* * *

“…Ha… Hahaha! What a terrible accusation!”

Security Guard Jimmyyak, after being accused by Akashiterika, as if she had already decided he was the culprit…

Froze for a moment, but immediately started laughing cheerfully, and jokingly retorted, amidst the sudden silence.

“It’s just a coincidence! I’ve always been bad at magic, even when I was an active adventurer, so when I hear about someone attacking someone, I tend to think they used a weapon! And yet, to be treated as a criminal because of that… Please spare me!”

And lastly, he turned down the corners of his mouth, furrowed his eyebrows, and made a displeased expression to show his protest.

But Akashiterika didn’t mind his protest.

“…Or rather… Considering the circumstances, there’s no one else who could be Gaisha-san’s accomplice in the theft, and his murderer.”

Saying that, this time she directly stated that Security Guard Jimmyyak was the culprit!

“Gaisha-san was trying to frame Kotsukotsu-san for the theft. That’s clear from the fact that he brought the Superbad Jeweled Crown all the way to the front of this women’s changing room. So Kotsukotsu-san can’t be the accomplice.”

Akashiterika, lightly swinging the Superbad Jeweled Crown in her hand, then turned to Yarkinek, who was watching the situation unfold with a pale face.

“And Yarkinek-san already left work around 6 PM yesterday. Director Rakigataa, what time does this museum close?”

“…5:30 PM.”

“So, if Yarkinek-san was the accomplice, then Gaisha-san would have stolen the Superbad Jeweled Crown from the treasure vault between 5:30 and 6 PM, which is strange. Gaisha-san was trying to frame one of his colleagues by making them work overtime. If that’s the case, then the actual time of his crime should be much later. There’s no reason for him to rush the crime while there are still many people around in the evening. Therefore, Yarkinek-san, who left work early yesterday, can’t be the accomplice either. In other words…”

Here, Akashiterika slowly extended her arm… and pointed her index finger at Security Guard Jimmyyak.

“You, who were on night duty last night, are the culprit… Jimmyyak-san.”

She declared!

Everyone’s gaze turned to Security Guard Jimmyyak at once.

No one spoke.

The silence seemed to last forever.

The one who broke it was—

“…Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…”

—Jimmyyak’s long, long sigh.

“…So, where’s the proof?”

And then Jimmyyak, glaring at Akashiterika, his eyes wide, said—

“Hey, Beautiful Girl Detective, everything you’ve been saying is just conjecture, isn’t it? Do you have any physical evidence? Huh?”

His tone completely changed… into a rough, threatening one!

His intimidation is intense!

His entire body is radiating killing intent, and Yarkinek, who has no combat experience, turned pale and moved away from Jimmyyak.

But Akashiterika isn’t intimidated.

She didn’t look away from Jimmyyak, but smiled.

“Then let me examine you. You should have it with you right now… Teodartes’s Plate.”

She declared that firmly.

“.………..”

Jimmyyak was at a loss for words, a single bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

“Considering Gaisha-san’s goal, he only needed to steal the Superbad Jeweled Crown. But actually, Teodartes’s Plate was also stolen. That’s because you, his accomplice, wanted it, didn’t you?”

“…………”

“This is also conjecture, but you wanted Teodartes’s Plate for some reason. And then, perhaps during your patrol… you happened to see Gaisha-san trying to steal the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown from the treasure vault. You saw that as a perfect opportunity. You threatened Gaisha-san, saying that you would ‘reveal his crime’, and tried to steal Teodartes’s Plate, taking advantage of his plan.”

“…………”

“And you had him hide Teodartes’s Plate in the same place as the Superbad Divine Jeweled Crown, and escaped the investigation for the time being. And then, you accompanied him for his final act of framing Kotsukotsu-san. To keep him from telling anyone that you were his accomplice, since you have his decisive weakness.”

“…………”

“But at the last minute, a disagreement arose. Perhaps Gaisha-san… couldn’t bear his guilty conscience? Did he say something like ‘Let’s stop this’? But you couldn’t let Gaisha-san confess his crime. Because if that happened, your crime would also be revealed.”

“…………”

“That’s why you killed Gaisha-san… Using Teodartes’s Plate!”

“…EEEEHHHHHHHHHH!?”

Here!

Detective Munodes let out a strange cry!

“Wait, wait, wait, Akashiterika-chan! The murder weapon… was Teodartes’s Plate!?”

Akashiterika nodded seriously.

“Yes… Although it’s called ‘Teodartes’s Plate’… there’s a hole in the center of that treasure, isn’t there? A plate… with a hole… Perhaps it was actually… a chakram.”

“Hmm, g-gufufu… Certainly, that theory has been whispered before. But we couldn’t test it, so it was just a hypothesis…!”

Director Rakigataa, stroking his chin, groaned, listening to Akashiterika’s deduction.

“And not just an ordinary chakram. Probably some kind of magic weapon. Something that continues to rotate at high speed if you chant the correct activation phrase and pour mana into it. That’s why… after cutting Gaisha-san’s neck, Teodartes’s Plate continued to spin…”

“Ah! And the blood was scattered by centrifugal force, creating the long, linear bloodstains on the corridor wall! I see, if it was just an ordinary chakram, it would have been stuck in his neck, and lost most of its momentum, so it wouldn’t create bloodstains like that!”

