19. ABYSS

The walls of the Shinigami King's lair seem to move as if they're alive. Chains rattle somewhere unknown. Nym freezes at the entrance, unsure if he should proceed deeper into the cave.

"Nym," a booming voice nearly sends him fleeing. "What purpose do you have coming here?"

The lesser Shinigami shuffles in, his bones scrape against each other like chimes in the wind. It takes some time for him to recognize the colossal blob in front of him as his ruler and creator. So much time has gone by since he last came into direct contact with the king. The being sitting in front of him could pass for a stranger.

"I-I bring a message," he says.

"A message from whom?"

"Light Yagami."

The chains rattle again, and the ground rumbles like an earthquake. If not for Nym's predominantly short physique, he may have lost his balance. The Shinigami King's red eyes pierce through him with such intensity, he must look away before being devoured by their hunger.

"What is the message?"

Nym clears his throat. "He'd like to inform you that he's taken Kinddara's place as the new overseer of the fighting pits."

"Light Yagami," the voice echoes with fondness. "I've seen what's become of my pet. He's evolved from a dog into a wolf. And the wolf has quite a bite." The king circles his claw-like finger around idly. "It's time to up the stakes yet again." With a flick of his wrist, he summons someone to his side.

The Shinigami comes flying in with a strong flap of his black wings. Ryuk drifts to the ground near Nym with considerable care and ease. He cocks his head and says, "'Sup, Nym. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Not since your trial, Ryuk," Nym says, glancing from his fellow Shinigami back to their creator.

"Do you have it?" the king asks.

Ryuk nods to the king and raises something into the air. "One Death Note with Light Yagami's name, right here."

"I'd like you to take it to the human world."

Both the lesser Shinigami raise their heads in surprise.

"But I thought the human world was strictly forbidden ever since—" Nym cuts himself off with Ryuk standing there.

The king lifts his claw-like finger and moves it around in a circular motion. A vortex appears in the space between them showing a bird's eye view of the entrance to the human world reopening. "And now that decision has been revoked. Ryuk, take the Death Note with you and drop it where you please. Tell your former human that I have a special surprise for him to solve in a short timeframe." He sounds to be making this up on the spot. "Nym, you will return to your master and tell him that if he'd like his name erased from the Death Note then he needs to go to the human world and reclaim it for himself."

Ryuk cackles and gives a short wave. "Later." In a few small flaps, he's out of the cave and gone.

Nym bows respectfully to his creator and prepares to leave.

"On the other hand…"

He cranes his skeletal neck around to meet those frightening, red orbs.

"I think we'll add one more player into this game," the king says, amused. His claw-like appendage reaches into the vortex and swims around, searching for something hidden beneath. The red eyes glimmer. The god king seems to have found what he's looking for and pulls out a mass of what appears to be melting clay. He places the mass down in front of Nym.

The boney Shinigami falls back, unsure of what rests before him. His eyes return to the king's with question.

"It's not just Light's memories that I've encapsulated and drained knowledge from," the god king explains. "Why do you think I also reincarnated his rival?"

Nym remains paralyzed by the melting mass of clay. It starts to stir and contort into some prehensile corpse. Four limbs stretch out as the mass finds some structure by building a torso and perching a head onto a pair of shoulders. The clay melts off to reveal a naked human underneath its material.

"Because his rival had many more rivals, including one that could've succeeded him but chose a life of killing—similar to Light Yagami." The skull's mouth opens partly to form what could be a smirk. "What sort of entertainment shall we see if we add yet another character to the book?"

Nym shakes his head. "I…"

The humanoid abomination raises its head. His eyes fly open to reveal a pair of hellish orbs.

Nym has no chance to flee. The end comes anyway. And it's quick and filled with red.

...

"This is it," Ryuzaki says with certainty in his voice.

Light peers down into the black void and furrows his brow. "Are you sure? It doesn't look like anything more than a giant crater."

"I'm not a liar, Yagami-kun."

"That's not what I meant," Light says and sighs. "But how can we be sure that this'll take us to the human world?"

"That's where taking a leap of faith would fit perfectly," Ryuzaki quips to Light's chagrin.

"You have wings. Test them."

Ryuzaki conjures the extra appendages and flaps them to ease them out of their sleep-like state. He steps to the edge of the black void and stretches to one side and then to the other. Then he stretches his right leg and next his left.

"What are you doing?" Light asks, irritated. The movements look like nothing more than a distraction.

"Limbering up, of course. It's always important to do so before taking flight," Ryuzaki explains.

"How would you know that? You've never flown before."

"Ah, that's true," Ryuzai says, tapping his pointer finger to his chin and pursing his lips. "Well, it's still better to be safe than sorry. Isn't that right, Yagam-kun?"

Light rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. "Do whatever you please," he says in defeat.

"Thank you. See, we're getting along quite nicely now."

Both of them have done well to try and repress what happened in Amonia's club. The men have decided to call the event, "a moment of necessary stupidity." It was a way to impress the Shinigami King's right-hand while also going too far. They have also agreed to never speak of such a thing again.

All of a sudden, the dark void starts spinning like a blender. Ryuzaki steps away from the edge, and Light pulls him even farther away in case the ground below them somehow crumbles.

The void opens up to a swirling vortex of madness. Light's eyes ache from staring too long, and he rubs them to relieve the pain.

"Look, Yagami-kun."

Light forces his attention back on the vortex, but then follows Ryuzaki's eyes to a figure standing on the far end of the crater. His mouth drops and his eyes widen. "Ryuk?"

The humanoid Shinigami flaps his feathered wings and waves eagerly at his former human. "Light, is that really you?"

Ryuzaki cocks a brow. "You two know each other?"

