Two Major Arcs of The Irregular at Magic High School Manga Series Are Ending
An era is coming to an end for fans of The Irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei). Two major ongoing manga adaptations of the series, the Escape Arc (Escape-hen) and the Upheaval Prologue Arc (Douran no Josho-hen), are completing their stories with their final volumes, which will hit shelves on May 27, 2026. The Escape Arc is preparing to bid farewell to its readers with its 5th volume, while the Upheaval Prologue Arc will conclude with its 6th volume.
These two arcs hold critical importance in the chronological flow of the series. The Escape Arc, illustrated by Tsuna Kitaumi, covered a tense period where social pressure on the main characters Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba increased and plans were made to leave the Magic Institute. On the other hand, the Upheaval Prologue Arc, written by Meigo Onishi, provided a transition period that set the stage for the series' larger-scale conflicts and shifts in global politics. Both artists are names who have earned the appreciation of fans by working on different arcs of the series previously.
This universe, created by author Tsutomu Satou, has left a significant mark on both the light novel and anime worlds since 2011. The manga adaptations of The Irregular at Magic High School are known for having each arc illustrated by different artists, either simultaneously or sequentially. While this strategy allows the massive corpus of the story to be adapted into manga format more quickly, it also adds a different visual atmosphere to each chapter. Although the original light novel series concluded its main story with the 32nd volume in 2020, the universe continues to expand with spin-off series such as Magian Company and Cygnus Maidens.
The conclusion of manga series is generally considered a harbinger of a manga announcement for the next story arc. Fans have now turned their eyes to which new arc (likely the Isolation Arc or Resurrection Arc) will begin its manga adaptation following these finales. Furthermore, the activity on the anime side of the series and expectations for a new season seem to have been reignited within the community alongside these manga finales. The volumes to be released on May 27 will be important pieces of this long-running adventure for collectors.
