(This one's a long one. Disclamer: The king's backstory is not my work, it was written by HxH's author, Yoshihiro Togashi. Give him credit for how well written that segment was.)
The boy and the feminine cat-like ant stood in a stone room of an old castle, in front of a stitched-up corpse. They stared intensely at it, something heavy hanging in the air.
"I want you to heal Kite…" the boy said. "Once you're done, I'll release the girl. I promise."
Pitou recognized the corpse, and knew of "Kite's" fate. They almost didn't have the heart to tell the little boy, but for his respect for Komugi, they would.
"What…is your name, again?"
"Gon. Gon Freecss."
Pitou walked over to the body, and turned to Gon.
"…Gon. You respected my wishes, and waited for me to heal Komugi. So I think I should be honest with you, because I owe it to you. This man…he is already dead."
Gon froze in place. Winds swirled around them as Gon tried to piece things together in his mind.
"He's…dead?"
"Yes. I used his corpse to create this puppet, but his brain…it has already been fed to my deceased queen. I am sorry, Gon."
"…"
Pitou raised their broken left arm, and used one of their Nen abilities, Doctor Blythe, to create a large doll from their tail, floating above their head. Surgical tools and small mechanical arms extended from its stomach, operating on and healing the cat ant's broken arm. They dispelled the ability, and raised their now-healed arm in front of their face, sharpening their claws.
"I have to kill you now. For the sake of the king…"
Gon fell to his knees in despair, and tears welled in his eyes.
"You're…such a liar."
A sinister aura burst forth from the boy as he stood. It slowly enveloped him, and the wind around them began to speed up. Candles in the room were being extinguished, and the dark aura swirled around him.
What…what is this!?
The boy looked towards the ground, the light gone from his eyes. In his mind, he was willing to do anything to avenge Kite. Thus, his body followed suit.
"I don't care if this is the end…"
Hair began to rapidly grow from the boy's scalp, turning his spiky haircut into a long black rope extending into the sky. His muscles bulged, and he aged years upon years into the future. His aura grew, and a sinister vow of his own creation was imposed upon him.
"…so…I'll use everything."
I was right…his fangs…could now sink into the king's flesh!
"Pitou…I'LL KILL YOU!"
Terpsichora! Dance to your limits!
A demonic ballerina was conjured behind Pitou, drawing strings around their limbs to puppeteer them to victory. They lunged towards the boy, no, the man, with all the speed they could muster. But as they approached him, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, causing them to miss. Pitou dispelled Terpsichora, and looked around the room for the man, eventually finding him behind her, and in front of the exit to the castle.
"Come this way…just follow me."
He began to walk out of the castle, and Pitou had no choice but to follow him, lest he flee to attack the king. They walked out of the castle, into a road in a forest.
He's…managed to age himself…to the point where he could defeat me! How!? I have no choice…he has to die now!
The chimera ant tensed their muscles, and lunged towards the man. As they were about to slash his arm off, he sidestepped them in an instant. In shock, they tried to ground themselves, but Gon simply kicked the ant, launching her into the sky.
As Pitou hurtled towards the sky, they were given a moment to think.
Oh god…I have to move! Or I'll be killed!
Yet, their body did not respond. They fell towards the ground, and could hear Gon chanting some phrase, causing an orb of aura to flare beneath Pitou. When they fell to meet Gon, he slammed them with a charged Rock attack, crushing their skull and sending them flying into the woods.
Once, Pitou landed on a bed of rocks, they tried to prepare themselves for what was coming, but Gon arrived before they were ready. He walked towards the near corpse, and muttered something.
"…Kite. I finished the job…like how you taught me to…"
The man charged his fist with another Rock, and slammed it into the Royal Guard's face over and over. Blood gushed from their shattered head, but he kept doing it, chanting over and over again. Yet, even in their shattered state, Pitou was able to form one last thought.
Thank god…it was me…and not…him…
"Jan…ken…ROCK!"
Neferpitou's consciousness was snuffed out as his fist crushed their head, thankful that their king would be able to avoid the monster before them.
Pitou felt only the biting cold, or rather, the absence of temperature, in the void around them. Without their eyes, they did not see, without their cat-like ears, they did not hear, and without their body, they could only think.
Urgh…what…no…that was the end…so where am I?
I can't see anything…nor can I feel. Am I alive? Probably not, that boy crushed my skull… so this must be what humans describe as "the afterlife". Or perhaps I'm stuck in some sort of illusion, created by another Nen ability…I hope the king is okay. That boy can't have gotten far without suffering the repercussions of his vow.
Still, I do wonder…what is next? Is this what I have for the rest of my existence? Without my king, what am I to do?
A flash of white swept over Neferpitou's blackened vision, blinding them with searing light. They instinctively brought their hands to their face, which they could now feel. Wind rushed past their ears, whistling through the air. They opened their eyes, and saw the inside of a cell, clad with iron bars and cobblestone walls. On the other side of the bars, a sleeping guard dozed off.
