Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As the screen finally dims down, the cast was left speechless from seeing all the horrors and heroics Subaru went through. Everyone in the room held both grief and immense respect towards the black-haired, mean-looking boy. The silence didn't last long, however, as a surge of exchanges erupted between the different royal election candidates and their members.

"Man, ma' capt'n was so cool! He was eve' cooler than I though'!" Garfield shouted in delight "The way ma' Capt'n d'feated the rabbits wa' almost as awesom' as ma' awesom' self!"

Everyone was relieved at the young demi-human, the knights chuckled and many nodded in approval.

"Big-bro could've been on our team us if only had Reinhard taken him instead. Big-bro did such an amazing job" Felt commented, smiling joyfully at Reinhard, then playfully kept punching his elbow.

"My apologies Felt-sama for not taking him when I should" Reinhard bowed befittingly of him as a knight, enjoying his relationship with his Master. "Although, it gladdens me that you are in such an uplifting mood despite some of the things we saw" Reinhard looks down as he thinks of all the things Subaru went through.

Felt scoffed, then reassuring Reinhard as she punches him again. "He always does his best to help people no matter what, so he would never be as low as a bastard like Roswaal who only cares about a few people. I never ever doubt my Big-bro!"

"I 'gree!" Garfield said, "Ma' Capt'n saves everyon' like the hero he is! That's why ma' awesom' self calls him capt'n!"

"Without Natsuki-san's contribution the Emilia camp wouldn't be what it is now" Otto said, "He is important to all of us and I'm glad I could call myself his friend"

Only now Otto realized just how much his advice about relying on others had helped Subaru. He initially thought that his offer of relying on him allowed Subaru to win his bet over Roswaal and save everyone from the calamity of the rabbit. But the actual significance of his help was hidden from him until this viewing; had Subaru had no one to rely on, he would've never beaten Roswaal and eventually be forced to contract a witch and lose his humanity.

"You should take some credit as well" Felt reminded Otto, "Things would've been a lot worse for Subaru without you"

"Da' tiny girl is righ'!" Garfield said, "Ya're a good bro"

"I'm not tiny girl!" Felt huffed in frustration, "I'm as old as you, you know"

"Na' way… I though' ya're like ten or somethin'"

"No I'm not!"

Scene change

As they continued their conversation about the things in Arc 4, Emilia puts her face into Subaru's chest as she sobbed both tears of joy and sadness.

Emilia's feelings for Subaru have blossomed evermore as she viewed her knight's journey in Arc 4. The sadness in her tears was for all the terrible things Subaru had to suffer that Emilia could never even hope to make up for. The joy was for seeing how much Subaru had cared for her and did to help her be strong enough to pass the trials.

"You're such a wonderful person Subaru", I promise that the feelings you want me to have towards you are almost there. I can almost feel them. I'll confess how I feel about you once I'm ready. I promise."

Rem too, shed tears similar to Emilia's' as she sat next to Subaru opposite to Emilia. After she watched Arc 4, her love for Subaru grew larger more than it ever had before (which was already a lot).

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you Subaru" her words also muffled by his jacket, his clothing being covered with even more tearstains. "You are exactly the hero Rem fell in love with."

"It's wonderful that that's how you two feel I suppose, but could you both move so I could sit on Betty's contractor in fact!" Beatrice said in an irritated fashion. "My wonderful contractor is not for you to hug like a pillow when I'm here in fact!"

Emilia and Rem were hugging Subaru similar as to two children hugging their mother. They had been doing so for as long as they cried, which meant that Beatrice had trouble sitting on her contractor's lap. After a while, both let go of hugging Subaru to allow Beatrice to sit on him as she sobbed her own tears.

"Thank you for going through so much to save Betty I suppose. I'm sorry I could never save you from your pain. I have been a bad spirit in fact" Beatrice cried as she caressed the part of the arm where Subaru would scratch, trying to use the little mana she had to heal the wounds.

"Natsuki Subaru achieved an amazing feat slaying the Great Rabbit." Crusch Karsten spoke; her powerful words uplifted the three girls' spirits. "My and everyone's respect for him must have risen after seeing how he clung to his noble ideals and not failing to uphold it even through the harshest trails". Crusch tried less and less to hide how her respect for him is beginning to warp into affection. She looked at the sleeping boy and thought about what to do in the future.

"It is true" Wilhelm confirmed Crusch's remarks, further uplifting the girls' spirits. While he understands the affection his master holds for the young boy, he also wished to Subaru that he will receive the love that he seeks from Emilia and Rem since he truly deserves it.

Felix, on the other hand, feels shame for himself at how he treated Natsuki Subaru and at how much he doubted him. "I will apologize to him. I hope he forgives me Nyan."

Scene change

Anastasia, recovering from the momentary silence beforehand, quickly brought her group members together for a private meeting. Julius, Ricardo, Mimi, Tivey and Anastasia herself were gathered round away from the rest.

"So what did you think?" Anastasia said

"Everything was so cool!" Mimi exclaimed

"It was indeed exhilarating" Tivey said

"If I was there I would've blasted all the rabbits and it would be awesome. Then-" Mimi was stopped by her brother Tivey, who sighed at his sister's antics.

"You couldn't have blasted all the rabbits, don't be silly. But it was remarkable seeing how they killed what was thought to be nigh un-killable"

"I remember months ago when they claimed at the capital that they defeated the second great mabeast." Ricardo said "I believed them, but I wanted to know how they took down such an annoying foe"

"I'm thankful Subaru succeeded and that it all ended well" Julius spoke in calm yet elevated manner, "However, even though no harm was done to anyone except Subaru, Lord Roswaal must be subjected under Lugunican Law for countless crimes and his plan to kill the Holy Dragon." But despite this, his dutiful nature meant that he hasn't forgotten the unforgivable sins wrought upon by the clown.

"That is all well and good" Anastasia said, "But here is what I think…"

Ricardo grimaced "Uh I have a bad feeling about th-"

"I applaud Natsuki-san for his successes. I think it is also for the better that Roswaal is taken out of the Royal Selection for not only our benefit but also for what he has done. But I also need to get Natsuki-san on our side as he is an asset of unimaginable benefit if used correctly. Having him could be the deciding factor in winning the Royal Election and his otherworldly knowledge could very well transform Lugunica in terms of technological advancements. Having him in any other camp is a waste of his irreplaceable knowledge. It is imperative that we find a way to win Natsuki-san over after we leave here and Emilia's sponsor is out of the Royal Election"

"But that's not all." Anastasia continued "I want to convince the screen to show us more of Natsuki-san's world. The screen showed us a glimpse of his world in the very beginning of the first episode of Arc 1, so I'm certain it's possible. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I can't pass by."

They all looked at Anastasia in concern as her greed became plain to see. It was obvious that having Natsuki Subaru meant a considerable advantage in the Royal Election. But that still wasn't enough for her opportunistic mindset and greed as she kept scheming for more.

"The rest of you can have fun with the others if you so wish" Anastasia pointed out, "But let me think this through"

"Sure. Do what you gotta do. If you need me, just say so." Ricardo replied. Mimi and Tivey excitedly ran over to the others while Julius bowed respectfully.

"Please notify me whenever you find you require me my lady"

Scene change

Ram and Roswaal were tucked away far from the others. Ram was facing Roswaal and so did he but without makeup; after his most loyal servant had seen firsthand the depths of his sins, he was waiting for her judgment.

"Sooooo what did you think about what weeeeee witnessed…" Roswall spoke in his bizarre way.

"Barusu did a more adequate job than I thought. I originally thought he was just a lucky idiot with a few strokes of brilliance." Ram spoke straightforwardly. Her opinion of Barusu was that he was a man of good timing, "But now knowing what I know, I can't deny that he is worthy of bit more praise than I once thought"

"I looooove how you're not honest about your feelings, but that was not I was referring to. I meant what you think about meeeeee…"

Ram knew she had to address this sooner or later. "I cannot deny that what you did was far worse than what is considered forgivable. I too cannot forgive you for the things you've done, especially towards Barusu; had things worked in your favor Subaru undoubtedly would've been living through hell and the people you allowed to die will bloody yours hands forever. I knowing all of this, however, still cannot ignore the feelings I have towards you and will pursue my feelings and love you."

"Despite everything that you know…" Roswaal said emotionlessly, "You still love me…"

"I do. But that is not the same as forgiving you. I will never forget the things that I've seen you do on the screen but I will continue working for you until you become worthy of Ram. Repairing you and making you good enough for Ram's love is Ram's purpose."

"If you think I can become a better person, you are doing a fool's job"

"I know, I am a fool, that's why I will pursue what my heart desires and make you just good enough for Ram's love."

Ram's words were the absolute truth. Roswaal knew there were no lies in what she said, and couldn't convince to change what she thought anyways.

"The others woooooon't feel the same way. I will have to accept whatever they dooooooo to me."

"Whatever punishment you face, I won't object to it. I think the larger concern is what will happen to you once we leave this place."

"They will tryyyyyyy to get me out of the Royal Election and put me to deeeeeeath; that I can't accept." They nodded; both understood there is nothing left to be said.

Scene change

"Watching fools to their own devices was more amusing than I thought" Priscilla spoke as she observed the people around her, "What's even more amusing is that boy."

