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@sugawara89

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Before Sugawara took action, television networks began covering the results of a recent court hearing. According to the news, one defendant was executed in court immediately after the verdict was announced. The second received a prison sentence and was sent to a prison facility. Some networks and newspapers provided photographs and names, allowing the information to be verified, and...it was all true?
However, the problem was the public's mixed reaction to Kira's willingness to compromise. Some interpreted his decision as the result of a large bribe from the government, while others began talking about a "Kira double," but the latter theory was still on par with the existence of aliens. After all, the disappearance of a famous figure from the media consistently provoked reactions along the lines of "he was killed/replaced/created by reptilians," so fans of this theory had already been ridiculed. On the other hand, Kira's fans also faced criticism. Some for ceasing to believe in him, others for starting to do so. Not that society was ready for anything. As before, it was a discontented lump, alternately losing and gaining momentum. But the phrase favored by liberals during every change of power—"the closer the empire's collapse, the crazier its laws"—would clearly soon be back in vogue.
Hm.
While Sugawara was skilled at manipulating the masses, he, like any politician, had no intention of doing so himself. He was already taking a huge risk, not so much by assembling a "team" against Kira, but by doing so online. One more small act of timidity and Kira-2, Kira-3, or, oh, no, Kira-1, would be knocking on his door.
Sugawara turned around as if the thought had any direct meaning.
He took a deep breath before opening the "Savior Kira" website. There, among the many discussions, was a new post by a user named Pixel:
"You know what this kind of behavior is called? It's the 'not me, not you' tactic. When someone agrees to do something, but, fearing public reaction, makes the decision 50/50. So one defendant is alive. To please those who want to see change. And one defendant is dead. To please those who like Kira's policies. BUT!!! This isn't like Kira. Have you ever seen Kira justify himself? Do you remember Kira agreeing to anything against his will?"
"I'll never believe Kira was forced," Sugawara wrote anonymously.
Pixel:
In my previous posts, I explain in detail who could benefit from this.
And Kira just took the money? Seriously? Sugawara paused. He occasionally glanced at the man's posts, but in a world where police are allowed to shoot to kill at the sight of masked citizens, expressing one's opinion on the events was problematic. So Pixel's comments were more like emotional news reports without any conclusion. What segment of the population was Sugawara planning to incite? He finished the message and sent it with his eyes closed. Could God do that?
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. It was as if he'd patted a fly with his finger. But when Sugawara opened his eyes, Pixel's answer surprised him:
Never.
It's neutral enough, but... If they spread the rumors they want through Kira's fans, not his enemies, that would be wonderful.
Sugawara:
Then I don't understand.
Pixel:
Something definitely happened to Kira.
Sugawara:
Well, the criminal murders continue. I mean, the heart attacks are still there. So Kira's alive.
Pixel:
If this is still "our Kira."
Sugawara:
?
Pixel:
I don't believe what they said about his way of killing. I think it's some kind of hereditary power.
Sugawara:
"Hereditary"?
Pixel:
Ancient magic.
Oh.
Pixel:
Passed down from generation to generation. And what Kira's enemies are talking about is just a distraction.
Sugawara:
And?
Pixel:
"And" what?
Sugawara:
Are you saying Kira is now teaching his children to kill?
Pixel:
Why not?
"Why not"?! That's just nonsense.
Sugawara:
Kira wouldn't let his children make such mistakes.
Sugawara hated conspiracy theories.
Pixel:
You're right. If Kira isn't talking, then he's not here.
Sugawara:
So, Kira...?
Pixel:
Maybe. If so, then his son or daughter continued his work. Unsuccessfully. Because they weren't ready, I guess.
Sugawara:
Or because they killed him?
Pixel was silent for a long moment.
Pixel:
The current Kira killed...the previous Kira?
Sugawara had already started writing a message, but Pixel replied, "I'll think about it." When Sugawara hit "send," an error appeared. That's how he realized the post had been deleted. But it seemed like it would have an effect. Maybe...
MopMaid2: Wildly of-topic: pro-Kira troll account wierdly interesting today ★Scintillation★: Not surprised. There is a lot to discuss MopMaid2: I said *wildly off-topic* MopMaid2: They're startnig to notice Kira isn't home..... and they're blaming Kira-2 for it. BUT MopMaid2: They say that's Kira's kid. He'd haev mentioned a kid, right MopMaid3: maybe not, maybe the kid is too eeeevil TorchOfColumbia: Isn't Kira 22?? Spiderkiller: Probably not common knowledge. But he's not old enough to have a child in a position of governance, for sure. Why would they go that route? MopMaid2: Because "Bloodline mgaic." Not watching NHN rots your brain kids!! MopMaid3: so newest kira apologia is "kira: teenage babydaddy of '70s antichrist" MopMaid2: GET MM1 ON THAT NOW Spiderkiller: The important thing is that Kira-2 is losing support ★Scintillation★: "Bloodline magic..." What if they find out he has a sister. KnightOfSwords: I don't think they'll learn that if we don't tell them Spiderkiller: More more importantly, Kira-2 is coming under accusation for a crime they didn't commit ★Scintillation★: And that's... good Spiderkiller: Near thinks so ★Scintillation★: ... ★Scintillation★: no comment TorchOfColumbia: Near's pretty well proven himself by this point. (The electors are remaining anonymous BTW!!) [★Scintillation★ has left the room.] > TorchOfColumbia: ...Tactless. I'm sorry, everyone > > Spiderkiller: Montag's cultural commentary on the Internet weirdness would have been priceless KnightOfSwords: ...yeah
Sugawara rubbed his face wearily. He hadn't planned on following the discussions, given how long the lull had been. Sharing information required evidence and reasoning. What could he say now? That he'd accidentally started the myth about Kira's child? "Good morning. If you've seen the movie The Omen, then you know what's going on online"?
He refreshed the site for an hour, but nothing happened. However, when Sugawara decided to check the discussions a couple of hours later, he was greeted by dozens of videos. He had to scroll for at least a minute to get to the text. It turned out it all started with the comments:
Pixel: If new Kira is a child, how can we find him?
Anonymous★: The criminals' time of death. But do you really think it's a child? I mean, you're talking about a CHILD who goes to kindergarten or school or… Pixel: Do you think I'm an idiot? Anonymous♡: You're an idiot. Pixel: That's debatable. I'm the most popular Kira theorist. Anonymous♡: LOL. Anonymous★: So, what about the kid? It could be a student, for example. Anonymous♡: Or a teacher. Students and teachers have the same schedule. Anonymous▽: So how old is the kid-Kira? Anonymous♡: What time is the kindergarten open until? Pixel: OH MY GOD. Anonymous♡: Why aren't we considering kindergarten teachers? Pixel: ARE YOU TROLLING ME?
__
Anonymous♡: Okay. Let's start with how old Kira is. Anonymous★: That's the wrong category. And the wrong question. Anonymous♡: What? Pixel: He's right. Kira is a god, he has no age. Anonymous▽: But you're talking about him having parents, and they're some kind of magical clan. Anonymous♡: And he also has children. Anonymous▽: Okay, so how old could he be? Anonymous: 30? Anonymous♡: 25? Pixel: 48? Anonymous♡: 48 years old? Pixel: He might look young. Anonymous♡: Fuck you.
___
Pixel: Did Kira transfer his powers to someone he knows/relatives? Anonymous□: If so, then definitely to a woman. Anonymous★: Why? Anonymous□: Women are stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if a woman screwed everything up for us. Anonymous@: Maybe his mother? Anonymous★: How old are his parents? Pixel: No, it's hardly his mother. Anonymous★: Why? Pixel: She transferred the power to him herself before. Anonymous★: Okay. Realistic. Pixel: So it's definitely his daughter or sister. If we're talking about blood magic. Anonymous◎: What if you can transfer it to someone you know? Anonymous★: You're right. "All the people I transferred the power to are now dead," or something like that. Kira wouldn't kill his own family. Anonymous♡: What if they're criminals? Anonymous□: Kira comes from a family of criminals? Lol. Anonymous□: Mafia? Pixel: 👎👎👎👎
___
Anonymous◎: let's drop the blood topic. The idea that all the Kiras are related is nonsense. Otherwise, L would have told us about it a long time ago. Anonymous □: So, Kira can transfer her power to anyone. Pixel: Through some kind of ritual? Anonymous □: Probably. Pixel: Through blood? Anonymous◎: Dude. Anonymous♡: If not through blood, then I'm ready to offer myself to Kira's doppelganger. Anonymous: Who needs you lol Anonymous♡: I'm serious. Anonymous: Can I become Kira? Anonymous✿: Can I become Kira??? Anonymous♡: I'll write him a letter. Anonymous▽:PHHHY where are you going to write him? Anonymous♡: Well, post my portfolio here. Like the new Kira.
