The Interesting Times

It's Exile Radio days for now. Just - mitigate. Report. That's all we can do, because surrender will make things infinitely worse.

Write to Takada that I will come there.

Light rubbed his forehead wearily. Lately, he'd been spending his time either standing by the windows or, conversely, huddling as far into a corner as he could. He'd held out a glimmer of hope that the shinigami was nearby and could deliver the message himself, but apparently no one had come or gone.

Yuri was a nice girl. A little clingy, but Light remembered her very well. They hadn't spoken in a long time, so she might have changed. But not gotten worse. People like that don't get worse. They just...live.

And yet, he had nothing else to say. Discussing how Kira was bad and how victims were harmless was a waste of time and energy. Besides, Light needed time to fully process what had happened.

If it were safe to answer, Montag would already have done it. The fact is that when it comes to keeping information tight, you are a human sieve. On the whole, I appreciate what you tried to do in your emergency bulletin. But it does fail to reassure me that the information I give you won't pass to Light Yagami* within the next forty-eight hours.

...um. Actually, how is that?

If that was really just Montag, writing to me...

...he'd still be wrong about Sako. As desperate as he was, he'd still be wrong. But Near...

It won't be enough to encourage people to stay home on conventional celebration grounds. The party must be called off entirely, or the new Kira must be prevented from being a witness. Please give it your consideration.

Ugh. Has he somehow found a way to spy on my communications, or...

...No, his email's earlier than Sako's. But still, I know what Sako would say to this. "I know, let's view my letter to Takada as an opportunity to track her communications. I'm 100% sure she knows how to reach the new Kira and it isn't a complete waste of time. We'd definitely find the new Kira that way, and in the meantime, they definitely won't use the conditions to mount the pressure even higher until I personally kill everyone including my own family."

But what Near's saying is... plausible. It can't be ignored.

@god-ofthenewworld, I think it's a good idea to work on the new Kira and the venue. We should keep an eye on Taiyo, see what Takada's saying about the RSVPs. Maybe there's a way to follow one (from a third party). Sabotaging all the cameras they're putting in Tokyo Big Sight is a lost cause, but maybe it's possible to keep people from getting there in the first place?

Light stood up and paced the room a couple of times. He was quite pale, but not scared. Definitely not scared. Something else. Perhaps for the first time in a long time, he was furious.

He almost wrote "don't disappoint me," but deleted the message just in time. Not because it reminded him of Kira, but because he could probably use that phrase later. Light rubbed his forehead wearily. The NHN workers were focused on only one thing: how to prevent Kira from returning through Light. But they were missing (as Light himself had been until this very moment) the fact that even this development could be turned to his advantage. Not Kira's return itself, but the knowledge that the pseudo-Kiras were ready to fall at his feet, waiting to see the halo. But Light didn't even want to talk about it. First of all, because he was sure he was dealing with the real Kira right now. And telling him, "Oh, I'm Kira, I'm back," would be the same as telling Nobu that Near is Kira. He knows. Everyone knows. Everyone involved in this situation, except NHN and Light himself, knows everything.

I don't know. I can't get a bead on her. Neither can the people who actually knew her at NHN. She seems... earnest about the Kira thing, in a naive kind of way. No one knows exactly why she went gently during the Observer merger. Maybe she grew a couple qualms. Maybe she just didn't want trouble.

It's Exile Radio days for now. Just - mitigate. Report. That's all we can do, because surrender will make things infinitely worse.

Write to Takada that I will come there.

Light rubbed his forehead wearily. Lately, he'd been spending his time either standing by the windows or, conversely, huddling as far into a corner as he could. He'd held out a glimmer of hope that the shinigami was nearby and could deliver the message himself, but apparently no one had come or gone.

Yuri was a nice girl. A little clingy, but Light remembered her very well. They hadn't spoken in a long time, so she might have changed. But not gotten worse. People like that don't get worse. They just...live.

And yet, he had nothing else to say. Discussing how Kira was bad and how victims were harmless was a waste of time and energy. Besides, Light needed time to fully process what had happened.

It won't be enough to encourage people to stay home on conventional celebration grounds. The party must be called off entirely, or the new Kira must be prevented from being a witness. Please give it your consideration.

Ugh. Has he somehow found a way to spy on my communications, or...

...No, his email's earlier than Sako's. But still, I know what Sako would say to this. "I know, let's view my letter to Takada as an opportunity to track her communications. I'm 100% sure she knows how to reach the new Kira and it isn't a complete waste of time. We'd definitely find the new Kira that way, and in the meantime, they definitely won't use the conditions to mount the pressure even higher until I personally kill everyone including my own family."

But what Near's saying is... plausible. It can't be ignored.

@god-ofthenewworld, I think it's a good idea to work on the new Kira and the venue. We should keep an eye on Taiyo, see what Takada's saying about the RSVPs. Maybe there's a way to follow one (from a third party). Sabotaging all the cameras they're putting in Tokyo Big Sight is a lost cause, but maybe it's possible to keep people from getting there in the first place?

Light stood up and paced the room a couple of times. He was quite pale, but not scared. Definitely not scared. Something else. Perhaps for the first time in a long time, he was furious.

It's Exile Radio days for now. Just - mitigate. Report. That's all we can do, because surrender will make things infinitely worse.

Write to Takada that I will come there.

Light rubbed his forehead wearily. Lately, he'd been spending his time either standing by the windows or, conversely, huddling as far into a corner as he could. He'd held out a glimmer of hope that the shinigami was nearby and could deliver the message himself, but apparently no one had come or gone.

