(A/N: I tend to forget things easily. I'd be obsessed about something and know so much then when I lose interest I forgot 90% of the things I was just gushing over.)
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The last day of school. That is, my last day being in fifth grade.
It's graduation day.
For the occasion, I wore a flowing piece of traditional clothing that, if I'm not mistaken, looked similar to what people from the martial arts club wore. However, unlike the usual plain black-and-white getup, crimson flowers mirroring the colour of my eyes were woven throughout the fabric.
I gave myself another look in the bathroom mirror. Damn. I am absolutely fabulous. I mean, I would have preferred a suit and tie but this look ain't half bad either.
"Eira!"
"Hm?"
I turned to look at who called me, only to be struck by a juice box right in the noggin.
*Splash!*
Before I could even process that, several more came flying in.
Juice splattered all over my face, hair, and clothes until I was drenched.
I wiped the juice from my eyes just in time to catch the culprits fleeing the scene.
...Well played, well played.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Those little shits had been holding back on their pranks just to save the best one for the perfect occasion.
The mess was easy to clean. Giving myself a quick once-over, I left the restroom looking immaculately clean, though a small headache had settled on my head.
[The ceremony will begin in five minutes]
"Yup, haven't forgotten."
By the time I made it to the crowded gymnasium, the headache was gone.
Man, √Root is way more useful than I gave it credit for.
...
..
.
..
...
"Sasaki Eira."
"Yes!"
My feet shuffled to the principal with practised elegance. The gymnasium was full of students and parents alike, ready to gtfo and celebrate in their own way.
I gracefully accepted my graduation certificate. The old principal's eyes seemed to glimmer, but I was no mind reader. Still, I can guess what he's thinking.
How is my form?
[Fantastic, host]
I should mention that, leading up to the graduation ceremony, the System gave me a related quest to refine my movements so I wouldn't make a fool of myself. What can I say? The System is on top of everything. There were school rehearsals but they were dog crap compared to what the System had prepared.
I posed for the cameras without breaking stride. The gazes of students, parents, and faculty persisted even when I returned to my seat.
Such is the fate of the sore thumb sticking out. It would be hard not to stare. They're looking at the year's highest achiever. Despite Pico's below-average performance in the first half of the school year, I salvaged it with ease.
Or maybe their gawking is due to my appearance. Probably that more than anything. Didn't their parents teach them not to stare? I guess even the parents are staring.
How rude.
-------------------------------
[Quest Completed]
Lasting Last Impressions |Rank: C|
[Quest Completion Rank]: A
-------------------------------
[Congratulations!]
[The rewards have been deposited to your inventory]
What was it again? New clothes?
[Exquise Clothing Set]
Nice. I definitely need those. I've outgrown Pico's clothes from last year.
Since getting new clothes out of nowhere would raise questions, I asked the System to tweak the reward to replicate my existing ones instead, with slight differences in size and material. Almost everything in my wardrobe has been replaced through miscellaneous quests like cooking dinner five days in a row, jogging to school instead of taking the train, or even cleaning Dad's car without using Protogenoi-K.
These days, I can barely feel the weather with the amazing quality of my clothes. They were warm when needed, breathable, and fit me perfectly. They dry up real quick too, even in winter... or, if I'm lazy about laundry, simply annihilate the filth.
If I had one complaint, I don't know if it's just me, but the replica clothes look a tad girlier than the original ones. The System didn't seem to know what I was talking about, so maybe it is just me.
While listening to the ceremony, I felt a handful of intense gazes.
Discreetly, I tilted my head back.
Nakamura and friends. Their faces screamed confusion.
[Courting death, are they not?]
"Plenty, but I've got it handled."
I shot them the biggest Heh face I could make. Their reactions were immediate, but I turned back around before they could respond.
More students grabbed their certificates. The hour-long ceremony was only halfway done.
Bored, I wisely spent my time going through the memories in the System's database.
I've been doing this a lot recently. The return of the System meant that I had access to what was basically Cultivation Netflix. As someone who didn't dabble much in that type of fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of content I could watch.
