The following contains spoilers from chapter 327 of My Hero Academia. You have been warned.
An intriguing revelation about Tomura Shigaraki’s status was revealed to us in the most recent chapter. It was revealed that even though Shigaraki was awakened from his surgery before it was complete, he can still stabilize on his own without the aid of his surgical capsule. From the moment he was awakened prematurely, Shigaraki needed two more months before he reached full power at 100% stabilization. It has already been one month since the Paranormal Liberation War, which means Shigaraki requires one more month before he reaches his full potential. The clock is ticking against the superheroes as they try to hunt down both Shigaraki and All For One. The only reason the superheroes were able to disrupt Shigaraki’s surgery was because they had Hawks serving as a mole in the Paranormal Liberation Army. Now, the superheroes no longer have that advantage. Also, All For One has taken extreme measures to cover his tracks and has been several steps ahead since the beginning, formulating plans within plans. It is possible that All For One took even more unpredictable precautions to keep the superheroes off his scent. However, the superheroes have gained an unlikely ally in the Hero Killer Stain, who provided intel to the superheroes regarding Tartarus Prison’s security records. This could mean that the superheroes have a chance to disrupt Shigaraki’s growth yet again. However, I don’t think it will go the superheroes’ way for two reasons. First, the superheroes were barely able to fight Shigaraki when he was at 75% stabilization. If he needs two more months to complete his metamorphosis and one month has already passed, then Shigaraki is already more powerful than he was before at between 80% to 90% stabilization. Second, how do we know the “intel” Stain gave the superheroes was not intentionally leaked to them? What if it is a false lead to make the superheroes go on a wild goose chase to keep them off Shigaraki’s and All For One’s scent? Because All For One is a highly intelligent mastermind with impressive foresight, I would not be surprised if this was the case. If this is true, then it would give Shigaraki more time to complete his transformation. I look forward to finding out how this will unfold as the story progresses.
“Anduin, I now believe as you do, that peace is the noblest aspiration. But to preserve it, you must be willing to fight!”
Varian Wrynn, World of Warcraft
One of the main personality traits for the main character in my six-part fantasy series is his desire to establish peace across the empire. He is one of those royals who has only known peace and prosperity and he wants to make it last as long as possible. However, something unexpected happens that forces him to reluctantly go to war. Throughout the story, he starts as a reluctant commander who does not want to fight to being hellbent to ending the war as quickly as possible. This blind pursuit of peace will have unintended consequences throughout the war effort.
One of the main driving forces of my new six-part fantasy series will be how the main character and his companions save as many villages, towns, and cities as they can from an army of monsters. With each settlement they liberate from the mysterious monster army, the protagonists will be slowly building their own army. When their forces become legion, a titanic battle will commence. I will be drawing inspiration from The Return of the King where Aragorn liberates southern Gondor from the forces of Mordor, eventually gaining enough support to break the siege of Minas Tirith.
The majority of my new six-part fantasy series will revolve around the adventures and exploits of nine characters who travel together on a quest. They will be gradually trying to liberate an empire that is being ravaged by a mysterious army of monsters. I will be drawing inspiration from fantasy RPGs where a party of characters go on quests together, slowly getting stronger in the process with each battle.
In my new six-part fantasy series, I will be featuring a mystical wise man who serves as a guide and mentor for the main character. This character will be a mix between Merlin from Arthurian legend, Gandalf from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Ynyr the Old One from Krull, and Brom from the Inheritance Cycle. In addition to his magic and wisdom, this mentor figure will be a highly skilled fighter like Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid.
I have reached a conclusion regarding my fantasy series. Instead of being part of an ongoing series, my first two fantasy books will be a duology. These two books will depict House Magnus’s rise to power. Now, I am beginning the first of a six part series that will serve as a spin-off to this completed duology. This new series will also revolve around a single cast of characters instead of a new cast per book like in The Magnus Dynasty Saga. This is a huge milestone in my writing career because for the very first time in my life, I have actually finished a series! I will keep you updated on any and all developments with the new series now that the Magnus Dynasty Saga is complete.
For the final fight in my ongoing fantasy series, I will be drawing inspiration from this sword fight from the anime film, Sword of the Stranger. I will also be drawing inspiration from the possible scenario in which Jon Snow fights the Night King in Game of Thrones.
“He’s one of them rangers. Dangerous folk they are, living in the wilds.”
The innkeeper, The Fellowship of the Ring
For my future fantasy books, I will be featuring an order of rangers who act as a peace keeping force for the empire. They will be amongst the first characters who come in contact with the monster army. The beginning of the war with these monsters will be seen from the point of view of these rangers.
As I ponder on my potential fantasy pirate story, I think about the evolution of real life pirates. Sadly, pirates are broken shadows of their former selves in the modern world. Today, a pirate is either a petty thief who steals DVDs or undisciplined rabble with machine guns. Between the 1700s and 1800s, pirates possessed a sense of style and class that made them strangely charismatic despite the crimes they committed. There was always something to admire about their morally ambiguous nature, which made them heroes and villains at the same time. They were men who were bound by no laws, limits, or boundaries. This made pirates the ultimate personification of maritime freedom. This absolute sense of freedom, their insatiable lust for gold, and their brutal ferocity were so extreme that pirates wielded the power to challenge entire nations such as the British Empire and the Spanish Empire. All of this is what made pirates a force to be feared and respected. It is thanks to the pirates of the past that we have the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise and ride, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, and One Piece (the longest running anime and manga in recent history). Now, modern pirates are more of a nuisance and hardly the stuff of legend.
“My treasure? If you want it, I’ll grant it! Search on! All the world had to offer, I left in that place!“
Gol D. Roger, One Piece
A pirate’s lust for gold has always been legendary. They would raid merchant ships and towns of all their wealth and goods. I once went to a museum exhibit that talked about what the pirate Blackbeard pillaged, which mostly consisted of trade goods like crops and silks. Blackbeard and his crew would sell these stolen items to the black market, which was when they would get to roll in gold. Sometimes, pirates would hide and hoard their treasure in a location only they knew. A rare few pirates possessed a sense of avarice that was so extreme that they would never want to part with their treasure even in death or let anyone else have it. An intriguing example of a pirate’s booty would be that of Olivier Levasseur AKA La Buse or “The Buzzard”. La Buse was known to have collected and hidden one of the largest treasure hoards in pirate history. The crown jewel of his booty was a seven-foot-tall crucifix made of solid gold and decorated with rubies. By today’s standards, La Buse’s treasure hoard would be worth well over 160,000,000 English pounds or $221,533,600. The main ambition of the pirate king in my spin-off fantasy story will be to collect a treasure hoard that shamed all others. This hoard will not just be created to enjoy every vice and necessity the world has to offer. It will also serve as the ultimate symbol and monument to his status as the greatest pirate the empire has ever known.
Grady P Brown - Author 