When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me."

They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely you don't mean me, Lord?"

###

Kanzo Mogi was not like the other task force members. As he drove into the night away from L's headquarters, he reflected upon that fact. Whereas his colleagues railed against L regularly, criticizing his methods and reviling how he conducted himself, Mogi believed he wasn't in the position to complain. All he would do tonight was uncover what he could.

It wasn't that he disrespected Soichiro Yagami – far from it. But the former chief of the NPA was biased toward his son. Though Mogi was unmarried and had no intention of changing that, he didn't blame the Chief for this. But sometimes, brutal truths had to be uncovered. Facts that people weren't ready to hear.

These were his thoughts as he stopped at the Ninomaru Gardens in Chiyoda, Tokyo, where L's headquarters were located. Not long ago, he'd been in charge of tailing Amane and Light's movements. They often came to this specific place, about fifteen minutes from the Yagami household.

Though L had remained vague in his instructions, Mogi knew what he was after. The other notebook. The question was, where could it possibly have been buried?

The night was brisk and cool against his face, and the smell of rain permeated the air. Mogi swallowed and, with a flashlight, searched the park. They had been fond of sitting on a bench and watching the sunset. To all the world, it looked like Light Yagami and Misa Amane were deeply in love.

To Mogi, it was an act, though he would never say so aloud. The only question in his mind was whether Light acted for the case or his self-interest.

He reached the bench where they'd sat before. There was nothing unusual about the situation. L hadn't said when the notebook would have been buried. So Mogi had to make his own deductions. He was honored to have been trusted with this, at least.

L likely realized that Light's been acting differently. And Mogi could see it, too. There were benefits to knowing when to keep one's mouth shut. Since Higuchi's death, the young man had been far more relaxed than before. According to L, who'd been observing him 24/7 since he'd started suspecting him, Light was even getting full nights of sleep now. That was strange; usually, he'd been so stressed trying to clear his name that he didn't even consider rest a valid option.

Given all this information that Mogi and L had discussed and his deductions, it was safe to say that the notebook had been buried sometime between April and June of 2007 – six to eight months ago, which was also when the ink was estimated to have been written.

It's not looking good for Light, Mogi thought. He tried to think of how deeply the notebook would be buried, what the anomaly would look like. There had to be some marker since the burier would want to dig it up again eventually – and if Light Yagami were indeed Kira, he wouldn't forfeit his power so easily.

But now that Mogi thought about it, it was unlikely to be in the open. So he looked toward the thicket. Thanks to the humidity, mist coated the area off the beaten path. Biting the inside of his cheek, he shambled through the overgrown weeds and fauna to a small clearing.

His destination was like a crypt. Mist covered the barren ground; the grass didn't get enough sunlight and thus died for the winter. The brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges of the autumn leaves were dulled in the night, and a distinct sense of dread filled his stomach. Immediately, he knew the truth. If the notebook were in Light Yagami's possession, he would have buried it here.

There would be no metal on the notebook; Kira would have been smart enough not to risk it getting spotted by a detector. So Mogi was left with his eyes and the flashlight to seek a spot where it would have been buried. He walked in circles for countless minutes, spotting nothing, until…

His shoe caught on a sharp corner, and Mogi took a deep breath. Stepping back, he spotted a box corner sticking out of the ground. It could have been erosion – after all, the rainy season had just passed. And with the grass gone, the box would have shifted positions.

Mogi took the small spade from his pocket and began digging. It vaguely occurred to him that if he had found another Death Note, a shinigami would almost certainly show up and kill him, but he wasn't concerned at the moment. A body next to a Death Note in a location like this would count as evidence against Light Yagami, and Mogi had already made peace with his death.

Still, that didn't stop a bead of sweat trickling down his chiseled jaw as he recovered the box and pulled out another plain, leatherbound notebook. Then he inhaled and dialed the number L had given him.

A kind, elderly voice responded. "Yes, what is it, Mogi?"

Mogi forced a swallow. "Watari. I've recovered a second notebook."

A pause. "Understood. Where did you find it?"

