Chapter 315 - 314: Year-End and the Summit

Chapter 315: Chapter 314: Year-End and the Summit

If a reader were to binge-watch hundreds of Chapters of Hunter x Hunter in one sitting, the sudden introduction of the Nen system dozens of Chapters in might feel a bit abrupt, but they would likely be captivated by the setting almost immediately.

However, Hunter x Hunter was being serialized week by week. With only the content of a single Chapter released every seven days, the plot progression felt like a slow trickle, squeezing out only a tiny bit of substance at a time.

Furthermore, this was a work that had only released four collected volumes, yet its average sales per volume exceeded 23 million copies, placing it firmly within the top ten in the history of the manga industry.

And yet, its core power system was only just being introduced as a concept after an entire year of serialization?

"Haruto, you old bastard, it seems you are creating a very peculiar kind of manga."

In the latest Chapter, because Gon and Killua arrived at Heavens Arena and encountered individuals using strange powers, the veil of Nen was slowly being lifted. However, the manga fans were left feeling a bit stunned, and an instinctive sense of unease began to take root in their hearts.

After all, this was quite a sudden shift.

For a year, they had been following a relatively grounded adventure manga about people at a peak-human level, only for supernatural elements to be introduced out of nowhere. Naturally, the fans trusted Haruto’s creative prowess, but that didn’t mean their anxiety could be completely erased.

"So this manga is actually a supernatural battle series?"

"Good grief, we’re dozens of Chapters in and the power system is only appearing now? Isn’t that a bit late?"

"Honestly, I thought the previous Chapters were great as they were. The adventure story of Gon, Kurapika, Killua, and Leorio as normal people was excellent. Why did he have to go and add something like Nen?"

"Well, it’s not like there weren’t any signs. During the Hunter Exam, didn’t Killua’s brother use that weird attack that put intense mental pressure on him? Looking back now, Haruto was planting seeds even then."

"I just thought Killua’s brother was such a freak that he literally scared him stiff."

"I mean, things like ’killing intent’ and mental pressure are easy enough to understand. But as soon as these settings came out, it felt like the story was heading in a weird direction."

"What’s so weird about it?"

"The sense of disconnect. Everyone thought this was a shonen adventure manga set in a world of ordinary human strength, so introducing superpowers like Nen feels a bit strange."

"I’m calling it now. This new Nen setting is a mistake by that idiot Haruto. The popularity is going to tank from here on out."

"It’s obvious that Haruto has run out of ideas. He’s rushing in a superpower setting so the rest of the story can just follow the boring old cliché of fighting, leveling up, and fighting again."

"Good lord, are you haters still around after all these years? I can’t even be bothered to argue with you anymore. Believe whatever makes you happy."

"We fans are just discussing whether this setting will make the story more exciting, and you haters are already talking about him being ’washed up.’ It’s pathetic."

"Haruto has spent five years and over a dozen works beating every professional in the industry into submission, but he still can’t silence the mouths of these haters."

"A manga that’s only been out for a year already has the sixth-highest average sales in history, yet haters can say something as ridiculous as him being ’washed up.’ I honestly don’t know what goes on in their heads. It’s hilarious."

Setting aside the foolish hate comments, the introduction of the Nen system was indeed a risky move for Hunter x Hunter. Many readers had grown accustomed to the series’ grounded style of combat, and switching to a supernatural system could potentially alienate them.

Everything depended on Haruto’s skill. The next few weeks would reveal the true potential of the manga.

Fans hoped for an explosive hook.

Indeed, after the Hunter Exam ended, the plot had become somewhat quiet. The arc where they went to the Zoldyck estate to find Killua featured almost no real combat; it was mostly just an introduction to how dysfunctional and terrifying Killua’s family was. While that arc was interesting, it wasn’t exactly thrilling.

Besides, wasn’t a Hunter License supposed to be a big deal? Fans were eager to see Gon and his friends use their status as Hunters to do something incredible.

"Let’s trust the author. If he dares to throw a setting like this into the middle of the serialization, he must have a plan."

For several days, the high popularity of Hunter x Hunter ensured that the debut of Nen remained a topic of widespread debate, matching the heat of the discussions surrounding the fake brother Rolo in the currently airing Code Geass.

While Code Geass was moving into its final acts, Hunter x Hunter was, strictly speaking, only just beginning. The Heavens Arena arc marked the moment Gon truly left the tutorial.

Although Haruto avoided the media as much as possible lately, he still monitored online sentiment. His company even had a dedicated department for handling such things.

A large number of people were envious of Haruto and delighted in spreading hateful comments online, so Haruto had spent quite a bit on public relations over the last two years. However, he viewed the recent discussions about Hunter x Hunter as a positive thing, it was essentially free advertising.

