Misa’s POV:

“Remember, today’s an important day, Misa-chan,” Light spoke in a hushed yet urgent tone. The morning light was lazy as it streamed in through the bedroom window. Misa watched the sun peak through the clouds as she listened to Light continue on over the phone. This time, Light was the one who had called her first, something Misa was rather excited about. Misa supposed that it would be an interesting day, to say the least.

“Are you sure you’re ready to go through with this? Absolutely ready?”

He’s certainly rather chipper…well, he must mean business, Misa thought. Despite knowing that he could not see her face, she gave what she thought was an enthusiastic nod. She sat up in her bed, as alert as ever. Even though it was too early in the morning to be awake, talking to Light was more than enough to energize her, and she was determined to do a good job, at the photoshoot and for their little secret exchange.

As good a job as I can do anyway, at least while I’m currently acting as the Second Kira. Soon, I’ll be just plain Misa Amane, model, singer, and fashion icon, once more. How boring, but I suppose it’s a necessary evil for the time being it seems.

Yes. I’m ready.”

Oh well. It’s a new beginning, for me and for Light. For Kira and his new Second Kira. Yes, Misa gave another nod. It’s my time to shine. My last time to shine as the Second Kira. As per Light’s orders, I have names written down of criminals to be killed over the next few days. That way, there is insurance that there are no gaps between killings as this fresh start takes place. Luckily for us, that leaves no room for L or anyone else on that damned Task Force to be suspicious! Wow, Light sure does think of everything, huh? He’s arranged this whole little operation all by himself; how brilliant!

“I’m ready, Light-kun.” Misa repeated. “I’m more than ready.”

“Good,” was Light’s response. “Now, just to review…you have the note I told you to write as well? Make sure it’s securely attached and tucked into the pages of the death note so Mikami and I will be able to keep contact via the instructions listed on there. And make sure it’s safely hidden as well once it’s inside the locker. There shouldn’t be any cameras in the room, for privacy reasons of course, but we don’t need anyone accidentally touching the notebook. I know we went over everything already, but it’s better to be thorough. This whole operation is supposed to be subtle and simple, we don’t need any possible witnesses.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, Light-kun. After what happened with Ryuzaki-san, I have a strict no perverts policy.” She let out a small laugh as she continued on, “besides, the main dressing room we’re using will be out closer by the set. You are more than aware of that, there should be no one left loitering around once the photoshoot begins. It’s a closed set and my manager is a guy, there’s no need for him to be in the room. Only my assistants will be in the locker room with me, but as we covered in our initial plans, they’ll leave me if I ask to be alone for a moment. As I told you before, they usually let me be.”

“Good, good…I tried to think everything through logistically. It’s best to be prepared though for any type of situation,” although Misa couldn’t see his face, she imagined the way Light was probably smirking at her right now. “You got this, right? I’m entrusting you with this important task, Misa-chan.”

“I got this!” She chirped into the phone. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to keep reminding me. It’s not rocket science, it’s like passing notes in school, but a lot more secretive and stuff!”

“I just want you to be aware,” Light was saying. “I’m sure that today will go as planned, but as I said, it's better to be thorough.”

Misa gave a soft sigh at his words, her eyes grazing towards her alarm clock. It was still a bit early, but the sooner she got ready, the better. For herself and for Light.

After all, it’s always better to get organized as soon as possible. They don’t call me one of the best in the fashion world for no reason! And, as Light had said, it was very important to be prepared for any situation.

Misa decided to be as prepared as possible for Light and for his mission. She let out another chuckle as she imagined Light’s face. Of course, she supposed she had to have an award for such a task. It was only reasonable, after all, she needed some motivation to keep her going. There was no harm in that.

“Anyway, I should start getting ready! Remember, after I complete this mission, you owe me a date.”

