Chapter 4: The Alice Project

Kouki Arakawa’s Point of View

After I finished talking to my mom, I spent about two hours thinking about the situation. At last, I realized that all I could do was wait to see how Russia reacted to my offer.

So I decided to sit quietly and watch their video about raising the Russian desman. I wasn’t particularly interested in Russian desmans, but it was a good way to kill time.

It’s not far off midnight, I noticed. “Anton, I’m getting tired. Do you think Yuri and the lieutenant colonel will be back today?”

“Don’t know. But I think they’d have told us if they weren’t coming back...”

Anton is as clueless as I am, I thought with regret. I just want to sleep, but I don’t want to be in bed when the lieutenant colonel returns.

Unsure what to do, I made myself a makeshift lemon soda by going to the room’s minibar and helping myself to lemon juice and carbonated water for cocktails.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Anton thrust a hand into his pocket and was understandably wary as the door opened.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,” a familiar voice said.

The lieutenant colonel and Yuri entered. They looked different from before. The lieutenant colonel’s uniform was creased and Yuri was looking tired with his tie loosened.

I didn’t think my offer would cause them this much trouble. It looks like a good deal for Russia to me... An alarming thought crossed my mind. Don’t tell me that they’ve realized that all the money is in merchandising rights?

I was secretly starting to worry as I looked at the lieutenant colonel. Then he cleared his throat and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Exactly how much were you already aware of when you made your proposal, Mr. Arakawa?”

Damn. They’ve got me. A political or financial adviser must have told them that broadcasting doesn’t bring in half as much money as selling merchandise. Not even my mom figured that out. I wonder how the Russians knew. There must be someone else in this world who understands how subculture works. Now what? I can’t risk playing dumb when there’s so much at stake. I’d better be honest with them, and then we can agree to split the profits between us.

“I had a good idea right from the start,” I said. “But a lot of it was speculation. I think this is worth discussing between us.”

“Thank God. I’ll explain everything from the start. Please allow me to finish before you form any conclusions. The truth is, I don’t work for an intelligence agency; I’m actually assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Yuri Pamfilova isn’t from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; he’s the chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service.”

The Ministry of Internal Affairs? Why would the Ministry of Internal Affairs be involved? All we’re doing is deciding who gets the merchandising rights. A lieutenant colonel tasked with maintaining order within the country shouldn’t need to be here.

Anton looked as surprised as I was, so it didn’t seem as though some new department had been established within the Ministry of Internal Affairs without me knowing. I wasn’t sure what was going on.

“Let me begin by talking about the Alice Project,” the lieutenant colonel said. “That’s how it all began.”

There were several photographs of Alice in the paper document he handed to me. I turned the page and saw the words “Genetic Improvement Project” written in Russian.

This is the same document that Joseph gave me before I left for Russia. That must mean the document originated from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. It looks like the members of Chernobog are heavily involved in all of this.

I wanted to praise them for their courage. As I was looking through the document, there was a sound from my terminal informing me that someone was calling.

I apologized to the lieutenant colonel and then put in my earpiece. “Hello?”

“Kou, it’s looks as though they’re about to tell you about the Alice Project. Tell them you know everything already. That should throw them off guard. Then you can ask them about what New World and Dr. Sandra are planning.”

That makes sense. Throw the other party off guard and then get new information out of them. It seems they haven’t figured out that the related merchandise that goes with broadcasting rights is more important because it sells better... If they just want to talk about the Alice Project, this could be a good chance.

“Okay. Is there anything else?” I asked Mom.

“No, that’s all,” she replied. “But you’re not safe there. You should leave as soon as possible.”

“I understand, but this is something I have to do myself. I don’t need help.”

I didn’t mean to sound so full of myself... but whatever.

Mom began to say something else, but I ended the call before she could.

With the call from my mom over, the room was silent except for the clinking sound of the ice melting in my lemon soda on the table.

We can’t just sit here in silence. I cleared my throat and asked the lieutenant colonel to continue speaking.

“I’m sorry, please go on.”

“Are you sure? Did Arakawa— Mrs. Arakawa have anything to say?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m dealing with this; my mom isn’t involved.”

I’m not one of those kids who hides behind his mom his whole life. At the very least, I have to finish what I start. Whatever it takes, I’ll save Anton’s former superior, provide asylum to the members of Chernobog, and get some information about New World and Dr. Sandra. And while I’m at it, I’ll create a new market for Noa here in Russia.

Time to get serious. I’ll act like my mom when she’s in a conference with military-mode Clare. And then we’ll see who’s best at negotiating!

With that mental image in my head, I adjusted my sitting posture, and smiled just like Mom did sometimes... the smile that Macho Man referred to as her “witch smile.”

**

Yakov Tarkovsky’s Point of View

Arakawa’s demeanor changed before my eyes. Instead of a smiling child, he now had the air of seasoned interrogator about him.

This boy scares me... I’ve never felt fear like this. It’s as though I’m being choked by it. I felt as though I might scream if I weren’t careful.

“I see,” I said with difficulty. “In that case, I’ll continue.”

I explained the nature of the Alice Project.

“Attempts to make genetic improvements using nanomachines first started in 2051, and ended in success. We successfully induced artificial mutations in transposons — a form of moving gene — in the human genome and chromosomes. I’m sure a distinguished researcher like yourself is already aware, but the ultimate goal of the project was to produce mutations in a human. In other words, artificial evolution. However, the project was suspended for ethical reasons before becoming fruitful.”

Arakawa silently drank from his glass while I explained this to him. It was probably basic information for a researcher such as Arakawa, but the next part was more of a problem...

“In 2055, a UN resolution formally prohibited experiments of this sort. However, our country continued to conduct these experiments in secret. Our ultimate goal was to create a soldier with a strengthened body, but the project ran into difficulties and was temporarily suspended. However, the intelligence agency learned that the Canadian government was conducting the same type of research. When we learned of their efforts, we contacted them, hoping that we might collaborate.”

Arakawa interrupted me: “And then you formed an agreement where Russia would support the research financially while the Canadians would provide the research facility, the research staff, and the equipment. Right?” he asked with a smile.

I couldn’t help letting out a small cry. Again? But how?! How does he always know?!

“I heard all that from a friend of mine,” Arakawa told me. “No, not Anton. Another friend already gave me the basic information. I don’t need the details of the Alice Project. As far as I’m concerned, that’s Russia’s problem; it has nothing to do with Noa. What I want to know is why Dr. Sandra is planning terror attacks against Alice, me, and Noa.”

Basic information? Are our country’s best kept secrets no big deal to him? I thought frantically. In that case, I’m sure he knows that Sandra was my fiancée... There’s no use hiding it any longer.

