CHAPTER 5: OBSTACLE
"I didn't think you used the Death Note, Light. Looks like you have a story to tell." The man in front of Light said. The man had a smug look on his face, as if his facial expression rarely changed from that emotion. He almost radiated self-confidence. You could tell just by looking at him that the man was egotistical. The man who was standing in front of him… was Higuchi. Light had expected to see him here. He wasn't surprised. The only surprise thus far was meeting the German woman and the fact that he isn't really dead.
"Kyosuki Higuchi. Nice to see you here," Light lied. "What does he want?' he thought. "Does he want the same thing I do? Or is it some other motive entirely? Or is it sheer dumb luck to meet him here?" Light was pondering too much into the matter, which he did with most things, so he cut the chain of thoughts short. Light knew that if he ventured too far into thought about any one subject, he could get lost in his own ponderings. But that's also what makes him a great statistician. He could beat anyone in chess because he thought three moves ahead of his opponent and he put himself in the other person's shoes to see what he would do in that situation. That's how he bested L. That's how he almost bested Near. That's how he bested Higuchi before, so that's how he is going to best him again. "He's just another obstacle for me to hurdle over. Simple as that."
There was a sound emanating from Higuchi's throat. It sounded like a mixture of a chuckle and gasping. Now that Light took a good look at him, Higuchi didn't look the greatest. His clothes were tattered, there were bags under his eyes, and his eyes were blood shot. The Shinigami Realm has taken quite a tool on the poor man. But now here he stood, facing Light, Misa, and Seraphina, with something that resembled determination in his eyes. He looked like a man on a mission. But what was that mission, Light wondered to himself.
Higuchi broke the silence. "So, you used the Death Note, just like me, eh Light? Quite a book, don't you think? But the damn Shinigami failed to mention that it would cost me multiple deaths." Higuchi seemed to be lost in thought, but only for a moment. Then his eyes refocused on Light. "Why would a guy like you use the Death Note in the first place anyway?" he asked.
Light wasn't sure how much Higuchi knew of his involvement with his case and his death, so Light decided to say as little as possible, while saying enough to keep the man satisfied with his answer. "I used it the same way you did…well, almost the same. You used it to kill criminals AND to further Yotusba's goals and profit, while I used it to cleanse the world. No personal gain intended." Light also didn't want to say anything that could possibly upset the man because Light didn't know how the Shinigami Realm affected this man. He could be a lunatic, just waiting to pounce on Light and attempt to strangle him. Of course, Light wouldn't die, but Higuchi could still be a thorn in his side.
Higuchi nodded his head in understanding. "Ahh, I see. A noble cause. I understand completely, with you coming from a father who is the police chief. Justice runs in the family. But, I'm guessing you were caught by L, the same guy who caught me!" Higuchi didn't know if L's death at all, even though Shinigami can see into the human world through huge spiral-like holes in the ground. Higuchi must have not cared enough to watch Earthly affairs. Then, what did he do with his time here? He's had a couple of years to do anything he wanted here in the Shinigami Realm, so what did he do in that time? What he knows might be valuable to Light, but he has to find out exactly what he knows.
"So, Higuchi, what do you plan to do here with what time you have left? I know that you have much less time than me, for you were only killing people for a couple months, while I have been cleansing the world for years. What do you plan to do with that time?" Light asked the man.
"Actually, after some time here, I thought of a plan; a plan to free myself from the cursed realm." Higuchi responded.
"And what might that plan be?" Seraphina asked, the first time actually talking in the conversation.
Higuchi looked over at her, but just for a second, before his eyes hazed over, as if remembering something. "The plan, my dear, is quite a simple one. The head honcho around here, the Shinigami King, can do whatever he likes, including sending me back to the human realm. I plan to bargain with him or, if that is not possible, overthrow him."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Light asked.
"Yeah," Misa chimed in. "How are you gonna do that?"
"The answer is also quite simple; I am going to overthrow the Shinigami King by starting an uprising. Create a rebel group and overthrow him."
"What Shinigami would want to follow you with a mission like that?" Light asked Higuchi.
"Why…these ones of course," Higuchi turned around and swept his hand in a theatrical fashion, as if to the obvious. Standing right behind Higuchi was a mass of Shinigami, probably numbering 1,000 strong by Light's guess. Light was astounded by how many Shinigami followed this mad-man.
"What would they gain from overthrowing their King?" Light asked with great curiosity.
"The one thing that plagues the Shinigami Realm the most is boredom. I plan to take that boredom away from them by starting a Civil War, then creating a Utopia for these Shinigami." Higuchi was grinning from ear to ear at this point, looking very determined and pleased with himself. He knew that he pulled a trump card that Light couldn't match. "So Light, what do you plan to do to get out of the Shinigami Realm, hm?" Kyosuki Higuchi asked smugly.
A realization suddenly clicked in Light's head. "Is it possible that he does in fact know that I am the one who helped L catch this man?" Light thought. "It's entirely possible, he could see into the human world quite easily. Damn! How in the hell did he get so many Shinigami to follow him! With this many numbers, he could be a real pain to me."
Suddenly, two Shinigami appeared out from behind Light and grabbed Misa and Seraphina. They flew over to Higuchi's side and held the two females tight.
"Well, it looks like the tables have turned in my favor, Light," Higuchi said smugly. "If you're wondering, yes; I do know that you are the one, along with L, who are responsible for my capture and YOU are the one that killed me. I saw my demise from a special Shinigami portal that my new friend here showed me." Higuchi half turned to his left and motioned to a Shinigami behind him. The Shinigami walked up to Higuchi's side and Light recognized him immediately. The Death God had a Native American headdress and carried a scythe around. The Shinigami's name…was Zellogi.
"Zellogi!" Light and Ryuk both said in harmonious astonishment.
"So, Light Yagami, the ball's in your court. What are you going to do now?" Higuchi asked with a grin that was slowly making its way across his face.