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"Bakuman summary for those unfamiliar with the story "

Go read the manga or stream the anime on Hulu. It's good stuff from the team that brought you Death Note!

But if you don't have time...

REAL Bakuman summary for this story

Two middle school students come together to create manga. One is an academically gifted writer looking to make his fortune. The other is an artist who's own uncle was a pro manga artist before dying from overwork.

But when the artist confesses to his crush that wants to be a voice actress, they end up making a vow.

The two boys will publish a manga, it will become an anime and said crush will voice the heroine.

Then the two would get married.

Untill then, they would never see each other until it was time to make their dreams come true!

Thus, they all work hard to crawl to the top, despite everything that gets in their way.

Partial Bakuman Cast.

Moritaka Mashiro - Artist/Miho's technical boyfriend

Nobuhiro Mashiro - Dead Uncle of Moritaka/former professional Manga artist

Akito Takagi - Writer/boyfriend/husband of Kaya

Miho Azuki - Romantic Interest of Moritaka/Best friend of Kaya

Kaya Miyoshi - Supportive Girlfriend/Wife of Takagi/Best Friend of Miho

Eiji Nizuma - Primary Rival of Moritaka and Takagi

Shuichi Moriya - Assistant/Fan

Mister Hattori - First Editor at Jump/Reassigned when Trap Published/Returns when PCP is published

Goro Miura - Second Editor assigned when Trap was published/reassigned when PCP is published

Saiko - Casual nickname for Moritaka based on how his name is written in Japanese

Muto Ashirogi - A pen name made using parts of Mashiro, Takagi and Miho's names. Adopted after an incident in school after publishing under their real names

Taylor - Ghost in the Walls

Works: The Two Earth's, One Hundred Millionth, Money and Intelligence, Detective Trap, Vroom, Tanto Daihatsu, Perfect Crime Party, Reversi

-----

Nobuhiro Mashiro looked over his latest sketch before smiling grimly. His artwork was still horrible but, despite years of effort and practice, the whole thing was academic at this point. Superhero Legend was in decline and even with the boost the last anime season had provided, the writing was on the wall. He had to start thinking about the next steps in his career, which in turn meant coming up with an idea he could pitch successfully to his editor. Not the easiest thing to do on a good day, and frankly he felt like he did not have a lot of good days left in him.

Honestly, he was more interested in watching his favorite nephew draw in the corner.

Moritaka was a gifted young artist and that was not just familial pride talking. His own editor had seen some of his doodles during their meetings and had commented on their quality. If he could just find that next great thing, a story that could keep his career going beyond mere gambling, then maybe they could work together in the future. Making something completely different and amazing...!

"Hey, Uncle! What do you think of this one?"

Looking up, he saw the younger boy's smile first. But when he saw the sketch, the Manga Artist raised an eyebrow in surprise. Although drawn in the deformed style of his own work, THIS character was definitely not part of his cast.

Dark, textured armor covered the skinny frame, with clunky black boots, a thin belt, and sharp claws. The otherwise simple costume was broken up by a detailed, insect-like mask with compound eyes and long flowing hair. Somehow, Nobuhiro KNEW that in his nephew's eyes, that automatically made the scary drawing a girl, despite any other obvious signs of feminity. "Huh, that's interesting. Working on a new villain?"

With a grin, Moritaka proudly replied. "Nope! This is Skitter, the Dark Bug Hero! She looks like a scary villain, but is secretly a hero trying to save the day from the shadows!"

Skitter, huh?

He would have to remember that name...

Maybe one day, they could make her into a series, together...

-----

Taylor did not know what was going on, but she definitely was not enjoying it.

Her last conscious thought involved Contessa and two shots to the back of the skull. Watching a sky full of stars while feeling like a speck of dust in the cosmos. A truly heartbreaking moment where she thought she would finally find peace.

But now? Now all she could feel were flashes...moments in time...single instances where her awareness would return.

Although she did tend to feel rather...squished...when it happened...

-----

Sitting in his Uncle's Studio for the first time since the man's funeral, Moritaka Mashiro felt both nervous and nostalgic. He had put down the brush years ago, unable to face the idea that his childhood idol had given up after losing his series. But now, in a single moment of pure passion, the middle schooler had decided to risk his future on a bet bigger than his life. Miho Azuki, the girl whom he had a crush on for years, was pursuing her dream of becoming a voice actress. So, he had told the woman of his dreams that he would become a manga artist, get an anime, and craft a character worthy of her talents. Then, the second that they fulfilled these dreams, they would get married and be together forever!

It was reckless, and they had both decided to avoid any dates or similar activities as further motivation to accomplish their dreams, but it was a promise.

And no true man would go back on their word!

Which meant that he had to evaluate the potential of his possible collaborator.

Akito Takagi, the smartest boy in his class, was looking over the various shelves in wonder. "Man, you have an incredible amount of material here! I could spend days looking at this collection. Oh, that one is out of print, I'm going to have to borrow it later..."

"Takagi, if you are serious, you need to know the odds are against us. Living as a Manga Creator is a massive game of chance and, since the two of us will be splitting the expenses, we have to do practically twice as well to make things work. So, before we commit to working together, you need to prove that you are the person who can best deliver on my success."

The taller boy turned serious on a dime. "Listen, Saiko, Manga have captivated me for years. If there is a medium more representative of the modern Japanese cultural spirit, I don't want to know it. But I can tell that, with your artwork and my writing, we can create something amazing together! Something incredible! Something that can push past titles like Dragon Ball into a new realm of achievement! For that, I'm willing to do whatever it takes!"

Eyes narrowed at the use of his irritating nickname, the young artist still felt moved by the passionate declaration. That did not stop him from paying attention to the important details. "First, I didn't say you could call me Saiko. Second, let's see what happens when you create your first storyboard."

