March 21st, midnight. The twenty-fifth episode of the Death Note animation aired.
In front of the TV, Shiga Taka munched on potato chips and sipped his cola, his anticipation for the upcoming episode palpable.
He had been following this series since reading the first chapter of the manga, making him one of its earliest fans.
Now that it was nearing its conclusion, he felt a pang of reluctance.
Three DVD volumes had been released so far, and he had bought every single one.
With only two episodes left before the series cemented its legendary status, even if the finale faltered, it had already proven itself a masterpiece. Shiga Taka was certain to buy the remaining volumes when they were released.
However, whether he'd buy one copy or two would depend on the quality of those final two episodes.
On screen, the animation's opening theme played, followed by a GG sequence. Instead of a recap, a brief flashback unfolded: children, an orphanage, the tolling of a bell—seemingly glimpses into L's childhood.
The flashback ended, returning to the present timeline. L found his external contact, Watari, who asked what was wrong. L remained silent. Then, the title of episode twenty-five appeared: "Silence."
As the main plot began, L noticed a corner was missing from the page of the Death Note their investigation team had obtained. Sensing something was wrong, he asked Rem, "A small piece is torn from the corner of this page of the Death Note. If you write a name on that scrap of paper, would that person die too?"
"I don't know." Rem kept her lips sealed. "I've never used it that way, so I can't say what would happen."
"Then, do Shinigami only eat apples?" L pressed further.
He recalled the information Kira had left behind during his experiments.
"That's not true. But the Shinigami's internal organs have atrophied—no, evolved. That's why they don't need to eat." This time, Rem told the truth.
L didn't press the matter. Instead, he called out, "Yagami," and then added, "You've finally regained your freedom, yet you've barely left headquarters. Miss Misa comes to see you, and you just stand there and chat for a few minutes... You could be out there, freely enjoying your relationship."
"The Kira case isn't resolved yet. I'm not in the mood for romance," the Male Lead replied sternly. "Or is my constant presence at the investigation headquarters bothering you?"
"No, it's not," L denied.
The camera zoomed in on his expression and eyes, then showed the Male Lead watching him from behind, followed by a close-up of the Male Lead's eyes. Though only his eyes were described, they seemed to convey a wealth of information.
The scene shifted to a brief flashback of the Male Lead seeing Misa Amane off at the entrance of the investigation headquarters. The background music continued uninterrupted, and this segment was shot with a wide-angle lens, clearly not from the Male Lead's perspective. It felt more like L observing the Male Lead bidding farewell to Misa Amane.
After the farewell, the camera focused on Misa Amane.
She was already home.
Her bed was adorned with various ornaments.
As she changed clothes, she recalled the Male Lead's words:
"I can't punish criminals myself yet, Misa. This task is yours."
"Misa, let's create a new world together."
By the time she finished recalling, she had already put on a dark navy Lolita dress and matching hair accessories.
Outside, the time showed 4:04 PM. Small bronze ornaments tapped against a copper pipe, creating a tinkling sound.
The television was broadcasting news about a criminal suspect.
Misa Amane watched expressionlessly, then began to sing a song in a clear voice:
"Be careful, God is watching. Hold hands in the dark of night. Even if I'm far away, You can always find me. Teach me everything you know..."
The scene showed Misa walking through the streets, writing the names of criminals in her Death Note, criminals falling to the ground, people passing or running by her, and finally, Misa standing on a high slope, facing the sunset, gazing out over the entire city.
Though it was only a short segment, the storyboard and directing were explosive, truly artistic.
The wave of criminals being punished naturally caught the attention of the investigation headquarters.
Everyone found it troublesome, tricky, and difficult to understand.
Only Shinigami Rem immediately realized that this was Misa's doing.
"It just so happens to be after Misa was freed..." L said, popping a bear-shaped cookie into his mouth, and said tentatively.
"Ryuzaki, why bring that up again?" the Male Lead asked, his expression darkening. "This has nothing to do with Misa, does it? If anything, it happened right after Higuchi died, didn't it?"
Higuchi was the "Kira" previously captured and killed by the Male Lead, while Ryuzaki was one of L's aliases.
L had merely been testing the waters with his suggestion. Hearing the Male Lead's response, he casually replied, "That's true. However, if there's another notebook in circulation and someone is using it... we must find that person."
As he munched on a cookie, he glanced at the torn corner of the Death Note on the table, pondering inwardly: "Though the Shinigami claimed ignorance, what if... killing could be done with scraps of paper?"
With this thought, he considered the Male Lead's role in the matter and reached a conclusion: "That would make it possible."
However, the notebook's rule requiring continuous killing within 13 days made his conclusion seem contradictory.
At that moment, the Male Lead approached L from behind and asked if using the Death Note to kill could truly lead to charges and convictions for serial murder.
Once this topic was raised, several people, including L, began a serious discussion.
Watching from the side, Rem initially couldn't understand the Male Lead's intentions. She thought that if Misa were arrested, the Male Lead would surely be done for. But then it suddenly dawned on her:
"So that's it! What a terrifying guy!"
"Yagami Light was so confident I'd save Misa's life. Under these circumstances, to save her, I had no choice but to write Ryuzaki's real name in my Death Note. And since I killed Ryuzaki..."
"Because it concerns Misa's lifespan, I'd also die. Everything would turn out perfectly for Yagami Light."
When the Male Lead's true intentions were analyzed, Shiga Taka, watching the TV, was stunned.
He never imagined such a move.
To even scheme against a Shinigami... that was too brilliant, so brilliant it made his scalp tingle.
Some had previously theorized online that the two later rules added to the Death Note could be tested to verify their truth. They thought the Male Lead had either overlooked such a crucial point or overestimated L's faith in the gods. Now the truth was clear.
Those two rules were merely a ruse to deceive others and temporarily mislead L. He had already prepared two deadly traps against L. Even if Misa Amane failed to remember L's real name, there was still Rem.
To have calculated this far... that was too strong.
But if that's the case, wouldn't L be doomed?
Could the final outcome be justice defeated by evil? With L eliminated, the Male Lead would inherit L's mantle, continuing to play the role of Kira while simultaneously framing himself as the victim?
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