Niizuma
Eiji Ltd
July 15, Friday
Niizuma,
if you get first place for three more weeks, you'll be able to end CROW.
Yuujirou.
I'm sorry to say this, but you cannot change the fact that CROW will end.
This is the first time I've ever seen Niizuma this desperate and scary-looking.
It's not that he doesn't want to draw anymore, or that he's become tired of it.
He's trying his best to give his manga and its readers the perfect ending.
Niizuma.
Yes?
Let's end CROW in four weeks!
Huh? Weren't you trying to prevent it from ending?
Honestly, I don't think GIRI, which is now in second place, can ever catch up to you.
I won't let anyone surpass me.
If anything could do that, it'd be PCP, with its upcoming center color spread in Issue 34.
This chapter I'm drawing now happens to be the one that'll go up against them in that issue.
Right.
Hattori said they pulled off something spectacular.
But keep working hard and stay in first place!
My opponents are worthy ones.
I definitely won't lose to them!
yu
me
yu
me
yu
me
yu
me
Dreams, dreams, dreams, dreams
ka
na
e
ru
ta
bi
ko
wa
re
te
yu
ku
yu
me
As soon as I reach my goals, it all falls through again
na
ze
so
re
de
mo
ma
ta
So why do I run...
bo
ku
wa
sa
ga
su
ha
shi
ri
tsu
zu
ke
ru
...and search in spite of that?
hi
sa
shi
bu
ri
ni
de
atta
We met after such a long time
"
fu
n
i
ki
ka
watta?"
"Has the mood changed for us?"
tsu
ki
hi
wa
na
ga
re
ta
da
rou
So much time has passed
"
a
no
ko
ro
no
ho
u
ga
ta
no
shi
so
u
"
"It seemed like more fun back then"
ta
ku
sa
n
na
ku
shi
ta
We've lost so much
so
n
na
ko
to
wa
ki
zu
i
te
ru
n
da
I already know that, though
sa
ke
bi
tsu
zu
ke
ro
mo
ga
ki
tsu
zu
ke
ro
Don't stop screaming, don't stop struggling
da
re
no
ta
me
ni
na
n
ka
mou
i
da
rou?
You've done enough for others
ma
da
tsu
ta
e
ta
i
ko
to
ga
a
ru
ma
da
ma
da
ma
da
I still, still have something I haven't told you yet
yu
me
no
sa
ki
ni
wa
yu
me
shi
ka
na
i
Beyond each of my dreams lies yet another dream
Last Chapter and Comments
All right!
It's done!
Good work.
Leave the rest to us.
But really, this week's manuscript is awesome!
Both the art and the content are really solid.
Using the title color page to set up a scheme...
I immediately thought, "That's Takagi for you!"
Thanks.
It's without a doubt your best manuscript to date!
Right!
This will definitely take first place!
Can I call Hattori and tell him that the manuscript will be ready by 9?
We'll get it done!
I understood the content when I read it as a storyboard,
but it's even better when I read it like this!
The art really makes the story come alive. It's a superb manuscript!
Thank you!
We'll challenge CROW with this!
Right!
Identification letter
An "Identification letter" from Sigma?
He's probably making a wordplay on "invitation" and "identification" with this letter.
That's dumb. Just open it.
00 Mins
9th
00 Mins
9th
00 Mins
9th
00 Mins
9th
00 Mins
9th
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9th
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9th
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9th
00 Mins
9th
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9th
00 Mins
9th
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9th
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9th
A picture?
00 Mins
9th
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9th
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9th
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9th
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00 Mins
9th
It's a picture of you in your room, Makoto.
How did Sigma get this picture?
Did he sneak into your room?
Hold on. From the looks of it, you would've realized this picture of you was being taken.
No...
This is a picture I took in Makoto's room.
That's right, you lost your camera.
Sorry.
Sigma probably...
What, are you saying Sigma is a thief, too?
No, I'm just saying that I dropped it and Sigma probably picked it up.
Because it was inside my desk in the classroom later on.
What is it, Makoto?
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
On the back of the picture...
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
This picture will
tell you the
aaaaadate and time
I'll be waiting for you
"I'm waiting"?
It's an invitation letter, after all.
He's saying that he'll reveal his identity if we come at the date and time shown here.
How will we get both of those from this picture, though?
Hattori, PCP is great!
