From that point on, Rei's daily life revolved around three titles: Hunter x Hunter, One-Punch Man, and Arcane.
Stretched too thin, Rei followed advice and hired several experienced manga assistants to help with Hunter x Hunter.
Aside from key characters and major fight scenes, he delegated background work and minor characters to them, providing only clear and concise storyboards.
The final pages weren't quite as polished as when he worked alone, he planned to touch them up later, but the time saved made the compromise worthwhile.
Online, discussion around Hunter x Hunter continued to surge.
At the same time, however, some One-Punch Man fans began voicing dissatisfaction with the plot.
Season Two wasn't bad, but compared to Season One, it felt slightly off.
The main source of complaints was the mid-season martial arts tournament.
Saitama entering the tournament felt like an ancestor bullying his descendants.
Normally, he one-punches monsters, pure, effortless catharsis.
But in a Dragon-Ball-style tournament, he had to hold back, avoid exposing his identity, avoid killing anyone, and exchange blows with weak opponents for episode after episode.
One or two episodes would have been fine, but the arc dragged into its fourth week.
Fans began flooding Rei's comment sections.
"Please end the tournament already and move on to the Monster Association arc!"
"Where's Garou? Four episodes of buildup and now he's gone!"
"I actually like the tournament, why all the hate?"
"It's not that the arc is bad, but think about Season One. Saitama fought Vaccine Man, the Giant Brothers, the House of Evolution, Rhinoceros Beetle, and finally the cosmic overlord Boros. Shounen rules say the threats should escalate, why does it feel like we're going backward?"
"Exactly! After some fodder monsters and meeting King, we watched Garou steamroll weaklings, and now Saitama's stuck fighting random martial artists like Bakuzan and nameless nobodies. Even A- and B-Class Heroes are hogging screen time. It's frustrating!"
"Bring on the Monster Association already!"
"I think Suiryu is pretty cool, though."
"He's strong and determined. He could even join the Hero Association as an S-Class Hero."
"Still, something feels off. Saitama enters for prize money, spends four episodes in the tournament, then gets disqualified because of a wig? That payoff feels weak. Maybe tonight's episode will turn things around."
"Is the show peaking too early? Maybe Shirogane doesn't know how to write an invincible protagonist anymore, that's why people are complaining."
Decker typed furiously, arguing back against the skeptics.
Sure, Season Two wasn't as immediately explosive as Season One—but it was still the top anime of the season.
And more importantly…
He trusted Shirogane.
Shirogane once spent four entire chapters in 5 Centimeters per Second focusing on a single missed-connection scene. Perhaps One-Punch Man Season Two was doing something similar.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was eight p.m.
One-Punch Man's explosive opening theme played.
After a minute, the episode picked up exactly where last week left off.
Because Saitama's wig violated the rules, Suiryu won by default.
The tournament ended in absurd farce.
As Suiryu watched Saitama leave, still unsatisfied, a towering, ogre-like Monster strode into the arena.
It was Gouketsu, the champion from two tournaments ago.
He calmly explained how he had reached the limits of humanity, consumed a monster cell, and gained overwhelming power. His goal was simple: force the strongest martial artists present to eat monster cells and join the Monster Association in opposition to the Hero Association.
Decker froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up.
So the tournament and the Monster Association were connected.
What followed was straightforward.
One by one, martial artists bowed to Gouketsu's strength, swallowed the monster cells, and transformed into powerful monsters on the spot.
They clashed with Hero Association professionals and the remaining fighters.
Decker relaxed slightly as the fodder battles unfolded.
By now, he understood One-Punch Man's narrative rhythm.
Minor characters struggle first.
Then, at the critical moment, Saitama arrives and ends everything.
It was a simple formula, but it was exactly this formula that made the anime this year's breakout hit.
Anyone could imitate the structure. No one could replicate the characters.
Just as Decker expected, the story unfolded accordingly.
When every hero present was pushed to their limit, Suiryu stepped forward and single-handedly wiped out a group of newly monsterified fighters whose power had skyrocketed.
