A large-scale casual tournament.
On the day of the Ebe Festival, where the goal was to win through the team’s kill count and ranking performance.
The main stream of the event, which was being run by the four-person team of the host, commentators, analyst, and overseers, already had over 120,000 viewers.
The combined subscriber count of the 60 participating streamers in the event likely surpassed 30 million.
And now, those streamers, each with large individual fanbases, were mirroring the main stream on their own channels while they waited.
The time was 5:30 PM, with less than 30 minutes remaining before the game began.
“Wow, this is incredible… I’m actually in the tournament…” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [How many times are you going to say that lol]
Comments: [They’re even laughing at you man.]
Comments: [Not gonna say anything back to them?]
Comments: [Well, it’s probably an event he’s been watching until now, so let’s let it slide.]
Oni-chan, who had entered the Ebe Festival server on Diacord created by the organizers, was connected to the voice channel with Rina and Ayaya. He was watching the main stream of the event without even noticing that his teammates were hearing his voice.
“Hey, Oni-chan, are you nervous?” (Rina)
“I-I’m not. I’m totally fine.” (Oni-chan)
“Seriously? Be honest, Oni-chan.” (Rina)
“…I’m insanely nervous.” (Oni-chan)
“Nihihi nice, nice.” (Rina)
“Y-Yeah…” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [LOL]
Comments: [Shouldn’t they be worried lmao]
Comments: [He’s probably going into the match with trembling hands lol]
Comments: [I like the team vibe~!]
The comment section erupted with amusement, but Oni-chan was so nervous that his field of vision had narrowed too much to even notice.
Because, while he was wrapped in tension, the host on the main stream had brought up the team chart on screen—and the three commentators, including the play-by-play announcer, analyst, and overseer, had jumped right into discussing it.
“Here’s another question: [Which team are you all keeping an eye on?]” (Commentator 1)
“Well, let’s see… I’m interested in all the teams, but if I had to choose, I’d say Team 5, which is made up entirely of women. I heard they became champions twice during team practice, so I’m expecting to see some standout coordination from them.” (Commentator 2)
“I see! What about you two?” (Commentator 1)
“For me, it’s definitely Team 20. Not only do we have Rina-san and Ayaya-san from Axcis Crown, but there’s also that mysterious Oni-chan, who I can’t quite put into words! It’s a unique trio, and I think a lot of people are paying attention to this team.” (Commentator 3)
“…S-Stop that. Don’t put that kind of pressure on me…” (Oni-chan)
“From what I’ve heard—though I won’t say what exactly—this team is apparently highly motivated. It wouldn’t hurt for the other teams to stay on their toes.” (Commentator 4)
“Will this get chaotic? Yes.” (Commentator 2)
“Well, there might be a change in vibe when we shift to their perspective. That said, we hope all of you will still enjoy the show as always.” (Commentator 1)
Just as the host wrapped everything up beautifully…
Comments: [Are they seriously doing that lol]
Comments: [They got official approval for it too…]
Comments: [They’ve got nerves of steel lmao]
Comments: [As expected of a casual tournament]
Comments: [Can’t wait to see what happens!]
Comments: [Good luck lol]
Comments: [This could get crazy.]
Comments: [No, this is how it should be!]
The comment section on the main stream sped up to the point where it was impossible to keep up with it by eye.
“Come on, they’re going too far with that…” (Oni-chan)
“O-Oni-chan? Your tone is getting kinda weird…” (Ayaya)
“T-That’s not true. You’re imagining things. Right, Rina-senpai?” (Oni-chan)
“Nice pass there, Oni-chan. But I can only say that your overthinking it.” (Rina)
“…Ahem.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [She shut that down fast, lol]
Comments: [As expected of Rina-san lol]
Comments: [Now I see why Oni-chan calls her senpai]
Comments: [Even the hosts seem to be having a blast]
Even in a large-scale event like this, the two of them—and the comment section—treated him the same way they always did.
Thanks to that, Oni-chan was able to relax a little.
“Fuu…” (Oni-chan)
—25 minutes remained until the start of the first match.
Taking a deep breath to further ease his nerves, Oni-chan kept watching the main stream, and something came to mind.
It was something he had learned in the past, back when he enjoyed the Ebe Festival as just a regular viewer.