Pixel: Better to do it via video.
Anonymous♡: A video profile? Pixel: Yeah.
Sugawara took a deep breath. Okay, this needs to be told to Near. He wrote after a while, @near-n:
Good afternoon. I can hardly explain what's happening online; it's better for you to see it for yourself.
He included a link to the website, but it didn't seem to be very effective, as the "post a video questionnaire to become Kira" trend has migrated to other social networks and was noticeable almost everywhere.
Before Sugawara took action, television networks began covering the results of a recent court hearing. According to the news, one defendant was executed in court immediately after the verdict was announced. The second received a prison sentence and was sent to a prison facility. Some networks and newspapers provided photographs and names, allowing the information to be verified, and...it was all true?
However, the problem was the public's mixed reaction to Kira's willingness to compromise. Some interpreted his decision as the result of a large bribe from the government, while others began talking about a "Kira double," but the latter theory was still on par with the existence of aliens. After all, the disappearance of a famous figure from the media consistently provoked reactions along the lines of "he was killed/replaced/created by reptilians," so fans of this theory had already been ridiculed. On the other hand, Kira's fans also faced criticism. Some for ceasing to believe in him, others for starting to do so. Not that society was ready for anything. As before, it was a discontented lump, alternately losing and gaining momentum. But the phrase favored by liberals during every change of power—"the closer the empire's collapse, the crazier its laws"—would clearly soon be back in vogue.
Hm.
While Sugawara was skilled at manipulating the masses, he, like any politician, had no intention of doing so himself. He was already taking a huge risk, not so much by assembling a "team" against Kira, but by doing so online. One more small act of timidity and Kira-2, Kira-3, or, oh, no, Kira-1, would be knocking on his door.
Sugawara turned around as if the thought had any direct meaning.
He took a deep breath before opening the "Savior Kira" website. There, among the many discussions, was a new post by a user named Pixel:
"You know what this kind of behavior is called? It's the 'not me, not you' tactic. When someone agrees to do something, but, fearing public reaction, makes the decision 50/50. So one defendant is alive. To please those who want to see change. And one defendant is dead. To please those who like Kira's policies. BUT!!! This isn't like Kira. Have you ever seen Kira justify himself? Do you remember Kira agreeing to anything against his will?"
"I'll never believe Kira was forced," Sugawara wrote anonymously.
Pixel:
In my previous posts, I explain in detail who could benefit from this.
And Kira just took the money? Seriously? Sugawara paused. He occasionally glanced at the man's posts, but in a world where police are allowed to shoot to kill at the sight of masked citizens, expressing one's opinion on the events was problematic. So Pixel's comments were more like emotional news reports without any conclusion. What segment of the population was Sugawara planning to incite? He finished the message and sent it with his eyes closed. Could God do that?
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. It was as if he'd patted a fly with his finger. But when Sugawara opened his eyes, Pixel's answer surprised him:
Never.
It's neutral enough, but... If they spread the rumors they want through Kira's fans, not his enemies, that would be wonderful.
Sugawara:
Then I don't understand.
Pixel:
Something definitely happened to Kira.
Sugawara:
Well, the criminal murders continue. I mean, the heart attacks are still there. So Kira's alive.
Pixel:
If this is still "our Kira."
Sugawara:
?
Pixel:
I don't believe what they said about his way of killing. I think it's some kind of hereditary power.
Sugawara:
"Hereditary"?
Pixel:
Ancient magic.
Oh.
Pixel:
Passed down from generation to generation. And what Kira's enemies are talking about is just a distraction.
Sugawara:
And?
Pixel:
"And" what?
Sugawara:
Are you saying Kira is now teaching his children to kill?
Pixel:
Why not?
"Why not"?! That's just nonsense.
Sugawara:
Kira wouldn't let his children make such mistakes.
Sugawara hated conspiracy theories.
Pixel:
You're right. If Kira isn't talking, then he's not here.
Sugawara:
So, Kira...?
Pixel:
Maybe. If so, then his son or daughter continued his work. Unsuccessfully. Because they weren't ready, I guess.
Sugawara:
Or because they killed him?
Pixel was silent for a long moment.
Pixel:
The current Kira killed...the previous Kira?
Sugawara had already started writing a message, but Pixel replied, "I'll think about it." When Sugawara hit "send," an error appeared. That's how he realized the post had been deleted. But it seemed like it would have an effect. Maybe...
Good morning, Sugawara.
Last night's events can be described as falling on the pessimistic end of "expected." Montag knew the risks, and insisted on bearing them himself. And Lady Phantasme is, as I assured you, in hand.
However, a fresh complication's come up, and I'm afraid the time window may be shorter than we bargained for. There are details to sort out on this end, but the main probability is that we should be prepared to broadcast our message at a moment's notice. Fortunately, you should have no trouble presenting yourself as someone with Kira's best interests at heart.
Most troublesome is the outside chance that Kira-2 has settled into the throne, but there's a course of action that works for all purposes. You should work in the background and start a low-level murmur of sympathetic concern about Kira's failure to publicly appear, with an emphasis on the possibility that the current Kira may not really be Kira at all. The self-preservation instinct should suffice to keep these rumors on a slow simmer, but meanwhile, your concern will be quietly known to the key people, and we may present our message as coming from one of them.
Good morning.
At this point, Kira's reputation is already surrounded by such rumors. However, society isn't warmed up enough to accept this version of events. I've seen people assume that Kira "sold out to the authorities" or "lost influence." They seem to believe this more, even though I noticed a study comparing "the day Kira disappeared from television" to increased activity by various figures and institutions. I can write to the author of that study. Anonymously, of course, but that would also mean we'd need to blame someone. However, even without that, society needs to find the culprit and punish them. I can't rule out the possibility that our plan will lead to lynchings or online conspiracies. Or that NHN will be directly blamed. How can I protect myself from that?
"Key people." It would be awkward if...
And I'd like to clarify who you mean by "key people." Who exactly.
Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
So far as I can tell, it's an ambiguous state of affairs. The events intended to lead to the hearing bear all Kira's hallmarks - meaning, of course, that he left detailed instructions - but we have strong reason to believe the hearing was a backup plan, and it's obvious the resignations and audio sessions would never have been allowed by the original Kira.
But I think I'm to understand that the timing of the contract is something you know for a fact. That is indeed suggestive concerning Kira-2. I'd be interested in the exact date.
The contracts were signed on November 5th. Those who wanted to share information with me mentioned this date. Almost all the politicians who responded to my call for unity were Japanese, but I received complaints from other countries as well. Unfortunately, because they couldn't offer a face-to-face meeting, I was forced to decline. In our situation, the excuse of "flying in from another country to discuss the environment" sounds ridiculous. And maintaining contact remotely is like sitting in the dark, hearing a roar, and wondering if it's a TV or a real tiger.
But what I noticed from our brief conversations: even though the contract was signed around the same time, its term ends differently for each politician. Some are forced to "agree with Kira" for one year, some for two, some for three, and so on.
The date would be suggestive concerning Kira-2, but the long-term loyalty tests are the clincher, in my view. That level of forward thinking and confidence belongs to Kira-1. Near had changed out his action figures, as it always helped to keep ideas fresh, but all he did was hover a discolored Barbie mirror in front of the Kuja figurine's face.
There's a psychological insight into Kira if ever there was one. He had the confidence to wait three years to test the sincerity of politicians worldwide, but he couldn't wait three weeks, until a date the public would actually understand, to further cement his godhood. Well, after all, a notebook alone can't make for a full apotheosis. Not unless you want to deify Higuchi into the bargain...
Still.
He expected to have disposed of us after the interview, but failed to give Kira-2 adequate warning to change course on that point when they implemented the backup. Perhaps he didn't fully account for Lady Phantasme, or our own accounting for her?
Considering the interview as Plan A... Hm.
"Confidence"...
