Chakra Wizard
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Alright, like I said before, I’m reverting back to first-person perspective for now, which is a bit of a relief, cause I find it much easier to write that wayxd This particular chapter got much more difficult to write as it carried on, so I hope it turned out okay. Enjoy
"Uric…Uric…URIC!!"
"…Hm!?"
"Come on, man. You can’t keep your head in the clouds all the time. It gets rather annoying, you know?"
"…Sorry."
"Hmph. …I swear there are times I think you spend more time out in space than you do here on Earth."
"Hehehehehe, you do have a knack for metaphors, Hiroto. …I’m fine, I assure you."
"…I certainly hope so."
He always did seem to care too much about me, …even when considering the fact that I was five years younger than he was. There were times when I felt the urge to ask what side of the “fence” he was really on, but…unlike me, he always carried a gun. Hiroto Kobayashi entered the National Police Agency at roughly the same time I did and was somewhat of a stand out among other new members because of his exceptional deductive abilities. Like the rest of the NPA, he originally showed much concern for my general lack of sophistication: …I’ve never once worn a suit to headquarters. But, after our first case together and the chance to present my work ethic for the first time, we developed somewhat of a brotherly bond, which began growing gradually over time. At the time of Light’s demise, we were full-time partners…and, honestly, better friends than Light and I ever were. …It’s such a shame that he was also a potential enemy.
"We’re here."
"Hm?"
I looked out the window at the chain-link fence I had been walking alongside no more than five hours ago. Shahim, who was sat in the back of the car, noticed it, as well.
"Hehehehehe, it’s rather eerie, isn’t it?"
I nodded my head just enough to get my answer across to him, though not quite enough for Hiroto to take notice of it.
"This final hindrance before I’m completely in the clear…and it all boils down to my acting skills."
It seemed that we weren’t the first officers called to the scene. I counted a total of five other cars before Hiroto finally parked our own. The local police captain was there to meet us as we stepped out, …although the casual attire I was wearing didn’t exactly make it a warm welcome on his part.
"Sir! Excuse me, this is the scene of a crime. I’m going to have to ask you to remain in your vehicle."
"Captain, captain. …Hiroto Kobayashi, NPA. It’s alright, officer. He’s also a detective."
…Sadly enough, this wasn’t the first time Hiroto has had to step in to settle matters of this kind. I pulled out my badge to support his claims, …all the while attempting to prevent myself from laughing out loud.
"Uric Atari, NPA."
The officer paused for a moment. …He was obviously still evaluating my appearance, …but he eventually gave in.
"Apologies, detective. I didn’t-"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, …it’s fine, Captain. I get it all the time. …So, what’s the situation?"
"…Well, …I suppose it’s something you’ll have to see for yourself."
"Well, we’ll do that, then."
He began walking in the opposite direction, followed shortly by the two of us. I had been here no more than five hours ago, yet the Yellow Box appeared to have undergone a drastic change in appearance since then. I counted a total of thirteen other law enforcement officials, as well as six medical officers. …Unnecessary, in my opinion, …since everyone found here would have been long dead by now. Lined up in front of one of the two ambulances present were a total of nine bodybags, inside of which were sure to be the charred bodies of the people I had killed only hours prior to this.
"Causes of death, Captain?"
"Well, from the looks of things, they’re all burn victims. We’ve been scouting the area to find any equipment that might’ve been used in the murders, but so far, we’ve found nothing."
"…I see. Any identification as of now?"
"No, sir. Faces are too badly burned for that, I’m afraid. Plus, the hands are also charred, so fingerprints won’t be a possibility."
"…Alright. Detective, if you wouldn’t mind, take a look at the victims yourself. See if you can recognize any of them. I’ll do the same in a moment."
"Why, where are you going?"
"…I’ll take a look inside the warehouse for any hints as to what might’ve happened here."
"Got it."
I pulled out a lollipop and began unwrapping it as I started walking away. By the time Shahim asked the question I knew was on his mind, it was already in my mouth.
"What are you talking about? You know exactly what happened here."
I took a moment to pretend I was scouting the crime scene, …while I was actually checking to see if anyone was watching before I could answer his question.
