"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." -Norman Cousins
Death Note: Blank Pages
Page 02: I am Shinigami
Rotting and decaying and boring.
That was how the World of Death – what the Shinigami Realm had become for Ryuk. So boring and lifeless. Day in and day out, it was the same damn thing. Writing names in notebooks, prolonging their lifespans and gambling those added years away. It was all so pointless, watching it go on and on for years on end with no signs of stopping.
It was all so...boring!
Ryuk had lived a very long time. Perhaps longer than most Shinigami. Honestly, he couldn't remember the days when he first came into being. In fact, Shinigami couldn't remember what life was like when they were born. Any that did usually tended to die young, or whatever counted as young for beings that lived for centuries, going on millennia.
Perhaps it was because of his old age that Ryuk couldn't help that his world was growing stale and boring. He sought something new and something interesting. Something that would light up his world with some fun.
He already had an idea in mind, though for now he was left to ponder on it. He knew that what he had planned wouldn't be done so easily. After all, that old man was a hard-ass and almost impossible to trick. You would have to be quite silver-tongued to get something from him. Either that, or you had to offer a hefty bribe. Ryuk intended to go for the former. Being as old as he was, it shouldn't be too hard, right?
"Hey, Ryuk!" a Shinigami called out to him from behind. One of those idiots gambling away their lifespans. "Stop skulking around and play with us! We need a fourth player over here!"
"No thanks." Ryuk huffed. "I'll pass."
(March 18th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 6:32 PM)
Six days had passed since Light had come into possession of the Death Note. Six days had come and gone since he decided to use it, killing criminals left and right like it was going out of style. Already, the media was reporting the deaths of countless of hardened criminals, all by the mere hundreds.
Currently, Light sat in his room, holding the Death Note in his hands with the door safely locked. He had taken a great many precautions in ensuring that the existence of the Death Note remained a secret, even from his own parents. He could only imagine what their reactions would be like, if they ever discovered that he was in possession of an item that could kill someone just by knowing somebody's name and face.
Even now, Light himself could scarcely believe that such an item existed, but it did exist. It was here, in his hands. And already, he had filled dozens of pages. When he first began his killing spree, he had taken into account the rules the Death Note specified and experimented. He wanted to test the limits of what he could do before he fully delved into his crusade against the criminal element.
So far, from what he could gleam based on what the media reported, assuming no details have been filtered, he could control the actions a person could take prior to their designated time of death. He had a serial killer in a maximum security prison incite a riot in the prison cafeteria before committing suicide in his cell via the sheets from his bed. Another criminal, a rapist and murderer had tried to stab a police officer in the street shortly after being released from prison, and was promptly gunned down on the spot when he attempted to escape.
However, the actions leading up to the causes of death had to be reasonable. As part of his experiment, he tasked someone with going to Paris from Tokyo in one hour. This was feasibly impossible, of course, as it would take several hours to go from Tokyo to Paris. Thus, the man simply died of a heart attack.
Between controlling the events leading up to their deaths and when they died, Light had created a system. Every hour, on the hour, a criminal would die of a heart attack. This way, if the police ever decided to investigate the idea that the one responsible was a student, given the time frames between each death, they would find themselves investigating twenty four new murders.
"It's almost scary, how easily you can create a system that can kill someone." Light remarked as he flipped through the pages. To his surprise when he first began, despite the notebook being so thin, there was seemingly no end to the pages. When he looked back to the pages that he had already written on, for criminals that have already died and served their purpose, he found that they had been erased, meaning that once the deaths occurred, the pages would erase the names and circumstances creating the cause of death and return to being blank. This way, he would never run out of pages to use. "And no one can ever trace it back to you."
It was the ultimate murder weapon, but it made him wonder how such an impossibility existed. Someone had to have made this thing. And if they did, why? For what purpose? And given the nature, would it be safe to assume that whoever created the Death Note might not have been human?
Flipping the notebook shut, Light slid it back inside his desk, closing the drawer. With all the names he had wrote down for the next few days, he imagined he would be receiving even more info on his experiments. All the while, the media would be talking about the numerous heart attack victims, every hour.
"Speaking of the police, I imagine my father's being run ragged." Light muttered. Standing up from his desk, he glanced over at the calendar hanging on his wall. "It's almost been a week since I got this thing… Heh. Time sure does fly."