The black-haired boy was the very few people that managed to ever grabbed Priscilla's attention for longer than an hour. She amuses herself as she wonders how the world would make him her entertaining dog. "I will await as the world bring him to me for my enjoyment"

"Umm… that boy already has the attention of all the royal candidates. It sounds a bit farfetched my queen" Al said, half expecting that he would be executed for saying that.

"Ha! What would you know pitiful fool? The world is made to serve me no matter how unlikely. If I want something, it might as well be mine" She flipped her fan and blocked out half of her face.

"Subaru wouldn't be happy that he would be taken away from his Emilia though. He likely wouldn't die for you so I can't see how he'd benefit you though."

"No matter whom he thinks he is loyal to, he will be given to me and serve me in the way I desire. The world and everything in it is guaranteed to me one way or another. In any case, loyalty for a half-witch is nothing compared to the highest honor that is serving mineself"

"I see. Sorry bro" Al whispered to himself, knowing that Subaru won't be happy serving anyone but Emilia.

Scene change

"He looks so peaceful when he's asleep doesn't he" Otto smiled as he looked at the sleeping form of Subaru.

"Yes I like it when he looks this way" Emilia also smiled as she tapped on Subaru's cheek.

"Rem's hero deserves such a rest" Rem too was gleeful as both Rem and Emilia have stopped crying and thought only about the good things that happened.

"Julius-san, I think you don't have to fear Natsuki-san misusing his power. If he forgets to value his life, as his friend, I will make him remember." Otto uttered clearly, now facing Julius.

"Don't worry Otto-san. I haven't had that concern for a while now" Julius reassured, "To have ever considered he could be such a malevolent being, as his friend, I am deeply ashamed for it."

"I admit that he has his faults like everyone else, but he has done enough to make up for his embarrassment in the capital and more." Otto admitted, scratching his head as he recalled how his friend humiliated himself in front of so many important people.

"He is an honorable man now. Nothing like when I first met him at the capital" Julius agreed.

"Betty's Subaru is like no other in fact. Don't think there's anyone who can replace in fact" Beatrice huffed

"No one thought about replacing Subaru-sama, Beatrice. No one is as dumb and amazing like Subaru-sama" Petra added in harmlessly

"Now what did I say about talking about your superiors, Petra" Frederica scolded

"Sorry Frederica-sama"

Everyone chuckled at the innocent Petra, who began to blush as she realized that everyone apart from Subaru knew she had a crush on him.

"Big-bro is a really lucky guy, to have so many love intere- NOW WHERE IS REINHARD GONE!"

Felt called out for his annoying knight, wondering about his strange disappearance.

Scene change

The red-haired knight and his grandfather had the courage to confront each other at last. Reinhard no longer kept his perfect demeanor and Wilhelm carried a face full of regret.

"Honored grandfather, please forgive me for my sins" Reinhard uttered with self-hatred. Recalling the fact that he killed his grandfather's wi-

"There is nothing to apologize for. You're not the monster that killed my wife. Like what your mother said when she first saw you, 'you are someone that is blessed by this world'. Please don't think anything less of yourself."

"I –" Reinhard stammered, completely out of words "I –"

"You're not a monster and you are not to blame for my wife's death. It is I who must beg for your forgiveness. The things that I had said, I don't how I can take back it. I promise I will do what I can to atone for my actions."

"I – you don't need to apologize for anything honored grandfather. It is still my selfishness and carelessness that killed my grandmoth-"

"Just accept the apology already goddammit!" Felt butted in, surprising both Reinhard and Wilhelm, "You're always so selfless it's stupid"

"Felt-sama I –"

"You two can't reconcile until Reinhard understands that he is not to blame no matter what had happened. Regardless of who killed who, Reinhard was a child who didn't understand the extent of his powers."

"Reinhard look at me" Felt commanded, Reinhard followed. "Back then, did you want to kill your grandmother?"

"No I didn't. But I still can't be forgi-"

"Then it is settled. Perhaps Reinhard took Theresia's divine protection, doesn't matter. What matters is that he didn't want to kill her. Stop being such a perfect knight and take your grandfather's apology already"

"I can be forgiven? Even after killing my grandmother?"

"It wasn't your intention so yes. Your powers merely fucked you over, you're not responsible"

Reinhard spent some time thinking over her lady's words; he believed he killed his grandmother by wishing to be like her. Because he is blessed by the world, Od Laguna took her divine protection and gave it to him, making him more 'like her'. Her unfortunate death was what followed.

"Felt-sama is right. Even if it was you, what happened was merely out of your control. I should have taken my wife's place and fought the white whale as her sword. I'm more to blame."

"I see. Thank you, honored grandfather" Reinhard, for the first time in many years, shed a tear of happiness. For his sake and for others, he will learn to love himself.

Scene change

"May I have everyone's attention?" Anastasia voiced over the theatre.

"What is it you want our attention for?" Crusch inquired

"Is it important?" Otto muttered, fearing that Anastasia has a scheme to act out.

"I have a proposal"

Anastasia grabbed everyone's awareness with her persuasive tongue, all but one who waved her fan in disinterest.

"Why should mineself bother with pointless utterances? Mongrel"

"Ya should hear what I have to say before you say it's pointless!" Anastasia snapped back at the woman in the red dress.

"Then entertain me like a Jester would"

"Pardon her. What was it you wanted our attention for?" Crusch's confident tone cut through the babble, returning the conversation back to point.

"This screen displayed Natsuki-san's life up to this point in our world. It is uncertain how this power works and how it could do what it did, but I am sure this screen could show us Natsuki-san's world as well"

"Really?"

"Natsuki Subaru's world?"

"Could it really?..."

"Is dat' even possib'e?..."

Many considered the prospect of seeing Subaru's world and all its technology. Everyone faced the screen expecting a response; if the screen can and will allow it then they're in luck.

"Screen-sama has been silent for a while now. Maybe he isn't here?" Petra gave out a possibility.

"OF COURSE I AM HERE!"

"Eeaaaah!" Petra screamed in shock, the unexpected declaration pierced throughout the theatre startling the rest as well.

"Man you're so loud!" Felt uttered in frustration.

"Ya' tryna' scare us or somethin'?" Garfield growled out, mistaking it as intimidation.

"What no… I wanted to surprise you in a kinda harmless way" The screen pleaded

"If that's true, you should still excuse yourself for alarming people like that"

Frederica told the screen off as she held the uneasy Petra in a motherly fashion.

"I'm sorry Petra. But to answer your question Anastasia, I can most certainly show you Subaru's world"

"If that's so, then there's no problem showing us is there?" Anastasia questioned in harmless, civil fashion, suppressing her excitement and greed.

"There's none. So please, if you will, take your seats"

Everyone unanimously began progressing to their chosen seats. Everyone wanted to see what the screen had in store for them.

"We're goin' ta' see capt'n's amazin' world!" Garfield shouted in eagerness.

"I want to see how Rem's hero became the way he is"

"Ha! I'm sure it's disappointing to produce someone like Barusu" Ram scoffed, acting like her tsundere self.

"Nee-sama really means to say that she is grateful to his world for bringing in Subaru-kun's existence" Rem translated what her sister said into something comprehensible.

"Tch." Ram bit her lip in embarrassment as she fails to hide her actual feelings.

"Subaru never told me anything that happened during his past. That's why I will learn as much of his world as possible to understand my wonderful Subaru." Emilia loves Subaru, so she's determined to get to know as much of her knight as possible.

"This will be so exciting Nyan" Ferris said, "Dyo you think so Crusch-sama?"

"I ponder about the many different aspects between our world and theirs. Naturally, I can't help but be curious." Crusch answered honestly

"Lady Crusch thinks so too Nyan. That means it must be interesting."

"Since their world is void of magic and divine protections, I wonder how spirits exist if they even do" Otto wondered

"Wouldn't Beatrice-san know? Doesn't Subaru tell you stories from his world?" Thought Petra

"That's right! That's right!" Mimi exclaimed, "What awesome things did he tell you?"

"Hmmpf, my contractor tells me stories every night before bed about inventions and concepts only a great spirit of knowledge would even understand in fact." Beatrice boasted

"He told you? But why didn't he tell me?" Emilia said, puppy-like jealousy being shown on her face. "Could you tell us please?"

"Hmmpf. Why should Beatrice say anything in fact. It is Betty's privilege for being such a wonderful spirit in fact. Betty's privilege, not yours"

"Please"

"No in fact."

"I think we should stop arguing and just wait and see for ourselves" Crusch remarked

Everyone agreed and nodded at Crusch's suggestion. After they were all seated in, the screen, however, was unsure what he should show to them.

"Maybe I should show them an anime that takes place in the modern world." The screen thought in his head, "One that has compelling plot to keep them interested in the characters and not just distracted by all the fancy tech. What would that anime be…"

"Julius" Anastasia said

"Yes my lady?"

"Whatever you see that's different from our world and of notice, write it in your notebook"

"I understand my lady"

Julius pulled out a notebook as he was ordered to, and as he did, the screen knew exactly what anime to show them.

"THE DEATHNOTE!"

"What? What's that?"