"Of course, I KNOW what happened here, but it’s not as if I can tell anyone that upfront. …This is all an act, Shahim. Now, just play along with me for now."
I entered the warehouse, the door of which had been propped open by the authorities and blocked off with three strands of yellow tape. Once inside, I immediately began looking around, …trying to think of something that I could use to support the claims I would soon be making. …It didn’t take long. I quickly exited the warehouse afterwards and walked over to my partner, who was still looking at the bodies. Taking a glance at them myself, I quickly adopted a look of near disgust.
"…Ouch."
"Any luck?"
"Lots, actually."
"Well, clue me in, then."
I took the lollipop out of my mouth before beginning my small lecture.
"Looking at those bodies, burns of that magnitude would have to have been inflicted through use of gasoline set aflame. Now, in case you weren’t already aware, gasoline is a product of petroleum, so it always leaves a residue. …The floor around the areas where the bodies were discovered is completely residue-free and there is no way in Hell that the guy who did this had aim good enough to spill not a single drop of gas on that floor. …Now, I’m begging you, Hiroto, please correct me. Because, to me, that leaves only one other possible method through which they could’ve received burns like those."
It didn’t take him long to understand where I was getting at. …Like I said before, his deductive methods are exceptionally strong.
"…Spontaneous combustion?"
"Exactly."
"…Uric, in case you’ve forgotten, those burns are on every single body here, so how do you explain that all nine of them burst into flames at the exact same time?"
I took another look around. …I had to make sure that nobody else heard what I was about to say.
"Hiroto, this stays between you and I for now, but…I think this was the work of Kira."
"…But, that’s ridiculous. Kira kills people using heart attacks. …What, do you suddenly suspect that he can use other methods, as well? Uric, what other evidence do you have to support your theory?"
I turned around to check the rest of the bodies for myself. …I found my answer in the third bag from the right.
"Here’s my evidence."
He stepped forward to look at this man again, still unsure as to what I was getting at.
"…Do you recognize him?"
"As should you. …That’s our boss, …Shuichi Aizawa, chief of the NPA."
His eyes widened ever so slightly as he continued looking into the face of the man I had just identified for him.
"The burns aren't quite as bad as they had previously said. Now, would you mind telling me how a healthy, forty year-old man with HIS status in Japan’s top law enforcement agency is suddenly found among eight other dead bodies, all of which died under the circumstances I had just described?"
He still seemed unwilling to accept it, …but he soon did.
"…What do we do?"
"For now, we tell no one about this. It’s bad enough the world population is questioning every heart attack occurring in today’s society. …The way I see it, Kira’s already won if they start suspecting every hundred year-old man who dies in his sleep to be one of his victims."
"…Agreed. So, what do we tell the officials here?"
"…Well, so long as they don’t know much about gasoline, we can just tell them that the culprit left no traces of his presence here and go along with it."
"Sounds about right. And what about the chief?"
"…That, I’m afraid we can’t just hide from them. And the odds suggest that he’s not the only officer among these bodies. …Call headquarters, bring up any files you might need. Make sure that no more of our men have gone missing in the past twenty-four hours."
"Got it."
"Pardon me, detectives?"
We turned to see who was speaking to us. …It wasn’t the Captain, though the man did appear to have…experience on his part.
"Yes, officer?"
"There’s something else you two should probably have a look at."
We looked at each other for a moment. …I’d say that we were both wondering what he could’ve been talking about, …but I already knew. He explained it to us as we began to follow him.
"While we were scouting the area for possible evidence to link to the deaths, we found another body lying dead in a nearby building. …From the look of things, he must’ve been trying to flee the scene and was shot multiple times along the way. If you checked inside the warehouse, you would’ve seen a large puddle of blood on the floor in there."
"…Yes, there was certainly a large amount of blood in there."
"Well, we ended up spotting a couple drops of it along the way and followed them to that building and saw him lying on the staircase in there. We’re not sure how he links to all this, but…forensics did match him up with the blood found in the warehouse, so…he’s either another victim or the culprit."
