Chapter 6 - The End of an Enigma

2 months later...

The whole of Japan breathes a sigh of relief and expresses its deep gratitude to the USA, South Korea and India. The streets resound with cheerful conversation, as people congratulate each other on the resolution of the financial crisis that had shaken their nation.

At the seat of government, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida delivers a solemn speech to a crowd of journalists and citizens. "We can never thank our international friends enough for their support during this difficult time," he declared, genuine emotion in his voice. "Thanks to their generosity, we have managed to overcome this unprecedented crisis. We have put in place a plan to repay this colossal debt, which will be spread over several years to ease our country's financial burden."

His words were greeted by thunderous applause, as citizens shook hands and exchanged smiles of relief. In the street, groups of people discuss the situation. "I can't believe we've managed to break this deadlock," says one man to his friend, tears in his eyes. "It was really scary."

A site had been set up to find out who was eligible for the sum offered by Kira. Those eligible were expected to have at least 19,241,000 yen. However, they could only receive 1,603,416 Yen per week, and they could only withdraw 786,550 Yen per day.

A group of young people show their gratitude to China by attempting to sing the Chinese national anthem in front of the Chinese embassy in Tokyo. The flags of the three other allied nations (South Korea, India and the USA) flutter proudly in the wind, symbolizing unity and solidarity in these difficult times.

Behind the scenes, Japanese negotiators warmly thank their foreign counterparts for their generosity. "We can never thank you enough for what you have done for our country," says Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki, shaking hands with the American representative. "Your help saved our nation."

The American representative smiles humbly and replies, "The friendship and cooperation between our countries is invaluable. We are happy to have been able to help you in these difficult times."

This scene of solidarity and gratitude warms the hearts of the Japanese people, who now aspire to turn the page on this dark period in their financial history.

Ryuk, perched high in the bell tower of a nearby church, let out a low chuckle. In a low voice, he murmured to himself: "He played on the tensions between political power and the possibility of imminent catastrophe if the Death Note fell into the wrong hands. His demand for payment forced the government to negotiate with him."

The Shinigami's eyes lost themselves in contemplation of the happy crowd. "In addition to making people millionaires, he enabled nations to band together to face a common goal," he mused, recognizing the undeniable impact of Shōhei's actions on the entire world.

Ryuk tasted the last apple with obvious pleasure, letting the sweet juice soak his mouth one last time before soaring into the heavens towards the world of the Shinigami. There, he was greeted by a skeletal figure, limping and wearing a strange red tie as a headband. The Shinigami's scarlet eyes seemed to burn with an intense glow, and he wore a coat, glasses and a satchel. At his side, he dragged a skeletal object resembling a hammer.

"Ryuk, the king of the gods of death wishes to speak with you," announced the Shinigami in a squeaky voice.

Intrigued, Ryuk made his way to the Shinigami king.

[SPK Japan (Tokyo)]

As Ryuk approached, the latter looked at him scrutinizingly, his red gaze piercing through the darkness of the world of the gods of death.

"Ryuk, you seem to have created quite a stir among the humans this time," commented the Shinigami king in a cavernous tone.

Ryuk, flashing his eternally sarcastic smile, replied, "Well, humans are often more entertaining than you think."

The Shinigami king, with a dismissive sigh, continued, "However, you left a human alive. Explain yourself."

Ryuk, still nonchalant, replied, "It was to prove a point. Rules are meant to be bent, aren't they?"

The Shinigami king raised a bony eyebrow, his red eyes shining with an enigmatic gleam. "Rules exist for a reason..."

"It doesn't matter to me," Ryuk retorted, crossing his arms. "The human in question used the Death Note in a unique way. It was an interesting game to watch."

The Shinigami king sighed again. "Despite your mischief, we must follow the established rules. This human must die after giving in to temptation."

Ryuk: Giving in? I'm not sure, he didn't even write a name in the notebook, though somehow he used it. His plan is too complex, there's no way he'll get caught or end his days in prison."

"His plan was so well thought out that you didn't even realize he'd lost his memories permanently on purpose... Besides, you're not really allowed back here. Look..."

L rose from his seat at the SPK, capturing the attention of every member. He outlined his plan with calculated assurance. "I may have a way to find out if Shōhei is really Kira."

"I've noticed an interesting pattern," he said in a composed tone. "Each time a person recovers their memories linked to the Death Note, they experience a mental shock proportional to their actions with the notebook. As we've seen, R-Kira has orchestrated many machinations with the Death Note. If Shōhei is Kira, the mental shock will be visible on his face if he recovers his memories."

A puzzled Halle Lidner interjected, "But L, you burned the notebook. How can we verify it now?"

An enigmatic smile spread across L's face. "Did you really mean it? In reality, I introduced ammonium phosphate to the notebook before it was destroyed, delaying its carbonization. So the notebook is still usable."

A whisper of astonishment spread through the room. "So, if we ask him to give up his memories, then get them back, we should be able to detect the truth on his face, shouldn't we?"

L: That's right. Get Shōhei back, and we'll see if his face betrays Kira's guilt.

Ryuk, who usually appeared carefree, suddenly changed his attitude. "So the Death Note that was under my governance is still usable!"

"I'll grant you that mistake, no one could have anticipated it. However, you must correct this one."

Ryuk, then listened attentively to the king's proposal.

"Return to the human world and stay there until the notebook is no longer usable or no one claims ownership. If you refuse to do so, your punishment will increase to severity level 3."

Ryuk: All right. After all, I'm a god of death.

Now that Shōhei had a healthy bank account, his mother had finally accepted his choice to take up drawing. She apologized for her lack of understanding and fully supported him in his project.

One day, Shōhei left home with a can of spray paint, tagging something on a wall. 

Ryuk moved silently closer to Shōhei, ready to fulfill his promise and close this chapter of his life.

As Shōhei stood in front of the freshly tagged wall, a sense of accomplishment filled his mind. The bright colors and bold shapes of his graffiti spread out before him, creating a captivating work of urban art. However, this moment of satisfaction was quickly interrupted by a shrill siren sound.

Shōhei turned his head to see a black car not far away, FBI agents in black uniforms, hurriedly getting out. A sudden panic seized him, for this was the first time he'd been caught in the act of tagging. Without thinking, he grabbed his legs and ran down the street, desperately looking for a way out.

The federal agents pursued him through the city's busy streets, Shōhei deftly dodging the obstacles in his path. His frantic run brought him to a busy street, where, in his panic, he failed to see the car hurtling straight towards him. There was a sudden crash, followed by the fleeting image of the car's headlights and the bluish sky before everything went black.

Beside him, Ryuk stood in the shadows, silent and invisible to human eyes.

"Shōhei Kyōden."

This was the name that appeared alongside that of "Light Yagami" as well as "Minoru Tanaka" in Ryuk's Death Note.

Ryuk: "Sorry, but it would have been boring to wait until the end."

As Shōhei had just taken his last breath.

Ryuk muttered to himself, with an unfeeling air: "Too bad you could have been the first." Then he disappeared, leaving behind Shōhei's lifeless body in the arms of the FBI, whose adventure with the Death Note had finally come to an end.

"You could have let yourself get caught. You no longer have your memories as Kira, they couldn't have found anything." murmurs Ryuk to himself. A hoarse laugh emanates from his throat, mixed with a touch of irony. "But hey, you're a rebel after all."

"I understand better now why you asked me about what was more perilous between a heart attack and recovering his memories linked to the Death Note. haha!"

December 17, 2023.