Rei usually submitted manga drafts four to five chapters ahead of the currently serialized storyline.
And during the serialization of Hikaru no Go, the storyboards he handed to Misaki were often for plots four or five chapters beyond even those drafts.
A normal manga artist would never prepare content for eight, nine, or even ten weeks into the future at such speed.
But Rei was different.
His drawing speed was fast enough, and more importantly, he didn't need to struggle over the plot.
On top of that, because he had to coordinate and fine-tune the Go matches with Rika in advance, many key story elements had to be prepared long before publication.
That was why, In December, Misaki was already staring at the storyboard depicting Sai's disappearance.
The moment she finished reading it, her expression went completely blank.
Blank in the literal sense.
Rei had never seen such a vacant look appear in Misaki's normally sharp, intelligent eyes.
"What… are you drawing?"
The moment Misaki spoke, Rei felt an invisible pressure descend on the room.
"Storyboards," Rei replied, taking a deep breath before letting out a light chuckle.
"I know that," Misaki said slowly. "But if I'm not mistaken… in this part of the plot, Sai is written out by you. Permanently. Am I right?"
"Sai has been dead for a thousand years," Rei said calmly.
"He existed only to find The Hand of God. Now that he's found it, he disappears. That isn't hard to understand, is it?"
"What are you saying?" Misaki tried to keep her tone gentle, but it wavered.
"Your fans will riot. You'll top the list of the most hated manga artists in Japan!"
"I don't mind," Rei replied without hesitation.
"And besides, time heals everything. Readers will get used to it."
"…"
Misaki fell silent.
Nearby, Miyu, who had been deeply absorbed in planning the ending of her own series Sakura Rain, sensed the tension and turned her head.
What she had just overheard, was unbelievable.
Sai…written out of the story?
Her gaze immediately shifted to Rei, filled not with shock, but admiration.
If you weren't a manga author, you would never understand how difficult it was to maintain the popularity of a beloved character.
Smart characters had to be smarter every time they appeared. Funny characters had to be funnier each time.
Passionate characters needed increasingly intense battles. And characters with "presence" had to grow more dazzling with every scene.
If even once a character failed to live up to expectations, they would be ridiculed mercilessly, just like certain overhyped characters in past works.
Yet authors were human.
Their ability to escalate a character infinitely had limits.
Sai was the most popular character in Hikaru no Go.
His role in the early story was irreplaceable: Hikaru's guide, his teacher, his most cherished Go master. But, after Hikaru became a professional Go player, where could Sai's role still exist?
Continue helping Hikaru win professional matches?
That would destroy the protagonist entirely.
A professional player still relying on a spirit to "cheat" his way to victory?
The manga might as well be renamed: Hikaru: King of Cheating.
From a creator's perspective, Miyu had long been troubled by this exact issue while reading Hikaru no Go.
But she never imagined that, Rei would actually have the courage to write Sai out of the story.
"Yes," Rei said lightly.
"The plot of Sai's disappearance was decided before Hikaru no Go even began serialization."
He looked at Misaki.
"Editor Misaki, do you still remember what we agreed upon before we started working together?"
After a long pause, Misaki answered quietly:
"Neither the editor nor the Hoshimori Group shall interfere with the author's plot decisions for any reason."
"This," Rei said calmly, "is the final direction of Hikaru no Go. Sai will disappear in this chapter. And after that, the manga will move toward its conclusion as quickly as possible."
His words sent shockwaves through the room.
Misaki's expression changed dramatically. Miyu couldn't help but speak at the same time.
"Rei, what are you thinking?!"
"How can it end like that?!"
Rei was still a newcomer to the manga industry.
But the the sisters understood the Japanese manga world all too well.
Most manga artists were lucky to have one hit work in their entire lives, and they would cling to it, extend it, and live off it forever.
Even for top-tier manga artists, it was highly likely that the work they released after becoming famous would be canceled due to poor popularity.
Hikaru no Go was riding high now, ranked firmly in the top three of Dream Comic.
By all logic, this manga should be serialized for three to five years at the very least.
Even if its commercial value couldn't compare with hot-blooded battle manga, it could still bring Rei tens of millions in annual income.
So why...Why was he thinking about ending it in less than a year?
"I told you before, didn't I?" Rei said calmly.
"I already planned the entire story of Hikaru no Go, all the way to the ending."
"And in my mind," he continued, "the ending of Hikaru no Go is right here."
"Then what?" Miyu finally set down her brush and walked over.
"In the end, does Hikaru become a Ninth Dan? Win a title? Become world champion?"
"No."
"Then what about Akira?" she asked. "Their match?"
Rei smiled.
"Hikaru and Akira are rivals for life. How could their relationship ever be decided by one game, or even a hundred games?"
"The ending of this manga is meant to be open."
"A competitive sports story doesn't need to show its protagonist reaching the absolute summit," Rei continued evenly.
"It only needs to show growth."
"When characters grow from ordinary people, ignorant, flawed, incomplete, into individuals the audience recognizes as capable, as people with the inner strength to keep walking forward no matter what challenges await them…"
"That," he said, "is when the story is complete."
Misaki and Miyu exchanged a glance.
The logic made sense.
But it was… too idealistic.
"This is too important," Misaki finally said. "I need to discuss this with Editor-in-Chief Han."
She paused, holding back the rest of her thoughts. She still remembered the condition of their cooperation, she was not to interfere with Rei's creative direction.
Even though she was unwilling...unwilling a thousand times over, to see Hikaru no Go end this way, she still didn't voice her opposition.
Because compared to Hikaru no Go itself, Rei, the seventeen-year-old who had created it, was even more valuable.
Even if most top-tier manga artists only produced one nationally popular hit in their lifetime…
She felt that Rei could create a second.
And a third.
Perhaps even works that surpassed Hikaru no Go.
"Then aren't you worried," Miyu asked quietly, "that you won't be able to create a manga better than Hikaru no Go in the future?"
"I will," Rei answered without hesitation, smiling.
"So confident?" Miyu's eyes lit up. "Do you already have a concept for your next work?"
At that moment, Misaki's expression tightened.
"How could I?" Rei laughed.
"I have absolutely no idea right now. If I did, you wouldn't be looking at Hikaru no Go storyboards, you'd be looking at drafts for my new manga."
"…?"
"…?"
Then where did that confidence come from?
The conversation ended there.
Rei's stance was clear.
And he knew that even if Misaki had doubts, her personality meant she would respect his decision.
The real obstacle lay with the Hoshimori Group.
But Rei wasn't overly concerned.
In the end, cooperation was about mutual benefit.
The manga copyright belonged to him. Profits were split between both sides.
In fact, Rei's share wasn't even large, the royalty rate for collected volumes was only 7%.
How the story progressed. How it ended.
Those decisions belonged to him.
When Hikaru no Go was unpopular, he had no say in whether it would be canceled.
So why;
Now that it was popular, should even its ending be dictated by the magazine?
Still, Misaki didn't immediately report the matter to the group.
After all, people changed.
Perhaps next week, Rei would change his mind.
And just as Misaki was holding onto that faint hope;
On Wednesday, the latest chapter of Hikaru no Go was officially released in Dream Comic.