Chapter 2: Extraordinary Strength
The following Saturday, I found myself at a labyrinth with Kirisaki-san. Naturally, it was for today’s stream. I’ve really stepped up my game.
“…Um, Jin-san. We’re here to stream from a labyrinth today, right?” Kirisaki-san asked.
“Yup, that’s the plan. Wait, did you forget, Kirisaki-san?” I teased.
“No… it’s just… this is an A-rank labyrinth!”
The location I’d chosen for the stream was an A-rank labyrinth near our house.
“Too low-rank? Should we go beat up the Black Dragon again? Though that might get repetitive, right?”
“Don’t say ridiculous things! Normally, labyrinth streams are done in low-rank labyrinths! An A-rank labyrinth!? Just the two of us!? Are you insane!?”
Kirisaki-san was tagging along as today’s cameraman, much like I had been for Maya. But she seemed extremely worried about the setup.
“Well, this was the most convenient spot near the agency, wasn’t it?” I reasoned.
“An A-rank labyrinth is convenient!?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s a good place for pocket money. A-rank labyrinth materials fetch a decent price at the Adventurer’s Association, but high-rank stuff like the Black Dragon’s gets you stuck in long appraisals, so I avoid those.”
The Adventurer’s Association is a government-run organization that buys materials and magic stones. High-rank or unknown materials take forever to appraise, so I steer clear of bringing in Black Dragon loot.
“…Fine, whatever. Let’s just do this,” Kirisaki-san sighed, pointing her smartphone camera at me.
I strapped on the Watcher Kirisaki-san had given me earlier and powered it up. Linked to my phone, the comment section popped up instantly.
〈Yo, Onii-chan, been a while!〉
〈Been waiting for this moment!〉
〈So hyped for your labyrinth stream!〉
〈Onii-sama! Hello!〉
〈Labyrinth conquest for real!? Can’t wait!〉
The comments were pouring in, and it looked like a big crowd had already shown up. I could keep up with them visually, but no need to reply to every single one—Maya doesn’t on her channel either. Also, when did “Onii-sama” become a thing…?
“‘Been a while,’ huh? Hold up, you guys know what’s happening next Saturday, right?” I asked.
〈Another stream announcement?〉
〈Collab with someone?〉
〈With this guy’s momentum, nothing surprises me lol〉
“Wrong! What kind of Maya Channel fans are you!? Next week is Maya’s autograph session!”
Maya’s character song had been released. Apparently, it’s a tradition at the agency to produce a character song for streamers who hit several hundred thousand subscribers. Maya’s was made a while back and recently went on sale, with some CDs including a random ticket to her autograph session.
〈Wait, isn’t Luca-chan at that session too?〉
〈It’s a joint session with Luca, right?〉
〈Yeah, it’s tied to Luca-chan’s 1 million subscriber celebration… That’s the main event, no?〉
“What!? Who’s that!? Doesn’t matter! It’s Maya’s autograph session! Next week is all about Maya’s session!”
〈You were talking about this last week too!〉
〈This guy’s nuts lol〉
TreasureLuca〈You called?〉
〈Yo, Luca’s here again!〉
〈Luca-san! This guy was dissing you, saying he barely knows you!〉
“For real? She’s here? Uh, sorry. Everyone in the comments, cover for me with some nice flattery.”
〈He said Maya’s the best in the world!〉
〈Said he’s got no interest in anyone but Maya!〉
My viewers are not on my side.
“What, you guys suck at flattery too? We’re in this together!”
〈Don’t act like it’s fine〉
〈This guy’s invincible〉
TreasureLuca〈Looking forward to the session. I’ll make you a Luca fan〉
〈Another soul joins the Luca fanbase〉
〈Welcome to the Luca swamp…〉
“Nah, I’m good. I’ll probably never be a fan. My heart’s always got Maya in it.”
〈Your phrasing’s creepy lol〉
〈How’d Maya become such a brocon with this guy…〉
〈If my brother was like this, I’d hate him lol〉
〈You mentioned the autograph session, but can’t you just ask for a signature at home?〉
What’s this guy on about? “Huh? Getting it in person is the whole point! A signature at home is just my sister’s, not Maya’s. Get it!?”
〈LOL〉
〈Kinda get what he means〉
Mid-rant, a thought hit me. “Wait, this Luca person came up last week too?”
〈Instant flame bait〉
〈How do you forget!? She was right here!〉
〈Anyone else would be canceled for that〉
〈He’d just shrug off a scandal. He’s already sparked a few〉
Is that so? I don’t bother checking what the internet says about me—everything’s handled by the agency. “Got it. Well, I’m dying for Maya’s autograph, so the rest doesn’t matter. Oh, brag time: I snagged a ticket!”
