In the bustling streets of major first-tier cities across Japan, it was no longer unusual to see GG brand video screens looping advertisements throughout the day, all promoting the conclusion of Hikaru no Go.
Many fans of the TV drama, the anime, and the manga stopped in their tracks to watch.
In truth, by the time Hikaru no Go had reached this point in its serialization, most fans already understood what kind of ending awaited them.
It was an open ending.
The manga had repeatedly mentioned the under-18 professional Go player exchange meeting jointly organized by young players from China, Korea and Japan.
Clearly, this was the challenge that Hikaru and Akira were about to face.
Whether the two would bring glory to their country in that exchange match, or suffer a crushing defeat, was never something that could be fully portrayed in a single chapter.
The ending of Hikaru no Go was inevitably an open one, leaving endless space for the readers' imagination.
Shirogane had never intended to draw the story to the point where Hikaru won one or two major titles such as Meijin, Tengen, or Go Saint, and then clashed with Akira in a title match after Akira himself obtained similar qualifications.
Nor did he intend to depict the two protagonists traveling across the three major Go nations to compete in all eight championship tournaments held in the real world, carving out a legendary career through endless victories.
A conventional sports competition manga would certainly choose that path.
But Shirogane was clearly tired of such clichéd storytelling.
After the developments of the past few chapters, fans were no longer as resentful about the impending conclusion of Hikaru no Go.
"Actually, it's not bad. An open ending means we don't have to worry about the manga collapsing later with a bad ending."
"A bad ending? Impossible. If Hikaru no Go kept being serialized like this, I'd be willing to read it for a thousand chapters~"
"This manga is really about Hikaru's growth. And that growth isn't about strength, but about his heart. From a mischievous child at the beginning, to someone firmly committed to the professional Go path; from rejecting Go after Sai's disappearance, to choosing to continue playing Go so he can see the only thing Sai left behind in this world, his Go and the spirit of pursuing the Hand of God.
Hikaru's spiritual growth has already reached its peak. After this, it would just be an endless loop of changing opponents and repeating matches. Ending it here is the right choice."
"But I still can't bear to see it end~"
"Ending a story when you can't bear to part with it will make you remember it for ten years. If those repetitive plots kept going, you'd only complain later about why the author didn't end it sooner and let the manga become bloated."
"Exactly. Just look at Source War Chronicle. The first 150 chapters were amazing, not much worse than Hikaru no Go. But now it feels far less exciting. It still has tons of fans and high popularity, and the author makes hundreds of millions every year from licensing and merchandise, so it's understandable that he won't end it, but honestly, it's painful to read."
"If Teacher Shirogane really wanted to drag things out, he could easily make hundreds of millions more by stretching Hikaru no Go for another two years. It's completely unreasonable to criticize him for choosing not to."
"I agree. Ending a manga while readers still want more is a million times better than ending it after everyone is exhausted."
"And I heard that after Hikaru no Go finishes, Teacher Shirogane plans to release one or two extra standalone volumes after the main tankōbon ends, to fill in some gaps. That's pretty conscientious."
"Anyway… good luck, Hikaru no Go! On the day the final chapter releases, even I, who never votes, will vote to support it!"
"Same here. I'm usually too lazy to even scan QR codes, but for Hikaru no Go, I'll definitely vote."
"Everyone, let's go!"
It turned out that as long as the story was written well, fans' anger would gradually fade.
The recent plot, in which Hikaru discovered Sai within Go itself, did not bring relief to Hikaru alone, it brought relief to the readers as well.
Now, fans shared only one sentiment toward Hikaru no Go.
Let it end perfectly, without regrets.
On Friday and Saturday, the third season of the still-popular Hikaru no Go TV drama and the anime both announced the manga's conclusion in their end credits.
As for Rei, he had begun frequently taking leave from school to cooperate with the manga group, attending press conferences, fan meetings, and commercial events.
He even appeared alongside top Go players and leaders of the Go Academy, promoting Go nationwide at the peak of Hikaru no Go's popularity.
As for the college entrance examination, still more than two months away, it was no longer a pressing concern. Rei reviewed when he had time, but no longer stressed over it.
And so, Wednesday arrived.
The final chapter of Hikaru no Go was released alongside the latest issue of Dream Comic.
Major bookstores had already put up posters announcing the manga's conclusion.
Some large bookstores even placed life-sized character standees of Sai among their manga shelves.
Many fans lined up outside bookstores early in the morning, waiting for the doors to open.
Zen quietly waited as well.
At 8:30 a.m., the bookstore he had chosen finally opened, and the crowd surged inside.
Zen walked straight to the manga section and saw that Dream Comic had given Hikaru no Go the highest honor possible for its conclusion.
The cover of this issue was entirely dedicated to Hikaru no Go.
Hikaru and Akira were playing Go, while Sai stood beside them.
He was no longer using his folding fan to guide Hikaru's moves. Instead, he simply watched the two of them with a gentle expression as they fought with all their strength on the board.
This time, Sai was not guiding the game.
And this game was no longer his.
He was merely an observer.
