December 28th dawned. The day of Kira's judgement. The day of his humiliation. The day everything would finally end, as the members of the task force team and their leader had always wished.
Light, after that day of the chase, was seriously injured, so his injuries couldn't be recovered in a short period. Thus, he stayed at the hospital with some policemen guarding the entrance. Some had suggested keeping Kira inside a secret. But others said that such a thing would not be right in terms of dignity, and besides, it would create many questions, both for the patients and for the staff. In the end, they informed the doctors of the situation, showing them Light's photo. They had to keep in mind which of all was dangerous for the other patients. At a quarter past noon, he arrived in front of the building handcuffed, until half past twelve, the Nemesis time.
Something similar happened with Tomoko. On the evening of December 26th, sneaking out of her ward, she climbed over the backyard railings so she wouldn't be seen by the security cameras and went out onto the main street to look for a taxi. She didn't know very well the area where Shioriko lived anyway. Especially if we consider the population of Tokyo is thirty million people, therefore the whole scope of the city. As soon as the taxi driver parked in front of the address Tomoko had told him, she asked Shioriko to pay the driver and bid them farewell. It was around half past eleven at night. Their plan worked like clockwork and without unnecessary delays.
There was panic in the court. Thousands of citizens had gathered to see Kira's trial purely because they were against him, others because they wanted to defend him, as his work was approved. The Sakura TV crew had already turned on the cameras and microphones since the trial would be broadcast live across the country, perhaps even the world. No matter what side everyone was on, they truly wanted to find out who Kira really was, and what his motivations were behind all this world chaos, behind all this unfortunate utopia.
Light was still in the court cells handcuffed and patiently awaiting his doom. At first, he still tried to find some effective way to escape again, as if wanting to drain even the last of his brain cells until he ran out of ideas. He couldn't just give up easily! He was so close to the end of the race, he couldn't slow down! But alas... No ideas could be found. Besides, there was no way for him to contact Rem or Ryuk. So, he was... Defeated? Yes, he was. L... Or maybe someone above everything was stronger than him. Stronger than any murderous notebook and than any bloodthirsty assassin who wields divine powers. No, Light wasn't a murderer! He had to convince everyone during the trial! There must have been even a little bit of hope. He couldn't just accept defeat like that! He would prove to his mother, sister and the world that his goals were purely holy and in the name of good. Like a guardian angel who came to protect the world. But wait... What if his fate was indeed determined? No, he was Light Yagami! He's not to be defeated that easily! There must have been a solution to win the court, even at the last minute! Come on, people of Japan... Look at the emerging God you're going to destroy! Give him another chance! Don't send him to hell, where his enemies belong!
You think you finally beat me, right, L? You're dead wrong! No matter how many obstacles you throw at me, am not going to give up! You definitely know nothing about me! I'll win the trial, and the world will be peaceful at last! It doesn't matter I'll become a public figure because of the cameras. It'll be sweet to get recognized on the road though. Not everyone needs to understand the importance of my work, as long as they don't go against it! And whoever messes with God will have a bad ending! You're quite well aware of that, aren't you? I'm just as stubborn as you are, Mr. Know-it-all! I wonder how this combat will end... Certainly not good for you! He smirked thinking his own words.
The door with the photocell opened revealing his partner in crime and future wife as she once wished to be. At least he thought so. "I hope this time you'll be cooperative. We've had quite enough of your stubbornness! For God's sake, you're not divine creatures but common mortals! Deal with it!"
"Speak for yourself! Am the supremely powerful being, thus only I am perfect! You can't mess with a perfect being or it's not anymore! Second Kira doesn't even count!" he growled.
"Anyway the girl is outside, waiting for you." said the security guard.
Misa? I didn't notice her. When did she enter the building? Obviously, she would be brought by ICPO policemen to keep a closer eye on us... These cuckolds did become more proactive! The young man thought, clearly unaware of the situation.
"We'll have you out in five minutes. Keep that in mind." The security guard locked the door and proceeded to the main hall, in which the execution would take place.
Tomoko was also outside the room with the rest of the security guards holding her tightly by the arms and hands, while one of them put handcuffs and a metal mask around her eyes. Was she supposed to feel grief and fear she would leave without her being guilty? But... She couldn't feel it. It was more like... Anticipation. As if she knew all along she wouldn't find her own justice. Besides, only in movies do the villains always lose. Never in real life.
