"God is dead, god remains dead, and we have killed him." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Death Note: Blank Pages

Page 01: I am Killer

Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

This was the process of 18-year-old high school student Light Yagami's life. Wake up, brushing his teeth, eating breakfast with his family, then take the train to go to school, return home and study, eat dinner, bathe and sleep. And then repeat the same process the next day. It was a system that he had lived by for almost all of his life, with some chagrin.

Every morning, he would always find himself walking through the streets of Kanto, struggling to make it through the crowds while being forced to listen to the same news, repeated every day.

Stabbings. Robberies. Arson. Murders. Bombings. Scandals. By now, he's heard just about every major crime there was to know from the large megascreen. It served as background news, nothing more.

The train ride to school was nothing special either. The cars were always so empty in the morning, and he always chose the spot with less people with a book containing school notes in hand. And school itself was a boring affair. Given his studious nature, he knew practically everything there was to know in regards to the material, he was confident that he could teach a class.

Not that he would. He didn't want to find himself stuck doing such a boring job as that.

When he thought about the future, Light Yagami wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do. Initially, when he was younger, he wanted to be like his father and become a member of law enforcement. It was childish, but it meant well. And it certainly brought a tear his father's eyes, and his grandfather before the man passed away, bless his soul. When he was in middle school, he briefly debated becoming an author and writing mystery novels. Growing up as the son of an officer had that effect, and his imagination when reading cases was certainly wild enough to create even the most strangest of murder cases ever written on paper.

Now at the cusp of adulthood, the young man found himself pondering his future. Every possibility back then still existed, but now they seemed so far away. As if unobtainable to him by this point.

Light Yagami was smart. That was a fact. Some might even go on to say that he was the smartest student in school. But with that knowledge came hesitance on the future, as well as inner frustration. With so much knowledge swimming in your head, what could you possibly do to try and insert yourself into society? When he thought of that question, Light could find no answer.

Classes droned on, and he was listless, mainly going through his book to remind himself on what might be on future tests and what wouldn't be. That took maybe twenty minutes before he pulled away from his desk and looked out the window, finding the sky to be particularly cloudy.

"Looks like it'll be another rainy day again..." Light muttered with some distaste. He wasn't sure why, but he never seemed to like it whenever it rained. He had no problems with water, mind you. It was just that rain made him feel so uncomfortable, and he never knew why.

As he looked away from the window, he caught sight of something falling out of the corner of his eye. Glancing back, he found a small black shape descending towards the ground.

"What's that…?"

(March 11th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 12:23 PM)

Break arrived shortly after third period had reached its end. Out of either genuine curiosity or simply boredom, Light arrived at the main courtyard in search of the object that fell. He figured it was probably an injured bird or maybe a discarded item that someone tossed out the window. If it was the latter, then he'd just turn it over to Lost and Found and then leave for the library.

His search took a minute before he found it. It was hidden behind the large stump of what was left of the oak tree that once stood proudly in the middle of the courtyard before it had to be cut down to make way for renovations. Kneeling down, Light scooped the object up in his hands.

It was a thin, jet black notebook. Terribly thin, almost like a binder with a few sheets of paper. Scribbled on the front were bold white letters, written in clear English. Being proficient in the language, Light translated it and raised an eyebrow.

"Death Note…?"

Well, it certainly was a unique name for a brand of notebooks, he'd give the brand owners that.

He glanced around, finding only a few students nearby. It was a bit rude to look into someone's personal belongings, but it shouldn't be a problem if he only peaked at the first page, right? Besides, the owner might have written their name on the inside.

Pulling the notebook open to the first page, Light looked at the back, only to narrow in confusion. Instead of a name, there was a warning written, and below that, a set of rules and instructions to follow.

"The human who's name is written in this book...shall die?" Light read aloud with a frown. "This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in mind when writing his or her name. This is to prevent people who share the same name from being affected."

He stared at the contents, then folded it shut with a scoff. This was either some kind of elaborate prank, or a sick joke. Done in poor taste, he might add. He was half tempted to put it back where he found it or throw it in the trash, but something felt...strange about this notebook. Like there was something compelling about it. Something enticing. His hands felt warm, despite it currently being Winter.