Yuri was a nice girl. A little clingy, but Light remembered her very well. They hadn't spoken in a long time, so she might have changed. But not gotten worse. People like that don't get worse. They just...live.

And yet, he had nothing else to say. Discussing how Kira was bad and how victims were harmless was a waste of time and energy. Besides, Light needed time to fully process what had happened.

It's Exile Radio days for now. Just - mitigate. Report. That's all we can do, because surrender will make things infinitely worse.

Write to Takada that I will come there.

Light rubbed his forehead wearily. Lately, he'd been spending his time either standing by the windows or, conversely, huddling as far into a corner as he could. He'd held out a glimmer of hope that the shinigami was nearby and could deliver the message himself, but apparently no one had come or gone.

Yuri was a nice girl. A little clingy, but Light remembered her very well. They hadn't spoken in a long time, so she might have changed. But not gotten worse. People like that don't get worse. They just...live.

And yet, he had nothing else to say. Discussing how Kira was bad and how victims were harmless was a waste of time and energy. Besides, Light needed time to fully process what had happened.

It won't be enough to encourage people to stay home on conventional celebration grounds. The party must be called off entirely, or the new Kira must be prevented from being a witness. Please give it your consideration.

Ugh. Has he somehow found a way to spy on my communications, or...

...No, his email's earlier than Sako's. But still, I know what Sako would say to this. "I know, let's view my letter to Takada as an opportunity to track her communications. I'm 100% sure she knows how to reach the new Kira and it isn't a complete waste of time. We'd definitely find the new Kira that way, and in the meantime, they definitely won't use the conditions to mount the pressure even higher until I personally kill everyone including my own family."

But what Near's saying is... plausible. It can't be ignored.

@god-ofthenewworld, I think it's a good idea to work on the new Kira and the venue. We should keep an eye on Taiyo, see what Takada's saying about the RSVPs. Maybe there's a way to follow one (from a third party). Sabotaging all the cameras they're putting in Tokyo Big Sight is a lost cause, but maybe it's possible to keep people from getting there in the first place?

Light stood up and paced the room a couple of times. He was quite pale, but not scared. Definitely not scared. Something else. Perhaps for the first time in a long time, he was furious.

It's Exile Radio days for now. Just - mitigate. Report. That's all we can do, because surrender will make things infinitely worse.

Write to Takada that I will come there.

Light rubbed his forehead wearily. Lately, he'd been spending his time either standing by the windows or, conversely, huddling as far into a corner as he could. He'd held out a glimmer of hope that the shinigami was nearby and could deliver the message himself, but apparently no one had come or gone.

Yuri was a nice girl. A little clingy, but Light remembered her very well. They hadn't spoken in a long time, so she might have changed. But not gotten worse. People like that don't get worse. They just...live.

And yet, he had nothing else to say. Discussing how Kira was bad and how victims were harmless was a waste of time and energy. Besides, Light needed time to fully process what had happened.

It's Exile Radio days for now. Just - mitigate. Report. That's all we can do, because surrender will make things infinitely worse.

Write to Takada that I will come there.

Light rubbed his forehead wearily. Lately, he'd been spending his time either standing by the windows or, conversely, huddling as far into a corner as he could. He'd held out a glimmer of hope that the shinigami was nearby and could deliver the message himself, but apparently no one had come or gone.

Yuri was a nice girl. A little clingy, but Light remembered her very well. They hadn't spoken in a long time, so she might have changed. But not gotten worse. People like that don't get worse. They just...live.

And yet, he had nothing else to say. Discussing how Kira was bad and how victims were harmless was a waste of time and energy. Besides, Light needed time to fully process what had happened.

This is Bigwiggins with a special emergency bulletin.

Those who attended Daikoku Private Academy between the years of 1999 and 2003 – those who attended To-Oh University in the spring of 2004 – and anyone otherwise acquainted with the person formerly known as Light Yagami – all are now advised to seek changes of identity by any means necessary. Your life, with one hundred and thirty-six others, has been actively threatened by the self-styled “one and only God,” who, we can confirm, is not Kira.

[The invitation, complete with the actual names.]

This is the first and only invitation this studio has seen. But our Observer scouts have found no reason to believe the others in circulation are like it. The emphasis on Light Yagami is almost certain to be stronger than any other--

[A picture, smudged slightly around the edges from being glued into a middle-schooler's scrapbook: Light, Sayu and Soichiro posing for the camera on a forest trail in the summer of 2003. Sayu's and Soichiro's faces are blurred.]

--because this was Light Yagami.

He is, we can confirm, alive. Plainly, the proxy Kira is aware of this. As of this invitation, we have no remaining concern that we are endangering his life by publishing his photograph. But the nature of the photograph should be striking – except, perhaps, to Daikoku alumni, who would remember firsthand the humanity in this person.

Kira's body is alive. Kira, however, isn't in that body.

By means still unknown, he was released by Kira on the night of the fourth in order to destroy us. The attempt failed on the sixth, and he is under our protection.

[Kira at the press conference where he threatened world politicians.]

He is under our protection from this. From the celebration of his return, which would be the celebration of his destruction. Not only that, of course, but it has an impact.

Our remarks regarding the notebook's effects on Lady Phantasme were not conjecture. They were supported, primarily, by our acquaintance with the real Light Yagami.

[The karaoke photo.]

