86 Eighty-Six Novel Vol. 03, Winner of the 23rd annual Dengeki Novel Prize
Pride is all we have.
The attack Shin foresaw has finally come to pass. Wielding a weapon with destructive force hitherto unseen, the Long-Range Artillery-type Legion unit rains unmitigated chaos over the battlefield. Both the Federacy’s western front and the Gran Mur of the Republic crumble under the might of the monolithic railgun, capable of dealing catastrophic damage from hundreds of kilometers away. With their backs against the wall, the Giadian military makes a controversial decision: A special strike force will charge into the heart of Legion territory, engage the Railgun type from close range, and destroy it. Shin and the Eighty-Six will spearhead the operation.
…But Shin has not been himself lately. Having defeated his brother’s ghost and freed himself from the Republic, the Reaper finds himself without purpose. What reason does he have to go on living? For whose sake does he fight…?
Biographical Notes:
One of the inspirations for the series was drone warfare, and the novel, 86 Eighty-Six Novel (86 Eighty-Six Novel Vol. 01), explores the logistics and ethics around this form of combat. Another major inspiration was the 2007 film, The Mist.
As she came up with the fictional ideas of the story, Asato started working on the light novel. Asato had been working on the novel since 2014 and it was only in 2017 that it was published.
The setting of the story took a while for the author to come up with. She wanted the story to take place within a fortressed city. However, she switched the idea and finalized the current setting for the series.
She usually spend about 6–8 hours a day writing.
Title Notes:
86 Eighty-Six Novel (Including 86 Eighty-Six Novel Vol. 01), Winner of the 23rd annual Dengeki Novel Prize, one of the most prestigious honors within the light novel sphere; Re:ZERO was similarly a winner in this category!
More details on Asato Asato: