Chapter 8: Elf Rights Business

"Hey, have you guys ever tried doing stuff like a Kamehame-whatever or a Hadou-whatever?"

Top Chat: Wow, you just randomly dropped such a Japanese-sounding topic out of nowhere.
Top Chat: Note: These words are coming from a green-haired elf lady who looks like a Westerner.
Top Chat: Why did you censor a character?

"If I don’t censor it, it’s dangerous."

Top Chat: Dangerous?
Top Chat: How?

"I’m an elf, you know? What if I say the full name and it actually comes out? I’m not some grade-schooler secretly practicing Kamehame-whatevers and Hadou-whatevers."

Top Chat: There was a theory that Kamehameha was actually magic.
Top Chat: Wait—how does the elf know about my childhood!?
Top Chat: So the elf was my childhood friend, the one with an eyepatch who was always wary of ‘the Organization’…
Top Chat: Since I’d lost all emotions, that means the elf is my childhood friend.
Top Chat: Trading in your cringe backstory for the right to be Elf’s childhood friend—hot seller.
Top Chat: What is that ultimate trade?
Top Chat: I’d rather trade my cringe backstory for the right to be Elf’s oversized shirt.
Top Chat: Don’t expand the lineup!

『What the hell are you guys even talking about…』

"Oh, Kirishi-tan. You done?"
『Yeah, I’m done! I beat the last two on your team and snatched a comeback victory! That makes it one win and one loss!』

Looking at the game screen, it showed Kirishi-tan’s team as the winners.

"You can actually win two-on-one, huh."

Top Chat: Elf actually won almost three-on-one though, just saying.
Top Chat: The power move of not even counting yourself.

"So how’d you win?"

『If I just waited, I would’ve lost on survivor count, so I charged right in! Took them down one by one, shot ‘em all dead!』

"Why are you mad?"

『Because! You! Didn’t! Watch! The match!』

Top Chat: lmao
Top Chat: I know I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t stop.
Top Chat: Uh, a bug occurred where the tea in my mouth teleported onto my monitor and desk, who do I report this to?
Top Chat: Swallow it.
Top Chat: Nobody asked for a clever comeback.
Top Chat: Still, I didn’t expect Kirishi-tan to be practicing techniques that assume ghosting.

"What’s ghosting?"

『…It’s when you watch your opponent’s stream while playing against them. You gain an advantage since you can see their situation. Right now, Elf and I are both streaming at the same time, but even then, if you want to do it, you have to get explicit permission first. It’s a forbidden move otherwise.』

"Then why were you practicing such a hassle of a technique?"

『It wasn’t meant for solo play. The plan was to have an allied player act as a spotter, give the signal when enemies entered the target area, and then I’d strike. But today, we didn’t have time to sync up markers, so I had no choice but to do it this way.』

"I see. …Wait, did you even ask my permission during the last stream?"

Top Chat: She did.
Top Chat: She asked.
Top Chat: Elf agreed right away.
Top Chat: He even shouted, ‘Long live ghosting!’
Top Chat: lol you guys

"Sheesh, you guys…"

Top Chat: Sorry lol
Top Chat: Elf’s too cute, couldn’t resist.
Top Chat: It was just practice, forgive us, forgive us.

"Mm. Forgiven."

Top Chat: Forgiven.
Top Chat: We’ve been forgiven!
Top Chat: ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES.
Top Chat: Gahaha, our justice has been proven!
Top Chat: The right to become Elf’s childhood friend in exchange for your cringe backstory—now officially licensed for sale!
Top Chat: I’ll buy it!
Top Chat: And what about the license for the Oversized Shirt Rights, huh?
Top Chat: …Wait, weren’t these guys not supposed to be forgiven?

『…You’re awfully close with your viewers, huh.』

"Am I?"

『Yeah. It makes me jealous… envious, even.』

On Kirishi-tan’s stream window, which had been left open since the last match, the chat scrolling by was clearly fewer in number compared to mine.

But—

"Kirishi-tan, you look pretty close with yours too."

『I don’t need your pity.』

"Wasn’t trying to pity you."

『Then what?』

I was starting to get it.
Kirishi-tan just wasn’t seeing what she should.

"Mm. Whatever I say now won’t get through anyway. Let’s go—the final round. That special move of yours… I’ll crack it wide open."

『If you think you can, then bring it on!』