Five minutes later, at the entrance of Tokyo National Museum.
"Why has such heavy rain suddenly started?"
Members of the Metropolitan Police Department in raincoats and museum staff trudged through the water, glancing down to see that the water level had already risen above their ankles.
Moreover, it showed signs of continuing to rise.
"What a nuisance..."
"Let's move the police cars before the water gets too high."
"Are the waterproofing measures inside the museum ready?"
"No problem."
"That's good."
The Metropolitan Police Department's field commander looked at the accumulated water on the ground, then turned to glance at the main entrance of Tokyo National Museum, thinking it was fortunate amidst misfortune that the museum's closing time was 5:00 PM.
When the heavy rain started, the tourists and citizens visiting the cultural relics exhibition had already left long ago.
Otherwise, maintaining order among the crowd while ensuring the security of the museum's artefacts would have been quite overwhelming.
"This weather is really strange..."
The Metropolitan Police Department members looked up at the overcast, completely darkened sky, feeling the chill brought by the pouring rain, their emotions inexplicably complex.
Amidst this continuous sound of rain, the world instead seemed to have grown quiet.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter...
The sound of raindrops hitting the ground merged into one continuous noise, with no other sounds between heaven and earth.
In such heavy rain, visibility became blurred.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's field commander and the National Museum exhibition director glanced at the empty streets, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief.
Thank goodness.
The exhibition had been running until today without any incidents occurring.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
With nearly a hundred fully armed Metropolitan Police Department members patrolling every corner of Tokyo National Museum, not even a bird could sneak in unnoticed.
If anyone still dared to target Mikazuki Munechika under these circumstances, wouldn't they be seeking death?
"The security is very tight."
...
Meanwhile, within the clouds in the sky.
Wearing a crimson mask and dressed in elaborate white garments, Light Yagami observed through binoculars while speaking softly.
"10... 20... Just around the museum alone, there are nearly a hundred Metropolitan Police Department members. If we enter the interior, we'll encounter even more obstacles."
Hearing Light Yagami use the word "obstacles" rather than "enemies", Ye Xing commented flatly from beside him.
"Wouldn't it be simpler to just kill them all?"
"Kill them all? That won't do."
Light Yagami's brow furrowed beneath his mask, his tone unusually serious and firm, devoid of its usual amusement.
"While the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department members are obstacles to our current operation, they're not evil people. We can't kill them."
"Oh, then don't kill them."
Hearing Ye Xing's indifferent tone, Light Yagami first paused in surprise, then shook his head with a wry smile.
"I say, Ye Xing-kun, when will your testing of me finally end? Haven't I made it clear? I punish guilty people, but only guilty people. That's the justice I believe in."
"Is that so?"
Ye Xing nodded noncommittally.
The current Light Yagami, though possessing Soul Materialisation abilities, bore little resemblance in personality to the Light Yagami from the original storyline, who possessed the Death Note and aspired to become the god of a new world.
Or perhaps.
This was Light Yagami's original personality all along.
The Death Note - a causal weapon that required no personal sacrifice, capable of taking lives merely by writing names while picturing the target's face - was genuinely terrifying.
But the most frightening aspect wasn't the Death Note itself.
Instead, it was how using this ability to write name after name gradually desensitised the user to the value of human life.
Killing became devoid of feeling, as mundane as eating or drinking.
It subtly reshaped the user's attitude toward others' lives.
This was why Light Yagami had transformed into that version of himself in the original storyline.
Now things were different.
Light Yagami's soul's true form, Emperor Sutoku, represented his hatred and disgust for this corrupt world, and his desire to punish evil through violence, bloodshed, and cruelty.
Emperor Sutoku himself was part of Light Yagami's inner self.
The will that awakened through Soul Materialisation when confronting one's true self wasn't easily changed.
Naturally, Light Yagami couldn't possibly agree to killing innocent Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department members.
Of course, he'd also noticed.
Whether in Kyoto or Tokyo, Ye Xing had been testing him throughout their operations.
"Speaking of which..."
Light Yagami turned to look behind him, gazing at the black guardrails beside Mai Sakurajima and the others, and sighed helplessly.
"I remember when I rode this pale ghost hand last time, there didn't seem to be any guardrails, did there?"
Ye Xing replied matter-of-factly.
"Mm, newly developed feature."
"I don't believe a word of it."
Meanwhile, Rio Futaba looked up at the continuously pouring rain, her eyes beneath her bone-white mask revealing thoughtful contemplation.
"However, given this heavy rainfall, traffic conditions will definitely be severely affected. Many road sections have likely been closed off."
"Even if the alarm in the National Museum is triggered and the Metropolitan Police Department sends reinforcements, it would still take considerable time for them to reach here."
"That means we only need to consider the Metropolitan Police Department members currently in this area."
