The story kept moving forward without giving anyone a chance to breathe.
The FBI agent played by Bell was threatened by Alex in Kira's name. Without realizing he had already been cornered, he ended up writing down not only his own name, but also the names of the other agents in the task force investigating Kira. Quietly, invisibly, every single FBI investigator assigned to the case was wiped out without a trace.
And in the end, he couldn't escape either.
The moment he stepped off the subway, a violent pain exploded in his chest. It was so sudden, so overwhelming, that his knees slammed against the ground on the spot. His body convulsed uncontrollably as he gasped for air, his face twisted in terror. Then, with the last of his strength, he lifted his head.
"Light... Yagami?!"
On the other side of the train doors stood Light Yagami, staring down at him with the cold, detached contempt of someone looking at a dying insect. The agent's eyes widened to their limit, filled with disbelief so raw it almost looked pathetic.
For a split second, countless viewers in front of their screens fell into stunned silence.
Then the entire audience erupted.
Back in the girls' dorm at the drama academy, Melissa brushed the bangs from her forehead and took a deep breath, only then realizing she had nearly forgotten to breathe at all. Her heart was still pounding from the tension, and the admiration in her eyes only grew stronger.
Her boss was just too insane.
Even fans who had long grown used to Alex's brilliance felt their scalps go numb. They had never seen a protagonist this intelligent before. This wasn't just clever writing anymore. It was the kind of calculated genius that made people uneasy.
Even some of Alex's rivals in the industry - directors who disliked him, veterans who always looked down on younger talent, people who never missed a chance to sneer at him in public - were now sitting there dumbfounded. For all their pride, for all their experience, they knew one thing with absolute certainty.
They could never have written something like this.
And Alex's performance was only getting started.
After that, Light Yagami used conversation alone to trick the FBI agent into revealing the name of his fiancée, Naomi Misora. From there, the tension escalated again. Faced with L's growing suspicion and a room packed with hidden surveillance cameras, Light still found a way to erase every trace of doubt. The potato chip scene appeared like a perfect stroke of madness - hiding a miniature TV and a piece of the Death Note inside a bag of chips, casually writing names while pretending to study, and somehow turning an impossible situation into the cleanest possible alibi.
It was absurd.
And it was brilliant.
At Aurora Entertainment, Mark had just returned with the cast after wrapping up a variety show appearance to promote their new drama. Watching the episode with the others, his jaw dropped so hard it looked like he could fit a fist in his mouth.
This... this was too insane.
"Mark, turn the air conditioning up a little."
Rebeca Verne shivered as she spoke, rubbing her arms. Her voice was steady, but the chill running down her spine had nothing to do with the room. She had always despised Alex's behavior when it came to women. Yet at this moment, even she had to admit it.
She was completely overwhelmed by his talent.
It was terrifying.
She had never imagined a psychological thriller could make her break into a cold sweat like this.
And just when Light had finished showing off, the other genius at the top of the board finally made his move.
L began to shine.
Because Naomi Misora had worked closely with the investigation, Light used the Death Note to force her into suicide. But L knew enough about her to reject that conclusion immediately. He didn't believe for even a second that she was the type of woman who would kill herself simply because her fiancé had died. If anything, she would have thrown herself even more fiercely into the search for Kira.
Which meant there was only one real possibility.
Kira had killed her.
In the end, L chose to take a dangerous gamble and personally approach the person he considered his prime suspect.
"I am L."
The moment viewers saw L sitting beside Light Yagami at the university entrance ceremony and saying those words so calmly, the audience was stunned all over again.
Then Alex, through Light's thoughts and dialogue, explained exactly why L would make such a move, turning the shock into something even sharper. It wasn't recklessness. It was strategy. Pressure. Psychological warfare.
At the very end, Light returned home, slammed his fist down on his desk, and shouted with open fury,
"Damn L... I've been played!"
Now even the Shinigami Eyes were useless.
If Light Yagami wanted to kill L, he would have to find another way with his own hands and his own mind.
Then he slowly curled his lips into a twisted smile.
"Heh. Interesting, L. I accept your challenge."
His eyes darkened, and the madness on his face only deepened.
"I'll find you... and then I'll kill you myself."
When Alex, as Light Yagami, delivered that line with a savage smile stretched across his face, the screen suddenly cut to black.
Then, slowly, a few words appeared.
To be continued.
Inside Aurora Entertainment, Mark clutched his chest like it was about to explode. He looked like a man who urgently needed heart medication, pacing around while repeating his favorite exclamations under his breath.
It was too terrifying.
Too good.
How could anyone possibly write a script this insane?
Rebeca Verne pressed her lips together tightly. For the first time, she felt like she could understand why women like Emily and the others seemed to lose themselves around Alex, like moths flying straight into fire. A man with that kind of talent was dangerous in a way ordinary people could never be. If lesser directors with half his charm and none of his face could already make actresses throw themselves at them, then someone like Alex was practically fatal.
Bruce swallowed hard, eyes burning with longing as he looked at Mark.
"Hey... Mark, do you think you could recommend me to Director Alex? I mean... I think my physique is pretty solid too..."
Hearing Bruce's awkward accent and earnest tone, Mark's expression turned strange. They were on good terms, sure, but he still remembered the last time he had mentioned Bruce to Alex.
Alex had looked openly disgusted.
The difficulty level of that request was way too high.
Meanwhile, at a top-tier VFX company overseas, Geórgia had just finished watching Death Note with sparkling eyes. Since she had only become Alex's assistant after filming wrapped, she knew almost nothing about the plot beforehand. So every twist had hit her at full force.
"Boss! You're amazing!"
She clasped her hands in front of her chest and looked at him with bright, almost worshipful eyes. Alex only smiled faintly, pinched her nose, and went right back to work.
Geórgia froze for a second.
Then her expression gradually fell.
Nothing else happened.
Was she really that lacking in charm?
Soon after, the online release of Death Note sent the media into a frenzy.
"Alex's debut film becomes an instant masterpiece, rated 9.8!"
"His first self-written, self-directed, self-acted film earns 5 billion at the box office. If this isn't genius, what is?"
"A shame it never screened domestically - but was that Alex's loss, or the industry's?"
"Alex crowned king - his 830 million dollar record may stand untouched for five years!"
As Death Note continued exploding across the internet, the media that had arrived late finally rushed in to praise it. At the same time, the directors and actors of the films currently playing during the holiday season all quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank God Alex's movie hadn't released domestically.
If it had, it would have crushed everything in sight.
Many of the biggest names in the industry also began publicly praising Alex, which was almost unheard of. His personality was too arrogant, too sharp, too confrontational. Unless someone was close to him - or trying to get something from him - very few heavyweight figures were willing to compliment him in public.
But now things were different.
The original author of The Bad Kids openly stated, "Mr. Alex should adapt this screenplay into a novel. No one is more qualified than he is to win this year's highest literary prize."
Teacher Hugo was far less restrained.
"Holy hell, how did this kid make something this insanely good?!"
And then Jack Creed delivered the most striking praise of all.
"As long as Alex maintains this level, he can absolutely take my place."
For a moment, the entire industry went quiet.
Because after Death Note, no one could laugh that statement off as exaggeration anymore.