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The moment the third episode of 7 Years From Now finished airing, the anime community was left in a state of shock. The momentum of the plot was starting to take its toll on the audience's emotional well-being. When the promotional videos first dropped, the general consensus was that the series would be a standard, bittersweet adolescent romance.

Then came episode one with the revelation that the heroine had already been dead for seven years. Episode two followed, showing that the protagonist's childhood companions were all lingering at death's door due to terminal illnesses. And finally, episode three arrived, where yet another vital female character met a tragic end.

"I am actually getting scared to keep watching. I have a feeling the Warrior of Love is just getting started with these emotional strikes!"

"Do not panic yet. The protagonist has the ability to leap through time with his memories. He can change Saki's death."

"He can change the outcome, sure, but he cannot erase the memory of it happening. That scene tonight... I am not ashamed to say I was in tears."

"The Warrior of Love managed to flesh out the bond between Saki and Honoka so perfectly in just two episodes. It is genuinely impressive."

"Think about it. In episode two, Honoka, bedridden and failing, asks the protagonist, whom she has not seen in seven years, to look after Saki if she dies. Then in episode three, Saki does the exact same thing right before her suicide, asking him to take care of Honoka. It is just... gah." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"So the title 7 Years From Now... how does that even work now? The protagonist has amnesia, and the main heroine, Aoi, is dead. Is it possible there is a massive conspiracy behind Aoi's death too?"

"I bet once he recovers his memories of Aoi, the show is going to hit us with a nuclear-level tragedy."

"The deeper we go, the more dizzying the setting gets. The mechanics feel so complex."

"You will get used to it. Madoka Magica was the same way, packed with foreshadowing from start to finish. Once Homura finally revealed the mechanics of the world, everything clicked into place. We just have to be patient."

"The atmosphere is getting so heavy. I know this is his signature style, but I am starting to think he is going to kill off every single character in the opening credits!"

As the credits rolled on episode three, fans of the Warrior of Love spent the entire night theorizing and obsessing over the plot's direction. The next day, the ratings were finalized: a staggering 3.98%. It had missed the 4% milestone by the narrowest of margins. Even while staying in Fukushima, Haruto remained tethered to his work, remotely managing the studio's operations.

Looking at it objectively, while the first three episodes of 7 Years From Now were innovative, they would not normally command such massive ratings so early in the season. The success was almost entirely driven by the name Warrior of Love.

In the parallel world, this story was a niche title, largely due to its pixel art and lack of marketing budget. But the writing itself was always top-tier. When you provide a high-quality story with a massive platform and a built-in audience, it ceases to be niche. It was similar to the Demon Slayer phenomenon in the parallel world. Before the anime adaptation, the manga sales were average. But once a high-quality studio gave it a platform, it became extremely popular within a year, selling tens of millions of copies.

In Japan, the name Warrior of Love was the platform for 7 Years From Now. If an unknown creator had produced it, it might have remained a high-rated but obscure gem. But under the Warrior of Love brand, it was impossible for it to remain small.

"So close to 4%..." Haruto muttered, studying the reports.

He could not quite tell how many viewers were genuinely hooked by the mystery and how many were just there out of loyalty to his brand. But a confident smile played on his lips. It did not matter. As long as they kept watching, the story would eventually win them over on its own merits.

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Another Wednesday arrived.

This was the night of the Naoki Awards for light novels. For the second time in two weeks, Haruto arrived at the prestigious venue. Just like the Ryugin Awards, the hall was packed with Sword Art Online fans. The live broadcast ratings hovered comfortably above 4.5% as millions of fans watched the inevitable.

Haruto hoisted the Gold Award trophy for Sword Art Online.

There was no suspense, and certainly no room for behind-the-scenes manipulation. The lead Sword Art Online held over its competition was so massive that any attempt to deny it the top prize would have looked like a farce. Haruto sat quietly through the two-hour ceremony, and when the host finally called his name, he walked onto the stage to give an acceptance speech.

Despite his outward calm, the media went into a state of total frenzy the next morning. Even though everyone had predicted this outcome, seeing it become reality was a shock. The Ryugin Gold and the Naoki Gold had been won by the same person, in the same year.

It was a feat that defied all precedents. No one had done it before, and it was unlikely anyone would ever do it again. While the sales figures for Initial D and Sword Art Online had already proven his dominance, the formal recognition of these two awards catapulted Haruto's status to a whole new level. Previously, when fans praised Haruto, critics would often point to his lack of seniority, claiming he could not compare to the legendary masters of the past. But now, that argument was dead.

What is seniority worth in the face of such achievement? In sports, a person who wins ten silver medals over a decade is still considered second to the person who has the explosive talent to take the gold. The Ryugin and Naoki trophies served as that definitive gold medal.

Haruto had the sales. Now, he had the prestige.

For him, however, these two awards were expected. His true focus was on the following week. He was anxious to see if To the Moon would take the Seika Award for Best Animated Film. More importantly, he was bracing for the industry's reaction when his identity as the Warrior of Love was finally unmasked. For days, the ACG media was saturated with coverage of Haruto.

They called him a once-in-a-century prodigy.

While the Warrior of Love was also achieving phenomenal success as a newcomer, he could not compete with Haruto's youth.

Who knew how old the Warrior of Love was? Even if he were a successful entrepreneur who started his studio at thirty, he still could not match the terrifying potential of a nineteen-year-old college student like Haruto.