Death Note Audio Drama 09

Disc 9: Inherited Debt - a summary / partial translation

Prior translations / an explanation as to what the fuck this is.

SHIT FINALLY GOES DOWN. Mello and Near appear, Soichiro retires (or tries to) and L explores the afterlife!

_________

Feet on sand. Watari’s voice coming closer.

WATARI: Mr. L! Mr. L!

L: Watari… It’s you! Oh wow, I’m so glad to see you.

WATARI: Pleasure is all mine, Mr. L. It’s been so long.

L: This place is really badly organized. They never tell you anything.

WATARI: I know, I know… it’s been quite hard. I deduced a little and hoped… well, that I would find you here.

L: I’m sorry that it had to be under these circumstances. But look, I need to go someplace, still.

WATARI: The meetings usually start on the full hour.

L: Yeah, I don’t wanna be late. Are you going to wait here until I’m done?

WATARI (chuckles): Where else would I even go, sir?

_______

Bells ringing.

MAN: Sit down, please. I’ve got your file around here somewhere.

L: Am I late? Sorry if I’m late.

MAN: Oh, we’re all always late, Lawliet.

L: L. Please. People call me L.

MAN: Great. Yes. L. Aaah, there you are. Uh-huuuuh…. now look at all this paperwork. You’ve been really busy.

L: The devil finds work for idle hands.

MAN: Oh, really?  Uh-huh. I understand. Your case should have already been worked on a long while ago. Pardon the delay.

L: And here I still have so many things to do. I really need to get back to Tokyo, immediately.

MAN: Almost everyone still wants to take care of some things and there are ways of dealing with that. A lot of it will depend on your stamina and on how much you saved up.

L: Nobody ever explains anything around here.

MAN: I understand. Yes. You… slipped past us a little, because you… how should I put it? You were early. You came here before your time.

L: Oh, that explains a lot.

MAN: So… let’s start from the beginning, yes? Do you know where you are?`

L: Yeah?

MAN: And… you know who I am?

L: Yeah.

MAN: And… you also know you are dead.

L: Yes.

___________

TITLE MUSIC

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Many people talking.

MATSUDA: Do you want a drink?

SAYU: Already got one, thanks.

MATSUDA: Haha, maybe you need another.

SAYU: Thanks, I’m good.

MATSUDA: My name is Matsuda.

SAYU: I know. 

MATSUDA: Uh, and you…?

SAYU: You’ve always been nice, Matsuda, but, uh… you’re too old for me. And… I don’t date cops.

MATSUDA: But I didn’t say that I— what is wrong with going out with a policeman?

SAYU: I don’t know… the long nights, waiting for a call, cancelled weekends…

MATSUDA: Uh… are you maybe a Yagami family member?

SAYU: That’s right.

MATSUDA: Oh my god! Sayu! It’s you! Sayu!

SAYU: You should have become a detective.

MATSUDA: Light’s little sister…. You’ve become… so mature.

SAYU: One of us had to.

Voices chattering. Soichiro is announced as a speaker.

SOICHIRO: Thank you, thank you all. I’m touched that so many of you made it here on this warm April evening…. just to say goodbye to an old inspector.

Cheering. Someone shouts “Free drinks certainly helped!”

SOICHIRO: I especially want to thank my wife Sachiko, who lied so coldbloodedly about why she wanted to go to a bar on a Thursday.

SACHIKO: I’m sorry, darling.

SOICHIRO: And my daughter Sayu, who is still sticking to my instructions to never marry a cop! So… hands off!

Laughter.

SOICHIRO: It’s now been 35 years since I finished my police training. Is Kitamura here, too? No? Well, alright. We didn’t always agree. Kitamura and I finished the academy together and he took the fastest path up into administration. And he took his hat and left, in the 30th year. I stayed. And most of you know it’s because of the special conditions of a very special case. That case still isn’t finished. That’s the reason I endured 5 further long years, to set the path for a young man, to give him time to finish the academy as well so he can take the poisoned baton from me. The Kira investigation. This man is my son.

SOMEONE: Nepotism!

Laughter.

SOICHIRO: Well nobody else wants the job! I’m sure he’d love to give it to you! Isn’t that right, son? I can be proud that my boy, my wonderful boy, is Detective Light Yagami now!

Cheering.

SOICHIRO: And if I’m still allowed, I’d like to take a short moment to remember those who aren’t lucky enough to be here today. It’s been a hard time, fighting this criminal who always did some unexpected turn, and the colleagues in our district have, perhaps more than others, had to deal with some very brutal murders. Not just comrades with a badge but also civilian investigators and friendly helpers. They all risked their lives and gave it. May God bless them. Here’s to absent friends.

