This is the fifth chapter in the Heaven's Design Team manga series.
Plot[]
Inside the design department, Tsuchiya and Shimoda are gazing in awe at Tsuchiya’s new animal, a unicorn. Tsuchiya is hopeful that his animal will meet God’s latest order for “an animal that bears an impressive weapon.” His enthusiasm is cut short when the unicorn suddenly faints, getting a stamp of rejection.
Higuchi determines that the unicorn collapsed due to osteoporosis, or lack of calcium. Tsuchiya wonders why his animal failed, while Kimura’s new animal, the elk, was a success. Higuchi and Kimura explain that the elk also has the same disease. However, because the elk is equipped with three stomachs instead of one, it can extract more nutrients to maintain itself.
Higuchi suggests putting the horn on a cow instead of a horse. But Tsuchiya turns the idea down, stating that it isn’t beautiful, or a horse. Desperate to keep his design the way it is, he begs Higuchi to help him find a solution. With some encouragement from Mizushima, the team starts brainstorming ideas. First, they try making the horn hollow so that it requires less calcium. After Higuchi creates a new prototype, everything seems to be going well. But then the new prototype faints like its predecessor, this time due to a lack of energy to sustain a horn that big.
Next, Mizushima suggests decreasing the unicorn’s brain functionality to reduce the amount of energy used up. Another prototype is created. But as a result, the prototype becomes too stupid to avoid obstacles and ends up piercing a door with its horn, and then breaking it. As a last resort, Mizushima and Tsuchiya try modifying the horn by adding nerves and making it more springy to avoid breaking. The team then heads to Trial Island to see if their modifications have made any difference.
On the island, the team watches as three new unicorn prototypes gallop across the beach. Both Tsuchiya and Mizushima are pleased, while Higuchi and Kimura are still doubtful. Just when everything looks like it is going in the right direction, two of the prototypes start picking a fight with each other. After engaging one another, they both collapse to the ground, while the third one gets its horn lodged into a tree. The unicorn is ultimately rejected by God. Despite Mizshima’s efforts to encourage him, Tsuchiya is at a loss for words.
Later in the department, Unabara walks in with a new marine animal he is working on. He notices the unicorn’s horn that Tsuchiya kept as a memento. After asking if he could try it on his new animal, he gets a stamp of approval from God, and the Narwhal is born, much to Tsuchiya’s shock.
New Animals[]
- Elk (Cervus canadensis)
- Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)