“Are you familiar with the theory of soul reincarnation?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yes. It’s a groundbreaking theory. I can’t prove it, but I’m sure the theory is correct.”

“Well... it’s quite personal, but I’d like to tell you everything. Sandra disappeared two years ago. At that time, she was my fiancée.”

It had all been because of a trivial argument between us.

On that day two years ago, I’d bought a science magazine that Sandra had asked me to pick up for her on the way home...

We were having dinner with a glass of vodka at the dining table like always. We assumed we would be eating dinner the same way tomorrow, too.

Unfortunately, Miki Arakawa was featured on the cover of the magazine I had with me, and I said something I shouldn’t have: “That genius, Arakawa, is on the cover this month.”

Sandra had just barely finished the Alice Project and devoted herself to her own research. “Arakawa again? I hate that woman. She’s so full of herself. She’s always bragging about her research!”

“Don’t be like that, Sandra,” I said. “Most of her research comes from her son, Kouki. She doesn’t do it all herself.”

“Kouki? Don’t mention that monster to me! Do you know how many hours I spent on that equation?!”

“I know. That equation was meant to launch your career as a legitimate researcher. But he solved it first. It’s a waste of time complaining about it.”

“Well, I’m sorry for wasting your time! Why does this always happen to me...? I was so close to coming up with that equation, and then a little kid goes and derives the ideal solution first! It’s like he knew... It’s like... It’s like my theory when I created the sisters...”

The look on her face was unforgettable. She suddenly leapt up out of her chair and ran to her room where she began frantically working at her terminal. Then her hands suddenly stopped moving and she turned to face me.

“I knew it! My theory was right! The boy stole my research! He can’t have found it himself. His brain wasn’t developed enough for him to have been capable of math.”

“Calm down. What’s gotten into you?”

“Look at this! It’s the theory I constructed on soul reincarnation. Not only can souls move from the present to the future, they can also return to the present from the future. What if Kouki Arakawa is from the future? That would explain...”

“That’s enough! You promised you’d stop talking about this. You’re a legitimate researcher now. This baseless theory was why you—”

“It’s not baseless! I found the equation! Parallel universes exist, and if I had the technology and the funding, I’d prove it! If I could just observe that particle, I could even travel back and forth between other worlds! That’s what makes it possible for a soul to travel through time. Why does no one believe me? I’m not crazy!”

Sandra went on yelling and crying. Or maybe she was laughing.

Either way, the next day she had vanished, and I found her engagement ring on the dining table.

Perhaps she was insane like everyone said, but I would always believe the things she said were true.

“She... Dr. Sandra wasn’t insane,” I finished.

Arakawa spoke with his empty glass held in his hand. “Didn’t the information reach you? I was transported to another world during the incident at the Space Particle Research Institute.”

“You’re talking about the Arakawa particle?”

“That’s right. The world wanted to know the details of the incident, but everything was kept secret. I really did travel to another world and then back again. I even brought back physical evidence. It wasn’t just a dream.”

“That means... Sandra is...”

“Dr. Sandra is a true genius. My mother and I can’t compare. My achievements are just the results of coincidences. But Dr. Sandra solved the problem using nothing but her own intellect. In truth, she should go down in history as a great scientist.” Arakawa smiled sympathetically.

If Sandra had met this boy, what would have happened? I wondered. I’m sure she’d have gone back to her research with new enthusiasm. If only I’d believed in her with all my heart. Things might have gone differently.

I tried not to let my regrets overwhelm me as Arakawa adopted the air of an interrogator once more and began to speak.

**

Kouki Arakawa’s Point of View

“Lieutenant Colonel, you violated the pact by manufacturing and storing nuclear weapons, didn’t you?”

“...Yes.”

“And New World is secretly funded by Russia, isn’t it?”

“...Yes.”

“And they tried to have the members of Chernobog killed to prevent them from leaking information that might harm them, didn’t they?”

“...Yes.”

“And Dr. Sandra quit the research institute because her theories were considered absurd and she felt that even you, the one person who’d believed in her, had given up on her. Correct?”

“...Yes.”

“Do you still love Dr. Sandra?”

“Of course.”

“Would you be willing to cooperate with me as long as it doesn’t conflict with national interests?”

“I’ll cooperate! Just, please, no more of this. I’m begging you.”

“In that case, let’s handle this in secret.”

“What?” the lieutenant colonel asked, thrown for a loop.

It wasn’t just the lieutenant colonel; even Yuri was wide-eyed in surprise at my suggestion.

Hey, even I realized that if this discussion was made public, it would be the end for both of them, quite literally. Keeping this secret meant that I could bring them over to my side and make them work for me while appearing to do them a favor.

If Dr. Sandra’s New World posed a threat to Alice, I wanted to stop her plan completely. To do that, I’d need information.

The first thing to do was to get them to hand over Anton’s former commanding officer and the members of Chernobog, and then I’d leave them here to act as Noa’s eyes and ears in Russia, just like in the movies.

“If we’re going to handle this in private, I’ll need you to hand over Anton’s former commanding officer and the members of Chernobog,” I said. “In exchange, I’ll give you free broadcasting rights, which should be very profitable for your country, and I’ll also see to it that you’re able to contact Noa directly when you’re in need.”

“It’s an incredibly generous offer,” the lieutenant colonel said. “Are you sure about this?”

“It’s fine. I’m already thinking about ways to explain our support for your country to other nations. I think it’ll be several days before I can formalize anything on paper, but I expect you’ll need time to discuss the matter with your superiors, so that works out well, I think.”

“Very well. As a gesture of goodwill, Captain Yulia will be released this very second. I’ll make sure the same arrangements are made for the other members of Chernobog as soon as possible.”

Great. Next, I need to contact Clare and have her pick us up, and then I’ll need to have Mom prepare the necessary documents. Maybe I should talk to Macho Man about Alice and Shingo’s security arrangements while I’m at it? Oh, and I need to talk with Anton’s former commanding officer, Captain Yulia. I’m not sure there’s time for all of this. I could miss tomorrow’s anime. Maybe I should contact Kon and ask her to record it for me.

While I was still thinking over my plans, I decided to use the terminal on my arm to ask Clare to pick us up. I selected Clare Dauntless from the list of registered addresses on my personal terminal and then hit the call button.

I’ll bet she’s sitting just outside Russian airspace seething with rage... I’d better have my excuses ready.

“Hello. This is Clare.”

I heard Clare’s voice before I was even finished coming up with my excuses. She’d picked up quicker than expected. She looked like she was in a terrible mood, but she also appeared to be worried about me.