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MAN: You don’t quite understand me, L. There is no such thing as an afterlife.

L: Where am I, then?

MAN: That is… complicated. You are… nowhere. You are… nothing. 

L: Are you trying to tell me all of this is a hallucination? Just a product of my neurons randomly firing while my brain is kicking the bucket?

MAN: Uh, no. 

L: I know a thing or two about movies. And you could turn this into a 90 minute thriller, but not for five years. I’ve been here for five years.

MAN: I’m not sure you can apply the experiences from a cinema one on one to what happens after death. 

L: Well.. you haven’t really helped me understand much yet.

MAN: Did it ever occur to you that you share some of the blame? What if this whole—

L: Pathetic bureaucracy?

MAN: Harsh words. But if it suits you. What if this whole…  bureaucracy was made up by your soul to deal with the dream of your own passing? How about that?

L: So I’ve got a soul…? Something that lasts beyond death?

MAN: Hm. Well…

L: Life. After death. Indeed.

MAN: You didn’t have many friends, am I right?

L: Excuse me?

MAN: Or how did you deal with being this smart?

L: What I really want to deal with, Mr…?

MAN: Justin.

L: Mr. Justin… is which options I have. What sense is there in justice and retribution? If you’re an official here, official for what? Who’s in power here? I know there are gods of death, and I know there’s a life after death, because that’s where I’m stuck right now, it seems.

JUSTIN: There is no life after death. Human existence ends in nothingness. 

L: And yet, I’m here. And so is Watari. And who are all these people lurking about outside? Why are those here?

JUSTIN: You’ve got a whole eternity to think about it, dear L.

L: Oh really? Do I now? Human life is finite and life after death is infinite? Am I immortal now?

JUSTIN: Exactly. You’re correct. It’s not my task to let myself be interrogated here.

L: And who’s task is it then? Where do I finally get answers?

__________

We hear someone talking to “Vladimir” in a friendly way. Very soon it becomes clear that it’s the US president speaking, a very obvious Trump parody. The thing is, I don’t take any joy in being reminded Trump exists, and this audio drama spends an extraordinary amount of time letting him talk. For my own sanity, I’m not going to actually translate those scenes in whole. If anyone REALLY wants to know what Death Note Audio Drama Trump is saying, I guess you can beg me for it? Just know that there is a lot of racism, sexism, and general being stupid. It’s exactly like you’d imagine Trump, really.

An exhausted secretary named Trevor tries to introduces Near to the president. Near succeeded Paula Virilio as SPK leader. Near has to explain the situation in baby-talk for the president to get it. But basically, they think Kira is still in Japan. In this verse, Near actually got all of L’s data and only the version in the task force was fully deleted. Near suspects that Kira is among the task force.

Near wants to act, now that Soichiro is retired. 

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Bar noises.

SACHIKO: Alright, darling. Did you already think about how you want to spend your retirement?

SOICHIRO: Not really, Sachiko. I was just too busy.

SACHIKO: For 35 years.

SOICHIRO: Very funny. I don’t know… it seems an eternity ago that we were young. 

His phone rings.

SACHIKO: Don’t you dare pick up. Not tonight.

SOICHIRO: It’s Kitamura. 

SACHIKO: Then give it to me. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.

She picks up.

SACHIKO: Koreyoshi Kitamura, you sad mutation of the human species. Was it really too much to ask to come to the goodbye party of my husband? After all you two went through over the years, you old rascal? If this is still about who I married, that’s been decades ago! Grow up! …. huh? Oh. I thought you were… Yes, er, this is his phone, but… Uh. Right. 

SOICHIRO: Who is that?

SACHIKO: Oh my god, no. No! You better talk to my husband about this. N-no, he’s right next to— Don’t hang up! Don’t!

SOICHIRO: What’s wrong? Is he alright? 

SACHIKO: What is a Death Note….?

___________

Kitamura talks to Mello, while he is tied to a chair. Mello introduces himself as M. He asks about the Kira case, but Kitamura doesn’t know much of use. Because this is an audio drama and the audience needs to know what’s up, Mello just randomly explains the concept of Wammy’s House to Kitamura. 

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L: Looks like rain. As if there was a storm coming.

WATARI: But it will never come. It only feels like it, the whole time. Another strange aspect of this place. 

L: I’ll have to be back soon. When exactly?

