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By late October, following a week of aggressive, multi-channel promotion from Kiyozawa Library, the attention surrounding Sword Art Online as it entered its third serialized chapter had reached heights far beyond its debut.
Veterans within the literary world could see the writing on the wall.
Kiyozawa Library was going all-in on Sword Art Online and its creator, Shiori Takahashi.
A light novel magazine, much like any other entertainment medium, thrives on freshness. The top titles in Kiyozawa Library had held their positions for years. While these heavyweights were essential for stabilizing circulation and keeping the core fanbase loyal, the publisher desperately needed innovative, breakout hits to drive growth and attract a new generation of readers.
After all, Kiyozawa Library was constantly in a race for sales among the major light novel magazines, and the executive board was hungry to climb the ladder. Over the past year, they had doubled down on scouting high-potential authors who could elevate the brand's prestige.
From an outsider's perspective, it was becoming increasingly obvious that Kiyozawa Library had chosen Shiori to be the face of this revolution.
The major publishing houses were naturally sensitive to every move made by a giant like Kiyozawa Library. These companies had been engaged in a decades-long cycle of competition and mutual evolution, and they understood the fundamental nature of the market.
In the world of subculture, the balance of power can shift overnight. In the original world's manga industry, Shonen Jump stayed on top because it had Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk in the past, followed by One Piece and Naruto taking the baton. The same logic applied to the light novel industry here. Whether a publisher could cultivate a genuine megahit would determine if they could transcend their current rank.
While the requirements for such a masterpiece are incredibly strict, the potential Haruto had shown since his debut, combined with his remarkably young age, gave the Kiyozawa executives plenty of reason to be optimistic.
Friday arrived, and with it, the latest issue of Kiyozawa.
As expected, it included another character poster for Sword Art Online. This time, the art featured a girl with short black hair.
She was depicted inside a dark, claustrophobic cavern, looking back toward the protagonist, Kirito, with eyes brimming with unshed tears.
Yuta, a regular reader, brought the magazine home and unfolded the poster. He blinked in confusion.
"Wait, where's Asuna? Is this a new heroine?" Yuta wondered.
The light novel market was certainly no stranger to stories with multiple female leads, but based on Shiori's previous track record, he was known for writing non-harem.
Was he planning to switch gears and go for the harem route this time?
"Whatever... it doesn't matter to me. I'll take it all," Yuta muttered, setting the poster aside. He flipped through the pages until he reached the Sword Art Online section and began to read.
The third chapter opened with a dramatic shift in scenery. Most notably, the primary female lead from the second chapter, the fan-favorite Asuna, was nowhere to be seen.
Because the protagonist had become a social pariah in the second chapter, branded as a Beater who would selfishly abandon others, Kirito had committed himself to the path of the solo player.
The narrative skipped over the tedious details of his repetitive grinding sessions. Through a few concise descriptions, Yuta quickly realized the passage of time.
Kirito had become incredibly powerful.
"And now, a toast to our guild, the Moonlit Black Cats!"
"And a toast to our savior, Kirito!"
When Haruto adapted Sword Art Online for the market, he drew primarily from the pacing of the original world's version, using the prose as supplementary detail. He knew that any story could suffer from pacing issues that might alienate modern readers who craved immediate engagement.
At the start of the third chapter, a significant amount of time had passed since Kirito's brief encounter with Asuna. The front-line clearing group had already pushed the game's progress to the twenty-sixth floor. Kirito, having grown immensely strong as a solo player, happened upon a lower-level guild known as the Moonlit Black Cats. He saved them from a monster ambush and, seeking to hide his Beater status, deliberately lied about his true level to join their ranks.
Having grasped the situation, Yuta thought he knew exactly where the story was going. What else would an anonymous high-level player do while hiding among a group of beginners?
'He's going to carry them, obviously! He'll pull off some amazing feats while pretending to be a scrub!'
This trope was a staple for a reason. It was incredibly satisfying to read.
However, this was exactly the expectation Haruto wanted to cultivate. Most readers would assume this chapter was going to be a light-hearted, triumphant romp. In reality, it was a setup for a massive emotional gut-punch.
Kirito kept his secrets close, telling the Black Cats he was only level 20. Touched by his humility and grateful for his help, the guild members welcomed him with open arms. The prose shifted its focus to the only female member of the group, a girl named Sachi.
"So this is her?" Yuta thought, recalling the poster of the tearful girl looking at Kirito. "She doesn't look as flashy as Asuna, but she has a really distinct, charming aura."
He began to wonder if a love triangle was brewing.
Is this going to be a showdown between Asuna and Sachi?
With those thoughts swirling, he read on.
Tired of the lonely road of the solo player, Kirito enjoyed the warmth of the guild, occasionally showing just enough of his skill to protect them without revealing his true power. In a world of thousands of players, Kirito was easily one of the top combatants in existence.
As he led these beginners through grinding sessions, he successfully won their absolute trust. Sachi, a gentle and sweet girl, gradually began to develop feelings for him.
The members of the Moonlit Black Cats were aiming to reach level 30. They had no inkling that the boy helping them was actually a level 48 juggernaut who had reached those heights entirely on his own.
Grinding for experience, buying a shared house in the game, and deepening their bonds... The story painted a cozy, domestic picture of found family.
As Yuta read through these scenes, his affection for the guild, and especially for Sachi, grew exponentially. The descriptions of Sachi as an ordinary girl paralyzed by the fear of death, and her subtle feelings for the boy who had saved her, were handled with a delicate touch.
The sweet, romantic atmosphere typical of high-quality light novels filled Yuta's heart. At that moment, he completely forgot about Asuna.
Sachi was the one.
She was the True Heroine of the book, and as far as he was concerned, she was the only choice for the protagonist.