The news that Reina Fujimoto's current work was concluding became an absolute certainty.
For Haruto, the silver lining was that she planned to launch a brand-new series immediately after finishing her current one. To him, it felt as though that unyielding spark of competitive spirit in her soul was still burning.
Even though her feelings had met a dead end, her entire world didn't revolve around that single failure. After all, she hadn't started writing novels because of Haruto.
His conversation with her in the cafe had been a gamble to provoke her. If the anger and pride he stirred up could outweigh the crushing weight of a heartbreak that ended before it even began, then he knew she wouldn't just give up.
Based on the outcome, it seemed his strategy had worked. Perhaps she had even reasoned it out for herself.
She was far too intelligent to let her life's passion vanish over a personal disappointment.
Haruto turned his focus away from the online storm of comments regarding the end of Absolute Realm.
While he, as an insider, had been wrestling with the situation, her fans were naturally left in a state of confusion.
The plot of Absolute Realm was currently in the climax of a major boss battle.
In the eyes of the readers, the world-building was solid, the popularity was peaking, and the reviews were stellar, it was exactly the kind of story that deserved to continue for years. Ending it now wasn't impossible, but it felt premature, leaving everyone with a sense of lingering dissatisfaction.
For several days, the light novel industry was abuzz with theories from her fans.
This was the reality of the industry.
Haruto knew he was only human; he couldn't handle every situation perfectly or make everyone happy.
The fact that Reina was not letting her talent go to waste because of him was already a victory in his book. He couldn't control what happened further down the road.
As the Chairman of a company with hundreds of employees, he had to consider their livelihoods and the long-term direction of the studio. He simply didn't have the luxury of spending all his time on personal matters. Though the air between him and Reina remained heavy with unresolved tension, he had to set it aside and hope that time would eventually bring her clarity.
By late May, the GGO arc of Sword Art Online officially began its serialization. The new arc brought with it stunning new character posters and a plot that exceeded everyone's wildest expectations.
After all, the GGO arc was famous for its memes. While the drama of the ALO arc had certainly kept fans talking, the GGO arc introduced Kiriko, the male protagonist's feminine avatar.
If anyone asked who the only female image in Sword Art Online could challenge Asuna's popularity, the answer would undoubtedly be Kirito's long-haired, beautiful avatar in the world of GGO. Even though the story was still in its setup phase, the character reveal, showing a delicate, long-haired beauty that still retained the faint silhouette of Kirito, went viral across the entire internet within twenty-four hours.
Meanwhile, in Hunter × Hunter, the fourth stage of the Hunter Exam reached a thrilling peak. Hisoka, the popular character who had maintained an air of mystery since the beginning, finally put his terrifying strength on display. The exam required candidates to steal the number plates of specific targets.
As fate would have it, the young protagonist Gon was tasked with taking Hisoka's plate. The reality that Gon couldn't win through strength and had to rely entirely on his wits was a masterclass in tension.
The popularity of the series had reached a fever pitch. The early complaints from fans who didn't like the lack of supernatural powers had vanished completely, replaced by thousands of "Please update faster!" threads on the Prime Manga forums every single week.
Code Geass was following a similar trajectory.
By episode seven, the establishment of the Black Knights had been fully realized. The narrative began to dive deeper into Lelouch's underground operations as he built his influence, gathered followers, and prepared his military to systematically dismantle the Britannian Empire.
Ever since C.C. had made her appearance, the engagement from the audience had skyrocketed. Initially, fans assumed the main heroine would be Shirley, Lelouch's childhood friend. She had appeared first, had plenty of screen time, and shared the most intimate connection with him.
But once Kallen appeared, the Kallen Faction rose to power almost instantly. The trope of a delicate daughter of a noble family by day who was secretly a fierce resistance pilot and ace mech commander by night was irresistible.
Once Lelouch reorganized the resistance into the Black Knights, Kallen became his most powerful asset. This character design propelled her to the top of the popularity polls for the season.
However, everything changed once C.C. truly took center stage. Her popularity was in a league of its own, far surpassing Kallen in second place, Shirley in third, and Euphemia in fourth. Thanks to C.C.'s massive contribution to the show's buzz, the viewership ratings for Code Geass officially surged past the 5.5% mark.
It was now late May, and as June approached, the summer anime season was looming. Many studios had actually delayed their summer releases to the fall just to avoid competing with Code Geass, but looking at its current momentum, they were beginning to regret that decision.
At this rate, Code Geass would still be at the height of its popularity when the fall season arrived. Haruto's fans were having a field day with the situation.