〈For real?〉
〈Bought a ton of CDs?〉
〈Perk of being family?〉
They might suspect favoritism. “Nah, I earned cash in the labyrinth and bought a ton. Money talks—something you guys can’t pull off.”
〈We could if we swiped our parents’ cards〉
〈Don’t underestimate us〉
Chatting with the comments, I descended the labyrinth stairs. On the first floor, Kirisaki-san, pale-faced, scanned our surroundings. Labyrinth layouts vary by place and floor. The Black Dragon Labyrinth has everything from grasslands to ruins to beaches. This A-rank one was like a wasteland, with withered trees and boulders scattered about. No monsters in sight, but I could sense their mana lurking everywhere.
“Alright, enough talk. It’s a labyrinth stream, so as Manager-san said, I don’t have to check comments while fighting. Gonna ignore you guys now, cool?”
〈‘Can’t see’ and ‘ignore’ aren’t the same〉
〈Hyped for the labyrinth! What’s the rank here?〉
“A-rank labyrinth. It’s near the agency, so come for a pilgrimage if you want. Manager-san, what monsters show up here?”
“You brought me here without checking!?”
“It’s all the same to me. So, what spawns?”
“…Minotaurs, from what I looked up earlier.”
I’d told her we were conquering this place. Her answer sparked a flood of comments.
〈LOL〉
〈A-rank!? What are you doing!?〉
〈A-rank labyrinth streams are for big teams!〉
〈Just you and the cameraman!? That’s too dangerous!〉
The comments went wild. A-rank labyrinths aren’t a struggle for me, but explaining that won’t convince anyone. “Easier to just show you. Hang on, I’ll call the monsters.”
“…Call them?” Kirisaki-san asked.
〈What’s this guy planning?〉
〈Probably releasing mana to draw them out?〉
〈Huh? What’s that mean?〉
“Nice one, comments! Wandering around looking for monsters is a hassle, so I release mana like this… and they come to me. Take notes!”
〈You’d die trying that〉
〈Newbie adventurers, do not copy this!〉
〈What’s about to go down lol〉
As I released mana, the ground shook, and the sound of approaching monster footsteps echoed.
〈That rumble’s insane!〉
〈What’s happening!?〉
“Eek!?”
A herd of Minotaurs appeared—about fifty, probably every one on this floor. Kirisaki-san collapsed in fear, but she was at the stairway, a safe zone where monsters can’t enter. She’d be fine even if she fainted. I cracked my knuckles and called out to her.
“Manager-san, stay there and don’t come out. You won’t be targeted in the safe zone.”
With a grin, I charged into the Minotaur herd.
“…W-What is this guy…?”
I held the smartphone filming Jin-san, but my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. At first, it was definitely fear. Now… excitement, maybe? The overwhelming scene before me was hard to believe.
Jin-san charged into a herd of dozens of Minotaurs.
“Ha! What’s that? No bite to these guys!” he taunted, biting into a Minotaur’s shoulder and tearing it apart.
〈This is insane!〉
〈LOL This is wilder than any monster house!〉
〈A Minotaur herd? You’d die if you ran into that…〉
〈His fighting style’s the craziest part!〉
Exactly. As the comments pointed out, he… doesn’t use weapons. The Minotaurs, wielding axes, surrounded Jin-san and attacked with full force. But he caught their axes with his arms, snapping them in half.
〈No way lol〉
〈What’s he made of to break monster weapons with his bare body!?〉
〈Onii-chan’s combat skills are unreal!〉
The comment section was buzzing. Even through a screen, his unstoppable dominance was utterly captivating. Initially, I had doubts about Jin-san’s streaming debut. But witnessing this fight, I was convinced—my hesitation was wrong. Someone with this strength, who can enthrall and entertain so many, shouldn’t be overlooked…!
The Minotaurs that attacked were punched, kicked, or had their necks snapped, dissolving into mist.
〈…He really doesn’t use weapons?〉
〈No hidden gear either, right…?〉
〈Japanese ninja!〉
〈So this is Japan’s shinobi…〉
Comments from overseas viewers flooded in too. That’s a strength of labyrinth streams—language barriers don’t matter; the visuals convey the awe. Some comments were translated into Japanese, while others stayed in their native languages, but all seemed to praise Jin-san. The “ninja” label felt oddly fitting.