For example, I found the isekai slop equivalent of Chinese cultivation novels: The Golden Finger. It can come in many forms, mainly systems, sign-ins, a physique, ancestry, ROBs, inheritance, talking jewellery, regression, lucky kills, etc. Even a chat group can be a cheat with enough bullshit.
Right now I'm watching this one cultivator who can go back in time with the help of a cicada. He is also more than a little unhinged. Not my cup of tea, but I respect the hustle.
The ceremony ended with a group song. My singing voice was pretty average. The students then filed out of the gymnasium in an orderly fashion.
This will probably be the last time I'll ever see most of these people.
I'll be busy packing all my things for the move throughout next week. By that, I mean I'll just shove the little that I have into my inventory. And then there's the actual move. The good thing is that Kenzo hired movers so I can be a bum (Bum has been my favourite word for more than a year now. I just like the way it sounds).
The moment I stepped outside, my lovely parents swooped in and snatched me into their embrace. "Congratulations! You've done so well this year! You're a big girl now!"
"Oof—!" I got squished like a marshmallow. "T'was nothing. I'm a genius."
"Our adorable little genius!!!"
"Hey, I thought I was a big girl?"
"Well, yes, but until the day you have grandkids, you're still our baby!"
"Then I'll basically be a baby forever... woah!"
Kenzo spun me around until I got dizzy. I leaned on Mayumi while the world swirled, and she rubbed my cheeks in adoration.
Letting me stay where I was bullied hadn't been easy for them. I could tell from the way they fussed over me. Their anxiety hadn't gone anywhere.
Hopefully, once we move, they can finally stop worrying so much.
"We can visit an arcade after lunch!"
I cheerfully nodded. "Best. Plan. Ever."
Lunch involved easy-to-eat sushi. The textures varied greatly—just my type of food. Naturally, I ate one of everything.
Speaking of things I like stuffing in my mouth, I rediscovered my love for gum.
My gosh, how could I forget these things exist? It's a staple in every kid's diet! Gum became my go-to snack whenever my mouth felt lonely. Blowing a big bubble became one of my favourite pastimes.
I chewed on two pieces of gum as we entered an arcade different from my usual one. Despite that, I could already see a few knowing stares tossed my way.
"Look over there, it's Es. I didn't know she came to this joint."
"Shiiiiit, I just set a high score five minutes ago!"
"Rip dude."
After a short wait, it was our turn to buy tokens.
"Let's see, 20 machines with five of them that need two tokens to play... We'll get 25 tokens," I said.
Kenzo interjected. "80 tokens." I stared at him oddly. "What? We're celebrating. Let's have lots of fun today!"
Right, this isn't like the other times. There's no need to leave my mark here. But I also really want to get at least ten highscores...
While waiting for the precious tokens, I scanned the prize wall. Same old toys, same old big, stuffed teddy bear mega prize. They have lots of different gum though. I call dibs.
"Follow me. Quickly, while no one is playing air hockey. I'll show you ladies what these guns are capable of." Kenzo subtly flexed his forearms.
"Is that right? Eira, show your father what I taught you last time. His so-called guns are useful against the special move I showed you."
"It's cheating to use two mallets, Mom."
"Not that one!"
We played around for about 2 hours, trying all the machines. There were plenty of families like ours celebrating graduations or holidays. Unlike them, my superior household broke a few highscores without explicit intention on my part. We're just built different. My dad was especially amazing at shooting hoops.
*Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish!* *Swish*
"Whew! Nice job, honey!" Mayumi smothered him. Behind them, the machine flashed with bright lights and a new highscore.
"I've still got it, heh." Kenzo struggled to get the words out from between her chest, but judging by his tone, he is right where he wants to be. "Hehehehhehee."
When the token count dropped to single digits, they decided to rest and let me loose. That's when I started really trying to get more tickets.
My initials swiftly rose to the top score at every machine I played at. By the end of it, we (mostly me) were dragging a trail of tickets behind us.
"Be honest, are you cheating somehow...?"
My performance made my parents suspicious. The gap between me and the second-placers was pretty massive.
