"This world is still rotten... With too many rotten people." -Light Yagami, "Death Note"

WARNING LETTER

The investigation into Kaneshiro's Palace had hit a stonewall as frustrating as it was, especially when they had their target right in front of them. The center of Kaneshiro's twisted desires was floating in the air, and they had no way of reaching it. Ren and Light both shared a theory that only people Kaneshiro recognized as his "customers" would be allowed to enter it. That, of course, meant people he was extorting.

The brunette felt rather annoyed that they were unable to progress. He couldn't think of any way they could reach the bank. He also sincerely doubted that Ryuk would volunteer to fly them up to the Palace. There were also too many unknown variables to consider. What if Kaneshiro had aerial defenses in place to prevent anyone from trying to fly their way up?

The more he thought about it, the more concerned and irritated Light became. He eventually decided he would forgo thinking and put it off his mind. Since the group couldn't find do anything at present, they decided their next best move would be to investigate Kaneshiro and hope they could perhaps learn something about him that could give them an edge. Light was tempted to ask his father and confront him about Kaneshiro, but he was on thin ice enough as is with people watching his every move and house and home.

School had ended, but the teen found himself merely wandering Tokyo. There were no plans to investigate Kaneshiro, though he did hear that Ren was looking into a potential source of information. Something about a reporter they ran across during the Madarame case. To try and get his mind off things, Light decided it would be best to maybe try and hit an arcade. As the thought crossed his mind, though, he realized something shortly after.

"...this is the first time I'm actually going to an arcade on my own instead of being invited." he murmured with a wry smile. To keep up appearances and try to make connections with other people that would benefit him in the long run, or simply humor people who were just trying to brag about being friends with the smartest guy in school, Light accepted hang-outs to karaoke bars, arcades, burger joints and so on. "Huh. Feels rather odd." Light then pursed his lips, holding a hand to his chin. "What would I even do there? I mean, I mostly just watched others play the games there."

"Do you normally talk to yourself out on the street?" Light looked over his shoulder and found Ren behind him, Morgana leaning on his shoulder. "Yo."

"Oh, Amamiya." Light greeted. "Sorry. I guess I just got lost in thought. What are you doing here?"

"We're killing time, mostly." Morgana mewled. "That Ohya woman hasn't gotten back to us yet, and we're just waiting for a reply."

"I see."

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here? No offense, but going to an arcade doesn't seem like the sort of thing you would do."

Light chuckled, scratching his cheek. "You do have a point. Honestly, I guess it's just because the idea came to me, and I have nothing better to do. Not only that, but I don't usually go there unless someone invited me to go along."

"What?" the not-cat creature gasped. "Light, you mean to tell me you've never tried to do anything fun on your own!"

"I have on occasion, but only when I was younger." Light explained with a wry look. "Since my father was so busy with police work, I was more or less the only person who could look after Sayu. When she got sick, when she needed to be picked up, help her with homework, etc. I never had much free time for myself, and what little time I did have, I used by spending time with Sayu."

Ren averted his eyes, remembering that the Yagami family had lost their mother early on in the children's lives. Light was practically made Sayu's second father figure, he realized. She didn't just see him as her brother, she saw him as a parent as well. He couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for Light, trying to care for his sister while he was still in Elementary school. Still, he would admit that they were remarkably adjusted, Light's brieft stint as Kira aside. It was a wonder how they didn't seem to hate their father, since he had little to no involvement in their early life.

"Anyway, it wasn't all bad." Light smiled softly. "Some of my best memories involved me and Sayu going Christmas shopping and birthday gift hunting for our father way back in middle school. It was around that time that I decided I wanted to become a detective." Light then snorted as he shook his head. "Shame how that dream went down the drain."

Morgana frowned. "Come on, you can't say that. I'm sure you'd make a wonderful detective."

"Maybe, but don't forget. I'm still one of the worst people to ever exist in the world. And all because of a single, damned notebook."

Light would have continued, had it not been for the sound of glass shattering. Screams of dismay and panic followed shortly afterwards. A man dressed in white garbs suddenly rushed past him and Ren, the latter being forcibly knocked to the floor. Thankfully for Morgana, the frizzy-haired teen held the bag close to his chest when he saw the man rushing by. "Ow!" Morgana hissed, feeling the numerous notebooks and calculators bang into his small body. "What in the heck was that about?!"

"Hey, you kids alright?!" an officer rushed over to help the two of them up while his partner sped past them, clearly in pursuit of the white-hooded man.

"We're fine." Light hissed, noticing that his hands suffered a few cuts from his fall. "Who was that?"

"One of those damn Kira fanatics!" the officer snarled. Light and Ren's eyes widened. "Even though there's a rumor going around Kira's gone into hiding or retired or something, these religious nutjobs are still popping up all over the place. Just now, he threw a brick at the window of a nearby pharmacy. Don't know why, but-"

"Hey! Come on! The perp's getting away!"

"Coming!" the officer called back to his partner before turning to the two teens. "You kids better be careful and head straight home. I swear, they'll go after anyone these days!" With his piece said, he quickly chased after his partner.

Ren and Morgana looked over at Light. His eyes were focused on the retreating back of the police officer. They were oblivious to the world around him, and his face was bitter like he had just swallowed a lemon. "Light?" Morgana called out worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"...yeah." Somehow, his words weren't very convincing. "I'm fine."

Ren looked at his new partner in crime in concern. 'That face says otherwise. He must still be worried about what's been happening because of Kira. I think I understand Light a little better...'

RANK UP!

