As Amane was reading the latest sales report, her thoughts drifted.
Gilded Lock and Chain Veil publishing house dominated magazine sales, averaging 15 to 16 million copies sold. Meanwhile, Echo Shroud and Red Lantern had been battling for third place for over a year, one month, Echo Shroud would take the lead; the next, Red Lantern would bounce back.
But ever since Haruki announced the endings of both Natsume's Friends and Initial D, Echo Shroud's numbers had started climbing, and they hadn't stopped.
For two and a half months straight, Echo Shroud stayed ahead of Red Lantern, something that had never happened before. Their sales had always fluctuated, but now Echo Shroud was holding a steady lead. The editorial department at Red Lantern could feel the pressure closing in.
Amane turned the page to the newest chapter poll results for Echo Shroud's most popular series:
#1: Initial D – 1.5 million votes#2: Dream World#3: Natsume's Book of Friends#10: Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist didn't have as explosive a debut as Initial D, but its ranking was still promising. Initial D had burst onto the scene with fast pacing and immediate thrills. Fullmetal, on the other hand, was a slow burn, layered worldbuilding, medium pacing, and deep emotional stakes. It was the kind of manga that pulled readers in chapter by chapter, as the pieces gradually came together.
Amane finally relaxed when she saw the poll. The potential was there. Once readers adjusted to the rhythm, Fullmetal had everything it needed to become a flagship title.
For the past twelve years, Echo Shroud and Red Lantern had been fighting for third place, and now that she had taken the role of Editor-in-Chief, her goal was clear: claim that third place officially.
Later that night, Haruki called Ryuko.
"You free tonight? Thought we could get a few matches in."
Ryuko replied, "You actually have time to play? You're juggling three serializations. I can barely manage my one voice role."
"I'm not saying I'm free often. Just… right now. It's been a week since we last played."
Ryuko paused."All right. I've got a little time. Let's go."
They formed a team and jumped into a match. Midgame, Haruki's phone buzzed. He picked it up without pausing.
"Hey Haruki, what are you doing? I'm bored. Wanna play a couple rounds?" Airi's voice came through. In the background, Ryuko could hear a character activating a skill.
"Wait, are you playing right now? Invite me! Let's all play together!"
"Just a minute. We're mid-match. I'll send an invite after this," Haruki said.
When the match ended, he sent Airi the invite. She joined and noticed Ryuko in the group.
"Eh? Haruki, you two play games often or something? Why don't you ever invite me?" Airi complained.
"It's not like that. Ryuko's just been helping me get better," Haruki said.
Airi laughed. "Helping you? And you're still stuck in the same tier as me? If it were me, I'd be gold by now. Hey Ryuko, stop teaching him, teach me! You've been teaching this guy for weeks and he still sucks. Let's face it, we're always gonna have to carry Haruki."
Before Ryuko could answer, Haruki cut in.
"Oi, who're you calling hopeless? Like you're any better than me. Wanna challenge me? I've definitely improved since the last time we played."
After two rounds, Haruki and Airi each had around 20 kills. The rest? All Ryuko. They won the match. (Note: Each game averages between 60 to 100 kills.)
They called it a draw.
Then Ryuko asked, "Hey Haruki, you released that new manga, right? Fullmetal Alchemist. How's it doing?"
Haruki kept playing as he answered, "Ranked seventh. Not bad. You read the chapter yet?"
Ryuko replied, "Nah, I'm waiting for a few chapters to pile up so I can binge. I know your cliffhangers can be brutal, so I'll wait."
Airi jumped in, "I really like Elicia. So, this isn't going to be your usual tearjerker, right?"
Haruki paused, unsure how to respond. After a moment, he said, "It's a good story. That's all I'll say. No spoilers, Ryuko hasn't read it yet."
And just like that, the three of them kept playing late into the night.
As the weeks passed, fans waited eagerly, not just for the final Initial D chapters, but also for the mysterious new engine that had been teased.
Isamu, like many others, was glued to both. He was desperate to see what kind of monster Takumi's new car would become, but just as hooked on Fullmetal Alchemist, which was slowly unfolding into something much larger than he expected.
The next chapter picked up right where it left off.
The military had sent a search party to find Isaac, the Ice Alchemist.
In the next panel, Isaac was shown drawing alchemy circles across the city. As he moved through an alley, the wall beside him suddenly transformed. First, an arrow-shaped spike shot out as he gained distance, then a fist burst through the wall, breaking it and swinging toward him.
A new character appeared: Major Armstrong, introduced with his usual flair. He launched into a fight with Isaac, but Isaac slipped away again. Time passed, and night fell.
Later, military officers located Isaac on a rooftop and tried to capture him. He escaped once more, but Edward followed close behind. Unfortunately, he was too late.
The alchemy circles Isaac had drawn across the city activated.
Ice started to form, thick and spreading quickly. The circles linked together, creating a vast network. The military tried to destroy the formations, but each strike was useless; the damage either healed or shifted. Every attack just pushed the growth in a new direction.
Edward and Al pursued Isaac, leaping across the frozen structures forming beneath them. In the midst of the fight, Isaac landed a sudden, heavy blow to Al's head. His helmet flew off from the impact, spinning through the air before crashing to the ground.
But there was no one inside.
Isaac froze.
Flip.
There was no next page.
Isamu stared at the cliffhanger. At first, he felt frustrated. But after a deep breath, he leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"You knew what you signed up for when you became a Mizushiro fan," he muttered. "Gotta accept it. Nothing else I can do."
Still, what was that? He'd always thought Al was inside the armor and couldn't leave. So was this some kind of artificial intelligence? A puppet? Or something else entirely?
He had no idea.
"Haaahhh... now I have to wait a whole week."
Afterward, he read the latest Initial D. The race had slowed down, with Takumi working on upgrading his car. Solid chapter overall.
After some thought, Isamu made up his mind:
I'm voting for Fullmetal Alchemist this week.
As the new chapter votes came in—
Initial D was still holding onto first place. But Fullmetal Alchemist had jumped up to seventh.
That kind of rise didn't happen often. Most new series didn't climb that fast, it usually took five or six months to build momentum. But when a mangaka already had a strong following, things moved differently. Their next work didn't start at the bottom like others.
And there was a big difference between someone who had one big hit, and someone who built a career on multiple manga. Readers trusted them.
Haruki was in the middle of drawing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, almost halfway through the first volume, when Haruka called.
"The opening video for Fullmetal Alchemist is ready. We'll release it the day before the magazine hits stands."
"Got it," Haruki said.
"And make sure to post it on your Fend account too. I usually don't remind you, but since you're juggling like three things at once, figured you might forget."
"I'll post it now."
Later that night, Haruki opened his Fend account and made a quick post:
"Hey everyone, I've got a surprise for you all.This Thursday, I'll be releasing the opening video for Fullmetal Alchemist.Make sure to check it out!"
It didn't even take an hour before the comments started rolling in:
"Opening song for a manga? What is this about?""Is Fullmetal Alchemist getting an anime already? It's only like three chapters in??"
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)