“Oh, right. Shouldn’t you two be going around greeting the other streamers? I think during this time it’s allowed to hop into other teams’ voice channels, right?” (Oni-chan)
“If we did that, you’d be left all alone, Oni-chan.” (Ayaya)
“Y-You didn’t have to say that so definitively…” (Oni-chan)
“Hehe.” (Ayaya)
“Well, either way, this is the best-case scenario for me, so it’s fine. You two should go crash other teams and promote our team.” (Oni-chan)
“Okay! If you’re going that far, I’ll take you up on that!” (Rina)
Understanding his feelings, Rina responded right away.
In events like this, if people became overly considerate, it could create an awkward atmosphere—so their casual, natural attitude was something Oni-chan genuinely appreciated.
When asked, “Aren’t you going to jump into other channels too, Oni-chan?”, he gave a firm shake of the head.
Unlike the other two, he had no real connection with the other streamers, and his character was originally that of someone unlikable.
Maybe during the match, he could get away with it, but before the match, he had no intention of misjudging the distance between himself and others.
Haruto was someone who understood his place well.
“Alright then, Ayacchi, wanna go stir things up a bit while we say hello?” (Rina)
“Y-Yeah! Let’s go stir it up!” (Ayaya)
“We’ll be back ten minutes before the match starts, okay~ Oni-chan?” (Rina)
“We’re off!” (Ayaya)
“Got it.” (Oni-chan)
As he responded to the two, the “ding” sound of them leaving the voice channel played, and Team 20 became a team of one.
Comments: [Those two are seriously so kind lol]
Comments: [They weren’t going to leave until Oni-chan said something, were they?]
Comments: [No wonder they’re so popular.]
Comments: [Oni-chan did great too, sending them off like that!]
Though Oni-chan’s stream suddenly quieted down, his concurrent viewers increased by 4,000.
“‘What’s he gonna do on his own?’”—Rina and Ayaya’s viewers probably started tuning in at the same time, curious.
And being alone during this time was something Oni-chan had anticipated in advance.
Comments: [Now he’s all alone.]
Comments: [So quiet, it doesn’t feel like an event at all.]
Comments: [Don’t worry about it, Oni-chan.]
Comments: [You’re entertaining. You’ll be fine.]
Kind viewers offered words of comfort, not knowing he had already prepared something to fill this moment.
“Alright. This is a bit sudden, but with over 10,000 people watching this stream right now, I’m guessing I’m not the only one out here who’s feeling kinda isolated, yeah? So today might be a turning point for some of you. I want to talk a bit about something I’ve never really shared before—about my student days.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [Whoa whoa, now that’s an intriguing topic lol]
Comments: [Are we about to get some real good storytelling??]
Comments: [I won’t forgive you if this is a lie!]
Comments: [Tell us already!]
Checking the comments and seeing the overwhelming response, Oni-chan confirmed the hook had landed—this was as good as it gets.
Relieved and feeling more at ease, Oni-chan began to speak about the story he had pieced together in his mind.
“It all started back when I was a student… Someone in my family passed on, and the situation got to the point where I had no choice but to go out and work.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [Whoa, that’s heavy!!]
Comments: [What kind of story is this?]
Comments: [Should we just stop now?]
Comments: [Is this going to have a happy end…?]
The comment section was filled with worry and uncertainty. But Oni-chan had seriously thought about this story, believing it might truly serve as a turning point for someone out there.
He didn’t intend for it to be a depressing tale.
As he continued talking alone in the voice channel—
Turun —the sound of someone entering the voice channel rang out twice.
“Oni-chan, sorry to keep you waiting~” (Rina)
“We’re back, Oni-chan!” (Ayaya)
“Ah, oh. Welcome back. So it’s already 10 minutes before the match, huh.” (Oni-chan)
“Hehe, just like we said, we stirred up a bunch of trouble.” (Rina)
“They even said, ‘Do that and we’ll hit you back just as hard!'” (Ayaya)
“Seriously? Well done, then.” (Oni-chan)
With Rina and Ayaya returning to the voice channel, Oni-chan’s solo talk session came to an end.
Comments: [Wait, what!? That was the longest setup ever!]
Comments: [He was just getting into the student story, wasn’t he!?]
Comments: [You’ve gotta be kidding. Ever heard of timing?!]
Comments: [Finish the story!!!]
A flood of regretful and frustrated comments surged through the chat like a tidal wave.
Typing out, “My bad, I seriously messed up the timing,” Oni-chan pinned the message temporarily to address the situation.
At that exact moment, the event organizers sent the private match participation code through Diacord.
