[Location: Death Note – Japan – Tokyo – Nerima – Private Residence.]
Reclining on the bed in his room, Light Yagami stared at the Death Note, lost in thought.
"Death Note…" he murmured, repeating the name of his world.
Coincidence or not, everything seemed to revolve around that object. Or at least, that was the conclusion he had reached.
As if he needed to confirm it once more, he pulled out the pendant and held it in front of his face.
According to Zefir, after a certain amount of time, the crystal would reveal the name of the world he was in. The symbols engraved on its surface were supposed to match those inscribed in the notebook.
And they did.
Even if the script was not identical in form, the meaning was the same.
Light exhaled slowly.
At the very least, it was unsettling.
With that confirmation, he had no doubts left: the true owner of the Death Note would eventually appear. And when he did, he would not come merely to reclaim it.
He would come to judge him.
…
Light closed his eyes, resting his hands on his head.
He set that scenario aside and focused his thoughts on Zefir and the other so-called "coworkers."
The idea of using the Death Note crossed his mind, but it was dismissed almost immediately.
Zefir was not ignorant of the notebook's existence.
And even if that assumption were wrong, it was difficult to believe that an artifact like this could affect them in any conventional way.
Worse still: if he were exposed, the outcome was easy to foresee.
Becoming a pariah and facing total isolation would, paradoxically, be the best possible scenario. Under that premise, a quick death might even be considered merciful.
"It doesn't matter…" he whispered, more to convince himself than for any other reason.
Until recently, he had been convinced that only very specific scenarios could threaten him.
Now, he felt clearly something he had forgotten.
The helplessness of being human.
It was like wearing a chain around his neck: invisible, yet always present. One that could tighten at any moment and force him to bow his head.
At that thought, Light took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
In a few hours, he would have classes he could not miss. An image to maintain. And an ordinary life to uphold.
For now, the most urgent matter was to fall asleep.
_____
That afternoon, after classes and after making a few purchases at a sakana-ya, Light returned home.
As he approached his desk, his gaze drifted—almost by inertia—to the counter located in the upper-right corner of his field of vision.
[5347. / 10000.]
He had made considerable progress. And now, he had to continue judging criminals.
At that thought, a faint—almost amused—smile formed on his face as he opened the drawer and took out the Death Note.
"Looks like you enjoyed it…" a deep, raspy voice commented behind him.
Light's body reacted before his mind did.
"Ahhh!"
He spun around abruptly, stumbling back until he collided with the desk, bracing himself with his hands to keep from losing balance.
Standing before him was a truly strange humanoid creature.
"Why are you so surprised?" it asked, utterly unaware of the instinctive repulsion its appearance provoked.
Ryuk was tall and disproportionate. Extremely thin, almost cadaverous. His hunched posture did nothing to help, and his enormous, round eyes—which did not blink—combined with a twisted grin that revealed pointed teeth, made him all the more unsettling.
"I'm the owner of that notebook. The Shinigami Ryuk," he introduced himself, noting that Light remained tense and alert.
"Judging by how you were acting, it seems you know it's not just an ordinary notebook… right?" Ryuk continued, hoping that the human—Light Yagami—would not react as he had heard others did.
Of course, Light Yagami was no ordinary human.
At first, he had merely been startled. Now, his mind was beginning to stabilize.
"So… a Shinigami, huh?" he murmured, straightening himself carefully.
From that moment on, he would have to measure every word. Every gesture. And above all, determine whether he could gain the Shinigami's favor.
"I'm not surprised, Ryuk," he said with forced calm. "In fact… I was expecting you… Ryuk," he added, smiling.
"Ohh…?" Ryuk tilted his head, intrigued by the sudden change in attitude.
"I never doubted that the notebook belonged to a Shinigami…" Light continued, taking the Death Note. "But seeing you with my own eyes… allows me to act with greater certainty." He opened the notebook and held it out toward Ryuk, revealing the pages covered in names.
"I see… I'll admit, now I'm the one who's surprised," Ryuk commented, not truly trying to flatter him. "I've heard stories of Death Notes falling into your world… but you're the first one to have used it this many times in just five days."
Light mentally noted that detail for later.
"Anyone else would've gone crazy long before getting this far," Ryuk added, his interest gradually increasing.
"I'm prepared for anything, Ryuk," Light replied, aware that he was approaching a judgment. "I used the notebook knowing it belonged to a Shinigami. And now, the Shinigami is here."
He paused, letting the statement sink in.
"What happens now? Will you take my soul… or something like that?"
In the worst-case scenario, he hoped Zefir would intervene. After all, he had been a diligent worker.
"Huh…? What's that? Some kind of human fantasy?" Ryuk replied indifferently.
That response made Light, for the moment, abandon the idea of fleeing to the White World.
"I won't do anything to you at all," Ryuk continued, his expression and posture unchanged.
"Eh…?" This time, Light could not help but be completely bewildered.
"When a Death Note falls into the human world, it belongs to the human world…" Ryuk explained, then added, "So now, it belongs to you."
"It belongs to me…?" Light repeated, lowering his gaze to the notebook.
