Black.
White.
Endless void.
No sound.
No wind.
Nothing.
⸻
Ryuk stood still.
His eyes scanned the emptiness around him.
"…Where am I…?"
His voice echoed—
But something felt wrong.
Too hollow.
Too quiet.
⸻
Then—
A voice.
Cold.
Familiar.
"Ryuk… you could have saved us."
⸻
His body froze.
"…Who are you? Show yourself!"
⸻
Another voice followed.
Then another.
From every direction.
"You knew we were going to die… and you still stood there."
"And yet… you did nothing."
⸻
"You didn't even try to save us."
"You just watched… like we meant nothing to you."
⸻
His breathing became uneven.
"…No… that's not true…"
⸻
"You're a failure, Ryuk."
"Someone like you never deserved a family."
⸻
"We died… because of you."
⸻
"STOP IT!! JUST SHUT UP!!"
⸻
Silence.
⸻
Then—
Light.
A soft glow appeared ahead.
Growing brighter.
⸻
Ryuk raised his arm to shield his eyes.
"…What is that…?"
⸻
The light slowly faded—
Revealing three figures.
⸻
His eyes widened.
"…Mom…?"
"…Dad…?"
"…Sally…?"
⸻
They stood there.
Still.
Cold.
Expressionless.
⸻
His father stepped forward.
"Does it even matter if this is real or not?"
"The truth is… you could have saved us. But you didn't."
⸻
His mother's voice followed—
"A son is supposed to protect his family…"
"…but you couldn't even do that."
⸻
Sally tilted her head.
"Who would want a loser as a brother?"
"I definitely wouldn't."
⸻
Something inside Ryuk shattered.
Tears rolled down his face.
"I tried… I swear I tried…"
"…please… believe me…"
⸻
But they had already turned away.
Walking back into the light.
⸻
"…Wait!"
He ran.
Desperate.
Reaching out—
⸻
Just as he was about to grab them—
The ground beneath him vanished.
⸻
A void opened.
He fell.
⸻
"NO—!!"
⸻
Darkness swallowed everything.
⸻
"I'M NOT A FAILURE… I WON'T BE ONE!!"
⸻
Reality
Ryuk's eyes snapped open.
He gasped for air.
Sweat dripping down his face.
⸻
"…A dream…?"
He looked around.
Room.
Bed.
Max sleeping beside him.
⸻
But his chest still ached.
"…Tch…"
⸻
He checked the time.
4:00 AM.
⸻
"…Enough."
He stood up.
His expression—
Different.
Colder.
Sharper.
⸻
"Time to train."
⸻
GROUND — SUNRISE
Golden light spread across the sky.
The sun slowly rising—
As if pushing him forward.
⸻
Ryuk stepped onto the ground.
Determined.
"I won't stop."
"I won't break… no matter what."
⸻
"…Veronica."
⸻
A glitch.
A flicker.
The system appeared.
⸻
[WRATH SYSTEM ONLINE]
⸻
"Tell me what I need to do."
⸻
[TRAINING CONTINUES]
[NO NEW TASKS]
[REPEAT UNTIL MASTERED]
⸻
Ryuk smirked faintly.
"…Good."
"Then I'll master everything."
⸻
TRAINING — DAY 2
[SPEED TRIAL INITIATED]
[LAST RECORD: 39:51]
[NEW LIMIT: 34:51]
[YOU WILL SURPASS YOUR PREVIOUS LIMIT]
[NO EXCUSES. NO SLOWDOWN.]
[FAILURE = PUNISHMENT]
⸻
Ryuk sprinted.
Feet pounding the ground.
Breathing heavy.
⸻
He pushed.
Hard.
"His lungs burned… but he refused to slow down."
⸻
Finally—
He crossed the finish.
Collapsed.
"…What's my time…?"
⸻
[RESULT: +7 SECONDS]
⸻
"…Only seven seconds…?"
"…after all that…?"
⸻
ZAP—
"AAAHHH—!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
⸻
[FAILURE PENALTY ACTIVATED]
⸻
Ryuk clenched his teeth.
"…So this system doesn't allow weakness…"
"…fine… I'm not stopping either."
⸻
DAY 5
Faster.
Sharper.
More controlled.
⸻
He finished.
"…Time?"
⸻
[RESULT: +34 SECONDS]
⸻
"…Still not enough…"
⸻
ZAP—
His body shook—
But this time—
He didn't scream.
⸻
"…I'm getting used to this."
⸻
COLD TRAINING
A frozen lake.
Dead silence.
⸻
[OBJECTIVE: 45 SECONDS]
⸻
Ryuk stepped forward.
His foot touched the water—
"SHIT… this is freezing…!"
"…this isn't normal at all…"
⸻
He took a deep breath.
