Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Tower-Climbing Fox God VTuber
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"Mom, wake up!!!"
"Scream it more desperately!! Should I pinch her?!"
"Stab her with a knife!!"
"No, that's a bit..."
Even with Yu Ying's shouts, Mei, who had completely flipped over with her eyes rolled back, showed no reaction.
When Sadako suggested that Yu Ying scream more desperately and even handed her a dagger, earnestly asking her to stab Mei's stomach, Sadako refused with a straight face.
All they could do was watch the desperate fight beyond the transparent barrier, and the frustration was driving both of them insane.
Meanwhile, Asuka was yelling that all her figures were getting smashed and their necks broken due to the battle's aftermath.
Yet, despite that, the fallen Mei and the unconscious Wakamo showed no response.
Had she ever passed out during a fight? Never!! The sight of Wakamo, who had endured any trial with unyielding strength, completely neutralized and collapsed unconscious, was a massive shock to her followers too.
This wasn't some simple blackout.
"She's not breathing!!"
"She never does anyway."
"Oh."
Xiao Liang shook her vigorously, but Mei's head lolled powerlessly to the side without the slightest twitch.
"[My God-Beating Whip deals a massive blow to the spirit. She won't wake until she overcomes her inner demons on her own.]"
-Wow, what a cheating skill.
-This bastard! Pulling out such a cowardly weapon...!!
-Beating up women is Taigong's specialty.
-I recognized him from Fengshen Yanyi!!
-I can see how their couple fights went.
-You're not trying to take her even if it means knocking her out, right?
-Gasp.
-What a total scumbag!!
Jiang Taigong's reputation was plummeting to rock bottom.
It seemed ineffective against inanimate objects without a mind, but it would work flawlessly against climbers.
'He's ridiculously strong. Did he make a separate deal with the Korean Tower?'
Of course, compared to the Inari God who fought with a 200x buff in the Kyoto Tower, he was weaker—something they could handle.
Back then, when Wakamo couldn't win, hadn't she chugged a 100,000 Tower Coin potion and teamed up with her comrades, fighting like true idols by pooling their strength?
That was why the Inari God, once a Tower Apostle, had gauged the extent of Jiang Taigong's power.
It was natural for the difficulty to ramp up since Wakamo had conquered and ascended the Tower, but for the 98th floor, he was excessively strong.
And what about the items he had, starting from his treasures?
'He's either jacking up the difficulty to give more rewards, or since she started from the upper floors, he's invested all the costs from the unclimbed lower floors?'
She kept these thoughts strictly in her head without voicing them.
The Tower's design intent was solely for the climber's growth.
Since Wakamo had started ascending the Chinese Tower from the upper floors via Xiao Liang, treating the lower ones as climbed didn't erase their costs.
It had granted access from the 95th floor as a victory reward, but the Chinese Tower had schemed to curb Wakamo's rampage.
It desired climbers' growth, but a single climber shattering the balance and running wild was undesirable.
There needed to be checks to let the lower climbers catch up to some degree—that was why difficulties increased.
It imposed trials matching the strong climber's strength.
'Looks like this time it's a real defeat.'
Mei Shaolongbao lay unresponsive and unconscious.
Wakamo and Kang Yeoul were probably suddenly knocked out and immobile too.
"Seimei!!"
"Yes, Inari God-sama."
With a snap of her fingers, the Inari God summoned [Familiar Seimei] and said something deliberately loud for the viewers.
"Take good care of Mom."
"Understood."
Fox ears perked up high atop her black hair.
Dressed in the signature garb famous among onmyoji, Seimei scurried over, plopped down beside Mei, pulled out talismans, and deployed a barrier.
-Mom?
-Their hair colors match.
-Wow! Two hotties!
-Must be nice having two moms.
-Japanese historians were all wrong!!
-There's yuri even clueless historians don't know about....
-Can women have kids together?
-If it's mythology, anything's possible!!! Nothing's impossible!!
-Uh... uh... y-yeah...
The Inari God was spewing whatever would trouble Wakamo if she woke up.
She was grinding her teeth, determined to make VTubing impossible by putting her in an awkward spot off-camera, and even in this crisis, she didn't stop her shady antics.
Of course, the historians watching the stream shed hot tears.
