In a world where you can become a star overnight, you should also consider that the opposite could be true.
– Sigh You’re just drowning in delusions and pretentiousness, haha!
– I hope you realize that imagination and reality are different.
– Katsuhata didn’t practice to be judged by someone like you.
– It seems Koreans enjoy evaluating others, even though they couldn’t participate in the National Exchange Tournament.
– A Korean bum throwing shade at the top swordsman in Japan, whoa!
– I understand you want to be famous, but if you want people to know you, you should first acknowledge others’ accomplishments.
– If you’re that confident, why don’t you try it yourself?
– I can’t wait to see your amazing swordsmanship~ ^^
– Hurry up and show us! This is your chance to shut everyone up, haha!
This morning, I didn’t think it was anything significant.
– “Everyone has different opinions, right?”
So, I turned off all the V-tube notifications and went for a stroll in the village with Ban So-wool.
Just walking along the riverside without a destination, we came across a park, where we played catch with the neighbor’s golden retriever.
In no time, I was exhausted and while resting, I stumbled upon a video about me on V-tube.
The clever algorithm brought me a video critiquing me quite harshly.
– “This guy uploaded just 2 hours ago, and already it has 100k views!”
[Thirdly, the external manifestation of aura is much much much much more difficult than you might think! Let’s look at the stats. The Japanese Statistical Office estimates that about 12,000 people can achieve external manifestation, which is actually less than the number of first prize lottery winners in the last 40 years. But that’s not all. Raising it to a level suitable for combat is another issue entirely.]
Then came a series of rebuttal videos with view counts like 30k and 8k.
Regardless of whether they were right or wrong, their arguments didn’t even apply to my claim.
What I wanted to express was that external manifestation could be applied in various ways, but they were just lamenting how hard it is.
Now it was too late to delete the comments…
“People are really annoying.”
“Why?”
“I’m being utterly roasted on the internet right now.”
“Of course… That time you forcibly took the frisbee from the retriever became a problem, huh?”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about! And I didn’t take it; we had a fair match! I just left a comment yesterday, and people started nitpicking, so I’ll read it to you and you can judge.”
I might have written a bit too much with the morning sentiments, but I wasn’t wrong.
Ban So-wool listened to me and fell into deep thought.
“It does have some room for misunderstanding.”
“I think so too. So what should we do?”
“The best option is to ignore it. But if you’re Na-me, showing them directly might not be a bad idea.”
“Directly?”
“Yeah. I can be your sparring partner. I’ve been active in the kendo club since last year, so I have some basics down.”
Ban So-wool took off her sunglasses and winked at me.
“Alright.”
Once the decision was made, it wasn’t hard to find a place.
There are many words representing Japan, the land of peace, cherry blossoms, and the emperor, but the top-notch one is undoubtedly…
“The land of swords.”
Across Japan, there are about 50,000 dojos, and we chose one to rent a wooden sword and sparring room.
*
What Ban So-wool was demonstrating was simple.
Vertical head cut, diagonal downward slash after a paint, and a beat that knocks the sword out of action.
All three moves start from the same posture called Form Taku.
“Do you really think you can differentiate these?”
With the wooden sword raised high, Ban So-wool expressed her doubts.
The human eye can’t track a sword that fast.
How would she know which technique would come up first?
“Sure, if you do it five times, I’ll counter all five.”
Na-me walked out in a kids’ kendo uniform from the opposite side.
“Just know one thing. My movements might be clumsy, but you absolutely can’t underestimate my speed.”
Ban So-wool spoke calmly while gripping the wooden sword.
She is a national runner-up in martial arts.
No matter what weapon she had at that moment, she was already a completed human weapon.
But Na-me wouldn’t be intimidated by that energy.
“Don’t be too surprised just because I’m countering.”
“Got it. A lightsaber is not a sword; it’s aura. Even if the sword suddenly turns into a hellish flame, I won’t be surprised.”