Light Yagami - Aeon Confidant: Rank 2

"Can now participate in Baton Pass"

CHAPTER 10: The Sinner of Greed (Part 4)

It was nighttime when Light had received a text message from the Phantom Thieves. He had been couped up in his room, his television set to a random channel to provide background noise while he sat at his desk, studying up on an upcoming pop quiz. When he saw his phone vibrate, he set his pen down and looked at the text, only to pause as he glanced over his shoulder discreetly. The cameras built into his room hadn't been removed as far as he knew, otherwise he would have heard Ryuk mention it. The last thing he wanted was for L to take notice of what he was doing, so he just gave the caller ID a look before he slipped it into his pocket and focused on studying for at least a few more minutes before he closed his notebook, proceeding to leave for one of the places where surveilence wasn't so heavy.

Sayu was watching one of her tokatsu shows, much to his amusement. He didn't remember the name or pay much attention to it, aside from its rather ridiculous premise about a doctor curing people through video games or something to that effect. He made it look like he was fixing himself something to eat before he looked at his phone again and opened the text, careful to angle it just right so L could only see the reflective glare on his side of the camera.

Ren - Got in touch with Ohya. I'm supposed to meet her at a bar in Shinjuku tomorrow called Crossroads.

Light - Shinjuku? As in, the red light district?

Yusuke - Why would she want to meet you there?

Ren - Don't know. But this could be our ticket into finding a way into Kaneshiro's Palace.

Ryuji - Hope so. I mean, the longer we wait around, the more people this guy screws over, yeah?

Ann - I've been hearing that some of the guys at our school are being targeted to. I think someone in our class is involved, but I'm not sure. Maybe me and Ryuji can look into that.

Yusuke - Why not have Niijima-san accompany you? I imagine he'd fold under pressure, given her position.

Ann - That's...

Light - Ann, despite what you may think, Makoto does actually mean well. While I'm not telling you to get over your problems with her right this second, trust try and work with her.

Ryuji - He's got a point, Ann. Prez does have one heck of a glare. And doesn't she practice kung-fu or something?

Light - Aikido, but close enough.

Ann - Ugh, fine. I'll see if little miss President is up for it.

Light sighed as he shook his head, shutting his phone close. "Something the matter, Light?" Sayu called from the couch. Just in time, too. His food was done. "That was a pretty big sigh. Oooh, did you get in trouble at school?"

"Of course not. What do you think I am? A delinquent?" Light shot back sarcastically, grabbing the leftover plate of sushi before seating himself at the dining room table. "It was just a text message from a couple friends of mine. Apparently, one of their friends goes to Shujin Academy and is having some problems, so they were asking for advice."

Sayu grinned. "Love advice?"

"I wish." Light snorted. "No, it has to do with someone that they don't like." While he wanted to tell her a half-truth and say that it involved Makoto, he couldn't risk L piecing together the dots. If he was even half the detective he thought he was, he couldn't risk anything. One slight slip-up, and that was that. Bye bye Phantom Thieves. "From what he told me, his friend and this guy at Shujin don't like each other because of an incident at school. My friend's friend seems to think that the guy at Shujin is a horrible person because they didn't stop someone from being bullied. But, from what my friend has also told me, that same person couldn't stop it because they didn't have the power to do it."

"Why?"

"Because the bully was a teacher. He didn't say who, but I don't think it was Kamoshida. If it was, I imagine the problem would have been solved a lot sooner."

An embellished lie, but it was good enough. He just hoped it would be enough to fool L and pray the man didn't try to pry into matters further.

"Sounds rough." Sayu frowned. "I hope things get resolved soon."

Light sighed again. "Yeah, me too..."

'...wait a second here.' Light looked around the kitchen, knitting his eyebrows in confusion. 'I haven't heard so much as one complaint about not being able to snack on an apple, much less a snicker. Where in the hell did that Shinigami run off too?'

"Whew! Now this is the good stuff!" Ryuk cackled as he downed another apple, core and all. The juicy morsel was torn to pieces in seconds in his mouth, sliding down his throat with great relish. His ruined tastebuds tingled in delight. "Gotta thank you again, kid. If it wasn't for you, I'd be going through withdrawal right about now. And trust me, it ain't pretty!"

Ren rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say." he said before going back to his reading.

Had somebody told him he would be hosting a Shinigami, he would have laughed. And yet, here Ryuk was, snacking away at one of the apples he had bought on a whim. He still had to wonder what it was that made apples so addicting to a being like him. Actually, he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask. Like, was there an afterlife waiting for them if he was the reaper? Or was there nothing at all?

Then again, given what Light had told him, chances were that Ryuk would tell him nothing.

"God, don't you know how to savor those things?" Morgana eyed the Shinigami with disgust as he watched it inhale one apple after another. "At this rate, you'll eat all the apples we have."

"Can't help it. They're so delicious." Ryuk chomped down on the entire front half of an apple, swallowing his bounty whole with a loud gulp. As he went in to finish it off, he paused in thought and looked at Ren. "Been meaning to ask ya, but why did you let Light into your little group?" Ren raised his brow at the death god. "I mean, I dunno how you humans think, but it seems pretty weird that you'd just accept somebody who murdered a hundred or so people."

Ryuk was not entirely wrong. Part of him had been rather hesitant about extending Light an invitation to the Phantom Thieves. There was a good possibility it could come back to bite him, but he didn't regret his decision. Light had changed because of their actions and was making up for what he did as Kira.

Besides, he felt like he would fit right in with them.

"He was a misfit." Ren answered.

Morgana and Ryuk stared before the latter cackled. "Hah! You really are an interesting human, aren't you?!" He went back to devouring the basket of apples with gusto, once more leaving Morgana astounded by how much he was capable of eating.

