manga artist Kirito

At this time, there were many people in front of the magazine office, mostly students who had just finished their exams, and many of them looked like top students. It was a little difficult to get into the magazine office at this time, since there was a long queue. Similar scenes were also seen in other places, not just in Chiyoda.

For example, in Heisei City, there was a very long queue in front of one of the magazine offices, and many of the people in the queue were people Kirito knew, such as Eriri, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and Aki Tomoya...

Perhaps this is what a seasoned otaku is like.

Aki Tomoya was among the first to arrive and received the latest issue of the manga magazine quite early. Normally, Aki Tomoya wouldn't be in such a hurry to buy manga magazines, since it's a manga magazine from Rouge en rouge. The only characters that Aki Tomoya could look forward to were Jun Akasaka, a pillar of the group, and a few characters who had made a name for themselves through perseverance.

But today is different. As a seasoned otaku, Aki Tomoya naturally couldn't possibly be unaware of the work "Sword Art Online" that has been heavily promoted since last week. Even though Aki Tomoya didn't pay much attention to this work at first, he later saw information about this work on the Twitter accounts of many creators he followed, and these posts were made in the form of praise.

That's why Aki Tomoya took the time to learn about the work. But soon, he discovered that the creator of the work was Fujiwara Echizen, his classmate Kirito. A long time ago, Aki Tomoya had been following this creator because he drew great erotic comics... Of course, this doesn't mean that Fujiwara Echizen can draw good shonen manga.

So, during this period, Aki Tomoya also approached Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha, two creators who were close to Kirito, to try to understand the work "Sword Art Online"... Oh right, and Asuna as well.

Yes, just trying.

For some reason, Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha, who initially listened to his analysis of works or his long-winded speeches, seemed to be annoyed by his excessive talking—and when Aki Tomoya went to ask them, he wasn't expecting to get much useful information.

However, the result was... still not much information was obtained.

Whether it's Eriri, Kasumigaoka Utaha, or even Asuna, their answers are almost identical—if you want to know, just go watch it; it's a work that won't disappoint you.

As a seasoned otaku, Aki Tomoya may not have the same level of creative vision or even universe as the creators he knows, but his understanding of a work is definitely deeper and more immersive than that of many readers.

"Let me see if this work can truly live up to my expectations, just as Eriri and Utaha-senpai said!" Holding the manga magazine, Aki Tomo didn't choose to go home and enjoy it slowly. Instead, he found a comfortable spot next to the magazine office and sat down.

Because it rained earlier and didn't stop until almost noon, the weather wasn't hot even in the middle of summer; in fact, it felt a little cool. Aki Tomoya found this pleasant, as it was a perfect spot to sit and read manga.

Actually, the reason he didn't choose to go back now, besides being eager to finish reading the latest issue of "Sword Art Online," was also because he was going to Akihabara later...

"Alas!"

When Aki Tomoya first received the manga magazine, he didn't pay much attention because of the crowd, but now he noticed that there was a new character on the cover of the manga magazine that he saw every week, and he was taking up a lot of space... The significance of this is self-evident.

If there are no surprises, this should be the protagonist of the "Sword Art Online" series. However, when I saw him wearing a black trench coat and carrying a similarly black longsword, I only had a slight feeling about him.

But then, Aki Tomoya felt an unusual sense of familiarity. This protagonist... isn't he Fujiwara-sensei?

Did you use your real appearance as your persona?

A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes behind his glasses, but he didn't linger on it for long. The characters on the cover of the comic magazine weren't drawn by the comic artist himself. Even if they were, having so many characters crammed together would undoubtedly overshadow each character's strengths and make it impossible to discern any distinctive features.

So, Aki Tomoya opened the first page of the manga magazine and was instantly stunned.

At that time, a double-page banner, a large color page, depicted a battle scene outside the Sky Castle [Aincrad]. The author cleverly separated the enemy and allied characters by the protagonist's expression. The sparks flying from the clash of swords and shields, the gorgeous but not ostentatious sword skills, all drew various trajectories in the space. Aki Tomoya seemed to be able to hear the crisp sound of swords clashing through the color page.

First thought that came to Aki Tomoya's mind was—is this really a new work drawn by an erotic artist who is only good at romance-themed art?

Yes!

