quote:

Yama: I'm sure as a prosecutor you know that well.

Yama: Judgment is a necessary burden, especially for sinful wandering souls.

Yama: Even now a small crime occurred and was recorded into "Akasha"...

Yama: With this people related to the case are summoned, and together you will solve the mystery.

Yama: They say more heads are better than one, so this should lead to good results.

Marunouchi: Where am I?

Marunouchi: Amano Tsukasa: A suspect in a robbery case.

Marunouchi: That thing reading a book in the corner is the ruler of the underworld, Yama...

Upon hearing robbery, he assumed it would be another case related to a series of frequent cat burglaries that have been occurring; it seems the circumstances are different, and Marunouchi was perplexed.

He stopped and looked up at an old storage house built like it could withstand decades. It doesn't look all that large, but it's still sturdy, and it does not look easy to break into. Many forensic workers retrieving samples can be seen from the open doors.

Around his 40s, he has neither employment nor relationship and with his parent's money is amassing some sort of "collection".

He looks like he does not exercise and only eats high calorie food, fat and greasy; even though it's winter sweat flows from him like a waterfall.

Video players, Laser discs, DVDs, and a plasma TV for viewing plus a speaker system all in the middle, 3 meters of shelves line 3 of the walls, full of things like bishoujou figures and otaku goods lined up in glass cases like works of art.

He thought it was mostly anime characters of some sort, but there were also some one wouldn't let kids see, and it seemed the forensic workers could not help but snicker.

Miyamoto, who looked like he was about to leap inside, is held back by Marunouchi as he says,

They enter the lobby; behind a folding screen with a picture of a dragon and tiger was a reception area.

The 4 became startled and looked over to Marunouchi and Miyamoto. 3 of them had the same atmosphere as Miyamoto, but one of them stood out a little, it was a young woman.

A long and thin man in his mid 20s stood up and said with a Kansai accent.

"The culprit stole that and nothing else. Besides, all the people who knew it was there are here. Or could it be that somebody told someone else that that was in there?"

The 4 of them looked at each other uncomfortably, none of them saying a word. The tall man sat back down with a dissatisfied look.

"By that, you mean the stolen figure don't you? I know it's very valuable, but please tell me further details."

Miyamoto scoffed, and everyone else had the same expression.

A university student looking man with round borderless glasses began talking.

Other than the details, his way of talking and over exaggerated expression was surprising. Could this way of talking be popular among the otakus?

However, he felt like there was more to it than that.

"I see. Does that mean figures made by the same person have the same high value? Would they be 5 million - 10 million dollars?"

Looking at the 4 others, none of them are disputing, it seems the value isn't exaggerated.

Hearing that it's actually 3 million instead of 20 million is a bit of a relief. The degree of the value of theft is not something to take lightly, the detective himself was human after all; more money on the line would make anyone nervous.

"Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Marunouchi. You are all friends of Miyamoto but what brings you all here?"

Including Miyamoto, all of them became friends through internet anime goods stores, and every week on Saturday they would show their own treasures to each other, to boast together. They would gather together in the afternoon, right at 2:00PM when the storage lock is released and inside they would hold meetings.

...Is how it should have gone, but before anyone could even sit, Miyamoto went into an uproar saying "Hiroto Yamagishi is gone!" and the meeting was cancelled. Everyone's person was searched, as well as the inside of the storage house scrupulously. Of course the figure was not found, and the police were called in.

The oldest of the group, Oogata says while looking at his watch. Oogata is in his 50s and has a few gray spots starting to show in his hair which is tied back. He says he is an anime screenwriter.

"This isn't a joke! ...Oogata, you wanted to buy it most of all. When you knew I had no intention of selling it, that's what made you do it isn't it?"

Oogata's expression changed.

"-oi, cut it out already. I always thought you were a rude one but I can't take it anymore. You are a disgrace to the otaku culture, you scum."

The tall man stands up again, panickingly trying to calm them down. His name is Sakaguchi. He seems like an ordinary company employee who would have no relation to anime, and at least he seems to have more common sense than the rest of the others.

"Sakaguchi, what about you? You kept eyeing that figure while drooling."

"Negishi you've been worried about not having much work recently, haven't you? Could it be that you tried to sell it for a new life? --- Please give it back!"

"Please cut it out. If I wanted to sell it, I would have stolen something else."

Out of the 4 of them one stayed silent the whole time simply watching them argue; it was Amano Tsukasa a 20 year-old looking woman. She is the newest member of the group, which puts her in a suspicious state, so she does not open her mouth.

"Th-That's right. Everything's been safe till now, then Amano came and this happened. You're the most suspicious of all."

Marunouchi moves a bit away from the discussion that's continuing and observes, when before long his subordinate Aoki comes from the storage to give a report.

The forensic workers came up with the prints, and they all belong to Miyamoto Manabu. Although the storage house looks old it is well built, and there is no point of entry for a human to enter other than the door in front.

The storage is locked by a high tech Finland made strong padlock and it is impossible to open by lockpick even by pros; no traces of such an attempt were found. It is impossible to dismantle the metal fixtures as well, with no trace of attempts found as well. Same with the hinges on the door.

The three other walls all have an opening for light three meters up. It's a lattice door opening with no way for a person to go through. However they all have shelves top to bottom as well as a stepladder in the storage house, so it's not impossible for someone to climb up and throw the figure out of the storage house. That's what Aoki suggested.

Marunouchi returns to the reception area, where he is surprised to see them all looking away from each other and quiet.

"I'd like to talk with all of you one by one; can I have a room be arranged?"