"Sorry, please forgive us!"
"This time, for WorldEnd Volume 2, you'll pay!"
"No problem!"
"We'll handle it!" Tanaka finally nodded with satisfaction.
Similar little scenes were playing out at other schools as well.
"By the way, the school festival is coming up, right?" Kato's words pulled Akifumi out of his thoughts.
He sighed heavily, "Please, don't remind me."
The sports festival had just ended last week, and next month, the school festival would be hereanother hassle.
Kato's mind was oddly aligned with his.
She, too, thought of the sports festival.
"Speaking of which, Akifumi, you were quite the star at the sports festival."
"Some of the younger students were really over the top."
Thinking about it, Akifumi felt even more drained.
Though he hadn't received much attention before this year, ever since the sports festival, his shoe locker was filled with love letters every day.
"I should've held back a little."
Kato wiggled her fingers. "No way."
"If you didn't show your full strength on the field, it would've been disrespectful to everyone!"
"Is Kato the type to care about things like that?"
"Well, you misunderstood, Akifumi."
Hmph.
Akifumi rolled his eyes, not believing a word of what she said.
Later in class, it was no surprise that the upcoming school festival was announced, with students needing to be nominated for committees, and preparations for activities.
Unsurprisingly, his evening would be delayed after school.
Exhausting.
At 6:00 PM, Akifumi, Mashiro, and Mahiru finally arrived home.
They were nearly two hours later than usual.
"This is such a hassle!"
Though Akifumi had managed to avoid being part of the organizing committee, the class activities were unavoidable.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing you in a butler outfit, Akifumi," Mahiru teased, smiling.
Mashiro, nibbling on a piece of cake like a small squirrel, looked like she was enjoying the spectacle.
"I can't wait," she agreed.
After a class vote, the chosen activity was a butler caf.
Last year, it had been a haunted house.
"Why not a maid caf?"
He was really looking forward to seeing Mahiru and Kato dressed as maids.
One would be expressionless, while the other would greet him with a sweet smile and say something like, "Welcome, my master, I am your humble servant," or something along those lines.
[123] "WorldEnd" Volume 2 Released! I couldnt even finish my meal after reading it!!
The black knee-high socks and the white front skirt created an absolute realm of beauty.
Just thinking about it makes it amazing, right?
After making this remark, Akifumi glanced at Mashiro.
"It's only Monday, and you've already devoured an entire round cake, Mashiro."
"There are still six days left, you know?"
"!!"
The girl, who had been happily eating her cake, suddenly looked at him with a mournful gaze.
"Mugi, you're mean."
Mashiro's complaint almost felt like a reward, and Akifumi couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
"You guys go ahead, I've got something to do. I'll head to the back home for a bit."
"Okay."
Akifumi returned to his apartement.
This morning, he had received news from Machida Sonoko that the second volume of WorldEnd was confirmed for release.
Clearly, the editorial team had put in some extra hours over the weekend.
Next up was similar work to what they did last time, and Akifumi wasn't exempt from helping out with publicity.
But this time, he didn't plan on using his main account for the announcement.
The first time he used it to explain his debut as an illustrator, but there was no need to use it a second time.
Coincidentally, he had just gotten his new account "" (Shadow) verified.
Although he had almost no followers at the moment, it felt more appropriate to announce the news there.
He logged into his new account.
Upon seeing the number of followers, he was a bit taken aback.
"10,000 followers already!? Wow."
He remembered that he'd only applied for the account on Sunday.
That meant in just two days, the account had gained 10,000 followers.
"Looks like WorldEnd is more influential than I thought!"
He glanced through the fan comments.
"Finally! The author's verified account! So happy!!"
"WorldEnd is amazing! The unique sorrow it brings makes me reflect! I love it so much! I'll continue supporting you!!"
"Can't wait for volume two!!"
"Huh? The author hasn't posted anything yet? Are you shy~?"
The messages were full of enthusiasm, all supporting the work and him.
It was clear that WorldEnd had truly resonated with the fans!
There were some fans wondering why he hadn't posted anything yet.
As for the negative comments, there weren't many, but of course, they existed.