Meanwhile, some viewers suspected the whole shaman thing was just a gimmick.
No one would know the truth unless told, and even if Wakamo said now that the fox god was all VTuber concept and she was just a normal person, no one would believe it.
"Mother, I'll protect you!"
Asuka stuck out her tongue at the Inari God's devious act of expertly puppeteering Seimei and picking her lines meticulously.
How were the Tower and humans alike in their black hearts.... So insidious.
But the Tower learned from humans, so humans were the root problem!
While she was out, Seimei had publicly(?) declared Mei—now a married woman—her mother, and with Yu Ying urgently yelling "Take good care of her, bro!!" the family tree was a total mess.
At this rate, wouldn't even the head of the Japanese Onmyoji Association have to call Yu Ying "big sis"?
"[Even if you two come at me together, I don't mind?]"
"──Who knows, maybe you're the one getting anxious because you're not confident? Looks like... you sweet-talked her good? Seems like a smooth talker."
"[I think we're closer than that.]"
A rival of that level.
Transferred from the Korean Tower.
It must have whispered that it was preparing a trial for Wakamo's growth, a stage befitting her.
Wakamo's streams weren't just watched by climbers or civilians—[Mediators] watched too.
Thus, the presence of 【Jiang Taigong】 likely got a ready OK from the Korean Tower.
Bonus: snide remarks that Korea was closer to China than Japan.
"[Ahh!! Isn't it a hassle being so loved?]"
"Since I came first, it'd be great if you died here."
"[Do we really need to argue who's more charming?]"
Wakamo suffered horrifically amplified difficulties because the Korean Tower loved her excessively.
If there was another climber on her level, numerically they'd be at least "3 times" stronger than Wakamo.
『Idol』 got only 30% of rewards, with massive restrictions—the historically worst and weakest class.
That's why she garnered even more attention and love.
The [Chinese Tower] respected Wakamo's VTuber passion, her intent, her conviction, and prepared the [98th floor] trial accordingly.
Meanwhile, Japan had suffered a crushing defeat, lost hefty rewards, taken massive losses, and even with their [Tower Apostle] turned into a subordinate, they still tried to cling and shake things up.
Anyone knowing the truth would clearly side with one.
──And this invisible, cutthroat, insidious [climber] rivalry between Towers looked to viewers like nothing but a love triangle fighting over Wakamo.
"Once this fight ends, Asuka, you gotta collect memes!! Anyway, that's the situation!!"
"If lots of Jiang Taigong memes pop up, share 'em!!"
"Ugh, Sadako!!"
Asuka, knowing some truth, eyed the profits amid it all, while Sadako quipped that hot guys were great, earning a shin kick from Yu Ying.
"I always thought the day would come when I'd fight for the Fox God."
As if she'd anticipated the summons, she opened her [Subspace], chugged a potion, and thrust her hand into the air, shouting.
"Answer the call! 【Ten Sacred Treasures: Eightfold Blade】"
A divine sword revealed itself with a bolt of lightning.
It was called [Yatsuka-no-Tsurugi].
Gripping the two divine blades, she extended them naturally into stance.
"I'll give you a chance to witness it: swordsmanship without forms.... Niten Ichi-ryu...!!"
"[Don't talk so big.]"
As Jiang Taigong flipped the God-Beating Whip in his hand, it floated sideways, sending the Inari God tumbling; she urgently stabbed her sword into the ground to brace.
"[Looks weak.]"
Folding space with shrinking-ground technique, he closed the distance in an instant, using [Shape Transformation] to stretch and grab space, then swung.
The Inari God slashed the incoming scenery with her sword, sprinting across the sky like flat ground, swinging her divine blade at Jiang Taigong.
Undeterred even upside down, she attacked; he countered from below with thorn spears erupting from the earth.
Not confident she'd survive even one hit from the God-Beating Whip, she pushed with full force.
Relentlessly smashing to prevent proper swings of the God-Beating Whip, her strikes visible in intent but her god-inspired swordsmanship kept Jiang Taigong from breaching easily, sliding him back.
"Shoot them down! Rain them like arrows!!"
At the Inari God's command, a downpour of arrows from the sky.
