"Do you want to upload the work created using [Ruby Rose] to the original art section of the cartoons subforum?"
"Yes." Kamiyā Yuu clicked confirm with his mouse.
"Please wait…"
"Upload successful. Dear user Yosuganosora, your work will be reviewed by site moderators within two hours. Please wait patiently during this time."
"If approved, you will receive a notification in your messages."
On the laptop screen, an image of Ruby Rose holding a massive red scythe had been uploaded by Kamiyā Yuu to the cartoons (animation) section. Only after seeing the successful upload notice did he let out a long breath and close the laptop.
Since completing the MAYA 3D modeling software last week, he has been uploading three original illustrations of Ruby Rose daily to the "Fakebook" animation section. All his spare time had gone into 3D modeling, and these artworks were practice pieces created after finishing his correction work.
Of course, he wasn't uploading them without purpose. Before officially releasing the 'Red' chapter, Kamiyā Yuu wanted to build up some popularity while gradually revealing parts of its setting. For example, one of the illustrations he uploaded depicted Ruby Rose affectionately hugging the giant wolf Sif as they played together in a manor.
The combination of a ferocious giant white wolf and a cute Gothic girl quickly attracted a large number of animation enthusiasts. At present, that illustration was the most successful among all his uploads, reaching ninth place on the cartoons section's weekly popularity rankings—and still steadily climbing.
But that wasn't the most important point.
The key to what Kamiyā Yuu saw as the most direct way to obtain initial funding also lay here: online crowdfunding. By leveraging Uehara Etsuki's reputation as a master of Japanese Gothic-style art, and releasing some 3D scenes from the 'Red' chapter, raising over one million yen in a short time shouldn't be difficult.
"Ruby Rose and the giant wolf Sif's 3D character models are finished. What's left is the most complex part—the forest environment. There aren't many 3D assets in this world that I can reuse, which means every blade of grass, every tree, even every petal has to be modeled from scratch… what a massive project."
"Forget it. Tomorrow I'll ask Uehara-sensei for approval to start crowdfunding. With Ruby Rose's completed 3D model as proof, getting her agreement should be straightforward."
This was precisely why Kamiyā Yuu needed Uehara Etsuki's consent—her reputation as a master artist would attract far more people to support the crowdfunding effort.
······
Ralph was a middle-aged man in his forties, but his favorite pastime after work was browsing the cartoon section, searching for topics and artwork that caught his eye, and discussing the differences and interesting aspects of various animations.
At his age, one would expect him to prefer deep, thought-provoking animations that critique society or explore human nature. Yet even he found it surprising—his favorite type was actually the lively and adorable magical girl characters from Japanese animation. Even though he found their childish plots laughable, he still enjoyed watching them immensely.
"You are following user Yosuganosora, who has uploaded a new work. Would you like to view it?"
The moment Ralph logged in, he received this notification. Instantly, all his post-work fatigue vanished as he eagerly clicked to view the new upload.
A girl in a red cloak stood holding a massive mechanical scythe, gazing up at the bright moon in the sky. Around her, red and white rose petals danced in the wind alongside her cloak and short black hair, as if in motion. Though her expression couldn't be seen, the illustration conveyed a quiet, sorrowful atmosphere—the cute girl wielding the enormous weapon seemed immersed in a sadness that tugged at the heart.
"Master Yosuganosora's works always carry an indescribable beauty. No one can match his grasp of artistic mood," Ralph marveled at the detail and elegance of the piece.
To him, this user named Yosuganosora was a true gem discovered in the vast desert of the cartoons section. He still clearly remembered that day—refreshing the page out of boredom after work—when he first saw the artist's upload.
He couldn't put into words what he felt upon seeing that first illustration, but he remembered the shock that struck straight into his heart. Without reason, beyond description, he had fallen in love with that piece. Its unique and outstanding style, the peculiar charm embedded within it, and its innovative character design—all of it made him fall for it at first sight. In his eyes, someone capable of creating such work could no longer be called a mere genius—only a master.
This was the only Gothic-style artwork he had seen that could rival 'Violet Blooming Garden.' While Yosuganosora might be slightly inferior to Uehara Etsuki in fine Gothic details, the illustrations carried something more—almost as if they had a soul. Every viewing brought a new feeling, as though one's mind was drawn into the world depicted.
Master Yosuganosora's works possessed a unique magic—this was Ralph's firm conclusion.
"It really feels like Master Yosuganosora's works belong to their own world… or maybe they're illustrations from a Japanese novel? The weapons, that giant wolf… I really hope this gets adapted into an anime someday. It might even rival 'Violet Blooming Garden' in visual quality."
After praising it sincerely, Ralph saved the newly uploaded artwork to his hard drive. Then, he went to every discussion group he was part of and began promoting both the artwork and the artist.
"Hey, guys! Remember that Master Yosuganosora I mentioned last time? He uploaded a new piece—you're definitely going to love it!"
"Oh man, this painting is stunning! It's on par with 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'! I really wish you could all see it—here's the link. Trust me, you'll love it!"
"Master Yosuganosora is a new artist in the original art section. If you can, please show your support!"
Ralph enthusiastically shared the work across all his circles. While some people were annoyed by the promotion, once they saw the high quality of the images, many users who liked Japanese-style art quickly followed the account and expressed their appreciation.
["Yosuganosora? Sounds like Japanese romanization. What does it mean?"]
["No idea, but this artist's work is really good. They must be quite well-known in Japan."]
["Oh! What am I seeing? Is this a new piece from that Ms. Uehara? It's absolutely beautiful! I mean, I really like this kind of Japanese Gothic style—especially these cute girls."]
["You can definitely see Uehara's influence in the clothing design, but the style is completely different. I have to admit, this Yosuganosora user truly deserves the title of master in original art."]
It seemed that the illustration titled [Giant Wolf Sif and the Girl Ruby] managing to break into the cartoons section's weekly rankings owed no small part to Ralph, the forty-year-old enthusiast.