Even world-famous masterpieces didn't get universal praise, so what more for a light novel?
Akifumi's mindset had long been calm, especially after Madoka Magica had dealt with backlash when Mami-senpai died in the story.
He briefly considered what to post, finally deciding on this message:
"I'm Shadow, and with the help of Fujimi editors, I've finally verified my account."
"Thank you all for your attention and support for WorldEnd."
"Volume two will be released on the 1st of next month."
"In this volume, the fairy soldiers head to the final battleground, where William, with the responsibility of the next generation, and the fairy soldier girlChthollygo to Floating Island No. 11 for a suitability check and receive the news of the 'last mission'."
"The illustrations in this volume are once again by my favorite artist, 'The Warrior of Love and Hope'-sensei, and I'm sure the artwork will meet your expectations."
"I hope to continue receiving your support."
"Thank you."
Compared to The Warrior of Love and Hope's lively tone, Shadow's style was much more composed, marking a clear distinction between their personas.
After posting, the comments flooded in quickly.
Though not as fast as the other account, within ten minutes, Akifumi was overwhelmed by the sheer number of messages.
"!! The author is alive, gotcha!!"
"Wow! That was so fast!! I love how fast you are, Shadow-sensei!!"
"Is this speed even real? It's unbelievable how fast it is!!"
"Volume one just released 20 days ago! And now, volume two is coming! Ugh, my wallet!!"
"My wallet? Isn't it coming out in November? My allowance will be here just in time!!"
"I'm so excited for volume two! I'll definitely buy it no matter what!!"
"Hmm, it's coming out fast. Is the quality okay?"
"No need to rush! Even if it takes 3 or 4 months to release, I won't mind as long as the quality stays the same!"
"I'm worried the second volume might not be as good"
"I'll wait a bit before deciding whether to buy."
At first, fans were all excited about the arrival of volume two, but soon enough, some began to voice concerns about its quality.
How many of them were truly worried and how many were just trolling? Well, only they knew.
In any case, thanks to the SNS updates from the author, along with the promotion, more than 90% of fans had heard about the release date for volume two on November 1st.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, November 1st had arrived.
Coincidentally, just like the last time, the release date fell on a Wednesday.
Since seeing WorldEnd, Hikari Nohara had been much less motivated at work.
He was no longer working himself to exhaustion; after all, finishing his work early only led to more tasks and overtime. It was better to take it slow.
He was eagerly anticipating volume two.
Although there were some concerns online about the quality, he wanted to judge it for himself after reading it.
During lunch break, Hikari rushed to the nearest bookstore.
"What? Sold out!?"
He couldn't believe his eyes. But when the store owner shrugged helplessly and said they were sold out, he had no choice but to try other stores.
"These guys"
He recalled all the people online complaining about the decline in quality while still buying the book like crazy.
"Such hypocrites!!"
Well, complaining now wouldn't help. He just hoped other bookstores still had copies.
Luckily, fate was on his side. At the second bookstore, he managed to get the last copy of volume two.
Relieved, he cursed again under his breath.
"Damn it!"
After getting back to his desk, he barely made it through the afternoon and took the rest of the day off for a sick day.
He returned home and, without even touching the fast food he'd picked up, dove straight into reading WorldEnd.
A few hours later, having finished the second volume, Hikari sighed deeply.
The quality was just as good as expected, but why did he suddenly lose his appetite?
[124] "The Second Volume of WorldEnd Sells Out! [100 PS]
Compared to the first volume, the second volume of WorldEnd was undoubtedly even more popular.
You see, according to the latest sales statistics, as of the 20th of last month, the first volume had sold 96,000 copies!
And this number continues to grow by several thousand copies each day.
As Machida Sonoko said, there's still a huge gap between where it is now and when its potential is fully exhausted.
The sales numbers are just mind-blowing!
Along with the incredible sales, the fanbase has grown to over 90,000 people, and their enthusiasm has caused many bookstores to sell out of WorldEnd.
Only a few smaller, more remote stores still had a couple of copies left.
For the fans who got their hands on it early, they couldn't wait to dive into the next part of the story as soon as they had a moment.