"SAVE MANKIND. RESTORE THE CYCLE."
What?
The shadow of a skinny boy approached the front of the cell. "Look! I'm telling you sir, these Mamono are harmless! All they want deep down is a husband to love!"
A fatter shadow cast from behind the boy came into view, holding the boy by the ear. "Sacrilege! This is why we must send you to the dungeons, foolish boy!"
"B-but I-"
The figures casting the shadows came into view, a fat man in flowing robes and a skinny teenager in a blue and white uniform. "No buts! You will stay in this cell until you have rethought your unholy ideas! Wait, why is there a Mamono in here? This cell was supposed to be empty! Jeremiah! WAKE!"
The guard quickie got up, holding onto his spear to stand upright. "Yes sir!"
"Move this prisoner Mamono out of this cell so that I can properly discipline young Lukas!"
"Yes sir! Ma'am, you're coming with me."
Pitou walked over to the bars, and extended their claws. They took two fingers on each hand, and sliced the bars open, causing them to clatter to the ground. The old man watched in horror as the "Mamono" began to walk towards him.
The guard turned his spear to them. "Stay back! You're walking towards your death!"
The teen stared at the "werecat" in awe. "Save us! I swear, I'll marry you if you can get us out of here!"
Pitou walked over to the old man, who cowered in fear. They sharpened their claws, and sliced his head off, blood splattering across the faces of the guard and the young man. Against his better judgement, the jailer rushed at Pitou with his spear, which shattered upon contact with the Royal Guard. They flicked their wrist across his chest, and he fell to the ground, blood flowing from his figure.
The teen backed away from the "Mamono", sensing that something was wrong. He pulled a dagger out of his pocket, slowly backing away from the threat.
"Who…who are you? Why did you kill them? Mamono don't kill!"
Pitou paused, then muttered to themself. "Where is the king?"
"What? T-the king is in the castle! Do you know-"
"Be quiet."
Pitou walked towards the guard's body, grabbing it by the shoulder.. They held his upper body and carefully opened his skull with their claws. They sat themself on the chair the guard sat on, the man's corpse still in their lap, and began to pry at his brain with their claws. Slowly, the body's mouth began to move, divulging everything he knew.
"…In Gilsenir…I am…a soldier of the Order…"
"W-what are you doing? Y-y-you're-"
Pitou cut him off. "I don't want to have to kill you. Please, be quiet."
This might take a while, but it's the best way to get clear information without falsehoods or conflict. I can use my Puppeteer to command the other corpse, too. But…why…should I even do this without the king? Without him, I am nothing…no. I may not have a king to serve anymore, but I can protect the people he would have loved. His spirit will live on…in me.
Youpi was in a greatly diminished state after feeding most of his cells to the king in liquid form. He was grateful that the king could live, but couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
"So anyways," the wolf ant in front of the smaller Royal Guard said, "they want to trade the woman for their captured allies. The king will want to know this, so please tell him."
"You can count on me, Welfin."
Youpi used his small wings to fly away, with no intention of reminding the king of that burdensome girl. Yet, he could sense that something was wrong. Did Welfin lie?
"Hey, Youpi!"
He turned around. "Yeah?"
"Do you remember anything about your life before you became an ant? When you were human, before you got eaten by the queen?"
"Don't ask stupid questions!" he yelled back. "I'm Youpi, and have always been Youpi! I'm off now!"
"Don't be so cocky, Youpi!"
Youpi could feel a bit of blood trickle down his nose, but ignored it as he turned to Welfin, who had activated his Nen ability. He pointed his Missileman rockets towards the Royal Guard, and prepared to speak his conditions.
"If you try to attack me, I'll fight back! I have more questions for you! You have five seconds to answer!"
Youpi growled. "I wouldn't push my luck, punk!"
Welfin's Missileman fired its rockets towards Menthuthuyoupi, but before they could reach him, blood flowed out of Youpi's mouth. He coughed up blood as he fell to the ground, dead before the battle had even begun.
Where the hell am I?
Youpi tried to use his ability to change the shape of his body, but he felt nothing respond to his Nen. In fact, he couldn't even feel his body. He couldn't see or hear either, so he was left to think.
I died…but how? Was it his Nen ability? No, I had been coughing ever since I gave my cells to the king…was it a poison? Whatever, it doesn't matter…all I care about is the king. Have I failed him? I died, after all…AUGH! DAMN IT!
Rage coursed through Youpi's nonexistent veins, but with no outlet, it simply died out.
What am I going to do…I know. I will lie dormant until the king calls for my help. Until then, I will wait, as long as it takes!
Thus, much time would pass, and Youpi would not hear a word from his king. As time would pass, he would miss many things about the living world: his king, the other Royal Guards, hell, even the humans he fought during their invasion of the palace. At least they had honor, even if they were annoying.
