----Miki Arakawa Point of View

　At the Central Command Center at Hakone Base, the team searching for Lieutenant Colonel Claire Dauntless and 25 others aboard the downed XC-03 transport plane, and the team searching for Conju, who has disappeared on Russian soil, are working busily. Eighteen hours after the hotel chosen by the Russians as their meeting place was attacked by the terrorist organization New World, there is no word on the whereabouts of Ensign Anton Bortkiewicz, who was working with Conju as a bodyguard, nor is Conju himself known to be missing.
　I'm sure he was instructed by his lieutenant to somehow escape from the hotel and head for the Finnish border after he had escaped from the hotel, but there is no indication that he entered the Finnish border, let alone Noah's safe house.

''We're stuck in all directions...''

　While sitting in the command chair, I couldn't help but talk to myself. If Gongju was detained by the New World, then some kind of statement should be sent to Noah from the New World side. If it's still not there after 18 hours, that means he's succeeded in hiding... or he's already dead When I was expecting such a worst-case scenario in my mind because of the lack of progress, Shuichi-san, who had come next to me, spoke to me before I knew it.

''Miki, we found out about the weapons used by the enemy from the Russian military unit that is surrounding the Liabisi Hotel.

Tell me more. We can't send our own troops out there without knowing what they're equipped to do.

We've identified a new, unknown power suit, believed to be the sixth generation, and heavy infantry using an enhanced exoskeleton with optical camouflage, as well as an assault-type VSTOL similar to ours. In addition, they may have a directional EMP device.

Are you kidding me?

　Even I couldn't help but doubt my husband's words. The fact that it's an unknown power suit means that it uses something that was developed by the company itself, and it can't possibly be mass-produced enough to be distributed to all soldiers. Moreover, even Noah has not yet been able to put a directional EMP device into actual battle as a prototype. If all of Shuichi's reports are true, then the New World has the same level of technology and funding as Noah.

That's pretty bad. What have we learned about Dr. Sandra Zelenskaya?

'Oh, that's also the data sent by the Home Office. Don't be surprised?　This is a top secret document of the Ministry of Public Security that would normally never come out, they seem to be in a hurry to get it out. It looks like they want to curry favor with us somehow.

　When I received the document Shuichi had handed me, cursing the Russian government's poor handiwork with irony, I looked it over and finally understood the meaning of the phrase 'a genius on the same level as my mother' that Conju had mentioned in the middle of our meeting.
　Born on March 15, 2060, two years older than me, he graduated from Moscow State University at the age of 12 with a doctorate in mechanical engineering, robotics, artificial life and quantum physics. He published his original theory of reincarnation of life, "Reincarnation of the Soul" and was expelled from the society and had all his registrations struck off, but in 2088 he became the head of the top-secret "Alice Project", and from then on he worked in the background. The document that was sent along with it...

The formula attached to this document is like the proof formula for the new quantum, it's a little different from the way Gong-Ju's approach works, but it's probably just a detour and should lead to the same answer. I'm working on a design for a new power suit using artificial muscles and a new power reactor. Shuichi-san can you believe it?　This is the same basic idea as the zero-suit we're working on right now.

Are you kidding me?　That means no way.

Yes, 'a genius on par with my mother'?　That's not even a laughing matter. Dr. Tcherenskaya is definitely a real 'genius' on the same level as Gongju.

　What kind of a joke is it that two geniuses exist in the same time period who can move history? Wouldn't this world be different if her........if there were people around Dr. Zelenskaya who were at the level to understand her?　
　A genius who was treated like a madman and forced out of the academy without anyone's approval, and created a terrorist group called the New World, perhaps to take revenge for it. If one of the cogs had been different, her current form might have been the future of Kouki as it was.

'Miki-san, this is the hotline from Russian President Shumsky.

　As I was sinking into a whirlwind of thoughts, my deputy, Ellis-san, reported to me with a hard expression on her face. She must be mentally distressed because she, too, is unsure of her sister Claire's safety, but even though I told her to rest in her room, she said she would carry out her duties while trusting that her sister is safe and stayed here.

''Show on this screen, please.

　As I responded, a pale, elderly man appeared on the terminal on my desk. I don't get invited to the United Nations very often these days, so I don't get a chance to talk to him directly, but I'm pretty sure that the man on the terminal is President Shumsky himself.

It's good to see you, ma'am.

Good to see you, Mr. President.

　The past 18 hours must have been a hellfire for him. The unrelenting calls from other countries for Conway's safety, the demands for inspections in violation of the Arakawa Treaty, and the ongoing terrorist attacks in his own capital, his political career is over. When this is over, he will call for his resignation.