The next day, Light arrived at school and went about yet another boring day. At his side was Ryuk who had some point last night had returned to the household.

"Where were you last night?" Light typed into his phone under the guise of writing a text to a friend, showing what he wrote to his unusual companion. "You didn't cause trouble, did you?"

"Please, what could I do other than drop my Death Note again?" Ryuk rolled his eyes. "Relax, I was just fueling my addiction. That Amamiya kid saved me big time by giving me a basket full of apples. I thought I was going to go through another withdrawal!"

The Honor Student scoffed. He would have to apologize to Ren later when he saw him. When thinking about the leader of the Phantom Thieves, he couldn't help but remember the incident from yesterday when they ran into one of his fanatics. He had read about them online when he was still Kira before he discovered That Penber was tailing him. At the time, he was a little annoyed and amused that he had such devoted followers that were little more than hooligans causing trouble.

Now, he felt horrible and reminded that all the chaos that those fanatics were causing was all his fault. He wished he could do something to stop them, but it wasn't as though he had the means to do it. He would have suggested Mementos, but he didn't know their identities.

Was there anything he could do to get them to stop other than a direct confrontation? The idea was dangerous, especially since they were resorting to violence as of lately. Not long after he had quit using the Death Note, the Kira fanatics had grown increasingly more violent. All they did at first was public disturbances, but overtime they got more violent. Vandalism, graffiti, harassment, assault and destruction of public property.

If he tried to confront them directly, chances were he would be in danger. And that was assuming he knew where to find them.

Light walked up to the third floor and stopped, finding Akechi speaking with a teacher about something. He seemed to arrive at the end as the teacher nodded at Akechi and walked away with a pleased look. As the teenage detective was about to leave, he took notice of Light. "Oh, Yagami-san."

"Were you in trouble or something?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. The teacher was just asking about my performance." Akechi smiled. "I'll be busy investigating the Phantom Thieves, but I've been keeping up with my studies. As it just so happens, he was asking me about whether or not I would be interested in a scholarship to To-Oh University, seeing as how you gave up on it."

"That so? Well, good to hear it." Light was indifferent to the news. If he was getting his hands on the scholarship, more power to him.

He made his move to leave for the classroom, but Akechi stopped him in favor of conversation. "I've been meaning to ask, but why did you decide to give up on the scholarship?"

"I thought I told you. I'm not interested in attending To-Oh, and I had second thoughts about my future."

"Forgive me for saying this, but I really doubt that." Light looked at Akechi, the latter staring at him curiously as though he was trying to solve a puzzle. "Your behavior has been rather unusual these last couple of weeks. I recall your health took a massive fall sometime after the Madarame scandal, and not long afterwards, you up and gave up on attending one of the best academic academies in the country. It just seems rather odd to me."

A feeling of unease settled in Light's stomach. Was it possible that Akechi realized something was off? Did he know?

"I was studying too hard, so I ended up crashing and burning from exhaustion." Light defended. "In case you've forgotten what country we live in, people tend to discard concerns for their health when studying for their entrance exams."

"While that is true. I can't help but wonder. Your health didn't seem to bad right before the Madarame Incident. Then again, I could just be overthinking things." Akechi stated.

Light inwardly flinched. He was too observant.

"At any rate, I've been meaning to ask you something. Have you heard the latest news about the ongoing Kira vs Phantom Thieves debate?"

"I thought Kira quit, seeing as how no one's died in over a week by now." Light frowned. It honestly felt like it had been a lot longer than that to him. When was the last time he had even touched that notebook? "Let me guess, people are still saying either the Phantom Thieves or Kira is just, hate both groups or somewhere in between."

Akechi smiled wryly. "Close. Kira's absence has been causing quite a stir. Some even think the Phantom Thieves elicited a change of heart, though no one's come forward yet. Other than that, it seems that the Kira fanatics have been challenging the Phantom Thieves."

That earned Light's attention. He didn't show it, but he was now fully interested in what the teenage detective was telling him. "Really? Seems pretty idiotic if you ask me."

"Oh, I feel the same. Word on the net says they are acting in God's place, telling the thieves to take their hearts if they dare. It's really amusing, if you ask me." Akechi snickered. "They even went so far as to post their full names on the forum site. I was sorely tempted to inform the police, but I wanted to see how the Phantom Thieves would react before doing anything."

"I see."

As Light and Akechi talked, Ryuk snickering to himself while staring at Akechi weirdly as if he knew something was off, the honors student made a mental note to ask Ren for a favor the next time they were free.

"You want me to come with you to Shinjuku?"

Ren nodded. "Insurance, mostly." he told Light. "Ryuji offered, but I felt like if he went, we would be in trouble. What do you know about it, Light-san?"

"Ren, please. Just call me Light." Light insisted. "And it's pretty much like what you've heard in magazines and online. During the day, Shinjuku is pretty peaceful, but the night life is the main reason why people flock to it. The red light district, love hotels, bars, the works. Come to think of it, where are you supposed to meet this Ohya woman?"

"A bar called Crossroads. I'm going to head back home and change clothes. Last thing we need is for rumors to start propping up that a bunch of high school kids went to Shinjuku in the middle of the night."

Light winced. That did seem pretty bad. It was probably worse for Ren, given that he was subject to scrutiny himself because of his criminal record.

Whereas for him, his image as an Honors Student would be tarnished should anyone recognize him. While he didn't put much thought into his image nowadays, it would cause some trouble if word got out. That and rumors about him could start spreading and worry his family, something he didn't want to risk. He already garnered enough attention with his recent change of heart, he didn't need to add more to it.