Still, he waited, until a bright light washed over his vision. He could feel his body again, and as he woke from his rest, he found that he could open his eyes, and saw a vast expanse of sand before him.
"SAVE MANKIND. RESTORE THE CYCLE."
"Shut up!" Youpi lashed out with a spiked tentacle, but there was nothing to hit.
The red, beastly ant began to walk in a straight line, searching for anything that would lead him to his king. It would be a few days and nights before he would find anything of note.
Just before the king would have consumed Welfin's flesh for his betrayal, the wolf ant in crutches uttered one phrase in fear.
"…Komugi…"
Memories flooded back into the king's mind of the woman, who he had enjoyed long games of Gungi with. The games, the strategy, their connection, it all flowed back, restoring his development into a kind king.
Pouf groveled on the ground, his butterfly wings closed on his back, faced with an ultimate defeat. His king had finally remembered the existence of the girl, Komugi, because that bastard Welfin had figured out his secret. All his work to keep the king he had in mind a reality, to try to kill and hide the girl from the king's mind, dead in the water. And now, he would die as well. Tears fell from the chimera ant's eyes, ready to accept his fate.
No…no…the king is failing…this can't be happening! He's slipping from his throne! If he cares for that girl, then he will be no king at all! He will not rule with an iron fist! I can't let this happen…but I have no choice! But why…why must I suffer from seeing the king like this?
Did I truly care for the king, or did I care for who I wanted the king to be? Have I failed as a Royal Guard, as an ant, for not having protected what was most valuable to my king? My love for the king…is it twisted? Was I…mistaken?
My king…he truly cares for that wench, doesn't he? He cares even more than I feared…
He extended his body towards his king, preparing for his swift end. "Punish me for my actions, my king."
The king looked at his Royal Guard with a sense of sorrow. "We are one now, no words are needed. No punishment is necessary. But please, if you can, find Neferpitou. You may interrogate the human and the chameleon ant, but let them go if they give information on his whereabouts."
Pouf cried out in pain, not entirely physical. Although the rose's poison was also eating away at his organs, regardless, he felt a deep pit in his heart from his internal conflict. Blood trickled down his nose and mouth, the poison catching up with the ant's body.
The wolf ant across from the king spoke again. "Area D…they said they would wait in Bizeff's courtyard. You'll find them there…"
The king began to walk away from the pair, but Welfin couldn't allow his enemy to walk away, not after all he had done to help the palace's invaders.
"ARGH! GYRO IS THE ONLY ONE I WILL CALL KING! YOU…ALL OF YOU ANTS ARE ENEMIES! YOU HEAR ME!?"
"…is that so?"
The wolf man huffed and puffed, accepting the fate that he expected would befall him. However, instead of killing and eating Welfin, the king, now with the knowledge he had lost in the bomb's explosion, only turned back to him.
"Then I hope you see him one day. I really do. If possible, I hope you can live a human life in your future…"
As the king walked away, Pouf cried, slamming his fists into the ground. He didn't even know what to think at this point, he only knew that it hurt. Over the next three minutes, as he searched for Pitou, his organs would fail him, and he would die, agonizing over the past, present, and future.
I have failed…
Shaiapouf pondered the meaning of his existence without his king. He had been trapped in an endless void ever since he had died, and had no agency over his senses.
Without the king, I have no purpose. That much is evident. It doesn't matter what I do now…no, I have to find him. I don't care if the rest of my miserable existence is spent here…so long as the King is safe, away from that wench, I will be fine. But that whore is still alive…I cannot take this! Please, if anyone is listening, let me out of here! I need to help my king!
Yet, no one responded.
My king…you are not in your right state of mind. Please, if you can hear me…stop this madness, I beg of you! Become the king you were destined to be, and rule the world with your power!
For the rest of Pouf's time in this purgatory, he would repeat this mantra, in hopes that it would somehow reach the king. It never did.
One day, light would reach Pouf's eyes. He turned away from it, believing madness had finally claimed him, but he then felt the warmth of the sun on his wings and blonde hair. He turned around, only to see a bustling medieval city filled with human males and female chimera ants, with a great mountain in the distance.
"SAVE MANKIND. RESTORE THE CYCLE."
"What…what is this place?"
The locals of the area stared back at him in shock, as if he were something novel. He simply ignored them, and began to wander around the city. Some followed him, while others, sensing the malice in his heart, left him alone.
"Hey, is that a male Mamono? Do those exist?"
"Pretty boy! Over here!"
"He's cute, isn't he?"
Shaiapouf kept walking, but the crowd kept following him. Tiring of this odd chase, he turned around to face his tormentors: a group of reptilian chimera ants, all women, clad in green and red scales, but still with pale human skin.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
He shook his head. "No. Do any of you know where your king is?"
