In the surveillance vehicle parked outside, L heard the questioning voice through his headphones.
"Kira has appeared. What should we do? Should we begin the arrest now?"
"No."
L watched the surveillance feed showing Kira walking step by step toward the detention centre's main entrance and said in a flat tone.
"Proceed with the original plan. Transfer the prisoner."
Hearing this, the Metropolitan Police Department's field commander couldn't help but pause, hesitating as he said.
"But... there are live television broadcasts outside. If things spiral out of control..."
"You don't have one hundred percent confidence in capturing Kira, do you?"
L replied indifferently, lost in thought.
"If we can capture him, that would be ideal. If we can't, having Kira express more of his personal philosophy in front of the television cameras will also help me deduce his true identity."
"But the prisoner's safety..."
"Miura Kura was supposed to receive the death penalty anyway, wasn't he? Rather than staying in prison, wasting taxpayers' money, he might as well provide us with something valuable."
Hearing L speak such ruthless, cruel words in such a calm tone, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's field commander felt a chill in his heart.
As expected.
This famous detective didn't care at all about so-called procedural justice. Sacrificing prisoner Miura Kura's life wouldn't even make him blink.
In L's eyes, this was just an interesting game of wits.
Like playing chess.
"Alright, I understand."
The on-site commander of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department did not hesitate for long before making a decision.
Taking the most extreme scenario, even if Kira publicly killed the criminal Miura Kura during the live television broadcast...
What could anyone do about it?
Appointing L as the investigation consultant was a decision unanimously approved by the higher-ups.
With someone to shoulder the blame, the responsibility would not fall on his head anyway.
Besides, a pervert like Miura Kura who targeted young girls...
Deserved exactly such a fate.
...
"Tokyo Television, Tokyo Television! We are now broadcasting live the entire process of transferring suspect Miura Kura from the detention centre!"
Right at seven o'clock, according to the prearranged schedule, the television crew's cameramen and reporters began the live broadcast.
At seven in the morning, most of Tokyo's working population had already woken up, eating breakfast while watching television programmes.
Seeing that today's broadcast wasn't the usual morning news but an unexpected live coverage, all citizens watching television became immediately interested.
When they heard the name Miura Kura, they even forgot to eat their meals.
The main door of Tokyo Detention Centre slowly opened.
Heavily armed members of the Metropolitan Police Department stood ready.
The camera focused on that heavy iron door.
Clink... clink...
The sound of handcuffs scraping and clashing echoed from within the door.
A man of average height, ordinary appearance, wearing glasses and detention centre clothing, emerged slowly from the door, escorted by two detention centre staff on either side.
"Suspect, Miura Kura..."
Watching the screen, L suddenly made a move that the on-site police commander hadn't anticipated.
He removed the headphones from his head, pushed open the surveillance van door, casually slipped on his shoes, and stepped directly out of the vehicle.
"You..."
Seeing this, the on-site police commander hurried over, lowering his voice in panic.
"Have you gone mad!? According to the message Kira left, he likely knows what you look like - you'll die!"
'How utterly foolish...'
L shook his head, seemingly already too weary to explain the logic of why he wouldn't die to the police commander.
In his view, the logic was simple.
Kira was punishing evil and wanted to use today's television broadcast to amplify the impact of his actions.
Even if he recognised L, what could he do?
Kill him in front of all these people, and everyone watching the live broadcast on television?
If that actually happened, L would think that Kira was nothing special after all.
There were many people with convictions.
But those who remained true to their beliefs from start to finish, never compromising them regardless of circumstances, were exceedingly rare.
'Kira... which type do you truly belong to?'
In the live camera broadcast, Miura Kura stepped out from the detention centre door, one slow step at a time.
When the camera lens focused on him, a strange glimmer suddenly appeared in his eyes beneath his glasses, and a bizarre smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Miura Kura raised his shackled hands toward the camera lens, making a victory sign, his tone tinged with madness.
"You must be disappointed, but I'm genuinely mentally ill—I won't be sentenced to death!"
Hearing this, all viewers in front of their televisions and every member of the Metropolitan Police Department on site wore expressions of fury.
"This guy... is too arrogant!"
"A criminal like this must be sentenced to death!"
"I suggest executing him right now!"
Though they said this, everyone knew Miura Kura's words were so infuriating and frustrating precisely because they were likely true.
With a psychiatric certificate issued by a hospital, even after committing such a brutal crime, the chance of him receiving the death penalty was extremely slim.
"Behave yourself!"
A guard at the detention centre frowned slightly and scolded him in a low voice.
Unexpectedly, Miura Kura showed no restraint at all. Instead, right in the middle of the live television broadcast, his tone grew even more insolent.
"Heh, I just need a few years of recuperation in a mental hospital, and then I can return to society and live a normal life."
At this point, Miura Kura glanced at the female reporter standing beside the television cameraman, licked his lips, and a look of greed flashed in his eyes as he said,
"You're quite good-looking."
