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Unreasonable Demands part 1

「So they are asking for damages, and the handover of both me and Kurose-san.」

「That’s correct. While they don’t know your names, they’re demanding the pilot of the Lanius and the new model from Misumaru Heavy Industries—along with the Silhouettes and their equipment.」

Kou leaned against the wall, listening with an expressionless face.

It wasn’t surprising. Such a demand was typical of their arrogance.

At the moment, the Astraea wasn’t in the underground factory—it was at sea.

「That’s completely unreasonable! They’re the ones who attacked us first! And now they want Kou and the Silhouettes too?」

Nyanta protested fiercely, her anger erupting.

「They claim it’s for inspection purposes.」

The combat command center aboard the Astraea was in turmoil, with heated exchanges between Barry and Jenny over the communications link.

The Mercenary Association Headquarters had issued a demand for reparations, along with orders to surrender the individuals in question.

「No matter how powerful the Mercenary Association’s Headquarters may be, this demand is outrageous. It doesn’t even align with the current laws of Asia.」

「Of course. There’s no way we’re agreeing to this.」

「Are they planning to declare war on us?」

Barry’s words were met with a response from Kinukawa, his tone unusually filled with menace—an uncommon sight for the usually gentle old man.

「They’re insisting that the Mercenary Association Headquarters remains neutral. They claim they’re merely responding to the complaint filed by the Roche Phalanx.」

「They were the ones who initiated the attack. They should be questioning who hired or ordered Roche Phalanx to attack us!」

Nyanta’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.

「So they didn’t kill anyone, huh?」

Kou lowered his head slightly, obscuring his gaze. A faint smirk of derision curled at his lips, sending a chill through Jenny, who sensed it as a bad omen.

「What’s the claimed amount?」

Aimer asked calmly.

「Fifty million mina.」

「Surely, you mean five thousand mina? This is beyond unreasonable! Even if money wasn’t the issue, this level of lawlessness is outrageous!」

Aki protested vehemently.

Fifty million mina. That would be equivalent to approximately five hundred billion yen in Earth’s Japanese currency.

「Four pilots lost. Four Antique Silhouettes destroyed, one of which was an irreparable high-performance machine. The demand for the handover of the pilots is based on the accusation of killing a pilot who had surrendered. The breakdown of the monetary claim seems to be primarily for the antiques, we’ll consider how to respond… but there’s a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.」

「That’s absurd! There are situations during battle where it’s impossible to respond to a sudden surrender!」

Nyanta interjected, her frustration palpable.

「I see. So I’ve dragged Kurose-san into this.」

Kou said, his expression remaining impassive. Under normal circumstances, his face would show anger, but this time, it was disturbingly blank.

Jenny caught his gaze, and even Barry found it unsettling.

「Throughout history, wars have often been ignited by unreasonable demands—deliberately so. Don’t fall for their provocation.」

「Maybe so, but if this turns into a siege like the ABCD encirclement—cutting us off from oil, and barring the trade of even scrap iron—it’ll be too late. Even if we negotiate tirelessly and peacefully, the result won’t change.」1

Kinugawa’s rare display of aggression was likely due to having been at the site of the confrontation.

「Send me their written demands.」

Aimer said, her usual stoicism unbroken.

「This is it.」

Jenny forwarded the document, and Aimer reviewed it. After a brief glance, she manipulated her terminal and made a bold declaration.

「I’ve transferred one billion mina from my personal assets. I refuse the handover of Kou and Kurose-san. We will not entertain any negotiations. If they wish to discuss anything further, they may come aboard the Astraea to discuss it with me personally.」

「Aimer-chan! Wait a minute!」

「The transfer has already been completed.」

「This is a Metal Iris issue, Aimer-chan! Don’t tell me Kou’s rubbed off on you too!」

「This is a foolish provocation, if this can be resolved with money, then so be it. What matters is what happens if the issue isn’t resolved this way.」

「Wait a second—where did you get those assets from?」

The assets and currency of Planet Asia were essentially under the unified control of Okeanos. Such an amount wasn’t something an individual could freely mobilize.

