Someone just tore apart a Gundam barehanded—and no, it wasn't Master Dongfang, but the dimension-hopper Kid.
Kaitou Kid punched a hole straight through the Martian mecha. Everyone froze. This wasn't a magic trick. It was real strength. Even artillery couldn't get through that armor, yet a single person—well, let's call that humanoid shape a person—managed to break through. It was terrifying.
The military's spotlights lit up Kaitou Kid, making him shine like he was on stage. He said nothing, just stood there like a mysterious symbol, giving off an eerie vibe.
Then, Kid stretched out his hand—and pulled the Martian, Mazkaru, out of the cockpit. Mazkaru was unconscious. When Kid had pierced the mecha, the shock from the impact at the cockpit's edge had knocked him out. Martians relied only on their tech and fanaticism. They had nothing else. This count had lived long in low gravity and never exercised—his body was average at best.
"The man in white up there, identify yourself!" Since he'd destroyed a Martian mecha, they assumed he was on Earth's side. So the United Government tried diplomacy first.
Kid held Mazkaru by the collar—not exactly gentle. Gazing down at the nervous United Government troops, Liu A'dou said, "I'm not your enemy." Then he soared into the sky with Mazkaru, disappearing into the moonlight—free and unbothered, like something out of a dream.
The news that someone had destroyed a mecha with bare hands reached Liu A'dou fast. Technicians analyzed footage from that night frame by frame. Their final conclusion? Unless that white suit had some special effect—or the man wasn't human—then yes, he'd actually crushed a Martian mecha with his bare hands.
They also examined the damage to the mecha itself. The conclusion: it had been pierced by something moving insanely fast and with insane power. Faster and stronger than any shell. But that guy did it barehanded. There was no scientific explanation for it.
Liu A'dou had both courage and brains. They showed him the footage, hoping he'd offer insight. But all he thought was, 'Good thing no one knows I saved that Martian guy.' If word got out, there'd be no point in wearing a mask.
Mazkaru woke up to find himself surrounded by books—more books than existed on all of Mars. Back there, under strict hierarchy, literacy among civilians was worse than in Earth's poorest regions. Education was so expensive, people had to sell everything to afford it.
Mazkaru wasn't even thirty. He inherited his father's count title, but his only fief was Yanglu City—which was now gone. His men were scattered across the planet, barely in touch. Now he was trying to adapt to life on Earth and protect the Second Queen.
Where was he? A library? That must be it—there were so many books. Sitting dazed on the floor, Mazkaru slowly recalled what had happened yesterday. Clearly, he wasn't fully alert. Instead of checking his safety, he was trying to piece together the timeline.
His mecha had been destroyed by an unknown force. Then he blacked out. That was terrifying. Was that thing a weapon of Earth? It pierced the storm and mecha armor like it was nothing. He'd never seen anything like it.
Blow after blow had left him paranoid. He now believed Earth had a whole arsenal of secret weapons. What he didn't know was, Earth's strength boiled down to just one thing—Liu A'dou had arrived.
"You're awake?" Liu A'dou saw Mazkaru spacing out and thought, 'This guy's nerves are way too slow.'
"What do you want?" Mazkaru asked. "I'll never betray the Queen."
"Which Queen, though?" Liu A'dou smiled. "The Queen of Mars and the Vers Empire, or the Second Queen in exile here on Earth? You Martians sure are a mess."
"…"
"I brought you something to eat and drink. If you don't mind, go ahead." Liu A'dou placed the items in front of Mazkaru, who stared at him warily. "Don't look at me like that. I've got no grudge against you, and there's no prison gate or fence between us. We're face to face, that's all. Don't worry—I won't harm you. Go ahead and eat. Hunger sucks."
Mazkaru was a noble. He'd never gone hungry in his life. But the smell of food stirred his hunger, and finally, he gave in. Better to die full than starve.
"You know," Liu A'dou said, "I heard you Martians aren't very educated. No real history, just Aldnoah tech. But even your understanding of tech seems pretty off. And don't get me started on politics, military matters… all kinds of issues."
Mazkaru spit out the food. Hearing someone trash his homeland didn't exactly help his appetite. He scowled, ready to argue back—then realized something. He hadn't read many books. He barely knew anything about politics or military theory. All he'd ever known was that Aldnoah let him rule over Martians. It just felt... natural. He didn't even think of it as oppression.
And honestly, most Martians didn't think they were being oppressed either. They believed nobles were favored by royalty and that was just how it should be. The classic mindset of ignorant people under a feudal system.
"Looks like you're not happy with what I said," Liu A'dou continued. He wasn't trying to compare himself to others—just the Martian in front of him. He'd read a lot of books, especially when he was younger and couldn't leave the house. "I've got a book here. You might want to read it."
He handed over an English version of The Complete Works of Lu Xun. Most Martians came from former European and American colonies, so their main language was English.
"You know, right now, you're really ignorant. Even a high school student on Earth is smarter than you. That's because you guys don't read. You don't have enough access to knowledge." Liu A'dou shoved the book into his hands. "You need to think hard about where your loyalty really lies. Is it the royal family? The Vers Empire? Or the people on Mars? I think this book will help you understand just how cannibalistic your Vers society really is. Read it a few times—it'll help."
Liu A'dou turned to leave. Before going, he said, "This place is safe. You can stay hidden here. I'll have someone bring you food."
Looked like he was grooming a future librarian.
The Vers Empire had to split. There was no other option. Once Liu A'dou got involved in humanity's power struggles and chose a side, he became a terrifying force. Now standing with Earth, he was scheming hard against the Martians. That's why Batman always said superheroes should stay out of government. It was a wise idea.
But right now, Liu A'dou had already joined Earth No. 9's government. He was quietly shifting the world's balance. This was usually what a final boss would do. But A'dou? He thought it was fun. Just like magic, a good conspiracy needs to be wrapped in illusion.