Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Damn it,” Light Yagami muttered softly as the tears blurring his vision fell across his cheek. He lay on the floor of the warehouse - his clothes sticking uncomfortably to his skin because of the blood from his gunshot wounds.

He knew he was about to die whether Ryuk wrote his name or not. That idiot Matsuda… He didn’t expect the man to shoot him with obvious intent to kill. 

His eyes focused on the shinigami. After all these years, he had gotten too comfortable with the being. He forgot the initial terror he felt knowing that Ryuk could kill him should he no longer give entertainment.

He looked back on his life with nothing but regret…

He lay quietly, the life no longer present in his eyes. A heart attack. He, Kira, died the very same way he took lives. He was sure a god out there enjoyed the irony.

Light jolted awake, his hand clutching his chest. His body was free from the stinging pain of bullet wounds - wait a minute. There was no way… Once a name is penned, they are sent with death. He couldn’t have…

The smell of dust from the warehouse combined with the metallic blood vanished. Frantic eyes scanned the place he was in.

His vision was erratic. He had no idea whether this was a figment of his imagination or reality. After all, he couldn’t be in his old room. He put his hand on his head, applying pressure and somehow grounding himself.

“Light, have you seen my-… There it is!” A familiar voice barged into his room gleefully as she took something from his desk. His shoulders tensed as he saw her .

At that moment, his sight focused on her.

“Sayu?!” He unconsciously exclaimed. She was… the same as she had been 6 years ago. Her hair was up in a half ponytail, accentuating her more childish appearance.

“Jeez, you’re more surprised than normal.” She quipped in a teasing tone.

The last time he had seen his sister, her eyes were devoid of the brightness it had now. It was when she had just been retrieved from those kidnappers… All for that notebook. All because of the Kira case.

No… It wasn’t his fault. It was all because of Mello and his connection to the Mafia.

He had no reason to feel this… pang of guilt. This overwhelming feeling had driven him to avoid meeting his family at all costs, especially after his father’s death-

He stopped his train of thought. There were more important issues at hand and he needed to stay rational. Always stay calm and collected. Emotions cloud your judgment.

She peered into his table and looked confused at his actions. “You just took the practice college exams, right? Why are you still studying? Take a break you math whiz.” 

The practice college exams? Could it be that he traveled back in time? The possibility exists…

“Hey, are you okay, Light? You look as pale as Hideki Ryuga.” She said with amusement.

“O-of course I am.” He cleared his throat. He needed to arouse no suspicion. He had been involuntarily shaking and Sayu’s keen senses might catch on that. 

“Did you really need to mention Hideki Ryuga? I’m better looking than him.” He said pridefully, trying to hide the tremble in his voice. He attempted to imitate their old friendly banter. Sayu… no longer was this close to him after those years. It’s strange how he only noticed it now. What could have changed?

“WHAT?! You’re not as dreamy as him!” She exaggerated, making him laugh.

He looked at her fondly… He missed this. Their relationship before everything - before becoming Kira.

He missed her . The Sayu that never returned after the incident. After she had been hospitalized.

Pain pooled in his chest alongside the nostalgia. What had he done… He could feel tears start forming. He needed to get her out before his facade cracked.

He got up and faced away from her, dropping on his bed. Looking at the clock, his prep course must have finished an hour ago.

“I’m going to sleep, Sayu.” He said calmly, not trusting his voice any longer as his tears fell.

“Huh? Dinner’s soon and Dad should get home any second now.” She said accusingly. “Well, with all your studying, I’d sleep till I’m 40.” She added, thinking of giving him space. She might have bought his lies or… she felt that something was wrong. 

Once the door closed with a click, he allowed himself to breathe, sniffing as his nose filled. He knew he should look into his predicament but… this void of sadness was not letting him. In the past (or another timeline?), he had destroyed his family. 

His father… dead. His sister, traumatized and broken. All under his watch, his reign as L and Kira. He should have had the power to prevent those events from happening. He should have…

He could now.

For the first time in a while, hope flourished through his face. He could start over again. He could destroy that notebook, consequences be damned. Or… Would he return to be Kira and win against Near? He had been doing the right thing… For injustice that-

No, that sounded like the naive teen boy that he no longer was. The world was not black or white. 

He covered his mouth as he gasped. Was he Kira in the wrong?

But all he did was kill criminals, right? 

No…

He remembered the time that he lost his memories. He truly believed that Kira was evil. He was biased towards himself. Ryuk was right, if he had succeeded, the only evil person left… was him.

When did he go too far? Was it the minor criminals? Naomi Misora? Raye Pember and the FBI? 

That question can be answered later. He rose and quickly opened his computer, distracting himself from his raging thoughts. The practice exam results were in 6 days… It meant that the note would drop tomorrow . He had a day to decide what he wanted to do with the death note.

He subconsciously hugged a pillow, seeking comfort as the sheets dampened with his tears. 

“Light, it’s time for dinner!” His mother called out. Her voice… He forgot the last time he heard her without sadness seeping into her words. 

He took a shaky inhale as he coughed. “I’m coming, Mom. I’m in the bathroom.” 

He calmly entered and washed his eyes with cold water, hoping to stop the swelling of his eyes. A quivering sigh was heard. He quickly cleaned himself up, freezing as he saw… himself.

There. Right in front of him. In the mirror, sharp eyes cut right through his facade. A shiver of discomfort ran across his spine. 

He put a tentative hand on his cheek, examining his face. Comparisons rushed through his head. A picture of him was taped on a cabinet. A picture of Light Yagami. All he saw right now… was Kira.

Sure, he retained his softer features yet - the look in his eyes, the look of a killer’s gave all the difference. Moreover, he was more… tense. 

Even his terror, all so obvious to his internal feelings, was not expressed through his face. How… How much had he changed? No wonder Sayu noticed something. He looked like he lost his humanity which maybe he did .

“Light?” Sayu shouted, startling him out of his thoughts.

He quickly shut off the faucet and rushed downstairs, mumbling an apology.

“Are you alright, dear?” Mom asked.

“Yeah, Mom. Sorry, I zoned out a little.” He excused himself, placing his hand sheepishly on the back of his head.

They started eating as his sister watched a music program. He responded when his mother interacted with him as he tried to hide the conflicting thoughts. He remembered a time like this. He was bored. But he was happy.

He jolted as the doorbell rang, his eyes widening. Dad…

“Dad’s home!” Sayu said happily.

“Welcome home, dear.” She said gleefully as Sayu gave him a hug. 

“Hi, Daddy!” 

“Dad, welcome home.” He said as calmly as possible. 

“Thanks…” He said as he took off his coat and joined the table. 

He bit his cheek to avoid his grimace. He avoided eye contact as his breathing destabilized. He placed his hand on his pulse and tried to steady his heartbeat. 

“You look tired, Light.” His father commented, making him look directly at him. “How was school?”

“S-Same as usual. I was just thinking about the practice exam.” He lied.

After his father died, whenever he tried to remember his face, all he could see were pale skin alongside lifeless and tired features. Seeing this… younger and happier version brought both joy and… guilt.

Guilt that was choking him right now.

“I’m sure you shouldn’t worry about it. You’re top of your class, I can always count on you.” Sayu said as she grinned.

“I agree, dear. Was your prep course helpful?”

“Yes, it was, Mom. You’re both right, I should relax.” He said with a smile. He had already deceived his family before, so he could do it again. 

He opened his eyes with a gasp… again .

Confusion washed over him as he surveyed his surroundings. He was in his old room. Right, he had traveled into the past. 

He sat up with a sigh but something was wrong. The smell of blood filled the room…

Mom? Sayu? Dad?

Panicked, he opened the door only to see… Naomi Misora? 

She had lifeless eyes, beady like the ones strung on a doll. With a shriek, he stepped back, his heart beating faster.

“Do you really think you can get away from everything? Your sins?” She said, almost in a whisper. Her voice was not human, having the same qualities as a recording.

“What?” He said terrified.

“Why you? Why do you deserve a second chance? After everything you’ve done. After everything you took away from me!” She said, getting louder and louder as her anger grew.

“I-I’m sorry…” He said quietly.

“You’re only apologizing to stave off your own guilt. But you will never do. You will never heal.” She said ominously as she reached out to him.

Her arms were rotten and deteriorated as if she had been a corpse. His brain screamed at him to run, to fight, or to do something .

But, almost like he was not in control of his own body, he sat still, feeling her cold wrath.

He woke up in the middle of the night, disoriented and his lip was quivering. His cheeks were once again wet with tears as he kicked his covers and hugged his knees. 

His thoughts raced but he started calming himself down. It had been nothing. 

“It was merely a dream…” He said out loud as if to lie to comfort himself. He had recurring nightmares when he was Kira, filled with anxiety and fear. No, something was missing.

They were usually prompted by guilt .

That’s false… Of course, they were. He was doing the right thing! Naomi… Raye… L… They brought their deaths to themselves when they opposed him.

Right?

He slowed down his breathing, rushing to the bathroom to gather himself. He thanked quietly that he had experience dealing with these because he didn’t want to arouse suspicion. Especially since his Dad was home. 

Hurt rivaled through his chest when remembering his father. The kind of hurt that he would push away and forget. 

He wiped away the sweat off his face. He knew that it was no use to sleep in this condition. At least, without any drug to help him. (Not the illegal kind, of course. He was a serial killer, not a drug addict.)

He went back to his room and opened his computer. It was currently 1 am on Tuesday which meant that he had to wake up early. He sighed in annoyance. He was in no mood to return to school after… everything.

He never wanted to do it again.

He slumped into his chair at the revelation. He… didn’t want to ever go through that experience ever again. The guilt had been eating him alive, even now when he was technically innocent.

What will happen once he no longer has that?

Maybe… Near was right . He Kira was nothing but a crazy serial killer. 

Emotions overwhelmed him to the point where he felt like he wanted to vomit. Yet, the strangest one was… peace. Almost like it can’t be real.

After all this time trying to justify Kira, his conscience rested as he admitted his flaws to himself. 

Determination rushed through his body. He knew what he had to do. He had to destroy the Death Note so that no one else had to suffer what he went through.

A small smile formed on his lips. He hoped his resolve wouldn’t falter as he gave a quiet yawn. 

He sighed as tiredness sagged his body, making him finally sleep.

His alarm ran which awoke him from his dreamless sleep. He quickly took a bath as anticipation rushed through him.

That shinigami would drop the book today .

He continued his old routine, making sure not to change his behavior. He played it casually as he spoke to old faces.

No matter what he did, his mind caused him to focus only on the window where he would see it fall. His breathing was uneven yet… he couldn’t care if they saw. 

The Death Note - he was sure that only a few could resist it.

Of course, most would not believe it. At first, that is. It was what happened to him yet the temptation of the power it provided was deadly. He shuddered at the thought of it going into the wrong hands. That, he will prevent.

His focus had been strictly at the window, tuning out everything yet… the class had ended.

It never fell.

Panic overwhelmed his thoughts. Where was the Death Note now?! Did Ryuk not drop it? Or did it go to a completely different place? Multiple theories and explanations he desperately came up with for a single drop of hope… Hope that he didn’t fail.

No, clear your mind of any assumptions. He needed to compose himself and think rationally.

That was who he was - Light Yagami, the methodical killer that considered every detail.

If Ryuk never drops the book, then it should be of no concern to him. What he needed to do now was to monitor deaths. 

Considering the last location it fell into, the Kanto region of Japan should be observed tediously. Most likely, they would test it out first which meant that he needed to prioritize heart attacks. 

It was… a slippery situation. Should this hypothesized Kira never make themselves known, it would be a difficult game to play.

“Light, you okay?” A schoolmate who he didn’t bother to remember the name of asked. Well, he was part of his circle back then…

“Yeah,” He said nonchalantly. 

“We were about to get home, come on, man.” He nagged as he took his bag.

Ahh, he remembered now. They would usually walk together back in his high school days. He supposed he could hang out with them for now. It would be strange if he strayed from his norm. 

He barely added to their discussion but he made sure to make his presence known. He stirred the conversation without having to contribute much. That, and false laughter. 

How he forgot the sadistic joy of easily manipulating others. A joy that he… wished he didn’t feel. The self-serving satisfaction from pulling strings - how he could get high in this sense of power.

He was… like this before the Death Note. Sure, it was harmless, but did the book really corrupt him or bring out a side of himself that was always there?

Yes, he was innocent before, but was he a good person?

He sighed as he waved goodbye. He had more important things to dwell on rather than the dilemma of his morality.

“I’m home.” He announced as he went into his room. He didn’t need the measures he took once he got the notebook but out of habit, he reached for a pencil lead that wasn’t there.

Oh… right. Should he place them again? But why would he need the knowledge of someone going into his room? He had nothing to hide (anymore).

Maybe it was his paranoia, but maybe he’ll install them tomorrow. Before he leaves school.

He rushed to his computer, turning on the news. The thing about the Kira case was… he only could determine if Kira even existed once they killed. Meaning, he couldn’t save those lives - no, he couldn’t save the conscience of the new Kira.

He shook his head. Why would he feel inclined to help them? All he wanted to do was to make sure that no one else got lost in the power of the note. Should some sacrifices be made to destroy it, the prevention of more deaths is worth it. Besides, it was out of his control. All he could do now was to reduce the casualties. 

If there is even one.

He sighed as he hacked into the police database just as he had done before. He started at the new deaths today. Anything suspicious or out of place, he would draw out. He had to.

Old age

Old age

He listed in his mind the causes of death. 

Heart attack

He paused. It had been this afternoon, a 35-year-old female with no background of crime or conditions.

He took a new notebook and listed it off as suspicious. 

A new death was just reported.

Suffocation due to choking

The first criminal, a 43-year-old male, died an hour ago. He listed it offhandedly.

He yawned as he woke up early for another school day. A silent curse for the school system was muttered as he dragged himself to the bathroom.

His eyes instinctively averted as he saw himself. Almost like how one would avoid eye contact with someone disgraceful. He relaxed himself as he started his routine.

He had thoroughly cleaned the deaths that happened yesterday, working until he had one hour of sleep.

He slouched as he ignored the tiredness making his body feel like a weight dragging him down. He supposed coffee could help.

Well, his role as L trained his body to-

He took it all back as he stepped out and saw his reflection. His eyes widened as he saw dark circles beneath them. This… wasn’t the image of the perfect Light Yagami.

He really shouldn’t have pushed himself too much. Of course, this younger version of himself wouldn’t be the same as his body in the past. Why… did he overlook that? 

He only acted as L, he didn’t need to look the part.

As if a God was on his side, he saw a solution on the bathroom sink. Seems like Sayu had forgotten her concealer.

He internally apologized as he used his sister’s cosmetics. He imitated Misa’s actions from his observations and fixed himself. Not too noticeable.

He made it seem as if it had been untouched and swiftly left. A relief that they had similar skin tones.

He placed the countermeasures on his door before going downstairs. The smell of his mother’s nostalgic cooking filled the air.

“Light, since when do you drink coffee?” His sister appeared behind him, almost making him drop his cup. It had been his habit to drink some in the morning.

She grimaced at the smell, her nose scrunching in disgust.

“Don’t be like that. You might do the same once you start studying for college.” He teased, flicking her nose lightly.

“And trade away half of my years? I’d rather not.”

“It doesn’t work that way-“ 

“Shh, science whiz.” She cut him off with a grin.

“Sayu, stop bullying your brother,” Mom said fondly as she placed their breakfast in front of them. 

“And Light, did you get enough sleep? Don’t tire yourself studying, you look a little tired.” She said sweetly.

That was good confirmation. Mom would be more concerned if she wasn’t tricked by the makeup.

“Alright, Mom. The entrance exams are near and I don’t want to fail.” He lied.

“You? Fail? As if. You’re amazing, Light!” His sister laughed.

He sighed. “What do you want from that store on my way home.” 

She gasped in mock offense. “I was just giving you a compliment. Is that so bad? Also, could you buy me a rice ball if there are any?” She said the last part as she considered the opportunity.

“There it is. Sure, Sayu.” He said as he ate a piece of the omelet his mother cooked. Oh… how he missed her cooking. 

“This meal is delicious, Mom.” He said after a few more bites.

“Thank you, dear. Be careful you both… 100 criminals died at the same time this morning.” She said with fear.

At that moment, he froze. His eyes narrowed as he realized that Ryuk had dropped the notebook. Which meant that this Kira planned when exactly they all would die. No one would write that large amount without checking if the notebook was real, of course.

Which meant that Kira tested it out yesterday. That is if Ryuk dropped it at the same time that he did in the past. No matter what, he’ll figure out what that first murder was. He’ll make the most of Kira’s first mistake.

“How curious,” L muttered. 100 criminals - all with crimes that didn’t receive the death sentence, died at midnight UTC. All of heart attacks.

Mysterious murders. Mysterious circumstances. All of them took his interest.

The game begins.

Chapter Text

Ryuk flew boredly to the person who now owned his Death Note. Well, humans are such funny creatures. All righteous and… entertaining.

Anticipation and excitement went through him. When given such a power, they forget that someone is stronger. And the possible fear in their eyes… staved off the boredom.

He found the location and passed into their room. It had been extremely decorated with human-esque trinkets and papers that he didn’t recognize. It was bright yet soulless. 

If Rem saw this, she’ll probably use her fancy words or “vocabulary”. What a pain. What did she say again… Right, meretricious?

He rolled his eyes, placing his interest on the human in front of him. He laughed quietly. This human was young and by the sayings of the others, they brought the most fun.

She had a skirt and shirt similar to the ones near her house. Probably a school uniform. What’s strange is her hair. This… seemed like the fashion of the human world. One he couldn’t understand.

Upon his laugh, she looked quickly at him. Terror washed over her as she shrieked loudly. She fell out of her chair, making her hair go all over her face.

Her face… was strange. Cosmetics made her look unnatural.

She was the complete opposite of what he heard about human styles. How fun.

“Yo.” He said casually with satisfaction. “Why are you so surprised to see me? I’m Ryuk, the shinigami who dropped that notebook.” 

“A shinigami?!” She said breathlessly before something shifted her expression. She pushed the strands away from her eyes as she spoke.

“Ahh, the death God… I-I’ve been expecting you, Ryuk.” She said calmly as she stood up. “You must be looking for this.”

She held the Death Note between two fingers, swinging it slightly. She handed it over to him as a drop of sweat dripped down her temple.

Curiously, he opened it up. He heard of many Death Notes making it into the human world but most people would be too scared. She seemed like that type. 

His eyes widened as he flipped through the pages with not a single space taken… All rows with endless columns were used except for the first few.

“hah… HAHAHAHAHAH,” He exclaimed uncontrollably. “This is amazing… No one’s ever written this many in just five days.” He said with amusement.

“I’m prepared for the consequences, Ryuk.” She said confidently. “I got rid of criminals that deserved to die but the system said otherwise.” She said bitterly.

“Consequences?” He laughed. “There’s none, for now. The moment a Death Note lands in the human world, it belongs to the human who first touched it. So, it’s yours.” He said, extending the o. “If you don’t want it, give it to another human and I’ll erase your memories of the Death Note.”

“M-Mine..?” She tentatively asked, her eyes glimmering with the power he provided. “And what do you mean with for now?” She said quickly.

“Hyuk, hyuk,” He laughed. “There is the terror and torment that the humans who’ve used it will experience.” He emphasized. “And when you die, I’ll be the one writing your name down. The notebook, after all, is our bond. Naturally, you’ll be the only one who can hear or see me.” 

He went into her balcony to show it, dropping dramatically into a crowd of humans before flying back up.

“When I die you say..? By the end of my natural lifespan?” She asked once he returned. 

“Not exactly. That is, I choose when you die.” He threatened only to see her reaction. “And don’t think that any human who’s used the Death Note can go to heaven or hell.” 

“Hahaha… I see. I never believed in heaven or hell anyway. Are there any more limitations or rules other than the ones written here?” 

“There are.” He said smugly. “But I am not required to tell you anything. I wrote down the important things, anyway.” 

“One last question.” She cleared her throat. “Why did you drop the notebook?”

“It was an acciden-“ 

“I doubt it since you graciously wrote how to use it.” She surprised him. She had been somewhat nice and he expected her to pretend to gain his favor.

“Be careful, I do decide when I want to kill you.”

“You do… But I’m still alive, aren’t I? You want something from this bond.” She stated, not asked.

“Hmm, you’re right. I want…” He paused for effect “entertainment.” 

He laughed at her shocked reaction. “Where I come from is a world of bone and dust. And all I am is always bored. It’s weird for a shinigami to say but I just didn’t really feel alive. They all just sit and gamble all day. It’s more fun to be here, I figured.” 

“I-I see…” She visibly relaxed. 

“Gotta say though that you wrote a bunch of names here.” 

“I… I was making a statement.” 

“A statement?” He asked. Humans are strangely entertaining beings. From these names, hundreds of deaths must have occurred… And all for a statement. He surveyed the deaths. “You first killed 102… people? At the same time? And only one is specified - your first murder.”

“Yes. If hundreds of these lowlives die from heart attacks - abusers, terrorists, and murderers, it’s like saying that people like them will suffer the same fate. People will notice me. Fear will spread and people will no longer commit crimes.”

“Plus, I kill an extra 10 men every day - perverts, stalkers, rapists. You see, Ryuk, in this world, men are seen as… greater than women. They take advantage of this higher social standing-“ Jeez she has fancy words like Rem. “-and bring harm upon us… Those I do with accidents. They can’t say that I’m targeting men but that’s what they’ll feel. Silently, they’ll realize… I will bring change into this world. A world with peace - without criminals…” 

“Then the only one left will be you.” He cooed.

“You’re wrong… I’m just doing what it takes to fix the world. The ends justify my means. So what if a few hundred criminals die when future murders will be prevented?” She said as she laughed softly.

He hid his mischievous grin. Humans… always thinking you’re right. This is interesting.

L overlooked the ICPO meeting. They were discussing the case of the serial murders happening around the globe dubbed the “Kira Case”. Interpol was quick to act, which was understandable considering the stakes. Oh well, this was one case he needed the cooperation of the police. 

