Why are urban legends so adorable?

Standing beneath a seven-story building, Kyosuke Hojo raised his head.

Wasn't this the exact place where he had encountered Shizuo Heiwajima and Izaya Orihara with Sakura just a moment ago? So these abnormal people all liked to gather in flocks?

After waiting another few minutes, Tomitaka Katagiri arrived riding a motorcycle equipped with a backrest standing over a meter high.

"Boss, I am sorry to keep you waiting."

Katagiri took a wooden box off the backseat and handed it over with both hands.

"Not at all. Sorry to trouble you with this in the middle of the night." Kyosuke took the wooden box and casually opened it. Inside lay a katana with a black scabbard and a red-and-black cord-wrapped hilt.

"Haha, for us Bosozoku, the day is only just beginning," Katagiri said with a hearty laugh.

Kyosuke slapped his forehead. Indeed. He hadn't been a delinquent long enough yet, and his mindset hadn't fully shifted over.

"It's not a famous sword, but it's tough enough. I actually wanted to find that cursed sword 'Saika' that recently appeared in Ikebukuro and present it to you, but there wasn't enough time. Still, I'll definitely find it by next week, and I'll bring it to you then."

The burly man scratched his head and said with an embarrassed smile.

"There's no need to go looking for that for me. But what do you mean by a cursed sword? Something like Muramasa?" Kyosuke lifted the sword out of the wooden box and quickly familiarized himself with its weight and balance.

"The cursed sword 'Saika' has appeared in both Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. Legend says that Saika invades human hearts and can even sever souls!"

"Let's leave the soul-severing aside, that's just a固有 attribute. Invading people's hearts? Such a familiar trope. Does it consume its master?" Kyosuke asked.

"No, it seems to be able to control anyone it cuts. A few years ago, I saw it on the streets of Ikebukuro—a homeless man whose eyes flashed with an ominous red light, slashing indiscriminately at people on the street with a katana."

"Good grief, is Ikebukuro always this lively every single day?" Kyosuke asked in surprise.

"Not really. As long as you don't get close to these urban legends, it's still an ordinary world. It's just that these urban legends seem to attract each other and gather all in one place."

"Is that so?"

Kyosuke looked around, thinking of the super-powered Shizuo Heiwajima, and then looked up again, feeling as though he could see right through the walls to that headless rider wearing a cat helmet.

"You're not needed here anymore. Go attend to your own business. As for that sword, just do your best; don't force it if you can't find it."

Kyosuke did not refuse Katagiri's offer to find the sword for him. Even if he didn't use it, it was better to have a weapon in his own hands. He certainly didn't want to see someone familiar coming at him one day with red eyes trying to hack him to pieces—that would be way too much to handle.

"Then I will take my leave. Wishing you victory in all your endeavors." Katagiri didn't say much more; after bowing, he simply straddled his motorcycle and rode off decisively.

Well then, let's go see what kind of entity this headless rider really was. Thinking of that explosive figure, Kyosuke walked into the building.

Glancing at the directory by the elevator, floors one through six were either cafes or beauty, hair, nail, and makeup salons. Kyosuke decisively pressed the only remaining unlabelled button for the seventh floor.

He had already put the sword back in its wooden box. Carrying a naked blade to someone else's doorstep wasn't that just asking for trouble? He wasn't that arrogant yet, especially since his system didn't work on a beat-monsters-to-level-up logic.

*Ding-dong~*

Kyosuke pressed the doorbell, a full smile on his face, his eyes instantly turning exceptionally gentle.

"Huh? Why would anyone come at this hour? Are they here for Shinra? But Shinra already went out to work."

Hearing the doorbell, Celty was greatly astonished. Normally, the only people who tracked this place down were underworld figures looking for Shinra, the underground doctor, and they never rang the doorbell—they always banged on the door crudely.

She picked up the remote control and paused the cartoon playing on the television. She had just been given a thorough scare by being chased by a traffic cop, and she was watching cartoons to soothe her nerves.

Could the traffic cop have tracked her down here?

At this thought, Celty shivered all over, and the fierce face of the traffic police officer flashed before her eyes once more.

Suppressing the urge to summon her beloved motorcycle and flee out the window, Celty tiptoed to the door and cautiously peeked out through the peephole.

"So handsome."