"Haruto is seriously giving other studios a migraine right now! There were two or three shows I was looking forward to this summer that got moved to fall for obvious reasons. Now there are rumors they're being pushed back to winter. It's hilarious."
"You can't delay forever. It takes six months to a year or more to produce a show and hundreds of millions of yen in investment. You think there's no cost to sitting on a finished product? Investors want their money back."
"True, but even if most shows are only delaying for a few months to avoid Haruto's peak... they still have to come out eventually. I can't wait for the fall season when the Big Three studios finally release their shows, only to get absolutely destroyed by Haruto again."
"Episode nine of Lelouch just hit 5.5%. I have a feeling that in another month or two, this show is going to break the 6% barrier."
"Haruto is just an anomaly at this point. He's the undisputed king of novels, anime, and manga all at once. Hunter × Hunter is still new, so we don't know how the post-exam arcs will go, but Sword Art Online is on the verge of becoming a literal legend. It only needs a solid ending to become the most commercially successful light novel in the history."
"Going to a convention these days is basically just attending a Haruto fan meetup. Out of ten cosplayers, you'll see two C.C.s, two Asunas, two Killuas, and a Gon. The remaining four are usually just other characters of his. It's wild."
"The second volume of the Hunter × Hunter manga came out last week too. First-week sales hit 7.09 million, breaking the record set by the first volume. Honestly, I feel a little sorry for any other creator born in the same era as Haruto."
"Bold of you to say that! Are you throwing shade at Reina Fujimoto?"
"Sigh, Reina..."
"Since her debut, she's been at the same publisher as Haruto, and she's never won. A lot of fans think the reason she's ending Absolute Realm is because she realized she couldn't compete with Sword Art Online and wants to start something new to try again."
"Seriously, my heart goes out to her. They went to the same high school, they both started their careers as teenagers, and they're in the same class at university. She's even said publicly that her goal is to surpass him. But how do you surpass Haruto in this state?"
"Between Sword Art Online, Hunter × Hunter, and Code Geass, he is the hottest creator in all three mediums. Sometimes I wonder if he's even human. A normal person would be exhausted just coming up with one of these stories."
"Working on three masterpieces at once is terrifying to even think about. Does he even sleep?"
"I feel like Haruto's voice is the only one left in the industry. If Lelouch actually manages to beat Madoka Magica and Hunter × Hunter surpasses Initial D, he'll become a living legend."
"The scariest part? He's still a junior in college. He's technically my junior, haha."
Because all three of his major works were hitting their stride simultaneously, Haruto's presence in the industry was more overwhelming than ever. This was further amplified by the massive marketing machines of Kiyozawa Library and Prime Manga. If he were a lone wolf, the established power players would have likely tried to suppress him to protect their own interests.
However, Haruto was deeply integrated with two of the most powerful publishers in Japan. Even without a long-term exclusive contract, those magazines relied on him for their top-tier sales. As a result, they poured more money into his promotion than they did for their own veteran authors. Being backed by industry giants meant that smaller companies couldn't dream of taking him down. While Haruto had to share some rights with his partners, the profits and influence he gained in return were invaluable.
At home, Reina scrolled through the stream of online comments with a complex expression. This was Haruto's world now. He was only a single step away from being universally recognized as the number one figure in the ACG industry.
"I'd expect nothing less from him," she whispered, leaning her back against the wall and sliding down until she sat on the floor.
Although his words in the cafe had convinced her not to disappear from the industry, the moment she lost faith in Absolute Realm, she knew she couldn't keep writing it.
Ending it was the only logical choice. However, the path forward for her new series was still shrouded in a fog of uncertainty.
A fleeting image of Haruto's face crossed her mind. She shook her head violently, clearing the intrusive thought.
"Focus, Reina. You can't let him dictate your life. Even without him, writing has been your passion even before you met him." She gave herself a mental pep talk, forcing her wandering mind back to her notes as she began the grueling process of finding the hook for her next story.
May drew to a close under the shadow of his success.
June arrived, bringing the peak of summer with it. The third volume of the Hunter × Hunter manga was released, hitting 7.3 million copies in its first week and once again shattering the industry record.
While the Sword Art Online novel was taking a slightly slower, more methodical pace with the GGO arc, Code Geass was a different story.
As June progressed, the show's popularity finally hit its explosive phase. The broadcast ratings surged forward, reaching a staggering 5.75%.
_______________________
Support me at patreon.com/CulturedOne and read 50 Advanced Chapters