"Alright, I'll come with." Ren sighed with relief. "Just let me know what time you're leaving and I'll meet up with you at Shibuya Station."

"Thanks. Here's hoping this won't be a wild goose chase."

Just as Light had said, Shinjuku truly came alive during the night. In contrast during the day where many stores had closed their shutters and were closed for the time being, the whole street was alive with activity. People were coming and going, many having a woman with make-up and a stunning number that exposed a fair amount of skin hanging on their arms. There were just as many whose cheeks were rosy red, no doubt having had too much to drink.

"Wow, this place really is alive!" Morgana marveled at the crowds of people coming and going around them. "It looks as crowded as Shibuya."

"Let's just try not to get swept up with the crowds." Light said before he glanced at Ryuk. "And you better not cause any trouble while we're here, either."

The shinigami chuckled. "Ah, relax. What could I possibly do besides scare a few people? Though I gotta ask, why in the world do these women put on so much make-up. You can't possibly find them attractive that you'd want to rut with them with all that gunk on their faces."

"You would be surprised, Ryuk." he replied. "Come on, let's go."

The group made their way to their destination with Ren at the lead. Eventually, they found themselves at the designated bar and walked in. In Light's opinion, the bar was rather quiet. There was barely anyone present despite the fact it was night. A woman wearing a black-and-white shirt with a camera around her neck and orange-tinted sunglasses on top her head was sitting by herself at the bar table. Behind the counter was a woman(?) in a kimono with heavy make-up.

"Excuse me," Ren spoke up. "Is there an Ohya-san here?"

The woman with the sunglasses looked up from her drink. "Ah, if it isn't the kiddo from Madarame's place! Long time no see!" she greeted amicably. "I was wondering whether or not you were going to show up~ C'mon, take a seat. I'll buy you a drink."

"Not on your life." the woman(?) snapped. "Speaking of, haven't you hit your limit for the night, Ohya-chan?"

"Aw, but the night's still young, Lala-chan!"

'Oh. So the barkeep is a crossdresser then.' Light mused as he averted his attention to the journalist. He had to admit, the attire was pretty convincing. 'I'm guessing he's the owner here.'

"I'm not here for drinks, Ohya-san." Ren reminded her as he and Light approached her. "Just about what we talked on the phone."

Ohya giggled. "Right, right. Don't worry kiddo, I haven't forgotten." She then glanced curiously at the tagalong next to him. "I was under the impression you were coming by yourself. Who's this?"

"Light Yagami, ma'am." he bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you."

"My name ain't ma'am, it's Ohya. Ma'am just makes me sound freaking old." Ohya grinned. "Nice to meet you, Light-kun. Since you're here and all... Hey, Lala-chan. Mind if I borrow the private room?"

Lala rolled his eyes. "Only if you don't drink yourself silly or sneak the kids a roofie."

Ultimately, what information Ohya could give them about Kaneshiro didn't help much. At best, she simply gave them info they already knew. What else she did offer was insight about Kaneshiro's operations.

According to Ohya, Kaneshiro was utterly ruthless in his dealings. When someone entered his crosshairs, there was no stopping him until he got what he wanted. If someone managed to piss him off, he'd make their lives a living hell and made them work off the equivalent of a life debt for the rest of their lives. If somebody tried to break away from him, he'd just come after them and tighten his grip.

The reporter shared several stories about Kaneshiro's cruelty as well as what potential info she could offer the Phantom Thieves. Among those many horrible stories involved the corruption within the police force.

Light's face scrunched in anger as he remembered hearing about them. It seemed that Masahiro Niijima was not the only person who lost their lives in pursuit of Kaneshiro. There were others, all of whom got close to him only to wind up with a bullet in their back because they either got cocky and walked right into a trap or didn't see the danger until it was too late. Now more than ever, Light wanted to bring this horrible man to justice no matter the cost.

"Sounds like you guys are after a real piece of work." Ryuk commented as he lazed about in the air. "I wonder if you can really bring him down, though. That woman didn't really give you a lot to go on, not even one hint that could help you sneak inside that flying bank of his."

Light ignored him and continued to glare up at the ceiling. It wasn't as though he could actually talk to the Shinigami right now, either. His room was still bugged and under heavy surveillance. If he did anything remotely suspicious, L and his father would be on to him.

"Can you really change his heart like this?" Ryuk continued on. Light was starting to get annoyed by the shinigami's permanent shit-eating grin. "Granted, this guy caused your dad a lot of problems, but come on. Let's face facts. You all have no way of knowing how to actually get into his base, and it isn't like you can approach him in real life, either. He's pretty much untouchable."

The grinning man grinned as he leaned in. "But, I think you and I both know a way we can get to him."

Light's knuckles turned white.

"It'd be so easy. A few pen strokes, one page, and viola! No more Kaneshiro. It's just one name, right? What's the harm?"

If only it were so simple. Even if he wanted to use the Death Note again, writing the name was only half the task. he still had no idea what Junya Kaneshiro looked like. But Ryuk did have a point. It'd be so simple and so easy. Like Ryuk said, just a few penstrokes and-

The inside of his cheek opened up. The taste of copper touched his tongue.

Light threw himself from his bed and stood up, grabbing his cell phone from his desk and flipping it open. He dialed a number from his list of contacts and pressed it to his ear while vacating his room.

Ryuk stared at Light's retreating back. "...was it something I said?"

Makoto stared at her notebook in frustration. She spent the last hour or so just staring at it, her pen in her hand but nowhere close to the page. She thought if she studied she would get her mind off of the train wreck that was dinner, but her sister's words were still echoing in her ears.

