No Calamity Befalls a God You Don't Provoke

[Author: 1000hade]

[Title: The Long-Postponed End of Shang Is Drawing Near..]

It is impolite to mention a VTuber's past life.

Since she said she isn't that person, the believers can pretend not to know.

A fox god who travels with Hohui-mi, protects Liu Bei's descendant, and possesses the Imperial Seal of China.

We no longer need to know anything else!

-Daji came back because retro is trendy nowㅇㅇ..

-Trends always come back around.

ㄴIt came back way too far!!!

-Lady Daji simply likes China.

-You just want to expand it into the Five Dynasties and Sixteen Kingdoms.

-If it's not a great power, it's not China—it's just a small country, right?

-Isn't it only natural for a small country to follow Korea?

-Hey, Pirate started streaming. The announcement is up.

ㄴWhat is it?

ㄴShe says she might stream by herself for several days, so there won't be any breaks until she comes back?

ㄴHey, hey, we're fucked. The channel owner posted a vacation notice on her clip channel.

ㄴThe channel owner, who has never taken a day off until now? Seriously?

ㄴYeah.....

ㄴSo this is how China falls....

ㄴI'm going to pay tribute in Pirate's stream... If I become a top donor, Lady Wakamo will save me.

China's current president, Zhao Heping, was growing weaker by the day.

He maintained his dictatorial regime. He had only recently become president in the aftermath of the Tower's collapse, but declarations of independence that offended him and Climbers running wild had left him seething.

Beginning with America's unpleasant interference supposedly intended to preserve peace, Taiwan had even seized Fujian Province across the sea.

Hong Kong asserted its independence and declared itself free from government interference—and following its lead, the Uyghurs and Tibetans boldly declared independence as well, since the existence of the 『Tower』 allowed them to obtain all kinds of resources, including water.

While even those irritating peninsula bastards from that small country were getting on his nerves, Japan was laughing at China for not knowing its place as the international situation turned against it. Russia had gone so far as to shamelessly occupy ownerless territory under the pretext of protecting the nation from monsters. What more was there to say?

It was absolutely unacceptable.

He had to stop it.

"I never expected the president of a small country to cooperate so readily. So, have you made contact with the Climber?"

"Yes..... But, the Climber was accompanied by a guardian."

"Hmph... What an absurd thing to say. There is no way an existence like Daji is real. They must be using some trick like a 『Legendary Class』. Climbers are even worse; they should be serving their country, yet all they do is pursue their own interests. The nation's future is bleak."

The president of Korea was afraid of Wakamo.

Afraid that she was beguiling the people.

Afraid that she might reveal her true nature at any moment and develop the ambition to swallow Korea whole.

He had begged them to kill her, saying that the [Tower Conquerors] in China would be able to do so. He honestly did not care about the affairs of some small country—but the [Imperial Seal of China] that the fox monster had supposedly brought with her was worth reclaiming.

It had originally been an object of China. The very idea that some mere beast dared to claim ownership of it was preposterous.

"We have commissioned a job for 50 million yuan."

They could not allow reactionary terrorist elements occupying Sichuan Province to become China's president.

There was a terrorist who sought to destroy the peace of his country and a united China, called himself the Son of Heaven, embraced anarchist ideas, and wanted to return to imperialism. There was more than enough justification for him to commit such an act.

"In the end, Climbers are nothing special. A mere Floor 30 conqueror can't beat a gun."

All they had to do was disguise the incident as a terrorist attack committed by the Collector's supporters, then deal with the fox and recover both the Imperial Seal and the Climber. The Tower was allowing every country to advance into the developed world and prosper, so did it make any sense for China to lose its leadership in East Asia?

"Do everything in your power to ensure you don't fail."

"What should we do about civilian casualties?"

"It is unfortunate, of course."

The president reacted with utter cynicism. Removing impure elements to reclaim power was more important, and they could simply pin all responsibility for the deaths on those who supported such terrorists.

"What if they discover that we caused the terrorist attack ourselves?"

"They never will. I will leave it to the dedicated team, Mr. President."

Even if something happened, there was no chance of their own involvement being discovered.

There had already been more than enough terrorist attacks carried out by Climbers inciting citizens in the name of fighting for their freedom.

"Prepare propaganda to sway public opinion as well. The [Imperial Seal of China] is a legitimate Chinese cultural heritage item. It is not something a small country should possess."

"......Mr. President. If I may be so bold. What if she really is the legendary Daji?"