Who'd have thought to use the color page like this?
I'll say.
It can surpass CROW with this!
No, CROW is far more intense.
Something of this level won't overtake it.
You're right.
I feel like this week's CROW has an especially powerful battle scene.
It all comes down to the intense battle manga, CROW, versus the idea manga, PCP.
Niizuma Eiji won't lose.
Or rather, I don't want him to lose.
I've decided to support Niizuma.
You're okay with CROW ending?
Niizuma Eiji, winning first place by a wide margin,
for a whole 16 weeks—no, it'll be 20 by the end...
All so he could end his manga the way he wanted to.
You could say that I just want to see that historic moment.
I suppose...
Yeah, I guess that's not something we'd ever get to see, normally.
9th... 00 minutes?
Does that "9th" mean the upcoming 9th of this month?
Yeah...
This doesn't really make it clear if it's this month's or the next.
The same goes for the time.
If you look closely at the picture here,
you can see the clock is pointing to 10 o'clock,
so maybe it's on the 9th at 10:00.
Sigma said that we'd know the date and time from this picture,
but that'd be too easy.
Besides, we don't even know the place we're supposed to meet. Where is it?
Also, something about this picture is off.
"Off"?
I'm pretty sure I took this picture in the morning.
Lemme see.
The whole picture is sepia-colored, but it's pitch black outside the window!
Unnaturally so!
Magnifying Strap!
I knew it!
The direction of the shadows is strange!
What?
It is morning!
These are shadows created by morning sunlight shining through the window!
The real sky is bright!
Sigma colored the sky black!
And check out the clock's hands!
Its hands?
This clock doesn't actually have a second-hand.
Its hands are also supposed to be silver.
From this picture, it looks like it's exactly 10 o'clock and the alarm has been set for 9 o'clock,
but, like the sky, the black clock hands are something that Sigma colored in.
The real clock hand that sets the alarm is underneath the one he added in.
Which means...
...the real time is...
If you remove the black hands...
It's 9 o'clock!
That's right!
I took this at about 9 in the morning!
The real time we can get from this picture is 9 AM!
Yes, the shadows prove it.
But we're in school at that time.
We'll have the day off on the next 9th! It's the anniversary of our school's foundation!
So, exactly 9 AM on July 9th...
All that's left is the place!
Yeah. We don't know where he'll be waiting.
There has to be a hint in this picture, right?
The place, the place...
Ah!
It went from 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock, right?
"10 o'clock" sounds like "cross"...
And there's a book titled The Curse of the Cross on the desk...
The Curse
of the Cross
In other words, a church!
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
To say it's a church just based on that is kinda...
Yeah.
That's not it...
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
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of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
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of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
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of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
It's too vague.
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
It's not like Sigma.
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
9th and 00 minutes.
10 o'clock to 9 o'clock.
Ashirogi nailed this one.
It's really solid.
It's hard to admit it, but I want this to surpass CROW now.
Yeah.
And after that, we can overtake him with GIRI!
Yeah!
Ashirogi strikes again.
The Complete Book of the Six Codes
They're still better than me.
In both their story and art.
Maybe PCP will take first place.
Frankly, it doesn't matter to me which manga will end.
I'll keep trying hard so she'll call me Kazu.
Idiot.
There's no way Never Reaching You will overtake CROW.
It's enough that you worked hard for 10 weeks for that bait I dangled in front of you.
Mr. Yoshida!
I'll make you pay for this!
Calm down, Hiramaru.
PCP is really good.
Take a look.
If you wrote like this and got first place, Yuri would be all over you.
Like how?
Integrating a trick into their color page like this... Ashirogi is just amazing.
What a great showdown!
I'm tearing up again!
Yes, just as I'd expect of them.
I'm even happier now that I'll be able to end CROW by defeating that chapter of theirs.
I've been wondering about this for a while, but why are you so fixated on Ashirogi?
When I first met Ashirogi at the editing department, it was like an electric shock.
Mashiro especially gave me a fierce challenging glare.
At that time, we both suddenly decided: "I won't lose to you."
"You'll be my greatest rival."
July 9th, from 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock.
I get it.
Minoru! Mai!
I got it! The date, time and place that Sigma is showing us!
00 mins
9th
The "From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock" we got from "this picture that shows you what you need to know."
That much we got right.