"Oh, it's just the name of what I will show you" The screen affirmed

"Okay… sounds ominous"

Many of the cast grimaced when they heard that the name contained the word 'death' in it. They've already been disturbed by their previous viewing.

"Will there be death in it Nyan?" Felix begged for no more of that sort.

"Admittedly, there will be a lot of death, but I think you would find it interesting. It will show you most of the world's technology, and the story is an interesting yet grim one."

"A story?" Crusch mused, "So this won't be like an informative lesson?"

"A lesson is too boring. Stories are more entertaining."

"Yay! Stories are fun!" Mimi exclaimed, not minding that there would be death along with it. Tivey looks at her in concern.

"However, we will see the breadth of this world's technology, right!?" Anastasia's eyes lit up with greed, unable to contain her composure.

"Your will see a vast number absolutely. But understanding how it works is your problem"

"Lets ge' on wit' it al'eady"

Several people were barely in their seats, trembling in anticipation. Priscilla looked at them with disgust.

"Disgusting animals unable to contain themselves… Appalling how they're allowed to walk freely"

"Umm… my princess is merely getting impatient that's all" Al muttered as he tries to shift the angry gazes directed towards Priscilla.

"Episode 1 of Deathnote in… 3… 2… 1…"

Chapter Text

The screen began to lit up, everything was very dark. Soon, an ominous chanting emerged as what the darkness was became more visible.

"Are those... bones." Felt was the first to speak, she voiced out everyone's thoughts.

The screen showed large skeletal remains and chains strewed about a rocky, barren wasteland.

"Is that what Subaru's world looks like?" Emilia spoke, who became more worried about Subaru's past life in his world.

"We just have to wait and see first." Crusch assured.

A strange human-like figure was shown sitting on a mountain ledge. It's face was not of a human; its smile stretched far apart than what's normal, and it had sharp teeth, pale skin and a lifeless set of eyes.

"What is that thing!?" Petra squeaked as she buried her face in Frederica who was sitting next to her.

"Repulsive" Priscilla sneered.

"What the hell!?" Felt added, grasping Reinhard's sleeve on instinct. "So creepy!"

"Undeniably off-putting. However what would this creature signify?" Crusch said while remaining composed; she would not allow to be taken aback so easily. Instead, she became more engrossed in the screen.

Roswaal winced at the obvious similarities to their Jester-like appearance. He knew that this creature was unlike any human yet he couldn't stop comparing himself to it. Then he reminded himself exactly why he was wearing his clown outfit.

"It looks so coooool!" Mimi yelled in enthusiasm. Tivey became even more concerned for his sister's mentality as the others glanced at Mimi strangely.

Looking past the creature showed a panorama of the wasteland with many more similar human-like figures dotted across the vast desert.

SHINIGAMI REALM

"Shinigami realm?" The cast shivered as the title caught their attention, "Is this where Subaru comes from?"

"No I suppose." Beatrice sighed in relief as she knew this is not it. "Subaru has said many times before that he comes from a island country in the east called Japan."

"That's true." Ram continued, "Barusu has said that many times before. All of us in this Emilia camp has heard this"

The cast belonging to the Emilia camp nodded earnestly, relieving many people who where in their seats.

"Then why are we being shown this!?"

"It is important that we stay patient and see it as it is. There is significance in whatever we watch" Julius was writing down everything speedily, satisfying Anastasia but dropping his elegant handwriting.

A human-like figure was hugging its knees and then the focus shifted to another one scratching its back with a scythe.

"Really? Another pair of sleeping skulls?" One said, squatting opposite to another with a large bowl in between.

"That means I win! There's no hard feelings, right?" A timid voice came out of the other one.

"Hey, Ryuk. How about you join us? You should have some fun once in a while." They offered, the name being referred to the first creature who was sitting on the mountain ledge.

"No, I'll pass" Ryuk responded, its dead eyes never shed a single movement. The screen faded to black.

"So the first thing we saw is called Ryuk?" Crusch assessed, her hand on her chin.

"And from what I understand so far... there were two that were playing a form of gambling." Anastasia figured, the others nodded at both Crusch's and Anastasia's assessments.

"This is really weird" Al added in, his existence almost forgotten by the others.

"You also come from the same world as Subaru. Do you know any of this?" Julius questioned, planning to take note of whatever Al said.

"Not at all. This is as much news to me as it is to all of you. I don't think Subaru would know any of this as well."

"That place is so creepy Nyan. I hope I don't have to see it again." Ferris hoped.

"Me too." Petra murmured, "Subaru's world must be nicer than that"

"I think it's al' cool." Garfield posed in confidence. The same poses Subaru do to show he's confident, "I woulda' showed al' of 'em who's boss"

"Don't be silly Garfield." Scolded Frederica, "We barely know anything, you won't know what you'll be involving yourself in."

"The maid's right. I think we should just stop assuming things and just watch." Ricardo stated, closing any present discussion.

The screen came back to life. A close-up view displayed an eye not like the creatures' before, instead it belonged to an average looking human whose eyes carried life. The man was sitting on a chair and had arms resting on a table. His setting was a room compiled of multiple people sitting in identical chairs and tables, some were conserving freely and some were holding a strange blocky object that emitted light (Anastasia; write that down, write that down!).

"Light, are you well?" The man looked towards the person who addressed him.

"Can you translate the sentence into Japanese." The person who addressed the man named Light wore noticeably different attire, implying that he's of higher authority than the rest. Behind that person was a green board with white symbols engraved on it.

Light stood up and spoke aloud. "Follow the teachings of God and receive His blessings. So the sea will grow plentiful and the storms will subside."

"So is this Subaru's world?" Everyone turned their heads towards Al, who disliked the attention he's getting.

"Yes, I can tell from the chalkboard to the lined up desks and chairs. This is what we call a classroom."

"A classroom?"

"Yeah, basically it's a -"

"A classroom is a room where people gather together and learn from a teacher I suppose" Beatrice interrupted, seeking for the attention. "In Subaru's world, developed countries have many educational institutions made to educate the masses I suppose. Proper education is free and a requirement in many countries in fact"

"So even the poor get proper education. No wonder their world is so advanced, everyone's smart there." Felt mused over such a thing. Since she was poor for almost her entire life, she viewed education as a privilege only the mid-to-high wealthy people can get.

"It's amazing that something like that could ever be achieved" Reinhard confessed, as someone who has always defended the weak and unfortunate, knowing that standards of living have risen in their world so much made him hopeful.

"Indeed it's amazing" Wilhelm agreed, and so did many of the cast.

"Such a thing as education would be a waste on the common masses. They're there to serve who's above and thou should be grateful." Priscilla stated, gaining the ire of everyone around.

Anastasia and Julius were so engrossed in what they saw they were left out of the conversation. Ricardo cast a look of unease at his boss.

"Boss. I think you should cool down a bit."

"I don't need sleep I need answers!" Anastasia rebuffed his advice.

Light was shown walking on the public footpath and reading a book. Massive structures of mostly grey loomed in the background, appearing in every shape and size in almost every place. It simultaneously both felt oppressive and impressive due to its scale and number; it looked  like  nothing the cast had seen before.

"Today, around eleven o'clock, in the city of Yokohoma, Kanagawa Prefecture, a 30-year-old man was discovered covered in blood in his apartment. The Police considers this case as homicide."

The words were said from a graceful-sounding lady, yet it did not come from any obvious source (Emilia; where is that lady coming from?).

A new perspective displayed a large panorama, showing the intricacies of the local city-area; two massive roads crossed paths to form a road junction, next to it was a high-rise building and a bridge with each end connecting opposite sides of the road. Hundreds of humans appeared as dotted figures scattered everywhere minding their own.

"In the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Naoki Kofuji, a 35-year-old male, was arrested then charged with the murder of a 25-year-old female." Now the reports were read out from a man, whose voice appear to come from everywhere.

"Day after day..." Light said in his head, "The news are always the same."

"It's absurd." The perspective moved to the face of Ryuk in the Shinigami Realm.

"This world is..." Thought Light

"Rotten." Finished Ryuk

"So people are constantly being murdered in this city, as a normal occurrence!?" Rem said in shock. Despite the promising fact that education is plentiful and people's livelihood are drastically better, people are still constantly murdering each other!

"There are problems with every city" Wilhem heaved a cheerless sigh, reminded that the difficulties of life is ever-present. "No world is perfect after all"

"Even so, one shouldn't focus on the bad and disregard the good. There are many things that make a country and surely things to be proud of" Julius reminded

"That's all nice and all, but people are still being murdered Nyan." Ferris pointed out, "Besides Light said it himself. Their world is rotten Nyan."

Emilia tried to steer the conversation into a better light. "But who were the lady and man the reading the reports? It sounded very loud yet it seemed like they weren't there. Beatrice?"

"In Subaru's world, there are ways for sound to enter a device and come out of another regardless of distance or location. Similar to the metias that were used in the hunt for Sloth, but done over an infinite distance." Beatrice said proudly.

"A-amazing!"

"An infinite distance Nyan!" Ferris expressed in shock. Ferris has used the metia before yet still had trouble grasping the concept of communication over infinite distance. "What do you think Crusch-sama?"