She looked at her round reflection on the polished badge of one of the security guards. Although she couldn't see clearly, the details of the exquisite makeup that Shioriko had done on her, were dazzling. Even she didn't believe this little face with the long braids, the black eyeshadow and the rouge belonged to herself. One would say it was the actress herself and not just a high-school girl! It wasn't unsurprising! Shioriko had studied makeup and had also done a master's degree in New York for disguises. If she worked for the CIA or the FBI would undoubtedly be an excellent assistant! With that blonde hair Tomoko had dyed at the salon that morning, she wouldn't be recognized by the reformatory employees. Not even her family...
The girl didn't realize how many minutes had passed when she found herself in the main hall. The security guards still held her tight, until they lifted her onto a huge piece of furniture covered with cloth, like a stage. She noticed one of them who tied her hands and feet with steel rope. Almost as if she were a prisoner in medieval Europe. The audience spread out before her, more than twenty thousand people. A sea full of people every now and then emitted flashing lights or screams of hatred and anguish. She couldn't distinguish faces, not even their features. Perhaps because Kira needs to see clearly a face before murdering the person.
A journalist stood in front of the stage along with his TV crew. She read the channel logo on the camera: Sakura TV... How could a channel with such a bad reputation choose a newsworthy subject like the trial of the century's most bloodthirsty murderer?
"Ladies and gentlemen we are interrupting the typical flow of our program to bring you the highly anticipated trial of the notorious murderer Kira. According to the police evidence, Kira does not consist of a single person but a group of two, one of whom is the well-known actress and model Amane Misa." The camera focused on the girl's face, obscuring it in a blur. The reporter continued:
"The other Kira is still unidentified, however according to the judges he'll be executed with the actress in two minutes from now. Mixed jury Hidashi deemed this trial necessary, even though the death penalty in the country no longer exists by law. According to this year's article, even those guilty of a crime have the right to a lawyer, but the judges decided to make an exception to this rule, by thinking the trial will end shortly."
Tomoko kept staring at the audience, sometimes at the reporters, sometimes at the cameras or other visitors. She tried to distinguish even one among the black-headed faces. Who was she looking for? Even she didn't know. The two siblings perhaps. Maybe if she tried nodding her head to them, they would catch the meanings, right? But how could this be done? There was no way they could see her. After all, they might already have been trampled by the hasty journalists, or Kira's fanatical followers. It wasn't unlikely at all, especially when a hall could hold over ten thousand people. Wait... What if she found an effective way to escape at the last minute, with people thinking her execution was done? Maybe there was indeed hope for her too! Isn't that so? She wouldn't die so easily, would she? Japan's justice system isn't that much corrupted, is it?
In the audience, was Matsuda. He sat on a chair next to the other court visitors. Fortunately, the seat was easily found, otherwise he would have been forced to watch it standing. It would be horrible to have the other heads hide this holy Moment. Since the morning the policeman had sent a message to L everything was going smoothly in the end, though he didn't receive a reply. He even worried if the plan was too impulsive after all... On the other hand, he couldn't let his friend down! He had promised him anyway! From this point on, however, only God was a helper. Whatever went awry, he would simply sit back and hope his prayers were answered. And in this case, he wouldn't tell L anything but the details of the plan. Not the result of it.
The judge's bell rang echoing through the hall. The visitors who were standing went straight to their seats, and Kira's fans surprisingly stopped chanting and screaming. You would think all of them in one way or another, expected a miracle, a wish beyond all of their control, which nevertheless still hoped for...
The metal door creaked as the young assassin emerged, handcuffed as well. The security guard escorted him to the stage next to the girl. The audience watched with bated breath.
"Do us a favour and be cooperative already... We don't have all day" the judge said taking a deep breath of discomfort. Some in the audience giggled. He put on his glasses and read some pamphlets in front of him. He recapped the Kira case, as well as their murder weapon, a sample of which was in a glass case in front of the juries. The cameras flashed again, making Tomoko feel a little dizzy.
"I declare responsibly it is purely a decision of the state to execute the two Kiras with their own weapons, and not of the police. After all, such a thing would be meaningless... If the anonymous criminals were the only ones to be murdered, perhaps it would have been done this way, now that political leaders have also been victims, we believe it is fair for the state to judge, as it did. The defendants themselves have stated their actions were purely for holy purposes. However, things are not that simple, as you can see for yourself, ladies and gentlemen. Murder is a murder and we don't discriminate here. I realize it sounds strange, perhaps to most people, but things are not that simple. We cannot so easily decide the fate of everyone, as if we are gods. Today, we must make an exception, nevertheless."
