The half-hour joint novel launch event came to an end. According to the schedule, the next two-plus hours, until noon, were reserved for Kamiyā Yuu and Kirigami Ruri's novel signing and sales event. Anyone among the first batch of readers to purchase any novel by either of them could receive both of their signatures. However, the event would only last around two and a half hours, which meant that at most perhaps only a thousand customers would get their joint signatures. That number might not even be enough for everyone already in line, let alone the steady stream of customers who would arrive afterward.
When the main volume of 'Fate/zero' was officially released, Kamiyā Yuu's signing event had not lasted very long either. As a result, the price of first-volume copies bearing his signature had since risen dozens of times over online. To prevent people from maliciously reselling signed copies again, each person was allowed only one opportunity to receive a signature at this event.
"Thank you for your support."
One novel after another was placed in front of Kamiyā Yuu. As he repeated the same signing motion over and over, his initially relaxed expression soon turned into a mechanical, genial smile. Like an automated machine in a factory, he opened each novel's cover, signed it, then picked it up with both hands and handed it back to the reader.
This kind of reader interaction event was commonplace in District 11's commercial novel industry. Even famous novelists and idols would present themselves as modest and courteous at novel signings or idol meet-and-greets. It could be considered part of the commercial operation imposed upon novelists themselves.
The young male reader who heard those words became visibly excited. Taking the novel with both hands, he bowed deeply to Kamiyā Yuu and said solemnly, "Yes! Kamiyā-sensei's novels are extremely interesting. I'll continue supporting you from now on too!"
District 11 had taken these kinds of offline fan interaction events to all sorts of extremes. Unlike the entertainment industry in China, District 11's idol culture had begun flourishing in the 1990s. The establishment of 'AKB48' further popularized the idol craze, eventually making it a representative national idol group. This led to an endless proliferation of idol agencies and obscure idol groups, all dreaming of idol stardom and willing to resort to virtually any means to turn a profit.
For example, buying an idol's album might come with something like a "handshake ticket." Yet there were shut-in otaku who absolutely ate this up, buying an entire cartload of expensive albums and ending up with hundreds of "handshake tickets" they did not even know how to use.
Of course, District 11's idol industry had never lacked scandals worthy of the phrase "what a messed-up industry." If the money spent buying an entire cartload of albums were instead offered directly to the idols themselves, most obscure idol groups might gladly accept it. As a result, scandals frequently emerged about someone spending a relatively small amount of money to meet a young female idol and "get laid," alongside stories about some supposedly devoted fan spending tens of millions of yen buying albums.
The idol industry's "passionate fan culture" eventually spread into the novel industry as well. Novelists, once mysterious figures in the eyes of ordinary people, now routinely appeared in person to hold signing and sales events. For one thing, it was not necessarily bad for novelists, since it helped consolidate their popularity and gave them direct contact with readers. For another, the gimmick could significantly boost novel sales.
Kamiyā Yuu turned his head slightly to observe the icy girl sitting beside him.
Calling her icy did not seem quite right. Kirigami Ruri felt more like a thin sheet of clear, transparent ice to Kamiyā Yuu, completely out of place amid her surroundings while simultaneously seeming extraordinarily fragile.
She had silvery-white hair and delicate, fair skin. Her appearance could not quite be described with words like cute or beautiful. Rather, hers was a refined, elegant sort of beauty. Her most captivating feature was her eyes—delicate and clear, as though they could see through another person's innermost thoughts at a glance, yet tranquil and completely undisturbed.
Kamiyā Yuu did not know exactly how to describe that feeling. Perhaps it was just like her name—a piece of crystal glass shrouded in hazy mist.
"Thank you very much. I'll treasure this novel."
"Thank you. I've always followed Kirigami Ruri-sensei, and I'm looking forward to your new work more than I can say."
"I'll always support your novels!"
Kirigami Ruri calmly signed for every reader who came before her. Although her face showed no expression whatsoever, most readers looked absolutely delighted after receiving her signature.
"Y-Yes, um... please sign this for me."
A nervous-looking, disheveled man approached Kirigami Ruri while clutching a novel.
His clothing was extremely strange. It was only mid-September, and the weather was still hot, yet he was wearing an autumn overcoat. When his gaze met Kamiyā Yuu's, the man immediately looked away evasively while nervously surveying his surroundings.
Kirigami Ruri's expression remained unchanged as she reached out and accepted the novel. After signing her name, she lifted it with both hands and prepared to return it to the strange man.
The strangely dressed man gritted his teeth as though finally making up his mind. Just as he tremblingly extended his right hand to take the novel, his expression abruptly changed.
He pulled a gleaming, razor-sharp dagger from inside his coat and growled, "Die! Die! Die! Die! It's all your fault!"
