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Chapter 6

June 8, 2019

A large exhibition was being held in the heart of Akihabara for Uncontrollable Battle, with the occasion being the release of the series' first video game adaptation. The game had been hyped up for months, and the reviews for it were overwhelmingly positive ahead of its release today, a resounding success for Michi Anzai and Shimizu as a whole.

Shizuka, being a big fan of the series, of course had to be there. She donned a ponytail and a hat to disguise herself a bit, and as she stood outside the exhibition, she stared at the many posters adorning the walls featuring characters from Uncontrollable Battle. "Wow... I remember when that happened in the story. I still couldn't believe Anzai-sensei killed off Angel like that." She was referring to the death of a major character who bore angelic wings and white robes indeed named Angel, which had occurred about halfway through the story up to that point.

As she walked in, a young woman at the front desk said to her with a bow, "Welcome to the Uncontrollable Battle Exhibition. Will you only be entering, or do you want a gift bag with an art book and the new video game to go along with your visit as well?"

Shizuka thought to herself, "I know Obuchi-san told me I could get in for free if I just flash my ID, but I want to support Anzai-sensei's work." She then pulled out her wallet and set down some money on the counter. "I'll get the gift bag with the art book and the new game in addition to my entry ticket."

"Thank you," replied the woman at the front counter. "That will be ¥6500." She then made change for Shizuka before handing a few coins over to her, followed by a plastic gift bag with a few items inside, including a paperback art book and a copy of the new game. "Enjoy your visit."

"Thank you," Shizuka bowed to the woman before heading in through a set of double doors. When she walked through the entrance, she was met with a large statue of the main character of Uncontrollable Battle, a man in a battered and dented suit of armor wielding a sword and carrying a helmet in his other hand. "Wow... It's life-sized. This must have taken forever to build." Beside him were several large art pieces that Michi had made, as well as signs explaining them all.

Shizuka was amazed as she went through the exhibit, admiring the work put into it. Among her favorite parts of it included a screening room showing a short ten-minute documentary on the production of the anime for the series that played on a loop as well as another section that showed off early drafts of Uncontrollable Battle. It was at this section that she was reading through a small booklet detailing each of the art pieces when she felt someone bump into her.

She turned and saw a high school girl with short dark blue hair fall to the floor, along with a sketchbook she had been carrying, which had opened to a page filled with art she presumably had drawn. The girl, who was in fact Akari, was deeply embarrassed. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

"No, no, it's fine," Shizuka replied to her as she helped her get up, noticing a boy with her too. "Are you two also fans of Uncontrollable Battle?"

"Yeah," replied the boy, who had light brown hair and was dressed in a uniform from the same high school Akari went to. "We both came down here after school to see it."

"After school?" Shizuka was a bit suspicious of the two. "You know this exhibit is for people above the age of fifteen, right?"

"Don't worry," Akari assured her. "We're both high schoolers. I'm a first-year, and Hori-kun is a third-year."

Shizuka laughed, indicating her suspicions were sarcastic. "I don't give a fuck. I know plenty of people who began reading it early anyway."

"I know," replied Kazu Hori. "I began reading it when I was about thirteen. Kunugi-san, how old were you when you began reading it?"