The middle school students are the most arrogant bunch across all grades.
The elementary division is like a potted flower in a greenhouse, while the high school division feels the harsh walls of reality.
Standing atop the pinnacle of ignorance, the representatives of the middle school division believe they are the best in the world.
Despite still being immature kids, they haven’t imposed a harsh standard yet, but they pointed out their bad habits that will eventually eat away at them without holding back.
“Kim Chang-hyun player escapes from Gaon Nuri’s barrier with electromagnetic interference magic!”
“That’s really not a good habit, is it?”
“Why not? Is there a reason I can’t break an electromagnetic barrier with magic?”
“To escape before the barrier stabilizes, you have to follow the proper spell-casting sequence. It’s like arguing that you never had any problems after making an unprotected left turn at a red light.”
“Hahaha.”
“What does one interpret as unprotected? Unprotected speeding, unprotected reckless driving, unprotected DUI – unprotected isn’t a phrase that justifies actions that shouldn’t be done.”
“Thanks to Committee Member Na-me, Kim Chang-hyun player can gain more knowledge about traffic laws today!”
It’s not quite taboo yet, but when one reaches adult level, it comes close to being taboo.
Magic battles, on a larger scale, are fights that follow turn-based principles.
Just like how there’s offense and defense in soccer, or turns for me and my opponent in chess.
Once an action is taken, a timing will inevitably come where you have to fold in return.
The thoughtless act of destroying the barrier out of a dislike for looking weak to the opponent was quite jarring.
Moreover, if tricks were planted in the barrier, it could lead to a disastrous explosion of the magic circle.
Sadly, my concerns tragically became a reality.
Students from Altair Academy handling the barrier were top-notch.
It seemed they had added an inductor filter circuit to Gaon Nuri’s barrier, able to shield against EMP magic.
Instead of waiting for his teammates outside to rescue him, Kim Chang-hyun tried to get out by himself and ended up triggering a self-destruction spell.
BOOM-!
Fifty percent of the famous sturdy mana barrier was blown away in an instant, and Kim Chang-hyun was immediately out of combat.
I smacked my lips with a bitter heart.
“Traffic accidents are this dangerous.”
*
Na-me wasn’t just swinging a whip in the mouth of hell.
He precisely pointed out all players’ strengths without bias towards Sephiron or Altair Academy, briefly addressing areas for improvement succinctly.
However, it’s a known fact that bad remarks stay longer in memory than good ones.
With every match, Na-me’s quotes kept rolling in.
[Na-me’s Quote Collection]
– It’s not that I was late; I was just keeping Korean time.
– Do not make an unprotected left turn on a red light.
– Love and money may come late, but casting should never be delayed.
– Your stance looks awkward. It seems like your panties are stuck in your butt.
– You’re supposed to deceive the opponent, but got deceived yourself.
– You must work hard enough to hear the genius label is unfair to win.
– (new!) One double casting by one person can never surpass two single castings.
[Comments]
– Today’s form is insaneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– I thought I was going to lose it when he talked about the stanceㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ It’s a bit much, but there’s no more accurate explanation than thatㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Once he fixed his stance in the second half, his performance went up, right?
– They’ve got self-driving out now, but some people still make unprotected left turns at red lights?
└ Surprisingly, that’s commonplace in Busan.
└ Incheon too.
└ I even heard of someone who didn’t turn left and thought their self-driving was broken at the auto shop (true touching story)!
– Why did the Korean time mention come up?
└ Teammates stubbornly stick to the same strategy even though they know their casting keeps being late.
└ Can’t stand Korean timeㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Where are you? I’m almost there (just starting). Oh, me too (still at home).
└ LMAO!
Many people thought magic battles had a high entry barrier.
They worry you need to learn all the magic to understand the flow of a duel accurately.
But Na-me clearly defined the flow of all matches with just a few principles and rules.
[Watching Na-me’s commentary, it’s amazing how I started to predict who’d win and say this and that.]
It sent chills down my spine when nearly all my predictions were correct.
Perhaps it was because I’m impressionable, but when Na-me praises, it feels like those kids are super impressive, but when he starts mentioning points of disappointment, I think about why they can’t do this or that.
