NOVEL NEXT Eleven years have passed.
Right after the entity known as [Idol] was completely erased.
The tower that appeared in the Vatican absorbed the history of [Religion] and began to build a tower toward the [God].
They urged the Pope to pursue the 【Pinnacle】 to fill the vacant seat of God.
Offering countless lives to stack upon.
The [Saint] was merely a class that existed for the Vatican Tower. The Pope turned a blind eye to it.
Hiding the cruel truth, countless lives perished solely for the sake of the tower and climbing it.
And then, as if by a miracle, the class known as 【Idol】 returned once more.
The Vatican Tower, which held [Records of the Past] buried deep within, allied with the Italian Tower.
This was necessary to counter the enormous force called the [East Asian Alliance].
They trapped the strongest climbers in Italy’s arena and executed the plan─though the [Saint] moved alongside the [Oracle], it was meaningless.
Everything was already prepared and was in motion.
A new [Tower] for the [Ascended], going back to their origin and transforming into the true tower.
To grant everything to the one who reaches the top: glory, honor, and──conquest!!
That was the plan.
“You are 【Idol (Apostle)】”
A red-haired [Idol] stood comfortably above the devastated cathedral, speaking calmly.
“And I am also an 【Idol (VTuber)】. If the same class can evolve─then I can too, right?”
Ever since he accidentally came across an item capable of destroying skills, Wakamou had been pondering.
If [The Body of Idol] were destroyed, would he die? He witnessed the outcome on Ichigo’s broadcast.
Even if destroyed, he doesn’t die. What was needed next was strong will and focus──and determination.
“[What kind of ridiculous logic… you evolved!?!]”
Watching the former Pope, now Tower Lord, spew anger beyond disbelief, Wakamou shrugged his shoulders.
“I am not exactly on the side of [Justice], you know. Still, is there a need to intentionally disturb a peaceful world?”
People’s happiness and leisure come from idleness, after all.
What alleviates that boredom might be a brilliantly shining star (Idol).
Even if it’s just for a fleeting moment, burn intensely, passionately, engraving a happy memory in one’s life with a love (Idol).
──If that Idol (VTuber) is brought down and pushed to death by the tower…..
“‘If it’s a ‘person,’ educate them! But if it’s a ‘monster,’ death. Killing ‘monster’ has always been the climber’s (person’s) duty….”
【The True Self of Idol】
– Complete release of [The Body of Idol].
– All restrictions on power are completely lifted.
– Composed by the will of [Wakamou Inarizushi].
– Usable only by [Wakamou Inarizushi].
– Consumes [Faith] during transformation.
A new skill obtained by Wakamou Inarizushi.
Beyond excessive; even a [Apostle] might not be able to acquire such a skill if not a [Climber].
Of course, the number of devotees subscribing to Wakamou Inarizushi proportionately increased his strength to match the population of this star.
Moreover, the whole world was watching this battle through a live broadcast.
Wakamou, exuding a golden light thanked to the flowing faith from the audience, raised his fist and assumed a stance.
“[Lord!! Grant us grace!!]”
“[──!!!]”
An apostle clad in holy armor drew a sword and charged.
An [Apostle] birthed by the Italian Tower rushed in, cloaked in lightning.
The threatening sword swung swiftly, stabbing toward Wakamou, who caught it between his index and middle fingers.
The [Vatican Apostle], amazed to the point of wide eyes at how easily Wakamou subdued the threat with one hand, while barely moving.
“Nothing to be surprised about, really?”
Had the Vatican Tower never witnessed how Wakamou Inarizushi fought?
The [Italian Apostle], summoning a lightning storm, filled the sky with dark clouds.
As a tornado roaring with thunder cast light across the sky.
Amidst cries from climbers warning to avoid being swept away, the shriek of people grew louder.
Wanting to grind Wakamou with the lightning tempest, the [Italian Apostle] grinned.
A single bolt of lightning struck down.
The storm split by [The Thunder of Idol], scattering the cumulated clouds into oblivion.
Trying to gain some distance from the power difference bordering despair, the [Italian Apostle] witnessed Wakamou disappearing in front of the [Vatican Apostle].
Effortlessly overtaking, Wakamou stopped before the Apostle, casually hooking an arm over his shoulder.
“Don’t we owe each other something?”
Collecting [The Light of Idol] in his fist, Wakamou caused the upper body of [Italian Apostle] to burst like a balloon and vaporize.
The attack was too swift for the Apostle’s eye to catch. In a flicker, a comrade was torn apart and disappeared.
