"I will hunt you down wherever you're hiding and I will eliminate you! I am... Justice!" -Light Yagami & L, "Death Note"

WARNING LETTER

On June 6th, the people of Japan had come to learn about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. That included Light Yagami himself, who spent his Sunday at home, helping Sayu with her school assignment while the news blared in the background.

"I... I have committed a grievous crime, unfitting of an artist." Light looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow as he watched the broadcast. There was a man on the television, wearing a simple blue yukata underneath a dark green jacket, frosty gray hair pulled back into a small tail and a thin beard across his chin. His head was lowered, eyes watery while tears openly ran down his face, head bowed deeply as if unable to meet the camera's gaze. "Plainly put, I... I plagarized my own students' artwork!"

"Hoh, what do we have here...?" Sitting on the couch, Ryuk leaned in with interest clearly written across his face. "This looks fun!"

The tears ran down in greater force, even as the quick flashes of camera went off in the background. People were stunned by the blatant, remorseful words that fell from Ichiryusai Madarame's mouth, who bowed his head in shame. "I-I have tainted this country's art world...and even the "Sayuri"!" Sobs escaped Madarame's throat as his hand slammed against the table repeatedly. The once proud artist of Japanese fame worldwide was reduced to a sniveling wreck, face twisting and contorting as tears and mucus slithered down his wrinkly skin. "H-how can I possibly atone...for what I've done?!"

"That was the urgent apology conference held by Madarame-san a few minutes ago." the news anchor reported as the scene on the television screen promptly pulled Madarame's sniveling face away and tucked into a corner while a woman behind a desk addressed anyone watching the broadcast. "Following the reveal to his crimes to the association, Madarame-san turned himself over to the police, following their request."

"Madarame..." Sayu tilted her head. "Wasn't he that really famous artist that was holding that exhibition?"

Light nodded. "He was." he told her. "He was famous all around the world for his varied and unique art styles. From the look of it now, though, it seems like he was just claiming other people's works as his own."

'Good riddance.' Light said internally as he narrowed his eyes, glaring at Madarame's tiny image. Though the man was pitiful and begging to atone for his crimes, Light knew that what he had done was unforgivable. However, since the man was willing to turn his life around, he wouldn't give the man the death he deserved. 'Scum like that deserves to rot inside a jail cell. Still... Why did he willingly confess his crimes? His career has been going on for years now. He could have just continued on, and no one would know unless someone knew where to look.'

"On top of charges of abusing his students, Madarame-san is also under suspicion of claiming his own students' artworks as his own. Some have even begun to speculate that his maiden and breakout work, the beloved "Sayuri," may not have been stolen, but rather used for fraud." the news anchor continued on. "Ichiryusai Madarame was a giant in the art world, and to hear that his works were all those of his previous students, it has caused no end of surprises. Police are still in the middle of a full-scale investigation. Following his arrest, Madarame was taken to a police hospital to undergo interrogation, due to his age. Though some believe that Madarame-san's actions were not fully lucid, psyche evaluations show him to be sound of mind and fully responsible for his actions."

'I still don't believe it. No one has a change of heart like that out of the blue...' Light's thoughts trailed off, blinking when he remembered what he had heard two days ago. 'Wait... Change of heart?'

"It has also been reported by officials that a "calling card" was discovered posted through out the exhibit. Supposedly, a group of individuals, who call themselves the Phantom Thieves, are responsible for Madarame's confession." Both Yagami siblings' eyes widened at this, the younger of the two moreso as hope suddenly began to blossom in her heart, sneaking a glance at her older brother. Meanwhile, Ryuk was laughing his head off, falling off the couch and holding his stomach. "There were similar reports of such individuals performing such an act during the investigation of Suguru Kamoshida, a former Olympic volleyball gymnast who was accused of sexually assaulting his students. Though they were initially brushed off, the police are now investigating the matter, no doubt due to Kira's actions across the globe."

The Phantom Thieves. The group who claimed to be capable of changing someone's heart. Was it actually possible? Did they truly exist?

Light stared at the screen, his eyes darkening for a moment before he shut off the TV. "Light?"

"Sorry." Light quickly put on a fake smile, sneakily shooting Ryuk a look of annoyance for his incessant laughter before turning back to Sayu. "I was getting kind of bored with the news. Let's continue, okay?"

"Okay!"

CHAPTER 02: Thieves vs. God, Part II

Speaking of the Phantom Thieves, they had entered the Metaverse once agan, finding themselves once more in the distortion that was Light Yagami's Palace. Though they had seen plenty of it the day before, they still felt unnerved by what they had seen. "I was kind of hoping what I saw yesterday was just an exaggeration." Skull grumbled with a heavy frown. "Just how messed up do you have to be for your head to look like this?"

"Who can say?" Mona shrugged as they walked through the path leading towards their next destination. "Kira's Palace is way beyond distorted. Then again, I suppose we'll learn more about him as we go."

"What's there to know?" the blonde delinquent retorted, kicking a small pebble out the way. "He's got a giant ego and he thinks he's effin' God. I think we know everything there is to know about him."

Fox shook his head. "Whatever the case, we should be glad we have a place of infiltration, considering most of our time will be traversing these tunnels." he remarked. "If the tower is in Kanto, then we have quite the trek ahead of us."

"Well, at least we can go as slow as we need to, right?"

Panther stopped, turning around to glare at Skull. "Are you an idiot?!" she hissed, causing him to hold up his defense and cower beneath her fiery gaze. "The longer we sit around, who knows how many people are being killed?! Sure, they're scumbags like Kamoshida and Madarame, but they don't deserve to die!"

"I-I didn't mean it like that..." Skull protested weakly. He looked at Joker for support, only to find the masked leader shaking his head and walking ahead. "H-hey, Joker?! C'mon, a little help, please?!"

"You dug yourself that hole, Skull." Fox walked right past him, shooting him a look of sympathy but otherwise made no attempt to help him from Panther's anger. "Now you must lay in it."

"Aw, c'mon Fox!" Ryuji complained.

"They're right you know." Mona chirped up. "The longer we wait, the more likely it is for Kira to kill more and more people."

"Which is precisely why we need to wrap this up as soon as possible." Joker finished. "C'mon, let's go."

It wasn't long, however, before they encountered Shadows. Thankfully, they hadn't appeared to notice them yet, though Joker was not willing to take any chances and ordered the thieves to hide. Skull and Mona took refuge underneath a platform while Fox and Panther hid behind a few fallen pillars, heads poking out from the corner to observe the approaching masked creatures while Joker managed to situate himself behind a sizable pile of debris.

Carefully, he leaned slightly and strained his ears. As the Shadows drew closer, he could overhear their conversation.

"The heathens from the other day haven't been spotted, have they?" the left one questioned with hostility. "We must find them immediately. Especially if they're the threats our God believes them to be."

"Blasphemy." the right Shadow rebuked. "What they could possibly do? They are rats, scurrying about like the vermin they are. They cannot hope to reach the Tower, much less stop that foolish criminal's execution!"

'Execution...?' Joker wondered, leaning closer, but making sure he wasn't too far out, lest he be spotted.

"When will the criminal be executed?"

"Within the week, as God hopes to decree. Still, we must be vigilant. We cannot afford to take any risks with these vermin."

"Indeed..."

Both Shadows them turned to leave. Once the cost was clear, the team stepped out.

"So, those guys were talking about execution." Mona said. "Supposedly in one week?"

"But haven't criminals been dying every day by the dozens lately?" Skull asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "What's so special about this one?"

"Perhaps someone Kira intends to make an example of, or one he feels deserves a worse fate." Fox surmised. "All the more reason to reach the Kanto area."

Joker nodded. He gave a quick look around the area before noticing the train map up on the station platform. Hopping up, he walked over and examined it. 'Let's see...' Tracing his fingers, his eyes took in everything the map had. 'We're a little bit away from Aoyama-Itchome now, and we're coming up to the Shibuya station. If we want to reach the Kanto area, we'll have to reach Kamogawa in Chiba. That's going to be a hell of a trek.' Frowning, he put a hand to his chin. 'If we take any of the other routes, it'll take forever to get there. If there was a working train, then this would be a hell of a lot easier.'

"Geh..." Skull groaned. "We're not even remotely close to the tower! Why the hell does Kira have to be so damn far away?! Actually, why couldn't we just use the Nav while in Kanto, anyway?"

Mona shrugged. "That all depends, do you want to appear in the Palace, right in the middle of a large group of Shadows?" he asked, making the muscle of the group wince. "If the surface is heavily guarded, imagine what the tower security will be like. It won't be so easy, though. At the rate we're going, this will take more than a week..."

"Kehehehe... Sounds like you guys are having a bit of trouble."