Light stared at the notebook for about a good minute before he heard the bell rang. With class ready to start and not willing to be late, he slipped the notebook into his bag on reflex and went back into the building.

Throughout the rest of his time, the back of his mind would be occupied about the mystery of this strange black notebook in his possession…

(March 11th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 10:24 PM)

Around evening, after Light had finished his homework and did his bit of studying, he took out the notebook he found at school and lay it on his desk, propped open to the first page. As it turned out, however, the notebook had more detailed instructions.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Entering Names

The Human whose name is written in this note shall die. This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in mind when writing his/her name. This is to prevent people who share the same name from being affected.

The Death Note will not ever affect a person whose name has been misspelled four times.

When the same name is written in two or more Death Notes within 0.06 seconds, the entry is regarded as simultaneous; the Death Notes will not take effect and the individual will not die.

When the same name is written in two or more Death Notes, the note which was used first will take effect, regardless of the time of death.

If a Death Note owner accidentally misspells a person's name four times, that person will be free from being killed by the Death Note. However, if the Death Note owner intentionally misspells the name four times, the owner will die.

The Death Note will not take effect if the victim's name is written on several different pages. However, the front and back of a page is considered to be one page. For example, the Death Note will take effect if the victim's last name is written on the front page and first name on the back.

There were more instructions, but Light mostly read what was written on the first page. As he re-read the bullet points, he couldn't help but feel mildly impressed. If this was a prank, it was a very detailed one. Then again, would someone really go so far as to try something like this? Or something that sounded so stupid? Really, who would believe you could kill someone just by writing their name on a piece of paper?

Light stared at the notebook, then shrugged. He leaned back in his chair and was about to close the notebook when he saw a news report on the TV. It was yet another story he's heard before, a kidnapping incident. Someone had taken refuge in a daycare center and held the staff and children inside hostage, supposedly armed with a shotgun. The news made his face twist in disgust. Why did people like this exist in the world? It would be better off without them, wouldn't they? Or at the very least, Light wondered what drives a man to commit these crimes.

He was about to turn off his TV and go back to studying, but he found himself looking back at the notebook. It's stupid, he thought. It's just some kind of prank made by someone with a lot of time on their hands. Yet something like before, there was something about it that made his hands twitch uncontrollably. He looked back at his TV, and then back at the notebook.

He took out a pen from his pencil case and brought it to the paper as he looked at the screen. The news was showing the confirmed identity of the suspect: name and picture and all. With a face fresh in his mind and the name known to him, Light wrote down the man's name in this supposed Death Note.

"Kurou Otoharada"

After he pulled his pen away, Light scrunched his eyebrows in thought. If this thing actually worked...wouldn't that make him a killer? Thinking on it, he laughed and shook his head before he closed the notebook and turned off his TV. He stood up from his chair and rolled his neck, leaving his room in favor for the living room. By now, dinner should be ready.

Had he kept the TV on, he would have learned Otoharada's fate.

(March 12th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 7:21 AM)

Wake up. Shower. Eat breakfast. Walk through the crowded streets of Kanto. Find a train and read a book in silence.

Yet another cycle done and over with for Light. The routine had been done so many times, he may as well be breathing and acting on reflex at this point, aside from the small talk at the dining room table. He smiled faintly as he waited for class to start, remembering how drowsy Sayu looked and how she accidentally spilled some water on herself in her half-asleep stupor.

"Hey, Light-kun!" a cheery voice called out from in front of him. Light turned away from the window, finding a fellow classmate in front of him. A girl around his age with brown eyes and dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders.

"Hey, Yuri-san." he greeted lamely.

Yuri was one of his "acquaintances." Despite his father's advice for when he started school life here at Daikoku Private Academy, Light had never felt the need to connect with people. At best, he did little favors and made connections with others, but he never actually took part in their own little gatherings or meet-ups.

To put it bluntly, he didn't have any friends. And, wow, that actually sounded kind of lonely in his head.

