Chapter 19 — Light / Dark Part I

The vigilante in black was perched on the roof like a gargoyle. From within the green-blue smoldering circle in which he appeared, the stars were visible. The flickering light from the fire colored his white eyeball mask. Lunatic saw his own flames in the 12th.

His partner dropped down, landing on his feet between the two. His anger burned against Light, in front of him. To Lunatic, his back was turned.

"Y-Yomotsu… How did you…?"

Lunatic's cloak burned up, and his crossbow was at his side, a trail of fire still rising from the readied bolt.

"Don't you know," the 12th answered, quietly, turbulently. "I hear all." The 12th's glance was downcast, and his shoulders were heaving. He looked tense. Through his costume, his muscles were tightening, and his fists were clamped into solid fists.

"Yomotsu… It's a good thing you're here. Luke is—"

"I heard, Yuri." The 12th's volume spiked. "I heard everything! And there is only one end for someone who commits such evil and deceit. As for you, Yuri…"

It was too warm inside Lunatic's mask. His vision was getting fogged up by the moment.

"Don't act like you know me."

Light was laughing when he raised the Death Note in his hand. He opened it to a new page and had a pen ready.

"But you can't kill with a first name alone," Lunatic began, steadying himself. "Yomotsu, you can't let him know your full name... He already has your face, and he only needs a face and a full name to kill with that notebook."

Light smiled. He had the notebook and pen still ready, but he looked up. "That's right… Both of which I have for you, Mr. Yuri Petrov."

Lunatic froze. Of course. He knew it would be obvious, for someone that Luke, now Light, was revealing himself to be. Knowing that his name was Yuri and his approximate date of arrival in Graceville, he could have been able to determine that he was the same Yuri who left Sternbild at the same time. His last name might also have been floated around randomly in a conversation Light and Craig had engaged in.

"Lunatic is not a criminal," started the 12th.

"No, he is not," Light agreed. "Or at least, he was not. But anyone who stands in the way of Kira stands in the way of justice… And the moment you chose to oppose me, that is the moment you chose to be an accomplice to every criminal in the world. I have the power to change this world, and if you try to stop me—what does that make you? Both of you have made a choice. You care too much about your pretty positions as heroes to help me purge this world. You should have faded away."

And that is when Lunatic thought about how he had damned them both. For the harsh words Lunatic had spoken against the 12th, underlying them was a real concern—he could not deny the feeling that without him, the 12th would never have rose to be a hero of his stature. What this meant, however, was that because of his actions as Lunatic, he had made them both the focus of a dangerous spotlight. There was the immediate threat of them being targeted specifically by new enemies, but now Kira had narrowed in on them. He had also led them both into this reckless attack. If he had merely spoken with the 12th first, they could have formed a plan. Instead, he allowed his emotions to possess him.

"I will never fade away," the 12th responded. "Even if you should destroy my body, the legacy of my justice will continue. It may not always reach every person, not even those you trusted would receive it, those you trusted as a true friend—but justice will roll on like a river, and righteousness will continue like a never-failing stream!"

The 12th dashed forward, and he seized Light by the arms. The vigilante slammed Kira against the wall, but Light's hold on the Death Note was unrelinquishing. Lunatic rushed forward.

"Stay back, Yuri," the 12th called gravely. "This is my fight. This is who the Justice Diary told me I must defeat, who I will defeat. It's time I prove myself to you, Yuri. You think I'm a joke—!"

Yomotsu choked on his words, and Lunatic froze in place. Light, who was pinned against the wall as though pinned to a cross, laughed.

"This world is a rotten mess…" He looked straight at Lunatic. "It really needs to be cleaned up, don't you agree?"

"You will never get what you want this way!" Lunatic returned, making wide gestures with his hands as he spoke. "I have tried to accomplish what you suggest, and for every criminal I killed, more and more sin was piled on my shoulders. The fires did not stop within. You can't—"

The 12th took Light and, with a yell, pinned him next to the ground. His body hit the floor with a loud thud.

"But I already got what I want!" Light answered, with another laugh, as the 12th hovered over him. "I'm going to make the whole world know I'm here… That somebody is passing righteous judgment on them! The world will start to become a better place! And then nobody will commit crimes any more. And, while people who obviously deserve to be punished are dying of heart attacks… I'll gradually be killing off immoral people who harass others… Even that will eventually be noticed by the idiot masses. They'll realize they'll die if they don't change their ways… I'll make this a world inhabited only by people who are good!"

