高度成長による「夢と希望」に満ちあふれていた時代から、一転して経済は停滞しオカルトブームが起き、世界滅亡の空気まで漂いはじめた、1970年前後。
そんな時代の中で、少年たちは、地球滅亡をもくろむ悪の組織や、東京を破壊し尽くす巨大ロボットに蹂躙され、混沌とし、滅亡に向かっていく未来の世界を空想した。そして、それらに立ち向かい地球を救うのは、勧善懲悪の正義のヒーローとその仲間たちだ。下らないようなストーリーを描いたスケッチブックを、少年たちは“よげんの書”と名付ける。しかし大人になるにつれ、そんな空想の記憶は薄れていく。
1997年、主人公のケンヂは、突然失踪した姉の娘のカンナを養い、コンビニを営む平凡な日々を送っていたが、お得意先の一家の失踪や幼なじみの死をきっかけに、その薄れかけていた記憶を次第に呼び覚まされていく。そして世界各地の異変が、幼い頃空想した“よげんの書”通りに起こっていることに気づく。一連のできごとの陰に見え隠れする謎の人物“ともだち”との出会いによって、全ての歯車は回り出す。
物語は、“ともだち”による20世紀末にかけての暗躍と、それに立ち向かう大人になったケンヂ達幼なじみを中心とした第1部、ケンヂが行方不明となり、“ともだち”が世界の救世主として称えられるようになった2015年の世界で密かに反逆を試みるカンナを主人公とした第2部、人類が滅亡し“ともだち”が独裁政治を行う世界に突如現れたケンヂを描く第3部、“ともだち”亡き後に残された最後の陰謀に立ち向かい、幼少時との決着を付けるべく奔走するかつての仲間たちを描く最終部の4つに大きく分かれる。
Around 1970, the economy stagnated, the occult boom occurred, and even the air of the end of the world began to drift from the era of high economic growth, to a sudden change.
In such an era, boys imagined a future world that was overrun by evil organizations plotting the end of the world and giant robots destroying Tokyo, falling into chaos and heading towards destruction. And it is the righteous heroes and their friends who reward good and punish evil who stand up to them and save the world. The boys named the sketchbook with the silly stories “Book of Prophecy”. However, as they grow up, the memories of such fantasies fade.
In 1997, the protagonist Kenji was living an ordinary life, supporting his sister’s daughter Kanna, who suddenly disappeared, and running a convenience store, but the disappearance of a family of his regular customers and the death of his childhood friend trigger his fading memories to gradually be awakened. He then realizes that strange events happening all over the world are happening just as the “Book of Prophecy” he imagined as a child had. Then, he meets “Tomodachi,” a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of a series of events, and all the gears start turning.
The story is divided into four parts: Part 1, which focuses on “Tomodachi’s” secret activities towards the end of the 20th century and the childhood friends who have grown up and are standing up to them; Part 2, which features Kanna, the protagonist, who secretly attempts a rebellion in the world of 2015, when Kenji goes missing and “Tomodachi” is celebrated as the world’s savior; Part 3, which depicts Kenji suddenly appearing in a world where humanity has been wiped out and “Tomodachi” is ruling as a dictator; and the final part, which depicts the former friends rushing to face the final conspiracy left behind after “Tomodachi”‘s death and settle things with their childhood.