“It’s not that dramatic. Then let’s begin.”
Thwack-
Ban So-wool and Na-me donned helmets and raised their swords.
Na-me purposely held her sword loosely, needing to intentionally drop it to recreate the movements.
Both slowly raised their auras while sharpening their senses.
“I’m coming.”
With a short warning, she swung the wooden sword fiercely.
Woosh-!
With a sharp wind noise, the wooden sword Na-me held flew away in a spin.
A dull yet powerful blow.
In the blink of an eye, Ban So-wool retracted her arms and performed her first move.
“What would a sword made of pure aura feel like?”
Concentrating all her weight firmly on her right foot, she forcefully brought down the sword towards Na-me’s completely empty head.
What does one see and feel in such a short time?
Na-me’s follow-up movement instantly answered Ban So-wool’s question.
Swish-
The sword strike slipped through an instant.
At the same time, the empowered aura extended from Na-me’s hand, blocking the vital point.
The manifested aura interfered with the trajectory of the wooden sword.
Creeeak-!
In this way, the tense standoff seemed to continue indefinitely.
Ban So-wool instinctively thought.
And at that moment, the golden aura zigzagged away beside the sword, repeating destruction and regeneration.
The balance of power suddenly collapsed.
The wooden sword narrowly grazed Na-me’s left shoulder, exposing the bare ground beneath.
“Ah!”
Recognizing her mistake, Ban So-wool hastily relaxed her wrist, but
With a movement almost in a straight line, the lightsaber effectively aimed at Ban So-wool’s neck.
Ban So-wool let out a long sigh as she dropped her arms.
“How did you do that? The sword just bent like a snake.”
“Aura lateral movement. It’s a technique close to skill, but it’s incredibly powerful in practice.”
Na-me raised her sword high, demonstrating the technique.
Ban So-wool extended her hand and felt the aura’s movements more closely.
‘When the left part of the long sword becomes fainter, the right part shines brightly filling the space.’
It resembled the snake moving sideways, just as Ban So-wool initially sensed.
“For example, a rapier isn’t suited for this standoff. They usually twist the handle to escape or counter, but with aura, that’s not necessary. I can control the sword’s position myself.”
“This… it sounds easy to say.”
“I didn’t say it was easy. I discovered it only after a long study.”
Despite just experiencing the situation, Ban So-wool couldn’t believe it.
Na-me analyzed the slender sword as if examining it in 3D.
Normally, when swords face off, you only think about their lengths in one dimension.
If pressure is applied too close to the grip, it becomes vulnerable to thrusts, and if too far, the force doesn’t translate properly.
But the sword undoubtedly exists as a three-dimensional shape.
If there is height, there must also be width and length.
Na-me reached a level where she perfectly comprehended that spatial sense.
‘If this is used for attack instead of defense, it’ll become much more complicated.’
It means the trajectory could slightly twist while the sword is in motion, which can’t be overlooked.
Yet right now, Na-me was in the countering phase.
Ban So-wool felt fortunate that the attack privilege was on her side.
The following attack was also a Scheitelhau, just like the first.
Ban So-wool vividly captured the moment Na-me explained.
The boundary of the sword isn’t clear.
She couldn’t know where it blocks or where it penetrates unless it’s herself.
The third movement was the Beat.
Crossing swords in an X shape would make catches ineffective in any case.
But the swords easily passed through each other.
She didn’t even feel a pang.
The third move reached checkmate much more easily.
People raised questions in unison about the problematic fourth attack, how would she deal with the downward diagonal slash?
Ban So-wool readied herself to perform a beheading until the last moment.
Then she concentrated her aura on her forearm and momentarily bent the sword’s trajectory.
If she maintained the same posture as before, Na-me’s right arm and side would still be exposed.
“…!”
But Na-me wasn’t someone who would give her that chance.
Just between Ban So-wool’s two best efforts, Na-me shoved the sword in with force.
