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The explosion of Initial D within the pages of Weekly Prime sent massive shockwaves rippling through the entire manga industry. In this world, the audiences of the Big Four manga publishers were almost entirely overlapping. Whenever a masterpiece emerged in one magazine, the dedicated readers of the other three would catch wind of it in a heartbeat.
A series capable of seizing the number four spot in Weekly Prime in such a short time was a phenomenon that was impossible to ignore.
Manga critics and industry commentators were already clocking into work, weaving praises for the rising stars while sharpening their knives for those whose rankings were slipping. This cycle of critique and hype was the lifeblood of the industry, and the readers devoured it greedily.
Manga enthusiasts across the nation were now intensely focused on this newcomer that had climbed to the fourth rank in just three weeks of serialization. In otaku circles and high school hallways, people were already frantically asking their friends to borrow back-issues of Weekly Prime just to catch up on the opening chapters.
On Saturday, Haruto and Shizuru were invited by the Prime Manga editorial department to appear on a live broadcast for a national channel. The show was a popular variety program that featured interviews with rising talents across various creative fields.
This was a core part of Haruto's obligations; his contract with Prime Manga included promotional appearances to build a brand around the creators themselves. They wanted to craft an iconic image for their newest star duo. When the program aired that evening, it achieved exactly that.
Haruto, with his handsome features, stood in perfect contrast to Shizuru's elegant, vibrant, and talented aura. The Q&A segment was designed to showcase their personalities, and their television debut acted as an advertisement for Initial D.
However, fame is a gradual mountain to climb,
and a fanbase requires time to ferment. For Shizuru, the mounting pressure was beginning to feel heavy. Back when she was a struggling artist whose work no one liked, she only had to deal with a day or two of disappointment. Now, she spent every waking moment terrified that the next ranking might show a decline.
"Hey, Haruto... don't you ever worry about the rankings dropping? How can you stay so calm every single day?" Shizuru asked suddenly while they were reviewing the latest storyboard drafts.
"A drop in rank? Hmm. Why would I worry about that?" Haruto replied casually. "As creators, we have no control over those numbers once the work is out there. We just have to let it be."
"Don't let it get to you," he added with a slight smile. "If Initial D ever slips, it will be because of the plot I wrote, not because of your art. Your skill is beyond reproach."
"You... you really have a way with words, Haruto," Shizuru said, a faint blush touching her cheeks as a smile finally broke through her nervous face. "I wish I had your nerves of steel. I'm just worried that once the truth about Natsuki and her 'father' is revealed, the readers might actually start a riot!"
Strictly speaking, Initial D was an incredibly exhilarating and satisfying series, but it was also punctuated by narrative beats that were genuinely hard for the audience to swallow. First, there was the tragic romance of a supporting character later in the story, which left many fans heartbroken.
But even that paled in comparison to the subplot involving Natsuki and the man in the Mercedes Benz.
For many readers, it would be an agonizing pill to swallow. A character established as the primary heroine was involved in a relationship with an older man. The idea of a high school girl seeking out a "sugar daddy" for financial gain was a bit too "real" and provocative. It was bound to trigger an emotional explosion.
"Is there really a point to giving the heroine a backstory like that?" Shizuru asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. She found it difficult to draw Natsuki's scenes knowing what was coming. After hearing Haruto's outline of the future plot, her own heart had taken a bit of a hit.
"Her role is to facilitate Takumi's psychological evolution," Haruto explained simply.
In the world of manga, a common thread exists across almost all legendary titles.
The protagonist's growth is always tethered to their mental state. Whether it is a sports manga or a battle-shonen, when a character achieves emotional maturity or overcomes a trauma, their technical skill inevitably skyrockets.
You see it in the impossible shots of sports icons, the power-ups in classic action series, and the desperate turnarounds in epic adventures. Once a character conquers their inner demons, they become stronger through sheer force of will.
If you asked Haruto if he personally "liked" the character of Natsuki, the answer would be no. He had considered removing her entirely to make the story a "pure" racing manga. Ultimately, however, he realized that Natsuki was an essential catalyst for Takumi's growth.
Takumi's shift in attitude toward racing, and his first true loss, stemmed directly from his mental collapse after learning the truth about Natsuki. His subsequent redemption and his victory over a powerful rival were only possible because he had come to terms with the situation.
Even his eventual decision to leave the mountain and enter the wider world of professional racing was inextricably linked to the scars of his first love. Without Natsuki, the logic of the narrative would crumble and the emotional stakes would feel hollow.
"Don't worry. Our readers are tougher than you think," Haruto said with a confident grin. "Even if Natsuki's true nature hurts them, the pain will only be temporary."
He could afford to be confident because he held the ultimate "cheat code", he had seen how the story performed in the other world.
Without that knowledge, any author would be terrified to pull a stunt like that with their lead heroine.
"Alright, that should cover the storyboards for this week. I need to get going; I've got other things to attend to. I'll leave the rest of the heavy lifting to you, Senpai," Haruto said, preparing to head to his studio.
"You really are a busy man, aren't you?" Shizuru noted with a tilted head. "We're in the middle of summer break and you don't even have a new novel serializing. Why are you still working like a machine?"
"Well, it's not exactly a state secret, but... let's just say you'll find out eventually why I'm so preoccupied," Haruto laughed.
The fact that he was the Warrior of Love was a secret known only to the core members of his production company. Since Shizuru was a massive fan of the Madoka Magica anime herself, Haruto preferred not to distract her with his animation business. He didn't want her to lose focus on the manga.
"Always so mysterious," Shizuru sighed. "And here I was, thinking that since it's summer vacation, I could finally convince you to go sightseeing somewhere around Tokyo with me."
"Maybe next time. Right now, my schedule is a bit of a nightmare," Haruto said as he made his exit.
Watching his retreating back, Shizuru stood in silence for a long moment before letting out a soft, admiring chuckle. "A true genius of the industry. He has no room in his head for anything but his creations."
"No wonder he spends every day in the same class as someone like Reina and remains so familiar with her, yet they're still just 'regular friends.'"
Meanwhile, the second volume of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica Blu-ray set had been on the market for one week.
Weekly Sales: 564,932 units.
Compared to the debut volume, the first-week sales had jumped by nearly a hundred thousand copies. The commercial miracle of Madoka was not just continuing; it was accelerating. However, as the numbers climbed, so did the "green-eyed monster" among industry peers. This week, staff members from several animation studios took to the forums to nitpick and attack the series.
They couldn't touch the established titans of the anime world, but the Warrior of Love? He was an enigma. Since no one had ever seen his face, they felt emboldened to smear him whenever the opportunity arose.
On the same day the second volume's statistics were finalized, the third volume of Madoka was officially released nationwide. Across shops and major retailers, fans were finding the discs nearly impossible to track down. It wasn't a case of Haruto practicing scarcity marketing.
The simple truth was that the production capacity of his partners had reached its limit. The demand was just too high. By the afternoon of its release day, the third volume was already outpacing the first two. The market was once again facing a total sell-out. On the final Friday of July, the new issue of Weekly Prime hit the shelves.
In this issue, the protagonist of Initial D and his legendary AE86 seized the entire front cover.
To celebrate the occasion, the magazine included a full-color promotional poster and replica autographed photos of Haruto and Shizuru as a special gift for the readers.
But for the fans, the "merch" was secondary.
What truly mattered was that the fourth chapter was finally here. They had endured a week-long wait that felt like an eternity. Finally, the agonizing countdown was over.