(JC3) You're A Shinigami? I Am A Shinigami! Death Note SI Early Access Chapter 1.5

The warehouse loomed like a vast, suffocating cavern, its walls damp and mottled with age. The air was thick with the mustiness of neglect, empty except for the quiet drip of water echoing through the shadows. Faded graffiti splattered across the concrete bore testament to a time when laughter and life had reverberated off these surfaces.

Now, only silence hung heavily in the stale atmosphere. In the centre of it all, I stood a few feet from Naomi Misora, the woman I'd helped survive. The woman currently propped against a wall, her eyes slowly opening.

What a curious turn of events already-

'Ironically, it took you half as long as it did to ruin whatever facet of my timeline there was. You're improving.' Aizen's voice, smooth and mocking, weaved through the stillness like a serpent.

'Speak for yourself, he made me an enemy of the Government in a matter of minutes.' Doflamingo interjected, his tone dripping with indignation.

Children, children... I mentally chastised the false voices echoing from the depths of my past lives, all while focusing on Naomi. As her eyes adjusted to the dim, flickering light, she blinked slowly, her senses awakening. The tension in the air seemed to shift as her gaze finally locked onto mine, a silent acknowledgement passing between us in that cavernous gloom.

Naomi's brow furrowed, a mix of confusion and apprehension dancing across her features as she finally processed the sight of me. The shadows seemed to deepen around us, amplifying the tension. "Who... who are you?" she questioned, her voice barely more than a whisper, as she slowly pushed herself up to her feet against the wall, the weak light caught the determination in her eyes, revealing her resilience despite the circumstances.

Before I could respond, the voices evidently decided to interject.

‘Don’t lie to her, you've saved her life...’ Aizen urged, his tone silky and persuasive. ‘She deserves to know the truth... If only to get her on your side- You seem very much in need of allies.’ 

‘Truth? What is truth to someone like him?’ Doflamingo scoffed, his tone mocking. ‘You think revealing the truth will save her? It could do just the opposite. Why not weave a tale that paints you as her saviour?’ 

I frowned at the logic- Weren't they suggesting the same thing?

I held the side of my head as I felt their arguments form a tight knot in my mind.

Naomi shifted slightly, her eyes scanning my face as if searching for answers hidden in my expression. “I... I feel like I've seen you before?” she pressed, her voice gaining strength, though uncertainty still clung to her words.

'Be honest with her, and you will have an ally!' Once more, with more vigor, Aizen demanded. 'Allow her to comprehend the dangers to her survival.'

'No! For someone in her position, lies are safer,' Doflamingo shot back, his tone brimming with irony. 'The best course of action is to toss a wild card into the fire and watch what happens! She clearly can't remember-'

She freakin' recognises me, you idiot!

'Oh.' Was Doflamingo's helpful response.

"You were there..." Naomi continued, shifting slightly on her feet as her hand instinctively went to her arm, her eyes widening as memories surged through her like a tidal wave. "...Jump... jump and disappear..." she muttered slowly, the words echoing in around the large abandoned hall. A cold shiver seemed to run down her spine based on the look on her face.

I just tilted my head at her ever so slightly.

'What a fascinating power...'  Aizen's voice echoed in my mind, quieter yet utterly assured, while Doflamingo’s was oddly silent for once, leaving the air heavy with anticipation.

Naomi's gaze still locked to mine, her hand still pinching her other arm in a desperate attempt to ground herself in reality. "...I was supposed to jump..." she whispered, her voice trembling with confusion. "...Why am I..?" She blinked once, the weight of her situation weighing heavily on her. As her eyes locked onto mine again, a realization flickered across her features. "...You made me stop?" Her brows furrowed, doubt and fear encroaching on her thoughts. "...Or did I actually..." Her gaze drifted off to the side, lost in a maze of uncertainty.

In that moment of silence, Doflamingo's voice slithered into my mind, his unique laughter resonating as he shared his true thoughts on the matter. 'She can’t process it!' he said, his amusement palpable. 'This Death Note... It reminds me of Sugar's power!'

Well, that's definitely one way of looking at it- I mean besides the whole heart attack bullshit.

I clicked my fingers in front of the woman and found her rapidly focusing on the sound as she turned her gaze back to me. "So... Can I go?" I deadpanned. "Like, you're obviously conscious and all and I got places to be so-"

“I am supposed to be dead,” Naomi whispered, her voice trembling as the weight of that realization crashed down on her. Her back hit the wall with a dull thud, and she slowly slid down it, collapsing into a crouching position. Her hands wrapped tightly around her knees, gripping them as if they were her only anchor in a chaotic storm.

Despite the fact, I was practically an outside observer staring in, my years as Aizen Sosuke and Doflamingo had taught me how to read a person like an open book... And Naomi Misora was practically screaming right now, even if no sounds came out of her.

Her face had turned away from me, hiding the clear turmoil that was twisting inside her. The world likely felt surreal, with a haze of disbelief settling around her.

I could practically see the moment she felt the rush of air, the pull of gravity- every instinct screaming at her that she would fall, never to rise again.

I've seen that look so many times before...

But she didn't. Where she should've died, she was now a survivor. The sole survivor of Kira's Death Note, and I could see her eyes the moment she came to that realisation.

'How absolutely fascinating...' Aizen observed, his voice low, while Doflamingo let out a familiar laugh, his amusement unrestrained.

“Why… why am I here?” She murmured, her voice almost a croak. She had escaped Kira's grasp, but at what cost? As tears began to shimmer in her eyes, the enormity of her survival settled in, I realised this in itself could be another turning point.

Aizen was right... Even if it was a mockery of him, the voice was right- She could be a very powerful ally to have.