“Everyone, be careful not to show the code on stream~” (Rina)
“Got it!” (Ayaya)
“Roger.” (Oni-chan)
After hearing Rina’s warning, Oni-chan triple-checked that his stream screen was off. Once he entered the code and joined the match, he brought the stream back online.
Now, what reflected in Oni-chan’s eyes was the sight of each slot from Team 1 to Team 20 rapidly filling up with famous streamers.
Preparations for the first match of the Ebe Festival were quickly coming together.
――And then.
The clock struck 6:00 PM. The opening of the Ebe Festival.
Each team landed at their designated landmarks, and the first match began.
Comments: [T-This is awful lol]
Comments: [Maybe this is what you get for being the team that provokes others.]
Comments: [But it’s funny tho]
Comments: [Even I feel a bit bad for them now lol]
A stream of comments flowed—some laughing, some sympathetic, some full of kindness.
“U-Um, you know… this really has nothing to do with our skill, right?” (Oni-chan)
“Yeah, I think so too!” (Ayaya)
“Honestly, yeah. I didn’t expect this at all. To be honest.” (Rina)
While watching the match screen showed “15 squads remaining” in the upper right corner, the three exchanged conversation.
In short, Oni-chan, Ayaya, and Rina’s team had placed 16th out of 20 teams in this crucial first match—but fortunately, even the viewers could only nod and agree that it couldn’t be helped.
None of the three had been able to pick up strong armor, nor did they manage to grab any of their most used weapons. Instead, they were only blessed with healing items—a matter of pure loot luck.
As a hyper-aggressive team comp, this was an unfortunate draw. Prioritizing gathering supplies for a time, they ended up surrounded by two other parties and were taken down.
Such was the tragedy that unfolded in the first match.
“B-But well… I guess it’s because my call was too bold. Seriously, my bad! I really do regret it.” (Rina)
“Nah, we’re only aiming for first place anyway. Rina-san’s call wasn’t wrong at all. Even if we’d played it safe with those items, we’d have gotten wiped eventually. And we can’t loot much after the early game anyway, so even I would’ve gone with a risky play.” (Oni-chan)
“Oni-chan’s totally right! Plus, considering the gear we had, the fact that we managed to down two enemies even while getting pinched is pretty damn impressive!” (Ayaya)
“Hehe, hearing that really helps.” (Rina)
Comments: [Thanks, Oni-chan!]
Comments: [Dude, you really need to stop with the toxic persona lol]
Comments: [This is such a great atmosphere, it’s actually easy to watch.]
Comments: [f you mess up again, I’ll forgive you at least once.]
Reading what seemed to be comments from Rina’s fans, Oni-chan muted the Diacord voice channel for a moment and muttered into his stream, “What the hell are you even saying?”—a lone tsukkomi directed at the chat.
Oni-chan hadn’t meant to comfort Rina or cover for her—he had simply expressed what he genuinely felt.
After unmuting the voice channel, he immediately resumed speaking to the two of them.
“Let’s keep going like this next time too. Falling flat in the beginning just gets me even more fired up.” (Oni-chan)
“I’m counting on you, Oni-chan. Though… I’m getting comments like, [Don’t get cocky.]” (Rina)
“Ban them without mercy. That’s gotta be one of my haters.” (Oni-chan)
“Ruthless, huh.” (Rina)
“Hehe, in my comment section, someone wrote, [That was a cool thing to say. Oni-chan’s aim was shaking at the start, though.]” (Ayaya)
“That one gets banned too.” (Oni-chan)
“That too!?” (Ayaya)
Comments: [lol]
Comments: [What’s our Ayaya gonna do?]
Comments: [Looking forward to the next game!]
Comments: [Keep pushing ‘til the end!]
As they joked around with their teammates and enjoyed the flowing reactions in the comment section, they kept their eyes glued to the match, watching intently for the next 20 minutes.
Team 3, having triumphed in the final 3v3 shootout, proudly claimed victory as the champions of the first match.
Ayaya gave a pure and cheerful, “Congratulations!”
Rina, without holding back, praised them with a loud, “Mmmm—nicely done!”
Even though their own results hadn’t been great, the two still offered sincere and uplifting words. Listening to their voices, Oni-chan applauded in recognition of Team 3’s performance.
Comments: [What happened to being toxic lol]
Comments: [Your character’s already falling apart, huh?]
Comments: [You probably want to say it out loud too, right?]
