The Villainess VTuber Tears People Apart

It’s rare for a company to debut just one VTuber at a time.

There are a few reasons for this. First, not every VTuber can be popular. Rather than debuting just one who might not gain much popularity, it’s strategically better to debut about five and hope that at least one of them catches on.

But more importantly, it’s about relationships.

Relationships are a crucial factor for VTubers.

For example, let’s say there’s a VTuber, A, who’s really boring. But if VTuber A is close friends with VTuber B, who is extremely popular in a major company, and their chemistry is entertaining, then VTuber A will also gain popularity.

This is a field where VTubers who would normally be left behind can survive solely because of their relationships.

“So, this time, including you, four people will debut as the 6th generation,” Rion said.

Before Laura’s debut, there were three things she needed to do. The first was to resolve the smurf account stomping issue. The second was to find an illustrator.

The third was to get along with her fellow cohorts.

“There are many viewers who pay close attention to the relationships between cohorts. When you become a VTuber, you’ll meet a lot of people, but your cohorts will be your most basic human connections, so be mindful of that.”

[Oh, don’t worry about it. Do you know who I am?]

Laura spoke in a confident voice.

[I am the jewel of the great ducal family, a peerless beauty. I am a flower that everyone wants to possess. When it comes to being loved, who could possibly surpass me?]

That’s what she said.

…Will this person really be okay?

It doesn’t seem like it…

***

Ayanokouji Sora.

This would be the name under which Seo Sora would debut as a VTuber.

It was a name that seemed cute, yet also not so cute. A bit ambiguous.

It was probably because the name was similar to her real name, making it hard to judge whether it was actually cute.

Objectively speaking, it was probably a cute name.

In any case, because it was similar to her real name, there would be fewer chances of slipping up during a broadcast.

However, it also increased the likelihood of her personal information being exposed, but Sora didn’t particularly care.

Becoming famous was what she wanted.

[S-Sora…]

As soon as she entered the voice channel, a voice greeted her.

Sora mentally flipped a switch.

Of course, it wasn’t that she physically pressed a switch after opening her head. It was just an image she imagined.

Even that made her feel like her mood had changed.

Sora smiled.

“Inagika, hi~. How have you been?”

[Oh… I-I’ve been fine.]

“It’s been a while since we last talked, hasn’t it~? I’m so glad to see you~. Don’t you agree~?”

Sora spoke in the most coquettish voice she could manage, while subtly checking the member list of the Discord server.

—

*Online──3*

【Ayanokouji Sora】

【Chel Sumeragi】

【Inagika】

*Offline──2*

【EYEAI Official Account】

【Aurora】

—

Ayanokouji Sora. Chel Sumeragi. Inagika.

These three were the successful applicants of EYEAI’s 6th generation audition.

‘Normally, they select five people per generation.’

For some reason, there were only three successful candidates this time.

Perhaps they thought it wouldn’t be good to increase the number of VTubers too much. Or maybe most of the participants in this audition lacked the necessary qualities.

While the former was more likely, Sora couldn’t entirely dismiss the latter possibility.

“There’s another person in the Discord now? Is that ‘Aurora’ the new 6th generation member?”

[Probably… I-I didn’t hear anything from the manager…]

Inagika mumbled in a hesitant voice.

Inagika.

One of the successful applicants of the EYEAI 6th generation, just like her.

Sora had spoken with Inagika several times before, but her impression of her never changed. This woman was an awkward introvert.

This wasn’t meant to criticize Inagika; it was just that her character itself was that of an awkward introvert.

She stuttered when she spoke, often used a hesitant tone, and sometimes struggled to control her voice pitch, occasionally overreacting.

‘Which is probably why she became a VTuber.’

Would someone with good grades, good social skills, and good looks become a VTuber?

Ultimately, those who pursue VTubing as a profession likely have some sort of issue. Maybe they don’t have the looks, the education, or the social skills.

In Inagika’s case, it seemed to be a lack of social skills that led her to apply for VTubing. Didn’t she say she applied for the audition because she lacked confidence in working in a company?

Even so, though…

Isn’t being able to speak well a basic requirement for a VTuber?

