1 Shinigami Momonga

Momonga flew in the skies of the Shinigami Realm, bored out of his mind. He has been in this world for around five years, learning about it and its inhabitants.

Momonga is still confused as to why he appeared here after Yggdrasil shutdown. After the game ended, he was supposed to wake up to continue his meaningless existence and then die, but this was not the case.

His existence, while empty and vague, had meaning.

This is the world of Shinigami, gods of death. In this world he was viewed as one of them even though he was a Player. He possessed the same power he did while inside Yggdrasil, he was powerful, far more than these Shinigamis.

Appearing in the Shinigami Realm, Momonga found a black book next to a corpse, which had the words 'Death Note' on its cover.

The Death Note allows one to kill any human, simply by imagining their face while writing their name. One could even decide how the person dies, as long as they wrote the cause of death within 30 seconds.

According to his sources, the Shinigamis use the Death Note to absorb the remaining lifespan of humans, thus extending theirs indefinitely as long as they killed humans.

Yes, these gods were not immortal, not even close. They could die, just the difficulty is higher than a human.

However, the allure of the Death Note did not affect Momonga as he was already immortal and his repertoire of spells allow him similar if not better powers compared to the Death Note.

Looking into the skies, Momonga only saw gray clouds and a darkened undertone to this bleak world, and felt bored.

This world reminds him of Helheim, but the difference was that it wasn't cold nor was it enjoyable. There were no undeads, no negative energy, just a depressing aura that shroud the land in hopelessness.

The Shinigamis did not change his views on the Shinigami Realm, as they mainly sleep and gamble. They would repeat this process over and over again, until they die as a result of forgetting their duties.

If they do not kill humans and their lifespan drops below a certain point, they die. There is no comeback from that, even if they are gods of 'death'.

From his basic understanding of the world, Momonga knew there were two realms in this universe, the Shinigami Realm and the Human World. One is a world of Shinigamis and the other the world of Humans.

Momonga has not gone to the Human World because of two reasons. Firstly, he was trying to figure out as much as possible about this new reality. Secondly, without being in or seeing the Human World, he cannot teleport there.

So far he learned that in the Shinigami Realm, all Shinigami are ranked from the strongest S to the E. However this ranking had to do more with experience and use of one's Death Note than actual strength.

The King of Death is above the S ranked and is the one who enforces the rules of the Death Note.

According to some rumors, the King of Death had access to power beyond the abilities of the Death Note. For example, the power to enforce the rules is not something other Shinigamis have.

Still, there is not enough information to narrow down how powerful the King of Death is, which is why Momonga has been cautious with his information gathering.

Momonga estimated that the King of Death should be SS ranked or even SSS, as he hadn't entered the Human World in a long time and hadn't died, meaning he must have killed a large amount of humans at one point in time, gaining their lifespan for himself.

How SS rank or even SSS ranked equates to him, Momonga was not sure. For that reason he placed the King of Death at World Boss level.

Another thing Momonga learned which he found to be interesting is that there exists neither Heaven or Hell despite the fact that death gods exist. It might even be that these so-called death gods were not really gods, not the kind one would think of. Even without the death gods, the world will not be affected, meaning their existence doesn't actually add anything to the world. Other than killing humans, their existence didn't serve any other purpose.

The last thing Momonga made sure to learn was the power and special aspects of a Shinigami. He didn't want to affect the established norm amongst the Shinigami by being too different. Because of this Momonga learned that Shinigami can trade their with humans who use their Death Note.

They could also trade their wings but all the Shinigami that Momonga asked said not to disclose this information to mortals. Because by doing so, the Shinigami will lose the power to fly until the person they traded with died.

allow one to see the lifespan of a human, along with their name. allow one to fly, at a speed most humans won't be able to see.

Since he was not a Shinigami, Momonga couldn't see the lifespan of humans. He could use to estimate their lifespan but that would not be accurate. Plus, if he traded the '' or the '', with a human, he would have to take into account the fact mana doesn't exist, meaning he cannot pose as a legitimate Shinigami.

The reason he could use mana was because he can regenerate mana passively. He was still operating on the rules of Yggdrasil.

Yggdrasil, though being a game, was above this world.

With the magnitude of spells, Momonga obviously has a way around this situation but that would still be placing him in an unknown position. Even though he tried to move around unnoticed, it would be obvious that he was abnormal. He could change the memory of a Shinigami, but since they were similar to an undead, he would be forced to use a large amount of mana.

Momonga was not afraid of these Shinigamis because he knew he could kill them easily if need be, but until the King of Death's power was certain, he needed to remain cautious.