(Day XX9)
A week. It had been over a week since Ryuk had implanted the seeds. By now, something should have bloomed. In truth, he was rather antsy, constantly fidgeting. Sometimes, he was tempted to just head on over and see what was going on, but he managed to keep himself busy with a bit of apple hunting.
Admittedly, they tasted like shit, but they were scarce and considered a luxury to the more older Shinigami.
"You've been restless lately, Ryuk." a Shinigami wearing bone-like armor noted as the black-clad abomination made his way past the little gathering of Shinigami. "Don't tell me you went and lost your Death Note!"
"Is old age finally catching up to you, Ryuk?" a web-footed god of death snickered.
Ryuk chuckled. "Yeah, I lost it. I'm going to see if I can get it back."
"Do you know where you dropped it?"
"The Human World." he answered with a wide grin, showing off his jagged white fangs.
The armored Shinigami fumbled as he threw the dice-like skulls, which bounced off the wooden bowl and on to the ground. "The Human World?!" he cried in disbelief. "You must be going senile! What kind of self-respecting Shinigami drops it in the Human World? Even I remember what happened the last time one of us lost it over there."
"If a human ends up finding it, you're screwed." the web-footed Shinigami told him bluntly.
Ryuk only laughed at their concerns and disbelief. Oh, if only they knew the truth! He didn't lose his Death Note. After all, he still had it with him! Of course, they didn't need to know that he had another Death Note on his person. The possession of two Death Notes was a very rare occurrence. To his knowledge, only high-ranking Shinigami, below in power to the old man were allowed to have multiple Death Notes.
Well, at any rate, it was time to get going. Striding with a bounce in his steps, Ryuk stared at the entrance to the Human World. A spiraling abyss, leading down into a sea of white. He hunched forward, allowing a pair of feathery black wings to sprout from behind his back before he dived head first into the abyss.
A white light consumed him. Had he been human, his eyes would have burned from such intensity, but as he was a Shinigami, he didn't experience such a thing. To him, it was no better than diving into water. At first, there was a disorienting feeling that made him feel out of balance, like he wasn't sure which way was up and he couldn't fly properly. It lasted only a second before he felt chilling winds lash against his gaunt face, rain pelting his long, emaciated form.
The Human World was vast as it was small. Like its own little world, trapped in a marble. Compared to the Shinigami World, it may was well have been an island, drifting along the ocean current.
Finding his fallen notebook and the human who received it shouldn't be too much trouble.
(March 24th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 2:12 PM)
"You've been happier these last couple of days, Light-kun." Yuri noted, much how Sayu and his mother had noticed following his recent acquirement of the Death Note. Amusingly, Light wondered what their reaction would be if he showed them what he could do with it. It would make for quite the memorable photo. "Did something good happen?"
"You could say that." Light answered mysteriously. "And once again, I'm sorry I couldn't attend your celebration party."
Yuri laughed and waved a hand. "Oh, it's fine. Don't worry too much. Besides, I know how much you love studying. Honestly, if you could, you would marry a textbook!"
"Would not!" Light protested.
"Would too! All jokes aside, though, have you been keeping up with the news?"
Keeping up? Light thought with a wry grin. Yuri-san, I've been making the news.
"I have. Criminals from all across the world are dying of heart attacks, one by one." Light answered, taking a bite out of his yakisoba bread. "Every day, there's been twenty-four victims and the number keeps piling up. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before ICPO calls in a meeting with every country in the world"
And when that happened, he knew he had to be prepared. After all, killing criminals on such a grand scale? There was no way they wouldn't act! Sure, they would be rejoicing at the idea of the scum of the earth dropping dead, but the fact that they were dying, and the possibility that they were being killed by some unseen assailant, would be enough to scare them out of their wits. They would create some form of countermeasure, or launch an official investigation.
He had to admit, the prospect of facing off against opponents from all across the globe made him very interested. What would it be like, facing off against such grand minds? Having them chase after leads that didn't even exist while trying to find a killer that could not be found? It sounded like the greatest mystery novel in the making.
At this line of thought, Light wondered if he would even get the chance to face off against the greatest mind in the entire world. Though he had never seen them, he knew them by reputation alone. A modern day Sherlock Holmes. The brilliant and mysterious "L."
Calm down, Yagami. Getting ahead of yourself here. Light chided. It was a bit early for him to be so presumptuous. For now, he would continue playing things by ear. Once his "opponents" made a move, then he would perform the counter.
