Back in the Federation, the popularity of Edgerunners continued to simmer, fueled by the tragic deaths of Maine and Dorio.
It had reached a level of viral fame that few series ever achieved. It was like Spy x Family in Aoyama's previous life, a show that everyone in the "circle" was talking about.
That was the life cycle of a successful manga. True "mass-market" explosion usually only occurred once an anime adaptation was released and became a global phenomenon.
But the way Edgerunners had actually gained popularity by killing off its leads was an eye-opener for many industry veterans.
'Wait... you can actually do that? You can boost your rankings by breaking your readers' hearts?'
Suddenly, a wave of "tragic" manga began to flood the market. Newcomers and veterans alike started throwing their popular characters under the bus, hoping for the same bump in popularity.
But to their confusion, the results were disastrous.
Instead of seeing their rankings rise, they were met with a wall of genuine anger and abandonment from their readers. Their "tragic" endings felt forced, hollow, and, most importantly, pointless.
They lacked the "logic" that made Aoyama's cruelty feel like art. They were drawing Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, a senseless and frustrating tragedy that left the audience feeling cheated rather than moved.
---
Yang Shizhun, known by his pen name "ItchyMouse," closed the latest issue of Manga World GoGo and sat in silence.
"So... Maine's road really did end there," he whispered to himself.
As a fan of the series, he'd felt the same sting as everyone else. But as a creator, he saw something more. He'd identified with Maine, the man who kept piling on the chrome because he felt it was the only way to carry the weight of his responsibilities.
Yang understood that struggle. He'd spent years in the industry, refusing to give up on his dream of becoming a top mangaka even as the burden of deadlines and expectations ground him down. Maine had fought for his crew; Yang fought for his art.
He'd been moved by the fact that even in his madness, Maine had protected the future,protecting David and Lucy even as he was being consumed by the flames.
But once the emotional haze cleared, Yang's analytical mind took over.
'So... 'Edgerunners' is just going to keep delivering high-impact tragedies. and the audience actually loves it?'
"Is this just what the readers want nowadays?" he muttered.
A bold, dangerous idea began to form in his mind. But he quickly dismissed the thought of testing it on his current series, Psionic Alchemist.
Even if he started "killing for clout" now, he knew he'd never catch up to Edgerunners. Aoyama was already a different kind of monster: the most terrifying "black horse" the Federation had seen in a decade. He'd just unseated a veteran for the #3 spot in the magazine.
Besides, Psionic Alchemist was nearing its conclusion as part of the competition. He only had maybe twenty chapters left. There wasn't enough time to shift the entire tone of the series.
So... Yang Shizhun set his sights on the next project.
He'd take the lessons from Edgerunners. He'd build a world where the characters were beloved, then break them in ways that felt beautiful.
He started brainstorming. 'Setting... perhaps an American university? People seem to love Western aesthetics lately. But the protagonist must be from the Federation. A power system... something with magic and swords, perhaps?'
He was already preparing for the next war.
---
"I couldn't wait for you to come clear the cupboards~"
Aoyama hummed the haunting, lonely melody under his breath as he strolled into the offices of LightSpeed Interactive.
"Sensei! What is that song? It's catchy," Yuto greeted him with a wide, eager smile. "You seem to be in a good mood today."
Over the past few months, Aoyama had become more than just a consultant. He was an "elder" to the dev team. His technical knowledge was so deep that Yuto couldn't even see the ceiling of his talent anymore.
Aoyama would solve in an hour a problem that had stumped the department for a week. And the best part was that he didn't hide his secrets; he taught them. He explained the logic, showed the shortcuts, and pushed the programmers to exceed their own limits.
To the dev team, he was practically their teacher. And when a teacher shows you how to make more money and get better at your job, you treat them with respect.
"Oh, this? It's going to be one of the radio tracks in the game," Aoyama said casually. "And it'll likely be the theme song for the Edgerunners anime when that gets greenlit."
"Wait, you're doing the music too? Sensei... maybe we should leave the OST to the professionals. We're... well, we're not exactly rockstars," Yuto said, scratching his head.
The ACG industry in the Federation was highly specialized. There were dedicated voice acting agencies, professional OST composers, and specialized "ACG Divas" for game themes.
"Don't worry! I'm not doing it all by myself," Aoyama assured him. "I just wrote the lyrics and the basic melody. I'll leave the actual arrangement and the vocals to the pros."
'I'm essentially just a songwriter,' Aoyama thought. He knew his limits; he just happened to remember some of the greatest tracks in history.
"Electronic... well, if you say so," Yuto sighed.
Aoyama was the heart of the project. If he wanted to add a song, he could add a song. Besides, the melody he was humming wasn't bad. Most fans probably wouldn't even notice a simple radio track.
"Anyway, let's get to the real business. How's the engine coming along? Are we ready for a stress test?" Aoyama asked.
He'd handled the core code and the most complex shaders himself. But he'd made it very clear from the start: he wasn't going to be a "corporate slave." No 996 schedules, no overtime, no nine-to-six grinds.
He worked maybe four hours a day, tops. Two in the office, two online. Beyond that, he was untraceable.
The rest was up to Yuto and the others.
"We're almost there. We're in the final testing phase," Yuto reported. "The CyberEngine is remarkably stable. We can start actual game production next week."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]