I May Be a Virtual Youtuber, but I Still Go to Work-Chapter 154

Taro’s assault rifle roared, sending a hail of bullets toward Magia as she disappeared into the rising smoke.

But only a few shots managed to hit her shield—none landed cleanly.

Without hesitation, Taro charged into the smoke after her.

For someone willingly diving into a smoke fight against Magia, her footsteps were light, her voice casual.

"Gonna run again? Like three years ago?"

But what looked like an advantage for Taro didn’t last long.

“...!”

Just as Taro fully entered the smoke, Magia burst out of it like a battering ram, slamming into her.

Taro had been mid-reload, preparing for the next fight.

She immediately switched to her secondary weapon—but too late.

A split-second hesitation delayed her next move, and the barrel of Magia’s gun didn’t wait.

Drrrrrrrk!

A storm of bullets tore into Taro.

It was less of a response to her taunt and more of a blunt-force rebuttal.

Taro barely managed to dive behind a tree planted within the smoke, her shields completely broken before she got to cover.

Her remaining health—two-thirds.

Retreating outside the smoke wasn’t an option.

With such a health disparity, stepping out into the open was suicide.

Taro muttered to herself as she used a shield battery.

"Same old personality, huh?"

And then—

A grenade dropped from the sky.

She hadn’t even seen the trajectory.

A vertical throw—pitched almost straight up.

Taro hadn’t spoken into the mic.

Magia had heard her footsteps as she ran for cover and preemptively threw a grenade.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

She was familiar with Magia’s style.

That’s how she had survived the SMG fights, sniper shots, smoke mind games, and even the shotgun baiting.

But grenades?

That was a first.

Not once had she ever seen Magia use anything other than smoke grenades.

Then again...

Given how perfectly Magia placed her smokes, and how flawlessly she had landed a vertical throw once in the Combative Tournament,

Maybe...

Maybe she should have seen this coming.

But dodging a grenade that explodes the moment it lands?

Even a pro would struggle with that.

——BOOM!

"Tch!"

She wasn’t dead.

But she might as well be.

She had stopped using the shield battery to dodge, which got interrupted.

And then she took additional grenade damage on top of it.

Now—even a single stray bullet would finish her.

Her only relief was that Magia must not have reloaded yet after throwing the grenade.

But shielding took longer than reloading.

If she tried to heal, she’d get caught.

She had no choice.

A desperation move.

Instead of praying that Magia wouldn’t find her, she ran her mouth.

"You know, we had some good memories back then. You're being pretty coldhearted."

Magia’s footsteps crunched through the grass, rapidly closing in.

She was moving with absolute precision.

A moment later—

The barrel of a sniper rifle emerged from the smoke.

A direct headshot angle.

Magia had stepped forward, weapon shouldered, ready to fire.

At point-blank range.

Quickscope?

No.

This was a desperation close-range sniper shot.

It was the same scuffed move players used when they only had a sniper and were forced into a fight.

But in a situation like this,

When every bullet mattered.

When the distance was practically nothing.

It was the best possible choice.

"Coldhearted? It’s just the game, Taro."

——BOOM.

Taro collapsed as the shot rang out.

The screen switched.

Parallel B-Team stood tall, their names glowing on the screen.

CHAMPIONS.

Round Over.

MCN Grand Battle, Day 1—OVER.

From the broadcast booth, Mugun’s voice exploded through the mic.

"The fiercest Battle Colosseum showdown we've ever seen—AND THE FINAL CHAMPIONS ARE... PARALLEL B-TEAM!!!"

***

The entire stadium—casters, players, and tens of thousands of viewers—had been holding their breath during the final 1v1 showdown.

Magia had, moment by moment, shattered expectations.

Hiding in the smoke?

Another smoke demon trick?

Absolutely not.

She immediately charged out and shredded Taro with an SMG spray.

Finishing the kill?

Not quite—Taro had barely escaped.

Taro was healing.

Magia’s SMG needed a reload.

Would she chase for a melee finish?

No.

She casually lobbed a grenade sky-high.

Taro, by the narrowest margin, survived again.

Now, Magia must reload her SMG, right? Or close in for a melee fight?

No.

As if mocking the very idea of using a gun,

She whipped out a sniper rifle and executed a point-blank shot.

Many had predicted Magia would be crowned Final MVP,

But half of them were just hopeful.

Yet, she had made it a reality.

And in the most spectacular way possible.

[Final MVP – Parallel B-Team: Magia (Acting Manager)]

Even during her runner-up interview, Taro unexpectedly shouted out Magia,

Hinting that Parallel and Bachubachu KR would continue a friendly rivalry.

"Brutal as ever. Well... I guess that’s part of the appeal."

"You two seem pretty close. I heard you had a history together. Are you still in touch?"

"Yeah. We never had any bad blood, really. I just... struggle with cat-like personalities."

— ?

— Wait, what.

— MAGIA = CAT?? NOTED.

— Why tho? 🤨

— Even Taro struggles with Magia?!