"Storyboard?"

What followed was a revelation for both the young men. Takagi was given another, deeper glance behind the curtain of the professional Manga industry, while Mashiro realized that his Uncle died as he lived, struggling to create a career as a Manga Artist until the stress of it killed him.

That time together inspired them both to collaborate on their first stand alone piece, Double Earth: The Two Earths. It proved to be a valuable learning experience for them both, despite being incredibly amateurish and ultimately an example of how far they still had to go.

But, imaginations fired up with what was to come, they dove headfirst into their work with gusto!

All the while, an old file remained undiscovered in the back of the late Nobuhiro Mashiro's closet, containing the image captured of an unknown antihero, far ahead of her time.

-----

"Alright, move out."

Taylor gripped her riffle, head on a swivel. Her earlier mental limbo had been rudely interrupted when she found herself awake in a strange and broken world. Her body was whole and her powers were gone, but her mind? Her mind was straight up confused...

Somehow, she had been transported to an alternative Earth complete with new memories. In them, she and a few close companions had discovered their world had been created as a testing bed by the "Real Earth" in order to avoid problems through trial and error. Things like war, famine and pollution, not to mention crime and social inequality. Their struggles had been farmed for data, allowing the "Real Humans" to avoid or at least mitigate such problems on their own planet.

A part of her was furious, feeling abused and manipulated by this false life. Every action, thought and tribulation calculated just so that someone else would ultimately benefit. It was a violation of the highest order and the masterminds would have to pay for causing such abuse!

The rest was questioning just what the absolute FUCK was going on here!? The logistics of making such a plot work were mind numbingly STUPID and JUVENILE! Even CAULDRON would never have wasted so much time and money to do something on such a ridiculous scale for minimal payout! The realtime investments in technology and allocated resources alone would probably deal with the problems the study was trying to figure out in the first place!

Yet, none of that really mattered right now. In this new life, she was part of a resistance cell tracking down people from the "Real Earth" who were hiding in the local population. The goal was either to bring them to justice or find proof of the experiments so that they could be dealt with properly. With her previous experiences in the Undersiders and Protectorate, taking command had been natural, despite her relative youth. A few shows of power and she was ready to face what was coming.

...and hopefully find that asshole Contessa who had gotten her into this mess!

-----

With a sigh, Takagi collapsed against the park bench with a groan. "Oh man, I knew that it would be a long shot, but Mister Hattori did not hold back. It shows us just how far we have to go..."

In comparison, Mashiro just had a fierce grin. "Well, it's Jump after all. They didn't become the biggest manga publisher in the country without being tough on those trying to make it in the industry. And we got honest feedback along with the contact information of one of their editors, so that makes the whole thing worthwhile right there! But I'm even more fired up now that I have an idea of how much needs to be done. Remember, I WILL become a manga artist and I'm going to work until I bleed ink to make it happen!"

Smirking at the enthusiasm, the taller teen idly flipped through their transcript. "Well, I have to admit that he has a point. I really am too used to writing out long blocks of text instead of just using less to say more. Taking your art into account is going to be a challenge, but totally worth it when we get a rhythm going."

Said artist took the pages next, eyeing the lines with a critical eye. "Yeah, I'm going to have to work on my detail work as well. I think that the next few weeks are going to involve practice, practice and more practice to get the job done. Especially if we can get something new together for a submission to the Tezuka Award. We can't waste any time if we're going to be published sooner rather than later."

He nodded his agreement before noting a particular scene. "Huh, you might be a little bit hard on yourself. That one squad leader there is practically leaping off the page."

"Maybe, but I've got to do better than that if we're going to be able to climb to the top. Let's brainstorm later tonight and come up with our next idea."

Eventually, after much more lost sleep and slipping grades, that next idea would become One Hundred Millionth.

-----

"Thank you, please come again!"

Taking the groceries with her best, plastic Public Relations smile, Taylor left the store as carefully as she could. A week before, she was coordinating with the remaining rebellion leadership on the "False Earth" to figure out their next steps. Then she woke up to a new body, new memories and a new reason to believe that she was either in an elaborately constructed Cauldron Plot or Hell. The probability of it being Hell was increasing by the day.

A giant computer that assigned ranks at birth, and embedded a control chip with poison reservoir at the age of fifteen? Who the fuck thought that was a good idea?!

Her time working with Dragon had taught her much about what an Artificial Intelligence was capable of. The more experienced Hero had been a good, defacto mentor who had taught her more about right and wrong than any other ally at her disposal. But that did not prevent the teenager from realizing just how dangerous the Tinker could be to her enemies, nor the sheer threat she represented to the world if ever compromised. The danger the Birdcage alone represented was hair-raising!

Yet, in this new nightmare of a world, Taylor found herself with a death switch imbedded in her skull, ready to kill her at the behest of those with more power and status than she could dream of! Sure, the official party line required serious law breaking to trigger the death penalty. But she knew how such systems worked and how much those at the top could screw over those at the bottom. It almost made her understand the Dragonslayers and their paranoid bullshit!

Thankfully, her ranking in this system was about mid-tier. At twenty, she was just a college student, working on a two year certification in literature and cultural studies. Unfortunately, programming and computer science classes were only available for the cream of the crop to attend, with independent studies without permission being a serious offense. So the chances she would be able to pirate or neutralize her own hardware was slim to none.

Rumors of some sort of underground organization persisted, but Taylor could not rely on that. The chances of earning her own death by poking around where she was not allowed were too high!

A broken world where she was forced to do nothing...where else could she be at this point BUT Hell?

