manga artist Kirito

But what could she do? Eriri was clearly no match for Kasumigaoka Utaha in wordplay, and she couldn't possibly go to her house through the internet and beat her up. Drawing curses was childish, and going to school was even more out of the question. Every time they ended an argument, Eriri would grit her teeth and mentally go through every single curse word she could think of before she felt a little better.

But honestly, writers... are really good at arguing. They can even make you feel severely insulted with a single sentence, without using any profanity.

Besides, Eriri, the doujinshi artist, also has the side job of being a rich young lady...

"Hey, Ri-gami, have you ever heard of 'Black Album'?"

"Of course I've heard of her, isn't she the one who started the 'Yanxue' (a term referring to a school of thought that focuses on appearance)... It's a pity that the final volume hasn't been released yet." As she spoke, Eriri seemed to remember something and looked at Kirito with a strange expression. "Speaking of which, the author of 'Black Album' is named Fujiwara Tsukuyuki... and your name is Fujiwara Echizen. Could it be that you two are related? Or is this your pseudonym?"

"...Just kidding, I don't use the pen name Fujiwara Tsukuyuki." Kirito smiled wryly. Although the subject matter and core story of the work felt very familiar, Kirito had never actually worked in the light novel industry, so it definitely couldn't be him.

"You don't deny having alternate accounts?"

"Everyone has a couple of alternate accounts to cause trouble when they're out in the world." Kirito waved his hand calmly. "What I wanted to ask you was, it seems like this work was made into a visual novel and even released."

"Huh, it's been so long since we've seen a final installment of a series released as a visual novel?" Eriri, who's been engrossed in drawing lately, hasn't been paying much attention to games... Perhaps it's because Kirito is so dedicated to achieving his goals, even if it means sacrificing his gaming time.

"I don't know either, I just heard some classmates mention it." Kirito sighed. "It's a pity, I haven't had much time lately, otherwise I would have gone to buy the game. I have to go back to the dojo on Saturday..."

"It would be even better if I could meet this author. I've prepared razor blades..."

"It's wrong to murder your senior, Pear God! Besides, you might do the same thing someday, so please have some consideration for the creators."

Anyway, I'm not a reader, so whoever wants to send it can send it.

"...You shouldn't have said anything, the more you bring it up, the more I feel like this Fujiwara Chikuyuki has something to do with you." Eriri glared.

"Then just pretend it's related to me." Kirito shrugged. These days, nobody believes the truth; a mouthful of dirty jokes might be more effective...

"Oh right, if you have time to buy this galgame that's supposedly a masterpiece for getting rid of otaku, remember to bring me a copy."

Why should I help you?

"We're friends, right? I think it's only right for friends to help each other."

"...If we have time." With a vague reply, Eriri carried her sketchbook and headed towards the classroom. "get out of class is over, let's go to the clubroom."

"Asuna stayed up quite late last night. If nothing unexpected happens, Asuna and Kasumigaoka-senpai should have finished the manga script by now." Kirito's tone carried a hint of anticipation. Perhaps if Kasumigaoka Utaha had written the script alone, Kirito might have worried that she would have removed the romantic elements and only left a heartwarming story. But with Asuna added, it's a different story.

Kirito is certain that in the manga script, the protagonist will definitely have the ability to pilot a giant mecha!

"I think the stories written by Kasumigaoka Utaha are definitely not very good!"

Before you say that, please throw your copies of "Love Metronome" Volumes 1 and 2 into the trash can incinerator, okay? Oh right, remember to use a CCTV brand incinerator, it will guarantee that not a single ash will be left.

"While the style and plot could be improved, Kasumigaoka-senpai's story isn't bad." As he said this, Kirito suddenly felt conflicted. Within the industry, Kirito was undoubtedly Kasumigaoka Utaha's senior, and arguably even a mentor, but at school… Kasumigaoka Utaha was his senior, Kirito's senior…

Damn it, is seniority really that important?

Yes, Kirito is struggling with what to call someone... Should he just give them a convenient nickname like he does for Sawamura?

For now, I'll just call you "senior sister" on campus.

When she starts calling me "teacher," I'll give her a more affectionate title.

"In short, I just think it's terrible!"