Absolutely. If there had been similar creators in the shonen manga world before, there would be no reason why Aki Tomo wouldn't know, because such manga artists are destined to shine.

This is truly amazing painting...

The ethereal beauty of Sky City and the exquisite void background truly make one marvel at how the void above can also be so magnificent and colorful.

This level of artwork is comparable to that of mid-level comic artists in the industry, and it may not be inferior to established masters, especially in this information age where comic magazine sales are declining. There are no longer as many passionate comic artists as in the past who can shine so brightly at the start of a new chapter.

As Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha said, even just seeing this color page, Aki Tomoya felt that this work did not disappoint him at all!

Turning his attention back to the color page, Aki Tomoya noticed a very prominent line of text:

This may be a game, but it's not something to be taken lightly.

164

【NO.162 Sword Art Online】

This may be a game, but it's not something to be taken lightly.

As mentioned before, Aki Tomoya had already looked into this work. Perhaps he didn't get enough information from Eriri, Kasumigaoka Utaha, Yuuki Asuna, and others, but the promotions made by Fujiwara Echizen on his personal Twitter and Akane Akasaka indicated that this work was a game-related subject.

In the manga industry, there aren't many similar themes, and even fewer works become hugely popular. As a seasoned otaku, Aki Tomoya naturally couldn't be unaware of this.

Although he didn't understand the meaning of those words yet, they still left a deep impression on Aki Tomoya's mind. Entering the virtual world is probably the dream of many gamers. Even though he wasn't a hardcore gamer, Aki Tomoya had high expectations for the virtual world of games and hoped that one day a game that could realize virtual reality would appear.

Attention returns to the large color page, where the exquisite void evokes a sense of etherealness, a floating castle in the sky. Crimson hues spread around it, and the battle between players and monsters extends into the distance. Yellowed lawns connect to the horizon, and a towering building rises from the ground, piercing the clouds and supporting that sky city.

As if stepping into a world from a manga, Aki Tomoya could almost hear the sounds of players battling monsters, and feel the players' roars of defiance against fate, their desire to break through the world's barriers, and their yearning to behead all their opponents.

Swords clashing, fantastical creatures, banners waving...

Every man harbors the dream of stepping onto the battlefield, becoming a hero, or of traveling the world alone with a sword and a jug of wine, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse. That unique passion, that passion that doesn't conform to the times, erupts completely at this moment.

There's a saying: A man is a boy until he dies!

What it refers to is the passion in a man's heart!

Aki Tomoya took a deep breath and calmed his rapid breathing.

What a stunning scene...

As expected of a work that President Akasaka placed the greatest hopes on and promoted with all his might, even just one color brochure is enough to get people excited!

His thoughts were a little scattered, but Aki Tomoya still forced himself to calm down and watch the first episode of "Sword Art Online".

It didn't take long for Aki Tomoya to finish reading the first episode. As he expected, the opening of the main story was rather bland compared to the shock brought by the large banner and colorful pages. In fact, it made Aki Tomoya feel a great sense of disappointment. But that's okay, as this is a phenomenon that almost all works with potential will experience.

Even so, that large banner was enough to make everyone who saw it remember the name Fujiwara Echizen. That sense of grandeur and the feeling of being filled with passion are not something that just any artist can achieve.

Generally speaking, when a comic is published, the magazine editor will not arrange for it to be published as soon as the creator finishes the first chapter. Instead, they will ask for two to three chapters of manuscript to be prepared when preparing for serialization. If a certain amount of advance preparation can be guaranteed, then even if the creator wants to be unwell, go out to gather material, or play games and does not want to create, they can still ensure timely updates.

Of course, this doesn't really make much difference, as there are still many creators who will never submit their work until the very last minute. And when a comic is first published, it's normal to release one or two chapters.

However, as everyone knows, although Fujiwara Echizen is known for his tendency to delay his work, and Akane Akasaka, who was once his editor, has repeatedly expressed on Twitter that he would be locked up in a dark room to draw his manuscripts again, Fujiwara Echizen's fans know that in addition to knowing that he likes to delay his work, they also know that when he gets serious, he is an extremely prolific author.

In this manga magazine, the first issue of Sword Art Online released five chapters at once.