“Misa,” She heard Light sigh into the phone, something she opted to ignore. A date was of course within her terms and conditions, especially as she was about to give up being the Second Kira for who knows how long. There was a brief pause as Light was seemingly gathering his thoughts, but Misa didn’t wait for his response, instead she persisted with her demand.

“I may not have my memories of being the Second Kira anymore after this, but I’ll of course remember the date that you promised we would have. This was my condition for completing this task, you know.”

“Look, Misa-chan, I don’t remember promising you a date, but I promi-”

“No, no take-backsies!” Misa interrupted again, her voice a singsong as she spoke. She then jumped down from her bed, her socks creating a soft plop sound as she hit the floor below. Taking her chance at his brief silence, she kept going. Her words were rushed, but her tone was light. “I’ll see you later, Light-kun! Don’t worry, you can count on me! I love you!”

With that, Misa hung up. She walked over to her mirror, studying the stylish reflection before her. There was a pep in her step and a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she got ready that morning. After changing out of her pajamas and lacing up her boots, she decided it was finally time to get going.

Almost time to report to work. How exciting! After all, today is an important day, an important task! And I get to look good while doing it!

Her eyes shone extra bright as she grabbed the mysterious notebook, which laid undisturbed on her nightstand. Ryuk trailed behind her, unfinished apple in hand, as she deposited the death note, which also had the note Light had mentioned tucked away within its pages, into her small backpack. After checking to ensure her bag was secure, she gave a small hum of approval at her work.

It’s go time.

With that, she was ready to face the day. Misa glanced behind her at Ryuk, “let’s do this!”

Today’s the day. My last day acting as the Second Kira. My final act…just you wait, Light. As I said, I’m more than ready.

/timeskip/

Misa hummed along to herself as she opened her designated locker. As was planned, she was left all alone in the locker room. Her assistants had left to go help set up in order to prepare for the magazine photoshoot; she would be modeling for a new product design to be released by none other than the Yotsuba Group. It was a funny situation, but also a fortuitous one as it allowed for an excuse to pass off the notebook to its next successor.

After triple checking that she was, in fact, alone, Misa Amane slipped the notebook discreetly behind her purse. As Light had instructed, Misa felt at the very back wall of her locker, feeling for the loose brick. She then moved the brick aside, pushing it to the corner of the storage unit. Afterwards, she grabbed the death note once more, checking for a quadruple time that she was still alone in the room.

Good good, everything is going smoothly. Not that I thought it would go bad, I think Light was worrying too much earlier. After all, I have a pretty simple task. Therefore, I’m confident I can do a good job! Like I said, it’s like passing a note, but in a much more elaborate way, kind of cool actually…it’s like I’m a secret agent! I suppose in a way, I am.

Misa laughed a little to herself, and with some quick movements, the death note was now pushed up in the back of the locker. Ryuk gave a small chuckle as she rolled it up ever so carefully, placing it partially inside a small hole that was accessible to the other room; the other locker room aka the men’s locker room, which sat directly next door to the women’s locker room. It was a pretty good set up, one that would make their plan run much smoother.

She was grateful she had tested the death note some days prior, and was even more grateful that, if rolled up, it was seemingly small enough to fit through some rather tight spaces. Tight spaces including said peephole that connected the two locker rooms together, something that Misa was quite thankful for, as it worked in their favor. Taking a step back a moment, she admired her handiwork.

“Aha! How cool!”

It’s a good thing Light had me scope out the place first! It’s usually the assistant's job to scope out modeling shoot locations, but I was able to convince them to let me come along! It was also pretty lucky that I found a locker that had a false backing to it. After a few duds, I noticed the loose brick in this particular space, I thought it was rather suspicious…and what do you know, I totally lucked out! I didn’t have to carve out my own hole to transfer the notebook, which makes my job a lot easier. Of course, it’s entirely not a good thing, seeing as a peeping tom probably was the one who made the hole there in the first place, but it fortunately also makes good use when exchanging secret documents…or, in this case, the death note!