Perhaps we should strike at Kira's confidence. If Kira-2 truly possesses instructions—and if he truly is a politician—then he expects absolute compliance with his reforms, yet he is unprepared for a simple "no." Let's assume he might overlook an act of defiance, or perhaps eliminate a single traitor. But if all the politicians were to rise against him simultaneously, it would completely derail his plans. At that point, Kira-2 would be forced to make a public statement. However, I prefer to believe that by pursuing this course of action, we will simply destroy him.
And Lady Phantasme... I don't think Kira-1 considered her a formidable enemy. As for Kira-2—judging by the absence of any attempts to get rid of her—he is either similarly inclined to ignore her, or he fears her.
Mr. Sugawara, I'm afraid I have a confession to make.
From the moment you chose a general email as your preferred method of contact, I knew I was mistaken in my assessment of your identity. I'm afraid I've had a little fun with you on that account, but at this point it would be dangerous not to come clean. The person I mistook you for would never have missed the flaw in this reasoning, but I'm a little surprised that even you overlooked it.
Am I correct in understanding that those who contacted you had no particular distribution in the length of their contracts?
Sugawara frowned, staring ahead for a long moment. "Little fun"? He'd replayed the conversation in his head at least four times, but a flaw... Ugh?
For a moment, the confusion became so intense that it touched another emotion: fear. This person wasn't Kira, but what if Sugawara really was that easy to catch? What if it was Kira after all? Or not? Or yes? Or no?
...What flaw are you talking about?
He took a deep breath, hoping his choice of words wouldn't raise any unnecessary questions. Now wasn't the time for games. Even if Sugawara was wrong, that was perfectly normal. It's not every day that politicians encounter problems on the level of "magic power killing people." Of course, he lacked information. On the other hand, he'd already screwed up his court hearing plan. If you say and do stupid things so often, you could lose all credibility.
He wiped his face with his sleeve. Forehead was a little sore.
And, yes, you understand me correctly.
We can grant outliers, but those who have been in touch with you would, overwhelmingly, be dissidents. Yet their term of obedience doesn't skew either toward the long side (a long sentence) or toward the short side (a short period of review.) It's a purely flat distribution.
In other words, it doesn't matter to Kira to whom he assigns any one contract. As we both know that the political class as a whole is more burden than asset to him... I hypothesize that his intent is to weed out dissenters across the year, then kill the rest at a stroke. And I wouldn't be surprised to find an international holiday installed to mark the occasion. Near wrinkled his nose. (I base this assessment of the timing on the information accessed by my acquaintance, whom I now deem likely to be dead. But I've been wrong before, and I don't intend to compromise him.)
And I mean this regardless of the stated length of contract. If only the first batch is executed after their year is up, it doesn't take Kira's insight to foresee how the rest of the politicians might take it.
All told, I'm glad that that's not currently our problem. Observer representatives report that ex-Senator Fredericksen remains alive, and we have had no other reports of political executions, which means it's fairly safe to assume that Kira-2 is keeping hands off the matter unless and until Kira finds his way out of the corner he's in. We have no intention of letting that happen.
When it comes to Kira, the words "kill dissidents" and "get rid of someone within a year" aren't just assumptions, they're facts.
Sugawara paused. Even though he found the phrases convincing and even a little brazen, he felt close to suffocating. How long did he have left to live?
But he can't kill all the dissidents at once. The politicians who contacted me don't know each other's faces. Consequently, they don't know mine either. Sorry for jumping around, but this got me thinking: does Kira-2 know he's the only one handling the matter? Could we lure him out by claiming to be Kira-3?
And I propose not just destroying Kira-2, but using him as an example to bully Kira-1. If we create public sentiment hostile to Kira-1, even if he returns, he won't be able to do anything. Kira-1 is dependent on public opinion. If we destroy that opinion through Kira-2, Kira-1 will cry like a little girl.
"Kira-3"... I've realized it's not entirely safe to assume there are only two notebooks. But it would be foolhardy in the extreme to assume the existence of more, if it happens not to be so. Not to mention the possibility of impersonating someone Kira-2 would know better than we do. Let's scratch that off the board.
But I'm very interested in your ideas regarding a renewed sea change in public opinion. Bear in mind: if we achieve the bare minimum of success, Lady Phantasme will no longer be a factor giving us leverage, but the rumbles I'm hearing around Ayame Asaoka's name change show that she's not going to be much more use to us in that regard anyway. What do you propose?
Kira-3... Yes, they'll have problems if it turns out that Kira-2 and Kira-3 know each other personally. It's unlikely that Kira-1 chose them as friends and allies, but outside of his control, they could easily get along. So Near is right. Better to be cautious.
As we can see, society tends to forgive Kira everything. I'm monitoring what's being published about his murder methods. And I'm inclined to believe that society knows perfectly well that Kira killed Tanakabara. But for some reason, they don't care. So we need to find a line that will cause public unrest. Maybe we need to create a problem Kira can't solve. Or show that he has no power. I suggest we stop publishing real news and instead invent a colossal number of stories that can't be verified. Publish them from various sources. If Kira says, "None of this is true," no one will believe him. And society will conclude that for some reason Kira-2 can no longer kill criminals. And that's the only reason people love him. And the only reason to fear him. If, after this statement, he decides to kill protesters, it will be the same as saying, "Now I only kill civilians."
Real news shouldn't cease. The chief advantage NHN has had to date is that they put out the truth where no one else will. For instance, the figures for viewing shares are no longer being published, which I will take as a sign that NHN is enjoying more success than anyone would want to admit.
Still, I think you're onto something here. If a long-term solution does end up being required, let's take a leaf out of the books for Overlord and Mincemeat and gin up a crisis that never was. And build in deniability. If worst comes to worst, we can cast the blame on a more or less fictitious contributor.
Well, if I were proposing this solution solely within NHN, it would be safe to say I'm Kira-2 or Kira-3. Or Kira-4. It doesn't matter. I understand perfectly well that publishing false information would destroy NHN's reputation. Therefore, I propose a plan in which all TV channels publish news stories with fictitious events and names. It doesn't necessarily have to be something large-scale. It's enough for society to know that the crimes are continuing, and Kira-2 can't stop them, even seeing names and faces.
I have enough influence to force other channels and newspapers to do this. But the problem is, I can't guarantee there won't be any leaks. Kira fanatics are likely present on other channels, and they'll start whining online that "evil Sugawara forced them to publish nonsense."
Anyway, consider this option if there's no better plan. But it's better to think about this quickly, because I'm afraid that Kira-1 will return suddenly and unprofitably.
There's a better plan, and I gather from what you've just said that you can help me with it. We'll talk further in the morning.
As you see fit.
Sugawara signed, but it seemed he had no choice. True, this was exactly what he's been dreading: he hates having to negotiate with anyone. We'll see how this plays out...

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Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
So far as I can tell, it's an ambiguous state of affairs. The events intended to lead to the hearing bear all Kira's hallmarks - meaning, of course, that he left detailed instructions - but we have strong reason to believe the hearing was a backup plan, and it's obvious the resignations and audio sessions would never have been allowed by the original Kira.
But I think I'm to understand that the timing of the contract is something you know for a fact. That is indeed suggestive concerning Kira-2. I'd be interested in the exact date.
The contracts were signed on November 5th. Those who wanted to share information with me mentioned this date. Almost all the politicians who responded to my call for unity were Japanese, but I received complaints from other countries as well. Unfortunately, because they couldn't offer a face-to-face meeting, I was forced to decline. In our situation, the excuse of "flying in from another country to discuss the environment" sounds ridiculous. And maintaining contact remotely is like sitting in the dark, hearing a roar, and wondering if it's a TV or a real tiger.
But what I noticed from our brief conversations: even though the contract was signed around the same time, its term ends differently for each politician. Some are forced to "agree with Kira" for one year, some for two, some for three, and so on.
The date would be suggestive concerning Kira-2, but the long-term loyalty tests are the clincher, in my view. That level of forward thinking and confidence belongs to Kira-1. Near had changed out his action figures, as it always helped to keep ideas fresh, but all he did was hover a discolored Barbie mirror in front of the Kuja figurine's face.
There's a psychological insight into Kira if ever there was one. He had the confidence to wait three years to test the sincerity of politicians worldwide, but he couldn't wait three weeks, until a date the public would actually understand, to further cement his godhood. Well, after all, a notebook alone can't make for a full apotheosis. Not unless you want to deify Higuchi into the bargain...
