Chapter 42 – Let's Watch the Streamer Song Battle Together

Тhere seеm tо be sevеral stylеs оf strеаming: Dungеоn cleаring streams, vidео uplоаd strеаms, сhat strеams, singing slоts, and then thеrе’s sоmеthing callеd watсh-alongs.

Thеsе watch-alongs аrе streams where yоu wаtch content togеthеr with the listenеrs and shаrе уоur reactions.

Нonestlу, I nеvеr used to undеrstаnd thе apрeal оf this kind of stream.

Watсhing а streamеr whо cаn’t plaу any audiо or vidео due to copуright, just watсhing thеm wаtch sоmething.

What’s fun аbоut just viеwing their reаctiоns?

It’s fun!

“Аlright, аs рrоmised! Wе’rе ringing in thе New Yеаr watching the Streamer Song Battle? Song Festival? Are you ready, Peppers!? Meat Brigade!?”

※『Yeeeeeah!』『New Year’s Eve!』『Can’t wait!』

“Everyone, did you open the Streamer Song Festival in a separate window? Can’t do that on your phone? In that case, use this app or open it in a web browser. Okay, start!”

『Everyone, thank you for your hard work this past year! Tonight, let’s sing and make merry at this year’s final major event! The Streamer Song Festival! Let’s enjoy ourselves!』

The host is a female streamer named Kaerutobi Kuroro.

She’s a unique independent streamer who excels in Dungeons by using Modern Magic to replicate frog abilities.

Apparently, she’s actually a former announcer for a private broadcaster, and she leveraged those connections to pull off this event.

And get this—this is already the fifth one!!

It started as a very small, niche event, but with each iteration it gained attention, and from the third one onward, corporations began sponsoring it.

From the fourth one, the Labyrinth Ministry started fully backing it.

And now the fifth.

They’ve finally rented out a huge hall venue for it.

Man, that’s really amazing. Incredible.

She’s a real go-getter.

Knowing the person behind Kuroro, I think the streamer style, which provides a place for people to shine even after retirement, is a good thing.

Celebrities on TV often have to change how they market themselves as they age.

But not everyone can change their approach so easily…

By donning an Avatar, those people can utilize the skills they honed in their youth.

That’s what a streamer is.

Apparently, when you put on an Avatar, your physical abilities return to those of your prime.

“You know, Spice has known Kuroro since his debut ten years ago, but it’s really great she’s been able to be active as a streamer, right?”

※『Ten years ago? I was still in kindergarten!』『That much of a veteran!?』『Talking about the person behind the avatar is forbidden, yo』『Little Spice is supposed to be a little girl, so ten years ago can’t be right』

“Wahaha, let’s keep that off the record, please! Ah, this part’s gonna get clipped for sure. Anyway, today, Kuroro’s co-host is someone you all know too… Oh, here she comes!”

『Hyahha!! Everyone, let’s enjoy this year-end event!!』

“Nice! Chara-weei!!”

I cheered.

The Grimoires were also making a racket behind me.

※『It’s surprisingly lively for Little Spice’s personal watch-along stream lol』『The Grimoires are energetic lol』

“Grimoires are basically festival lovers, you know.”

※『Really!?』『I thought they’d have calmer personalities…』

That’s right.

At the very least, Flota is outgoing, and Ignite, while his voice and way of speaking are distinctive, has the bright, joke-loving personality of a cheerful old man.

I wonder what the other Grimoires’ personalities are like.

Looking forward to it.

But, to obtain Grimoires, I have to engage in deadly battles with other Witches, so it’s a bit tough.

I wish I at least had time to plan countermeasures.

※『Little Spice has entered deep thought』『If a streamer stays silent for 30 seconds, it’s a broadcasting accident lol』

“Ah, sorry, sorry! I was thinking about countermeasures for the other Witches! There are still six enemies left, after all. By streaming like this, Spice wants to lure them out little by little and take them down one by one!”

※『Nice!』『Go for it!』『But is it wise to say that on stream? lol』『You’re showing your hand lol』

“Well, by saying this, they’ll wonder if Spice is telling the truth or lying, right? The Witch of Flame who came without doubting got perfectly countered and taken down!”

The supermodel Freya has gone missing.

Somehow, no search was conducted, and there have been no protests or anything from her home country either.

There are fans expressing disappointment, and people puzzled that her country isn’t even showing signs of investigating her disappearance.

There were conspiracy theories floating around about it, but as the year ends, people seem to be starting to forget.

Oops, gotta get back to the watch-along.

One after another, the Song Festival’s guests are being introduced.

They don’t seem to be judges, just guests who came to be there, it seems.

There are guests who sing and guests who just watch.

First, the Labyrinth Ministry Director-General gave a greeting.

So that biker guy really was the Director-General, huh.

He looks sharp in a suit.

Man, he looks really strong.

Even in his real body, isn’t he stronger than the average streamer, this guy?

And next is…

“Oh, it’s voice actress Nonaka Satona. She’s popular, right?”

※『Satona is cute!』『I like her』『Love her voice』『I wish she’d do streams』

“Voice actors seem suited to being streamers, huh. They’re probably good at talking. And next…”

『And now, a surprise guest! When you think of streamers this year, it’s this person! Her stream in America that shook the whole world is still fresh in our memories!』

“They’re hyping it up! Though we already know exactly who’s coming!”

※『It’s Little Hazuki!』『She’s sitting there looking nervous!』『So cute!!』

She’s looking around all over the place.

She doesn’t seem to realize she’s the one being introduced.

『Let me introduce her! A major streamer who’s no longer a newcomer! Kiraboshi Hazuki!!』

The spotlight fell on her.

A girl with pink hair, wearing a dress today that looks like a singer’s costume.

“This year was crazy, huh. Like, wasn’t it the year the biggest incident in the streaming world happened? Little Hazuki went to America and defeated that super-strong Demon called a Cardinal Sin? that was there, liberating California.”

※『It was amazing!』『When the plane became the Kiraboshi Hazuki, I was shook』『She’s the heroine of our times』『It’s insane』

Probably the most spectacularly active person this year was her.

She’s supposedly a high school girl, but the truth is unknown.

But from her mannerisms and way of speaking, I predicted she’s probably the age she appears to be.

She might surprisingly be a young lady attending that prestigious girls’ school I went to the other day.

Her delicate movements somehow seem refined.

“Since Little Hazuki is making a big splash out in the open, it means Spice can do what he likes behind the scenes, right? The enemy Witches can’t ignore her either. If I accidentally ran into her, that’d be bad news!”

※『She’d get taken out before fighting Little Spice!』『Burdock Flash!』『I wanna see a collab between Little Spice and Little Hazuki』

“Hahaha, Spice is an old man, so that’d be a problem, you know.”

While talking like that, I thought it’d be good to use her existence to my advantage in the battles with the Witches.

She’s doing things on a scale that moves the world.

So the ripple effects aren’t small either.

Reading these ripples and using them to gain an advantage in my personal battles.

Going forward, this will probably be an essential method for advancing my streaming activities.

Reading the trends of the times is a necessary skill for a savvy old man.

“Ah, looks like the hot water Flota boiled is ready, so Spice is gonna eat his New Year’s Eve soba! It’s soba ASMR time.”

※『Bless』『Bless』『Bless』『I got called for soba too! I’m heading out!』『See you later!』

Well, this watch-along stream itself proceeded in a warm, friendly atmosphere.