"Did you find a gun that might have caused the wounds?"
"We found the one that DID. It was lying in the warehouse, so the guy who shot it is probably in there, too, if you ask me."
"Any matches on prints?"
"Yep. A guy by the name of Touta Matsuda."
I took a moment to pretend as if I was trying to recall whether or not I had heard the name before.
"Another one of ours."
"Damn it. And based on YOUR theory, there’s probably one or two others lying over there in the bags, too. …Any identification for the man you found in the other building?"
"Didn’t even need to check with forensics. …One of ours."
"Another cop? What the hell is with…Uric?"
By this point, we had already reached our destination…and the three of us were standing in front of a gurney, on top of which was an open bodybag…containing an old friend.
"Hey, Uric, you alright?"
Attempting to keep this act going as long as possible, I took a few steps forward, as if to reaffirm whether or not this man was really who I thought it was.
"…Do you know him?"
"…Yeah. …Yeah, I know him."
"...Well?"
I paused a moment, saying or doing absolutely nothing before slamming my fist on the stretcher, as if enraged. …Although, to be honest, I couldn’t necessarily call all of this part of the act. …After all, I haven’t shed tears for Light since the day I believed myself to have written down his name. I started walking away, prompting Hiroto to follow, before I gave him any of the answers he was waiting for.
"That’s Light Yagami. …His father was the NPA’s former chief Soichiro Yagami, …who died a few months ago."
"…Yeah. I remember."
"…He was a longtime friend of mine, …probably the only one I ever had."
This was the first time I had ever mentioned my friendship with Light to anyone else, …so he was obviously rather surprised.
"Well, …this must be a bit of a shock to you, then."
"…You have no idea."
To strengthen his curiosity, he soon realized that I wasn’t walking back to the warehouse, …but to his car.
"Hold on, where are you going? We were called to this scene. We can’t just leave in the midst of it."
"I know. …I need to talk to you for a minute, though, and this time, I don’t want anyone walking up to speak with us."
"Uh, …alright?"
Once the two of us were back in his car, I threw my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. …In truth, I was waiting for him to speak the first word.
"So, I take it you believe that he was a victim of Kira, as well?"
"…Without a doubt."
"Well, taking that into account, how do you explain the fact that the gun used to shoot him belonged to one of our men?"
"…It’s obvious. Kira was controlling his actions beforehand. …He might’ve even been here to see if it worked."
"You’re kidding me, right?"
"Not in the slightest."
"So, you actually believe that KIRA was in THAT building no more than a few hours ago?"
"…It really does make a lot of sense if you consider all the facts."
At that point, he leaned his head back, as well. …He was just dying to hear this theory.
"Enlighten me, then."
"Well, why would he make ten people come to this particular warehouse right before they all died?"
"Probably to throw us all for a loop."
"…That’s always a possibility…or maybe, this was one of his tests. At least three of the people in those bags are police officers, Hiroto, one of which I know for a FACT was all for capturing Kira."
"And how do you know that?"
"…Because that’s just the kind of person Light is."
I expected him to ask another question, but the silence that followed caused me to look over in concern. …It would seem that he wasn’t about to argue over this particular matter.
"Anyways, with that said, we could also assume that the rest of those people might have been working to catch him, as well. …They might have discovered something crucial that would’ve ended this case completely and were about to act on it…and there may have been an eleventh person among them in the events that took place a few hours ago."
"…Kira?"
"Absolutely. …It might have been someone who had been working alongside them, …someone they trusted with the information they had discovered."
"And when he found out just how vital it was to the case, he lured them to this old warehouse and killed them using a method that would dispose of any evidence?"
"…Sounds about right."
"…It does, actually. It’s always a leap with Kira, but you might actually be onto something. …But, that doesn’t explain why he would have to come here himself OR why Light Yagami was the only one who died of means other than spontaneous combustion."
"…I have a theory on that, if you care to humor me a moment."
"Shoot."
"…Well, first, why not reiterate what we know about Kira? We know he needs to know what a person looks like and what their name is before he can successfully kill them. He also can control their actions leading up to death, so long as they’re realistically possible for that person."
