Reincarnated into a World of VTubers, Challenging the Strongest While Staying the Weakest - The Weakest Awakening

He felt grass against his back. Cold. The smell of earth. When he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar sky stretched out above him. "……Huh?" Takuto lay there, unable to move for a while. It was an unknown grassland. Trees grew sparsely around him, and the grass reached waist height. Every time the wind blew, it rustled and whispered. The color of the sky was wrong. Two stars floated in it. It looked like evening, yet the sun hung in a strange position. Takuto slowly sat up. A gray hoodie and jeans. In his chest pocket, his favorite VSPO! can badge. His clothes were exactly as they'd been in his original world. His black short hair had its usual bedhead—one stubborn tuft sticking up. He blinked his deep brown eyes over and over. "……Seriously, what is this?" He traced back through his memories. He'd been watching a stream in his room, he was sure of it. Takuto, a nineteen-year-old vocational school student with nothing much going for him. His hobby was watching streams. He especially loved VSPO! streams. That night, he'd opened his oshi's stream on his phone like always. Then suddenly, the screen glitched. A strange light flooded the room. The next thing he knew, he was here. "So it's an isekai, huh……" He reached into his pocket. His phone was there. He pressed the screen. No signal. Actually, it wouldn't even power on. The screen stayed pitch black. "No way……" His legs felt weak. His heart was pounding. All around him, nothing but grassland and forest. No buildings, no people, nothing at all. Takuto sat there for a while. The wind carried sensations this world didn't know. The smell of the grass, the temperature of the air—everything was subtly, slightly different. Was there any way back to his original world? Probably not. No magic, no sword, nothing. All he had was dead grass and a useless phone. That was when it happened. He heard a scream. A girl's voice. From the direction of the forest. Takuto's body moved on its own. His legs nearly tangled as he ran toward the voice. His breath came in gasps. His out-of-shape body was screaming in protest. He burst through the trees. And there she was. Pink hair swaying. Vivid pink, semi-long, tied up in a side tail. Large golden eyes trembling with pain. About 155 centimeters tall. A small girl. She was on the ground, swarmed by black bee-like creatures. Shadow Hornets. Takuto didn't know the name. But somehow, he understood those things were monsters. The buzzing of their wings echoed ominously. "No, stay away……!" The girl tried to swat them off. But the bees clung to her relentlessly. Takuto didn't run. He didn't know why. His legs just moved. That was all. He grabbed a dead branch lying nearby. "Hey, over here!" Takuto swung the branch wildly and charged into the swarm. He had no strength to speak of. Even a middle schooler could beat him. But he swung with everything he had. Whoosh. Whoosh. The stick cut through the air. The bees dodged. One, two. He couldn't tell if it was working. But the bees' movements seemed to falter, just for a moment. In that gap, the girl shouted. "O light!" Something floated above the girl's palm. A screen the size of her hand. Particles of light gathered on it, then burst like an explosion. Crack. The swarm was blasted away by the light. The monsters fled in a panic. Silence returned. Takuto collapsed on the spot, still gripping the branch. "Hah…… that was insane……" His knees were shaking. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of his mouth. The girl unsteadily got to her feet and looked at him. Her golden eyes stared straight at Takuto. "You…… could it be" The girl's mouth hung open. "Are you a person from outside the stream?" A person from outside the stream. Takuto didn't yet understand what those words meant. But the expression on her face in that moment was deeply striking. Surprise, curiosity, and then—just a hint of hope. The girl smiled. "I'm Kanata! You just did something amazing!" She held out her hand. A small hand. Takuto stared at it for a moment, then stood up on his own. The reason he didn't take her hand was because it was covered in blood. "You're hurt, aren't you?" The girl who called herself Kanata looked at her arm, then smiled. "This is nothing. It happens all the time." A lie. Her arm was red and swollen, and blood was seeping through. Even so, she smiled. That smile bothered Takuto, just a little. A girl who could smile so naturally while telling a lie. Kanata tucked the small screen that had been floating above her palm into her pocket. Then she stared at Takuto's face. "A hoodie…… and that badge, what is it? Isn't it glowing strangely?" Takuto covered the can badge on his chest. "……It's nothing." Kanata tilted her head. Then she smiled again. "Well, whatever. Thanks for saving me!" Kanata put her hands on her hips and spoke cheerfully. She didn't look like the same person who'd been attacked by monsters moments ago. Takuto gazed at Kanata absently. Pink hair, golden eyes. A petite frame. And in her ear, a star-shaped earring. A star glinting on just one side. For some reason, that left a strange impression on him. Kanata treated Takuto's wounds. Though all he had were a few scratches. While she did, Kanata told him all sorts of things. "This place is called the western edge of Regret Forest. I'm a live-stream adventurer, and today I came to investigate monsters while streaming." A live-stream adventurer. Those words clicked for Takuto. "Live-stream…… you mean you broadcast it?" "Right! In this world, everyone fights while streaming. The viewers' comments become power." Takuto's eyes went wide. "Comments become power?" "That's right. When you receive supportive comments, your body gets stronger, or you can use magic. If someone says 'do your best,' strength wells up. If someone says 'beautiful,' your magic power rises." Kanata waved her hands around as she explained, looking happy. "Amazing…… that's