"Then Jiang Ziya must exist as well. Don't believe in superstitions."

※※※

"The General Secretary is waiting for Lady Wakamo...! Please...!"

"I told you I'm hungry, didn't I?"

The government agent could not refuse when Wakamo arbitrarily asked to be taken to the most expensive and luxurious restaurant in Shanghai.

She was a Climber. If she killed him simply because she was displeased, it might end with nothing more than a politically awkward incident.

He prepared an excuse that he had been powerless against her. He continued earnestly trying to persuade Wakamo, saying that he would be unable to escort her if that happened and that hardliners supporting the [Collector] might commit a terrorist attack to kill Yu Ying, but.

Wakamo had never intended to be persuaded in the first place.

When Wakamo remained brazen to the very end, he instead seemed relieved, showed her to the restaurant, and quickly withdrew.

Even after the soldiers following her as though they were escorting her had fallen behind, Wakamo did not stop acting until she entered a private room at the upscale Shanghai restaurant.

"It's fine because I have a shield item. I've also prepared detection-type accessories in case of assassins."

"It doesn't matter how many people come. Manager, why don't you eat as much as you like today? Let's order as much alcohol as we want, too."

"Yes, please."

"I'm on duty, so I'll have to decline."

Because the association president had been summoned by the president's political maneuvering, Wakamo had come to China without even a single escort.

Still, the association president had given her the best support possible, deciding that Manager Wonda Hye alone from the surveillance team would be more than enough, and she had followed Wakamo as her manager.

If they cooperated with China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which were backed by the United States and the [Collector], could find themselves at a disadvantage. There might indeed be a terrorist attack to kill Yu Ying, just as the Chinese agent had warned. But then again, considering how desperate the president was to kill Wakamo simply because she was a thorn in his side....

'There was also talk that a Chinese Climber had been spotted at the site of the Gimpo Tower collapse the other day"

They had fled after destroying the evidence, leaving only eyewitness accounts and insufficient physical proof.

Perhaps China had been scheming for a long time to kill Wakamo and seize the [Imperial Seal of China] she possessed.

Just looking at the item effects of 【Sword-Seal of the King of Han and China】.... Wakamo could probably meet its conditions as well. If she used it to raise an army, she would be a calamity even to other factions.

That possibility could therefore serve as a justification for fabricating a terrorist attack.

'Whether an assassination attack.....is possible or not isn't important.'

There was no chance it would kill Wakamo. It would only provoke her instead...!!

'If China, driven to the brink, fires a nuclear weapon with a to-hell-with-it attitude, that would be a catastrophe in its own right....'

How had she ended up caught in such a huge mess? Manager Wonda Hye, dizzy with despair, lamented as she watched all kinds of Chinese dishes begin to fill the table and swallowed hard.

Yes, let's think positively and call this an overseas trip.

"Manager, this one has poison."

"Really~? Yu Ying is talented too~ What kind of poison is it?"

"Umm... an amonté flavor... zhēn sān gā lǐ? It seems to have a little poison too? It looks like red shāshēng powder."

"Hmm~ Manager, do you have poison resistance?"

"....No."

"Then you shouldn't eat it. Hmm, this one has a bit of a sharp taste, doesn't it?"

"Poison! Poison too!"

"Oh, dear, is that so~ Eat plenty~"

"Okaaay."

Unlike the grim-faced manager, Wakamo and Yu Ying were completely calm. Yu Ying was an Alchemist with a poison resistance skill, while Wakamo's entire body was made of Mana, so ordinary poisons capable of killing a human simply did not affect her.

Yu Ying was one thing, but seeing Wakamo remain perfectly fine as well, Manager Wonda Hye could only sigh as she stared at the food in front of her.

Judging by the light shining from the earrings she was wearing, it was obvious that poison gas was also being released silently.

They had reacted this quickly? It was no different from having been followed along their route from the very beginning.

It was safe to assume they had intended to kill her from the start. If not, then the Chinese government's incompetence had finally pierced the heavens.

"Manager-nim."

Yu Ying sensed the presence before the manager could react, and Wakamo naturally rose from her seat and opened the door to the private room.

After all..... Wouldn't it be troublesome if they tried to take a hostage?

The moment they stepped into the hallway, a hulking man stood waiting as though he had been lying in wait for her. The muscular man, who appeared to be around 190 centimeters tall, was clad in clothing that looked like a full riot-control suit.

