manga artist Kirito

"Damn it!! She already has pantyhose, but she also has safety shorts!!" Kirito stared at the girl with a look of disappointment, but as he spoke, his hands were also fast, quickly sketching those alluring legs in his sketchbook.

At first, she seemed very worried, but when they collided, Eriri found herself enjoying watching them. However, she didn't forget Kirito's words. While chasing after the extremely cool scenes on the field, she also displayed unprecedented hand speed, which was even slightly surpassing Kirito's speed.

However, the two had different goals. Kirito was eyeing the girl with ice-blue hair, while Eriri chose a bespectacled girl with long blonde hair. Perhaps this is the mutual attraction between losers.

Although the other person's breasts are much bigger than one size larger.

"Wow, it's a real mega game!!"

The blonde girl with glasses used a pair of disposable chopsticks to block countless attacks, dodging and weaving with such speed that Eriri felt like she was watching a live-action movie. The terrifying breast jiggle during the attack made Eriri's conscience clench.

"Newton, you died such a terrible death!! What use is your coffin lid now?"

Compared to the blonde girl with glasses, the ice-blue-haired girl was even more terrifying. While dodging the attack, she even jumped onto the ceiling, the powerful twisting of her waist generating a spinning force, and her long, beautiful legs kicked out fiercely, faintly producing the legendary sound of air being torn apart.

To be honest, when Kirito came to this supermarket half a month ago, all he saw was a fight after the prize money was won, nothing nearly as terrifying as this. This level of fighting power should be placed in a super ordinary city! Also, chopsticks can be used like this? Does that mean all of us who only know how to use chopsticks to eat and stick them in our noses to pretend to be elephants are incredibly low-class?

"Ahahaha! Ice Witch, is this all you've got? This situation is truly hopeless!" A tall man with an extremely long fringe on his forehead, who didn't look like a good person, stood at the back and looked at the ice-blue-haired girl who hadn't been able to break through the encirclement of his underlings for a long time.

"..." Her expressionless face revealed a look of concern. The girl did not intend to respond to the big guy. Instead, she kicked away the guys who were attacking her with even more ferocious attacks, and then glanced at the big guy indifferently.

That look seemed to say: What the hell are you doing staring at me like that?!

Of course, given her personality, she would never say such a thing.

"Go! Take her down! This supermarket is my hunting ground!" Holding two walnuts in his hand, the big guy suddenly felt a surge of anger under the girl's gaze, and then he ordered his underlings to charge forward.

"Wow, society is really treacherous!" Eriri exclaimed in amazement at the other person's shameless behavior. "But, the Witch of Ice... is she a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)?"

Two gazes followed her voice. Eriri paused for a moment, then gave an embarrassed smile. "Ah, I got too carried away. You guys continue, don't worry about me."

"Get out of here, kid, stop nagging!" The big man crushed the walnut in his hand, his eyes full of disdain.

"You bastard! Who are you calling a brat?!" Okay, my physical development isn't what I wanted. I've tried my best, but it's stopped growing. What can I do?!

"If I weren't weaker than you, I would have killed you with a single ponytail slash right now!"

018

[NO.17 Society is truly treacherous]

A bloody incident sparked by half-price bento boxes...

A supermarket brawl sparked by Eriri's words...

Okay. In the end, it's Kirito who suffers. After all, it was Kirito who brought Eriri here, and it was Kirito who knew there was a possibility of being affected but wasn't sure if he would leave...

"Ouch...it hurts so much."

Rubbing his slightly bruised eyes, Kirito lay on a bench outside the supermarket, grinning from ear to ear. Eriri, sitting next to him, blushed slightly, clearly embarrassed. But you couldn't blame her; anyone would be annoyed if their sore spot was touched, even if the timing of her outburst was a bit off.

"Are you OK?"

"Of course something happened. Those guys didn't consider how badly the other person would be beaten when they attacked... Damn it, if I hadn't reacted quickly, I would be in the hospital right now." He tried to sit up, but accidentally aggravated his wound, and Kirito grimaced in pain. Luckily, he had trained well in the past to build up his physical strength, otherwise it would be more than just pain now.