"Right?"
"…I’d wager to say that he didn’t know Light’s name at the time he lured this group of people to the warehouse, either because he was merely a witness to what happened or because Kira was never a member of the group at all and only knew a few of their names. …Which one do you find more believable?"
"…I’d go with the latter."
"Hmm, I figured you would. Now, from that standpoint, he would need to find out the names of the others, so he forced those members of the group who knew their names to begin yelling them out. Light must have caught onto his presence and tried to flee and inform someone of what was going on, prompting Kira to force Touta Matsuda to pull his gun out and shoot him, …from which I draw this conclusion."
"…What?"
"…Kira cannot force people whose names he knows…to kill people whose names he doesn’t know. In other words, regardless of the method, even if it’s the product of him controlling someone else’s actions, …unless Kira knows a person’s name, he can’t use his power to kill them in any way."
"…Uric, …that’s incredible. Your abilities never cease to amaze me."
"That being said, when Matsuda fired his gun, that restriction would have prevented him from killing Light, allowing him to escape the building after suffering severe blood loss from his wounds. As for Light’s cause of death, I’d wager to say that Kira used a heart attack after he found out his name, since that restriction would render him incapable of dying from the gunshot wounds. …As for why he didn’t use the same killing method that he did for the rest, it was probably either to make it appear as if it was a completely different crime that just happened to take place in the same area…or maybe even to set Light up as the accomplice, making it seem as if Matsuda had shot and killed him to prevent him from getting away with it."
I can’t recall how long the silence in between the end of my deduction and Hiroto’s first comment lasted, …but it was certainly a while before he finally broke it.
"…How certain are you that this is what actually happened?"
"…Maybe fifteen percent at the most. As you said, we can never be too sure with Kira. He’s been evading L for almost seven years now. …It’s possible that he could just be throwing us all for a loop."
"Hmmm…well, I guess you might as well freeze this case, then. I mean, if L hasn’t found him by now, what chance do you think YOU have of doing it?"
"…An even better one."
"…Come again?"
"I can’t allow him to get away with his sins any longer, Hiroto. …I could’ve been helping Light this entire time…and there’s a chance that he might not have died."
"Uric, you’ve been avoiding the Kira case ever since you joined the NPA. …If this is because of your friend out there, you do realize that you’re risking your life for someone you can’t bring back?"
"…It’s not revenge, Hiroto, whether you believe it or not. …I was stubborn up until now. Even Kira’s most disgraceful victims have surely left behind someone dear to them…and here I’ve been the entire time, passing it off as what’s best for the world. …In some ways, I’m no better than he is."
"Hey, don’t say that. We both know that’s not true."
"But, maybe it is. …I’ve committed more sins than you can imagine, my friend. …It’s high time I made up for them. …From this moment forward, I will partake in the Kira case…and I WILL find him and see to it that he gets executed, …even if I have to do it with my own hands."
…Best performance I ever gave in my life. Hiroto believed every word that exited my mouth, …and knowing him, he wasn’t about to let me shoulder this case alone.
"…Well, at the very least, don’t think that you’re the only one who still wants Kira to disappear. …We’re partners, after all, so I’m not gonna allow you to work this case on your own."
"…Thank you, Hiroto."
"So, …Detective Atari, what’s our first line of duty?"
"Hmhmhmhm, well, I suppose for now, the least we can do is order an autopsy to be done on Light. …We’ll need to know whether or not those gunshots were really the cause of his death."
"Got it."
He was already exiting the car before I stopped him again.
"Oh, and…give the Captain a call number. …We may be hearing from him again rather soon."
"…Roger that. I’ll be just a second."
With him now gone, Shahim and I were once again alone…and able to commute freely from within the confines of this vehicle."
"Hehehehe, that’s the second time you’ve lied to your best friend, Uric. …You really are selling your soul for this plan, huh?"
"...My soul’s long dead, Shahim, …and it wasn’t a lie, …at least, not completely."
"Huh?"
"Just as I told Near, I know how sinister my intentions are…and there’s nothing I pray for more than for someone to stop me from going through with them. …But, as I’ve already said numerous times before, my life is all I have left that’s dear to me…and I will defend my own existence, …even at the cost of someone else’s."