Zen knew that Sai's appearance on the cover was Shirogane's final gift to the fans, but even so, a wave of melancholy washed over him.
This would probably be Sai's last appearance in Hikaru no Go.
Zen bought the magazine, found a seat in the bookstore, and tore open the packaging.
In this issue of Dream Comic, the very first page was the serialization page of Hikaru no Go.
And this final chapter was fully rendered in color.
The title read:[Eternal Rivals!]
Zen stared at the title in silence for a long time.
If he remembered correctly, the title of the very first chapter of Hikaru no Go had been the same.
He slowly turned to the first page.
The story continued directly from the previous chapter. After their Go match, Akira had sensed the shadow of another presence within Hikaru and voiced all of his suspicions aloud.
Hikaru was startled, but what he felt more strongly was an indescribable sense of relief and release.
'He noticed it. He discovered Sai's existence. Sai, whom only I could see until now… he sensed him too! Sai, someone finally found you!'
Hikaru smiled, turned around, and walked out of the Go room, leaving behind only a faint sentence.
"Akira, perhaps one day, I'll tell you everything."
The most important part of that sentence was not what Hikaru might one day tell Akira.
That didn't matter.
What mattered was that Hikaru did not deny Akira's words.
Whether it was the "other person" Akira sensed within him, or any of the suspicions he voiced, Hikaru did not refute a single one.
Akira's expression shifted to astonishment as he watched Hikaru's retreating figure.
The full-color pages of this chapter added even greater emotional clarity to the story. Shirogane's artistry had grown steadily with each chapter, and any careful reader could clearly feel the emotions the manga sought to convey.
Akira chased after him.
"So you really were hiding something! Tell me already!"
"You want me to tell you? No chance!"
After a brief argument between the two, the result of their Go match was never revealed.
Instead, that night, Hikaru fell asleep early.
And in his dream, Sai appeared.
He wore a gentle smile, yet said nothing.
No matter how Hikaru cried, no matter how many words he poured out, Sai only gazed at him calmly, without a single response.
Zen felt his nose sting.
'Shirogane, you bastard… you're really going to hit us with this in the final chapter too?'
Here, the idea that silence speaks louder than words was embodied perfectly.
Sai's silence carried more weight than a thousand spoken lines.
The tears welling in Hikaru's eyes instantly stirred the hearts of countless fans who had followed Hikaru no Go from the beginning.
"Sai… why did you disappear?"
"What were you feeling when you left?"
It was happiness.
He had said it himself, he was very happy.
You just didn't hear him.
Zen took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
In response to Hikaru's questions, Sai merely extended his hand and offered the folding fan he held.
Hikaru took it.
Then dawn came.
He woke up.
It had all been a dream.
Yet for Hikaru, and for devoted readers like Zen, that lingering sense of longing surged anew.
Hikaru rose and went to the club where he and Akira had first played Go together.
Akira had already reached the top eight of the Tengen title match.
Hikaru, after wasting a year, was still competing against low-dan professional players.
The two walked different paths, yet continued to compare themselves, compete, and grow.
Akira fought on a higher battlefield.
Hikaru, too, worked relentlessly to improve his record and ranking.
Then, "Why is that person still only a shodan…?"
After Hikaru finished his match and stood up, his opponent asked in frustration.
"Why is Hikaru still only a first-dan Go player?"
While Akira strove toward championship titles, Hikaru also began attracting attention among professional players.
Aside from Akira, those who faced Hikaru could all sense it, a terrifying strength that completely contradicted his rank.
Hikaru bought a folding fan remarkably similar to Sai's and began holding it while contemplating his moves during games.
Just like Sai once had.
Near the end of the manga, images of key characters appeared one after another, Hikaru, Akira, Waya, Isumi, Ochi, all now professional Go players.
It also introduced figures from the Korea.
Although the manga never depicted the Hokuto Cup itself, the sense of an approaching storm was already vividly present.
The second-to-last page stopped at that very moment, making Zen's heart surge.
And then, the final page.
Once again, it was that familiar club.
Akira and Hikaru sat across from each other at the Go table. After finishing their respective matches, they had returned here.
As Hikaru placed the first stone, Hikaru no Go- The End.
This was no longer the ending of a single chapter.
It was the conclusion of the entire manga.
Zen's eyes filled with tears, his heart heavy with reluctance. He wanted to see what came next, he could feel that the future held countless wonderful moments.
But all good things must come to an end.
The story ended here.
What was the result of the Hokuto Cup?
Who ultimately claimed Tengen title?
Hikaru had already decided to challenge the Go Saint title.
And what did Toya Koyo, recovering from illness, see in Hikaru's Go when he watched the broadcast?
If even Akira could sense Sai within Hikaru, how could Toya Koyo not?
Would those two ever face each other on the board again?
So many questions remained unanswered.
But perhaps, if every one of them had been depicted, Hikaru no Go would have felt bloated instead of eternal.
Zen closed the magazine.
"It's over… Hikaru, Akira, Sai."
He exhaled softly.
"Thank you, Teacher Shirogane, for giving me this story."
...
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