Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Mecha God Chronicle - Episode 17 (2)
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A certain tavern in the capital.
Until just a little while ago, this place had been nothing more than one of the countless run-of-the-mill taverns scattered throughout the capital.
But thanks to a certain incident that had occurred not long before, it had instantly transformed into a "holy site of revolution."
The culprit was an event dubbed the "Mecha God Chronicle Broadcast Revolution."
Originally, Mecha God Chronicle was an anime with an outrageously brutal airing schedule—just one episode per week.
But that couldn't be helped.
Anyone who had even seen a single episode of Mecha God Chronicle knew full well it was an animation that poured an enormous amount of effort into its production.
Even though they were mere drawings, the characters' movements were so lifelike that viewers often mistook them for real people.
The OSTs and BGM that flowed perfectly with each scene were enchanting, and the voice actors' performances were more than enough to leave audiences spellbound.
Producing something that flawless naturally took time, so it was unavoidable.
As such, viewers had no choice but to silently accept the heartbreaking reality of just one episode a week.
That was when one brave man rose up, decrying the injustice of it all.
His name was Ricardo.
The great revolutionary who had rallied viewers from every nation under the sun.
While other fans who had watched episode 1 were trembling with disappointment and despair, Ricardo took action unlike anyone else.
He "enlightened" his fellow viewers right there in the tavern, then sparked a revolution to spread his message to the world.
When Ricardo first launched his uprising, people just laughed at the sight of him.
But he paid no mind to the jeers of those ignorant masses and marched all the way to the plaza in front of the imperial palace to proclaim his will to all.
In the end, after dramatic negotiations with the Mecha God Chronicle production team, he successfully pushed his demands through.
News that Mecha God Chronicle—originally slated for one episode a week—had doubled to twice weekly spread like wildfire across the entire capital, all thanks to some young revolutionary who had flunked his art school entrance exams.
"Welcome back! I knew you could do it!"
"You're a hero, Ricardo!"
"Thank you! Good work!"
He instantly became the hero of every single viewer tuning into Mecha God Chronicle.
And so, the anime's legion of fans continued to flock to this tavern—the birthplace of the revolution—to watch new episodes even today.
Today, the airing day for episode 17, was no exception. Ricardo and countless other fans had gathered at this holy site, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Finally... it's almost 9 o'clock."
"Really... I have no idea how much I've been waiting for the weekend. Especially during the weekdays when there's no Mecha God Chronicle, I get full-on withdrawal symptoms."
"Ah, the TV's on. Looks like it's about to start."
At that one remark, everyone hurriedly focused on the television screen.
"I wonder what Outer God Kai will take down today."
"Not all Outer Gods are the same—they each have unique abilities, so it never gets boring."
The Outer Gods in Mecha God Chronicle varied wildly in appearance and special powers.
For example, the one from episode 1 resembled a golem and possessed immense physical strength plus the ability to make objects explode.
In episode 5, there had been one specialized in aerial combat that could fire powerful lasers.
If there was one common thread among them, it was their ability to nullify all of humanity's attacks.
"What kind of powers do these Outer Gods have that let them neutralize human weapons? And why can the Mecha Gods pierce their barriers?"
"I think that's the big foreshadowing running through the second half of Mecha God Chronicle. They still haven't revealed how Mecha Gods are made, after all."
"The Supreme Commander and even Chloe always use these meaningful tones or expressions whenever they talk about Mecha Gods. It's suspicious."
The fans chatted like this but never once took their eyes off the screen.
The early part of Mecha God Chronicle episode 17 unfolded in a somewhat peaceful atmosphere, much like the previous episode.
Rather than an Outer God invasion, it focused on the pilots' everyday lives and conversations.
Some viewers preferred the intense Mecha God vs. Outer God battle scenes and skipped over the slice-of-life parts.
But most found nonstop action exhausting after a while, so they savored these segments for some healing downtime.
"Huh, looks like a new male pilot's joining the Illuminati this episode?"
"Name's Luke. He was apparently Kai's best friend before the Outer Gods invaded."
"No way, what the hell is that guy...?! How dare some other dude besides Kai grab Saya's hand like that? That bastard needs a beatdown...!"
"Ahem, with things turning out like this, Saya's 'out of the running.' Looks like Chloe's the true heroine of Mecha God Chronicle after all...?"
"No way a shady woman with black hair and a black heart could be the heroine of Mecha God Chronicle!"
"What did you just say...? You little...!"
Regardless of the viewers' outrage, the story pressed on.
"Unknown lifeform detected ahead! It's an Outer God!" "Cockpit pistol deployed. Battle stations!" "Commander, how do you plan to handle this Outer God?" "Luke, was it? Let's leave it to him. I want to test his skills." "Understood!" And so, Luke took his dedicated machine, Unit 7, out to confront the Outer God.