-----

Takagi, suspended from school after punching a certain, loudmouthed asshole out, reviewed the latest story idea with a sigh. Hearing how their latest collaboration had failed to make it past the top eight hurt, but he would never blame Saiko for that. He was willing to admit, even if it was only to himself, that he had underestimated just how hard it really was to break into the world of Manga, and it was only through the guidance of said friend that he had gotten anywhere worthwhile. Each loss was just one more lesson in their eventual path to glory!

But if they were really going to get anywhere as a team, he needed better story boards. Better ideas! Something that was mainstream, independent, unique and completely theirs! That was the way they would show the naysayers, be they classmates, parents or the staff of Jump itself!

Say what you would about his ego, but the young genius had a plan and was going to stick with it come hell or high water!

He just had to come up with something worthwhile...

Muse drifting for the moment, Takagi remembered a particular scene from One Hundred Millionth. It was not particularly action packed or dialogue filled. No, instead it focused on a busy street right before the heroes started fighting someone a few blocks over. A girl, maybe around Highschool or College age, was walking down the street with a bag of groceries. She was not particularly pretty or anything, just another face in the crowd really. No, she was remarkable for one of two things. A surprisingly beautiful head of hair...and an expression.

A fake smile, hiding her true feelings?

The author began wondering what someone in that world would have tried to hide from those around herself...and grinned in satisfaction.

The desire to change her fate, and a lack of tools to make it happen!

So...how could he create a setting capable of giving someone off the streets a chance to fight back WITHIN the system, even when those outside the system took center stage?!

He might just be on to something here!

Of course, Takagi was not expecting his own personal life to explode as Aiko Iwase, the smartest girl in class and Kaya Miyoshi, the best friend of Mashiro's love interest, both confessed their romantic interest in him. He liked girls well enough, but his life had always been about reaching his goals and making his dreams come true. So, when Iwase claimed he would be better off dropping his interest in Manga, it was obvious that he would pick Miyoshi.

She might not be as book smart, but she was pretty, loyal and honest. How could he pass up someone like that? Especially since her martial arts background would result in broken bones if he stepped out of line.

Yet, in the midst of the teenaged drama and Highschool entrance exams, their next piece, Money and Intelligence, finally got them published under their new pen name. Muto Ashirogi. Taking parts of three names, it becomes a promise made of their partnership and their conviction to make their agreement with Miho Azuki come true.

No matter how much blood, sweat and tears they would have to put into it.

-----

If this was Hell, Taylor was beginning to think that it needed some fine tunning.

Her last memory was of being hooked up to a ventilator after the local "heroes" had targeted someone of superior rank. The resulting collateral damage had sent dozens to the hospital, with specialized medical treatment limited to the best of the best. Which meant that, as someone stuck in the middle of the pack, she was put on life support as her savings were slowly drained away to nothing. Given a lack of memories surrounding her parents or relatives, it seemed like there was no one available to help her out in her time of need.

But now she had once again awoken in a completely new world with new memories and rules. Thankfully, this one did not involve a long term date with a ventilator. Instead, it was a place filled with opportunities to those willing to take a risk or three.

Here, technology that Cranial from Toybox would have sold her kidneys to obtain was available to all! Well, before the Slaughterhouse Nine got to her anyways. But the average person on the street could sell their raw intellectual potential for cold hard cash, while the dumbest brick could rent a clue or three for pocket change! It gave her opportunities, unhindered by her continued lack of Parahuman powers! This time, no stupid robot was going to hold HER back because of a goddamned equation!

The best part was that, while limited from what it once was, Taylor's ability to multitask was still far above the human average. By selectively renting out some minor skills, and carefully screening others, her overall catalog of resources was growing by the day!

If she was stuck in some Tinker-inspired dream world, then fuck starving on the streets! Bring in the fancy steak!

-----

Eiji Nizuma lived manga.

It would be accurate to say that his entire life was composed completely of manga. No friends, no distractions, just him with paper and pen creating worlds beyond his little slice of the countryside. It was the only life he had ever known and honestly? He was fine with that. Especially now that he had been accepted as a contributor to his favorite publication of all time!

Soon, he would be writing a new story that would blow everyone away while cementing his place at the top of the field.

But...

What was the point of challenging the world unless he was in good company? A hero was best defined by his rivals after all. So the question became who, exactly, could challenge him?

The answer came in the form of a one shot.

Muto Ashirogi and their masterpiece, Money and Intelligence!

He could see ways that it could grow and, if allowed to properly flourish, it would become something special. Something amazing AND iconic! He could only hope that they would make it into the brilliant story it was meant to be.

After all, they had someone INTERESTING on the page, just waiting to take center stage!

The girl in glasses, long hair tied up while frantically typing at a keyboard, might just be some sort of side character. A momentary figure without any real presence in the story itself, but Eiji Nizuma would not be fooled!

SHE was someone worth watching!

-----

Mashiro and Takagi sat across from each other in their studio, lost in their own respective thoughts. Money and Intelligence had done better than it had any right to, impressing their editor Mister Hattori despite his many, many comments about the artwork and lack of suitability for Jump.

But that was not where their minds were...

"Eiji Nizuma."

A fifteen year old genius who had managed to get published in Jump after winning second place in the Tezuka Awards. Someone around their age bracket who managed to beat the odds and get so far ahead of them it was terrifying. The man who would act as their mountain to overcome.

The one that Money and Intelligence could never defeat.

Takagi looked at his partner in concern. "Maybe Mister Hattori is right. Maybe we should build our brand and accept that we might need to polish our skills before trying to get published again..."

