Namie: "...Have you noticed?

"
Seiji: "There's no way anyone could have missed that, Sis. That stalker girl doesn't even bother
hiding herself. She doesn't even know that she's stalking."
Namie: "---Shall I have her dealt with?"
Seiji: "Don't, Sis, it's a bad thing to kill people. Please, live a more respectful life that you can be
proud of."
Namie: "Ah...but what makes me the most proud is..."
Seiji: "If you're going to say it's me, I'll be running away, for real."
Namie: "...I just love how cold you are sometimes."
Mika: (What should I do? What should I do? Seiji-san is here! It hasn't even been seven hours
since I started looking for Seiji-san and we've already run into each other. That's why Seiji-san is
so cool ! He's my destined lover! There's a beautiful woman next to him, but I won't be jealous,
fufu. Because I know that person is Seiji-san's older sister! That's Namie-san, who holds an
important position at Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. She is still single, and her three sizes are--[omitted] -- I know all sorts of things about Seiji-san's family. I've found out as much as I could
about Seiji-san, but it is still far from enough. Because Seiji-san doesn't know about me. That's
why, that's why, I will tell him lots and lots and lots more about myself, how much I like Seijisan, how happy I will make him, how much I'll make Seiji-san, Seiji-san, Seiji-san, Seiji-san----)
Simon: Young lady, why do you run away? // If you only have a little your health will be fine... //
Are you thinking about your diet? // It's fine if it's just once. // Hey, young lady. // You get a
discount for your first time.//Ah, Mister, what do you think? // It's cheap, it's delicious, first-time
customer, alcohol, discount. // Sushi, good. Sushi's good, it's slimming. // Your health will be fine
if you don't each too much. // Healthy sushi, eat sushi. // Our sushi is Japan's best...

Kida: "Oh, it's the Black Motorbike."

Anri: "Ah..."
Mikado: "-------!"
Kida: "People who see the Black Motorbike get good luck...that's what I just thought. Right, let's
not let the luck go to waste and go access an online dating site."
Anri: "Isn't it... a little scary...?"
Kida: "Scary? Online dating sites? Fufu, or do you find my way of life scary because it's like
crossing dangerous bridges all the time? And this scent of danger will make Anri fall for me-"
Anri: "That motorbike... somehow it doesn't feel real..."
Mikado: "Yes, I know what you mean. It's almost like it doesn't belong in this world."
Kida: "...Are you ignoring me?"
Mikado: "It is scary. But...that's exactly why I think it's cool. It's like I would want to turn into
that being if only I could---------"
Anri: "Eh?"
Mikado: "No, nothing."
Celty: [...........]

Mikado: (Aah, what is on the mind of that being that transcends us just by existing? It must be
something I can't even begin to imagine, right?)
Celty: (Crap... I forgot to record today's 'Discovering World's Wonders'. Will I make it in time if I
head back now? ...I'll have to hurry.)
Celty: (Even so--- This city is as peaceful as ever today.)
Celty: (I feel most at home in an everyday life with nothing strange going on. I really envy those
students I passed by a moment ago.)
Karisawa: "Oh my, Izaya and Shizuo are fighting again."
Kadota: "They've always been. Right, Yumasaki?"
Yumasaki: "Whoa, It's the Black Motorbike. The way it runs is so cool. That can't be real. It's got
to be CG. Or a ghost or something."
Kadota: "Not listening, are you?"
Yumasaki: "Aaah, if I ever see a ghost, I'd like it to be a cute girl, you know. Doesn't matter if it's
a haunting spirit or an earth-bound spirit."
Karisawa: "Astral? Astral? Dengeki? Dengeki Bunko?"
Kadota: "Oi... Ahh, these guys are hopeless... They've drifted off into their own world."
Karisawa: "Ah, speaking of which, Dotachin, you knew? Once you take off the book covers
you'll find numbers written on Dengeki Bunko books at the bottom of their backs, what can those
numbers mean?"

Kadota: "As if I care. ...Hey, they're starting."

Izaya: "I'm begging you, Shizu-chan."
Shizuo: "..."
Izaya: "I've stabbed my knife in the stomach, won't you at least look like you're in pain?"
Shizuo: "..."
Izaya: "Also, I wanted to carve out your entrails so I thrust pretty hard, Shizu-chan. Why won't
the knife go in deeper than 5 millimeters? What are your abdominal muscles made of?"
Shizuo: "..."
Izaya: "That cafe signboard you're holding right now with one hand, do you know how many
kilos it weighs? We're both grown men now, so try to behave within the realm of common
sense...would you?"
Shizuo: "...Since we're talking about common sense, you'll die if I hit you with this, right? ---So
die."
Izaya: (Ah, I'll be screwed if I don't run away now...I really can't handle him. I can't predict his
next moves at all. What is he thinking about when he's fighting me?)
Shizuo: (Kill kill kill kill kill beat him smash him kick him chop him cook him burn him stab
him pummel him murder him crush him grind him cut him into a thousand pieces kill him alive
no kill him completely absolutely and painfully kill him fully kill kill kill, kill kill...)
Shinra: (Aah--- it's becoming twisted.)

Shinra: (This city is becoming twisted again today.)

Shinra: (It's such a nice feeling, isn't it--- / Aah, more, won't it become even more twisted? / So
twisted that the world's surface and underbelly, day and night, reality and illusion---)
Shinra: (And then my and her existences, everything will meld together...and never part
again-------)

Its so exciting! So exciting! So very exciting! There are still so many things I don't know about
in this city! Even as I speak, something new is appearing, emerging, and something else is fading
away. How can I leave a place where so many humans gather? HUMAN LOVE! I love humans!
I love you all!
In Ikebukuro, Tokyo, strange groups of people gather: youths who yearn for an extraordinary
life, trouble-making hooligans, crazy stalker girls, informants who sell information for their own
enjoyment, underground doctors who treat unconventional ailments, high schoolers obsessed
with the occult and, of course, a headless black biker.
Together, these strange characters tell a very unusual story, and very intriguing one at that.
Twisted as they are, however, they still can talk about love.

PROLOGUE
Seiji-san! Seiji-san! Are you home? Im here again! Oh my, you accidentally locked the door
again? Now I cant get in!
Danger, danger. The stalker has invaded my home. Shes been banging on my door and she wont
even ring the doorbell. What the hell is she thinking?
The doors locked! Seiji-san, you aren't sleeping, are you? Ahits my first time calling on a
guy while he's asleep! Im so bold!
Warning, warning...Ive been on my toes since last week. Last week I saved two bumpkins from
being harassed by some hooligan. I'd asked and found out that they were going to the same high
school as I was and would be studying in the same first-year class. But I never expected for
things to turn out this way. The other girl was a polite little goody two shoes, but this one...
Well...actually I...Ive always liked Seiji-san! Do you remember? During the entrance exam, I
was sitting right beside Seiji-san! The guy sitting to my right had this totally awesome name like
'Ryuugamine Mikado' and I wanted to know what kind of name the person on my left had, so I
turned andit was love at first sight! From that day on Ive always remembered Seiji-sans
name! Even though I didn't have the guts to confess to you that day...but just last week, Seiji-san
saved me, and then I thought at that moment...ah, this must be fate! Do you know how much
courage that gave me? So-- So, let me look at you again, wont you? Seiji-san, I really want to
look at that strong, energetic face of yours! Please please, pretty please, Seiji-san!
Caution, caution. After I saved this kid, she'd secretly followed me home. And she did it every
day of the week after that. Even after I told her to fuck off plenty of times. That crap she shouted
just now? Ive heard it two thousand times.

Dont tell me youre ill, Seiji-san?! Are you so sick that you can't answer me? Thats no good!
Hurry and open the door, Seiji-san! Since the day of the entrance exam, Ive been looking up
stuff about you, Seiji-san! I know your birthday, about your family...everything about you!
Police. Police. I told her I was going to call the policeshe'd only backed down after I told her
that.
Three hours after the invasion, I guessed that the girl had already gone home, so I decided to buy
some stuff at the convenience store downstairs. As I held the toothpaste and weekly in my hand,
images of that denpa-girl* flashed across my mind.
*literally electromagnetic waves. Refers to people (or girls in this case) who are clinically denpa-san, and in
not-so-subtler termscompletely whacko.

My first impression of her was a rather pretty girl with a touch of maturity and sophistication.
Perhaps beautiful lady would be a better description. But why would a lovely girl like her have
no boyfriend? What I'd just experienced was the perfect answer to that question. No matter how
cute that denpa-girl was, I would still politely decline her affections. If it had been someone who
really wanted a girlfriend, they wouldnt have to think twice about accepting her love; as for me,
Im not interested. Not even a little. Because I already have a girlfriend.
But what about the school entrance ceremony tomorrow? As I walked down the narrow corridor,
towards my apartment, I kept on thinking about it.
If I go to school tomorrow, Ill have to meet that girl. Id be better off not going. Ah...it doesnt
matter. I have a girlfriend already. Shes quiet and beautiful, a far cry from that girl. As long as
Im with her, it doesnt matter whether I go to high school or not. Maybe I should just work at
Sis office and be one of those part-time student workers or something.
Ah I remember! I finally remember why I saved those girls. Even though these are completely
different matters, that girl really looked like my girlfriend, so I'd saved her. Now that I think of it,

it was a totally stupid thing to do. I'd saved her just because she looked like her, but how was I to
know that she was actually this kind of person?
I kept thinking about it as I slipped my house keys into the lock.
Eh? Weird.
The doors unlocked.
Danger dangermy whole body was stricken with alarm.
Sirens were wailing; I opened the door to see a pair of girls shoes.
Se-Seiji-san...
As I stepped into the apartment, I saw that stalker girl standing there. Just standing still.
It was then I came to realize that, even though I was looking at the girl who had broken into my
house, I was strangely calm. Because I was looking at the expression on her face the whole time.
So I forced a few words out of my mouth and they were cold, colder than I'd expected. So cold
that even I was surprised.
So you saw it?
Eh...that...I...uh...
The expression that unfolded on her face was totally different from before. It was uneasy and full
of fear.
...Hmph, so even she was capable of making those expressions.

Then I was sure. I was surethis kid had seen what she shouldnt have seen.
That...that...Seiji-san...I...uh...I wont tell anyone! Even if youre like this, I still really like Seijisan! Um...so...so...dont worry! No matter what kind of hobbies you have, Ill definitely
accommodate them...so...that...thats...
The tables were turned. Now she was the one who couldnt attack.
Its alright.
Seiji-san!
After what I'd said, the stalker sounded hopeful once again.
Its alright.
Sei...ji-san?
She'd noticed the coldness in my glare. In that moment, a cloud of unease drifted across her face.
I wanted to see an expression of complete despair, so I repeated:
Its alright.
Seiji!
When Sis brought home two underlings that night, I was sitting in the living room, eating cup
noodles. The two underlings deftly placed the stalker girls body into a suitcase and brought it
out. Sis scanned the room, looked at the bloodstains on the wall, and then hugged me tightly:
Its alright, dont worry about a thing.

Seiji, you dont have to worry about anything. Your sister will take care of everything,
understand?
Sis, I dont care about that girl. I only care about her.
So Seiji was the one who took her...it doesnt matter, you just leave everything to your sister.
Its no problem; as long as Im here, I wont let anything happen to Seiji...especially those
horrible police officersIll never let them take you away, never, never, so you can just sit back
and relax.
After Sis finished talking, she gave the underlings a few orders and left.
I dont think I should go work at Siss office because it seems that Sis has some underworld
connections the company doesnt know about. Like those underlings today. They saw a dead
person and just acted on instruction without flinching even once. That's not a good thing.
Im not going to work with those evil people. If I do, won't I become like them?
And if I become like them and get arrested, she'll be so lonely. Ill never let anything like that
happenIll never let her be lonely.
As I watched Siss underlings stoically scrubbing the bloodstains off the wall, I forced down
those overcooked cup noodles.
Ah, those noodles tasted really bad.
This is a very twisted story.
A twisted...love story.

CHAPTER 1
SHADOW
Chatroom (Holiday, Evening)
Like I was saying, the strongest group in Ikebukuro now has got to be the Dollars!
[Although Ive never met a Dollars member, Ive heard a lot of rumours about them.]
Thats because they dont like being in the spotlight! Besides, everyones talking about them
online!
Ah I see...hm...Kanra-san seems to know a lot about Ikebukuro.
Nah...not that well.
Ah...then then then, have you heard about the black biker incident?
Black biker?
[Wow...]
Its caused a lot of commotion in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro! It was even on the news
yesterday!

Tokyo, somewhere in the Bunkyo district (Normal day, midnight)

Youre...a...monster!! AHHHHHH!

The youth let out a piercing scream, raised the metal pipe in his hand, and fled. It was midnight
and the youth was making a frenzied dash out of the multi-storey carpark. He was gripping metal
pipe in his right hand so tightly that it was almost the same temperature as his body. His hands
were numbing from the cold sweat seeping from his palms.
There was no one at all, only a few cars waiting silently for their owners.
Aside from the sound of his own heavy footsteps, his breathing, and his rapidly accelerating
heartbeat, the carpark was completely silent. Each sound resonated in his ears.
Treading between the huge concrete pillars, the hoodlum howled, Sh-shit! Shit Shit! Shit!
Im...Im...Im...gonna get killed! Fuck this!
Though the youths eyes blazed with anger, the words that spilled out of his mouth were clearly
fearful.
Till this moment, the tattoo on the hoodlums neck had been a constant source of fear and
intimidation to his enemies. But today, the tattoo on his neck had been distorted into an
unrecognisable form by his own fear. A second later, the indigo tattoo he'd acquired on a whim
was marked with the unmistakable imprint of a certain black boot-
Actually, its a rumour thats been circulating for a long time. Since most phones now have a
camera function, many people have managed to take pictures of the black rider, and it was an
instant hit!!
[Yeah, I know about that too. But its not really an urban legend, or anything exotic or bizarre is
it? I think its probably the Bosozoku*...but then again, they havent been getting together for
drag races lately...]

* Japanese motorcycle gangs

But the fact that it doesnt have any headlights makes it weird enough!
If it was human, that is...
I dont get you.
Ah that...to put it bluntly, its probably a monster!

The boots met flesh to the sound of a soft, cracking noise. The youth was spun in a half-circle
midair and flew overhead in a distorted arc.
Though he was concussed by the time the side of his body hit the ground, his limbs still flailed in
panic. It was bitingly cold and his body was numb, so he could hardly feel the chill of the
concrete. It was like the youth was blindly fleeing from some kind of nightmare. He turned,
realising that the source of his fear was hot on his heels.
What he saw seemed to be a shadowin fact, the very definition of the word. It was
unmistakably a shadow.
The shadow was wearing a black, full-body biker suit with no frivolous designs or emblems. It
was so dark that it looked like it had been pitch-black to begin with and dyed with ink to deepen
the color. If it hadnt been for the fluorescent lights of the carpark, perhaps, he wouldnt have
noticed that someone was there.
But the most ominous part of the shadow was the peculiar helmet it wore above its neck.
Together with the pure blackness of body suit, the patterns on the helmet and its shape melded

together into some kind of abstract sense of artistry. Though these things contrasted greatly
together, they didnt particularly clash.
The visor of the helmet was as dark as the tinted windows of luxury cars. All that could be seen
was the constant flickering of the fluorescent lamps and nothing of the expression under the
helmet.
...
The shadow exuded nothing but a sense of serenity and didnt seem remotely like a living thing.
The youth observed the shadow creature with a look contorted by fear and disgust.
I...I-I-I-I...I dont remember offending no Terminator!
This would normally sound like a joke, but the youth was clearly not in the mood to crack jokes
anymore.
T-talk! Talk! Who are you? What the hell are you?
To the youth, the very existence of such a shadow was completely mind-blowing. He had been
doing what he was supposed to do, as he normally did at the bottom floor of the carpark. He was
just supposed to run some 'errands' and then leave. The errand was a mere delivery of some
goods for a client and then a collection of more goods. That was all there was to it, and he had
done what he always did. What the hell did he do wrong? What the hell had he done to attract the
attention of this...monster
The youth and his colleagues had only desired a normal work day, but today, their usual routine
had been disrupted without a single warning.

As they waited at the entrance of the carpark for the late arrival of one of their colleagues, the
shadow had suddenly appeared. A motorcycle had passed the entrance noiselessly, coming to a
stop about ten metres away from where they were.
The youth and his colleagues had noticed many oddities as it had passed.
Firstly, when that motorcycle was passing, it hadnt made a single sound. Perhaps there had been
the slight sound of the friction of rubber tires against the road, but most importantly, the engine
had been completely silent. Of course, the rider could have switched off his engine and merely
allowed his momentum to carry him past the entrance; even if this was so, the engine should
have made some noise before it had been turned off, but no one had heard any sound from it at
all.
The weird thing was, both the motorbike and its rider were completely black. The engine box,
the transmission shaft, and even the rim of the wheels were completely black. There were no
headlights, and where the license plate was supposed to be, there was only a black metal plaque.
Everyone could only manage to discern that the shadow was in fact a motorbike because it was
faintly illuminated by the street lamps and the moonlight.
What was even more peculiar was the fact that the riders black hand was holding a large item.
The objects size was comparable to that of the rider, and down the narrower end, an opaque
liquid was dripping onto the asphalt.
Koji...?
One of the youths companions could make out just what the ragged object was. The rider, still
on his motorcycle, loosed his grip and flung the objectno, him onto the asphalt.
It was the person they had been waiting for, the colleague who was late. His face was swollen,
like he had been beaten ruthlessly and blood dribbled from his nose and mouth.

It cant be...
Who the hell is he?
Everyone felt rather strange, but none of them felt fearful. They didnt even feel angry about
seeing one of their colleagues as beaten as he was, probably because this group was made up of
colleagues and nothing more.
Whaddaya want? Whaddaya want? What the hell do you want?
One of them, a man wearing a hoodie who looked like the dumbest of the lot stepped forth.
There was only one of him and five of them. They had an advantage in terms of numbers, which
this made the youth especially arrogant. The moment hed gotten to the motorbikes side,
however, the tables had been turned. It was now one-on-one and the only one who noticed was
the one straddling the motorbike.
...
Crunch.
There was an ominous shattering sound, something completely unearthly. A sound that made one
feel nothing but unease. A sound that set off internal sirens, wailing, Danger, danger...
At the same time, the man in the hoodie keeled over, his face smashing against the asphalt.
What the?
The others were alarmed. Like they usually did whenever they were on a job, they paid close
attention to their surroundings. Only then did they realise that the enemy was the motorbike
before them and no one else and that the shadow on the motorcycle was slowly lowering its
boot to the ground.

They were watching its movements intently. It had set its foot on the ground, which meant that
its foot had been raised above the ground earlier, but the more observant of the colleagues were
watching something else entirely.
They were watching what was under the boot: the glasses of the man who had arrived in a
hoodie.
Now they finally understood what had transpired.
The shadow, straddling the motorbike had kicked out a leg and knocked down the guy in the
hoodie with ease.
If theyd seen the guy's face, they would have notice that hed broken his nose. The shadow
rider had actually calculated the distance of the kick so that it wasn't enough not to send him
flying, while it'd used the indentation in the sole of his boot to catch onto his nose and twist it.
The onlookers could hardly grasp this. Half of them found it strange. How could someone who
had been kicked that way fall flat? Without a second thought, the other half of the group
immediately grabbed the police baton and the stun guns they had strapped to their waists.
What...what the hell happened? Eh...ah? But...how did he get hurt...?
While the youths were deliberating on just that, two of their colleagues let out howls of rage and
charged at the motorcycle.
Ah, hey...
As the youths thought of what to say, they saw the shadow soundlessly slipping off the
motorbike. They could hear crunching as he stepped on the broken glass underfoot. The

shadow was completely expressionless as he merely took noiseless steps towards them. He
moved elegantly, a shadow personified.
The events that transpired next were to become deeply ingrained in the memory of the young
hoodlum and felt then like they were played out in slow motion. Perhaps this was because the
situation was too surreal to completely comprehend, or because his sense of danger was rapidly
increasing by the second.
One of the men had shoved the stun gun into the shadows body.
But, could electricity penetrate leather?
He saw the shadow shudder violently as that question came to mind. Apparently it could.
Problem solved. The man breathed a sigh of relief and made to shock him twice more, but in the
next moment, the hoodlums chest tightened once again with anxiety.
The shadow was shuddering violently, but hed shot out a hand to grab one of the other men
who was armed with a baton.
ARGH!!
Unlike the shadow, who had merely been shaking, the baton-wielding guy was violently jolted
backwards violently and fell on the ground in a heap.
You bastard...
The stun gun guy suddenly noticed that the shadow was reaching for him now and hastily
turned off his stun gun. The situation did not improve and the shadow had begun to close his
hand around his neck.

Even as he struggled with all his strength, the shadow did not loose his relentless grip. Even
when he kicked the shadow hard in the shins, its helmet exuded only calm and darkness.
Eh...ah...
The stun gun guy was strangled until his eyes rolled up into their sockets, leaving only the whites
of his eyes visible. He collapsed in much the same way the baton guy had.
Not good.
Even though he didnt really know what was going on, he knew that whatever it was, it wasnt
good. He hadnt moved an inch. Including Koji, four out of six of them were already down.
Terror manifested itself in the hoodlums chest, not because he was cowardly, but because he had
no idea what was going on at all.
Looks like he knows some hand to hand...
The hoodlum was scared shitless, but his colleague on his right was much calmer and whispered
his speculations.
Ga-san.
In response, the hoodlum called his name needily. The man that the hoodlum called Ga-san could
have been considered the leader of the colleagues' group. He watched the shadows movements
silently. Even though there was no sign of intense fear in his eyes, it couldn't be said that he was
entirely composed.
Ga-san drew a large knife out of his jacket. I dont know what youve dabbled in...but youll die
if you get stabbed with this, he said cautiously as he held the knife in hand and staggered
toward the 'shadow'.

The knife twirled in his hands. It was much larger than a fruit knife or a dagger, but it wasnt as
large as those knives in mangas. The hilt of the knife fit perfectly in a palm, and the blade, which
was about as long as its hilt, gleamed coldly.
I dont care what youve done before, but I dont think you can hold this off with your bare
hands...huh? Huh?
The actions of the 'shadow' brought his provocations to an abrupt halt.
The shadow bent down slightly and picked up the two things before him: the baton and the stun
gun that the two hoodlums had wielded before.
...
In his right hand, he held a stun gun. In his left was a police baton. It was a strange form of nitoryuu*.
*A form of martial arts that involves two swords

The carpark, previously as quiet as it was eerie, had plunged into total silence.
Eh...weird... It cant be! Youre not using hand-to-hand? the leader asked, breaking the silence.
He sounded as if he was questioning himself instead of the 'shadow'.
Though his question sounded a little like a joke, fear was thick in his voice. If only theyd
attacked this guy all at once from the get-go! Now it seemed like there was no way out and hed
look bad if he decided to retreat.
The hoodlum standing behind him was rooted to the spot. If the opponent had been some gang
member or the police, he would have jumped in to help without a second thought. No, all four of
them would have stepped in to help.

But at this very moment, the thing they were up against was just too strange. They were no
longer acting the way they had been earlier. Standing before them was just someone wearing a
bikers suit, but the unpleasant aura that the 'shadow' exuded made him uneasy, as though his
own existence was flowing into some otherworldly place.
Perhaps because hed noticed the hoodlums uneasiness, Ga-san gritted his teeth and yelled,
You asshole! I only have one knife on me and youre cowerin over there! You little pussy!
As he protested against how unfair things were for him, the shadow had silently gotten to his
feet and had faced the leader.
And then the hoodlum saw 'that' materialise into a tangible form right before his very eyes.

The black rider isnt human.

Then what is it?
[Just an idiot.]
Dotachin says its probably the Grim Reaper.
Dotachin?
I've seen it before, actually...the black biker chasing someone.
Whos Dotachin?
[Did you call the police?]
How should I put it... Basically, the fact that it had that thing meant it couldnt be human.

...Hey dont ignore me! Who's Dotachin?!

At first I wasnt sure, but then I realised it had come from inside his body
...
?
[I think he got disconnected.]
Huh? But he was just in the middle of both stories! What came from inside his body?
And whos Dotachin??

...?
Before the hoodlum and the leader, the shadow was doing something strange. The stun gun he
had just bent down to pick up was now safely placed upon the seat of his motorcycle.
Maybe using two weapons at once was too tiring for him? the hoodlum thought, until he saw that
the shadow had taken the police baton in both hands
The shadow bent the baton like it was a chopstick.
What?
Astonishment crossed their faces and for a moment they wore identical expressions. They
couldn't begin to fathom what kind of trick that guy was playing on them. How the hell had he

bent that baton?! The shadow was petite and did not appear at all to be capable of possessing
that kind of monstrous strength.
More importantly, the fact that the shadow had managed to dispose of a specialised weapon just
like that added to the unease growing in their hearts. They felt like this was all becoming more
real.
The shadow was now empty-handed. The hoodlum had thus picked up a metal pipe that had
been leaning on the surrounding wall. The leader saw the motion from the corner of his eye and
raised his knife as well.
Cold sweat poured down their foreheads. The feeling of the sweat on their skin was the only
thing they had to convince themselves what they were seeing before them was real.
You...you tryin to scare us? Well? the leader said carelessly, glancing at the bent baton.
A drop of cold sweat happened to trickle into his mouth, which he swallowed slowly. As for the
hoodlum, he had stopped bothering to look around. He could only hold the metal pipe quietly
while he panted heavily.
His breathing was getting more rapid, and he realised that his feet, back and jaw were trembling.
It seemed that the shadows efforts to scare them had indeed served its purpose.
The 'shadow' stepped toward them, almost as if he wanted a closer look at their terrified
expressions.
Youre still empty-handed. Youve got guts.
In comparison to the hoodlum, who was scared shitless, the leader sounded like he had steeled
himself. A fierce glow burned in his eyes as he held his knife tightly and strode confidently
toward the 'shadow'.

The distance between both of them was now about three metres. With just a couple of steps, it
would be in range of his knife.
Ga-san wouldnt back out at the last minute. He wouldnt chicken out.
The young hoodlum was clear on this point. He readied his metal pipe behind his leader,
preparing to support him.
The leader took another step forward. The animosity he had previously possessed had
transformed into pure, murderous intent. Because the hoodlum felt sure that his leader would
stab the guy with all he had, with the intent to kill, he mustered the courage to provide backup.
He had absolutely no reservations about killing. Besides, the guy before him was just a shadow,
which could hardly count as really killing anyone.
The hoodlum honestly thought that they had a chance at victory now that his leader was moving
in for the kill. Strength rushed into the grip he had on the metal pipe, but in the next moment, the
possibility of victory and all their intentions vanished as a wisp of smoke.
They watched as the shadow reached for its back and a part of its black body began to swell.
An inky smoke was billowing from the shadows body, smoke that seemed to move with a mind
of its own. The smoke had become as black as the riders glove as it massed in the shadows
black gloved palm and writhed like a snake.
The black stream was particularly vivid against the sky, like an inky paintbrush that had been
dipped into clear water. Once the movements of the inky stream slowed, they began to condense
and form an object that was as equally dark as the rest of him. The two people standing witness
were transfixed by this spectacle and had been rendered completely silent. Standing still,
illuminated by the street lamps and the fluorescent lights from the multi-storey carpark, the two
men finally understood. Their opponent wasnt human. It really was not human.

As black vapour separated from the 'shadow's body, they noticed that a cloud of black smoke was
engulfing its body, slowly dissolving its figure until everything but its helmet had become a blur
under the glare of the light.
They no longer knew what to make of the situation. They were absolutely confused. Escape was
no longer an option, so they could only fall back on their previous plan. The knife-wielder,
dazed, pulled back the hand holding the knife and shot it out again, driving toward the shadow's
abdomen
But at the instant before the knife came into contact with the shadows body, the leader felt a
kind of opposing force knocking back his weapon. He didn't lose his grip, but he did lose his
balance, which left an opening for the shadow to retaliate.
?!
The black mass that had knocked back the knife became dimly visible in the darkness.
The thing was totally black. It was blacker than the deepest darkness. It seemed to be absorbing
all surrounding light, quivering as though it was alive. The object that had manifested itself out
of the billowing black smoke was horrifyingly out of place in Japan's most modern area, but a
'shadow' dressed as a biker was wielding it, so it too was blending in seamlessly with their
surroundings.
The object that had materialised in the shadows hand was even more menacing and evil in the
darkness of the night.
Onlookers would automatically associate it with death.
The 'thing' was almost as tall as the 'shadow' a huge double-edged scythe.


Kanra-san has entered the chatroom
Sorry I got disconnected~ My internet connection isnt very good today, so I think Ill just go
to bed~
[Oh, goodnight then~]
But you havent finished the stories! And who in the world is Dotachin...?
Ill tell you next time~ Ah ah, but Ill tell you one last thing

In the end, the hoodlum ended up like this.

He had nowhere to run in that multi-storey carpark.
He never found out what had happened to the leader. This particular hoodlum wasnt particularly
brave, but after witnessing such mind-boggling things, he couldnt really care about anything like
that anymore. He still, however, had yet to see that enormous scythe.
At first he told himself that perhaps everything that had just transpired was some kind of illusion.
Later he realized that no matter what it was, there was nothing he could do to change things, so
he immediately decided to stop thinking about it.
Hed received a sharp kick to his neck. Even though he could hear cracking noises that indicated
he was being kicked, it didn't feel like his bones were broken too badly. The only excruciating
aches and pains he felt were centralized at the crook of his neck. It was so painful that it was
almost numb.

To the hoodlum, though, the pain was a very small matter.

Please...pl-please...please...hold on...p-please h-hold...on...please...hold...o-on... he babbled
with all the pathetic politeness of a loser dog.
He had finally come to understand what kind of situation he was in. Even though he still felt he
was dreaming and could rationalize none of what had happened to him, the terror he felt was real
enough to wake him up from his stupor.
Not that he completely understood. He did not completely understand what the shadow was
(perhaps some kind of deity) or why he had run into trouble like this.
It was most likely work-related. The jobs he did were dangerous and it was very likely that hed
make some enemies along the way, but enemies usually entailed cops or violent gang members,
or even their targetsillegal immigrants or brats that ran away from home.
He had mentally prepared for each job he took and made sure not to stir up trouble as he did
them, but he'd never expected to see a 'shadow' garbed in a biker suit and had no idea what to do
now that he had. The best strategy he could have come up with was a hasty retreat, but now even
that was eliminated and the hoodlum was trapped. Now the only possibilities the hoodlum could
see were an honourable death or surrender, but it was impossible to predict the motives of his
opponent well enough to make a decision on which. Finally, in his desperation, the hoodlum
adopted the most cowardly attitude he could muster to try to negotiate with the shadow. He
feared that if he didnt speak, hed be consumed by his own fear.
You... Youve got the wrong person... I wont resist...so let me go ... Please... Im sorry, Im
sorry!
Goosebumps were prickling up all over the hoodlum's body as if someone from the yakuza had
pointed a gun at his head. He did not make a sound or move from his spot as the 'shadow'
watched the previously aggressive hoodlum melting into a cowardly puddle. All he did was look

around, as though he was searching for something. With his back to the hoodlum, he moved
toward a van parked inside the carpark.
It was a commonly sighted vehicle around Ikebukuro Station. At night, it was impossible to see
inside it because the back windows had been tinted black.
It was like the shadow could see into the black tinted windows, and he moved towards the van
without any hesitation.
Ah? Eh? Not good!
That was the van they used for work. Although he didnt know the intentions of the shadow,
and though there were many other cars around, the shadow was very clearly moving toward the
van and the hoodlum was sure that it was his target.
Hey! Wait! Shit! This is absolute crap!
The unexpected behaviour of the shadow chilled the hoodlum to the bone. His mind was
already brimming with the fear of this shadow, but now a different kind of fear was manifesting
from somewhere deeper...
Eh...eh...ah...ah...wait! Wait! Wait ahhhhhh! If ... If you reveal whats inside the van, were done
for! Aw crap, this is bad. Shit, shit, shit, shit
What the hell is he doing? What the fuck does he think hes doing?
Two different fears were interwoven in the hoodlum's mind. The first was the fear of the unreal
things he was seeing, the other was the fear of the all-too-real reality unfolding before him...

If the contents of that van are exposed, I can be as sure as hell that the police will find out, and I
might even get taken care of! Ill be murdered and my corpses gonna be buried in the forests
of Mount Fuji!
His feet trembled violently.
I have to think of something, think of something quickly...but theres just no way to kill this
pretentious wannabe biker.
As morbid thoughts of his death overcame his fears, he racked his brains for a solution.
And after a while, he finally managed to think of something: hed driven his own convertible to
the carpark.
The shadow was around ten metres from the van when he came to a quiet halt. He heard the
soft slam of a car door closing behind. He made to turn his head at the sound of it, but the roar of
an engine resounded in the carpark.
The shadow turned around and saw a bright red convertible speed towards him. It was
accelerating faster than thought possible, so the shadow didnt have time to hide behind a pillar.
The shadow hesitated, and decided to forgo his original plan in favor of charging towards the
convertible. Originally, he had planned to get as near as possible to car and then jump to the side,
but he hadnt expected the hoodlum to be so driven by his fear and accelerate like this. This
didnt give the shadow any openings. The hoodlum spun the steering wheel fiercely in his
direction.
There was a loud crash and the 'shadow' could be seen twisting in the air. The shadow landed
unceremoniously on the cement with a heavy thud.
Ahahahahaha! Hahaha! You asked for it! Dont mess with me! Bastard!

Feeling the impact of the blow the 'shadow' had made against the car raised the hoodlum's spirits.
Delirious with joy, he braked and jumped out of the car even before it had come to a complete
stop. He grabbed the metal pipe, set on delivering the final blow to his enemy, but
?!
A black object had fallen a distance in front of the collapsed shadow.
From its bizarre appearance, the item was unquestionably the safety helmet the shadow had just
been wearing.
What scared the hoodlum the most was not that the helmet that had fallen on the ground, but the
physical oddity of the shadow that had been wearing it.
Head...head...
He didnt have a head.
Did I knock it off?! But thats impossible! Ive killed someone...but it was in self-defense...
But...it couldnt be...why? Wait...wait...it couldnt be...
The strangeness of the preceding series of events was completely mind-blowing for the hoodlum.
He didnt notice it at all.
Not a drop of blood flowed from the headless body.

The black bikerdoesnt have a head.


The terrified hoodlum approached that headless entity and, without any warning, the headless
shadow jumped up suddenly.

It doesnt have anything above its neck, but it still can move.
Alright then, goodnight everyone~
Kanra-san has left the chatroom

Au-augh?!
Though the worst possible scenario had descended before his very eyes, the hoodlum did not feel
fear. He felt utterly dumbfounded instead.
Secret schemes? Costume? Robots?
Super Tsuburi*? Holograms?
Dream? Illusion? Delusion? Trickery?
* A Japanese game show where people compete by seeing their skill in changing costumes as rapidly and
inconspicuously as possible

Every possible explanation disappeared without a trace before he could consider them further.
The astonishment the hoodlum felt could have been explained by the fact that he'd seen someone
knocked down by a car and sent flying, but now he was standing relatively unscathed before him.

The black smoke once again began to stream from his back like before, and finally became a
monstrous scythe.
The sheer astonishment had transformed into real terror; the hoodlums mouth unconsciously
hung open as he let out a wail of absolute despair.
And just as his mouth took in the first breath, there was a sharp impact to the throat
And the world that the hoodlum had been familiar with became an expanse of darkness.

PM Mode Hey...Setton-san, I want to ask you something.

PM Mode [OK.]
PM Mode [What is it? Is it something others shouldnt see?]
PM Mode Is Kanra-san always doing stuff like that?
PM Mode [Isnt it already way past that stage?]
PM Mode Its not that bad w, but I only came to this chatroom because Kanra-san invited
me.
PM Mode [Me too. Although Kanra-san can be pretty self-centred, hes still a pretty likeable
guy.]
PM Mode And he knows so many things we dont.
PM Mode [But we dont know which ones are real. Ah, I need to remind you of something.]

PM Mode [We were talking about that black biker who roams around the city right?]
PM Mode [Well, I think wed be better off having less to do with that sort of thing~]
PM Mode [Goodnight then~]
Setton-san has left the chatroom
PM Mode Eh?
PM Mode Aw man, he left. Goodnight then~
PM Mode Ah whatever.
Tanaka Taro-san has left the chatroom

The headless rider slowly picked up his helmet and pressed it securely to his dull-skinned neck.
A little of the black shadow that leaked out from his collar seemed to seeping into it and merging
with the helmet.
When that was done, the headless rider strode in nonchalant silence towards the van.
At the exit of the carpark
The headless rider had completed his task and soundlessly left the place. He took care of the
people lying on the road, unsure if anyone had passed by, or if all the passer-bys had pretended
not to notice.

A black motorcycle stopped in the darkness, the engine purring as if it was welcoming its owner.
This engine had been clearly silent as it sped across the road, but began to roar on its own, even
though the ignition key wasnt in place.
The headless rider stroked the gas tank in response to its purring, as though he was stroking a
beloved steed. The motorcycle seemed contented and the engine purring died down, allowing the
headless rider to mount it securely.
The black motorcycle with no headlights carried its rider away.
Sailing into starless night sky.
Without a single sound, as though it was dissolving into the darkness

CHAPTER 2
The Headless Rider, Outsiders Perspective
Tokyo, Toshima district, Ikebukuro Station
Tobu Tojo Line, In front of the central exit of the ticket counter
I wanna go home the youth muttered to himself.
This sentence was considered simple when compared to the multitude of thoughts swirling in his
head. But it was this simple statement that resonated the most with how he felt now.
Fanning out before his very eyespeople. People, people, people, and people and more people.
There was nothing but people in his vision. It was just after six in the evening, the time when the
number of people going home from school and work gradually swelled. Of course, it wasnt peak
hours yet, but the sheer number of people made him think that they werent just people, but more
like a mass.
Standing in the huge underground spacethe middle of Ikebukuro Station, brimming before his
eyes was a sea of humans. Rather overwhelmed by the spectacle before him, he almost forgot
what he came to do.
A man who looked like he was in the working class bumped into the teenager. The teenager
made to apologise, but the man didnt even give him a second look and hurried away. The youth
lowered his head and murmured, So-sorry
Then he made his way a pillar a distance away from the ticketing counter and leaned against it.
This teenagerRyuugamine Mikado, began to feel a strange fluttering inside him, and decided it
was from his nervousness. Despite having such an impressive name, the expression on his face
was the complete opposite of it. In fact, he looked rather queasy.