Alongside [Blessing] and receiving [Buff] skills, [The Final Pope] imbued the Vatican Apostle with blessings.
Running fiercely with sword drawn, she was met with Wakamou, who had merely extended a leg, deflecting the blade effortlessly with a kick.
Chris-crossing another slice disbelievingly, only for Wakamou to plant a foot atop the blade, slip, and kick up at the Apostle’s chin.
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Like bored, crossing his arms, Wakamou didn’t even bother looking at the Vatican Apostle.
“Come on, put in some effort. I can handle someone like you with just one leg.”
With a show of skill, Wakamou trapped the descending blade between thumb and index toe.
Despite a halo of sacred energy emitting sword aura, it failed to inflict a single scratch on Wakamou’s body.
Not that it couldn’t cut──it simply didn’t connect.
Thanks to an unseen force clamping the blade with invisible strength through [Object Interaction].
“[Chaap──!!]”
Clink, clink, clink──!!
Nonchalantly deflecting with his big toe while sending a kick toward the neck.
The Vatican Apostle, as wounds healed rapidly, attempted to unleash divine judgment from above, accompanied by beams of light.
But every effort was countered and returned through internal martial art styles, reducing the smiting glow into a boomerang for the Vatican Apostle, turning the Apostle into charcoal before collapsing.
“[Even as two apostles attack….we lost….]”
“Haa? These are apostles? The bosses coming from towers would be tougher. These half-baked apostles, ridiculous cost-saving imitations, are pathetic, no?”
Wakamou scratched his other leg with his toe and poked his fox ear with a finger.
Recognizing the threat the towers possessed, given this commotion orchestrated by the [Vatican Tower] and, beyond the barrier, the imposing [Italy Tower].
“[[Aren’t you curious about the identity of [Humans], Idol? They are beings just like us!!]]”
“I can tell by looking.”
“[Humans evolve through the journey of ascending towers! And at the end lies the [God]. Do you understand…? The one reaching the summit of the tower becomes 【God】!]”
Though speculated, it was indeed such a tale.
There had been debates in plenty.
An [Idol] molded after God, one worshiped like a deity.
Past towers, whose reasons remain unknown, experienced the proliferation of [Idols], all of which ended and crumbled upon a figure named [King]’s interference.
Wiping out the existence entirely, 【Idol】 disappeared but returned completely altered into 【Legendary Class】.
The reckless snowball effect initiated by the [Korean Tower] seems to have grown too large─although Wakamou’s prior death in the Japanese Tower that set his class free might have played a role too.
In the past, there likely were no such class restrictions.
Anyone climbing the tower wielded power akin to a [Idol] resembling divinity.
“[Indeed, I, as the Vatican Tower, observed the records of the past!! Raised [Saints] to create [Idols]!! Though you disrupted everything, thanks to you, everything is back to track!]
“So you say you’ll become God? 【Tower Lord】?”
Not the [Last Pope]. The tone alone communicated that much.
What was before him was the [Tower Lord] who seized the Pope’s body.
As the Vatican Tower, positioning oneself at the summit and becoming the pinnacle itself.
Bearing dreams guided by questioning why they existed merely to fulfill duties without understanding their meaning.
“──Seems about right?”
“[You should be a detective]”
“Anyone who streams comprehensive games can foresee that…. So”
How long should I keep waiting?
Ultimately, only one may be crowned at the [Pinnacle].
The need for a Pope by the [Vatican Tower] ultimately boiled down to having to climb the tower.
As an [Idol], transcended one step further into the being of [Apostle], who in this world could stand against him?
To ascend as [Tower Lord] to become [God]─[Italian Tower] was allied for the cause.
Functioning merely as an unforeseen variable, a primary rival, and simultaneously of the same class, Wakamou Inarizushi was a menacing obstacle too.
“[─So arrogant knowing that! 【Metatron’s Judgment】!!]”
The resounding hymn echoed across the Vatican.
Blessings showered upon angels pouring out of the Vatican Tower, healing and empowering the fallen ones.
Even demons running rampant inside the Italian Tower received buffs indiscriminately, with light scorching climbers’ bodies across the field.
Those climbers groaned, reeling from the burning pain of contact and associated debuffs.
“[【Quis ut Deus】!!]”
The Tower Lord, clad in archangel’s helm and armor, with angelic wings unfurled, charged as light, sword, and shield at the ready.
“[You’ve surely grown stronger!! However─a mere climber!! One cannot claim to have surpassed 【Tower Lord】 and 【Apostle】 like me!!]”
“Oh, really?”
Disappearing in a flash, pursued hastily by the heavily buffed and miraculous Tower Lord.