Coming up with "church" and "cross" was pretty close.
However, the place isn't Western, it's traditional Japanese.
Japanese?
"From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock..."
Look closely at the book on the desk.
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The Curse
of the Cross
The missing character from "cross"
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
Juuji kara kuji
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
Juuji kara kuji
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
Juuji kara kuji
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
Juuji kara kuji
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
Juuji kara kuji
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
Juuji kara kuji
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
Juuji kara kuji
juujika rakuji
The missing character from "cross"
From 10 o'clock to 9 o'clock
Juuji kara kuji
"A missing character from 'cross' ..."
It's "Thurs"!
The Curse
of the Cross
The only 9th of a month that falls on a Thursday for the rest of the year is in July.
The Curse
of the Cross
Thurs
The Curse
of the Cross
Thurs
The Curse
of the Cross
Thurs
The Curse
of the Cross
Thurs
The Curse
of the Cross
Thurs
The Curse
of the Cross
Thurs
The Curse
of the Cross
Thurs
Now, it's confirmed that the day is on July 9th, Thursday!
Oh, that's Makoto for you! We have the date now!
What about the place?
"July 9th, Thursday"...
We got that from a missing kanji radical, so we can deduce the place using the same method.
00 Mins
9th
When I initially saw this picture, what struck me as strange
was the "9th" and "00 mins" at the bottom.
Normally it'd be "9:00," right?
If you look closely, you'll see that the character for "day" in "9th" (9日) is narrower than the one for "minute" in "00 mins."
In other words, "9th"(9日) is also missing a radical.
It's not the character for day (日), it's supposed to be the character for hour (時)! The missing radical is "temple"(寺)!
We're going to meet at a temple!
The most famous temple around here is the Tanuki Temple!
So it's 9:00 on July 9th at the Tanuki Temple, right?
Yeah!
Actually, I've read this chapter many times already, and it's still good.
Oh, please, Hattori.
Welcome, PCP!
The plug of "The face-to-face showdown with Sigma" is good too.
Oh, that was Mashiro's idea.
CROW was first in Issue 33, too.
This Issue 34 is the final challenge against him.
July 26, Tuesday
Hattori, here are the initial results.
Uh, thanks!
Calm down.
Those are just the early results.
Yes.
Hey, have you seen the early results?
Yes. This might turn into a big deal...
Is this really how it's going to end?
July 29, Friday
So, you really haven't asked what the early results were?
No. All that matters is today's final results.
Stare~
Staring at the phone won't make the results come any faster.
Hattori Akira
Looks like you're wrong!
Hi, this is Takagi.
Yes, we're good.
PCP...
is tied for second place.
T-Tied for second place?
What about CROW?!
Hattori, what about CROW?
In first place with 420 votes.
Name of Manga
Vote Count
Author
Niizuma
Ashi
-Perfect Crime Party-
Road Racer
PCP and GIRI are both in second place with 403 votes.
CROW led by 17 votes?
And by 2 votes in the early results?
Yeah. That's why I wondered if we might...
You tried hard, though.
Other than your first chapter, this is the best ranking you've ever gotten.
Yes.
But now, CROW will...
Yes.
It'll end with a front cover color spread in three weeks.
We've been instructed to add the words "Final Chapter" to the cover and front pages.
Our summer is over.
So it seems.
It's not over! It just barely started!
Eiji really is something.
He's so cool.
Yeah, he is.
That makes me even more frustrated.
I know you're frustrated, but it was only a 17 vote gap!
Just a while ago, it was over 100. Isn't that amazing?
In second place with a 17 vote gap...
Second place in Jack.
We've only been able to make it this far because of Eiji, though.
Yeah.
The Runner-up
Prize
1 million yen
Niizuma Eiji (15) Aomori
When we picked up Jack in a convenience store during our third year of middle school,
we saw the runner-up for the Tezuka Prize, a 15-year-old named Niizuma Eiji.
When I saw that, I knew there was an amazing guy in my generation.
( )
Niizuma Eiji 15 Aomori
If I was going to aim for the top in Jack, this guy would be my rival.
( )
Niizuma Eiji 15 Aomori
I arbitrarily decided I had to beat him.
And ever since then, we've been chasing Eiji.
It's not like Niizuma is quitting manga, you know.
I know, but...
It feels like a total loss.
