Chapter 15: Purpose

Eventually falling completely into a groggy state and guzzling alcohol, Miss K only finally spoke up the next morning when she got out of bed.

“The Dimensional Accord is a sort of rule system designed to protect Earth, the planet we’re currently on.”

“Starting with an explanation the moment you wake up?”

“…It’s part of the contract.”

The pitiful expression she made while drunk the night before was now completely gone, replaced by her usual businesslike demeanor.

“First, contractors must not reveal their identities. Nor may they disclose anyone else’s identity in any way. Second, contractors are forbidden from fighting each other on Earth. Third, they must not use their powers to force viewers to watch their broadcasts. Fourth…”

“Wait a second, I need to take notes…”

“No need. I’ll compile everything and give it to you later. For now, just remember those first three rules.”

I had rushed to grab some A4 paper from my drawer, but stopped and opened my mouth again after hearing her considerate response.

“Then could I ask you to explain the overall situation too?”

“Certainly. I’ll explain it in order. You may have already realized this, but all the virtual streamers currently broadcasting around the world are real beings from other dimensions.”

As I listened to her explanation, I found myself swallowing dryly and nodding.

At last, I was finally getting a proper explanation for how everything had unfolded.

“This is actually top-tier classified information… but I’ll share it anyway. In every dimension except Earth, supernatural powers, magic, and even divine beings exist.”

“Which means…”

“Yes. Earth is the only planet in this dimension that lacks supernatural abilities, magic, or divine creators.”

As I listened, a small curiosity began to form.

So, does that mean other planets in this dimension could potentially have magic or divine beings?

“…By the way, no high-dimensional civilizations have been discovered on any planets in this dimension other than Earth. So they’re exceptions.”

K added that explanation right on cue, shutting down my theory immediately.

“In any case, Earth is the only zone free from anomalous powers or divine control. Not that there haven’t been past attempts to invade…”

“……What?”

“Forget I said anything. Earth was first invaded by a high-dimensional entity just a few days ago.”

Hearing that, I glanced toward the soundproof booth and spoke.

“Are you talking about that thing I bought at the supermarket that’s now staring into the fish tank for hours on end?”

“…….”

“Pretty pathetic for the first invader, isn’t it?”

Hearing that, Miss K suddenly put on a stern expression.

“Sure, maybe it looks that way now that it’s bound by your settings, Master Haru.”

“…Really?”

“But not long ago, that entity—Minater Shia—was a dimensional-level disaster, an uncontainable being.”

That thing? 

The one peering into the fish tank with sparkling eyes full of curiosity? 

Honestly, I still couldn’t believe it.

“She’s an Outer God from a dimension beyond comprehension, a realm that existing dimensional beings can’t even perceive. There was no way to stop such a being.”

“…….”

“Except for one method—a cheat that’s been passed down in secret for ages.”

What followed was a truly shocking revelation.

“Have you ever read a comic, watched an anime, or read a novel and thought, ‘I wish this story were real’?”

“…A few times, sure.”
“Then congratulations. One-tenth of all stories on Earth were actually shared by divine beings from other dimensions.”

“Wait, what?”

“Just by sharing stories from their own worlds, they could gather the attention and fascination of Earthlings—what you’d call ‘faith.’ That’s why high-dimensional gods often used this trick.”

Wow. I feel like I’ve just uncovered another huge secret. I’m not gonna get abducted again for knowing this stuff, right?

“Of course, sometimes things went wrong and people on Earth got sucked into those stories. It’s called the ‘Loopback Phenomenon.’”

“…….”

“Some gods even intentionally sabotaged the endings of stories to provoke that phenomenon. But anyway, back to the main topic.”

I kind of wanted to hear more about that, but perhaps sensing my curiosity, K returned to the original discussion.

“After Minater Shia began her cross-dimensional invasion, the divine beings and contractors—basically the protagonists—agreed to use that old trick more officially, through Earth.”

“…And that’s what VTubers are?”

“Yes. It’s much simpler and more efficient to gather faith than releasing full media productions.”

That made me realize something.

“Is that why so many VTubers are suddenly going full-on idol mode lately…?”

“…That’s outside my department. I was part of the Response Unit, not Policy.”

Expertly dodging the question like a seasoned bureaucrat, she glanced sideways at Shia, who was still staring at the fish tank with a goofy “ehehe~” smile.

“Anyway, everything was going smoothly. We were gathering energy peacefully and preventing interdimensional invasions effectively…”
“…….”
“And then, suddenly, that creature became a VTuber and started streaming.”

“Yikes.”

“From that point on, I’m sure you know more than I do, Master Haru.”

Once that long-winded explanation came to an end, K cleared her throat slightly and looked back at me.

“Do you have any remaining questions? I’ll answer whatever I can.”

