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Following the serialization of the second chapter of Sword Art Online, Haruto's fanbase had finally grasped the overarching direction of the story.
It seemed highly probable that for a significant portion of the upcoming narrative, the protagonist would be showcasing the intricacies of the game world, Sword Art Online, while simultaneously hunting for ways to dismantle the floor bosses and clear the game.
To be perfectly honest, this specific subgenre of fiction was something that had never truly been explored in the light novel industry before. While on the surface, readers were simply watching a protagonist conquer a video game, the addition of the "permadeath" mechanic, where dying in the virtual world meant actual, physical death in reality, infused the entire reading experience with a palpable sense of tension. It was a far cry from the casual attitude people usually took toward gaming, where a "Game Over" was nothing more than a minor setback.
"So, you're telling me the protagonist has to pull off a 'no-death' run of the entire game?"
"It looks that way. I guess that is the only way to truly prove he's a top-tier hardcore player."
"But man, the character writing for Asuna in chapter two is actually fantastic. She's got courage, she's decisive, and she's surprisingly gentle. Most importantly, she actually knows how to play the game without dragging everyone down."
"Ugh, where can I find a girl like that in real life? Beautiful, good-tempered, and a pro gamer? Usually, you're lucky to get one of those traits, but she's the whole package."
"Shiori-sensei truly understands the soul of the otaku community."
"Still, I feel like this work is a massive departure from Sensei's usual style. His previous works were all slow-burners with heavy foreshadowing. Even Parasyte had a grand, philosophical theme. But Sword Art Online? This feels like a pure, high-fantasy light novel through and through."
"Well, you can't blame him. As amazing as To the Moon was, its sales per volume were modest compared to the giants. Even Parasyte had its limits. Meanwhile, you have generic titles pulling in massive numbers. You just have to accept that 'deep' novels don't always align with the tastes of the mainstream audience. If you want the sales data to look pretty, you have to make certain sacrifices."
"That is true. Besides, Shiori-sensei is actually really good at writing this kind of light novel. We're two chapters in and there isn't a single 'idiot' character. Both the lead and the supporting cast act logically. Asuna, in particular, is incredibly captivating."
"We also have to give credit to Shizuru-sensei's art. Her illustrations for Asuna perfectly capture the character's image. It makes the immersion so much stronger."
"Update! We need more updates!"
"Actually, I think it's great. A novel like Sword Art Online, which isn't brain-dead, has a solid plot, and is just a comfortable read, might seem simple on the surface, but if you look at the rest of the light novel market, you realize how rare this quality actually is."
"I just hope the story keeps this pace and doesn't do anything weird later on. Like killing off a major side character or the heroine just to force a tragic ending."
"You gamers might find this great, but for someone like me who doesn't play games, it's a bit awkward. I have to keep searching for gaming terminology online just to understand what's happening."
"Haha, don't sweat the details! You don't really need to understand them. On the surface, it's heavily tied to gaming, but it's really a story about people. It's a character study of how different players behave when pushed to their limits in a desperate situation. Shiori-sensei probably considered the knowledge gap for non-gamers and simplified that part of the writing."
"Hahaha, is everyone just so used to Sensei's tragedies that we don't know how to handle a pure 'adventure' mode?"
The online reputation for the second chapter of Sword Art Online was arguably even better than the first. As many of Haruto's readers pointed out, while the plot might not have been as emotionally shattering as the climaxes of Anohana or To the Moon, its broad appeal was its greatest strength. This was precisely why, backed by Haruto's accumulated prestige and the inherent quality of the work, the series managed to maintain its top-tier ranking in Kiyozawa Library.
The following day, the official voting results for the second chapter were released. The number one spot remained firmly held by the magazine's long-standing king with over 2.6 million votes.
In second place was another veteran series.
This week's chapter had reached a major climax where several widely hated villains met their demise, leaving readers satisfied and pushing the vote count significantly.
And in third place was Sword Art Online, trailing by a razor-thin margin.
Technically, if the second-place title hadn't had a major plot spike this week, its numbers likely would have stayed the same as the previous week, meaning it would have surrendered the second-place spot to Sword Art Online.
Regardless of the specific ranking, the growth trend for Haruto's new work was nothing short of staggering.
Haruto sat at home, looking over the market research data for Sword Art Online. The documents sent by Ms. Hime also included market data for competing works across other magazines.
After a long moment, Haruto let out a heavy sigh. Although he was quite famous in the industry, he avoided useless networking and had almost zero contact with his peers. He truly hadn't known much about the details of his competitors until now. He had actually been a reader of some of these works when he was younger. He never imagined that in just a few short years, he would be directly competing with those legendary works for the top spot in Kiyozawa Library.
He set the documents down and drifted into thought. The results for the first two chapters were even better than he had anticipated.
Usually, a series like this only starts to hit its stride once the heroine, Asuna, gets more screen time and solidifies her status as the "best girl" among the fanbase.
Based solely on the first two chapters, the story was innovative, but that alone shouldn't have been enough to command this much industry attention.
"I suppose building up a pen name really pays off," Haruto muttered to himself with a smile.
