Tanaka fell silent.

Seiji also sipped on his coffee, allowing for a moment of silence before he spoke up again.

"But you still can't give up, right?" Seiji asked softly. "Demon Soldier Sensei, if you were able to give up, you wouldn't be so frustrated. Your current confusion stems from the fact that your heart still hasn't truly given up yet… even if you've seen your own limits, even if you feel that you're only ordinary, even if you feel pained about chasing after your dream, you're still resisting against giving up and want to continue down this path.

"In that case, go ahead and continue. Even if you struggle, even if you're confused, as long as your feet are still capable of moving, continue walking down this path."

Chasing after one's dreams sounded quite romantic, but in actuality, how many people chasing after their dreams would feel like they were doing something romantic?

The so-called chasing after one's dreams was more like having great difficulty trudging through a muddy and th.o.r.n.y road. It was painful and confusing, and easy to get lost.

People would want to cry and shout. People would fall over repeatedly on this path and always think about not standing up again, wanting to leave so many times…

But, after regaining their senses, they would always discover that they were still on this path.

Although it was painful, although it was numbing, although they felt like zombies, they would continue walking down this path of suffering and refuse to leave.

'I don't want to give up.' Some voice deep inside their hearts would tell them this.

'I want to succeed.' Their inner voices would shout this.

They all desired to reach… the bright ending at the end of the road.

"Demon Soldier Sensei, although you may currently feel like you're injured all over and incredibly weak, like you're collapsed on the ground, but you're actually still walking.

"You're still holding on to your drawing pencils, and still have a heart that doesn't want to lose. That's the evidence.

"I respect people like you. I hope that you won't think it's sarcasm…" Seiji paused for a moment. "Sharp Demon Soldier, as an 'ordinary person,' continue 'struggling' in an unseemly fas.h.i.+on like this, all the way until you 'despair.'"

After he said that, he finished downing the remainder of his coffee in one gulp. Then, he put down the coffee mug, put away the two drawings, and left.

Saki who had silently listened to the entire conversation left together with him.

Tanaka who remained silent with his head lowered gradually revealed a strange expression.

He seemed like he wanted to laugh, yet also cry. His entire face was wrinkled, and he was chuckling, yet also crying.

"If it's not sarcasm… what else could it be… brat… you really don't hold back at all…"

He covered his face and continued making that strange sound which resembled both laughing and crying. He felt very frustrated inside, but also as if he was freed.

'I'm just an inferior ordinary person who's struggling in an unseemly fas.h.i.+on, but even so, I…"

Some time afterwards, Shouri Tanaka returned to his home, feeling much clear-headed compared to when he went out.

After that compet.i.tion and that conversation with the genius boy author, he felt like he received, or recognized something again.

Something dark within him that had been acc.u.mulating for quite a while seemed to exit his body together with his tears.

He looked over at his drawing tools and felt like immediately creating something.

He sat down in front of his table, picked up a drawing pencil, and began to let his imagination run free.

He felt continuous flashes of inspiration in his mind. The characters, setting, story, and background… It all became clear.

He felt amazing.

Tanaka began drawing with such a feeling.

First were the draft drawings for the characters, then the overall world setting, and the story scenes…

He continuously drew as the pa.s.sion in his heart continuously swelled and became a huge tide.

The more he got excited, the more his eyes sparkled. He didn't even notice when he got hungry. Apart from when the call of nature forced him to go to the restroom, he spent the entire rest of the time in front of his drawing desk, fervently drawing as if something had possessed him!

He kept drawing and drawing and drawing…

When Tanaka finally stopped, he discovered that his hand and entire body felt numb.

Just how long did he draw for?

He didn't know, nor did he care.

He brought out a cup of instant noodles and calmed himself down while preparing them. He then checked what he had drawn while eating his instant noodles.

The main characters were two teenaged boys.