Mashiro reached up, grasping for something only he could see. "No...no, I don't think I want to wait that long. Let's push harder to make something more mainstream. Miho is my goal, but beating Eiji? THAT'S what true professionals should be trying to do. Setting a goal to overcome and improve the quality of their work. So let's make it happen. Let's write something that can compete with Eiji Nizuma in Jump! Let's challenge him as proper rivals!"

Feeling inspired, the other teenager nodded his agreement. There was no point in settling for good enough when they could reach for the top!

Of course, they did not realize just how hard such a challenge would end up being. Nor could they anticipate their Editor trying to manipulate them separately to force them to mature as writers. Mister Hattori was sneaky, but he could not anticipate the depths of their determination.

But it was all worth it as their first, true Jump piece Detective Trap was picked for publication!

-----

Carefully placing another file away, Taylor wondered if there was any rhyme or reason to this constantly shifting afterlife. First, she ended up as a resistance fighter struggling to overcome the most fucked up experiment she had ever heard of. Next, she was tossed into a world where the public was kept in line by a rampant AI and poison capsules embedded in their brains. Third, she was able to leverage her intelligence to build a fresh power base complete with stability.

Now...she was an office worker in the police department!

Specifically, a Japanese police department, complete with dozens of cultural rules and regulations that she could barely keep track of, even with the latest set of implanted memories!

Which was a shame. Carefully exploiting her residual multitasking abilities had led her to living in a penthouse apartment in one of the six buildings she owned outright. It was hardly the first time she had been rich, but frankly she just wanted to be able to afford extra security and stability. Both of which required money, power, reputation or some combination of all three.

If she had managed another year...

Oh well...

Now she had to take what she could from her prior experiences and apply them to her current situation.

As Miss Himi, Taylor was the personal assistant to the lead Detective in some unfamiliar district of a fictional Tokyo. Amongst the many legitimate criminal targets available, the Department seemed focused on a strange vigilante. One part Private Investigator, one part Conman, Trap tended to go after powerful criminal masterminds. His MO consisted mostly of tricking said targets into spilling their guts in such a fashion that they had to be locked up or attempts to cover it up would cause a massive scandal.

While she appreciated that the vigilante did his best to keep collateral damage to a minimum, that did not keep everyone safe from retaliation. Several of her better colleagues had been transferred as scapegoats for their inability to to bring Trap under control. She herself had nearly been targeted more than once by petty rivals, and it was only her own security measures that ensured she would remain in place.

Speaking of...

-----

"So, just to be thorough, Miss Himi uses three separate hidden security methods to confirm that the case files are secure. Trap seems to miss the last one, letting the Detective get close. But it was all a plot to expose the Police Commissioner..."

Listening to the enthusiastic description of their latest chapter, their new Editor Goro Miura smiled brightly. There had been some teething problems after taking over for the Muto Ashirogi duo from his colleague Hattori, but watching them work together was a breath of fresh air. The whole thing had been a learning experience that helped the team grow in surprising ways. Leading to their current improved synergy.

That being said, he looked more closely at the storyboard in question. "Hmm, I know that Ami is officially the heroine, but this Miss Himi is rather unique and striking in her own way. Maybe she should be elevated a bit more in the future? You can never have too many iconic characters as far as merchandising goes!"

That made the writer scratch his head. "I wouldn't be against that, but it depends on Saiko. I only made her based upon his character design."

The artist perked up from his chair, startled out of a daze. "Huh, what are you talking about? I made her based on your description?"

"No, I've seen her used before. It's actually where I got my inspiration from. She was a background character in Two Earths, One Hundred Millionth and Money and Intelligence. Something about the design struck a chord, so I decided to see if I could do something more with her in mind. I'm actually really happy with the results!"

Mashiro smiled, still looking a bit confused. "Huh, well, I'm glad it's working out. I don't know where the design came from. It just seems natural whenever I need someone to fill the space."

"That's no good!" Miura started waving around his hands, energy bursting from the seems. "Sure, this might be a surprise or a coincidence or something, but that doesn't mean we can't take her further! See if you can make Miss Himi more prominent. Maybe a power behind the throne type. That would be a great way to expand her role!"

Both teenagers took notes, although the shorter one bit back a yawn.

"Oh are you doing okay, Mashiro? I know that the schedule is a little rough..."

The determined artist waved the concern off with a smile. "Oh, I'm fine. It's nothing serious."

Looking back, the editor would realize that was the point he could have stepped in to stop the upcoming disaster. Something that he would never forgive himself for missing.

-----

"HOSPITALIZED!"

That phrase summed up Mashiro's current existence. Overwhelmed by his schedule and pushed past his breaking point, the teenager was stuck in a bed after emergency surgery. Stress, a lack of sleep and overdosing on energy drinks had actually damaged his liver. Leaving Detective Trap on hiatus.

Everything he had worked for seemed lost, slipping through his fingers like sand.

All he could do was struggle to draw, even when those around him begged for him to stop...

Until she appeared.

Miho Azuki.

The one girl he wanted to see.

The one girl he never wanted to see like THIS.

The one girl whom he had FAILED...

The one girl who UNDERSTOOD him, picked up his dropped pen, and helped him continue to draw.

The one who was hurt by his hurt, but did not look away. REFUSED to look away, even when they shared the pain of their collective struggles.

The one girl he loved beyond all else.

And as he drew with Miho, and talked with Miho, and simply enjoyed his time with Miho...

He somehow failed to notice the annoyed expression coming together on the page.

-----

Watching the Mayor of Tokyo led away in handcuffs for a number of crimes including murder of the opposition leadership, Trap's ringing declaration of victory still filling the air, Taylor just KNEW that someone, somewhere, had done something monumentally STUPID.

-----

"A GAG manga?!"

