Chapter 216
Chapter 216
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: Fox God VTuber Climbing the Tower
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The cultural festival known as the AGF Festival—essentially a celebration for otakus.
With Wakamo's first-floor group coming from Korea, China, Japan, and even Russia, using everything from cheap flights to all sorts of transportation, expectations were high for this year's event to be the biggest yet.
Of course, Wakamo was far more interested in a fun duel tournament with Her Majesty's viewers there.
Was there any moment more joyful for a fan than watching an oshi grow and succeed?
She prayed they'd use this as a springboard to soar, gathering more fans and rising as popular VTubers.
Wakamo, who had been diligently promoting it, had firmly refused her manager's request to participate in the cultural festival herself.
She wanted to join, but her scale had grown too large; it was better to give other VTubers more opportunities.
And then, a [Challenge] flew in for Wakamo, who was about to head there to join the otaku festival.
It was a bold challenge from a true veteran viewer who'd been watching her for a total of seven years, including her VTuber debut.
Even as a fan, meeting in reality(?) meant keeping some boundaries, right?
But the moment she heard they'd changed classes to a legendary class Wakamo created, she felt like the sinner.
In the end, the karma she'd tossed away came boomeranging back.
"Arrrgh, this year's the worst!!!"
"Does anyone know why Olga's like that?"
"Her favorite nature-mother concept VTuber announced graduation."
"Our President's being quiet, which is weird."
"Mei just grabbed a Molotov and headed to the Virtual Live headquarters for a protest."
"Why didn't you stop her, Adelheid?"
"It's art, isn't it? I even gave her corn-made washable spray so she wouldn't feel bad on the way."
As always, Wakamo Corporation was bustling noisily.
Eva, who seemed least interested in such an otaku festival, was wearing a skin-tight leotard.
Dressed as Gwen from Spy X Man, she dreamed big of seducing men with the body she'd worked hard to sculpt.
Adelheid, on the other hand, thought she'd get no attention even at a club, so her standards had dropped to otakus now.
"Eeeek!! How many are graduating this year?! It's too much!!"
Olga, who especially loved idol VTubers, sobbed miserably while hugging a green doll with leaf decorations.
Even Wakamo's [Skills] couldn't override a VTuber's free will; if they wanted to graduate, there was nothing to be done.
Mei, who stormed out yelling she couldn't live like this anymore and the company needed to change, was subdued by Rias and Kang Yeo-ul.
Wakamo was lost in thoughts about her fans, still agonizing, with no room to get angry.
"Everyone's in cosplay, and it feels weird. But why am I this character?"
"You look like her."
Yu Ying, cosplaying as Ryoshu from the game Rim X Company.
Sadako shook her head, thinking she couldn't mimic the chest size too.
Even wrapped in compression bandages, her growth-spurt bust couldn't be fully hidden.
Her fandom, the [Friends], had shed so many tears over cute Yu Ying being ruined... Asuka had burned them with fire out of disgust.
Sadako used her white hair and blue eyes to cosplay as Segunyangs, the underworld idol.
"Hmm! Excellent quality! As expected of an artist's touch?"
Adelheid was cosplaying as the transformed protagonist from the currently popular anime Dan X Dan, her skill on point.
The pressure was intense; the group subtly kept their distance.
She'd prepared everyone's cosplay outfits and even shoved shield-type junior cosplay clothes at Olga.
"Wearing something that exposes my thighs and highlights my whole body is too sexy; I can't!!"
"Olga, then what am I?"
Considering Adelheid's sincerity in preparing even the shield, Olga eventually wore it, her face red as she stroked her thighs.
Eva, in her full-body leotard, was already sweating inside before departure, face flushed red, smoking a cigarette.
"Asuka approves of this cosplay."
Armored head to toe in full plate for a real Ultron cosplay, Asuka bounced around excitedly, urging everyone to hurry.
"[Hey, why am I the demon cosplay? What's Helltaker? You say I look like it?]"
The Russian Tower Lord had joined reluctantly, changed awkwardly, but seemed pleased enough to strike poses.
