Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Special Investigation Unit. The air hung heavy with the smell of stale coffee and old paper. Desks were piled high with files, maps, and urgent reports plastered across the notice boards. Phones rang incessantly, printers churned out paper, and the murmur of information exchange created a chaotic, tense symphony.
Inspector Tanaka, Officer Suzuki, and Officer Itoh had just returned from the hospital where Yuuka Hatsumina was being treated. Fatigue was etched onto their faces. Officer Suzuki slumped into his chair, loosening his tie.
"A long day..." He sighed. "The incident in Shinjuku 'dropped' a strange signal emitter. It completely jammed communications in a 500-meter radius. Took us nearly two hours to recover it."
"That's the third incident just on this shift," Officer Itoh said, her hands deftly reorganizing the file on Yuuka. She placed it into a larger folder labeled "案件０５３０Ｂ - SHIBUYA INCIDENT". Attached to it were photos of the scene, and a blurry image of... something metallic lying amidst the rubble.
Inspector Tanaka stood by the window, looking out. The city lights were beginning to come on. His gaze was distant, as if peering through the skyscrapers, seeing the instability lurking somewhere beneath this modern facade.
"Kobayashi Yuuka's case..." he began, his voice slightly low. "The girl truly remembers nothing. That look in her eyes, those reactions... very hard to fake."
"I think so too, Tanaka-san," Officer Suzuki said. "She seemed genuinely frightened and confused."
"And according to the hospital report, her head injury was severe," Officer Itoh added. "Memory loss after such a strong impact isn't rare. Especially combined with the mental shock caused by the incident."
Inspector Tanaka turned back. "Nevertheless, we still need to thoroughly check her background. Yuuka Hatsumina, 16 years old, high school student, living alone after her parents passed away. Has a part-time job at a ramen shop. Good academic performance according to the school report."
"A normal girl, seems even like a good and diligent student," Officer Suzuki commented. "Hard to believe she got caught up in a case like this."
"That's the nature of the 'Drop Item' Phenomenon," Inspector Tanaka said, his voice filled with helplessness. "It doesn't discriminate by age, gender, or status. Anyone can become a victim, or become inadvertently involved. Or... become a perpetrator."
He walked over to the notice board area, pointing at the densely pinned photos and reports. Images of recovered guns, strange unclassified items, chaotic scenes...
"Every day, the Tokyo Police Department receives hundreds of calls related to 'Drop Items'," Inspector Tanaka explained, his voice slightly raised. "From petty incidents like harmless items appearing on the street, to armed robberies using newly 'dropped' guns, brawls over disputes, and also things... more incomprehensible."
He pointed at a photo of an object hovering in mid-air, emitting a strange light, surrounded by a panicked crowd. "They aren't just mere items. Sometimes they are technological devices we can't decipher. Sometimes they look like things with magical energy. Sometimes... they are strange creatures appearing, causing panic."
Officer Itoh continued, her expression serious. "Our forces are stretched thin. Every 'Drop' incident carries potential danger and chaos. We have to simultaneously ensure public safety, recover items, and investigate if there's any link to criminal activity."
"And the criminals," Inspector Tanaka said, his eyes narrowing. "They are the first to know how to exploit the situation. The black market for 'dropped' items is booming. From firearms to other strange things, everything has a price. Old Yakuza gangs, newly emerging crime groups... all want to control this illicit source of profit."
Officer Suzuki frowned. "Controlling guns has become impossible. No matter how strict our laws are, just one 'Drop' can flood the streets with firearms again."
"The most worrying is the Shibuya incident," Inspector Tanaka returned to Yuuka's file. "That explosive device... it's not something ordinary criminals could build. It's far more complex. There's a possibility this is the work of a larger organization, maybe terrorists, or some group trying to research and use 'items' for malicious purposes."
He looked at Yuuka's photo on the file. "Yuuka Hatsumina, this girl... She might be the only surviving witness, or at least the person closest to the epicenter of the incident, after the criminals fled."
"What if she really has amnesia?" Officer Suzuki asked.
"Then for now, we've lost a valuable source of information," Inspector Tanaka replied. "But..." He paused for a moment. "There's also the possibility that the criminals will worry she might recover her memories. She's in a public hospital. That's a risk."
Officer Itoh understood. "Should we arrange for protection?"
Inspector Tanaka thought. "Currently, we are severely short-staffed. Every street corner could be the next 'Drop' point. Arranging 24/7 protection for a witness whose usefulness isn't even certain is very difficult."
"Nevertheless, we must monitor closely," he added. "Check the hospital's security cameras, record anyone visiting her besides family (if any). And maintain regular contact with the medical team about her condition."
"Understood," Officer Itoh and Officer Suzuki replied in unison.
The phone on Officer Itoh's desk rang. She picked it up.
"Officer Itoh speaking... Yes?... What?!" Her voice suddenly became tense. "In Ikebukuro? A small... spatial gate? And something's crawling out of it?!"
Inspector Tanaka and Officer Suzuki's faces immediately changed color. Strange creature. Spatial gate. This phenomenon was escalating.
"Get ready," Inspector Tanaka said, the fatigue from earlier vanishing, replaced by determination and tension. "We've got new work."
The three officers quickly packed up, rushing out of the work area. Leaving behind the files on old cases, on the Shibuya incident, and on the young girl named Yuuka Hatsumina lying in the hospital, completely unaware that she was at the center of an unexpected war. Their modern world was no longer normal. It was twisting, distorting, and they were the ones who had to stand firm to keep it from collapsing.