Ch.272267 – Backseat Driving

The arcade space on the first basement floor of Aquila Hotel was filled with kids in both casual clothes and school uniforms.

Among them, a group led by NoName was wandering around.

The somewhat dim lighting and the spinning mirror ball on the ceiling gave the place an illicit arcade vibe.

“Punch machine! Punch machine!”

“Highest score 9570 points… wow, insane! How could anyone beat that?”

“NoName’s too short to play it, right? Your hands won’t even reach it, haha.”

“…”

“Hey, don’t tease NoName! NoName, let’s go check out that area too.”

Yu-na held NoName’s hand as she puffed her cheeks slightly, dragging her around from place to place.

Since it was only the first day, there wasn’t much tension between Cephiron and Altair students.

Especially among the younger students, awkwardness prevailed over competitiveness or hostility, creating an atmosphere where everyone tried to avoid confrontation.

“There are too many people everywhere…”

Lee Ha-ru said with a gloomy expression.

All the popular games like bowling, air hockey, and pool were already occupied.

Meanwhile, NoName was licking a soft-serve ice cream from a vending machine when she offered a suggestion.

“Want to go watch some duels? My legs hurt from walking too much.”

“Are you tired? Guys, NoName says she’s tired!”

“There’s an empty spot over there. Let’s hurry before someone takes it!”

The wand rack was stocked with practice wands of various lengths.

Elementary school seniors who had already secured spots at the entrance were grabbing wands and entering the dueling area.

“They must be sixth graders.”

“Are they from our academy? Can’t tell since they’re not wearing uniforms.”

“Slurp.”

“Hey NoName, can I have just one bite of your ice cream?”

“I already finished it.”

“Aww…!”

Afraid of having her food taken, NoName had been hiding behind a crystal sphere that provided particle and mana barriers, quickly finishing the rest of her ice cream.

Yu-na immediately pouted, but NoName managed to cheer her up by promising to buy her another one later.

Beeeep-!

Meanwhile, a beep signaled the start of a duel.

Crackle-zap!

A female student cast an electric spell with her wand, shooting it toward a boy who was charging straight at her.

Just as magnificent lightning never strikes in a perfectly straight line, her magic split into dozens of branches.

“Whoa, isn’t that dangerous?”

“If you get hit directly, the barrier would wear down quickly.”

“What kind of magic is that, NoName?”

“Just basic arc discharge magic, I guess.”

“So who do you think will win?”

NoName looked down.

Without much deliberation, she spoke in a monotone voice.

“I don’t know. Honestly, they’re both equally mediocre.”

It was natural that NoName wouldn’t be impressed by the children’s skills, no matter how exceptional they might seem.

“They look like they’re fighting really well…”

“Moving fast isn’t everything. Movements should be efficient without wasted motion.”

“NoName, can you point out which movements are unnecessary there?”

At Yoon Si-hoo’s sharp question that cut in, NoName smirked.

She moved closer to Si-hoo and added her commentary.

“Watch carefully. First, the footwork is the issue. While electric magic is being cast, charging straight ahead to close the distance like that boy is doing is technically correct. But notice how his steps get shorter and he uses more small steps as he gets closer to the magic circle? That’s his instinct trying to avoid the magic, but it’s actually foolish. It puts him at a disadvantage.”

“Ohhh…”

“And after getting close, he should either disrupt the spell, take down the caster, or disturb their mana at close range. But he’s stupidly going for physical strikes, so he’s just taking damage from the electric magic without accomplishing anything meaningful.”

“So according to you, that girl should win easily?”

“We’ll have to see it through to the end.”

“Why?”

Just as NoName finished her explanation, the girl seemed unable to withstand the continued attacks and gave up her guard, stepping backward.

Her back touched the cushioned wall.

Seizing the opportunity, the boy leaped forward without hesitation.

“Hyaaaah!”

The boy’s right hand and left foot became engulfed in red flames.

“Now the outcome is pretty much decided. That boy won.”

Crash!

A sharp sound rang out as the barrier shattered.

It was because his fist, filled with aura, had struck the girl’s face directly.

Just as the girl barely regained her senses and tried to rebuild her remaining barrier, the boy spun his body twice in the air and extended his long leg.

