Chapter 4 - The International Turning Point

Although the hunt had been called off, L decided to keep an eye on the case.

Meanwhile, the crisis triggered by R-Kira took an international turn. The governments of South Korea and India, anxious to support Japan, offered to contribute financially to meet R-Kira's demands.

Japanese Minister: (on the phone) We greatly appreciate your support at this difficult time. We are determined to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, in Paris, a lively discussion breaks out between a group of well-informed people.

"If R-Kira continues on this path, it could have global consequences."

At the local café, a group of people had gathered to discuss recent events related to R-Kira. Opinions differed, creating a lively discussion.

"I don't understand why so many people are criticizing him. Kira is making sure that money is distributed more fairly, which is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes, but look at how he does that. He uses fear to control people. It's unhealthy."

"I agree. You can't exploit blackmail, even if there's a redistribution of money. It's immoral."

"But at the same time, it's like he's making things fair, isn't it? He's supporting the elderly, people who choose a different path from the easy one, and also the young."

"That's a simplistic view of things. Who decides who should have more than the other? That Kira? It's a dictatorship of justice."

"Anyway, I hope he comes to France too!'

Meanwhile, Shōhei had a new mission to give to his god of death.

Shōhei: I think it's time for you to go to SakuraTV and broadcast a new message. Use your Death Note to make sure everything's in perfect order.

A few minutes later, L witnessed R-Kira's new announcement.

「In 72 hours, all your opportunities will be sealed. Even after the debt has been settled, the identity of whoever wielded the notebook will remain eternally hidden. You have three days to pierce the veil of mystery that surrounds Kira. After that time, all leads will evaporate, plunging this affair into the darkness of the unknown.」

L examined the ad carefully, realizing that the deadline was much shorter than expected. "Why only 72 hours? Hasn't it been two months yet?" he wondered aloud.

The SPK members were also looking at the ad, puzzled. The team was surprised by this new deadline.

L raised his arm toward the ceiling, trying to understand the significance of this shorter-than-expected deadline. "Why would R-Kira be in a hurry?" he muttered to himself. "No, he's not in a hurry. It's a ploy to distract me! "

L, ever suspicious and analytical, understood that R-Kira intended to hand over his Death Note to a third party once everything was over, in order to avoid detection. The deliberate shortening of the deadline was a clever maneuver to divert his attention, prompting him to focus on the false lead of pressing time rather than on R-Kira's real strategy.

Ryuk, puzzled by the implications of this mysterious message, turned to Shōhei.

Ryuk: Well, I'm not sure I quite understand what you've just done. Why did you ask me to write on it too?

Shōhei, maintaining an air of enigma, calmly replied, "You'll understand everything soon. For now, just watch what happens. Everything will be clearer soon."

The Shinigami, accustomed to his user's enigmatic choices, simply nodded, knowing that he probably had his reasons. He waited patiently for the next few days to bring the answers to his questions.

The next day, Shōhei was determined to move things forward. He knew that Ryuk could be a powerful instrument in this quest. So he asked him to travel quickly to the United States, where he would head to the set of CNN television.

Ryuk held a sign that would attract the attention of millions of viewers. On it was written the following message: 

「The President of the United States does not actually hold the power of Kira. To prove otherwise, you must arrange for the world-famous criminal Kurogawa Ryūjin to die of a heart attack within the next 24 hours. If you refuse, for whatever reason, you'll have to provide aid to Japan to enable it to meet the requested sum.」

This bold action left everyone wondering: would the U.S. accept this challenge to restore its international reputation? Shōhei had once again relinquished his claim to the Death Note to allow Ryuk to carry out this crucial mission.

As this declaration in the USA sparked debate and uncertainty, the world's population began to question the reliability of their own governments. Doubts began to creep in, and people began to wonder whether their leadership really had the power of Kira.

In the SPK meeting room, as L reviewed the latest information on R-Kira, one of his colleagues made a pertinent observation.

"L, take a look at this. R-Kira broadcast a message from Washington at 9:18 a.m., which means it's currently 10:18 p.m. in Tokyo."

L, still examining the data, straightened slightly.

L: That's interesting information. It means that R-Kira has the ability to make her Shinigami travel freely from one place to another. Otherwise, it would have taken him around 14 hours to get from Tokyo to Washington. It seems he can play with the limits of time and space to his heart's content. Perhaps it was this ability that he lacked yesterday when he made his announcement.

Ryuk returned from the States with a certain excitement in his eyes. He handed the Death Note to Shōhei, but instead of the usual response he expected, he was greeted by silence. The seconds ticked by, and Ryuk, increasingly agitated, began to speak, squirming in all directions.

Ryuk: Well, Shōhei, you know, with all I've done for you... I had to make a long trip to Washington... Certainly as a shinigami I possess a speed superior to yours, but... You should give me more apples after this. A lot more!

But when Ryuk turned to look at Shōhei, he was struck by the terror on his face. He looked as if this was the very first time he'd seen a god of death, his eyes wide and his breathing jerky. Ryuk, bewildered, couldn't help but wonder what could have provoked such an intense reaction in Shōhei.

Shōhei: Who... Who are you?

An icy draught caressed the back of his neck, sending shivers down his skin. It was as if he'd just come face to face with Ryuk for the very first time in his life, a supernatural creature with piercing red eyes and a toothy grin. His pulse quickened, and a shiver of fear ran through his body as he realized the horror of the situation.

Shōhei: Leave me alone!

Ryuk, for his part, found the situation strange. Normally, a former possessor of the Death Note would recover his memory when he came into contact with it again. Ryuk opened the notebook to the rules page, and suddenly had a vision. A specific rule stood out in his mind: 

~ How to Use It: XXXVIII

- You will lose memory of the Death Note when losing its ownership. But you can regain this memory by either obtaining the ownership once again or by touching the Death Note. This can be done up to 6 times per Death Note.

- If the 6 times are exceeded, the person's memory of the Death Note will not return and they will have to use it without any previous memory of it.

- It is possible to avoid losing the memory of the Death Note by losing its ownership. However, even under these conditions, if the 6 times are exceeded, the user will lose his memory of the Death Note the next time he interacts with it, and will have to use it without any prior recollection of it.

Ryuk (surprised): No! Don't tell me...