"Nope. This is pure skill developed through countless trials and errors." With a hint of pride, I told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I earned it by beating the System more times than I can remember, though I guess the System never did manage to beat me once, so saying that it's something that I got from 'countless trials and errors' would be a lie but I'd like to liken it more to me exaggerating than straight up lying.
"Countless, you say..."
For some reason, Mayumi latched onto what I said.
"How much pocket money have you spent on arcades?"
I flinched. Her face was smiling, but the windows to the soul never lie.
Uh oh.
I was very aware of how much I spent. The System showed me the exact number when Mayumi asked.
189500 yen.
If I hadn't been banned for three months in my favourite arcade place, I would have spent even more.
"I don't know," I said with the blankest expression I could muster.
Her nose crinkled as if she smelled something nasty. "That's fine. I know where you frequent. I'll give that arcade a call. For now, you ought to have fun... while you can."
I am ultra screwed.
Defeated, I walked away... to the prize booth.
I slapped my tickets on the counter. "Give me something strong. Whatever burns going down."
"Uhh... what?"
"Super spicy bubble gum. Behind your left shoulder."
"Oh." The prize booth guy glanced back. "Okay. Is that all?"
"I want thirty packs."
"Eh?"
The prize booth guy collected 30 packs but hesitated to hand them over.
"Are you sure about this? I tried one before and I nearly drowned in milk—"
I snatched the packs from his hands. "Shh. No spoilers."
"...Alright." A look of pity washed over him. After a moment, he reached under the counter and took out a strawberry milk juice box. "Have this. It's on the house."
I raised a brow but gratefully took it. I popped two pieces of the crimson gum in my mouth and subtly placed the rest in my inventory.
Spicy food became a go-to 'flavour' to season my meals. Regular consumption made my spice tolerance decent, so exaggerated warning labels don't scare me.
*Munch* *Munch*
You call this spicy? False advertising at its finest—
OHHHHH AHHHH AHOHAOAHAOOO!!!
I turned away from the booth just as a single tear rolled down my cheek. The System blocked my pain receptors nigh-instantaneously, but the memory was still fresh.
Strawberry milk tasted really good for someone with defective taste buds. Let's leave it at that.
I also got something for my parents. With my two remaining tokens, I won Pokémon plushies from a claw machine. Mom got a Charmander, and Dad got a Bulbasaur, though he seems convinced that its name is Squirtle. The System alerted me to a spare token on the floor, so I got him an actual Squirtle.
Naturally, I taught him that it was Bulbasaur.
Nice looking out for the token.
[Omniversal is my middle name]
Shouldn't that be your first name, Omniversal System?
["The" is technically my first name]
Pfft, smartass.
My parents had more activities planned. Right next door to the arcade was an indoor mini golf area. As the youngest, I was up first.
My rented golf club had a slight bend to it, not that it mattered.
"Mom, Dad, do you know why golfers carry an extra pair of trousers?" I asked, adjusting my aim. Before they could formulate an answer, my ball was already rolling across the artificial grass. It zigzagged off the wall four times before dropping into the hole. I leaned on the bent club and smirked. "In case they get a hole in one."
They stared at the hole-in-one in silence.
"...has to be magnets." Mayumi said skeptically.
"Bruh, I've never even been here before. Look, I'll do it again."
Mayumi blinked. "'Bruh?'"
I was already lining up another ball.
I struck it and carved a different path with fewer bounces. Like before, the ball neatly rolled into the hole in one hit.
"That's my girl! You can go international with that talent!" Kenzo beamed with pride.
Of course, I didn't stop there. Whenever it was my turn, I kept hitting hole-in-ones in each wacky course. The System wasn't even helping me. This is pure skill, as I said before.
At the final course, a crowd had formed, a mixture of other golfers and employees.
I lined up the shot.
Thwack!
Plop.
One mighty swing and a hole-in-one later, the crowd cheered.
"That was some impressive golfing, young lady!" An old man emerged from the crowd with a broad smile. "I own this place, and unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, you just broke a ten-year record."
