Durarara!!, Vol. 11 Read online

  Copyright

  DURARARA!!, Volume 11

  RYOHGO NARITA

  ILLUSTRATION BY SUZUHITO YASUDA

  Translation by Stephen Paul

  Cover art by Suzuhito Yasuda

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  DURARARA!! Vol.11

  © RYOHGO NARITA 2012

  First published in Japan in 2012 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo.

  English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo, through Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc., Tokyo.

  English translation © 2018 by Yen Press, LLC

  Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  Yen On

  1290 Avenue of the Americas

  New York, NY 10104

  Visit us at yenpress.com

  facebook.com/yenpress

  twitter.com/yenpress

  yenpress.tumblr.com

  instagram.com/yenpress

  First Yen On Edition: November 2018

  Yen On is an imprint of Yen Press, LLC.

  The Yen On name and logo are trademarks of Yen Press, LLC.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Narita, Ryōgo, 1980– author. | Yasuda, Suzuhito, illustrator. | Paul, Stephen (Translator), translator.

  Title: Durarara!! / Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, translation by Stephen Paul.

  Description: New York, NY : Yen ON, 2015–

  Identifiers: LCCN 2015041320 | ISBN 9780316304740 (v. 1 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316304764 (v. 2 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316304771 (v. 3 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316304788 (v. 4 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316304795 (v. 5 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316304818 (v. 6 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316439688 (v. 7 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316474290 (v. 8 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316474313 (v. 9 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316474344 (v. 10 : pbk.) | ISBN 9780316474368 (v. 11 : pbk.)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Tokyo (Japan)—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Science Fiction / Adventure.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.N37 Du 2015 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015041320

  ISBNs: 978-0-316-47436-8 (paperback)

  978-0-316-47437-5 (ebook)

  E3-20181010-JV-PC

  Intermediate Chapter: Nowhere (Wo)Man

  An excerpt from Shinichi Tsukumoya’s closed blog

  Let me tell you about Kasane Kujiragi.

  She is undoubtedly and unashamedly a perpetrator, but she is also a victim.

  However, being a victim does not make it okay to be a perpetrator. She is a criminal who deserves to be judged by human beings for her actions.

  I say “by human beings” for a reason, of course.

  Kasane Kujiragi.

  This is not her real name, but bringing up her old name would only make this story more complicated. So within the posts of this blog, I will refer to her only by that name.

  Kasane Kujiragi might be human, and she might not.

  To be precise, her mother was something not quite human.

  A folklore yokai?

  A monster?

  Some evil spirit?

  A demon?

  I can only guarantee that she is not an angel, but the precise label is not important, really.

  The point is, Kasane Kujiragi was born to a human man and “something” not human.

  But there’s no need for me to go on and on about her mother here. Such stories are best left to rats who reek of blood.

  In any case, she has inhuman blood running in her veins.

  And though they are separated by a generation, Ruri Hijiribe contains the same blood.

  Yes. Kasane Kujiragi and Ruri Hijiribe are relatives. Ruri’s mother and Kasane Kujiragi are sisters from different fathers. That would make Ruri the niece of Kujiragi.

  Does that seem weird to you?

  Kujiragi doesn’t look that old, does she?

  Well, her mother’s blood does confer certain things, but as a matter of fact, she really isn’t that old. Though sisters, she’s over twenty years apart from Hijiribe’s mom.

  But enough talk about middle-aged childbirth.

  Kasane Kujiragi.

  To make a long story short, she was sold. Right after birth.

  Ruri Hijiribe’s grandmother did some hanky-panky after she left home, and when she gave birth to her daughter, that child got sold off to an old man named Jinnai Yodogiri.

  What kind of a mother does that, right?

  Okay, maybe she had some circumstances, but I don’t know about that. It all happened years ago.

  Anyway, this guy Yodogiri teaches the little girl all kinds of tricks of the trade, even at her age. That’s probably around the time she got Saika.

  And after that old man died, out of convenience, she kept the name of Jinnai Yodogiri alive by using appropriate doubles as she went.

  Her life is spent devouring people and monsters, as Jinnai Yodogiri.

  She didn’t ask for it.

  She just didn’t know any other way to live.

  I bet the talent was always there. As long as she lived that way, she never struggled to support herself. In fact, if she’d lived any other way, Kujiragi would no doubt have starved to death as a child.

  Her mother sold her, and Jinnai Yodogiri broke her down as a person and fit her into his mold.

  If Izaya Orihara is a natural villain, then Kujiragi is a miscreant built by human hands.

  That’s what I meant when I said she’s a perpetrator and a victim.

  Again, it doesn’t excuse her actions, by any means. That’s what I wrote above.

  And when it came to the way she treated Ruri Hijiribe, there might have been some personal sentiment involved.

  Just think about it.

  A woman who has the same blood as her, chasing her dreams and leading a brilliant life in the spotlight.

  It makes sense that she’d want to torment and toy with such a woman, right? Just roll her right down into hell.

  But only if Kujiragi still has the very human emotion known as jealousy.

