8:00 PM—this time is somewhat symbolic.
For many readers who purchased the third volume of WorldEnd, it's likely they haven't finished reading it yet.
After all, light novels mostly appeal to students, and these students often have various interests.
At this time, many are probably just putting down their chopsticks after dinner, maybe getting ready to flip through a few dozen pages.
For a small number of working professionals, after a busy week, if they don't have any social obligations at this time, they're likely just getting back to their tiny rented apartments.
They might have a moment to relax, settle down, and carefully read the book.
However, for those diehard fans, the ones who live and breathe love and hope, the overlap of passion and anticipation creates a kind of torment.
They want to be the first to know the latest news and receive the gifts from their beloved author, but they also want to dive straight into reading the third volume of WorldEnd without delay.
After weighing it out, the craving for the newest information and the gifts ultimately wins.
How can something that's called latest news be delayed?
If they miss it this time, who knows when the next opportunity will come to get a rare gift from the author?
But the WorldEnd book has already been bought, right?
Even if they delay by 10 minutes or half an hour, they can always stay up a bit to finish reading later.
Besides, they don't have school tomorrow.
For those fans outside of these two categories, it's even easier.
Just go straight to the social media platforms and enjoy the event.
Unless there's something else to do, why miss out on this grand occasion when they can just check their phones?
So, when the clock struck 8:00 PM, 60% of the over one million followers were eagerly waiting.
That's an incredibly high percentage.
As expected, the update arrived right on time—at exactly 8:00 PM! It was a video.
The video's title was:
"If Happiness Had a Color, What Would It Be?"
A sense of unease surged in the fans' hearts.
But as the saying goes, "Since we've already waited this long, why not click and see?"
The video started, and after a brief blackout, the silhouette of a red-haired girl appeared.
She stood on a high platform, almost like a warship.
The scene quickly shifted to a bloodied red-haired figure, lying on the ground, her gender unclear, her voice full of agony.
"Chtholly, stop! Don't go!
"We'll fight you battle, too!"
"That's why ,if you don't have to fight anymore, then don't!"
"Now that you can be happy, then go and be happy!"
"If you do, we won't be able to accept it!"
The camera returned to the girl's earlier silhouette.
A young girl with fiery red hair, dressed in black imperial military attire, her long hair flowing wildly in the wind, her face expressionless.
From her profile, her eyes seemed hollow, devoid of any emotion.
The screen froze for a few seconds.
Then, a deep, emotionless female voice said, "Sorry."
"I definitely can't find happiness anymore."
Her words, though plain, carried a sense of finality—the girl truly had no chance of ever finding happiness.
A nameless sorrow began to stir.
But her monologue continued.
"Because I've already realized."
"I…"
"I… have already been surrounded by happiness."
But unlike the words she spoke, her delicate face showed no joy.
Her red eyes, empty like a lifeless doll.
As the words ended, the girl no longer hesitated.
She fell from the platform, her body diving straight toward the earth below.
Above her, the dimming sunset cast a mournful glow over the clouds.
In this vast, gloomy sky, the girl was just a tiny speck falling from the high platform, her descent toward the ground inevitable.
The screen turned black, and then brightened again.
A beautiful girl with blue hair, draped in a black cloak, appeared in a small alley.
She turned slightly, and in the distance, a man, barely visible in a gray cloak, stood.
As the camera zoomed out, large gray-and-white buildings came into view, while a hauntingly beautiful saxophone played softly in the background.
With each passing second, the song grew louder.
As the images flickered, various characters, dressed in different styles, appeared in quick succession.
The melancholic saxophone played on.
The music continued to rise, and the fans watching the video felt a wave of sorrow rising in their hearts.
Then, the first line of dialogue appeared:
("Are you going to Scarborough Fair?")
The strange figures on the street watched the blue-haired girl and the man, who were holding hands, running through the streets.
("Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.")
In the floating city, facing the sunset, the couple's silhouette lengthened, as if whispering to each other, or perhaps simply enjoying this fleeting moment of peace.
("Remember me to one who lives there.")
Suddenly, the blue-haired girl stepped onto the stream, running forward while wielding a glowing blue sword.
In an instant, the scene shifted to the battlefield at dusk, where the red-haired girl appeared, wielding a red sword, slaying enemies one after another.
("She once was a true love of mine.")
The male protagonist held the female protagonist in his arms, and although she was shy, there was a look of uncertainty in her eyes, like a deer caught in the headlights.
It should have been a sweet scene, but with the sorrowful melody in the background, fans couldn't help but feel more uneasy.
The next scene brought their unease to life.
Despite her shyness, despite her reluctance, the girl suddenly pulled away from the male protagonist's gaze, making the painful decision to leave.
In the blackness, the red-haired girl held her sword, running toward the future.
"Chtholly, keep going!"
Memories began to resurface, and it was as though she was falling from the warship…
Crying, she ran into the arms of the one she loved, but a flash of red in her originally blue hair…
High-fiving her friend, it seemed they were making a promise, but her hair, once pure blue, was now streaked with more and more red…
("Tell her to make me a cambric shirt")
Chtholly: "I once swore to be with him forever."
The two of them, happily shopping for fruits at the market...
Chtholly: "This vow makes me incredibly happy."
("Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.")
William: "I once swore to be with her forever."
The two of them happily browsing a bookstore together...
William: "This vow brings me unparalleled peace."
Chtholly, standing on tiptoe, still couldn't reach a book placed higher than her.
William smiled, reaching down to grab it for her. The joy in their expressions made the moment seem perfectly happy…
By the river, for some reason, Chtholly pouted and stared stubbornly at the male protagonist's profile...
