Love is without reason.

Love is blind.

Love mistakes a pimple for a dimple.

Love disregards all inequalities and differences in social status.

Inscrutable are the ways people are brought together…by love.

Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never met.

In Ikebukuro, are two names everyone knows.

Orihara Izaya.

And Heiwajima Shizuo.

The information broker and the man in a bartender suit.

The force that cannot be stopped, and the object that cannot be moved.

Usually, when we talk about force, we talk about a physical strength.

What if that force becomes mental?

What if it becomes a mental strength?

Will it be able to move the 'object'?

What do you think?

I know you know what I'm talking about.

You'd give me that look…if you were awake.

But you're not, so I can watch you like this.

...

Hey.

Tell me.

Is this enough?

If it's not, I can go even further.

You're always at someplace I can't reach.

I can't get you down.

So I have to go up.

Reach the same height as you.

And then bring you down.

Don't worry.

Once I bring you down –

I'll go down with you.

Back to the place I wanted you to be.

Right next to me.

Because I don't crave power and godly status like you do.

All I wanted was to be a normal human.

Live a normal, peaceful life.

But they call me a god, of destruction.

And perhaps they're right.

But there's also something wrong.

You see, being a god means you have control of your powers.

I don't.

But maybe I can.

Maybe it's what I'm meant to be.

A being of destruction.

And if that's what I'm meant to be

If that's the existence intended for me

I might as well make use of it.

I'll destroy you.

Mentally.

Because to break your heart, I have to break your mind.

That's right.

I'll be the God of Destruction, so I can stand on the same pedestal as you, so that you'll acknowledge me.

So that I can stop you, take you down, force you off your high horse.

And when you're broken, I'll be there.

It's lonely at the top, isn't it?

We both know that.

But at the top you have to compete, to maintain your position.

It's inevitable, so I'm prepared for that.

...

What's this?

Even in your sleep you're moving away from me.

Hey, that hurts my heart you know?

A-hhh...

But it's alright.

Because I'll be breaking yours.

...

...Heh.

Don't be afraid.

I'll take full responsibility.

I'm taking away your position, because I want you to be rid of it, so that you'll fall –

And I'll fall with you.

Because a fall will never hurt me.

How many times have I fallen and broken my bones?

I can't remember.

But you get used to it after a while.

I've already fallen for you anyway.

So falling a second time won't matter.

A fall will never hurt me, but it will hurt you.

So that I can be ready at the bottom, to catch you.

Perhaps then –

You'll finally look at me.

You'll finally see me.

You'll finally –

Know my love for you.

...

...

There are many factions in Ikebukuro, and all of them hold power.

But if you were to ask a resident which are the most dangerous –

They're not factions, but men.

The two most dangerous men of Ikebukuro.

Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo.

Both of them are feared by most of Ikebukuro. And so both of them have power.

Though the reasons are different. Izaya is feared because he manipulates humans and built up a dangerous reputation as the information broker of Shinjuku. Shizuo is feared because of his monstrous strength and his uncontrollable temper.

Who is more powerful or dangerous – would be hard to say. Izaya beats Shizuo in mental strength, and Shizuo beats Izaya in physical strength.

It's a permanent stalemate between them, for Izaya hasn't pissed Shizuo off enough for him to kill him…yet. And Shizuo is indestructible, and all Izaya's methods to kill him have failed.

But one thing Shizuo has that Izaya doesn't –

Is his unpredictability.

That man is truly unpredictable.

Even I can't tell what he's thinking.

Oh, you know you would agree with me if you were awake, Orihara.

He does things no one expects, and now he's gone and fallen in love with the person everyone least expected.

And so he changes – he's changed. They do say love changes people after all.

And he changes before anyone knows.

You look at him and wonder, 'When did he change?' 'Why did he change'?

You even ask him, but it's no use.

Even he doesn't really understand himself.

He doesn't know why he changed, he just has.

So we can't understand him really.

Anyway, back to Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo.

As I said, there are many powerful factions in Ikebukuro. Dollars, Yellow Scarves, Slashers and Saika, Blue Squares, Awakusu-kai, Russian assassins, Headless Rider, Hollywood.

But all of them are residents of Ikebukuro, and all of them would agree if danger is the criteria, it would be Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo.

Especially Heiwajima Shizuo.

Oh Orihara Izaya is dangerous of course, he's the mastermind behind all the happenings, and he can manipulate even Heiwajima Shizuo….to a certain extent.

But Heiwajima Shizuo invokes fear in people because of his inhuman strength. Because who wouldn't fear a guy who could lift up a vending machine with one hand?

It's only common sense to.

Heiwajima Shizuo is dangerous because of his strength, and powerful because he stops fights (usually orchestrated by Orihara Izaya).

