Attack on Heaven (1)

Recently, Deneb had begun to feel an emotion other than respect or awe towards his father.

The identity of that emotion was none other than.

“Hmm, today’s “Book of Life and Death” was very interesting as well. Using the investigator tailing him as bait to find out the whereabouts of investigators scattered throughout the Empire and kill them…”

“Of course. How could a work that originated from my idea not be interesting? Son.”

“…..”

“Do you know what prompted Ragna to create the work “Book of Life and Death”? It was around the time when “Machine God Chronicles” was reaching its ending, and at that time, Serika said to me…”

“…..”

It was ‘annoyance’.

Because Deneb’s father, the Duke, was busy boasting everywhere that this animation originated from his idea every time “Book of Life and Death” aired.

Especially the episode related to how Ragna came to adopt the Duke’s idea, he had heard it so many times that he could now recite it with his eyes closed.

To be honest, Deneb really disliked the Duke’s senile behavior, but.

‘…Still, I’m envious.’

At the same time, Deneb could somewhat understand why the Duke was acting in such a senile manner.

After all, the delusions he had always only imagined in his head had become actual reality.

Of course, it wasn’t perfectly realized in reality, and it was merely coming to life through the medium of animation, but.

Even so, isn’t that something?

Numerous people cheer for the delusions that existed only in his head, and treat the characters appearing in it as if they were real people, showing affection for them.

There was nothing more thrilling than that in this world.

That’s why it must have been.

“Young Lord’s idea, would it be alright to make it into an animation?”

“…What?”

“That thing you told me about last time. That idea about using drills as weapons, and mechas combining with each other.”

“I’m thinking of producing an animation using that idea.”

“…..”

When Deneb heard those words from Ragna, his heart must have pounded immensely.

The idea he had casually blurted out without much thought was now gaining life and about to be reborn as an animation.

As one otaku who usually enjoys watching animations, there couldn’t be anything more heart-pounding than this in the world.

That must be why.

Finally, after a long wait, at the very moment of the first broadcast of the work called “Attack on Heaven”.

He had finished purifying himself hours before the broadcast began, and was quietly waiting in front of the television.

Thus, Deneb focused his gaze on the television while trying to calm his heart that felt like it might burst at any moment, and.

And so, the first episode of “Attack on Heaven” that he had been waiting and waiting for began to air.

The animation began in a dark and gloomy underground tunnel.

Long, long ago, after losing the war against the ‘demon race’ and.

The miserable sight of humans who now hide in underground tunnels, clinging to life like insects.

And the protagonist, ‘Cyan’, was one of those humans.

Digging the ground every day to avoid the demon race, satisfied with just enough food to survive another day.

Existing everywhere, and therefore seeming to have no value.

A human being who seemed to represent the miserable state of current humanity.

But.

“Why are you feeling down, Cyan?”

“…Credo.”

“Don’t call me Credo, call me brother. Even though we’re not related by blood, we’re like brothers, aren’t we?”

“…Brother.”

“And my brother doesn’t need to feel down because of what others say.”

“Even if others don’t, I believe in you. Isn’t that enough?”

Because of one man who was always on his side in this world, Cyan was living with hope.

Credo.

He was a very unique man.

He was a man famous for causing numerous incidents while living underground.

But the most troublesome behavior among the incidents he caused was none other than.

“I want to go to the surface.”

“I know. I know that the surface isn’t a dark and gloomy place like underground, but a very wide and beautiful place where sunlight shines.”

“It’s the privilege of young people to change this world. And I know. Your drill is the hope that will guide us from this dark underground to the surface!”

Namely, he was a human who dreamed of going to the surface that had become ruins due to the demon race.

Always acting as if there were no limits, trying to break the rules set by the old people to survive, and.

In the end, trying to move forward in search of his own dream.

Moreover, he was also playing the role of always supporting and encouraging Cyan, whom he considered his younger brother.

“…Hmm. He looks like a delinquent on the outside, but he seems to be quite a decent guy when you get to know him.”

And seeing Credo’s behavior, Deneb nodded his head.

Because all of Credo’s actions felt like his own actions.

‘I too have experienced frustration many times while writing my [self-made setting notebook], knowing that this was an unrealizable dream….’

But, just as Deneb continues to write his [self-made setting notebook] without ever yielding to such cold reality.

Credo also didn’t give up on his dream of going to the surface, and was pursuing romance until the end.

Should we say that sight gave a feeling as if looking at one’s own mirror?