The group jumped, whirling around to find some kind of monstrosity behind them, vaguely human but only in shape, wearing a skin-tight black suit that resembled some kind of rocker's outfit, complete with thin silvery seams and chains with a black tuft of hair sticking around the collar. It was twice their height, bearing sickly pale skin that looked as if it was being pulled back, given it a gaunt appearance; sunken cheeks at bulging eyes with no pupils whatsoever. Its fingers were thing and elongated, almost like those of a spider. And that was to say nothing of its mouth, which was open in a wide grin and lined with sharp fangs.

"So, you must be the Phantom Thieves that made the news recently." the creature chuckled. "Nice to meet ya."

"What the eff?!" Skull cried. Immediately, everyone jumped away and readied their weapons. "A Shadow?!"

The creature let out a laugh. "Not quite, kid." it said as it wagged an elongated finger at them. "The name's Ryuk. Or, at least, that's as close as you humans can get at pronouncing my name right in any language. In your language, my kind would be called Shinigami."

"Shinigami...?" Mona questioned. "A God of Death?!"

"That's right." Ryuk's smile grew even wider. "And I must say...I'm quite surprised that you Phantom Thieves really exist. Especially here of all places."

"And just why are you here?" Joker asked, his hands inching towards his weapons in case a fight broke out. "And how do we know you're not just a Shadow?"

"Well, you could try busting out that Persona thing you've got on you, but I doubt it'll work." the creature replied, surprising them. "You can't kill a Shinigami, after all."

"He's right." The thieves looked down at Mona, who stared at Ryuk wearily. His tail was fluffed up, hair standing on end as if feeling he were in great danger. "Take a look at what's hanging on his belt. See that notebook? It's called a Death Note."

"Ooh, you're a sharp furball. I like you! That's right, this is my Death Note. Proof that I am a Shinigami."

Panther frowned. "What's a Death Note?"

"A Death Note is also known as the Shinigami's handbook. This one being mine." Ryuk waved the aforementioned item to prove his point. "And as for how it works...I'm gonna keep it short and sweet. All I gotta do is picture a face and name in my mind. Then I write that name in the pages of the notebook. After the name is recorded, the person in question immediately dies."

"Seriously...?"

To say that they were disturbed would be an understatement. Killing a human, just by knowing their name and face? As easy as writing their name down in a little notebook? It sounded scary. They didn't believe this Ryuk monster was a Shinigami, but Joker could tell. His presence was...different. It didn't feel warped or distorted, like the Shadows or the cognitions of the believers that mindlessly roamed the streets. It had a presence, one that made him feel on edge. In the back of his mind, he could feel all of his Personas reacting in a similar manner, alarmed and on edge. On reflex, the grip on his dagger and gun tightened as he stared at Ryuk, the creature's red eyes meeting his gray ones.

"So, what's a Shinigami doing here?" Mona questioned, folding his arms over his chest. "Shouldn't you be in your own world?"

Ryuk snickered. "Let's just say I got bored and wanted some excitement. Though I have to admit, finding users of that Persona power I've been hearing about lately is one hell of a bonus." He craned his head, twisting it at an angle that could not be replicated by a human. Skull winced at the unnatural angle while Fox couldn't help but wonder how flexible the creature was. "Sounds like you guys are in a bit of a bind, trying to get into Light's little home. Do I have that right?"

"H-how'd you know?!" Panther asked in shock.

In response, the Shinigami laughed again. "Let's just say Light and I share a little...connection and leave it at that." he said. "To be perfectly honest, the only reason we're even meeting right now is because of that fact. I don't usually go into the Metaverse anyways. It really doesn't like Shinigami coming here."

"It?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Ryuk cocked his head, cupping his chin, looking as if he wanted to say something, but then gave another chuckle. "Eh, nevermind. You'll probably find out, sooner or later. Anyway..." Ryuk took a step forward, leaning towards Joker with a curious gleam. "You're trying to get to that tower where Light is, right? The one standing in the middle of this crappy, boring place? I can tell you how you can get there pretty fast."

The group blinked. Once, twice. Then they shared a look among themselves and turned back to Ryuk, full of skeptism. "...and why would you do that?"

"Why, it's quite simple, really." The Shinigami chuckled. "I want to see who will catch Light the quickest: L, or you Phantom Thieves. Either that, or whoever dies by Light's hand. Whichever comes first."

Skull's eyebrow twitched. "Excuse me?! You're telling me you want to help us because it's amusing?!"

"Pretty much. Of course, I won't do it for free." Ryuk said. "In exchange for information, you have to do something for me."

Joker leveled Ryuk warily. "...and that is?"

"An apple. A nice, juicy apple." Silence reigned over the platform as the Phantom Thieves stared at Ryuk, completely dumbfounded and blank faced. "What's that look for?"

Fox was the first to regain his voice. "...let me see if we have this correctly." he said, feeling a headache swelling. "In exchange for information on how we can reach the tower, you...want an apple?"

"Yep. Is it really so strange?"

"Heck yeah it is!" Skull cried in disbelief. "What the heck does a freaking Shinigami want with an apple?!"

Joker rubbed his temples. He could swear he was feeling a headache coming on. He just knew it. "Alright." he said, his voice surprising calm in spite of the absurdity of this request. "In exchange for getting us a quicker way to Chiba, we need to get you an apple, is that right?" Ryuk nodded. "I think we can arrange that."

"Pleasure doing business with ya." Ryuk chuckled as he waved a hand before he turned around. In front of him, the Metaverse began to twist and bend, creating a mirage that he stepped through. When the mirage vanished and the world around them returned to normal, the Shinigami was gone. As a result, the cold feeling that had been weighing heavily upon the group lessened, leading them all to sigh.

What a truly bizarre and unusual meeting, this was.

After the group had found another Safe Room, ironically the men's bathroom, much to Panther's chagrin, the group returned to reality, largely exhausted and frustrated for different reasons. "Shinigami exist." Yuskue muttered, his eyes dazzling with excitement. The image of Ryuk, twisted and bizarre as it had been, was etched into his mind perfectly. His hand was flowing across the canvas, creating broad strokes as he attempted to capture the creature's likeness on paper. "We've already become involved in the supernatural, what with our ventures in the Metaverse, but even so, that was a truly strange meeting."

"I'll say." Ryuji said, rubbing his head. "On the one hand, I was scared out of my mind. On the other hand, I feel exhausted. Why in the hell does a Shinigami want an apple?"

"Who knows?" Ann shrugged, twirling one of her pigtails around in her finger. "I think we should be more concerned about the fact that Shinigami are real. And that Death Note..."

"Makes for a hell of a notebook." Ren threw in his two cents, adjusting his glasses.

Ryuji chuckled humorlessly. "Tell me about it." The blonde delinquent then looked at Morgana, who was sitting on the railing with a pensive expression. "You seemed to know a lot about Shinigami, Mona."

"One of the few things I remember." Morgana replied with a serious tone. Despite Ryuk's crazy request, he treated the creature with caution. Not that Ren blamed him. They were dealing with a literal death god. Not something like a meager Shadow or Persona. "Shinigami have been around far longer than humans have. They also don't usually get involved in the affairs of humans, so finding one here is pretty rare. What concerns me, however, is that this Ryuk said."

Morgana looked at Ren, the not-cat's blue eyes meeting his gray ones. "You noticed how he talked about Kira casually, right?"

Ann tilted her head. "Now that you mention it... It was kind of odd." Then a thought occurred to her. One that made her weak in the knees. "Y-you don't think Kira's a Shinigami, do you?!"

Morgana shook his head. "Not possible. Shinigami's mindsets are vastly different from a human's. They're incapable of having a Palace, and if they did have one, theirs would be inaccessible to us because they belong to another realm of existence. That being the Shinigami realm. Palaces belonging to humans are strictly here in the Human world."

Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief, a hand over his chest. The idea of them chasing after a God of Death was a terrifying one, thus the not-cat's reassurances that their target was human was well received. "Don't scare us like that." he practically begged. "Last thing I need is gray hairs."

"Still, Ryuk seemed to know Kira if he knows him casually." Yusuke reminded as he added another stroke. The canvas had a rough sketch of Ryuk, yet the Shinigami's face was not yet added. "Also, there is something that concerns me. Ryuk claimed that, so long as he knew the name and face of whoever he wished to kill, he could use this Death Note to kill someone, is that correct?" Morgana bobbed his head, flicking his tail. "In regards to Kira's victims thus far...their names and faces were all made available to the public, right?"

"I think so." Ryuji answered. However, he didn't understand the implication until he saw Ann's look of horror. When he realized it also, his face drained of color. "W-whoa, hold on a sec. Y-y-you don't think that Kira-?!"

