44. Servitude % Defiance

Yuri jetted upward, a faint column of smoke rising from his wake. Kaede held his hand tightly, and then suddenly released. Yuri did not look down. Kaede knew her powers well by now; she knew she could handle it.

Kaede was an especially special type of NEXT. Her powers changed depending on the NEXT with whom she last had physical contact. By holding Yuri's hand, she was able to channel his powers without weakening Yuri's powers in the slightest. That meant she could shoot blue-green fire just like he could, but it also meant that she had his powers of flight.

Yuri and Kaede shot up toward the castle, and the bodies kept falling to their left and right. Yuri heard Kaede scream whenever one fell right past them. They were able to look up now into the hangar from which the undead soldiers dropped—and they were able to see that there were few left now. Light had dropped almost all of his army down to earth. Yuri knew this meant that Light definitely considered them a threat.

They flew up through the hangar door and entered Kira's Castle, immediately surrounded by the waiting undead. The hangar was extremely dark. They could see that which was close to the large hangar door and that which was close to the stairs that led up to the lighted main floor. The undead might have required Light in order to exist at all, but they did not need illumination.

"Why does it have to be zombies?" Kaede moaned. "This is so gross…"

Each of the undead all at once converged toward the two. Yuri swept his hand across the room, and from his fingertips a stream of blue-green flame set fire to the foul creatures. Yuri raised his hand, and the fire that had traced the floor and ignited the undead, was given more juice. The fire spread from undead to undead, for even as one burned, the others were too stupid to keep away. They kept lunging toward Yuri and Kaede, but in the process, they collapsed on top of the others who were already on fire. The hangar was not dark anymore, now that each burning corpse became a candle spotted by blue-green flame.

"Ew! Now they smell even worse!" Kaede shrieked. "I think it would've been better if they would have just eaten me…"

Thankfully, lighting the horrible creatures on fire was enough to disable them. With that threat neutralized, Yuri scanned around the room. Behind them was the open hangar door and a rack of weapons and armor. Up ahead was a staircase that led up to the next floor of the castle. To their right were some large wooden crates.

"Where do you think Murmur is?" Kaede asked as she floated around the room, to avoid stepping on the burning corpses.

"If I were Murmur, I would be hiding," Yuri said. He walked toward the crates. "My theory is that Light has more fighting power right now, because that is what he would want right now. He does not want to lose. However, if Murmur is weaker right now, that is only because she is using her power for other means… I think she is in hiding, because she needs to save her power to keep this castle going."

Yuri pushed against one of the crates and found that it was quite heavy. He was able to nudge each crate against the wall, however. When he was done, he bent down to inspect the floorboards.

"I don't need a Future Diary in order to predict the actions of an evil and desperate mind," Yuri said with obvious satisfaction.

The blue-green light given off by the undead was enough to reveal a trap door among the floorboards. Yuri heaved the door up and found the tiny staircase it had been concealing. It was just right for someone who was no more than 4 feet tall.

"I don't know how you figured that out, but I'm okay with this!" Kaede said as she approached the trap door. "So, here's to hoping there's not an ambush waiting for us down there!"

Kaede descended through the small opening. She floated down at an angle, bypassing the small steps and instead making the drop without a hitch. Yuri had a bit more difficulty squeezing down there, but he was able to similarly glide down and join Kaede in what was clearly the heart of the Castle.

Several large lamps traced along the stone walls, each giving off a bright red light. The room was actually much large than either of them could have expected. It stretched across the entire underside of the castle. Wires traced along the floors and were hooked up at different spots to different devices, but it all looked as if it was for show. What immediately drew Yuri and Kaede's attention was the massive machinery by the wall furthest away from the stairs.

It was a big, charcoal black box. Unsurprisingly, it appeared inactive. The castle had not moved since the undead had been dropped. A multitude of fast-spinning gears of various sizes, ranging from the size of one's thumb to the size of a large round table, lined the wall the engine sat in front of. They provided an impressive backdrop to the machine, which was also giving off pink electric sparks.

Yuri did not need to look elsewhere. He followed Kaede's lead and ran toward the engine. He stopped when Kaede stopped, about five feet from the machine. He watched her as she summoned a ball of blue-green fire into her hands. She wound up the ball and threw it—and Yuri followed the shot, watching as an invisible field around the engine simply swallowed up the fire. Not even smoke was left from the attempt. Nothing had changed.