Look at that cross-dressing pervert in the supermarket, dressed in a high school girl uniform. He was getting beaten up so badly that Kirito could hardly bear to watch. But I have to say, that pervert really had guts to come to a crowded, garbage-filled place like a supermarket dressed in women's clothing. He's truly admirable.

"I think I need to take the day off tomorrow... My head hurts so much."

"Headache? Why are you rubbing your stomach if you have a headache?" Eriri's lips twitched. Although the big guy did call people over, he didn't touch Eriri. Instead, he just chased after Kirito and started fighting. Four or five people came to fight Kirito one-on-one... The scene, cough, should I say Kirito is worthy of his kendo background?

"Of course my stomach hurts too." Kirito rolled his eyes, then picked up the bento box that was placed to the side. This was the target of those vicious guys who were willing to risk their lives. Now Kirito had taken one, and Eriri had also managed to get one.

Ha! Dinner's sorted.

But honestly, Kirito would rather spend twice as much money than fight someone for a half-price bento... Damn, are these guys crazy? They'd risk their lives for a half-price bento.

"...Um, how about...we go to the hospital to get it checked out?" Eriri's tone was a little low. If she hadn't said anything out of line and had just quietly watched the show, most of this wouldn't have happened.

"Tsk, what kind of hospital?" Kirito scoffed, then patted his chest forcefully. "You have no idea how many times I've been to the hospital since I started learning kendo. Now I'm terrified of hospitals. Besides, this isn't even a serious injury; going to the hospital is a complete waste of money..."

"..." Eriri froze for a moment, then pointed at Kirito's mouth, "Wait, you...you're coughing up blood!"

"My gums are bleeding, it's just because I'm a little irritable, don't worry." Kirito wiped his mouth nonchalantly, then picked up his bento and started eating.

"Oh, it does taste pretty good."

"...Are you really alright?"

"It's nothing. I'm not the kind of guy who just pretends to be tough. If something were to happen, I'd be even more scared than you." Chewing his food, Kirito smiled through his bluish lips, but judging from his twitching eyes... even moving his mouth aggravated his wounds.

"When I was a kid at the dojo, as the senior disciple, I taught those little devils all day long things like 'even a lion will fight a rabbit with all its might'... The result was obvious: I was always ganged up on and beaten up badly. But because of this, I'm more resilient than the average person... cough, that is, not to mention physical strength."

"Alright then..." Eriri didn't say much more, opened the bento box that was placed to the side, and a faint steam rose up.

"Speaking of which, did you remember those exciting, or rather, exceptionally cool scenes from just now?"

"...I drew some sketches, but these guys are moving so fast, I can't keep up. Of course, I've made sure to note down the ones I can't keep up with." Eriri picked out a green pepper from her lunchbox. "To be honest, these guys' fighting style... is very practical, unlike the fancy moves you see on TV."

"Yeah, that's why we came to this supermarket to gather materials." Kirito grinned. "The most realistic fighting style, if put into a manga, would probably be more appealing. After all, sometimes practicality is more appreciated than aesthetics."

"Well, who knows?" Eriri shrugged.

"Are you... wolves?"

The sudden sound made Kirito and Eriri instinctively turn their heads, and what came into view were the ice-blue-haired girl and the blonde bespectacled girl they had been paying attention to. Oh right, that cross-dressing pervert was also there.

"I'm not a pervert!"

Huh, they actually read my mind. Are these guys... superhumans?

"You've already said it!"

"Hello, cross-dressing pervert!" Kirito raised his hand to greet the other person, while Eriri sat back a little, looking at the cross-dressing boy with a face full of disgust.

"...Ahem, young people always have some peculiar quirks, you think you should be able to understand." The girl with ice-blue hair said expressionlessly, but the other party didn't appreciate this explanation.

"Ah, of course I understand." Kirito smiled slightly, and casually gave the pervert a thumbs up. "You've got guts!!"

"I already said that's not how it is!" The weak defense was completely useless.

"What kind of 'wolf' are you talking about?" Eriri asked curiously.

"I knew it wasn't." The girl was silent for a moment. "Don't come to this supermarket at this time next time."

"...Ah, as you can see, we're here to gather material." Kirito put down his bento box, picked up a sketchbook, and handed it to the girl...

"What happened before was just an accident, and it's unlikely to happen again. But we can't let go of such a suitable location for research, senior!"

