Chakra Wizard
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I figure I should let you know now that I’ll be going back to chapters told from Uric’s perspective after this one, to avoid confusion later onxd This chapter should prove rather interesting for some of you, hopefully, though I apologize for it being rather long
Enjoy
Stepping outside again and placing the page of the Death Note back into his sweatshirt, Uric took one look at Light’s lifeless body before rejoining Shahim on the other side of the fence line.
"You’ve kept that page for six whole years?"
"…You were listening in?"
"Well, you didn’t leave me much choice, honestly. …Curiosity can be rather strong at times, wouldn’t you agree?"
"...Hmhmhmhmhm, my own words emerging from your mouth. I suppose you’re right. …In other regards, we should probably head home now."
"Hm? …Without Ryuk?"
"…He’ll turn up soon, I’m sure."
From there, they began the long journey back to Uric’s house, Ryuk finally joining them no more than fifteen minutes later.
"Hey, what’s the big idea!? You couldn’t wait just a little while?"
"Hmhmhm, Ryuk, please. Are you really as angry as you make yourself out to be?"
"Huh? …Well, no, I guess not."
"Whoa. This guy’s a lot more passive than Light was. …Ugh, this better end up being a good thing for me."
"So, how far away do you live?"
"…At this point, I’d say we have another nineteen miles."
"Nineteen miles, …wait, hold up! And you’re walking the whole way there!? You don’t have a car or something else to get there faster?"
Feeling it necessary to help Ryuk understand exactly the type of person Uric was, Shahim cut in to relieve him of this exhausting chore.
"No, he doesn’t. …He’s not exactly the most vigorous human you’re ever gonna meet, Ryuk."
"Well, …what the hell does he do with his life, then?"
"You know, …you could always fly ahead or fall behind if you intend to have this conversation around me, Shahim."
"…Got it."
Choosing the latter, he stopped a moment to allow a decent amount of space to collect between him and Uric, provoking Ryuk to do the same. Once this was done, they lowered their voices slightly and continued their conversation.
"Now then, back to my question."
"He’s a detective, actually, …and a rather good one, at that. He’s normally on call, so he spends most of his time at home."
"…Any hobbies of some kind…or is he just a daydreamer?"
"Eh, …chess is his favorite activity from what I’ve been able to tell after all these years, though he’s also into video games."
"Oooh, well this might not be so bad, after all. …Not exactly a physical person, is he?"
"…He has his…skills, I guess. And what do you mean by “this might not be so bad”? It’s not like you’re sticking around very long."
"Hehehe, oh, I beg to differ, Shahim."
"Hm?"
"Well, why else would he ask me to stay and hear him out? He’s obviously got something he wants me to do."
"Hmmm, …yes, I suppose that’s true."
"But what, though?"
"Well, …anything else I should know?"
"Uhhh, …he likes…music."
"Yeah? …And?"
"…That’s it."
"That’s it? …Nothing else?"
Shahim merely nodded his head slightly, inciting a groan from his fellow Shinigami.
"Well, talk about boring. …Uric, this had better be good."
The rest of their walk, …or flight, in their case, was spent almost in total silence…with a few occasional complaints from Ryuk.
"Ugghh, and how exactly do YOU get used to this!?"
"…With time, I suppose. I’ve never been quite as charismatic as him either, so it’s not too hard to adjust to."
"Heh he, you got that right. Hey, Uric! How long do we have now?"
He didn’t respond, causing Ryuk’s annoyance to increase even further.
"HEY!! I’m talking to you!"
Almost immediately after this outburst, Uric turned onto a small sidewalk leading up to an average-sized, two-story house. After four hours, they had finally reached their destination, …much to Ryuk’s relief.
"Well, …that took long enough. …Decent place, from the looks of it."
Scanning his thumb and unlocking the door, Uric stepped into the house, followed shortly by the two Shinigami.
"Looks even better inside. …Bit of a neat freak, are you, Uric?"
"…I suppose you could say the only appearance I don’t care about is my own."
"…Well, it certainly looks that way."
"Oh, and would the two of you please follow me into the kitchen? …I have something for the both of you."
"Oh?"
Even Shahim was rather surprised by his request.
"What the hell? …I don’t recall him setting anything out before we left. What is he-?"