While the adults and otakus(?) enjoyed their cosplay frenzy, Mei, Kang Yeo-ul, Miss Rias, Ben, Leo, and Amelia had left first.
It felt wrong to make a kid cosplay, and they wanted to wander the festival together, eating tasty things and having fun.
The rest, fully armed in cosplay, planned to enjoy AGF.
Only the manager and Wakamo wore serious expressions, worrying about the viewer meetup, unable to smile.
"I prepared a Rainbow Merhen Empress cosplay for Wakamo, but you're not wearing it?"
"I'd look like the Fist King; hate it!!"
Even as she said that, Wakamo had changed, and beside her, Won Da-hye had finished cosplaying as the bear doll from horror game Freddy.
"If you're gonna have this much fun, why not just join with a booth? Our government invested and supported it."
"Otaku hearts are complicated, Manager."
"Or is Wakamo just crazy?"
Looking back, two years felt far more tumultuous than one.
She thought ending with this fun festival and the massive Christmas concert would make for the perfect year-end.
From VTuber graduations to bad news—it had been a whirlwind, but why?
Her steady viewers showed no complaints.
Wakamo thought she was doing well, so why now were loyal fans boldly speaking out, even wagering their accounts?
Fans grabbing and shaking a broadcaster wasn't good; there's a reason they say no backseat gaming.
But a fan who'd loved and cheered for so long mustering courage to speak—
—meant Wakamo Inarizushi was doing something wrong.
※※※
"Hey, weird clock-head people are gathering!!!"
Yu Ying shouted, surrounded by mysterious suited strangers and people with clock-head accessories.
Cosplay naturally forms teams, they say.
Sadako handed Yu Ying over to a group with an itasha bus (a car decorated with CG, characters, logos from manga, anime, games, etc.) fully prepared for cosplay, calling it a good experience for otaku talk with strangers.
"Kwaaaang."
Before mocking Yu Ying being dragged away, people cosplaying as various members created by underworld idols and streamer Wakbat—claiming Sadako was Segunyangs—pulled her along.
Her perfect cosplay of a popular VTuber made it inevitable.
Sadako, suddenly facing dance and song, pleaded with her eyes, but the group was busy sightseeing the festival.
"It's so lively; I feel great!!"
"Doesn't that fit your character concept?"
The members posed only for those permitted to take photos, wandering around.
Meanwhile, shy Olga stuck close to Wakamo.
Hiding her identity(?), she was in little Wakamo form—not clinging, but carried by Olga—drawing even more attention.
"For new artistic exchanges, I'll go buy some things."
Adelheid, with high cosplay quality from a recent hit, drew cameramen and left, leaving the Tower Lord and Eva lonely.
"[Why's no one coming near us?]"
"Too sexy?"
"[Cigarette smell?]"
Eva hung the Russian Tower Lord upside down from a tree and followed Adelheid.
As members enjoyed the festival freely, Kang Yeo-ul and Mei, who'd arrived early with Amelia, spotted a suspicious group moving.
Suspicious because they were an unidentified force armed with Wakamo merch.
Probably the ugliest sight in reality lately.
The widest plaza, with organizers' permission, hosted the duel tournament.
"Arrrgh, a Mihawk-eyed master here?!"
"Boredom."
"Damn, only post-meal duel grinders here?!"
Duel was profound—the easiest way for new VTubers to draw viewers, make clips, and create highlights.
Conversely, it gathered those who'd steadily dueled, experienced decks, trained for victory, and honed themselves.
Careless newbies fainted without keeping sanity in a hell of demons where bloody duels raged.
—Don't enter half-heartedly... into the world of Duel!!
VTubers from Korea, America, Japan—all came to duel viewers!!
Simply, it drew even those who didn't know VTubers but loved duels.
Capturing their hearts turned them into fans.
If VTubing was a red ocean, duels were a bloodier battlefield—close to Asura.
Even participants classed as [Duelist] got wrecked in qualifiers!!
"No way, brick city."
"Class is Duelist, but bricking loses?!"
"Perfect hand!!"