“389 in the past week! And that’s just the ones we know about. Every single one was from cardiac arrest. All of the victims were criminals who were behind bars or pursued by the police. The death toll will increase to over 500 should we assume that criminals whose whereabouts are unknown have died.”

They were somewhat accurate. Sounds of discourse followed, making him roll his eyes.

“I think we have no choice but to call for L.” A Japanese representative stated. 

More fighting ensued which made him send Watari. This is why he preferred working alone.

“Good afternoon. This is L.” He said through the voice changer. “The case before us is unprecedented in scope and difficulty. In order to solve it, I request the full cooperation of police worldwide, especially in Japan.” 

Light gritted his teeth as he analyzed every detail. About 100 deaths per day at 9:00 am, all dying of heart attacks. 

None of the victims were sentenced to death - meaning that Kira was sending the message that the judicial ruling was unfair.

A bold statement to all countries, considering that their murders were worldwide. Well, he had no room to talk. He knew what it felt like to play the judge, jury and executioner. What Kira doesn’t know is that a one-person system is going to be flawed. No one was perfect, after all. 

The crimes were all major and violence-related, usually murder itself. He was quick to notice the pattern… and so was the mass media.

He experienced this before. The sensalization of the serial killer that was Kira. No, he controlled it. Websites had also begun to appear.

That was unimportant right now. From these pieces of evidence, he could narrow down his suspects.

He noticed an extra detail. The death rate of men has increased ever so slightly. At the same time the Kira deaths started. Of course, it was ignored… because they don’t know Kira can kill people outside of heart attacks. 

But it was there. And it was too constant to be a coincidence. These were people with accusations of violence against women.

This type of anger… most likely comes from someone who suffers in this system that they are changing. He would have agreed had they chosen other measures to express it.

With this in mind, he created his criminal profile in his notebook.

• Female.
• Age range of 14-20.
• Naive with a lack of experience and knowledge from their beliefs.
• Has a strong sense of justice despite the misconceptions they seem to have.
• Advocates against injustice.
• Methodical and careful, hiding the fact that they can manipulate the time and circumstances of death.
• Bold first murder spree, they want to be noticed. 

For someone so cautious, he figured that their first victim must not have been killed by a heart attack. They may had the world believing they could only kill at the start of a day, but death by a heart attack would be connected to Kira either way. At least, the possibility was there. 

He let the pen roll out of his hand as he sat back on his chair. He narrowed down Kira’s first victim in 10 people. Well, he’ll create suspects once the kill of the day occurs. 

By the timeline, Ryuk should have met them already. He counted the time as it approached 9 am. 

“Huh,” He said out loud. Only 20 criminals today… Which meant that they were unsure whether their time was limited before Ryuk got to them. 

He started researching again before Sayu tried to open his door.

“Light!” She said, extending the i. “Why do you have to lock your door?” She asked as she rattled the door knob.

“Oh, Sayu.” He sighed as he opened his door.

“Huh? What are you doing?” She said as he closed his notebook.

“Oh you know, investigating the Kira case. It’s intriguing.” He said casually. It was not out of character since he had helped the police before. 

“You’re going to be a detective when you grow up, right? Wow, you’re studying for that too. When will laziness haunt you?”

She laughed as he sat at his desk. “Is this why you locked your door? Scared of some supernatural killer targeting you?” She smiled as she waved his pen around, making wooshing noises.

“What do you need, Sayu?” He said gently.

“Let’s go to the mall-“ She was interrupted by an announcement from his television. Lind L Tailor. He quickly took his pen and sat near the screen.

This… L’s first move. He was sure that the man could profile Kira better than him. This was crucial. That is - he would analyze L’s psychoanalysis.

He quickly started taping the program.

“Jeez, what was that?” Sayu said as she walked near him curiously.

“We are interrupting the program to bring you a live, globally televised broadcast from Interpol. I am Lind L. Tailor, more commonly known as L. Criminals have been the target of a killing spree that has turned into the biggest mass murder case in history. This monstrous crime must be stopped at all costs. The perpetrator commonly known as “Kira” will be caught. I guarantee it.” 

Here it was, the sentence that would give him the information he needed.

“Kira, I think I have a pretty good idea of why you’re doing this… Except that you are nothing but a criminal. Just like the ones you punish. You think you may have good intentions but your actions are evil. You want to bring change but your actions are exactly like the mindsets you are against.”

He scribbled down quickly what he said.

“Police worldwide have launched a coordinated-“ 

“What are you?-“ Sayu gasped as the man died of a heart attack. He was right, they were in the Kanto region.

“I don’t believe it…” L’s familiar disguised voice broadcasted. Ryuzaki…

He shook away the memories of his former enemy. His… death on his hands both physically and metaphorically. This was not the time for his emotions to cloud his judgment. He needed this breakthrough from L.

“This was an experiment to test a hunch I had, but I never really thought that you, Kira can actually kill people without contact.” 

“Listen to me, Kira. If you just killed Lind L. Tailor, the man you saw on TV, he was a condemned criminal scheduled to die today. His arrest and conviction were kept from the media, even you had no access to that information, it seems. But I, L, do in fact exist.”

He couldn’t help but smile at the brilliance of the detective. He could use their information to help his investigation. He tapped his fingers in anticipation.

“So, come on! Kill me if you can! What are you waiting for?” 

A pause hanged in the atmosphere. Even Sayu was hooked but he knew Kira had no way of killing L. 

“I’m still here. Can’t do it, Kira? So there are people you can’t kill.” He could hear the smugness in his voice. “I didn’t expect this to work so perfectly according to plan, but… I dare say that it won’t be long till I send you to your death. It would interest me greatly to know how you carry out your murders, but that’s something I can find out after I catch you.” 

“Light?..” Sayu asked as she peeked at the contents of his notebook.

“Kira, I will bring justice to you. Till we meet again.” 

The program ended. Huh, he never revealed the other information he gathered. Like how he only broadcasted it in the specific region or how he found out that Kira was in Japan. In any case, he should note any difference and-

“Light!” Sayu said again, making him drop his notebook. “Geez, it’s not great to have an obsession with this case. You were acting creepy.” 

“I-I was..? Sorry, I just got excited over a lead. This case is mostly a dead end.”

“You should take a break. And what’s that notebook..?” 

“M-My investigation.” He calmed himself down. “I guess you’re right. I can analyze what happened later, let’s go to the mall.” He said as he took away his notebook.

“L,” Watari had called him. “The meeting with the Task Force is about to start.”

“Good, link me up.” He responded, biting his thumb. 

“Good day everyone.” He greeted dully. “The confrontation confirmed multiple data from Kira. That is - that they exist, they can kill supernaturally from afar, they can control the time of death, they need requirements in order to murder someone and they reside in the Kanto region of Japan.”

Murmurs of shock and disbelief spread. They were quiet but he couldn’t allow doubt.

“This is because, despite saying that it was a global broadcast, it was only shown to the Kanto region. It is the most populated area therefore I prioritized it. The fact that Kira was there was pure luck.” He sighed. 

The Japanese police overlooked a few criminals who were victims of Kira because they forgot that 00:00 UTC was 09:00 in JST. It was crucial because some of those criminals were only broadcasted in Japan. 

“Please take note that I strongly suspect Kira to be around the age of 14-17.” 

“L, are you saying that this is the work of a child..? Someone that age must be a student!” An officer asked with doubt.

“Yes… Their thought process resembles strongly that age group. Furthermore, please investigate the details of the victims revealed to the public before the murders.” He answered. He was sure he couldn’t quell any doubt or distrust spreading among them but it would only leave out the officers he could count on. That is, he would purposely test their resolve. Those who will only hinder him will be more helpful if they are outside the team.

“Is that all, L?” The superintendent of the NPA asked.

“Yes, thank you for your cooperation.” He said as he ended the meeting. He couldn’t share too much knowledge on his profile of Kira because there was always a risk of an information leak. Kira was… cautious. He couldn’t reveal any leverages he had. 

They were obviously naive, having a mindset people usually have in their youth - that criminals are wrong and deserve to die. Their main goal must be to lessen the crime rate. Perhaps this may be their justification for murder. 

How he disliked that. 

They also have a strong moral code, killing criminals who were nearly given the death sentence. This self-assurance to think that someone has better judgment than the law… suggests a lack of experience.

What he was going to deconstruct was why their murders lessened. It was almost constantly 100 deaths per day. Why the 80 percent decrease?

He supposed some humanity was in there. They had refused to kill Lind L. Tailor until he emotionally provoked them. Yet, it wasn’t out of anger. His death was quick. Almost as if Kira didn’t want to hear the truth - no, they were scared.

Scared of the deconstruction of their morality. How pitiful. Yet he would not let this pity hinder him. Kira - no matter if a child or not, is a murderer. In all his years, he knew that evil actions could stem from good intentions. 

And he will never condone that.

This is helpful, he guessed. Light was analyzing L’s… well, analysis. 

He must have thought the same as him. At least he felt more confident about his profile. Not that he was lacking.

Well, the murders today gave him all the information he needed. 20 criminals, excluding Lind L. Tailor, all of heart attacks. Like him, they must have gone all out these past few days. The notebook’s rules did say that it belonged to a death god.

More revealing was the non-heart attack one. A discharged policeman with accusations of domestic abuse and drug use overdosed as he robbed his dealer. It had only been local news too. 

A man with a background of injustice against women. In the Kanto region, too. It was far too much of a coincidence. And with the details, the new owner must be testing out the limitations. 

He sighed as he formed the list of his suspects. He had a list of the closest 10 people.  

It was time for him to contact them. He was going to move forward… Whether he would help L’s investigation could be answered once he met them. 

He wanted to give Kira a chance. Just like how he was given one. Uncertainty was there, sure, but it was his obligation to do the same for this Kira. To repay the God out there.

It was a selfish reason, of course. But weren’t they all selfish? L… was like that too.

He somewhat felt nauseous at the thought of that man. Uneasiness and queasy, a nervousness he can’t just push away. When it was his dad - pain was the overwhelming emotion.

Yet… when it came to Ryuzaki, feelings of guilt and disgust were the center of it all. Why..? He caused the death of both of them. What was the difference?

Was it… His hands clenched in fear and anger. Was it because he wanted Ryuzaki to die? He mourned his father’s death until a part of him died alongside Dad. But L? He faced the tragedy with triumph, leaving only satisfied with his victory. 

In a way, a part of him also died. Except, he let that happen - he made it happen. It was a conscious choice that he did with vile vigor. 

He held his hair until his fingernails dug into his scalp. He held his breath, afraid to face his pained gasps. He should be over this. He realized that he was wrong. Why is he still affected? 

Emotions… He knew could control them well. He did control them well. Why does it feel like he’s the one being controlled now? 

“Focus… focus. You have an investigation - a killer to catch.” He whispered to himself. He placed his hand to his heart as he steadied himself. 

“Hey, why did you only write 20 names?” Ryuk asked as he bit down on the apple he forced his human to get him.

“I can’t kill them all off, can’t I? I’ll be Kira for years and surely the crime rate will go down entirely. 100 names are a lot to write, too.” She sighed as she got up. 

“I need to play it safe. I’m lucky my friends talked about that show or I wouldn’t have known that L only broadcasted it around my area.” She added. He hid his laugh as he saw her wrapped around blankets. Even if she denied it, she was scared.

“Hyuk, that detective sure got you, didn’t he?” He said, spurring her on.

“For now. From what I heard, he must have shown it to the whole region. That’s still one of the most populated areas of Japan.”

“But he thinks you’re a student. That’s what your little friends said.” 

“And I’m proving him right.” 

“Now, now. What will you gain from that?” He said, intrigued.

“L told that information to the investigation team. I have no connections to them. Suure I have multiple schoolmates who do but their families are already prompting them to quit. Surely, L will investigate the police. If the task force finds this out, morale will lower and they might even go against L.”

“But you will still be suspected. What will you do if this backfires on you, kid?” 

“That’s why I’m making them go after another person. The one I just asked to come over.” She said proudly. And she claims that she’s not evil.

“Shocking. I thought she was one of your closest friends. She was the first to call you when you felt “sick” this morning.” He said with amusement. 

“She… is. But they won’t do anything without evidence. I told you she has important family members. She’ll be fine. And I could always shift the blame towards another person I hate.”

The doorbell rang as she perked up.

“Shh!” She said rudely to him.

The door opened to a black-haired girl around his human’s age. She looked concerned for Kira. How pitiful, she should be more concerned about herself.

“I’m glad you could make it!“ He covered his ears as he rolled his eyes. She always made her voice into a higher pitch as she talked to others. A deceiving friendly tone.

They shared a hug as her friend smiled. 

“Welcome, Sayu.”

Chapter Text

L bit on a slice of cake rather harshly. Kira, almost taunting him, had scattered their murders in a day. It was still all 20, like the number these past days but…

The timing was crucial. 30-minute intervals in a day, starting at 9:00 and ending at 18:30. The team had suggested that this meant that Kira couldn’t be a student yet he objected. 

It was a message - Kira is confirming that they can control the time of death. Yet, it was a taunt. They knew he suspected a young person.

Which meant that there was a data leak. Someone inside or with connections to the task force had shared information regarding the case. The question is why would Kira do something like that? Despite the main suspicion of the force being that Kira was only arrogant, it didn’t fit with his prior inferences. 

Kira was up to something. Someone that cautious wouldn’t invite him without a plan. He sighed as he called for support from the FBI. No matter what, he needed to investigate all links. 

Furthermore, people were continuously leaving the investigation team. He had predicted this, yet the rate truly accelerated. It was expected since they realized Kira needed a face and a name. 

He held no dislike for them. It was understandable. They all had lives and loved ones, he could say that it was only human.

It was beneficial on his side. It was better to have a small group that he could trust. And if it came to it, he only needed their ties to the NPA at the moment. 

Yet, distrust and doubt grew. Just as he planned, the seeds sprouted and showed those who were willing to accept them. But, he needed to control them before they broke into the ones he deemed good enough to help him.

It would only be a matter of time until he was forced to show his face. 

Light sighed. It was another day in class… one where he most anticipated recess. He was ready to move in on another suspect.

Kira… They had access to the investigation. He himself hacked into his father’s files and adjusted his profile. But Kira, they must be doing the same as he once did. However, he doubted that they had close ties with the police. News does spread, especially with a team that large (and popular).

He sighed, focusing back on his teacher. The school system… he was sure he hated it. Who wouldn’t? Their lessons bored him to no end.

So, why does he feel this… sense of calm? Almost a longing feeling. Of course, he didn’t miss the classes. That is, he missed the simpler time when all of his problems were simply his boredom.

He subtly shook his head. He was now investigating the next people on his list. Relatives of Hiroshi Feya. 

He died at 6:12 pm the day before the murders started. He died in a jail cell after choking on his medication. 

He was sent there for domestic abuse against his ex-wife, Mia Feya, matching Kira’s hidden MO. However, his case was 8 years ago and was only reported locally. 

If this was Kira’s first kill, it would have been someone close enough to the victim. He silently wished that they were. He had enough of waiting for more slip-ups from Kira.

Two main suspects fit Kira's age profile. The victim’s two daughters.

Luckily, the older of the two attended his school - Emi Feya. She was outside of his social circles but he discreetly listened into her life. 

17, very reserved and has small but closed-off friendships. She was slightly higher than average academically. But, he saw how she deeply wanted to be better.

She fit that strong sense of justice from her mother being a defense lawyer. She was also young when her father got arrested and he could see that she was traumatized. 

She is more guarded towards people, especially men. It was subtle but she always was more defensive. She would… discreetly flinch at loud noises. All of these point to her witnessing or experiencing her father’s crimes.

She also resented the justice system which must be the influence of her mother. But, in regard to Kira, she was more against them to her friends.

He hadn’t even talked to her once which meant that he couldn’t tell if she was Kira. However, she did respect (and resent) him. Possibly a small romantic crush. 

He could exploit that. 

Usually, she would play chess during breaks, challenging anyone who wanted to. The only exception to her tight availability. And it was a great way for him to better profile her. He hid a nostalgic but painful smile.

It was just like when he challenged him to play tennis.

He sighed. She also had this chess tournament that her sister would come to. He needed to get invited there.

The class finished, making his focus return. He approached the girl, plastering a small smile.

“Emi Feya, right?” He asked as she assembled a chessboard. “Do you have an opponent?”

He surveyed her appearance. She had short black hair and square glasses. No other accessories adorned her except for a golden locket. He supposed it was important to her as she hid it unconsciously from his gaze. She wore light makeup which was the beauty standard.  

“N-No,” She said as she cleared her throat. Her posture was tense and her body language suggested she was intimidated. “You can take black.” 

“Alright,” He said as he flashed her a smile. Silently, he thanked his genetics for his attractiveness. It allowed him to use his charm as his weapon of manipulation, especially during his time as Kira. 

Now he needed to tread the line carefully here. He had to deconstruct her defenses and get her to trust him. At least, enough to befriend her.

He also needed to impress her while not outplaying her skill. He wanted to feed her self-confidence, not make her feel ashamed to invite him. 

All while analyzing her psyche. Well, he had to multitask worse when he was against Ryuzaki.

She took control of the center quickly, playing e4.  He fought back with the standard Caro-Kann defense, strategizing his best path to defeat. Or a stalemate. 

Her focus only heightened with his opening. He made sure to imitate her skill, keeping the board more or less a tie. He placed a few decently made traps and matched her moves. During the endgame, he allowed her to put him in zugzwang, leaving with her winning.

He smiled as he saw the checkmate. “Wow, Emi-san! That was great.” He complimented.

“Thank you. You played well yourself, too.” 

“I feel like I can really learn a lot from you. You’re very skilled. How long have you been playing?” 

“I played casually for 4 years and professionally for the last 2 years.” She admitted.

“You mean tournaments?! That’s really impressive, Emi-san.” He said as he leaned forward, making sure to butter her up.

“Y-You could do it as well, I’m sure of that. I have to say that you challenged me more than some of my competitors.” She said shyly, fidgeting with her buttons. “How long have you been playing?”

“Only for about 3 years. I was overjoyed when I saw someone having the same hobby but I guess you can say I was too shy to approach you.” He said sheepishly. “You are very admirable, Emi-san.” 

“You didn’t have to. I would have been happy to fight against anyone…” A pause. 

“I have a tournament, tomorrow Saturday. You could come…” 

“R-Really?! Of course I will, Emi-san. I’m sure you’ll do great. Say, how about you text me the details?” He said, handing over his phone. 

She copied his number into her own phone as he cleaned up the board. It was on her schedule to get home by now.

“Here,” She said as she gave back his phone. “It’s getting late, thanks for that.” She referred to his help.

“It's only polite since I lost.”

“It was nice to meet you, Light Yagami.” She said as she had a small smile.

He waved her goodbye as he started walking back home. Emi Feya… She played confidently, letting that haste hinder her. Aggression was present in her playing style with knowledge of several helpful book moves. 

For now, she only shared a few traits with Kira. He supposed he could learn more tomorrow.

He paused as he looked around, sitting calmly on a bench. He fixed the pills rattling in his bag. Sleeping pills. The ones he bought recently alongside some concealer. He knew the saleslady wouldn’t suspect him if asked because he charmed and lied to her.

He… took a moment to just breathe . There was no one here at the moment, a time when he could take off that perfect boy mask. He put his hand right on his heart, slowing down its beat. 

All week, he had been working day and night. Who was he kidding, he was exhausted . He may have survived during the 5 years after L died, taking the role of Kira, L, and a member of the NPA, but he still was just human. 

He didn’t even want to be home. Not that he didn’t want to see his family. It was more like… he didn’t want his family to see him. To see what he could become.

No, no, no… Why were his eyes getting teary again? Didn’t he cry enough? Outside in public, too. He didn’t want to be in this emotional mess all of the time. So why were his grievances still choking him?

A drop fell, making him look around again in panic. There’s no one… but he needed to calm down. Be rational. He sighed, wiping away everything. 

He looked at the ground, collecting himself.

A leaf crunched.

His eyes widened. Someone could say that he was being paranoid, but his worst fear might be true. That this may be Raye Penber . 

Raye… wrote off that strange occurrence earlier. The kid he was following, Light Yagami, suddenly shook and wept. In honesty, he felt bad for the boy. He must be going through something right now and despite him having no right to invade his privacy, L did order them to note everything out of place.

And no one disobeyed L’s orders. He was a revered figure in the FBI. He supposed it wasn’t too bad. L wouldn’t abuse this knowledge or something. 

In the talk of Light being Kira, he doubted it. He seemed like a normal serious student. Perhaps, too serious. He saw how tired the kid looked. 

He reminded him of someone Naomi worked with in the past. One of her most repeated stories, the LABB case. Of course, he didn’t know their name as per protocol, but still. She might want to hear about this one.

He ran to the bus stop, arriving on time. He waved at Emi Feya who had her younger sister talking animatedly with her.

“Ah, it’s good to see you, Light. This is Akari, my sister.” She said as she pointed to the girl.

Akari Feya - 14 years old. He had little information of her personality but Emi’s friends did say that she was popular. He surveyed her outfit instead.

Blonde dyed hair with black highlights and colored extensions. Her face was visibly more tan than her skin color. The makeup was the most prominent indicator, with bold black pigment surrounding her eyes.

By her style, he could see that she was a type of Gyaru. He had little knowledge of the style but it was made to rebel against the beauty standards of Japan. 

Her percentage of being Kira rose. Although, he did wish that a child didn’t get the misfortune of that notebook. That sort of power… he understood now why his father called it the real evil. 

“Hi! You must be Light-san?” She said semi-energetically. Based on this alone, he could see that she was the complete opposite of her sister.

“I am…” He said back gleefully. “I hope I wasn’t too late. Good luck with your tournament, Emi-san.”

“Thank you.” She said curtly. 

“And don’t worry about tardiness, the bus still has 5 minutes.” Her sister added.

They promptly seated as the drive began. Fellow chess players joined them as conversation filled the bus.

“So, Light-san, how did you befriend my sister in a day? I’m glad because her other friends couldn’t make it.” Akari spoke as Emi looked out on the windows, obviously nervous.