WATARI: I don’t know, Mr. L. Time moves differently here. People stand around, they wait. Some are playing cards. I’m especially sorry for the young ones. 

L: Who?

WATARI: The millenials. They come here and they’re totally lost without their cell phones. They just hang around like… zombies. 

L: But not you, right Watari? You’re always busy. Keep the old brain moving, right?

WATARI: Well, Mr L, I gave my best to put the puzzle pieces together correctly. But it’s difficult.

L: Are there TVs here? Computers?

WATARI: Nothing like that. The only hints I can get come from other people who made the passage.

L: Oh, good. What did you find out?

WATARI: You and me… we were killed.

L: I got that part.

WATARI: I think it was because we got closer and closer to the truth. 

L: Well, that makes sense. What happened in the five years since?

WATARI: Wendy had an accident with her motorbike. Ivor died of liver cancer. The whole group of Yotsuba executives just dropped dead. All at the same time.

L: Someone did his homework.

WATARI: My thoughts exactly.

L: Kira is still active. The task force, who is leading that now?

WATARI: What do you think?

________

More attempts to explain the situation to Trump. They explain someone has been faking to be L. 

________

Kitamura has been kidnapped, but despite just having retired, Soichiro wants to stay and work on the case anyway. The kidnappers are asking for the Death Note in return. 

_________

Mello accuses Kitamura of having been really fucking shit at handling the Kira case. He apparently looked at all the security camera material from HQ. He plays a recording from it that shows L.

L: You’re looking sad, Rem. Even more so than usual. What’s up? ….. Oh really, that’s it? Why did it take you so long?

For Kitamura, L is alone in the recording, so L is alone with Rem. We then flash back to the scene.

_____________

L: Did you come for me, Rem?

REM: I did not come to take life, but to gift it. 

L: To me?

REM: No, you have to die. And by defying fate, I’ll be destroyed.

L: Not dead? You said ‘destroyed’ as if total annihilation was a state equaling death. 

REM: These are the final seconds of your life L, prepare yourself. 

L: Prepare for what? Your existence along already implies that death isn’t the end for me. Your hesitation meanwhile implies that destruction is definitely your end. 

REM: I… I don’t know.

L: You spend your eternity feeding off the life of others. As long as you take life, you’ll live forever. But you’ll put an end to your existence today, just to stop me?

REM: Yes, I will.

L: Just, why? 

REM: Out of love.

L (laughs): Love? Love is the power that brings a goddess of death to her knees?

REM: Don’t mock me, L. Don’t you dare! 

L: You’re in love? You know I am very close to ending the case. 

REM: She sacrificed so much for him. This is the only way to restore her lifespan and guarantee her safety. 

L: The price is paid in human lives. The Death Note has a price… for her. I was right then. It was her. And she gave something up for the man she loves. And that can only—

Beeping.

REM: What’s that?

L: The emergency data transmission. It’s only activated when Watari is in danger. 

REM: He had to pass as well.

L: What?! The old man never even hurt a fly! He was a good person!

REM: He was just about to bring the evidence.

L: It’s just as I expected… The identity of the two Kiras… I was right!

REM: Your time is up. I have to kill you now and give my remaining time to her. 

L: I was right, do you hear that?! I was— 

Glass shattering, falling noises.

_____________

Near also has this video, he points out sand falling on the video. He assumes that’s the death of a shinigami. 

_____________

The kidnappers call Soichiro again. When Soichiro refuses to give the notebook, they shoot Kitamura live on the phone. 

They already have Sayu present as a backup hostage too. 

______________

WATARI: I knew it was a heart attack. And I knew I was being discarded. It was all I could do to press the emergency button. And I could still hear the alarm, I knew it worked.

L: So you deleted all data and transferred it to Winchester. 

WATARI: Mister Ruvie should have received them. And he surely knew how to interpret the circumstances.

L: Do we know what he did with that? Were my successors already ready?

WATARI: I am… not sure about that.

L: I’m sure you had someone in mind. You talked about a replacement for me time and time again.

WATARI: There were several candidates, yes. But the older one… was a little problematic. I am not sure he’s got the right personality.

L: And the younger one?

WATARI: Yes, he could have taken the responsibilities. But he really was so very young. I am not sure if he was ready.

L: I have to go back.

WATARI: We can’t go back. Death is a one-way street.

L: Is that really true?

_______________

Misa and Light on a phonecall. Misa suggests killing Sayu, so that Soichiro won’t exchange the notebook. Light refuses this. They have a longer debate about this, where Misa points out that they can’t let the notebook fall into the wrong hands, but Light remains in refusal.