Duels turned brutal: lose rock-paper-scissors or coin flip, you're out.
True masters decided in one turn; one card revealed the play, leading to surrenders.
Into that battlefield approached a group.
A waiting duelist stood, pulling a harmonica from his coat pocket.
(Harmonica playing)
Clear harmonica echoed in the silent field—as Wakamo, Manager, and Olga walked to the opposite side.
"Yo, [BearTits4]"
"And you're [SatisfyingClipper]?"
"Crazy IDs always belong to girls."
"You know how much stock streams dropped 'cause you got Wakamo hooked on duel clipper broadcasts?"
"Hey, you two aren't here to fight, right? More importantly, BearTits really has four?"
"I checked."
"Don't wanna know how."
The coat-wearing woman stared straight at Wakamo. Never expected her loyal fan to be a girl—more shocking was the weird ID belonging to one.
With Wakamo fan club mobilized behind, Wakamo wanted to hide from shame but couldn't bury in Olga's chest, so she stepped forward.
"I'm the wandering duelist hunting VTubers for clips—【Duelist】!! You got my challenge, right, Wakamo boss!"
"Yeah! You've been waiting here!"
"Wanted to meet cool after winning, but bricked and crashed qualifiers!!"
"Always duels weak VTubers."
"Can't argue."
First face-to-face, but seven years of streams—chatting, screen-separated talks—made it familiar.
Just wonder how they met in reality.
She was ready for complaints about the trash class she made.
"It's on, boss!! Duel after two years. If I win, quit VTuber!! Back to clipper days!"
"Thought you worked hard two years as VTuber; what's wrong?"
"Figure it out in duel! [Duel Start]!"
Duelist summoned card stack with skill chant.
No duel disk like in manga; pathetic sight. Wakamo summoned two pre-made asset disks, tossing one.
[Wakamo Inarizushi LP 8,000]
[Duelist LP 2,000]
"Fair?"
Wakamo worried at the life gauge windows.
Class skill effect? Gap too huge.
Duelist drew five cards indifferently.
Card sleeves suggested lots of tower climbs.
"Take 30% rewards, sell exclusive items/packs separately, no stat time, trials are puzzle duels each climb—no cards given, source your own. Brutal difficulty—trash class, not fair?"
"...Said winner gets class change, but why change?"
Wakamo announced winner gets class.
Revealed special prize.
Russian Tower Lord said she explained class roughly.
Complex hybrid—not great performance, needy maintenance.
But Duelist didn't care.
"My oshi made it!! Only merch!! Could you resist?! Complaints? Doubts? Don't say that to a seven-year viewer, boss!!"
"If for fans, make good first!" Wakamo had no retort.
But Duelist said headache-inducing, not bad—drew card.
Placed on disk, card glowed and vanished.
Wakamo set it so, but flinched at real evaporation.
"Come forth! [★3 Alchemist Hajime Ichigo]!"
Nostalgic gas-mask Hajime Ichigo formed from card's light.
'This method?'
Familiar summoning— like job skill 【Motion Capture】 realizing card info.
【VTuber Tracking Link】 let her control [Idol's Body] fragments willfully, Wakamo learned after research.
This summon similar principle.
'Reads [Record], summons, moves by summoner's will!'
"Equip field summon with hand's [★2 Mystery-Severing Sword] and [★3 Leaping Hermes' Shoes]! Battle now!"
Life bars popped as [Duelist] class declared combat.
Prevents others in 1:1?
Turn-based card rules?
No time think—Wakamo summoned clone Mei Shaolongbao forward.
Ichigo dodged Mei's rush punch like precog.
"Dodged—?"
Shadow bind attempt slashed; ignored reinforced mana, bisected Mei.
Wakamo's HP plummeted.
'Confirmed! 【Authority】 active!'
Class applies authority from change.
Badly, no strengthening despite authority.
Line connected summon and Duelist visible.
'Total downgrade of mine.'
Like Wakamo puppeteering [Idol's Body], but hers invisible main; theirs visible.
"Mystery-Severing Sword slices [Mana]!"
