No need to overthink it—Youichi instantly understood the nurse had simply misunderstood his relationship with Eriri.
But he didn't care about such trivial matters now. The manuscript and pencil were finally in his hands. Next, he had to draw. Only by creating manga could he survive.
About a minute later, the nurse and the attending physician returned to the ICU. They performed some basic checks, confirming his condition was stable and all devices were functioning properly. After giving a few instructions, they left again.
Youichi propped himself up on the bed, reaching for the pencil and manuscript book. He now had two hours of clear-headed time. Within that window, the pain wouldn't strike. Two hours to create a manga.
Original works were out of the question—he didn't have the energy for that. Instead, he decided to select a manga from his previous world and reproduce it.
With his master-level drawing skills combined with an extraordinary memory, finishing the first two chapters in two hours should be no problem. His technique was already at a level of perfection; all he needed to do was put the images in his mind onto paper—no edits required.
In manga creation, the most time-consuming process is polishing and revising. Great works are forged through countless revisions. Even established masters would agonize over basic composition, linework, and panel layout.
But with the system's assistance, standing on the shoulders of giants, Youichi didn't need to worry about any of that. Drawing felt like quick sketching—he could work ten times faster than anyone else.
"So… what should I draw?"
Youichi hesitated slightly, caught in mild indecision. Choosing a work wasn't easy—the world he came from was full of legendary manga.
"Slam Dunk, Prince of Tennis, Death Note, Detective Conan, Naruto, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya…"
Any of them would be a masterpiece in this world. Of course, they were all masterpieces in the original world too.
He wanted to reproduce all of these classics, letting them shine in this new reality. But reality wasn't so generous. He only had seven days left to live—no, more accurately, six and a half days.
After reviewing the system's task requirements and considering that lifespan rewards would be based on the manga's quality and impact, Youichi made a decision: start with a blockbuster opening. Something shocking enough to immediately capture readers' attention and meet the system's requirements. This way, the potential reward could be maximized, and he could buy more time to survive.
"Then it's decided! Attack on Titan!"
In his previous world, Attack on Titan started explosively, immediately drawing readers into its intense survival conflicts in a post-apocalyptic setting. Its animated adaptation propelled it to global fame, securing its place as a legendary work.
Sure, the ending was controversial, but objectively, the story up until then was worthy of acclaim.
"If I can, I'll rewrite the ending," Youichi thought. He wasn't sure he could craft a perfect conclusion, but as a creator, he wanted to try. It was a chance to amend a regret of the original.
Without hesitation, he picked up the automatic pencil and began sketching rapidly in the manuscript book.
True to his master-level skill, just a few strokes brought the characters and their expressions to life. His panels were visually striking, with excellent composition and line work.
Completely immersed in creation, the two hours passed in what felt like moments—a phenomenon perhaps akin to Einstein's relativity, where time seems to speed up under certain conditions.
The manuscript book, not very thick to begin with, was soon filled. Fifty pages, covering two chapters—finished perfectly within two hours. What took the original author, Hajime Isayama, a month or more to conceive and draw, Youichi reproduced in mere hours. This was the power of the system: manga creation became as simple as copying a sketch.
Of course, he didn't replicate everything exactly. As a creator, he still had artistic standards. He fixed minor flaws from the original and polished the style, making the work more refined.
Once done, a wave of fatigue and sharp pain hit him. His awareness began to blur. Knowing his conscious time had ended, he set down the pencil and book and lay back down. Darkness took him again.
The next day, Saturday.
Eriri normally slept in on weekends, but today she woke unusually early.
Due to a restless night, dark circles had formed under her eyes. Her mother, Sayuri, had just sent her husband off and returned to the living room, only to find Eriri quietly eating bread and drinking milk at the table.
"Huh… Eriri, isn't it the weekend? Why are you up so early?" Sayuri asked, puzzled. She noticed her usually cheerful daughter seemed unusually somber, a heavy weight lingering in her expression.
Her emotions were written all over her face; she couldn't hide them. Her appetite was poor—after a few bites, she stopped eating.
"Mom… if you were about to die tomorrow, what would you want to do?" Eriri asked casually, sipping her milk.
Sayuri's face went blank.
"Eriri! Don't curse me first thing in the morning! Don't say such unlucky things…" She reached out and flicked her forehead gently.
Eriri snapped back to reality and quickly apologized. "Sorry, Mom…"
Sayuri understood it was unintentional. Seeing her daughter's gloomy expression, she guessed something was wrong.
"Eriri… something happened, didn't it? You can tell me."
Eriri shook her head. "Mom… I'm… fine…"
But after a brief pause, she sighed and decided she had to speak about what was weighing on her heart.