Aki Tomo didn't know what kind of agreement Rouge en rouge had made to allow so many artworks to be released at once, nor did he know which work occupied the pages, but—to be able to do this much, should we say that Akane Akasaka has guts or what?

Yes, even though Aki Tomoya isn't a creator, he is well aware of the cruelty of shonen manga. Not to mention that this work was originally given great hope, but in general, the publication of a new work means that another work will be canceled. For creators, the editors in the editorial department are simply demons.

However, the industry is just that cruel.

The scenario of the new generation rising before the old, and the old generation dying on the beach, is all too common.

Whenever a familiar editor receives a new author's artwork, the veteran authors feel a greater sense of unease, because no one knows who will be pushed out of the running by this new work, or whether the editorial department will feel that their work has failed to meet expectations and demand its forced completion.

Immersed in the manga, Aki Tomoya's immense sense of loss gradually settled in his heart. The manga was very well done in many aspects, especially in the expression of characters and the portrayal of emotions, which were exceptionally refined.

Clearly, this comes from the artist's original strengths.

There are many erotic artists, but not many can still depict the plot and characters' emotions with their brushes while still being practical—because this is just erotic art—but Fujiwara Echizen is different. With his inherent drawing quality, he is very good at handling the emotions of the characters.

Even now, you can still see that unique way of handling emotions in the comics.

However, the graphics quality so far has been subtly different, lacking the exhilarating feel of the banner ad – perhaps because there haven't been any battle scenes yet?

Soon, Aki Tomoya saw the game's creator, the creator god who trapped tens of thousands in this world, Kayaba Akihiko's appearance, the bloody scene, even on the black and white page, Aki Tomoya could seem to smell an extremely strong bloody smell.

He knew that this was just the beginning for the comics!

Subsequently, Kayaba Akihiko announced that players could only escape the game and return to the real world, its rules, and the events happening outside by completing the guide that floats in the clouds.

Yes, this refers to the number of players who died because their game helmets were forcibly removed by others.

Finally, the creator god said something memorable: "This may be a game, but it's not something to be taken lightly."

Now I understand why there was such a strange sentence in the color page.

Before he could even empathize with the protagonist's feelings at that moment, Aki Tomoya closed the book and took a deep breath.

"I can't take it anymore! There's too much information; I can't process it all at once!"

165

【NO.163 My Club】

Downstairs at Rouge en rouge, Hiratsuka Shizuka and Kirito's group, having parked their car, were slightly taken aback by the massive crowd. They remarked on the sheer number of otaku in the country. They then entered through a side door and took the elevator to the third floor.

This building is actually quite tall, with eight floors. The first floor is a bookstore, the second floor is the editorial department of Rouge en rouge, the third floor is where the more influential figures in the club reside, and the floors above are the club's business operations. Each floor has its own independent business to manage.

In short, this building actually belongs to Rouge en rouge, but it's just a branch; the headquarters is much larger.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard a lively but not noisy atmosphere. Most of the conversations were about the series "Sword Art Online," and there were also many senior authors discussing the content of their works with their editors.

The interior layout has changed quite a bit; Kirito's original arrangement has been altered, but...

With a quick glance, Kirito spotted the familiar office, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. It hadn't changed much.

"Hey! Fujiwara-senpai, you've finally arrived! President Kurenai has been waiting for you for a long time. Hurry up and go over there." Holding a stack of manuscripts that probably needed to be reviewed, Miss Strawberry hurried forward to urge him on as soon as she saw Kirito appear.

"What's the rush? What you need will come eventually, and what you don't need won't help even if you're anxious." Kirito was almost too calm. He peeked around and saw that most of the people sitting on this floor were familiar faces, but as for their names... Kirito didn't remember many of them.

Of course, there were also many unfamiliar entities, all of which emerged during Kirito's period of inactivity.

"Tsk, what should I say about you, senior?" Strawberry seemed a little helpless. Perhaps this was the unique confidence of a senior. Normally, creators who publish for the first time would be nervous to death. It's rare to see someone as calm as you.

At the same time, I'm also a little curious about what President Kousaka was feeling when he founded the manga magazine company.

But without a doubt, Fujiwara-senpai will definitely surpass the other creators in the club and become the most powerful pillar after President Akasaka—yes, that's what Miss Strawberry, who greatly admires Kiritani-kun, thinks.