"No rules explain?!"
"Why explain to class creator?!"
Overwhelming fact stunned Wakamo.
She just framed; Korean Tower made it!! Weird it works fine!!
Wakamo parried Ichigo's downward slash with Thousand Cannon Cloud Sword.
Duelist drew another at clash.
"[★1 Disarm]!"
Sword vanished ignoring will on activation.
Sword jumped to Manager's arms; as Wakamo hand-chopped, Ichigo leaped space behind, waist-slash.
[Wakamo Inarizushi LP 7,800]
"Patterns visible, like grabbing!! Boss's!!"
"Try this!!"
Wakamo dashed faster than blink to Duelist, hand-chop to crown.
Unrecognized attack; remaining hand cards auto-vanish, barrier formed.
Craaack—!
Strike down.
Reflected back at Wakamo.
Crunch—!
Half-face split/crumpled; shocked Wakamo leaped back from rebound.
[Wakamo Inarizushi LP 7,100]
"That was [★4 Mirror of Protection], right?"
"Lucky!"
Five cards evaporated instantly.
Duelist sighed, grinding teeth at tower coin cost.
Even sparring consumed skills—overwhelming loss!!
"Why fight at such loss, loyal fan?"
Drew five more; bad hand? Troubled smile at Wakamo.
"Remember, boss? Clips you made: distort VTuber chars, funny SFX, effort. Hit 100k views, happy times."
"Yeah, clipper duel. I bricked loss."
"No nostalgia in now clips; variety fun, but I know. Activate [★5 Path to the Grave] from hand! Permanently banish one deck card!"
"What?!"
Wakamo startled at useless card perma-ban.
Card buried eternally.
"Then [★1 Riddle]! Guess discarded card name.
Hint: Boss's most hated VTuber."
Bold loyal fan's line; Wakamo almost answered, shut mouth.
Wakamo Inarizushi hates only [Wakamo Inarizushi]!!
Fan knows she'd praise bold grave send over anger.
"Hates VTubing yet does it. Boss just drifting on gravity."
"I'm working hard."
"Not loving own VTuber means still clipper!!"
Unchanging consistency frustrating, Duelist came backseat as fan.
Days clipping beloved VTubers, funny SFX, otaku chats with clippers.
Roaming VTubers for duels, asking viewers decks, casual talk.
Boss unchanged, Duelist shook head.
"To be VTuber, graduate clipper!! But I like clipper boss!
Still, you're VTuber corp President!!"
With VTuber corp growth, sad graduations from big corps.
Conflicts, direction mismatches too.
Wakamo's free; pushes where VTubers want.
Best VTuber corp, Duelist said.
"Who's your top VTuber? Can say?"
"Many."
"Wrong. VTuber corp President in brutal red ocean with daily graduations—
Must say own corp's VTubers are best!!"
No issue keeping clipper habits post-debut.
But as President leading VTubers, unchanging wrong.
"President must!! Clip own VTubers most!! Hot clips from merges!! Love subordinates more than anyone!!"
Individual VTuber fine anything; Wakamo President!!
Can't treat same unchanged.
Harshly!! "Favoritism" mandatory—thorny Asura path for VTuber President!!
Duelist shed coat, proudly showing outfit.
White dragon-emblazoned T-shirt! Pants! Jacket!
"[★1 Riddle] lets draw one deck; [★5 Path to the Grave] extra: cost field Hajime Ichigo—
Summon my second oshi you made, living deprived!!"
Not Wakamo fan club—another's; protesting President sincerely, blue headband, yelled.
"Awaken! Blue flame incarnate in my deck! Show thyself now! [★8 Blue-Eyes Iosif Khan]!!"
"Lie! Perfect full name?!"
"Manager?"
Manager shocked; hurt-faced Olga inwardly surprised, turned to Duelist.
Wakamo loyal, also fan of her created VTuber!!
True fan couldn't watch oshi neglected by President!!
"[Grroooaaarrr!!]"
Overwhelming white dragon Iosif Khan manifested; crowd awed.