“I lost to her in chess.” He said sheepishly. “I have to say, you’re one of the best players in our school, Emi-san.” He validated her again. 

“He’s right, Emi.” Akari laughed. “You’ll do great later. But stand in line, Light-san, I am my sister’s biggest supporter.” She said proudly. 

Huh, it was obvious that she admired her older sister. Even her mannerisms she sometimes replicated. In a way, it reminded him of his own sister.

“Sure, Akari.” She brushed her off. Her sister only smiled but he saw the slight coldness in her tone. Could Emi hold a small resentment against her sister? No, it was too early to tell. 

Well, for now, he needed to stir the conversation into a topic he could get something out of. “I have to say, your makeup looks impressive, Akari.” 

“Oh wow, thanks.” She sounded slightly surprised. “I made it so that people would find it ugly, you know.” She laughed.

“Ugly to others. I think it’s very pretty and they don’t understand the effort.” He said honestly (although exaggerated). After seeing Misa take hours to get prepared by a professional, he understood the skill needed (not that he thought it was necessary, at the time).

But makeup as a form of rebellion, he could support that.

She perked up, excitement swirling in her eyes. “He sees. He sees, Emi.”

“Please don’t encourage her.” She said with a sigh. “Don’t you think you’re too young for that style?” 

“Come on, Emi, Light-san likes it. Well, I did hear that you were top of your class. Explains your great taste.” She said and in the corner of his eye, he saw Emi bristle.

“You and I, we’re both nerds.” She laughed but a sliver of discomfort passed through her tone. Almost as if she forced herself to say that. How interesting. The word “nerd” was usually a derogatory term. 

Emi cringed but her mood seemed to rise.

Akari was… bringing them down whilst making it seem like an attempt to relate with him. She saw. She knew her sister’s insecurities with academics. 

She was more emotionally intelligent than she let on.

They continued to converse until they finally arrived. Emi was now playing as they watched on the sidelines.

All of his suspicions now pointed to the young girl next to him. He inhaled as he prepared to interview her.

“Your sister’s amazing at this…” He began. “I can’t believe some of them are not taking her seriously.” 

She looked at him with understanding as she responded. “Pfft. They think they’re so great. You should see their faces when Emi beats them. Oh, the male ego… No offense, Malie.”

He laughed… 57%. “Malie?” He asked.

“What, are you taking it as an insult? Are you admitting that being a man is insulting?” She challenged. 63%.

His anxiety rose alongside these percentages. Please don’t allow Kira to be a child. She was just the same age as Sayu. And by his research, he knew that her background could make her emotionally vulnerable to the power that notebook could bring.

“Don’t group me with them .“ He talked with his hands. “The supernatural Kira might hear.” 

“There must be a logical explanation for Kira. The supernatural isn’t real.” She huffed. 64%. “And if they could hear, you’re not a criminal, Light-san. If anything, I think you’re a good person.” Wrong.

“Eh. The Kira case is everything I have heard about lately. Even the police seem disheveled every time I drop by the precinct. My father is a police officer, after all. I’m glad he didn’t take the case.” A calculated risk. Even if she was Kira, her moral code would not allow her to kill innocent people. At least, not an unrelated person.

His mention of parental figures should also prompt her to talk about her own. He did see that both girls admired their mother.

“I agree. Kira should just allow the judicial system to work. My Mom is a lawyer, and I can’t believe Kira would have the nerve to act like they have better judgment than her.” She commented. 67%.

He silently grimaced. This kid… was now his main suspect.

“You have to be fucking kidding me.” His human said, agitated. “You chose then of all times to say that?!” 

He sighed. He explained that if someone else touched the notebook, they would be able to see him too (when her mother was helping clean her room). He didn’t expect such an emotional reaction. She was lackluster sometimes in that area. Which made the ones all the more entertaining. How exciting. 

“You didn’t ask before.”

“I- You know what? Any, and I mean ANY knowledge you may have that you just feel like sharing-“ She put on a deceptive happy tune. “-please do so.”

“Why are you so touchy about it?” He pressed.

She deflated, her hands unclenching. “My mom… My sister. They’re the reason why I even wanted to do this in the first place. They’ll never approve but it just needed to be done. For the greater good.” She sighed. “What about you, Ryuk? Don’t you have people you care about, too?” 

“Hyuk, hyuk,” He laughed. Oh, humans and their thing called love. He heard that there was nothing more undoing than that. “Not exactly. I have some shinigami friends but I don’t really care.”

“Oh…” She sighed and relaxed. “Sorry for snapping at you.”

“Mmm, I find it amusing. But do continue.”

Akari sighed as she took a walk. Air… perhaps it was what she needed all along. Just a moment to collect herself. She snuck away from home to clear her head.

She sent that damn shinigami to guard the book as she relaxed. Her emotional outburst… didn’t hinder her plans right now. But it could in the future. 

Plus, her attempts to allow that stupid death God to relate to her have mostly been in vain. Social issues: none. Confidence issues: none. Even loved ones he didn’t have. At least he seemed entertained. That’s what was keeping her alive as Kira. 

She sighed, hands shaking as she sat on a bench underneath a lamppost. Cold winds and the scent of the night breezed through, making her shiver. In a way, it was comforting.

She simply let her hair sway to the wind. She took a breath, watching the warm air become visible. It’s great that she brought a sweater. It was becoming winter, after all.

In her peripheral vision, the figure was there. The person following her. 

Ryuk was the one to first discover him, maybe sent by L. It was… Sayu who they were following. After a week, he started to do the same to her. How annoying.

Sayu was her main source of information from the task force and this investigator was becoming a problem. She needed to deal with it. 

They must be observing the police members and their close contacts, expanding from family members since last week. She doubted that her shadow was the only one.

Of course, they weren’t going to get anything about Kira but what worries her is that if they send a full-on manhunt for reinvestigation. She either could bring danger to herself or… eliminate them.

She sighed. Yes, they may be innocent but they were impairing her cause. Her cause for the greater good. They don’t see the big picture. They need to be sacrificed for more lives to be saved. She pushed back the creeping discomfort. She was willing to do anything for her cause. However dangerous.

And her first step was getting this officer’s name.

This was… a good move. Of course. She already tested out some limitations of the book and could draft something. Sayu will be more suspicious considering that her testing phase was at a time when he wasn’t following her. And Sayu will be more scrutinized by L. 

Puffs of air visibly became faster as she got nervous. Relax, they can’t do anything to her. Yagami-san was well-respected and of high standing. She won’t bring harm to her friend. Sayu was just giving her a favor unknowingly. 

Running. Light didn’t know what exactly he was running away from but this thrumming in his chest begged him to keep his legs moving. Breaths were ragged as a forest terrain stretched infinitely through his eyesight. The surroundings were dark, he didn’t know whether he’d trip from his rush. Trees hid voices, people, secrets .

Something… was chasing him. Someone he knew? Someone he killed?

Someone familiar. Curiosity scratched past his rationality. The temptation to look back held him tight.

Unable to take it anymore, he turned only to trip towards a lake. Was that there before? 

He panicked, screaming in shock but was muffled by the water. All he saw was a distorted reflection of himself - imperfect proportions before he dived into the water. Bugs - scattering, small, and terrifying scattered to him. He squirmed away, desperately trying to escape before they swallowed him completely.

He awoke to a racing heart, adrenaline rushing through his veins. His blanket - damp with sweat, clung to his skin as he calmed himself down. It was just another nightmare, again.

He stretched, moving to go to the bathroom as usual. But, as he moved the door, it bumped into something - no, someone. 

He heard a sniffle as he tentatively looked.

“Sayu?!-“ He shut himself up as he saw the state of his sister. She was shaking, her hands were on her head almost as if to hide herself. Glassy eyes looked at him in surprise.

He softly closed the door and knelt slowly.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“D-Don’t tell Dad.” She said which shocked him. She trusted and admired their father, just like him. And the fact that it was the first thing that she spoke of…

“What happened?” He said as he held her hand.

“I-It was nothing. Please keep quiet-“

“You can’t expect me to do that, Sayu. Not when I don’t know what got you like this. Tell me and I’ll understand, I promise.” 

“W-We were just walking home. Me and my friend. We might have gotten a little late and her stalker tried to attack her. He pulled out a… k-knife but was stopped by an FBI agent. They have a secret investigation and had to reveal themselves to protect us, please don’t-“

FBI… Raye Penber. 

“How did you know that they were an FBI agent… They could have been-“

“He showed us his ID, Light. Listen to me-“

ID… ID… Shit. Why would he show his ID unless…

“I won’t tell anyone. Just explain every detail. And don’t think about leaving anything out, I can and will know.” She looked shocked at what he said. Oh…

“B-But of course, after you calmed down. Let’s get you something to eat.” 

Earlier that day:

“Hyuk, let’s watch your plan, Akari,” Ryuk said with a laugh. She hid her annoyed reaction as she held her friend’s hand.

“It’s a little scary at night, Sayu.” She said as she glanced at her watch. 

“Huh? Yeah it’s late, isn’t it? I hope Auntie won’t worry too much. Please tell me you called her, Akari.” She laughed.

“Of course. And besides, it’s just a small walk-“ She falsely gasped and gripped on tightly as they saw a figure in front of them. A figure whose name she wrote in the Death Note.

He was the stalker of another friend of theirs whom she had made to stalk her instead as an asset in case she needed it. How that preparation paid off.

She simply wrote him to die at the latest possible time and crossed out the former details to make him appear now. It was a rule that Ryuk mentioned.

“Akari… Is that..?” Sayu whispered as her voice shook.

“Akari,” The man spoke. “Akari… I’ve been-“ He hiccuped. “I am your biggest supporter. How dare you go out with someone else. What about me?! What about the time we spent together?!” 

“Please calm down.” She started, going in front of her friend and shielding her. “I-I don’t understand but I don’t mean to hurt you…” 

“Y-Yes. Oh of course. My kind and sweet Akari. You’re not one of them. ” He said bitterly. “C-Come let’s get married and-“

“W-What?! I’m sorry but I can’t!” She said tentatively. A bad decision if it was a real situation.

“You… can’t? You… don’t love me? Akari… AKARI. I- I’m your future… husband, everything! I’m everything to you. I’m supposed to be everything to you! Why… don’t you want to be married?”

“I-I do but I’m a little too young-“

“Bullshit! Let’s run away together. Right now, to prove our love! You know you’re mature for your age, we don’t have that much of a difference mentally. Don’t let them tell you that there are limitations to love!” 

“I-I p-please… n-no. L-“

“No..? No?! NO?! So you mean that you don’t want to go? You don’t want to go with me?!”

“No, no, no-“

“If… I can’t have you… Then no other man can ever lay their hands on your perfect sweet soul!” He said as he pulled his knife out. 

She gasped and now Sayu looked ready to run, holding her hand tight.

“Of course, I’m first going to get rid of this… leech corrupting you!” He screamed as he went towards her friend.

At that moment, he was tackled by a man. The knife was dropped as her puppet ran away. Exactly as she planned. Even the minute went down just as she wrote.

“Are you both okay?” The agent said with an American accent.

“S-Stay away! Don’t you dare come any closer? We don’t know if you two are working together!” She said, obviously distraught, as she grabbed the knife from the floor. It made sense considering the encounter.

“Wait… please calm down.”

“Akari, he’s right.”

“Men… you never know if you can trust them.”

“Alright, here’s my ID,” he said as he pulled out a card and handed it to Sayu.

“He’s part of the FBI…” She said, out of breath. “It’s okay, Akari.”

She relaxed as the knife clanged to the ground. She falsely shook as tears dropped from her eyes. 

“Please don’t tell anyone that I showed you this. We were sent for an important secret task.” 

“I-I feel the same way.” She said as she looked down. “He… He was a family friend and they can bring some sense into him! He just needs time.” They were about to protest but she first spoke. “I’ll report this incident in the future.” 

A future you won’t be a part of, Raye Penber.

“Maybe a week once they talked to him. And… I deserve to report my own attack, don’t I?” 

“Hyuk, hyuk. What an actress. Don’t you feel bad for your little friend? I have to say that was a good plan. You remind me of a shinigami, Akari.” Ryuk said, rubbing salt onto her wounds. Oh if she could just tell him to shut up. Whatever, she already achieved her victory. 

Chapter Text

“Raye… You’re back.” Naomi Misora smiled and placed down her book as she prepared tea for both of them.

He smiled and took off his coat, sighing loudly as he sat. He looked exhausted . The most she’d seen right after taking the task. Of course, she was worried about Kira's danger, but she wished she could just help him.

 “You seem drained, did something happen?” She allowed room for discussion.

“I got mixed up in an attempted murder.”

“An attempted murder?”

“Yeah, a guy who’s been stalking my suspect kept getting closer until he finally approached her. Real creepy about it too. Threatened her until he took out a knife. Didn’t think these kinds of things happened in Japan.”

“Did you report that to the police?” 

“...” He was oddly silent, raising her guard.

“No, the victim requested for me not to. She was scared and I had to confirm my identity after she suspected me. Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter, she’ll report it after her family takes action. Her mother is a lawyer, from what I know.”

“What happened to him?” She cautiously approached the subject.

“He got away. He’s a serial stalker, they’ll find him sooner or later.”

“Was it… really a coincidence that you happened to be there? I mean, you were trailing a suspect, and then their stalker attacks..? 

“Hey,” He said authoritatively. “Look, I know you were an excellent FBI agent but you’re here now as my fiancee, and nothing else. You don’t have to worry about investigating cases or coincidences, okay?”

She sighed, sitting down. She supposed that he was right. It was their deal, after all. She also had a habit of getting into trouble and being aggressive overall. Despite quitting willfully and happily, a part of her will always miss it.  

“You promised me you won’t get involved or put yourself in danger… It’s just this case is so strange and dangerous.”

“All right, Raye. I’m sorry, it was a force of habit.” She apologized.

“Hey, I’m sorry too. Don’t take it too hard, Naomi. Once we start a family, I’m sure you’ll be too busy to have that habit pop up.” He reassured, face softer once again.

“Alright, but it never hurts to be careful.”  

“Hey, Akari, what are you going to do now that you have that agent’s name?” Ryuk asked as she sighed on her bed.

“Patience, Ryuk. I need to form a plan. Getting Penber’s name was risky enough, but it shouldn’t matter as much. He’ll be dead before he even tells that tale. And Sayu, I can manipulate her so that she does not tell anyone at the moment. My stalker’s going to die in weeks, anyway.” 

She looked at the page where the cause of his death was written. Characters ruled out by two straight lines were visible as she altered her plan.

“But preferably, I won’t have to face him again. I am Kira, after all. The “supernatural killer”.” Her smile fell as she buried her face more into her pillows. No, this was the right thing. All she wanted to do was to save lives. They were blocking that and a few sacrifices must be made.

“And there’s also L…” She said as she involuntarily looked at the ground. Her palm shook as she closed it. Her greatest threat… She’d rather not get his attention.

“A new plan, huh ‘Kari? How fun considering how well your last one went.”

She slightly grimaced at the nickname. Her face was hidden so she was more comfortable with expressing her frustrations.

“And your notebook, I take slight offense of what you did with my cover.” He scrunched his nose as a pink thing stuck out from her bag.

She had designed it to be the same style as her other school notebooks, burning past pages and posting false formulas and notes. It blended in inconspicuously with a student’s supplies. 

“It fits in with my personality more. I think the design was good, don’t worry, but it was something out of the ordinary.” She reassured him. 

“Well, other than that it’s just out in the open.” The shinigami complained.

“It is just a normal notebook to other people… And even if they touch the cover, they won’t be able to see you because technically, they aren’t touching the notebook.

Akari, Akari… Light clenched his jaw as he was writing in his Kira investigation notebook. A close friend of his sister. His sister. And she must plan something that is relevant to her. Or else, she wouldn’t have been there when her plot to gain Raye Penber’s name happened. With her personality, he feared that she would use Sayu as bait.

A decoy for L. He didn’t know whether she genuinely cared for his sister but it was most probable. However, she was naive. Oh so, so naive. 

L would hurt his sister to get the data that he needed. Akari must think that she’d be safe without evidence. But that’s not how Ryuzaki works. He knew… because L was like him. 

His ends justified his means. He’d do anything for his investigation, even crimes. 

And his sister obviously was traumatized. He squeezed his own hands as he remembered how scared she was. How could she do that? Well, he did do the same (or worse) to… a list of people.

He groaned. This was not the time to feel down. From what he gained from Sayu, her plan was careful, matching her profile. She left only two witnesses, one who she directly controls and one who wouldn’t tell anyone for now.

But since she did get Raye’s name, her next plan might be underway.

He knew… that the FBI agent was dead the moment he gave out his name. He couldn’t save him. Not that he ever wanted to. It wasn’t his fault.

All he can do now is to minimize casualties. He needed to keep Akari from learning any more names. He doubted she would kill anyone right now. 

At least, he needed to keep a close eye on her. He twisted the screwdriver as he calmed his thoughts.

Kira… what are you doing? The criminals yesterday died in an interval from one another. Once he placed them in chronological order, the first letters of their names formed words.

“H E L L O . L . D I D . Y O U . K N O W”

They all died an hour away from each other, excluding the times he marked with a period. The letter after that took 2 hours instead. A… message. It was a part of a statement, suggesting a continuation.

However, if it were a message from Kira, he knew it would be some sort of distraction or ruse. The question is why?

But… if it was the only lead given to him now, suppose he’ll investigate it. As much as he hated to play into the criminal’s hand, he frankly had nothing else better to do. However… he will continue to be more cautious. Something is brewing in his target’s mind.

If something suspicious does happen, the FBI he sent will notice.

Light smiled as he saw his creation - a bug somehow crammed into a pen. He considered buying a commercially available one but that would only make him more suspicious considering that he is being followed right now. 

Pages of schematics and random appliances he stole parts from were scattered in his room as he cleaned up. He tuned the transmitter to a radio in his room, hoping to reach from wherever that girl was.

His door knob slowly turned but stopped because it was locked.

“Light?” A tentative voice asked. Sayu.

“Hey…” He said as he opened it, forgetting about his work on his table. 

“Look, I just wanted to say thank you. Especially for keeping it from Mom and Dad and for well, being there for me.” She said as she looked away.

“Of course, Sayu. You know that’s not a problem to me…” He said as he rubbed her shoulder. Smiling sadly, she hugged him.

He stilled slightly before relaxing. It was… warm. And nice. He exhaled as he wrapped his arms around his sister, feeling comfort as well. At this moment, it was as if the worries and guilt scratching away at his mind halted their endless pursuit. He really… needed this.

“Thanks, Sayu.” He said once she pulled away, ruffling her hair.

She laughed. “Don’t get all sentimental with me… What’s that?” She peeked her head at his mess. 

…

She just won’t stop her nosiness, won’t she? He bit back a smile so as to not encourage her. But, in a way, he appreciated it. It was just so Sayu of her.

“A hobby, you should get one.” He said casually as he hid his panic. He secretly dropped the bugged pen into his bag as he threw the remains in the trash.

“Homework is enough of a hobby.” She huffed. For now, she was focusing on his quip but he knew more questions were coming.

“Does it really count if you’re not the one doing them?” He said smugly as he pointed to himself. “And do you wanna go get ice cream?” He grabbed his wallet. The perfect distraction - a sweet dessert.

“How is that related-“ She stopped herself at the premise of free food. “Why, of course, onii-san!” Oh, she pulled out honorifics.

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t call me that when you’re only going to use it if you want something from me.” He lightly flicked her forehead.

“I’m older than you, you know. Maybe it’s time you show some respect.”

“But that’s boring, Light. And are you buying me ice cream or not?” She said with a sly grin.

“Is that even a question?” He raised his eyebrow.

“No,” She said cheerfully as she hopped out. He released a sigh as he quickly destroyed the evidence. Would L go through his trash..?

Sayu smiled widely as they received their cones. He hid a snort as he bit a piece, shivering in discomfort from the cold.

“Sayu… Is that you?” A familiar voice asked. He hid his annoyance quickly. 

“Huh? Oh, Akari!” She said as she turned around.

“And Light-san..?”

“Wait, you two know each other?” Sayu said, confused.

“Hello, Akari.” He said politely. “Her older sister’s a friend of mine.”

Wait… he could bug her bag with this opportunity. She was carrying a backpack that she usually brought to school. He made sure the pen seemed normal as he bought the same one she had to disguise it further.

The only problem was he needed a window of time and he also had to worry about the shinigami…

Well, if Akari is gone then Ryuk is bound to follow. That was a rule mentioned. 

“Yeah… Wait are you Sayu’s brother?!” She laughed. “This makes so much sense. You’re right, Light-san’s pretty cool.”

“ Wow, Sayu. Didn’t think you thought of me so highly.” He said sarcastically, leaning on her shoulder.

“Hmph, you already know you’re amazing. But, you’ve been acting kind of off this past December.” She shrugged. “Finally acting like a teen, huh? Hey, it gets me free food.” She giggled.

 “As if you didn’t always have free food.” He quipped.

“Then, thank you onii-san!” She laughed as Akari joined her.

“Oh, Sayu, can you come with me to the bathroom?” Akari asked.

“Oh, sure. Light, can you watch our things?” She said as she gave him her food and friend’s bag.

“Why not.” He said nonchalantly.

“And I measured my food… don’t think about taking some.” 

“Pfft, okay.” He waved despite paying for said food.

He smiled as he sat at a nearby chair. There was a chance that Ryuk was here so he needed to put an act.

He discreetly took out the pen. Hiding it in his sleeve, he let it roll down as he went up to throw his trash. As he returned, he “noticed” the pen on the ground.

“Huh… Isn’t this Akari’s pen?” He tucked it in an open pocket in her bag as he sat down again. 

Almost as a distraction, he took a bite from Sayu’s ice cream, reshaping it with a spoon.

When he was finally home, he quickly ran to the radio he set up. He knew their address and tested the range before so distance from her house wouldn’t be an issue. 

He turned it on and listened for sound.