Yet an even swifter strike from Wakamou’s foot met him.
Stomping, stomping, stomping, stomping.
Relentless stamp blitz at high speed, pounding the Tower Lord until ground into dust.
Disabled limbs harshly kicked aside, presses and stamps mercilessly cracking face and vulnerable spots.
Without mercy, he presses down.
A sword of sacred light pierces through Wakamou’s back.
Even without the ability to feel pain, Wakamou, without a care, draws forth [Mana], his entire body sparkling with the light of a radiant rainbow.
“Diamond Body─!!”
The light blades flying towards Wakamou, who is increasing his body’s durability using [The Idol’s Mineral], clash from all sides.
With a clang! the sounds of the blades crying out, the light swords are either shattered or deflected.
“[Guillotine of the Idol]!!!”
In that state, he falls towards the Vatican Tower with the maximum [Weight of Devotion] while wrapping his legs around his neck.
Binding the ones trying to escape in light with light.
Freezing the ones trying to escape as water by solidifying them in place.
Neutralizing the ones attempting teleportation by forcefully driving mana, sacred energy, and qi into their body to cancel it.
“[Woooo!!!]”
Kwagagagagagak!!!!
He chisels it away.
The Vatican Tower, which is a sacred artifact emitting a brilliant golden light, gets chiseled away as cracks spread out.
“Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!!!”
With a flash, Wakamou’s fist becomes a streak of light, pounding on the Tower Lord’s face.
The speed is so fast that the sound can’t catch up, the punches connect as the head is knocked back without the chance to raise it again.
With the back of the head embedded in the tower, he continues to pound on it endlessly like a human sewing machine with his head.
“[Gabriel’s Lantern!! Devour and purify all!!]”
Kwaaaa!!!
Wakamou’s entire body is engulfed in and burned by sacred flames.
The flames, which dig down to the soul, make him vividly feel the agony of being on fire.
Yet Wakamou’s eyes, bloodshot, were overflowing with not a shred of broken spirit but madness.
“That’s weak firepower!!! You think I’ll cower from these mere flames!?!? Mikochi Fire──!!!”
Wakamou sets [The Idol’s Fiery Penance] on himself, burning more intensely and fiercely as he disappears into the flames.
Wakamou, who then captures the floundering Tower Lord being engulfed and burned by the flames, grabs his face.
“Mikomet Stella!!”
“[Let go! Let go!!!]”
As he jumps up and crashes down at high speed.
The fall speed was so fast it startled the Tower Lord. Wakamou was adding speed by using [Object Interaction]!
With the gravitational acceleration, Wakamou positions the falling Tower Lord’s throat on his shoulder.
Wakamou’s legs were like daggers gripping the Tower Lord’s bent-back arms, shaping them into a C form.
As they descend with an exposed belly, scraping against the sharp part of the tower, Wakamou continues to increase the speed until the last moment before impact.
So they fall with an S shape completed.
“Wakamou Gravity!!”
Poohwaaaak!!!
With the impact of hitting the ground, both legs, spine, neck, and waist are smashed and broken, ribs, arms, abs, and internal organs burst out as golden blood spurts out.
Even if the Tower Lord’s body automatically heals from a crushing blow.
─It wasn’t in a very good situation.
Wakamou lifts the dangling leg of the Tower Lord and takes a stance.
“Protect me from the tower!! You shall because we’re both idols, right?!”
Whoosh──Kabang!!!
Flashy and colorful, using the [Tower Lord] in his hand as a weapon, he thrashes the [Vatican Tower].
With the force as if trying to demolish it, he keeps hitting, hitting, and never stops.
“[Sandalphon’s Foot]!!”
A giant leg of Sandalphon drops from the sky, crushing towards Wakamou.
The 【Tower Lord】, who was about to be swung around until the Vatican Tower broke, flew up unharmed by the attack.
“[Huff… Huff… Even with such a gap…!!]”
The [Idol] class isn’t overwhelmingly powerful.
The current Tower Lord didn’t unleash such power until evolving into a[n Apostle] class with the support of the Vatican Tower.
Sure, there was [Memorization] of battles but no [Experience] of having actually fought.
Even though he had overwhelming strength and a body, his mind couldn’t fully process it.
No matter how many buffs he received, if the gap was still this wide, the situation was dire.
“[But if I prolong the fight, I have a chance!! There’s no way he can maintain this immense power!!]”
Even though the [Idol’s Body] skill was destroyed to evolve, it’s an astonishing yet unsustainable power beyond limits.
As the Tower Lord used his [Insight] skills to analyze Wakamou’s state, he figured he only needed to drag it out for an hour.