One of the women tilted their head. "You mean Her Majesty? She lives at the peak of the mountain. But what about-"
Shaiapouf, incensed by the notion that some queen could rule instead of his king, soared towards the sky, in search of the wench who dared to challenge his king's authority. The women watched as he flew towards the mountain's peak, unaware of the danger he posed to the kingdom.
My king…no matter where you are, I will do as you would have wished…I will conquer everything in your name! This land will be yours to take!
Pouf soared past the clouds, the sky shifting from dark to bright as he passed through the realms comprising the mountain. He reached the top of the mountain in mere minutes, coming face to face with a palace, standing tall atop the peak. He flew to the gates of the great palace, and was swiftly surrounded by spear-wielding guards, who appeared to be ants similar to the reptilian ones he had already met.
"Stop! State your name and business here!"
The guards watched as the strange winged figure stood silently. It was at this point that they noticed that the figure was male, yet still had the features of a Papillion.
The guard captain was the first to ask. "Are you…a Mamono?"
In response, Pouf spread his wings, and scattered his scales infused with his En. However, even after they had dispersed into the air, Spiritual Message seemed to have no effect on them. However, he could still read their emotions using the technique.
Anxious, excited, and lustful…an odd combination, but ultimately useless to me. If my scales can't hypnotize them, then…then I'll have to rip them to shreds!
He rushed towards the strongest of them, who tried to block with her spear. His fist shattered the dragonium pike, and careened into the guard's face, snapping her neck into an unnatural position.
The rest of the guards charged towards Shaiapouf, but he remained calm. He split himself into four identical clones with another Nen ability, Beelzebub, and swiftly took out the rest of the platoon with his raw strength as a Royal Guard. Reconverging into one body, Pouf took a closer look at one of the bodies. He used his control of his cells to reshape his body into one resembling the guard captain, who laid dead on the rocky peak.
In this new disguise, Pouf walked into the palace, unimpeded due to his appearance. He made his way to the second floor, where he found the entrance to the throne room. He opened the room's gate, which led him to be face to face with a red scaled reptile ant.
"Ah, Risia! I thought you were supposed to be guarding the palace, no? Ah, it's fine. It's not like any Order soldiers could just fly up here and-"
Pouf reconstructed his body into its original form, shocking the queen. She stood from her throne, trying to observe what had just reformed in her room.
"Do you bow to the king of the chimera ants?"
She scoffed, and took her spear from its rack. "Just who do you think you are? Are you even a Mamono?"
"No, you say? Then you will pay for daring to challenge my king's authority. DIE!"
He sprang forth from his position, preparing to strike the queen dead with a single, Nen-enforced blow. However, she barely dodged, and breathed a steady stream of fire onto him. His cells began to burn away, but he reinforced his Nen defenses, protecting him from the brunt of the flame. She charged in with her spear, sensing his magic protection, but just as the spear would've pierced his defense, his body split in half, forming into two clones.
"What!?"
I can't afford to split into smaller clones, lest I risk being incinerated. Two half-strength clones should be enough!
One clone charged at the queen, coated in a full Ken defense. She tried to breathe fire to incinerate him, but his Ken blocked it. She went in to pierce his defense with her dragonium spear, but as she did, the other clone, concentrating all of its aura into its right hand, slammed its fist into the queen. She fell to the ground, a concussion blurring her vision as she saw the clones reconvene into one person.
"Who…who the hell are you?"
Pouf grabbed the queen by the throat, and lifted her up, squeezing as hard as he could.
"I am Shaiapouf. This world belongs to my king. I will enforce his rule."
He watched as the dragon queen struggled, trying to claw at his hands, breathe fire, and squirm out of his grip, all of which failed. He watched as life faded from the queen's eyes, cementing him as the strongest being in Dragonia.
"My king…it is done." He began to reassimilate his body to resemble the old queen, replicating her appearance perfectly, and took her dress off. He put the sharp, royal clothing on, but as he was about to fly away to dispose of the body, guards bursted into the throne room, spears in hand.
"Queen Deonora! Are you alright? Some commotion came from this room, and…is that…you?"
"Ah, yes." "Deonora" said. "An assassin tried to depose me by taking my appearance. Please, dispose of her body. Do as you will!"
"O-oh…of course, Your Majesty!" The guards grabbed the real queen's body, and carried it off towards the dungeons. Pouf almost laughed at the irony of the situation, but held his celebration in. He had a kingdom to keep for his king, after all.
"GET HIM IN HERE!"
The child-ilke Mamono hired by the Sabbath rushed the subject in, laying him on a metal bed. He was an unconscious man, however, the man was different compared to other human men. He possessed a striped tail with a syringe-like stinger at its end, had purple arms and green skin, with a large shell-like helmet attached to his head. His eyes were closed, but if they were to be observed, the irises would shine a violent violet.
