Full-time comic artist

"Although Hikaru no Go laid a lot of groundwork, I still shed tears and felt powerless when Sai became a Buddha. I wanted to kill that bastard Akino Tori. Thinking about it now, it's really..."

He was speaking when he suddenly realized that his companions were all staring at him as if they wanted to eat him alive.

It's probably because something painful was brought up.

After several years, the scars left by Sai's enlightenment healed, and he gradually forgot about the sadness and tears.

Even now, when I'm forced to recall it, my heart still skips a beat.

"I...I'm still sad..." he stammered under the weight of the crowd's anger.

"Stop talking."

Suddenly, the group of people who had just been chatting about "Hikaru no Go" and looking forward to some fun lost all interest.

After a long while, someone looked around and saw that new readers were still captivated by Akino Tori's works, and sighed, "These kids are just like us back then."

They are still unable to let go of this, and they don't know when these young children will be able to forget this experience.

"However, I will never forget 'Hikaru no Go'."

……

Satoru Soma stood at the back of the line, looking at the diverse group of readers of different ages, and recalled his uncle Ichiro Soma's words: "Great manga is one that, even after the passage of time, is still talked about and not forgotten. I want to create such a work."

At this moment, Satoru Soma exclaimed, "Tori Akino-sensei is such a creator."

He couldn't help but say, "I really want to be like Mr. Toriakino."

"Huh?" A child in front of him turned around and glared at him fiercely. "You want me to cry too?"

Seeing that his eyes were red, Soma Satoru knew that he must have been heartbroken after reading the sixth episode of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica".

"Of course not." Soma Satoru chuckled sheepishly.

The kid in front gave him a "you better watch out" look before turning back.

After queuing for ten minutes, Soma Satoru finally entered the supermarket, and another ten minutes later, he arrived at the checkout counter.

"230 yen," the cashier said instinctively.

It seems that most people are here to buy Jump.

"You've worked hard," Soma Satoru comforted him.

"I expected this, but I didn't expect so many people to come." The cashier smiled wearily. "Back when I was buying Jump magazines because of Slam Dunk, the supermarkets near my school were just like this."

An eye for an eye.

There were still many people queuing behind them, but they didn't say much.

Soma Satoru stuffed the Jump he bought into his schoolbag before heading to school.

He suppressed his expectations and forced himself to study diligently in class until lunchtime, when he finally took out Jump to watch.

His future was uncertain, and he didn't think he could definitely make a living by drawing comics, so reading was very necessary.

……

Soma Satoru watched "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" as soon as it was released.

The opening scene depicts Sayaka, who is hesitant and uncertain.

Sayaka has feelings for Kyosuke Kamijou and wants to save him so he can continue playing the violin.

But what does she want after paying such a high price for praying for a miracle?

Just a thank you?

Or perhaps, Kyosuke Kamijou will say something different, and the two of them will end up together?

Sayaka doesn't understand.

“Mami-senpai has passed away, but her influence has not ended,” Soma Satoru thought.

On Madoka's side, seeing her admired senior die tragically, Madoka is in a daze.

She recalled the scene where Mami Tomoe's head was bitten off.

"boom!"

Soma Satoru subconsciously slammed his fist on the table, and a girl in the classroom looked over.

That was the girl Soma Satoru secretly loved, but the two of them had never spoken to each other, so this was already a rare moment of eye contact.

"No... I'm sorry, I disturbed you."

"It's ok."

The girl shook her head and looked away.

This relieved Soma Satoru. After regaining his senses, he muttered angrily, "My teacher is really going too far. He actually drew it again."

He even embarrassed himself.

In the manga, the Kaname family is as warm and welcoming as ever.

Mom was taking care of her younger brother, while Dad, after preparing breakfast, was cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen, watching his family with a smile.

"Xiaoyuan, you'll be late if you don't eat quickly!" her family urged.

"Mmm, mmm." Xiaoyuan nodded.

When the food entered her mouth, she could no longer remain calm; tears streamed down her cheeks, and she sobbed.

"You only realize how delicious Dad's breakfast is when you're alive."

……

"Death is truly cruel."

When a person dies, the daily life they enjoyed and the dreams they wanted to realize all vanish into thin air.

On their usual way to school, chatting and joking around, another good friend was talking non-stop. Sayaka calmly chimed in, while Madoka remained silent.

Cupid followed them with a smile.

“That smile,” Soma Satoru looked at Kyubey, “is probably meant to highlight the cruelty of the magical girl world.”

The contractor died tragically, and Cupid acted as usual.

Or perhaps it's just a habit.

Or rather, it doesn't care at all.

A heavy feeling settled over Soma Satoru's heart.

"So this is Teacher Tori Akino's magical girl? It's definitely different."

A magical girl from another perspective.

During class, the teacher continued to give lessons.

Whether it's friends or school, they should all be exactly the same as yesterday, yet it feels like I'm surrounded by complete strangers.

Having seen another world, Xiaoyuan is no longer the same.

She had initially harbored the idea of ​​becoming a magical girl to help others, but now, faced with the harsh reality, she has completely abandoned that idea.

This was also Mami Tomoe's last lesson.

After school, Madoka went to Mami's house. Looking at the empty room, she couldn't help but cry.

Homura Akemi comforted Madoka.

This villainous character clearly likes Madoka a lot and has always been thinking of her best interests.

Satoru Soma was very curious about the origin of Homura Akemi's feelings.

The current version of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" is completely different from the one he watched at the beginning.

Starting after the tragic death of the magical girl, Akino Tori meticulously depicts the characters' psychological activities and changes, as if creating a real magical girl world.

"Yes, that's what happens after someone dies. People in the mortal world feel sadness, distress, and reflection..."

Soma Satoru sniffled; the realism that Tori Akino had painstakingly created made him sad as well.

“A small circle composed of elements such as darkness, reality, and mystery…” Soma Satoru thought, “It’s not just a magical girl.”

……

"Mami Tomoe died inside the witch's barrier, and her body is nowhere to be found. She will only be considered a missing person. Apart from Madoka and the others, no one will know about Mami Tomoe's battle. She passed away alone and in solitude, which is truly tragic."

"Magical girls, so this is such a cruel genre."

"Is this a comic for teenagers? I'm so sad."

The students are discussing "Puella Magi Madoka Magica".

Readers who came to read the manga out of curiosity after hearing about Mami Tomoe's death felt like they'd been slapped in the face after reading chapter seven; they felt extremely uncomfortable.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica is not a comic that seeks to be bizarre or outlandish.”

……

On Tuesday, Xiaohe visited Bird Autumn Future Studio.

As soon as he saw Higashino Hibiki, he complained, "Teacher, you didn't even tell me beforehand."

"What?" Higashino looked up and asked, puzzled. He thought to himself that he hadn't done anything bad.

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica."

Xiaohe sat at her desk and sighed deeply.

"Because I told my daughter about this comic, she took it to heart and kept pestering me to tell her what happened next. I couldn't resist her, so I had to tell her. You know, the recent episodes of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'... sigh."

"I finished the sixth episode on Saturday, and my daughter cried all day. My chest hurts from crying, and my gentle wife scolded me for making trouble. I'm just...sigh."

"This morning, my daughter asked me to tell her the seventh story again... She's still crying now, and I can't even teach her class... Sigh."

Xiaohe sighed three times in a row, her hair a mess.

"Pfft." Hibiki Higashino couldn't help but laugh when he saw his expression.

"Hmm?" Xiaohe looked at him.

“Sigh,” Higashino Hibiki sat up straight, “I really didn’t expect the child to react so strongly. I thought it was just a normal plot, so I didn’t remind you.”