Outside of his usual acquaintances, however, Yuri had been one of the more closer ones. In fact, she might've been the closest thing Light had to a "friend" here at school. They were both smart, though Yuri leaned more on the physical side. She was the star member of the track team and was even supposed to be the runner up for the upcoming competition. In terms of academics, she always ranked somewhere up high in the top ten.

Judging by the look on her face, though, he could tell she wanted to talk about gossip. Light was half-tempted to pretend he was listening, but since it was Yuri, he might as well give her the time of day.

"What's up?" he started. "Did your spot as the runner for the competition get finalized?"

"Yep!" Yuri nodded energetically. "I've been working extra hard! My club is counting on me, after all!" Now that she mentioned it, Light never participated in any clubs either. Unlike his excuse for not having friends, though, it was because he just distanced himself with studying as his main excuse. If there was a club for studying, however, chances are he'd be a part of it. "My family's throwing a small celebration! They decided to make reservations for my clubmates and my friends. You interested?"

Light laughed sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "Sorry, Yuri-san. I'm busy preparing for the upcoming exams."

Yuri rolled her eyes. "Geez, Light-kun!" she pouted as she folded her arms. "You study way too much! One of these days, your brain will swell so much, your head will burst! You should try and watch some TV, like anime or something."

"That's more along the lines of my sister." Light protested. He didn't study that much! "Speaking of television, did you see the news about what happened at the daycare center? Pretty scary stuff."

"Tell me about it." the girl nodded in agreement. "I felt so sorry for all those kinds that had go through all that. Well, at least that guy's gone now."

Light found himself sitting straight up. "What happened?" he asked, suddenly finding his throat dry. "Did the police manage to arrest him?"

"Huh? Wait, you didn't hear what happened to him?" Light shook his head, telling her he had turned off his TV shortly after he saw the news show the identity of the suspect. He was about to tell her about the stupid notebook he found yesterday, but her next words made his blood turn into ice. "The guy suddenly collapsed and died! They said he died of a heart attack!"

The Human whose name is written in this note shall die.

Light suddenly found his stomach flipping itself on its head. His face turned ashen pale and his heart suddenly hammered against his chest. The man died? Did-did that mean he actually…? No, that couldn't be! That was absolutely ridiculous!

"Light-kun?" Yuri's voice didn't quite meet his ears.

"I'm sorry." he said hastily, suddenly getting up from his seat. "I'm-I'm not feeling too well." Without letting her get a word in and ignoring her calls of concern, Light made a b-line straight for the bathroom.

(March 12th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 8:02 AM)

For over half an hour, Light spent almost the entirety of homeroom inside the bathroom, rotating between trying to ease his stomach, calming his nerves and slashing his face with warm water when he felt a deathly chill spread across his face. The handles were even warm with how long he had left the water running and the collar of his shirt was now utterly soaked down to the tiniest fiber.

When Light looked up at his own reflection, after he had continuously lathered his face in hot water, he grimaced.

"…I look like shit."

He couldn't stop worrying, nor could he ease this nervous bundle in his stomach. It had to be a coincidence. It had to be. There was no way someone could die from having their name written in some notebook, right? There was no such thing as the supernatural! It was impossible!

So, why? Why couldn't he get it out of his mind? The more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became. Growing frustrated, he put his head under the facet and let the water rush over his head.

"There's no way it's possible to kill someone like that." he tried to reason with himself. "Otoharada had to be in his forties. With the stress of the incident, he could have worked his heart to death. That has to be it."

But, what if it wasn't? What if that wasn't the case? What if he actually killed that man?

Pulling his head away, hair now a soggy mess, Light pulled the so-called Death Note out from his bag. In a fumbling haste, he opened the notebook to the page where the instructions were. On the off chance Light did kill someone, and he was sure he didn't, then there had to be a reason as to why Otoharada died of a heart attack. Sure, the man may have been old, but he needed to look at this from a detective's point of view. There had to be a reason why a heart attack killed Otoharada specifically.

When he flipped over to the next page, Light found his hands shaking.

INSTRUCTIONS

2. Entering Clause and Conditions of Death

If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of the subject's name, it will happen.

If the cause of death isn't specified, the victim dies of a heart attack in 40 seconds. However, the rule can be delayed for twenty-three days, meaning you can write down "dies by heart attack in [xx] days."