The Mamono doctors around him observed his body, using their medical instruments to measure his heart rate, breathing, and more. All seemed to be fine, but when they went to use a needle to gather his blood, it couldn't pierce his arm. They tried even their dragonium-tipped needle, which they used for wild beasts, but nothing could pierce his ironclad skin.
One of the scientists, a unicorn, was the first to ask the lingering question in the room. "Is he…a Mamono?"
One of the Sabbath members among them answered. "If he is, he could be the key to our future. This might be just what the Mamono Lord is looking for!"
"If he's unconscious," a mindflayer said, "then there's a chance he might be in a coma. Permission to read his memories, in order to ascertain his status?"
Their chief baphomet nodded. "Just remember your contract. No consuming memories!"
The mindflayer extended her tentacles into the figure's ears, and began to read his mind, starting from the very beginning.
In the great nest of the chimera ants, the queen of the chimera ants groaned in pain, preparing to give birth to her progeny. Her birthing sac pulsed, with the colony's future king inside.
"Wait! It's too early!" she cried.
The Royal Guards and Squadron Leaders of the colony watched on as the sac began to beat more heavily, until a voice could be heard from within.
"SILENCE!"
From within, something opened the sac with its bare hands, ripping it into shreds and leaping out. Blood flew in every direction, and the king, by causing the certain death of his mother, was born.
One of the squadron leaders, a penguin ant named Peggy, rushed towards the queen's damaged body.
"No! My queen! Her organs! They're-"
With a whip of his stinger tail, the king made contact with the ant's head, destroying it in an instant and sending blood flying every which way.
"Do not make me repeat myself…" the king ominously warned. "Go make me a feast. This place looks dirty…"
The queen's body squirmed behind the king as the rest of the ants watched in incredulity. He pointed his tail towards Colt, a bird-like squadron leader, as well as one of the queen's closest allies.
"You. Wipe the blood off of my tail."
Another squadron leader, an elderly turtle ant, took a handkerchief out.
"Well, would you look at that! I just so happen to have a handkerchief-"
The king's tail snapped, and his head was rendered to bits of flesh.
"I won't say it again. I mean YOU. Clean it."
Colt, without another option, swallowed, and took the handkerchief from the corpse. He wiped the blood off of the king's tail, and backed away slowly after finishing the task.
Colt looked at the ground beneath his feet, and began to feel dizzy. Before he could faint out of shock, he could hear a crunching noise come from the king's direction.
"Disgusting."
As he looked up, he saw that the king was eating Peggy's body, limb by limb. He crunched through bone and flesh, consuming as though he were a voracious machine.
"Where is my food?"
"This way."
Colt and the king turned towards the voice, belonging to one of the king's Royal Guards. He wore a white button-down shirt, with blonde hair and butterfly wings. Next to him were a red chimera ant, born from the blood of magical beasts, and a feminine cat-like ant, with glaring red eyes.
"We have prepared a meal for you, my king. Your wish is our command, your majesty."
"We will be your most devoted servants, your majesty. We await your command with patience."
"We will fulfill all of your earthly desires."
To this, the king only scoffed. He walked with the Royal Guards towards the food stores, prepared to greedily devour his meal.
"Uh…um…thank you for infighting me…no, for inciting me, Supreme Leader!"
The snotty peasant girl with closed eyes bowed before the king. After he had left the nest in search of good food, he had come across a palace, where he found humans using the same strange aura his guards possessed. He ate them, and felt new power well up inside of him. Together, with his guards, they came up with a plan to use the Supreme Leader they had found in the palace to lure more humans to the palace, in order to find more of those tasty bodies.
Yet, in the interim of the present and the Selection, the king had found something that amused him: strategic board games. The colorful, random ones did not amuse him; only games like chess, shogi, go, or in the girl's case, Gungi, had interested the king. So, from the country the Supreme Leader ruled, he invited grandmasters of these games from all over the world to play. The chess, shogi, and go masters were easily surpassed by the king within ten games each or so; hopefully, the girl would be different.
"There is no need for small talk." the king replied. "You and I will play Gungi. I am learning the rules right now, so you will wait."
"Uh…you don't sound like the Supreme Leader…"
"He's dead. I am the new king."
"O-oh! I'm sorry, Supreme Leader! Please forgive me! I'm a simple fool, who knows nothing about the outside world! I can't even talk well…"
"You distract me. Be quiet. Or I'll kill you."
The girl put her finger to her lips, perhaps to signal the beginning of her silence. The two waited a while, until the king fully grasped the rules.
"Okay, I understand. Let us begin-eh?"
The peasant girl had fallen on her side, still silent.
"What's wrong?"
The butterfly-like ant next to the king sighed. "She appears to have passed out. After you told her to be quiet. She shut her mouth. The snot in her nose must've clogged her up…"
"This is an uncommonly stupid girl."