"Continue with your series and wait for us. We'll catch up to you."
I said that to him the day we met.
And he did continue and waited for us.
Even though we have a series of our own now, we still couldn't catch up to him.
CROW will end without us ever catching up to him.
Not an ending by cancellation—a perfect ending.
I think you at least got to the point where you could say "We caught up to him."
No.
Setting NATURAL aside, we never caught up to CROW.
We only passed it on our first chapter.
In the end, Eiji is best when he works alone.
Against that single person, even two people combined couldn't measure up.
Forget about "not measuring up."
If it wasn't for Eiji, we wouldn't have come this far as manga authors.
It's not just Eiji.
Because we competed with Fukuda, Takahama and others from our generation,
we were able to get to this point.
Niizuma's still only 23.
If you think about that, it's really amazing.
To have a series run for seven years, and have it end as no. 1.
I'd like to try ending a series like that.
It's admirable.
For sure.
To keep up a streak of first place rankings, then end it with a front cover color spread.
I wanna try that.
It makes me want to congratulate him.
As a manga author.
As a rival.
As a friend.
Yeah.
August 19, Friday
That was the best ending ever!
Thanks.
Though my feelings are probably beside the point, now that you've finally been able to end it.
Niizuma-sensei...
Huh? "Sensei"?
I am proud to have edited CROW all the way until the end.
Color Pages at page 31!
Ending
Niizuma Eiji
Color Pages at page 31!
Ending
Niizuma Eiji
Color Pages at page 31!
Ending
Niizuma Eiji
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Ending
Niizuma Eiji
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Ending
Niizuma Eiji
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Ending
Niizuma Eiji
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Ending
Niizuma Eiji
Color Pages at page 31!
Ending
Niizuma Eiji
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Color Pages at page 31!
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Color Pages at page 31!
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Color Pages at page 31!
Ending
Niizuma Eiji
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Niizuma Eiji
I see.
And also...
Thank you for all your hard work!
You too.
It feels like you have no interest in a manga that's ended.
Since you still have NATURAL, I can't tell you to relax and take a break,
but you should be able to take it easier than you have been recently.
Another new character? He looks cool.
This isn't for NATURAL.
Then what is it?
I don't have a title for it yet, but it's about heroes based on the elements of the periodic table.
Y-You're drawing a new manga already?!
I'm only drawing because I would be restless if I didn't.
So this wasn't NATURAL?!
Yes.
Can I take a look at it?
Go ahead.
This is the middle of a chapter, right?
Jeez, so many questions.
I've already drawn about a hundred pages that came before those.
A hundred?!
If a first chapter is usually 50 pages,
then that means he's drawn about four chapters' worth already.
And what's more...
it's as good as CROW.
But, heroes based on the elements?
I think someone's done that before.
I'm not making this for serialization, so there's no need to research that.
If you're looking for something that's completely original,
then I'd recommend my long series, Space Cockroach.
Space Cockroach?! What's that? How long is it? How many pages?!
I'm not sure, but if it was compiled into volumes, there'd be around 30 of them.
Er, whatever! I mean,
show me everything you've got that I haven't seen yet!
Wh-When did you draw all this?!
During the spare time I had in between doing CROW and NATURAL.
Normal people wouldn't have spare time! They'd be out of it!
Amazing.
They're all the same quality as CROW, or even better.
The Chief Editor told me to get him to make another manga as quickly as possible.
Oh! He pretends he's in trouble,
then he transforms! Tooth!
I see.
Even if you tell Niizuma to take a break, he'll draw manga during it.
He always wants to draw.
Even if I say nothing, he'll come out with one manga after another.
It's best to let him work freely and not hurry him.
Niizuma has the potential to make something better than CROW...
No, the potential to create the greatest masterpiece in all of Jack's history.
Yuujirou.
You went quiet all of a sudden. Is anything wrong?
N-No.
Hey, Niizuma, is there any place you'd like to travel to?
Anywhere in the world.
I want to go to the Louvre, visit the pyramids, and see the Northern Lights!
I see.
You may not be able to do all that,
but you can go a fact-finding trip both to congratulate yourself on a job well done,
and to expand your outlook.
Oh! I can go?!
Hello, Master Niizuma?
Your final chapter was super exciting!
Fukuda.
When I saw the sample copy and realized I forgot to congratulate you in the comments on the contents page,
I thought I'd call you and tell you personally.