Comments: [It’s okay to be honest, you know!?]
By not putting praise into words, Oni-chan avoided standing out, and his character remained intact—two birds with one stone.
But it was clear to everyone what he was really feeling.
Moments like this were not the time to be looking at the comments.
“Uh, the second match starts in five minutes, right?” (Oni-chan)
“Yep! There’ll be a break before the third match, so let’s give it our all this round!” (Ayaya)
“Oh? The way you said that—does that mean Ayacchi was holding back in the first match?” (Rina)
“…W-Well! If I pop off right from the start, you’re gonna see a different me!” (Ayaya)
“That’s supposed to be my job. Don’t go stealing it.” (Oni-chan)
“W-What!? Rina-san, that line was totally bait!” (Ayaya)
“Don’t just go throwing it at me.” (Rina)
Comments: [LOL]
Comments: [Poor Ayaya, she’s getting picked on lmao]
Comments: [Rina-san is definitely in the wrong there tho]
Comments: [These three have their roles completely nailed down]
Their cheerful banter didn’t at all resemble that of a team that had just placed 16th.
And after a short wait, once all 60 players were ready, the next match began—sending them into the map for the second round.
“Let’s go all out this time.” (Oni-chan)
“Nihehe, no excuses now.” (Rina)
“Please let us have better item luck this time…!” (Ayaya)
Just like in the first match, they dropped from the airship onto their designated landmark. To keep pace with the other teams, they looted efficiently, calling out any items they found as they moved.
And then—once the three regrouped and finished swapping gear—
They all smirked with confidence.
“Hey, guys. With this setup… how about we just charge in?” (Rina)
“Yep! I’m all for it!” (Ayaya)
“Same here. Let’s make up for that first match.” (Oni-chan)
“Nihehe, just as expected from our two attackers.” (Rina)
It was still early in the match, so they couldn’t say their equipment and supplies were perfect—but for an initial looting phase, their luck had been near flawless.
What’s more, their strategy to crush opponents before they could gear up was highly effective, especially considering their attack-specialized team composition.
The bolder they played, the more their setup could shine—and now was the perfect moment to take that shot.
“Alright then, this time let’s take out the enemy and gear up—search start!” (Rina)
“Okay! Oni-chan, take the lead!” (Ayaya)
“Got it. I’ll leave the sides to you.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [If the other teams don’t get their gear fast, they’re gonna suffer…]
Comments: [I’m really looking forward to this one!]
Comments: [This comp becomes unstoppable once they get momentum lol]
Comments: [Go all out for real!]
Unlike the first match where things didn’t go as planned, this time they were able to execute the aggressive playstyle their composition was for perfectly—quickly turning the game into a chaotic round.
—Gunfire echoed through the grassy plains.
“Last one’s behind the shed! I’m popping a heal!” (Ayaya)
“I’m charging straight in.” (Oni-chan)
“I’ll flank from the left!” (Rina)
With Ayaya giving precise intel, Oni-chan cutting off the escape route, and Rina executing a textbook flank, they moved with sharp coordination.
“Ayacchi, once you’re healed, keep watch around us.” (Rina)
“Got it!” (Ayaya)
With flawless coordination and crisp instructions flying between them, they eliminated the last enemy who had retreated behind the shed—wiping out the entire squad.
It was at that moment.
“…Ah! A different squad just ran into the tunnel!” (Ayaya)
Ayaya spotted the party that couldn’t close in fast enough retreating due to how quickly they’d finished the fight.
Their next move was decided instantly.
“Then let’s hit them next. We’ve already scouted this area, so we won’t get flanked.” (Rina)
“Got it.” (Oni-chan)
“Yeah!” (Ayaya)
Following Rina’s command, they looted the defeated enemies—upgrading their gear, ammo, and healing items.
To ensure their next target wouldn’t escape, they pushed into the tunnel.
Only ten teams remained.
Constantly on the move and launching attacks whenever they spotted enemies, the team had already taken down three squads—nine players in total—when they encountered a fourth squad lying in wait beyond the tunnel in the barren wasteland.
“Sorry, I need to heal. I cracked the armor on the guy to the right.” (Oni-chan)
Charging ahead and returning damage while taking fire from all three opponents, Oni-chan barely managed to retreat behind a rock with slivers of health left.
