"Aurora Manga Award…" Haruki murmured, his eyes narrowing in thought. "I've heard of it before. Isn't that a manga competition hosted by the major publishers?"
Sora nodded, still chewing as she replied, "Right, and since you already know what it is, that makes this a lot easier."
She set down her chopsticks and continued, "The Aurora Manga Award is jointly hosted by the seven biggest manga publishers in the country. It's meant to spotlight standout works from outside the central publishing scene."
Haruki listened as she laid it out in more detail. The award was only held once a year. Any manga serialized outside the core Tokyo publishing zone could apply—but there were strict regional quotas. Only a select few would even be nominated.
"So you're saying…" Haruki tilted his head. "Rurouni Kenshin is qualified to be submitted?"
"Not quite," Sora corrected. "It's eligible for consideration—but not guaranteed a spot."
As she explained further, things started to click into place for Haruki.
Across the country, dozens of regions and countless manga artists were vying for attention. But with Tokyo's publishers dominating the national scene, most regional artists rarely got a chance to be noticed beyond their local reach.
To bridge that gap, the seven leading publishers had established the Aurora Manga Award. Each region could nominate only a few titles. In their region, only three could be put forward—and the decision came down to the three local powerhouses: Hoshikawa, Kurokawa, and Tatsuryu.
"Historically, Kurokawa always nominated Demon Realm, no question," Sora said. "But this year's different."
Thanks to the explosive rise of Rurouni Kenshin and Hidden Girl, the editorial department couldn't justify automatically giving the nod to Demon Realm anymore.
"In the last popularity vote, we had four major contenders: Demon Realm, Hidden Girl, Rurouni Kenshin, and Celestial Book," Sora continued. "The last one's a veteran series, and while it's consistent, it's never once surpassed Demon Realm."
Haruki understood the subtext: this wasn't just about numbers. There was tension brewing in the editorial office—likely between Sora and Rika.
"So, after today's internal meeting," Sora went on, "Editor-in-Chief Daichi made the final call. The three titles—Demon Realm, Hidden Girl, and Rurouni Kenshin—are now in direct competition. Over the next four weeks, whichever title ranks first in the popularity vote at least three times... will represent Kurokawa in the Aurora Manga Award."
Haruki raised his eyebrows. Four weeks. Four chances. He only needed to come out on top three times.
He didn't need to be asked if he was interested. No manga artist in their right mind would pass up a shot at national exposure. This was what every creator dreamed of: a breakout moment that could launch their name across the industry.
"The timing lines up," Haruki said quietly. "The third arc of Rurouni Kenshin—Little Mountain Village—starts next week. That's where the story really hits its stride."
It was the arc where everything came together: the emotional weight, the tragic backstory, and the seeds of love and betrayal between Kenshin and Yukari.
Sora smiled. "I knew you'd be ready."
At that moment, Kotone, who had quietly been sipping her tea, finally spoke up.
"By the way, Sora-san... did the latest vote results come out?"
Sora nodded and handed her phone across the table. Haruki and Kotone leaned in to read the numbers.
1st place: Demon Realm — 38,944 votes
2nd place: Hidden Girl — 38,113 votes
3rd place: Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance — 38,012 votes
Just over 100 votes behind second place. Haruki stared at the screen.
So close.
The countdown had already begun.
Haruki scrolled through the latest popularity rankings, his expression unreadable. The top three titles had all climbed—but their positions remained the same.
What stood out wasn't the ranking, but how tight the race had become.
There were fewer than a thousand votes separating Demon Realm, Hidden Girl, and Rurouni Kenshin. At this point, the difference was practically negligible.
Meanwhile, across the city, someone else wasn't taking the news nearly as calmly.
Inside his apartment, Rika sat alone, staring at the analytics report on his screen. The air was thick with tension. His jaw clenched as he studied the graphs.
A series of detailed statistics compared the three major titles from Kurokawa: Demon Realm, Hidden Girl, and Rurouni Kenshin. But it was Rurouni Kenshin's meteoric rise that refused to leave his mind.
He barely glanced at the data for Demon Realm. What consumed his thoughts was Haruki's series—this unpredictable, disruptive anomaly.
From a modest 4,000 votes in its debut, to 14,000 in its second issue, and now over 38,000 by the seventh... it wasn't just growing—it was exploding.
Each chapter brought in thousands of new readers. Some weeks it was five or six thousand, others over ten.
If this trend continued, the next issue might break 40,000 votes—something no Kurokawa title had ever achieved. Not even Demon Realm.
If that happened... there would be no argument. Rurouni Kenshin would be the undisputed pick for the Aurora Manga Award.
And Rika couldn't stomach the thought.
He had come to this city with ambition and connections. He'd worked the system, pulled favors, and convinced Yuna Takahashi to partner with him on Hidden Girl. He was supposed to be the one climbing the ranks. Sora? She was never supposed to be competition.
He'd always seen her as background—polite, competent, but forgettable.
And yet, in one bold move, she'd brought in Mizushiro-sensei. A complete unknown with zero connections, who was now threatening to upend the entire internal hierarchy at Kurokawa.
All because of that guy.
Rika scoffed. He could still remember the days when Sora used to nervously pitch half-baked ideas or ask him for advice.
He'd even pursued her once, casually, without much thought. When she'd turned him down, he hadn't cared.
But now? Watching her rise alongside Haruki's work?
It felt like the entire industry was laughing at him.
Even her professional instincts were outshining his now.
It was absurd. Infuriating.
Rika's hands tightened on the edge of his desk.
Mizushiro... That pen name. That mangaka. He was the root of this chaos.
When The Garden of Words was first pitched, Rika should've shut it down. He had the chance. He could've blocked it before it ever got greenlit.
If he had, Rurouni Kenshin wouldn't exist today.
But now, it was too late.
All he could do was hope that Hidden Girl could maintain its momentum—and that Demon Realm could stabilize the rankings.
Because if Rurouni Kenshin kept rising?
Then Mizushiro—and Sora—would reshape the future of Kurokawa Publishing.
And Rika would be the one left behind.
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