"Pretty nifty, huh?" A high-pitch voice rang out from behind them. "I really liked the Industrial Revolution. It was cool to watch humans come up with stuff like this… Well, not quite like this, but, whatever."

Murmur was on the other side of the room. She looked completely different from how Yuri remembered her, from when she was still Deus ex Machina's servant. Her white hair parted in the back to form two long tails. Her skin, once an almost bronze-ish shade, was now white void of color. Her eyes were large, round and red, with hungry black pupils. A black cape with frayed and torn edges moved behind her as though under the influence of an invisible wind. Clipped to her sleeveless vest was a tiny gold trumpet.

Yuri prepared himself. "Murmur…"

The imp levitated toward them. "This really isn't about you," she started to explain. "I really don't have anything against you personally. I just can't have you ruining everything. Olivia did do one thing right—she gave me free reign. Too bad for her, it'll be the end of her, and you, and this current world."

"You act like you have nothing to do with it," Kaede accused. "The 12th, Yuri, my daddy—and the others down below—we're all doing something to stop it. Light can't win without you."

Murmur snapped her fingers, and suddenly the engine behind them came to life. Yuri could hear churning and scratching inside, and whatever was happening there made the whole thing shake with an angry violence. They felt the motion of the castle—it was back on course for Graceville. Murmur had halved the distance between herself and the other two. With the same frightening expression on her face, she answered, "Just because it isn't about you doesn't mean it doesn't concern you. Because you came here, I have to kill you."

The creature growled and lashed at out them in a flash. Yuri and Kaede leapt out of the way, but Murmur touched ground and immediately turned about and sprang at Yuri before he could make another move. She growled again and dug her claws into Yuri's shoulders. She surprised him further when she was able to lift him off his feet and actually spin him around before slamming him to the ground, face-first. While Yuri was springing back to his feet, slammed a kick into his back and sent him flying toward the engine.

When Yuri reached the invisible barrier in front of the engine, he was repelled and thrown yet again forward, to the ground. He rose and observed how quickly Murmur had turned her attention to Kaede. After watching what had just happened to Yuri, however, Kaede had prepared herself. She channeled the powers she had adopted from Yuri and enclosed herself in a ball of blue-green fire. She was squeezed inside of a safe pocket of air, which was surrounded by intense flames.

The main disadvantage, of course, was that Kaede could not possibly see while inside that ball. She would have to rely on her other senses. Thankfully, Murmur could not just rush into the flames, and Murmur also was doing a fine job making her presence known with the furious growling she made every time she moved. Kaede must have been going toward the sounds, for as Yuri ran back into the fight, the ball of flame was whizzing around the room in hot pursuit of Murmur, who kept bouncing from off the floor, the ceiling, and from the three remaining walls.

"Kaede!" Yuri cried out. Instead of drawing away Murmur's attention, as he had hoped, his shouting appeared to have no effect on the fight. "Very well," he muttered. "There's other ways to get your attention…"

Yuri let out a growl of his own and drew forth a great fire in each of his hands. He rushed forward and, while Murmur was leaping away from Kaede's flaming ball, tackled Murmur to the floor. Yuri pinned Murmur to the floor by pressing down on her shoulders with his flaming hands. The devil hissed at him and then caught him off guard by bending her knees toward her chest and kicking Yuri's stomach with both feet in unison.

Yuri was sent reeling back, and Murmur was quickly back on her feet. Without a moment's delay, Murmur leapt forward and pounced on Yuri. She wrapped her legs around Yuri's chest and, while grabbing his neck with her hands, let out a loud snarl before biting Yuri's nose.

Upon hearing Yuri cry out in pain, Kaede dissolved the ball of fire she had been hiding in. Yuri was too caught up in how Murmur was chewing on his nose to notice what Kaede did next. Next thing he knew, however, a strong gust of wind had blown Murmur off his face and at the same time ruined his hair.

Yuri looked over at Kaede and saw that she had in her hand a small gray orb. Even with his nose bleeding like it was, and with the threat of Murmur looming, he still had enough time to give Kaede a confused look.

"Dr. Saito…" Kaede explained breathlessly, "He concentrated their powers… in little orbs I can use…"

She slipped the gray orb back into the pouch on her belt and turned to face Murmur—just in time to summon another gust of wind and blow Murmur back.

Yuri touched his fingertips to his nose and then looked from his red fingers to the efforts Kaede was putting forth.

"Skyyyyy hiiiighhh!" She cried out, before whipping out a series of gusts that slammed Murmur against the wall and continued to give the demon some serious whiplash. "Take that… and that… and that again…!"

