Black Mangaka-014: Fate of Magical Girls
Hehe.
Although she was complaining in her heart, a sweet smile remained plastered on her face.
Women are born actors, after all.
Back at her workstation, Yinsha rubbed her cheeks, which were stiff from all the forced smiling, and let out a heavy sigh.
"I got toyed with by such a little brat!"
How embarrassing!
Slumping onto the table to relax for a moment, Yinsha soon sat up again, her energy renewed.
"Come on! Work hard!"
She clenched her small fists to motivate herself, then pulled out the manuscript that Nakahara Hiroshi had handed her.
"This is so heavy! Just how many words are in here?"
Yinsha couldn't help but marvel at the manuscript's thickness as she curiously flipped through the pages.
No more, no less—exactly 80 pages! Equivalent to four episodes!
"Doesn't this guy ever hit a creative block?!"
She vaguely remembered receiving the manuscript just over ten days ago.
As a high school freshman, Hiroshi had to juggle regular studies, yet he managed to produce so much in such a short period?
"What a monster!"
Yinsha sighed deeply, this time from the bottom of her heart.
Of course, there was always the possibility that Hiroshi had drawn everything in advance. But even so, the ability to work so diligently was impressive from another perspective.
"I just hope the quality hasn't dropped because of the speed."
With that thought, Yinsha fixed her gaze on the first page and began to read carefully.
"Not bad at all," she murmured after a few pages, nodding in satisfaction.
The quality hadn't declined one bit.
Before long, she was completely immersed in the story of the comic—or rather, the work.
"Madoka is so cute!"
"And Kyuubi—what a perfect mix of cute pet and magical girl!"
"Even though she doesn't seem like a good person at first glance, Homura is so cool!"
"And ahhh, the transformed senior is amazing! This skirt, this waist, and that—uh... Anyway, she's perfect!"
"Senior, my dear senior, hehe~"
A rather perverted smile unconsciously appeared on Yinsha's face.
All the frustration she'd suffered today seemed to melt away, healed by these adorable girls.
Despite her fascination with the story, Yinsha remained diligent in her role as an editor.
"I have to say, this guy's gorgeous art style is perfect for a magical girl theme!"
While jotting down notes on minor flaws, she muttered, "Here, here, and here—the white space and shadows feel weird."
Though harmless, they still looked awkward and slightly disrupted the flow.
"Well, no matter how mature he acts, he's still a newbie. Mistakes like these are normal."
"That's why I'm here as the editor!"
Eighty pages were no small amount, and it would take time to review everything carefully.
After 20 minutes, she had finished most of the manuscript.
"Some minor issues aside, his pacing is masterful!"
At around page 19, the suspense started to build. The climax wasn't during the battle itself but rather through the dialogue between Mami and Madoka.
It shifted the reader's focus from the battle to Madoka, who was finally determined to become a magical girl.
"It's so satisfying to see beautiful girls supporting each other!"
"Madoka's magical girl debut must be next!"
With growing excitement, Yinsha flipped to the next page.
"Huh? Still Mami's turn?"
She paused to take in the scene: Tomoe Mami wiping away her tears, looking determined, and smiling again. Beside her was a bold inner monologue:
"There's nothing to fear anymore! Because... I am no longer alone!"
"How heartbreaking," Yinsha murmured.
It seemed Madoka's transformation would have to wait until the next chapter.
Still, Mami's moment was quite moving, enriching her character beautifully.
"Even though she's not the protagonist, I've completely fallen for her!"
With a happy grin, Yinsha eagerly turned the page—
—and froze.
The smile disappeared from her face as her eyes locked on the image before her.
A small corner of the page showed a headless corpse, shrouded in shadow.
Just a moment ago, it was "nothing to fear," and now this?
This was supposed to be a magical girl story! Why was there such a gruesome scene?!
Yinsha looked away, taking several deep breaths to calm herself.
But as soon as she returned to the manuscript, the emotions hit her again.
"Senior!"
"Why, why, my poor senpai!!"
The twist had come out of nowhere, stabbing her in the heart.
Damn Nakahara Hiroshi!
Where was the "love and hope" he had promised?!
Suppressing her turbulent emotions, Yinsha continued flipping through the remaining pages.
Homura: "Remember this—this is what it means to be a magical girl."
...
"We knew nothing about magical girls."
"The meaning of longing for miracles—"
"And its price—"
Yinsha stared at the lines, her expression thoughtful.
"So... this is the message he wanted to convey?"
Pretty transformations? Cute pets?
Those were just superficial distractions.
"Exactly," Yinsha muttered, realizing something profound.
She glanced at the sticky notes she had painstakingly placed earlier, noting minor flaws.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
With a guilty expression, she tore off the notes, crumpled them, and tossed them into the trash.
"As expected of my author! Under my wise guidance, he's produced a masterpiece!"
Pleased with herself, Yinsha sighed.
"But this guy really gave me a tough one."
Although the unexpected twist was painful, it elevated the story to a whole new level.
This wasn't just a typical magical girl tale.
If the rest of the plot maintained this level of quality, it was undoubtedly worthy of the prestigious Tezuka Award!
"The Tezuka Award..."
As Shueisha's most esteemed honor, its significance was indisputable.
Yinsha's eyes burned with excitement.
"But this is beyond my authority. I'll leave the decision to the senior editors~"
Would it qualify? Could it win?
The thought filled her with anticipation.
Even as she thought about the honor, she couldn't ignore one fact:
The editor who discovered this masterpiece stood to benefit greatly too.
***