Little Shirou on Mars / The Will Awakened on Mars

On April 16, 2013, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the border region between Iran and Pakistan, killing at least 41 Pakistanis.

On August 3, 2014, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Ludian, Yunnan Province, China, resulting in 617 deaths and 1,800 injuries.

On April 25, 2015, a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck central Nepal, killing at least 8,000 people and injuring thousands more.

In 2016... the machine 'Chaldeas' in the Chaldea organization, which safeguards the continuation of Human Order, observed the disappearance of the lights of civilization.

At that moment, in a house, a woman in her early forties was lighting incense and chanting incantations to a pure white statue of a deity.

"Grandma, you don't believe in science!" Xiaoming, a primary school student, frowned and said when he saw this.

The woman, in her early forties, finished lighting the incense, turned around, tapped Xiaoming on the head, and scolded him:

"What do you know! Science can't get us to Mars and let us survive! You've gone crazy from reading too much, don't be a believer in science!"

"... That's not how it's taught in the textbook..." Xiao Ming said, holding his head in frustration.

In fact, people were completely unaware of the impending disaster that day, and no one had made any preparations to escape to Mars.

A mysterious force transported approximately 50,000 humans to Mars, creating a place where they could breathe and have water, and providing them with food, seeds, and necessary supplies to survive.

The relocated humans happened to be professionals in their respective fields. With everyone gathered together and each using their skills, they quickly rebuilt the city they lived in.

Now Mars has factories, research centers, schools, a planetarium, and even produces beverages and desserts; everything is gradually getting better.

Although conditions are tough now, as long as we work hard for a few more decades and the population grows, things will get better.

However, Mars technology is far from sufficient to explore what happened on Earth.

Even the most learned people could only speculate that some kind of mutation occurred on Earth back then, causing it to be bleached by some kind of toxin, and that humans were eliminated there like bacteria.

No one knows what has become of the Earth, now shrouded in white, or what has happened beneath the atmosphere, orbiting the planet.

Meanwhile, a dormant force hidden beneath the Mars surface slowly awakens, changing the land, changing certain people, and even changing all of humanity. The future of all living beings is completely altered on that day.

The next morning, Xiaoming arrived at his school, Yinghuo Elementary School, pouting. As soon as he put down his schoolbag, he complained to his deskmate, "My grandma says textbooks are lies, and we shouldn't blindly believe in science. What do you think, Shirou?"

Chapter 968 Shirou from Mars

"If you don't believe in science, then what do you want to believe in?"

The boy who was being spoken to turned around. He had naturally silver-white hair, which was very rare on Earth, and surprisingly, it didn't look out of place with his baby face.

"Yeah, so what should I believe in? Noah's Ark?" Wang Xiaoming tilted his head, confused.

There is no absolute religion on Mars, but there is a large charitable organization called the Mars Noah Cult, which claims that they saw a pure white god with long white hair and wearing a white robe, who brought them to this planet before Earth was cleansed.

They said the immigrants on Mars were all good people chosen by God to continue living, and they called them the 'Noahs,' and named the city 'Noah City.'

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Influenced by such cultural beliefs, people love the color white. All researchers and UN officials strive to have white hair before they turn forty, but often they go bald before their hair turns white.

The school uniforms are white. Africans might adorn themselves with gold and silver on top of the white, while Chinese might add festive red accents. Of course, now, all people, regardless of skin color, belong to one race: the Noahs. Children born with white skin are considered divinely blessed prodigies, bearing a vital mission to one day bring salvation and happiness to humanity.

Shirou is such a young boy with white hair. His hair was like this when he was born. On Mars, everything is white and precious, so he has always enjoyed the treatment of a reincarnated child. His teachers respect him, and his parents keep him by their side and worship him, thinking that if they look at him more often, they might win the lottery.

So, subconsciously, children of his age also developed a great deal of trust in him.

Of course, this preferential treatment only refers to a slightly better living environment and alternating experiences. On this resource-scarce planet, no one has the opportunity to enjoy much more than others, because there are only a few things available.

The universe is so vast, but being confined to a tiny place like Mars is actually far too small for an individual to move around in.

Of course, the range of movement a person can make is actually quite limited. If you're just staying at home, even a space of ten square meters is enough.

This is especially true for Shirou. His life consists of nothing more than eating, sleeping, and going to school. There are no comics or internet cafes here, and although there are computers, they are all used for work.

Everything went back to twenty years ago, and every day was spent in this way, repeating the same routine over and over again.

Yes, just like mass-produced robots, if it weren't for the fact that each one is different, with people changing clothes and talking about seemingly different but actually the same topics, Shirou might think that this is actually a sandbox world created by aliens.

Different paths lead to the same place; different teachers teach the same content; different people pursue the same things; in the same internet cafe, a bunch of screens display the same games. A group of different people chat about the same things every day.