Useless. That was what Sae called her. She looked ashamed after having said that, spoken only out of frustration, but they still hurt. Deep down, she knew her sister wasn't wrong. That was exactly what she had been.

She was useless back in Shujin. Students suffered under Kamoshida and she did nothing to stop it.

She wanted to do something, but she didn't see how she could. Every attempt that had been made previously by those willing to speak out were either arrested for slander, ignored outright or covered up. And those students either stopped attending Shujin or were expelled not long afterwards. Makoto knew that would be here fate if she spoke out and kept silent, having spent so long to get where she was now.

But that did not stop the mounting frustration she felt as she watched Kamoshida get away with his crimes. She couldn't even do anything to help Shiho Suzui.

"I can't do anything right, can I...?" Makoto gripped the pen tighter as her eyebrows knit closer.

She sighed and let her pen fall to the desk. She couldn't study like this. Maybe it was better for her to try and get some sleep?

*ring ring, ring ring*

"Hm?"

Makoto looked at her phone. The ID read: Light Yagami.

"Light-kun?"

Why was he calling her this late? She picked up her phone and raised it to her ear after answering the call. "Hello?"

"Hello, Makoto. Sorry for calling so late."

"Oh no, no it's fine. Wh-what did you want to talk about?"

"I just...needed to cool off, I guess. Someone that's been getting on my nerves for the last couple of weeks or so said something that really struck a nerve." Light sighed. "My nerves are all wound up for a while now... This Kaneshiro stuff is not helping much either. Anyway, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well enough." There was no reason to tell him about Sae. Not when he already had enough on his plate. "Though I suppose things could be a little better. What about you? Aside from Kaneshiro and the work of the Phantom Thieves, how have you been? It's been a long time since we last spoke."

Light laughed. "Yeah, I suppose it has been a while. Sayu has been wanting to see you again. Come to think of it, we never really saw much of each other since we started high school, haven't we?"

"You're right. We haven't." She mused. "Sorry about that, by the way, school has just been so busy and..."

"No no. I understand. We both had our studies to attend to."

"Speaking of studies, did you ever decide what college you wanted to go to?"

"No, I haven't. Ideally, the best choice would be To-Oh University, but even Sis thinks their standards are pretty high. What about you?"

"I was going to attend To-Oh myself, but then I got involved with the Phantom Thieves and other stuff. It's been a hell of a rollercoaster." A brief silence occurred before Light sighed. "More than I'd care to admit."

Makoto bit her lip. Light sounded so exhausted. Exactly what kind of lifestyle did the Phantom Thieves lead that he would be this way? Or was this simply him dealing with his own troubles.

"...Light-kun, if you don't mind me asking, why did you join the Phantom Thieves?"

No response.

"Light-kun?"

"That's...difficult to answer in a single response. Looking back, there were several factors that came into play."

Light sighed. "I guess it all started when I started to lose sight of myself."

"Lose sight of yourself?"

"Before I met the Phantom Thieves, I...wasn't a good person. Much less a good brother to Sayu. In a way, I guess you could say that they saved me and I want to return the favor." Light paused. "That, and... I don't want to lose sight of what my justice means to me."

Makoto's eyes widened. "Your...justice?"

"Right. It's something I had forgotten over the years, ever since my mother died. I forgot what the word justice truly meant to me. It wasn't until I met with the Phantom Thieves did I remember. I want to protect Sayo. And more than that, I want to change this rotting society."

"Rotting society? What do you mean?"

"I'm pretty sure you know well what I mean. People like Kamoshida and Madarame. They are corrupt figures in authority that use and abuse those beneath them and profit from their misery. People like that are everywhere, hidden in plain sight. And it's not just them, either. There are other people abusing their authority and doing whatever they please. I want to change people like that. And..."

Light fell silent again. He seemed to be doing that a lot. "Light-kun?" Makoto questioned in worry. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing. I guess I just have a lot of things on my mind is all. Sorry for worrying by talking about crap like this."

"N-no, it's fine. Really." she assured him. She was still a little confused, but she was able to get her mind off what Sae had said. "To be honest, you helped get my mind off things. Actually, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"...do you think Dad would approve of the Phantom Thieves?"

"...What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"It's actually something I've been thinking about for a while. My dad was an officer, and I can't help but wonder what he would think of the Phantom Thieves if he were still alive."

"And you're asking me what he would think?" Makoto feared that Light would give her the same response as Sae. To her relief, he merely hummed thoughtfully. "It's hard to say, honestly. I haven't seen Masahiro-san in a long time, but if I were to make a guess... I would think he'd agree with what their doing, but that's just me."

"Really?!" She quickly calmed down after her exclamation. "Wh-why would you say that?"

"I can't really say. It's just a feeling I have."

The next day came by without much fanfare. School passed in the blink of an eye. Once more, the group convened in the Shibuya Accessway, though it was clear they were still rather frustrated by their lack of progress in Kaneshiro's Palace.

"I take it nobody's found a way to get up to the bank?" Ren asked. The group shook their heads, making him sigh. "Yeah, figured that was the case..."

"Couldn't we just ask that airsoft shop owner pal of yours for some fireworks, then strap 'em on to Morgana?" Ryuji suggested.

Morgana gave Ryuji a flat stare. "What? That'd never work! Also, even if it did work, I would whole-heartedly refuse! What if the fireworks exploded while we were in mid-air?!"

"How about asking Ryuk to fly us up?" Yusuke asked. "He has wings."

Ryuk snorted. "You're funny, kid. Thanks, but no thanks. I don't feel like making repeat trips with passengers. Ain't no way you can ask me to carry the cat bus, either."

