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Synopsis

Ippan Saibou resents the acclaim other immune cells receive and longs to contribute visibly rather than remain idle. Spotting a cluster of baby-faced bacteria swept along by a stream, he decides to intervene, aware they could be dangerous yet driven to be useful. He ferries them to safety, unaware that Hakkekkyuu U-1146 has detected those microbes and is closing in to eliminate them. Elsewhere inside the body, NK Saibou is searching for a particular target: intelligence suggests it’s an antigen the immune system has faced before and that it may have come back with hostile intent. The story follows these intersecting pursuits within the human body, exploring themes of duty, recognition, and the tension between caution and compassion.