"Has a Death Note?" Morgana finished, tense. "Yes, I believe so. It would explain why a Shinigami is here in the human world, and why it seems to know Light. When a Death Note touches the ground here in the human world, it becomes the human world's property until the Shinigami who owns it can reclaim it. However, if its picked up by a human, the Shinigami have to hang around until either the Death Note's owner gives it back or dies, allowing the Shinigami to take it back."

"So if the user doesn't give it back..."

"Then the Shinigami will stay until their death. Whether it be of natural causes or not."

Ren furrowed his eyebrows, cupping his chin. "But doesn't Ryuk already have a Death Note?"

"Renren's right!" Ryuji gasped. "That Ryk thing already had one!"

"It could be possible that Ryuk had a second Death Note, which is now in Kira's possession." Morgana theorized. "Though it is unusual. Usually, if a Shinigami happens to have a second Death Note, they return it to the Shinigami King - who governs them. Afterwards, that second Death Note is given to another Shinigami, who uses it more responsibly."

"Wait, they have a King?" Ann questioned.

The not-cat nodded. "Yep. And there are also rules to follow, but those aren't important go into right now. If my assumptions are correct, Ryuk probably lost one of his Death Notes, which came into Kira's possession. As a result, Ryuk has to stay until Kira gives it back to him, or he dies." Morgana's ears drooped down heavily as a frown developed on his face. "Either way... This is going to be dangerous. Now we really have to be careful not to let Kira know who we are."

"No shit..." Ryuji sighed, hanging his head low. "Man, what a pain in the ass."

"...Morgana." Yusuke spoke curiously. "How exactly do you know so much about Shinigami?"

"It's one of the few things I remember, unfortunately." he replied, looking at the newest member of the party. "I don't know why I know so much about them, to be honest. I just do."

Ren smiled wryly. Jokingly, he said, "Maybe you're a Shinigami?"

"Maybe!" Ryuji grinned. "Would be hell of funny!"

"Hell no it wouldn't!" Morgana leaped to his feet, hissing. "I'm a human, dammit! We've talked about this!"

Immediately, Ann put a lid on the hostilities. "Come on, you guys." she said, placating Morgana as she petted his head, causing him to purr in delight and push his head further into her delicate fingers. "Let's just get Ryuk's apple and head home for the day. All that walking made my feet sore."

"Yeah. My dogs are barking at me!" Ryuji complained as he pushed himself up. "Actually, that reminds me! Madarame confessed today, didn't he?"

Yusuke nodded, eyes brimming with sadness. Ren gave his friend his sympathies. He wasn't sure how Yusuke was feeling about Madarame. It couldn't be easy, knowing that your father figure had turned out to be such a horrible human being. Or, rather, that you knew what he was like but refused to actually acknowledge it. Now the whole world knew who Madarame really was. On the one hand, Ren was glad that he was now behind bars, as it meant that no one could be hurt by him any longer, but on the other hand, Yusuke was now left by himself. No home to call his own, and people were sure to give him looks of either sympathy or devious intent.

But Yusuke wasn't alone. Not anymore. He had friends with him now. That was what the Phantom Thieves were to him now. Of that, Ren was certain.

"How're you doing, Kitagawa-kun?" Ann asked in worry. "I mean, now that Madarame's...?"

"It won't be easy, that will be for certain." Yusuke replied, shaking his head. "However, now that he's confessed to his crimes, I'm sure no one will suffer because of him anymore." A small smile spread across his face as he bowed his head. "And I owe my thanks to you all. Had I not encountered you on that day, perhaps I would have remained a slave to Madarame and utterly ignorant of the truth. To say that I owe you all my life would be an understatement."

Ren waved a hand in dismissal. "It's fine."

"No, it is not." Yusuke insisted. "I will repay this debt. And the first step is by returning Light Yagami to the brother that once cared for his sister, not this egomaniac that he has become."

"Then we're glad to have you on board with us." Ren answered with a grin. "Now, let's get that apple and head back home."

The appearance of the Phantom Thieves had not gone unnoticed. Ordinarily, their appearance would have been written off as some rumor, or attention seeking people taking credit for someone's confession and change of heart. Kira's presence in the world, however, had changed such ideas. As far as the police was concerned, if there was a supernatural element involved in any sort of case, then they would take it with the utmost seriousness. And that included the National Police Agency, who were currently collaborating with Kira's greatest enemy at the moment.

The genius detective, L.

Famed for solving many cases within his long career, this unseen agent of justice took on the Kira case out of mere interest, as was the case of many of his other previous ventures. This case was no different than the others. Actually, no, that was lying. This was different than any case the detective had come across before. After all, his opponent was unnatural. Capable of killing criminals all across the world without having to be there himself. L had witnessed this happen first hand when he confronted Kira.

Initially, L cared about the current state of the case and where things stood. Following Madarame's confession on live television, however, and the supposed involvement of a band of rogues calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, well...he couldn't help but feel interested in them as well. To that end, he asked that Soichiro Yagami, the man spearheading the case, put aside small resources into investigating the Phantom Thieves, especially since word quickly spread that they had a fan website. The man had been slightly put off by the request, not that L cared, but he followed through with his request.

And today, the investigation had results.

"Unbelievable..." Aizawa muttered as he stared at the document in his hand. Part of him wondered if he was half-asleep as he was reading the paper before he handed it back to Matsuda. "That Phan-site that people have started to clamor around has been booming. Over forty-six accounts of people willingly giving out personal information about people they want these Phantom Thieves to target. So far, only a handful of those requests have been confirmed when we did some personal investigation."

"I remember hearing about these guys when the Kamoshida case got broadcasted." Matsuda remarked. "Almost everyone at Shujin seems to be admiring them for getting rid of that guy."

"You a fan or something, Matsuda?"

The air-headed officer shrugged his shoulders. "Well, they're better than Kira so far. They haven't killed anyone."

"Yeah, but what if Kira kills these people afterwards?" Mogi asked from the side, clearly unconvinced. "Sure, there hasn't been any word about these people dying of heart attacks, but it's only a matter of time before something happens. Way I see it, these Phantom Thieves are doing more harm than they are good!"

Soichiro rubbed the bridge of his nose, the rings under his eyes much bigger than they were before. When was the last time the man had gotten any sleep, L wondered. As a fellow victim of insomnia, he worried about the man's personal state of health and made a mental note to try and have him take it easy, lest his family worry about him.

"From the list of victims we've compiled, there are certain individuals who have committed crimes that Kira hasn't killed by heart attacks." he said, voice coming out heavily filtered thanks to the monitor to which he was relaying information from. "For example, individuals who are serving a life sentence, currently on death row, or have completed their time in prison and returned to society, with good results. The major affected parties of the Phantom Thieves, Suguru Kamoshida and Ichiryusai Madarame, have openly confessed their crimes and are serving life sentences. Therefore, the probability of them being targeted by Kira is substantially low. About 1.23%. However, it is still possible, so I would like resources diverted into monitoring these two closely."

Sochiro nodded. "And the Phantom Thieves?"

"Kira remains our top priority at the moment." L said firmly. "For now, consider the Phantom Thieves your secondary objective."

"But don't you agree that they are a threat to society?" Mogi questioned.

"While they are an unpredictable element, the fact is that they haven't committed murder yet." the detective reasoned. Behind the monitor in his own little safe place, L gnawed at his thumb, but was careful not to break the skin. Last thing he needed was to start bleeding. "If I am to state who I consider the greater threat, it is Kira. The Phantom Thieves, while acting outside the law, have yet to actually kill someone. However, that does not mean I consider them harmless. If we operate under the assumption that the Phantom Thieves possess a supernatural ability like Kira, who is to say that they might not go any further? According to our investigation, the Phantom Thieves have also recently acquired this newfound capability. They haven't been at this for very long. Hence why we consider them a secondary objective. Capturing Kira takes our top priority."

Matsuda pursed his lips, folding his arms. "...the Phantom Thieves target criminals or bad people, like Kira does, right?" he asked, causing everyone to look at him. "Then, do you think its people that, maybe...the Phantom Thieves might target Kira?"

"That is a possibility. Despite his supposed intentions, Kira is still a murderer. A person like that would be a valid target for the Phantom Thieves due to their supposed righteous cause. Of course, whether or not they would find him is speculative."

Aizawa snorted. "Well, I hope they do find the son of a bitch." he said as he twirled on his chair, going back to his work. "If they can do that for us, then they sure as hell got my support."

"I still don't know about this."

Soichiro closed his eyes and released a deep breath. "Mastuda. Aizawa." he called out. The two detectives immediately straightened their backs and stood at attention. "The two of you will be monitoring this Phan-site. If there's any confirmation of a 'change of heart' I want to be the first to know."

"Yes, sir!"