He's pictured here last night, after he and I learned of Montag's death. There are actually unwitting witnesses, who might remember that afterward, we went to sing karaoke. Though only I actually sang, because he had a mild case of stage fright.

There are many more complimentary things to say about Light – he was instrumental in saving me from Lady Phantasme, he's a genius, he's a heroic and compassionate soul – but none of them could impress on our audience his distinction from Kira any more firmly than the stage fright. Personality factors aside, consider all the things Kira could have done in his place last night.

[September, 2003. Light and a blurred Sayu making rabbit ears at the camera against a red brick wall.]

The fact that he was sent as a weapon is proof that he's made of better stuff. The weapon was his affection for his sister, and his desire to be a hero. She was the hostage. Montag was the target. Lady Phantasme was baited into the bargain, and Light – he was the ultimate quarry.

[End of Nobu's speech.]

Based on this transcript taken from Nobu Orochi's phone, Kira's intent was to kill Light's sister, and their parents, by means of his enemies, in order to manufacture an excuse suspend phone and internet service. Purges would no doubt follow, and it's largely accepted at NHN that this was Kira's intent for the trial.

Note that, in the invitation, the threat has been repeated. The “one and only God” – unlike Light – is unaware that they are under our protection and safe from his reach.

He is, himself, in an undisclosed location. Without specifying further, suffice to say that NHN, as a whole, is better protected than we have let on.

[Kira, watching Katsu Tanakabara ascend the stage.]

Those who received formal invites: whether you say yes or no, you are the target this time around. As intended, it's meant to be a question of whether you'll be killed now, or later.

But fortunately, there's a way out.

[The above still, juxtaposed with Light on the nature walk.]

This is a party held for the express purpose of celebrating Kira's return and triumph, and we can say here and now that there is no need to attend. The party will be a bust. The guest of honor and master of ceremonies will not be present. If anyone the proxy Kira has threatened indeed ends up dead, they will have been murdered for no reason at all. As we know, Kira never issues threats except as a gateway to more effectual murder down the road. This time, it's simply particularly obvious.

We at NHN inform Miss Takada that Kira will not, in fact, be attending his celebration. He will, in fact, remain suspended in liminal space until such time as the question is moot, so that Light Yagami, one of the most admirable men I have ever known, will live in peace to the end of his days.

Ageha?

She smiled softly when one of the men in a formal suit called out to her. He was asking about well-being, but voice seemed distant and blurred, as if he were covered with a cup.

She could only hope that Takada was smart enough not to cancel anything. She'd been given a mission, and she wasn't supposed to renounce it. Moreover, people loved Kira so much that they sometimes even attended ridiculous celebrations, hoping to see him. No, that wouldn't work. All this persuasion wouldn't work. Yes, Light Yagami wouldn't be at the event. It wasn't such a big loss.

I'm fine, she smiled softly. The news is so disturbing.

That didn't sound even a little convincing.

There's no need to try sending additional messages. Kira would never do that. His word is law. If God says so, then so it must be done. He will gather a crowd of fans. Great Kira.

And the people on that list will die. It's solely the fault of NHN. They need to know about it. How?

Can't just blab about it on television. Many citizens probably didn't even believe that Kira was killing off entire lists for no reason. On the other hand, if the bodies remain unidentified... Yes, Kira's "intervention" could be determined by timing, but there would be no direct evidence.

She had to have meant something in particular to Sako. That's why she was singled out...

This Kira doesn't care about image. He can't be reasoned with... he just wants Sako.

No further reports right now. That'll just escalate matters. We're going to need to re-populate the phone bank. Warn everyone on this list directly. And the postmasters for good measure.

Kira's address sparked such a furious reaction on social media that the silence from various channels seemed doubly empty. Of course, no one would argue with Kira, but publicly and without reason declaring, "Yes, sorry, we won't do that anymore," would have been as strange as starting a prayer live on air. It took time to get used to this return. And before anyone could even think about celebrating, Kira became the first.

Numerous personal invitations arrived at TV stations. The captions were brief: "God wants to see you on this day," but Takada was honored with a longer message:

"I want you to tell the world that Kira is here, and that the unfaithful will be punished. I am grateful for your devotion, characteristic not just of followers, but of like-minded people. That is most important in our noble cause. Tell the world that on Thursday, in the most colorful and enormous venue of your choosing, justice will triumph. I need as many cameras as possible on the largest open-air stage at eight o'clock. Please ensure that attendance is completely free for all our guests. Let everyone in, even those without an invitation"

Other invitations were delivered to TV presenters, Kira's most active online fans, and authors of books praising God. These were exclusively Japanese. For some reason, the political figures escaped this fate. But there was another message sent to NHN. A golden invitation with the date, time, and the words "God wants to see you, Light Yagami" along with a list of names that began with Light's classmates, progressed to students from his university, distant acquaintances, and ended with his family.

That should be all, right? asked Bigwiggins.

Last one, yeah.

Good, you can head out.

Scintillation peeked at the contents of the crates. Water. Milk tea. A large toolbox. A generator. A pocketknife. Twine... rice snacks... lots and lots of snacks, some in fancy containers...

So, it would appear that... it's the end of the world as we know it, and you've brought jars of biscuits?

Bigwiggins didn't answer. He had opened the letter, and he stared at it with mounting horror.

Scintillation read over his shoulder. ...Let's consider the possibility that Near may have a point on this one.