[Comments]
– He just kept saying obvious stuff? I can say quicker casting wins too.
└ Do you think he just said it that simply?
└ Of course notㅋㅋ 7-year age gap competition winner’s words are definitely more accurate than that of a basement critic!
– The last comment was totally relatableㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Even though everyone uses that tough Maxwell circuit well, why do they keep skipping the power amplification runes? It’s frustrating…
– Explaining things I unconsciously knew out loud is really impressive.
– Watching a game with those eyes must be exciting.
└ Wouldn’t it be kind of boring? You can see who’s going to win clearly.
└ No, in Na-me’s eyes, there’s always a chance for a comeback, so he wouldn’t know who’d win either.
In addition, the side talks during the matches were a treat.
The always beaming caster Yoon Geon and commentator Choi Woo-joo.
“Na-me is still young, so she’s a bit short. If she could, how tall would she want to be?”
“I’d like to grow up to 176cm if possible.”
“Wow, 176? Then you need to drink a lot of milk from now on!”
“I know it’s an unattainable wish too.”
“Hahaha, but you could grow taller! When I was a kid, I grew 10 centimeters each vacation!”
“I think Na-me’s cynicism is one of the reasons many fans love her. Watching her from the side, my heart just can’t take it.”
“I agree. But I wonder when Na-me started having that cold look in her eyes.”
“Hmm? Was it too cold inside the capsule?”
“…!!!”
The two middle-aged uncles gasped, mouths wide open in shock.
The camera focus coincidentally wobbled at that moment.
The absolute zero cold wave generated by Na-me spread to the production team and the cameramen as well.
No one here was unaware of what the capsule represented to Na-me.
It was practically a nationwide incident that introduced Na-me to the public.
While we all watched the panorama-like movie, Na-me giggled behind her hand.
“Just kidding, just kidding. I think my double eyelids stretch sideways, making me look fierce. But I’m trying to smile often.”
“Phew, so it was a joke… That’s the most relieving news I’ve heard!”
“Wowwww… wowwwwww…! The reaper of broadcasting life still lingers before my eyes?”
[Q Twish / Live Chat]
– Na-me’s capsule joke was insaneㅋㅋ I nearly dropped my heart!!!
– Are you out of your mindㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– As soon as a controversy arises, it’s a joke.
– Seeing a potential assassination in a live regular broadcast is completely crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– A girl who’s gone crazy with killing potential…
– The only joke that Na-me can make worldwide ㄷㄷ
– Took me exactly 3 seconds to understand thatㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– Does one need this kind of guts to challenge for the championship?
There was a small hiccup in the broadcast, but Na-me casually brushed it off with charm.
The high school 2nd grade was decorating the finale of the Academy Competition.
Sephiron Academy was only given the options of victory or a draw, while Altair Academy had to contend with loss or a draw.
This was the moment when Na-me’s true value as a commentator was revealed.
*
The final match had begun with a declaration to play in my style without worrying about what the viewers think.
It was something only possible on a minor broadcasting station like Q Twish.
Yoon Geon and Choi Woo-joo promised to provide solid support.
The high school members changed little from last year.
‘The high school division is still dominated by Altair Academy.’
However, taking wins in the elementary division 2nd grade and the middle school 1st grade was the most valuable outcome.
It means the freshmen’s skills have improved compared to previous years.
Even if Sephiron is struggling a bit now, they will soon show a dominating performance against Altair Academy as the days go by.
In the early game, Yoon Geon’s precise diction described the spells being used by the students.
It was a pretty straightforward opening with barely any analysis involved.
Only when the audio went silent occasionally did he naturally add commentary.
“This year’s National Exchange Tournament featured the modified Glacis Ion Trap, the Ion Trap Catellus. It seems to summon 16 chains to effectively restrict the caster’s movements.”
In the beginning, with ample mana barriers present, whatever one did was correct.
Here, the commentators’ job is to guess why the participants thought this action was right.
And then, in the mid-stage where all outcomes are determined.
This refers to when any sub barrier or main barrier drops below 50%.
