Full-time comic artist

Higashino Hibiki was taken aback; so they wanted him to be their assistant...

He felt like crying but couldn't shed a tear.

……

At the beginning of October, Level E finally ushered in its second chapter amidst the strong anticipation of readers.

Hibiki Higashino, thanks to his status, saw this chapter in advance.

The conflict intensified, and people from all sides gathered together.

Alien feuds and human spying.

The situation is getting increasingly serious.

Hibiki Higashino is looking forward to the next chapter.

but……

"Won't it take another month?"

He scratched his head in frustration. Yoshihiro Togashi was a very interesting character, but he always kept people in suspense.

The readers are waiting with such fervor that they are practically dying of pleasure.

Hibiki Higashino has decided that after Level E, he will never read Yoshihiro Togashi's new manga, the legendary work called Hunter x Hunter.

He had no idea who Gon or Killua were.

Hibiki Higashino is criticizing Yoshihiro Togashi.

Three weeks later, people started criticizing him.

This person is someone Hibiki Higashino greatly admires: Odagiri.

After becoming a professional Go player, time no longer feels rushed.

He can set aside time to read comics.

In the previous part of the story, he was already very angry because of Sai's disappearance.

This part made him even angrier.

"I'm not playing anymore! I'll never say I want to play chess again!"

It was only when Hikaru discovered Sai's disappearance, and after finding no trace of him at the Go Academy, that he found his grandfather's storeroom and discovered the Go board that belonged to Torajiro. The bloodstains were no longer visible, and the board was so shiny that his face could be seen through it. Only then did Hikaru realize that what Sai had said back then might have been true.

He's going to disappear.

But Sai's obsession is to use a divine move, and he hasn't achieved that wish yet.

He definitely did not become a Buddha!

Thinking of this, Hikaru returned to his room and went to Inoshima. At Shusaku's grave, he found no trace of Sai among all the traces of Shusaku's life.

Hikaru misses Sai terribly, and after winning a game of Go, he subconsciously asks the person next to him about it.

"How was it, Sai?"

But that familiar soul was not by his side.

Back in Tokyo, there is also Shusaku's grave here.

He called Sai's name, but there was no response.

To find information about Go, you should go to the Go Academy.

It was already dark when Xiao Guang arrived at the chess academy again.

He didn't understand why Sai had disappeared.

He never imagined that something like this would happen.

Seeing that he was restless, the teacher at the chess academy took him to the ancient chess manual room.

This place is very remote, and studying ancient chess scores can help Xiaoguang calm down.

After the teacher left, Hikaru looked at Shusaku's game record and exclaimed, "Sai's move took into account all directions, up, down, left, and right. It was truly amazing!"

Hikaru understood Sai's talent and strength even more.

"Instead of me taking the shots myself, let Sai take more!"

If Sai plays Go, Akira will be happy, and everyone will be happy.

At that moment, he understood Torajiro.

Torajiro, who is close to professional Go players, understands Sai's strength.

That's why Sai was chosen to play Go.

"It would have been better if Sai had taken over, starting from the beginning."

"Anyone would say that!"

Tears streamed down his cheeks.

"It would be better to let Sai go instead of me!"

Chapter 110 Honorary Chess Player

Having realized Fujiwara no Sai's strength, she longed to spend every day with him.

Hikaru Shindo was devastated.

It was all because I was too selfish, always thinking only about my own game of Go, that Sai disappeared.

Compared to Sai, I am utterly insignificant.

"It would be better to let Sai go instead of me!"

"All of them! All of them! All of them!"

"I don't want to play anymore! I'm never saying I want to play chess again!"

Tears streaming down his face, Hikaru Shindo broke down and screamed:

"Gods! I beg you! Turn back time to the beginning! Back to the moment I met Sai!"

Let's turn back time!

Looking around, everything was very quiet.

Xiao Guang sobbed sadly.

……

Odagiri was deeply moved after reading the latest chapter.

He had been cursing Hikaru, completely oblivious to Sai's feelings.

However, in the recent episodes, we've come to appreciate Hikaru's feelings for Sai.

It was profound and mellow, allowing him to empathize deeply.

In one particular scene, after Hikaru wins the game, he subconsciously calls out Sai's name, only to realize that Sai has disappeared, and a sad expression appears on his face.

It's easy to touch people unintentionally, and it almost brought tears to Odagiri's eyes.

There was also the heartfelt outpouring in the ancient chess manual room, the moment when the emotions suppressed for several days, after searching for Sai without success, all burst forth.

When Hikaru shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm never playing Go again!" Odagiri cried along with Hikaru, his eyes reddening.

"Damn you, Bird Akino!"

The image of the gentle older brother that Tori Akino Mirai left him at the book signing event back then is gone forever; she has become a ruthless and emotionless author.

"If I see Tori Akino again, I'm going to give him a good scolding."

Just then, the phone rang.

Odagiri wiped his eyes, regained his composure, and answered the phone.

"I have a work assignment that I'd like to ask for your opinion on." This was a teacher from the chess academy.

"please say."

"You must know Mr. Toriakino Mirai, right? Because of his outstanding contributions to 'Hikaru no Go,' the Go Association has decided to award him the title of Honorary Go Player. They'd like to invite you to play a game with him as part of the event. What do you think?"

“I will definitely go! In fact, please let me go!” Odagiri said resolutely. “Teacher Tori Akino, I’ve wanted to see him again for a long time and thank him properly.”

"Yeah, I knew you'd think that way. I'll tell you the specific time next time."

"It's troublesome."

After hanging up the phone, Odagiri was unable to contain his excitement.

"I'm so happy to see Mr. Toriakino again!"

Suddenly, he slapped himself.

"I call you 'teacher' in private, but I'm even more unsure what to call you when we meet in person..."

"You even said you'd give him a good scolding, Odagiri, you're such a coward!"

……

Weekly Shonen Jump editorial department.

Many people are busy.

Thanks to the serialization of "Level E", the atmosphere finally returned to what it used to be.

Busy and bustling, yet harmonious.

Having finished his other tasks and finally gotten Jump back on track, Nobuhiko Horie asked Sasaki:

"How are the sales of the fourth volume of 'Hikaru no Go'?"

Sasaki said, "The first edition printed 500,000 copies, the second edition printed 200,000 copies, and there are still 100,000 copies in stock that have not been sold."

"One hundred thousand copies?" Horie Nobuhiko's face turned cold. "There's such a large backlog of inventory. I never wanted Sai to become a Buddha, but you and Tori Akino insisted on your own way, and now there's definitely a problem."

"The average sales of the first three volumes were around 90 copies. Now it has dropped to 60 copies, a direct reduction of one-third. How should we bear such a huge loss?"

Successful manga series will be adapted into radio dramas and anime.