Since Akifumi was unaware of the situation, his actions were not considered a major offense.
However, the fact that someone would go so far as to steal a body just to uncover the truth piqued everyone's curiosity.
Time continued to tick away.
With each passing chapter, the audience's emotions and attention became more and more focused.
The live stream's popularity skyrocketed from an initial audience of just over 100,000 to now exceeding 3 million!
To put it into perspective, even if all the other contestants' viewership numbers were combined, they still wouldn't add up to half of Akifumi's audience.
Of course, as the competition progressed, he did not go into as much detail in his subsequent episodes as he did with the first.
This was partly due to time constraints and partly by design to hold something back.
While a story outline differs significantly from a fully developed narrative, the sheer brilliance of Unnatural Death ensured that even an outline was enough to captivate the audience.
The proof was evident in the live stream: despite the overwhelming number of viewers, only a few comments appeared from time to time.
The silence spoke volumes about how engrossed everyone was.
Meanwhile, in the official live stream featuring the judges, they had already shifted their focus entirely to Contestant 13's channel by the time Akifumi was drafting Episode 3.
Holding over 70% of the show's total traffic by himself, if the competition organizers didn't highlight his stream, they would be making a massive mistake.
Clearly, the officials were not that foolish.
Now, with six hours into the competition, Akifumi had already completed the outline for Episode 8, The Long Road Home.
He was now seated on the couch, quietly eating and resting—or rather, contemplating the next part of his story.
Physically, he wasn't actually tired; his stamina was more than enough to keep going.
The breaks he took were more of a performance, a way to appear as a normal person in the eyes of the public.
While Akifumi rested, the three judges in the main live stream didn't stop their discussion for a moment.
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"This kid is something else! He really caught us all off guard."
"Caught us off guard? More like scared the hell out of us!"
"But you have to admit, Contestant 13 is pretty lucky to have picked a theme he had already thought about before."
"As a creator, storytelling is all about accumulation. Instead of marveling at his luck, maybe we should ask ourselves why the youngest contestant has the most extensive preparation?"
"Well, let's not get too philosophical. People aren't here to listen to us ramble; let's talk about the actual stories."
At that, screenwriter Nojima Shinji couldn't hold back his excitement:
"To me, what makes Unnatural Death truly outstanding isn't just the engaging narrative. It's the fact that every episode tackles a major social issue."
"For example, Episode 1 highlights medical ethics and public trust."
"Yes, an unknown poison is dangerous, but does covering it up reduce the harm?
"Not at all. The data presented in the story makes it clear, concealment can be just as deadly. The truth being hidden erodes public trust in medical institutions."
"That alone is enough to cause widespread panic."
"In reality, forensic doctors aren't the ones responsible for uncovering such truths. Those in charge should be stepping up to address these issues head-on. But instead, they're afraid of the consequences, afraid of losing their positions."
"They only acknowledge the truth when the evidence is undeniable, forced to abandon their pathetic, disgraceful resistance."
"And it doesn't stop there. Every episode touches on a hot-button issue."
"Episode 2 discusses suicide, Episode 3 examines women's rights, Episode 4 delves into workplace exhaustion and overwork, Episode 5 explores revenge and the pursuit of happiness, Episode 6 touches on social gatherings, and Episode 7 deals with school bullying."
"Beneath each gripping case lies a deeper reflection on society. That, to me, is what makes this story truly remarkable."
As Nojima Shinji finished his explanation, countless viewers in the chat couldn't help but express their admiration.
"At first, I was just drawn in by how exciting the story was… but now I realize there's so much depth to it!"
"No surprise there, it's the infamous 'Old Thief.' Of course, he'd write something with this level of depth!"
"This fits his usual style perfectly! His stories aren't just simple entertainment; they carry profound meaning beneath the surface."
"That's exactly why I love his work so much!"
"…Seriously, how can there be such a massive IQ gap between people?!"
"I just want to crack open Old Thief's skull and see what's inside!"
"Unnatural Death isn't even an anime, but it's still incredibly compelling! If this gets turned into a drama, I'm definitely watching it!"
"Who says it can't be an anime? Different genres tell different stories, but as long as there's passion, anything can be adapted into animation!"
While viewers passionately debated, the judges continued their discussion.
"Nojima-sensei, you're too cunning! You stole everything I wanted to say!"
"Exactly! But beyond the hot-button topics, the structure and narrative techniques in this story are something every writer can learn from."
"To be honest, Contestant 13 is simply on another level compared to the rest of the competitors. It's almost unfair to the other contestants."
Hearing this, Kana Hanazawa who had been quiet for a while smiled wryly. "But according to the competition's rules, Contestant 13 is fully qualified to participate."
"Well, don't take it too seriously, Miss Kana. I was just making an observation."
After all, the ones being overwhelmed were the other contestants.
Though even he, a veteran screenwriter, had to admit that this level of storytelling was beyond him…
It didn't matter—he wasn't competing against this monster, so why should he care?
"Look, Contestant 13 is standing up again."
"With only two hours left, can he finish his story in time?"