Chapter 318 - 317: Year-End and the Challenge

Strictly speaking, if a female supporting character abandons her resentment toward a man who indirectly caused her father's death all for the sake of love, she is bound to face some criticism from the audience.

However, the events surrounding Shirley progressed so rapidly that the fanbase quickly overlooked the questionable logic of the setting. They were completely immersed in the raw emotion of the scene.

"I... love you, Lelouch. Even though I know you involved my father in all of that, I just can't bring myself to hate you!"

If Shirley had said this to Lelouch under normal circumstances, her anti-fan count would have increased exponentially after the broadcast. But in the animation, Shirley was covered in blood that had nearly drained from her body. Her face was pale, and her eyes held only the peaceful resignation of someone seeing the person they love in their final moments.

"Lelouch, you made me forget everything once, but... I still fell in love with you all over again."

"No matter... how many times, I still... fall for you. I guess this is what they call fate. So, it's okay now. Even if I were reborn a hundred times, I would still fall in love with you every single time."

Shirley's final words were incredibly faint.

Lelouch, the cold and calculating anti-hero, was reduced to tears, his Geass activating repeatedly in a desperate, futile attempt to command Shirley not to die. Shirley's hand fell limp. The animation held on a silent, still frame for several seconds, pushing the sense of tragedy to its absolute peak.

Botan's eyes were completely bloodshot, with crystalline tears welling up and spilling over.

"Haruto, go straight to hell!" he sobbed. "Are you even human? You let her forget him in the first season! You let her escape the conflict! Why did you have to make her remember now?"

In his heart, sorrow was quickly followed by a burning rage. Aside from deceiving his fans, what else was Haruto good at? The ending of Code Geass will be a happy, joyful world-wide reunion?

We are only at Episode 13 of the second season and Shirley is already dead. How could anyone trust a single word that man says?

That night, the Code Geass fandom, having been betrayed by Haruto multiple times before, erupted in a familiar riot. Shirley's death was the second time this series had caused the audience to feel actual physical pain in their chests. Of course, there were critics who called her a love-brain for forgiving Lelouch at the end, but the vast majority of anime fans were forgiving of the writing. Shirley was simply a girl who fell for a boy who brought her a lifetime of pain, and she lost her life for that love. Most fans didn't have the heart to criticize her in her final hour.

"Rest in peace, Shirley."

"She was my favorite female character! The Warrior of Love is truly malicious."

"This was so sudden. The first twelve episodes were such a smooth power-trip! Why kill Shirley in Episode 13? Did he just do it for the sake of drama?"

"I bet he just wanted to get rid of Rolo but couldn't find a reason, so he set this up."

"Rolo... I knew something was off with that brother from the first episode. I actually felt sorry for him when Lelouch was tricking him earlier, thinking Lelouch might actually accept him. I didn't think he'd be so toxic that he'd just murder Shirley."

"If Rolo doesn't die, there is no justice in the world."

"I'm not even going to bother saying I'll drop the show. We all know Haruto doesn't care. His creator account has nearly forty million followers, and there's a silent army of fans in Japan who don't even post online. His actual reach is unimaginable. For every fan who drops the show because it's too depressing, two more will probably join because of the hype. I only have one request: Please, for the love of God, make sure that piece of trash Rolo dies."

"Shirley... my poor Shirley."

"I'm actually crying. I used to think she was just a love-struck girl, hesitating between her father's death and her crush. But now I realize just how deeply she loved Lelouch."

"No matter how many times she is reborn, she will always fall for him... The Warrior of Love really knows how to hit us where it hurts."

"Destroy Rolo."

"He has to kill Rolo, or I am officially becoming a hater."

The autumn season concluded on this somber note.

Episode 13 of Code Geass Season Two achieved a 6.50% rating, making it the highest-rated single episode of any anime or drama in Japan for the entire year.

The following day, when Haruto saw the data, he and his nearly four hundred employees shared a collective, wry smile. Why did it have to be just a tiny bit short?

Haruto's current popularity, the production budget for Code Geass, and the marketing spend were all far beyond what he had for Puella Magi Madoka Magica three years ago. Yet, that 6.51% record held by Madoka was like a summit that was visible and almost touchable, yet remained just out of reach by a few hundredths of a percentage point. That tiny gap was proving harder to cross than a vast canyon.

After a brief moment of frustration, Haruto began to analyze the situation. With over ten episodes left in the season, he would definitely break the record eventually; he just had to wait for the next narrative peak.

He turned his attention to the internet, which was currently flooded with scathing reviews and cries of anguish over Episode 13.

The fans understood that Shirley was gone and that Haruto would never bow to pressure to bring her back. Consequently, the fury of the audience turned toward the culprit: Rolo.

Haruto looked at the comments and sighed.

In his opinion, Code Geass had four great regrets: the death of Euphemia, the death of Shirley, the death of Rolo, and ultimately, the death of Lelouch.

