A cursed tome known as "Shu Koten" grants its bearer uncanny powers, dominates the mind, and distorts fate. Hanako Shinone, heir to this lineage and successor of Sonezaki Shinju, teams up with the physically gifted high-schooler Omimi Dotoku. Together they pursue a series of incidents connected to the cursed texts: a livestreamer exploiting immortality, a classmate who seeks Shinone's life, and a cross-dressing beauty wading through seas of blood. As they investigate, Omimi learns that Shinone's true goal is to "die alongside the classics." A youth story that also stands as the newest shinjuu — lovers' suicide — novel of its era.

This is a coming-of-age story of youth, and beyond its sprint lies the newest lovers' suicide tale of the age.

A girls fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world where the earth has been shattered into countless floating islands by a catastrophe twenty years prior. Asebi, a young witch who rides the skies using floating ore called irislit, searches for her missing mother. After crash-landing on an isolated island, she encounters Pieris, a mysterious girl who claims to be the control unit of an unmanned weapon. As the two share an unusual cohabitation, they forge a bond that transcends words. This is a story of one summer that connects two witches across farewell and reunion.

"Goodbye, Asebi." "See you again, Pieris."

Aoi Mabara, a high school student living in a rural town, has been composing music since middle school in search of something to be proud of, yet remains completely unnoticed. He seethes with envy toward Nina, a girl his age who shines as an internet singing sensation. When he picks up a stray key one day, he meets the shy and reserved Maii Ninakawa and the two quickly grow close. But when he discovers that she is Nina, he finds himself torn between his growing feelings for her and his persistent jealousy. A bittersweet coming-of-age romantic comedy depicting the dreams, romance, and struggles of youth.

A work that evokes bittersweet emotions and the burning impulse of first ambitions — you just want to keep watching these two earnestly reach toward each other and keep striving.

Azusa, a high school student, meets Asahi at the library -- a mysterious boy who can control rain and speak with animals. The quiet time they share gradually warms her heart. But when rumors spread that he is the son of a murderer, surrounded by icy stares and a dark past, Asahi tries to push her away to protect her. On the night of the Geminid meteor shower they make one promise -- and Asahi vanishes. A bittersweet story of love and miracles called forth by the rain.

Hey, Asahi -- you will come to the library again tomorrow, right?

In the frozen north, a prince of a small western kingdom named Geraldo is imprisoned in a tower, where he encounters a hideous creature named Rouanna. Blind from birth, Geraldo is unswayed by her monstrous appearance and comes to know the beauty of her soul. Growing up together, they eventually break free from the tower, and Geraldo embarks on a grand adventure that will determine the fate of the world. A coming-of-age epic fantasy about growth, encounters, and farewells, centered on a promise made with Rouanna.

A blind boy grows up, meets someone, and says goodbye. And then comes the monster's daughter. A sweeping adventure fantasy centered on a promise made to her.

In a near-future Japan buried under inexplicable sandstorms, a girl named Segume wanders the sand-covered ruins of Tokyo when a mysterious building suddenly appears before her. It is "Apocalypchu," a maid cafe aboard a strange battleship that drifts through the desert carrying wandering survivors. Forced by the captain and head maid Hagoromo to become a trainee maid, Segume is drilled in the ways of maidhood alongside an eccentric cast of maids. A girls fantasy full of laughs, action, and a few tears, setting out to save a harsh world with the power of "cute."

Can "cute" save a dried-out world?

To resolve a severe drought plaguing a small kingdom on the western continent, the king decides to offer a tribute to the ancient dragon Echidna, who has lived for thousands of years. The chosen offering is Silvia, a princess of a conquered nation. Accepting her fate of having her soul devoured, Silvia defiantly confronts the dragon, inadvertently capturing its interest. The dragon needs to consume human souls to maintain its reason, so in exchange for eventually surrendering her soul, Silvia joins Echidna on a journey to witness the beautiful things of the world. A high fantasy tale of a princess and dragon who share a destiny of ruin, driven by gold and wit rather than swords and magic.

A high fantasy driven by gold and wit, not swords and magic. This is exactly what we wanted to read!

In a world where radioactive fallout has contaminated the surface, the giant structure "Top Tower" is governed by the corporation "Yakushima." To survive, children sell off their own bodies piece by piece, replacing lost limbs with machinery. Lucky, a boy who has lost friends and family alike, steals "Providence" — a secretly developed divine power — and installs it into himself. After being ambushed and left with nothing, his only remaining companion is Hikari, a girl called an angel who lives in the underground world known as the "Under." Swearing he will never lose anyone again, Lucky pulls the trigger against a rotten reality. Winner of the Encouragement Prize at the 32nd Dengeki Novel Grand Award, this work features a compelling SF setting and stylish dialogue.