There was so much she still had to process, so many questions left unanswered, and I knew that I had to choose my words carefully.

"I'll take that as a no," I deadpanned to the conflicted woman, earning her attention. She looked at me in shock now that she'd remembered. Now that she'd understood. She looked at me with gratitude at the fact that she was alive, but above all else, she looked at me in pure utter suspicion because that's just who Naomi Misora was.

“What did you do? How am I still alive?” Her voice was steadier now, laced with an urgency that told me she was piecing it all together, fighting against the fog of confusion.

I could see the gears turning in her mind, questioning everything she thought she knew. She wasn’t one to accept a gift without probing for strings attached, and I respected that.

'HA!'  Doflamingo's voice echoed through my mind. 'You!? Respect anything!?'

I elected to ignore that.

“I saved you,” I replied, choosing my words carefully as I weighed the impact of my next sentence. “But you need to understand, this isn’t about altruism. Your survival means nothing to me. It was a matter of being at the right place and time.”

Both my inner voices recoiled at that.

Naomi narrowed her eyes, disbelief flickering across her features. “A coincidence? You expect me to believe that my life continues on over a random twist of fate?” The edge in her voice sharpened, reflecting her need for control in a situation defined by chaos.

“I don’t expect you to believe anything, Misora,” I said, my tone steady.

I don't know why that made her eyes widen- 'Dumbass.' Both my inner voices elected to add for some-

Oh right. How the fuck I know her name. That's the issue.

I ignored the pale look on her face following that slip and elected to continue my point all the same.

“You have every right to be sceptical. But the truth is, I acted as I did because I saw an opportunity. Your survival was a byproduct, not an intention.”

She shook her head, frustration morphing her gratitude into something darker. "You’re saying my survival didn’t matter to you? That it was just a lucky accident? And you somehow know my name-” Her voice cracked slightly, a hint of desperation creeping in as her breath quickened.

“Luck,” I echoed, the word hanging heavy in the air, "That's a good word for it." I nodded. "Call it luck." I offered her a thumbs up. "I'll be on my wa-"

"Wait!" she interrupted, her voice rising.

I gave her a long look at that little outburst. "...You obviously have an issue with me, so why do you want me to stick around?" I tilted my head, genuinely puzzled.

"...You saved my life." She remarked warily. "Just because?" She quarried further, her emotions frankly all over the place. "...How did you stop Kira's power?"

"That's none of your concern." I snorted immediately earning back her narrowed gaze. "Oi, I don't need to take that look on your face- Honestly some gratitude wouldn't be a miss!"

Honestly kinda surprised to see the guilt flash across her face

"I-" She hesitated, struggling to find the right words, "I am grateful... I am just- I am just- I don't believe in coincidences!"

"Ain't that something you said to your fiance before he died?" The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I'd fucked up.

'I see your knack for putting your foot in it hasn't changed.' Aizen helpfully added his two cents to the matter.

'I am sorry did you expect him to grow a brain cell?' Doflamingo wasn't helping either.

I could practically feel the atmosphere shift. Her eyes turned cold, ice replacing the flicker of confusion that had been there moments before. The air thickened with tension so palpable it felt as if I had just charged a live wire.

“How do you know that?” she shot back, her voice low but fierce. The anger brimming underneath her calm facade was unmistakable, like a storm brewing on the horizon. I took in a deep breath.

Tact was obviously the name of the game now!

“Naomi, I-” I began, instinctively wanting to backtrack, but she cut me off- evidently tact just made it worse.

She straightened up, the exhaustion from moments ago giving way to a new fear and resignation.

At this rate she might have a natural freakin' heart attack!

“...You’re... You’re Kira, aren’t you?” she whispered, her trembling hands pressed against the frigid stone wall behind her.

“Huh?” I blinked, completely caught off guard. “You know who Kira is!” I pointed out, but she only shook her head vigorously. “It’s Light Yagami!” I exclaimed incredulously. “You know, the guy who was all like ‘I am Kira!’ to you?” I threw my hands up in exasperation, trying to emphasize my point.

Her eyes widened, sharp and unyielding, as she started to circle around me, her movements taut with suspicion. “So you’re helping him then… I-I know he can control people before they die-”

"Why the hell would I want any part of this?" I replied flatly, irritation lacing my voice. “I’m not Kira, and I’m not his minion. If I wanted to help him, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to save you!”

Her gaze remained steady, still analyzing, still unsure. “It’s easier to think this is part of his scheme than to believe someone could survive Kira’s power!”

That was a good fucking point.

'She's got you there.' Aizen chimed in.

'I am starting to like her!' Doflamingo snorted.

Eh, you know what? It doesn't even matter what I say. "Honestly, I don't even care." I sighed. "Believe whatchu want, be grateful, don't be grateful, I've honestly had too much of this as is."

She narrowed her eyes, mulling over my words. Apparently not expecting them- or the utter lack of reaction to her circling, you know, me. Like a lion trying to hunt a dragon. Or something like that. "So, you’re saying you’re not working for him? That you’re actually trying to help me?"

What kind of fucking leap- "Hon, I honestly couldn't give a shit about you."

'Tactful.' Aizen remarked.

'For him? I'd say so.' Doflamingo evidently agreed.

Naomi Misora looked genuinely puzzled. "...Then why'd you save my life?"

"Well when a hot female zombie dressed in black walks in on you on the roof coughing your lungs out because the Shinigami King had a problem with your existence, you throw a middle finger at the Shinigami King by showing him his encycopledia ain't shit." I pointed both hands at her as if unveiling a surprise. “Ta-da!”

...

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Will be released on the 19/12/2024 for free! (Hopefully)