"Mom… I have a classmate," Eriri began slowly, her voice trembling, "he has a serious form of cancer. The doctors said… he might not make it…" She paused for a moment before continuing, "…Yesterday, I went to the hospital to see him."
Sayuri's teasing expression immediately faded, replaced by a grave look.
"I see…"
Death is always a delicate topic; people naturally avoid it. And when confronted with it, everyone reacts differently.
Sayuri gently patted Eriri's shoulder. "Eriri, don't be sad. Death… it's like the blooming and withering of flowers. It's a journey every life must take."
But her words barely reached Eriri. A few tears slipped down her cheeks.
Eriri was an emotional girl. In that moment, her mind involuntarily wandered back to her childhood golden retriever—the dog that had been her constant companion.
When she and her best friend parted ways, it was that golden retriever who had stayed by her side through the hardest times.
Since the dog had passed away from illness, Eriri had never had another pet.
"Ugh… Mom…"
Suddenly, her emotions broke. She couldn't hold back any longer and clung to Sayuri, softly sobbing into her mother's embrace.
Sayuri stroked her daughter's hair. "Eriri… don't cry… don't cry…"
In that moment, she realized her little girl had grown up. She would soon need to face death herself.
"Eriri, after breakfast, go see your classmate," Sayuri said gently, wiping away her tears. "Make sure to say goodbye properly. Don't leave any regrets."
Eriri nodded softly. "I… understand…"
Even if her mother hadn't said it, she had intended to do exactly that. Though she wasn't particularly close to Youichi, and her feelings for him were limited to sympathy and concern, she resolved to follow her mother's advice and see him properly one last time.
After breakfast, Eriri changed her clothes, hopped on her bicycle, and took the nutritional supplements her mother had prepared for Youichi. She headed to the hospital.
Sitting on a bench outside the ICU, she waited for a few minutes. Then the nurse who had attended Youichi the day before emerged from his room.
Seeing Eriri, the nurse smiled warmly. "Little miss, you're here. I'm heading to another ward, so you can help look after your boyfriend. If anything happens, press the call button by the bed."
Before Eriri could respond, the nurse left with a smile.
Eriri didn't dwell on the comment. She pushed open the ICU door and entered the room.
She placed the nutritional supplements on the table and pulled over a chair, sitting beside Youichi's bed.
He was still asleep, his face pale and drawn, with only the rise and fall of his chest indicating he was still alive.
A flicker of worry passed through Eriri's eyes. Her heart was once again overwhelmed by sympathy and concern.
After a moment, she noticed the manuscript book beside the bed.
She remembered—it was the manga book she had bought for him yesterday.
"What did he draw?" she wondered, curiosity piqued. She picked up the book and opened it.
The moment she saw the first page, she froze in surprise.
"A manga?"
Her attention immediately focused on the illustrations. On the front page, a few people looked toward the distance, faces etched with terror. A close-up followed: three children were in the center of the panel.
The boy in the middle had a determined expression, clearly the protagonist.
All three children's faces were filled with fear and panic, as though witnessing something unimaginable.
The next panel shifted the scene. A towering wall loomed before them, and a gigantic hand suddenly emerged from behind it…
"That day, humanity recalled…""The fear they lived under…""And the humiliation of being trapped in a cage…"
The text along the sides of the panels drew Eriri further into the story. She couldn't stop flipping the pages.
Page after page… the further she read, the more shocked she became.
By the time she reached the last page, she instinctively covered her mouth with one hand.
The story of the manga had stirred a storm inside her. Titans were brutally slaughtering humans, devouring them. Humanity had built massive walls to survive, hiding within them… until one day, the Titans broke through.
The world and setting were incredibly unique, the story's twists and turns enthralling.
Eriri had never seen anything like it in any manga or light novel.
"This… this story is incredible!"
She couldn't believe Youichi, a seemingly quiet classmate, could create something like this. How vast must his imagination be?
Her admiration grew.
And it wasn't just the story. The art style and technique stunned her as well: realistic drawing, perfect composition, masterful paneling… every frame delivered a visual impact that left her awestruck.
As a doujin artist, she usually drew fan art and short, simple story-based works. She hadn't made proper manga before.
Even so, she could tell that Youichi's manga was exceptional.
What shocked her most was that he had drawn all this in just one day. Even if the story had been planned in advance, the fact that he could execute it so perfectly in a single day could only be the work of a genius.
"Is he… a genius?"
She couldn't imagine any other possibility. In her mind, Youichi was simply a prodigy.
Eriri herself was a genius-level artist. When inspiration struck, she could produce several high-quality pieces overnight.
But compared to Youichi, she realized her skills fell far short.
Looking at Youichi lying in the hospital bed, she couldn't help but see this quiet classmate in a new light. Curiosity and admiration stirred within her.
Just then, Youichi opened his eyes.