#19 - I Will Challenge You by Name

With the conclusion of the No. 1 nomination challenge, this time, the formula ranking battle has also officially come to an end.

The audience exited the comprehensive arena one after another, still discussing the results of the ranking battle.

As far as the results were concerned, although there were some fluctuations in the rankings—some rising to the top while others successfully defended—only two events were truly worth talking about.

One was the successful defense of the number one spot.

Her duel made it clear to everyone that, despite having only been in school for two months and still being a thirteen-year-old middle school student, her strength was undeniable. She had proven that she was more than qualified to hold the strongest position at Livermorny, and her victory was not just a fluke.

It was certain that this topic would soon spread across the Six Academy, making everyone aware of the kind of genius Durmstrang had produced.

The second event was Erend successfully selecting the thirteenth-ranked player and defeating David Curran.

A previously unknown student, ranked outside the list, not only displayed astonishing strength but also wielded the Four-Color Demon Sword, a pure Heavy Color-style weapon, with effortless control. His ability to defeat the first-ranked individual on the second page of the rankings left many in awe, confirming that he had the potential to climb even higher.

As a result, many were already looking forward to next month's formula ranking battle.

Would Erend challenge the twelve people on the first page?

Now that he was ranked thirteenth, he had entered the second level of the named challenge system, making him eligible to challenge the top twelve.

Who would he challenge first? And where would he stop?

These were questions sparking heated debates.

Under such circumstances, Erend's name had suddenly become one of the most frequently mentioned in Livermorny, second only to the number one champion who had successfully defended her position—Natasha Ferguson.

However, Natasha Ferguson herself was unaware of these discussions.

At this moment, the young girl who had reached the top of Livermorny shortly after enrolling was walking hurriedly through one of the corridors of the arena.

Despite successfully defending her title and proving her strength once again, her face did not reflect any joy—not even the slightest smile.

As if burdened by something heavy, she moved quickly with her head lowered, her steps feeling unusually heavy.

Suddenly—

"Be careful."

A voice came from in front of her.

"Rushing like this, you might bump into someone at any moment."

The sudden voice startled Natasha Ferguson, making her stop abruptly.

Because of this, she narrowly avoided colliding head-on with the person who had suddenly appeared before her, stopping just a few centimeters away.

"Ah, sorry!"

Since the distance was so close, Natasha could only see the upper part of the person's torso at first. She quickly took a step back and bowed to apologize.

Then, she heard a chuckle.

"There's no need to apologize. We haven't even collided yet," the other person said with a smile. "I did appear suddenly, but you should really be careful. Otherwise, next time, you might bump into some new transfer student and have a dramatic encounter that expands the number of people in the harem."

…What kind of Game King development was this?

And why did he make it sound like it was bound to happen?

Natasha Ferguson looked confused for a moment before she finally got a clear look at the person standing before her.

"Ah…"

The next second, Natasha Ferguson showed a surprised expression.

"You… you're the one who just defeated Senior Erend, who's ranked thirteenth?"

Hearing Natasha's words, Erend looked slightly surprised.

"You know me?"

His tone carried genuine curiosity.

"Y-Yes," Natasha Ferguson nodded quickly, seeming a little shy and nervous. She spoke in a low voice, "I wasn't in the audience, but I was watching the ranking battle through the player area's live broadcast."

"Really?" Erend immediately understood, then smiled. "It's truly an honor for me to have the number one champion remember my name."

"No, it's nothing like that!" Natasha replied nervously. "Senior is really strong—especially your swordsmanship. It was incredible!"

As she spoke, a slight glow appeared in Natasha's timid eyes.

Clearly, it had left a strong impression on her.

"My swordsmanship?"

Erend himself had never given it much thought.

"Yes!" Natasha Ferguson nodded vigorously, her eyes lighting up like a child seeing their favorite toy. She seemed strangely happy as she continued, "I've never seen swordsmanship like that before. It doesn't seem to belong to any style I know, which makes it feel particularly fascinating!"

"However…"

Suddenly, Natasha Ferguson hesitated.

"What is it?"

Seeing her hesitation, Erend grew curious about what she wanted to say.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Natasha Ferguson gathered her courage and spoke: "It doesn't feel like a swordsmanship style designed to bring out the full strength of the user. Rather, it seems like a technique meant to maximize the potential of the weapon itself."

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise appeared in Erend's eyes.

This girl's perception was truly remarkable—she had seen through him instantly.

In truth, Erend had never trained in any particular swordsmanship school. The reason he could wield his weapon with such skill was entirely due to his unique ability.

He didn't need to learn combat techniques himself, nor did he have to train his instincts. As long as he held a weapon, his authority would automatically guide him, allowing him to fully unleash the weapon's potential and use it to its maximum efficiency.

So, in essence, Natasha Ferguson's observation was entirely correct.

"You have an incredible eye," Erend praised her. "But when it comes to swordsmanship, aren't you the strongest one here?"

As he spoke, Erend recalled Natasha Ferguson's battle from the live broadcast.

At that time, Natasha had not relied on raw physical strength or star power. She had simply drawn the sword at her waist and attacked her opponent.

But in that moment, it was as if the entire space had been filled with an endless barrage of sword slashes.

The twelve ranked students—stronger and more experienced than her—could barely react before being forced into a corner by her relentless offensive.

One strike after another, seamlessly connected, flowing like an unstoppable tide.

Sharp.

Precise.

This was Natasha Ferguson's swordsmanship.

"No… that's not true," Natasha murmured, her face flushing.

She clearly wasn't used to receiving praise. Her youthful face turned red, making her look particularly charming.

Seeing this, Erend suddenly felt an odd sensation but quickly snapped out of it.

What was he thinking?

She was only thirteen years old!

Thirteen!

Yet, when he unconsciously glanced at her well-developed figure, his mind almost imploded.

Whose "child" looked like this at thirteen?!

At that moment—

A sharp sound rang in front of Natasha Ferguson as a space window opened.

"What are you dawdling for, Kane?"

A gruff voice snapped.

"Yes! I'm sorry!"

It seemed that Natasha had only just remembered something, and her face paled.

"Hurry up and get over here!"

The voice scolded before abruptly cutting off the connection. The window closed automatically in front of her.

"..."

The atmosphere turned heavy.

"…Sorry, Senior," Natasha Ferguson lowered her head, her expression unreadable. "I have to go."

With that, she brushed past Erend and walked away.

Erend did not turn to watch her leave.

But his voice rang out behind her.

"I will challenge you in next month's official ranking battle."