Goro Miura faced down their disbelief with his signature stubbornness. "Now hear me out. Takagi is clever enough to come up with gags while Mashiro's art is flexible enough to make sure the characters are unique and the gimmicks hit properly. If you just give it a chance...!"

The two fought against the idea, knowing that such a project did not fit their established pattern. Muto Ashirogi was known for a combination of strong artwork and unique storytelling. A formulaic gag manga would smother their strengths and leave them scrambling to express their creativity!

But eventually the editor pushed them to give it a try. To go beyond their comfort zones and develop a new style that could make an impact on their brand.

So, the two came together and created, Vroom, Tanto Daihatsu!

Easily one of the biggest mistakes in their careers.

-----

A JANITOR!

A mother fucking JANITOR!

A freedom fighter she could sort of get.

A prisoner to a system inspired by Bakuda was terrifying but relatable.

A world where she could use and abuse her mental fortitude to rebuild her life was almost welcome.

A career that, while challenging, offered her a chance to shine separately from her powers was nearly ideal.

Yet, after all of that effort, she was stuck as a fucking JANITOR?! Named MISS BLEH!?

WHAT THE HELL!?

Oh, and it could not be a janitor at a normal school either. No, she had to deal with some wisecracking little shit trying to show off the work of his wannabe Tinker grandfather all to try and pick up a homeroom teacher!

She was stuck spending DAYS cleaning up broken glass, shattered brick, and strange puddles of chemicals that should come with a health and safety warning!

Never mind that, despite this being another Japanese school and thus the students were supposed to keep their own space tidy, she was still the one stuck cleaning up all the time. Filing complaints with the school administration did jack shit, especially when the scientist kept using strange technology to make memories of the chaos go away!

Thank God she knew enough tricks to make homemade pepper spray, or she might just be a drooling vegetable from all the memory wipes by now!

Fuck that noise!

-----

Akira Hattori, former editor of Muto Ashirogi and now unofficial ally of their creative team, looked at the three determined faces before him. Mashiro and Takagi looked ready to take on the world, their respective of his position and experience well established. Goro Miura, his fellow editor and colleague, was just as determined. The earlier self-righteousness and ego nowhere to be found.

This is what they should have been from the beginning, and he could not help but feel responsible for the failed handover.

Still, it would take their combined talents to overcome the current challenge.

The Editor-in-Chief wanted to continue to publish Vroom, Tanto Daihatsu! as long as it was profitable, despite being a mediocre success. So, if they were going to cancel it, they would only be allowed to remain in Jump if they could produce something of sufficient quality to match or exceeded the current top talent in the magazine.

Eiji Nizuma.

Their ultimate goal and professional rival, beyond any childhood promise of love and marriage.

So far, they had failed this challenge twice. Pushing their talents to the breaking point, while taking on ideas that they never would have otherwise considered. But now it was time to combine each and every one of their skills, strengths and talents to create something that would blow the editorial staff away at their next meeting!

Not to mention their secret weapon...

"Huh," Hattori looked over the character design in surprise. "You know, I never noticed this side character before, but she does have a certain presence to her. She could easily become a strong, secondary protagonist. But you don't know where she comes from, Mashiro? Your female leads tend to look similar too..."

Blushing at the question, the young artist just waved the comment off. "Never mind that. It's something completely different than this. But do you really think that she's worth using again? Wouldn't that be a little..."

Miura grinned, some of his earlier bravado returned. "It can be a fun little treat for the dedicated fans! Something that someone notices and backtracks at some point! Heck, it could cause demand for older titles to surge when newcomers get curious!"

Hattori did not disagree. Hype was an important factor in industry, along with creativity, skill and luck!

The writer, however, looked at the design a little more closely...

Hmm, she almost reminds me of a frustrated teacher...

With that, his Muse took a different turn before landing square on the idea of another school setting.

With a little more work, and some unconventional research, Perfect Crime Party brought them back to the table as a legitimate force in Jump!

Not to mention the perfect opportunity for Mister Hattori to take over his old job as their official editor.

-----

Ok...so she was no longer stuck as a janitor.

An elementary school teacher was not much of a step up, although there were no weirdos with superpowers.

No... instead...

There were sneaky little shits in training!

Someone or someones were focused on learning how to commit crimes without actually committing crimes. Little tricks designed to look clever, but not actually capable of causing real harm to anyone. Things like extra deserts for a good class grade average or setting off fireworks without official permission. Kids stuff that showed a natural aptitude for the skills that made future criminal masterminds.

It was almost endearing!

In her new role as Miss Mitsu, she was about thirty percent sure she had identified the pranksters in question. She knew the signs, the skills and the guts required to pull off such smooth operations. She would be more sure, but the little brats were subtle and she STILL did not have her original or subsequent powers anymore. Which meant there was a distinct lack of proof available for her to use against them.

Or their unofficial "rival" who might just be playing a role as a double bluff...

Nah, the kid was too sincere to pull that off.

No, Taylor knew exactly what she was going to do this time. She was going to ride it out, make sure that said little Perfect Crime Party stayed on their toes and count the days until the class graduated up to their new school.

Oh, and maybe tweak their noses a bit of they got too predictable.

She was a teacher, after all...and not every lesson came from a textbook.

-----

Shuichi Moriya had a small vice.

Acting as an assistant to Muto Ashirogi had been educational in a number of ways. Moritaka Mashiro was an excellent artist and, no matter the subject matter, was always driven to produce the best he could. Akito Takagi was just as driven, passionate about his work and desperate to continue to climb higher with each new chapter. His wife Kaya was overall very nice and always willing to chip in to support her husband's work. They had an interesting dynamic, but it had helped his own creative process and technical skill immensely.

However, beyond all of that, he found that the duo had provided him a muse.

