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The incident involving the protagonist of Initial D getting cheated on occupied the top trending topics in the manga community for several days. It was the only thing enthusiasts wanted to talk about.

Haruto's massive following was currently divided among three primary pillars: Sword Art Online, Initial D, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Since Madoka Magica had already concluded its run, its fans were mostly sitting back with popcorn, enjoying the chaos from the sidelines.

Meanwhile, the Sword Art Online fans had been lulled into a false sense of security. They had just spent an entire month reading about Asuna and Kirito's sweet honeymoon. They assumed the series had settled into a comfortable rhythm, wholesome husband-and-wife interactions interspersed with standard dungeon-clearing action.

Consequently, they felt untouchable, acting like smug observers while the Initial D fanbase went into a total meltdown over Takumi's romantic betrayal.

However, the uproar only served to expand Initial D's reach. High-quality stories, regardless of the world they are in, have a way of touching a nerve. Some readers felt rage at Natsuki's betrayal, while others saw uncomfortable reflections of their own past experiences in the panels. Just like in the parallel world, memes began to spread across the internet, with "No matter how fast you drive, you cannot outrun a rich man's Mercedes" becoming the joke of the week.

A few days later, the latest issue of Kiyozawa hit the shelves, containing the newest chapter of Sword Art Online.

The title of the chapter was ominous.

[The End of the World (Part 1)]

Yuzuki had woken up at the crack of dawn and waited in a massive queue just to secure her copy the moment the bookstore opened. But as soon as she saw that title, her brow furrowed with concern.

'The End of the World?'

Who was the world in this context? What did it represent? Was it a reference to a floor boss on one of the higher levels of Aincrad?

The current Sword Art Online fanbase still lacked a full grasp of Haruto's unpredictability.

The common consensus was that the story would only end when the final 100th floor was cleared. Given that the series was rapidly approaching twenty million copies per volume, placing it firmly in the top three most successful light novels currently in serialization, any sane person would assume the series was nowhere near its conclusion.

Considering the logistics, Haruto's royalties were at the industry's highest tier, roughly 10%. With about eight or nine volumes released annually and each selling twenty million copies, the series was generating between billions of yen in profit for him every year. And that did not account for the massive revenue from the upcoming anime adaptation and merchandise licensing. A work that pulls in billions of yen a year does not just end. It was unthinkable. Haruto might have made a fortune from Madoka, but no one is rich enough to throw away several billion yen on a whim.

"Is it just clickbait?" Yuzuki wondered, letting out a long sigh. Despite her skepticism, the title had succeeded in making her heart race. She flipped the page and began to read. The story picked up exactly where the previous week had left off. The front-line clearing group had encountered a boss so monstrous and difficult that they were forced to recall Asuna and Kirito from their honeymoon.

Led by Heathcliff, the Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, a coalition of dozens of elite players launched an assault on the 75th-floor boss.

The Skull Reaper.

Before the battle even began, the narrative went to great lengths to establish the reaper as a terrifying threat. The boss room was a Crystal-Free Zone, meaning players could not use teleportation crystals to escape if things went south. Furthermore, the boss's attack patterns and raw power were complete unknowns.

Kirito felt a sense of dread about the operation. He even pleaded with Asuna to stay behind in the safe zone and wait for him.

"Kirito, you are the entire reason I've survived these last two years. You are the proof that I lived. I believe I only put on this headset two years ago just so I could meet you..."

The chapter was packed with iconic dialogue from Asuna. One line, in particular, hit home.

"If you die, I will kill myself too."

The novel provided a stunning illustration of this scene. Inside a grand, looming palace, Kirito looked pale and anxious, while Asuna held his hands with a gaze of unwavering determination.

In the real world, such words might sound melodramatic or even immature.

But within the context of the death game, and given the character development Haruto had provided from chapter one until now, Yuzuki believed every word. She felt the depth of Asuna's devotion to her core. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I am actually tearing up," Yuzuki whispered. She was a sentimental person by nature, and while most readers would find the scene moving, it felt like an emotional landslide to her.

'Asuna and Kirito forever! Please, just let them be together and never separate!' she screamed internally. She was, without question, a total shipping fanatic.

As the battle commenced, Yuzuki's thoughts faded, replaced by the imagery the text provided. Inside a vast chamber, a nightmare descended from the ceiling: a creature with the lower body of a centipede and the upper torso of a human skeleton.

The Skull Reaper.

Every movement of its massive scythe-like legs was like a tree trunk sweeping through the air. Anyone it targeted was killed instantly. Within the first minute, two elite members of the clearing group were slaughtered.

Even Heathcliff, with his legendary shield, could only barely withstand a direct hit. Kirito, using his dual-wielding style, had to cross both blades just to block a standard strike. Despite several players unleashing their ultimate skills, the boss's health bar barely moved. Only a tiny sliver of its first life bar had vanished.

'A high-attack, high-HP, high-speed boss?' Yuzuki was stunned. 'This is impossible. It is broken.'

In a real-world game, players would have quit on the spot. If you cannot hit it, it can one-shot you, and it is faster than you, why even try?

The novel described the battle in detail.

