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, Xtreme Boys might improve once its serialization developed and the story had more time to mature. But as far as this meeting 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 something else.
Toma couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
She was lucky, yes, to come across two prodigies like Mizushiro and Airi at the same time—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 newcomers 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, came 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 came Mizushiro on a completely different level.
His debut series had potential, but didn't make much of a splash. Still, Rurouni Kenshin became something of an underground hit, especially considering its release market. Fans still talked about it.
Natsume 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 came Anohana, it became one of the most talked-about anime adaptations of the year. Even though the show had ended back in early May, buzz around it still lingered well into June.
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 time 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 Natsume?
He shook his head. That was getting ahead of things. Natsume was the third most popular title in Shroud Line surpassing it would mean 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 Natsume, 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-name 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 names on the list.
Airi and Rindou were borderline elite. Their standing would depend on how their current series performed. 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 Xtreme Boys. But even so… he said nothing.
Haruka understood all this just as well. That's why, unlike the last time, she wasn't nervous at all during the meeting. And Katsumi's reaction confirmed her confidence.
"I'll admit," someone spoke up, "Initial D is impressive. But can Mizushiro really handle the workload? This would mean 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 Natsume."
She looked around the room.
"And since I started working with him, he's never once submitted a late chapter. He delivers Natsume three days ahead of schedule. Every single time."
"In my opinion, there's no issue at all with him taking on a second serialization."
If that was true, Mizushiro wasn't just consistent he was an outlier.
High quality. High volume. 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 meant.
Of the four available serialization slots, Initial D and Xtreme Boys had already taken two.
The rest of the meeting would decide the final openings.
As for Haruka and Toma… their part in the battle was done.
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