"Is it true? Mami is dead?"
"Not only dead, but her head was bitten off!"
"Damn it! The Old Thief is completely insane! Is this a plot a human could come up with? This plot twist came too suddenly, didn't it?"
"No wonder I felt something was off just now. So it really was setting up a death flag! But isn't this a magical girl story? How could she actually die?!"
"This is too unexpected! The Old Thief is truly a genius; only he could write such a plot. Isn't he afraid of being flamed to death?"
"No wonder the Old Thief's identity has always been mysterious, and he didn't even appear at the autograph session. I thought he wanted to live a normal life like other seniors, but it turns out he's afraid of people sending him knives!"
"Is the plot later on that explosive? I haven't gotten there yet, and now that you've said all this, I can't even focus on reading anymore."
In the bookstore, numerous readers chattered, each expressing their opinions—some angry, some surprised, some shocked. In short, regarding Izumi Masamune's handling of this, they all had one thought: you really dare to write this!
"Hey, isn't this a bookstore? Being so noisy will affect others reading... And where's the shop owner? Why isn't he coming to stop it?"
Someone suddenly said.
"Are you kidding me? Because I also want to curse that guy! What kind of terrible plot is this?! Is this a freaking magical girl story? Mami just died?"
The owner, after hearing this, also expressed his indignation.
Watching the middle-aged man spit out his words, cursing loudly at a magical girl light novel, they felt no sense of incongruity at all.
Because, at this moment, everyone was surprisingly on the same side.
"But honestly, putting the genre aside, Mami's death in the second volume is actually quite normal."
The calm high school student suddenly said.
"Huh?"
Everyone's fierce gazes turned towards him, seemingly waiting for his explanation.
Otherwise...
Everyone's anger would be directed at him.
"Actually, Teacher Izumi had already arranged it in the plot. First, Mami Tomoe's role as a guide didn't take effect because Madoka didn't become a magical girl, so her existence wasn't essential..."
"Secondly, Mami's past was revealed at the beginning. She set a flag during her conversation with Homura Akemi, and then, in her interaction with Madoka, she violated the taboo of the wish she made when she became a magical girl. So, it's quite reasonable for the overconfident Mami to die in the Witch's gaping maw! Because from the very beginning, she was destined to die! So this isn't a plot the Old Thief just wrote on a whim."
The high school student organized his thoughts and slowly explained.
"Hmm, well-reasoned."
"He's more observant than I am, this kid."
"This explanation is indeed correct. If it were like the Old Thief's previous work, demon slayer, such carelessness would definitely lead to death..."
Everyone also felt that what he said made sense, but they still felt a sense of incongruity.
"But the Old Thief wrote a magical girl story!"
The owner shouted.
That's right, this is a magical girl story! A symbol of purity, kindness, innocence, and beauty!
The others suddenly realized the truth behind this incongruity.
"But that's everyone else's magical girl, not the magical girl the Old Thief wants to write! If he wrote it like everyone else, would there still be any point in following it? I'm tired of all the magical girl anime I've watched before."
The high school student retorted, full of conviction.
That's also true.
If the plot development followed the same assembly-line pattern as others, it would truly be uninteresting. Even if he wrote it well enough, people always tire of the old and prefer the new.
After getting tired of one trope, they still hope to see new ones.
Therefore, seeing a new direction for magical girls should be a cause for joy for readers.
Everyone came to their senses and gave the high school student a thumbs up.
"Exactly, if the Old Thief didn't write it this way, it wouldn't be as interesting."
"The Old Thief is still young, and his skill hasn't reached that peak level. If he wrote in such a rigid, formulaic way, it would indeed easily become tiresome for people."
"Thinking about it, the Old Thief is really clever!"
These readers now had a new perspective on Izumi Masamune.
After a few seconds of silence.
"I'm sorry, Senior, but let your head be the sacrifice to usher in a new era for magical girls!"
Someone wiped away tears and broke the silence.
"Hahahaha…"
Hearing this inexplicable remark, everyone present burst into laughter.
The heavy atmosphere from moments ago had completely vanished.
Everyone sat down again, and just as they were about to resume reading, they heard the shop owner call out again.
"The rain has stopped, it's time for you to go home. You're not really planning to stay here until you finish reading, are you?"
"Oh, right, it's time to go home, or my mom will worry."
"What a shame, it's the first time in my life to read with so many people who share the same interests."
"Since we're all so fated, why don't we add each other as friends?"
Everyone patted their bottoms and stood up. Although there was some regret, they could only interrupt this unexpectedly formed book club.
However, everyone eventually exchanged contact information, making it convenient to discuss their thoughts online in the future.
…
The light rain pattered.
"How strange… this subtle feeling…"
The girl in the room was frowning deeply.
Eriri gradually flipped to the pages depicting Mami Tomoe's battle with the Snack Witch.
The battle description skills honed in his debut work were well-demonstrated, giving the girl an immersive experience, as if Mami Tomoe's elegant fighting style was right before her eyes.
Just as she thought Mami Tomoe could really take care of the Witch in one go, the moment she turned the page, her gaze instantly became blank.
A huge illustration spanned two pages, left and right, but the image was easy to understand—Mami Tomoe decapitated.jpg.
"Hiss…"
Eriri gasped.
How terrifying!
She even rubbed her eyes, checking if she was hallucinating.
But the facts told her that everything before her eyes was real!
She pressed her finger to her chin, then rested her cheek on one hand, her brows tightly furrowed. She pondered for a long time and finally came to a conclusion.
"Chihiro has gone mad!"
"Yes, he's gone mad."
She nodded, muttering to herself, deeply convinced.
If he wasn't mad, how could he write such a crazy plot!
This was far more unexpected than the character deaths in his debut work.
A few more seconds passed before her expression changed again.
"Ah!!! Old Thief…!!!"
Then a belated scream echoed from the room.