Parallel world Manga Artist-Chapter 220: The Antagonist

The story of the Hunter x Hunter ant arc, at its most essential core, lay in the relationship between Komugi and the Ant King.

The events of today's serialized chapter caused a large portion of fans across Japan to completely ignore everything else that happened. As the protagonist, Gon did not even appear once, yet the curiosity surrounding Komugi and the Ant King reached an unprecedented peak.

"Could it be that the Ant King and Komugi are actually falling in love?"

"It does not seem like that. It is hard to imagine an Ant King falling for a human."

"But for some reason, this segment hits incredibly hard."

"Komugi's characterization is just too good."

"I have a question. Why would Komugi suggest betting her life if she loses? Weren't the previous losers killed immediately anyway? The Ant King's proposal feels redundant."

"That is because Komugi does not know. The previous Go and chess champions were not blind. They could see that the Ant King was not human and understood the consequences of losing. Komugi cannot see anything. She genuinely believes he is simply the Supreme Leader of the country shown on television. She has no idea she would be killed if she lost."

"Then why did she say that she has always staked her life in games?"

"That is the key point. Damn Shirogane for cutting the chapter here. The mystery will definitely be explained next week. Also, Komugi bet her life. Will the Ant King do the same? If he does, would he really kill himself if he loses? That is one massive cliffhanger."

"If the Ant King does not accept the bet, his character collapses. But if he does, can he really beat Komugi?"

"Honestly, this gives me the exact same feeling as when I read Hikaru no Go. I did not expect to care so little about Momo-go's fight scenes and focus entirely on a board game instead."

"Same. Who cares about fights? This kind of plot is far more interesting."

"Let's wait for next week. I really want to know why Shirogane introduced Komugi. What role will a blind girl like her play in Chairman Netero's decapitation plan against the Ant King?"

After this chapter's release, discussion surrounding Komugi exploded to its peak.

This chapter's impact extended beyond manga forums and into the wider ACG scene.

Starting the very next day, cosplayers portraying Komugi and the Ant King began appearing en masse at major conventions across Japan.

Even though they knew it was unrealistic, many female fans began fantasizing about a romance between the domineering Ant King and the fragile Komugi.

Fan creations among female Hunter fans shifted rapidly, moving away from the traditional "Hunter Trio" and toward this new pairing.

It was clear that no matter the world, Hunter x Hunter attracted the same kind of audience.

Although it was a shonen manga, the proportion of female fans had never been small, even in Rei's previous life.

That fact became even more obvious three days later, on the release day of the newest Hunter x Hunter tankobon.

At the signing venue arranged by Hoshimori Group, thousands of seats were filled to capacity. Once the event began, the line of fans stretched from inside the venue all the way outside the entrance. Just looking at it made Rei's face pale.

More than sixty percent of the attendees were female.

Photos of Rei's public appearance after half a year quickly spread through the media, hitting number one on the trending lists of major Japan anime forums that same day.

With Arcane concluded, there was currently no work in Japan's anime market capable of competing with Hunter.

Discussion across the entire scene was dominated by words like Hunter, Shirogane, Ant King, Komugi, and Gon. The sheer momentum left the other five major manga groups feeling numb with pressure.

In Rei's previous life, Weekly Shonen Jump had once used Dragon Ball to suffocate its competitors.

Now, Dream Comic was in a strikingly similar position.

Although its circulation stood at 25.9 million copies, still half a million behind the top ranked Monogatari Comic, everyone in the industry understood the truth.

It was only a matter of time before Hunter carried Dream Comic to the top of Japan's sales rankings.

The only prerequisite was that the ant arc maintained its quality and did not collapse at this critical juncture.

Another Friday arrived.

Once again, it was Dream Comic's serialization day.

Even in the early morning, fans gathered outside bookstores, barely able to contain their anticipation.

Hanako, a high school senior who loved drawing manga, was a die hard Hunter fan. She had been posting free Hunter fan comics online for over a year. Unable to sleep at six in the morning, she reread the previous chapter before heading out to line up.

"So many people," she murmured in surprise.

On second thought, it made sense.

Hunter was currently Japan's most popular manga, and this was the city center. A crowd like this was inevitable.

More importantly, the recent chapters of the ant arc were simply too good.

The training arc from the previous month had been dull, but compared to the Ant King's portrayal in recent weeks, it felt like an entirely different level of storytelling.

At eight sharp, the bookstore opened.

The crowd surged inside, heading straight for the manga section. The owner was completely unfazed. Since Shirogane rose to fame, this had become routine on release days.

Hunter fans were famously impatient.

After purchasing her copy, Hanako grabbed breakfast nearby and headed home. She tore off the plastic wrap and finally opened the chapter that had left her hanging for an entire week.

There was no stalling.

This was one of Shirogane's greatest strengths. He loved cliffhangers, but he never padded the story with filler.

When Komugi proposed wagering her life instead of her left arm, the Ant King showed genuine surprise.

Komugi immediately apologized, worried that altering the Supreme Leader's wager might be disrespectful.

Then she smiled softly and explained.

[Actually, I know nothing about anything except Gungi.]

[I was born for Gungi. But the income for a national champion is pitifully small. Only by representing the country and aiming for the world championship can I earn enough prize money…]

[I have to achieve the number one rank in the country before I can represent it in international competitions.]

[There are twelve people in my family, and we are all very poor. Everyone relies on my prize money to survive. Once I lose, a blind person like me will become the family's greatest burden. So I cannot lose even a single game.]

Hanako turned the page, her expression growing heavy as she read.

According to the manga's setting, Komugi was several years younger than her.

[If I lose, I am trash.]

