Chapter 36: HALO JUMP

They arrived in Japan under the cover of darkness. There were no reports, no official welcome, just silence. To avoid Commander Narada's watchful eyes, they chose a private route. Arata led Pierson and Natasha to a taxi that took him back to the only place he called home: the Masamune family residence.

When he opened the door, Arata felt a warmth that had been long gone. The room was silent, until a small figure with black hair appeared from the corridor.

"Onii-chan...?" Koyomi's voice whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Arata could only smile. "I'm home, Koyomi."

In that instant, Koyomi rushed into her brother's arms, tears streaming down her face. She hugged Arata tightly, as if she would never let him go again. Arata returned the hug, feeling that this was the only real thing amidst all the chaos.

After Koyomi calmed down, she served them hot tea. On the table, Pierson and Natasha laid out a series of photos provided by Clarke. The images showed a complex nestled among the snowy mountains of Hokkaido. A secret fortress.

"This is his last base," Pierson explained. "Clarke found this among the decrypted data. It's managed directly by a construction company registered under a fake name."

Arata stared at the photos, his anger building. "Damn it... Prime Minister Nagato is really involved?"

Natasha nodded. "That's what we feared. All the data points to his involvement."

Arata clenched his fists under the table. "He... he sacrificed my unit just to cover his tracks?"

"Getting in there is next to impossible, Arata," Pierson cut in. "There are multiple layers of inspection, even if we went in disguise. Everyone who goes in or out gets checked. We can't risk it."

Arata sighed. "Then we won't go in by land."

Pierson and Natasha looked at him, waiting. Arata looked out the window at the dark night sky. "We'll go in from above."

The plan sounded insane, but it was the only way. They would perform a HALO JUMP: a jump from an extreme altitude, more than 10,000 meters, to infiltrate enemy territory without being detected by radar.

"I have some contacts," Arata said. "The only people I can trust to fly this plane and stay silent."

The three of them headed to a bar in Shinjuku. There, they found a blonde-haired woman laughing freely while sipping a cocktail.

"Kureha Yumiko," Arata called out to her.

Kureha turned, and the laughter on her face instantly vanished. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw Arata.

"Masamune-senpai...?" she whispered, full of shock. "You... you're alive?"

Right beside her, a stocky man with a warm smile appeared. It was Kazama, a former pilot who had served with Arata. When Kazama saw Arata, his eyes lit up. "Captain! You're alive!"

Kureha and Kazama immediately led them to a private area, their faces full of questions. Arata told them everything: his last mission, the betrayal, and Collins's sinister plan, now aided by Prime Minister Nagato.

"No... that can't be," Kureha whispered, shaking her head. "I don't believe Prime Minister Nagato could do this."

"We have the evidence," Pierson said, showing them the same data. "We didn't want to believe it either, but it's the truth."

Kazama clenched his fists. "Damn it! Kureha and I were always suspicious. When he suddenly stopped the investigation into the ARAAF terrorist organization, we knew something was wrong."

"Nagato used us as tools to cover his tracks," Arata concluded. "We need your help. We have to stop this before he starts a Third World War."

Kureha looked at Arata, her eyes filled with determination. "I never liked that man. I'm in."

Kazama smiled, returning to his warm self. "Of course, Captain. For you, we'll fly this plane anywhere."

That night, the five of them flew aboard Kureha's old plane. Inside the cabin, only the sound of the engine could be heard. They were approaching the coordinates provided by Clarke, directly above the snowy mountains of Hokkaido.

"We're almost there," Kazama shouted. "Time to jump!"

Arata stood, checking his parachute straps. He glanced at Pierson and Natasha, who looked calm, and then at Kureha and Kazama, who gave him confident smiles. Arata returned the smile.

The plane's door opened, and a bone-chilling gust of wind rushed in. Below them, there was only endless darkness and scattered snowflakes carried by the wind.

"Goodbye, friends," Kazama yelled.

Arata stepped to the door, his eyes fixed on the abyss below. This was his final mission.

One by one, they jumped. Arata was first, then Natasha, then Pierson. They plunged into the void, becoming tiny dots that disappeared swallowed by the night.