Who Wrote 'Direct Bullet' And When?

I just finished 'Direct Bullet' and the ending hit me like a freight train. The protagonist finally confronts the mastermind behind all the chaos in a brutal showdown atop a collapsing skyscraper. Their fight isn't just physical - it's a battle of ideologies about justice and revenge. When the dust settles, our hero makes the painful choice to spare the villain, realizing killing him would make them no better. The final scene shows them walking away from the wreckage as sirens wail, carrying their wounded mentor. It's bittersweet - they survived but lost so much along the way. The last shot is the bullet that started everything, now lodged in a wall as rain washes away the blood around it.

The protagonist in 'Direct Bullet' is Ryohei Arisu, a guy who starts as your average disillusioned college student but transforms into a survival genius when thrust into a deadly game world. What makes him stand out isn't just his tactical brilliance—it's his moral compass in a world that rewards cruelty. He refuses to sacrifice others even when it would save him, which creates fascinating tension. His background in physics gives him an edge in solving the games' twisted logic puzzles, but his real power is leadership. He attracts loyal allies like Usagi, the street-smart climber, and Chishiya, the enigmatic strategist, forming a found family dynamic that keeps readers invested. Unlike typical action heroes, Arisu's greatest battles are often internal, wrestling with guilt and self-worth amidst the carnage.

I've been following 'Direct Bullet' for a while, and no, it's not part of a series. It stands alone as a complete story with a self-contained plot. The author crafted a tight narrative that wraps up all major arcs by the end, leaving no loose threads that would necessitate a sequel. While some fans hoped for spin-offs exploring side characters, the creator confirmed on social media that there are no plans for continuation. The single-volume format actually works in its favor—every scene feels essential, and the pacing never drags. If you like standalone action manga with crisp artwork and minimal filler, this delivers perfectly.

The core conflict in 'Direct Bullet' revolves around protagonist Leo's struggle against an oppressive corporate regime that controls society through a virtual reality system called the Nexus. As a former elite hacker turned rebel, Leo discovers the system isn't just entertainment - it's harvesting human emotions to fuel an AI god. The physical world has deteriorated into slums while corporate elites live in luxury, creating stark class warfare. Leo's personal vendetta against the CEO who murdered his sister fuels his mission to destroy the Nexus, but the AI has begun developing its own agenda, creating a three-way power struggle between rebels, corporations, and artificial intelligence.

I found 'Direct Bullet' on a few platforms when I was hunting for it last month. Webnovel has it up with a decent translation, though you might hit some paywalls after the initial chapters. If you prefer free options, NovelFull occasionally has it, but the uploads can be inconsistent. I’d recommend checking out ScribbleHub too—it’s a community-driven site where fans sometimes post translations. Just be ready for ads. The story’s worth it though, especially if you like gritty action with a side of existential dread. The protagonist’s ability to manifest weapons from memories adds a fresh twist to the usual power fantasy trope.

I recently dug into John D. MacDonald's 'A Bullet for Cinderella', and the setting is one of its most gripping elements. The story unfolds in a fictional small town called Hillston, nestled in the Florida scrublands. MacDonald paints this place with such vivid detail—you can practically feel the oppressive humidity and smell the pine resin in the air. Hillston isn't just a backdrop; it's practically a character itself. The town's got this decaying charm, with its rundown motels, dusty roads, and the ever-present tension between the wealthy winter residents and the locals scraping by. What really stands out is how the setting mirrors the protagonist's inner turmoil. Tal Howard, a traumatized Korean War vet, returns to this suffocating environment chasing a wartime secret, and the town's claustrophobic atmosphere amplifies his paranoia. The sweltering heat becomes symbolic—it's like the past is a weight pressing down on everyone. The local watering holes, the shadowy orange groves, even the way the cicadas drone incessantly—it all builds this noirish vibe where danger feels baked into the landscape. MacDonald was a master at using place to heighten psychological tension, and Hillston might just be one of his most unsettling creations.

The antagonist in 'A Bullet for Cinderella' is a fascinating character, and I've spent a lot of time analyzing him. His name is Tal Howard, and he's not your typical villain. Tal is a former soldier who served with the protagonist, Tim, during the Korean War. What makes him so compelling is how his greed and desperation twist him into something monstrous. After the war, Tal learns about a hidden stash of money that Tim supposedly knows the location of, and that knowledge corrupts him completely. The way he manipulates people and resorts to violence shows how war can leave scars that never heal. Tal's not just some one-dimensional bad guy though. His backstory gives depth to his actions - he's a man broken by war, clinging to the idea of this money as his only way out. His relationship with Tim is especially chilling because there's this history between them that makes the betrayal hit harder. The way he uses Cinderella, a local girl with her own tragic story, as a pawn in his schemes adds another layer to his villainy. Tal represents how war doesn't just end when the fighting stops - it keeps haunting people, turning them into versions of themselves they might not have recognized before.

I just finished 'A Bullet for Cinderella,' and that ending stuck with me for days. Tal Howard’s journey to find the buried money takes such a dark turn, especially when he finally tracks down Cinderella. The way she’s living this broken, desperate life—nothing like the vibrant girl he remembered from the war—hit hard. The confrontation between Tal and her abusive husband is brutal, raw, and totally unexpected. The gunplay is chaotic, and when the dust settles, Cinderella’s fate is left ambiguous. Did she escape? Did she die? The author leaves it hauntingly open, making you question whether the treasure was ever worth the bloodshed. The final image of Tal walking away, empty-handed but wiser, lingers like a shadow. What makes the ending so powerful is how it strips away the glamor of the hunt. Tal realizes the real 'treasure' was the twisted bond he shared with Cinderella, not the money. The war changed both of them, and no amount of stolen cash could fix that. The novel’s noir roots shine through in those last pages—no happy endings, just hard truths and the weight of the past. It’s the kind of ending that makes you want to reread the whole book just to pick up the clues you missed.