He halted all thoughts in his mind as he turned the corner, his eyes now set on the kitchen counter, …on which was a large tray stacked high with Uric’s cookies.
"You-you…when did-?"
"I made those while you were out tailing Light. …That should be one hundred exactly, …plus a few more to make up for the wait."
Shahim didn’t respond immediately. He was far too focused on what was currently in front of him. …Should Shinigami have had functioning organs, …Uric was almost certain that he would’ve been drooling at this moment in time. Ryuk, on the other hand, was simply standing beside him, alternating his gaze between the cookies and the expression on his counterpart’s face.
"What? Are they really that good?"
Before he could reply, Shahim darted forward with such quickness that Uric feared he might turn his head away and the entire tray would be empty the moment he looked back.
"Oh, you have no idea!"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, …enjoy, my friend. Oh, and there’s something for you, as well, Ryuk."
Refocusing his attention back on Uric, who pointed towards the other end of the counter, he followed the path of his finger, …which ended on a basket full of…
"APPLES!! Ooh, there’s gotta be at least twenty in there!"
"Hmhm, twenty-two, to be exact. I threw a few of my Granny Smith’s in there, as well, if you care to try them."
"Hm? Granny-what? …Oh, is that what those green ones are? …What’s the difference?"
Walking over to the basket, while simultaneously attempting to avoid Shahim’s thrashing arms, Uric grabbed one of the aforementioned pieces of fruit and tossed it to Ryuk, grabbing a lollipop out of the nearby jar as he did.
"Why not find out yourself?"
Hesitating for a moment, Ryuk gave into his request and bit a large chunk off of the apple, adopting a look of surprise as he began to chew it.
"Wooaaa, …ith tho…thour, …but still juicy!"
"Hmhmhm, so you enjoyed it?"
"Uh, …yeah, actually. Not bad at all."
"Well, care to have as many as you wish, then. …Oh, and once the two of you are done, I’d like you to come upstairs. …I still need to talk with you."
"…Um, alright? Sure."
Having said his piece, Uric continued upstairs, leaving the Shinigami to gorge themselves on their favorite food items.
"He’s a bit of an oddball, ain’t he?"
"…Hmm, haven’t actually thought about it in a while, …but I suppose he’s rather different…from other humans, that is."
"Heh, well, …that’s probably a good thing. Might make his plans a bit easier, …not having much of a reputation to ruin like Light did."
"…Yeah. That’s true."
"What ARE his plans, anyways? …He’s not gonna ask me to do anything exhausting, is he?"
"Not sure. He’s never really specified what he would do…after Light Yagami’s death, …which reminds me. How are YOU holding up? …You had been following him around for six years."
"Eh, good riddance, as far as I’m concerned. The guy put up a good show for me before he died and I suppose I owe him for that, …not that I would’ve saved his skin back there or anything."
"Hmmm, …just what I’d expect, … at least from you, Ryuk."
"Heh heh heh heh he, well, you know I’ve never been one for sympathy. I leave that crap to the humans."
"Do you say that because it’s true…or to prevent yourself from doing something reckless?"
"Huh? What, like…writing down a human’s name to save another one’s life?"
"That’s exactly what I mean. …What other danger do we Shinigami have to our existence?"
"Heh he, true. …I don’t know. I guess you could say it’s both. …Why do you ask?"
Shahim paused a moment before responding, turning his gaze toward the staircase as he did.
"No reason. …Anyways, I-"
Before he could finish his statement, the entire house suddenly burst to life as music began playing loudly throughout the house…and the fact that the vocalist of the band playing was screaming only made it that much louder.
"ARRRRRGGH!! Damn it, that hurts! What the hell is that kid’s problem!?"
"I told you he likes music!"
"And that’s it! You never said he liked playing it in the entire house at max volume! …Rrrgh, that guy, if you hadn’t written his name down already…DAMN IT, I CAN BARELY HEAR MYSELF TALK!!"
Leaving what was left of his apples behind, Ryuk spread his wings and flew up through the first floor ceiling, followed shortly by Shahim.
"Alright, what’s the…huh?"
"This is the bathroom, genius. His bedroom is out here."
Shrugging it off the best he could, Ryuk decided to follow Shahim, letting his irritation subside for now, …though this was partly because Uric had just turned down his music. Once inside the bedroom, Ryuk sat down at the end of the bed, while Shahim walked over to stand beside Uric, who was sitting in front of the chessboard in the center of the room, sucking on the lollipop he had taken from the kitchen.
