"Yeah, fantastic... I only played for five hours."
"I played for seven."
"You guys are monsters!"
"..."
At the same time, the online fan communities for these three series exploded. Originally small, each fan forum quickly surged past 100,000 members, with no signs of stopping.
Short video platforms like TikTok and Youtube were flooded with clips analyzing and celebrating the stories.
With such widespread attention, the sales numbers skyrocketed!
Even The Witch's House, which had stagnated in popularity, saw a massive resurgence in sales thanks to organic fan hype.
These works had officially broken into a new market and experienced a second wave of explosive popularity!
And with it, the name Warrior of Love and Hope became widely known!
...
[202] Easily Earning a Small Fortune! The Name of the New Work!
"It's not that I lack vocabulary; it's just that there's no better way to express my shock than saying 'Holy crap!'"
"The first time I read it, I didn't think muchI was too busy crying. But after watching an analysis and rereading it, I realized just how incredible this manga truly is!"
"When Madoka made her wish, I got chills all over! I can only say that this plot twist is absolutely stunningcompletely beyond my expectations!"
"A masterpiece, without a doubt! I heard the anime is even more legendary, but unfortunately, it hasn't aired here yet."
"Wait, there's an anime? Hurry up and bring it over!!"
"Besides that, I think this is also a story about mutual salvation!
"Sayaka could save Kamijou's hand but not her own heart."
"Kyoko could save her family's livelihood but not the understanding and trust between father and daughter."
"Mami could save her own life but could never escape the fate dictated by the system."
"Homura couldn't save Madoka, nor could she save herself."
"And in the end, Madoka had to sacrifice herself to redeem all magical girls."
"We have a philosopher in the comments!"
"Now that you put it that way... it really makes sense!"
"I regret skipping over this manga just because of its title. I'm shedding tears of remorse!"
"That's nothing! I only managed to buy the first volume of Madoka Magica! My suffering is on another level!"
"I feel you! I didn't get the second volume of AnoHana, either!"
"Looking at my Your Lie in April collection, which only has volumes 1-6, I feel exhausted. Just end me already."
This long review, posted by a popular content creator with millions of followers, quickly became one of the most viral posts in recent days.
The analysis might not have used professional literary terms, and it didn't cover every aspect of Madoka Magica, but its simple and heartfelt words resonated with countless fans.
Clearly, the creator understood this appeal, deliberately choosing straightforward, emotional language to communicate their thoughts.
After all, as a major influencer, they could easily have crafted any kind of complex critique with the help of their team.
Beyond this, many comments asked for similar deep dives into AnoHana and Your Lie in April.
Due to the overwhelming demand, the creator responded:
"I'll work on reviews for AnoHana and Your Lie in April as soon as possible!
"That said, in my heart, these two works don't quite reach the level of Madoka Magica. It's not that they aren't excellentthey absolutely arebut in a direct comparison, Madoka is just in a league of its own."
"Of course, I love these two stories as well."
"I also hope that the later volumes of Your Lie in April get released soon and that we can finally get the rights to Steins;Gate!"
"Oh, and one last thingThe Witch's House is an absolute masterpiece! Everyone, go buy it now!!""
"The first part of the response was fine, but that last sentence..."
"Let's just hope that after experiencing The Witch's House, this creator doesn't get hunted down by their fans for recommending "the biggest trap on the internet."
Time passed quickly, and soon it was Saturday.
Akifumi had no idea how much of an impact his works were having overseas.
Mainly because he was too preoccupied with his new projecta massive story that required his full focus.
Over breakfast, Mahiru curiously asked, "I heard your works have been released overseas. Do you know how they're doing?"
"My editor hasn't updated me yet, but I assume everything's fine."
In his past life, these series had left a significant mark on pop culture. Akifumi was confident they wouldn't have any trouble adapting to this new world.
"Besides, their sales tracking system is complex, so I doubt we'll get detailed numbers anytime soon."
"I see..." Mahiru nodded, a little disappointed, but then quickly smiled again. "Mugiho-kun's works are amazing. I'm sure they're doing great!"
"Hmm" Mashiro, her mouth stuffed with Baumkuchen, nodded seriously, resembling a little squirrel hoarding food.