After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be entered within the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

If the time of death is specified within 40 seconds after writing the cause of death as a heart attack, the time of death can be manipulated and can go into effect within 40 seconds after writing the name.

The conditions of death will not be realized unless they are physically possible for that human or could be reasonably assumed to be carried out by that human. Although it is possible to control a person's actions, if an impossible situation is written down the person will simply die of a heart attack.

Since the limitations applying to the conditions of a death are unknown to the Shinigami, Death Note owners must find out on their own.

You may write the cause and/or death prior to filling in the name of the individual. Be sure to insert the name in front of the cause of death. You have about 19 days (according to the human calendar) to fill in a name.

After an individual's name, time of death, and conditions of death are entered in the notebook, the time and conditions of death may be altered as many times as desired as long as they are changed within six minutes and 40 seconds from the time they are filled in. But, of course, this is only possible before the victim dies.

If you write "dies of accident" for the cause of death, the victim will die from a natural accident six minutes and 40 seconds after the time of entry. "Accident" is a condition of death, so six minutes and 40 seconds are provided to write down additional details. The conditions do not take effect until this time has passed.

The notebook fell from his hands, landing to the tiled floor with a thud. Light hunched over, feeling bile rising up from his throat. Clasping a hand over his mouth, he tried to force it down while gripping the edge of the sink to the point his knuckles turned white.

It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible!

He couldn't have killed someone with a heart attack! There was no way that was possible!

After successfully forcing the contents of his stomach back down, Light shakily pulled the notebook into his hands, but in a loose grip. He stared at it as if it would come alive and strike him at any moment.

"There's...there's only one way to confirm this." he concluded with fear, hoping to god that he was wrong. "I...I have to use it again!"

(March 12th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 11:45 PM)

Light's mind had been a mess ever since he read the rules of the notebook in their entirety. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't focus. Classes went by in a blur and home had been a quick affair, as was cram school. The notebook was safely secured in his bag. He didn't dare risk what could happen if he lost it and it was picked up by someone.

If it can kill someone, he was forced to remind himself. If it can kill someone. Until he had more evidence, he thought of the book as harmless. However, the idea that it could kill someone, and he was about to kill someone again, made him uneasy.

Cram school seemed to drag on forever. Everyone was busy with their own thing, either studying or doing so half-heartedly while playing around on their phones or handheld consoles. Light even spotted a fellow student harassing another for money. He grimaced and turned a blind eye to the whole thing. Not because he didn't want to get involved, but because of the stray thought of writing the student's name in the notebook to test his hypothesis.

If he was going to murder someone, it should be another criminal, shouldn't it?

"Listen to me!" Light cursed at himself for believing in this nonsense, yet unable to shake it off. "I sound like some vigilante!"

After leaving Cram School, Light made his way to a convenience store, hoping to cool his mind off this whole thing. He had to let this go. It wouldn't be healthy for him. The next time he sees a trash can, he's going to toss the damn thing in it and leave it be.

After paying for a water bottle, he moved over to the magazine section of the store. Before he had left the house, Sayu had asked him to pick up this week's issue of Shonen Chump. Honestly, he didn't see the appeal behind it. Admittedly, he never found himself reading manga, but he never saw the attraction. He found his interest more towards books and mystery novels.

As he searched for the issue, Light noticed movement outside the store. At first, he didn't think much of it, but then he started to hear shouting. Looking up, he saw a group of men on motorcycles harassing some poor woman, who was trying to escape. The group was being quite loud if he could hear them all the way inside the store. The leader of the group of bikers was some punk with a scrunched up face by the name of Takuo Shibuimaru. The clerk looked mighty ticked off, ready to barge outside. Light was tempted to call the cops, but a small part of his mind whispered, Why don't you use that notebook? If it can kill someone, who better to test it than a piece of trash?

Light scowled, shaking his head. Okay, that was it. He was getting rid of-

"Stop! Let-let me go!"