(March 27th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 8:53 PM)
Light had finished writing yet another entry in the notebook, another seventy-two criminals who were about to find themselves clutching at their chests as they desperately clinged to life, when he suddenly felt the air in his room turn cold. A shiver ran down his spine. He could faintly see his own breath, something that should be impossible.
"What…?"
"Kehehehe… Looks like you've taken a liking to that notebook." a hoarse voice called out to him with a laugh.
Light turned around and promptly screamed, falling out of his chair. The Death Note flew out of his hands, flopping to the wooden floor. Standing there behind him was a creature, 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 his 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.
"What-" Light found himself struggling for air, his heart racing. "What the fuck are you?!"
"My name is Ryuk." the creature introduced itself with a round of laughter. "Or, at least, that's as close as humans can get to pronouncing it right. I'm a god of death. In the Japanese language, a Shinigami." Light's eyes widened at this, staring at it in disbelief. This was a shinigami? An actual grim reaper? He expected to see an angel of death, or perhaps a skeletal creature hiding behind a tattered robe, not whatever this thing was! "I'm the owner of that Death Note you picked up."
He choked. "You-? You're the owner of that notebook?"
"That's what I just said, bucko." Ryuk chuckled. "For someone who looks so smart, you're not quite sharp on the uptake, aren't ya?" Ignoring the brown-haired teen's spluttering noises, Ryuk bent down and picked up his Death Note. Its grin, which seemed permanently glued to its face, seemed to grow even wider as it let out a whistle. "Not bad. I don't think I've ever seen a human every write so many names this before! Most humans are scared out of their minds after the first few or so, but you've gone and filled up over thirty pages worth!"
Light stared at Ryuk for a moment longer. He had never been able to keep track of how many pages in the Death Note he filled up, since after the criminal was dead the name was seemingly erased from the page, allowing for him to write on it again. If it claimed to know how many pages he had written in…
...well, he did wonder if it was something other than human who made this thing in the first place. Clamoring up to his feet and pulling his chair back into its proper position, Light looked back at Ryuk, with slight fear in his eyes. "So… You're a Shinigami."
"Yep." Ryuk said, dragging out the word with a 'pop' at the end. "And you're the human, Light Yagami. I must say, you've certainly been a busy boy, killing so many people."
He ignored the twinge of guilt in his heart, squashing it down without mercy. He wasn't allowed to feel guilty for his actions, especially when he had purposely embarked on this path. Sucking in a breath to calm himself down, Light folded his arms.
"Why did you come here, Shinigami?" he asked as politely as he could in this situation. "Did you come to take back the Death Note? Or did you come to take my soul?"
Ryuk stared at Light for a moment before he began to laugh like he had just heard the funniest joke. "Taking your soul? You humans do come up with the strangest things!" it cackled before calming down, holding the notebook out. Hesitantly, Light accepted it back. "No. The Death Note becomes a part of the Human World from the moment it touches the ground. And once it comes into the hands of a human, it belongs to them. At least until you die. After that, I can take it back. Of course, you could destroy the notebook or give it back to me. In either case, though, I'd have to remove your memories of it."
"I see." Light nodded in understanding. Walking over to his desk, Light set the notebook on it before turning back to Ryuk. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to ask you something. Did you give the notebook to me, or did you just happen to drop it by accident?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it an accident." the Shinigami shrugged its shoulders. "But I didn't choose you specifically. To be honest, I didn't really care who picked up the notebook. I was just bored out of my mind, that's all. In my world, all we Shinigami do is just write the names of humans who are going to die in our notebooks or just gamble our lives away in useless games. It's all so maddening and stifling. I needed a sense of excitement in my life, so I dropped my Death Note into the human world to see what kind of human would pick it up."
It leaned forward, staring at Light with a certain fascination. It was almost as if it was studying him. "I have to say, I'm not disappointed."
He would be lying if he said he didn't feel uncomfortable, being looked at so intently. Turning away from Ryuk's gaze, Light looked elsewhere – anywhere that meant he didn't have to look at this creature in front of him. Ryuk seemed to laugh, clearly aware how uncomfortable it was making him before it backed away.
"Still, I am curious. Why kill so many humans? Playing judge, jury and executioner?"
"Of sorts." Light answered. "Mind if I ask another question? What do you know about our world, Shinigami? More specifically, how we deal with criminals and lowlifes who cause trouble for other honest, kind and hard working people?"
