Parallel world Manga Artist-Chapter 224: Announcement - II

Rarely had a single piece of information dominated anime and manga forums so uniformly.

Of course, a manga could go on hiatus.

But how could it happen at the peak of its popularity?

Was Shirogane truly not afraid that time would erode his audience? That when he eventually chose to resume, the fans might have moved on?

Many fellow mangaka were equally stunned.

For Rei and the Yukishiro sisters, however, this outcome had always been expected.

The next evening, the three of them met for dinner.

"So it’s really a suspension," Miyu sighed softly, lifting her glass of fruit wine and taking a small sip.

"Hoshimori Group is essentially letting you take the heat."

Rei smiled lightly. "I don’t mind. I can handle this much pressure. Consider it repayment for how hard they’re pushing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba."

As long as Hunter × Hunter was not officially declared finished, fans would continue hoping. That reduced Hoshimori Group’s pressure, but increased Rei’s.

"So you truly have no intention of continuing Hunter × Hunter for now?" Misaki asked again.

She had asked that same question at least ten times.

"Not within the next two years," Rei replied calmly.

In truth, fragments of the Dark Continent arc from his previous life remained incomplete in his memory. The original serialization had progressed painfully slowly, sometimes only a Chapter every few months.

He wasn’t even certain whether the version in his memory had ever truly reached a proper conclusion before his transmigration.

Perhaps in the coming years, if he reconstructed the arc fully, he might revisit it.

But not now.

Misaki nodded slowly.

"Very well. Then tonight’s dinner is a celebration."

She raised her glass.

"To your latest tankōbon volume, two million copies sold in its first week."

"Why are you always so concerned about my work?" Rei laughed, lifting his glass and taking a small sip.

A moment later, however, his brows knit slightly.

In this world, he intended to live a long life.

Even if he couldn’t recreate every masterpiece from his previous life, his ultimate goal was to remain active on the creative front lines at eighty, like Hayao Miyazaki.

Because of that, he didn’t smoke, rarely drank, avoided staying up late, and maintained a disciplined routine of exercise and healthy eating.

Even a small amount of alcohol made him uncomfortable.

"Today, Miyu is the protagonist," Rei said lightly.

"When you’re here, who else could possibly be the protagonist?" Miyu sighed, glancing at her sister.

"The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Competing with you in the same era is terrible luck. If you didn’t exist, I’d probably be one of the top two young genius mangaka in Japan right now."

She leaned back in her chair and narrowed her eyes.

"Rei, just fail once. Let us laugh at your misfortune. Preferably let Demon Slayer flop, then we can mock you for a few days before pretending to comfort you."

Rei chuckled.

"Even with me around, you’d still be in the top three, wouldn’t you?"

Among mangaka under twenty-five in the industry, Rei’s performance was clearly unmatched.

Behind him stood Miyu, and a rising star from Monogatari Comic, Aira, whose average tankōbon sales had also surpassed six million copies.

"Give me a break," Miyu pouted. "Your number-one position is too dazzling. All the industry’s attention goes to you."

"When people talk about geniuses in the manga industry, they only mention Shirogane," Misaki added calmly while eating. "It’s not that others lack talent, it’s just that you’re no longer compared on the same level. The gap in achievements is too obvious."

She paused and looked directly at Rei.

"But your last chance to retreat is gone. The announcement has already been made. Once Hunter × Hunter enters hiatus, all those fans will turn their full attention to Demon Slayer."

Her tone grew more serious.

"You publicly suspended Hunter, yet you’re launching a new serialization. Some fans will inevitably feel resentment. If there’s even the slightest dip in quality, you’ll see how quickly ’Hunter fans’ become ’Demon Slayer haters.’"

Rei neither confirmed nor denied her warning.

It made sense.

If he were in their place, he might feel the same. If a creator abandoned a beloved series to start something new, that new work had better surpass the previous one, or else the backlash would be merciless.

That was precisely the risk Demon Slayer faced.

But

"Don’t worry," Rei said with a faint smile.

"When Hunter × Hunter concludes, the trend in Japan’s anime and manga scene will shift perfectly to Demon Slayer. There won’t be many dissatisfied fans."

Misaki was too tired to argue with his calm confidence.

Miyu, however, snorted.

"The market is unpredictable. What you expect may not happen."

"It’s already late September," Rei said thoughtfully. "By next September, you’ll understand why I’m confident."

"Next September?" Miyu blinked.

"Demon Slayer begins serialization in January. The first animated film will release during next summer’s movie season."

He smiled lightly.

"I’ll treat you to the premiere. We can witness it together."

"Who wants to watch your movie?" Miyu shot back. "I’m not going. Unless you beg me. If you beg me nicely, I might reluctantly go and contribute to your box office."

Rei laughed.

"I wonder who watched 5 Centimeters per Second seven times in theaters and posted on social media urging everyone to support it."

Miyu’s ears reddened slightly.

Misaki watched the two of them bicker with a faint smile.

But inwardly, she couldn’t ignore Rei’s confidence.

Was that "rethemed vampire manga" really capable of surpassing Hunter × Hunter?

He had implied as much.

September ended.

October began.

With the new month, the page count of each Hunter × Hunter Chapter increased. The battles intensified. The tension escalated.

Fans’ attention was once again fully consumed by the story itself, temporarily forgetting the looming hiatus.

Then came the second week of October.

The long-awaited King and Komugi storyline returned.

But this time, every reader felt their hearts tremble.

Komugi collapsed in a pool of blood.

She had been struck during Netero’s large-scale Nen assault, Dragon Dive, launched to infiltrate the Ant King’s palace.

The technique was indiscriminate.

Its rain of Nen projectiles filled the sky.

And although the primary target, the Ant King, remained unharmed, the ordinary human girl was gravely wounded.

The twist stunned the entire fandom.

Wait, so Chairman Netero and his elite team unleash a devastating city-wide attack...

Yet the King stands untouched, and Komugi is the one who nearly dies?

Wasn’t the typical shōnen formula the opposite?

Usually, the villain harms someone close to the protagonist. The protagonist then gains a power-up and defeats the villain.

But here, It was the "hero’s side" whose attack nearly killed an innocent girl.

How is it reversed in Hunter x Hunter manga?