— What the hell is Magia, seriously?!

"Huh. That’s quite the statement. This is gonna have some serious ripple effects...."

"Well, I completely lost today. If possible, I’d love to face her again in Combative. Maybe swap home and away next time."

"Ah, yes. I hope you two can work out your schedules accordingly."

— LMAO.

— "Work out your schedules," yeah right. 😂

— Mugun casually stirring the pot and dipping.

— Peak world-class evasion, lol.

— At this point, he’s an arsonist. 🔥🔥🔥

The Taro Effect

If it had been anyone else, the comment might’ve been brushed off.

But this was Taro.

A business-first VTuber who never name-dropped unless it was 100% confirmed.

Naturally, speculation erupted over a possible Magia-Taro collab post-MCN Grand Battle.

A flawless streak leading to a walk-off home run.

Parallel’s Official Broadcast Explodes in Viewership

By the end of the stream, Parallel’s official almost overtook the MCN’s official channel, nearing 70,000 viewers.

🔴 [Parallel Official]

🔴 [KR MCN Grand Battle - Day 1] 👪 68,209 viewers

Parallel Behind Surges in Subscribers

Parallel’s behind-the-scenes channel gained tens of thousands of new subscribers overnight.

📢 Parallel Behind @parallel_official_behind

📢 Subscribers: 58,334 | Videos: 49

📢 Full VOD channel excluding official announcements.

Unexpected Ripple Effects

This unexpected surge had an unintended side effect.

PINO ("Papa") and Akari Dora ("Mama")—key figures in Parallel’s background operations—suddenly gained a ton of attention.

Unfortunately...

With the newfound spotlight came the "Certified Lolicon" title, thanks to Magia and Luna’s constant pairing in fan discussions.

But the real shift?

The Taro x Magia ship.

Not "Luna x Magia" anymore—

The fandom had officially rebranded it as "Taro x Magia."

Taro’s final-battle dialogue and post-match interview had ignited something far more dangerous than in-game rivalries:

The unstoppable imagination of VTuber fans.

Bachubachu Gallery Goes Wild

... ─— Bachubachu Gallery ─— ...

[Wait, Luna’s not the mom anymore—Magia has two moms now? LOL]

[Magia is the undisputed king of Battle Colosseum.]

[A rematch in Combative is inevitable.]

★ [Just saying, but...]

[Okay, so it’s not "a new mom," it’s "an older sister."]

[Taro = Mama, Magia = Big Sis. 🤯]

[Taro Mama Heung~]

★ [Luna's the real winner here. EU]

...

... ─────────── ...

Revealing the Past: The Momo-Taro-Flare Gun Era

... ─— Bachubachu Gallery ─— ...

[Just saying, but...]

So, back in the ancient "Momo-Taro" era, there was some weird tension.

If you watched those streams back then, you’d know.

Momo, Taro, and Flare Gun (Magia's past alias) used to queue together all the time.

(Flare Gun wasn’t an official member—she just kept sniping their games.)

It felt like...

Momo and Taro were constantly arguing over who Flare Gun belonged to.

Flare Gun always countered by team-killing them,

reminding them she was just a stream sniper.

(This was before Magia’s gender was revealed, so both fandoms probably tried to avoid fueling any weird rumors.)

But let’s be real.

Whenever Flare Gun carried,

Momo and Taro were BOTH happy.

It makes sense.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Taro only rose through the FPS pro scene after learning from Flare Gun.

She never admitted it, but even now,

when she fights Magia, she’s always one step ahead—

Because she knows all of Magia’s habits from back then.

[Comments]

— Bachu395: -tilt-

— Bachu808: This lore is so ancient, it’s practically a dead scroll. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

— Bachu062: How am I only learning this now?

ㄴ Bachu567: They barely ever mention it. We just assumed they wanted to keep it lowkey.

ㄴ Bachu991: Didn’t this end in bad blood?

ㄴ Bachu256: Nah, that was just nonsense speculation.

ㄴ Bachu606: Wait, so they’re cool?

ㄴ Bachu009: The drama was all fake, lmao.

... ─────────── ...

Luna’s Massive Growth

... ─— Bachubachu Gallery ─— ...

[Luna's the real winner. EU]

Magia’s "Mom and Big Sis" duo went absolutely insane this tournament.

And since Luna’s closely tied to both, she skyrocketed too.

Her subscriber growth is insane.

Clip channels are pumping out videos nonstop featuring Taro, Luna, and Magia.

[Comments]

— Bachu595: "Streaming is all about connections," and she’s proving it, lol.

— Bachu440: When did Magia become "Big Sis" material? 😂

ㄴ Bachu169: She’s senior, but not Taro-level. So, fandom settled on "Big Sis."

— Bachu401: So when’s the Parallel x Bachubachu event?

ㄴ Bachu980: Taro seems down for it anytime.

ㄴ Bachu980: Honestly, KR is basically Taro’s home turf.

Because of this, Parallel managed to neatly sidestep the issue that Magia and Momo had always been wary of—the perception that Parallel was actively trying to cling to Bachubachu.

