Chapter 15.5: Author's Note
Hey everyone. It's been a while. First off, I want to thank you all for the support you've shown over the last handful of chapters.
Normally, my chapters sit around 2,000 words. But recently I've started making them longer so I can include more content.
The reason for that is simple: for this part of the story, the pacing has shifted. I want to move at a slower, more deliberate pace. And to avoid inflating the chapter count too much, I decided to make individual chapters longer.
That said, not every chapter from here on out will be 4,000+ words. Some will likely be shorter depending on what the chapter needs.
Let me explain.
The first arc of this fanfiction was very fast-paced. I'm not necessarily mad about that, plenty of popular series start with fast, action-heavy openings.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many more.
They're popular for a reason. A lot of people love fast-paced, action-packed stories, and honestly, I can't blame them.
But at the same time, looking back, I do wish I'd slowed down in certain areas early on. For example, in Chapter 3 ("Albion and Gajeel"), what could've been a slower section that built their relationship more ended up lasting only one chapter before turning into a fight.
In hindsight, it probably would've been better if I'd given that dynamic two to three chapters of character interaction before things escalated.
That's one of the things I regret about how quickly the beginning moved.
This is why from Chapter 5 onward, the story becomes a bit slower. I'm not complaining about the slower pace itself. The only thing I wanted to address was the amount of content per chapter, and that's what I've recently been adjusting.
Of course, longer chapters also mean they take longer to finish. Recent chapters have been landing closer to every 7 days, whereas before I was doing weekly chapters that took me about 5 days to complete if I worked on them every day.
But enough about pacing and why I made these changes.
Now I want to start expanding on the magical beast lore—something I didn't really have room to do earlier.
The first official magical beast introduced in the story is the Vulcan, taken directly from the original series.
Its appearance and temperament remain largely unchanged, serving as a familiar starting point before the world begins to expand into something far more unpredictable.
The next beast appears in Chapter 13: The First Sensation. The creature Metsuri battles is known as a Trench Stalker.
Originally a deep-sea octopus, prolonged exposure to dense Mahō forced its body to evolve beyond its natural limits.
Over time, it developed a stable internal structure, allowing it to mimic a humanoid form, an adaptation that greatly improves both mobility and hunting efficiency.
Trench Stalkers are most commonly found in the deepest parts of the ocean, lurking within underwater trenches where light barely reaches.
In Chapter 14: The First Sensation II, a new type of beast emerges, one that feels almost rooted to the land itself. This is the Dendravore.
Once arboreal mammals, these creatures were gradually overtaken by the very environment they inhabited. Continuous exposure to dense Mahō caused their bodies to fuse with surrounding plant life, resulting in a being that is neither fully animal nor fully vegetation.
Dendravores now reside deep within remote untouched forests. Places where nature has been left undisturbed for generations.
Soon after, a far more imposing presence appears, a towering, 15-meter beast that nearly shatters Metsuri's barrier. This creature is known as the Gravemarch.
Born from massive land animals such as elephants and gorillas, these beasts were subjected to extreme Mahō pressure. Instead of breaking, their bodies adapted.
Following this, the skies themselves become dangerous with the appearance of the Aureliarch.
Descended from eagles, Aureliarch are high-altitude predators that rule over mountain peaks and the upper atmosphere. Their evolution is straightforward.
Finally, there is the Warbound Juggernaut.
Once great apes, these beasts differ from the others in one key way, they are not bound to a specific environment. Warbound Juggernauts appear far more frequently and can emerge almost anywhere.
Some of you might be wondering why none of this information appears directly in the story.
The answer is simple, Metsuri wouldn't know it.
She's a shinobi. While she has a solid understanding of magical beasts, that knowledge only goes so far.
Recognizing a creature and understanding how to fight it is one thing. But identifying its exact species, evolution, or origin just by looking at it is something else entirely.
Oh, and one more thing.
The reference in Chapter 14 was inspired by Yuta Okkotsu from Jujutsu Kaisen.
More specifically, that moment where he stands against multiple opponents, sword in hand.
The parallels are intentional. Both characters are facing overwhelming numbers. Both rely on a sword.
Even the dialogue mirrors that energy.
As for the reference in the most recent chapter… I won't say much. It's fairly obvious, and honestly, sometimes saying less makes it hit harder.
Lastly, I want to touch on something a few of you have already noticed, the characters' names.
While I briefly explained this in a previous bonus chapter, it's worth expanding on. Most of the names I've chosen aren't random, they're meant to reflect something about the character or their nature.
Take Gajeel Lionheart, for example.
"Lionheart" represents bravery. someone who stands fearless in the face of danger, much like a lion itself.
Then there's Juvia Greywater.
Greywater refers to used household water, something recycled and repurposed. It's not pure, but it's still valuable, still useful.
Now, Metsuri.
Her name carries two meanings: destruction as reason, and annihilation guided by logic. Both interpretations reflect the core of who she is.
And finally, the surname Ebonveil.
The word evokes something dark, hidden, almost otherworldly, often associated with mysterious or elven-like places.
Which fits perfectly with her home village, Metsugakure.
Metsuri's two slashing techniques also carry meaning.
Suntetsu literally translates to "a small piece of iron," or more simply, a short blade.
Sesshoku-zan means "contact slash"—a cut delivered through direct touch.
Lastly, although it was already mentioned back in Chapter 3, Albion's name has its roots in Latin. It comes from albus, meaning "white," which is where the name originates.
That's all for this bonus chapter. If you enjoyed it, make sure to drop some power stones.
Thank you all for the support.