As he shouted, he threw himself at...
Kamiyā Yuu, who was sitting beside her.
—He's coming for me!?
Kamiyā Yuu remained calm, though a peculiar feeling surfaced within him. He had noticed the strange man's intentions, and the instant the man made his move, he understood what was about to happen.
Never in his wildest imagination had he expected the man to be targeting him rather than Kirigami Ruri.
Smack!
Just as the crazed man was about to reach Kamiyā Yuu, a novel suddenly flew through the air and slammed heavily into his face.
Caught completely off guard while holding the dagger, the man took the hit and stumbled forward, collapsing onto the table in front of Kamiyā Yuu.
Kirigami Ruri remained seated beside him with an impassive expression. The signed novel that had been in her hand was now gone. Even when confronted with an armed attacker, she showed not the slightest hint of panic. She had reacted immediately and disrupted his momentum.
If Kamiyā Yuu had been an ordinary person, her action would unquestionably have saved his life.
"Aaaaaah!"
"Aah~!"
"What happened?"
The line instantly descended into chaos. The waiting readers recoiled in terror and began screaming.
The attacker, who had sprawled across the table, quickly recovered. Gripping his sharp dagger, he slashed wildly at the surrounding people several times, threatening them not to approach.
Clearly, though, he was worrying unnecessarily.
When he saw the novel on the floor, he turned toward Kirigami Ruri and roared ferociously, "Let me make this clear! If you're trying to stop me, then you're at fault too! I don't care what famous novelist you are! You can die with him!"
He turned and charged at Kirigami Ruri.
Seeing this, Kamiyā Yuu had no intention of allowing the situation to continue. He braced both hands against the table in front of him and shoved hard.
Propelled by tremendous force, the table slammed directly into the man's waist.
Compared to this, the novel that had hit him in the face earlier had been nothing more than a drizzle. This collision was like getting hit by a truck, knocking him straight onto the floor.
The security personnel hired by Chiyo Bookstore hurried over. With tense expressions, they pulled out the anti-riot equipment they carried and surrounded the man.
Their anti-riot equipment was nothing impressive, however. Their standard gear was basically just batons. After all, District 11's weapons regulations were every bit as strict as China's. When the numerous security guards saw the dagger in the young man's hand, they exchanged glances, but not one of them dared to be the first to rush him.
"Stay back! Anyone who comes near me dies!"
The attacker tried to stand while wildly swinging his dagger.
Kamiyā Yuu stood and walked toward him.
The surrounding security guards were so focused on the attacker that they failed to stop Kamiyā Yuu from crossing their perimeter and approaching him.
The moment the attacker saw Kamiyā Yuu, the viciousness on his face intensified. Struggling to his feet, he raised the dagger and charged at him again, his expression both savage and exhilarated.
"If it weren't for you! If it weren't for you, Mami-senpai wouldn't have died!"
—So people like this really do exist! I thought sending razor blades was just something District 11's otaku joked about.
Kamiyā Yuu felt helpless.
At the critical instant before the attacker's dagger could plunge into his chest, Kamiyā Yuu shifted sideways and caught the man's wrist with an underhand grip. He extended his right foot and directly tripped the charging man. At the same time, he switched to gripping the man's wrist with both hands and twisted it at an unnatural angle.
Using the tremendous momentum of the man's rapidly falling body against him, Kamiyā Yuu snapped his arm in an instant.
Crack!
The security guards surrounding the attacker heard the crisp sound of bone breaking.
Kamiyā Yuu's entire sequence of movements in subduing the attacker had been smooth and seamless, completed in one continuous motion.
"Aaaaaah! My arm! My arm!"
The attacker collapsed onto the floor, screaming like a pig being slaughtered. His right hand trembled uncontrollably, no longer capable of holding the dagger. The agony of the displaced bone made him clutch his right arm and roll continuously across the floor.
Although nothing unusual could be seen from the outside, the bones in the attacker's right arm had already been broken by Kamiyā Yuu. Moreover, because of the angle at which it had been twisted, the tendons in his arm had suffered severe damage.
For the next year, he would be unable to use his right hand normally. Whenever he moved it too far, he would immediately experience excruciating pain. Even after his arm fully recovered, he probably would never again be able to perform heavy labor with his right hand.
Kamiyā Yuu was hardly going to worry about the future of someone who had tried to kill him.
Truthfully, if they had not been in public, he might have simply killed the man outright to eliminate any future threat.
District 11 was a bizarre place. In his previous world, there had even been incidents where scum had murdered someone, remained free for more than twenty years, then brazenly resurfaced after the statute of limitations expired and wrote books about their murders to torment the victims' families.