A flurry of emotions rushes into him. "That's the Shinigami who dropped the Death Note I picked up into the human world," Light explains, tensing. "And the one who also wrote my name in it."

Ryuk's smile extends and a cackle like a hyena laughing escapes his throat, making both men shudder in response. "It's nice to see you again. How's it been since you've died?"

Light forces a smile and composes himself before his emotions betray him. He cannot afford to appear disturbed. "Good to see you as well, Ryuk. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

Ryuk taps his chin. "Hmm, not since I wrote your name down while you were begging me to spare your life. You were quite pathetic actually." Another chortle. "It's funny how things have changed."

Light holds his smile, but the insult cuts deep. "Indeed, it was quite a misfortunate time for me."

"Yeah, because you lost to Near."

He tightens his jaw. "True."

"I told you that I'd be the one to write your name in the Death Note, and I did. But you've done well enough to impress the boss."

Light raises a brow. "You mean Kami?"

"Kami?"

"The Shinigami King."

Ryuk nods. "Ahh, is that what he calls himself? Interesting. I also hear that he's chosen you as his guinea pig. How's that going?" His fish eyes fall onto Ryuzaki. "Don't tell me you two are actually working together for real this time? Unless, of course you have another plan up your sleeve, Light."

Ryuzaki narrows his eyes and glances at Light. "Another plan?"

"Hasn't Light told you?" Ryuk says. "You must not remember that he masterminded L's demise for months. They were friends once—even got stuck together by handcuffs. But Light never diverted from his original plan. Light's selfish that way. Always wanted what was best for his world. Turning on a friend mattered little to him."

"I knew that," Ryuzaki says. "Light's untrustworthy, true. But he does keep things interesting."

Light blinks at his companion and feels tightness in his chest.

Ryuk raises his head. "Oh? Don't tell me you've forgiven him?"

"Not exactly, no."

"Ryuk." Light interjects before the conversation diverts too far from his current objective and onto unnecessary distractions. "Do you happen to know if this is the portal to the human world?"

"Sure is," Ryuk replies. "In fact, Gramps gave me a special job to do in the human world." He removes something hidden beneath his wing and lifts it into the air.

Light and Ryuzaki freeze upon seeing the Death Note between Ryuk's long fingers. He wedges one finger into the pages and reveals Light's full name to the two paralyzed men.

"It's been nice chatting with you, Light, but I gotta get moving. Gramps is a scary guy. Don't wanna piss him off." He flutters his wings. "Oh, before I go, there's one more thing I've gotta tell ya. Now that Kinddara's dead, Gramps has given you a limited amount of time to solve some big surprise."

"What surprise?" Light finally says after breaking himself out of his catatonic stasis.

Ryuk shrugs. "Beats me. I'm just the messenger." His wings flap again, sending a sharp gust of wind toward the men. "Later." He's prepares to drop into the circling vortex of madness when something comes flying at him. The Shinigami swiftly dodges out of the way of Ryuzaki's attack. "Wow, now. I'm not the fighting type. That looks pretty dangerous." He nods to the scythe in the pale man's hands. "Say, isn't that Deridovely's?"

"It was," Ryuzaki says, retrieving the weapon.

"Was?"

"He's dead."

Ryuk's grin extends. "Shame, he was fun to play cards with. Anyway, I can't hang with you two. Maybe we'll catch up in the human world." He cranes his neck around to look at Light. "Looking forward to seeing how you handle yourself this time, Light Yagami." His cackle is loud and mocking as he leaps off the ledge and plummets into the swirling vortex.

His laugh lingers in Light's mind.

Ryuzaki lands softly near Light. The scythe in his hand dematerializes. "He's…different."

"You have no idea."

"Light-kun."

He glances at the pale man, who's dark eyes look back with some hint of sympathy. "What?"

Ryuzaki's mouth parts to say something. He pauses and then shakes his head. "Sorry. Never mind."

"What is it? If it's urgent, I want to hear it."

Ryuzaki stares at the vortex. "I was wondering how long this partnership will last between us."

"Until my name is erased from the Death Note."

"And you think you'll be able to do that?"

"It'll be difficult, I'm sure. Defeating Kinddara was based on a profound amount of luck on both of our sides."

Ryuzaki's gaze returns to him. A sense of uncertainty washes over Light as their eyes meet. "Are you sure about that?"

Light presses his lips together. "Honestly, I'm not sure of anything anymore, but I'd like to believe I'll always have a chance. No matter how slim."

"Eighty percent."

"Ryuzaki…" Light sighs.

"Be glad it's—"

"We can't stand here dawdling on percentages." He steps to the edge of the cliff again. "Kami's seen the obedient side of me. I'll show him an entire new side, as will you. He wants us to cooperate, right?"

"Yeah."

"And the more we cooperate the more likely we are to win, right?"

Ryuzaki purses his lips. "That's correct."

"Then as long as we trust each other, to the extent two former rival can trust each other, we'll win his game."

Ryuzaki scratches his chin. "How soon do you think that'll be?"

"Soon," he says with pride. "I can feel it. Are you ready to take the dive?"

"Eighty-three percent."

Light rolls his eyes. "Oh, shut up."

A soft chuckle releases from the pale man's throat. It's neither mocking nor ugly but strangely comforting. Warmth fills Light's tightening chest. He can't comprehend why such a small reaction would have such a profound impact on him. He has nearly forgotten what humor feels like.

Ryuzaki tugs him toward his body. Light nearly falls into his partner, and the pale man coils his single arm around Light's waist. Ryuzaki's wings flap and open wide.

Pushing his bemused thoughts aside, Light leans forward into the vortex and lets himself be taken by gravity's heavy pull.

A/N: So this officially marks the end of Part I. Stay tuned for the Part II announcement this weekend!