Summoning

L is summoned again to deal with Kira or the many Kiras and death notes that have recently appeared. The shinigami, Ryuk returns to the human world on a much different mission than before.

Night is approaching and Taro and Lucca are still at the café. They managed to fill up a whole page of the death note with names be they broadcast on the TV or on the internet. Taro looks at the assignment their teacher gave them debating what he should write. Lucca still focuses on the TV that is now on a game show.

“What I believe in, huh? Well I can’t say too much or Signora Donna will think I’m crazy.”

“No one is crazy anymore, not after learning about the existence of shinigami and their eyes that can see things that the normal human cannot.”

“True. Kira made us all aware of the thin line between life and death and that there are other beings, other forces out there that control our fates. I should put that in my paper!”

“And we’re just getting started. No need to write a silly essay about what you believe in, we shall show our teacher the truth of our world and our existence.” Lucca starts packing up his things and hands Taro the piece of napkin he was writing names on. Taro tucks it in the death note and saves writing down the names for later. “Well, I am heading home, we shall continue tomorrow.” He heads towards the exit but Taro calls to him,

“Hey wait up!” He threw his things in his bag and the death note under his shirt, using his belt on his pants to hold it against his stomach. Belphagor floats behind him as they leave the café and walk down the street.

            Mantua is a city near Verona where Romeo and Juliet was set, so many travelers pass through on their way there. The city is a historical site where the Gonzaga family ruled spreading cultural and artistic influence. It is also where the musical influence of Opera was born. The streets stay busy from early morning to late night with music filling the air, masterpieces being painted on the streets, food, drinks and drunk people everywhere. There is no curfew here even when the adults try to impose one, but there is no need since crime is scarce and everyone pretty much knows everyone.  Belphagor knows that he must not make his presence known if he wants to keep his amusement going. As they walk home the boys talk to each other and Belphagor can’t help but join in the conversation. Since they are only ten most don’t pay any mind to them talking to an unseen third person, most just believe that they still have an imaginary friend. Taro and Lucca pass through Piazza Virgilio and see the statue of Virgil.

“Virgil, the Roman poet who guided Dante through death. The Divine Comedy, one of the world’s greatest accounts of the afterlife; inferno, purgatorio, paradiso…they are all the same place. No matter what we did while alive, when we die we all go to the same place. Be it the earth then to the cosmos eventually when all life ceases to exisit.” Lucca makes a cross in the air by moving his hand from his forehead, to his chest and then to his right shoulder then left. Belphagor smirks as he floats above the statue of Virgil. They continue walking home as Belphagor walks behind them.

“Yes, you humans have come up with some interesting stories about death. But you are right Lucca, death is equal; unless, you are one of the lucky humans who become a shinigami when you die.”

“Become a shinigami?” Taro and Lucca say at the same time.

“Yes. The more you kill the less human you become.” He says as he looks into Lucca’s eyes.

“Well, I already feel like a shinigami. I already have the eyes and a death note; I am just missing the wings and the appearance of death.” Lucca stares back at Belphagor with the same look in his eyes.

“After they die, the place they go to is MU (nothingness). Is Mu the shinigami realm?” Taro wonders.

“Mu is a person, place and thing; all go there, all become it and all are defined by it. There’s nothing more to it.”

            They make it to Taro’s house first and arrive as Stephan gets home from work. Lucca doesn’t live too far down the street and lamp posts light the way so Stephan finds no need to offer him a ride home. Well, Lucca continues to walk not giving Stephan the chance to ask.

“Made a new friend, Taro?”

“Yeah and it’s weird. He’s very much like me but cooler.”

“And here you were complaining the other day that you wouldn’t make friends and now you already have a partner in crime. I know its Friday but its eleven o’clock. You know you should have been home hours ago.” He says to him as he opens the front door. He’s holding a take-out bag with a pasta dinner in it for the both of them. He knew Taro would be awake when he got home and hungry as most boys at this age don’t know how to cook.

“You have no idea.” He mumbles to himself. Stephan sets his things on the table by the door and heads to the kitchen with the food to get plates for their food.

“By the way, you’re cool little man. Even know I am not your father, it runs in the family.” Taro lets out a giggle as he hits the button on the answering machine to hear the messages left for them.

“You have one new message.” Beep. “Hey, Taro I thought you’d be home but I guess you finally got out the house. I haven’t heard from you in a while little brother. How’s Mantua? It looks really pretty there! I hope you’re adjusting well. I’ll come visit you soon. Maybe work will bring me that way. Oh, say hi to Stephan for me! Bye-bye!” Beep. “End of new messages”.

