"Then I'll take you tomorrow so you can meet the team," Haruka said the moment Haruki agreed. She didn't waste time.
"Tomorrow? That fast?" Haruki was a little surprised.
"You said you wanted to visit their studio on weekends, didn't you? Tomorrow is the weekend," she replied matter-of-factly. "There's nothing urgent going on, so it's a good time to introduce yourself."
Haruki thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
"Great. I'll be waiting outside your place at nine sharp, so be ready," Haruka added before hanging up.
Haruki returned to his drawing desk. His current focus was on Madoka Magica and his new anime project, so he hadn't been paying much attention to his current Serialization.
But his fans had.
Especially those following Initial D, who had been anxiously awaiting this week's issue in Shroud Line.
To them, the wait had felt like an eternity. This week's chapter would finally bring the long-anticipated showdown between Fujiwara Takumi and Ryosuke Takahashi to its conclusion.
Ryosuke, who had stood as the series' dominant figure since his first appearance, was now challenging Takumi's AE86 on Akina's mountain pass. Every rival Takumi had faced before returned to spectate, and the corners of Akina were packed.
In the manga, Ryosuke had been tailing the 86 deliberately studying Takumi's every move, mimicking his technique. Takumi, pressured by Ryosuke's relentless pursuit, pushed his car to the limit.
The tension built as Ryosuke closed in. His FC couldn't quite shake the 86 due to traction issues, but he maintained the pressure. Then, before the series of five consecutive hairpins, Ryosuke made his move and overtook Takumi.
Fans were stunned. Had Ryosuke finally won?
But as they plunged into the iconic sequence of hairpin turns, Takumi remembered his father's lesson: a second driving technique—one that emphasized exit speed rather than entry grip.
Readers could tell: this was going to be Takumi's trump card.
True enough, Takumi's car hugged the inner edge of the drain. At the final corner, with the commentary of Takeshi and Shingo from the Myogi NightKids, the outcome became clear—whoever emerged in front after the last turn would be the winner.
Despite holding the inside line, Ryosuke's FC slid outward due to loss of grip.
And just like that—Takumi's AE86 pulled ahead.
Readers were floored.
This moment had been building for over a year. From Ryosuke's introduction to now, the mountain king of Akina had finally triumphed over his greatest rival.
That night, Initial D fans across the country flooded the Shroud Line website to vote. Social media lit up with discussions. Haruki's account was quickly filled with comments about the latest chapter.
At midnight, the system chimed in Haruki's mind:
"Congratulations. Your series Initial D has ranked #1 in Shroud Line's reader poll. You've earned one S-rank lottery reward. Keep up the good work."
Haruki's hand trembled slightly as he held his pen.
An S-rank reward? Again?
Only then did he remember today was release day.
He had planned this arc knowing it would climax with this battle, but he hadn't expected it to push Initial D to the top spot. Until now, Natsume's Friends and Dream world had been trading first place week to week, buoyed by anime exposure. Initial D had always been close, but never quite reached the top.
He'd been so absorbed in the anime production and his new manga draft that he'd stopped thinking about rankings.
And now, with two S-rank lottery chances in hand, Haruki felt a surge of confidence. His biggest worry—the uncertainty of what came next after ending his two series suddenly felt less pressing.
If one lottery failed, he still had another. If both were duds, he could use world points to hand-pick something else.
For now, the pressure eased.
At Shroud Line's editorial office, the overnight shift checked the latest polling data.
Another late night, another surprise.
"Unbelievable," one editor muttered. "Natsume's Friends just topped the chart a few weeks ago… and now Initial D takes the crown. Both by the same author. Two concurrent serials, both hitting #1… has that ever happened before?"
"Not in our history. And I doubt it will again."
"It's crazy when you think about it. Out of all the major publishers, Echo shroud is the one being led by two kids—one just turned twenty, the other nineteen. If they keep this up, they could take the whole company to another level."
Another editor leaned over. "You heard the rumor though, right? That Mizushiro wants to end Initial D and Natsume?"
"Yeah, apparently the higher-ups have already tried to talk him out of it three times."
"I mean, why? Initial D just hit #1, and it's about to get its standalone volume release. Is he not thinking about the prestige? The money? Both of these series made him who he is."
While the group speculated, a sharp voice cut through the chatter.
"Who said Initial D and Natsume's Friends are ending?"
They turned.
A woman in her early fifties stepped out of the nearby office. Slim, composed, no-nonsense.
It was Yuzuki Amane, head of operations and likely the next editor-in-chief once Katsumi stepped down.
The room fell silent.
Amane was known for being strict and pragmatic, but also for getting results.
"You think Mizushiro's success came from his talent alone?" she continued coldly. "How many people and resources did we pour into those two series? Even if he's the author, he doesn't get to dictate everything."
Her eyes swept over them. "We're not here to gossip. He's not made any formal announcement. Don't spread rumors that damage the company's standing. Understood?"
With that, she picked up her bag and left the office.
The editors exchanged glances.
They understood what she was really saying.
If Haruki truly had another major work lined up, ending the current two wouldn't be catastrophic for the magazine but it would be a political headache for Amane.
Once she officially became editor-in-chief, her first responsibility would be to stabilize the company. Shroud Line's performance would be her benchmark.
If Mizushiro pulled both of his hit series right as she took charge… it would make her position immediately precarious.
So yes, Amane had every reason to want him to stay the course.
But whether she could actually influence Haruki?
That was another matter.
Even Katsumi couldn't persuade him. And Haruki wasn't the kind of artist to bend just because someone in a suit asked nicely.
In fact, if another publisher saw him growing distant from Echo shroud, they'd be lining up to recruit him.
So despite Amane confident tone, no one in that room believed things would go exactly as she hoped.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)