Inspector Tanaka and Officer Suzuki stepped out of Yuuka's hospital room. The door closed behind them, separating the silence within from the hospital corridor. Inspector Tanaka's stern face relaxed slightly, but weariness and contemplation still lingered.
"Poor girl," Officer Suzuki said softly, his face full of concern. "Severe head trauma, three weeks in a coma... Then she wakes up and has amnesia."
"Yeah," Inspector Tanaka replied, walking slowly down the corridor. "Quite common in these cases."
Another female officer was standing leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor, holding a file. She had neat short hair and sharp eyes behind silver-rimmed glasses. She wore a police uniform but had a more dynamic appearance. On her chest were her badge and name tag: Officer Itoh Mai.
"How is it, Tanaka-san?" Officer Itoh asked as they approached. Her voice was decisive and professional.
"A typical case of amnesia," Inspector Tanaka replied. "Doesn't remember anything about the accident or anything before that. Doesn't seem to be faking it."
"I think so too," Officer Suzuki added. "Her eyes looked genuinely confused and scared."
Officer Itoh nodded. She flipped through the file in her hand. "Medical reports confirm severe head injury consistent with symptoms of amnesia. The circumstances of her discovery also suggest the possibility of a strong impact or emotional shock."
"If she really has amnesia..." Officer Suzuki hesitated. "Then it will be difficult for us to get any information from the Shibuya incident."
"We'll have to accept that." Inspector Tanaka sighed. "This isn't the first case. Many victims or witnesses near large 'Drop Item' points, especially those injured, exhibit strange symptoms. From localized amnesia, cognitive disorders, to cases of psychological instability."
Officer Itoh nodded in agreement. "This phenomenon doesn't just bring items, it also causes unpredictable effects on people and society."
They stopped at a quieter corner of the corridor. Inspector Tanaka leaned against the wall, his face pensive.
"This world is becoming increasingly unpredictable." He said, his voice significantly lower. "A few years ago, when the first 'items' appeared, we thought it was a joke, high-tech contraband. Now what? Guns appear randomly like vegetables at the market."
"The rate of gun-related crime has skyrocketed," Officer Suzuki added, his face grim. "Although Japanese law strictly controls firearms, legal ownership was already extremely difficult, but now with 'Drop Items,' illegal guns are rampant. From old revolvers to automatic rifles, there was even an outdated anti-tank gun that 'dropped' at a scrap yard once."
"It's not just guns." Officer Itoh opened her file, showing Inspector Tanaka a few photos. One picture was of a dagger with a faintly glowing blade. Another was of a hovering metal sphere. And one... showed a small creature, looking like a moving clay doll. "There are much stranger things. Items with a magical appearance, unidentified technology, even... strange living creatures, or mysterious machines that only exist for a few hours and then disappear."
"I still can't believe we're having to deal with things like this," Officer Suzuki muttered, his face still showing astonishment.
"But they are real," Inspector Tanaka said. "The Shibuya incident wasn't just a struggle for guns. That explosive device, according to initial reports, also didn't look like any bomb we've ever known. It had an... unusual structure."
He looked towards the end of the corridor, where a window overlooked the gray Tokyo sky.
"The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is overloaded. Every day there are reports of 'Drop Item' incidents. Fights over items, theft taking advantage of the chaos, even horrific murders committed by people trying to possess something that just 'dropped'." Inspector Tanaka rubbed his temple. "We are facing a war where the enemy has no shape, no clear rules."
"And victims like Yuuka-san..." Officer Itoh said, her gaze returning to the hospital room. "They are living proof of how this phenomenon directly affects people. Amnesia is perhaps a reaction of the body or mind when exposed too closely to the energy or nature of the 'item' or the 'Drop' incident itself."
"So, for now, we believe Yuuka-san's claim about amnesia?" Officer Suzuki asked again, seeking confirmation.
"At least she genuinely looks that way," Inspector Tanaka replied. "And given her condition, psychological shock severe enough to cause complete amnesia is reasonable. Furthermore, faking amnesia so perfectly at the age of 16, after being in a coma for three weeks, would require extraordinary acting skills... and she doesn't seem like that kind of person."
He paused for a moment, his eyes thoughtfully fixed on the hospital room door.
"However, we still need to check Yuuka Hatsumina's background. See who she is, if she has any suspicious connections. And closely monitor her recovery. If any memories return, even just a little, we need to know immediately."
"Understood, Tanaka-san," both Officer Suzuki and Officer Itoh replied.
"And now," Inspector Tanaka said, straightening up. "We still have to go to the site of the latest 'Drop' in Shinjuku. It seems something that causes widespread signal interference 'dropped' this time."
He began to walk, the two younger officers following him.
"The world is writhing," Inspector Tanaka repeated, as if to himself. "And we are just the ones trying to keep it from collapsing completely."
They walked down the corridor, leaving behind the hospital room where Yuuka Hatsumina, the girl carrying the soul of a programmer and the secret of the System, was beginning a new life in a world filled with strange and dangerous things.