Everyone thinks they are the most important and unique, pursuing their own interests. But this is probably just an alien concept; everyone has their own thoughts, does their own things, and moves towards the same future.

Everyone is predetermined, including their selfishness and kindness, their present and future.

That's just the way it is; even with effort, a good result isn't guaranteed. It's all predetermined: some are born to live well, some succeed through effort, some succeed after multiple failures, some can't persevere to the end, and some try until they're exhausted but still can't achieve their dreams.

The outcome is probably predetermined, but fate won't tell you the result beforehand... How cruel! If that's really the case, then the world might as well be destroyed, Shirou would think.

In fact, this planet does harbor a great crisis.

When the Earth faced a crisis, the three major institutions of the British Mage's Association —the Wandering Sea, the Atlas Institute, and the Clock Tower —were too old and preoccupied with competing for interests. Besides their research on magic, some were also embroiled in power struggles and intrigues.

It's not that no one noticed the problem; perhaps some people possess the Magic Eye of the future, with the ability to sense and warn of disasters. But even if they did notice the problem as individuals, it doesn't mean they can find a solution.

On December 22, 2016... the crisis of the Incineration of Humanity was averted, Chaldea, the organization that ensures the continuation of human life, defeated the Demon God King Goetia, the mastermind behind it all, and saved Human Order.

Chaldea contacted the Mage's Association in London again. The Mage's Association vaguely sensed some of the anomalies that had occurred earlier, but did not heed Chaldea's report. Although they received the records transmitted by Chaldea, no one was willing to believe that an ordinary little girl could be the only Master had accepted the Grand Order of 'Protecting Human Order', and the hero who had saved the entire world.

Ultimately, the Mage's Association only awarded its sole Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru, the fifth rank of Magecraft, "Cause," as a reward.

They sent someone to take over Chaldea, because the nominal head of household of the Animsfia family, the nominal administrator of Chaldea, had been killed, leaving Chaldea without a master. After negotiations, the Mage's Association chose to abandon its continued operation and then break up and sell Chaldea. Influenced by his secretary Koyanskaya, Gordolf Musik used his entire fortune to buy Chaldea and became the new director of Chaldea.

On December 26, 2017, the newly appointed Director of Chaldea arrived at the Chaldea Bureau and imprisoned all Chaldea personnel. During this time, an interrogation meeting was held, and all members of Chaldea were questioned one by one. All the Servant previously summoned by Chaldea, except for Da Vinci, were sent back.

On December 31, 2017, Chaldea was invaded and the entire facility fell. The remaining 13 Chaldea members, plus Fou, escaped the facility aboard the Shadow Border, infiltrated the Imaginary Number Space, and prepared to launch a counterattack against the Lostbelt invasion.

No one could do anything but watch helplessly as the entire surface of the Earth turned white...

Earth was like this back then, so Mars is like this now.

The prematurely gray-haired Shirou gazed at the other side of Earth, as if he were an alien god who had descended to Earth and was staring at Mars.

Chapter 969 The Will Awakens on Mars

Humans are surprisingly resilient. Their bodies may seem to have degenerated, but they never give up when it comes to survival. As long as there is hope of living, they will fight with all their might to survive.

Whether it's overthrowing the Lostbelt, cutting down the Fantasy Tree, or migrating to another planet.

The battle on Earth is not yet over, so the alien gods, though aware of the humans on Mars, have not yet taken action.

Therefore, humans on Mars have plenty of time to develop. Perhaps they might even have similar settlements on other planets?

The Mars are still searching for suitable land to develop agriculture, in order to provide enough food for their newborn population.

Mars is only half the diameter of Earth. Although it appears to be nothing but dust and sand, it has no shortage of undeveloped land. Our ancestors faced similar challenges: tigers in the mountains, crocodiles in the rivers, and wild boars that would occasionally appear out of nowhere and destroy their crops. But in the end, humanity overcame all of these obstacles.

Previously desolate and forgotten lands, deserts and Gobi, have been planted with green vegetation and produce abundant food and fruit every year. On Mars, countless treasures lie buried in remote corners of the desolate lands.

Compared to the distant crisis on Earth, the crisis on Mars itself is what worries Shirou more. After all, he is not the White God, but merely an avatar left behind, and his power is quite limited.

Because of human activity, the consciousness of Mars has begun to revive. At the core of Mars, an invisible and colorless, yet powerfully awe-inspiring, crystalline energy has appeared. This is the will of the planet itself, similar to Gaia on Earth.

Originally, there was no life on Mars, so as a celestial body, it didn't need to awaken any will. It simply slept, orbiting the sun, sometimes moving away from Earth, sometimes gliding past it. It was such a quiet celestial body. But when humans came here, things changed.