Okay. All I have to do is act scared and apologize. That should at least stop her from tranquilizing me.

“Clare, sorry for making you worry,” I said quickly. “I promise I’ll never do anything like this again.”

“Honestly... You’re just like the commander. It’s hard to stay angry when you apologize like that. I expect Miki will deal with you when you get back, so I’ll give you a break.”

That’s a relief. Clare’s anger is worse than Mom’s. Clare has this way of calmly breaking your spirit. I can’t handle that.

“But you, Anton!” she burst out. “That’s another story! Do you realize that your job is supposed to be protecting Kouki and the other children from assassination attempts? Why would you let Kouki follow you to somewhere so dangerous? Take your job more seriously! You’re not—”

“Clare, our Russian friends can hear what you’re saying,” I interrupted. “Please save this for later. I’d like you to pick us up. Can you travel to the air force base where I landed in Russia? I don’t think a fully armed Noa aircraft should land at a civilian airport.”

I looked over the lieutenant colonel, and he nodded.

I guess the Russians were worried about that, too, but didn’t want to say anything.

“Very well,” Clare responded. “I’ll enter Russian airspace immediately. I estimate that I’ll arrive in an hour and 20 minutes from now... Hm? Please wait one moment.”

On my terminal screen, I could see that Clare was listening to something from her earpiece.

Then the ordinary lighting inside the aircraft switched to dull red illumination.

What’s going on?

Anton moved closer and looked at my terminal screen with a frown.

“I’m sorry Kouki,” Clare said. “I won’t be able to reach the air force base.”

“Why not?”

“There’s not much time, so I’ll be brief. If anything is unclear, ask Anton about it later. I’m currently flying at an altitude of 13,000 meters, but I’ve been intercepted by an aircraft of unknown origin. It’s not responding to my transmissions or my IFF system. The unknown aircraft has launched air-to-air missiles. I’m taking evasive action, but I expect I’ll be shot down. Kouki, Anton, please find a way to escape Russian territory without my help. I don’t care how you do it, Anton, but protect Kouki and get him back to Noa headquarters at the Hakone base. Clare out.”

What just happened? The transport plane that Clare is flying in just got attacked? But why? Russia already agreed to everything. There’s no way they’d attack us now... That means...

“Anton! This room isn’t—”

Before I could finish my sentence, Anton grabbed me in his strong arms and shoved me securely behind his back. I knew I could always trust Anton to keep me safe, but I wondered whether the small pistol he was carrying would be enough.

Anton pointed the gun at the lieutenant colonel and we heard a click as he disengaged the weapon’s safety. “I’m sure you heard the discussion. The aircraft that was going to pick us up was attacked. I know there’s no reason for you to attack us, but I’m not taking any chances here. Is the Russian government involved?”

“Calm down, Lieutenant,” the lieutenant colonel said quickly. “The government just barely gave us orders to protect Arakawa and ensure he returns to Japan safely. This has nothing to do with us. It’s probably an attack by New World.”

I knew it... I thought. If it’s not a Russian attack, that just leaves New World. But how far have New World’s people infiltrated? Only high-ranking government officials should know that I’m here. And what’s their goal? I don’t know whether they want to kill me or get information. I suppose the most important thing is to get out of this room and find somewhere safe before—

All the lights in the room suddenly went out.

“Anton, is this a power cut?” I asked.

“Not likely. A building of this size is bound to have a backup generator. Someone shut off the lights deliberately. Stay away from the windows, Kouki. Even if the curtains are closed, snipers are still a danger. Lieutenant Colonel! What defensive capabilities does this hotel have?”

“There’s a special forces unit belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the security room on floor 30. There are also five powered suits stationed in the basement and at the front entrance. I don’t think the invaders can break in easily.”

The lieutenant colonel’s response made it sound as though we should hold out here and wait for rescue to come, but the lack of any kind of response from my personal terminal made me less sure. No matter what button I pressed, the screen remained black, and I couldn’t hear any of the faint sounds that normally came from the device while it was on standby. The only explanation was that it’d completely stopped working.

As my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, I realized that I couldn’t see the green power LED on Anton’s terminal, or the one on the lieutenant colonel’s. I concluded that those had also stopped working.

“We’re in trouble, Anton,” I said. “The firearms held by the special forces unit downstairs and the powered suits have probably stopped working.”

“What?!”

“My terminal isn’t functioning, even though Mom worked her magic on it. Your terminal and the lieutenant colonel’s terminals have also stopped. My terminal has built-in protection against ECM. It takes more than some simple jamming to disable it. That means this must be an EMP attack. The personal identification devices that soldiers have to wear to be able to use their weapons may have been destroyed, too. It’s likely that the powered suits were disabled in the same way.”

Noa had introduced equipment to protect against EMPs based on a suggestion from Macho Man, a suggestion so expensive that Mom had been almost reluctant to allow it.

If EMP protection was almost too expensive for the world’s greatest private military with state-of-the-art equipment, then it was a certainty that any Russian forces providing security in a nation that was nowhere near as advanced wouldn’t have such equipment.

That meant we’d have to escape with, nothing to rely on, other than a small automatic handgun no different from those used almost 200 years ago.

“Now what?” I asked.

“Escape by yourself, Kouki,” Anton said. “You speak Russian, so you don’t need me to accompany you. Listen, once you’re out of the hotel, get yourself to the apartment at the address written on this piece of paper. You’ll find some friends of mine who can provide you with a false passport and enough money. Then you can—”

“W-Wait a minute! I can’t do it alone! And what’ll happen to you?”

“Kouki! There’s no time. Shut up and listen. You can take a train across the Finnish border. Avoid heading east at all costs. Finland is in the opposite direction. Make sure you buy your tickets in cash; you’ll be captured immediately if you use a credit card. Once in Finland, head for this second address. It’s a Noa safe house. You can count on them. Do you understand? Take the gun with you. Now go.”

Anton put the gun in my hand.

It felt heavy and oversized. I tucked it into my belt and hid it under my jacket.

Anton placed his hand on my head. “It’ll be fine,” he said in a soothing voice. “Back on Noa Island, you trained in shooting and urban warfare. You don’t have to fight back this time. Just keep running. It should be a breeze.”

“Okay,” I said reluctantly. “But how am I going to get out of this hotel?”

Don’t tell me I’m going to be escaping through a garbage chute. We’re on the 83rd floor. I’ll die before getting anywhere.

The lieutenant colonel moved over to me and said, “There’s a large river flowing behind this hotel. It’s 15 meters deep, and an immobile powered suit should be enough to absorb the impact. Use the emergency powered suit on this floor. Equip it manually and jump into the lake. It’s an Arakawa-type, so you can purge parts by igniting the explosives. The ignition mechanism doesn’t use any semiconductors, so it should be usable even after an EMP attack. I’ll help you get into the suit.”

