Chapter 62: "Who is stronger, the Sound Pillar or the Flame Pillar?"
In the main bookstores operated by Fujikawa Bunko, crowds are currently gathered, and people waiting have formed long lines.
Every now and then, this phenomenon occurs here.
This is not like mobilizing readers for a signing event; it's simply for the sake of seeing their favorite works earlier, so readers spontaneously wake up very early and start queuing even before the bookstore opens.
This is not an exaggeration, but a real occurrence.
When your pursuit of something reaches a fanatical level, you will reach this degree.
And now, due to the release of Izumi Masamune's demon slayer Volume 6, this phenomenon has occurred at the bookstore.
This is enough to indirectly illustrate his current upward trend in performance.
When he releases a new work and all the bookstores he operates and partners with nationwide are stirred, that will be the day he can become a light novel master.
In front of the bookstore, people were anxious.
"I've been waiting for an hour, why isn't it open yet? Didn't they say it was going to be released today?"
"Is this your first time here? It's not working hours yet."
"My younger brother has tutoring today, so he asked me to come buy it. I didn't expect it to be so troublesome. I should have waited until the afternoon to come..."
"Only an hour? Do you know how long I've been waiting? Three hours already."
"No wonder you're in front of me... Wait, aren't there still people in front? When did these guys arrive?! In the middle of the night?"
"Damn, is this a competition too? Are you guys even human?!"
"Hahaha..."
Everyone suddenly burst into laughter.
Most of the people who came to buy it first here are loyal fans. If they were just ordinary readers, they could wait a while before reading, so they had a pretty good atmosphere chatting.
"I wonder how this volume will be. Tanjiro and Giyu should be able to kill the Upper Moon, right? Because the battle is about to end, and there should be a complete process with Upper Moon Two. I just don't know if Upper Moon One will show up again..."
"Akaza can finally die! I've been waiting for this day for so long! When the Flame Pillar died, it made me so sad..."
"I hope the descriptions in this volume can reach the level of the Entertainment District Arc. The previous battle between the Sound Pillar and Upper Moon Six, with all its twists, made my blood boil!"
"That seems difficult. Izumi-sensei's state during the Entertainment District Arc was too good. It felt like an extraordinary performance. Although the subsequent Swordsmith Village Arc was good, it didn't reach that level."
Until the person who came to queue for his younger brother asked curiously.
"By the way, who is stronger, the Flame Pillar or the Sound Pillar?"
A brief silence fell among the crowd, as if it were a prelude to some storm.
Everyone had tacitly avoided the topic of combat power, just to prevent arguments and maintain the atmosphere.
But since you brought it up, everyone has something to talk about.
Combat power comparison is an eternal topic. Unless you have a work with absolutely no combat power elements, even the combat power in comedic works can be analyzed thoroughly.
"That's definitely the Flame Pillar! He was able to hold out against Akaza, Upper Moon Three, for so long, until dawn! In contrast, the Sound Pillar had such a hard time fighting Upper Moon Six."
"Heh, don't talk nonsense. Akaza clearly held back in the fight, and it was almost dawn anyway, so that battle definitely lasted within ten minutes, not that long."
"That's not very convincing. Even if Akaza held back, he's still much stronger than Gyutaro! And judging from the Sound Pillar's lament after the Flame Pillar's death, the Flame Pillar must have been stronger!"
"What are you saying! The Sound Pillar had such a hard time because he was poisoned at the beginning, alright! And after activating 'Score,' he could fight Gyutaro on equal terms with one hand. If he used both hands, he'd totally have a chance to solo an Upper Moon!"
"You can brag all you want! If he was really that good, he wouldn't have been poisoned at the beginning... If the opponent is weak, there's no need for it. If the opponent is strong, there's still no need for it! By the time you use your Score, the person would already be dead. It's a completely useless skill; he only used it this time by faking his death, right?"
Two relatively young-looking teenagers, who appeared to be high school students, gradually argued until their faces turned red, but in the end, neither could convince the other.
Of course, people tend to believe their own subjective views, and once a first impression is formed, it's very difficult to change.
So, when you encounter internet trolls, don't try to persuade them, because that will only be a waste of effort.
"What's going on? Why are they arguing? Aren't you going to break them up?"
The university student next to him, who was buying a novel for his younger brother, expressed his confusion.
Is it necessary to argue like this over such a thing?
"You don't understand. This just shows their fondness for the characters, especially with such subjective arguments. As for breaking them up, there's no need. They won't actually start fighting, will they? After all, everyone here is a fan of Izumi-sensei."
Someone said.
"Oh, oh, oh, so that's how it is..."
The university student scratched his hair.
Today truly introduced him to a new world!
"Seeing how interested they are, should I buy a set to read?"
This thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
His younger brother had recommended "demon slayer" to him before, praising its passion and emotional depth, but he hadn't been interested. However, after seeing such a scene today, he became interested.
"They should be opening earlier!"
"How do you know?"
"I noticed it before I came; the time they parked at the back door was earlier than usual. At this time, they should be moving the goods in..."
"You were right!"
Just as he was speaking, the bookstore's front door opened.
It was fifteen minutes earlier than last time, likely because they anticipated today's scene.
"Flame Pillar is strong!"
"Sound Pillar is strong!"
"Alright, alright, you two stop arguing and come line up, or your spots will be taken by others."
Someone interrupted the two still debating.
"Are they open?!"
The two joyfully returned to their original spots, their moods even more excited and a little apprehensive than before.
They hoped that Izumi's performance would be even better, so they would have a better reading experience. It would be even better if it could surpass the surprise brought by the Entertainment District Arc.
But such a thing cannot be forced.
So these were just their good wishes.
"Huh, this cover... what does it mean?"
The first reader fan to get the sixth volume looked a little lost when he saw the cover of this volume.