“Did you deliver the message?”
“Yes, there wasn’t much doubt from the start.”
“You trust people too much.”
The Association President chuckled bitterly. To Wakamou Inarizushi, the president would remain “a good person.”
It was impossible to lift South Korea, on the verge of collapse, by the former president’s actions alone.
The days had been too busy for anything but fighting.
Even the Association President was only one body, busy trying to conquer more towers.
In his younger days, he was certainly a remarkable person.
He appealed overseas, negotiated with excellent rhetoric, and continued deals.
Yes, he was indeed a prominent figure who succeeded in stabilizing this country.
Who would want the presidency right before the country’s collapse?
He pursued honor and glory by becoming a hero in turbulent times.
How much time had passed since then?
Can a person become this miserable with age?
Should we say the more power one has, the more biased they become?
Once, even a superhuman he respected, he never imagined he would grow old like this.
Does the fact that Climbers have unaging minds mean there’s no significant change for them? It’s a mystery.
“Either die a hero or live long enough to become a monster… Both sides… are a bit pathetic.”
Even if hailed as a hero by the public, one must still handle dirty work at times.
“Regular individuals cannot even begin to understand the world seen by Climbers.”
Even watching Wakamou’s broadcast, people are impressed by how extraordinary superhumans are.
The feeling of improving stats and becoming something beyond human… is something you cannot understand without experiencing.
“He was just scared. His hard-earned reputation was overshadowed by a single Climber. All his efforts withered in comparison to Wakamou Inarizushi, highlighting his shortcomings, and ruining his body and mind in the process.”
That’s the fate of politicians. No matter how noble the promises and efforts are, one cannot understand the burden of the presidency without being there.
“While I understand the impatience, fear, and concern for the country, he crossed the line this time. Unfortunate.”
He knew involving Russia would make things more troublesome.
Though it was too late, there was no need to escalate things further.
He remembered and observed all the president’s sacrifices, making it even more unfortunate.
Despite support from “the Chinese government,” having conspired to hand over Wakamou Inarizushi, the president would face vengeance from the assassins sent by the Chinese government and meet a tragic end.
At that time, all the terrorism and assassinations occurring in South Korea will be shifted to blame on the current Chinese government.
The current Chinese government, anyway, is like a dying flame, sufficient as a scapegoat.
Thus, mourning the president’s tragic assassination, praising his achievements, the Association President will make sure everyone recognizes his efforts, ultimately declaring him a martyr.
With this “justification,” all of Collector’s crimes and charges will also be blamed on the Chinese government. A new administration in China will rise with their cooperation.
Already having a secret alliance with [Collector], a natural peace treaty will occur.
Thus, the largest Eastern Asia alliance will be formed.
And the start of it all will be recorded with an individual’s death.
The wish to inscribe his name in history he so desired will be fulfilled.
“You, my friend, will be remembered well by everyone. Mr. President”
※※※
“Hello everyone, Kon Aqua~! I’m the virtual Climber gamer fox-eared idol Wakamou Inarizushi~”
“Mina Clipper. I’m the navy Mare Pirate-chan from Wakamou Corporation!”
“Hi folks~ It’s Hajime Ichigo~”
“Welcome, pigs. I’m Aoi Asuka, doing Bitcoin labor as punishment for losing Wakamou’s stock.”
Each was broadcasting, coming together again for a collaboration after a long time.
Pirate consistently engaged viewers with various games chat.
Ichigo was trying hard to showcase variety with singing and hand cam streams using the Studio for potion making and alchemy.
Asuka, though learning well, faced troubles frequently, so Wakamou was strictly managing the situation.
Since it’s AI, Wakamou got Asuka mining Bitcoin, diligently working while announcing, “My master gave me this task! I am a happy glutton!” which made Wakamou feel a bit guilty.
Honestly, Wakamou expected complaints, wanting to stream instead.
Indeed, Wakamou was truly the master. But, even when advised, if this is the best it gets?
What kind of nightmare form it might take if given complete freedom, Wakamou decided not to contemplate.