The Act
"Uric…Uric…URIC!!"
"…Hm!?"
"Come on, man. You can’t keep your head in the clouds all the time. It gets rather annoying, you know?"
"…Sorry."
"Hmph. …I swear there are times I think you spend more time out in space than you do here on Earth."
"Hehehehehe, you do have a knack for metaphors, Hiroto. …I’m fine, I assure you."
"…I certainly hope so."
He always did seem to care too much about me, …even when considering the fact that I was five years younger than he was. There were times when I felt the urge to ask what side of the “fence” he was really on, but…unlike me, he always carried a gun. Hiroto Kobayashi entered the National Police Agency at roughly the same time I did and was somewhat of a stand out among other new members because of his exceptional deductive abilities. Like the rest of the NPA, he originally showed much concern for my general lack of sophistication: …I’ve never once worn a suit to headquarters. But, after our first case together and the chance to present my work ethic for the first time, we developed somewhat of a brotherly bond, which began growing gradually over time. At the time of Light’s demise, we were full-time partners…and, honestly, better friends than Light and I ever were. …It’s such a shame that he was also a potential enemy.
"We’re here."
"Hm?"
I looked out the window at the chain-link fence I had been walking alongside no more than five hours ago. Shahim, who was sat in the back of the car, noticed it, as well.
"Hehehehehe, it’s rather eerie, isn’t it?"
I nodded my head just enough to get my answer across to him, though not quite enough for Hiroto to take notice of it.
"This final hindrance before I’m completely in the clear…and it all boils down to my acting skills."
It seemed that we weren’t the first officers called to the scene. I counted a total of five other cars before Hiroto finally parked our own. The local police captain was there to meet us as we stepped out, …although the casual attire I was wearing didn’t exactly make it a warm welcome on his part.
"Sir! Excuse me, this is the scene of a crime. I’m going to have to ask you to remain in your vehicle."
"Captain, captain. …Hiroto Kobayashi, NPA. It’s alright, officer. He’s also a detective."
…Sadly enough, this wasn’t the first time Hiroto has had to step in to settle matters of this kind. I pulled out my badge to support his claims, …all the while attempting to prevent myself from laughing out loud.
"Uric Atari, NPA."
The officer paused for a moment. …He was obviously still evaluating my appearance, …but he eventually gave in.
"Apologies, detective. I didn’t-"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, …it’s fine, Captain. I get it all the time. …So, what’s the situation?"
"…Well, …I suppose it’s something you’ll have to see for yourself."
"Well, we’ll do that, then."
He began walking in the opposite direction, followed shortly by the two of us. I had been here no more than five hours ago, yet the Yellow Box appeared to have undergone a drastic change in appearance since then. I counted a total of thirteen other law enforcement officials, as well as six medical officers. …Unnecessary, in my opinion, …since everyone found here would have been long dead by now. Lined up in front of one of the two ambulances present were a total of nine bodybags, inside of which were sure to be the charred bodies of the people I had killed only hours prior to this.
"Causes of death, Captain?"
"Well, from the looks of things, they’re all burn victims. We’ve been scouting the area to find any equipment that might’ve been used in the murders, but so far, we’ve found nothing."
"…I see. Any identification as of now?"
"No, sir. Faces are too badly burned for that, I’m afraid. Plus, the hands are also charred, so fingerprints won’t be a possibility."
"…Alright. Detective, if you wouldn’t mind, take a look at the victims yourself. See if you can recognize any of them. I’ll do the same in a moment."
"Why, where are you going?"
"…I’ll take a look inside the warehouse for any hints as to what might’ve happened here."
"Got it."
I pulled out a lollipop and began unwrapping it as I started walking away. By the time Shahim asked the question I knew was on his mind, it was already in my mouth.
"What are you talking about? You know exactly what happened here."
I took a moment to pretend I was scouting the crime scene, …while I was actually checking to see if anyone was watching before I could answer his question.
"Of course, I KNOW what happened here, but it’s not as if I can tell anyone that upfront. …This is all an act, Shahim. Now, just play along with me for now."