Still.
He expected to have disposed of us after the interview, but failed to give Kira-2 adequate warning to change course on that point when they implemented the backup. Perhaps he didn't fully account for Lady Phantasme, or our own accounting for her?
Considering the interview as Plan A... Hm.
"Confidence"...
Perhaps we should strike at Kira's confidence. If Kira-2 truly possesses instructions—and if he truly is a politician—then he expects absolute compliance with his reforms, yet he is unprepared for a simple "no." Let's assume he might overlook an act of defiance, or perhaps eliminate a single traitor. But if all the politicians were to rise against him simultaneously, it would completely derail his plans. At that point, Kira-2 would be forced to make a public statement. However, I prefer to believe that by pursuing this course of action, we will simply destroy him.
And Lady Phantasme... I don't think Kira-1 considered her a formidable enemy. As for Kira-2—judging by the absence of any attempts to get rid of her—he is either similarly inclined to ignore her, or he fears her.
Mr. Sugawara, I'm afraid I have a confession to make.
From the moment you chose a general email as your preferred method of contact, I knew I was mistaken in my assessment of your identity. I'm afraid I've had a little fun with you on that account, but at this point it would be dangerous not to come clean. The person I mistook you for would never have missed the flaw in this reasoning, but I'm a little surprised that even you overlooked it.
Am I correct in understanding that those who contacted you had no particular distribution in the length of their contracts?
Sugawara frowned, staring ahead for a long moment. "Little fun"? He'd replayed the conversation in his head at least four times, but a flaw... Ugh?
For a moment, the confusion became so intense that it touched another emotion: fear. This person wasn't Kira, but what if Sugawara really was that easy to catch? What if it was Kira after all? Or not? Or yes? Or no?
...What flaw are you talking about?
He took a deep breath, hoping his choice of words wouldn't raise any unnecessary questions. Now wasn't the time for games. Even if Sugawara was wrong, that was perfectly normal. It's not every day that politicians encounter problems on the level of "magic power killing people." Of course, he lacked information. On the other hand, he'd already screwed up his court hearing plan. If you say and do stupid things so often, you could lose all credibility.
He wiped his face with his sleeve. Forehead was a little sore.
And, yes, you understand me correctly.
We can grant outliers, but those who have been in touch with you would, overwhelmingly, be dissidents. Yet their term of obedience doesn't skew either toward the long side (a long sentence) or toward the short side (a short period of review.) It's a purely flat distribution.
In other words, it doesn't matter to Kira to whom he assigns any one contract. As we both know that the political class as a whole is more burden than asset to him... I hypothesize that his intent is to weed out dissenters across the year, then kill the rest at a stroke. And I wouldn't be surprised to find an international holiday installed to mark the occasion. Near wrinkled his nose. (I base this assessment of the timing on the information accessed by my acquaintance, whom I now deem likely to be dead. But I've been wrong before, and I don't intend to compromise him.)
And I mean this regardless of the stated length of contract. If only the first batch is executed after their year is up, it doesn't take Kira's insight to foresee how the rest of the politicians might take it.
All told, I'm glad that that's not currently our problem. Observer representatives report that ex-Senator Fredericksen remains alive, and we have had no other reports of political executions, which means it's fairly safe to assume that Kira-2 is keeping hands off the matter unless and until Kira finds his way out of the corner he's in. We have no intention of letting that happen.
When it comes to Kira, the words "kill dissidents" and "get rid of someone within a year" aren't just assumptions, they're facts.
Sugawara paused. Even though he found the phrases convincing and even a little brazen, he felt close to suffocating. How long did he have left to live?
But he can't kill all the dissidents at once. The politicians who contacted me don't know each other's faces. Consequently, they don't know mine either. Sorry for jumping around, but this got me thinking: does Kira-2 know he's the only one handling the matter? Could we lure him out by claiming to be Kira-3?
And I propose not just destroying Kira-2, but using him as an example to bully Kira-1. If we create public sentiment hostile to Kira-1, even if he returns, he won't be able to do anything. Kira-1 is dependent on public opinion. If we destroy that opinion through Kira-2, Kira-1 will cry like a little girl.
"Kira-3"... I've realized it's not entirely safe to assume there are only two notebooks. But it would be foolhardy in the extreme to assume the existence of more, if it happens not to be so. Not to mention the possibility of impersonating someone Kira-2 would know better than we do. Let's scratch that off the board.
But I'm very interested in your ideas regarding a renewed sea change in public opinion. Bear in mind: if we achieve the bare minimum of success, Lady Phantasme will no longer be a factor giving us leverage, but the rumbles I'm hearing around Ayame Asaoka's name change show that she's not going to be much more use to us in that regard anyway. What do you propose?
Kira-3... Yes, they'll have problems if it turns out that Kira-2 and Kira-3 know each other personally. It's unlikely that Kira-1 chose them as friends and allies, but outside of his control, they could easily get along. So Near is right. Better to be cautious.
As we can see, society tends to forgive Kira everything. I'm monitoring what's being published about his murder methods. And I'm inclined to believe that society knows perfectly well that Kira killed Tanakabara. But for some reason, they don't care. So we need to find a line that will cause public unrest. Maybe we need to create a problem Kira can't solve. Or show that he has no power. I suggest we stop publishing real news and instead invent a colossal number of stories that can't be verified. Publish them from various sources. If Kira says, "None of this is true," no one will believe him. And society will conclude that for some reason Kira-2 can no longer kill criminals. And that's the only reason people love him. And the only reason to fear him. If, after this statement, he decides to kill protesters, it will be the same as saying, "Now I only kill civilians."
Real news shouldn't cease. The chief advantage NHN has had to date is that they put out the truth where no one else will. For instance, the figures for viewing shares are no longer being published, which I will take as a sign that NHN is enjoying more success than anyone would want to admit.
Still, I think you're onto something here. If a long-term solution does end up being required, let's take a leaf out of the books for Overlord and Mincemeat and gin up a crisis that never was. And build in deniability. If worst comes to worst, we can cast the blame on a more or less fictitious contributor.
Well, if I were proposing this solution solely within NHN, it would be safe to say I'm Kira-2 or Kira-3. Or Kira-4. It doesn't matter. I understand perfectly well that publishing false information would destroy NHN's reputation. Therefore, I propose a plan in which all TV channels publish news stories with fictitious events and names. It doesn't necessarily have to be something large-scale. It's enough for society to know that the crimes are continuing, and Kira-2 can't stop them, even seeing names and faces.
I have enough influence to force other channels and newspapers to do this. But the problem is, I can't guarantee there won't be any leaks. Kira fanatics are likely present on other channels, and they'll start whining online that "evil Sugawara forced them to publish nonsense."
Anyway, consider this option if there's no better plan. But it's better to think about this quickly, because I'm afraid that Kira-1 will return suddenly and unprofitably.
Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
So far as I can tell, it's an ambiguous state of affairs. The events intended to lead to the hearing bear all Kira's hallmarks - meaning, of course, that he left detailed instructions - but we have strong reason to believe the hearing was a backup plan, and it's obvious the resignations and audio sessions would never have been allowed by the original Kira.
But I think I'm to understand that the timing of the contract is something you know for a fact. That is indeed suggestive concerning Kira-2. I'd be interested in the exact date.
The contracts were signed on November 5th. Those who wanted to share information with me mentioned this date. Almost all the politicians who responded to my call for unity were Japanese, but I received complaints from other countries as well. Unfortunately, because they couldn't offer a face-to-face meeting, I was forced to decline. In our situation, the excuse of "flying in from another country to discuss the environment" sounds ridiculous. And maintaining contact remotely is like sitting in the dark, hearing a roar, and wondering if it's a TV or a real tiger.
But what I noticed from our brief conversations: even though the contract was signed around the same time, its term ends differently for each politician. Some are forced to "agree with Kira" for one year, some for two, some for three, and so on.
The date would be suggestive concerning Kira-2, but the long-term loyalty tests are the clincher, in my view. That level of forward thinking and confidence belongs to Kira-1. Near had changed out his action figures, as it always helped to keep ideas fresh, but all he did was hover a discolored Barbie mirror in front of the Kuja figurine's face.