"Not even if we offered you apples?"

"Not even!"

Light scoffed. "Forget it. Ryuk's practically useless in this regard." He grimaced as he scratched his head in frustration. "Dammit, how are we supposed to get inside? At this rate, the only other option we have is to try and talk to Kaneshiro directly! And we don't even know where he is!"

"What of those hooligans Ren and the Student Council President met on Central Street?" Yusuke inquired. "If they are part of Kaneshiro's gang, they should know where he is."

Ann bit her lip. "But, Kaneshiro's also pretty much like yakuza, right? Wouldn't that be kind of dangerous?"

"She's got a point." Morgana narrowed his eyes. "Kaneshiro isn't like Kamoshida or Madarame. He's careful and ruthless. One wrong step, and we'll go crashing down."

"It's not something we can just risk. If he catches onto us snooping around, it's likely he'll just off us right then and there." Light warned.

"Geez...that's effin' terrifying." Ryuji shuddered. "If only there was some way to change his cognition and let us walk right in..."

"But, what would that be?" Ren questioned. "Let's go over what we know. He thinks every person in Shibuya is his patron. It's his area of business and may as well be his personal piggy bank. And his bank is floating hundred of miles up in the air to where we can't reach it. So how do his walking ATM patrons come and go inside?"

"That is the mystery, isn't it?" Morgana scratched back of his ear. "What's the criteria for them being allowed entry?"

"Entry?" Something sparked inside Light at that moment. What Ren was talking about and what Morgana just said... "Wait, if that's the case..."

"You figure somethin' out, Light?" Ryuji asked excitedly. "Come on, let's hear it! Did'ya figure a way inside?!"

"I think so. Some bank customers have a sort of "pass" that lets them access the bank after hours. If my guess is right, Kaneshiro considers anyone who he thinks is his "customer" to enter his bank, a lot like what I just said. If we want to get inside the palace, we'd have to be his customers." His eyes hardened. "Or in other words, we would have to be in the same position as everyone he's blackmailing."

Yusuke scowled. "I see... That certainly does make sense."

"And poses a problem." Morgana cursed. "It seems like our only option is to meet with Kaneshiro after all and become one of his "customers." One problem, though..."

Where would they even find him? That was the one question on their minds, let alone the implications and possibilities of what would happen if they did confront him. One wrong move and they would be in hot water.

As the group pondered on what to do, Light spotted a familiar face approaching them. "Oh, Makoto." he greeted amicably. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ann stiffening up and glaring at his childhood friend with anger. "Did you find out anything useful?"

"None whatsoever," Makoto sighed. "And I'm afraid it's getting worse. The principal called me in and gave me quite the tongue-lashing. Even though I already told him about the problem beforehand."

Ren snorted. "Lemme guess, he thought it wasn't worth his time and was just a joke? Or that it'd just ruin Shujin's public image further?"

"I'm afraid so..."

"The longer we wait around, the more victims will pile. We must find a way to meet with Kaneshiro, at least figure out where he is." Yusuke insisted. "Though as Yagami-san suggested, we should be cautious. He isn't the sort who would just make idle threats."

"Really? What did you suggest Light?" Makoto questioned.

Light sighed and told her what they needed to do if they were going to change Kaneshiro's heart, barring anything related to the Metaverse of course. For the most part, Makoto seemed to understand what it was they needed and how they had to go about it. But as he said previously, the problem came about in how they were going to handle Kaneshiro and what they could do protect themselves when they did face the man. At the very least, they needed to figure out where he was.

"I see... That does sound rather complicated." Makoto noted. "But, for the most part, you just need to figure out where he is, right?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah, but it's easier said than done."

Makoto glanced down at the ground in thought. She thought back to the conversation with Sae, Akechi's words to her when they met at the prep school and her talk with Light last night.

"You're useless to me. All you do is eat away at my life!"

"Oh, I see now. You're one of those push-over goody-two-shoe types, is that right?"

"I think he would agree with what they're doing, but that's just me."

"...What if I can get you guys to him?"

The others turned to stare at her. "What do you mean?"

"You just need to see Kaneshiro, right? And to do that, you need to find out where he is." Makoto said. "And it just so happens that some of his lackeys hang around Central Street. What if you tailed those two back to his hideout?"

Morgana blinked. Ren and he looked to each other before turning back to Makoto. "That's...pretty ingenius, but one problem. How would we know who to follow? What're the odds we'll find the guys we met near the gym? And more importantly, how would we tail them without them noticing us?"

"Just leave that to me." Makoto said, eyes burning. "I'll make sure you guys can get to Kaneshiro."

The group stared at her before exchanging uncertain looks with each other. Just what was she planning?

For some reason, Light felt uneasy. 'I got a bad feeling about this...'

The bad feeling Light had was true. Makoto had indeed followed through with her word on getting them to Kaneshiro. The problem was that she used herself as bait. She could have chosen any other method that would have guaranteed success or had the least amount of danger, but she chose the most stupidest choice in walking up to Kaneshiro's goons and asking them where to find Kaneshiro. The only reason they managed to find her in time before she was ushered into a car and they drove off was because Ryuji snagged a taxi and Yusuke memorized the license plate.

The meeting with Kaneshiro was as tense as it was terrifying. Light realized that there was a safety in using the Death Note. When confronting someone you wanted to kill, someone who could fight back, you had to stand in front of them and fight to kill them. The smart ones hanged back and took up another, more secure method. With the Death Note, he could just sit in his room and kill criminals left and right and never worry about having a gun waved in his face or a knife aimed at his neck.