"You have a reason you like turning it up that loud, pal?"
He gave a response after breaking off what was left of the piece of candy and tossing the stick into the small trash bin beside his desk.
"Not necessarily, …though I suppose I prefer loud music to other people speaking."
"Heh he, well, I can’t say I blame you for finding talking annoying."
The next thought to enter Ryuk’s mind involved the chessboard in front of him.
"So, why’s that set out like that? …You’re not asking me to play, are you?"
Noticing that Uric was still rather deep in thought, Shahim answered for him.
"He’s been using this to keep track of Light’s…or, more so, Kira’s actions over the past six years. …Looks like he’s just finished bringing it up to date."
"Not quite."
"Hm?"
Checking to ensure that both of them were listening, Uric placed his hand on the black queen and moved it across the board, intent to discard the white queen.
"Light is now dead, …"
Picking up the captured queen, he took it and placed it on the same square as a white pawn that was already at the other end of the board. Once this was done, he moved the new queen to the same space as its black counterpart.
"…as is Near, my biggest threat, …for the time being, at least. However, even with both L and his greatest student no longer in the game, I can’t afford to leave myself in a position where I might make a mistake at some point along the way. …So, for now, I’ll repeat the actions I took with Light…and give the Death Note to someone else."
"…So, that was your plan, after all. Uric, …it seems you’re still afraid of getting your hands more stained than they already are."
"Heh he, the rather cowardly move on your part, ain’t it?"
"…Yes it is. …You could call that my greatest fault, …though it’s also the reason this all worked out in my favor in the end. …Hundreds of criminals, …hundreds of lost souls sent to Hell over the course of six years. At the end of that span of time, the bad guy paid the price for his sins…and the Death Note is still a secret to the rest of the world. I’m back where I started, only this time, my biggest obstacles are already gone. …But, I’m still not comfortable taking matters into my own hands, …at least, not until the king is out of the picture."
"Huh? The king?"
Uric took another long sigh into his lungs. He had forgotten that Ryuk was still unaware of what these chess pieces all represented.
"Yeah. The kings are what guarantee the other side’s victory if they’re taken out. For me, that would be the Death Notes. For the rest of the world, …it’s whatever hope they still have of defeating the murderer they call Kira."
"…Sounds about right."
"Fortunately, though, I already have a strategy in place to completely devastate whatever chances they believe they have left."
As both Shinigami sought to question him on what he was referring to, Uric reached beneath his sweatshirt and pulled out his Death Note, …as well as the two he had acquired just five hours previously.
"At this moment in time, every known Death Note in the human world is in my possession. …Now, I shouldn’t waste any time in putting them to use. …And for that, I need you, Ryuk."
"Huh? Why the hell do you need me?"
"Because…he needs you to be the one to deliver it."
Somewhat surprised, Ryuk took his eyes off of Uric and placed them on Shahim.
"Say what!? …And what the hell makes you think I would agree to that?"
The audacity of him asking that question at all caused Uric to smile.
"Well, for starters, you’ll be sticking around here a while longer, …giving you the chance to eat as many as apples as you want while you’re here."
"…True."
"AND…I’ll be sure to keep a large basket of them laying around whenever you return here, …no questions…or favors asked. I just need you to do one thing for me."
Before Ryuk could even respond, Uric was already positive that he had ascertained his victory. …There was no way that the Shinigami would turn down such an opportunity.
"So, …what exactly did you want me to do?"
Bingo. Before he answered him, though, he picked up the Death Note that belonged to Misa’s Shinigami and opened it to the first empty page, …tearing out all the pages before it once he did. Carefully picking off any pieces left along the crevice of the notebook, he closed it again and held it out in front of him for Ryuk to take from him.
"You’re going to find someone. It doesn’t matter who it is…or where they are…or what they do. …Be creative, by all means, but just don’t tell me who they are. I only ask that you keep an eye on them for a while…and, once you’re certain that they’re more than capable…and willing to do so, …you’re going to give it to them…and they will become the next Kira."
"…Alright? Why would you not wanna know who they are?"
"…Because I’ll eventually find out myself."
Neither Shinigami responded immediately, so Uric proceeded to explain himself to them.
