REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 9 - Aftermath and Confusion

Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture: near Ichigao Station

Long lines had formed in front of supermarkets and pharmacies even before they opened for business. Convenience stores already have empty shelves. A massive and still unrecoverable communication failure and a war that suddenly started like some kind of revival. Under such circumstances, which are so far out of the ordinary, it is not surprising that people were stocking up on supplies. Beyond the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line, which is still suspended, especially beyond Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, the situation was very serious. Everyone was aware of this, and although their hearts were aching and their resentment and hatred for the atrocious bombing were boiling over, securing material security was a top priority.

"What can I buy at a time like this...?"

"Food and water... but not for earthquakes, right?"

"Maybe... a disaster hood?"

"Maybe we should evacuate to the countryside."

A group of ladies, who like to talk at the well more than eating three meals a day, were chatting in the line at the supermarket. A businessman in line a little behind them was struggling with a chat application that was unfamiliar and difficult to connect to. The one he normally uses was still unusable, probably due to the fact that the server was located in a foreign country. In the midst of all this, a man and woman in their late twenties, who were fiddling with their smartphones like the rest of the crowd, let slip an outrageous comment.

"Crap, there are no ships or planes coming!?"

"Idiot, you're too loud!"

"Ah, my bad..."

The frustrated-looking man apologized, but it was already too late. The woman who looked so stunned was working for a warehouse company in Tokyo. According to a colleague who had just arrived at the company's headquarters, the reason was that incoming shipments were being postponed or canceled one after another, and air and sea shipments were not arriving.

'But maybe we are talking about a few days at most...?'

They wanted to think so, but the undeniable anxiety did not go away.

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Arita City, Wakayama Prefecture: Oil refinery

"I hear there are lines at gas stations all over the place. Wartime control of oil is about to begin or something," a refinery employee said as he began the refueling operation.

The sight of large tank trucks lined up in a row, receiving petroleum products for shipment to depots and gas stations around the country is always a sight to behold. After the vehicles were finished loading, they would exit the refinery through the gates and onto public roads. This area, which has not been hit by air raids, has not yet undergone any particular change. That seemed to be true.

"Well, please drive safely today and carry on."

"Is it true what they say about the missing tanker?"

Tajima, the driver, asked as he stood by, remembering the rumors flying around on social media.

"I think stories like that are starting to pop up all over the place..."

"As far as I know, no tankers have gone missing or anything like that. They are right there on the pier, still loading and unloading crude oil."

"No, I'm talking about an offshore tanker that's gone missing."

"Well, something may have happened, but I'm sure it's all right."