Even through the distorted image provided by the peephole, Celty was instantly captivated by those gentle, pool-like eyes, and her hand unconsciously reached out and unlocked the door.

"Pardon the intrusion~"

Kyosuke said with a smile, then quickly stepped inside. Seeing that behind the door was indeed the headless rider still wearing black leather and a cat helmet, with a figure that was explosively attractive, the smile on his face grew even wider.

Upon seeing Kyosuke, Celty snapped violently out of her trance, then retreated a few steps like a startled rabbit. She quickly pulled out a handheld tablet (PAD), tapped furiously on the screen, and thrust it in front of Kyosuke:

*This must be magic!*

"Huh?"

Kyosuke had no idea why the other party reacted so strongly and said something like that. And wait, was this because she didn't have a head, so she couldn't speak?

*Why couldn't I control myself when I saw your eyes, and why did I open the door for you? You must have used magic!*

Celty typed again.

"How would I know? Maybe you just instinctively felt I was someone you could trust."

Saying this, Kyosuke smiled gently once more.

*Ah, it's that! Those eyes that make you fall for them the moment you see them!*

Celty's typing speed picked up a bit more, her excitement evident in her movements.

"Must we stand here to chat?" Kyosuke looked down, indicating his position.

"Ah, sorry, just a moment."

Celty finished typing hastily, then opened a cabinet in the entryway and began rummaging around.

Watching the other person's interjections, Kyosuke found it quite amusing; Shoko hadn't written things like that back then. Surprisingly, Kyosuke could easily imagine the nonexistent, flustered tone of voice behind those clumsy movements.

*Since no guests ever come, I only have disposable slippers.*

Celty squatted down and placed a brand-new pair of paper slippers in front of Kyosuke. As for Kyosuke, his gaze was instantly drawn to the deep cleavage canyon between those towering peaks, though thankfully Celty didn't notice.

"Thank you."

Changing into the slippers, Kyosuke followed Celty into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

"Please have some tea."

Although she didn't know who Kyosuke was, since he had already stepped through the door, Celty still proceeded to play the host according to human social etiquette.

"Thank you. By the way, my name is Kyosuke Hojo. I don't know your name yet?"

"Celty Sturluson."

She just blurted out her real name with zero defense? Kyosuke had already learned Celty's name from the system beforehand; he was just completing this ritualistic step now.

Besides, was she a foreigner after all? Could she really be the headless rider from Ireland? Kyosuke thought to himself as he looked at the other's cat helmet.

*Kyosuke-kun, um, why did you come here?* Celty typed.

"Just call me Kyosuke, that way I can call you Celty too." Kyosuke closed the emotional distance in a single step through their forms of address.

*Then I shall be unceremonious, Kyosuke. Did you come here looking for Shinra?*

"Shinra? I don't know him. I simply saw you out on the highway and wanted to get to know Ikebukuro's urban legend," Kyosuke answered honestly.

*You wouldn't happen to be a yokai/monster hunter, would you?!*

Hearing Kyosuke's words, Celty was immediately shocked, retreating step after step on the sofa while black particles resembling mist began to emanate from her body. She didn't stop typing until she backed up against the armrest of the sofa.

"No! I told you, I just genuinely want to get to know you."

Kyosuke was at a loss for words. He had been completely honest, so why was the other party still scared like this? Pull yourself together; your behavior completely clashes with your identity as an urban legend!

*Then what is in that box?* Celty typed.

"Uh, this..."

Crap. Before coming here, he hadn't expected this inhuman headless rider to have such a gentle personality. Bringing a weapon along had turned out to be a blunder.

*That's a weapon meant to deal with me, isn't it! You must be someone specially hired by that traffic cop to deal with me, right!*

As Celty typed, the black particles on her body surged upward like a geyser. Within mere seconds, the upper half of the entire living room was shrouded in black mist.

"Calm down, calm down. I am definitely not a monster hunter, and I certainly wasn't hired by any traffic police."

Although those black particles looked thoroughly ominous and dangerous, Kyosuke didn't attempt to pick up the sword to defend himself. Through just these few minutes of interaction, he had already confirmed that Celty was a kind and lawful entity.

As an urban legend, let alone being terrified of monster hunters, she apparently feared traffic cops to the point of a mental breakdown.