Even in his previous world, Kamiyā Yuu had deeply despised scum who took their hatred of society out on others.
"Take him away and call the police."
Kamiyā Yuu calmly instructed the surrounding security personnel, then returned to straighten the table.
"Yes! Yes! We're terribly sorry!"
Finally snapping out of his daze, the head of security hurriedly bowed and apologized.
The other security guards picked up the dagger from the floor and dragged the screaming man away from the scene to prevent further chaos.
"Everyone, please remain calm and wait for instructions from the staff!"
"The situation is under control! Everyone, please calm down!"
Staff members shouted, trying to soothe the crowd.
Kamiyā Yuu returned to his seat and casually asked Kirigami Ruri beside him, "Are you okay?"
Kirigami Ruri stared at Kamiyā Yuu's profile for a long moment before shaking her head.
Before long, order was restored at the venue, and the novel signing and sales event resumed as though nothing had happened.
...
In the end, none of the content from today's joint novel launch generated much of a response.
Everything about the joint launch was completely overshadowed by a far more attention-grabbing piece of news. Whether in print newspapers or online media, there was only one story dominating the headlines.
[(Breaking News) Chinese Kung Fu? Japanese-Chinese Animation Director Subdues Dagger-Wielding Attacker in a Single Move.] — 2ch General Forum.
[Famous Animation Director Kamiyā Yuu and Famous Novelist Kirigami Ruri Attacked by Unidentified Man at Joint Novel Launch.] — Asahi Newspaper.
[Footage of Famous Animation Director Being Attacked Exposed!] — NICENICE video website.
[Perfect Coordination: Analysis of the Attack on Novelist Kirigami Ruri and Animation Director Kamiyā Yuu.] — TV Tokyo.
District 11's media loved sensational stories like this, and Kamiyā Yuu and Kirigami Ruri's social status made the incident even more eye-catching.
Still, since nobody had died, it did not count as a major incident. The news would probably cool down after a few days.
Nevertheless, the story had unquestionably increased Kamiyā Yuu's public exposure as an animation director. All the anime he had produced combined might have generated less attention than these few days of news coverage.
When Kamiyā Yuu saw the reports that evening, he genuinely did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Did this count as advertising the novel launch, or had it suppressed the launch's publicity?
Chiyo Bookstore reacted swiftly. Its legal representatives communicated with the police while publicly disclosing the sequence of events. At the same time, they had Akiyama Gojō, the chief planner of the launch event, contact Kamiyā Yuu and formally apologize.
The fact that the attacker had nearly succeeded was entirely their responsibility for underestimating the necessary security precautions.
People who knew Kamiyā Yuu also called after seeing the news to ask about his condition.
"Glad you're all right. Kaoru is emotionally stable over here. There's no need to worry." This was Uehara Etsuki's message.
"That's amazing! I never knew you could fight, Yuu!" Yūki Chinatsu exclaimed without the slightest sense of concern. Then again, despite a knife having been involved, in her eyes it apparently still only counted as a fight...
"You're not hurt, are you? Me? Mm, I'm cooking dinner for my little sister right now." Morishita Aoi also asked anxiously over the phone.
"Kuku~ To think Onii-chan's true identity was actually the fallen angel Lucifer... Onii-chan, I'm really, really glad you didn't die~!"
Gogyo Ruri had tried to put on a chuunibyou act, but somehow ended up saying those words with obvious relief. From the reassurance in her voice, it was not difficult for Kamiyā Yuu to imagine Gogyo Ruri's expression on the other end of the phone.
"Miss Kaoru is fine over here. Yuu, when are we going to have another match?" This was Busujima Murasaki's message. She merely asked briefly about what had happened and apparently had no doubts whatsoever about Kamiyā Yuu's physical condition.
In addition, sound director Shindō Tsukasa, voice actresses Amamiya Kae and Tōgi Yūko, several company employees who knew Kamiyā Yuu's contact information, and freelance key animators who worked closely with Yosuganosora Animation Studio all sent messages expressing their concern.
It was the first time Kamiyā Yuu had realized that so many people around him cared about him.
As for Kamiyā Sora, who was closest to Kamiyā Yuu, her reaction was even more intense.
After learning what had happened, even though the incident was already over, she clung to Kamiyā Yuu's side and refused to leave, terrified that he might disappear right before her eyes in the very next second. Merely imagining what would have happened if the attacker had succeeded left her overwhelmed with lingering fear.
That night, Kamiyā Sora nestled in Kamiyā Yuu's arms as she watched the television news coverage. Her small hand tightly gripped Kamiyā Yuu's right hand and did not let go for a long time.
Worry and weariness lingered in her delicate features.