Amid the arrow storm, Jiang Taigong calmly formed an air barrier to deflect them back at her, then gathered elements in his hand for [Magic].
"Mana Drain!!"
Absorbing it as fuel instead, she crossed her arms and swung her sword vigorously.
The blow shredded his sleeve, carving a sword mark on his arm, blood spurting; the Inari God urgently dodged the flying droplets.
"[Isn't fighting with prior knowledge no fun?!]"
The blood drops connected, spreading like sea coral, turning what they touched to blood; she desperately sliced off some hair to escape, finally widening the gap.
"[Pounce, 【Spirit Beast Four-Faced Deer】!!]"
At Jiang Taigong's command, the Four-Faced Deer emerged from mist—a massive deer.
No mere deer, this mystical spirit beast wreathed in idol flames charged at the Inari God with flaming antlers.
"Onmyo Formation Arts: Stream!!"
Talismans flew, deploying the formation.
The talismans blanketing the ground ensnared the Four-Faced Deer, halting it; Seimei launched talismans at Jiang Taigong.
"Bite, Inari's Lion!!"
At the Inari God's call, a massive fox burst from shadows, tackling the Four-Faced Deer; they tangled and rolled.
Neither yielded an inch, struggling fiercely and violently.
"[That's it, exactly.]"
Clang—
"Transformation...?!"
The God-Beating Whip's segments extended, morphing into a whip-like chain and lashing out.
The [Shape Transformation] magic made the scratched ground erupt into lava, the air ignite and explode.
She parried the hidden-in-flames whip with her sword, but it coiled like a viper around the blade, aiming for her nape; she barely dodged, losing hair.
If she had human ears, they'd have been torn off!
"[Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams!!]"
Eight directions radiated from Jiang Taigong's feet, forming a circular Eight Trigrams.
"Niten Ichi-ryu—!"
Sheathing both divine swords, she lowered her stance, closed her eyes.
A halo rose behind her head, mana flowing as an aura over her body.
The sheathed swords trembled along the grips, emitting ghostly wails.
But her opponent was, in a way, the worst matchup for an [Idol] in some sense.
"[Bearing the will of the Primordial Heavenly Lord of Kunlun Mountain, I shall enshrine you as a god, strong one!]"
With Jiang Taigong's declaration, the Trigrams' light shot at the Inari God.
But it slowed—the scenery warped around her, sparks flying.
She fired first.
"Divine Wind Certain Kill!!"
A ray of light shot forth, leaving shadow behind, cleaving Jiang Taigong—
Her ultimate technique slashed an X across his chest again, blood spraying.
But the Trigrams coiling his legs activated their enshrinement, reverse-summoning Seimei and Inari's Lion.
"[Should've gone for the neck!]"
The God-Beating Whip bore scorch marks.
In blocking the divine sword with it at the last second for the neck, he failed to finish her.
"[Qian Dao, Kun Dao. Yin-Yang Reversal and Yi Zhuan.]"
The [Eight Trigrams] absorbed into the God-Beating Whip.
High-speed incantation followed, mana surging.
The mana in Wakamo's domain, the mana from the Inari God—all underwent [Attribute Change] and [Shape Transformation], then [Fusion Assimilation] and [Dual Transformation].
"[Void of the Yu Sequence.]"
Only Sadako, same class here, grasped this profound realm.
Even genius her despaired, unable to mimic even a fragment of Jiang Taigong's miraculous [Magic] level.
"[【Elemental Transformation Magic: Astral Void】]"
Light and dark elements crossed and merged into a massive yin-yang form.
It spun, flying in—a void devouring all.
The boulder-sized sphere approached; the Inari God tried to dodge, but no escape from the strike swallowing even light.
No sound.
".....Damn it...."
Her wrist dropped the sword hilt.
Half her upper body torn away, the Inari God groaned.
As an [Idol], she didn't die, but the damage was too severe to move.
Once a Tower Apostle, now a climber's familiar in such a wretched state.
"[......]"
Victory should be his, yet Jiang Taigong's face was stiff.
The Inari God realized his gaze wasn't on her.
It looked farther.
──Behind me?
.....
...
"Black-and-White VTuber! Now, judging continues with Wakabut-sama, Korea's first-gen, and President Gang Gong Ji-ju!"