"A method to communicate over long distances has profound utility in almost every aspect of life. Something like this could very well change our world." Crusch answered, continuing. "I also noticed that the man spoke remarkably loudly. Amplifying sound is also something they could do?"

"Yes they can. This is done so announcements could be heard over large distances I suppose." Beatrice expounded.

"Like the one in the water-gate city of Priestilla." Anastasia presumed.

"Like da' wat' exac'ly?" Garfield asked, scratching his hair.

"There's a metia in the water-gate city that magnifies any sound spoken through it. It is powered with mana crystals and they're used to broadcast important announcements to the people of Priestilla." Anastasia explained.

"Just like that I suppose" Beatrice nodded.

"That clown thing is so disgusting!" Felt added, feeling the need to repeat it.

Light was sitting down in a classroom like he had before, the teacher this time was lecturing in English. Light, appearing disinterested, was looking elsewhere outside the window.

"A new language!?" Emilia called attention to what wasn't nonsense ramblings, happy that she was the first to notice.

"I'm familiar with this language actually. It's called English." Disclosed Al.

"Subaru has told me about this also. I've already learnt the basics from him in fact!" Boasted Beatrice like how a child would.

"Dude, English is actually my first language. Since Subaru is from Japan I likely know more than him"

"hmmpf." Beatrice huffed as she lost to Al.

Light, seemingly unchanged before, noticed something that moved him. Out the window, high up from the ground, a black notebook with the words 'Death Note' went plummeting down. It fell onto the trimmed grass of the school outdoors, where his eyes had followed.

"How in the Od!?"

"No way..." Rem gasped.

"How did it fell from so far?" Emilia wondered, suspecting nothing malevolent.

"That book looks evil in fact." Beatrice worried, disliking the similar appearance to the gospel.

"You mean like the gospel?" Julius inquired.

"A book that falls from the sky from seemingly nowhere is bad news no matter how I see it in fact." Beatrice declared.

"I thought so too. It looks just like a gospel" Growled Rem, her hatred towards the witch cult emanated in her eyes.

Roswaal instinctively reached his hand into his shirt pocket, where his beloved book once resided. A wicked smile formed on his face as he thinks about the falling book. "I wonder exactly where this story will go?" Roswaal thought to himself, a foul aura emanated from him.

"Maybe someone just dropped it as a prank." Emilia posed an alternative.

Many winced at the half-elf for her astounding naivety. The screen put great emphasis on this book, therefore most concluded that it was more than a mere prank, likely turning out to be sinister.

"Maybe Emilia-sama is right" Petra argued.

"The screen might be trying to fool us." Ricardo supported.

"Ya', the screen is tryna' do somethin' funny I be't" Garfield suspected as well.

At the end of school hours, Light strolled about outdoors and gazed at where he remembered the book fell. He stands over the book, checks if anyone was around, then picked it up when he knew he won't be seen.

"Death Note. Quite literally means the book of death" Light says to himself.

"That's what the warden said before!" Garfield remembered.

"Literally means the book of death. This is not good." Felt recited.

"What does it do? Assuming this isn't a joke." Anastasia mused.

Light smirked in amusement, then flipped the cover of the Death Note.

"How to use it. The human whose name is written down on this Death Note will die."

"Woah..." Mimi looked in awe.

"I find it difficult to accept this to be true" Reinhard said truthfully.

"I can't believe it. This must be a horrible joke" Crusch stated, sharing the opinions of many.

"No matter what world, such a thing like this couldn't exist. It defies all reasoning." Otto spoke in disbelief.

"I know my world and something like this can't be possible. This is all just some bullshit someone made up." Al reassured, freeing everyone of worry.

"Why would someone do a stunt like this? It's so inhumane." Emilia teared up, wondering who could even think of making something like this.

"That's right Nyan. No one can make light of such a horrible thing as death and be reasonable Nyan. Whoever did this must be punished." Ferris concluded, his hatred directed at its creator.

"Perhaps that person wanted to enjoy the look of someone when they read it." Priscilla proposed, enjoying this hoax. "What harm could scaring some people with a harmless book bring?"

"Death should never be used as way to frighten people. Death should never be thought of carelessly." Wilhelm spoke..

Priscilla scoffed. "If it truly frightens someone, that someone is to blame for being weak enough to allow a mere stunt to harm them"

Light shrugged then closed the book and placed it back on the grass.

"This is so pathetic, it's actually pretty obnoxious.  It's not unlike chain letters. " He thought, walking away. "'The human whose name is written down will die?' come on."

"Ha! This prank can't even fool its target. How pathetic!" Ram scoffed.

"Even Light doesn't believe this."

"Why are we focusing so much on this character?" Priscilla uttered in boredom. "He seems like any ordinary mongrel."

"We should watch to know, shouldn't we?" Crusch's said, her disposition being tested.

Suddenly he turns around.

A train speeds past Light and several other people. As it passed them, two barriers rise up allowing the people to cross the railroad.

"Seriously, what am I thinking?" Light thought, the Death Note tucked inside his bag.

Roswaal smiled. "So he's bringing it along with him anyways".

"This note can't function unless the writer has the person's face in mind when writing down their name. Therefore, people who share identical names won't be affected. If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing down that person's name, it will happen as it is written. If it isn't specified, the person will simply die from a heart attack." He read with the light of his room's desk lamp. The TV displaying something irrelevant out of Light's vision.

"It still disturbs me that someone took the effort to write all the rules and think this through." Felt said grimly

"Once writing down the cause of death, details of that death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds." Light finished.

"This means you could kill them easily or painfully, right? I guess an elaborate hoax like this isn't too bad." He lay on his bed facing the ceiling, his hands behind his head. Silence ensued.

"Write their name then they'll die. This is so stupid!" Breaking the silence, he said out loud. He stared at the Death Note on the desk from his bed intensely, then got up, opened the notebook and readied his pen.

"So he is going to test if the book works!?" Petra fretted over the chance that someone might die.

"Don't worry Petra, no matter what happens, that book can't kill anyone." Frederica promised.

Despite her assurance, everyone became on edge and their eyes were locked on the screen. Everyone was sure that nothing will happen, but maybe... just maybe...

"All you fools cowering over such a ridiculous possibility. Have you no self-control or are thou all animals." Mouthed Priscilla, repelled by the show of everyone's weakness.

Reinhard bowed in curtesy. "I'm sure no one will die. But it's still wise to fear for the possibility. We aren't informed on their world to judge, Priscilla-sama."

"Wait a minute. I f someone actually dies, w ouldn't that make me a murderer  ?" He contemplated. "That's right. It's completely unfeasible."

Light changed the channels on the Tv next to his desk, then stopped. The Tv displayed a live video of an aerial view of a building, the sound of helicopter blades whirred in the background.

"Just to let you know, there are devices that can record moments or continuous moments and show them on other devices all other the world I suppose." Anastasia nodded at Beatrice's informative explanation.

"Like Subaru's metia got it."

"The very same killer who assaulted 6 people yesterday at a busy shopping district in Shinjuku, has now taken 8 eight children and teachers as hostages in this daycare center. The police have managed to identify the suspect as Kurou Otoharada, a 42-year-old man whose unemployed." The reporter on the television informed. "The negotiations will begin immediately."

"To go down such a dark road and commit such cruel things..." Wilhelm spoke, looking down. "Some people can't be forgiven"

Light wrote the name down on the Death Note, then glanced at the clock.

"He wrote the name!"

"A heart attack in 40 seconds, right?"

"We don't have explicit information at the moment." A reporter said.

"You can't help but be concerned about the hostages right now."

"That's true" The reporter affirmed. "This was a report from the site."

"Thank you very much."

Nobody uttered a word, all were counting to forty in their head as the suspense began eating them. To confirm the unlikely arrival of the man's death, they waited and waited... attending to the reporter's every word.

"What can evaluate from this, Mr. Hashimoto?"

"Well, the most we can hope is for this situation to resolve itself quickly."

Light checked the clock 40 seconds later to confirm if that time has passed. As the cast finished tallying in their heads and the clocked confirmed so, everyone became relieved.

"Nothing happened liked I thought. What was I even expecting?" Light turned off the desk lamp and proceeded to switch the television off.

"Man that felt like the longest 40 seconds of my life!" Felt shouted in glee.

"Even though that guy was evil, I'm happy the Death Note didn't kill anyone" Tivey spoke.

"I'm glad no one died."

"What did I say before, you fools." Priscilla sneered, "There's no such thing as a book killing somebo-"

"Hold on." A report said at the last moment, catching Light off guard. "Something unusual is happening."

Everyone froze.

A bunch a kids and adults were seen leaving the building, despite supposedly being held hostage.

"The hostages are coming out! And they all seem to be alright!"

Light was taken aback, while the cast remained frozen in disbelief at what they were seeing and hearing.

"The SWAT team has now entered the building! Has the suspect finally been arrested?"

Cast.exe stopped responding.

"Yes! We just obtained new information. The suspect has been discovered to be dead inside the daycare center! The suspect is dead!"

"Wha-a-"

"By the dragons!"

"How!?"

"Dead!?" Light turned to the Death Note, glancing at the name he wrote.

"C- c- could it be..." The realization stabbed them like a dagger.

"How can such a thing exist!?" Emilia gasped in horror.

