NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 21: Chapter 20
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Chapter 20
Sayuri Sawamura published the first volume of Attack on Titan on a popular Japanese social media platform using the pen name "Whale." The post quickly ignited discussion across fan communities.
Most of the comments were overwhelmingly positive. Readers praised the art and the story, and many were already begging for updates on the next volume.
Some who hadn't read Attack on Titan before had become curious after hearing the allegations of vote-rigging and were dismayed to find it had been removed from the official Weekly Shonen Magazine site. But once they learned that the author had re-released the manga online, they rushed to read it.
The moment they finished the first volume, any doubts they had were gone. It was powerful, fresh, and unforgettable. Many left supportive comments, defending the manga against the smear campaign.
The tweet soon surpassed 5,000 views. The account itself gained over 1,000 followers, including notable figures like Zaimokuza Yoshiki, a high school light novel author from Chiba, and Aoi Miyamori, an animation production assistant from Musashino Animation.
Miyamori Aoi had stumbled upon Attack on Titan by chance and was instantly captivated. Her professional instincts told her this series had the potential to change the animation industry.
"Whoever this 'Whale' is, they're a genius," Aoi whispered to herself, awestruck.
She briefly fantasized about Musashino Animation producing the adaptation, but the reality of her struggling studio brought her back to Earth. They simply didn't have the capacity for such a massive project.
...
After school, Eriri Spencer Sawamura arrived at the hospital and shared the unfortunate news with Lucien D. Blackthorn: Attack on Titan had been quietly removed from the Weekly Shonen Magazine website.
"So that's what happened..."
Lucien processed her words quietly. Now it made sense why the series had vanished so suddenly. As a complete unknown, the magazine hadn't taken him seriously at all.
The arrogance of large publishing houses in Japan, particularly ones like Weekly Shonen Magazine, was no surprise. Still, he couldn't help but feel betrayed.
"How could they just delete your work without any investigation? That's unforgivable!" Eriri huffed, crossing her arms.
Seeing her frustration, Lucien smiled gently. "Don't blame yourself, Sawamura-san. You helped me get this far. I owe you everything."
"You don't owe me anything. Besides, things are looking up. The manga's doing well online! I wouldn't be surprised if an editor from a more respectable publisher contacts us soon."
Lucien nodded, though he wasn't as optimistic. Traditionally, manga authors who self-published online were dismissed as amateurs. But in his case, he had little choice.
Eriri, however, was confident. Her mother, Sayuri, had already explained that editors across the industry were scrambling for breakout authors. Any professional could see that Attack on Titan had both creative brilliance and commercial potential.
"If someone reaches out about publication, I'll have my mom handle it," she assured.
"You've already done more than enough. Thank you, Sawamura-san."
"You can thank me after you recover," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "Just rest until the gene-targeted drug arrives."
"I will. I promise."
Lucien had planned to ask her to buy more drawing supplies for him, but after seeing how much she was already doing, he chose to wait. He could afford a short break. With 8 days of lifespan restored and another reward still pending, he had time.
As Eriri prepared to leave, she mentioned that she and her club were heading to Shibuya the next day to shop for art materials.
"So I won't be able to visit you tomorrow," she said. "But if a magazine contacts us, I'll tell my mom to keep you posted. I have her number saved."
"Understood. Thank you again, Sawamura-san."
"No need for thanks. Just focus on resting."
After she left, Lucien's parents returned. They spoke with the attending physician and confirmed that the gene-targeted drug would arrive the next day. The hospital immediately began preparations for the treatment and possible side effects.
Everything was in place. Now they could only wait.
...
Back at home, Eriri turned on her laptop and browsed the latest updates from the Weekly Shonen Magazine submission campaign.
The vote-rigging incident had been neatly swept under the rug. Comments questioning the fairness of the competition had been deleted. At 8:00 PM sharp, the voting period ended, and the winners were announced.
The official statement claimed that the top 50 works would all be eligible for potential serialization in Weekly Shonen Magazine or its sister publications.
The top three were:
I Got Reincarnated as an Invincible Brave and Started a Harem in Another World
I Saved Elf Slaves in Another World and Built a Super Farm
I Got Reincarnated as a Beautiful Girl and Went on Adventures with Them
Not only would these be serialized, but they would also be published as physical volumes, and follow-up stories were planned. Furthermore, the organizers had begun contacting animation studios to begin the adaptation process.
The internet exploded. Industry veterans, well-known authors, and fan communities flooded Twitter and forums with praise. Hashtags related to the winning works soared into the top trending spots.
It was a textbook PR move. All negative attention vanished beneath a sea of celebratory noise.
Eriri sighed.
"The power of capital... It's scary."
For new authors without strong connections, the playing field was anything but fair.
This was the reality of the Japanese manga industry.
End of the chapter