The lieutenant colonel guided me as we carefully opened the door and moved out into the corridor. Then the lieutenant colonel pulled a lever hidden behind one of the paintings that were decorating the walls.

The lever must have been based on an old-style mechanism that was known for being reliable. It worked, and a powered suit stored in the wall was revealed.

“This is a Russian Military Fifth-Generation Mirage,” the lieutenant colonel said. “I would activate it for you if I could, but unfortunately that’s not possible. I hope someday I’ll have the opportunity to impress you with the performance of the activated suit.” Then he laughed at his joke in spite of the situation.

With an activated Mirage powered suit, I would have been well-armored and relatively well-protected from enemy attack. If only we could have activated it.

The lieutenant colonel used a specialty tool stored beside the powered suit to forcefully open its cockpit. Yuri and Anton helped me climb inside and fastened the seat belt around me. Then I put on the helmet with the inbuilt HUD that I wouldn’t be able to use. I gave a thumbs-up to indicate that I was ready, and then the cockpit was slowly closed from the outside.

“Mr. Arakawa, after a ten second countdown, you will be launched out of the hotel,” the lieutenant colonel warned me. “You’ll probably land in the water on your back. Brace yourself for the impact! It pains me to say so, but I don’t know the extent to which my country is cooperating with New World. Please consider every public institution to be an enemy in hiding. I know that the lieutenant has said this already, but please find some way to escape. Be safe.”

“Understood! Lieutenant Colonel, Yuri, Anton, please surrender without doing anything stupid.”

“Initiating countdown! 10... 9... 8... 7...”

“Are you listening to me?! Promise you’ll surrender!”

“3... 2... 1... launching!”

There was no response to my question, just the sound of the explosion that launched the suit. In an instant, I felt like I was floating, and then I felt the powered suit violently accelerate toward the ground, back first.

Honestly, I was scared and close to crying, but my biggest concerns were for Anton, Clare, and everyone else.

I’ll rescue all of you, no matter what. Stay safe until then...

I safely crashed into the river. I felt the intense shock of the collision, and then the powered suit sank into the water.

Miki Arakawa’s Point of View

The central headquarters of the Hakone base was alive with activity. Clare Dauntless was commanding a team searching for the twenty-five people who’d been aboard the downed XC-03 transport plane, as well as the team searching for Kouki in Russia, and the teams were hard at work.

It had been 18 hours since the attack on the hotel by the terrorist organization New World, and we were still unable to determine the whereabouts of Kouki and his bodyguard, Lieutenant Anton Bortkiewicz.

I expected the lieutenant to have somehow helped Kouki escape the hotel alone, telling him to head for the Finnish border. But Kouki certainly hadn’t reached the Finnish Noa safehouse, nor was there any sign of him in Finland.

“We’re out of options...” I muttered to myself as I sat in the commander’s chair.

If Kouki had been captured by New World, they would have made some sort of statement to Noa. We’ve heard nothing for 18 hours, so Kouki must have found a place to hide... or he’s already dead. With there being no new information, I was beginning to fear the worst.

Shuuichi was sitting beside me. “Miki, based on reports from the Russian force surrounding the Rivage Hotel, we’ve been able to determine what weapons the enemy are using.”

“Tell me everything we know,” I said immediately. “If we’re going to dispatch one of our own units, we need to know what sort of equipment the enemy has.”

“They’re using a new type of powered suit that appears to be a sixth-generation model, but it’s a model we’ve never seen before. Their infantry has optical camouflage and reinforced exoskeletons. They also have V/STOL assault aircraft very similar to ours. And they’re likely to be carrying directional EMP weapons.”

“That can’t be right!” I exclaimed.

I didn’t mean to suggest that I doubted my husband’s word, but if they had an unknown model of powered suit, that meant they’d developed it themselves. It also meant that they’d produced enough of them to be able to provide a suit like that to their soldiers.

Noa had made prototypes of directional EMP weapons, but we weren’t ready to use them in actual combat. If everything Shuuichi was saying was true, New World was on the same level as Noa in terms of technology and funding.

My adjutant, Elise, interrupted my thoughts. “Miki, President Shumsky is on the hotline,” she said without changing her expression.

The wellbeing of Elise’s younger sister Clare was in doubt, and that had to be taking some emotional toll on her. I’d suggested a while ago that she take a break, but Elise had declined and remained here to continue carrying out her duties, confident that we’d find her sister safe and well.

“Please display him on my screen,” I said.

The tired-looking face of an aging gentleman appeared on the terminal on my desk. I hadn’t been summoned by the United Nations for a while, so I’d had no other opportunities to speak with him directly, but I had no doubt the man I was looking at was President Shumsky himself.

“Long time no see, ma’am,” he said.

“A long time indeed, Mr. President.”

The last 18 hours had to have been pure hell for the president. He’d been the recipient of an endless stream of requests to ensure Kouki’s safety and to open an inquiry to investigate possible transgressions against the Arakawa Pact. Meanwhile, the terrorist attacks in his capital city were still ongoing.

Whatever happens, his political career is finished. I’m sure he’ll announce his resignation as soon as this is all over.

“Knowing that your son was caught up in a terrorist attack during his sightseeing here in Russia causes me great shame,” he said. “We have the hotel completely surrounded and we’re doing all we can to suppress this terrorist group and ensure the safety of their hostages. At the same time, we’ve started an operation to eradicate this terrorist group by targeting their very core. Rest assured—”

“The time for talk has passed,” I interrupted. “We want to see results. I want assurance that Kouki is safe, and the crew serving under Clare Dauntless must be located. The EU, the US Marine Corps, the Russian Pacific Fleet, and the UN Standing Army’s 6th Division have already been ordered to DEFCON 2 on the basis of the Arakawa Pact. I’m sure you’re aware that I have the authority to make any final decisions relating to military actions performed on the basis of the Arakawa Pact. If your nation fails to demonstrate its commitment, I may be forced to make a difficult decision.”

“Ma’am... Mrs. Arakawa, I assure you, we’re doing everything in our power. Our navy is headed to the area where your aircraft was shot down and they’ll be able to give us more information within the next few hours. However, there’s no possible way for us to determine the whereabouts of your son. You’re quite sure he’s made no attempt to contact you?”

“He has not. You said there’s no possible way, but I wonder whether you’ve checked all surveillance camera footage in the city?”

“Of course,” he assured me. “We determined that he escaped from the hotel by dropping into a river while in a powered suit. From there he walked to an alleyway 150 meters away where we lost track of him.”