So, the king sat her upright, and tapped her on the shoulder. She woke, and took a deep breath in.
"Wh-what happened? Are you okay, Supreme Leader?"
"You fainted. You closed your mouth for too long."
"Oh! That would be embarrassing! I can't even do things babies can…" She scratched the back of her head, not at all dispelling her image as a commoner.
"My parents always yell at me…"
"Just play the game."
"Of course! I would be honored!"
She opened her eyes, revealing a white, cloudy coating covering her iris. This gave the king pause.
"…you can see with your eyes?"
"No, I can't see a thing. Would you please tell me your moves? I only open them when I play. If it bothers you, I can try to close them…"
"I don't care. Just play."
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room shifted, as if the peasant girl was completely replaced by a new person.
"4-4-1. Pawn."
And so they played, over and over again. Each time, the king tried new strategies, but all of them failed.
"7-8-2. Spy. Checkmate."
The king looked at the board, and scooped his pieces up. "Another game."
What standard tactics, yet she still beat me…is she not playing seriously?
"Yes, absolutely!"
For the next eight hours, they played continuously. Even though the king believed he was improving, he still felt that he stood no chance against the peasant girl. However, during one game, after he set up the pieces, he saw what he was looking for.
"9-1-1. Fortress." the king declared.
He could see that Komugi was shaken, albeit very lightly, by his choice of placement.
"Are you surprised?" he asked. "I call it 'detached castling'."
"Let us begin, then."
Her first move will be to position her archer on the right flank. That's the only logical choice. She'll probably try a triple-pronged attack to end the game quickly.
"1-9-3, new archer."
There it is! This will cost me two pieces, but it will create an opening on her left flank. She'll expect me to go all in from that side…but I won't!
They exchanged several pieces in the three-pronged attack, but as Komugi expected the king to attack her left flank, he tried another option.
"5-5-1, lieutenant general."
Now, I can attack the center in an unlimited number of ways. There is no best move.
The girl hesitated, before moving her piece.
"9-2-1, new lieutenant general."
After the next few moves were exchanged, the king conceded.
"That's checkmate."
"Ah, yep!"
The king paused carefully, before posing his question. "Why did you hesitate?"
"Your 'detached castling' strategy…it is actually called kokoriko. I invented that strategy. But then, I saw how to defeat it. I won the match, but the strategy disappeared from official textbooks and matches. Seeing you come up with my strategy, and making me defeat it…it felt like seeing my child be born again."
"…"
The king was left silent for a moment, before coming up with a response.
"I'm getting tired of playing. Take a rest. There will be no more breaks."
He walked away, leaving the girl to attend to his throne.
For sure, this will defeat her!
"A wager?"
"Yes. If you win, I will grant you any request."
She crossed her arms. "Any wish…any wish…"
"However…if you lose…I will take your left arm."
Fear and greed disrupt human rhythm. It's a simple tactic, but a genius one!
"My left arm…ah, should I do it?"
"Are you still deciding?"
She shook her head. "Well, instead of my left arm…is it okay if I bet the thing I usually bet?"
He leaned in. "And what would that be?"
"My life."
Meruem inhaled, slightly, but not audibly.
"If I lose, I will offer my life, but I don't want that to look like an insult…"
He shook his head. "I do not understand. Explain yourself."
"Um…well, Gungi's the only thing I can really do well. In other words, Gungi is the reason I'm alive. But pro Gungi players, even in national champions, make virtually no money. Only after you become world champion, representing a nation, then is when you receive your reward. To even become a national champion you have to win a tournament. In other words, you cannot lose. I come from a family of 12, and in my house, I am the breadwinner. If I lose once, I will only become a burden to my family. There's a saying in the community…once a Gungi master loses, they become a normal person. If I lose, I become garbage."
The king turned away from the girl.
"Wait, no, king! It doesn't bother me! It's just what mom and dad always said…so, the day I decided to become a national champion, I decided, if I were to lose, I would commit suicide. But that could be a problem…"
"How so?"
"If I lose, I become garbage…but if you win, all you'd receive is garbage, because I'd have lost…and that would be a most terrible insult to you, king!"
He paused. "That doesn't bother me. But what would you desire if you win?"
"Oh…hm…I'll think about it later! After I win!"
So she is neither fearful nor greedy…
To this, the king began to laugh. It started with a chuckle, and blossomed into hearty laughter.
"It looks like…I was the one who didn't have the resolve! I didn't even think…that if you asked for my life, and won, I would be forced to die!"
The butterfly ant reached his hand out. "Your majesty!"
"SILENCE!"
The girl began to think about the notion. "T-the Supreme Leader's life? I-I would never ask for such a thing!"
"Oh, I know. The fault is my own. The wager is off! It was just a petty tactic." he reached over with his right hand to grasp his left arm.
"No…"
Blood splattered across the girl's face as the king tore his left arm off, as penance for his foolishness.