______________

Near, out of breath, arrives at the task force headquarters.

NEAR: I’m here to talk to chief inspector Yagami.

LIGHT: I am Yagami.

NEAR: Really? Is today open day and everyone’s bringing their children?

LIGHT: Looks like. And whose child are you?

NEAR: Call me Near. We just got here from the US.

LIGHT: Of course. I immediately noticed your subtle and humble approach. CIA?

NEAR: CIA, FBI, NSA, whatever you want. We’re a unity spanning through all organizations and we follow the same goals as you. 

Near explains that he replaced Virilio on her job and he’s very arrogant about it all. Light also remarks on that. The conversation is then interrupted by a call that Soichiro stole the notebook to do the exchange on his own.

Near then talks his way into cooperation in this case.

____________

We now follow Soichiro as he goes to the place of exchange, which is now conveniently just still in Japan. It’s in Nagasaki.

____________

Light introduces Near to the task force. They are tracking Soichiro via GPS. They decide to send a drone to Nagasaki, so they have a visual feed of the exchange when it happens.

____________

Shidoh approaches Justin to ask about his Death Note. Justin deduces that it’s the one Kira is using on Earth. He stills Shidoh to go to L, because L can help him find the notebook.

_____________

Near is still flying a drone to follow Soichiro, amazing.. Light is contacting Nagasaki police. The whole exchange sequence is pretty long and not really relevant, it’s just a whole lot of description on who is where when.

Mello also uses a drone to bring the notebook away. The gangster who wasn’t killed in a notebook test gets arrested. 

____________

The gangster gets interrogated by Matsuda, but nothing really comes out of it. Light and Near talk about it and the gangster’s file.

The gangster is part of the Kinzangumi. They’re California-based organized crime with Japanese roots.

A lawyer named Yumi Hosoda waltzes into the interrogation. She’s a lawyer of the Kinzangumi. She argues with Matsuda and her lawyering gets him freed. Her arguing style makes clear that she knows of the Death Note, because her argument style relies on knowing the task force will never bring the notebook up.

Near brings up Mello’s status as a “prototype” successor, who in the end did not meet expectations, thus establishing Mello as a suspect. We then launch into a flashback.

_____________

ROGER: I didn’t say “come in”.

MELLO: I didn’t knock.

He comes in and closes the door.

MELLO: When were you going to tell me?

ROGER: Tell you what?

MELLO: That Watari is dead.

ROGER: Who told you that?

MELLO: A system crash that killed the servers for exactly 24 hours. That only happens if someone presses the emergency button.

ROGER: ….yes. It seems like our patron was killed yesterday.

MELLO: That means L is gone, too. Time for me to take over. 

ROGER: Mello, I’m sorry, my boy.

MELLO: Here it comes.

ROGER: Well, this is a longer conversation, that we will have at another time.

MELLO: We’re having this conversation exactly now. 

ROGER: … mhmm… Near will take over. 

MELLO: He’s still a child, he didn’t even notice the download!

ROGER: He simply proved himself appropriate for this task. He’s showing greater promise.

MELLO: You mean he just absorbs everything, waiting for orders so he knows what to do. That’s why I’m standing here now and he isn’t.

ROGER: I’m sorry, Mello.

MELLO: My whole life I’ve been trained for this moment, my whole life I’ve been the golden boy, before this little punk showed up-

ROGER: There are many other tasks you can fulfill. I’m sure we’ll find a position for you that is appropriate for your talents.

MELLO: I already had a position! I was supposed to be the next L! And now I should give that up for this little boy? I’m not letting myself be degraded to an errand boy. 

ROGER: Exactly this attitude is a part of the problem, if I’m honest.

MELLO: No. You are the problem. You and Watari. You never saw it. You’re wasting your time trying to bow to the system, to respect the law. If you want to catch Kira, you have to play by his rules.

ROGER: I was afraid you’d say something like that…

MELLO:  You can be afraid, Ruvie. I’m out. And I’m taking the data with me.

ROGER: They’re worthless to you. It’s going to take years to work through them.

MELLO: Then golden boy will at least be busy.

ROGER: Don’t let things end like this.

MELLO: It’s your end, Ruvie. You made this happen. 

ROGER: Near will be the new L.

MELLO: Yeah, maybe. And I’ll be the special edition, who doesn’t play the same game as everyone else. Go ahead, send the child to find L’s killer. I’ll be there first, you’ll see.

ROGER: But what’s the cost, Mello?

MELLO: Whatever it takes.