Parallel world Manga Artist-Chapter 225: Duel

After the latest Chapter of Hunter x Hunter was serialized, an extra-long Chapter spanning fifty-two pages, it sent three separate trending topics surging into the top twenty on Japan’s largest search engine.

The Chapter ended on a breathtaking plot point: the Ant King, Meruem, unwilling to let his battle endanger the severely injured Komugi, agreed to relocate with Netero and find a new battlefield for their duel.

Then... the moment the Royal Guard Neferpitou activated her Nen ability, Doctor Blythe, to treat Komugi, Chairman Netero’s focus wavered, just for an instant. But in that single instant of distraction, the Ant King moved behind him.

[The moment Neferpitou activated her ability, there was a fatal lapse in attention. The Ant King crossed the line between the two with effortless ease... This enemy is a monster, standing on a plane far above.]

This was the narration text on the final page of the Chapter.

The Ant King did not roar in fury over Komugi’s injuries. He was the King, such outbursts were beneath him.

Yet the fact that he did not immediately move to kill Netero already spoke volumes about how much Komugi meant to him. Even knowing full well that he was walking into Netero’s trap, a plan designed to separate the Ant King from his Royal Guards and defeat him in isolation, Meruem stepped into it willingly. Because he was not confident he could protect the incapacitated Komugi if an all-out fight erupted between him and Netero right there.

And even in that moment when Netero’s guard dropped, the Ant King merely walked past him instead of taking his head.

In the manga, Netero himself understood... the Ant King’s pride had spared his life.

This Chapter pushed the Chimera Ant arc decisively toward its climax.

"Incredible!"

"The more I read, the more I feel like the Hunter Association is completely underhanded. Everything they do is straight-up villainous."

"Gon’s assault team acts as bait to draw the attention of the three Royal Guards, and then Netero drops from the sky to confront the Ant King directly... but the more I watch, the more conflicted I feel! The protagonists use every dirty trick in the book, while the Ant King actually shows Netero chivalry and passes up a chance to kill him with a sneak attack."

"Actually, wouldn’t it have been possible for the Ant King to take out both Netero and Killua’s grandfather, Zeno Zoldyck, in that instant?"

"Of course! Didn’t you see the final page? When the Ant King suddenly appeared behind them and strolled toward the gate without the slightest hesitation, both old men were drenched in cold sweat. They knew exactly how fatal that split-second lapse had been, and they knew that the Ant King had shown them mercy."

"This power scaling is absurd. I feel like Chairman Netero is maybe half a tier above the three Royal Guards, but the Ant King is at least two full tiers beyond them. How is this fight even winnable?"

"Haven’t you figured out this manga by now? Combat experience matters more than raw power. No matter how strong the Ant King is, he’s only been alive for forty days. He’s never fought a proper battle, and he’s never had an opponent worthy enough to push him, so he’s easily outmatched in that department."

"Exactly. Look at Hisoka, his ability, Bungee Gum, is pretty mundane on paper. But the way he uses it is endlessly creative. You could say Netero’s stats should be completely crushed by the Ant King, but in an actual fight to the death, the outcome is far from certain."

"Sigh... although I really like old man Netero, I think I’m actually rooting for the Ant King more. His characterization is just too compelling."

"He’s the most overwhelmingly powerful villain I’ve ever seen in any manga."

"It’s mainly because Komugi is so badly hurt, that’s what really gets to me."

"She should be saveable, but it’s totally unclear what role Komugi will play going forward in this arc."

"I hope Shirogane-sensei goes all out with the Ant King versus Netero fight. Please don’t let it end like previous arcs. In the Greed Island arc, I wanted to see Razor fight at full power, but Shirogane-sensei skipped over it. In the Yorknew City arc, I wanted to see Chrollo actually fight, but it turned into a battle of wits instead... If the Chimera Ant arc pulls the same thing and there are barely any scenes of the Ant King in combat, I’ll cough up blood."

"That’s not going to happen. The Ant King has been built up way too impressively for the battle to end without something spectacular."

Ant King. Chimera Ants. Komugi. Netero.

Every major anime forum across Japan was ablaze with similar discussions.

Casual fans loved debating which character was stronger.

Hardcore fans preferred arguing whether the goals and methods of these characters were morally justified.