“-so that in case something prevents me, the killings won’t stop.” Akari’s voice was heard. So this proves it… she is Kira. Something in him was devastated, a kid - his sister’s age and friend, was a murderer. But, something else, something more overpowering, spurred him to stop her. 

“Yeah, yeah… It’s time to begin my plan. I need to be careful, but the time limit kind of… puts a limit to that.” She said despite having no one audibly talking to her… Ryuk.

He was correct, she was planning to do something about the FBI agents. 

“You’re not looking at the details again? Suit yourself.” Her bag was zipped as some movement was heard. She’s not just sitting back, she’s going somewhere. In a panic, he was going to follow, hoping to catch and stop her.  

Raye Penber’s not outside… probably. Taking a deep breath, he opened his window and slipped out. Thankfully, it was raining moderately, masking his steps. The only downside was that it was more dangerous now.

Akari went to a discreet part of the forest. She needed to be careful, it was suspicious for her to be here. Ryuk took in the surroundings as she eyed the spot marked with an “X”. 

She took control of Penber, writing it so that he would bury a wrapped piece of paper with the details of his mission. She also instructed him to be silent about it. The worst-case scenario… was that it would be empty. In that possibility, she had weeks until the agent died and incriminated her further.

She held her umbrella tightly as she dug, lightly shivering at the feeling of mud. She took the plastic, throwing it away as she unwrapped the paper.

12 FBI agents, including myself, were sent to Japan on December 14, 2003, by L. I was assigned to Deputy Director General Kitamura and Superintendent Yagami’s family and close contacts. None of them exhibit suspicious behavior. Sayu Yagami and her friend, Akari Feya were attacked and I had to interfere. My superior’s name is David Lincher. He resides at the Clarity Hotel.

She tapped her shirt. It was great that he didn’t suspect her but the amount of agents is… overwhelming. The fact that he didn’t write any other name or add a picture means that he didn’t have that information.

Just like Sayu, she intended to make the FBI believe that they were facing another enemy instead of her. And maybe, David Lincher could be that enemy. 

Raye Penber was too risky - too connected to her. However, she didn’t have Lincher’s face. She sighed. She’ll find a way, whatever it may be.

“Soo, what’s that? Blah blah blah, David Lincher. What are you going to do with just a name?” Ryuk asked.

“Penber’s too dangerous to use. But his superior could be my puppet.”

“So what’s going to happen to your shadow?”

“He’ll die with the rest of them.” 

L quickly pieced together another message.

T H A T . M A Y B E . I . A M . J U S T .

This made him believe that this was more of a taunt to waste his time… even those he could analyze. 

Perhaps he should keep a closer eye on the FBI agents. There was no saying on how far Kira would go. But, whatever it was, he’d go farther.

“Raye Penber, please strictly follow my instructions.” A cold voice he didn’t recognize demanded. Instinctively, he clicked the recorder Naomi suggested he take, letting everything be recorded. “Do not fear, I’m Y, a subordinate of L. To prove it, he ordered 12 agents to come to Japan to investigate the NPA members. You were assigned to Yagami and Kitamura.” He said, all true. “This information is only known by L and the FBI, and we both know how secure those databases are.”

“Why did you approach me?” He asked.

“L believes that your life and your superior, David Lincher, are in danger. That’s why he sent me. Please go to his place of residence immediately. I must do something equally as important. Here, take this transceiver and place the microphone in your ear so we can communicate.” Y ordered. He handed him an obviously handmade but well-done device. 

His superior? He had reports saying to be weary of Mr. Lincher because they were acting strangely.

He turned around to see a person in a coat and hoodie, a plain white mask hiding his identity.

“Don’t worry, L will disable the cameras for your safety. You can see by the lack of a red light beeping.” Y strangely added.

But, if what he’s saying is true, this may be very crucial. Besides, he had nothing to lose. His name and face were already known so if they were Kira, he would already be dead.

“Alright,” He responded, following instructions. He ran hastily to the hotel Mr. Lincher was staying at as Y dispersed. The cold winter air didn’t affect his pursuit. 

Approaching the room, he knocked and was ready to pick the lock.

“Force the door open immediately,” Y told him.

Sighing, he took out a rake and turner and quickly got the door open.

“Mr. Penber-?...” Mr. Lincher said weirdly. He was about to explain when his demeanor changed. “I’m sorry, I must do something.” He said emotionlessly. How strange…

“Mr. Penber, David Lincher is in Kira’s control and is already dead,” Y said, equally emotionlessly but he doubted that was out of the ordinary. His eyes widened at the thought… All he knew was that Kira needed a face and a name. They could control people?

“Please stop him from doing anything that could lead to the other agents’ death,” Y ordered. He understood as he hit the back of Mr. Lincher’s knees and head, tying him up quickly.

“I believe he’s restrained,” Y said as he huffed. “Kira’s expecting the pictures and names of the 12 agents to be available to them, please see your superior’s computer.” He nodded despite not being in the same place as Y and complied. 

He… was right? 

“Tell me what you see.” 

“A file of said information about to be posted in an internet forum…” He confessed.

He jumped as he heard the door close behind him.

“Y..?” He sighed, relaxing as he was about to continue.

“Hello, Mr. Penber. You’ve done well. Allow me to take over now. I’m replacing the names and faces of each agent.” He said softer, at least, not deadpan.

“Alright…” He said as he walked back, watching the man.

He stopped the recorder, his trust fully gained. 

But, he raised his eyebrow in confusion. Y’s fists looked painfully clenched…

“Are you okay? I know it's not my place but I’ll do whatever I can to further stop Kira.” He reassured.

“I… I’m sorry,” Y’s voice broke, audibly becoming more vulnerable. They clicked post as he saw the jumbled version.

Except, his and Lincher’s data were the same.

“W-What?”

David Lincher stilled as his eyes dilated. He was… dead. Just as Y said. 

“Why..? Are you-. Are you working with Kira?” Dread pooled in his stomach. He didn’t want to die. Not yet. Not when he had a future - a future with HER. 

Naomi… 

“Of course not. Please remember your actions, especially the unnatural ones. Do you remember December 28..?” 

“December-” He stopped himself. He… he wrote a passage about the details of the case. And he just buried it somewhere.

“I’m sure you’ve realized that you are also in Kira’s control. To be precise, she u-used you to get Lincher’s details and hide her actions. The only reason you’re unaffected right now is because she’s just waiting for your time. Your time alongside the other agents, as she believes.”

“But how? Why me..? And you know who Kira is?” He sharply inhaled. “I-If I’m about to die, can’t I just… know the truth? Or am I as disposable to you as I was to Kira?”

“...”

“I really am sorry that I couldn’t save you, Raye Penber.” He said weakly, making more frustration build up in him.

“You’re not… disposable. If I had the option, I wouldn’t have deceived you. To tell the truth, I’m not working for L.”

“Then who-” His breath caught in his throat as they shakily took off their mask.    

Light Yagami.

A kid wearing a regretful yet triumphant look. A kid having to ignore his death to save his co-workers. A kid who shouldn’t have to live with this guilt. He swallowed his words.

“And you were dead the moment you gave Akari your ID.” He finished, looking almost tearful. “You are set to die in a second.”

His eyes widened. No… Not yet, please. Let him at least say something to this kid!

Light watched as Raye clutched his chest tightly and collapsed. “Goodbye, Raye Penber.” A statement he once said in cold glee is now wrapped in emotional turmoil as he takes the transceiver and earphone from his unmoving body.  

His fingers shook as he placed back his mask. Going back to Lincher’s computer, he typed a message. 

This is Raye Penber. Lincher was a spy working for Kira all along. The evidence is here in his hotel room. I have deceived Kira, who was planning to kill Lincher alongside everyone, into thinking that they killed the other 12 agents. Please broadcast that this is true. Kira can’t know that they failed or the agents will surely be in danger again.

He sighed. He… He was playing into Akari’s story. For days he thought about this. About what to do. Despite a burning rage rooted in him, frankly, he had no right. He had done the same. He was willing to do anything for his cause. However vile. And he will get to Akari first - that is, he will let her turn to the light. Just as he did.

“Raye… is dead. No, he was murdered by Kira.” Naomi Misora - Misora Massacre, murmured as she walked ahead. Count your days, Kira.

Chapter Text

“What?! FBI agents?!” Soichiro Yagami shouted as he heard the news. 

“Yes, they all died of heart attacks as reported by the FBI. Two were found in a hotel and the others were unknown. The bodies we did find had notepads that indicated they were probing the NPA. Someone sent them to investigate us!” A member of the task force said horrified. “What’s L doing about this?”

“Or, what does he have to do about this?” 

“Geez, why do we even do this for him if he can’t trust us? Here we are fighting with our names and faces known and all he does is stay hidden behind his screen. I get that he’s the greatest detective, but can’t he be a little more helpful.” Another added.

“I know you all feel angry but we have to keep our spirits high. I’ll contact both the FBI and L immediately. I’m sure there is an explanation.” He calmed down their tempers. L… What exactly happened?

O U T . O F . Y O U R . R E A C H

L gritted his teeth at the last message. He was right, it was just a waste of his time. However, he could examine their vocabulary.

A task he’ll take on once necessary. That is, he had better things to do right now.

“L… We both saw what one of my agents sent. I was able to contact the remaining 10 and I’m sending them back here.” The FBI director told him.

“Please stay calm, did the file containing their names and faces originally come from you?”

“…Yes. David Lincher requested it weeks ago. I assumed they all decided to do this together and asked Mr. Lincher since he was their superior.”

He hummed in response.

“I’m sorry, L, but the FBI is terminating its investigation in Japan. The victims used to be all criminals but these are 2 people with families. It’s a big loss. I decided to send them and now I’m going to be questioned by Congress over this. And I’m a well-known man, I don’t want to be killed over this!”

A ringing noise was heard in the background. “Hmph and the NPA is asking questions already. I’m going to tell them that the FBI was there at your request. Do you understand? Goodbye.” He finished angrily. 

L only sighed as he gathered the information available.

A file with the pictures and names of the 12 FBI agents was posted yesterday with the names and faces interchanged except for two. Of course, he made it be taken down. 

This was presumably done by David Lincher, an agent who was flagged for suspicious behavior. He had unsent letters to Kira showing their support. There it also mentioned that Kira sent back letters, the agent burning them as supported by the ashes from paper found. He was presumably Kira’s informant. However, Kira disposed of him once he fulfilled his role. He was stopped by Raye Penber.

While this made the FBI withdraw their support, it was crucial to his investigation.

Moreover, while he knew that Kira needed a name and face based on the victims, this solidified it.

This was what the message contained:

This is Raye Penber. Lincher was a spy working for Kira all along. The evidence is here in his hotel room. I have deceived Kira, who was planning to kill Lincher alongside everyone, into thinking that they killed the other 12 agents. Please broadcast that this is true. Kira can’t know that they failed or the agents will surely be in danger again.

The tone was direct and authoritative. It included proper reasoning for his requests but… something felt off. Why would Raye Penber be there? He must have known that Kira had his information as he didn’t change his name or face. He knew he was about to die. How strange. So, he examined it further. 

Upon seeing his messages and letters, the dialect differed. Raye Penber chose to always be polite and refer to people with honorifics. Moreover, the vocabulary is more formal and simple. An argument could be made about the state he was in but… it was likely that Raye Penber did not create this message. 

This meant that someone else… must have been there. Someone who led Raye Penber to his death. He doubted it was Kira since killing the 12 agents would be more beneficial to them. It was most likely someone against Kira but would cover up their actions in favor of finding them first .

A new player in this game. 

Excitement rushed through him, although unseen by his deadpan face. There was also a recorder found with Raye Penber’s body. He’ll make them bring it to him. Physically, that is. It is time for his first appearance.

“Why the family meeting, Dad? We’re not going anywhere for New Year’s Eve, are we?” Sayu excitedly said. Light only looked down, unable to meet anyone’s eyes. If the FBI followed his orders, they would have said that all 12 agents had died. Which means… it was time for his father to tell them about the case.

He only hoped… that he could convince him to quit. Kira was a… difficult opponent.

“There’s no point in hiding it, so I’m telling you all this now. I’m in charge of the special task force investigating the Kira case.” He confessed.

“Wow! I guess I kind of knew but still… You’re amazing Dad!” Sayu exclaimed.

“But… that isn’t what I wanted to tell you. 12 FBI agents were sent to find Kira and they were all found dead .”

“What?!” 

“You mean… they were killed by Kira?” Light said as he finally looked up, feigning fear.

“Yes,” His father sighed. “In other words, anyone who tries to apprehend Kira may be killed. Morale is low, and a lot of my detectives are quitting the case. Who could blame them? They fear for their lives and we’re dealing with such a cruel and heartless murderer.”

“Then you have to quit too, Dad! What if they try to kill you?” Sayu nervously said.

“She’s right, your life is more important than your career. All you have to do is resign.” His mother added wisely.

“No, I’m seeing this case through to the end. I will not succumb to evil.” Stubborn as ever. He bit his cheeks as he tried to keep his breathing steady.

“Dad…” 

“Dear…” 

“You can’t, Dad!” He finally snapped, accidentally banging the table as he stood. “What about us? You have a family, you have us to take care of. You have us worrying for you. You… You can’t just let your sense of justice blindly follow you till your death-“

“Light,” His father started authoritatively. “I have to make sure Kira is brought to justice. For Japan’s safety. For my family’s safety. Please understand, son.” He said gently.

“But there are other officers who are more than willing to do that. Other officers have nothing to lose. I just… don’t know what to do-“ with myself “-if something happened to you. I investigated the case a little and even I had to give up. Dad…” He requested, being more honest with his response.

“I’m sorry, son. I can’t leave my remaining officers to fight for their lives without me. They look up to me and what example would I give if I quit?”

His tightly closed fists shook. “Then, if anything happens to you, I’ll see that Kira gets the death penalty, I swear .” He left before they could respond.

A name and a face… That’s what Kira needed. 

Naomi walked with ragged breaths. Raye had given it to who he was following - two teenage girls. If one of them was Kira and she orchestrated the whole thing, it could only mean that she could control her victims before they died. 

All she needed now was the list of the people Raye was following. She needed… L’s help .  

She also needed to investigate the agents’ deaths further. It was… very unusual. She needed that recorder. She rushed to the Kira task force headquarters.

L stared at the glass window of his hotel. Buzzing lights flickered across the city. However, he couldn’t care about the sights of Japan. 

Kira… Right now, he supposed that the scale was tilted in his favor. Unbeknownst to them, 10 agents survived. This… This murder left a bigger clue than they knew.

But… he had to sacrifice 2 people. Two precious lives. So, he’ll do this. He’ll show himself as L for the first time. He had already notified the remaining 6 officers to come to him. 

If Kira finds out about this, they’ll definitely move in closer. Eliminating them made Kira go on the defensive. Bring it on.

His thoughts were disturbed by knocking. Ah, they’re already here.

“Please enter. I’ve been awaiting you.”

Akari watched the fireworks explode as she leaned on her mother. 

“Happy New Year, dear.” She said sweetly. She smiled back as she sighed. 

She… she succeeded. 12 FBI agents, dead . She knew Lincher’s address so she only waited to see his face. Then, she set him up to take the blame as a spy. 

But, the task force lost a lot of people. Most had quit because of her stunt. She had to show that she still had access to information to lessen suspicion. 

And she killed all of them while being far away. The incident with Raye Penber couldn’t be traced back to her, right? That was her only appearance. Did she make any mistake? And what’s next?

“Hyuk, hyuk, I’m starting to understand humans and their obsession with explosions,” Ryuk said happily.

“Happy New Year, rat.” A voice said behind her.

“Emi! There you are.”

“Tsk, don’t call your sister that, Emi.” Mom stifled a laugh as she fixed her shirt. “You look beautiful, dear.”

“Thanks, Mom, I’m glad you’re finally having a break from work.”

“Me too. These cases give me such a headache. I’m still dumbfounded by the whole thing with Kira. Some of my coworkers had cases where the perpetrator was killed but they still had to run a trial.”

“Yeah, I hate Kira. Our justice system might be flawed but it’s better than one person’s judgment.” Emi sighed.

“Ooh, Akari. She hates you.” Ryuk teased and she was tempted to roll her eyes. She hates the idea of Kira because she doesn’t know who they are. Her sister would support her decision if she knew.

“Yeah, I hate Kira.”

“It’s just childish. What are they even trying to achieve? The deaths of criminals?” Emi rolled her eyes. “I hope Kira won’t be a problem to you, Mom.”

“Me too, I worry that Kira might hurt us. That… power or whatever it is that makes them able to kill from afar… it’s scary. But, I’m sure we’re nobodies to Kira. We haven’t done anything wrong.” She lied.

“Anyway, how’s studying?” She changed the topic regretfully.

“Pfft, let’s not talk about it on New Year’s.” Her sister responded. Well, it was too late to study more. The entrance exams were nearing for both of them. She hoped… she could get into her dream high school.

“I’m L.” He introduced himself.

“I’m Detective Superintendent Yagami of the NPA.” The man who held the most authority walking in said as he took out his ID.

“I’m Matsuda.”

“I’m Aizawa.”

“I’m Ukita.”

“I’m Mogi.” They all followed foolishly.

“Bang,” He deadpanned.

“Is this your idea of a joke?!” Aizawa said, confused.

“If I was Kira, you’d be dead, Yagami-san. All they need to know is a name and a face, you should know that by now. We’re the only ones left willing to risk our lives for this, so let’s be careful.” He warned. “Let’s value our lives.” 

Chatter and explanations followed. 

“Rather than standing around talking, how about we move over there?” He suggested. “Please take off all of your electronic devices and place them on that table, first.” He said as he sat down.

“You think we might have our cell phones on talk mode so someone outside could monitor our conversation?” Aizawa said with offense. The officer seemed to be the most outspoken of his distrust toward him. He shrugged internally as he noted down that thought.

“Just do as he says,” Yagami-san requested.

“We all knew that he was cautious, but this makes me wonder if he really trusts us or not.” The youngest of the officers, Matsuda, said. He must have intended it as a whisper, however the application failed. 

“It’s not that, I just can’t stand it when someone’s phone rings while I’m talking.” He commented nonchalantly.

“Two more things, don’t write anything I say, and don’t call me “L” anymore. Please refer to me as “Ryuzaki” from now on, both for safety’s sake.”

“Now all of you, please sit down. Have you brought the newest piece of evidence?” He asked as he made tea.

“Uh, yes,” Mogi said as he handed a recorder.

“Thank you, I hope you all followed my orders not to play this beforehand.” He said as he inspected the device for any tampering.

“Of course, what do you think of us?” Aizawa quipped.

He ignored it as he played the most recent audio.

“If my deduction is correct, we may find another person who is against Kira. But, please keep any comments until the end.” He added.

“Do not fear, I’m Y, a subordinate of L. To prove it, he ordered 12 agents to come to Japan to investigate the NPA members. You were assigned to Yagami and Kitamura. This information is only known by L and the FBI, and we both know how secure those databases are.”

A cold and neutral tone. Of course, he is only lying to gain Penber’s trust. How… How does he know that information? 

“What the hell? Your subordinate, L?!-“ 

“Shh,” He cut off Aizawa so the device would be audible.

“Why did you approach me?” 

“L believes that your life and your superior, David Lincher, are in danger. That’s why he sent me. Please go to his place of residence immediately. I must do something equally as important. Here, take this transceiver and place the microphone in your ear so we can communicate.” 

Using a transceiver? That would mean any more dialogue won’t be picked up by the recorder. In addition, how does he know… Kira’s plan?  

“Don’t worry, L will disable the cameras for your safety. You can see by the lack of a red light beeping.” 

“Alright,” 

Sounds of heavy breathing played as Penber ran.

Upon reaching the apartment, slight clicks and struggles were heard. He was… using a key rake to get the door open. The fact that he did so immediately without hesitation meant that Y ordered him to.

“Mr. Penber-?...” 

“I’m sorry, I must do something.” 

After some seconds, the thumping of a person was heard. Ah, this must be when Lincher was tied up. But, that’s unusual behavior for an informant. Especially one who apparently worships a mass murderer. With his expertise, Lincher was too easy to take down.

“A file of said information about to be posted in an internet forum…”  

“ Y..?” 

A door closing was heard in the background.

“Hello, Mr. Penber. You’ve done well. Allow me to take over now. I’m replacing the names and faces of each agent.”  

“Alright…” 

The recording ended. Huh, so even Penber wasn’t the one who left his information unchanged. 

“What was that, L- Ryuzaki?” Yagami-san asked.

“Ah, I understand the confusion but Y does not work for me. It was to let Raye Penber’s guard down.”

“So… someone else is helping Kira?” Matsuda asked tentatively.

“No, it appears that he is against them. However, he also doesn’t want us to get to Kira first, as seen by how they covered up the scene. Also, I have no idea how he has gotten information regarding the FBI. But, let us organize what we know about him.”

“He is working alone,-“ He started.

“What’s your basis?” Aizawa said again as he frowned in slight annoyance. 

“Hold on, Aizawa. Let Ryuzaki finish and then we can ask all the questions.” Yagami-san said helpfully.

“-he has technological skill as seen by how he hacked into the cameras, and he allowed Raye Penber to die.” He continued with his monotone voice.

“But didn’t all 12 agents die? So isn’t Y working for Kira?” Matsuda asked.

“No, a message came in from Lincher’s laptop yesterday. Here,” He said as he showed the print.

“Penber- No, Y, instructed them to hide the fact that 10 agents survived . Furthermore, a file with the agents’ names and pictures was posted, all jumbled, of course, except for Lincher and Penber. I doubt that Penber knew of this. Either Y wants to cover up his involvement, or more likely, Kira already knew Penber’s information.” He explained, placing a hand on his chin as he reevaluated the known facts.

“W-What?” Mogi said in surprise.

“Lincher too. From what we heard, he exhibited unusual behavior. Emotionless speech and uncharacteristic gestures. He was found to be Kira’s spy yet he done nothing about Raye…” He pondered.

“What do you think about it, Ryuzaki?” Yagami-san asked.