“You’re really fast.”
“This is the quickest way to win. There’s a slower, more romantic method too; do you want to see it?”
“Okay.”
Following Na-me’s suggestion, Ban So-wool performed the same paint-like sword form.
This time, Na-me showed no signs of stress.
‘Still not blocking. Now!’
Woosh!
Ban So-wool swung the sword with confidence.
Creeeak-!
But this time, the attack was blocked once again.
“What the heck!”
Now Ban So-wool was genuinely impressed.
“How about it? My double blade?”
From below the grip, another light emerged, blocking the vital point again.
Na-me lightly struck Ban So-wool’s sword and aimed for her neck again.
“It’s a weapon that lacks practicality, but it’s perfect for striking when the opponent is most off guard.”
“This isn’t romance; it’s a romance.”
“Oh really? You like it?”
“Yeah. I thought I didn’t like swords for being too restrictive, but if used like this, it’s pretty nice.”
“I’ve shown you everything. What we just did was the best judgment, and any variation here would ultimately end the same way.”
Na-me took off her helmet, soaked in sweat, and retrieved the camera set up on the floor.
Though there was some distance from the microphone, the lack of conversation sound could be filled in later with dubbing.
-(Private): I’ll film the video and show it to you.
This single comment sparked an even bigger fire instead of extinguishing the incident.
*
[NoName Official] [Subscribers: 6.34 million]
[Application of External Manifestation, Three Counter Theories of Scheitelhau]
[Note: I had no intention to belittle. I apologize for causing a commotion unintentionally, and I’ve attached a detailed explanation video along with this. I came to Japan to cheer for Katsuhata Emika in person. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings. 🙂 ]
[Link: WEC Japan – “Top20 Contenders for 2052 WEC”]
[Comments]
– Why is this the real Na-me? hahaha!
– Of all things, her debut was against a world-class player, haha!
– I honestly never expected Na-me would be…
– WTF? How old is she?!
– Whoa, isn’t that So-wool’s sister?!?!
– I was curious why she wrote it that way, then I saw this, what the heck, lol!
– Despite all the hate, she proved herself in the end.
– Respect. Trust. Admiration. Love.
– Wait, is So-wool for real here? This family has some serious guest name value.
– I’ve never seen such a legendary moment in my life, haha!
– A genius issuing a challenge. I declare Katsuhata’s complete defeat.
People were shocked on three different levels.
The first booster was the fact that the person giving advice was NoName.
Even feeling embarrassed for overreacting to a 9-year-old’s comment, Na-me came back with a perfect response video that countered all their logic.
Some who crossed the line with their comments hurriedly deleted them.
The second booster was, naturally, the people and places involved.
– So-wool and NoName are close friends, whoa!
– It’s really a meeting of world-class players.
– So she’s in Japan right now?
– No announcements whatsoever; it looks like it was just a trip for fun.
– Emika’s surprise declaration had anti-Korean fans quaking in their boots, haha!
– The most shocked were the Japanese, haha!
– Who made Adela extend her swordsmanship life?
– What a minute, Na-me, let’s reclaim the copyright on Unique Magic.
A little while later, those who watched the video closely couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of discomfort.
How can a blind person handle a sword that well?
Foreigners must have been utterly astounded.
But by now, Ban So-wool, who was already famous in Korea, was no longer a figure of admiration.
– No matter how you look at the difficulty of external manifestation, it’s insane, right?
– Who the hell could replicate that, haha?!
– I thought the Katsuhata sword techniques were cool, but seeing this… I feel reverse shock!
– Is it even human to handle aura like that? Better say there’s a horned horse instead!
– Wagal isn’t just a cheat… NoName was naturally skilled at using swords!
– If Katsuhata fought like that in the National Exchange Tournament, who could stop them?
– Seriously, I can’t find any weaknesses here.
The martial arts displayed here were on a whole different level than during the Academy Competition, leaving everyone in awe.