Miss Mitsu...it was strange. He did not feel anything as crass as a romantic obsession or the like. It was just a character in a manga for goodness sakes! But the way that she could command the classroom, the way she seemed to recognize how PCP was operating while maintaining her own sort of charm...well...it gave her a surprising amount of depth.

An artistic depth that he found himself admiring more day by day.

He could only hope that they would continue to feature her for a long time to come.

Because, simply put? He was a fan.

-----

"A new series..."

Takagi had been brought low by his own enthusiastic genius before, but this time took the cake. PCP was a legitimate hit, easily ranking in the top five Jump series on a regular basis. It had cemented their positions at the publisher despite years of ups and downs, and their sales and fan base was stable. More importantly, it had prevented the Editor-in-Chief from banishing them to some other, smaller magazine to start over.

However...it had failed in two major aspects.

First, it had failed to properly BEAT Eiji Nizuma at his best, leading to their rival ending his long running and popular series on his own terms.

Second, it was unofficially blacklisted from any real anime production, simply because it was TOO relatable. The chances that kids would actually try to imitate the characters was simply too high.

So...they had to produce something new if his partner was ever going to keep his word to Miho. No anime, no voice acting part, no kept promise.

But they could not just put PCP on the back burner or cancel it like they were stuck up children. That would not be professional...

No, instead they would have to figure out a way to run two series at once. Which was not something for the faint of heart.

Saiko had nearly ended up destroyed from pushing his health before...did they dare to try again?

Well...they would just have to see what Mister Hattori thought. Maybe he would have an idea or two that would help?

Although...if they managed it...

Heh, I wonder what you are going to do this time, Sensei?

A question that he would get to answer before too much longer. Because, in a stunning combination of events and favors owed, PCP was moved to a monthly publication schedule at a new subsidiary magazine, while their greatest project to date was forged!

Reversi, a potential flagship title nearly a decade in the making!

-----

Taylor... somehow knew that this life, this world was different...

She had seen her troublesome, lively and sneaky class graduate with an almost nostalgic smile. She had also narrowed the PCP crew down to five possibilities and thought that they were at least a team of three. But not knowing for sure had just been a sign of how skilled the little brats had ended up being. So, as long as they continued to act without malice, she knew that they would end up okay.

But now...now she was a school nurse in Tokyo proper. Working at a highschool this time with all the medical certifications that would matter...

Along with a new, annoying little Passenger to deal with.

It was almost nostalgic.

Especially when it all went to Hell at the drop of a hat.

-----

"So... you're adding a THIRD demon?"

Mashiro was honestly surprised by the move. Reversi had always been about two conflicting heroes trying to push their own ideas of justice upon one another. One through regimented control and the other through free thought. Adding a third could be seen as...well, as a weakening of their brand.

Then Takagi pulled out a familiar design and he felt his lip curl up in amusement.

The latest incarnation of his mystery female character, the school nurse Min Sensei, was just as striking and bold as before. At his friend's request, he had tried to come up with a suitable, unique version of the strange girl who always popped up. Only, this deliberate attempt at plotting out her use ahead of time had materialized whole cloth from his imagination. It truly was amazing how easy this character took on a life of her own!

Ignorant of his thoughts, the enthusiastic writer pointed at her shadow. "You know that these two demons and their hosts are the driving force behind the conflict. But what if they are just the latest demons to try? A mysterious School Nurse with a broken past might have tried to find her own sense of justice, only to give up or retire. But, she could also act as an unofficial mentor or referee for the main conflict, inspiring the two to push even farther! It adds a fresh dimension to the fight that only builds upon it!"

True...a road not taken would provide some interesting contrast...but it would make the overall flow of the story that much more difficult...

Yet a part of him relished the potential challenge.

"Let's...let's talk it over with Mister Hattori. See what he says. But, I think it might be interesting to learn more about who she really is."

-----

In parks and playgrounds.

In stores and school rooms.

In libraries and cafes.

The manga readers of Japan spoke with one another. Their comments beginning to swirl around the latest work by

"Man, Reversi is amazing!"

"Did you see the way that the heroine tried to get her point across?"

"Seriously, how the heck did Muto Ashirogi manage to write Reversi and PCP at the same time? They're both so good!"

"Eh, they're not as good as Eiji Nizuma."

"No, but they're damn close!"

"But wow, who would have thought the Nurse was hiding something like that?"

"Yeah, that twist was amazing!"

"Did the character look familiar to you?"

"Now that you mention it..."

...

"Hey! Did you hear about Muto Ashirogi and Miho Azuki the voice actress?"

"No! What is going on?"

"Well, you know how they're actually an artist and writer? It turns out they all went to middle school together! And they're saying..."

-----

Mashiro listened to the radio, heart hurting as the public tore his beloved apart.

He believed in Miho from the bottom of his soul. He believed in their dream, in their drive, in the struggles and pain and joy they had shared since the beginning. He liked to think he had made her a better voice actress, while she had definitely inspired him to be a better manga artist. Together they had run endlessly, recklessly and inevitably towards their shared goal and ambition.

And now people were tearing her apart while he sat by and let her take it!

/What are you doing?/

They were both professionals. This was one more challenge to overcome.

/You love her. Forget your ego and your pride. You love her!/

It was...it was...!

/Help her you idiot! If you love her, BE there for her!/

It was too much to bear!

Fed up with yet another person screaming at his most important person, the dreamer grabbed his phone and started dialing.

Like HELL he was going to let her face this challenge alone!

/... about fucking time, you moron./

-----

In the end, the studio decided to prove that the right voice for the lead would be chosen through a public audition, silencing the naysayers. Twenty names from across the industry, from popular new talent all the way to a veteran with decades of experience came to compete, confident that they could take the role if just given the chance.