There's a psychological insight into Kira if ever there was one. He had the confidence to wait three years to test the sincerity of politicians worldwide, but he couldn't wait three weeks, until a date the public would actually understand, to further cement his godhood. Well, after all, a notebook alone can't make for a full apotheosis. Not unless you want to deify Higuchi into the bargain...
Still.
He expected to have disposed of us after the interview, but failed to give Kira-2 adequate warning to change course on that point when they implemented the backup. Perhaps he didn't fully account for Lady Phantasme, or our own accounting for her?
Considering the interview as Plan A... Hm.
"Confidence"...
Perhaps we should strike at Kira's confidence. If Kira-2 truly possesses instructions—and if he truly is a politician—then he expects absolute compliance with his reforms, yet he is unprepared for a simple "no." Let's assume he might overlook an act of defiance, or perhaps eliminate a single traitor. But if all the politicians were to rise against him simultaneously, it would completely derail his plans. At that point, Kira-2 would be forced to make a public statement. However, I prefer to believe that by pursuing this course of action, we will simply destroy him.
And Lady Phantasme... I don't think Kira-1 considered her a formidable enemy. As for Kira-2—judging by the absence of any attempts to get rid of her—he is either similarly inclined to ignore her, or he fears her.
Mr. Sugawara, I'm afraid I have a confession to make.
From the moment you chose a general email as your preferred method of contact, I knew I was mistaken in my assessment of your identity. I'm afraid I've had a little fun with you on that account, but at this point it would be dangerous not to come clean. The person I mistook you for would never have missed the flaw in this reasoning, but I'm a little surprised that even you overlooked it.
Am I correct in understanding that those who contacted you had no particular distribution in the length of their contracts?
Sugawara frowned, staring ahead for a long moment. "Little fun"? He'd replayed the conversation in his head at least four times, but a flaw... Ugh?
For a moment, the confusion became so intense that it touched another emotion: fear. This person wasn't Kira, but what if Sugawara really was that easy to catch? What if it was Kira after all? Or not? Or yes? Or no?
...What flaw are you talking about?
He took a deep breath, hoping his choice of words wouldn't raise any unnecessary questions. Now wasn't the time for games. Even if Sugawara was wrong, that was perfectly normal. It's not every day that politicians encounter problems on the level of "magic power killing people." Of course, he lacked information. On the other hand, he'd already screwed up his court hearing plan. If you say and do stupid things so often, you could lose all credibility.
He wiped his face with his sleeve. Forehead was a little sore.
And, yes, you understand me correctly.
We can grant outliers, but those who have been in touch with you would, overwhelmingly, be dissidents. Yet their term of obedience doesn't skew either toward the long side (a long sentence) or toward the short side (a short period of review.) It's a purely flat distribution.
In other words, it doesn't matter to Kira to whom he assigns any one contract. As we both know that the political class as a whole is more burden than asset to him... I hypothesize that his intent is to weed out dissenters across the year, then kill the rest at a stroke. And I wouldn't be surprised to find an international holiday installed to mark the occasion. Near wrinkled his nose. (I base this assessment of the timing on the information accessed by my acquaintance, whom I now deem likely to be dead. But I've been wrong before, and I don't intend to compromise him.)
And I mean this regardless of the stated length of contract. If only the first batch is executed after their year is up, it doesn't take Kira's insight to foresee how the rest of the politicians might take it.
All told, I'm glad that that's not currently our problem. Observer representatives report that ex-Senator Fredericksen remains alive, and we have had no other reports of political executions, which means it's fairly safe to assume that Kira-2 is keeping hands off the matter unless and until Kira finds his way out of the corner he's in. We have no intention of letting that happen.
When it comes to Kira, the words "kill dissidents" and "get rid of someone within a year" aren't just assumptions, they're facts.
Sugawara paused. Even though he found the phrases convincing and even a little brazen, he felt close to suffocating. How long did he have left to live?
But he can't kill all the dissidents at once. The politicians who contacted me don't know each other's faces. Consequently, they don't know mine either. Sorry for jumping around, but this got me thinking: does Kira-2 know he's the only one handling the matter? Could we lure him out by claiming to be Kira-3?
And I propose not just destroying Kira-2, but using him as an example to bully Kira-1. If we create public sentiment hostile to Kira-1, even if he returns, he won't be able to do anything. Kira-1 is dependent on public opinion. If we destroy that opinion through Kira-2, Kira-1 will cry like a little girl.
"Kira-3"... I've realized it's not entirely safe to assume there are only two notebooks. But it would be foolhardy in the extreme to assume the existence of more, if it happens not to be so. Not to mention the possibility of impersonating someone Kira-2 would know better than we do. Let's scratch that off the board.
But I'm very interested in your ideas regarding a renewed sea change in public opinion. Bear in mind: if we achieve the bare minimum of success, Lady Phantasme will no longer be a factor giving us leverage, but the rumbles I'm hearing around Ayame Asaoka's name change show that she's not going to be much more use to us in that regard anyway. What do you propose?
Kira-3... Yes, they'll have problems if it turns out that Kira-2 and Kira-3 know each other personally. It's unlikely that Kira-1 chose them as friends and allies, but outside of his control, they could easily get along. So Near is right. Better to be cautious.
As we can see, society tends to forgive Kira everything. I'm monitoring what's being published about his murder methods. And I'm inclined to believe that society knows perfectly well that Kira killed Tanakabara. But for some reason, they don't care. So we need to find a line that will cause public unrest. Maybe we need to create a problem Kira can't solve. Or show that he has no power. I suggest we stop publishing real news and instead invent a colossal number of stories that can't be verified. Publish them from various sources. If Kira says, "None of this is true," no one will believe him. And society will conclude that for some reason Kira-2 can no longer kill criminals. And that's the only reason people love him. And the only reason to fear him. If, after this statement, he decides to kill protesters, it will be the same as saying, "Now I only kill civilians."
Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
So far as I can tell, it's an ambiguous state of affairs. The events intended to lead to the hearing bear all Kira's hallmarks - meaning, of course, that he left detailed instructions - but we have strong reason to believe the hearing was a backup plan, and it's obvious the resignations and audio sessions would never have been allowed by the original Kira.
But I think I'm to understand that the timing of the contract is something you know for a fact. That is indeed suggestive concerning Kira-2. I'd be interested in the exact date.
The contracts were signed on November 5th. Those who wanted to share information with me mentioned this date. Almost all the politicians who responded to my call for unity were Japanese, but I received complaints from other countries as well. Unfortunately, because they couldn't offer a face-to-face meeting, I was forced to decline. In our situation, the excuse of "flying in from another country to discuss the environment" sounds ridiculous. And maintaining contact remotely is like sitting in the dark, hearing a roar, and wondering if it's a TV or a real tiger.
But what I noticed from our brief conversations: even though the contract was signed around the same time, its term ends differently for each politician. Some are forced to "agree with Kira" for one year, some for two, some for three, and so on.
The date would be suggestive concerning Kira-2, but the long-term loyalty tests are the clincher, in my view. That level of forward thinking and confidence belongs to Kira-1. Near had changed out his action figures, as it always helped to keep ideas fresh, but all he did was hover a discolored Barbie mirror in front of the Kuja figurine's face.
There's a psychological insight into Kira if ever there was one. He had the confidence to wait three years to test the sincerity of politicians worldwide, but he couldn't wait three weeks, until a date the public would actually understand, to further cement his godhood. Well, after all, a notebook alone can't make for a full apotheosis. Not unless you want to deify Higuchi into the bargain...
Still.
He expected to have disposed of us after the interview, but failed to give Kira-2 adequate warning to change course on that point when they implemented the backup. Perhaps he didn't fully account for Lady Phantasme, or our own accounting for her?
Considering the interview as Plan A... Hm.
"Confidence"...
Perhaps we should strike at Kira's confidence. If Kira-2 truly possesses instructions—and if he truly is a politician—then he expects absolute compliance with his reforms, yet he is unprepared for a simple "no." Let's assume he might overlook an act of defiance, or perhaps eliminate a single traitor. But if all the politicians were to rise against him simultaneously, it would completely derail his plans. At that point, Kira-2 would be forced to make a public statement. However, I prefer to believe that by pursuing this course of action, we will simply destroy him.
And Lady Phantasme... I don't think Kira-1 considered her a formidable enemy. As for Kira-2—judging by the absence of any attempts to get rid of her—he is either similarly inclined to ignore her, or he fears her.
Mr. Sugawara, I'm afraid I have a confession to make.
