Chapter 12: The Meeting Commences

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"That concludes the report on the earthquake that struck Yamabe District, Nara Prefecture, on the 20th of this month, along with the casualty figures. The government has already dispatched several specialized search and rescue teams into Yamabe District..."

"The injured have been transported to nearby hospitals, where they are receiving proper care and treatment. Unfortunately, some individuals remain in areas still at risk from the earthquake, which deeply saddens me..."

"I urge everyone to trust the government, to trust us..."

On the subway, Mizunotsuki Shiro scrolled through his phone, the homepage dominated by news coverage of yesterday’s ‘earthquake’ in Yamabe District, Nara Prefecture.

The government spokesperson, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, held a solemn press conference, facing a barrage of cameras with a grave expression.

“What a perfectly timed earthquake,” Mizunotsuki Shiro mused with a smile, watching the earnest Chief Cabinet Secretary.

A brief, isolated earthquake just happened to strike Yamabe District, not even affecting the neighboring city of Nara, and the fatalities were almost exclusively local residents of Yamabe.

Earthquakes do not always arise from continental plate movements; volcanic eruptions, meteorite impacts, and even human activities can trigger them—the classic example being underground nuclear detonations, a field in which the Russians to the north have much to say.

But when it comes to earthquake research, Japan stands unrivaled, towering above others, without a single contender in sight—a source of considerable national pride.

Though over a thousand casualties sounds horrifying, most people simply sighed and quietly packed up to go to work or school.

Thanks to advanced modern communications, disasters big and small are reported online almost instantly for public viewing.

This island nation, home to over a hundred million people, feels a mix of sorrow and relief when thousands perish in an earthquake, grateful that it struck a sparsely populated area rather than their own bustling cities.

“Hm? A meeting? Let me take a look.” Through his terrestrial network interface, Mizunotsuki Shiro saw a large conference room filled with people.

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Chiyoda Ward.

Kasumigaseki, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

As the political heart of the country, Chiyoda Ward naturally hosts many influential figures, making it easy for the police department to convene countless dignitaries on short notice.

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, the Metropolitan Police, Public Security, and other government agencies were gathered here today. If, by chance, a visitor wearing a headscarf and carrying a bulky mobile phone wandered in and abducted even a fraction of these key figures, it would be enough to plunge the nation into chaos.

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In the police department’s parking lot, one by one, prominent individuals stepped out of understatedly luxurious vehicles and silently entered the building.

The tension was so thick that even the guards sensed the ominous foreboding in the air.

Inside the conference room, the Tokyo Police Chief, Director Shirouma, the Chairman of the National Security Council, and, most notably, the Chief Cabinet Secretary—who, in extraordinary circumstances, can act as Prime Minister—were present. The morning press conference was evidently pre-recorded.

The most incongruous figure was a monk, Teruchi, quietly rotating prayer beads and wearing a bracelet of beads that seemed to reveal his aura.

Many found Teruchi’s presence puzzling but refrained from commenting.

Asakawa Yuya, still heavily bandaged, head of the Violent Crime Division Three, was the lowliest among them, required to salute each of these dignitaries in deference.

Had it not been for his firsthand experience with the first supernatural incident, he wouldn’t have even been allowed to stand here.

Despite his injuries, Asakawa moved deftly under the intense scrutiny of the assembled leaders, inserting a disposable USB drive into a device isolated from all networks.

The security in this room was so strict that even the dignitaries were forbidden from bringing in electronic devices.

Lights went out, and the projector came to life.

The first footage showed a battle erupting inside a private residence. After technical adjustments and stitching together all available surveillance footage from nearby cameras, much of the event was reconstructed, albeit imperfectly.

On the screen, a giant three-tailed feline leisurely toyed with a squad of police officers. Its size was no longer that of a mere cat; if not for its distinctly feline features, some might have believed it to be a tiger.

Its speed and strength were astonishing, as it casually felled the police one by one. At the critical moment, a monk kicked through a wall to confront the beast. The creature then revealed an even greater speed, becoming a shadow, but the monk wielded a Zen staff, striking down the giant cat, whose soul departed immediately. The monk then sat cross-legged, performing rites to pacify both the creature and the deceased homeowner.

The video switched to a Self-Defense Forces perspective. What should have been a smooth advance turned into an ambush. When the dust settled, a towering spider appeared, shouting arrogantly while smashing the Self-Defense Forces’ sophisticated equipment with its forelegs.

Neither mortars nor grenades inflicted damage.

The footage showed the troops screaming wildly, some breaking ranks and retreating until reinforcements arrived. Anti-tank missiles and heavy machine guns were unleashed upon the creature, but before the smoke cleared, a despairing roar challenged any strong adversary to face it.

Receiving no response, the monstrous “Earth Spider” seemed to lose interest, plunging its legs into the ground. The earth became an ocean, waves crashing violently, dust billowing—everything was buried.

Viewing from a helicopter, the landscape was reshaped over several kilometers by this shockwave. Then, a mysterious umbrella-bearing figure arrived, conversed with the fearsome creature, took a sword, and, after taunting the police department, departed leisurely.

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The footage lasted over an hour, covering the encounters with the three-tailed bone cat and the Earth Spider.

Under normal circumstances, these dignitaries would have delegated the viewing to their subordinates.

Yet today, they watched intently, unwilling to miss any crucial detail.

When the screening ended and the lights came back on, Asakawa Yuya stood before the paused screen, taking a deep breath.

“That concludes all the audiovisual evidence we have regarding the codenamed ‘Three-Tailed Bone Cat’ and ‘Earth Spider.’”

Silence engulfed the room.

The eyes of these powerful individuals flickered with shock and disbelief at the surreal footage, struggling to reconcile it with their understanding.

“Director Shirouma,” the Chief Cabinet Secretary adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and asked in a measured tone, “I hope you did not summon us here just to show us a collaboration with a film studio for our entertainment?”

He was the only one bold enough to address the police chief directly.

“When I first heard these reports, I was as skeptical as you all. But the truth is that these events really happened—including the fact that only three members of the Self-Defense Forces survived. The casualties in Yamabe District were not caused by the earthquake—they were caused by monsters!”

The survivors: Asai Mikane and two helicopter crew members; the heavy toll in Yamabe District.

“So... all of this is... real?” Someone’s throat went dry, yet their voice brimmed with intense excitement.

In the footage, they also noted the umbrella-wielding figure’s mention of... a millennium.

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