Could it be called a full-body suit? When Wakamo stared at him, he charged without even introducing himself.

"You could at least introduce yourself."

"Die, monster!!"

The fact that he could speak told her he was a Climber, and immediately afterward, the Climber's fist struck Wakamo squarely in the abdomen.

The [Fighter], who had conquered a Tower before, had confidence in the custom knuckles made solely for killing Climbers rather than fighting in the Tower.

Even [Rare Metal] could be broken if enough force was added.

But the moment he struck her, he felt his fingers shatter. He had learned skills in the recovery and stamina lines that allowed him to maintain combat, so they would recover in an instant, but.

The sensation he felt at the instant of impact.... It was as though he had struck a gigantic mountain...!!

The fact that she had not even been pushed back despite his full-force acceleration was also important.

Crackle──!!

The [Skill] built into the suit activated, sending high-voltage electricity through his iron fist. The [Fighter] then activated his own skill, cloaked his fist in Mana, and drove an uppercut toward Wakamo's chin.

As a killer who specialized in assassinating Climbers, he did not panic and unleashed a relentless barrage without pause—but even when his fist struck the most vulnerable point, her chin, her head did not so much as shake. His rising arm simply stopped with a jerk, as though it had hit an invisible wall.

"Strength makes one arrogant.... A fight can break out at any time as long as there is an opponent, you know."

Gently and calmly.

Wakamo stood with her arms spread wide, taking every blow of the relentless full-power barrage without being pushed back or even flinching, while speaking to the assassin.

Wondering whether he had fallen victim to the fox's charm, he slammed his own face so hard that his helmet nearly shattered and checked the condition of his mental barrier item, but he had not been charmed at all.

Incredibly despairing and frustratingly..... His opponent was truly doing nothing but standing there.

"Wouldn't it be more polite to announce the start of a fight before you begin?"

Wakamo spoke in the refined tone of an aristocrat who valued etiquette and culture as she raised her hand. The assassin swiftly wrapped both arms around her, and his legs drove into the ground like nails with a heavy thud!!

He activated a [Grappling Skill] that would throw her down and smash her head.

This was his trump card, a secret technique capable of breaking even a tanker's neck and killing them if he could only get a hold of them. He exerted all his strength to unleash the ultimate blow he had reinforced time and again, but─

A silence fell, as though time itself had stopped.

The sensation of soft flesh against his back. The assassin, lifted into a back hug by a woman larger than himself, struggled, striking her head with his elbow and stabbing Wakamo with a blade protruding from his boot. He even used skills to resist and escape, but.

He realized it.

Ever since he had begun fighting, Wakamo had not moved from that spot even once!!

"Aren't you supposed to be happy when a beautiful woman hugs you?"

She lifted him like a doll and flipped him around in a swift motion to face her, and a red blade rose, piercing through Wakamo's neck.

One assassin emerged from hiding in the darkness, while another assassin camouflaged on the ceiling by blending into the darkness thrust a spear through Wakamo's heart.

That was not all. The assassin who had attacked from behind backed away and twisted his wrist, sending thick iron spikes like porcupine quills shooting out with a roar and embedding themselves in her.

The assassin who had pierced her with a spear stepped on the shoulder of his captured comrade, leaped up, and swung the sword he had drawn down onto Wakamo's crown.

The blade sank in with an eerie thuk.

That was not all. A [Rogue] summoned a sword in an empty hand and drove another blade into Wakamo's chest.

It was so obvious that every assassin was wearing buffs that they must have received support from a [Wizard].

"She didn't stay still. She just couldn't move."

Another [Rogue] who had backed away behind her muttered that. Invisible threads, including [Rare Metal] threads obtained from insect-type monsters, were impossible to see with the naked eye.

The assassin was certain that she could not even have known what she was bound by.

The moment she moved, her body would have been torn to pieces!

She had thrown herself into a trap they had set in the hallway.

"Even a 50-million-yuan target isn't anything spe...."

The Rogue, sneering as though the job were already over, felt something strange as he moved to abduct the target.

How was she still standing?

Twang─

The sound of an invisible thread snapping echoed through the hallway.

Crack─

Then came the sound of the comrade known as a human butcher folding in half.

Wakamo turned her head after hugging him in the suit and breaking his spine before dropping him to the floor. She pulled the sword from her head, flipped it around, and extended the hilt toward the assassin.

"Come on, fighting without a weapon would be unfair, wouldn't it?"