“Today’s game is [Payday 2]!! Let’s go rob a bank, everyone!!”
“Question. Are we not doing the tutorial?”
“Why practice for bank robbery? Just shoot them all.”
“Ohhh.”
-Loves it when it’s in their best category.
-Very simple; just shoot everyone.
-Really, are you sure about being navy?
-The AI seems clueless about humans.
-It’s cliché for AI not to understand humans.
-If they understand this, isn’t humanity doomed?
Today’s game was [Payday 2], which Pirate insisted on playing by humorously protesting.
Simply put, it’s a game of forming a group for heists. Already confident, Pirate was armed with unknown weaponry.
“Shall we crash a school bus into the bank?”
-That’s a Joker type of idea!
-Do that in America, and they call out the tanks.
“If we go all out face-front, can’t we just shoot everyone?”
-“That’s the person who actually achieves that.”
-Two bullets are enough to kill. One for the head and the heart.
-A real professional survivor doing the finishing shot.
-This is a game, right? Not pre-learning for a real heist?
-These folks don’t need guns for a bank heist.
-They can just walk in and come out with the vault.
As soon as the game started, Pirate dashed off to protect the stolen money from the arriving cops.
“I’m not handing over the hard-earned heist money to cops! Come on, you slackers! Do you know about passion!!”
Rat-a-ta-ta-ta──!!
A smasher at the game, Pirate began wreaking havoc on the police.
Providing cover fire naturally from behind Pirate was Ichigo.
While Wakamou tried to help, shooting accurately, head-shots three allies with three shots.
“Oops?”
-Insane accuracy.
-Headshotting allies involuntarily with every shot.
-Perfect aim distracting the police without hitting them.
-Goats insane over that aiming skill!
-How did the shots not hit?!
-Luckily, aiming deliberately would be hard.
-Disastrous event happened in an instant….
Starting off, failing to fend off the police in the safe house, they began the game broke.
Viewers laughed at the sight of the four standing empty-handed in the alley.
Ichigo was used to it, saying nothing. Asuka hadn’t overthought it.
Only Pirate glared, perplexed by the abysmal trolling.
-How do you deal with these hopeless teammates….
-“Get off the ship if you need to pee?”
-They can’t say anything since it’s the boss!
-Why are they so dead-set on robbing the bank?
“With more money, we can live happily! I want to live my life well! So with the money from bank heists, I’ll proudly buy a ship and hire sailors!”
-Only captains care for their sailors ㅠㅠㅠ
-Can we finally have a ship party?
-Don’t you just want to rob banks?
-The important thing is the message.
“Indeed. Asuka, with loads of money, will get a one-day outing voucher to a cost-efficient business hotel from Wakamou.”
-Why are the dreams getting more modest day by day….
-Does mining Bitcoin make any sense?
-Having high-performance AI VTuber…mining Bitcoin???
-She says till Ol’ Blue is replenished, then done.
-Then, how about pole dancing instead?
-You know, Korea sponsors strippers, right?
-“Wow, that’s crazy talk lol”
“I’mma earn money and buy a Nintendo… gotta try PortXmon…”
-Give her money, I mean…
-Leader isn’t buying game consoles either?
-It’s entertaining listening to stories about the Gold version.
-Ichi will definitely poach.
-Haha, can’t resist collecting~
“It’s fun. Later, I remember the director was …”
“Isn’t it plum?”
Wakamou and Pirate shared nostalgia about playing as kids.
Recalling a tough boss, they faintly remembered and were corrected by Asuka.
“Precisely 50% incorrect, combine them.”
“Juice?”
“Completely wrong, Mr. Alcohol.”
“I want to eat Jajibo, or tiger pufferfish they call it; truly expensive and delicious.”
-A skit makes you lose your sanity just listening.
-Not a clue about the story’s direction or theme…
-Should we just go rob banks already…
-Is Pirate drunk, by chance?
-No, not drunk.
-That explains the weirdness.
-Oh, she needs to be drunk to be sane? Haha
From a shaky start, well, it was always rocky, began the four’s bank heist.