Mikado had come to Ikebukuro on the invitation from an old friend. To be more precise, in all
his sixteen years, this was in fact his first time in Tokyo.
Mikado had never left his hometown before. Even in elementary and middle school, he had
never gone on field trips. And when he started feeling that this was getting a little extreme, he got
into a private high school in the Toshima district. It was a fairly new school, and its prestige was
above average. Its facilities were excellent and ranked as one of the best in Tokyo. Mikado could
have chosen to go to a high school in his hometown, but he chose to come to Tokyo because hed
always dreamed of life in the city and because a good friend in elementary school who had
transferred out who had invited him over.
While Mikado was still in elementary school, he already had Internet access at home, so even
though his good friend was in a different school, they still kept contact via the Internet. Thus,
though they hadnt met for a long time, they were still the best of friends.
Mikados parents werent well versed with the Internet, so it was hard for them to understand a
long distance friendship like this. So when they heard their son say that he wanted to go to Tokyo
to study because a good friend who transferred out in elementary school asked me if I wanted to
study in a school there, they could hardly accept something like that. Even though they never
said it, but it was also because they wanted their son to remain in their hometown and study in a
public school. His parents objected to it at first, but after assuring them that he would work and
pay for his own living expenses other than school fees in exchange if they let him, he finally
convinced them. From spring onwards, he would start his new life in this new world.
Easier said than done
As he faced the crowds who were effectively ignoring him, Mikado felt a little suffocated. While
he understood that he was feeling like this because he was giving things too much thought, but
the uneasy fear that he wouldnt be able to fit in consumed Mikado.

But as Mikado sighed for the fifth time, an unfamiliar voice sounded in his ear.
Yo Mikado!
?!
Mikado hurriedly raised his head, and saw a teenager with dyed brown hair standing in front of
him. The teenagers features still had a childish quality to them and contrasted strongly to his
hair colour and his ear piercings.
In that moment, Mikado jolted with fear at the thought of having already met an extortionist or a
fraudster; but then he realised the person had said his name. He studied his face carefully. And
finally, Mikado finally found a small resemblance to his good friend.
Eh? YoureKida-kun?
Since youre asking methen Ill generously tell you! Please choose from the three choices:
One, Kida Masaomi! Two, Kida Masaomi! and three, Kida Masaomi!
On hearing this, Mikado smiled the first time since his arrival in Ikebukuro.
Wah, youre Kida-kun? Youre really Kida-kun?
I spent three years thinking up that joke, and youre just ignoring itlong time no see man!
I just chatted with you online yesterdaybut honestly, youve changed so much, I was
shocked! I didnt expect you to dye your hair! And that joke just now was lame.
Even if they chatted online every day, it was still impossible for him to know how much Kida
had changed in appearance. Even his voice was a little lower. No wonder Mikado couldnt
recognise it at first.

Kida Masaomi grinned sheepishly, and shot back a reply.

Its been four years, of course Id change. Its because you havent changed much at all! You
look almost the same as when you were in elementary schooland dont just casually say my
joke was lame!
As Kida spoke, he stretched out a hand and patted Mikado, who was much more baby-faced than
he was, on the head.
Hey hey dont do that. Besides, even when were chatting online, youre always cracking lame
jokes
Mikado shoved his hand away in mock annoyance. Whether it was in elementary school or in the
chatroom, it was always Kida leading Mikado by the hand, but Mikado had no problems with
such an arrangement
After their greetings, Kida began to head towards the crowd.
On that note, lets get going! Lets get outta here first. Im in an unmistakably Go West mood!
But that West doesnt refer to the west exit, but the Seibu* department exit! Im a tricky tour
guide huh?
*West

I see. But, whats the difference between the west exit and the Seibu exit?
Failed again.
As Mikado followed Kida, the fear and unease towards the crowds had subsided considerably.
Being guided by a city dweller, and his old friend at that, allowed Mikados perception of the city
to take a hundred and eighty degree turn.

To put it simply, Ikebukuros Tobu* department is at the west exit, and contrary to that, the
Seibu department is at the east exitahhow unlucky, after that joke failed, I still have to
explain myselfwhat am I doing?
*East

Being stupid?
Thats mean you bastard!
Kidas expression become pained, and then gave a sigh of resignation and said, Forget it, Im
better than this, so Ill let you off. Anyway, anywhere you want to go?
Hm, I think I told you about it online, something to do with Sunshine City?
You want to go there now? Hm...I dont mind, but seriously, wouldnt it be better to bring a
chick?
Sunshine City 60 was once famous for being Japans tallest tower and was a well-known
attraction. Even though it has been succeeded by the Tokyo Tower and the Yokohoma Landmark
Tower, Sunshine City 60 is still a recreational wonderland that continuously draws people. It has
an aquarium, a Namjatown amusement park, and thus is a good place for students and families to
relax.
Even though Mikado felt that he was blindly succumbing to some trend, he couldnt think of
anywhere else. To tell the truth, there was another place which hed seen very often on television

Ah there was the Ikebukuro West Gate Park.

Oh oh, Ive watched that drama. I even have the novel and manga.

Nah I dont mean the drama, I mean the place! West Gate Park!
Kida stood dumbfounded, and comprehension dawned on his face as he listened to Mikado. He
grinned and said, No no, its called the Ikebukuro West Exit Park.
Eh? Butdont the Ikebukuroers call it the West Gate Park?
Ikebukuroers? Whats with that? Anyway, you wanna go?
As he watched Kida stop in his tracks, Mikado shook his head vigorously. Nono I dont! Its
late and if we go wed bump into one of those colour gangs (note: Illegal street gangs which
wear one kind of colour clothes, hats or scarves ever since the drama Ikebukuro West Gate Park
and hang around the West Exit Park) and get killed!
UhI dont really know how to react to that. And besides, its only six pm. Ne, youre still as
cowardly as ever.
Kida smiled resignedly and continued leading Mikado through the crowds.
The crowds had thinned out by the time they were out. But still Mikado had a hard time trying
not to bump into people.
Thereve been fewer sightings of those colour gangs. They were pretty big last year, but after
causing a big commotion with the peeps from Saitama, a lot of them got arrested. After that, the
police would swoop in on groups wearing the same colour. Although now most of them only
come out at night, they wont do anything flashy before the working class people go homeah
but its another matter altogether when it comes to the Bosokozu and such. Sometimes youll
even see reports about clashes between the Bosokozu and the police in the magazines and the
news, but thats mostly in the Kabuki district, hardly in Ikebukuro.

The Bosokozu?!
Nah, like I said, they wont gather at the station at this time.
Mikado let out a sigh of relief on hearing Masaomis assurance.
Sonow Ikebukuros pretty safe?
Not really. I dont really know everything about stuff like that. Well, there are actually quite a
few of these groups. Besides the colour gangs and the Bosokozu, theres still some other
dangerous people. They seem pretty normal on the surface, but you must never get involved with
thembut you dont really have much to worry. Youre not the kind to go around looking for
trouble anyway.
Anyway you just have to be careful of those street solicitors and shady merchants and stay away
from the gangs and Bosokozu and youll be fine.
I see
Even though Mikado was still curious about the people he should never get involved with, he
decided not to ask him more about them.

The two of them entered a narrow underground passage and headed for the escalator.
Mikado looked around and saw a row of posters plastered onto the wall. The posters were
advertising all sorts of things, from jewellery stores to movies. There were even posters of girls
from some manga.
When they got to the surface via the escalator, it was still as crowded as just now, but their
surroundings were totally different.
The place was as crowded as before, and a few people in windbreakers were giving out flyers
slipped in packets of tissue paper. Some were only given to women, and some were given to
anyone in sight. As for those meant for men, they were only given to men with a specific quality
(people like Mikado didnt get one).
There were all kinds of people on the street, working class, young part-timers, high school girls
and over foreignerspeople of all shape and colours were gathered.
Even so, the people did not mingle fully and the people gathered with those of the same race, as
if each group had their own territory. Sometimes someone would visit someone elses territory to
call someone out. It was already this dark, yet people kept streaming relentlessly forth.
Kida was already used to all this, but to Mikado, it was a completely new experience. Even in the
biggest shopping district in his hometown, he had never seen so many people. The world he had
only seen on the Internet and in the mangas had materialised before his very eyes.
When Mikado told Kida how surreal everything felt, Kida laughed and said, Is that so? Then Ill
just take you to Shinjuku or Shibuya the next time. Harajukus not bad either. Youll get culture
shock there! How about Akihabara? But if you want to see real crowds, Ill take you to a horse
race.
I dont want to go to places like that.

Just as Mikado was rejecting Kidas suggestions, the two of them had unknowingly reached a
large road. Cars zipped across the multi-lane roadway in an endless stream, and there was even a
huge highway towering above the entire road.
That highway is the capitals expressway. Ah thats right, the place we just came from is called
the 60-Storey Street. There was also the Sunshine Street, but Cinema Sunshine is on the 60Storey Street, dont mix them up. Since were passing by, I should show you around
Thats all right, lets do it some other time.
Although this was what Mikado said, but all the while hed only noticed the people, completely
ignoring the most important partthe city view. If he continued like this, itd prove quite the
challenge for him to get to Sunshine City from the station by himself.
As the two boys waited for the traffic lights to turn green, Masaomi turned back to look back at
the way they came, and muttered to himself, Thank goodness we didnt run into Shizuo or
SimonYumasaki-san and Karisawa-san are probably at the game centre.
Who are they?
It was very obvious that Masaomi was talking to himself, but on hearing those names, Mikado
couldnt help but try to find out.
Ah! Nothing! Yumasaki-san and Karisawa-san are my friends. Simon and Shizuo are uhwell
theyre one of the people you should never get involved with I was telling you about. Most
people usually wont run into Heiwajima Shizuo, but if you do, the best thing you can do is
scram.

From what Masaomi said, Mikado sensed that he didnt really like this Shizuo person. Seeing
that Masaomi had no intention of saying more, Mikado decided not to prybut there was
another thing he wanted to ask, and he decided to.
About the people you said I shouldnt provokethey all sound like something out of a manga.
Who else is there?
As the child-faced teenager innocently asked this question, Masaomi looked up at the sky, as
though deep in thought and finally cried, The first one would be me!
square root of 3 points.
Square root?! Whats up with the square root?! At least answer with something easier to
understand, like minus 20 or something! Waitare you telling me even elementary school
students who dont understand square roots wouldnt understand my jokes? How dare you! Ive
hardly finished talking and you already backsass me! Since when have your comprehension
skills become so bad? Is it the liberal education system? Thats what caused you to turn out this
way right?!
So even such an education system has its flaws.
It was just like old times and Mikado simply went along with Masaomis lameness. Perhaps it
was because Masaomi had realised he was being too lame, but he began answering Mikados
question properly.
Hmactually, there are quite a few dangerous people. Theres nothing more to say about those
hooligans, but the people youre likely to bump into would be the two Ive mentioned. Oh and
theres Orihara Izaya too. That guys really dangerous, so dont ever get involved with him. But
hes mainly based in Shinjuku, so maybe you wont run into him after all.
Orihara Izayawhat a weird name.

Youre one to talk, Masaomi chuckled. Mikado had no way of rebutting.

He had a name like Ryuugamine as a surname, and his name, Mikado was considered rather
ostentatious. Although it was said that his ancestors were rather distinguished, Mikados parents
were ordinary working class people. It was unclear how much inheritance they had left, but if
there still was some left over, they wouldnt have been so unhappy over Mikados decision to
study in a private school.
Perhaps his parents had chosen the name Mikado for him in the hopes that he could grow up to
do great things, but it had been a source of endless embarrassment for him in elementary school.
His classmates constantly poked fun at his name. But in the end everyone got used to it, and no
one made fun of or ostracised him anymore.
But it was a different situation now. In the middle school in his hometown, there was only one
class in every year, and everybody knew each other well. He was now in this unfamiliar place,
meeting complete strangers. How was he going to prove himself worthy of his name like this?
Ah, its impossible
Maybe it was because Masaomi had sensed Mikados doubts about himself, because he decided
to reassure him. Like I saidyou dont need to care that much. Its a little flashy, but its a good
name. Mikado only has to perform better, and not let anyone think youre not worthy of your
name, and then no one will have anything to say about it.
Ah, thanks.
No sooner had he finished thanking him, the traffic lights flashed green.
Thats right, there are another group you should avoida group called the Dollars. The less
youre involved, the better.

Dollars?
Yeah, like the derers in Wanderers.
Whats that supposed to mean? What kind of people are they?
Mikado had been relatively passive with the other topics theyd brought up, but this time, he
wanted the details.
That huh~ Well, Im not very clear with that, but Ive heard they have a lot people and theyre
not really normal. Rumour has it that theyre considered a colour gang, but no one knows what
colour they are. Like I said, its hard for colour gangs to congregate, so they may have
unconsciously disbanded due to the lack of order.
Ah
Mikado was satisfied now. But it was becoming awkward between them for some reason.
The crossed the road silently, and walked towards the big building on the opposite street. The big
building appeared very chic and there were several stylish sports cars being displayed in it,
which complimented the buildings appearance nicely.
Mikado stared at the building and the cars for a little whilethen he heard a strange noise.
When he first that sound, he thought it was the caterwaul of some kind of beast. But, if you
listened closely, youd notice that the sound was coming from the large road, from one of the
lanes. As the sound rang out for the second time, Mikado decided that it was the sound of an
engine. Although it really sound like an animal call, but it came from the road, so it had to be
either had to be from a car or van.

Mikado stopped in his tracks and looked up. Masaomi calmly said, Mikados really lucky.
Eh?
I would never have expected that on your first day in Tokyo, youd be able to see the urban
legend with your own eyes.
Even though Masaomis face was completely calm, but a light danced in his eyes, and you could
see the excitement and anticipation in them.
So
Mikado noticed that hed seen this expression on Masaomis face before. Like in class, when an
airship flew past the school, and that time when a stray cat had wandered onto school grounds. It
was the expression that appeared when he saw some insignificant, but extraordinary things.
As Mikado thought of something to say to Masaomi
That existence had appeared before them.
Upon black motorbike with no headlights, rode a human-shaped shadow.
It sped out from between vehiclessoundlessly cruising past Mikado and Masaomi.
?!
After a few blank seconds, the engine let out another roar. But in the next second, all had lapsed
into silence, and only the friction of the tires on the asphalt road could be heard. This silence was
usually only heard when the engine was turned off, but the motorcycle didnt even seem to be
slowing down. In fact, it was accelerating.

This was obviously an unnatural existence and reality seemed to be defied wherever that sound
fell, giving off an ominous vibe. Half of the people walking on the street paused suddenly,
staring after shadow incredulously.
ThenMikado realised he was trembling.
It wasnt from fear, but it was from a something that was stirring from within his body that was
slowly taking over.
Something he couldnt see.
At the very instant as the shadow was passing, Mikado had glimpsed into the helmet. He
couldnt make out what was inside in the helmet, because the head hadnt moved the slightest,
and it was like there was no one looking out of it either.
It was likethere was nothing inside the helmet.

Chatroom (late at night)

Tanaka Taro has entered the chatroom
Good evening.
[Evening~]
Ah~its Setton-san! I saw it today!
The black bike!

[? Tanaka Taro-san, youre in Ikebukuro?]

Yeah, well actually Im living in Ikebukuro from today onwards. Im in my friends house
now, but Im moving into an apartment near the station tomorrow. Ive signed up for an ISP, so
Ill be able to go on online immediately.
[I see, congratulations then. Are you living alone?]
Yeah.
[Ahhey, you said you saw the black biker. Was it around seven at night just now?]
Hey you saw it too? I saw it near Sunshine City.
[I knew about it, because I was there too.]
?!
Really? Uwathen we might have passed each other without knowing!
[Maybe.]
Uwa! If Id known, Id have told you first!
[Anyway, welcome to Ikebukuro. If you have anything you want to ask me, just shoot.]
Thanks! Thanks!
Ah, then Ill just start asking
[Go on, go on.]

Do you know someone named Orihara Izaya?

I asked my friend, but he told me that its best if I dont get near him.
Is that person really that scary? Hm, you probably wont know right? Sorry.
[Tanaka Taro-san, does your friend have underground ties or something?]
Nah, hes just a normal guy.
[Ah I see. Well, sorry, but concerning Orihara Izaya, the less you know, the better. That person is
trouble.]
Ah! Tanaka-san, good evening~
?! Kanra-san, youre here?
I was on the phone. Ah, I just saw the chat log. So youre in Tokyo? Congratulations! Lets
have an offline meeting sometime then.
Dont bother if youre busy. But, an offline meeting does sound nice.
Yeah!
Ah, thats right, speaking of offline meetings, werent there some cases of online suicide
pacts?
[Oh~]

[I think it was all the rage last year. Some people and others they met online organised this mass
suicide pact.]
How morbid.
But, there hasnt been much mention of it on the news.
[Its probably calmed down, or maybe its become so frequent its no longer newsworthy.]
Not necessarily. Alternatively its still ongoing, only no ones noticed yet!
Eh?
Or maybe its because they never find the bodies.
Uwa~
[You shouldnt say things like that.]
Anyway, there were quite a few cases of people disappearing lately eh.
? Ive never heard news reports of that
Ehthe victims are mostly illegal immigrants or runaway kids from the countryside. I heard
its especially common from Ikebukuro to Shibuya~ and there are some even people who say that
the Dollars are the ones behind it and that they eat them up afterwards. He he he~
Ah, it seems the Dollars are pretty famous.
The Dollars are awesome! I hear they have ties to the Chinese mafia. And there was the gang
member stabbing incidentI heard that was the doing of one of the Dollars underlings!

[Kanra-san, where did you hear all that from?]

Because I know a few people in that field.
Oh oh, I really want to hear more, but I have to get up early tomorrow, well stop here for
today then~
Oh, sleep early then!
[Goodnight Tanaka Taro-san~]
[Ah I have something to do too, so Ill stop here tonight too~]
Sorryah ah, tell me about Dotachin next time OK?
Bye bye~
Ah well just stop here today. Theres no one else anyway.
Goodnight everyone
Tanaka Taro-san has left the chatroom
Setton-san has left the chatroom
Kanra-san has left the chatroom

CHAPTER 3
The Headless Rider: Own Perspective
National Highway No. 254 (Kawagoe Highway)
Ive had enough.
The motorbike cruised down the highway. And the black bikes owner, the headless rider, was
visibly irritated.
The job this time had been simple. Who knew by showing a little mercy to a hoodlum would
result in him being hit by a car? Perhaps if shed known this earlier, shed have just killed him.
As the headless rider thought about her work performance today, she started to slow her bike
down.
With hand signals instead of her blinker, she turned into a narrow lane and stopped at an
apartment building by the main road. The headless rider looked like she mightve simply
intended to leave her motorcycle in front of the garage. But instead, after dismounting, she began
tenderly stroked the handle of the motorbike.
Next, the engine of the motorcycle purred gently, and wheeled into the garage by itself.
The headless rider watched her beloved motorcycle enter the carpark, and then strode towards
the condominium.
Yo, tired huh?
A young man in a white labcoat who looked to be in his twenties had come out to meet her as she
stepped into the top floor of the condominium. He was wearing a labcoat, but there wasnt any

sign of medical equipment in the apartment. Standing in an apartment filled with high-end
furniture and the latest electronics, this young man looked rather out of place.
The shadow wearing a bikers suit was similarly out of place. Irritably, she stalked into the
apartment.
My, my you seem a little irritated. This wont do. You need more calcium.
As the white-coated man said this, he strode to the computer desk in the corner and pulled out a
chair. He had just sat down to face the computer screen when he heard the sound of someone
typing on a keyboard.
And as he heard this sound, a string of words had jumped out on the computer screen. It looked
like they were using some kind of networking site to connect two computers that allowed them to
have an exchange like this.
Are you telling me to eat eggshells?
Eh, thatd work right? But Im not a nutritionist and I dont know how much calcium eggshells
contain, nor do I know how easily the body absorbs calcium from eggshells. But since you dont
have a brain at all, I highly doubt that calcium will be of any benefit to you. Besides, where do
you eat from?
The white-coated man wasnt typing, but was shouting those words in the direction of the
headless rider in the inner room. She didnt find this strange and typed rapidly.
Shut up.
So this was how the white-coated man communicated with the headless rider and the two of
them had easily struck up a conversation.

Fine, fine Ill shut up. But I have another question. If we humans spend too long staring at the
computer screen, our eyesight will gradually deteriorate and we wont be able to see properly
anymore. Will yours be like that?
Who knows.
Ne, Celtyjust how does someone like you with no eye see the world? Ive asked you so many
timesjust tell me wont you?
I cant tell you something I dont understand myself.
The shadow that the white-coated man had called Celty was headless. This meant that she
shouldnt have any sense organs and thus had no senses.
Yet Celtys world still existed with sight, sound and even smell. She could see the words on the
computer screen and was perfectly capable of differentiating between different colours. Yet, her
field of vision was a little wider than humans. If she could have seen in all directions, she
wouldnt have been knocked down by that hoodlums car.
Actually, her vision started from around the area where her head should be and she could move it
to any part of her body. However, she would never be able to see herself aerially.
Celty wasnt clear about how her body was built. She didnt know how humans viewed the
world, so even if she wanted to tell the white-coated man about the differences in their
perception, she wouldnt know where to start anyway.
Celty hadnt typed a single word, so as though he was helping her, Shinra stated his opinion on
the matter:
This is only my hypothesis, butI think the key is that sci-fi-ish shadow matter spewing out
of your body. Although its never been proven in any way and its not a really sound argument

but my guess is that instead of reflecting light, those shadow particles released are bouncing off
things in your environment. Which is the say, the shadow relays information to you about your
surroundings. And this information is not only visual in nature, but also includes sound, smell
etc, very much like a radar. Logically speaking, with objects that are further away, the
information received wont be as clear. Or maybe, its because the shadow from your body has
sensory abilities and is able to absorb light, sound waves and smell and so on.
You make things so confusing, it irritates me. And besides I dont really care about it. Im
content as long as I can see and hear.
As he read the indifferent reply, the white-coated man shrugged exaggeratedly:
Celty, youre always like that. I just really want to know how different the world you and I see
really are. This isnt a question of senses as much it is a question of morals. But what I want to
know isnt the values humans have
The man paused here and placed an emphasis on the preceding words as if taunting her:
But those of the one and only supernatural entity that exists here at the momentthe world
the headless rider sees.
Celty Sturluson was not human.
She was known as the headless rider, a Dullahan, and was a kind of death faerie that visited
those about to die and brought them the news of their impending deaths.
The headless rider held his decapitated head in the crook of his arm and rode in a Coiste bodhar,
a two wheeled carriage pulled by a headless horse and visited the homes of those who were
going to die. And if they unwittingly opened the door, the headless rider would greet them with a
full bucket of blood in their facesTogether with the banshee (note: In Irish folklore, the

banshee is a demon who screeches to inform one of his imminent demise), the headless rider was
one of the symbols and harbingers of doom in European mythology.
The legend of the headless rider had never existed in Japan, but recently, after all the fantasy
novels and video games being published and made about it, its popularity skyrocketed. The
headless rider was the very symbol of ill fortune and doom and thus usually was portrayed as the
villain.
And among the youngstersespecially the group who loved video games and thrillers, the
terrible ghost rider had been an instant hit.
But the reason Celty had left the birthplace of the legendfrom Ireland to Japan, had absolutely
nothing to do with that.
How she had been born and how she had died, why she had to throw buckets of blood at people,
why she had to inform people of their impending deathsCelty had absolutely no idea.
Thus, to find the answers to these questions, Celty had travelled to this faraway island country.
Twenty years ago, Celty had awoken on a mountain, and realised she was missing a lot of
memories. She had no memory of where she was going or anything about the period of time
before this for that mattershe only knew that she was a Dullahan, that her name was Celty
Sturluson and how to use her powers. Then, she found that a headless horse was pressing gently
against her body. She was stroking the horses back when she suddenly realizedher head was
gone.
But what shocked Celty the most at first was: So I wasnt using my brain to think just now?!
Then she began to feel a faint presence and decided that it could be very well be her head.

After thinking it through, Celty reached a possible conclusion. Her memories had been
maintained within her body and her head. So the missing memories were most likely
contained in her head.
So Celty made a decision. To find out the reason for her existence, she would have to find her
head, and this would be her reason for existence as of now. Unless, it was because her head had
chosen to leave her body. But then again, she could only know for sure if she found her head.
Guided by the lingering presence she felt, Celty relentlessly searched for her head, and later
found out that her head was being shipped across the ocean on a ship. She quickly discovered the
ships destination. And in order to go the same wayJapan, she decided to secretly stow away
on another shipbut what about her horse and coach?
The headless riders spirit familiar was in fact sealed into the corpse of a horse and a carriage by
magic, and when needed, could be summoned. But after calling it out, where would it go?
Unfortunately, this knowledge seemed to be residing in head. She knew how to call it out, there
was still the problem of where it would go after that and thus, Celty hadnt dared to try. Still
brooding over the matter, she wandered over to a nearby scrap heap.
And there, Celty found the perfect thing. It was like a union of a horse and a carriage. It was a
black motorbike without headlights.
Then shed come to Japan. But over these twenty years, she had failed to find a single lead.
She could still feel the presence, but it was like a delicately faint aroma. Just by following this
presence, shed managed to get an idea of roughly where her head was, but not exactly where it
was.
But I know its definitely somewhere in Tokyo
Celty could only grit her teeth (inwardly anyway) and continue searching for her head.

Even if it would take a few years, ten years, Celty would never doubt it. The limited memories
she had now dated back a hundred years ago, so she was sure her head held more memories of
an even earlier time.
Taking this into account, she assumed she still had a lot of time left. But, once she thought about
how she had no clue where her head was, she knew she couldnt just kick back and relax in her
search.
So today, Celty had ridden her bike and traversed Tokyos darkness.
And at the same time, it was for her joba courier.
So did you complete your work sedulously today?
Using unfamiliar vocabulary, the white-coated manKishitani Shinra asked casually.
Shinra was one of the only people who knew Celtys true identity, and provided Celty who had
no other home to go to with a place to stay, and helped her get all sorts of jobs to help her pay
off the rent.
On Celtys discreet voyage to Japan, Shinra and his father, who was a doctor had been aboard the
same ship and had discovered Celty halfway during the trip. Then, Shinras father had suggested
with a pen and paper:
Let me dissect you, just once. And if you let me, Ill give you a place to stay.
Shinras father was different from most people, and didnt feel fear at strange beings he didnt
understand, and was even able to negotiate with them.

And even the dissection wasnt to show off his findings in the medical field, and was purely to
satisfy his curiosity pertaining to this new species of organism. Celty later heard that had her
regenerative powers had been most impressive. Before the dissection had even ended, her
wounds had already begun healing.
But Celty didnt have much of an idea concerning this matter.
The worst part was the trauma shed received from the dissection. She had been given a dose of
anaesthetic, but apparently human anaesthetic didnt have much of an effect on her. She had felt
very lucidly, the agony of being sliced open. But her arms and legs had been cuffed securely and
she couldnt struggle. Then in the middle of the dissection, she had fainted. But when she awoke,
she realised that her memory had become rather fuzzy.
It looks like you can feel pain, but your sense of it is much duller than a humans. A normal
person would have been driven insane from it.
Shinras father had said that right after the operation ended. Perhaps it was because of her fuzzy
memory, but Celty hadnt had the strength to get angry at him.
Celty told herself, she had been able to stand up even after being knocked down by a car so she
must be pretty robust. And in the middle of these thoughts, she turned towards Shinra.
That day when Shinras father had been dissecting her, hed let Shinra stand in a corner and
watch. He even let a child who was barely five hold a scalpeland let him slice open flesh that
was so much like a humans.
Ever since that, Celty had predicted that with a father like that, Shinra would never grow up to be
a proper adultand indeed, he didnt turn out to be a very respectable one.
Twenty four year old Shinra was a self proclaimed underground doctor and treated some rather
unconventional ailmentsfrom gunshot wounds to people who couldnt openly go for plastic

surgery. These made up the bulk of his jobs. And as he was young (legally speaking, he too
young to be a surgeon) and was rather talented, he was trusted by his patients; but all that was
what hed told her, so Celty couldnt be sure about that.
Normally, even if he had a license to practise medicine and if he wanted to practise surgery, hed
have to have a senior doctor to assist him so as to help him gain experience. But from what Celty
knew, Shinra had been his fathers illegal assistant since he was young and he had been beyond
such regulations a long time ago.
Like father, like son.
Even after Shinra had graduated high school, hed never had a shred of doubt about his
circumstances.
Someone like him, had asked her, who had just come home from a diligent day of work, a
question like that.
It pissed me off.
After relaying that acidic remark, Celty began to recount what had transpired during the nights
job. Words flew out endlessly across the computer screen.
Todays job had been a little different. It was a job Shinra had suddenly thrown at her in the
middle of the night.
Apparently, a member of one of the groups formed by youngsters in Ikebukuro had been
kidnapped. The case was originally meant to be left to the police, but perhaps it was too pressing
a matter and the message had been relayed directly via email to her cellphone.
The perpetrators were the underlings of the underlings of the underlings of an immoral business,
and specialised in kidnapping. Their job scope merely comprised of kidnapping illegal

immigrants and runaway teenagers and handing them over to a higher up. But no one had any
idea what their motives were. There was a high probability that it was to use these humans as
materials for a variety of work.
Perhaps it was to hand them over to the superiors superiors superior for some kind of human
experimentation, or it was because the superiors superiors superior wanted to engage the
victims in some unethical trade; or even purely because the superiors company wanted to sell
them for some money or to use them as low-wage workers.
Regardless of the goal, the fact that the illegal immigrant friend of the group of youngsters had
been kidnapped remained. The fact that he was an illegal immigrant was another issue, but to
Celty who had neither face nor a census, she could only accept such a job.
After giving those kidnappers a good beating, shed opened the van and made sure the victims
were safe. Then shed sent an email to Shinra, and thus ended her job. Shinra would most likely
contact that group to wrap things up. As for the unconscious kidnappers, she never heard from
them again.
Then again, couldnt Shinra just disclose the kidnappers location to those youngsters and let
them rescue their friend themselves?that was what Celty had originally thought. But Shinra
wanted to tone things down a little and she ended up with the job. It was probably more
efficient to get a professional to handle this, instead of letting it escalate into a huge brawl
between the two sides.
And the end-result was her getting hit by a car. To avenge herself, Celty had used the huge scythe
made of shadows to teach them a lesson they wouldnt forget in a hurry and beat them to an inch
of their lives.
Celtys body was continuously wreathed in shadow. The shadow sometimes took the form of
armour and, whenever she wanted to, could will it to become the biker suit or a simple weapon.

Although it was rather strange to talk about the shadows having mass, but they were in fact very
light and thus could do extraordinary things that only appeared in movies. On the flipside,
because it was practically weightless, the strength of the weapons formed from it depended
totally on Celty.
But if it was in the form of a blade, its sharpness was not inferior to real weapons; its hardness
was never measured in detail, but Celty could never remember a time when her shadow had
failed her. If she were to describe her blade, she would say that it was like a box cutter which had
a blade which would never dull and blown up to about the same size as Japanese sword and
weighed exactly the same.
The shadow wasnt useful as a blunt weapon, but as a blade, its strength was unparalleled.
But Celty had never meant to slash those hoodlums, and had only used the scythe to deliver a
blow to their necks and knock them out. Hundreds of years before, Celty had been something
that instilled terror and fear in humans and she even remembered several occasions when she
crossed blades with humans; but at any rate she knew that fighting and killing in modern Japan
was a no go.
In the twenty years she spent in Japan, she had not only learnt Japanese, but had also been
training herself to take down enemies without killing them. To do this quickly, the best way
would be to have learnt Aikido at a dojo, self defence or trained in karate, but the neighbouring
dojos refused to let anyone train whilst wearing a helmet, so that idea had quickly been put to
rest.
Perhaps classifying the scythe as a weapon wasnt too accurate. As most people had an extremely
negative impression of things like the Grim Reaper, they would assume that a huge scythe was
an exceedingly lethal weapon when it was harder to use than guns and swords.
But then why use the scythe? In actuality, it was because Shinra had suggested it, saying that it
would be easier for you to publicise yourself.

And the worst part waseven though it was only a little, Celty had recently realised she was
beginning to like the shape of the scythe. But no matter how strong a weapon one had, it was all
over when they were knocked down. Although the pain had long subsided, irritation still lingered
inside her at the memory of her blunder.
She wondered how severe her injuries had to be before could died. She hadnt managed to find
out, and had no intention of doing so whatsoever. Celty couldnt keep these thoughts to herself,
and so she included it in its entirety in her work report.
On hearing how she had been hit by car, Shinra grinned and said, Its been hard on you. You
must be tired. But I still have something to tell you...
What is it?
It has something to do with the job you did. The reason I could find out the location of the
kidnappers was entirely thanks to Orihara-kun.
Orihara Izaya was an information broker based in Shinjuku. He could provide you all kinds of
information, but for an exorbitant price. It was rumoured that this wasnt even his main job and it
was anyones guess what he did behind the scenes.
Celty had received several job requests from him, and as long as they from him, they always left
a bad aftertaste. Honestly speaking, he was someone who made people think twice about getting
involved with.
Why did you ask him?
No reason really. It was because he happened to be enlisting my services, so I just asked for
some information about that in exchange. After giving me the license plate number, he
immediately told me about the carpark.

After hearing that, Celty gritted her teeth inwardly. It was strange. Even though she didnt have a
head, she still knew the feeling of gritting her teeth vividly.
As Celty thought about which part of body these feelings were manifesting from, Shinras hands
suddenly landed on her shoulders. He had probably come in the room when she was still mulling
things over.
Ne, make your decision already.
What decision?
As he read the words that had appeared on the screen, Shinra couldnt help but grin.
You know what Im talking about.
Without waiting for Celty to finish typing, Shinra went on, You are an otherworldly,
supernatural entity. But frankly speaking, even if you are and go on like this, Im afraid the
possibility of you realising your dream will be extremely remote.
What are you on about?
Let me put it simply. Give. It. Up.
The clattering of the keyboard stopped suddenly, and a most peculiar silence enshrouded the
room.
Stop looking for your head and the two of us can go somewhere else. Anywhere is fine. If you
want to go home, Ill be much obliged to take you. Ill go with you and we can stay there
together forever

When Shinra stopped using bombastic vocabulary, it was a sign that he was being extremely
serious.
Ive said it before, Ive never thought of giving up.
A long time ago, there were many folktales and myths about how a headless being was
searching for its head, and so I thought, there must have been some fellows who were like you.
Like in that Sleepy Hollow legend made into a movie, there was someone like you in the
eighteenth century. It could even very well be you, and you just dont remember it.
In response to the whole bunch of things Shinra had just rattled off, Celty answered patiently
I think I would have had better things to do than kidnap unattractive schoolteachers.
You only read the original novel...
Celty began typing furiously and shoved Shinras hands off her shoulders.
I dont hate you, but Im happy with my life as it is.
Seeing her indifferent reply, Shinra sighed softly and mumbled under his breath.
Even so, you should try being a little more feminine...
In that instant, there was a temporary blank, the stark contrast of hot and cold seemed to form a
wall that split the air between them.
Enough. Im going to take a shower.
In the steam-filled bathroom, Celty was bathing alone. A well endowed chest, a taut stomach
her body was like that of a model. But she didnt have a head, which seemed rather strange.

Celty slipped her fingers dripping in body wash across her silk smooth skin and noticed the
image in the mirror.
A headless girl lathering her body with soap
It was a strange sight, but to her, it was perfectly normal.
When she was still in Ireland, she had never showered before. But after to coming to Japan, it
had gradually developed into a habit. Dirt, sweat or grime couldnt really accumulate on her
body...but when she thought of how a shower could wash away the dust on her body and make it
clean, showering became something Celty couldnt live without.
Maybe this shows...humans and I do share the same values.
To be honest, being a headless rider, Celty had always wondered how similar her values were to
that of a human. When she first arrived in Japan, she had been rather uncomfortable with a lot of
things, but now she had been heavily influenced by the Japanese.
Recently, she had felt a kind of attraction to Shinra. The kind that a woman felt towards a man.
At first, she hadnt understood what it was, but then as time passed, she slowly began to
understand.
Ah...so this is how it feels to fall in love.
But even so, it didnt mean she was becoming a pubescent girl, so such things didnt have a large
impact on her life.
But she realised, whenever they watched television and they laughed together at the same parts,
she would feel a little happier.

I share the same values as humans, I have a heart like that of a human and I can connect with
humans through feelings
That must be it.
At least, that was what she believed.