"What we need to consider next is how to break through the Metropolitan Police Department's defence line and enter the National Museum..."
Just as Rio Futaba was saying this, Ye Xing slowly stood up from his position sitting on the edge of the pale ghost hand, stretched lazily, and said with a laugh.
"Where to enter? Naturally, the most reasonable approach is to enter from an undefended direction."
"Undefended?"
Rio Futaba frowned slightly.
"How is that possible? Light-kun just observed that there are Metropolitan Police Department members patrolling in all directions..."
Halfway through her sentence, Rio Futaba froze.
She had thought of one direction where the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department hadn't set up any defences...
That was...
"Hero, incoming!"
Under the astonished gazes of Mai Sakurajima, Miko Yotsuya, and Rio Futaba, Ye Xing, wearing a black coat and pure black mask, said lightly.
The next moment, he leapt straight from the edge of the pale ghost hand, leaving only a trail of black flame behind.
This was dozens of metres in the air!
Seeing this, Light Yagami couldn't help but pause briefly before his crimson eyes revealed inexplicable fervour and excitement.
"As expected, it's only when acting together with Ye Xing-kun..."
Saying this, he too leapt down from the floating pale ghost hand.
"...that it's most interesting!"
Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, and Mai Sakurajima exchanged glances, all sharing the same thought.
These two...
Are they both madmen?
Mai Sakurajima shook her head helplessly, crouched down and patted the palm of the pale ghost hand, saying softly.
"Follow their descent trajectory and land slowly."
The pale ghost hand's middle finger tapped, like a human nod, then slowly began descending towards the ground.
...
Meanwhile, down on the ground.
BOOM!!!
Feeling the ground tremble and hearing the sudden loud noise, the Metropolitan Police Department members all changed expressions.
"What happened?"
"Alert, alert!"
"Intruders?"
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department members immediately drew their pistols from their belts, turned around, and looked towards the direction of the sound.
When they saw what was before them, they were all stunned.
Above the Tokyo National Museum, a cloud of dust had been stirred up.
The originally solemn and dignified building's roof still had scattered debris flying out.
"This is..."
The on-site Director of the Metropolitan Police Department stared in disbelief, muttering to himself.
"An... an air raid?"
Elsewhere, beneath the large hole in the museum's centre, fine cracks had spread across the marble floor.
Ye Xing, wearing a black coat, knelt on one knee on the ground, slowly raised his head, a white smile pattern appearing on his black mask.
"Perfect landing."
"Really perfect?"
Light Yagami, wearing a Great Tengu Mask with bird-like wings growing from his back, landed gently beside him.
Hearing the sharp, piercing alarm in her ears and seeing the surrounding chaos, Light Yagami couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
"You're making far too much noise with this commotion. Aren't we here to steal something?"
"Steal? Steal? That Mikazuki Munechika originally belonged to us anyway."
"Fine then, let me rephrase - aren't we here to return something to its rightful owner?"
"Of course."
Ye Xing straightened up, brushed the white dust from his coat, and pointed forward.
"So, we've found our target for this mission."
Light Yagami followed his pointing finger and saw an exquisitely crafted greatsword lying silently within a glass display case.
"So that's the famous blade... Mikazuki Munechika..."
Light Yagami stared at the greatsword in the display case, whispering in admiration.
"Indeed, I can feel the powerful spiritual power emanating from it."
Ye Xing glanced at the wings behind Light Yagami.
"You've already mastered the ability of Soul Materialisation fusion. Quite talented, aren't you?"
Light Yagami replied in an amused tone.
"I'm still far from reaching your level, though."
Light Yagami possessed remarkable observational skills, and through Ye Xing's seemingly abstract, almost chuunibyou-like heroic entrance earlier, he had gleaned important information.
The elevated position they had been standing on earlier was approximately fifty meters in direct line from the Tokyo National Museum.
From such a distance, Light Yagami couldn't sense any spiritual power fluctuations.
Yet Ye Xing, despite the National Museum housing so many spiritual objects, could accurately identify which one was the famous blade Mikazuki Munechika and land directly before it.
This proved that the other possessed not just power.
His perception of spiritual power also surpassed his own.
"Sigh... really, do you have to make everything so flashy every time..."
Rio Futaba jumped down from the floating pale ghost hand, making her habitual gesture of pushing up her glasses as she looked at Ye Xing.
"You should understand that if things get too out of hand and cause public panic, it could trigger unpredictable changes in the Reverse World, too, right?"
"I'm well aware of that."
Ye Xing nodded, then added meaningfully.
"But unpredictable doesn't necessarily mean bad."
"This is... Mikazuki Munechika..."
Miko Yotsuya slowly approached the display case, her golden eyes showing unprecedented anticipation and joy as she gazed at the Mikazuki Munechika lying quietly behind the transparent glass.
As fellow professional exorcists who both fought with blades.