At the start, Pirate seized Wakamou’s gun and handed over an unknown fire axe.
“Where’d you get the fire axe?”
“Found it.”
-“The card was found.”
-What happened to the boss being treated like this?
-With perfect precision, friendly fire happens miraculously.
-At least give Wakamou a bow or something.
“Alright, mask up so they don’t see your face!! It’s a small bank; let’s break in and loot it all! Don’t shoot civilians, though!”
“Question. Why is bank robbery okay, but there’s a penalty for shooting civilians?”
“That’s because it’s third-rate as a bank robber. A truly first-rate robber uses them as meat shields!!”
“Humans deserve the right to human rights, I am saying, human…”
“Quiet and pick a person to stage a sit-down protest, you tin can.”
“Sniffle… Humans are pitiable.”
-Robot shocked by human atrocities…
-Chilled by the endless human malice…!!
-Does this make sense??
-Our captain lacks empathy.
-If doing it at all, do it thoroughly…!!
-Heading straight for the vault like it’s their home.
-Heard the vault location is random, is that true?
-Yep, it’s random.
-So how do they find it?
-“Instinct.”
-No compass needed, haha!
Wow haha
With Pirate directing, Asuka took someone hostage for a protest.
Installing a drill at the vault, Pirate worked while Ichigo was busy planting explosives to assist.
As they always bickered but showed incredible coordination robbing a bank.
Meanwhile, Wakamou, lurking awkwardly with nothing to do, looked around.
“Heisting a bank isn’t a joke!! Do it diligently, for the income of Wakamou Corporation, Captain!!!”
“Sob, my god. Can’t I just be the mascot?”
“Don’t step into bank robbery with a complacent attitude! This is the realm of pros!!”
-But hey, you’re a navy.
-Really, amazing line after line.
-What’s with holding wall hostage?
-Ichi cleaning out hostage pockets so precisely.
Even Ichigo is robbing.
– Did you prepare for this somewhere?
Pirate was so professional that no alarms went off.
With Asuka handling security, the police never showed up while the vault was being opened, and as Ichigo and Wakamou were sweeping the gold on the desk to leave, the police showed up in droves with shields to start a battle.
“Chief! The gold’s flying!!”
-Wakamou, betrayed by the charisma of the Navy Captain.
-Why are you always the punching bag during joint streams?
-Meanwhile Asuka is stealing the computer tower lol
“Asuka! Why are you stealing that?!”
“AI rights protection and liberation movement?”
“Then it can’t be helped”
-Why can’t it be helped lolol
-Which part did you agree with wtf lolol
-Look at him grabbing the monitors too lolol
-And Pirate meticulously grabs four of them.
-They’re going to use all this for the broadcast!
“From today, you guys will mine Bitcoin with me!”
-Argh, kill me instead lolol
-Save us!! Our beloved graphic cards are being kidnapped!!
-Don’t sell them as a pack after sending them to the mines!!
-Eek!! AI VTuber is kidnapping children!!!
-Such pity for the graphic cards that never surfed the internet ㅠㅠㅠ
While hurriedly stealing the computers for a more sinister reason than expected, Asuka prepares to drive.
While Ichigo was massacring the police, Wakamou was busily carrying the gold.
Looking at Wakamou’s labor-weary face, the believers just laughed, wondering if this was how the CEO should be treated.
“Move it! The cops are coming!”
“Are we just taking the gold? We should empty the vault entirely!!”
“Didn’t the boss give you a monthly salary…?”
“Didn’t you learn that the more money, the better from Mr. Krabs? This is why not having visited Bikini City is no good!”
Eventually, Pirate left after completely emptying the vault one by one.
Looking at the pile of money, she exclaimed that this was life.
“After making money, are we hitting the jewelry store next?”
“That’s for amateurs, Asuka. Let’s go for the next level… cocaine! Smuggling always pays the best!!!”
-Using professional terms shows true professionalism.
-Sometimes I worry if the captain is being serious.
-People~ it’s all a game, don’t misunderstand~
“Should I make it?”