'The Phantom Thieves...' L thought, leaning back as he stuck a small candy into his mouth. Since Watari wasn't here, he was just going to have to satiate his sweet tooth with these for now. 'I must admit, you have me curious. At first, this seems like brainwashing, but...such radical changes are not natural. Not even in the case of hypnotism. How are you capable of these changes?' He cupped his chin, looking at the marking that was a part of their signature. A top hat with a mask, one eye burning and staring back at them as if warning them of what was to come. 'If you truly do exist, I have to wonder...what does Kira think?'

Light looked at his phone, eyebrows fuddled as he leaned in his chair. Scrolling down, he read several lines of comments, some more random than others. However, a few messages had caught his attention and read them several times before he set his phone down. "...I do not like this." he said after a moment. Ryuk, who was chomping down on an apple, looked at Light. "These Phantom Thieves are a nuisance. After Madarame's confession, I looked at this Phan-site of theirs."

"What'd ya find?"

"People are thanking them for putting these people in their place." Light replied, a scowl starting to form. "I thought I could just ignore them, but looking at these... I can't help but feel annoyed. The only one who gets to decide judgement is me, not these phonies."

"So these guys are bruising that ego of yours?"

"It's a mere fact." Light ignored the jab. "I am going to be the God of the new world. For all intents and purposes, I'm deciding what happens to scum like Kamoshida and Madarame. Their sins cannot be overlooked or forgiven. They deserved to be punished. Yet these frauds claim to change the hearts of sinners? Don't make me laugh."

To say that Light was infuriated would be an understatement. He was supposed to be the God of a bright new world, and yet these upstarts appear and defy his rule? Thinking that they could do as they pleased, thinking him wrong? 'I could get rid of them, but the way they can cause this change of heart is too radical for hypnotism or brainwashing.' Light thought. 'Is it possible that they have something similar to the Death Note? If so, what?' The brunette casted a glance at Ryuk before he frowned and shook his head. 'Knowing Ryuk, he'd probably be withholding information from me, just to make this game interesting. He did keep the whole Shinigami Eyes deal from me.'

Before he could even attempt to get rid of this newfound thorn in his side, he needed to know how they were able to perform all these feats. The secret behind triggering these changes of hearts. He had to know. Perhaps it would serve him useful in eliminating future scum.

'For now, I'll settle with keeping L dancing around with a meaningless message.' the deranged teenager decided with a twisted smile, writing one last name in the Death Note for today until the following morning. 'And when this weekend rolls around... I'll show L and the rest of the world what happens when you defy a God!'

Unknown to both parties that had begun to pursue the Phantom Thieves, said group was already back in the Palace. They had arrived back at the station platform where Ryuk would be waiting for them. Since the Shinigami had not shown up yet, the group of teens plus one not-cat decided to hold a small meeting, gathered around in a small circle.

"Do we really gotta have a meeting?" Skull complained, bouncing on his knee with a bored look beneath his mask. "I think we already know the plan and everything. Avoid letting Kira know our names and faces, make sure nothing bad happens, take his Treasure and we're golden, right?"

"It isn't going to be that easy." Mona waved a paw around. "As much as I wish it was. First, let's go over what we know so far. We know for a fact that Light Yagami is Kira, and that he has the Death Note. With it, he's capable of killing virtually anyone in the world, no matter where they might be. Second, a Shinigami called Ryuk is hanging around him, but only because Light has his Death Note in his possession. Thankfully for us, Ryuk doesn't seem to be fully on Light's side and he's willing to help us. Third, Kira intends to execute someone during the Weekend. This will be our deadline."

"That's gonna be cutting it pretty close then." Panther said in concern. "Can we really pull this off? I mean, the Treasure will be inside the tower, right? Will we be able to make it in time?"

"We'll make it happen." Joker told her seriously, his gray eyes burning. "Count on it."

Fox smiled thinly. "It seems our Leader has spoken." he said wryly. "I suppose that settles the matter. Thankfully, the Shadows don't appear to be too strong. Our only main concern is their numbers. Kira trusts no one, so the security is far worse than Madarame's and presumably Kamoshida's." Panther and Skull nodded. Having experienced Kamoshida's Palace for themselves, they knew that, between this and their previous targets, Light Yagami's was far worse. "While this only applies to above ground, we will have to reach the tower on foot. We will need to secure a path leading straight into the tower first before we even attempt to try and head straight in."

"That's right, Fox! You catch on quickly!" Mona praised their newest member with a wide smile. "The Shadows will be guarding the area around the tower. And when we send the Calling Card, it'll only get worse. Therefore, before we send the Calling Card, we'll need to secure an infiltration route. Possibly in the Shadow's blindspot."

"So the same plan as before. We sneak in, find the treasure, send the card, then steal it."

Panther sighed heavily. "I doubt it'll be that easy. If it goes the way I think it will, we'll probably have to fight his Shadow." A shudder ran down her spine, just imagining what the Shadow of Light Yagami, of Kira, would look like to them. "I am so not looking forward to that."

Joker nodded in agreement. He wasn't too thrilled by the prospect either himself, but they had to do this. The world around them began to ripple and warp. Looking over his shoulder, Joker saw Ryuk emerge from the center of the twisted warping phenomenon, looking rather amused. More so than when he first appeared before them.

"Hey ya. Hope I'm not interrupting anything." the black-clothed Shinigami greeted lamely. "So, did you bring that nice juicy apple I asked for?"

"Yeah. Got it right here." Ryuji said as he tossed the item in hand.

Ryuk caught it, salivating at the item in his hand. "Oooh~ Looks darn tasty!" Opening his mouth, wider than any human could possibly do, he tore a giant chunk out of the apple, practically biting it in half. With another bite, the apple was devoured, leaving only the core and stem behind, which he casually discarded. "That one tasted much better than the one I had earlier."

"Wait, what?!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. Apples are to me what booze and cigarettes to you humans."

Joker smirked. "Must have some pretty nifty withdrawal symptoms then."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. My body goes and bends in different ways. Let me tell ya, it ain't exactly comfortable." With a laugh, the Shinigami sat down on a nearby fallen concrete pillar, elbows propped on his knees. "You guys came through on your end, so I'll fulfill my bargain. If only because you guys got Light's undies wrapped up in a bunch!"

Skull immediately turned pale with worry. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"After that old painter guy confessed on the news yesterday, Light decided to look into you guys. I gotta say, I haven't seem him that livid since when L pulled a fast one over him with that whole body double thing!" Ryuk laughed at the thrilling memory. That had to have been the best part about hanging around Light! Watching him lose his cool. So unbecoming of a human who was trying to play god. And yet, all so wonderfully delightful to witness. A gem, that kid! "If I were you, I wouldn't show my face to him anytime soon. Unless, of course, you fancy getting killed."

"Great..." Mona frowned heavily. "So now Kira's looking into us. That sounds bad."

"We'll deal with that when the time comes, I'm afraid." Fox cut in as he looked at Ryuk. "What about the information you promised."

"Right, right. You guys are looking for a quick way to get to the Tower from the Chiba area, right? As it just so happens, there's a working train all the way in Shinjuku. Problem is, those Shadow weirdos are guarding it tighter than a drum. And to be extra careful, they shut off the power." The pale-skinned god of death held up a hand, raising three of his fingers. "There are three stations. Turn those puppies on, and the train's all yours. Provided you can get it from underneath Light's nose. Warning you now, when he finds out you guys are on his way to him on this end, he's not going to be too happy!"

"That's right. He would become more paranoid, thus raising security. We would be swarmed by shadows before we could even get close."

Ryuk bobbed his head. "Yep. And you already saw how above ground looks. Have to admit, even I didn't expect Light's head to be so guarded. Makes you wonder if he even trusts his own family at this point."

It was a curious thought, Joker realized. So far, all they knew was that Light Yagami was a cruel monster who believed that criminals should die. But what did the more human parts of him think? Did he care about his family? The frizzy-haired leader of the thieves remembered what Sayu had once told them earlier. How Light had basically raised her all her life. Just what did he think about his family, really, with a distorted mind such as this?

"I don't suppose you know a way for us to get into Kanto much easier?" Panther asked. Putting her feminine charms to use, she leaned forward and gave him a cute, pouty face. "C'mon, pretty please~?"

"Sorry, sweetheart, but that trick only works for humans." Ryuk laughed at her attempts, causing her to deflate. "Well, except maybe for a few odd Shinigami back home. I already gave you a freebie. You're on your own from here."

"Darn!"

"Thanks for you help, anyways." Joker told him. Gesturing to his friends, they all stood up and made their way back to their current objective. They now had three objectives.

Objective 1: take the functional train in Shinjuku.

Objective 2: take over the stations that are being used to power the train.

Objective 3; find a way to infiltrate the tower without the Shadows knowing them.

