The air in the head office of Celestial Peak Studios was electric. While the rest of the world was focused on the mid-season climax of The Outcast, Leo Vance was staring at a series of financial spreadsheets. The revenue from Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 had provided the studio with a massive war chest, and Leo was already putting it to use.
"Director, we've successfully secured the lease for the high-speed phantom cameras you requested for the movie," Sydney reported, placing a folder on Leo's desk. "We've also finalized the contracts for the location shoot in the tropical districts. The budget is holding steady, but our expansion into global distribution is what's really driving the numbers."
Leo leaned back, a faint smile playing on his lips. Celestial Peak wasn't just a production house anymore; it was becoming a vertically integrated media empire. He had recently authorized the creation of an in-house merchandising wing to handle the "Gojo Glasses" and "Cursed Tool" replicas that were flying off the shelves.
"Good. Make sure the stunt team has everything they need for the Andrew Stone sequences," Leo instructed. "Toji Fushiguro is a character who relies on raw physics. I want those fight scenes to feel like a car crash in slow motion. No magic, just lethal efficiency."
As they discussed the technicalities of the Hidden Inventory production, Leo's phone buzzed with a notification from the Global Stream app. The latest episode of The Outcast had just dropped, and the community was in a state of absolute meltdown.
The focus of the episode was the match between Felix Feng (Feng Xingtong) and the new antagonist, Billy Thorne (Wang Bing). In the original script, this was meant to be a showcase of the "Spirit Control" technique, but Leo had directed it to be a psychological horror piece.
The audience didn't see a standard martial arts match. Instead, they witnessed a systematic, cold-blooded humiliation. Billy Thorne, an arrogant, blonde "Pretty Boy" from a rival family branch, had used his technique to commit an atrocity that left viewers physically ill. He hadn't just defeated Felix; he had "consumed" the soul of Grandpa Josiah (Zizhong), the protective ancestral spirit who had been Felix's only family since childhood.
The "Soul-Eating" incident wasn't described through complex choreography, but through the haunting sound design and the look of sheer, broken despair on Felix Feng's face.
The internet reaction was a volcanic eruption of hatred. ["I have never hated a fictional character more than Billy Thorne. This isn't a show anymore; it's a trauma simulator!"]
["Felix deserves the world. Seeing Grandpa Josiah be 'eaten' like that... I'm actually crying in my living room."]
["Leo Vance is a sadist! How could he write something this cruel? I need Episode 15 right now so I can see Billy get what's coming to him!"]
The "Billy Thorne" hashtag hit the number one trending spot on X and TikTok within minutes. Fans were posting "Wanted" posters for the character, and the actor playing him, a talented newcomer Leo had hand-picked for his "punchable face," found his social media followers skyrocketing, mostly from people wanting to tell him how much they hated his character.
Back in the office, Leo's co-actors, Natalie G. and Julian Cross, walked in for a briefing. They had just watched the episode themselves.
"Director, you're a monster," Natalie said, though her eyes were shining with professional admiration. "The way you framed that shot of Felix's hand reaching out for the disappearing spirit... every actress in the city is calling my agent asking how to get into a Celestial Peak project. They see that you don't just film action; you film soul-crushing emotion."
"It's about the stakes," Leo replied calmly. "If the audience doesn't hurt when the characters lose, they won't feel the triumph when they win. We're building a brand of 'High-Stakes Reality'. The Outcast is the foundation for the emotional weight we need for the JJK movie."
Julian Cross nodded, his mind already on his own character's upcoming tragedy. "People are starting to call the 'Felix vs. Billy' match the 'Cruelest Minute in TV History'. The reputation of the studio is soaring, Leo. Investors are knocking down the doors."
Leo looked out the window at the Los Angeles skyline. The "Reputation Value" in his mind was ticking upward at an astronomical rate. He wasn't just making shows; he was dominating the cultural conversation. And with the permanent Gojo card now within his reach, he was ready to show the world what "The Strongest" really looked like.
"Let them knock," Leo said. "We're not taking investors. We're taking over."
The era of Celestial Peak had officially begun, and the "Soul-Eating" incident was merely the catalyst for a global phenomenon that would change the industry forever.
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