Ye Xing had originally thought that a girl like Yui Yuigahama, with her obedient personality and usually well-behaved appearance, would be the type who wasn't very proactive.
Unexpectedly...
During this exceptionally arduous cultivation process, Yui Yuigahama revealed a completely different side of herself.
Truly gifted by nature.
At three o'clock in the morning, while holding the sleeping Yui Yuigahama, Ye Xing suddenly noticed the vibration coming from his phone on the bedside table.
He carefully withdrew his arm, and the adorably sleeping Yui Yuigahama let out a few soft murmurs before sinking back into dreamland.
Ye Xing got up from the bed, picked up his phone, walked to the doorway, glanced at the unfamiliar number, and finally answered the call.
"Ye Xing-kun."
"So it's Tsukuyomi, what's the matter?"
This time, Light Yagami's voice held no trace of amusement, only an inexplicable excitement and agitation.
"Sorry to disturb you so late, but there's an urgent matter I need to discuss with you."
"Go ahead."
"Have you heard of... the name Miura Kura?"
"Miura Kura?"
Ye Xing leaned against the hotel room door and chuckled softly.
"You mean that pervert who's been trending online recently? The one who committed those horrific crimes against young girls?"
"Exactly."
On the other end of the phone, Light Yagami was sitting in his room, behind his computer desk.
Scanning the contents on his computer screen, he slowly spoke.
"Tomorrow... no, this morning at seven o'clock, Miura Kura will be transferred from the detention centre to prepare for his public trial tomorrow."
"According to my internal sources, the television stations are already prepared. Although Miura Kura can't be interviewed, they've arranged for reporters to broadcast live the few dozen seconds when this perverted murderer emerges from the detention centre and gets into the prison van."
"This is an opportunity."
Without Light Yagami having to spell it out, Ye Xing knew what the other wanted to do.
Kira, who punishes evil; live television broadcast; a perverted murderer that's sparked public discussion.
When these three elements were combined, the resulting scenario was predictable.
However...
"What about the source of the information?"
"Don't worry about that."
Light Yagami replied with a laugh.
"Although the general public doesn't know about this information, at least hundreds of people at the television stations, detention centre, and Metropolitan Police Department are aware. Plus, they might tell friends and family - tracking it would involve tens of thousands of people at minimum."
"Moreover, I learned it face-to-face from a third party. There's no direct connection, and no digital traces like emails were left online."
"Including this phone number - I've never used it before, so there's no risk of being wiretapped."
After hearing this explanation, Ye Xing chuckled softly in response.
"Then aren't you afraid I'm being wiretapped?"
"I've actually considered that possibility."
The laughter in Light Yagami's voice remained undiminished, tinged with genuine seriousness as he spoke slowly.
"But if the Metropolitan Police Department tracked you down, I would certainly be exposed too. When that time comes, I'd rather die before you do."
"How disgusting, are you starting that again?"
"This is how I treat friends, Ye Xing. You're my first, and only, friend."
Light Yagami replied with a laugh before shifting the topic.
"Of course, I know asking you to join me in this risky venture violates our original agreement of non-interference. If you choose not to help, I completely understand."
"I never said I wouldn't go."
Ye Xing responded casually, his tone indifferent.
"It's not convenient to discuss over the phone. Let's meet in person."
"Alright, I'll send you the address."
"OK."
After hanging up, Ye Xing returned to the bedroom of the suite and sat on the edge of the bed, gently patting Yui Yuigahama's shoulder.
"Yui, I need to go out for a while."
"Eh? Huh?"
Yui Yuigahama half-opened her eyes, her pupils still clouded with sleepiness. Though her consciousness hadn't fully cleared, her body instinctively tried to sit up, her voice slightly hoarse as she spoke.
"Where to... I'll go with you..."
"No need."
Ye Xing pressed down on Yui Yuigahama's shoulder, speaking softly.
"You're too tired, rest a while longer."
"Mmm... alright then."
Yui Yuigahama responded in a soft, drowsy voice, but as Ye Xing prepared to leave, she tugged at his sleeve.
"A kiss."
"Alright."
Only after Ye Xing bent down and kissed her cheek did Yui Yuigahama close her eyes, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"Bye bye, be careful."
"I know."
...
After dressing properly and leaving the room, carefully closing the door behind him, Ye Xing entered the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.
Ding!
When the elevator doors slid open at the lobby level, Ye Xing saw an unexpected person.
"Where are you going so late?"
Kazusa Touma stood at the elevator entrance, holding a bag filled with snacks.
"I was going to ask you the same thing - why aren't you sleeping and what are you doing here?"
Kazusa Touma lifted the bag slightly to show him, her tone flat.
"Couldn't sleep, got hungry, came out to buy food."
Then she took a small pudding from the plastic bag and offered it to Ye Xing.
"Here, this is for you."
"Rejected. I don't accept food given so condescendingly."
"What strange things are you saying? I don't understand."
