Next Heroic Legend of Arslan Novel Volume Will Be the Last

Hiroaki Adachi, the head of the Wright Staff company that manages the business affairs of author Yoshiki Tanaka, posted on Twitter in February that the next volume of Tanaka's Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) novel series would be the last.

Adachi explained in the post that Tanaka is currently working on a new novel titled Suishōkyū no Shinigami (The Reaper in the Crystal Palace), the third novel in his Victorian Horror Adventures series after Gesshoku-shima no Mamono (The Devils of the Eclipsed Island) and Dokuro-jō no Hanayome (The Bride of the Castle Skull). After finishing that novel, he will begin working on the final volume of Arslan Senki.

The 15th volume of Arslan Senki (seen below) shipped on Wednesday.

Tanaka's novel series, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, centers on the titular Arslan, heir to the Kingdom of Pars, and initially reluctant in martial affairs and leadership. When the neighboring nation of Lusitania routs the Parsian army in the field, and Arslan's father King Andragoras falls victim to a Lusitanian plot, he and his loyal guard Daryun barely escape with their lives. On the run, Arslan must assemble an army to take back his birthright from Silvermask, the Lusitanian general who himself has a claim to the Parsian throne.

Tanaka launched the series in 1986. The series was adapted into a six-episode OVA series from 1991 to 1993, and a manga adaptation by Chisato Nakamura that ran from 1991-1996. Central Park Media released the original video anime adaptation.

Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist) is currently serializing a new manga adaptation of the novels, which she launched in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in July 2013. Kodansha will publish the manga's sixth volume in December. Kodansha Comics published the fifth volume earlier this month. Crunchyroll is also releasing the manga as it is published in Japan.

The television anime adaptation of Arakawa's manga premiered in April 2015 and ran for 25 episodes. Funimation streamed the anime as it aired in Japan. A second season of the anime titled Arslan Senki: Fūjin Ranbu (The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance) will premiere in July.​