The Martian Knight's mech had sharp angles, exuding an overwhelming aura of power that seemed to dominate the sky and earth.
Meanwhile, the KG7, repainted in bright red by Liu A'dou, radiated a unique energy. Though it looked the same on the outside, inside it had been modified by Liu A'dou into a beast of war.
"Draw your sword!" With Brad's low shout, the deep blue particle blades appeared, their high temperature capable of melting steel.
Liu A'dou thought to himself, 'The opponent seems to have only two particle blades. He's standing so confidently in front of his enemy— is that knightly spirit or just a clueless fool?'
Boom!
Liu A'dou fired.
"Weak!" Brad swung his glowing sword, evaporating the bullet and protecting himself.
The cruise ship behind Liu A'dou had already set off, but if he didn't take down the knight in front of him, it was likely that the people following him wouldn't make it either. He continued firing.
"Useless, useless..." The red clown—was that all the fighting strength it had? It was disappointing. "If that's all you've got, then you can die."
With a burst of power, Alray closed in quickly. The glowing blade was about to slice the red "You Three" mech in half.
"Die!"
At that moment, Liu A'dou released his weapon, and the red mech transformed into a wild ape, sidestepping Alray's attack, then drawing both hands up into the air, creating a circle. He grabbed the incoming hand, spun it, and pushed, sending the Martian Knight's mech flying forward, with both feet lifted off the ground.
"Nice use of force," the major said, impressed. If he wasn't mistaken, Liu A'dou had just used Tai Chi techniques.
Red "You Three" then slowly performed a series of movements, almost like a real person. Finally, he finished with a pose resembling a horse stance, saying, "Foolish Martian, let me show you our national treasure."
Brad was stunned. He didn't expect the unarmed enemy to throw him like that. The red mech moved much faster than an average mech, but he couldn't lose. He stood up and said, "Red clown, I underestimated you, but you still have to die. Foolish Earthling, you've made me angry."
"..." Liu A'dou thought, 'Go ahead, try me.'
"Draw your sword!" One blade turned into two.
"Two-sword style?" Liu A'dou narrowed his eyes, steadying his breath and preparing to strike first.
"Ah, sacrifice the blade! Ah—"
The cruise ship was getting farther away, but they could still see the intense battle on the shore. Red "You Three" was incredibly agile, his martial arts skills exceptional, as he fought fiercely with the Martian Knight.
"How is this possible?" The Japanese captain muttered, shocked. The Martian Knights, who had nearly wiped out the local forces, now seemed not so powerful.
It wasn't that the Martian Knights were weak, it was that Liu A'dou was too monstrous. He had made the mech move as though it were a living being. The mechanical limbs were as flexible as a real person's, and no one could figure out how he had modified it.
Of course, Liu A'dou was familiar with bionic robots, so in order to allow the pilot to control the mech with precision, he had fine-tuned the joints and skeleton of the KG7.
Brad realized it—no matter how his mech moved, Liu A'dou was always a step ahead. He had been completely read by his opponent. A master. Brad, despite not wanting to admit it, had to acknowledge that his opponent was a true martial arts master.
Since Mars started colonizing in 1975, and with the establishment of the Vers Empire in 1985, communication between Mars and Earth had become rare. The Martians were increasingly disconnected from Earth's civilization. Not only had they become ignorant, but they had also forgotten many of Earth's wonders. Though the Martian relics enhanced their military power, their mental and cultural worlds had regressed by over a century.
Brad thrusts both hands forward, but quickly realizes that his opponent is no longer in front of him. Liu A'dou crouched and closed the distance, entering the enemy's range, and unleashed a powerful "Push Mountain Palm."
Boom—
Alray's abdomen took the brunt of the blow. The "Push Mountain Palm" is a variation of the inch punch, immensely powerful, focusing all of the body's strength into one strike. It can either push the enemy away or deal significant damage.
"How is this possible?" Brad looked in disbelief at the deep handprint that had appeared on the abdomen of his beloved mech. How could this happen? Cold sweat soaked his back. How could Earthlings possess such terrifying strength?
"Earth has countless techniques passed down for over a thousand years, you Martian fool. You are no match for me," Liu A'dou said as he stood upright in his mech, extending a hand and provocatively beckoning Alray to attack.
Ah, being underestimated by an Earthling cockroach! Brad felt a fiery rage build within him, and his head burned with fury. He had to kill this guy. He had no choice. "Draw your sword! Draw your sword!"
Whoosh! The Aldnoah engine roared as Alray's two particle swords extended by three inches, looking even more menacing. It charged forward, determined to destroy the red "You Three" and uphold the Martian Knight's honor. "Earth cockroach, you're asking for death."
Liu A'dou smiled. "Come at me," he said. "You Three" kicked off with powerful leg thrusts, faster than a rocket's propulsion, cracking the concrete of the dock as he rushed forward.
Impossible? The people on the cruise ship were dumbfounded. This was the first time they had seen an Earthling so bravely charge toward a Martian Knight's mech. His unhesitating actions reminded them of ancient warriors—undaunted in the face of thousands.
"Ah!" Brad's expression twisted. He had to kill the one who dared challenge a Martian Knight. "Draw your sword and strike!"
No one saw the smile on Liu A'dou's face as the two frenzied blue blades came at him. He remained calm, unperturbed. He stomped his feet, shattering the ground beneath him and leaped into the air.
"Impossible?" Brad never expected his opponent to make such a move. He quickly shifted the sword from the front to thrust upwards, only to see the red mech's face appear on his screen.
Liu A'dou had flipped the mech in mid-air and now faced Alray head-on. With both hands in front of his chest, Liu A'dou and Brad locked eyes. Then, Liu A'dou made his move.
Another palm strike, a force so powerful it felt like a god's blow, descended from above.
Boom!
The strike sent the Martian mech's head crashing into its shoulder, crushing the cockpit. Brad's back was pierced by the shards that fell from above, ripping through his organs and exiting his abdomen. Blood flowed freely.
The particle blades vanished. Aldnoah technology needed a user to act as a trigger. The highest level was the royal family, who could activate all Martian technology and shut it down at will. Below them were the counts, who could control Yanglu City. Then there were the various noble families and knights, all capable of controlling Martian technology. The rest, the commoners, had to perform well enough to be noticed by the nobles before they could access Aldnoah technology. Otherwise, they would remain farmers or workers for life.
Once the user dies, even great technology like that of Yanglu City will immediately shut down. This is why Mars could establish a feudal system. If the nobles are not protected, the common people have no way of activating Martian technology. They are nothing more than slaves to the nobility.
With the knight dead, Alray ceased its movements, and the light blades disappeared instantly. Liu A'dou emerged victorious, having won the battle without even using a weapon—just his bare hands.
"Long live!" the people on the cruise ship cheered.
However, after his first encounter with Aldnoah technology, Liu A'dou still felt the gap between Earth and Mars. No wonder such a mech could wipe out several KG7 teams. Earth lacked the ability to destroy Martian technology. Conventional weapons were useless. If it weren't for Liu A'dou's modifications to the mech and his proficiency in martial arts, victory would have been hard to achieve. Against this kind of enemy, the only way to win was to keep attacking, overwhelming them until they made a mistake.
In the original work, they relied on explosions to scatter the particle flow, but that was purely a gamble. If the luck was bad, they could easily be pierced by a sword. Without the protagonist's halo, it was definitely not something to be learned.