The 12th, while he pinned him down with his knee on his chest, one hand clasping the hand that had the Death Note, and his other foot pressing down on his other hand, punched Light in the face.

The 12th hissed back at him, "You do something like that, and the only one left with a bad personality will be you…"

"What are you talking about, Yomotsu?" Light was laughing incredulously. "I'm a serious, hardworking supervisor at a grocery store… A model teenager. And I will reign over a new world."

Lunatic heard Ryuk, who was sitting on the bed, chuckling.

"We won't let you! You should've quit while you were ahead!" The 12th slammed his fist down on the ground, next to Light's ear.

"I can't quit," Light responded. "So I lose my peace of mind. So I sacrifice people's lives… Somebody has to do this! Don't you believe in true justice?"

Yomotsu was breathing heavily. "You're pure evil…"

"Me? Evil?" With a sudden surge of strength, Light pushed back against the 12th's hold and managed to free his arm and deliver to the 12th a terrible punch. While the 12th rubbed the side of his mask and staggered back a bit, Light rose to his feet. "I am righteous! I'm the hero who's liberating people from fear. I'm the savior who is going to be a god of this perfect new world! Those who try to fight me, they're the evil ones!"

Light threw his Death Note onto the bed. He closed his eyes. "There are so many people the world would be better off without. This is what human beings are like. Say, in the break room, we have a discussion … There's no way the subject would be, 'Is it alright to kill someone evil?' But let's say that was the subject. Everyone, except that imbecile Meilag, would act virtuous and say, 'No, it's wrong to kill anybody.' And, of course, that would be the proper response. People need to maintain that kind of façade in public… Those with clean consciences are cheering Kira on in their hearts… While the guilty are living in fear, waiting for judgment to strike them."

He paused.

"And I dare you to challenge Lord Kira, as the whole world watches… What will the people think when their local heroes turn against Kira, who is liberating the world of all evil?"

He held his arms out, and he resumed the position of a crucified savior. Lunatic had to restrain himself. He had to let the 12th fight. He had to let his friend prove himself, after he had done so much harm to his friend's pride.

The 12th cracked his knuckles and assumed a fighting stance. "And what will the people think when they find that the yoke of evil, the dark ominous cloud hovering over their heads—when Kira—is defeated by a weakling hero like me? What will they think, when hope in a true justice defeats this great threat?"

The 12th's body began to glow a light blue. "Imagine that, Kira, and let that image of hope hang in your mind, as your final warning to repent of your wrongs."

I am the 12th.

I am the hero of righteousness, the friend of all who follow the true code—I am the victorious one, destined to overcome the greatest evils of this world!

And here is Kira. Light Yagami. Luke.

While hiding behind the veil of voice distortion and anonymity, he executed criminals across the world with his Death Note. The Death Note, dropped to the human world by a Shinigami, Ryuk. Any name written in the book, paired with a known face, is an instant death sentence. He developed a god-like persona and gathered across borders supporters of his crude, unwavering justice. His justice: to kill anyone he deemed evil, with the scope getting broader and broader as time would allow. Kira.

He was a straight-A student in Japan, the prodigious son of a police chief. He was always popular with women and had a wide range of acquaintances. He had all the right connections to secure a future in nearly any career he chose. He not only had the natural talent, but he also possessed the drive. An unusual combination—someone raised in superior upbringing, endowed with superior abilities, and also given to superior determination. Yet he was bored. Light Yagami.

At an independently owned grocery store in Graceville, USA, he worked his way up from a cashier to a strong candidate for a position in management, all within an incredibly short period of time. He buddied up with Craig, but that did not make him unpopular with other workers. Rather, he became friends with nearly everyone in the Yum Yums staff, from the socialites to the most awkward and unpopular employees. Luke. He was friends with Ray, and he was friends with me and Yuri.

"What about Ray…"

I tightened my right fist; I could hear the glove's material squeeze together. I reeled my elbow back and charged. I could hear the fire around me eat away at the room. Everything was burning. I could hear his laughter; I knew his location by this indicator. I released my fist, and he turned aside. I staggered forward and immediately turned about, to make a quick strike. He anticipated the response and delivered an uppercut—he had dodged my first swing and had brought his fist first down and then back up, to collide with my jaw. He hit me through the mask, and I found my feet lifting off the ground. I collapsed backward.

