On Friday, Mizushiro's fend account was flooded with angry messages from readers about why he had killed Maes Hughes.
"What will it take for Mizushiro-sensei to stop writing such heartbreaking stories? I can't handle it anymore."
"Not even reading JoJo could save me this time. I'm still crying."
"It was foreshadowed early that he was going to die, but seeing it actually happen still broke me."
"He did it again. First wonder, then despair. It's almost cruel how good he is at this."
The reaction was overwhelming. Social feeds were filled with grief and heated debates. After the Chimera chapter, readers had already braced themselves for heartbreak, so this time Haruki didn't need to go into hiding like before.
Haruki scrolled through the comments after returning from the studio. Most of the production work had been finalized, leaving him to focus mainly on sound director Masafumi. Haruki had already written out the themes with notes, and now they were shaping them into the full OST.
The next day
Haruki arrived at the studio after passing his drafts for Fullmetal Alchemist and JoJo to his assistant. He stepped into the sound room where they were already recording for the mecha launch sequence.
Taking his seat, he listened intently as the first test run played. After fine-tuning the initial attempt, they moved on to a more dramatic piece. When the horns came in, performed by a prominent guest player, the sound resonated through the room. It felt like they were reviving the essence of classic anime with the music alone.
At lunch, Haruki and Masafumi sat together in the cafeteria.
"Haruki," Masafumi asked between bites, "how did you come up with this music sheet when you don't even have a musical background?"
Haruki had already prepared for this question when he decided to reveal that he wrote the music. He set down his chopsticks and answered, "Actually, when I write manga or a story, my whole focus is on the scene itself. I don't just write the plot, I write it while feeling it, almost like lyrics or notes. Back when I first came to Tokyo, I studied music theory seriously, even though I never learned to play an instrument. So when I'm writing, I always have the sound and rhythm of the scene in my head."
Masafumi paused, stunned. The way Haruki described his process was unlike anything he had heard before. After a moment, he leaned back and asked, "So, do you ever plan to actually learn an instrument and release your own songs?"
Haruki shook his head. "No. My schedule is already packed with manga and anime work. I don't have time for anything else. Speaking of which, did we finalize the band for the opening theme?"
Masafumi nodded. "Yeah, we did. They just finished another project for a winter season anime. They'll be starting on ours next week."
After eating lunch, they returned to the studio to continue production.
As the days passed and Monday arrived, Haruka came by Haruki's apartment to pick up the new chapter and ask a few questions.
Haruki was working on his draft when she entered. She sat quietly for a moment, watching him draw. His speed and accuracy still amazed her, even though she had seen it countless times before. But seeing the way he didn't make mistakes as he kept drawing with the pencil was mesmerizing.
After finishing a page, Haruki finally looked up.
"Oh, Haruka. When did you get here? Isn't it a little early for your usual chapter pickup?"
"I came here to ask you something and hear your input," she replied.
"Oh? What's it about?"
"Did you check the new Fullmetal Alchemist ranking on Echo Shroud, and online discussion?"
"I read a few comments," Haruki said, "but I haven't checked anything else."
Haruka hesitated before continuing. "Right now, Fullmetal Alchemist is getting similar votes to Dream World. We had a meeting about promotions, and… we decided to consider making it into an anime. Normally, we wouldn't push that early. But since your story is fully outlined and there won't be scheduling problems, we could start a first season adaptation. To make season one, we're going to need next month's advance chapters, which we already have."
She paused, then added carefully, "But there are rumors. The industry already knows you've gathered three world-class production teams for Code Geass. So… should we release Fullmetal Alchemist this year? Or wait, to avoid it getting overshadowed?"
Haruki leaned back slightly. "So the industry already knows, huh? That means it's only a matter of time before the public does too."
"What did you expect?" Haruka said with a faint smile. "You brought together such a lineup of talent for one project. Considering your track record with these people, of course the news would spread."
"I do have the Fullmetal story finished," Haruki answered. "If you want to make the anime, I think you should. With my name attached, it won't be completely overlooked. But if you delay it, it'll lose its shot at awards. This year, it still has a chance to spark continuous discussion. Next year, though… I can guarantee Code Geass will completely dominate."
Haruka listened carefully. By now, she trusted his instincts. Haruki always seemed to know how much impact his manga or anime would have on people, and he had rarely been wrong. Hearing this, she could already form a rough estimate of how strongly Code Geass might shake the industry.
"So you're saying we should release Fullmetal Alchemist this year?"
"Don't worry," Haruki said calmly. "Code Geass is strong, but Fullmetal Alchemist has its own strength as a story. With the right production team, it'll have its impact. If you can bring in the best people for it, it won't be overshadowed like the others."
Hearing that, Haruka felt relieved. She had mainly come to gauge just how powerful Code Geass would be, so they could adjust the release schedule. On her way out, she realized something else: the way he described it, Fullmetal Alchemist was the only series that could truly stand against Code Geass. If both were released together, it would once again be Haruki dominating awards and rankings, just like the year before.
Shout out to Tempest99 for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)