“It may be that David Lincher was not willingly an informant. That is, he was controlled by Kira. If I’m correct, this case might prove to be more dangerous and mysterious.” He paused as he drank a sip. “Furthermore, Kira is also working alone and they need a name and face to kill, as proved by this incident. They can also control the time of death.”

“Now, let us discuss Kira with all these points in mind.” He said as he finished his cup.

“I just had an idea. If we tell the media to omit the names and faces of criminals, wouldn’t that limit the victims?” Matsuda suggested. 

“If we do that, Kira would target any person that fits their criteria of deserving to die. That is, lesser criminals or even just morally bad people.” 

“You mean ordinary people?” Matsuda said as he blinked in surprise. He supposed the stigma that Kira was morally in the right got embedded in the officer’s mindset as true. It was popular among people who shared Kira’s mindset. That is, the youth. At least in maturity, seeing as he himself was younger than the officer.

“Yes. Kira is childish and resourceful. You guessed it… I’m also childish and resourceful. That’s how I know.” He said nonchalantly.

“Huh?” Matsuda said with even more confusion.

“Ryuzaki, could you explain that a little more clearly?” Yagami-san asked.

“That time I used the TV broadcast to challenge them, Kira hesitated but still killed me. Well, the death row inmate they thought was me.” He started. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yagami-san grimace. Huh, well he couldn’t expect everyone to be alright with his means. 

“That made them reveal that they could control the time of death of their victims. The next day, the criminals were spaced out to challenge me back. But, it was to make me investigate the NPA and bring distrust.” He continued.

“By now, it’s common knowledge that I only broadcasted that message in the Kanto region but Kira still hasn’t changed their pattern. Every time you challenge Kira, they will ignore it if they don’t get anything from it. They’re careful and self-assured. Imagine if you used media restrictions against someone like that?” 

The group seemed to think about that as most stared at the ceiling.

“They’d say, “Withhold criminals from me, and I’ll find other ways to continue my killing pattern.” That is Kira’s mental process.” He sighed as he remembered his inductive reasoning. He may not fully know Kira, but he was assured of his accuracy.

“If we’re going to worry about the media, we should shield how few of us are hunting them right now.” He said as he looked at the 5 officers.

“How about, “U.S. outraged over the deaths of FBI agents, 68 nations agree to send 1,500 investigators to Japan for Kira manhunt.” Kira will start seeing enemies everywhere. With their psyche, they’ll make a move once they start feeling trapped.” He suggested, watching their responses.

“I like it,” Ukita said.

“I’ll send this idea to the director right away.” Yagami-san said authoritatively.

“Now, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.” He said as he grabbed a pen. 

“December 14, 12 FBI agents enter Japan. On the evening of December 28, Lincher was reported for strange behavior. December 31 was when Y sent Raye Penber with information meant to be limited to me.” He drew a diagram, labeling and formatting information so that it would be better to understand. 

“Focusing on Kira, there’s a 14-day gap from when they found out about the FBI. For them to find the name and face of David Lincher, they needed to gain that information from an agent. All 12 of them knew of him since he was their superior. So, Kira needed to contact one of them. An agent on whom they already had the information of. Raye Penber. ” 

“What?” Ukita asked.

“The only names and faces that remained the same in the file were Raye Penber’s and David Lincher. Kira already knew one agent in order to get Lincher’s details. If that agent was not Raye Penber, they would see through the false file and not leave such a large clue behind.”

“So you’re saying that Kira is one of the people Raye Penber probed?” Yagami-san asked with a frown. Of course, it would be upsetting for the possibility that Kira was within the NPA or their families.

“I’d say there’s a 5%-” 95% “-chance.” He lied.

“I see…” Yagami-san said.

“That’s great! If we already know so much we can get them, even with just 7 of us!” Ukita said excitedly as the other members got to work.

“So… Any questions?” He asked lastly.

No response.

“Alright, so first I would like to speak to you all individually to make sure that none of you are Kira.”

Shock displayed on their faces except for the detective superintendent.

“Ryuzaki’s right. If Kira was in the task force, it stands to reason that they would remain in it.” Yagami-san reasoned.

“Yeah, Yagami-san. And they would have seen Ryuzaki’s face too!” Matsuda added, allowing the others to share a look of understanding.

“Sayu, can you take these change of clothes to your father?” Mom said.

“Whaat? I told you, Mom, I’m going out with a friend today.” She said as she frowned.

“So just leave a little early and stop there on the way.”

Light got up from reading the newspaper. “That’s okay, Mom. I’ll do it for you.” 

“Yay! Thank you, Light!”

“Are you sure, Light? The entrance exams are coming up?”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be fine.” He had already taken that entrance exam before and was completely prepared.

“Thanks, Light. And don’t forget before you get there-“

“I know, call Dad first.” He said despite knowing that he wouldn’t answer. He already knew that his cell phone was off. This must be L’s first physical appearance. Well, he’ll just leave a voice message.

He dug his fingernails in his hand as he walked. 

This was also… the moment he first saw her. Naomi Misora. With her intellect, the Kira case might be resolved faster. He… couldn’t make an enemy of her. 

He needed to know what information she had.

“No, it has to be in person. I can’t leave a message.” The familiar figure said. 

“I’m sorry but there’s no one in the Kira task force right now.” The receptionist said.

“I’m Light Yagami, son of Detective Superintendent Yagami. I brought my father a change of clothes but I guess he isn’t here. Can you bring this to him?” He requested.

“Oh, Light! Nice to see you again.” He said cheerfully. Unlike last time, he really didn’t remember his name.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do I know you?” He said sheepishly.

“That’s alright. Remember, last year? When you helped solve that insurance money murder? I was on duty that time too…”

“Is that right? I beg your pardon.” He said as he wrote his name.

“So, are you trying to solve this one too?”

“Sure am. I guess I’m trying to do what I can to help my Dad.”

“You can trust us, come on. We can pass on your message to the task force. We’re a part of the NPA too.”

“Uhm, my father heads the task force investigating the Kira case. If you’d like, I can get you in touch with him. His cell phone is off right now, though, so it would have to be later. A lot of people quit so they’re really understaffed right now.”

“Light, should you really tell that?”

“It’s common knowledge, don’t worry. And I know I can trust her, she doesn’t fit my profile of Kira. Plus, she’s a very cautious person. The FBI murders indicate that there are problems within the NPA and she’s not taking any chances.” He said as he ushered her away.

“My father will call once he gets my voicemail. If you can wait, feel free to talk to him then. Of course, you have to trust my father… and me, or this is not going to work.” He said as he laughed, trying to lower her guard.

“Is it really okay?”

“Of course. I don’t see the harm if you talk to him on my phone.”

They sat down, facing away from the cameras so that his lips wouldn’t be read.

“The way I figure it, Kira has greater powers than people think.”

“I’ve noticed that too. That’s why I’m here.”

“Really? That’s amazing! B-But this isn’t the place to be. The NPA might be dangerous now. Let’s step outside.” He said as he subtly faked excitement.

“I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t,” She said as she walked behind him.

“The way I see it, Kira… can control the cause of death.” 

She gasped as she ran forward. “That’s what I think too! I didn’t realize that anybody else had…”

“You think so too?”

“Yes and if my analysis is right, she can control people before they die.” 

“she”. That’s right, Raye Penber was in an incident when his ID was revealed to both Sayu and Akari. 

How she figured it out is beside the point, everything she said was true. And from his last interaction, he knew she had great reasoning. 

He needed to convince Akari quickly.

Akari sat as she listened to the train moving. Ryuk was having fun with the vehicle and was occupied. Sometimes, he felt like a child. It was easy to forget that he was a God.

She was alone in the cart when her phone rang. How strange, it was an unknown number. She was sure she hadn’t given it lately.

Sighing, she decided to answer anyway.

“Hello, Kira, I’m Y.”

She stilled but calmed herself down.

Chapter Text

“Kira? What do you mean?” She said calmly. They were obviously using a voice changer. 

“Do you deny it despite the fact that I can see your shinigami?”

She hid her surprise. How… How can they see Ryuk? How do they know about his existence? How did they get the chance to touch the Death Note? She- she never even let it out of her sight. Can they see her right now?

“Shinigami? Are you crazy?”

“Don’t worry about being recorded, I’d say you’re already defeated. I have evidence linking you to your crimes.”

They must be bluffing. She held her bag as the train tumbled. Defeated? Did L find something that linked her? No, she left no evidence. Unless… Raye Penber told someone about the stalker. But she had already forced him to be quiet when she wrote his name!

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You didn’t wipe things as clean as you think. Don’t worry, I’m not going to send this to L… yet.”

Yet?! Who is this Y? And no proof of their so-called evidence. 

“I can get you better circumstances. Work with me, Akari.”

“Like I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“… I’m available once you change your mind. But I’m not allowing you to continue your killings. You have two weeks before I give you up.”

“What are you laughing about, Ryuk? I killed the agents. That’s more “hyuks” than usual… Whatever, I’m sure I-… Kira succeeded.” Her audible voice said.

They… they recorded her! Isn’t that illegal? Would the country allow that as evidence?

“I know what you’re thinking, but I assure you that L could care less about the legality of it all. Consider my offer.” Y threatened as they hung up.

She released a breath she didn’t even realize that she was holding. What will she do?

They- They’re right. She was done for. But that was after her plan which meant they knew for a while. Calm down, Akari. Think clearly . Something’s off about them. Something… you can exploit.

The train stopped and opened its doors as she ran out. It was her stop and she felt… cold. The hairs on the back of her head stood as a chilling sensation spread from her spine. 

She felt her blood rushing as she rushed to her home.

“Oof,” She said as she bumped into someone, holding her forehead slightly.

“Akari? You look pale…” A familiar voice said.

“Light-kun…”

Exactly as planned. Light helped Akari and picked up her bag.

“I heard from Sayu last week that something happened to you… Are you okay?”

“Y-yes- Of course.” She cleared her throat. She fidgeted with a button for a single second until she realized. Her hands stilled as she gave a facade of calmness. 

“Where are you going?”

“Just back to my house.” She said casually.

“I was also heading home. Yours is on the way, right? I can walk you there.” He suggested.

“No, it’s alright. I don’t want to bother you-“

“Pshh, the path I take leads me there anyway. It’s also getting a little dark, I could use the company.”

Understanding went across her face. “Okay. Thank you, Light-kun.”

“It’s nothing.” He smiled. 

It was more likely for Akari to trust a friendly face than a stranger. That is, he would get closer to her through acting as a hero. Then hopefully he could convince Kira. He… He would appreciate other ways but this was the fastest means. 

She obviously wanted a bond with her sister. But, Emi’s insecurities made her despise her sibling. Even if it was unconscious, it still hurt the girl. He could see the jealousy for him and Sayu’s relationship.

Emi left an unfilled yearning for a sibling connection. One he could use.

“You can not answer if you’d like but what happened last week?”

She tensed and relaxed as he put his hand on her shoulder. 

“Just a creepy stalker. He left me alone, though, so no need to worry.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you.” He said empathetically. “I-I know how it feels.”

“You do?” She said, surprised.

“Yes… Don’t tell anyone, even Sayu, but… someone was once obsessed with me too. It was… uncomfortable and they found my address and details.”

“… I’m glad you told this to me. It seems like you kept it in for a long time.” She looked up at him and smiled. One he saw was true.

“You’re… right. It’s nice to have that off my chest.” He confessed. After all these years, he never said a word about what Misa did. But why would he? It would have only worsened his situation and the relationship harmed both sides.

“I know most people tend to ignore situations like these. It’s… comforting to be able to talk about it.” He added.

“I feel the same. Thank you, really, Light-kun.”

More light banter occurred until they reached her house. 

“Akari? And Light?”

“Hey, Emi!” He greeted. 

“Light-kun walked me home when he saw me,” Akari explained.

“Oh, thanks, Light-san.”

“Don’t worry about it, I look out for Akari like I do for Sayu.” He said sheepishly.

“Hmph, so much for my company.” She joked. “Thanks again. Take care, Light-kun!”

“You too. And good luck to both of you.” He said politely.

“That’s all of the security camera footage we managed to find of Raye Penber and David Lincher. Just as Y said, he disabled the ones inside.” Aizawa said.

He had just sent Ukita back to the task force headquarters after Aizawa’s turn. Watari also gave them their fake IDs and equipment. 

“Raye Penber is visible and there are no psychological signs of Y communicating to him through the transceiver.” He commented, analyzing the body language.

“There are also no signs of Y entering.” He sighed. “He must have scouted the area before and used the blind spots. If not, he’d hide behind someone. But if he is captured on camera, we could call him in as a witness.”

“Okay, so… Aizawa-san, you keep on searching for people in the area who can describe Y’s characteristics while Yagami-san and Matsuda-san concentrate on David Lincher.”

“Ryuzaki, it’s from Ukita-san at the other office. He says he’s with someone who has interesting information.” Watari informed him.

“I see, tell him the number for line 5, and have him ask the person to call back there. Matsuda-san, please turn on your cell phone again.”

“Huh? Oh, okay- Hey!” He said as he took the device.

“Yes, this is Suzuki, head of the information processing unit for the Kira case.” He said smoothly.

“Hello, I am Raye Penber’s fiance, Naomi Misora.” A familiar voice said.

“Naomi Misora… I’ve heard that name before.” He glanced at Watari who quickly got the message and gained her details.

It’s… her! He worked with her on that case.

“Miss Misora, do you wish to join the Kira task force? This is L.” He said frankly.

She gasped. “What..?”

“You are free to decline. However, you would have to dispose of your cellular phone whether you accept it or not, like last time.” He said simply.

“No! I have nothing else to lose anymore. I want to catch Kira. Please let me join the investigation.” 

“…Of course, please follow my instructions.”

=====

Naomi Misora sat at a chair in the hotel where L was residing for the time being. To be honest, she was shocked . Not only was he eerily similar to Rue Ryuzaki (who she also insulted and said deserved to die), but she remembered kicking him that time. It was embarrassing to realize that she met L already.

She didn’t make that shame known as she discussed her theories.

“So you’re saying that Kira can control the person before death? And that your fiance met Kira?” Matsuda-san said.

“Yes…” She said nervously.

“Wow,-“ She internally flinched. “-your theories are the same as Ryuzaki’s!” He said cheerfully.

“What?”

“Oh, yes I forgot. Ryuzaki is my alias for now.” L said as she looked with curiosity. What is his relation to BB?

“So a stalker who attempted to murder two teenage girls that Raye Penber was following. Because of that, he showed them his ID. While we have no evidence of this incident, if you’re right, Kira is one of them.” L started.

“We will place secret cameras and listening devices on their residences. Alongside that, we will bug their personal cell phones.”

“I see… A cell phone is what you typically bring with you everywhere and conversations would be recorded.” She noted.

“Wh-what?! This is Japan! That’s totally illegal!” Matsuda-san said with confusion.

“Yeah, that’s going too far, Ryuzaki…” Aizawa-san added. “If that got out, there’d be a huge scandal. We’d all be fired. No, not just that, we’d be arrested.” He reasoned.

“So you won’t risk your jobs? I thought you were risking your lives for this.” L said plainly.

“…” Silence ensued from the two. While they had a point, she was already used to L’s moral code. Certain illegal actions have to be done not because they are above the law, but because their circumstance calls for it. 

“Who were these two girls that Penber was probing?” Yagami-san finally asked.

“Let’s see… You said this happened on December 27, correct?” Matsuda-san asked as he shuffled through the files. She nodded

Matsuda-san’s face went wide as his lips trembled.

“Sayu Yagami and Akari Feya. I’d like to monitor them.” At that mention, everyone stared at Yagami-san looking slightly horrified. A single drop of sweat dripped down his face.

“That’s an illegal violation of human rights! Of two underage girls too!” Matsuda-san countered again.

“If this gets out, they’ll dismantle the task force!” Aizawa-san argued.

“I promise you, no one will ever find out.”

“Ryuzaki, what’s the probability of Kira being one of them?” Yagami-san asked.

“20- no, 10%.” He said calmly. Knowing L, it was a lie.

“It should be at least 50 to go that far…”

“No, our investigation hasn’t turned up anything as close as a lead yet… Even a probability of 1% should be scrutinized.” Yagami-san sighed.

“Yes, but there’s got to be another way…”

“I find it extremely galling, to say the least, to have my own daughter placed under suspicion. So go ahead, you have my permission. But if you do this, I insist that you go all the way. I want cameras in every inch of the house. Bugs, even so on their belongings. Make sure that there is nothing to be missed.” He said.

She understood. In order to clear his daughter’s name and for his own peace of mind, this needed to be done.

“Thank you. That’s exactly what I plan to do.” L confessed.

“S-sir are you serious?! Think about your daughter… your wife…”

She already stepped back at the sight of his face. The overwhelming emotions must have built up, leading to an…

“I’m fully aware of what this means! Including the fact that it’s meaningless if it isn’t done thoroughly! Now just shut up!!!” He snapped.

“… Sorry, sir,” Matsuda-san said looking like a deflated puppy. It was obvious that he held his superior in high regard.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry, too.” Yagami-san apologized, calming himself down.

She placed her hand on the younger man’s shoulder as L spoke again.

“Miss Misora will monitor their private rooms. As a courtesy to Yagami-san, he and I will carry out surveillance of Sayu Yagami.”

“The rest of you will take turns doing the following - watching over Akari Feya, one person leads the NPA office, and one person looks through footage of Raye Penber during December 27 and after.”

“Will you take turns watching Ms. Feya and Yagami?” She asked.

“Yes,”

Light unlocked the door of their house. How strange, there was no one home. He walked with Emi now, spouting an excuse to his friends and they seemed to interpret it as him having a crush. He didn’t bother to correct them. It helped his cover.

Emi was the way to get closer to Kira.

“I’m home,” he announced as he went up the stairs.

He slightly widened his eyes as he tried to push up the handle. Nothing . The paper was back however the pencil lead was broken.

He sighed and continued normally. He supposed he couldn’t write in his investigation journal for the next… 7 days if everything happened just as before.

There was nothing to worry about, now . Well, except for Y but they don’t know anything about that yet. He had already deleted traces of his hacking from his computer.

Considering his circumstances, he relaxed . He laid down, remembering the stress he was in years ago. He only laughed at it internally, now. 

The path he was on… felt more relieving than the last.

But now in the case of Y. He might have to show himself in the future considering Ryuzaki’s sharp wit. He needed to do whatever it took to disassociate his alternate identity.

He would be the prim, polite, and proper Light Yagami. Akari would be fine, he had already made her more careful than before.

“I’m home,” Akari said as she entered the house. There was no one there but that was usual. Her schedule always made it so.

She had been extremely cautious after her encounter with Y. She scheduled for criminals to die in weeks and hadn’t touched the notebook since.

There has to be a way that he was recording her.

She hadn’t said a word to Ryuk after realizing that. She already warned him so he understood.

She entered her room, pausing slightly. Her doorknob… 

In the base of the circular knob, she placed a thin layer of petroleum jelly. And there was a fingerprint.

It couldn’t have been from her family as she placed that before leaving and they all wore gloves for the cold weather.

She plopped down on the bed with an “oof”.

“So, ‘Kari, What are you going to do with the whole “Y” thing? The shinigami eye deal is still up.” He offered.

She ignored him entirely. Could it be from Y? He did bug her before and he might have needed to recharge it.

The worse scenario was that it was from L. Y already had incriminating evidence. L did not. Y hasn’t acted yet but L would definitely immediately do so.

She sat up and walked to her table, undoing her hair and extensions. 

She hummed a tune. It couldn’t have been her sister and mother even if they had been home earlier because the precautions she placed were untouched. A small letter with a heart peeked out which would tempt their curiosity.

“You ignoring me again? Come on, I’m so bored.” Ryuk complained.

She hung up her school coat and went out again.

“‘Kari, what are you doing?” Ryuk said as she patted herself down. No bugs… as far as she knew. She could use a trick with a radio to ensure that but it was too suspicious. 

She couldn’t take the risk. She can’t verbally communicate with Ryuk. Grabbing a newspaper, she clicked her pen and wrote.

“I might be bugged right now?” He read out loud.

Yes, and the house may have cameras.

“Really?”

Trust me, I took precautions. I’m unsure but it’s better to be careful… Hey, Ryuk… I heard Golden Delicious apples taste better than normal ones. It’s a specially bred yellow type. She prompted.

“R-Really?!” He was tempted. This was maybe the first time he stuttered when talking to her. 

She smiled. Yeah… You know us humans and our work to make things tastier. A stall sells them on the way home, I forgot to mention.  

“‘Kari, ‘Kari! Buy me some please?” 

Maybe… I am saving money and they’re expensive because of the quality. She sighed. And how would you eat them with the cameras?

“Akari, wait! We can talk about this!”

“Light, it’s time for dinner!” His sister called.

“Okay,” He said back as he went out. He spent the entire day studying, just as a student preparing for his college entrance exams. 

“Hideki Ryuga again, Sayu? Listen to the news once in a while.” He teased her.

“Not when he’s on! Why don’t you like anybody.” She quipped back. “Huh, it’s a news bulletin… Interpol to send a total of 1,500 detectives from various countries to Japan to help solve the Kira case?” She said, confused. “That’s a lot. You better get to solving faster, Light.” 

“Ha, ha… I’ll leave Dad and L to it. I just can’t make a breakthrough.” He sighed. “The supernatural is just not for me.”

“Guess there’s some cases you’ll stop obsessing over. 1,500 detectives? Wow.” She remarked.

“Eh, I’m sure that’s not the case. This must be some ruse to put pressure on Kira. If they were truly going to send those agents, they would keep it secret to prevent a repeat of those 12 FBI members.” He explained.

“Oh, yeah! You’re right, Light. Pfft, science-whiz.”

“This isn’t even-“

“Also, isn’t this the same thing L did with Lind L. Tailor? Do you think they're working with Dad?” She suggested.

“Huh, I hope so. I think they’re really smart and would be a key player to catching Kira.”

“Maybe they will totally be your type.” She sighed dramatically. “Please get my brother a partner so he can get more money to spend on me, Dad.” 

“Oh pshh. Wouldn’t that mean that I’ll have less money to spend since I’d want to spend it on them?”