Murmurs—
At the gathering of every Korean VTuber, Wakamo sweated coldly at the thought of their judgment.
Facing judgment from Korea's top VTuber CEOs who ran companies—it was nerve-wracking.
Underworld idols, Stellamis too.... All the VTubers whose clips Wakamo collected were here.
"Being in the corner was chance, auditioning was fate, this moment is destiny."
Cool lines as VTubers passed one after another.
"I'm Pilot."
"You might fail. If you do, just skip climbing for a year."
"Grandma memes and animal pics—the most fun trolling."
Wakamo Corporation's VTubers were there too.
Pilot aced with music skill and unique fun streams, getting approval; Ichigo and Asuka followed suit.
"The structure's super tight. Fun."
Lucia got nods too; as president, her grin reached her ears. Could life get happier? Her created VTubers recognized by all...!
"This VTuber wasn't consistent. Too bad."
Some like Iosif sadly failed—but not everyone succeeds. Wakamo even inwardly sighed in relief that she wouldn't be the lone failure.
"Ready?"
President Gang Gong Ji-ju raised her blackened fist.
This aura only Korean VTuber CEOs had...?!
Ansan Chikara Potetan’s Ansan Andreas Fist Smash...!!
The president's strike to the gut dropped Wakamo to her knees instantly.
As expected... the VTuber wall was high...!!
The depth of experience(?) differed...!
Face-down on the floor—sensing something off but not realizing, wallowing as a pathetic loser.
She wanted to transcend the food chain pyramid's bottom, become Atlas hoisting the VTuber industry.
So striving VTubers could stream longer...!! No passport or tax issues stopping them in Japan...!!
Her gained power and authority—for what she loved...!!
Preserve VTuber streams by maintaining world peace...!!
Despite pains, agonies, torments—hoisting the world (VTubers)...
──She wanted to be that Atlas...!!
"Zhuin-nim... wake up...."
A distant cry from deep darkness....
The sorrowful wails of figures displayed in the Idol Shrine, now all smashed... goods awakening Wakamo's consciousness.
"Rise, Wakamo! You can't be a disgrace to domestic VTubers!!"
"You must rise...!! Gotta see Stellamis concert...!!"
"Rildancon Season 2 is coming...!!"
"Albums 4 and 5 too...!! Figures dropping, gotta fund!!"
Trembling eyes. But she couldn't rise—the God-Beating Whip's power absolute beyond her will.
A bit more time might awaken her, but was there any left?
Ding ding—♪
[King of Climbers 2002].
Suddenly before a TV, Wakamo picked up the controller, pressed start.
Somehow selected character, enemy before her.
'Come to think, I learned taekwondo 'cause I loved fighting games.'
Absentmindedly, Wakamo manipulated the controller.
『Will presses the controller buttons.』
『And the character moves.』
....
...
Wakamo Inarizushi fully losing consciousness was rare enough to count on one hand.
Even then, she'd snapped awake quick; total blackout like this? Never.
Thus—no one could've imagined such a scene.
"....Ancestor?"
Mei Shaolongbao rose.
Standing on her own two feet, staring at Jiang Taigong.
But eyes all whites—no pupils anywhere.
Wakamo moved the body while unconscious.
The 『Idol's Body』 ultimately moved by [Wakamo's Will] alone.
"Going!"
Boom—!!
Faster than a blink.
Space-folding dash like Jiang Taigong's.
—But really [Surface Kick] mystery accelerating off the ground.
Without looking, Mei's hand twisted his wrist, slapping away the swung God-Beating Whip, elbow-smashing his chest, palm-heeling his chin, foot stomping his.
Fluid chain.
Speed so fast only Xiao Liang could track with eyes.
Twisting waist, flipping body, Iron Mountain Lean shoulder-and-back smashed his chest, blasting Jiang Taigong away.
As he flew back, she grabbed his hand to brake and pull, back toss; her kick to his back sprawled him miserably rolling.
"What?! What's happening?!"
"She passed out, right? Right?"
Drooling, head lolling—didn't look sane.
'[Three Brains in Mutual Combat].'
The Inari God inferred how.
[Idol's Body] controlled by [Wakamo's Will].