Yet, at the same time, they had managed to establish a real connection.

And that was all thanks to Taro.

She was the core of Bachubachu KR, someone notoriously strict about business, who would outright reject any collaborations unless they were a sure thing.

But this time?

She had consistently shouted out Magia and Parallel in nothing but a positive light.

With Taro’s approval, the Bachubachu fanbase naturally began warming up to Magia, Momo, and Parallel as a whole.

And then there was the unsolved mystery of the Momo-Taro-Magia history.

This lingering curiosity only intensified interest in a major collab between Parallel and Bachubachu.

Since Magia rarely acted alone, speculation grew that she would only agree to something on a larger scale.

And the Parallel fandom, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, immediately took action.

... ─— Parallel (VTuber) Gallery ─— ...

[SPAM SUPPORT, NOW.]

They’re a big corpo and way more cautious about competitor collabs than we are.

But right now, they’re mentioning us like crazy in their circles.

This is as green of a light as it gets.

(Only for Magia, but still.)

If we want more Parallel x Bachubachu collabs, we need to push hard now.

If we’re gonna ride this wave, let’s make it count.

[Comments]

— Parallel712: LMAO that last part was so honest.

— Parallel551: DAE. BA. CHU.

— Parallel606: DAE. BA. CHU.

— Parallel907: Parallel & Bachubachu Collab Prayer Day 1

— Parallel152: Tbh, I really wanna know what went down between Momo, Taro, and Magia. 😂

ㄴ Parallel152: They keep dropping hints, but never the full story. It’s driving me nuts.

ㄴ Parallel299: RIGHT?!

ㄴ Parallel097: Just spill the damn lore already!

A Perfect Storm: Battle Colosseum Pro Teams, VTuber Fandoms, and Tournament Hype Collide

The Battle Colosseum pro scene, the massive Bachubachu VTuber fandom, and even casual viewers drawn in by the tournament’s success—

The more people talked about it, the more the storm grew.

Magia had skyrocketed to stardom.

But despite this explosive rise, she was still an employee, not a solo VTuber.

Sure, people could watch her full gameplay on Parallel Behind, but—

What most viewers really wanted were edited highlights and short clips.

And reflecting this demand, dozens of new Magia-focused clipping channels sprang up within a week.

Some thrived.

Others disappeared almost immediately.

🔔 [🥔 Nutube] - Community Post

"MagiaMagiaTenshi" | 3,000 subscribers

Thank you all for ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the overwhelming support in just a few days!

I got a job, so I’ll be stopping uploads for now,

but I’m sure we’ll meet again!

[Comments]

@GIAGIAGIAGIA 13 minutes ago

"If you got taken by the official team, shake a slug round."

ㄴ @mgamgts 7 minutes ago

(( 💄 ))

ㄴ @magiamustdebut 6 minutes ago

"Wait. Is Magia FINALLY debuting??"

ㄴ @gogohut 5 minutes ago

"No way. It’s probably just a personal channel?"

ㄴ @321klsadfff 4 minutes ago

"And how is that any different from a debut?"

ㄴ @gogohut 3 minutes ago

"...Oh?"

Meanwhile, Magia Was as Unbothered as Ever

Even as the entire community was going insane,

Magia was busy preparing Fan_C’s new song, setting up environments for 2nd-gen talents, and running around with Gong Seung-yeon.

She hadn’t streamed even once in a whole week.

Leaving fans in a painful state of anticipation.

To make matters worse—

Taro also went completely silent about Parallel after the tournament.

Leaving everyone stewing in their impatience.

***

Amidst all this chaos—

Two longtime friends met in person for the first time in a long while.

"Are you seriously gonna collab with Gia?"

Momo started.

Taro’s reply was dry as ever.

"If I can, I will. If not, then I won’t."

Momo narrowed her eyes.

"You never say anything on stream unless you’re sure about it."

"Who knows? Maybe I’ve changed over the years."

"I still watch all your streams. You haven’t. You’re the same. Still living and breathing for streaming."

At that, Taro finally smiled and idly touched her bangs.

"You’re right. I just... want Gia to get more famous."

Momo blinked.

What?

She expected Taro to say something about her own growth.

But instead, she wanted Gia to be more famous?

After a moment of silence, Momo licked her lips, then asked—

"She already has a stable job. What’s the point of pushing her higher? She’s busy as hell as it is."

Taro’s voice remained calm, measured.

"It’s a debt. ‘You got your boost from me, so help us out in return later.’ It’s business.

"In the end, Parallel’s rep went up too. So it was a good deal, wasn’t it?"

"That’s true, but...."

Momo looked hesitant.

She was thinking back to three years ago.

Back to the conversation they had when they each chose their own paths.

Her tone grew sharper.

"Taro. You’re not trying to take Gia, are you?"

Taro grinned.

A genuine smile.

One that Momo hadn’t seen in a long time.

But it did nothing to ease her worries.

If anything—

It only made her more anxious.

"That’s a secret."