[Location: White Space - Waiting Room.]
L Lawliet observed his surroundings with curiosity.
Just like before, the shift in his environment had been instantaneous. He speculated whether this was due to the human brain's slowness in processing information or the direct intervention of a third party. Being able to move from one space to another in the blink of an eye was disconcerting, to say the least.
However, he soon ceased his speculation upon noticing a figure seated on the sofas to his right.
Kiyotaka Ayanokouji took a sip of his tea, then set the cup down on the table. The tea was, to put it mildly, wonderful. In his defense, most of his knowledge regarding tea ceremonies was confined to traditional Japanese customs. The exquisite, unmatched flavor of this brew wasn't something truly appreciated by someone as expressionless and dispassionate as he was.
"Ryuzaki-san? I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," Kiyotaka spoke, unbothered by his eccentric companion perching atop the sofa cushion.
L Lawliet regarded him with curiosity for a few seconds before settling into his usual posture to taste his own tea.
"Well... I had a few pending matters to attend to..." He took a sip without allowing his expression to change much. "What about you? Why are you here alone...?"
"Hmm... I suppose I had some free time," Kiyotaka Ayanokouji replied indifferently, savoring an exquisite chocolate chip cookie.
"What about the others?" L Lawliet continued the conversation, picking up a chocolate brownie.
"Well... they said they had pending matters of their own..." came the simple response.
"...".
L Lawliet took a bite of the brownie, studying Kiyotaka intently.
"You aren't very good at socializing, are you?" Finally, he couldn't resist probing a little.
"Hmm... I'd like to say I am, but I think I would be lying." Kiyotaka Ayanokouji reached for another cookie, completely unphased.
In truth, had he cared to, Kiyotaka could have explained much of what transpired in L's absence.
In short, out of everyone present, Senku Ishigami was the one particularly eager to venture into another world. The others were in less of a rush, especially considering they were unprepared for potentially hazardous scenarios.
Zefir's explanation had been straightforward: the worlds were being devastated by various calamities—whether zombies, alien entities, or other threats—making the likelihood of breathable, safe air exceptionally low. To navigate such environments, fully hermetic hazardous material suits equipped with self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA)—independent of external air and capable of isolating the user from lethal biological, chemical, or atmospheric agents—were essential. Or, taking a more optimistic or reckless approach, masks with military-grade P100 filters might suffice for an initial evaluation of the terrain.
Yet, even under the most optimistic scenario, a suit only guaranteed survival while worn. Removing it required passing through a multi-phase decontamination protocol: high-pressure showers, neutralizing agents, and a controlled stripping procedure. Without that, any prior precautions were meaningless.
In reality, only someone like L Lawliet had the resources to easily acquire such equipment given his extraordinary standing. The others faced tedious hurdles to obtain them, and for a few, even catching a glimpse of such high-grade gear was practically impossible.
Ultimately, Lelouch Lamperouge took it upon himself to secure a set of suits and a decontamination unit, under the condition that he would decide who got to wear them.
At this point, the core focus of the meeting had revolved around the single most crucial factor: safety. Under the assumption of zombies or an apocalyptic plague, the presence of a transmitting pathogen was virtually guaranteed, setting aside any supernatural anomalies. The primary variable was the mode of transmission. Drawing from apocalyptic tropes in cinema, a few recurring patterns stood out: the most common vector was a bite, while the most effective method of neutralizing the infected was brain destruction.
Naturally, all such analysis might have been dismissed were it not reinforced by a single detail.
"The difficulty is progressive." Those were the words Zefir had imparted during his "briefing."
Thus, for the time being, they assumed dealing with zombies or other conventional, predictable threats would be relatively manageable.
Setting that aside for later, the next point of interest was the set of items provided by Zefir. It hadn't taken them long to figure out their basic functions, as well as a few key limitations.
The necklace, despite its versatility, suffered from a major flaw: the teleportation it provided applied exclusively to the user and their immediate clothing. This was convenient in some scenarios, but highly impractical in others. Furthermore, they had yet to determine precisely what qualified as "clothing" and what did not.