"Accept this apology."
The king's arm would heal over the next few hours as Pitou operated on it with her Doctor Blythe, and reattached the limb. He and the girl played for the next few days, with breaks in between. The gap between their skills decreased by each day, and they put breaks in place for the girl's rest.
One day, while playing Gungi, the girl seemed to be bothered. Natural light seemed to swirl around her, and she basked in it.
"Supreme Leader, may I take a break?"
He tilted his head. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah, nothing much. Just, so many moves are flooding into my mind, and I would like to memorize these moves in my room with my personal board."
"You may."
As the girl walked out of the room, the king realized there was something he had never asked the girl.
"Excuse me?"
She turned around. "Yes?"
"What is your name?"
"…Komugi…what is your's, Supreme Leader?"
Wordlessly, the king left the throne room.
"What am I called?"
The three Royal Guards stood outside, in front of their king, trying to answer the question.
"You are the king." Shaiapouf declared. "After the Selection and Unification projects, you will be this world's one and only king."
"No…that is a title, not a name. Youpi?"
Menthuthuyoupi bowed. "I am not worthy of giving you an answer, my king."
"Pitou?"
"You should choose any name that you think suits you, your majesty. You have the power of choice, after all."
"…you know, I learned her name today. It is Komugi, you know that?"
The Royal Guard paused, before shaking their heads.
"She has grown strength, albeit in Gungi alone. Pitou, if Komugi were to go through the selection tomorrow, what would happen?"
"She would almost certainly die, my king…"
"…I see. Then today, I have learned that there are many different kinds of strengths." He walked away, towards the guests' quarters.
But there is one strength that rules over them all: violence! Physical power! I've had my fun, I no longer need her. It is time to consume her like the flesh she is!
He slammed the doors to the guests' quarters open, only to see Komugi being attacked by two eagles.
Immediately, the king used his tail to smack the eagles away, killing them on contact. He looked at Komugi, who had begun to tear up.
"Th-thank you for helping me…"
"Why did you not call for help!? You're covered in blood!" What!? I should be eating her right now! She's so…fragile…
"Because it's early…I-I don't want to bother anybody else with my troubles!"
"You are not bothering anybody! You are an esteemed guest!" What am I doing!? She should be dead!
Komugi began to cry. Tears fell down from her eyes, and more snot accumulated in her nose. Her mouth was opened wide as she wailed.
"I-I'm sorry…no one's ever b-been this nice to me b-before!"
What do I do with her…
Dragon-like Nen arrows fell from the sky as the king rushed towards Komugi's quarters. If he was going to save her from this onslaught, he would have to act fast. As he opened the door, however, he knew that he was too late.
Komugi was bleeding from her stomach, hit by one of the arrows. The king held her in his arms, trying to stem the bleeding with nothing but his hands. In front of him, two old men jumped down, both with an intense aura around them. One of their aura signatures matched those of the countless arrows falling from the sky.
"…"
The king did not know why the men did not attack. He was grateful for that, but felt great rage at the same time. One of them held his hand out to stop the other, as though he were signalling that Komugi wasn't their target. Before he could act, he sensed Pitou behind him, having used their En to locate him.
"Pitou…"
"Y-yes sir!"
"Heal Komugi."
As Pitou activated Doctor Blythe to stabilize the girl's wound, he walked past the old men in the blink of an eye, sparing their lives just as they had spared Komugi's.
"Let us go somewhere else."
In the vast moonlit desert, two beings of great power faced each other. One, a young, green ant, who had learned the meaning of power, and another, an old man looking for the battle of his life.
The old man spoke first. "This is an area used by the military to test weapons of war."
"Why do you fight? You are going to die if I hit you with my full power."
He scoffed. "You presume my strength already? Don't be fooled by my appearance, young ant."
"I know that you are skilled. But, I was the one who was born to rule the world."
"…"
The king raised his head. "I once viewed you humans as mere livestock. But I have changed my mind. But there are people out there, like you and Komugi, who deserve to live, based on merit alone. I will allow you and people like you to live, so long as you back down now."
"And spare only my life? I'm afraid I cannot accept your offer."
"You know that you're going to lose. Are you fighting because you want humanity to thrive? If so, you and I are on the same side."
"…"
"Humans create nations and borders to keep each other out of their territories. On the right, children will starve, while on the left, idle dregs who do nothing with their lives live in bliss. This is absolute madness. I will crush this madness, and create a fair world, where inequality will be forgotten. I admit, I will start by using my power and fear to accomplish my objectives. But, I will only use them when absolutely necessary, and only to bring order. You see, I now know what power is truly meant for: to protect the weak, who deserve to live. It is not meant to be used to torment the defeated."
He sat down, arm on his knee. "I refuse to fight you. I will not bring any more meaningless bloodshed."