Especially when a new generation is born on Mars, develops a sense of belonging to the Mars, and lacks basic knowledge about Earth due to its vast distance, Mars becomes a haven for the will of this segment of humanity.

Shirou, who was originally in a clone state, tried to communicate with Mars, but Mars ignored him, an alien being.

Therefore, he had to reincarnate himself as a life form on Mars to gain the opportunity to communicate, but the result was not good.

As the will of the planet, Mars is responsible for humanity, but also for other life forms.

Once a planet develops sufficient intelligence, it will realize the monotony of humanity and that the lack of natural predators is unsustainable. Therefore, the planet will need to create more life forms to complete a sufficient food chain.

So, in the shadows, all life forms except humans began to grow wildly, starting with bacteria derived from human decomposition, mixing with the original elements on Mars. When the Mars will realized that a being that could challenge humanity's position had been born, that was the beginning of the competition for the strongest life form on the planet.

Deep underground, a crimson-gold river flowed, releasing an awe-inspiring energy. Its powerful currents surged and churned like boiling magma, seemingly capable of annihilation. Yet, it also emitted a dazzling and sacred light, neither scorching nor indifferent, neither oppressive nor unpleasant, but rather a radiance that inspired longing. This was the radiance of motherhood—not scorching, not startling, not chilling, but warm and all-encompassing. The 'earth' contained so much energy that its true nature was unfathomable.

Its state was like a liquid, yet untouchable. The crimson-gold light was like magma, yet not scorching. There were frozen, crystalline objects around, yet not cold. The radiance contained immense energy, yet it did not cause palpitations; on the contrary, the closer one got, the calmer one felt. It was an incredible feeling, like being in close contact with nature itself.

Having obtained the power of the 'Earth', the 'new species' became extraordinary beings, just as their name suggests. They could summon clouds, wind, and rain, and make the sky flash with lightning and thunder. Some of them transformed into fish, some into giant pythons, and some into dragons to swim in the deep sea. Some of them grew wings or directly became elements, flying freely in the air and tumbling in volcanoes.

Some beings can breathe fire and possess the power to swallow mountains and rivers. Some beings become incredibly strong. Some beings develop their brains and can communicate with other creatures and natural plants. Some beings are like mythical Divine Beast such as the ability to see Clairvoyance and hear the wind. Some beings have gained a sixth sense and the ability to read minds.

Insects and mice that humans could once easily crush with a single step may soon undergo some kind of mutation, becoming incredibly powerful. The most fearsome creature on Mars might not be some alien that suddenly appears, but rather an ape or a cockroach, who will do everything in their power to replace humans.

These things remain unknown, but one thing is certain: before and after the apocalypse, the world has become completely different. Not only the earth, but even the human body has changed completely without anyone knowing.

The impending, fierce competition among species is also activating factors within the human body. Although the brain has not yet received the message, the genes within the body have already begun to act.

Shirou quietly observed everything unfolding. What was bound to happen would happen eventually, and since he couldn't change the fact that it was coming, he would accept it. At least he could control his own time as he pleased.

Noah City, a city that has only been established for a few decades, already has the beginnings of those international metropolises from Earth's past. As long as you live in this city protected by the gods, there are no typhoons, no earthquakes, no tsunamis, and you are far away from any disasters. Everything is so beautiful.

Although danger was imminent, everyday life remained peaceful, with blue skies, white clouds, and clear skies, surrounded by green mountains and Aoyama. The shade under the trees was cool, and birds sang merrily in the treetops. Elementary school students, including Shirou, listened to the lesson in the classroom and recited poems with their teacher.

"When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the heavens..."

Although the moon can be seen on Mars, the alternation of the sun and moon on Earth is no longer felt. Instead, two irregularly shaped moons on Mars, named Phobos and Deimos, also known as Phoebus and Deimos, rise in the east and set in the west, while the other rises in the west and sets in the east. In Greek gods, they are the sons of the god of God of War, one representing fear and the other terror.

As their name suggests, they will soon witness a survival war filled with fear and panic.

Chapter 970 Servant Orphanage

Humans have been on Mars for some time now, but due to limitations, they have not yet truly completed the exploration of the entire Mars. Apart from Noah City, people have only built a few Small Town in various regions with a few hundred permanent residents as resting places for travelers. Even the larger areas are far from being large enough to constitute a city.

The outside environment is extremely harsh, constantly covered by sandstorms, with very low oxygen levels, and many places are also contaminated with radiation or various harmful toxins. Once you leave Noah City, the outside world is a dead zone.

Even the reptiles on Earth, who were brought to Mars by the gods along with humans, know that they would rather starve to death in dark underground tunnels than venture outside the city.

Without wearing various devices and an air converter, humans cannot survive outside for even ten minutes, let alone live outside.

