Mass release 8/10
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The Yagami residence.
Yagami Light calmly pushed open the door, sticking half his body inside.
"Light-kun, you're back~"
Makima was sitting on the sofa, already dressed in her uniform, the pitch-black coat draped elegantly over her.
"Huh? Miss Makima, you're going out at this hour? Did something happen?" Yagami Light glanced at the clock.
It was exactly 6:00.
Normally, Makima wouldn't go out to work overtime at this hour. There was only one possibility: a major incident. And if it was a major incident... Yagami Light knew—it was his doing.
"Something happened in Central Ward."
"Don't tell me—it's the Araki Finance incident?" Light asked knowingly.
"Oh? You already know?"
"It'd be hard not to."
Yagami Light pulled out his phone, which was currently playing a video taken by a bystander. The likes and comments were skyrocketing.
"Looks like it's a big deal. Just the loan office lobby alone had nine corpses. Blood was used to paint the letter M on the walls and floors. Doesn't seem like some simple yakuza turf war," Light offered his analysis. "Maybe someone was out for revenge."
"Maybe."
Makima's tone was a bit cold. She slowly stepped forward, gently placing her hands on his cheeks. Their foreheads touched—sharing a moment of warmth before her departure. But deep in her eyes, a flicker of suspicion surfaced.
"Light-kun, where did you go just now?"
"Dinner with Kitagawa. You know that, sis." Light paused. "But looking at the video's upload location, it seems pretty close to the restaurant we were at."
"I see..." Makima nodded thoughtfully. "Light-kun, you should skip cram school tonight."
"Huh? Why?"
"It's too dangerous." Makima smiled softly. "I don't care how many of those trashy loan sharks died. But since something this serious happened—and from what you said, there might be a killer wandering around Chiba…"
"I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to be in danger."
"So just stay home tonight, okay? Once I've assessed how serious the incident is, we'll talk again."
Yagami Light gave a slightly stiff smile. Was this what they called hoisting a rock only to smash your own foot? But since Makima had said this much, going against her would be unreasonable.
"Alright, I understand. Until you finish your investigation, I won't go out." Light replied obediently, then added teasingly, "But Miss Makima, you'd better remember not to say those things in front of others."
"Even if you believe those loan sharks were garbage, if someone else hears that, they might accuse you of being cold-blooded."
"Other people's judgment?" Makima tilted her head, curiously observing him. "What does Light-kun think?"
Without hesitation, Light answered, "They deserved to die."
"That's good enough."
"As long as Light-kun is by my side, I don't care what others think~"
"Honestly, I don't care if that trash dies. But unfortunately, it happened in the area I'm in charge of, and it's within my job scope, so I have no choice but to go. If I skip it today, who knows if I'll be able to come home on time next time."
Makima spread her arms, gently embracing Light. She rested her face against his neck and took a deep breath. Her golden eyes showed no emotion. The scent of blood was stronger now.
But Makima said nothing. She let go and said casually, "I'm off. Be safe at home, Light-kun."
"I'm not a three-year-old. Don't worry, Miss Makima."
Bang—
After watching her leave, Yagami Light rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Sixty days of surveillance efforts—interrupted today. He didn't know when Makima would be back, and if she returned to find him gone...
He couldn't afford the consequences.
Washboard punishments, handcuffs, those little police whips—they'd all rain down on him. Of course, the physical pain wasn't the issue. What he really feared was damaging the trust between him and Makima. Trust, no matter how small, once broken, would crack even the closest bonds.
Makima was the most important family member to him since he came to this world. He didn't want—even the slightest—rift between them.
Sigh...
Slumping on the couch, Yagami Light pulled out his phone and found the contact labeled Ryougi Shiki. Without hesitation, he quickly drafted a message asking for leave and was just about to send it—
But Ryougi Shiki messaged first.
[Shiki: I've got something to do today. Don't come.]
"..."
Yagami Light exhaled in relief. Most of the guilt in his heart vanished. It was like when both people in a couple want to break up, but the girl says it first—pure relief.
He quickly deleted his drafted leave request and simply replied: "Okay."
Having done all that, Yagami Light looked up at the familiar ceiling. "Jurisdiction, job scope… Miss Makima, just what are you really…"
...
Himeno waved her hand, directing the on-site officers to put up a cordon and block the flood of reporters and curious onlookers. She removed the lady's cigarette from her mouth, crushed it underfoot, and stepped into Araki Finance.
The moment she walked in, she was stunned.
Corpses lay strewn across the floor, dark red blood covering everything. One wrong step and you'd be stained. The bodies' arms and thighs were twisted at unnatural angles, as if brutally struck by some external force.
In the lobby, the walls and floors were covered in countless "M"s, as if someone were desperately asserting their existence.
But the most horrific sight was the corpse in front of the elevator—reduced to ash and scorched bone. Strangely, only this body had been burned; nearby flammable objects were completely untouched.
It was as if some supernatural force had isolated the victim from the world and punished them alone.
Himeno ordered, "Do we have the autopsy results? Also, I want footage from all building and nearby surveillance cameras."
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