----Kouki Arakawa's Point of View

　I checked the time on the terminal the Captain gave me and it read 21:00. I'm in the semi-basemented administration building, so I don't know what's going on outside, but it's probably already dark outside. It was about an hour ago that I made a statement to the New World, so there should be some kind of action in another hour...

'I'm sleepy.'

　I rubbed my eyes while talking to myself. When I thought about it, I remembered that I hadn't slept in about two days because of my animation job and what Mr. Anton asked me to do. Maybe burly soldiers like Macho and the Captain are used to it from training, but it's hard enough for a poor civilian like me.
　As I was thinking about lying down for a bit, the captain entered the room with such force that I was worried the door would twist.

''What's the matter?''

We just received word from the New World.　Get a satellite netcast on any device, anywhere. They've hijacked the entire Russian broadcast network!

Seriously..........you geniuses do some pretty spectacular things. It's a terrorist organization, so why don't you try to be a little more relaxed?　I can't believe they did something like my mother to hijack the broadcast line....
　When I operated my terminal while thinking about this in my completely drowsy head, I found that the image of the man whose face was hidden, though it was indeed a little rough, was being broadcast on all channels. It's not as if Dr. Sandra doesn't appear in the images that are presumably recorded, but is there a purpose for this or did she just happen to not appear this time?

'I repeat. We, the New World, will release Anton Bortkiewicz, Yakov Tarkovsky, and Yuri Pamfilova to the Russian forces surrounding the hotel in 30 minutes. At the same time as we liberate them, we and our comrades remaining in the hotel will begin to move towards the old Moscow city. We are acting in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and if this action is interfered with, we will immediately launch an indiscriminate attack. I repeat...

　I see, they're going to release Anton and his men on the spot and attack them as soon as they get to the old city. And if it's being broadcast in all of Russia, the Russian government can't attack the people on the move. I'm betting that when I'm standing in the balance, my own people, and I'm not the only non-combatant civilian in the room, I'm the only one who cares.

"Captain, in the hotel...

We've already got one of our informants staked out near the hotel. He'll contact us as soon as he's released.

My...

Our deployment is already complete. "We're already in place. We're using the subway and sewer systems as you expected. They'll serve as trenches, and we should be able to hold out for the five hours or so of defensive combat we've got planned.

　Can I at least hear the end of the conversation?　I know I'm probably expecting the Captain to be worried about me, but checking is important. All right, I'll get some weapons and at least try to protect myself.
　If the temporary headquarters using the administration building we are occupying falls, we will lose, but in that case, we'll need to at least blow our heads off. With that in mind, I was about to leave the room to get my weapon when the Captain spoke to me in a very cold voice.

"Where do you think you're going?

I thought I'd get my own weapon. It's only good for a shotgun, but it's better than a man who can't carry a weapon, right?　Plus, we'll need it if it happens.

"Hello?

I hate to assume, but that's what happens when this place falls. I'm not going to get caught after you all die in battle, so I'll take care of it myself.

　The Captain is silent at my words. Could it be that this man thought I was going to escape?　Or perhaps all of the Sieropers think so. So it makes sense if he didn't give them the details of the operation or the deployment.
　You've got to be kidding me!　Sure, my country may have betrayed me, but I'm on your side!　Can't you see that we're not going to get through this without all of us working together? Okay, I'll complain. It's true that the captain looks a bit scary, but I feel like if I don't say this, I'll be in trouble later on...




---- Yoshif Point of View----.

Where do you think you're going?

　The conversations between the Captain and Arakawa came through the radios in our ears. For those of us who don't believe in Arakawa, the Captain has arranged for all conversations to be heard over internal unit communications. Hopefully this will help us to understand how he really feels.

'I thought I'd go get my own weapon. I can only use a shotgun, but it's better than a man who can't carry a weapon, right?　And you'll need it if you need it.

"Hello?

"I hate to break it to you, but this is what happens when this place falls. I'm not going to get caught after you all die in battle, so I'll take care of it myself.

　Are you going to take care of this yourself or are you going to take your own life?　Even the Captain seems surprised that he's gone silent. Is Arakawa seriously planning to share our fate?　Why?　How could you do that to us when you just met us?　I don't get it.

'Captain, come on!　I understand that the people of the Swierop can't trust me. But I'm not going to run away, so at least share some information with me!　Once again, if we don't all work together, we will be wiped out.'

You're the one who needs to be lulled into a false sense of security!　You're the one who came out of nowhere, and I'm supposed to trust you!　And there's no guarantee that you'll actually get asylum if you make it through this, no guarantee that things will go according to plan!　What do you expect me to trust in that situation!'

　The captain is shouting back at Arakawa's words, "I can understand Arakawa's point, but his reasons for action are beyond our understanding. I can certainly understand Arakawa's point, but his reasons for action are beyond our understanding. The captain said the same thing at the briefing he gave two hours ago.
　As I was thinking about this, I heard a sound as if something was being kicked away, and instead of the warmth in his voice, Arakawa's voice, which is clearly laced with anger, came through the radio.

'Guaranteed, guaranteed, shut up!　Enough, you promised not to lie to me. Then let's be honest, I've fought in interspecies extinction wars before in Noah, so this isn't my first battle!　That's why I'm not going to be scared to run away. The only reason I'm here to help you is because Mr. Anton asked me to, and I'm just trying to be nice to him!　But the thing is, I really do want to help you guys. So please please I can't explain it well because I'm an idiot like my mom, but please believe me I want to help you. This whole thing will really be for nothing if we don't do it.'