"I’m a renowned detective, after all. I have all the influence in the world to make this happen… and the events that have recently passed now make it all the more possible. When Light Yagami’s body is found, at first glance, he will appear to be the victim of several gunshot wounds. After an autopsy is performed, however, a heart attack will prove to be the real culprit…and in this day and age, there’s only one method through which police officers in their early twenties suffer heart attacks. …I’ve publicly voiced my refusal to participate in Kira’s capture before this day, …but after “discovering” that an old friend of mine was murdered by him, no one will be surprised that I’ve had a change of heart. From there, I’ll incorporate the tactics I’ve seen L use over the years and merge them with my own. …I’ll find out exactly where and who this new culprit…and before anyone can move in and seize the Death Note, …I’ll kill them myself. …This cycle will repeat itself for several years…until, eventually, even I give up all hope of finding the source of this ongoing sequence of murderers…with the world’s hope following soon after."
"He’s really thought it this far through, …but will you be able to turn those words into actions, Uric?"
Both of his guests were silent for a moment, unsure exactly how to reply…until Ryuk burst out laughing.
"Heh heh heh heh he, well well, …that DOES sound interesting. …Alright, I’ll do it. When do you want it done?"
"…Now."
"Huh?"
"I need the Kira murders to start again as quickly as possible and I’m not filling in for that demon that Light created."
"Oooo, trying to justify what we’re doing here, are we?"
"No. …I simply want to be directly responsible for as few deaths as I can absolutely allow. …Is that so wrong?"
"…Heh, I don’t care either way. Alright, I’ll leave right now, but I’m taking the rest of those apples with me."
"Hmhmhmhmhm, by all means, Ryuk. ...We'll meet again soon enough."
"Yeah, sure."
And with his future plans now secured, Uric breathed a sigh of relief as Ryuk departed from his home. Standing up and walking over to his window, he waited patiently for the questions he knew were on Shahim’s mind.
"Do you really think that the world will place ALL of its hope in you?"
"Of course not. …But, the world has already given up nearly all active resistance to Kira’s “rule”. The hope people will soon place in me will be more than enough to shatter what remains of it once I’m unable to live up to their expectations."
"Then answer me this, Uric. …Do you truly believe that the stand you’re making here will prevent all future generations from using the Death Note? …The world will eventually forget everything Kira did over these last few years."
"...Eventually, they might, …but whoever said I was Kira?"
"Hm?"
"…Kira’s just a name that the Earth’s most pathetic breed of humans gave to Light while he was killing criminals. …I’m nothing like him…and before I’ve reached the end of my life, they WILL realize how foolish they were to call a murderer “God”. …And no, I don’t believe my impact will resonate throughout history. At some point, the Death Notes will return to the world and people will find them and use them, …but I’ve already lost all other reasons to live, …so I suppose it’s worth a shot."
"…This man, …even after six years, I still have difficulty understanding how he thinks."
Shahim found his own thoughts interrupted, though, as a ringing noise emerged from Uric’s pocket, just barely being heard over the playing music. Shutting the latter off for the time being, Uric pulled out his cell phone and answered it.
"Atari speaking."
“Uric, it’s me. We’ve got a call from the Daikoku Wharf. Looks like a homicide.”
"…Okay? How quick do they need us down there?"
“They requested our immediate involvement.”
"Alright. You’re gonna have to come pick me up, then."
“Huuhhhhh…you know something, Uric? You really need to get off your ass one of these days and get a license.”
"Hehehehehe, well, maybe once you stop driving me around whenever I ask you."
“...Hehe, touché.”
"Hmhm, alright, Hiroto. I’ll see you in ten minutes."
“I’ll be there in five.”
"…Alright. See you then."
Hanging up the phone, Uric turned back around and grabbed his sweatshirt, which he had taken off when he entered the room, and his badge, which rested on his desk. After these were both fitted on his person, he turned around and began putting away the pieces on the chessboard, …knocking the black king over as he did.
"That will happen soon enough."
After placing the board in his closet, he held the door open a while longer as he began reaching in the very back for a small safe fitted into the wall. Once it was open, he took out the last two Death Notes once again and set them inside it, though not before tearing a page out of the one that originally belonged to him. After locking it again, he shut the closet door and headed downstairs as he placed the now-folded page into his back pocket, Shahim following close behind him.