"A comic book... Hmm!" The blonde girl with glasses pushed up her glasses and looked at the sketchbook with some curiosity, her expression immediately becoming somewhat subtle.

"Not bad at all. Can I have this one?" She took the sketchbook from her companion, held the page in her hand, and looked at Kirito with a smile. "Consider it payment for agreeing to let you use me as your subject."

"...Okay." Kirito glanced at Eriri, and nodded after confirming there were no problems. Well, if this person really minded, she might just tear up the sketchbook on the spot. It's just a drawing, no big deal.

"Thank you, young man!" The blonde girl with glasses patted Kirito on the shoulder with a smile.

...Are you Leone?

"By the way, you absolutely can't waste those bento boxes!"

019

[NO.18 I want an illustrator]

The situation that day was a little strange. I was just going to the nearby supermarket on my way, which is why I thought of going with Eriri. I never expected that I would encounter a living urban legend.

Okay. It's just a fight over half-price bento boxes, nothing special, although it's a bit scary that some people ended up in the hospital because of it. But to other people, it's just an ordinary thing.

That said, the title "Witch of Ice" is really quite chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur), while "Lady of the Lake" is alright, and it fits well with that blonde bespectacled girl's demeanor. But... haha, that cross-dressing pervert's nickname is "Pervert"!!

Actually, none of this is a big deal. After all, Kirito isn't going to fight them for lunch every day, and this city isn't small, with plenty of supermarkets. Unless you stake out the place, it's not that easy to run into them... Of course, if you're talking about staking out someone's school, that's a bit much. They'll really call the police!

Just as Eriri was finishing her bento, her butler arrived. Although she had originally planned to take the train, she ended up calling the butler instead... She must have been plotting something, but it just didn't work out.

Uh, given Eriri's character setting... well, I'm just overthinking it.

The streets at night, especially after dinner, are teeming with people walking their dogs... I mean, showing off their pets. Even Kirito is starting to find it hard to watch. But surprisingly, most of these dog walkers are women... tsk tsk tsk...

Kirito hurried home, not wanting to waste too much time. After all, there was a lot to do: the first chapter of the doujinshi for Flat-Chested Yuuki, as well as the revisions and the first chapter of Sword Art Online, all needed to be drawn that night.

This brings us to a common ailment – ​​procrastination! It's absolutely incurable, and Kirito is well aware of his own situation. If he were any lazier, the first thing he might think of after opening the door wouldn't be the manga, but rather playing a couple of games.

Therefore, one must reach a state of selflessness, forgetting everything unrelated to comics, even the passage of time!

Yes, this is the victory for the cultivation party!

Oh wait, it seems like I have a lot of work to do tonight...

Looking at the drafts in his hand, Kirito's lips twitched. These were all drafts he had drawn at the supermarket, but to complete them would require a lot of work! Ah, it felt like he was really going to be cultivating immortality until he died.

However, it must be said that looking at the draft in his hand, Kirito can recall the legs of that "Witch of Ice"—long and powerful, especially with the black stockings accentuating them, making them even more alluring. They are definitely the best choice for "prprpr" (a Chinese internet slang term for something highly desirable).

If Kirito were to choose someone from the crowd who could be compared to her, I reckon... well, the first choice would definitely be the second-year beauty, Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Although Kirito hadn't observed her up close, with his powerful sense of smell for finding material, he could never easily forget Kasumigaoka Utaha. She had great legs, and was also wearing black pantyhose... If the two of them were to fight to a draw here, then the "Witch of Ice" would definitely lose to Kasumigaoka Utaha's lewd bust size.

However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Kirito says he prefers wild witches. Of course, it's just a preference; Kirito doesn't want to be thrown over Asuna's shoulder yet.

Kirito turned on his computer and casually clicked on Twitter. Hmm, quite a few comments, but most were asking why the little girl was selling herself to appease public anger. Hahaha, a little girl? You guys must be living in a dream!

However, to be fair, it's quite remarkable that Kirito, after lying low for two years, could still have so many fans resurrected when he reappeared. After all, not many people would follow a corpse for that long.

Feeling slightly conflicted, Kirito was about to close the page when he did see a private message. It was a little strange; with that AI from the reclusive neighbor around, Kirito's inbox would never have any meaningless messages. Even if there were, Maid would delete them instantly, making it impossible for Kirito to see them.