CHAPTER 4
Everyday in the CityDay
Raira Academy was located in South Ikebukuro and was a coeducational private high school.
The school grounds werent extensive, but due to strategic design, the best was made out of the
limited land and students never felt that the school was too small. And as the school was near the
Ikebukuro Station, it was convenient for students living in the suburbs of Tokyo to come to
school and thus recently the applicants for the school entrance exam had been steadily
increasing. Also because the school enrolment was slowly increasing each year, it was getting
harder and harder to get into the school, so it could be said that Mikado and the others had got in
at just the right time.
The tall school building gave the students a magnificent view of the scenery below, but was
significantly dwarfed in comparison to the sixty storey building standing before them. And
behind the school was the huge Zoshigaya Cemetry which even though was located in the heart
of the area still retained a sombre atmosphere.
After the school entrance ceremony had ended, Mikado and Masaomi returned to their respective
classes, for a simple class meeting.
My name is Ryuugamine Mikado, pleased to meet you.
As the self-introductions were underway, Mikado had been constantly worrying whether people
would make fun of his name, but even after introducing himself, no one really seemed to care.
These youngsters who were the same age as Mikado didnt seem to be very interested in peoples
names.
On the contrary, Mikado was in fact rather curious about the others and listened intently to the
self-introductions of his other classmates. Some of them liked to crack a joke or two after

introducing themselves, and there were people who sat down immediately after stating their
names and some of them had long fallen asleep on their desks. But among all these people, the
person who had caught Mikados attention was in fact a pretty girl named Sonohara Anri. She
was petite, more so than the other girls, wore glasses and she was fair-skinned. But the vibe she
gave off seemed to be repelling others and rejecting their approaches, one that was tough and
weathered.
My name is Sonohara Anri.
Her voice was soft and nearly inaudible but it rang as clearly as a bell in Mikados ears. She
made quite an impression on Mikado as the aura she exuded was one of fresh refinement.
Everyone else could merely be called ordinary high school students. None of them looked like
model students and there werent bad boys around either.
Besides Sonohara, another thing that had aroused his curiosity was the fact that someone was
absent. It was a girl called Harima Mika. Then Mikado thought it might be probably because of a
cold or something and quickly brushed the matter aside.
But when the teacher mentioned her absence, Mikado noticed that Sonohara Anri had turned her
head to look at the empty seat, and an uneasy expression crossed her face.
Class ended uneventfully, and Mikado met up Masaomi who had been assigned the neighbouring
class outside.
Masaomis earrings were rather ostentatious, but they didnt stand out much in the crowd. Or
perhaps it was because this high school allowed the students to dress casually and it was Mikado
who was out of place. As today was the school entrance ceremony, both of them wore their
school blazers. But even so, it was hard for others to tell that they were students from the same
school.

Ah I wasted a day yesterday helping you move and setting up your modem. And today Im
taking you somewhere fun, so you have to treat me!
Mikado didnt have a reason to reject Masaomis request, and obediently followed him. It wasnt
time for the club exhibitions yet where people tried pulling in new students to join, so they left
the school easily.
After leaving the school, they turned and caught sight of Sunshine City 60 and headed
downtown.
To Mikado, Ikebukuro was an amazing place. The two big roads of the same size separated only
by a street, seemed to be completely different places. The fact that every road was interwoven
with their own unique backgrounds made Mikado feel extremely confused and lost each time he
walked down a new, unfamiliar street,
You wanna go anywhere?
Um, I was thinking...wheres the bookstore?
Mikado wanted to know this as he stood outside a fast food outlet around the entrance of 60Storey Street. Masaomi thought for a while and answered.
Hm, bookstore huh? Then youd want to go to Junkudo. Its just around here...what books do
you wanna buy?
Um...I think some mangas so I can pass the time at home...
On hearing Mikados reply, Masaomi gently stepped forward.
In that case, lets go to the store in the back that has this amazing collection of manga!

Masaomi walked to a crossroad with a gaming centre and turned right and entered an unfamiliar
street which was completely different from 60-Storey Street, and Mikado thought he might be
lost.
It was hard enough for Mikado to return to his apartment from the station, so he really felt that if
he were to wind up in some alley, he might never be able to get out alone.
Theyre selling doujinshis there too.
Doujinshisalthough Mikado spent so much time on the Net, he had absolutely no
understanding on this subject, and hed never bought any before. Back in junior high, he
remembered seeing a few of his female classmates discussing it enthusiastically. And add in the
information he got from the Web, Mikado had equated doujinshis as an 18+ thing.
Then...then, can I still go? Wont I get chased out?
Huh?
As Masoami fretted over the illogical and laughable things Mikado had just said, someone called
out to him from behind.
If it isnt Kida-kun?
Hyayaya, long time no see.
Ah~its Karisawa-san and Yumasaki-san! Long time no see.
Mikado turned and saw a duo of a boy and girl. They obviously went gallivanting about in the
day, but their skin remained strangely pasty. The boy was sharp-eyed, skinny and he was
carrying a heavy-looking hikers backpack. But looking at his clothes, he didnt seem to be on a
camping trip.

As Mikado studied them, the girl asked Kida, This is...your friend?
Ah~hes my childhood friend, and as of today, hes my high school schoolmate.
Oh, so you started high school today! Congratulations.
After the two of them finished their rather irrelevant chat, Masaomi introduced them to Mikado.
The girls Karisawa-san and the other guy is Yumasaki-san.
...Ah, that, Im...Im Ryuugamine Mikado.
On hearing Mikados name, the boy called Yumasaki cocked his head to one said. The way he
did it was extremely unnatural, and made Mikado feel a little uneasy. But for some reason,
Yumasaki asked Karisawa, Is that a pen name?
Why would a high school student use a pen name? Ah...aha! You use it in radio shows and
magazines right?
Uh...that...actually, its my real name...
Mikado corrected them in an almost inaudible voice, and caused them to stare at him in wideeyed wonderment.
Really? Your real name?!
Hyaya, thats great! Its too cool! Hyayaya, like the name of the male protagonist of a manga!
After seeing Karisawa and Yumasakis reactions

Dont put it like that...how embarrassing.

Kida-kun, you shouldnt be the one whos embarrassed.
It was obvious to Mikado that he had become the main topic of the conversation, but yet he
didnt say a word. He didnt really know what to do, so he just stood there. After a while,
Yumasaki finally sensed that something was amiss so he pulled out his cellphone to look at the
time and mumbled., Hyayaya, so sorry to have kept you here for so long. You guys have
anything else to do?
Not really, nothing important...
He never expected for them to be concerned about him. As such Mikado was a little stunned and
hurriedly shook his head and then answered with that.
Hyayaya, thats fine. Go ahead and do what you need. Really sorry, Kida, to have held you back
here.
Were going to the arcade. You guys going to buy stuff?
Yeah, some mangas.
After Kida finished talking, Yumasaki raised a hand and patted the backpack he strung on his
shoulders a few times.
Hyayaya, we were just there. Dengeki Bunko just released some books, so we got a whole lot.
About thirty in all.
Mikado had heard about Dengeki Bunko before. Dengeki Bunko mainly released light novels
and if he wasnt wrong they also published some Hollywood film novel translations. Mikado had
bought a few back in junior high, but even so, his total purchases werent even close to thirty.


Dengeki Bunko released that many books a month?
On hearing Mikados query, Karisawa laughed and answered, Of course not! We only picked
about ten books. One for me, one for him and the one to use tonight, ten books for each so it
became thirty.
There was the Moeru Keisan Mondaishuu*, or simply Moe-san. Hyaya, and they were
autographed by Jubi Shimamoto**!
*Literally means The Moe-Moe Problem Book/MoeProb. Its a parody of Moeru Eitango/Moetan, literally The
Moe-Moe Vocabulary Book/MoeVocab, the first moe type utility book written for otakus
**Most likely a play on the name of the mangaka Shimamoto Kazuhiko

He couldnt understand a word Yumasaki was saying so he looked pleadingly at Masaomi.

...Just imagine theyre chanting incantations and just listen. Hes the kind of person who thinks
that just because he knows something, everyone else must know it as well.
As Masaomi whispered that into Mikados ear, Yumasaki was still going on and on about that
topic which Mikado had no idea about. Karisawa noticed the awkwardness of the situation and
patted her companions bagpack lightly.
Why are you telling this to them? Well, we should get going. Bye bye.
The duo went off quickly, and Mikado stared after them, looking utterly bewildered and
murmured to himself.
Dengeki Bunko...to use tonight...?
Though Mikado really wanted to know what they were going to use it for, they had already
started to go, and he didnt want to trouble them any further, so he didnt ask. So Mikado and
Masaomi started towards the bookstore.

Wow! Look at all the mangas! Super cool! This store called Toranoana...in here, there are way
more mangas in here that all the books in the bookstore back home. And Im talking about just
the mangas here!
Yeah, there are loads of other places selling lots of manga. Like animate, Comic Plaza and so
on. If you want other kinds of books then you should go to Junkudo. Its a huge nine-storey
building, and it just sells books.
After buying what they wanted, the two of them walked down 60-Storey Street in the direction
of Sunshine City.
But, I never knew Kida-kun knew people like that.
Are you talking about Karisawa-san and the others? Well, you dont think Id only know those
people with dyed hair, piercings and sniffed glue right? Well honestly, theyre a little strange, but
if youre nice to them, youll find that theyre good people.
Eh? I see...
Although Mikado thought that a little strange, but he didnt really want to question him, and just
brushed it aside.
Oh yeah. I get out a lot, so I can take you to all kinds of stores, like some selling cheap second
hand clothes. Even nightclubs and hotels. And if you ever want to haggle with those roadside
stall owners selling little trinkets, Im your man.
You really do know everything.
Cos if I know a little of everything, then I can talk to girls!

What sinister motives...

Mikado couldnt help but say that about Masaomi. Masaomi nodded, seeming very pleased with
himself.
Mikado had decided that hed fully appreciate the view down the road, so he kept reminding
himself to look up as he walked.
The most striking things on 60-Storey Street had to be the gigantic electronic billboard mounted
on the Cinema Sunshine building, as well as the walls that were plastered with movie posters
beside Cinema Sunshine. Mikado had thought at first that the posters were printed, but he heard
that they had been painstakingly hand copied and coloured from photographs, and he couldnt
help feel rather impressed.
As he observed his surroundings with interest, he decided to see if there were any fun stores
around, he suddenly realised something even more attention-grabbing than the big building.
Eh?
Mikado saw a black man touting on the street. This wasnt uncommon on 60-Storey Streetthe
strange thing was his appearance. This black man was almost over two metres tall, and he had
muscles as beefy as a professional wrestler. And the most striking feature of the black man was
his clothes. He was dressed as a Japanese sushi chef and was touting on the street.
As Mikado stared at him with his mouth agape, the big man suddenly faced him.
Long time no see, young sir.
Eh?!?!?!

Mikado had just met this person, but he was acting if theyd known each other for a long time.
Mikado didnt really know how to react. Did this mean that his smooth-sailing life in Tokyo was
drawing to a close? As Mikado started feeling rather troubled
Simon, long time no see! How youve been?
Masaomis words allayed Mikados fears and the attention of the other man had turned to him.
Yo, Kida, eat sushi? Ill give you a discount, eat sushi OK?
Oh, I dont have any money on me right now. Im in high school now, so wait until I get a job.
Then you have to give me a treat!
Oh, no. If I let you eat for free, Ill turn into the seaweed plains of Russia.
Seaweed on land huh?
The two of them chatted lightheartedly, and as the conversation ended, he bid the man goodbye
and left. Mikado hurriedly followed, and turned back to look. The strong man called Simon was
not only waving to Masaomi, but to himself as well. Mikado was at a loss; so he just nodded
apologetically and continued walking forward.
Was the guy just now a friend of Masaomis?
Yeah. Hes called Simon, hes a black Russian and he works as a tout for the Russian sushi
place.
Black Russian?
Sorry, should I be laughing?

No, Im not kidding. His name is actually Seymon, but everybody calls him Simon like in
English, so hes Simon. I heard his parents were American immigrants to Russia, but I dont
know the details. Then, because he had a Russian friend whod opened a sushi restaurant here, he
decided to help him pull in customers.
It sounded like something made-up, but Masaomi didnt look like he was lying, so it was
probably true. As Mikado listened, rather intrigued, Masaomi added in, Hes not someone you
should cross. There was this time when he stopped a fighthe pulled apart two guys who were
as big as he was with his bare hands. And there are people who say theyve seen him break a
telephone pole in half!
On hearing that, Mikado thought of Simons body which in fact very much resembled a tank, and
he broke out in cold sweat.
As they strode down a small road, Mikado suddenly uttered, Amazing...
Huh? Whats amazing?
No, its just, Kida-kun sure gets around...
To Masaomi, Mikados genuine words of praise sounded like some kind of joke. He laughed
hollowly a few times. He yawned and said indifferently, Flattery isnt going to get you
anywhere.
Im telling the truth!
In actuality, Mikado really did respect Masaomi. If hed come to Ikebukuro alone, he wouldnt
have known what do and would only be able to wander the streets aimlessly. Mikado did not
think that it was his environment that had made Masaomi what he was today. Ever since
elementary school, Masaomi had a special charm which made him attractive to many people, and
coupled with his fearlessness, he could practically do anything.

Hed been here for only a few days, but he had already been won over by Masaomi and this
place. And at that thought, Mikado conceived a wish, and it was to be able to be like Masaomi
one day.
The main reason Mikado came to Tokyo, was in fact to rid himself of a normal life. He was
always searching for a new him, searching within himself. Perhaps it was because he hadnt
given it much thought, but in this place, extraordinary things like those out of television or
manga would happen, and he might even be caught up in them.
But Mikado didnt want to be anyone famous or notable, and merely wanted to know what it was
like to live differently. Mikado didnt notice it, but the moment he had stepped on this soil,
within the unease inside him, there was also a soaring joy dancing, and the two emotions, were
tumultuously roiling in him, one after the other.
And today, before his very eyes, there was someone who was basking in such joy, a perfect
natural in a place like this. Masaomi was only sixteen, but he had seamlessly integrated into this
place.
He saw everything he wanted to be in his best friend, and the unease and excitement of being in a
place like this was slowly subsidinglike it should.
And then, in the next second
His resolutions and his emotions once again fell into chaos, as another wave of foreboding and
anticipation crashed down.
Yo.
It was a rather hearty greeting. The voice was clear, with not a trace of obscurity, as if the sky
was saying hello, and extremely refreshing.

It was such a bright greeting, but the moment Masaomi heard the voice, his expression changed
into that looked as if ten million arrows had lodged themselves into his back. He momentarily
broke into a bout of sticky, cold sweat. Gingerly, he turned in the direction of the voice.
On seeing Masaomis reaction, Mikado followed and turned too. He saw a sprightly young man.
His features were delicate, yet he gave off an air of hardened maturity and competency, or more
aptly, he appeared dignified. His gentle irises seemed to be able to accommodate everything,
and seemed to be exuding all sorts of emotions. Coupled with his attire, he looked like someone
with quite the personality, and yet there was nothing particularly alarming about him. In fact, he
gave off an air of uncertainty.
It was hard to judge how old he was from his appearance and Mikado could only estimate to be a
little over twenty, but he was unable to confirm this.
Long time no see, Kida Masaomi-kun.
Facing the man who had called out his whole name, an expression Mikado had never seen before
crossed Masaomis face, and he swallowed.
Ye...yeah...hi.
The sight of Masaomi stammering disrupted Mikados thoughts for a moment.
This is the first time Ive seen Kida-kun like this...
Fear and disgust coalesced in his eyes, but he was trying his best to suppress these feelings in his
expression.
That a Raira uniform? You got in huh. First day of school? Congrats.

The mans congratulation was relatively indifferent, but it wasnt devoid of emotion either. It was
like he was using the least emotion possible (but not totally absent) in his tone of voice. Just like
that.
Oh yeah. Thanks.
I didnt do anything.
Its rare for you to come over to Ikebukuro...
Yeah, thats because Im meeting up with some friends. And this is?
As he said this, he glanced at Mikado and in that moment, their eyes met. Normally, Mikado
would have looked elsewhere, but now he couldnt break his gaze. It felt like if he did, he
wouldnt be acknowledged by this person. Mikado didnt know why he thought like this, and
could only remain motionless under the mans eerily sharp-eyed gaze.
Oh, hes just an ordinary friend.
Normally Masaomi would have told the other person Mikados name, but now it was very
obvious that he had absolutely no intention of doing so. And the man turned to Mikado and said
carelessly, Im Orihara Izaya, nice to meet you.
On hearing this name, Mikado suddenly understood everything. One of the people he shouldnt
get involved, someone he shouldnt make an enemy of. But, the man in front of him didnt seem
all that dangerous, at least not like hed imagined. Besides those sharp eyes of him and his
handsome face, he looked like just any other youth. Maybe except for his glossy black hair. In
the surrounding crowd full of people sporting dyed hair, he stood out. He seemed more like an
intellectual who gave tuition in some remote district.
He looks more normal than I thought.

Still thinking that, he told the man his name.

Sounds like the name of an air conditioner.
Izaya said that right after hearing Mikados name. There was no derision or surprise in his words,
purely what he thought.
And just as Mikado contemplated about whether to reply or not, Izaya slowly raised his hand and
waved, without waiting for Mikado to talk.
Its about time for me to meet my friends, so see ya.
After that, Izaya hurried away. After watching him leave, Masaomi puffed out his chest and took
a deep breath.
Its about time for us to go too...oh yeah, where were we supposed to go?
That person just nowis he really that scary?
I wonder if you could say hes scary...but...I did quite a few things while I was still in junior
high...so I met that person once, and then I got scared of him. Well how to put it...his scariness is
on a different level from those hooligans. Its more of unstable. Or rather, unpredictable. Its
like every five seconds his way of thinking changes drastically. I dont think you could say his
scariness is dangerous, per se, its more like...nauseating. A kind of feeling that slowly oozes
into your consciousness.
Anyway, Im never going back to that side. So dont come looking for me if you want to smoke
pot.

Pot. After suddenly hearing that word, Mikado hurriedly shook his head. Hed never seen
marijuana before, but based on the knowledge he got from the Web, even he knew what it was.
I was kidding. Youre so obedient, I think youd probably only pick up cigs and beer only when
you turn exactly twenty. Anyway, youd better remember this, its best not to get involved with
that guy and Heiwajima Shizuo.
Masaomi didnt seem like he had any intention of saying anymore about Izaya, so he turned
soundlessly towards the crowds.
This was the first time Mikado had seen Masaomi like this. He decided that Masaomis peculiar
state of mind at the moment was more important and pushed the subject of Izaya to the back of
his mind.

This place will never stop interfering with the normality of my life.
Mikado didnt really have a reason to think about all this, but the more he thought about it, the
more he expected from this place and the life he was about to lead.
Hed only been here a few days, but the words I want to go home had completely vanished
from Mikados dictionary.
The cold, indifferent crowds he had once thought them to be were like saints marching before
him today.
Something excitings going to happen next. It definitely will. The adventure Ive been looking
for is starting, like in dramas and mangas. Its going to happen here, theres no doubt about it.
Such twisted thoughts made Mikados eyes shine, and kindled his hopes for his life as of
tomorrow.

CHAPTER 5
Everyday in the CityNight
Anyway, lets talk about the kind of stuff you guys wanna do before you die.
Orihara Izaya asked this morbid question in a karaoke box. Izaya was holding a drink, his steady
voice resounding through the quiet compartment.
The two women in the compartment with him merely shook their heads in response to his
question.
I see. But, do you really want to die with someone like me? Arent there loads of other great
guys who could do it with you?
Its because there arent any. Thats why we wanna die.
Yeah.
Izaya nodded in a rather lighthearted fashion, and silently studied the two women. Their
expressions werent particularly depressing, and someone who didnt know the details, would
never expect that they wanted to kill themselves.
The reason for them being here was in fact a response to the invitation: Lets die together!
Izaya had posted on a suicide pact website.
The contents of Izayas invitation had sounded oddly cheerful and positive. This couldnt really
be helped, because it was really an ad for a social networking site that hed modified a little and
then pasted on the message boards. But, if you browsed through the other stuff he posted, youd
notice that most of them sounded just as upbeat.

The messages were clear and to the point, and explained in great detail, various methods of
suicide and gave a tremendous amount of encouragement (to kill themselves), not at all like
someone who was intending to commit suicide himself. There were even some which were
written very formally, like official documents for some renowned enterprise. Izaya loved looking
these impressive Suicide Invitations hed written.
The two women before him had chosen to die. One because she couldnt find a job, and the other
was because she hadnt been able to recover from the blow of a failed relationship, and both
were despairing as such.
At first glance, it seemed unacceptable for someone to kill themselves over such reasons, but
ever since the declining economy, the number of people who were committing suicide over their
failed careers were increasing steadily each year. If you classified these people according to their
state of employment, youd find that most of them were in fact unemployed. Also, if you
considered them according to age, youd see that the number of suicides by people who were
below twenty was far lesser than those in other age groups. Recently, after media coverage on
suicides driven by bullying in school, people were given the impression that the majority of
people who committed suicide were youngsters. But in actuality, most of them were in fact the
so-called adults.
Like the two women before Izaya. They were both adults, around twenty five to twenty six years
old.
Meeting with people who wanted to kill themselveshed already done it over twenty times.
During these meetings, Izaya noticed that many of them didnt have much in common. The
attitude people had towards death varied widely, with some people maintaining a smile at all
times. There were even some who clearly wanted to die, but still recorded TV shows before they
went out.
Butnone of the people Izaya met had ever really committed suicide in the end. This made him
feel rather disappointed.

The news loved to cover suicide incidents like the ones occurring in the recent years, especially
after the medias influence, where people met online on websites to join suicide pacts. The media
did not cover however, the solo suicide cases, which were in fact maintained at around over
thirty thousand people these few years.
What were they thinking when they decided to die? Was there really no other way? Or perhaps,
who did they want to die for? When people decided to die, just what kind of deep despair did
they have in their hearts?
Orihara Izaya loved humans more than anything else, and thus wanted rather badly to know the
answers.
But, he hadnt met up with them because he wanted to talk them out of committing suicide. And
the reason those people who met up with Izaya never committed suicide wasnt because they
never had the intention to die in the first place and had come just for fun, nor was it because
theyd backed out.
Izayas true nature, was slowly revealing itself from its easygoing guise.
After listening to their reasons for suicide, Izaya finally raised his voice and asked a different
question breezily.
So, whatre you going to do after you die?
On hearing the sudden question, the two women froze, and then gazed at Izaya dumbly.
Uh...you mean like after going to heaven?
Shes already decided to kill herself and yet still wants to go to heaven. How bold can she get?
But of course, its things like this that make humans all the more interesting.

Does Nakura-san believe in the afterlife? the other woman asked Izaya. Nakura was the fake
alias Izaya had randomly come up for himself. Izaya smiled and shook his head at the question
and asked them instead, Then do you two believe in the afterlife?
I do. But instead of an afterworld, I think people become wandering ghosts in this world...
I dont. Death is an expanse of nothingness, just a piece of darkness...but thats much better than
this.
On hearing their answers, Izaya made a huge mental X.
Aw, how disappointing. This is really disappointing. A total waste of time. Theyre only junior
high standard. The atheists last time were much more interesting. These two only care about
themselves.
Izaya then concluded that the two women werent serious about death. Or perhaps, they were
envisioning death in their own ways.
He narrowed his eyes and smiled mockingly.
Thats not good. How can people who want to die think about life after death?
Eh...?
The two of them were completely baffled, as though they were looking at something completely
illogical. Izaya continued.
Thinking about the afterlife is a right reserved for only the living. But, if this conclusion
something you thought about endlessly, and considered thoroughly, then I have nothing to say.
But, being forced into the abyss of despairlike getting your life savings scammed by some

Lombard...people who have been forced into their hopeless situations by external factorsonly
then do they have this right.
Izaya went on smiling and said lightly, But for you, you gave yourselves these problems right?
Youve already decided to walk the path of hopelessness and you still place your hopes on an
afterlife. I dont think thats a good thing to do.
The two women noticed something. The whole time, it had been them confessing about why they
wanted to die, and the man before them had mentioned absolutely nothing about himself.
Um...does Nakura-san... want to die?
In response to this totally unreserved, direct question, Izaya answered impassively.
No.
In that instant in the compartment, the only sounds that were heard were those coming from the
other rooms. Not long after, one of the women seemed to have cracked and shouted.
Thats too much! How could you lie to us?
I think...youve gone too far!
After the womans tantrum, the other reprimanded Izaya sternly. But even as he saw their
reactions, Izaya remained unmoved.
Ah, it still ended like this...
Izaya had seen situations like this many times before. Everyone reacted differently. Some people
got over it without batting an eyelid, and some just left without a word. But he had yet to see
anyone remain totally calm. If anyone could meet with such a situation and take it easy by just

going Oh, I see., then they probably wouldnt have needed a companion to die with. But
Izaya hadnt seen all of what mankind had to offer, so he felt that couldnt totally base his
judgments on psychology books. He wasnt that sure yet, but he still thought like that. If anyone
one could remain calm in a situation like this, and it wasnt because they had just come for fun,
then it was probably because they secretly hoped that there would be someone who could talk
them out of suicide, or it was to stop others from doing so; and maybe even because they were
just like him.
Despicable! Stop it bastard! Who do you think you are anyway? Youve gone too far!
Eh? Why?
Izayas expression, was one that said I have no idea what youre talking about. He swept his
innocent gaze across the two women, and he closed his eyes
Seconds passed and when Izaya opened his eyes again, that cheerful expression on his face had
completely vanished, and replaced with an entirely different kind of smile.
Eh...?
On seeing his face, the woman who believed in life after death made a sound very much like a
scream.
A smile was indeed lingering on Izayas face. Only, it was a completely different kind of smile
from before. Only after the two women had seen his expression, did they truly understand the
meaning of there are many kinds of smiles.
Although he really was smiling, his expression seemed to be as stiff as a mask. Even though it
was a smile, it was also extremely cold. And precisely because it was a smile, that made people
who saw it feel unspeakable terrorit was a smile like that.

The two women had originally countless choice words theyd like to impart upon Izaya, but now,
they remained momentarily dumb and couldnt open their mouths. It was like some kind of
inhuman creature was standing before them.
But Izaya maintained that terrible smile and asked the same question.
What? What do you mean Ive gone too far? I dont get it.
Thats because...
You
The women were interrupted by Izayas hardened response.
Didnt you want to die? So what does it matter what I tell you? Even if you were lied to or
scolded...youll be disappearing in a while anyway. So if youre anguished because I lied to you,
then why dont you just bite your tongue off? Did you know by biting your tongue off to commit
suicide, you wont die because of blood loss, but because of a momentary shock that causes the
remaining part of your tongue to compress the trachea and thus results in suffocation. That way,
all the things you find unpleasant will be gone. You wouldnt exist anymore. Its that simple, and
you say Ive gone too far. I think youve gone too far.
I understand that! But...
You dont understand at all.
This time, Izaya was talking to the woman who had said death was an expanse of nothingness,
and the tone he spoke in was even more forceful.
With that smile on his face.

Youre the one that doesnt understand. You dont understand at all. You just said death was just
a big piece of nothing, right? But, thats not true at all. I guess you wanted to say, that you
wouldnt have any worries any more. But death is actually just disappearing. Your troubles wont
disappear, just your existence.
The women did not respond. They were transfixed by Izayas smile.
Izayas smile was getting more and more hideous, and it seemed to the two who were listening to
him that it was hardly human.
A situation where nothings there cant be called nothing. And its not the opposite of
something either. The nothing you speak of is where there really is nothing but eternal
darkness. But, this notion is based on the existence of the darkness, so how can it be nothing? If
you want to be rid of your sorrows by dying, then you need the knowledge that youve escaped
your troubles. Isnt that something? So like I said, you dont even know what youre thinking,
and you dont even know that you dont know a thing, so you definitely wont be able to
envision something like that. Your ways of thinking arent different from most people. Opinions
at this level are something even elementary school students who dont believe in life after death
can understand, fear and worry about right?
In reality, these two women both knew Izayas theory was full of loopholes, and there was plenty
of room for a rebuttal. But they thought, even if they retorted, could they communicate with the
person before them with just mere words?
Such thoughts didnt arise from doubt, but fear.
But...this...isnt this just what you think?
The woman mustered all her courage to force out those words, which faltered easily as she saw
Izayas smile.

True. I have no idea about that. The fact that I dont believe in the afterlife, is something I just
decided for myself. But, it would be good if there was oneI can only assume though.
Ha Ha. Izaya let out two syllables of a frigid, dry laugh, and went on in a breezy voice.
But its different for you. Youre doubtful about the afterlife, but you still want to die. Dont tell
me your religion teaches you to commit suicide, and even encourages to kill yourself because
you cant find a job or because youre having relationship problems? If it was like that, then I
have nothing to say. I would even think that youre amazingbut if not, then just shut up.
Finally, as if he wanted them to agree, he cocked his head slightly and slowly revealed his
conclusion:
If youre just a casual believer of the afterlife, dont go around discussing it OK? Its an insult to
the afterlife. Its an even bigger insult to people who dont want to die, but are forced into it by
their circumstances.
Then, seconds went by. Although it had only been a little while, but it seemed like an incredibly
long time to the two women.
In this short time that seemed like eternity, Izaya once again closed his eyes. But when he opened
them again, his smile had once again become gentle and relaxing.
The air around them seemed to flow again, but the two women didnt dare to move an inch. And
Izaya began to tell them things that were completely different from just now.
Ah, hahaha, just now when I asked you what was going to happen after you died...I was really
talking about money!
...Huh?

I hate wastage. So, could I trouble you to borrow as much money as you can, give it to me, and
then die? Because those insurance reviews are really troublesome, and probably wont get
through, so its easier if you just loan money. So when you die, at least the money you borrowed
wont go to waste. If I sell your registrar and your bodies, Ill be able to rake in a good price.
Besides, I have some connections which specialise in this sort of thing.
Completely different from the malicious grin from before, Izayas current smile was very human
indeed, and the words from his mouth were loyal to human desire.
The women made to say something, but Izaya was louder.
Let me test you. Question one. Why am I sitting nearest to the door?
The two women noticed that Izaya was seated in such a way that seemed like he was deliberately
blocking the door. And they experienced a totally different kind of fear from just now. If Izayas
smile just now was the devils smile, then the Izaya now seemed to be the agglomeration of all
mankinds evil intent.
Question two. What are these wheeled suitcases under the table going to be used for?
Only when Izaya mentioned it, did the two women realise that there were two large suitcases
under the table, placed opposite to their seats. The kind used to carry luggage on a vacation.
First hint. The suitcases are empty.
On hearing this, trepidation rose inside the two women at the same time. Although this was the
first time they had met, both of them felt exactly the same way about Izaya.
Second hint. These two suitcases were chosen because they match your size.

A nauseating sensation permeated them, and it came from their strong revulsion of the man in
front of them. Yet, there was something else that made the world before them start to spin.
?! Whats...this...
When they realised their unfavourable situation, it was already too late, and they hardly had the
strength to stand up.
Question three. If you two come at me at the same time, you might be able to beat me, so why
dont you? Hint. I handed you your drinks when they came earlier.
The world wouldnt stop spinning. In their blurry consciousness, they heard Izayas voice float
past their years. His tender voice was like a lullaby, and sucked the two of them into the
darkness.
Its love! You dont have any love for death. You have to embrace death with love. And you
have too little respect for nothingness. If its like this, how could I willingly die with you?
Then, with her last iota of strength, one of the women glared venomously at Izaya.
Ill never...forgive you! Ill...kill you...!
On hearning this, Izaya grinned, and gently caressed the womans cheek.
Excellent. If you have the strength to hate, then you can live. Im awesome. I saved your life.
You have to thank me properly OK?
After confirming that the woman had lost consciousness, Izaya used a hand to stroke her temple
and thought for a while.
Ah~but I dont like being hated by humans. I think Ill just kill you.


It was a midnight, and the day was almost over. In a corner of South Ikebukuro Park, there was a
pair of erect human silhouettes. One of them was Orihara Izaya, and the other was a completely
black shadow.
So, I just have to put them on a park bench and Im done?
Holding an advanced electronics user manual, Celty typed out a string of words and held it up to
Izaya. Izaya grinned and answered with a brief, happy Yes.
Standing in front of the inky shadow, Izaya laughed merrily as he counted his money.
Actually I wanted to drag them off to some loan company, but honestly, Im bored of this.
The cheek of you to say it.
The job assigned to Celty this time was to move two people. After putting on her helmet and
entering the karaoke lounge, the personnel had silently taken her to the compartment Izaya was
in. And when she walked into the compartment, she happened to see Izaya trying to stuff the
unconscious women into suitcases. When she was about to question this, Izaya merely smiled
and asked her to help him.
In the end, Celty just helped him to move them to the park, but still wasnt clear about what was
going on.
Im tired of this. And this is just a hobby, not work. Ah, thanks for today~ the people who
usually help me with this with were all busy so yeah. Usually Ill want to send them home, but I
think your motorbikes already at its limit from travelling all the way to the park.

People who would assist a cause like this, probably couldnt be called decent. Although by doing
this, Celty could be considered one of them, but she was more or less used to it.
A quickie job like this wasnt particularly unpleasant, but she didnt like it very much either.
This wont somehow involve the police right? Dont implicate me.
Dont worry. I havent asked you to move corpses. I only asked you to move two drunk women
to a park bench.
You dont need a suitcase for that.
Izaya honestly couldnt detect the sarcasm in that, and merely gazed meaningfully at the
helmeted courier. Then, Izaya suddenly asked, Say courier, do you believe in the afterlife?
Why the sudden question?
You dont need to know, just take it as part of your job and answer me.
Youll know if you die.
Very calmly, Celty typed out this response on her PDA. Then she typed out a question and
showed it to Izaya.
What about you?
Actually, I dont really believe in the afterlife. Honestly, Im really scared of dying and Id like
to live a little longer.
Youre someone who enjoys drugging women and makes a living out of dealing information, but
still wants to have a long life?

On seeing this spontaneous query, Izaya laughed sheepishly. From his current expression, it was
hard to imagine he was someone who had sunk completely into the underworld.
Because if I die, Ill disappear. So if I dont make use of my life to do all the things I enjoy,
wont I have regrets?
Celty added another line: Disgusting bastard and deleted it before Izaya could see it.
Orihara Izaya was an ordinary human.
Even for a criminal like him, he wasnt especially violent, nor was he particularly callous and
was not even to close to being someone who killed without batting an eyelid.
All the mortal desires normal people had, he had them too. Unsavoury things people did on
impulse, hed done it all. It was just like that. He was no extraordinary criminal mastermind, but
was merely overly engrossed in his interests. But as his interests got stronger and stronger, he
managed to learn many things in his pursuits, and eventually became someone who earned petty
change from selling this information to underworld organisations and the police.
But Izayas name was already considerably well-known in many places, and he himself was
familiar with this fact. Normally his name wouldnt be pronounced Izaya
His name was derived from the combination of the biblical prophet Isaiahs name and Japanese
for one who looks over the crowd. But Izayas way of life vastly differed from a the biblical
account, but perhaps it was because of this contradiction that allowed Izaya to be more skilled at
handling various situations than ordinary people. And it was because of this that resulted in the
way he lived. He valued life just as any normal person would, and he knew his own limits and
played it safe where necessary. It was probably this attitude of his that allowed him to continue
immersing himself in his interests and even managed to avoid incurring the wrath of the
underworld and thus avoided disappearing.

After leaving the job to Celty, Izaya deeply inhaled the stale, Ikebukuro air which seemed to be
nearly a few weeks old, and decided to leave.
What did the two women he met up with look like? How were they dressed? Were they pretty or
ugly? Had their make-up been fashionable or was it a mess? How did their voices sound like?
Why did they want to die? And even, the question of if they even had the intention of dyingall
this had already been pushed to the back of his mind.
Orihara Izaya was an outright atheist. He didnt believe in spirits, nor did he believe in the
afterlife. This was why he wanted so desperately to understand humans, and this was also the
reason as to why he developed an interest in them so easily, as well as the reason he could
trample on them like he did.
As for people who did not need to be understood, Izaya had absolutely no interest in them.
Hed only walked about ten metres, but hed already completely forgotten the names of the two
people who had wanted to commit suicide.
He was an informant, and unnecessary information would only get in his way.
As of now, he was most interested in two things.
The first thing, was the true identity of the courier who always wore a helmet and never spoke a
word. It was the existence of the entity which rode a motorbike that didnt make a noise and
wielded a black scythe, like a Grim Reaper.
And the other thingwould be the group roaming around in Ikebukuro called the Dollars.
I'm so excited. I'm so excited! I'm so excited! Even though I'm an informant, there are so many
things I don't know about in this city and things keep on keep on keep on emerging, appearing

and disappearing. This is precisely why I can't leave a city where humans gather! HUMAN
LOVE! I love humans! I love you all! And thats why you should all come to love me.
As Izaya proclaimed this, he reached into his chest pocket and fished out his PDA.
He switched it on and accessed his inbox. His gaze fell on a particular persons information.
The data showed that the subjects name consisted of some rather impressive characters.
It read Ryuugamine Mikado, and it was the name of the youth hed just met today

CHAPTER 6
Yagiri PharmaceuticalsExecutives
Somewhere between Ikebukuro and Shinjuku, some ways from the Mejiro district, a research
facility stood quietly. Although it was a distance away from the station, but in context of Tokyo,
the amount of land this three storey research facility surrounded by trees and barriers occupied
was no laughing matter.
Yagiri Pharmaceuticals was one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the Kanto region,
and this was the site of its new research facility. But, its reputation as Kantos leading
pharmaceutical company was a thing of the past. Its prestige nowadays could hardly compare to
that of its heyday, as its performance was sliding.
And it was just when Yagiri pharmaceuticals share prices began to fall when an American
company proposed to buy over their business. The company was called Nebula, and had been
doing joint ventures for about a century now. The company dealed in transportation, publishing,
biotechnological research and so on, on a very large scale. But behind their rock-solid repertoire,
there were many rumours. Like those about deals with the government. But these rumours were
always quashed by their methods of legal repression.
Yagiri Pharmaceuticals was on the selling end, and as long as they gave in unconditionally, they
wouldnt have to start mass-retrenchment. Although this was so, but there were some of the staff
especially the director, who was a member of the Yagiri family, who couldnt really accept
this.
The one who objected to it the most violently, was a woman named Yagiri Namie. She was
twenty five years old when she became the sixth research facilitys, or simply the sixth research
director, and was also the chairmans niece.