“Thanks for baiting them out! Rina-san, I need a dome up front!” (Ayaya)
“Already threw it~ I’m watching the one on the right… looks like they’re mid-heal.” (Rina)
“Thanks! I downed the one on the left!” (Ayaya)
“Wow…” (Oni-chan)
Rina deployed her ability before even being asked, and Ayaya, trusting that the protective dome would be there in time, recklessly took down one enemy even in a 2v3 disadvantage.
Watching the flawless coordination while healing, Oni-chan quickly regrouped with the other two.
Now that they had the numbers advantage, the most crucial thing was preventing the downed enemy from being revived and turning it back into an even fight.
“This is gonna be a real burden on you, Oni-chan, but can you circle left and increase our lines of fire? They’ll probably throw up a wall to revive.” (Rina)
“Then I’ll pop a stim1 and go.” (Oni-chan)
“Just be careful not to get downed!” (Ayaya)
“Mm.” (Oni-chan)
Just like Rina, he used his ability to boost his movement speed and began rotating to the left.
Dodging enemy fire with character control and taking cover behind obstacles, he steadily widened their area of control.
And the strategy worked perfectly.
Forced to deal with two separate angles from just two people, the enemy couldn’t manage a revive, and the overwhelming final push wiped them out completely.
All three of them crouched and stood repeatedly at the spot, firing into the sky in a mocking display, before setting off again in search of their next targets.
∮
[Other Team’s PoV]
“No way… Wait, isn’t that the team which taunted us from before? Damn it!” (Team member A)
“Wow~ that’s brutal…” (Team member B)
“The fight sure didn’t even last long…” (Team member C)
The team that had won the first match had just been wiped out by Team 20 in the wasteland zone.
Watching from the spectator screen, the three voiced their reactions, keeping the energy up in their streams in their own way.
Comments: [The firepower is no joke…]
Comments: [This team has already taken out 12 people…]
Comments: [Their rush is terrifying.]
Comments: [Next, it’s time for revenge.]
Comments: [They didn’t even get to do much…]
Comments: [Rina-san and Ayaya-san are taunting too lol]
Comments: [The main stream immediately switched to their PoV lmao.]
Comments: [The MC and commentators were laughing too lol]
Since the stage had been set with their earlier interruption before the Ebe Festival started, the comments section didn’t turn toxic—instead, it was filled with laughter.
“Honestly, the moment they threw that dome, I knew we’d lost.” (Team member A)
“For me, it was when Octane rushed in with that nonsensical movement.” (Team member B)
“They were seriously amazing…” (Team member C)
Comments: [Yeah, Rina-chan’s support was really something]
Comments: [If that hadn’t happened, they definitely would’ve taken down Ayaya!]
Comments: [How the hell does Oni-chan move like that wtf lol]
Comments: [He dodged so cleanly lol]
Comments: [They chased when they really didn’t have to lol]
Comments: [That team was starving for kill points…]
Momentum is truly terrifying, and it felt like a moment where they had completely outplayed them.
“Come to think of it, how did a team playing at this level end up in 16th place in the first match? They basically died instantly.” (Team member A)
“Umm, according to the comments, they went to pick a fight despite not having much loot and got sandwiched and wiped out.” (Team member B)
“Seriously…?” (Team member C)
“That’s… actually kind of impressive…” (Team member A)
Of course, information from viewers wasn’t always reliable.
It was hard to believe but after this massacre, their theory felt far too credible.
With viewers reacting the same way as the streamers, another 15 minutes passed as they continued spectating.
Three squads remained.
The final battle was about to begin.
Team 1, down to two members, had taken cover behind a large rock in the open field.
Team 11, still with all three members, was inside one of the rectangular buildings on the plain.
Team 20, also with all three members alive, was inside the other rectangular building on the same plain.
All squads had visual contact with their enemies, and from an aerial view, each team’s positioning formed a perfect triangle.
“This is getting intense.” (Team member A)
“Which team’s gonna take it?” (Team member B)
“They better start moving—safe zone’s closing in…” (Team member C)
All teams still had a shot at victory, and every remaining player fully understood the timing and pressure of the shrinking safe zone.
Still, no one could move—because the moment they did, they’d be showered with bullets from two teams.
Streamers and viewers alike held their breath as they watched for several tense seconds.
And then, to break the stalemate, a single person—moved.
Injecting a stim to boost movement speed, they burst out of the building and used their character’s ultimate—a jump pad.
Launching off it at full speed, Octane soared across the plains like a flying bullet.
“Whoa, he went for it!!” (Team member A)
By cutting across every enemy’s line of fire, he exposed himself to five different shots.