He blinked back into focus, eyes widening. The bikers gathered around the woman, hands groping her body and undoing her clothes. In seconds, Light felt his heart burn with anger. That piece of trash! He was actually sexually assaulting someone in front of a store?! Light looked at the clerk and found him suddenly losing his bravado, now unsure. He couldn't believe it. He was actually going to let this happen?!

You said you were going to use it on a criminal, weren't you? The voice tempted him again. Here's one, right here!

At this moment, Light didn't care about his moral dilemma anymore. Tearing the notebook from his bag, he grabbed a random magazine and opened it to a random page, hiding the notebook inside as cover while he took a pen from his person and wrote down the bastard's name, using every variation of character he could think of that would make up the man's name.

"Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver
"Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver
"Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver
"Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver"

Light looked on expectantly. The woman managed to pry herself out of their hands and make a mad dash. Takuo Shibuimaru was the first to chase after her on his bike. He was only halfway across the street when a truck came straight out of nowhere, barreling into sight and smashing dead on into the bastard without slowing down or stopping. The sound of metal scraping against concrete and flesh being smacked and torn apart by metal was almost gut-wrenching in the ears of everyone present.

The magazine and notebook fell from Light's hands, face completely white. His eyes were the size of softballs, staring at what could only be considered his handiwork.

It was real. This was for real.

The Death Note. The notebook. It could kill someone.

Light Yagami had just killed someone!

His legs were already in motion before his brain finally caught on to the ramifications. He was already in the bathroom before his stomach violently growled and he dumped his dinner into the toilet. His mouth tasted bitter and his throat burned. Tears stung at his eyes.

A minute went by after his stomach no longer had anything to remove except its own acids. Removing himself from the toilet, Light shakily stood up, using the wall behind him for support. His heart felt like it was about to explode!

"I-I killed someone." he whispered in horror, hyperventilating. "I actually killed someone. No, I killed people! I killed two men!"

This wasn't happening. This couldn't possibly be happening! This was a nightmare. Yeah, that's right. A nightmare. Any minute now, he'd wake up in bed. This was because he was studying too much, wasn't it?

But that wasn't the reality of the situation. Light had killed someone again. The realization made his stomach lurch again. This was bad. This was very, very bad. He had to dispose of that book. He had to get rid of it. He couldn't throw it away! It was too dangerous! What if someone picked up by accident and found out what it could do?! No, he had to destroy it! All he needed was a lighter and some gasoline, and then everything would be fine. No one would know, right?

But you would, you murderer. A chilling voice rasped in his ear. Light yelped and whirled around, finding no one behind him but his own shadow, cast by the dingy lighting that was flickering. You're just burning evidence, like the killer you are.

Light shook his head violently, pressing his palms against his ears. "You're wrong." he whispered, falling to his knees. "I didn't do it! I didn't kill those men! It wasn't me! I didn't-!"

Excuses. That was what he was doing. Excuses. Like a real criminal. Tears spilled from his eyes as he tried to block out the voice. He was going mad. He was hallucinating now.

Good god...this really was a nightmare.

"...I can't let anybody find that book." Light reasoned with himself, pulling himself back up to his feet. He walked over to the sink, splashing his face with ice cold water. He needed to-he needed to calm down. "I need to get rid of it. I need to..."

He trailed off as he looked at the reflection in the mirror. It was stained and partially cracked, but he could see himself in the mirror. The sight of a pale-faced, deathly afraid teenager who had just committed a terrible crime. In the background, he could hear the sound of sirens wailing. The clerk must have called the police and they were just now arriving.

But the sirens became drowned, lost in a film of noise as Light's eyes became distant.

Rows of people stood on, angered and in sorrow while a younger Light Yagami looked on in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. Next to him, Sayu cried out in anger, pulled back down by his father who tried to calm her down. A man walked down the isle, a shadow cast over his face with a hand in his pocket with confidence.

For a moment, their eyes met. And Light saw a smirk spread across his face, revealing sharp white canines.

Light stared at his reflection for a moment longer, a cold fire burning in his eyes before he removed himself from the sink, leaving the bathroom and returning to the magazine rack, picking the Death Note up from the floor and returning it to his bag with the Shonen Chump magazine in tow.

He did promise Sayu, after all.