Your opponent isn't who you should worry about when that man in a bartender suit comes into the picture.

It's your life you should worry about.

So, technically speaking, Heiwajima Shizuo seems to have more power than Orihara Izaya….simply because he's more feared and a real threat.

The reason why the place hasn't turned into a warzone yet is because Heiwajima Shizuo, despite his overwhelming strength, wants only one thing –

Peace.

And the greatest obstruction to peace in Ikebukuro is Orihara Izaya. That's one of the reasons why Shizuo hated him.

But Shizuo is a peaceful man like his name suggests, so if Izaya doesn't disturb his peace, he won't do anything.

He won't involve himself in the chaos in Ikebukuro, even if he's the strongest man. Even if with just his presence, all the fighting will stop.

He doesn't care about things like that. As long as his life is peaceful, and the people he cares about are safe, he's content.

And the only one who dares to make Shizuo do anything he doesn't want to do, is Orihara Izaya.

But this time, it's not Izaya.

It's Shizuo.

Because Shizuo has finally found something he wants to do.

Shizuo has finally found something he wants.

It's true that Shizuo wants peace, and he still wants peace, but peace is an ideal, it isn't a goal. It's either there, or not there. It's a state of being.

It's fitting, actually. Ironically fitting.

The one who disrupts Shizuo's peace the most is Izaya, yet the one he fell in love with is Izaya.

Because to Shizuo, Izaya is the only one who can give him his peace.

At least that's what I think, I wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong, since like I said, Heiwajima Shizuo is unpredictable. His thoughts are inscrutable.

That something Shizuo wants, besides peace, is love.

We talked, you know? Shizuo and I. While you were busy with your plans Orihara, letting your guard down because Heiwajima was by your side and you thought you didn't have to factor in his presence and unpredictability.

Shizuo has always wanted love. He's always wanted to fall in love like a normal person. He's always desired to love somebody. And he has. He has loved –

But they ended up being hurt. And so he stopped. He stopped thinking he could love. He was afraid of loving, of being in love.

Because he's afraid of hurting people.

And then you come along, barging into his life, slashing at his open heart, pissing him off, yet never getting hurt, never fearing him like everyone else.

Without even knowing, you became an exception to him.

They say there's a thin line between love and hate –

And it was you who crossed that line.

...Wait.

No...that isn't quite right.

Should I say, it was you who invited him to cross that line.

You're unconscious…so you can't lie as usual. So I'll just explain on your behalf.

Because you involved yourself in that incident concerning someone important to him.

Of course, you'd say, 'I was just messing with him' but to him, it let him see you in a new light.

There's a saying that life is meaningless without a light called 'love'.

I wonder if it applies to this case?

But I digress.

You gave him a reason to trust you…even if it was just that 1%.

Falling in love with someone is about trusting that person – that's what the humans Heiwajima Shizuo wants to be like, say.

And so he trusted, trusted you with his feelings, and eventually his heart.

His heart which felt at peace. Instead of taking away his peace, you gave it to him. By letting him fall in love with you, you who could never be hurt by him.

You rejected him of course, since you love only humans –

Even though he's the most human. You know so, but you deny it. I wonder why?

You broke his heart, so I'm not surprised he wants to break yours.

It's only fair, isn't it, Orihara?

You always did claim yourself to be a fair man.

But I suppose I should thank you –

On behalf of this city.

Because you broke Heiwajima Shizuo's heart, you gave him something he wants.

You see, if you had accepted him, if you had returned his love, you would have given him the peace he's wanted all his life, and he wouldn't have to aim for anything else.

Your purpose in messing with this city and controlling your humans is wanting to see their reactions, wanting to see them surpass your expectations.

If there's anyone who can stop you, it's Heiwajima Shizuo, and that's why he pisses you off, that's why you hate him.

That's why, I'm looking forward to this.

Because now you're not the only one with a purpose, a reason.

Heiwajima Shizuo, the strongest man in Ikebukuro, has finally found a reason to willingly involve himself in the affairs of this city.

And that reason is you.

He wants you. He loves you, and he will do anything to make you his.

Oh those aren't my words, they're his.

Bringing you down from the positon of the mastermind will bring peace to this city –

And peace to him.

He's killing two birds with one stone.

You really shouldn't underestimate him, Orihara.

After all, Heiwajima Shizuo has always caused chaos with the end goal of getting back his peace.

You of all people should know that very well.

Instead of being angry, shouldn't you be ecstatic?

Shouldn't you say –

My human has surpassed my expectations! This is why I love humans!

Shouldn't you?

Haha.

Well, you don't have to say it.

He'll show it to you, until you can't deny it anymore.

Thus, allow me to say on your behalf –

Let the game begin.

.

- Unpublished Observational Record by Tsukumoya Shinichi