Good job on CROW!
It's frustrating, but both you and your ending are coolest ever!
Thanks.
All right, then! That's all I wanted to say!
Congratulatory comments in the table of contents?
Yeah, most of the authors wrote some.
Seigi no Mikata
Takahama Shouyou
Good job with "CROW", Niizuma.
I'll continue doing my best while looking up to you. [Shouyou]
What God Gave Me
Aoki Kou
Good job with "CROW",
Everyone's telling me "Good job" in these comments.
Niizuma. Do your best with "NATURAL+"! [Kou]
Never Reaching You
Hiramaru Kazuya
I absolutely loved the way you ended "CROW",
Yeah, there's been a lot of these lately.
Niizuma! I'll follow your example and try to bring my own
manga to an end as soon as possible. [Kazuya]
PCP - Perfect Crime Party
Ashirogi Mutou
Good job with "CROW", Niizuma.
Thank you for answering our last challenge. [Mutou]
"Thanks for answering our final challenge."
They're talking about when you extended the deadline until you began your final chapter, right?
Ashirogi's being serious here,
but the readers will have no idea what they mean.
He'll get first place by a long shot with this final chapter.
Last week, PCP was 4th and GIRI was 3rd.
If he does get first place, that'll be 20 weeks in a row.
That's almost too cool.
Eh? Niizuma?
Hello!
Wh-What is it, Niizuma?
"We are thankful that you answered our last challenge."
No, I'm the one who's thankful.
Thanks to you, I got even more fired up and was able to make it even better.
That's what I came to say.
Well, then.
I was the one who said we should write that!
I see.
Takagi once said that we must probably be nuisances to you, just getting in your way of ending CROW.
That's not true, is it?
No. Not at all.
When I said I would end CROW,
you and the other authors came up and declared that you wouldn't let me do that.
I was happy.
We both put our pride and our resolve on the line, and competed with all we had.
That is what a true rival is.
A friend!
That is a battle between men.
People who don't understand battles between men are boring.
Before I came to Tokyo from Aomori,
it was fun to draw manga,
but I was always alone.
But now I'm not alone anymore.
That makes me very happy.
I'll always be thankful for that.
This isn't over, right?
Color Pages at page 31!
Niizuma.
Color Pages at page 31!
That's right.
Color Pages at page 31!
We lost to CROW.
However, our battle isn't over yet!
Yes.
We're eternal archrivals!
Niizuma, hurry up and write your next work!
Yeah.
We want to win against your original work, not NATURAL!
You can't win against the next manga I write!
We won't know unless we try!
You sound so sure about that. Does that mean you've decided on your next manga?
Yes! I'll tell you, since you're Ashirogi.
The next one I write won't just be the best manga in Jack...
It'll be the best manga ever written!
The best manga ever written?
do
u
shi
te
da
ro...
i
tsu
mo
so
u
sa
Why, I wonder?
chi
ka
zu
ku
ta
bi
ka
ra
ma
wa
ri
no
yu
me
Whenever I am close to fulfilling my goals, all effort becomes fruitless
ma
e
wo
mu
i
te
shi
ga
mi
tsu
i
te
sou
su
ko
shi
zu
tsu
We walk ahead, hold each other, and with little things
ya
ku
so
ku
no
a
no
ba
sho
he
to
sa
e
ai
na
ga
ra
we support each other to reach what we promised
ji
shi
n
ga
ta
ri
na
i
to
ki
wa
mu
ne
ni
te
wo
a
te
When we lack confidence, we put a hand to our heart
bo
ku
ra
ga
tsu
zu
t
ta
pe
e
ji
yo
mi
ka
e
so
u
and reread the pages we assembled into a story
kyo
u
ma
de
so
shi
te
a
su
he
to
tsu
zu
i
te
yu
ku
no
sa
They lead up to today and continue into the morrow
ta
i
se
tsu
na
yu
me
ga
ka
na
u
so
no
hi
ma
de
We will always be ourselves
a
ri
no
ma
no
bo
ku
ra
de
zu
tto...
until the day that our dreams come true
Next Time
Preview
Eiji is about to start his next manga!
The best ever written, he said!
Are we okay with that?
Next time: Zombies and Devils
Zombies and
Devils
In order to fulfill our dream, we can't just stand still!