"You monster!!!! Tzuhan!!"

The assassin rushed in from behind, climbed onto Wakamo, and pierced her head with the claw on his hand. Still in that position, he grabbed her chin with one hand and exerted force as though he intended to twist and rip off her neck, but Wakamo continued offering him the sword, smiling as though asking, 'You don't want it?'

Something had gone terribly wrong.

When she lightly scraped the assassin's arm and leg with her sharply pointed nails.

His arm and leg fell away with a thud, cleanly severed as though by a sword.

It was a feat impossible unless her nails had grown longer.

As the assassin screamed while staring at his severed arm, Wakamo's tail opened its mouth, swallowed his upper body, and slammed him into the wall.

"U... Ugh....!!"

It's real....

It's real─!!!

She wasn't merely a Legendary Class who had transformed into some specific species... No, even if that was what she was, she absolutely was not the same kind of Climber as them!!

"Begin the preparations!"

With that shout, she threw the sword. Before the assassin could catch the flying blade.

Wakamo charged with enough speed to leave afterimages. The assassin avoided her punch by moving through the shadows, created a clone to evade it, caught the thrown sword, took up a stance, and activated his skill─

Crackle─

"[Idol's Flame]"

The electricity coiling around the sword crackled, then burst into white flames that burned fiercely.

The assassin, whose arm was instantly engulfed in fire, tried to shout [Tower Entry], but Wakamo's finger drove in until it touched his throat and blocked it.

"Don't worry. I'm not particularly fond of cruelty...."

She slammed him down. His leg joints folded backward with a horrible sound, and his body collapsed as he trembled.

As she closed the distance, she had already stepped on the face of the assassin whose arms and legs had been severed, knocking him unconscious long ago.

Climbers did not die from something like this.

"[Delete Area]!!"

At that moment, a [Wizard] dispelled her camouflage and sprang out of thin air, deleting the space around Wakamo.

Only a tiny number of Climbers could endure a place where the oxygen had suddenly vanished completely.

Without missing the moment she showed the slightest surprise, the [Wizard] took out a skull accessory, smashed it, and cast [Magic].

"[Grasp of the Reaper]!! [Shared Pain]!!"

Synchronizing with the three fallen men, she inflicted the same damage they had taken on Wakamo and reduced her vitality!!

In that state, black smoke erupted from the shattered skull, wrapped around Wakamo, and was sucked into her body as though it intended to erase all her remaining vitality.

A cursed item purchased in Africa at enormous expense.

The [Wizard] had resolved to drain her vitality with it and at least incapacitate her, but.

Wakamo was still standing.

"Oh, waiter. Could you bring three servings of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to this room? Please leave the poison out of one? If you're adding it anyway... I wouldn't mind something a little more potent."

Wakamo smiled with her eyes and was so relaxed that she even placed an order with the employee trembling behind the [Wizard].

Water pooled around the [Wizard]'s feet and soaked the hallway. Wakamo looked at the woman, who had even dropped the staff in her hand, and gently stroked her hair.

"It would be rude to the restaurant. Could you clean up this trash for me?"

"Y-yes, ye-yes... yes...!!"

The [Wizard], crying out desperately as though her soul had left her body, slammed her head into the floor and spoke.

It's real... It's real!!

"Life is precious, so you shouldn't kill them, okay?"

The [Wizard], who had been about to burn her living comrades rather than dare disobey, instead exhaled in relief at those words and fainted.

"Manager. Four people are collapsed in the hallway. The restaurant won't sue us for causing trouble, will they?"

".....They'll... probably be fine..."

"Something this horrible would be bad for Yu Ying's education and emotional development. It should be all right to ask them to clear it away, shouldn't it?"

"I'll do it..."

Manager Wonda Hye wiped cold sweat away with a handkerchief at the sight of professional assassins made up of Climbers still alive in such a ghastly state.

Wakamo acted as calmly as though this were an ordinary part of daily life.

"I'm afraid of zombies and... gory things, so I didn't kill them... What number do you call for an ambulance in China?"

Because Wakamo asked with genuine concern, she said she would handle it herself and called an ambulance.

The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that came afterward was delicious enough to satisfy her, and it contained no poison.

Even the restaurant owner came out to ask whether she had been satisfied, so Wakamo added a tip.

"An overseas travel experience would be great material to tell the viewers about~ Having assassins around is a bit of a blemish, though~"

"Mhm, mhm."