Impossible. I know Kouki is smart, but he isn’t a soldier trained to break through enemy lines. Nor is he a spy who knows how to disappear or erase his tracks. The one thing keeping him safe was his personal terminal, and without it, he’s nothing more than a powerless 15-year-old boy. So what happened to him?

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation,” Elise broke in, “but the chief of the UN’s Transnational Organized Crime Organization wishes to speak with you. She says it’s urgent.”

“I’ll answer right away,” I said. “Mr. President, please contact me if there are any developments. For now, I’m instructing other nations not to engage in any military action. Personally, I fear that an extraction operation could lead to a major war, and that’s something I’d like to avoid.”

“Indeed. I’ll ensure we continue to do everything we can.”

The screen went dark for a moment as I ended the call, and then there appeared a red-haired woman in a United Nations uniform.

The woman on the screen placed some documents on the table in front of her and greeted me nervously. “P-Pleased to meet you. My name is Stabinger. I’m part of the Illegal Arms Trade Prevention Team of the Transnational Organized Crime Division.”

“Miki Arakawa. I’m told there’s urgent news?”

“Y-Yes. Recently, we’ve been tracking money to an arms dealer, Vladimir Stolyarov, in Russia. We gather information about his customers as evidence to present to the international court. Something happened an hour ago while we were doing this tracking. We noticed a trade made for an incredible sum of money. We searched through customer data for the credit card number and found that it belonged to the bank account of Kouki Arakawa.”

“Kouki’s account is with the international bank,” I said. “For him to transfer anything above a million dollars at once would require physical authentication. If he were kidnapped or being threatened, the authentication would show it, because his pulse and blood pressure would be abnormal. So at the very least, this means he was able to transfer money by his own free will an hour ago.”

“Exactly,” she confirmed. “S-So we hacked Stolyarov’s terminal and learned what weapons Kouki purchased. Should we send the data to you?”

“Please send it immediately! Did you say your name was Stabinger? It’ll take a day or two, but I’ll send the UN a formal letter from myself and Noa expressing my gratitude for the cooperation we’ve received.”

“Oh. Th-Thank you.”

With that, we ended the call.

This is good news... It’s the best possible news. I still don’t know what’s going on, but at least I know he’s safe. I don’t know how he did it, but he must have found some way to hide himself. I just wish I knew why he was buying from an arms dealer. If he just needs a weapon to keep himself safe, he could have just paid a dealer in cash to get whatever he needed.

As I puzzled over it, a document from Stabinger arrived on my terminal. Shuuichi appeared to have received the same document. He opened the file immediately and began reading through it with great interest, but his curiosity soon turned to alarm.

“That idiot!” Shuuichi yelled. “Is he going to fight them on the streets?! Miki, this is bad. Kouki has bought some old-fashioned counter-EMP gear. And he’s bought enough anti-tank guns without guidance systems for a whole platoon. What’s this...? He bought howitzer charges but no howitzer? Those must be for IEDs! He must be planning guerrilla warfare using improvised explosives!”

I brought up the document on my own terminal screen.

It was a list that included enough equipment to support urban combat for a short time: 30 old-fashioned automatic rifles and five light machine guns that had once been used by the Russian army, a personnel carrier designed over 100 years ago for use in a nuclear war, an attack helicopter that used vacuum tubes in place of semiconductor chips, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, a backpack flamethrower that used gel-state gasoline, howitzer shells, combat helmets that fell out of use a long time ago because of reinforced exoskeletons...

Anyone currently involved in modern military exercises would probably laugh and call it a list of antiques.

“Shuuichi, would it be possible to destroy a powered suit using the equipment in this list?” I asked with trepidation.

“No, but some of those weapons are enough to stop a powered suit from moving. A flamethrower aimed into an exhaust could activate a powered suit’s limiter by causing it to overheat. Or if an anti-tank land mine were covered with projectiles, it could destroy some of the weaker joint parts. Kouki wouldn’t have come up with these ideas on his own. Only someone with experience of drawn out unconventional warfare would think of something like this. I’d hate to have to fight against someone putting those methods into practice.”

A platoon with experience in drawn-out unconventional warfare who’d be willing to side with Kouki in Russia right now... I can only think of one answer: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Intelligence Bureau External Special Forces Unit — Chernobog.

Within Chernobog, there was a unit whose existence even Clare hadn’t been able to verify. Even Lieutenant Anton hadn’t provided us with the information. The Chernobog unit known for being the most powerful when it came to localized warfare was Serp. The word meant “scythe” in Russian, and nothing could be more reassuring than knowing that they were on our side.

It’s obvious now what Noa needs to do. Chances are that Kouki is giving those weapons to Serp, and Serp will use guerrilla warfare to hold out until reinforcements arrive. We need to find out where he made that trade as soon as possible.

“Miki!” Elise called. “We’re receiving a transmission from Kouki. It’s on an unencrypted channel.”

“Transfer him to an encrypted channel immediately!”

“H-He said that wasn’t necessary. He just wants to talk to you.”

What’s wrong with him?! Using an unencrypted channel will give away his location to New World. Why hasn’t he encrypted his communications? I fought to control my anxiety as I looked at the image that appeared on the terminal screen.

Kouki appeared, looking a little tired.

For a moment I felt relieved, but I began to worry again when I saw the people standing around him.

The personnel around me were looking at the image on the main screen, and they probably felt exactly the same way.

“Kouki! I’m glad you’re safe,” I said quickly. “Who are those armed people you’re with? Please tell me they aren’t New World.”

“They’re not. But I can see how you’d think so. The balaclavas they’re wearing almost make them look like an old-fashioned terrorist group.”

Almost? They look exactly like terrorists!

They were all wearing old-fashioned camouflage gear, helmets, and balaclavas with automatic rifles worn around their shoulders. They looked just like anti-government guerrillas I’d seen in photographs from the early 2000s.

Does that mean Kouki is their hostage?

“These people used to fight alongside Anton as part of Chernobog’s combat unit,” Kouki said. “Well, some of them are part of the espionage unit. They’re cooperating with me, and we’ve set up camp here in Old Moscow.”

“Kou! Stop! You’re transmitting over a standard, unencrypted channel. Don’t you realize that New World could be listening to our entire conversation?!”

“I don’t mind. In fact, that’s exactly what I want. Go ahead, Captain Yulia.”

The soldier standing beside him, who was apparently female, brought up a map on a screen and pointed to a specific location on the map with her finger.

Kouki suddenly looked a lot less friendly.

I’ve seen him make that face before... It’s exactly how he looked when we were making plans on the megafloat after Alice’s abduction. It’s the face Kouki makes when he’s set his mind to something.

