April 10th

6:32 pm

"How did it go?" Yugi asked.

The sun was starting to stay in the sky longer. Despite the hour, the light still glowed throughout the city. Yugi and Seto walked down the sidewalk – everyone else weaved around them. Few people didn't recognize Seto in this city, and few people wanted to run into him.

Seto's lips tightened, wondering why Yugi was still walking with him. He knew as well as Yugi did that Yugi's house was on the opposite side of town from his own. The rest of the geek squad had already filtered away to do whatever it was that geeks do.

"It went fine," Seto said.

He planned to leave it at that. Yugi wasn't easily dissuaded, though.

"He believed you?"

Seto groaned mentally. He didn't need an interrogation right now.

"Yes. So he'll take the information back to L, and everything can get back to normal."

He emphasized the word "normal," hoping Yugi might take the hint. Yugi slowed for a minute, looking thoughtful. Seto kept his pace, so that Yugi had to catch up to him to say his next sentence.

"I think that was L. The boy you talked to. It was him."

Seto stopped dead in the street. He glanced over at Yugi.

Not for the first time, he was struck by how much Yugi had changed in such a short time. The twenty-two-year-old was almost as tall as he was now. He didn't have to look very far down to meet Yugi's violet eyes. There was still a hint of roundness to his face, but overall, the child-like baby fat had fallen away. Seto almost imagined he could see faint muscle tone in his rival's arms. Who would have thought Yugi of all people would have muscle tone?

"That was L, huh?" he said. "What makes you think that?"

Yugi pushed his hands into his pockets. He looked away from Seto, his eyes scanning the people that passed around them. His eye twitched, as though a headache had just pained him.

"You know, this is hard to get used to," he said. "You'd think after five or so years, I'd have figured it out."

"Your 'sight' thing?" Seto said dubiously.

"Yes, my 'sight' thing," Yugi said, returning his gaze to Seto. "Seeing people's souls is not all its cracked up to be, you know? I keep forgetting how to turn it off."

Seto studied Yugi for a moment. Then he shook his head.

"I still don't believe that you can see auras," he said.

"Soul, not auras. Two different things. But you trusted me when I said you could trust that boy."

"The one you claim is L."

"He has a strong soul. Those with evil intent have more twisted souls."

Seto scowled.

"I'm starting to regret telling you about all of this. I could have just talked to L by myself, you know."

Yugi smiled, but it turned into a little more of a grimace.

"You and I both know why you didn't."

A short silence passed between them. The sun was starting to disappear for real now, and a soft, cold breeze settled in around them. Seto shifted his grip on his suitcase.

"So you sensed him, in there. He was there. Probably watching us."

It wasn't really a question. Seto knew better than to think Yugi might have lied. He glanced at the younger man's expression. Yugi had gone slightly white, and his lips tightened.

"Yes."

"He really is back, then."

"Unfortunately."

Another beat passed.

"What about...the other one. The other you."

Yugi shook his head.

"He used dark magic to come back. The other me passed on. For good. There's no going back."

Seto's grip tightened on his suitcase at the words 'passed on,' but he tried to hide the emotions from his face.

"Fine. Well, L has the Death Note now. Kira will probably be caught in a matter of weeks if L's as good as I think he is. Then all the Death Notes will probably be destroyed, and there won't be a problem anymore."

He straightened and started walking again. Yugi hurried to catch up.

"That's it? You're just going to leave it at that?"

"I thought we talked about this already."

"Getting rid of the Death Notes is not going to get rid of him, and you know it."

"And I have a company to run and a life to live. I don't have time for adventures anymore. I'm sure you and the rest of the geek squad can handle it."

Yugi stopped walking. Seto didn't stop to look at him. He just tightened his hands and walked a little faster.

Yugi's voice carried over to him.

"He's not just going to leave you alone, Seto. You may continue to deny it, but you had a part defeating him in the first War of Shadows – and he remembers it."

April 11th

3:21 am

The computer screen flickered to life. L roused himself instantly from a half-doze – more like a stasis period, really. He slipped out of his chair and slouched over to the desk, where he crouched on top of the swivel chair instead.

"Watari? You have results?"

The screen crackled for a minute before a voice came through the speakers.

"I'm afraid so. The Death Note is real. It was tested on several death row inmates. Everything is as Mr. Seto Kaiba stated."

L's lips tightened. He clenched his hands on his knees.

So the Death Note was legitimate. Kira's power had been discovered.

It's only a matter of time now, Kira.