As for the protagonist, Gon... everyone could see that at his current level of strength, he was nothing more than a bystander in this war. Forget about the three Royal Guards, he would probably struggle against even the Squadron Leader–class ants. The main character had been reduced to a side character in his own story.

And yet, despite that, or perhaps because of it, among Hunter x Hunter readers, the Chimera Ant arc’s popularity and critical acclaim remained the highest of any arc since serialization began.

Whether they loved the Ant King or hated him, virtually everyone acknowledged his overwhelming charisma.

However, the battle between the Ant King and the Chairman did not unfold the way fans had expected.

In a long-running serialized manga, you couldn’t serve the main course before the appetizers.

The Ant King and Netero leaving the palace for a new battlefield, that was a story for later Chapters.

Throughout October, the serialized Chapters of Hunter x Hunter followed Gon, Killua, Knuckle, Morel, Shoot, and the others as they scattered across the palace, each fighting to stall the Royal Guards.

Shaiapouf’s raw combat power was not particularly impressive, but his auxiliary Nen ability was absurdly overpowered, a truly game-breaking support skill.

Menthuthuyoupi, on the other hand, was a pure combat monster, but not especially bright. No one could take even a single punch from him head-on, so the Hunters resorted to hit-and-run tactics, fighting him while constantly staying on the move. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Then there was Neferpitou, the most dangerous of the three, possessing both devastating combat strength and sharp intelligence.

But right now, in order to carry out the King’s command, Neferpitou was pouring every ounce of her Nen into Doctor Blythe to heal Komugi. That was when Gon and Killua broke into the room.

Facing Gon’s slow, rage-filled approach... Neferpitou was terrified. Not of Gon himself, but that he would interrupt her treatment of Komugi, that she would fail to fulfill the King’s order. Or rather.., when the King had spoken those words to his Royal Guard, it had not sounded like a command at all.

It had sounded like a plea.

A plea for Neferpitou to save Komugi.

And to save Komugi, Neferpitou, one of the most powerful beings on the planet, knelt before Gon and begged. She begged him to wait, just until she finished healing Komugi, before he attacked her.

But Gon, consumed by his thirst for vengeance, was willing to throw even Komugi’s life away if it meant he could strike down Neferpitou and avenge Kite...

Rei scrolled through the overwhelming wave of criticism aimed at the protagonist Gon across the internet after the latest Chapter dropped. He rolled his stiff shoulders and let out a long, slow breath.

"Can’t blame them," he murmured, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I felt the exact same way when I first read the Chimera Ant arc."

"The Chimera Ant arc is a story where the ants gradually become more human, while the protagonist group, those self-proclaimed saviors who set out to exterminate the Chimera Ants and save the world, gradually become more like beasts."

Neferpitou knelt before Gon, begging him to let her save Komugi. But Gon, utterly consumed by his desire for revenge, had completely lost his mind. If Killua hadn’t stopped him, Komugi would have certainly died, indirectly, at the hands of the protagonist himself.

To prove her sincerity, Neferpitou even broke her own arm in front of Gon.

To give Neferpitou the time and space she needed to save Komugi, the Ant King chose to leave the palace with Netero and duel in the wilderness, even though he knew full well that abandoning his stronghold put him at a disadvantage. Had the Ant King simply ignored Komugi and rallied his three Royal Guards and their subordinate ants to attack together, the entire protagonist group would have been wiped out in under half an hour.

Then there was the fiercely loyal Shaiapouf, desperately searching for the Ant King’s whereabouts...

The deeper one read into this arc, the harder it became to side with the protagonists. There was no glory in their methods, only schemes, manipulation, and blind hatred.

With so many immature and morally questionable actions on display, the backlash was only natural.

But that was precisely what made the Chimera Ant arc worth reading. No rule ever said the protagonist of a manga had to be absolutely righteous, or that everything they did had to meet some moral standard. In fact...

In this arc, Gon went dark.

Dark in the most literal sense.

Rei let out a long breath.

"The earlier Chapters were dark and distressing, but at least they still had moments of hot-blooded excitement. From here on out... it’s nothing but heart-wrenching tragedy."

"I fully expect the fans in Japan will tear me apart from this Chapter all the way to the end of the Chimera Ant arc." A faint smile crossed Rei’s lips.

...

STONES???????????/

Read 50 Chapters ahead @[email protected]/Ashnoir