The Ice Queen was wilting.
Looking at the bewildered, beautiful face before him, Yagami Light felt a sadistic desire ignite within him.
To tear apart beautiful things, to stain pristine white paper black—this was the deepest darkness hidden within human nature.
Yukinoshita Yukino's justice was perfect. Precisely because she was perfect, Yagami Light wanted to twist it, to mold her spirit into his own shape.
She was a seeker of procedural justice; she was a martyr of idealism; she was an enforcer of absolute justice! And what Yagami Light wanted to do was make her be betrayed by her own justice, consumed by the weakness of the human heart—
"Let's play a game, Yukinoshita."
---
Yukinoshita Yukino was utterly bewildered.
She felt that if it weren't for Yagami Light, her future life trajectory would have led her to become a judge or a prosecutor.
Humans are limited, and those who pursue justice are limited. Because of human limitations, the justice people pursue must also be limited. The darkness within the human heart will inevitably cause the pursuit of justice to be tainted with ashes.
Wanting to pursue justice, but because humans themselves are limited and their hearts are dark, in the process of pursuing justice, they will inevitably lean towards an unspeakable abyss. Those who pursue justice will fall into a cycle of self-deception. They will sincerely believe: since they are pursuing justice, all means are justified.
Yukinoshita Yukino sought absolute correctness. Though she might speak presumptuously and make mistakes, she was never dishonest. This also meant she could not tolerate the appearance of justice that was bound to have flaws.
At what moment did she understand Kira, understand Yagami Light's true nature? Even she couldn't be sure. But she knew one thing: Yagami Light's actions were definitely wrong.
She wanted to cool down fervent idealists like Yagami Light.
"All men say they can be killed, but I alone pity."
She also believed that the people at Araki Financial Company deserved to die. Seeing their dark past exposed online, she felt angry too. In certain quiet moments late at night, she would also fantasize about Kira's existence.
But, no!
Justice of means must be used to pursue justice of results.
True justice is like a perfect circle, but this only exists in mathematical equations. No one can truly draw it in reality, not even Kira, not even Yagami Light. Procedural justice, however, is like a compass; it is a tool that helps people stranded in a sea of crime to draw a circle, and though it is imperfect, it is far better than drawing freehand.
Perhaps it was believing that Yagami Light, who claimed to be an enforcer of justice, would not act against her. Perhaps it was thinking that the arrogant Yagami Light would not discover her means of gathering evidence. Or perhaps it was that sense of mission to cool down a fanatic, or perhaps her innate nature as a legal professional enthusiast...
Yukinoshita Yukino made today's move.
Full of ideals, reckless, and desperate... completely forgetting that when she wanted to become the one and only torch of this world her life did not belong to her alone. She could not burn wildly; behind her was the Yukinoshita family.
Reality was cruel. The blow from Yagami Light felt like a dark veil covering her heart. Even the brightest light would dim in its presence. Yukinoshita Yukino was deeply affected.
And then, at that moment.
"Let's play a game, Yukinoshita."
---
She is not perfect.
Kindness and arrogance are two sides of the same coin for her.
Yagami Light saw all of this.
No one knew better than him how to kill an arrogant person. It was by taking their hand and pulling the trigger together, shooting their past self.
"Since ancient times, when the justice of two sides clashes, a duel must be held to determine the victor..."
"Let's play a game, Yukinoshita."
"Please grant me the right to twist your life. And I will also give you my own life."
"Let's see who will be twisted by the other first."
"If you can do it, I will surrender myself to the Metropolitan Police Department and confess everything!"
Yagami Light slowly raised his finger, pointing it at Yukinoshita Yukino's forehead: "If you can't..."
"Let's use the power of the notebook together~"
"The whole world will know of Kira's existence as a justice bringer, changing the world with the Death Note. Then, we will become the gods of the new world."
"..."
Yagami Light's firm words fell into Yukinoshita Yukino's ears, every single one of them. Under the invisible sleeve of her school uniform, fine goosebumps had risen.
Yukinoshita stared blankly at Yagami Light's clear red eyes. Just as she had felt when they first met, she sensed the decisiveness in Yagami Light's words.
He's serious.
He wants to twist my life.
The hesitation and confusion in her heart faded without her realizing it, leaving only the burning flame of idealism.
Accept it, admit it...
This world, possessing the power of the Death Note is not unfortunate... possessing this power is correct.
The notebook isn't wrong; Yagami Light is wrong. And as the absolutely correct me...
Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes regained their resolve, and without a smile on her face, she folded her arms: "I will correct your problems. As for the final outcome, I will not forcibly hand you over to the police; whether you accept legal punishment or choose to escape reality will be up to you then."
"I will win, Yukinoshita," Yagami Light's lips curved slightly. "And you said... problems?"
"Top student in the grade, excellent family background, aside from having no male or female friends, I am pretty much a winner in life."
"To say something like that, Yagami Light, you are even more despicable than I imagined," Yukinoshita Yukino retorted expressionlessly. "You clearly know that the 'problems' I'm referring to are your twisted ideals."
"I have one condition."
The atmosphere between them seemed to have softened considerably. At least, after a painful lesson, Yukinoshita's tone was no longer as aggressive as it had been initially. After recognizing the gap between herself and Yagami Light, she reined in her arrogance.
"Please state it."
"During our game, you cannot kill anyone else."
"IMPOSSIBLE."
Yagami Light refused without thinking.
[By executing one guilty person daily, your charisma continues to grow.]
This was his daily mission. How could he give it up just because Yukinoshita Yukino, who was in the inferior position, said so?
Who is she to ask him that? Yes he might be fascinated by her personal conception of justice, wanting to twist it in a way he saw fit, but he was not going to do. Something he doesn't want to just because asked him to.
It would be like rejecting a part himself.
Yukinoshita Yukino was silent for a moment, then suggested a compromise: "At least let me know who you plan to kill. If you want me to become... God, I have the right to know, right?"
"Of course."
How could Yagami Light not understand what the young girl was thinking She simply wanted to use words to sway his resolve during the execution of justice.
But in the end, who would waver first?
I'll win~
---
Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love
–Dumbledore
---
Thank you for reading this chapter!
If you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a comment or share your thoughts.
See you in the next update—until then, take care and happy reading!
---
Craving more chapters? You can unlock bonus releases with your support!
💎 Vote with Power Stones to Fuel the Story! 💎
10 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter
20 Power Stones = +3 Bonus Chapters
40 Power Stones = +7 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones = +10 Bonus Chapters
Your votes keep the story going strong! Let's smash those goals together! 💥📚