Overall, the floor work was planned out. All that was left was to continue writing out the blueprints and finalize everything. Of course, those plans were just the first step to claiming the Treasure. Joker smirked as he and his friends hopped back down to the tracks, making their way to Shinjuku. If things went well, which he highly doubt they would, then this really would be their biggest bust yet. For now, however, he would focus on the task at hand. The Shadows would be guarding that train extensively, so they were going to have to plan this attack carefully. A small misstep, and everything would come right down.

Not that he was worried. Not with everyone and his Personas at his side.

Aside from L and the National Police Agency, the police force was not the only ones interested in the case of the Phantom Thieves.

Case in point, Goro Akechi. Also known by the public as the second coming of the Detective Prince. Despite being a Highschool student, he has a plethora of solved cases under his belt. It was an impressive feat, given his young age. A feat few could accomplish, but he was more skilled than others. That being said, however, he was nowhere near the same level as L was, nor did he ever brag about his capabilities. If anything, he used them as jokes to lighten tension around others. The police weren't exactly known for relying on youngsters in solving cases.

Sae Niijima, thankfully, had been an exception to the whole thing as she sat with Goro inside a small restaurant with a conveyor belt passing by their table. Between her late twenties to early thirties, she was a beautiful woman with long silver hair coming down to her shoulders and piercing mauve red eyes that put the fear of god into many a criminal over her career as a prosecutor. The black professional suit she wore also helped make her look the part.

In contrast, Akechi looked the part of a meager high school student. A rather simple looking face with chestnut brown hair and red eyes while wearing a beige blazer over a blue vest and dress shirt with black dress pants. Sitting at his feet was a metal attache case with a stylized "A" printed on the front. However, though his appearance looked quite ordinary, his eyes were another story. Eyes that were searching and analyzing you, looking for even the slightest hint of weakness.

"You saw the news the other day, I take it?" Sae asked him bluntly, not even ten minutes after they had both sat down after a waitress led them to their booth. "Madarame confessed his crimes to the public, sobbing wreck and all. It was no different than when Kamoshida confessed his crimes to the student body at Shujin the day of the assembly weeks ago."

Akechi smiled somewhat as he grabbed a piece of sushi from the conveyor belt, throwing it onto his plate. "I was in Shibuya when the announcement was made. On the one hand, I'm a man like that is now behind bars. But on the other hand, I'm conflicted. These Phantom Thieves, if they do possibly exist, have put a horrible man behind bars, even though they acted above the law. There are quite a few laws and regulations when it comes to crimes committed via hypnotism or brainwashing. These two cases seem to imply that some sort of mind-changing technique was involved, but I'm not quite convinced yet." As he grabbed another piece of sushi, he let out a depressed sigh and shook his head. "And then we have the biggest problem. The most obvious one, at that."

"Kira." Sae spat the name as if it were poison. "It's been weeks since L revealed Kira's existence to us, and so far, we still have nothing. All we have to go on is that Kira may be a high school student."

"And that he can supposedly control the actions of someone up to their deaths, as well as manipulate the time of death." Akechi added dryly. "I'll be honest, Sae-san. I very much prefer the Phantom Thieves over Kira any day. At least they haven't killed anyone." Before Sae could open her mouth to retort, Goro raised a hand. "Yet, anyway. It's still quite early to tell for certain. Anyway, why don't we get back to the main point."

Sae looked like she wanted to argue, but after a moment, her shoulders dropped. As much as she wanted to discuss this in greater detail, there were more pressing matters to discuss. "Akechi-kun." she began seriously, narrowing his eyes at the young teenage detective as she crossed her legs. "What do you know about the mental shutdowns that have been occurring over the last few years?"

"As much as I'm currently aware, it is a unusual phenomenon that begun occurring a few years ago." he replied with a shrug. "However, upon examining the patients there hasn't been any distinguishable health impairment. Physically, they are fine, but they are definite mental implications."

"Initially, people assumed that these were just natural causes, but ever since the Kira case began, I've been thinking about things differently." Sae said, taking a small sip from her tea, eyes never breaking away from Akechi's. "Also, there are the victims to consider. Politicians, government officials, business tycoons. Admittedly, in between there are random individuals, but so far, the primary victims have been people of influence."

Akechi's eyes danced, now keenly interested. He leaned forward and propped his elbows on the table, hands folded beneath his chin. "Go on..."

"At first, it was nothing more than a hunch. But the Kira case, and now these Phantom thieves... What if someone is triggering this mental shutdowns?"

"Interesting... So you believe someone is capable of killing someone in a similar method as Kira's heart attacks?"

Sae nodded strongly. "It's a stretch, I admit, but we are dealing with bizarre and seemingly supernatural cases as of late. The Phantom Thieves of Hearts, they're the closest people I can think of who are capable of something remotely similar to the mental shutdown cases."

"Well, I think it's still a feasible possibility that we should keep in mind. We still don't know how Kira perpetrates these Heart Attacks." Akechi reminded the prosecutor. "Though your idea does have merit." Pursing his lips, Akechi leaned in his seat, looking up thoughtfully. "I was actually planning on discussing them in an interview, considering the circumstances."

"Always happy to talk to the media, aren't you?" Sae rolled her eyes before she looked at her watch. "Almost time for me to leave."

"E-eh?" For some reason, Akechi looked incredibly disappointed. "B-but we only just got here. You haven't even touched your plate!"

"I don't have time for luxuries, Akechi." she replied as she grabbed her purse. "I'll see you around." Akechi weakly tried to convince her to stay longer, only to find that she was already halfway across the restaurant.

The teenage detective pouted and slumped in his seat. "Drat. And here I was hoping for some company." he muttered. Out of everyone from work, Sae Niijima was one of the few people he actually found himself close to. Though neither would consider the other a friend, Akechi believed that he knew Sae well enough to be more than just acquaintances, but not quite friends either. He detested the term co-worker. Shrugging at his misfortune, he went to the plate of sushi spread out before him. As he took his first bite, his cell phone rang.

His mood dampened immediately. Today really wasn't his day, was it?

"Please tell me we're there." Skull practically begged. "My legs feel so freaking numb. I haven't felt like this since when that son of a bitch Kamoshida broke my leg last year!"

"Quiet down!" Mona hissed. "You want to get caught?!"

Joker held up his hand, silencing the two. Wordlessly, he pointed to the sight ahead of him. It was a station platform, though unlike the other platforms they had found, it was in much better shape. There were a few bits and pieces of discarded rubble strewn about, but for the most part, it was almost entirely intact. Shadows were also patrolling the area, keeping a constant vigilance. However, it was what was sitting on the tracks that had everyone's attention. It was a train, fully functional from the look of it. Small bits of rust were on its metal body and a few windows were destroyed, but it was otherwise intact and operable enough.

"It seems we have our means of transportation." Fox mused. "And considerably guarded, at that."

"We could take 'em out right here." Panther suggested. "But we have to get the stations working to power the train, right? Should we do that first before we take the train?"

"But won't these guys know that the stations'll be charged up when the train suddenly starts working?" Skull chimed with a frown. "I say we take these guys out first."

Mona hummed thoughtfully, examining the situation before looking at the white-masked thief. "Joker. What do you think we should do?"

The team leader paused to think. They needed to think this through thoroughly. On the one hand, they could take the train now, but as it was now, it would be useless. On the other hand, they didn't know the location of the three stations necessary to power up the train. They couldn't go in blindly.

Of course, that being said, there was no harm in walking headfirst into a clueless situation, no?

Tugging on his gloves, Joker smiled and turned to the other Phantom Thieves. "We're taking them out."

"Aw sweet!" Skull broke out a grin while Panther and Fox nodded, readying their weapons. "Then let's go!"

Mona shook his head slightly, but made no comment on Joker's decision. The frizzy-haired teen then looked at the platform full of Shadows, his mind racing through different aspects he had gathered. One in particular seemed ready to go. Nodding to himself, he proceeded to leap into full view of the Shadows, knife and gun in hand.

"Evening, boys." he greeted coolly, gathering the full attention of every Shadow present with a smile on his face. "Sorry to say, but we're taking the train."

"Kill them!" The lead Shadow ordered as they rushed the thieves.

Joker's smile grew into a grin as his mask erupted into flames. "Kaguya-Picaro!" The flames extended, creating a feminine figure, garbed in what looked like a recreation of the Shujin Academy uniform, though the face was hidden by a blank mask with glowing eyes and long bunny ears sitting on top of its head, coupled with long flowing hair and a bizarre wreath circling around it, connected to its hands. "Tear them apart!"

