Mitou Shoukan://Blood-Sign-Volume 7, Afterword

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(Postscript Open ??/?? ??:??)

Afterword

This is Kamachi Kazuma!!

Blood-Sign has reached a total of 7 volumes. This time, I focused on the Meinokawa Shrine which was mentioned in Volume 1 and Kyousuke carried out the special Summoning Ceremony to kill the White Queen.

The vessel, the Unexplored-class, and the ceremonial ground. By gathering a premium version of each, you can make a special super summon! That was my original idea, but even if making each step difficult would make it all seem more impressive, I didn’t want to “forcibly” drag this out. I mean, going the standard route wouldn’t be like the Queen at all! …So I rearranged the story. I sped up the pace of the story and tried to make sure there was never a time to catch your breath. 𝐟𝐫𝗲𝙚ｗ𝚎𝐛𝙣𝐨𝙫𝘦𝗹.c૦m

You saw the result.

I think there are a variety of choices you can make when coming up with a strongest being. At the very least, they have to have more cards in their deck than a normal person. But I think the biggest card is the ability to “reject” the enemy’s attacks. And in a strongest story, I think you’ve reached a real turning point when that “rejection” is used not just for show but as a serious trump card. When you saw the White Queen’s unwavering character while she remained unfazed despite having everything of hers so perfectly cast aside, I hope you felt how powerful she is and how that is an abnormal decision that Shiroyama Kyousuke could not make since he still has to rely on others.

Doctor S may have made some of you think of Shigara Masami, but his true identity was simply Kyousuke’s biological father. He is motivated by phobia, not philia. A connection between Doctor S and Akura Taisaku was pointed out, but does anyone actually remember that Akura had serious cyberphobia? I hope you could imagine how they might have actually gotten along quite well.

This story contains a worldview where the rules do the talking, so I demonstrated that even the strongest being will die when they die.

And on top of that, I think the most important point is how Kyousuke felt a hole in his chest after seeing the White Queen defeated. He knows she is an enemy he must eventually defeat, but he still felt a shock when she was defeated. In a way, the White Queen is still an absolute being to him, so he may never have been able to imagine the instant of her fall.

If you read even deeper into that, you could conclude that Shiroyama Kyousuke is the one who holds the most beautiful mental image of the White Queen. He is motivated by philia, not phobia. A girl in love might want to work extra hard to remain the strongest for Kyousuke, but this time, I had it go the other way. I think the White Queen’s greatest strength is that she does not hesitate to throw everything else out if it will allow her love to be realistically fulfilled.

I give my thanks to my illustrator Ikawa Waki-san and my editors Miki-san, Miyazaki-san, and Anan-san. Unlike the usual near-future Toy Dream setting, this was set at nature-filled Houbi Village, which must have given things an entirely different atmosphere. Sorry for making things so difficult for you.

And I give my thanks to the readers. The White Queen’s love will not end, even if she loses and falls from her position as the strongest. Kyousuke adheres to the strongest while the Queen is willing to throw it out for her love. Now, which one do you sympathize with more?

And I will end this here. 𝗳𝗿𝐞ℯ𝙬𝗲𝗯n𝗼νel.𝒄𝑜𝘮

Make sure not to overlook that the Queen was willing to remove her own head to continue her impressive performance.

-Kamachi Kazuma