Episode -1 A
Episode -1 A
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A universe filled with shining stars.
Somewhere within a tiny fragment of that boundless vastness—whose end cannot be known—
a mysterious star emitting an unusually deep crimson light appeared.
But upon closer inspection, it was not a star.
What could it be?
For now, one thing is certain:
that something is moving toward the nearest planet, leaving behind a long tail of light.
Perhaps… it is falling.
At the same time, a mysterious being with yellow deer antlers upon its head—its entire body cloaked in a black robe—
sat before something that appeared to be a mirror.
Then he stared intently into it, as if searching desperately for something.
An unmistakable anxiety clung to him.
Yet even after a long time passed, he could not find the answer he wanted.
A closer look revealed that the hood of his black robe covered his face so deeply that only his nose was barely visible.
It seemed as though he wished to conceal something at all costs.
His forelegs and hind legs, visible outside the robe, were covered in green reptilian scales.
And his hands and feet resembled the hooves of a beast.
After a moment, through the mirror-like object, he discovered the deep crimson light and shouted.
“That's it! I found it!”
“Oh… how did it end up like that? How could it become so….”
The words died before he could finish them. Tears welled in his eyes.
Worry, regret, and guilt tormented him.
A deep remorse—too heavy to bear—pressed down upon him.
“I… we ignored your desperation. We turned away… and now we regret it more than anything…”
“Even though we knew your judgment was right, we were stubborn… You were right.”
“Perhaps it is only natural that we cannot be forgiven… We will never be forgiven…”
“We trapped ourselves behind the walls we built and only blamed fate…
Haah… ugh… sob…”
As he drifted between deep sighs and tears of regret and lament,
suddenly, an intense fear seized him.
“You idiot! This isn't the time! This is no time for this!”
His heart grew frantic again.
The deep crimson light was plunging toward the planet,
and the only one who could save him… was himself.
Then he had already wasted far too much time in regret and lament that did not fit the situation.
In his urgency, he failed to confirm where on the planet the deep crimson light was heading…
and yet, he rushed blindly out of the cave.
The place where he stood was the peak of a high mountain—
a mystical land where clouds lay flat in all directions, as if forming the earth itself.
“Ah… damn it!”
“Where is it? Which way?!”
“Should I go back and check?”
“No, there's no time… What do I do?”
“What do I do… what do I do…”
Overwhelmed with panic, he fell into a swamp of questions of his own making.
At that moment, an unknown force revealed the location of the deep crimson light to him.
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“…Hm? There! That way!”
“Who is it? At this moment… who is helping me…?”
But he had no time to ponder.
Sensing the trajectory of the light, he ran in that direction without hesitation.
Yet it was already too late.
In a fleeting instant, before his eyes, the deep crimson light pierced through the clouds
and plummeted rapidly toward the ground.
At the final moment, he wished with all his strength to catch him—
but before he could even use his power, the figure vanished from sight.
“Aaaah… it's over…”
Utter despair. He could not move.
As the dark weight of despair threatened to swallow him whole—
it was as if someone helped him once more…
That help allowed the yellow-antlered one to act swiftly with cold judgment.
“I don't know who you are… but thank you.”
Having made a decision, the yellow-antlered one began to thrash his forelegs in a large circle before him.
Soon, red and yellow clouds and green clouds slowly began to appear.
As his two hooves pressed together,
the two small clouds gradually began to merge into one.
Then he dropped to all fours, taking the stance of a beast—
like a plump deer preparing to charge.
As the yellow-antlered one concentrated his strange power,
the merged cloud transformed into a single round sphere.
Then he quickly straightened his posture and drew it into his arms with both hands.
Steadying his breath, he commanded the glowing sphere.
“Show me the location of the Red Rooster.”
At the same time, his eyes shone brightly.
Not long after, he found the location of the Red Rooster.
Wondering if there might be any creature nearby—any living being he could command—to help the Red Rooster,
the yellow-antlered one surveyed the surrounding area.
At a suitable distance, he discovered a wild beast leisurely grazing on grass.
As he began to murmur,
a glowing sphere—just like the one he had created—slowly descended above the beast's head.
The sphere appeared to rest upon the bridge of the beast’s nose,
then sank directly into it.
The beast began moving according to the yellow-antlered one’s will,
racing swiftly toward the Red Rooster.
