Sweat was creeping down the faces of those who had decided to stake their lives to defeat Kira. Aizawa Shuichi, Ide Hideki, Matsuda Touta and Mogi Kanzo. They had been fighting Kira from the start and the cool headed young man kneeling before them looked as cool as a cucumber, confident that he could succeed. Yet, the only other person in the Yellow Box warehouse aside from him who was calm was his adversary, Yagami Light, who had a solemn but perfectly relaxed expression. Near's associates were also stressed as the small sound of Mikami Teru's repetition of the word 'delete' carried from the crack in the doorway to the ears of them all. As he etched their names down, Aizawa and Ide were shooting intens glares at Near, who had just promised them complete safety because he had switched the pages in Mikami's notebook with fakes. Light glanced dryly at Near.

"It's true... the person whose name isn't written in the notebook would have to be Kira..." Aizawa almost grunted.

"But..." Ide added and said no more.

"But what if Kira saw this coming?" Matsuda asked, almost regretting doing so.

"...don't worry" Near said, simply "It will be OK, just have patience."

Light looked at the floor but secretively broke into a wide smile.

'Just as planned. Near's not going to admit it but it looks like he went all the way with what I expected him to do. I had Mikami carry around a fake notebook so that nothing would be accomplished when Near switched the pages because I knew from the beginning that the only way to pin Kira was to use a tampered notebook. But if that was all there was to your plan, Near, it would have meant that you expected me to have no plan other than sending Mikami here to kill you all. You figured out that I would have another notebook hidden away. Or perhaps you didn't and you only realised it after Mello made his move two days ago. If so, you're incredibly stupid, Near... in any case, the notebook that Mikami had hidden away was also a fake! I told Mikami to take out that second fake notebook in the event that it seemed he would have to use it but I told him through Takada that I had ways to kill even without a notebook, if I really needed to. The second notebook hidden away only served to make you certain that you had seen through my tricks-but in reality, you were fooled by my contingency. The real notebook is neither the one Mikami carried around and wrote names into with your agent watching, while Takada killed them using the names and faces Mikami sent via cell phone, nor was it the one Mikami wrote Takada's name into on the night of her and Mello's deaths. The real notebook hasn't been taken out until today! The notebook Mikami is writing in at this very moment will be the notebook that kills you all today. Near... this is my victory... you've been completely defeated and now I'll reign as God!'

"You there, outside" Light called, making Mikami look up "Are you done writing the names? You can come inside if you are."

"Yes... on my way" Mikami replied, elated at the sound of Light's voice and stood up, clutching the notebook tightly.

"Well, he sure is cooperative" Near said.

"Sure is" Light agreed, smirking 'You're gonna die... you're all gonna die... n-no... I can't laugh... hold it in... bite your tongue... do whatever you can, just don't laugh until they're all dead...'

"My lord" Mikami slid the door back and entered the warehouse "I have done as you asked."

'Mikami, you goddamn idiot. Don't look at me while saying that... oh well, they're all going to die now, anyway' Light forced on a serious expression "How many seconds has it been since you wrote the first name?"

"35 seconds..." Mikami looked down at his watch.

Light smiled slightly, looking at Mikami intently as he counted down the numbers.

"36..."

'39. I'll declare my victory at 39 seconds. Otherwise, I could get shot' Light thought.

"37..."

Near still looked calm, confident in his plan.

'Matsuda Touta, using Mello's kidnapping of Takada, I made sure that Kira couldn't win even if he had Mikami Teru carry around a fake notebook' he thought 'And I hinted at that... but why...'

"38..."

Light's gaze drifted to Near as his smile grew wider.

'Is Yagami Light...'

"39..."

"Near, I win!" Light declared with a grin, earning himself a disbelieving glare from the members of his team. Near looked both shocked and bemused, which ended up as nothing more than the twitch of a smile.

"40!"

Light burst out laughing, the expression of delight and sadism echoing throughout the warehouse. Near grunted in agony and his head dropped forwards but he remained in his crouch. Lidner, Gevanni, Rester, Mogi and Ide followed, glaring at Light with confusion and disbelief. He glanced down at them while he laughed.

"Light... how could you..." Matsuda asked with sorrow as he fell.

"Light" Aizawa managed to take out his gun as he fell and pointed it straight at Light's face. Light briefly attained a face of sheer terror but it left as Aizawa's arm dropped meekly and he joined the deceased, falling on his front.

"Ever think you're a little too cocky, oh magnificent God of the new world?" Ryuk snickered "Guess you win."

"Of course I do. He was no L then, after all" Light said with a hint of sadness as Mikami approached him.

"My God, it is an honour" Mikami bowed before him and held out the open notebook. Light glanced down at the real names of the SPK members with casual interest but then swiftly walked past Mikami and over to Near.