"So evil..." Petra cried.

"Such a terrifying weapon. It's potential for destruction unfathomable!" Anastasia stated, her hands shook from contemplating it's full capability.

"This makes no sense. This makes absolutely no sense... even to me!" Al claimed. When he first teleported to another world, he thought he could believe anything. He was always sure his world had nothing mythical or fairy-tale like; yet that image was shattered.

"Even if it is in Barusu's world, this is too much." Ram spoke, confused; her confidant demeanor gone.

Rem glared at the Death Note in hatred. "Something so evil must be destroyed!"

"I agree Rem-san." When Reinhard faces a dangerous foe, he would offer them to stand down and face imprisonment instead of outright ahniliating them. Inherently, Reinhard deems killing or destroying a threat unnecessary if that danger can be resolved without doing so. The Death Note is an exception to him however. "That book is better off gone for good than risk the chance of it being exploited even if it is locked away."

"This is really interesting... I wonder what you will do with such a power, Light-kun." Roswaal spoke with interest, without any accent. This experience was almost identical to when he realized Natsuki Subaru's power and wondered about what he would do with it. "A book just as powerful as teacher's book..."

Priscilla also held great interest, granting the screen the honor of her full attention. "Mineself is intrigued. Will he waste it's potential and discard it in fear, or will he embrace it completely and..."

Everyone held a look of dread or denial, accepting or rationalizing the events they just saw.

"The police have strongly denied that they shot the suspect!"

"Perhaps he committed suicide because he felt he was cornered?"

"One hostage said that the suspect collapsed all of a sudden."

"A heart attack..." Light thought. "Impossible..."

"Coincidence. This must be a coincidence!" Light followed.

"May- maybe it's a coincidence!" Petra rationalized.

Most held a look of silence, unconvinced.

"Sorry little girl, but the man died when Light wrote his name, it's too unlikely to be a coincidence." Ricardo explained grimly.

"Light" A motherly voice echoed from the hallway outside his room. "It's already 6:30p.m. I thought you had prep class tonight?"

"You're right, Mom. I'm getting myself ready right now." Light slipped the Death Note in his bag, preparing to go to his prep class.

"If this Death Note is real, I have to test it out once more." His eye emitted a strange glint as he zipped his bag.

"He's going to test it again!?" Emilia was shaken, covering her mouth.

"Why would he try to kill someone again? He already knows what it does Nyan." Felix said, ever-increasingly despising Light.

"He still thinks what happened before was a coincidence." Al concluded. "I don't blame him. I would think so too if I was I his place."

Crusch frowned, disappointed. "That doesn't justify putting a person's life at risk just to test his hypothesis. He should know to get rid of it."

"Well, I guess it should be a criminal. However it shouldn't be someone too well-known. If that person dies, there is a likelihood the news of it will be covered up. I need to see the results at the scene."

"So he's going to kiiiiiill a criminaaaal..." Roswaal mused.

"Even if the person is a criminal, betting their life to test if the Death Note works is immoral. He should know to get rid of it." Crusch repeated.

"Yo, Ryo!" Light was in another classroom at his seat. He follows the voice and sees three people not far away from him.

"What do you want, Sodou?" Pleaded one person

"Will you loan me around 2,000 yen?" Asked another

"What? Again? Really?"

Two people were intimidating the other, expecting for money.

"Sudou..." Light recognized. "Should I kill him?"

Light argued in his head.  "No, I need to avoid people I know. Wait. Why should I even bother? No one would care if people like him died."

The cornered person handed his money and looked down in despair. The two opposing was satisfied.  "Now we can go to the arcade after school. Yeah!"

Mimi booed at the weak display of the guy lending his money.

"That guy was such a pussy!" Felt yelled, her years in poverty taught to never give away money. "He should've just said 'no!'."

Reinhard looked down as he witnessed the one-sided interaction play out, his knightly instincts telling him to defend the helpless man. Yet he wasn't able to.

"Don't look down, grandson." Wilhelm awkwardly patted Reinhard on the back, attempting to cheer him up. "Some things just can't be helped."

Light left the building after concluding his work in the prep class. As he was leaving, his ears picked up several people chatting with their own.

"Maki. Don't you wanna hang out with some guys tomorrow?"

"Of course I do!"

"Hey, me too!"

"Damn it! Mom isn't here to pick me up!"

"Damn it. Every single one of them are repulsive." Light thought cynically. "I wonder if I'd do society a favor if I got rid of them."

"Light's thinking is quite disturbing. He's very bitter about his world." Julius admitted.

"And he has the Death Note." Anastasia said, her mind calculating three steps ahead.

"Once he knoooows the Death Note can kiiiiiill people..." Roswaal inserted, a wide grin stretched to one side.

Everyone casted each other glances, then shook their heads; they don't want to think that Light would use it for evil purposes.

"No way. He ain't so sadistic." Ricardo denied the presumption.

"He haaaas already kiiiiilled a criminal and is planning to do so agaaaain..."

"Why do you look so damn happy! Light isn't going to start killing people." Felt asserted.

"Hooooow would you knoooow?..."

"Because I-"

A loud sound of a motor blared out of nowhere, several motorbikes were travelling at fast speeds.

"Over there. Hey, girl!" A man spoke, talking to a girl walking on the sidepath not far from Light. Four motorbikes were parked behind and in front of her as several men surrounded her. "Don't you wanna play with us?"

"Damn, Takuo! You've found a knockout here!" Another one said.

"I'm Takuo Shibumaru. But you can call me Takuo." The first man revealed his name. "You should hang out and have fun with us, pretty girl."

"Wha' bas'ards." Garfield growled.

"He shouldn't have revealed his name." Felt winced, knowing where this will go.

"I assume Light will kill him." Wilhelm assumed from the scene that's unfolding, clenching his fist.

"You don't tell the person you're going to harass your name anyways, that means the guards can catch you later." Felt confessed.

"I don't want any trouble." The girl pleaded.

"She just said she doesn't want any trouble." One laughed.

"She's so damn cute!"

Light entered a convenient store and picked up an ordinary book. He began reading it.

"He's not going to do anything in fact!?"

One man used a metal rod to lock her neck in place, restraining and leaving her wide-open.

"Boys, go and strip her!"

"Are you sure!"

"Stop!" The girl begged as she struggled to resist a man pulling her trousers off, the rest observing in excitement. "Please! Stop!"

Frederica covered Petra's eyes and ears knowing that it's too much for her. "What monsters..."

"Right in public!?" Otto was horrified by their insistence to commit such an act.

All the knights grimaced as their face contorted in dissatisfaction.

"I'LL KILL EM'!" Roared Garfield, readying his stance, preparing to pummel the group of men (although that's impossible).

"Stop it Garf! Stop always acting so immature!" Ram criticized.

"Sorry..." Garfield moped, shrinking back in his seat.

"You can't kill them even if you want to. Believe me Garf, I do too." Ram admitted.

"To be honest, you probably won't have to..." Ricardo acknowledged, confident that the man who gave his name away will meet an unfortunate fate.

Light, in the convenient store, stood facing the men while reading the book. As it turned out, the Death Note was hidden behind the book as he wrote 'Takuo Shibumaru, accidental death'."

He gazes at his watch, keeping in mind the time. Then he watched the man whose name he wrote.

"Now, let's see what will happen!"

"Accidental death!?"

"So this time the man won't die from a heart attack..." Roswaal said in suspense.

"He has to make the death natural, a random heart attack is too random." Al clarified.

Everyone was absorbed in the screen, counting numbers in their head.

"I can't watch this." Felt said, Reinhard covering the eye's of his lady.

The girl managed to get free of the men's grasp. She runs across the road away from them.

"Wait!" Takou Shibumaru gets on his motorbike and chases after her, failing to notice a truck passing by.

"Takou! Watch out!" His friend shouted

It was too late. The truck crashes squarely into him and his motorbike, just missing the girl. Takuo Shibumaru suffered an accidental death.

"Eeuuugh!"

"So gruesome!"

All were shocked by the brutality of the death. Despite knowing what was coming, they needed some moments to comprehend what just occurred.

"That proves it then! The Death Note is real afterall!" Pupils dilated, Light showed a look of horror as his worst suspicion was proven.

"Takuo!"

"Bloody idiot!" One yelled. "The truck just came out of nowhere!"

"I can't get used to this in fact!" Beatrice admitted.

"At least he knows it's real. Now he can get rid of it." Rem yearned for the destruction of this book.

"Yes. Just be rid of it." Said Ram.

"No more please." Emilia hoped.

"Hopefully, this is end of the Death Note and let everything be put to rest." Crusch remarked.

"Now Light-kun, that is not what you will do, I know you won't destroy it. Perhaps you may even become someone like meeeee..." Roswaal mused, performing his usual villain smile.

"What interest would there be if it was destroyed." Priscilla stated. "Mine precious time would be wasted if it was to only end here."

"A thin' like dat' jus' shouldna' exist!" Garfield snarled at the princess, suppressing his anger.

"What the princess meant is why would the screen show us the Death Note if it was just gonna get destroyed so soon." Al tried to defend her princess from all angry looks of the cast.

"All you care about is yourself! You wouldn't even care if innocent people died!" Felt snapped, unconvinced by Al's defense.