"Don't know anything about it." Ryuk answered honestly.
"When the police capture a criminal, one of four things happen. One: they're locked away behind bars, spending the rest of their miserable lives away in a small confined cell, surrounded by scum just like them inside a tiny concrete box, where they could die any moment. Two: they're put in front of a firing squad and promptly shot full of holes, or strapped to a table and then get a needle stuck in their arm before dying of poison. Three: the court considers their actions to be grievous, but not bad enough to warrant a life in prison. Eventually, they'll be allowed to leave and return to society. And finally, four: the court decides that, in spite of everything they know this person has done, he's guilty in the eyes of the law and allows him to walk away a free man."
Light spat out that last one, eyes burning with fury. For a moment, he was lost in a memory, sitting in a bench while staring at a man dressed in a suit, who smirked back at him before he pulled himself out of his trance and returned to reality.
"The justice system is flawed. Whether it's because law enforcement is inept or corrupt, because someone bribed a judge or rigged it so that they would be innocent, the fact remains that the so-called Court of Law is nothing but a sham. A game that can be rigged by anyone holding the right cards. If it was just that, I could have maybe accepted that. Wanted to change it. But no. It's not just that. The worst part is that nobody outside the system tries to do anything. They just let these people walk free, letting them do as they please. Letting them hurt more lives. Poison others like the vermin they are."
"Yeesh, you're preaching to the quire." Ryuk rolled its eyes. "But I think I get the basic idea. You want to to fix that system by getting rid of all the dirty individuals involved, is that right? Including the guys that get to go free or got off easy."
"No." Ryuk tilted its head, surprised by his answer. "There's no such thing as the perfect system. Even if I change it, sooner or later, it will become flawed again. That's the nature of things in this word. You're only half-right, Shinigami." Light looked at the creature, eyes narrowed and burning with passion, hands clenched into fists. "I want to make a world where honest, kind and hard-working people exist. People who can work to change systems like that. A world where parasites like that don't exist."
The black-clad god of death stared at Light in surprise. In all the years it had existed, it had never quite come across a human such as this. Such passion. Such a strong sense of justice this one carried. Like a bastion of righteousness. Yet so arrogant and pompous, like a king riding upon a white horse with crown on his brow. Its lips curled into a sneer. "But in a world like that, you'd be the only bad person left. Isn't that a contradiction?"
Light smiled thinly. "Of course it is. I'm not a god. God doesn't exist in this world. I'm just a human being who's flawed. Someone who becomes a murderer to get rid of murderers. That's all there is to it." His smile vanished and his passionate flare returned, raising his voice slightly. "And no matter what happens, I will change this rotting world. Even if I had to give up my life in the process. I'll do whatever it takes, even if I have to become the worst monster this world has ever seen!"
It's just as I thought…
Ryuk shook slightly, reeling from such words before its grin threatened to break its face in haf.
Humans...truly are amazing! What fun they are!
(March 29th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 11:46 PM)
In Okinawa, delegates from all across the world had gathered in one of the many corporate buildings owned by the ICPO. From chief policemen from across the globe to members of high-ranking government agencies to even members of the military. There was not a single person of importance that wasn't present. Even Soichiro Yagami was made to attend with the younger, more inexperienced detective Matsuda.
"So many people..." Matsuda marveled in awe. "I knew the ICPO was important and all, but all of these people..."
"They're from every level of law enforcement on the planet. Including the top brass." Soichiro told him as he took his seat, resting his leg on his knee and folding his hands on his lap while patiently waiting for the meeting to begin. "Then again, that is to be expected. Criminals are dying of heart attacks for seemingly no reason at all. Everyone's spooked, and they want answers."
"They think someone's behind it?"
"Possibly. You can never rule anything out." the man replied. At that moment, the room darkened. "The meeting's starting." Matsuda nodded, wisely keeping his voice down.
At the front of the room, a representative from the Japanese administrative walked out, old with thinning gray hair and a suitcase in hand. Taking his seat at the desk, situated in the center, the man set his suitcase down next to him and took his seat, clearing his throat. After a quick mic check, the representative began.
"I am Shiguichi, a member of the National Diet. We will now begin the meeting. As many of you are aware, within the past two weeks, individuals from across the world have begun dying of mysterious circumstances. To put it simply, they have died of heart attacks. Were these men of old age, perhaps it would be understandable, but the number of deaths that have occurred and the ages of these individuals bring these events into the spotlight. Will Mr. Wilder from the Federal Bureau of Intelligence and Ms. Emily from the Central Intelligence Agency please rise?"