"…Shahim."
"Hm?"
"…The next phase begins now."
EnjoyThe Next Phase
Stepping outside again and placing the page of the Death Note back into his sweatshirt, Uric took one look at Light’s lifeless body before rejoining Shahim on the other side of the fence line.
"You’ve kept that page for six whole years?"
"…You were listening in?"
"Well, you didn’t leave me much choice, honestly. …Curiosity can be rather strong at times, wouldn’t you agree?"
"...Hmhmhmhmhm, my own words emerging from your mouth. I suppose you’re right. …In other regards, we should probably head home now."
"Hm? …Without Ryuk?"
"…He’ll turn up soon, I’m sure."
From there, they began the long journey back to Uric’s house, Ryuk finally joining them no more than fifteen minutes later.
"Hey, what’s the big idea!? You couldn’t wait just a little while?"
"Hmhmhm, Ryuk, please. Are you really as angry as you make yourself out to be?"
"Huh? …Well, no, I guess not."
"Whoa. This guy’s a lot more passive than Light was. …Ugh, this better end up being a good thing for me."
"So, how far away do you live?"
"…At this point, I’d say we have another nineteen miles."
"Nineteen miles, …wait, hold up! And you’re walking the whole way there!? You don’t have a car or something else to get there faster?"
Feeling it necessary to help Ryuk understand exactly the type of person Uric was, Shahim cut in to relieve him of this exhausting chore.
"No, he doesn’t. …He’s not exactly the most vigorous human you’re ever gonna meet, Ryuk."
"Well, …what the hell does he do with his life, then?"
"You know, …you could always fly ahead or fall behind if you intend to have this conversation around me, Shahim."
"…Got it."
Choosing the latter, he stopped a moment to allow a decent amount of space to collect between him and Uric, provoking Ryuk to do the same. Once this was done, they lowered their voices slightly and continued their conversation.
"Now then, back to my question."
"He’s a detective, actually, …and a rather good one, at that. He’s normally on call, so he spends most of his time at home."
"…Any hobbies of some kind…or is he just a daydreamer?"
"Eh, …chess is his favorite activity from what I’ve been able to tell after all these years, though he’s also into video games."
"Oooh, well this might not be so bad, after all. …Not exactly a physical person, is he?"
"…He has his…skills, I guess. And what do you mean by “this might not be so bad”? It’s not like you’re sticking around very long."
"Hehehe, oh, I beg to differ, Shahim."
"Hm?"
"Well, why else would he ask me to stay and hear him out? He’s obviously got something he wants me to do."
"Hmmm, …yes, I suppose that’s true."
"But what, though?"
"Well, …anything else I should know?"
"Uhhh, …he likes…music."
"Yeah? …And?"
"…That’s it."
"That’s it? …Nothing else?"
Shahim merely nodded his head slightly, inciting a groan from his fellow Shinigami.
"Well, talk about boring. …Uric, this had better be good."
The rest of their walk, …or flight, in their case, was spent almost in total silence…with a few occasional complaints from Ryuk.
"Ugghh, and how exactly do YOU get used to this!?"
"…With time, I suppose. I’ve never been quite as charismatic as him either, so it’s not too hard to adjust to."
"Heh he, you got that right. Hey, Uric! How long do we have now?"
He didn’t respond, causing Ryuk’s annoyance to increase even further.
"HEY!! I’m talking to you!"
Almost immediately after this outburst, Uric turned onto a small sidewalk leading up to an average-sized, two-story house. After four hours, they had finally reached their destination, …much to Ryuk’s relief.
"Well, …that took long enough. …Decent place, from the looks of it."
Scanning his thumb and unlocking the door, Uric stepped into the house, followed shortly by the two Shinigami.
"Looks even better inside. …Bit of a neat freak, are you, Uric?"
"…I suppose you could say the only appearance I don’t care about is my own."
"…Well, it certainly looks that way."
"Oh, and would the two of you please follow me into the kitchen? …I have something for the both of you."
"Oh?"
Even Shahim was rather surprised by his request.
"What the hell? …I don’t recall him setting anything out before we left. What is he-?"
He halted all thoughts in his mind as he turned the corner, his eyes now set on the kitchen counter, …on which was a large tray stacked high with Uric’s cookies.
"You-you…when did-?"