Wakamo teared at 8-star instant vanish.
Felt indescribable love from true fan's resolve for backseat.
"Clipper! VTuber! Free, but not President! President resolve: step on others if needed, lead corp VTubers! Be pumpkin carriage for Cinderella!!"
"You—!"
"Feel my fan heart and rage for our 'Iosif Khan'—3 albums out, new song soon!!"
Soaring dragon inhaled mana, swallowing freeze storm.
Dodgeable, blockable—but Olga's constant grievance.
Pushed hard, but "loves VTubers" yet equal treatment issue.
Members respected, but President shouldn't.
Fan love vs. leading as President totally different.
Clip lacked heart? Harsh note led to this: loyal fan betting all for "love lacking."
"【Breast Nova】!!"
Perfect move name; Iosif Khan's rage roar pierced Wakamo.
"Not over, boss—!!! Activate [Berserker Soul] from hand!! Chain deck costs!!"
"Unknown draws?!"
"World stream skipped our Iosif Khan!! Christmas concert: 3 songs, equal time!! Claim love VTubers, but unchanged rotten President—my rage costlier than cards!!"
Wakamo near tears at true fan protest.
Beyond trash class: carving life to vent oshi fury.
Duelist drew; [★8 Wakamo Inarizushi] shredded.
"Draw!! Draw draw draw draw—!!"
"Argh!!"
8★,7★,9★,10★ shredded per draw; Manager/Olga paled.
Mad Duelist: soul-crushing for oshi awakening.
Seven-year fan venom...!!
Plus love for near-year 3-song effort Iosif Khan.
"Draw──!!"
"Stop, Duelist!!"
"Let go!!"
"Wakamo's LP zero! Duel over!!"
"Hey!! Beating change boss mind?!"
"Damn, true."
"Glasses what?! Our Iosif Khan no Iopong!! Real idol aim, daily effort!! President love more!!"
Panting, eyed half-deck no-regret, canceled [Skill].
Pitiful fallen Wakamo; Duelist more ragged—mood?
"8-star price?"
"2.5 mil-ish."
Doubles up; 10★ melts 10 mil, Manager answered Olga.
Rarity aside, collectible/rare item in Russian Tower spiked prices stock-like.
This duel: at least 100 mil gone; rewards/coins more—
"I win, boss. Never lost to you, though."
"That class okay?"
"Ah— oshi-made class; no reason hate."
Duelist glanced cosplayed Olga, down at fallen Wakamo.
"Like clipper! VTuber! No fan ignores boss loves VTubers. But— remember: must pick loved VTuber."
All love all VTubers? Still special, memorable, precious ones exist.
President: greater duty.
"Um, autograph..."
Olga shyly offered pen to hesitant full-name-calling true fan; politely refused.
"VTuber fan manner: pretend not see oshi in reality."
Harmonica in mouth, Iosif Khan doll on waist, defeat-Wakamo Duelist turned.
"Deny? Still my top VTuber; work hard?"
As appeared—
she left.
Fans: screen meet enough.
"Satisfied!"
(Harmonica playing)
Lonely sunset exit, somehow.
"5 clipper years, 2 VTuber streams... Too good loyal for scum like me."
"To me, lunatic."
"My oil fans all lunatics."
Won Da-hye: "Manager was normal?" Eyed Wakamo exasperated.
Actually, most conscienceless: VTuber-hating Manager?
Right, now President—
Time distance from hugging "love VTubers" fan act.
'Why mad at merch toss then?'
Neglectful merch = neglectful to Iosif?
Fan hearts profound!!
"Autograph... practiced..."
Premium outfit: T-shirt/pants signed Iosif Khan.
Olga eyed full-name fan dripping reluctance tears.
"Still, my streams worthwhile, President!!"
"Learned your 4th album from her today."
Olga kicked Wakamo.
Reasons: plenty.
First post-debut loss: bitter.
Felt fan's oshi love?
No fans, no VTuber.
Wakamo too— hot love hurt.
Clipper memories, VTuber growth, President adult call.
Winter unusually cold.