Darting through the Minotaurs, he took them down barehanded with precision that belied his usual brash demeanor. Every swing of his hand sent a Minotaur’s head flying. Monster corpses turned to mist, leaving only materials behind—monsters are formed from magical mist, so only their loot remains upon death. As Jin-san tore through, mists rose and materials littered the ground. The herd, once massive, was down to half, their movements slowing, faces grim with unmistakable fear.
Jin-san grinned wickedly, and the Minotaurs paled. Yet, driven by their monstrous instincts, they didn’t flee, mustering strength to charge him.
〈He chopped their necks with a hand strike… lol〉
〈This guy’s too much of a monster…〉
〈He’s not human anymore lol… no grass growing here…〉
〈Why’s a freak like this a Maya fan like us…?〉
〈Maya fans’ average combat power just skyrocketed…〉
〈If you diss Maya, this guy might show up at your house… Can’t even be an anti now〉
It didn’t take long for Jin-san to wipe out the Minotaurs. He gathered their magic stones into a bag, swinging it casually as he returned and called out to me.
“Here ya go, folks. The combat stream you wanted. Now, go subscribe to Maya’s channel!”
〈Not your channel? lol〉
〈Nah, I’m subscribing to Onii-chan’s. Stream again!〉
〈That kind of dominance feels so good…〉
〈Never seen a one-sided labyrinth stream like this. Normal conquests are like chess, carefully planned. Those are fun too, but…〉
〈This level of domination? Only he can pull it off…〉
Before I knew it, the viewer count had soared past 100,000, now at 200,000. His subscriber count? Over 800,000. He’s truly a phenomenal talent.
“Hey, thanks for the compliments. So, we good to end the stream? You’ve seen enough fighting, right?”
〈No, keep going!〉
〈Wanna see more combat!〉
〈How about some fight commentary?〉
“Commentary’s a hassle—pass! If I fight again, it’s just more Minotaurs. Wanna see different monsters another day?”
〈Oh, so you’ll stream again?〉
“Depends on how much Maya’s channel grows,” Jin-san said with a teasing grin. Far from upsetting the audience, it fired up the comments even more.
〈How much does this guy love his sister lol〉
〈His shilling got me to check out Maya-chan, and yeah, she’s cute. I’m a fan now〉
〈Same〉
〈I’m basically Onii-san’s little brother now thanks to Maya-chan…〉
The stream was veering toward ending. It had only been about thirty minutes, but as Jin-san said, the main highlight was over. Dragging it out would just feel stale, so I decided to wrap things up in line with his flow.
“Great work today!”
To celebrate today’s livestream and discuss our next meeting, I found myself being dragged by Kirisaki-san to a nearby izakaya. We were guided to a private room, where I sat across from Kirisaki-san.
“Well, same to you! Was the livestream okay like that? It’s not causing another uproar, is it?” I said with a chuckle. Apparently, my streams have a tendency to spark controversies afterward. Kirisaki-san gave a wry smile in response.
“No, well… it’s not something you need to worry about too much, so rest easy. I think the livestream went fine. For now, shall we order some drinks? …Come to think of it, I brought you to an izakaya without much thought since we’re both adults, but do you drink, Jin-san?”
“Nah, I don’t drink. But don’t mind me—order whatever you like.”
I’ve tried alcohol before, but it never left much of an impression. It’s expensive, and I’d rather spend my money on Maya’s merchandise than on drinks. That’s my priority.
“W-Well then, I’ll have a draft beer,” Kirisaki-san said, looking slightly embarrassed as she placed her order. I chimed in, “Sure, sure. I’ll take an orange juice.”
Kirisaki-san ordered some appetizers to go with the drinks. Once the food and drinks arrived, we clinked glasses lightly and began talking about the future.
“So, Jin-san, how’s the livestreaming going for you? Are you enjoying it?” Kirisaki-san asked.
“Hmm… I’m not sure? It’s kind of refreshing, I guess?”
“Refreshing?”
“Yeah. I never thought just showing what I usually do would get such a big reaction. Thanks to that, Maya’s channel has gained more subscribers, so it’s all good, right?”
I haven’t fully grasped the fun of livestreaming myself, but I can’t complain about the boost in Maya’s channel subscribers. Maya seems to enjoy watching my streams too, which is a plus.
“I see. You really care about Maya-san, don’t you?” Kirisaki-san said.
“Well… she’s my only family, so yeah, she’s important.”
“Right. My apologies. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories,” Kirisaki-san said, looking apologetic.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t really mind anymore.”
The death of our parents was just an accident. There’s no point dwelling on it. A labyrinth explosion—that’s what killed them. They were caught up in it.