just like" Takuto started to say something, then stopped. Just like an oshi's stream. Comments become encouragement, and the streamer shines. The sight Takuto had loved in his original world was reality here. "It's called a Mirror Panel. Without one, no matter how strong you are, you can't receive the power of comments." Kanata showed him the small screen from before. A floating screen the size of her palm. Faintly glowing. But nothing was displayed on it now. "I've never seen a person from outside the stream before. I thought they were just a legend." Kanata stared at Takuto intently. "In this world, there's no one like you who doesn't have a Mirror Panel. Even people who don't stream usually have one." Takuto looked at his own hands. Nothing. No Mirror Panel, no magic, no sword, no comments. Nothing. "……So I'm the weakest, huh." Saying it out loud made it feel heavier than he'd expected. His chest went cold. In a world where comments became power, he had zero viewers. Forget fighting—even surviving would be difficult. Kanata watched Takuto's face quietly. Then she smiled softly. "But you charged in with a stick. That was amazing." Takuto looked up. "Huh?" "No viewers, no magic, and yet you came to help me. You can't do that without courage." Courage. Him? Takuto shook his head. "No. That was…… my body just moved before I could run away." Kanata giggled. "How is that not courage?" Takuto couldn't say anything. Kanata's words sank into his chest with surprising ease. The two of them started walking toward the forest's safe zone. Kanata led the way. As they walked, she told him more. That this world's currency was called Lux. That there was a large city nearby called Luminare, which served as a hub for streamers. That an organization called the Streaming Bureau managed all streamers. Takuto listened and organized it all in his head. Luminare. The streaming city. The Streaming Bureau. Comments. Mirror Panels. The rules of this world were gradually coming into focus. But the more he learned, the more he realized he was an outsider here. Takuto fell silent. After walking for a while, Kanata stopped. This spot was safe, she said. There was a small space behind some rocks, a place where they could rest. They both sat down. Kanata pulled something like preserved food from her pocket and offered it to Takuto. "You're hungry, right? It's not very good though." Takuto accepted it. A food like hardtack. When he bit into it, it crumbled apart. He ate in silence. Kanata chewed quietly too. That was when it happened. Takuto saw it. At the edge of the Mirror Panel sticking out of Kanata's pocket, something like black haze flickered for an instant, then vanished. Just a moment. But he definitely saw it. "……Kanata." "Hm?" "No,…… it's nothing." Takuto shook his head. What had that been? Kanata hadn't noticed. A nagging feeling lodged itself in Takuto's chest. During their rest, Kanata began to speak, bit by bit. "Hey, there's a reason I came to this forest." Takuto stopped eating. "Even among live-stream adventurers, there are enemies. A group in black masks who steal viewers' comments." Kanata's voice dropped slightly. "Eclipse." Takuto held his breath. A group in black masks. "They hijack streams. Using a technique called Jack. And then they take all the comments away." Kanata clenched her hands on her knees. "The streamers they hit lose their memories and emotions. They're called Gray Streamers." The weight of those words left Takuto speechless. "About three years ago. My best friend was hit." Kanata's voice trembled. "Stella Mina. She was a super popular streamer. She was my best friend." Takuto looked at Kanata's profile. In the twilight, her golden eyes stared straight ahead. "Now she's gone gray, staying in a place like a hospital. She doesn't laugh. Doesn't get angry. Doesn't feel anything." Kanata raised her hand to her ear. Her fingers touched the star-shaped earring. "We bought these matching, Stella and I." Then she smiled, just a little. "Someday, I'll definitely get it back. Stella's smile, her emotions, everything." That smile looked completely different from the cheerful ones she'd shown before. Bright. And yet, terribly painful. Takuto understood her feelings with aching clarity. If his oshi suddenly stopped streaming and never smiled again— He'd want to do anything to make her smile again. It was the same thing. "……You're strong, Kanata." It was all Takuto could say. Kanata shook her head softly. "I'm not strong. I'm always on the verge of tears. But I can't stop streaming. If I stop, I feel like she'll disappear." Takuto looked at her trembling hands. Small, fragile hands. Even so, they were clenched desperately, trying to hold onto something. Something deep in Takuto's chest grew warm. (What can I even do?) No comments. No magic. But. (Maybe I can at least help this girl.) That was what he thought. Kanata looked up at him. Her golden eyes reflected Takuto directly. "Hey." "Hm?" "Will you come with me to Luminare?" Takuto hesitated for a moment. He wanted to find a way back to his original world. But to do that, he needed to learn more about this world. Luminare had the Streaming Bureau. Maybe he could find a clue about getting home there. And besides. He couldn't leave Kanata alone. "……I'll go." Takuto nodded. Kanata's face lit up. "Really!?" "I might find a way back to my world in Luminare, after all." Kanata jumped to her feet and bounced up and down. "Yay! Traveling with a person from outside the stream—this is going to be so interesting!" Takuto couldn't help but give a wry smile at the sight. She switched moods so fast. But he already knew the sadness she was hiding behind it. Takuto remembered the black haze he'd seen earlier. What had that been? Kanata ha

日本語

What is Novelia? →

Episode 1

Name: Reincarnated into a World of VTubers, Challenging the Strongest While Staying the Weakest
Author: Novelia

What is Novelia?

Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.

Learn more about Novelia →New sign-ups get 5,000pt