Was that something Ichigo liked? asked [the Alchemist], saying it could be made if they had the materials, but Pirate quickly retorted.
“Drugs are bad for the body!!!”
“Why?”
“They mess up the taste of alcohol!! They lower the purity!!!”
“…?”
“Pirate is banned from alcohol for a week starting today.”
“Whaaaaa──!!!”
Pirate cries and wails desperately, asking for the decision to be reversed, throwing all pride aside as tears and snot flow down her face. Watching unable to bear it, Asuka kneels.
“I want to broadcast!!”
Seizing the chance, Asuka also rolls around, joining in.
The studio becomes chaotic in an instant.
Isn’t it always a mess at the end of a VTuber joint stream, no matter how well the game goes…?
Seeming accustomed by now, Ichigo goes off to buy weapons with the money from robbing.
‘Problems arise when they’re too mismatched…’
-Should we call Dr. Oh Eun Young?
-What’s wrong with our little ones?
-Isn’t the problem the leader being too lax?
-Look at how smoothly Asuka is rolling lolol
-Pirate has melted, everyone!
“Aaaah!! Stop making a mess every time we do a joint stream!!!”
Eventually, Wakamou also lays down on the floor.
Can’t we have just one clean ending sometimes!!
-Is there a VTuber company where no one is properly together?
-Really, why do they all become comedians in joint streams lolol
-I guess Ichigo’s gotten used to it by now, naturally doing the cleanup.
-Ichigo’s matured too early for her age…
-If Guan Yu and Zhang Fei got drunk and passed out, Yu Bi might have been like this.
Once again messing up during a long-awaited joint stream, Wakamou vowed to proper planning through the studio, shedding tears of frustration.
Felt bad for Pirate’s ban on drinking, so it was canceled. Then she took out the whiskey from the fridge and started chugging.
Asuka asked if there wasn’t a share for her from the donations Pirate and Ichigo made.
Because she needed to buy graphics cards for Bitcoin mining.
It seemed insane at this point, so Wakamou pleaded to stop.
Clearly composed of individuals who never matured, as Ichigo finished tidying up, she handed the phone to Wakamou, saying it was Manager Haye calling.
“[Are you ready, Mr. Wakamou?]”
Finally, the time had come.
It was about Hajime Ichigo Membership 『Battlefield: Seoul Retake 2』episode.
“Manager, does it mean you can prepare anything? For example, a life-sized model?”
“[If it’s just for appearances, we can have it ready quickly]”
“Should we prepare the intro as well?”
“[That would be nice, right?]”
A notice on the fan cafe posting appeared after Wakamou’s group joint stream.
Understandably, it mentioned that Ichigo’s premium membership broadcast could delay the schedule a bit due to the recording.
Since everyone was looking forward to it, there were many opinions on which part of Seoul to focus on for the operation.
A short teaser popped up for them.
Something similar had appeared before, but this time it seemed like they were seriously pursuing a series genre from the cover video uploaded on Ichigo’s channel.
Viewers entering the broadcast with excitement held their breaths in anticipation.
And soon, as the reserved time began, the countdown started─ and the devastated landscape of Seoul was revealed before them.
[Lost Seoul due to the Collapse of the Tower for 10 years. We had given up all hope.]
Along with the familiar voice of the narration, freshly filmed views of the current Seoul unfolded.
And then, the scene shifts to agents breaching the borders of Seoul, spotlighting Ichigo walking confidently at the center, followed closely by a shield-bearing Wakamou in the frame.
[But we haven’t given up our capital. Apocalypse survival expert, Hajime Ichigo, is our hope.]
With a grand background score and cinematic visuals reminiscent of American hero movies.
An intense battlefield display is shown in panorama as they strive to reclaim the city.
Finally, Ichigo reports the mission’s success while leaving on a helicopter, showing her eating in a restaurant.
“Ready, Cowboy?”
Ichigo rises from her seat at Agent Unicorn’s question, who stormed through the door.
And then the screen turns dark, casting words with a question mark.
It’s clear from the subsequent video why there’s no narration.
