[Dullahans have become much more active and notorious in the past months. In the last week, a hundred beheaded people have been found across our country. Once again, The Hero Association asks people to be careful and not wander alone at night.]
Leo listened to the news, waiting for his music show to begin. He couldn't care less about dullahans or any other supernatural criminals, since he wasn't strong enough to oppose them.
If he were to meet one, he would accept his fate. Thinking about the unknown would only make him paranoid and mentally weak, which he couldn't afford as he studied hard for his college exams.
He was on his way back home from cram school. He checked the time and realized he'd be late getting home and would miss the start of his music show.
He looked forward to it because his favorite K-pop star would open today's episode. Ignoring all warnings, he walked into a dark alley to use his usual shortcut.
That was the worst mistake of his life. He stumbled onto a horrific scene of a single figure beheading people with a broadsword.
A Dullahan, one of many he'd been warned about, stood still, holding a huge sword that dripped blood. A lean, dark armor covered him from head to toe, and he had no helmet or head, which was characteristic of dullahans.
At his feet lay headless human corpses, drowning in their own blood. The Dullahan picked up one of the heads and placed it on his body, then turned around.
The head's shocked expression quickly turned cruel as it connected to the Dullahan, smiling hungrily for more blood.
"Well, fuck."
Out of all the dark alleys, this one had to have a damn Dullahan. Leo cursed his luck and spun around, dashing away at full speed.
Despite telling himself many times he would accept death if he ever met something supernatural, he realized he didn't want to die at all. His pounding heart and his legs moving faster than ever were clear proof of that.
Before he could jump out of the alley, the broadsword neatly beheaded him, sending his head flying. A few seconds after his body fell, Leo's head hit the ground as well.
Strangely, he could still see everything. He knew a person's consciousness didn't vanish right away, but observing everything like this was too strange.
He also didn't feel pain, even when his neck was slashed. Was this an adrenaline effect he had read about, or was there something more bizarre going on?
Leo looked up and saw the Dullahan standing motionless. With a shocked expression, the creature slowly lowered its gaze, then its entire form crumbled into dark energy that flooded into Leo's head and body.
In that moment, much to Leo's disbelief, he became a Dullahan himself.
Where did that bastard go? Why do I suddenly know more about dullahans than anyone else? Like I'm part of their race now? Huh? Wait, I'm a dullahan? No fucking...
Just as he thought about this bizarre situation, Leo heard someone entering the alley. He couldn't turn his head toward them because it wasn't attached to his body yet.
If a human walked in, they would scream and call for heroes. Worse, if a hero appeared, they would check everyone and realize Leo was alive and a dullahan.
Probably… not like I know how those heroes work.
No one spoke at first. A minute later, which felt like an eternity, a male voice echoed through the alley.
"Yet again dullahans," he sighed.
A female voice followed. "It's rare for them to stay behind and act like one of their prey."
Shit!
Upon hearing that she noticed him alive, Leo unconsciously moved. His body sprang up and ran over to his head, then placed it on his bloody neck. Something magical stitched his head to his neck, leaving no wound behind.
He looked up and saw two people in formal clothes. The man wore a black suit, and the woman wore a black pencil skirt and blazer.
They gave off a presence Leo had never felt before. He ignored that feeling and quickly reached into his backpack for his ID and student card.
"Look! It's me!" Leo said.
"Are you taking us for fools?!" the man shouted, conjuring a silver sword out of thin air and pointing it at Leo.
Motherfucker is a hero! I never saw them wearing fucking suits! They wear those lame costumes from old comics!
The woman raised her hand, stopping the man from acting. She narrowed her eyes at Leo and scanned him from head to toe.
Then she glanced at his ID, confirming that the head and body matched. That didn't mean much, though. Leo could still be a newly formed dullahan who had his original head.
She's right. Now I understand why dullahans hunt humans. Their heads only last three to seven days, depending on their strength. Without a head, they can survive another three days before dying. If everyone knew this, people might avoid them more easily. I wonder if heroes know.
"You don't feel any thirst for blood?" the woman asked.
Leo tilted his head. "What? No, I don't."
"What happened here?" she continued.
"I was on my way home and took this alley as a shortcut. I found a Dullahan who killed everyone else and me, and then I became one of them for some reason. Well, I don't feel any different. Can I go home now?" Leo asked with a bright smile.