Seed Island is not a magnetic link, nor is it the kind of BT seed that countless people reach for. Seed Island is simply an island where seeds are sown in spring, nothing strange about it.
It was, however, the first landing point of the Martians when they invaded Earth 15 years ago. Back then, only a few knew that the Martians had terrifying mechs powered by Aldnoah engines. Eventually, Seed Island became a part of Heaven's Fall, and after a meteorite strike created a huge crater, civilians were evacuated. Since then, only the military had been stationed there.
Seed Island isn't far, but you need a boat to get there. The plan was to first go to the nearby Okinawa base, find a boat, and then head to Seed Island.
Liu A'dou's previous actions had earned him respect, so his suggestion was accepted by the major, and they immediately set off. 30 mechs were split into 10 smaller teams, dispersing and cautiously heading toward Okinawa base.
Along the way, there were no signs of life, likely because everyone had been evacuated. The place was a wreck, with mechs lying destroyed everywhere. It was clear that the Martian Knights had attacked here. The Knights were the thugs of the nobility, and they too had the ability to wield Martian technology.
"See if there are any usable weapons around." The mechs of the United Government used standardized weapons.
Liu A'dou had a rifle, but only 5 bullets. He needed to find more ammo. Luck was on his side, though, as he found two clips of small-caliber rounds.
It would have to do. Other soldiers also managed to find some usable equipment. With their second-hand gear, they cautiously moved through the streets, worried about being attacked by enemies that could pop up from anywhere. They thought that the Martians had sent a large force to cause this level of destruction, but they didn't realize the enemy might just be a Martian Knight.
Martian Knight mechs, due to their Aldnoah engines, often had strange capabilities. They could either consume liquids and solids, manipulate entropy (which meant freezing everything by absorbing molecular heat energy), or even predict the future. Essentially, they did all sorts of things that were anything but scientific.
"We're almost at the Okinawa base."
Finally, they arrived, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The base had weapons, ammunition, and fuel—they needed supplies to be able to fight.
It was indeed abandoned, but at least they hadn't taken everything. The weapons were still there.
"Quick, get the supplies. We shouldn't stay here long," the major said, sending a group to find the boat.
Liu A'dou, however, seemed to have found some paint from somewhere. He started repainting his mech, changing it from the dull gray to bright red. He hated the current paint job. Since the mech wasn't originally his, he hadn't cared, but now that he needed to be in Japan, he wanted something that looked better. Adding a horn on top, he thought, 'Now I can pretend to be a red, horned, three-times-speed mech.'
"Don't you think red is too flashy?" The major laughed helplessly. Liu A'dou was still in the mood to repaint his mech at a time like this. His attitude was remarkably calm, and the major didn't want to stop him. After all, no one knew when they'd die, so it was better to do what you enjoyed before it all ended.
"This is called Chiyou Three. It will definitely be the Martians' nightmare," Liu A'dou grinned. He was already getting used to fighting, and he had made up his mind to end the battle by pushing the Martians back to Mars for a peaceful Earth.
The major didn't understand what "Chiyou Three" meant, but he did think Liu A'dou was hard to communicate with. Still, A'dou was undeniably impressive.
They found a boat, but it was a small one—nowhere near large enough to carry 30 mechs. They'd have to walk to another dock and see if there were any larger ships at the civilian docks.
Liu A'dou's red-painted mech immediately caught everyone's attention, shining brightly like a lightbulb in the dark.
After half a day's travel, they finally saw a luxury yacht docked at the pier. It was barely large enough to fit the 30 mechs, but someone would have to drive it. In this war, without GPS or modern navigation, driving the ship would be difficult, and it wasn't something just anyone could handle.
Fortunately, the cruise ship didn't stop at the dock for no reason. The owner of the ship had disembarked to find his family, and as dusk fell, a convoy returned to the dock. Among them was the old captain of the ship, an experienced sailor.
The major spoke with the captain for a long time before he reluctantly agreed to let the ship stop at Seed Island.
"Everyone, be careful. When boarding, make sure not to tilt the ship," the major said. The dock didn't have a crane, so it was up to the soldiers to carefully board the ship. Any slip-up could result in the heavy mechs causing unimaginable damage.
Liu A'dou stayed behind to cover in case there was a fight.
The captain watched the support troops from China and sighed. He didn't think they would be of much help. From the scratches on the mechs, he could tell they had been attacked. This remaining group was definitely trying to flee. If the local military couldn't handle the Martians, these people had no chance.
"Hurry up, the Martians could come back at any moment," the captain said nervously, not wanting to face the Martians again.
Luckily, the Martian combat units depended on supplies from Yanglu City, which limited their ability to conduct long-range or extended attacks. Otherwise, the captain and his crew might not have survived, so being at sea was relatively safer.
Additionally, the Martian nobility fought amongst themselves and avoided interfering with each other's territories. Hiding in the gaps between the noble factions was considered safe. If the Martians did win Earth, the nobles would eventually fight over the planet, but as long as the emperor could keep control, things would be fine. If not, it would turn into another era of warlords fighting for dominance.
The captain was anxious, but the soldiers had to stay calm since they didn't want to risk capsizing the ship.
But, as always, the things they feared most happened. The captain's worst nightmare came true. A Martian transport ship appeared in the sky, and a silver-white mech was aboard.
"It's a Martian mech, we have to run!" The captain shouted, his voice filled with panic. His fear was contagious, and soon, the other civilians were also crying out in terror.
But then, Liu A'dou's red mech stepped forward. "You all go first. I'll cover the rear. Hurry."
The enemy had already landed in the sky. "Orbital Knight Brad reporting in. Alray, draw your sword." Alray was the name of the mech, and "draw your sword" was because it wielded two light-speed swords.
Whoosh~ The brilliant blue military blades flashed like fireworks, emitting a deadly glow. Those swords could easily slice the KG7 in half.
The Martian mech was clearly not here for peace, but Liu A'dou stepped up to fight.
"I admire your courage," Brad said, noticing the red color of the opposing mech. He smirked inwardly. The pilot must be an elite to dare face his challenge. So, he took a few steps forward, urging his silver-white Alray to move.
Liu A'dou's red KG7 also stepped forward.
The distance between them was now less than 40 meters, or roughly the length of 3 mechs.
"This is interesting," Brad thought. The pilot was either strong or an idiot. But since he was from Earth, he must be the latter—an ignorant fool who was nothing to worry about.
However, the real fool was the Martian. These people had been born on Mars after the 1970s. They didn't know much about Earth's animals or have much understanding of physics. They were intoxicated by the power of Aldnoah technology and had become arrogant, looking down on Earthlings who couldn't use Martian technology, believing all of them to be fools.
Brad couldn't wait to enjoy the entertainment this "red Earth clown" would provide. He thought he had control over his fate. Unfortunately, fate played a cruel joke on him because the pilot in the red mech was a time traveler.