A Year of Jubilee [The Death Note Fanfic]

Chapter 37

Ryuk glowered at Hellenos. "Well, no use pretending you're not there anymore," he said sourly. "But hey, long time no see, eh?" He waved a clawed hand towards the angel. "Last time we ran into each other was in the wilderness with Elijah, wasn't it?"

Hellenos gave the shinigami a cool look but said nothing.

Ryuk rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, you didn't say much back then, either," he grumbled. "Looks like you got assigned a new cowardly human, did you? And a marked one, at that! First a man who calls down fire from heaven, and now a girl who escapes death. You must be one of His favorites." He said these last words with a sneer.

Jubilee exchanged a glance between the two. "You know each other?"

He doesn't have favorites, as you well know already, Hellenos answered the demon smoothly.

Ryuk cackled at that. "Doesn't He?" he returned, laughing. "Come on, now! You know as well as I do that He's had favorites since the beginning!" He pointed a long claw at Jubilee and she took another step back, closer to Hellenos. "He's favored these measly, pathetic creatures of dust since time began. Surely you remember, back in the garden, don't you? When he gave these idiots dominion over the whole earth? Look at what they've done with it, since then! And what did they do to earn all that power? That trust? Nothing! Nothing at all...which is exactly what He gave to the rest of us." He stopped grinning and gave Hellenos a calculating gaze. "Surely you can see my old man's point of view, can't you? We are the ones who deserve rule over the universe. We were the ones who were with Him first! And what thanks did we get for that? Nothing," he finished bitterly. He extended a clawed hand to Hellenos. "It's not too late, you know...you could still switch sides."

Hellenos ignored Ryuk's claw. His eyes remained locked on the demon's and his face stayed expressionless. You've been twisting the truth for so long, fallen one, he said, That you've actually begun to believe your own lies.

Ryuk rolled his eyes. "Phaw," he scoffed, dropping his hand. "I didn't really expect you to accept anyway. Was worth a try though." He grinned at the angel. "How about a bet then? Your human versus mine." He flicked a long finger at Jubilee once more, then another one at Light. "Her faith against his hunger for power. Which do you think will win out, oh mighty bright one?"

Hellenos said nothing.

"What, you don't want to make bets with a shinigami?" Ryuk cackled. "I swear, I'm very honorable when it comes to gambling. We don't even have to set any stakes, I'd just like the satisfaction of seeing the inevitable shortcoming of humankind win out like it always does, every single time. What do you say?"

Hellenos continued to give the shinigami an aloof and silent gaze, making his answer clear. Jubilee glanced between the two again, then at Light, who looked genuinely confused now. He couldn't hear or see Hellenos. Perhaps this was her chance.

"Light," she said, stepping forward. "Listen, you heard how that shinigami talked about you just now. He obviously doesn't have your best interests in mind, and this is not going to end well for you if you keep going. Please," she pleaded, reaching out a hand towards him, "You have to listen to me, and—"

Light held up a hand, stopping her. "Julie," he began quietly. "You need help."

Jubilee stopped and gaped at him for a moment. "What?"

He took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "You're my friend, Julie, so I don't want to hurt your feelings—but, you need professional help."

She stared at him, unable to respond as the line over his head broke and showered them both with charcoal dust.

He continued, earnestly, "I know a place in Aoyama. Good place, good doctors. The head psychiatrist is friends with my dad. I could have him to talk to him for you, get you in for a low cost, maybe even on our insurance plan."