Up to this point, Mecha God Chronicle viewers had no particular suspicions.
From episode 1 through 16, humanity's side had never once lost to an Outer God.
So naturally, this fight would end in victory for this Luke guy too.
Or so they thought.
Kwachik-!
💥 DEFEAT! 💥 "Unit 7... Unit 7 is...!"
"...Unit 7 has gone completely silent. Signal from the pilot... cut off."
They lost.
Humanity's ultimate weapon, created to combat the Outer Gods—the Mecha God—had fallen to an Outer God.
Not just any defeat, either. Its head and body had been cleanly severed.
But the crisis didn't end with Unit 7's loss.
"W-What the hell is that?" "The Outer God... it's... absorbing Unit 7...!" "Anomaly detected. The Outer God's pattern is shifting to match Unit 7's!" "Outer God's mana levels are surging! Off the charts—immeasurable!" The Outer God had swallowed the entire Mecha God whole and absorbed its power.
And it didn't stop there—the creature's form morphed into that of the devoured Unit 7.
Watching this, the Supreme Commander muttered softly.
"...As expected, the false gods made by humanity can't defeat the true gods."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Hurry up and deploy the Mecha Gods. Send out Unit 0!"
"Understood!"
At that moment, the background music shifted to a low, melancholic melody.
The complete opposite of the upbeat, hopeful tunes that had defined Mecha God Chronicle up to now.
In the end, Kai rushed into Unit 0 and clashed with the Outer God that had absorbed Unit 7.
Had the enemy been in its normal state, Kai might have won.
But knowing his friend was trapped inside the Outer God shattered his focus.
Compounding that, the Outer God was far stronger now, bolstered by Unit 7's power.
Overwhelmed by its sheer might, Kai and Unit 0 collapsed to their knees.
"...Unit 0, activity limit reached. Unable to move further. Mana depleted." "My God... is this really it? The end...?" That was when it happened.
Giiiing-
Lights flickered on in the mana-exhausted Mecha God, and it began to move once more.
It was the rampage of Unit 0—the same one that had saved Kai from peril in the past.
"Grooooaaar-!" As always, Unit 0 crushed the enemy with overwhelming power—even the Outer God that had absorbed Unit 7 fell in an instant.
But Kai couldn't revel in the rampage as he usually did.
"Stop, stop, STOP! There's my friend inside that Outer God! Please, just stop!" But.
Kwachik-!
Ignoring Kai's pleas entirely, the Mecha God seized the half-absorbed head of Unit 7 from the Outer God's body and crushed it.
"...Ahh." The viewers outside the screen stared in stunned silence at the scene.
Gazing at the blood leaking from the Mecha God's hand, Kai finally screamed.
"Aaaaaaaaagh-!" "..."
On screen, Kai's distorted, screaming face filled the view.
Meanwhile, Unit 0 gently caressed its core, as if declaring it would do anything to protect Kai.
The gesture evoked a mother desperately shielding her child.
The viewers swallowed hard without realizing it.
On the surface, it was a blood-soaked demon incarnate.
Yet it simultaneously exuded a profound nobility in its urge to protect.
It was like beholding a sacred painting depicting divine blessing—a holiness where ugliness and sanctity coexisted.
The sheer cinematic power left no one able to look away.
And then.
"Ahh, aaaaaagh-!" With Kai shrieking inside the Mecha God, the screen crackled and faded to black.
Blackout.
And it stayed that way until the preview for the next episode.
"..."
"..."
No one in the tavern dared speak first.
People found themselves gingerly brushing the goosebumps rising on their skin.
"...Was that really an animation?"
What on earth had they just witnessed?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Kuhuhuhu."
The next morning, I sipped my coffee with a sinister grin.
Fellow pilot murder, an uncontrollable rampaging mecha, and even the glorification of killing!
I'd crammed every single element essential to a trashy mecha story into that one episode.
At this point, viewers had to realize the plot was going off the rails.
The media that had been blindly praising Mecha God Chronicle would snap out of it too.
Seizing that opening, I could methodically build up to humanity's annihilation.
Simple as that.
Brimming with delight, I unfolded the morning paper.
But.
[Through this episode, Mecha God Chronicle ushers in a new artistic epoch—critics shower it with rave reviews...]
[National Academy art professor: If Mecha God Chronicle weren't an animation, episode 17 would undoubtedly be a historic masterpiece...]
[Mecha God Chronicle episode 17: Perfect storytelling in its purest form. One wonders if the voice acting is holding the work back...]
"...?"
What the hell was going on?