"I made those while you were out tailing Light. …That should be one hundred exactly, …plus a few more to make up for the wait."
Shahim didn’t respond immediately. He was far too focused on what was currently in front of him. …Should Shinigami have had functioning organs, …Uric was almost certain that he would’ve been drooling at this moment in time. Ryuk, on the other hand, was simply standing beside him, alternating his gaze between the cookies and the expression on his counterpart’s face.
"What? Are they really that good?"
Before he could reply, Shahim darted forward with such quickness that Uric feared he might turn his head away and the entire tray would be empty the moment he looked back.
"Oh, you have no idea!"
"Hmhmhmhmhm, …enjoy, my friend. Oh, and there’s something for you, as well, Ryuk."
Refocusing his attention back on Uric, who pointed towards the other end of the counter, he followed the path of his finger, …which ended on a basket full of…
"APPLES!! Ooh, there’s gotta be at least twenty in there!"
"Hmhm, twenty-two, to be exact. I threw a few of my Granny Smith’s in there, as well, if you care to try them."
"Hm? Granny-what? …Oh, is that what those green ones are? …What’s the difference?"
Walking over to the basket, while simultaneously attempting to avoid Shahim’s thrashing arms, Uric grabbed one of the aforementioned pieces of fruit and tossed it to Ryuk, grabbing a lollipop out of the nearby jar as he did.
"Why not find out yourself?"
Hesitating for a moment, Ryuk gave into his request and bit a large chunk off of the apple, adopting a look of surprise as he began to chew it.
"Wooaaa, …ith tho…thour, …but still juicy!"
"Hmhmhm, so you enjoyed it?"
"Uh, …yeah, actually. Not bad at all."
"Well, care to have as many as you wish, then. …Oh, and once the two of you are done, I’d like you to come upstairs. …I still need to talk with you."
"…Um, alright? Sure."
Having said his piece, Uric continued upstairs, leaving the Shinigami to gorge themselves on their favorite food items.
"He’s a bit of an oddball, ain’t he?"
"…Hmm, haven’t actually thought about it in a while, …but I suppose he’s rather different…from other humans, that is."
"Heh, well, …that’s probably a good thing. Might make his plans a bit easier, …not having much of a reputation to ruin like Light did."
"…Yeah. That’s true."
"What ARE his plans, anyways? …He’s not gonna ask me to do anything exhausting, is he?"
"Not sure. He’s never really specified what he would do…after Light Yagami’s death, …which reminds me. How are YOU holding up? …You had been following him around for six years."
"Eh, good riddance, as far as I’m concerned. The guy put up a good show for me before he died and I suppose I owe him for that, …not that I would’ve saved his skin back there or anything."
"Hmmm, …just what I’d expect, … at least from you, Ryuk."
"Heh heh heh heh he, well, you know I’ve never been one for sympathy. I leave that crap to the humans."
"Do you say that because it’s true…or to prevent yourself from doing something reckless?"
"Huh? What, like…writing down a human’s name to save another one’s life?"
"That’s exactly what I mean. …What other danger do we Shinigami have to our existence?"
"Heh he, true. …I don’t know. I guess you could say it’s both. …Why do you ask?"
Shahim paused a moment before responding, turning his gaze toward the staircase as he did.
"No reason. …Anyways, I-"
Before he could finish his statement, the entire house suddenly burst to life as music began playing loudly throughout the house…and the fact that the vocalist of the band playing was screaming only made it that much louder.
"ARRRRRGGH!! Damn it, that hurts! What the hell is that kid’s problem!?"
"I told you he likes music!"
"And that’s it! You never said he liked playing it in the entire house at max volume! …Rrrgh, that guy, if you hadn’t written his name down already…DAMN IT, I CAN BARELY HEAR MYSELF TALK!!"
Leaving what was left of his apples behind, Ryuk spread his wings and flew up through the first floor ceiling, followed shortly by Shahim.
"Alright, what’s the…huh?"
"This is the bathroom, genius. His bedroom is out here."
Shrugging it off the best he could, Ryuk decided to follow Shahim, letting his irritation subside for now, …though this was partly because Uric had just turned down his music. Once inside the bedroom, Ryuk sat down at the end of the bed, while Shahim walked over to stand beside Uric, who was sitting in front of the chessboard in the center of the room, sucking on the lollipop he had taken from the kitchen.
