What if Ayanokoji tried to solve the Kira case?

A New Game Begins

The soft hum of the air conditioner was the only sound filling the otherwise silent room. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat at his desk, the glow of his computer screen casting faint shadows across his face. The room was sparse, almost sterile in its lack of personal touches. A bed, a desk, a single bookshelf filled with academic texts—it was all designed for function, not comfort. The life of a normal high school student was a facade, one that Ayanokoji maintained with meticulous precision.

His eyes flickered across the screen, scanning the headlines with detached interest. Another Mysterious Death—Is Kira Striking Again? The media had become obsessed with this so-called "Kira," the name given to the mysterious figure behind the sudden, inexplicable deaths of criminals around the world. Kira's power seemed god-like, but Ayanokoji knew better. He didn't believe in gods or divine justice. Everything had a rational explanation, even if it wasn't immediately apparent.

Ayanokoji's expression was unreadable, his face a mask of calm indifference. To anyone else, the situation might have seemed chaotic, terrifying even, but Ayanokoji saw it for what it was—a game. A game of strategy, where the pieces moved not just by force, but by intellect and subtlety. And this was a game Ayanokoji had been playing all his life.

He clicked on another article, this one detailing the latest in a series of public challenges issued by L, the world-renowned detective who had taken it upon himself to stop Kira. L's methods were direct, almost confrontational. He had openly declared himself Kira's enemy, a move that had garnered attention and respect, but also made him a target.

Reckless, Ayanokoji thought, closing the article. L was brilliant, but his approach lacked the necessary subtlety. By revealing himself, L had exposed his own weaknesses, giving Kira a clear objective. Ayanokoji, on the other hand, had no intention of making himself known. He preferred to operate in the shadows, where he could observe and manipulate without drawing attention.

The Kira phenomenon intrigued him. Here was someone who possessed an extraordinary power—the ability to kill with seemingly nothing more than a name and a face. The precision of the killings, the pattern they followed, suggested a mind as sharp as any blade. And yet, there was something about Kira that struck Ayanokoji as... careless. Kira was too eager, too confident in his abilities. It was that arrogance that Ayanokoji intended to exploit.

He leaned back in his chair, considering his next move. Getting involved in the Kira case wasn't part of his original plan. After all, he had his own goals, his own ambitions that had nothing to do with playing detective. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this was an opportunity too perfect to pass up. Solving the Kira case would require the kind of mental gymnastics that he hadn't had the chance to exercise in a while. It was a challenge, and Ayanokoji never backed down from a challenge.

He began by gathering information, scouring the internet for every piece of data he could find on Kira and the victims. He accessed forums, chat rooms, even the dark web, looking for anything that might give him insight into Kira's methods. The deaths were consistent—heart attacks, all of them. That alone was curious. Heart attacks were common enough, but the sheer number of them happening in such a short span of time, all targeting criminals, was statistically improbable.

Ayanokoji's fingers danced over the keyboard as he set up a series of algorithms to track patterns in the deaths, looking for any anomalies or irregularities that might suggest a connection to Kira. As he worked, his mind raced through the possibilities. How was Kira choosing his targets? How was he executing them? And, most importantly, how was he avoiding detection?

There was another question that nagged at the back of his mind—one that he found more intriguing than the rest. Why? Why was Kira doing this? Was it some twisted sense of justice? A desire for power? Or something else entirely? Ayanokoji knew from experience that the "why" was often more important than the "how." Understanding the motivation behind the killings would be key to predicting Kira's next move.

Hours passed, but Ayanokoji didn't notice. He was absorbed in his work, lost in the intricate web of data that he was weaving together. He didn't need sleep, not when he was this close to unraveling a mystery. The thrill of the hunt was enough to keep him going.

Eventually, he leaned back and allowed himself a moment to reflect. What he had so far was still incomplete, but it was enough to confirm one thing: Kira was not infallible. There were inconsistencies in the pattern of deaths, subtle but present. It was possible that Kira was testing the limits of his power, or perhaps he was becoming overconfident, careless even. Either way, Ayanokoji saw an opening—a flaw in Kira's otherwise perfect plan.

He considered his options. The obvious move would be to contact the authorities, perhaps even L himself, and offer his assistance. But that would be playing into Kira's hands. L was already a target, and anyone who associated with him would be too. No, Ayanokoji would approach this from a different angle. He would remain invisible, working from the shadows, pulling strings without anyone realizing he was there.

The game had begun, and Ayanokoji was eager to see how far Kira would go before he realized that the rules had changed.

As he powered down his computer, Ayanokoji's expression remained as unreadable as ever. But inside, he felt a familiar sense of anticipation, the kind that came before a particularly difficult problem was about to be solved. Kira was a worthy opponent, but Ayanokoji had no intention of losing.

And so, with the night settling in around him, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka prepared himself for the next move in the game. Kira might have thought he was in control, but he hadn't yet met someone like Ayanokoji—a player who understood that the most dangerous battles are the ones fought in the shadows.

This expanded chapter gives a deeper dive into Ayanokoji's thought process and sets the tone for the psychological battle to come. It lays the foundation for how Ayanokoji will approach the Kira case, emphasizing his preference for subtlety and manipulation over direct confrontation.