Accel World - Volume 6 - Chapter Aft

AFTERWORD

Reki Kawahara here, bringing you Accel World 6: Shrine Maiden of the Sacred Fire. This is probably the book that’s taken the longest to write out of the series so far. But I do hope you enjoyed it…?

Now then, there are many, many things that I lack as a novelist (patience, ambition, the ability to work at home…), but the one I am most lacking that I am aware of is the ability to bring a story to a neat end.

To be honest, although I’ve created a variety of stories for more than eight years now, including when I was writing web novels, not a single one of them had a proper ending! In my maiden long-form work, Sword Art Online, right up into my first published work, Accel World, I end with “Our fight starts now!” and all. (I break out into a cold sweat now, wondering at the fact that I even won that award.)

It’s not as though I’ll be completing it any time soon, but having written this much of Accel World, I have been sort of wondering exactly how I’m going to end this story. I have absolutely no clue, by the way (lol). I can imagine all sorts of ways to expand it, and yet no ideas to wrap it all up come to mind; I can’t help but feel this is not great for a novelist.

That said, as a reader, I actually love stories that end in this open manner. Of course, it’s wonderful when the story ends with a detailed explanation of the rest of the main character’s life chronology-style, but I suppose I’d have to say that I want that feeling of “their story continues into the future as well.” In RPGs, too, I totally love the world after you beat the game (lol). If I ever get the chance to make a game, I want to make one that has a bonus scenario that’s three times as long as the game itself that starts playing once the end credits are done! Or rather, someone, please make this game!

But I digress. All of this is to say, I have the keen feeling that this Accel World, too, in the ending that will likely come someday, will find some footing along the likes of “our fight…,” so let me apologize for that now. I’m sorry!

I got a little carried away with the previous volume, which set me behind on my schedule, but despite this very great inconvenience, the illustrator HIMA was kind enough to draw a cover so wonderful it took my breath away. And my editor, Miki, who made no fuss about lending me three hundred yen when sad little me forgot my wallet. Once again, I am in your debt! And everyone who has read with me so far, my apologies for ending with a “to be continued” again! I’ll give this a proper conclusion in the next book probably! Taku will probably be part of the action, even!

Reki Kawahara

On a certain day in August 2010