Imperial year 11543.
The emperor of the Wulf Empire had reigned for 278 years and had many children. The most outstanding among them, and the ones with the strongest backing, were his two eldest legitimate sons-the First Prince and the Second Prince.
The First Prince had a mild temperament and an excellent reputation among the people. He also had a great many supporters among the nobility and was the emperor's favorite. He was the undisputed first in line to the throne.
Messiah and Red Dragon had both been members of the First Prince's Imperial Guard Knights.
By comparison, although the Second Prince was also a man of great vision and ability who had displayed extraordinary political and military talent from childhood, his support fell far short of the First Prince's.
There were even rumors that His Majesty the Emperor intended to formally name the First Prince Crown Prince.
Just then, a star in an important star system suddenly experienced a catastrophic helium flash. As the First Prince happened to be conducting an inspection nearby, the emperor naturally dispatched him to comfort the refugees and oversee disaster relief.
To reach the affected system as quickly as possible, the First Prince traveled light, taking only his personal guards.
Their route was, of course, strictly confidential. Yet on the way to the stricken system, the First Prince's party suddenly came under attack by an unidentified armed force.
His guards fought desperately, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. In the end, the First Prince's ship was destroyed in a massive explosion during the battle. No one aboard escaped.
Only Red Dragon and Messiah managed to break out of the encirclement, thanks to their captain-class Legendary Mecha. They drifted through space for several months in their severely damaged machines. Just as they were about to lose