“Whistle blew! Game over! The match is finished! Korea vs. USA in the Round of 8! The USA can no longer be seen in the National Exchange Tournament! De Sampaio tears up again in the quarterfinals, while NoName! Advances to the semifinals with a score of 35 to 9!”
“Only 2 more matches to the championship! At just 10 years old, NoName is challenging for the title of the world’s strongest!”
American fans are in despair.
They thought the win was assured.
Worrying about how many could make it to the semifinals, they were stopped by the wall of reality that is the Round of 8.
The US coaching staff threw down their headsets and slumped on the bench looking despondent.
While struggling to come to terms with the disastrous result, Korean fans passionately enjoyed the moment.
[International Magic Gallery]
[Just now) Dejected American audience.jpg]
(American audience devastated.jpg)
(Despairing Cecilia.jpg)
“Don’t be cocky, USA.
Korea is invincible.
NoName is a ‘god.'”
[Comments]
– Did you really think they’d win? LOL
– Even a 6-year difference can be big, 4 years is tough.
– Honestly, I was nervous, aren’t I correct?
– Aren’t they showing the celebrities again? LOL
[Even watching it again is amazing defense.gif]
(NoName’s Unique Magic Defense Technique.gif)
Casting time of 0.947 seconds for a 3-circle spell, LMAO!
Check the reactions; it feels like they’re living in slow motion alone.
[Comments]
– The half-speed is insane, LOL!
– How did they block that for real?
– But that could’ve been disastrous, OMG!
– The circuit technique is pretty cool.
– In terms of casting time, NoName is world-class.
– Totally a Unique Magic treasure chest! LOL
└ You too, hurry up and cast! Unique Magic popping out.
“De Sampaio’s opening was terrifying even from our wide-angle view. All those spells clicked together like clockwork, pushing NoName into a corner.”
“Should we even call that a duel? The coordination of magic was artful.”
“But! Our NoName is a High Wizard, after all. A person paving new horizons at the forefront of the magic arts! This new concept of a defense technique must not have even been considered by the USA!”
Though it was only a short match lasting 15 minutes, the tales that emerged could take over 15 hours to share.
Excited, the commentators couldn’t put the microphone down.
Korean viewers couldn’t tear their eyes away until NoName’s post-match interview.
“Ah, it seems the interview will take a bit longer. The reporters aren’t all here yet.”
└ LMAO
└ They’re really running the event poorly.
└ Where’d the second half go?
└ The American who bought a scalped ticket for ten times the price must be feeling the reality check, LOL.
└ 15-minute match, so sad.
“Let’s take a look at the match highlights. This was when De Sampaio used the ignition magic. You see… even from a high broadcasting booth, the flames rose to our eye level.”
“What a powerful display! If it were any other smaller tournament, the match might’ve ended immediately.”
“NoName struggled through some time amidst the smoke. But… hahaha! How did they evade all that unscathed?”
[Live) NoName evades right after the explosion.gif]
(Crouching low on the ground, doing an acrobatic jump.gif)
[Comments]
– If my cat is startled while napping, it does exactly that, LOL.
└ I know exactly what you mean, LOL.
– If they had blocked with a shield at least once, they’d probably be stuck in place, but they keep moving! The judgment is different.
└ Isn’t that basic?
└ It’s praised because that basic skill is trained to perfection, come on!
└ If you look at the Round of 64 group matches, it’s full of kids who become brain dead and helpless.
– I want to be NoName’s butler.
└ ?
With the interview continuing to be delayed, the tournament organizers spontaneously provided a new spectacle.
They calculated the costs of casting and canceling spells against each other and showcased it as subtitles.
[NoName: Saved then uncast (€9,295) / Cast (€3,046)]
[Cecilia N. De Sampaio: Saved then uncast (€14,588) / Cast (€4,832)]
“They’re showing some more interesting data. The magic NoName managed to reach the saving process in this match totals about €12,000, roughly 16 million won!”
“De Sampaio amounts to about 25 million won. I was surprised at how many spells were uncast than expected.”
└ Burned 40 million won in a 15-minute match?
└ That doesn’t seem too much? It’s on the market value; the cost would be about 20 million.
└ Damn, they used a lot of magic, LOL!
The remaining audience seating was buzzing again.
Cheering songs chanting NoName echoed all around.
NoName, munching on a donut, scrambled into the stadium.
“The interview is ready! Let’s meet right now!”
*
After every duel, there’s always a great hunger.
I thought about borrowing the strength of Emotion, Erichiton if I ran low on mana during the match, but that was unnecessary.
I filled my mouth with a sugary donut to replenish the carbohydrates and sugars my brain needed.
“Today’s victory secures Korea’s spot in the semifinals for the first time in 12 years. Please share your thoughts, NoName.”
“I thought it was a given during practice, but now that I’m here, I’m really happy. Thanks to the support from fans around the world, I gained a lot of strength and I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you.”
Munching-
“Was there a particular area you focused on during this match?”
“Considering my mana capacity, I figured I was at a disadvantage, so I tried to keep the tempo of the match fast. Thankfully, the US side had a similar strategy, leading to a good outcome.”
Nomnom-
“You’ll now face Giselle Fischer from Argentina. NoName has already named her as a dark horse. What are your preparations for the semifinals?”