A labyrinth explosion is a phenomenon where monsters from within a labyrinth spill out into the outside world. It’s rare, but not impossible. By sheer bad luck, a labyrinth near my parents’ workplace exploded, and they didn’t make it out in time. That’s all there is to it.
Plenty of people lose their parents or families in similar ways. We’re not the only ones. Yet, labyrinths still exist all over the world. Even though a labyrinth can be eradicated by destroying the crystal in the deepest chamber of the boss monster’s room, they remain. That’s because the resources and land they provide are deemed too valuable.
Nowadays, magic stones from labyrinths have replaced fossil fuels in many applications. Some labyrinths have floors where monsters don’t appear, and those areas are used for farming or as factories. That’s why, despite the dangers, labyrinths persist in this world—because of the complex circumstances surrounding their benefits.
Of course, for those affected by their dangers, it’s hardly a fair trade. Labyrinth explosions can supposedly be predicted by measuring the magical energy a labyrinth emits, so they don’t happen often. But irregularities do occur. Sudden mutations, like a labyrinth’s rank changing unexpectedly, are one example. The threats posed by labyrinths are endless, and while some argue that all labyrinths should be conquered immediately, the reality isn’t so simple.
If a country lost access to labyrinth resources, it would have to import materials from other nations, which comes with its own risks and costs. In the worst case, a nation could face economic collapse. At the very least, it would be a harsh situation.
“Jin-san, about your next livestream—do you have anything specific you’d like to do?” Kirisaki-san asked, pulling me back to the conversation.
“Something I want to do? Not really, I guess.”
“I figured as much… Even if we do another combat stream with monsters, it might start feeling repetitive. I’ve been thinking about collaborations, though.”
“Collaborations? Weren’t you guys pretty cautious about that?”
“Yes, but… our agency has a lot of labyrinth streamers. We’re planning to open up collaborations eventually.”
“Hmm. In that case, why not Maya? She’s already my cameraman, so there shouldn’t be any issues, right?”
“…That’s true. That might actually keep the audience backlash to a minimum… And luckily, Maya-san has a fairly even split of male and female fans… Let’s go with that!” Kirisaki-san said, sounding convinced.
Whoa, seriously?
But then, a problem popped into my head.
“The thing is, I can’t watch Maya’s streams live…”
“What? You’re literally the closest person to her… Haven’t you been her cameraman several times already?” Kirisaki-san pointed out.
“No, no, it’s different this time. There’s a chance I’d be on-screen with her, right? That feels like… I’d be getting in the way of my oshi. I don’t like that.”
(T/N: The word "oshi" 推し comes from the verb "osu" 推す. "Osu" 推す means "to recommend, to support, to back". When the word becomes "oshi" 推し, it becomes a noun and is used as a slang term that means "your favorite one (from a group, a team, the characters from anime/manga)
“I don’t quite get your obsession here. You’re the one who suggested it, Jin-san,” Kirisaki-san said, exasperated.
“No, no, this is a big deal! Don’t you get it!?” I insisted.
“If it were me, I’d be thrilled to collab with my oshi…”
“If my reason for streaming was to collab with her, maybe. But this is different! Ugh, whatever… I’ll just stay in the shadows during the stream.”
“That doesn’t exactly scream ‘collaboration,’ but I suppose that’ll do for now. Next is the streaming date. Maya-san has a collab with Ruka-san next Saturday, so… maybe the week after that?”
“Saturday’s after Maya’s signing event, right?”
“…You mean both of your signing events. As mentioned during the stream, it’s Maya-san and Ruka-san’s signing event,” Kirisaki-san corrected.
Oh, that’s why the name Ruka sounded familiar.
“Right, right. There was a stream after the signing event, but that was a collab, huh?”
“…You really block out everything that isn’t related to Maya-san, don’t you?” Kirisaki-san said, incredulous.
“I just don’t waste brain space on unnecessary stuff.”
“Is there even that much information you’re cramming into your brain?”
“Uh, Maya’s streams? Obviously?”
“…I see,” Kirisaki-san said with a wry smile, downing her draft beer in one go.
…She’s been chugging beers this whole time while we talk. That’s her tenth one already, isn’t it?
“Kirisaki-san, are you sure you’re okay? Your body, I mean.”
“Hm? I’m perfectly fine,” she replied, unfazed.
…To me, that’s way more impressive than diving into a labyrinth. Feeling a mix of awe and concern, I sipped my orange juice slowly while watching Kirisaki-san drink with ease.
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