"Oh! Really! That's surprising!" I was not surprised.
"I've been running this place for years, and I've never seen anyone play a round like that." His smile grew even wider. "You've earned yourself a golden trophy and a spot right at the top of our Wall of Fame!"
An employee brought out a super shiny trophy and a Polaroid.
"Sweet. Family picture!"
The old owner waved the Polaroid around dramatically. "A moment this historic deserves to be remembered."
"Make sure you get my good side," I said.
"Both sides are equally cute. You're welcome for that," said Mayumi.
"True."
The owner chuckled while guiding us toward the Wall of Fame near the entrance. Framed pictures covered the wall from top to bottom.
Mine would soon join them, and at the very top at that. I can't even reach that high.
Mayumi leaned into my side while holding up her Charmander plushie. Kenzo proudly raised his Squirtle. Or Bulbasaur. Unable to decide between them, he raised both.
I lifted the trophy above my head and silently screamed, "Cheese!"
Snap!
The film developed nicely. I nodded in satisfaction.
After the owner saw us off, we went to our next activity.
A cinema a few blocks down the road was premiering international movies. The choices ranged from a story about a big boat that bumps into an iceberg, Will Smith hunting aliens, or dinosaurs. I'm pretty keen on watching dinosaurs.
I pointed at the Jurassic Park sequel. "Let's watch that one."
"I've seen the first one and it is terrific." My dearest father looked keen on watching it too.
"Dinosaurs are so cool, aren't they!?"
"Indeed they are."
Kenzo pulled his wallet out when Mayumi pointed out an obstacle I had overlooked.
"The poster says it's for mature audiences only. You're not fifteen or over yet, missy. Who knows how gruesome this movie can get?"
"Wha—I am very mature for my age."
"No."
Damn age ratings.
The chances of Mayumi agreeing were lower than a horse jumping from the International Space Station and surviving. She can be as immovable as Mount Tai at times.
Kenzo was more susceptible to my cuteness. I directed a pleading look towards him.
"...You heard your mom."
Traitor.
In the end, we entered a theatre showing Princess Mononoke. I've never seen it in cinemas before, so this was the clear second-best option. My parents weren't too keen on the other movies because they weren't fluent English speakers and the subbed version hadn't been released yet.
Princess Mononoke was also rated for mature audiences, but since it's Studio Ghibli, my parents brushed off the warning. Eh. Ehhh. I'm not judging but... ehh.
"Got everything, Eira?"
"Drinks, check. Snacks, check. Seat numbers, check."
"We might have bought too much, dear."
We found our seats. Then, the theatre dimmed. Princess Mononoke played out exactly as I remembered it.
Well... not quite.
The scenes were the same, but the experience sure got elevated. My cheap, tiny smartphone from my high school days couldn't compare to the absolute cinema happening in this cinema. This was a huge upgrade.
It's nice to return to my roots. Watching anime, a fizzy drink in one hand and junk food in the other, even if neither tasted like much to me anymore. I'm glad this world is extremely similar to the one I came from, even if it meant I'll pretty much know the plot of most shows for the next thirty years.
Jojo is only up to Part 5 right now. The Big Three hadn't even begun serialisation yet, while their daddy, Dragon Ball Z, had already finished its anime adaptation. I'd know because they play reruns on our brick of a television back home.
The future writers of isekai slop haven't been lobotomized yet, likely still in school, dreaming of becoming a doctor or a policeman.
So much waiting. Ehew.
I'll be bored out of my mind by the time this world caught up to my original time period. And even then, I'd have to wait for new seasons to pick up where I left off.
Of course, this future knowledge is not without benefits.
My right hand twitched with unimaginable power. Is it Black Beat? Or is it the opportunity to become the biggest troll in the manga/anime community?
Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter.
Pandora's box, waiting to be opened. So many endings, so many plot twists, so many deaths waiting to get spoiled...
With how mainstream anime becomes later on, I'd be a walking net nuke. The cultured will fear me, the normies will know me! None will be safe from my spoilers!
"Ah."