"What about him?"

I rose to my feet. I let the distance between us remain minimal.

"What really happened to him?"

Then he, like one upset at an old and tired topic being brought up once again, groaned and answered, "I think you already know the answer."

He rushed forward. I heard the quick rustle of his feet. He was wearing loafers. White slacks, fawn-colored polo. He came after me with another throw of his fist. He seemed to be enjoying it. I did not hear anything that indicated it. It just felt that way. I caught the fist with my right hand held it back, while kicking him with my left foot. I was able to remain on solid footing, while my foot slammed into his side. I could feel the tension in his fist, which was contained in my hand, momentarily fade. Then he withdrew and created more distance between us.

"Ray was never going to contribute to society," he said. "He was a shoplifter. He knew only how to take from those who had worked hard to earn their living. He was lazy. He was inconsequential in life, but in death, he could at least serve one higher purpose: to put suspicion on Meilag, instead of the real Kira."

I shook my head.

"So you wrote his name in your notebook, even though he was your friend?"

He was beginning to make his rounds about me, now. He was circling me. I could hear him in his loafers. He was circling, like how a spoon stirs hot chocolate. Never with marshmallows, until now. Never until recently, when I tried something new. When a friend helped me see it, when he has hot chocolate with marshmallows, when we are playing cards. Card games are fun, but this game was different. This friend was different.

"You know better, Yomotsu," he said behind me. "True justice applies to all people—friends, family, coworkers, everyone." In front of me. "Everyone has to be held by the same standards." Behind me. "You have to be impartial, or the whole system will collapse on itself." In front of me. You can't allow exceptions. Everyone who deserves it must be punished."

I turned around, and I caught his foot in the air. He was going to kick me down. I twisted his leg fiercely and then, while that jolt was sent through him, gathered my strength. I turned sharply, while holding his one leg, and released, hurling him away. At the moment of my turn, he was caught off balance and I was able to throw him. His body did not touch the fire, but the fire was close. He then rose, but his leg would be feeling the pain.

"And Meilag… How can you excuse framing him, like you did?" I asked. I heard my voice get louder, but I did not feel it or intend it. "You set it up, knowing that we would suspect Meilag of being Kira. Was he part of your plan, from the beginning?"

He laughed. "Meilag was a very fortunate surprise. It is hard to come by someone so loyal to Kira. He would be happy to know, then, that he was very useful to me. His little fight with Ray was what gave me initiative to write his name in the Death Note. And then, I left that scrap of the Death Note in his seat—and I wanted to see what would happen next."

I moved toward him. I stopped after I had closed in the distance about halfway. "Now you know what the outcome was—are you satisfied? Was it worth framing an innocent person and killing your friend?"

He motioned forward, as well. He was relying more on his other leg now.

"This situation is still more than salvageable," he said. "I feel I can be honest with the two of you, because neither of you is going to do anything about me. Neither of you is really serious about stopping me. Neither of you will kill me. The most you will do is try to have me arrested, but do you think I have not accounted for that? Consider what I've done to control the local criminals. My plans have been flawless."

I thought hard. I was not sure what precisely he meant, until the images whirred into my head. I pointed ahead at him.

"You really did communicate with Wi-Fi Man! That is how he knew to throw those pretzels, to upset me! You told him our weaknesses, and by turning them against us, you draw attention away from your own foul deeds!"

He was amused.

"That's right, Yomotsu. And not just that one criminal. Do you not realize? If only you knew how deep my power has run. Kira appears to everyone as a savior: even to criminals. But they do not have the sense to understand his true intentions. They really are dumb enough to believe he'll spare them!"

I leapt forward and threw myself onto him—I brought us both down to the floor. His body slammed down, but I was on top of him for only a moment. He seized me and threw me off, and then he began to kick me, and I was hurting, and I was burning, and I was alone on the swings, and I thought about who I was and what had made me who I was up to this point. And yet, the time that passed was brief. In a moment such as this, it might seem strange to be thinking about things like that. But even being in the moment was not enough. I was being kicked by the second real friend I had made. Third, if I count Olivia, but she did not count. She was something other than a friend. She was something else, alright. But he was my second friend, and I felt almost as much alone as I did in physical pain. He took a break from the kicking. A feeling that it might be his remorse washed over me, but I quickly rationalized that away. I knew better. I knew better, and I was stupid. I wanted to believe.