"For now, they'll be waiting, so let's get going─"

Wakamo grabbed the manager as she tried to leave through the restaurant entrance. After pushing the manager and Yu Ying back, the glass doors exploded and shattered, followed by loud shouts.

"For the independence and freedom of the autonomous regions!!"

"Foreign powers aiding the vile dictatorship, get out of this country!!"

"For a true new era!! For the great Comrade Yong Wei!!"

"Wow~ I've seen this in a Hong Kong movie."

Wakamo smiled brightly as she looked at the terrorists outside the door, armed with heavy weapons.

The moment she took one step outside, countless bullets poured toward her.

The manager saw the bullets, which seemed to carry a reddish glow, and cried out in shock.

"Ridenmite bullets...?!"

They had this many bullets made of the [Rare Metal] used by [Shooters] in the United States?

A hail of bullets designed with penetration as its primary purpose poured down upon Wakamo.

Gunshots rang out without pause, as loud as the screams of the passing citizens, while shell casings spilled onto the road.

Some people frantically called the police about the shooting terror attack in the heart of Shanghai, China's second capital—but even as this disaster unfolded, not a single government Climber appeared.

These were weapons made to kill Climbers, not ordinary bullets. As though machine guns were not enough, they even brought out and loaded a recoilless rifle. The sight was utterly absurd.

When the fired rounds collided in midair, the resulting boom shattered every building window in the area.

Wakamo took a direct hit from an anti-tank weapon meant to destroy tanks.

Through the rising smoke, Wakamo strode toward them.

"Shoot.. Shoot her!!"

Perhaps they had abandoned even the pretense of acting. The terror-stricken men aimed their guns at Wakamo and fired. The incoming bullets did not even penetrate; they struck her, crumpled, and fell in a clattering shower.

"Grenade!!"

"Oh."

A grenade with its pin pulled came flying.

When the grenade, imbued with magic through [Enchant], came flying at her, Wakamo snatched it out of the air and popped it into her mouth.

As they froze in confusion at a situation beyond absurd and utterly impossible to predict, an explosion rang out, and smoke rose from Wakamo's small mouth.

"If you throw things like that, people will get hurt, you know?"

While the onlookers stood frozen, unable to believe what they were seeing, a charging [Shooter] drew a pistol, aimed at Wakamo's eye, and fired.

Whether or not it was a [Skill], the bullet flew silently and swiftly, striking her eyeball, crumpling, and dropping limply.

He did not give up. He drew the shotgun at his waist and fired at point-blank range, but Wakamo, with the smoking shell stuck to her body, simply stared at him.

"The bullets are too small, friend."

"U... u...."

The [Shooter] dropped the gun in his hand at the sound of her impossibly gentle, unreal voice.

When everyone began abandoning their firearms, Wakamo smiled brightly and made a polite request.

"Would you gather up the fallen bullets for me?"

As she unfurled her golden fan and made that request, there was no threat or coercion in it. Nevertheless, terrified, they hurriedly picked up the crumpled bullets rolling across the ground and placed them politely on Wakamo's large palm as though offering tribute.

Their behavior was so meek and polite that it was impossible to believe they were terrorists.

Since they had listened to her so obediently, Wakamo tied their arms and legs together with ribbon knots and told them to surrender peacefully when the police arrived.

"[...So, what about the target..? How much Mana did the scout measure her as having?]"

From a distant location─an English radio transmission came through from the [Wizard] standing beside the sniper preparing to fire a shot loaded with [Mana Burn].

The distance was at least one kilometer.

It was a huge target quite far away, but not particularly difficult for a [Shooter] to snipe.

"Over 9,000."

"[What!? 9,000!? Is that possible for a Floor 30 conqueror? She is certainly a threat...!]"

That was why it would be best to treat this as a Chinese terrorist attack.

An uncontrollable monster whose thoughts no one could read would be a headache even for the United States. Who knew whether something like a new [Six Great Evils] might be born?

They had been watching her closely for a long time already.

However, this was the first time America had ever received a request from another country's president to kill someone.

"....Colonel, her Mana is rising. Just now... it passed 10,000....."

The [Wizard]'s voice began to slow abruptly as she continued speaking.

"[...What's wrong? What happened?]"

"....Her Mana has exceeded 100,000..."

"[Incredible. At that level, she's at the level of a high-ranking Wizard...]"

"200,000..."

"[What did you say..?]"