"as long as you are happy……"

Kasumigaoka Utaha loves to bicker with Eriri, probably because she just happens to lack such a tsundere loli to bicker with in her life... Well, hopefully it's just literal bickering, otherwise many people will feel sorry for her for not making a move sooner, but I certainly don't feel sorry for her.

Bickering...it's so nice.

Kirito seemed a little sentimental. Asuna never argues with me... Of course, I also can't bear to make her angry.

Back in the classroom, Kirito and Eriri picked up their bags and strolled toward the manga club room. Since it was break time, there were already quite a few students from other classes in the hallway, but they seemed quite surprised to see Eriri and Kirito walking together.

In addition, there were many other members whose eyes were burning with passion...

You beasts, and you still say you're not homebodies!

"What's that look in your face?"

"Do you think that if I say something next, it might trigger one of those melodramatic scenes from a novel? Like, someone coming and beating you up?"

Kirito glanced at Eriri's sly smile and raised his not-so-thick eyebrows. "Eri, do you believe I'll cover your face in Musashino milk right now?"

Eriri's smile faded, replaced by a soft snort, "You can't even take a joke..."

"Actually, I was just joking, because I didn't bring Musashino Milk."

—Then why do you look so serious?

------------------

I won't go into the details about why the chapter didn't go VIP at noon; I'm too lazy to even mention it.

Well, I currently owe 21 updates, but at my current pace, I estimate it won't be long before I catch up.

So, I'm just asking for your monthly votes, hoping for as many as possible.

097

[NO.95 Pleasant Remnants of the Party (Eighth Update)]

The comics club room was filled with all five members.

After recent renovations, the club is much better than when Eriri first took over. Although there are still many works and drafts left by the seniors, the quality of these drawings is only average. They are not comparable to any of Kirito, Eriri, or Shiina Mashiro.

All I can say is that Soubu High School has truly lost its pool of talented artists in the past.

As for why these manuscripts were left behind, it was not for admiration, but simply because—I was lazy.

These items were placed on the shelf on the left side of the room, while the shelf on the right held various drawing papers, brushes, and tools needed for drawing drafts that the group had brought themselves.

If it weren't for the fact that it's still a bit too simplistic, it wouldn't be a bad idea to consider this place as a small comic studio.

The four sat in their seats, while Kasumigaoka Utaha stood in the middle of the desks, holding a manuscript in her hand, with a serene smile on her pretty face, indicating that she was in a good mood.

Kirito and Eriri weren't in a good mood at the moment. Kasumigaoka Utaha had printed out four copies of the script, so everyone had one. Except for Shiina Mashiro, who was still carefully reading and thinking about it, everyone else had finished reading the manuscript. It was precisely because they had finished reading the manuscript that Kirito and Eriri were in a bad mood...

The story goes like this—

The protagonist is a high school student. His childhood friend is a creation of a new world project. His junior in the club is a super soldier who is obsessed with him. The girl behind him is a special race that is feared by humans. The class president will turn into a demon in the next three days and target the protagonist. The new transfer student falls for the protagonist at first sight and declares that she wants to marry him. The girl next door with the potential to turn into a demon is eyeing the protagonist covetously.

At night, alien creatures attack...

At first, it was a sour and sour daily life, but when the New World Project was launched, a super soldier was ordered to kill the childhood friend, a special race wanted to eat the protagonist, the evil class monitor wanted the protagonist to save his childhood friend, the girl next door wanted to kill all the girls who followed the protagonist... In the end, the mastermind behind the scenes, the transfer student, revealed his fangs and led alien creatures to conquer this world.

In the end, all the girls except the protagonist die, even the transfer student who is the mastermind behind it all—

Well, the story outline is not just chaotic; it would be much easier to understand if it were written in detail.

However, it's still clear in some places that the female lead dies, which is indeed very healing, and the aliens, super soldiers, demons, and special races are all fantasy creatures...

"But what about mech combat? What about my giant mech?"

"What's the panic? If there are aliens, there are definitely spaceships, so there are definitely mechs too!" Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled cheerfully in the face of Kirito's protest and dissatisfaction. "Besides, I wrote at the end that the protagonist, piloting the secret mech left behind by the transfer student, begins to launch a counterattack against the universe."