Eventually, at the cost of fourteen lives, the survivors managed to grind the Skull Reaper down through sheer numbers and the combined efforts of top-tier players like Asuna, Kirito, and Heathcliff.

But the victory brought Yuzuki no joy. It felt like a death sentence. This was only the 75th floor. The entire front-line group, which contained the best players in SAO, only numbered around five hundred people. If every floor boss from here on out claimed a dozen lives, the group would cease to exist long before they reached the top.

The news of this slaughter would spread to the lower floors, and the clearing group's morale would collapse.

Who would want to risk their actual life just to clear a video game?

In fact, several survivors in the story were already trembling, openly discussing quitting the front lines. But just as Yuzuki thought Haruto was setting up a crisis of morale arc, the perspective shifted.

A weary Kirito, whose health was in the yellow danger zone, looked over at the Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath.

Heathcliff's health bar was a vibrant, solid green. It had not moved an inch. In a flash of black steel, Kirito lunged at Heathcliff's back.

"What is he doing?!" Yuzuki's eyes widened.

'You are the hero! You are attacking your own teammate? That is dirty!'

But the next moment, the plot took a sharp turn.

A system notification flickered around Heathcliff, a glowing purple hex-shield blocking Kirito's blade.

What?

Yuzuki blinked, re-reading the lines to make sure she had not misunderstood. The book clearly stated that the attack was nullified by the system.

'This is a cheat! Is there a hacker in SAO?'

But the final lines of the chapter provided a revelation that left Yuzuki reeling. Kirito, seeing his suspicions confirmed, finally spoke the words she was not prepared to hear.

"I've always wondered... as the creator of this world, Akihiko Kayaba, where would you be watching us from? Now I understand. There is nothing more boring than watching people play a game from the outside. You wanted to be in it with us." Kirito looked at Heathcliff and spoke the name that had haunted the players for two years.

"Kayaba..."

End of Chapter.

"What?!" Yuzuki shouted at the book. Her brain felt like it was spinning.

Akihiko Kayaba? The man who built the prison? The man responsible for thousands of deaths? He was the Commander of the strongest guild? He was the man fighting alongside them this whole time?

Yuzuki took several deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart, but it was useless. She stared at those final three words.

End of Chapter.

Every fan knew that Haruto was the King of Cliffhangers, but this was psychological torture. She felt like her heart was being held hostage by the plot.

The chapter title, The End of the World (Part 1), practically guaranteed that the next one would be Part 2. And based on the evidence, The End of the World either meant the literal end of SAO... or the end of the protagonist's world. If Kirito had to fight an invincible administrator who could toggle immortality on a whim, what chance did he have?

As fans across Japan finished the chapter, the online forums were filled with theory and despair.

"Holy crap! Heathcliff is Kayaba? Someone explain this to me! My brain is melting!"

"I am floored. Sensei Haruto planted this bomb months ago and we never saw it coming."

"I am officially speechless. I have no words for this twist."

"And that cliffhanger! If I were not terrified of getting flamed by his hardcore fans, I would be at Haruto's front door with a pitchfork right now."

"Guys, do you feel that? I was laughing at the Initial D fans for getting cheated on, and now I am facing this. This is worse! Much worse!"

"Look at the title: The End of the World. If Heathcliff is an invincible god, can the hero win? No. The odds are zero. So what ends? The protagonist's world consists of two things: his life and Asuna. If he cannot die because of Plot Armor, then who is the target?"

"Are you saying... Asuna is going to die?"

"It is a very real possibility."

"No way! That cannot happen! I only read this book for the romance. If Asuna dies, I am burning my collection!"

"Please, not Asuna. Takahashi-sensei would not be that cruel, would he?"

"Are you kidding? If his head is straight, he will keep her alive. She is the most popular character right now. If he kills her, he is basically burning money. No author is that stupid."

"I would have agreed with you before last week's Initial D chapter. But after seeing what he did to Natsuki, I am terrified."

"Wait, what happened in Initial D? I do not read that one."

"The heroine, Natsuki, was revealed to be a sugar baby who was cheating on the protagonist with a guy in a Mercedes while they were dating. If he is willing to do that to a heroine, why would he not kill Asuna?"

"That is... actually a terrifying point. Haruto is a loose cannon. He does not care about tropes or fan service. He will change a character's destiny in a single page."

"If he kills Asuna, he is on my permanent blacklist. I do not care how good his next work is, I am done."

"Same here."

"I am with you."

"But... what if he releases a second Madoka movie?"

"...Then I will admit I was full of crap. I would have to watch that. But I would be very angry while doing it!"

"Stop joking around! This is serious! We need to make Sensei feel the pressure. If he knows we will riot, maybe he will spare her."

"Hahaha! Look at you Sword Art Online fans! Just a few days ago, you were mocking us Initial D fans for the Mercedes twist. Now look who is crying! Welcome to the club!"

"I am laughing so hard. I spent days being depressed about Takumi, but seeing the SAO fans realize their goddess might be a corpse by next week has cured my depression."

"This is pure karma!"

"What is wrong with you people? Why are you competing to see whose heroine can suffer more? This is the most twisted fan interaction I've ever seen!"

"It is just an eye for an eye. You laughed at us, now it is our turn. Next week is going to be legendary."