Darkness.
Two heavy eyelids fluttered.
Thin rays of light seeped through barely opened eyes.
And when they finally opened—
The first thing Light saw was a tattered floor tile.
A faint tint of red stained its surface.
Then he noticed more.
My nose…
It feels so hot.
And it hurts…
Light slowly raised a hand.
He touched his nose.
Then pulled his fingers away.
Red.
Blood.
His breathing became uneven.
Right…
That imposter!
"Ughh…"
Light placed both hands against the ground.
His arms trembled as he pushed himself upward.
His legs shook beneath him.
His vision was still blurry from the earlier confrontation.
"Where am I…?"
He looked around.
"Why is everything so red…?"
Then—
Realization struck him.
It wasn't the floor.
It was blood.
Light slowly raised his head.
And the first thing he saw was—
A pair of legs hanging in mid-air.
Someone was suspended above the ground.
Someone was being held by the neck with one hand.
Light's eyes narrowed.
His blurry vision slowly cleared.
The person was being held by none other than the imposter.
Light's eyes widened.
He frantically looked around.
Rows of benches.
Bloodstained benches.
Bodies scattered throughout the church.
And at the far end—
A statue of Jesus hanging on the cross.
The church…
I'm still inside the church.
Light's head snapped back toward the imposter.
His heartbeat skyrocketed.
The veins on his forehead stood out.
"You…"
His voice trembled.
"You… heartless…"
His fists clenched.
"Ruthless…"
His eyes burned with anger.
"Bastard!!"
Without hesitation-
Light charged forward.
The imposter turned his head toward the approaching figure.
"You're awake?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Well…"
His lips curled into an unsettling grin.
"You're too late."
He lifted the hostage higher.
Then-
He threw him toward the charging Light.
Light's eyes widened.
"What--?!"
BAM!
The hostage collided with him.
Both of them crashed onto the floor and rolled across the tiles before finally coming to a stop.
Light groaned.
"Why you…!"
Then-
"Light."
The imposter's voice echoed throughout the church hall.
Light slowly lifted his head.
The imposter stood several meters away.
"Do you want to know what I did to all these people here?"
Light's expression hardened.
The imposter spread his arms slightly.
"As you can see…"
His eyes moved toward the bodies scattered around the church.
"I tore them apart…"
He paused.
His hand slowly rose.
One finger pointed toward the statue of Jesus.
"…right in front of their supposed 'God.'"
"They refused to accept me."
His smile widened.
"Even now."
"Even when I'm this perfect."
Light groaned.
He pushed the hostage's body away from himself and slowly stood.
His legs trembled.
His breathing was heavy.
"Just…"
Light stared at him.
"Who the hell are you?"
A tear rolled down Light's cheek.
"Stop it…"
The imposter tilted his head.
"You want to know who I am?"
He took a slow step forward.
"You already know me, Light."
Light's eyes widened.
The imposter stopped.
Then-
He slowly raised both arms to his sides.
His body formed a perfect T-shape.
His expression remained calm.
"I'll make sure you suffer…"
His eyes narrowed.
"…until the very end."
Light's vision began to fade.
His eyelids grew heavier.
His body struggled to maintain its balance.
His knees weakened.
He tried to stay standing.
But his consciousness slipped away.
And then-
Light fainted.