(April 2nd, 2004 / Standard Pacific Time: 9:41 PM)

"I'm home!" Light announced as he stepped inside the Yagami Household, shivering. "Oof! It's freezing outside!"

"I bet it is!" Sachiko Yagami, his mother said with a concerned expression. "It's been raining ever since yesterday! The weather report said it'll continue until tomorrow too. Oh, I hope you didn't catch a cold."

Well, apart from being somewhat soaked on account of rushing to the train when it almost closed on him without him being inside it, he wouldn't go that far. With a cheerful smile, Light waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll be fine. I'm more worried about dad running around in this weather." he said, voicing his concerns.

For the past two weeks, his father had been pulling several all-nighters. Something about a case he was working on. The thought of the man running around in the rain like this made him quite concerned. A sentiment shared by Sachiko herself. "I'm sure your father will be alright." she said with a smile. "That man is too stubborn to get sick. How were the nationwide exams, sweetie?"

"Take a look! See for yourself." Light replied, handing her the envelope containing his test results. Setting his bag down near the entryway, Light began undoing his necktie and jacket. "I'm going to take a shower early!"

"Okay!" Sachiko called back before opening the envelope. A wide grin spread across her face. Light Yagami had scored at the very top once again! As she expected, the boy took after his father when he was his age! Honestly, what was it with the men of the household being prodigies? Making a note to ask Light if he wanted anything as a reward for studying so hard, Sachiko returned to the living room, finding her youngest daughter Sayu in front of the television. "Sayu-chan, are you finished with homework?"

"Yes, mom!" Sayu replied, flipping through the channels while she fiddled with her phone. In actuality, she hadn't. She was waiting for Light to get back, so she could ask for his help. She glanced up at the TV, finding an anime playing, albeit one she didn't like. Frowning she muttered how there was nothing good one before changing the channel and looking at her phone. "By the way, mom? Have you heard about those string of heart attacks that's been happening?"

Sachiko stopped what she was doing momentarily, looking over her shoulder. "Oh, you mean the news reports about all those criminals suddenly dropping like flies all over the globe? They've been all over the news. In fact, Kitamura-chan mentioned to me the other day how her husband has been sprouting gray hairs ever since the whole thing started! It's quite worrying if you ask me."

"Why's that?" Sayu asked curiously. "Isn't a good thing the bad guys are disappearing?"

"Yes, but I worry about your father. You know how he can be. What brought this on? Usually, you don't like to talk about this sort of stuff."

"Oh, I'm just reading this online article. Apparently, some occult thing says the heart attacks are actually being done by someone called Kira." Sayu told her mother, though er tone clearly said that she didn't believe a word of it. "It's crazy. These people are saying that Kira's some kind of god who's punishing the wicked. Do people actually believe this sort of stuff, mom?"

"The world is full of all sorts of people, Sayu-chan." Sachiko shook her head. "Now, put down your phone and help me with dinner. Your brother will be out of the shower any minute!"

"Okay!"

Ten minutes later, Light came down wearing slacks and a slightly damp dress shirt, his hair still wet. A towel was hanging around his neck. He joined his family at the diner table, the three members of the Yagami family soon digging in while the television played in the background.

"Number one again, huh?" Sayu giggled. "Must be nice, being the smart one."

"Not really. Sometimes, I dream about the exams in my sleep." Light joked with a sheepish smile. "It's not pretty. Speaking of exams, how about you, Sayu? How are you doing?"

"Urk!"

Sachiko frowned, catching her daughter grimacing in displeasure. "Young lady, what have I told you?"

"S-sorry..."

Light laughed, much to Sayu's dismay. Soon, though, she eventually found herself smiling too. Up until recently, she noticed that Light had been in an extremely good mood these last few weeks. She didn't know why, but she assumed something good had happened to him recently. Normally, the smile he put on was just lacking in warmth or enthusiasm. Nowadays, he genuinely smiled like he was at the height of living. She didn't know what caused it, but she was happy to see him like this.

As the Yagami family dined in peace, the television's channel suddenly changed without warning, catching their attention. "We'd like to apologize for the interruption. As of now we're bringing you a live world wide broadcast from Interpol, ICPO."