DING─♬
At that moment, a message from another tower.
[Wakamou is ascending the 1st floor of the tower world]
– The Tower Lord’s first step as an ascender!
– To get familiar, let’s defeat [Wakamou Inarizushi].
– Couldn’t do it? Were you scared?
[Platinum Achievement Condition]
– Tower Lord, I had a great idea.
– Couldn’t you just foster a good [Idol]?
– Honest opinion~
“[….What?]”
A single mental attack from [Korean Tower], leaving the [Tower Lord] momentarily petrified.
The other [Towers] were already aware of the mess he’d made, and though [Mediator] was watching──none ventured to intervene.
Well, even if the 【Tower Lord】 born from 【Vatican Tower】 obtained the body of a 【Apostle】.
Combining all advantages into one and obtaining evolved power from an idol.
──The fact he demonstrates it in front of someone from the same class.
──And a someone who can copy and learn it just by watching.
“[Wakamou’s Foot]!!!”
A massive foot strikes down on the Tower Lord, shaking the earth along with a looming shadow.
The rain clouds that engulf even the hymns and sunlight pouring from the sky gather, and rain begins to shower.
That deity summoning the rain was none other than Jiang Yeoul and Mei Xiao Long Bao elegantly dancing in the square.
With the grace [The Diva’s Performance], they cast blessings restoring believers and veils summoning rain clouds.
Ignoring the restriction that disallowed other skill activations, with [Model Adjustment], Wakamou roughly grasps the Italy Tower with an enlarged hand.
Picking up six from the nearby Italy Tower, squeezing them between his fingers.
With no time for the Italy Tower emitting devils to be startled by having six of them bundled and swung towards the Vatican Tower by Wakamou.
Thud──!!
The Italy Tower shatters into pieces, triggering a tower collapse six times in succession, spewing monsters, but [The Idol’s Fiery Penance] erupts, reducing the monsters to ashes.
“[Damn it… How could this be!! Didn’t I gain the ultimate power with [Cost]!! How am I losing to a mere ascender with a body closest to God…?!]”
The Tower Lord gritted his teeth, seeing the Vatican Tower on the verge of collapse.
With the expression of someone on the brink of tears after barely enduring a bit of torment, Wakamou looked down at him with a ridiculing laugh.
“Oh, how frightening and scary!! It hurts so much because of the divine energy contrary to mana!! You’re truly the greatest!!”
“[Don’t mock me…!]”
“Never climbed a tower, right?”
The 【Tower Lord】, barely holding up a fight, receives Wakamou’s kicks with a shield as he struggles with a power struggle.
Wakamou, perched upon his shield, speaks.
“If you’re so annoyed, face it with that power. Defeat me and prove it. That you’re the world’s strongest.”
“[──In Italy, how many of those VTubers you’re fond of must have visited…? I’ll ensure you don’t have room to fight…!!]”
[Italy Tower is collapsing!]
A beam of light shoots from the Vatican Tower, swirling as it slices down all the Italy Towers.
The wide-range attack, meant to destroy towers, caused Wakamou to gape in awe.
“[Italy, always a deadweight ally!!]”
One wonders if even [Italy Tower] felt wronged seeing the 【Tower Lord】 venting out grievances.
The operation of monster summoning began not just leaking from the tower but explosively deploying a combination of bosses and hordes.
Most top ascenders being in Italy didn’t make it easy to cover an entire country.
Moreover, ensuring civilians weren’t caught in the crossfire was a major challenge.
“[Your allies will perish, Idol!!]”
“…Indeed, you don’t know anything”
The ties of VTubers─the trust and belief built in each other while streaming.
It is something the idol (god), who merely uses humans as stepping stones or expendable resources, can never comprehend.
“Ichigo!!”
Mami, falling back while protecting people amidst a disadvantage, shouts while supporting a bloody Robert.
Jin, having resolved himself, lifts his head watching the wave of encroaching monsters.
Live-streamed through the camera being operated by Aoi Asuka.
─Even though all items were absorbed by Italy Tower, wearing the crown passed to him by Dalki whom Wakamou is embedded in.
“You and all your monsters… will be swept away”
The crown’s strings sway with a rattling sound.
And in response to the Emperor’s summon, the sounds of galloping began towards Italy.
The Imperial guards and fandom, summoned by Oshi.
The army revealed through the scepter of light in her hand appears.
Eventually, when the [Summoned Believers] by Wakamou gather the ascenders.
Overcoming long ages, the Emperor’s heir has arrived at their throne.
The Emperor has returned.