TGS – Vol 2 Chapter 1 Part 1 – Encounter with a Famous Streamer

It was the day after Oni-chan had ended his lively stream.

“Here you go, Ayacchi. Enjoy.” (Rina)

“Wow! Thank you, Rina-san!” (Aya)

“Don’t worry about it~ I was going to throw these away if nobody was going to eat them, so I’m really glad you came. Feel free to eat as much as you like.” (Rina)

“Okay!!” (Aya)

It was Sunday.

Aya had been invited to a room in a high-rise condominium with floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

And indeed, the person inviting her was none other than Momozono Rina, a member of the professional gaming team [Axcis Crown], and an owner of a channel with nearly 700,000 subscribers. She’s also widely known as the “Otaku-friendly Gal” among her viewers.

The reason Aya was invited over was because of the freshly baked food that had just been served.

“Wow, Rina-san, how did you end with these…?” (Aya)

“I only mentioned briefly during a stream that I wanted to try some baked food, and here we are. However, their expiration date is close, my viewers are seriously merciless.” (Rina)

Rina, who was smiling wryly while twirling her glossy blonde hair with her index finger, sat on the sofa with her legs crossed.

Though her expression appears somewhat dumbfounded, her gestures of embarrassment clearly show that she is grateful.

“By the way, these fluffy sweatpants I’m wearing right now were also a gift… Ayacchi, do you want them? I don’t know if it’s lucky seven or what, but I received seven pairs and can’t possibly use them all.” (Rina)

“N-No! I’m fine! I can’t wear ones with such short length!” (Aya)

“Eh? Don’t they fit you?” (Rina)

“Well… This is kind of hard to say, but my thighs aren’t as slim as yours, Rina-san…” (Aya)

Aya lifted her skirt slightly, revealing her thighs wrapped in black stockings.

Being of the same gender and well-acquainted with each other, there’s no embarrassment in doing such things.

“You see, mine are thick, right…? Even with stockings, they’re like this.” (Aya)

“If you keep saying that you’re thick, you’ll definitely get some backlash. Besides, from a guy’s perspective, that’s the best size, they say. The softness is just right.” (Rina)

“I-Is that so…?” (Aya)

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it before, so I’m certain.” (Rina)

“In that case, I’ll eat more!” (Aya)

“Hehe, sure, go ahead.” (Rina)

Aya laughs with a sense of acceptance, showing her white teeth as she squints her eyes, just like Rina.

By mixing truth and sincerity, Rina was able to convince her.

Among streamers, there are those who, for safety reasons, refrain from accepting food and drinks from fans while there are also those who don’t mind.

Currently, their affiliated agencies establish rules that no homemade items, no raw items, and no unsealed items are allowed to be delivered. These rules are enforced by staff conducting inspections, ensuring that gifts are safe and secure.

Aya, enjoying the baked food as if savoring it, finishes chewing and swallowing before speaking up.

“Hey, Rina-san.” (Aya)

“Yeah?” (Rina)

“I think there’ll be an ABEX scrim tournament next week… What do you think about it?” (Aya)

“Oh! Actually, I was waiting for those words.” (Rina)

“Scrim” is a term referring to unranked practice matches held with only professionals, simulating real competitions.

With a smirk, Rina continues.

“Lately, I’ve been on fire, you know? It’s as if I have awakened my true power or something. I’m racking up like 10 kills every match.” (Rina)

“Wow, that’s really impressive…!!” (Aya)

“Right? And Ayacchi, you seem to be doing great too. I watched your stream this morning.” (Rina)

“Really!?” (Aya)

“Absolutely.” (Rina)

Although they’ve had fewer opportunities to play together recently, there’s still a way to easily keep up with each other’s growth.

That’s by peeking into each other’s streams.

“I was just preparing a meal, so I watched you play for about an hour. The endgame was really intense, wasn’t it?” (Rina)

“You mean the second game!? We were so close to winning!!” (Aya)

“Yeah, you really were! It’s too bad that your teammate died early into the fight. In the end, it was probably a matter of numbers.” (Rina)

“Hmnn. But if I had dealt a bit more damage… Ah, thinking about it makes me frustrated!” (Aya)

“Nihihi, with that attitude, I can rest assured that our main firepower is in good hands.” (Rina)

Rather than blaming teammates for mistakes, they focus on self-reflection.