("Without no seams nor needle work")
Chtholly: "I once thought I really liked this person."
Under the moonlight, tears streamed down their faces as they embraced, as if bidding farewell…
William: "I once thought I truly cherished this person."
William smiled gently, ruffling the girl's hair...
("Then she'll be a true love of mine.")
Chtholly: "Having such feelings makes me so happy."
Under the moonlight, the two of them shared their feelings... A hint of soft red appeared in her hair.
Chtholly, still smiling, wore a thin veil in the room, her red hair now even more prominent.
Her face, adorned with a shy expression, seemed more delicate than before...
William: "Having such feelings makes me so joyful."
Chtholly, with her full red hair, walked through the battleship, her eyes hollow and emotionless...
Chtholly: "He once told me he would make me happy."
William: "I once told her I would make her happy."
The girl leapt from the sky, her pure white wings unfurling behind her...
Chtholly: "Hearing him say that makes me so happy."
William: "Being able to say that to her fills me with satisfaction."
A vast and endless horde of beasts!
The battle, relentless and unceasing, would only end in death, never halting until the very end!
Chtholly: "I've received so much happiness from him..."
William: "I've received so much from her... but I..."
Chtholly: "So now, no matter what others say..."
"I will be the girl he loves the most in this world!!"
The scenes of battle and memories intertwined, the sorrowful music never taking a break.
And then... the curtains fell!
(Tell her to find me an acre of land.)
(Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.)
(Between the salt water and the sea strands)
(Then he'll be a true love of mine.)
Chtholly: "William, thank you."
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Under the girl's colorful wings lay William and Insania, both unconscious.
At the end of the scene, beneath the brilliant, blinding sunset...
Chtholly, now with her red hair, stood with the holy sword, facing the endless "beasts" below her.
As the video ended, countless fans were still staring at the screen, dazed.
Even though the scenes had little dialogue or explanation, despite knowing nothing about the two characters' relationship, the sincerity in their monologues made the fans feel...
The undeniable truth of their feelings.
It was this truth that left them stunned, unable to snap out of the video's grip.
The fitting background music added layers to each scene, making it all the more powerful!
Minutes later, the fans with the deepest empathy were crying uncontrollably.
The average fans had tears in their eyes, each drop falling heavily as their noses tingled.
Below the post were endless comments already flooding in.
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"I don't even know what the story is, but I'm already crying, sobbing..."
"The last time I cried this badly was from Anohana! But this video... I don't even know these characters!! Why is it so emotional??"
"Is the fucking author just straight-up ruining us now!? Is this a direct sign that the next work will be a tragedy!?"
"But I still want to watch it! Am I insane!?"
"Did no one notice? The female voice had joy in her words, while the male's was full of sorrow, the contrast was stunning!! And with the music and visuals, it was pure perfection!!"
"What song is this? It's amazing! Perfect for the video!"
"I found it through a song identifier – it's 'Scarborough Fair'!"
"This song is incredible! I'm setting it as my ringtone!"
"Respect to the person above, not afraid of crying, huh!?"
"So what's the new work called!?"
"..."
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And then, suddenly, the tone shifted in the comments!
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"If happiness had a color, it would definitely be the blue dyed by the crimson of the end!"
"Chtholly! William's Chtholly!! Sob sob sob..."
"So that's it! These two old men teamed up, huh!!"
"I was flipping through the third volume, just a few pages in, and bam, I saw this video. I can't even bring myself to watch it!"
"No wonder 'Warrior of Love and Hope' is doing the illustrations. It was always planned to turn this into a manga, wasn't it!?"
"Although this is exciting, all I want to do right now is cry!!"
"For the first time, I have a favorite manga artist and a light novel I love. Two happy things overlapped and gave me even more joy... It should be a dream come true, but why... Why did it end like this?"
"Doesn't anyone feel bad for William? This man, isolated from the world, finally formed a connection, only to be left like this!?"
"Though the second volume already hinted at the ending, I still held on to a little hope, hoping for a miracle... Sob, I just want to cry out loud!"
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It was clear—fans who had read WorldEnd instantly recognized the two characters in the video. After all, they looked exactly like the illustrations.
It wasn't hard to tell!
Other fans who didn't understand the context asked:
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"What's going on? Are Chtholly and William the main characters?"
"WorldEnd, I know that light novel. A few months ago, the mangaka said he'd be doing the illustrations for it! So are you saying his next work is a light novel adaptation?"
"Is this real? I'm not into light novels, but if that's true, I might check out the novel first."
"Exactly! This light novel is just amazing! Read the novel first, then the manga, it will be an unparalleled experience!"
"You're trying to trick me, right? Just earlier i was crying like a baby, and now you're trying to lure me into this?!"
"Not saying much more, this time I'm not sending knives to the mangaka, I'm sending them to Shadow-sensei!!"
"Warrior of Love and hope put so much heart into this video! Just a little token of appreciation, I'll send something to Shadow-sensei!!"
"This kind of aching pain, I don't think I'll get over it anytime soon."
"Only for this work, I won't call Chtholly my wife, because only William can give her happiness!!"
"..."
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Countless fans discussed in the comments, sharing their sorrow and sadness over Chtholly and William's fates.
Naturally, many fans who weren't interested in light novels before couldn't help but feel curious.
They were now planning to read the novel before the manga comes out.
And for those who had just finished reading WorldEnd volume three, they were finally unable to hold back the tears.
After seeing this video, they were sobbing uncontrollably.