"Those who are not of our kind must have different intentions. Humanity has fed and nurtured the giants, and now the return is evident." Xu Shixiong had opposed the plan to imprison the giants from the start, believing they should be eradicated during their initial growth phase.
"Stop with the sarcasm! The EU has been working on a cure to restore giants to humanity. They'll turn back into humans eventually," Bai Li countered with conviction.
"Even if they do revert to being human, after Kyoto has been ravaged by giants, can you still call them human?!" Xu Shixiong paused in place, asking without turning back.
Bai Li didn't expect Xu Shixiong's sudden outburst. She argued firmly, "The giants have just temporarily lost their sanity!"
"From the moment they became giants, they severed ties with humanity! This world is fundamentally one of survival of the fittest! Saint-like compassion won't save it!!!"
Bai Li remained silent.
A voice came through the walkie-talkie: "177th Military Unit, a large group of giants is heading toward Jiangdong Pier! All ships at the port, evacuate immediately!"
Xu Shixiong and Bai Li were taken aback.
Soon, they received another update: the port had already fallen to the giants.
Emerging from a manhole, Xu Shixiong and Bai Li found the city beyond them eerily dark, with the lights of the towering skyline flickering out one by one, plunging everything into darkness.
"Power's out," Xu Shixiong observed, looking toward the tall buildings in the distance.
Perhaps the power plant had also been attacked by giants.
After fully climbing out of the sewer, the pair found themselves on the outskirts of Kyoto. Surrounding them were rows of low wooden houses, with a railway line cutting through the road. A pink tram sat quietly on the platform, as picturesque as something out of a manga.
The eerie silence of the area added a post-apocalyptic desolation.
Walking cautiously down the alley, the faint sound of folk music suddenly reached their ears—a man's low voice accompanied by rhythmic instrumentals. Xu Shixiong understood Japanese and grasped the lyrics' meaning:
The sun sets, shadows hidden at twilight.
The streetlights illuminate, shadows return.
Sitting in the corner of an empty shop,
Candlelight flickers beyond the window.
I don't want to go home, even if it's just for tonight.
Who would be leisurely singing on the roadside during such a critical time? Xu Shixiong and Bai Li exchanged puzzled glances and followed the sound.
An elderly man, impeccably dressed in a suit, sat atop a wall strumming a shamisen. He sang to the fractured moon but stopped when he noticed the two strangers standing below.
"Old man, why are you still singing here? Run for your life!" Xu Shixiong called out, concerned. It was only a matter of time before giants found this place.
The old man ignored him, finishing his song. Only then did he lazily turn to look at Xu Shixiong. These days, it seemed every random old man on the street exuded such cool nonchalance.
"I'm too old to run," the old man said, hopping off the wall and pointing to a door. "If you're not in a hurry, how about a drink inside?"
Even in the face of life and death, the old man remained so courteous.
"No…" Bai Li was about to refuse when—
"Sure." Xu Shixiong agreed without hesitation, leaving Bai Li stunned. Wasn't escaping the priority right now?
Because of the power outage, the interior of the house was lit with candles. The stifling heat forced the doors to remain open for ventilation.
"Do you mind if I take off my shirt? I've been afraid of the heat since I was a kid," Xu Shixiong muttered, his usual chatter unabated.
The old man nodded in agreement while making tea. Bai Li looked away, avoiding Xu Shixiong's antics.
As Xu Shixiong removed his shirt, two deep red marks resembling wings were revealed on his back. They looked like burns or birthmarks, extending outward in a striking pattern.
The old man's gaze sharpened as he noticed the marks, but he quickly returned to his calm demeanor.
"That's a beautiful tattoo on your back," the old man complimented.
"This?" Xu Shixiong gestured toward his back. "Not a tattoo. When the comet hit the moon, these marks appeared. Probably burns, but they don't hurt anymore."
The old man seemed lost in thought but remained silent as he poured steaming tea into cups, the leaves swirling in the boiling water.
"Drink this quickly. You have a journey ahead," he urged.
"What about you, old man?" Bai Li asked politely, accepting the tea.
"Fallen leaves return to their roots. I've lived my whole life here; I won't leave now," he sighed, watching them drink.
Moments after drinking the tea, Xu Shixiong felt a deafening hum in his head. The world spun, and his vision darkened as he collapsed.
The tea was drugged.
When Xu Shixiong came to, he found himself trapped in a coffin-sized box, surrounded by an unknown liquid. Panicking, he discovered he could still breathe through his skin, as a mechanical female voice echoed around him:
"Life support fluid stable. Concentration at 60%."
"Mecha compatibility: 90%... rising."
"Breaking threshold: 100%... 200%... 300%!"
"Begin activation sequence. Qingqiu, launch!"
Blinding light filled the box, and Xu Shixiong realized he was encased within a towering mech called Qingqiu. Standing in a massive facility, he saw the old man and a team of researchers watching him.
"Xu Shixiong, we need your help. This mech is humanity's last hope," the old man pleaded.
Before Xu Shixiong could process his situation, an alarm blared: "B1-class giant approaching! Deploy Qingqiu immediately!"