Chapter 6

INTERMISSION Online Rumors (1) On the Ikebukuro information site IkeNew! Version I.KEBU.KUR.O Popular Post: [The Urban Legend Is Over] Haven’t seen the Headless Rider around, huh “Where did the Headless Rider go?” (Rehosted from Tokyo Warrior online site) When people mention the urban legend that once freely strolled around Ikebukuro, they are referring, of course, to the Headless Rider. But in the last six months, eyewitness reports of the rider have fallen off a cliff. The Headless Rider became a national sensation when it was clearly filmed in the midst of a Daioh TV live report accompanying a police operation. But what’s underappreciated by the public at large is that sightings of the rider in Tokyo have been reported for over twenty years. The president of a show business production company placed a huge bounty on it, leading to the phenomenon of “Headless Rider Hunts,” but even after they died down, it never seemed bothered. Onward went the darkened night rides. The Headless Rider straddles a silent motorcycle that transforms into a headless horse and swings a pitch-black scythe. It’s the kind of sight that sears itself into the psyche as vividly as any traumatic experience, but when it happened on the main roads all the time, there was no end of the sightings. Half a year ago, however, uploads of Headless Rider footage to video sites simply stopped. Run a search on various social media networks for the Headless Rider, and all you’ll find are people talking about how they haven’t seen the ghostly figure anymore. Has the Headless Rider vanished from Ikebukuro for good? The Ikebukuro-based writer Shinichi Tsukumoya wrote on his blog, “The Headless Rider is simply tired of creating legends. After it has rested, it will surely return to its familiar haunt.” —(The rest of this article can be read at the original link) Comment from IkeNew! Administrator Know that this rider’s been seen around for over twenty years, I did not. If they started riding around age twenty, over forty now, that would make them. Realized that it’s embarrassing to be a forty-year-old cosplaying as a spooky ghost and driving around the city, perhaps they have? By that age, they should be more down-to-earth and normal, you would expect. And yes, that means I’m talking to all you forty-somethings reading this who are into cartoons for children, too. Admin: Rira Tailtooth Zaiya A selection of representative twits from the social network Twittia Haven’t seen the Headless Rider in a while. It’s gone, huh? One-hit wonder. One and done. No way. It was around when I was a kid. I mean, it was around since my dad was in school. How old is the Headless Rider anyway? Speaking of the Headless Rider, you remember that crazy thing two years back? Where the sky got all dark, and it was still black in the morning hours. I wonder if that was the Headless Rider’s shadow. Oh yeah, yeah! I wonder what that was all about. Didn’t they say it was dust storms? There is no damn way that was a dust storm. I mean, things were crazy that night. Biker gangs all over the damn place. Wasn’t there a shooting, too? Oh yeah, yeah. Didn’t some teenager catch a stray bullet from the bikers and die? I thought he survived. Yeah, it wasn’t fatal. I wasn’t talking about that, I was thinking of the Awakusu-kai and police station getting shot up. I wonder if we’ll ever get to see the Headless Rider again. I’ll manage. It’s freaky when you’re in a car and it just breezes past you. Actually, I’m amazed that never caused any big traffic accidents. No headlights! The Headless Rider might not care, but we get freaked out. Traffic cops need all the help they can get. I finally did it. I might get to meet the Headless Rider. Tomorrow I’m going to get to talk to someone who knows the legendary Headless Rider! I can’t wait! How did this go? You didn’t tweet an update. But you tweeted every single day before that. It’s like a horror movie. Maybe the rider made them disappear lol That’s not funny. They really did disappear. What?! Holy crap! I’m sorry. Everyone’s clearly worried, so you should probably tweet again if you’re all right.