I entered the warehouse, the door of which had been propped open by the authorities and blocked off with three strands of yellow tape. Once inside, I immediately began looking around, …trying to think of something that I could use to support the claims I would soon be making. …It didn’t take long. I quickly exited the warehouse afterwards and walked over to my partner, who was still looking at the bodies. Taking a glance at them myself, I quickly adopted a look of near disgust.
"…Ouch."
"Any luck?"
"Lots, actually."
"Well, clue me in, then."
I took the lollipop out of my mouth before beginning my small lecture.
"Looking at those bodies, burns of that magnitude would have to have been inflicted through use of gasoline set aflame. Now, in case you weren’t already aware, gasoline is a product of petroleum, so it always leaves a residue. …The floor around the areas where the bodies were discovered is completely residue-free and there is no way in Hell that the guy who did this had aim good enough to spill not a single drop of gas on that floor. …Now, I’m begging you, Hiroto, please correct me. Because, to me, that leaves only one other possible method through which they could’ve received burns like those."
It didn’t take him long to understand where I was getting at. …Like I said before, his deductive methods are exceptionally strong.
"…Spontaneous combustion?"
"Exactly."
"…Uric, in case you’ve forgotten, those burns are on every single body here, so how do you explain that all nine of them burst into flames at the exact same time?"
I took another look around. …I had to make sure that nobody else heard what I was about to say.
"Hiroto, this stays between you and I for now, but…I think this was the work of Kira."
"…But, that’s ridiculous. Kira kills people using heart attacks. …What, do you suddenly suspect that he can use other methods, as well? Uric, what other evidence do you have to support your theory?"
I turned around to check the rest of the bodies for myself. …I found my answer in the third bag from the right.
"Here’s my evidence."
He stepped forward to look at this man again, still unsure as to what I was getting at.
"…Do you recognize him?"
"As should you. …That’s our boss, …Shuichi Aizawa, chief of the NPA."
His eyes widened ever so slightly as he continued looking into the face of the man I had just identified for him.
"The burns aren't quite as bad as they had previously said. Now, would you mind telling me how a healthy, forty year-old man with HIS status in Japan’s top law enforcement agency is suddenly found among eight other dead bodies, all of which died under the circumstances I had just described?"
He still seemed unwilling to accept it, …but he soon did.
"…What do we do?"
"For now, we tell no one about this. It’s bad enough the world population is questioning every heart attack occurring in today’s society. …The way I see it, Kira’s already won if they start suspecting every hundred year-old man who dies in his sleep to be one of his victims."
"…Agreed. So, what do we tell the officials here?"
"…Well, so long as they don’t know much about gasoline, we can just tell them that the culprit left no traces of his presence here and go along with it."
"Sounds about right. And what about the chief?"
"…That, I’m afraid we can’t just hide from them. And the odds suggest that he’s not the only officer among these bodies. …Call headquarters, bring up any files you might need. Make sure that no more of our men have gone missing in the past twenty-four hours."
"Got it."
"Pardon me, detectives?"
We turned to see who was speaking to us. …It wasn’t the Captain, though the man did appear to have…experience on his part.
"Yes, officer?"
"There’s something else you two should probably have a look at."
We looked at each other for a moment. …I’d say that we were both wondering what he could’ve been talking about, …but I already knew. He explained it to us as we began to follow him.
"While we were scouting the area for possible evidence to link to the deaths, we found another body lying dead in a nearby building. …From the look of things, he must’ve been trying to flee the scene and was shot multiple times along the way. If you checked inside the warehouse, you would’ve seen a large puddle of blood on the floor in there."
"…Yes, there was certainly a large amount of blood in there."
"Well, we ended up spotting a couple drops of it along the way and followed them to that building and saw him lying on the staircase in there. We’re not sure how he links to all this, but…forensics did match him up with the blood found in the warehouse, so…he’s either another victim or the culprit."
"Did you find a gun that might have caused the wounds?"
"We found the one that DID. It was lying in the warehouse, so the guy who shot it is probably in there, too, if you ask me."
