ランスルーザバトルフロント(上下巻)
86―エイティシックス―Ep.2,Ep.3
86―エイティシックス―Ep.2,Ep.3
安里 アサト 著 しらび (イラスト)
ランスルーザバトルフロント(上下巻)
特別偵察ーそれは祖国により人型の豚と扱われ、戦場に捨てられた少年たちの最後の任務である。
任務期間は無制限、偵察目標は最終的に前進できた地点ーつまり、死ぬまで敵地を進めと言う死刑宣告であった。
それがサンマグノリア共和国が86と呼ばれる少年兵に与える最後の指令である。
数々の戦場を生き抜いてきたスピアヘッド部隊の生存者5人も特別偵察の指令が下っていた。
当初の予定よりも進むことができた彼らであったが、そこはレギオン支配域である。
いよいよ最後の時が迫ってきていた。
武器の残薬もそこをつき、敵に囲まれ、死神と呼ばれるシンを持ってさえ、生き残る事はできない…
敗北を喫し薄れゆく意識の中で見たのは死んだ兄の姿だった…
気がつくと、そこは見知らぬ場所だった。
絶望の中、シンは生きていたのである。
そこはギアーデ連邦(旧ギアーデ帝国)の病院であった。
スピアヘッド部隊の5人は死ぬことが任務の特別偵察を生き抜き、ギアーデ連邦に保護されたのである。
レギオンを開発したギアーデ帝国はレギオンにより滅ぼされ、以降、ギアーデ連邦はレギオンとの戦争を続けていた。
保護された5人は一時の平穏を得ていた。
人型の家畜とののしられ迫害された86の5人は、人間らしい生活を満喫していた。
だが心の底で自分たちの居場所はここではないと感じていたのだった。
彼らは再び戦場に戻ることを選択し、連邦軍に志願し、戦場の最前線へ戻ったのであった。
ギアーデでにはレギオンの大攻勢が迫っていた。
さらに超長距離の電磁加速砲による攻撃を受け、ギアーデ連邦軍は大打撃を受け、サンマグノリア共和国は、壊滅状態となってしまう。
電磁加速法を搭載したレギオンを倒さない限り人類に未来は無い。
だがしかし、それは敵の支配域のど真ん中に攻め込むと言うこと。
そこにシンたち86のいる部隊を突撃させると言う作戦が決行される。
死が確定していた特別偵察を生き抜いた彼らは、再び生還率の可能性が極めて低い戦場へ向かう。
なぜ彼らは戦うのか… シンは苦しみながら再び死地へと赴くのであった…
今作のEP2とEP3はEP1の終章へと続くストーリーである。 特別偵察から2年、スピアヘッド部隊をハンドラーとして指揮していたレーナとの再会までの、それぞれ(主に86の5人)を描いたものだ。
レギオンに敗北し、死んだはずだったのに生き残ってしまったシン。
何のために生きているのか、どうして戦うのか、また兄の亡霊に苦しむ姿等々、シンの苦しい心胸が描かれている。
後半のレギオンとの戦いの模写については、少し退屈に感じられる部分もあるが、苦しみながらもたどり着いた場所でのシンとレーナの予期せぬ再開を経て、EP1の終章へつながる展開は十分に読み応えがある。
今作より登場する少女フレデリカとのやりとりから自らが目指すべき場所、その答えに気づくシンであるが、今作ではフレデリカの存在が大きな鍵となっている。
10歳らしからぬ物言いとは裏腹に、年相応の可愛い姿もあったりと、フレデリカに注目して読むのが個人的にはいいと思う。
前作に続き今作もとても面白く読み応えのある作品である。
86―Eighty-Six―Run Through the Battlefield (First and Second Volume) - A Review
English Virsion
(Author) Asato Asato
Special reconnaissance?it was the last duty of boys treated as humanoid pigs by their homeland and discarded on the battlefield.
Their mission duration was indefinite, with the ultimate reconnaissance target being the farthest point they could advance to?in other words, a death sentence until they advanced into enemy territory and died.
This was the final command given by the Republic of San Magnolia to the soldiers known as the 86.
The survivors of the Spearhead Squadron, who had lived through countless battles, were also under orders for special reconnaissance.
They had managed to advance further than initially planned, but they were in the domain controlled by the Legion.
The final moments were rapidly approaching.
Their weapons were out of ammunition, surrounded by the enemy, and even with Shin, known as the Grim Reaper, survival was not possible...
As they faced defeat and their consciousness faded, what they saw was the figure of a dead brother...
When they awoke, they found themselves in an unfamiliar place.
In the midst of despair, Shin was alive.
It was a hospital in the Giad Federal (formerly the Giad Empire).
The five members of the Spearhead Squadron had survived the special reconnaissance mission, which was essentially a mission to die, and were taken under the protection of the Giad Federal.
The Giad Empire, which developed the Legion, was destroyed by them, and subsequently, the Giad Federal continued the war against the Legion.
The protected five experienced a temporary peace.
Persecuted and reviled as humanoid livestock, the five of the 86 enjoyed a semblance of a human life.
But deep down, they felt that this place was not where they belonged.
They chose to return to the battlefield, enlisted in the Federal army, and went back to the front lines of the war.
A massive offensive by the Legion was imminent in Giad.
Furthermore, the Giad Federal army received a massive blow from a long-range electromagnetic acceleration gun attack, and the Republic of San Magnolia was left in ruins.
The future of humanity does not exist unless the Legion equipped with electromagnetic acceleration guns is defeated.
However, that means launching an attack right into the heart of enemy territory.
A plan was executed to send Shin and the 86's unit on a charge.
Having survived the certain death of special reconnaissance, they once again headed to the battlefield where the probability of survival was extremely low.
Why do they fight... Shin, while suffering, once again headed to a deadly battlefield...
This work's EP2 and EP3 are stories that continue to the final chapter of EP1. They depict each character, mainly the five of the 86, from the special reconnaissance two years ago until the reunion with Handler Lena.
Shin, who was supposed to have died after being defeated by the Legion, survived.
Why he lives, why he fights, and his suffering from the ghost of his brother are portrayed.
The latter half's depiction of the battle with the Legion may feel somewhat tedious, but the unexpected reunion of Shin and Lena after arriving at a hard-fought place and the development leading to the final chapter of EP1 are sufficiently compelling.
The appearance of the young girl Frederica in this work is key, and despite her precocious way of speaking, she also has moments of age-appropriate cuteness. Personally, I think it's good to read with an eye on Frederica.
Like the previous work, this one is also very interesting and worth reading.
| Word | Japanese Translation | English Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| reconnaissance | 偵察 | The activity of obtaining information about an area or enemy. It refers to surveying or exploring an area, especially for military purposes, to gather information. |
| persecuted | 迫害された | Subjected to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs. It involves persistent mistreatment or harassment, often due to one's beliefs or identity. |
| reviled | 非難された | Criticized in an abusive or angrily insulting manner. To revile someone is to criticize them strongly or insult them with harsh words. |
| precarious | 不安定な | Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse. It describes a situation, condition, or position that is dangerously unstable or insecure. |
| compelling | 説得力のある | Evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way. It means that something is so interesting or convincing that it holds your attention and makes you want to believe it or be involved in it. |
| imminent | 差し迫った | About to happen. It refers to something that is likely to occur at any moment or is impending. |