Chapter 231: Chapter 230: The Warrior of Love’s Slow Burn in the First Half, Absolute Carnage in the Second, As Always

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Before the arrival of Madoka Magica, the anime scene was largely devoid of high-concept narratives involving parallel worlds, time travel, or memory loops. When Homura Akemi made her debut with such a complex mechanic, the audience was left utterly spellbound by the innovation.

However, no one expected that the Warrior of Love’s second major work, 7 Years From Now, would take that very concept and make it the beating heart of the story.

"Episode two really stung, didn’t it? The boy and girl make a promise to watch the flower bloom by that old well seven years in the future, but then we find out Aoi gave Soraki her heart almost immediately after. It’s heartbreaking."

"The atmosphere of this show is so heavy. Look at the cast. Honoka’s LMD is flaring up, so she’s practically at death’s door. Kakeru is turning fifteen, which is basically a death sentence, a ninety-nine percent mortality rate within three years. Aoi died as a kid... Soraki only survived because he has Aoi’s heart, but no one is lining up to give Saki a transplant. I have a feeling the blades are coming for real."

"I came here for a romance story, but the heroine is already dead. How are they even supposed to date? It’s a ghost story at this point!"

"Well, Riku clearly has a thing for Saki. That much is obvious."

"Wait, the first episode mentioned that LMD might actually be curable. Remember that intern who was fired? He claimed the hospital was letting people die on purpose, and then he had his memory wiped. There’s definitely a conspiracy afoot."

"And that time-loop mechanic is suspicious. Dr. Ichiki has a machine to send memories back two days, but why did the loop trigger when Soraki was knocked out in the archives during the first run? Ichiki said he wouldn’t do something like that without consent. So, is there someone else pulling the strings? Or is the doctor just a liar trying to throw Soraki off the scent?"

"Who knows? They keep mentioning that flower too. That flower feels like it’s going to be a major plot point."

"Basically, anything involving the number seven is a red flag. The seven-year promise, the flower that blooms every seven years... I bet the main goal is to uncover the dark secrets of that hospital."

"The more I watch, the more confused I get, but the more hooked I become. The first episode was okay, but the second one really sank its teeth into me."

"Same here! This memory-leap setting is so cool."

"I think the only flaw is making Aoi the heroine. She’s dead! Why does she get so much screen time? Every episode is packed with her flashbacks. Wouldn’t that time be better spent on the characters who are actually alive?"

"Are you serious? Aoi is amazing! Her scenes are the most emotional part of the show. She promised to see the flowers with him and then gave him her heart just days later. When you connect the dots between episode one and two, it’s beautiful in a tragic way."

"We’re only two episodes in, so the plot hasn’t truly exploded yet. But that’s classic Warrior of Love, slow burn in the first half, absolute carnage in the second."

"Regardless, I’m sticking with it for the time-travel alone. After Madoka, I’ve been craving more high-concept stuff, but nothing else even comes close."

The second episode of 7 Years From Now pulled a 3.83% rating, maintaining its position as the king of the spring season. However, many industry rivals breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the numbers had only grown slightly compared to the premiere.

From their perspective, while the show was popular, it hadn’t reached the status that Madoka Magica achieved during its run. It was just a regular hit.

If that was the case... it wasn’t so scary after all.

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April 11th, Airport.

Haruto, Shizuru, and Yukino waved goodbye to Reina Fujimoto. As Reina watched their plane disappear into the sky, she let out a long, heavy sigh.

If Haruto were traveling alone with Shizuru, she would have been plagued by a million anxious thoughts, but having Yukino along made her feel a bit more at ease.

Still, it didn’t feel great being left behind. Her university wouldn’t grant her a leave of absence yet, since the Naoki Awards gala wasn’t until the following week. She just had to wait her turn.

The warm spring breeze ruffled the hem of Reina’s emerald-green dress as she walked back through the terminal. She drew gazes from everyone she passed; some were simply stunned by her beauty, while others began to recognize her.

"Sensei Reina! It’s you, isn’t it? Sensei Reina!"

"Sensei, could I get an autograph?"

A crowd of about twenty people quickly swarmed her. Her fame might not be at Haruto’s level yet, but with her latest work, Absolute Realm, firmly planted in the top five of Kiyozawa Library, she had officially joined the ranks of Japan’s elite light novel authors.

Behind her, the plane carrying Haruto’s trio ascended. That afternoon, the moment the three of them stepped off the plane in Fukushima, they were greeted by members of the Ryugin Award organizing committee.

"Sensei Haruto, Sensei Shizuru? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ms.Tanaka from the committee." A beautiful woman in her thirties, wearing designer sunglasses and flanked by assistants, stepped forward to greet them.

The authors of the twenty nominated manga were all being put up at the same luxury hotel.

However, Ms. Tanaka looked a bit surprised to see Yukino trailing behind them.

"And this is...?"

"My assistant," Haruto said with a polite smile.

"I see," Ms. Tanaka nodded.

Yukino shot Haruto a sideways glare but said nothing. The group climbed into the car Ms. Tanaka had arranged. The three of them sat in the back of the seven-seater. Haruto was in the middle, with Yukino and Shizuru on either side. Since they all lived under the same roof, their conversation was casual and familiar. However, the driver and Ms. Tanaka were internally analyzing every word.

’Is this the daily life of the genius duo behind Initial D?’ they wondered. ’It feels... different. They don’t seem like a couple at all, despite the industry rumors. If anything, the vibe between Haruto and his assistant is much more intense.’

Ms. Tanaka reminded herself that it wasn’t her business. A manga on the level of Initial D probably brought in hundreds of millions of yen a year for Haruto. He was a member of Japan’s true economic elite; if he had a special relationship with his assistant, it was par for the course.

Soon, the car pulled up to the hotel. The moment the five of them stepped out, they were met by a flash-mob of reporters who had been camping out at the entrance.

"Sensei Haruto! Who do you consider to be Initial D’s biggest threat?"

Haruto was momentarily dazed. He didn’t even get this kind of reception back in his usual haunts, yet here he was being swarmed the moment he hit the pavement.

"Uh... I think The Teacher Next Door is quite excellent," Haruto said, naming his supposed biggest rival for the award.

In truth, while that series was the strongest competitor from the past year, the gap between it and Initial D was a canyon.

Initial D currently had three volumes in print with an average of 18 million copies sold per volume, a titan of the industry. The Teacher Next Door, while popular, only averaged 8 million copies per volume.

"Oh? So Sensei likes forbidden romance manga? Does this mean your personal preference in women leans toward the mature, older sister type?" another reporter asked slyly.

Reporters were masters in this. If there was no news, they would manufacture a scandal out of thin air. Haruto hesitated for a split second, and the cameras captured the exact moment of his stunned expression.

"Is it true that you, Shizuru, and Reina are in a love triangle? Is Reina the third wheel in your relationship?" a reporter asked maliciously.

Shizuru’s face turned bright red.

She looked at Haruto, biting her lip to keep from saying something she might regret. Yukino, however, stepped into action. She, Ms. Tanaka, and the driver formed a human shield, pushing through the reporters. Yukino grabbed Haruto and Shizuru by the wrists and hauled them toward the hotel lobby.

"This is what happens when you lack experience," Yukino muttered as she dragged them along. "Why are you even entertaining them? They prey on people like you who are too polite to walk away. They use these loaded questions just to get a reaction."