"It is with great distress that we regret that your son was involved in the terrorist attack while touring our country. We have the hotel under complete siege, and our priority is to control the terrorist group and ensure the safety of the hostages. We are also conducting a parallel campaign to clean out the terrorist group's strongholds in the country...

I don't need your help. All we require is a visual confirmation of Gongju's safety and the whereabouts of Commander Claire Dauntless and the rest of the transport crew. Defcon 2 has already been issued by the EU coalition, the United States Marine Corps, the Inter Pacific Fleet and the 6th Division of the United Nations standing army under the Treaty of Arakawa. You know that I have the final say on military action under the Arakawa Treaty, but unless your country shows good faith, I will have to make a difficult decision.

'.........Miss Arakawa, there is nothing more we can do. We have sent our naval forces to the spot where the plane was shot down, so I'm sure we will be able to provide you with some information in a few hours. But there's nothing we can do to help you find out where your son is. Are you sure they haven't heard anything from you?

'None. Mr. President said there was nothing to be done about it, but have you also examined all the surveillance footage in the city?

'Of course. His footsteps are completely cut off as he jumps from the hotel into the river in his power suit, where he enters an alleyway 150 meters away.'

　That's impossible. It's true that he's smart, but he's not the kind of person who can break through to the enemy like a trained soldier, much less be able to completely erase all traces of himself like a seasoned intelligence officer. I'm just a helpless 15-year-old kid without access to my personal device, my only lifeline. What do you think you're doing?

'Excuse me while I talk to you, but I've just received a call from the UN department in charge of widespread organized crime. They say it's urgent.

I'll be right out. Madam President, please keep me apprised of any further developments and I'll keep my countries informed of any further military action on my part. I don't want the rescue operation to be the trigger for a war.

"Okay. I look forward to working with you.

　Once the communication was lost, a red-haired woman in a UN employee's uniform appeared on the screen of the terminal, which went dark. The woman, who looked very nervous, hurriedly put the material in her hand on the desk to greet me, as if she was confirming that I was in the picture.

Well, it's nice to meet you. My name is Stavinger of the Wide-Range Crime and Arms Smuggling Task Force.

Hi, I'm Arakawa. I understand you have an urgent requirement?

'Yes, sir. We've been following the money trail of a Russian club, an arms dealer, Vladimir Stolyarov, for some time now, and we've been collecting information on his clients to present to the international court as evidence. We've been collecting information on his clients from there, in order to prepare a dossier for submission to the International Court of Justice as evidence. And in the middle of that process - oh, about an hour ago - I caught wind of an arms deal that was going on for an absurd amount of money. So I ran the customer's information through the credit card numbers, and it was Kouki Arakawa's personal account.

Gongju's account has been set up in an international bank. In order to transfer more than a million dollars of credit from there at once, a special machine authentication is required.

Yes. So, these are the information on Mr. Kouki's weapon purchases that my colleague hacked into Storiarov's terminal, and I can send you the information, if you need it.

"Send it to me at once!　And your name is Staubinger, is it not?　At a later date, I will send a note to the United Nations through legitimate channels to thank you for your cooperation in my name and Noah's name.

''Oh, thank you very much. Now, if you'll excuse me.

　Thank God, thank God. We don't know the details yet, but for the time being, we're alive and well. It seems that they managed to completely disappear by whatever means, but what do you mean by contacting an arms dealer?　If you want to protect yourself, you can get a lot of cash from a dealer.
　While I was thinking about this, the material sent by Mr. Staubinger was transferred to my personal terminal. It seems that the same thing was sent to Shuichi, and he was curious to check it right away, but his complexion immediately changed and he shouted loudly.

He's an idiot!　Are you trying to start a citywide battle?　Miki is in trouble, that guy of yours bought out old-fashioned equipment for use against EMPs. Moreover, it's an entire platoon's worth of equipment, and it even has an anti-tank gun with no guidance system. 　IEDs!　He's expecting a guerrilla warfare scenario with improvised explosive devices.

　Surprised by Shuichi's words, I hurriedly displayed the data on my terminal and found exactly the equipment that would allow for a little urban warfare. Thirty old-style automatic rifles and five light machine guns used by the Russians, a troop transport vehicle manufactured more than a century ago in anticipation of nuclear war, an attack helicopter using vacuum tubes instead of semiconductors, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, a backpack flamethrower using gelled gasoline, shells for howitzers, unenhanced Combat helmets that have long since fallen into disuse because of their skeletal structure. It's an antique piece of equipment that would be laughable to anyone involved in modern military affairs.