"You have a reason you like turning it up that loud, pal?"
He gave a response after breaking off what was left of the piece of candy and tossing the stick into the small trash bin beside his desk.
"Not necessarily, …though I suppose I prefer loud music to other people speaking."
"Heh he, well, I can’t say I blame you for finding talking annoying."
The next thought to enter Ryuk’s mind involved the chessboard in front of him.
"So, why’s that set out like that? …You’re not asking me to play, are you?"
Noticing that Uric was still rather deep in thought, Shahim answered for him.
"He’s been using this to keep track of Light’s…or, more so, Kira’s actions over the past six years. …Looks like he’s just finished bringing it up to date."
"Not quite."
"Hm?"
Checking to ensure that both of them were listening, Uric placed his hand on the black queen and moved it across the board, intent to discard the white queen.
"Light is now dead, …"
Picking up the captured queen, he took it and placed it on the same square as a white pawn that was already at the other end of the board. Once this was done, he moved the new queen to the same space as its black counterpart.
"…as is Near, my biggest threat, …for the time being, at least. However, even with both L and his greatest student no longer in the game, I can’t afford to leave myself in a position where I might make a mistake at some point along the way. …So, for now, I’ll repeat the actions I took with Light…and give the Death Note to someone else."
"…So, that was your plan, after all. Uric, …it seems you’re still afraid of getting your hands more stained than they already are."
"Heh he, the rather cowardly move on your part, ain’t it?"
"…Yes it is. …You could call that my greatest fault, …though it’s also the reason this all worked out in my favor in the end. …Hundreds of criminals, …hundreds of lost souls sent to Hell over the course of six years. At the end of that span of time, the bad guy paid the price for his sins…and the Death Note is still a secret to the rest of the world. I’m back where I started, only this time, my biggest obstacles are already gone. …But, I’m still not comfortable taking matters into my own hands, …at least, not until the king is out of the picture."
"Huh? The king?"
Uric took another long sigh into his lungs. He had forgotten that Ryuk was still unaware of what these chess pieces all represented.
"Yeah. The kings are what guarantee the other side’s victory if they’re taken out. For me, that would be the Death Notes. For the rest of the world, …it’s whatever hope they still have of defeating the murderer they call Kira."
"…Sounds about right."
"Fortunately, though, I already have a strategy in place to completely devastate whatever chances they believe they have left."
As both Shinigami sought to question him on what he was referring to, Uric reached beneath his sweatshirt and pulled out his Death Note, …as well as the two he had acquired just five hours previously.
"At this moment in time, every known Death Note in the human world is in my possession. …Now, I shouldn’t waste any time in putting them to use. …And for that, I need you, Ryuk."
"Huh? Why the hell do you need me?"
"Because…he needs you to be the one to deliver it."
Somewhat surprised, Ryuk took his eyes off of Uric and placed them on Shahim.
"Say what!? …And what the hell makes you think I would agree to that?"
The audacity of him asking that question at all caused Uric to smile.
"Well, for starters, you’ll be sticking around here a while longer, …giving you the chance to eat as many as apples as you want while you’re here."
"…True."
"AND…I’ll be sure to keep a large basket of them laying around whenever you return here, …no questions…or favors asked. I just need you to do one thing for me."
Before Ryuk could even respond, Uric was already positive that he had ascertained his victory. …There was no way that the Shinigami would turn down such an opportunity.
"So, …what exactly did you want me to do?"
Bingo. Before he answered him, though, he picked up the Death Note that belonged to Misa’s Shinigami and opened it to the first empty page, …tearing out all the pages before it once he did. Carefully picking off any pieces left along the crevice of the notebook, he closed it again and held it out in front of him for Ryuk to take from him.
"You’re going to find someone. It doesn’t matter who it is…or where they are…or what they do. …Be creative, by all means, but just don’t tell me who they are. I only ask that you keep an eye on them for a while…and, once you’re certain that they’re more than capable…and willing to do so, …you’re going to give it to them…and they will become the next Kira."
"…Alright? Why would you not wanna know who they are?"
"…Because I’ll eventually find out myself."
Neither Shinigami responded immediately, so Uric proceeded to explain himself to them.