Namie was able to progress so quickly through the ranks, wasnt totally due to her being
especially favoured since she was a Yagiri. The fact that she was exceptionally talented and
efficient was also an important factor. But, the situation she was facing now had a lot to do with
her family. The problem wasnt her position, but the department she worked in.
Because there was a rumour within the Yagiri family, that whatever the Namies department was
researching was in fact the main reason for Nebulas offer.
What the sixth research facility was dealing with, wasnt really medicine. The facility claimed
that they were working on the development of a new kind of drug to boost the immune system,
and would be ready for clinical trials in the near future
But in fact, it was actually something that was not of this world.
Twenty years ago, Namies uncle managed to get his hands on a specimen that resembled a
human head from overseas. It looked as beautiful, as if it was alive, and it was like it was
sleeping. Having a beautiful girls face as a specimen sounded rather grisly on the surface, but in
fact it did not seem cruel at all, more like the head was a complete, living entity.
Namie who had been only five years old then obviously wouldnt know that the head had been
smuggled.
After all, if it had been brought in by the legally appropriate means, then theyd surely have been
stopped by the customs.
Her uncle had no idea what kind of magic could have conjured such a thing, and as such even
began to see it as the Yagiri family heirloom and showered his care on it. The moment he had
some free time, hed lock himself in his study to admire the head, and sometimes hed even talk
to it.

Namie would often come over to play with her cousins, and when she saw her uncle do that,
shed feel a little uneasy. But after a while, she got used to it.
But, there was something that upset Namie. And that was the fact that her younger brother, Yagiri
Seiji, seemed to have been bewitched by the head, and was even more hopelessly infatuated with
it than her uncle.
The first time Seiji saw the head was when he was ten years old. Without her uncles permission,
shed brought her brother and snuck in to see it. It was a regret that continued to this day.
It was because ever since then, Seiji began acting very strangely.
Hed want to go to his uncles house for no reason, and once he got there, hed sneak in without
his uncles knowledge to stare at the head.
And as he grew up, Seijis obsession with the head did not wane in any way. Three years ago,
when Namie had first joined the pharmaceutical company her uncle ran by her own ability, her
brother confessed to her:
Sis, theres someone I like.
The girl her brother liked, didnt have a namenor a body.
And the feelings that rose within Namie, wasnt concern for her brothers abnormal preferences.
Instead, without a doubt, it was dark, rusty red jealousy.
Namies parents were the original successors of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. But when her brother
was born, they made a serious error with a transaction that caused them to be completely
ostracised from the company core and were excluded from the inheritance rights. The couple
became estranged as such, and slowly grew distant from their children.

However, her uncle still regarded them as a chess piece in the family, and continued caring for
them. But the concern he offered was what a superior would offer to a subordinate, and was
completely devoid of kinship.
Finally, Namie directed her craving for familial affection on her brother who was in a similar
situation. These desires exceeded those of sisterly love, and contorted into some form of twisted
affection.
And it was because of that, that Namie was absolutely unhappy with the fact that her younger
brother had fallen for a head. Because her brother would never reciprocate her love, and even
fell in love with something that could never reciprocate his lovethe thing that was just a
head.
Although Namie felt it was rather strange for her to be jealous of a head, but she still kept it from
her uncle, and decided to secretly get rid of the head.
She had meant to retrieve the head from its glass jar and throw it awaybut when she first
touched the head for the first time, she realised that something was amiss.
She realised, no specimen would have such soft, tender skin, and it was even so warm. Which
was to say, she realised that the head was still alive
And then another period of time passed, and Namie managed to convince her uncle into letting
the company do research on the head, and after listening to her uncles detailed account, learnt
that the head was actually a faerie* called a Dullahan
*A faerie is not necessarily a fairy, and can be a death faerie like Celty

What nonsense was that? A fairy was a small human-like creature with wings. Since when could
a head be counted as fairy? But either way, the entity that was beyond death, meaning the head,
was the crux here. How could she let go of an opportunity like this?

With this in mind, Namie went on to do all kinds of experiments on the head which was still
alive. Perhaps shed somehow mixed her the jealousy she felt because of her brother in with all
this, but shed always, without thinking, regard the head as an experimental subject. Namie had
thought at first that while the head was in the research lab, Seiji who wasnt authorised personnel
wouldnt be able to get near her
But a problem immediately cropped up. The research had only just started, but Nebula had
already started contacting them. The research work was carried out by only a specific few
personnel. Yet the conditions the other party imposed had been transfer that particular research
laboratory, including all of its contents. It was very obvious from here that they were interested
in the head.
And as Namie fretted about the possibility of a spy, and raised her suspicions towards everyone
else, a second problem arose, not long after the first. As she did not trust anyone, shed always
taken her key card home, but then, it had disappeared.
The incident happened on the day her card went missing. Someone had infiltrated the research
facility and had taken out three security guards with a taser, and had just taken the head and
left.
How could something like this have happened? At this rate, she was finished. And just when
Namie almost lost all hope, she suddenly of someone who could have done something like this.
A certain someone who knew about the existence of the head, and wanted to have it, and even
had the means to steal her key card.
And just as she was contemplating this, the perpetrator called from her place of residence.
Sis, I think Ive killed someone. What should I do?

It was the day before the school matriculation ceremony when her brother called her for help. It
sounded like the stupid girl who had been stalking her brother had broken into the house and had
seen the head, and her brother had smashed her head into a wall.
And the feeling that rose in Namies heart at that time, wasnt fear that had brother might have
actually killed someone, nor was it anger at the fact that her brother had stolen the headbut an
unbounded joy.
No matter what it is, my brothers depending on me now. My brother needs me. When Namie
realised that this was the moment that gave her the most happiness she had ever felt, she made a
decision.
She didnt care how, but she was going to protect her brother with her own hands

Does Setton-san know about the Dollars?

[Yeah I do, but Ive only heard of it. Which reminds me, didnt Kanra ask this question before?]
Ah, oh yeah. But I forgot. Sorry about that.
[Thats OK.]
I heard some stuff about them from a friend. They seem really cool.
[Wow~ but Ive never seen them before. Do they really exist?]
Do you think theyre just a web rumour?

[Not really, but I dont really know either. Besides, even if they really exist, normal law-abiding
people like us will probably never run into them.]
Youre right...
[Its better if with dont get involved with people like that.]
Kanra-san has entered the chatroom
Hi everyone~ Kanra-chans here!
Good evening~
[Evening~]
My, my, are you guys talking about the Dollars?
They really exist, because they even have their own exclusive website ne~!
But if you want to browse it, you need an ID and a password.
I see...
[I wont look at it anyway, so it doesnt matter.]
...Kanra-san sure knows a lot of stuff.
Thats the only thing Im good for after all w.

CHAPTER 7
Yagiri PharmaceuticalsSubordinates Subordinates Subordinate
It was just past noon in Ikebukuro. A van was parked on a road a little way from the city. The
rear windows of the van were one-way, and it wasnt possible to see if anyone was inside.
In this mysterious new space which had just suddenly appeared, sounds of something getting hit
resounded, together with the cries of a young man.
I told you I dont know! Please stopI beg of you!
A swollen-faced hoodlum pleaded, in as respectful a tone as he could.
He was the hoodlum who had, roughly twenty four hours ago, sent Celty flying by ramming a
car into her, and was also the one who had faced the wrath of Celtys scythe. And when he woke
up, hed found himself lying in the back of an unfamiliar van. Hed been trussed up and he could
hardly move. The back of the van didnt have any seats, and the floor was covered in grey carpet.
And the man in front of him, had been questioning him repeatedly ever since hed come around.
Hurry up. Just~ whos~ your superior? Hm~?
If he didnt answer in three seconds, hed get his face pounded in, and even if he said he didnt
know, hed still get his face pounded in.
And after the pummeling, everything would repeat in the next moment. This had gone on for
three hours.
As he was being beaten up, the hoodlum calmly contemplated the situation that was before him.

Although I didnt know who this guy was, at least the shadow isnt here. But then again, now
I wont be able to know if that shadows with these people or not.
In the van, there was only the man before him, and some guy wearing a hat in the drivers seat
was chewing breathmints. Mid-volume classical music was playing in the car, so that even if he
screamed, it wouldnt be able to arouse the suspicion of passers-by.
Im finished if that shadows here. I might have just blabbed about everything. From the
looks of it, this guys just a normal person. At least I cant sense that weird thing from yesterday.
And being around these guys is still much better than getting taken care of by the higher ups.
And Im lucky cos the cops didnt haul me in. Although I dont know who the hell this guy is,
Im fine as long as I dont tell him who Im working for. Itll be fine. I just need to keep taking
his blows, and hell think I really dont know anything. Besides, they probably wont be rash
enough to kill me here
As the hoodlum contemplated this, the man before him sighed.
Youd better spit it out now. I mean, Im just like you. Just following orders from the higher
ups. I dont need to explain, cos you understand right? The higher ups wanna know stuff, so
they got me to ask you. The higher ups said, you didnt contact them, and just stirred up trouble
by yourself.
It looks like this guys got some underground contacts huh. Hell, if he wants to work on
someone elses territory, he should at least say hi to the bigshots first!
But, since youve been beat up pretty badly, and you still dont wanna say anything, it probably
means youre not some mobster. If you are, you should have contacted your peeps them and
started some negotiationswed then have left this to our superiors to take care of. But since
you didnt do that, it means youre not backed by people like us huh?

The man grabbed the hoodlum by the chin, like he was disciplining some brat whod been
misbehaving. If this hoodlum had some kind of underworld backing or protection, then hed have
to deal with him carefully. But, since he wouldnt say if he was, this probably meant that if he
wasnt afraid that the higher ups might hold him responsiblethen it would be because he didnt
have the protection of some underworld organizations or triad.
Oi, this is for your own good! Spit it out! Listen good, I wont hurt you. Youd better hurry up

The man hadnt finished what he was saying when the door was abruptly slid open.
Hyaya, its really hot today!
Ive kept~ you~ waiting~! So hows the situation, Shimada? Has he said anything?
The boy and a girl hadnt even greeted properly, but had already scrambled into the rear of the
van. The girl was garbed in designer wear from head to toe, and the boy was similarly dressed,
only strangely, he was carrying a camping pack.
After seeing who it was, the man called Shimada pulled a long face and sighed.
Times up, the consolation prize is here. Although I feel pretty sorry for him, this ones all yours
Yumasaki.
Shimada eyed the hoodlum sympathetically, and left the van.
The boy and girl left on the van shut the door behind Shimada, and faced the hoodlum,
apparently rather happy.
Hey~ hey~ Why did you do something so stupid? Of all people to kidnap, you had to kidnap
Kaztano.

The girl shook her head and patted the hoodlums shoulder.
Kaztano? Whos that? I think Ive heard this name before
After thinking for a little while, the hoodlum finally remembered. The middle-aged illegal
immigrant that hed kidnapped was called Kaztano.
I see. So these people are that guys friends huhhey wait, but arent they Japanese? How?
How are they related to him? Dont tell me they met over tea or something?
As the hoodlums mind was in a state of confusion, the sharp-eyed boy put down his backpack in
front of him and pulled the zipper open.
Hyaya, since you havent spoken, Im sorry, but Ill have to torture you a little. As the boy said
this, he pulled out a few Bunko books:
Hyaya, its Dengeki Bunkos eleventh anniversary, so Dengeki to you! So basically, just pick a
book and well mentally torture you according to the contents of the book you pick. Usually we
always let people pick from some Superman comics, but since we bought a stack of Dengeki
Bunko books todayhahaha.
Eh?
Perhaps it might have been the boys intention, but the hoodlum had no idea what he was talking
about and was dumbfounded.
Books were placed before him, and they were light novels with beautiful illustrations on the
covers. This hoodlum only read mangas before, so when he first saw the light novels, he actually
mistook them for mangas.

What the hell is he on about? Mental torture? Dont make me laugh. He even asked me to pick
a book. What the hell does he want me to do? Damn it, this isnt some elementary school field
trip where you get to go on amusement park rides!
Hyayaya, if you dont pick one, youll die.
There was mirth in the boys eyes, yet he was dead serious. And somehow or another, the boy
had somehow acquired a silver hammer and was holding it in his hand, as if to prove his point.
When the hoodlum realised he was serious, the hoodlum frantically started looking for the book
that seemed the least dangerous.Fuck! Why did I have to run into a situation like this! I
wonder what Ga-san would do? Damn it, all I have to do is pick a bookdefinitely not
Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan. Although theres a girl on the cover, I can guess from the
title what theyre gonna do to me...this one Double BridV?...What kind of novel is this?
Wait, no, that kid has a bandage on his head. Ah am I gonna get killed?! Shit, which one should I
pick
My personal recommendationInukami!!
The girl exclaimed this loudly, and the boy went on to agree with her.
Oh~ not bad! You wanna use dai-jaen* or shukichi**?
* literally great evil flame, and is one of the main abilities of the main female protagonist Yoko of the Dengeki
Bunko light novel series Inukami!
** literally transportation, and is another one of Yokos abilities in Inukami!

Its more fun if we use shukichi in the day. Ah~ Dokuro-chans not bad either.
No no no, its too troublesome to prepare Excalibolg*
* Mitsukai Dokuros main weapon, a gigantic spiked club she uses to severely maim and kill people with in the
Dengeki Bunko light novel series Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan

??? What? Is that the name of some contingent?!

The hoodlum was absolutely nonplussed, and felt that the two of them had been using nothing
but some kind of strange, unintelligible language since the start. But he wasnt the only one. The
guy up front who had eyes as keen as an assassin, too, was chewing breathmints with a pained
expression across his face. But
Oi, Yumasaki and Karisawa. Youd better listen up. Im not smart and I dont read books. So I
dont understand a word you guys are saying. But, I wanna remind you about something
The man in the drivers seat suddenly raised his voice and spoke, as if he had suddenly thought
of something, and broke the silence:
Do whatever you want, I dont care, just dont use gasoline in the car like last time.
Eh~ Togusas such a party pooper!
After what Togusa said, the boy in the back seat reluctantly took back a few books.
Ga-gasoline?!
When the hoodlum realized hed been thinking too small, he also saw that it was now even
harder to pick a book. Looking at the few remaining books, he was totally unable to determine
which book would allow him to be subjected the least painful method of mental torture. After
thinking it over thoroughly, he concluded that regardless of the books contents, the two people
before him would surely find some insane way to twist it.
Cancan I ask a question?
Huh? What is it? We wont tell you whats gonna happen in the mental torture! Thats classified
information.

Ifif there was a book about Cinderella here, and I picked it, what would you do?
After listening to the question, the boy thought for a while, slammed his clenched fist on his
other palm and answered.
That? Id most likely find a chisel, and chisel your feet until it fits into a glass slipper.
Ah Im doomed no matter what I choose! Fuck!
Frustrated, the hoodlum closed his eyes and randomly grabbed a book. When he opened his eyes,
he saw that the book had an English title, and there was a Japanese subtitle added at the side. The
illustration on the cover was rather detailed.
OK, its been decided~!
Hyayaya, you sure have guts, to have chosen this one!
Then, the two of them began to show an unorthodox dexterity. The girl retrieved a hand mirror
from her purse, and handed it to the boy who broke it with his hammer. Then he placed a shard
of the broken mirror in his palm.
Hyayaya, I wonder how many pieces we have to stick in before we can see stuff we usually
cant see experiment START.
Then, the girl grabbed the stunned hoodlums head and forced open his left eyelid. At this point,
the hoodlum could roughly guess what was going to happen to him.
Hold it! Wait, wait wait! Thisisnt funny! Oi! Hold on! Stop aaaaaaaahhh!
Dont try this at home kids~ Butno one would do this anyway.

Yumasakis expression steadily became more serious, and Karisawa breezily asked him, Then,
what about those people who say they committed murder because they were influenced by
manga and anime?
No no no, you have to say this clearly and properly, so Mr Hoodlum here wont misunderstand.
Theres nothing wrong with manga and light novels~ Its because manga and light novels cant
speak up for themselves, so all the blame is shifted to the silent party. Its like when theres a
theft in a temple, you can just blame the statues of the deities.
As the two engaged in this pointless conversation, the hoodlum was still absorbed in crying
Please stop!, spare me please! and things like that. But the boy was completely ignoring his
pleas and slowly and surely brought the shard hed taken from the broken mirror closer to the
hoodlums eyeball.
Everything we do has nothing much to do with manga or light novels or movies or anime or
parents or school. To put it bluntly, its because were not normal. If there werent any mangas or
light novels, we could also use some period drama, or maybe even Natsume Soseki*s books or
those prestigious educational materials authorities are promoting~ Then, I wonder what kind of
reaction the governmentll have!
*A renowned Japanese novelist in the Meiji era (1868-1912)

Stop it uuughaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!
And besides, someone who could blame mangas influence for what they did, can never be
called a manga fan.
And just when the glass shard was right about to penetrate the eyeball, the hoodlums hopes
suddenly soared.
Oi. Cut it out.

The vans back lifting door was suddenly opened, and the low baritone of a male sounded.
Dotachin!
Ka-Kadota.
Their expressions humbled and they straightened themselves up. From the looks of it, the
newcomer was superior to those two in terms of position. The man called Kadota glared at the
hoodlum, and then turned to the boy and girl.
He said, Is that what you call mental torture? And when the blood spurts out, itll dirty the
books, idiots.
Sosorry.
After talking, Kadota grabbed the hoodlums collar and pulled him up. The hoodlum started
hyperventilating again and tears, mucous and saliva from his eyes, nose and mouth had mixed
together and were dripping incessantly from his face. When the hoodlum finally managed to
calm down, Kadota added:
Your palsfessed up.
Huhehah?!
At first, the hoodlum could hardly comprehend what he had heard; and as he was trying to make
out its meaning, his expression momentarily changed.
A traitor?! Who?! Ga-san? No, it cant be. Then who else is there? Shit, this is bad. Im a
goner. What the hells happening now?!

Only half of them talked, but well be able to get more results in a bit. So, youre not needed
any more.
Not needed anymore, so Ill be freed? Please do that! Since Ill be blacklisted by the company
personnel to be taken care of, I might as well run away to some other place.
Kadotas earlier words were like a sliver of hope to the frantic hoodlum, but his next words sent
him reeling into the depths of hell.
So, in that case, you can rest in peace.
In that moment, the hoodlum just snapped:
Wait! No, please wait! IllIll talk! Ill tell you anything. Ill tell you whatever they didnt
say! So please, please please dont kill me!
I see. So although you guys dress like this, but youre still considered part of the working class
right?
The hoodlum admitted that they were employed in a tiny manpower dispatch company. When the
company got some job requests, theyd send them to do them, and could be labeled as
handymen. But, to put it accurately, this was all on the surface and if further investigations were
carried out, it would be found that this manpower dispatch company had signed a contract with a
certain other company.
And this companywas a family-run business and had a research facility near Ikebukuro and
was a pharmaceutical company which was starting to go bust.
After listening to the hoodlums willing recount, Kadota smiled.

So a failing business is kidnapping people so they can conduct experiments on them? What kind
of foreign story is that?
Although he said this, but in fact, Kadota didnt really doubt the hoodlums words at all. After
all, someone who was on the brink of death probably wouldnt lie. And there were quite a few
weird rumours surrounding Yagiri Pharmaceuticals of late.
After instructing the others to find a suitable place to leave the hoodlum at, Kadota made to leave
the van.
Then he heard the feeble voice of the hoodlum.
You youyou guys, just whatare you people
Kadota stopped in his tracks and didnt even turn his head to answer him.
Dollars. Ring a bell?
After Kadota had gotten down from the van, Shimada who was already out asked him
something.
Hey, Kadota, do you think the stuff the others saidwas a lie?
They got busted huh?
Shimada first made a face at Kadota, and then smiled as if he finally understood everything.
OK then, this is much better than letting Yumasaki handle everything. I like Dengeki Bunko a
lot, so when I see them muck around like that with their books, its pretty heartbreaking.

Ahwhich reminds me, this is the first time weve done something like this since joining the
Dollars right? Although we did it for Kaztano. But without the Dollars, wed never have gotten
to know Kaztano
Kadota and Shimada, and Yumasaki and Karisawa had always been pretty tight.
At the start, it was just a get-together of a group of good friends, but somehow or another,
dangerous people like Yumasaki and the others started joining too. Although they never knew
what exactly had gone wrong in the middle of it all, but since they were already here, then they
would have to keep thinking up methods to keep them in line
This was what Kadota had originally thought, but in the end, it became natural that he should
even help them find a job and settle down. In this group, besides him, all of them were working.
Kadota himself in fact knew a few people from the underworld, but he wasnt bound by any
organization, and thus he never did anything particularly earth-shattering. But then one day,
someone who wanted to recruit this group, sent an email to the leader, Kadota. The contents of
the email were very simple, merely asking them if they wanted to join the Dollars.
There were no restrictions or rules, and they just needed to say that they were part of the Dollars
the conditions were just that strange. There was no foreseeable benefit to both parties, but the
Dollars were a rather famous group around Ikebukuro, and if they could call themselves a part of
it, it would be a very interesting thing indeed. Kadota himself wasnt really interested, but after
being swept up by the enthusiasm of the others, he finally accepted the invitation to join.
The problem is that Im too soft. Dammit, even Heiwajima Shizuo got a proper job.
Kadota had originally thought it was just someone who knew his email playing a prank on him
he totally didnt expect that just one day after accepting the invitation, hed see his handle up
there on the Dollars website.

So what did the Dollars head have say about this?

Dunno.
Eh?
Well, to be honest, Ive never met the leader of this group. There are multiple smaller
organisations within the main one, but the person at the absolute top has never revealed himself
before.
Just who would create an organisation like this? Kadota was rather curious about this. Although
it was rather unsettling to be led by someone he didnt know how to address nor knew what they
looked like; but if there was no one at the top, then there wouldnt be a feeling of being placed
under anyone.
If you wanted to know whod do this kind of thing, then there could only beOrihara Izaya.
While I was in Ikebukuro, we bumped into each other a few times. He was a rude bastard and
gave me a stupid nickname like Dotachin. Now even Karisawas calling me that.
As Kadotas thoughts suddenly strayed to that name, he realized that since thinking about the
seemingly non-existent higher up wasnt going to do any good, he should stop thinking about it.
So the strongest people over here still had to be the gangs and triads, as well as the police. Even
the rumoured Dollars couldnt match up to them.
No matter how what kinds of stuff we do, the sheer number and power of this group people will
still be meaningless. Were just a fleeting apparition in this ever-changing city.
And its exactly because of this, that we want even more to prove the existence of this
apparition.

Even Kadota understood something like this

Whether this illusion was the Dollars or not, was something no one could be sure of prior to its
disappearance

CHAPTER 8
Double HeroineThe Sonohara Volume
Mikado and the others had gone through a few days of high school life, and had just finished
undergoing a health examination. Lessons would finally start the next day. Raira Academy had
the tradition of organizing a school tour and club exhibitions the day after the matriculation
ceremony and the third day was reserved for a school health examination and a class council
meeting.
It was already the third day, during the class council meeting and it was time to appoint the class
representatives, but
Thats right, lets go pick up girls!
Masaomi used both hands to slam a textbook shut, like in some ad hed seen.
This was 1A, Mikados class, yet Masaomi from class 1B was sitting inside. In a classroom
where most of the people were wearing school uniforms, Masaomi, who had already started
wearing casual clothes, stood out even more.
Why are you here
Mikado had already known Masaomi was there a while ago, but had waited until now to say
something. The teacher wasnt in the classroom, so student number 1 had taken over in heading
the meeting.
Uh, the maintenance committee representatives are Yamazaki-san and Nishizaki-san. The
welfare committee representatives are Yagiri-san and Asakura-san. The discipline committee
representatives are Kuzuhara-san and Kanemura-san, and the electoral committee representatives
are

This school had a system of electing one male and female student to be representatives of each
committee in the class. After the student heading the meeting had finished reading off the results
on the blackboard, he thought for a while as to what he should do next.
Its time to elect the class representatives, so does anyone want to run?
Me
Mikado grabbed Masaomis hand with lightning-quick speed to prevent him from raising it, but
then began to regret doing so.
Class representative huh? Sounds fun, but it might be a pain too.
Mikado was looking for a respite from his mundane everyday life. Hed left the land that was all
he had always known to come to this new world hed never seen before. And spending some of
the happiest days of his life in this new environment had only strengthened his resolve.
After feeling that inexplicable excitement from what hed experienced, Mikado could now
clearly comprehend what danger was, but still couldnt stop himself from crying out:
I want more excitement! I want an unconventional life! I want more change!
If Mikado were to meet some extortionist or some scam artist or even a weird religious cult now,
he might even get conned by them.
And if it was on Masaomis invitation, he might even be willing to go to a Bosokozu gathering.
There was a part of Mikados conscious which was in a rather dangerous state, but there was
another part of it which badly wanted to run for a special position like the class representative.

But then again, he was worried that his duties as a class representative might hinder him from his
pursuit of excitement.
In times like this, he should first consider the situation first, but as he thought this

A girl lowered her head slightly, and raised her hand.

It was the fair skinned, bespectacled girlSonohara Anri. It was the pretty, refreshingly refined
girl with the vibe that repelled others.
Oh, youreSonoharaAnri-san? Then everyone, please give a round of applause to
acknowledge her appointment.
The classroom rang with relatively unenthusiastic applause. Since there was no one interested in
nominating themselves for class representative, so naturally, there would be no one interested in
whoever became class representative.
Then, Ill leave the rest to you.
The student temporarily heading the meeting wrote Anris name on the board and returned to his
seat, looking rather relieved.
Um, do any boys want to run for the position of class representative?
Anris voice was delicate, yet extremely clear. But since no one was willing to volunteer, a kind
of thick silence started to permeate the classroom.
What should I do?

Unable to decide, he stared intently at Anri up front.

Suddenly, Anris gaze stopped at a male student.
Mikado turned to see who she was looking atand realized it was a rather tall male student. He
was the second tallest in the class, and was probably the newly elected welfare representative.
Yagiri Seiji. This name was clearly written under the four words Head of Welfare Committee.
Aside from being taller than most people, he seemed like an ordinary teenager. But, there was
absolutely no trace of childishness on his face. So even if he were to say that he was already an
adult, he would probably be able to get away with it.
But since he was already a part of the other committees, why was Anri still staring at him? Did
she have some sort of crush on him? As Mikado thought about these things which were none of
his business
Her gaze swept to Mikados direction
Eh?
Under her glasses, a very uneasy expression crossed her face, which made feel Mikado feel
rather troubled.
Im such a sinful man
The moment Anris gaze left them, Masaomi who was sitting against the wall had started
blabbering nonsense once again.
That girls fallen for me. Did you see that uneasy expression on her face when she thought of all
the dangerous and risky days shell have with me in the days to come?

In response to the whisper Masaomi had meant for him, Mikado replied nonchalantly, Sorry,
could you speak Japanese? In case you didnt know, this is Japan.
Eh! Even when youre being mean, youre totally calm! I never thought that the first obstacle
in my path would be youbut then again, I live for love, so even if I have to kill my best friend
to achieve my goals, I wont think twice!
Um, in any case, you should.
But after thinking about it, Anri could very well be looking at Masaomi, who had nothing to do
with anything, and not himself. Then that would explain her unease. But as Mikado thought
about this, he secretly griped within himself: Why did that idiot have to sit here?
It was then Mikado realized, what Anri was really looking at.
The seat Masaomi was using, was really the seat of the female student who didnt come for the
matriculation ceremony and was absent for three days in a row. At the same time, Mikado also
recalled Anri being rather preoccupied with the absent student from the very beginning.
As he thought and thought, Mikado quietly raised his hand. Although he had absolutely no idea
about what Anri was thinking, but since no one else was willing to do it, then he would. It was
because he was thinking that, so he decided to raise his hand.
Umyoure
Ryuugamine Mikado! Ryuugamine! Mikado!
As if she had been startled by Masaomis rather gratuitous outburst, Anri hurriedly wrote down
Mikados name on the blackboard. And only then did some of the other students notice
Masaomis presence, but no one paid any special attention to him. No one really wanted to stir
up any trouble and since no one there even knew Masaomis name, they wanted as little to do

with someone who had already switched to casual clothes and even had dyed hair and ear
piercings.
The plain, rather obedient looking Mikado on the other hand seemed to fit the image of a class
representative very well, so no one objected. And thus, the meeting went on smoothly without a
hitch. And on this note, weve elected all the committee heads. Committee heads, please dont
forget to attend tomorrows student council meeting. The meeting time and place has been
written the blackboard in front of the general office.
After reading out from the notice on the teachers table, the newly elected female class
representative quietly concluded the meeting.
We have to clean up before we leave, so could everyone please help?
Although Mikado was now one of the class representative, he hadnt had a chance to speak, so he
could only tidy up forlornly.
As Mikado dragged a mop across the corridor, Masaomi leaned against the window and chewed
the tip of his tongue, Haha~ so its like that huh
What?
I underestimated you. In elementary school, you started crying when people spread rumours
about you and your childhood friend. But now youve become someone wholl take the initiative
to schedule a rendezvous full of love, like a hunter whos grabbing the chance.
Yeah yeah, whatever you say, Mikado responded coolly to Masaomis unintelligible taunt.
Oh yeah, which committee is Kida-kun in?
Oh, Im head of discipline.

As Mikado imagined what his friend would look like enforcing discipline, Mikado bluntly
expressed his opinion on the matter.
Wow
What was that wow for? I actually wanted to run for the position of class representative, but
unfortunately I lost in an exhilarating janken* competition held by the fifteen male candidates.
* Japanese for rock paper scissors

Fifteen people?! With janken?! Thats way more exciting than my class!
On seeing Mikados obvious astonishment, a smug grin appeared on Masaomis face, Only six
people competed for the position of discipline committee head. Oh yeah, the discipline head in
your class looks as if hes going to be very strict about discipline. So I was thinking, if I got the
job, then I could do whatever I wanted with the rules.
What are you saying?
Forget it. Since Im the head of discipline, Im not going to let anyone bring heavy weaponry
into the school!
Then what about light weaponry
After Mikado had once again regained his use of icy remarks, Masaomi could only stomp on the
floor mutinously.
He looked out the window for a while, and finally repeated what hed suggested earlier before.
I know, lets go pick up girls!

Can we even do that?

As he watched his friend who seemed to be growing more excitable each day, Mikado finally
finished up his share of the cleaning work.
Just as Mikado had finished putting away the mop in the cleaning closet and hoisted up his bag
with one hand to go off with Masaomi
They saw Sonohara Anri and a tall guy at the main exitYagiri Seiji talking. Anris face was
absolutely serious as she asked him questions. On the other hand, Seiji was answering them with
absolute disgust across his face.
Becauseafter thatreally?
I told you I dont know. All I know is that she stopped coming to bother me one day.
They couldnt really hear Anris voice, and could only hear Seijis impatient response. Then he
brushed her off just like that and strode in the direction of the two of them. It was probably
because hed finished cleaning up the main exit and was going back to the classroom to get his
bag.
Anri kept staring at his retreating back, and when she realised Mikado and Masaomi were
watching too, and hurriedly ran out.
Whoa whoa, its only the third day of school and youre already having a lovers spat. Not bad
huh.
Mikado turned and noticed that Masaomi was standing in front of Seiji and provoking him. And
he was too late to stop him.
From the appearance of things now, Masaomi was obviously the bad guy.

Who are you? Its not like that.

Uh, that, youre Yagiri-kun right? Im in your class. My names Ryuugamine Mikado, nice
meeting you.
Ohthats right, your names easy to remember.
On seeing the class representative standing there, Seiji managed to relax a little.
In order to ease the tension between them, Mikado had decided to step in. Masaomi pushed him
away and took a step forward.
HeyKida-kun!
Youre pretty tough huh. Lets go pick up girls!
(Ah)
Masaomis nonsensical outburst caused Mikado and Seiji to sigh incredulously.
Wait, Kida-kun! What are you talking about?
Listen good. When youre picking up girls, you need to have a tall guy with you. If its only the
two of us, your bland exterior will take away the appeal of my appearance and well just break
even!
Thats mean! Why dont you just get your classmates to go with you?
You idiot. If my classmates find out about it, if you add up both the guys and the girls, therell
be at least twenty people coming!

Girls hitting on girls? As Mikado wanted to tell this to Masaomi, Seiji said something to the
both of them. He wasnt staring daggers at anyone anymore, and simply looked on exasperatedly.
Sorry, I already have a girlfriend.
From the looks of it, it was the hardest kind of rejection to rebut, but Masaomi didnt give up so
easily.
This has nothing to do with hitting on girls!
Hey hey, how can that have nothing to do with that?
Mikado tried to stop him, but Masaomi wasnt listening.
It doesnt matter, were just talking to them, not hooking up, so it doesnt count as cheating!
Rereally?
Masaomis sound argument had swallowed Mikado up like a flood.
But Seiji remained unconvinced, and his eyes were fixed steadfastly on Masaomi. He shook his
head slightly.
No, as long as I pay attention to other girls, it counts as betrayal.
What an honest guy. You cant betray your girlfriend huh?
I wont be betraying my girlfriend.
Huh? Then who?

In response to Masaomis question, Seiji raised his head. His gaze was steady and he answered
firmly.
Itd be love.
Huh?
Doing that would be betraying my love for her. And even if I could bring myself to betray my
girlfriend, Id never be able to betray love.
Silence.
OhI see
The atmosphere was getting rather awkward, but Seiji was as self-assured as ever, and
confidence shone, brimming in his eyes.
Uhthen good luck I guess!
Masaomi, half-bewildered, held out a fist. Seiji, who was smiling, held out his own and they fist
bumped.
Heh, thanks!
After that, Seiji continued making his way into the classroom.
As Masaomi watched his figure, full of self-assurance, disappear into the classroom, he lowered
his voice and said, Theres a really passionate guy in your class.
UhI guess so.


Its totally not working
The two of them were at Ikebukuro West Exit Park. Although it was a famous place which had
frequently appeared on television, there wouldnt really be anyone hanging around on a normal
afternoon. Mikado had absolutely no interest in picking up girls, and had only come to see the
place hed seen so often on television.
Mikado realized as he stood here, that this was indeed the place that hed seen on television. But
being here in person was so different from watching it on television. He also thought about how
this same place had appeared on the news, dramas, variety shows, but would give people a
different vibe each time it did.
So different portrayal techniques could make such a huge differenceMikado could only
applaud this, and as he watched what Masaomi was doing, sighed.
As there were no girls around their age hanging around, Masaomi had gone and tried to pick up
women in the workforce who were having their afternoon lunch break. Naturally, these members
of the workforce wouldnt be interested in talking to a high schooler (and during their precious
lunch break too). As he watched Masaomis diligent efforts to do such pointless things, Mikado
felt rather sorry for him.
When Masaomi finally returned to Mikados side and heard Mikados negative comment, he
laughed and answered, Eh? What are you talking about? It doesnt matter if I dont get the girl.
The main point of hitting on them is to talk to them! And besides, youd better listen up, when
youre picking up girls, you definitely cant think thoughts like Impossible or I cant do it
that kind of thing! With pretty girls, if you think its impossible, then it will be impossible. And if
you think you cant do it, then you really wont be able to do it. Understand?

I totally dont get it.

Mikado could only respond in a low voice. He stretched.
He didnt really want to stay here any longer. Mikado had changed his mind and now wanted to
go to the place where he'd always wanted to go.
Alright then, then Ill just go to 60-Storey Street by myself today.
What? Youre not thinking of picking up girls without me are you? Doing something like in
Onna Koroshi Abura no Jigoku (note: the work of the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon. It is
a bunraku play which tells the story of the prodigal son of an oil merchant, Kawachiya Yohei
who goes to the female lead, Okichi to borrow money in his desperation and is turned down. He
then kills her and takes the money and runs off) are you?
I wouldnt do that.
But Masaomi didnt really get Mikados rebuttal, and flashed a big, defiant grin, pointed at
Mikado and shouted, Even if you wanted to, youll only be able to cry like a baby in the face of
my powers! Heh heh, in the end youll only get to see those unfashionable ganguro* girls, and
some unhygienic dumpster whore might even use your body and then abandon you!
* An alternative fashion trend among young Japanese women that started in the mid-1990s, distinguished by a dark
tan and contrasting make-up liberally applied by fashionistas.

And what has that got to do with your powers?

Oi~ what a pain, youre even more annoying than houseflies in May. Lets have a contest then!
Lets see who can pick up more girls!
Then wouldnt we have to take the girls we picked up to go pick up some more other girls?

Masaomi was completely unaware that Mikado was being sarcastic. Then he ran in the direction
of the station. Mikado decided to see what he was up to, only to see his friend walking up to a
housewife who had just finished her shopping, and was even with her child.
Mikado sighed the biggest sigh of the day and made his way towards east entrance of the station
by himself.
Although he got slightly lost along the way, Mikado still managed to find his way to the 60Storey Street as he followed a more familiar path. This place was near his apartment, so he could
take a walk around here till night fell, and then go home directly. As for Masaomi, if he still
acted like he did in elementary school, hed most likely forget about the contest and go home by
himself.
When they were both seven, there was once when theyd played hide and seek and Masaomi had
been the seeker. But he ran off halfway. Mikado had waited until night fell and finally went home
crying, only to find Masaomi in his house, eating Mikados dinner and looking very pleased with
himself. Hed said, Found you.
Come to think of it, my hometown was filled with adventure when I was a kid. When did it all
change?
After starting junior high, nothing new happened anymore, and the days grew more mundane.
Although he wanted to see the world, he didnt have a reason to leave. So he could only accept
the fact that he wasnt able to change his life and could only live it quietly. Until one day, after
his home got web access, his entire world changed.
The internet was brimming with all sorts of worlds. Worlds clashing with information you can
never get in real life. It was like outside the world he was living in now, there was an even bigger
one out there. And this world wasnt limited by distance.

Mikado gradually become more and more immersed in the online world, till everyone thought he
was turning into some kind of hikikomori*. Then one day, Mikado suddenly realized that
although a life which involved merely involved the passive acceptance of information from the
Net was rather unrestrictive, but he didnt know about what he should do if he were to be the one
giving out information.
* refer to the phenomenon of reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme
degrees of isolation and confinement
.