I pinched myself.
No, I shouldn't! Bad! Go away, bad thoughts!
The movie continued while I banished those wicked impulses to the deepest, darkest corner of my psyche.
Besides that terrifying power, I also have memories of key moneymakers that can make me absurdly rich. If that doesn't work, I'll just go to the casino and win fair and square. And if somehow that doesn't work, A VERY BIG IF BY THE WAY, I still have my lovely System. I can earn money by just existing.
Not bad, not bad. I can live a good life, no biggie.
In fact, that's the plan from now on.
Live a good, truly boring life. That's good enough for me, and it'll be the same as spitting in The Creator's face!
I will be the greatest underachiever!
Absolutely nothing interesting will happen in my life, ever!
I pledged mediocrity to myself as the credits rolled and the movie theatre lights flicked back on.
[Notice]
[The 9-Month Gestational Period will end in 10 minutes]
My hyped up mind stalled for a moment.
...Oh. I almost forgot about this.
The end of the Gestational Period was fast approaching.
At exactly 7pm, something will happen. As for what, I have no clue.
Last time, I got ganged up on by a whole Omniverse, although I'm pretty sure that was The Creator's arrangement.
Which begs the question: What the hell did he cook up this time?
I stared at the timer with a mix of curiosity and unease.
Inform me of the slightest disturbance.
[Understood]
An invisible ripple spread out. From then on, the System scanned my immediate surroundings at regular intervals, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The radius wasn't big, so I had to be visually vigilant too.
I followed my parents outside.
The sun had set not long ago, but the city was far from dark. Streetlamps and passing cars bathed the streets in more than enough light to see by.
The crescent moon hung dimly in the sky.
Time continued to tick by. Seven o'clock was just around the corner.
"Eira."
"Yes!?" I jumped at Kenzo's sudden call.
He held back a chuckle. "Don't tell me Princess Mononoke scared you."
"Did not! You just breathed too loud."
"Sure, sure. I was just wondering if you wanted to eat something specific for dinner."
[The Gestational Period has concluded]
The System message appeared the exact moment Kenzo finished speaking. My attention snapped to everything, everywhere, all at once.
"Eira?"
"Oh, umm..." I thought up a random answer. "Let's have KFC."
I glanced around, eyes sweeping across the street like a hawk.
System, what's our status?
[No anomalies at the moment]
Scan me.
[Scanning...]
[The host has no anomalies]
We kept walking, though I glanced over my shoulder every ten steps or so, half-expecting reality to explode the moment I stopped paying attention.
A few hundred steps later, a familiar red and white sign came into view. Colonel Sanders smiled down on me. I did not reciprocate.
My parents ordered a family meal while I sat by the window, facing the entrance.
I kept my guard up even when the chicken came. A quick scan of the meal revealed no poison or foreign substances.
Kenzo and Mayumi offered me their crispy chicken skin. In return, they got more meat and gravy.
So far, so good.
Bidding farewell to Colonel Sanders, I glared at everything we passed by and everyone that passed us. They gave us a wide berth as a result. Works for me.
[Anomaly detected]
My heart dropped straight to my nonexistent nuts. My next step hitched so badly that I'm pretty sure I limped for a second.
What the hell is it!?
[It is a D—]
Something fell on my head.
Or tried to.
The System used TheRefuge to block the anomaly so it didn't actually hit me. It bounced off the thin barrier and landed on my feet.
I looked down.
Is this the anomaly, or did some asshole just throw this at me?
It was a notebook. A very shiny, golden notebook.
I picked it up cautiously. SIKE! I'm not touching that thing. I'm not an idiot—it could have magic germs or something.
Instead, I observed it from a reasonable distance. I ran multiple Omniscient Scans on it within the span of a second. My gaze settled on the words written across its cover. The characters weren't Japanese, but English.
"Armonia Justin... Beyondormason?"
It's a very posh-sounding book title. Is this supposed to be a novel like Huckleberry Finn or Percy Jackson?
"Final verdict: Not dangerous! Do you concur?"