‘Perhaps Ragna created that character Credo using me as a motif.’

If you think about who Ragna got the idea for the work “Attack on Heaven” from in the first place.

This couldn’t be said to be a statement without any possibility.

That’s why Deneb was unconsciously empathizing enormously with that character Credo.

“In my view, this Credo guy is surely someone who will do great things in place of Cyan, the fake protagonist. Yes, that’s right.”

While Deneb was uttering such prejudiced words.

The development in the work was progressing at an incomparably faster pace than before.

“Wh-What is that?”

“A-A robot?”

A giant mecha that suddenly fell from the surface to underground at dawn that day.

“A-A woman?”

“Hurry and run away! If you stay here, you’ll only meet a dog’s death from that demon!”

A woman holding a sniper rifle who suddenly appeared chasing after such a mecha.

And.

“…No, we can’t run away from here.”

“What?”

“We’ve always been running away. From the demon race, from the surface to underground. And not content with underground, to even deeper underground. Continuously.”

“…We can’t run away anymore. No, there’s nowhere to run.”

“So we fight. Let’s go, Cyan! We’re going to face off against that thing!”

“…But how could we possibly face off against such a giant robot-“

“You don’t have to believe in yourself. Instead, believe in me. Believe in me who believes in you!”

And so, Cyan and Credo succeeded in activating the mecha that Cyan had excavated not long ago, and.

“Let’s go!”

Thus, Cyan and Credo moved forward.

What they were trying to face wasn’t just the mechas of the demon race.

What was truly blocking them now was a sense of helplessness and frustration.

The sense of helplessness of just rotting away underground.

The frustration of letting go of everything, thinking they couldn’t do anything like this.

But now, hope had arisen for them.

In their hands, they now held hope named ‘drill’.

At the same time, dazzling lights begin to swirl on the screen.

Reflecting how the place they were standing was dark underground, on the screen that had been only dark until now.

Gradually, brilliant light began to enter, and.

“Aaaaaaaah-!”

At the very moment Cyan’s drill destroys the demon race’s mecha.

“…Ah.”

All darkness is lifted.

The place they arrived at was no longer the underground filled with darkness.

The world of the surface filled with bright light.

Ending with the scene of looking at the bright, blue world of the surface where a gust of wind passes by.

The first episode of “Attack on Heaven” ended.

“…..”

Silence flows.

What on earth is this?

What on earth had he just watched?

To be honest, the first episode of “Attack on Heaven” that Deneb had watched was honestly a bit crude.

It wasn’t like the first episode of “Machine God Chronicles” where cool mechas appeared to please viewers’ eyes.

Nor was there dazzling battle scenes or action like in the first episode of “Sky of Destiny”.

What existed in “Attack on Heaven” was only men’s romance.

One man’s dream.

A man’s passion to never give up on that dream and move forward.

But that alone was more than enough.

In Deneb’s view, the first episode of the work called “Attack on Heaven”.

Was undoubtedly something that wasn’t inferior compared to other works.

“…Light and shadow, it was light and shadow.”

Deneb muttered as if letting something slip.

“Light and darkness, the world above ground and underground. And hope and frustration. All these elements… Ragna indirectly expressed them through light and shadow.”

The screen of the television, which had been extremely dark at the beginning of the first episode.

As the work progressed, light gradually began to shine, and.

By the end of the first episode, it reached a point where shadows could not be seen.

Seeing such changes, viewers unconsciously came to have hope that they could move forward.

In front of such ‘romance’, what does it matter that a mecha buried deep underground for at least several decades moves without any problem?

Or that it shows overwhelming output against the demon race’s mechas without any fuel?

Moreover, decisively-

“The protagonist Cyan is a fairly decent guy. But that’s also his limit. However, the protagonist’s brother, Credo, is different. He’s worthy of being called the true protagonist of the work “Attack on Heaven”!”

Not only does he lead the protagonist as a true older brother, but he also tries to move forward by surpassing his own limits.

How could one not feel affection for a man who shows such a manly appearance?

“…Credo, that guy seems to be qualified to be a candidate for my favorite character. Although the Knight King is still my favorite character so far, considering the future activities Credo will show, there’s also enough possibility for him to surpass the Knight King. Don’t you think so too, Serika?”

“…..”

Meanwhile, Serika, who had returned home after a long time, let out a groan at the sight of Deneb getting excited while watching the first episode of “Attack on Heaven”.

Hmm… Serika herself agrees that Credo is a cool character, but….

But that guy, he’s going to die soon, you know?