“Light, L must be rich.” She said seriously.

“Your son is very intelligent, Yagami-san,” L commented. They were in a monitoring area at another hotel.

“Hmm? Yes…” The man replied. 

From his observations alone, Sayu Yagami was less likely to be Kira. What’s interesting is… someone in that house matches Y.

But he’s here to catch Kira, not Y.

“I’m moving to watch Akari Feya now. Please continue.” He said as he left.

She entered her room, a bag of newly acquired apples in hand. What the Shinigami didn’t think about is that they’ll rot if he doesn’t help her soon. Not that he was already tempted enough to eat them.

As powerful as a weapon it was, it was also a double-edged sword. She needed to keep a close eye on it. This shinigami just might reveal her.

Darkness captured her room, leaving her to feel around to reach her desk. She cursed as her knee bumped into the chair, a short pain throbbing on her leg.

She turned on a desk lamp and started studying. It was usual for a student like her, with upcoming exams. 

She heard Ryuk rusting… that’s good. He was following her orders and searching for cameras. Of course, she made it easier as the lenses would reflect her light in the mainly dark place.

She hummed and studied for two hours, sighing in exhaustion.

“I-I think I found them all,” Ryuk said. “There are 64 cameras surrounding your room.”

64..? She had no knowledge of Y’s circumstances and influence but this was more likely to be L. He was the one with the most power.

She could make an alibi for herself but she feared that it would leave more evidence than it disproves. So she’ll do nothing. Except of course being an actress in a theater.

Her phone rang and she picked it up.

“Hey, Haru-chan.”

“Akari! How have you been?”

“I’m fine as usual.” She laughed. “What about you? I heard you went out with Dai-san.”

The girl on the other line giggled similarly to others she talked to in love. While she hasn’t felt like that yet, she didn’t judge. It was a quick way to get people talking and get her to look better socially.

But now she needed it to circle back to Kira. Or a topic that she can use to alleviate her image with her alias.

“It was so exciting! He was cutely dressed in a black shirt that had a neat collar. He paired them with jeans-“ Her energy significantly increased once they got on the subject.

“-and he was just kind and thoughtful. He got me this necklace. Ooh! And did I mention that we have so much in common?”

“Really? Like what, Haru-chan? I have to look out on his political beliefs.” 

“Pshh, politics is boring. We’re what, 15? Live a little… But we did talk about Kira and we just think the same way!”

“That’s nice… tell me.” She prompted, making sure to show the same enthusiasm to avoid suspicion.

“Well, you know, all of Kira’s targets are people who definitely deserve the death sentence. Or they would be just not yet captured. And alongside the… eugh, rapists, that he killed. Plus, you know the crime rate went down after that. I just feel like he makes this world a better place.” Haru-chan argued. And she would completely agree should she not act right now. I’m sorry, Haru. She hoped that she retained these beliefs.

“But is murder really the way? And you know… one person deciding whether criminals should live or not, isn’t that scary? No one is perfect, they’re bound to make mistakes. I just feel that justice shouldn’t be dictated by someone who thinks they’re above it.” She sighed. “But maybe it’s because of my Mom being a lawyer.” She blew a raspberry.

“Ha, you become a new person once it turns to politics. Wonder how that’ll change once you get a boyfriend. Try it out! I know some boys who totally are into you.”

“You know my Mom thinks I’m too young to date. And she’s right. I’ll wait till I’m older, Haru.” She excused.

“You’re no fun… Oh, I have to go.”

“Is it Dai-san?” She deadpanned.

“Hah… you know me so well. See you tomorrow, Akari!”

“See you, Haru!” She greeted as the call ended.

Let’s see how Kira-like that was, L.

She turned the television on, watching a music program to avoid suspicion. “1,500 investigators?” She said out loud. 

No, most likely false. They wouldn’t just say it clearly if it wasn’t to intimidate her. And didn’t Sayu say that they were running out of men? That was more realistic… right?

And Y… She was running out of time. Two weeks, they said. No, she could negotiate her way out of that. She had to. 

There was still this feeling that something was wrong. About Y… Well, about the details of their deal. What motive could they have? Why are they protecting her for now?

… No - she should stop. She dug her hands in her shirt as she grabbed her biology book. Y was threatening her future as Kira, but she needed to pass the exams for her future as Akari.

L was certain. Akari Feya was Kira - that is, she fit his analysis better than Sayu Yagami. Of course, further investigation was needed. But this was a lead he could dig into.

Sounds of screams echoed through his room, only stopping when he froze. Those screams were his. His breathing was irregular as he put his hand to his heart.

Air… He needed air. His world spun with a throbbing pain as his huffing became faster. His arms felt… useless. They didn’t listen to his command, feeling as if they were gelatin. 

He was stuck. Stuck and almost suffocated. He shut his eyes as the walls seemed to close into him, gasping for oxygen that felt like it was being choked out of him.

“No…” He whispered, squeezing his ears with his palms. He was alright. It was just a dream, same as the ones he had been receiving.

As he calmed down, his sight felt clearer as he finally stood up. Shit he was being recorded, too. He held the wall for support as he slowly limped to the bathroom.

The light blinded him as he shut the door. He sighed as he let the faucet pour water into the sink, washing his face to further ground him into reality.

Breathe in

Breathe out

He held his neck as his breathing finally stabilized. I-It was normal, right? For teenagers his age to have nightmares now and again. Would L gain insight on this? Would this aid his psychoanalysis?

No, that’s only if he acted guiltily. Only if he acted like Y. But Light Yagami is far from Y. He can fool L-

His thoughts were stopped by a knock on the door.

“Light?” A tentative voice asked.

Mom . He bit the inside of his cheek as he finally faced the mirror. He knew what he would see - the familiar killer he loathed.  

He almost gasped. He looked… different. Sure, his eyes and nose were red, but he no longer held a disdainful glare. They looked… softer. Almost gentler-

More knocks ensued. “Can you come out?”

Now he was stuck in a figurative sense. Should he come out in his state, she’d definitely worry. She would want to talk to him and maybe even bring Dad-

It was decided, he was going to avoid that. So what if L saw him using concealer, they couldn’t use it against him. 

He swiftly applied a lot and quickly rubbed it using his fingers. The light, or lack thereof, would hide it… hopefully.

“Are you okay, dear?” She asked once he came out. 

“Yes, Mom… I was just kept up by a dream.”

“A dream? What was it about?” 

“I… don’t know, Mom. I must have forgotten. I don’t think it was important.” And he didn’t know whether it was a lie or not.

“Alright, dear. I thought I heard something. You can always talk to me if something’s bothering you.”

“Of course, Mom. Go back to sleep…” She nodded.

“Good night.” He said as he went back into his room with slightly unsteady hands

“Good night, dear.”

Chapter Text

It had been weeks and the cameras and bugs were removed. Light stood at the balcony, gathering his thoughts. From what he knew of Akari, she wouldn’t get caught. Her nature would let her do nothing about it. 

That is, he was sure she already scheduled a lot of criminals’ deaths. Kira’s pattern was always high-stakes criminals. It wouldn’t be strange for newly announced criminals not to die. 

Knowing L and now Naomi Misora, Akari was very much in danger. Well, he could count on her laying low. He wasn’t going to take the risk of contacting Akari now as Y either.

He sighed. January 17, the first day of the university entrance exams. Akari would be busy too with this, giving him more time.

He walked into the familiar To-Oh University campus, taking in the scenery. How strange… In the past, he could care less. But now, he almost smiled at the row of trees decorating a pathway. He took a large breath, shivering slightly from the cold.

It was time to take these tests again. Of course, he was certain he could ace it. His mind was still focused on the details of the case. 

“You may start.” The proctor said, snapping him out as he calmly filled in answers. Last time… That’s right, L was here. But now, he doubted the man had any reason to show. After all, he didn’t fit Kira at all-

“You there! Number 162!.. Sit properly.” He ordered.

At that moment, he almost lost his grip on his wooden pencil. It couldn’t be… right? Holding his breath, he slowly turned.

His blood turned to ice and his hand felt numb. The sound of a pencil rolling thrummed as he quickly stopped it from falling.

 There he was… A black-haired person with unruly hair and a really plain outfit. He sat in his usual (unusual) way. And those eyes… lifeless? No - determined and observing peering straight into him, unraveling his psychology until he was emotionally laid bare.

But he would never let him figure out the truth. He was smart enough for that. Even if L had an annoying talent for dissecting his lies, he had an innate ability to twist the narrative. 

By then, he knew . Every twitch, every movement, could be used against him. L figured him out as a suspect, again . This time for Y. 

That must be the only reason he is here. He predicted that he could figure out the holes in his cover but to narrow it down specifically to him? Either he underestimated Ryuzaki… Or Naomi.

He continued answering, biting his cheeks to prevent any expressions. The hairs on his neck prickled as he felt the pressure of L’s observation.

He… He disliked it. That is, being watched by someone he knew was dead for 5 years. 5 years… of short-sighted happiness and triumph. 

He felt the taste of bile in disgust. That sour burning liquid… he gulped it back down as he slightly grimaced.

He relaxed and fully answered this questionnaire. He could deal with anything in the privacy of his room. Not here… He couldn’t afford to break down in public. To deceive L… and everyone .

“Are you nervous..?” Sayu asked beside her.

“Of course, but I’m fine.” She smiled in return. She stood in the entrance of American-Japanese University, about to take a test. 

This was one of the few that offered the American curriculum and was quite prestigious. She already took the exam of other options but this definitely came second.

“Huh…” She said as she looked back. How strange, there was the international pair behind her. She recognized them as they took the same exams as her. 

“What is it?” Sayu asked.

“Yeah, ‘Kari… Hyuk, is your paranoia acting up?” Ryuk said begrudgingly. Let’s just say that she took unconventional ways to talk to him (very rarely now that she has an excuse to ignore him).

She discreetly stared at them more. On the left was a boy with blond hair. He usually wore black and leather clothing. The way he moved was reeking of confidence as he sat down. He seemed to have a liking for chocolate too.

On the right, a red-haired boy sat beside him. He seemed quiet and-

“Akari?” Sayu asked, stopping her thoughts.

“N-Nothing,” She excused. “Maybe it’s just nerves but let’s go…”

L sat down as he bit his thumb. Light Yagami… It was the third day of exams and he was still observing the man. There were no noticeable signs except for the initial discomfort at the start.

No, he was mainly relaxed until he looked back and locked eyes with him for a second. He sighed.

He supposed it was a normal reaction as he stored the information in his head. He could officially interview him once they interact.

For Akari, he sent Mello and Matt, two of his heirs whom he saw talent in. They were young enough to be her classmates, after all.

He only talked to them once but he knew they’d be better as a pair. Mello was more impulsive but he thought outside the law, excelling in creativity and quick thinking. However, his emotions usually led him.

Matt, on the other hand, was an equally intelligent kid. He developed his own smoke bombs exceptionally but his carelessness was his weakness.

He handed in the test as usual as he saw Yagami walking briskly to the bathroom. How strange… His intuition told him to follow the man.

His steps were quiet as he observed him. He only washed his face. The tips of his bangs got wet as water dripped down his chin. Light stared at himself as he placed his hands on his cheeks, scrunching to dig his nails into them.

“Are you alright?” He said in a monotone, making the boy jump. 

“Of course… Sorry, it must have been the nerves from the exam.” He said sheepishly as he laughed. “I’m Light Yagami,” 

No signs of the statement being insincere but… he knew it was a lie. Perhaps it was the strange behavior or… the fact that he was like him. Misora-san did say something like that.

“Hideki Ryuga…” He said his alias.

“Mom! The results are here!” She said cheerfully as she grabbed the papers from the mail. She mainly passed at her other options but this was it.

“American-Japanese University…” Emi read out loud. “And Tokyo Medicine High School.”

Ryuk yawned. “Becoming a High School student, huh? Hyuk, good luck, ‘Kari.”

“Which one do you want to open first?” Mom said happily.

She pondered for a while. While the former was one of the best high schools, her first option was the latter. It centered on medicine and would definitely help her.

“How about… that?” A white envelope was handed to her, marked with an A-JU seal.

Shaking hands opened it and unraveled the paper. Adrenaline almost slowed down time as anticipation built in her chest.

Her sister gasped… She-she passed! A surge of happiness and relief passed through, letting her breathe.

“Akari! I’m so proud of you!” Mom said as she hugged her. 

“… I’m so proud too!” Ryuk said as he looked over her. 

“Oh well, congrats, sister,” Emi said as she joined in.

“You know, it’s a better school than that. You should really choose this-“

“Emi, let her decide.” Mom cut in as she opened the other envelope. Well, it’s entrance exam was placed behind A-JU in terms of-

Her mother’s face turned into shock as she read the contents. Her smile flattened as she laid down the paper.

“W-What is it, Mom- I…” She gasped. “I didn’t pass..?” She held the piece of paper that single-handedly decided her life. “H-How?”

The edges started to crease as her hold tightened. She made sure she scored well. She studied the material until every line was ingrained in her head. She did everything to make sure she got in.

Sleepless nights, reading until her eyes felt like weights threatening to close- 

“Hey… You okay? It’s alright, dear, I’m still very proud of you.” Mom said as she rubbed her back.

“A-JU is a very good and prestigious school, you’ll be great,” Emi added.

“O-Of course.” She forced a smile. “I guess I am going to A-JU! I hope my friends passed too!”

“Let’s celebrate-“

“That’s fine, Mom. How about at the ceremony? I promised I’d be with my close friends.”

“Are you sure, dear?” She asked as she put her hand on her shoulder.

“Yes… Having you two here is enough for me! I should g-go and get ready. I’m taking a bath!” She announced as she left.

“Hey, ‘Kari… You okay?” Ryuk asked once she got to her room.

“What does it look like?” She deadpanned.

“Hey-“ He started gently.

“Don’t you dare give me that “you did great” bullshit?” She snapped, banging her hands on a table. “If I did… I would have passed, okay.” She said softly. “I-I don’t know what happened. You saw, right? I spent all that time. That effort. And it was all for nothing.”

“I’m sure you would have…”

“But I DIDN’T.” She accidentally raised her voice as she gasped. “Make fun of me or leave me alone, Ryuk.” She slunk down, grasping a towel as she hugged her knees. 

“You’re a smart kid… and well-“ He started sputtering uncharacteristically.

“And well what?” She looked up.

“Look, while you were taking that boring exam, I decided to explore a little, and I…”

“Spill it, Ryuk.” She said almost forcefully, shaking fingers grasping the wall.

“I overheard some old man that they would lower the scores of the female students.” He finally said as she looked up at him.

“WHAT?! By how much..?”

“I think 25 percent. You know how there’s apparently a shortage of doctors so they decided to lower the chances.”

She clenched her hand as she stood. “How is that… fair!”

“Well, females would have children and leave-“

She held out her hand as she stomped to the bathroom. 

“I-I’m taking a shower. Don’t think of following me.” 

She closed the door behind her, slouching back for support as she gasped a shaky breath. She dropped down onto the wet floor, uncaring of her cold drenched shorts.

She closed her fist in anger. Hot tears dripped down her eyes, leaving a trail of rapidly cooling water. 

Not fair, not fair, not fair! She bit her lip as her huffs became more and more intense.

She froze as a metallic taste poured into her mouth. Oh… She quickly went to the mirror. There, a patch of blood pooled on her lips.

She grabbed the walls for support as she walked to the shower, letting the cold drops burn through her open wound. She grimaced at the pain, curling down into a ball.

All of her rage and bitterness flowed through her body as she opened her mouth to scream. Of course, she didn’t make a sound yet it felt… real. 

It was NOT FAIR! She grabbed onto a sleeve, disregarding her drenched clothes as she hit the tiled floor, water bouncing from the impact.

What right… did they ever think they had to take away her dream?! Her opportunity to s-save lives without using murder. 

And now… she had nothing. She couldn’t fulfill it… She couldn’t start her medical career. Even after everything…

She quietly sobbed. She’ll never forgive them. They make it so hard to live just because she was born with a different chromosome. Never… NEVER. 

T-They’ll see… She’ll make them see. And her two weeks were over… Y would be quick to see her tomorrow. She’ll find a way. She always did.

“Kira…” He started, seeing the girl tense. She was sitting alone in the forest. The same one she went to for Penber’s information. It was her way of inviting him.

“Your time is done… What is your choice?” He came out from the shadows.

“Hello, Y.” She said calmly. “So you finally decided to show yourself. Aren’t you scared?”

“Threatening my life is pointless. I set up a timer so if I don’t come out here alive, your incriminating evidence will be sent to L in an hour. That is if I don’t disable it.” 

“I don’t have to kill you… Because you won’t bring me to L.” She stated.

“Is that a risk you’re willing to take?”

“Yeah…” She said almost aloof. “You’re just as guilty as me, anyway.”

“Excuse me?”

“I always thought that it was weird… You wanting to work with me to “save” my life? And your knowledge of the Shinigami. Plus, you seem to know more about it.” 

“Either you own a notebook right now, or you knew someone who did. And that Death Note, I doubt that it went unused. After all, that notebook draws people to use it. If you give me up, you’d have to include yourself or someone you care about.” 

She… Well, she was on the right track. However, it was an uncharacteristic risk. So much could have been wrong from her induction. What if he just didn’t care? But he did. And he knew he couldn’t hide it.

“And your complex of helping me stop my usage, it’s your way to stave off your own conscience. But I won’t back down, Y. Not when this world is a rotten mess!”

Her nonchalant facade washed off. Was she okay? Something big must have happened to her. Especially that she’s lashing out and more aggressive.

“Do you really think you’re doing the right thing?” He finally responded.

“I know I am… Do you have any more points to convince me?” She seemed set on her decision.

“You’re against greater geniuses than you know. Sooner or later you’ll need my help. L and the NPA would want you dead, kid… I can reduce that. I’m sure they’ll find evidence against you.”

“Then wait for that moment. And I don’t need your pity, Y.” She walked away. She was… in an unstable emotional state right now. She used to be uncertain of her actions but she felt more confident. 

She’d be harder to convince… He sighed as he got up too. Her walls are now impossible for Y to get past. Well, he had already wormed his way… as Light Yagami.

“Happy birthday, Light-kun,” Akari said as she gave her gift. It was February 28 and she finally found him. It had been more than a month since Y showed up… and she felt so much better. At least they weren’t an active threat anymore. 

He smiled as he picked up the box. “Thank you, Akari.” 

“Don’t be so polite, you’re basically a close friend to me… How was your day?”

“It was… great.” He sighed contentedly. “Dad gave me this watch-” His eyes seemed to drift. “-and Mom cooked my favorites. Of course, Sayu gave me a locket and seemed nicer than normal… without any ulterior motive.” 

She laughed, pushing away the shame that crawled under her. 

“Oh, how’s Emi?” He said as he put away her gift. It was a chess book that Emi herself recommended. Light-kun seemed dedicated to chess… Somewhat too energetic? 

Maybe it was her projection showing. Not everyone was disingenuous. Especially Light-kun. She pushed down the uncanny feeling as she continued walking.

“I guess she’s still as sad as the last time you saw her. She really wanted to get into To-Oh.” She confessed.

“I really hope that she’s feeling better… What about you?” He approached the topic with a gentler tone.

“What about me?” She asked in confusion. “I got into A-JU so I’m a little scared but really excited.” She lied. “I’ll be with Sayu, anyway.”

“No… I heard you didn’t get into TMHS. Are you okay?” She almost flinched at his question.

“Of course I am! I got into A-JU which is ranked higher than that.” She said as she buried her hands in her pockets. Shaking fingers wasn’t a good sign, after all.

“But it was still your second option. You’re allowed to feel angry, you know?” He stopped walking as he stared at her.

“I shouldn’t… When Emi was younger, this school was her dream. Who am I to complain?”

“But you’re not her. And even if you ignore your emotions, they won’t go away. You’re only human, after all.” He reassured her like it was the easiest thing in the world.

“D-Do you really think so?” She asked but she quickly regretted it. 

“Yes,” He said with assurance. 

They continued walking as she calmed down. “I guess I’m a little- no, very bitter about it. Becoming a doctor was recently a dream of mine. I know that I can still pursue medicine in college but TMHS is the best there is… And it kind of feels like it was out of my control.”

“Out of your control?” He asked with curiosity, not doubt. Her confidence rose as she took a deep breath.

“I know I did well, okay? It sounds crazy and entitled but it just feels so unfair.”

He smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s neither crazy nor entitled… I think it’s normal. And maybe you’re right that injustice happened but I know you’ll be a great doctor someday. You’re resilient, kid.”

Chapter Text

Light sat next to L as he kept his stance formal and relaxed. The entrance ceremony had just started and he already felt discomfort creeping into his stomach.

It wasn’t that a dead man walking was next to him, it was that he remained an alive corpse in his head. A person whose blood was on his hands. But he was used to it. 

He did see his father regularly.

No, why would his father’s death be completely caused by him? In the circumstances, anyone would do the same-

“Our freshman representative, Light Yagami.” The announcer calmly said as he responded and walked to the stage. 

“And our other freshman representative, Hideki Ryuga.”

… He still thought that the alias was unnecessarily humorous.

The black-haired man walked behind him, his hair looking unwashed for days as it usually did. Despite Ryuzaki actually washing it, he enjoyed styling it that way. Even without a mirror, he knew how they both juxtaposed each other - neat and messy.

He prepared himself as the speeches were delivered, walking down the stage as he once did.

“Yagami-kun, you’re the son of Detective-Superintendent Yagami of the NPA, your respect for your father is matched only by your deep sense of justice.” Ryuzaki started.

Looking back on it, having a stranger know certain details of your life should have been a source of discomfort. Did Ryuzaki even think of that? Of course he did. He was annoyingly intelligent enough to, it was just that he didn’t care.

“You aim to reach a leadership position in the NPA yourself, and have helped them solve cases in the past… And right now, you’re showing a great interest in the Kira case. So if you swear not to tell anyone-“

Wait… His past response was calm and collected, as usual. But isn’t it normal to be scared or creeped out? Was that his flaw in the past that made him so obvious? 