From the moment you chose a general email as your preferred method of contact, I knew I was mistaken in my assessment of your identity. I'm afraid I've had a little fun with you on that account, but at this point it would be dangerous not to come clean. The person I mistook you for would never have missed the flaw in this reasoning, but I'm a little surprised that even you overlooked it.
Am I correct in understanding that those who contacted you had no particular distribution in the length of their contracts?
Sugawara frowned, staring ahead for a long moment. "Little fun"? He'd replayed the conversation in his head at least four times, but a flaw... Ugh?
For a moment, the confusion became so intense that it touched another emotion: fear. This person wasn't Kira, but what if Sugawara really was that easy to catch? What if it was Kira after all? Or not? Or yes? Or no?
...What flaw are you talking about?
He took a deep breath, hoping his choice of words wouldn't raise any unnecessary questions. Now wasn't the time for games. Even if Sugawara was wrong, that was perfectly normal. It's not every day that politicians encounter problems on the level of "magic power killing people." Of course, he lacked information. On the other hand, he'd already screwed up his court hearing plan. If you say and do stupid things so often, you could lose all credibility.
He wiped his face with his sleeve. Forehead was a little sore.
And, yes, you understand me correctly.
We can grant outliers, but those who have been in touch with you would, overwhelmingly, be dissidents. Yet their term of obedience doesn't skew either toward the long side (a long sentence) or toward the short side (a short period of review.) It's a purely flat distribution.
In other words, it doesn't matter to Kira to whom he assigns any one contract. As we both know that the political class as a whole is more burden than asset to him... I hypothesize that his intent is to weed out dissenters across the year, then kill the rest at a stroke. And I wouldn't be surprised to find an international holiday installed to mark the occasion. Near wrinkled his nose. (I base this assessment of the timing on the information accessed by my acquaintance, whom I now deem likely to be dead. But I've been wrong before, and I don't intend to compromise him.)
And I mean this regardless of the stated length of contract. If only the first batch is executed after their year is up, it doesn't take Kira's insight to foresee how the rest of the politicians might take it.
All told, I'm glad that that's not currently our problem. Observer representatives report that ex-Senator Fredericksen remains alive, and we have had no other reports of political executions, which means it's fairly safe to assume that Kira-2 is keeping hands off the matter unless and until Kira finds his way out of the corner he's in. We have no intention of letting that happen.
When it comes to Kira, the words "kill dissidents" and "get rid of someone within a year" aren't just assumptions, they're facts.
Sugawara paused. Even though he found the phrases convincing and even a little brazen, he felt close to suffocating. How long did he have left to live?
But he can't kill all the dissidents at once. The politicians who contacted me don't know each other's faces. Consequently, they don't know mine either. Sorry for jumping around, but this got me thinking: does Kira-2 know he's the only one handling the matter? Could we lure him out by claiming to be Kira-3?
And I propose not just destroying Kira-2, but using him as an example to bully Kira-1. If we create public sentiment hostile to Kira-1, even if he returns, he won't be able to do anything. Kira-1 is dependent on public opinion. If we destroy that opinion through Kira-2, Kira-1 will cry like a little girl.
Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
So far as I can tell, it's an ambiguous state of affairs. The events intended to lead to the hearing bear all Kira's hallmarks - meaning, of course, that he left detailed instructions - but we have strong reason to believe the hearing was a backup plan, and it's obvious the resignations and audio sessions would never have been allowed by the original Kira.
But I think I'm to understand that the timing of the contract is something you know for a fact. That is indeed suggestive concerning Kira-2. I'd be interested in the exact date.
The contracts were signed on November 5th. Those who wanted to share information with me mentioned this date. Almost all the politicians who responded to my call for unity were Japanese, but I received complaints from other countries as well. Unfortunately, because they couldn't offer a face-to-face meeting, I was forced to decline. In our situation, the excuse of "flying in from another country to discuss the environment" sounds ridiculous. And maintaining contact remotely is like sitting in the dark, hearing a roar, and wondering if it's a TV or a real tiger.
But what I noticed from our brief conversations: even though the contract was signed around the same time, its term ends differently for each politician. Some are forced to "agree with Kira" for one year, some for two, some for three, and so on.
The date would be suggestive concerning Kira-2, but the long-term loyalty tests are the clincher, in my view. That level of forward thinking and confidence belongs to Kira-1. Near had changed out his action figures, as it always helped to keep ideas fresh, but all he did was hover a discolored Barbie mirror in front of the Kuja figurine's face.
There's a psychological insight into Kira if ever there was one. He had the confidence to wait three years to test the sincerity of politicians worldwide, but he couldn't wait three weeks, until a date the public would actually understand, to further cement his godhood. Well, after all, a notebook alone can't make for a full apotheosis. Not unless you want to deify Higuchi into the bargain...
Still.
He expected to have disposed of us after the interview, but failed to give Kira-2 adequate warning to change course on that point when they implemented the backup. Perhaps he didn't fully account for Lady Phantasme, or our own accounting for her?
Considering the interview as Plan A... Hm.
"Confidence"...
Perhaps we should strike at Kira's confidence. If Kira-2 truly possesses instructions—and if he truly is a politician—then he expects absolute compliance with his reforms, yet he is unprepared for a simple "no." Let's assume he might overlook an act of defiance, or perhaps eliminate a single traitor. But if all the politicians were to rise against him simultaneously, it would completely derail his plans. At that point, Kira-2 would be forced to make a public statement. However, I prefer to believe that by pursuing this course of action, we will simply destroy him.
And Lady Phantasme... I don't think Kira-1 considered her a formidable enemy. As for Kira-2—judging by the absence of any attempts to get rid of her—he is either similarly inclined to ignore her, or he fears her.
Mr. Sugawara, I'm afraid I have a confession to make.
From the moment you chose a general email as your preferred method of contact, I knew I was mistaken in my assessment of your identity. I'm afraid I've had a little fun with you on that account, but at this point it would be dangerous not to come clean. The person I mistook you for would never have missed the flaw in this reasoning, but I'm a little surprised that even you overlooked it.
Am I correct in understanding that those who contacted you had no particular distribution in the length of their contracts?
Sugawara frowned, staring ahead for a long moment. "Little fun"? He'd replayed the conversation in his head at least four times, but a flaw... Ugh?
For a moment, the confusion became so intense that it touched another emotion: fear. This person wasn't Kira, but what if Sugawara really was that easy to catch? What if it was Kira after all? Or not? Or yes? Or no?
...What flaw are you talking about?
He took a deep breath, hoping his choice of words wouldn't raise any unnecessary questions. Now wasn't the time for games. Even if Sugawara was wrong, that was perfectly normal. It's not every day that politicians encounter problems on the level of "magic power killing people." Of course, he lacked information. On the other hand, he'd already screwed up his court hearing plan. If you say and do stupid things so often, you could lose all credibility.
He wiped his face with his sleeve. Forehead was a little sore.
And, yes, you understand me correctly.
Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
So far as I can tell, it's an ambiguous state of affairs. The events intended to lead to the hearing bear all Kira's hallmarks - meaning, of course, that he left detailed instructions - but we have strong reason to believe the hearing was a backup plan, and it's obvious the resignations and audio sessions would never have been allowed by the original Kira.
But I think I'm to understand that the timing of the contract is something you know for a fact. That is indeed suggestive concerning Kira-2. I'd be interested in the exact date.
The contracts were signed on November 5th. Those who wanted to share information with me mentioned this date. Almost all the politicians who responded to my call for unity were Japanese, but I received complaints from other countries as well. Unfortunately, because they couldn't offer a face-to-face meeting, I was forced to decline. In our situation, the excuse of "flying in from another country to discuss the environment" sounds ridiculous. And maintaining contact remotely is like sitting in the dark, hearing a roar, and wondering if it's a TV or a real tiger.
But what I noticed from our brief conversations: even though the contract was signed around the same time, its term ends differently for each politician. Some are forced to "agree with Kira" for one year, some for two, some for three, and so on.
The date would be suggestive concerning Kira-2, but the long-term loyalty tests are the clincher, in my view. That level of forward thinking and confidence belongs to Kira-1. Near had changed out his action figures, as it always helped to keep ideas fresh, but all he did was hover a discolored Barbie mirror in front of the Kuja figurine's face.
