- A perfect plan

Ryuk was surprised by Shōhei's response. 

- What do you mean, you don't care? I thought you had a plan.

- Yes, I do, but it relies partly on your help.

Ryuk let out a mocking chuckle.

- I want you to know one thing: I'm neither your ally nor your enemy. What kind of help are you referring to?

Shōhei didn't answer immediately. He pondered, staring at an invisible point in front of him.

- Translation: he won't help me unless I have a valid reason.

- Tell me, Ryuk, earlier you seemed upset when I refused the notebook. Because it would mean your forced return to the world of Shinigami... and without your precious apples.

- Hmph, so what? I don't see how it changes anything.

- On the contrary, it's essential. It proves that you can't stay here for no good reason. And above all... that you'll do anything to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Shōhei paused, smiling slightly.

- I'll make you a deal. Agree to help me, and I'll supply you with as many apples as you like.

Ryuk raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He let out a low chuckle before muttering to himself:

- He's smart, he's quick to grasp the situation...

Then he returned his piercing gaze to Shōhei.

- You're forgetting one thing. There's nothing to stop me from killing you. If I decide to write your name in my notebook, I have the right to stay in the human world for another 82 hours.

But Shōhei, unperturbed, immediately interrupted him:

- You won't. That's not what you're interested in. What you want is to observe what the human to whom you entrust your Death Note will do. And for that... you need me.

- Well, as long as you're not asking me to kill a human for you...

- Don't worry, you'll only be a go-between.

Ryuk squinted, intrigued.

- A go-between?

- Yes, exactly. Because I have a project in mind... a plan that will allow me to pull off the coup of the century.

Shōhei paused before announcing with a confident smile:

- I'm going to win one of the biggest sums in the world... by winning the lottery.

Ryuk opened his eyes wide. He'd heard all sorts of crazy ideas from humans, but this was the first time he'd heard such a strategy.

- Winning the lottery... with the Death Note?! Is that possible?!

- Yes, it is... with your help.

Ryuk crossed his arms, intrigued.

- And how do you plan to do that? Isn't this lotto game supposed to be a game of chance?

Shōhei smiled slightly.

- I saw a video about it, I remember it well.

He paused before explaining:

- Lotto 7... Players have to pick seven numbers between 1 and 37. To win the jackpot, all the numbers must match those in the draw. The odds of hitting the jackpot are ridiculously low... about one in 10 million.

Ryuk listened attentively, but his eyes betrayed a certain perplexity.

- OK... So what?

- So," Shōhei replied, "I'm going to make sure these numbers aren't just random.

- Sounds like fun, I wonder how you're going to do it, 

Ryuk said with a curious smile.

- It's getting late," replied Shōhei, "I'll take time to think about it. But for now, I'm going to tell you something.

- You will? What's that?

- Go to the Japan Lottery Association, and write the message I'm about to give you on a piece of paper.

Ryuk raised his eyebrows, puzzled.

- The Japan Lottery? But isn't that on the other side of the world from here?

Shōhei nodded.

- That's why I'm going to relinquish my ownership rights to this Death Note. That way, you'll be free to travel wherever you want without having to stay close to me.

Ryuk seemed surprised by this proposal, but a flash of understanding crossed his eyes.

- Ah, I see...

- However," Shōhei continued, "only travel underground. There are risks involved.

- And what do you propose in exchange? 

- You like apples, don't you! Then you'll be allowed to eat as many apples as you like. You'll always have unlimited access to this delicious fruit.

Well aware of the dangers and consequences of using the deadly notebook, he had made a radical decision. Shōhei sat down in front of him with the Death Note resting on his desk. 

- Now that you know my plan, I don't intend to use it, Ryuk. I want to give it up. 

- Whatever you say, kid.

Ryuk walked away from Shōhei with the Death Note in hand, ready to execute the next phase of the plan. He headed for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, where he knew his message would attract the attention of the authorities.

Once there, he placed a letter on the desk. When the employees discovered the letter and began to read it, they were taken aback by the contents:

「To avoid nationwide chaos, I'm asking the government to postpone the Lotto 7 draw scheduled for tonight and organize the biggest draw in the history of the game. You will have three years to prepare for this event.」 

The incredulous employees exchanged puzzled glances. The idea that someone could demand such a draw under threat of using the Death Note seemed absurd and implausible to them. Many thought it was a bad joke or a hoax orchestrated by a prankster seeking to sow panic. 

Despite the disturbing nature of the letter, those in charge decided to ignore it. They filed it away among the many strange correspondences the Ministry regularly received, without taking any further action. 

However, the anonymous threat began to spread through the Ministry's corridors, fuelling informal discussions among employees. Some wondered whether Kira's return was really possible, while others remained skeptical, preferring not to be disturbed by what seemed to them to be a mere prank. 

For the time being, Japan remained unaware of the threat, and the letter remained buried in the Ministry's archives.