They can't have him, said Bigwiggins faintly. I know that, you don't need to put me in a straitjacket or anything. It's obvious he's the party. He's the entire party and they can't have it. His family's safe - does this Kira not know that? - but all these people...

She took the book from the desk - the one they had just been working on, with the fluffy blue sky on the cover - and waved it in front of Bigwiggins' nose.

Look, we were already about to...

Bigwiggins slumped in his chair. And I'm going to add - what - a list of all the innocent people I'd sacrifice?

Everyone knows you're not the one going around killing people, said Scintillation in soothing tones that didn't appear to work at all.

I can't talk to Near. Bigwiggins began to hyperventilate. He's just - he's just not clear of suspicion. I can't talk to Sako, or he'd try to be a hero -- that's what Kira counts on in Sako -- Montag was right, he's never been more right, Kira takes whatever's greatest and best and he--

I'm worthless for this. We need - we need Montag. Or Tanakabara... but Kira's already gone through them. He's gone through so many-- and this Kira...

Scintillation patted his shoulder awkwardly. Well, what do you think they'd do?

Bigwiggins shook off her hand. I don't know, go on killing innocent people by the dozens, I guess? If we actually say no, is there even any guarantee they'll stop?

No, I mean - if you were Montag, or...

Bigwiggins laughed feebly. Montag - that guy was always a little beyond me, but--

He raised his head, and there was something cold and hard in it that Scintillation had never seen before.

All his communications were to be by email only, so Scintillation could vet them for things like loaded questions. And she pointed out that this was a test on Near, and the conclusion wasn't yet foregone, so Bigwiggins had better actually communicate with him.

And Scintillation wasn't being killed. Maybe, somehow, the conclusion wasn't foregone. But... the lie.

Sako would never lie like that. Not about L.

Near,

So, this Kira speech. What's your take? Also: any idea where these "video surveys" could have come from?

That was innocuous enough to pass Scintillation's muster.

...He's suddenly toned down hostilities. But he still won't let me hear his voice. So, chances are he's followed my suggestion and taken on a second pair of eyes. Probably a good sign, but you never know for sure until you've seen the results.

First, the concurrence with Orochi's rhetoric. The new Kira is getting the same ideas as the inner circle.

Second, of course, "the body is dead."

Put them together, and plainly, Kira has resurfaced for a brief moment and gotten out a message. Assuming you've been keeping a weather eye on Sako, which I think is safe, this probably occurred shortly after Lady Phantasme's death, and, of course, it did not happen after Sako's escape plan came to light. If you did come up with this escape plan after the night of the eighth, I suppose I would need to reassess, but for the time being, let's say Kira announced his deaths specifically because Sako intended to fake it. This means two things:

1) This new Kira could theoretically be the same as Kira-2, only with a new set of instructions - but if I were Kira and I'd heard about that missed chance with the NPA, the first thing I'd do is pick someone else. In any case, he can't be one of the idiots who took the video survey, because Kira had no way of knowing about that. 2) We can effectively consider this a second wind on the part of the original Kira. We can therefore expect an assault at least as fierce as occurred on the sixth, and, as your emotional vulnerability has so far proven a reliable exploit, we can expect another assualt on that point. I would advise the second pair of eyes that I infer to be observing to restrain Bigwiggins by any means necessary, if it comes to it.

Re: the video surveys, they appear to originate with a knot of clueless, self-appointed "Kira experts" in a chat room yesterday. Just the type of A-student morons who would think it a very smart idea to appoint themselves to be Kira while they were dreaming about what mavens they were, and vomit it across the whole internet while they were about it. Kira would not have accounted for them in his plans, but that all depends on the versatility of the newcomer.

Note: we have not yet ruled out the possibility that we are in fact chasing two people: the new Kira, and the voice of the new Kira. But the latter seems a more promising starting point to the investigation in any case.

He typed and retyped some lead-in to establish contact with Sugawara, but the fact was that Near simply couldn't yet trust Bigwiggins with that sort of information - even if the trust were at all mutual to begin with.

Eventually, he settled on:

Thoughts?

But Light couldn't share this thought. After all, if he said it, everyone would think differently. Unfortunately, the assumption that he was safe from suspicion turned out to be wrong (at least for now), but it was worth keeping thinking. Not only about what had happened, but also about what could happen.

He's using phrase "the body is dead" to reassure the public. I haven't appeared on television for a long time, and Kira needed to explain it in the best possible way. Now we can only expect a colorful return with a new media persona. He'll find someone to put on the show again, but he'll use the rhetoric: "You can't kill me, I'm a god, I don't have a body." Perhaps he was planning this trick back when I said it was time for me to go save people. But now he wants to see fanfare.

Um... no, mumbled Bigwiggins, flushing. It just occurred to me that, um, double-blind makes better tests. Won't happen again...

He typed:

If my opinion of you were affected by Kira's actions, we'd never have

But, since it was about Kira, that was too subjective to send. And... not true, actually. This case was different. If Sako was vulnerable in a way that could give Kira everything Bigwiggins had told Sako at any time...

Well.

Remember, Montag knew as much as I did. He knew some things I'll never know. We're already

But that's the sort of conclusion he should share with NHN, right? Not suspects?

Wait, wait. They're both missing something here.

He'll have to account for how the body became dead.

It didn't take much deliberation to copy that into a separate draft for Near.

On Halloween, he could have been attempting to "die" at the hands of Tanakabara's brother. Whether that's true or not, it's obvious Tanakabara was supposed to be the scapegoat. Since I'm regarded as Tanakabara's heir

...though, in reality, I'm just the one guy in Japan who happened to be on his cell phone...