Other mangaka might have felt nervous about such a major setting change and might have altered the plot based on public opinion, but Haruto harbored no such worries. He even secretly allocated a large sum of money for additional promotion. The real strength of Hunter x Hunter would only be revealed after the Nen setting was established in the Heavens Arena arc.

October flew by, and the second season of Code Geass reached its fourth episode. Because the plot progression was relatively slow, the ratings didn’t see a significant jump.

The final episode of the first season had hit 6.49%, just a fraction away from the all-time record of 6.51% held by Puella Magi Madoka Magica. While the first four episodes of the second season hadn’t broken that record yet, the massive fan base ensured the ratings never dipped below the 6% floor.

The show remained the undisputed king of the television market. However, it wasn’t quite the unstoppable juggernaut that surpassed Madoka right out of the gate, which was what many had expected. Fans were becoming anxious. Madoka Magica was the first anime Haruto had produced entirely on his own, and the fact that he had hit his peak right at the start of his career was a point that haters loved to mock.

From a narrative perspective, the early parts of the second season were essentially a game of high-stakes espionage. That level of tension, while compelling, lacked the sheer shock value of the first season’s finale, so stagnant ratings were only natural. In the current episodes, the fake brother Rolo had fallen into Lelouch’s trap despite his suspicions.

Rolo possessed the terrifying Geass ability to suspend a person’s perception of time by halting their mental processes.

However, Lelouch manipulated him using the power of family, telling Rolo that even if their memories were fake, their feelings were real. He claimed to view Rolo as a true brother, equal to Nunnally. This psychological manipulation worked perfectly. As the plot advanced and Rolo realized Lelouch had regained his memories as Zero, he was already too deep in Lelouch’s web. He chose to betray the Britannian Empire for the sake of his brother.

While the writing was solid, it didn’t quite reach the heights of the emotional devastation caused by Euphemia’s death. As November arrived and two more weeks passed, the plot continued to focus on the political maneuvering between Lelouch and Britannia.

During this time, the sixth Blu-ray volume of the first season was released. In the television sphere, the second season of Lelouch was the undisputed ruler of the year. In the merchandise sector, products related to the series were sweeping the market, crushing the market share of all other works to a microscopic level.

In October alone, Haruto’s company recorded billions of yen in revenue from domestic and international licensing for Code Geass.

In terms of physical scale, Haru-Yuki Animation might not have been the largest studio in Japan, but in terms of revenue and profit, it had surpassed the Big Three studios.

Just based on last month’s data, it sat at the very top of the industry. Major companies were now approaching them for light novel adaptations, manga spin-offs, mobile game collaborations, and even live-action film and television deals.

Haruto’s personal influence was currently the highest in both the ACG world and the general entertainment industry. Collaborating with him was a guaranteed win based on his name alone, let alone the prestige of the Code Geass brand. Haruto didn’t hoard the IP too strictly; he knew that to grow a brand, you had to cooperate. Developing the cake with others was much more efficient than trying to bake the whole thing yourself.

Thus, while Haruto didn’t put much effort into direct promotion, the commercial value of his work continued to explode. Simultaneously, the Heavens Arena arc of Hunter x Hunter was finally revealing the intricacies of Nen.

The popular antagonist Hisoka used his Nen to block Gon and Killua from ascending the 200th floor. The two boys were forced to learn the basic application of Nen as a protective shroud within twenty-four hours to pass through Hisoka’s barrier and officially join the ranks of the fighters on the 200th floor.

Contrary to the fears of some fans, the introduction of Nen didn’t cause a disconnect in the story. In just three weeks, the excitement of the new setting completely wiped away any lingering boredom from the previous Chapters.

From the 200th floor up, every opponent was a master of combat who specialized in Nen.

Even Hisoka, who had seemed like an invincible final boss earlier in the series, was revealed to be just one of many fighters in the arena.

The boredom of the Zoldyck arc, which focused on world-building rather than action, was a distant memory.

On the Prime Manga website, the demand for more Chapters and the heat of the discussions reached new heights. While industry veterans thought the rise in popularity was a temporary spike, Haruto knew that the manga was only now beginning to show its true power.

In late November, at Haruto’s home, Shizuru, who had graduated from university six months prior, was now the only member of the Hunter x Hunter team still active in the public eye. Since Haruto had lowered his promotional activities, Shizuru had to handle the full schedule arranged by Prime Manga, traveling both domestically and abroad.

After she returned from a two-week business trip, Haruto, Yukino, and Reina held a welcome-home party for her.

Even though she had graduated and had plenty of money, she had never once suggested moving out of Haruto’s villa. It seemed that as long as Haruto didn’t kick her out, she had no intention of leaving.

"I’m so jealous of you, Haruto!" Shizuru said, sighing as she ate a piece of cake. "You’re the boss, so you have the final say. The manga and novel publishers don’t dare push you around."

"Most of the works currently being serialized were ones I prepared a year or two ago," Haruto said. "If I were starting a brand-new project right now, I’d be just as busy as you are."