“Hyuk hyuk, wow. I never imagined I’d see the death note folded like that,” Ryuk quipped, yet another apple in his hand now that the two were alone. “There’s no technical rule saying you can’t do that, but it still feels rather wrong…not that I care too much, don’t get me wrong. As long as that death note isn’t irrevocably damaged, it makes no difference to me. You humans are rather silly though, if you ask me…all this just to exchange the notebook.”

“Oh Ryuk,” Misa gave a laugh as she studied the shinigami, who had moved on to try and fish out another apple from his pockets. “I can always count on you to be honest, can’t I? Don’t worry, Mikami will be here to pick up the notebook within the hour. It won’t be stuck like that for too long.”

With that, Misa leaned forward and shut her locker once more. After checking that the door to the locker was locked and secure, Misa clapped her hands together. Her part in the plan was now almost over. In a way, she was almost as sad as she was excited; the prospect of a date with Light Yagami was more than enough to keep her going, but she was going to miss acting as the Second Kira. Not to mention, it was an extra excuse she wouldn’t have anymore to see Light, at least for the time being. However, she was willing to do whatever she needed to do in order for Kira to succeed and, possibly, get ahead. That made everything that she was doing more than worth it, she wanted to be useful to Light.

Alright! Everything is all officially locked away now… the passcode to the locker was only given to me and Mikami. In case of an emergency, he can always sneak into the women’s locker room to retrieve the notebook…but he should be able to access the locker and grab the notebook from the other side without any issues.

Misa gave a hum of excitement, watching Ryuk down the apple he was holding. “You better eat that apple quickly, Ryuk. It's almost time for the exchange. Now remember, I will be in the middle of the photoshoot, so I won’t be able to speak with you directly. Just keep an ear out, and when you hear me say the phrase, ‘exchange clothes’ or something similar when it’s time for my outfit change, that means that I want to give up ownership of the death note. That’ll be the cue. ‘Kay, Ryuk?”

“Hah, ‘exchange clothes’, got it.” Ryuk was amused, but he followed Misa quietly as she walked toward the door of the locker room. Her footsteps gave a slight echo as she clicked around in her heels. She was determined to finish her role as the Second Kira with pride. After all, this was all for Light.

It’s time…

“Alright, let’s do this…” She spoke to no one in particular as she opened the door. It was time for phase two of the exchange. Misa let out a breath as she took a step outside the room, ready to leave the world of Kira and death notes behind her.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

/time skip/

Mikami’s POV:

Mikami gave a small chuckle as he walked through the desolate outer hallway of the first floor business. It was one of Yotsuba’s subsidiary businesses, but it housed a good location for filming, or so he had overheard from an employee outside, presumably on a work break. The employee had been on the phone, but he had been talking loud enough for the prosecutor to hear as he walked by to enter the building.

Although Mikami wasn’t sure who the original owner of the notebook was, he was almost certain that this ‘Kira’ he was receiving it from was Misa Amane herself or one of her employees, not anyone from Yotsuba Group. He had been keeping in contact with a mysterious woman, someone who had given him orders from the original ‘Kira’ himself. She had said she was the current Kira, acting in place of the original for the time being. According to her, it was time for this power to pass onto him for safe keeping. The task before him was both an honor and a privilege, one that he would accept with pride. His new role as the Second Kira, becoming a god among men.

However, this was no easy task, it was one that demanded the utmost loyalty, dedication, and trust. Therefore, he assumed this woman was someone of high importance to Kira, someone whose ideals aligned more closely to his, not someone from the Yotsuba Group; they were infamous in the legal world as a business who was known to house some rather shady business practices, which he heard about from his fellow colleagues. This narrowed down the list of possible acting Kiras to just Misa or one of her two assistants, who he had briefly seen from his car as they had entered the building almost an hour before.

