Author's Afterword
Yes, it's over.
I'm really glad to have journeyed all the way to the finale with you.
As my first paid serial, it had plenty of shortcomings, but I'm filled with nothing but gratitude to all you readers who stuck it out until the end.
Honestly, this was a story where I truly felt the limits of my writing skills overall.
I also regret not making better use of the characters.
I keep thinking I could have tightened up the plot progression for a smoother ride.
Well, it's all down to my own shortcomings as a writer.
That said, this experience will help me deliver something better next time.
Now, a bit about the work itself.
Originally, Academy City's Failing Hero was built around the main protagonist Yeon Je-seong and the sub-protagonist Noah.
Munchkin stories like this make it tough to keep the overpowered lead front and center, so that's why I created Noah as a sub-lead.
In the story's game world, Noah is a classic growth-type protagonist who reaches the Demon King with Yeon Je-seong's backing.
That was the core plot.
The path forward was straightforward with no major side paths in mind, so I figured it'd wrap up around episode 200 and charged ahead—only to blow right past it.
The Demon King was meant to be the original final boss.
But the protagonist's crew, Academy City, and the Seven Powers ended up stupidly overpowered, so I had to swap in the Demon God as the big bad.
That led to creating the Ma-jang to match the Seven Powers in strength.
The Seven Powers were originally slated for individual character arcs, like the Rischel arc, to flesh out their stories.
Take Louise—she was supposed to debut in a massive, isolated library on a remote island vibe.
Even Dantalian, that golden-generation grad like Yeon Je-seong who got a quick name-drop early on, was set to pop up as the head librarian.
But as I wrote, it started ballooning, so I axed most of it.
Another sore spot: the rankers.
I could've done more with the high-rank heroes if I'd planned better, but they got intros and then barely any screen time. Regret city.
Power creep issues, no doubt. Lesson learned.
I've rambled on about the regrets, but overall, I'm satisfied with the tale.
If even one similar story existed out there, I probably wouldn't have bothered writing it.
Someone's gotta fill that gap, though.
I was genuinely shocked at how many of you showed up.
That about wraps up the work talk.
I hope this became a fun memory for all you readers.
Real-life stuff has me unsure when—or if—I'll be back, but I'd love for us to reunite on the next one.
Thank you so much!!
—Author, Shinu—