By 11 PM that night, there were explosive discussions across light novel forums and chat groups:
"I owe an apology to sensei. When I first bought the second volume of WorldEnd, I was doubtful, but after reading it, I can only say... it was amazing!"
"If the first volume was a good wine, then the second volume is like an aged vintage. It's so delicious, I couldn't put it down!"
"It's clear that the first volume of WorldEnd is a mature commercial work. It perfectly captures the sadness of the story, targeting a specific audience. But the second volume is a huge leap forward! The plot twists are so perfectly timed, the story keeps escalating!"
"In this volume, we see Chtholly's choices, William's emotional struggles, and how these contrasting feelingsone cold and detached, the other warmcombine to add more heat to the story."
"Both of them are on different battlefields, with completely different fates. It's keeping me on edge, and I'm even more excited to see what happens next!"
"I don't really care about all that, I just know that this volume made me even sadder, especially Chtholly's storyit almost brought me to tears."
"+1, the story is amazing, and the impact of the second volume is huge."
"As a thirty-something wizard, even I'm starting to want to fall in love!"
"The quality of this volume is even better than the first! For fans who were worried that the fast release would mean a drop in quality, you can rest easy and just enjoy!"
"Really? It's easy to say when you're not the one running around for two hours after work, only to find every bookstore is sold out!"
"Exactly! Everyone online was saying the speed would hurt the quality, but now they're all rushing to buy it! Has anyone seen any second-hand copies yet? I'm not sure when we'll get a reprint."
"I bet those who were complaining about the release speed were just trying to stir up trouble!"
"Huh, I went to buy it this morning, and there were still plenty in stock. I honestly thought the second volume was going to flop!"
After getting their hands on the second volume, many fans couldn't help but praise it, and even some popular bloggers posted lengthy reviews, drawing in even more enthusiastic fans.
For those who missed out on the second volume, there was a lot of complaining, but one thing was clearWorldEnd Volume 2 was definitely not going to sell less than the first volume!
The next afternoon, after school, as soon as Akifumi got home, he received a congratulatory call from Machida.
"Congratulations, Sensei." Her voice was brimming with uncontainable joy, making it easy to imagine how good her day had been.
Akifumi smiled. "Did the first-day sales come in?"
"If I remember correctly, last time you didn't call me until a week after the release," he teased.
"For a new author and a new book, we need more time to figure out the full picture," Machida replied without hesitation.
"Calling it too early would just add pressure on the author," she added.
Akifumi chuckled.
He wasn't really bothered about the first-day sales.
Even though WorldEnd eventually became a hit, with its popularity peaking in 2015 and earning several awards, its journey was far from smooth.
After the second volume's release, the series was almost dropped, only surviving thanks to its strong reputation and fan support.
When Akifumi decided to venture into light novels, he didn't have huge expectations.
He figured that even if the sales were modest, they could push out some comics later on to boost the novels' numbers.
But to his surprise, things were going far better than he expectedWorldEnd had already taken off.
"Anyway, what were the first-day sales?" Akifumi asked with a smile.
"11,000 copies!" Machida couldn't help but smile even more, her excitement clear in her voice.
"Most importantly, the initial print run was only 12,000 copies, so we sold almost all of them on the first day!"
"Congratulations, Machida-san," Akifumi responded.
"Ha, thanks..." Machida began to thank him but suddenly paused and said with a mock frown, "But wait, isn't WorldEnd your book? Why are you congratulating me?"
"If WorldEnd sells well, you'll get a nice bonus, right? Doesn't that deserve congratulations?" Akifumi chuckled.
"Well, technically, us editors are just underpaid workers doing our job, so there's no real reason for congratulations," Machida grumbled.
Akifumi couldn't help but laugh.
Even though the lower-level editors were working hard for their paycheck, the chief editor at a major publishing house like Machida was more of an industry elite.
"But anyway, thank you for telling me the good news," Akifumi continued.
"Now that the second volume is doing so well, the third volume's release should be no problem, right?"
"The third volume!? Already?!" Machida's eyes twitched at the mention of the next book.