And when Mikado realized this, he started developing a burning interest in the outside world
hed never had before. And when he heard about how amazing and eye-catching Tokyo was, he
became even more interested.
And today he was standing in that shining brilliance. Masaomi said that the countrysides more
exciting now. But Mikado had never thought that way before. He understood Masaomis reason
for saying that, and he had never had any intention to abandon his hometown. It was just that,
thoughts of returning to his old life and giving up all this were very far from his mind.
Right now, all Mikado wanted to do was taste the sights and sounds of the city as thoroughly as
possible and keep them in his body. It was like, he wanted to become one with this place.
In order to get as much of the city in him as possible, Mikado raised his head and straightened up
and surveryed his surroundings.
Raira uniforms were everywhere on 60-Storey Street, and his vision was dyed by the colour of
the uniforms.
Its like a colour gang.
As he mumbled this to himself, suddenly, Mikado caught sight of a familiar face.
Sonohara-san

Mikado had meant to go over to say hello, but saw that Anri was surrounded by a group of girls
wearing the same uniform, and the surrounding atmosphere was relatively unfriendly. A little
into a horizontal alley, there were three female students who had closed in on her till she was
leaning against the wall, and seemed to be shouting some stuff he couldnt here.
Mikado wanted to know what, so he cautiously strode towards the alley. Including Anri, the four
girls didnt notice Mikado approaching, and the contents of the conversation became clearly
audible.
But it couldnt really be called a conversation. More of a one-sided interrogation.
You little bitch, Harima Mikas gone missing and youre still acting all high and mighty?

I heard you became the class representative? Quit acting like some honour student!
Anyway, you were just Mikas little lackey in junior high werent you? So whats with the class
representative thing?
The three girls took turns hurling abuse at Anri, but Anri remained silent.
Uwa, shes being bullied?! So there are still these kinds of things still exist in Japan! And in a
really clichd way too! Its like theyre acting out a scene from some old manga!
Such typical bullying wasnt really that intimidating to anyone, but since he was the class
representative, he had to do something. Although that was what Mikado thought, but he had no
idea about what would be the most sensible thing to do. By now, he couldnt pretend not to have
seen anything, but he was still scared of provoking those girls

I know. Ill just pretend I didnt notice that they were bullying Sonohara-san, and just come
over smiling and say something like: Ah, what a coincidence, Sonohara-san and itll be fine.
Just like that! And if those girls have anything to say, Ill just act according to the circumstances!
After coming up with such an ambiguous idea, Mikado gingerly took one step forwardthen, he
felt a hand reach out and land on his shoulder.
?!
Mikado inhaled sharply, and turned, and noticed he was looking at a familiar face.
Shes being bullied? You going to stop them? How noble.
Orihara Izaya said this in relative admiration. Then with the hand he was holding Mikados
shoulder with, gave him a rough shove.
Wawait?!
Mikados exclamation had caused the four girls to notice that there was someone else here.
Ahahaha, what a coincidence, Sonohara-saaaaaaaanheeeeey...hold on!
After shoving Mikado in front of the four girls, the person behind him finally stopped.
Whatwhat the hell?
There was a hint of fear in the bullys voice. Of course, she wasnt talking to Mikado, but to
Izaya who was standing behind him.
Oh my~ thats not good. Youre threatening people in broad daylight? Even if God could
forgive you, the police wouldnt let you get away with it.

After saying that half-jokingly, Izaya took a few steps towards the girls, Bullyings pretty low.
Its not good. Not good at all.
Its none of your business you old geezer!
Perhaps it was because they were showing their true colours, or they were bluffing, but the three
girls savagely glared at Izaya, with the intent of intimidating him.
Yeah, its none of my business.
Izaya smiled and expressed his opinions to the three girls.
Precisely because its none of my business, so you can get beaten up here or die a violent death
here for all I care. Even if I were to be the one to beat you up or stab you here. On the other
hand, Im OK if you decide to call a twenty three year old man a geezer. Because our
relationship or lack thereof will never change. All of mankind are likewise related, yet at the
same time they share no relationship with each other whatsoever.
Huh?
Humans are so spirited arent they?
As he said those things that normal people wouldnt be able to understand, he took another step
towards the girls.
But, I dont make hitting girls my hobby
In the next second, Izaya was holding a shoulder purse in his right hand.
What? Eh?

On seeing that seemingly branded shoulder purse, one of the girls screamed. The shoulder purse
which had been hanging from her shoulder had somehow ended up in that guys hand.
The strap hanging from her shoulder had been cleanly cut somewhere near her waist.
Unlike the bewildered girls, what Mikado who was standing behind Izaya felt was in fact fear.
Because in his left hand which hed just put behind his back, was a small, sharp knife. The
problem was, even though Mikado had been watching Izayas every move, hed failed to notice
where the knife had come from, and hadnt even seen the instant when Izaya had cut the strap
with his knife.
Deftly, with his left hand behind his back, he withdrew the blade of his switchblade knife and
swiftly withdrew it into the sleeve of the jacket. A single-handed manoeuvre like this was like a
magic act in Mikados eyes.
Izaya was still smiling, and pulled out a cellphone from the shoulder purse in his hand.
So Ill make stomping on girls cellphones my new hobby.
As the words left his mouth, Izaya flung the girls cellphone upwards. There was a crisp thud as
it landed, and the cellphones which had was covered in stickers had fallen to the ground.
Ugh! You jerk
As the girl hurriedly stretched out a hand to pick it up
And saw Izayas foot brush past her nails and land on the cellphone.

There was a crunch which sounded like someone munching on a biscuit, and broken plastic
scattered out from under his foot. He ignored the screams he heard:
Aaaaaah! the girl shrieked each time as his right foot came down on the cellphone again and
again. His movements were precise, like that of a machine, as he was stepping on the exact same
place. His laughter too, was mechanical and played out repeatedly:
Ahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Is this guy mental? I think hes really gone crazy!
Thats so gross! Lets get outta here!
The girl whose cellphone was being stomped on by Izaya could only watch on dumbly, and had
to be dragged off by the other two.
When he saw that theyd totally left the scene, Izayas laughter and movements abruptly came to
a stop. As if nothing had happened at all, he turned towards Mikado. Anri hadnt run away, and
was just standing there watching Izaya and Mikado nervously.
Im bored. Stepping on girls cellphones is no longer my hobby.
After murmuring that to himself, he smiled gently at Mikado.
Youre really brave. You wanted to help a girl who was being bullied. Not many kids can do
that.
Eh?

On hearing Izayas compliment, Anri looked, alarmed, in Mikados direction. But Mikados idea
had been pretty useless, and it was Izaya who had really helped Anri, so this left Mikado feeling
rather sheepish.
But Izaya was ignoring his diffidence, and began to speak.
Ryuugamine Mikado-kun, its not a coincidence that we met here. Its because Ive been
looking for you.
Eh?"
Just as Mikado made to ask what he had meant by thata convenience store trash can flew from
further within the alley, and smashed directly into Izaya.
The trash can crashed to the ground with an impressive thud and finally rolled to a stop.
Urgh!
Izaya groaned, and lost his balance, falling to his knees. The trash can which had directly hit
Izaya was made of metal, but hed been hit with the flat part, nothing sharp, so while the impact
had been rather loud, there wasnt that much damage done.
Izaya slowly staggered to his feet, and looked in the direction from which the trash can had
flown from:
ShiShizu-chan?
Iza~ ya~ kun~
On hearing these deliberately stretched syllables, Mikado and Anri slowly turned their heads in
the same direction.

Standing therewas a young man wearing sunglasses. He was wearing a bartender outfit,
complete with a bow tie. All in all, he was dressed like some kind of hotel or nightclub pimp
from a previous century.
He wasnt as tall as Simon, but could be still considered rather tall. But, looking at his lanky
frame, he didnt seem like someone who could throw a convenience store trash can.
Didnt I tell you not to show your face in Ikebukuro again huh? Iza~ ya~ kun~ yo~
Comprehension dawned upon Izayas face. And for the first time, Mikado saw that his smile had
faltered:
Shizu-chan, werent you working at the west entrance?
I got fired ages ago! And besides, didnt I tell you not to call me that? How many times have I
told you Iza~ ya~? I have a name, and its Heiwajima Shizuo~
As he relayed that warning in a low voice, a vein throbbed at his temple. There was nothing
particularly special about him, and if he hadnt done anything unusual, he could easily pass off as
an ordinary bartender. But his body seemed to be giving off an air of some kind of unseeable
wrath. An expression of sheer terror, one that far exceeded the limits of fear, materialized in
Mikados eyes.
His veins throbbingits my first time seeing someone do that for real
Such innocent thoughts were still emerging in Mikados mindbut in the next moment, all that
was left was a teenagers body in which an indescribable primeval fear had completely taken
over.

Heiwajima Shizuothe man Masaomi had mentioned who you should never make an enemy of.
Before Masaomi had mentioned him, hed added a besides those colour gangs and the
Bosokozu in front, so this guy could still be called an ordinary member of society. But, Mikado
was sure, if there was anyone who relied on violence to communicate, it had to be this guy.
It wasnt hard to understand. If anyone living in Japan saw a person like that, theyd want to stay
as far away as possible. This was even more so if the person looked fearsome and dangerous. But
if the person was like this man whose appearance was not particularly notable, it would be, in
fact, even harder to decide how to interact with him.
Youre really troublesome, Shizu-chan. Are you still mad I pinned that crime on you?
No, Im not. I just wanna punch the crap outta ya.
Ah Im in trouble now... so, just let me go.

Although Izaya was asking to be spared, hed pulled out his knife from his sleeve:

In the face of Shizu-chans violenceits hard for me to deal with you, since you dont listen to
logic or reason.
Eh
Anri who had been spacing out, let out a gasp on seeing the silver gleam of the knife blade.
Mikado on sensing her fear, began gesticulating wildly, trying his best to relay the message lets
get outta here! to her.
The girl pressed her back against the wall and nodded madly, then hugging her bag tightly, took
off. Mikado ran behind her until they got to the main road. Then he turned back to look.
As he did, he could only hear Shizuos frenzied bellows coming from the alley hed just run
away from, and he saw a crowd gathered around there, drawn there by the commotion.
Then, a huge man, standing at over two metresSimon, reached out with a hand to part the
spectating crowd and strode into the alley. After that, Mikado didnt really have the heart to
continue watching anymore.
Now, a very complete fear was swirling around in his chest. In this new place, where the
ordinary and the extraordinary clashed, just which of that could the incident just now be called?
But at least he knew for sure, it was something he definitely he shouldnt get involved in.
At the same time, Mikado had experienced for himself what it meant by someone he should
never make an enemy of.
An ordinary person like hims already so scary. Then, what about triad members and the
Chinese mafia?

All that violent stuff hed seen on the Nethed always thought they were exaggerations. But
after experiencing it all firsthand, he realized it really was that scary.
As he thought about that, Mikado felt that theyd probably run far enough and shouted to Anri:
Hey, wait upwaitIcantbreathe
Hed given it his all, but the sad thing was, he hadnt once been able to run faster than Anri.
And such a fact had been imposed upon the youth, Ryuugamine Mikados reality.

Are you OK?

Mikado had brought Anri to a nearby caf, hoping that itd help her calm down a little.
After being seated, Mikado ordered two ice cream floats, but then he realized that that seemed
rather childish and regretted it.
Umthank you, just nowfor saving me.
Ah, it was nothing really! And besides, the person who saved you was really that Izaya guy!
But
Ah ah ah, what am I supposed to say? If only Masaomi was here
Although he was pretty flustered, itd be rather weird if he didnt say anything. So Mikado
opened his mouth to start a conversation:

Were those girls just now from your middle school?

Anri nodded in response to his question.
I seeso, those girls were always bothering you in junior high, and there was this amazing girl
called Mika whod always stand up for you, but now that Mikas gone, theyve come back to
harass you again?
After hearing Mikados proffered conjecture, Anri froze momentarily:
Howhow did you know all that?!
Ahdont worry, I just guessed based on what I put together from what you guys were talking
about just nowbut thats not important. This Mika personis she the Harima Mika from our
class?
On hearing Mikados question, Anri regained her composure and began to explain:
Uhyes it is that Harima Mika. Harima-sans been absent these few days hasnt she? Well
thats because she hasnt been home since the day before the entrance ceremony.
Why?
Isnt this something the police should be handling? Mikado thought, his eyes widened. Anri
seemed to know what he was thinking and shook her head gently:
To be exact, shes not really missing. Because Harima-san did leave a message for me and her
family. She said something like Ive gone on a journey to relieve a broken heart, dont worry
about me., or maybe it was something about which train shed taken to where
A broken heart? Did something happen to her?

That
Mikados question had only served to make Anri prevaricate.
For whatever reason, Anri hesitantly lowered her head.
You dont worry. I wont tell anyone. The only person I might tell, is currently busy having an
affair with a woman who has kids.
Mikado had just said hed keep quiet about it, but then hed gone and said he might blab about it
later right after that. But Anri didnt feel anything contradictory about what hed said, and
thought for a while, and warned:
But, can you promise me you wont be too shocked after I tell you
After witnessing all that, I dont think Ill be surprised by anything anymore.
To put her at ease, Mikado gave her a bright grin. As hed been friends with Masaomi since they
were in elementary school, Mikado had developed a talent for comforting people.
Perhaps it was because Anri had been placated by Mikados smile, because she just blurted the
truth out:
Harima-sanis a stalker.
Pfft!
Mikados steady smile remained, but hed spit out the melting ice cream from his mouth.
After hearing the whole story, Mikado tried to regain his composure and rearrange his thoughts.

I seeso Harima-san was stalkinguh, sorry, I mean courting the head of welfare, Yagiri-kun,
and he rejected her, so she went on a trip to relieve her broken heart?
From what Anri had said, Harima Mika seemed to have been doing these weird things ever since
she started junior high. After falling in love at first said, she would be known to pick the lock on
the door of the object of her affections home and break into it; or shed find out where he was
going when he went out, and shed come along, unwelcome, and shed even tell him Thank you
for inviting me out!. She had obviously been altering the facts in her head.
Although she acted like that, but she got good grades and she was from a rich family. After
enrolling in Raira Academy, shed rented an apartment to live in by herself, and the rent was over
a hundred thousand yen. Although the school had built a student dormitory nearby, but it was still
a fair distance from the school, so most of the students stayed in their own homes. Some decided
to live by themselves, even though they were still so young. Mikado was a good example of this.
And Anri too had rented a cheap apartment a distance away from the school.
Harima-san sure is a troublemaker.
And after meeting Seiji, shed decided that he was her soulmate. Then, shed turn up at his house
every day. But on the day of the entrance ceremony, shed didnt show up in school. According
to Seiji, hed firmly rejected her advances the day before the ceremony, and had even threatened
call the police. After that, Mika had stopped turning up.
As Mikado listening to Anris recount, he was practically breaking out in cold sweat. From what
she had said, Mika had sat between himself and Seiji during the entrance examination. Mikado
thought that, by some strange turn of events, that uninvited guest might even have ended up
targeting him; and he secretly rejoiced that he hadnt saved this girl. But then again, even if he
had wanted to save her, he wouldnt have been able to.

Mikado discreetly gathered these thoughts that no one would be able to guess he would have and
at the same time, earnestly suggested to Anri:
I think, you should call her.
I could never get throughI think she switched off her phone after sending that messageand
when I sent her a message asking her why she wouldnt turn on her phone, she replied that if she
heard a familiar voice, shed want to go home
I seeuhI think its better if we analyze the situation firstno, I think to be safe, we should
send her a message, and hint to her that if she doesnt turn on her phone, well call the police or
something like that. What do you think?
Mikado started coming up with a lot of ideas, but all of them sounded pretty lame and werent
really feasible. And the hours flew past just like that.
So, were you Harima-sans best friend?
I think so, but I dont know for surebut we were always together. I cant really do many
things right, and Im not good at talking to people, but Harima-san helped me and she was
always with me
After hearing what Anri had to say, Mikado felt that their relationship couldnt be so simple.
Hed seen situations like this before when he was surfing the Net. And pertaining to the darkness
hidden behind such things, there were a surprising number of detailed descriptions online.
And, although Harima-sans grades could have gotten her into a better school, she still chose the
same school as meI felt really bad
Thats probably only because she didnt want to lose the benefits of having a convenient
lackey like you by her side

Mikado had to swallow these words which had crawled up his throat back down. Deep down, he
was glad Masaomi wasnt here. If this was an Internet chatroom, hed have just unreservedly told
her this flat out.
But, maybe itd better if I tell her.
As he thought that, Mikado began battling with his conscience. On seeing Mikado
subconsciously averting his gaze, Anris mouth curved into a smile:
Its OK, I know.
At having been seen through, Mikado frantically asked, K-Know what?
I know she was just using me to look good. So, I was using her as well. I thought life would be
easier with her around, that I couldnt live without depending on her. The only reason I
volunteered to be a class representative was because Harima-san would have wanted to become
one, and I decided to do it in her stead before she came back
Anris words cleared all of Mikados doubts. So that time in class, when she turned in his
direction, she wasnt really looking at anyone, but at Mikas vacant table. And Masaomi had
been sitting there.
As Mikado made sense of this, Anri went ahead and stated her opinion:
But, it was mainly for my own satisfaction. I thought maybe if I became a class representative, I
could surpass herIm horrible, arent I?
Mikado didnt wait for her to finish before throwing out an icy remark:
In my opinion, I think whats horrible is telling people all that.


It sounds like youre trying to get someone to forgive you. In my opinion, its a good thing that
you want to surpass Harima-san, so you should hold your head high and be more confident.
After spilling out everything that had been in his mind, Mikado began to regret it greatly. He felt
that hed said too much. Perhaps itd because theyd hit it off, and hed been getting more tense
as theyd talked, and thus hadnt been able to restrain himself and poured out all the thoughts
hed normally keep to himself.
He was afraid Anri would get angry, so he withdrew his head nervously and looked up at her. But
she didnt seem angry or upset.
Youre rightthank you.
On seeing her slightly bewildered smile, Mikado thought about it seriously.
To reduce someone like her to the role of a lackeyjust how beautiful is this Harima person?
Surely it couldnt be just because she was taking advantage of Anris personality?
Mikado couldnt help but wonder.
Thatthank you very much for today.
As they parted ways, Anri bowed her head a few times and thanked him. Mikado had offered to
foot the bill for both of them, but Anri had declined, and so they paid for their own food. Streams
of dark shadows inclined from 60-Storey Street, dyeing the sky a dark blue, and shrouded
everything above them.

No problem, dont worry about it. Although todays the first time weve talked, were going to
be class representatives together, so I hope we work well together.
After Mikado finished, a gentle smile crossed Anris face and she nodded:
I actually knew about you a long time ago, Ryuugamine-kun.
Huh?
When I was handing in my matriculation form, there was a checklist on the receptionists desk.
I saw your name on it and I thought it was pretty cooland then someone came in and checked
it off...
What was with this strange turn of events? An uneasy foreboding hung in his chest and Mikado
answered with a casual, Is that so?
Andtoday, that person saved me
Waitwait a minute.
Mikado faltered. Doesnt this a lot like what happened between Harima Mika and Yagiri Seiji?
The girl before him had an indecipherable smile across her face.
Eh? It cant be! This is badI dont want a stalkerbut I guess its OK, since shes so cute.
No, wait, that cant be right? What if she stabs me with a knife?! Or she might set my house on
fire, or take my parents hostagebut, since shes got a good personality, its OK right? Wait
wait, no, stalkers dont have good personalitiesbut thats not entirely unacceptable either
Even after thinking this over and over again in his brain for three seconds, Mikado still had no
idea what to say to his classmate standing in front of him.

On seeing Mikados strained expression, Anri smiled:

I was kidding!
Eh
Dont worry, Im not a stalker. It would only cause trouble if someone like me was following
you around.
When he realized Anri had been merely teasing him, Mikado felt pretty embarrassed for having
been seen through, and was plagued with a sense of guilt that far exceeded that embarrassment.
Sorry.
Eh? Ah, its alright! I was the one teasing you, you dont need to apologise!
Anri hadnt thought that Mikado would suddenly apologise to her, and she looked rather alarmed
under those glasses.
He was at a loss at what to do now, so Mikado could only force something out:
Then Ill see you tomorrowright?
Um then I hope well work well together from tomorrow onwards.
Sonohara-san can be pretty sly sometimesbut shes a good person.
After parting ways with her, Mikado thought this on his way home.
So she wasnt as mysterious as hed thought her to be, and was simply not good at dealing with
people.

Masaomi and I could very well become like them if Im not careful. Thats because I was only
able to come to this new world with Masaomis help.
Mikado shook his head vigorously, and told himself that he shouldnt think like that.
Then, Mikado thought of Harima-san who had been rejected by the person she like and then had
gone missing and murmured to himself, Looks like she was dumped pretty harshly. But if shes
just given up like that, then maybe shes not that crazy a stalker
But, based on what Anri had said, shed forced open the lock of the house of a guy she merely
liked and broken in, and had done so when she was in junior high. Would someone like that
really just give up on their soulmate just because they were threatened with the neighbourhood
police?
When he realized he was starting to get seriously concerned a stalker girl hed never met before,
Mikado raised his head, and sighed deeply.
Sigh. Even though I look forward to unconventional things, I dont want to get involved with
something like this.
Mikado who had lapsed into a bout of depression decided to find a way to lift his spirits. So he
decided to go to the hundred yen store before going home.
And then he heard a sound that had everything to do with logic and reality.
It was the roar of the engine that sounded so much like an animals caterwaul. That intermittent
low roar sounded especially eager today.
Its the black bike!

He didnt think hed be able to hear the sound of its engine even beside this small station.
Mikado couldnt restrain his curiosity. Unthinkingly, he ran in the direction of the sound.
Based on the volume of the sound, he just needed to turn into one more intersection and hed be
able to see it. Unable to suppress his roiling emotions, Mikado swerved sharply into an alley
And with that, Mikado began playing out a scene from an old manga.

Whoa whoa, so youre saying that the beautiful girl you bumped into on the corner was being
chased by same bad guy on a motorbike and you saved her, and shes even lost her memory
and now you expect me to believe this dream of yours which in many ways isnt very dreamy at
all?
But its true!
But theres something offwhy did she bump into you instead of me?
In the room that was hardly three square metres large, Mikado and Masaomi were seriously
discussing this.
This was Mikados apartment, and the only electrical appliances in the room were a personal
computer with an in-built television and radio tuner and an electric rice cooker.
The room Mikado had rented within this apartment was considered relatively cheap. The
cheapest would be the one next door which was just one and a half square metres. As the
cheapest apartment was already occupied, Mikado then had no choice but to rent this slightly
more expensive one. The person living next door was a photographer, but as he was always
rushing to attend interviews from morning to night, so he wasnt home most of the time.

Mikado had originally thought that since he wasnt home most of the time, he should have just
let him have that room. But now he realized, a room that was just a little bigger than two square
metres was already quite tiny. Thank goodness he hadnt gotten the one that was one and a half
square metres large. And especially after meeting with a situation like this, Mikado was
especially thankful for that.
To Mikado who was in a tizzy because of the situation before him, Masaomi said calmly and
smoothly:
Itd be better if this made you late for school in the morning. And itd be marvellous if she was
a transfer student. And if she was the princess of some country as well as your childhood
sweetheart then itd be perfect!
Mikado had no idea what Masaomi was talking about so he held his chin and sank deep into
thought.
I really like extraordinary things, but if they manage to escalate into a situation like this, then
maybe I might be dreaming.
Or more precisely, he wished for all this to be nothing but a dream.
Masaomi continued spouting nonsense to the pensive Mikado:
Did you notice the stuff I just said just now was all really clichd?
I think its even worse when you have to point it out.
As Mikado thought about the words which he remembered saying some time ago, he glanced at
the girl lying between them. Although he wasnt sure of her age, Mikado supposed that she was
probably a little older than him.

She was sleeping peacefully. She was wearing a plain nightgown, and she looked like shed just
escaped from a hospital or something. At that timeMikado had banged into her, hed heard her
utter the words Help me!. And in Mikados disorientation and confusion, he saw a black bike
heading straight for them.
As for what happened after that, Mikado wasnt exactly clear. He still had a vague memory of
simply grabbing the girls hand and making a mad dash for it into the station. Theyd run down
to the underpass, and as the bike seemed to have stopped pursuing them, they left from a
different exit and bolted to Mikados apartment. But
Not only has she lost her memory, but she also refuses to let me call the policeI really dont
know what to do.
Welllets just do what we can, Masaomi finished.
He watched the sleeping girl and said:
Hey, shes really gorgeous. She doesnt look Japanese thoughoh yeah, is she really
Japanese?
Well she could speak Japanese
The two of them decided to wait until tomorrow and would see what they could do based on
what the girl said. The right thing to would have been to call the police, even though it was
against her will. But Mikado didnt want to do that.
It was a little old-fashioned, but these developments would be extremely orthodox for a manga or
movie. Mikado believed that this was indeed the extraordinariness hed wished for.
The only thing which worried Mikado, was in fact, the probability that the black biker might
have recognised him. Hed been so preoccupied with running home, he hadnt even thought

about why the black biker was so bent on chasing the girl. What if he had to live the rest of his
life being enemies with the all-too-real urban legendthe black biker?
Weary of the mundane normality, eager for change. This was probably the reason was harbouring
this girl whose origins were still a mystery.
But, if he wanted to leave normality, then he might have to put himself in relative danger.
The danger Im facing now, is it that black bike?
After seeing Masaomi off, he was still trembling from thoughts like that.
And, there was something Mikado had hidden from Masaomi.
The girl had a bandage wrapped around her neck. At first there didnt seem to have been
anything on her neck, but after taking her home and examining closely, he thought it was too
conspicuous. So hed wrapped it up with a bandage for her before Masaomi came.
On her neckthere was a scar from a sutured wound, which encircled her entire neck.
It was like, after her neck had been sawn off, a head had been forcefully reattached to it.

CHAPTER 9
Double HeroineThe Scarred Girl Volume
Let us go back in time a bit.
While Mikado and Anri were walking into the caf, one of the chess pieces had started moving
on the streets.
Yagiri PharmaceuticalsResearch Facility
In the meeting room of the sixth research facility, the sound of a forceful blow on something was
heard.
You said she escapedexplain yourself!
Yagiri Namies fist struck the table, effectively overturning a mug of coffee. Coffee was now
pooling quickly across the tables surface. The freshly brewed coffee was scalding Namies hand,
but she hardly flinched, and only her fist was quivering slightly from her rage and anxiety.
If the police find out about that, well be finished!
She swept her gaze, both fiery and restless with anxiety, across the faces of her subordinates.
So she was only pretending to be good. She was just looking for an opportunity to make a run
for it the whole time
She bit her lip tightly in an attempt to suppress her anger, which caused her lips to be stained
with a red colour that was even darker than her lipstick.
Forget it, get all subordinates that dont have anything to do at the moment to look for her.

No need to keep a low profile now, just do everything you can to search for her. If any problems
crop up, let them take care of it themselves.
Should they be refrained from injuring the target? one of the subordinates beside Namie asked
calmly.
She thought a little, and then answered his query in a clear voice:
Its a shamebut since its come to this, I dont care if she dies. Just bring her back here.

As he looked towards his sisters erect research facility, Yagiri Seiji sighed deeply.
Ah, so this is lovelove that just causes you to lose control.
The first time Seiji had met her, had been something that happened five years ago. Hed only
been a ten-year-old kid then and with under his sisters guidance, hed been exposed to his
uncles secret.
Shed been in a glass jarand looked like something out of a fairytale hed seen when he was
little, like a sleeping beauty who was yearning for her prince in her dreams. Although she was a
head, Seiji did not feel the slightest fear or repulsion towards her, and instead had been
completely bewitched by her exquisite charm.
And as Seiji grew up day by day, he began to develop a sense of rationality. But this so called
rationality was completely defined by her, and his psyche was gradually being encroached by
thoughts of her.
But, this wasnt because the head had any demagogic intentions, nor was it because the head was
emanating strange electromagnetic waves or pheromones. The head was simply alive. The youth,

Yagiri Seiji, had merely been doing as he wished, and had eventually fallen for her completely.
Just like how Yagiri Namie was in pursuit of her brothers love. Her brother, like her, was
seeking love from a silent head that did not speak.
It was purely this love, that instigated him to do what he had.
When his sister had taken her away on the grounds of research, Seiji had thoughtIm going to
let her leave that glass jar. Im going to set her free. I want her to have the whole world.
Seiji believed that this was her wish, and then one day, the long-awaited opportunity came. He
stole his sisters security card, familiarized himself with the security guards patrol route and had
taken care of them with a stun gun. Seiji did not believe what he had done was wrong at all. In
his heart, he only wanted to see her joyous expression.
Buteven when hed successfully brought her outside, she still did not open her eyes.
The head did not reciprocate his love. But, Seiji believed it was because his love for her was not
deep enough. He told himself this, and he staunchly believed that his one-sided love for her
would be able to link them together for eternity.
Love that one once had and then lost. How could it have moved someone like this?
As he recited that line which sounded like something a middle schooler who was yearning for a
taste of romance would write, Seiji took marched resolutely towards the research facility.
Sis told me to leave it to herbut how could I let my girlfriend be alone? And whats more,
even if it was for research, she might have been cut open and had her brain examinedthe poor
thing.
Seiji groused about this without understanding the focal point of the situation at hand. He arrived

on the road where the entrance of the research facility was:

If Id known earlier, I wouldnt have given her to Sis. I should have objected. I have to let Sis
and Uncle know how much we love each other so theyll understand it someday. And if they
dont, Ill just elope with her.
His determination was hardly dubious, and could be likened to an aristocrat who had fallen for a
girl of a less than desirable background. For all anyone knew, he appeared to simply be a high
school student who did things rather spiritedly. But if they knew that his girlfriend was a head
which appeared to be a deep slumber, theyd immediately think that this ordinary behavior was
in fact, unconventionally conspicuous.
And the scary part wastill today, the existence of thoughts of Harima Mika had been
completely erased from Seijis mind. Hed killed her, but had now completely forgotten what she
looked like, or what her voice sounded like. To Seiji, everything he had done was to get rid of an
obstacle that had gotten in the way of his path of love. How could a boy who lived for love
remember each and every obstacle hed eliminated?
If I have to, Ill just steal Siss card and break into the research facility again.
As Seiji contemplated something as dangerous as that, a van of some cleaning company drove
away from the research facility.
But Seiji knew, they werent really employees of a cleaning company. They were the
subordinates from the research facility, and were a group of people-snatching guys. The
people they kidnapped were not made to do immoral stuff, but were used as test subjects in
illegal human experimentation.
And Seiji knew, the reason the facility had started hiring these underlings to kidnap people, was
in fact to do research on her. After kidnapping them, theyd experiment on them with her cells,
DNA information or bodily fluids. Why did they have to do all that extreme stuff that kept

spreading around town just because of a head that was simply existing? Seiji hadnt understood
at all at first, but he later guessed that it was probably because of the pressure put on by Nebula
which was trying to take over Yagiri Pharmaceuticals.
Although it was called human experimentation, it didnt involve cruel actions like cutting people
open. It merely involved administering a dose of anesthetic and maintaining the subject in a fakedeath state and conducting various experiments on them so that data could be collected. Then
theyd be dumped in the park after they were done with them. The targets had been strictly those
people whom no one would notice were gone even if they went missing and fortunately, there
were no illegal aliens who had the protection of underworld triads eitherbut there were
rumours that some of the subordinates of the subordinates had, in order to achieve their own
ends, kidnapped some runaway girls and trafficked them.
Theyre really some immoral bastards. What do they take human life for?
Seiji seemed to have forgotten about what he had done, and glared indignantly at the van which
had just left. Then he saw someone climbing up the back of the van.
Clinging on desperately to the back of the van was thatno, that persons neck had a scar around
it
And sitting above that scar, was his beloveddear girlfriend.

On the main road before the train station, a motorbike with no headlights cruised soundlessly
past.
It sped right past the front of the police station, but the officers inside did not notice the
motorbike which did not make a sound. And even on the streets, there were only a few people
who noticed it because there was no purr of the engine from the motorbike, and looked back

because they found it weird. It steered clear of the station, keeping a distance as it sped forth, so
it didnt run into any obstacles. Its owner was totally focused on one thing, and that was to
ensure that her steed with no headlights wouldnt be the cause of a traffic accident. So when she
wanted to accelerate, she would make sure the engine roared, to alert those around her of her
presence.
The headless horseCoiste Bodhars caterwaul was indeed intimidating, and now even as a
motorcycle, it remained just as so. But, there would occasionally be weirdoes who liked an
engine sound like that, and instead of getting out of the way, theyd cluster together to have a
look. The Dullahan was still a little uncomfortable with the fact that there were so many weird
people in this place, but as the years passed, she eventually got used to freely travelling around in
this city like this. But unbeknownst to her, this had also made her a living urban legend.
When she didnt have any jobs, Celty would just roam the streets like this, in search of her
headbut then again it was impossible for a head to just randomly appear on the streets. So in
actuality, it was just she was just going for a pointless spin. She knew that very well, but she
couldnt just sit there and do nothing, so she would just roam around on the streets like that.
After coming to Japan, what surprised her the most, was that beside herself, she entirely could
not detect the presence of demons, spirits and things like that. As she passed the park or the
entrance of the 60-Storey Street, shed occasionally sense the presence of something in the trees
growing on the curb, but she had never met anything like that with a physical form. In her
homeland, Ireland, shed been able to sense many fellows. Since the situation here was like
this, she should have approached her fellow Dullahans for help when she had lost her head. But
it was useless now. The immigration checks now were much stricter than twenty years ago, and it
would be extremely difficult to sneak out of the country. It was impossible to leave Japan without
a head.
But either way, in the environment she was in now, she could not sense the presence of any
supernatural phenomenon.

Is this how the human world is? Is it like this in New York and Paris? I might have to make a
trip to the forests in Hachioji the next timeno, maybe I should just try searching in places like
Hokkaido or Okinawa
That was what she thought, but a headless person like her wouldnt be able to go anywhere
without Shinra accompanying her. Places where people wouldnt get suspicious if you wore a
helmet all the time were painfully few.
Moreoever, even if she wanted to leave Tokyo, she should at least wait until she found her head.
What if she went somewhere else, and came backonly to find that the presence of her head had
vanished. It would be like putting the cart before the horse.
Using a map to ascertain the area in which she could feel her heads presence, she found that it
was indeed mainly based in Ikebukuro. But, since there was no way to examine that area in
greater detail, she could only search for it step by step.
But even as she searched, the most she could do was to ride her motorbike around like that. If
there was something suspicious, shed look up stuff on the Net about it. And after she got more
information about it, shed ask Shinra and Izaya to verify it for her.
Obviouslythere had been no reliable news whatsoever in the twenty years she had been here.
Celty knew in her heart that today would probably be another fruitless day. Then she thought of
what Shinra had said before.
(Give it up.)
But she just couldnt do it. Indeed, she was content with her life now, but in order to suppress
those writhing feelings within herto genuinely achieve inner peace, she had to get her head
back.

The traffic light turned red, and the noiseless motorbike soundlessly slowed to a stop. And just
then, she heard someone call out to her.
Oh, its you Celty.
Celty shifted her attention and vision in the direction of the voice, and standing there, was a man
in a bartender outfit.
It was the man Shinra dubbed as Ikebukuros Most Inappropriately Named Person
Heiwajima Shizuo.
Can you keep me company for a bit?
Celty had spent twenty years in Ikebukuro, and shed known Shizuo for a long time. Of course,
he had no clue about her true identity or her gender, but he didnt particularly care anyway. As
the green light flashed, Celty swerved to the left into an alley and found a place to park.
Shizuos shirt had been slashed by a knife a few times, and looked as if hed just had a brawl
with someone.
The only person who could leave so many knife marks on Shizuos shirt, unfortunately, was
Orihara Izaya. And he verified this fact himself later on.
That bastard Izaya ran over to Ikebukuro againI almost flattened him, but Simon butted in.
Based on how he spoke to her, one might mistake Shizuo for someone who acted true to his
name, someone who lived his life normally. However this was only because Celty didnt talk.
Shizuo always got angry over the most trivial of matters. He was easily irritated by what others
said, and would even get enraged sometimes. The more the other party confused him with words,
the more unreasonable he would become. Celty had seen how Shizuo spoke with with Shinra. It

was just like a stick of dynamite on the verge of being triggered.

Shizuo hated sophisticated people the most, and his relationship with Orihara Izaya had always
been like that of oil and water. Similarly, Izaya didnt like people who didnt listen to reason very
much either, so both of them were in a situation of mutual dislike.
Before Izaya moved to Shinjuku, the two of them would fight daily on 60-Storey Street. And
Simon would always appear to stop them and drag them to the sushi store where he worked
where he would force them to make up.
And just before he moved to Shinjuku, Izaya went and stirred up some trouble and pinned it on
Shizuo as something to remember him by. Obviously Izaya didnt make any blunders that might
lead the police to him.
And from then on, the rivalry between them became one that had absolutely no room for
compromise, and the moment one of them strayed into the others territory, a clash was
guaranteed. But their clashes were usually just scuffles, and especially with Izayas kind of
mediation, nothing too extreme really happened before. It was just
Im not like Kadota, Yumasaki and the others. Im always alone no matter what I do. I guess
Izayas the same as me. That bastard probably doesnt have anyone he can call a friend. But, its
not like I want to be alone all the time. Actually, I really want to interact with people, even if its
just a formality or something.
As Shizuo continued grousing, Celty who had been merely shaking her helmetsuddenly
nodded.
One was a bartender wearing sunglasses, and the other was a shadow wearing a helmet. In the
eyes of an outsider, this combination would have seemed rather bizarre. But the people on the
streets merely glanced at them as they passed, and did not take a special interest in it.