"Is that all? Are you off your game today, Yomotsu? You fight better in Soul Calibur…"

Soul Calibur and pizza. What meaning could that have to him now? What meaning did it have for him, then? Were those just situations he could use to try to gain information on "Hiro" and Yuri? It was never just Soul Calibur and pizza, for me. Those things mattered, in of themselves, because they were fun. But the fun was in the experience of sharing those things, in those moments. And I just assumed that he felt the same way, or some way similar. I assumed he was being honest with me. About himself, about his feelings. About Mercy.

"Mercy…"

I got back up. I clutched at my side, where he had kicked me repeatedly. I was feeling lightheaded.

"Don't worry," he said. "She is real."

I was breathing heavily. This topic pacified me a bit. I could not swing at him while Mercy was the subject. Not with my fists at least. But I did have something awful to say. I had some spite he deserved to hear. It might have been bad of me, but I think I am justified.

"Then, how do you feel that she prefers my justice more than yours?"

I expected him to laugh. But he was silent long enough to allow me to feel more confident in my strength.

"I am justice! And what do I care what one woman thinks—I know that what I am doing is going to cleanse this world! You—I think Yuri described you perfectly! You are a joke! False ideals like you keep the world hoping on something that isn't possible or even right… There is only one way to create a perfect world!"

Now it was my turn to laugh.

"She doesn't know, does she?"

He waved his hand in the air.

"It is of no consequence."

I knew I was not going to get a better answer out of him. I just needed to address one more thing on my mind. Then I was ready to end this.

"One last question: Why here? Why Graceville? You might have known I was here, but if I'm not a threat to you—then why here?"

I focused my energy. My body was hurting. My head and side were burning up. But my senses were strong. A realization hit me: Yuri's life was the one at stake. At any point, he could kill him. He had his name and face. He was in the proper place. With me, he still lacked my full name. But Yuri was letting me take over this situation. He was trusting me to come out on top. Even when his life was now depending on it. I already had justice to fight for, but justice does not mean much if there is not someone who deserves a better world. Justice is for the benefit of the people, and if there was going to be justice against this friend who had betrayed us, I was going to rule in its favor for the sake of Yuri first before all others. He deserved a world without Kira.

"I was being narrowed in on," he explained. "And I knew that if I didn't find a new advantage, I was going to face an opponent even I might lose to. And I wouldn't let that happen, not with all of the plans I have in mind. I can't let that all fall, because I was unprepared. I have unequaled skill in planning ahead and taking action when I have a good idea of what the future holds, but what if the future is a mystery to me? And, as I mentioned this to Ryuk, he mentioned a funny thing to me. He told me about the existence of the Future Diary... And after a bit of investigating, I came to the conclusion that no one as incompetent as you could possibly be getting anywhere without extra help from a Future Diary. So I started working at a place where everyone in town would frequent, a grocery store. And I kept my eyes out. And I watched JusTV to make sure my theories were right. And, here we are. But, since you asked me that question… I have a question for you, now."

I was willing to accept that. He had just told me something of immense importance, and as long as I answered carefully, it could not hurt me. I just kept in mind that with the person I was dealing with, anything could be used against me or worse, against Yuri.

"Why are you glowing blue?"

At last! My time to prove myself! At last! I struck a pose. I placed my right hand on the center of my eye mask, and I let fly my left hand, outstretched towards the heavens.

"Why… Don't you realize?"

I rushed forward once more, but this time, I did not punch or kick or tackle him. Rather, I merely placed my hand on his forehead. And he did not know how to respond. The blue aura that was over my body, the very same one that had been present since this fight began, began to latch onto him. And in that moment, I won.

"Don't you realize, that my appearance is not the only thing I can transform? That my righteousness is not confined to the ways I display on the surface? Do you not realize how cool I am?"

And, with those words resonating through his mind, I felt the change in his body. He collapsed, falling into a deep sleep at my feet. His dark thoughts were at once dissolved. And I focused my eye on him for some time, before turning to Yuri.

"AM I NOT GREAT OR WHAT?"