  Now, I happen to know more things than the average person. I know things, and then I know things.

  But I can’t read people’s minds, and I certainly can’t read monsters’ minds.

  Maybe if you searched all across the entire world, you’d find some person or monster with the superpower to read minds as if they were transparent—but it ain’t gonna be me.

  So I can’t really imagine it.

  I can’t foresee what Kujiragi will do next, broken free from the shackles of Yodogiri.

  She’s been completely released from Jinnai Yodogiri.

  While still possessing the “power” of Jinnai Yodogiri.

  Freedom.

  If Kujiragi tastes this to her heart’s content and tearfully reforms herself to live for the sake of others and the betterment of the world… Well, that’d be nice, but I’m not counting on it.

  There’s only one thing I can say to you, intrepid discoverer of this blog.

  Just be careful that she doesn’t drink the blood flowing fresh from your veins, that’s all.

  Chapter 4:
You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours

  Social Networking Service: Twittia

  Kisshi—Wearing my gas mask rn

  Kisshi—The air today tastes so fresh through my mask

  Kisshi—My son got me to set up this account on private, but what do I post?

  Kisshi—It’s all in how you view it. With zero followers and locked posts, no one else can see what I’m posting here

  Kisshi—In other words, I’m free

  Kisshi—The true freedom I’ve always sought is here. Cyber freedom!

  Kisshi—Actually, I wasn’t really looking for freedom that much

  Kisshi—But at least I can say whatever I want here

  Kisshi—And if no one else can see it, this should make for a handy journal

  Kisshi—Plus as long as I’m online, I can see it from anywhere on earth

  Kisshi—As many secrets as I want. This is the knot in the tree where I can whisper that the king has donkey ears

  Kisshi—Nebula is currently pooling a large slush fund under the guise of “association expenses”

  Kisshi—But in this case, “association expenses” is exactly the right term for it

  Kisshi—Because the money is literally going toward “associating” with something nonhuman

  Kisshi—The division of Nebula of which I’m in is searching for nonhuman people whose presence hasn’t been publicly admitted.

  Kisshi—The Headless Rider unsettling Ikebukuro at the moment is one of our research subjects, for example

  Kisshi—Other divisions are researching nonsensical topics like the undying and a “liquor of immortality” and such, which is preposterous. Yes, there are various spiritual creatures about the earth, but obviously there is no such thing as a person who does not age or die

  Kisshi—Which is a lie. I know for a fact that they do exist. And on that note, perhaps vampires exist, too. It was reported that the previous chairman of Nebula’s business rival, the Gardastance Group, was a vampire

  Kisshi—…But I don’t know why I’d write that if no one ever reads it

  Kisshi—I’m connected to the entire world, and yet no one will see me…

  Kisshi—I wonder if this is what it feels like to be an exhibitionist who only struts around in the nude in pitch-darkness?

  Kisshi—Ha-ha…if this ever gets out, Nebula will execute me for spilling trade secrets

  Kisshi—What an incredible thrill. The excitement of living on the edge

  Kisshi—Why, I don’t think I could sleep on the night that I accidentally reveal classified information

  Kisshi—But I’m not revealing my real name, and based on the contents, surely these just look like the ramblings of a madman

  Kisshi—My, but what a terrible and wondrous age we live in

  Kisshi—A sea of information that stretches across the world, supported by networks

  Kisshi—Just like brain cells, exchanging information through synapses

  Kisshi—Perhaps there might emerge some higher being, with humanity itself as its brain

  Kisshi—I bet if I said that in the presence of other scientists, I’d be laughed out of the room

  Tsukku—@Kisshi Perhaps it has already been born

  Kisshi—Who’s that?!

  Kisshi—I’m supposed to be locked and nonpublic!

  Kisshi—I’m sorry! I’ll pay whatever you want! Please forgive me!

  Tsukku—@Kisshi It’s me, Tsukumoya. It’s nice to speak to you again, Mr. Kishitani

  Kisshi—Oh, it’s just Tsukumoya

  Kisshi—Well, that’s a relief. But don’t I have a right to privacy?

  Tsukku—@Kisshi I’m sorry. It’s just that you never show up on the Net, Shingen

  Tsukku—@Kisshi I wanted to let you know about something

  Kisshi—For the moment, I will not ask how you are able to speak to me, when my account is unlisted and you are not following me. It seems nothing is impossible to you

  Tsukku—@Kisshi Um, I can’t do the impossible online

  Tsukku—@Kisshi I’m not some deus ex machina

  Kisshi—Now hang on a moment. You can change the fonts on this website?!

  Tsukku—@Kisshi what no of course not

  Kisshi—Now you are mocking me on two different levels, and I do not like it!

  Kisshi—Whatever. What did you want?

  Tsukku—@Kisshi Seitarou Yagiri’s group has made a move to capture Namie

  Kisshi—Ahhh

  Tsukku—@Kisshi It looks like their goal is to get Celty’s head

  Tsukku—@Kisshi It’s probably none of my business, but I thought I should tell you

  Kisshi—I see. Well, I am grateful for the information

  Kisshi—You know, I’ve always been curious, why exactly do you take our side?