They were all part of a depressing narrative that many people couldn't bring themselves to watch a second time.

These fans were currently screaming for Rolo's head, but Haruto knew better. Once the story reached a certain point, they would likely turn around and call him heartless for killing him too.

Thinking of this, a bit of mischief sparked in Haruto's eyes. Instead of waiting for the fans to attack him later, why not shut them up now?

He found a thread on the forums titled "If Rolo doesn't die, this show is trash," which had a massive amount of engagement. He posted a calculated reply:

[As per your requests, the upcoming plot will go exactly as you hope. I'm not a demon, after all; I do love my fans occasionally. I shall grant your wish! <Smiley Face Emoji>]

Haruto rarely interacted with the forums these days. He didn't even go on TV shows anymore because he didn't need the publicity. Usually, it was the TV stations begging him to appear to boost their own ratings. His last interaction with the fans like this had been ten months ago.

Providing a clear spoiler for the future of the plot was unprecedented.

Everyone knew Haruto didn't do spoilers.

Or rather, if he did provide information, it was usually a smoke screen designed to create a shocking contrast with the actual plot.

"Is he finally learning to cherish his fans?"

"He actually replied! Is he going to modify the story based on our feedback?"

"Is Rolo really going to die? Or is he just changing the script last minute?"

"I don't know, but he let that traitor Ohgi live in the first season. I thought there was a chance he'd let Rolo live too. But if Haruto says he's going to satisfy us, I guess we can look forward to the next episodes."

"Haha, the first decent thing Haruto has said all year."

"I've been depressed all day, but this makes me feel a bit better. As long as Rolo dies, we'll stay loyal fans."

"I can't wait to see Lelouch tear him apart. How should he die?"

"I want him to hear every bit of Lelouch's true malice right before he goes. I want him to know that the brotherly love was all a lie. And then, I want Lelouch to pull the trigger himself."

"That's brutal! But I love it. A fake brother is just a fake. If he had been a bit kinder, Lelouch might have actually accepted him. But he viewed Nunnally as a threat and killed Shirley. He brought this on himself."

Haruto's post was viewed by over six million fans within twenty-four hours and garnered nearly a hundred thousand replies. Almost all the anger over Shirley had been funneled into anticipation for Rolo's demise. Haruto chuckled to himself.

'Just you wait. When the episode where Rolo dies actually airs, I hope you all remember these posts before you start calling me a monster again.'

He bookmarked the thread, planning to pin it again once the relevant episode aired.

The anime market for December began to wind down.

Aside from Code Geass Season Two consistently pulling over 6% ratings, the highest-rated show among the hundred or so new titles was adapted from a legendary romance manga that averaged 18 million copies per volume. Even under the shadow of Code Geass, it managed a staggering 4.02% rating. Without the competition from Haruto, it likely would have performed 20% better.

Even so, it was clear to everyone in the industry that Haruto occupied a tier of his own. He was unaffected by the usual variables of production houses or marketing trends. The name Haruto held more weight with fans than the Big Three animation studios. As long as he didn't fail three or four times in a row, Haru-Yuki Animation would remain the most transcendent entity in the industry.

As the year drew to a close, various production teams from popular series appeared on variety shows and talk shows to promote their upcoming Blu-ray sales for January.

Haruto, who used to be a regular guest on such programs, declined all invitations. He was fully immersed in his graduation thesis.

Minazuki University might give him some leeway due to his status, but he knew he couldn't take it for granted. The professors wouldn't fail him if his work was at least passing, but if he were seen constantly appearing on TV and neglecting his studies entirely, they might not be so forgiving.

The staff at his company took over the promotional duties. The directors and voice actors actually benefited from this, as they finally got some recognition from the fans without Haruto overshadowing them.

By the end of December, the promotion for the January winter season began in earnest. However, the upcoming season promised to be the most challenging one yet for Haru-Yuki Animation. Everyone at the studio felt the tension.

In January, the second half of Code Geass Season Two would air. But it would be facing a massive rival.

The first season of the Sword Art Online anime.

Kiyozawa Library had been preparing this project for over a year.

It was produced by NOVA Studio, one of Japan's top studios.

Why wasn't it being handled by the Big Three or by Haru-Yuki itself?

The Big Three were excluded because Haruto had vetoed them personally. He wasn't about to hand profits to his enemies.

As for why Haru-Yuki didn't take it, it was a matter of internal politics at the publisher and the fact that Haruto's own studio was at full capacity with Code Geass. He knew he couldn't hoard every project; if he didn't let others share the meat, he would eventually make enemies of the entire industry.

After some deliberation, the project was handed to NOVA. Thus, the final days of December saw a bizarre spectacle in the market. Previously, the SAO fans and Lelouch fans were one and the same. Now, the Sword Art Online novel fans were officially declaring war on the Code Geass fans. They were each other's biggest rivals for the upcoming winter season.

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