If Asuna hadn't been there, Kirito would have immediately said "Fuck you" and the ending would have shown the protagonist piloting a mecha to fight back. What's the difference between that and not having a mecha at all?

"Even if there's no space battlefield, at least show me two enormous aliens so the mechs can fight them off!"

"Hey, even though these are all fantasy creatures, they don't meet my requirements at all, okay?" Eriri was so dissatisfied she almost slammed her fist on the table. "And all the heroines are dead, are you poisoning me?"

"Hmm, it does feel a bit too contrived to have all the female leads die." Asuna pursed her lips, pondered for a moment, and then nodded.

“...It would be fine if they all died.” Shiina Mashiro felt it wouldn’t be right for her not to say something, so she added this sentence.

"Everyone, please calm down!" Kasumigaoka Utaha calmly raised her hand. This script was a combination of Asuna's suggestions and her recent creative ideas, so it was normal that it didn't get unanimous approval. Besides, the teacher was quite dissatisfied with the absence of mecha...

But why do I feel a sense of pleasure?

"Fantasy... I mean a Western fantasy world, or creatures!" Eriri slammed the manuscript on the table. "What the hell did you write? It's all slice-of-life romance... and the plot is so dark it makes me want to send you a bomb! No way! Absolutely not!"

“Alien creatures, demons, and ghouls are all beings from fantasy. Super soldiers and technological creations may not count, but isn’t that enough?” Kasumigaoka Utaha pouted. “If you insist on the kind of tentacles you like… forgive me for being blunt, but I can’t write it.”

"Kasumigaoka Utaha!!! Who, who, who likes tentacles!? I'm just interested in the Cthulhu pantheon!" Eriri roared, annoyed or perhaps because her tail had been stepped on, completely abandoning any semblance of elegance she needed to maintain.

"The Cthulhu you mentioned is also an alien creature, a product of fantasy, no problem!"

—Eri-ri is badly damaged, and the defeated dog returns.

"Fantasy or not, it doesn't matter, but all the heroines die... It's toxic." Kirito originally wanted to say it was alright, but feeling Asuna's gaze, he changed his tune without hesitation and raised his voice slightly, "But, it's a mecha anime! You're not even going to give us a scene where the protagonist pilots a giant mecha to fight aliens? What I want to draw is the romance of men! — Our passion can break through the sky!"

"Ah, there are definitely mecha games."

"Is your head stuffed with black stockings?" Kirito asked, looking exasperated. "Don't joke around, this is clearly a formulaic surreal slice-of-life story... Aside from the mecha that appears at the end, where's the mecha battle?"

"This is setting the stage for a sequel. Then you can draw men's passionate battles, and not just any ordinary ones!"

Kasumigaoka, go to hell!

Kirito felt a tightness in his chest, as if his internal injury had relapsed. After finally managing to suppress the urge, Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke again.

"Teacher, I've thought about the direction of this story very seriously. Do you really dislike this story that much?"

...No, that won't do!

Seeing Kasumigaoka Utaha's foolish act, Kirito almost sprayed the Sprite on her face. What a shameless bastard! Now she's talking about seniority? Why don't you take the teacher's requirements seriously?

"Well, this story... let me revise it." Asuna, who had been playing the role of the person in charge, smiled and extended her hand to Kasumigaoka Utaha. Although she hesitated for a moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha still handed the manuscript to her, which also meant that she was handing over the right to revise the manuscript to Asuna.

In fact, Kasumigaoka Utaha had been wanting to laugh for a while—it was so enjoyable to see her teacher get the short end of the stick!

---------------

Monthly tickets are updated monthly, while recommendations are updated daily... Hmm, why not call them daily tickets?

098

[NO.96 Finalized (9th Update)]

Actually, Kirito had anticipated that this team-oriented script would have problems, but he didn't expect Kasumigaoka Utaha to go to this extent. Although Kirito and Eriri's requests were taken into account, it was completely different from what he had expected...

That makes sense. A simple work can only have one theme. If too many ideas are mixed in and the creator doesn't have the ability to handle them, the result will only be a mess, and it will be almost impossible to gain recognition.

However, whether so many themes can be incorporated depends mainly on the creator's imagination and writing skills. In addition, Kasumigaoka Utaha had her own personal agenda, so it's not surprising that the story turned out this way.

