Cardfight!! Vanguard: Generations Volume 3 [Alice Secret]

Postscript

As I'm writing this, I'm currently bundled up in bed with really bad stomach pains.

Hello, it's your author with deteriorating health, Fox here.

Man, it's been nearly another year since we've last talked... I guess I should start by asking how are you?

I hope you're doing well, better than me at least. During the course of writing this volume, I caught coronavirus once, and was hospitalised twice (for reasons unrelated to it), massively setting back production.

Needlessly to say, I had to work extra hard to try and catch up... and finally, I finished it.

Still though, I can't believe I've made it this far. I started volume 3 last summer and now I'm finishing it this spring. The visions and plans I made for this volume three years ago have finally come to fruition.

Well, you're not here to hear that soppy crap though, are you?

The exciting first semester of Yuuto and his classmates has sadly come to an end, but now they'll be able to enjoy an idyllic summer holiday away from all the stress of school, wars, and special exams!... right?

Wrong!

This is only the beginning of the real story of Generations! Volumes 1 to 3 were only the prologue, a long set up for the real first arc of this series, Volume 4!

After some much needed self-reflection, I've also made the executive decision to make this volume completely male-centric. There will be little to no female screen time at all!

This is because I came to the conclusion that I suck at writing females and should stick to my strength of writing dirty, perverted, sweaty, uncouth old men. (Scummy face.)

That's right! For a whole volume, you get to enjoy reading these ugly bastards battle each other! Isn't that exciting?! I'm sure nothing can go wrong... right?

For those who were invested in my female heroines, I'm sorry. Volume 5 will make up for this by being completely female-centric, so please wait for me until then...!

Otherwise, the stage of "true ability meritocracy" will flourish here, in—! (Volume name redacted by request of the editing team.) Please look forward to it!

Now, to thank the people who've supported me this far after three years.

First of all, thank you to my wonderful illustrator... myself! That's right, I'm patting myself on the back undeservedly once more, but I think I deserve it this time.

After all, I drew an impressive two frontispiece and sixteen insert illustrations, not including the special OP illustrations. I even went above and beyond and drew six females this time (seven if you count Nora), which is triple the amount last time!

Just ignore that the rest are wrinkly old men... ha ha...

Ah who am I kidding, I suck at this fan-service thing. I can't write females to save my life and I can barely draw them either. Some of this art looks horrendous! You did an awful job, past me! I have to say though, I can draw a nice set of boobs though.

To improve myself, I shall also practise female anatomy along with how to write females. Maybe by Volume 5 my skills will have finally improved to the point where the images I draw of girls will be super titillating...

On the topic of art, I actually have two people to thank this time, not just one.

The first is everyone's favourite and well known Assistant-kun and Editor-sama, KRX350! As usual, he was in charge of colouring the cover and frontispieces, as well adding the grayscale effects. You did a stunning job as usual!

Aside from colouring, he's also the man responsible for reeling me back in when I go too far with my ideas. Sorry for stressing you out so much, but I managed to get it done in the end. Here's to another three years of working together! *cheers*

The second is the lovely C_Iqumashi, who revealed their hidden art talent to me out of nowhere when one day she made a coloured versions of the black and white Rokurou illustration. As such, I had to hire her immediately to do more work for me.

She was actually in charge of shading for the special OP, while Arashi was in charge of the base colouring and backgrounds. It was really great working with the two of you to create such an awesome chapter!

Aaaah, seriously though, I love the work you do C! You always smash it out of the park when you colour my illustrations! It always warms my heart whenever I see the finished product, thank you so much!

If you want to see her beautiful colouring, check out the art gallery in the Omake section, I'll be posting it all there. (I still have your coloured Kurosaki as my phone lock screen, by the way!)

Beautiful, isn't it?

And of course, finally... there's one more person to thank.

It's you, the one reading this light novel.

None of this would've been possible without your continuous presence for the past three years. I love and appreciate every one of you reading this longwinded and incompetent story filled with too many male characters and poorly written female characters.

It's because of your support that I'm able to keep writing, so sincerely from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Generations has finally completed the first semester, but there's still another two more to go before we even reach the end of the 1st Year arc. As long as you guys are around, I'll keep fighting, and keep writing, to one day finish this project.

Anyways, the second semester's going to be a tough one for Yuuto. Not only will there be the Sports Festival and Culture Festival to prepare for, now that he's come out of the shadows, allies and enemies from all sides will be piling up at his doorstep as well!

Zyriot is coming at him from behind, Ichinose is keeping an eye on him from above, Machida's faction has broken down, Ryouta is leaving A Class, and to climb up the caste system, Yuuto will have to fight his childhood sweetheart, Suzune...!

Needless to say, we're only just getting started in rocking this story from the bottom to the top. Let's see where we can go from here, shall we?

I'll look forward to meeting you all again in another year. Or two. Or maybe three. Who knows when I'll finish volume 4?!

Until we meet again.

That's all, Fox out!