...wait, wait, wait. If Montag can regard that as heir status...?

One thing at a time. The implications... but what I'm doing now is important.

So, we're probably the scapegoats now. This does seem like the old Kira, and that Kira never did anything for just one reason.

But suppose, just for a second, that Near is innocent after all. And he's right about the timing. Then how would Ryuk have...

Ryuk treats humanity like something he's visiting on tour. So where does he normally live? What happens when he does that teleportation thing? And how does a shinigami usually use his eyes...

He added privately to Sako:

Just in case, I think you should be as scrupulous about your mask as I am from here on. But my opinion of you hasn't changed.

And to Near, a message calculated to give gooseflesh to Kira's ally and only Kira's ally:

By the constant rustling last night, Bigwiggins didn't sleep restfully, and at this moment, he's giving up the job.

Ugh. He groped over the side of his bed for his day mask, fixed it on, and blinked at the alarm. Almost seven already... you think it's worth it to meet Near before we get going?

Unexpectedly, Light slept well. He didn't wake up once during the night and seemed much calmer when morning came. It seemed, no matter how much he complained (not out loud, of course) about his attempt to fake his death being discovered, the lack of need to lie made Light so freeing that he even breathed differently. There were many other reasons for this, including the permission not to communicate with Near. And perhaps the main one, which sounded like "I'm not Kira anymore," although that wasn't quite true.

You know my answer.

He rubbed his eyes and slowly rose. And yet, his thoughts were catching up with him. Distant thoughts about Sayu. Something about Nobu. And Montag…

Light swung his legs over the side of the bed and briefly stared at the floor. Surprisingly, the karaoke incident didn't bother him at all, even though he knew he'd acted stupidly. But sometimes people do stupid things, right? Bigwiggins's expression after this incident could hardly be described as overflowing with brilliant thoughts.

Speaking of Near, your guards and his aren't going to talk to each other. In fact, you're going to be on completely different floors. Also, Returner's out of that rotation. If Returner were actually working for Kira, well, he could have been a lot more effectual, let's put it that way... but he definitely trusts Near a bit too much. He's not really a big-picture kind of guy.

He put the thought of the guards aside for a bit. Of course, being under surveillance wasn't a particularly pleasant prospect, but one would think Light hadn't had time to get used to it. The main thing was that no one tried to pray in the hallway. What could you expect when it came to Near's people. And therefore, Kira's people. Or did his employees not quite understand who they were dealing with? At least, Returner was on the list of those who were mistaken. Very much so.

"Kira's followers are unhappy"... Well, that happens every time someone gains more rights.

He propped himself up on his elbow.

Bigwiggins stared, bewildered.

If we specifically told them not to, maybe, I guess? We have got hate-watchers, like, a guy on the afternoon talk show was hoping people would stop... submitting video surveys to become Kira, apparently that's the new craze?... and that made them immediately start doing it even harder. (The acting Kira's not killing those guys, by the way. Feels like a data point.)

Light shrugged awkwardly. Was that too much? That suggestion. Sure, he'd sometimes compared Bigwiggins to Ryuzaki, but they seemed to have radically different methods. Oh, so that's how L felt when he proposed his plans.

I'm just guessing. If we could do something massive and dangerous at the same time, we'd force Kira into a position where he'd be forced to look like a hypocrite. If his fans are criminally inclined, then he's falling into his own trap.

Light pursed his lips. He sat back down, and if he felt more confident, he'd start pacing the room. But so far, it hadn't come to that.

But we can't afford even a few casualties. Primarily for moral reasons. But also because Kira twists every event to his advantage. Maybe he's even waiting for riots to break out so he can blame NHN for them. Or, conversely, does he want the riots to be directed at NHN?

He sat in silence for a moment, then turned to Bigwiggins.

And...video.

Something restless flickered in his eyes, but it was still distant, because he couldn't form a thought.

And now, thanks to Near, he didn't have the facility to do anything about it...

In any case... we're the target. They're the fodder. I'd say Kira was flexible, but this Kira kind of isn't. Which makes him harder to predict, in a way, because he really might pass up his best chance more often than not.

He paused.

Light hugged himself. He wasn't afraid. Not yet. At this point, the plan was a big, terrifying assumption. An unprovable assumption. So he chose not to panic. After all, Bigwiggins could have replied, "No, that's not true." Because, yes, he was thinking too. Sorry, Bigwiggins, while you're thinking, Light couldn't keep quiet either.

And terrorism... yeah. Really plausible, because that had been the attempted narrative all along. The bus. The assassination. The tragedy of the Yagami family.

The outlines were becoming clearer. Just... this trial scenario...

Light's gaze momentarily lost its meaning, as if he'd been looking at Bigwiggins and now had drifted off somewhere behind him. This made Light straighten his back and curl his fingers slightly. Meaningless, but noticeable.

What did he mean? Be sincere? Said the man who'd looked at him with that gaze a couple of lines ago? Or something else? "When we're in separate rooms..."

Light hoped he'd be able to talk to many more people; he was practically starved for companionship. Or for the attention that was inextricably linked to his role as Kira. But there are other ways to gain respect, right? Like, not playing the role of a tyrant who ruined your life? You could win a chess competition instead, pfft. Or join the police. In the long run. Perhaps when Kira ends up in prison, Light will become a police officer. It would be better, of course, for Kira to die completely, because such bad people shouldn't walk this Earth. Ugh. His thoughts moved in the wrong direction.