However, one employee, although not taking the letter seriously, decided to send a copy to the SPK (Special Provision for Kira). Although the contents of the letter seemed implausible, it was hard to deny the striking resemblance between it and the messages that had been broadcast on SakuraTV at the time the Death Note went on sale. The way the message was written, the threatening tone, and even the mention of "Kira" raised doubts in the employee's mind.

[SPK Japan (Tokyo)]

- L, have you seen the news? A new Kira has appeared, and he's demanding the biggest lotto draw on record.

The young man, with piercing gray eyes and long white hair that he frequently played between his fingers, replied in a calm, almost detached voice. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed his sleepless nights spent analyzing endless files. He stood there, motionless, facing Gevanni, in the same posture as his predecessor, L. His gaze was lost in emptiness, as if absorbed by a reality that seemed far away.

- Could this be the return of A-Kira...? No, it must be the work of a joker, someone at the Japan Lottery looking for some fun.

L rose slowly to his feet, his movements graceful and measured. He moved to a nearby table and, with almost childlike concentration, began stacking dominoes with impeccable precision. At 32, he retained that aura of curious innocence that masked his intellectual genius. His movements were methodical, as if he were trying to restore order to a world that was not.

He stopped suddenly, his fingers brushing a domino piece, and his gaze grew more intense, a gleam of impulsiveness bursting into his eyes.

- Tell the Japan Lottery not to do anything, it's probably a bad joke.

Shohei, his eyes fixed on the TV screen, replied calmly, smiling.

- Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say. I knew it would be like that. It was just to give me time to think about my plan.

- So you've got another idea in mind?

Shohei rose slowly from his chair, looking concentrated as he paced up and down the room.

- We need to be more persuasive. Make them understand that we really do possess Kira's power. What we need is something that strikes the imagination, something that can only be achieved with supernatural power. There's a printing office not far from here. Take a pile of sheets from there, and throw them from the sky, all over the city. We need to cause a supernatural event to attract their attention.

Ryuk, holding the pile of leaves he'd taken from the printing office, soared into the night sky. From above, he released the leaves, letting them float gently down to earth. Thousands of leaves fell from the sky, creating a supernatural spectacle. People who witnessed the scene were amazed and intrigued.

After sowing the leaves all over Japan, Ryuk returned to Shōhei. He was pleased with the impact the demonstration had had.

The whole world was in an uproar. The media were constantly broadcasting images of the leaves falling from the sky, and social networks were abuzz with speculation and theories. At first, many thought it was a hoax, but soon realized that something supernatural was at work.

L, informed of these events, could no longer ignore the situation. He began to take the investigation seriously, as did the rest of the world. He knew that something much bigger was at stake, and he was determined to solve this complex mystery.

As he studied the images of the leaves falling from the sky, L had a revelation. He understood that this new Kira had used this demonstration as a message, a way of showing how he planned to make the Death Note available to all, by dropping the pages of the notebook from the sky! He had illustrated his threat in a symbolic way. A wave of shock ran through L as he realized the significance of this challenge.

- The god of death is back...

Tracking down the origin of this new Kira became his priority. Detective L found himself up against a particularly cunning adversary. His team, made up of members of the SPK, worked tirelessly to track down the new Kira. They analyzed every detail of the message, desperately searching for a clue that might lead them to him.

- We have to find a way to trace this new Kira. It's essential to put a stop to his actions before things get out of hand.

But L soon realized that this would be no easy task. The new Kira was extremely cautious, leaving no trace behind. His communications were via letters written directly from the offices of the Japan Lottery Association, making any identification of his identity virtually impossible.

On closer examination, L noticed an enigmatic element. Kira had voluntarily given the government 3 years to prepare the biggest lottery draw ever. What was Kira's real intention in doing this?

L analyzed the probabilities: one chance in ten million of winning the jackpot. Such a coincidence was impossible. Kira certainly wasn't counting on luck. He had a plan, and he needed to discover it before it was too late.

- What should we do, L?" asked an agent, his gaze fixed on the accumulated data.

L stared impassively at the screen in front of him. Every detail counted, every move Kira made was carefully orchestrated.

- For now, we'll follow his rules," he declared calmly. When he makes the fatal error, we'll be there to intercept him.

Ryuk stared at Shohei, absent-mindedly balancing an apple between his bony fingers.

- And now, what are you going to do?" asked the god of death, intrigued.

Shohei smiled confidently, his gaze fixed on the illuminated city through the glass.

- By now, they've probably accepted my proposal. There's nothing left to do but wait.

- Waiting? For three years?! 

Ryuk exclaimed, dumbfounded.

- Don't worry," Kira replied calmly. I'll give you back the Death Note. You can go back to your world.

Ryuk grimaced, biting noisily into his apple.

- What about my apples?

Shohei shrugged, smiling slightly.

- If you can't wait... give the notebook to someone else.

- You'd better shower me with apples when I get back!