With a twirl, the picaresque Persona that was once used by the Seeker of Truth created spears of ice that were promptly sent flying straight at the swarm of Shadows. Fox joined the fray, though rather than sending ice their way, Goemon swung his pipe. Its sharp edge cut through them like butter, though some had come out only injured. Panther amended this issue by calling out Carmen to burn them to a crisp. There were still a few shadows remaining, hanging behind and readying spears of light. Mona was quick to intercept one of them with his slingshot, killing one of them via headshot. Skull had only just managed to summon Captain Kidd when the Power shot an kouha at him, nearly knocking him off of his feet. Grimacing and powering through the pain, his Persona barrelled forward and rammed into the Shadow, plowing it into the wall.

"Joker!"

The frizzy-haired teen nodded and took him, pulling the trigger and ending it with one well-placed shot to the head. It was reduced to muddy black past afterwards. "Done." he said as he holstered his gun. The Persona returned to Skull, forming back into the mask. The two then noticed a small parchment of paper in the muck. "Hm?" He walked over and scooped the paper out of the muck, unfolding it and giving it a look. He grinned. "We got lucky."

"What do you mean?" Skull asked. Joker handed him the paper. "Oh, holy shit! This has a map of the whole subway system on it!" he cheered with a grin. "And it even has the locations of those three stations we need to power on!"

"That's amazing! Now we can figure out the quickest route through the city!" Panther cheered.

Joker handed the paper to Fox, who examined it. "Hm... It seems the stations are spaced evenly, and in the surrounding area. One in Harujuku, another in Ikebukuro, and the last one is in Ichigaya."

"Thank god..." Skull groaned. "My feet still hurt." He then looked at Joker. "So, Leader, what's the plan? We gonna hit up the stations?"

Joker nodded. It would be a good idea to get the train started as soon as possible. Still, after this he fully expected them to be heavily guarded. Nothing to worry about, though, unless the Shadows came in at full force.

'Still, all of this is so strange.' he thought as they plotted their next move. 'What could have possibly have driven Light Yagami to this extent?' There were a lot of questions that still needed answers. But, for now, he supposed that could wait. They were on a time limit, after all. 'Assuming the execution is still planned within the week, a reasonable timeframe would be the weekend. Today is Tuesday, so we have four days to find the Treasure and send the Calling Card. No pressure there.'

Progressing through the Palace had been a rather tiresome affair, especially given how expansive it seemed to be. The less Shadows they had to deal with underground were a welcome relief, but the stations that needed to be powered up were another thing entirely. They were located above ground, much to their chagrin. And as Joker had expected, they were heavily guarded. Taking them out was no easy task, as their numbers were certainly far too numerous. In the end, they had to force themselves to take to two separate visits to the Palace to activate the stations.

It was now Thursday, and the train had finally been booted up, evident by the interior lighting. "Freakin' finally..." Skull groaned as he plopped down on one of the seats. "I'm so exhausted... Why does his Palace hafta be so effin' huge?!"

"At least we won't have much longer." Fox offered him some consolation. "Now that the train is in working order, we can reach the tower. Of course, now the question is how we'll gain entry."

"Won't be easy, that's for sure." Mona nodded, seated across from Skull. "More than that, we need to step up our game. Assuming the deadline isn't Saturday, we only have two more days to find the Treasure and send the calling card."

"I hope Kira doesn't know what we're doing..." Panther murmured in worry. "You guys don't think he'd actually try to kill us, do you?"

Joker sighed. "He did try to kill L that one time." he said, shooting down her hopes.

"I'm afraid he has a point." the resident artist of the thieves pointed out. "Even if Lind L. Tailor was a stand-in, Light Yagami clearly wanted him dead. I believe that goes to show how serious he is, and how far he's fallen."

Skull leaned in. "You think that Ryuk thing might rat us out?"

"Hardly." Mona scoffed. "Based on our encounters with him, he's only in the human world because he wants amusement. Us going after Kira is just another form of entertainment to him. That also works in our favor, since it means he won't get in our way."

"So he's basically a viewer watching us as if it's some sort of show to him? That's effin messed up!" Skull scowled.

"Remember, that he's a shinigami. It's presumable that his line of thought differs from us humans." Yusuke reasoned.

"That, and he admitted as much to us himself that he doesn't really care what we do." He then frowned and cupped his chin. "In truth, I have a few reservations about this whole thing. Targeting Light Yagami isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's who else is after him that's the problem."

"L..." Panther muttered the name with a concerned look on her face. "I actually read up on him when we took on this job. He's...well, I don't think smart even begins to cover it."

The blonde muscle cocked an eyebrow as he threw his arm over the spine of the couch while Joker worked on starting up the train. "He's that good?"

"He is. Despite no one knowing what he looks like, law enforcement turned to his assistance on cases that have long gone cold." the team's resident artist chimed. "He's also solved every case he's been assigned. Including cases that are considered to be utterly bizarre. If we manage to change Light Yagami's heart, we risk earning his attention." Fox's tone turned suddenly somber. "Also, there has been something on my mind as well. If we change his heart, and he turns himself in...wouldn't that leave Sayu Yagami alone?"

The only sound after that was the train finally starting up. Joker closed his eyes, knowing why they had all turned silent. Sayu's father loved them dearly, but he was preoccupied with work. And they could only imagine what the both of them would feel if Light suddenly turned himself in. Given how serious his crimes were, the kid would be given a death sentence that Soichiro Yagami would have no choice but to fulfill. In doing so, a father would lose a son, and a sister would lose a brother.

Admittedly, Light dying was only if they proved that the Death Note could actually kill someone. The idea that a notebook could kill someone just by knowing what they looked like and having their name written was crazy, no more believable than a world created by human thought.

Still, what other choice did they have? Risk someone losing their life, or putting a teen and destroying a family in the process?

It was certainly a cruel choice. But even so, Joker wasn't about to let someone like this roam free. Light had to be stopped.

The train arrived in the Kanto Region at last. The train ride was a sordid and somber affair, with only Joker speaking as he discussed what they should expect when they arrived. Prepared for the worst, they ventured above ground and exited the station. When they did, they were greeted with a giant white tower, reaching all the way to the sky.

"Damn..." Skull whispered in awe. "This thing's even bigger up close."

Panther took a quick glance around the area, noting how the area was jam packed with cognition of worshipers. Some ventured into the tower with lit candles, others bowed their heads in reverence. "It doesn't seem like there are Shadows around." she noted in confusion. "Why is that?"

Mona looked at the tower, eyes narrowed. "Probably because they're inside." He took a quick sniff of the air, and his eyes widened. "Oooooh! We're close to the Treasure! I bet you anything that the Treasure is right at the top!"

"At the top?!" Skull gawked. "Are you freaking serious?, we gotta climb all the way up there! That'll take forever! We ain't got time for that shit!"

"What do you suggest we do then? Scale it?"

"Ugh... Can't there be an elevator or something?"

"Considering that this place is a Palace, and therefore doesn't adhere to normal rules..." Fox mentioned. "Perhaps the inside of the tower is smaller than the outside?"

"One way to find out." Joker went on ahead, one hand in his coat clenching his combat knife and the other holding his gun.

"Then let's go!" Mona cried as they snuck inside the building.

"...huh. Whaddaya know? It is smaller than the outside." Skull admitted.

And only barely guarded at that. Dealing with the Shadows was a bit tricky, given the absurdely small space, but they did manage to make their way through it, even happening upon a Safe Room along the way. Then they reached the top of the tower, however, they were greeted by a positively breathtaking view.

"Whoa..."

"Is...is this heaven...?"

"Such...such magnificence! So utterly breathtaking!"

Down below, the world seemed so dead and rotting. But here, at the top, the world had changed. The sky was bright azure, with birds flying across the clear sky. Rainbows and faint hummings danced in the air with them. Cloudy skies covered the world below, as if shielding such beautiful sights from the ugliness below. The followers had all bowed their heads and kneeled, for in the center of the platform they stood on was a hazy white mist.

"There's the Treasure." Skull said before taking another look around. "Damn... This place is freaking cool. I mean, I know it looks like shit on the ground, but damn. If this is what heaven looks like, I know where I'm going after I die."

Fox nodded strongly. "I wish I had my canvas or sketchbook with me." he muttered. "I must burn these sights into my memory!"

"This must be Kira's "paradise"." Joker commented as he gazed at the marvelous atmosphere. "Likely his ideal world once he's killed off all the criminals."

"You would be correct, criminals." Alarmed, the group whirled around to find a black cloaked shadow standing before them, enveloped in a red aura. "Bask in the glory of the heavenly kingdom, for it will be the last you will ever see of it!" It spasmed before it exploded into black and red mass that quickly formed into a solid shape. Brass steel skin, enveloped in a navy blue toga with a halo above its head and steely white wings behind its back. "For the glory of God, I shall smite you!"

"Ah, hell! Here we go again!" Skull cursed. "Captain Kidd!" The ship-riding Persona charged forward, aiming its cannon at it and releasing a volley of thunder. The Shadow dodged it with ease and countered by dashing forward with surprising speed to deliver a haymaker to the Persona and throw it to the ground. Skull cursed and found himself thrown to the floor as well. "Shit!"