Haruto had already written the scripts for Hunter x Hunter, Lelouch, and SAO far into the future. The staff at the studio had already finished most of the work for the final episode of Code Geass. While Haruto had more business meetings than before, they were mostly just dinners where he talked shop. He would make an appearance, but Yukino would handle the actual negotiations. It was much easier than the days when he had to fly to four different cities in a week.

"So, what about your graduation thesis?" Shizuru asked curiously. "It’s November already. You must have started, right?"

"Of course I have..." Haruto said, his expression becoming a bit unnatural.

Being so busy with work, he hadn’t been as focused on his thesis as he should have been, and his advisor had asked him several times. Overall, the progress was steady, but he felt a sense of dread whenever he thought about the defense in April or May.

Reina shared the same advisor as Haruto. As a top student, she could spend thirty minutes a day on it and produce work that her advisor praised as the best of the year. Haruto, on the other hand, was struggling. It was a reminder that when it came to academics, Reina’s talent remained as overwhelmingly dominant as it had been in high school. She was likely to sweep the Outstanding Graduate awards for the literature department. It was enough to make anyone feel inferior.

Of course, Haruto’s issue was mostly a lack of time. If he were a regular student with nothing but his studies to worry about, he wouldn’t be worried at all.

"What are you sighing about?" Yukino asked, placing a slice of cake on Haruto’s plate.

Shizuru and Reina both stiffened slightly at the gesture, but they couldn’t say anything. It was none of their business if the couple wanted to show a bit of affection.

"I was just thinking," Haruto said with a wry smile. "It would be quite a story if the most famous mangaka and novelist in Japan failed to graduate because he couldn’t finish his thesis."

"I thought you were worried about something serious," Shizuru said, rolling her eyes. "You’re on the verge of becoming the number-one creator in history for three different fields. Do you really think you need a diploma to prove your worth? There are plenty of legendary mangaka who dropped out of college."

"Um... if you’re having trouble with your thesis, you can always ask me for help," Reina said hesitantly. "I’ll do whatever I can to assist you."

"No... it’s fine," Haruto said, cutting her off.

He was just venting; he wasn’t actually in danger of failing. Since their talk, their relationship had returned to normal, but he felt it was necessary to maintain a certain level of distance.

Reina didn’t push the issue. She just turned to look at the overcast sky outside. It was late November, and Tokyo was starting to get cold.

"Our last winter as university students... time really flies, doesn’t it?" her voice was soft, tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"That’s for sure," Haruto agreed, feeling a bit sentimental himself. "The worst part is that after nearly four years, I’ve spent so much time working that I have zero relationship with my classmates. There are people in my year I recognize by sight but whose names I don’t even know."

"Alright, stop it," Shizuru interrupted.

"Yukino and I have already graduated, and you two are making us feel old and nostalgic."

"So... what happens after graduation?" Reina asked, her eyes moving between Haruto, Yukino, and Shizuru.

The three of them shifted uncomfortably.

How much longer could this living arrangement continue? Haruto and Yukino were a couple. Once they graduated, would Reina and Shizuru still have a reason to stay here as third wheels?

"Let’s wait until graduation to discuss that," Yukino said, stepping in to smooth things over. "But once you two actually graduate, let’s all drop everything and go on a big trip together."

"I’m in!" Shizuru’s eyes lit up.

As Haruto’s partner, her schedule was tied to his. Mangaka were notoriously overworked, and she dreamed of a real vacation. Since her income far exceeded her needs, she was more than happy to take the time off.

"I have no objections," Reina said, glancing at Haruto.

"Then it’s a plan," Haruto added.

Even though he was earning millions a day and a vacation was technically a waste of earning time, he didn’t care. Humans aren’t money-making machines.

"I hope we can all stay like this next year, and the year after that," Shizuru said, looking out the window with a hopeful expression.

Talk of graduation always brought a bit of melancholy.

Friends from university often drifted apart within months of graduating. Most were beaten down by the realities of adult life, either losing touch with Shizuru or only reaching out to ask for a loan of several million yen to start a business. For these three friends, Shizuru truly hoped their bond would remain unchanged.

Time moved smoothly into December.

In the manga and anime industries, Code Geass and Hunter x Hunter maintained their dominance. However, it was Sword Art Online that produced the biggest headline. No new volumes of Sword Art Online were released throughout the entire month of November. This meant there were no new releases to drag down the average sales per volume.

Finally, on December 6th...

According to the official data from every book tracking agency in Japan, the average sales per volume for the Sword Art Online light novels hit 26.4 million copies.

On the surface, a jump from last month’s 26.1 million to 26.4 million might not seem like much. But that increase of 300,000 copies was the final push. Sword Art Online has officially claimed the Number One spot in the all time rankings for light novels.

That day, the ACG community was set ablaze. Every forum and fan group was dominated by a single piece of news.

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