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—-Arakawa Kouki Point of View —-
“I want to act as bait to lure out and annihilate New World. However, to do this I need your full cooperation Captain”
In my words, the captain look at me with an expression like she heard something bad however, I did not stop talking.
“First of all, we need to procure weapons, ammunition and other supplies to some extent in order for us to fight them. I’d like to ask captain to somehow help me with this… Serp was a secret unit is it not? That means your supply of weapons are not going through the usual routes. Do you know some weapon merchants in the black market?”
“…Ma~ there is someone in mind. As long as you can pay, they can definitely provide you with things that you need however it is impossible to acquire military-type power suits since it is regulated by international treaties”
I knew it. In movies and novels in my previous life, famous weapon merchants are often connected to government agencies. Looks like those are not entirely out of fiction. Now that weapons aren’t a problem anymore, next is──
“Second, we need to decide where we can effectively use our weapons to fight them. We will provoke New World. Probably, Dr. Sandra will ignore me but everyone else in New World should be different. Most of her financial supporters are probably not bound by faith. They must be looking for some kind of result, we can use that weakness”
Probably, No, surely they will come and kill me in rage. The fanatics around the doctor are looking at her as if she is a god and her financial supporters are urging her to get some result after her successive failures. A legitimate organization like Noah has the ability to handle it but New World, which is being kept together solely because of Dr. Sandra’s charisma, will not be able to do so.
I will definitely pay them back for trying to hurt Alice, Anton-san and everyone else important to me!! I will drag them out even if they don’t want to show themselves.
“Hmm, how are you going to oppose them? Do you already have a place where you will put up a resistance? “
“Since I expect it to be a large urban warfare, I am considering the old Moscow City as a potential place”
About 40 years ago, the capital of Russia was moved to a new city 20 kilometers east of old Moscow. The government ran out of money to maintain the old city so they move out and left it as a historical figure. No one will complain even if the old city is destroyed by the battle… probably. Moreover, everyone is restricted in entering the area to control criminal groups in making it their base so there is no risk of civilians getting hurt on this battle. If an armed group suddenly go into the city, any decent civilian who are in there will definitely try to escape.
“……I see, you can use the subway and sewer as tunnels for war tactics. You really thought this through”
No, I did not think that far Captain. I was just trying to avoid unrelated civilians in getting caught into this. The one who will think about our strategy is not me but you Captain.
Ma~ I guess it’s fine. If she will consider my proposal due to this misunderstanding then I do not need to correct her rather, base on what she says Captain will likely agree on this strategy since they specialize in guerilla warfare, unlike macho.
“Third, we will be asking the Russian Government for support. There are two reasons on why we need to do this. First is because if we left the situation as it is, President Shumsky is will be force to retire after this incident. This will make the contract signed by Noah with Russia invalid and it will hinder future development. The other reason is for the sake of Captain in her people”
“For our sake?”
“Yes, if you just silently leave, Captain and her subordinates is will be recognized as rogues who betrayed their own country. Even if it is not a fact, only certain number of people who are in the higher up knows the truth about Serp however, all the other people have no idea about it
So why not leave this country as a hero who tried to save Russia from a terrorist organization. You are fighting in the back of the world all this time but if you fight in a dignified manner before you leave the country, you will make the higher ups who betrayed you regret their actions”
“Hero huh… What exactly are you trying to do?”
Yoshi! We are about to use up the 10 minutes that she promised but apparently I got her interested. Just a little more, I will be able to escape from Russia with Anton-san and all the Serp members. I need to remember the time when I gave a speech in G-88 as Noah’s representative──
—- Captain Yurya Point of View —-
Arakawa’s explanation ended. Certainly, considering his and his mother’s influence if everything goes according to plan, we can leave our motherland as heroes however, I still have doubts in my mind…
“Arakawa, why would you go this far? What merit is there for you?”
“Ma~ It’s just for my own self-satisfaction. It feels good that someone is relying on me and I want to meet that expectation. That’s all there is for me “
“And you think I will trust someone with vague reason?”
“In that case, would you like if we made a contract? I promise that Captain in the others are given asylum to Japan and ‘you are free to live your future as you want’. In exchange, you need to serve as mercenaries until we annihilate New World”
Future… It is something that we want but unable to achieve, he is providing us something that we want for a long time. I look at Joseph who is standing in the corner of the room. His arms are folded and seems to be thinking about it. I like to hear the opinions of my subordinates, I think I should call my men who are waiting in the next room.
“All of you! come in”
The door opens and my subordinates who are waiting in the other room go inside. Arakawa who saw this was surprised for the first time. While feeling somewhat glad on his reaction, I asked my subordinates.
“You heard the conversation, what do you guys think?”
“isn’t that a good offer? There is still a chance of us being killed anyway even if we go to Japan. I think the only hope that we have left is to believe in Arakawa”
“I think so too, I don’t know if we can trust him or not but he is the only hope that we have left”
Is that so, then let’s bet on Arakawa.  I do not trust him… but if he is willing to form a contract then I will respect him just like any other clients.