There's a psychological insight into Kira if ever there was one. He had the confidence to wait three years to test the sincerity of politicians worldwide, but he couldn't wait three weeks, until a date the public would actually understand, to further cement his godhood. Well, after all, a notebook alone can't make for a full apotheosis. Not unless you want to deify Higuchi into the bargain...
Still.
He expected to have disposed of us after the interview, but failed to give Kira-2 adequate warning to change course on that point when they implemented the backup. Perhaps he didn't fully account for Lady Phantasme, or our own accounting for her?
Considering the interview as Plan A... Hm.
"Confidence"...
Perhaps we should strike at Kira's confidence. If Kira-2 truly possesses instructions—and if he truly is a politician—then he expects absolute compliance with his reforms, yet he is unprepared for a simple "no." Let's assume he might overlook an act of defiance, or perhaps eliminate a single traitor. But if all the politicians were to rise against him simultaneously, it would completely derail his plans. At that point, Kira-2 would be forced to make a public statement. However, I prefer to believe that by pursuing this course of action, we will simply destroy him.
And Lady Phantasme... I don't think Kira-1 considered her a formidable enemy. As for Kira-2—judging by the absence of any attempts to get rid of her—he is either similarly inclined to ignore her, or he fears her.

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Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
So far as I can tell, it's an ambiguous state of affairs. The events intended to lead to the hearing bear all Kira's hallmarks - meaning, of course, that he left detailed instructions - but we have strong reason to believe the hearing was a backup plan, and it's obvious the resignations and audio sessions would never have been allowed by the original Kira.
But I think I'm to understand that the timing of the contract is something you know for a fact. That is indeed suggestive concerning Kira-2. I'd be interested in the exact date.
The contracts were signed on November 5th. Those who wanted to share information with me mentioned this date. Almost all the politicians who responded to my call for unity were Japanese, but I received complaints from other countries as well. Unfortunately, because they couldn't offer a face-to-face meeting, I was forced to decline. In our situation, the excuse of "flying in from another country to discuss the environment" sounds ridiculous. And maintaining contact remotely is like sitting in the dark, hearing a roar, and wondering if it's a TV or a real tiger.
But what I noticed from our brief conversations: even though the contract was signed around the same time, its term ends differently for each politician. Some are forced to "agree with Kira" for one year, some for two, some for three, and so on.
Your caution wasn't misplaced. "Kira means never having to use loss prevention" is a tack plenty of idiots take, but Kurobane's doing it a little too consciously for comfort.
Don't worry, though. It's a little early to say, but I have hopes of securing Lady Phantasme in relatively short order.
I've decided the precise identity of Kira-2 won't be a problem. But there is a small hitch, in that Kira-2 doesn't seem quite as riveted to NHN as the original. What would be your recommendations for broadcasting a message Kira-2 is liable to respond to in short order?
I've been thinking about this and have come to a perhaps surprising conclusion. You've noticed the discrepancy between the contract with the politicians and the actions of the new Kira, haven't you? The contracts with the politicians were signed before Kira ceased his political activity. And I doubt he was trying to combine 100% approval with a court hearing. That's stupid. In that case, the only reason Kira-2 is shining a spotlight on the politicians is because he's a politician himself. We can formulate our appeal based on that.
I've run the tests. Kira-2 is certainly not an employee of NHN, and the possibility of an employee feeding them information is vastly reduced. It's frustrating, in that there's nothing to follow from here - though we must remember that that was the probable result of L's test as well.
Fortunately, I've made progress with Lady Phantasme. The next time she makes a move, she's not likely to slip away again.
Excellent. I also believe you know more about Lady Phantasme than I do, so I'd like...
Sugawara paused. He stared ahead for a long moment, thinking. Near not only possessed the information, but was also the tentative leader in their collaboration. If he asked for something to contain Kira, it was clear it would have to be done. And that was reassuring. After all, Sugawara wouldn't die from his own stupidity. But this thought made him momentarily too calm, even politically calm, which, as is usually the case, is good for a politician, but bad for a sincerely human side. Sugawara realized that he could have asked for something under the pretext of security.
...that's why I'd like to get more information. About her. In case I find myself in danger.
To begin with: "anarcho-syndicalist", "anarcho-socialist" and "crime lord" are all inadequate terms for her mentality. Put simply, Lady Phantasme is (Near smiled mischievously) a little like Roger: a spoiled twenty-something brat who hates anyone telling her what to do. The only real wrinkle is that she's unpredictable, and good at hiding.
There's a lead concerning Lady Phantasme I've been trying to pursue, but the trouble is that my brief experience in the world of politics has been entirely outside Japan. As I didn't encounter you in America, may I hope your experience is Japanese? I understand their political and business worlds are very tightly knit.
Yes, my work is connected to Japanese politics. I also wish to clarify that I have never met Lady Fantasme directly—yet if even a single clue were to point to me, it would mean instant death. By "never met directly," I am referring to her true identity. And so, I would like to move away from vague phrasing and ask you outright: if you know anything about who she is, then I ought to know as well.
I was about to point in that direction regardless, so we may as well cut to the chase. We've identified Lady Phantasme as Evara Kurobane, daughter of retail magnate Hideo Kurobane. I can't seem to get a hold of him, but I suspect the alimony toward her mother is going a long way toward funding her activities, and given the estrangement, I doubt he's aware. If you have better access to Kurobane, I'd be grateful if you could speak with him.
"Evara Kurobane"... Sugawara doubted he had ever heard of her, though it seemed he knew rather more about her father. In any case, this information was useful, and he could easily steer clear of any encounters with that family. No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than a suggestion wormed its way into his ears: speak with...Hideo Kurobane. Did this guy think Sugawara possessed absolutely no instinct for self-preservation?
I can certainly attempt that. However, you must understand that Lady Phantasme will be particularly vigilant regarding any new contacts. Even if a matter does not concern her directly, she is almost certainly monitoring her family's activities. Given the influence she wields —not to mention the actions we have already witnessed— she is clearly no fool. Therefore, our objective should not be to initiate contact with Hideo Kurobane ourselves, but rather to maneuver him into reaching out to us ( to me personally, of course) of his own accord. To achieve this, I will need to conduct a thorough analysis of his goals and objectives. Send me any additional information you have, and I will devise a strategy for establishing communication. Naturally, I will take no action without your prior approval.
I've run the tests. Kira-2 is certainly not an employee of NHN, and the possibility of an employee feeding them information is vastly reduced. It's frustrating, in that there's nothing to follow from here - though we must remember that that was the probable result of L's test as well.
Fortunately, I've made progress with Lady Phantasme. The next time she makes a move, she's not likely to slip away again.
Excellent. I also believe you know more about Lady Phantasme than I do, so I'd like...
Sugawara paused. He stared ahead for a long moment, thinking. Near not only possessed the information, but was also the tentative leader in their collaboration. If he asked for something to contain Kira, it was clear it would have to be done. And that was reassuring. After all, Sugawara wouldn't die from his own stupidity. But this thought made him momentarily too calm, even politically calm, which, as is usually the case, is good for a politician, but bad for a sincerely human side. Sugawara realized that he could have asked for something under the pretext of security.
...that's why I'd like to get more information. About her. In case I find myself in danger.
To begin with: "anarcho-syndicalist", "anarcho-socialist" and "crime lord" are all inadequate terms for her mentality. Put simply, Lady Phantasme is (Near smiled mischievously) a little like Roger: a spoiled twenty-something brat who hates anyone telling her what to do. The only real wrinkle is that she's unpredictable, and good at hiding.
There's a lead concerning Lady Phantasme I've been trying to pursue, but the trouble is that my brief experience in the world of politics has been entirely outside Japan. As I didn't encounter you in America, may I hope your experience is Japanese? I understand their political and business worlds are very tightly knit.
Yes, my work is connected to Japanese politics. I also wish to clarify that I have never met Lady Fantasme directly—yet if even a single clue were to point to me, it would mean instant death. By "never met directly," I am referring to her true identity. And so, I would like to move away from vague phrasing and ask you outright: if you know anything about who she is, then I ought to know as well.
I've run the tests. Kira-2 is certainly not an employee of NHN, and the possibility of an employee feeding them information is vastly reduced. It's frustrating, in that there's nothing to follow from here - though we must remember that that was the probable result of L's test as well.
Fortunately, I've made progress with Lady Phantasme. The next time she makes a move, she's not likely to slip away again.
