had absorbed in VR, she'd only been rescued from the capsule and started moving her real body 16 months ago.
"This doesn't make sense..."
Her actions transcended comprehension, sending chills down spines. The participants had given their all—nay, shattered their limits.
Lee Jae-hwan and Jo Soo-yeon's 3rd Circle spells, notorious even among middle schoolers for their brutality, were cast at peak power this tournament.
Back then, students had expected victory. Voices worrying for NoName's safety had been louder.
But the result? NoName's barrier still had more than half its strength left.
"I wasn't wrong back then... You can't just watch something like that and learn it."
Shin Yeon-ho from Alteer Academy muttered as he abruptly stood and left. He'd already intuited his academy's defeat.
Sometimes the world spits out incomprehensible existences. As Alteer inwardly resigned to this genius anomaly—
KABOOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the arena, reverberating deafeningly.
"What?!"
Shin Yeon-ho whipped around in shock. NoName's body was hurled backward, cornered to the arena's edge in an instant. Amid the swirling sandstorm, three triangular magic circles targeted her in formation.
Glasses shattered in the fierce battle, Oh Deok-jae tossed them aside and drew massive magic circles with overwhelming mana. He implemented complex equations as circuit formulas, finalizing chants in split seconds. As the circles expanded with more variables, bulging veins snaked across his limbs.
Undeterred, he filled runes one by one, ultimately perfecting the essence of joint casting. A small wind born in the hot, humid zone carried embers, swelling rapidly. It grew to skyscraper size in moments, a ferocious tornado hurtling at NoName.
"No academy student does triple casting!"
Shin Yeon-ho cried out, dumbfounded.
"NoName! This is too dangerous!"
"Don't try to tank it! Run!"
The crowd screamed, searching for NoName. Even a burly adult male would be toppled by the shockwave; at under 20 kilos, no amount of aura-weighting could keep her grounded—she'd soar skyward.
"NoName, that's enough! NoName!"
Cheon Professor's face twitched spasmodically as he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
The debut of triple casting—unseen in any middle school match—thrust the academy tournament into a new phase.
I eyed the flame tornado roaring to incinerate everything.
Triple casting...
Double casting is effort's domain. Like drawing a square with one hand and a triangle with the other, pushed to extremes.
Triple? Thumb for square, index for triangle, middle for circle.
The scorching gale approached.
"Compared to those seniors messing with barrier magic, this is way cooler!"
I praised in delighted tones. Wonder if the wind carried my words over.
My turn now. Long-unused disruption formulas, but confidence surged—I could nail it perfectly.
First, separate the combustible mixed gas. The blast's shockwave under 1 atm lacked punch relative to its menace.
I plunged my hand into the counterclockwise mana mass, pinpointing the turbulence bottleneck.
Now!
KABOOM! The tornado exploded internally, splitting into three. But the fiercer flames began to die down.
No time to waste—next, normalize the turbulence with a disruption formula. Current intensity: stage 3 severe. Adjust turbulence diffusion and Reynolds number to norms, convert kinetic to thermal energy to slow fluid velocity.
Humidity adjustment? Piece of cake blindfolded. Use heat from the second disruption to raise temperature, forcing saturated vapor higher.
Compress the three circuit formulas into an arrowhead shape. Then two tornado prongs bore down.
KABOOOM!
I leaped aside from the blast zone, sprinting full-tilt along the arena wall. Concentrated spare aura from the sacrificed horn into my legs. Short legs meant harder pumps. Probably looked ridiculous running, but no time for that.
Mid-sprint, I drew a bow-shaped weapon from the concrete wall. Wove arabesque threads at both ends for the string. Etched the disruption aggregate onto the arrowhead.
Shwick! Dropped to one knee, posture low, halting instantly. Sand grains whipped in my wake.
Arm extended, drew string taut against my cheek. Deep breath, closed one eye.
Aim... fire.
Shreeek!
Fingers released; the arrow flew. It slammed dead-center into the hovering triangular joint-cast magic circle.
Crack! The circle shattered; uncast mana cascaded like a waterfall.
Satisfied, I tossed the bow into the air and swept back my tousled hair.
"That was close. Triple casting? Totally caught me off guard."
Oh Deok-jae replied calmly to my offhand remark.
"NoName, about our academy friends earlier. Who're they calling otaku...? Hilarious, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, a little."
"They flaunt magic we never learned in class at tournaments. Leverage connections for obscure holy or barrier spells, slap on weird names, then brag about being geniuses. Pathetic."
"Is that so."
"So what if they calculate fast? Academies call that genius. I can't accept it."
"Then what's your definition of genius, sunbae?"
"Lifelong passion. Only those madly in love with something qualify as genius to me. Love isn't willed into being. Oh, don't misunderstand. I look like this, but no Japanese anime or idols for me."
Unexpected.
"So you think you're a genius?"
"Yeah. I love magic. Won't outpace others, won't get recognition, but I could chase it till death. You, NoName? Do you walk this path 'cause you truly love magic?"
"I see it differently. I'd love to lead, to be recognized. But yeah, I love magic. That's one thing I can say with full confidence."
"Knew you'd be different. Real genius, huh?"
"No time—enough chit-chat. Uh... so where'd you learn all these spells?"
Even ignoring triple casting, his circles were textbook perfect, flawless.
He smirked, like why ask the obvious?
"Textbooks, obviously. Read 'em a hundred times, insights emerge."
Oh Deok-jae surged mana. His aura heart—whatever shape—pumped ominously. Eyes wild with fervor, I resolved to pour my last aura into this strike.
Showing a glimpse to this clever kid? Fitting.
I gripped golden aura tight in my hand.