In an instant, his armor was completely shredded, his health down to about 5(Team member). Deep in the red.
—And yet, he didn’t go down.
He landed behind a small rock just in time.
While cutting off all enemy lines of fire once again, he healed and restored his armor.
Returning to a nearly unscathed state, he secured a position that gave his team a major advantage.
“Uwaa… That was seriously impressive, Oni-chan. I can’t believe you took that spot.” (Team member A)
“Looks like this one’s decided.” (Team member B)
“Holding on like that was amazing…” (Team member C)
The main stream’s comment section exploded with excitement—it was a play that massive.
Unlike the two remaining teams who now had to fight their way into the shrinking safe zone, his team had already secured it.
They could now shoot from effective angles while enemies clashed, or focus on covering their teammates to help them enter the zone safely.
Being able to adapt and choose the best response for the situation—that would be the deciding factor for victory.
∮
[Oni-chan’s PoV]
“We’re gonna win the Match 3 too~!” (Rina)
“Yay!” (Ayaya)
“Ayacchi, you can do better~!” (Rina)
“W-We’ll… mow down the enemy—!” (Ayaya)
“Yeaaah!” (Rina)
“Ooh!” (Ayaya)
After a break, Match 3 began.
Team 20, who had secured the most kill points in Match 2 and claimed the championship, descended onto the battlefield with unstoppable momentum—
—or so it should have been.
“……” (Oni-chan)
“……” (Ayaya)
“……” (Rina)
After looting their starting area and regrouping, the three of them fell silent while exchanging supplies.
They all stood still, to the point they had to actually talk it through.
“Hey, what do we do about this…? Seriously.” (Oni-chan)
“What else is there to do… Shouldn’t we just go for bold looting like in the first match? Picking at scraps isn’t gonna help.” (Rina)
“Y-Yeah. This really isn’t enough to feel safe with…” (Oni-chan)
“Yeah, we can’t even bring out our real firepower like this…” (Ayaya)
They pulled a subpar set of supplies, to the point where the comments were filled with reactions like, “Can RNG really be this bad?”
Aiming for better loot, they headed to a high-loot area—and just like in the first match, Team 20 got wiped out.
The mockery they dished out earlier came back to bite them, and now they were the ones being mocked.
Comments: [They didn’t learn their lesson lol]
Comments: [Such a waste…]
Comments: [They really settling on nothing less than a win, huh?]
Comments: [What are they even doing lol]
In the third match, they went from champion to dead last—an unprecedented turn of events that left a mark on the event.
The one-night-only big event, the Ebe Festival, ran from 6 PM to 10 PM.
The main team battle royale came to an end, and the results were announced on the main stream.
—1st match, 16th place.
—2nd match, 1st place.
—3rd match, 20th place.
—4th match, 1st place.
—5th match, 13th place.
These were the results for Team 20—consisting of Oni-chan, Ayaya, and Rina.
12th place in ranking points.
1st place in kill points.
Such an extremely lopsided performance landed them in 5th place overall.
While they didn’t make the top 3 and thus missed out on prize money, the team ended up being the talk of the event—being prime material for teasing by other streamers, viewers, and the hosts running the main stream.
∮
“Ah, the afterparty? Hell no, I’m not going. I’m seriously not going, so go have fun without me. Later.” (Oni-chan)
After watching the end of the main stream of Ebe Festival all the way to the conclusion.
Turning down the invitation from Ayaya and Rina, Oni-chan had also left the voice channel and was now streaming solo.
“Phew… Well, it was kinda fun, I guess. Thanks for watching, guys. Just for today, I’m especially grateful.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [Hope you get invited again!]
Comments: [You should’ve gone to the after-party!]
Comments: [You were surprisingly accepted, huh?]
Comments: [Aw, missed your chance to expand your connections.]
“Hmph. I’m not the kind of guy who takes social nuances seriously. I’ll just accept the sentiment and leave it at that.” (Oni-chan)
While locking his eyes onto the not-so-unwelcome comments, Oni-chan firmly made his stance clear.
“…Anyway, I should probably talk about my thoughts on today.” (Oni-chan)
About participating in the Ebe Festival for the first time.
“To be real with you, we could’ve easily gotten at least 3rd overall. If we had kept it cool, we would’ve walked away with some prize money.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [He really said it LOL】
Comments: [No lies detected!】
Comments: [They didn’t even get a single placement point in Match 3 and still ended up 5th overall lol】
Comments: [Way too many kill points too】
Most viewers were probably thinking the same thing. The comment section sped up noticeably.