Akifumi accepted their praise without hesitation. "Of course."
After breakfast, he returned to his room to work as usual.
But before diving into writing, he decided to check his creator dashboard on the Steam platform.
It had been a week since he last checked his game sales.
'Last time I looked, the sales had already slowed down,' he recalled.
Daily sales had dropped to around 2,000 copies, indicating that the player base had mostly stabilized.
At that point, the total sales were approaching 1.328 million copies.
"I wonder if it'll hit 1.35 million?"
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the page refreshed.
Then
His eyes widened.
"Wait... how much?!"
He quickly counted the digits. The number of figures hadn't changedit was still in the millions.
But the first digit had.
"The first number is... a 3?!"
The total sales now stood at 3.21 million copies.
Wait a second.
Each copy sold for 1,400 yen, with him taking a 70% cut. That meant...
Before taxes, he had just earned 3.13 billion yen.
Hissing through his teeth, Akifumi felt a chill run down his spine.
Even with his bank account already boasting countless zeros, this number was ridiculous!
It wasn't that he wasn't used to big figuresit was just that he had never imagined this little indie game, created mostly for fun, would generate such an absurd amount of money!
"Oh, crap."
An unexpected thought struck him.
'I suddenly feel like slacking off.'
Leaning back in his chair with a dumb grin, he scrolled through his sales data to pinpoint the reason for this insane boost.
As expected, nearly 99% of the extra 2 million sales had come from overseas.
Refreshing the page, he saw the sales counter jump by several hundred more copies.
"Their purchasing power is on a completely different level..." he muttered in awe.
Now, an unfamiliar feeling crept up inside him
Anticipation.
If The Witch's Housewhich had zero official marketingcould sell this well, then how much could his other works achieve with a full-scale publisher-backed campaign?
For the first time, Akifumi, who was usually indifferent to sales figures, felt genuine excitement.
Feeling reinvigorated, he dived back into working on his new project
CLANNAD.
Time flew by, and soon, night fell.
And at precisely 8:00 PM that evening
The final episode of Steins;Gate was about to air!
Daily uploads will resume as usualexcept on Sundays!
Help unlock extra chapters by hitting those Power Stone milestones!
Also, if you want even advance chapter, check out p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL for 60 advanced chapters!
[203] Steins;Gate Finale! EL PSY KONGROO!!
As the clock struck 8:00 PM, countless fans eagerly waiting in front of their phones and computers refreshed their screens without hesitation.
There it wasthe long-awaited Episode 24. With a click of the mouse, they selected "Play."
As colors gradually emerged from the black-and-white opening sequence, a flurry of live comments floated across the screen:
"First!!"
"Final episode! Celebrating with flowers!!"
"EL PSY KONGROO!!"
"Damn it! How did a six-month series end in just three months?! It's not enough!!"
"Well, even in anime form, sensei efficiency remains as terrifying as ever!"
As the episode unfolded, the barrage of excited comments gradually faded. Clearly, the fans had been drawn into this final chapter.
The Last Attempt
In Episode 23, after Suzuha's persuasion, Okabe found the courage to return to that fateful day to save Kurisu.
However, as expected, he failed.
With despair threatening to consume him, Okabe teetered on the edge of collapse.
Unlike before, there were no infinite do-overs, no more trial and error. He had only one last chance, one final fuel source to travel back in time.
Even worse, the unbearable truth loomed over himhe had killed Makise Kurisu with his own hands.
As his will crumbled, memories of his painful struggle to save Mayuri flooded his mind.
No matter what he did, no matter how many times he tried, the convergence of worldlines always led to the same outcome: Makise Kurisu's death.
But just as he was about to give up, Mayuri's slap snapped him back to reality.
At that moment, Suzuha revealed an emailone recorded 15 years in the future, left behind by Okabe himself.
The first failure had been anticipated.
To reach the Steins;Gate worldline and achieve the perfect ending, two crucial steps had to be taken:
Erase the time machine thesis that Dr. Nakabachi had taken to Russia.
Save Makise Kurisu.
The convergence of worldlines was real, but so was the possibility of salvation.
He couldn't change the past itself. He couldn't erase the moment he had witnessed.
So insteadhe had to deceive.
