Tokyo: Oreimo

After all, this work is called "Cardcaptor Sakura," and Sakura is the undisputed protagonist.

We'll find out soon enough, just wait for that guy to show up.

As Sakura writes her name at the bottom of the floor plan, a scene of falling leaves appears in the final panel of the page.

"The wind is picking up. Are we getting straight to the point?"

【Kanzuki Kaho: The final judgment... is coming】

Wait a minute! Something feels off.

Gokou Mao had a bad feeling.

If the other party is indeed the Judge Yue, as I suspect, then this line should never have come from their mouth.

Her fingers froze at the end of the page, motionless for a moment.

"Sister! Turn the page quickly!"

The younger siblings quickly reminded them, as they were also eager to see what happened next.

With a slight sense of doubt, Gokou Mao turned to the next page.

In the storyboard, Yukito Tsukishiro, who had been put to sleep by Sakura's 'Sleep Card' at the beginning, radiates a gentle light and floats into the center of a huge magic circle.

Snow-white wings unfolded from his back, completely enveloping him.

As the next scene unfolds, the wings spread once more... the toes are suspended in mid-air, and long white hair cascades down from the shoulders.

Amidst the fluttering leaves, those cold, piercing eyes were revealed.

【who is he?】

In the manga, Sakura Kinomoto has a confused look on her face.

[Xiao Ke: He is Yue]

“…”

Gokou Mao's expression was exactly the same as the protagonist in the painting, but she quickly realized what was happening, her eyes widened slightly, and she couldn't help but reach out and cover her mouth.

"Really...?"

Did he actually guess right?

No, that's not right. If it's the original work, it wouldn't be surprising if they knew about this...

The true form of the Judge Yue is Yukito Tsukishiro.

Gokou Mao suddenly felt as if the sky had fallen.

It wasn't just because he had argued with his favorite author, Rumiko Takashiro, all night the previous night, and even called her a fake.

More importantly...

It seems like she got spoiled?

Seeing her younger siblings' excited expressions and witnessing this development, she felt no surprise or shock whatsoever.

"This feeling... is awful!"

Chapter 67 Settlement Fee

"Really? Do you believe me now?"

"..."

"Spoilers are unavoidable; after all, there's no other way to prove it, right?"

"Then it's arranged to meet at the coffee shop next to the Kadokawa Building at 3 PM on Thursday."

Ryosuke sent the agreed time and place to the website administrator and received a positive reply.

As he expected, after reading the latest issue, the comic strip successfully proved his identity.

The 'Luna of Clow Reed' accepted his invitation.

"I also need to go!"

Ling Nai, standing to the side, crossed her arms, her face clearly showing her excitement.

She was utterly defeated in their online battle the day before yesterday, and now, just thinking about how the guy on the other end would react after he found out who she was, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Don't even think about leaving me behind."

Takashiro Ryouno seemed to care quite a bit about this meeting.

"Of course I'll take you with me, because there are other important matters to attend to."

"Huh? Other things? Aren't you in charge of everything related to the game? I shouldn't need to get involved."

Ryosuke chose to meet on a weekday, not just to meet the website administrator.

Ritsu Saito contacted him by phone during the day, hoping that the author could go to Kadokawa to discuss the publication of the collected volumes and the anime adaptation.

That's right.

Thanks to the efforts of the other party, and riding the wave of the Clow Card arc's climax, the anime adaptation of "Cardcaptor Sakura" was successfully launched, just as the other party had promised.

"Animation adaptation? Isn't that something the editors should decide?"

After learning the news from Ryosuke, Takagi Ryono was not particularly surprised.

When "Moon Witch Transformation" was adapted into an anime, she only received a notification and was not contacted in person to discuss the matter.

"Well, you just need to come with me."

Ryosuke didn't explain that since the copyright of the previous work had been lost, there was no need to discuss it with the author.

But Cardcaptor Sakura is different. If it were to be adapted into an anime, the creators would definitely want a piece of the pie.

As for how big this pie will be, that depends on the outcome of the negotiations.

"Anything is fine, just don't make it to our date this afternoon!"

Takashiro Ryouno was eager to get started.

Who cares about that? She just wants to see that 'black cat' as soon as possible and make him repent for what he did to her the day before yesterday.

They dared to call her a counterfeit and even banned dozens of her accounts. I'm determined to get my revenge.

.....

Inside the Kadokawa Building, in the manga editing department, people come and go.

Summer is definitely the busiest time for magazines, as many excellent projects are planned during this period.

Compared to his colleague who was so busy he barely had time to breathe, Hideo Nomura seemed much more relaxed.

"You should at least eat properly, shouldn't you?"

He had just finished his lunch break and returned to his workstation. He looked at Ritsu Saito beside him, who was still sitting in front of the computer, constantly editing the project documents.

On the table was a red bean bread that had just been opened and only had one bite taken out of it.

"For that kind of thing, a couple of bites will do."

Ritsu Saito didn't even take his eyes off the computer screen before replying casually.

"If we move quickly enough, we might be able to launch it before the summer vacation ends."

Hideo Nomura knew that the work his colleague was referring to was "Cardcaptor Sakura," which the other party had been carefully protecting.

Since this work began serialization, it's like dropping a bomb into stagnant water, reigniting the magical girl genre craze that had gradually subsided after the conclusion of "Moon Witch Transformation".

Its excellent quality allowed it to quickly stand out and become the journal's new top-tier publication.

This has also spawned a lot of similar competing products, and Hideo Nomura is almost sick of reviewing this kind of subject matter lately.

Logically speaking, a work like this should have been published as a standalone volume long ago.

This is to ensure a significant boost in sales after the anime adaptation, since the author had already completed most of the original manuscript, and it wouldn't be like this now, right at the tail end of summer vacation.

"It's obvious to everyone that the editor-in-chief doesn't want you to be promoted."

Hideo Nomura sighed.

If it were any other editor, the project wouldn't have been held up for so long; it would have been approved long ago.

This kind of treatment is only enjoyed by troublemakers who go against the editor-in-chief.

Hideo Nomura: "The later the approval, the tighter the schedule will be for TV stations. If it is broadcast during non-prime time slots, the impact on the ratings will be quite significant."

Results mean rewards and also reflect the editor's ability and performance.

“…”

Ritsu Saito did not respond.

His recent experiences have left him somewhat disheartened.

He clearly developed another best-selling comic, but he still didn't get a spot in the year-end professional title evaluation.

When did the manga editorial department become a one-man show by editor-in-chief Yamazaki?

If it weren't for the many best-selling works he still hadn't finished and his sense of responsibility to the authors, he would have left this top company in a huff long ago.

Fortunately, unlike the manga editing department, other departments did not obstruct Saito Ritsu's progress in every way, and by comparison, things proceeded quite smoothly.

"Let's give it one last try. If they abuse their power to obstruct my promotion after this work is successfully adapted into an anime, then I should really consider leaving."

Saito Ritsu said this without any hesitation.

Hideo Nomura, who was standing nearby, frowned as he listened.

"Hey, don't talk nonsense. Have you forgotten the non-compete clause you signed with the company? You'll have nowhere to go if you leave Kadokawa."

"If we really give up now, wouldn't that play right into the editor-in-chief's hands?"

"So what? Do you expect me to keep putting up with that old man's every whim?"

Ritsu Saito replied indifferently.

He graduated from Tokyo Polytechnic University with a degree in animation supervision from the Faculty of Arts. He ended up as an editor by chance, and he figured he could just start over as a newcomer, which was better than to suffer here.

'It would have been better if he had just given in.'