"…It's just 45 seconds…"
"…I can handle this…"
⸻
He stepped in.
His body instantly trembled.
Uncontrollably.
⸻
"…Stay still… don't move…"
"…if I quit now… everything was for nothing…"
⸻
Seconds felt like minutes.
⸻
Finally—
[QUEST COMPLETE]
⸻
Ryuk stepped out.
Shivering.
"…That was insane…"
⸻
SHADOW COMBAT
A dark domain formed.
Three figures emerged.
Silent.
Deadly.
⸻
[OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE – 10 MINUTES]
⸻
First attack—
Too fast.
Impact.
Pain.
⸻
Ryuk staggered.
"…these guys aren't attacking randomly…"
"…they have patterns…"
⸻
Another attack—
Barely dodged.
"…if I can read them…"
"…I can survive this…"
⸻
A hit lands—
"AAH—!"
"…damn it… I'm still too slow…"
⸻
Days passed.
He improved.
10% dodge.
20%.
35%.
⸻
"…I'm learning…"
"They weren't enemies… they were lessons."
⸻
GRAVITY HELL
[GRAVITY: x3 → x5]
⸻
Each step—
Felt like mountains crushing him.
⸻
He fell.
Again.
And again.
⸻
But stood up.
Every time.
⸻
"…I won't stay down…"
⸻
KATANA TRAINING
A wooden blade in his hand.
Real blades in theirs.
⸻
Slash—
Block.
Dodge.
Counter.
⸻
He observed.
Adapted.
Copied.
⸻
At first—
He struggled.
⸻
Then—
He survived.
⸻
Then—
He dominated.
⸻
One clean strike—
All three shadows—
Gone.
⸻
TIME SKIP — 6 MONTHS
"Six months… of pain, failure, and survival."
Wind roared across the mountains.
⸻
Ryuk ran—
Faster than ever.
⸻
"…Almost there…"
⸻
He reached the peak.
⸻
The sun rose.
Golden light spread across the sky.
⸻
The camera circled—
⸻
Ryuk stood there.
Long hair.
Sharpened gaze.
A scar across his eye.
⸻
No longer the same person.
⸻
"…Finally."
⸻
HEAL
He whispered—
"…Heal."
⸻
A green aura surrounded him.
Wounds closing instantly.
⸻
[SKILL LEVEL: MAX]
⸻
He clenched his fist.
"…Perfect."
⸻
REWARD
[TRAINING COMPLETE]
⸻
[REWARD: WRATHREAVER SWORD]
⸻
A blade emerged from nothing.
Pitch black—
So dark it swallowed light.
Crimson cracks pulsed across it—
Like something inside was alive.
⸻
The air grew heavy.
Distorted.
⸻
Ryuk stared at it.
"…this sword… it's not normal…"
"…it doesn't feel like I'm holding it…"
"…it feels like it's choosing me."
⸻
He grabbed it—
BOOM—
A shockwave burst outward.
The ground cracked beneath him.
⸻
"…and this presence…"
"…it doesn't want to fight gods…"
"…it wants to erase them."
⸻
"…So this is… Wrathreaver."
⸻
ABILITIES
[SIZE MANIPULATION]
[SOUL-BOUND: ONLY OWNER CAN USE]
[ANGER = POWER AMPLIFICATION]
⸻
"The more it takes…"
"The stronger it becomes."
⸻
FINAL TEST
[NEW QUEST: FINAL EXAMINATION — TRIAL OF HUNT]
[ENTER THE HUNTING GROUNDS]
[OBJECTIVE: DEFEAT 10 SKILLED WARRIORS — ONE BY ONE]
[THEY WILL NOT HOLD BACK]
[THEY WILL KILL YOU IF YOU MAKE A SINGLE MISTAKE]
[OBJECTIVE: HUNT AND ELIMINATE ALL TARGETS]
[FAIL CONDITION: DEATH → FULL RESET]
[NO TIME LIMIT]
[ONLY ONE RULE…]
[SURVIVE.]
⸻
Ryuk smiled.
Cold.
Excited.
⸻
"…Finally."
⸻
FOREST
He appeared.
Dense trees.
Silence.
Unknown danger.
⸻
Ryuk looked around.
"…a forest, huh…"
"…perfect place to kill… or be killed."
⸻
WHOOSH—
A kunai sliced past his face.
⸻
"…Tch… that was close."
⸻
A figure dropped from the trees.
A ninja.
⸻
"Next time… that won't miss."
⸻
Ryuk raised his sword.
"…go ahead and try."
"…I want to see how strong I've become."
⸻
Both stepped forward.
At the same time.
⸻
Steel met steel.
And the hunt… began.
⸻
To Be Continued…
⸻