As curious as Mikami was to find out her identity, he had some work to do that was more important - namely, the exchange itself. He had been told that all of Misa’s staff and Yotsuba building employees would be gathered for Misa Amane’s photoshoot, something that all but guaranteed that no one would be snooping about in either locker room. The shoot would last around four hours, and he decided to wait around an hour before entering the building, just to be safe and ensure that the shooting was well underway before making his move.

He walked through the building, careful not to appear too out of place in case anyone would be walking nearby. Just in case, there was a forged Yotsuba workpass housed in his pocket in case anyone had any questions for him. Being a lawyer, all he had to say was that he was a legal representative. Despite having a good cover, he didn’t want to risk seeing or talking to any of the employees, less of a mess that way. Less risky. Lucky enough for him, the halls were barren as promised, and he was able to locate the locker rooms at the end of the hallway without any issues.

The two rooms were split off, the men’s side separated from the women’s side. However, despite being technically separated, the two rooms were side by side. His eyes peered at the signs written on the doors, then at the door handles, and he counted to ten in his head. After ten seconds had passed, he concluded there was no movement on either side or in any direction, meaning he should be more than totally alone. If there was anyone, they would have likely heard his footsteps and would have potentially questioned him by now.

Mikami took that as his cue to continue onward in his mission. He walked forward, his hand meeting the handle, careful not to be too loud. With a simple light swoosh, he opened the door and walked into the men’s locker room. As he had suspected, he was alone, causing him to relax a little.

The prosecutor looked about the room, his sharp eyes grazing over all the locker numbers until he spotted his designated spot - the locker that was closest to the side wall, inconspicuous and well-hidden. The locker that was secretly connected to the women’s locker room - locker 1228. After spotting his prey, he gave a light chuckle, his footsteps light as he walked toward the locker.

Mikami paused for a moment, retracing his footsteps in his mind. After triple checking that there was no one around the room with him, or nearby in the hallway, he reached forward. The pinpad beeped as he typed away the password, and it gave a final, slightly louder beep followed by a click as it unlocked. He reached upward and opened the locker, in all its glory. It was just a normal locker, but hidden deep in the back of the unit was a small hole. A small hole that had been filled with a particular noteworthy object, the very same object that was promised to him for safekeeping.

The notebook! It’s here as promised! Mikami’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw the notebook, which had the words ‘death note’ printed on the cover. The same one that he had discussed with that mysterious woman via secret texts and phone calls. He gave a chuckle as he pushed his glasses up on his nose.

So, this is it, eh? This is that infamous killing ‘notebook’ that was spoken about…the notebook that I was told held Kira’s killing powers…all of his secrets, it must be written down here in this death note!

Mikami gave another snicker as the realization started to dawn on him. All of Kira’s powers were about to become his own. He was about to become Kira’s proxy, a position most desired by his many loyal supporters. The prosecutor had looked through and commented on various forums composed of him and other fans who gave their unwavering favor and support to Kira. In fact, he had even appeared on multiple television programs in the crowd, surrounded by others who shared his mindset. Of the many, many people who would have loved for Kira to even give them a glimmer of acknowledgement, he was chosen. Him and only him. He had to admit, it was something that was rather fitting. Of all people Kira could have chosen, he picked a criminal prosecutor, someone who more than shared his ideals. This Kira was just as smart as Mikami suspected he was, someone who knew how to be sneaky and powerful. And here was Mikami, who was honored to be working with him.

Of course, he thought it was a scam when he first received contact but Kira and his Second Kira were able to prove their identities via criminals killed. They predicted their deaths, up to the exact second of passing, and Mikami was able to see for himself Kira’s true power. Although he had never met this woman or Kira in person, he was more than happy to accept this task, as he felt Kira and himself shared many similar beliefs. Kira was able to do what he was unable to do as a criminal prosecutor, and for that, he revered him.

He had to admit, he had long suspected that Kira may not have always been working alone. That made sense, after all, there may be times that Kira would be unable to move or punish evildoers for any various reason. Whatever the reason, he was certain he would do a good job in Kira’s stead. He was determined to do whatever it took to ensure justice prevailed and that Kira would remain a world power.

