Parallel World Light Novelist

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Inside the venue, the thousands of fans spent their energy in a thunderous roar of celebration, which was immediately followed by a heavy, bewildered silence. Online, every major forum and fan group was in a state of total meltdown. Many fans, once the initial shock subsided, felt their mental defenses crumble.

"Wait, today is April 29th, right? Not April Fools’ Day? Tell me this isn’t a prank."

"I never imagined the Warrior of Love was actually Shiori Takahashi. I love both of their works, but honestly, I’ve always been a die-hard Warrior of Love loyalist. Looking back at the last two months I spent flaming Takahashi fans on social media... I feel like an absolute idiot. I’ve been played by Haruto."

"My brain is short-circuiting. This awards ceremony is legendary."

"Is this the surprise Takahashi-sensei promised us at the Ryugin Awards? I have to hand it to him; that was a masterclass in trolling!"

"Guys, what do I do? All my old posts trashing Shiori Takahashi to defend the Warrior of Love are being dug up. I have hundreds of private messages on the AniSphere forums mocking me. The self-inflicted face-slapping is real. It hurts."

"I’m so mad! I spent three months fighting a digital war for the Warrior of Love, only for him to pull off the mask and tell us he was the enemy all along!"

"I’ve been laughing for three minutes straight and I can’t stop. This is the most ridiculous thing to happen in the industry this decade. Shiori Takahashi is the Warrior of Love! Hahaha!"

"At first I wanted to laugh, but then... I kind of wanted to cry. I thought he was just being a trickster, but then I realized... Haruto is actually incredible."

"Exactly. He’s only nineteen. To the Moon, Madoka Magica, Sword Art Online, Parasyte, Initial D, Anohana... most creators would be set for life if they made just one of those. And he’s nineteen!"

"I’m actually quite moved."

"Moved by what?"

"Go search for Haruto’s background. Everyone calls him a genius, but no one talks about the fact that he lost his mother as a child and his father in high school after his business failed. He started writing just to survive. He’s been in survival mode, climbing his way up until this very moment, the Naoki Gold, the Ryugin Gold, the Seika Award for Best Animated Film, and the Seika Award for Best TV Animation. All at nineteen."

"If my family situation had turned that dark when I was sixteen, I probably would have given up and become a delinquent. Sensei Haruto... you’re making me cry." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Suddenly, I don’t feel jealous of his fame or money anymore. He earned every bit of it."

On Tokyo TV 1, the ratings were skyrocketing. In just two minutes, they surged from 5.3% to 5.7%. The news that Shiori Takahashi was the Warrior of Love spread through the novel, animation, and manga forums with the speed of a wildfire. It wasn’t just the fans; professionals at every major publishing house and animation studio were staring at their screens in disbelief. This news was nuclear.

"Haruto Sensei, you certainly know how to keep a secret," the host said, smiling at him. "I think the fans here and at home are still in shock. I have to ask... why did you choose to hide your identity when you created Puella Magi Madoka Magica?"

Haruto gripped the microphone, pausing for a moment of reflection.

"I was afraid of the backlash. As everyone knows, during the early episodes of Madoka Magica, the Warrior of Love was getting trashed by critics and fans alike. At the time, I had other ongoing novels, and I didn’t want the reception of my work in the animation industry to negatively impact my novel career. It was a tactical choice."

"I see," the host laughed. "I also noticed that you are the Chairman of Haru-Yuki Animation, and Ms. Yukino is the Vice-Chairwoman. Is the name of the studio a combination of your names?"

"Yes, that’s correct," Haruto confirmed.

Haru-Yuki Animation.

Haruto.

Yukino.

The fans in the audience blinked. No one had realized the naming convention was that literal. Then, a shift occurred in the mood of the audience and the viewers at home.

What exactly is the relationship between Yukino and Haruto?

The rumors were already spiraling.

First, it was the "fated rivals" story with his high school classmate Reina Fujimoto, then the senior romance with Shizuru. Now, with Yukino in the mix, Haruto’s love life theories were becoming increasingly absurd.

"Since the company is named after both of you, it’s safe to assume that you and Ms. Yukino are very close?" the host prompted.

"Yes, that’s true," Haruto nodded. "Yukino was the editor for my debut novel, Blue Spring Ride. Anohana was serialized successfully because of her help, and To the Moon was written while she was my primary editor."

As Haruto spoke, the public perception of the elegant woman in the white dress shifted. The fans looked at her with a new sense of warmth and respect.

"To me, Yukino is an incredibly important person."

As he said this, Haruto turned to look at her. Yukino’s face flushed a delicate shade of pink.