Murmur finally had enough. She resisted the wind and reached out her hand. When she flung her hand up, all of the cords along the walls were violently ripped out and made to wrap around Kaede. Before she could be totally wrapped up by the cords, Kaede reached into her pouch and touched a different orb.

Sparks began to fly out from the space between Kaede and the cords, and with a loud cry, Kaede was able to now command that which had just a few seconds ago been threatening to constrict her. She aimed her hands forward, palms-out, and redirected the attention of the cords—which were now all actively charged with currents of electricity.

Yuri grinned when he realized what was going on. "Dragon Kid…!"

While Kaede's palms faced toward her opponent, the cords shot forth in the same direction. They wrapped around Murmur and bound her instead of their original target. Murmur grunted and tried to wriggle out of the hold, but she was unable to. Kaede used her command over electricity to make the cords even stretch tight and lift the constricted Murmur up to the ceiling.

"That was excellent thinking, Kaede," Yuri said as he approached. "You truly have improved."

Kaede was doing all she could to hold Murmur at bay, but she was able to turn her head to the side and smile toward Yuri.

Yuri smiled back and then looked again at Murmur—who had already begun to seize the moment and prepare another attack. A shadow seeped out from Murmur's back and through the cords, and once free from the cords, the shadow—still connected to Murmur—formed into a claw.

The dark claw tightened into a fist, and the fist flew forward and slammed into Kaede with massive power. The fist itself was as almost as big as Kaede herself, who was sent crashing to the floor upon impact.

Yuri rushed over to her aid, and it appeared that Murmur intended to help him get there faster. The dark claw slapped him toward her with such force that he actually collapsed on top of her. Yuri rolled away and quickly went to inspect whether Kaede was truly okay, but he was not given much time to tend to any injury she might have sustained.

When Yuri fell on Kaede, his power was transferred back to her—meaning that the last orb she used was no longer in effect. The cords went limp, the dark claw disappeared now that it was no longer necessary, and Murmur was able to return to the fight once more.

"I may be using some of my power to help keep this Castle in the air, but I am still not mortal." Murmur landed softly on her feet. Her arms were crossed. "And nothing mortal can ever defeat something immortal. Light and Olivia are the only ones who could defeat me, and I am on Light's side and Olivia can't come here to help you out."

Yuri looked at Kaede. She opened her eyes and looked at back at him for a moment, before she was lean forward and redirect her attention toward Murmur. Kaede rose to her feet and reassured Yuri that she was fine with a confident nod in his direction.

"Whether you choose to admit it or not, Olivia is still the goddess of this world," Yuri challenged, "And if you really think that just because you have invested a mortal with some of your powers, you two can actually defeat the lord of space-time… Why, it would be almost laughable, if the consequences and risks involved weren't so great."

Murmur looked frightening when the fight first began. She still looked just as freakish. However, there was now another layer added to the mix—Yuri actually pitied the creature. Murmur looked so lost, so frantic, like such a wreck compared to the bubbly servant of Deus ex Machina he had first encountered.

"When you have been forced into servitude for as long as I have been, there's no such thing as risks you aren't willing to take," Murmur said. "Light is going to create an exciting new world, and I am going to help him do it… Killing you is the next step."

Murmur raised her hands, and two new claws sprang forth from the ground, one seizing Yuri while the other seized Kaede. Later it would be concluded that Murmur used the cords first because it required less of her power to control objects than it did for her to create these shadows. As the fight continued, she became more willing to use more of her powers. Now, as she commanded the two shadow fists to tighten their holds, she was actually sweating and beginning to breathe heavier.

"I'm not going to give you another chance," Murmur stated, while clearly keeping an eye on Kaede. "I'll kill you now!"

Murmur's held out her fists in front of her to maintain the hold of the shadow claws, but she also expended more power to create above her head a massive ball of dark energy. Staring into the orb was to stare into a total void. Murmur let out another cry and nodded her head in their direction. The ball was big enough to swallow both of them, and while slow in approach, it did not have far to go.

Kaede suddenly emitted a blue glow, signifying that her NEXT powers had yet again activated. She appeared to struggle for a moment within the dark claw, but then, to Yuri's astonishment, she actually managed to pry the shadow's grip loose. She escaped and rushed at Murmur—faster than he had ever seen her move before. Even with the ball of dark energy hurtling toward him, Yuri noticed that Kaede's left hand was closed—most certainly concealing an orb she had reached for while Yuri and Murmur had been speaking.