The final spectacle resulted in Miho winning by a landslide. Beyond any perceived scandal, favoritism or finger on the scale, it was clear that she was the woman the role was made for. Something that she had worked hard to be worthy of and deserved to achieve.

However, while the losers were able to walk away with their respective prides intact, the veteran was called back for a different role. One that had a depth she found intriguing.

-----

There was something both familiar and EXHILARATING about her current situation.

The young student had gained an incredibly broken Master power, realigning those around him to follow a set of ideals with a single touch. Heartbreaker himself might have even been proud!

Of course, he was not hooked into a some interdimensional alien bend on dissecting the human race for raw data and creativity.

No, he just had a demon hell bent on causing the death of the human race via a brainwashed cult.

One that was rather surprised when his little trick failed to land despite both subtle and not so subtle attempts. "What is this? Just who are you, Min Sensei?"

Shaking off his grip from her arm, the tall woman looked, REALLY looked, at the figure before her. With a tilt of her head, her glasses flashed making him step back, stunned. It highlighted that, despite his power and relative intelligence, he was still just a kid.

A kid she could not stop with force, but, well, maybe it was time to show the little boy why you should not get high on your own supply?

With a flex of her will, Taylor set her Shadow free of the illusion she maintained every...single...day...!

"That's the problem with kids. You think you invented the wheel. Or, in this case, the first to sign a contract?"

That set him off like a rocket. "What?! But the demon of darkness only has ONE rival! We are two sides of the same coin!"

She scoffed, projecting her DISTAIN for the two sides of this little contest. "Schwarz and Weiss, demons of darkness and light, control and free will. Yet, in the end they are simple toddlers thrashing out at each other using you as their toy soldiers! All because they cannot agree who will win the game!"

That FINALLY made him shut up.

"Do not assume that no one else has a side, an opinion on the Apocalypse, CHILD. My demon, Gottin, has her own part to play. But you are not ready to understand us. Not until you can really understand yourself and what you truly gain by playing this ridiculous game!"

Satisfied by having her last word, Taylor strode through the door, head held up high.

-----

"Amazing...!"

Mashiro smiled at the awe in his assistant's voice, even as Takagi preened from the implied praise. "It was a great twist and you definitely called it. There's mysterious, then there is hosting the former GODDESS of the demon realm."

The writer gave a cheeky salute. "Weiss and Schwartz are still the focus of the story. However, Gottin is a road not travelled, giving them another perspective on just what they are doing. With her ability to protect Min Sensei from any other demonic power, they have to listen to her without being able to hide behind their own ideas of justice. Of course, they could just overpower her with physical strength. Heck, Schwartz alone could call up an army of thugs with a little preparation. However..."

Surprisingly, it was not Mashiro who completed the thought.

"However..." Moriya looked like he had been handed the answers to the Universe. "Physical attacks would undermine BOTH their philosophies! Schwartz because it would make his position seem weaker than he wanted, relying on brutish force to get anything done. Meanwhile, since Weiss claims to believe that free will should be the end of humanity, just denying HER choices would make him seem insecure!"

Happy that the assistant was getting it, the artist smiled brightly. "So now it's not just a fight between heroes. Now it's a fight between which one will understand the real lesson she's trying to teach! Great work Takagi!"

-----

Hattori stood before the new Editor-in-chief Yoshihisa Heishi, firm in his convictions. He was here on a mission today and would not leave without a victory! "They are determined to reach the top of Jump! Therefore, Muto Ashirogi has decided that Reversi must end when it will have the strongest impact!"

His boss just pinched his nose in irritation. "You already tried this, Hattori. You were told that they needed to keep Reversi running until at least the start of the anime. This project has gathered a lot of attention and it's in our best interest to leverage that attention to the best effect. Go back and tell them that they are professionals now and cannot just quit on a whim!"

"This is no mere WHIM!"

Slamming his hands down on the desk, the younger Editor held his ground. "Muto Ashirogi is always striving for the top! They want to take Reversi to the highest point they could! Then, they will create something even better! Each piece they have produced is a map to their next, bigger and better work! If they think they will do the story justice by ending it definitively, then we should respect their wishes! Reversi is already their best work yet! I have faith in them both that they will be able to aim even higher!"

Unable to shake the creative team's passionate stance, the Editor-and-Chief moved to clear up the issue with the Anime production team.

Thankfully, they understood the parties involved and agreed there were benefits to this approach.

Although the vocal director DID make a comment that their senior actress was really enjoying her role.

Giving the mysterious Nurse Min a voice had inspired her in ways that she had not felt in years!

-----

"CHEERS!"

Mashiro and Takagi clinked their cans of coffee together in a private toast. Miho had gone out with Kaya to start discussing the wedding ceremony of the longtime long distance couple. Admittedly, they had already filed their paperwork so the marriage was legal. But the two girls wanted to put on a display for everyone they could. Given Miho's family, including her father's business associates and personal industry connections along with Mashiro's own extended ties to Jump, they would have to go whole hog as quickly as they could.

Their relationship had ruffled enough feathers at this point. No reason to snub someone important to their careers or that they otherwise admired. Ten years of effort had resulted in quite the invitation list!

Now the two partners were sharing a small, private celebration of their own. No alcohol of course, given Mashiro's health issues, but just a drink between men!

Although...it almost felt like someone was missing...

"You know...before I went to talk to Miho...I thought I was talking to my Uncle. Telling him how far I had come. How far I had yet to go. I'd like to think he was proud of me but maybe that was just self satisfaction."

Takagi smiled wistfully. "Nobuhiro Mashiro. You know Saiko, we owe a lot to tons of people. But he is probably at the top of that list. I never met him, but I'd like to think he would be thrilled how far you've come. I know I am honored to have been a part of your journey together."