“Sorry, Ryuga, I am not interested.” He said politely. It was better for now to lay low from L’s sight.

“It is in regard to the Kira case…” His mind was snapped back to the tons of research he had done. Right after he last saw Akari as Y, her killings became… more intense. 

Kira’s heart attacks are normal, of course. She wouldn’t act in a way that would incriminate her. But the non-heart attacks, he couldn’t say the same.

Worldwide, the death rate of male criminals sentenced for violence against women has increased slightly. Suicides, accidents, diseases, and even infighting. 

It was reasonable enough to think of it as a natural phenomenon. But he knew better. She had snapped. And as he asked the right questions to the right people, he figured out what happened.

He tried his best to calm her during his birthday, but she seemed just as determined. Even what comfort he gave couldn’t put out her burning rage.

“I have decided to focus completely on my studies for now. I can continue my detective work in the future.” He lied.

“I-“

“If you wanted to be friends, I’d gladly be yours, Ryuga.” He laughed. Of course, L wasn’t going to let it go so he needed to compromise. “You didn’t have to… know information about me that you shouldn’t know and psychoanalyze my mindset and be… scarily accurate.” He said with slight discomfort.

He had just established his priorities and boundaries to Ryuzaki. Most probably, he would back down and not reveal himself. At the same time, he presented an opportunity to interview him and further see his psychology. 

Being friends is about knowing each other, after all. 

A great alternative to his original plan.

“That is all. Again, I welcome the new students as we prepare for another school year.” The announcer said, stepping down from the stage. 

Akari sighed as she went inside her designated room, hoping that Sayu was there.

It was just… so tiring. Her shoes feel like they are dragging behind her because she really doesn’t want to be here. Even at the start of the day, she couldn’t even keep her energetic display. 

“Hyuk, at least try to keep your happy-go-lucky act. Besides, you just got a new trick up your sleeve. Against both Y and L, that is.”

She smiled at the Shinigami. She wouldn’t say that Y wouldn’t know of the concept, but it will be effective nonetheless. Because at its core, it would still induce surprise.

That is, her Shinigami eyes.

Sayu locked eyes with her as she entered, making her smile because of the familiar face. At least her friend was genuinely happy. And her sunny personality, at least was genuine. 

Sayu Yagami floated above her alongside numbers. After quick calculations, she smiled in relief. She’ll have a long life.

She supposed bribing Ryuk to show her how to convert Shinigami time to years had its uses.

Her attention drifted to the red-haired man talking to Sayu. He wore a leather jacket alongside the appropriate clothing, a Gameboy peeking out from his bag. She internally watched for his body language as she shifted uncomfortably.

Mail Jeevas, what an.. unusual name.

“Akari! You seem tired..?” Sayu questioned.

She yawned as she laughed. “I was so excited last night that I couldn’t sleep. Now… it’s coming to bite me in the face.”

Sayu laughed at her expense. “I don’t think I’ve seen you not get 10 hours of sleep. Oh, this is Matthew.” She pointed to the man.

“Hyuk, hyuk… What do we have here, Akari?” Ryuk said as he hovered behind her.

An alias? But why..? Her guard raised as she hid the tension in her body language. He also applied to every school she had. Could they be telling the truth about the 1,500 agents? But if that’s so why would they broadcast it…

Of course… To make her anxious and distrustful. To make her feel like cornered prey in order for her to make a move. 

“Hello, Matthew!” She said energetically. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too… Akari, was it?” He said politely.

“Mhm, Akari Feya.” She introduced herself.

“Matthew Tholomule,” He said in response. 

“This is interesting, ‘Kari. Do you think they might be sent by L?” Ryuk pondered.

“Tsk, this orientation is such a bother. A whole boring week.” The blond companion of Mail said.

Mihael Keehl?

“At least we have no tasks to worry about. And we can get to know our batchmates.” Mail argued as the boy sat beside him. “This is Mike Porter, my childhood friend.” He said.

Ryuk’s laughter increased in intensity as she kept her composure.

Another person with an alias? What is the meaning of this? Is L sending people to track the ones who were probed before? And if you choose an alias, at least make it discreet. He used the same name as an idol!

Light Yagami… He grew more and more unsolvable each day. Suddenly losing interest in solving cases, especially the Kira case? Continuously cutting him off and offering friendship?

Of course, it could be a product of his insistence and creepy behavior but… it was too perfect.

And that made it feel uncertain. 

Although, he couldn’t waste any more time. He couldn’t get any more leads for Akari Feya now so he’ll leave it to Mello and Matt. As for Y, he took this chance to profile him. He will prove Y’s identity. He is certain.

However, he couldn’t fully psychologically analyze him now. But he planned to do so later.

They walked to the university tennis court, feeling the soft wind.

“So, just one set. Whoever wins 6 games first is the winner. Alright with you?” He laid out the rules.

“Of course, Ryuga. Forgive me, it’s been a while since I played tennis.” Light said.

“Ah… Likewise,” He said as he served the ball quickly.

“Fifteen-Love.” He announced.

For a moment, a twitch of annoyance was seen from his opponent. That’s right, Light Yagami hates to lose. 

“Ha-ha, I told you I was a little rusty. Give me time to prepare.”

“He who moves first always wins.” 

There it was again, that slight break of character. The crack to Light Yagami’s act. The facade of a morally good college student slipping into a reality. No, there must be some truth in his front.

Whatever it was, he would unravel it. He did so for worse criminals. But something in him knew that Light Yagami would not be the same. 

Perhaps it was how much he saw himself in the man.

If he tried to win, would he seem like Y? However, losing on purpose would give L a reason to investigate him further.

He continued their rally with a hard hit, feeling the cool air mix with the smell of sweat. 

And Y isn’t even known to L yet. At least, he shouldn’t. Did he miss anything that could tie him back to Y? No, he made sure to clean everything. His movement, the cameras, the alibis… 

His clean white shoes roughly rubbed against the court as he chased the ball, successfully making it.

Why would L take an interest in him, though? He doubted that he could help much in the investigation enough for L to physically seek him out. He knows he had a bigger role in this case. Because of course he knows.

He clenched his teeth as their game progressed, the dryness of his mouth bothering him.

He must have caught on the missing piece of a person during Raye Penber’s incident. If that’s so, he would definitely profile him both during this game and another challenge he’ll set up. 

A loud thunk echoed as he scored another win.

But if he continues to stubbornly reveal his identity, he will run out of excuses soon. Not that the mere prospect of giving excuses till he lost his creativity was suspicious enough.

…Although, you can’t ever win if you stay on the defensive. With one final blow, he finished the game.

“Set! Won by Light Yagami, 6 games to 4…” The referee said.

“You beat me, Yagami-kun.” He said plainly.

Wait… He blinked once. Twice. 

Shit.

He did, in fact, profile him and he allowed it. Damn… He fell for it, again. Just as he did all these years ago. And he ever thought that he was less childish than in the past. L just knew how to press his buttons the right way that would let him in. 

In truth, he was the one that was beaten. 

… How strange. He should be, well, seething inside. That’s how he reacted then. But he supposed he was no longer the same person.

Still, he hated losing. As childish as it was, it’s the truth. Uncontrollable anger and embarrassment flowed through his veins in instances like this. Instances where he was outmaneuvered.

So why was he smiling? No, that wasn’t unusual. It was the nostalgia and… joy? It had been years since he last fought L, sure. But it wasn’t the encounters that he would look back with fondness.

So why was his smile genuine?

“I think we’re both thirsty, how about getting a drink somewhere?” Yagami suggested after their match. 

Even after an intense game, his appearance still looked relatively perfect. His hair was wiped with a towel, only small strands sticking to his face. He had also washed the sweat from his body, changing back into a more formal outfit.

In contrast, he didn’t even bother changing for and after their match. He was still in his usual shirt and jeans. 

“Sure,” He replied. “But there is something I need to tell you first. I am L.” He said casually. 

Yagami’s steps didn’t even shake as he slowed down ever so slightly to match his. 

“If you are L, then I admire your abilities. I guess that’s why you seemed so fixated on the Kira case during the ceremony… And why you knew so much about me.” His voice had an uneasy tone, one that he would usually account as discomfort but somehow, it felt… disingenuous. 

Even during their first encounter, he was able to quickly hide his nervous signs. And now it appeared again almost to tell him that he was disturbed. It was just too convenient.

“And I’d like you, Light Yagami, to join the investigation.” He added.

“But I told you before, I want to focus on college. Ryuga, I can’t join this investigation even if you’re L or not.” Yagami argued.

“But don’t you wish to help your father?” He said nonchalantly. He knew that it would be the fastest way to-

He mysteriously stopped in his tracks, his hands tightly gripping his khaki coat.

How strange? What could have made this reaction? He continued walking to see his suspect’s expression.

A look of something he didn’t register slipped into the man’s face before shifting back into his perfectly crafted expression.

“Of course I do, Ryuz-ga.” He stuttered. Or… did he somehow already know of his alias? No, that can’t be. He was sure of his safety precautions and Yagami-san knew the importance of that secrecy.

“But I know my father wants me to continue my studies. And he wants me to stay clear of the Kira case. We both know the dangers of it.” He said with tension in his words. “I already said no, drop it, Ryuga.” Light continued walking.

“I see. I apologize, Yagami-kun.” He said neutrally. 

“-And you can stop being so formal. Light is fine. Let’s go get refreshments.” Yagami said calmly. 

“Alright, Light-kun.”

“So… Mike, what interests do you have?” She asked gleefully. At least she would try to get to know this maybe-enemy. They were eating lunch together as Sayu and “Matthew” went to grab something from their last classroom.

“I guess I know how to play football. But enough of small talk, I have something important to tell you.”

“Huh? What’s up?” She said confusedly. 

“That is, I’m L.” He said confidently - no, with masked confidence. It takes one to know one, after all. But that was unimportant… what was he up to?!

“HAHAHAH… Humans know how to make things entertaining.” Ryuk said unhelpfully.

This person couldn’t be L… Because if he is then that means that she’s the one that gained most of his attention. She knew he was good… but L would not just come out directly as L, right?

She laughed softly. “I’m sorry, Mike, but is this a joke? Why would L go out of their way to meet with high schoolers.” She reacted naturally.

“That’s because I suspect you, Akari Feya, to be Kira.” 

W-What? Her as a suspect makes sense. But has L really narrowed it more to her? She cleaned everything! She even acted perfectly with those cameras-

You didn’t wipe things as clean as you think.

No, Y must be bluffing, right?

“Wow, this guy’s good. Too bad you already have his name, ‘Kari.”

Her face dropped as she stopped mid-laugh. “This isn’t funny anymore, Mike. It’s insulting, even, to compare me to that disgusting murderer.” She acted as she suppressed her body language.

“Ha, don’t get too defensive. I’m only talking about one percent. What I want is to clear that so I can let you analyze some aspects. You are intelligent, after all.” He excused. 

T-That was an annoyingly smart move. One percent seems so small and would bring the guard of many people down. But even with that one percent, she could lose everything. 

Since it also wasn’t zero, he couldn’t reveal anything helpful to her!

That’s why his alias was the same as the idol..! If said idol were to die, then it was more reason to suspect her.

And… even if she had his name, his death would also make them suspect her. That is if he was even L. He… could be a stand-in!

At that moment, Sayu and Matthew came back, the former looking strange and unnerved. What was going on?!

“This is one of my favorite coffee shops. If we sit here in the back, no one can hear what we’re talking about.” Light said casually as he hid his discomfort and resentment. Ryuzaki… He almost slipped the name as the man tried to manipulate him.

Manipulate him using his father. It was like he always had before. The heart attack, that mock trial…

He suppressed a shiver as he focused on L.

“Thank you… And if you wish to ask me questions, I’d inform you that I suspect you-“ He almost held his breath. Would L think he was Kira again? He did have similarities with Akari… “- of being Y.” 

That… was unexpected. How did he know of his involvement?! How did he find out about Y? 

He was sure he left- Raye Penber. There was no other explanation as to how he knew his exact alias. Should L actually have evidence, he would have questioned him a long time ago. So it wasn’t himself who gave him away. 

Akari too would have no reason to do so.

This… this was bad. He can’t be revealed as Y, not when Akari is yet to be convinced. Not when he already had a fresh start. A fresh start as Light Yagami, the perfect son. 

…Not some Y who let Raye Penber die. Not Y who was willing to do anything for his ends. Because Y is a bad person, he’ll lose any of his father’s approval if he knows. He’ll lose it… again. 

Just as he once had. And he couldn’t let it happen. He couldn’t face the doubt that felt like acid burning through his skin. Acid that would make his Dad see into his very core.

He needed to be careful.

“But I don’t know anything about this… Y? I never even knew someone with that alias was involved in the Kira case. I only hear about you and Kira. And my Dad, all I know is that he is a part of the investigation. I think you’re mistaken.” He said confusedly.

“Y is a person who stopped Kira from being able to murder a group of people but also covered up for Kira’s story. Well, when I say “suspect”, I’m only talking about one percent. But I’d like it to be completely sure so that I am closer to finding the real Y.” Ryuzaki explained as he took a sip.

“Because even though Y was against Kira, they are also against the task force… If no one else benefits other than Kira, they’re saying that they want to solve the case first.” He commented.

“Something like that. Another agent of ours recommended you, too.” He said.

“I’m sure my father is biased-“ He was cut off.

“It wasn’t your father. It was Raye Penber’s fiancée. I was informed that you two met, did you not?”

He almost reacted unnaturally. Naomi Misora…

“Yes, we did.” He confirmed. “She’s a really intelligent woman! I’m sure the investigation is already very competent if you two are working together.” 

“Thank you… Now do you want to ask me anything?” L said.

“Not when you’re not positive about me being Y. How about you start, Ryuga?” He smiled as he finally drank his coffee. How… nostalgic. He hadn’t been here for years.

“In that case, can I test your reasoning?” Ryuzaki asked. He already gave him a lot of basis for his profile… should he add more? But again, it would be suspicious to say no. At least, for his people-pleasing personality.

“Sure, sounds like fun.” He hummed. Should he show his true intelligence? Well, L most probably knows his capabilities, and limiting that would be worse for him. 

That’s alright… He’ll make Y substantially different.

“Does the fact that I revealed to you I’m L tell you anything?”

“Hmm, it means you have some hope that I’ll help you solve the case and… you’ve deduced that Kira wouldn’t be able to kill you with your face alone or you’ve taken steps to ensure that you’ll be safe. And that means that the news reports saying that Kira only needs a face is false. They need another factor.” He said seriously.

“The factor being their name. The fact that you had to create an alias of a famous idol, drawing more attention to yourself, proves it.”

“Correct,” L said with interest.

“And the chances that you’re actually L is very low.” He added.

“Why is that?” Ryuzaki said with intrigue.

“If I were L, I’d reason that it would be enough to have another person interact with my suspect. The real L needs to stay safe at all times, staying in the shadows. Besides, L only suspects me of being Y, not Kira. I’m not that important for L to show himself… So why commit all of this effort for me, L? I have to say that I’m confused.” 

“Excuse me, I believe you made a point of me not being L,” Ryuzaki replied.

“I’m sorry… It’s just that you’re not what people picture L to be. That is, you’re too unconvincing and out of character to be a fake. So I’d say that you really are L.” 

“Even with your aforementioned low chances? What are the odds that you took?”

“Since it’s L, I’m not really sure. I just don’t know anything about them.” He explained as he put his hand on the back of his head.

“I see… would it be fine for me to show things related to the investigation?” Ryuzaki asked.

“… If it is to clear my name from this Y, sure.” He said calmly.

“Thank you, Light. This is a list of the 12 FBI agents murdered by Kira.” L handed him as he falsely flinched at the mention. It would be a normal reaction to a killing. And he’ll make Y’s personality contradict this body language.

“This is also their respective names and faces. Please tell me what you think and how it correlates to the file.”

Looking back on it, L also done similar tests.

“Hmm, what file? I need that information to form a hypothesis.” He asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry, here’s a picture of a file that was posted online.” L handed him the familiar list.

“I can see that the names and faces are interchanged… except for Raye Penber and David Lincher. With Kira needing both information, the other FBI agents survived. This is where Y must have appeared as it matches your story.”

“Furthermore, Y didn’t change their information which leaves me to believe… that it was important to Kira’s cover story. Y allowed them to be killed.” He said despite knowing it was false.

He wasn’t falling for L’s tricks the second time.

“I see. Say, if you were L and you came across someone who might be Kira, how would you deal with that?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Let’s see… I’d send a proxy and let them blurt out unconsciously things that only Kira would know. Ha-ha, you can say I took inspiration from your approach.” He undermined his intelligence. Last time, it only made him more likely to be Kira. Would it be the same for Y?

“I already asked the question to a number of detectives and most of them took a few minutes to think about it. When they came up with an answer, it was usually something silly. But you, Light Yagami, were quickly able to think of it from an investigator’s perspective. I’d say that you’re brilliant, Light-kun.” 

… He knew L was being genuine. And that tone meant that it made him more likely to be Y.

He internally rolled his eyes. L was sometimes annoying and… fun at the same time. It was in the sense of a person facing off against an equal opponent. 

“Excuse me,” L said as his phone rang. Ah, it must be time for that to happen.

And it was also time for him to put on the best act of a scared teenager. It… disgusted him to do this. And to even allow it to happen but maybe it will serve as a lesson to his father to not overwork himself.

His phone rang and he nervously picked it up.

“Light, it’s your father.” Mom’s voice spoke worriedly. “He had a heart attack.”

Both he and L simultaneously stood up.

“Kira?!”

“Damn it! That blond got me!” She said spitefully once they got home. “Oh, that man… That disgusting infuriating man!”

“You have the eye deal… Just kill him.” Ryuk said as if it was that easy.

“Right, but what if that isn’t L? And even if he was, he must have placed precautions that if he died, I’m Kira!” She didn’t mean to shout but her patience has long been spread thin.

“… Uh… Sorry.” Ryuk said in shock. She hadn’t lost her cool in front if him, after all.

“I can’t think of how they also included me in the list of suspects. They can’t be this close to me..! I never imagined that someone would come up to me and say “I am L”. It doesn’t matter if he’s a proxy, that just means that I’m one of the main suspects.” 

“It was… annoyingly smart for L to shield himself from me and attack at the same time! Oh, I hate him! He’s just like all the simpleminded others who can’t share my view!” 

“Ugh, but that’s right. This just means that he doesn’t have any proof. He wants to go one-on-one? I’ll give that to him.” She calmed down as she thought more clearly.

They stood in the hospital room, the chilly air and smell of equipment only heightened the anxiety of Light Yagami.

“Are you really sure that this was caused by overwork?” He said worriedly. When he got the call, he seemed like a different person.

A person who acted normally, not clouded by his perfectionism. That is, he finally seemed fully genuine. Still, he saw that tension in his upper body. The tension from interacting with his father.

“Light! What are you saying?” His mother scolded him.

“Mom, he had a heart attack. Who wouldn’t make the connection?” 

“…To be honest, that was what I was thinking as I was going down,” Yagami-san admitted.

“You head the Task Force. Kira has enough reason to want you dead… A murder attack by Kira? Hmm, we can’t rule it out completely.” He pointed out. It was true that Yagami-san would be the next target after him…

“Sachiko, Light’s here now and I’m alright. You go on home.” Yagami-san said gently. “Not a word of this to Sayu. I don’t want to upset her.” He explained.

“All right, then. I’ll be back tomorrow with some more of your things. Thanks for coming, Light!” She said sweetly.

“It was no problem, Mom. Get home safe.” Yagami responded.

“I don’t think it was Kira… Well, now that I think about it, being under all of that pressure to catch Kira, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in months.” Yagami-san sighed. “I was asking for it.” He confessed now that he could talk about the case.

“Having your own son under suspicion must be an emotional strain as well.” He added, observing said son in his peripheral vision.

“Ah, so you’ve told him that I was under suspicion.” He said sadly. However, he noted that it may not be fully genuine. 

“Yes, I told him everything. Including the fact that I’m L.” 

“That’s right,” Yagami-san confirmed but he didn’t think the younger Yagami had any doubts. “We’ve been calling him Ryuzaki so that nobody finds out but this is L.” 

He took a deep breath as he spoke again. “So, Ryuzaki, has talking to my son cleared away your suspicions?”

“No… To be honest, his comments were just too accurate. It had made me suspect him even more.” He said plainly.

“I understand, Ryuga. I hope I can prove my innocence to finally have this burden off my Dad’s shoulders. It just… hurts me so much to see you stress about this case, Dad. I’m sorry I added to it.” He spoke. It was hard to believe that it was just an act. It’s a personal matter that couldn’t be this well done without it being partially true. That is, if he was Y, he’d prove his innocence nonetheless.

“It’s not your fault, son. And even if you’re under suspicion, I understand that it’s not quite enough to make you a suspect. And… I know you aren’t Y.” Yagami-san said with confidence.

“If something life-threatening happens to you again, I know I can’t convince you to quit. But Dad, I won’t have any choice but to join the investigation. Please… have that in mind so you won’t act so recklessly with yourself.” Light… threatened? It was in a worried tone but a threat itself at its core. 

And he once inferred that Light looked up and respected his father’s choices almost blindly. Now he’s openly against his actions? Either the circumstances of the case made him act this way… or he was more mature than he first identified him as.

Which was rare, for L. That is, being so blatantly wrong. But he couldn’t care. It was a minor detail to the case, after all.

“Light, just concentrate on studying. You’ll have plenty of opportunities when you join the NPA. I won’t feel any better if both our lives are endangered.” His father argued.

“I swore that if anything happened to you, I’d make sure Kira got the death penalty. I meant that. Kira is responsible for what happened to you. If something like this arises again, I’ll help in any way I can. If my input can make this investigation move faster, I’ll do it.” Light said seriously.

“Light-kun, what kind of person do you think Kira is?” What is your image of them?” He asked.

“I think Kira is… a hurting child.” He sighed.

“A hurting child? I like it, go on.” He prompted.