Always controlling everything, wielding [Skills] endlessly, chaining, using every means against strong foes countless times.
Never despairing at walls, surpassing limits, indomitable spirit defying death, fearless against trials.
Her boundless talent in endless struggle rivaled a war god.
Now fighting: pure Wakamo unconscious.
Beyond consciously triggering moves and skills—something more.
'Fighting unconscious? Is she even human?'
The watching Inari God got it but was floored.
Jiang Taigong rose, swung God-Beating Whip; Mei blurred beyond ghost, mirage-like, infiltrating beyond his perception.
Incomprehensible to the point of fear.
Purely to kill, pulverize foe, close to fist-range—Wakamo's experience fully auto-deployed.
She leaped.
Jumped, downward punch blocked by Whip, but fist phased through, smashing his face.
Reeling from impossible fake-out.
Tap—tap.
And in unconsciousness, inputting [Command] in fighting game.
Landing before him, Mei posed—strong fist gut-punched.
[Mei Shaolongbao's Wing Chun disrupts center of gravity!]
"[This can't—?!]"
Always like this.
No stats.
Don't know how skills work.
Even knowing skills, no stats.
──But body remembers experience, senses, understanding.
"Penetrating Path!"
Xiao Liang admired, realizing mana [Mana Manipulation]-forced into foe's body.
Staggering, shocked Jiang Taigong got no reprieve—Mei's toe crushed his instep hard.
[Mei Shaolongbao's [Ground Slam] effect stiffens [Jiang Taigong]!!]
Boom! Boom!! Boom!!!
Merciless 4-hit combo pushed him back helplessly, gaps glaring.
Then light burst from Mei's body, flowing arms and legs.
Knee-forward leap closing gap, clash—
Bam bam bam bam bam—!!
Fast.
Too fast.
Victim seemed multiplied by clone jutsu as Mei's storm flurry raged.
"Asuka! Explain!!"
"Gathering [Idol's Light] on hands and feet to shoot, I think..."
Cast [Idol's Light] on own fists/feet, firing "straight" physical light-force.
Body parts marionette along the light.
Beyond zero-to-hundred—sub-second acceleration enabling chain hits.
──Theoretically.
Explaining Asuka, understanding Inari God knew principle but mimic? Impossible.
Obviously! How control limbs at machine speeds if not machine?
"Brace yourself!!"
Unconscious shout, flipping body—upward kick launched Jiang Taigong.
Four-Faced Deer charged to aid but clashed—Mei scattered every direction.
Legs tangled, Deer sprawled; Mei rocketed at Jiang Taigong.
"[Mana Manipulation]...!!"
Asuka swallowed at the unbelievable sight.
[Idol's Body] 100% mana. [Mana Manipulation] allowed some reshaping.
But fully disassembling body to dodge and reconstruct...?!!
"【Heavenly Phoenix Ascending Kick】!!"
Taekwondo aerial spin kick, phoenix-like in idol flames—slashed Jiang Taigong.
Relentless aerial barrage reopening Inari God's cuts, blood pouring.
Then Mei's legs in air grabbed inverted Jiang Taigong's head, clamping hard.
Spin—
Rotated.
Vertical to horizontal.
Sucked in wind from insane speed.
Then centrifugal force hurled him groundward.
Impacting, [Shape Transformation] softened earth to absorb shock.
"57.8 Million Power—!!!"
[Weight of Faith] on toe, meteor-fall.
"【Meteor Kick】!!"
Earth erupted.
Intense shock shook everything to collapse.
At the meteor crater's center, blood sprayed sky-high.
Rock piercing clouds crashed down with a boom!
Atop defeated Jiang Taigong, back turned, stood one.
"Evil will not be forgiven!!"
Even mimicking retying nonexistent taekwondo belt, Mei stood like a mountain.
"....She won't hit if we approach, right....?"
Overwhelming win was great, but Xiao Liang anxiously asked Inari God.
What lunatic fights like that unconscious?
Moreover, unconscious stronger than conscious monster.
'....Didn't this backfire?'
Added extras to check her, but opened new horizons instead?
Inari God gave up, sat in lotus, gathering mana.
Stream still on, Mei Shaolongbao stood unconscious long after.
Another invincible legend etched that day.