　Arakawa's voice became tearful and inaudible at the end. Come to think of it, when was the last time I was worried and cried?　I think my mother was crying when she came to see me off at the station before I joined the army. I can no longer remember what my mother said as she kissed me on the cheek. I looked over next to her and saw Ivan, the machine gunner assigned to my squad, crying.

'Are you crying?'

'Yes, I grew up in an orphanage and became a soldier to eat. Arakawa's words reminded me of the sisters at the orphanage who were kind to me. She also cried when I joined the army, saying she was sorry she couldn't make me go to school. I don't know why, but Arakawa had a falling out with the sisters...

　I looked at the faces of the other squad members as I tapped Ivan on the shoulder and they all had similar expressions on their faces. Maybe we can trust Arakawa..............................Maybe we can fight for him like we have been.
　I'll send a message to the Captain, I don't know about the rest of the squad, but I'll trust Arakawa and fight for him. As I was about to press the switch on the transmitter, someone interrupted me.

'This is the second squad. Captain, we trust Arakawa.

The same is true of the Third Division.

This is the Outpost Snipers. We believe in you, sir.

　I looked over the faces of all of them again to see if the rest of them were thinking the same thing. My subordinates are tired, but their morale is up and they are nodding at me with a peculiar look on their faces. I don't know why my mother said that when I saw their faces, I remembered what she said.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find some kind of friend for me," she said, crying, as she joined the army to pay back the debt my father had left behind. Many years have passed since then, and it seems that I've been able to meet such a friend after all these years.

'Captain, this is the first squad. We believe in Arakawa.

　After sending the transmission, two clicks came over the radio, which as usual meant 'Roger'. The rest was up to the Captain, but come to think of it, he did say one thing that bothered me. 'I once participated in an extinction war on Noah,' he said, 'what does that mean?　At least as far as I know, there hasn't been a large scale war in the last few years. If that's the case, is it something like the transfer to another world that happened during the research of the particle that was sent to me a while back?　But that thing should have been back in about three days.
　 As I was thinking this inwardly while holding a cigarette out of my pocket, the Captain's voice came over the radio again.

I'm sure you'll be able to hear our conversation, Arakawa, everyone in the unit can hear it. We didn't trust you, but now that you've said it, they all believe you. I apologize again on behalf of Swierp. I'm sorry.''

"Ta, Captain?　Put your head up!　I'm sorry on my part. I got hot and I got emotional.'

　Don't tell me that "that" captain bowed out!　You've got to be kidding me, why didn't I offer him a command post!　I would have loved to see such a situation with my own eyes. Ivan's guy also blurted out with a tearful face, 'I should have stayed in the command center. As if to tighten the momentarily slackened air in the unit, the Captain's shouting voice could be heard.

''All hands, lean in!　We are changing our operational objectives. The first target is Arakawa.........hmm. Arakawa is hard to pronounce. We're changing Arakawa's code name, the new code is 'Volca'.

　Volka the mother river that runs through Russia. Indeed, Arakawa is like a mother figure to all of us, a most fitting name for him.

Our primary goal is to get Volka out of the war zone first. Got it?　At all costs, we'll send Volka back to Japan, even if it means being the last soldier and blowing ourselves up!　The second goal we'll all make it back alive. If we can defect to Noah, he'll let us do whatever we want.

　It's a mess, the first and second goals are contradictory to begin with. But that might be a good thing, too, because it means we're all going to leave together to defend Volca to the death. It's simple and easy to understand, and a lot better than the previous plan that the pigs in the upper echelons set up, which was so inscrutable that it didn't even give us a hope of survival.

This is the comm unit. Hostages free in front of hotel!　I think they're all OK.

　Huh, it looks like Anton's idiot is safe. Well, thanks to the kindness of Volka, any normal pig would have abandoned you and run back to Japan. Well, it looks like our fight for survival is about to begin. I turn up the volume on my radio and pay attention to the voice of the comm operator.

The New World, which had been occupying the hotel, is on the move. I also see six aircraft on the simple radar, but I believe these are the transport VSTOLs that were reported. And what?　This reaction is not good!　The enemy has already surrounded the old city with a large number of power suits.

　The radio that's supposed to be an EMP attack has been cut off, which means they've used a high-powered jamming signal or a new weapon. But it's too easy. It's true that the enemy may be powerful, but if they were expecting us to panic at this level, they're probably only as intelligent as a single-celled organism.
　In fact, it's rare that the radio has ever worked until the end of a battlefield. No, it's doubtful that such a thing ever happened in the first place. It's more than that..., I call out to Ivan, who is wrapping the tape around the grenade to prevent it from going off, to confirm what I'm worried about.

'Ivan, do you think Volka knows the name of our official unit?'

I'm not sure.　I don't think he knows about the quicksand. If they knew, they'd feel a little more comfortable leaving the battle to you.

　I suppose, after all, you don't know about Volca. Our official unit name is the "Prototype Artificial Reinforcement Force Sierrep", the strongest special forces born of the "Reinforced Soldier Project", a genetically enhanced soldier project, and the "Alice Project", a project for artificial evolution. In this day and age, there is no other unit that can even anticipate nuclear warfare except us.
　The shrapnel has already started landing and vibrating on the subway campus, and I grin at myself. New World, you may be trying to crush the helpless worm, but let me tell you what exactly you've turned on the enemy....