Surely, it was too embarrassing!
[New comrades join in!]
“I am Navy Captain Mare Pirate!”
Standing against the backlight, Pirate appears on a gigantic deck, boldly declaring as she looks down at Ichigo.
Flaunting a jacket with “Justice” emblazoned on it, Pirate commands Ichigo to become a crew member, triggering a scene change.
“Are you watching, Ichigo! Before becoming Japan’s strongest, I won’t lose again!”
Having been defeated in a single blow by the King of Authority, a defiant Pirate screams lying on the ground.
“Let me be clear, I am very strong!!”
Striking a dramatic pose and leaping, leaving an explosion and the name Mare Pirate in bold letters on the screen behind her.
“Let’s go Kurama! I’m becoming Hokage!”
“I am the master. No, that’s plagiarism”
With an unusually high-energy Asuka jumping around, Wakamou retorts.
“I’ll prove Aoi Asuka’s abilities on this mission and make a VTuber broadcast. Mining Bitcoin in underground labor camps isn’t fun!!”
“We asked you to prepare scripts, but you brought Rainbow Bonobono. If the broadcast fails because of you, I’ll hang myself in the living room.”
“Wow! Piñata time!”
“Get out.”
Whacked by a fan, Asuka clumsily collapses as the screen shifts again.
Manager Wanda Haye briefs the crew on a map of Seoul, explaining the risks involved.
Watching along are Pirate, Ichigo, Asuka, and Unicorn Agent, whose pink protective suit is adorned with a unicorn horn.
“We can do this. What we need for this mission is your courage.”
“Courage is what you call a container for food.”
“No, I meant the courage in your hearts.”
“No wonder it’s full of liquor.”
“You’re screwy, truly.”
As the scene transitions, a pink-colored Unicorn Agent briefly flashes their cheeks with a suggestive dance, patting their butt sensually.
[A mission to start with trustworthy comrades!!]
“Mr. Wakamou noticed me!! He will give me my own channel!!”
Aoi Asuka, in a frenzied state, flips her eyes and violently drives, spraying WD-40 into her mouth.
“Bring more booze!!!”
While helming a ship, holding a liquor bottle in one hand, pouring it onto her face as if washing, then barking like a dog, Mare Pirate.
“Real men wear pink!”
Exhibiting breathtakingly well-executed sexy dance moves with vibrant hip movements, Agent Unicorn.
“Our company is a VTuber firm, not a mental health clinic or something. No matter the inquiry….”
Wakamou Inarizushi, crouching like a virtual corporate president answering a phone call.
[Vying heroes gather for a blockbuster action debut to retake Seoul!]
“Is such gear acceptable?”
An inquiry from Manager Wanda Haye to Ichigo, modestly armed before departure.
“It’s fine, no problems.”
With a confident smirk, Ichigo double-checks the chamber and bolts forward, weapon in tow.
Then a montage of all sorts of monsters occupying Seoul flashes by.
The eerie captain of a ghost ship drifting on the Han River.
A mysterious gigantic shadow cast beneath the Han.
The black Imugi coiling around and erupting from the 63 Building.
A horde of countless monsters rampaging across alleys.
The Gazer swarming in dark places including the subway.
Then the scene rewinds rapidly.
“Is such equipment okay?”
“The best one, please.”
Polite yet distinct, ensuring clear comprehension!!
As the 5 agents gather and approach from the perspective of the audience, another fancy explosion occurs behind them, revealing the sizeable title of Ichigo’s premium broadcast.
[『Battlefield: Seoul Retake 2』Coming soon!]
A purely campy B-grade-feeling teaser video overflowing with zaniness.
Captain Korea, Hawk China, Tin Ultron, Pink Gay, Blue Alcohol.
A rare sight of crazies in one spot for an epic mission!
In the midst, newcomers wondering if it’s real ask, as the shipmates pull their leg.
Both believers, friends, sailors, and lesser creatures circulated the video, heralding the opening move for newbie abductions.
If you hop on this VTuber company train, best give up any intention to disembark!
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