AFTERWORD

I’m not sure when it started exactly, but whenever I’m faced with something, I always end up preparing for disappointment and discouragement.

Always expecting and preparing for the worst is not such a great thing as all that. The only thing is that if you give up right from the start, you at least can get away with using less energy when you do really end up failing.

When I started writing this story in October 2007, I was pretty sure I wasn’t actually going to finish it or anything. And when I did finish it, I was convinced I wouldn’t get all the deletions and revisions done to meet the guidelines of the Dengeki Prize. I continued to tell myself, as a matter of course, even after I sent my submission in, that there was no way I was going to make it through all the stages of judging.

Thus, on the occasion of winning the prize and being published, I was obviously not prepared to do things like write an afterword like this, and as of this moment, I am still at a total loss. I want to write something rich with brilliant insight and style, along with a wafting of sad pathos in the midst of vital humor, but since not one of these things is popping into my head, I’ll simply write down what I’m feeling at this point in time.

For me, it’s already a miracle that I managed to write this story.

Because as I write this afterword for the pocket book edition, an extension of the writing of the story, I can’t even guess at how minuscule the likelihood that it would have become a reality.

Haruyuki, the protagonist of Accel World, is also someone who tries not to hope for too much. But where he is decisively different from me is that Haruyuki will squeeze out every last drop of energy he has to keep running away. He’s incredibly dedicated to his pessimism.

This is just my thinking, but whatever trajectory it might take, as long as you at least have the energy, something is bound to happen at some point. Haruyuki’s dedication can’t be beat, but if there is a reason I won this prize other than miracles and luck, I think it might be the meager energy I stored up being pessimistic.

For my rough manuscript submission to become a proper book like this, I was honored to have the invaluable assistance of so many people.

Minoru Kawakami, not only for taking time out of his busy schedule to write the commentary, but also for his many suggestions for important parts of the action scenes. The Accel World: Kawakami Edition he wrote for this book is one of my most cherished treasures.

Hima, who drew so wonderfully my protagonist whose visualization I had expected to be fraught with difficulty. The other characters, too, are so vibrant that I almost think that this is how they always were; my own image of them has changed.

My supervising editor, Kazuma Miki, who always gave me guidance with such patience and careful kindness when I definitely could not be said to be obedient, despite the fact that I was a newbie who didn’t know left from right. If I can always have this fountain of editorial power with me, I will continue to tap away at these keys with everything I’ve got.

And the many people who have been supporting me these last seven years on the global net. It was precisely because of all of your support that I am here now.

Finally, my greatest gratitude to you for reading this far. Thank you so much.

November 28, 2008

Reki Kawahara