Above all, they hate losing.

This attitude is necessary to improve in the game.

“The owner is probably busy, but well, it’s Chiyo-san we’re talking about, so there’s no need to worry. She’ll definitely have everything sorted out by the tournament.” (Aya)

“Right! I heard that a schedule was already decided for the three of us!” (Rina)

This is the ABEX team, Axcis Crown, who are backed by multiple sponsors.

The main firepower and attacker of the team, 18-year-old Aya.

The main cover and support of the team, 22-year-old Rina.

The leader (IGL)¹ and the owner of the pro gaming team, 24-year-old Chiyo.

This team is unique in that all the members are female, but their chemistry is excellent, and they’re rumored to be the most powerful team this year.

“Don’t forget about team practice this week, Ayacchi.” (Rina)

“Of course!” (Aya)

The team practices are geared towards the scrim, and they are conducted with the tournament setting in mind, where each enemy will be highly skilled.

There are no cutting corners; they do their best to prepare meticulously and give it their all to secure a top position.

This is their way of repaying the viewers who supported their team.

“It would be great if we could at least make it to the top 3, but with heavy competition from teams like the Zest Division, it’s going to be a tough fight.” (Aya)

“Let’s just play aggressively!” (Rina)

“Well, I wonder how that’ll turn out.” (Aya)

While strategies and tactics are decided through discussions among all members, Chiyo, the leader, loves to do something flashy.

She’ll probably say something like, “Oh, that’s a great idea. Let’s go with that.”

“Well, let’s just adjust accordingly such that we won’t have regrets.” (Rina)

“Yeah!” (Aya)

The two exchange a fist bump, unable to hide their excitement.

However, this cheerful atmosphere is about to change soon.

“On a separate note, how have things been lately with Oni-chan? I haven’t received any updates, but is your relationship going well?” (Rina)

“!!” (Aya)

“You can’t tell me there hasn’t been any progress, right? I mean, I heard you were even on Oni-chan’s stream yesterday.” (Rina)

“U-Uh—!!” (Aya)

It’s all because of Rina’s question that…

With light gasps, Aya’s gaze wandered around rapidly as her hands trembled while holding the baked food in hand.

She’s visibly shaken.

“I’m just a bit curious, you know? Even just a tiny bit, could you tell your Senpai about it? It wouldn’t hurt, right?” (Rina)

With a smirk, Rina licks her lips as if she’s caught her prey, leaving Aya with no escape.

“W-Well, there’s nothing at all, really! And me dropping by yesterday was purely coincidental!” (Aya)

“Just a coincidence, huh.” (Rina)

“Y-Yeah…” (Aya)

“But, knowing Oni-chan’s face means you’ve met him in real life, right? Surely your relationship has deepened more than before?” (Rina)

“I… I’ll exercise my right to remain silent.” (Aya)

With that declaration, Aya covers her mouth with both hands.

Though her actions seem to speak louder than words, it’s a testament to her unwavering determination.

“I see, I see. So Ayacchi thinks he’s a good guy.” (Rina)

“Y-Yeah… Actually, I don’t mind saying this, but there was a time when Oni-chan helped me when I was being teased for my dialect… He’s a really good person.” (Aya)

With a narrowed gaze, Aya conveys her thoughts with a nostalgic smile.

“It’s only natural to fall for someone like that.” (Rina)

“…” (Aya)

“Nihihi, you’re quite firm in ignoring your Senpai like this.” (Rina)

“……” (Aya)

While Aya sits there with sealed lips, giving a stern look and resisting with all her might, Rina, on the other hand, appears to be having a great time, flashing a big smile.

“Well, leaving that aside…” (Rina)

As if to change the atmosphere of the moment and the topic of conversation, Rina claps her hands together.

“If he’s really like that, it’s even more of a shame.” (Rina)

“M-More of a shame?” (Aya)

“I don’t really want to say this, but if Oni-chan’s streaming style were more conventional, he probably wouldn’t have been excluded from various events, and he might have even been able to join a pro team.” (Rina)

“Ahh, so you think so too, Rina-san.” (Aya)

“Well, yeah. Oni-chan isn’t even part of a team, yet he’s reached the top ranks by himself, all while battling against stream-snipers who hate him.” (Rina)

“From my perspective, his attacking prowess is among the top 5 even among pros.” (Aya)

“That’s not wrong, right? When it comes to combat in the highest level, he’s usually taking out at least one and a half opponents.” (Rina)

As players who both compete in the top ranks, most of their opinions align.

