The black knee-high socks and the white front skirt created an absolute realm of beauty.
Just thinking about it makes it amazing, right?
After making this remark, Akifumi glanced at Mashiro.
"It's only Monday, and you've already devoured an entire round cake, Mashiro."
"There are still six days left, you know?"
"!!"
The girl, who had been happily eating her cake, suddenly looked at him with a mournful gaze.
"Mugi, you're mean."
Mashiro's complaint almost felt like a reward, and Akifumi couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
"You guys go ahead, I've got something to do. I'll head to the back home for a bit."
"Okay."
Akifumi returned to his apartement.
This morning, he had received news from Machida Sonoko that the second volume of WorldEnd was confirmed for release.
Clearly, the editorial team had put in some extra hours over the weekend.
Next up was similar work to what they did last time, and Akifumi wasn't exempt from helping out with publicity.
But this time, he didn't plan on using his main account for the announcement.
The first time he used it to explain his debut as an illustrator, but there was no need to use it a second time.
Coincidentally, he had just gotten his new account "影" (Shadow) verified.
Although he had almost no followers at the moment, it felt more appropriate to announce the news there.
He logged into his new account.
Upon seeing the number of followers, he was a bit taken aback.
"10,000 followers already!? Wow."
He remembered that he'd only applied for the account on Sunday.
That meant in just two days, the account had gained 10,000 followers.
"Looks like WorldEnd is more influential than I thought!"
He glanced through the fan comments.
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"Finally! The author's verified account! So happy!!"
"WorldEnd is amazing! The unique sorrow it brings makes me reflect! I love it so much! I'll continue supporting you!!"
"Can't wait for volume two!!"
"Huh? The author hasn't posted anything yet? Are you shy~?"
———————————————————————
…
The messages were full of enthusiasm, all supporting the work and him.
It was clear that WorldEnd had truly resonated with the fans!
There were some fans wondering why he hadn't posted anything yet.
As for the negative comments, there weren't many, but of course, they existed.
Even world-famous masterpieces didn't get universal praise, so what more for a light novel?
Akifumi's mindset had long been calm, especially after Madoka Magica had dealt with backlash when Mami-senpai died in the story.
He briefly considered what to post, finally deciding on this message:
———————————————————————
"I'm Shadow, and with the help of Fujimi editors, I've finally verified my account."
"Thank you all for your attention and support for WorldEnd."
"Volume two will be released on the 1st of next month."
"In this volume, the fairy soldiers head to the final battleground, where William, with the responsibility of the next generation, and the fairy soldier girl—Chtholly—go to Floating Island No. 11 for a suitability check and receive the news of the 'last mission'."
"The illustrations in this volume are once again by my favorite artist, 'The Warrior of Love and Hope'-sensei, and I'm sure the artwork will meet your expectations."
"I hope to continue receiving your support."
"Thank you."
———————————————————————
Compared to The Warrior of Love and Hope's lively tone, Shadow's style was much more composed, marking a clear distinction between their personas.
After posting, the comments flooded in quickly.
Though not as fast as the other account, within ten minutes, Akifumi was overwhelmed by the sheer number of messages.
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"!! The author is alive, gotcha!!"
"Wow! That was so fast!! I love how fast you are, Shadow-sensei!!"
"Is this speed even real? It's unbelievable how fast it is!!"
"Volume one just released 20 days ago! And now, volume two is coming! Ugh, my wallet!!"
"My wallet? Isn't it coming out in November? My allowance will be here just in time!!"
"I'm so excited for volume two! I'll definitely buy it no matter what!!"
"Hmm, it's coming out fast. Is the quality okay?"
"No need to rush! Even if it takes 3 or 4 months to release, I won't mind as long as the quality stays the same!"
"I'm worried the second volume might not be as good…"
"I'll wait a bit before deciding whether to buy."
———————————————————————
At first, fans were all excited about the arrival of volume two, but soon enough, some began to voice concerns about its quality.
How many of them were truly worried and how many were just trolling? Well, only they knew.
In any case, thanks to the SNS updates from the author, along with the promotion, more than 90% of fans had heard about the release date for volume two on November 1st.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, November 1st had arrived.
Coincidentally, just like the last time, the release date fell on a Wednesday.
Since seeing WorldEnd, Hikari Nohara had been much less motivated at work.
He was no longer working himself to exhaustion; after all, finishing his work early only led to more tasks and overtime. It was better to take it slow.
He was eagerly anticipating volume two.
Although there were some concerns online about the quality, he wanted to judge it for himself after reading it.
During lunch break, Hikari rushed to the nearest bookstore.
"What? Sold out!?"
He couldn't believe his eyes. But when the store owner shrugged helplessly and said they were sold out, he had no choice but to try other stores.
"These guys…"
He recalled all the people online complaining about the decline in quality while still buying the book like crazy.
"Such hypocrites!!"
Well, complaining now wouldn't help. He just hoped other bookstores still had copies.
Luckily, fate was on his side. At the second bookstore, he managed to get the last copy of volume two.
Relieved, he cursed again under his breath.
"Damn it!"
After getting back to his desk, he barely made it through the afternoon and took the rest of the day off for a sick day.
He returned home and, without even touching the fast food he'd picked up, dove straight into reading WorldEnd.
A few hours later, having finished the second volume, Hikari sighed deeply.
The quality was just as good as expected, but… why did he suddenly lose his appetite?