𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒

四十一 | 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋

꧁꧂

  
    "It's completed," (Y/N) announced that evening in her office as she held up the fake Death Note that she had crafted, taking the cover of the actual Death Note off to then lace it to the copied pages—that way, it would still have its properties all intact. "It took a while, but it's finally done. With this, another Kira can kill again without me having to give up your Death Note, Ryuk."

"It actually looks like the real thing," the Shinigami commented as he leaned over her shoulder to stare down at the object.

"Of course it does. I made it."

"Well, isn't someone cocky?"

"It's all about confidence, Ryuk," she smirked as she set the fake Death Note down and turned around to fully face him, crossing one leg over the other. "If even the original holder of the Death Note, a Shinigami, says that a fake Death Note crafted by me looks like the real thing, wouldn't it only be natural for me to be confident about my skills?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Ryuk rolled his eyes. "Just don't forget you still owe me sixty more apples."

"I'll buy you ten more next week."

"Nice!"

"However... I also need you to do one more favor for me," (Y/N) tapped the fake Death Note's cover. "If you deliver this to someone, I'll buy you the apples every week for the rest of the time you're with me. Does that sound fair?"

"Make it twenty."

"Done."

"So, who is it then?" Ryuk questioned as he snatched up the fake Death Note.

"Here," (Y/N) rolled her chair back around to face the computer, typing something and hitting enter before sliding out of the way so the Shinigami could see the screen and the face of a man with a long face and both dark brown hair and eyes. "His name is Kyosuke Higuchi, and he is a man who would do perfectly as the next Kira. I want you to deliver this fake Death Note to him and instruct him to carry out routine killings of criminals. Besides that, he can then do whatever he pleases with the notebook. Can you do that for me, Ryuk?"

"No problem," he chuckled.

"Also, since you're not bound to this fake Death Note, you don't need to follow him, but I would like you to check up on him from time to time," she further requested, tapping a finger to her chin. "And when it comes down to us finding him, I want you to be there with him, okay?"

"Got it," Ryuk nodded before walking through the walls of her house to unfurl his black, feathery wings, soon enough flying high above the soaring buildings of Japan.

(Y/N) settled back in her chair.

This is perfect.

Everything is fitting together so well that it almost scares me, but not to the point where I want to stop.

If things go my way...

She smiled at the thought.

It was easy for her to go through each day as if nothing were wrong, greeting both Light and L with ease—she wondered if she were like Light in the sense that she was very good at acting. But then again, his reasons for acting and her own were quite different, so she brushed the thought off. For two months, she continued this act, easing along the investigation with subtle hints pointed towards Kyosuke Higuchi and the Yotsuba Group, the corporation where he worked.

And it wasn't long before Light took the bait.

Currently, (Y/N) sat at her desk at Task Force Headquarters, mindlessly tapping a finger along the surface of it. Propping her head up, she thought over the events of the past two months, pleased with herself for being able to get so many things done in so little time. Flipping her head to the side, she then watched as Light continued typing away at his computer, completely immersed in his work, while L was crouched beside him, his pale fingers clutching the back of his chair as he stared blankly at the metal walls.

    "Hey, Light?" (Y/N) hummed. "What are you working on so intensely?"

    "Well, it's hard to explain so, I think it's better if you see it. You too, Ryuzaki," Light replied, leaning back in his chair as the two came closer—L rolling his chair forwards in that instance. "Take a close look at this. It can't be coincidence." He pointed at the lost on the screen that showcased the deaths of many people that were all related to one another through their business occupancy, the boy continuing, "All of them were prominent Japanese businessmen; CEO's whose companies are leaders in their respective industries. In just over a month, they all died of heart attacks."

    "Hm. If it's heart attacks, then it's obviously Kira," (Y/N) stated, crossing her arms. "The question is, why businessmen now?"

    "It's funny you say that, (Y/N), as there's been a general downturn in the market, all with the exception of Yotsuba," Light explained, now showing a graph with three lines, one spiking upwards whilst the other two only continued dropping. "In other words, their deaths have worked in Yotsuba's favor. Looking back, there have been thirteen similar deaths in the past three months. Your thoughts?"

    L stayed silent for a moment as he stared at the screen, finger on his lip while the gears in his head turned before he said, "Hm... based on this, I can only conclude that Kira is supporting Yotsuba."

    "Isn't that unlike Kira, though? If that's the case, wouldn't that make my theory of Kira's power shifting from one person to another more likely?" (Y/N) tilted her head, giving both of the men a knowing smile. "And, wouldn't it be more than likely that this new Kira is one of the people in charge, or going to be, of Yotsuba? I mean, like you said, Light, Yotsuba is the only exception to these deaths."

"Yes, only punishing criminals is not this Kira's intent," L said after several moments of silence. "He's killing people for the benefit of his company."

"Huh..." Light crossed his arms as he leaned back in his chair, glancing at L. "Are you... feeling a little more motivated now?"