Linhai University.
The wind swept up the dead leaves of the plane trees, sending them scraping across the asphalt with a dry rustle.
With a shoulder bag slung over one shoulder, Kannazuki walked at an even pace along the tree-lined path toward the Second Teaching Building.
His back was perfectly straight. He wore a dark gray coat over his white shirt, and his gold-rimmed glasses gave him a refined, gentle appearance, perfectly matching his persona as Light Yagami, the wealthy honor student.
Ryuk hung upside down from a lamppost, tossing a red apple in one hand and letting out a dry, bizarre laugh.
"Light, your heartbeat is half a beat slower than usual today.
Feeling too bored?"
Kannazuki ignored the Shinigami's attempt at conversation.
He looked straight ahead, but his peripheral vision tracked the reflections in the glass curtain walls of the teaching buildings on either side.
He was being followed.
He had felt it ever since leaving his apartment that morning.
His pursuer's surveillance skills were incredibly clumsy-so clumsy that he barely seemed to be hiding at all.
No coordinated handoffs, no use of blind spots. He simply followed behind.
As Kannazuki passed a campus café, he used the motion of pushing open the door to steal a quick glance at the reflection in the glass behind him.
A young man stood about thirty meters away.
He wore an oversized white T-shirt washed nearly colorless, its collar stretched loose, and a pair of wrinkled jeans.
His bare feet were shoved into a pair of battered canvas shoes without socks.
Most striking was his posture-rather than standing upright, he hunched like a shrimp, his hands in his pockets and his neck craned forward.
Even from thirty meters away, Kannazuki could see the dark circles around his eyes, so heavy they