“Are you not talking to your sister either?” Stephan wonders.

“No, I am. I’ll call her back eventually” He answers as he sits down on the couch and turns on the TV. His threw his backpack on the ground and some of its contents are slipping out, the death note being one of them. Stephan can only see some of the covering and can’t pinpoint why it looks so familiar. He doesn’t think too hard about since there are many kinds of black notebooks.

            It only takes a few weeks for the world to realize that Kira has returned, but this time at a much larger scale. With five other death notes scattered throughout the world countries begin to mobilize; alliances form, threats and demands are made, criminals avoid exposure while followers work in the shadows. The most mobilization is occurring in Brazil, Mexico, North Korea, Australia, and Egypt. The United States is on high alert with numerous missile and bomb threats from North Korea and mass immigration from Mexico. Egypt is starting a crusade through Africa to unite the many tribes and have them as an army for conflicts in the Middle East while also supporting governmental reform in the regions. Australia is forming an alliance with Canada and the United States to keep Mexico and North Korea at bay while exploiting their countries for resources. Brazil is punishing those who allow the less fortunate to suffer while the greedy do little or nothing about it. They are also spreading a new religion that incorporates the ideas of Asian, Egyptian and European religions with Kira at its center.

            The boys and Belphagor are at Lucca’s place while his guardians are away grocery shopping. They sit in his living room that has a basket full of fruits on the table; apples, oranges, grapes, mangos, bananas. The TV is on one of the many news channels covering “The Return Of Kira”. Belphagor eats an apple.

“These are good! Ryuk was right. These are much ‘juicier’.”

“Well, that just means we need to take out the competition.” Taro concludes.

“Easier said than done; L will return and he knows all about the death note.” Belphagor informs them.

“Then we just have to be smarter than the Kira before us.” Lucca responds.

 “I know who L is and knowing him he will want to all the death notes. He needn’t know that we have one, but he can lead us to the other ones.” Taro states.

“You know L! But how?!”

“I know people who work and worked for him, but that’s classified information.”

“Well, I would avoid working with the people who are trying to incarcerate us. The internet, the TV news and gossip will probably be enough.”

“You two are forgetting about me. I can find other shinigami easily. And the six death notes the human own are accompanied by six death notes the shinigami own.”

“Twelve death notes. And why would you help us?” Lucca skeptically says.

“The other shinigami want to destroy the human world and make it another Shinigami Realm. If World War III happens, they will succeed. As for me, you humans are entertaining and another shinigami realm would just bring more boredom. I want to make you and Lucca into shinigami when the rest are gone and together we can defeat the King of Death and rule over the human world with no restraint, no rules…endless entertainment. Since you picked up the death note, you are going to die Taro when I write your name down in it. Why not have an eternal afterlife spent with your friend? The more you kill, the more like shinigami you become, the longer you can remain a shinigami. Make this short time you call life worth it.”  Taro and Lucca gulp at the same time hoping their lives won’t be cut short like Kira’s was. Lucca regains his composure an says,

“Shinigami are no match for me. They can see me but they don’t know I have the eyes because Taro owns the death note, right?”

“Correct.”

“Then we have nothing to worry about. You find the shinigami, Taro and you can gain their trust while I dispose of them.”

“How do you kill a shinigami though?” Taro questions.

“There are many ways to kill a shinigami, many unknown to us, but some have been witnessed. The obvious one is that if we don’t kill humans and take their remaining lifespan we will die. There are laws in the world of gods of death believe it or not. If a god of death should break the law, there are 9 levels of severity starting at Level 8 and going up to Level 1 plus the Extreme Level. For severity levels above 3 the god of death will be killed after being punished. For example, killing a human without using the Death Note is considered as the ‘Extreme Level’. If the god of death decides to use the Death Note to kill the assassin of an individual it favors, the individual's life will be extended, but the god of death will die. The dead god of death will disappear, but the Death Note will remain. The ownership of this Death Note is usually carried over to the next god of death that touches it, or is kept in possession of the human owner of the Death Note.”

“So, we have to make a shinigami intentionally extend the life of a human or kill a human not using the death note or prevent them from writing names, but that would take too long. Can you kill other shinigami, Belphagor?” Taro asks.

“Never tried.”