"The Death Note's mere existence risks the lives of countless individuals!" Otto felt his pocket, feeling the burnt remains of a black book. He couldn't help but think, "Ironic, I'm asking for a dangerous black book to be destroyed while I'm literally planning to rebuild the Tome of Wisdom."

"All of you are nothing but foolish if that's what thou thought I meant" Priscilla snorted. "Fools who can't see what's in front of them."

"What do you mean?" Frederica asked politely.

"To even require the need to explain..." Priscilla sighed at their stupidity.

"Perhaps we missed a detail that only you picked up on." Anastasia offered a reason, needing to understand everything that's going on.

"What is it then?"

Priscilla puts down her fan and prepares her speech:

"Light was very careful with how he used the Death Note; only killing criminals or obvious scumbags. It appears that crime is commonplace in his world and has voiced his bitterness out for it by claiming the world was rotten. Mine impression of him is not of a mindless killer but instead a self-righteous person harboring hatred for criminals and wrongdoers. What would thou think he would do if he was given the ability to kill anyone, anywhere with ease?"

"He would only use it to kill criminals and evil people!" Everyone concluded.

"Exactly, and mineself is greatly interested at this prospect; destroying the Death Note would merely ruin mine enjoyment."

"Would that be justifiable?" The knights contemplated, discussing whether killing people outside the law is moral even if one might deserve it.

"If it's only used on bad people, then it's okay Nyan." Felix said.

"No matter how see it, absolving crime through culling the guilty is the worst solution. There are more humane methods to lower the crime-rate." Reinhard explained.

"Killing people, even with good intentions, shouldn't be condone if the country deems them underserving of death." Julius agreed.

"What do we all think!? Does killing wrongdoers justify the use of such a weapon? Or does nothing excuse the existence of the Death Note?" Crusch announced, her authoritative background enabling her to capture the attention of the cast.

"Killin' people wit' a book? Hell nah'. That's jus' shameles'." Garfield muttered, his warrior's instincts rejected just a method of killing.

Al and Ricardo agreed. "Not many deserve to die anyways."

"In my opinion, something as destructive as the Death Note shouldn't be in the hands of a common person." Anastasia advocated for monopolizing the Death Note's vast potential. "It should kept and used only for terrorists and criminals sentenced to death row. The large percentage of criminals should face the country's laws of justice normally."

"Even if there are some who deserve to meet their end, I don't think keeping the Death Note is okay." Emilia projected her opinion.

"Now that Light has the Death Note, he must be extremely careful with how he wields it and never misuse it." Wilhelm declared. "We should judge when we see how it is being used."

"Wilhelm is correct. Let's see how Light handles this book first I order to properly decide." Crush advised, receiving the nodding of many.

It was the Shinigami Realm. Multiple humanoid figures with non-human features were resting or moving around inside an enormous skeletal structure.

"We're at this place again." Anastasia noted, "I don't know what to make of it."

"It was five days since..." Ryuk spoke aloud, standing on a rock mount. "Fine. I think I should go now."

"Wait? Are you going to go somewhere, Ryuk?" One with a scythe asked.

"Everywhere in this godforsaken place is barren." Another one said.

"I dropped my Death Note." Ryuk admitted.

"So the Death Note is Ryuk's?" Otto inquired.

"I mean, someone had to drop it." Crusch said. "The 'how' still eludes me though."

The two abominations laughed. "Man, you have really fucked up this time!"

"I was sure you also carried a second note behind the old man's back? Don't tell me you dropped both of them?"

"There's more than one!?" Petra gasped.

"Judging from how casual they're regarding the Death Note, I think everyone in the Shinigami Realm has it. There might be hundreds of Death Notes." Anastasia pointed out.

"At this point, it's so absurd it's probably true." Al muttered, his perception of what's feasible or unfeasible in chaos.

"Does that mean people die from Death Notes all the time!?" Emilia deemed the possibility, yet holding strong convictions for that to not be the case.

"We don't really know. We know next to nothing about their world, so it's pointless mulling over about it." Otto heaved a sighed.

"So do you know where you dropped your Death Note?"

"The Human World." Answered Ryuk.

"Wah'?"

"What?" They said in unison.

There was a vast pit with a single flight of stairs that coiled down to the bottom. Ryuk slowly treaded, his back slouched as always, down the seemingly endless number of stairs. At the end was a rift on the ground with a portal emanating white energy.

Suddenly, a two bulges was formed on Ryuk's back, which grew and stretched into wings. He knocked himself off where he stood and flew directly into the source of light. White light filled the screen.

Scene change

In the metropolitan area of Japan, Ryuk was seen soaring like an eagle high in the sky. Lightning striking, Ryuk proceeded to go to a simple house.

"Woah... SO cool!" Mimi yelled, jumping up and down.

"That explains how the Death Note fell from the sky, he can fly." Otto said.

Light reached his house, rain pouring outside. It was an ordinary, two-story, middle-class house almost identical to every house in that street. He opened the door and went inside.

"Judging from what I can tell, Light is from a middle-class family who aren't too rich or too poor." Anastasia gathered.

"He doesn't appear to be a noble." Crusch noted.

"He doesn't appear to be too poor either..." Emilia continued.

"In Subaru's world, there are very few countries that have a steep social hierarchy or even a monarchy I suppose." Beatrice explained.

"Huh..."

Many of them looked puzzled, speculating how a country could function in that manner.

"So no royal family or nobility huh?" Felt smiled nihilistically.

"Not to say I prefer the idea of the poor staying poor, but how could that even work?" Crusch pondered.

"Is what Beatrice said true?" Ram turned to Al.

Scratching his helmet, Al confirmed. "Basically yeah. Most countries don't have a royal family or even follow a king. Instead, developed countries have a government which serves and regulates its citizens more so controls them. Advancement in technologies and the change to a more egalitarian social structure means that everyone are treated more equally in general. What class you're born from is much less important and much more about conscientiousness and competence."

"People being treated more equally. That's so amazing!" Emilia cheered, knowing her wish for everyone to be equally treated not absurd and could work (communism intensifies).

"Is that why Subaru's so indifferent?" Rem asked, figuring Subaru's behavior. "Why he treats people above or below him the same?"

"Yeah. He's not born in an environment where someone treats people based on their class, I guess." Al answered.

"That's sounds like a curious way to run a country." Anastasia remarked.

"Indeeeeed it is..." Roswaal looked amused for some reason.

Otto turned to Priscilla anticipating a response; she covered her mouth with her fan and squinted at the screen.

"Welcome home." Her mother greeted. "You're here earlier than usual, Light."

"Yeah." Light replied. "I'm home, Mom."

Light's mother gestured, expecting to receive something.

"Ah. You want my results for the national entrance mock exams, correct?" Light placed his bag on the floor and began searching.

"Hurry!"

"Here you go." Light gave his mother a sheet of paper with details written on it.

"Goodness! You are the first again! You always do your best, Light!"

"I guess that's true." Light sighed in relief. "But please don't interrupt me. I'll be studying now."

"Okay." Light's mother said dotingly. "Light. Is there anything you'd want? You can ask for anything."

Light heard her mother's offer from his room. "It's fine, Mom." Then shut the door.

"'National entrance mock exams'." Repeated Otto, "Do you know what that is Beatrice-san?"

"No, but it sounds important and sounds like he did well I suppose." Beatrice admitted.

"At least he's making his mother proud. Whatever he's doing." Ricardo huffed, "Perhaps he isn't as bad as we think?"

"Is he going to destroy the Death Note? Has he already done it?" Emilia and Rem surprised each other by finishing each other's sentence.

A close up of Light's eyes glimmered a dark-red hue. "I already have exactly what I want."

He locked the door to his room, then quickly turned on the desk lamp and pulled out his desk drawer.

Light pulled out the Death Note. The book was revealed to have its pages absolutely filled with hundreds of names. Light cackled gleefully as he looks at what he has done.

"Hundreds!?" Felt estimated.

"H-h-how could he!?" Tivey held his sister in dread.

"He's killed all these people!? Why!?"

"Despicable." Ram scowled.

Everyone looked horrified, in addition some were baffled and shaking in rage.

Garfield slammed his hand. "THIS BAS'ARD!"

"I was wrong about you Nyan. This is too much Nyan." Felix recognized that he misjudged Light. He wasn't a man who sought justice, but a righteous murderer.

"Oh my... myyyy... How unexpecteeeed..." Roswaal failed to predict the extant of Light's use of the Death Note, looking even more amused.

"He must be stopped." Wilhelm announced. Wilhelm assumes someone he doesn't know to be more virtuous than they aren't, but Light was far from that. Light was nothing but a murderer that needs to be stopped for his sins. "He has to be stopped."

Crusch at-last decided with firm conviction. "The Death Note could've been used for good. But no good can come out of killing so many people, even if they're criminals."

Light was receiving the ire and loathing of everyone in the theatre, even Priscilla could help but be repulsed.

"It appears that you like it." A voice spoke out.

Light, frightened, hastily turned his chair to face who has spoken to him. Ryuk stood next to the glass wall where the flash and crackling of lightning pierced through, casting his shadow over the room.

"AAAAAHH!" Light yelled, falling off his chair in anxiety.