In her ears, his words carried a weight that went beyond gratitude.

"Tonight you have claimed both the Seika Awards for Best TV Animation and Best Animated Film. You are standing at the absolute peak of your career. Is there anything else you want to say to your fans?"

"The peak?" Haruto raised the microphone, pausing as a confident smile played on his lips. "Next year, my influence will be even greater, my fanbase will be larger, and the stories I create will be even more beloved. The peak of my life is certainly not today."

The boy’s steady voice, filled with an almost terrifying level of self-assurance, sent shivers down the spines of the industry veterans and fans alike.

"That is... truly exciting," the host replied, momentarily at a loss for words.

Haruto didn’t elaborate further. If he wanted to, he could have used this platform to plug his ongoing projects like Sword Art Online, Initial D, 7 Years From Now, or Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. But he didn’t need to. At his current level of popularity, he didn’t need to "hitch a ride" on the awards gala’s hype.

Haruto looked out at the thousands of supporters in the hall and the camera lenses broadcasting his image to the nation. He slowly raised the two trophies in his hands, one for the best TV series, one for the best film. The hall erupted once more in a deafening ovation.

Twenty minutes later, the broadcast concluded.

The rating for Tokyo TV 1 hit a record shattering 6.03%. Millions of ACG enthusiasts had collectively witnessed the birth of an undisputed, once-in-a-generation titan.

The following day, the revelation dominated the entire industry. At anime conventions, Shiori Takahashi fans and Warrior of Love fans were no longer rivals. Asuna cosplayers and Madoka cosplayers were seen chatting like old friends. The AniSphere forums even pulled a special stunt; with Haruto’s permission, they merged his two creator accounts.

The Warrior of Love had 11 million followers; Shiori Takahashi had just over 10 million. After removing duplicate follows, Haruto’s consolidated account boasted 16.5 million followers, instantly making it the most-followed creator account on the platform, leading the second-place holder by nearly three million.

On video sharing sites, creators scrambled to produce deep dive videos about how the two legends were the same person. These videos invariably touched upon Haruto’s tragic past. The image of a genius creator rising from the ashes of family tragedy began to take root in the hearts of the public.

Kiyozawa Library and Prime Manga didn’t miss the opportunity either, flooding their websites with congratulatory banners for Haruto’s four-way Gold sweep. Within a few days, his influence had reached an all-time high.

By Saturday, when the fourth episode of 7 Years From Now aired, the ratings surged past 4.3%. Thanks to the unmasking, a massive wave of Haruto’s novel and manga fans had joined the anime’s audience.

The fourth episode introduced the hospital’s director, a pivotal figure. It was revealed that the director had diverted funds meant for LMD research into time-travel experiments, which was why LMD remained incurable. Sensing something abnormal in Soraki’s behavior, the director suspected he might be a traveler from the future. He pressured Soraki for the truth, but the boy remained silent.

Instead, the director warned Soraki about Dr. Ichiki. A man who could erase memories could just as easily manufacture them.

"This girl Aoi who is so important to you... are you certain she actually exists? Or is she just a phantom memory planted in your head by Ichiki?"

Soraki was left in a state of total existential dread.

The episode left the fanbase reeling once again. What does this mean? Is Ichiki the true villain? Is Aoi just a ghost?

Even though the plot was still in the setup phase, the show remained the undisputed ratings leader of the season. Despite the complexity, fans trusted Haruto’s track record enough to give the show a 9.3 rating on major portals. The success trickled down to everything he touched. Sales for the Sword Art Online and Initial D volumes spiked as fans from different sectors crossed over to explore his other works.

April ended in a whirlwind of success, and May arrived.

Haruto returned to Tokyo. The awards season was over, and his focus shifted back to the serialization of Sword Art Online, Initial D, and the production of the 7 Years From Now anime.

Similar to Steins;Gate, 7 Years From Now used a long-term setup for a concentrated emotional payoff. Haruto knew the current ratings were a result of fan loyalty rather than the story’s climax, so he managed the production with a steady hand. However, both Sword Art Online and Initial D were about to hit major turning points simultaneously.

In the upcoming Chapter of Initial D, the truth about Natsuki and the man in the Mercedes would finally be laid bare.

Meanwhile, in Sword Art Online, the true identity of the Knights of the Blood Oath’s commander would be revealed as Akihiko Kayaba, the mastermind behind the death game. Once this arc concluded, the story would transition into the iconic ALO arc.

Haruto had given his fans a massive surprise in April with his identity.

Now, in May, he was prepared to give them another surprise, this time, through his writing.