Chapter 19: Eromanga-sensei is Angry
"Ahhh, Ni-san, you Baka! Baka! You wrote Flame Pillar-san to his death! Waaah…!"
Sagiri cried, launching a storm-like assault on him, her small fists pounding on his chest.
"Chihiro, don't bully Sagiri, okay? As an older brother, you should act like one." Mrs. Izumi happened to come out of the kitchen and saw this scene.
"No, I'm not bullying Sagiri. It's just because I wrote a character to his death, so she's giving me trouble." He shrugged helplessly.
"Ni-san, you must change it! I won't allow Flame Pillar-san to die!" Sagiri's eyes were misty with tears, looking utterly pitiful.
"I see. Well then, Sagiri, don't keep pestering him. Your brother has his own ideas, so don't bother him." Mrs. Izumi said, being very understanding.
"It's fine. This only means Sagiri really likes this character, and it also means I wrote it well. I should be happy about it." Izumi Chihiro smiled slightly.
"It's great that you can think that way." Mrs. Izumi nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.
"Stare…" Sagiri's gaze was fierce, like a female tyrannosaurus, staring intently at him.
"Sagiri, even if you stare at me like that, I won't change it."
Izumi Chihiro gently shook his head.
"You're bullying me, Ni-san. You can change it, it hasn't been released yet!"
Sagiri whined, shaking his arm.
Was this a failed threat, now resorting to pouting?
"I understand Sagiri doesn't want to see this kind of plot, but for a work, some sacrifices are necessary. The death of the Flame Pillar is not meaningless; it shows the strength of the Upper Ranks, the cruelty of the human-demon war, and it also serves to motivate Tanjiro and the others to become stronger. Both their minds and bodies need this kind of transformation, so..."
He said earnestly.
"I'm not listening... I'm not listening..."
Sagiri covered her ears with both hands and fled to the second floor.
She probably went to cry under her covers.
For a young girl, this was also a form of growth.
In truth, Sagiri wasn't entirely oblivious to this point, but under emotional impulse, she still acted this way.
After comforting his sister, Izumi Chihiro closed the writing document, preparing to compose himself before refining it further.
Sagiri sulked for a whole week, with little communication during that time.
Clearly, this setback had dealt her a significant blow.
However, her work continued, and she was still diligently improving herself.
She knew she couldn't change anything; she could only choose to accept it.
The illustration work had reached its most crucial scene.
"I will fulfill my responsibility. I will not let anyone here die!"
In the image, Kyojuro Rengoku rested his fiery nichirin blade on his shoulder. Even with one eye blind, broken ribs, and internal injuries—such severe wounds—his gaze remained resolute. He gripped his blade in a flawless stance, exuding an astonishing fighting spirit.
All of this was to uphold his promise, even if it meant his death!
Sagiri painted for a bit, then stopped, wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes, and then immersed herself again.
She kept going until she finally imprinted this impressive image in her mind.
And the next image, of his sincere smile before his death, also made her cry hard several times.
...
Coffee shop.
After Izumi Chihiro sent the revised manuscript to Machida Sonoko, they agreed to meet here.
This was normal; the editor also needed to review the work to avoid overly explicit content and to chat with the author to understand his state.
"I didn't expect Izumi-sensei to be so bold. To kill off such a key character in just the second volume. Although I had a premonition that such a scene would happen, Izumi-sensei, are you really not afraid of receiving hate mail?"
Machida Sonoko's tone was full of teasing and a hint of resentment.
As an editor, besides Sagiri, she was the second person to follow the story closely.
As an adult, she wouldn't act as childishly as Sagiri, but expressing her displeasure was still necessary.
Clearly, she also had some dissatisfaction with the death of the Flame Pillar.
It was such a pity for such a magnificent and upright man to die! If only there could be more of his story!
From a fan's perspective, she would also hold such thoughts.
"There's nothing I can do, Machida Editor. You understand, sometimes when creating, the plot takes on a life of its own..."
He replied evasively.
"Hehe..."
Machida Sonoko chuckled meaningfully.
"Izumi-sensei, although the second volume of demon slayer has some regrettable parts, from an editor's perspective, I am very satisfied with it. The tragic grandeur brought by the Flame Pillar's death is also very moving..."
"Indeed, Sensei is a talented person. Compared to the first volume's descriptions, the second volume's portrayal is even more refined. Plus, with this decisive 'plot twist' of a character dying, I have a premonition that after the second volume is released, many people will express their dissatisfaction to Sensei!"
Machida Sonoko's tone was full of admiration.
More people expressing dissatisfaction implicitly meant a significant increase in sales.
"I hope so."
Izumi Chihiro was also very satisfied with his writing for the second volume, but he didn't dare to be too confident.
Because sales were truly an unpredictable matter.
Perhaps his writing ability had improved, but whether the plot could satisfy more people was uncertain.
"Don't worry. In today's industry, there aren't many authors who are as decisive as Sensei. Moreover, the atmosphere is rendered just right. I believe that while many readers will be dissatisfied with the Flame Pillar's death, they will also anticipate the subsequent plot development."
Machida Sonoko showed more confidence than he did.
"Also, I've already received Eromanga-sensei's illustrations. They truly are a genius brother and sister! The progress is astounding. In such a short time, they've reached such a level. That sincere smile of the Flame Pillar before his death even moved me deeply... It's a pity he died so young; this world is too cruel."
Machida Sonoko said with a hint of meaning.
"After all, Machida Editor helped out, so it's only natural that Sagiri's drawing skills have improved a bit."
Izumi Chihiro's gaze flickered, and he changed the subject.
"Ahem... Izumi-sensei, can we not bring that up again?"
Machida Sonoko's cheeks flushed slightly.
She really wanted to forget such an embarrassing incident!
"I still have work to do, so I'll head back first. Goodbye, Izumi-sensei."
She quickly found an excuse, paid the bill, and left.