"Ryuk found him!" Felt said.

"Hopefully he would take back the Death Note. It would be in better hands at the very least." Julius hoped.

"Why do you find me so surprising? I'm Ryuk, the Shinigami who dropped that notebook you were holding." Ryuk introduced. "And by judging your face from earlier, it appears that you have realized that it's no ordinary notebook."

"So Ryuk and those weird creatures are Shinigamis." Otto realized.

"That was kinda obvious." Anastasia said, embarrassing Otto.

Light suffered a few moments in paralysis, then quickly regained his composure and used his chair to stand up.

"A Shinigami." Light uttered, "I'm not surprised, Ryuk."

"To be honest, I've actually been waiting for you, Ryuk." Light clarified, his expression full of regained confidence.

"Really?" Ryuk inquired.

"I didn't know before that this notebook was real. But I can act with conviction now after seeing its results."

"I see. You surprise me." Ryuk applauded, "In the past, I've heard of Death Notes appearing in the Human World. But you're the first to use it to this degree in merely five days. Most people would be too frightened to use it."

"That makes sense, I guess." Otto supposed, "If they're many Shinigamis with these Death Notes then some might end up in human hands."

"And Light is the first person to use it this far." Emilia concluded, her naivety being tested from watching what's unfolding.

"What would drive such a person to do this?" Reinhard said, his heart wounded from all those who died.

Light sits on his bed. "I've prepared myself. I used the Death Note with the knowledge that it belonged to a Shinigami. And now that Shinigami is here."

"What is going to happen to me? Are you going to take my soul?" Readied Light.

Everyone shared the same thought, hoping that Light will be subjected to penance or lose the Death Note.

"Huh. What are you talking about? Is this some fantasy created by humans? I won't do anything to you."

Light looked in surprised, Ryuk continued. "The instant that Death Note lands in the Human World, it belongs to the Human World."

Ryuk pointed his hand at Light. "It means that notebook is yours now."

"This is mine?"

"You could pass it to someone else if you don't want it. However, if you do that, all memories of the Death Note will be erased from your mind."

"So, is there really no consequence for using the Death Note?" Light begged the question.

"Well, if anything... There is fear and pain that is faced only by humans who used Death Notes. Then, when you die, I'll write your name in mine. Don't assume that any human who have used the Death Note can enter Heaven or Hell. That's all."

Ryuk laughed in amusement. "You'll experience it after you die however."

"What's heaven and hell? Beatrice." Everyone turned to Beatrice for answers about Subaru's world.

"I'm getting tired of explaining things to everyone I suppose." Beatrice sighed. "Subaru told me that Heaven and Hell are the places where people's souls go when they die. Depending on how good or bad they've been in their life, they will be judged and taken to their respective places. It's similar to the reincarnation process that we have in our world when we die."

"Wa' reinca' process wha'? Garfield puzzled.

"There's a theory, not fully proven, that when humans or spirits die alike, our souls go to Od Laguna to be filtered and wiped of memories. Eventually, those clean slates will reincarnate back into the living world. That's what Beatrice was referring to." Anastasia explained.

"But isn't the reincarnation process only a theory, we don't know for sure." Otto added.

"I'd literally just said that." Anastasia retorted.

"But how would the people of their world know if that's true?" Emilia pondered.

"They don't know as well I suppose."

"Assuming that Heaven and Hell is real in their world." Crusch spoke. "Ryuk said that anyone who uses the Death Note can't go to Heaven or Hell, where will they go then?"

"Why don't you ask Al for answers in fact! I don't know everything!" Beatrice, annoyed from constantly being asked, refused to say anymore.

"Do you know Al?" Crusch asked.

"How the hell I would know something like this. This is beyond me." Al didn't know as well.

Light's mother went upstairs and knocked on the door to Light's room. "Light."

Light instinctively faced the door, not knowing what to do.

"Don't worry." Ryuk reassured. "Go ahead."

Light slid the Death Note under his bead and unlocked the door.

"What is it, Mom?"

"I brought some apples that we got from our neighbor." She said (Emilia; They're called appas).

She peered into Light's room, bothered by something.

"Why is it so dark in here? It'll ruin your eyesight!" She worried.

"What's happening?" Light thought, seeing the Shinigami standing in his room clearly. "Why can't Mom see him?"

"That's weird." Felt said.

"Everything regarding this is abnormal. It's pointless overthinking things if they'll end up being answered." Ram shut down any following conservation.

The mother closed the door and left, leaving beforehand some apples on Light's desk.

"That notebook was once mine. Since you are using it now, you're the only one who can see me. And obviously, only you can hear my voice. The Death Note is a bond that ties Light, the human to Ryuk, the Shinigami." Ryuk, picks up one of the apples, then takes a bite from the forbidden fruit. Ryuk's face lights up in amazement, "Good."

"So they aaaaare in a contract togeeetheeer." Roswaal mused.

"This isn't how contracts are usually formed but this Subaru's world I suppose." Beatrice sighed, not bothering to comprehend how an non-consensual contract is feasible.

"I'll ask you one last thing. Why me?" Light asked. "Hey, have you been listening?"

Ryuk was stuck devouring all the apples when Light was asking him. "Apples in the Human World are delightful. How do you phrase it? Juicy?"

"Answer my question." Light demanded.

Ryuk faced Light. "I didn't pick you. I just so happened to have dropped the notebook. You thought you were chosen because you were smart? Don't be so vain."

"You just happened to pick it up because it just happened to fall around here. That's all.  That's the reason why I wrote it in English, the most commonly-used language in the Human World. " Ended Ryuk.

"English, the language Al knows?" Anastasia probed Al for answers.

Al nodded. "It's by far the most used language in the world. It's used everywhere."

"Why did you drop it then?" Light asked. "You went through the trouble to write the instructions. Don't tell me it was all by accident."

"Why I dropped it?" Ryuk smiled more than he did before. "It's because I was bored."

"Damn you!" Felt shouted.

"If only I coulda' chok' him." Garfield wished.

To Rem, Light and Ryuk are reminiscent of the witch cult in many ways. Once Rem felt mana directed to her forehead, Rem forced herself to think of Subaru to free herself of bloodlust.

"To allowed the Death Note to enter the wrong hands merely because one was bored!?" Julius shot a fierce look at the Shinigami as his patience has been expended. "The Shinigami is as guilty as Light!"

"There's nothing you could do about the Shinigami though. He is invisible, completely silent and can even fly." Otto listed the reasons.

"Even still. They should be held accountable for their actions." Emilia declared.

"Bored?"

"The truth is Shinigamis don't have a lot to do; they mostly sleep or gamble. Try writing names in the Death Note, they'll start laughing at you for working so hard. You can't even write names of other Shinigamis since they won't die. And because we live in the Shinigami Realm, there's no fun in killing those who live in the Human World! So I thought it would be more entertaining to come here myself."

Ryuk looks at the Death Note and sees the names Light had written. "Anyways, you have written a lot of names. But why did you only write the cause of death for the person who was hit by the truck?"

"If you don't write the person's cause of death, they will die of a heart attack. That's the greatest thing about the Death Note, Ryuk." Light professed.

"Huh."

"I already have the names and faces of the criminals. Eventually, I'll slowly lower the number of evil people."

"What's the reason in doing that?" Ryuk asked.

"Sooner or later, any fool will understand that someone is eliminating the bad guys. I want to let the world know of my existence!" Light declared. "And that there's someone who can and will pass the judgement on them!"

"Passing judgement? Does he think of himself as someone like a god?" Ram suspected.

"It seems that he wants to use the Death Note to not only to kill criminals but also to establish himself as an omnipotent force that defeats evil." Wilhelm discerned.

"Ha! As expected, I was right as always!" Priscilla congratulated. "He will use it to kill all he deems punishable."

"Ain' dat' somethin' a good guy woul' do? I though' he was da' bad guy." Garfield baffled by conflicting opinions.

"Even if becoming a symbol of justice is his goal, slaughtering criminals is not the way to go about it." Reinhard grimaced, dissatisfied by Light's solution to cure the world of evil.

"Merely from his eyes, I can tell that his actions aren't motivated by virtue, but narcissism and resentment." Crusch scrutinized.

"And what's there to achieve by passing the judgement? Why bother?"

"Because I'm bored too." Light confessed. "I didn't believe it at first, but that Death Note has a supernatural force that compels people to try it at least once."

This takes place just after Light killed the motorbike driver. He trudges through an alleyway, drenched by the heavy rainfall.

"I murdered them... I murdered the two of them... Human lives should never be taken so lightly!" He acknowledged to himself. "Do I have the right to judge others?"

"So he wasn't always so malevolent..." Crusch realized.

"Before, he didn't approve of taking human life Nyan." Felix said.

"Then what changed him to the person that would write hundreds of names in the Death Note!?" Felt proclaimed.

"What would drive you down such a dark path?" Wilhelm looked down in melancholy.

"Indeed... what made you decide to embrace the Death Note completely and utilize it to its fullest potential." Roswaal thought, awaiting to see Light's transformation into the self-righteous murderer he is.

"No. It's not like that. I have always thought about this. This world is rotten! So those rotten people must die!" Light declared.

