[108] Akifumi’s New Tactic!

Akifumi smiled and nodded, handing over the completed manuscript in his backpack.

— "WorldEnd: What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?"

'End of the world? Saving?!'

Machida Sonoko raised an eyebrow, instinctively forming a thought.

"Are you continuing with your usual style?"

The words 'end of the world' easily bring to mind tragedy, much like how 'Anohana' did, where the ghosts of the past give us a clear sense of where the story's conclusion is heading.

"Now that you mention it, I'm a little curious," she mused.

Both "Madoka Magica" and "Anohana" moved people to tears.

While novels and comics differ, one being driven by words and the other by art, Akifumi's storytelling ability rivals that of bestselling authors.

If he can express that skill through words, this could really be something.

Snapping back to reality, Machida flipped through the pages.

Akifumi turned his attention to the side, where a little editor, Mihari, was clearly grinding her teeth in frustration, as if she wanted to bite him.

He casually took out another copy, grinning.

"Since you're bored anyway, do you want to take a look?"

"I still can't agree with you writing light novels!" Mihari declared firmly.

"If I'd known you were up to something like this, I wouldn't have put you in touch with Machida!"

Akifumi rolled his eyes. "You don't seriously think Editor Minano didn't know?"

"Huh?" Mihari stared at him, disbelief on her face. "What do you mean?!"

"Why else would I reach out to the head of light novels if I wasn't planning to dive into it?"

Mihari blinked in surprise, and then realization set in. Could it be that Akifumi's ambitions weren't just confined to manga?

Machida Sonoko was silent for a moment.

"Instead of speculating, how about you take a look at what I've written?" Akifumi suggested.

"You could consider it research for my next manga."

"Next manga?!"

Mihari's eyes widened, as she realized what he meant.

"You're planning to base your next manga on this?!"

"Light novel adaptation, then animation. Sounds pretty standard, right?"

"... Wait, are you really planning to take on two of those roles yourself?"

Inshara mentally screamed, then sighed deeply.

"Let's just say—if this is bad, I won't let you go ahead with it."

"Well, we'll see after you've read it, right?"

"Hmph!"

Golden-haired characters are always so tsundere, anime never lies!

As they focused on the manuscript, Akifumi rubbed his stomach, still a little hungry.

He thought for a moment, then flagged down the waiter.

"Bring me this, this, and one more of that."

The two of them, momentarily distracted, glanced at him with surprise.

'Next time we're meeting with Akifumi, let's just head to a buffet,' Mihari mused, already plotting for the future.

'I mean, it's company money, but if we order too much, finance will ask too many questions.'

They briefly entertained the thought before turning their attention back to the work in front of them.

Soon, all their focus was completely captured by the text.

An hour and a half later...

"Phew."

Machida Sonoko placed the manuscript down and looked at Akifumi with a complex expression.

'Can someone this talented really exist in this world?'

Akifumi, who won the prestigious Tezuka Award right after his first manga debut, followed by a smash-hit single-volume release, which garnered rave reviews.

His second work, which concluded, saw an explosive rise in popularity!

And now, he's branching out into light novels, with a first work that's shockingly polished!

From her perspective, the manuscript was flawless and could be published as-is.

Even top-tier authors sometimes make basic errors that need editing help, and need to adjust their language for the readers' comfort.

This manuscript, though, didn't require any of that—it was already in perfect form.

How is that even possible? Machida could only attribute it to one thing.

'A massive amount of reading, extensive research into works, and an astonishing memory.'

Her thoughts turned to wonder, her earlier surprise now transformed into awe.

"Akifumi-sensei, you must read a lot of light novels, don't you?"

"Since I was a kid, I've been into novels, manga, and anime."

Akifumi sensed the complicated emotions from her but stayed focused.

This was his ambition, after all.

Since he was already framed as a genius, why not embrace it?

No need to leave any flaws to be found and corrected later.

Too much trouble, and it wastes time.

"Machida-san, what do you think of this work?" he asked.

Machida sighed in resignation. "It's amazing."

"It completely exceeded my expectations!"

"Although the story follows a very familiar trope, the tone is consistently melancholic. Readers don't mind familiar plots, though."

"Just like the system stories in online fiction, even after all these years, no one's tired of them."

"What readers truly hate is when someone can't tell a good story with a well-worn concept."

"The plot, dialogue, and characters in this work are all excellently done. It's gripping and captivating."

"Even I, an old editor, can't find many flaws in this first volume."

Mihari, who had just finished reading, overheard Machida's words, and her eyes went wide in surprise.

She wasn't a professional editor, but even she thought the story was pretty good.

What she didn't expect was for it to be so highly rated by an editor.

She couldn't help but ask, "You mean, this work can actually be published?"

"Published?" Machida chuckled lightly, shaking her head with a hint of fervor in her eyes.

"What I'm saying is, please, please let me handle this project! This needs to be my responsibility!"

!!

For an editor to be this passionate about a manuscript, it must mean she believes it's destined for success!

Mihari turned to Akifumi with a look that could only be described as awe.

"Is there anything Akifumi-sensei can't do?"

"Oh, there are plenty of things I can't do."

He shrugged casually, then turned to Machida, "It was Minano-san who connected me with you, so this project is yours to manage."

"Thank you."

Machida gave Akifumi a grateful look. While it was Minano who had pushed her to help, getting such a manuscript was a huge favor on Akifumi's part.

After all, Akifumi wasn't just any newcomer—he was the most talented, popular manga artist of the moment.

Given his status, if he didn't want to work with her, he could've easily found someone else.

This 'thank you' was heartfelt—it was also an acknowledgment of the favor she owed him.