Kaede caught Murmur off-guard and managed to throw an impressive punch with her right hand at Murmur's face. The devil reeled back, snarling—and at the same time, she lost control of the remaining dark claw. Yuri dropped down to the floor and rejoined Kaede on the offensive.

Kaede had clearly taken an orb that increased her speed and strength by immense proportions—but there was no way to discern at the time whether it was the essence of her father's power or the essence of Barnaby's. Either way, Yuri was familiar enough with the power that he was perplexed when Kaede started to rise into the air again. Neither Kotetsu nor Barnaby could fly.

Murmur was backing away from the pair, edging closer to the engine. "What!? How can this be happening!?"

The blue glow around Kaede sharply intensified. "You said that the power of mortals could not defeat you," Kaede shouted, "So how about a taste of your own medicine!"

Kaede clapped her hands together, and two dark claws emerged from the ground smashed Murmur between their palms. Murmur, like an insect smacked by a flyswatter, fell disheveled to the floor. One of the claws then snatched her up and held her tightly in its grasp, while the other claw was drawn back on Kaede's command and sent flying into the engine.

The forcefield had been disabled at Kaede's will—and the engine was busted up with one great smack. The scratching noises suddenly sputtered and cut from the engine, and Yuri felt the castle start to quake and slow its movements.

"Kaede—Murmur's powers… you can control them too?" Yuri stammered the obvious question.

Kaede looked at him and shrugged. "Guess so!"

She concentrated on him for a moment and flicked her wrist. Yuri felt a warmth build up in his body, especially in his face. He reached up to touch his nose and found that it was healed—no unsightly Murmur bite marks or even dried blood! He felt invigorated, not too mentioned confused.

"Try not to touch anyone anytime soon," Yuri joked. "You have hit the jackpot of all powers, and we will most certainly be needing all the help we can get."

Yuri looked toward Murmur and saw that she had passed out. He did not trust the situation, so he had Kaede wrap her up tightly in those cords and seal the basement shut with her magic. Whatever Kaede could do, however, Murmur could undo. With the whole castle coming crashing down from the sky, however, they did not have time to come up with a solution for what to do with Murmur.

"We have to get out of here," Yuri warned, turning toward the stairs.

Kaede levitated and shot past him. "No duh!"

Yomotsu Hirasaka is again shackled in his chair. Although his physical wounds have healed, he looks thoroughly defeated. His head has turned to the side, revealing a neutral expression on his face.

Yomotsu: O Olivia! Please, please, don't forsake us now! I can't do anything—now, of all times, when justice is needed most! What kind of a sham am I, if I can show off my coolness when the little things are involved, but when the entire world is at stake, I am powerless?

Enter Light Yagami from the darkness behind Yomotsu's chair.

Light: True justice is finally being realized. The very fact that I have both your Diary and Murmur's assistance proves that I am the chosen one. If you would have killed me when you had the chance, maybe then you could've prevented this. But if it wasn't me, it would have been someone else.

Yomotsu: Both Yuri and I once held your idea of justice, it is true, but we have both since then realized that your justice is nothing more than a hollow fallacy. You can't kill and still be just. There is no such thing as a righteous murder.

Light: Now standing in front of Yomotsu's chair, staring out past the deck. Then you have admitted it yourself—you and Yuri would never kill me. If your allies all follow this same ideal, then I guess I am going to reign as god forever.

Yomotsu: If the only way to save ourselves and this world is to destroy you… Then that would be in self-defense, when survival is on the line… But back then, you were helpless, and we had another way. And you were still, even in those moments, a friend to us. Now I know you're not Luke, that you never were… Even if some of the parts of Luke might also belong to you, Luke as a whole was never real. If he existed in the form of a younger Light Yagami, then he was Kira's first victim. Kira killed Light Yagami.

Light: Laughing. You certainly are willing to say anything to convince yourself of your prejudices and ideals, aren't you? You can't possibly accept that Light and Kira are one and the same, and that I have never been happier in my life since I started using the Death Note.

Yomotsu: Turns his head, so that he is facing forward. You're going to be even more bored than you were before, once you've killed everyone on your list… If you thought being mortal was boring, imagine how bored you will be if you are a merciless god. Think of Murmur and your Shinigami from before—if power and immortality guaranteed an escape from monotony, how can you explain their boredom?

