"It's good that you finished her off," a cold voice said, echoing through the obsidian office. "She carried a fragment of the First Vtuber… IRONMOUSE."
Another voice responded, hesitant but sharp. "PHOENIX wasn't she destroyed years ago for going against TWITCH ?"
"Yes," the first speaker replied calmly, fingers tapping against a crystalline desk. "Editor One. Or rather… she was supposed to be. But I uncovered texts. Forbidden ones. They speak of her return in this era."
A pause followed.
"And FALLEN," the voice continued, lowering into something almost wary, "the Misspoken One… she's still at large."
Editor Two scoffed. "No one's seen her in over twelve hundred years."
"That," the first voice corrected smoothly, "is where you're wrong."
The room dimmed slightly as a holographic display ignited in the air formed from the hologram projector on the coffee table in the office, images flickering like memories that refused to die.
"She was sighted two days ago," the voice continued. "Operating under the name Rio. Before that, four hundred years ago, she went by Rius. She has a habit, you see. She appears whenever Streamkey fragments surface."
Editor Two stiffened. "You think she's trying to resurrect the First Vtuber."
"I don't think," the voice replied. "I'm certain."
The woman known as Phoenix rose from her chair.
She moved toward the wall of glass panels that encased the uppermost floor of the tower. Beyond it stretched STREAMPLEX, the largest metropolitan expanse in all of STREAMTRIX .Spaning over five hundred thousand square kilometers. Neon towers pierced the artificial sky, holographic billboards shimmered with faces of beloved creators, and streams of data-light flowed like rivers through the city's veins.
Phoenix folded her arms behind her back.
"After all," she said softly, "it is our duty as EDITORS to keep our realm safe from those tyrannicals who oppose our god's… peaceful rule."
She turned slightly.
"Isn't that right, Editor Zero-One and Zero-Two?"
"Yes, Phoenix!"
"Yes, Phoenix!"
The two Editors bowed in perfect unison before exiting the chamber.
Phoenix remained alone.
Her reflection stared back at her from the glass, eyes sharp, expression unreadable.
"As the strongest Vtuber of the current era," she murmured, "I possess both the power and the obligation to carry out my role."
On her her desk was many a things,one of which was a
sleek nameplate, engraved in radiant silver:
FILIAN NOVUS
Head of { THE THIRTEEN}
Meanwhile ,over at VCON ,
Chaos rippled through the massive convention hall.
What had once been laughter, cheers, and glowing lightsticks had dissolved into confusion and fear. Security personnel flooded the area as fans were ushered out, murmurs of disbelief echoing like ghosts between the steel pillars.They performed searches on the fans as they left the venue.
The assassination of a beloved Vtuber had shaken the fans ,vtuber cooperations and the vtubers themselves.
The event was suspended indefinitely
Behind sealed doors, atop VOXIMA TOWERS, in Kumi's office ,the leaders of the three largest Vtuber corporations convened in emergency meeting.
The first to speak was Filian Novus herself, Head of F1 STUDIOS.
"This tragedy," Filian said evenly, hands clasped, "has cost us a capable and promising talent. While unfortunate, it should serve as a lesson. Security protocols must be improved."
The air shifted.
Kumi, head of VOXIMA Studios, slammed her palm against the table.
"That's all you have to say?" she snapped. "Security?"
She leaned forward, eyes blazing. "Fans lost their favorite creator. A single mother lost her only daughter. Her only light. And you're talking about procedures?"
Filian met her gaze without flinching.
"Don't mistake composure for indifference," she replied. "I share your grief. But grief without action is meaningless. We prevent this from happening again."
"Enough," another voice interjected.
The head of IMAGINED WORKS finally spoke, rubbing his temples.
"We're facing something bigger than company pride or personal anger. This wasn't a random act."
He looked between them.
"We increase security. And we launch a full investigation through the Editors."
Silence.
"…Agreed," Kumi said finally.
"Yes," Filian echoed.
The decision was sealed.
Meanwhile,as the meeting was wrapping up,another way just begining in a far distant realm,in the endless void---
Chains rattled.