“Then it can be possible.” Lucca believes.  Taro looks at the clock to see that it is almost dinner time.

“We will figure out something. I should get going, don’t want to intrude on your family dinner. ”

“You just don’t want Stephan to yell at you again. I don’t know why you listen to him? He’s not even your father.”

“He’s the closest thing I have to one. See you tomorrow, Lucca.” Taro and Belphagor head home while Lucca heads to his room and locks himself in. He can’t remember the last time he ate a family dinner and even fewer memories of his parents. Living with his aunt who is a widow, he has no father figure in his life and not really a mother one either. His aunt is always gone shopping or on dates trying to find a sugar daddy. She’s barely home to spend time with Lucca and has rarely mentioned anything about his parents and their whereabouts. She told him that they abandoned him but Lucca knows the truth.

 

            Tokyo, Japan. The National Police Force has a new division of special agents who work directly with L following the end of the Kira investigation. Many other countries have followed suit seeing that Kira isn’t even as powerful as L. The International Task Force or ITF is composed of those who have proven to L: loyalty, intelligence, insightfulness, initiative, creativity, emotional strength and who have gained his trust. Many of the current members are those who were on the Japanese Task Force and the Special Provisions for Kira or SPK from the Kira investigation. Nate ‘Near’ River currently has the title of L and calls a meeting with those who have dealt with Kira before.

“Good evening everyone. Many of you here have realized that the Kira investigation continues. It seems that a new death note has fallen into the human world. No. More like more than one are showing up throughout the world. All but one of you has dealt with Kira and the shinigami Ryuk. But all of you know the power the death not has. As before, we need to take the necessary precautions to track down these death notes and confiscate them. Please, share with me any information you have obtained thus far.”

“L, in certain countries in the world syndicates are forming. Most seem to be associated with The United States, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, North Korea and Egypt.” Anthony ‘Rester’ Carter reports.

            Part of the Special Provisions for Kira (SPK), he was the man who stayed with Near at all times while the others were doing their own investigations. He even accompanied Near on his first plane ride to Los Angeles since Near refused to go alone. Among them, Near trust him the most.

“To add on to that: I have found blacklists full of names of suspected syndicate members for other syndicates to target. They also coincide with the countries with the most syndicate activity.” Touta Matsuda adds.

            The youngest of the Japanese Task Force before Light joined, he admired Chief Yagami immensely. He was always on the fence towards his views of Kira and the world he was creating but that never discouraged his drive to catch him. When Near revealed Light to be Kira and he attempted to kill Near using a paper clipping from the Death Note, Matsuda was the one who shot Light multiple times feeling betrayed and manipulated after seeing how unremorseful Light was. Matsuda was going to kill him for causing the death of L, Watari, Soichiro and countless others, but Aizawa stopped him.

“L, based on other agent sources who were investigating in Australia the shinigami does not seem to be on the fence. The shinigami may be the ones leading the conflicts.” Hideki Ide informs.

            Shuichi Aizawa’s partner during their policeman days, he joined the Kira investigation with him and chief  Soichiro Yagami. Having a rocky relationship with L’s unconventional methods he left for some time. He returned with Aizawa after he left for financial reasons and led a blockade to catch Higuchi, a temporary Kira, and obtain the death note. He did trust Light almost as much as his father and was devastated when that trust was betrayed.

            “I think it is safe to assume that there is more than one shinigami this time and who knows how many death notes.” Kanzo Mogi concludes.

            A man of few words, he is forced out of his shell when he is made the manager of Misa Amane. He proved to be a great investigator due to his acting skills and grew fond of Misa despite knowing that she is/was the second Kira. When she committed suicide, he takes her death hard believing he didn’t do everything in his power to prevent it.

“It is unclear if the shinigami are using humans to fight for them in some unknown war, or the humans have asked the shinigami to help with their own goals…” Halle ‘Lidner’ Bullock brainstorms.

            Another member of SPK and former United States FBI agent; her assignment was to become a bodyguard to Kiyomi Takada, the voice of Kira.

Mello contacted Halle to inform him of his plan to kidnap Takada to aid in Near’s investigation and she helps him by leading Takada to Mello’s motorcycle while Matt draws the security team away, forcing Kira to act.

“Or the shinigami just might be bored and want to cause chaos for entertainment.” Shuichi Aizawa believes.