"The Ninomaru Gardens, in a thicket just north of the park," Mogi replied. "I'm guessing I can't talk with L directly?"

"That is correct," Watari responded, and Mogi detected a note of heaviness in the old man's voice.

Even he's worn out. Mogi spoke. "What should I do?"

"I will come to your location and retrieve it," Watari said. "Please remain there until I arrive."

"Understood, sir," Mogi replied, ending the call. He sat there for a long while. The words Death Note, or at least he assumed as such, were sprawled across the notebook – although he didn't recognize the language.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" a raspy voice growled from behind him.

Mogi gulped, the looming cold descending over him immediately. Another shinigami. Bracing himself for the horror of gazing upon another one of those hideous creatures, he turned around.

Sure enough, a long, gangly-armed creature clad in black stared at him with large, bulging eyes. Like Rem, his mouth was slightly agape, and his face was expressionless, resembling a mask more than living flesh. But unlike Rem, Mogi had the distinct feeling that the shinigami didn't care much about him or the rest of the team.

Swallowing a wad of saliva, he gripped the Death Note tighter, his fingers white against the ebony cover. "It's…it's a pleasure to meet you," he stuttered. "I'm…Mogi. Kanzo Mogi."

A cackle. "Nice to meet you too. My name is Ryuk." He said it so casually that Mogi wasn't sure what to think. Was this creature on Kira's side? L's? Neither? Both?

"Ah, there's no need to be alarmed," the shinigami said. "I'm not going to hurt you. Probably." He sniffed the air. "Is that an apple I smell?"

Mogi remembered the snack he'd packed earlier that day. "D-do you want it?"

Ryuk licked his lips. Interpreting that as a yes, Mogi pulled the apple out of his pocket, handing it to the death god. In response, Ryuk popped it into his mouth and crunched on the whole thing at once. "Apples in the human world are worth the trip," he said around his food. "But I wasn't expecting you."

"Who were you waiting for, then?"

Ryuk tittered again. "You think I'm gonna tell you?"

Fair point, Mogi thought.

"Mogi?" Watari's voice called from the entrance to the thicket.

"Things are getting a lot more interesting," Ryuk remarked. "Go on. He won't see me unless he touches that thing. But you've already figured that out, haven't you?"

Ignoring the shinigami, Mogi walked out with the box and the note, meeting Watari. L's logistician looked over the Death Note, then took it. Within a moment, he spotted Ryuk, yet he didn't flinch. Mogi was left wondering what on earth Watari could have seen that was scarier than the face of death itself.

Watari gave a gentle smile and a nod. "Thank you. I will give this to L once I am able."

Mogi nodded silently, assuming his usual demeanor – quiet, reserved, obedient. Wiping sweaty palms on his pants, he followed Watari back to headquarters. They had retrieved crucial evidence of Light Yagami's involvement. Another strike against the thirteen-day rule…and his innocence.

###

By the time you read this letter, you should have remembered everything.

Do you remember that friend of mine you met when you came to visit me at To-Oh University? He called himself Hideki Ryuga, but you saw his name as something else. I want you to write his name in this notebook and kill him. But if you do it right after reading this letter, it will be immediately after you and I are given our freedom. So don't kill him until I give you the order.

Please burn this letter immediately and only take a number of notebook pages you can get rid of quickly. Hide the pages on you and rebury the notebook here. And when you see me again, touch me with a piece of the notebook, and make it look casual.

If you do this, I will love you forever.

The letter fluttered to the ground, away from L's fingers. He sat in the control room, swallowing as he replayed the words repeatedly in his mind. His stomach was in knots as he tried to process what it said and what this meant for the case.

Beside him, Light was absorbed in his work. By nightfall, he would have to let Light go unchained.

That letter could only be from Light to the Second Kira. Light…to Misa. The time interval regarding when he could have buried the Death Note lined up with when the last two rules would have been written. And Misa Amane…Misa…

L's fingernails sank into his palms. He's said he didn't love her before. Was he withholding it all this time so he could use her? Yet he had to stay focused. Rereading the note, he mentally cataloged the inferences one could make.