"Shuichi-san, is it possible to defeat a power suit with the equipment listed in this document?

It's impossible, but I can at least disable it. If you use a flamethrower to attack the engine's heat vent, the thermal runaway will trigger the limiter, and a modified anti-tank mine stacked with stabbing explosives will destroy the fragile joints. This isn't just Gouki's idea, unless he's experienced in boggy, irregular combat, he wouldn't think of it. I don't want to fight an opponent who would carry out such a method by mistake.

　There is only one platoon's worth of warfare strength that has experience in bogus irregular combat like siding with Gongju in Russia today - the Foreign Intelligence Agency's Foreign Special Operations Unit "Chernobog". The Chernobog Combat Team "Siyelp", which is called the strongest local warfare unit, of which even Claire was unable to find out the truth of its existence, and Ensign Anton did not provide us with any information until the end.
　If that unit, which means "sickle" in Russian, is on your side, there is nothing more reassuring than this. Okay, then Noah's policy has been decided. Probably, Kourtney is going to hold out for guerrilla warfare until our rescue team arrives, with the Sierpc, which is well-equipped, as the main force. Then I'll have to find out where she is from the site of the credit card transaction as soon as possible and....

Miki-san!　There's a transmission from Kouki-kun. It's a normal line.

Put me on a secure line right now!

Well, he says that's not necessary, so he asked me to connect you to my mother.

　What the hell are you doing?　If we use our normal lines, which would expose our location to the new world, why don't we just send it to a secure line?　While suppressing my impatience, I looked at the image that was passed through the terminal and saw a slightly tired-looking Gongju on the screen. For a brief moment, I was relieved, but then I got nervous again when I saw the person I was with. Probably all of the command staff watching this image on the main screen would have the same feeling.

''Gongju!　You're safe. And who are those armed people?　Don't tell me you're not a member of the New World.　

'Oh, sure, they're all wearing balaclavas, so they might look like an old generation terrorist group.'

It doesn't look 'maybe', it just looks like it. All of them wearing old-school camouflage uniforms and helmets with balaclavas and automatic weapons hanging from their helmets look like the early 2000s anti-government guerrillas we've seen in documentary footage. In addition, Gongju's appearance is like a hostage?　

These are Mr. Anton's former colleagues from the Chernobog Combat Team, well, some of them are also from the operative unit. Now they are helping me, and they are here in the old Moscow city center.

Hey, Kochan!　This is a direct line. You do realize there's a chance the New World could be listening in!

"I don't mind, that's rather the purpose of it. I don't mind, but that's what it's for.

　After calling out to the soldier next to her, who she assumed was a woman, Conju displayed a map on her screen and pointed to that one point, and her previous gentle and warm atmosphere changed drastically. I've seen this expression before──, as I recall, when Alice-chan was kidnapped, she was in a corner of the mega-float listening to the details of the operation. Yes, it's the expression she shows when she makes up her mind.

"I'd like to inform New World Chief Dr. Sandra Zelenskaya, who is watching this footage, that you are the one who failed to catch me at the hotel. I'd like to remind you that missing me at the hotel was a very painful mistake, wasn't it?　But I'm going to give you a chance. I'm in Old Moscow City, and I don't know if you want to catch me or kill me, but if you want to do something about me, come here.

　But I don't think it's worth my time to waste my time on stupid researchers who believe in reincarnation, or souls, or some such occultism. So, instead of waiting here, I want you to bring me the three people your men are holding in the hotel - Anton Bortkiewicz, Yakov Tarkovsky and Yuri Pamfilova. If those three are already dead, then you don't want to talk to me about this, and I'm getting out of here. If they're still alive, get them out of here near Beketo Pond in Old Town.

　The time between the moment I let you go and the moment I leave is your allotted time to get to me. You've got two hours to respond, and the way you're going to do it you're going to have to come up with your own way of getting through to me, even if you're stupid enough to do that.　That's it.'


　I'm not sure I'm going to be able to say anything else, but I'm not going to be able to say anything else. In fact, that's probably all he really wanted to do. I was stunned for a while as I stared at the darkened screen, but then I came to my senses and gave instructions to my subordinates in the command center. There's definitely something behind that boy's attitude, and for the time being, I need to mobilize all of Noah's resources to find out the exact location of the spot where he's currently at and make plans to send a rescue team.
　We also need to coordinate with the other countries that are signatories to the Arakawa Treaty, and we need to get the Russian side to cooperate with our statement. As usual, she is a reckless child, but I buried myself in my work, believing that she will get the best results this time as well.