▁to ▁be ▁protected ▁in ▁the ▁making ▁for ▁the ▁light ▁nov els . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Ch id ori ▁instead ▁supports ▁S ag ara ▁multiple ▁times . ▁ ▁Media ▁ ▁Light ▁nov els ▁ ▁The ▁light ▁novel ▁series ▁Full ▁Metal ▁Pan ic ! ▁is ▁written ▁by ▁Sho ji ▁G at oh ▁and ▁illustrated ▁by ▁Sh iki ▁Dou ji . ▁It ▁was ▁serial ised ▁by ▁F uj imi ▁Sh ob o ▁in ▁its ▁month ly ▁magazine ▁G ek kan ▁Dragon ▁Magazine ▁since ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁and ▁published ▁under ▁the ▁F uj imi ▁Fant asia ▁Bun ko ▁im print ▁in ▁tank ō bon ▁format ▁since ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁G at oh ▁often ▁found ▁del ays ▁in ▁writing ▁of ▁the ▁nov els , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁del ays ▁to ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁series ' ▁volumes . ▁The ▁series ▁focus es ▁on ▁Serge ant ▁S ous u ke ▁S ag ara ' s ▁arrival ▁to ▁the ▁J ind ai ▁High ▁School ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁student ▁Kan ame ▁Ch id ori ▁while ▁also ▁acting ▁as ▁a ▁student . ▁ ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁twelve ▁full ▁length ▁volumes ▁have ▁been ▁released ▁from ▁September ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁to ▁August ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁In ▁parallel ▁to ▁the ▁twelve ▁volumes , ▁nine ▁auto con clus ive ▁light ▁nov els ▁of ▁the ▁series ▁( which ▁form ▁the ▁short ▁story ▁collection ) ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁published ▁from ▁December ▁