Kagaya heard Ritsuka's words earlier. He smiled gently, then spoke.
"It seems we have a kind-hearted young man here," he said. His voice was calm and filled with warmth.
"I look forward to seeing what kind of expression he will have in the future," Kagaya continued.
L remained silent after hearing Ritsuka's words. He looked at the young man for a moment.
In the end, everything depends on how that power is used.
Those words echoed again in his mind.
"So… he's that kind of person," L thought to himself.
L then fixed his gaze on Zelretch.
"And why has that man been staring at him this whole time?" L thought. He had noticed that Zelretch's eyes had never truly left Ritsuka.
"That old man clearly knows Fujimaru… but Fujimaru himself doesn't seem to know him."
The light child's words resurfaced in his mind—that all of them came from different worlds.
If what the light child said is true, then he shouldn't know Fujimaru.
But that gaze clearly shows that he does know him.
What is that old man really hiding?
L's gaze sharpened as he saw Zelretch begin to step toward Ritsuka.
Ritsuka was slightly startled when Zelretch suddenly stood right in front of him. Without warning, the old man placed a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder.
"Hey, kid," Zelretch said casually,
"do you happen to know a doctor who's obsessively in love with a female virtual idol—even though he's actually a man in disguise?"
Ritsuka looked even more confused by the question. He didn't understand it at all.
"Huh… what do you mean?" Ritsuka asked in confusion.
Zelretch then removed his hand from Ritsuka's shoulder.
"From your expression, it seems you haven't met him yet. So… it's still the early stage, huh," he muttered softly.
He looked back at Ritsuka.
"Hahaha, don't worry, kid. I just wanted to confirm something," Zelretch continued lightly.
"Well then, it's my turn to introduce myself, right? You can call me Zelretch. Nice to meet you, Ritsuka."
"Ah… nice to meet you, Zelretch-san," Ritsuka replied a little awkwardly.
Zelretch then stepped away from Ritsuka.
"Now then, let's sit down first. We can't exactly keep standing while we talk, can we?" Zelretch said casually.
"Sit? But where, Zelretch-san?" Kagaya asked.
Zelretch simply smiled, then looked up toward the blue sky.
"Hey, ruler of this place," he said casually,
"are you really planning to make your members just stand around?"
Suddenly, a voice came from the sky.
"Sorry, sorry… looks like I forgot about that," the voice said lightly. In an instant, five chairs appeared. They were made of concrete, with high backs and large armrests on both sides. The five chairs were arranged facing one another, forming a circle.
"Oh, and this as well… please enjoy," the voice continued.
In the center of the circle of chairs, a table appeared, filled with various kinds of sweets. L stared at the table, his gaze fixed on the neatly arranged confections.
Zelretch stepped forward and sat down first, followed by Koko, who took one of the chairs.
Ritsuka then approached Kagaya, intending to guide him.
"Please, Ubuyashiki-san. I'll help you," Ritsuka said gently.
Kagaya smiled, sensing the sincerity behind the gesture.
"You're a good child, Ritsuka. You can call me Kagaya," he said.
Ritsuka carefully took Kagaya's hand.
"There's no need to say that. It's only natural," he replied as he guided Kagaya toward an empty chair.
Kagaya sat down calmly.
"Even so, you immediately took the initiative to help me. You're very attentive to the people around you," Kagaya said.
Ritsuka simply smiled and replied,
"I'm just trying to do the best I can."
Ritsuka then sat down, taking a seat between Kagaya and Koko. All this time, Koko had been watching Ritsuka's behavior without saying a word.
Then Zelretch's voice was heard.
"Go ahead, L. Enjoy the sweets. Don't worry—they're not poisoned," Zelretch said, gesturing toward the table.
Ritsuka watched as L, who was sitting in a strange position, cautiously sniffed the sweets. He then licked one slightly.
"Seems safe," L said briefly. After that, he began eating.
Ritsuka then asked,
"L, why are you sitting like that? Don't you get tired?"
L looked at Ritsuka for a moment, then answered while continuing to eat the sweets.
"Because this position helps me think more effectively. By reducing blood flow to other parts of the body, more blood flows to the brain, thereby increasing my intelligence and deductive ability."
"I see," Ritsuka replied briefly.
Koko glanced at L, then commented with a soft sigh,
"People who are too intelligent often have strange habits."
She then looked at Zelretch. The old man simply returned a faint smile, as if he were already used to all of this.
"Ritsuka, how is L sitting?" Kagaya asked.
"He's squatting on the chair, Kagaya-san," Ritsuka answered as he explained.
"Does that position really improve one's thinking ability?" Kagaya asked again curiously.
"Should I try it as well?"
"You'd better not, Kagaya," Zelretch interjected calmly.
"With your current physical condition, it would only burden you."
"Hm… that does seem true," Kagaya said.
Suddenly, a childish voice came from the sky.
"Hey, can you start discussing your issues already? Or at least talk about your respective worlds," the voice said lightly.
Koko looked up and said,
"But what is there to discuss? Our histories are basically the same—only the names are different. The only one who's truly different here is Kagaya, since his world comes from Japan's past."
Ritsuka looked surprised.
"Huh? So you're from Japan's past?" he said.
"From which era?" Ritsuka asked again.
"He's from the Taishō era," L answered briefly while stacking sweets in front of him.
"Wow… that's really surprising," Ritsuka said honestly. He then looked at Kagaya.
"Kagaya-san, then… do you want to change Japan's future? With our help, you could know what's coming. Even though we're from different worlds, the basic history of our worlds is still the same," Ritsuka said carefully.
Kagaya simply smiled gently and shook his head.
"No. I will not change Japan's destiny," he said calmly.
"Huh? But… why? You could make Japan better," Ritsuka said in confusion.
Kagaya turned toward Ritsuka, his expression remaining peaceful.
"Ritsuka," he said slowly,
"Japan must face its own destiny. If that destiny is cruel or painful, then we will face it. If we must be wounded, then that is a price worth paying."
He paused, as if carefully choosing his words.
"The future is shaped by time, suffering, struggle, experience, and the stories we live through. From all of that, we humans learn and grow."
His voice was gentle.
"A future that is forced—even if it appears beautiful—is not a future worth passing on. It would only be a false future."
Ritsuka fell silent for a moment. He couldn't find the words to respond to Kagaya's statement. In the end, he chose not to force his will.
"All right. But if you ever need help, just tell me," Ritsuka said sincerely.
Kagaya smiled softly.
"I will accept that offer… someday," he said calmly.
Koko and L listened carefully to all of Kagaya's words.
This man's voice is incredibly calming… too dangerous, L thought.
He could easily influence people just through his tone of voice.
"You're too idealistic," Koko muttered with a smile toward Kagaya.
Zelretch laughed lightly.
"Hahaha… I really like people like you, Kagaya," he said with satisfaction.
Kagaya smiled at Zelretch.
"I'm glad to hear that," he said gently.
Then he continued, his tone becoming slightly more serious.
"But, Zelretch… there is one thing that has been bothering me. I would like to ask you a question."
"What is it?" Zelretch asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"I have a rather sharp sensitivity to my surroundings," Kagaya said slowly.
"Think of it as a kind of sixth sense—I can feel the people around me. If you don't wish to answer, that's fine."
He paused briefly.
"However, from the very beginning, I've felt something strange about you."
Kagaya turned directly toward Zelretch.
"Zelretch… are you human?"