  Kisshi—I can’t imagine a reason that a man like you would side with any one party

  Tsukku—@Kisshi I’d say it’s because I’m a fellow Dollars…but a lot of the shine is wearing off them lately

  Kisshi—So whose side are you on?

  Tsukku—@Kisshi I’m on the side of the people who love this city

  Tsukku—@Kisshi Whether human or not

  Kisshi—I see. Then I shall question you no more. Treasure your love

  Kisshi—And if possible, I would appreciate that you treasure my privacy, as well

  Tsukku—@Kisshi Can’t do that

  Kisshi—…

  System Information: Username “Kisshi” has deleted their past activity log.

  Outside Namie’s apartment—in the past

  Namie Yagiri was in the greatest peril of her life.

  “You have a filthy mouth, Namie.”

  She was outside her apartment, surrounded by Seitarou Yagiri, Kasane Kujiragi, and her uncle.

  “…”

  Her life wasn’t in peril. Well, in a sense it was, but Namie wasn’t going to let a little thing like a life-and-death situation endanger her choices.

  “Do you think Seiji will like someone who speaks of such violence? Not that he would ever pay attention to anything other than that head.”

  To her, the existence of her younger brother, Seiji Yagiri, was everything. But if she were to be captured here, that would limit her options to save him. And most importantly of all, she couldn’t allow Seiji to be used as a hostage—couldn’t let him be subjected to danger on her account.

  So, in that sense, her entire life was indeed on the brink of a great peril.

  Kujiragi held tight and immobile as Seitarou finished, “Have no fear. We do not plan to eliminate you.”

  But they weren’t giving her freedom, his cold gaze said. He turned and gave a signal to the men in suits surrounding them. Namie tried to resist, but perhaps due to the stun gun shock, she couldn’t even move her limbs. The men in suits were practically dragging her away—

  When help arrived on swift wings.

  “That’s far enough!” cried a muffled voice, and a white figure emerged from the shadow of the wall, sweeping speedily toward the group.

  “?!”

  Seitarou gaped at this sudden intruder—until he realized that the whiteness of the mystery person was due to a lab coat. “Kishitani…?!”

  Shingen Kishitani.

  An old acquaintance, a transactional partner regarding a certain head, and a researcher affiliated with the foreign conglomerate Nebula, which had purchased Yagiri Pharmaceuticals.

  And at this moment, his enemy.

  The sight of the white gas mask over the man’s face all but confirmed his identity to Seitarou—but the sharpness of his actions swept the floor out from under that confidence. As far as he knew, Shingen Kishitani was not capable of running that fast.

  And certainly, the actions he was taking now—pulverizing the capable men in black suits without any trouble—was not within Shingen’s capability.

  “…”

  Kujiragi stepped forward to intercept their interloper. She readied for a knee kick as he rushed forward, his center
of gravity low.

  But the man leaped off the ground just before he reached her, soaring high into the air. Rather than landing directly on Kujiragi, he wall jumped off the side of the adjacent car to get past her to the man holding Namie—whom he gave a fierce toe kick to the jaw.

  With the guard knocked out, he scooped up Namie’s body and turned back to face Kujiragi.

  “Something about your presence…,” Kujiragi said, her expression unchanging.

  But before she could elaborate, she was interrupted by a muffled voice, coming from the same spot as before.

  “That’s far enough!”

  It was the same voice and words as the last time.

  Everyone turned to see a man.

  He wore a white gas mask and a white coat, the same outfit as the man who rescued Namie.

  Indeed, it appeared that the man who’d been shouting and the man who had just rescued Namie were different people.

  “Fwa-ha-ha-ha… It would seem the timing is fortunate. It was a good thing I had a surveillance net around that girl.”

  “…Shingen…Kishitani?” mumbled Namie, who wasn’t entirely over the electric shock but had enough wits about her to recognize the voice of the man in the gas mask. “All of…you people…spying on me… Such poor taste.”

  “An employee of Izaya Orihara, accusing others of being in poor taste?” replied the gas-masked man who was carrying her.

  On closer inspection, the shape of his mask was slightly different from Shingen’s, and Namie instantly recognized they were different people. But she didn’t seem alarmed or confused by this state of events and said to the presumably unfamiliar man, “That’s right. He’s probably got the worst taste of anyone in the world. What’s your point?”

  “Ouch,” the masked man said with a shrug.

  His Japanese was fluent, but little hints of an accent here and there gave Namie the suspicion that he was actually foreign. But she didn’t have the time to inquire further at this point.

  There was still the obstacle of Kasane Kujiragi standing in their way, after all.

  “And how do you intend to extricate yourself from this situation?” she shot back. “I’ll make certain you are properly thanked for saving me later, but I’d appreciate hearing your plan first.”

  For her part, Kujiragi wasn’t taking any risks in attacking them. Most likely, she’d judged from the attacker’s movements that he wasn’t an easily subdued opponent.