Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 16 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Hello dearest readers! I am the author, Sakon Kaidou.

Thank you for reading volume 16 of Infinite Dendrogram. This one took a step away from the stage where our protagonist, Ray, resides and instead focused on the story of Hugo, who is currently traveling around Caldina.

An important figure that has appeared in this volume is the Superior he met — King of Tartarus, Benetnasch.

As you may have noticed from the similarities between the wonderful covers Taiki drew for volume 1 and this one, he is a reflection of Ray.

You can see it in their positioning next to their Embryos, but if you look at the backgrounds, you will notice that while Ray is in front of “the kingdom they would now live in,” Benetnasch is in front of “the arch through which the dead may return.”

Their very natures are opposed, as well.

Ray stands in the path of tragedies and gives his all to keep hope alive.

Benetnasch follows after tragedies and fathers hopes that have already died.

Nemesis carves a path through the present using the pain of the past.

Persephone revives the past in its entirety and brings it into the present.

The time when they would face each other is still in the distant future, but it is my hope that the day will come when I will be able to let you dear readers witness it.

Now, enough about volume 16 — it is time to talk about the next one.

We have been on this journey for a whole 16 volumes now, and over a dozen releases of adaptations of the web novel. But with volume 17, the Infinite Dendrogram light novel will finally...

...get its first volume of all-new original content!

Did you think I was going to say it was ending? It most certainly will not! It will go on!

Up until now, I have been making edits and additions to the light novel to make it worthwhile for both the light novel readers as well as those who have been following the web novel, and I also wrote an all-new five-hundred-page bonus novel for the anime release, but now, the light novel series itself will get a full release of all-new content — a volume that isn’t even partially an adaptation of the web novel.

I must admit that writing it makes me tense in a way I usually am not, but please do look forward to it, as I will do all I can to write the best draft I am capable of.

Additionally, last month marked the release of Crow Record volume 4 in Japan — the final one of the spin-off.

Just like the previous one, it comes with a bonus short story, so please do pick it up if you are so inclined.

I must say that working on Crow Record has been a very positive experience for me.

I was especially happy with how charming and expressive La-na made the new characters, Max and Shion.

Crow Record may be over, but please do read through it if you can — now is the perfect time to do so.

Please continue supporting Infinite Dendrogram.

Sakon Kaidou

Xun: “Hm? Ohh, right. The after-aftErword. I’m ‘Xun,’ shOrt for ‘Xunyu.’

Fox: “And I’m the ‘Fox,’ Tsukuyo Fusooo!”

Xun: “...Huh? I’m jUst with yOu this time?”

Fox: “Yep. We only got one page left. It’s not enough for more than two, so it’s just you and me, sweetie.”

Xun: “...Well, whatEver.”

Fox: “You seem a little bothered by something. What’s on your mind?”

Xun: “Oh, I just wondEr what the author meant when he sAid that it’s the perfect chance to reAd Crow Record. Why’d he, of all peoplE, emphasize somethin’ like thAt?”

Fox: “Oh, thaaat? I’ll just tell you along with the announcement. VOLUME 17 IS SET TO COME OUT IN NOVEMBER! THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN IT WILL BE RAY AND THE CROW RECORD GANG!”

Xun: “...So that’s whAt that was about! It’s just mOre direct markEting!”

Fox: “If any of you haven’t read it yet, go pick it up! It’s both a good read and good prep for the next voluuume!”

Xun: “I now understand whY you’re the one doin’ this afterwOrd...”