One was wearing striped sports attire, and he had messy blonde hair with dark red eyes. His expression was resolute as he looked up at the sky, seeming quite hot-blooded.

The other boy was wearing a jacket and long pants. He was handsome and had silky soft black hair and black eyes. He had his head lowered and seemed to be contemplating something, which gave him a mysterious aura.

The story would begin from this meeting between the two main characters - a "genius" and an "ordinary person."

In this world where demons ran rampant, a normal blonde boy swore to master ninjutsu, become a powerful ninja, and protect humanity.

However, he was significantly lacking in talent. When the ninja teacher tried teaching him the most basic ninjutsu that other students could succeed at in just a few tries, he would be unable to do any of the ninjutsu unless he practiced many, many times, causing him to be made fun of.

Although he did his best to practice more than everyone else after cla.s.s, he still couldn't keep up with his cla.s.smates' progress, and was solidly ranked last in the cla.s.s.

After some time pa.s.sed, even the teacher couldn't bear to watch him anymore, and tried convincing him to give up on becoming a ninja.

The blonde boy became depressed and went to the forest to have some fun in an effort to improve his mood, but he wasn't careful and ran into a demon attempted to eat him.

At this moment, the black-haired boy appeared, and saved him using high-level ninjutsu which instantly slew the demon!

The blonde boy was grateful for having his life saved, and idolized how strong the black-haired boy was. He wanted to become friends with the black-haired boy.

The black-haired boy coldly refused. However, the blonde boy didn't give up, and kept insisting on befriending him and wouldn't leave him alone, which even caused somewhat of a commotion.

After a series of incidents, the two of them became teammates in the same small team.

Their team received a demon-slaying mission. However, their target demon secretly possessed far more horrifying power than expected, and instantly devoured up their teacher who was leading the team!

The black-haired boy single-handedly did his best to stall for time against this super demon and told everyone else to escape.

The blonde boy left but then returned, and did his very best to save the black-haired boy at a critical moment. However, the blonde boy had one of his arms devoured by the demon!

Just as the blonde boy was about to be completely devoured, the black-haired boy grit his teeth and used his secret power. He transformed into a half-monster state, and defeated the super demon!

The first part of the story ended at this scene where the black-haired boy had just revealed his secret transformation power and the blonde-haired boy had lost an arm as they exchanged glances with each other.

The main characters' names, the background setting, and the details of the storyline… there were still many parts that needed improving.

Tanaka went over it one more time as pa.s.sion welled up within him. He wanted to start drawing the first panels right away!

He wanted to properly draw this story and do his very best… no, better than "very best!"

This was his progress… something which surpa.s.sed all of his previous defeats, an opportunity to break through his "limits!!"

Shouri Tanaka's eyes seemed like they had flames roaring within them.

What name should he give this manga of his?

He almost instantly came up with an idea.

"Let's call it Maruto!"

Seiji didn't know what would happen to Demon Soldier Sensei after this, but he truly hoped that this artist would be able to realize his dream.

"After I return, I shall send the specific insert art requirements to you," Saki told him. "As for the relevant contract, I'll contact Demon Soldier Sensei to officially cancel the contract tomorrow, and then send it to you."

"Alright, sorry to bother you, Editor Yos.h.i.+zawa."

"No need to be polite."

The female editor looked at him and recalled what she had just witnessed, causing her mouth to somewhat arc upwards.

"Harano… you're really cool."

"Eh?"

"I thought that you would show sympathy towards Demon Soldier Sensei, or say something rea.s.suring, but you said it so directly… I think that you said it excellently," Saki praised him.

Seiji blinked at this.

"Sympathy or rea.s.surance isn't what that person needed. Even encouragement was unnecessary. No matter who said what to him, he would still persist in the end. I actually said nothing more than a bunch of useless words, which at most helped him to recognize his own willpower. There was nothing 'cool' about it.

"However, I thought that you were pretty cool." Saki smiled. "If you became an editor, you'd definitely be an excellent editor."