It might have been a while since I met a physically strong human, but that night I dreamed of my past life.
Even with overwhelming power gained from sequentially absorbing erosion, I still had a formidable rival.
It was Verstappen from the Kaizen Empire and Demon King Al Zahab.
If I had to name someone strong in terms of humanity, I’d point to the Swordmaster, but the more troublesome opponent was undoubtedly the latter.
Especially since the Demon King had inherited the knowledge of previous Demon Kings, his dark magic skills were comparable to that of a sage.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-
The ground trembles.
Even knowing it was a dream, I could vividly feel the chilling thrill from that moment.
With just a wave of his hand, an earthquake strikes and thousands of thunderclaps rain down for a whole minute.
Manipulating the very laws of the planet with 8th Circle Magic, Al Zahab showed no hesitation in offering thousands of demon troops as a sacrifice.
Before any innocent victims could be born, I made off with the Demon King’s pendant and escaped.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-
Fortunately, Luri arrived just in time…
“Big sis, hurry up and get in!”
Only it wasn’t. An Apache attack helicopter flew in.
Cheon Saetbyeol descended on a rappel.
“What, what is it?”
“…I’m here! Get up quickly!”
“Wait, this doesn’t make any sense!”
In an instant, my mind froze, forgetting that I was dreaming.
“Where could you find such a kind big sister? I came all this way to bring my little sister back!”
At that moment, a cylindrical object slipped out of Saetbyeol’s pocket.
“Hey, you just dropped a flashbang…!”
“Huh? Why is this in my pocket?”
Beeeeeee!
With a loud noise, an intense light that felt like it could burn my eyeballs flooded in.
I flailed my arms trying to grab Saetbyeol’s hand before waking up.
“Ugh, it’s so bright…”
The source of the brightness was an LED light.
“Wake up quickly! I brought your favorite stir-fried pork.”
Cheon Saetbyeol hopped onto my stomach, spouting out a hearty dialect.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-
“What’s that sound?”
Outside the hotel window, several Apache helicopters, from my dream, were flying by in a row.
“Right? Are they training or something?”
Saetbyeol tilted her head in confusion.
We first had a late breakfast with the stir-fried pork prepared by Dad and Saetbyeol.
“If I hadn’t come, would you have just gone hungry again?”
“Eating breakfast alone is torture.”
“Well, that’s why I brought something so delicious. They say everyone eats five meals a day before the tournament.”
Not long after, we learned the reason for the helicopter sounds through the news.
[In response to the Valpurgis terrorist attack threat, security around the France National Exchange Tournament quarter-final at Parc des Nîmes has been significantly increased. A total of 5,000 police officers, which is five times the usual amount, have been deployed, including BRI members, special forces, and drones constantly flying over the stadium.]
[Last night, French prosecutors reported that five 16-year-old teenagers from Monaco were arrested for planning a terror attack. They are reportedly influenced by Kaiber, the Afghan branch of Valpurgis, and investigations are ongoing, so no further details can be provided.]
“Ugh, that’s ruining my appetite.”
I put down my spoon and leaned back in my chair.
[Valpurgis warns of terrorism at the France National Exchange Tournament… “An international event that has become a blasphemous arena is no longer needed.”]
The attack methods mirror those from past terrorism in Korea.
They won’t even step out themselves but recruit locals infatuated with their ideology, offering them a little cash to incite terror.
Whether past lives or present, they really are a cowardly bunch.
Following that, interviews from world leaders stated they would double down on security measures.
Right now, there are two Americans in the quarter-finals; counting me, that makes three. Am I nuts?
The newly elected U.S. President announced in January that he is considering additional nuclear aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
He made it clear he would sweep through their mana facilities if they didn’t handle things themselves.
“Do you think they’ll listen? They’ve been threatened with the same rhetoric for decades, you think that’ll get through to them?”
Middle Eastern countries might be unsettled by the U.S. presence, but they also know they can’t attack openly.
Because the U.S. industry and economy rely heavily on the Arabian mana facilities.
Should they recklessly attack, it would rock the world economy, and Russia and China would quickly catch up with the U.S.
“Things will pass safely, right…? It’s suddenly so scary…”
Cheon Saetbyeol said in a gloomy tone, her eyes drooping.