It was impossible. As a [Wizard] who was directly sensing the Mana reading, it was even more impossible..!!

Fwoosh!

"Urgh... her Mana has surpassed 530,000... It's rising... all the way to 600,000...!"

The value was so immense that the [Wizard] groaned as blood began to seep from the corners of her eyes.

"[....Abort the snipe. With a Mana Burn of that magnitude... how much damage would it cause..?]"

"Shanghai would be wiped off the map."

"[Is she a walking nuclear weapon?]"

Mana exceeding 600,000, worthy of a boss on the Tower's highest floor. Beyond that was a realm even a [Wizard] could no longer see.

She wiped away the blood tears flowing from her eyes and barely calmed her mind before fear overwhelmed her.

If..... they had fired without checking, they would have been caught in it and died as well.

"What the hell is Korea.... This is insane."

Had the president of Korea intended to make that monster fight the United States?!

If something like that rampaged alone and destroyed Towers..... the United States was finished.

They had estimated her strength as a Climber by watching the outstanding combat ability she had shown in her own climbing videos and calculated data accordingly, but every bit of it had been wrong.

If that was what she looked like after truly being weakened, then humanity had no hope.

※※※

"Heehee, there's so much [Rare Metal]!! It's like Zhuge Liang's stratagem—I caught all the arrows."

".....Zhuge Liang didn't catch them with his bare body."

Yu Ying gathered up all the bullets they had collected and stuffed them into the bag she had brought.

Wakamo had also carefully collected every loaded bullet without wasting a single one, grinning so widely that the corners of her mouth nearly reached her ears.

"It'll be nice to use these for alchemy, right~?"

"Yeah!"

"Wow, but I can't believe they threw grenades.... The civilians hadn't even evacuated. Terrorism is scary."

She had strengthened the Idol's Body through Mana Manipulation and taken the attack head-on, but her Mana had dropped below 10,000, which had honestly made her a little nervous.

She could afford to act relaxed because she had a spare Mana pool! Her Mana recovery speed had also increased, so it filled rapidly whenever she stood still.

She would not have the luxury of acting this relaxed during combat, but perhaps she could put on a more varied performance?

"....Shall we go?"

The manager glanced at the police leading away the terrorists, who had submitted without resisting, and guided Wakamo and Yu Ying onward.

As they headed toward the president, who had been waiting for them for quite some time, the manager began worrying about how much she should tell Wakamo.

Even after thinking it over, she could not easily bring herself to speak, and in the end, Wakamo arrived at the place where a meeting of the Standing Committee was being prepared, with all seven members of the Standing Committee—the core of power—in attendance.

When Wakamo opened the door and entered with Yu Ying held conspicuously in her arms, every gaze converged on her.

Every face was stiff, as though they had already heard about the terrorist attack Wakamo had suffered.

Wakamo conspicuously unfurled the golden fan of a beauty capable of toppling a nation, covered her mouth with it, and smiled with her eyes.

"Even though the times have changed, it seems the only thing that has changed much is the assassins' weapons. Poisoning meals was common enough during King Zhou's reign too..... Surely I needn't show you the courtesy of introducing myself?"

She released her Mana.

The vast Mana was enough to make ordinary people struggle even to breathe, and their complexions turned pale. Only Climbers could endure it.

Wakamo carefully controlled her strength so as not to be rude, neatly withdrew it with [Mana Manipulation], and snapped her fan shut.

The pressure vanished as though it had been washed away, leaving cold sweat running down the faces of the Standing Committee members and the president.

"I wonder whether, even in modern times, the heart of a truly wise person still has seven apertures. With such hooligans running wild in the imperial capital where the people live—don't you think seven of you is a bit too many?"

As she made her displeasure perfectly clear, no one dared criticize her shameless attitude.

"Iahwikseon(*以我劃線), so... you don't quite measure up."

*(Judging others by one's own standards)

The atmosphere had frozen solid. Manager Wonda Hye stared at Wakamo with a desperate expression that seemed to ask, It's an act, right...? It is acting, right...?

With a virtual character, immersing oneself in one's concept was more important than anything... Your Majesty... are you watching...? This Wakamo is doing her best.

"The atmosphere has stiffened a little. How about something fun enough for a hearty laugh..... the Pao Luo punishment? It would be quite a rare sight. I could perform it for you myself."