"Kazusa, you really need to improve your cultural studies."
"Hmph."
After chatting briefly, just as Ye Xing was about to head out of the hotel, he noticed Kazusa Touma silently following beside him without a word.
"What's the meaning of this?"
Kazusa Touma hugged the plastic bag with both arms as if cradling her most treasured possession, murmuring quietly.
"I'm coming with you."
Ye Xing shook his head and chuckled lightly.
"At this late hour..."
Before he could finish, Kazusa Touma moved closer, her slender, elegant eyes revealing a trace of loneliness as she whispered.
"I... haven't spoken with you for a long time. Since coming to Tokyo, we haven't gone out together either. I want to go out with you, anywhere is fine."
Seeing Kazusa Touma's pitiful appearance, like an abandoned loyal dog, even Kyoto's top exorcist in his abstract holy form couldn't help but soften.
"You're right. Since we've finally come to Tokyo, let's go."
Seeing Ye Xing agree, Kazusa Touma beamed with joy, taking a pudding from her bag, unwrapping it, and actively feeding it to Ye Xing's lips.
"Here, I'll share it with you."
"I suppose if I don't eat it today, you won't give up."
Ye Xing first complained, then took a bite of the pudding Kazusa Touma offered.
Just as he was about to take a second bite, her slender, pale hand retracted.
"Only one bite allowed."
Completely unbothered, Kazusa Touma wore a blissful expression as she gently bit into the pudding where Ye Xing had taken his bite.
"The rest is all mine."
"You really wear everything on your face, don't you?"
...
Twenty minutes later, at a fast-food restaurant.
"Ye Xing-kun."
Seeing Ye Xing arrive with Kazusa Touma and sit opposite him, Light Yagami merely glanced at Kazusa Touma and the plastic bag she was holding before losing interest and looking away.
But when his gaze shifted to Ye Xing's face, it couldn't help but carry a hint of amusement.
"Sorry for calling you out so late."
"Doesn't matter."
Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively and smiled.
"Friends should help each other. You helped us during that operation the other day."
"Yes, thank you for understanding."
Light Yagami nodded, then slowly began to speak.
"Regarding what you told me on your first day in Tokyo, I've been thinking about it a lot recently."
"You were right. Relying solely on my individual actions, the power will always be limited."
"Those wicked people before me are merely weak, empty shells - puppets that can be destroyed with a gentle tear."
"But what I must confront isn't any single criminal or ex-convict as an individual, but all the evil in Tokyo City, and indeed this entire world, along with this rotting system."
"Continuing like this has no practical significance beyond drawing the Metropolitan Police Department's attention."
At this point, Light Yagami's tone shifted, a flash of crimson appearing in his light brown eyes.
"But as you said, only by becoming an image, becoming a symbol, can we truly make an impact."
"For that purpose, Miura Kura is the most suitable target."
"The first step of the new world will be taken upon this man's corpse."
"My plan is..."
Just as Light Yagami reached this point, he saw Kazusa Touma unwrap a piece of chocolate and bring it to Ye Xing's lips.
"Ah, open up."
Watching Ye Xing's resigned expression as he opened his mouth to take a bite of the chocolate, followed by Kazusa Touma withdrawing her hand and taking a bite from the exact spot he had bitten - this intimate display made Light Yagami laugh wryly.
"I say, you two showing off your affection is getting a bit excessive, isn't it? Not considering my feelings at all."
Hearing this, Kazusa Touma's pretty face flushed red as she immediately denied it.
"Don't talk nonsense. Ye Xing and I are just friends. There's absolutely nothing like that between us."
Light Yagami was completely dumbfounded upon hearing this.
No way.
Miss Touma, are you foolish, or do you take me for a fool?
You don't even need to be perceptive - anyone with eyes can see you have feelings for Ye Xing, right?
And yet you deny it...
No matter how quickly you deny it, it's meaningless.
Light frowned slightly, wondering if these two were playing him for a fool.
"Don't mind her, that's just how she is."
Light felt question marks practically appearing above his head.
Looking at Kazusa Touma's calm, expressionless face, he thought to himself that in some ways, this Miss Touma's personality was just as abstract as Ye Xing's.
Here I am discussing grand plans to change the world and punish evil.
And you just sit there as steady as Mount Tai, peeling chocolate? And feeding it to him?
No matter how you look at it, this is just too abnormally calm!
"Ahem, anyway..."
Light collected himself, his slender fingers lightly tapping the table, his eyes revealing an aloof, detached expression.
"I've drawn inspiration from Mask's deeds."
"Let this television broadcast serve as Kira's debut, making those criminals hiding in the shadows tremble with fear at this name."
Ye Xing nodded slightly and smiled.
"Not a bad idea, but what about the Metropolitan Police Department? They have the world's greatest detective on their side."
"Although he's a great detective..."
Light took a sip of coffee and said calmly.
"But from now on, he won't be fighting just me alone, but the image of Kira, and the public sentiment this image represents."