A man and a woman from the far right side of the room stood, both with blonde hair and grim faces. The man in the black suit began. "In over 30 states, there is an estimated death toll of well over 300 criminals. 123 of which were convicted criminals with a lifelong sentence, 54 scheduled for death row and 12 who were to be released on parol. The cause of death is listed as heart attacks."
"In 6 states, several wanted individuals who have repeatedly escaped arrest were recently found dead." the woman in the dark blue suit went next, tone clipped and tired as if she hadn't had a decent night of sleep. "Four of these individuals were international terrorists, who's identities were leaked to the public. Most notable of which Osama Bin Laden, who was discovered dead in a motel room in Houston, Texas. According to what was discovered, he was apparently planning a trip back to his homeland, with a list of instructions and plans for several planned attacks in the states and in the Middle East. The cause of death was a heart attack."
"Bin Laden?" Matsuda said, surprised. "He's among the dead too?!"
Shiguichi nodded. "Will delegate Mr. Bolevski of the Foreign Intelligence Agency make his report?"
A broad man with frost white hair and an impressive beard stood up, holding a set of papers in his enormous hands. "In Moscow, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg, several hundred convicted murderers, rapists and drug dealers, all of whom were either serving a life sentence or scheduled for an execution, died while in state custody. The cause of death was a heart attack. Outside of the prison walls, however, over thirty criminals who have also been escaping the law were discovered dead, having also died of heart attacks. Three of these individuals were suspected members of the extremist Communist movement in the southern parts of Russia, wanted for fifteen accounts of murder, four accounts of attempted murder, twenty-five accounts of destruction of government property and other various crimes."
Good god… Soichiro thought with dread, a pit forming in his stomach as he heard a delegate report more and more deaths. With the death count officially rising into the thousands, the man knew immediately that whatever was happening, it surely wasn't a coincidence. So many dead because of a heart attack? All within the span of two weeks?
Something was going on. But what could it possibly be? A vigilante organization? Impossible. Some of the prisons were among the most heavily fortified in their respective nations, and some of the criminals that were on the run have escaped custody for years! Some were even internationally wanted terrorists for crying out loud. His next thought was an act of god, but he banished that thought immediately.
Who would believe that all of this was some sort of act of God?
"If these incidents are indeed the actions of murder, then it brings to question who could be responsible for such a grand scale?" a Thailand delegate asked with trepidation. "It surely can't be a single individual. The death toll alone is far too large for it to be done by one person!"
"Assuming it is being done by a large organization or group, what do they stand to gain?" another delegate asked with a frown. "What do they hope to accomplish by killing criminals? Some of these men were already slated to be executed! What's the point?"
Questions and theories were being tossed around, some with little basis. Eventually, accusations and slander started to make their way into the talks, leading several other more calm-minded delegates to cease this nonsense. Soichiro frowned heavily as he folded his arms. That was a good question. What do they stand to gain by killing criminals? It had to be based on the idea of some kind of justice, but for what? What gain?
The man couldn't think of an answer.
"We're simply going around in circles by this point!" Ms. Emily pointed out, growing agitated. "We don't have any leads, much less answers. It's pointless for us to be making accusations or throwing theories!"
"Then what do you propose we do?"
Just then, an elderly voice cut in, sharp like a knife. "Please, be silent." Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to a man entering the room, dressed in a dark trench coat and fedora, scarf wrapped around his neck and covering his face. In hand was a large attache case. Soichiro's eyes widened in surprise, as had many other delegates. Quite a few people in the room recognized this person, even though his face was shrouded.
Without another word, he slowly made his way to the podium. Matsuda looked around in confusion, noticing how everyone had suddenly gone quiet and began whispering to each other. "Hey, Chief." he leaned over to his superior. "Who's that?"
"That is Watari." Soichiro answered, his voice tense while sitting up straighter. "No one knows who he is or what he looks like underneath those clothes. He rarely appears, and when he does, it's when he has taken an interest in a case."
"He?"
"The greatest mind in the world. The modern day Sherlock Holmes."
