Crossover Anime: The Heroine is in Trouble? I Take Advantage of the Situation

Machida Sonoko rubbed her eyes, thinking she was seeing things.

Complete manuscript?

She glanced at the size of the attachment subconsciously—350KB.

This size is just right, no more, no less, exactly the size of a standard light novel volume.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"real or fake?"

Machida Sonoko's first reaction was not surprise, but doubt.

Is this a joke?

Write an entire novel in three days? Even the best word processing robots couldn't do that!

Can we really expect good quality from this product?

With a skeptical mindset, she downloaded and opened the document.

However, when her eyes fell on the words at the beginning of the document, she froze instantly.

High summer. The scorching sun beat down on the earth, as if trying to ignite the very air.

Academy City. This massive city, occupying one-third of western Tokyo, is home to 2.3 million people, 80% of whom are 'students'.

[A seemingly ordinary boy is leaning on the balcony of his student dormitory, letting out a desperate wail—'What a misfortune!']

The opening scene's environmental description and background setting alone were enough to make Machida Sonoko's breath catch in her throat.

Academy City? Mostly students?

What a grand scheme! What an interesting worldview!

Her fingers moved the mouse down uncontrollably, her eyes completely drawn to the text on the screen.

With silver hair and blue eyes, dressed in a pure white nun's robe, she looked like a girl who had stepped out of a fairy tale.

"Magic" and "superpowers" collide in the story.

The boy who calls himself "Touma Kamijou" easily dispelled Index's defensive magic called "Auto Memory" with his "Imagine Breaker," which can erase all supernatural abilities... and so on.

Machida Sonoko felt a chill run down her spine.

She completely forgot about time and everything around her; her entire soul was drawn into this bizarre and captivating world!

The opposition and intertwining of science and magic!

A boy who appears to be a Level 0 powerless individual possesses a mysterious right hand capable of overturning everything!

That's an absolutely brilliant idea!

After an unknown amount of time, Machida Sonoko finally turned to the last page and let out a long sigh of relief as if waking from a dream.

She raised her head and looked around blankly.

Most of my colleagues in the editorial department had already left, and it was dusk outside the window.

She actually... watched it for two hours straight!

"Monster..."

She murmured to herself, her body trembling slightly with excitement.

Shocking! Shocking like never before!

This is not just a shock in terms of quality! It's a fear of the immense potential of a commercial IP!

Manga adaptation! Anime adaptation! Game adaptation! Figurine adaptation! Merchandise!

In an instant, a terrifying industrial chain flashed into her mind!

"Editor-in-Chief!!"

The next second, Machida Sonoko grabbed her laptop and pushed open the door to the editor-in-chief's office like a gust of wind.

Ryuji Aida, who was handling official business, was startled and said helplessly, "Machida! Why are you always so impulsive?"

"I'm sorry, Editor-in-Chief! But it's Professor Xiaochuan's manuscript!" Machida Sonoko was incoherent, too excited to speak clearly.

"Oh? The manuscript's been sent?" Ryuji Aida raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "How's the quality? Is it so bad you can't stand it? I've said it before, young people need to be challenged. Letting him hit a wall is good for him."

"No! That's not it!!" Machida Sonoko shook her head vigorously and slammed her laptop down on the editor-in-chief's desk. "Look! Look!"

Ryuji Aida raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned his gaze to the screen.

"A Certain Magical Index? Let me see what kind of earth-shattering thing you can write in three days..."

His words stopped abruptly.

Read on, line by line.

Aida Ryuji's gaze shifted from initial disdain to surprise and doubt, then to solemnity, and finally, utter shock.

The office fell into a deathly silence.

Time seemed to stand still in the editor-in-chief's office.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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Chapter Twenty-Four: A 15% Bonus! (4/10)

Ryuji Aida leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, his eyes fixed on the screen as if trying to imprint every word into his mind.

His breathing became increasingly rapid.

Machida Sonoko stood to the side, watching the editor-in-chief's ever-changing expressions, feeling both anticipation and a sense of smug satisfaction.

The quality of "A Certain Magical Index" is indeed amazing.

Even this seasoned veteran of the publishing industry, who has been working in the business for thirty years, is no exception!

Finally, Ryuji Aida finished reading everything. He leaned back abruptly, sinking heavily into the large executive chair.

He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

That breath contained so many emotions—shock, ecstasy, disbelief, and even a hint of lingering fear.

If... if he had insisted that Seiji Fujiwara abandon the long-form story...

The Shinazugawa Bunko will miss out on a gold mine!

A full minute passed before Aida Ryuji slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes changed.