It’s almost too good to be true. This notebook, Kira’s killing power, his secrets, hidden away in this one small locker, trapped between both locker rooms, just waiting to be snatched away! And, most of all, it’s called the ‘death note’, a rather fitting name, if you ask me. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty insane when I first heard the way that Kira kills. It’s one thing to hear about it, it’s another thing entirely to see such a sacred notebook sitting right in front of me! It is truly amazing, a small notebook that holds so much power. It’s right here within my grasp, all I have to do is accept it!

Mikami was more than ready to accept his fate as the newly appointed Second Kira. He reached forward into the locker, gingerly fitting his hand around the rolled up object. With a slight tug, he was able to shake the notebook free from its confines of the hole. No longer sandwiched in between two lockers and two different rooms, the notebook was now safely in his hands.

Finally, Mikami was able to breathe in a sigh of relief, at least for the time being. He took a moment to relish this feeling, breathing in deeply as he held the notebook. There were many times in court that he felt powerless, but here in this moment, he was the one wielding all the power. It was him who could now take matters into his own hands, it was him who could correct all the wrongs within society. It was him who could fight back and enact justice for those who could not stick up for themselves, and punish those who deserved it.

It’s mine! All mine! Its powers will aid me in doing what Kira wills me to do! It’s up to me to do this! Only I have this honor!

“Hyuk, why hello. It’s nice to meet you, Teru Mikami. You seem to have taken quite a liking to this ratty old notebook of mine.”

The sudden noise caused Mikami to let out a grunt of surprise, which caused him to nearly drop the notebook. Standing right in front of him was a most terrifying monster, a magical being that Mikami had assumed was merely a fairytale. Surely, no such being existed. There was no reason for such a being to exist in the so-called ‘real world’, or so Mikami had thought. Mikami soon realized that he had thought wrong.

What the hell?! What is this thing? Is it really…? Could it be…? It can’t be right? I’m imagining things, but still…

“W-who are you?” Mikami pushed up his glasses, his gaze unwavering as he stared at the strange black creature with wings before him. “No, wait. What are you?”

It was both terrifying and confusing, Mikami wasn’t sure what he had expected after retrieving the notebook, but it certainly wasn’t such a creature. He had expected to deposit the death note into his briefcase and leave. Instead, here he was face to face with something he never even thought existed.

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna eat you or anything. The name’s Ryuk. I’m a shinigami and I’m the original owner of the notebook that Kira passed down to you.”

Shinigami! Mikami’s eyes went wide. I can’t believe it! So it’s true… I was right, that old folk legend! This creature is a God of Death, and this is his notebook! Amazing, terrifying, yes but amazing…a shinigami, this is part of being an owner of the death note, part of being Kira, or in my case, Second Kira…

The being laughed in amusement at Mikami’s sudden discovery. Mikami fought his nerves and continued staring at him, determined not to back down. He wanted to appear as brave as he could despite this little hiccup. That was one thing he learned doing his job, you had to always appear cool and collected. Especially when dealing with criminals, or in this case, a shinigami who towered over him.

“I doubt I’d show up on a human camera, but a picture would last longer,” the shinigami replied and Mikami was almost certain that the creature was trying to crack a joke.

What an interesting being…he has a sense of humor, eh? What a way to lighten the mood. I suppose he’s gotten this sort of reaction before.

The joke aside, Mikami was ready to get into it. He was ready to take on his position as the Second Kira. There were many things swirling around in his head, and he was ready to take action, and hopefully get some answers.

But still…when it comes down to it…

“The source of Kira’s killing power is this death note and a shinigami?”

“Kind of a package deal, really. Well explained in the manual, now written in both Japanese and English,” Ryuk explained, giving a slight nod. “I can answer some questions, if you have any, but mostly I just sort of hang around. Don’t expect me to do much but watch, if you want my complete honesty. Also I’m not here to guide you on what’s right or wrong, or even influence your decisions at all. The notebook right now is entirely yours…it’s up to you what you want to do with it, I don’t care.”