He paused a moment, then a smile spread across his face.

Oh. Oh, I've got it.

He unzipped his laptop, sat down in the corner of the room, and began to type excitedly for about ten solid minutes before closing it with a flourish.

Light looked a little confused, but the anxiety gradually subsided. They were dangerously close to Light outright declaring that he would never behave "like that" outside of this room.. Of course, he intended to be sincere sometimes, because you could go crazy if you constantly lied. But reputation came first. If Light remained "like that," he'd be considered a coward. Or maybe they'd be foolish enough to imitate Near. "Oh, I'm afraid of Seiji Sako." What did Near even mean?

He'd been thinking about it for a long time, not realizing how much time had passed. And when Light heard Bigwiggins's voice again, he smiled awkwardly.

Yeah. Why not… Just give me a minute, okay?

...I'll ask him later why he decided to go to Australia, he added quietly. I think it was probably Montag's idea. And if it was, that gives us a better picture of what happened - when Montag twigged, why Near had to... but he's gonna be busy for a while, thanks to you. You are awesome, you know that?

Light sheepishly tucked a strand of hair near his temple. Bigwiggins and Montag had a stupid habit of praising him without reason. There was no judgment in the thought; Light was simply afraid of losing face after such words. On the other hand, Near really did have something to do right now. And not seeing him, not hearing about him, not thinking about him, that was a real gift.

He also noticed Bigwiggins's gaze (or rather, their eyes locked on each other in mutual anticipation). Light opened his mouth to say something, but turned abruptly and leaned toward the mini-fridge.

There must be something here.

He carefully examined the shelves, pursing his lips in mock thoughtfulness. Then Light realized that it was quite difficult to see his face from this angle, so his expression smoothed out for a moment.

And, um, if you must know...

He held out a bottle of water.

I'm not nervous. Of course, I don't like everything, but it could have been a lot worse. So...

Light pulled out a second bottle for himself and moved his palm back, as if about to clink glasses.

For something to celebrate.

He just wanted to stay here for a while. This wasn't going to be a final doorway, for either of them, but he didn't want to stand in it.

Er...

MopMaid2 stood awkwardly in the doorway, a camera stuffed obtrusively into his shirt.

Light looked around uncertainly, searching for the TV remote.

Speaking of which, he gestured to the bottle of water in Bigwiggins's hand, I was very close to drinking something other than coffee at karaoke.

Light turned back to the screen, hiding a small smile behind a sip of water. He probably wouldn't drink seriously, but the thought had crossed his mind. Besides, it was a little fun to think about.

He started flipping through the channels. It wasn't that Light was intentionally trying to avoid the news; he'd just accidentally missed them a couple of times and never looked back.

Welcome to the cooking show! Today we'll prepare a simple, quick, and delicious dish—pasta with tomatoes and basil. The host is at the stove, explaining step-by-step how to make the perfect dinner.

Next.

Today, two tennis players will face off in the sports arena!

Next.

Hello, Harinezumi no Luchika!

Next.

This is Kira speaking. The one and only God.

Nex…

What?

Light frowned, gripping the remote tighter. He'd changed the channel faster than he realized, but the voice continued speaking. The pause that the switch took shortened this speech a little, but…

…But what you're doing is meaningless. God can't "disappear". I can't disappear. Just as I can't be replaced. The body is dead, but I'm here.

The words were spoken by a male voice, whose owner, by subjective estimates, was between twenty and thirty years old.

…The people who challenge Kira are just…humans. I have no intention of wasting my time on them. I am the one who controls death. I am the one who protects the innocent. Since when have you questioned the actions of your God?

Identifying him was difficult due to the filter applied:

Light didn't immediately notice that his voice had grown quieter. It wasn't fear per se, because taking those words seriously even for a second would be like hiding under a roof because God couldn't see what was going on inside. He wiped his face with his palm, then realized he was clutching the water bottle so tightly that his fingers had turned a little white. No, it was…like fear. A little more like it than Light expected.

We can rule out you, anyway. And Near, for that matter...

You are living your last days.

You couldn't help but feel that in your marrow.

He almost said it. Almost. But if they assume this message is meant to clear Near of suspicion, the next person they call Kira will be Light again. For a moment, maybe even longer, they'll see this person as the real Kira. Because…

It sounds like…not a voice, but a delivery. It sounds like Him.

Because it wasn't a lie. It sounded exactly like the texts Light had read in public before. This speech was too reminiscent of Kira, the very first and true one.

He shook his head.

Kira's given plenty of people "last days." Whenever he needed to figure stuff out and set things in place before killing people. Announcing it... that's just a morale play. Because he thinks he needs it.

Bigwiggins clenched a fist.

We'll deal with the video surveys, and - and we're assuming the worst. About Montag. Leaning on DVD production really heavily today, to start with... otherwise? Just keep our heads to the ground. See what comes up.

Um. Recorded, definitely. No telling where... I guess we know the "when", probably yesterday, though today's still an outside chance, but... someone did deliver it. And probably not through the back door, either, the way it was with Sakura. At this point, if Kira had to sneak, they wouldn't believe it was Kira.

Yeah. We can start there, for sure.

The clock read 7:58, but Bigwiggins didn't take a step. A step would mean standing in the doorway. He just adjusted his cap.