"Any matches on prints?"
"Yep. A guy by the name of Touta Matsuda."
I took a moment to pretend as if I was trying to recall whether or not I had heard the name before.
"Another one of ours."
"Damn it. And based on YOUR theory, there’s probably one or two others lying over there in the bags, too. …Any identification for the man you found in the other building?"
"Didn’t even need to check with forensics. …One of ours."
"Another cop? What the hell is with…Uric?"
By this point, we had already reached our destination…and the three of us were standing in front of a gurney, on top of which was an open bodybag…containing an old friend.
"Hey, Uric, you alright?"
Attempting to keep this act going as long as possible, I took a few steps forward, as if to reaffirm whether or not this man was really who I thought it was.
"…Do you know him?"
"…Yeah. …Yeah, I know him."
"...Well?"
I paused a moment, saying or doing absolutely nothing before slamming my fist on the stretcher, as if enraged. …Although, to be honest, I couldn’t necessarily call all of this part of the act. …After all, I haven’t shed tears for Light since the day I believed myself to have written down his name. I started walking away, prompting Hiroto to follow, before I gave him any of the answers he was waiting for.
"That’s Light Yagami. …His father was the NPA’s former chief Soichiro Yagami, …who died a few months ago."
"…Yeah. I remember."
"…He was a longtime friend of mine, …probably the only one I ever had."
This was the first time I had ever mentioned my friendship with Light to anyone else, …so he was obviously rather surprised.
"Well, …this must be a bit of a shock to you, then."
"…You have no idea."
To strengthen his curiosity, he soon realized that I wasn’t walking back to the warehouse, …but to his car.
"Hold on, where are you going? We were called to this scene. We can’t just leave in the midst of it."
"I know. …I need to talk to you for a minute, though, and this time, I don’t want anyone walking up to speak with us."
"Uh, …alright?"
Once the two of us were back in his car, I threw my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. …In truth, I was waiting for him to speak the first word.
"So, I take it you believe that he was a victim of Kira, as well?"
"…Without a doubt."
"Well, taking that into account, how do you explain the fact that the gun used to shoot him belonged to one of our men?"
"…It’s obvious. Kira was controlling his actions beforehand. …He might’ve even been here to see if it worked."
"You’re kidding me, right?"
"Not in the slightest."
"So, you actually believe that KIRA was in THAT building no more than a few hours ago?"
"…It really does make a lot of sense if you consider all the facts."
At that point, he leaned his head back, as well. …He was just dying to hear this theory.
"Enlighten me, then."
"Well, why would he make ten people come to this particular warehouse right before they all died?"
"Probably to throw us all for a loop."
"…That’s always a possibility…or maybe, this was one of his tests. At least three of the people in those bags are police officers, Hiroto, one of which I know for a FACT was all for capturing Kira."
"And how do you know that?"
"…Because that’s just the kind of person Light is."
I expected him to ask another question, but the silence that followed caused me to look over in concern. …It would seem that he wasn’t about to argue over this particular matter.
"Anyways, with that said, we could also assume that the rest of those people might have been working to catch him, as well. …They might have discovered something crucial that would’ve ended this case completely and were about to act on it…and there may have been an eleventh person among them in the events that took place a few hours ago."
"…Kira?"
"Absolutely. …It might have been someone who had been working alongside them, …someone they trusted with the information they had discovered."
"And when he found out just how vital it was to the case, he lured them to this old warehouse and killed them using a method that would dispose of any evidence?"
"…Sounds about right."
"…It does, actually. It’s always a leap with Kira, but you might actually be onto something. …But, that doesn’t explain why he would have to come here himself OR why Light Yagami was the only one who died of means other than spontaneous combustion."
"…I have a theory on that, if you care to humor me a moment."
"Shoot."
"…Well, first, why not reiterate what we know about Kira? We know he needs to know what a person looks like and what their name is before he can successfully kill them. He also can control their actions leading up to death, so long as they’re realistically possible for that person."
"Right?"