Fox quickly went to his ally's aid, hoisting him up before taking aim with his rifle, going for one of its eyes in the hopes of blinding it. However, the Shadow proved to be quite agile, evading it each shot with ease before it raised its palm, releasing a burst of white light at him. Goemon emerged from blue flames, batting the spear of light away with its pipe before sending a spear of ice in return. Victor staggered as it struck its shoulder, but the damage was rather miniscule. Not a dent in its plated skin.

"Panther, let's take him from both sides!" Mona called out to his target of affection. Panther nodded and raised a hand over her mask, summoning Carmen to her side. Morgana likewise summoned Zorro and the two sent their own respective blasts at it. It easily evaded the flames and blocked Zorro's saber with its forearm before knocking it back and returning the attack with a gust of wind. Being resistant to wind-based attacks, Zorro and Mona barely took any damage and countered easily with a fist, blowing right into its chest. It seemed to have some effect, as the armor bent beneath the strike. "Joker, now!"

The frizzy-haired teen nodded and called on yet another Persona. "Ares!" A red-skinned warrior with a golden helm over its face and sword in hand emerged, swinging its blade down upon the metal angel. Victor blocked it, but it buckled beneath the force of the blow. In an attempt to put some distance between them, Victor rammed its fist into Ares helm, blowing it back. Joker winced, feeling as though he had been struck. "Tch..."

"Perish, Heretics!" Victor cried as a mass of light gathered in its palms.

"Joker, watch out!" Mona cautioned. "He's charging up!"

"Got it!" The leader searched through the sea of his soul, calling forth a Persona what will be more than enough to handle the charged light attack. Archangel emerged at his side, garbed in thin chain mail with a silver helm and rapier. At that moment, Victor released a blast of white hot light that struck the Persona in the center of the chest, causing it to disperse almost immediately. Joker gasped, feeling a bursting pain in his chest, suddenly finding himself kneeling on the ground. He struggled to breath. He felt unbearably hot right now.

"Joker!" Panther cried before her features twisted into a snarl. "Oh, you bastard! I'll burn you into a crisp! Carmen, dance!" The voluptuous Persona flicked one of her flunkies forward and sent a fireball flying, followed by another. And another. A series of fireballs were sent straight for Victor, but the Shadow took the hits head on, receiving not a single burn or scratch. Her eyes widened in panic. "Oh, crap! Fire doesn't work!"

"Then how 'bout this?!"

Captain Kidd barreled forward, straight out of nowhere and rammed the ship into the bronze angel. It was sent flying and struck the pillar behind it, causing it to crack. Before it could have the chance to recover, the Shadow was struck by electricity, causing it to spasm uncontrollably before it went limp for only a moment. Skull high-fived Fox and went to Joker's aid while the artist narrowed his eyes. "Goemon, come!" In a fluid motion, a stream of light and silver cut through the Shadow. The bronze plating broke, and black liquid seeped.

"Guh...!" Victor wheezed. "Insolent fools... You would dare spill my blood on this holy ground?! I shall see to it you hang with the condemned!"

As Panther and Fox kept the Shadow busy, Mona bounced over to Joker and Skull. "Skull, how is he?"

"I'm fine." Joker gritted his teeth. "It just hurts like hell."

"Well, least we know thunder works on his ass." Skull snarked and pulled his friend up to his feet. "You still good to go?" The frizzy-haired teen nodded. "Alright, c'mon. Let's go wreck this bastard!"

"Then let's finish this!" Joker declared as he switched personas. "Izanagi Picaro!" Victor went in to intercept Joker before the Persona could be fully manifested, but Zorro and Goemon blocked its path. Captain Kidd swerved behind it, taking aim with its cannon and about to shoot it in the back when it suddenly pulled up to avoid the blast. Before it could get very far up, however, Carmen's whips lashed out and snatched it up out of the air by the neck and threw it down to the ground.

"Cross Slash!"

Streaks of lightning came down upon Victor, who could nothing to protect itself from the thunder-sheathed blade. It recoiled from the strike and fell down to it's knee, armor shattered and broken. "Y-you... Bastards..."

Joker smirked evilly as everyone readied their weapons. "Everyone! We're going ALL OUT!"

The Phantom Thieves moves like blurs, striking the shadow aggressively from all angles.

Victor could do nothing but feebly attempt to defend himself, yet no matter how hard he tried, they call at him from different angles. After what seemed like an endless bout of slaughter, the group ceased their activitives and emerged behind him. Skull comically landed on his face before he pulled himself up and grinned like a maniac, holding up his hand which had his pinky, index and thumb sticking out. Fox landed elegantly beside him with his hand over his mask. Panther landed next, a little ways away from the boys and spun in place before putting a hand to her cheek, grinning. Joker and Morgana landed the last, in between them with the latter on his shoulder, grinning and holding what looked like a cigar.

Joker smirked as he tugged at his glove.

"Show's Over."

The bronze Shadow quivered before black spews of fluids erupted from its body, and unceremoniously fell to the ground, reduced to black and red muck.

[You have returned to the real world. Thank you for your hard work.]

The ruined world of Light Yagami's Palace was washed away, returning the Phantom Thieves to the walkway in Shibuya. As always, not a single person seemed to notice how a group of teenagers, plus a cat, strangely appeared out of thin air without anyone noticing. "Damn that was long..." Ryuji groaned, rubbing his shoulders. "Still, least we got an infiltration route to the Treasure now."

"Indeed." Yusuke smiled. "And what a fine view it had. I wonder if that is how Heaven will look when its our time to pass on."

"You know, it kind of makes me wonder how someone screwed up can think of something so beautiful." Ann mentioned. "I know Light thinks he's doing well and all, but..."

Ren nodded. "How did he become so distorted in the first place, anyway?" he asked.

Morgana hummed. "If I recall from one of your classes, that war hawk Ushimaru said something along the lines of absolute power corrupting absolutely. Perhaps Light initially wanted to do good, but the Death Note warped his mind to the point where it is now." He then gave a sad sigh, tail losing its enthusiasm. "But who knows? Maybe Kira was there all along, just waiting for the opportunity to come out."

"Like a hidden side of Light Yagami?"

"It's possible. Maybe the Death Note was the excuse it needed to come out and show its true colors." Morgana shrugged. "Who knows? Whatever the case, we can send the Calling Card at anytime now. Of course, we'll probably need a plan of action before we plan it out in advance. The Shadows will be on high alert, more than ever once we send it, meaning the tower will be flooded with guards. We'll have to find a way to distract them, and then head straight for the Treasure."

"I think I can handle that part." No doubt he would have to haggle Iwai for some realistic explosives. After all, the man had let him use his backroom on occasion to make a few odd tools. A false alarm, for starters. He was still waiting for the opportunity to make it. "Yusuke. Can you handle the card again like before?"

The artist smiled. "I'll make it as grand as possible."

"Damn right it should." Ryuji grinned. "I mean, dude. We're about to take down Kira! KIRA!"

"Quiet down!" Ann hissed. "You want to get the wrong attention, you idiot?! Think about where we are!"

"R-right, sorry!"

Ren chuckled wryly. What a pair those two made. They went their separate ways shortly afterwards, ready to tackle what was to come. Things would be tense, no doubt, when it came time to send the calling card. Unknown to him at the time, however, a pair of red eyes had been watching him and his group carefully, with a hint of curiosity and intrigue.

"Ren Amamiya, Ann Takamaki, Ryuji Sakamoto, and now Yusuke Kitagawa..." a brown-haired girl muttered the names, memorizing them for a later date. "What a strange pair you all make."

By either odd luck or coincidence, Ren met Sayu Yagami while on his way back to Cafe Leblanc. What she was doing in Yongen-Jaya, he had no idea. However, she had come out of the supermarket, carrying a bag of groceries when she was suddenly approached by a man in a suit. Judging by how red his face was, he was obviously drunk.

The scene was oddly familiar, not to mention haunting. It was like watching a repeat, only this time, Ren had only barely hesitated before he found himself doing the same thing he had before. Of course, unlike before, he had backup in the form of Sojiro, who had also been in the area and found the man harassing Sayu.

"Jeez, kid..." Sojiro groaned as Ren took a seat at the counter while Sayu fidgeted, staring at her cup with a hint of odd fascination. "You do remember what happened the last time you got involved in that kind of thing, right?"

Ren nodded. It was the reason why he was even here at Cafe Leblanc and under his care in the first place. That being said, "I just did what I felt was right." he said with a cheeky smile. "Besides, you were there to step in, weren't you?"

"Um..." Sayu dipped her head low. "I'm sorry if I caused you some trouble."