Light didn't immediately notice that there was nothing in his hands. He clenched his fists, but it was a weak grip. He moved his index finger rapidly, trying to press into the inside of his palm. Yes, Kira had somehow conveyed this message. It's unlikely he did it personally (at least, he never did that before, and Light himself rarely came to the studios to convey something with the words "I'm Kira"), but it's still possible, of course. Did Kira send someone in his place? Probably. Did he send a shinigami to deliver the recording? Possibly. That would explain why the programs aired it so quickly. Although "today - yesterday" is hardly a quick turnaround.

But... Spiderkiller's a morning person. And even if he was away from the desk, don't forget: people have TiVo. There is zero chance this speech hasn't been recorded, so that part's a gimme.

The guard at the door cleared his throat politely.

Okay, Sako. The truth will out. Don't sweat, I know you'll do a fantastic job.

He mimed a fist-bump in Sako's general direction, realizing belatedly that his failure to stand in a doorway here didn't weigh much.

By the constant rustling last night, Bigwiggins didn't sleep restfully, and at this moment, he's giving up the job.

Ugh. He groped over the side of his bed for his day mask, fixed it on, and blinked at the alarm. Almost seven already... you think it's worth it to meet Near before we get going?

Unexpectedly, Light slept well. He didn't wake up once during the night and seemed much calmer when morning came. It seemed, no matter how much he complained (not out loud, of course) about his attempt to fake his death being discovered, the lack of need to lie made Light so freeing that he even breathed differently. There were many other reasons for this, including the permission not to communicate with Near. And perhaps the main one, which sounded like "I'm not Kira anymore," although that wasn't quite true.

You know my answer.

He rubbed his eyes and slowly rose. And yet, his thoughts were catching up with him. Distant thoughts about Sayu. Something about Nobu. And Montag…

Light swung his legs over the side of the bed and briefly stared at the floor. Surprisingly, the karaoke incident didn't bother him at all, even though he knew he'd acted stupidly. But sometimes people do stupid things, right? Bigwiggins's expression after this incident could hardly be described as overflowing with brilliant thoughts.

Speaking of Near, your guards and his aren't going to talk to each other. In fact, you're going to be on completely different floors. Also, Returner's out of that rotation. If Returner were actually working for Kira, well, he could have been a lot more effectual, let's put it that way... but he definitely trusts Near a bit too much. He's not really a big-picture kind of guy.

He put the thought of the guards aside for a bit. Of course, being under surveillance wasn't a particularly pleasant prospect, but one would think Light hadn't had time to get used to it. The main thing was that no one tried to pray in the hallway. What could you expect when it came to Near's people. And therefore, Kira's people. Or did his employees not quite understand who they were dealing with? At least, Returner was on the list of those who were mistaken. Very much so.

"Kira's followers are unhappy"... Well, that happens every time someone gains more rights.

He propped himself up on his elbow.

Bigwiggins stared, bewildered.

If we specifically told them not to, maybe, I guess? We have got hate-watchers, like, a guy on the afternoon talk show was hoping people would stop... submitting video surveys to become Kira, apparently that's the new craze?... and that made them immediately start doing it even harder. (The acting Kira's not killing those guys, by the way. Feels like a data point.)

Light shrugged awkwardly. Was that too much? That suggestion. Sure, he'd sometimes compared Bigwiggins to Ryuzaki, but they seemed to have radically different methods. Oh, so that's how L felt when he proposed his plans.

I'm just guessing. If we could do something massive and dangerous at the same time, we'd force Kira into a position where he'd be forced to look like a hypocrite. If his fans are criminally inclined, then he's falling into his own trap.

Light pursed his lips. He sat back down, and if he felt more confident, he'd start pacing the room. But so far, it hadn't come to that.

But we can't afford even a few casualties. Primarily for moral reasons. But also because Kira twists every event to his advantage. Maybe he's even waiting for riots to break out so he can blame NHN for them. Or, conversely, does he want the riots to be directed at NHN?

He sat in silence for a moment, then turned to Bigwiggins.

And...video.

Something restless flickered in his eyes, but it was still distant, because he couldn't form a thought.

And now, thanks to Near, he didn't have the facility to do anything about it...

In any case... we're the target. They're the fodder. I'd say Kira was flexible, but this Kira kind of isn't. Which makes him harder to predict, in a way, because he really might pass up his best chance more often than not.

He paused.

Light hugged himself. He wasn't afraid. Not yet. At this point, the plan was a big, terrifying assumption. An unprovable assumption. So he chose not to panic. After all, Bigwiggins could have replied, "No, that's not true." Because, yes, he was thinking too. Sorry, Bigwiggins, while you're thinking, Light couldn't keep quiet either.

And terrorism... yeah. Really plausible, because that had been the attempted narrative all along. The bus. The assassination. The tragedy of the Yagami family.

The outlines were becoming clearer. Just... this trial scenario...

Light's gaze momentarily lost its meaning, as if he'd been looking at Bigwiggins and now had drifted off somewhere behind him. This made Light straighten his back and curl his fingers slightly. Meaningless, but noticeable.

What did he mean? Be sincere? Said the man who'd looked at him with that gaze a couple of lines ago? Or something else? "When we're in separate rooms..."

Light hoped he'd be able to talk to many more people; he was practically starved for companionship. Or for the attention that was inextricably linked to his role as Kira. But there are other ways to gain respect, right? Like, not playing the role of a tyrant who ruined your life? You could win a chess competition instead, pfft. Or join the police. In the long run. Perhaps when Kira ends up in prison, Light will become a police officer. It would be better, of course, for Kira to die completely, because such bad people shouldn't walk this Earth. Ugh. His thoughts moved in the wrong direction.