And among those—
One comment, which he didn’t acknowledge out loud but could only nod at, caught his eye.
Comments: [You getting teased by everyone had more value than prize money]
Something he’d been consciously avoiding until now.
That was—the current concurrent viewership count.
It was definitely temporary, but having been mentioned by other streamers who participated in the Ebe Festival, his current viewership had now surpassed 25,000.
A number he’d never even imagined before—an outrageous figure that was still being maintained.
“Ugh… If those two had properly thought things through and said, ‘Let’s play this match safe,’ I would’ve been able to avoid this. Relay my complaint to them.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [Your team wasn’t aiming for anything but first place, you know?]
Comments: [That’s too much lol]
Comments: [How blinded by prize money are you guys lol]
Comments: [You’re getting the meat prize anyway—just sell that]
Everyone could clearly tell he was joking, but Oni-chan still made sure to push that toxic persona while throwing in a little “oh?” reaction to the comments.
“That meat comment helped. Actually, I want everyone to know—does anyone here know when the premium meat for the most kills award will be delivered?” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [Probably depends on when you submit the claim?]
Comments: [I think someone said about a month later]
Comments: [Man, premium meat sounds nice!]
Comments: [You gotta tell imouto-chan about it lol]
“…I see. So about a month, huh. Thanks.” (Oni-chan)
With this many viewers, there were bound to be some watching his stream for the first time.
He had made it a firm rule for himself to never bring up anything about his little sister.
So focused on that single rule, he ended up speaking before even checking the comment he normally would have ignored.
“Hmm…? What’s this ‘Talk about Ameme Toto’ stuff? I don’t even have any connection with them.”
Comments: [Ah…]
Comments: [He finally said it…]
Comments: [The spam’s gonna be hell now]
Comments: [Honestly amazed he managed to dodge it until now lol]
It was at that very moment—the once-peaceful comment section began to take on an ominous tone.
“…” (Oni-chan)
He didn’t fully grasp what was going on, but from the flow of comments, there was one thing he could say for sure:
He messed up.
Regret twisted his face into a grimace, but having once experienced a truly catastrophic streaming incident, he knew this much:
Running away wasn’t an option.
A half-hearted response would only lead to more speculation and lingering consequences.
He couldn’t turn back time. So if he wanted to keep the damage minimal, there was only one thing to do.
“Yeah yeah, I get it. If there are people who really want me to talk about it, fine. So? Hurry up and give me the details already.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [Some annoying guy had to stir this up…]
Comments: [You’re too nice, seriously]
Comments: [It’s honestly such a dumb thing]
Comments: [Haa…]
Even as cold sweat trickled down his face, the viewers seemed to rally behind him.
While he was inwardly waiting with his heart pounding—
—the details came through.
“Uh, so apparently, [Amame Toto got taken down by me in three of the five matches, even though I’m usually disliked by everyone. She never managed to get revenge, and even contributed to me getting the Most Kills award. Because of that, her fans and maybe even my haters started attacking her. Even though Amame Toto apologized, the comment section kept flaming her. Now we’re here]… What the hell is that? Are you serious? That’s way too stupid.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [For real]
Comments: [The ones flaming her are the weird ones]
Comments: [Why are they so serious at such a casual event lol]
Comments: [Honestly just feels bad for her]
He couldn’t be sure if every single word in the message was accurate.
There was probably some exaggeration involved, but judging from the tone in the comments, it was mostly true.
“Ugh. You know what? I’m just gonna say it. I don’t care what anyone says, but it’s honestly so lame to bash someone who’s been trying their hardest. It’s seriously pathetic. If you have that much time to attack people, just go to bed, you idiots.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [He straight-up said it!]
Comments: [He’s kind of pissed off lol]
Comments: [This is probably the best moment out of him today!]
Comments: [This is only gonna make the haters more active, huh~]
It wasn’t just someone else’s problem, and that made him genuinely upset. He got too carried away with his feelings and was aware that his response might have come off as unpleasant, which made him nervous about the reactions.
Unable to see the comment section on his secondary monitor, Oni-chan stretched his neck, trying to calm down as he spoke.
“Anyway, no kidding, this really put a damper on things. This can’t be the way it ends, so… someone, give me a closing topic.” (Oni-chan)
Despite asking for a big favor, he still couldn’t look at the comments.
