A Single Word

A small panel notes 'APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND PRIOR'. A close-up shows a face with closed eyes and sweat. The main panel erupts into chaos: a large muscular creature with a thick tail and clawed hands grips the arm of the same miner, who is now being lifted off the ground. The miner stares in horror as bold text declares 'THE REALIZATION OF ONE'S FATE!!' and 'I'M GOING TO BE EATEN ALIVE.' A white-haired boy in a loose shirt crouches nearby on the ground, watching. Black impact shapes and sweat drops emphasize the violent motion.

Welfin’s face fills the page, eyes wide and mouth open in terror as sweat pours down his fur. “I WANT TO LIVE.” “I’M GOING TO DIE!” he thinks. The narration states that Welfin, who had realized his fate, seemed to age well over a hundred years in an instant. His mind races through fragmented memories of his past life: crowded bar scenes with various patrons, conversations, and daily moments. Everything from before rushed by in a jumble and just as soon would scatter again. The images mix with the present. “A SINGLE WORD.” “THE PAST…”

Welfin’s face appears again, eyes bulging, as narration continues: “THE LAST.” “THE FIRST,” “AND UNAVOIDABLE DEATH.” “CAUGHT IN THE LIMBO BETWEEN CLINGING TO LIFE…” His frantic brain cells push him toward one action. Scattered thoughts overlap: “I’M GOING TO DIE TRYING!” “IF IT’LL LET ME LIVE JUST A BIT LONGER…!!!” “A SINGLE WORD!!” “PUFU AND PITOU, THEY…” “PUFU’S SECRET” “A SINGLE WORD!!” “A SINGLE WORD!!” “MESSAGE BACK THEN,” “PUSHED TO THE BRINK, WHAT HIS FRANTIC BRAIN CELLS DIRECTED HIM TO DO WAS…” The bottom panel shows Welfin’s open mouth with visible teeth and a small ellipsis bubble.

In a starlit, ornate chamber framed by intricate borders and floating white roses, a muscular chimera with a striped tail and bird-like head stands with one arm extended, body tense. A bright circular light pulses behind him. To the right, a cat-like chimera leans on two crutches, eyes wide and mouth slightly open in shock. Butterflies drift through the dark space around them. A large speech bubble appears above the cat-like figure.

A close-up line drawing shows two characters reacting intensely. The central figure, wearing a headband, has wide, startled eyes and a slightly open mouth. A hand with curled fingers appears on the left. To the right, another character with long hair leans in close, also displaying wide eyes and an open mouth in evident surprise or alarm.

A man in a wide hat and glasses exhales a plume of smoke while gazing sideways with a tense expression. Nearby, a small black creature with a rounded body leans over a wooden Go board, its hand hovering above the stones. Across from it, a spiky-haired youth with wide, startled eyes stares at the board, hands planted on the floor. In a separate panel below, a long-haired figure stands amid a blooming field of flowers under a bright sky, looking upward with a calm yet distant gaze.

Narration reads: HE... TO THIS EXTENT ... FOR HER.... A long-haired figure kneels deeply, head bowed to the ground in a prostrate position. Another panel shows the same figure from behind, still bowing low. A muscular figure stands nearby as a speech bubble says PUFI. Below, the long-haired figure looks up slightly while a voice states THIS WAS YOUR.... On the far right, the same figure remains prostrate under a bright light as narration continues: ...TO THIS EXTENT ....!!!

Tears stream down the young man's face as he answers with a quiet "YES." He adds, "HOWEVER YOU WOULD WISH TO PUNISH ME..." A vertical panel of narration states "EVEN MORE THAN I HAD FEARED, HE... FOR HER..." The helmeted soldier stares forward with wide eyes and a tense expression. In a star-filled void, the same young man kneels on the ground while the striped-tail figure stands before him. The kneeling youth says, "AFTER ALL, WE SHARE THE SAME HEART IN SEPARATE BODIES." The striped-tail figure replies, "NO WORDS ARE NEEDED."

A large empty bubble floats above the panel. Narration reads "THERE WAS NO REASON FOR MY WISH TO BE GRANTED..." The young man, now shown from behind with head lowered, whispers "YES..." The helmeted soldier declares there is nothing more he would want to ask of them and suggests letting the captured pair go if they might reveal something. Another panel shows the soldier ordering to continue searching for Pitou. The young man bows his head and answers "YES..." while thinking there is nothing more to do.

Welfin and the dog-like Chimera Ant stand side by side before a crowd of onlookers. A voice cries out "HYAA YES!!" while another labels the helmeted man "Welfin." Welfin stares ahead, his thoughts racing: the resolution of the two he had touched with "En" pointed everything toward a single solution. The door that was opened, the footsteps leading within. The dog-like Chimera Ant reacts in shock, "H...HOW DID YOU ...!?" Welfin continues internally, noting that despite the duty to inform himself or the Royal Guard, Komugi is somewhere in the underground hangar along with the woman and the octopus. The sweating dog-like Chimera Ant leans in close, eyes wide, asking if the lead into the basis for his hatred toward Welfin is because the reason he abandoned his duty seems to have another basis altogether, and that the reason Welfin accepted this duty seems to have something to do with the octopus. In the final panels the cat-like silhouette flies away into the cavern while Welfin and the dog-like Chimera Ant remain. The cat-like figure says "AFTER YOU ANSWER, YOU WILL BE FREE TO GO WHEREVER YOU WISH." Welfin asks "BE AT PEACE." The dog-like Chimera Ant replies that they said they would be waiting somewhere in the underground hangar, didn't they?

Welfin, seen in close profile, speaks to the dog-like Chimera Ant: "THANKS TO YOU, I WAS ABLE TO REMEMBER SOMETHING IMPORTANT" and "I GIVE YOU MY THANKS." The dog-like Chimera Ant stares back with a shocked, sweating expression. A series of reaction panels shows the dog-like Chimera Ant's face twisting in disbelief, followed by the cat-like Chimera Ant's equally stunned face. From behind, Welfin watches as the cat-like figure flies off into the distance with motion lines and sound effects. The dog-like Chimera Ant, still sweating, recalls that they said they would be waiting in Bizeff's private quarters in the F area. Welfin stands with his back turned, spear in hand, as the dog-like Chimera Ant processes the information.

A small figure with a striped tail and hat leaps through radiating speed lines, arm outstretched and pointing forward. "GYRO IS MY ONE AND ONLY KING!!" the figure declares. Below, a muscular cat-faced chimera ant stands ready with blades, met by the shout "YOU!! THE LIKES OF YOU!!!" The cat ant lunges forward in close-up, jaws wide and sweat flying, roaring "OUR ENEMY!!!" and "YOU ARE AN ENEMY!!" In the bottom panels the cat ant stares with wide eyes and gritted teeth, sweat drops visible on its face, while a helmeted figure in profile turns slightly and replies "THAT'S RIGHT, HUH..."

A tall, muscular figure in a helmet and segmented tail stands amid dramatic light rays and floating flowers, clenching a fist. "WITH THAT PERSON" and "I WISH I COULD MEET" appear in speech bubbles. In the background the cat-faced ant reacts with shock. A side profile of the tall figure continues, "IT WOULD BE NICE TO LIVE AS A HUMAN. AND IF IT WERE POSSIBLE" while the cat ant stares in disbelief. The tall figure is then shown leaping away at high speed with a bright aura, the caption stating "HIS DESTINATION IS... THE ANTS ARE ALREADY ..." The final panel shows a torn, empty space with motion lines as the figure departs, ending the chapter.