Prologue

"This is interesting. Very interesting. It seems that some good, as impossible as it may sound, might have arisen from your mischief, Ryuk."

Ruby eyes glinting, the King of the Shinigami lounged languidly upon his skeletal throne. Delicately fingering a skull, his jeweled fingers flashed in the somber twilight.

"I thought so, my lord. As manipulative, cruel and pathetic these humans may be, their ways and ideas may be of use to this world," said Ryuk, in an unusually servile and meek manner.

The king shifted irritably on his throne. "My subjects are lazy and complacent. All they do is gamble or sleep, while the place crumbles to dust. Imagine. Imagine!" The King tossed the skull away contemptuously onto the dank floor. "We were once a great kingdom. Our buildings were varnished and polished ivory- jewels lined even the most common of streets, and our inhabitants were hardworking, intelligent and diligent. And now look at us!"

"But it's so much trouble…" murmured the King restlessly. His grinning skull features took on a look of distressed perplexity. "It would mean reforming everything, and I doubt those lazy creatures, who call themselves my subjects, would be bothered to reform themselves. And I can't do anything about it, because they are not breaking any rules."

"If… I may venture a suggestion?"

A red gleam of suspicion appeared in the King's ruby eyes, and he looked at Ryuk warily. "Speak away, but this had not be one of your tricks again, Ryuk. My patience is limited."

Ryuk's demonic smile widened. "I say we make it interesting for the Death gods. My experience in the human world has taught me many things, many interesting things that I wish to put into practice myself. My companions are bored, restless… if they had a first hand view of what I have seen, they might be… rather compelled to make changes for themselves."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"I suggest we resurrect Yagami Raito."

"What? The one you gave your death note to? "

"Yes, lord. He is, by far, the most singular and interesting human in that realm." Ryuk grinned. "It required two geniuses to beat him at his game, and it was he who managed to successfully kill one of our kind, the death-god Rem, who broke the rules by loving a human girl. Give him the hours of death gods who have died before their time or have broken the laws- it would be no drain on our life to sustain him, for it would be our errant brothers and sisters paying for their crimes."

"I fail to see how that can help us in anyway," grumbled the King. "A human! That is preposterous! No self-respecting death god would listen to a mere human!"

"No…" Ryuk's eyes glittered. "I suggest a game."