“To Dr. Sandra Zelenskaya, the leader of New World. I’m sure you’re listening. I imagine you must have felt quite frustrated when I escaped from the hotel? Well, I thought I’d give you another chance. I’m right here in Old Moscow. I don’t know whether you’re planning to capture me or kill me, but whatever you’re planning, you know where to find me.

“I don’t want to waste too much time on a researcher stupid enough to believe in occult notions such as reincarnation and the soul. That’s why I’m going to wait here and let you come to me. In exchange, I’d like you to bring Anton Bortkiewicz, Yakov Tarkovsky, and Yuri Pamfilova with you. If they’re already dead, there’s nothing to discuss. I’ll change location immediately. However, if they are still living, release them near Bechet Lake in the old city.

“The time from their release until I manage to move to a new location is the time I’m giving you to capture me. Reply within the next two hours. I’ll leave it to you to decide how exactly you get your message to me. I know you’re not the smartest woman around, but I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

Having finished his arrogant speech, Kouki abruptly cut off the transmission as if there were nothing more to say. Clearly, he had contacted us simply as a means of making a statement to New World.

For a short while, I sat staring dumbfounded at the blank screen, but then I came to my senses and began to give out orders.

Kouki’s arrogant attitude was obviously part of some sort of plan. What we needed to do now was use the full might of Noa to learn every last detail of the area where Kouki was located so we’d be ready to send in reinforcements. I also needed to coordinate the signatories of the Arakawa Pact, and I needed to ask the Russians for their cooperation, too.

Once again, my son had gotten himself into trouble, but I had faith that he’d find some way to bring about the best possible outcome like he always did. Meanwhile, I had work to do.

**

Kouki Arakawa’s Point of View — 18 Hours Earlier

Despite not being made by Noa, and despite not even being turned on, the military-use powered suit was more than enough to absorb the impact of my landing.

After the impact, I couldn’t hear anything going on around me. I knew I’d successfully been launched into the river from the 83rd floor, but that was it.

The problem is what to do now. Is the gun I was given safe in my belt? After leaving the suit, I’ll need to shake the water out of it, but it’s Russian-made, so it should still shoot. I’ll be in trouble if it won’t shoot. Then I’ll need to remember everything Macho Man taught me about how to flee an enemy within a city.

“Let me think... I can’t carelessly fire a weapon in crowded civilian areas,” I murmured. “Just drawing a weapon will cause a panic, and that panic will attract the attention of my pursuers. I also need to make sure I don’t act suspicious. My pursuers will be looking out for people acting strangely.”

This is fine. I know I can escape. And if I don’t call for an extraction team from somewhere safe, Anton and I could both die. All right, here goes.

Having mentally prepared myself, I used the suit’s emergency purge system, causing a hatch to be vigorously blown off the suit. The suit immediately began to fill with water.

Even though it was August, the water was still cold. I had no choice but to endure it as I held my breath and waited for the force of water flowing in to subside so I could exit the suit.

Looking up, I could see the lights of Moscow shining on the surface of the water.

According to the lieutenant colonel, the water was 15 meters deep, so I didn’t think I’d have trouble holding my breath long enough to reach the surface. I kicked my legs and struggled toward the surface, but my clothes were wet and heavy.

At length, I broke through the surface. Barely able to keep my head above water, I swam as far as a waterway that connected to the river and grabbed onto a ladder that went up to the shore.

“I thought I was going to die,” I said, gasping for air. “No way am I ever doing that again.”

The water that had entered my nose was still stinging as I climbed the ladder up to a footpath where I found a woman in her 50s watching me with suspicion.

I smiled awkwardly and tried to explain myself.

“I got drunk and fell into the river,” I told her in Russian, taking care not to speak with an accent. “The water’s so cold at night.”

She was still watching me in surprise. “I heard a loud noise that sounded like something falling into the river and came out to take a look.” She spoke to me like a mother scolding a child. “You know that falling into the river while drunk could kill you? And you’re just a boy. You should be at home in bed.”

I apologized to her, then waved goodbye and walked away. Ahead of me stood the city of Moscow under the night sky.

When I last checked the time, it was just after 1 AM. I guess it’s around 2 AM now? It should be easy to move through Moscow while it’s dark and there’s no one around. I’ll get to the address Anton gave me, pick up some money and clean clothes, and then I’ll board a taxi from an area where there are a lot of people around. The next step will be to get to a train station and buy a ticket in cash...

I went over everything in my head as I stood waiting for a crosswalk signal to change to green. While I waited, I noticed a man stop beside me, using his personal terminal. When the signal turned green, we both began to walk across the road.

“Keep looking straight ahead,” the man murmured, as if talking to himself. “Turn left when you’re across the road. From there, keep going straight for 20 meters and then turn right. Go straight and then into the third alleyway on the right.”

He then quickened his pace and reached the other side ahead of me before turning right and hurrying off.

Was he a friend? I wondered. If he was with New World, I suppose he would have grabbed me.

There was no way to know whether this was one of Anton’s former colleagues. I remembered that Macho Man had once said something about the value of having the locals on your side. I didn’t have any other options, so I decided to take the risk and do as he’d said.

I turned left, walked for 20 meters, and then turned right. His directions were taking me to a part of town that I’d go so far as to call a slum. The whole area felt full of danger.

“Maybe this was a bad idea...” I muttered.

I tried not to let my anxiety show as I continued to walk forward up until the third alleyway on the right.

In the alleyway stood several provocatively dressed women. One of them was smoking a cigarette and leaning against a door. She noticed me and opened the door she was leaning on, then made a gesture with her head to invite me to enter.

As if pulled in by her gesture, I walked into the building without saying a word, and the woman entered after me.

“The boss is waiting in the room at the end of the hall,” she said. “What’d you do? Is someone out to get you?”

“I’ve upset the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization.”

“Was that meant to sound cool? Sounds dumb to me.”

She smoked the cigarette down to the filter and stubbed it out against the wall as we walked down the corridor.

Once we reached the end of the corridor, the door opened as if in response to our voices. A man as bald as Anton stepped out and handed a wad of cash to the woman.

“Good work, Svetlana,” he told her. “You can call it a day. Forget what you saw here. You’ll be safer that way.”

As Svetlana left us, he turned to me and grinned. “You’re looking a little wet. We’ll prepare clean clothes for you right away. I’m sure you’d prefer to change before speaking with the boss. This way, please, sir.”

They’re clearly on my side. I doubt this guy talks to everyone so politely. His smile looks so awkward.

I had to stop myself from laughing as I thanked him and accepted his offer.