From then on, the players persistently target weak points with just one strategy and a plan B, if they’re lucky.
While many commentators will continue to respect the participants’ actions just as they did in the early stages, I had no intention of doing that.
Most of the high school 2nd grade representatives treat magic battles as their livelihood.
Instead of offering warm words, I decided to show thorough analysis and cool judgment.
[Creation: User Coordinate System Fixed]
[Casting: Drag Coefficient Adjustment]
[Combined Casting: Ventus Airfoil]
The air in the area compressed and began to rotate rapidly like a helicopter blade.
“Shin Ah-sha player double casts Ventus Airfoil!”
“The casting was delayed. If the symmetry of the airfoil is compromised, the magic circle will consume unnecessary mana!”
The tempo of exchanging attacks and switching defenses was fast.
Before the commentary could even finish, the result shot out immediately.
An Altair Academy player donned thick gloves through external manifestation.
WHOOSH-!
The 3rd Circle Ventus Airfoil obliterated in a single punch.
The air was sucked in due to magic storms, creating a small tornado for 5 seconds.
“Shin Ah-sha player is still late in judgment. She should abandon the already irreversible magic circle and go for Ignis Pleta utilizing the localized low pressure instead-”
[Casting: Arc Discharge]
What a mess this was. The player’s habitual tendency had kicked in.
Can’t that kid stop using Arc Discharge for once? Everyone from elementary to high school keeps resorting to that!
“Shin Ah-sha player counters with Arc Discharge!”
“Altair’s Song Seung-bin player maintains external manifestation! This kid is brave, not retreating even against Arc Discharge!”
In the first place, that student, Song Seung-bin, perfectly understood the power and interactions of Arc Discharge.
And instead of directly facing it, he was receiving the grounding magic circle from his teammate and charging ahead.
But the power of Arc Discharge was still formidable.
“Indeed, Song Seung-bin player’s positioning and aura utilization are exceptional. He could directly confront, but if he holds back and lets an attack slide, then-”
SWISH-!
Like a tiger swiping with its paw, Shin Ah-sha player leaped high and swung her arm.
CRACKLE-!
Five bolts of lightning shot from her fingertips, tearing apart the space with a blue trail.
But it was read.
Any attack that doesn’t land holds no meaning.
Twisting her body to narrowly evade, Song Seung-bin remarked:
“All variables should be expended now.”
Then, with a perfect counter hook, he struck Shin Ah-sha’s temple.
WHOOSH-!
Cheers erupted from the Altair Academy camp.
*
Sephiron Academy.
Elementary 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 5th grade. Middle school 1st grade, 3rd grade win.
Altair Academy.
Elementary 4th grade, 6th grade. Middle school 2nd grade. High school 1st grade, 2nd grade win.
5 to 5 draw.
However, this year’s evaluation of Sephiron Academy improved hundreds of times compared to previous years.
Sephiron has achieved great growth, no longer able to distinguish between the two academies’ superiority and inferiority.
Each victory and defeat was bittersweet, narrowly clinched or barely missed.
With the cameras turned off, I was satisfying my hunger with chicken tenders while watching the awards ceremony from the highest point of the duel arena.
[Next, there will be the Academy Competition MVP awards ceremony.]
Typically, when there’s a draw, MVP goes to the student who led the high school 2nd grade to victory.
This year, it will likely be Altair Academy’s Song Seung-bin.
[Ah, before the MVP awards ceremony, we will proceed with a special award ceremony co-presented by principals from six Seoul Regional Academies.]
I’ve never even heard of this special award before.
Are they throwing one to the other side because if they only give it to one, there’d be a ruckus?
“Nya-ham.”
I grabbed oiled chicken tenders with my bare hands and stuffed them all in my mouth.
At the same time, my cheeks stuffed with chicken tenders were showcased on the giant screen.
‘What the hell, why is my face on screen?’
[The special award is presented to the individual who significantly contributed to the promotion and marketing of the Seoul Regional Academy Competition. The recipient is Na-me, a 3rd grade elementary student from Sephiron Academy. Congratulations.]
This isn’t some public execution, what on earth is happening.
I want to die from embarrassment.
