"Very well," said Decim. "Please, follow me."
Decim started walking away from the bar into the area where they were talking before. In the middle of the room there stood a table with two chairs on either side of it. On the table there stood a red and blue chessboard with blue glass pieces and red glass pieces. Each piece had a weird drawing at the bottom.
L sat down in his usual position, in front of him the blue pieces, while Light sat down near the red pieces.
"The rules are the same as in regular chess. Play until one of you checkmates the opponent's king," Decim explained.
"What will happen after one of us wins?" asked Light.
"I am afraid I cannot answer that question," Decim said.
L picked up his king and looked closely at the drawing. It resembled a heart.
"What is this?" asked L while glancing at the bartender. The man had a weird remote in his hand.
"It is a feature that we might need later," explained Decim. "Please now, begin."
L took the pawn in front of the queen and moved two squares. Light moved the pawn in front of his king one square followed by L moving his, two squares.
They played until Light showed his intention of using his bishop to attack the king. L stopped him and after a few more moves, L sacrificed his own bishop to Light. The younger man picked up the blue piece in his hand and as he moved it aside he felt memories coming back to him.
It was all bits and pieces but he could make out a strange creature in his bedroom, and him writing a name in a notebook. Shortly after, the news reported a criminal who took hostages, that he was found dead.
When he realized where he was, he noticed L's gaze on him. He tried his best to ignore him as he looked at the board and put the blue bishop aside.
L used the queen to take Light's bishop highlighting the other man's mistake.
L held the red bishop in his palm as he felt memories returning to him. He was in a big mansion, somewhere in England, he believed. An older man was addressing him about the murderer known as "Kira". He heard himself saying he will take the case.
So he was a detective, L thought to himself.
The memories didn't faze him, but he glanced over at the bartender. He felt frustrated for not being able to figure out what was going on.
The game continued and L soon found himself castling when another memory hit him. He was talking through a laptop to a room full of Japanese officers. He had sent the man from before, Watari, figured L he was named, to speak on his behalf. He was soon face to face with Light again.
The brown haired man didn't notice his zoning out and kept his eyes on the game. After a few more moves, Light captured one of L's pawns and something cleared again at the back of his mind.
He was watching television and a man was speaking about the criminal nicknamed Kira. Light was feeling furious for some reason. And when the man suddenly clutched his chest in pain, satisfaction built up inside him. The euphoric feeling was broken when on the screen appeared the letter "L".
"Are you alright, Light?" interrupted the other man.
"Yes," said Light as he moved his gaze to the board trying to figure out the rest of the memory.
L continued the game by using his rook to capture Light's pawn. He left the room once again and this time he found himself in a dark place. He watched a man on the laptop in front of him clutch his chest in pain and then picked up a microphone and addressed the criminal he decided to investigate.
Things were finally clearing up for him. He moved his gaze from Light's agitated face to Decim who was still holding the strange remote.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
"No," answered L and looked at Light again forcing him to continue the game.
After a few more moves, L has led Light into a trap. He managed to clear the board in such a way that allowed him to use his queen to check Light's king. The sight brought another memory to him. He was seated in a big hall with lots of other people. Besides him, a pale man was sitting in a strange position. The same person who got the highest score in the exams, besides him. They chatted for a little while about the Kira investigation. The man suddenly whispers, the words "I am L" and Light can feel himself becoming uncomfortable.
In front of him, his opponent looks at him and Light can tell that he also remembered that particular memory. Light started chewing on his thumb in agitation, trying to figure out what is going on.
More memories came flooding to him after he captured one of L's knights. How he managed to kill the FBI agents and the bus hijacking that he planned.
It all came back to him and Light realized this might be more than just a game of chess. He looked back at L who didn't seem to have moved his glance at all. He took a deep breath and looked at the board deciding to not fall in whatever trap the detective has planned for him.
The game continued as L took the knight that was used to capture his own. In his mind, an image appeared of a girl being held in a small room being restrained from every angle. He remembered Misa, and everything that followed her imprisonment.
Light kept staring at the board thinking, and more and more memories appeared. Beads of sweat were following the lines of his cheek as they fell to the floor. Light stood a few minutes without doing or anything.
"What is this place?" L broke the silence as he spoke to Decim. Light's head shot up at the question. Didn't L know what this place was? Wasn't this a trap to make him confess his crimes?
"I am afraid I cannot answer that question," Decim said.
"We are dead, aren't we?" asked L. As more memories returned, he thought of the words he spoke but didn't know when. He now remembers looking at Light's face while whispering "So, I was right, after all." What happened after, he didn't know. But he could guess.
"Yes, that is correct," answered Decim.
Light stood up and walked towards him.
"What?!" he shouted. As soon as he spoke that word every part of his memory filled and the last thing he could remember was Ryuk's words. "We did get rid of each other's boredom for a long time. It's been interesting."
Light sat down again and held his head in his hands trying to get rid of the thoughts of him being dead.
L stood up, his bare feet walking on the cold floor towards Light.
"You lost," he said to him. Light looked up at the detective and laughed.
"You didn't defeat me," Light said between chuckles. "You knew all along, but I was always one step ahead of you. I even managed to kill you. You didn't win."
"That's true," said L in a calm voice. "I didn't win, but I didn't lose either. The moment I took this case I was prepared to die. And if I were to die, someone else would take over for me."
"I believe it is Near that managed to defeat you, am I wrong?" L continued.
Light didn't answer but his shoulders were shaking in anger. He stood up suddenly hitting the chess board and throwing game pieces everywhere.
"Defeat me?!" Light shouted. "I can't be defeated! I am a God!" Light ran towards L and prepared to jump on him. His movement stopped when he was a few inches away from L. A look of confusion appeared on his face before he noticed all of the shining strings restraining him. He glanced at Decim who didn't say anything.
"You are no God. The only thing you are, is a murderer." After his statement, L glanced at the overturned board on the floor, then turned around and spoke to Decim.
"What will happen now?"
"The game of chess was a way for me to decide whether you will have your soul reincarnated or thrown into the void. I also have the memories of your past life to help me decide."
"I see," L answered while appearing lost in thought.
"You two, however, are a special case," Decim continued. "It is unheard of two people who died 5 years apart to be judged together. The circumstances of both your deaths are also questionable."
"Five years? I remember waking up here a few hours ago," L told Decim.
"I do not know the full details, but it appears you have been put to sleep after your death."
Decim didn't say anything else and L didn't ask anymore questions. The bartender let Light free, after he calmed down and he had no choice but to accept what was happening around him.
"Please, follow me," Decim said to the two men.
They walked through the same corridors they came from and ended up in front of the two elevators. Above each one of them there was a mask. One of them was white and portrayed a content face, while the other had the shape of the devil's face.
Both of the doors opened at the same time and Decim led Light into the one with the devil mask, while L entered the other elevator.
"Thank you for playing. I wish you the best of luck on your journey."
The doors closed and darkness followed after.