I’m a Dullahan, Looking for My Head - Chapter 1

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Headless Dullahan 1-1: Why am I in Full-Body Armor?

「Ah, I’m looking forward to this. I want to go home and play this game as soon as possible.」

My name is Kubinashi Munesuke, 24 years old. I bought a new game on the way home from work, and now I’m heading home and looking forward to playing this game.

It’s not night yet, though. It’s still a little bright from the sunset.

Along the way, there are the voices of children who seem to be playing in the park.

Today, I finished my work early so I can go home and play games.

If it’s for games, a boring job will become pleasurable. The faster I finish, the faster I can play.

Tomorrow is Saturday, so there won’t be a problem if I stay up all night.

I’ll play as much as I want.

I get money from work and spend it on my otaku hobbies like anime, games, and light novels.

A moment like this is happiness to me.

「Games spree!」

I’m walking with tensions high, but stop right in front of the red light.

If I cut loose here and die, I won’t be able to grow old or have children.

I’m not the kind of man who gets run over by a truck for such a stupid reason.

While staring at the big truck coming from afar, I abruptly snort with my nose.

The gazes from the parent-child couple who also stop beside me hurts. Especially the mother; please stop looking at me as if I’m a pervert.

There is also a girl playing ball on the sidewalk next to her mother.

Isn’t that dangerous?

Shouldn’t you play in the park?

While gazing at the girl, I think that parents nowadays are no good.

Looking around, I can see a heavy, noisy truck in the distance.

I will just wait for the signal to turn green.

「……Ah……」

Simultaneously with a faint voice, a small shadow crosses before my sight.

That little girl chases the ball and jumps out onto the road.

Look, it’s like I said – no, I didn’t say it aloud, but… In any case, It’s because you’re playing ball in such a place!

While screaming that in my mind, my body is moving unconsciously.

I can hear the sounds of the horn and the sharp braking clearly. There is no time.

I jump onto the road, lift the girl, and throw her to her mother – along with my game.

The mother is somehow able to catch the girl, although she falls to her back.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t catch my game.

I feel relieved for a moment, and then a tremendous shock hits my body.

That shock runs through my whole body, destroying it.

Something important is torn off, broken, flying.

I notice that my sight is upside down.

「Eh?」

The mother’s expression is dyed with shock, though it’s upside down.

Then my sight changes suddenly and I can see my blown-off body.

There is no head there. My bloodstained body flies like a rag.

…… Ahh, my head was blown off.

In this slow motion world, I understand my brain leaves a faint thought.

My head has been severed.

Then my field of vision turns around, without being able to grasp anything – my head hits the concrete.

◆

When I wake up, the first thing I see is light.

Sunlight leaks through the gaps between the leaves and branches of the surrounding trees, creating a distinct shadow on the ground.

Such paths spread out to all directions.

Trees fill my field of vision.

With trees that are over ten meters in height, this forest reminds me more of a sea of jungle.

「……I don’t understand anything.」

Why am I inside a forest?

I helped a girl who jumped onto the road and was run over by a truck.

My body was sent flying from the impact and my head was severed; I should have died.

I’ll be surprised if this is just a dream I see while hospitalized. The air and smells are too real.

Well, that’s impossible.

I don’t think anyone can treat someone with severed head. It’s an instant death.

Then the other possibility is, Did I die and come to a different world?

It’s a common development in web novels, games, and anime.

People who die in modern Japan receive God’s cheat ability, and are then reincarnated or transferred to another world.

And this person is a peerless but carefree type, who will get dragged into some incident.

Because I’m also an otaku, things like that make me excited.

If I apply that to my current condition, can it be called a transition to another world?

That means I’m a baby … Aren’t I?

I quickly direct my sight to my body. For some reason, my lower body is covered in something grayish, close to black.

「Hah!?」

I thought that the lower half of my body was mechanized and I’ve become a cyborg, but … it’s not that.

What is wrapping my lower body is armor.

It’s the kind of heavy armor a knight uses: there is no exposure of the skin at all.

Looking at my feet, there is a red cloth hanging behind them. Apparently, it’s a cloak.

Similarly, when looking at my chest, arms, shoulders, it’s all covered with gray armor that lets out a dull light.

「Why am I equipped with armor!?」

I twist my body to try to hit the armor.

Then, a metallic sound echoes through the forest.

「………… Looks like it’s a real thing.」

Apparently, I seem to be in full-body armor. I’m quite tall and it looks like I have a high defense.

I don’t understand why I am in this forest with this figure.

Perhaps this is a privilege from transitioning to another world.

If that’s the case, I might have a great ability or something like that.

No, wait, wait. Don’t be rash, Kubinashi Munesuke.

It’s not yet decided that this is a different world.

There might be a modern Japanese city past this forest. It might be just that.

I don’t have enough information right now. Let’s walk around and look for a village anyway.

My conclusion will be drawn after that.

◆

The voices of birds chirping cheerfully resonate in the forest.

I’m walking along the road, aiming to reach a village and get information.

The surrounding scenery doesn’t change much, an endless sea of trees spread out before my sight.

Although I’m using full-body armor, my steps feel light. Or rather, there is no weight at all: the armor feels like a part of my body.

The sounds of the armor are noisy, but I’m used to it now.

I’m now walking with the mindset of doing a cosplay of full-body armor.

While trekking through the sea of trees, I realize the plants have a strange shape.

It looks like red rafflesia, but parasitizing the trees or purple mushroom that looks poisonous.

The parasitic rafflesia is growing things similar to antennas. It’s wriggling like a wild creature.

It probably will try to eat anything that touches it, or it might just melt it.

Just as before, I don’t think this is Japan.

Did I get blown off to the forest of another country? Or is this really a different world?

I keep advancing while looking at strange plants.

After a while, I reach an open space with a lake.

Shadows of fish and other living creatures can be seen here and there within the crystal-clear water.

On top of a fallen tree are perching brightly colored birds.

There are also animals I have never seen before drinking water from the lake.

It’s the first time I’ve seen a beautiful lake like this.

But, at the moment, the only thing I feel is an emotion close to disgust. This feeling is like standing at the edge of a cliff and almost falling off.

I don’t understand why. I’m not a hammer, and it’s not like I’ve ever drowned and been traumatized from that.

Even so, my body is giving me a warning to not get closer to the lake.

I continue moving forward while bearing fear and discomfort toward a lake that’s not particularly deep.

I’m not thirsty, but I don’t know when I’ll find another water source.

This forest may be enormous.

When will I arrive at a human habitation?

In any case, even if I’m not thirsty, I still need to drink for now.

The water in this lake is not muddy, so it’s probably fine to drink as it is.

I really want to drink after properly boiling and sterilizing it, but there is nothing I can use to draw the water.

While suppressing the unknown emotions that make me fear the lake, I approach the water’s surface, stepping on the grass.

I’m getting closer with every step, and the urge to escape is also getting stronger.

I don’t understand why I feel like this.