"Ah, Big Sister, you're here too. It's been a long time." Distracted, Miss Strawberry noticed Hiratsuka Shizuka and Asuna standing next to Kirito, as well as Shiina Mashiro, whose name she didn't know yet.

Miss Strawberry asked curiously, "Who are these two...?"

Yes, we have to pretend we don't know Fujiwara-senpai's girlfriend!

"Yuki Asuna, your senpai's girlfriend, and this is Shiina Mashiro, your senpai's friend. They are both my students," Hiratsuka Shizuka introduced them one by one, though her feelings were somewhat complicated when introducing Asuna.

"Oh~" With a meaningful look in her eyes, Miss Strawberry deliberately drew out her tone, making one want to kick her. "Well, Miss Yuuki, Miss Shiina, please come this way. Boss Iida has been waiting for you over there for a long time."

"Okay, I understand." Asuna smiled gently at Strawberry Girl, then turned to Kirito. "Well then, we'll head over now and come find you later."

"See you later, Kazuto." It was unusual for Shiina Mashiro to turn back and say this as she caught up with Asuna.

However, Kiritani-kun doesn't find anything difficult... Wasn't he supposed to be looking for Shiina Mashiro's editor named Iida Ayano? Why did Ichigo say that Iida-san has been waiting here for a long time?

Wait, is Ayano Iida also a member of Rouge en rouge?

I turned my head to look at Hiratsuka Shizuka. Her expression was perfectly normal, as if she had known all along... Was I the only one who didn't know?

"Um, Ms. Xiaojing, I have a question I'd like to ask you..."

"Say it, I'm listening."

"Ayano Iida...you wouldn't happen to be your classmate too, would you?"

"That's right, what's wrong?"

"...No, as long as you're happy."

Kirito's eye twitched, and he was truly speechless. Did I miss something when I was investigating Ayano Iida? Otherwise, how could he not know that Ayano Iida was actually a member of the Saintess Alliance?

But come to think of it, it really does confirm the guess I made when I first met Ayano Iida...

At this moment, the people who were talking about various things also noticed Kirito and Hiratsuka Shizuka. Many familiar people put down their work and surrounded him, while those who were not familiar with him curiously asked others for information.

…………

After spending a little time getting rid of these people, Kirito and Hiratsuka Shizuka entered Akane Kousaka's office and immediately saw Akane Kousaka with light dark circles under her eyes, who was now seriously typing on the keyboard.

After all, besides being the president, Akane Kosaka has many other positions, and it can be said that she spends almost every day working.

Because she was too lazy to knock and just walked in, Akane Kousaka didn't notice their arrival. Kirito didn't say anything either, but sniffed and looked around at the surroundings. There were also a lot of ready-to-eat food trash cans... It was certain that Akane Kousaka had been resting here for the past few days.

This woman will die from overwork sooner or later.

Seeing her old classmate's current situation, Hiratsuka Shizuka felt truly helpless. Among her many close old classmates, many had worked hard, but very few had worked as hard as Kosaka Akane. The reason she came here to help was largely because Kosaka Akane wouldn't listen to advice.

Just as Hiratsuka Shizuka was about to speak, Kirito stopped her. Although she was a little confused, she didn't say anything and chose to observe calmly. It is said that Kirito is very good at dealing with Akane.

With a blank expression, Kiritani pulled the chair in front of his desk and silently walked to Akane Kosaka's side. While Akane was still engrossed in her work, he calmly sat down, quickly reached out and pressed his hand on the laptop, closing it directly, completely disregarding whether Akane was startled.

"Whoa!! You... what are you doing?!" As expected, a gasp escaped her lips, followed by a darkening of her pretty face as Akane Kosaka glared at Kirito, who seemed to have done something utterly insignificant. "You've only completed half of the program and template! Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

"I'm ashamed to say I only did a tiny bit of work." With a blank expression, Kiritani-kun didn't care at all. He stretched out his foot and rubbed against Akane Kosaka's chair, directly pushing her out of the chair. "Besides, you're the one who'll die sooner, you old woman."

"Hey! You bastard..." Akane Kosaka opened her mouth, looking annoyed, but then shut up when she remembered that the target was Kirito.

She's good at stirring up trouble, but when it comes to talking—Kirito is even better!

Author's message:

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Chicken Dinner Mini-Drama:

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