But this was different. He had no such security blanket or defense. He was standing in front of a criminal that could easily ruin his life, just as he was threatening to do. When the Phantom Thieves found Kaneshiro's hideout and barged in to save Makoto, they found her pinned to the floor by one of his men. Light knew Kaneshiro couldn't risk them speaking out against him or spilling where he was and rectified that situation easily with only a few photographs. Alcohol, drugs, a teenager in a compromising position with an adult that clearly looked shady... He had them cornered.

Makoto had to pay 3 million yen, otherwise he'd leak the photos to Shujin and online.

The group was forcibly removed the club and back out on the street. Once they were away from Kaneshiro's goons and someplace safe, Light saw no reason to hold back his anger.

"Makoto, what the fuck were you thinking?!" The group recoiled and stared at Light, his face red and shoulders trembling. The target of his anger stepped back. "I know you're not an idiot, so what were you thinking by pulling a stunt like this?! Were you trying to get yourself killed back there?!"

"I-I wasn't-!"

"Did you stop to think about what could have happened if we hadn't shown up in time?!" He didn't want to hear her excuses. He couldn't contain the outrage any longer. "You knew how dangerous Kaneshiro was! We couldn't walk in there half-cocked or without a plan! Dammit all, you could have died! Or worse! If something happened to you, how could I tell Sae-san?!"

"I-I...!" Makoto tried to refute, but she couldn't find her voice. She never saw Light this angry before in her life. And frankly, it was quite jarring.

"I must agree with Yagami-san," Yusuke voiced his own disapproval, though compared to Light his tone was much lighter and perhaps more forgiving if only because he did not know Makoto personally. "You were completely reckless. What drove you to be so foolish?"

"I just...I just wanted to contribute..."

"There are other ways of doing that, ways that don't put yourself in danger."

Makoto looked down at the ground, her hair obscuring her eyes. It was easy to tell that she was scared and frustrated, but Light didn't care. He had almost lost a friend and that was an experience he did not want to have anytime soon.

"I..." Makoto clenched her fists. "I didn't want to be useless..."

Her response caught everyone off guard, especially Light. Ryuk, however, smirked. "Oho? Someone's having insecurities, aren't we?"

"And now, I'm going to cause trouble for Sis, too..."

"Sis?" Ann asked.

Light sighed, trying to calm himself down. He couldn't blow up at her anymore than he already had. Besides, it was clear this whole situation was starting to get to her. "Her older sister, Sae Niijima. She's a government official, you could say."

"Sis has been working really hard ever since Dad passed away three years ago," Makoto said miserably. "But, I'm still just a kid. All I am is a burden to her..."

Yusuke's eyes softened. "Was that why you were acting so recklessly?"

"I just wanted to be useful to at least someone..."

"Makoto, what are you saying?" As angry as he was, Light clearly saw something was wrong. His mind raced back to their phone call from last night and how she sounded so troubled. Did something happen between her and Sae? "You aren't useless in the least!"

"It's the truth, though..." Makoto whimpered. "I was suspicious about what Kamoshida was doing, but I couldn't do anything about it. The whole school was covering it up." She shook her head. "No, it isn't that. It's that I didn't do anything. If I just cared enough...!"

Ann looked at Makoto, thinking back to the rumors and whispers she heard back at school about Makoto. How she heard that Makoto knew about what Kamoshida was doing, but didn't do anything because she was desperate for the teachers to give her a recommendation. Was she wrong? Did she judge her without thinking?

"People like me must be what people call 'scum of the earth'."

"...scum wouldn't call themselves that." Ryuji declared, much to their surprise. "Scum are people who don't care what they do. They're typically arrogant assholes like Kamoshida. They refuse to admit that they're scum in the first place, shifting the blame on someone else. So you're not scum, Prez. You're the opposite."

"Ryuji, d-did you just say something wise?!" Mona exclaimed in shock.

Ann stared at the blonde in equal amazement, though a part of her felt infuriated that he stole her thunder after having said what she wanted to say. "Is there a blue moon out right now?"

"It doesn't appear so," Yusuke looked up at the evening sky as literal minded as ever.

Ryuji scowled. "Oh, screw you assholes!"

"You know, after hearing that..." Ren spoke up. "It sounds like she's not so different from us." The group looked at him. "She doesn't have a place either."

Makoto tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"The real question is, where do we go from here?" Light asked. "Kaneshiro has those damned photographs. We pretty much have to listen to what he says, otherwise we're screwed."

"Not quite." Morgana said suddenly as a smile formed across his face. "On the contrary, Light! This is an opportunity!"

"An opportunity?" Light questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Um, Light? Why are you talking to Amamiya-kun's cat?"

Ren caught on to what Morgana was saying, also smiling. "Oh, yeah... Yagami-san did mention something about how banks let somebody in after hours with a 'pass.'"

"Exactly!" Morgana chirped. "And now that we have a customer, we have our ticket in!"

"Bank?" Makoto stared at Ren confusedly. "What are you talking about?"

Light immediately put his foot down. "No, no way. You can't be serious about bringing Makoto into the Palace!"

"It's our only option." Morgana reasoned.

"No way, no how! I refuse to do this. We're not risking her safety like this!"

"Um, I'm sorry. What are you guys talking about?" Makoto was utterly clueless as to what was going on. She had no idea what they were talking about or why Light seemed so upset. What did they mean by a bank?

"She should be fine so long as she stays by our side, Yagami-san." Yusuke tried to persuade the honor student. "We won't let anything happen to her."

Light bit his lower lip. "Even so...!"

"You got any better ideas, Light?" Ryuk snickered.

"Shut it, Ryuk!" Light snapped to the empty space next to him, much to Makoto's growing confusion. Who was he talking to?!

