Tanaka couldn't help but grin, overwhelmed with joy. This was... absolutely amazing!
How was the game?
Who cares about that!
Like sensei said, there's a solid 2-hour trial period, and if he doesn't like it, he can always get a refund.
Did the game interfere with sensei's main work? No way!
When April he saw the completion of Volume 11 of Your Lie In April, and a new work, Akame ga Kill, wrapped up just in time to release in May!
Not to mention the completion of the light novel WorldEnd this month! And there's still the ongoing Steins;Gate anime series!
Although only two episodes were left, compared to other creators, sensei's productivity was through the roof!
Others may have wrapped up their main projects, but expanding his reach into other areas—what's the harm?
After all, ACG is all interconnected!
Many scriptwriters and light novel mangakas have also contributed to game scripts before.
Sure, it's a bit much to see sensei making a game entirely on their own...
But considering everything this mangaka has done since their debut, this wasn't anything new!
A game, really?
That wasn't going to change anything for Tanaka.
If the game turns out bad, he'd deal with it then. Besides, sensei probably wouldn't make another one after this failed attempt.
However...
'I hope this is a good game!'
With that, Tanaka's mind was already looking forward to killing time with this new release.
Without hesitation, he clicked on the link to the game and logged into his Steam account.
With the rise of the internet, fans like Tanaka, who adored ACG, all had their own Steam accounts.
After logging in, the screen immediately changed, and an artwork flashed before his eyes.
It was a beautiful girl, with golden hair, a gentle smile, and eyes looking off into the distance.
Behind her, faint lines sketched a house in the distance.
The stark contrast between vivid colors and simple sketching added a slightly eerie feel to the otherwise lovely image.
The title "Witch's House" was written in colorful artistic letters at the bottom, rounding off the artwork.
"Wow!" Tanaka couldn't help but be impressed.
"As expected of sensei's work!"
Even without knowing what the game was about, he was already captivated by the artwork alone.
Even if it wasn't Warrior of Love and Hope's work, he would still have likely bought it just because the art was so stunning!
He then read the game's description:
A 13-year-old girl named Viola wakes up in a forest, where she finds a note from her father telling her to come home quickly, along with a talking black cat warning her about the dangers of humans in the area.
When Viola reaches the forest's edge, she finds her way home blocked by a massive rose bush, and on the other side of the path stands a creepy mansion, its doors inviting her inside...
"A horror-themed game, huh?" Tanaka felt a little uneasy but quickly pushed the doubts aside.
What's to be afraid of? He was a grown man, after all!
And this was sensei's new work!
As a fan, how could he possibly pass up on it?
However...
"This is clearly another bold new attempt by sensei!"
Looking back, it was clear that sensei had never stuck to a single style, constantly experimenting with something fresh.
But that didn't detract from the quality of the work at all.
Yet when he saw the price, Tanaka winced.
"1400 yen!!"
Tanaka gritted his teeth as he muttered this under his breath, realizing how quickly things were adding up.
In just one month, with this game, he'd already spent close to 3000 yen on sensei's works!
With tears in his eyes, he shakily clicked the "confirm purchase" button.
The game wasn't very large in size, and the download was done in minutes.
Eagerly, Tanaka installed it on his computer.
As soon as he clicked the icon, a new process opened up.
The screen flashed black, then a dim white light appeared, before fixing on a frail girl sitting on a red chair.
She was holding the chair's armrests, a naive smile on her face as she stared off into the distance, as though something there had caught her attention.
This girl was Viola, the character seen in the Steam banner.
Compared to the promotional image, the game's visual was even more refined, more complete.
Behind her, there was a small red house, though the red seemed darker than expected.
The bright, cheerful colors had been overtaken by an eerie, shadowy tone, like the moon's bright reflection in a lake, split by a black line from an unseen fishing line.
It gave off an unsettling sense of disharmony and an almost unnoticeable split in the image.
Viola's golden hair, once radiant, now appeared a little off, though upon closer inspection, it was nothing more than an illusion.
Her white gown, like a delicate flower, was unexpectedly stained with blood-red patches at the hem, resembling blooming flowers.
It was beautiful in a way that felt both captivating and ominous.
Ignoring the odd dissonance, the artwork was still incredibly stunning.
As the image shimmered slightly, it looked like the girl would step out of the painting at any moment.
But if you stared too long, her once-sweet smile seemed to twist into something sinister, almost monstrous.
The shadows seemed to overlap, and the unsettling feeling vanished as the screen returned to normal.
Tanaka couldn't help but smile and shake his head, realizing that the previous weirdness was just his imagination.
With the sound system turned up, the game's background music floated through the room.
The gentle melody was soothing, like a soft breeze, and Tanaka instinctively closed his eyes, swaying slightly to the beautiful tune.
But then, some of the notes became harsh, like nails on a chalkboard, causing a sharp, painful frown. The music's earlier beauty was shattered in an instant.
Then, the words appeared, like mischievous little spirits popping up:
— Witch's House
If this were any other game, the small glitches in the visual would have been flaws.
But for a horror game like this, everything felt perfectly in place, sparking curiosity and a desire to explore its story.
"Just as I thought! Even the intro animation is done so finely!"
Tanaka knew that what he saw earlier wasn't a hallucination, but part of the dynamic animation, which subtly changed the image in real-time.
Why this was happening, he'd only find out once he played the game.
With a mix of unease and curiosity about the horror theme, Tanaka clicked "Start Game."