We are no different from the Ants.
No...
We are far worse.
The rose was poisonous.
The poison, which spread when the rose bloomed,
was superior to similar toxins
because it was immediately absorbed by those in the area unfortunate enough
to survive the explosion.
Rapid destruction of their organs would begin,
and their bodies themselves
would become poisons that continued to emit new poison, until the victim died.
The amount of poison for a lethal dose and the amount of time until the subject died
perfectly created a chain of poisoned victims.
In other words,
it was a demonic weapon more inhumane than any other.
The Word x Is x That Someone
Th-This is...
What is happening to my body?
Pouf.
Is something the matter, Meruem-sama?
Have you changed your mind?
In that case, we must evacuate you at once.
Your Majesty?
Even when I can see right through him,
he still refuses to divulge his secret.
Very well.
I only have to capture the remaining intruders.
I am very curious about your secret now.
You do not intend to change your mind about telling me, do you?
I will keep my word, even if it costs me my life.
Good.
He's already using his final permissible En search!
I can see
everything.
I see what has changed since the first time I used En.
The footprints that were not there before.
An abandoned vehicle.
Youpi's corpse.
A door that has been opened.
And someone responding to my En who did not previously.
Huh?!
Was it you who killed Youpi?
A-Absolutely not!
I am a mere Squadron Leader!
I would never have any reason to kill Youpi-dono!
Youpi-dono
was talking to me when he suddenly coughed up blood,
became overcome with pain, and died.
I swear that I'm not lying!
I'm not lying...
Yes, I did attack Youpi.
But before he could answer my question...
Before my black centipedes could even hatch...
He died.
I believe that he must have been hit
by some sort of attack before encountering me.
That's why I came here to investigate if any intruders
are hidden in the crowd.
The Royal Guard Pouf...
He's going to be trouble.
I'm pretty sure he has the ability to read my mind.
Welfin is a serious threat.
I have no idea what he might tell the King...
Simply telling him to keep quiet would be too lenient.
I should eliminate him immediately!
I should accuse him of being a traitor, and execute him on the spot.
In any case, I must get him away from the King.
Meruem-sama, he is—
I know what you want to say.
I can now sense the emotions of any that my En has touched.
I could feel his unbridled hostility toward me.
In...
Incredible...
Once someone has been exposed to my En,
I can see into their mind by simply looking.
So it wasn't just Youpi's wings and attacks.
The King also inherited my Spiritual Message...
And he's made it infinitely more powerful.
Your Majesty!
The King is invincible...
The King is unrivaled!
And yet...
Why?!
Why is my heart
filled with
such unease?
Now there is some fear mixed in,
but there is no concealing your desire to kill me.
I am interested to learn
what drives your hatred of me.
Speak.
Lie, and you will regret it.
This is no time to let emotion get the better of me!
Tell me what you know.
Meruem-sama!
You must follow the proper order.
He has deep ties to my secret.
However, he does not realize this.
If you continue questioning him,
it is very likely that he will reveal
part, or all, of my secret.
When the King has such power, lies are futile.
Then I must use the truth!
I believe that you would not want your reward
before winning the contest.
I will keep my secret hidden using only truth!
If you wish to continue our contest,
I believe you should wait to question him.
What is this guy talking about?
Secret? What secret?
Wait, what do I do now?
How do I escape from this monster?
Damn it!
I didn't realize he was this powerful!
I should have run away right off the bat.
Temptation got the better of me!
When I saw the giant Youpi shrunken down like some bug,
and then he dropped dead,
I actually had the delusion that I could be King...
So I stayed...
I was drunk on my delusion!
I felt almighty, like some sheltered little kid.
I felt alive.
Yeah, I'm an idiot! I was drunk!
Too many things happened simultaneously, and then I remembered Gyro.
I panicked and got sentimental, and wanted to be a hero!
I thought I could avenge Gyro.
But Gyro isn't even dead...
He's alive, for sure!
I should have run,
and teamed up with him again before seeking revenge!
Damn it!
It's that octopus's fault.
He threw me off my game.
He threw my emotions out of whack.
He led me astray!
Damn him! "Messenger," my eye!
I have to do something. He knows my intent is hostile.
And I can't lie...
He'll send my head flying before I can activate Missile Man!
What tools do I have left?
The message?
Pouf's secret?
The drive behind my hatred?
Everything that I know?
Will it be enough to save me? What do I say?
The first...
The first word I say is key.
Just one word will decide whether I live or die.
If I choose the wrong one, it's all over!
This overwhelming pressure.
This abnormal tension.
Pouf, does that secret
have any relationship to the hatred
he feels toward me?
This is the King...
After interrupting me in the middle of my questioning,
you gave me a direct order.
I presume that you are prepared to accept the consequences.
I want a sincere answer.
This is...
The King's new power meant that
he could probe for the answer he sought
without waiting for Pouf to speak.
Despite the understanding that he had Pouf's unwavering loyalty,
the murderous aura visibly emanating from the King
indicated that Pouf would have no choice
but to atone with his death if that answer was not what the King wanted.
Loyalty and hostility
were equally meaningless before the King.
No one could stop him.
Even then,
I was already
prepared to die.
I will sacrifice myself
to my own loyalty.
There is nothing that I can say.
Though the contest has yet to conclude.
That is all there is to it...
His incredible resolve and madness
stopped the King.
I am hungry.
However...
Welfin immediately understood...
I am...
I am going to be eaten!
One second later...
I'm dead!
Upon learning his fate,
Welfin instantly appeared to age one hundred years.
I want to live.
That was when his past rapidly flashed through his mind
and then scattered, the fragments mingling with his present.
One word...
My first
and last!
Caught between the desire to live and unavoidable death...
One word...
The message for the King!
One word!
What Pouf discussed with Pitou!
One word!
Pouf's secret!
One word!
I...
One word!
...won't die until I'm dead!
As his brain cells began working harder than ever before,
he made a choice that he never would have in normal circumstances.
Komugi?
This...
This is...
This is how deeply he values her!
Pouf...
This is your secret.
Yes.
He values her more than I feared.
Punish me for my actions.
No words are needed.
We are one now.
There will be no punishment.
I never had a chance...
Yes.
Continue searching for Pitou.
The two captured intruders may have information.
Once you are done, release them.
I have nothing else to ask them.
All I can do is nod.
Yes.
The opened door...
And footprints leading inside.
The resolve of the two that I sensed with my En.
All signs lead to one conclusion.
Welfin...
Y-Yes!
Komugi is in the underground warehouse with the woman and the octopus.
Your job was to deliver that information to me or the Royal Guard.
H-How did you know that?
I believe the octopus was the reason you accepted this job.
There was a different reason why you did not complete it.
Is that reason the cause of your hatred for me?
So it is.
Do not worry.
Once you answer my question, you are free to go wherever you wish.
You have my thanks.
You helped me to remember something very important.
They said that they're waiting in Bizeff's private courtyard, in Area D.
Gyro is the only man I'll ever call King!
You... All of you...
Are enemies!
Our enemies!
Is that so?
I hope you find him...
And if possible,
I hope you can live as a human.
Netero once believed
that the King was wavering between human and Ant.
But now...
Next time: This Person x And x This Moment.
Will you call me
by my name?
Huh? Me?