[The System concurs]
[It is not dangerous to the host]
I picked up the notebook. Before I could check its contents, a voice spoke.
"You pronounced my name correctly."
Every muscle in my body froze. That voice hadn't come from the System. It had direction and a slight echo.
If my ears aren't playing tricks on me, it sort of sounded like it came from above.
Slowly, I raised my head.
A cackling golden skeleton covered in jewelry sat on a throne. He was floating. He was sitting on a floating throne, cackling, and he's a skeleton and golden?
What the fuck.
Mayumi and Kenzo continued walking, and they walked straight through the hovering skeleton's legs. I just noticed that the throne is made out of human skulls!
Oh my god, it's a ghost.
I covered my mouth to stop myself from screaming.
Ghosts are real!?!
Kenzo made it several steps before noticing I was no longer walking beside them. He stopped and looked back.
"Eira?"
My eyes flicked between him and the golden skeleton between us.
"Keep walking. And don't let go of the notebook."
"...C-coming."
I hurried after my parents, side-stepping the floating skeleton throne. I didn't let go of the notebook because that's a freakin' ghost who told me not to. Does
[Scan Complete]
System! Say something! How do I exorcise this thing?! Where's the nearest church?!
[The entity known as Armonia Justin Beyondormason is not a ghost]
[The correct term is: Shinigami]
Shinigami?
I stared holes through the notebook in my hand. Don't tell me this is a—
[It is as you suspect]
[The item you are holding is a Death Note]
My brain began to physically hurt.
When I looked back, there was the golden, floating, sitting skeleton a few steps behind me.
...Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me.
Eventually, all four of us made it to the car. I climbed into the backseat. So did the shiny corpse. I buckled my seatbelt, and so did Armonia.
"You seem remarkably calm, young lady."
I was not. "..."
"I know you can see me."
No matter how hard I try, it's impossible to ignore this guy. It's even harder to ignore what his presence meant.
Let's see. I have a notebook. I have a Shinigami. Combine the two, and it's clear what's going on here.
Death Note.
Write a person's name while picturing their face, and they will die. You can even make it look like an accident. It's one of the most broken items ever. It also shouldn't exist.
Yet it does exist, and since it does, other things that shouldn't exist or happen will follow.
L and Kira. They already walk among us.
No, it's too early. Their storyline starts sometime in the 2000s and doesn't end until six years later. Kira is still Light. As for L, I don't know when he started getting active, but he could be solving something right now. Wait, who cares about when the storyline starts—why are they here!? Aren't I in Boku no Pico!?
"What's your name?"
"What's my—"
I glared at him. Did this guy seriously just ask me for my name?!
...wait.
My frustration vanished almost as quickly as it came. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "You can't see my name?"
His skull tilted slightly. "You know more than you should."
Not exactly an answer, but if I'm right, that's one less thing to worry about.
[TheRefuge is active, host]
[Attempts to glean information about you are completely obstructed]
The System backed up my guess. Right, my almighty firewall is capable of that. To think that it can even block out Shinigami Eyes is crazy. TheRefuge is probably why the System isn't as wary as I am.
[Although it is highly ill-advised, would you like to allow the Shinigami/s to observe and affect you?]
Hell no!
With the System's confirmation, some of the tension left my shoulders. I am essentially heart attack-proof. Phew. "Honestly, I'd rather not tell you my name."
Armonia leaned back slightly against his throne, which had fused with the car seat.
"Understandable."
"Are you... not offended?" I asked warily.
"You are holding a Death Note, conversing with a God of Death. Caution would be the sensible response."
At least the walking corpse was reasonable.
Tentatively, I held out the Death Note towards him. Ain't no way I'm gonna use this cursed little thing. "Take it back. If you're bored, go find someone else, preferably someone on the other side of the world." I pushed the notebook closer. "I am not your guy."
"Don't wanna."
"???"
"The Death Note is yours."
He swiped his skeletal hand over the notebook. The gold bled from the cover, replaced by pitch-black. The title changed from his ridiculously long name to the recognisable DEATH NOTE in edgy font.
