Chapter 45: Domination and Legend
The morning meeting at the editorial department in the last week of July was charged with an intensity never felt before.
When Editor-in-Chief Lee slammed the latest data sheet onto the table, his hands were trembling slightly—not from nervousness, but from adrenaline. Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 9 had achieved a reader approval rating of 73.5%.
It shattered the highest record in the twelve-year history of NextGen Manga Monthly.
"Twelve years." Lee looked at everyone in the conference room, his voice vibrating with suppressed emotion. "Since Legend of the Sword God set the record of 71.8% in 2013, no work has ever broken the 72% barrier. But now, Fullmetal Alchemist has done it. And it hit 73.5%."
The room was dead silent. Everyone stared at the number.
73.5%.
That meant that for every ten readers, more than seven voted for this specific chapter as their favorite. In the cutthroat weekly manga market, this was a statistic that bordered on terrifying.
Kevin Zhang took a deep breath and pushed up his glasses. "What's even scarier is the demographic breakdown. Approval rating among readers over 25 is 78.2%. Among students, it's 71.3%. And..." He paused for effect. "The reader retention rate for Chapter 9 is 97%. That means almost everyone who read it chose to continue following the series."
Sue Vance added, "The third reprint of Volume 1—200,000 copies—sold out in three days. The publisher is already preparing a fourth reprint, this time for 300,000 copies. Also, three overseas publishers have contacted us about licensing rights."
Lee leaned back in his chair and exhaled a long breath. "So, we won."
He pulled up another data slide.
"Stardust Mage" Chapter 4 Approval Rating: 41.2%.
It had plummeted 17.5 percentage points from the previous chapter.
"Manga Weekly issued an announcement this morning. Stardust Mage is suspending serialization to enter a 'Plot Adjustment Period'," Lee smiled thinly. "Everyone in the industry knows what that means. It's the polite way of saying 'Axed.' Zhou didn't come to work today. I heard he's processing his resignation."
Suppressed cheers erupted in the conference room.
For half a year, from Silver Spoon being copied to FMA being targeted, they had endured immense pressure. Now, they could finally hold their heads high.
"But this isn't the end." Lee sat up straight, his tone turning serious. "This is just the beginning. Fullmetal Alchemist is now our magazine's flagship and the industry's benchmark. The eyes of the entire industry are on us—watching to see if we can maintain this standard, watching to see when we might slip up."
He looked at Sue. "What is Alex's progress on the next chapter?"
"Chapter 10 storyboards are complete, currently inking. It's the arc where Edward and Alphonse head North. New characters will be introduced, and the plot will advance significantly," Sue replied.
"Can the quality be maintained?"
"Yes," Sue affirmed. "He said Chapter 10 will be an emotional explosion. It's going to make a lot of readers cry."
"Good." Lee scanned the room. "From now on, all editorial resources tilt toward FMA. Use the best paper for printing, give it the biggest spreads for promotion, and the prime spots in distribution channels. We are going to push this work to the height it deserves—not just as our flagship, but as a legend of the industry."
"Understood!"
When the news hit the internet, the forums detonated instantly.
"73.5%! Historical record!"
"FMA Chapter 9 is god-tier!"
"Stardust got axed! Hahahaha!"
"Where are the people who said FMA was 'too restrained' now? Come out and take a walk!"
"Facts prove that a true masterpiece doesn't need to pander. Strength crushes everything!"
Even more exciting for the readers were the leaked details about Manga Weekly Editor-in-Chief Zhou's departure:
"Heard Zhou smashed three computers in his office, screaming at his editors 'Why can't we draw this?!' Finally, HR had to 'escort' him out. Manga Weekly is in chaos now, several editors are looking for new jobs."
This leak was shared wildly. The comment sections were full of mockery:
"About time he went down! Only knew how to copy!"
"Can you copy a work like FMA? Give them ten years and they couldn't learn it!"
"Thanks to Chief Zhou for using his career to prove the uncopyable nature of FMA!"
"Suggest renaming Manga Weekly to 'Copycat Weekly'!"
But soon, the discussion returned to the work itself. A veteran manga critic posted a long analysis:
"Why did Fullmetal Alchemist set a historical record of 73.5%?
1. Depth. The Fifth Laboratory arc in Chapter 9 explored scientific ethics, military corruption, and personal conscience. This isn't a simple hot-blooded adventure; it has intellectual weight.
2. Characters. The scene where Riza Hawkeye tears up the report will become a classic moment in manga history. The choice of a soldier between the system and conscience was portrayed vividly.
3. Pacing. From Hawkeye's debut in Chapter 8 to the truth reveal in Chapter 9, to the cliffhanger ending—the narrative rhythm is perfect. Every chapter has an explosive point, every chapter makes you crave the next.
4. Restraint. The emotional lines are buried deep and controlled. Zero fan service scenes, yet the popularity of Ross, Hawkeye, and Winry has exploded. Why? Because they are complete human beings first, and women second.
This is a true Dimensional Strike. While other works are still struggling with 'should we add fan service' or 'how to push the romance,' FMA is already standing in a higher dimension—discussing humanity, war, ethics, and redemption.
So it won. It won without suspense.
And now, I only look forward to one thing: When is Chapter 10 coming?"
This article broke out of the manga circle. Even people who didn't usually read comics began to get curious—what kind of work was Fullmetal Alchemist to trigger such discussion?
The new Editor-in-Chief of Manga Weekly was the former Deputy, Gavin Zhao, a middle-aged man who looked perpetually exhausted. He made no moves to attack NextGen. He simply tried to stop the bleeding.
_____________________________
(To be Continued)
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