"What?" Sojiro stared at her for a moment before he shook his head. "Oh, no. You're far from a problem, miss. It's just this kid's in a bind enough as is. Your coffee is on the house."

"Thank you, Mr...?"

"Sakura. Sojiro Sakura."

Sayu bowed her head. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sayu Yagami."

"Yagami?" The barista seemed surprised. "You wouldn't happen to be Sachiko-chan's kid, would you?"

"You know my mother?" Sayu asked with wide eyes. Ren raised a brow as well from the revelation.

"Yeah. We were friends way back when." Sojiro nodded.

"It was when she and Chiro got married." As if remembering the memory with fondness, a warm smile spread across the man's lips. "Heh. First time I ever saw the poor guy so embarrassed. How is Chiro doin' these days, anyway?"

Sayu was still briefly stunned, but recovered and smiled back. "He isn't home often because of his job, but he is doing well." she told him. "He's still a big worrywart."

"I imagine." Sojiro's smiled dimmed a bit afterwards. "I...heard what happened to Sachiko-chan. You have my sympathies."

"At..." Sayu's voice cracked slightly. "At least she didn't die in pain. That's what counts, right?"

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it." Sojiro sighed. "I apologize for bringing it up. I didn't mean to bring up bad times."

The conversation delved into silence afterwards. Rather awkward at that, as Sayu was only now drinking her coffee. Sojiro sighed again and chose to instead to go to work and clean up. Ren took a glance around the shop. Thankfully, there weren't many patrons around. He leaned on the table and spoke in a hushed tone so Sojiro wouldn't hear him. "You okay?"

"Huh?" Sayu blinked, suddenly remembering that he was sitting next to her. "Oh, yes. I'm fine." She paused as she looked at Ren, then her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, aren't you...?"

He nodded. "They've taken your request." he told her, making her eyes brighten. "In a few days, Light Yagami should be back to normal."

"Really?!" She lowered her voice, realizing that Ren probably didn't want his guardian to overhear him. "That's wonderful!"

Morgana poked his head out of the bag, eyes forlorn. "I doubt she'd say that if she knew what will happen once his heart is changed."

Indeed not. Ren imagined that it would be hell. Hence why he informed her as such. "If his heart is changed, you're going to have to be there for him." he told her, confusing her. "Once his heart is changed, he will realize what he's done. And when he does, he'll likely turn himself over to the police. Even if he confesses his crimes, and if they do take him seriously..."

"...They'll arrest him..." She concluded. She felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach. Her brother would confess to his crimes as Kira, which would most likely give him the death penalty.

And if that happened...

Her hands curled. Wordlessly, she nodded. It wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen. Sure, her brother had killed people, but deep down, she knew a good person was in there somewhere! She couldn't let this happen.

She already lost one family member. She couldn't afford to lose another.

Saturday had arrived. The day before the day Light would kill Raye Penber, and hopefully, any other CIA agents that caused would cause him trouble in the near future. Everything was already prepared, from how Raye Penber would die to the papers that would bring an end to the rest of the agents.

"I wish I could see L's face when he sees the reports." Light smirked darkly as he tucked the papers away in a small folder. It was the same as the one he used for school, so the chances of his family looking at it were low. Just to be safe, he packed them away in his backpack. "All that's left now is to prepare for tomorrow."

"You seem excited." Ryuk idly commented as he appeared next to the teen.

"Of course I am. I am one more step toward my goal, and another criminal will bite the dust."

Criminal, he said. Hah! Oh, how amusing this kid was. Ryuk really did think he struck the proverbial jackpot with Light. Who knew this was the end result of someone getting the Death Note? Just how sick of society was this kid in the first place? Well, not that he really cared. So long as Light made things interesting for him, he was content with kicking back and watching things play out. Especially given how things were going: three groups, all after the same person.

Of course, Ryuk had no doubt that Light would no doubt go after the Phantom Thieves once he was finished with L, or try to eliminate them once he was close to him. He did see them as a threat. And the thing was, he had no idea how right he was! Those kids were in his Palace, no doubt so close to the root of his desires. What would happen afterwards would indeed be interesting to see. Assuming they succeeded in changing Light's heart, what would happen? Would Light turn himself over to the police? Hand over the Death Note? So many things.

On the other hand, however, it would also deprive him of his fun. Without Light killng criminals and participating in his cat and mouse game with L, things would get boring real quick, even with the Phantom Thieves around.

Oh, what to do...

A knock came to Light's door as he hid the folder away in his backpack and prepared to head out, having made plans with his classmate. All in order to keep up his ruse. "Hey, Light, you there?" Sayu's voice came from behind the door. "You got a letter."

"A letter?" Light raised an eyebrow. Strange, he didn't know he was getting anything in the mail. Well, aside from the usual junk mail. It was probably another scam or something. Still, it could be important. He got up and opened the door. "Who's it from?"

"Don't know. It doesn't have a return address."

That only raised Light's confusion more as he took the letter from his sister, who seemed oddly anxious and worried about something. Maybe it was an upcoming test? Well, he still had some freetime, so maybe they could have a study session together. Plus, their father was supposed to be coming home tomorrow, so maybe they could have a party once he was done with business. He closed the door behind him and grabbed his letter opener from his desk. As he examined the letter to find anything out of the ordinary, he cut it open and pulled out the contents.

Inside was a vibrant red card with a logo. One eerily familiar, as it resembled the one that was on TV only a few days ago. A mask with a flaming eye and a tophat, with the words "TAKE YOUR HEART" written in cut newspaper format. Along with it was a black letter with red writing.

Ryuk laughed when he read the contents. So much so in fact that he found himself flailing on the floor. Were he human, he would have been deprived of oxygen. Light completely ignored him, in favor of being utterly terrified and outright livid.

The letter read:

Dear Light Yagami, the corrupt Demiurge of ceaseless pride

You kill criminals under the guise of Kira, believing yourself to be God. You think you have the right to decide what justice is. However, you are no different than the criminals you murder. Your actions are despicable, your hands stained in blood like those you kill, and it is time for you to pay the price.

We will make you confess your sins with your own mouth. We shall take your distorted desires without fail.

Sincerely, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts

For a moment, Light was utterly put into silence and stillness. Then he exploded, face contorted into something livid and nightmarish as he tore the letter to pieces. "What kind of bullshit is this?!" He snarled. "Demiurge?! Prideful?! Me?! Those bastards!"

How dare they?! How dare they accuse him of being evil?! He was the one trying to save this world! He was trying to make it better! And yet, these bastards, who've barely done a thing, think that he's the evil one here?! That was it! To hell with L! He was going to kill these bastards in the worst way possible!

In the depths of his heart, a pale of yellow eyes opened, baleful and yet full of frigid cruelness. "Fine, then. You want to overthrow God? Then give it your best shot, you foolish sinners..."

PALACE ALERT LEVEL: 99%

"If we win, Kira is evil. If Kira wins, he is justice." -Light Yagami, "Death Note"

Days Until
Raye Penber's Death
1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Special thanks go to Daemon of Wrath for helping me write this chapter. His assistance was much appreciated, and it was fun working with him.

Apologies for the late chapter. I was busy with work and my old computer died of old age. Rest in peace, my electronic friend.

And sorry if the Palace exploration felt rushed and the overall design was weak. Exploration is truly not my cup of tea. In fact, I believe it is one of my weaker writing skills and attempts. Especially since how i was rushing the whole thing.

That being said, we're gearing up for the finale. This story will continue after Light Yagami's arc, however. I have special plans in mind.

REVIEWS

superpierce: I'm very glad, and most filler chapters I plan on doing are requests. For clarification, if the chapter didn't already make it obvious, this takes place after Madarame's confession, but before Makoto confronts them.

ptl: Indeed. Thankfully, the Death Note will only have limited influence... At least as far as Light is concerned. The Phantom Thieves still have no idea that there are others who have Death Notes, including a yandere and crazy fanatic. And considering Kira's actions, the public is either supportive or wary of the Phantom Thieves. And, of course, Kira and the PT are under investigation as shown by L. Who knows? Other forces may still have a role to play.

victorsan12345: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just please don't start a comment war. -_-

treyalexander63917: I'm excited for this as well, especially since I'm writing all of this. Trust me, things will get quite heated. Especially when the epic confrontation takes place between "God" and the Phantom Thieves.

RoboVolcano4: While he hasn't declared the Phantom Thieves dangerous (yet), he is wary of them. I will say this, however. As we progress through the story, his opinion of them will change. For better or worse, however, depends on the thieves themselves.

Luckenhaft: Well, thanks to Kira, the public is all the more cautious and excited about the Phantom Thieves. On the one side, you have the Kira supporters. On the other side, you have the L supporters (who are seemingly the minority) and in between are the PT supporters.