Opening the Death Note, Momonga pondered before altering some aspects of the book. He was not like other Shinigamis so there was no need to follow the mold that was made for them. Unlike the normal Shinigami, he was truly immortal, his life was bound to be boring if he had to watch a character with his Book of Nazarick only do what the Death Note allows.

1: Owner of the Book of Yggdrasil can cast any spell written inside with little to no cost. However, if someone not from Yggdrasil uses the book, lifespan or other things will be used as a price since they lack mana.

In these five years, Momonga had experimented with the Death Note and concluded it was created from unknown material and was thus very durable. Writing some of the spells that were inside other grimoires in his inventory, Momonga realized that the book changed.

Over time, Momonga included many spells inside, some of whom he would not normally be able to use because they were outside his class or his karma conflicted with said spell.

Because of all the spells, Momonga realized that he had unknowingly created an item of the level of a World Item.

Now, unless his mana was empty he could single handedly kill a high tier player whom he had never met.

This however made Momonga very scared and worried about the King of Death since he created the Death Note item which could withstand so many spells. Even in Yggdrasil, there were not many items of this level.

2: The Book of Yggdrasil upon leaving Momonga's hand will return to him.

Momonga had no intention of taking this book outside his inventory since there was a risk of losing it. Even with the second rule, the risk was too high. Because of that, Momonga created a replica to blend into the Shinigami Realm, which only had the same appearance as the original.

Momonga was not worried that the King of Death would know about what he did since he was not a Shinigami and the King of Death shouldn't know about the Death Note he found, otherwise he would have retrieved it.

As for the replica, Momonga plans to have a human use it, because he met an interesting Shinigami called Ryuk.

Ryuk just like Momonga hates how boring the Shinigami Realm is, so they quickly became friends and plan to cause a sensation in the Human World to pass this boredom.

Teleporting to Ryuk location, Momonga approached the hideout of Ryuk.

In the Shinigami Realm, Shinigamis' don't have a house as there is nothing to use to build it. Not that Shinigamis required it, but this could show how dead Shinigami Realm is. Nothing with life could grow in this world.

Momonga had the nagging feeling that the Shinigami Realm was once a world of life since the corpse and skeletons were present. There were corpses from different ages of Earth history. As to how it reached its current stage, perhaps only the King of Death knew.

"Ryuk, I'm ready to begin the plan." As Momonga spoke, a shadow appeared from a crack, flying towards Momonga.

"Momonga, I wanted five years but you took so long. My Death Note must have found someone by now." Ryuk chuckled with interest.

Momonga casually said, "I will look for someone as well. I can't simply give such power to someone unfit.."

Looking at Momonga's waist, Ryuk advises, "Hmm… your Death Note seems weird, did you do something to it? Be careful because that old fart might punish you."

'Old fart? King of Death? Has he perhaps met the King? If so, his memories are precious.'

"It's just a disguise."

"It's okay, if that's all, but don't say I didn't warn you." Ryuk shook his head and said no more. They were friends but he didn't like overstepping into other's business, nor did he want someone to overstep into his.

"It's going to be your first time in the Human World? Momonga, let's go."

"I hope the Human World will not disappoint me." Momonga chuckled and flew after Ryuk, pondering secretly,

'Since I have never been to the Human World, I can't teleport directly to it. I needed someone to guide me. If I had asked the other Shinigami, they might have noticed something odd about me, if this is something that all Shinigami are supposed to know. Ryuk is interesting, I don't want to kill him, since he is my only friend in this world. Why am I thinking like this? I have not thought to question why I am here or if my friends exist in this world, am I happy about this? Did I change because of my undead nature? Since being reborn, I have been thinking and scheming to ensure my continued existence but I seem to be lacking some aspects of being a human such as empathy and feelings towards life…Maybe being in the Human World will make my human side stronger?'

Flying for a while, Ryuk and Momonga appeared next to a depression in the ground with a grayish blue portal, which led to the Human World.

'So to enter the Human World, one must enter this portal? So does the Shinigami Realm exist in another dimension or the same space as the Human World? I guess only when I attempt will I know that for sure.'

Entering the portal, Momonga notices the sensation of falling, totally different from .

Is the Shinigami Realm above the Human World? Otherwise why would we appear in the skies? Or is this not the case?

Looking up, Momonga noticed there were many holes above the Human World that seem to lead into the Shinigami Realm.

Looking down, Momonga was surprised to see such an unpolluted world. It was a startling comparison to how far his world has fallen. Humans truly are the master of their own fate, and sequentially their own destruction.

Looking at the blue skies with clouds and a vibrant sun in the background. The chirping of birds, and surging vitality confirms this world was still young, far from the scene he was far too familiar with.

