After more discussion about serialization, they signed the contract with 12% royalties. Haruki's new page rate was 20,000 yen. It could've been higher, but if the series started double-releasing, it'd go over budget. So even though this rate was better than his last, it still didn't match his level as a multi-hit creator.
Once they finished, Amane asked:
"Fullmetal Alchemist's OP did a great job for publicity. Do you have an idea for an opening, or should we hand it to a studio?"
Right away, Haruki thought of Sono Chi no Sadame — but it was the Part 1 opening; he could adjust and make it for Part 2, but Part 2's music was peak, so he decided to go with Bloody Stream.
"Yeah, I've got an idea. My friend Shunshin's got the concept for the music, and I'll work with him on the theme and the design. We'll give you the music and visual draft in three days."
After that, Haruki and Haruka left the office. While they walked, Haruka said:
"Haruki, I keep hearing your friend's behind the music in all your projects. But none of us have ever actually seen this friend. It's not just you, right? And even if it is, that's fine. You don't need to hide that kind of talent. Music is an art that tells a story, just like anime inspires music, and sometimes music inspires anime. Just say so. Anyway, I'll come in three days to pick up the music sheets and the OP draft."
Haruki stayed quiet, keeping a straight face while Haruka saw him off from the Echo Shroud building.
Mirei had always been the so-called model student, the kind teachers pointed at and said, "Why can't you be more like her?" Polite, composed, and diligent, the textbook perfect high schooler, at least in the eyes of her teachers and classmates.
Naturally, people assumed she'd dropped anime, games, and anything fun in favor of test prep and drills.
They were wrong.
Since she was a kid, her routine never changed: anime after school, games until late, homework right before bed. She got it all done. Efficient in her own way.
Tonight was no different. After dinner, she opened her laptop and checked her tracking list. Two updates were waiting.
One of them was Puella Magi Madoka Magica. She had heard recent buzz about the show. She thought the magical girl genre was long dead—nobody talked about it anymore except for old classics. Then she found out it was made by Muzishiro, the same guy who did Fullmetal Alchemist. She'd found Fullmetal through its OP, which she listened to and found so good that she started reading the manga.
She wasn't the typical manga fan—usually she only watched anime, and if the anime caught her interest and the manga was ahead in content, only then would she start reading. But after listening to Fullmetal's opening, she was hooked. She had read up to chapter 8 and was completely invested. She'd gone down the rabbit hole after that, checking Muzishiro's other work. His anime like 5cm/s, Anohana, and Natsume were fine, but they didn't pull her in as much.
She'd heard Muzishiro say Madoka Magica was going to change how people saw magical girls. That got her attention. She had a personal rule: if an anime didn't pull her in by episode 3, she would drop it. No exceptions, unless it was something big.
She already had the first three episodes ready.
As she watched the first two episodes of Madoka Magica, her first thought was that it wasn't groundbreaking. There were some more mature themes compared to shows made for ten-year-olds, but nothing that really stood out.
Then she started episode three, clicking "Play."
It opened with Sayaka visiting a boy in the hospital. They listened to music together—something slow and melancholic on a CD. A flashback showed Sayaka meeting him at a violin concert when they were younger. From the look on her face, it was obvious she liked him.
Then came the shot of his injured hand.
Mirei narrowed her eyes.
Oh, I see where this is going.
A violinist with a broken hand. A girl with a crush. A magical wish system.
She could already predict it: Sayaka would become a magical girl, use her wish to heal him, he'd get better, they'd fall for each other. Too predictable.
The backstory kept going. Mami had once been in a car accident and wished to survive. That was how she became a magical girl.
Later, the three of them talked about the system. Sayaka asked, "Can I make a wish for someone else?"
Madoka guessed she meant healing the boy in the hospital.
But Mami pushed back: "Do you want to grant his wish, or do you just want to be his savior? You need to be clear, or you'll regret it."
That part caught Mirei's attention.
Huh. Okay. Maybe this is going somewhere.
Soon after, Sayaka and Madoka found a Grief Seed outside the hospital. It hadn't hatched yet, but if left alone, it would spawn a witch.
The camera lingered on Kyubey. For the first time, its cuteness felt off. The sound effects gave it a chilling undertone.
Wait… is this thing sketchy?
Sayaka decided to guard the hospital. Madoka ran to find Mami.
Mirei checked the timestamp. Still plenty of time left.
I bet this ends with Mami fighting the witch alone. Either she wins easily, or Sayaka and Madoka have to transform to save her.
Inside the witch's barrier, Mami fought like usual. Smooth. Stylish. Spinning rifles.
Madoka and Sayaka showed up late. Mami smiled at them.
And then—
Something bit her.
One second she was talking, the next, her head was gone.
Mirei blinked, scrubbed back five seconds, watched again.
Still gone.
"…You serious?"
No warning. No dramatic slow-mo. Just dead. Silence. Sayaka cried, Madoka broke down, and Kyubey stood there like nothing happened.
Then Kyubey said, "Madoka, Sayaka, make your wish now. Quickly, become magical girls!"
"…No need."
Homura's voice cut through. The binding spell vanished. She attacked the witch brutally and relentlessly until it spat out a lump of something.
Homura looked at it with grief.
Mami… sauce? Mirei thought, stomach turning.
"Burn this image into your mind," Homura told them. "This is the fate of magical girls."
The barrier disappeared. Reality returned.
Four girls had gone in. Three came out. Kyubey's red eyes followed Homura as she walked away.
Then the ending song started. Not the normal outro. Dark visuals. A haunting voice. Madoka in shadows. Homura behind her.
Mirei didn't move.
One thought echoed in her head:
What the hell kind of development was that…?
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