Parallel world Manga Artist-Chapter 227: Battle

For several consecutive weeks, the Hunter x Hunter manga shifted its focus back to the battle between Morel’s disciple and master against Youpi, as well as Killua’s encounter with Palm in the underground facility after she had been altered and transformed by the Chimera Ants.

This is, in many ways, typical of long-running manga.

The Chairman’s battle against the Ant King, and Gon’s confrontation with Neferpitou, were clearly the central plotlines.

Yet in stories like this, the main conflicts often serve only as the opening stage, with their outcomes revealed much later. Until then, the spotlight usually rests on the struggles of the supporting characters.

However... Hunter x Hunter was different.

Under Yoshihiro Togashi’s pen, even supporting characters left an unforgettable impression on readers.

Take Ikalgo, for example, the Chimera Ant who betrayed his own kind and formed a deep friendship with Killua. Despite being an octopus-like ant soldier, he was gentle by nature and deeply afraid of killing.

But when he learned that his opponent Bloster’s Nen ability could detect killing intent, and would punish the opponent’s brain based on the intensity of that intent, inflicting agony or even death, Ikalgo still chose to raise his weapon.

Even as the ability tortured him to the brink of unconsciousness, he smiled and said:

"If it means saving my friends, pulling the trigger is easy, even if it costs me my life."

Morel, after exhausting every last ounce of his strength and still failing to defeat Youpi, accepted the outcome with calm dignity.

Shaiapouf, the sinister and manipulative Royal Guard, devoted himself entirely to protecting the Ant King. When rumors spread that one of the Royal Guards might betray the King, many fans suspected him... yet he remained loyal until the very end.

Both the Hunters and the Chimera Ants displayed qualities that moved the audience deeply during this surprise assault.

This war between humans and ants was not only brutal, it was tragic, heroic, and heartbreaking.

Although no exact date had been announced, Hoshimori Group had already confirmed that Shirogane Rei’s new manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, would begin serialization in January of the following year.

At the same time, Hunter x Hunter would officially enter hiatus during the first quarter of that year.

The more intense the Chimera Ant arc became, the more anxious and sorrowful fans felt. Every new Chapter brought excitement, but also the painful realization that the story was drawing closer to its pause.

As late November approached, Hoshimori Group began aggressively promoting Demon Slayer alongside Rei.

Both Hunter x Hunter and Demon Slayer appeared frequently in Dream Comic magazine and in interviews, dominating headlines and magazine pages alike.

Even during Rei’s university classes, large numbers of Hunter x Hunter fans gathered outside the university, hoping to persuade him not to put the series on hiatus.

But this was not a decision Rei could change.

He could have tried to continue the story himself. With Hunter x Hunter’s immense popularity, fans would likely have accepted any continuation he wrote.

But the memory of how One-Punch Man’s reputation had suffered after excessive and misguided additions in his previous life immediately extinguished that thought.

Every day, his account was flooded with tens of thousands of messages from fans discussing the hiatus.

At the end of November, Rei finally posted an update.

It was brief, but it gave fans hope.

"Although the manga will go on hiatus, the Chimera Ant arc will deliver the most powerful and emotional climax since the series began. This is only a pause, not the end."

In the final week of November, the anime promotional trailer for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was released online.

That very day, it soared to the top of trending lists across major anime forums in Japan.

A trailer alone revealed little about the full story. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But its stunning production quality reassured Rei’s fans.

It was truly movie-level quality. Even without considering the story, the artwork alone was enough to captivate the eye.

Two days later, the newest Chapter of Hunter x Hunter was released.

On the cover of that issue of Dream Comic, the left side showed Gon, the protagonist of Hunter x Hunter, preparing the stance for his Jajanken.

On the right stood Tanjiro Kamado, the protagonist of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, gripping his katana tightly, his body stained with blood as he prepared to strike down his enemy.

The opening page of the magazine clearly announced a special crossover promotion between Hunter x Hunter and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

"Are they really rushing things this much? Demon Slayer isn’t supposed to start serialization until January next year. Why are they already promoting it together with Hunter in November?" Sato Haruki murmured as he studied the magazine he had just purchased.

But the November air was bitterly cold, and his fingers quickly lost feeling. Shivering, he hurried home as fast as he could.

Warmth embraced him the moment he stepped inside.

Only then did he tear open the plastic wrapping and eagerly flip open the newest issue of Dream Comic.

The previous Chapters had mostly focused on the battle between the protagonist’s allies and Youpi, one of the three Royal Guards.

To be honest, Haruki had found those Chapters somewhat frustrating.

Youpi was clearly the type of opponent with overwhelming durability and endurance. His speed wasn’t exceptional, but his destructive power and defense were monstrous. Morel and the others had fought desperately for so long, yet they still couldn’t inflict any meaningful damage.

But as soon as this Chapter began, the perspective shifted.

To the Ant King and Netero.

Haruki’s eyes immediately widened.

The panel composition was flawless, and the battle scenes instantly drew him in.

Behind Netero appeared the enormous Hyakushiki Kannon, the Thousand-Armed Guanyin. Each palm strike descended with overwhelming force.

Judging by the Ant King’s calm expression, the attacks weren’t causing significant harm. Yet at the same time, he found it extremely difficult to get close to Netero.

Within the underground chamber, the two clashed in a relentless exchange of attack and defense.

The Ant King unleashed continuous assaults, while Netero defended with his Nen ability and countered whenever an opening appeared.

Haruki’s heartbeat began to accelerate.

As a devoted Hunter x Hunter fan, this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

Although he sympathized with Morel, that battle had felt hopeless from the start. Compared to that, this fight was on an entirely different level.

Even though he was looking at still black-and-white pages, in Haruki’s mind, Shirogane Rei’s artwork seemed alive.

This was the skill of a true master.

In Rei’s previous life, manga like Dragon Ball had possessed incredibly smooth and coherent paneling. Even in still images, readers could clearly imagine every movement.

That was why many fans felt that while Naruto and One Piece had incredible stories, their fight choreography sometimes lacked the same clarity. It wasn’t that they were bad, it was simply that Dragon Ball had set the standard too high.

Haruki now felt the same sensation.

When Rei illustrated the battle between the Ant King and Netero, he had already completed Arcane, giving him ample time to refine every detail. Combined with his years of previous life experience, his artistic skill had reached an even higher level.

What readers like Haruki experienced was...

Total immersion.

To the Ant King, the battle resembled a game of Gungi.

Although Netero’s Hyakushiki Kannon allowed him to strike faster, his attacks lacked the decisive power needed to break the Ant King’s defense.

The battle reached a stalemate...A stalemate that placed Netero at a disadvantage.

Netero needed hundreds of successful strikes to gradually wear his opponent down.

But the Ant King only needed one.

Just one.

Then came a shocking panel.

Netero’s right leg was torn off.

Haruki’s fingers trembled.

The detail was horrifyingly vivid, the torn flesh, the spraying blood, the exposed veins, and the cold sweat running down Netero’s face.

"No wonder people say only the Hunter Exam arc is suitable for kids. After that, it becomes something much darker... younger readers would definitely be disturbed by this," Haruki whispered.

He didn’t want Netero to lose.

But in a battle like this, losing a leg was nearly fatal.

Yet in the next panel, Netero struck the stump of his severed leg.

The muscles in his thigh bulged, and through sheer strength and control, the hundred-year-old man forcibly stopped the bleeding.

Haruki felt a chill just looking at it.

Then Netero spoke.

"Who said I was going to die?!"

Standing on one leg, he glared at the Ant King with unyielding resolve.

At that moment, Haruki felt his blood surge with excitement.