“I see. What about Chel? Do you know anything about this ‘Aurora’?”

Sora asked the other person present.

The person who was online in the Discord server and even connected to the voice channel with them, one of their fellow cohorts.

However, this person hadn’t said a word so far, nor had they made their presence known in any way.

It wasn’t until Sora called out that they heard the sound of the mic being turned on.

[No.]

Click.

The sound of the mic turning off again was heard.

Chel Sumeragi.

She was always like this.

If you didn’t speak to her first, she wouldn’t say anything on her own, and even when she did speak, it was often in single-word responses.

She wasn’t just indifferent to the world; it was as if she had no interest in conversation at all. It was clear she had no intention of talking to them.

‘Why did they gather such people?’

Sora shrugged her shoulders.

One was an awkward introvert, the other a lone wolf who isolates herself from the world.

But she didn’t think either of them was bad. She didn’t know if they’d succeed or fail as VTubers, but it didn’t really matter to Sora.

Because her two cohorts were so quiet, she would stand out regardless.

Which meant she could gain popularity.

To Sora, that one fact was important.

【Nekozuka Rion has joined the server.】

※Everyone, wave hello and greet them※

“Rion?”

Sora tilted her head at the sudden message.

Inagika, who hadn’t expected this either, spoke in a surprised voice.

[Oh, why is Rion here…?]

“Oh, now that you mention it, didn’t she say she was transitioning to a staff role? Maybe that’s why she’s here?”

Sora guessed that she wasn’t here as a senior VTuber but as a staff member managing EYEAI.

Supporting her speculation, Nekozuka Rion left a message in the chat.

Nekozuka Rion

[Hello, 6th generation. I’m Nekozuka Rion, the new manager at EYEAI.]

[The reason I’ve joined the server is to provide some guidance for you all.]

[Originally, the 6th generation was planned as a three-person group, but as of today, Aurora has joined, making it a four-person group.]

[It would be great if you could decide on a group name, debut stream order, and post-debut collaboration plans together with Aurora.]

“So, a new 6th generation member, huh.”

Sora muttered, unconsciously licking her lips. She wasn’t exactly thrilled.

At the same time, she was curious. The audition results had been out for quite some time, so why was a new 6th generation member appearing just a month before the debut?

What kind of person could they be?

-Ding

The notification sound indicated that a new person had joined the voice channel.

Looking at the member list in the server, the previously offline ‘Aurora’ was now online.

And the person who had joined the voice channel was also ‘Aurora.’

[It’s nice to meet you.]

“Huh?”

Sora, who was about to greet them first, hesitated.

It wasn’t just because Aurora had spoken first, but also because the voice sounded oddly familiar.

[Oh, are you the person who appeared on Anna’s stream?]

[Oh my, you’ve watched that broadcast?]

Aurora responded.

As soon as Inagika mentioned it, Sora remembered. She was Rion’s cousin… right?

According to Sora’s research, Rion had been living with her cousin for quite some time now.

Wasn’t Rion’s setting that of a runaway princess from a cat planet? It’s hard to see how living with a relative would count as running away.

In any case, she remembered hearing about Nekozuka Rion’s cousin.

Having the family of a VTuber appear on stream was a long-standing type of content.

What’s more, it had caused a bit of a stir in the community because it wasn’t even on Rion’s channel but on Anna’s channel.

And that strong character.

Plus, the exceptional gaming skills.

[I’ll be debuting alongside you all. Please take care of me.]

Aurora said with a slight laugh in her voice.

This… isn’t this totally unfair?

‘…Now I’m not going to stand out.’

Sora quickly sifted through the VTuber knowledge she’d accumulated over the past year. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t recall any instance of ‘a VTuber’s family member debuting as a VTuber themselves.’

Sure, there might be some out there, but… at least among the major VTubers, it hadn’t happened.

EYEAI might not be a global giant, but it was a well-known company in the country.

On top of that, wasn’t Nekozuka Rion the one making an unprecedented shift from VTuber to staff…?

It was bound to become a hot topic.

“At this rate, I’ll just be a supporting character…”

Sora felt a sense of crisis.