"To be frank, the information about the prisoner Miura Kura's transfer was leaked from within the Metropolitan Police Department, and the higher-ups tacitly approved it."
"The purpose is to use public opinion to pressure the prosecution and secure the death penalty to the greatest extent possible."
The Metropolitan Police Department and the prosecution don't belong to the same system.
In some ways, their objectives often conflict with each other.
Just like this time.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department went through tremendous effort to finally capture the serial killer Miura Kura. Having witnessed the horrific, bloody crime scenes firsthand, all officers, including the higher-ups, only wanted one verdict.
Death penalty.
But considering Miura's mental illness, the prosecution was unlikely to seek the death penalty.
By leaking information during the transfer process and allowing television stations to broadcast it live, they aimed to spark public discussion and pressure the Tokyo prosecution - and indeed prosecution offices across Japan - to secure a death penalty verdict.
This is the Metropolitan Police Department's objective.
...
Meanwhile, in the operations conference room at Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department.
L remained perched on his chair, his long hair dishevelled and matted, with extremely dark circles under his eyes that clearly showed his lack of rest.
Even so, he continued thinking.
The Metropolitan Police Department's Director watched the detailed reports displayed on the screen regarding the transfer of prisoner Miura Kura.
"Kira... will he really come?"
"If I were him, I wouldn't miss this opportunity."
L chewed on his fingernails, lost in thought.
"Someone like Kira would definitely want more - he simply hadn't found the method before."
"This is the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his ideology to the public."
"If he doesn't appear, I'd actually breathe a sigh of relief. That would prove he doesn't have the ambition or the intellect I suspect him of possessing."
"But most likely, he will appear."
Hearing L's words, the Director's face showed conflicted hesitation as he spoke uncertainly.
"But... do we really have the capability to capture him?"
"That's not my concern."
L fiddled with his messy hair, speaking casually.
"I'm just a detective. Telling you the criminal's weaknesses, along with the time and location of his next crime, completes my work. As for how to apprehend him, that's your Metropolitan Police Department's responsibility."
...
Three hours later, 6:00 in the morning.
"Time to prepare for departure."
The fully equipped Director, ready to command on-site, heard L's words and watched as the detective jumped down from his chair and casually put on his shoes. He stared blankly for a moment before asking uncertainly.
"You... are coming too?"
"Of course."
L spoke as if it were obvious, yawning, his tone indifferent.
"Much information can only be obtained through direct contact with the criminal himself. The opportunity Kira won't miss is equally an opportunity for me to catch his weaknesses."
Hearing L's completely unconcerned tone and careless demeanour, the Director gritted his teeth, his feelings complex.
All of Tokyo was the chessboard.
He and the members of the Metropolitan Police Department were merely pieces.
Everything was just a tool for this eccentric, famous detective and for Kira to play their game of strategy.
...
After arriving at the scene, L sat in the Metropolitan Police Department's specialised surveillance vehicle, wearing headphones while watching the screens connected to various cameras inside the detention centre, murmuring to himself.
"Just half an hour until the transfer begins..."
Time passed minute by minute.
The headphones transmitted the Metropolitan Police Department members' announcements.
"Criminal suspect Miura Kura's transfer now officially begins."
Outside the detention centre's door, groups of journalists had formed orderly lines.
Metropolitan Police Department members watched the live-streaming cameras with their blinking red lights in the reporters' hands, silently permitting their presence without a word.
Everyone wanted to see Miura Kura receive the death penalty, or even be executed on the spot.
Even the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, while maintaining the system's normal operation on the surface, thought the same in their hearts.
"Kira, Kira, Kira..."
L glanced at the time displayed on the screen.
6:55.
"Only five minutes left, and still not appearing..."
Just as L finished speaking, he suddenly heard a panicked voice through his headphones.
"Two unidentified individuals have appeared inside the detention centre!"
"Repeating, two unidentified individuals have appeared!"
"Suspected to be Kira and Mask!"
L's expression froze: "Inside the detention centre?"
His gaze immediately shifted back to the surveillance screen, and sure enough, he saw two figures appear in one of the feeds.
"Kira... and Mask..."
A question involuntarily arose in L's mind.
How exactly did these two manage to appear directly inside the detention centre!?
...
Meanwhile, inside the detention centre.
"As expected, it's here."
Ye Xing, now dressed as Mask, looked at the black Qi-emitting Gate behind him and said with a light laugh.
Light Yagami, wearing the red Great Tengu mask, said calmly.
"How ironic that an act to punish evil must rely on this product born from evil itself."
"It's just a tool, don't trouble yourself with unnecessary thoughts."
"You're right."
"Since there's a Gate here, there should be powerful evil spirits lingering about. I'm going for an extra meal."
"Alright."
Light Yagami nodded and stepped forward, heading in the opposite direction from Ye Xing. Beneath the crimson Great Tengu mask, his eyes had already turned a bloody red.
"The punishment of evil begins."