Fans were remarkably loyal to specific creators, especially a young, high-potential author like Haruto who had yet to produce a single flop since his debut. He spent the morning at home writing the next chapter.
Around noon, he headed over to Shizuru's place to drop off the storyboards for Initial D. In the afternoon, Haruto visited a high-end dealership in Tokyo to pick up the car he had been dreaming of since he started university. Under the envious gaze of the young saleswoman, Haruto took delivery of his new ride. He didn't even bother waiting for the complimentary gifts; he simply hopped in and drove off.
It was now October, and the first wave of profits from Puella Magi Madoka Magica had officially hit his bank account. The average sales for the theatrical volumes stood at record heights. The five volumes of the TV version averaged over a million units per volume.
Calculated at current market rates, his share of the home video sales alone amounted to hundreds of millions of yen.
Additionally, the series had earned massive revenue in international broadcasting rights across more than twenty countries. Between those streams alone, he had raked in a fortune.
Furthermore, merchandise like character costumes and figurines were selling like wildfire both in Japan and abroad. Several gaming companies were already in talks with Haruto's Haru-Yuki Animation Studio regarding character licensing deals. Conservative estimates put the revenue from these side ventures at several hundred million yen more. While the income from an animated work naturally tapers off after the initial hype, Madoka Magica would likely provide a passive income for years.
One could say that from Madoka Magica alone, Haruto was guaranteed billions in yen.
The ceiling for these profits would ultimately depend on how he chose to develop the franchise in the future. For example, if he wanted to go the "quick cash" route, he could immediately license a mobile game or a spin-off, and then maintain the hype.
Of course, doing that would earn him a mountain of money, but it would also cause a severe crisis of faith in the "Warrior of Love" brand. While some within his company had suggested moving in that direction, arguing that a phenomenon like Madoka Magica should be milked for every cent of commercial value regardless of reputation, Haruto had ignored those proposals entirely.
With massive funds currently in his account, Haruto had officially ascended to the ranks of Japan's "stealth" billionaires. Paying the balance on his high-performance sports car didn't hurt his wallet in the slightest.
He drove away from the dealership and headed straight to a well-known luxury real estate agency in the heart of the city.
"Hello, Mr. Haruto."
The agent who had been helping him handle the purchase of a villa over the past month was a beautiful young woman.
Haruto wasn't particularly materialistic and had no interest in a life of debauchery despite his wealth. He bought the sports car because he thought it was cool, and because he was currently writing Initial D and spent all day researching cars for his storyboards. He had developed a genuine itch for high-performance vehicles.
As for the house... he simply didn't want to be treated like a zoo exhibit in his current apartment complex anymore.
Every time he left or returned home, he would run into dozens of fans lurking around for an autograph. If he stayed there much longer and his address became more widely known, it wouldn't just be a few dozen fans anymore. If he ran into an obsessive hater, anything could happen. This wasn't just a problem for him; both Shizuru and Reina had dealt with similar issues.
Haruto followed the agent as they drove to the villa for the third time.
"Mr. Haruto, your car... you truly have exquisite taste," she said. Even though she was a real estate agent, she knew her cars. One look at the logo told her exactly what it was worth. Sitting in the passenger seat, she didn't hold back on the flattery.
"It's alright, I suppose," Haruto replied. He knew she was sucking up to him, but he appreciated the sentiment. If someone called him handsome, he didn't necessarily care, but if someone called his car "handsome," he'd say they had a keen eye. Because it really was.
"You are so young and yet so successful," the saleswoman said with genuine envy.
A villa worth 500 million yen, three stories tall with a private garden covering nearly 900 square meters, luxury interior design, seventeen rooms, and a swimming pool was a massive purchase even in the Tokyo area. Without a net worth in the billions, who could afford to live here? Moreover, Haruto had moved incredibly fast. From viewing the house to paying the full amount and handling the title transfer, he had been decisive.
He negotiated a small discount, had his lawyer review the contract, and closed the deal at lightning speed. She had spent very little effort on this transaction, but her commission from the sale was equivalent to years of her normal salary.
Haruto drove into the elite residential area.
Over half of the residents in this neighborhood were heavyweights in the ACG and entertainment industries, famous directors, top-tier celebrities, and chairmen of major film studios.
The other half were CEOs of listed companies.
Because the neighborhood was populated entirely by industry titans and household names, the privacy and security were top-notch. The complex was guarded year-round by professional security personnel, making it impossible for paparazzi or obsessive fans to infiltrate the grounds.
Naturally, the monthly management fees were astronomical.
But for someone who just dropped hundreds of millions on a house, a bit of maintenance cost was the least of their worries. He did one final walkthrough of the villa to ensure the layout matched his expectations. Once his lawyer arrived and confirmed that all the paperwork and contract details were in order, Haruto finally signed his name on the final documents provided by the agent.
Haruto handled these matters with incredible efficiency. After all, time was money. He hired professionals to handle all the tedious details, which was the only reason he was able to take delivery of both a car and a house in a single day.
"Alright... I'm moving in tomorrow." After spending a few quiet moments in his new home, Haruto stood up and began dialing the number for a professional moving company.