"The Shinigami King ordered me to give the Death Note to you."
The big boss himself? "Why?"
Armonia's skull tilted slightly. "He believes you may be one of us. Neither your name nor your lifespan can be seen, even by high-ranking Shinigami."
That's TheRefuge doing good work again, but excuse me? Me, one of you? That's kinda hurtful.
"I cannot see them either. Even the human born with the Shinigami Eyes could not escape our sight. But you... you are the first. Naturally, that means you have caught the attention of the entire Shinigami Realm."
I'm hearing a lot of important shit right now, and I don't really know what to focus on.
The Shinigami King thinks I'm one of them??? Someone was born with Shinigami Eyes?????
"...Entire Shinigami Realm????????" I repeated the last thing he said like a parrot.
"Yes. Entire." Armonia released a haunting laugh.
His affirmation put a stop to my thoughts. A horrible image entered my head.
Every Shinigami in existence gathered around, watching me like some kind of supernatural television show.
It was bad enough that I'm being watched by The Creator, and now this? A horde of Death Gods?!?! When did I open a streaming service?!?!?!!??!
[Acute distress detected]
[Please regulate your breathing]
[Take slow, controlled breaths]
Only then did I realise I was hyperventilating.
[The System is with you]
[There is no immediate threat to your safety]
...You're right. I listened to the System and took deep breaths. I'm gonna be fine. Yeah, fine. Totally fine.
Calming myself took longer than I'd like to admit. This is too much for my heart, you know? I'm not built for this. I legit promised not to have anything interesting happen in my life not even thirty minutes ago.
That old bastard must have heard me.
Welp, I'm definitely burning this notebook later. That is final!
...Uhh, but since I already decided that I'm definitely burning it anyway, wouldn't it be a waste if I didn't at least check it out? A quick peek can't hurt, can it? I'm not a cat, and I'm not curious. I'm intrigued at best.
I'mnotgonnauseitIsweartogod—
I examined the Death Note. It looks more menacing now than when it was golden.
I've only ever seen this thing on a screen. I thought it'd look dirtier from a long time of being written in, but the cover was surprisingly sleek. Maybe it's pristine because it hasn't been used.
I opened it. The first page was empty. So was the next. I flipped through the entire notebook, and not a single name was in it.
Then, something caught my eye.
Weirdly enough, there was a page that was ripped off. A tiny, uneven paper tear in the book's gutter indicated so. I almost missed it if it weren't for my 20/20 vision.
(A/N: Gutter: pretty much where the two open pages meet near the binding. I spent ten minutes searching for the term since the spine of the book didn't sound right lol.)
Raising my brow, I followed my hunch and slid my finger across the paper. On the third row, I felt it—a dent on the otherwise even pages. I continued tracing the groove with my fingertip.
Lines turned into curves, then into letters, and together they formed a name. Someone had written a name and ripped out the page it was on.
More specifically, someone wrote down my name in the Death Note. Eira Sasaki, spelled in beautiful cursive.
"I thought you couldn't see my name, Armonia. Care to explain this then?"
"We're not stupid. Your parents share the same surname, and they call you by your first name daily. Eventually, we even learned about your old name. Clearly, it still did not work. The Death Note has no effect on you."
"You tried to kill me."
"Who hasn't? I am certainly not in the first hundred. That's why the Shinigami King sent me."
See, this is the kind of shit I was afraid would happen, and it's already happened. My gosh, this miserable bunch of bored leeches are so fucking EUEEUUUGHHHH—
Whoo, almost lost my cool there.
Anyhow, where were we? Right, the notebook.
The Death Note doesn't look all that special, but this is an actual, genuine Death Note I'm holding. Merely holding it makes me feel some type of way that does not include homicide but is substantial enough that it deserves a mention.
Would it be wrong if a small part of me wanted to keep this legitimate piece of peak fiction? As a collectible, obviously. I don't have much interest in collecting manga or novels since I used to be broke, but this isn't just any notebook.
The damn Shinigami audience though...
That was the problem, and the fact that the Shinigami King explicitly wanted me to have it. Why me, dude... I could have spent my whole life not knowing any of this.