It was no longer the scrutiny of before, but filled with a scorching, feverish light, as if it had seen a rare treasure.

“Machida…” His voice was a little hoarse.

“Yes!” Machida Sonoko immediately stood up straight.

“This book!” Ryuji Aida slammed his hand on the table, uttering two words with unwavering resolve:

"What a masterpiece!"

Upon hearing this assessment, Machida Sonoko nodded vigorously and said, "I...I think so too! Editor-in-Chief!"

“This book has the potential to be a huge hit!” Aida Ryuji’s speech suddenly quickened, his eyes gleaming. “If handled properly, it might be able to build a major IP?”

"Anime, comics, games, figurines, live-action adaptations..."

"Teacher Xiaochuan has given us a gold mine!"

He stood up from his chair and paced back and forth in the office, his fists clenched excitedly.

"We misjudged him before! Teacher Xiaochuan isn't arrogant; he has absolute confidence and talent!"

“Machida!” Aida Ryuji suddenly stopped and stared intently at his capable lieutenant.

"Contact Professor Xiaochuan immediately and tell him we agree! No, we beg him! Sign the publishing contract for 'A Certain Magical Index'! As quickly as possible!"

“Yes!” Machida Sonoko nodded heavily and was about to turn around to make a phone call.

"Wait!" Aida Ryuji called out to her again.

He took a deep breath, a shrewd smile appearing on his face.

"No, it's hard to explain over the phone. Wait a minute, I'll have the legal department draft an S-level contract, and you can take it to him personally and discuss it in person. Remember, you need to be humble and show him your utmost sincerity!"

"An S-level contract?" Machida Sonoko gasped.

An S-level contract is the highest-level contract offered by Shinazugawa Bunko.

Usually, only pillar authors who have made significant contributions to the library and whose cumulative sales have exceeded ten million copies are eligible to enjoy this privilege.

Now, are they really going to give it to a newcomer who has only published one short story?

“That’s right! S-rank!” Aida Ryuji’s tone left no room for doubt. “For a genius of this caliber, any rule can be broken! We must keep him firmly tied to Shinazugawa’s chariot!”

……

……

after an hour.

The doorbell rang at Seiji Fujiwara's apartment.

Kasumigaoka Utaha went to open the door and saw a short-haired woman in a business suit standing outside.

At this moment, Machida Sonoko wore a humble smile and was carrying a gift box that looked quite expensive.

"Hello... I'm Machida Sonoko from Shinazugawa Bunko," she said, bowing slightly to Kasumigaoka Utaha, her tone almost excessively respectful. "Excuse me, is Princess Eikawa-sensei at home?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha's heart sank suddenly.

She wasn't a fool. Seeing Machida Sonoko's complete 180-degree change in attitude, she instantly understood the outcome.

That draft, written in just three days... was a success!?

Moreover, it seems to be a great success!

An indescribable sense of bitterness and frustration welled up in her heart.

She silently stepped aside, watching Machida Sonoko bow and scrape as she cautiously entered the living room.

"Master Xiaochuan!" Upon seeing the leisurely figure on the sofa, Machida Sonoko immediately bowed ninety degrees again. "I am utterly sorry for your unauthorized visit!"

Seiji Fujiwara was somewhat surprised that the other party had come in person, and he stood up with a smile to welcome him: "Not at all, please have a seat, Editor Machida."

"Yes Yes!"

Machida Sonoko sat down awkwardly, placed the contract and gift box on the coffee table, and pushed them over.

"Teacher, your manuscript has been read by the editor-in-chief and me! It's absolutely amazing!" She didn't hold back her praise, saying, "This is our S-level publishing contract with Shinazugawa Bunko, and there's also a small token of our appreciation. Please take a look!"

"is it?"

Seiji Fujiwara smiled, slowly picked up the contract, and casually began to flip through it.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood to the side, seemingly preparing tea for the guests, but in reality, she had her ears perked up, listening to every word of their conversation.

When she heard the words "S-level contract," her hand holding the teapot trembled slightly.

That's an S-level contract!

A top-tier contract from a publishing house! It's also a watershed moment that distinguishes top authors from others!

This man... actually got it on his second film?

Seiji Fujiwara flipped through the pages quickly, his gaze landing directly on the most crucial part: royalty sharing.

"12%?"

He uttered a number softly, his tone calm, but it made Machida Sonoko's heart leap into her throat.

“Yes, teacher!” she quickly explained, “This is the maximum royalty we can offer! It’s absolutely the highest standard in the industry!”

"not enough."

Seiji Fujiwara interrupted her, placed the contract back on the coffee table, and said with a smile, "We talked about this last time, and I hope we can get a better contract next time we meet."