The news spread like wildfire through the Japanese publishing world: Marcus Kane, the foreign author of the My Hero Academia phenomenon, was slamming the door on his former publisher and selling the rights to his series for an astronomical sum to a rival company. To make matters worse, he was already announcing his next project, a manga titled "Demon Slayer", signed directly with the industry giant Shueisha and its respected director, Hideki Yamashita.
The reaction from Mr. Saito and his publishing house was immediate and fierce. They filed a dual lawsuit, suing Marcus for breach of contract and unfair competition, claiming he had developed Demon Slayer in secret while still under contract with them.
The office of Marcus's lawyer, an impassive man named Tanaka (no relation to his former editor), was a battlefield of files and screens.
"They are claiming the concept of Demon Slayer is too similar, that it derives from your previous work," the lawyer explained, scrolling through pages of legal jargon. "They want the rights to the new manga and colossal damages."
Marcus, sitting across the desk, was remarkably calm.
"My Hero Academia was about modern heroes with superpowers. Demon Slayer is a historical tale about demon slayers with swords. The only similarity is that they are both shōnen series. Their argument is hollow."
"The law is not always about logic, Kane-san, but about evidence and persuasion," the lawyer replied. "Fortunately, you anticipated this."
Indeed, Marcus had documented everything. He produced sketchbooks dating from before the creation of My Hero Academia, showing early drafts of Demon Slayer characters. He had encrypted emails with Hideki Yamashita, dated only after his official departure, proving that negotiations for the new manga began only after his ties were severed.
The battle raged for weeks. The media, hungry for scandal, dubbed the case "The Manga War." Saito, in interviews, played the card of wounded patriotism, portraying Marcus as an ungrateful foreign profiteer. Marcus, meanwhile, maintained a dignified public silence, letting his lawyers and the evidence speak for him.
The final blow came from an unexpected source. His former editor, Mr. Tanaka, discreetly contacted Marcus's lawyer. Disgusted by Saito's methods, he provided a recording of an internal meeting where Saito clearly stated: "It doesn't matter if the story is different. The 'Kane' name is worth gold. We need to break him and reclaim his value. The similarity argument is just a pretext."
When this recording was presented in court, the publisher's position collapsed.
The judgment was swift. The unfair competition claim was dismissed. The breach of contract was ruled legitimate, as Saito had clearly attempted to wrongfully appropriate Marcus's work. Not only was Marcus freed from all ties, but Saito's publishing house was ordered to pay him damages for moral harassment and attempted dilution of his copyright.
A few days later, Marcus was sitting in the spacious, elegant office of Hideki Yamashita at Shueisha.
"The storm has passed, Kane-san," Yamashita said, offering him tea. "You not only won, but you exposed their dishonesty. Your reputation is stronger for it."
"I just wanted to protect my work," Marcus replied, taking a sip of tea.
"And you did so with the efficiency of a samurai," Yamashita smiled. "Now, let's talk about the future. The world is waiting for Demon Slayer. Let's show them what you're made of."
Leaving the building, Marcus felt an enormous weight lift from his shoulders. He had fought a bureaucratic and corrupt dragon with the weapons of law and preparation, and he had won. The path was now clear. Demon Slayer could be born, free from all constraints. A new battle was won, not with fists, but with a pencil and a clear mind.