The Noah City, where one can remove the glass dome and breathe freely, is nothing short of a miracle. No wonder the Noahist missionary movement is so deeply ingrained in people's minds; the fact that humans could survive here is simply unscientific, and there is no other reasonable explanation other than divine protection.

Crack! Crack!

It was the sound of heavy steel clashing. Hearing the sound, the children excitedly ran to the balcony, gazing at the road outside the school.

The indigo-blue, sealed truck has a transparent glass front containing an oxygen and carbon dioxide converter. People can drive this vehicle out of town to explore and gather resources. Because gravity on Mars is lighter than on Earth, simpler materials can be used to carry more cargo. And it is precisely because of this...

Following behind was a large convoy of construction vehicles, including cranes and excavators, and further back were medical vehicles and logistics trucks. This was an exploration team that had set off from Noah City to explore the outside world.

They bear the mission of exploring Mars, and every mission results in the sacrifice of some. Mars is full of unknown dangers, and if an accident occurs, it could even lead to total annihilation. So these people are actually heroes who seek greater survival for humanity.

Although resources are scarce, owning a car is a rare privilege, so everyone was very excited to see such a convoy.

The streets are bustling with traffic, a scene of prosperity and progress. But what busy people in society, attending school and going to work, don't know is that beneath the earth, something even more vibrant and radiant shines even brighter.

"This time it's the 101 Expedition Team, and my dad was a member of the 96 Expedition Team. When I grow up, I want to be like my dad and drive around exploring!" a primary school student said excitedly on the balcony.

"Me too! I'll find an oil field, become a tycoon, and then develop all sorts of delicious food on Earth!" a chubby boy said with a smile.

Shirou remained silent, though he seemed deeply worried. He had a premonition that the expedition was about to encounter great misfortune, and that this event would be a major turning point for Mars humanity.

Sure enough, several days later at night...

Shirou hurriedly pushed open the door to his residence and entered the living room where his family was playing. The room was filled with children.

The place where he lived was called the Servant Orphanage. Shirou foresaw all of this when he was still an incarnation of a god, so he began to make his plans.

Besides him, the other individuals he summoned from the Throne of Heroes were also reincarnated into the Mars colony. Although they were children, if they could awaken their abilities as Servant, they would be the hope for the survival of the people on Mars.

Although doing so seems to go against the will of the white god who initially denied the existence of Servant, after all, a truly peaceful world does not need heroes.

However, Shirou no longer cared about these things, because when a crisis occurs, a hero is needed.

In the end, the white god voluntarily gave up his mission, which must have been a sign of his acceptance of the situation. For him, all he wanted was to find a future where all of humanity could be happy. Whether the Throne of Heroes existed or not was actually not important.

"We're finally here. Do you really want us to come over?" The blond, red-eyed boy looked at Shirou upon hearing this, not with nervousness, but rather with a teasing tone, and said with a smile.

"There's no other way, we have to save them," Shirou said.

The blond, red-eyed boy casually put his hands behind his neck and said, "Yeah, yeah! I can't not do it, and right now, I feel like I can do it. But, you know, relying on an elementary school student to save the world... the adults in this world are really strange."

"The anomaly has begun." Shirou simply looked into the distance.

Hidden in the wilderness several kilometers away from the expedition team, a new mutated species suddenly received some kind of energy and began to evolve.

A blue, translucent slime; a muscular, cockroach-like man; an ape that hurled a rock several times its own size at the sky, smashing its chest against the air; and a goblin that had broken off a tree branch and sharpened it into a spearhead with a stone shard...

Dozens, even hundreds, of species have undergone changes to varying degrees.

They are about to face competition! Within a radius of a hundred miles centered on this land, blood will flow like a river as they kill any threatening opponents and then devour their corpses as sustenance for their survival.

Survival of the fittest!

Of course, the people living in Noah City were also affected. Some became exceptionally intelligent, and some became incredibly strong. With the blessing of the 'Earth', everything became possible.

At this very moment, the 'earth' energy beneath the Dawn Community is changing. What used to be a natural undulation is now, as if it's being attracted by something, rising and sinking in a certain direction. The 'earth' is repeatedly undulating, as if it's gathering energy that's about to explode.

The vast golden expanse deep underground began to pulsate violently, splashing out streaks of crimson sparks. It flew upwards at an extremely fast speed, passing through all kinds of rocks and soil without hindrance, and in an instant it came from the earth's core to the surface. Through the bottom of the school building, it gradually reached out to the elementary school students in the orphanage.

Just as the roots of a sapling absorb nutrients, the earth's energy rises gradually through the soles of the children's feet as they step on the ground, flowing throughout their bodies with their blood.

Chapter 971 Awakening Elementary School Students