The man, Watari, bowed his head to Shiguichi. The latter nodded back and stood up, moving away from the desk and allowing Watari to set the case down on its surface before opening it up, connecting a cable to it's side. Moments later, the large screen behind him lit up, revealing a stylized letter in the Arthurian Alphabet.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN." a synthesized voice spoke, scrambled yet with a clipped tone of respect for those present. "MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION. I AM...L."
"To think he would actually show..." Soichiro muttered in shock and surprise. Matsuda tilted his head in confusion. "Like Watari, L's identity is shrouded in mystery. Even more so because nobody knows what the man even looks like. He's solved some of the most bizarre and unusual cases this world has ever seen. A genius beyond compare. However, he's also particularly hard to contact. To our knowledge, Watari is the only person who knows how to communicate with him. And he only takes on cases he's taken an interest in."
"THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS PARTICULAR CASE LIES NOT IN THE INDIVIDUALS, BUT IN THE GRAND SCALE IT IS BEING CARRIED OUT." L spoke. "LET ME BE CLEAR. THESE ARE THE ACTIONS OF A MASS MURDERER. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CANNOT BE FORGIVEN, NO MATTER WHAT REASONS THEY MAY HAVE. IN ORDER TO SOLVE THIS CASE, I ASK THAT THOSE OF YOU PRESENT HERE PROVIDE COOPERATION TO THE FULLEST. THAT IS TO SAY, EVERY MAJOR ORGANIZATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. TO SOLVE THIS CASE, YOU MUST FULLY SUPPORT THE INVESTIGATION. ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE JAPANESE NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY ASSIST ME ON THIS MATTER."
Soichiro and Matsuda's eyes widened in surprise, looking at one another before the latter stood up, clearly confused. "Beg your pardon, L-san, but why Japan in particular?" he asked respectfully. "As we've discussed, these deaths have been occurring all over the world. Why are you requesting help from Japan specifically?"
"BECAUSE I BELIEVE OUR CULPRIT IS CURRENTLY RESIDING IN JAPAN." the man answered, much to the shock of everyone present. "TO PROVE THIS THEORY, I WOULD LIKE TO ENLIST YOUR COOPERATION TO CONFRONT THEM DIRECTLY."
"C-confront?"
He wants a meeting with the culprits? Soichiro thought in shock. How would he even do that? What does he have planned?
(April 1st, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 10:21 PM)
L's plan, as it turned out, was a rather simple one. To put it simply, they would be performing a stunt double. An inmate, scheduled to be executed within the next two hours, would appear on live television and announce himself as "L." L believed that the culprit, who had been named as Kira by the public, would kill Lind L. Tailor if he provoked the killer. Soichiro thought it was rather morbid and cruel. While Tailor may have been a criminal and was going to die in the next two hours, it was still a cruel thing to do.
Strangely, however, Tailor himself didn't seem to mind. In fact, he had hoped that his death would contribute to something. It was odd, how a man who was going to die today regardless could walk to his gallows so calmly and with a disarming smile. It made the man make a mental note to investigate what crimes this person committed to make him so calm.
On a part of brilliance, the broadcast would be announced as being done nationwide, when it reality it was being broadcasted within a specific region. Unless Kira had access to police intelligence, there was no way they would know about this ruse.
Everyone in the police department watched the broadcast being carried out, the air thick with tension. Matsuda looked deeply uncomfortable, clearly unsettled with the same troubles Soichiro was facing. "I know he's supposed to be the greatest detective, but this is just messed up."
"Tell me about it." Aizawa remarked. "I'm just wondering if this is actually going to pay off."
The rest of Japan, or more accurately those Kanto region, watched the broadcast being carried out. Those who had been supporters of Kira couldn't help but regard Lind L. Tailor in contempt, believing that he would never be able to capture Kira, whereas others who were indecisive hoped that whoever was behind these murders would be caught soon. They didn't necessarily hate Kira, but they felt scared of what they didn't understand.
After a minute, nothing seemed to happen. In fact, it seemed like the broadcast would end. However, Lind L. Tailor's face suddenly contorted. Grunting, he clutched his chest, his face pained before he suddenly collapsed on the desk. Everyone gasped in shock, realizing what had just happened. The police force themselves were shocked by what they had seen. Matsuda looked a little sick, putting a hand to his mouth and looking away.
"No way..." Aizawa muttered in disbelief. "He...he died?"
Soichiro's eyes hardened, working his jaw. "Then it seems L was correct after all. The culprit. Kira. He's here in Japan. Here in Kanto..."
