The Japanese Ministry of Defense building, a fortified conference room on the top floor. The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense, a stark contrast to the chaotic noise of Tokyo's streets or the quiet of the hospital. Around the long, dark wooden table sat the grim faces of high-ranking officials: the Minister of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, the Director of the Office for Science and Research of Anomalous Objects, and several other senior advisors.
On the large projection screen was a map of Tokyo with a cluster of blinking red dots, marking the "Drop Item" incidents from the past week. The number was alarming.
"Recent situation report," Colonel Hayashi from the operations department began, his voice crisp. "In the past 7 days, 237 'Drop Item' incidents have been recorded nationwide, 85 incidents in the Tokyo area alone."
He flipped the slide. A bar chart displayed the types of items: "Primitive/Modern Weapons: 40%." "Unidentified Equipment/Machinery: 25%." "Strange Chemicals/Materials: 15%." "Items with Anomalous Properties (Magical?): 10%." "Living Organisms: 5%." "Other: 5%."
"The numbers continue to grow steadily," Colonel Hayashi continued, his expression grim. "Incidents involving weapons and improvised explosive devices (like the Shibuya incident) remain the most direct threat to public security."
The Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, Mr. Sato, a middle-aged man with prematurely gray hair, spoke up. "The pressure on police forces nationwide is immense. We are severely overworked. The rate of gun-related crime has increased tenfold since this phenomenon began. Criminal gangs are arming themselves to the teeth thanks to 'Drop Items'."
"Not just guns," Mr. Sato emphasized. "Items with anomalous properties are also causing many problems. Last week in Osaka, an object 'dropped' that caused all electronic devices within a 1km radius to cease functioning. Or the 'creature' incident in Ikebukuro yesterday, although small and seemingly not immediately dangerous, it caused terrible panic and paralyzed traffic in the entire area."
The Director of the Office for Science and Research of Anomalous Objects, Professor Ito, a middle-aged woman with a scholarly appearance, added. "Scientifically, we are still at a deadlock. We cannot explain the mechanism or cause of the items' appearance. They seem to simply... manifest. Experiments show they do not come from space, nor are they created by humans using current technology. They seem to have... crossed over from somewhere else."
She displayed a close-up photo of an "item" that looked like a glowing stone. "We have analyzed their physical and chemical structure. Some items have structures that simply do not exist in nature on Earth. Some appear simple but possess inexplicable properties, such as altering gravity, emitting strange energy, or being immune to conventional physical impacts."
"Regarding the 'creatures'," Professor Ito continued, her voice serious. "The majority of them have biological structures completely different from Earth's organisms. Some look terrifying, while others seem harmless like... moving dolls. However, we do not know if they carry any strange pathogens, or if they have the potential to develop into a greater threat."
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Yamashita, a man with a stern and authoritative demeanor, spoke. "The Self-Defense Forces are being constantly deployed to assist the police in cordoning off scenes, recovering items, and dealing with larger threats, such as the explosive device incident in Shibuya or strange creatures. However, we cannot simply use indiscriminate firepower. Destroying items on the spot could have unforeseen consequences, such as releasing strange energy or spreading hazardous materials."
"We need a more effective response plan, General," the Minister of Defense, Mr. Tanaka (not the police inspector), said, his voice heavy with pressure. "This situation is causing severe social instability. The public is panicking, fearful. The economy is affected when 'Drop' areas are cordoned off. And the so-called 'item black market' is expanding rapidly, fueling criminal activity."
"The situation is temporarily stable," Commissioner General Sato said, "thanks to the tireless efforts of the police force and the cooperation of the public in reporting 'Drop' incidents. However, this stability is very fragile. Just one larger, more dangerous 'Drop' incident, or large-scale criminal activity exploiting the situation, could cause everything to collapse."
"We are also recording cases of victims affected by 'Drop Items'," Commissioner General Sato added. "Besides physical injuries, many also suffer severe psychological trauma, and especially cases of memory loss or cognitive impairment, similar to the case of the girl injured in Shibuya."
"The Shibuya incident," General Yamashita repeated, his expression grim. "The fact that malicious actors used a 'Drop Item' to create an explosive device and seem to be organized... that is a different level of threat. We need to find the source of that group and how they knew when and where items would 'drop'."
"We are investigating, General," Commissioner General Sato replied. "However, information from the scene is very scarce. Witnesses are in a panic, or... as in the case of Kobayashi Yuuka, they have amnesia."
Professor Ito interjected. "We are researching the possibility that 'Drop Items' are related to areas or events with special energy, or concentrated strong emotions. But these are just initial hypotheses, without concrete evidence."
"How are other countries doing?" the Minister of Defense asked.
"Most developed nations are recording similar phenomena on varying scales," Colonel Hayashi reported. "We are coordinating information exchange with the US, European countries... However, no one has an answer. It seems this is a global phenomenon, or at least in many areas around the world."
"We cannot continue to rely solely on passive reactions," the Minister of Defense said, his voice resolute. "We need to be more proactive. We must strengthen research, develop specialized units to deal more effectively with each type of item and strange creature. And we must have clear plans to maintain social order, deal with crime, and calm the public."
The meeting continued with more detailed discussions about budget, establishing new units, and response strategies. Faces were serious, reflecting the heavy burden of responsibility they carried.
Outside that fortified conference room, Tokyo continued its bustling life. People still went to work, to school, to shop. But hidden beneath that veneer of normalcy was the truth about a changing world, a world where things from science fiction and fantasy suddenly became reality.
The high-ranking officials left the conference room, each carrying important reports and decisions. They knew that, despite their best efforts, they were only trying to keep the ship from sinking in a storm without knowing when it would end, or where it came from. The situation was temporarily stable, but instability was just waiting to erupt at any moment.