Uh, a meaningful private message?

[Hi, this is Maid-chan. An editor from a certain online literature platform sent you a private message. Please check it.]

Before Kirito could even open the private message, a pop-up window appeared on his screen... Well, it seems something really has happened.

Kirito moved the mouse to open the private message, and looked at the line of text above, his expression slightly strange.

[Hello, Fujiwara-sensei, this is Machida Sonoko, an editor at Shinazugawa Bunko. It's wonderful to see you alive, Fujiwara-sensei! I have a favor to ask you. Do you accept commissioned illustrations?]

Machidaenko...?

Looking at the somewhat familiar name, Kirito frowned, as if he had heard the name from someone before... However, Kirito was quite familiar with Shinazugawa Bunko, since Asuna's light novels were also published by this paperback publisher.

In this private message, everything that needed to be said was said, except... well, it's a bit strange. As for the zombie thing, it's fine to know, but why say it out loud? If you're not careful, you might lose favor with the person.

Kirito calculated his current funds; he still had a considerable amount left, enough to ensure he wouldn't go hungry for at least the month, so whether he took the illustration side job or not didn't matter. However, he hadn't yet found a distribution channel for the manga… Perhaps someone in the industry like him could be of help?

Well, to be honest, regarding the issue of submitting manga, Kirito initially planned to target Hiratsuka Shizuka. As a senior who greatly loves shonen manga, Hiratsuka Shizuka is certainly qualified to comment on where to submit a somewhat dark manga like Sword Art Online.

However, now there are industry insiders... well, although they may not be professionals, at least they are editors, so they can always offer some advice, hahaha!

Besides, if Hiratsuka Shizuka finds out I draw manga... well, drawing manga isn't a big deal, but being found out I draw erotic comics would be troublesome. This hot-blooded teacher might impulsively grab me and send me to some kind of labor camp... believe me, Hiratsuka Shizuka is absolutely capable of doing that!

[Illustrations, urgent?]

Kirito replied in text. Although the number of illustrations is small, it actually takes more effort than a single chapter of manga.

"...It's alright, I estimate it shouldn't affect Fujiwara-sensei's summer commercial plans...probably."

The other party replied instantly, so it seems they were really in a hurry.

Let's schedule a time to meet and discuss this...

020

[NO.19 I admit there was a moment when my thoughts went astray]

There is a group in the world that goes against the right path, that is, goes against the will of Heaven.

This group has a name—Cultivators!

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Kirito looked up and saw a pale yet powerful fist. However, while cultivators do have a nemesis—a terrifying creature called "Shangtou"—they are forced to submit to this creature.

Incidentally, so-called teachers are actually the most terrifying creatures.

Countless saviors are graduates of schools, and their educators are teachers. In other words, a so-called savior is nothing more than a student educated by a teacher...

Thinking about it this way...

Oh dear, this is terrifying to think about!

"Kiritani, grit your teeth and bear it!!"

"Ah? Sorry! Teacher, I was wrong!" Looking at the beautiful teacher, Kirito stood up without hesitation, because she really was going to throw a punch, even in a classroom. After all, the students in the class had a general understanding of Hiratsuka Shizuka's personality since the start of the semester; when it came to taking action, she would never hesitate.

"I tripped and fell downstairs today, and my head is still a little foggy." Kirito pointed to his forehead, where a bandage was taped up, and there was a faint smell of alcohol. This was a wound he got from fighting over bento boxes last night. Actually, it wasn't really a wound, just a scrape. Asuna saw it when he came to school this morning, and then he was taken to the school clinic to be bandaged up.

Although it was unnecessary, it didn't seem to be useless; at least Hiratsuka Shizuka believed this reason.

To be honest, rushing to finish the work wasn't really necessary. It was just a goal Kirito set, so by the time he finished the plan he set yesterday, it was already 5 a.m. He had to take a shower and hadn't slept for long before he had to come to school... Tsk tsk, look at that ethereal face.

From sleeping through the first class until now, and then being woken up by Hiratsuka Shizuka, even looking injured, there's no way Hiratsuka Shizuka would actually lay a hand on him! A passionate teacher!