"Someone... Someone needs to do it! Even if one must sacrifice his life and soul. The world can't continue like this!"

"Even if someone else had picked up the Death Note, would they be able to erase all the unneeded people from the world? No way! But I can. I can do it! In fact, I'm the only one who can do it! And I will do it with the Death Note! I'll change the world!"

A montage of Light writing down names in the notebook and a short clip showing that criminal's death. The glint in Light's eye revealed to be one of  malevolence as he continues intensely writing.

A criminal grasping the bars of his cell as his heart stops; a criminal falls over dead in his shared cell, frightening his cellmate; a man passed away on a flat roof; three died concurrently; one landing face-first to death; one falling off a building with his last breath, crashing the glass ceiling of another.

"Eeaaah!" Petra cried, cowering behind Frederica for comfort. "I don't want to see this anymore."

An uproar erupted among the cast as they witnessed the deaths many individuals.

"It's so graphic!" Emilia puts her hands over her eyes, looking through the gap between her fingers.

"Unforgivable Nyan!" Felix stated. "Unforgivable!"

"He will be brought to vengeance!" Rem promised.

"Whyr'!?" Garfield broke down into tears, covering his face with his arms and muffling the noise of his sobs.

"It's okay Garf!" Ram consoled, allowing Garfield to cry against her stomach. "It's okay..."

"At first, I kept writing names like I was cleansing the world. Eventually, no one would do evil. While the guilty ones who deserved to be punished die of heart attack, people who are immoral or harass others will gradually be removed through illness or accidents."

Light continued his monologue.  "Then the world will become a brighter place. Then, I would create a new world with good humans."

"If you do that, you'd be the last one left with a bad character." Ryuk replied.

"What on Earth are you talking about, Ryuk? I'm likely the best person there is. And then..."

"I WILL BECOME THE GOD OF THIS WORLD!"

"No you won't!"

"You are the devil!"

The cast erupts into an uproar as they mouthed at Light's proclamation.

"He needs to be stopped. He has to be stopped!" Rem uttered.

"To delude yourself into thinking one's a god is merely deceiving yourself. No matter what you do, no one can be perfect." Reinhard spoke with humility.

"Even if he achieves his goal, the world would be run on terror and fear. One must be good not because he fears punishment, but by understanding its significance." Wilhelm quoted some wise words spoken by some wise guy.

"Wise words." Ricardo nodded.

"Humans turn out to be interesting, after all." Ryuk said with interest.

Light looks out of his room's window, rays of sunlight bathing him. He stares at the wide view of the city, envisioning it under his strings one day.

TO BE CONTINUED...

As the title card surfaced, the cast recognized that that was the end of the episode. Knowing that, they let out all their pent-up thoughts.

"Man, that's a lot to take in." Al confessed.

"So he wants to take over the world!?" Emilia gasped.

"The entire world though. Not a country, but the entire world! Isn't that a bit far-fetched?" Otto asked, getting his head around the magnitude of Light's proclamation.

"With the Death Note, it's not out of the realm of possibility." Crusch acknowledged.

Beatrice expounded. "I agree in fact. He has the technology to know the names and faces of everyone in the world I suppose. He holds the life and death of every human being."

"But he only kill criminals." Otto argued.

"That's absolutely not the case in fact." Beatrice dismissed. "He's heartless and could easily justify killing the innocent by doing it 'for the greater good' I suppose."

"Then who will stop him?" Rem wondered.

"Perhaps he gets caught somehow." Felt hoped.

"That's the issue. He has the technology to know the names and faces of everyone in the world. If he plays his cards right, no one could trace it back to him." Anastasia put forward.

"Perhaps he makes an error?" Julius dispensed with the pessimism. "For all we know we're presuming too much."

"It disheartens me to say this, but we can't dismiss the alternative; that Light may achieve his goal." Reinhard said.

Felix denied. "No. He won't get away with it Nyan."

"Forgive me for saying such a thing." Reinhard apologized.

"No need to apologize Reinhard. The only way to find out is to keep watching." Felix answered.

"DID YOU ENJOY IT!"

"Aaaaaah!"

"Jesus, you scared us again." Al said.

"Ya really need to control your voice man." Ricardo insisted.

"Sorry."

"Play the next one! Play the next one!" Mimi let his excitement loose as he hopped like a bunny, demanding to continue.

"Are you ready for episode 2 of Death Note? I can see at-least one person is ready."

"Wait." Ram said, patting Garfield's head. "Please excuse us for a moment."

"Sure. I'll wait."

"I don' know if I can go throug' this anymor'." Garf sniveled. Despite the strong defenses Garfield puts up, behind them reveals a naïve child who can't stand watching people die.

"Of course you can Garf." Ram insisted. "Think about what Barusu would do if he was here."

"Ma' capt'n?" Garfield thought.

"Exactly! Natsuki-san would do the cool poses you always love." Otto reminded, restoring Garfield's confidence. "Natsuki-san would never give up, would you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" Otto asked.

"No!"

"Say it again!" Otto shouted, rousing Garfield up.

"NO!"

"Good! If you see what you don't like, just think about what Subaru would do. Concentrate on all the awesome things about Subaru's world instead." Otto advised.

"Ya're righ'. Thanks bro." Garfield manned up and stopped embarrassing himself in front of his crush. "I can' disappoin' ma' capt'n!"

"You already disappointed me Garf, humiliating me in front of people like that." Ram resumed back to her cold-hearted demeanor.

"Bac' to yoursel' already? Ya' aren't mad at me tho' righ'?"

"No matter how tough you appear, you're really just a child. Grow up for once." Ram demanded.

"Tha' Ram's way of sayin' she ain't mad at me." Garfield translated to Otto.

"If you say anything further, I'll give you a real reason to cry for." Ram threatened. "A pure maiden like me can't handle anymore of you humiliating me."

"S'rry. Garfield spoke awkwardly. "I gues' thi' means ya're rejectin' me?"

"Don't be stupid Garf. You never had a chance to begin with. Now let's get back to our seating." Ram finished.

Garf and Ram came back to the theatre after they just left.

"Are you okay Garf?" Frederica worried for her smaller brother.

"I'mma' fine sis'." Garfield tried to put his sister at ease.

"If you need somebody, don't go to Ram and put her on the spot. As your bigger sister, I won't feel bad if you ever need to rely on me."

"I'm really okay sis'. Garfield copied Subaru's pose to display how coolness. "All good now, see."

"I understand Garf." Frederica smiled.

None pestered the demi-human with further questions as it was understood as matter of privacy.

"May I borrow your attention, Screen-dono." Wilhelm shifted the discussion more on topic.

"Huh yes?"

"Forgive me if I'm being ungrateful, but what is the purpose of watching this specifically? Why not something more for the faint of heart?" Wilhelm begged the question.

"You guys wanted to see Subaru's world. Why I chose this specifically is because I like Death Note and I want to see how you would react watching it."

"I see."

"You're watching us?" Tivey pointed out.

"It's not only me but many others. We're also doing this for our own enjoyment you see."

"Isn't that slightly perverse?"

"Don't mistake me. I'm grateful you're showing this but isn't that kinda strange?" Anastasia corrected.

"Not really. I mean you're also watching other people as well. Consider it an exchange."

"Makes sense."

"Now argh you ready kids?"

"I am! I am!" Mimi yelled.

"Hell yea' I'm ready!" Garfield answered confidently.

"Can't wait to see Light get his ass beaten and his plan wrecked!" Felt said.

"I think you got it wrong. Most of us ain't kids." Ricardo said.

"I mean, are you looking forward to see the next episode?"

"I doooo look forward to where this is goiiiing..!" Roswaal admitted.

"Ha! I too look forward to where this fool and his book will take him. But no matter, he won't become a god no matter how hard he tries. Watching thou struggle will be amusing. Yes!" Priscilla announced.

"It might be wrong for me to say this, but it I do want to know more of Subaru's world and whatever that's happening there."

Emilia was both absorbed in the amazing features of this world and worried about the future of its inhabitants. Combined together (not to mention this will help her know more about her knight), meant she acutely longed to watch the next episode.

"What will Light do to become the god of his world, and how will the people there stop him?" Crusch summarized. "I think we can all agree with Emilia and are some-what eager to observe the so-called next episode of Death Note."

"Can't wait." Ricardo replied.

"Yep."

"Me too."

"This ain't even touching upon all the knowledge this'd be divulging." Anastasia mentioned, her greed continually satiated.

"Barusu should be pleased that people find his world so intriguing." Ram poke fun at him. "You'd think viewing his world could put anyone to sleep considering he was raised there."

"Nee-sama's dishonest is really cute. You have said this before." Rem revealed.

"Tch."

"Are you alright with watching this Petra-san?" Frederica was willing to quit the theatre if it was in the child's desire.

"Yes, Frederica nee-sama. I'm an adult now, and I don't want to look bad to Subaru if he hears I was the only one who left. So I will watch." Patra stated her reasons, her pride as a maid trumping her fear as a child.

"If what you see is too much for you, just tell me. Okay."

"Yes, Frederica nee-sama."

"I'll be taking that as a yes!"

All sat in their respective seats and gestured they were ready.

"Episode 2 of Death Note in 3... 2... 1..."