He felt a little embarrassed and decided to let the situation from earlier calm down for a bit.
After a few dozen seconds, he finally worked up the courage to check the second monitor, and just at the right moment, he found it.
“Oh, nice. This is perfect. Alright, then. Let me wrap things up by talking about my school days, which I kind of left unfinished.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [A lot of ‘no’s there]
Comments: [Yay!]
Comments: [Is this about the turning point for the loner?]
Comments: [I’ve actually been wanting to hear this for a while lol]
It had been a while since he started thinking about it, but he had prepared well enough to remember the details of the story.
“Well, here it is. To sum it up, even when things get tough, you can always bounce back, and there will always be people who will help you. So for those of you in that situation right now, keep a positive mindset and keep moving forward. If a guy like me can turn things around, there’s no doubt about it.” (Oni-chan)
Comments: [Kind of feels like the story connects but also doesn’t, huh?]
Comments: [Well, I feel better just hearing it. Yeah]
Comments: [‘A guy like me’… you’re actually such a good guy, huh?]
Comments: [If you keep putting yourself down, imouto-chan’s gonna come yell at you, you know?]
“…” (Oni-chan)
Being complimented out of nowhere made him feel embarrassed. When his sister was brought into the conversation, he couldn’t find the words.
He quickly thought of the perfect way to handle this.
“Alright, alright. Anyway, I’m wrapping up the stream now. You guys go watch Ayaya and the others’ after-party stream. Thanks for today. See ya.” (Oni-chan)
The viewers, sharp as ever, noticed everything.
Before any teasing comments about being embarrassed could come in, Haruto quickly ends the stream.
After confirming that the stream had properly ended, Haruto immediately leaves the game room.
Once the stream was over, there was something he had been eager to tell someone.
He heads straight to the living room, where the light was on, knowing that the person he wanted to talk to would be there.
“Yuu!” (Haruto)
“Huh? W-What?” (Yuno)
As usual, Yuno was studying while listening to the sound of the TV. Haruto quickly gives her his report.
“Hey, guess what? In about a month, high-quality meat will be delivered, so look forward to it!” (Haruto)
“Huh? High-quality meat… Oh, the roulette thing where it spins and you win? That’s a scam, you know? It’s rigged so everyone wins.” (Yuno)
“No, no! It’s not that! It’s because I did well in a game and earned it as a reward!” (Haruto)
Haruto firmly explained to Yuno, who had furrowed her brows and shown a clear aura of caution.
“…So, it’s like a campaign or something?” (Yuno)
“Yeah, that’s right! There’s no need to transfer any money, and it’s with a legitimate company, so it’s totally safe.” (Haruto)
“I see. Well, now I feel a little better. I just know you’d totally fall for something like that, onii-chan.” (Yuno)
Once her weariness was lifted, Yuno finally smiled.
“Then when the meat arrives, I’ll make sukiyaki. It’s onii-chan’s favourite, right?” (Yuno)
“Really!? Then please add tofu too!” (Haruto)
“I’ll make sure to add it once it actually arrives.” (Yuno)
“Thanks! And I’ll update you on the details as soon as I know them!” (Haruto)
“Okay!” (Yuno)
Having finished reporting everything properly, Haruto grabbed the door handle.
“Alright, sorry for interrupting your studying. I’m gonna take a bath now that the stream’s over.” (Haruto)
“Good job staying up so late. Don’t drown in there, okay? It’d be a disaster if you slipped and hit your head.” (Yuno)
“Hey, there’s no way that’s happening!” (Haruto)
“Onii-chan, you always mess something up when you’re in a good mood. That’s just how you are.” (Yuno)
“What do I have to do to earn more of your trust, Yuu…?” (Haruto)
“No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible.” (Yuno)
“R-Really? No matter what?” (Haruto)
“No matter what.” (Yuno)
“Why!?” (Haruto)
“Because there’s no way you can stop making me worry.” (Yuno)
That day—
Haruto had reached his first-ever 25,000 concurrent viewers, but as always, Yuno couldn’t stop worrying about him.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Huh, I honestly didn’t expect it to be that short. I was ready for like a 40 page google doc but it ended pretty quickly.
Chat hating on someone for the stupidest of reasons is just a staple of being a streamer at this point.
Anyways, epilogue is next, I’ll release it either tomorrow or the day after. Afterwards, Vol 3 will be done.
thanks for the chapter