The two shared a moment that only true friends were capable of.

A moment interrupted by an extremely unexpected voice.

"Yeah, actually that was your Uncle. Took him long enough to reach out so I could figure out how to myself."

Looking over at the unfamiliar voice, the two were left gaping at the sight awaiting them!

A translucent woman, with an extremely damaged costume, glasses, long black hair...and a single arm with trails of blood covering her face.

A face that...was more than familiar.

So of course they spoke as one despite their shock.

"Nurse Min?!"

The apparition sighed, pinching at her nose. "No, that's not my name. Neither is Miss Mitsu, Miss Himi, Miss Bleh, or Random Side Character one or two! My name is Taylor Hebert and, for SOME reason, I seem to be haunting you two."

Takagi was shocked silent.

Mashiro...not so much...

"Wait...is THAT why I kept drawing you? You were in my mind?"

Rather than being shocked, angry or terrified, the young artist just felt grateful. The bloody muse before him had been a part of their journey together for a very long time. Not always as the most prominent or important character, but something that tied their careers together in an interesting and unique way.

"I'm honestly not sure. One moment I was dying from two gunshots to the head. The next I was running around with the resistance on some alternative world, pissed off I was a labrat. It's taken me YEARS to get to the point where I can even recognize that there was something outside of those weird messes you keep writing, and I always forget when I'm in the middle of them."

That made Takagi wince. "Yes, I'm sure the Two Earths would have been..."

The spectre waved off his comment. "No, that was disorienting but manageable. The world with a literal KILL SWITCH installed in my brain or the one where you kept mind controlling the principal because of those stupid inventions were much more of a pain in the ass. I can't believe that all of this...this absolute bullshit was just because you had a crush on a classmate! What the hell!"

Unfortunately for Taylor, the young artist was not going to take that lying down. "Hey, Miho and I have supported each other to reach our dreams together! We worked hard and pushed each other and got through every struggle to be with one another! All of which got us here! I am the top selling manga artist in Jump and she is a professional voice actress who earned the right to voice the anime based on my work! It was no mere crush!"

"And how many people have been caught in the middle of your recklessness? How many lives and careers were disrupted because you pushed too hard or rushed forward without caring about the consequences?" The unimpressed look was a textbook example of disappointed teacher. Even with all the blood.

Mashiro looked like he had been struck stupid, but Takagi waved him back. The writer, originally shocked by her appearance, stood before her like a wall. "We've both caused a lot of trouble for the people around us. Not just for Saiko's dream, but because of our ambition. The world of Manga is vast, and the competition is fierce, so we can never just rest on our laurels. However, even when we win, that means that someone else has to lose. So the only way we can pay those people back is to produce the best story we can for them to enjoy."

Spirit settled by his friend's support, the artist joined him in facing down the bloody ghost. "We have done our best to produce stories that are worthy of our talents and fans. We've both made mistakes along the way, and I'm sorry if you've suffered for them. But at the same time, we will never stop trying to be better. To make manga that are worth reading and, hopefully, stories that are worth LIVING. We won't be satisfied by anything less!"

In the face of their combined determination, Taylor eventually looked away. "It figures that, in a case where ninety nine times out of a hundred the whole thing would have ended in anguish and failure, I end up dealing with the one percent who became the manga equivalent of Shakespeare."

Takagi's eyes lit up at the offhanded comment. "Wait, really? You think we're Shakespeare?!"

"Yes, because you write for the unwashed masses and survive on the patronage of those in power."

That took the wind out of both their sails. "Ouch..."

The ghost just smirked in response. "My mom was an English Literature professor and raised me with the unedited classics from an early age. Enough to make sure I knew that Romeo and Juliet was not a real love story, at least."

Mashiro looked like he wanted to question the statement, but his partner got there first. "Say...what about your story? Behind the complaints about what we put you through, you still haven't told us much about where you came from or what you endured. Not to mention how it compared to what you knew before. I have to say that I'm pretty damn curious at this point."

Taylor tried to maintain her serious expression. She really did. But at that moment she could not help but burst into laughter.

"Oh, don't worry. Even at your worst, you could never match the sheer horrific idiocy of Earth Bet."

Then she talked and they listened, eyes widening with every word.

In that moment, a fresh challenge was given to Muto Ashirogi. One they would meet head on!

-----

Hattori put down the project proposal before looking at the creators dead in the eye. "Mashiro...Takagi...I am going to be completely honest. I thought you would be forced to work hard to surpass Reversi. That it would be something that might even take you years of time and effort to manage. But THIS is something that could possibly blow all of that out of the water. A long term Muto Ashirogi hero manga. This could be huge!"

Both shared a smile but said nothing in the face of such praise. They knew it was the truth after all.

"Still, I never expected you to use your secret weapon so directly. She was a great support character in Reversi, but moving her up to a secondary main character? That's quite the promotion."

That just made Takagi smile wider. "We decided we've been pretty hard on her over the years. This is our chance to give back in our own way."

Chucking deeply, Hattori looked at the paper with a satisfied smile. "Indeed. I'd say you succeeded in spades. SHARDS is going to be something truly special. I can feel it."

-----

Standing on top of a tower, Taylor looked over her newest home, feeling pensive. This time, she had gone to bed as a nurse possessed by a demon, only to wake up in a world that was familiar yet not.

A world with powers.

A world with heroes and villains fighting for scraps as society shuddered at the weight of their influence.

A world where a swarm was once more at her beck and call, while those around her depended on her help.

A world...where she had a chance to get it right.

Hearing a scream in the distance, she reached for her custom made, spider silk grappling gun. After all, there was no rest for the wicked! Reformed or otherwise!