If she still had cat ears like back in the day, she would have been all leaned back.
I nestled into her lap, one hand holding a magic dictionary while the other reviewed Cecilia’s match data.
“We can’t do anything more here.”
“Still…”
“You don’t have to worry. I believe I can act faster if anything happens.”
I continued speaking calmly without looking into her eyes.
It was because I was scared of losing the people I cherish again.
I kept reading the magic manual, trying to make sure that fear didn’t reach Saetbyeol.
For hours and hours.
In the end, I skipped lunch after breakfast, making everything pointless.
The silence that lasted half a day was broken by another urgent news report.
Our fears had come true; a terror attack occurred.
But the target wasn’t us; it was revealed that the initial plan was aimed at the Valpurgis Afghan branch.
[Breaking) The slain Valpurgis Kaiber leader, the Afghan branch has been virtually annihilated.]
“What the hell are they doing?”
They drew aggression from around the globe and then dramatically met their end.
The world surely is a place that’s hard to understand.
*
That evening, the U.S. and Europe released satellite images revealing the Valpurgis-Kaiber base, which had been shrouded in secrecy.
It had been due to the disbanding of local defense systems that had previously blocked satellite detection.
If terrorists are dismantling local defense systems, it’s as if they’re saying, “I’m here, come attack me.”
In other words, it’s also implying, “We’ve already been annihilated, do you want to take a look?”
Even the U.S., who is second to none in information capabilities, was still trying to gather detailed circumstances.
Most experts on terrorist organizations speculated that it was indeed an internal affair of Valpurgis.
[The fact they pinpointed the location so accurately and bombed it, combined with the mass absence of Kaiber forces, suggests conflict occurred within Valpurgis.]
It was concluded that only an insider could possess both spatial and temporal knowledge.
[Given the current situation, it’s hard to determine whether this indicates signs of division or foretells a synthesis. Minimizing unnecessary friction in the process of expanding political foundations and strengthening power could also be interpreted as a strategy to reinforce centralization.]
However, even after a few days, no conclusion was reached.
Tired of waiting, U.S. media began to craft articles infused with nationalistic sentiments from the MAGA ideology.
They started saying things like Valpurgis was overwhelmed by U.S. bravado, and the U.S. demonstrated its role as the world’s police perfectly.
[This is why Europe can’t do anything without the U.S. LOL. No matter how many police France deploys… ]
The pride of Americans high on the might of great powers started to swell.
Amid concerns from everyone, the first match of the quarter-finals proceeded without signs of terrorism whatsoever.
No youths making bombs with the backing of Islamic terrorist groups for 3,000 euros were to be found.
Right after the match, President Charles de Verre personally visited Nice Stadium, assuring the audience that he would do everything in his power to secure their safety.
“Today, we celebrate not only the victory in sports but also the triumph of peace and safety. Throughout the National Exchange Tournament, our security personnel have worked visibly and invisibly to protect us from all threats. The French government promises to do its utmost to ensure that you can live freely and peacefully without succumbing to the threat of terrorism. Thank you.”
His expression somehow seemed relieved.
[Quarter-final Match 121]
[Time: 55:28]
[WIN: Giselle Fischer (Argentina)] [25% / ⚠13% (cannot recover)]
[LOSE: Nathan Chen (USA)] [☠9% (total destruction) / 89%]
The match time was recorded at 55 minutes, after three overtimes exceeding the regular time of 30 minutes.
With the U.S. eliminated in the quarter-finals, a historic upset was recorded.
[Live) Riot from Argentinian fans in downtown Nice LOL]
(Gif of fire at Jean Médecin street)
They’re breaking shop doors, burning banners, smashing cars; it’s total chaos.
The police have all gone home and can’t suppress it for an hour LOL.
[Comments]
-I heard they deployed 5,000, so I thought it would be safe, but what is this?
-This is seriously dangerous; I should avoid going there.
-So they say terrorism was thwarted because of the U.S…?
└ But they lost to Argentina, right?
-Haha so if they beat Japan, France, and Italy, they can be in the semifinals, huh?
└ How on earth did you beat those teams? LOL
└ Is it you again, King Gel God?
-Of course, flexible working means free France LOL
-Of course, early quitting means free France LOL
-If they beat NoName tomorrow, America will be firmly in the quarter-finals LOL