Excellent. I also believe you know more about Lady Phantasme than I do, so I'd like...
Sugawara paused. He stared ahead for a long moment, thinking. Near not only possessed the information, but was also the tentative leader in their collaboration. If he asked for something to contain Kira, it was clear it would have to be done. And that was reassuring. After all, Sugawara wouldn't die from his own stupidity. But this thought made him momentarily too calm, even politically calm, which, as is usually the case, is good for a politician, but bad for a sincerely human side. Sugawara realized that he could have asked for something under the pretext of security.
...that's why I'd like to get more information. About her. In case I find myself in danger.

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Near brought up TheExecutionList.org, got out a mechanical pencil, and set out to write the kill list for the past three days. The metrics he was looking for:
How much time does a day's worth of judgment take?
At what hours did the judgments in fact occur?
Do the judgments fill up an even page? If not, is the likely adjustment for handwriting size, for missed tally, or for sloppiness in the Kira?
But he had not counted on:
4. The list of names for the seventh is significantly smaller than the lists for the previous two days. How does this affect the above metrics?
Criminal deaths occurred every weekday, from eight in the morning until six in the evening. The number of victims per hour varied. Sometimes it reached ten, sometimes less than three. Most often, these were criminals named on the previous evening's news. Criminals from Japan died first. Then, when their numbers ran out, criminals from other countries began to die.
@sugawara89
It would seem, from the field test, that being Kira-2 is technically a full-time job, but it could easily be integrated into a normal schedule. Each day's executions fill up two columns of one page, which, together with the leisurely pace, is a strong indicator that there is in fact only one Kira-2 in operation. To avoid "doubling up" on news reports would require a coordination which is not only conspicuous, but also needless given the quantities involved.
It's especially encouraging that Kira-2 seems avoidant of Vigyl. It means they are not especially confident in their own situational judgment: in other words, Kira-2 doesn't see himself as a new "Kira-1".
Are you saying we only have one enemy right now? I wouldn't say this choice is similar to the original Kira. On the other hand, if he wasn't counting on being caught, he wasn't looking for a true replacement. The way you describe the situation, right now, anyone can do anything while hiding their face. Kira-2, as you described it, is more like a faking act. That is, he exists to preserve Kira's reputation and show that Kira-1 hasn't disappeared. He continues to…um…"protect people." But if he truly isn't a direct replacement for Kira-1, he'll simply be afraid to take radical action. So we can get ahead of him.
We can safely say Kira foresaw a replacement. But it's possible he didn't take the choice too seriously. Or else he didn't have anyone truly capable to hand: consider Higuchi. No, consider him without cringing.
There's one more thing to consider: the hours when Kira-2 appears occupied.
Is there a chance that Kira is deliberately choosing the "wrong candidates"? Perhaps to prevent betrayal or to use this power too wisely. I can believe this possibility, because early in my career, I chose less-than-savvy lieutenants. Now I realize that was a mistake. While Kira...
Sugawara frowned. Kira wasn't wrong. Kira couldn't make mistakes. He didn't know why the thought rang in his head so clearly and distinctly. "It's all done on purpose." It took a moment for Sugawara to calm his paranoia, because in the worst-case scenario, fear would force him to consider even worse options. "Kira's right here," "Kira's behind me," "Kira's controlling everyone."
Either way, I'd consider the possibility that Kira considers these people suitable candidates. There's a chance that Higuchi, Kira-2, and the bodyguard were perfectly acceptable to him. But...why? I mean, for what?
We may have bested him, but don't be fooled: the bodyguard had many of the qualities someone like Kira would like. Discretion, ruthlessness, misdirection... and disposability, it would seem. (Though we can't entirely rule out Lady Phantasme there.)
Regarding Higuchi, there must have been a circumstantial exigency. (And within the testimony of Light Yagami, Near thought he could see the outlines of that exigency.) Capability was certainly not the consideration.
However, the affair of Kyosuke Higuchi raises a crucial point. From what we've learned, there are two known shinigami in play. Higuchi was familiar with both, while Lady Phantasme is familiar with only one. (And far more ostentatious in that familiarity than Kira has ever been.) It happens that there are also two known notebooks in play: Lady Phantasme's, and Kira-2's. Which of these might have been employed by Kira-1 remains to be seen, but the point is that there is no proof we are dealing with more than two notebooks, each with an apparently corresponding shinigami.
He placed two memo pads on the floor. On each one he placed a grim reaper, and then beside the stylish one placed his Kira-2 LEGO placeholder, while the vapid-looking knockoff received Harley Quinn.
This fact of two independently operating notebooks first became apparent on April 18, 2004. (Or, as Near remembered it: the day he realized he wasn't fit to succeed L. In discovering Sugawara, he'd thought, for a moment, that he wouldn't have to. Life is too bad sometimes...) In addition, Kira-2 seems to have a schedule which leaves room for daytime television. I believe the Sakura Kira is worth another revisit in the light of the information that has become known since.
Sakura-Kira…raises a lot of questions.
Sugawara sighed. Well, he knew too little about Shinigami. But it was probably too early to discuss them. On the other hand… He turned around, taking a deep breath, trying to suppress the thought that his paranoia was merely the realization that Shinigami was right here, in this room. Obviously, no one was here. Sugawara wiped his face with his palm.
Could it be that Kira-2 and Sakura-Kira are the same person? And I'm also curious about one more thing: based on the description you gave, we can consider the office workers as suspects. Can we narrow the suspect pool down to a specific geographic location? L did that the very first day he appeared on screen.
Near brought up TheExecutionList.org, got out a mechanical pencil, and set out to write the kill list for the past three days. The metrics he was looking for:
How much time does a day's worth of judgment take?
At what hours did the judgments in fact occur?
Do the judgments fill up an even page? If not, is the likely adjustment for handwriting size, for missed tally, or for sloppiness in the Kira?
But he had not counted on:
4. The list of names for the seventh is significantly smaller than the lists for the previous two days. How does this affect the above metrics?
Criminal deaths occurred every weekday, from eight in the morning until six in the evening. The number of victims per hour varied. Sometimes it reached ten, sometimes less than three. Most often, these were criminals named on the previous evening's news. Criminals from Japan died first. Then, when their numbers ran out, criminals from other countries began to die.
@sugawara89
It would seem, from the field test, that being Kira-2 is technically a full-time job, but it could easily be integrated into a normal schedule. Each day's executions fill up two columns of one page, which, together with the leisurely pace, is a strong indicator that there is in fact only one Kira-2 in operation. To avoid "doubling up" on news reports would require a coordination which is not only conspicuous, but also needless given the quantities involved.
It's especially encouraging that Kira-2 seems avoidant of Vigyl. It means they are not especially confident in their own situational judgment: in other words, Kira-2 doesn't see himself as a new "Kira-1".
Are you saying we only have one enemy right now? I wouldn't say this choice is similar to the original Kira. On the other hand, if he wasn't counting on being caught, he wasn't looking for a true replacement. The way you describe the situation, right now, anyone can do anything while hiding their face. Kira-2, as you described it, is more like a faking act. That is, he exists to preserve Kira's reputation and show that Kira-1 hasn't disappeared. He continues to…um…"protect people." But if he truly isn't a direct replacement for Kira-1, he'll simply be afraid to take radical action. So we can get ahead of him.
We can safely say Kira foresaw a replacement. But it's possible he didn't take the choice too seriously. Or else he didn't have anyone truly capable to hand: consider Higuchi. No, consider him without cringing.
There's one more thing to consider: the hours when Kira-2 appears occupied.
Is there a chance that Kira is deliberately choosing the "wrong candidates"? Perhaps to prevent betrayal or to use this power too wisely. I can believe this possibility, because early in my career, I chose less-than-savvy lieutenants. Now I realize that was a mistake. While Kira...
Sugawara frowned. Kira wasn't wrong. Kira couldn't make mistakes. He didn't know why the thought rang in his head so clearly and distinctly. "It's all done on purpose." It took a moment for Sugawara to calm his paranoia, because in the worst-case scenario, fear would force him to consider even worse options. "Kira's right here," "Kira's behind me," "Kira's controlling everyone."
Either way, I'd consider the possibility that Kira considers these people suitable candidates. There's a chance that Higuchi, Kira-2, and the bodyguard were perfectly acceptable to him. But...why? I mean, for what?