"Face it. You know they're right."

Light scowled. He really didn't like the idea of Makoto going into the Metaverse with them, even if they had Personas and could protect her. His experience in that place was limited so he wasn't fully acclimated to it yet, but even he knew how dangerous it was. Makoto was their best shot at getting inside the bank and taking Kaneshiro's Treasure, but he wasn't about to put her in danger like that.

Not only that, but there was also the truth behind Masahiro Niijima's death to consider. If Makoto discovered what really happened, and she encountered Kaneshiro's Shadow in the Palace... What would happen?

The possibilities filled him with dread.

"Yagami-san." Light looked up. Ren was staring back at him, eyes full of vigor and resolution. "I'm not too happy about this either. But we have to do this. This could be our only chance."

"Even so..."

"We'll protect her, no matter what. Just trust us."

If only it was so easy to take someone at their word. How many times had the police said the same thing to victims of a crime, promising to catch the perpetrator, and failed to uphold that promise? Light wanted to believe the same thing applied here. And yet, oddly, he couldn't do so.

Something deep inside told him to trust Ren.

Light sighed deeply. "...fine."

"W-wait, hold on a second. What's going on right now?" Makoto was growing more and more confused by the second. Just what were they talking about? Was she missing something here?

Ren grinned cheekily. "Don't worry. We'll explain everything in a few minutes." He took out his phone and prepared the Metaverse Navigator.

The infiltration to Kaneshiro's Palace could finally begin!

"Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed." -Friedrich Nietzsche

Here's Your Warning!

The Phantom Thieves have finally found their way into Kaneshiro's Bank! However, Makoto Niijima, who was in the dark about the truth behind the death of Masahiro Niijima, discovers the truth! She now stands before Kaneshiro's Shadow Self, eyes filled with anger. As the Phantom Thieves watch their exchange with dread, Light begins to fear what might happen as an iron mask forms over his childhood friend's face!

The Next Heist: Priestess' Rampage

Don't miss it, baby!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Special thanks go to Daemon of Wrath, who contributed to this chapter.

Apologies for the severely long update. It was long overdue. However, as I'm sure people will tell me in the reviews, this chapter certainly feels lackluster. Looking it over again, I feel like I'm just unnecessarily padding it or making it longer than it should be, not to mention repeating mindless things. The only real plot development in this chapter, in my opinion, is Light's Confidant amping up as his focus turns to his fanatic supporters. There's also the fact that I'm dragging Kaneshiro's Arc longer than I should be.

I want to hear your guys' thoughts. Should I go back and edit this chapter to make it less of a mess?

And another thing that bothers me is how I handled the whole angle about Soichiro covering up Masahiro's murder. Realistically speaking, if somebody dug deep enough, they'd reveal the truth easily, and given how relentless and invasive the media can be at times, it would be extremely hard to cover up something like that. And unless Soichiro has some shady connections, which he doesn't, there's no way he could have covered up Masahiro's death and hide it from the Niijima family.

I tried going for a dramatic twist, and all I ended up doing is shooting myself in the foot. Not going to lie, kind of pissed at myself.

Going back to Light's Confidant, I am basing it slightly off of Kensuke Hibiki's Character Episode from the video game "The Caligula Effect: Overdose." The first half will focus primarily on Light hunting down and changing the hearts of his fanatic supporters, while the second half will focus on his relationship with a certain character.

Now, in regards to including Royal content in the story... I'm honestly conflicted. On the one hand, I really do love Kasumi and Maruki's characters, and considering the story mainly takes place from Light's point of view, it would be feasible for him to meet Kasumi through Ren. On the other hand, part of me wonders if I'll really be able to include them seamlessly into the story.

One last thing. This will be my last update for the rest of the month. I'll mainly be focusing on school stuff for the rest of the month and well over into next month. However, I do have some news for you all. If you follow the works of one Starlight's Poet, you will be happy to know we, as well as Daemon of Wrath, are working on a brand new story. While I am aware Starlight already has enough stories on his plate, he has assured me he isn't going to be doing like what he did last time and let his story count, bloat and leave many of them forgotten.

Please go easy on him.

REVIEWS:

hnh058513: Adachi will not be featured in this story in any capacity aside from the cameo he was given.

foxchick1: They probably will, but L's many things. Careful and extremely paranoid are among them. As for Adachi, it was mainly due to lack of concrete evidence and his testimony. Even if he were to blemish some details to make his story sound more believable, no one will believe he threw people into another world inside a TV. Except maybe Shido and Akechi, but that's whole 'nother bag of worms I prefer stays closed.

kerrowe: To be honest, it's kind of difficult trying to balance L's segments with Light's, and how to not make it seem as though L's going too fast in his suspicions against the Phantom Thieves.

SkiesEagle: I really don't think so. Light and Futaba's problems are really two different. And I take it you're not a very big L fan?

RoboVolcano4: He is a modern day Sherlock. He'd figure out something was up with Ren's case just by looking at how odd it is. Even Ohya herself in the Devil Confidant noted how odd the whole thing was since the neighbors' testimonies didn't line up with what Ren was accused of doing.

LunagaleMaster: I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. I hope I can continue living up to your expectations.

Missingnoleader: To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the childhood romance route. And pairings are the least of my concerns, so...yeah. No Light x Makoto.

Maelaeran: They will cross paths. Eventually.

C. Rinkuki Takato: Spoilers, sorry.

Ravenella: I'll see what I can do. And to be honest, the Futaba vs Matt hacking war never occurred to me. ...aaaaaaaaaaand now I can totally see how awesome that would be.