A 720-degree spinning kick.

Wham!

The girl’s body bounced two or three times as she flew through the air.

“Yahoo! I defeated Pikachu! How’s my fire punch? Spicier than fire noodles, right? Super painful, right?”

The girl let out a frustrated groan at the boy’s taunting after winning the duel.

“Just wait. Next time I’ll turn you into electrically roasted chicken.”

“Nope, not happening. Didn’t even hurt, did it?”

“Hey! Let’s go another round!”

“Hold up. Shouldn’t we teach these little kids who run away without apologizing a lesson?”

The sixth graders’ duel seemed to end so anticlimactically.

“We should probably go brush our teeth now… huh?”

Just as NoName was about to get up, the boy who had just won the duel jumped up to the spectator seats and blocked her friends.

“Hello, second-grade friends? Did you enjoy watching the duel?”

The boy asked with narrowed eyes and a wide smile.

“Yes, it was amazing!”

NoName’s innocent friends nodded and praised them in unison.

“But I think I heard someone saying we were mediocre and foolish… Did any of you hear that? Hmm?”

“Uh…”

“Who would dare say such things to their seniors? I don’t think I was hearing things. Come forward and confess. If you waste time, big brother will really get angry.”

“It was me.”

NoName stepped forward.

The boy looked down at NoName, who held her head high.

Despite being at an age when seniors are typically intimidating, her boldness made the boy frown.

“I see. What did the Cephiron Academy genius find so disappointing?”

“There’s too much to list from start to finish. I didn’t mean it in a bad way, so don’t misunderstand.”

“Really? Then would you mind telling me? I’m really curious.”

The boy tossed a crystal sphere key to NoName.

It was an unspoken pressure to follow him to the dueling area.

“NoName, you know what? You seem to have no respect just because you’ve been on TV lately. Were you born this rude?”

“I’ve heard that a lot since long ago.”

“This morning in the auditorium too. You saw the seniors but just walked past without greeting them. Don’t you know our academy rules?”

“What are you talking about?”

NoName took out the smallest wand and placed her hand on the crystal sphere.

She tilted her head defiantly.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you here today. Aren’t you from Altair Academy?”

* * *

I quietly closed my eyes and focused on my body and mind.

Golden mana surged through my aura heart, which was larger than others my age, sweeping through every corner of my body.

Currently, my body is like a glass cannon.

Yes, if I were to compare it to a LoL character, it would be similar to Asteria that I used to play.

I’m compensating for my physical weakness with delicate aura control, but I’m not sure how far that will take me.

‘Am I feeling anxious right now?’

Maybe I am.

Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by a vague anxiety that I might be subdued by someone and ultimately killed.

What if someone strangles me while I’m sleeping?

Would I be able to resist someone who harbors ill will toward me?

Even if Corrosion has the property of drawing in mana indefinitely, I don’t know how much my body can endure.

These questions might be excessive paranoia for living in modern society.

But trauma isn’t easily suppressed by rational thinking alone.

As long as I don’t let go of my obsession with being stronger than others, I’ll continue chasing the illusion of strength.

I don’t actually want to do this.

But I just can’t stop until someone stops me.

Neither me, nor the Princess.

Neither me, nor NoName, because we’re both cowards.

[Casting: Arc Discharge]

Arc discharge magic that can be easily constructed with Kirchhoff’s Second Law and Maxwell’s equations.

The boy on the opposite side ignited blue flames on both fists as he walked toward me step by step.

“You can use the same electric magic as Ji-min? That’s impressive.”

“Sometimes I scare myself. I wonder why I live like this and feel doubtful. I sometimes think about what my life would be like if I forgot all my past memories and just lived normally.”

“What are you talking about?”

An eight-year-old child who can solve mathematical problems and handle thousands of spells could never lead a normal life.

Eventually, answering questions that lead to more questions brings me to the overwhelming question: ‘Why was I reincarnated?’

I still don’t know.

Let’s not think too far into the future.

Maybe if I keep roasting this friend in front of me, I can organize my troubled mind a little.

I should finish this quickly and go buy Yu-na that ice cream I promised.