Wait, that's it! If I'm remembering right, as long as I relinquish ownership of the Death Note, my memories of it will go away too.
The Shinigami won't go away, though... but what I don't know can't hurt me... but they can also use their Death Notes to totally hurt me in some way, even if they can't kill me... but there's rules they have to follow and it's not like they're that bored in the Shinigami Realm to mess with a single person... but what if I piss off the Shinigami King and he twists the rules just to get rid of me...
After letting the cool night air clear my head, I came to a decision.
"I want nothing to do with it. Take it back." Best leave it to those who are arguably the sensible ones around since I don't recall a single Shinigami from the show who was outright evil.
Good and evil are human concepts. To them, they are just different flavours of entertainment. Their attempts to kill me were just the next big trend in their pitifully long lives. Unlike those cultivators, they'll get bored eventually and leave me alone.
I so hope that's the case.
Armonia didn't react, or at least, not in a way I could interpret. He only responded with a word.
"Alright."
Nice, he didn't reject me. Time to sweeten the deal.
"Wait. That's not all."
I glanced towards the front of the car. My parents weren't paying attention.
Reaching into my inventory, I pulled out my Gameboy.
System, generate an emergency quest. Make the rewards as many apples as I can get.
[Affirmative]
----------------------------------------
[Emergency Quest Issued!]
Peace Offering |Rank: F|
The Shinigami Realm has been shaken by the appearance of a human they cannot reap. For the first time, a mortal stands beyond their sight and outside their grasp. Curiosity has spread throughout the realm, and you have become their newest source of entertainment.
Every Shinigami is watching.
----------
Objective:
[Highest Score]
- Achieve the highest possible score in the game, "Tetris" [0/999,999]
----------
Rewards:
- 6x Juicy Apples
----------
Penalties:
- None
-----------------------------------
I did what I do best: gaming.
The car rolled to a stop in front of our house while I was mashing buttons like a maniac. I maneuvered to my room while my parents busied themselves with making dinner.
"Human games have evolved to such an extent? How amusing."
"All you guys have up there are cards and dice, right?"
"You really do know a lot."
It took a while to complete, but I got there. It was super easy, barely an inconvenience. That was probably the reason why I only got six apples.
----------------------------------------
[Emergency Quest (Completed)]
Peace Offering |Rank: F|
[Quest Completion Rank]: A
----------------------------------------
Six juicy apples appeared in my inventory. I took them out one by one and placed them on Armonia's lap. "These are the Human World's apples. Please bring them to the Shinigami King since he was nice enough to give me a Death Note, even if I'm returning it."
Too bad we don't have more apples in the kitchen. I like their crunchiness, so they run out quickly.
"The Human World's apples?" Armonia inspected one from several angles before letting out a low cackle. "They smell... appetising..."
"Uhh, you can have one, I guess. Just the one."
His fingers curled possessively around the apple.
"Of course."
With his other hand, he took the Death Note away, leaving me all on my lonesome.
Finally, I can relax.
What a day it's been. The pledge about having an uneventful life was delayed by a day, but I think I handled that sudden Shinigami visit pretty well. My parents noticed nothing, I can still go to heaven, no one can write my name or kill me, and I'm gonna forget all about it in 3, 2, 1!
3, 2, 1!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1?
Don't tell me TheRefuge blocked out the memory alteration as well.
[The host is spot on.]
Fine! So I remember. Big deal.
All I need to do is lead a clean life. No crimes means Kira won't write down my name, nor will L put my ass in jail. That's easy. No getting involved with the police in any way is the strat.
"System."
[Yes, host?]
"We're gonna act like none of that ever happened, capiche?"
[What do you mean?]
"That whole Gods-of-Death-are-watching-us thing."
[Huh?]
"What do you mean 'Huh?' That thing that literally just happened!"
[Huh?]
"Stop playing with me—"
[...]
"Oh, OOHH."
Finally, she realised what was up.
"Yeah, forget what I said."
[You said what?]
"Cut it out."
.
.
.