“Joseph! We will be moving to the city of Old Moscow! Achim, bring two others with you and gather everyone who are still the city. Engage with the enemy if you need to. Everyone else make a list of equipment. Move!”
At the corner of my eye, my subordinates follow my order and quickly leave while I turn towards Arakawa. When he notice my eyes looking at him, he smiled.
“I know a weapon merchant  where we can buy our equipment, his name is Vladimir Striarov. Do you have money?”
“If dollar is acceptable then I have money however a special certification machine is needed when paying”
“I understand, let’s prepare as soon as possible. We don’t have money so you’ll have to pay everything by yourself.  Also, we will need to further discuss strategy and plans. We will do all of the fighting, all you need to do is be prepared for it…. you think you can do that?”
“Yes!”
Hmph, you’re just a kid who does not even know a battlefield. If you do not run away like the pigs in the higher ups when the battle starts, I will trust you. No, if you don’t run then I may rather work for you. Don’t let me down── (TN: Hahaha, She is just a girl who doesn’t even know Kouki)
—- Arakawa Kouki Point of View —-
I am working with the captain and we decided to make the former Moscow Station in the old city our base. The only work that I’ve done so far is to enter my password on a terminal to transfer money. I wondered what will happen after that. 3 hours later after collecting the other members throughout the city, the skinhead who is called Joseph-san bring a large amount of weapons to the station.
I only saw the list for a moment while making the payment but if I remember correctly, besides firearms there were also a battle helicopter and a transport vehicle. I think our enemy, New World, will definitely use power suits however can we really fight them using these weapons?
Even though these weapons are from old generation, I would love to know where they came from. I’d like to ask the captain but I cannot find her.
“Arakawa, we are ready. You only need to think of a statement according with your plan, afterwards we only need to contact Noah”
While everyone else was gone, I was waiting alone in a room while drinking a sweet Russian tea and eating some pirozhki. The captain suddenly enter the room and throw a new terminal into me. I see, they don’t intend to give me any details until I’ve sent a request for asylum to mom. That means, we should contact Noah first using the regular line. (TN: Piroshki are a Russian and Ukrainian puff pastry which consists of individual-sized baked or fried buns stuffed with a variety of fillings)
“I understand. I will start calling them”
I operate the terminal and contact Noah using the regular line. An operator who is in charge panicked when they saw my face but I’m sorry, we don’t have much time right now… I ignore the operator’s question and request to be transferred to mom. I heard arguments on the other side of the screen for a while but eventually the face of mom who has tired look appeared on the screen.
“Kouki! You are safe. Who are those armed people? Don’t tell me they are members of New World?”
“Aa~ It’s true that they almost look like an old-generation terrorists because they are wearing Balaclava”
She looks really worried but it can’t be helped. However you look at the Captain and the others, they looks like Afghan Guerrillas from year 2000 so there is nothing I can do if she thinks they are enemies. I answer my mom with a confident tone so that I can eliminate as much anxiety as possible from mom.
“They are former colleagues of Anton-san. They are people from Chernobog. Ma~ some of them belongs to the Espionage unit too. They are cooperating with me, and we are currently in old Moscow”
“Wait, Ko-chan! You are in the regular line, you know that there is a possibility of New World listening to this line”
Of course I know that but since it is on purpose, she should calm down. To continue the flow of the talk, I ignore mom who is seriously panicking. It can’t be help if mom is like that but we need to move the discussion forward.
I asked the Captain who is next while her arms are folded to show the map. I look at the screen and speak in a rude manner.
“To Dr. Sandra Zelenskaya, I’m sure that you are watching this video. You must be frustrated when I escape the hotel? However, I will give you a chance. I am in the old Moscow City, I do not know if you want to catch or kill me but whatever it is, you need need to meet me.
However, I think that it stupid to spare my time to a foolish researcher who believes in the occult such as reincarnation or soul. That’s why I am just going to wait here and let you or your men come here. In exchange, I’d like you to release 3 people who you captured in the hotel. Those are Anton Volkkievich, Yakov Tarkovsky and Yuri Pamfilova. If those 3 people are already dead then this conversation is invalid and I will immediately leave this place. If they are alive, release them near Bechet Pond in the old city.
The time of their release is the time that I will try to leave this place, that is also your chance to try and capture me. I will wait for your reply in less than 2 hours, how you will contact me… try to think of a way by yourself, even if you are a fool I’m pretty sure you can think of something right? That is all”
I immediately disconnect the communication after mentioning what I want to say. I sent a document about our plans to mom’s personal address, I hope she noticed it. The document include my request about the asylum of the Captain and her subordinates, it also contains pretext that Russian army can use in order to support us and that things that I would like the Russian army to do.
Other than that, the only problem left is when Dr. Sandra will give her reply. I need to consult with the captain──