Parallel World Light Novelist

Chapter 271: Chapter 270: The Final Episode of Edgerunners

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On Sunday, Haruto’s massive following reached a level of digital activity that eclipsed everything that had come before.

From the break of dawn, line groups were buzzing with notifications as fans rallied their troops. For many salarymen and office workers, the 8:00 PM broadcast was a logistical nightmare, usually forcing them to rely on the early morning reruns.

But this was the finale. For a true fan, watching the conclusion through a recorded broadcast was unthinkable. They had to contribute to the live ratings. Many scrapped their plans for overtime, rushing home to beat the evening rush. Others, truly trapped by their duties, called their families or partners, begging them to leave the television tuned to Tokyo TV1 as a gesture of silent support.

They desperately wanted Haruto’s latest work to achieve legendary status. While a high rating wouldn’t put yen in the pockets of the fans, the desire for their favorite creator to conquer the industry was a powerful, almost irrational motivation.

”Yes! I actually managed to secure a pre-order for the first volume of the Edgerunners Blu-ray on the official site! Witness me and be jealous!”

”I’m literally crying right now. How is it already sold out? This is a nightmare!”

”Wait, what do you mean sold out? The release isn’t for two days!”

”The physical stock in major cities like Tokyo and Osaka is already fully spoken for. The online pre-orders were coordinated with local retailers, and the demand just swallowed the supply. Most stores are already putting up ’Out of Stock’ signs.”

”This is insane. It hasn’t even officially hit the shelves until Tuesday. Haruto’s brand is just too strong. It’s not quite the ’Three-Fold Scalper Price’ madness that happened with Madoka Magica last year, but if you live in a smaller prefecture, you’re basically out of luck for the first week.”

”I wonder what the final sales-per-volume average will be.”

”If it even hits half of Madoka’s numbers, it’ll be a miracle.”

”Half of Madoka? Let’s be realistic. Madoka Magica broke two million copies per volume including the movies. Half of that is still a million copies... that’s a legendary tier on its own.”

”Hey, have some faith! Edgerunners hit a higher rating for episode nine than Madoka did at the same point. We might be looking at a new record holder.”

”True, but the final two episodes of Madoka were the soul of the work. They revealed Homura’s time-traveling sacrifice, the mystery of Madoka’s causality, and that divine ending that redefined the genre. Can Edgerunners actually deliver a shock on that level?”

”The plot for the finale is fairly predictable, though. David raids Arasaka, saves Lucy, and they probably find a experimental cure for his cyberpsychosis hidden in the lab. Then they ride off into the sunset and leave Night City. It’s a standard action ending.”

”That sounds way too ordinary for Haruto.”

”Exactly! There hasn’t been a single predictable moment in this show yet. I’m giving it a 10/10 regardless of how it ends, but I’m ready to be hurt.”

”I have a theory that Lucy will die to save David, and David will end up with Rebecca. I love her too much; I need her to win!”

”Wait... does no one think David is going to die?”

”I’ve been feeling that since episode ten was announced.”

”Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve watched anime for twenty years and I’ve never seen a protagonist go out like that. If David dies, he has to go out like a legend, not a mental patient.”

”Trust me, Haruto-sensei will find a way for him to survive.”

As the clock ticked toward 7:00 PM, the anticipation manifested in the live data. The ratings climbed from a steady 3% at 6:00 PM to a solid 4%, and as the final hour approached, they were going toward the 5% milestone.

Kagura, a three-year veteran of the Haruto fandom and a typical Tokyo office drone, had abandoned her mountain of paperwork to make it home in time. She sat on her sofa, dinner plate in hand, her eyes glued to the screen.

The television was currently running a countdown advertisement for the Blu-ray release.

The physical copies would hit stores the day after tomorrow, but the station was encouraging viewers to scan a QR code to purchase through the official portal.

Following the ads was a parade of merchandise announcements: high-end replicas of David’s pistol, a scale model of the Sandevistan spinal implant, Lucy’s monowire kit, and a collection of character figurines. Tokyo TV1 understood the goldmine they were sitting on. After twenty minutes of relentless Cyberpunk promotion, the screen flickered and the broadcast finally began.

There was no opening theme song.

The episode dived straight into the fire, picking up exactly where the previous Chapter left off. The forces of Militech, having fallen for Arasaka’s false intelligence, had swarmed the badlands to seize the Cyberskeleton. They had no idea they were merely ”tests” for Arasaka’s latest weapon.

The trap had been laid perfectly. David was forced to integrate with the Cyberskeleton to protect his crew, while a literal army of armored vehicles and tanks served as his target practice.

By the time the prologue ended, David had effectively decimated a Militech battalion.

To stave off the world of hallucinations, David was pumping himself full of immunosuppressants.

He had injected four doses in less than thirty minutes. A normal human heart would have exploded,, but David pushed through, his nervous system held together by willpower and a desperate need to reach the center of the city.

He rocketed toward Arasaka Tower, flanked by his remaining crew. Falco, the driver, and the tireless Rebecca.

The outskirts of Night City became a war zone. Armored Arasaka pursuit vehicles swarmed them on the highway, a never-ending rain of rockets and machine-gun fire lighting up the dark.

Under the neon glow of the metropolis, a single boy was engaging in a suicidal riot against the world’s most powerful corporation.

The sense of ”doomed heroism” was suffocating.

In the animation, David’s eyes and ears were already leaking blood from the strain of the Cyberskeleton. Behind him, tanks were being crushed into scrap metal, exploding as they entered the city limits.

Kagura didn’t dare blink.

As David tore through the city, the traitor Kiwi realized the tide was turning. She called Faraday, demanding her payout so she could flee the city before the fallout hit. But in Night City, there is no honor among thieves. The moment Kiwi showed her hand, Faraday revealed his own.

He had no intention of letting a loose end like her walk away.

”Yes! Serves her right! Kiwi spent the whole series betraying people, and now she’s getting a taste of her own medicine.”

”How could she be so stupid? You don’t work for a snake like Faraday and expect a happy retirement.”

”That traitor actually thought she was smarter than the rest. Rest in pieces!”

”I think she knew it was coming, but the paycheck for Lucy was too big to ignore. She gambled and lost.”

”Greed is a hell of a drug. Zero sympathy.”

”This is it, guys! Faraday is the only one left. David, get to the top of that tower and tear him apart!”

”Lucy is right there. Faraday is right there. It’s time for some old-fashioned justice.”

”Go! Go! Go! Smash the tower!”