Eventually, they moved on to the next item: the ring. It took several minutes to grasp a basic understanding of its capabilities. Truthfully, the ring's communication features seemed to offer nothing beyond simple group transmission, contingent on the group working together—or at least harboring no ill intent toward one another. In fact, the item seemed blatantly designed to force them toward teamwork, an unsettling detail that made everyone uncomfortable. There was a reason Zefir had summoned them, and they would remain on high alert until they uncovered it. Direct confrontation was equally unviable, as they had yet to ascertain how Zefir would react if things got out of hand. In other words, Zefir's claims of "non-interference" could not be blindly trusted.
In short, until sufficient information was gathered, observation remained the safest route. Of course, a few individuals refused to sit idle. One way or another, they constantly sought to influence the rest and spur them into action.
As for the bracelet... they decided to save its testing for a more controlled environment. They had no way of knowing what Zefir meant by its functions. In the worst-case scenario, if the "portal" acted like a door connecting two worlds—allowing anything, including toxic gases, to leak through—it was a hazard they preferred to avoid entirely.
Complications and concerns only multiplied from there.
After several minutes with nothing more to test or report, Lelouch Lamperouge—who had taken charge of most of the discussion—concluded via the ring's comms: "If there is nothing further to add, that will be all for today. I will inform you once I have secured everything needed for the first raid. Until then, I recommend holding off. Though... if you have other plans, feel free. I am not your leader."
"...".
It was a shame that Rue Ryusaki—that is, L Lawliet—had not put on his ring the entire time.
...
"Tell me, Horikita-san... what is your view on justice?" L Lawliet asked, fixing his gaze upon him.
Anyone else would have felt uneasy under those wide, unblinking eyes, that unnatural posture, and that strange demeanor. In truth, Kiyotaka was no exception.
"...? What prompts that question?" he replied without a trace of emotion.
"I recall reading in a book that profound questions help a conversation flow naturally," L explained, averting his gaze briefly to sip his tea. "I simply wanted to try it."
"Hmm... I suppose that's true." Kiyotaka offered little else. He vaguely grasped the excuse and decided to let him probe.
"Justice is a concept designed to maintain order," he said. "Personally, I consider it... necessary for society to function without crumbling."
He answered with what he deemed appropriate, calculating the motive behind the question.
L Lawliet observed him silently, weighing every word. "Hmm... curious," he murmured. "So you don't act based on what is right or wrong, but on what is... useful."
For a brief moment, he felt something akin to sympathy.
"I suppose so." Kiyotaka Ayanokouji poured himself a bit more of the exquisite tea and returned the question. "And you? What is justice to you?"
If he were being honest, he was somewhat curious about the answer.
L picked up a cookie and savored it slowly before responding.
"I don't believe a universal definition exists. For some, it is enforcing the law; for others, vengeance by another name. And for many, an ideal that justifies their actions." He tilted his head, measuring Kiyotaka's words against his own. "I view it as a scale. An attempt to balance what is right with what is necessary. The problem is that anyone can place weight on either side and claim their side represents the truth. Perhaps justice is nothing more than the will of whoever possesses the strength... or the intelligence to enforce it."
"Then you believe justice is relative. That it merely changes disguises," Kiyotaka remarked, uncomfortable under the unyielding gaze.
"Perhaps," L replied, his suspicions lessening slightly. "You could say I am interested in discovering just how far that disguise can stretch."
Silence settled over them once more.
Kiyotaka continued enjoying the snacks until he decided to speak again.
"I suggest keeping the communication ring on at all times. Lamperouge-san mentioned he would contact us when necessary."
"What do you mean by that?" L Lawliet asked, watching him.
"The worlds Zefir mentioned are deadly. Since that is the case, he proposed setting up a minimum standard of safety."
He added nothing further. If L didn't understand, it wasn't his concern.
"Though, of course, you could always do things your own way..." Kiyotaka stood up, ready to return to his apartment.
Setting aside their brief exchange, he didn't see much utility in someone like L. Simply observing him would suffice.
"I see..." L Lawliet replied simply.
Of course, the persona L had projected before Kiyotaka Ayanokouji was a blend of his genuine thoughts and calculated deception, all aimed at probing for information.
As for waiting for them to contact him... first, he needed to verify whether that little lie would still serve its purpose.