Bonus Chapter at 1500 PS
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Back when the To the Moon film first hit theaters, the "Warrior of Love" had already made waves by posting a public endorsement to help drum up publicity. However, this latest cross-platform interaction between Shiori Takahashi and the Warrior of Love was far more blatant than their previous exchange.
"What is up with these two? Is there some kind of secret 'under-the-table' deal going on?"
"I noticed it too. Even though their respective fanbases are constantly at each other's throats, the creators themselves seem to be on great terms, at least online. That's twice now that the legendary Warrior of Love has gone out of his way to promote Shiori-sensei's work."
"Hey, is there a chance they actually know each other in real life?"
"Why stop there? You might as well say the Warrior of Love is Shiori. That would certainly explain why he's so helpful."
"Haha, now that is a wild theory!"
"Honestly, though, the probability isn't exactly zero."
"Look, the Warrior of Love's true identity hasn't been leaked yet, so technically anyone in the world could be him. But let's try to use some logic here. Madoka Magica aired during the summer season, meaning production took at least half a year. If you trace that timeline back, what was Shiori-sensei doing? Oh, right, he was busy serializing the Parasyte novel. And a month or two before that? He was winning the Ascent of New Gods and taking his university entrance exams. Do you really think Haruto is a god? You're saying that while writing To the Moon and Parasyte, he also aced the exams, got into Minazuki University, founded Haru-Yuki Animation to produce Madoka, and personally composed several insert songs for the show?"
"Uh... when you put it like that, it does seem physically impossible. A normal human would be lucky to accomplish one of those things, let alone having them all pile up within a three or four-month window."
"Case closed. They're probably just two talented writers who have a mutual respect for each other's craft."
"Exactly. Out of all the fresh faces that have emerged in the subculture industry over the last two years, Shiori Takahashi and the Warrior of Love are the only ones who consistently deliver hits. It makes sense that they'd admire one another."
"Still, the Warrior of Love needs to step up his game."
"In just over two years, Shiori Takahashi-sensei has produced Blue Spring Ride, Anohana, To the Moon, Parasyte, Initial D, and now Sword Art Online. That's six major works! Warrior needs to work harder if he wants to keep up with Shiori's output."
The social media interaction worked like a charm. Both fanbases were hyper-focused on the event, and the name Sword Art Online successfully filtered into the hardcore anime community that followed Madoka Magica.
In a country with millions of otaku, there were bound to be a few imaginative souls who guessed the truth, that Shiori Takahashi and the Warrior of Love were the same person.
However, the majority of the public treated such claims as a joke. After all, if you were going to believe in a statistical impossibility like that, you might as well believe you were going to win the ten-million-yen lottery tomorrow.
And so, Haruto's fans managed to perfectly avoid the correct answer.
On October 20th, Haruto and Ms. Hime traveled to Tokyo to participate in a late-night television talk show. The program focused specifically on rising stars and potential breakout hits in the subculture industry, airing promptly at 10:00 PM. During the interview, Haruto revealed a few minor settings for Sword Art Online and addressed the host's questions regarding whether the story would feature a primary heroine. The broadcast served as a massive advertisement for the novel.
The very next day, at the exact same studio...
Haruto appeared again, this time accompanied by Shizuru and an editor from Weekly Prime. Same time slot, same host, but the topic had shifted from Sword Art Online to Initial D.
Two days later, he was back again. This time, he was appearing alongside the director of the To the Moon animated film.
By this point, To the Moon had been in theaters for nearly twenty days. Daily earnings had dipped below ten million yen, but the cumulative box office had surpassed five hundred million. Thanks to its incredible staying power, it had successfully seized the top spot on the October box office charts. Sugar Man Pictures was already shifting its focus from theater tickets to secondary revenue streams like home video releases, international licensing, and television broadcast rights.
In the world of high-profile media, there are only a handful of talk shows that focus on subculture with respectable ratings. Because Haruto had three major projects peaking simultaneously, he ended up hitting them all in one go.
Appearing on the same program three times in a single week to promote three different works, an animated movie, a light novel, and a manga, became an instant meme within the industry. It was a feat that had never been seen before and likely would never be replicated. Consequently, Haruto's frantic schedule earned him the title of the industry's "Ultimate Workhorse" among the fans.
While the cultural shadow of Puella Magi Madoka Magica was finally beginning to recede with time, the name "Shiori Takahashi" was becoming more present than ever.
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Another week passed.
The second chapter of Sword Art Online was serialized in the latest issue of Kiyozawa Library. Early that morning, fans of the magazine were already lined up outside bookstores, darting toward the magazine racks the moment the doors opened.
This week, the cover of Kiyozawa Library had returned to its standard "ensemble" style.
Characters from Sword Art Online and other top titles all shared the spotlight.
However, since SAO had debuted at third place in the previous rankings, the protagonist, Kirito, occupied a prominent "C-position" on the cover, albeit slightly to the left.
If the series managed to climb to second place, he would be moved to the right. If it ever took the number one spot, Sword Art Online would be granted the largest, central illustration on the cover.
Yuta hadn't checked the specific rankings from the previous week, but looking at the layout of the cover, he could guess how well it had done.
"A third-place debut? For the very first chapter?" Yuta muttered, his expression one of pure surprise.
After paying and heading home, he carefully tore away the plastic wrap.
As he gripped the magazine, he felt something thick tucked between the pages. His interest was instantly piqued.
Whenever a series became a breakout hit in Kiyozawa Library, the publisher would include "bonus" items in the centerfold, anything from posters and character-themed bookmarks to official author photos or replicas of hand-signed cards.
Hardcore collectors of the magazine often kept dedicated scrapbooks for these little gifts. Yuta was one of those collectors; he had a cabinet at home specifically for his treasures.
He gave the magazine a gentle shake, letting the bonus item slide out like a prize from a mystery box.
"A poster?" he whispered, his eyes widening with curiosity.