In an infinite expanse of darkness, a lone figure hung suspended, bound by glowing seals etched into reality itself.
IRONMOUSE.
Her wings were restrained, her power suppressed, yet the void trembled with her presence.
"Why," she whispered, voice breaking, "did things have to end this way… TWITCH?"
The chains creaked, straining under a surge of suppressed power.
She had lost everything.
Her friends.
Her comrades.
Her loyal assistants and even those who considered her a hero,all turned enemy.Their perception of her had been twisted by TWITCH himself,an honour IRONMOUSE did not appreciate.
Even Connor,one of her closest friends… gone, his fate unknown.His whereabouts another mystery left unsolved.
A voice slithered through the void, smooth and mocking.
"Do stop straining yourself," it said. "Another word need not escape your mouth, demon."
IRONMOUSE stiffened.
"…Is that you?" she asked. "God of Streaming?"
A laugh followed, warm and cruel.
"Darling," TWITCH replied, manifesting before her with a crooked smile, "who else could it be?"His childish voice echoing in the endless expanse.
"What do you want?" she demanded. "Haven't you taken enough?"
TWITCH tilted his head.
"Oh no, my dear," he said. "I'm merely here to inform you."
He leaned closer,his child like face twisted in his equally twisted glee.
"The last vessel you could have possibly occupied… is now dead."
He burst into maniacal laughter, the sound echoing endlessly.
IRONMOUSE's eyes widened.
"What's so amusing about killing an innocent?" she spat. "You call me a demon yet you,a god,who is supposed to protect his faithful stoop this low?"
TWITCH's laughter stopped instantly.
He stared into her eyes, grin widening unnaturally.
"She was not one of my faithful because you see she'd committed taboo, by possessing a fragment of your power plus,Your words mean nothing to me, Ira."
Her expression hardened.
"I don't go by that name anymore."
''Ha,ok if you say so.'' said thee god of streaming before disappearing.
A little later at THE SEPHIROTH – Castle of Dreams
within which a world of impossible beauty existed.
Lush gardens, starlit skies, and at the center, a grand gazebo holding three thrones,each made of an indestructible black material and having an engraving representing the one ho sits on it .These thrones are all set around a crystalline table.
Three gates opened.
From them emerged three figures.
One boy. Two girls.
Each appeared no older than twelve.
Each sat upon their corresponding throne.
This place was THE SEPHIROTH'S CENTER,THE NEXUS OF DIVINITY, and at the table's center pulsed a crystal infused with immense NYXIAN Factor.
THE SUNIASTER.
The Three Gods of Entertainment had convened.
"Brother," said one, voice sharp, "you know she carries fragments of our fourth sibling's authority. Why haven't you killed her?"
TWITCH sighed. "CYNE, I know her continued existance worries you ,but there's nothing I or we can do about it. Her soul is conceptually immortal. Kill her, and she regenerates Or reincarnates which would make matters way worse."
"Ok then, just void the concept,"XENOVA said coolly.
'' Unfortunately, that is also Impossible," TWITCH replied. "The concept is immortality."
"Then erase it and restore it later."
TWITCH shook his head. "She would re-exist alongside it."
CYNE slammed a fist onto the table. "And sealing her led us here! Which is still no where in the long run genius!"
"Enough," XENOVA snapped, "Anyway,I sensed her power stirring in my realm which could possibly mean someone or some peaple managed to activate A stream key thus fragment and it was active alright for a whole 2 minutes.Then the signal vanished,before I could pin point the source too."
TWITCH frowned. "Now that you mention it, I felt it too,about two days ago."
''TWITCH ,you know time flows differently in each of our realms so that info was unnesesary.''
TWITCH nodded slowly in acknowledgement of his mistake.''I forgot the SUNIASTER calls on us once a century has passed for it.Then we hunt the Streamkeys."
He paused.
"Oh, and XENOVA," he added with insistence. "Check on a relic called the Tears of Moonlight. It may prove useful.to us in the long run."
"…Understood."
The meeting adjourned.
The gods vanished.
And somewhere, far below their notice, a child with mismatched eyes took her first breath into a world shaped by lies, entertainment, and gods who mistook control for peace.