"Ryuk, can you sense your other Death Note? Hmm, what are those humans doing? Are they looking at us?" Momonga was confused,

'How is that possible? Humans are incapable of seeing Shinigamis or is it me?… I'm.. not a Shinigami, so that might be it. Let's try , it worked? Did Ryuk notice?'

Looking at Ryuk, Momonga saw him staring at him with interest. Ryuk was chuckling with amusement.

"Momonga, I knew you were different but this is incredible. Without a human touching your Death Note you can still manifest before them? This is probably why you are a S rank Shinigami. Anyway, follow me. My Death Note is not far from here." Ryuk said flying though the skies, while Momonga followed.

'I need to be more careful but it seems that lying about me being a S rank Shinigami saved me? How could I miss such a simple fact? Anyway, it seems Ryuk can see through my . Does this mean Shinigamis have their own version of ? It's good to know about this, I can devise a way around it - if the situation demands it. Anyway, I can keep going indefinitely as my mana regeneration is faster than its being used but if I use any other spell, like what I'm currently doing with , I will be going in the negative with my MP, but that will take a long time.'

"Momonga, it is in this house." Ryuk points at the house below before diving into the topmost left room, moving through the walls.

Is that something like the ? Shinigamis are pretty versatile. I was wrong to assume they were useless.

Momonga cast and entered into the room, while maintaining both and .

Once inside the room, Momonage removed and , causing his mana regeneration to begin a balance with the spell. Now, if he doesn't use any more spells, his mana will soon return to its peak.

Even though Momonga was doing this, not even a dent had been put into his mana pool, his mana was off the charts after all. He was just following his nature, being cautious.

Appearing inside the room, Momonga was surprised to see a human with a Death Note.

'From the number of names inside it, the amount of people who have died was alarming yet I felt nothing. I am slowly being eroded by my undead nature. The Shinigami Realm has not helped either. I might need to find somewhere I can allow my human side to feel safe. If it dies, it's uncertain if I will too.'

Momonga watched Ryuk approach the human and begin to speak with him.

Momonga attempted to cast a spell before canceling it, 'So is able to teleport back to the Shinigami Realm? So the Human World and the Shinigami World exist in the same plane but on different sides? Interesting.'

Momonga once again focused on Ryuk and the human.

"You seem to like it?" Ryuk's voice seemed to shock the human, as he screamed and dropped out of his chair!

"Ryuk, you do know that humans are afraid of the unknown, I'm surprised he hadn't died from shock." Momonga felt something off about this human, something different. Even though the human seems afraid, he could sense it was a facade to hide his true emotions.

'What a devious human!'

"But why was he shocked? He has the book of a Shinigami, shouldn't he think of this possibility?" Ryuk was confused, if a book called the 'Death Note' appeared, wouldn't one think it could belong to someone? Especially since rules were written down for it?

"That's true, but not everyone is intelligent enough to come to such a conclusion." Momonga looked at the human and introduced himself and Ryuk, "I'm Momonga, and this is Ryuk. We are Shinigamis. The book in your possession belongs to Ryuk."

"I have been waiting for you. I use the book knowing full well it belongs to a Shinigami." The human got up and began to speak in a calm and collected tone.

Ryuk looked at the name written as he spoke, "There has never been a human who used the Death Note as much as you in such a short time, what an interesting person. The power to control the death of others always frightens humans, even though this is the power they long for."

The human sat down and looked at Ryuk and glanced occasionally at Momonga, "I'm preparing for what is to come, I don't regret my actions. So for Shinigamis' to be here, that can only mean you are here for my soul?"

Hearing this, Momonga chuckled a little before becoming calm, "Light Yagami is it? Why would we care about your soul?"

Ryuk laughed along, "That's something you humans came up with, we have no interest in your soul. Once the Death Note entered the Human World, it belongs to the Human World, meaning it's yours to do as you please."

Light Yagami looked at the Death Note, "Its..mine?"

Ryuk with boredom responded, "If you don't want the Death Note, you can give it up or have another human touch it. By doing so, your memory of having the Death Note will fade."

With an anxious facial expression, Light Yagami asked, "Is there a price in using the Death Note?!"

Momonga thought in the corner while observing Light Yagami and Ryuk, 'There isn't a price, maybe subtle corruption of the mind? None of the Shinigami I spoke with said there was a price. Should I add a price for mine? Eternal torment in Hell? But Hell doesn't exist.'

Ryuk glanced at Momonga and saw he didn't answer, so he did, "You will experience many things that will twist your mind. I will be the one to write your name in my Death Note. When you die, you will not enter Heaven or Hell."

