Chapter 2: The Triumphant Saga of Erebus Kyrielight
Kaoru Kagami was mid-pose, one hand extended dramatically toward the ceiling, the other clutching his pen as though it were a weapon of divine retribution, his other hand on his hip as he celebrates a victory! (Congratulations Kagami! from Narrator)
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"Three! Count them three!!!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the studio. "Behold, mortals, the ascension of Erebus Kyrielight, the first mangaka to achieve the legendary Triple Crown of Serializations!"
The faint sound of clapping broke his monologue. Aya stood in the doorway, her expression deadpan as ever, a slow, sarcastic clap accompanying her unimpressed stare.
"Congratulations," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Shall I fetch a golden trophy, or will a cup of instant ramen suffice for this monumental achievement?"
Kaoru didn't falter. Instead, he turned toward her, eyes gleaming with the fervor of a shonen protagonist on the verge of a power-up. "Oh, Takahashi-dono, you underestimate the magnitude of this moment! The manga gods have smiled upon me. Do you not feel the aura radiating from my very being?"
Aya sighed, crossing her arms. "All I feel is secondhand embarrassment. Sit down before you pull a muscle."
Kaoru plopped onto his chair, grinning as he dramatically adjusted an invisible scouter over his eye. "Takahashi-dono, the power levels of my fandom... they're over 9,000!!"
Aya pinched the bridge of her nose. "I should've known you'd sneak a Dragon **** reference in. Didn't you say last week you'd stop trying to turn editorial meetings into anime episodes?"
"That was before my third manga, Azure Nightfall Chronicles, hit the charts!!!" Kaoru grabbed a stack of papers, waving them like a victory flag. "This masterpiece completes my trifecta! Shadow Empress Ragnarok, Blades of Eternity, and now this. I'm a living legend!"
Aya walked over, plucked the manuscript from his hand, and began leafing through it. "A legend who still needs to fix his pacing. Chapter two has a fight scene that drags on for six pages."
Kaoru gasped, recoiling as though Aya had struck him with a "ki blast."
"Blasphemy! Every panel is crucial! How can the readers feel the hero's resolve without a slow-motion sequence of his fist breaking through the villain's aura shield?"
Aya looked him dead in the eye. "This isn't One Punch ***. Fix it."
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Scene 2 Action!: The Party That Wasn't-
Determined to celebrate his third serialization, Kaoru decided to host a "team bonding" session at his studio. In reality, it was an excuse for him to gush about his work while eating snacks shaped like shuriken and sharing trivia about his favorite romance anime.
Aya arrived precisely on time, dressed in her usual no-nonsense attire, and found Kaoru in a cape made from his laundry, standing under a banner that read, "ALL HAIL THE THIRD MANGA!!"
"I see you spared no expense," Aya said dryly, eyeing the homemade decorations.
Kaoru gestured grandly toward the table, where a mismatched array of snacks awaited. "Indeed, Takahashi-dono! Feast your eyes upon these delicacies, worthy of the gods! Pocky for the romance, energy drinks for the shonen spirit, and..." He paused dramatically, holding up a heart-shaped cake. "A tribute to the power of love!"
Aya raised an eyebrow. "You baked that?"
"Of course not~~" Kaoru said, grinning sheepishly. "I bought it from that place around the corner. But the sentiment is mine!" He smiled proudly, even though the cake cost 2,500 yen..
Aya sighed, grabbed a bottle of water, and sat down. "Let's just get this over with. What's the real reason for this... event?"
Kaoru leaned in, his expression suddenly serious. "It's to honor the bonds forged in battle! Like in My Teen Romantic Co**dy *****, when-"
Aya held up a hand. "Stop. I'm already regretting this. And will you stop putting references?! Your getting us copyrighted and sued! Plus Chapter 2 just Came out!"
"I CANT thooo..." he say "sheepishly" again
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Scene 3.. Action!: A Challenger Appears.
The festivities were interrupted when Kaoru's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and froze.
"Takahashi-dono," he whispered, his voice trembling. "It's them."
Aya frowned. "Who?"
"The Weekly Manga Exposition team," Kaoru said, showing her the email. "They want me to present at the Manga Creator's Summit!"
Aya's eyes widened slightly a rare crack in her icy exterior. "The summit? That's a big deal."
Kaoru leapt to his feet, his chuunibyo persona returning in full force. "At last! The world shall witness the might of Erebus Kyrielight!"
Aya sighed. "Don't embarrass yourself. And stop referring to yourself in the third person."
"Impossible!" Kaoru struck a dramatic pose. "For I am the shadow that illuminates the dawn! The ink-stained hand that-"
"Kaoru." Aya interrupted, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You're still wearing your laundry cape."
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End of Chapter Two.
PS.
(All Credits of References I've made is given to the authors who made these amazing mangas, light novels.) bye byeee From Narrator.