"You'll keep acting as the hand of Kira. I believe you've earned it" Light said, then stopped in front of his deceased nemesis. He placed his hand on Near's chin and lifted the boy's head. Shock, dread, terror... it was written all over Near's face, even in death. Light let go and let his head drop again "How pathetic."

"I hardly feel worthy" Mikami stood up straight, holding Gelus' tattered notebook to his chest "This is the beginning of the way things should be, my lord."

"Yes, the perfect world that Kira rules over" Light approached Aizawa's corpse and turned it on to its back with his foot, then tore open Aizawa's jacket.

"Oh, feisty" Ryuk chuckled.

"Shut up, Ryuk" Light sighed and took the notebook that Aizawa had. He opened it and started writing.

"You're killing somebody now, God?" Mikami asked.

"Yeah, I've really been itching to write this name" Light replied.

Ryuk leaned over Light's shoulder to see what he was writing, wearing his usual curious grin. His expression didn't change but he did freeze. What he saw seemed obvious, yet shocked him. Amane Misa, suicide. 30th January 2010 5: 57 PM. Depressed after her lover breaks up with her, does nothing but stay at home until finally killing herself.

"Hey, Light... is that really necessary?" Ryuk asked.

"What are you talking about, Ryuk?" Light asked and smiled up at him-a smile more like the type he wore when he first met Ryuk, one that almost looked innocent "She killed a lot of innocent people and minor criminals when she first started out, remember? I can't let her get away with that."

Ryuk looked down at Light, for a few moments utterly speechless. Then he merely chuckled.

"Of course not, hero."

"Mikami, I'll meet up with you later. I have a few things to do" Light begun walking towards the exit.

"Yes, my lord" Mikami bowed his head slightly.

"As for this warehouse and everything inside, make sure it's..." he stopped and turned his head slightly, sporting a smirk "...deleted."

Misa entered her and Light's apartment, seeing Light leaning back in his armchair, his jacket open.

"Light! I came as quick as I could when I got your call!" she hurried towards him.

"Misa, stop" Light said "I have to tell you something serious."

"...what is it?" Misa stopped, slight concern in her voice but she still kept a smile.

"I don't love you" he told her.

"Wha...?" horror slowly crept on to Misa's face.

"Wasn't that obvious already?" Ryuk pondered.

"I appreciated you. All the affection you gave me. But I don't love you" Light said "Actually, I find you really irritating. You're going to be living here alone from now on. I've already packed my bags. I'm going somewhere better."

"No, Light, you can't be saying this..." Misa slowly made her way over to Light and reached out for him, which earned her a sharp backhand to the jaw, knocking her on to her back with blood pouring from her lip.

"Don't touch me" Light scowled and got to his feet "And don't call me either. You won't get an answer."

Light started walking away. Misa was frozen in shock but as Light leaned down for his bags, she reacted and grabbed his ankle.

"Please, Light, don't do this to me" she choked, tears streaming from her eyes.

"I said don't touch me" Light pulled his leg out of her grip and walked out, slamming the door behind him, Ryuk in tow, looking back towards the door.

"Death isn't anything, is it?" Ryuk asked "Of all the ways you can make somebody suffer... death's nothing. Light, you're more than a god of death."

"Of course" Light replied "I'm no mere god of death. I am God. Plain and simple."

March 17th, 2021. Light sat in his pristine, white chamber, a place only Mikami was allowed access to. Light sat on his crimson armchair and Mikami sat a few feet behind him, in his own chair. A giant monitor was mounted on the wall, showing a brown haired, brown eyed young Japanese man in a study, completing a paper test.

"He's progressed magnificently. His hatred of crime and his wish to eliminate any trace of it is admirable" Light observed as he leaned his cheek on his hand "Not that there's much crime to speak of in this perfect world."

"It's the funniest thing. He reminds me of someone" Ryuk rubbed his chin, looking at the monitor.

"So, he will be your successor?" Mikami asked.

"No, he will be the hand of Kira, starting today. He'll definitely make the shinigami eye deal with Ryuk. We've observed and raised him for enough years to know that" Light corrected.

"Ah... well, there is no harm in starting young is there, God? I'll help you raise him further" Mikami replied.

"No, you won't" Light turned his head and stared coldly at Mikami "I think you're forgetting how I had to correct the way you killed criminals all those years ago. I kept you around so that I'd have a set of eyes for a while but now that I've found a worthy heir, I've no further use for you. Rest well, Mikami Teru."

Mikami's eyes grew wider as Light talked, until the heart attack hit at the end of his speech. Mikami fell forwards, out of his chair and Gelus' notebook fell with him. Light, having got out of his chair, caught it and stood up straight,

"Geez, you don't have many friends left, Light. You keep killing them!" Ryuk commented "What's next, will you try to kill me?"

"Of course not, Ryuk, I need you to give my successor the shinigami eyes" Light replied.

"Oh, that's reassuring" Ryuk followed Light across the room.