52 Why Are Urban Legends So Cute? [100 PS]

Standing beneath a seven-story building, Hojou Kyousuke looked up.

Wait a second—wasn't this the same place where he and Sakura had just run into Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya?

Why did all the weird people in this city seem to gather in one spot?

After a few minutes, Satoshi Katagiri pulled up on a motorcycle with an absurdly high backrest, over a meter tall.

"Boss, sorry to keep you waiting."

He got off the bike and carefully handed over a wooden box with both hands.

"It's no trouble at all. If anything, I should be apologizing for calling you out so late," Kyousuke replied, taking the box and opening it.

Inside was a sleek katana with a black sheath and a red-and-black wrapped hilt.

"Hah! For us bikers, the night is still young," Katagiri laughed heartily.

Kyousuke smacked his forehead. Right—he hadn't been in the delinquent world long enough to fully adjust his mindset.

"This isn't exactly a famous blade, but it's sturdy enough."

"I actually wanted to get you that rumored demonic sword, Saika, that's been showing up around Ikebukuro and Shinjuku."

"But there wasn't enough time. Give me another week, and I'll have it for you," Katagiri said, scratching his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

"No need to go that far. But what's this about a demonic sword? Something like Muramasa?" Kyousuke asked while testing the weight of the katana.

"Saika is a blade that supposedly takes over people's minds. And… it's said to be able to cut through souls."

"Cutting through souls aside—that sounds like a cliché ability. But possession? That sounds familiar… Like a cursed sword that turns against its wielder?"

"Not quite. Saika apparently controls anyone it wounds."

"A few years ago, I saw a homeless guy in Ikebukuro—his eyes were glowing red, and he was attacking people at random with a katana."

Kyousuke raised an eyebrow. "Man, this city is always eventful, huh?"

"It's not always like this. As long as you don't get mixed up with the urban legends, it's just an ordinary city."

"But for some reason, these urban legends seem to attract each other, all gathering in one place."

"I see…"

Kyousuke glanced around the street, recalling the superhuman strength of Heiwajima Shizuo.

Then, he looked back up, as if he could see through the walls of the building to the woman in the cat-eared helmet.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Go take care of your own stuff. And about that sword—just do what you can. No need to force it," Kyousuke said.

"Understood. Wishing you victory in battle!" Katagiri bowed briefly, then hopped back onto his bike and rode off.

Now then… time to see what this "Dullahan" is really about.

With thoughts of that curvy figure in his mind, Kyousuke stepped into the building.

Looking at the elevator panel, he noticed that the first six floors were all cafes, beauty salons, or nail and makeup studios.

The only unmarked floor was the seventh.

Without hesitation, Kyousuke pressed the button for the seventh floor.

He placed the katana back in the wooden box.

Showing up at someone's door with a weapon?

That would just be asking for trouble.

He wasn't some thug looking for a fight—his system didn't operate on the "defeat enemies to get stronger" logic, after all.

When he reached the seventh floor, he pressed the doorbell, putting on his most charming smile.

His eyes softened into an irresistibly warm gaze.

Inside the apartment, Celty stiffened in surprise.

'Huh? Who would be visiting at this hour? Are they looking for Shinra? But he already went out for work…'

Normally, the only people who showed up here were shady underworld figures seeking Shinra's services as an underground doctor.

And those guys never rang the doorbell—they just banged on the door like maniacs.

Celty hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the remote to pause the anime she had been watching.

She was still a bit shaken from the intense police chase earlier, and the show had been helping her calm down.

Could it be… the traffic cops?!

A shiver ran down her spine.

The terrifying face of the officer who had been chasing her flashed through her mind.

Fighting the urge to summon her beloved bike and escape through the window, Celty crept to the door and cautiously peered through the peephole.

The moment she saw the man outside, she froze.

"Wow… he's handsome."

Even through the distorted fisheye lens, Celty found herself captivated by those soft, gentle eyes.

Before she even realized it, her hands had already moved on their own—she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Sorry to intrude~"

Kyousuke grinned and quickly stepped inside.

His smile widened when he confirmed that the person standing before him was indeed the same leather-clad, cat-helmeted woman from earlier—Dullahan.

Celty snapped back to her senses, suddenly realizing what she had done.

Startled, she took a few steps back like a frightened rabbit.

Then, she hastily pulled out a small tablet, typed something rapidly, and held the screen up to Kyousuke.

"This has to be magic!"

"Huh?"

Kyousuke blinked, utterly confused. Where was this coming from? And… was she using a tablet to communicate because she didn't have a head?

"Why did I open the door for you without even thinking? You must have used some kind of magic!"

Celty typed again, her fingers flying across the screen.

"How should I know? Maybe you just instinctively felt I was trustworthy?" Kyousuke chuckled, flashing another warm smile.

"That's it! That's the look! Just seeing those eyes makes me feel like I can trust you!"

Celty's typing became even more frantic, her excitement almost palpable.

"Do we really need to have this conversation standing in the doorway?" Kyousuke gestured to their surroundings.

"Ah, sorry, hold on a second."

Celty quickly put down the tablet and rummaged through a cabinet near the entrance.

Kyousuke found her choice of words amusing.

Unlike another silent girl he knew, Celty actually typed out little speech quirks.

From just her movements alone, he could almost hear the flustered tone in her nonexistent voice.

"I don't usually have guests, so I only have disposable slippers."

Celty crouched down and placed a pair of brand-new paper slippers in front of Kyousuke.

His gaze instinctively followed her movements—and was immediately caught by the deep valley between her curves.

Luckily, Celty didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks," Kyousuke said, slipping on the slippers before following her into the living room.

"Would you like some tea?"

Though she still didn't know who he was, Celty followed human etiquette and offered hospitality.

"Appreciate it. By the way, I'm Hojou Kyousuke. And you are?"

"Celty Sturluson."

She gave her name without hesitation.

Kyousuke already knew from his system, but now it was officially confirmed.

A foreigner, huh? Could she really be the Dullahan from Irish folklore?

Kyousuke eyed her cat-helmet thoughtfully.

"Hojou, are you here to see Shinra?" Celty asked.

"Nah, never met the guy. I just saw you on the road and got curious about Ikebukuro's famous urban legend."

At that, Celty jolted.

"You're not a… 'Monster Hunter,' are you?!"

She leaped back onto the couch, body trembling.

The air around her darkened as black mist poured from her body, filling the space above them like storm clouds.

Kyousuke was momentarily stunned.

How the hell was she the one acting scared?! Weren't urban legends supposed to be terrifying?

———————————————————————

Daily Uploads!

Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!

Please support me at p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced chapters. Q-Q