[So from the day I became a professional player, I made a decision. If I ever lose a game, I will end my own life.]

The manga used dense narration to explain how a blind teenage girl managed to survive in a poor country where most people struggled simply to stay alive.

"No wonder Komugi asked the Ant King to change the wager in the last chapter," Hanako murmured.

"Every game she plays, she is betting her life. Her blindness and her family's situation give her no room to lose. Not even once."

Her eyes reddened slightly.

"So the Ant King could defeat others within hours after learning from scratch. But against Komugi, he spent days without finding a single flaw. That is why he tried to shake her mentally by betting an arm. Komugi really poured everything she had into Gungi. She did not even have the luxury of fearing death."

After listening to Komugi's explanation in silence, the Ant King finally spoke.

[Then what do you want after you win?]

[I will think about it after I win.] Komugi replied with a smile.

The Ant King fell silent again.

[Seeking nothing and fearing nothing.]

He laughed.

[It seems I am the one lacking resolve. Forget the wager. I actually did something so dull.]

Before Hanako could process his words, the Ant King grabbed his own arm and pulled.

Her eyes widened.

Blood splattered across Komugi's face as the Ant King tore his own arm off at the shoulder.

It was brutal. It was bloody.

Yet in that moment, Hanako felt that this monster possessed more dignity than the vast majority of people in the world.

He was a tyrant, yes. But his pride placed his moral standard higher than that of many humans.

Realizing that his attempt to destabilize his opponent through fear was an insult to her resolve, he chose to punish himself instead.

The royal guard cried out in shock, calling for doctors to treat the King, but the Ant King remained indifferent. He calmly picked up a game piece with his remaining hand.

[Continue the game.]

Hanako swallowed hard.

The Ant King's voice seemed to echo in her ears. The characterization of both the Ant King and Komugi across these two chapters was nothing short of extraordinary.

She had never imagined that she would come to like this nonhuman antagonist so much.

She was starting to be captivated.

In the following pages, the royal guard attempt to heal the Ant King was rejected. When Komugi learned the truth, she staked her own life and refused to continue playing unless the Ant King treated his injury.

The Ant King's helpless acceptance, and Pitou's visibly jealous expression, made Hanako exhale slowly.

As she flipped further, the scenes of the Hunter Association dispatching elites to infiltrate the palace felt far less compelling.

The two narrative threads were clear.

On one side was Gon and Chairman Netero's squad planning a decapitation mission through strategy and sacrifice.

On the other was the Ant King's overt storyline.

To Hanako, the latter was overwhelmingly more compelling.

To be honest, after finishing this chapter, she found herself liking the Ant King more than the protagonist Gon.

"Shirogane put so much effort into shaping the Ant King and Komugi," she thought uneasily. "What kind of ending will he give them?"

The core plot of the ant arc was obvious.

The Ant King had to die.

If Shirogane was thinking clearly, the Ant King would be killed by the end of this arc.

Yet the mere thought made Hanako feel reluctant.

"I have fallen for another antagonist again," she sighed. "Just like before."

This was the fundamental difference between Hunter x Hunter and other classic shonen manga.

The most popular characters were often not the protagonists.

Hisoka, who kills without hesitation.

Illumi, the twisted brother who kills without hesitation.

Chrollo Lucilfer, the leader who massacred Kurapika's clan and kills without hesitation.

Alongside Kurapika and Killua, these characters dominated the popularity rankings.

As for Gon, few people hated him, but far fewer truly favored him compared to those five.

And now, Hanako was certain.

The Ant King's popularity was about to skyrocket.

The more she watched Gon, the more naive he felt.

The more she watched the Ant King, the more magnetic he became. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Closing the manga, Hanako took a deep breath.

In the past, after hearing rumors about an ambiguous relationship between Shirogane and the manga artist Saki, Hanako would often vote for Touch of Glass out of petty bias.

Of course, only after reading the chapter. She could not betray her conscience if the story was bad.

But today, she had no such mood.

She needed time to digest what she had just read.

And she was not alone.

From midday onward, the forums exploded with activity.

"So good."

"Komugi is incredible. A blind girl saying those words with a smile is just too cool."

"Is this what true character writing looks like? Not shallow tropes like tsundere or yandere, but real human depth."

"I find myself wanting to skip fight scenes just to see the Ant King and Komugi interact. Is something wrong with me?"

"I used to look forward to Nen battles the most."

"Same. I really hope Shirogane focuses more on these two."

"The royal guard is hilarious. She risks his life demanding treatment for the King, and the King ignores him. But Komugi threatens him with her life, and he immediately agrees. That jealousy was real."

"He cannot kill Komugi. If he does, he will never have another chance to defeat her. His obsession with competition will not allow it."

"If I were Pitou, I would betray him."

"That is human thinking. Ant colonies do not work like that. Betrayal is rare among animals."

"But I am scared of one thing. The Ant King will eventually win a game. When he does, will he still spare Komugi?"

"Do not say that."

"I have a bad feeling. This arc will end in tragedy."

"That is Hunter. Popular characters die quietly all the time. Beneath Gon's bright daily life, this world is cruel."

Compared to the previous week, the escalation was obvious.

The ant arc had spent dozens of chapters building the Ant King as a brutal, hopeless enemy of humanity.

Yet within a single month, he had become one of the most discussed characters in the manga.

Fans began debating philosophy instead of power scaling.

Is it wrong for ants to eat humans?

What is the difference between ants farming humans and humans farming livestock?

Are higher organisms justified in exploiting lower ones?

What is the cost efficiency of human farming?

Discussion had moved far beyond who was stronger or who won a fight.

Even though the ant arc was far from over, many readers had already begun to sense its true core and hidden themes.

...

Stones