Something about the Death Note can cause its owner to lose their memories.

Misa has the power to kill by seeing only a face, making her the Second Kira.

Light was banking on getting their freedom before pulling a stunt like this.

Touching even a piece of the Death Note causes someone to regain memories.

Misa Amane knows my real name, or at least used to. Still unknown whether she currently does.

And…Light is using her to get what he wants.

L crumpled the note, shoving it in his pocket. Light was still engrossed in his research, and L trembled as he looked at the man sitting next to him. All of this had been a lie: his friendship, goals, and commitment to the task force.

But the task force wouldn't believe him. Soichiro Yagami, least of all – he would likely say L was making things up, forging Light's handwriting to implicate him. He could do an ink analysis, but even that wouldn't stop his objection.

No…he needed irrefutable proof to castigate Light as Kira, so the task force would back him up when the confrontation arrived. Now that he knew the shinigami Rem had lied, it was likely that Light had pieces of the Death Note with him. He would use them as soon as he could get away from L.

"Rem," L said. "We found a discrepant notebook."

Sure enough, Light's breath hitched. "What? How?"

He sounded genuinely surprised, and L couldn't blame him for that. L ignored his betrayer as Rem stared blankly at him. "Is that so?"

"Yes," L said. "It is missing the last two rules. What do you make of this?"

A pause. L could practically see the steam coming out of Light's ears – proof he was beginning to panic. This didn't go your way, did it? he thought. Still, he remained calm.

Still, he pushed his feelings aside.

"The Shinigami King changes the rules occasionally," Rem said in her usual musical cadence. "That notebook belonged to a deceased death god before it was Ryuk's. He wouldn't have had the newest version of the rules."

L bit the inside of his cheek. Damn. She got me. That would explain everything they'd seen so far. Was it indeed only Rem's notebook the thirteen-day rule applied to?

There seemed to be no clues pointing to Light taking that into account. It was effectively an argument from silence. But there was always the possibility Rem's notebook was a fake altogether, wasn't there?

No…Higuchi was using the notebook, and the names matched the victims. Besides, it's doubtful that a shinigami can possess a fake notebook. But the possibility that Light had planted a decoy was still uncomfortably high. The question was threefold: L needed to know if Light knew it was a fake; if so, whether the bait was the notebook itself or simply the rules; and finally, how he could have used the decoy to his advantage.

The case could have gotten messy, and L would have needed more time than he had. But there was only one way to find out what to do next. It was a very straightforward solution, one that could test what the decoy was and if Light would have known about it all at once.

He needed to assess once and for all whether the 13-day rule was false.

L had to use the notebook in an execution.

###

Light sat there, sick to his stomach, watching L's wide, hollow eyes fixate on Rem's. The task force members all seemed to have a different opinion on the face of the world's greatest detective. Whereas Matsuda thought L looked weird, like some freak of nature, Misa thought there was an intelligent sorrow to his eyes, as if he had witnessed a thousand deaths in only a moment.

Light, however, just found that gaze hateful. L was back on his trail, despite Light expecting to be unbound tonight. His plans would be thwarted soon if he couldn't get in touch with Ryuk somehow. And Misa was no help, either. That idiot of a girl was still in her room, certain both men in her life were there to protect her, with no care in the world about how close they were to death.

Light swore that once he got back on top, he would kill Misa along with L for her utter stupidity. But for now, he needed a plan. This was a game of self-preservation, not simply of justice. And he was determined to win.

Wait. He looked to where Ryuk was standing, hovering near Mogi near the back. "Ryuzaki," he said, "I think we should interrogate the other shinigami about the second notebook. He would know who buried it and can tell us." Ryuk released one of his customary chuckles in response and crunched on one of the apples Watari had brought from the marketplace this morning.

"Go ahead, Light," L said absently, picking at his breakfast – French toast with gobs too much sugar for Light to forgive him. One of the many reasons L would soon die was how irresponsible he was in his diet.

"Shinigami," Light said. Ryuk twisted his head around to an unnatural degree. "Tell me, are Kira's plans shot yet?"