But…
When he faced Bakuzan, whose strength had multiplied several times over after becoming a monster, Suiryu was utterly crushed, unable to fight back.
And even then, Bakuzan was still far weaker than Gouketsu.
Whenever Saitama was on screen, Decker felt at ease.
He knew Saitama would never let anyone die.
But now…
Saitama wasn't there.
Decker swallowed hard.
For the first time in a long while, he genuinely felt the pressure of the story.
Suiryu was smashed into the ground by Gouketsu in an instant.
Before leaving, Gouketsu casually tossed the jealous monster Bakuzan a glance, letting him stay behind to finish the job.
One-Punch Man isn't about how flashy the fights are, it's about the choices characters make in the most critical second.
Strong, handsome, arrogant, Suiryu could have fled at any moment. Yet he stayed and fought, unwilling to disappoint the fans who adored him. All the perfect halos the story had given him shattered the moment he staggered to his feet, gasping for breath, panic flooding his eyes.
His escape was ugly. Desperate.
Driven by nothing but the instinct to survive.
And in the very next moment, Bakuzan slapped him back into the dirt.
Decker sucked in a sharp breath, nausea twisting in his stomach.
'Saitama… please show up.'
In Rei's previous life, Bakuzan had been one of the most infamous monsters among One-Punch Man fans.
He even had a nickname. "The Disgrace of Dragon-Level."
After all, no other Dragon-Level monster in the entire series carried himself with such pathetic swagger.
Then came Bakuzan's most reviled line.
Suiryu lay on the ground, crying, begging for mercy.
A dignified villain would either spare him or kill him cleanly.
Bakuzan didn't bother with dignity.
Back when he was human, just watching Suiryu dominate the ring had crushed his spirit, he'd believed victory was forever out of reach.
But now, "Suiryu! I just love bullying people weaker than me!"
That grotesque monster grin, ignited Decker's fury.
Suiryu's despair felt unbearably real. His breakdown, his screaming for anyone to save him, tore straight at the chest.
Then Saitama arrived.
As naturally as breathing.
As casually as walking into a convenience store.
One punch, still just one punch, erased Bakuzan completely in Suiryu's eyes.
But when Saitama learned that the Monster Association had already ruined the tournament, he turned to chase after the departed Gouketsu.
Only for Suiryu to grab his leg in panic.
He didn't want his savior to die. He begged Saitama not to throw his life away.
By now, Decker was laughing through the tension.
Saitama ignored him and left anyway.
Left behind, broken and bleeding, Suiryu blamed himself.
"I've met a real hero… Someone like him shouldn't die here. He could save so many more people."
But he couldn't stand.
He couldn't help anymore.
Fear had shattered him, but once the danger passed, he still worried about others.
'Suiryu…'
Decker's eyes burned.
That's what One-Punch Man does.
Just when you think the plot is slowing down, side characters like Mumen Rider or Suiryu strike with raw, unexpected emotion.
And then, that emotion vanished instantly.
Gouketsu's massive head suddenly dropped into view.
The timing was perfect.
It was hilarious.
Saitama strolled back, utterly relaxed.
"Was Gouketsu strong?" Suiryu asked in disbelief.
"Well, when they only take one punch it's kind of hard to compare".
Suiryu hesitated, then spoke.
"I… I don't know if I can ever overcome my fear. But… do you think I could become a hero?"
In his eyes, Saitama's smooth, egg-like head reflected clearly.
Even watching through the screen, Decker felt it, In that moment, Saitama was literally a beam of light.
'Could I become a hero too?'
Suiryu's question echoed the hearts of the viewers.
"Hero?" Saitama replied casually.
"If even I can do it, anyone can."
That offhand line carved itself deep into Decker's chest, as if he himself had been acknowledged.
When the ending song finally played, Decker let out a long breath.
His eyes were damp, not quite tears, but close.
Overall, One-Punch Man is a comedy.
And yet, every so often, in the smallest moments, it makes you want to cry.
Who could dislike a character like Saitama?
Who said this arc was boring?
Who claimed Shirogane had run out of talent, that One-Punch Man had already peaked and would collapse?
This was explosive.
This was brilliant.