Shizuo looked like hed had quite a bit to drink, probably at Simons sushi place.
Celty had thought it was probably not nice to just leave him alone like this, and had thus decided
to lend a ear to his grouses. Shizuo then suddenly asked
Butthat flea Izaya, why did he suddenly decide to come here?
Celty knew the answer. The reason Izaya came to Ikebukuro was because of that twisted hobby
of his. But, even though she knew the answer, Celty had a question of her own.
The things that happened two days in a row, yesterday and today, were all pretty strange.
It was impossible for an information broker based in Shinjuku to have nothing to do all day. He
had even been willing to risk the fact that Shizuo would be here the whole time. It looked like he
probably had another motive.
Which reminds me, I think I saw that bastard talking with some brat from Raira
Shizuo suddenly stopped himself in mid-sentence, and turned to look at a commotion in the
crowds.
Whats going on?
After hearing Shizuo say that, Celty turned her attention towards it. A few people who had been
walking on the streets were all watching whatever it was intently. The thing they were looking at,
was a girl.
On the main road right before them, there was a girl in a sleeping gown. She looked a little over
ten, and was walking unsteadily across the dusk-veiled street.
She looked like she was injured. As if she had just escaped from a period of severe

imprisonment.
Standing in the position she was now, Celty didnt want to draw too much attention to herself,
but because she was worried that a human life might be at stake, she decided to temporarily
brush her principles aside and focus on observing the girls condition.
In the next moment, she was completely overwhelmed by astonishment.
She still could recall the vague memory of her face, which had been reflected on the lake and the
glass windows of the villagers houses.
The dark hair, as dark as midnight, which just slightly covered her eyes. The very face that had
been etched into her heartwas sitting on the neck of that girl on the street who was wearing a
nightgown.
Celtys emotions suddenly exploded and it felt like they were bursting out of her. Shizuo on
seeing all of this, became curious about what was happening, and made his way towards the girl.
Celty rushed to the limping girls side, grabbed her hand and pulled her so that she was facing
her directly. The girl gasped, wild with terror. She screamed hysterically, trying to shove Celtys
hands away.
Ahaaaahhhhhhhh! Noooo! Aaaahhhhhh!
The attention of the passers by landed on the two of them, but Celty was too overwhelmed by
emotion to care. She only wanted to tell the girl that all she wanted to do was look at her face
properly. But in a situation like this, she wasnt even able to take her PDA out to tell her.
Oi, calm down. Were not bad people.
Shizuo strode in their direction, trying to help Celty clear up the misunderstanding. To calm the

girl down, Shizuo had tried to put his hand on her shoulder. To think
Stab.
The momentary impact of something penetrated his waist. There was a feeling of great
discomfort at the area below his buttock, around his thigh. And at the same time, he felt a
mixture of coolness and warmth seeping into his trousers.
Huh?
Shizuo turned around, and saw a youth wearing a suit jacket bent down behind him, stabbing
something into his thigh.
It was one of those ballpoint pens that could be bought and found almost everywhere. Taking a
closer look, he saw that the teenagers bag was half open. The pen he had stabbed Shizuos thigh
with had probably been taken from inside it.
Huh?
Let her go!
The teenagers yell had caused Celty to turn aroundand when she noticed the bloody incident
that had happened between them, she felt a little stunned.
The girl in the nightgown took advantage of this opening and yanked away her hand from Celtys
and made a desperate dash for a small alley.
Celty had initially intended to chase after her, but forced herself to stop, and turned towards
Shizuo whose thigh had been stabbed by two ballpoint pens. And not forgetting the youth in the
suit jacket behind him, who was holding a third pen.

The surrounding onlookers had begun whispering to each other, and some of them hurriedly
backed away. There were people who had totally no fear of the situation, and pretended that they
hadnt seen anything and simply walked past; some hadnt even noticed anything, and merely
passed them quickly; there were some who had even whipped out their cellphones to take a
picture. There were two police stations nearby, and all this was happening right between them,
around three hundred metres away from each.
The youth in the suit jacket glanced at the spectating crowd from the corner of his eye, gripping
the third ballpoint pen in his hand, and looked in the direction the girl in the nightgown had fled
towards.
Then he added:
Good
Celty felt a little suspicious about what hed said, and made to interrogate him when Shizuo shot
out a hand.
His palm stopped right in front of her helmet, and he was smiling as if nothing had happened:
Ah, Im OK. Luckily I havent sobered up, so it doesnt hurt that much. You go on ahead, Im
alright. I dont get really whats going on, but you need to go after that girl right?
Then, Shizuo folded up his shades, slipped them into his breast pocket and slapped his cheek
with one hand.
Heh heh, Ive always wanted to say this: You go on ahead, leave this to me!
This line was usually said when one was facing a powerful enemy, but in this case, it was more
likely that the student might be the one losing his lifealthough this was what Celty thought,
she decided to accept Shizuos good intentions anyway. Besides, what if they all got detained by

the police? At least Shizuo could be identified as the victim, whereas she had no idea how she
was going to address herself in front of them.
Celty clasped her palms together and nodded her thanks. Just like that, she had mounted her
black bike and prepared to go after that girl. At that time, shouts of things like Its the black
bike!, Are you serious?! erupted from the spectating crowd. And her beloved steed had
lustily, as if with the intent of scaring the crowds into submission, roared into the night that had
enveloped the ground.
Wait!
The youth in the suit jacket had attempted to chase after her.
No, you wait.
Shizuo forcefully grabbed the back of the collar of the suit jacket, and yanked the teenager up.
Is that girl your girlfriend?
Thats right! Shes my soulmate!
The teenager who was struggling furiously to get freeYagiri Seiji answered with utmost
certainty.
Why is she like that?
Shizuo kept his cool, wanting to hear his answer.
I dont know!
Then whats her name?

How should I know?

In that moment, the crowd who were watching from a distance felt a sudden chill. A throbbing
nerve had suddenly appeared on the bartenders face, which had been relatively calm from the
start. This made the temperature of the surroundings drop to freezing point.
It was if at the exact moment when all the onlookers experienced that sudden iciness, all the heat
in the surroundings had been absorbed and all of it been imposed upon his furythe Heiwajima
volcano was about to erupt.
WHAAAAT WAAAAAS THAAAT HUUUH!
And then the youths body was flying in mid-air.
No way?! the onlooking crowd had exclaimed.
Because Shizuo had flung Seijis entire body towards the main road without an ounce of
hesitation.
Seijis body crashed into a delivery truck which had stopped for a red light. If it had been a green
light, Seiji might even have had already left the world. Another staggering fact was that the
distance Seiji had just flown was could hardly be called humane. This caused a sharp inhalation
of icy air from everyone in the onlooking crowd.
I asked you what that girl you said you likes name was, and you say you dont know? Isnt that
a little irresponsible? Huh?
After smashing into that truck and slumping onto the ground after that, Shizuo had stretched out
a hand to once again grab him by the front of his shirt and jammed him against his own chest.

But, even though his body hurt so much it was going numb, Seiji kept his gaze steady and
fearlessly glared at Shizuos whose expression could be comparable to that of a monster:
Liking someonehas nothing to do with their name!
Huh?
Shizuos eyes flashed, but Seiji did not falter.
The let me ask you, on what grounds can you claim that a girl whose name you dont even
know as your soulmate?
Because I love her! Theres no other reason aside from that! Its absolutely impossible to
describe love with words.
Seiji raised the hand holding the pen high up, and faced Shizuo who was staring intently at him,
and looked as if he was thinking about something.
Thats why, Im going to prove it with my actions! Ill protect her, and thats all there is to it!
The pen came down towards his face, but Shizuo used his free hand to block it. Although at that
time, his eyes were bloodshot with rage, the words from his mouth had been gentle:
I like you a lot more than Izaya.
Shizuo yanked the pen away from Seijis hand, and slowly pulled him away from him with his
other hand.
So, Ill just teach you a little lesson, and Ill let you go.
As he said that, he yanked Seiji in one shot back towards him, delivering a harsh blow to his

forehead with his own head.

Following the sonorous clash of skulls, Seiji slumped and keeled over on the ground. Just like
that.
Shizuo left Seiji there and turned to leave.
Ah, this is gonna bleed if I pull it outI think Ill get a Band Aid first. No, I think an adhesive
will do
Shizuo muttered this to himself as he got off the main road and walked in the direction of an
alley. The onlooking crowd parted as he did, and everyone tried to avoid him, backing far away.
Then, those who had been watching disappeared into the endlessly surging crowds one by one.
And finally, everything had returned to normal, as if nothing had happened at all, leaving behind
Seiji, who was staggering to his feet, and a few stragglers who continued watching him
discreetly from some far-off corner.
Damn it
Enduring the excruciating pain in his head, Seiji slowly took a few steps forth:
I have to find herhave to save her
Seiji lurched forth. Just then, two policemen came to his side.
You OK?
Can you walk?
The two policemen had rushed over when a report came in that a fight had broken out there. But
when they arrived at the scene, they only saw Seiji there and nothing else that evidenced that

anything had taken place. And as Shizuo hadnt pulled out the pens in his leg, the blood had
merely seeped into his trousers and hadnt dripped onto the ground.
Im fine. I just fell over, thats all.
Im sorry, but youd better come down to the precinct with us.
Well just ask you a few questions, and besides is pretty dangerous for you to be walking
around on the streets like this.
Even though these two officers were doing all this voluntarily, but Seiji didnt have the time to
comply with them.
Just as Seiji started wracking his brains for a way to find the girl, he heard the roar of the black
bike from earlier.
Seiji swiftly raised his head, and looked in the direction where the roar had come from. The sight
of the black bike about to speed into the underground passageway entered his eyesas well her,
in the nightgown.
Yama-san, its that bike!
Thats not our problem, and we cant do anything either. Leave it to the traffic police.
Completely ignoring the conversation between the two officers, Seiji desperately fixed his gaze
on the girl.
It looked that there was someone holding her hand and running down the subway with her, and
that person holding her hand was
RyuugamineMikado?

When he realized the person holding the girls hand, was in fact the class president, Seiji shot
forward.
Ah, wait up! Dont move!
Hey stop it!
The two officers restrained Seiji, and he struggled fiercely. If he had been at full strength, he
might even have been able to shove them away from him, but after having his head skull nearly
cracked open by Shizuo, his body no listened to him, and his strength wouldnt come.
Let me go! I said let me go! Shes just there! Right before my eyes! Let me go let me go! Damn
it, why does everyone have to get in the way of my love! What have I done wrong? What did she
do wrong? Let me go let me go let me go!
So, youre saying your head was attached to another body which was walking on the streets.
And when you tried to grab hold of her, a high schooler intervened. And when you began chasing
her, another high schooler appeared and ran off with that bodyyou expect me to believe
something like this?
In Shinras apartment, Shinra who was clad in white was gesticulating deliberately, waving his
hands around. Unaware of his pretentious bumbling, Celty feebly let her fingers climb across the
keyboard.
Im not forcing you to believe me.
No, I believe you, because youve never lied before.
Shinras voice resonated from the other room, as if trying to alleviate Celtys unhappiness.

He he, Confucius said: there are three kinds of friends that do good, and youre my only friend
that does good! With someone like you whos straight, sincere and knows so much as my life
partner, itll be my greatest pride!
Who said anything about life partners?
Celty typed that retort out, but her actions did not seem to show any disgust for Shinra.
Maybe I should change the three good things to diligence, friendship and victory!
Listen, when you talk to me, at least read what I wrote at the bottom of the screen!
Celty typed that out, seemingly irritated, but the doctor continued rambling on by himself:
Then in response to your wishes, I will put in my most diligent effort so I can achieve victory in
the competition that is the life I am leading with you!
What about friendship?
Just add in a while beginning as friends.
Celty didnt really have the intention to continue humouring Shinra like this. So she lightly
shrugged her shoulders, and began plan what she would do tomorrow.
Either way, I cant just give up like this. It took me so long to find my head. And, from their
uniform, theyre probably Raira Academy students. Tomorrow, Im going to station myself at the
school gate and see if I can find that boy.
As he read the long string of words on the screen, Shinra asked in disbelief:
And after you find him, what do you plan to do?

Do you even need to ask? Of course Ill ask him about my head.
And after you ask him, what do you plan to do?
What do you mean what I plan to do?
She was in the middle of typing that, when Celty suddenly understood what Shinra had meant.
I mean, what do you intend to do to your head? Its even found a body now, and it could only
scream when it saw you.
Celty was unable to answer, and her fingers froze on the keyboard.
Its very likely that your head is now a whole person, and had even made friends with a high
schooler. What can you do to a head like that? Do you plan to, for your own sake, separate that
head from its body? If so, wouldnt that be a little cruel?
After a period of silenceCelty realized that she was trembling. Everything was just as Shinra
had said. It was as if she had become a total stranger to the head. Although it might have been
because she was wearing a biker suitbut even so, this probably meant that the head had
manifested a personality that was completely different from the personality she possessed as of
now.
If she wanted her whole head back, then she would have to separate it from that body. But,
now her head had gotten a body and had become a complete being. And would it really be
advisable for her to separate them like this? But, if she could just convince her head to come
back to her, it could even be a way to get back her head, but she probably wont get anything
done by doing things this way. Besides, although Celtys body had no signs of aging, what would
her head even look like now? Would it still retain its youthfulness even after more than a decade?
Even if it wouldnt age on its own, would anything change if she got it back now?

Before she made the final conclusion, Celty asked the most fundamental question.
Why did my head attach itself to another body thats not mine?
Ah you see, for someone like me who hasnt seen it with his own eyes to say something is
essentially futile. In other words, I can only speculate. If you want to hear my speculations, Ill
be glad to tell them to you.
Shinra thought for a bit, and brightly relayed his bone-chilling conclusion:
Maybe it found someone who looked like she had your build, and just attached itself to them.
Celty had indeed thought of this before as well, but hearing someone just say it out in front of her
had caused her to sink into a silence. Then, Shinra went on revealing more of his conclusions to
Celty who was still deep in thought about her head:
Or perhaps, it could even be on a national scale. It sounds a lot like exaggeration, but maybe
some covert military research unit got a hold of your head. And after doing various experiments
on in, they managed to create an army of undead soldiers. Thus, just by utilizing the cells from
your head, they managed to create a clone of you, and in order to preserve your Dullahan
memories, they attached your head to the clonedo you think its possible?
You could get a Golden Raspberry Award for that.
Celty decided to ignore most of Shinras suggestions, and declared his apparent scriptwriting
abilities worthy to compete in an awards ceremony for bad movies. But, there was just one part
which was the part about the research unit that was very likely.

Alright, since you think cloning is going a little overboard, maybe they just found a body and

stuck it on. Or maybe, they just kidnapped a live person, and attached your living head onto them
right after they killed them. Its definitely possible. But logically speaking, this is all nonsense,
and the problem lies with the fact that youre not on good terms with your heads existing body.
It might even be likely that it has the ability to take over dead bodies.
Disgusting. And either way, all that was way over the top.
Indeed, normal people are incapable of doing such things. Butas long as a motive exists,
humans have been known to all sorts of things. For example, someones daughter might have
died, and this person wanted to let their daughters body live on for eternityor maybe even, I
accidentally killed someone, and I need to cover it up, so I might as well use it for some
experimental research.
In a way, all that had sounded much more dubious than human experimentation, but Shinra
merely went on with his morbid analysis breezily. Celty didnt want to listen anymore, and
hurriedly tapped the keyboard with her fingers.
No matter what, I need to have a good talk with that head before deciding anything. Everything
else will have to wait
Before she finished typing, Shinra threw a forceful question at her:
Do you intend to continue avoiding your own conclusion?
Shinras tone was exceedingly serious, and the atmosphere of light-heartedness just now was
gone.
I understand, I understand it perfectly well myself. Since things have come to this, I can only
give up on my head.
Steeped in the moment with such thoughts, Celtys fingers slowly began to move.

Because I dont want to admit it. I dont want to admitthat all my efforts these past twenty
years have been in vain.
After reading this line with an aching heart, Shinra who had been talking with Celty while sitting
in front of the computer in the living room, got up and walked into the neighbouring room. After
entering, he sat beside Celty and directly faced the screen of her computer.
How have they been in vain? The twenty years youve spent here havent been in vain.
Everything youve done in the past, as long as they can change the future for the better, then
theyve definitely not been in vain."
Then tell me, what kind of changes for the better?
For exampleyou could marry me, and then you could take it as though those twenty years
were fated arrangements for us!
On hearing Shinra shamelessly saying such embarrassing things, Celty was unable to react for a
moment.
If this had been an normal, everyday conversation, Celty would have immediately dismissed it as
a joke, and wouldnt have taken it seriously at allbut she suddenly noticed that, Shinra had
been unusually preoccupied with matters like this of late.
Can I ask you something?
Of course.
Celty didnt really know how to ask a question like this directly at first, but eventually she
toughened her resolve up, and briskly tapped the keyboard.

Shinra, do you really like me that much?

After reading that, Shinra hung his head.
You still dont believe me?! Ah ah ah, when sorrow arrives, the eyes weep. Such an
expression is more than apt for this. Im grieving over this, not because you dont believe
everything Ive done for you, but because you have been absolutely oblivious to my love for
you!
But I dont have a head.
Its your personality that attracts me. Didnt a wise man say never to judge a person by the way
they look?
But Im not a person.
No matter how you put it, Im not human. Im only a monster who looks like a human. But
after my memories disappeared with my head, I have no idea what I am, or my purpose for
living, or why I have to exist.
Such perplexing emotions and feelings that could not be expressedcountless thoughts swirled
around within Celtys heart, and yet what appeared on the computer screen, was a few measly
words.
Arent you afraid of me? How could you like something thats not human, a monster that doesnt
comply with the laws of science that humans have defined? How come you can say things like
this?
The speed at which the lines of text were appearing increased. And as though in sync, Shinras
tone of voice had hardened as well, and was even slightly startling:

Weve already lived together for twenty years, and you still say these kinds of thingsI dont
mind at all in fact. As long as our hearts can connectas our feelings are mutual, does anything
else still matter? Of course, if you abhor me, then I dont have anything else to saybut I also
dont believe that we cant do without each otherits like a simple love-hate relationship right?
So, you should trust me more.
Shinra seemed to have recovered, as evident from his vaunting. From the fact that he was still
using some difficult words, it seemed that he hadnt really been overly perturbed about the whole
thing.
I trust you completely. The one I dont trust is actually myself.
Celty thought she should at take advantage of the fact that Shinra was still able to put up with all
this, and thus resolutely poured out her problems.
I dont believe in myself. If I were to love you, or even someone elsebetween us, would our
views on love be the same? Yes, I think I do like you. But, I still dont know if the love I feel for
you is the same as the love you humans feel.
Everyone experiences such dilemmas in their youth. And besides, even with two humans, their
ideals might not necessarily be the same either. Its like my definition of liking someone
obviously isnt the same as Dazai Osamus*, although I think it would be better if this fact
remained as it isand no matter what, Ill venture to say that I like you, and youve already said
that you like me, so theres absolutely no problem here.
* A Japanese fiction writer famous for his overly pessimistic and twisted style of writing.

Shinra seemed to be talking to her like a teacher does to his student, which made the headless
riders fingers stop completely.
I said it before yesterday, I want to know the values a Dullahan has. But no matter what they
are, it will never affect my feelings for you.

Shinras expression told all, and his words were neither awkward nor abstract.
Celtys fingers stopped, and she silently listened to what he had said. After thinking for a while,
she typed out the appropriate words.
Give me some time to think about it properly.
Alright, Ill be waiting for your answer.
Shinra once again flashed a bright grin, and Celty decided to ask him a question that had been on
her mind for a while:
Even if you like me, Im still not sure if Im good enough for you. There are so many different
kinds of women in this world, so why do you like someone without a headsomeone like me who
isnt human? Why?
Haha, have you ever heard of the saying: the worm wouldn't mind even if the knotweed is
bitter*?
*To each his own

No one says such things about themselves. Anyway, do you think Im the worm or the knotweed?
Although that was what Celty had typed, but a wave of uncomfortable heat swept across her
heart. She believed that this was probably a sign that she had feelings for Shinra.
Ah, Im sure if I had a heart, Id be able to hear it beating now.
Thoughts like this made Celty feel even more miserable. Since Shinra was human, there would
always be some kind of untraversable distance between them.

Dullahans didnt have hearts. Shinras father had told Celty right after dissecting her, that
although her body was built similarly to humans, but all her organs were merely there and had no
use whatsoever. She had blood vessels, but no blood flowed through them. And the interiors of
her body were not blood-colored, but merely a stretch of the original color of muscleslike a
model of the human anatomy. Her body could move by some unknown principle, and no one
knew what it used to get energy to move. It was clearly just an empty shell, but wounds inflicted
on her body healed unusually quickly.
As Celty thought of what had happened after the dissection, she remembered Shinras father
asking her: How do you die?
And ten years after that, one day, Shinra had told her:
Youre definitely a shadow. You are definitely the shadow of your head, or even your real
identity which you left behind in another worldeither way, you are a living shadow. And since
you are a shadow, you dont need to consider anything about where you get your energy to live
and move.
Logically speaking, shadows could not move on their own; but since she was an existence that
was beyond logic, she decided to just stick to what Shinra had said and not think about it
anymore.
Anyway, she should be focusing on taking care of her head more than anything else these days.
Only thenwith whatever conclusions I reach, will I decide my reason for living.
Celty clenched her firsts, and thought about the two students she had met today.
Both of their expressions had revealed their true feelings. The first student had faced Celty and
Shizuo without a single hint of fear or hesitation, and had glared at them from start to end with
steady and gleaming eyes. And the other onehed shown very apparent fear towards Celty, but

even so, even when facing Celty, he had been grinning. His expression then, was like he had
seen the very demons and apparitions which he had feared so deeply in his heart appearing right
before him.
When she thought of that, she once again withdrew her feelings.
She told herself, that maybe all that was just her own opinion.
Although she could judge their emotions from their eyes and expression, but she didnt think she
had the right to do so. Because she didnt have eyes that could communicate her thoughts, and
she didnt have a face to smile or show anger or sadness. She didnt even have a brain like the
humans did to control their emotions. She didnt know what she used to think, or what she used
to feel. How could someone like her judge someone elses emotions?
An angry gaze or an aggrieved one. The connections humans had with each otherall that was
merely knowledge to her when she first came here. From television, manga and movies and so
onthe books in Shinras house were all a little biased, but she could rely on actual contact with
people or through the news to correct them. But, all that came from someone elses knowledge as
well, and if she wanted to know if anything was factually accurate, perhaps shed have to be
human to know.
And it was precisely because of that, that caused that unease shed just told Shinra about to take
over her heart. Did she even have any feelings? That was what worried her the most.
In the past, shed never thought about things like that. She had been entirely focused on finding
her head, a task which left her too drained to think about anything else. It was only of late, after
she had started surfing the Net, and had more opportunities to interact with people, that made
her begin to seriously consider just how different or similar her own emotions and values were
with those of humans.
When Shinra had first taught her how to use the computer, shed been rather hesitant and

suspicious towards it. Now, other than work and searching for her head, she spent almost all her
time in front of the computer. Especially when she switched to the in-built DVD player and
television and radio tuner mode, she could watch all the movies and dramas she wanted at once,
and the time she spent at the computer had increased dramatically.
While surfing the Net, Celty had gradually began to interact with humans. She had absolutely no
idea how the person on the other side of the screen looked like, nor did she know about his
history or experiences. Yet, people still built up relationships over the Internet like this. Not
knowing how the other party looked liked hardly mattered to someone like her who didnt even
have a face. In normal society, the only few people who she interacted with were all introduced
to her by Shinra. But as for those who knew her true identitythere was only Shinra and
Shinras father. Although there were an abundance of rumours about the headless rider, but
hearing just those wasnt enough for one to know that Celty was female, let alone her identity as
a Dullahan.
She didnt intend to conceal that fact, but she wasnt keen on openly declaring it either.
Although Shinra said that, but Id rather have the values of a human. If my personality now
already is human, then I have to cling tightly to my humanity.
Celty was not human, and that was a fact that often troubled her.
If she were to find her head, or if she were to regain her memories, what kind of expression
would she make, if she were to be a human in such a situation?
Even if she were to have the knowledge, she wouldnt be able to find the answer on her own.

CHAPTER 10
'Dollars' Opening Scene
Yagiri Pharmaceuticals research facility.
In the meeting room of the sixth facility, Seiji sat in a seat in the corner. His hands were balled up
into fists and he was muttering incoherently to himself. His sister, Namie tenderly embraced her
brother, comforting him.
Its going to be OK, I promise. Well definitely find her for youso, put your mind at ease.
After going through that beating from Shizuo, Seiji had been brought to the police station. As the
victim hadnt been present, and what with Seijis injuries, no one could really be sure who the
real victim was. So he was released after a while, without being charged for anything at all.
Sis was able to come so quickly to pick me up, so maybe she pulled some strings.
Seiji thought this, but then decided that even if it were so, there was nothing he could do about it
anyway.
I know about the twisted love Sis has for me. The love my sister has for me, is probably from
her over-possessiveness. But it doesnt matter who loves me. Ill only take care of my own love,
and Ill only live for my love.
In order for me to succeed in my love, Im willing to use the love of anyone who loves me as a
stepping stonebecause if that person can sacrifice something for and dedicate themselves to
the person they love, the person who loves me will be very happy indeed.
Namie who had been standing by her Seijis side, and seen through his way of thinking a long
time ago. But it didnt matter. Either way, as long as that head was in her hands, Seiji would

need her. The reason she was so jealous of the head, was probably this too. An ironic twist of
fate, had caused Namie to smile in self-amusement.
Namie was seemingly oblivious to the fact that the subordinates were watching her. Those who
were watching her pamper her brother like this, felt a shred of terror rise in their hearts.
While still rather traumatized by what they were seeing, one of them was ordered by Namie to go
out.
You dont need to worry about a thingleave it all to your sister.
She finished, and his sister quietly left the meeting room.
So, did you find him?
Yes. The person Seiji-san called Ryuugamine, lives in a run-down apartment near Ikebukuro
Station.
Namie listened to the subordinates report as she left the meeting room, along a narrow corridor a
distance away from the meeting room. From the fact that the subordinate had even addressed
Seiji as Seiji-san, it was apparent that the power the Yagiri family had over the company was
terrifying indeed.
Namie seemed like a completely different person from how she was in the meeting room, and
ordered the subordinates with the iciest expression possible on her face.
Since youve already found her, hurry up and get those subordinates to bring her back.
Its in the middle of the day, well attract a lot of attention there
It doesnt matter.

Namie cut the subordinate off just like that, preventing him from expressing his concerns.
If I wait until nightfall, my brother will definitely look up that Ryuugamine brat on his own.
Namie was more concerned for her brothers safety than the unlikely risks that came with it. But,
she wouldnt show this side of her when her brother wasnt around. She quickly instructed the
subordinate:
Listen well, contact all the subordinates immediately. I dont care who it is, nor do I care if
theyre dead or alive. If the situation calls for it, just get them to take them out.
The subordinate before her couldnt find a sliver of mercy in her eyes, and broke out in cold
sweat.

Proper lessons started in Raira Academy as of today. At least that was what was supposed to
happen. Most of the first lesson was spent on going through what they were going to learn in the
coming year, teacher introductions and things like simple syllabus reviews and so on. The only
classes that had started proper lessons were in fact just arithmetic and world history.
The day had passed uneventfully. A supposedly memorable day had just gone by like that.
The only thing that had bothered Mikado today, was not only Harima Mikas absence, but also
the fact that the welfare head Yagiri Seiji was similarly absent. After hearing about their
relationship yesterday from Anri, Mikado had been feeling rather uneasy. He wondered if their
twin absences had anything to do with each other.
Not only that, the girl who had lost her memory and was sitting alone at home was another
source of worry for him as well.

Her memory had not returned even when morning came, and shed refused to go to a hospital or
a police station. She had seemed especially frightened when he mentioned a hospital.
ThatIm fine! Ill just wait here patiently for you to get back!
As she assured him of that fact, she seemed a lot calmer than she had been yesterday, and didnt
look like someone who had lost their memory, with that kind of relative mental stability.
On seeing that her condition had taken a turn for the better, Mikado had gone to school with a
peace of mind. But as to what he should do next, he was absolutely at a loss. If he still couldnt
ascertain her identity in the next few days, hed probably have to take her to a police station.
Hed thought about letting her stay in Masaomis house, but then again, his family members
were staying with him there.
Mikado had been thinking about the best thing to do the whole time. And as he thought and
thought, school had ended before he knew it.
The class representatives meeting ended without a hitch, and as Mikado and Anri were walked
out of the school together, he decided to ask her about Harima Mika.
Did she contact you after that?
They didnt really have anything else to talk about, which was pretty awkward, so Mikado
decided to ask her something about Mikas situation.
Actually, I havent heard from her since yesterday afternoon
I see
Looks like it backfired. If thats so, the relationship between the missing Mika and Seiji whos

absent today is even more suspicious. Could it be that Seiji and Mika decided to commit suicide
together or something? Although that was what Mikado was worried about, he definitely
couldnt voice it out to Anri.
It was at times like this that he wished Masaomi was herebut hed heard that the disciplinary
committee meeting would be taking some time.
Apparently, Masaomi had started a passionate debate with the other head of discipline in class,
and no one had bothered to stop him.
So, hed just decided to go home first. Mikado had meant to part ways with Anri after theyd
reached the school gate, but just when they were about to step out of the grand Western-styled
gates, someone shouted suddenly:
Ah! Takashi! Its him!
A girl was standing outside the gate, pointing at Mikado and Anri.
She looked like the girl whose cellphone had been trampled on Izaya, and had even brought a
muscular guy with her this time.
A strange foreboding permeated Mikados entire body. At the exact same moment, a muscular
guy seized him by the collar and pulled him up.
Brat, so youre friends with the bastard who crushed my girlfriends cellphone right?
I wouldnt say friends
For something like this, you should look for the police, not your boyfriend.
Mikado wanted to tell that to Bully Girl A, but his neck was being restrained, so it was hard to

talk.
Spit it out! Wheres that bastard you were with yesterday?
Straight to the point. The muscular man hadnt let Mikado say a thing, and just wanted to know
about Izaya.
Myseriously appearing. A black bike had soundlessly appeared behind the man.
As fast as lightning. The human-like shadow mounted atop the bike, had knocked Takashi
down from behind.
Survival of the fittest. Orihara Izaya had appeared from nowhere, had leapt upand landed
squarely on the muscular mans back.
Mercilessly. Izaya who was standing on the mans back, hopped up and down repeatedly.
In the blink of an eye. All thatin the short span of ten seconds, had appeared before Mikados
eyes.
Thank you
Before the dumbfounded Anri and the other girl, as well as the other passing students, Izaya
bowed respectfully. Takashi who was still lying under his feet, had probably passed out.
You knew I had no interest in hitting girls, so you brought your boyfriend here instead! What an
admirable girl. Id make you my girlfriend, but sorry, youre not my type, so just go home!
Izayas words were rather hurtful, but the girl had already run off before Izaya had finished,
completely forgetting about Takashi who was still sprawled under Izayas feet. Even Mikado
who had never met him before felt a little sorry.

Izaya immediately forgot about the girl who had run off, and started to talking to the
dumbfounded Mikado:
Sigh, it was such a pity yesterday. Someone interrupted us, so I couldnt talk to you properly.
Shizu-chan probably wont come here, so its good. At first, I wanted to find out where you lived
and just visit you directly, but then I thought it would seem a little intrusive, so I decided to hide
behind the school gate and wait for you!
Izaya was grinning at Mikado, but Mikado didnt know the point of his smile, nor his reason for
looking him up.
No, more accurately, there was in fact one reason for this person to look him up. But Mikado
wasnt willing to admit it, and merely tightened his fists.
It was unclear if Izaya had sensed Mikados feelings, and he cocked his head quizzically:
Which reminds me, why is the black bike here?
I should be asking you that.
That was Celtys inward response to Izayas question.
The student before her was most definitely the one who had run off with her head. Celty had
merely found out that someone was going to beat him up, and had rushed over to help, and had
no idea why Izaya had suddenly showed up.
Izaya probably shouldnt have any ties to a normal youth who was still in high school.
Could this kid be the son of politician? Or maybe, he was someone who specialised in selling
drugs to middle school and elementary school studentsan ber baddie who promoted doing

drugs throughout the school?

But, no matter what kind of person this boy was, Celty had no intention of finding out now.
To her, the most important thing, was whether he knew where her head was.
Looking at Anri who seemed even more bewildered than himself, Mikado hurriedly came back
to his senses:
Seesee you Sonohara-san, I have to go now!
Ehoh, OK, see you.
After saying their hasty goodbyes, Mikado hurriedly left the scene. Not sensing anything amiss,
the shadow and the bad person followed behind. When they were a distance away from the
school, Mikado turned back nervously, and suggested to Izaya, who was sure to know what he
meant:
Aboutthatalthough Im not sure whats going oneither way, lets go to my house before

In the middle of his speech, Mikado took a deep breath. If he brought them to his house,
wouldnt the girl see the black biker? But then again, the black biker had probably looked him up
because of her anyway.
AndthatumId like to ask the black biker something
After hearing that, Celty retrieved a PDA from the pocket of the biker suit made of shadow,
tapped the keyboard and the words What is it? appeared on the screen.
It looked like he understood human language. Mikado heaved a small sigh of relief, and realized

the strangeness of the situation he was facing.

Ah, I kind of feel like crying now.

The unthinkably old building, just a short distance from the train station, was covered in fine
cracks and snaked in ivy.
As they neared the old apartment, Mikados footsteps slowed:
Um, were here, I live on the first floorso can you please tell me whats going on? Just who
are you people?
Celty didnt mention anything about her head or her true identity, and randomly came up with
the reason: I was looking for a lost friend, but she ran away when I found her for some reason.
But Mikado wasnt foolish enough to believe such hastily made-up excuses. Thus, as she didnt
have a choice anymore, Celty decided to reveal her true identity to Mikado.
After asking Izaya to leave them alone for a while, Celty brought Mikado to the back of the
apartment.
Then, Celty made up her mind, and began typing on the PDA.
How much do you know about me?
As he looked at the small LCD display, Mikado thought for a bit and nervously began to state
what he knew:
Thatyoure an urban legendand you ride on a motorbike that doesnt make a sound or

has headlights, and

Mikado hesitated here, and after a deep intake of breath, he said in a voice that was both fearful
yet tinged with anticipation:
and thatyou dont have a head.
After listening to Mikados answer, Celty went on typing.
Do you believe that?
Just after showing that to Mikado, Celty began to curse herself for her stupidity. Just who would
believe something like that? And just as she thought that, Mikado who was standing in front of
her, nodded lightly.
Eh?
In the wake of Celtys surprise, Mikado said to her softly:
Umcould you let me see inside your helmet
On hearing his rather blunt request, Celty stared intently at his face.
Ah ah, its the same expression as yesterday.
That strange expression that was both uneasy and tensed with anticipation, and mixed with
despair and joy. The student before her had asked her to reveal herself with such an intriguing
expression in his eyes. Celty considered his request for a bit, and typed the following line of
words:
Promise me you wont scream?

Celty once again felt that shed asked another stupid question, but she just wanted to make sure.
These twenty years, aside from doing so in Shinras presence, she had never taken off her helmet
before. There had been a few times when her helmet had been knocked off in a scuffle, and the
reactions of all who had seen it, had always been that of sheer terror.
But the youth called Mikado in front of her was ready and willing to experience this terror. Not
only had he believed Celty and not dismissed it as a lie or joke, he even wanted to see for
himself. Asking someone like him to promise not to scream, was stupidity in itself.
As Celty thought about that, Mikado gave the response she had expected.
As she watched him nod vigorously, Celty slowlypushed up the visor of her full-face visor.
Darkness. It was just a space of nothingness. Of course, logically, thered still be air, but the
presence of something like that was unimportant to Mikado. The thing that was supposed to be
filling up that space was no there, and it was meaningless even if there was something else there.
Ah ah, its not there. Its really not there. This definitely isnt some trick. But even if it was,
itd be interesting to look into something like that.
A sliver of fear flashed in Mikados eyes, but that fear did not result in him screaming, but
instead caused shock to transform into pleasant surprise in his heart, and tears began to gather in
his eyes.
Thank youthank you very much.
Mikado didnt know how to express his thanks. Then, he looked up at Celty, very much like a
child would.
As she looked at an expression like that, Celty was even more at a loss at what to do. In the past,
there was practically no one who had been able to stomach the fact that she was headless, much

less thank her for it. As for the situation she was facing today, she could hardly comprehend it
but it wasnt a bad feeling.
After that, Celty told everything about herself to Mikado, and Mikado readily accepted her
request to see the head girl.
Mikado also told her about how the girl had lost her memory. Celty found this a little strange, but
either way, she had to see her, and pleaded for Mikado to help her clear up the misunderstanding.
The two of the called Izaya back. But he merely said one thing to them: My business can wait,
and continued standing in a corner, watching them.
Alrightso, please wait for me here, Ill explain everything to her. I wouldnt want her to think
I betrayed her if she suddenly sees you.
Understood.
As he watched Mikado and Celty, Izaya said in a teasing tone:
This kids pretty careful. Not bad.
The both of them decided to wait for Mikado to get back around the road beside the apartment.
As they were waiting, Izaya said to Celty:
Courier, its my first time hearing your name. I didnt know you were a foreigner.
Izaya was smirking. From his expression, it was obvious that he had known all along. Hed said
that because Celty had refused to tell him before, and thus wanted to make fun of her.
Celty knew that, and thus decided to ignore him. This guy probably even knew about her true
identity. But then again, information from witness accounts, probably wouldnt suffice to tell him
about her identity in detail.

And besides, normal people shouldnt even be able to guess that the black biker wasnt human.
But Izaya wasnt a normal person, so she couldnt let her guard down.
Speaking of which, hasnt he been gone a little too long?
It was true. More than five minutes had passed. Even if he hadnt managed to convince her, he
should have come back first at least.
Ill go check up on him.
As she stood before the eerily quiet apartment, Celty felt a twinge of ominous premonition.
The fact that there was a van from a cleaning company parked beside the apartment further
added to her unease.
Why would a run-down apartment like this need a cleaning crew? It couldnt be
Celtys premonition had been right.
Hurry up and tell uswe only want to ask, wheres that girl who was hiding here?
Theres a girls hair on your blanket. Its a short strand, but its obviously longer than yours.
The moment Mikado had gotten home, the two men were already inside waiting for him. Both of
them wore work clothes, and from their looks they were obviously not good people. Before
Mikado could make a sound, theyd pinned him to the ground, and interrogated Mikado in low
voices.
They were here to find the head girl, but Mikado really didnt know where shed gone. Perhaps
shed been captured by someone else, or had run away by herself

II dont know! Letlet me go!

