It was the best possible outcome given the situation.
"Thanks for handling it," said Akifumi Mugiho, relieved after taking the necessary photos.
As the truck drove off, Akifumi exhaled deeply.
"How did drawing a simple manga lead to something this crazy?"
"It's just absurd!" Eriri couldn't help but complain as she watched the truck disappear from view.
"Are fans really this passionate—and this rich these days?" she exclaimed.
"One ton of razor blades? Do you know how much money that's worth just as scrap metal?!
And they actually bought them at full price!"
The sheer grudge against Madoka Magica's ending must have been astronomical to spark something this extreme.
If it had been Eriri, she admitted she'd have just fumed silently and moved on after a few days.
Akifumi shrugged indifferently.
"Who knows?"
Then Eriri's expression turned serious.
"Wait—have you ever leaked your personal info?"
"You think I'm that dumb?"
"Then how did that fan get your address?!"
With the financial resources and connections of the Shinomiya family, digging up a simple address wouldn't be a challenge.
Of course, Akifumi knew better than to say that out loud.
"If they can send a literal ton of razor blades, do you really think finding an address is difficult?"
"...Fair point," Eriri conceded, though she couldn't resist snickering.
"See? That's what you get for messing with Madoka Magica! Now fans are sending you razor blades!"
"At least someone cares enough to send me razor blades. No one's even bothered with you," Akifumi quipped.
Eriri's smirk froze, and she immediately fell silent.
Back at home...
"Aren't you two supposed to be picking up a package? Why are your hands empty?" Mahiru Shiina asked, confused.
Eriri grinned mischievously.
"Hey Mahiru, wanna guess what it was?"
Akifumi rolled his eyes and headed straight to his room.
"What's wrong with Akifumi-kun?" Mahiru asked in bewilderment.
"Don't be fooled by that calm face—he's probably super annoyed right now," Eriri teased with a laugh.
"What happened?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just a fan sending him a ton of razor blades."
"...Seriously?" Mahiru was speechless, then sighed in disbelief.
"People really have nothing better to do, huh?"
"Who knows?" Eriri shrugged.
Meanwhile, Akifumi wasted no time in his room.
He edited a post and attached the earlier photo before hitting send.
"Thanks to my passionate fan for the one-ton gift of razor blades. Nearly killed me carrying it upstairs. [Image Attached]"
The comments poured in immediately after refreshing:
"Is that for real? A ton of razor blades?"
"How rich is this fan?!"
"I can totally imagine the look on the author face—must've been priceless!"
"Kukuku, that's what you get for being so ruthless! Feel the love, demon!"
"Wait, what's the author address? Can the fan share it?"
Akifumi couldn't help but roll his eyes at the flood of reactions.
At least this ridiculous saga was finally over.
It was closure for those upset by Madoka Magica's ending.
As for his address being leaked—he wasn't worried. Knowing the Shinomiya heiress, she wouldn't know his address.
And given her unspoken agreement with Hayasaka Ai, they definitely wouldn't pull anything that childish.
Still...
"Has she met Shirogane Miyuki yet?"
If the heiress had done something this outrageous, it was probably because of that.
But Akifumi brushed the thought aside.
"Not my problem."
Time flew by, and the Summer Comiket on August 11th kicked off.
Akifumi had no interest in the "Holy War."
He'd been to it before and didn't want to endure the blazing heat again.
Eriri, however, took leave on the 13th.
After all, it was her hard work on display—no way she'd miss it.
Soon, August 16th rolled around.
That day, the first chapter of Shokugeki no Soma finally met Akifumi's standards.
A thrilled Eriri dove back into her work with renewed enthusiasm.
By August 28th, fueled by her initial success, she'd completed chapters two and three.
Seeing the timing was right, Akifumi took Eriri and her work to Shueisha on August 29th.
In a small meeting room, Eriri sat nervously, clearly on edge.
"Relax," Akifumi reassured her, and she calmed down a bit.
Soon, the editor, Otosuna Mihari, walked in.
"Long time no see, Akifumi-sensei," she greeted warmly.
Akifumi raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't you just pick up Anohana's draft from me last week?"
"Funny as always," Mihari replied, unfazed.
She then turned to Eriri. "Good to see you too, Eriri."
Mihari had grown familiar with Eriri after regularly visiting Akifumi's place for drafts.
"And Shiina too," she added with a smile.
"H-hello, Editor Otosuna-san!" Eriri stammered nervously.
Having been an editor for six months, Mihari exuded maturity and reliability now.
She smiled warmly at Eriri before turning back to Akifumi.
"Just so we're clear—even with our connection, I won't hold back."
Akifumi waved dismissively. "Do whatever you need."
"I'm just helping you boost your stats out of goodwill."
"Should I thank you, then?" Mihari retorted playfully.
"Of course," Akifumi replied without a hint of modesty.
Mihari shook her head, amused, and turned back to Eriri.
"Alright, let's see the manuscript."
"Yes! Here it is!" Eriri handed over the carefully prepared pages.
Mihari removed the cover sheet to reveal the title: Shokugeki no Soma.
On the cover, a confident red-haired boy grinned alongside a serious yet proud blonde girl.
Just from the cover design and character composition, Mihari's eyes lit up.
"This looks amazing!" she exclaimed instinctively.
"If the content is on par with this cover, getting serialized shouldn't be a problem."
She glanced at Akifumi.
"Looks like I owe you a thank-you after all."
"Of course," Akifumi said smugly.
Mihari chuckled and focused on reading the manuscript.
Half an hour later, she sighed and put it down.
Eriri anxiously asked, "Well? How was it?"
"I can't wait to see how the story unfolds," Otosuna Mihari smiled.
"Which means...?"
"It's approved!"
..................
[TL Note]
Hey there! If you're enjoying this, be sure to check out
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