“Actually, yeah, I’ve got a few.”

And I did. So I asked without hesitation.

“So is the Dimensional Accord equally ratified across all dimensions? Or is there some higher authority that enforced it?”

“…Why do you ask?”

“Because the way you explained it, it sounds like there’s some kind of enforcement mechanism everyone’s scared of. Doesn’t feel like just a mutual agreement.”

K stared at me quietly for a moment, then suddenly responded with a serious tone.

“…That’s classified.”

“Huh?”

“All I can tell you is that the Dimensional Broadcasting Council I belong to takes orders from ‘higher-ups.’”

For some reason, I had the distinct feeling I shouldn’t press any further on this topic.

So I quickly moved on to another question.

“The second question. What happens if a normal person—not a being from another dimension—tries to become a VTuber? I mean, there must be quite a few streamers who used to do face-cam streams and switched to VTubing…”

“First, all currently existing MCNs are affiliated with our Dimensional Broadcasting Council. So there’s no chance of a regular person debuting through an MCN.”

“…Then what about indie VTubers?”

“If a normal person attempts to debut as an independent VTuber, our Council’s response division immediately takes action.”

Again, I felt that chilling sensation down my spine. Seems like my questions were hitting the mark.

“Uh… what kind of action?”

“If they’re not well-known, we manipulate exposure algorithms and viewer counts in coordination with the platform.”

“And if they are well-known…?”

“What I attempted to do to you a few days ago—that’s what happens.”

So basically, abduction and forced recruitment by the Council? That’s terrifying.

“Isn’t that… a crime?”

“Please don’t misunderstand. We are neither good nor evil. If you’re trying to argue moral responsibility, I can’t answer that.”

“…….”

“Of course, we don’t hurt civilians. We merely perform minor memory erasure.”

At this point, I thought it was just a shady corporation. Turns out it’s more like a full-blown secret organization.

“Then what about my childhood friend, Yoo Haneul?”

“…”

“She’s been my friend since kindergarten—she’s clearly from Earth.”

Trying to ignore the goosebumps rising on my skin, I threw out one last question. K gave a slight frown and paused before responding.

“That’s confidential too, but… some contractors have negotiated with the Dimensional Broadcasting Council to cross over from their own dimensions to Earth.”

“Ah…”

“Of course, those contractors are forbidden from fighting or abusing their powers, but… well, things don’t always go ideally.”

Yeah, rules only work if they’re enforceable. Otherwise, they’re just a joke.

“That’s why the Council has formed a vigilante group on Earth to monitor and manage these contractors.”

“Is that the magical girl group Haneul belongs to…?”

“Yes. And for reference, there are more vigilante contractors selected from Earth than just those girls.”

Somehow, several VTuber groups popped into my head that seemed to fit that description.

But when I looked at K again, she looked exhausted (typical civil servant), so I decided to save my questions for later.

“Have your questions been answered a little now?”

“Yeah, I guess…”

“Then it’s my turn to ask.”

Just as I was about to shut my mouth and move on, K asked something that made me frown for a moment.

“What is your ultimate goal, Haru?”

My ultimate goal? That would be to build the strongest VTuber MCN with my own hands. And to create the strongest VTuber out there.

Oh, and there’s one sub-goal I’ve recently added: corrupting Minater Shia’s VTuber career so she can’t destroy Earth.

“Haha…”

But that’s probably not what K was asking about.

She wanted to know why I have that goal.

“…Revenge.”

“Revenge…?”

Since she shared so much with me, I figured I might as well answer honestly.

“Someone betrayed me and completely ruined me. Then I heard she made it big as a VTuber.”

“Who… was it?”

“Unfortunately, that’s all I know.”

Yeah. Ever since that incident, I haven’t been able to forget.

“From now on, I’ll start looking into it.”

My ultimate goal is to take thorough revenge on her—the one who drove me to this point.

“…Cough, cough.”

Though… I don’t know if I’ll have enough time.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yeah. More or less…”

I only have one year left.

***

Meanwhile, at that very moment—

“Hmm…”

A woman idly fiddling with her smartphone inside a dark soundproof booth glanced at the time and began moving her mouse around.

“What’s he planning now?”

“……”

“He’s gonna come crawling back anyway.”

Her voice turned cold as she muttered to herself.

“Probably by next year, he’ll come groveling. Hopefully he drops the whole ‘sick’ act by then.”

Then, clearing her throat, she focused her gaze on the monitor.

“Ahem, ahem.“

The next moment, her voice transformed completely—no trace of that icy tone remained.

“Hey heyy~! So good to see you all!”

As she smiled softly at the flood of comments streaming up the screen, the smartphone on the table beside her lit up the dark room.

[HaruHanJang Channel Official Comeback – A New Challenge in VTuber MCNs?]