To be honest, Miko had long wanted to acquire a famous blade matching her current abilities after seeing Ye Xing's Onimaru Kunitsuna.
On one hand, she didn't want to trouble everyone.
On the other hand, famous blades weren't something one could obtain easily.
And now...
One of the Five Great Swords of Japan, Mikazuki Munechika... was right before her.
"The glass is bulletproof..."
Rio Futaba approached and glanced at the transparent display case, speaking softly.
"Bone Woman, proceed."
"Understood."
As Rio Futaba's words fell, the kimono-clad Bone Woman appeared behind her, extending several pale white bone spikes from her wide sleeves that struck the same spot on the display case glass in succession.
In just two seconds, the bulletproof glass display case was struck dozens of times at the same spot by the bone spikes.
Crack.
With a crisp sound, the glass display case first developed a web of cracks.
Then, with a bang, it shattered into fragments scattered across the floor.
Rio Futaba showed no sign of delight, merely sighing and murmuring to herself.
"Perhaps I should find a book on drill structures and study it specifically..."
Rio Futaba had a premonition that, although this was only the second retrieval operation, it definitely wouldn't be the last.
"Mikazuki Munechika..."
Looking at the famous sword so close within reach, Miko Yotsuya's eyes showed traces of nervousness. She took a deep breath to calm the excitement in her chest, then slowly extended her right hand and grasped Mikazuki Munechika's hilt.
In that instant, Miko saw the pale golden particles of spiritual power in the air suddenly freeze.
The next second.
Boom!
With a roar that only psychics could hear, the pale golden spiritual power that had been floating in the air surged like a tidal wave, all converging into Mikazuki Munechika's scabbard.
Clang!
With the sound of metal ringing, Miko Yotsuya drew Mikazuki Munechika from its scabbard.
The previously dull iron blade now emitted a joyful cry, as if breaking free from restraints.
Miko's golden eyes emitted a pale golden glow.
The iron blade gradually transformed, changing from its original iron colour to a pale gold that reflected light, similar to Miko's eyes, within just a few seconds.
"This is my... Mikazuki Munechika."
Hearing Miko's soft murmur, Rio Futaba pressed her lips together, looking as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
'One glance tells the truth, verification complete.'
'Ye Xing has infected Miko Yotsuya.'
'What a line - "my Mikazuki Munechika".'
'How does she say such outrageous words with such a matter-of-fact tone?'
But looking at the colour change of Mikazuki Munechika's blade, it was the same as with Onimaru Kunitsuna before.
Spiritual objects should belong to psychics.
They were originally blades meant for slaying evil spirits.
Only in the hands of Supernatural Society members could Onimaru Kunitsuna and Mikazuki Munechika display their true value.
Just then, officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department had already rushed in from the entrance, holding firearms.
"Don't move!"
Nearly a hundred dark gun muzzles were aimed at Ye Xing's group standing there.
"That's... Mask?"
Seeing Ye Xing standing there in his black coat and pure black mask, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department members all stiffened and showed signs of high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The name Mask was thunderously famous not just in Kyoto but throughout Japan.
That television broadcast recording had spread extremely widely, causing a sensation across Japan and even making front-page newspaper headlines.
'Hero Who Sanctioned a Serial Killer? Or Lawless Criminal?'
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's field director, upon seeing the famous criminal Mask appear here, couldn't help but clench his teeth, deeply troubled in his heart.
Why... would he come here?
Wait a moment.
If he remembered correctly, a few months ago, when the Kyoto City Museum was exhibiting the famous sword Onimaru Kunitsuna, it had also been infiltrated by unidentified individuals.
Could it be that the so-called unidentified individuals back then actually referred to Mask!?
Why did the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department, fully aware that the Tokyo National Museum's upcoming exhibition of the famous sword Mikazuki Munechika had a high probability of becoming Mask's target, give no prior warning whatsoever?
No wonder the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's on-site commander was confused.
After multiple incidents, in the public's eyes, the Criminal Affairs Director, who had repeatedly saved critical situations and wielded actual power within the Metropolitan Police Department, Soichiro Yagami, was actually one of Mask's collaborators.
Giving the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department advance warning to be cautious about Mask targeting the famous sword Mikazuki Munechika?
What a joke.
It would already be good enough if Soichiro Yagami didn't abuse his position to leak confidential information, such as the police deployment status and shift schedules at the Tokyo National Museum scene, to Mask.
And give Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department advance warning?
Don't be ridiculous.
"Now, now, no need for that."
Facing the gun barrels of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department officers, Ye Xing just chuckled lightly and raised both hands.
Then, he suddenly made a move that nobody present, including members of the Supernatural Society, had anticipated.
Ye Xing pointed at the figure standing there wearing the crimson Great Tengu mask, and said softly with a smile:
"Since you don't seem to know, let me mention this."
"He is Kira."