No more hesitation. No more running. Not losing a single person ever again. — "Jackpot."

Shiranui, a supernatural creature that feeds on human "regret," and Haru, the sole survivor of a village Shiranui destroyed because he harbors almost no emotional wavering. The two embark on a strange journey together, seeking humans whose regret Shiranui can consume. Along the way, they encounter a bone village that exhales white smoke, a great serpent guarding a lake, and a colossal furball creature that peeks into human pasts. Through these cruel and quiet encounters, this series of interconnected short stories traces how two beings who should never bond gradually come to wish they could walk the road together forever.

A journey of devouring, as if to fill the void left by the regret that exists nowhere between them.

In 2032, an unprecedented physics theory redefined the laws of the world. Physical phenomena manifested as girls called Phenomenon Fairies, bringing both great benefits and catastrophic disasters to humanity. Seven years after the Phenomenon Fairy Disaster reversed gravity and collapsed Kobe, the city has been rebuilt upside-down. A boy named Kanae lives there in apparent peace until he hears a desperate voice calling for help. The fairy girl who appears confesses: she killed 15 million people at once with her own hands. A boy and a fugitive fairy begin their flight from the world’s secrets. Grand Prize winner of the 31st Dengeki Novel Award. The author Denjiyutai passed away before publication, making this both a debut and posthumous work.

In the upside-down city, I met a fairy who harbored a snow crystal.

Originally submitted as "Kimi no Denpa ni Noise wa Iranai," this Gold Prize-winning entry from the 31st Dengeki Novel Awards tells the story of Hibari Takaya, a self-proclaimed Savior of the Spiritual Realm whose eccentric delusions keep everyone at arm's length, and ordinary high schooler Masaomi Kusunoki, who confesses his feelings to her on a dare. As they navigate their unlikely relationship, Masaomi gradually discovers that Hibari's so-called delusions may have a very real basis. A warmly quirky love story in which a lie slowly becomes the truth.

A lie that becomes real — the curtain rises on a delightfully offbeat love comedy between an eccentric girl and the boy who stumbles into her world.

Nagisa, a ronin student helping at his uncle’s inn, realizes he is trapped in a time loop, reliving August 30th over and over. He discovers that Himari, one of the guests, is caught in the same loop. As the two grow closer during their endless summer on a remote island, Himari reveals a painful truth: when Nagisa finally breaks free of the loop, he will lose all memory of their time together. A pure love story about a romance with a predetermined ending, winner of the 31st Dengeki Novel Grand Award (Media Works Bunko Prize).

"When you finally break free of the loop, you will lose all memory of us."

Kafka is the only child living in a village of elders nestled inside a floating cavern where the sky cannot be seen. Raised on tales of the outside world by her late adventurer grandfather, she longs for something beyond the village walls yet has always obeyed the order never to leave. Everything changes when Hayate, a visitor from the surface, arrives — a beast-man with the features of a dog, whose vivid accounts of life below ignite a spark in Kafka. Defying the protests of the villagers, she climbs into the biplane her grandfather left behind and launches herself into the dawn sky. Along the way she encounters people of all different appearances, finds warmth in the adults who watch over her journey, and makes her first true friends her own age. As the adventure unfolds, she learns of a sorrow-filled past that divides the peoples of this world. Even so, Kafka refuses to stop flying — because every moment of our lives is an adventure. Winner of the 31st Dengeki Novel Grand Award (Dengeki New Literature Prize).

Every moment of your life is a precious adventure — a girl sets out to discover just how wide the sky really is.

Nemo, a delinquent rotting away in a lawless town, encounters Ignis Falfren, a holy woman who has lived for thousands of years and once ruled the world. Having had her powers sealed away in 99 contracts, Ignis wishes to reclaim them all and finally rest in peace. Drawn into her journey, Nemo tumbles into a city inside a giant tortoise and picks up a large-hearted beast-woman investigator named Gagaka along the way, as the trio battles a colorful cast of bizarre enemies. Winner of the 31st Dengeki Novel Prize Silver Award, published under the revised title from the original award-winning entry.

Let's set off on a wild and hilarious adventure! A raucous road-trip fantasy featuring a reckless holy woman, a small-time thug, and a beast-woman on a quest to collect scattered powers.

As magic, once monopolized by the aristocracy, becomes available to the masses, crime rates soar and the empire establishes a Magic Crimes Investigation Bureau. Investigator Rogue is transferred through his superior's scheming to the 6th Branch Office -- a notorious unit that solves magic-related cases alongside witches who once brought calamity to the empire. Imprisoned for their catastrophic power and stripped of most of their magic by enchanted collars, these witches nevertheless drag Rogue along on their own terms. A fantasy-action story in which the protagonist is at the mercy of his captivating witch partners. Grand Prize winner of the 30th Dengeki Novel Award.