Oi, youve seen our faces. Wed better get rid of you right here.
Mikado felt like crying from fear on hearing that clichd line the crook had spouted. When hed
seen that supernatural being before, hed been filled with unmistakable joy, yet as he faced these
two crooks who were clearly human just like him, there was only fear in his heart. What was
wrong with him anyway?
Just as he was about to cry from his helplessness, one of them shouted:
Someones coming!
After shouting that, the two of them rushed outside. Then not long later, came the sound of car
speeding away.
II-I-IIm saved
Mikado held back tears that had stemmed from his terror, but then burst into tears anyway
because of the immense feeling of relief that followed.
As Celty rushed to the front door, shed hesitated whether to pursue that van or not, but Izaya
had said it wasnt necessary for her to so.
Those people are from Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. Ive seen that van before.
As he watched the van drive away, the informant disclosed some information free of charge.
YagiriPharmaceuticals?

Heh, its a puppet company thats on the verge of going bust and being bought over.
After making sure he wasnt hearing things, Mikado widened his tear-filled eyes. Firstly it was
because the company name was the same as a classmate of hisand secondly, because hed
heard the companys name from something else.
The tears were withdrawn.
The missing head girl. A Dullahan. Yagiri. Pharmaceuticals. Missing. Harima Mika. Sonohara
Anris story. Yagiri Seiji. Human trafficking. Dollars.
The connection between all the pieces had suddenly appeared in Mikados mind, and then
suddenly disappeared, and finally became a pile of deductions.
In that silent room, Mikado swiftly turned on the computer.
As he waited for the computer to boot, he turned on his cellphone which had been switched off
during class and promptly checked his messages.
Celty watched Mikado in shock, not knowing what he was doing. Beside herIzayas eyes
gleamed, like a hunter which had chanced upon a rare animal.
Honestly, I half-assumed he was
Izaya was only in mid-sentence when Mikados computer finished booting and hed immediately
gone online, and was entering some kind of password at an extraordinary speed. After accessing
some website, he gripped the mouse and moved it with some kind of rhythm.
After browsing it for a while, Mikado turned to face the two of them.
Celty was astounded. Because Mikados eyes were no longer those of the youth who had been so

amazed by his surroundings from before. He was like a hawk which had spotted its prey, and his
expression was both unfathomable and forthright as he faced the two of them. Then he lowered
his head.
The person before her and the cowardly student just now were like two different people, which
made Celty a little confused.
Please, the both of you, cooperate with me for the time being.
Mikado said in a firm voice that would make it hard for someone to decline his request:
All the pieces are in my hand.
Izaya, as if showing off a new toy or something, patted Celtys shoulder and said:
Bingo.
Celty who had no idea about what Izaya was saying, could only stare at the other two in
confusion.
Although she wasnt sure what was going, she did know that shed never seen Izaya this happy
before.
But, the happiest amongst the three was in factRyuugamine Mikado.
Mikado was rather still baby-faced, so now he looked very much like a child who had just
received a toy, and his eyes were sparkling with joy. It was hard to imagine hed previously
nearly been crying out of fear with an expression like this. He looked like it was taking his all to
suppress his unbounded joy.
These past few dayssince hed come to Ikebukuro, hed met with a lot of incomprehensible

situations. And it was those situations had linked together to form something so complete right
before his very eyes.
Mikado once again confirmed the pieces that hed assembled in his head, and happily took a
deep breath.
His boring everyday life. The never-changing scenery. His ordinary self.
He wanted to free himself of all that, so he had come to this place.
Now, he felt that, indeed, he had finally freed himself from all that.
Ryuugamine Mikado had noticed, that at this very moment, he had risen to the level of being
some kind of main character.
And he also realized that, an enemy that was threatening his way of life and perhaps even his
very existence had also appeared.
As Mikado was already brimming with such excitement, he didnt feel a shred of hesitation or
fear even at the thought of eliminating this enemy of his.
Then, he began to speak. He told everything about himself to Celty and Izaya

In front of the underground sixth research laboratory of the Yagiri Pharmaceuticals research
facility, a frigid voice pierced the air:
Not therewhat do you mean?
Thatwhen the two underlings got to the place, the door seemed to have been forced open

and the girl wasnt inside.

So youre saying, someone else might have gotten to her first?
A shabby apartment like that, probably wouldnt be broken into for anything else.
After listening to her subordinates report, Namie couldnt help but furrow her brow.
If it was that student who had taken her, he probably wouldnt take the trouble of forcing open
his own door. But then again, besides herself, who else was there who could conceivably want to
take her away?
And the student who lives there?
Thatwe originally wanted to wait until that student came back to question him, and perhaps to
see if we should bring him backbut it looked like there were some people with him.
You should have just brought them all back. How useless
Namie clicked her tongue in irritation. That was when her cellphone started to ring. From the
caller ID, it was obvious that it was someone she didnt know, but she was worried that it might
be something important, so she pressed the Answer button.
Hello?
Is this Yagiri Namie-san?
The caller sounded very young, like a boy still in junior high.
Yes I am, and you are?

My name is Ryuugamine Mikado.

!
Namies heart rate began to accelerate. He was the person who had escaped with her, and was
also her brothers classmate. She hadnt expected him to call just when they were discussing him,
and she was even more puzzled as to how he had managed to get her phone number.
Unaware of all the doubts swirling inside Namie, the boy on the phone calmly said:
Um, actually, theres a girl hiding here with us
After a short pause, the boy on the phone said something unbelievable.
There was not a hint of anxiety in that voice, and he spoke as if he were merely inviting Namie
out for dinner.
Would you like to make a deal?

The same day 11 pm Ikebukuro

Darkness had long swallowed Ikebukuros 60-Storey Street, and besides places like bars and
such, most of the shops were already closed, with their metal shutters down. Cars had already
started driving down the normally pedestrian-filled roads, coalescing to form an atmosphere that
was completely different from in the day.
A young man in a bartenders outfit was leaning against a lamp post, and grumbling to a large
black man:

What is life? What do people live for? Someone asked me this, and I beat him to an inch of his
life. If it was from some high school girl posing as a poet or something itd be OK, but it came
from some guy who was clearly over twenty who wanted to join the underworld and then ran
away because he didnt like doing menial jobs. Thats clearly a crime right?
Thats right!
No, everyone has the freedom to think about their lifes purpose. I cant say anything to that.
But, what could asking someone else about your own life possibly achieve? So, just as his pupils
started getting bigger I told him: Thats your life, why dont you just live so you can die? But
then again, he was the shopkeeper so I might have been a little too rash
Thats right!
Say Simon, youre not listening to anything I say are you?
Thats right!
So Heiwajima Shizuo let out a roar of anger and flung the bicycle beside him over, which Simon
caught with one hand.
Even something like that, could easily meld into the city scene.
Nighttime in Ikebukuro would be blanketed by an atmosphere that was totally unlike that of the
daytime. The relatively disorganized surroundings were gradually swallowed by the darkness,
and the world momentarily seemed to be turning backwards. Recently, many people were turning
to spending the night at the cheaper manga cafes than hotels, so there were similarly more people
who didnt bother taking the last train home.
On the street near the train station, there were employees of a karaoke lounge going around
trying to pull customers in, and became even more insistent when they caught sight of groups of

students or people in the workforce who were planning an initiation celebration for new
members in their office. But most of these people had already decided where they wanted to go,
and disappeared from the street group after group as such.
People who had just finished their drinking sessions on the way home were also traipsing down
the streets, as well as youngsters who were planning to party all night and maybe groups of
foreigners and such. Although it couldnt compare to during the day, there were indeed quite a
few people traversing the streets at night.
And
Standing before the Tokyu Hands departmental store, around the main road intersection, were
two people who looked very out of place in the crowds.
One was a student wearing his school blazer, and the other was a woman in a business suit.
The woman in the business suitYagiri Namie, had come to the appointed destination, and
asked the youth before her:
So youre Mikado-kun? You look a lot moredocile than Id imagined. Or maybe, is that the
sort of kid we have to look out for these days?
It was an equable voice. And in that equability, one could feel an endless frigidity.
She wasnt leaning against anything, and was merely standing erect in front of the large building.
She seemed to be giving off an icy aura and looked relatively uptight, so those boys from the
karaoke lounges and host clubs, and those who were just looking to pick up girls, kept their
distance.
On the contrary, Mikado was wearing a Raira blazer, and the vibe he gave off was that of an
ordinary teenager.

Obviously, those touts wouldnt be bothering some school kid hanging around by himself. In
fact, the chances of a policeman taking him back to the station because hed seen him loitering
around in his school uniform were in fact higher.
Two people who were so atypically different, yet they were both similarly out of place. A silent
sort of tension had started to emerge and materialize between them.
Sowhats this deal you were talking about?
Hed gotten her to come all the way here. He should at the very least know most of what was
going on. After all she had probably told him everything yesterday night.
Simple. Um, I mentioned it when I called youthe person youre looking for is with me right
now.
Even as she heard what Mikado said, Namie kept her composurehe wants to cut me a deal,
even though he already knows everything. Hes just a kid in the end, a silly, bratty kid.
He wants to carry out this deal right here in the 60-Storey Street. He probably thinks that by
getting us to come to a crowded place like this, we wont dare to do anything to him.
But obviously Namie wouldnt come alone. In order for her subordinates to blend in with the
crowds, she brought a group of personnel dressed as working class individualsthey were the
security personnel of the company, and had originally been in charge of security of the research
labs. They were armed with stun guns and there were about ten of them. They were all controlled
totally by the company and couldnt be more loyal. Furthermore, as an added precaution, other
subordinates and hired thugs were stationed in alleys and even among other cars in 60-Storey
Street, numbering to around twenty.
And she wouldnt lower her guard even though he was just a kid. Since hed dared to call her
here to cut her a deal, it probably meant hed brought some guys with him. And since she knew

hed be bringing people a long, naturally shed want to be thoroughly prepared.

Seeing that hed had the guts to actually show up, Namie decided that it would be alright if he
just wanted money or something, so shed accepted.
Shed thought, the moment she got her back, it wouldnt matter what that brat didshed have
the means to deal with him.
So, how much do you want?
Namies question had been very simple. There was no reason to do anything extreme in a silly
little deal like this. Should she inadvertently reveal anything, and it got recorded, shed be in
deep trouble.
That was what she thought at first
No, I dont want money.
? Then how do you want to make this deal?
Dont you understand? What I want is the truth.
What is he saying?
When he realised that Namie in fact did not understand what he was driving at, Mikado slowly
told her his final demands:
Please admit the wrongs your brotherYagiri Seiji did.
!

The surrounding atmosphere momentarily changed from that of the warm mid-spring to one
which would be found in a freezing winter. After a brief silence, Namie glared at him with a gaze
that could freeze whoever it was directed at, and spoke in a supremely intimidating voice:
Youwhat did you just say?
I want you to admit what your brother did to Harima Mika, as well as the things you did to her
body. Unfortunately, what I have is only circumstantial evidence, so to put it bluntlyI want you
to turn yourself in.
Mikado said all that calmly and composedly, yet sweat was pouring down his hands like a
waterfall. For a moment, his opponent looked even more murderous than before. He feared that
relaxed just a little, he might just burst out crying.
Um, Im sure turning yourself in will result in the least possible losses for your company.
So thats what it wasyour objective was never fiscal. Your goalwas to bring down our
research facility
This is all to free the head girland you even broke into my house, and in order to ensure my
own safety, I have no choice but to do this. I think, if you were to willingly turn yourself in now,
Im sure, chances are, that your company will still be fine.
As Mikado explained the situation with an indifferent face, he realized that there was something
strange happening with Namie:
Ahtoo badwhat happens to the company is none of my concern.
Namies expressionone which he could not discern if she was crying or laughing, penetrated
his pupils.

Mikado tried his best to bear with such a sight, and patiently waited for her to continue. He was
like a prisoner awaiting for death sentence with a heavy heart and all his hairs standing on end.
Although Namie was no longer as calm as before, she spoke in an unusually cool fashion:
I dont care if you want to bring our company down, or even completely destroy itbut, you
shouldnt have done thisanyone who gets in my brothers way is not fit to live in this world.
Namies response was extremely simple. On hearing it, Mikado closed his eyes as if hed just
realized something.
I see, so thats the kind of person she is. No wondershes doing all these things that have no
benefit to the company at all.
As the womans hand began to move, Mikado did the same thing too. His hand dived into his
pocket and, and brushed against the Send button of his cellphone.
All for a reason like that
Mikado had nearly been overwhelmed by Namies unusually passionate devotion to her brother,
but hed managed to get back on his feet, and launch a counter-attack.
She caused someones death and gave that corpse a personality for selfish reasonsand now
she even wants to kill me. Ah, so this is what was getting on my nerves the most. I see, so the
person I care about most is myself. For myself, Ill do anything. Its because Im like that, that I
absolutely cant stand people like her who use other people as an excuse to do things for
themselves! Especially when they use a reason like that to screw up peoples lives, I simply cant
stand it!
Anger slowly rose in the youths heart. He was still longing for an unconventional life, but if it
was this outrageous, then it was a different story.

Then, he said some provocative things to Namie:

Arent you going too far? For a reason like that, for your own happiness, you caused Yagirisan to lose his happiness.
Youre at your wits end, what else do you have to say? Youre already this age, you do this
kind of thing, but you only can say clichd things like that? If youre only at this level, then just
shut up and dont screw with me!
Namie took a step towards Mikado, and shouted that at him as if she was cursing him.
But Mikado would not be defeated:
Yeah, I only know how to say things like that. But so what? You killed someone so you should
repent. How can someone who doesnt even understand such a simple concept lecture me on
this?
As if he was trying to force Namie back, he too took a step forward.
You watch too many dramas, and theyre probably all those ones for old people with forced
happy endings! What do you take thisthis city for? This is reality! This isnt TV or in the
magazines, and youre no hero. Know your place!
Both of them took a step towards each other. Namies voice was quivering with frigid anger, but
Mikado showed no sign of retreating.
He was always with Kida Masaomi, and whatever he said could hardly be understood. Even
though the topic was different, but it was definitely easier for him to rebut Namies arguments.
So what if I love beautiful things like that. I want a happy ending and I absolutely adore clichd
and stereotypical developments. Whats wrong with that?...So whats wrong with trying to

achieve an ending like that in reality? I wont say its for someone else, because in the end itll
always be for myself. Thats why I do it! Yes, this way of thinking is really old-school, but since
its old-school, doesnt it just mean that thats what everyone thinks?
The argument effortlessly spilled out of Mikados mouth, even things that he didnt believe in
with had simply gushed out.
He wasnt deliberately provoking her because he had low-self esteem or something, but only
because he wanted her to focus her attention on him, until the time was ripe.
Noticing that it was nearly time, the finger which Mikado had placed on the cellphone button
began to move.
Therell be no turning back after I press this button. Im stepping into territory I should never
be treading in. I wanted to avoid this at all costs. But from how the opponent is acting, it cant be
helped.
I dont have the ability nor knowledge needed to face off an opponent like her who doesnt
listen to reason. And I dont have the time to try either, so I can only think of something right
here and now to overcome this problem.
Mikado toughened his resolve, took a deep breath, and pressed the Send button just as he
exhaled.
So Illrely on numbers!
Its time to end this pathetic argument.
After a short while, Namie slowly raised her hand.
It doesnt matter if youve brought people with you, or even if youre going to use truth serum


And as she raised her hand to the highest point, a steady smile materialized on her face.
I can eliminate my brothers enemiesah, I didnt expect it to satisfy me so easily.
On Namies signal, her subordinates began to act
Oi, its time to move out. Were just gonna kidnap a brat huh.
Waithold on. If that brats got some cops with him, were dead meat
This is no time to worry about something like that. The director doesnt care about anything
anymore, even the police. Well just do it, and if anything crops up well just push all the blame
to that woman.
The man pushed his hesitating partner aside, and removed his drunkard guise, and once again
examined his surroundings. Then
Huh?
When he realised that, he asked his hesitant partner.
Itsalready around 11 p.m. isnt it?
Yeah.
After confirming the time, he felt an inexplicable chill.
The people here around here, dont you thinktheyre more of them now?

The first hitman jumped out of the crowd and just as he made towards Mikado, walking as
naturally as possible
Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!
It was the message alert of a cellphone.
The hitman had at first thought that it was from his cellphone, but then he realized he wasnt
even carrying one with him. The sound hed heard had been from someone elses cellphone a
distance away.
He glanced in the direction of the sound. The sight that entered his eyes, was that of a black man
standing at over two metres tallSimon.
It was the giant that was relatively famous around this street. The hitman averted his gaze and
carried on walking forth, not daring to look back.
Just thenright after that message tone, another melody rang out.
The hitman turned in the direction of that melody. He caught sight of a bartender wearing
sunglassesHeiwajima Shizuo.
Why would the one known as Ikebukuros fighting machine appear here?
As he turned his head once more, looking in the other directions, he saw even more different
kinds of people, and all of them were reading their mail.
?!
Then they realized, that even before some of the ringtones had finished playing, another wave
of melodies would start ringing out, forming a twisted harmony.

Beep beep beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!

The incoming message alert tones rang once again, but this time, the sounds were coming from
literally every direction.
?!
It was then when Namie and the hitmen realized something strange was going on.
The initially sparse crowds had, for some reason had suddenly turned into masses. People who
had their cellphones on Silent mode fished their phones out from their pockets on realizing that
they were vibrating. The numbers of those whose phones were ringing and emitting melodies far
exceeded those whose phones were quiet.
And then
It was already too late when they realized it. Theyhad been completely engulfed by the waves
of the ringtones.
Sound, sound, sound. Melody, music. Chords from electronica, music, formed a harmony. Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound, Melody Melody Melody, Electronica Electronica Electronica, Chord
Chord, Sound Sound, Harmony Harmony Harmony Harmony, Sound Sound Sound Sound
Sound, Melody Sound Melody Sound Melody Electronica Sound Electronica Sound Harmony
Harmony, Chord Harmony Sound Chord Melody Sound Sound Electronica Melody Chord
Electronica Chord Sound Electronica Melody Sound Chord Electronica, Sound Sound Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound

Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound Sound
Sound Sound Sound Sound
Then, in the midst of the incoming message alert tones which were gradually beginning to quiet
downthey were now engulfed by stares.
Stares. Countless stares from all directions.
Around them were dozens of people, maybe even hundreds. They were all facing them, merely
staring at themoccasionally there was someone who would make small talk with the person
beside them, but their stares were still mainly focused on them, as if theyd been separated from
their surroundings and had been placed on a stage.
Whatshappening? Theyjust what are they aaaaarrrrggghhhhhh?
In the face of something that she could never have expected would happen, something that
completely defied everything she had ever known, Namie screamed in terror.
But the stares didnt stop even as she did, and the illusion that the whole world was against them
slowly began invading their consciousness.
And Namie and her minions hadnt noticed at all, that the youth that had been making a deal with
her, had just disappeared in the crowd, and disappeared into the stares
The Dollars leader, had become a part of the crowd without a single person knowing.


Eh! How strange! Izaya and Shizuo are on the same street and theyre not even fighting!
Karisawa exclaimed in shock in a van parked by the roadside.
Iyaya, its probably because Shizuo hasnt noticed him. Iyayaya, but this is still really coolit
looks as if there are some junior high and high school students in there. But none of them are in
uniforms
Among the vehicles parked along 60-Storey Street, there was Kadota and Yumasakis van. In the
van, there was Kadota and gang, and a girl who had just gotten on that morning, and she was
eyeing her surroundings uneasily.
She was the girl Kadota and gang had decided to kidnap from the apartment near Ikebukuro
Station before anyone else did.
After interrogating those hoodlums, they had gotten hold of the information that the mastermind
of the situation had been one of the research facilities of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals. And just as they
were making preparations to confront them directly, an encrypted message had been sent to
cellphone of the leader of the hoodlums.
After forcing the guy to decode it, they realized the message contained an address, and
mentioned a girl with scars on her neck, and a symbol of a door had been typed out at the back.
The email message even came with a pictureit was a rather grotesque picture of a disembodied
womans head. From the condition of her skin, she looked very much alive, but the file name
indicated that it was just a replica.
When Kadota asked the hoodlum what the picture of the door meant, the answer he got was
that it stood for DOAdead or alive.
After that, Kadota and gang had first gone over to that apartment, forced open the door and saved

the girl.
Perhaps it was because the thugs employed for the people snatching had parked their cars outside
the Toshima ward, while Kadota and gangs vehicle was just in Ikebukuro, allowing them to get
their first.
Although they didnt know who that trembling girl in the back of the van was, but Kadota as
always, had filled in a report form on the Dollars website. This form was to stop disputes
between fellow Dollars members, but then again Dollars members practically never bumped into
each other on the streets.
And if there did, it would probably be on friendly terms like with Karisawa and the illegal
immigrant Kaztano; they had only found out today that they were in the same group as Simon
and Shizuo.
Theyd thought had first that illegal immigrants had Internet access and thus were able to join.
Later they found out that they had been invited to join in real life by word of mouth. The
organization Dollars had seemingly crossed over from the Internet, and was using all sorts of
methods to proliferate.
And the result of that proliferation, could be seen in todays first meeting.
Iyayaya, just how many people are there? Thats right, isnt this more like a large scale offline
BBS forum meeting than a gang meeting? Everyone looks pretty normal.
Thats because the Dollars itself isnt a colour gang at all! Its probably better to call it
colourless!
Oh yeah, I wonder what the leaders like.
Who knows

Kadota who wasnt really able to share Yumasaki and Karisawas excitement sat at the drivers
seat and mumbled to himself:
Ahso this is the Dollarsnot bad, not bad at all
This group Ive joined, has exceeded all my expectationsKadota proclaimed inwardly. At the
same time, he was thoroughly taken in by the sight before him. Because the number of people
congregating before him, had long exceeded that of most colour gang meetings.

At first glance, this group of people didnt at all seem like they had come for a meeting. They
were all dressed differently in all sorts of clothes, and they didnt give off any particular vibe.
Everyone stood where they liked, perhaps with people that gave off the similar airs as them.
Some of them were from the workforce, and some were high school girls in school uniforms,
some were ordinary college students, some were foreigners, some who looked like theyd
mingled with gangs, some were housewives, and someand someand some;
A group like that had just gathered here. Although most of them were youngsters, but an
onlooker would still be amazed at the sheer number of people who had congregated on the road.
Even if the police came, theyd be able to get away with it. It had been the aim of these people in
forming a group, so theyd be able to blend seamlessly into the street.
Not long later, another similar message had been sent out.
Mikado had sent out a message just in time to everyone in his contactswhich was virtually
everyone who had come, a message like that

Anyone who isnt looking at their phones now is an enemy. You dont need to do anything, just
stare silently.

Namie and her minions who stood unmoving, encircled by the collective stares, had completely
snapped.
A lone Dullahan stood high above them, looking down at their state of perplexity.
In order to discern who was friend or foe.
Those who were surrounded by their stares, still holding on to their weapons and were still
banding together to protect Namie. Those were herand the Dollars enemies.
In exchange for backing them up, that evening, Celty had already met the girl who could be her
head.
The girl had a rather shocking stitch wound in a ring around her neck. When Celty had met her,
shed just asked her: Whats your name?
Since shed lost her memories, she probably wouldnt be able to answerCelty had been hoping
for something bad like that, but instead she got the worst possible response.
With empty eyes, the girl stared at Celtys helmet, and uttered the words:
Celty.
Case closed.
After hearing that, besides feeling a deep despair, she also felt a rush of relief as if her heart and

mind had been totally liberated.

Watching Namies entourage which completely stood out from the crowd, the black bikeCoiste
Bodhar let out a loud caterwaul, as if flaunting her existence.
The masses which had been facing Namie and her minions, all looked up at where Celty was
standingthe roof of a large high-rise building.
As if satisfied with the crowds reaction, Celty spread out her arms.
From the roof of the building, down its faceshe fell vertically downwards.

As the crowds on the ground began to scream, she expanded the shadow surrounding her body
as much as she could, and it looked as if a fog that was deeper than midnight had materialized in
the darkness of the night.
Not long later, this shadow engulfed the motorbikesnaking around the wheels and the
building face, as if they were attracted to each other, allowing her to ride perpendicular to the
wall.
The Dollars members and Namies entourage who were congregated along 60-Storey Street
were witnessing something that defied all laws of physics.
Celty leaped from the wall, and descended in between Namies entourage and the Dollars.
In the face of a scene that was like something out of a movie, there were people who were
watching intently, people who were trembling in fear, and even some who had burst into tears.
Thenignoring their stares, Celty pulled out a wreath of shadow without hesitation from her
back, and willed it into the form of an enormous scythe.
One of Namies subordinates was quaking violently, and raised his specialized baton and brought
it down towards her neck from behind her.
The helmet sitting on her neck had been knocked off, and revealed an empty space that was
clearly missing something.
Screams of shock and terror momentarily rang out, and those standing at the back were alarmed
as for some reason, the whole group in that instant had suddenly fallen into a state of sheer panic.
ButCelty showed no sign of stopping or hesitation.

Yes, I dont have a head. Im a monster. I dont have a mouth with which to speak, nor do I have
eyes to communicate my passion with.
But so what if I dont?
Whats wrong with that?
Im right here. I definitely exist here. And those who dont believe it should open their eyes
wider, and watch my actions. Empty your ears, and listen to the screams of frustration of a
monster.
Im here. Look, Im right here.
Listen, Im crying out now.
Ive been born right here and now, in order to etch my existence into this place
So, they heard. The sight before them had transformed into a passionate scream inside their
heads.
The screams of the Dullahan which had been impossible to hear, stained the street in the colours
of a battlefield.

LAST CHAPTER
'Dollars' Closing Scene
The Dollars had originally been nothing more than a joke.
It had been Mikados idea, and a few people hed met online had felt it was a pretty good idea
and had thus agreed to help him out with it.
They made up things about a group which was based in Ikebukuro, and spread its name all over
the next. And later, they made up even more things on top of that, and whenever anything
happened, theyd spread rumours about how they were the doing of the Dollars. They never
claimed to be from the Dollars, and would always say that they had heard it from someone
else. And if anyone wanted to know their source, theyd just ignore them, and they had even
made a fake site to fool people.
And when the rumours began getting out of hand, Mikado and friends decided that since theyd
started it, they might as well just go with it to the end and started a Dollars website. The website
required a password to enter, and even prepared many member posts. Then they began
spreading the websites address. If anyone wanted the password, theyd pretend and say
someone I know whos a member secretly told me, and then email it to them.
And just like that, theyd made up an organization. As for their objective, all theyd written on
the homepage had been All are welcome. There was absolutely nothing about rules and
restrictions on it.
Of course, at first there were many people who said things like Theres no such group in
Ikebukuro. But strangely enough, gradually there were people who began saying things like
Someones pretty confused, ha! or Why is some brat who hasnt even been to Ikebukuro
talking? The original creators all said they hadnt done it. Which was to say, people who
werent the creators were starting to defend the Dollars.

At first, theyd all been pretty enthusiastic about a situation like that, but then they slowly
realized that there was something amiss.
Indeed, it had been just a joke at first. They had intended to stir up some excitement at first, and
then later just ignore it later. Theyd just wanted to play a little prankbut then things started
moving in a strange direction.
At first it was just a made-up organization, and before they knew it, it seemed to having some
kind of impact in real life.
They had no idea whose doing it was. But apparently, someone had jumped out from the online
world into real life, and was spreading things by word of mouth in reality and getting all kinds of
people to join the Dollars.
The joke was going too far, and was leaving their extent of control. Things had come to this, so
they could just fess up. Thus, Mikado and his friends just slowly disappeared from it all. They
believed that just leaving Dollars alone, just letting it vanish by itself was the best way.
And yet, Mikado was the only one who was desperately clinging onto this joke.
Today the group was indeed possessing real power. And Mikado felt that, should there be no one
to keep these people in check, it would definitely be too dangerous. Deep down, there was
certainly a misguided sense of superiority hed gained from that power. But he kept feelings like
hidden in his heart. And when he finally realized it, hed become the leader of the Dollars.
No one had seen the one at the top of the Dollars before. And as absolutely no one had any idea
that he was only a junior high student at that time, the group rapidly expanded.
Until tonighta group that had been borne of fiction, had been embodied definitely in reality.
This is really amazing

Izaya said that slowly, as he watched the situation that had passed its climax.
Celty had beaten up ten men in under three minutes, and then gone off in pursuit Namie who had
fled in some unknown direction.
And the crowd that had congregated seemed to have woken up from an illusion, and broke into
groups and went on their separate ways home. The meeting before had been like a dream, and on
waking, the crowd had completely disappeared.
Those that remained, were merely a few cars parked at the roadsideand the regular night scene
and crowd.
Just nowwere there really that many people?
Kadota came out from a van parked at the roadside, and asked that to Orihara Izaya, whom he
hadnt seen in a long time.
Oh, long time no see Dotachin. Ah, in the twenty three wards in Tokyo, there are an astounding
number of people, yet theres an equally astounding lack of land. Its easily the most densely
populated place in the world. People can appear wherever they want, and its not surprising if
they disappear wherever either.
As the two of them finished their conversation, Celty had already returned to the entrance of the
large road.
And, Izayajust what the hell was that? Ive seen it before butits probably not human
right?
You saw it yourself just now didnt you? Shes a monsterbe sure to talk to her with respect.

After telling that to Kadota in a joking tone, Izaya made his way towards Celty.
Looks like you lost them.
Even though hed just seen how Celty had looked in combat, Izaya continued to speak to her as
he normally did.
Letting Namie escape had perplexed her quite a bit, and Celty leaned exhaustedly against her
motorbike.
Maybe, youve finally decided to give up?
Izaya was as relaxed as ever, as he spoke to Celty who had the cross-section of her neck
completely exposed.
Despicable. This bastard knew I didnt have a head all along.
Even in the face of Celtys true form, Izaya still maintained his composure. On the contrary,
Yumasaki and the others excitement hadnt quite died down yet, and they were still shouting
things like: Hyaya, eh? How strange! Its real right? So, Im not seeing things? Dont tell me
shesCG?! The pair standing a distance away, were enthusiastically watching them.
Celty felt a little irritated as people looked at her like this, so she picked up her helmet which had
fallen near her.
Hey~ You know ghosts are only scary because they creep around unseen at first and then
suddenly jump out to scare people: but you made such a flashy entranceI think people here
probably wont be afraid of you anymore.
After teasing Celty like that, he immediately brought up something hed found strange:

Which reminds me, you didnt kill a single person in the end right? Was something wrong with
your scythe? Too blunt?
Celty completely Izayas question, and merely patted away the dust on her helmet quietly.
The scythe shed used today was different from the one she normally used, as shed added a
sheath on both sides of the blade. It wasnt so much a sheath, as it felt more like shed just made
both sides of the blade become the back of a blade.
I still want to continue living in this place, so I dont want my reputation to fall too much.
She would never tell anyone that it was because of a childish reason like that. So she merely
shrugged sheepishly and once again placed her helmet back where her head should be.

Before he left, Izaya walked up to Mikados side.

Honestly speaking, Im pretty shocked.
Izaya said that with a face full of joy, and not a single drop of sweat ran down his face. Speaking
of which, during that meeting just now, just where had he been? Mikado was completely clueless
about that.
Oblivious to Mikados doubts, Izaya began candidly praising him:
I knew all along that there were many people calling themselves the Dollars online, but I never
expected that the moment an offline meeting was mentionedno, a gathering. It was such a lastminute suggestion, yet so many people still rushed over and turned up for it. Ah, humans have
really exceeded my expectations.

After saying that, he shook his head lightly.

But, Mikado-kunyou came here just because you dreamed of escaping a mundane everyday
life didnt you? But just give it over a year or so, and life in Tokyo will become ordinary for you
too. If you want to continue pursuing an extraordinary life, then I suggest you look elsewhere.
Perhaps you could do things like drugs and prostitution, and delve deeper into the underworld.
Only when Izaya had mentioned that, did Mikado realise something. Just what should he do if
that excitement hed just experienced kept repeating itself, or if he truly became the head of the
Dollars? Once his current life failed to satisfy him, would he be able to continue pursuing a new
way of life for the rest of his life?
As if hed read his mind, Izaya quietly smiled:
To someone whos a member of the underworld, things like that are completely normal to them.
Once you step into it, itll become normal to you in three days. Is someone like you really able
to put up with a situation like that?
Mikado had a deep empathy of what Izaya was driving at. But, this personwhy was he telling
this to him? Mikado couldnt help but think Izaya probably had some kind of agenda, but since
he had no idea of what this agenda was, he couldnt say anything just yet.
If you really want to leave normalityyou have no choice but to keep evolving. It doesnt
matter if you want to rise higher or if you want to sink lower, itll be the same.
Finally, he patted Mikado on the shoulder:
Savour your normal life while you can. But, out of respectI wont charge you anything for
Yagiri Namies number; and the fact that youre the creator of the Dollars, I wont sell anyone
that info either. This is your group, use it however you want.

After saying that, Izaya walked toward Celty without a word.

Mikado still felt rather uneasy, but he still bowed to Izayas retreating back.
Then, Izaya suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head, as if hed suddenly remembered
something and said:
Actually Ive been watching you online the whole timeah~Ive wanted to know all along just
what kind of person started that amazing group called the Dollars. Alright, good luck then,
Tanaka Taro-kun!
?!
How had he known that name?it was the username he used on that chatroom. Speaking of
which, hed also called Kadota Dotachin.
Then, he thought of what Izaya had just said. He knew he was the creator of the Dollars, and had
been observing him the whole timefollowing him online.
Then, Mikado thought of one person. The person who had invited him to join that chatroom. The
person who knew so much about Ikebukuro and the Dollars.
No wayno wayno way?!

After that, the police officers who had been patrolling the area arrived in 60-Storey Street. At that
time, Mikado who had been wearing his school blazer and Celty, had hidden in the shadows of a
dark alley until they left. Should the officers have seen a person in a school uniform at that time,
hed definitely be hauled off for some counseling.
People on the streets who had nothing to do with the Dollars, as well as the touts for the karaoke

lounges and bars should have witnessed the disturbance that had occurred just a while before.
But none of them reported anything to the police. An old saying goes: dont trouble trouble until
trouble troubles you. Likewise, no one really wanted to have anything to do with such a bizarre
occurence, and there were even people who thought it was just an illusion or something.
Butfor some reason, after the police left, the youths heart remained uneasy.
It felt like hed forgotten about somethingand just as Mikado was thinking about this, Celty
who had put on her helmet once again was already making for the van that her head was in.
Celty no longer held any feelings for her head, and the reason she was walking towards the van
was because she had merely wanted to say one final goodbye to it. Then
Stab.
She had just opened the van door when she felt an unfamiliar impact upon her back. And she felt
the same thing once more a little above that area.
Thats strange. Didnt something like this happen to Shizuo yesterday too?
That impact immediately turned into pain, which caused Celty to collapse onto her knees there
and then.
She turned to look behind her, and she saw a tall youth in a school blazer standing there.
He held a large scalpel in his hand, probably taken from the research facility.
After a short period of silence, Celtys wound began to heal, and the pain slowly diminished. On
seeing that, the youth said:
To think a knife wound like that couldnt kill you

After making sure that the knife blade wasnt stained with blood, Yagiri Seiji calmly strode into
the van.
Hey hey hey.
Celty had absolutely no idea how to react to this unexpected visitor, and had almost forgotten
that shed been stabbed twice in the back. She thought back to what Mikado had said, and she
supposed that this was the probably the boy called Yagiri Seiji who was pursuing her headand
was the younger brother of the woman just now. Like when he had been facing off with Shizuo,
the way he stabbed people was just too normal, and thus it was hard to notice his actions. He was
a guy like that.
Then, Yagiri Seiji stepped into the van and took the heroine away just like that.
Eh?
Mikado who was watching from afar was unable to discern what was going on, and his mouth
hung open.
Hed seen a teenager in a school blazer climb into the van, and not long after, hed taken a girl
with scars on her neck away.
Seiji took the girls hand, and displayed a positively ecstatic smile. His gaze as steady as ever, he
walked away from the van.
Karisawa and Celty who was watching beside her did nothing to stop him, or perhaps it was
probably because they couldnt stop him.
It was because the way Seiji had acted in the van had been just too innocent and so full of
dignity.

When she saw him, Karisawa had thought he was Mikados friend. He was wearing the same
school uniform, and there was not a trace of guilt or apprehension in his eyes.
In the vanhed gazed so honestly at the head girl, and reached out a hand.
Im here to get you. Here, lets go.
On hearing those words, perhaps Karisawa and Celty would still be able to stop him. But in the
next second, events took a turn for the completely unexpected.
Alright.
They hadnt thought the head girl would answer that immediately, and take Seijis hand like that
without any hesitation.
As if hed expected the head girl to give this response, Seiji nodded vigorously and helped her
off the van.
All this seemed like something fated from their previous lives, and the street in the night, had
seemed to become the path on which they would be reunited
Eh? What?
On seeing an unnatural scenario like this, Mikado felt rather bewildered, but continued watching
intently.
When Kadota and Yumasaki saw Seijis uniform, they assumed that he was with Mikado, and
thus didnt pay any special attention to him, and merely continued casually looking on. Izaya had
probably sensed that something was amiss, yet he had no intention whatsoever of stopping it, and
went on observing the turn of events with a happy smile.