Cough Cough …! Preparations? I’ll just always fight my best and prepare diligently to show the fans an amazing match. Could I have some water?
Receiving the flying water bottle, I gulped it down.
The shutter sounds doubled, but I brushed it off as just my imagination.
After continuing to respond to reporters’ questions, I kept my strategy replies vague.
Finally, a reporter gained the floor.
He activated a hologram to show me.
“I’ve always wanted to say this if I ever got to meet NoName. Do you see this? At 3:30 AM, there are currently 500,000 people gathered in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Furthermore, from all around the world, they are cheering for you with one voice. This is because we all know the hardships you’ve faced. Being trapped in a capsule until 7 years old and continuing health problems after that to come this far is truly magnificent.”
People in Gwanghwamun were caught on the broadcast camera through the hologram projector.
Everyone raised both hands, cheering, and riding the wave.
“NoName is now 10 years old, but the achievements they’ve accomplished at such a young age are things even many adults around the world have failed to achieve. Especially showing such perseverance and courage on a grand stage like the National Exchange Tournament has communicated a message of hope to many. Regardless of how the future matches turn out, the happiness you’ve brought us will never change. So, NoName, please don’t feel burdened by the upcoming matches; I hope you’ll take pride in the incredible achievement you’ve already accomplished. Thank you.”
That was a heart-wrenching statement.
I was briefly at a loss for words, feeling my heart swell.
I washed my face with both hands and, in a shy voice, continued speaking.
“Thank you very much. After participating in the National Exchange Tournament, I realized how much love I’m receiving. If my matches have given you strength, then I’m even more honored. But having come this far, I’m also human, so I feel a bit greedy. I don’t feel burdened. I will definitely win.”
After finishing the interview, American players came over to congratulate me.
“Ha-ah, the matchmaking wasn’t on my side… two dropped due to internal conflict.”
Maintaining her composure, Cecilia chuckled as she subtly tried to recruit me to the American side.
“Not a chance. Maybe next year, but this year, I’m participating under Korea’s flag.”
Upon hearing that, the Korean coaching staff came over with exclamation marks floating above their heads.
“Wait, next year, NoName…! Are you abandoning Korea?”
“Well… the future is unknown to anyone.”
“No way. I need to ask for a ban on inviting the USA to the National Exchange Tournament from next year. I’ll make sure we can do individual broadcasts next year too… right?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Returning to the locker room, I checked all the congratulatory messages from acquaintances.
‘The Lonely Name Room’ had thousands of messages stacked up, enough that I couldn’t even consider reading them.
[잔설 (Janjeol) – 4]
– Ban So-wool: (Double thumbs up NoName icon)
– Emika: Congrats on making it to the semifinals. Let’s meet in the finals.
– Cecilia: This match doesn’t count! I wasn’t in good condition today; I pushed myself a bit! Boss, let’s go out again later! 🔥🔥🔥
– Emika: Cecilia is perfect for the Round of 8 (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
Could it be that stamina or Aura Heart was the issue?
Even though she had a larger Aura Heart capacity than me, I realized the reason why she was rushing to speed up the match tempo.
Of course, that shouldn’t justify her excuses.
[2051 TagaPdae World of Arseria Blory Team – 8]
– Han Yong-cheol: Congratulations on reaching the semifinals, NoName!
– Dal-tori: Wow! Streamer with top output!
– Hwang-gu: You’re not just a Wagal that can hold the bounty…
[2051 Fall of Legends Call Me Zombie Team – 5]
– Yu-shia: NoName, congrats on the semifinals!!! Kyaaa, it was so fun to watch in real-time!!!
– Pyo Min-jun: (Not a human, just a meme)
– Imir: You must have worked hard preparing for the tournament; congratulations!
Messages of congratulations flew in from everyone I had some connection with.
I had been delaying replies, but with this opportunity to see them, I sent each one a thank you message.
[Safari Dream – 8]
– Seol Yoon-seul: Na-me Na-me, congratulations on the semifinals! We were all cheering together!!!
– Daniel: That was overwhelming! You’ll win the semifinals too, right?
– Do Haneul: Sincerely congratulating NoName on reaching the semifinals of the National Exchange Tournament!
I also received congratulations from the students of Safari Dream, founded by Kariri, and the recently selected second-generation students.
It felt like I would have to send at least a gift coupon later.
[Sephiron Academy 2nd Grade A Class – 22]
[Sephiron Academy 3rd Grade A Class – 21]
The chat rooms on both sides, which had been quiet for a while, became active again.
It struck me that the kids had grown up since I couldn’t find many incorrect spellings.
Lying on the bench, I scrolled through the letters piled up.
“Hehe.”
Without realizing, smiles started to break out.
To feel so warmly and cozily congratulated like this was truly wonderful.
“Hmm?”
[Cheon Saetbyeol: (Photo)]
[Cheon Saetbyeol: I bet 300,000 won on America, and I lost, sighㅠ]
[NoName: Are you crazy? Why would you bet on them?]
[Cheon Saetbyeol: I’m always that unlucky, so the opposite happens when I bet on someone.]
[Cheon Saetbyeol: So tonight, you’re treating me! I won thanks to me, right?]
[NoName: Who are you? Blocking.]