"Unfortunately, what I enjoy even more is watching those poor little girls tearfully beg me for mercy."
"I pretend to agree to let them go after I'm done, and then slowly dismember them piece by piece."
"That process is simply the most exquisite pleasure in the world!!!"
The detention centre staff frowned deeply, reached out, and shoved Miura Kura.
"Shut up and keep walking."
"Don't push me."
Miura Kura shot the other person a glance, a scornful smile curling his lips.
"How wonderful. Even though I'm a villain who committed such a horrific crime, I still have human rights. Basic respect must be given, after all."
Just as his words fell, before anyone around could react, Miura Kura suddenly seemed to see something utterly terrifying. The arrogance and scorn on his face vanished without a trace.
In their place was deep fear in his eyes; he was so frightened that he stumbled backward two steps and collapsed onto the ground.
"Wh-what is that!?"
Watching Miura Kura's sudden, hysterical behaviour, the members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the viewers in front of their televisions had no idea what was happening.
Only L, standing not far away, had a flicker in his eyes as he murmured to himself,
"It's already begun..."
In the very next second.
Rip.
A sound like a cloth doll being torn apart echoed through the room.
Except it wasn't a cloth doll that was torn apart.
It was Miura Kura's left arm.
Blood spurted from the severed stump like a crimson fountain.
Miura Kura even froze for a moment before feeling the agony of his arm being brutally ripped off.
"Save... save me!"
He lay wailing in a pool of blood, his severed left wrist still handcuffed to his right hand as he writhed on the ground.
"What happened!?"
"Where's the enemy?"
"Sniper rifle!?"
"Stay alert, stay alert!"
The Metropolitan Police Department members raised their gun muzzles, adopting a posture of extreme vigilance, yet they detected no abnormalities whatsoever.
Miura's arm appeared to have been torn off by some invisible force.
Just as the Metropolitan Police Department members were scanning their surroundings, they heard the same sound again.
Left leg, right arm, and finally the right leg.
One by one, Miura's limbs were torn from his body.
Finally, his head.
Witnessing Miura, who had endured dismemberment-like torture, suffering extreme agony before death until his body became broken beyond recognition, the Metropolitan Police Department members were utterly stunned.
The scene commander looked particularly panicked, quickly turning to the television reporters and cameramen.
"Stop the live broad..."
"No."
Among all present, only L remained as composed as ever, as if the bloody scene before him was completely insignificant.
"Continue the broadcast, but you can pixelate the corpse."
L gazed at Miura's body, thinking to himself.
'Now, the main event begins.'
As if to confirm L's words, a series of light, steady footsteps suddenly echoed from within the metal door of the detention centre.
With the footsteps growing gradually closer, bathed in the morning sunlight, a figure wearing a crimson Great Tengu mask and dressed in elaborate white garments slowly emerged.
"Good morning, everyone."
Light Yagami's steps didn't avoid anything as he directly trod over Miura's corpse and the sticky blood on the ground, step by step approaching the detention centre's door, his voice carrying a light laugh as he softly spoke.
"I am Kira."
The Metropolitan Police Department's scene commander's expression changed dramatically, and he immediately drew his firearm from his waist and aimed it at Light Yagami, speaking in a heavy tone.
"You are under formal arrest by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for suspected murder! Stand where you are and don't move! Otherwise, we will open fire!"
"What?"
The Great Tengu mask on Light Yagami's face grew increasingly crimson, turning the colour of fresh blood.
"Suspected murder? Where's the evidence?"
He pointed at Miura's corpse and chuckled lightly.
"Can anyone prove this man's death is related to me? Can your beloved procedural justice from the Metropolitan Police Department prove this? If not, under what charges are you arresting me?"
Before the Metropolitan Police Department's scene commander could respond, Light Yagami looked directly into the camera lens, his crimson pupils seemingly staring into the eyes of all television viewers as he slowly declared.
"The guilty cannot escape judgment."
Watching Kira standing there, L suddenly spoke calmly to the Metropolitan Police Department's scene commander.
"Open fire."
"What? Open fire? But..."
"Never mind."
Seeing the Metropolitan Police Department scene commander's hesitant expression, L shook his head and swiftly snatched the firearm from the other's hand.
Before anyone could react, he aimed at the standing Kira and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
After the gunshot echoed, Light Yagami, standing there, remained completely motionless.
The others present also saw nothing, as if there had been only gunfire without any bullets.
Yet L, who had fired the shot, saw a monster appear before Kira - a creature nearly two metres tall with wings growing from its back, looking exactly like the Great Tengu from Japanese legends.
"So that's how it is..."
As if having realised something, L stared directly at Kira, standing there and spoke calmly.
"Very soon, I will catch you."
Hearing these words, the Metropolitan Police Department's field commander paled.
Are you trying to get yourself killed!?
Kira's abilities clearly exceeded the limits of normal human imagination. Even if you were killed here, none of us Metropolitan Police Department officers present would likely be able to prevent it.
And you still say such things under these circumstances!?