He paused a moment, then a smile spread across his face.

Oh. Oh, I've got it.

He unzipped his laptop, sat down in the corner of the room, and began to type excitedly for about ten solid minutes before closing it with a flourish.

Light looked a little confused, but the anxiety gradually subsided. They were dangerously close to Light outright declaring that he would never behave "like that" outside of this room.. Of course, he intended to be sincere sometimes, because you could go crazy if you constantly lied. But reputation came first. If Light remained "like that," he'd be considered a coward. Or maybe they'd be foolish enough to imitate Near. "Oh, I'm afraid of Seiji Sako." What did Near even mean?

He'd been thinking about it for a long time, not realizing how much time had passed. And when Light heard Bigwiggins's voice again, he smiled awkwardly.

Yeah. Why not… Just give me a minute, okay?

...I'll ask him later why he decided to go to Australia, he added quietly. I think it was probably Montag's idea. And if it was, that gives us a better picture of what happened - when Montag twigged, why Near had to... but he's gonna be busy for a while, thanks to you. You are awesome, you know that?

Light sheepishly tucked a strand of hair near his temple. Bigwiggins and Montag had a stupid habit of praising him without reason. There was no judgment in the thought; Light was simply afraid of losing face after such words. On the other hand, Near really did have something to do right now. And not seeing him, not hearing about him, not thinking about him, that was a real gift.

He also noticed Bigwiggins's gaze (or rather, their eyes locked on each other in mutual anticipation). Light opened his mouth to say something, but turned abruptly and leaned toward the mini-fridge.

There must be something here.

He carefully examined the shelves, pursing his lips in mock thoughtfulness. Then Light realized that it was quite difficult to see his face from this angle, so his expression smoothed out for a moment.

And, um, if you must know...

He held out a bottle of water.

I'm not nervous. Of course, I don't like everything, but it could have been a lot worse. So...

Light pulled out a second bottle for himself and moved his palm back, as if about to clink glasses.

For something to celebrate.

He just wanted to stay here for a while. This wasn't going to be a final doorway, for either of them, but he didn't want to stand in it.

Er...

MopMaid2 stood awkwardly in the doorway, a camera stuffed obtrusively into his shirt.

Light looked around uncertainly, searching for the TV remote.

Speaking of which, he gestured to the bottle of water in Bigwiggins's hand, I was very close to drinking something other than coffee at karaoke.

Light turned back to the screen, hiding a small smile behind a sip of water. He probably wouldn't drink seriously, but the thought had crossed his mind. Besides, it was a little fun to think about.

He started flipping through the channels. It wasn't that Light was intentionally trying to avoid the news; he'd just accidentally missed them a couple of times and never looked back.

Welcome to the cooking show! Today we'll prepare a simple, quick, and delicious dish—pasta with tomatoes and basil. The host is at the stove, explaining step-by-step how to make the perfect dinner.

Next.

Today, two tennis players will face off in the sports arena!

Next.

Hello, Harinezumi no Luchika!

Next.

This is Kira speaking. The one and only God.

Nex…

What?

Light frowned, gripping the remote tighter. He'd changed the channel faster than he realized, but the voice continued speaking. The pause that the switch took shortened this speech a little, but…

…But what you're doing is meaningless. God can't "disappear". I can't disappear. Just as I can't be replaced. The body is dead, but I'm here.

The words were spoken by a male voice, whose owner, by subjective estimates, was between twenty and thirty years old.

…The people who challenge Kira are just…humans. I have no intention of wasting my time on them. I am the one who controls death. I am the one who protects the innocent. Since when have you questioned the actions of your God?

Identifying him was difficult due to the filter applied:

Light didn't immediately notice that his voice had grown quieter. It wasn't fear per se, because taking those words seriously even for a second would be like hiding under a roof because God couldn't see what was going on inside. He wiped his face with his palm, then realized he was clutching the water bottle so tightly that his fingers had turned a little white. No, it was…like fear. A little more like it than Light expected.

We can rule out you, anyway. And Near, for that matter...

You are living your last days.

You couldn't help but feel that in your marrow.

He almost said it. Almost. But if they assume this message is meant to clear Near of suspicion, the next person they call Kira will be Light again. For a moment, maybe even longer, they'll see this person as the real Kira. Because…

It sounds like…not a voice, but a delivery. It sounds like Him.

Because it wasn't a lie. It sounded exactly like the texts Light had read in public before. This speech was too reminiscent of Kira, the very first and true one.

He shook his head.

Kira's given plenty of people "last days." Whenever he needed to figure stuff out and set things in place before killing people. Announcing it... that's just a morale play. Because he thinks he needs it.

Bigwiggins clenched a fist.

We'll deal with the video surveys, and - and we're assuming the worst. About Montag. Leaning on DVD production really heavily today, to start with... otherwise? Just keep our heads to the ground. See what comes up.

Um. Recorded, definitely. No telling where... I guess we know the "when", probably yesterday, though today's still an outside chance, but... someone did deliver it. And probably not through the back door, either, the way it was with Sakura. At this point, if Kira had to sneak, they wouldn't believe it was Kira.

Yeah. We can start there, for sure.

The clock read 7:58, but Bigwiggins didn't take a step. A step would mean standing in the doorway. He just adjusted his cap.