Attack on Heaven (5)

“What’s this, why are you suddenly acting like that, Ragna?”

“No, it’s nothing much…”

Ragna spoke with an expression of utter incomprehension.

“I just feel like people are looking at me with disgust today. Is this just my imagination?”

“…What?”

“Come to think of it, His Majesty suddenly designated today as a temporary holiday. Hmm, did something bad happen somewhere in the empire? But I’m a high-ranking nobleman too, so why haven’t I heard any news?”

“…..”

For a moment, Serika looked at Ragna with an expression of bewilderment at his words.

Because she couldn’t tell if he was saying this because he really didn’t know anything, or if he was just trying to teabag.

In fact, Serika was confident that she could understand everything about Ragna no matter what he did.

But even in her eyes, the terrible atrocity Ragna committed recently seemed to have crossed the line a bit.

The two characters killed by Ragna’s hands were incredibly popular in the animations “Lulu’s Adventure” and “Attack on Heaven” respectively.

When such characters suddenly died overnight, it’s natural that viewers’ emotions would hit rock bottom.

And as if to represent such viewers’ feelings, “Attack on Heaven” was also continuing with somewhat gloomy developments rather than the hot-blooded and gutsy developments from before.

“…He’s dead. My brother died because of me….”

Cyan charges blindly towards the enemy as if unable to accept the fact that Credo died because of him, as if looking for a place to die.

“…What a foolish man. He said he would always be by my side….”

Yuna, the heroine who had kissed Credo before the battle with the demon race, sheds tears in secret while recalling his last appearance.

On the surface, Credo might have looked like a delinquent who could only spout words full of bluster.

But in fact, it was because of Credo that Cyan and Yuna were able to gain the strength to move forward.

Therefore, the atmosphere surrounding the work “Attack on Heaven” now was nothing more or less than a funeral, and.

That was no exception even for the hardcore fans who usually over-immersed themselves in Ragna’s animations.

A certain beer hall in the Empire.

A place Ragna firmly believes to be a hideout for potential rioters, but.

The base of a certain group who think of themselves as the holy land of those who love animation more than anyone else in this world.

Normally, this place would have been bustling with exchanging various opinions related to the currently airing animations, but.

Today, an incredibly chilly atmosphere was lingering here.

That was natural.

Because among the people gathered here now, there was no one who hadn’t watched the recently aired 8th episodes of “Attack on Heaven” and “Lulu’s Adventure”.

Someone was silently shedding tears as if their parents had died, and.

Someone else’s fist was clenched so tightly that blood was dripping.

It was no exaggeration to call it a kind of memorial service.

A memorial service itself for true men who sacrificed their lives for others, not themselves, and burned their lives like flames in the end.

It didn’t matter whether they were real people existing in reality.

The only thing that truly mattered was one thing.

If their courage and devotion saved people’s hearts, aren’t they the true ‘heroes’ of modern society?

As people were closing their eyes in silence for a long time to mourn those young heroes, at that very moment.

Someone in this gathering muttered in an incredibly lonely tone.

“With this, have Luka and Credo really died…?”

At those words, other members answered with self-deprecating smiles.

“…It can’t be helped. They are already dead. And dead people never come back to life.”

“It’s true that their deaths are heartbreaking, but it’s time we slowly accept it. Also, although they died, wasn’t their will inherited by someone else? So we too should accept their deaths and move forward-“

But at that moment.

“Wait!”

Ricardo, who had been listening to the conversation without saying anything until now, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Why should we jump to conclusions? About the deaths of Luka and Credo, I mean.”

“…?”

At that moment, the people here raised question marks above their heads at Ricardo’s words.

Why on earth shouldn’t we conclude about the deaths of Luka and Credo?

Well, because they were already depicted as dead in the animation.

Unless pre-release information had leaked before it aired, their deaths had already been broadcast across the entire continent beyond the empire.

But.

“No. It’s not over yet. Because it’s a problem that Director Ragna can simply revive them if he wants.”

“…Pardon?”

If Luka and Credo were real people existing in reality as people say, there would be no way to revive them anywhere.

But they are not real people, but characters appearing in animations produced by Ragna.

Then, doesn’t that mean it’s entirely possible for Ragna to revive them even though they’ve already died?

“Luka and Credo who died, coming back to life again…”

“Th-This can’t be….”