She looked at one of the Standing Committee members with an alluring smile and an expression of longing, as though nostalgic for one of the most brutal executions in Chinese history—greasing a pillar to make it slippery, then forcing the victim to slide into burning charcoal. The terrified man shrieked, Eeeek...!

Wakamo lifted one of the shell casings she had collected with her fingers and melted it into a limp mass. Even as molten metal flowed down her finger, her expression did not change, and she sat down with Yu Ying in her arms.

"Hehe, I'm joking. It's cute compared to the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. I'm not human, so do you really think a gun could kill me?"

As she said that, Wakamo conspicuously pulled a fishing rod from her sleeve and placed it on the table.

They were confused by the incomprehensible situation for only a moment. As they read the information about the item that appeared, everyone's expression stiffened.

Why had Jiang Taigong's fishing rod, the one that drove Daji away, appeared from her possession...?

They racked their brains, trying to guess why she was showing it to them.

"Jiang Shang has already lived out his natural lifespan and is gone. There is nothing to fear. I came here feeling as though I were stepping out for a stroll after receiving an imperial invitation for the first time in ages..... You have business with our adorable and beloved Yu Ying, whom we raise as our precious darling?"

Wakamo had written a script and diligently memorized it all night so that she would not make any mistakes, and she smiled inwardly with the pride of a novice actor who had successfully completed her first performance.

But how did she sound to those who knew nothing of Wakamo's thoughts or true nature?

They already knew she had lived in Japan as well. But could it really be true that she had survived being hit by a nuclear bomb?

Even if that was not true, Jiang Taigong's fishing rod was unquestionably genuine.

He was said to have founded Qi. What fate had befallen the fox he had once tried to kill?

The president had initially had a plan as well.

He had intended to impose a ban on Korea, threaten boycotts and disadvantages for Korean companies, and apply countless other sanctions, all while pressuring them harshly.

That was—until he saw the assassins he had hired remain alive even with their heads split in half, and Wakamo stand unharmed after withstanding firepower more than sufficient to kill even a Climber—!!!

He had thought she was, at most, a strong Climber. He had been confident he could kill even the Fist King or the Korean association president on Chinese soil.

But his opponent was a true monster who had survived countless wars throughout East Asia's history, far beyond the borders of China itself.

On top of that, there was the intent behind showing them an object belonging to someone with whom she had the worst possible karmic connection.

It meant she had seen through every one of their pathetic schemes. As though amused by their attempt to kill her with such a crude, obviously manufactured terrorist attack, she had shown everyone, including the president, what became of those who interfered with her.

Of course, Wakamo had not particularly intended anything of the sort.

She had merely thought, These people are all smart, so if I give them something that seems connected, they'll misunderstand it on their own, right?

Even the president, who had intended to threaten and intimidate her, realized around then that he had been tricked(?) by the Korean president.

'That damned president of a small country....!!'

But that was not important right now. They had to calm her anger and resolve things amicably, even at this late hour.

We will punish the remnants of the terrorist group ourselves. The truth is.. we were only seeking Yu Ying's help to save our country from the leader of a terrorist organization who calls himself the Son of Heaven. There must have been some miscommunication.

"If you would resolve this matter for us... we will give you an [Artifact-level Item] as compensation!! Please, for the peace of the international community... No, as fellow Asians, we ask for your help. We will provide ample compensation as well."

"Manager, everyone here is kinder than I expected~"

At the sight of even the president and the Standing Committee members groveling, Manager Wonda Hye merely nodded and rubbed her hands together, saying, I see.

Yu Ying had fallen asleep with her face buried in Wakamo's chest, apparently bored to the point of drowsiness. Wakamo patted her and told her to sleep well, then rose from her seat and smiled.

"But gentlemen. I, Wakamo Inarizushi, do not need your help. Nor do I need a reward."

"Pardon...?"

"You kept me from streaming and from watching VTuber broadcasts. Since the side that picked a fight first caused matters to escalate this far, I intend to do as I please instead."

Wakamo widened her eyes, delivered words that were almost a declaration, and walked straight out.

She even took out the [Sword-Seal of the King of Han and China], telling them to use it if necessary—or rather, to take it—but Wakamo simply left.

She was headed for Sichuan Province...!!

She was going to beat the Collector senseless for taking every last one of her artifact-level items, which were already too few to begin with.

She would pour all her pent-up resentment into it—the grudge of being unable to stream, watch VTuber broadcasts, or even make clips...!

"Tell the Collector. Wakamo Inarizushi is coming for him!!!"