L's suspicions are momentarily subdued, but he does not discard the possibility that Light may be Kira and decides to meet him in person. At the college entrance exams, Light notices a mysterious and eccentric student staring at him, who introduces himself as Hideki Ryuga, the same name as a famous idol. Light is shocked when "Hideki Ryuga" reveals himself as L. Since it would be too suspicious for L to die right after meeting Light, he decides to befriend L, gather more information about his true identity, and kill him at a later time.

The Japanese police, who were previously unaware that there were FBI agents in Japan, conclude that L hired them to investigate the Japanese police and their families, causing them to distrust L. Chief Soichiro Yagami announces that because of the heightened stakes of the case, any officer who no longer wishes to work on the Kira investigation may leave, and would not be demoted for doing so. Only five officers decide to remain on the case. In an effort to repair his relations with the Japanese police, L meets in secret with the remaining detectives who want to work on the Kira case. He reveals his thoughts about how Kira might be following the murders of the FBI agents and pinpoints who the federal agents were tracking during that period. Meanwhile, Light meets a woman who introduces herself as Shoko Maki. As the two talk, he realizes that she is Penber's fiancée and that she has worked out that Kira can kill by means other than heart attacks, information she plans to share with the police. Light decides that he must eliminate this woman.