In the real world, the creator of Final Chronicles sat nervously, listening to the conversation in the adjacent room.
"This chapter was trash! Trash, I tell you! Get the hell out of my office before I skin you alive!" came the thunderous voice.
The door swung open, and a young adult stumbled out, his face pale from the harsh exchange. He slammed against the wall, right where the author had been leaning. The young man quickly scrambled away, running off in a panic.
The author barely had time to react before hearing the same voice bellow again, "NEXT! Make it snappy or leave!"
"Right away, sir!" the author blurted, stepping into the room. His casual clothes felt suddenly too informal, and his short, boxy haircut felt all too noticeable under the piercing lights of the office. He was tall, but standing before the authority behind that voice, he felt small.
To his surprise, sitting in the boss's chair wasn't an old man but a young boy, perhaps no older than ten, tapping his foot impatiently.
The author blinked, confused. "Uh… where's your dad, kid?"
He tried to force a smile. Maybe, if he could win over this kid, it would help when the real boss showed up.
In an instant, the boy's small foot landed squarely in the author's gut. "What are you talking about, stupid? I am the boss! If you don't like it, you can go!"
The author crumpled to the ground, hands instinctively clutching his stomach. "I'm sorry, sir!" he gasped, barely able to breathe.
"Now, what manga or anime have you done, old man?" the boy asked with the confidence of someone who had seen it all.
The author, still recovering, thought to himself, Old man? I'm only 19…
"I've written the manga and anime series Final Chronicle," the author managed to say, finally standing upright.
Suddenly, the boy's eyes lit up with recognition. His previously stern expression shifted into one of excitement, as if he had transformed into an entirely different person. "Wait, really? You're the one who made Final Chronicle?"
The author nodded cautiously, unsure of what to expect next.
The boy's tone shifted again, this time filled with youthful energy. "So, what's the deal with the latest chapter? That fusion introduction? It was dumb! But I've liked the show up until then. I mean, I really liked Ascension, and MCC was pretty cool. But what do those terms even stand for? How do the cores work? And Mana Resonance—what's that all about? You introduced all these gimmicks, but you didn't explain any of them!" The kid's excitement was palpable, as if he had been waiting for answers for years.
The author blinked again, this time in relief. The boss wasn't angry at all. He was… a fan?
"Well, uh…" the author began, but the kid leaned in, eyes wide and eager.
"I'm listening! Don't leave out any details!"