"I’m a renowned detective, after all. I have all the influence in the world to make this happen… and the events that have recently passed now make it all the more possible. When Light Yagami’s body is found, at first glance, he will appear to be the victim of several gunshot wounds. After an autopsy is performed, however, a heart attack will prove to be the real culprit…and in this day and age, there’s only one method through which police officers in their early twenties suffer heart attacks. …I’ve publicly voiced my refusal to participate in Kira’s capture before this day, …but after “discovering” that an old friend of mine was murdered by him, no one will be surprised that I’ve had a change of heart. From there, I’ll incorporate the tactics I’ve seen L use over the years and merge them with my own. …I’ll find out exactly where and who this new culprit…and before anyone can move in and seize the Death Note, …I’ll kill them myself. …This cycle will repeat itself for several years…until, eventually, even I give up all hope of finding the source of this ongoing sequence of murderers…with the world’s hope following soon after."
"He’s really thought it this far through, …but will you be able to turn those words into actions, Uric?"
Both of his guests were silent for a moment, unsure exactly how to reply…until Ryuk burst out laughing.
"Heh heh heh heh he, well well, …that DOES sound interesting. …Alright, I’ll do it. When do you want it done?"
"…Now."
"Huh?"
"I need the Kira murders to start again as quickly as possible and I’m not filling in for that demon that Light created."
"Oooo, trying to justify what we’re doing here, are we?"
"No. …I simply want to be directly responsible for as few deaths as I can absolutely allow. …Is that so wrong?"
"…Heh, I don’t care either way. Alright, I’ll leave right now, but I’m taking the rest of those apples with me."
"Hmhmhmhmhm, by all means, Ryuk. ...We'll meet again soon enough."
"Yeah, sure."
And with his future plans now secured, Uric breathed a sigh of relief as Ryuk departed from his home. Standing up and walking over to his window, he waited patiently for the questions he knew were on Shahim’s mind.
"Do you really think that the world will place ALL of its hope in you?"
"Of course not. …But, the world has already given up nearly all active resistance to Kira’s “rule”. The hope people will soon place in me will be more than enough to shatter what remains of it once I’m unable to live up to their expectations."
"Then answer me this, Uric. …Do you truly believe that the stand you’re making here will prevent all future generations from using the Death Note? …The world will eventually forget everything Kira did over these last few years."
"...Eventually, they might, …but whoever said I was Kira?"
"Hm?"
"…Kira’s just a name that the Earth’s most pathetic breed of humans gave to Light while he was killing criminals. …I’m nothing like him…and before I’ve reached the end of my life, they WILL realize how foolish they were to call a murderer “God”. …And no, I don’t believe my impact will resonate throughout history. At some point, the Death Notes will return to the world and people will find them and use them, …but I’ve already lost all other reasons to live, …so I suppose it’s worth a shot."
"…This man, …even after six years, I still have difficulty understanding how he thinks."
Shahim found his own thoughts interrupted, though, as a ringing noise emerged from Uric’s pocket, just barely being heard over the playing music. Shutting the latter off for the time being, Uric pulled out his cell phone and answered it.
"Atari speaking."
“Uric, it’s me. We’ve got a call from the Daikoku Wharf. Looks like a homicide.”
"…Okay? How quick do they need us down there?"
“They requested our immediate involvement.”
"Alright. You’re gonna have to come pick me up, then."
“Huuhhhhh…you know something, Uric? You really need to get off your ass one of these days and get a license.”
"Hehehehehe, well, maybe once you stop driving me around whenever I ask you."
“...Hehe, touché.”
"Hmhm, alright, Hiroto. I’ll see you in ten minutes."
“I’ll be there in five.”
"…Alright. See you then."
Hanging up the phone, Uric turned back around and grabbed his sweatshirt, which he had taken off when he entered the room, and his badge, which rested on his desk. After these were both fitted on his person, he turned around and began putting away the pieces on the chessboard, …knocking the black king over as he did.
"That will happen soon enough."
After placing the board in his closet, he held the door open a while longer as he began reaching in the very back for a small safe fitted into the wall. Once it was open, he took out the last two Death Notes once again and set them inside it, though not before tearing a page out of the one that originally belonged to him. After locking it again, he shut the closet door and headed downstairs as he placed the now-folded page into his back pocket, Shahim following close behind him.
"…Shahim."
"Hm?"
"…The next phase begins now."
- The End -
