Full-time comic artist

Page 93

Hibiki Higashino had an idea: "You're not just keeping me in suspense, are you?"

“I…I…” Akemi Akemi lowered her head. “That’s what the book says…”

"I've also heard female students say in private that they can't always satisfy their boyfriends; they need to make them feel that they cherish what they have and that it's hard to come by."

"They say...you have to learn...to discipline..."

At this point, she looked up and asked curiously, "So what does 'training' mean?"

Higashino Hibiki's indignant expression froze; he didn't know how to explain.

In the end, all he could say in a muffled voice was, "Don't listen to their nonsense!"

Chapter 104 "Xiao Guang, you can't beat me at all!"

No one knows how Yoshihiro Togashi's story will unfold.

Hibiki Higashino is really looking forward to the second episode.

In the first episode, a baseball player named Tsutsui comes from Tokyo to study in another city.

Baseball is very popular here, and everyone from taxi drivers to dormitory managers is very enthusiastic about it.

This made Tsutsui feel right at home, and he realized that coming to study elsewhere and leaving Tokyo was definitely the right choice.

In the dormitory, he discovered a stranger wearing his clothes.

He is very handsome, but has a terrible personality.

The other person claimed to be an alien who had crashed on Earth.

Tsutsui pointed at him and demanded that the other party produce evidence.

Unexpectedly, he touched his index finger to Tsutsui's index finger and played the classic E·T, which greatly angered Tsutsui.

The other party was sometimes serious and sometimes mean.

This left the straightforward Tsutsui feeling helpless, completely manipulated.

Tsutsui's emotions were like a kaleidoscope, constantly shifting between despair, hope, pain, and rage.

"Hahaha," Akemi Akemi laughed heartily, "Togashi-sensei's new work is really interesting!"

Higashino nodded: "One thing leads to another, with constant reversals!"

That handsome alien looks very unconventional, but he occasionally reveals a keen insight into people's hearts.

The protagonist is very complex.

However, the protagonist's character was established in just one episode. That's really impressive.

At the end of the manga, a clue was left: the Hunan police came to investigate, revealing that the mastermind behind the scheme was plotting against the aliens from the Tsutsui family and had begun their operation.

This makes Hibiki Higashino even more eager for the manga to be updated.

The setting is amazing, the main character is amazing, the story is amazing—it's simply unbeatable.

However, looking at the parrot that frequently appears in the manga, from taking the high-speed train to riding a taxi to arriving at the apartment, Hibiki Higashino couldn't help but wonder, "What is this parrot for? Is it a mascot?"

……

The next day, Higashino Hibiki went to school.

When he arrived at the art classroom, he was very surprised to find that all the students were holding jumpers and discussing them.

And they're all about one of the manga series—Level E.

“What an interesting comic,” a female student said. “And the drawing is amazing. Look here, after the alien rescued the cat and got hit by a car, when it was recovering, even the trees grew leaves and blossomed. This scene is so well drawn.”

“This should be fine, and Jump can be restored!” Another male student exclaimed excitedly.

He was a loyal reader of Jump, and when he heard that sales were down, he was even more upset than Hibiki Higashino.

"As expected of Togashi-sensei, I'll definitely vote for him!"

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of combat system will appear in future content!"

"What would other planets be like? It feels like I'd be adventuring on planets with different characteristics."

"What kind of aliens will Togashi-sensei create? Will there be Namekians? Haha, just kidding."

Higashino Hibiki watched them, engaged in a heated discussion, and was momentarily taken aback.

His influence is truly astonishing; besides Akira Toriyama, only Togashi could compare.

"This work will surpass Yu Yu Hakusho!"

When Higashino Hibiki heard someone say that, he turned around and saw that it was art teacher Matsushita.

Hibiki Higashino quickly greeted, "Good morning, teacher."

"Yes, good morning," Matsushita nodded, not caring that class was about to start, and started chatting with Hibiki Higashino.

"Tori Akino-kun, do you think so too? Level E will surpass Yu Yu Hakusho."

Hibiki Higashino thought for a moment and replied, "Although it's only one chapter, it's incredibly exciting. The vast world-building, the vividly designed characters, the tightly woven and bizarre plot, and the indispensable comedic elements all fully demonstrate the excellence of this work."

Matsushita nodded repeatedly; he thought so too.

“But…” Hibiki Higashino said, “The author is Yoshihiro Togashi, so it’s impossible to imagine where the story will go in the future. It’s hard to say what will happen.”

"Hmm," Matsushita nodded, "You're more meticulous."

He walked to the lectern. "Class is starting."

Hibiki Higashino quickly returned to his seat.

……

The news about Togashi's new work instantly set the entire nation ablaze in Japan.

It's even more amazing than the popularity of "Hikaru no Go" before.

Even without Twitter, a huge wave of discussion has already formed through word of mouth.

People are marveling at Yoshihiro Togashi's talent and having endless imaginations about his new work.

Nobuhiko Horie discovered that the declining sales volume since the serialization of "Level E" had finally stopped, and even showed an upward trend.

"That's really powerful, Togashi-sensei!" he couldn't help but praise.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sasaki, keep a close eye on Togashi during this time, and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble," Horie Nobuhiko instructed.

He earnestly advised, "The series you're in charge of, featuring Nobuhiro Watsuki and Mirai Tori, has been running for over a year and doesn't need much more attention. You should focus all your energy on Togashi."

Sasaki nodded, indicating that he understood.

……

Hibiki Higashino received the news on Friday.

Level E is indeed the number one in the series, and it's the undisputed number one.

It received 88 more votes than the second-place "Rurouni Kenshin".

"Hikaru no Go" is ranked fourth, below "Seiko".

The serialization of "Hikaru no Go" has become somewhat lackluster after the climax in May.

Hikaru displayed the prowess of a professional Go player, nearly defeating Kurata 6-dan, a formidable opponent who coveted the titles of "10-dan" and "Honinbo".

This match fully demonstrated Hikaru Shindo's current strength.

Even a player stronger than Kurata 6-dan would consider Hikaru a formidable opponent.

In a closely contested game, due to Hikaru's momentary carelessness, he lost by one move, and Kurata 6-dan had the thought that "he was saved."

This shows that Xiao Guang has grown up and is now like a candle in the darkness, shining brightly and demonstrating his existence.

"He's already on par with Akira Touya, isn't he?" This is a question that readers of "Hikaru no Go" can't help but think when they get to this point.

Xiao Guang is incredibly powerful right now.

Fujiwara no Sai polished him into a diamond, polishing him into a rising star in Go.

In the subsequent grand tournament, Hikaru Shindo easily defeated the third-dan player from the second round.

He became increasingly mature, calmly dealing with the enemy's fierce offensive, not only attacking and defending properly, but even launching counterattacks.

Sai understood that Hikaru had taken the first step toward the "God's Hand".

He understood the mission God had given him, yet he wanted to resist it.

"In the end, the one who truly achieved the level of 'Divine Hand' was Xiaoguang, not myself."

That night, Hikaru Shindo played Go against Sai. He was very strong now, but he was still no match for Sai.

He made a wrong move and was angrily reprimanded by Sai.

Sai then cried out with tears in his eyes.

"Clearly, Xiao Guang, you can't beat me at all!"

This remark greatly displeased Hikaru Shindo. He knew he was inferior to Sai, so why did he say it?

"What did you say?"

Sai's voice grew louder, "Hikaru, you can't beat me at all!"

"I want to play more chess!"

"That's right, Xiaoguang, you can't beat me at all!"