Liu A'dou and Zhan Jun were watching the live broadcast of Princess Asseylum's parade. They saw many Japanese people lining the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the princess, but unfortunately, she was inside an armored vehicle, so no one could see anything.
"Something feels off, really off," Zhan Jun said, worried.
Liu A'dou could sense something was wrong too, but he figured it wasn't his concern. Whether Earthlings or Martians were scheming, it had nothing to do with him.
The convoy attracted countless eyes, very high-profile. If anyone wanted to cause trouble, the best way would be to launch a heavy bombardment on the convoy.
"How is it that Martians, who've only been on Mars for less than 50 years, have turned out like this? Don't they have any brains?" Liu A'dou had always been puzzled.
"They don't lack brains, they're just brainless," Zhan Jun replied harshly. "Who knows what those scientists were thinking. They probably thought that activating Mars' ruins made them the chosen ones, but now, the Western world says that the scientist was actually religious. He claimed Mars was where God resides and that he, having unlocked God's power, was the chosen one. That's why things are like this. But it seems the Pope has already declared Martians to be heretics."
So that was the connection. No wonder they were brainless.
As a scientist, having Mars' technology could make him a billionaire, leading a mega-conglomerate that could influence the world. Instead, he chose to oppose Earth, probably because he despised Earth due to the power of Mars' ruins.
Boom!
Just as Liu A'dou was lost in thought, a terrifying scene appeared on the TV. It seemed like a missile-like weapon flew into the convoy, exploding and causing panic instantly.
"Someone really tried to assassinate her?" Zhan Jun said, seeing the worst thing he'd feared happen. The people in the crowd clearly looked terrified. "Are we going to war? What's this damn princess doing on Earth?"
Liu A'dou rolled his eyes at Zhan Jun's comment about the Martian princess. "You've got it wrong, this is just a regular international visit. Nothing wrong with it. Although Earth and Mars don't get along, the princess's actions were risky, but that doesn't mean she deserves to die."
"Then who do you think did it?" Liu A'dou asked.
Zhan Jun froze. At first, he thought it was extremists on Earth, but after hearing Liu A'dou's question, he considered that it could have been radical Martians trying to create an excuse for war. "Whoever started the attack is probably the one who assassinated her. Once the war starts, no one will care about these things anymore."
Zhan Jun was sharp, and Liu A'dou nodded.
Suddenly, Zhan Jun stood up. "My third sister is still in the military."
If war broke out, he couldn't even take care of himself, let alone others. "Zhan Jun, calm down, the war hasn't started yet. Even if it does, worrying now won't help. It's better to wait and see what happens."
Liu A'dou understood why Zhan Jun was so anxious. If it were him, he'd be worried too, especially if a family member was in the military when war broke out. War would claim lives, and no one knew who would survive.
After the attack, it was confirmed that the princess died in the incident. Everyone knew that war was coming, and it would arrive 15 years later. They just didn't know where it would land.
The 37 families of the Orbital Knights were noble families granted land by Emperor Vers. In 1999, they had remained in Earth's and the Moon's orbits, with 37 massive Yanglu Cities silently waiting, like flower buds. Then, 19 of the Yanglu Cities lowered their orbits, and 4 more made their way directly to New Orleans, Mozambique, Beijing, and Tokyo.
The Martian Empire, 'Vers,' was the first to launch an attack, using mass destruction weapons as its opening move. Besides landing, the Yanglu Cities themselves acted as unimpeded impact weapons, much like meteorites that didn't need to slow down. Under the protection of Aldnoah's light, the Yanglu Cities would crash to the ground like meteorites, causing massive damage.
This is why Martian weapons were considered a few levels above Earth's.
That night, alarms blared across the city. Zhan Jun called his three sisters. His eldest sister had to stay at the hospital to evacuate patients, his second sister had to look after students, and his third sister was already preparing to fight. They all told Zhan Jun to go to the school to find his second sister.
"Let's go. The military has already sent people to the school to evacuate the students. You two will surely find a spot there," Zhan Jun said as he quickly packed his things. He made sure to take the three gold bars Liu A'dou had given him—he didn't know if he'd ever make it back.
"Aren't you planning to fight?" Liu A'dou asked curiously.
"If I'm drafted, then I'll fight. But for now, I'm just a student. I don't even have an ID number for the battlefield. I might get shot by my own people," Zhan Jun replied.
"You can pilot the mecha I modified and fight," Liu A'dou said.
"Now's not the time for fighting. The Yanglu Cities are landing. The shockwaves could flatten the whole city. Did you ever think about why dinosaurs went extinct? It was because of a meteorite hitting Earth. Now the Martians are doing the same thing. The mecha might not even be useful. Hurry, bring Ada along, and let's go. No matter how strong you are, can you beat a meteorite?"
"My wife is pregnant. I can't risk harming the baby. I didn't want to get involved with the Martians, but they want to destroy this city. They'll definitely affect us too. I can't just stand by," Liu A'dou said, smiling. "Get in your mecha and follow me. You doubt my strength? Let me show you today."
Zhan Jun stared at Liu A'dou like he was an idiot. 'Is this guy out of his mind? If we don't run now, are we really going to die?' "I don't have time to joke around with you." He tried to leave, but Liu A'dou didn't let him. He shoved Zhan Jun into the cockpit of the KG7, then followed Liu A'dou as the mecha took off into the sky.
"Let me down," Zhan Jun shouted, but Liu A'dou ignored him.
The Forbidden City.
Zhan Jun didn't know why Liu A'dou brought him here. He stood alone in the old palace, unable to move, watching as Liu A'dou stood proudly at the top of the Forbidden City, gazing into the distance.
Under the starry sky, Liu A'dou was the only figure. Zhan Jun felt that at this moment, Liu A'dou had transformed into an ancient hero, a warrior from another world, standing fearless in front of a powerful enemy.
Liu A'dou stood on the rooftop, looking out. He saw a spark appear on the horizon, burning brightly as it rapidly headed toward the city.
"Is this the Yanglu City?" Liu A'dou whispered, as he began to ignite his ultimate microcosmos.
Today, he would stop the tragedy from happening at the top of the Forbidden City. "Zhan Jun, watch closely. This is what it means to have a full moon night, at the top of the Forbidden City, a sword comes from the west, a fairy flying from the sky."
Although the moon in this world wasn't round anymore, looking like a broken cookie, the sentiment remained unchanged.
Zhan Jun saw what looked like a sword in Liu A'dou's hand. The heavens became the blade, the stars became the spine, the mountains and rivers formed the guard, the sun and moon the hilt, and the righteous qi of the universe connected it all. Liu A'dou himself was the sword, unmatched and unyielding.