Shinigami Realm was a wasteland of sand and stone, lit by a sickly, colorless sky. Gigantic rock pillars tilted precariously, stretching upward into the void. Shadows of monsters Shinigami slouched across the barren land, their grotesque figures gathered in small groups, gambling away the time of eternity.
One of them, Ryuk, stood apart. His jagged grin never faded, his bulging eyes restless. With a flick of his hand, he toyed with a black notebook. The cover read in bold letters:
DEATH NOTE
"I'm bored," Ryuk muttered, tossing the notebook into the air and catching it again. "This world never changes. Maybe the human world will be more… entertaining."
His grin widened as he released his grip. The notebook fell from his hands, tumbling into the darkness toward the human world.
---
At Daikoku Private Academy, the monotone voice of a teacher filled the classroom. Light Yagami, top student of his year, sat near the window. His textbook lay open, but his mind was elsewhere.
This world is rotten, he thought, watching the chalk scrape across the blackboard. So much crime. So much filth. And no one does anything about it.
Something caught his eye. Through the glass window, a black object fell from the sky. Slowly, it spiraled downward, landing in the schoolyard below. A notebook.
When class ended, students poured out noisily. Light stepped into the courtyard, calm as always. There it was, lying on the ground, untouched.
He picked it up. The cover was plain, yet the letters stood out clearly:
DEATH NOTE
He flipped it open. The first line was :
"The human whose name is written in this note will die."
Light frowned. What kind of joke is this?At first, he decided to leave it there but then he changed his mind.
He tucked the notebook into his bag and walked home.
---
That evening, rain streaked across his window. Light sat at his desk, homework spread before him, but the black notebook drew his attention again. Under the lamp's glow, he read the rules carefully.
The human whose name is written in this note shall die.
This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in mind when writing his/her name.
If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the name, it will happen.
If the cause of death is not specified, the person will die of a heart attack.
After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written within 6 minutes 40 seconds.
Light leaned back in his chair. It has to be fake. But…
He turned on the television. A breaking news report filled the screen: a man had taken hostages at a nearby nursery school. His face was shown clearly. His name Kurou Otoharada was displayed in the caption.
Light stared at the notebook. His pen trembled in his fingers. It won't work… but… what if it does?
Slowly, he wrote the name: Kurou Otoharada.
Minutes passed. Nothing happened. Light smirked at his own gullibility. Of course. It's just a prank.
Then the broadcast erupted with shouts. The criminal had collapsed, clutching his chest. Dead.
Light's eyes widened. His breath caught. No way… This… this can't be real.
---
The next day, still shaken, Light carried the notebook with him. On his way home, he passed a group of men harassing a young woman on the street. One of them pulled her by the arm, laughing.
Disgust flared in Light's chest. He slipped into an alley, pulled out the notebook, and wrote one name: Takuo Shibui.
Moments later, the man staggered, eyes wide, and collapsed on the pavement. The woman screamed. His friends backed away in shock.
Light's hands trembled. Twice. It had worked twice.
He clutched the notebook to his chest, heart pounding. This… this power… If I use it, I could rid the world of criminals. I could create a new world. A world cleansed of evil.
His lips curled into a determined smile. And I will be its god.
---
That night, thunder rolled outside. The room was dark, except for the lamplight glowing on Light's desk. Suddenly, the air grew heavy.
A shadow stretched across the wall.
Light turned.
A towering figure stood there—grotesque, with black feathers, pale skin, and bulging yellow eyes. The creature's grin revealed rows of jagged teeth.
Light's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Wh-who are you?" he asked.
Ryuk grinned, his jagged teeth showing. "I'm Ryuk. That's my name. And you've been busy, Light Yagami. I'm impressed."
Light's eyes narrowed. "You… dropped this notebook?"
Ryuk chuckled. "Yeah. I was bored. Nothing ever happens in the Shinigami Realm. I thought the human world might be more… entertaining."
Light held the notebook tightly. "And you're not… helping me?"
Ryuk shook his head. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not on your side or anyone else's. Everything you do with it… is your choice. I'm just here to watch."
Light's expression hardened, determination burning in his eyes. "That's fine. I know exactly what I'll do with it."
Ryuk's grin widened. "Heh. This is going to be fun."
The lightning flashed, casting their shadows across the wall the boy and the god of death, bound together by a single notebook.