**

Captain Yulia’s Point of View

“Captain, Arakawa has arrived. He’s currently changing his clothes in another room.”

So he’s here? It’s only been 26 minutes since he escaped the hotel. That’s not too shabby.

I looked up at the man. “What state is he in? Injured and full of adrenaline, I bet.”

“Not at all. He seems quite composed. In fact, he was relaxed enough to laugh at my appearance. I think he must have already guessed what sort of group we are.”

So the rumors were true. He’s 15 at most... or perhaps 16 if he had a birthday recently. A boy that young just barely escapes from terrorists, and then he’s calm again after just half an hour? It’s no wonder they call him a monster.

We were ready to take him with us to Japan immediately. We would request asylum once we arrived. If we handed Arakawa over, there’d be no objection from the Japanese government, and Miki wouldn’t use her political influence against us.

“Is the plane ready to fly us out of here?” I asked.

“It’s waiting in a secret airport at the city outskirts. It’s ready to take off the moment we arrive. There are also aircraft ready to escort us as far as Japanese air territory... but...”

“But what?”

“Are you sure you want us to bomb Moscow’s radar station before we take off? Those are our allies operating that radar system. I don’t—”

“We’re not betraying our country; our country betrayed us. They tried to have us killed over false charges! Consider it payback.”

I knew that we’d be killing some of our own soldiers. But there was no other way to escape from New World now that they’d found their way into the highest ranks of the Russian government.

Besides, it was undeniable that our country had been ready to kill us to ensure Russia’s survival. They had no right to complain if we sacrificed the nation for the sake of our own survival.

As I sat there thinking to myself and chewing on the end of the cigarette in my mouth, there was a knock at the door and Arakawa entered the room.

“You wanted to speak with me?”

Arakawa stood there dressed in a black suit that had been prepared for him at the last minute. There was a leather holster hanging from his waist that one of my men must have given him. Judging from the way the grip looked, he had one of the small pistols that we used while working undercover. It seemed he’d already made contact with one of our members before arriving.

“Well done making it this far,” I said. “Do you know who we are?”

“You’re Anton’s former colleagues... Chernobog. Which would make you Captain Yulia.”

He knows I’m a woman despite the way I look?

My hair was long, but my body could hardly be described as “human.” Yet he didn’t look surprised at all.

The side effects of the Reinforced Soldier Project had left me with just 18% of my original body remaining. The rest of my body was machine parts made from iron and oil.

“I don’t scare you?” I asked.

“Not really. Well, I was a little surprised.”

“All right, then, I’ll tell you our itinerary. A car’s coming to pick us up in 15 minutes. The car will take us to an airport on the outskirts of the city where we’ll board a plane. After flying to Hokkaido, we’ll force a landing at Wakkanai Port. Obviously, the Japanese self-defense forces are going to be on high alert, but we’ll be able to negotiate asylum for ourselves by handing you over to them. To put it bluntly, you’re our hostage. Don’t hold it against us.”

“How many of you are seeking asylum?” he asked.

“Fourteen.”

Arakawa tilted his head as if puzzled by my answer.

Whatever he’s thinking about, it doesn’t matter. We need to get moving. Before I could tell him that there’d be no further questions and no changes to the plan, he opened his mouth to speak.

“That’s weird. That’s not the number I heard. I met one of your people in the hotel. He was disguised as a waiter and he told me that eighteen members were seeking asylum. Now it’s just fourteen? Did you suffer causalities?”

So he really did make contact with another Chernobog squad at the hotel. That explains how he got the gun. Looks as though our other squad is isolated and couldn’t contact us.

We could have visited our usual rendezvous points to pick my subordinates who were still in the city, but I knew if we didn’t keep our heads down, there was a chance we’d be arrested once again. We had a rule: those with the greatest chance of escaping take priority. As much as I hated to leave anyone behind, it was the best option in this situation.

Once we’re safe, maybe we can come back for the others.

“He was with another squad,” I explained. “Sadly, I don’t have time to round up every last member of Chernobog in hiding.”

“Well, that’s awkward,” he said. “I promised I’d save everyone I could, Anton and the lieutenant colonel included. I didn’t even want to leave Anton behind in the hotel.”

“This is just how it is. I have a duty to save what subordinates I can and get them to Japan. If you want to save Anton and the others, wait until you’re back in Japan with the force of Noa behind you.”

“You may be right. But I can’t help but notice that your body is built more for combat than espionage...”

“Yes, we’re a secret combat unit known as Serp. On paper, this is an espionage unit, but in reality, we specialize in combat. But you’ve asked enough questions already. If you won’t cooperate, we can just restrain you. You’d better come quietly.”

I was growing tired of this, so I moved toward Arakawa intending to grab him by the arm, but he drew the weapon at his waist with alarming speed. He immediately chambered a round and put his finger on the trigger ready to fire.

Besides a few people with unusual occupations, people from Japan shouldn’t have the opportunity to use firearms. Noa must have given him self-defense training. Regardless, I doubt an amateur could hit anything with that little pistol. At this distance, I can get near him before he has a chance to aim. Children who don’t know how to behave need to be punished.

Before I could find the right timing, Arakawa went into motion. I started to rush toward him, but then I screeched to a halt.

I didn’t know what he was thinking, but Arakawa stood there smiling with the gun pointed at his own head.

“Don’t be stupid!” I couldn’t help but cry out. “You got that gun from one of my people. It’s not carrying blanks!”

“I figured this would stop you. If you try to restrain me, my finger might put a little too much force on the trigger, and then I’ll end up blowing my brains out.”

Has he lost his mind? No, he looks calm. I can’t take any chances here.

“Captain, just give me ten minutes to explain myself,” he said. “If you don’t like what I have to say, that’s fine. I’ll go with you and board that plane.”

“All right. Just lower the gun. If someone makes a loud noise, you might jump and blow your brains out.”

“Okay. But don’t come charging at me when I lower it. I’m a lot more frail than you’d guess. If you knock me down with that body of yours, I’ll look like tomato ketchup. I can’t imagine my mom giving you asylum after that.”

This dirty brat. He knows we can’t make a deal without him.

I kept my anger inside and checked the time on my watch. It was 2:40 AM.

Fine. He can have his ten minutes. As long we’re out of here by 3 AM, I can figure something out.

“Ten minutes and no more,” I snapped. “Speak.”

“Okay. First off, I promise you I’ll tell my mom to give you all asylum with Noa no matter what. Even if I die, I want her to take you in. And I always keep my promises. Whatever happens, I won’t betray you or Chernobog; you have my word. I’ll stand by you until the end. Bear that in mind while you hear me out.”

That’s what everyone says right before they betray us. Our fellow soldiers, our own country, even the civilians we were fighting to protect...