The Castle starts to shake, throwing Light off balance and alarming Yomotsu, who starts to turn his head in each direction. Light grabs hold of the control terminal on deck to steady himself right before the Castle begins to rapidly descend (We're not really sure how you are going to portray this on stage—but hey, you'll come up with something cool). The Castle crashes into a street in Graceville. The buildings smashed by the Castle are businesses closed for the night, therefore unoccupied. Yum Yums is within view.

Light: What!? Still clutching the control panel, but now looking around and surveying their location. This was not supposed to happen… Why didn't the Diary warn me about this!? Murmur! Letting go of the control panel, frantically heading to the other end of the deck. Murmur! I summon you! What's the meaning of this!

Yomotsu: After Murmur does not appear. The Diary has its limitations. If it works the same for you as it worked for me, then it only gives you a limited picture of how you are predicted to conquer an evildoer. It would not have told you about this, unless the fall of your Castle was essential to you defeating an enemy. In other words… You overestimated the Diary, and now it looks like my friends still have a chance.

Light: Laughs. Once I find Murmur, we'll have this Castle back in the air. This is only an unfortunate delay.

Enter the 12th Five—Akise, Anemone, Meilag, Wi-Fi Man, and Rocco—as they jump on deck. They stand together in the order listed, each holding their weapons from the previous battle.

Akise: This unfortunate delay—

Anemone: —is not the only unfortunate event—

Meilag: —your Diary failed to predict—

Wi-Fi Man: —because your initial scan never—

Rocco: —could have seen The 12th Five coming!

Light: Grinning. The 12th Five? So this is all my opposition has to offer—a troupe of clowns? I already know who the real 12th is, so why are you all wearing masks?

Akise: Kira needed a name and a face, and we have to consider the possibility you have the Death Note again.

Light: That's a very rational concern to have, but I'm afraid I don't have another Notebook. I am impressed that you managed to figure out what Kira needed in order to kill… Or did Yomotsu and Yuri decide to tell you everything?

Anemone: Who cares! How about you just shut up, so we can get this fight over with!

Light: Chuckling. Aren't you even going to give me some terms of surrender first? Aren't you going to give me another option? Giving me no other option is rather childish, don't you think?

Meilag: I know I have certain childish traits… Perhaps 'evil childish,' but whatever…

Wi-Fi man: You are a virus, and the only solution to a virus is to destroy it! You are a file for which quarantine is no longer sufficient.

Light: You hear that, Yomotsu?

Yomotsu turns his head slightly.

Light: It sounds like they are actually threatening to kill me!

Akise: We have already sliced our way through your army.

Anemone: I'd say we made a splash.

Meilag: …

Rocco: I didn't think we could do it, honestly, but now I'm pumped! I'm tired of just sitting around—let's get him! Rushes forward, flailing his nunchucks.

Light: Stepping aside, allowing Rocco to keep going past him. You are just throwing your lives away. Have you even thought about what you are doing? Kira is the one who is going to maintain order. I have become justice. I have become the only hope for mankind. Killing me—is that really the right thing to do?

Akise: It's the only right thing.

Anemone: And even if it weren't for justice… Yomotsu is our friend, and I will protect him no matter what! That is my sworn duty in life, and maybe that sounds a little weird… But Yomotsu and Yuri have to live! This is my purpose!

Light: You are all merely pawns, don't you get it? Whoever set you up to this knows you are expendable. Otherwise you would not have been sent here.

Meilag: Perhaps, but even pawns deserve credit. Only with the sacrifice of pawns can kings be victorious.

Rocco: Makes another attempt at striking Light.

Light: Enough! Light snaps his fingers, and a dark portal appears underneath Rocco (AGAIN, NOOOO CLUE HOW YOU ARE GONNA DO THIS ON STAGE GUYS) and sucks him down. The portal reappears and drops off Rocco back where the other 12th Five are standing I will not be mocked. In this new world, defiance will be punishable by death. Yomotsu—take all of this in. I am going to kill your friends with my own hands, right in front of you! Maybe in death you will all realize the failure of this so-called 'justice' you still cling to!

Light begins to radiate dark energy and steps forward. Akise, Anemone, Meilag, Wi-Fi Man, and Rocco charge to meet him in combat. Yomotsu begins to cry softly in his chair as the clatter ensues.

Yomotsu: I can picture it all from the sounds—I know their identities by their voices, and it is too much for me to bear any longer! Why are all of these people going to die for me? They can't beat him, so why are they throwing their lives away! You know better than this… You know you can't save me anymore, so please, leave with your lives!