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I am also not Linden.

[Near has lasted as long as he has on account of not having those same blindspots. He'd like to believe this, anyway. Even where Mello is concerned.]

And you also do not know Yagami. While I understand that you care for your bonded, stepping into a situation like this one with ideals too lofty for what you'll be facing isn't a good move.

You are the outlier here. Do not attempt to direct matters.

No. You finished what he couldn't.

[Credit where it was due.]

But I have a hold on him that you--and even Yagami--don't. [Perhaps not as strong as the compulsion that tethered L to Light, but different in kind, and different in what he could ask of or expect from his Witch.] And my investment in this is not merely because I care for my Bonded. If Yagami is the evil you present him as, then he is a threat to all of us and my ideals say I must oppose him with everything at my disposal. Even if that means intruding on something you believe is your problem alone.

[Then, he does sigh.] I do not want to direct this; I'm made to follow, not to lead. But the lot of you--Linden, Malakai, and Yagami included--are making a serious mistake if you expect to prosecute this battle under the rules and expectations of your world, rather than this one. The first man to deviate from them has a tactical advantage.

I cannot follow you if you insist on yielding him that advantage through inaction. Nor if you refuse me the intelligence I need to do my job.

You stand to ruin all precautions we've taken here so far if you step in where you shouldn't. Do not presume to guess what rules and expectations we're working with.

Exposing what we know of him is not something that can be undone or stepped back from. You are not to do this lightly because you think it will give you an advantage here. If you do this it will make you a threat and I will treat you as such. Do you understand?

Stow your righteousness and don't leap into action just because you believe you know what's best.

I very well will presume to guess if you don't tell me.

[Then a snort, half-amused.]

Oh, I have no intention of deploying your secrets as a weapon, serah. I would have no idea how to use them to best effect. I'm merely advising you do so while they still are a viable weapon--and before I decide the injustice of killing him is less than the injustice of letting him have his way with this world.

[And the harm to L would be outweighed by preventing L's death.]

If killing him is all you wanted, I wouldn't personally care.

[This is stated as bluntly as possible. L's feelings aside, Light is already beaten and dead in Near's world. If he dies sooner, all the less damage to be caused (though he's sure this won't be the case). He will suffer the rebound through their bond if need be.]

You would only need to make certain you got it right and that there was no chance of him returning. If that's the case, a warning beforehand would be preferable.

[...Well, that's rather like having one's opponent let go of the rope in the middle of a tug-of-war, but Myr will take it.

After he's had a moment to process Eli's response.]

--Hardly all, [he admits, ruefully.] I want to be given a reason not to, because it's the worst of all our possible solutions.

[And Myr is not a cold-blooded murderer, even to protect someone he loves as fiercely as he does L.] But I can't overlook the risk he presents.

[Needless to say, their conversation has not left him more sanguine about that.]

Do you intend to keep the Coven entirely uninvolved? Or will you alert them if he begins dabbling in magic he shouldn't?

And what, exactly, do you believe the Coven is going to do? Do you think Yagami is the only dangerous individual that's ever been brought here?

[Near shakes his head.]

I don't trust them to handle the situation the way it needs to be handled. Not unless they're willing to end his existence.

[He gives the communicator a long look, knowing it isn't being seen.]

Unless you know more about how they operate than I do.

[His role on the council is barely mentionable.]

Forbidden magic is the one place they've shown themselves willing to use immediate, ruthless force. [A part of Myr yet admires that; it's very Thedosian, very Chantry.]

It's unlikely, from what you said, he'll give away any evidence he's looking into such things, but if he does happen to, they may take care of your problem for you.

Otherwise, they are inclined to stay out of our affairs. [Which is, truthfully, fine with him; he did as much complaining as anyone about it when it suited him to, but he'd also thought long and hard about the potential horrors that could come of the Coven taking sides on any Mirrorbound's say-so.

Yagami was much more convincing than any of his opponents. No contest which way the Coven went if it came purely down to charisma.] Though I imagine they'll cease to see it as our affairs if he begins exercising his particular brand of justice here. Failing to inform them of that risk could redound on all of us.

If any of what he does can be led back to him.

[Light is far from a fool, that's why it had taken so long to bring him down. He knows he doesn't have his usual following here. He won't be able to make the deaths so obvious if he does decide to start killing people.]

Don't think he'll just go around offing those he has issues with. Things will appear accidental. Untraceable. We would suspect because we know him, which is why it's important to act as though we don't. We aren't targets yet. We will be if he learns what we know and there's very little the Coven will be able to do if he takes out his main opponents at the start.

[After all, once they're dead it would be easy to convince the rest of the town that Light wasn't responsible. He's fairly good at acting devastated.]

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