“I want to use myself as bait to lure out New World, and then we can wipe them out. I’ll need your full cooperation to make this work.”

He’ll use himself as bait? I don’t understand what he’s saying. And what’s with this kid’s eyes? They look so pure. It’s like they’re drawing me in.

Those eyes were unlike any I’d ever seen.

**

Kouki Arakawa’s Point of View

“I want to use myself as bait to lure out New World, and then we can wipe them out,” I explained. “I’ll need your full cooperation to make this work.”

The captain looked at me with distrust, but I had no intention of stopping now.

“The first step is to secure the weapons, ammunition and other supplies we’ll need to put up a fight,” I went on. “I’ll need your help with this. The existence of Serp is top secret, right? That means you can’t purchase weapons through the usual routes. Do you know how to buy from an arms dealer on the black market?”

“...I might. If we had the money, we could get hold of whatever we need. Though I obviously can’t get hold of military-use powered suits so easily because of international regulations.”

I knew it. In my past life, I saw movies and novels that showed well-known arms dealers with ties to government institutions. Looks like that was accurate. Now that weapons aren’t a problem, the next thing is...

“The second step will be to take our weapons somewhere where we can put up a fight. Then we’ll provoke New World. I doubt I can provoke their leader, Dr. Sandra, but her followers and her financial backers are another story. I doubt her financial backers are motivated by faith. They’ll want to get some sort of return. We can exploit that weakness.”

They’ll probably — no, definitely — come at me in rage and try to kill me. Sandra’s fanatics see her as some kind of god, and her backers will pressure her to show some results after her successive failures. New World won’t be able to ignore us.

A lawful organization like Noa could be able to show some self-control, but it wouldn’t be so easy for New World. The only thing holding them together was Sandra’s charisma.

They’re going to regret trying to hurt Alice, Anton, and everyone else important to me!

“If they won’t come out and face me I’ll force them into it,” I added.

“You want to force their hand? Where would you make your stand?”

“I’m expecting large-scale urban warfare, so I was thinking of Old Moscow.”

Roughly 40 years ago, Russia’s capital had been moved 20 kilometers east from Old Moscow to a new city. The government had lacked the funds necessary to maintain the old city, so it had simply been left standing, supposedly as a historical site. No one would mind if it was damaged in battle.

What’s more, entry to the old city was forbidden to stop the site being used by criminals. That meant a battle there wouldn’t cause any civilian casualties. Any sane person that might still be there would run away the moment a large armed force showed up in the area.

“I see,” she pondered. “The underground railways and sewer tunnels could be used as makeshift war tunnels. You’ve really thought this through.”

I haven’t thought this through at all, Captain. I just want to avoid any civilian casualties. The details of how we fight are totally up to you. Still, if she thinks otherwise, that misunderstanding might make her more willing to consider my ideas, so I’m not going to disagree. Judging by what she just said, the captain and her soldiers specialize in guerilla warfare, unlike Macho Man. This battle will suit them perfectly.

“The third step is to request support from the Russian government,” I said. “There are two reasons for this. First, unless something changes, President Shumsky will be forced to resign when all of this is over. That’ll invalidate the pacts he formed with Noa, and that’ll cause problems in the future. The other reason is that this is best for you and your people, Captain.”

“For us?”

“If you all leave quietly and seek asylum now, people in Russia will think you betrayed your own country. Regardless of whether that’s true. I’m sure there are people in high places who know that Serp did nothing wrong, but a lot of people won’t realize that. Instead, you could leave as patriotic heroes who saved Russia from a terrorist organization. Until now, you’ve always been fighting behind the scenes, but if you’re going to leave the country, why not do it in style? Give the people who betrayed you a reason to regret it.”

“Heroes...?” she asked slowly. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

All right! We’ve almost hit the ten-minute mark, but I’ve got her interested. She just needs a little more encouragement, and then I’ll be able to escape together with Anton and all of Serp.

I can do this. I just need to remember those speeches I gave in G-88 as a Noa representative.

**

Captain Yulia’s Point of View

Arakawa was done talking.

True, if everything went according to plan, his influence and his mother’s authority would make it possible for us and for our country to be the heroes. But I still had my doubts.

“Arakawa, why would you do any of this? What do you get out of it?”

“To tell you the truth, it’s for my own self-satisfaction,” he shrugged. “When someone asks me for help, it feels good to help them out. That’s enough for me.”

“And you think I’ll trust someone with such vague motives?”

“Would you feel better if we made a contract? I promise you’ll all be given asylum in Japan and with a future where you can live how you please. In exchange, I’m asking you to serve as mercenaries until we’ve wiped out New World.”

A future? That’s something that’s always been just out of reach. He’s offering us the thing we want more than anything else, and at a fair price.

I glanced over at Joseph who sat in the corner of the room. His arms were folded and he was deep in thought. I wanted to hear the opinions of everyone else, so I called in my subordinates who were waiting in the next room.

“Everyone! Get in here!” I ordered.

The door to the neighboring room opened and my subordinates entered the room.

Seeing them enter, Arakawa looked surprised for the first time. I felt a little better seeing him make a face that better suited to someone his age.

“You all heard the conversation,” I told my subordinates curtly. “What do you say?”

“It’s worth a shot,” said one of them. “Even if we seek asylum in Japan, we could still be assassinated. I think the only hope we have left is to put our faith in Arakawa.”

“I agree,” another put in. “I don’t know whether we can trust him, but I think he’s the only hope we have left.”

So be it. We’ll take a chance on Arakawa. I don’t trust him... but if he’s willing to enter into a contract, I’ll give him the same respect I’d give any client.

“Joseph! We’re moving to Old Moscow! Achim, take two others with you and go round up everyone still here in the city. Engage the enemy if you have to, but keep the fighting to a minimum. Everyone else, make a list of equipment. Get moving!”

In the corner of my eye, I saw everyone rush off to carry out my orders as I turned to face Arakawa. He noticed me looking at him and smiled.

“I know an arms dealer named Vladimir Stolyarov who can give us the equipment,” I said. “Can you get us funds?”

“I have money, if dollars will do. But I’ll need a device that can authorize the payment.”

“We can arrange that. We don’t have any funds of our own, so you’ll have to pay for everything. Leave all the dirty work to us. We’re used to fighting. Just be ready for whatever might happen. Think you can handle it?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I doubt this brat has ever seen a battle, I thought skeptically. But if he can prove that he’s better than the pigs that make up the higher ranks by not running away when the fighting starts, then I’ll believe in him.

If he doesn’t run, maybe I’ll even offer to work for him. Don’t let me down, kid.