“If it is assumed that they can kill people just by willing it, using it to get rid of criminals without considering the root cause of why those crimes happen is something I can only think of a child doing. Their goal of making the world a better place will crumble beneath them. That is, they’re making a generation of fear if they succeed.” He said quite on the point. If he was being true, this decreased his chances of being Y. He understood the concept intelligently.

He’d say he truly was more mature than he thought. He gave no signs of approving of Kira’s mindset.

But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t share it. 

“I’d say they’re somewhere from a fifth-grader to a college student. If it was anyone younger, they’d be too scared or kill people they don’t like. If it was anyone older, they’d use it for their personal gain…”

“I’d say that they’re hurting from the systems or society around them. That is, these killings are a retaliation or an act of vengeance. However, they don’t notice the unjust nature of it all.” He explained.

Vengeance..? He wouldn’t agree but other than that, his profile matches the one he created. 

“So, according to your profile, Light-kun, the most suspicious of our current targets would be… you.”  

Light quickly stood up with an angered expression on his face, his eyes narrowed with his mouth clenched hardly.

“What is the matter with you?!” He said with a louder tone.

“I was only drawing the obvious conclusion from your speculations, Yagami-kun-“

“Both of you, stop it. Nothing you say is going to faze me but if you two are going to fight, take it outside.” He said bluntly. 

“This may sound like a fond father speaking, but I am certain that my son is not Kira. If anything, you’re the type to kill no one. I don’t think it is anywhere near the moral code you have, son.” Yagami-san said gently.

“You’re right… I’m sorry, father.” Light said. “Father”? He didn’t use that term to call Yagami-san. Only “Dad” usually. Moreover, his eyes widened almost as if he was confused that his father didn’t doubt him.

“Kira is evil, there is no denying that. But lately, I’ve been starting to think of it as more like this… The real evil is the power to kill people. Someone who finds themselves with that power is cursed. No matter how you use it, it won’t bring true happiness.”

“… You’re absolutely right, Dad.” Light said with a smile. A smile that showed something…  unease(?) for a second.

“If Kira is an ordinary person who somehow gained this power, they are very unfortunate.” He added.

“Ryuzaki, I’m sorry about this. I’ll be back to work as soon as I can-“

“What are you talking about, Dad? You need to rest until you’re fully recovered.”

“He’s right, Yagami-san.” He spoke.

“Visiting hours are over. You’ll have to go now.” A nurse interrupted as they complied.

“In other words, we are being held hostage by Kira and have no choice but to air these videos. At the same time, we feel that doing so is our professional duty.” The spokesman of Sakura TV said. 

Akari sighed, brushing her hair. Another person acting as her? Either it was an elaborate prank or… someone else has a Death Note.

“Four days ago, an envelope containing four videotapes arrived at this station. It was without a shadow of a doubt, sent by Kira. The first tape announced the time and date of the death of Seiichi and Seiji Machiba, who were arrested yesterday. Exactly as predicted, those two men died at 7:00 PM of heart attacks.”

This… can’t be? Another user? She needed to think carefully about this. Moreover, they just targeted two criminals outside of her MO. That is, they were already sentenced to death.

“The instructions we received told us to air the second video at exactly 5:59 today. It contains a message to the world.”

She was already stressed at L and now this copycat adds to her pile of problems? What exactly are you doing?!

“I can do it. I can change the world and make it a better place-“ Sachiko turned off the television. It wouldn’t help her husband lying on the hospital bed right now.

And… her son asked her to keep an eye out for him. And he was right. This whole situation made her more worried than ever.

“You shouldn’t be watching this… It’ll only make your condition worse. You need to rest.” She reasoned.

“Sachiko, I am the head of the task force charged with arresting Kira.” He argued gently. 

She sighed as she turned it back on.

Misa… Light called L’s cell phone which was given to him during his time as Kira. Misa was a needed factor to convince Akari… And she was another person he felt indebted to.

“Who is this?” L’s voice was heard.

“I have important information. This is Y.” He said under a voice changer. And even if they tried, he ensured the security of this call. Being able to plan for this also allowed him to create an alibi.

A few minutes passed until the line had audible dialogue.

“This is L, what do you wish to inform me?” He said formally with his own voice changer. 

He took a deep breath. “Tell every NPA officer not to show themselves on video at Sakura TV. That is, of course, if you want to see more lives get taken, L.”

“What do you mean? How did you receive my contact?”

“Is that really important, sweetheart?” He said cockily yet he cringed internally. However embarrassing, it was important to separate his identity.

“Back to the point, tell your units to get out of sight, xoxo.” He hung up. He sighed as he prepared to escape with the tapes. He already snuck in before the broadcast and only had the opportunity to get the original ones. Of course, the TV station copied them.

But, these contain evidence that would lead to Misa’s identity. And now, he can use it when the time is right.

Chapter Text

For once, L was visibly sweating, biting his thumb. Firstly, how the hell did Y get his personal phone number? He ensured its complete security. Moreover, he hadn’t revealed it to the task force yet, so Y couldn’t get it from them.

Additionally, Y said a cryptic warning without further explanation. Sure, he himself did that sometimes, but not on important topics. 

After every loss the officers suffered, he decided to follow the threat. Ukita was ordered to stop and stand by. He was about to phone the NPA when two officers arrived, and dropped dead on the floor.

“H-How?” He heard Misora-san mutter. She must be thinking as deeply as him about the situation and equally… well, confused.

He sighed once he finally got to Kitamura.

“Aizawa, I told you not to call me.” The man said sternly.

“This is L, I have a request. More officers will be driven to act on their own after seeing this broadcast. Unless strictly coordinated action is taken, we’ll have a tragedy on our hands.” He replied.

Kitamura seemed to realize the severity of the situation.

“Alright, L. Tell me how to coordinate this,” Kitamura said as he explained to the NPA officers not to show their faces. 

Kira… Did they gain the ability to be able to kill people with only their faces? It would make their fake IDs unhelpful if that’s the case.

He never predicted for Kira to make such a move, killing criminals sentenced to death and using Sakura TV out of all news broadcasts. But perhaps it was because others might contact the police. Well, this was still a risky move.

And the other factor… What possibly could Y gain from this? From his stunt with the FBI agents, he went out of his way to save their lives while also covering up for Kira. And now, he saved NPA officers who could have been victims.

From the call, he was sure it was Light Yagami. Light knew he had knowledge of Y. That must be the explanation for the sudden shift in personality. While it didn’t change his perception of Y, he was anticipating another move.

Because Light doesn’t know about the recordings, no, he assumed there wouldn’t be any. And that is something he was ready to exploit.

Because no matter how much the arrows point to Light, how could he get his personal number? How did he get information on the FBI? How does he know about Kira’s moves?

His focus halted as a police car crashed into the Sakura TV building, a loud noise capturing their attention. They all jolted as it was deathly silent a moment before.

… That was a way to get in there without your face being seen.

Light gasped as a loud crash echoed throughout the building. Glass shattered outside as he fell backward.

He yelped. That must have been… Dad. 

Damn it! He made sure Mom took care of it. He must have miscalculated. 

He eyed the locked cabinet where Demegawa’s bag lay. It must contain the original tapes and the envelopes they came in. He was glad the security was lousy. He subtly guided them to store it here instead of bringing it with them. He didn’t want any more interactions with Y.

The cameras were already looped from his preparations.

His time was ticking. He panicked as he grabbed the lockpick he had made, which had fallen to the floor. The cold metal on his warm skin made him grimace as he calmly listened to the pins.

Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why did those Sakura TV men leave this out of sight now and not earlier? He ignored the booming footsteps and shouts as he focused on his task.

A drop of sweat fell on his hand as he cursed. 

Shit! He accidentally pushed a pin too far and they all reset. He learned lockpicking when he became an officer himself! When did he become so careless?!

He took a deep breath. Berating his abilities could wait, it was hindering his task. He stilled his shaking hand as he tried again. He had a lot of time.

The background noise was pushed to the back of his head alongside his heavy heartbeats as only clicks were his target.

He released a breath he didn’t know he was holding as the turner finally twisted all the way, letting him slunk in relief. He took the bag as he checked the contents.

“Do me a favor and stop waving that gun around! It’s here, alright?” He heard outside as the doorknob twisted. 

He leaped as he hid behind where the door would be once it opened. There were no easy alternative exits and he would need to make a run for it. 

It wasn’t quite a loss, L already knew he existed.

The door swung open with a creak. The men ran forward as they saw the picked lock on the floor and the missing bag. Using this opportunity, he snuck out.

He needed to be unreachable. He was the safest whereas the people physically here were not. That is, he needed to be on camera.

He wore his mask, anyway. His identity would not be visible to Misa. 

“Hey!” Demegawa spotted him.

“Stop right there.” His father ordered as a shot vibrated through the room.

He almost froze until he realized it was a warning shot. But either way, Dad just shot at him.

His ears started ringing as his vision threatened to blur. His overwhelmed ears went dead silent as he felt… numb.

That’s right. If Dad couldn’t kill Mello, he wouldn’t kill Y. 

A chill went down his spine as he gripped the bag tighter. He continued running as tiredness was impossible with his adrenaline. No, tiredness was impossible to feel when he could only feel coldness.

He exited the studio and ran down the stairs. Time was crucial. Time was unmoving and foreboding, only moving at a constant pace forward. And now, he had no time to spend thinking about what happened.

He had no time to grasp his chest. He had no time to wail in pain. It was not that he was physically hurt, no - that was easy to walk off.

This was crazy! He had already been shot at before. Hell, by Matsuda, even. So why was this any different?! He had already denounced Dad his father at another time.

His blood turned to ice as he stepped out of the building. The kind that he was unsure whether it would make him run faster because of the lack of the heavy heat from his body or stop moving altogether for his limbs were stuck in place.

Fortunately, it was the former as he took off.

He cursed internally as a broken shard from the crashed window cut his left arm in his haste.

… Damn it! Don’t slow down, don’t get caught. He hissed at the pain yet ran in a path that he had predetermined.

Don’t slow down, he repeated to himself. He heaved, each sigh heavier than the last. Don’t slow down because if he did, then his mind will be free from the worries of his physical health and move on to the pain he buried. Because then, he’ll actually process what happened. And then he was sure he’d topple over from the hurt.

“The hell!” Akari exclaimed to the Shinigami. “Why is Y of all people there?! Is the extra Death Note theirs? No, that’s plain stupidity.” She sighed. 

“Hyuk, so another Kira in the wild, how interesting. I’m glad you’re the one who got the notebook, this is just so entertaining.” Ryuk said as if he didn’t leave the world’s deadliest weapon in the hands of anyone! Who knows what immoral actions would have been done?

She didn’t even know if Y had a notebook because of course she didn’t. As much as she did sort of have a victory against Y, she’s still at the mercy of their whims. That is, they had more cards to play.

And this other Kira… how dare he?! Before killing the criminals sentenced to death, he first killed some reporters to prove that he was Kira. What nerve to destroy , no, tarnish her reputation?!? Support of the media has always been a priority but these actions under her name weigh heavily.

“I mean they’re innocent except for having opinions but… freedom of speech!” She blurted out. Quickly, she took in a breath, calming herself.

This cheap copy didn’t help her at all!

“You seem angry, but they support you, right? What’s the problem with some people dying? It’s not like you were different.”

… She glared at him, offended at the implication of his words. Of course, she was different. They were evil people who deserved to die.

She didn’t need anyone’s support. Especially a man’s. She already had the eyes, too! She didn’t need L knowing that she only needed a face now! They can’t go in the defense when she has a secret weapon.

She sat impatiently, waiting for more information.

L internally thanked Yagami-san for his actions. Not only did he stop the broadcast, but he also made Y reveal more information in his desperation.

So Kira only needed a face… How peculiar. A detail Y warned him of while omitting. He took note of it as the NPA arrived at the scene. While he first told them to hide Yagami-san with their bodies, he was sure a mask did the same. 

He watched as the officer exited in the same attire as the NPA. He had a helmet obscuring his face as he drove off. He spoke with him earlier, too.

Now that it was over… Yagami-san had copies of the tapes Kira sent. Y had the original ones alongside the envelope it came in.

“Damn you, Y.” He said out loud. 

The officers around him - including an out-of-breath Ukita, stared wide-eyed at him at his expression of frustration. 

“Watari… Send me the activity logs of everyone who has my personal phone number.” He said with thinly veiled anger. “Inquire about the security cameras of Sakura TV, too. I will figure out how Y got this information and how he was able to get into that building.”

Watari nodded as Yagami-san entered.

“Chief!” Both Matsuda and Aizawa exclaimed.

“I’m sorry about taking things into my own hands like that, Ryuzaki. I let my emotions get the better of me.” He apologized. 

“That’s fine.” He said. While it was impulsive, it was still very beneficial to their investigation. Yagami-san’s actions will not be in vain.

“The copies of the videotapes are here with the instructions from Kira.”

“Let me lie down for a while.” The tired man said as Matsuda aided him. 

“Are you alright, chief? Maybe you should go back to the hospital?” Matsuda suggested.

He examined the paper carefully. The instructions were to air video 3 if the police agreed. If not, video 4 would be the reply. He supposed he could analyze the videos later.

“Aizawa-san, could you take this to forensics?” He requested.

“Sure. I know a lot of people there, they’ll do a great job.” He said as he grabbed the paper gently.

Light had just climbed back to his room, chest heaving. He placed a hand on the walls, ignoring his shaking body.

He started dragging himself, losing the feeling in his legs from the numbness. As each second passed, he slowly lost the adrenaline flowing through his bloodstream. He was alone as his feet made a sliding noise - breaking the barrier of his thoughts.

All at once, everything hit him harshly like a brick wall. He wanted to do something; throw a pillow in anger, cry out in rage. Something… just something else that could release this brewing storm of swirling emotions juxtaposing each other.

His knees buckled, sturdy as freshly cooked rice. They deemed themselves unusable and finally gave in because of his weight… both physically and emotionally.

No, no, no! He needed to properly erase the evidence. It was L who he was dealing with, after all.

Everything needed to be perfect. 

He changed clothes hastily. He sighed as his nose scrunched up. Maybe he shouldn’t have made it here in one place so that he wouldn’t live with this very unpleasant aroma.

He couldn’t even take a well-deserved shower. He took one right before he left for the reason of studying. He even prerecorded audio for 2 hours… His alibi should be good. He then placed a contraction to close the lights in time.

He shuddered as he raised his arms. For a moment, a foul (no, it's not his fault) smell entered. Maybe it was wise not to do that. The action earlier only made him sweaty and miserable. 

He almost laughed as his legs regained strength. Maybe optimism was a good look for him. 

He fixed his attire and didn’t hesitate to swipe his scissors and stabbed his long-sleeved hoodie. With one swift movement, it was cut into two.

He started humming again. Just something to fill this claustrophobic atmosphere. Something to do so his mind won’t wander into places where it shouldn’t go. 

He already calmed himself down, after all. He had better control of himself than this.

Now at this point and after his stunt, he won’t risk just putting it in his trash. He’d just burn it, the flames enveloping and destroying its appearance. And with that, his connection to tonight.

It had been 4 days since the copy-Kira’s appearance. Akari chewed her nails while watching the response video.

“It is highly unfortunate that the police have said “no” to my offer.” The recording played. 

She sighed. Did this Kira truly believe that the police would accept their proposal? Probably not, she’s sure some wit was in that man.

“Hmph, hahahahaha!” Ryuk said in response. She hoped it was entertaining for him because it was not for her.

“However,  I expect news reports to continue featuring criminals as before, or else I will have to pass judgment on people in the media. But, that will not do. As a penalty, I will either take the life of Director-General Kitamura of the NPA, or L. Who will it be? You have 4 days to decide who will be sacrificed for the loss of a peaceful and just world.”

“Damn it…” She hissed. “I hate the way he dragged down my image with all the shit he’s doing. I would never threaten the lives of innocent people; no, I would never even consider sending anything to Sakura TV… And then there’s L.” She said as she considered the blond boy. “He must be pressured by this situation. But if the Kira copy gets caught then they’ll know all about the Death Note.”

“Hey, don’t be so grim about it. At least they support you, hyuk.” Ryuk said teasingly.

“Please, I don’t need anyone’s support, much less a man’s.” She said as she stood up from her chair. She felt frustration building as she clenched her jaw. In her peripheral vision, she saw that her reflection had red dusted on her cheeks.

Ugh! Is this why Ryuk is laughing?!

“Whatever, the real question is how I can use him. You’re right, he endorses me so I can use that to my advantage. The ideal situation is for me to have contact with them…” She said as she took a deep breath. Her shoulders sank as she calmed down.

“Oh no! Someone who is very much my fan wants to help me! How annoying.” Ryuk acted out. He was almost getting to her last nerve with his dramatics.

How did it go, chief?” Matsuda asked as Yagami-san returned from his meeting with the world leaders. 

“Just as I thought, Ryuzaki. They’re demanding that L, not a stand-in… appear on TV.”

Aizawa and Matsuda stared in shock and Misora-san made a sound of discontent.

“After doing almost nothing for the investigation, they don’t even want to consider an alternative action. Kira says jump, they ask how high.” Yagami-san said in frustration. 

“Their decision is both right and understandable.” He said in response. “It’s simply unacceptable for the police to work with Kira. And if it’s between the Director-General and me, of course, it should be the latter. I’m the one who challenged them, after all.” He explained.

“But that means you’ll be…” Matsuda said sadly.

“We must find some other way,” Misora-san said, unmoving in her decision.

“That’s alright, what worries me more is how to appear like L. If Kira knows nothing about me, how will they know that the person is not a stand-in?” He confessed.

He took a bite of his cake as Misora-san gave up. She knew when he was sure in his actions.

“Well, we can figure out a way to prevent it in the 4 days that we have.” He said while chewing the slice. “I don’t want to die, either. It would be bad enough… to be killed by Kira. But to die at the hands of an opportunist pretending to be Kira, I’d rather kill myself.” He said nonchalantly.

“What?!” Yagami-san exclaimed. “What do you mean, Ryuzaki?”

“It occurred to me that this Kira is highly likely to be a fake… Or more precisely, a second Kira.”

“A second Kira?!” The three men said simultaneously.

“Yes! Upon watching the first video, I also came to that conclusion.” Misora-san shared which brought the men’s attention to her. 

“Likewise. The first video wasn’t aired to the public but only to the staff to convince them that it was actually Kira. They announced murders to happen in 3 days when it arrived.” He stated.

“But if those murders did happen, isn’t it convincing?” Matsuda asked.

“Didn’t you get the feeling that the murders were completely different from Kira’s past victims? It’s not just that, their crimes are too major. That is, they were already sent to die. Kira would just hold off killing one of his victims until the appointed time. That was more convincing. I considered the possibility of them being an accomplice but it was highly unlikely.” He said with a sigh.

“But if a second Kira wanted to make the people think that they were Kira, they couldn’t use any criminals that the original Kira would usually get.”

“Ryuzaki, what is the possibility that this is a second Kira?” Yagami-san asked.

“It’s over 70 percent.” He admitted. “It just doesn’t fit Kira’s style at all. That is, making a TV network - especially Sakura TV which has a dishonest reputation, broadcast these tapes. Additionally, using police chiefs as bargaining chips is guaranteed to gain public hostility. And of course, the innocent reporters. If I was Kira… I’d be very furious.” 

“Yes, Kira so far has only targeted criminals and people against them. It’s why young people support them in the first place. Their method was to gradually increase the media’s support for them.” Misora-san added.

“I agree. Kira wants change, not a dictatorship made from fear.” He said.

“What I’m confused about is Y,” Misora-san added his least-favorite topic. “From the camera footage, he was able to enter the building way before any of the tapes were aired. This means that he knew the message would be sent. He has information on the second Kira, also knowing that they only need a face to kill.”

“That’s right. I believe that if we capture Y, we’ll have information as to how to capture the Kiras.” He replied.

“Oh! How was your investigation on how Y got your number?” Misora-san said curiously.

“I… have no idea.” He said maybe for once in his life. “I made sure that its security was unmatched. There should have been traces, yet there’s none.”

“Are you saying that Y is better than you with hacking?!” Matsuda said sheepishly.

He hid his reaction. Just like Kira, he hated to lose. Yet it was only the truth. He was calm as he spoke again. “Yes, of course. And we’ll take more precautions from now on in the topic of our information being leaked.” 

“But finding the second Kira is our first priority. I estimate that the original is the smarter of the two. If I were them, I’d try to find out who the second Kira is before the police do.” He said as the others realized the gravity of the situation.

“I’d profile them and find whether they sympathized with me. If so, I’ll use them and kill them once they have no use. It’s not far off from Kira’s morals since technically the second Kira killed innocent people. If not I’d kill them there.” 

“So you’re saying that either way, Kira would want the second one dead?” Aizawa spoke. 

“Hmm, if that’s true, Ryuzaki… Then we’re in a race to find the second Kira before Kira.” Yagami-san realized.

“It’s not too bad of a situation. This gives us an opportunity to get the real Kira…” Misora-san said bitterly.

“Yagami-san, would it be alright if I asked your son to work with us if he had the time?” He asked.

“Does this mean that he’s cleared of suspicion of being Y?” Yagami-san answered.

“No, but I do think that he has incredible reasoning skills. I think your son can be a valuable asset.” 

“Well, if my son says yes, I have no reason to stop him.” 

“We don’t mind, either!” Matsuda said.

“I’m looking forward to it. I did converse with him before.” Misora-san added.

“I’m sure your son’s sense of justice would lead him to agree. Alongside your approval, of course. However, please keep it a secret that this Kira might be fake.”

“Hey, you. That wasn’t why I gave you the notebook. Why not use it more for yourself?” Rem suggested as Misa walked along the busy street. If she answered, she doubted it would be heard in this mixture of voices.

“I am using it for myself.” She rebutted. “I’m totally in favor of what Kira is doing and I want to know what he’s like. I want to meet him and get to talk with him. That’s the reason why I’m in Japan in the first place. I want him to know about me.” She said gleefully.

“I bet that got his attention. Maybe he even wants to meet me, too!”

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Misa. You might get killed.” Rem warned.

“I’m sure Kira’s nice to people who support him. And if it comes to that, I’m still stronger than him.”

“Because I have the eyes. ”