And for better or worse, that single phrase eased some of the weight pressing on his conscience.
…
After some time, Ryuk explained the reasons behind the notebook's appearance. And Light, in turn, spoke of the world he planned to create.
"And I will be… the god of the new world."
It was not an act. Nor was it a full confession.
It was the perfect balance between the two.
'I knew it. Humans are…' Despite having worn the same expression for centuries, Ryuk could not help but let his smile widen slightly, feeling a tingling sensation run through his body. 'Interesting…'
Unfortunately for him, Light noticed the subtle change in that smile.
'There it is…' he thought. 'That's the point where I can get a hold of him.'
He turned away and looked out the window.
Although he could wait a bit longer to resolve his questions, he could not ignore the existence of beings as supernatural as Shinigami.
"I know I said that would be my last question… but Ryuk, I want to know more about you Shinigami," he said, sitting back down in the chair beside his desk.
"Hm…?" At the question, Ryuk seemed somewhat curious. "What do you want to know?"
"For example… who created the Death Notes?" Light asked expectantly.
"I don't know…" Ryuk replied lazily, settling himself on the bed. "They've always existed."
Ryuk could vaguely sense that Light would ask increasingly troublesome questions, but he wasn't particularly bothered by it. As long as it was entertaining, he could answer a few.
"I see…" Light didn't overlook the change in Ryuk's mood, but he detected no signs of deceit. Considering that Ryuk hadn't blinked even once this entire time, he was oddly relieved to see him express at least some emotion.
"Then… what about the Shinigami? Do you know who creates them, or… if they can die?" he continued, this time with a hint of caution.
Ryuk chuckled softly. "Heh, heh… wow, you really asked that, huh?" He scratched the back of his neck with one of his long nails, as if the question inspired more laziness than interest.
"I'm not your mentor, Light Yagami. Nor am I your ally or your enemy," he paused before continuing. "I just observe… do you understand?"
Of course, Light understood.
His words made it clear. He would answer no more questions.
Knock… Knock…
"Light…?"
On the other side of the door, the voice of his mother, Sachiko Yagami, interrupted the conversation.
…
Later, Light stared at the basket of apples on his desk.
Curiously, while his mother had handed them to him, he had noticed a slight change in Ryuk's otherwise relaxed posture.
"Are you interested?" Light asked, holding one up.
"…" Ryuk remained silent.
In truth, he was very interested.
In the Shinigami world, there existed a variant that could loosely be called an "apple." However, they were gray, dry, juice-less, and bitter.
Eating them was more a matter of habit than enjoyment. Something to pass the time.
"I'll answer three questions in exchange for the three apples," Ryuk said, realizing that his earlier declaration had been premature.
"Heh~…" Light smiled.
Without overthinking it—or attempting to negotiate—he handed him the basket.
Ryuk, curious, held an apple in his hand and examined it carefully, slowly turning it around.
Then he took an exaggerated bite; the crisp sound echoed.
Krunch… Krunch…
"Delicious…" Ryuk murmured, unable to suppress his thoughts.
"It's good to hear that," Light leaned back in his chair, still unsure how to categorize Ryuk. "Then answer," he urged.
"Mmm…" Ryuk took another large bite of the apple in his hand, eating it entirely before responding reluctantly.
"Look, don't get too excited. There's no grand story or 'sacred origin' to tell. At least, not one that I know of."
He paused to admire the remaining two apples.
"Who creates us? There are no births in the Shinigami world. We simply… exist."
He picked up another apple and began savoring it before answering the second question.
"And dying? Sure, we can die. If our lifespan runs out, we disappear."
He glanced at the last remaining apple and spoke again. "You have one question left…"
Light, for his part, carefully analyzed Ryuk's words.
Unlike before, Ryuk seemed more animated while answering.
"Lifespan…" he whispered to himself. He had already heard Zefir say something similar, but learning that Shinigami also possessed a lifespan intrigued him.
On the other hand, he had several other questions he wanted to ask—but he would wait until he had more apples. It was quite clear that Ryuk became far more approachable with them, and he had plenty of time.
"So Shinigami aren't that different from humans…" he commented, a hint of irony in his tone. "Since we're at it, I'd like to know…" he continued, holding the Death Note.
"Besides killing time by writing names, what do you gain by killing humans?" His eyes drifted over the names written in the notebook, a playful smile on his lips.
Ryuk quickly finished the last apple, feeling he had waited too long.
"Lifespan," he replied simply.
He looked at Light and added, "Shinigami can extend their lifespan thanks to humans."
"…? Extend your lifespan?" Light repeated, somewhat surprised.
Seeing Light's interest, Ryuk quickly added, "Yeah. But if you write names in the notebook, you won't extend your life. Heh, heh… curious, isn't it?"
Light let out a faint sigh, slightly embarrassed.
He couldn't deny that the possibility had crossed his mind.
"Yes, yes. Very curious…" Light no longer wished to hear more.
He turned away, intending to continue purifying the world of evil.
"But I have a deal that might interest you…"
However, Ryuk's voice echoed behind him once more.