“Amazing…” Mikami murmured to himself, the initial shock wearing off as the excitement now rolled back in. He pushed up his glasses, deep in thought. After all, this was a lot for him to process. It wasn’t like he had expected to see such a creature, he was only expecting to take the notebook and leave.

A package deal, eh? Interesting…a magical creature and a magical notebook, both of which are now my responsibility for the time being, what a well kept secret that this Kira and Second Kira had, it’s truly impressive, I have to admit…hm, wait a moment…I had no idea he was even in the room with me, until…

Something in Mikami’s mind clicked and he glanced between the death note and Ryuk, “so no one else can see or hear you but the owner of the notebook…is that correct? You appeared after I touched the notebook…interesting.”

“Yeah, it’s something like that,” Ryuk gave a slight nod as he shifted around. He was rather flighty, Mikami noted. Not able to sit still. “But we can go over that later.”

Ah right. Mikami looked around, that’s for the best…people. I don’t know how much longer it’ll be before someone starts looking around the premises. On the off chance that someone is around…if someone hears any noise, they may start to look around. The last thing I need to do is draw any attention to myself. Not when I’ve already come this far and gotten the notebook safely within my grasp.

As if he could hear his thoughts, the shinigami gave another chuckle. “Don’t worry, we’re alone right now…but you’re right, we should probably get a move on. If it’s one thing I’ve learned, you humans are strange creatures. Strange creatures who don’t like looking like they’re talking to no one…”

“Well. Maintaining a good image is important,” Mikami confirmed, feeling slightly more at ease with the creature before him. The fear was also starting to wear off as he realized this shinigami was likely not a threat.

This shinigami creature is quite odd…it doesn’t seem like he’s lying to me, his body language tells me that much. I suppose he doesn’t stand to gain from lying anyway, he did mention that he doesn’t care at all what I do.

“You sound just like Li-” Ryuk paused, as if to realize he had started to say something he shouldn’t have. He gave a slight cough, “well, let’s just say it’s no fun not having anyone to talk to.”

At this, Mikami’s ears perked up, Li? I sound just like Li? This… this has to be the identity of the first Kira he almost revealed right? For privacy and safety purposes, it’s obvious the identities of the Kira and Second Kira have to be hidden…although, I have to admit, I’m rather curious…well, we can get to that later. Right now, I’m crunched for time…better to be safe than sorry, right? Back to the task at hand, Teru Mikami!

The prosecutor let out his own small laugh in amusement. “Well, you said your name was Ryuk, correct? Hm. Don’t worry, Ryuk…the fun is about to start.”

Mikami gave his glasses another push, a glint in his eyes as he stuffed the notebook into his briefcase, being careful not to crinkle it. Unrolling it was a task in itself and he wanted to keep it in a pristine condition. He vowed to keep it safe and hidden. After all, to the public he was acting as Kira now. He had a reputation to uphold.

Mikami was extra cautious as he retraced his footsteps through the building, Ryuk trailing close behind him. It appeared the photoshoot was well underway, as the halls remained empty and the only thing that could be heard was his footsteps hitting the polished floors below. He kept a brisk pace, and within a moment, he was able to clear the building, leaving not a trace behind him. The hard part was now officially over. Mikami made his way to his car, a smirk on his face as the events of the last few minutes played through his mind once more.

It’s my turn. My chance being the Second Kira. It’s my time to shine…

“Hyuk, you seem rather excited.” Ryuk gave a laugh. He was loitering around in the backseat, watching as Mikami unloaded the briefcase into the seat beside him. Mikami then settled into the driver’s seat, ready to take off.

“As I mentioned, Ryuk, I’m sure things will be rather fun.”

Rather fun, indeed. The exchange was a success. It’s official, I’m now the new Second Kira.