The old man paused, before stepping forward.
"King…we are both in difficult positions…"
In a single instant the man brought his hands together in prayer, forming a massive golden statue with his aura. It crashed its hand down on the king with a single swipe, but as the dust settled, the king showed no signs of damage. He sat back down, still refusing to fight.
Again, the man prayed, then clapped, causing the statue to smash its hands into each other with the king in the middle. Again, the king showed no waver in his resolve.
The old man seemed to think for a moment, before saying the few words that would bring about the king's end.
"King…would you like to know your name?"
The king immediately stood up. "How would you even know my name?"
"After you left your nest, my subordinates tended to your mother after you ripped yourself out of her womb. They might have all died fighting your Royal Guard at this point. Now, I may be the only one left who knows your name. If you can defeat me in battle, I will tell you your name. Understand?"
"Like a bishop and rook handicap…" the king noted. He began to walk towards the old man, exerting his aura with as much force as possible. "No matter. I shall checkmate you shortly."
Thus, the battle between the strongest beings in the world began.
"I was born to rule the world, old man."
"I am the hope of my entire species, condensed into one individual. You are only a single member of a single species; you could not have hoped to beat me. Going forward, I will no longer use humans for the reproduction of my species. The individuality that makes you all so brilliant is poison to my kind. But, in your honor, I will create a settlement for humans like you. Humans who have surpassed their limit. Your people will live in peace, and we will reconsider how many humans are to be consumed. Regardless, you are defeated. But, your lonely battle was not in vain. Tell me my name, old man, and let this be finished."
The old man sat in despair, missing his right leg and left arm. He was shriveled from expending all of his aura into his penultimate attack, and could do nothing but prepare for what would happen next. He chuckled, then laughed, before making a single declaration.
"I am not alone."
The king knew something was wrong, but stood resolutely. There was no other attack the old man could perform; he was done for.
"Do not underestimate the human race, Meruem…that is your name, Meruem."
For the first time, the king began to feel fear.
What is this?
"King of Ants, Meruem…you understand nothing…of the bottomless malice within the human heart!"
One look into the old man's beady eyes, and Meruem knew that this was no bluff. He tried to jump away, but before he could, the old man stabbed his heart with his fingers.
I see…I was in checkmate…the whole time…
A flash of light came from his body, and an explosion consumed the testing grounds, destroying everything in its wake.
Komugi set up the pieces on her side of the board while Meruem watched.
"I'm glad I get to play with you again, Supreme Leader! I can't believe you saved me from those kidnappers too!"
"Oh, that was the work of my subordinates." Did I really deserve their loyalty? They were too good for me…
"I should thank them later, then!"
"I…will let them know. I will be joining them soon, after all."
Before the match started, Meruem had one last thing to say.
"Do you remember when you asked me for my name, and I didn't respond?"
"Yes, I do. Do you know it now?"
"Yes. My name is Meruem."
"Meruem-sama, my name is Komugi. Do you remember?"
I knew her name, but not why it was important. "Yes, I do."
"Meruem-sam-"
"No honorifics are necessary. In fact, let us make a bet. If I win, you'll address me without honorifics."
"Do I die after I've addressed you without an honorific?"
"There is no need for you to die. I am not the person I once was. Now, what would you like if victory is yours?"
"Another chance to play Gungi with you, of course!"
Heh, just as I expected.
They began to play, but quickly, Meruem would notice something familiar. "1-5-1, marshal."
"9-9-1, marshal."
Kokoriko!
"Komugi…are you mocking me? Are you really fooling around?"
"I never fool around while playing Gungi!"
He nodded. "Alright. But play like you'll die if you lose, alright?"
She nodded. They played a few more moves, before returning to the same gamestate.
"9-2-1, new lieutenant general!"
"…4-6-2, spy." Nen spheres connected her fingertips to the piece, before letting it fall onto the board.
The spy! It has done nothing for the entire match, but it suddenly controls the board! This is the only way forward! "2-6-1, knight!"
This reverses her move!
Komugi's eyes began to water, and tears began to fall onto her lap. "Am I allowed…to be this happy? Do I deserve all these good things?"
Meruem knew that Komugi was overjoyed, but he knew that there was something he had to share before the end of the game.
"Komugi…I need to tell you something."
"Yes?"
"I have been poisoned by a bomb. I do not have much time left, and I want to spend that time playing Gungi with you. However…it is contagious. You don't have much time left before it spreads to you."
In response, Komugi moved another one of her pieces.
She reversed…my reversal!
"Meruem-sama…I would be happy to die with you here. Though I may not be worthy, please…allow me to accompany you to the grave."
In that moment, Meruem could only think of one phrase.
This is why I was born…for this moment!
"Komugi?"
"Yes, yes? What is it?"
"…thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Will you call me…by my name…one last time?"
"Goodnight…Meruem…I'll be joining you soon…"