Momonga was surprised at Ryuk, technically he didn't lie but he just didn't answer fully. There was no Heaven or Hell, that's a fact all Shinigamis are aware of, so why lie? However curious, Momonga wasn't going to interrupt.

-Knock! Knock!-

As they were talking, a knock came from the door, with an older woman speaking.

Light seemed a little nervous but Ryuk told him it was okay. He hid the Death Note underneath his bed before approaching the door, talking to his mother who brought some sliced apples to him.

Looking at the interaction between Light and his mother, Momonga smiled a little in his mind. He remembered his mother, she was such a wonderful and kind woman, unfortunately because they were too poor she had died. If he had the power he had now, he could revive her, but she was in another world.

Light was wondering why Momonga and Ryuk were not visible to his mother. It was a good thing however as she would perhaps be scared out of her mind, especially from seeing a skeleton who looked like Death and Ryuk, who was not human in the least.

Closing the door, Ryuk explained, "That Death Note was originally mine, that's why you can see me. No one else but those who touch my Death Note can see me. You can see Momonga because he is a S rank Shinigami."

"S ranked Shinigami? What is that?" Light looked at Momonga and asked.

"In the Shinigami Realm, all Shinigami are ranked based on their uniqueness and use of their Death Note." Momonga said while speechless that this lie once again saved him.

'How was I supposed to know that only people who touch my Death Note are supposed to see me? I AM NOT A SHINIGAMI!'

Shaking his head, Momonga knew they could not hear his words and they would not believe him if they did.

Ryuk was confused as to why Momonga would explain that to a human? Ryuk was a C rank Shinigami, only because he lost his Death Note, otherwise he would be an A ranked Shinigami. Not that there was a difference between C or A rank.

"Ryuk, why did you choose me?"

Ryuk walked over to the apples and began eating them. Ryuk looks at Light, "These apples are delicious. Hmm, I didn't choose you, I simply dropped my Death Note into the Human World. It just happened that you found it, that's all. Don't think because you are special because of this. That is the hubris of humans, you live the same and die the same, it only depends when you die. You are no different"

"Then why did you drop it?! Don't tell me it's by mistake, after going through all the trouble of writing those instructions."

"We were bored."

"Bored?" Light was shocked and confused. Just because you are bored you toss a book with the power over life and death into the world?

"The Shinigami Realm is a boring place where nothing happens. All we do is sleep and gambling, nothing else. We wanted to see what a human would do with the Death Note. If you were a Shinigami you would probably be the most business-like of us."

Ryuk said holding the Death Note in his hand, "Still, of all those names you wrote, why did you write down the cause of death for the truck guy?"

Light chaotic mind settled and explained, "I was testing the capabilities of the book, what are its limitations. The more I fine out, the more I become entrap by it."

'Well…at least he was not killing indiscriminately. However, there are bound to be innocent people amongst those names. It's impossible for a human base world to be completely free of corruption. It's not like judges and lawyers cannot get false confessions..' Momonga thought, remembering a particular guildmate's words.

'Ulbert -san use to say such things to Touch - san, the police officer in the Guild. '

Though at the time, Momonga had never sided with either members, looking at the scene before him, Ulbert - san seemed to be right.

Ryuk looked at Light with confusion, "What's the point though?"

Spreading his hands as if embracing the world, Light said with a hint of madness in his eyes, "I want the world to know…. of my existence! That there is someone passing judgment."

'That's not a smart move, while possessing the power of Death Note, he is still human. It won't be long before he is found and arrested.Power truly corrupts. How long did he have the Death Note for? Was this always his goal or did it change?'

Ryuk approach Light, casting a shadow over him. Ryuk eyes gleam like never before,"But what is the point of passing judgment? Why do that?"

Light chuckled, "Because I was bored…too." He continued, "Naturally I believed it at first. But like you said, the Death Note power affects ones mind, make ones dark thoughts surface. I begin to kill the criminals slowly, cleaning the world and the conclusion I came to is that the world needs Justice…..with the Death Note, I will become that Justice!!"

'Justice? Touch Me - san would not approve. He valued life, and would not like to see them wither away. However, Light is not necessarily wrong, Justice is after all subjective. From his point of view and the point of view of many, he might be doing a good deed, but what of the remaining people? What about their Justice?'

"With me - the god of the New World - the world will become a pure land of bliss!"

'God?'

Momonga laughed to himself, If God existed in his original world, maybe he wouldn't have been alone. After his mother died, his only family member, it was as if he was facing the world alone. Yggdrasil was the place that made him whole again, and found a new family. Unfortunately that was short lived.

Ryuk chuckled, "Humans are interesting after all."

'Indeed they are, Ryuk. .Indeed.'