Byakuya sent the digital version of Volume One to Eto immediately.
And just like that, Eto became his first reader.
She devoured the first volume in no time, completely hooked by the insane twist of "It Was Me, All Along."
The genius of that moment came from Reiner's mental breakdown—his sudden and delusional reveal of his and Bertholdt's true identities. Even Bertholdt seemed caught off guard.
Then… nothing.
"That's it? You end it there, just when it's getting good?" Eto complained with a pout.
"You'll have to wait until I finish writing the rest" Byakuya replied with an apologetic smile.
In truth, ending the volume on that cliffhanger was second nature to him.
Back in his original world, when he first started writing online fiction, every editor emphasized the importance of cliffhangers. If you couldn't even master that basic skill, your work wouldn't even get looked at.
Some of the most successful mobile web novels were structured around this: every free chapter ended on a cliffhanger, the final pre-paywall chapter especially so, and even paid chapters carried on that rhythm.
Eventually, it just became instinct.
"Hurry up and write, or I'll literally force the next chapter out of you," Eto threatened, raising her tiny fist with a mock-ferocious expression.
Of course, if Eto were actually going to get violent, she wouldn't look cute and grumpy. She'd smile sweetly while gouging your insides out.
"Got it, I'll work on it as fast as I can," Byakuya laughed.
Over the next few days, Byakuya went full throttle on writing.
At least 20,000 words a day—whenever he had a spare moment, he was glued to the keyboard.
His goal was to give Eto a full picture of the Attack on Titan world. Once that was done, he could begin preparing to travel there.
Soon, he completed the entire story in prose form and sent the full draft to Eto.
He didn't alter the original ending or insert his own ideas—it stayed true to the source.
While Eto was absorbed in the script, Byakuya went out for a bit.
2nd Ward, Shoeisha Publishing.
Even though it was a guaranteed contract, he still had to follow protocol.
The editor assigned to his work? Shunji Shiono.
Out of curiosity, Shiono had already read the draft of Volume One.
He was blown away.
First, because Byakuya, now Chairman of the TSC, managed to write something so powerful despite his overwhelming responsibilities.
Second, because from a commercial standpoint, this book had huge potential.
Shiono wouldn't make absolute claims—but it was clearly a very promising work.
"I never imagined the Chairman himself could write something this brilliant," he said genuinely.
"You flatter me," Byakuya replied modestly.
And it wasn't false modesty—after all, Attack on Titan wasn't his original creation. He was simply adapting it.
Many of its most powerful moments came from the original manga's visual storytelling, which words alone couldn't fully replicate.
Still, prose had its own strengths. It wasn't all downsides.
"I really believe you have what it takes to become a bestselling author—assuming you even care about that," said Shiono.
Byakuya just smiled.
Becoming a famous writer wasn't important to him. But if it happened, so be it.
Soon after, he signed the contract with Shiono.
The editor didn't question the use of the pen name, even though he personally thought using Byakuya's real name would've boosted sales—especially after his rise to national fame during the battle.
When Byakuya returned home from the publisher, Eto had just finished reading the manuscript.
He found her staring blankly at her laptop screen, clearly deep in thought. The ending of Attack on Titan had left a mark.
"I'm back," Byakuya called.
"Why would you write an ending like that?" Eto turned toward him, her voice low.
"What do you mean?" he asked, curious about her reaction.
"It's not about whether it's a good or bad ending," she said. "It just doesn't feel like something you would write."
Then she added, more calmly, "Still, I get it. It's probably the only kind of ending that would make sense in that world."
She had read the entire manuscript, word for word, and understood that within the world's grim framework and rules, there wasn't room for a happy ending.
What really frustrated her was how, even after Eren was stopped and the world called the survivors "heroes" Paradis Island was eventually destroyed by overwhelming military force.
Aside from the brief peace the surviving "hero squad" enjoyed—thanks to Eren's actions—nothing really changed.
It might've been the best possible outcome… but to someone like Eto, it was hard to accept.
"You're right," Byakuya said. "You can't label that ending as simply 'good' or 'bad.' And honestly, it's not a story I came up with myself."
"…What do you mean?" Eto looked puzzled.
"I mean, I didn't create Attack on Titan. And the world I'm heading to next… is that very world."
Byakuya decided to tell her the truth—about the multiverse.
"You're saying that Attack on Titan is… real?"
"Yes. My eyes don't just let me teleport—they let me travel between worlds. Entire realities, completely separate from our own."
As he spoke, Byakuya activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
There was no need to explain his system or mechanics in detail. This, Eto could already understand.