            Former second in command of the Japanese Task Force after L’s death he never stopped suspecting Light of being Kira; he was the first one to suspect Light of being Kira. The serious one of the group with a wife and two children, he keeps the rest of them on task. Former Japanese policeman, he is now the chief of the National Police Force and leader of the Japanese Task Force. Making ends meet is no longer a struggle for him.

“The places that the death note or notes might be are too strategically placed. There may be someone or a group of people trying to rule the world, masking it behind a world war.” Kiara Lawliet speculates as she stands in the room where L is transmitting the video call from.

            She is a twenty year old young lady who travels around the world with L solving seemingly unsolvable crimes. She grew up with Near, Mello and Matt at Wammy’s House. Roger was her main care-taker and father-figure. She hardly knew her father for his was the first L, L Lawliet who died when she was only seven years old. Four years ago when she was 16, Nate declared her a “successor of L” should anything happen to him. He gives her the letter “A”, indicating the new generation of L successors. The only thing that reminds her of the father she barely knew are her dark eyes that she brightens with purple contacts.

“Thank you all for the information. I do believe there are multiple shinigami and many death notes in our world now. I also believe that both the owners of the death notes and the shinigami have hidden agendas. We must confiscate every death note that comes to our world to prevent a global war. We have to avoid shinigami detection and maybe even find a way to kill them, since I have heard this has happened before, thanks to Ryuk.”

            Now twenty-six years old, Nate still works with disbanded members of the Japanese Task Force and the SPK. Formally known as Near, he grew up at Wammy’s House as a Successor of L. Partially raised by Watari, Roger and Sani with Mello being his biggest competition, working together they defeated Kira. Near became the new L, world’s greatest detective, upon Mello’s sacrifice. Roger became his Watari.

            L switches his screen to a live video feed for them to see. “All of you have touched the notebook so you should be able to see Ryuk. And yes, I never burned the real one just for this occasion. Since Gevanni found the real one an allowed me to touch it first wen Light died, I own the death note. I haven’t used it and don’t intend to, but it is nice knowing some of its rules. Surprisingly, Ryuk has been responsive to my questions.”

‘Ryuk, what brings you back to the human world? Are you stirring up trouble?” Aizawa hopes he isn’t.

“Hyuk, Hyuk, Hyuk” He laughs. “Actually I am here to help because we have the same mission. The King of Death sent me to bring back the rogue shinigami before they mess up “The System”.

“The System?” Matsuda wants more information.

“The System is the purpose behind shinigami and humans existence. We exist to coexist.”

“Agents, I will contact Sani and Stephan to recruit them for the mission. With Ryuk actually on our side this time and our expertise things should go rather smoothly. Kiara and I are currently in India ad we will make our way back to Japan tonight. Be prepared to start your assignments tomorrow morning, 9am sharp. Good night.”

            The screen cuts off and the agents head home to get some sleep knowing that until they resolve this conflict they will have few and far between. L turns to Kiara and Ryuk,

“Ryuk, if what you say is true and you want to us to help you remove the shinigami from this world, tell me everything I need to know about the death note and its rules.”

“Get a pen ad some paper out because it is a long list. But one thing is certain, if you want the shinigami to stay away, the six death notes must all be under your ownership and linked to one shinigami. That shinigami better be one that won’t kill you and pass them onto someone else to cause more havoc. Only six death notes are allowed to be in full effect in the human world, the first six humans pick up. Any after that will have no effect.”

“So we have one, so only five of the six out there are active?” Kiara deduces.

“Precisely.”

“So a human is using one as a threat and using someone else to carry out their will. My best bet would be The United States since they are using Brazil and Australia for protection.”

“Exactly what I was thinking, Kiara. The reason for the syndicates is to find out who’s note book is a fake.”

"I'd say we have a pretty good start already, this should be fun!" Kiara cracks her neck and heads to her room in the hotel while L eats a chocolate bar and plays computer games before going to sleep for only a few hours.

            The world rejoices the return of Kira, while others are in fear of the ever growing influence. Sani makes her way from The United States while Stephan hopes that he can help with the investigation from Mantua. L suspects that a death note may be in Italy based on some of the criminals targeted over past weeks and tells Stephan to start his investigation there. Taro and Lucca get a hold of the blacklists after finding them on highly encrypted websites that weren’t too hard for Lucca to crack.  They start punishing those on the black lists while trying to follow the name trail to the death note owners. With a world map and a red pen, they mark the hometown and known residences of their victims but the scope is too large. After learning that Stephan is on the same mission, they hope that his investigations will help them know the identity of the death note owners and their shinigami.