By the way, “stream-sniping” refers to the act of intentionally joining the same match as a streamer and using the stream to gain an advantage in the game. Naturally, this includes their location, putting the streamer at a disadvantage. However, even in such situations, Oni-chan manages to overcome the odds and continue winning.

“Provoking others” isn’t something that works without the corresponding gaming skill.

Oni-chan, who has managed to turn it into entertainment, possesses skills that even pro gamers have to acknowledge.

“Well, I’m not saying he should go pro, but personally, I’d like to see him participate in casual tournaments limited to streamers. Oni-chan has a certain level of charisma, and he easily surpasses the subscriber requirements for such tournaments. Plus, as a streamer, he’d be able to provide some entertaining content for others due to his behavior. I think it’s an environment that suits him.” (Rina)

“T-That’s certainly true!” (Aya)

“The more excitement there is in tournaments, the more the industry as a whole benefits, right?” (Rina)

Stretching her arms up high and letting out a big stretch, Rina conveys her thoughts passionately.

From her position as a pro, she also considers the industry’s perspective.

“As Ayacchi says, Oni-chan seems to have a good personality, so as long as he sticks to the status quo, everything will probably go well since everyone’s already aware of his character… Ah, the more I think about it, the more I feel like he’d be a perfect fit.” (Rina)

Tournaments limited to streamers tend to be quite friendly. Of course, they’re enjoyable, but since they’re held annually and with multiple straight games, they can become a bit monotonous.

In such situations, just having one person playing the role of the “hated” can spice things up and bring a different atmosphere to the tournament.

“Can you imagine if, let’s say, Oni-chan got sniped while he’s teabagging a streamer he just defeated?” (Rina)

“Ahaha! That would definitely be something!” (Aya)

“…I’m tempted to ask the organizers about it. It’s still early in the planning stages, so they might be open to suggestions.” (Rina)

Everyone is well aware that organizers tend to play safe and avoid risks.

The chances of the negotiation succeeding are slim, maybe around 10%, but Oni-chan has over 200,000 subscribers, so he has the numbers to bring in viewers. It’s worth a shot.

“But… do you think there’s someone who would be willing to team up with Oni-chan?” (Aya)

“We can just team up with him, Ayacchi. The three of us—me, you, and Oni-chan. The owner can’t participate in streamer tournaments anyway².” (Rina)

“Oh, that’s true!” (Aya)

Aya and Oni-chan are so close to each other that they’re able to walk home together. There’s no reason for her to refuse.

Furthermore, with two attacker mains and one support main, the team would lack an IGL, but that’s part of what makes casual tournaments unique.

“—Wait a minute, Rina-san!” (Aya)

“What’s up?” (Rina)

“I’ve been telling you all about him, so you must be interested in Oni-chan, right?! You’re trying to create opportunities to interact with him!” (Aya)

“That’s not true at all. It’s just a coincidence.” (Rina)

“T-That’s definitely a lie!” (Aya)

Such voices echo in Rina’s room. Meanwhile, the host herself wears a smile that’s hard to read.

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Thanks for reading!

Now, we are really getting into the competitive scene.

I kinda get where Rina is coming from at the end. Like, if some streamer manages to kill him, you’d bet your ass they’ll post an “I killed the most toxic streamer in an APEX tournament” video. There’ll also definitely be lots of clips going around as streamers overreact or something.

It’s like throwing Pewdiepie in Minecraft Monday if anyone remembers that, except the person is skilled.

This chapter took so long because I don’t really know any of the competitive terms. If I made a mistake somewhere, feel free to point it out.

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1. Raw said she’s the leader and… whatever “司令塔” means. When I did my research I found it being linked to a term called “IGL” or “In-game leader”. I honestly didn’t know that this exists, but apparently, the person with this role tend to have high tactical knowledge and helps to keep everyone on the same page and call the shots based on their understanding of the circumstance. Idk, my source is just this post.
2. I’m not sure if it’s “the owner doesn’t participate in streamer tournaments” or “the owner can’t participate in streamer tournaments”. I don’t really know if she’s a streamer. I assume she isn’t considering that they mentioned she was a busy person.