High in the sky—
the Red Rooster, who had fallen through the clouds, could be seen floating upon the surface of the sea.
Perhaps he had plunged deep into the water and then surfaced again.
Then, slowly, he began to sink once more beneath the waves.
Seeing this, the yellow-antlered one, in his urgency,
drove the beast quickly to the Red Rooster’s location
and made it leap from a cliff into the sea as if flying.
With a great splash, the beast plunged into the water
and discovered the Red Rooster sinking unconscious below.
The beast approached him, pushed him upward with its nose,
then lifted him onto its antlers and began rising toward the surface.
By the time they emerged,
the Red Rooster lay draped across the beast’s back.
The Red Rooster hung limp.
Had he lost consciousness? There was no response.
From a great distance, the yellow-antlered one licked his hoof,
and at the same time, a strange power began to slowly restore the Red Rooster.
“Thank goodness… I'm not too late. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”
A long breath escaped him, his entire body drenched in sweat.
Yet he was deeply glad.
“I'm sorry, Red Rooster… truly sorry… Guardian…”
After remaining silent for a long time, he murmured quietly.
“But… don't worry too much. It wasn't total destruction.”
“Not long ago… a seed of hope came to me.”
“This time, I will protect them.”
With that resolve, he clenched his hooves until they bled.
After that, countless years passed.
On a devastated planet, the Red Rooster walked alone,
wearing a single ragged cloth and relying on a faint lantern,
staggering through a dark and unfamiliar path.
Then he could not even tell whether the path he followed was the right one.
Half out of his mind, he breathed heavily and muttered.
“This time… I must reach the Tarin Forest. No matter what, I will make it.”
As he drew closer to the deep darkness ahead,
a familiar fear slowly raised its head within him.
“The insects… they'll come soon.”
“Yes… that time is approaching again. They're coming for sure.”
Then he cast aside the rag that had shielded him from the cold and the lantern,
and slowly stepped into the endless darkness.
? ? ? ? ?
Meanwhile, on another planet—Earth…
A blue truck, packed full of moving boxes,
was steadily driving along an empty road.
The weather was beautiful.
The sky was a deep navy blue, with billowing clouds set beautifully across it.
Inside the truck, driving along a road that seemed long neglected,
were a father and his young daughter.
They were in the middle of a move.
But the child’s expression reflected in the window was not bright.
Without a word, she gazed at the vast land and the high sky outside.
Her face was filled with worry.
The child, who had been looking at the sky, suddenly stopped watching the scenery outside the window.
She turned forward in her seat and lowered her head deeply.
Her father had been watching every moment of his daughter.
After a brief hesitation, he quietly called her name.
Father: Rogi~
Rogi: …Yeah?
Father: I'm sorry.
Father: I decided on this move so suddenly, without even asking for our Rogi’s permission.
Father: From what I can see, our Rogi seems to have a lot of dissatisfaction on her face~
Father: So I'm sorry.
Rogi: Dissatisfaction?
Father: Hm?
Rogi: Dad, what does “dissatisfaction” mean?
Rogi had just turned seven.
She did not seem to know the meaning of the word.
Her father carefully explained the meaning to her.
Afterward, Rogi lowered her head again without a word.
Then suddenly, she remembered the promise she had made with her mother.
With a deliberately energetic expression, she spoke.
Rogi: No, Dad! We promised to stay strong for Mom! Mom, Dad, and me!
Rogi: For the day we can all live together in one house again, we have to stay strong! We can't just worry, right?
Rogi: I promised Mom. I'll help you, Dad! You remember the promise with Mom, right?
Father: Yes, Rogi. Help Dad a lot. My daughter… hmm…
For a moment, the father choked up and stopped speaking.
Barely suppressing his surging emotions, he continued.
Father: Dad needs Rogi’s help a lot!
Rogi: Don't worry, Dad! I'll help with anything! I'll do everything! For Mom, and for you!
Father: Yeah, Dad will stay strong too. My daughter is the best!
Rogi: Hahaha! Stay strong, Dad!
Father: Yeah, Dad will stay strong. Thank you, my daughter…
Now he could no longer suppress his emotions.
The father simply drove in silence.
The blue truck that had been quietly carrying only moving boxes
was now carrying hope and love as well.
-1 A END
