'Don't want to lose … '
Tanaka slowly widened his eyes.
'That seems to be the case? '
'Yes, that's how it is. '
Just as Seiji said, his feelings were quite simple.
'I just don't want to lose! '
"You're right, Shore Sensei." He revealed a pure smile that was different from the complex emotions from earlier.
"I just don't want to lose … I want to be an illustrator for a story that I like, and I want this job.
I don't want to lose to anyone else, even if it's the story's author — you! "
Seiji also smiled.
"I'm quite happy that you like 'Brother Monogatari' so much.
I didn't create this story by myself, and my partner wanted me to draw for this story.
I agreed, and this became something that I wanted to do as well.
I don't want to lose either, even if I can't even be considered an artist, and my opponent is a first-rate artist like you, Demon Soldier Sensei. "
The two of them exchanged glances as their wills clashed.
"Let's begin."
"Yep."
Tanaka and Seiji each took out their own drawings, placed them on the table, and placed them in front of each other.
Seiji picked up Demon Soldier Sensei's drawing and began carefully inspecting it.
'Amazing! '
That was his first thought.
Demon Soldier Sensei had drawn a scene where the male lead and the antagonist used their weapons to fight. The composition was excellent, and it seemed quite imposing.
The scene highlighted the ferocious expression of the villain after she revealed her true face. Half of her face was that of a terrifying monster, while the other half was that of a beautiful girl. This kind of two-faced person formed a strong visual impact, leaving a deep impression on the viewer.
The story's description of the antagonist's true appearance wasn't like this. However, this drawing was still within the description, and it was obviously quite effective.
Seiji even had the urge to change the story's description based on this drawing.
This was the power of a first-rate artist!
Not only did he draw a scene that matched the story's description, he even surpassed the author's imagination and influenced the author.
Apart from the antagonist, the male lead's expression was also quite outstanding. Seiji could feel the strong fighting spirit in his eyes, and the runes on his face that resembled a coat of arms also seemed quite cool.
His actions, clothing, weapons, rendering … Seiji continued inspecting it in detail.
Meanwhile, Tanaka was carefully inspecting Shore Sensei's drawing.
So detailed!
Tanaka was the first to exclaim in surprise.
The man had drawn a confrontation between the hero and the villain. At the moment when the battle was about to begin, the whole picture revealed a sense of tension as if it was about to explode.
The characters, the clothes, the weapons, the shadows, the rendering … The level of detail in the drawing was clearly a level higher than what he had drawn!
The higher the degree of finesse, the better the impression at first glance. In other words, the so-called "texture" or "degree of completion" was higher.
Tanaka could also draw to such a high degree of detail, but he didn't have enough time.
In other words, the other party's painting speed was much faster than his!
He had lost in terms of speed … precision. It was as if he had been punched in the face, and he had been suppressed by brute strength.
What was the content of the scene?
Tanaka saw three people.
The male protagonist drew his weapon, the villain transformed into a demon, and the female protagonist watched from the corner.
He actually drew the female protagonist as a bystander!?
When Tanaka Tsuyoshi saw it, he thought that it was a point deduction. However, after taking a closer look, he realized that it was not the case.
The female lead was in the shadows, so it was not easy to notice her at first glance. The readers would first pay attention to the male protagonist and the villain. Only after taking a closer look would the readers notice the girl in the shadows.
The female lead was the narrator, as well as the story's greatest suspense. When readers saw the beautiful girl in the illustration, they would think that she was only a bystander, a character in the background.
However, if they took a closer look at this character, or if they looked at this illustration after finishing the story, they would feel that something was off.
She had a rather strange expression as a bystander. It was as if she was concerned about the male protagonist, but also as if she was wearing a mask. She had a deep expression in her eyes, and she seemed to be smiling yet not smiling. She gave off an eerie and mysterious feeling.
This feeling matched the overall atmosphere of the story perfectly, causing the entire drawing to feel sublimated. It wasn't just the main protagonist fighting against the villain, but something else as well … something else that was indescribable throughout the entire story.
Tanaka could only sigh in admiration at this.
As expected of a story author … this was an excellent illustration that only a story author could draw.
…
"I lost."
Tanaka came to this conclusion after comparing the other party's drawing with his own.
He placed the drawing back on the table and moved it in front of her.
"You win, Shore Sensei … I shall follow our agreement and give up on this job."
"Thank you, Demon Soldier Sensei."
Seiji directly handed his own drawing back to Tanaka.
"Don't say 'thank you' … I accept my loss wholeheartedly."
Tanaka took back his drawing, glanced at it, and was about to tear it apart.
"Wait!" Seiji stopped him.
"This is an excellent drawing. If you don't want to keep it, Demon Soldier Sensei, could you give it to me?"
Tanaka was astonished.
"You … why would you …"
"I said it before, this is an excellent drawing. I really like it." Seiji spoke sincerely. "Sensei, your drawing of the villain is even better than I imagined. I'm even thinking of changing the story's description based on Sensei's drawing."
Tanaka blinked.
Then, he revealed a faint smile.
"I see … then this drawing of mine wasn't a waste after all."
He glanced at his drawing again before handing it back to Seiji.
"Thank you." Seiji politely accepted it.
Tanaka took a sip of his now-cold black coffee and tasted the bitterness in his mouth. Then, he looked at the boy sitting across from him.
"Shore Sensei, I'd like to ask, how old are you right now?"
"I'm sixteen," Seiji answered.
"Sixteen … a first-year high school student." Tanaka sighed.
"How amazing. You're only a first-year high school student, yet you're able to write such an excellent novel and draw such an excellent drawing … this must be the so-called genius.
I'm twenty-two years old. I started drawing seriously in middle school, started submitting manga in high school, and won an award in my third year of high school. After that, I've never made any progress … you could even say that I've regressed.
I've seen the limits of my own abilities … although I really don't want to believe that these are my limits, they truly exist, just like an insurmountable wall.
"I used to think that I was very talented."
But that was only a misconception. The moment I thought that I was talented was actually the moment I reached the end of my path.
I'm just a mediocre person … a true genius is someone like you, Shore Sensei.
You can write good stories, and you can draw good drawings. If drawing manga is your goal, you'll definitely be able to debut in no time, and you might even be able to serialize your work.
As for me … how much longer do I have to struggle? Can I succeed or not? Should I give up … on my so-called dream? "
Tanaka leaned back in his seat, his gaze unfocused.
He wasn't actually talking to Seiji; he was talking to himself.
As an artist who had failed time and time again, he was expressing his own confusion, no matter who was listening.
"Dream is a beautiful yet cruel word."
Seiji looked at Tanaka and spoke calmly.
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