"No, you can't! You have no right!" Light shifted in anger, forgetting he was being held by metal ropes. "Silence, you defendant! You should talk only when we speak to you!"
"Speak you too, Misa! Say something! I'll do whatever you want, as long as we win the case! Please!" Tomoko didn't make a sound... What if they realize her voice is different from the real actress? She couldn't risk it! Her palms were sweaty.
"You have a great idea of yourself if you think you're going to win the court!" someone in the audience mocked. The others didn't pay attention. Nevertheless, the judge rang the bell as a precaution.
"Calm down, please. Everything will fall into place. That's why the accused ones are bound with iron ropes. On the one hand, it is the most effective way to control their every movement, and on the other hand, iron ropes are less painful than chains. However, words are pointless, so let's not procrastinate. Bring the notebook."
From the left entrance, a man entered who in his attire closely resembled the first judge. On the breast side of the uniform was a transparent pocket, in which something black and flat could be seen. All heads turned to look at him in surprise.
"A mixed jury could never have a single judge, so I called my colleague, Uchida, who, after ICPO's permission, brought the real death note. They trusted him, precisely because he's reliable in his work, but for safety reasons, there will be security next to him." the first judge explained.
Uchida walked up to the stage with the security guard and placed the murder weapon next to the sample of the notebook. Light's expression seemed worried but at the same time, there was a denial of his defeat lurking somewhere. His mind just couldn't grasp it. There must be a solution! He must convince them somehow that their actions were unnecessary! As for Tomoko, she patiently awaited her fate. No emotion positive or negative could occupy her mind. Even the little drop of hope she felt was gone too.
The first judge made a gesture to Uchida indicating not to start the execution yet. "Do you have anything to say in your defence, accusers?"
The false Kira didn't answer, so they turned directly to the real one. He answered them: "You know what you're gonna do yourselves is a crime, don't you? You're also quite aware that my purpose was holy, and yet you ignore it! Misa didn't have any major involvement in justice stuff, she just killed other criminals before me just to impress me. Think about it! What reason do criminals have to be here? I think they don't! The world is rotten because of them! My father is a policeman, so you should let me free!"
For a few minutes there was silence in the room, so much of it, if a pin had dropped it would have been heard. The first judge took a few steps until he reached Light's back.
"I can't understand why you bad guys do this... You generally have a bad habit of talking to yourself when you're standing in front of an audience. It may be a medical issue!" And he took out a red handkerchief from his uniform pocket. He tied it around Light's mouth in a flash. The judge though didn't realize it got too tight, as the young man struggled to breathe. He was grunting. The audience uttered exclamations mixture of surprise and anguish.
The first judge motioned to the second one, —Uchida— to write in the notebook. He took a black pen but forgot to do so.
"As for you, young lady, you didn't have a huge involvement with the use of the death note, nor have you killed important figures such as politicians, yet your own death will be just as painful. For unknown reasons, the cops only gave us your partner's notebook. So we'll hang you." Uchida said and ordered the security guards to bring the wooden gallows they kept in the basement just in case.
Suddenly the emptiness inside Tomoko was replaced with horror at the sound of her own death. So... She would actually die? Yes, she did know that but hadn't realized it. But... Her death would be for someone else's sake. At least that was heroic, right? Tomoko shouldn't be afraid! She did it because she was willing! Even so, though, why was her stomach sinking?
Matsuda wished he could drown in the sea full of twenty thousand people... His plan was certainly reckless! An innocent person would die for the sake of another! Damn it! If only he knew Tomoko was innocent! This girl had her whole life ahead of her, yet the corrupted justice system locked her up in the reformatory instead of the other kids who sexually assaulted her. L didn't know an innocent one would be executed in Misa's place. Matsuda had better keep this secret, so as not to make him feel guilty. As soon as the gallows was brought in,—with the help of five other people— his heartbeat quickened.
Please, Tomoko... Forgive me! It was all necessary! he wished with clasped fingers as if praying.