And the moment they realized this, a light of ecstasy began to swirl in the eyes of everyone gathered here.

“They’re strong!”

“Luka and Credo are strong!”

“As expected of Grand Chancellor Ricardo!”

Receiving such fervent support from people, Ricardo nodded his head.

“In the past, when our ‘My Struggle’ was first established, the situation was like this. The dark period when only one animation was broadcast per week…. It was a dystopia itself where it was considered natural for viewers’ human rights to be ignored.”

“And we held protests in front of the imperial palace to overthrow such absurdities and contradictions, and as a result, we’re living in a golden age where it’s very natural to have two animations per week.”

“…But if we had sat idle with our hands down, nothing would have changed. It means we would have been satisfied with watching just one animation per week!”

“So let’s rise up. Director Ragna will take care of the aftermath and plot holes caused by resurrection! Now is the time to show the power of viewers to revive our favorite characters!”

“Indeed! The Grand Chancellor’s words are right!”

“What is there to hesitate when our friends can come back to life!”

And so, a truly large number of people went out to the square in front of the imperial palace to hold protests, just as they had done in the past.

However, if there was one thing different from the past.

It was none other than that in the protest two years ago, only a few dozen drunkards were sprawled in front of the square, but.

Now, the entire square that could easily accommodate thousands of people was filled without room to set foot, by.

None other than protesters demanding to revive Luka and Credo again.

This situation, incomparable in scale to that of two years ago, naturally reached the Emperor’s ears quickly, and.

“Leave them be.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said leave them alone. Are you bothering me with such trivial matters?”

The Emperor responded with an incredibly indifferent attitude upon hearing the news.

“B-But the scale of the protesters is too enormous. It’s such a huge crowd that we might not be able to control their actions if we’re not careful-“

“Even so, most of them are just viewers who are over-immersed in animation. Also, isn’t it ridiculous for the imperial family to suppress those who have gathered there excited because of animation?”

“Th-That’s…”

“So leave them be. They will stop such protests on their own when time passes and their heads cool down.”

Thus, on the surface, the Emperor showed no particular reaction to the large-scale protests they were holding, but.

‘Yes, well done. You’re doing very well. Work a little harder. Push more! Until that bastard Ragna can’t bear to not change the stories of “Attack on Heaven” and “Lulu’s Adventure” due to public opinion!’

In fact, he was inwardly cheering for the protesters’ actions, so he was allowing their actions.

As the Emperor’s tacit support was added like this, the momentum of the protesters calling for the resurrection of Luka and Credo grew stronger day by day, and.

Of course, the production team of “Attack on Heaven”, including Ragna, couldn’t help but hear related news.

“…The viewers have risen up? Because of the deaths of Luka and Credo?”

“No… but the development of the 8th episode was a bit too much even for me to see. Honestly, what’s left if you take out the character Credo from “Attack on Heaven”?”

“So Ragna. What are you going to do? Are you thinking of giving in to the protesters’ demands this time too, like you did in the past?”

As the production team was feeling perplexed looking at the protesters like that, at that very moment.

Ragna ended up thinking this inwardly.

‘…Isn’t this a chance that’s come after a long time?’

Currently, most viewers are putting enormous pressure on Ragna to revive Luka and Credo.

That’s probably because the characters Luka and Credo were ridiculously and somewhat disappointingly dismissed in the early part of the work.

Also, the fact that the two of them ‘coincidentally’ met their deaths on the same day at the same time is also a cause of this violent reaction.

But what if Ragna completely ignores the protesters’ demands?

What if he snorts at the request to revive Luka and Credo, and rather leads the work’s development in an atmosphere that completely confirms their deaths?

No, not just ending at that level, but even doing the cheeky act of trying to snipe at the ignorant viewers head-on?

‘What would happen? It would be the end right away.’

In the past, just looking at how a game company that made disparaging remarks towards customers who bought their games, calling them uneducated… that is, uneducated humans, was instantly destroyed, you can sufficiently guess how effective it would be.

So he made it deliberately.

That very ‘scene’ that tells them he has no intention of reviving characters who have already died, and.

That their demand to revive them is wrong.

And.

“My brother is dead, he’s gone now!”

“…!”

On the very day that the 11th episode of “Attack on Heaven” containing that scene aired.

The Empire was turned upside down completely.