「It’s a secret.」

In truth, all of Kou’s rights to his vast resources had already been transferred to Aimer, Nyanta, Aki, and Voy. Asia had orchestrated this arrangement in preparation.

Although one billion mina was indeed a massive sum, it was not an unmanageable amount compared to the immense wealth Kou had received from the sales of the new technology he had developed.

Kou gently placed his hand on Aimer’s head, softly ruffling her hair. Though her actions had been unilateral, her decision had diffused the tension. She had, after all, acted in alignment with Kou’s intentions.

「I don’t think they’ll back down just because of this. We and the Astraea will temporarily withdraw from Metal Iris and act independently.」

「Let us from Misumaru Heavy Industries accompany you. This isn’t just your fight. Please, allow us to share the financial burden as well.」

「No, Kinukawa-san, the money is not an issue. But as for joining us, I’ll gladly accept your support.」

「Calm down. Since when did you all get so quick to pick a fight?」

Barry said, trying to ease the growing tension.

Something was wrong with Kou. This wasn’t like him. Normally, he would take time to deliberate, consult with the others, and ensure his decisions didn’t unnecessarily involve those around him. Even Kinukawa, usually the most even-tempered of Ulysses’ top-tier A-Rank Development Engineers, was emanating a quiet but palpable anger.

「We’ll make sure not to trouble you and the others, Barry.」

「Don’t joke around, Kou! Thanks to Aimer’s actions just now, our stress levels are already at their peak!」

She deliberately addressed Aimer without any honorifics, making her anger abundantly clear.

「Listen carefully. You and Aimer are part of Metal Iris too. We get that you’re patrons, and we appreciate it. But even so—」

「My apologies, Jenny.」

「An apology with eyes that resolute doesn’t cut it, Aimer. Hear me out. Tomorrow, Barry and I will handle the negotiations. If you still have something to say, you can join us then.」

「…Understood.」

After some thought, Aimer agreed.

「Kou… what is going on? Please, tell me. I won’t get angry, I promise. Just… please. What could have happened to make you and even Kinukawa-san this furious?」

Jenny’s voice was filled with exhaustion, almost pleading. The truth was, she couldn’t make sense of Kou and the others’ behavior. It felt as if they were ready to charge into battle with the Mercenary Association Headquarters all on their own.

「Exactly. Without knowing what caused all this, we can’t negotiate properly. What happened out there?」

Barry chimed in. He, too, had noticed the unusual atmosphere surrounding the people who were in the Astraea during the battle. There was a single-minded determination among them—like a tightly drawn arrow ready to strike.

TN: The ABCD encirclement is a historical term and geopolitical concept used during World War II. It was a phrase used by Japan to describe what they perceived as being strategically “encircled” or surrounded by hostile powers, specifically the Allies.

The term ABCD stood for:

• A: America (United States)
• B: Britain
• C: China
• D: Dutch (referring to the Netherlands and its colonial holdings, particularly the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia).

It was Japan’s perspective on the coordinated political, economic, and military pressure exerted by these countries in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Japan believed the ABCD Powers were restricting its territorial and resource ambitions, particularly after Japan’s invasion of China and its expansionist policies in Asia.

The perception of being “encircled” contributed to Japan’s decision to expand further into Southeast Asia and the Pacific to secure resources. This ultimately led to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which brought the United States into World War II.

The developments that led to the coinage of the term were:

Economic Sanctions: The U.S., Britain, and the Dutch imposed embargoes on Japan, especially cutting off critical resources like oil and rubber.
China Conflict: Japan was already deeply involved in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), which strained its economy and military.

Resource Blockade: The Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) was a vital source of raw materials, and Japan viewed restrictions on these resources as an existential threat.