Saying that.

Director Rakigataa and Detective Munodes slowly started moving away from Jimmyyak.

“…………”

His previous serious and cheerful impression was gone… The aura that Security Guard Jimmyyak is emitting now, without a word… is that of a dangerous beast.

If anyone makes a careless move, they’ll be attacked.

He’s emitting such a terrifying killing intent that everyone can feel it.

But there was someone here who wasn’t afraid of Security Guard Jimmyyak at all.

…Emi!

“Hey, you, cut it out.”

Emi, without hesitation, took a step closer to Jimmyyak.

“That blood smell is terrible. Hurry up, and show us what you’re hiding under your leather armor.”

Saying that, she snorted!

Emi’s fantasy sense of smell had already seen through him!

That the man before her is hiding a weapon…!

“…………K-Kukuku, kekekekeke…”

After a moment of silence, after Emi pointed out the existence of the weapon.

Jimmyyak started laughing creepily, his shoulders shaking.

“Kekeke… Wow, amazing, amazing, you’re completely right! As expected of the Beautiful Girl Detective!”

And glaring at Akashiterika, his eyes wide, he slowly clapped his hands—Clap, clap.

His eyes… are clouded with killing intent.

It seems that he hasn’t given up.

“Hey, Beautiful Girl Detective… can you solve this mystery? Why do you think I, despite the possibility of being cornered like this, having the existence of the weapon exposed, continued to carry Teodartes’s Plate with me… without hiding it anywhere?”

Saying that, Jimmyyak… took out a sparkling, rainbow-colored disc from his chest… inserted his right index finger into the hole in the center… and started spinning it.

“That is…”

Akashiterika, wary of Jimmyyak’s movements, was about to answer his question.

…But before she could finish!

“Magic Disc ‘Murder Disc’, activate!!”

Jimmyyak suddenly chanted the activation phrase, and poured mana into Teodartes’s Plate… or rather, the Magic Disc ‘Murder Disc’!

CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!

And then, emitting a high-pitched sound, the rainbow-colored chakram started spinning at high speed, around Jimmyyak’s index finger!

“It’s to force my way out of a predicament like thiiiis!!!”

And then, Jimmyyak, shouting that, swung his arm back and… threw the Magic Disc ‘Murder Disc’ at Akashiterika with all his might!

Gliding through the air, with a high-pitched sound!

The rainbow-colored disc flies straight towards Akashiterika’s neck!

“UWAAAAH!?”

“Akashiterika-sama!”

Detective Munodes and Director Rakigataa, too surprised, couldn’t move!

But… they can’t be blamed.

Screaming, their faces pale—

That’s all an ordinary person can do!

“…………”

But.

But!

It’s fine.

There’s a superhuman here!

…Emi is here!!

“【Black Armor】.”

Emi quickly jumped in front of Akashiterika, and held up her left arm before her, the back of her hand facing Jimmyyak.

And then, at that moment!

Her left arm was covered in a jet-black… somehow disgusting… armor-like something!

CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!

Gari, gari, gari, gari!

The next moment, the rainbow-colored Murder Disc hit Emi’s 【Black Armor】, and started scattering jet-black mist and sparks, making a deafening sound!

But Emi’s terrifying armor regenerates, the damaged parts instantly restored!

She will never let Jimmyyak’s killing intent reach Akashiterika!

“RAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

And then, Emi swung her left arm, covered in 【Black Armor】.

The rainbow-colored Murder Disc, which had been clinging to her left arm, changed its trajectory, flew towards the corridor wall, and—

CHIIIIIIIIIIII—

—Deeply embedded itself there, finally stopping.

“N-…”

Jimmyyak, seeing that, let out a dumbfounded voice, his mouth agape.

But he couldn’t continue.

Because!

“Raaaaah!”

The next moment, Emi stepped towards him, closing the distance in an instant!

And to his abdomen!

At a speed invisible to the eye, she unleashed a punch!

“GUBEHHHH!?”

Jimmyyak, punched in the stomach, his body bent over, was blown all the way to the wall at the end of the corridor, and—

DOOOOOON!!

“GAHAAH!?”

—His back crashed against it, his body embedded in the wall… and he slumped down.

“…Fuu…”

Emi, confirming that Jimmyyak was no longer moving, lowered her guard, and exhaled.

“…Akashiterika, did you predict this?”

And turning around, she asked the detective, looking exasperated.

“To a certain extent.”

“Don’t do anything dangerous.”

“It’s fine!”

Emi’s tone is somewhat accusatory.

But Akashiterika, crossing her arms, puffing out her chest, confidently smiled and said!

“Because I believed… that Emi would save me!”

“…………”

Emi, speechless at those words…

Turned her back to Akashiterika again, exhaled deeply, and scratched her cheek.

If this work was truly “Beautiful Girl Detective Akashiterika!”, then perhaps it would be fine to end the story here.

But this is “The Reincarnated Extra”.

This is where the real story begins.

Arc 24 will continue for a little longer.

I hope you’ll continue to read.