Quickly, Soichiro ordered two of his men to carry the man's body out. As it was being pulled away, the broadcast flickered, glitching into static before the stylized insignia of the greatest detective himself appeared on screen.
"I..." Surprisingly, even L himself sounded surprised, in spite of his voice being distorted and scrambled. "I HAD TO TEST THIS, JUST TO BE SURE, BUT TO THINK IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. KIRA… IT SEEMS YOU TRULY CAN KILL A MAN WITHOUT HAVING TO BE THERE YOURSELF. I WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED IT, IF I HADN'T WITNESSED IT MYSELF.
LISTEN TO ME, KIRA. THE MAN YOU MURDERED JUST NOW, LIND L. TAILOR? HE WAS A DEATH ROW INMATE, WHO'S EXECUTION WAS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY. HE WAS TO BE HANGED TWO HOURS FROM NOW. THAT WAS NOT ME. HIS ARREST WAS KEPT SECRET, SO THE PUBLIC WOULDN'T BE AWARE OF HIS ACTIVITIES. IT APPEARS NOT EVEN YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT KIND OF INFORMATION."
Everyone in Kanto stared at the screen in surprise. Some couldn't help but feel shocked that such lengths would be taken in order to confront a killer, but others were impressed by the ruse this L had created.
"BUT I AM L. I DO EXIST." L stated. "NOW, TRY TO KILL ME!"
"Wait, what?!" Matsuda cried. "Has he lost his mind?!"
Matsuda's statement was shared by the public. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. This wasn't just a confrontation, this must have been suicide.
"This guy's crazy!"
"What the heck is going on?"
"Do it, Kira! Kill him!"
"Shouldn't somebody stop this?!"
"WHAT'S THE MATTER?! COME ON, DO IT! YOU JUST KILLED THAT MAN, DIDN'T YOU?! I'M RIGHT HERE, KIRA! C'MON! KILL ME! CAN'T YOU DO IT?!"
Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Eventually, L fell silent. Initially, they wondered if Kira had succeeded in killing L before he spoke again, this time in a more calm and cool manner. "INTERESTING… SEEMS YOU CAN'T KILL ME, KIRA. PEOPLE EVEN YOU CAN'T KILL. YOU'VE GIVEN ME A USEFUL HINT. IN THAT CASE, I'LL LET YOU IN A SECRET. WHILE THE REPORT SAID THIS WAS BEING BROADCASTED ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE "TRUTH IS THAT WE'RE ONLY BROADCASTING THIS IN JAPAN. MORE SPECIFICALLY, HERE IN THE KANTO REGION. INITIALLY, I HAD PLANNED TO BROADCAST THIS IN OTHER REGIONS, BUT IT SEEMS THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THAT.
"WHY KANTO IN PARTICULAR, YOU MIGHT ASK. THE ANSWER LIES IN ONE OF YOUR VICTIMS. IN FACT, I SUSPECT YOUR VERY FIRST KILL. KUROU OTOHARADA. HE HAD WOUNDED SEVERAL PEOPLE WHILE TAKING REFUGE INSIDE A DAYCARE CENTER, AND REPORTEDLY COLLAPSED. HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK. WHILE HE WAS INDEED A CRIMINAL, AND A MINOR ONE AT THAT, HIS ACTIONS WERE ONLY REPORTED WITHIN JAPAN. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IN THE KANTO REGION.
"YOU'VE ONLY RECENTLY GAINED THIS NEWFOUND SKILLSET. THIS UNCANNY ABILITY TO KILL WITHOUT BEING PRESENT AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. IN ORDER WORDS, YOU'VE ONLY BEEN AT THIS FOR TWO WEEKS. I USED THIS INFORMATION TO DEDUCE AT LEAST THAT MUCH.
"I AM CURIOUS HOW YOU'RE CAPABLE OF KILLING PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING AS MUNDANE AS A HEART ATTACK, BUT I BELIEVE I CAN HAVE MY ANSWERS WHEN I CONFRONT YOU DIRECTLY. WITH YOU BEHIND BARS, AWAITING YOUR EXECUTION.
"I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING, KIRA."
The broadcast ended, leaving everyone in an uproar.
Elsewhere in Japan, inside a small little hotel, a blonde-haired girl stared at the screen of her TV, utterly shaken before she whimpered. "...I screwed up."
"Death may be the greatest of all human blessings." -Socrates