"A worldwide broadcast?" Sayu tilted her head. "From Interpol?"

"Oh, dear." Sachiko frowned. "I wonder if it's about those recent deaths that have been on the news lately."

"We now take you live to the ICPO."

The image shifted, showing a sharply dressed man with shoulder length black hair and cold, steely eyes. He sat behind a desk with his hands neatly folded. In front of him was a small header that read: LIND L. TAILOR. After a few seconds of silence, the man began to speak.

"My name is Lind L. Tailor. Otherwise referred to among the criminal underworld and the police task force as L." the man said in a low, almost cold voice. "I am the head of a special task force, assigned to investigating the recent events of what can only be considered the worst serial murder case in our modern history. By now, you've all come to here about how criminals from all over the globe have been dying mysterious of heart attacks. From small-time crooks with murders on their belts to the likes of even the heads of crime syndicates. The news outlets would have you believe that these deaths are all unrelated, but some among you may already know the truth. These acts are being committed by a person or persons of unknown origin."

Sayu's eyes lit up. "Ooh, I know who he's talking about!"

"You all know them as Kira. Some have come to think of them as some sort of divine figure. Others believe them to be agents of justice. Most would dismiss his existence, but the fact remains that they have been killing individuals who have been hunted by the law, be it from local law enforcement or from government agencies such as the FBI or CIA." Lind L. Tailor's eyes sharpened into daggers, as if glaring at some unseen foe as he raised his voice. "Kira. If you do exist, and you are listening to this, then I have a pretty good idea of why you murder these men. However, what you are trying to accomplish, what you are doing…

"Is pure evil!"

Light raised an eyebrow, leaning in his chair as if interested to see where this was going. Sachiko gasped in surprise, noting how passionate this man sounded as he was more or less talking to someone who may or may not exist. Sayu looked positively giddy, wondering what the man was going to be talking about next.

"No matter what the excuse is, no matter the reasons, the act of taking a life from a living, breathing creature is paramount to all the evils in the world. Even if you are guided by some sense of justice, I will not allow this continue! If you have a shred of humanity in you whatsoever, you will turn yourself over to the police. Otherwise, I will hunt you down and drag you out of hiding, wherever you may be! I will find you! I am justice!"

"Wow..." Sayu breathed. "This guy is really gun-ho."

"Yeah, no kidding." Light remarked with disinterest before he stood up. "I think I'll go to bed early."

"Alright, Light-kun." Sachiko nodded. "Have a pleasant night's rest!"

Light smiled, thanking his mother as he pushed his chair in and exited the living room, making his way up the stairs. He looked at Lind L. Tailor's fearsome face one last time before he returning to his room.

"Kehehehehe… Things are getting interesting! He's more or less called you out, kid. What're going to do?"

"Nothing." Light said in dismissal as he moved over to his desk, grabbing an apple from the basket his mother had set down earlier today when she was cleaning his room. "I've already anticipated something like this would happen. After all, within the past two weeks, over three hundred criminals have mysterious died of a heart attack. And that isn't even counting criminals who've died of other causes. As far as I'm concerned, my only goal is making sure my tracks are covered and the existence of the Death Note a secret. Simple as that."

"What? You're not going to kill the guy?"

"Now, why would I do that?" Light questioned with a frown. "I'm killing criminals and scum of the earth. I know that I might have to kill innocent people, but it will only be when I have no other choice."

"Bo~ring!"

The brunette rolled his eyes as he tossed the apple over to the dark figure that was sitting on his bed. "If it's boring, then why don't you go find someone else to annoy?"

"And miss out on all the fun?" the bizarre creature asked with a sneer. It didn't resemble a human being in the least, aside from its humanoid physique, dressed in a skin-tight black suit with chains and bindings with ashen skin and bulging red eyes that glimmered with excitement. "Not a chance, bucko! I'm in this for the long haul."

Light shrugged before he looked out the window. It was still raining. No different from that day, all those years ago.

Even so, he couldn't help but smile.

You want to play this game, L? Fine, then. He thought, slowly developing a smile while his eyes flickered dark red. Come on! Catch me if you can!

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." -J. Robert Oppenheimer