There is only one thing I desire -- "fun".

Set in the final years of the Meiji era, seventeen-year-old Shoko travels from Tokyo to Kanazawa to take over the family business of her deceased father. Under the name "Rindo" (Gentian), her father had made his fortune entertaining otherworldly beings called "Okatatoki" who arrive with the coming of night. Now taking up the name of the second-generation Rindo, Shoko faces her first banquet night. A Japanese fantasy tale of elegant horror and nightmarish revels, the novel conceals a stunning narrative device that shocked selection committee members. Grand Prize winner of the 30th Dengeki Novel Award.

The story evolves three times.

A warped object is a supernatural artifact that contains the distortions of this world. The azure sword held by Jin Karamori is one of them. Having wished to live upon the cursed blade that destroys its owner, he carries a fate that curses those around him even as he lives. Together with Archive, an emotionless girl bound by her fate to a certain book, he plunges into brutal incidents and battles involving warped objects to save the girl who became Archives vessel after being caught up in his distortion. Winner of the 30th Dengeki Novel Award Gold Prize.

The boy wished to live. In exchange for that wish, he received a cursed sword that destroys fate.

In the capital of Qin, a nation where two ethnic groups coexist, the body of a woman with her skull removed is discovered. A government official named Shu Minase encounters Enzan Machida, a man of extraordinary beauty and power from the minority Hojo people, at the crime scene. The Hakuhoukyoku, rumored to be the most uneventful department at court, secretly handles the investigation and recovery of the "Hojo-gu," cursed artifacts that materialize the darkness in their owners' hearts and cause supernatural incidents. Drafted into the bureau by order of the prince, Shu joins the investigations, but both the apparitions and Enzan himself prove formidable. This mismatched duo eventually unravels a truth that threatens the entire nation. An oriental court fantasy that won the 30th Dengeki Novel Grand Prix MediaWorks Bunko Award.

An unlikely duo with opposite personalities exorcise the darkness lurking in human hearts.

High school student Tsukishiro Kazuki, tormented by noise he perceives from the shadows of others and on the verge of ending his life, encounters former national idol actress Hoshimiya Miyuki. A girl who can see the future, she stops his suicide and an unusual cohabitation begins. Set against themes of music and love, this youth story of parting overcomes the past and future, and depicts a tale of love that resonates through eternity. Winner of the 30th Dengeki Novel Award Silver Prize.

If there is such a thing as eternal sound, it would take the shape of you.

A reminiscence told by Norman, a boy detained in the fortress city of Baldium, who answers interrogation about the Anrou—exceptional individuals who convert emotions into power. The story recounts his encounters with four beautiful girls named Tearflower, Hellhound, Jewel, and Fairy, and their secret battles against strange incidents threatening the city. As Norman is eventually hunted as a great criminal, a confession offers a glimmer of hope.

Have you ever fallen in love with a monster? — A legend and reminiscence woven by a boy’s confession and four girls.

Tsushima Rindo, an ordinary information master who manipulates information factors to produce supernatural phenomena, takes on a job to escort Holley, daughter of a fallen noble family, out of the Barga Empire. But what begins as a simple escort mission spirals into a web of conspiracy. Their flight is relentlessly pursued not only by the empire’s regular army but also by the feared Six Imperial Swords, the most powerful information masters in the empire. As the truth behind Holley’s hidden identity is revealed, Rindo unleashes the power he has kept concealed for the sake of revenge. When two people bound only by a transaction forge an oath together, all despair is dispelled—an unorthodox tale of a knight unlike any other.

When the two forge their oath, all despair is dispelled. The tale of an unorthodox knight begins!

Kuromatsu Osamu is a high school student with a hidden gift for sculpting beautiful-girl figures, who keeps others at arm's length by calling himself the Eros Demon King. One day Imakami Tsukiko, a medical student in training who secretly writes light novels, asks him to create figures of her novel's characters. To cure her mysterious inability to experience youth, Osamu takes on the challenge while confronting his own past. Winner of the Selection Committee Encouragement Award at the 30th Dengeki Novel Grand Award.

A full-scale youth romantic comedy starring the most wonderfully eccentric cast imaginable -- now begins!

High school student Yuki, drifting through apathetic days, unexpectedly reunites with Sayaka, a girl he once studied painting with six years ago. She now lives in fear of others’ gazes and cannot open her eyes, yet insists that drawing people is her “revenge” and that she will see it through at any cost. Moved by her earnest resolve, Yuki agrees to serve as her subject. As they spend time together, Yuki finds himself drawn to Sayaka’s sincerity, but she harbors another secret she has not told him. A youth love story about a boy and a girl burdened with troubles over school, family, future, and friendship who carve out their own lives through the act of drawing.

A story of love and revenge, painted by a false you and a transparent me.