"…I’d wager to say that he didn’t know Light’s name at the time he lured this group of people to the warehouse, either because he was merely a witness to what happened or because Kira was never a member of the group at all and only knew a few of their names. …Which one do you find more believable?"
"…I’d go with the latter."
"Hmm, I figured you would. Now, from that standpoint, he would need to find out the names of the others, so he forced those members of the group who knew their names to begin yelling them out. Light must have caught onto his presence and tried to flee and inform someone of what was going on, prompting Kira to force Touta Matsuda to pull his gun out and shoot him, …from which I draw this conclusion."
"…What?"
"…Kira cannot force people whose names he knows…to kill people whose names he doesn’t know. In other words, regardless of the method, even if it’s the product of him controlling someone else’s actions, …unless Kira knows a person’s name, he can’t use his power to kill them in any way."
"…Uric, …that’s incredible. Your abilities never cease to amaze me."
"That being said, when Matsuda fired his gun, that restriction would have prevented him from killing Light, allowing him to escape the building after suffering severe blood loss from his wounds. As for Light’s cause of death, I’d wager to say that Kira used a heart attack after he found out his name, since that restriction would render him incapable of dying from the gunshot wounds. …As for why he didn’t use the same killing method that he did for the rest, it was probably either to make it appear as if it was a completely different crime that just happened to take place in the same area…or maybe even to set Light up as the accomplice, making it seem as if Matsuda had shot and killed him to prevent him from getting away with it."
I can’t recall how long the silence in between the end of my deduction and Hiroto’s first comment lasted, …but it was certainly a while before he finally broke it.
"…How certain are you that this is what actually happened?"
"…Maybe fifteen percent at the most. As you said, we can never be too sure with Kira. He’s been evading L for almost seven years now. …It’s possible that he could just be throwing us all for a loop."
"Hmmm…well, I guess you might as well freeze this case, then. I mean, if L hasn’t found him by now, what chance do you think YOU have of doing it?"
"…An even better one."
"…Come again?"
"I can’t allow him to get away with his sins any longer, Hiroto. …I could’ve been helping Light this entire time…and there’s a chance that he might not have died."
"Uric, you’ve been avoiding the Kira case ever since you joined the NPA. …If this is because of your friend out there, you do realize that you’re risking your life for someone you can’t bring back?"
"…It’s not revenge, Hiroto, whether you believe it or not. …I was stubborn up until now. Even Kira’s most disgraceful victims have surely left behind someone dear to them…and here I’ve been the entire time, passing it off as what’s best for the world. …In some ways, I’m no better than he is."
"Hey, don’t say that. We both know that’s not true."
"But, maybe it is. …I’ve committed more sins than you can imagine, my friend. …It’s high time I made up for them. …From this moment forward, I will partake in the Kira case…and I WILL find him and see to it that he gets executed, …even if I have to do it with my own hands."
…Best performance I ever gave in my life. Hiroto believed every word that exited my mouth, …and knowing him, he wasn’t about to let me shoulder this case alone.
"…Well, at the very least, don’t think that you’re the only one who still wants Kira to disappear. …We’re partners, after all, so I’m not gonna allow you to work this case on your own."
"…Thank you, Hiroto."
"So, …Detective Atari, what’s our first line of duty?"
"Hmhmhmhm, well, I suppose for now, the least we can do is order an autopsy to be done on Light. …We’ll need to know whether or not those gunshots were really the cause of his death."
"Got it."
He was already exiting the car before I stopped him again.
"Oh, and…give the Captain a call number. …We may be hearing from him again rather soon."
"…Roger that. I’ll be just a second."
With him now gone, Shahim and I were once again alone…and able to commute freely from within the confines of this vehicle."
"Hehehehe, that’s the second time you’ve lied to your best friend, Uric. …You really are selling your soul for this plan, huh?"
"...My soul’s long dead, Shahim, …and it wasn’t a lie, …at least, not completely."
"Huh?"
"Just as I told Near, I know how sinister my intentions are…and there’s nothing I pray for more than for someone to stop me from going through with them. …But, as I’ve already said numerous times before, my life is all I have left that’s dear to me…and I will defend my own existence, …even at the cost of someone else’s."
- The End -
