Third floor of the Linhai University library, east reading area.
December sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the tables. The reading area was so quiet it felt oppressive.
Kannazuki sat in a secluded corner by the window.
An entirely foreign-language copy of the International Law Sanctions Casebook lay open before him.
He propped his chin on one hand and idly turned a page with his fingertips.
The paper rustled, a monotonous sound in the spacious reading area.
His primary phone was connected to the campus public Wi-Fi, with several academic forums he frequented running in the background.
Meanwhile, inside his coat, in the pocket nearest his heart.
The backup phone containing an anonymous black SIM card was physically powered off, utterly silent.
This was a compliance test.
Two days earlier, through feedback from anomalies in the data stream.
He had accurately deduced that L had already extended his surveillance into Linhai University's campus network.
He was sitting here now to feed perfectly normal behavioral noise into L's massive analytical model.
Everything was following his script.
Across from him, two third-year male students leaned close together, whispering as they stared at a phone screen.
"They really fucking stopped fighting... not even an accidental shot anymore."
"No shit. Six oligarchs and military district big shots.
All lined up to blow their brains out on camera in a single day.
Who wouldn't piss themselves watching that? Who'd still dare fight? Kira completely outclassed them with that move. He's practically a god now!"
"What do you think Kira actually is?
An alien, or some mysterious organization with orbital weapons?
The way he kills is unreal. There's no way to defend against it..."
Kannazuki listened without so much as lifting his eyelids.
Human reverence was always built on fear of the unknown.
Suddenly.
Bzzz.