Toma stared at the Initial D manuscript laid out in front of him, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Judging by Rindou's overall skill, Xtre Boys might improve once its serialization developed and the story had more ti to mature. But as far as this eting was concerned, there was no doubt—Initial D had the stronger opening.
The other submissions… honestly weren't even part of the conversation. The gap between them and these two was just too wide.
Haruka was really sothing else.
Toma couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
She was lucky, yes, to co across two prodigies like Mizushiro and Airi at the sa ti—but more than that, she had the insight to recognize their talent and the courage to back them.
In the past five years, not a single editor at Echo Shroud Publishing had dared to submit work from such young newcors to Shroud Line's serialization board. Haruka was the only one.
Every other serialized manga in Shroud Line, aside from Mizushiro and Airi's works, ca from authors at least twenty-five or older most with three to five years of professional experience behind them.
And just when everyone thought Airi's discovery was already impressive enough, now ca Mizushiro on a completely different level.
His debut series had potential, but didn't make much of a splash. Still, Rurouni Kenshin beca sothing of an underground hit, especially considering its release market. Fans still talked about it.
Natsu had followed a different path. Its appeal skewed toward a female readership and lacked the explosive popularity of a mainstream hit, but it built an incredibly loyal fanbase. That consistency turned it into a sleeper success.
Then ca Anohana, it beca one of the most talked-about ani adaptations of the year. Even though the show had ended back in early May, buzz around it still lingered well into June.
And now, Initial D.
This wasn't just Mizushiro trying to run a second title. This was a shift in direction.
Up until now, all of Mizushiro's work leaned toward romance and emotional storytelling genres with strong female demographics. But Initial D? It was pure intensity. A high-octane, competitive racing manga.
If Initial D keeps up its quality, it could not only be successful for a long ti it might also bring in a totally new group of fans who weren't interested in Mizushiro's older series.
Toma couldn't help but wonder: could Initial D eventually outperform Natsu?
He shook his head. That was getting ahead of things. Natsu was the third most popular title in Shroud Line surpassing it would an entering the territory of the magazine's most iconic series.
Still, the thought stayed with him.
Airi had hit that level ahead of Mizushiro. If he followed right behind… it wouldn't be impossible.
If Initial D did make it through and ended up performing on par with Natsu, Mizushiro's place in the Tokyo manga scene would be solidified. He'd officially join the ranks of elite creators like Airi.
Currently, only a few dozen manga artists were considered top-tier in Tokyo—whether actively serializing, on break, or in hiatus.
Big-na publishers like Gilded Lock and Chain Veil—the real giants across the Seven Major publishing—each had maybe six or seven such artists under contract.
The rest, including Echo Shroud, had maybe two or three at best.
At Echo Shroud, Jin Takami who had just wrapped up Ashes of Tomorrow was clearly one of them. One of the most influential nas on the list.
Airi and Rindou were borderline elite. Their standing would depend on how their current series perford. If the storylines collapsed or popularity dipped, they wouldn't make the cut.
There was also Takashima Yūma an older mangaka in his mid forties. A decade ago, he had dominated Echo Shroud. But since his breakout hit ended, his follow ups had been lukewarm. He hadn't released anything in years. Rumors were he was traveling for inspiration, and might never return.
Beyond those two, there was no one else in the company with a real shot at the top tier.
So yes, Toma understood exactly why Katsumi was willing to let Mizushiro serialize two works at once.
If there was even a chance to nurture another top tier artist in house, bending the rules was worth it.
As long as Initial D held its quality, everything else would fall into place.
Logically, Toma should have been hoping for Initial D to fail. That would secure full backing for Xtre Boys. But even so… he said nothing.
Haruka understood all this just as well. That's why, unlike the last ti, she wasn't nervous at all during the eting. And Katsumi's reaction confird her confidence.
"I'll admit," soone spoke up, "Initial D is impressive. But can Mizushiro really handle the workload? This would an serializing two full series at once…"
"No need to worry about that," Haruka replied calmly. "Mizushiro completed the entire Initial D manuscript and the ten-chapter draft of the new project within three weeks—while still serializing Natsu."
She looked around the room.
"And since I started working with him, he's never once submitted a late chapter. He delivers Natsu three days ahead of schedule. Every single ti."
"In my opinion, there's no issue at all with him taking on a second serialization."
The room went quiet.
If that was true, Mizushiro wasn't just consistent he was an outlier.
High quality. High volu. Zero delays.
Every editor in the room had stories of chasing mangaka for pages, sleeping outside their doors, begging for rough drafts. Mizushiro existed in another realm entirely.
Questions followed, but Haruka answered every one of them calmly and with clarity.
She had anticipated them all. Every challenge had a prepared response.
But in the end, the deciding factor wasn't her defense it was the work.
Initial D was strong. And her rebuttals held water because the quality spoke for itself.
Katsumi waited until the last question was answered, then gave a quiet nod signaling the discussion was over.
The quality was there. The concerns had been addressed. There was nothing left to debate.
Everyone in the room knew what that ant.
Of the four available serialization slots, Initial D and Xtre Boys had already taken two.
The rest of the eting would decide the final openings.
As for Haruka and Toma… their part in the battle was done.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon/Alioth23 for 50 advanced chapters)
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