Deceive the world.
And deceive even himself.
The key to reaching Steins;Gate lay in making his past self believe that Kurisu had died, without actually letting her die.
And so, the final operationcodenamed Schrdingerbegan.
Not changing the pastonly altering the outcome.
Deception.
Deceiving the entire world!
Okabe, a man who logically should not exist in that moment, would pull off the ultimate illusion, stealing Kurisu away from the clutches of death itself.
As time ticked away, the climax of the story unfolded.
Even though fans knew the ending would be a success, they still held their breath, captivated by the journey.
When Okabe's carefully laid-out plan encountered an unexpected flawthe fake blood had congealedthe viewers collectively tensed up.
What now?! How would he handle this!?
But there was no time to think.
Kurisu had already met with her father.
That's when Okabe had an idea.
As he provoked Dr. Nakabachi with taunts, the audience watched in horror as the knife plunged into Okabe's stomach. Gasps filled the room.
And yet, a realization dawnedthis was Okabe's plan all along.
With Nakabachi fleeing in fear, Kurisu grabbed her phone to call an ambulance. Okabe, seizing the moment, knocked her unconscious with a stun gun.
Yetit wasn't enough.
The blood spilled was insufficient to recreate the scene he had once witnessed.
So, in a dramatic close-up, Okabe reached out his left hand
and plunged it into his own wound, widening it further.
Blood poured out.
The illusion was complete.
As the stunned audience processed what had just happened, a wave of raw emotion surged through them.
One after another, teary messages scrolled across the screen.
This protagonist, once ridiculed for his delusional ramblings, had now earned the unwavering admiration of all who watched.
With the mission complete, the story neared its final moments.
One by one, Okabe handed out badges symbolizing their lab membership.
As he walked through the city, he found himself wonderingwhat was Kurisu doing now? What was she thinking?
A special scene unfolded.
A fateful encounter.
The two passed each other on the street.
And thenKurisu called out to him.
The future remained uncertain. But like this reunion, it was full of endless possibilities.
This was the choice of Steins;Gate.
As their gazes met, the story came to an end.
"EL PSY KONGROO!!"
Unified cheers flooded the screen, a mix of reluctance and heartfelt blessings from devoted fans.
"It's over?" Eriri's voice carried a trace of melancholy.
It wasn't just her. Anyone who had experienced a truly great story knew this feelingthis lingering emptiness when it all came to an end.
Emotionally, they wanted more. Rationally, they knewit was truly over. No more new chapters. No more unseen adventures.
While the feeling would fade over time, the immediate impact was overwhelming.
Faced with Eriri's question, Akifumi didn't hesitate:
"Yes, it's over."
"There will be no sequel."
Although the original trajectory included Steins;Gate 0, Akifumi had no intention of creating it.
If fans wanted the full story, they would have to play the Steins;Gate visual novel.
The anime had skipped countless branching routes.
But Akifumi had no plans to develop a visual novel himselfit was too much work, with too little reward.
Just like CLANNAD that he plan to draw, but had no interest in adapting it into a game.
"Though an OVA for Episode 25 is possible," he mused.
After all, it would only be about twenty minutes long, with a manageable script.
Hearing this, Eriri let out a disappointed sigh.
She murmured under her breath, "There's still so much more that could be explored"
"What a shame."
Stories involving time travel always had room for expansion, just like Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
But ultimately, the decision rested with the creator. No one else had a say.
Pretending not to hear her sigh, Akifumi casually said, "It's late. I'll walk you home."
A faint blush spread across Eriri's cheeks as she avoided his gaze.
"Well actually, before I left, I already told mom that I wouldn't be coming home tonight. We're having a training camp."
"Not going home?" Akifumi Mugiho blinked.
Then, a knowing smile spread across his face
[204] You're okay with it?
"Come here, and gimme your hand for a sec."
"My hand? What're you gonna do with it?" Eriri tilted her head, with a puzzled look, but she still did as Akifumi said.
Without hesitation, Akifumi gently wrapped both of his hands around hers, his warmth instantly seeping into her cold fingers massaging them.
"Ah"
"Having someone massage your hand and warm you up is a great way to relax when you're stressed and tired," Akifumi said softly.