Some of Kira's followers rose from their seats in an attempt to save Light. Some of them stumbled down the steps of the auditorium. Of course, the security guards prevented them with all their might. The fans seemed much stronger. One of them was even holding a flare, but fortunately, three more security guards caught up with him and took this man out of the building. Light seeing his followers interrupt the trial for his sake, moved his jaw a few inches until the handkerchief finally came out. Now it looked like he wore a scarf. There was a loud bang outside the building as if a small bomb was going off. It was probably the man with the flare, throwing it in protest of the only saviour of the world.
"Write his name already! You never know if the building will be demolished by some hooligans!" The judge hissed at Uchida.
The black pen scratched the surface of the deadly weapon. The fateful forty seconds began for the once ordinary high school student Light Yagami... Who was now just another victim of a divine dominion! He tried to protest once again, though he didn't notice Uchida's actions.
"The most horrible animals you know, aren't the unknown criminals, but you who have power and authority! You'll never understand Kira's work and how valuable it is! But that's okay... I should have known after all. Curse on you and your children!" he growled but this time it sounded like he was going to mutate into another creature. Maybe a Shinigami.
"We learned that your father's name was Soichiro Yagami, correct? A well-known name in the police field... May he rest in peace..." Uchida said and his colleague added:
"Didn't you kill him?"
"Father?! This old fart killed himself as soon as he found out I fix the world!"
"I think you had a mother and a sister, didn't you? What will they think when they see their dearest person turning out like this? What about your friends? What will they all think?!"
"What are you talking about? He can't understand the meaning of "family". It all sounds Greek to him! Can't you see? He's no longer human! He looks like one, but he's not!" Uchida tried to make his colleague see the situation more realistically.
"I haven't said my last word yet, L! You may have won the battle, but you sure lost the war! Go fuck your—" A sharp pain hit his chest as if a large nail had been inserted inside him. There was no longer any control to stop not only the pain but the moaning as well. He took deep breaths. Then tried to stand up. But alas... It was a futile effort... The notebook was stronger than its owner!
"Ryuk! Where are you?! Hel...p!" He collapsed face down on the floor, foaming coming out of his mouth. Not even the audience could describe the spectacle they were seeing. Was that a man on the brink of death or a man transformed into an animal by the inarticulate screams?
"One of the security guards untied the iron ropes and pushed Tomoko towards the gallows, while she tried to swallow the knot inside her throat. She stepped on the small chair and without any more hesitation or fear, rested her neck on the round rope. With a stride, the girl's legs dangled in the air while releasing a groan of pain. The gallows edge slightly screeched to indicate something heavy was there, thus cutting the thread of two young lives. For a few minutes, the two corpses lay there, the first slumped on the floor and the other one hanging brutally by a rope, as if had committed suicide. Some people in the audience uttered exclamations of outrage or protest.
The journalists' cameras recorded the emotionless faces of the judges as well as the corpses. The pupils of Light's eyes had shrunk so much they couldn't be seen with the naked eye, while Tomoko surprisingly still had that vibrant red colour on her cheeks.
Another journalist stood before the cameras and microphones to inform the world.
"As you have seen for yourself, ladies and gentlemen, the Kira case has finally come to an end. For now at least. The ICPO will keep the notebooks safe so that no further murders occur. It is still not known how these magical notebooks are made, but we are hoping for more information from the police. As for the funerals, the bodies will be kept in the basement of the courthouse until we are certain the situation is safe."
Matsuda tried to get out of this suffocating crowd. He even tried not to step on anyone's foot, or even knock them down unintentionally. He would even say he had accidentally pressed the call button on the mobile phone of the person next to him. Maybe to the other next person. He didn't know. But he had to get out of this ocean full of bodies and faces, so to call his sister and inform her. Shioriko herself had told him she wouldn't attend the court, since it would be painful to see the girl die in such a brutal way. Tomoko... Was innocent. An innocent! Yes, she was an innocent placed on the gallows! But he didn't know this detail, nor was there any other more effective way. He had to forget it and move on!
He even wondered how L would react. Would he be... Proud? Maybe he wouldn't consider him useless after all, like the rest of the team. Hopefully, he would thank him for saving his... future girlfriend. If he could describe Misa like that. But, if he told her L himself decided on the plan, would she fall for him as much as she did for Light? Matsuda couldn't know for certain. He didn't have much experience in such matters. The last time he had "fallen" in love was with a female classmate in kindergarten. He didn't how to express his liking towards her, so when the cut flower from the garden was given to her, he kicked her. Not the most romantic way for a proposal...