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Chapter 21 – Surpassing the Sword
The second place on the Dengeki Newcomer List was The Sword of Reincarnation, written by the new author Testament.
Votes: 1123.
When the list first opened, the votes for The Sword of Reincarnation had been around 950. In just a few hours, it had risen by about 170.
But then there was Your Lie in April.
At the time of the list's opening, it had fewer than 800 votes. Yet now, it had already climbed by more than 270—reaching 1070.
Only fifty votes away from second place.
And still climbing.
Fujii Yuuna felt her palms sweat as her heartbeat quickened.
"Is it… really going to surpass The Sword of Reincarnation?"
She had expected Your Lie in April to rise, especially after Kaori Miyazono's unforgettable introduction in the second chapter was published in tomorrow's daily magazine. She was sure there would be a surge then.
But this wasn't tomorrow.
This was now.
Could it really overtake the second spot already?
Yuuna's face felt hot, her pulse racing as she refreshed the page again and again.
Each update narrowed the gap.
Refresh!
50!
Refresh!
40!
Refresh!
30!
Her heart was in her throat.
And then, with one more refresh—
It happened.
Votes: Your Lie in April – 1215.
Votes: The Sword of Reincarnation – 1190.
Your Lie in April had officially taken second place.
Yuuna shot to her feet, unable to contain herself.
"I-Ikaros-sensei… no, Ryuo-sensei! You did it!!"
The work she had only promised to "keep in third place" had quietly surged forward and claimed the second spot.
And the votes were still climbing steadily, widening the gap further and further.
It was a clear sign: The Sword of Reincarnation was falling behind.
News spread through the industry almost instantly. Editors, reviewers, and readers alike were stunned.
"Your Lie in April is second!"
"That increase is insane. I didn't expect Testament-sensei to fall in just one day!"
"Unbelievable… but also kind of amazing."
"Everyone, remember that Yamada Elf-sensei is in a special situation. Honestly, if you round it off, Your Lie in April is basically the newcomer grand prize AND the true champion this year."
"No need to round it off. The numbers speak for themselves."
"Exactly. Have you noticed? Fairy Ring may still be far ahead, but in terms of growth rate, Your Lie in April is rising much faster. That means something."
Some immediately grew more excited.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… brace yourselves. This week is going to be a battle of gods. Don't think Yamada Elf has already won!"
"Interesting!"
"Very interesting! I want tomorrow's Dengeki Magazine already. It's going to be a bloodbath."
---
Meanwhile, at a lively chain izakaya called Kushidori near Tokyo Arts University—famous for its yakitori skewers—the mood was shifting.
The author of The Sword of Reincarnation, Testament, had reserved a table with his college friends.
After winning the gold prize and holding onto second place on the list, he'd been the talk of campus. The Tokyo Arts forums had lit up with praise, and many classmates had even bought Dengeki Magazine just to support him.
So, buoyed by pride and encouragement from his editor, who promised extra push tomorrow, Testament decided to treat his friends to a full celebration.
Plates of beef tenderloin, chicken wings, cartilage skewers, asparagus, potatoes, and cheese mochi filled the table. The air was thick with smoke and laughter.
But before he had eaten even half his share, one of his classmates leaned over and said jokingly:
"Man, your work's kind of overrated."
Testament smirked, brushing it off, and raised his glass of beer. "Hah, yeah, yeah. Don't be jealous of my second place."
He reached for another skewer of beef tenderloin.
But then he noticed the mood around the table had changed. His classmates weren't laughing.
Some looked down at their phones. Others avoided his eyes.
A strange silence fell.
His heart sank.
"What… what happened?"
One friend cleared his throat. "Uh… you should check the rankings."
Testament grabbed his phone, and the moment the screen loaded, his face went pale.
The hot news headline burned into his eyes:
"Your Lie in April" Surpasses "The Sword of Reincarnation."
Votes: Your Lie in April – 1215.
Votes: The Sword of Reincarnation – 1190.
Testament froze. His skewers slipped from his hand.
"No way… Where's my second place? I—I was still bragging about it ten minutes ago…"
His friends, thankfully, were kind enough not to tease him. After all, he was paying for dinner tonight. They murmured gentle words instead, trying not to make the wound deeper.
But inside, Testament burned with disbelief.
First place, Yamada Elf's Fairy Ring—he could understand that. She was already a professional, her novels already selling millions. Compared to her, he was no match.
But Your Lie in April…
That was written by a newcomer, just like him.
"Ikaros…" he muttered the pen name through clenched teeth.
He'd thought the grand prize was just luck. That the so-called "Burning Ikaros" was nothing special. When the list first came out and he was ahead, he'd been sure of it.
But now…
"Who brought today's magazine?" Testament asked suddenly.
"I-I did," one boy raised his hand. "Figured it'd help with impressing some girls later…"
"Give it to me," Testament snapped.
He flipped through the magazine, eyes scanning the first chapter of Your Lie in April.
And then—silence.
His chest tightened. His hands trembled.
Finally, he let out a long, bitter sigh.
"…Damn it. It's good. Too good."
The table remained quiet.
But then Testament leaned back, shaking his head, forcing a laugh.
"It's fine. Everyone dies sooner or later in this game. At least I lost to something real."
And with that, he poured himself another glass of beer, trying to swallow down the taste of defeat
End of the chapter
200ps=1 extra chapter and so on