"No abnormalities." Liu A'dou and Ada stared at their daughter flailing her limbs in the air, checking if she was possessed or something—but nothing seemed off.
"We should've asked our future selves how old Nono was the first time she got possessed."
"Looks like she's fine. So, should we head back?" Ada asked.
It had been four months since they left. Everything that needed to be done in this world was done. Time to return. But honestly, Liu A'dou kind of enjoyed being glared at by Martians. Not everyone could draw that much hate—it was a kind of...achievement.
Earthlings adored him. Martians loathed him. In this universe, Liu A'dou had achieved both—being loved and hated more than he ever was on Earth-1. The idea of going back almost felt like a letdown.
"You just don't wanna give up your hero treatment, do you?" Ada saw right through him.
"On Earth-1, barely anyone knows I'm actually Kaitou Kid—the guy who's saved the world multiple times." Liu A'dou finally understood why Iron Man loved being so public. Even though it was just a mask and a name, showing his real face and being showered with genuine admiration and respect felt way better than hiding behind the costume. Of course, back on Earth-1, he'd go back to being a movie director and toy company owner. Kaitou Kid would be his nighttime persona again. But he was planning to make sure people on Earth knew the legendary Kaitou Kid had returned—and would steal again in ways that defied logic. At least, that was the plan. Whether he could pull it off would depend on the situation.
Meanwhile on Mars, Mazkaru had finally returned. His ship emerged from the spatial gate and docked at the port—not a military one, but a civilian dock near the United Government's military base. The officers had intentionally chosen this site so Earth soldiers could get a feel for local life on Mars.
As soon as they stepped off the ship, a swarm of ragged Martians surrounded them, looking like beggars. But in reality, only a few of them were actually begging. Most had come to trade—some even offering themselves. A few Martian girls had clearly come for flesh trade.
Vers was falling apart. The Queen couldn't keep the nobles in check, and without her control, public welfare policies couldn't be enforced. Life for ordinary citizens kept getting worse. Many fled to the capital. To survive, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and beg. Some said Earth soldiers often brought good stuff, and if you spent one night with them, you could get enough food to last for days.
Mazkaru's heart bled. These were Vers's people. Look at them now.
"Mazkaru, I'd advise you not to mess with these girls. Unsafe, unclean—and some are even thieves. If you really need something, I can take you somewhere better. Tons of options, all safe, clean, and guaranteed to have bodies and faces that won't disappoint." That was Mazkaru's commanding officer. Sleazy guy. He'd been ferrying troops and weapons between Earth and Mars for a while. Seeing Mazkaru dazing off at the crowd, he assumed the kid had fallen for a Martian girl.
Under the dock's dim lights, with the Martian girls looking so disheveled, you couldn't even tell who was pretty or not. Anyway, Mazkaru was here to overthrow the feudal system, not mess around.
But fate always liked to play dumb jokes. Just as Mazkaru took a bold step forward, a thin girl squeezed through the crowd and collapsed at his feet. Behind her, a few uniformed Martians with vicious faces were swinging batons, charging straight at them.
Mazkaru immediately noticed the collar on the girl's neck—that was the mark of a slave, a noble's property. In the past, he might've just felt pity. But now, after learning Earth's progressive systems, he was a revolutionary. How could he stand by while nobles abused their own people?
"What do you think you're doing?"
The moment Mazkaru stepped in, the other Earth soldiers came over too. They couldn't stand the filthy behavior of Martian nobles either. Their commander knew technically this was a Martian internal matter, but he couldn't just watch them beat a slave to death in front of him.
"A bunch of grown men beating up one woman? You think that's right? Get lost. Now. Or we won't be polite." Once the officer spoke, the noble's lackeys exchanged glances and retreated.
"Miss, are you alright?" Mazkaru bent down to help the girl up, but she didn't respond.
"Mazkaru, get her treated first," the commander ordered. But he also knew the military hospital could only care for her until she healed. Once she walked out, she'd probably get captured again. They wouldn't be able to help her then. "Barbaric Martians... The first time I came here, I thought Mars would be highly civilized. Turns out they only used the ruins' tech to develop weapons. Vers is stuck in a pre-industrial era. Only nobles are considered human. Good thing we won that war. All thanks to Major Liu A'dou. Otherwise, we Earthlings might've ended up worse—every last one of us turned into slaves."
The officer gestured at the surrounding Martians. His words made Mazkaru feel even more ashamed. He had once been one of those filthy nobles. Thinking about it now felt pathetic. But now, he was the first Martian to truly open his eyes to the world, and he was determined to change everything—starting with this poor girl.
Oxygen. A faint smell of disinfectant. Still, way better than where she used to live. At least the air here wasn't thick and foul. The slave girl didn't say a word, which only made Mazkaru feel more compassion. Her body was covered in bruises and whip marks. Clearly, she'd taken a lot of beatings. She was skin and bones, obviously starving all the time.
"Captain, I brought you some food," said the friendly doctor. Of course, the food was meant for the girl. "It's a damn shame. Even though we've got poor folks back on Earth, at least they don't get abused like this."
"Thanks." Mazkaru took the food. After the doctor left, he turned to the girl and spoke in English. "Here, eat."
She still didn't say anything. Just rolled her eyes at him, then suddenly snatched the food from his hands and tore into it like a wild dog. Watching that, Mazkaru felt Vers deserved to fall. All it did was wage war and crush its own people. That rotten feudal system had to go. The royal family and the nobles had to take the blame.
"Slow down."
And that was how the future founding father and mother of the Martian Republic met—through a moment like this. Over their long years of struggle, Mazkaru and the slave girl developed a bond forged by revolution. A love that was pure and unshakable. Even when Mazkaru was captured multiple times by Vers's nobles, she never gave up on him. She did everything she could to break him out.
She went from an illiterate slave to a capable revolutionary. Together, they led the suffering Martian people in their fight against the noble class. In the end, they seized part of Mars and built a brand-new nation that stood shoulder to shoulder with the Vers Empire—a nation far more advanced than the one it rose against.