Not long later, when Seiji who had started walking down the street with the head girl spotted
Mikado, he approached him of his own accord.
Hey.
Seijis greeting was extremely ordinary, yet it seemed so hair-raisingly alien. Mikado was unable
to respond to that.
Seiji did not seem to take notice of Mikados reaction and went on talking:
I should probably thank you and Sis. Without Sis, I wouldnt know where she was: and without
you, Sis would probably keep her locked up in that cramped research lab.
After thanking him in such an insipid manner, Seiji made to blatantly move past Mikado. Mikado
hurriedly threw out a hand in an attempt to block them, and managed to glance at the girl with
Seiji. Then, she perplexedly looked away. From what Mikado saw, this reaction was because she
was afraid of something.
So Mikado stared at Seiji, and asked about an important matter:
I hope youll be able to answer meits about the thing I told your sister to scare her just
now
You mean the stuff about how I killed someone? Yeah, its probably true.
On hearing him say that, Mikado momentarily felt a slight chill run down his whole body just
looking at the person before him.
And Seiji had maintained such a composed expression as he said it, and raised a scalpel in front
of Mikado who was blocking him.

So, get out of my way. Since the matter of me killing that stalker girl is now exposed, then I
have to run away to another place with her before the police arrive.
Seijis eyes were not crazed in the least, and were not at all consumed by cruelty.
Even if you say that
What do you know? Ive been watching her since I was little. Since the beginning when she was
trapped in that cramped glass jar, Ive always wanted to set her free. I wanted her to be free in
this wide world, and I would live beside her. Ive always always always always always always
always always been only thinking about that.
His eyes were so ordinarily calm, though they could be said to be filled with some kind of
conviction. Or perhaps, it was the reality he had chosen. But from what others saw, it was
something both incomprehensible and terrifying.
What are you doing?
Something was wrong. Izaya, Kadota, Yumasaki and the others successively surrounded the two
of them.
On seeing the group of aggressive-looking people, Seiji shook his head gently:
You guys are really annoying. No one can stop the power of love.
Even in the face of a situation like this, he still said with a completely straight face. He twisted
the scalpel raised in his hand, turned to Mikado and said firmly:
Speaking of which, dont you feel youre pretty useless? Whether it was then or now, youd
always have a bunch of cronies whod be helping you outyou never did anything yourself, like
the lowest-ranked underling. You probably havent been in love with someone before right?

Someone who doesnt know how much work it is to gather people, is not even at the level of an
underling.
On hearing Mikados ridiculing remark, Seiji merely smiled painfully, and immediately lowered
the scalpel, pointing it at him.
And at that time, a black shadow rammed violently into Seijis body from behind.
!
The attack had come from Celty who had been waiting in the wings. With the handle of her
scythe, she struck Seijis left hand hard, trying to get him to drop the scalpel. Although he had
received such a fierce hit on his hand, he did not let go of the scalpel. Not only that, he was still
intending to make for Mikado with the knife in the stance after being hit.
An attack like that wont be able to shatter my love!
He was still thinking about advancing with the head girl in tow as he said those words that were
clearly out of place in the situation.
As if he wanted to intimidate all the opponents before him, Seiji tightly gripped the knife in his
hand and sharply swung it down to one side. Celty on seeing that, panicked and lashed out a
second time, but
It wont work!
Oi, just whats this guy on?
Kadota looked at Seiji with utter disbelief, but Seijis eyes kept their steadiness, and the pain
hadnt even caused him to so much as a quiver.

It wont work! It hurts, but I can ignore it! Celty and Iwe dont need any pain or sadness in or
lives! So thats why I dont think the pain I feel now is really pain at all!
What are you talking about?!
On hearing Mikados outburst, Celty raised her scythe, deciding to sever the opponents wrist
tendons.
Whats wrong with this guy? I have to stop him quickly, or itd be dangerousis this his socalled display of love? Whats wrong with his values? Or should I saythe values humans have
are actually different from mine? I dont understand, I dont understand I dont understand I
dont understand
As if she was trying to dissipate her fears, Celty raised her scythe slightly. And without her
noticing, the two sides of the scythe had become very sharp, as though theyd been painstakingly
filed. On seeing that, Mikado and the rest who had been surrounding them took a big step back.
So, in the moment Celty lowered her scythe in the direction of Seijis wrist;
Hold it aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!
A sharp shriek had caused everyone around to stop moving.
Besides two people, who were Seiji and her.
The moment before the girl with scars on her neck could block Celtys scytheSeiji had already
sensed her movements and had instead come forth to protect her. The scythe had stopped right in
front of Seijis body, and hadnt hurt anyone in the end.
Then, everyone turned to look in the direction of the girl, curiosity and surprise on their faces.

When Celty had raised her scythe and struck down towards Seiji, the one who had risked death
to protect himwas the girl who looked like the head and who called herself Celty. The way
shed screamed and defended Seiji like that was totally different from the docile appearance
shed kept before.
Please stop! Seiji-san, Seiji-san is just a little strict, a little violent, and hes different from other
people, but he saved me! He saved me, saved me and Anri, and, besideshe has someone he
likes. Soso you cantkillhim
Her voice slowly began to quiver, and tears started streaming down her face, and she fell back
into Seijis embrace.
Could it becould it be could it be
So, the Dullahan realised.
Thats not right. This isnt my head
Practically at the same time, Mikado had realised who she really was.
This girl isnt the Dullahans head! Shes
HarimaMika?
To Mikados question, which sounded more like something he was saying to himself, she began
to shiver uncontrollably and averted her gaze.
Am I right? Youre the person whom we thought Yagiri-kun killedHarima Mika, right?
Impossible.

That last phrase left Yagiri Seijis mouth. In the span of time that hed heard her voice and her
name, a lot of memories came to mind. It was the stalker girl who looked so much like her. And
also the personwhose head hed smashed against the wall, and assumed to have died.
Oi, hes lying right?
Im sorry! Im sorry! Imso sorry
ActuallyI didnt really die! I was still aliveand then Seiji-sans siser asked measked me
if I wanted Seiji-san to like me! Ialthough I was almost killed by Seiji-san, but I still really
like Seiji-san! Thenthen they got a doctorand he said with a some plastic surgery, and
some make-upthen Id look just like that headthe head that Seiji-sans in love with!
On hearing that, Celtys body suddenly jolted.
Butthen, the doctor said: Your name is Celty, its that heads nameso I wanted to become
Celty for Seiji-sanbut, Namie-san said it wasnt enoughshe said Id be exposed
immediatelyso I had to undergo surgery to remove my emotions and memories! But II
didnt want to forget my feelings for Seiji-sanI wanted to tell him how much I loved him! So
II escaped from the research facility!
Seijis sister, had apparently wanted to use a live person to impersonate the head, in order to
break up her brother and the head. All this had been so that her brother could return to being a
normal person, but her jealousy towards the headand unfortunately, even Namie herself was
unable to notice that clearly.
On hearing that confession, the numerous shards in Celtys heart had began to piece themselves
together, to give a final, complete picture.
There were only a few people who knew Celtys name, and of them, the only one who knew she
was a Dullahan wasKishitani Shinra. He was the person Celty was living with, the

underground doctor who knew her secret.

Celty began to think back to the beginning, and suddenly remembered when she had wanted to
investigate the pharmaceutical and university research facilities to find out the whereabouts of
her head, Shinra had suggested on his own accord:
(I know some people working at Yagiri Pharmaceuticals, so Ill investigate there for you. Its not
wise for you to owe Orihara Izaya anything when you can use me to do this kind of thing.)
So hed gone to investigate, and finally reported that there hadnt been anything dubious there.
But perhaps hed know that the head was at Yagiri Pharmaceuticals from the beginning. Hed
even hid that fact from her, and had offered to help investigate of his own accord
Celty clenched her fist tightly, without a second glance at Mika and Seiji, she merely bowed
towards Mikado and leapt onto her motorcycle.
Then, under the cover of night, the engine of the motorbike let out a deafening roar.
As if declaring that the nights banquet had ended, it was the most passionate call that had
sounded that night.
Yourelying. How could it: Then II
With the intention of delivering the final blow to the dazed Seiji, the bad guy sidled quietly to his
side:
In the end, you couldnt even tell which was the real one. To put it bluntly, the love you have for
that head is only at this level. Tough.
Orihara Izayas words, had caused Seiji to snap completely, and he fell to his knees.

Seiji-san!
The person who had rushed over the moment shed seen that, was the girl with the ring of scars
around her neck, his classmateHarima Mika.
To Mikado, it seemed very much like a rather hilarious comedy, but he couldnt exactly laugh at
it.
After thinking for a while, Mikado walked towards them, and sheepishly began to speak:
Uhalthough you couldnt tell she was a fake, but you still risked your life to protect her. I
think thats really admirable.
After comforting Seiji a little like that, he proceeded to tell them:
When I heard about what happened to Harima-san before, I think I must have misunderstood.
There are some problems with her personality, but shes definitely not a stalker.
The words that followed, were said as if he was talking to himself:
Eh in the end she still ended up troubling you like this. And, as far as stalkers go, all shes
done so far is just show possessiveness of you. But, she willingly risked her life for Yagiri-kun. I
dont think shed do just a thing if it really was just selfish possessiveness. And from another
angle, its really admirable how she can still like the person who almost killed her
After leaving one last unnecessary phrase behind, he left the street in the night.
I think, Harima-sanis a lot like Yagiri-kun.

Beside Kawagoe Highway A Condominium Late at night

At the same time shed unlocked the door, Celty kicked open the door to Shinras house.
Oh, youre back.
Shinra who was typing something on the computer in the living room, welcomed her with his
usual smile.
Celty had absolutely no intention of removing her boots made out of shadow, and stormed over
to the youth clad in white. Then, without any explanation, she grabbed his collar.
She was in no mood at all to type on the computer, and she didnt think shed be able to resolve
her anger by beating him up. Just as Celty was thinking about how she should deal with him
You probably want to say: What the hell are you doing? Right?
In the calmest tone possible, Shinra revealed exactly what Celty had been thinking.
And then you would say: You knew all along did not you? You probably knew twenty years
ago that my head was in that research facility? And your father, and you, have been in cahoots
with Yagiri Pharmaceuticals since the beginning! No, now that I think about it, the first them you
met me, both of you were strangely calm! Perhaps even, the person who stole my head from my
body was your father?! And you knew all that and you still hid it from me, and you even took
that job as an underground doctor, and just performed surgery on that dying girl! I may be a
monster, but someone like you who just devours people like that without a single qualm, is the
real monstersomething like that right?
!
Thats right, let me clarify this, lest you misunderstandI dont know my father was the thief

who stole your head, nor am I interested in knowing. And, she went through that minor surgery
because she wanted too. Perhaps the people at Yagiri Pharmaceuticals coaxed her into making
that decision, but I dont really care that much.
After hearing what Shinra had to say, Celty relaxed the grip she had on his collar.
And even her quivering fist, had become still as if time had stopped.
If I could talk, Idprobably say exactly the same thing.
In the face of such a pensive Celty, Shinra showed a relatively masochistic smile and said:
You want to ask: How did you know what I wanted to say? Right? But theres nothing good
to ask about that.
Shinra was sure this was what Celty was thinking, so he didnt wait for an answer and went on:
Hm, I know. After all, Ive loved you for twenty years, so of course Id know this much.

If we were to talk about how I knowwell I would say that its because when humans are
judging how the other party is feelings, they depend too much on facial expressions. Subtler
things like the sound of footsteps, and changes in muscle tension can also tell you what someone
is feeling. Especially me, since Ive been watching you for so long after all
Whats the use of saying all this? Even so, why wouldnt you ever tell me where my head
was?
As if hed read Celtys mind, Shinra forced out the next sentence:

Its because I love you. Thats why I wouldnt tell you where your head was.
?
Because once you find your head, youll disappear from before my eyes. I wont be able to
accept that.
His reason had been borne of his selfishness, yet his words shone so purely:
I wont say things like Im going to give up for the sake of your happiness. For the sake of our
love, Ill fight it out to the end. I said it before didnt I? Ill do everything in my power to achieve
victory in the game of fate that we share. That was why, I used that poor girl. Shes called Mikachan, right? I made use of her to make you give up on your head. Ill never let you leave me. And
in order to achieve that goal, I dont care if I have to make use of other peoples love or death or
myselfthis may seem a little contradictory, but Ill even make use of your feelings.
Those words sounded rather twisted at first, but there was not a hint of insincerity and guilt
clouded his eyes.
On hearing that, Celty felt a little discouraged. She had initially decided that should Shinra start
playing dumb or making bad excuses, shed give him a beating to remember, then run out the
door and never come back to see him again. But Celty was at a loss for words when she heard
him explain himself so clearly.
Tentatively, Celty let Shinra down, and typed furiously on her keyboard as if she was venting her
anger on it.
Even if get my head back, I wont leave you.
Thats your opinion. Your head might not agree.

Shinras reply was stern, and bore no trace of his usual teasing manner.
Ive always wondered, in this wide world, why were you the only one to appear before humans?
Just how were you different from the other Dullahans? So I thoughtits probably because of
your head. Its because you dont have a head that you can materialise and exist in this world.
Thats what I think.
As if he was reading out a tragedy novel hed written himself, Shinra finished with a rather
melancholic expression on his face.
In that case, when you find your head and regain all your memorieswhat if you disappear like
mist in the morning sun, as if everything before was just a dream? Thats what Im afraid of.
Celty quietly walked to the chair nearby and sat down. For a moment, in the silence, she
remained motionless.
Then, in the momentarily still room, the tapping of a keyboard resounded.
Will you believe what Im going to say?
I believe you. Or perhaps more precisely, youre the only one Ill believe.
After affirming his response, Celty began typing out the words that echoed the thoughts in her
heart.
Imscared too.
Im scared, Im scared Ill die.
I well aware Im invincible. I know that no one can kill me at the moment. Im not boasting, its
purely a fact that I should accept. Im not happy or pleased with that fact in any way. Butno,

or rather, its because Im invincible that Im scared. My body doesnt contain the core that is my
death. So theres only one possibilityand that is, that my head is that core. Should anyone
destroy my head at any one time without my knowledgethen, regardless of what I think now, or
what kind of situation Im in, Ill
Celty didnt finish type out the last part, and after all, her fingers began typing a new line:
Will you believe me? Someone like me who has no eyes or a brain, can actually dream. Do you
believe that the nightmares I have make me shake in fear? Its because Im scared, so I want to
be able to control my own death, and its because of that that Ill keep looking for my head. If I
say thatwill you believe me?
Shinras eyes had not missed a single word of the monologue that the Dullahan had typed out on
the screen.
He waited for her fingers to stop moving before replying promptly:
I said it just nowyoure the only person Ill believe.
After just saying that, Shinra cheerfully broke into smileand looking as if he was about to cry,
he laughed:
This is all really bewildering. Were actuallygetting so worked up over our own
speculations.
Were both being idiots arent we?
The Dullahan slowly stood up, and typed out a few short sentences with one hand on the
computer.
Hey Shinra.

What is it?
Let me hit you.
Alright.
Shinras answer came without hesitation. Celty was similarly unhesitant, and landed a direct
punch to Shinras face.
There was a loud crash, and the youth in white landed heavily on the floor.
Blood trickled from the corner of Shinras mouth, and he lay sprawled on the floor. He lay there
for a while, and then suddenly got up. He turned to Celty, and sought her agreement:
Now, let me you hit you once too.
Normally, he would never ask to hit her, but nevertheless, she still acceded to his request.
After making sure the empty helmet was facing the front
With a light punch, Shinra knocked off the helmet.
It fell to the ground with a thump, and Celtys helmet rolled about on the floor for a bit.
?
Celty couldnt understand the meaning behind Shinras meaningless gesture and lapsed into
silence. And as for the underground doctor, he massaged his smarting hand, he smiled:
See, Celtys the most beautiful when shes honest with herself.

As he looked at the place that was clearly missing something, Shinra went on:
Lets just take that punch as our wedding kiss.
On hearing Shinra saythat, Celty buried herself in Shinras chest, and punched him hard in the
gut.
Guh!
Then, she leaned against Shinras body.
At the same time, her left hand typed on the keyboard:
You really are an idiot.
In that moment that had no need for words, Shinra gently held Celty.
Feeling her body jerking sporadicallyShinra realised, she was crying.


Shinjuku Early morning
Everything she had done had been for her brother.
But to be more precise, none of what she had done had benefited Seiji in the least. More
truthfully, she had done all that for her own happiness, urged on by her desire to see her brothers
smilebut she was entirely unaware of that.
After that uproar, Yagiri Namie had immediately taken the head and left the research facility. As
she had expected, not long after shed left, the news of a black bikea Dullahans body raiding
the research facilities had reached her. But the head was already in her hands. If she were to let
the Dullahan get her head back, her brother might lapse into the depths of depression, or maybe
even simply just take that body as his soulmate as well.
Either way, none of that was what Namie wanted to see.
She had to be in control of the head at all times. She wanted her brother to look only at her.
That was her only wish.
And as she held up her cellphone and placed a call to ask her uncle for help, she heard an
unbelievable piece of news.
Her uncle said that there had been an emergency meeting for the board of directors that night,
and the takeover by Nebula had just been confirmed. It looked like the head office, or perhaps
Nebula had been closely observing not only the nights commotion, but all the disputes involving
the research facility as well. It wasnt clear who had proposed that, but either way, both parties
had come to an agreement for a merger before even more serious problems cropped up.
Of course, Nebula had requested for something, and it had been the Dullahans head.

Namie ended the call with practically enough force to crush the phone, and turned the car
around.
She had decided not to ever return to the office, but, she had to find an organization which would
help her hide the head.
She probably wouldnt be very successful if she were to approach the underground for help,
since the head wouldnt benefit them in anyway. If she were to take it to another research
facility, shed probably be received with courtesy because of the data she had with her, but shed
still have to deal with the fact that the head would no longer be in her hands.
Shed already run out of options. Finally she chose to seek refuge with one person
This is the first time weve met face to face right? Did that list of illegal immigrants come in
handy?
So Namie who had run away with the head, had come to Orihara Izayas abode.
But youve really done some silly things. In order to gain your brothers twisted love, youve
abandoned everything. Or should I say, for the twisted love you have for your brother?
Izaya softly ridiculed her, and at the same time he placing some Othello pieces on the game
board. Although his attention and words were all directed towards Namie who was sitting before
him, his eyes never left the game board.
Youre superiors couldnt just have sat still, could they? Nebula is such a large scale
international company, no, its a megacorp with a large influence even in America.
He set down another Othello piece, and now two black Othello pieces were on either side of a
shogi pawn.

Alright, the pawn is promoted.

As he said that, he immediately turned the pawn piece over, and picked up the king as if nothing
had happened. An outsider watching him would definitely have no idea what he was doing. But
to him, it probably carried some kind of meaning.
So, youre in pretty dire straits now huh. Maybe the mafiall try to hunt you down, or you might
get shot right between the eye by some expert sniper hired by a Swiss bank, like pam,
checkmate.
The king in Izayas hand moved a space forward and captured the king on the other side.
I wonder whatll happen if theres a rule where the kings can have a one-on-one fight.
Then, Izaya finally looked at Namie. Namie had a rather impatient look on her fast. She didnt
have the heart to respond to Izayas nonsensical statements.
Izaya opened the specialized briefcase beside the gameboard, and stared at the head that was
inside.
Then, he started a strange conversation with Namie:
Im guessing, Im just like your uncle. He probably believes in the afterworld less than anyone
else, fears dying more than anyone else, and wants to go to heaven more than anyone else.
As she listened to Izayas reasoning, Namie began to think of her uncles face. Just as she began
to speculate about his way of thinking, she was shocked to realize that besides her brother, she
was completely uninterested in other members of her family. Although she was trying every way
possible to recall her uncles personality, she was still unable to remember it clearly.

But, Ive already confirmed it. Im very sure that therell definitely be an afterworld. Lets just
take it as that.
He was gazing at the beautiful face of Celtys head. Izaya played with her hair with his fingers
and said slyly:
It is said that by principle, the Dullahans of lore were all female. Do you know why that is?
No I dont. Some of my subordinates were researching those legends, but Ive always thought
it was a waste of time.
So youre a rationalist. Alright, but no matter what you thinkthere are many myths and
legends that have things in common with each other, and are sometimes even related. In
Scandinavian mythology, a heaven called Valhalla existsactually, its not really a heaven.
Either way, a place like that just exists. A similar concept exists in Celtic mythology, where
departed souls rest in a place called the Otherworld. Now, back to Scandinavian folklore which
believes in the existence of female angels in armor called Valkyries, who look for the souls brave
warriors and guide them to Valhallaspeaking of women in armour who seek the dead, havent
you heard something like that before?
So what?
Namie had absolutely no idea about the point Izaya was trying to make. She only felt that the
smile plastered to his face was slowly looking more and more like a mask, looking keener and
keener.
Thats why one explanation states that the Valkyries wandering the human realm are actually
Dullahan. Thats why Dullahans are female, and most of them have been reportedly wearing
armour. If this is really the casethen that head is probably waiting. Waiting for its time to
wait, waiting for a war, waiting for the time to guide that saintly warrior to Valhalla.

Even though everything he said after that was purely Izayas own speculations, yet he went on
just as if he was explaining facts:
The reason why this head is alive but still in a deep slumber is because its not a battlefield here.
If its possible, Id like to be that chosen warrior. But, even if I take this head to the warzones in
the Middle East, I wont be able to survive on a battlefield.
Then, his voice suddenly changed into that of a youth who was anticipating something eagerly.
His smile had already cut off all ties with humanity.
If its really possible to go to the place called Valhalla after one dies, just what would I have to
do to get there? Besides starting a warwell the only way is to start a where. But, even if I go to
the Middle East, I wont be able to do anything. So thats why, Ill have to start a war which only
I can fight, a war which only I can win, isnt that right?
Izaya finished, and pressed his finger down on one corner of the game board, and as if using his
entire body to convey his happiness, spun the board around forcefully. The Othello, shogi and
chess pieces covering the board flew off in all directions, finally leaving behind the promoted
shogi pawn in the middle of the game board.
Ifright here in Tokyo a war that has nothing to do with the army or the government were
to startI have confidence that Ill be able to survive to the end. Goodness, Im so lucky! I dont
believe in heaven, and I chose a life where I could never get into heavenand its because of all
that that someone like me was able to meet a fallen angel!
Izaya showed that emotionless smile, expressing pure joy. And within his laughter and happiness,
there was absolutely no room for anyone else. Thus, Namie who had initially intented to say
something, could only retort with something stale like:
Thatsjust your own speculation.

Those who believe will never perish. And Ive said it before, this is just insurance. Thats
whyIm doing my best to insure myself, to make sure Ill be to get to the afterlife. Even if I
go to hell after I doeven if theres only pain after deathits fine as long as I continue
existing in the afterlife. But, if its possible, Id much rather go to heaven.
Then, Izaya casually asked Namie something, as if he was inviting a girl out for a meal:
Thats right, Namie-san. Lets all go to heaven together.
As she looked at Izayas masklike smile, Namie realized only then, that shed given that angel
to the last person who should have her.
And then Izaya smiled lightly at Namie who was thinking that and said:
As a member of the Dollars, Im best suited to safeguard this head. As the saying goes A tenfoot lighthouse shines far, not near*Celty will never know to think, her head is right in the
group shes part of.
* Hidden in plain sight. A lighthouse will shine far and reveal far off things, yet light will never shine on those
directly around it.

Dollars? Celtys a member of it?

Information that Namie had never known, invaded her senses in waves. And just as she her mind
was swirling in confusion, Izaya ebulliently offered her a devilish invitation.
You join the Dollars too. After all, our motto is All are welcome. Even thoughI was the one
who started inviting people in later on.
He sounded like he was teasing her, yet it was like he was in love with her, and perhaps he was
wishing her well.

Lets help this fallen angelspread her wings and fly. Alright?

South Ikebukuro Park Morning

This is a twisted story.
I dont love you.
Under the sky that was steadily turning white, a boy and girl sat on a park bench, in each others
embrace.
But, when I look at you, I wont forget my love for her, and I wont forget my determination.
So Ill accept your love. Until the dayI find her.
Seiji said that in a hardly discernible whisper, gently holding Mika against his chest.
And in his embrace, Mika quietly smiled. And as she smiled, she silently resolved.
In order for Seiji to truly love me, I have to become that head. So, even if I have to sacrifice
everything else, I will still keep on loving him. In order to help him find the head, Ill do
anything, and I wont mind at all. And when I find that head, Ill cut it into pieces before Seijis
eyes, grind them up and pour them into my mouthso that shell become my flesh and blood.
Ill do it all just for him, for him, for him
This was all so that their love became one that could finally exist when that moment came.
It was a love that was so innocent, yet so infinitely warped.

Their silhouettes seemed so transient and beautiful, yet at the same time, it seemed so hopelessly
twisted.

EPILOGUE
Everyday LifeOn The Surface
Much like a young kid who wanted to talk about what happened in yesterdays anime, an
innocent smile spread across Masaomis face:
Hey, Mikado, I saw it onlineI heard there was a Dollars gathering yesterday! And it turns out
Simon and Shizuo are part of the Dollars! And and, that black biker really doesnt have a head,
and he rode up a wall, and he even had this huge scythe which went like BWAA and
everything was like super amazing!
I have no idea what youre talking about.
Something so big had just happened, but obviously the school wouldnt disappear because of
that. The school bell still rang like nothing had happened, and normal classes went on as always.
That day during lunch, Mikado went up to the roof of the first school building. At that time,
almost everyone in the school had gone to have lunch at the student cafeteria which was of the
same standard as that of an eatery in a private university, or had gone out to eat at some shop
but there were some students who were different from them, and preferred taking their bentos up
to the roof to eat.
The sky was the same whether he was looking from the roof or from the street, and Mikado then
realized, it was the exact same sky from his hometown. Something perfectly natural like that.
The strange thing was, hed clearly experienced so many extraordinary things, yet the feelings in
his heart were inexplicably down-to-earth. It felt very much like he was experiencing the day
after that of a long-anticipated school trip.
The day after that event, Mikado, rubbing his bleary eyes, had gone to school and noticed that
Yagiri Seiji was seated at his seat as though nothing had happened. During lessons, he hadnt

even looked at Mikado once. Then when the first period had ended, hed come over to him and
said: Im sorry for having caused you so much trouble.
Then, hed turned and returned to his seat.
And even more shockingly, Harima Mika had showed up in school as well, perfectly composed.
Anri was slightly startled when she saw that Mikas face was now different from what shed
remembered. But it was the first time the other students had seen her and they were pretty
curious about her, and not only about the bandages on her neck.
Mika who sat beside Mikado had just said Thank you to him after class, and then run off to
stick herself to Seiji.
Despicable. So shes Seijis girlfriend! So its like that! A hot girlfriend like her, no wonder he
says he lives for love!
Masaomi began complaining as he saw their actions. But Mikado who knew their troubles could
only give a pained laugh and say Yeah to that.
But, it was also because of that that Mika and Anri wouldnt be together anymore. Every time
class ended, Anri always sit by herself in a corner of the classroom. And Mikado would always
watch her from afar with a strange feeling inside him.
Whether that development was for better or for worse, only she herself knew.
But, is it really like that? Is there really no way for me to know? Could it be that humans really
dont have the ability to perceive the thoughts of others?
(You have no choice but to keep evolving.)
Izayas words rang out in his mind.

Thats right, Ill definitely evolve. I want to see how much I can evolve in this everyday life of
mine, in this world Im living in. One day, Ill let that person see what I can truly do.
Whether his goal was to rise up or to sink lowerwould presently remain unknown. But he was
definitely still moving towards his goal. It was just that, now he had a little more room for
circumspection.
Mikado looked out from the classroom window, and looked to that huge sixty storey building,
and began to reflect on his current feelings.
After experiencing something that had completely defied normality, what was left was in fact a
curious feeling of both fulfillment and emptiness.
The me now, will definitely be able to face reality straight up and accept it.
But before he faced himself honestly, there was something else he needed to do.
So, he had gone up to the rooftop. Because hed heard, she went there for lunch everyday.
He thought that nothing would be able to hinder him ever again if he could do something so
bold. He thought he wouldnt be afraid of anything ever again
He didnt think, hed freeze up at that juncture.
Online, it was so easy for him to talk to just about anyone
But he had never expected at all, that fulfilling such a tiny wish in his everyday life would be so
difficult.
I didnt think Id need so much courage just to ask a girl from my class out.

Time before the youth notices Anri, another thirty seconds

Time before the youth sees Masaomi hitting on Anri, another thirty five seconds
Time before the youth gives Masaomi a flying kick, another forty five seconds
Time before the youth gets a roundhouse kick from Masaomi, another fifty seconds
Time before the youth invites Anri out for tea, another seventy three seconds
Time before the youths offer to go out for tea is rejected by Anri, another seventy four seconds
Time before the youth accepts Anris invitation to have lunch with her on the roof, another
seventy eight seconds
Time before the youth falls in love with Anri, another
Time before the youth confesses to Anri, another
Chatroom.
After that day had come to an end, Mikado slowly turned on his computer. He was intending to
see what kind of response had been generated from yesterdays commotion. However, there
werent any particularly heated discussions. There were a few people who posted some things
about the Dullahan, but not many people paid heed to them.
Well, it was to be expected.
After giving a pained smile, he went on the chatroom he went on practically every day. It was the
chatroom Izaya, under the alias of Kanra, had invited him to join. So at this point, he only had

one online friend whose username was Setton.

That person also said that KanraOrihara Izaya invited him. I hope he isnt someone from the
underground as well
Tanaka Taro-san has entered the chatroom
Good evening.
[Evening. Ive been waiting here by myself for a long time.]
Is that so? But Im pretty sleepy today, so Ill probably go off earlier.
[Oh, not enough sleep? You stayed up late last night?]
Yeah, I had something on.
[I wonder when Kanra will be coming on.]
KanraI wonder if hes even coming.
[Ah, Im sorry, something came up here, so Ill go off first.]
Ah? I see
[So sorry, Ill go off now.]
Hm, alright then.
Setton-san has left the chatroom

Sorry for interrupting your fun.

The man in white smiled apologetically behind Celty.
Its alright.
After tapping a few times on the keyboard with one hand, Celty got up from the chair.
Thats good. Todays job seems pretty dangerous, so be careful. Youre supposed to
After accepting the job request, Celty walked out the door soundlessly.
With thatCelty had begun another day.

EPILOGUE
Everyday LifeBeneath The Surface
A black shadow cruised down National Highway No. 254.
It was a black bike with no headlights. And far in front of it, a few patrol cars illuminated the
darkness of the night with a red glow.
And in front of these patrol cars, a dry explosion could be heard.
On hearing that soundthe initially silent motorcycles engines cried out to the street in the
night.

Ah, its that Dullahan.

Iyaya, its really cool. That guys definitely CG.
Karisawa and Yumasaki were happily discussing that as Celty sped past a van.
Although they had seen Celtys true self for themselves, they didnt really seem to be able to
understand gravity of the present situation. Not only them, everyone who had seen her fighting
then, had surprisingly, naturally accepted her existence.
Perhaps it was that feeling of not being able to question whatever it was as well as her dignified
presence that caused people to be unable to believe in it and instead think of it as merely a dream
or perhaps, it was because she had long become a part of that city.
There were some people who posted things about what had happened online and naturally, they

were laughed off in the end.

As such, rumours began spreading online that the gathering that night had actually been some
kind of a hoax. In the end, the name of the Dollars did not further spread. But this ending was
probably much better than if it had gotten the polices or some underworld organisations
attention.
To those who had gone to that gathering, the events of that night were etched deeply into their
hearts.
But why did he show up at out meeting?
Kadota who was seated at the passenger seat up front, spoke without turning his head back:
Did you know, that black bikeris actually a member of the Dollars.
Eh? For real?!
Thats the first time Ive heard something like that! So thats why he went all out in front of us!
Thats totally awesome! With him there, the Dollars will be completely invincible!
As he listened to Yumasaki and Karisawas various exclaimations in the back, Kadota quietly
closed his eyes.
He thought back to what Izaya had said to him when he was about to leave the place that night.
(Dotachin, Ive met the head of the Dollars. Do you want to know how our groups name came
about?)
(Isnt it because of something like Give me your dollars?)

(Not like that. Our group pretty much focuses on doing nothing, and yet the name is still pretty
goodthats right, they dont do anything. All of them just gather and go dara dara*. Thats about
it.)
*Not doing anything

In actuality, that group didnt really have any internal structure. The group Dollars was nothing
more than a fortress wall, allowing those which had entered to change the country however they
liked. Later, it all depended on how beautiful or intimidating those inside could make the walls.
Even if didnt have any substance, its mere appearance was good enough for its name to stick
aroundit wasnt that different from humans.
Kadota looked ahead at the commotion which seemed like that from a carnival, and smiled as
though he was mocking himself.
Just like that black biker guy.

Using the side of the truck as she would the ground, she soared past, managing to shake of the
patrol cars. Beside the officer who had his eyes widened, the cameramenwas visibly excited. It
looked like he was getting footage for a special programme featuring wanted criminals that was
frequently aired on television.
Even though she had noticed the camera, Celty still proceeded to form her scythe with her
shadow without hesitating for a second.
Holding high that never before seen, over three metre long scytheCelty cried out into the
night.
Just film if you want to film, look if you want to look. Burn this monsters image into the

earth! So what?
This is my life. These are the marks that Ive left behind after so many years, I have nothing to
be ashamed of.
She no longer hid in the darkness, but instead shone brightly in it. She would choose her own
path to walk, without caring too much about right and wrong.
Ordinary days, days without too much hope or despair. Knowing that nothing could be changed,
yet feeling contentment beyond compare.
As she swung down her enormous scythe on the black bulletproof vehicles, Celty realized.
Ever since that night when shed revealed herself in that city, shed gotten even more attached to
it than she had ever been before.
Perhaps even more so than with that head of hers which whereabouts still remained unknown
The car windows opened, and the person inside fired a gun at Celty.
The bullet shattered the visor, and entered the helmet.
And in that empty spacethe shadow was unmistakably smiling.

AFTERWORD
Hello everyone, nice to meet you, or if Ive met you before, then long time no see, Im Narita.
Thank you so much for buying this book Durarara!!!
Dont you feel a little mystified by just looking at the title? But if youve finished reading the
story thenyou still dont get the meaning behind it right? It all happened when I was editing
the finished draft of the book and my editor called and asked, Isnt it time to give an official
title to the Public Relations department?
So I just randomly gave a name, DuDurarara?
And in exchange for those string of syllables, the editor said:
Not bad. I kind of like ambiguous titles. Lets just use itbut, how do you write it in English?
I hadnt thought itd get through at all so while I was busy being stunned, the editor asked,
Do you want to add a ! behind like in Baccano! and BoWWow!1?
I would never believed it would be accepted like that, so my thoughts were kind of muddled-up
so I just said carelessly, Its rare that I get a chance like this so lets just add two exclamation
marks then.
There was a short period of silence, and I could hear the sound of a pen being used to write
something over the phone, and then suddenly the sound of my editors explosive laughter.
Wahahahahaha! It looks really stupid when you write it down! Its rare that we get this chance
so lets just go with it.

Thus the title Durarara!! was bornalthough to this day Im still not quite sure what its
supposed to mean.
The reason why Ive used Ikebukuro as the setting for the story isnt because I want to ride on
the current popularity of a certain novel and drama series, but more of because its the city Im
most familiar with.
In this particular work, Ive portrayed Ikebukuro and Shinjuku relatively rather subjectively, and
Ive also thrown in many fictional elements, so to those who havent been to those places: please
dont take it seriously. As for those readers who have been there, if you could take it easy and
read my works with an attitude like This guys such a liar!, I would be most happy. As for the
parts about colour gangs and the underworld, similarly, please bear with itohand Im glad I
could make myself clear now so that people with grievances like This author acting like he
knows everything, You think its funny to make fun of us gangs?, If youve got balls, come to
Ikebukuro at night will be able to look past all that.
*There may be some spoilers mentioned below
In Dengeki Bunko, it could be said that this book could be considered a little different. Having a
main character with nothing above their neck was already weird enough. To the editor who
accepted this crazy story of mine and as well as to Yasuda-sensei who did the illustrations, I give
my utmost thanks.
And this time, I tried putting as many jokes into the story as I could. Admittedly I went a little
overboard at some points, so thats why Ive mentally prepared myself for my punishmentbut
the things Ive put in arethings that I feel that are pretty interesting, so please read these jokes
with an open mind.
Since a long time ago, there have been lots of stories of headless creatures looking for their
heads. One example would be the recently made movie, Sleepy Hollow. Either way, using
headless creatures as the main theme for thrillers are usually really impactful. But although some

people feel that the Dullahan in Sleepy Hollow is the Dullahan in all those rumours, but I dont
think so.
It is said that the Dullahan isnt really the main theme. If you were to dig deeper into the details
of the story, youd find sources that say that the two-wheeled carriage is actually made of bones
of the deceased, and that the Dullahan is actually descended from Badhbh Catha2, a member of a
trio of war goddessesall which I havent included. Thus I hope everyone can see that in
Durarara!!, Celty is Celty and the Dullahans in other stories are themselves.
If I have a chance to continue writing the Durarara!! series, I would say there could possibly be
even more extreme developments in the story. For example things like Dullahan vs. Yellow
Scarves or Dullahan vs. Headhunteralthough I was scolded when I raised those ideas.
*Below are the usual acknowledgements
Id like to thank my editor Suzuki whom Im always troubling as well as my editor for two of my
works as of the start of this one, Wada-sama.
I also want to thank the proofreaders who often have their work delayed because of my slow
progress, as well as the artists who designed the cover of this book and those in the Public
Relations, Publishing and Marketing Departments of ASCII Media Works.
Id still like to thank my family and friends who have been supporting me, especially S-shi3
I want to thank the writers and illustrators in Dengeki Bunko who have been always been
looking out for me. EspeciallyArisawa Mamizu-sama, Imada Takafumi-sama, Okayu Masakisama, Nakamura Erika-sama who allowed me to add certain things4 as well as Kouda Kakutosana who told its up to you in response to some of the edgier jokes I put in.
Narita Ryougo