Fushikawa Bunko's conference room.
Every core member of Editing Department 3 sat rigidly in their chairs, confusion etched across their faces.
All eyes were on their editor-in-chief, Ryuji Aida—normally the embodiment of calm professionalism, now flushed red like he'd overdosed on energy drinks, vibrating with excitement.
What kind of manuscript could reduce this man to such a state?
"I know. You're all brimming with questions right now."
Ryuji's sharp gaze swept across the room, pressing down on everyone who dared meet his eyes.
"But the answer to every one of them… is right here."
He gestured, and his assistant began handing out photocopies of 6 Days, 6 People, 6 Guns to each editor present.
An older deputy editor, the most senior in the room, hesitated before speaking. "Aida-kun… even if this manuscript is outstanding, calling off the award screening process midway is—"
"Exactly, Chief," another chimed in. "Our credibility and fairness are our lifelines. If you throw them aside on a whim—"
"Shut up!"
Ryuji's roar silenced the room instantly.
"Credibility? Procedures?" He let out a derisive laugh.
"In the face of a true masterpiece, clinging to procedure is the height of stupidity!"
"Just read it." He jabbed a finger at the manuscripts in their hands. His voice thundered with authority. "When you're done, use your so-called 'professional judgment' and tell me—does this work deserve the grand prize, or not?"
The room fell into uneasy silence.
Reluctantly, the editors lowered their heads and began to read.
For a while, the only sound was the deliberate rustle of pages turning.
But soon, even that faded.
In its place came ragged, uneven breaths.
Time stretched unbearably thin.
At last, the veteran deputy editor who had spoken up first set down his copy. His forehead glistened with cold sweat, and when his eyes met Ryuji's, shock and disbelief burned in them.
Ryuji smirked.
One down.
Then a second. A third.
By the time every person in the room had finished, the air was dead silent.
But this silence wasn't the awkward restraint from before.
It was awe.
No one dared utter a word about "process" or "rules."
Compared to this manuscript, every other submission they'd praised before was nothing but trash.
"Well?" Ryuji asked at last, his smile confident. "Anyone still have objections?"
The room was so quiet a pin could've dropped.
Not a single editor met his eyes.
That silence was their unanimous answer.
"Good."
For the first time, the editor-in-chief allowed himself the triumphant smile of a victor.
He stood, both palms slamming onto the table as he leaned forward, his presence overwhelming.
"First! The grand prize of this year's Fushikawa Bunko Light Novel Award will go to 6 Days, 6 People, 6 Guns by Prince Warakawa!"
"Second! Double the prize money! Two million yen to him!"
"Third! Machida!" He snapped his gaze to the corner where Sonoko Machida sat stiff as a board. "I'm authorizing you to offer him an A-rank contract! Royalties, advance—everything at the top tier for a rookie! Chain him to Fushikawa's war chariot!"
"Fourth! Publicity! From this moment on, concentrate all resources on this title! Before release day, I want advertisements in every single bookstore across the country!"
…
…
The next day.
Fushikawa Bunko's official website dropped a bombshell.
The entire homepage turned jet-black, with only a single, colossal line of white text blazing across it:
[An era has ended. A new one begins—with 6 Days, 6 People, 6 Guns!]
The newcomer's award had been declared over early!
The announcement landed like a boulder in a still pond, sending waves crashing through the entire industry.
Across the rival publishing houses, chaos erupted.
"That sly fox Ryuji Aida's lost his damn mind!" the head editor of Dengeki Bunko slammed his newspaper against the table.
"'An era has ended'? Such arrogance! What if the book flops? He'll be the laughingstock of the entire field!"
"Find out. I want to know exactly what this manuscript is!"
Phones rang off the hook. Editorial departments buzzed like hives. The industry was in an uproar.
…
At the same time, online forums lit up.
"Holy crap, this tagline is badass! I'm fired up already!"
"6 Days, 6 People, 6 Guns—just the title screams quality! Smells like pure grimdark, and I love it!"
"I've got this gut feeling it'll be legendary. Wallet's ready. GKD! Publish it already!"
"Or maybe it's all hype? The harder they push, the more I want to see if it's really worth it."
Within hours, countless threads and debates shoved the title into the top spots of online trending charts.
…
Inside Fushikawa Bunko's private author chat group, things exploded too.
Masamune Izumi: "@Sonoko Machida Editor—Machida-san, who the hell is this Seiji-sensei? A rookie? This is insane!"
Elf Yamada: "Exactly! The promotion he's getting is ten times what I got at debut! Chief Aida's totally playing favorites!"
Senju Muramasa: "…(Just an ellipsis, but everyone knew she was just as curious.)"
The chat turned into a sea of sour lemons.
Jealousy. Curiosity. Frustration.
Authors bombarded their own editors with private messages, desperate to learn more about the so-called chosen one.
"C'mon, tell me—Seiji-sensei's just a veteran using a pseudonym, right?"
But every answer came back the same:
"Sorry, confidential. No comment."
That air of secrecy only fanned the flames higher, pushing the hype to an entirely new level.
…
Meanwhile, Seiji Fujiwara himself was blissfully unaware.
He lounged in his apartment, utterly unconcerned with the storm outside.
Until his phone lit up.
A new email had arrived from Fushikawa Bunko's official account.
[Dear Prince Warakawa-sensei: Greetings! I am Sonoko Machida, Editor at Fushikawa Bunko. Regarding your outstanding manuscript, we would like to discuss its publication with the utmost sincerity…]
The corners of Seiji's mouth lifted into a smile.
And then—another notification popped up.
A text message from his bank.
[Your account ending in XXXX has received a deposit of JPY 2,000,000 on XX/XX. Description: Award Prize (after tax).]
Fushikawa even paid the taxes for me?
Staring at the long string of zeroes, Seiji shot upright in bed, eyes wide with delight.