Reiko Mochizuki Series Episode 72: 'Child of Mars'

The massive spaceship of the Noah Project landed quietly on the red planet.

Outside the window, the red earth stretched on forever.

Everyone thought the same thing.

"Human history begins here."

Utamaro exhaled deeply.

"We finally made it..."

Taichi picked up some soil.

"It doesn't look like anything could live here."

However, that was when it happened.

Tap...

Tap...

A small sound could be heard from beneath the ground.

Tsubaki strained her ears.

"Someone is there."

In that instant.

The red sand slowly cracked open.

What appeared from within was not human.

Translucent blue eyes.

Skin the color of copper, just like the Martian sand.

There were small horn-like ornaments on its head, and it was draped in white robes.

The child stared at Reiko and the others with frightened eyes.

They could not understand each other's language.

But in those eyes, there was not only fear, but also a plea for help.

Reiko lowered her weapon and slowly spread her hands.

"It's okay."

Of course, the words were not understood.

Even so, there was no hostility in that phrase.

The child took a step forward and placed its small hand over Reiko's.

In that moment.

Reiko's fox mask began to glow faintly.

An unknown language flowed into her mind.

"Welcome, travelers from Earth."

Reiko gasped.

"You... you can speak?"

The child smiled.

"We are the last of this planet's people."

"But many of our kin still sleep beneath the surface."

At that moment, the entire surface of Mars began to tremble slowly.

From the distant horizon, massive stone towers appeared, one after another.

Utamaro looked up at the sky.

"This isn't a welcome..."

Tsubaki whispered quietly.

"We are being tested."

The people of Mars and the people of Earth.

On the day these two civilizations first met.

The true trial of "coexistence" was quietly beginning to unfold.

—To be continued in Episode 73: "The Guardian Towers of Mars."