"That's what you decided to ask?" L muttered. He seemed even more aloof than usual.

"I just want to know," Light insisted. Please, Ryuk. Pick up the message. "Are we close to catching him?"

"Yeah," Ryuk said with a shrug like he was being asked about his favorite food. "But he still has one more trick up his sleeve."

"What is that?" Light asked.

Ryuk gave a chuckle, which sounded like grinding rocks. "Now, that would take all the fun out of it. But here. I'll give you both a hint. Don't say I never do anything nice for you."

A hint? Light thought in panic. L looked over this time, eyes narrowed, mouth in a frown. What was he thinking about, Light wondered? What was going through that detective's head?

"Why are you assisting us?" L inquired. "Rem refused to give me any pointers, and you appear more of a neutral party than her."

A smile stretched across Ryuk's mangled face. "Because," he said, "all good games come to a close eventually. Yours will, too."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Light snapped.

"Oh, nothing," the shinigami said. "Just flapping my big gums, as usual." He pulled a pair of white erasers out of his pocket, one with paper casing and another that had obviously seen use. "Here it is, one for each."

He passed the clean eraser to Light and the dirty one to L. Both men surveyed what they had in the palms of their hands. What is this clue? Light wondered. Will it give me an edge in the final battle?

But then, he remembered a story Ryuk had told him. A tale from the shinigami told from twenty years before Light had gotten the Death Note. Supposedly, a child had been able to erase the effects of the Death Note using a special eraser like this one.

I've won.

"Well, I guess that won't be of much use. Except for the few times I use a pencil," L muttered, pocketing the eraser and returning to work. But still, his gaze remained pointed. Ryuk must have given Light a clue, for he wanted their game to continue. They'd been participating in the almost year-long match since the shinigami had given Light his notebook.

"I have one more question, shinigami," Light said firmly.

"Yes?"

Light thought carefully about his phrasing. "Misa dropped her glasses outside the complex. Could you return them to her real quick?"

L didn't respond or emote at all.

Ryuk's unblinking eyes glittered. "Sure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some shuteye before you numbskulls start bothering me again." He turned around and walked out of the control room, and Light bit his tongue so he wouldn't smile.

He's gotten the message.

Misa needs the eyes. And then, once I'm released…

He looked over at L. You're dead.

###

Ryuk entered Misa's room that evening. Though the girl hadn't regained all her memories of being the Second Kira, the death god quickly changed that fact. After he touched her with his notebook, she felt all her memories return instantly.

Misa's vision snapped up, and she gazed at Ryuk. "W-What are you doing here?" she said, feeling small in his presence. She had never gotten used to Ryuk entirely, for his energy was different from Rem's. His mere presence seemed to suck the joy out; Rem radiated kindness and gentleness in contrast.

Ryuk grunted. "Light said he found your glasses outside HQ. He told me to bring them back to you, but I'm not really in the mood. Think you could fetch them?"

Glasses? Light wouldn't bother Ryuk over something so trivial, that much she knew. But now that she looked closer, she saw that Ryuk's intent was much hungrier than she'd first noticed. His eyes flashed red, almost dangerously.

"Right," she said slowly. "I'll go out and get them," she said. "Thanks for reminding me, Ryuk! You're such a sweetie."

"Sweetie? Heh," the death god snorted. "You're welcome. Just remember, they're pretty expensive. Wouldn't wanna lose them again."

With this, a haze covered the room. Her vision and head dipped in and out of reality, and her eyes saw red tinged all across the room. Above the shinigami's head rested the name リューク, the characters for Ryuk.

"Oh," she mumbled, her mind still dazed. She immediately understood what needed to be done. She had to get a real name to Light as quickly as possible.

L, the sweet man who liked the color white and blushed whenever she startled him, was going to die. And it was her hand over Light's that would wield the knife.

###

"Absolutely not!" Chief Yagami roared. L clenched the edge of his seat with his toes, steeling himself for the outburst. "Ryuzaki, you plan to use the Death Note in an execution, and you didn't even contact us about this?"