Therefore, it would be perfect to have Asuna, who doesn't want to exert any unnecessary control over the work, take over the revisions.

The next day, in the same manga club room, but this time the person standing in the center holding the script was Asuna.

"Well, I've roughly revised the story manuscript, adding in everything everyone requested..." As she spoke, Asuna's expression turned a little annoyed, "but it seems like it's become a bit too long..."

Kirito's initial intention was for this team-oriented creation to be just a short manga, but the manuscript currently in everyone's hands has reached 30,000 to 40,000 words, and this is only because there is not enough time and the story structure can only be simplified... Otherwise, this story would have much more than just a 30,000 to 40,000-word outline.

"This... it could easily be turned into a long-running manga, right?" Eriri's lips twitched slightly. It's only been yesterday until now, even if she started working immediately after getting home and then rested, and continued revising during her lunch break... it shouldn't have been this fast, right?

...Well, I should say that Professor Shang Baize truly deserves to be called a workaholic in the industry?

"Originally, I only planned to make some modifications to the original story." Asuna tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and gave an awkward but polite smile. "But once I started making changes, I couldn't stop. Of course, the original story is still pretty much the same as before, but I've slightly enriched the content and world view, and added the setting that the protagonist is a mecha pilot. In addition, there are creatures similar to otherworldly fantasy."

"Most of the necessary content has been added..."

Asuna paused for a moment, then continued.

"As for the ending where all the female characters are killed... I changed it so that they all disappear, but they just leave the protagonist's side and don't actually die. Oh right, this is a prequel... well, a short comic."

"...This...this is the prequel?" Eriri stared at Asuna in astonishment. "If the prequel is this long, then the main story will be drawn until we graduate?"

"Well... it's hard to say." Asuna's gaze shifted slightly. "But if the club's short manga is successfully submitted and wins an award, I think I'd still like to continue creating more, right?"

"...That seems to make sense." Eriri pursed her lips and nodded. Perhaps the story didn't initially pique Eriri's interest, but after the plot became more fleshed out—yes, Eriri wanted to draw this manga!

"I have no objection. I really like this story." Kirito said, squinting his eyes. Unlike what Kasumigaoka Utaha wrote before, the initial plot was about the protagonist piloting a mecha to defeat an advance team of aliens... Kirito was sure that this story was not much different from Sword Art Online.

But the main story is the real show, the prequel is just an appetizer. If the prequel can win the Best Newcomer Award, then the main story... I really look forward to it!

"Hmm." After a moment's thought, Shiina Mashiro seemed unable to come up with a good comment, so she simply nodded.

"Well, although the healing effect is much less, I still really like this story." Kasumigaoka Utaha said, her leg shaking almost imperceptibly, her expression somewhat forced. "I have to say, as expected of Kamishirasawa-sensei, his control over the story structure and plot handling is so strong."

"It's alright." Asuna smiled modestly, then looked at Kirito and smiled. "To be able to do this much, I still need a lot of story scripts that people used to throw around everywhere. I just incorporated plots from other stories."

"I used to write down all the ideas that came to mind when I had nothing else to do... Well, they were just some whimsical thoughts." Feeling the gazes of everyone, Kirito didn't mince words. Anyway, he didn't have much of anything, just a lot of story scripts.

"Since everyone thinks this manuscript is fine, then it's your turn to put in the work, illustrators. Kasumigaoka-senpai and I have already completed our tasks. I believe that with the combined efforts of so many of us, this manga will definitely be amazing." Asuna smiled slightly as she looked at the artists' serious expressions. She was quite confident in this story; yes, that was the confidence of a bestselling author.

"Alright~ The game begins!"

Thus, the third meeting of the manga department finally finalized the script for the short-term goals and began creation.

In general, as long as there is a written script, the main artist only needs to follow the script. Moreover, Kirito had already prepared the design drawings for the mecha that the protagonist would pilot. Now, with the help of Shiina Mashiro and Eriri as assistants, the drawing speed is incredibly fast.

Of course, while Kirito had these two top-tier illustrators as his assistants, he wasn't so shameless as to simply sketch a rough draft like some famous manga artists and then leave the rest to his assistants. After all…

You need to know men's passion for mecha!