Light Yagami merely glanced at L standing there, his crimson eyes meeting the other's black ones as their gazes collided in the air.
Finally, he vanished into the darkness like a ghost.
...
Meanwhile, inside the detention centre.
"St... stay back..."
Facing the suspicious figure approaching step by step - wearing a pure black mask and a black overcoat, with the unconscious guards lying behind them along the way - the last remaining detention centre guard drew his stun gun from his belt, hands trembling as he aimed and fired.
Zzz... zzz...
The wires wrapped around Ye Xing's body, crackling with electricity.
"Is that all?"
Ye Xing casually brushed off the wires, shaking his head with a light laugh.
"With this little voltage, you're just giving me a massage at best."
Under the guard's terrified gaze, Ye Xing approached step by step, slowly raising his right hand as he spoke with amusement in his voice.
"Shall we follow procedure, or save some effort?"
The guard, looking tense, didn't hesitate for a moment. Moving with the fastest speed of his life, he removed all the firearms, batons, and stun guns from his person and threw them all on the ground.
"Now that's more like it."
Ye Xing nodded with satisfaction, smiling.
"With the little money you make each month, there's no need to risk your life. Just stay put here quietly."
After speaking, Ye Xing continued forward on his own, muttering to himself.
"Now... where is it?"
After several turns, he finally found his target in an empty corridor.
There, leaning against the wall, was a stunning black-haired female ghost wearing a short kimono that revealed half of her voluptuous chest, with long, shapely thighs and an extremely curvaceous figure. Yet her face bore the pitiful expression of a frightened deer - just looking at her could stir the deepest desires in any man.
"P... please don't kill me."
The beautiful female ghost appeared utterly pitiful, her smooth black hair cascading over her snow-white shoulders, clear eyes brimming with tears - a sight designed to evoke sympathy.
"Could you really not let me go?"
Light Yagami, who had been hidden in darkness, ready to reveal himself, saw that Ye Xing was facing such an unusually beautiful female ghost, completely different from ordinary evil spirits, and suddenly changed his mind, choosing to observe silently from the shadows.
He thought to himself, given Ye Xing's character, though he was reluctant to use the term...
'Isn't he something of a lecher?'
Light Yagami sighed softly, thinking to himself, 'This time, the other party is probably going to fall for it.'
As he pondered, Ye Xing had already approached the beautiful female ghost and extended his left hand, lifting her snow-white chin like a rogue.
Seeing that her seduction seemed to be working, the beautiful female ghost quickly intensified her efforts, pitifully saying:
"I am willing to do anything; even so, must you still kill me?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Contrary to Light Yagami's expectations, Ye Xing's left hand, which had been lifting the beautiful female ghost's chin, instantly transformed into the pale ghost hand, grabbing the other's exquisitely beautiful face and slamming her head forcefully against the hard wall beside them.
Bang, bang, bang...
After nearly thirty seconds of continuous smashing, Ye Xing finally released the beautiful female ghost's head, slightly opened his mouth, and inhaled the black Qi she had transformed into.
"Heh, I'm in sage mode now, terrifyingly calm. Trying to pull this on me? Hmm?"
Not witnessing the amusing scene he had anticipated left Light Yagami somewhat disappointed.
He emerged from the shadows, shaking his head as he said.
"It seems you've handled things here as well."
Ye Xing turned to face Light Yagami and smiled.
"How about on your end?"
"Killed."
Light Yagami replied indifferently, then added softly.
"That guy wasn't influenced by evil spirits—just purely evil."
Ye Xing chuckled dismissively.
"Naturally. There exists evil in this world that even evil spirits can't compare to. We can't blame everything on them."
"Since when did you start speaking up for evil spirits?"
"Of course. I advocate being kind to spirits. Eating them is one thing, speaking up for them is another—they're separate matters."
...
Three hours later, 10 a.m., inside the hotel room.
"It's absolutely perfect!"
Marin Kitagawa gazed at her reflection in the mirror, her amethyst-coloured contact lenses gleaming as she marvelled at how she had transformed into her favourite character, Kuroe Shigure.
She turned to Saki Kawasaki with a sweet smile.
"Saki, the costume you made is truly amazing!"
Saki Kawasaki's face flushed slightly. She coughed lightly twice, pretending to be nonchalant.
"Well, as long as you're satisfied."
Saki glanced at the sunlight outside the window, her expression turning worried.
"But won't you feel hot? This outfit is quite thick after all."
"Relax, relax, I brought cooling patches."
Just then, someone knocked on the hotel room door.
"Coming!"
Marin ran to open the door and froze completely. After a few seconds, she exclaimed in awe.
"Wow, Ye Xing, you look just like him!"
She stepped aside, pointing at Ye Xing, who was cosplaying as Mask with his pure black mask and black overcoat, and looked at Saki Kawasaki.
"Saki, look! It's like he's the real deal!"
"Y... yes."
Saki Kawasaki nodded reluctantly, feeling utterly helpless.
Guess what?
It's not that he looks like him—he is the real deal.