"I don't care what country," L replied, eyes on the screen. I have two hours left to act. "Let's contact them. There shouldn't be a problem if we're upfront about it."

"No way," Aizawa agreed, his face twisted into a tight scowl. "We don't need to do that – the notebook's power is clearly real!"

"Yeah, and who's going to write the name?" young Matsuda replied. "Once you start, you have to write names in it every thirteen days continuously, or you'll die!"

Remain calm. "We'll have a criminal scheduled for execution within thirteen days write down the name. The deal will be that his death sentence will be pardoned if he lives past thirteen days."

Matsuda started. "But –"

"We're very close." L's voice shook the room. "If we can figure this out, the entire case will be solved. Now, let me finish, Matsuda."

There was no -san on the end of the words. L's heart was roaring in his ears, and he glanced at Light's carefully-crafted neutral expression. "I have reason to believe this rule is false. You may read the full report –" he snapped, and Watari brought the packet to him – "after the experiments. Am I clear?"

A long silence sat in the room. Then Chief Yagami spoke. "Ryuzaki, you still suspect my son."

"I do," L said. "And I will demonstrate to you that he is Kira." Swallowing, he looked back. "If you wish, I will put my own life on the line. If the thirteen-day rule comes to pass…you may jail me yourselves."

His eyes flickered to Watari's. His father was prepared that this could happen someday. L stared at them. "That is how certain I am that our case hinges on this trial."

Watari cleared his throat. "I came down here for a second reason, as well. The Japanese government has agreed to let us test the notebook. After Higuchi's arrest, they are anxious to bring this case to a close. But it must be conducted in secret."

L nodded firmly. That was precisely what he'd been hoping for from Watari. Chief Yagami watched as all eyes flickered to him. Looks of pity, no matter whose side they were on. This must be the most challenging thing he'd ever had to agree to.

Finally, Yagami spoke. "What will be done with Light and Misa until then?"

"They will be confined," L said, "for as long as it will take for these experiments to conclude."

A long silence settled over the group. Light finally spoke. "Hold on, Ryuzaki. Can I at least get some work done while I'm in there? Exams are coming up, after all, and I need to study."

He will sneak a piece of the Death Note into his quarters. "Perhaps," L said, "since you are a college student, that would be good for your mind. However, I will review those worksheets before you take them in. And there is to be nothing that looks, feels, or even smells like a Death Note."

"That's fine. Actually, it's better if you do that. And can I bring the shinigami's eraser?"

L bit the inside of his cheek again. "That, too, will be tested. Denied."

Light didn't move from his spot. "Then, one way or another, this case will end in fourteen days." He stood. "I don't see why not."

"But…to sacrifice a life…" Matsuda sputtered.

"Lives have already been sacrificed," L pointed out, surprising himself with the gentleness in his tone. "Not to mention, these criminals voluntarily consented." He watched as the faces around him melted into dismay…

And then, resignation. "Very well," Chief Yagami said. "But I will hold you to your word."

"I expect it to be so," L said. "Let us prepare, then."

Did you know...

- I tried to develop Ryuk more in my outline, but he didn't want to be developed more. (Yes, your characters talk to you when you outline a story.) I hope his comedic nature can make up for his shallowness.

- I took the idea of this eraser from the pilot chapter of Death Note, titled "Taro Kagami." Ohba and Obata later scrapped the concept of the Death Eraser because an eraser that could undo the Death Note's effects would completely destroy the stakes.

- I have a more favorable view of L's more morally-questionable actions than most. The only thing I think was unjustified was the prolonged torture of Misa for a confession, especially since in Japan, confessions under duress are inadmissible in court.

- I reject the idea that L didn't care about Light and/or Misa. The creator said so, but as we have learned from other shows, creators are not always correct about their characters.

Tell me what you think...

- Will Ryuk bring the game between L and Light to a close, or will he continue to watch things play out between his pawns?

- How are L's feelings impacting how he goes about solving this particular case?

- Do you think L's actions in this instance are justified? Why or why not?

- How might Light use the eraser to his advantage, since he won't have it in confinement?